The Islander Newspaper E-Edition Wednesday, April 25, 2018 by The Anna Maria Islander Newspaper

Runway gardners. 12 AsTheWorldTerns check their database. 6

Buzz about a rescue. 13

Clean campaign. 28-29 APRIL 25, 2018 FREE

VOLUME 26, NO. 26

Post fire, surf shop owners vow to regroup, re-open. 3

Meetings

On the government calendar. 4 Holmes Beach committee recommends government restructure. 5

Op-Ed

The Islander editorial, reader letters. 6

10-20 YEARS AGO

Looking back. 7

DOT bridge decision expected. 8 Make plans, save a date. 10

Happenings

Community announcements, activities. 11 Officials debate LPR. 14-15 BB to create committee to review charter. 16 Island chamber asks for bigger share of tourist tax funds. 18

Obituaries. 20 Streetlife. 22 WMFR renews contract with chief. 23 The science says. 25 Key Royale Club dishes up titles. 26 Fishing improves with weather forecast. 27 Earth Day at AME. 28

ISL BIZ 130-room hotel on Perico horizon. 30 CLASSIFIEDS. 32

The Best News on Anna Maria Island Since 1992

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DOT decision: Build a new 65-foot Cortez Bridge

By Terry O’Connor Islander Reporter Ignoring public sentiment in its own survey running nearly 3-to-1 in favor of repairing the existing Cortez Bridge, the Florida Department of Transportation is going to build a new high span in its place. The DOT decided to build a fixed, 65-foot-clearance bridge, said L.K. Nandam, District 1 secretary for the DOT, despite vocal public opposition. “We’ve got to replace the bridge,” Nandam said. Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy was incredulous in his remarks after the April 23 announcement at the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting attended by about 60 people. Murphy is an Island Transportation Planning Organization member with MPO voting privileges. “Only 28 percent of the people want it and you’re going forward with it anyway?” Murphy asked. “It’s totally unpopular. I don’t think anybody would be elected with 28 percent of the vote.” The bridge, put into service in 1957, links Bradenton Beach with the mainland at Cortez. DOT inspections between 2008 and 2012 found it structurally obsolete but repairable.

PLEASE SEE BRIDGE PAGE 4

Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy, center, remarks on his shock on learning at the April 23 Sarasota/Manatee MPO meeting, the DOT plans to build a new 65-foot-clearance bridge to replace the Cortez Bridge. Islander Photo: Terry O’Connor Murphy also questioned the DOT ignoring the results of its own public-input process. “Does that not carry any weight at all?” he asked. Even more importantly, Murphy said, the new $72 million span would literally

Parrish man sentenced to life for island hairstylist’s death

By Kathy Prucnell Islander Reporter An 84-year-old Parrish man was sentenced to life in prison for killing a former Anna Maria Island hairstylist. Judge Brian Iten meted out the life sentence for Eugene Matthews April 19, as well as two 30-year prison sentences for two attempted murders, each with a 25-year minimum, to run concurrently. A jury convicted Matthews Feb. 23 of second-degree murder for Rebecca Rawson’s death and attempted second-degree murder counts involving her daughter Kathryn Rawson and brother-in-law Rodney Rawson. Kathryn and Rebecca Rawson were waiting in a vehicle for Rodney Rawson to return from Matthews’ home with a family dog in January 2017 when a bullet pierced the windshield, striking Kathryn. Prefacing the sentence, Iten said: “Every-

one agrees the death of Rebecca Rawson here was nothing short of a tragedy. Matthews was angry the day “he shot into the car, at the car,” the judge added, and adopted the maximum sentencing recommended by the lead prosecutor, Assistant State Attorney Dickey Hough. Friends and family in the court gallery supported Kathryn Rawson, who held a large photograph of her mother on the stand. Kathryn Rawson looked at Matthews and said: “I want you to take a good hard look at this picture.” She called Matthews “a monster,” and said she doubted he’d ever feel remorse. She described her mother as “the most selfless kind of woman you could ever meet.” Her mother, shot in the face, covered her in blood, she said. After her testimony, Kathryn Rawson sobbed in the gallery. PLEASE SEE MURDER PAGE 2

divide the fishing village of Cortez with a relatively high roadway running through the village. “On the other side in Bradenton Beach, it will create a divide there as well,” he said. PLEASE SEE BRIDGE PAGE 4

Holmes Beach could replicate MPB pier

By Terry O’Connor Islander Reporter There is no readily apparent reason the demolished Manatee Public Beach pier cannot be replicated. U.S. Coast Guard regulations don’t prohibit it. Nor do Florida Department of Environmental Protection rules. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would not confirm whether it would allow such a structure without a submitted plan. Manatee County commissioners unanimously approved a proposal in March 2009 to replace the failing structure with a new 15-foot-tall pier — twice as high. The replacement pier was never built. It’s been widely reported the former 300-foot-long pier on the Gulf of Mexico at the Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach would have to be rebuilt twice as high as the PLEASE SEE MPB PIER PAGE 2

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MPB PIER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 previous 7.5-foot high pier, which would mean a corresponding increase in length to support the structure. But the county proposal didn’t have to be so big, according to DEP and Coast Guard officials. “There is nothing in our regulations that would require it,” a spokesman for Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. George Menzie, of the public affairs detachment in Clearwater, said in an April 19 phone call with The Islander. Lt. Noah Miller later confirmed the Coast Guard position. “We wouldn’t have any issue with it,” he said. Shannon Herbon, public information manager, said the pier could be rebuilt to its former size as far as the DEP is concerned. “We don’t have a regulation that would require a pier to be at a certain height,” Herbon said. The DEP would primarily be concerned about the impact on seagrasses, she said. “Certain scenarios might require a certain heightline,” Herbon added. Manatee County natural resources department director Charlie Hunsicker — on vacation, according to staff — was unavailable to answer emails and calls

MURDER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Matthews testified from his seat next to his attorney, saying Iten’s sentence didn’t matter because he’d likely live only a few more years. He called the shooting an accident from a bullet that ricocheted and maintained he was standing his ground. Neither Kathryn nor Rodney Rawson were hit in the spray of bullets. “I will not let you take what you did on Jan. 10, 2017, overtake over my life,” Kathryn Rawson said. Ed Rawson, her father and formerly of Holmes Beach, died about a week before the shooting incident. “I woke up on Jan. 11 without my parents. For what?” Rebecca Rawson was a former Holmes Beach resident who, for 30 years, worked at Head Quarters Salon in Holmes Beach and at Lor-Ells Hair Design, an Anna Maria salon that closed in 2016. for comment. Kathryn Rawson worked for Island Cabana, a bouHolmes Beach commissioners balked at building a tique on Pine Avenue in Anna Maria. larger structure and voted unanimously March 1 not to request funding for a pier from Manatee County. If commissioners knew the pier could be rebuilt Reconstruction costs were estimated eight years precisely as it was, the vote may have been different. ago by Hunsicker at $1.5 million to $2.5 million plus Commission Chair Judy Titsworth lit up when told it may be possible to rebuild the pier to its former $100,000 in planning and permitting fees. He said it would take about five months to secure necessary dimensions. “That would be awesome,” Titsworth said April 19 permits from the DEP and the Corps with another six at the Holmes Beach code enforcement public forum. months for construction. Hunsicker projected at the time the new pier could “I’d love that, because that’s what people wanted.” Titsworth’s and other commissioners’ reluctance be ready by January 2010. Whitmore, chair of the Manatee County Tourist to request funding involved their perception a larger Development Council, said at the time the TDC would pier would be an eyesore, Titsworth said, when they provide $1.4 million and county revenues would cover voted against the project. The city commission vote followed a request from the balance of the cost. County commissioners voted to replace the pier, Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore, a but a 2010 county permit to rebuild expired without former Holmes Beach mayor and commissioner, who asked if her hometown wanted funding to rebuild the action in 2015. All construction projects in the waters off Anna pier. The pier, a county-maintained beach, was demol- Maria Island require permits from the Corps, and the ished after an engineer’s report deemed it unsafe in Coast Guard provides input on any navigational concerns, according to Miller. February 2009.

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Kathryn Rawson, daughter of former Holmes Beach resident Rebecca Rawson killed by Eugene Matthews, testifies April 19 in a Manatee County courtroom next to a family photograph. Islander Photo: Courtesy Tiffany TompkinsCondie/Bradenton Herald

THE ISLANDER n April 25, 2018 n 3

Surf shop owners vow to regroup, recoup after fire

By Bianca Benedí Islander Reporter Inside the West Coast Surf Shop, it smells acrid and smoky. The floor is black. There is melted plastic and glass on the floor. Insulation hangs from ceilings and sunlight shines through a hole in the front wall. The shop caught fire the afternoon of April 15 during business hours. The building suffered damage and the merchandise was destroyed, including the surfboards, which were damaged beyond repair. Jim and Ronee Brady, owners of the surf shop in Holmes Beach since 1978, plan on rebuilding. But their plan will take time. It will probably take about three to six months to clean, repair and reopen the business, Jim Brady said April 19. The couple is waiting for an insurance agent to test parts of the building and for the official

cause of the blaze to be determined. West Manatee Fire Rescue marshal Jim Davis said April 15 that the fire appeared to be electrical, sparked by a neon light fixture. Jim Brady praised the Holmes Beach Police Department and WMFR for the rapid response. The fire climbed up through the ceiling and burned the east wall, as well as two apartment units at the east end of the building, Jim Brady said. The apartments — including the Bradys residence — will likely have to be “stripped to the studs,” he said, and they will have to redo “everything,” including plumbing and electrical. However, he said, they are fortunate that the frame of the building was relatively undamaged. There were no sprinklers in the store, something Jim Brady said was normal for a building constructed in the 1970s. There were no Florida laws then mandating fire sprinkler systems. The Bradys also are waiting for their insurance agency to determine the value of the loss, although initial estimates came in at about $250,000 for the damage, including merchandise. Jim Brady said they also are waiting for the insurance agency to “detoxify and ionize” their apartment. While their unit wasn’t burned in the fire, smoke and heat penetrated and the stench is toxic, Jim Brady said. Masks are required to enter the building. On a recent day, the Brady family sat around a table outside the surf shop. Friends visited, bringing gifts and offering support. Some people stopped by to ask when the store would reopen. “We wouldn’t be able to get through this withFrom outside, people passing through the busy inter- out everybody coming by” to offer support, daughter Brandi Brady said. section at Manatee Avenue and Gulf Drive at the Meanwhile, orders for merchandise are being canManatee Public Beach, adjacent to the West Coast celed and the Bradys are trying to cope with the loss Surf Shop, can see the charred exterior. A fire April of home and business. 15 destroyed merchandise and closed the store. The fire couldn’t have come at a worse time for Islander Photos: Bianca Benedí

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The charred interior of the West Coast Surf Shop is littered with burnt clothing, as well as material that fell from the ceiling, melted plastic hangers, flipflops and other merchandise. the business, Jim Brady said. The surf shop’s busy season is March through August, when the weather is warmest. Two employees working at the store when the fire broke out did a good job getting more than 30 customers out without injury, he added. WMFR officials discussed during their April 17 meeting a plan to honor the two employees for their efforts in the face of the fire. HBPD also is planning to recognize the two women for their courage. “At least no one got hurt,” Jim Brady said.

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Newly filed lawsuits seek to muzzle Holmes Beach ‘stalkers’ By Kathy Prucnell Islander Reporter Shawn Kaleta and Jennifer Kaleta filed two lawsuits to stop their neighbors from stalking and recover damages for losses to two rental homes. The co-owners and their companies allege Richard and Marjorie Motzer called Holmes Beach police more than 60 times for unfounded noise complaints at two vacation rental properties. The complaints and petitions for temporary injunctions ask a 12th circuit judge to “immediately restrain defendants from any acts of stalking.” Referring to HBPD call logs, the plaintiffs contend the Motzers called Kaleta police to the properties — more than 20 times to 5501 Holmes Blvd. and more than 40 times to 302 55th St. — between April 2017 and December 2017. The alleged stalkers were sent a Motzer cease-and-desist letter but “have continued to call in noise complaints,” the latest March 11, according to the two lawsuits. Filed in early April, the litigation alleges the Motzers intentionally interfered with the Kaletas’ rental businesses and requests unspecified damages, prejudgment interest, court costs and attorneys’ fees. The Motzers reside in the 300 block of 56th Street BRIDGE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Nandam refuted Murphy’s assertion a new bridge would divide communities while admitting a majority of DOT survey respondents wanted the bridge repaired. “We beg to differ,” he said. “The reason being is, if you look at the bridge touchpoints off the 35-foot (high bridge) versus the 65-foot (vertical clearance), it’s a very, very small incremental difference.” A new bridge would restrict one street in Cortez, which would likely be connected to Cortez Road, he said. “So there is no division of the communities,” Nandam said. DOT project manager Marlon Bizerra called the project “challenging” as he detailed the decision. Cost and overall impact overrode public survey results, he said. Repairing the existing bridge would cost more than $100 million, which is far more than building a new one, Bizerra said. “I know it’s a very difficult decision,” he said. “There is a lot of opposition.” Bizerra said the Cortez Bridge project development and environment study weighed social, economic, natural and physical environmental impacts associated with the bridge. The larger bridge has many advantages over the existing low-level drawbridge, Bizerra said. Major repairs already made in 1996, 2010 and 2015 would likely cost more and disrupt traffic more as the existing bridge continues to age and deteriorate. The new bridge would be constructed using modern materials capable of lasting beyond the 75-year design life requirement for new DOT bridges, Bizerra said. A fixed bridge saves about $23.9 million compared to a new mid-level drawbridge and another $11.2 million in operating and maintenance costs over the 75-year life span compared with the drawbridge, according to a DOT release. A fixed bridge will eliminate congestion and delays from bridge openings, which will be reduced 98.9 percent. The new bridge also will include two 10-foot sidewalks separated from the roadway by a traffic barrier. The fixed bridge leaves an area along the waterNext week: More on the DOT Cortez Bridge replacement plans, Cortez and Bradenton Beach opinions on the decision and the direction for the future of the two communities most effected by the DOT plan. Go to this week’s story online at islander.org and Facebook to weigh in.

Two homes at the corner of Holmes Boulevard and 55th Street have been the subject of numerous complaints by the Motzers, residents of 56th Street in Holmes Beach. The homes are owned by corporations headed by co-owners Shawn Kaleta and Jennifer Kaleta. Islander Photo: Kathy Prucnell

near or adjacent to the two vacation rental homes. In an April 18 email, Richard Motzer told The Islander he had no comment on the litigation. Public records show complaints go both ways, concerning both the Motzers’ residence and the two Kaleta-owned vacation homes. In a July 2017 Holmes Beach police report, renters then staying at 302 55th St. reported a person from the Motzers’ home yelling from a bull horn, cursing and scaring children playing in a pool during the afternoon. According to the July 2, 2017, police report, Richfront, under the Cortez Village approach, which could provide landscaping, benches, bicycle or kayak rentals, a play area and dog park, according to the DOT. It also could connect the north and south sides of Cortez with a roadway and walkways under the new bridge where pedestrians won’t compete with Cortez Road traffic, according to the release. Nandam said the DOT will reach out to residents in Cortez for participation in an aesthetics committee similar to the one convened for the Anna Maria Island Bridge replacement project on State Road 64/Manatee Avenue. Design is scheduled to begin this year and the right of way phase is funded beginning in 2020. Construction is not yet funded. It may be some consolation the new bridge in Cortez is far from becoming a reality even if it receives final approval from DOT Office of Environmental Management in Tallahassee, Nandam said. A new bridge project life cycle is about 15 to 20 years, he said. The ITPO was formed to advise the MPO and DOT on island traffic issues. The MPO, created in the 1950s to study transportation issues, identifies local priorities to generate state funding earmarks for road projects.

Meetings Anna Maria City • April 26, 6 p.m., commission. • May 10, 6 p.m., commission. • May 8, 4 p.m., planning and zoning. • May 24, 6 p.m., commission. • May 28, 10 a.m., Memorial Day Symphony Salute, City Pier Park, Pine Avenue at North Bay Boulevard. Anna Maria City Hall, 10005 Gulf Drive, 941708-6130, cityofannamaria.com.

ard Motzer told a dispatcher on a recorded line: “You tell them to do something about it or I think we are probably going to court and we are going to sue the living (expletive) out of Tokajer and the police department and the city because they will not do anything about the noise. “The noise is over the top, tell them to do something or one thing or another and when I go over there you are going to need to bring over body bags because I am fed up with it.” The next month, Richard Motzer wrote to the mayor and commissioners, complaining he was unable to enjoy any quiet in his home, especially in June and July 2017, and about the city’s failure to notify tenants, rental units and management companies with a letter as it previously promised. HBPD Chief Bill Tokajer said April 19 that handouts on noise have since been distributed to renters. The Motzers have 20 days to respond to the complaints after they are served. As of press time, they hadn’t been served, according to the court records. Neither Shawn Kaleta nor Jennifer Kaleta provided comments.

