Anna Maria Island Sun February 18, 2015

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VOL 15 No. 17

February 18, 2015

Sun, fun, seafood

An estimated 30,000 people turned out for the 33rd Annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival to savor some tasty maggie field | SUN seafood, like the crawfish being served up by Chastanna Neiman, of Walt’s Fish Market. Story and more photos on Page 8.

County won’t charge for beach parking In addition, the city passed an ordinance calling for four-way stop signs at Gulf Drive and Magnolia Avenue.

BY TOM VAUGHT SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – The rumor mill stretched all the way from the beach to the office of Manatee County Administer Ed Hunzeker last week.

INSIDE NEWS OPINION Sun survey business outdoors REAL ESTATE SPORTS cROSSWORD

4 6 7 14 30-32 40-45 47 51

Hunzeker arrived at Anna Maria City Hall last Thursday to dispel a rumor started in Holmes Beach that Manatee County was considering charging for parking at Hunzeker the public beaches.

“There was a lack of communication when we talked about paid parking at Manatee Beach,” Hunzeker

From land or sea, it’s all good. 14 harry’s:

Anna Maria Island, Florida

see PARKING, page 48

Commission initiates forfeiture

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – Forfeiture of office proceedings against Mayor Bill Shearon were formally initialized by a 3-2 vote during Friday morning’s special city commission meeting.

Vice Mayor Jack Clarke and Commissioners Jan Vosburgh and Ed Straight voted in favor of initiating forfeiture proceedings against the

mayor, while Shearon and Commissioner Janie Robertson opposed it.

“I’m not comfortable going forward with absolutely no budget or capped costs. To proceed forward without having any idea how much money we’re going to be spending, I am going to be against the forfeiture,” Robertson said, before the vote was taken.

The commission then voted 4-1in see shearon, page 34

resort tax collections climb in

2014. 4 new plan emerges for Anna Maria’s City

Pier Park.

The Island’s award-winning weekly newspaper

35 www.amisun.com

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FEBRUARY 18, 2015

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FEBRUARY 18, 2015

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ULI arrives Sunday

BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com

The long-awaited Urban Land Institute study commences on Sunday with the arrival of the not-for-profit development consultant group on Anna Maria Island.

During its $125,000 study of the Island, the nine-member panel, assisted by three ULI staff members, is expected to survey more than 100 people about Island problems next week, then formulate potential solutions.

They will use a briefing book – a snapshot of everything you ever wanted to know about AMI – as their starting point, enhanced by the interviews, their own research and a bus tour of the Island.

The Anna Maria Island committee that prepared the book also posed the topics it wants the ULI to address, including maintaining and enhancing a family-friendly, Old Florida beach community, striking the “appropriate balance” among residents, short-term

Cell tower construction date set Construction of the long-awaited cellular telephone tower at Anna Maria City Hall is set to begin Monday, Feb. 23, and last approximately 1 1/2 months, according to Florida Tower Partners CEO Brett Buggein. A ground breaking is set for Friday, Feb. 20, at 10 a.m.

Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said he was concerned about the delay in the project, especially after the contractor and the city agreed to take measures to get the project back on track.

Buggein said there were some internal problems at the company that led to the delay.

vacation rentals and businesses, retaining and increasing full-time and seasonal residents and improving traffic, parking and congestion problems.

They also pose questions on how the three Island cities can leverage a shared vision of the Island to exert greater influence on other municipalities and the county and state and how to gain efficiencies by combining or sharing city services.

Activities begin on Sunday, Feb. 22 with a dinner at the Bridge Street Bistro in Bradenton Beach, followed by a

bus tour of the Island on Monday, Feb. 23 and a reception Monday from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at CrossPointe Fellowship, 8605 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach, with interviews on Tuesday, Feb. 24 and panel work sessions on Wednesday, Feb. 25 and Thursday, Feb. 26. On Friday, Feb. 27, the ULI panel will present its preliminary recommendations, which will later be published for the three Island city governments to use.

To view the panelists’ biographies, visit www.amiuli.com.

Romine to head training association Holmes Beach’s former police chief, Jay Romine, was elected as chairman of the Florida Criminal Justice Training Center Directors’ Association (CJTCDA). Romine currently serves as director of the Florida Law Enforcement Academy at Manatee Technical College.

Romine served as a member of the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commis-

sion for 10 years, as the chair for three years and as the vice-chair of the Center Directors’ Association for six months prior to this Romine election.

The Law

Enforcement Academy at MTC is one of 40 certified criminal justice training centers in the state. The CJTCDA represents these centers in matters relating to the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission and all aspects of basic and advanced training for future and current law enforcement and correctional officers in the state.

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ISLAND NEWS

in brief

Visit our website, www.amisun.com.

Scan this code with your smartphone to go there.

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

2014 resort taxes climb

BY CINDY LANE

Publix remodel set to begin Feb. 27

SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com

Shoppers will be seeing a new look in the Island Publix grocery store soon as the company begins a remodeling project on Feb. 27.

“The cases will be refreshed in the produce, bakery, dairy, meat, deli, seafood and frozen food areas,” said Brian West, media and communications manager for Publix in central and southwest Florida.

West said the customer service area also will be updated and all work will take place at night, so shoppers will not be inconvenienced. Work is expected to be completed by mid May.

Manatee County resort tax collections were consistently up in Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach and countywide for the first eight months of 2014 compared to 2013, according to statistics from the Manatee County Tax Collector.

While Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach and countywide collections continued to increase in the last four months of 2014, collections in Anna Maria dropped an average of

Cumber trial delayed The murder trial of William Cumber has been postponed until Monday, Nov. 2, at the request of his attorney.

Cumber, 45, is charged with the apparent death of then-Haley’s Motel co-owner Sabine Musil-Buehler, who remains missing since Nov. 4, 2008.

He is serving 13.5 years in jail for violating probation on a 2006 conviction of felony arson, unrelated to a fire at Haley’s Motel 12 days after Musil-Buehler’s disappearance.

Blood matching her blood type was found in her car, discovered in the possession of another man, Robert Corona, who was convicted of grand theft of a motor vehicle.

Beer and wine OK at public beach City commissioners last week approved an ordinance to allow the consumption of beer and wine only at the Manatee Public Beach concession building and tiki bar without a permit.

The issue came to light when questions arose regarding whether the sale and consumption of beer and wine was allowed at the public beach. Planner Bill Brisson told commissioners that years ago, the city authorized it in a limited area there.

However, he pointed out that the city’s code prohibits the consumption of any alcoholic beverages on any publicly owned street, alley sidewalk, park or publicly owned recreation area within the city.

This ordinance fixes that glitch and also continues to allow the consumption of beer and wine during events on the city field with a temporary use permit.

Correction A military rifle volley, not a 21-gun salute, was performed at a memorial service last week for Captain Glen Corder.

44 percent per month from October through December compared to the previous year.

Increases in Anna Maria collections were highest in April, August and July, in that order, and lowest in October, with a 53 percent drop from October 2013.

In Bradenton Beach, increases in collections were highest in November, September and April and lowest in February, with a 7 percent increase from February 2013.

Increases in Holmes Beach collections were highest in April,

May and October and lowest in June, increasing by 10 percent from 2013.

Countywide, increases in collections were highest in April, May and June and lowest in December, with a 4 percent gain over December 2013.

Resort tax collections are a prime indicator of tourist visitation, however, the tax collector cautions that better enforcement efforts in recent years also have contributed to increases.

2014 Manatee County resort tax collections compared to 2013 Anna Maria Bradenton Beach Holmes Beach Manatee County Total

JAN 18% 9% 17% 13%

FEB MAR 14% 15% 7% 9% 12% 11% 11% 14%

APR MAY JUNE 39% 16% 12% 27% 15% 10% 48% 25% 10% 35% 20% 16%

JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 27% 37% 48% 53% 51% 23% 19% 17% 34% 17% 40% 17% 16% 19% 21% 25% 21% 13% 14% 14% 7% 13% 6% 4% Source: Manatee County Tax Collector

Nominations open for Tourism Hall of Fame Nominations are open for the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame. Since 2001, the award has acknowledged contemporary and historic figures whose vision, creativity and drive have had a positive and significant impact on the development of Florida as a desirable visitor destination.

Each year, one Hall of Fame inductee is selected by the Florida Council of Tourism Leaders from among the nominations received, approved by the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors and formally recognized during the Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism.

The deadline to submit nominations is Tuesday, April 14. To download the nomination form or for more information, visit www.FloridaTourismHallofFame.org.

AMI ranks in state’s top 10 highest winter room rates Anna Maria Island has the seventh most expensive room rates in Florida, according to a survey by www.CheapHotels. org, with $197 average nightly rates; Marco Island ranked first with $302 average nightly rates.

The survey compared rates of popular destinations in the high south Florida tourist season of February and March as of Jan. 20-23, 2015, comparing double rooms located near the beach that received a positive overall rating on the hotel comparison website www.kayak.com.

1. Marco Island

$302

2. Sanibel Island

$287

3. Key West

$254

4. Delray Beach

$253

December resort tax collections

5. Fort Myers Beach $214 6. Islamorada

$198

7. Anna Maria Island $197 8. Key Largo

$184

9. Sarasota

$183

10. St. Pete Beach

$181

Manatee County’s 5 percent resort tax, or tourist tax, is collected from owners of accommodations rented for six months or less who charge the tax to their renters, in most cases, tourists. The majority of the tax is allocated to Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau tourism marketing efforts, with one of the five pennies allocated to beach renourishment. Resort tax increases reflect both increased visitation and improved tax collection efforts. Monthly collection reports do not reflect the fact that some hoteliers pay quarterly, not monthly.

Amounts shown are collected in December and paid to the Manatee County Tax Collector’s Office in January. To anonymously report a rental owner who may not be paying the tax, call 941-741-4809 or visit www.taxcollector.com/ services_resort_tax_tips.asp.

Source: Manatee County Tax Collector’s Office

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FEBRUARY 18, 2015

Collections $6.41 million $7.03 million $8.10 million $8.99 million $10.47 million

Source: Manatee County Tax Collector

Manatee County resort taxes generated by AMI in 2014 Anna Maria Island’s three cities generated an average 45.6 percent of Manatee County’s $10.6 million in resort tax collections in calendar year cq 2014, or about $4.8 million.

January

45% July

54%

February

43% August

49%

March

47% September 43%

April

48% October

May June

5

New stormwater billing method proposed

Manatee County resort tax collections Fiscal year 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14

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38%

47% November 38% 54% December 42% Source: Manatee County Tax Collector

The simplified calculation would be based solely on the square footage of a property.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – Last week, City Engineer Lynn Townsend Burnett updated the Bradenton Beach Commission on her efforts to help develop and implement an Island-wide stormwater assessment methodology that would simplify billing calculations and provide fee assessments that are more fair and equitable.

During the Tuesday, Feb. 10, work session, Burnett also discussed the transferring stormwater billing to Manatee County.

For Bradenton Beach, Burnett proposed a formula based on property owners being assessed $4 for every 100 square feet of property, regardless of whether the property is residential or commercial. Fractional calculations amounting to four cents per square foot would apply to figures not evenly divisible by 100.

The owner of a 5,000 square foot property in Bradenton Beach would pay a $200 stormwater fee. The owner of a 5,227 square foot property would pay $209.08, and the owner of 4,212 square foot property would pay $168.48.

“It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a chicken coop, a car dealership, a Circle K, or a condo that’s 10 stories high, the square footage of the lot is what we’re going on,” Vice Mayor Jack Clarke said.

Burnett said the $4 multiplier is based on the city’s need to cover $300,000 in stormwater expenditures budgeted for the next two years. The multiplier may differ from year to year and city to city based on financial and infrastructure needs and will be adopted during each city’s annual budget process.

Burnett said the standardized methodology could lead to slight increases for some commercial and residential property owners, while producing smaller bills for resort owners who currently share a larger burden of the costs.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

City Engineer Lynn Townsend Burnett discusses a new way of assessing stormwater fees.

See STORMWATER on Page 37

STAY CONNECTED WHEN YOU’RE AWAY

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OPINION

The Anna Maria Island Sun newspaper Island Sun Plaza, 9801 Gulf Drive P.O. Box 1189 Anna Maria, FL 34216-1189 Phone: (941) 778-3986 e-mail: news@amisun.com | ads@amisun.com | classifieds@amisun.com

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

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

EDITORIAL City Pier Park taking shape

T

he citizens committee working on the future of City Pier Park has met weekly for more than a month and has come up with a wide range of ideas. Last week, they voted to continue making plans for the six city lots instead of recommending selling the property. Now that they settled that, they can avail themselves making plans for what ultimately will be a park.

One argument for selling the land was based on the fact thT the city still owes a lot of money for the land. The committee, however, felt the location made the case for keeping city ownership.

After all, the Anna Maria City Pier is often named as one of the top tourist draws in the county and the park is right across the street. The city needs a gathering place like this to let people enjoy the ambience of the Island.

N

atural landscape expert Mike Miller drew up a plan that appears on Page 35 of today's edition. It proposes bold changes, such as placing the park activities closer to the bay and the pier parking more inland.

As committee member Lisa Walker said, you have the bay out there ... who wants to look at parked cars?

The plan also calls for a roundabout, like the one in Bradenton Beach, with the trolley stop being moved to Pine Avenue.

With that general layout, Miller suggested getting that part of the plan done first, then moving on to additional components. Committee members said that restrooms are important and even discussed a bandstand with walls to keep the music from intruding into the residential area near the park.

Other suggestions ranged from a community garden to a carousel.

Those plans could be made later but for now, they want to get started.

The committee was the idea of Mayor Dan Murphy and the fact that the project gets residential input makes it a product of those who live here. We commend the group and the mayor for putting the city on a course that will take it into the future.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Parking plan opponent While I rarely get involved in politics, I am very concerned about the direction of our community relative to solving the parking problems we face. The current proposal before the commission to have no parking in Holmes beach is contrary to the community feeling that we have been able to maintain in our town despite the growth and tourist attraction that we have here. We have always been a community of inclusion, and this proposal is a direct move to exclusion.

Apparently, there are a few problems with unruly visitors acting stupid. Well, we can't legislate against stupid. We have laws in place to handle the stupid. Let's try to enforce those laws, but not penalize every healthy and happy visitor due to the actions of a few. This proposal to ban parking is a perfect example of the tail wagging the dog. By adding rules and laws, we the residents lose our free-

The Anna Maria Island Sun Staff Publishers Mike Field Maggie Field Editor/CEO Mike Field

doms as well - and the last thing we need is the expense of our police force wasting time checking on parked cars to make sure they have a sticker on them. We have to recognize that we are attractive to people who want to use the beach, to those who like Island life, and to those seeking an alternative to foods and shopping and experiences on the mainland. We can find ways to control the problems that do not conflict with the culture of a real community. The no parking proposal just adds more government, more rules, more Disney-type of vacationing and living to our wonderful community. Let's not destroy that feeling.

David Weber Holmes Beach

Parking plan is the problem This letter is my strong objection to the proposed restrictions for right of way parking and resident permit parking for the city of Holmes Beach.

Layout Ricardo Fonseca

Outdoors editor Rusty Chinnis

Reporters Pat Copeland Cindy Lane Tom Vaught Joe Hendricks

Ad director Chantelle Lewin Ad assistant Chris Boniberger

Columnists Louise Bolger

Classified ads Bob Alexander

I have lived on 75th Street in Holmes Beach for the past 15 years and have experienced no problems with parking, noise or litter and strongly object to the inconvenience of having to notify police of potential guest parking, whether for short visits or for everal days. Furthermore, requiring property owners to pay for parking permits is even more objectionable considering current property taxes.

T. Kent Willard Holmes Beach

Schnitzelhaus fan Wolfgang, Bridgitt and Donna (of the Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus), thank you so much for the great German food and beer and fun you have provided us over the years. You will be missed.

Dave Apts Kentucky

Graphics Elaine Stroili Ricardo Fonseca Web Jocelyn V. Greene Accounting John Reitz

Distribution Bob Alexander Keith Isner Tony McNulty Contributors Steve Borggren Tom Breiter Troy Morgan Monica Simpson

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FEBRUARY 18, 2015

THE SUN

the sun survey

on the agenda

LAST WEEK’S QUESTION: Where would you like to be with your sweetie on Valentine's Day. Slow dancing to Sinatra.

Anna Maria

6%

11%

At a bar, looking for a sweetie.

10005 Gulf Drive

2/20: City Pier Park Committee, 10 a.m.

2/26: City Commission meeting, 6 p.m.

For information, call 7086130.

Bradenton Beach 107 Gulf Drive N.

2/18: Pier Team, 11 a.m.

2/18: Planning and Zoning Board, 1 p.m.

2/19: City Commission meeting, noon.

For information, call 7781005.

Holmes Beach 5801 Marina Drive

61%

2/20: Bid opening for solid waste services, noon 2/24: City Commission meet-

Sitting on the beach as the surf rolls in.

22%

In a nice waterfront restaurant sipping champagne as the sun sets.

THIS WEEK’S SURVEY Do you think Anna Maria should keep or sell the land now called City Pier Park?

• This is a nobrainer - sell it and get it back on the tax roles!

• Keep it and turn it into Cell Tower Park.

LIKE us on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AnnaMariaIslandSun View The Sun’s online edition at www.issuu.com/AnnaMariaIslandSun

To vote, go to www.amisun.com or scan this code to vote by smartphone.

Note: Events are free unless indicated.

Feb. 18

Early Settler’s Bread for sale, AMI Historical Museum, 402 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $5.

Chair yoga, Anna Maria Island Art League, 5312 Holmes Blvd., Holmes Beach, 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., $8. Register to 941778-2099.

Einstein’s Circle discussion on “Is college worth the cost? Is the rate of student loan defaults too high?

What are viable alternatives?” The Studio at Gulf and Pine, 10110 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, 11 a.m.

Tween Culture Club, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 6 p.m.

Thursday HOW TO SEND US A LETTER TO THE EDITOR Got an opinion, a complaint or a compliment? Is there something you need to get off your chest? Send us a letter to the editor and have your say. There are several ways to make your opinion known.

Visit our website at www.amisun.com and click on the “contact us” link at the top of the home page.

Or, e-mail The Sun directly at news@amisun.com. If you prefer the old-fashioned way you can mail a letter to us at The Anna Maria Island Sun, Island Sun Plaza, P.O. Box 1189, Anna Maria, FL 34216.

Letters should be kept to 300 words or less and must contain your name and the city in which you reside. Personal attacks and obscene language will not be printed. Letters also may be edited for length and content.

ing and work session, 7 p.m.

2/26: City commission work session, 7 p.m.

