The Islander Newspaper E-Edition Wednesday, May. 06, 2020 by The Anna Maria Islander Newspaper

Happy Mother’s Day

VOLUME 28, NO. 28

the Best news on anna Maria island Since 1992 astheworldterns await sunny Mother’s Day. 6 county hopes testing drops coVid-19 percentage. 3 HB cuts 2,000 parking spaces as county opens beach parking. 4

MAY 6, 2020 FRee

islander.org

YEARS AGO

Meetings. 4

Good Deeds. 4 Helping hand extends to to island workers. 5 Some restaurants prime for opening. 5

Opinions. 6 10-20 Years aGo

Looking back. 7

Gathering.

Obituaries. 9 community groups cheer donors to giving challenge. 10

Happenings community announcements, activities. 11 Holmes Beach stalls business tax. 12 candidate qualifying ahead. 13 anna Maria pier inches toward completion. 13

Streetlife. 14 Bicyclist critical after hit-and-run on Manatee avenue bridge. 15

NESTING NOTES. 16 about mothers and mothers’ nature. 17 taking life in “Hurdles.” island sports on hold. Will Bucs play 2020 season? 18

‘T

he bridge is down. Call all emergency equipment onto the Skyway Bridge. T h e Skyw ay Br idg e is dow n. This is a major emergency situation. Stop the traffic on that Skyway Bridge.’ — Capt. John Lerro, Summit Venture pilot, distress call, May 9, 1980. Story, page 13. Islander File Photo: Paul Roat

state orders phase 1 reopening, island cities adjust By ryan Paice islander reporter

It’s time to phase into a new normal. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the first phase of his plan to reopen the state April 29, only a day before the Florida Department of Health reported 1,000 new positive cases of COVID-19. There were 36,078 confirmed cases and 1,379 deaths reported in the state as of May 4, including 619 cases and 59 deaths in Manatee County. At least 20 people in the state died every day during the month of April. DeSantis’ reopening plan included allowing elective surgeries to resume, as well as opening state parks, retail stores and restaurants. Such businesses are restricted to 25% capacity and restaurants must keep dining tables indoors and outdoors at least 6 feet apart to respect social distancing guidelines. Schools, bars, hair salons and fitness centers remained closed in the governor’s first phase. Long-term care facilities remained closed to visitors. The state’s safer-at-home order expired May 4, but limitations on certain nonessential businesses and activities are extended

in phase 1. He also said gatherings of 10 or more people remained prohibited and encouraged residents to wear face masks in public. The plan did not include Dade, Palm Beach and Broward counties, which DeSantis said were operating on a different timeline than the rest of the state. Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy expressed gratitude for residents’ cooperation during the state’s safer-at-home order in an April 30 email to The Islander. “The city officials, the staff and our (Manatee County Sheriff’s Office) deputies of Anna Maria thank our residents and business owners for having been so cooperative, creative and adaptive in accepting the changes to our laid-back lifestyle,” Murphy wrote. The mayor said the state’s 25% capacity restriction on restaurants and retail stores would be enforced similarly to how the city has enforced the state restrictions on vacation rentals. “Much of this will be self-enforced by the business owners or, if that fails, on a code enforcement complaint-driven basis,” Murphy wrote. “We have great confidence

in both our business owners and residents that they will continue to do what is right and comply.” People who witness violations of the state’s orders in Anna Maria can email a complaint to code enforcement manager Debbie Haynes at depclerk@cityofannamaria.com. Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth wrote in an April 30 email to The Islander that code enforcement officers and the Holmes Beach Police Department would handle efforts to enforce the state order. However, she did not detail how they would complete the task. In the past several weeks, HBPD officers and code enforcement employees have monitored known vacation rental properties for potential violations. Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie did not respond to an April 30 email, as well as a phone call and text message May 1 from The Islander. Vacation rental restrictions Another part of DeSantis’ plan to reopen included addressing vacation rental activity.