New noise initiative

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer announced a new initiative to educate renters staying at party houses. Code enforcement officers are greeting new renters at vacation rental homes where the HBPD has received complaints about noise from residents with a pamphlet in hand. Since the beginning of March, the officers have been meeting renters, informing them of the city’s noise ordinance and advising them they’re staying in a residential area. “It seems to be working,” Tokajer said. — Kathy Prucnell

Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, 941-708-5800, holmesbeachfl.org. West Manatee Fire Rescue • May 18, 6 p.m., commission. WMFR administration building, 6417 Third Ave. W., Bradenton, wmfr.org.

Manatee County • May 3, 9 a.m., county commission (land use). • May 8, 9 a.m., county commission. • May 22, 9 a.m., county commission. Bradenton Beach • May 24, 9 a.m., county commission (land • April 25, 1 p.m., planning and zoning. use). Bradenton Beach City Hall, 107 Gulf Drive N., Administration building, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., 941-778-1005, cityofbradentonbeach.org. Bradenton, 941-748-4501, mymanatee.org. Holmes Beach • April 26, 6 p.m., city commission. • May 2, 6 p.m., parks and beautification. • May 8, 6 p.m., commission. • May 10, 6 p.m., commission. • May 22, 6 p.m., commission. • May 24, 6 p.m., commission.

Of interest • May 16, 2 p.m., Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials, Holmes Beach City Hall. • May 28 is Memorial Day, when most government offices will be closed. The Islander office also will be closed. Send notices to news@islander.org.

THE ISLANDER n ApRIL 25, 2018 n 5

HB committee recommends new city manager government By Terry O’Connor Islander Reporter Holmes Beach should hire a professional city manager. Or adopt a hybrid form of a professionally managed type of government. The details are to be sorted out by the Holmes Beach City Commission, according to the ad hoc committee convened to advise commissioners on possibly adopting a new form of government. After much deliberation and research over the past eight months, committee members struggled to agree on a definitive recommendation at the April 16 meeting, which lasted more than three hours. Eventually, one concept emerged as the favorite. “Everyone is supportive of bringing in a professional person,” said David Cheshire, committee chairman. “I think we’ve come to a good consensus.” The eight-member committee convened Aug. 24, 2017, to discuss how best to advise the Holmes Beach commission to adopt another form of government, hire a city manager or maintain status quo. “I think we all agree we want a professional manager in our future,” said committee member Terry Schaefer. “I think we’ve accomplished our charge.” The committee was not unanimous in voting on its consensus. Vice chair Scott Boyd was the only nay vote in the 7-1 count. “I would recommend the city of Holmes Beach to continue to have a strong mayor,” Boyd said. “My ultimate desire: I would have an administrator who is hired and fired by the commission, but answers to the mayor.” Other reservations about hiring a city manager revolved around cost and how a city manager would function in Holmes Beach. Hiring a city manager would cost an estimated $120,000 or so in annual salary plus benefits, according to the committee’s research. That’s a lot of money in the city’s $13,423,653

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The ad hoc committee on the form of city government includes Terry Schaefer, left, Nancy Deal, Jay Calhoun, chair David Cheshire, vice chair Scott Boyd, Pam Leckie, Renee Ferguson and Ellen Prince. They voted: “We recommend a change of the current form of government to a weak mayor-city manager form of government. The professional city manager reports directly to the city commission and manages all employees.” Islander Photo: Terry O’Connor budget, but it would be worth it if the right hire were made, according to committee consensus. Holmes Beach has employed a strong mayor-commission form of government since incorporation in 1950. A five-member commission establishes policies and adopts ordinances. Committee members contacted officials from 30 Florida municipalities as part of their study into what would be the best government for Holmes Beach. The next committee meeting time was not set, although it will convene once more before making an official recommendation to the city commission, Cheshire said. How they voted Scott Boyd: “Strong mayor-city commission with an interim administrator to see how it works. Once you put it in the charter, it’s in there forever.” Jay Calhoun: “My recommendation is to hire a professional manager.”

David Cheshire: “Our function is to recommend the best form of government and then we’ll recommend what should be done to implement it. I do believe we need a professional manager.” Nancy Deal: “Keep the mayor and hire an interim administrator reportable to the commission. Ultimately I recommend a weak mayor with a professional manager.” Renee Ferguson: “I want that city manager to happen. Having a new mayor every two years with the ability to hire and fire is chaotic.” Pam Leckie: “I believe strongly in a strong city manager. I dislike the term weak mayor.” Ellen Prince: “Weak mayor, professional manager. If things go really, really bad, you can get rid of the manager.” Terry Schaefer: “I fully recommend hiring a city manager.”

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Opinion

Our

Who’s watching?

On a small island of three cities — with three governments, mayors, commissioners, committees, police and law enforcement departments — it’s easy to see how people come to disagree. In Bradenton Beach, we saw two elections and a commission appointment so close they had to be decided by a card draw. A recall and the election that followed in Anna Maria clearly demonstrated where the line was drawn. And in Holmes Beach, we outlasted the two-year term of a loosescrew mayor who had commissioners bowing to his wishes. He decimated the city budget but strong leadership and fiscal responsibility followed. Now the city is facing the effects of the pile-on of vacation rental ordinances. Some neighbors feel relief from the pressure of crowded rentals, while the city faces millions in lawsuits from rental owners — mostly for lowering the occupancy numbers. After all, for rentals, the money is the number of people the house can accommodate. It’s changed our community. In Holmes Beach, the changes have demanded new and stronger law enforcement. Chief Bill Tokajer just celebrated five years with the city and I’m sure he knows all too well how our community has grown. You may complain about traffic on the island, but for cops it’s more than cars, it’s more people. Including some bad actors. To the HBPD’s credit, crime prevention is paramount. Promoting neighborhood watch and offering home visits for snowbirds and residents is just a start. We learned long ago that behavior improves when people know they’re on camera. And we’re all “on camera” much more often than we know. Surveillance cameras are operating in stores like Publix, but small shops also are seeking protection. But is it Big Brother? A simple answer is “no” — the stores are not collecting data or tracking your comings and goings. They do that through your credit card usage. Tokajer has proposed putting license plate recognition cameras on the bridges and access points where cars go north or south on Anna Maria Island. Praise for Publix The cameras take a digital photo of the tag from A big thank you to the friendly service at the island the rear of the vehicle. The tag number is run through a database and returns information only on “bad actors” Publix, especially the bakery team. Briged Pastor, Holmes Beach and Wisconsin — stolen cars, warrants and the like. The software does not “track” the cars or access Truck-tastic time data on good drivers. So what’s the problem? The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce None that we can see. — Bonner Joy wishes to thank everyone who attended and participated in the 2018 Beach’N Food Truck & Music Festival. It was a great event with perfect “chamber of comAPRIL 25, 2018 • Vol. 26, No. 26 merce” weather! ▼ Publisher and Editor Our sincere thanks go to the many volunteers Bonner Joy, news@islander.org needed to put together an event of this size and whose ▼ Editorial Lisa Neff, copy editor assistance helps make the festival possible. Sandy Ambrogi, sandy@islander.org A very special thank you to CrossPointe FellowBianca Benedí, bianca@islander.org ship for all of the volunteer hours and support of our Joe Bird, editorial cartoonist Kevin Cassidy, kevin@islander.org chamber and our chamber events. Jack Elka, jack@jackelka.com Hats off to all of you! ChrisAnn Silver Esformes, chrisann@islander.org Terry O’Connor, terryo@islander.org Terri Kinder, interim president, Anna Maria Island Kathy Prucnell, kathyp@islander.org Chamber of Commerce

Opinion

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Commission stuck in ‘park’

Some on the city commission would like to have the taxpayers of Bradenton Beach pay for a parking garage. Currently a parking garage is not allowed by the comprehensive plan, but Commissioner Ralph Cole would like that to change. That’s correct, the guy who lost his election and then was appointed to the commission against the democratic direction the citizens of Bradenton Beach pushed in the last year’s election. Cronyism at its best! It only takes four commissioners to unilaterally change the comp plan, regardless of the public’s comments or desires. Funny thing is: Not a single Bradenton Beach resident would use this garage, but they want them to pay

for it. Why? Because not unlike the Bridge Tender Inn restaurant, recently approved for 100-plus new dining seats without adding parking, the merchants want more parking, and they want the taxpayers to pay the expenses they should have paid in the first place. Our city has great planning, all at the taxpayers’ expense. Have you been on Bridge Street lately and watched the lineup of cars waiting to get into the less than 40 illegal parking, un-landscaped, mud-hole parking spaces for the 400-seat Bridge Tender? Another of our commissioners wants to build a new restaurant but can’t because he can’t afford a parking garage and wants you to pay for it. How many restaurants and bars do we need on Bridge Street? There are currently 10. Who do you think will pay the shortfall every year when there aren’t enough fees to pay the annual costs of a parking garage? Ask the city of Bradenton if the fees for the downtown parking garage pay for the expenses? Reed Mapes, Bradenton Beach

Have your say

The Islander accepts original letters of up to 250 words and reserves the right to edit for grammar and length. Letters must include name, address and a contact phone number (for verification). Email: news@ islander.org. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Readers also may comment on online, where The Islander has 3,000+ registered users. Also, The Islander has an active — 11,300+ likes — Facebook community. To join the conversation, “like” The Islander on Facebook.

Anna Maria Islander

THE ISLANDER n ApRIL 25, 2018 n 7

Shifting shoreline

Erosion is documented in August 1971 on the beach at the north end of Anna Maria Island. Islander Photo: Courtesy Manatee County Public Library digital collection

Traffic control solutions

For years I have suggested ways to alleviate the island’s traffic problems. I would guess if you reviewed the past 10 years of our meeting minutes for the three city commissions on the island, you might find a grand total of two or three hours devoted to what is arguably the Island’s biggest nightmare. Instead of another two-year $500,000 study, I would suggest another approach, one that worked well during my federal government career. Gather a small group with various skills and empower them to come up with rational solutions in a short period. The key to success is who can provide the impetus and leadership to the group. Bob McCaffrey, Holmes Beach You can peruse The Islander newspaper archive, dating back to its launch in November 1992, at ufdc.ufl.edu.

10&20 years ago

In the headlines: April 22, 1998

• Holmes Beach commissioners learned the bicycle lanes they wanted to build were going to cost $173,000 and they needed to come up with $80,000 to add to a Florida Department of Transportation grant. • A drainage project in Bradenton Beach resulted in a detour that forced northbound vehicles on Gulf Drive to take Third Street North to Highland Avenue, then east on Cortez Road across the bridge, then U-turn back across the bridge and a right turn to travel north on Gulf Drive. • A headline heralded the future — electric cars — and said Anna Maria might become the first “electric car city” in the state. • Bradenton Beach commissioners voted to remove ice cream coolers at the restaurant on the Historic Bridge Street Pier to allow a larger bait tank and also coolers for soda and beer.

In the headlines: April 23, 2008

We’re campaigning for a friendlier, kinder, gentler attitude toward guests, visitors, vacationers and all who come to love Anna Maria Island. “We’re Glad You’re Here” originated in the 1980s with a restaurant trade group and we decided it suits the situation that has developed since some island officials began seeking limits on vacation rentals. We believe Anna Maria Island needs a new attitude — one that makes everyone feel welcome even as we try to find ways to limit congestion and retain our old Florida origins and mom-and-pop businesses. — The Islander

We’d love to mail you the news!

• Fire destroyed a bayside home in Holmes Beach. The fire was so intense that West Manatee Fire Rescue feared the roof would collapse and firefighters were ordered outside while the home burned. • Bradenton Beach commissioners voted to explore installing new and brighter lighting on Bridge Street after nixing a proposal for solar lighting. • Former Anna Maria Commissioner Linda Cramer was beaten and robbed in her home on Crescent Drive by two unidentified men. Cramer said the attackers posed as deliverymen when they rang the doorbell. The weekly archives for The Islander can be found online ufdc.ufl.edu.

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We mail The Islander weekly for a nominal $54 per year. We also offer online e-edition subscriptions — a page-by-page view of the weekly news for only $36 per year, but you must sign up online. It’s the best way to stay in touch with what’s happening on Anna Maria Island. We bring you all the news about three city governments, community happenings, people features and special events … even real estate transactions … everything you need if your “heart is on Anna Maria Island.” If you don’t live here year-round, use this form to subscribe by (snail) mail for yourself or someone else. (Sorry, we do not suspend mail subscriptions — you get The Islander free while you’re here!)

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Tour boat owner scours Bradenton Beach for docking solution

By ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Islander Reporter Sherman Baldwin of Paradise Boat Tours in Bradenton Beach cannot afford to wait for a new floating dock at the Historic Bridge Street Pier. The dock, a replacement approved a year ago, is forecast to be installed by July 1. Baldwin has plans to launch a 149-passenger water taxi between Bradenton Beach and downtown Bradenton and Sarasota, which are dependent on serving passengers in Bradenton Beach. According to Baldwin, the boat is ready to launch, but will not be released by lenders until the dock locations are cleared for use by all three cities, and Bradenton Beach is the holdup. He said during an April 19 commission meeting that he wants to hire Duncan Seawall, Dock and Boatlift — the contractor that rebuilt the pier — to conduct a “noninvasive look-see” to determine if he can load and unload his water taxi customers at the gangplank on the south side of the pier — the walkway that conPolice Chief Sam Speciale, who chairs the pier nected to the old floating dock. Mayor John Chappie said he thinks Baldwin can team, said the contractor must be careful not to do proceed with the study as a private citizen, but would anything that would endanger the lease with the state prefer the pier team review the request before it went for the submerged land under the pier. City attorney Ricinda Perry said indemnification before the commission for a vote.

Sherman Baldwin, owner of Paradise Boat Tours, looks out over Sarasota Bay from the Historic Bridge Street Pier March 9 He is standing next to a “closed” sign at the gangway where once a floating dock accommodated his boat tours. Islander File Photo: ChrisAnn Silver Esformes would be required to release any city liability. Sherman said he would proceed with plans for the study and present his findings at the next pier team meeting at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 2, at city hall, 107 Gulf Drive N.

WMFR budget talks begin with tax hike debate for 2018-19 fiscal year

By Bianca Benedí Islander Reporter West Manatee Fire Rescue administrators are holding the line on assessments for the 2018-19 fiscal year. In a preliminary budget workshop April 17, board commissioners and WMFR administrators met to evaluate the fire district’s financial needs for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. Battalion Chief Ben Rigney presented commissioners with a budget for the coming year, including an expense increase just under $1,250,000. “We were able to make the numbers work,” he said of constructing a budget without a tax hike. But he said an increase in property-owner assessments likely would be necessary to compensate in the 2019-20 fiscal year. Commissioners debated whether the rate hike should instead be distributed more evenly in the 2018 and 2019 budgets to minimize taxpayer impact. The rates will be discussed at another budget workshop set for 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, at the administration building, 6413 Third Ave. W., Bradenton.

The budget anticipates the district’s assessment revenue will stay the same, at $6,909,755. Interest income will rise by $5,000 and grant income will fall by $180,000. However, because of new construction and development within the district, which increases the assessment of vacant property, revenue may go up, Rigney said. Any difference would be covered by the district’s reserves. The plan is to tap into the reserve fund for $1,530,000, which almost entirely covers $1,564,607.28 in capital outlay expenses. However, Rigney said the district also would gain revenue from the sale of the administrative building, set to be finalized in May, diminishing the impact on the reserves and allowing the district to settle an $850,000 note. The majority of capital expenses is $1 million to obtain a new administration building, but Rigney said the district still isn’t sure of the cost. Chief Tom Sousa said the district should host a workshop in June on options for the district, including leasing administrative offices, buying property or

Holmes Beach remodel job at a standstill

By Terry O’Connor Islander Reporter A city official raised an alarm after workers at a Holmes Beach residence razed a roof without a permit. The renovation in the 500 block of 74th Street remains devoid of activity roughly three weeks after being red-tagged, which causes work to cease until the site comes into compliance with permit obligations. Building official Jim McGuinness said he immediately ordered a stop-work order April 2 after a field investigation showed work beyond the scope of the permit. “Where they tore off two-thirds of the roof, that work was not allowed in the permit,” McGuinness said April 18. The contractor must submit a new constructioncost estimate outlining everything it takes to get the house back to a livable state, McGuinness said. “I’ve instructed him to protect the open structure, but that’s the only work allowed for now,” he said. McGuinness said the home was built before the city enacted a Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Insurance Rate Map in 1975. A building constructed pre-FIRM is eligible for a subsidized flood-insurance rate. However, a renovation project cannot exceed 50 percent of the market valuation of the home, according to FEMA regulations. “A pre-FIRM house is not elevated to FEMA requirements,” McGuinness said. “When you modify a house like that, you can’t improve it beyond 50 percent of the market valuation. It’s illegal.”