For information, call 7085800.

Island-wide

2/18: Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials, Anna Maria City Hall, 2 p.m.

2/19: West Manatee Fire Commission meeting, 6417 Third Ave. W., Bradenton, 6 p.m.

2/20: ULI Committee meeting, Anna Maria City Hall, 8 a.m.

2/23: AMI Community Center board meeting, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Marina, 5 p.m.

2/23: ULI stakeholders and citizens reception for the public, CrossPointe Fellowship, 8605 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach.

mark your calendar

Wednesday

• I strongly favor keeping it and improving it as a park.

• We should keep it but make it a big parking lot.

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Feb.19

iPad basics class, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m.

Bingo, Annie Silver Community Center, 103 23rd St. N., Bradenton Beach, 7 to 9 p.m. Refreshments available for purchase.

Friday Feb. 20

Mindfulness in nature silence stroll, Robinson

Preserve, 99th Street Northwest and 17th Avenue Northwest, Bradenton. 9 to 11 a.m. Reserve to 941-748-4501, ext. 6039.

Senior Adventures travels to Linger Lodge restaurant, meet at Annie Silver Community Center, 103 23rd St. N., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m.

Knitting/crochet group, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m.

Neil Diamond dinner and show, Anna Maria Island Community Center, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria, 6 p.m., $30 per person.

Saturday Feb. 21

Pancake breakfast, AMI Community Center, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria, 8 to 11 a.m., $8.

Sarasota Bay Guardians volunteer work day, Robinson Preserve expansion site, 99th Street Northwest and 17th Avenue Northwest, Bradenton, 9 a.m. to noon. Reserve to 941-9558085.

Lois Carson demonstrating watercolor painting, Island Gallery West, 5368 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Meditation, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, SEE CALENDAR, PAGE 9

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THE SUN

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

Plenty of sun, fun at Cortez fest

BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com

CORTEZ – Grouper groupies schooled in Cortez last weekend for the 33rd Annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival, enjoying blue skies, sunshine and seafood prepared every which way.

There was good music by local bands, nautical art, a playground, pony rides and a good dose of education about how the seafood that made the festival famous is caught.

Mark Coarsey, of Fishing for Freedom, used frozen mullet to demonstrate how a white roe male mullet can fit through a four-inch stretch mesh gill net to live another day, while a fat, female red roe mullet is caught by the gills. The nets reduce unwanted bycatch and preserve the resource, he said.

But they were banned in 1995 in Florida. Coarsey’s group is appealing the decision to the Florida Supreme Court.

Bringing the nets back would solve the problem of mullet washing up on the beach during mullet runs in the fall, he told festival goers, explaining that red roe mullet brings top dollar, and fishermen sometimes toss white roe mullet overboard to wash up on the beach because the nets they have been required to use since the net ban entrap both sizes of fish.

Coarsey’s dad, Wyman Coarsey, the former postmaster of Cortez for 26 years and a renowned harmonica player, received a Pioneer Award at the festival from FISH, the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage.

CINDY LANE | sun

Nathan Meschelle demonstrated how to mend a seine net at Cortez Bait and Seafood on Sarasota Bay during the festival.

see festival, page 36

joe hendricks | sun

Sarasota resident Amy Hendricks and her cousins CJ and Craig Pollick, visiting from Pennsylvania, enjoy grilled grouper sandwiches Saturday afternoon during the Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival. The festival drew thousands of people to Cortez last weekend.

CINDY LANE | sun

www.amisun.com

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

Sunshine Law violations alleged

MARK YOUR CALENDAR Wednesday

From Page 7

Feb. 25

Holmes Beach, 11 a.m.

Echo Heron speaks on “The Writing Life of an Author, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m.

Sunday Feb. 22

Beach Market, Coquina Beach, Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Bridge Street Market, Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monday

Early Settler’s Bread for sale, AMI Historical Museum, 402 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $5.

Einstein’s Circle discussion on climate change, The Studio at Gulf and Pine, 10110 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, 11 a.m.

Chair yoga, Anna Maria Island Art League, 5312 Holmes Blvd., Holmes Beach, 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., $8.

Register to 941-778-2099.

Thursday Feb. 26

Feb. 23

Chair yoga, Anna Maria Island Art League, 5312 Holmes Blvd., Holmes Beach, 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., $8.

Register to 941-778-2099.

Social bridge games, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, noon.

Tuesday Feb. 24

Children’s story time, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m.

Duplicate bridge, Church of the Annunciation, 4408 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 12:30 p.m.

H O L I S T I C

Island Branch Library lecture series program on Southeast Guide Dogs, Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, 2 p.m.

Finding romance in nature, Robinson Preserve, 99th Street Northwest and 17th Avenue Northwest, Bradenton, 6 to 8 p.m. Reserve to 941-7484501, ext. 6039.

Friday Feb. 27

AARP Driver Safety course, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 9:30 a.m. Sign up at library.

W E L L N E S S

C E N T E R

&

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – Commissioner Janie Robertson has accused Vice Mayor Jack Clarke and Commissioner Jan Vosburgh of committing Sunshine violations during last week’s forfeiture meeting.

On Saturday afternoon, Robertson e-mailed Clerk Pro Tem Terrie Sanclemente a statement addressing her concerns.

“I feel it is my responsibility to report an occurrence between two commissioners during the Feb. 13 commission meeting. There appeared to be a non-verbal signal and communication between Commissioner Vosburgh and Vice Mayor Clarke. Vosburgh was preparing to read a statement, and she looked at Clarke. He gave a perceptible shake of his head indicating ‘no,’ and she immediately changed her mind and put the statement down. This indicates that he had previous knowledge of the content of her state-

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THE SUN

ment, and that they had discussed it in some way prior to the meeting.

Both of these actions are Sunshine violations that I wish to be entered into public record,” Robertson’s e-mail said.

Clarke addressed the allegations Monday afternoon.

Robertson “Commissioner Robertson has proclaimed from the dais on several occasions that she is ‘confused.’ I suspect in this case she is also confused, and there is no basis for her allegations.”

Vosburgh also commented on the accusations levied her fellow comClarke missioner.

“It’s absolutely absurd. This is just like the misinformation that was spread during my reelection campaign, which all turned out to be untrue.

"This reminds of high school, where they just want to pick on somebody. I sometime feel that these people get up in the mornVosburgh ing and say ‘Whose life can I make miserable today,’” she said.

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THE SUN

City seeks ways to limit bedrooms Commissioners also discussed options to alleviate the adverse impacts of resort housing.

BY PAT COPELAND

SUN STAFF WRITER | pcopeland@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – City Planner Bill Brisson introduced a new idea in the city’s effort to find a way to limit the number of bedrooms in resort housing.

“Let’s treat these mini motels as motels and calculate them at the bedroom density of motels,” he said and showed a chart that gave the maximum number of bedrooms that could be built on a duplex lot, a legal single family lot, a non-conforming single family lot and a large single family lot.

“When people are vacationing, sleeping is not their primary concern,” he added. “If we limit the number of bedrooms, we would limit the number of people.”

However, Commissioner Jean Peelen said, “From me it’s not a matter of trying to limit the number of people; it’s building houses meant only for rental in residential areas.”

“They’re not going to build them if they can’t rent them,” Chair Judy Titsworth said “If they want to get a license to have resort housing, they can have only this many sleeping rooms.”

Residence to rental

“What happens when a residence becomes a rental?” Peelen

asked.

“They’ll have a 30-day minimum; they can’t do a short term rental,” Titsworth replied.

Brisson said, according to the state definition, “If you rent less than 30 days three times a year you’re a vacation rental,” while residential use allows for rentals of greater than 30-days three times a year.

Peelen asked, “That wouldn’t run afoul of state statute that says we cannot affect the time limit for rental?”

Brisson said they would need to check with the attorney on that.

Peelen also pointed out, “When they come in for a building permit, we don’t ask them whether it’s a residence or a rental.”

Brisson suggested that the question could be included on the building permit application.

“What we’re doing here is if Mr. and Mrs. Jones have eight kids and want to build a big home, they can do it as long as they stay under LAR,” Titsworth said. “But if they sell, the developer can’t use that big of a home for short-term rental because it has too many rooms.

“I think you came up with the one way we actually have to control the real problem. The real problem is the developer building so many eight-bedroom homes for resort use.”

Other options

Commissioners also discussed a list of options supplied by Brisson to alleviate the adverse impacts of

resort housing.

The first was to limit the maximum occupancy level of resort housing. Brisson said the city’s comprehensive plan already limits it to two persons per bedroom with a maximum of six.

“I suspect it would be difficult to enforce because you have to prove it, and it hasn’t been put in the land development code,” he said.

The second was to limit the number of bedrooms as previously discussed.

Others suggested regulations included: • Base parking on the number of sleeping rooms, rather than bedrooms.

• Require pools to have setbacks of 10 feet rather than 5 feet, and count pools as impervious surface coverage.

• Limit the hours during which pools may be used.

• Prohibit stacked parking.

• Limit the number of back out parking spaces.

• Require more trash/garbage cans and require them to be screened.

Peelen said they need more data from the building department, and Brisson concurred and noted, “We need to prove there is a problem,” and in which zoning districts the problem exists."

City Attorney Steve Dye also pointed out, “A second issue is what resort housing requirements would you want to include on existing units? Some aspects affect all resort housing.”

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Center offers A Night with Neil Diamond Get your tickets now for A Night with Neil Diamond performed by impersonator Bobby Palermo at the Island Community Center on Friday, Feb. 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. at the show will be from 7 to 9 p.m.

The buffet, catered by Danny’s Pizzeria, includes penne ala vodka, chicken Parmesan, Greek salad, garlic knots, water, tea or coffee and a selection of pastries. Bring your own beer or wine; ice buckets and cups provided.

Tickets are $30 per person or $240 for tables of eight and are available at the Center, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria. There will be no refunds.

Call 778-1908 for information.

Center newsletter debuts Island Community Center members received a surprise in their e-mail last week – a copy of the Center Times, the Center’s new newsletter. It includes this month’s coming events, a program listing, sports news, a kids’ corner, teen news, a pickleball schedule, hours and contact information.

To get copy, stop by the Center at 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria or call 7781908.

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City to seek declaratory judgment on rentals The city commission will continue hearing a proposed rental ordinance on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m.

BY TOM VAUGHT SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – City Commission Chair Chuck Webb disagrees with an opinion from attorney Susan Trevarthan, who studied the city’s code and said the city cannot place restrictions on rental properties because those properties were not singled out when definitions of types of residential units were made.

Trevarthan’s opinion disagrees with an earlier opinion

by Attorney David Levin, who said he feels the city prohibited short-term vacation rentals of single-family, detached dwellings before June 1, 2011, when the state passed a law “preempting local government prohibition and regulation of vacation rentals."

Distinctive Homes for Casual Lifestyles CBC060236

www.GagneConstruction.com

The law was amended this year to allow regulation of vacation rentals except the regulations regarding the duration and frequency of vacation rentals, but it does not apply to any local law, ordinance or regulation adopted on or before June 1, 2011.

Webb said he feels the city needs to sue an existing vacation rental owner claiming short-term rentals are a commercial enterprise that is prohibited in residential areas.

Commissioner Nancy Yetter said they ought to ask for their money back.

Webb says he thinks the opinion is inadequate. “ If we decide short term vacation rentals are illegal, we could use estoppels so rental property owners could tell the city why they should continue,” he said. “If you say rentals have always been illegal, you don’t have a Bert Harris claim.

If you don’t stop them, there are no losses.”

Commissioner Doug Copeland said there is no language saying rentals are illegal, “If in the end, we’re going to allow vacation rentals and regulate them, why go to court?” he asked. “Let’s just regulate them.”

In the end, the city commission voted 3-2 to seek a declaratory judgment and start licensing rental units.

A rental ordinance

The commission was asked to look at a proposed vacation rental ordinance and Woodland wanted to prepare it for second hearing and get it on the books as soon as possible, but Webb said it is a land use ordinance and they needed two advertised hearings. Copeland said they might be on shaky grounds since they have not hired an attorney to handle the rental problem.

The commission looked over the proposed ordinance and made some changes and decided to put it on a workshop at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19.

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FEBRUARY 18, 2015

Shaking up the music and the menu at Harry's

BY LOUISE BOLGER

HARRY’S

SUN STAFF WRITER | lbolger@amisun.com

This is a story about a couple from Texas, an RV named Harvey and a Coatimundi and how they all found their way to paradise.

After the 2008 financial crash that impacted both their businesses, she in home mortgaging and he in home building, Jan and Mark Labriola decided it was time for a big change. They packed up Harvey the RV, their pets and drove to Florida to start over. Although Mark was familiar with Florida from his Key West days, Jan was new to the state, but instantly fell in love with central Florida, its access to the Gulf waters and the Arcadia forest.

They purchased 10 acres in Arcadia, moved Harvey on to the property and let their Coatimundi enjoy the landscape. Now before I go any further, just in case you don’t know what a Coatimundi is, I certainly didn’t, it’s a South American mammal that belongs to the raccoon family. Jan is part of a help and release program that nurses wild animals before they are returned to the wild. The Coatimundi became a pet since he was not in his natural environment and couldn’t be set free.

Shortly after settling in Arcadia they started looking for a business or investment opportunity and found their way to Anna Maria Island. The business in Bradenton Beach that they hoped to purchase didn’t work out, but they soon heard that Harry’s on Gulf Drive might be for sale. With Mark’s Key West restaurant experience, his Italian cooking heritage and Jan’s entrepreneurial abilities, they knew they could make it work. Within weeks and a little divine intervention, they sold their 10 acres in Arcadia, found a rental in Anna Maria and purchased Harry’s. They took over the business in December and were fortunate to retain all seven of Harry’s great employees.

The Labriolas are shaking things up at Harry’s, starting with entertainment on Tuesdays and Fridays. They also

9903 Gulf Drive Anna Maria 941-567-5999 www.harrysgrillami.com 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. or until closing 7 days a week All major credit cards accepted Pet friendly on patio

LOUISE BOLGER | SUN

Mark and Jan Labriola are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner at Harry's in Anna Maria. plan on adding one night a week where patrons are invited to come in and play their guitars on Harry’s magical outside deck in addition to on-going menu changes.

They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with tables and a bar inside in addition to the outside deck space. Break-

fast features omelets, eggs, wraps and croissants. They also have French toast and espresso. Eggs can be ordered all day, which is great if you’re on vacation and want to sleep in.

Lunch and dinner can be a traditional burgers fried shrimp po-boy, Buffalo chicken sandwich or Mahi Mahi or fried

shrimp basket. Soon they will be adding a fresh fish catch of the day.

It you want to pop in for a glass of wine or a beer, you can order some appetizers or munchies starting with Mark’s special Buffalo hot or jerk wings, a bowl of chili, boiled peanuts nachos and more. Harry’s has beer and wine, both bottled and draft, including a beer cooler. They have craft beers and are adding Wine Flights, basically a really cool idea consisting of a cheese and cracker board with wine samples.

And don’t forget the “Harry Hour” between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. every day where you can get 10 for $10 Buffalo wings, $2 domestic draft beer, $3 craft draft beer and $1 off all wine.

By the way if you’re still thinking about the Coatimundi, he was renamed Harry and, of course, became Harry’s mascot, unfortunately his time ran out after moving to Anna Maria, but he did have 8 wonderful years.

Check out Harry’s on Gulf Drive, “your last stop for great food on Gulf.” It’s on track to becoming an iconic Anna Maria gathering place owned by an interesting couple with a great story who are just wild about Harry’s.

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City parking lot under way The much-debated city property along Gulf Drive is now being improved for parking.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – Work began last week on the development of a fivespace, public parking area located on city-owned beachfront property adjacent to the BeachHouse restaurant.

Public Works Director Tom Woodard provided an update Wednesday afternoon.

“They’re setting the grades and limits, including where the parking spaces and planting areas will be. Five trees are staying in place, and the other six or seven will be relocated. The native muhly grass will be used, the plantings that can be reused will be, and the beach daisies will be replaced.

It will be all sand with no paving. The handicapped parking space will be colored, porous brick pavers, and there will be a sand walkway for beach access,” he explained.

A visit to the property Wednesday afternoon indicated the presence of

Owner Steve Traves Outdoor Pro

joe hendricks | sun

By Friday, Feb. 13, the soon-to-be city parking lot had taken on a new look, with many of the plants and trees having been removed. numerous survey stakes. A return visit Friday revealed numerous plants and palm trees had been removed.

Gator Grading is expected to arrive on site soon.

Last-minute intervention?

During the Feb. 5 meeting, Commissioner Janie Robertson shared an e-

mail she sent to herself earlier that day.

“I had a meeting with a staff member today at THEIR invitation, not mine. It was suggested by THEM that commission meet with appropriate staff to explore more options concerning the city property across the street. I am asking for a consensus to the have the clerk arrange for that meeting ASAP,” she said,

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without identifying the staff member.

“A staff member suggested this because we aren’t supposed to have opinions?” asked acting City Clerk Terri Sanclemente.

“It is felt by this staff member that the commission needs to meet with more staff members to discuss this as see parking, page 46

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Chris Collins | submitted

Shattered art Police found the driver of an SUV who drove through the front of the Artists Guild Gallery around 11 p.m. Friday. According to witnesses, the driver hit the window with enough force to enter the building, tossing artwork and glass around the front viewing area. The driver then put the vehicle in reverse, backed out and drove away. Guild volunteer Diane Remington said they worked until 3 a.m. to clean up the area. Holmes Construction put plywood up to secure the gallery. Police got a license number from witnesses and contacted the driver, who was undentified at press time.

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FEBRUARY 18, 2015

Shelby Redfield & William (Travis) Kilgore were married at the Sandbar restaurant on January 31, 2015.

Chuck Caudill played ukulele and sang for the ceremony, and provided music for the reception.

Patti McKee and Luis Ortiz coordinated the wedding and reception. Shelby & Travis honeymooned in New Zealand, before returning home to Valrico, Florida.

Dara Caudill www.islandphotography.org

Tonya Davis & Kevin Shackelford were married on the beautiful beach of Anna Maria Island on October, 16, 2014. Chuck Caudill played guitar and sang for their ceremony. Tonya & Kevin honeymooned on Anna Maria Island before returning home to Corbin, Kentucky.