PLeaSe, See Phase 1, Page 2

tarpon slowly stage. 19

PropertyWatch. 20 CLASSIFIEDS. 20

Isl BIZ Building a ‘bank.’ 22

NYT crossword. 23

#AMItogether

the florida department of Health in Manatee county sets up a drive-thru coVid-19 test site april 29 at the Bradenton area convention center, 1 Haben Blvd., Palmetto. Story, page 3. islander Photo: courtesy Manatee county

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Phase 1 continued from page 1

DeSantis’ March 27 executive order prohibiting vacation rental activity and advertisements was set to expire May 1, but he extended it for the duration of the first phase of his reopening plan. He did not provide a timeline for when the second phase would be released, but said April 29 that it could be weeks. The state order prohibits new vacation rental reservations and check-ins of fewer than 30 days, as well as restricts advertisements of availability. Violators may be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor and vacation rental property owners may have their licenses with the DBPR revoked. Hotels, motels, inns and resorts are excluded from the order. Titsworth said short-term rental restrictions should be considered on a weekly basis. “I look to the health official to give me this direction which is why it needs to be reconsidered on a weekly basis,” Titsworth said. Titsworth enacted an executive order prohibiting vacation rental check-ins and advertising through May 7. The state order supersedes the city’s for its duration, but the city order remained in place. One violator of the state order was identified April 27 in Holmes Beach, according to a HBPD police report. The renting party, as well as the owners of the rental, were issued notices to appear in court and reported to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. So far, five violations of the state order have been identified in the city since its enactment. In Anna Maria, Murphy said his city had gained compliance from most violators of the state order without penalties and only issued notices to appear in court and reported violators to the state as a last resort. He said two violators failed to comply with the city and were given notices to appear in court and reported to the DBPR. Murphy did not state a preference for when vacation rental restrictions should end. However, the mayor previously said that if DeSan-

Beachgoers file into Coquina Beach

Manatee County employee Mike Hotaling hands out two-hour parking passes May 4 to beachgoers entering Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach. Islander Photo: Ryan Paice

tis dropped the state order, the city could avoid an influx of renters by keeping his March 24 emergency order prohibiting new vacation rental reservations through June 30. While Murphy’s order remained in place, he said the state’s extended order superseded his. So, the city’s emergency order would take a backseat for the duration of the state’s order. In Bradenton Beach, police Lt. John Cosby told city commissioners at an April 28 meeting there were no vacation rental issues to report and the situation remained “pretty much status quo.” In other developments, a couple of Anna Maria commissioners suggested the city encourage residents and service industry people to wear face coverings. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in its guidelines, has recommended face coverings in public and some U.S. municipalities, including Indiantown in Florida, have enacted policies requiring residents to wear face masks in public.

Murphy said he was not considering such a policy but at a May 1 commission meeting, two commissioners asked that the city urge people to wear protective gear. Commissioner Mark Short said since restaurants could reopen some dining May 4, the city should urge businesses to encourage face masks. However, he added, an executive order requiring the practice would be unnecessary. Commission Chair Carol Carter said that while the health department reported no COVID-19 cases in the city as of May 3, many workers reside off the island. Countywide, the rate of positive cases was 15.7%. — above the state average. “We have a lot of people coming and going that work in those restaurants and retail establishments,” Carter said. Titsworth said she urged Holmes Beach residents to wear face masks in public, but did not address whether city policy should require their use.

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May 6, 2020 THE ISLANDER | islander.org Page 3 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

County hopes increased COVID-19 testing drops high percentage By chrisann allen islander reporter

Manatee County is taking longer to flatten the COVID-19 case curve than most of the state. As of May 1, the county ranked fourth among 67 counties in the state for percentage of positive tests at 15.4% of 3,926 people tested, according to statistics from the Florida Department of Health. Statewide, the positive test rate was 8.6% of 404,467 people tested. The World Health Organization recommends a positivity rate of less than 10% before a community starts opening businesses and public gathering areas. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced plans April 29 to start Phase 1 of reopening the state, which included restaurant dining, retail stores and other business operations previously deemed nonessential. Openings for some businesses were to begin May 4, as The Islander went to press.