McGuinness said his department will look at the contractor’s new construction-cost estimate once it’s submitted. Meanwhile, work will remain suspended, he said. The re-evaluation will entail comparing the valuation of the structure and the “substantial improvement,” McGuinness said. The 1,984-square-foot home, built in 1959, last sold for $650,000 April 20, 2017, according to the Manatee County Property Appraiser website. Work allowed by the $3,693 permit includes an addition and remodel to a single-family home, including carport and electrical, partial new roof trusses and lanai remodel. The work was valued at $116,744, not including a new roof. The 50-50 FEMA limit is less the valuation of work being done in the revised renovation permit. The contractor for homeowner Michael Flanagan, 502 74th St., Holmes Beach, is Wash Family Construction of Holmes Beach. Contractor Darrin Wash said April 18 he expects the new permit application will be approved quickly once submitted. He said engineering considerations are being double-checked before he makes the submittal. The only penalty thus far is a $500 fine for the contractor exceeding permit allowances, McGuinness said. The real penalty for the contractor is an idle job site. “Nothing can resume until I lift the stop-work order,” McGuinness said.

buying vacant land to construct a new admin building. The district also budgeted $315,000 for selfcontained breathing apparatuses, devices that allow firefighters to breathe when entering a smoke-filled building. Another $40,000 each is budgeted for two vehicles and a defibrillator monitor. In the capital expenses, WMFR allocated $84,607.28 to a savings account to replace Engine 131 by 2021. The engine has been in service for 17 years, Sousa said. Rigney said the district likely would designate at least another $300,000 in the 2019-20 fiscal year toward the new engine. The maximum cost for a fire engine is about $650,000, Sousa said, but he expects to obtain one for “much less.” The most recent engine cost $480,000, Sousa said April 20. Personnel expenses will rise about $144,000, Rigney said, from $5,643,114.18 to $5,787,436.90. The district is waiting on a final audit to finish the budget, Sousa said.

Roadwatch

Eyes on the road

The Florida Department of Transportation posted the following notices for the week of April 23: • State Road 789/Gulf Drive from SR 64/Manatee Avenue to SR 684/Cortez Road: Manatee County crews are replacing force mains. Directional drilling and installation of a force main will be underway on Gulf Drive between 26th and 28th streets north. Traffic will be shifted to the west to allow for construction activities. Expect delays through April 30. Also, installation of a 6-inch water main is underway along Avenue C from 24th Street North to 26th Street North. Crews will be installing water services across Avenue C, working from west to east. Intermediate road closures will be in place along each segment. The route from Avenue C southbound onto Gulf Drive is temporarily closed. The roadway is open northbound direction to local traffic and emergency vehicles from Gulf Drive to 22nd Street North. For more information about the project, go online to amipipereplacement.com. • SR 64/Manatee Avenue on Perico Island from Martinique Drive to 107th Court West: Crews are improving drainage, constructing sidewalk and bicycle lanes and installing new signage and pavement markings. Work occurs off the roadway and does not require lane closures. Florida Safety Contractors Inc. is the contractor. Expected completion is fall 2018. • State Road 64/Anna Maria Island Bridge: Crews will be working on the bridge. expect closures 9 p.m.-5 a.m. Sunday, April 30-Thursday, May 3. For the latest road watch information, go online to www.fl511.com or dial 511.

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“Anna Maria Island,” a pictorial history book of the island by Bonner Joy, is available for $20 at The Islander office, 3218 E. Bay Drive, Holmes Beach. Joy is publisher of The Islander newspaper. She launched the newspaper in 1992, and is a 43-year islander.

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The Islander Calendar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ONGOING ON ANNA MARIA ISLAND • Through May 5, Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society Transparent Show, the Studio at Gulf and Pine, 10101 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria. Information: 941-778-1906. • Throughout May, Dieter Lau is the featured artist, Island Gallery West, 5368 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-7786648.. OFF ANNA MARIA ISLAND

3612 E. Bay Drive, Holmes Beach, 941.778.0400 313 Pine Ave, Anna Maria, 941.778.0500

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ONGOING OFF ANNA MARIA ISLAND • First and third Wednesdays usually, Roser Memorial Community Church Golﬁng for God, IMG Academy Golf Club, 4350 El Conquistador Parkway, Bradenton. Fee applies. Info: 941-778-0414. • Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 1-4 p.m., ACBL open pairs duplicate bridge, The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key. Fee applies. Information: 941-216-9600. • Through Aug. 26, the Bradenton Marauders play home games at LECOM Park, 1611 Ninth St. W., Bradenton. Fee applies. Information: 941-747-9442.

Friday, April 27 CLUBS & 6-8 p.m. — Music in the Park, Mosaic Amphitheater on the Riverwalk, downtown Bradenton. Information: 941-621-6471. COMMUNITY Saturday, April 28 ON ANNA MARIA ISLAND 6:30 p.m. — De Soto Grand Parade, Manatee Avenue, Bradenton. Information: 941-747-1998 or go online to www.desotohq. Wednesday, April 25 com. Noon — Coloring club, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, ONGOING OFF AMI Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341. Thursday, April 26 • Through May 6, “How People Make Things,” South Florida 10 a.m. — Quilting gathering, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Museum, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton. Fee applies. Information: Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341. 941-746-4131. Friday, April 27 • Second Wednesdays, Think + Drink (science), South Florida 10 a.m.-1 p.m. — Senior Adventures holds a book sale and Museum, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton. Fee applies. Information: potluck lunch at Annie Silver Community Center, 103 23rd St. N., 941-746-4131. Bradenton Beach. Information: 941-538-0945. • First Fridays, 6-9 p.m. ArtWalk in the Village of the Arts, around Saturday, April 28 12th Street West and 12th Avenue West, Bradenton. Also, Saturdays 8:30 a.m. — Kiwanis Club of Anna Maria Island breakfast and after the ﬁrst Fridays. Information: villageofthearts@gmail.com. program, with Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, Anna Maria KIDS & FAMILY Island Beach Cafe, Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-1383. ON ANNA MARIA ISLAND Wednesday, May 2 12:45 p.m. — Gulf Coast Writers, Island Library, 5701 Marina Friday, April 27 Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341. 10 a.m. — Forty Carrots parenting program, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341. ONGOING ON ANNA MARIA ISLAND Tuesday, May 1 • Second and fourth Wednesdays, 11 a.m. Just Older Youth/ 10 a.m. — Preschool Storytime, Island Library, 5701 Marina JOY Brown Bag Lunch Series, Roser Memorial Community Church, Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341. 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Information: 941-778-0414. ONGOING ON AMI • Third Thursdays, 11:45 a.m., Successful Women Aligning • Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m., Wednesday Night Blast, CrossPointe Together meets, Bridge Street Bistro, 111 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Fellowship, 8605 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778- Beach. Fee applies. Information: 941-345-5135. • Saturdays, 8:30 a.m., Kiwanis Club of Anna Maria Island 0719. breakfast meeting, Anna Maria Island Beach Cafe, Manatee Public • Tuesdays, 3:15 p.m., after-school children’s choir, Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Informa- Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-7781383. tion: 941-778-0414. • Tuesdays, noon, Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island, Bridge • Terriﬁc Tuesdays for community and families, 5:30 p.m., Roser Street Bistro, 111 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach. Information: 941Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Informa518-1965. tion: 941-778-0414.

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Looking for volunteer opportunities on or around Anna Maria Island? These organizations are seeking help: • The Roser Food Bank needs donations of cash and nonperishable food. The pantry is administered by Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Information: 941-7780414. • Moonracer Animal Rescue seeks volunteers to offer foster and forever homes for rescued animals. Information: 941-345-2441. Seeking volunteers for an organization or an event? Email calendar@islander.org with the details. Please include a contact name and phone number.

Wednesday, April 25 4 p.m. — Chess club, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341. ONGOING ON ANNA MARIA ISLAND

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• Wednesdays and Saturdays, 9 a.m., horseshoes pitched, Anna Maria City Hall, 10005 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria. Information: 941-708-6130. • Fridays, usually at 11:30 a.m., mahjong games, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341. • Second and fourth Fridays, 6 p.m., Center of Anna Maria Island bingo games, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria. Fee applies. Information: 941-778-1908. • Mondays, noon, bridge, Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Information: 941-778-0414. • Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m., mahjong games and instruction for beginners, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341. • Tuesdays, 12:15 p.m., duplicate bridge, Episcopal Church of the Annunciation, 4408 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-779-0881. OFF ANNA MARIA ISLAND

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES The annual Giving Challenge — a 24-hour fundraising event presented by the Community Foundation of Sarasota with support from the Patterson Foundation — benefits many local nonprofits. The challenge will begin at noon May 1 and concludes at noon May 2. For more, inquire with a favorite nonprofit or go online to givingpartnerchallenge.org.

Senior Adventures hosts potluck, book sale

Senior Adventures will hold a potluck lunch and book sale Friday, April 27. Saturday, April 28 The sale will be 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Annie Silver 8:30 a.m. — Sarasota Bay Watch Sister Keys Cleanup, Mar Community Center, 103 23rd St. N., Bradenton Beach. Vista Dockside Restaurant, 760 Broadway St., Longboat Key. InforLunch will be at noon. mation: 941-232-2363. For more information or to RSVP, call Kaye Bell 8:30 a.m. — Golf Goes to the Dogs tournament, Terra Ceia at 941-538-0945.

Island happenings On the Friends’ list at the Island Library “The Underground Railroad” is on the reading list for the Friends of the Island Library book club. Islander Courtesy Photo

Island Library makes May plans

There’s still time to read Colson Whitehead’s “The Underground Railroad” before the Friends of the Island Library Book Club discusses The New York Times best-seller that won the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award and Carnegie Medal for Fiction. The club will meet at 10:15 a.m. Thursday, May 17. Also on the May schedule at the library: • 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 1, preschool storytime. Also to be held May 8, May 15, May 22 and May 29. • 11:30 a.m. May 1, mahjong. Also to be held May 15, May 22 and May 29. • 2-4 p.m. May 1, tech help. • 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, Gulf Coast Writers meets. • 9 -11 a.m. Thursday, May 3, veteran services information. Also to be held May 10, May 17, May 24 and May 31. • 2 p.m. May 3, knit and crochet activities. Also to be held May 17 and May 31. • 10 a.m. Friday, May 4, Forty Carrots—Partners in Play. Also to be held May 11. • 1 p.m. May 4, mahjong. Also to be held May 18 and May 25. • Noon, Wednesday, May 9, adult coloring club meets. Also to be held May 23. • 2 p.m. Thursday, May 10, American Red Cross information about hurricane evacuations. • 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 11, mahjong. • 2 p.m. May 11, Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group meets. • 10 a.m. Saturday, May 12, origami crafting. • 2 p.m. May 12, Lego Day. • 11 a.m. Saturday, May 19, meditation session. • 9 a.m. Saturday, May 26, CPR training. • 10 a.m. Thursday, May 31, quilting activity. The library is at 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. For more information, call the library at 941778-6341.

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Island Gallery West to exhibit ‘Digital Design’

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Dieter Lau is May’s featured artist at Island Gallery West. He will be exhibiting his digital art in “Digital Design.” Lau, who worked in Berlin as an architectural contractor, creates art from traditional and non-traditional photography. Island Gallery West is at 5368 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. For more information, call the gallery at 941-7786648.

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De Soto Heritage Festival parade April 28

Manatee County’s annual spring celebration, the De Soto Heritage Festival, concludes with a grand parade. The parade, the largest in southwest Florida, will be 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 28. More than 200,000 people line Manatee Avenue in Bradenton to view the more than 150 floats, bands and other entries. For more information, including the parade route, call 941-747-1998 or go online to www. desotohq.com.

Sister Keys clean up on deck

A week after volunteers cleared litter from Anna Maria Island beaches, Sarasota Bay Watch will bring volunteers to Sister Keys for an annual cleanup. The organization will partner with the town of Longboat Key and the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant and Pub, 760 Broadway St., Longboat Key, in the event set for Saturday, April 28. Volunteers will meet at the restaurant at 8:30 a.m. And they will return to the restaurant after their work for a free lunch. To register, go online to sarasotabaywatch.org. For more information, call Ronda Ryan at 941232-2363.

Golf outing benefits animal rescue

Golf Goes to the Dogs!, a golf tournament and lunch, will raise money for Moonracer No Kill Animal Rescue. The event will be Saturday, April 28, at Terra Ceia Bay Golf and Tennis Club in Palmetto. Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. and a shotgun will signal the play is on at 8:30 a.m. Cost for a single golfer will be $65 and includes green fees, lunch, drinks, awards and gift bags. Lunch only will cost $25 per person. For more information, contact Toni Lyon at 941928-8735 or tlyonami@gmail.com.

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Garden club members strike a pose, model fashions Kathryn Sandberg models a floral design jacket at the Anna Maria Island Garden Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual fashion show April 18. The event was held in the fellowship hall at Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Islander Photos: Bianca BenedĂ

Sandee Shea shows off an ensemble April 18 from Ireneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Resort Wear of Holmes Beach at the Anna Maria Island Garden Club fashion show.

Sarah Pfeil, garden club member, prepares to serve lunch plates of chicken salad, fruit and a croissant to guests at the garden club fashion show.

Kathryn Sandberg rolls a pair of dice at the table to compete for the flower Margy Finley places raffle chances in bowls in hopes of winning a gift basket centerpiece at the garden club fashion show. at the fashion show.

Midcentury play winds up island theater season

In the final production of the 69th season, the Island Players will stage a midcentury production that has withstood the test of theater time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;An Inspector Callsâ&#x20AC;? by J. B. Priestley was first staged in 1945 and in 2017 ended a five-year run in London. According to an Island Playersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; news release, the success of the play is owed to its themes dealing with guilt, wealth, conscience and suicide. â&#x20AC;&#x153;An Inspector Callsâ&#x20AC;? will open Thursday, May 3, at the Island Players, 10009 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, featuring a seasoned cast. Daniel Coppinger is Arthur Birling and Caroline Cox is his wife, Sybil. Sylvia Marnie portrays daughter Sheila Birling and Lucas Piety is her brother, Eric.

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Sheilaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fiance, Gerald Croft, is played by Colin Brady and Heiko Knipfelberg portrays the mysterious InspecThe final play tor Goole. Diane Phinney, publicist, makes a stage of the 2017-18 appearance as Edna. theater season on The narrative revolves around Inspector Gooleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Anna Maria Island appearance at the wealthy Birling familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dinner party will open Thursfor the engagement of Sheila and Croft. day, May 3, at the The unexpected guest shatters the celebration and Island Players, shakes the foundation of their lives, as the investiga10009 Gulf Drive, tion into the death of a young woman from the â&#x20AC;&#x153;seedier Anna Maria. side of townâ&#x20AC;? unfolds. Knipfelberg also directs â&#x20AC;&#x153;An Inspector Calls,â&#x20AC;? which is coproduced by the Off Stage Ladies of the Island Players. Performances for â&#x20AC;&#x153;An Inspector Callsâ&#x20AC;? will run Thursday, May 3-Sunday, May 13. Showtimes will be 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sundays. The theater is dark Mondays. The box office is open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. MondaySaturday and one hour before each performance. For reservations or information about the Island Players, call 941-778-5755 or visit theislandplayers. org.

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THE ISLANDER n April 25, 2018 n 13

Local beekeeper removes â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;unwanted guestsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; from festival By Sandy Ambrogi Islander Reporter There were more than swarms of people at the food truck festival April 14 at Coquina Beach. There also was a swarm of unwanted guests. A colony of honeybees took up residence midafternoon April 14 at a table under a tent intended to provide shade and seating at the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Beach â&#x20AC;&#x2122;N Food Truck and Music Festival. Chamber workers roped off the area to warn people away, and the bees were mostly quiet, with only a few flying about the area. Holmes Beach beekeeper George Fuller was called and, after assessing the situation, â&#x20AC;&#x153;flewâ&#x20AC;? back to his 67th Street home to gather up his beekeeping gear. He returned to remove the swarm, but not until the festival ended and the crowd left. Fullerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife, Zan, chuckling about his quick return and exit from the house with the gear, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I never saw him move so fast in his life! He was really excited.â&#x20AC;? Fuller got interested in beekeeping after he heard a presentation by the West Coast Beekeeperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association at an Anna Maria Island Garden Club meeting two years ago. He now keeps two hives in his Holmes Beach backyard and the food truck swarm was his fourth collection since establishing his home for bees last spring.