Dara Caudill www.islandphotography.org

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A Perfect Setting.. For Your Perfect Wedding

100 Spring Avenue Anna Maria Island 941.778.8709

200 Gulf Drive North Bradenton Beach 941.778.8718

groupersandwich.com

The Studio offers the art of extraordinary events

The Studio at Gulf and Pine is more than just an art gallery. Located at 10101 Gulf Drive, in Anna Maria, the gallery is owned by former Florida First Lady Rhea Chiles. In addition to displaying new fine art every three weeks, the Studio at Gulf and Pine offers an exquisitely decorated venue for parties up to 100 people. Located a half-block from the Gulf and the historic Sandbar restaurant in the city of Anna Maria, The Studio at Gulf and Pine features tropical landscaping outside and several rooms inside including a state of the art media room. All of this in air-conditioned comfort and out of the elements. The Studio at Gulf and Pine serves as the perfect setting for an elegant rehearsal dinner, wedding, reception or private event.

For more information, log onto www.studioatgulfandpine.com or e-mail Patti McKee at pmckee@ chilesgroup.com. You can also call 941-778-8709 to book your event.

Come see how easy it can be to say your I do’s on the beach and celebrate afterward in a one of a kind location.

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Luxury housing for wedding parties Look no further if you’re looking for beachfront or two beach-to-bay resorts to house a large wedding party, anniversary or family reunion. The award-winning Tortuga Beach Resort, SeaSide Beach Resort, Tropic Island Beach Resort & Tradewinds Beach Resort offer luxurious rooms, studios and large apartments with heated swimming pools and private beaches. Tortuga has a fishing dock and boat slips on Sarasota Bay. LePetite Café at Tortuga serves take-out food for those staying at all four resorts. All resorts can accommodate a total of 600 guests in a variety of tropically furnished configurations.

Tradewinds is located at 1603 Gulf Drive, SeaSide at 2200 Gulf Drive, Torpic Isle at 2103 Gulf Drive and Tortuga at 1325 Gulf Drive, all in Bradenton Beach. Dockage for wedding party members and guests traveling by boat are welcome.

All resorts are members of the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Wedding Merchants Association, along with other respected service providers in the wedding field.

Call Tradewinds: 941-779-0010, SeaSide: 941 7785254, Tropic Isle: 778-1237, or Tortuga: 941-778-6611; or log on to “http://www.tradewinds-resort.com/ or, http:// www.seasideinn.com/, or http://www.tropicisleinn.com, or http://www.tortugainn.com/. Make these wonderful resorts your home-away-from home for your destination

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Leah Lunetta and Mark Shea were married at the Sandbar restaurant on Nov. 6, 2014.

Patti Mckee and Luis Ortiz coordinated the wedding.

Accommodations for guests were provided by the Tortuga Inn of Anna Maria Island Resorts. Leah and Mark will be spending part of their honeymoon on Anna Maria Island and part in St. Thomas in January. Leah & Mark currently reside in Tewsbury, Mass.

Dara Caudill www.islandphotography.org Dara Caudill | www.islandphotography.org

Nataly Peterson and Seth Bailey were married at the Sandbar restaurant on Nov. 1, 2014. Patti McKee and Luis Ortiz, of the Sandbar, coordinated the wedding. The reception was held at the Studio at Gulf and Pine, and was coordinated by Julie and Tommy Fagen. Nataly and Seth honeymooned on Anna Maria Island before returning home to Little Rock, Ark.

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More accolades for Cannons Marina Grady-White Boats has awarded Cannons Marina, of Longboat Key, its Bronze Anchor award for outstanding customer satisfaction and was also recognized with membership in the GradyWhite Boats Admiral’s Circle for the model year 2014, the 16th year in a row that Cannons’ has earned this honor.

The Bronze Anchor Award for Customer Satisfaction signifies that Cannons Marina is one of the top three ranking dealers in customer satisfaction index scores among all of the

Grady-White Boats dealers worldwide.

The Admiral’s Circle Award is reserved for the top dealerships in the GradyWhite network that have achieved at least $2 million in retail sales for the model year plus Grady-White’s Customer Service Excellence award with customer satisfaction index scores of at least a 9.5 on a 10 point scale.

This prestigious award was presented to Cannons Marina at Grady-White’s Sales Conference in Greenville, NC in December.

Early Floridian lecture set Learn about the trials and tribulations of Florida’s early colonists (1500-1599) in a lecture on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 3 p.m. at the Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W. in Cortez.

The focus of the lecture includes the roles of the Natives, French, English and Spanish in Florida’s early history.

For more information, call 941-708-6120 or visit http://floridamaritimemuseum.org.

Cops to see in the dark Holmes Beach Police Chief announced at last week’s city commission meeting that the department would receive the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant for $1,011.78 to purchase two night vision binoculars.

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Dr. Carl Voyles – still practicing medicine at 92 Manatee County commissioners will proclaim Dr. Carl Voyles Day on Feb. 24.

BY PAT COPELAND SUN STAFF WRITER | pcopeland@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – Dr. Carl Voyles graduated from medical school the year the first baby boomers were born, but unlike many boomers who are contemplating retirement, Voyles is still practicing medicine at the age of 92.

Manatee County commissioners will honor Voyles at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24, by proclaiming Dr. Carl Voyles Day. “I do things I enjoy, and I enjoy helping other people,” said Voyles, who works at the Manatee County Health Department two half days a week and one full day a month.

Voyles graduated from Duke University Medical School in 1946 and interned in cardiology at Johns Hopkins. At the same time he served in the Navy on inactive duty.

“After I finished my internship, I went on active duty,” he recalled. “I went to California for flight training so I could be a flight surgeon.”

As a captain in the Navy, Voyles served two tours in Vietnam, where he received the Legion of Merit Medal for his work; the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.; Newport, R.I., where he was chief of medicine at the Naval War College; Iceland; and Maine, where he saw submarine duty.

Some famous patients he treated during his career were Madame Chiang Kai-shek, the first lady of China until the Communist Revolution in 1949; President Lyndon Johnson and Washington, D.C. dignitaries.

Pat Copeland | Sun

Dr. Carl Voyles relaxes at home with the family cat, Tonk.

Moving to Florida

After retiring from the Navy in 1984, Voyles moved to Florida and worked at Bay Pines Veterans’ Hospital in St. Pete, before moving to the the Island and beginning his 25 years with the Manatee County Health Department, where he has worked in the juvenile detention center and the county jail and now treats immigration and naturalization patients and TB patients.

“I enjoy working in public health, and I’m a good bargain for them because I’ve been doing it for so long,” he said.

It was on the Island that Voyles met his wife, Joan, while on one of his regular walks by the Island Community Center.

“I saw a light and went inside where people were forming a club for artists,”

Submitted

Dr. Jennifer Bencie, administrator of the Manatee County Health Department, with Dr. Carl Voyles. he recalled. “I said, ‘I’m a writer,’ and I became a founding member of what is now the Artists’ Guild.

“Joan became president, and I was on a committee with her. We were at her home doing work, and I asked her on a date.

She said no, but then I called again and she said yes. One thing led to another, and it’s been the best 25 years of my life.”

Author

Voyles is also the author of three books, “Vignettes of Vietnam,” about his experiences in Vietnam; “Voyage in

a Red Canoe,” a novel about Vietnam; and “Angles and Dangles and Other Sea Stories,” about submarine duty in Maine.

In addition to working at the health department, Voyles stays active.

“I plays golf two days a week; it keeps me active,” he said. “I watch all the Duke basketball games and do two flights of stairs for every time out.”

He’s thought about retiring from practicing medicine, but said, “I enjoy working. In January, I renewed my license for another two years. I might retire after that.”

Comedy, drama, love in new Island Players presentation The Island Players presents “Becky’s New Car,” by Steven Deitz, from Thursday, March 26, through April 12.

“Becky’s New Car” mixes comedy and drama in a tale about love and fidelity. Middle aged Becky is stuck in middle management and has a middling marriage. She feels there has to be more out there for her, but doesn’t see any prospects for change on the

horizon until her daily routine of working at a car dealership is flipped upside down.

Tickets are $20 each. The box office opens on Monday, March 16, and is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday through Saturday. On performance nights, the box office opens at 7 p.m., and for Sunday Matinees, it opens at 1 p.m. Visa, MasterCard or Discover are

accepted.

Island Player’s veteran Mike Lusk directs, with the assistance of Cathy Hansel-Edgerton. The cast consists of Pamela Hopkins, as Becky Foster; Rodney Kwiatkoski, as Joe Foster; Jalex Scott, as Chris Foster; Jim Faltot, as Walter Flood; Hannah Morgan, as Kensington Flood; Richard Levene, as Steve; and Judy Glynn, as Ginger.

For reservations or information, call the box office at 941 778-5755 or go to the website, www.theislandplayers.org.

Auditions for their next play, “The Murder Room,” directed by James Thaggard, will be held on Sunday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. at the theatre, 10009 Gulf Drive in Anna Maria.

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FEBRUARY 18, 2015

P&Z wants more say The group wants to consider environmental impact when reviewing construction plans.

BY TOM VAUGHT SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – Planning and Zoning Board Chair Jonathan Crane wants to increase the responsibilities of the board to include being an environmental watchdog and providing more assistance in finding out if permit requests follow the law.

At a meeting Feb. 10, Crane said he felt a lot of “mischief” could be done when plan-

ning single-family houses.

City planner Alan Garrett said Sarasota County has a board that meets to review plans. Crane asked Garrett if that committee could be volunteers, and he said no, unless the P&Z wanted to do it.

Member Maureen McCormick said right now staff reviews the plans and they are limited in their ability to bring up concerns. Garrett said if the plans were reviewed before he got them, it would be easier.

“If the parking looks bad, but it meets the requirements, I have to accept it,” Garrett said.

Garrett said this would be more palatable to developers. He said he would like more pairs of eyes to review the plans.

Garrett said the board could keep track of consistent problems and see what changes it could make.

Brennan said maybe they should have triggers to make the P&Z look at the plans.

Crane said they needed to consider drainage or ground water pollution possibilities, as well as compliance to the code.

McCormick said they needed to prevent new houses that increase runoff to neighbors’ homes.

Member Carl Pearman said he remem-

bers when P&Z had more authority and asked why it changed. Garrett said he didn’t know.

“As long as a project has a stamped plan, we don’t need a review from P&Z,” Garrett said.

Pearman asked Garrett if he liked what they were proposing.

“I’m always in favor of more eyes seeing the plans, he said, and added that the city might require rental home plans to be reviewed by P&Z. Crane said he wants that plus an environmental review.

EEEC to check out grants The Environmental Education and Enhancement Committee’s next regularly scheduled meeting will be at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 9.

BY TOM VAUGHT SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – The city might be able to make environmental improvements with a little help from its friends.

At their second meeting since being reinstated, members of EEEC (Environmental Education and Enhancement Committee) discussed the Gulf Front Park project, in which the city has started to clear unwanted growth on six tracts of beachfront land from Magnolia Avenue south.

EEEC member Lynn Brennan said the first two tracts of land were cleared of non-native plants, and the gopher tortoises are getting into and out of their burrows more easily. She said a prickly pear cactus on the site was endangered, and she hopes nobody tries to remove it.

Brennan said she met with Manatee County Grants Administrator Maggie Marr recently, and Marr said she would look for available grants that might help pay for beautification projects.

She said Marr was very helpful and willing to assist the group.

Other suggested sources for grant money included the Anna Maria Garden Club, The Sarasota and Tampa Bay estuary programs and Turtle Watch and Shorebird Protection Director Suzi Fox. Chair Jeanne Deem said she saw some red sage growing there, and resident Margaret Jenkins

asked if they wanted to plant beach daisies, also known as dune sunflower, which flourish along some areas of the beach.

Other members said it’s out there.

Member Jane Coleman said they want to restore that area to “pre-people” condition.

The group also is looking to re-install dog waste bag dispensers in several locations of the city. That project was begun by previous EEEC members, but was discontinued when the group lost most of its members. Public Works Director George McKay said he was looking for more dispensers.

Deem said the city owns two plots of land that are unbuildable, and it could convert them to pocket parks. One is located at Angler’s Cove at Villa Rosa, the only lot with no water exposure, and one is at the end of Tarpon Street.

“The one at Villa Rosa has only one tree on it,” she said. "Maybe we could offer it to the developer.”

Brennan said they needed to keep it and nurture open spaces.

“A lot of people would like a community garden,” Coleman said. “Maybe we could put one there.”

The area at the end of Tarpon is small, Deem said, and might be able to support a table and benches and a bike rack.

The group wants to tour Gulf Front Park together, which they can do if the advertise it as a meeting. They want to see what was done and what needs to be done. A tentative time and date, was set at 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, at the Magnolia beach end.

TOM VAUGHT | SUN

Kiwanis speaker Anna Maria Island Community Center Director Cindy Thompson appeared at a Kiwanis’ Saturday morning meeting recently. Thompson said the Center had seen some hard times, but she feels there are blue skies ahead. She said when the financial problems at the Center were disclosed, there was enough reaction from the public to indicate they did indeed want a Community Center.

Fatality in Cortez

Adopting groups approved

A Kentucky man is dead and his wife is hospitalized after they were hit by a vehicle while crossing Cortez Road Saturday night.

The Florida Highway Patrol reports William Joseph Ashcroft, 63, and Colleen Ashcroft, 62, of Louisville, Ky., were both hit by a Ford E-250 bvan, driven by Ramon Suerez Morales, 59, of Bradenton, around 9 p.m. near the Buttonwood RV Resort.

Paramedics pronounced William Ashcroft dead at the scene and Colleen Ashcroft was taken to Blake Medical Center.

Holmes Beach city commissioners ratified agreements with several Keep Manatee Beautiful adopting groups.

Groups adopt portions of the city’s streets and shoreline and agree to provide regular cleanups of that area.

Approved groups include: • Nature Lovers Working Together – Gulf shore from 68th Street to 42nd Street; • The Murphy Family – Gulf Drive between Manatee Avenue and East Bay Drive; • Grooms Motors – Gulf Drive between 52nd Street and Manatee Avenue.

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Spend an afternoon with Amadeus The Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra (AMICCO) performs selections from six Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart compositions in its first off-theIsland presentation of one of its season concerts on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m., at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church, 6101 Cortez Road W., Bradenton (near 59th Street West and Cortez Road).

The change in venue is on a trial basis as the AMICCO board evaluates the best way to meet audience needs and help reduce some of the traffic onto and off the Island during the height of the season.

Under the baton of Maestro Gershfeld, the concert begins with Mozart’s famous Overture from the "Marriage of Figaro," and includes selections from "Symphony No. 23," "Regina Coeli," "Ave Verum Corpus," "Serenade No. 2" and concludes with "Coronation Mass in C Major"

which was the favorite choral and orchestral composition conducted throughout the world by the late Herbert Von Karajan, the acknowledged premier concert conductor in the 20th century.

AMICCO’s Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Alfred Gershfeld and Chorus Master John W. Ferreira have created a highly anticipated afternoon performance of musical moments.

The concert will feature 2014 Youth Competition runner up, Shannon Ross, a 15-year-old cellist who is currently at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, a prestigious arts high school in Natick, Mass., where she studies music and is a member of the Youth Symphony. Ross currently studies with the chair of the strings department on the cello faculty at the Boston Conservatory, Andrew Mark. Ross did not start playing a stringed instrument until the fifth grade, when

she played the violin at the Out of Door Academy. She switched to cello in the sixth grade and began her cello studies in Sarasota under the teachings of Abe Feder, where she joined the Sarasota Youth Symphony, the Sarasota Youth Philharmonic and was runner-up in the Anna Maria Island Orchestra's Young Artist Competition, all in the span of two and a half years.

Other soloists are: Joy Leitner, soprano; Francesca Veglia, soprano; Martha DiPalma, alto; Susy Welsh, alto; David Kesler, tenor; Daniel A. Hoffman, bass; and Warren Swanson, bass.

Tickets for “Afternoon with Amadeus” are available at www. amicco.org, by calling Etta at 941-896-3899 or the Anna Maria Island Chamber at 5313 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach and, if still available, at the door.

Submitted

Fifteen-year-old Shannon Ross, a runner-up in the Youth Competition, plays cello in the upcoming concert.

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FEBRUARY 18, 2015

Mayor addresses building department instability Mayor Bob Johnson appointed John Fernandez as acting building official until the city hires one.

BY PAT COPELAND SUN STAFF WRITER | pcopeland@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – In seeking concurrence of his recommendation to appoint John Fernandez as acting building official, Mayor Bob Johnson said he hoped it would bring stability to the department.

“The turbulence we have in the city is driven by the instability in the building department,” Johnson said at last week’s city commission meeting. “Having John to help us though this in the interim is a good solution. John is the right person for us to have right now.”

Commissioner Jean Peelen praised the appointment and said, “God bless John Fernandez. He has helped us out in a big way over and over.”

Fernandez replaces Jon Betcher, a county employee who was acting as building official on a county contract for services. Betcher replaced Tom O’Brien, who resigned in July 2014 due to health reasons.

Fernandez, who was the city’s building official for eight years before joining the building department for the town of Longboat Key for 16 years, has helped the city with his services in the past.

Johnson also said department has been under a heavy work load due to increased construction, and the city has advertised for two one- and two-family dwelling inspectors.

According to building department figures, in 2014 construction was completed on 16 single-family homes, eight duplex homes and 21 remodels of 49 percent. From Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2014, permits were issued, but construction is not necessarily completed, on eight singlefamily homes, five duplex homes and six remodels of 49 percent.

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John is the right person for us to have right now.”

Bob Johnson Mayor

Hot tub issue

Resident Dick Motzer asked commissioners to address the issue of hot tubs being installed on roofs of new homes. He showed slides of some hot tubs on roofs with hoses hanging down to the ground.

“There are several issues with some of them being safety, hygienic and aesthetic,” he pointed out. “What happens in the case of a

bad storm or hurricane? Is it going to become a flying missile? Is one going to go up a spiral staircase to check water quality?

“Are the people in the neighborhood going to have to look at this hose strung up alongside the house for 30 feet for every day 24/7? I can’t imagine how plans were approved for these elevated hot tubs without provisions for plumbing.”

He asked commissioners to add this issue to future discussions on the moratorium, which was approved on second reading following his request.

The moratorium is in effect in the R-2, R-3 and R-4 zoning districts; includes remodeling or new construction of residences with four or more bedrooms or sleeping rooms, with four per side for duplexes; and will be in place for a maximum of nine months. The effective date was Jan. 15.

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

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Salmon Crudo Tartar - Sandbar Seafood & Spirits

Since 1979, my vision for the Sandbar, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Beachhouse and Mar Vista has been simple:

serve the freshest seafood in a classic old Florida environment. Dine indoors or outdoors on our open air decks with unmatched waterfront settings. Whether you are looking for a family friendly atmosphere, a romantic escape or just a place to unwind youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find it all at one of our unique waterfront restaurants. Sink your toes in the sand while you dine on fresh native seafood and farm to table menu items. I take great pride in owning three Originals restaurants.