County measures

Not everything is about the beach. County commissioners unanimously voted April 28 to modify meeting procedures to allow both physical and digital quorums for public meetings so they can continue to use telecommunications technology such as Zoom to meet during the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies. Commissioners also unanimously voted to write Gov. Ron DeSantis asking him to lower the population threshold for governments to receive emergency funding under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The CARES Act requires a municipality to have a population of at least 500,000 people, which leaves Manatee County — with 403,253 residents — just short of claiming emergency funds for coronavirus countermeasures. — ryan Paice

Yet the county still must raise its rate of testing in the hope of lowering the positivity curve. As more people test negative, researchers can determine outbreak “hot spots,” Jacob Saur, Manatee County public safety director, said April 28 during a county commission meeting held via videoconference. The county announced April 29 that the local DOH received 1,400 tests the day prior and would set up a third round of free drive-thru testing at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Blvd., Palmetto, May 6-8, for up to 100 patients a day. To be tested, people must make an appointment with the health department at 941-748-0747. No-cost drive-thru testing also was available May 2 at four Manatee County Rural Health locations. More tests meant relaxed testing guidelines, eliminating the need for a prescription, symptoms or exposure, according to Scott Works, MCR Health’s marketing director. Saur said officials were working to set up a drivethru regional site for Manatee and Sarasota counties operated by the Florida National Guard. The guard arrived in Manatee County April 29, according to county administrator Cheri Coryea. The state’s regional collection sites usually operate for at least 14 days and test 350-400 people each day, according to Saur. “This could dramatically increase our regional testing stats soon,” he said. Additionally, Saur said the state also continued to deploy regional incident management teams to the county’s long-term care facilities, where the majority of the county cases have been found. Coryea said the teams assess facilities for infectious disease control and work with staff at the facilities to counsel and train employees on how to best protect themselves. During an April 29 announcement about plans to reopen the state, DeSantis acknowledged that Manatee County was experiencing outbreaks at nursing homes

and said the guard was sent to facilities to provide rapid testing — issuing results within an hour. Also, in an effort to lower the positivity rate, the governor planned to ensure testing every day through mid-June was available for 30,000-40,000 people statewide. Of 619 positive cases in the county reported May 3, 190 were residents or staff of long-term care facilities, totaling 30.7%; and 34 deaths of 59 in the county were residents or staff of such facilities, totaling 57.6%. “The Department of Health Manatee has every possible resource within our nine facilities that have an outbreak,” Saur told the commission April 28. “They are working day and night to try and get that under control.” According to Saur, with testing from the state, by mid-May, the county could see an increase of about 1,740 tests, not including MCR Health. A Holmes Beach resident was the first known person to test positive from Anna Maria Island. By May 3, two people tested positive on the island, including one in Holmes Beach and one in Bradenton Beach. No cases were reported in Anna Maria.

dr. edwin Hernandez, clinical director of the Manatee county doH, briefs workers april 29 on procedures at the Palmetto drive-thru coVid-19 test site. islander courtesy Photo

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County reopens beach parking, Holmes Beach cuts 2,000 spots By ChrisAnn Allen Islander Reporter