George Fuller relocates the bees he collected from Coquina Beach April 14 into a hive in Holmes Beach. Islander Photo: Courtesy Zan Fuller

Bees swarm to a dining table April 14 at the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Beach â&#x20AC;&#x2122;N Food Truck and Music Festival at Coquina Beach. They probably were protecting the queen in the middle of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;ball,â&#x20AC;? according to Holmes Beach beekeeper George Fuller. Islander Photo: Sandy Ambrogi

Zan Fuller, who also has an interest in what she calls â&#x20AC;&#x153;a fascinating hobby,â&#x20AC;? said her husband moved the swarm in the usual way â&#x20AC;&#x201D; scraping the entire ball of bees into a bucket and relocating them to a hive at their home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When bees swarm like that, it generally means they are protecting the queen bee, who should be at the center of the swarm,â&#x20AC;? she explained. She said that as a hive becomes overloaded with bees, a new queen emerges and the old queen takes a share of the worker bees away and relocates. The Fullers suspect this likely happened at Coquina Beach. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The other hive was probably very close by,â&#x20AC;? George Fuller said. The Fullers said it would be seven to 10 days before they would know if a queen was among the swarm of festival honeybees. If they see eggs being laid, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a telltale sign a queen is present. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening, we have a happy hive,â&#x20AC;? Zan said. Honeybees are not native to the Americas, but were brought by colonists from Europe in 1622. Native species of bees were kept and traded by indigenous people before that time. In 2017, the Global Research Center estimated that in the past decade, 30 percent of the national bee population disappeared and nearly a third of all colonies perished. Honeybees are important, because, along with other bees, they pollinate an estimated 80 percent of all food crops in the United States.

The Fullers also reap a bonus from their backyard hives. The bees have produced 20 quarts of honey â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all harvested in only six months. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are so important to all of us,â&#x20AC;? Zan Fuller said.

Plantings to mark National Arbor Day

Keep Manatee Beautiful representatives will join Anna Maria Island officials Friday, April 27, in celebrating National Arbor Day. KMB estimates 179 communities in Florida will plant trees on the holiday, including Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach. Across the United States, thousands of trees will be planted, according to the National Arbor Day Foundation. The first ceremony of the day will be at 8 a.m. in Holmes Beach, where the Holmes BeachÂ Parks and Beautification Committee and KMB will plant a Jamaican dogwood at Spring Lake Park, 6807 Holmes Blvd. KMB donated the tree. At 8:45 a.m., a planting will take place at 311 S. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria. Three green buttonwoods purchased with a donation from Modern Woodmen of America will be planted. In Bradenton Beach at 9:30 a.m., three desert cassia will be planted at Herb Dolan Park in the 2500 block of Avenue A North. Then celebrants will move south to Coquina Beach, where at 10:15 a.m. a sabal palm will be planted. For more information, call the appropriate city hall or KMB at 941-795-8272.

Golf goes to the dogs! AN INSPECTOR CALLS MAY 3-13

By J. B. Priestly Directed by Heiko Knipfelberg Co-Produced by Off-Stage Ladies In 1912 England, a well-to-do family, eminently respected in their community, is subjected to what seems to be routine inquiry in connection with the death of a young woman from the seedier side of town. When Inspector Goole arrives unexpectedly at the Birling family home, their peaceful engagement dinner party is shattered by his investigation. His startling revelations shake the very foundations of their lives and challenge us all to examine our consciences.

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14 n April 25, 2018 n THE ISLANDER

Officials debate surveillance camera need, data collection

By Kathy Prucnell Islander Reporter Tag readers, also known as license place recognition systems, are used to deter criminal activity, assist police investigations and protect the public — but will they be put to use on Anna Maria Island? A debate over vehicle surveillance is rumbling through city halls and island meetings sparked by an April 4 memo from Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer to Mayor Bob Johnson. At last check, Tokajer counted Johnson, Holmes Beach commissioners and law enforcement in Manatee County and Bradenton Beach as supporters. Holmes Beach Commission Chair Judy Titsworth said it’s a budget item she’d support. Bradenton Beach Commissioner Jake Spooner isn’t sure and wants to learn more. Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie, a one-time supporter, now has privacy concerns. Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy is an opponent. Murphy doesn’t dispute tag readers are a wonderful law enforcement tool. But as far as protecting the public, the mayor is sounding an Orwellian alarm. “A tracking device on every person’s car would be equally a wonderful law enforcement tool, but we all know that impinges on our freedom,” Murphy told The Islander April 17. The mayor, a self-proclaimed “database guy” and former executive director for information technology at Verizon, called the systems “a time bomb waiting to go off” — and warns databases can be breached, abused and misused. “If only it tracked the bad guys, I’d be all for it,” Murphy added. Murphy opposes it, claiming personal data will be stored “for years and years,” and “available for some hacker or some marketer or whomever,” possibly someone “who might have an ax to grind against you.” By state law, according to Tokajer, three years is the maximum time the data can be stored and, he Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy explains his concerns regarding tag readers April 17 at city hall in Anna Maria.

Holmes Beach police chief details LPR system

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer wrote a four-page memo April 4 to Mayor Bob Johnson that was shared islandwide with officials proposing eight license plate recognition cameras to assist investigations and proactive policing with a $140,000$160,000 one-time price tag. Bids include installation, parts and a five-year maintenance plan. The cost to connect the system to a wireless network is $3,900 per year. In it, the chief recommends the Vigilant Solutions system, with cameras enabled to read vehicle tags and vehicle travel direction, as well as a link to law enforcement databases. He proposes eight cameras at the following locations: • Two cameras on the Cortez Bridge to catch eastbound and westbound traffic. • Two cameras aimed at vehicles going on and off the Anna Maria Island Bridge on Manatee Avenue. • A camera to capture vehicle tags southbound on East Bay Drive in Holmes Beach. • Two cameras in the area of 2700 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach. • A camera for southbound traffic on Gulf Drive coming off Cortez Road.

Holmes Beach Police Detective Sgt. Brian Hall, left, and Chief Bill Tokajer speak in favor of license plate recognition systems at a recent communitypolicing forum at Holmes Beach City Hall. Commissioner Carol Soustek is seated in the gallery. Islander Photos: Kathy Prucnell

emphasized, the Vigilant system he’s proposing collects and retains only vehicle tag numbers and directional data. Communities or agencies can make policy decisions to store the data for less time, he said. The Holmes Beach police chief said he’d “probably want to store it for a year,” foreseeing a possible need to review data to solve a crime if, for instance, a seasonal resident didn’t immediately report a burglary. Tokajer disputes the “tracking” suggested by Murphy, saying while the Vigilant system connects with state and nationwide criminal, vehicle and personal records, it does not house the information from database searches. Past abuses, professional ethics Murphy pointed to past abuses of the law enforcement database, “Driver and Vehicle Information Database,” known as DAVID, which includes the personal data of motorists statewide. The Tampa Bay Times reviewed data from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles system from January 2014 to May 2016 and reported 432 possible cases of DAVID misuse, including eight inquiries where officers and government employees used the system for “clearly personal” reasons, such as to track former lovers, gain information in child custody cases or check on friends and celebrities, according to an Aug. 27, 2016, article by Howard Altman. Longboat Key Police Chief Pete Cumming said strict policies and professional ethics protect against database misuse. High standards govern the use of the law enforcement database, he added. With DAVID abuse, Cumming said, not only are there serious consequences for an officer, an entire agency can be decertified from use of the system. “Our community has been overwhelmingly supportive of the license plate technology,” Cumming said of the tag readers stationed at the south and north ends of Longboat Key since 2013. In counterpoint, Murphy said, look at the database compromises of Facebook, the Veterans Affairs, U.S Postal Service and others — and how most people don’t know when data are compromised. He believes data could be sold, misused or abused. “And I find that to be a dangerous proposition. For what benefit? For the benefit of stopping people with expired tags. It’s too risky.” Privacy, effectiveness Bottom line to Murphy is the tag readers invade an individual’s right to privacy. “I don’t think it’s the city of Holmes Beach’s business how many times I go to Publix when my grandchildren are in town. “And I go there a lot because they eat a lot,” he joked. Tokajer disputes the system will pick up Murphy’s trips because, under his proposal, the cameras will not cover the north end of the island to the Publix Super Market in Holmes Beach. Besides, he said, “My guys aren’t going to be tracking the comings and goings of people on the island.

They have enough to do. They won’t be following the ordinary citizen.” Murphy views his “main point” is it captures everyone’s data and “people need to know that before we use everybody’s tax dollars.” He’s heard the system has a “1 percent kill rate” — one of 100 cars “might be the bad guy.” The 99 others will be alerts for minor offenses such as not paying a traffic fine or missed child support payments. In an April 5 email to his commissioners, Murphy pointed out the “technology may suffer the same fate as red-light cameras, in that it can be viewed as simply a way to increase revenue.” More police stops will mean more island traffic backups, Murphy added. Tokajer has facts to support his argument. A 24-day trial run on Manatee Avenue in 2016 netted a hit for a stolen car — within the first five minutes — plus, hits for 92 state warrants, 173 warrants from a nationwide database, 2,010 driver license violations and 1,636 expired tags and uninsured drivers. Another effective use of the system? Stolen car identification, according to Tokajer. “From 38 years of law enforcement experience I can tell you the people in a stolen car are not coming to the island on vacation. They are coming to the island with criminal activity intention,” Tokajer wrote in the April 4 memo. Funding Undeterred by a recent Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials meeting where Chappie and others walked back their support for the cameras, Tokajer said April 19 it is a matter of educating people. Holmes Beach commissioners were initially skeptical, he said. However, on hearing facts and learning more, they supported it. He initially hoped to fund the system through Manatee County’s $1.19 million beach concession fund, but the intergovernmental project lacked support at the April 18 Coalition of Barrier Island Officials meeting. Tokajer said he’ll look for other sources, including donations if necessary, “to protect our island and our citizens.” Purchasing the cameras, according to Johnson, will be part of this year’s Holmes Beach budget discussions. Murphy called Tokajer’s eight camera proposal “overkill” but he has yet to get direction from the Anna Maria commissioners. The camera systems haven’t been a topic in any commission meeting. Bradenton Beach approved its concession fund request — omitting the LPR. Mayor John Chappie said the commission would need more information to change direction. Tokajer is answering both mayors by offering to speak to any other island official — individually or in a group. Murphy might not be convinced easily. “The perfect law enforcement tool is a tracking device implanted in my head. If I were in law enforcement, I’d be pushing for money to do that,” Murphy said.

THE ISLANDER n ApRIL 25, 2018 n 15

BIEO agrees, deletes LPR cameras from county fund request

By ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Islander Reporter “Time is of the essence” was a repeated phrase April 18 at the Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials meeting in Bradenton Beach. Ten city officials participated, including the mayors of Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach and Longboat Key. The single-item agenda was targeted on surplus beach concession funds from Manatee County and whether Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach would support Holmes Beach’s request for $50,000 to implement a license plate recognition system on the island. Members of the coalition agreed more research is needed before they support LPR funding. Holmes Beach unanimously approved the item for concession funding in late March. The concession fund, which has grown to more than $1 million — revenue from the two public beach concessions — is allocated by the county for capital improvement projects to benefit the public and must be recommended by the three island municipalities. The three city commissions must approve any proposal before submittal to the county, but some officials and staff have expressed concerns the funds will be reallocated if the cities can’t finalize a request. Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said he is concerned with privacy issues and database security for the LPR cameras. “It’s a scary thing to develop without knowing the implications,” Murphy said. “We need all the implications and a healthy discussion before we deploy eight cameras on the island tracking everyone’s moves.” Murphy also shared concerns about the fallibility of the database. “It’s not a matter of if it’s getting hacked, it’s a matter of when,” Murphy said. Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, who previously made a presentation on LPR cameras, emphasized that data collection is only on offenders. Longboat Key Mayor George Spoll said license cameras exist at both ends of the key and are about 40 percent effective at recording plates. He said they have helped LBK police pick up “undesirables.” According to Tokajer, who proposed the LPR technology, Longboat Key is upgrading to the system he recommended. Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie agreed more information is needed before taking the request to the county, and said he didn’t know before the meeting that the request is for eight cameras. He said time is short to secure county funding and the camera proposal had not gone before his commission as part of the concession fund proposal.

Lynn Burnett, left, city engineer for the three island cities, and officials from the cities and Longboat Key discuss the budget for the Manatee County concession fund April 18, during a meeting of the BIEO at Bradenton Beach City Hall, 107 Gulf Drive N. Islander Photos: ChrisAnn Silver Esformes

Lynn Burnett, city engineer for the three island cities, said, “We know time is running out. We know that those monies have already been looked at by other departments of the county and they are already trying to figure out how to spend those monies in areas where they have shortfalls.” Since the cities agreed on the project list exclusive of the $50,000 for the cameras, she suggested moving forward with everything else. Burnett said there would be other funding sources for the LPR system. Holmes Beach Mayor Bob Johnson said since “time is of the essence,” the city could remove the $50,000 line item from its list and further research the system and funding options.

is no data. There is no info on who is in the car or who it is registered to.” He said the only people who should be concerned are those who have committed crimes. “Regular citizens would not be tracked. We are not watching everyone’s comings and goings on the island. That’s far-fetched,” Tokajer said. He said the system he is proposing — Vigilant Solutions — is used by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Sarasota, Charlotte and Pinellas counties. He added that anyone who has recently driven onto Longboat Key or over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge has been subject to LPR technology. “It just makes sense for us to monitor the comings Bradenton Beach moves forward and goings on our island because there are only three During an April 19 city meeting, the Bradenton major entrances,” Tokajer said. “It will work out to Beach commission unanimously approved the list of be safer for all of our residents, visitors and business projects for the county concession fund request, minus people.” the license plate recognition line item. Holmes Beach chief weighs in Tokajer sent a memo April 4 to Johnson, who sent it to the other two mayors, detailing the benefits of license plate recognition technology. His memo said the LPR technology “is an intuitive and secure monitoring and recording tool that allows officers to crosscheck license plates for historical activity and statuses of stolen vehicles, as well as potentially locate vehicles which may have fled.” In an April 19 interview with The Islander, Tokajer said he understands officials have questions, but the only data being collected is the picture of a license plate on the rear of a vehicle. “The LPR is taking a picture of the license plate and car from the rear for identification purposes,” Tokajer said. “There is no privacy issue because there

Kiwanis to learn about license plate recognition

The Kiwanis Club of Anna Maria Island will gather Saturday, April 28, for a program and breakfast. The program — featuring remarks by Holmes Beach Police Bill Tokajer on the use of license plate recognition systems — will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Anna Maria Island Beach Cafe at the Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. Club members and guests will gather for breakfast at 8 a.m. For more information, call Sandy Haas-Martens at 941-778-1383.

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16 n April 25, 2018 n THE ISLANDER

BB reacts with charter review, including city manager government

Could a professional manager prevent problems in BB?

During the April 19 discussion regarding the pros and cons of a city manager form of government, former Bradenton Beach Planning and Zoning Board member John Metz said the city might have been spared the delays with its floating dock at the Historic Bridge Street Pier if a city manager was on board to provide oversight. The Bradenton Beach dock project was approved in March 2017 that is yet to be completed. Commissioner Ralph Cole responded that he recently watched a video of another city commission meeting in the state that employs a city manager but is facing similar delays with contractor Technomarine. Mayor John Chappie said city staff is not responsible for the problems with the floating dock: “The chief and the pier team has done an exceptional job in this whole process.”