â&#x20AC;?

Ed Chiles, proprietor of The Sandbar, BeacHhouse and Mar Vista

EAT LIKE A LOCAL DineOriginal.com 15 South Ristorante â&#x20AC;˘ Andreaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;˘ Anna Maria Oyster Bar â&#x20AC;˘ The BeacHhouse Restaurant â&#x20AC;˘ The Bijou CafĂŠ â&#x20AC;˘ Bridge Street Bistro â&#x20AC;˘ The Broken Egg â&#x20AC;˘ CafĂŠ Americano â&#x20AC;˘ CafĂŠ Baci â&#x20AC;˘ CafĂŠ Gabbiano â&#x20AC;˘ CafĂŠ Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Europe â&#x20AC;˘ CafĂŠ Venice â&#x20AC;˘ Caragiulos â&#x20AC;˘ Cedar Reef Fish Camp â&#x20AC;˘ Ciao! Italia â&#x20AC;˘ Cosimoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant & Catering â&#x20AC;˘ The Crowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nest â&#x20AC;˘ Derekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;˘ Drunken Poet CafĂŠ â&#x20AC;˘ Duvalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;˘ Euphemia Haye â&#x20AC;˘ Fast N Fresh â&#x20AC;˘ Gold Rush BBQ â&#x20AC;˘ Gulf Drive CafĂŠ + Tiki â&#x20AC;˘ Half Shell Seafood House â&#x20AC;˘ Harryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Continental Kitchens â&#x20AC;˘ JPAN Restaurant â&#x20AC;˘ Lobster Pot â&#x20AC;˘ Lynches Pub & Grub â&#x20AC;˘ Madfish Grill â&#x20AC;˘ Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub â&#x20AC;˘ Michael Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;˘ Michaelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s On East â&#x20AC;˘ mi Pueblo â&#x20AC;˘ Opheliaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s On The Bay â&#x20AC;˘ Ortygia Restaurant â&#x20AC;˘ Pacific Rim â&#x20AC;˘ Pattigeorgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;˘ Pier 22 Restaurant â&#x20AC;˘ Polo Grill & Bar â&#x20AC;˘ Primo!

Ristorante â&#x20AC;˘ Riverhouse Reef & Grill â&#x20AC;˘ Roesslerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant â&#x20AC;˘ Salute! Restaurant â&#x20AC;˘ Sandbar Seafood & Spirits â&#x20AC;˘ Savory Street â&#x20AC;˘ Sharkyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s On The Pier â&#x20AC;˘ Siesta Key Oyster Bar â&#x20AC;˘ SoMa Creek Side â&#x20AC;˘ Village CafĂŠ â&#x20AC;˘ The Waterfront Restaurant on Anna Maria

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OUTDOORS

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

Push Poles: flat out essential Reel Time RUSTY CHINNIS

P

ush poles are as essential as rods and reels to anglers who stalk the flats. They have evolved from wooden poling oars hewn from solid timber to technological wonders of carbon fiber, kevlar and graphite. In the early years of flats fishing, short poles were all that were needed as anglers hunted fish in shallow waters, poling from the decks of their boats. As flats boats evolved, elevated platforms allowed anglers to peer into deeper water, requiring longer poles to reach the bottom. Long wooden poles were too heavy and cumbersome, and anglers searched for lighter poles to propel them across the flats. Tubular aluminum and fiberglass poles were developed, with fiberglass becoming the material of choice. Technological advances in rod design shifted from fiberglass to graphite, and it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t long before graphite push poles began replacing fiberglass.

Graphite is light, causes the angler to expend less

energy and allows a skiff to be poled faster. This material is able to store more energy under a load, giving it a much faster recovery rate that puts energy into propelling the boat. Fiberglass poles have a lot of flex and recover more slowly. Graphite poles can be made stiff with much less material, creating a lighter, more dynamic product.

Initially these new poles were crafted of pure graphite, but due to the cost and problems with breakage, products were developed that blended graphite with fiberglass. The new push poles incorporated the strength of fiberglass with the lightness and dynamics of graphite. It also lowered the price point of the pole. Guides and anglers now have the option of purchasing push poles manufactured from graphite, graphite/fiberglass composite, pure fiberglass or a mixture of the sections. The newest lines are being manufactured with cutting edge materials, including Kevlar and carbon fiber, incorporating techniques that allow them to be made strong without fiberglass.

One of the most popular designs on the market comes from Fibertex Supply in Corpus Christie, Texas. They claim their Stiffy brand push poles are the strongest on the market. The shaft of the pole is see reel time, page 31

rusty chinnis | sun

Push poles help a guide get his client in position to make a stealthy presentation.

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Find snook in warmer evening water Captain Rick Grassett

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and pompano on a variety of DOA lures and flies in Sarasota Bay and snook and bluefish in the ICW near Venice on flies during the past week.

Bill Moore, from Libertyville, Ill., had a good day in Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. With an approaching front, we

worked deep grass flats on both sides of the bay where he caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel and bluefish on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and DOA Shrimp.

Frank Zaffino, from Rochester, N.Y., fished the ICW near Venice with me on Tuesday night and had great action catching and releasing snook on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Martin Marlowe, from New York, and his guest, Tim Hearon, from Sarasota, also had great action catching and releasing

snook on flies on Wednesday night. An outgoing tide fueled by a strong north wind supercharged the tide, and snook responded by going on a binge.

I monitor conditions closely this time of year, since snook may become stressed by cold water. However, often the warmest water of the day is on the outgoing tide in the evening after the sun heats water on shallow flats in the afternoon. I found water temperatures this week of 61 or 62 in morning, but warming to 65 degrees in the evening.

We found snook feeding aggressively and swimming away strong in the warmer evening water.

Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, and I scouted Sarasota Bay in his boat on Thursday afternoon. We found a few nice trout in shallow water and got one to eat a fly. Alan Sugar, from Ann Arbor, Mich., fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday afternoon. Conditions were challenging with cold air and windy see captains, page 32

reel time: Push poles are essential FROM PAGE 30

the strongest on the market. The shaft of the pole is wrapped with pre-impregnated, UV stable, epoxy tape in a proprietary manufacturing process. The lay-up of the pole includes longitudinal layers, which are counter and multiple wrapped. They control the cure time of the process with tension and pressure to effectuate high response dynamics, giving the push poles a superior strength to weight ratio. Stiffy makes a complete line of push poles including a 100 percent fiberglass, an 80/20 hybrid that is 80 percent graphite and 20 percent fiberglass and their Stiffy

graphite with a high gloss ribbed black epoxy finish which is 100% graphite.

Their Hell’s Bay Custom Graphite pole features a low gloss black epoxy finish.

Their latest innovation is the Stiffy Extreme, a 20-foot pole constructed for the finest graphite available. The Extreme measures 1.25 inches and weighs an incredible 2.5 pounds.

The points and forks of most major push poles do not vary significantly.

Most are made from a specially formulated abrasion resistant plastic for longer wear. The majority of forks are a simple Y design. A better option is a fork with a tapered mud bar that runs

between the legs of the fork. The best are cupped, wide in the center for support and designed to shed mud better than standard forks. They allow the angler more latitude when poling over soft bottom, so less effort is expended pulling the pole out of the soft bottom.

Anglers who pole over hard bottom can opt for a metal tip that screws into the end of the point. The tip grabs bottom, wears longer and is easier to push into the bottom to hold the boat. Length of the push pole is best determined by the depth of the water generally encountered and the size of the angler’s boat.

Eighteen- to 24-foot poles are most

common.

Push poles are one of the most important components of the modern flats boat. There are a wide variety of push poles on the market for every budget.

Check the warranty and make sure that you can get quick service if you ever need to repair or replace the pole. The most expensive poles can cost $700 to $800, so it’s a good idea to actually try a push pole before investing in one.

Push poles help you approach fish quietly, a big advantage as more and more boats ply the flats making fish more skittish and hard to approach for a presentation.

tide chart for anna maria city pier feb 18-25 Day Date

A.M. High Time Feet

A.M. Low Time Feet

P.M. High Time Feet

P.M. Low Time Feet

Sun Rise Set

Day Date

A.M. High Time Feet

A.M. Low Time Feet

P.M. High Time Feet

P.M. Low Time Feet

Sun Rise Set

Wed 2/18

11:37a 1.38

5:10a -0.65

10:32p 2.18

4:41p 0.51

7:05-6:24

Sun 2/22

1:21a 1.56

7:24a 0.19

1:33p 1.90

5:29a 0.87

7:02-6:26

Thu 2/19

12:01p 1.49

5:46a -0.51

11:26p 2.04

5:34p 0.30

Mon 2/23

2:26a 1.28

7:53a 0.42

2:10p 1.98

8:30a 0.79

6:21a -0.30

12:28p 1.62

6:29p 0.13

Tue 2/24

3:41a 1.04

8:17a 0.62

5:52p 2.01

3:41p 1.98

6:53a -0,06

12:59p 1.77

7:25p -0.01

Wed 2/25

5:29a 0.87

8:30a 0.79

10:49p -0.13

Fri 2/20 Sat 2/21

12:22a 1.82

7:04-6:24 7:04-6:25 7:03-6:26

7:01-6:27 7:00-6:28 6:59-6:28

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Join Suncoast Waterkeeper Suncoast Waterkeeper wants your help in its mission: to protect and restore the Florida Suncoastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waterways through enforcement, field work, advocacy and environmental education for the benefit of the communities that rely upon these precious coastal resources.

Since forming in 2013, it has challenged several proposed developments that threaten the delicate health of the estuary, including the proposed Long Bar Pointe development on Sarasota Bay south of Cortez. With an outpouring of community support, it helped defeat the developer's plans for a marina and massive dredging.

It recently filed suit along with other Waterkeepers across the country to force antiquated power plants like Big Bend in Tampa Bay to upgrade their cooling systems that destroy marine life, including endangered sea turtles.

It's also involved in pass management, beach renourishment and dredging issues in both Sarasota and Manatee counties to ensure that the best science is brought to bear in difficult decision making.

Most recently, it has joined a challenge to a proposed development, Harbor Sound, at the eastern end of the Manatee Avenue bridge on the shore of northern

Silent stroll at Robinson

Join naturalist Melissa for a zen-filled hike through the coastal mangrove system at Robinson Preserve on Friday, Feb. 20, from 9 to 11 a.m.

Melissa will lead the group in a mindfulness walk to help participants unwind, relax and focus. A portion of the walk will be done in silence and, if participants would like, barefoot. The program is suitable for ages 16 and up. Reservations are required; call 941-748-4501, ext. 6039.

Create oyster habitat Saturday The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program is recruiting Bay Guardian volunteers for oyster bagging on

Sarasota Bay that threatens an already-stressed, mangrove-dominated wetland.

It is seeking members to add to its ranks of concerned citizens and environmentalists who value and want to protect our water resources. Membership is free, though down the road it may ask for additional support. If you would like to be a member of Suncoast Waterkeeper, call Justin Bloom, Esq., executive director, at 941-275-2922, visit www.SuncoastWaterkeeper.org or on Facebook â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Suncoastkeeper.

Saturday, Feb. 21, from 9 a.m. to noon at Robinson Preserve.

Volunteers will be filling bags with material to create new habitat for oysters and fish. Oyster beds provide structural habitat for many species of fish and invertebrates. Oysters also are valued for their ability to improve water quality through their prolific filtering capacity.

You must wear closed toe shoes; long-sleeved shirts, hats, gloves and pants are recommended.

A catered lunch will be provided for all volunteers after the event, and Bay Guardians shirts will be available for all volunteers. The event is suitable for ages 6 and up.

RSVPs are required; call 941-955-8085.

captains: Fish warmer afternoons FROM PAGE 31

conditions following yet another front. However, he persisted until it paid off with a few hook ups and a nice pompano caught and released on a Clouser fly.

There are still some spots available in CB's Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing School on Feb. 21. I will be the instructor for the school, which will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast.

The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basics, but also work with intermediate casters on corCAPTAIN RICK GRASSETT | submitted recting faults and improving cast- Bill Moore, from Libertyville, Ill., caught and released this Spanish mackerel on a CAL: ing skills. Leader construction, fly jig with a shad tail while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett. selection and saltwater fly fishing info@cbsoutfitters.com to make with mullet schools on shallow techniques will also be covered. reservations. flats and edges of bars. Afternoons Cost for the school, which will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., is $150 You may find trout, blues, may fish better than mornings when water is cooler. Catch and per person and includes the use pompano or founder in channels, release night snook fishing in the of Orvis fly tackle, a text book troughs, basins or edges of flats, ICW can be good, as long as it and lunch. Contact CB's Saltwater particularly when the tide is low. doesn't get too cold.

Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or Look for reds and big trout mixed

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

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FEBRUARY 18, 2015

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Open your heart to animal rescue A number of Island businesses displayed paper hearts during the buildup to Valentine’s Day, but the hearts were for our furry friends.

These particular paper hearts are part of a fundraising effort to help local shelter animals receive heartworm treatment and find forever homes.

The February Hearts for Homeless Pets campaign will benefit three area local rescue organizations: Animal Network, Inc., Moonracer No Kill Animal Rescue and Forget Me Not Animal Rescue to help with expenses related to medical needs, boarding, adoption events and the general care and well-being of the animals as well as operational expenses necessary to keep the rescues running.

Several businesses have agreed

to sell the hearts to their customers during the month. Customers can purchase a paper heart for any amount, write their name or their pet’s name on it, and shopkeepers will tape it up to be displayed.

The participating shops are Island Fitness (by the AMI Chamber), Island Coffee Haus in Holmes Beach, Paradise Café at the AMI Centre Shopping Center in Holmes Beach, Anna Maria Olive Oil Outpost in Anna Maria, the UPS Store #0088 at 75th Street and Manatee Avenue , Island Mail and More in Holmes Beach, Thompson Pre K in Bradenton, Snips Hair Design and Three Island Monkeys in Anna Maria, The Paw Spa in Holmes Beach, and Perks for Pets in Bradenton at 75th Street and Manatee Avenue.

All rescue beneficiaries are

registered 501c3 organizations.

Animal Network Inc., allocates the medical funds to treat heartwormpositive dogs. Heartworm is a treatable condition but requires a quiet environment and can cost $200 to $800, depending on the severity of the case. Manatee County Animal Services, the local county shelter, is not able to treat heartworm-positive dogs due to lack of budget and access to a quiet environment. The shelter treats heartworm-positive dogs through its shelter foster program and foster families are needed. Anyone willing to foster should contact the county shelter. All medical costs are covered and dog food and supplies are available at no cost. Fostering a heartworm positive dog will not pose a threat to your pets

as long as your pets are on preventive medicine.

Moonracer No Kill Animal Rescue Inc., and Forget Me Not Animal Rescue are two local animal rescues that save dogs and cats from the Manatee County Animal Services shelter.

Their goal is to raise $1,000 by Feb. 28, which will be split evenly between the rescues. To purchase a paper heart, visit these businesses. If you are interested in adopting, fostering or would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the rescues, you can do so by calling 941-713-3105. All rescues are registered non-profits, and all donations are tax deductible.

Bring walking shoes to this event Learning tools

The Anna Maria Island Rotary Club is sponsoring a Five-Card, Charity, Bridge Street Poker Crawl on Tuesday, Feb. 24, from 1 to 4 p.m. starting at Island Time Bar and Grill, 111 Gulf Drive, Bradenton Beach.

Participants may sign up at noon the day of the event. The cost is $20 per person; there’s a 60-person limit. This is a walking event and participants don’t have to ride a motorcycle.

Teams will receive five tickets and will trade in their ticket for a card at each of five establishments, where free appetizers will be served at the cash bar. When they have five cards at Bridge Street Bistro prizes will be awarded for best three hands.

Participating restaurants include Cast & Cage, Island Time, The Bridge Tender Inn, Blue Marlin and Bridge Street Bistro. Proceeds will be donated to charity.

Walk to end hunger Join Ginger Huhn, of Roser Community Church in Anna Maria for the Crop Hunger Walk on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m. starting at the First Methodist Church in Palmetto. Walkers will cross the Green Bridge and back.

Call Huhn at 937-206-9673 if you want to join her or walk around the house or on the beach and you will be considered a walker.

Rotary Club member Ed Misner passes out a dictionary to a third-grade student at Anna Maria Elementary School as third-grade teacher Mrs. Ensworth watches. The club passes out dictionaries to all the third graders at the school each year, and Misner said other Rotary Clubs in the area started doing the same at other schools.

TOM VAUGHT | SUN

City to host Webinar on legislative issues The presentation is an effort to get more citizens involved in the state legislative process.

BY PAT COPELAND

SUN STAFF WRITER | pcopeland@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – The city has scheduled the viewing of the Webinar, “Legislative Session Preview: What’s in Store for 2015?” at city hall on Tuesday, Feb. 24, from 2 to 3 p.m.

Commissioner Jean Peelen requested the presentation in an effort to get more citizens involved in the state legislative process.

At last week’s city commission meeting, Peelen pointed out, “State affects us greatly on many fronts. For example, in 2001 the rental agents went in there and stripped us of our powers. (Legislators approved a law that prohibited municipalities from creating legislation that would regulate the duration of rentals).

“We’ve been passive in the past, and I would like to see that change. We have a very responsive legislative delegation. At least two of them are so open to working with us.”

A Webinar is a presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar that is transmitted

over the Web, and the Florida League of Cities (FLOC) is sponsoring this one.

According to the FLOC website, “The elections are over and Florida is set to convene the 2015 Legislative session on Tuesday, March 3. With new leadership in the Florida Senate and House of Representatives, several issues impacting cities are expected to be considered in the upcoming session.

“In this Webinar you will hear from the League’s lobbying team as they discuss the FLC legislative priorities and other issues that will be considered and how each will impact cities.”

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FEBRUARY 18, 2015

Potential forfeiture charges submitted The vice mayor’s list of preliminary forfeiture charges is now a matter of public record.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – Prior to Friday’s special city commission meeting, Vice Mayor Jack Clarke provided the city clerk’s office with a two-page list of potential forfeiture charges that could eventually be levied against Mayor Bill Shearon, now that forfeiture of office proceedings have been initiated.

These charges were not discussed during Friday’s meeting, but are expected to be discussed at a future meeting.

“Some of these items may be presented at a future evidentiary hearing. This list is not all-inclusive and additions or deletions may occur. Today’s meeting is not a forum to debate the following items, or to levy formal charges of same, but rather to show that sufficient cause exists to move to the next step in the forfeiture proceedings against Mayor Shearon as outlined in Resolu-

tion 14-827,” Clarke’s written statement began.