It’s up to the state, Manatee County and the cities to determine a balance between public safety and reopening public beaches. And some cities are considering lasting changes. Following an announcement from Manatee County that public beaches would open at 10 a.m. Monday, May 4 — the same day the governor ordered the state would allow opening of some nonessential business operations — Holmes Beach opted to continue restricting parking, eliminating 2,000 spaces as the beach parking lot reopened. Anna Maria also maintained parking limitations in light of the continued spread of the novel coronavirus in the county. As of April 30, the county remained behind the flattening COVID-19 positivity curve in Florida. The county reported a 15.1% positivity rate, compared with 8.6% statewide and 7.6% in neighboring Sarasota County, which also was fully opening its beaches May 4. Manatee commissioners, meeting April 28 via teleconference, unanimously voted to open beaches and public parking on the island. The county had closed access to the public beaches March 20, as positive numbers rose among a shortage of COVID-19 tests and personal protective equipment. Beach access, street and right-of-way parking in Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach closed April 10, although people were allowed on the beach provided they maintained social distancing of 6 feet and no more than 10 people in a group. According to an April 30 county release, the following would be open 10 a.m.-9 p.m., seven days a week until further notice: • Cortez Beach, 698 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach; • Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach; • Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. Parking and access at Bayfront Park, 316 N. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria, also a county-maintained park, remained closed. Neither Anna Maria nor the county provided a reason for the continued closure. Parking was limited to about 400 spots at Coquina Beach, 200 at Cortez Beach and 250 at Manatee Public Beach, which has a capacity for 350 vehicles. The county also limited parking duration in the lots. Beachgoers at the lots were given two-hour parking passes, with county code enforcement assigned to

Manatee County code enforcement officers open the gate May 4 at the Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach, as the first round of cars since the beach closed March 20, stream into the lot. Parking opened at 10 a.m. and people were allowed to stay two hours. The restrictions for the beach will be in place until further notice. Islander Photo: ChrisAnn Allen

monitor parking and citing those who exceeded the time limit. With the public beaches opening, officials in Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach were forced to decide how to handle other parking and beach access in their cities, as limited county parking was expected to push traffic onto city streets. At a teleconferenced meeting April 28, Holmes Beach commissioners agreed to a parking plan by Police Chief Bill Tokajer, which removed 2,000 parking spaces from rights of way starting May 4. “When the county opened it, it was against our wishes,” Tokajer said of the public beach. “We made it very clear to the county we thought it was too soon. All the medical professionals are telling us it’s too soon.” Tokajer said he and Mayor Judy Titsworth had reviewed a citywide parking plan to determine what areas should be closed to parking. He recommended reopening 479 spots with nearby beach access when the rate of positive COVID-19 cases in the county significantly drops and eliminating about 2,000 others. The commission agreed with Tokajer’s recommendation to remove parking along Palm, Marina and Gulf drives and the attached side streets, as well as in the area surrounding the intersection of East Bay and Gulf drives, near the public beach. “So in essence, we would be removing all of our residential parking in the neighborhoods that are most

affected,” Tokajer said. “We get a lot of excess vehicles going up and down the roads blocking people’s driveways and mailboxes and this is a way to give the residents a little ease from the traffic in the area.” Tokajer told The Islander May 1 that “no parking” signs were ordered and would be posted beginning May 4. Bradenton Beach Police Chief Sam Speciale said most beach access parking in the city is in the county lots, so reopening was not a major concern. He said renovations to the Coquina Beach parking lot and construction at Cortez Beach had closed much of the parking there. And the city restricts parking on rights of way. “We are continuing as we have this whole time. If you are in a legal parking space, no problem,” he said. “If not, you could be ticketed or towed.” Speciale said he understood the county’s decision to open public beach parking, but did not support it. “I just think with a really huge influx, we are going to have a lot of people out here all at once and they are not going to have anywhere to park,” he said. Both Tokajer and Speciale said they would handle regular law enforcement issues and leave the county to deal with its parking situation. The city of Anna Maria opted for measures similar to Holmes Beach, with parking to open slowly when the COVID-19 numbers drop. In a teleconferenced meeting May 1 to address reopening the beaches, Anna Maria commissioners agreed to leave recently placed “residents only” signs at beach accesses, as well as a large “closed” sign at Bayfront Park. Mayor Dan Murphy said if the city determines it Anna Maria City May 12, 6 p.m., city commission. must close more parking due to overflow from Holmes May 6, 10 a.m., historic preservation. May 26, 6 p.m., city commission. May 14, 2 p.m., commission. Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, 941- Beach, he would consider that option. “We are responsible for stopping the spread and we May 15, 2 p.m., planning and zoning. 708-5800, holmesbeachfl.org. are responsible for gaining compliance, as government May 28, 6 p.m., commission. Note: City hall is closed. For details on meeting officials,” Murphy said. “Those are the two guiding Anna Maria City Hall, 10005 Gulf Drive, 941-708- participation, call 941-708-5800. factors for everything that we should be doing.” 6130, cityofannamaria.com.