She presented the commission with a resolution to form a CRC and also included the previously approved resolution adopting the CNOBB initiatives and citing their insufficiencies. “So now the burden is on the city to make sure the charter can actually function as intended by the voters,” Perry said. She said, according to the charter, the mayor nominates members for appointment to the CRC, and each Mapes commissioner votes on each candidate. She added that CRC members cannot be on another city board, such as planning and zoning or Scenic Waves Partnership Committee. Chappie said he would like to Metz move the process forward. “That way everything is out there in the open, there is total transparency and an opportunity for anybody to come forward with their ideas and to develop this outside the elected officials,” Chappie said. “It’s just the citizens that would be appointed.” The city will be accepting applications for the CRC through May 7, with commissioners voting on the candidates at their meeting at noon, Thursday, May 17, at city hall, 107 Gulf Drive N. Parking garage prohibitions Following discussion on the CRC, the commission addressed the issue of multilevel parking structures. A charter amendment proposed by a newly formed PAC, Keep Our Residential Neighborhoods, comprising former P&Z members Reed Mapes and John Metz, who also spearheaded last year’s initiatives under CNOBB, would permanently ban multilevel parking structures in Bradenton Beach. Commissioner Ralph Cole said April 19 he added the agenda item because the comprehensive plan prohibits parking garages, but the LDC doesn’t provide the supporting regulations. He said he would like to add language to the LDC to prohibit parking garages in the city. Chappie said according to the comp plan, parking garages are prohibited in the residential-office-retail land-use category and the Bridge Street mixed-use commercial zone, but there are other zoning districts where a parking garage could be allowed. “This should be of great concern to everyone on this dais,” Chappie said. He added that he is not sure the state would allow land-use matters to be addressed through the city charter, which is what KORN is proposing. Perry confirmed Chappie’s statement, saying the state mandates land-use matters be included in the comp plan and LDC, not the charter.

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“Those are the tools and documents where the land development regulations are supposed to be placed,” Perry said. She said the best plan would be to follow Cole’s suggestion to “tighten up the comp plan to address parking garages throughout the city and also review the LDC to make sure it mirrors that prohibition.” A motion directing city planner Alan Garrett to work with the P&Z to review the comp plan and LDC and draft prohibitions for garages throughout the city was unanimously approved by the commission. City manager pros, cons Cole began discussion about the possibility of a city manager in Bradenton Beach, saying he put it on the agenda because its another KORN initiative proposed for the Nov. 6 ballot. He said hiring a city manager has come up repeatedly but cost has been a primary concern. “Would we have to raise taxes to put in a city manager position? is always the concern,” Cole said. He said the city has been running well with the weak mayor and department head structure and he sees no need for change. Chappie said he thinks Bradenton Beach is too small for a city manager. He said the transparency of the current system, which requires open discussion “in the sunshine” is his preferred form for government. “It’s not a city manager or a strong mayor type of government, where a lot of that discussion doesn’t take place out in the public,” Chappie said. He added he looks forward to hearing the CRC’s perspective on the issue. During public comment, Metz said, “any good city manager will save as much as he costs.” He said he thinks the city would benefit from more administrative expertise, including employee performance reports and project management. “It should be run like a business with the concept that you are not really running a business, but pleasing residents,” Metz said. “If you were running a $3 million business, you’d want someone who has been trained.” Vice Mayor Marilyn Maro said she has never seen any residents at the monthly department head meetings, where the city clerk, building official, police chief and public works director give updates to city officials. “At those meetings, every department head goes over what they did for the month and we all evaluate it,” Maro said. “I was very impressed with that, but no one else is ever there.” Perry recommended the city manager issue as one topic of discussion for the CRC, and Cole said it is among his directives for the committee.

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By ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Islander Reporter Bradenton Beach commissioners are reacting to citizen demand. In response to several citizen-initiated referendums that changed the city charter in 2017 and new proposals to amend it in 2018, commissioners motioned April 19 to form a charter review committee. It was unanimously passed. Additionally, the commission unanimously passed a motion to amend the land development code and comprehensive plan to prohibit new multilevel parking garages in the city and also discussed the possibility of hiring a city manager — both Chappie items included in citizen-proposed charter amendments for the November ballot. A charter review is mandated every five years, but can be conducted anytime. The last review was in 2015, but three charter amendments Perry — added to the ballot by the nowdefunct Concerned Neighbors of Bradenton Beach and approved in November 2017 — and four proposed for the November 2018 election, led Mayor John Chappie to suggest forming a CRC now. At the April 19 meeting, city attorney Ricinda Perry said the 2017 amendments hadn’t been published to the city’s Municode site because of conflicts with language in the charter. She said additional policy concerns with the charter need to be addressed and, historically the city has appointed a committee to review the document.

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THE ISLANDER n ApRIL 25, 2018 n 17

Bradenton Beach considers new utility regs for rights of way By ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Islander Reporter Bradenton Beach is hoping to prevent large telecommunications boxes, antennas and other equipment in city rights of way. The city commission and city attorney Ricinda Perry conducted a workshop April 10 to consider an ordinance to regulate equipment that could be installed on utility poles and on the ground in rights of way, according to a 2017 state statute. Commissioner Randy White was absent with excuse. The Advanced Infrastructure Deployment Act of 2017 limits local regulatory rights for small- or micro-telecommunications equipment in the rights of way. Before 2017, there was no legislation and most municipalities relied on cell tower ordinances. A provision of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 requires utilities to provide cable and telecommunications operators with nondiscriminatory access to utility poles, conduit and rights of way. Commissioner Marilyn Maro asked why the equipment can’t be placed on cell towers. Perry said it is more expensive to lease space on a tower than to install equipment on utility poles or in the rights of way. She also said the law is an attempt to “bust up the cell tower monopoly.” It is important that the city put legislation in place to “tame it some,” but there is not much that can counter the law, Perry added. She said the city could regulate interference with traffic control, public safety, U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act, the Florida Department of Transportation, as well as fire and building codes. Perry recommended the commission seek advice elsewhere, as it did in 2013 for the cell tower ordi-

nance. She provided examples of ordinances implemented in Manatee County, St. Augustine and Bonita Springs and said Bonita Springs opted to adopt a stricter ordinance and “deal with lawsuits later.” She suggested an ordinance include aesthetic requirements that could be removed if the city receives pushback from a provider. Mayor John Chappie asked what happens if a company puts in equipment and abandons it five or 10 years later. Perry said a stipulation for abandonment should be included in the ordinance, but enforcing it with multiple carriers could prove challenging. She also said the city must establish ownership for the utility poles in the city. Commissioner Jake Spooner asked if the equipment could interfere with stormwater drainage. Similarly, Chappie suggested the ground-level equipment might interfere with Federal Emergency Management Agency regulations regarding flooding. Commissioner Ralph Cole said if the city continues with plans to relocate utilities underground, future telecommunications equipment could be included. Chappie added that since Anna Maria, Holmes Beach and the town of Longboat Key face the same issue, maybe the cities could work together on formulating an ordinance. Perry said Holmes Beach adopted an ordinance in March, and she would reach out to the three municipal attorneys. The commission directed Perry to do that and continue researching the topic. Additionally, Perry was directed to reach out to the person who wrote the city’s cell tower ordinance to see if they could assist and for what fee.

Boxes such as this Verizon small cell could be added to utility poles in Bradenton Beach rights of way. Islander Courtesy Photo

Restaurant sign controversy tabled in Bradenton Beach

The debate over the possible relocation of the Anna Maria Oyster Bar sign at the Historic Bridge Street Pier was tabled April 19 during the Bradenton Beach City Commission meeting. Restaurant owner John Horne, also a community redevelopment agency member, could not attend the meeting. He sent an email requesting the matter be held until he can take part in the discussion. A motion was unanimously approved for the city to rescind its previous directive to the city attorney to formally notice Horne of a violation and instead wait until he’s available to discuss the matter at a future meeting. The next commission meeting will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 3, at city hall, 107 Gulf Drive N. — ChrisAnn Silver Esformes

Tiki & Kitty’s Adventures in Shopping … Antiques, Art-Tiques and Chic Boutiques!

Let’s go shopping! Tiki and Kitty are busy shopping for great values in their favorite shops, especially the blowout sale at Retro Rosie’s. The days are drawing to a close at Retro Rosie’s! The final day of business will be Saturday, May 19. Select jewelry is now buy-one, get-one and clothing prices start at just $2! Dishes, linen, sewing and other household goods are 20-50 percent off. Hurry,

items are going fast! Swing by today while you still have a chance. All purchases are final. Tide & Moon on the Historic Bridge Street Pier has a great selection of handmade jewelry by silversmith Laura Shely. Also, check out the downtown Bradenton location at 1209 Third Ave. W., where you can learn to make jewelry, too. Be sure to stop often for the changing array of home decor, furnishings, jewelry, shoes and clothing for the entire family at Community Thrift shop on Manatee Avenue in Bradenton. It’s the spot for consignment

Historic East Manatee Antiques District

bargains, including books and collectibles. Kingberry Estate Finds in Palmetto offers home furnishings and decor, emphasizing quality, comfort and style at affordable prices. The estate inventory includes items for inside and outside your home. As an added bonus, you’ll find Annie Sloan Chalk Paint exclusively in Manatee County at Kingberry. And, be sure to check out scavengers Marketplace every third Friday of the month, from 4-7 p.m., come to the Sip & Shop event to help Moonracer No Kill Animal Rescue. Wine, hors d’ oeuvre and savings. How can you lose? Please, be sure to tell our friends in the shops, “The Islander sent me.”

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18 n ApRIL 25, 2018 n THE ISLANDER

AMI chamber asks TDC for bigger share of tourist funds

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resort tax collection numbers that she said demonstrate the island produces a lot of revenue for the TDC and the county. The report, from Manatee County Tax Collector Ken Burton Jr., shows that during 2017 Holmes Beach collected $3.3 million in tourist tax revenue, Anna Maria $2.1 million and Bradenton Beach $1.1 million. Meanwhile, $4.5 million was collected in unincorporated Manatee, $1.3 million from Longboat Key and $79,000 in Palmetto. The county collects a bed tax, 5 percent on rentals of six months or less. The tax is budgeted by the TDC with approval by the county board of commissioners. All of Manatee County collected about $13.5 million, of which $6.5 million came from island accommodations and $6.9 million from short-term rentals on the mainland and on Longboat Key. Lesnick said the chamber receives $45,000 in marketing funds annually from the county, the same amount as in 2002, and the Longboat Key chamber receives the same amount from the county commission as the Anna Maria Island chamber gets. “And we produce, as you can see, quite a bit of resort tax,” she said, referring to the document. “Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate,” TDC chair and County Commissioner Carol Whitmore said, adding that it’s important for Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker and Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, to

meet with Lesnick, and for the chamber to coordinate its calendar for spending marketing dollars with that of the BACVB. “We’re trying to keep up with all of the digital marketing that we need to do,” Lesnick said. Whitmore reminded the panel that local nonprofit organizations receive funds from trolley advertising. The money is passed through the chamber. In other business, the TDC approved member Vernon DeSear, vice president of marketing at Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton, as the next TDC vice chair. He succeeds David Teitelbaum, who recently resigned from the board.

Manatee County 2017 tourist tax collection:

Amount Anna Maria $2,120,309 Bradenton $1,019,434 Bradenton Beach $1,156,721 Holmes Beach $3,309,151 Longboat Key $1,312,375 Manatee County $4,583.458 Palmetto $79,297 Totals $13,580,746 All of AMI Mainland/LBK

Two kayakers paddle under the Anna Maria City Pier April 19. Fencing was installed alongside the pier warning visitors not to trespass after sand placed on the beach from a dredging project made the pier more accessible, public works manager Dean Jones said. He said the city had a couple of incidents of people climbing onto the pier before they installed the fencing. Plank removal is expected to begin May 15. Islander Photo: Bianca Benedí

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By Ed Scott Islander Reporter An organization undergoing change is asking others to be flexible as well. In December, Deb Wing parted ways with the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce after 30 months as president, nearly 10 years on staff. The chamber’s board of directors promoted Wing’s assistant, Terri Kinder, to the top post. For many island businesses, Wing was the face of the chamber and for many years before her, Mary Ann Brockman steered the chamber. Now there is a new chairman of the board as well. She also is a familiar face. On Jan. 1, a month after Wing was handed a termination letter, Bev Lesnick, owner of Island Coffee Haus, succeeded Eric Cairns as board chair. On April 16, Lesnick represented the chamber in making its annual presentation to the Manatee County Tourist Development Council. Lesnick spoke like a head coach with a home field advantage — the meeting was held in the chambers at Holmes Beach City Hall. She used her time to introduce herself to TDC members she had not met. Her demeanor and words balanced humility with confidence as she acknowledged “a few hiccups” in the chamber administration. Lesnick said Kinder will take the chamber “to new heights.” She then asked TDC members to re-evaluate “what we are getting for our marketing here on Anna Maria Island.” “When I took over this position, I really thought it would be like smooth, but usually when I’m involved in something, it’s not that smooth,” she said, smiling. “But I can say that we are on our way and things are looking up.” Then she asked for more money. The TDC is an advisory panel. It makes recommendations to the Manatee County Commission, which makes final decisions on tourist tax expenditures, including marketing. Lesnick gave the panel a document containing

THE ISLANDER n ApRIL 25, 2018 n 19

Bradenton Beach sets terms for improved meeting minutes

By ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Islander Reporter Minutes are an important record of the actions of a board or committee and must be accurately maintained. Bradenton Beach commissioners and the mayor approved a resolution April 5 clarifying procedures — according to Robert’s Rules of Order — for keeping and transcribing city meeting minutes. Additionally, the resolution outlines the process for board members wishing to submit information into the record that might not have been included in the clerk’s version of the minutes. During public comment, planning and zoning board chair Jim Lynch said he appreciates the resolution drafted by city attorney Ricinda Perry. “This resolution is very timely and I want to thank Ricinda Perry for bringing it forward,” Lynch said April 5. Following a recent P&Z hearing, Lynch asked to have a written summary of his reasons for opposing a measure added to the record before approving the minutes, which then go to the commission for consid-

Sea turtle nesting season officially starts May 1

And they’re off! Sea turtle nesting season officially begins May 1 and Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch volunteers are primed to walk a designated 1-mile stretch of beach just after sunrise, looking for signs of nesting activity and, later in the season, signs hatchlings are emerging. When nests are identified, they are staked for protection and monitored for data, which goes to Manatee County — required by the beach renourishment program — and the state to track population and behavior trends. The nesting season runs through Oct. 31. For more information about AMITW, contact Fox at suzilfox@gmail.com or 941-778-5638.

LBK Turtle Watch hosts Fiesta de las Tortugas

Longboat Key Turtle Watch will celebrate the beginning of sea turtle season at the Fiesta de las Tortugas, 5-8 p.m. Friday, May 4, at Cedar’s Tennis Club, Tiki Bar and Pool, 645 Cedars Court, Longboat Key. Tickets for the fundraiser cost $25 and include a Mexican buffet, nonalcoholic drinks and one beer or wine per person and can be purchased online at lbkturtlewatch.org, or at Cedar’s, prior to or at the event. There will be live music, a cash bar and a silent auction with dozens of items up for grabs. The event will be held rain or shine.

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eration. Lynch said his comments should have been included in the minutes but were not. Questions arose following his request as to whether information could be submitted after the hearing. Perry said she’s heard board members are concerned their views are not being included in the record. So, she included a subsection of the resolution to address how information is incorporated in the minutes. She said that according to Robert’s Rules, the minutes are a record of board actions, not words. However, she said she understands “a lot of thought goes into P&Z recommendations, which is not always reflected in the recording of minutes.” The resolution includes an option for a board to request the city hire a court reporter to provide a verbatim transcript of a hearing. Additionally, the resolution stated that a board member could submit printed comments to the clerk to be added to the record. Commissioner Randy White expressed concern that the part of the resolution that states, “the clerk shall not be responsible for maintaining a written record or summary written record of the discussion and comments of the board members,” absolves the clerk of record-keeping responsibilities. Mayor John Chappie replied: It is the clerk’s job to scrutinize the tapes and interpret the actions of the board, not to summarize everything said at a meeting. Perry said a concern with submitted comments is the timeline for the comments would be in relation to the hearing. The P&Z holds quasi-judicial and legislative hearings, though the majority are quasi-judicial, in which the board only hears evidence presented as part of the record, either at the hearing as testimony or as exhibits.

Ruth Stief, Bradenton Beach deputy clerk, takes notes during an April 5 commission meeting at city hall, 107 Gulf Drive N. Islander Photo: ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Lynch said if comments are required by the end of the hearing, a board member might write them in advance, which would violate quasi-judicial procedure. “Timing has to be in a manner that won’t force people to look like they’ve already made a decision,” Lynch said. Perry said she could add language stating that comments for a quasi-judicial hearing must be submitted by the end of the hearing and comments for a legislative hearing must be submitted within 24 hours of the hearing. A motion to approve the resolution with changes passed 4-1, with White voting “nay.”