Clarke alleges “gross waste of public funds” that includes unbudgeted expenditures on attorney fees, employee pay raises, the city’s computer system, and an alleged abuse of the mayor’s discretionary fund expenditures.

Clarke contends Shearon failed to properly administer the employee handbook, commission policies, and directives to staff.

“Commissioners have been apprised by many city employees of personnel issues with the mayor, and the mayor has spent thousands of unauthorized taxpayer dollars resisting and combating these issues rather than resolving them,” he wrote.

Referencing a 2014 lawsuit filed against Shearon by restaurant owner Ed Chiles, Clarke reiterated allegations that the mayor may have attempted to improperly influence city staff regarding code enforcement, and staff recommendations regarding future BeachHouse development plans.

Clarke said this “undermines due

Mayor Shearon defines the office of mayor based on unfounded, broad interpretations of the city charter.”

Jack Clarke Vice Mayor process rights of individuals and standards of fairness.”

Clarke suggested that Shearon’s failure to adhere to rules and policies that govern how city business is conducted creates “a disconnect” with the commission and the citizens of Bradenton Beach.

He also mentioned Shearon’s recent

reluctance to approve previously budgeted storm water improvements, referring to this as “willful and wanton interference, and a continual demonstration of incompetence that rises to a level of negligence with respect to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s matching grant agreement with the city for storm water improvements.”

Clarke questioned Shearon’s adherence to Robert’s Rules of Order and his effectiveness in chairing city meetings, and accused the mayor of behavior that disrupts city commission meetings and/ or injects irrelevant matters that cause excessive expenditure of time, personnel and resources, which Clarke feels could be construed as a violation of the mayor’s oath of office.

“Mayor Shearon defines the office of mayor based on unfounded, broad interpretations of the city charter. Mayor Shearon has also offered his own situational interpretation of the Sunshine law on several occasions in public meetings, which interpretation is inconsistent with the training received by commissioners on the topic,” Clarke’s statement said.

shearon: Commission initiates forfeiture FROM PAGE 1

favor of scheduling a future commission work session that would provide them an opportunity to discuss among themselves the policies and procedures detailed in the forfeiture resolution the commission adopted in October. Robertson opposed that decision as well.

Resolution 14-827 provides the general procedural framework for the commission to follow if they decide to proceed further with a process that, if carried through, could potentially lead to the commission removing an elected mayor from office.

Specific charges were not discussed at Friday’s meeting, but Clarke included a two-page list of possible preliminary charges as back-up material, which he submitted to the city clerk’s office in advance.

The forfeiture work session will help determine whether the commission moves to the next step in the process: levying formal forfeiture charges against Shearon.

When Friday’s meeting got underway, there was a lengthy debate about whether the commission would amend the agenda to grant the mayor’s request for discussions on forfeiture policy and protocol and the preliminary charges Clarke included in the agenda packet.

The divided commission eventually decided the agenda would be limited to

joe hendricks | sun

Vice Mayor Jack Clarke and Mayor Bill Shearon, right, disagreed on which topics should be discussed at Friday’s forfeiture meeting the initiation and authorization of forfeiture, as Clarke originally requested.

No suspension or recusal

Hired on a temporary basis to assist with the commission for one meeting only, attorney Alan Prather provided clarification on the matters previously questioned.

Based on his interpretation of state law and the forfeiture resolution, Prather offered his opinion that Shearon cannot be temporarily suspended while the forfeiture process plays out.

Prather also said that according to the city charter the mayor is legally obligated to chair city meetings, and he does not have to recuse himself from future forfeiture meetings or hearings, because matters being voted on during the forfeiture process do not directly impact Shearon in terms of significant personal financial gain or loss.

Prather said he was confident the commission could conduct their next forfeiture work session without outside legal counsel.

“Please read this resolution and your charter before you get to your work

session. I think that will help you a lot,” he advised.

After the meeting, Shearon commented on the initiation of forfeiture.

“I have no problem with that, and I’m encouraged that we’re going to have work sessions. Maybe we can hash out our differences there; I’ve requested this six times, not only verbally, but in writing,” he said.

After the meeting, Clarke said, “We moved another step forward and another step closer to the forfeiture. It was money well spent.”

It remains to be seen how far the commission will take the forfeiture process because there is also a citizenled recall effort currently underway.

If successful, the recall petition drive would result in a special election that would allow city voters, not the commission, to decide whether Shearon is removed from office before his term expires in November.

Clarke was asked why the commission continues to pursue forfeiture when it appears that a recall election is likely.

“The recall is a separate and parallel process. The recall is initiated by the voters and the forfeiture is initiated by the legislators. As I’ve said before, as soon as the date is announced for a recall election, I am confident the commission will suspend the forfeiture.”

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Miller presents plan for park The City Pier Park Committee voted against selling the park and will continue to plan for a park.

BY TOM VAUGHT SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – Despite calls from two members to sell the six lots the city owns, the City Pier Park Committee voted to keep the land and put it to good use.

The group meets every Friday at 10 a.m. and has heard ideas ranging from installing a carousel to a community garden, but after Chair Bob Patten asked them to decide what to do with the land, they debated.

Members John Chambers and Ruth Uecker both expressed the desire to see the city sell the land and not be burdened with annual payments.

Uecker pointed out the overall expense, estimated at $4 million.

“In all moral consciousness, it overwhelms me,” she said.

"Four million dollars might not

be much to some people, but it overwhelms me.”

Liza Walker introduced native plant landscaping expert Mike Miller, who drew a plan that would move the parking along the bay for pier visitors and diners to the far side of the empty lot. There would be a one-way road to the spots, and the exit would be on North Bay Boulevard. The rest of the land would be for a park, with North Bay Boulevard dividing the two parcels. There would be a roundabout where North Bay and Pine Avenue currently intersect. The trolley stop would be moved to the side of Pine Avenue, next to the park.

Miller estimated the plan would cost $50,000, but he said he wasn’t worried about the money for everything. Walker said they could build everything in stages.

“Start with the parking lot and get everything in place and then add as you have the money,” she said.

The group will come up with ideas for the park at the next meeting on Friday, Feb. 20.

MIKE MILLER | SUBMITTED

This plan, drawn up by Mike Miller, moves the parking lot from the waterfront to the far area of the park, adds a roundabout at the corner and moves the trolley stop to Pine Avenue.

36

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FEBRUARY 18, 2015

festival: Sun and fun at Cortez festival

 Â?Â? Â? Â?  ­ Â&#x20AC; Â&#x201A;Â&#x192;Â&#x201E;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2026; Â&#x192; ­ Â&#x2026;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201E;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2026;

Â&#x2030; maggie field | SUN

Dave and Carole Lowreen, from Michigan, dance to the sounds of the TC and Scott Band at Swordfish Grill.

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FROM PAGE 8 CINDY LANE | sun

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whaddya lookinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at?â&#x20AC;? is Garfield the screech owlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s normal expression. He was rescued by Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Inc. in Bradenton Beach, which displayed him and several other birds of prey at the festival.

CINDY LANE | sun

Wyman and Josephine Coarsey, two of Cortezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; oldest living residents, were on hand to accept Wymanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pioneer Award from FISH during the festival on Saturday. The former Cortez postmaster and World War II veteran broke out in song.

When someone gave him a microphone to say a few words, he broke out in song, with lyrics he wrote to the tune of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Home on the Rangeâ&#x20AC;? about tourism and fishing, received with howls of laughter. The last verse ended, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We welcome you all to stay here through fall until all of your money is gone! Home, home in Cortez, where the snooks and the mullet do playâ&#x20AC;Ś where seldom is heard a sensible word from all of us Crackers who stay!â&#x20AC;?

By Cracker standards, it was a chilly weekend in the 50s and 60s, but many visitors from up North, FISH board member Jane von Hahmann recognized Chris Martinez for volunteering to help coordinate the festival.

CINDY LANE | sun

like Ronnie Fondy and her daughter Timothy, of Dayton, Ohio, said they were thrilled to see sunshine and blue skies when it was 6 degrees back home.

Snowbirds strolled the Cortez Bait and Seafood docks, looking at true snowbirds â&#x20AC;&#x201C; white pelicans that migrate to Cortez every year in winter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and watched Nathan Meschelle mend a seine net.

But eventually, everyone made their way to the food court for fried, grilled, smoked, broiled and boiled seafood, fried green tomatoes, greens and the Cortez Village Historical Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famous strawberry shortcake.

Nobody knew it, but it was also a retirement party for Cortez artist Linda Molto, who chose this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival as her last art show. Molto has been an art exhibitor and festival organizer almost since its inception more than 30 years ago. But the Cortez resident has no intention of going anywhere else to retire â&#x20AC;&#x201C; why would you, when you live in the best little fishing village in the country?

www.amisun.com

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

THE SUN

37

ULI public reception Monday The Urban Land Institute public reception will take place Monday, Feb. 23, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at CrossPointe Fellowship, 8605 Gulf Drive, in Holmes Beach.

The event is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chance to meet the ULI panel and staff, and discuss what they want to say about Anna Maria Islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future,â&#x20AC;? said ULI event coordinator Nancy Ambrose.

For more information got to www. amiuli.com.

STORMWATER: New billing method proposed FROM PAGE 5

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Burnett said she already received initial support from Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy and planned to meet with Holmes Beach Mayor Bob Johnson later in the week.

She described the current method as a complicated process that often produces anomalies and errors and takes into account numerous factors, ranging from structure type, property use and amenities, to the presence of pervious pavers.

Stormwater fees will not be assessed to public properties.

Commissioner Janie Robertson said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think this is fabulous. If we can get this entire Island on the same basis for stormwater because water doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any city boundaries, this is going to be quite an accomplishment. I just hope the public realizes how advantageous itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be for everybody.â&#x20AC;?

Burnett said she would prepare a draft ordinance for each city to base their individual ordinances on. Her goal is to have the new process in place

by June.

County billing

Because the city bills stormwater a year in advance and the county bills a year in arrears, and the city has two years remaining on a funding agreement with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Burnett suggested 2018 as the ideal time to transfer billing to the county.

Under this scenario, Bradenton Beach property owners would receive bills from the city in 2015 and 2016, no stormwater bill in 2017, and a county bill in 2018 that would account for fees accrued in 2017.

The city would incur a year and half

I think this is fabulous.

If we can get this entire Island on the same basis for stormwater because water doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any city boundaries, this is going to be quite an accomplishment.â&#x20AC;?

Janie Robertson City commissioner

lull in stormwater revenue, but Burnett said there would be enough money in reserves to cover maintenance and other costs, and no major projects would be planned for that period.

Mayor Bill Shearon said the city wrote off $10,000 in uncollected stormwater debt last year, and City Treasurer Sheila Dalton said she was in the process of mailing final notices those who have not paid bills sent out in July, which accounts for $12,000 in additional uncollected debt.

Transferring billing to the county would reduce the workload on city staff and result in the city simply receiving a check for its share of the revenues collected. Those who fail to pay would have a county tax deed placed on their property.

38

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FEBRUARY 18, 2015

CINDY LANE | SUN

Sun photo exhibit at library

“Postcards from the Sun,” an exhibit featuring photographs by Cindy Lane published in The Anna Maria Island Sun, will be featured at the Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive in Holmes Beach, March 3-31. The library is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesdays from noon to 8 p.m. For more information, call 778-6341.

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39

Jail conversations can be monitored Holmes Beach city commissioners approved an agreement with the Manatee County Sheriff ’s office in which the city’s police department can access inmate calls

made from the Manatee Central Jail. Police Chief Bill Tokajer said the calls only involve cases being worked on by the city’s police department.

40 THE SUN

REAL ESTATE

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

Interesting facts abut buyers and sellers

M

ost of us have been on both sides of the real estate fence. We have been both buyers and sellers during our adult lives. In spite of or maybe because of our real estate experiences, we may not understand the person on the opposite side when it comes time to do business. The National Association of Realtors published some highlights from its 2014 profile of home buyers and sellers, which may help to explain both sides.

Purchasing a home is still the American dream and one of, if not the largest, financial transaction that most people will make.

However, purchasing a home is not only an investment, it also is where your family will live, grow and make memories. When it’s time to sell your home and move on to another one because of job changes, family structure or retirement, it is stressful and sometimes traumatic. The National Association of Realtors has analyzed some of the insight and information about buyer and

Castles in the Sand Louise Bolger seller experiences in its 2014 report.

First time, primary home buyer statistics were down in 2014, coming in at 33 percent from a historical norm of 40 percent. For 43 percent of home buyers, the first step in the home-buying process was looking online for properties. Ninety-two percent of buyers use the Internet in some way in their home search process, and 50 percent of buyers use a mobile Website or application in their home search.

Ninety-eight percent of buyers use a real estate agent while searching for a home.

Seventy percent of home sellers only contacted one agent before selecting the one to

market their home sale. Only 9 percent of home sellers did so without the assistance of a real estate agent, and 44 percent of these sellers already knew the buyer prior to the home sale. The typical home buyer searched for 10 weeks and viewed 10 homes, which is two weeks shorter than the previous year’s statistic.

What this analysis tells me is that being a real estate agent is still a great career move and that the Internet is front and center in the real estate market. These two facts may seem like they’re working against each other, but in reality, what they’re telling us is today’s buyers and sellers demand up to the minute information and are the most well informed in history.

On line residential real estate Websites designed for buyers, sellers, renters and real estate professionals are easy to find, informative and user friendly. Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia as well as most real estate company Websites will provide you with

most available listings in the area you’re considering. These sites are generally linked to the multiple listing services and will reflect everything on multiple listing, but not private sellers.

And if you’re looking for a specific property, another trick I discovered is if you just Google a street address you will likely hit on a listing for that property without having to search some of the real estate Websites. Also, property appraisers all have Websites reflecting properties in their counties. These sites are public information, and you don’t require a password to gain access. This is also a good way to determine information about a property you’re considering, including size, last sale price and all previous sales history.

The more we change the more we stay the same. Buying a home is less a mystery than when our parents bought their first home, but it still remains a people to people transaction. Just remember that no matter which side of the fence you’re on.

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FEBRUARY 18, 2015

THE SUN

41

Impressive exhibit spotlights Cuban art

BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – A lavish reception for 15 Cuban artists at The Studio last Friday celebrating the opening of “Cuba Sojourn: An Island Journey from East to West,” was well-attended by hundreds of art lovers, with the notable exception of the artists themselves.

Despite the recent easing of travel restrictions from the U.S. to Cuba, the artists were unable to get visas from the U.S., said Soledad Pagliuca, a member of the non-profit, St. Augustine-based Friendship Association, which sponsored the exhibit.

The process can take six months or more and is not guaranteed, she said, adding that Friendship Association members travel more freely due to their 15year relationship between St. Augustine, the oldest city in the U.S., and Baracoa, the first colonial settlement in Cuba.

“We’re hoping that this new opening (of travel) will bring about normalization of relations between Cuba and the United States,” Pagliuca said. “I’m more interested in that than I am in tourism.”

The Friendship Association, whose

SUBMITTED

“The Hill by the White River,” an oil on canvas

by Alberto Hernandez Reyes.

mike field | SUN

Exhibit organizer Lucy Miller and Cuban art curator and graphic designer Pepe Nieto take a break for a quick photo op at Friday night’s packed reception. objective is to promote a spirit of friendship between the citizens of the U.S. and Cuba, does humanitarian, conservation, architectural and archeological projects which led to the exhibit, she said.

“We have been supporting artists in the eastern part of Cuba for several years and this year decided to expand

to include the entire island,” said Pagliuca, who traveled with art collector and Longboat Key business owner Lucy Miller to Cuba to meet with artists from Baracoa, Guantánamo, Holguín and Santiago de Cuba on the southeastern shore, Camaguey and Trinidad in central Cuba, and Havana, Viñales and Pinar del Río in the northwest.

The artists have different styles, which include abstract, still life and representational landscape, use different mediums, and are at different points in their careers, she said, with some just emerging and others very well known, selling at auction at Sotheby’s and Christie’s.

The exhibit is on display all month at The Studio at Gulf and Pine, 10101 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria. Hours are Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.studioatgulfandpine.com or call 941-778-1906.

42

THE SUN

www.amisun.com

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

Saving Lolita

BY CINDY LANE

T

he Miami Seaquarium is famous as the birthplace of the oldest known manatee in the world, Snooty, 66, a Manatee County resident since 1949.

It’s famous for Flipper, the dolphin.

And now it’s famous for Lolita, the killer whale.

Until now, Lolita has been the only member of her 80-member subspecies – southern resident killer whales - not protected under the Endangered Species Act, because she lives in a pool, not in the wild. Lolita was captured from a pod of whales about 50 miles north of Seattle in 1970 and performs daily with trainers in a pool at the Seaquarium.

But the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has decided that Lolita will now be included in the endangered species listing that protects her family, concluding on Feb. 4 that captive animals cannot be assigned separate legal status from their wild counterparts. They took into account

that most of the comments they received favored including Lolita in the endangered listing; many also urged that Lolita be returned to the Pacific Northwest and eventually released into the wild.

Lolita’s 85-year-old mother is a southern resident killer whale that lives in the wild with her pod, called “L25.” When a recording of the pod’s unique sounds, including her mother’s, were played for Lolita, she responded to them, according to PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which petitioned NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to include Lolita as a member of the endangered southern resident killer whale species in 2013.

PETA wants Lolita to be moved to Washington, and at least temporarily, be penned in a cove and cared for by humans, but allowed to verbally socialize with her whale family on the other side of the pen, but the Miami Seaquarium is not proposing to move her, according to NOAA. To do so would require a permit from NOAA Fisheries, which would perform a rigorous scientific review before allowing the move. Releasing a whale which has spent most of its life in captivity raises many concerns, including disease transmission, ability to find food, difficulty in social integration and behavioral patterns developed in captivity that could impact wild animals. Previous attempts to release captive killer whales and dolphins have often been unsuccessful, according to NOAA. If she remains in Miami, Lolita could be prohibited

from performing by the NMFS, which enforces the Endangered Species Act, said Jared Goodman, an attorney who is the director of animal law for PETA, adding that Lolita has had no orca companions since 1980, although she performs with dolphins.

How could this affect Snooty, another endangered, Florida captive marine mammal?

Goodman said that due to Snooty’s advanced age and the fact he was born in captivity – both inapplicable to Lolita – PETA would be unlikely to argue for his release into the wild unless his pool at Parker Manatee Aquarium in Bradenton was too confining, as they say Lolita’s 35- by 80-foot pool, 20 feet deep at the deepest spot, is (Lolita is 20 feet long).