Meetings

Note: City hall is closed until further notice. For Manatee County details on meeting participation, call 941-708-6130. May 6, 1 p.m., Coquina Beach restoration review. Bradenton Beach May 7, 9 a.m., commission (land use). May 6, 9 a.m., CIP. CANCELED May 19, 9 a.m., commission. May 6, 9:30 a.m., CRA. May 28, 9 a.m., commission (budget presentaMay 6, 2 p.m., ScenicWAVES. CANCELED tion). May 7, 6 p.m., commission. Administration building, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., May 12, 10 a.m., commission. CANCELED Bradenton, 941-748-4501, mymanatee.org. May 14, 1 p.m., department heads. CANCELED Note: County buildings are closed. For details on May 20, 1 p.m., planning and zoning. meeting participation, call 941-748-4501. May 21, 11 a.m., pier team. CANCELED May 21, noon, commission. Of interest May 26, 10 a.m., commission. CANCELED May 18, 9 a.m., Manatee County Tourist DevelopBradenton Beach City Hall, 107 Gulf Drive N., ment Council, county administration building. 941-778-1005, cityofbradentonbeach.com. May 20, 3 p.m., Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Note: City hall is closed. For details on meeting Officials, Longboat Key Town Hall. TENTATIVE participation, call 941-778-1005. May 25 is Memorial Day. Most government operations will be closed.

Holmes Beach

May 6, 10 a.m., parks and beautification. May 6, 6 p.m., planning. CANCELED

GoodDeeds

Seeking help

• Moonracer Animal Rescue seeks volunteers to offer foster and forever homes for rescued animals. Information: 941-345-2441.

Offering help

• The Roser Food Bank offers staples, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Information: 941778-0414. • CrossPointe Fellowship offers help dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak, including grocery shopping. Information: 941-778-0719. • All Island Denominations offers monetary help, including relief for unemployed people. Information: 941-725-2433. — Lisa Neff Send listings to calendar@islander.org. Please, send meeting notices to news@islander. — Lisa Neff org and calendar@islander.org.

May 6, 2020 THE ISLANDER | islander.org Page 5 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Some restaurants prime for opening, some stay shuttered Could we ﬁnally see light at the end of the normal tunnel? Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Phase 1 reopening guidelines, dubbed the “Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step. Plan for Florida’s Recovery,” set out the stage for reopening starting May 4, as The Islander went to press. Joey Dale, who co-owns the Feast Restaurant in Holmes Beach, said his dining room would open May 4 with the required 25% occupancy and outdoor dining would resume with proper distancing. Prior restrictions had limited the Feast and other restaurants to takeout and delivery services. Dale said carryout orders and package sales of wine and beer would continue after the opening. Slim’s Place, 9701 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, announced early its plan to open the allowed inside seating and outside tables May 4. According to owner Chis Smargisso, the eatery was set to continue takeout and daily specials, too. The Ugly Grouper restaurant and bar in Holmes Beach also planned early for a May 4 reopening. The restaurant posted on Facebook: “We cannot wait to have you back and we truly look forward to providing the island with a safe, fun spot for entertainment!” On the cautious side, Sean Murphy of the Beach Bistro, Eat Here and Doctor’s Ofﬁce, said “not yet.” “We are hard at work readying our old Bistro for this new environment,” Murphy stated. “While we work, the phones ring and ring. ‘When are you opening…?’ ‘When can we come back?’” But, Murphy wrote in an e-blast, “We don’t think it’s safe yet. And right now our No. 1 priority is safety.” Anna Maria Oyster Bar owner John Horne was siding with other cautious restaurateurs on reopening. His May 1 email news blast announced: “We’re