Marine rescue honored in Bradenton Beach Manatee County Marine Rescue Chief Joe Westerman displays a placard during an April 19 Bradenton Beach Commission meeting showing the unit’s designation as Florida Beach Patrol Chief’s Association 2017 Beach Patrol of the Year. Mayor John Chappie invited Westerman to the meeting to recognize the unit for “the unbelievable job they do protecting our beaches.” Islander Photo: ChrisAnn Silver Esformes

20 n ApRIL 25, 2018 n THE ISLANDER

Across the pond: Ash, Slater exchange vows on AMI beach

Annabel Ash and Ben Slater married April 6 during a ceremony at the Gulf Drive Cafe and Tiki in Bradenton Beach. About 45 people attended, including many from the United Kingdom, where the couple reside in Nottinghamshire. Annabel works as a teacher and Ben also works in education. The groom’s parents, Derron and Denise, reside in Nottinghamshire. The bride’s parents, Sharon and Chris Ash, reside on Flamingo Cay and also live in Newark, Nottinghamshire. Islander Photo: Paul Chi/ Chi Photography

Obituaries

Lucette Gerry

Lucette Gerry, 79, of Anna Maria, died April 12. She was born in 1938 in Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka, Quebec, and was one of 10 children of Marie-Ange Legroulx and Orphe Viau. She met her husband, Kenneth Gerry, in Puerto Rico and they married in Honolulu. They had two sons and were married for 37 year before Gerry Mr. Gerry died in 1997. Mrs. Gerry worked at the phone company for years. She moved to Anna Maria Island in 1974 and became a U.S. citizen in 1977. She was an accomplished businesswoman and owner of the White Sands Beach Resort and Tropical Breeze Beach Club for more than 30 years, all while raising two kids and volunteering at Anna Maria Elementary School. Upon retirement, she finally had time to do her true calling and began volunteering with local churches. She helped at St. Bernard Catholic Church, did street and prison ministry with Christian Retreat, was part of the Sacred Heart Charismatic and a prayer group, helped to teach English to migrant workers and people new to our country with Sister Nora at Project Light in Bradenton, along with may other groups. Memorial donations may be made to roskampinstitute.org, a nonprofit that does treatment and research for dementia. She is survived by her sons Ken and wife Kathy and Jeff and wife Joy; grandsons Kristopher and Kevin; sisters Pierrette Viau, Yvette Viau and Claudette Viau; and many nieces and nephews.

Valerie Jean Matice

Valerie Jean Matice died April 12 in Bradenton. She was born in St. Johns, Michigan, Feb. 14, 1949, to Lad and Jean Bartholomew. She was a mother, Cub Scout leader, soccer coach, mentor, wise old soul, straight shooter and a friend. She was a strong independent woman who lived life by her rules. One of her greatest passions was being an advocate, having dedicated time in the women’s rights movement in the 1970s and working on elderly issues in Manatee County in the 2010s. For close to 40 years she was someone who provided support, advice and shelter to people in their time of need on Anna Maria Island, where she lived for many years. Her greatest loves were her children, grandchildren and the island. The family will hold a celebration of life this summer. In her honor, her wish was for people to slow down, get on “island time” and appreciate time with family and friends. Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society. She is survived by her son Joshua’s children Canaan and Quentin; son Zachary and wife Jennie Makanoff and their children Noah and Ashlee; daughter Betsy Oliver McMullin and husband Kenneth and their daughter Jenna; son Robert and wife Alyson Robbins and their children Elle, Jaye and Wesley; and brother Kenneth Bartholomew.

A Manatee County trolley travels south on Gulf Drive near 75th Street in Holmes Beach during an April 10 downpour on Anna Maria Island. Islander Photo: Kathy Prucnell

At your service

Obituaries are provided as a community service in The Islander newspaper to residents and family of residents, both past and present, as well as to those people with ties to Anna Maria Island. Information may be submitted to news@ islander.org.

1973. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and former co-owner of Bortell’s Lounge in Anna Maria. A celebration of Life will be 4-7 p.m., Saturday, May 5, at Bortell’s Lounge, 10002 Gulf Drive, Anna Alan A. ‘Al Tate’ Palella Maria. Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory Alan A. “Al Tate” Palella, 79, of Anna Maria, died 43rd Street Chapel is in charge of the arrangements. Condolences may be made to brownandsonsfuneral. April 15. He was born in Loraine, Ohio, and moved to com. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Marie. Tampa as a child. He moved to Anna Maria Island in

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THE ISLANDER n April 25, 2018 n 21

HB code enforcement makes some noise at outdoor forum

By Terry O’Connor Islander Reporter The singers were off-tune but the message was on target. Author-composer Eliphalet Oram Lyte likely would have covered his ears if he heard the rendition of his famous tune, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” at

the April 19 Holmes Beach outdoor forum. And that was the point. A piercing siren, dogs barking and a brief albeit painful performance of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” were examples of noise at a public forum hosted by the code enforcement department at city field. Code enforcement officer JT Thomas and Nate Brown coordinated the sparsely attended event, but the small gathering of mostly city staff, officials and forum participants didn’t hold them back. “Noise starts out as sound,” Brown said. Code enforcement officials use a decibel meter to measure the volume of ambient sound and the source of any noise complaint, such as a yapping pooch, a drunken poolside serenade or loud music. “If the ambient sound is greater than the noise source, it’s usually not a violation,” Brown said. Thomas kept the crowd entertained with quips as he introduced participants, including beekeepers from Pure Florida Apiary of Bradenton, executive director Jennifer Hoffman of Keep Manatee Beautiful, spokesman Bob Baublitz of Waste Pro, Manatee County Code enforcement officer JT Thomas, left, commercial front-end driver Tommy Freeman and Waste Pro Neighborhood Services, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, Bins Be Clean of spokesman Bob Baublitz show off a new propanefueled collection vehicle now serving Holmes Beach Holmes Beach and Sea Turtle Lighting, a Bradentonbased business. at the April 19 public forum at city field.

Island noise is a source of irritation between residents and vacationers, said Police Chief Bill Tokajer, who initiated a program in March to defuse some tensions with educational outreach. “We have had minimal calls after people have been made aware they are in a residential neighborhood,” Tokajer said. Thomas said officers use their judgment in addition to noise meters to determine whether to cite a disturbance. He, too, said contact with city officials tends to have a quieting effect on noise disputes. “Normally, once we visit, it’s over,” Thomas said. The forum ended quietly after about an hour, including free ice cream for all.

Accused murderer in ‘vegetative state,’ released from custody

By Kathy Prucnell Islander Reporter A judge declared a Bradenton man awaiting trial on murder charges in the August 2017 double homicide at a Longboat Key resort incompetent to stand trial. Twelfth Circuit Judge Brian Iten ordered Darryl Hanna Jr., now 30, to a one-year community release April 4, finding him in a “persistent vegetative state.” Hanna’s mother, Patricia Hanna, was named her son’s guardian in January because he’d become incapacitated due to stroke and traumatic brain injury, Hanna’s attorneys stated in a court paper. Hanna was arrested by the Longboat Key Police Department for second-degree murder and robbery Aug. 10, 2017, after being caught on tape in the lobby of the Zota Resort, 4711 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Timothy Hurley, 59, of Sarasota, and security guard Kevin Carter, 51, of Bradenton, died in the attack. Hurley was a night manager and Carter a security guard at the hotel. Hanna was in custody at the Manatee County jail less than a month when he began fainting in his cell, according to court and jail records. In the judge’s conditional release order, he rejected a defense request for treatment at a state facility due to a “substantial probability” Hanna won’t regain competency. The judge ordered supervision through the county’s pretrial release program and required Hanna remain at Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton “until discharge is appropriate.” The judge tasked Hanna’s attorney to file monthly affirmations as to his incapacity and notify the court if Hanna’s condition “materially improves.” In the order, the judge listed four reports from three physicians, including doctors who had opined in Hanna’s guardianship proceedings, supporting his decision.

Also, in court documents, the defense attorneys criticized Hanna’s care while in the jail, saying MCSO and its contracted health care provider, Armor Correctional Health Services, “failed mightily” after Hanna passed out twice, Aug. 23, 2017, and Sept. 8, 2017. A deputy at the jail found Hanna on the floor at 5:28 a.m. Sept. 9, 2017, and he was transported to a hospital an hour later. After Hanna’s arrest, Chief Pete Cumming announced he hoped to bring the perpetrator to justice. “The case is what it is,” he said April 13, agreeing with the judge’s decision not to require the sheriff to continue providing Hanna with 24/7 custody, housing and medical care.

Code enforcement officer JT Thomas, left, Holmes Beach Commissioner Carol Soustek, Rather Welch of Bins Be Clean Trash Bin Cleaning Service of Holmes Beach and Commission Chair Judy Titsworth sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” April 19 during an outdoor forum at city field. Islander Photos: Terry O’Connor

AMI Privateers cleanup for Earth Day

The Anna Maria Island Privateers are ready for work April 21, reporting to their port in Holmes Beach to take part in the Keep Manatee Beautiful Great American Cleanup. They performed a roadside cleanup on their adopt-a-highway section — Gulf Drive at Marina to the Palm-Marina Drive intersection. Taking part are, left to right, Kathy “Giggles” Pastorius, Roque Pastorius, Gina Wade, “Guy Kim” Peltier, Terry “Cookie” Rapert, Tiffany “Just Tiffany” Stripling, Mia Tai, Jennifer Price, Robert, three “Privateer wannabes” and Susan “Shoo Shoo” Shoe. Not pictured Kim “Syren” Boyd. Islander Photo: Courtesy AMIP

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Cops & Court By Kathy Prucnell, Islander Reporter

Arrest made in Jessie’s store battery case

A homeless man was arrested by Holmes Beach police for punching a female store clerk after she identified him by a tattoo on his neck. Jason Bounds was arrested April 17 for battery and resisting a merchant after Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach police officers connected him to the incident. The charges stem from 8:45 p.m. March 22, when Bounds allegedly entered Jessie’s Island Store, 5424 Marina Drive, and concealed a beer, Bounds a pint of milk and 10 cheese and beef sticks in his jacket. The store clerk confronted the man and he returned the items. The clerk told him to leave or she would call police and when he didn’t immediately leave, she reached for the phone. That’s when Bounds allegedly punched the clerk in the head and stomach.

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EMS responded and treated the clerk. Bounds could not be found by Manatee County Sheriff’s deputies and K-9s that night. Holmes Beach Detective Sgt. Brian Hall said a “good clear video,” a cellphone found near the store after the incident and Bounds’ April 14 arrest in Bradenton Beach led to solving the case. At press time, Bounds was in custody at the Manatee County jail, assigned a $3,000 bond. He was arrested for the incident while in the jail, having been arrested three days earlier on battery and obstruction charges for striking a groundskeeper in Bradenton Beach. For the Bradenton Beach incident, he was assigned a $1,000 bond. His arraignments are set for 8:30 a.m. Thursday, May 17, and 9 a.m. Friday, May 18, at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton. Note: A video of the incident can be viewed online at islander.org.

By Kathy Prucnell

Island police blotter

Anna Maria No reports. Anna Maria is policed by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Bradenton Beach April 9, 500 block of Gulf Drive South, domestic battery/strangulation. An argument between a couple led a 28-year-old man to allegedly choke a woman. In response, the woman picked up a screwdriver and the man let her go. The man then allegedly struck the woman with a frozen beer mug. April 14, 1603 Gulf Drive North, battery/obstruction. A man listing a West Virginia address was arrested after allegedly striking a condo groundskeeper who was closing a swimming pool for the night. The groundskeeper asked the man whether he was staying at the property and the man struck him and fled on a bicycle. Bradenton Beach police found the man in the 2000 block of Gulf Drive North, took him into custody and he was transported to the Manatee County jail. Bradenton Beach is policed by BBPD.

Cortez No reports. Cortez is policed by MCSO. Holmes Beach April 11, 7100 block of Palm Drive, marijuana. Holmes Beach police found a 762-capacity automatic rifle magazine and two knives in a vehicle search after noticing a billy club in the backseat. An officer had stopped the car for dark window tint and a taillight out and noticed the odor of burnt marijuana. A passenger told police they were cleaning houses. The 26-year-old driver was issued a notice to appear for possessing a gram of marijuana and a pipe and cited for a suspended license. The marijuana, paraphernalia, ammunition and weapons were confiscated. April 11, 6300 block of Flotilla Drive, stalking. A woman reported a man she previously dated left her a gift on her doorstep after she told him not to contact her. Police left messages for the man, asking him not to contact the woman and to retrieve his package. April 13, Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, theft. A tag was stolen from a car in the parking lot.

Repeat DUI offender gets probation

A Bradenton woman was found guilty on misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence, refusing to submit to drug or alcohol testing and resisting law enforcement. Lorie Hagele, 55, pleaded no contest March 20 in 12th Circuit Court and Judge Doug Henderson sentenced her to 12 months probation, including a DUI program, a victim-impact panel and 75 hours of public service. Her probation was modified April 5 to allow a $750 payment in lieu of public service. Hagele was arrested in November 2017 after she pulled her vehicle next to a Holmes Beach police squad, told an officer she’d drank too much and that she had been the victim of an identity theft. The report stated Hagele refused officers’ instructions to exit her vehicle and declined to perform fieldsobriety and breath tests. In 2007, she had similarly refused to submit to testing. Hagele paid $3,055 in court costs and fines, according to the court website.

State declines Christmas altercation charge

The 12th Circuit State Attorney declined charging a Bradenton man in a case involving an argument at a family’s Christmas Day gathering in the 100 block of 51st Street in Holmes Beach. HBPD arrested Michael Grayson Dec. 25, 2017, and suggested a domestic battery strangulation charge after witnesses told police he grabbed and squeezed the neck of a family member and threw the person into a screen. In a Feb. 8 interoffice memo, Assistant State Attorney Daniel Ley reported the victim did not want to testify and, without the testimony, the state couldn’t prove the crime. HBPD reported the tag the law enforcement database. April 14, 100 block of 49th Street, drugs. Cocaine was found when police searched a 53-year-old man arrested for driving on a suspended license. Police observed the man’s vehicle run through three stop signs before pulling him over. As an officer was making the stop, the driver jumped out of the vehicle and stated, “You got me.” The man was charged with possessing cocaine, running a stop sign, driving with a suspended license, attaching a tag not assigned, and no vehicle registration or insurance. He was transported to Manatee County jail. April 14, 200 block of 67th Street, property found. A South Carolina man called police to report that he found BB guns in a trash can. The property owner told PLEASE SEE sTREETlIFE, NEXT PAGE

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Travel, reporting restrictions lifted in alleged abuse case

Court-imposed travel and reporting restrictions were lifted April 18 for a former Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce president accused of child abuse. Deborah Wing was arrested two weeks earlier by Holmes Beach police for allegedly slapping a family member. At a pretrial hearing, Wing’s attorney, Brett McIn-

sTREETlIFE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 police she wanted the guns that were in her trash and an officer arranged for a pickup. April 14, 4600 block of Gulf Drive, disturbance. Road rage was reported by a Bradenton woman driving west on Manatee Avenue. She reported a woman driver in a silver Toyota cut her off and followed her vehicle. A male then exited the Toyota and confronted her, yelling obscenities and “to get back to her side of town.” April 14, Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, criminal mischief. A Riverview man left his vehicle in the parking lot, went to the beach and returned at 5:30 p.m. to find a slashed tire. The man told police he had previously argued with an unknown person about the parking spot. April 14, 5900 block of Flotilla Drive, suspicious incident. A 37-year-old man reported an unknown person in a white SUV tried to run him over in his driveway and an hour later called police to report the person was at a restaurant on Cortez Road West. MCSO advised HBPD that everything was fine at the restaurant. The complainant told police it was not safe for him at home and he left the area. April 14, Citgo, 3015 Gulf Drive, skimmers. The business owner reported credit card skimming devices on two gas pumps. Holmes Beach police found no locks and no signs of tampering on the pumps. Holmes Beach is policed by HBPD. Streetlife is based on incident reports and narratives from the BBPD, HBPD and MCSO.

tosh, told 12th Circuit Judge Edward Nicholas the matter was “essentially a family dispute” and Wing — with travel plans that include the family member in May — is not a flight risk. After hearing from the family member, the judge removed the supervision but said a “no non-consensual contact” order would remain in place between Wing and the family member. Wing had been released from the Manatee County jail April 5 on a $500 bond and court supervision with standard pretrial conditions, such as weekly reporting and travel prohibitions outside Manatee and its contiguous counties. “I think bond is more appropriate for this case,” Nicholas said. After the hearing, McIntosh told The Islander the Manatee County Child Protection Investigations Division closed its case on the incident and he expected the state attorney’s office to drop the case as well. The Holmes Beach police arrest was “100 percent improper,” McIntosh added. He said parents can dis-

cipline their children with slapping. Officers responded to a call from Wing at the Harrington House Bed and Breakfast Inn, 5626 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, where Wing resides with her boyfriend and her family member. The police reported Wing told them the subject had run away from their home. The missing person was found by a witness to the incident and returned while police were at the residence. There, the witness and the victim told the officers Wing had repeatedly slapped the family member and had to be restrained from further hitting the subject, according to police reports. Wing served as president of the island chamber 2015-17. Island watch: To report information on island crime, call the MCSO Anna Maria substation, 941708-8899; Bradenton Beach police, 941-778-6311; or Holmes Beach police, 941-708-5804.