But don’t delay; go see Snooty anyway. No one knows what 66 is in manatee years.

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FEBRUARY 18, 2015

THE SUN

43

Free demos by Guild ....

The Artists' Guild of Anna Maria Island will stage a Sale-A-Bration on Wednesday, Feb. 18, from 1 to 4 p.m. at CrossPointe Fellowship, 8605 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach.

Guild members will be doing free demonstrations throughout the afternoon, including: • 1 p.m. Cheryl Jorgensen, watercolors; • 2 p.m. Kathy Sparks, acrylics; (painting a beach hut) • 3 p.m. Kathleen Masur, silk painting.

On-going demos:

• Marie Garafano, collage; • Dee Pastorius, glass painting on tiles; • Marsha Bard, mini albums (recycled art); • Fernando Soler. acrylic painting; • Wendell Graham, whimsical foil sculpture; • Karen Stuart, drawing a clothed model.

For more information, call 941-778-6694 or visit www.amiartistsguildgallery.com.

.... and at Island Gallery West Island Gallery West presents a free demonstration of watercolor painting with Lois Carson on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 10 a.m. to noon at the gallery, 5368 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach.

Seating is first come, first served; no reservations are accepted. For more information, call 941-778-6648 or visit www.islandgallerywest.com.

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44

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THE SUN

Key Royale speed bump to be dumped HOLMES BEACH â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The infamous speed bump on Key Royale Drive will be removed by the city due to continued deterioration and instability, which has created a safety risk.

When the speed bump was installed in April 2014, residents expressed their anger at not being consulted about its installation. Some participated in a horn honking campaign to express their frustration.

Mayor Bob Johnson and Police Chief Bill Tokajer recently met with residents in the 500 block of Key Royale Drive to inform them of the decision and of the need for an effective traffic calming solution. According to Johnson, the 500 block is a particular problem

because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a long street with no interruptions that would naturally slow down traffic. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We already have begun engineering research to identify our options,â&#x20AC;? Johnson told the group. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will not get it done all at once, but we will get it done.â&#x20AC;?

In addition, Tokajer has instructed his officers to increase enforcement throughout Key Royale. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The officers will be on the streets using radar and laser speed detection in both marked and unmarked vehicles.â&#x20AC;? Tokajer said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure once tickets begin to be issued ($131 minimum), word will get around pretty quickly that for the safety of our residents, speeding will not be tolerated.â&#x20AC;?

The new plan also includes increasing the number of speed indication signs in order to educate the driving public. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These signs have been very effective reminding drivers how fast theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re traveling on both Marina and Palm drives, and speeding on those streets is minimal,â&#x20AC;? Tokajer said.

Johnson said he also is looking further than Key Royale and explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because of an increase in not only automotive traffic, but also the rise it in pedestrian and bike traffic over the past 15 to 20 years, we are looking at traffic flow and traffic calming needs throughout the entire city,â&#x20AC;?

Beautification board to present seminar The seminar on Japanese gardens, complete with photos and a sound track, will be held in March.

BY PAT COPELAND SUN STAFF WRITER | pcopeland@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Beautification board members agreed to hold a public seminar on Japanese gardens in March with the date and time to be announced.

Member Dennis Groh will present the seminar, complete with photos and a sound track. Members plan to take a freewill offering with proceeds going to DeSoto National

Resort wear

A good crowd turned out for the Brighton Handbag Trunk Show at Ireneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Resort Wear, 5308 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, on Wednesday, Feb. 4. There were refreshments and raffles for the shoppers, many of whom were looking for Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day gifts.

CHANTELLE LEWIN | SUN

Memorialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campaign to save the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gumbo limbo trees, which have been infected with a fungus that is capable of causing the death of all remaining gumbo limbos.

Members also discussed maintenance of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parks. Groh asked if the public works department has enough resources to maintain the parks and if the level of maintenance is acceptable to city commissioners. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For example, in the park where we took out the fire bushes (the traffic triangle at Key Royale/Palm/ Marina drives), I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know the last time it was mulched,â&#x20AC;? Groh pointed out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The question is do we think the parks should be mulched?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;If not, then we need to change the design or weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going get things that are unattractive. The goal is not to point fingers; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to understand.

In other business: â&#x20AC;˘ Members learned that they have a budget of $10,000 plus $1,900 left in a donation to the city from Rex Hagen. â&#x20AC;˘ Agreed that they should have no involvement in the butterfly park and that it is an issue for the city commission â&#x20AC;˘ Groh volunteered to redesign the 37th Street park and the traffic triangle at Key Royale/Palm/Marina drives.

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45

Clock tower colors in flux Debate has ensued about adding some color to a historic clock tower’s paint scheme.

BY JOE HENDRICKS

SUN CORRESPONENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – Open to the public, the Wednesday, Feb. 18, Pier Team meeting will include a conversation on the color palette for the soon-to-be repainted Historic Bridge Street Pier clock tower. The meeting will take place at city hall and begin at 11 a.m.

During a recent Pier Team meeting, Pines Trailer Park resident Chuck Eckler suggested that the white tower be adorned with multi-colored pastel trim.

“It would draw attention, it would be beautiful, and it would match the sign you see walking up to the pier,” he said.

With consent from the Pier Team, Mayor Bill Shearon and Vice Mayor Jack Clarke, Commissioner Jan Vosburgh was asked to visit the tower with Eckler and Public Works Director Tom Woodard to determine which colors would be used.

During last week’s department head meeting, Vosburgh surprised many when she said, “I did get a call from Mike Norman, and he’s very concerned about the multi-colored clock tower. I assured him we would paint

it white…It’s always been white and all the merchants have advertisements done (using the clock tower), and that would cost them money to change.”

Pier Team Chair Sam Speciale asked if this decision was coming back to the advisory board that advises the commission on pierrelated matters.

“No, I think it’s dropped,” Vosburgh said.

Speciale laughed and said, “You had a member of the public here that requested it, and we all said, ‘Yeah, we can probably do that.’ You can’t just tell somebody ‘Never mind, we’re not going to do it.’”

Shearon said, “He approached me the other day and was extremely upset. It was discussed; it was agreed on, he spent his time down there, and it was all set up; and then all the sudden it was changed, and it wasn’t going to be that way.”

Clarke interjected and said, “I didn’t come away from the Pier Team thinking we’d definitely decided anything. I thought there was to be a discussion and that Commissioner Vosburgh was the person who was going to handle the discussion. I didn’t know that we went away from the Pier Team saying ‘Yes, we’re going to paint it.”

Speciale said, “Commissioner Vosburgh was going to go there and look at it and decide what colors we were going to paint

Pines Trailer Park resident Chuck Eckler favors a multi-colored paint scheme for the Bradenton Beach clock tower.

JOE HENCRICKS | SUN

it. No disrespect to Mike, but what if Mike decides he doesn’t like the shingle colors?”

Shearon said, “I guess we’re going to have a real problem then because we’re going to redo the shingles, and they aren’t going to be the same color.”

Joining the conversation, Commissioner Janie Robertson said, “When was the decision made? It never came to the commission.”

Shearon said, “The way I understood it was Commissioner Vosburgh, Tom, and this individual were going to go talk to the painters. What was the decision at that time?”

Vosburgh said Eckler wanted six colors,

but they agreed on three.

“After Mr. Eckler left, I said to Tom, ‘That was a mistake,’” Vosburgh said.

Pier Team member and Building Official Steve Gilbert said, “This needs to go to the commission as an agenda item.”

Speciale said, “We told the gentleman we weren’t going to go buy a bunch of paint.

The paint colors for the pier buildings were going to be used on the tower, and everyone agreed. Who made this decision?”

Vosburgh said, “I guess I did.”

The group burst into laughter and agreed that it needed to come back to the pier team, and perhaps the commission as well.

46

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THE SUN

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

No mangroves, no fish More than 50 concerned citizens gathered along Manatee Avenue near the Anna Maria Island Bridge late Monday afternoon to protest developer Pat Neal’s request to destroy an acre of coastal mangroves so he can build a four-home complex for his family. “You would think he had enough land to build his homes without destroying mangroves,” said protester and Holmes Beach resident Jeannie Bystrom. Above, Bystrom, Debbie Haul and Trevor Bystrom held up their signs of disapproval, as did the woman carrying the No Mangroves, No Fish message at right.

PARKING: City lot under way FROM PAGE 15

soon as possible,” Robertson said.

“I’m not sure, legally, we can do that,” Sanclemente said.

City Attorney Ricinda Perry had already been dismissed from the meeting, and the property in question is one of two adjacent lots subject to an unresolved lawsuit filed in 2012 by Bill Shearon, Tjet Martin and Jo Ann Meilner. It was also discussed at a nonpublic shade meeting with attorneys on Jan. 8.

During the Jan. 8 commission meeting, commissioners approved the city parking lot by a 3-2 vote, in an effort to comply with a 2012 development agreement and a Coastal Shoreline Protection permit.

On January 22, Circuit Court Judge John Lakin denied a request for an emergency injunction filed by Martin and Meilner in an effort to prevent the city lot from being developed.

“We’ve already approved the action to be taken across the street,” said Commissioner Jack Clarke, who was chairing the Feb. 5 meeting due to the mayor’s absence.

“And can it be discussed because it

is an ongoing lawsuit?” Sanclemente said.

“There seemed to be a sense of urgency here,” Robertson said.

“I say nay, because of the lawsuit,” Commissioner Jan Vosburgh said, and Commissioner Ed Straight agreed.

“I say nay. I think we’re going to run into a bed of snakes on a number of levels,” Clarke concluded.

It was learned later that Robertson met with City Planner Alan Garrett on Jan. 28 and Building Official Steve Gilbert on Feb. 5 On Feb. 10, Gilbert confirmed his meeting with Robertson, but refuted the notion that staff initiated the conversation.

“Neither Mr. Garrett or myself expressed a desire to have a discussion with the city commission about anything,” he said.

Commissioners are allowed to meet privately with staff, and Gilbert said he made sure the conversation steered clear of violating any confidentiality agreements. He said his only suggestion to Robertson was that she make an appointment to meet in person, rather than engaging in lengthy e-mail exchanges on this topic.

I think we’re going to run into a bed of snakes on a number of levels.”

Jack Clarke Commissioner Garrett also confirmed meeting with Robertson.

Warning issued

On Feb. 10, Perry issued the following written statement: “I have been in receipt of communications that have raised a possible concern that individuals may be taking actions or having communications that may be specific to pending litigation for the joint development agreement across the street. Mr. Johnson (an attorney) and I were very clear that no sharing of the information produced in the shade meeting regard-

ing this lawsuit should occur with anyone outside of those present. We even noted that the city clerk could not be privy to the information.

“I can draw no formal conclusion as to whether any violations occurred, but would like to remind everyone that this is a very serious issue. Meetings, written submittals, or involving outside individuals on this topic, especially without your counsel present, places you and the city in peril of violating Florida law and undermining the city’s legal position,” Perry concluded.

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

SPORTS

THE SUN

47

Signarama displays its skills against Duncan Real Estate

BY MONICA SIMPSON SPECIAL TO THE SUN

Finding its first win of the season, team Signarama defeated team Duncan Real Estate on Tuesday, Feb. 10, in a two game match. Its win was a met by a well-matched foursome led by Laura Alderson and team captain Michelle Laade for Duncan Real Estate. The duo of Alderson and Laade has played together in the Anna Maria Island Community Center adult co-ed volleyball league for several seasons, and it showed on the court.

In the first game of the night, Alderson showed her serving strength, and Laade assisted her team with accurate and effective setting. With the quick pace of rally scoring utilized in the league, Signarama answered back. Signarama brought to the Community Center gym lightning fast serves from Marina Felipe, diving digs by team captain Ray Gardner and powerful spikes by Jordan Demers and Gage Lubore.

The strength and ability of both teams was shown with long rallies, speed, precision hits and excellent ball placement. However, some unfortunate miss hits by Duncan Real Estate cost it the first game 25-16.

The second game of the night started with an ace by Alderson as the server for Duncan, leading to a 1-4 lead. Signarama’s Gardner followed up with a short run at serve to tie the game 4-4. With amazing serving by Nick Smith, Duncan Real Estate took back the lead 5-8. Duncan held the lead well into the second game with nice setting by Mike Bugal and consistent serving by Laade. Gardner kept the opponent on its toes, putting the volleyball into the weak spot of the court with force.

With fearless digs by Lubore and spiking

by Gardner, Signarama took the lead for the first time in the second game with the score at 13-12. Signarama capitalized on an uncharacteristically low serve by Alderson.

Felipe for Signarama increased its lead to 1914 by sneaking the volleyball unexpectedly over the net.

Continued teamwork by Signarama limited Duncan Real Estate to only three more points to close out the second and final game of the match. Signarama captured the 25-17 win with the strength of Demers and Gardner.

This win by Signarama marks its first of the season, bringing its record to 1-5. Southern Greens remains undefeated with six wins. Sugar Beach Digital is currently in second place, losing only two games. Duncan Real Estate has three wins and four losses, putting it in third place so far in the season.

MONICA SIMPSON | SUN

Jennifer Cascardo, owner of Sugar Beach Digital, and Matt Ray watch as Michelle Laade sets the volleyball for teammates Mike Bugal and Nick Smith for Duncan Real Estate in the third match of the night.

The Sun Scoreboard Games scheduled for Monday, February 9 were cancelled due to the weather. All games will be rescheduled to a future date to be announced.

February 10: 14-to 17-year-old flag football Eagles (4-2) LPAC Cardinals (2-4)

51 39

Latitude27Limousine Falcons (4-2) 14 Redskins (5-1) 22 Island Mail and Moore Ravens (3-3) W Jen & Mark Bowman Keller Williams Reality Bucs (0-6)

L (due to forfeit)

February 12: 8-to 10-year-old flag football Seahawks (3-4) Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings (0-6)

February 13: 8-to 10-year-old flag football Seahawks (3-4) AMI Realty Dolphins (0-5)

Bucs (6-0) Bears (4-2)

February 13: 11-to 13-year-old flag football Colts (1-4) Lions (2-2)

18 and over adult co-ed flag football

37 18

39 63

Adult co-ed volleyball 25 41

Sato Real Estate Rams (3-3) Giants (3-3)

40 47

Slims Place Falcons (6-0) Saints (4-2)

33 21

Dolphins (3-3) Sugar Beach Digital Patriots (2-4)

20 29

Colts (0-6) Salty Prints Bengals (3-3)

26 42

31 0

30 and over adult co-ed flag football

14 0

Agnelli Pools and Spas Giants (1-5) 18 Raiders (5-1) 42

Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings (2-4) Chargers (5-1)

Packers (2-4) Chiefs (3-3)

40 6

Game 1: Signarama Duncan Real Estate

25 16

Game 2: Signarama 25 Duncan Real Estate 17

Match winner: Signarama Game 1: Duncan Real Estate Sugar Beach Digital

25 17

Game 2: Duncan Real Estate 25 Sugar Beach Digital 22

Match winner: Duncan Real Estate Game 1: Sugar Beach Digital Southern Greens

20 25

Game 2: Sugar Beach Digital 16 Southern Greens 25

Match winner: Southern Greens

48

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THE SUN

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

Speaker says it’s time to plan Daniel Hazewski wrote “Exit Right: Avoiding the Detours and roadblocks Along the Baby Boomer Highway.”

BY TOM VAUGHT SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – Comprehensive Financial Planner Daniel Hazewski told a standing-room-only crowd what many didn’t want to hear: get your affairs in order to prepare for medical disabilities and eventually death.

Hazewski’s speech was held in the Island Branch Library’s meeting room and it included a lot of humor, possibly to take the edge off the subject but the topic was what many in the audience were facing in their later years.

Hazewski is a self-described "snowflake" from New York State but unlike snowbirds that regularly come down during season, he said he might come down several times a year. He authored “Exit Right: Avoiding the Detours and roadblocks Along the Baby Boomer Highway” and he told why he wrote it.

“As I got older, I saw my clients age,” he said. “They faced new perils that could be avoided if the had acted early.”

A second-generation America with an Italian mother and a Polish father, he talked about the Baby Boomer generation, which is going to put a strain on the nation’s medical profession and Medicare/Medicaid, as well as Social Security.

“There are 76 million Baby Boomers still around,” he said. “They drove our building boom.”

He said most people would inevitably come down with a long-term sickness or a situation where they will need long-term health care.

“Health care is the biggest threat to financial independence,” he said. “As we get older, we face challenges we never dream of.”

He interjected humor when he said, “Healthy is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die,” but he was serious when he said, “Take care of the obvious before it’s too late. Crisis leads to bad decisions.”

He spoke of documents that people need to make sure their wishes are followed after they die, and they don’t put a financial strain on loved ones.

Things one must consider are a living will, power of attorney. A medical proxy, wills and trusts.

He says people need to manage their assets so they can qualify for Medicaid if they have a long-term, illness or disability. He said the best way is to purchase disability coverage.

TOM VAUGHT | SUN

Dan Hazewski says people need to get a will and prepare financially for their families when they die. He also urged getting long-term care insurance to pay for assisted living.

parking: no charge for beach parking FROM PAGE 1

said. “The County Commission has never had a discussion about paid parking at the beach.”

Hunzeker brought along Manatee County Conservation Lands Management and Parks Director Charlie Hunsicker and Tourist Development Commission (TDC) Executive Director Elliott Falcione. He took questions from the City Commission.

Carol Carter asked why the TDC gives money for tourist related projects on a matching basis.

“We work on the premise that, ‘If it’s free it will have no value and if it has no value, you will treat it that way,’” Hunzeker said.

Commissioner Dale Woodland asked if the county was planning for more homes and would they raise their impact fees.

“We study the effects of growth and set the impact fees accordingly,” Hunzeker said. “As a result, I think our impact fees will be higher, but that will all come out later this year.”

More stop signs

The commission passed an ordinance calling for a four-way stop at Magnolia Avenue and Gulf Drive, due to the fact it is a busy intersection and motorists

have trouble seeing if it is safe to turn from Magnolia to Gulf Drive. Mayor Dan Murphy originally wanted this to be a four-way stop only during season, but Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Paul Davis told him it would be confusing for motorists, so it will be permanent.

The ordinance also changes the location of the trolley stop to make it less intrusive.

Pre-kindergarten parents take note Parents who would like for their child to attend Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) at one of Manatee County’s public schools for the 2015-2016 school year may apply at the VPK School Choice Fair on Saturday, February 28, at Rogers Garden Elementary, 515 13th Ave. W., Bradenton, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The VPK Choice Application Period will continue from Monday, March 2, until Friday, March 6, at the Office of Student Assignment, 1400 1st Ave. E., Palmetto, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day.

VPK Choice applications are available at school sites and online at: www.manateeschools.net by clicking on

“Parents” then “Department of Early Learning/VPK.” It is important to note that parents will need to bring the following documents to Rogers Garden Elementary and the Office of Student Assignment along with the VPK Choice Application: ID, a certified birth certificate, and the VPK Certificate of Eligibility (COE),

which must be obtained from the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County, Inc., located at 600 8th Avenue W., in Palmetto. For questions regarding the COE, contact the Early Learning Coalition at (941)757-2900 (www.elcmanatee.org).

Approval of VPK Choice applications is subject to enroll-

ment capacities and other demographic criteria. VPK Choice placement is not first come, first served.

For further information on any VPK Choice options available through the Manatee District Schools, contact the Department of Early Learning, VPK Program at 941-209-7540 ext. 2111.

www.amisun.com

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

TOWN CRIER

The Bridge Street Merchants, Cast N Cage restaurant, The Lot Garden Shell Design, Island Time Bar and Grill, Silver Surf Resort, the Drift In and Fish Hole Mini Golf and the Anna Maria Island Sun are sponsoring a free Kids’ Fishing Tournament on the Bridge Street Pier on Saturday, Feb 21, starting at 10:30 a.m.

This event is for kids 12 and younger.

Bait will be provided and a limited number of fishing poles will be available for use. Participating anglers will be treated to free grilled cheese sandwiches. Registration will begin at 10:30 a.m., and fishing runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Einstein’s Circle, a free discussion through the Lifelong Learning Academy, will talk about the high rate of student loan defaults and ask the question, “Is college worth it?” at The Studio at Gulf and Pine at 10101 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, on Wednesday, Feb. 18, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The discussion is free, and no registration is required.

iPad lessons at library Author to speak

Echo Heron presents “The Writing Life of an Author” at the Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 2 p.m.

Heron has published nine books ranging from a mystery to non-fiction. The talk is free, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call the library at 778-6341.

Women’s group gathers Dining for Women, a women’s giving circle, will meet Thursday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m. at the Sandpiper Resort Co-op Clubhouse, 2601 Gulf Drive North, Bradenton Beach. They welcome all newcomers to bring a dish and eat and laugh with friends while supporting women and children around the world.

Your donation is whatever you might have spent if you went out for dinner.

For reservations or questions, call Jean Peelen 941-896-5827.

21, at 11 a.m. For more information, call the library at 778-6341.

Principal speaks at meeting

Expert addresses garden club

Anna Maria Elementary School Principal Jackie Featherston will be the guest speaker at the Kiwanis Club breakfast meeting on Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Anna Maria Island Beach Café, 4000 Gulf Drive, at the Manatee County Beach. Members of the public are welcome, and breakfast may be purchased at the café.

Dennis Cathcart from Tropiflora will speak about bromeliads at the noon, Wednesday, Feb 25, meeting of the Anna Maria Garden Club at Roser Church, 512 Pine Avenue, Anna Maria.

The public is invited to attend.

Pancake breakfast at Center The Anna Maria Island Community Center will hold an all you can eat pancake breakfast on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 8 to 11a.m. The featured guest chefs for February are Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy with several commissioners including Doug Copeland and Nancy Yetter. The price is $6 in advance and $8 at the door. Children 5 and under eat free. Tickets are available at the Center, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria.

Slow down and ponder There will be a meditation session at the Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, on Saturday, Feb.

49

Fishing fun for kids

The cost of college discussed

If you have an iPad, you might be surprised at what it can do. Unlock those secrets at a free demonstration at the Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive. Holmes Beach on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 2 p.m. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call the library at 778-6341.

THE SUN

Story time at the library Misty Wright, the children’s librarian, reads stories on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 10 a.m. Kids between toddler and five years of age are welcome as are their parents at the Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. For more information, call 778-6341.

Play bingo for fun The Annie Silver Community Center, 103 23rd St. N., Bradenton Beach, hosts bingo each Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. through March 26. There will be cake and coffee for sale. Contact Linda Yarger at 778-3580 or LyargerL @aol. com for more information.

Italian dinner at Annie Silver The Annie Silver Community Center, 103 23rd St., Bradenton Beach, is serving spaghetti with meatballs, salad, bread and dessert for only $8 from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20. Call Linda Yarger at 778-3580 or LyargerL @aol. com for more information.

Explore by kayak The Manatee-Sarasota Sierra Club

is sponsoring a Little Sarasota Bay Paddle and Lunch on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 9 a.m. to approximately 2 p.m.

Members will kayak from Vamo Park across Little Sarasota Bay, through birding areas, then to the beach and have a dip, if conditions permit. They will lunch at a local restaurant and return to Vamo Park taking about five hours total, including lunch, with a maximum of approximately five miles of paddling.

The event is limited to eight kayaks.

No rentals will be available at the putin point. The Sierra Club is requesting a $5 donation. Call Bob Fellman, 973-689-5556 or e-mail RTFO82446@ hotmail.com.

Pub walk for charity The Anna Maria Island Rotary Club is sponsoring a Five-Card, Charity, Bridge Street Poker Crawl on Tuesday, Feb. 24, from 1 to 4 p.m. starting at Island Time Bar and Grill, 111 Gulf Drive, Bradenton Beach. Participants may sign up at noon the day of the event. The cost is $20 per person; there’s a 60-person limit. This is a walking event, and participants don’t have to ride a motorcycle.

Teams will receive five tickets and will trade in their ticket for a card at each of five establishments where free appetizers will be served at the cash bar. When they have five cards at Bridge Street Bistro, prizes will be awarded for best three hands.

Participating restaurants include the Bridge Tender Inn, Cast & Cage, Island Time, Blue Marlin and Bridge Street Bistro. Proceeds will be donated to charity.

Garden club to invest in projects The Anna Maria Garden club has some money for groups or individuals working on gardening or environmental projects. Donations to these applicants will be awarded in April.

Each year the club donates to groups that exemplify its mission to stimulate the love of gardening and the protection of plants and birds. Applicants may write to the Anna Maria Garden Club, c/o Zan Fuller, 529 67th St., Holmes Beach, FL 34217. Letters must be received by Feb. 27. For more information, call 778-2607

Social bridge at Roser Enjoy social bridge every Monday at noon at the Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave, Anna Maria. For more information 941-778-0414 or just drop by.

Play bridge at Annunciation Enjoy duplicate bridge every Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. at the Church of the Annunciation, 4408 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. For information, call 896-5154.

Global warming updated What’s really happening with climate change and what can we do about it is the subject of the Einstein’s Circle discussion presented by the Lifelong Learning Academy on Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at The Studio at Gulf and Pine at 10101 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria. The discussion is free, and no registration is required.

SHINE Program needs volunteers The Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the West Central Florida Area Agency on Aging need volunteers to join the award-winning SHINE team to help the elderly make decisions on Medicare, health insurance and prescription drug plans. For more information or to volunteer, call the Elder Helpline at 1-813-740-3888, ext. 5593.

50

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THE SUN

Obituaries Dale Russell Redeker Dale Russell Redeker, 84, of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Anna Maria Island, Fla., passed away peacefully Feb. 8, 2015.

Dale was born in Kalamazoo, Mich., to the parents E.J. and Ida (Dykstra) Redeker.

He graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School in 1949, attended Kalamazoo Community College earning his associate of science degree. Dale married the love of his life, Katherine, Kit, (Kloos-

BEACH BEAT Anna Maria

2/4, 5:35 p.m., aggravated battery, 200 block of Iris Street. The complainant said she got into an argument with her husband and he hit her. The deputy found the husband and arrested him.

2/13, 8:47 a.m., lost item, 100 block of North Shore Drive. The homeowner reported his trash can from Waste Management was missing.

2/13, 9:59 a.m., found property, 100 Block of Spring Avenue. A citizen reported finding a gas rewards card and driver’s license were found in the dirt. The deputy notified the owner that these items had been found.

2/15, 7:31 p.m., lost property, 9700 block of Gulf Drive. A Waste Management trash can is missing.

Bradenton Beach

2/1, 1-30 a.m., driving with a suspended license with knowledge, 120 Bridge Street. The officer spotted the suspect, who he knew, driving in an aggressive manner and when he stopped, he saw another man try to pull him from the vehicle. The male said the suspect had taken his car without permission. The

terman) May 22, 1951. Dale is survived by his devoted wife of 63 years, Kit Redeker; two sons David Redeker, Tim (Laura) Redeker; his daughter Susan Redeker; daughter-in-law, Marilyn Redeker; and his two grandchildren, Sedona (Alan) Crow, of Michigan, and Abrye Redeker, of Australia. His eldest son, Dale Jr., preceded Dale in 2011.

Dale proudly served his country in Greenland and Panama while in the U.S. Army. He was honorably discharged in 1953.

Dale was a life long faithful member and Deacon of Hope Reformed Church in Kalamazoo, Mich. He also attended Manistee First United Methodist Church whenever spending time at the family’s cottage in Manistee, Mich.

During his winters in Florida, Dale was active with CrossPointe Fellowship Church. He loved singing in the choir, ushering, attending Bible study and

officer called for backup and tried to get the suspect to get out of the vehicle but ignored his command. The suspect surrendered when threatened with pepper spray. The car owner said he did not want to press charges because he works with the suspect. A check of the suspect’s record showed his license was suspended so the officer arrested him.

2/1 10:10 a.m., stolen tag, 2300 Avenue B. The victim said someone removed his license plate.

2/9, 6:10 a.m., 100 block of 29th Street.

The officer assisted a Holmes Beach officer in catching a suspect twice when he escaped from custody 2/9, 6:04 p.m., Exposure of sexual organs, resisting a law enforcement officer without violence, 300 Gulf Drive South.

The officer responded to a report of a naked man, whose name he knew. The man crossed the street and went onto the beach where he started running, still naked. The officer caught up with him at 1200 south and called the suspect by his name. He stopped running but would not look at the officer. The officer tried to put handcuffs on the suspect who pushed his hand away. He tried again and the suspect pushed him away again. He pepper sprayed the man and put him in the squad car.

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

enjoying the fellowship of his friends.

Dale delighted in attending his weekly breakfast meeting of the Anna Maria Kiwanis Club, in which he was an active member. He was also a member of American Legion Post 24. Dale enjoyed being an usher for the AMICCO, Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra. Dale also served his community as the humorous bingo caller at Annie Silver Community Center in Bradenton Beach, and as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army. Dale was proud to donate over 10 gallons of blood to the Red Cross over the years. Dale was known for his great recollection of people and dates. He would amuse family and friends with his good-natured humor and vivid story telling.

A memorial service will be held Monday, Feb. 23, 2015, at 2 p.m. at CrossPointe Fellowship in Holmes Beach, Fla. Services will be held at

Cortez

2/10, 3:02 p.m., trespass warning, 10100 block of Cortez Road West. The motel owner kicked a woman out for not paying her rent and asked the deputy to issue her a trespass warning.

2/15, 9:42 a.m., information, 12112 Cortez Road, Post Office. A man who had been drinking throughout the seafood festival said he did not get into a fight but when he awakened at the post office, his face was sore and he had been bleeding. He was taken to Blake Medical Center.

Holmes Beach

1/31, 5:17 a.m., criminal mischief, 500 block of 70th Street. The complainant said a party unknown threw a baggie full of red paint at his house, staining the driveway and house. Later, the owner called and said a neighbor had a security system that might have caught the person responsible in the act. The officer called the neighbor who checked the recording and found nothing.

2/2, 11:09 a.m., contributing to the delinquency of a minor, 2300 block of Avenue C. The complainant called saying her boyfriend had a nude picture of a female she was caring for on his

Hope Reformed Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan in June.

Janice Crall Janice Crall, 77, of Holmes Beach, died Feb. 8, 2015.

She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Dale, of Holmes Beach; a son, Michael, of Maui; a daughter, Carrie Williams, of Atlanta, Ga.; 12 grandchildren; and nine great grandchildren.

She was a manager of East Harrisburg Cemetery in Harrisburg, Pa., until she moved to Holmes Beach in 1998.

There will be no local services.

Brown and Sons Funeral Homes and Crematory, 43rd Street Chapel, 604 43rd St. W., Bradenton, FL 34209, is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be sent to www.brownandsonsfuneral.com.

phone. She said she kicked the suspect out. Police are investigating.

2/4, 2:40 p.m., theft from a building, 3304 East Bay Drive, Island Bazaar. The store owner said she bought some tote bins and unloaded them at the back door to her shop. She parked her car and when she returned, they were gone.

2/4, 4:20 p.m., burglary, 200 block of 76th Street. The homeowner said somebody broke into the house while he was away and stole a laptop and other items.

2/8, 3:29 p.m., possession of drugs, 3300 block of Gulf Drive. The officer stopped the suspect for driving a vehicle without a seat belt. Upon contacting the suspect, the officer detected a strong odor of marijuana. The defendant said he had just smoked some and handed over a pipe with marijuana in it. He told the officer he also had a marijuana grinder in the car’s console, which the officer took, but he also observed a baggie with a white powder in it. After being read his rights, the suspect said the pipe and pot were his, but he was shocked to see the cocaine under the grinder. He was arrested.

Officer slightly injured after being hit by car Holmes Beach Police officer Garrett Shaffer was hit by a car on Saturday, Feb. 7, in the morning while directing traffic on the Anna Maria Island Bridge around a disabled car. Shaffer was not seriously injured and there was minor damage to the vehicle that hit him.

The incident happened around 6:30 a.m. while it was still dark.

The disabled vehicle was on the west side of the bridge in the eastbound lane when a westbound vehicle driven by James Ermini approached the scene and failed to slow adequately.

Shaffer tried to get the attention

of Ermini by waving his flashlight, but he had to jump out of the way to keep from getting hit.

Something on Shaffer’s duty belt his the car’s rear door. Shaffer called to another officer at the end of the bridge to stop Ermini, who said he did not see Shaffer.

Shaffer said he did not believe

he had any injuries. When they inspected Ermini’s car, they found a half-dollar sized dent.

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer reminded motorists that they are required to move out of the way of law enforcement and first responders are working at the side of the road. When they

see activity like that, motorists are required to approach the scene with caution and move over into another lane, if possible, while they pass the scene.

If they cannot change lanes, they should slow down to 20 mph under the posted speed limit as they pass.

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

FUN IN THE SUN

Across 1 Norms: Abbr.

5 Channel with a "Congressional Chronicle" online archive 10 In an unexpected direction 14 Hawkeye State 15 Curly-tailed Japanese dog 16 Old conductance units 17 Give the okay 19 Trusted assistant 20 Move it, old-style 21 Thames islands 22 Northern Ireland province 24 Leaves for a cigar 26 Came up 27 Bring lunch from home, say 29 __-Mart Stores, Inc. 32 Walks leisurely 35 Christmastide

Answers to 02-11-15 Crossword Puzzle.

36 Boxing legend 37 Manicurist's tool 38 Tit for __ 39 Baking amts.

40 Pie __ mode 41 "Never Wave at __": 1952 film 43 Tread water to check out the surroundings, as a whale 45 DVR button 46 Dismiss from the job 48 "Hogan's Heroes" colonel 50 Oft-rented suits 54 Insert new film 56 Spice Girl Halliwell 57 One: Pref.

58 Settled on the ground 59 Alter a manuscript, e.g.

62 Savior in a Bach cantata 63 Path for a drink cart 64 Kitchenware brand

THE SUN

51

65 Play segments 66 Like some private communities 67 Coloring agents Down 1 Vision 2 "Road __": 1947 Hope/ Crosby film 3 Nerdy sort 4 Enc. with some bills 5 Colorful cats 6 Chair lift alternative 7 Sty residents 8 Sports fig.

9 Kin of organic, at the grocery store 10 Stockpile 11 Gloss over 12 Went by scooter 13 River of Flanders 18 Mother-of-pearl 23 Theater box 25 Equal to the task 26 Border on 28 New York City suburb on the Hudson 30 Dog food brand 31 Speech problem 32 At a distance 33 Runner's distance 34 Ostracize 38 Propane container 39 Use a keypad 41 Samoan capital 42 Blowhard 43 Ate noisily, as soup 44 Playful sprite

47 "Remington __": '80s TV detective show 49 Cross-legged meditation position 51 Dr. Mallard's apt nick-

name on "NCIS" 52 Chilling in the locker room, as champagne 53 Storage towers 54 Indian royal

55 Util. bill 56 Sudden wind 60 __ Fรกil: Irish coronation stone 61 Actor Beatty

52

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classified

ANNOUNCEMENTS

BABY SITTER

BEACH YOGA ON Saturdays & Sundays at 8:30am at the end of Pine Ave by the Sandbar Restaurant by donation. www. thriveyogafit.com

BABY SITTER. Honor student with own transportation. Experienced, References available. Call or text Amanda at 941-713-3219

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED at AMICC. Help your community by giving of yourself.

Various positions available.

Call Sandee 941-778-1908 ext 0 THE BEST VOLUNTEER position on the island. The AMI Historical Museum needs docents and bread makers. Call Dusty at 941779-7688.

ROSER FOOD BANK needs donations of cash and non-perishable food. Donations boxes are located at the Church, Moose Club, Walgreen's and The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper (corner of Gulf and Palm).

OUR DAILY BREAD of Bradenton is looking for volunteer servers 9amnoon. Ask for Penny 941745-2992 STRUGGLING WITH DRUGS or Alcohol? Addicted to Pills? Talk to someone who cares. Call The Addiction Hope & Help Line for a free assessment. 855-972-6607 TOP CASH PAID for old guitars! 1920's thru 1980's Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone,Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D'Angelico, Stromberg, And Gibson Mandolins/Banjos. 800401-0440

AUCTIONS REAL ESTATE AUCTIONS Florida & Puerto Rico Properties Feb 20-27 Nominal Opening Bids from $500 for details visit: williamsauction.com 800.982.0425 FL Broker: Williams & Williams Re Lic 1032049 Auctioneer: Williams & Williams Auc Lic AB2784

AUTOMOTIVE SALES & SERVICE BRAND NEW FORD FIESTA 4 door. Purchased in 2014 New. Only 1900 miles. Sell $11,000. Call Jane 941778-4451

Call us today! 941-778-3986

RED CROSS CERTIFIED baby sitter. Honor student.

Call or text Isabel 941-5457995

BOATS: PARTS & SERVICES & SALES

BOATS ARE SELLING Very Well. Season is here-Busy-Busy-Busy.

Islandboatsales.net We Also Buy Boats.

941-228-3489 BOAT SLIPS FOR RENT. Up to 60 feet. Two minutes to Intracoastal Waterway by Cortez, Parrot Cove Marina 941-795-0088 BAYLINER 26' WEEKEND FISHERMAN Model 2655.