WMFR renews 3-year contract with fire chief

West Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Tom Sousa isn’t going anywhere. WMFR board members voted unanimously April 17 to renew a contract with Sousa for another three years. The contract includes an increase to the chief’s base salary to $112,000 from $106,500, as well as an additional two weeks of vacation, for a total of five weeks. Commissioner Al Robinson asked Sousa how he came up with the numbers for his salary and vacation increase. Sousa said he compared his salary with those of the fire chiefs in the area, as well as took an assessment of his workload. “If you’re happy, I’m happy,” Robinson said. Commissioner George Harris said he appreciates

Sousa’s willingness to stay with WMFR. Commissioner David Bishop said the terms were “more than fair.” Sousa’s original contract for chief was signed in April 2015, when he took over from retired Chief Andy Price. Sousa said in a phone call April 20 that he is “very excited for the next three years.” He said he will complete work on the strategic plan, then develop a vision for WMFR for the next 10 to 15 years. He said he wants to finish implementing advanced life support throughout the district, as ALS currently is only available from Station 3 in Holmes Beach. — Bianca Benedí

24 n ApRIL 25, 2018 n THE ISLANDER

Turtle watch spreads awareness through education, outreach

By ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Islander Reporter Community connections and educational outreach are key to the success of any nonprofit. Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoringâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conservation efforts have many times caught the attention of people willing to donate time and money to help save sea turtles. AMITW executive director Suzi Fox said April 16 that she recently was contacted by Steve Rose, owner of Bortellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lounge, 10002 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, with an offer to provide funding for outreach. With Roseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assistance, AMITW purchased a $4,000 â&#x20AC;&#x153;travel trunkâ&#x20AC;? filled with curriculum materials to teach students about sea-turtle friendly lighting. Additionally, Roseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contribution will fund satellite tags this summer for two sea turtles. According to Fox, Rose, who could not be reached for comment, said he had been watching AMITW and he thinks the group â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;is working hard to make a difference in protecting our marine ecology.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

The educational materials were created by Inwater Research Group Inc. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a marine conservation organization in Jensen Beach â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and are compiled in a large trunk that contains four lessons. The theme of the AMITW trunk is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Darker Skies, Darker Beaches,â&#x20AC;? and it includes materials incorporating a variety of subjects to teach third- through eighth-graders about the importance of keeping the beach dark during sea turtle nesting season, May 1-Oct. 31. Fox plans to circulate the trunk and its lessons among schools in Manatee County. According to Inwater Research Group education manager Rebecca Mott, who helped design the curriculum, by the end of the 2017-18 school year there will be 16 trunks in 13 school districts, reaching about 26,000 students. AMITWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trunk will represent the 14th school district to incorporate the curriculum and its eighth partner statewide. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we started this program in our county in 2016, we booked out all four trunks in a few weeks,â&#x20AC;? Mott said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The teachers and students love it because its hands-on learning that uses math, science, English â&#x20AC;&#x201D; we include everything.â&#x20AC;? She said organizations like AMITW that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a full-time educator onboard can benefit from this program. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It really is a win-win for everyone,â&#x20AC;? Fox said. Additionally, Roseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funding will support satellite tracking tags for two sea turtles that will represent Anna Maria Island and Bortellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the 2018 Sea Turtle Conservancy Tour de Turtles marathon, which will begin later this summer. The satellite tags cost $5,000 each. Last year, AMITW participated in the race with a tagged loggerhead, named Eliza Ann after the restaurant at sponsor Waterline Resort and Marina, in Holmes Beach. Sea Turtle Conservancy representatives placed a tracking device on the sea turtle June 19, 2017, after it nested at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach, then released the turtle to the Gulf of Mexico early June 20. Following nesting and placement of a satellite track- That tracker showed the path taken by the sea turtle ing device atop its carapace, the more than 300as she nested twice more during three months of her pound loggerhead Eliza Ann crawls June 20, 2017, migratory journey. back to the Gulf of Mexico. Islander File Photo: This was the first confirmation of multiple nesting ChrisAnn Silver Esformes

Fifth-graders at Jensen Elementary School in Jensen Beach work on projects provided in a trunk by Inwater Research Group, also of Jensen Beach. The organization created a curriculum that brings sea turtle awareness to classrooms. Islander Photo: Courtesy Inwater Research Group by a mature female loggerhead on the island. As part of the tour, 20 sea turtles were tagged and released from beaches in Costa Rica, Panama, Nevis and Florida. The turtles then competed in a â&#x20AC;&#x153;marathon,â&#x20AC;? a competition for which turtle swims the most miles during the three-month â&#x20AC;&#x153;race.â&#x20AC;? Following the race, researchers use the data generated by the turtles to learn more about migration patterns and behavior. However, the race serves the double purpose of generating public awareness. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The data generated by the Tour de Turtles and Eliza Ann is invaluable,â&#x20AC;? Fox said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And, it draws lots of community attention to the turtles.â&#x20AC;? Fox said the success of AMITW lies in educating the public. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about inter-connectedness,â&#x20AC;? Fox said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Programs like the trunk and the turtle tags draw people in so we can educate them, in a fun way, about best practices for sea turtles on our beaches.â&#x20AC;? For more information on nesting season, contact Fox at suzifox@gmail.com or 941-778-5638.

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THE ISLANDER n ApRIL 25, 2018 n 25

A hawk takes flight. Some hawks migrate and those that do need to migrate at the same time as their prey. A new study looks at the impact of climate change on biological timing and the “mismatch” between some species — predator and prey, plant and pollinator. Islander Photo: Lisa Neff

By Lisa Neff

The science says …

As snow fell again on the Midwest April 19, pleas went out from wildlife rescue groups to place seed, fruits and nuts in feeders. Birds had gone north on their spring migration and were starving. In my hometown in Illinois, friends who don’t know the difference between a crow and a blackbird were crushing cranberries and sunflower seeds in Neff Vitamix blenders to make bird breakfasts. The weather is topsy-turvy. Spring-like today. Wintery yesterday. Summer-ish tomorrow. It isn’t unprecedented, but it’s strange. Strange reports send me to the science journals. A study released April 23 from the University of Exeter in South West England looked closely at how climate change impacts feeding in nature. The researchers examined the spring emergence of oak leaves and caterpillars and the timing of nesting by three bird species. They reported that increasingly warmer springs create a “mismatch” — when hungry chicks hatch too late to feast on abundant caterpillars. Another study, released April 16 from the University of Ottawa, looked at shifts in the timing of life cycle events of interacting species — predator versus prey and plant versus pollinator. Ottawa professor Heather Kharouba said climate change is creating mismatches in nature, situations where species could face endangerment because they can’t find food. What other discoveries do recent science journals contain? More about the birds: At the University of Minnesota, researchers attached geolocators to 106 common

terns from breeding colonies in Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin and New York. When the birds returned to their breeding colonies, the researchers retrieved data. The results show important migratory staging areas in the inland U.S. and along the Gulf of Mexico — a surprise, because it was previously thought most common terns headed for the Atlantic coast before continuing south. Most of the birds ended up on the coast of Peru, which is vulnerable to multiple effects of climate change, including increasingly frequent and severe storms, changes in the availability of the terns’ preferred foods and rising sea levels. About the trees: Researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark surveyed 21 species of trees and reported a “yet unknown cycle of subtle canopy movement during the night.” The “sleep cycles” differed from one species to another. In another study, scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service estimated that between 2009 and 2014, tree cover in communities declined by 0.7 percent, which translates to losing 36 million trees or about 175,000 acres of tree cover annually. Tree cover declined in 45 states, but 23 states suffered statistically significant decreases. States with the greatest annual net loss in tree cover were Georgia at No. 1, Florida at No. 2 and Alabama at No. 3.

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KRC hands out titles, Beach Bums takes title at center court By Kevin P. Cassidy Islander Reporter The menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senior handicap match-play golf tournament was played over the course of four weeks at the Key Royale Club with the final match April 4. Eighteen players were whittled down to Jim Auch and Jere Rice going mano a mano. Auch prevailed, defeating Rice three and one to earn the crown of Key Royale Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senior champ. Another special tourney, the annual Key Royale Club menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s President Cup, took place with 44 players March 28. Chet Hutton earned first-place Cassidy honors with a 7-under-par 25, one stroke better than second-place finisher Mike Gillie. Auch and Gary Silke finished in a tie for third place with matching 5-under-par 27s. Barry Izzard won the closest-to-the-pin competition on the eighth hole, putting it at 10 feet, 3 inches of the hole. Silke won longest drive from the gold tees, while Terry Tarras won the long drive from the blue tees. Competitors celebrated in the clubhouse with beverages, pizza and chicken wings. The women got out on the course April 17 for a nine-hole individual low-net match in four flights. Judy Christensen fired a 3-under-par 29 to roll to a three-shot victory in Flight A. Jean Holmes was alone in second at even-par 32, while Pam Lowry took third with a 2-over-par 34. Sue Christenson captured Flight B with a 2-underpar 30, two strokes ahead of second-place finisher Connie Livanos. Flight C was ruled by Beth Lindeman, who carded a 3-under-par 29. Jana Samuels took second place with an even-par 32, while Roxanne Koch was two shots back in third. Markie Ksiazek survived a card off with Sally York to break a tie for first place after both players shot a 3-over-par 35. The men were returned April 18 for their annual Spring Stag Day with 56 players participating in the golf and lunch that followed. Andy Barber, Chet Hutton and Bob Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien all carded 3-under-par 29s to share the best low-net scores, while Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien and Larry Pippel tied for the best low-gross score. Hutton, Buddy Foy, Scott Mitchell and Pippel combined on a 1-under-par 127 to finish in a tie with Jim Auch, Gerry Elson, Dale Hudson and Dave Kruger for the best team low-net score. Silke won the long drive from the gold tees, while Tarras won from the blues. Greg Shorten had the closest to the pin on the third hole, while Pippel won it on the eighth hole. Art Hibbs had the longest first putt to

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Jim Auch, Gary Silke, Chet Hutton and Mike Gille pose after completion of the annual Key Royale Club Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Presidents Cup tournament March 28. Hutton won the event with a 7-under-par 25, with Gillie taking second and Silke and Auch tying for third place. round out the stag day winners. Youth basketball season ends Beach Bums defeated Slimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place 46-43 in the April 17 championship game of the youth basketball league at the Center of Anna Maria Island. Brock Soletti poured in 22 points to lead Beach Bums, which also received 7 points from Connor Ludwig and 6 points from Matt Spiedel. Evan Christenson and Jeremiah Sculco completed the scoring for Beach Bums in the victory with 4 points each. Tyler Brewer scored 12 points and David Daigle added 10 points to lead a balanced Slimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place offense, which also received 8 points from Bryce Higgins. Tuna McCracken added 6 points and Travis Bates finished with 2 points in the loss. Blue Lagoon edged Bins Be Clean 16-11 in the third-place game behind a game-high 7 points from Ben Barreda. Jackson Hayes chipped in 4 points and Ken Nieding finished with 3 points in the victory. Anthony Nguyen led Bins Be Clean with 5 points, while Sean Kelly and Jiles Kirkland finished with 4 and 2 points respectively.

Horseshoe news April 18 horseshoe action at the Anna Maria City Hall horseshoe pits produced three teams that advanced to the knockout stage. Walker Bob Rowley drew the bye into the finals and watched as Bob Lee and Ron Slaugh outlasted Myles Macleod and Adin Shank 21-18. Lee and Slaugh cruised to a 23-10 victory over Rowley to earn the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bragging rights. Hank Huyghe walked his way to the winnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s circle during April 21 action after earning the lone 3-0 record during pool play. Play gets underway at 9 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. Warmups Adult soccer completes third week begin at 8:45 a.m. followed by random team selecAfter three weeks of adult soccer action at the tion. center, only one team has an unblemished record. There is no charge to play and everyone is welLegler & Flynn Law is atop the standings with a perfect come. 3-0 record as Sato Real Estate and Lancaster Design follow closely behind with matching 2-1 records. Moss Builders holds down fourth place with a 1-1-1 record, while fifth and sixth place are occupied by Acqua Aveda and Ross Built with 1-2 records. Slimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place Red tide detected in Manatee is alone in seventh place with an 0-2-1 mark, while Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was Mar/Kis Insurance is holding down eighth place on detected in a sample collected from Manatee County an 0-2-1 record. the week ending April 20. Red tide also was detected The April 19 â&#x20AC;&#x153;actionâ&#x20AC;? got started with Moss Build- elsewhere in the region. For more, go to myfwc.com/redtidestatus.

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ers getting a win for just showing up. Opponent Acqua Aveda didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have enough players to field a team, giving Moss the forfeit victory. Lancaster Design showed why theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a contender in the second match, earning a 6-2 victory over Slimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place behind two goals each from Danny Anderson and Greg DeMeuse. Sumiko Chipman added a goal and an assist and Michael Lewis scored a goal to round out the offense. Goalie Trey Horne helped hold the lead with seven saves in the victory. Andre Lewis and Rico Beissert led Slimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s with a goal each and Will Case made six saves in the loss. Ross Built rolled to a 5-2 victory over Mar/Kis Insurance in the third match of the night behind a pair of goals from Omar Polar and a goal and an assist from Chris Culhane. An own goal and a single tally from Monica Simpson rounded out the score for Ross, which also received five saves from Rob Marshall. Kris Yavalar and Tony Morales scored a goal each to lead Mar/Kis Insurance, which also received five saves from Mario Prino in the loss. The final game of the evening saw first place Legler & Flynn Law roll to a 6-1 victory over Sato Real Estate behind two goals each from Sean Flynn and Amy Ivin. Jeremais Gramajo and Shay Coleman each added a goal, while Chris Le Clainche and Blair Schlossberg both notched assists in the win. Damir Glavan scored the lone goal in the loss for Sato Real Estate on an assist from Eliza Faillace.

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LOW

April 25 April26 April27 April28 April29 April30 May1 May2

10:41a 11:01a 11:20a 11:39a 12:40a 1:26a 2:11a 2:56a

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9:46p 10:54p 11:51p â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 11:58a 12:19p 12:42p 1:08p

1.9 1.9 1.8 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5

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AM City Pier tides; Cortez high tides 7 minutes later â&#x20AC;&#x201D; lows 1:06 later

Moon

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THE ISLANDER n ApRIL 25, 2018 n 27

As local weather improves, so does the fishing forecast By Capt. Danny Stasny Islander Reporter With some of the best weather of the year upon us, Anna Maria Island fishing is following suit. The inshore bite is excellent. That is, of course, if you’re lucky enough to be in the right spot, on the right tide, on the right day. The waters of the Intracoastal Waterway heading south from Tampa Bay into Sarasota Bay are clear and in the mid-70s, which is the perfect recipe for a great day of flats fishing. With only a couple of weeks left Stasny of snook season, anglers are coming out of the woodwork — especially on the weekends — with hopes of getting their chance at a keeper linesider. Of course, there are plenty of 20-26 inchers out there to keep you busy until the big one hits. The slot size on snook is 28-33 inches. To get in on the action, look for mangrove shorelines, oyster bars, good tidal flow and clean water. Spotted seatrout are hot now. Deeper grass flats around the passes are holding big spawning trout. Hopefully you let those go. We need them to lay their eggs so we have more to catch. Plus, there are plenty of slot-size trout around if you really want to eat one. As for the redfish, I’m seeing some — but not many — which is a little alarming. Hopefully, things will change and they’ll start making a real showing on the flats. On my Southernaire Fishing Charters, I’m concentrating on snook and trout fishing. The bite is really good, so why not? Free-lined shiners are the perfect fish attractant and are producing plenty of action. Last week I saw trout up to 24 inches on the end of the line. Most trout catches were slot, although plenty were exceeding 20 inches. As for the snook fishing, most of the action for my clients has been on those 20-26 inch fish. Catching 20 snook in a morning session is almost routine. As for slot snook, we’ve had a few here and there. On a side note, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently announced a 40-day recreational red snapper season in the Gulf waters — an increase from the originally proposed 24-day season. If approved, season would open June 11 and close July 21. To learn more about snapper, visit myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/snappers/ and don’t forget to sign up for the Gulf Reef Fish Survey at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com if you plan to target snapper or other reef fish from a private vessel. Capt. Warren Girle is working the flats of Sarasota Bay for spotted seatrout. Fishing over deep grass flats in depths of 4-6 feet is working well for Girle. Free-

artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. Due west of Anna Maria Island in depths of 20-45 feet, Lowman is putting his anglers on mangrove snapper. Live shiners dropped to the bottom around the reefs are attracting mangrove snapper 12-18 inches. Also around the reefs are kingfish, Spanish mackerel and blacktip sharks, which add variety to the bite. Moving inshore, snook and spotted seatrout are the targeted species. Both are taking a free-lined live shiner. Capt. Jason Stock is running charters offshore for a variety of species. Kingfish are accommodating Stock while fishing around offshore reefs and wrecks. Live free-lined shiners or cigar minnows on a light wire are getting the job done. Kings in the 20-pound range are average catches for his clients. Permit are being found offshore. Casting live silver dollar-sized crabs to these “floating garbage can lids” is resulting in fish exceeding 25 pounds. Moving inshore, Stock is concentrating on snook and spotted seatrout. Capt. David White of Anna Maria Charters is fishing offshore now that the winds have finally subsided. In depths around 100 feet, red grouper are cooperating eagerly, taking frozen sardines on a weighted rig as they near the bottom. Other species offshore include amberjack and African pompano. Susan Davis of Arygle, New York, shows off her firstMoving inshore, White is clients on big snook and ever snook, a keeper caught while on a charter with numerous spotted seatrout. For both species, fishing Capt. Andrew Davis of Reel Cortez Charters. Capt. around the passes is producing good action on White’s Davis said Susan was “super stoked” to also catch boat. and release some gags and mangrove snapper. Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org. lined live shiners are resulting in many slot-size trout 15-20 inches for his clients. Larger fish exceeding 20 inches are mixed in, although not as frequent as the slot fish. Snook fishing in Sarasota Bay is keeping rods bent for Girle’s clients. Moving to slightly shallower grass flats in 2-3 feet of water is resulting in snook 20-30 inches. Mangrove edges and oyster bars are key parts of the equation when hunting these snook. Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier is seeing the arrival of snook at Anna Maria Island’s northernmost pier. The time is near to start seeing the big spawning females cruising the shadow lines at night as they take up residence under the pier. They should start to feed as they prepare to move out to the beaches to spawn. Other species being caught at the R&R include black drum, flounder and redfish, all being caught on live shrimp. To round out the bite, Spanish mackerel and pom- Kelli Schwarz of Pennsylvania shows off one of pano are making guest appearances at the pier for fish- many snook she caught while fishing April 14 with Capt. Danny Stasny of Southernaire Fishing Charers casting small white or pink jigs. Capt. Aaron Lowman is working the nearshore ters. Southernaire Fishing Charters

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28 n ApRIL 25, 2018 n THE ISLANDER

Great American Cleanup sweeps through Anna Maria Island

By Terry O’Connor Islander Reporter More than 140 volunteers bolstered Manatee County efforts April 21 during the 20th anniversary of Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup. Billed as the nation’s largest community improvement program, the cleanup was led by executive director Jennifer Hoffman, hired in October 2017 to lead KMB, a local affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. Hoffman coordinates the Manatee County-based nonprofit’s litter cleanup, beautification, tree planting and recycling projects. KMB vice chair Trevor Longworth and volunteer Jim LoPiccolo stretched a cleanup banner between two trees at the Kingfish Boat Ramp, 752 Manatee Ave., Holmes Beach, before volunteers arrived. “This is the dirtiest I’ve ever seen this boat ramp,” Longworth said. Longworth said volunteers likely would pick up more than the 160 pounds collected a year ago. The

most common debris includes cigarette butts, plastic cups, paper, soda cans and even discarded furniture. LoPiccolo said the actual tonnage collected by the volunteers with the help of Waste Pro driver Troy Wain could be reduced because education efforts have been having a positive effect. Bryanna Sparks of Girl Scout Troop 900 said the education she’s received in science class sometimes involves gruesome deaths in the animal kingdom. “We’re learning how trash affects animals,” she said. Troop leader Jennifer Sparks said participating in the trash cleanup upholds a prime Girl Scout mandate. “We must go out in the community and work to make the world a better place,” Sparks said. The annual Great American Cleanup employs more than 5 million volunteers nationwide on average every year to renew parks, trails and recreation areas, clean shorelines and waterways, remove litter

and debris, reduce waste and improve recycling, and plant trees, flowers and community gardens. The next Keep Manatee Beautiful events on Anna Maria Island include four tree plantings for National Arbor Day. The Holmes Beach Parks and Beautification Committee will plant one Jamaican dogwood donated by KMB at Spring Lake Park, 6807 Holmes Blvd., at 8 a.m. Friday, April 27. Forty-five minutes later, Anna Maria will plant three buttonwoods donated by Modern Woodmen of America at 311 South Bay Blvd. Bradenton Beach will cap the tree celebrations at 9:30 a.m. by planting three desert cassias donated by KMB at Herb Dolan Park in the 2500 block of Avenue A, followed by a planting at Coquina Beach. All island cities have qualified as Tree City USA cities, which requires adopting a tree-care ordinance, installing a legal tree-governing body, an urban forestry program and an Arbor Day observance. For more information, call 941-795-8272.

AME kinder kids celebrate Earth Day, clean up campus

Kindergartners in Kelly Crawford’s class hold up their gloves and reused grocery bags as they prepare to collect trash April 20 to recognize Earth Day. The students decorated their own Earth Day headbands to commemorate the event. Islander Photos: Courtesy AME/Kelly Crawford

Kindergartners Lexi Baugher and June Moore display the trash they collected April 20 from the AME playground.

Kindergartners cheer on testing students

Kelly Crawford poses April 9 with her kindergarten students as they display treats and balloons to deliver to older students ahead of their Florida State Assessments. Islander Photos: Courtesy AME/ Kelly Crawford

Kindergartner June Moore holds up a drawing April 9 of stars to be delivered to third-graders preparing for state testing. Third-graders Lenie Nebra and Lauren Taylor Nock hold up a motivational sticker designed and delivered April 9 by AME’s kindergartners.

Kindergartner Landon Reuter prepares to collect a lollipop stick found discarded on the ground by Elijah Brannock during the Earth Day cleanup at AME.

By Bianca Benedí, bianca@islander.org

AME calendar

• Wednesday, April 25, fifth-grade Florida Student Assessment for ELA Reading. • Thursday, April 26, progress reports. • Thursday, April 26, 5:30 p.m. Princess Ball. • Monday, April 30, fifth-grade Science Sunshine State Standards Assessment. • Wednesday, May 2, 1:15 p.m. early release. • Friday, May 4, schoolwide speech contest in auditorium. • Friday, May 4, 8:30-11:30 a.m. blood drive. • Monday, May 7 – Friday, May 11, teacher appreciation week. • Wednesday, May 9, bike to school day. • Thursday, May 10, second-grade estuary trip. • Friday, May 11, third-grade estuary trip. • Monday, May 21, fifth-grade estuary trip. • Tuesday, May 22, fourth-grade estuary trip. • Tuesday, May 22, 5 p.m. PTO dinner and 6:30 p.m. kindergarten play. • Friday, May 25, 1:15 p.m. early release • Monday, May 28, Memorial Day, no school. • Tuesday, May 29, last day of school, early release at 1:15 p.m. Anna Maria Elementary is at 4700 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. For more information, call the school at 941708-5525.

THE ISLANDER n ApRIL 25, 2018 n 29

Girl Scouts pitch in to clean up Kingfish Boat Ramp Zoey Smith, left, and Alyssa Sparks of Girl Scout Troop 900 work together April 21 picking up trash at the Kingfish Boat Ramp, 752 Manatee Ave., Holmes Beach, during the Great American Cleanup.

A discarded chair sits among mangrove roots on the shoreline April 21 at Kingfish Boat Ramp, 752 Manatee Ave., Holmes Beach. The chair was removed during the Great American Cleanup. Islander Photo: Amy O’Connor Girl Scout Troop 900 leader Bryanna Sparks hands out trash pickers April 21 at Kingfish Boat Ramp, 752 Manatee Ave., Holmes Beach, during the Great American Cleanup. Islander Photos: Terry O’Connor

Girl Scout Troop 900 arrives April 21 the at Kingfish Boat Ramp, 752 Manatee Ave., Holmes Beach, for the Great American Cleanup. Front row from left: Zoey Smith, Lyla Smith and Kynana Jacobsen. Back row: Bryanna Sparks, troop leader Jennifer Sparks, Alyssa Sparks and Gianna Smith.

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isl

Amanda Horne, left, Chris Whittaker, assistant general manager at the Anna Maria Oyster Bar Ellenton, Michael Madden, kitchen manager at AMOB Ellenton, John Horne and Curtis Wilson, vice president and general manager of National Client GroupAmerican Express Company, display the $10,000 check awarded for the Hornes’ Diving Into Reading Program, which started in 2017. Islander Courtesy Photo

biz

BY SANDY AMBROGI

New hotel on horizon, awards received

This will really blow out your flip-flops Just when islanders are settling down to the impacts of a three-story hotel with 37 two-bedroom suites in their midst, another lodging venture is announced. One Particular Harbour, a joint venture of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Holdings and Minto Communities, announced in an April 17 news release, plans for a 130-room waterfront hotel on Perico Island. Previously, a Buffett-themed eatery in a retail center on Manatee Avenue was announced. Pulling in Sarasota-headquartered Floridays Development Company — whose projects include Art Ovation Hotel and the Grande Riviera in Sarasota and Hyatt Place in Lakewood Ranch — Minto/Margaritaville will add another dimension to the 220-acre site at 12300 Manatee Ave. on Perico Island. “We are thrilled to be partnered with Minto Communities and Margaritaville to create what we are certain will be a landmark destination of Florida’s Gulf Coast,” Angus Rogers, chief executive officer of Floridays, said in the release. Minto senior vice president William Bullock stated, “At One Particular Harbour Margaritaville, we are creating a one-of-a-kind waterfront resort destination that will be enjoyed by our residents, the local community and visitors, alike, while having a major positive impact on the area economy, boating and tourist industry.” Whew. The deep-water marina will open this

summer — the boat storage building and marina amenities as well as 132 Margaritaville-inspired residences are nearing completion — with model homes open and move-in ready models available for quick purchase. Those hoping for a signature Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville restaurant will have to settle for now on its little brother, a free-standing sports bar — LandShark Bar & Grill. Additional details about the hotel and amenities will follow in the coming weeks, according to the news release, along with information on the retail plaza. Those will be followed by more frequent traffic jams between 75th Street in Bradenton and East Bay Drive in Holmes Beach. Maybe a bicycle …. And a roundabout? AMOB and the Hornes lauded as good neighbors When John and Amanda Horne learned 49 percent of students in Manatee County were not reading at grade-level by the end of the third-grade, they went to work to boost literacy and change the statistics for the better. The owners of the Anna Maria Oyster Bar restaurants consulted the School District of Manatee County,

the county library system and the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, a program focused on summer reading as a key to keep kids progressing. On April 17, at a gala in Washington, D.C., the Hornes accepted the 2018 Restaurant Neighbor Award from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. The award celebrates the “best of the best” — seven winners were selected from hundreds of nominations. The Hornes were honored for their Dive Into Reading Program, which launched in June 2017 at the Ellenton AMOB. The program improved reading skills and taught the children life skills, such as table manners, intergenerational communication and decision-making. The Hornes topped their efforts by providing hot breakfasts before the students were paired with mentors to read books in the fun, relaxing environment of the dining room. Beth Dua, director of the Suncoast Campaign, said the children who participated in Dive Into Reading gained 1.25 months of reading skills. PLEASE SEE Isl BIz, NEXT PAGE

BizCal

THE ISLANDER n April 25, 2018 n 31

Francine Diemer, left, of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Manatee County, and Rather Welch of Bins Be Clean share a chuckle March 28 at SteamDesigns Studio in Holmes Beach during the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce business card mixer. The next mixer will be Wednesday, April 25, at the Anna Maria Island Historical Society, 402 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Cost is $5 for members and $10 for guests. Islander Photo: Sandy Ambrogi

By Sandy Ambrogi

Chambers roll into May with celebrations, networking

The next Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce sunrise breakfast will be 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, May 9, at the Cortez Cafe, 12108 Cortez Road, Cortez. The cost is $8 for members and $16 for guests. Reservations are requested â&#x20AC;&#x201D; call or email the chamber. Get ready to tee off Friday, May 18, at the AMI chamber golf tournament at IMG Academy Golf Club, 4350 El Conquistador Parkway, Bradenton. Registration will begin at 11:30 a.m., with a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. A hole-in-one wins a new Ford 150 pickup. A buffet dinner and raffles will close out the day in the IMG clubhouse. Contact the chamber to sign up, sponsor or contribute prizes to the raffle. Proceeds from the golf tournament help fund the chamberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scholarship awards. Important reminder! Applications for the chamber scholarships are due at 5 p.m. Monday, April 30. Four Isl Biz continued from 30 The NRAEFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision to honor the Hornes was influenced by their support for other local initiatives, including work with the PACE Center for Girls and the Horne & Moon Scholarship Fund, which supports adults returning to college or trade school. In June, the Anna Maria Oyster Bar will expand Dive Into Reading to five summer school locations to serve more than 300 kids. To learn about the program or register as a mentor, visit oysterbar.net. or call Amanda Horne at 941-545 3620, ext. 6688. Now thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good neighbor.

$1,000 awards will be given to Manatee County high school seniors pursing a higher education degree. Winners will be named in May. For more information about chamber events or to RSVP, call the office at 941-778-1541 or email info@ amichamber.org. The chamber office and tourist center is at 5313 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. The Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce is preparing to celebrate a milestone â&#x20AC;&#x201D; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 60th anniver-

Island real estate sales

By Jesse Brisson Special to The Islander 805 N. Shore Drive, Anna Maria, a 2,049 sfla / 4,305 sfur 2bed/2bath/4car Gulffront home built in 1993 on a 38,274 sq ft lot was sold 03/28/17, AMI North Shore Properties LLC to Doyle for $2,795,000; list $2,795,000. 628 Key Royale Drive, Anna Maria, a 4,041 sfla / 5,843 sfur 4bed/5 1/2 bath/2car canalfront pool home built in 2012 on 15,820 sq ft lot was sold 04/03/18, Gauld to Maleeny for $1,400,000. 242 Oak Ave., Anna Maria, a 2,075 sfla / 3,131 2bed/2bath/2car canalfront home built in 1969 on a $10 each @ The Islander, 3218 E. Bay Drive, HB.

sary. Festivities will get underway at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 3, at Cannons Marina, 6040 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key. Join the fun and help the LBK chamber celebrate 60 years of serving the key. For information about the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce, call the office at 941-383-2466 or visit the website at longboatkeychamber.com or the office at 5390 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key. 16,272 sq ft lot was sold 03/30/18, Little to Lee for $1,250,000; list 1,395,000. 8003 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, a 1,717 sfla / 2,608 sfur 2bed/2 1/2 bath/2car canalfront pool home built in 1979 on a 9,225 sq ft lot was sold 04/04/18, Proctor to Horton for $825,000. 520 Loquat Drive, Anna Maria, a 2,144 sfla / 4,142 3bed/2bath/2car canalront home built in 1981 on a 8,475 sq ft lot was sold 03/30/18, Knight to Anna Maria Island Retreats LLC for $815,000; list $830,000. 625 Concord Lane, Holmes Beach, a 1,825 sfla / 2,662 sfur 2bed/2 1/2 bath/1car canalfront home built in 1965 on a 11,064 sq ft lot was sold 03/29/18, Nissen to Mackie for $730,000; list $779,000. 7000 Gulf Drive, Unit 212, Tiffany Place, Holmes Beach, a 1,259 sfla / 1,395 sfur 2bed/2bath condo with shared pool built in 1978 was sold 03/30/18, Faith to Wagle for $599,000; list $629,000. Jesse Brisson, broker/associate at Gulf-Bay Realty of Anna Maria, can be reached at 941-778-7244.

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