Ciera Mercury V8ALPHA. Great mechanical condition. On Island Locally maintained with trailer $9800 OBO. Call 941-3561456

CARPET CLEANING QUALITY COUNTS. CARPET cleaning. Upholstery cleaning. Tile & grout cleaning. Island's favorite cleaner. Manatee Chamber Member. Great price/free estimates. Call 941-7561082

CLEANING SERVICE C & T HOUSEKEEPING. For all your cleaning needs. Free Estimates.

Reasonable rates. Senior discount. References available. Call 941-9622512 CLEANING: RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL & RENTALS. "Have it done your way, we care about our work" Call 941-7564570

PRESSURE WASHING AND WINDOWS residential, commercial & resorts. Roofs, buildings, houses, driveways etc.

Call 941-251-5948

COMMERCIAL SALES/ LEASES/RENTALS ANNA MARIA CITY Gulf Drive Frontage Commercial 2 Lots 104x120 Real Estate only $1,200,000. Call Alan Galletto Island Real Estate 941-232-2216 RESTAURANT/OFFICE/ RETAIL 1113 sf Kitchen Equipment include Gulf Drive Bradenton Beach $495,000 Call Alan Galletto Island Real Estate 941-232-2216 BAR/RESTURANT 2100 ft2 with lease, includes Liquor License, Furniture and Good Will $599,000 CALL ALAN GALLETTO Island Real Estate 941-232-2216

COMPUTER SERVICES EMPIRE COMPUTER SERVICE Computer problems fixed in your home or office. The fastest friendliest service around. Serving the Island since 2004. Call 941-739-6424

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES MATH COACH- Retired College Professor now has openings for basic math through pre-calculus. Call Myra 941-313-0528

EMPLOYMENT IMMEDIATE OPENINGS FAMILY Owned Gift Shop on AMI. Part time. Evenings/weekends a must. Retirees welcome. Inquire at 727-244-5906 HELP WANTED STYLIST, NAIL TECHNICIAN. Current License required.

Flexible hours. Small shop on Island. Call Owner 941538-0225 PART-TIME DELI CLERK needed. 20-25 hours per week. Must be flexible and have good "people skills".

See April or Jimmy at Jessie's Island Store 5424 Marina Dr, Holmes Beach

AMISUN.COM

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

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

Varied shifts available must be able to work nights and weekends. A great place to work and have a little fun. Looking for a few friendly people.

Food prep. or server experience preferred. Great pay! Apply today. Two Scoops 101 S. Bay Blvd.

Unit A-2, Anna Maria TWO SIDES OF NATUREAnna Maria Island's Largest Little Beach Shoppe’s is now hiring part-time associates. Varied shifts available must be able to work nights and weekends. Retail Experience Preferred. Great pay too! Apply today.

Two Sides of Nature 101 S. Bay Blvd. Unit A-1, Anna Maria PART-TIME MAINTENANCE. Island motel. 15-20 hours/ week. Basic plumbing, electrical, carpentry, building up-keep. Apply 877 N Shore Dr. Anna Maria Call 941-778-2780 HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS in High Demand!

Get Hands On Training And National Certifications Operating Bulldozers, Backhoes, Excavators. Average $18-$22 Hourly! Veteran Benefits Eligible! 866-9120572 WELDING CAREERS Hands on training for career opportunities in aviation, automotive, manufacturing and more.

Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call AIM 877206-7679 AIRCRAFT DISPATCH Grads work with JetBlue, Southwest, PSA and others- start here with 10 week training for FAA certification. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-314-5838 FLIGHT ATTENDANT CAREERS start here – Learn how to land a job in the friendly skies and prepare for training by the airlines.

Five information packed days in Orlando. Call AIM 888-242-3630.

FURNITURE CUSTOM COASTAL FURNITURE & CABINETS by Frankie Z. ebay store.

Call 941-726-1482. 10015 Cortez Rd (corner of 101st) frankiezaff@yahoo.com 10/22 NEW/CHANGE until called Zaff

GARAGE, MOVING, RUMMAGE & YARD SALES SALE NIKI’S & GIFT & ANTIQUES SHOP. 5351 Gulf Dr, Holmes Beach. All Sterling 10% to 50% off Gold jewelry 60% off. Select Gifts, Antiques, Books, Dolls, Porcelains, Crystal, Bric-Brac, Art, Vintage & Costume jewelry, Furniture 30% to 80% off. Artist Sea Glass necklace, Essence of Oils, Soaps, Candles. Visit 7 days 9:30-5.

ROSER THRIFT SHOP Open 9:30am - 2 pm Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. 10 am -1 pm Saturday Annex open same days. Donations accepted Wednesday 9 am. – 11am 511 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Call 941-779-2733 FLEA MARKET RADERS Reef parking lot. Sunday, February 22. 8am-? 5508 Marina Dr. Antiques, collectibles, jewelry, furniture, misc. items MOVING SALE. SATURDAY February 21. 8am-2 pm Kitchen items. TV. Furniture. Clothing. 207 65th St Holmes Beach

HOME IMPROVEMENTS TILE! TILE! TILE! All variations of tile supplied and installed. Quality workmanship. Prompt, reliable, many Island references. Free estimates.

Neil 941-726-3077 RENOVATION SPECALIST ALL carpentry repairs, Wash Family Construction, locally owned and operated CBC 1258250 Call 941-725-0073.

KERN CONSTRUCTION NEW Homes & Remodel.

Design/Build. Since 1968. State License # CRC1327296. Call Jerry Kern 941-504-2222 www. kernconstructioninc.com

SOUTHWEST HOME IMPROVEMENT Michigan General Contractor 30+ yrs. experience. Large or small projects. Budget minded knowledgeable tradesman will complete your project start to finish: On Time/On Budget.

Call Mike 616-204-8822.

“HONEY DO" HOME Repairs & Handyman Services.

35 yrs experience. Painting, drywall, tile, woodwork. All tasks. Call 941-896-5256 or 941-807-5256 www.honey dohomerepairinc.com

HOME SERVICES HANDY MAN FOR HIRE. Worked all trades, no job to small. Satisfaction guaranteed. Free estimates. Call Arthur 941-518-8658 CURLIE JOE'S SITE clean up trash removal. Your trash is our cash. Call today for waste removal.

Big or small we do it all.

941-753-8772 DRAIN CLEANING James VanFossen A.K.A. “RIP” Call 941-301-6077

HOME INSURANCE WE HAVE INSURANCE OPTIONS ON THE ISLAND!!

Coverage limits 250,000 to 2,000,000! Primary and Seasonal Residency Weekly Short term rental programs accepted No flood insurance requirement Animal Liability Options Liability up to 1 Million Golf Cart Coverage Written through AM BEST A++ Carrier Call us for details! Miller Insurance Group 941-792-6930

LANDSCAPING & LAWN CARE

STRAIGHT SHOT LANDSCAPING. Save water, gas, maintenance fees and the environment! Shell your yard. $50/yd installed. Call Shark Mark 941-301-6067 R. GAROFALO’S Interlocking brick pavers, driveways, patios, pool decks. Free estimates. Licensed & Insured.

Call Rafael 941-778-4823 or Veronik 941-526-7941 ELI’S IRRIGATION New install/repair. Pumps, pools, irrigation, landscape lighting and pressure washing.

Call 941-580-2054

FEBRUARY 18, 2015

classified

LANDSCAPING & LAWN CARE

PAINTING & WALLCOVERING

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

SHELL DELIVERED AND spread $50/yd. Hauling all kinds of gravel, mulch, top soil with free estimates. Call Larry at 941-795-7775, "shell phone" 941-720-0770

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

AMI VALET LLC Professional parking services. Restaurants, weddings, any & all special events. Insured & Licensed. Years of experience. Call 941-565-0137 AMIValet@gmail.com

LOCKSMITH ISLAND LOCKSMITH, “Lock Around the Clock”.

Licensed/bonded/insured.

Call 941-778-1661 or 941713-4414

LOST & FOUND LOST: GLASSES (PRESCRIPTION). Lost on running route: 64th St. to beach, to White Ave, 83rd St., Marina Dr. Please call 248-7655207 LOST 5'10" JIMMY LEWIS fish surf board near 9th St, Bradenton Beach. blue & white w/ black & silver bag.

Please call or text. 808469-5514 Reward.

LOST SILVER-STONE Bracelet Friday or Saturday December 6 or 7 at Island Player Theater. Please call 941-794-7255 LOST GOLD PINKY ring with amethyst stone vicinity of Cortez Kitchen and Swordfish Grill. Call 941778-8359 LOST PANDORA BRACELET many charms. Great sentimental value. Call 518-365-2702 MISSING 18 INCH GOLD chain with diamond drop, sterling silver seed bracelet , location Blue Water Beach Club between 9/12 & 9/13/2013 heartbroken was gift from husband 45 years ago REWARD please call 863-668-8566 no questions asked

“WIZARD OF WALLS” Established 1980 Prompt quality service.

Paperhanging/removal Faux finishes. Interior painting. Mary Bell 941794-0455 WALY PRECISION PAINTING custom painting, pressure washing, commercial/residential, interior/exterior, drywall/stucco, Licensed & insured. Call 941-448-1928 or 941-580-4005 www.

WalyPrecisionPainting.com

PERSONAL SERVICES SMALL ODD JOBS, yard work, walk dog etc. Call George 941-773-5518 THE TINT GUY." Commercial, residential, automotive, marine.

Free estimates. All work guaranteed. Over 25 years experience. Mobile service available. Call 941-2012649

PET SITTING/ HOUSE SITTING ANNA & LINDSAY’S Dog Walking. $5 per dog walked, $10 Dog wash. $20 for both plus play time.

Contact 917-406-9554.

Anna Maria Island Only.

PHOTOGRAPHY NEW AERIAL AMI PHOTOS. PhotosFromTheAir.com. email: photosfromtheair@ gmail.com or Call 941-7739834

MOVING & STORAGE

POOL SERVICES

MARTIN’S MOVING YOUR Island movers! Offering dependable, competitive rates. No hidden costs. 941-809-5777.

FOUR SEASONS POOL SERVICE. Anna Maria Island & West Bradenton. Certified pool operator. Residential/ commercial. Licensed & Insured. Call Dennis Clark 941-737-5657

TWO MEN and a TRUCK. Movers who care. Local and Long distance. www. twomen.com Call 941-3591904. We sell boxes!

Call us today! 941-778-3986

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

AT YOUR SERVICE Personal & Professional assistant. Great rates.

References available "Let me do what you are unwilling or unable to do."

Call Cindy 941-812-2238 zicker8@aol.com

REAL ESTATE HOMES & CONDOS FOR SALE SPACIOUS 3BR/3BA Condominium rarely available in wonderful bay front complex with pool and tennis courts. Tastefully renovated to include newly tiled kitchen & family room with a peak of the bay and a split bedroom plan. Centrally located in Holmes Beach, with a short walk to shops. Ground-floor unit with covered parking and private storage. Family oriented and pet friendly.

Offered at $450,000. Call Green Real Estate @ 941778-0455 FREE! What every REAL ESTATE BUYER or SELLER needs to know!

Go to www.yourmar ketupdate.com for the latest market data.

ELEVATED DUPLEX INCREDIABLE location. 2 blocks to Beach, bay, pier, shops, cafes, bars. Excellent building site, corner lot. Mature trees/shrubs 2BR/1BA each side. W/D, dishwasher, tiled. 2 one car garages, covered patio & private patio. 204 A & B 2nd St N, Bradenton Beach $650,000. Call 941-741-1096 ACTIVE 55+ COMMUNITY with heated pool and boat docks. Beaches are 5 min. away. Beautifully Remodeled 2BR/2BA, villa with open floor plan. Turnkey Furnished. New Designer kitchen includes Stainless appliances, granite tops and a large island cook-top.

New bathrooms and walk in closets with additional storage. Enjoy the convenience of your own washer & dryer within the unit. $169,900.

OBO, Call 303-884-9479

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BRING YOUR BOAT! Canal villa with no bridges to ICW. Renovated 2BR/2BA villa w/carport, in gated community. 23 foot dock. Open plan, Update kitchen & baths. $260,000 Katharine Pepper, RoseBay International 941-755-2100 or 941-792-9459 "FOR SALE BY OWNER" Townhouse at Bradenton Beach Club,3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, large 2 car garage, fully furnished, turnkey. Private elevator, private beach and bay access to the Gulf of Mexico.

Fitness center, 2 pools with hot tub. $625,000, Call 207212-6424 or 941-567-6621 1978 MOBILE HOME 8 Church Ave, Bradenton Beach, FL, On Anna Maria Island. 2 blocks From the Beach, short walk to the bay, near Historic Bridge Street The Pines Trailer Park, age 55+ park. Call 419-566-1752 VILLAGE GREEN 4BR/3BA with private guest quarters apartment. Call for Details. $195,000 Realtor 941356-1456. No flood zone.

Minutes to Beach WATERFRONT 4BR/5BA PANARAMIC Water View.

Excellent condition. Heated pool, Boat Slip, 4 car garage $1,300,000. Real Estate Mart. 941-356-1456 or 941-713-9835 VILLAGE GREEN 4BR/3BA configured with a 2BR/1BA guest Quarters. Live in one side with total privacy for guest. Call 941-356-1456 ISLAND GET-A-WAY 1BR/1BA Steps to Beach $57,500 Real Estate Mart. Call 941-7561090 or 941-713-9835 1700SF 3BR/2BA Family room, den, 2 car garage.

Cement block home. Large corner lot. Near Miller School West Bradenton $159,000 Call 941-747-5333 LARGE 3BR/2BA CONDO at Pine Bay Forest. Minutes from Anna Maria. New A/C unit. $179,900.00. Call 941-792-4395 4BR/3BA HOUSE on 71.5 acres with 18 stall horse barn in Parrish, Florida. Call Steve Georgie 941-321-6253 at Keller Williams Realty

REAL ESTATE: LOTS FOR SALE GORGEOUS LOT (14,160 Sq. Ft) (80 X 177) Located at 1107 Palma Sola Blvd. Stunning views of Palma Sola Bay with great potential for new construction.

For more details contact Gregg Bayer at AMI Beaches Real Estate 941-799-9096 WATERFRONT PRIVATE LAKE. Building Lot. West Bradenton. Minutes to Beach. Not a Flood Zone.

Call for information. $37,500 Realtor/Owner 941-356-1456

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 Ed. DUNCAN REAL ESTATE 941-779-0304 www.teamduncan.com ANNUAL RENTAL and CONDOMINIUM Association management serviced by (2) offices open 7 days a week! Contact kate@ islandreal.com – 941-3451295 - Island Real Estate of Anna Maria Island, Inc. LOOKING FOR A bright energetic Property Management Team? Call Amberly and Tracy at A Paradise 941-778-4800 to maximize your rental income.

ANNUAL RENTAL AVAILABLE January 19 3BR/3BA, private pool, 2 car garage in well maintained community of Perico Island. $2,500/mo plus utilities and pool care. Contact Kate at Island Real Estate 941-345-1295 or kate@ islandreal.com ANNUAL RENTAL Holmes Beach, 2BR/2BA, 1/2 duplex. Unfurnished, no pets. $1,400/mo. Call Sato Real Estate, Inc. at 941-7787200 or email monica@ satorealestate.com ANNUAL 3BR TOWNHOUSE in PALMA SOLA TRACE. 1 car garage, heated community pool. Brand new! First, Last, Security. Contact kate@islandreal.com or 941-345-1295. Island Real Estate.

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ANNUAL 2BR/2BA DUPLEX. Shared washer & dryer. $1200/mo. Small pet OK. Call Island Vacation Properties LLC 941-7781000 LAKEVIEW VILLAGE 2BR/2.5BA Townhouse Condo. Some furniture.

Minutes to Beach Small pet considered $1200/mo.

Realtor 941-356-1456 ANNUAL 1BR/1BA NEWLY RENOVATED includes water, Dish TV, W/D. No Pets/ No Smoking. $1400/mo.

First, last & Security Call 860-922-3857

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

ANNA MARIA ISLAND, Fl Condos. Pool beach access, fully equipped $650-$750/ wk Redekercondos.com 941-778-1915 WILLKOMMEN AUF AMI! Besuchen Sie Island Real Estate in einem unserer Inselbüros (6101 Marina Drive oder 419 Pine Ave) mit unserem deutschsprachigen Reservierungsservice und erhalten ein freies Island Real Estate Baseball Cap! Wir geben Ihnen gerne mehr Auskunft über unsere 250 ausgewählte Feriendomizile für Ihren nächsten Urlaub!

MARCH 2015-VACATION RENTAL, just listed, available starting March 1. NW Bradenton, Palma Sola area, 3BR/2BA, nicely appointed. $2,700/mo.

Fran Maxon Real Estate 941-778-2307.

AVAILABLE FOR THE 2016 SEASON! 2BR/1BA home on stilts at 120 Peppertree lane. Renters leaving after 6 seasons. Home has nice upgrades. Looking for 3-4 months renters. Call 813-758-3762 ANNA MARIA ISLAND CLUB 2BR/2BA on Gulf.

February 28 to March 28.

Available for the month or 2 weeks minimum. Call 630-204-3162

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RENTALS: SEASONAL & VACATION BEAUTIFUL 2 BEDROOM HOUSE directly across from the beach on Bradenton Beach. Fabulous beach views. $4000 Available for March 2015 941-345-7675 TOWNHOUSE 2BR/2BA. Available March 21, 2015. $3000/mo Call to book or for info. Realtor 941-3561456

REAL ESTATE: OUT OF AREA NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAIN Land for sale: a rare find - gently sloping mountain land, 3 1/2 plus acres with building lot, electric, water and septic installed. Storage bldg, apple trees facing south.

Near Cashiers and Lake Glenville. $75,000. Call 941-778-5966.

ROOFING

METAL ROOFING SPECIALIST. Call Now for a Free Estimate! Fully Licensed, Bonded & Insured. CCC 04287 866-998-3324

TRANSPORTATION LIMO SERVICE~ AFFORDABLE, Reliable, Luxury Transportation.

Flat Rate Airport Runs.

Call 941-351-9527 AMI TAXI metered-on-callcards accepted. Airport services: Tampa $85, Sarasota $35, Clearwater $75, Fort Meyers $150, Orlando $150. Call 800-301-4816. amitaxi4u@gmail.com, www.amitaxi.com TOWN CAR SERVICES, All airports served. Local and Long distance services available. Call Glen 941225-0072

Call us today! 941-778-3986 FEBRUARY 18, 2015

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FEBRUARY 18, 2015

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

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