The Waterfront Restaurant, Anna Maria, offers streetside bar service to customers on foot. Islander Photo: Courtesy Jason Suzor

‘almost’ baaaack!” Horne said he’d been communicating with some local restaurateurs on “what’s best for our community, our guests and our staff. It’s all about customer conﬁdence in any business.” “Almost to a tee, every restaurateur I have spoken with has the same opinions as we do. We’d rather open a week later than need be, rather than a week too early.” “We’re gonna wait just a little longer before we open our doors and our patios,” Horne continued. Jason Suzor, owner of the Waterfront Restaurant in Anna Maria was closed for most of the safer-at-home orders but similar to the Feast and Slim’s Place, he reopened to serve a reﬁned takeout menu and he also

opened a curbside cocktail bar. However, he said he doesn’t yet feel it’s safe to open the dining room to customers, and he plans to stay on the takeout course. For the Chiles group of restaurants, the Sandbar, Beach House and Mar Vista, an announcement on Facebook for the Sandbar said it was continuing takeout service and would “see what happens over the next several days. We want to carefully balance the health and safety of our employees and customers with the welfare of our business.” Tanner Enoch, who runs the Anna Maria Island Beach Cafe at the Manatee Public Beach and the concession at Coquina Beach, said he planned to decide whether to open following a staff discussion. Other island businesses took another route, either by choice or as dictated by the state. Salons offering hair, massage and nail services, as well as fitness centers, were to remain shuttered. The restrictions are part of a three-phase reentry grounded in up-to-date data, COVID-19 spread, risk and readiness, according to the state. The plan stated that if COVID-19 data showed an increased spread of the virus in any phase, the state would remain in that phase. How long the first phase would be in effect was unclear. But many island business owners were taking advantage of the ability to open their doors and dining rooms, even if it meant operating at 25% seating capacity or placing tape on the floors and outside sidewalks to delineate social distance. Lindy Gilbert, owner of Small Town Creamery in Holmes Beach, was planning a May 8, opening and offering free ice cream 4-7 p.m. May 9. “We are just celebrating actually surviving this long,” Gilbert said. “We want to give somebody a smile.” — Islander staff report

Help offered to unemployed AMI workers, small business owners By Sandy Ambrogi Islander Reporter

CrossPointe Fellowship is distributing thousands of dollars donated through the island churches to unemployed Anna Maria Island workers. Applicants must have been employed by a business located on the island but now be unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Island business owners who experiMoss enced financial difficulties also can apply for financial aid. All Island Denominations, a network of the six island churches, is administering the funds, with CrossPointe serving as the hub for processing applications and distributing funds. “Island church leaders and some residents had a

conversation about the need on the island,” the Rev. Ed Moss of CrossPointe Fellowship told The Islander. “They have a heart for Anna Maria Island. They put themselves in others’ shoes, such as those running small businesses and those in the tourist industry.” “We hope to process the applications quickly, as they come in, and applicants will be called with a day and time unique to them to pick up a check. We will also see if there are other needs they have during this time,” he continued. CrossPointe must receive the applications by 4 p.m. Thursday, May 14.

Mailed applications must be postmarked no later than Saturday, May 9. People can ask their former employer or CrossPointe for an application. To donate to the unemployment fund, make a check payable to AID and deliver or mail it to CPF, 8605 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach FL 34217. Donations are tax-deductible. The church ofﬁce is open 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information about assistance, call CrossPointe Fellowship at 941-778-0719 or email covid@ mycpf.org.

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County accepting applications for TDC

Manatee County is accepting applications for two seats on the tourist development council. The nine-member advisory committee makes recommendations to the board of county commissioners on the expenditures of tourist tax revenues. The board includes County Commissioner Misty Servia, Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston, Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant, hoteliers Jiten Patel, Ed Chiles, Eric Cairns and Barbara Baker and citizens Jack Rynerson and Vernon DeSear. Poston’s term expires June 30, as does Bryant’s. Applicants must be elected municipal ofﬁcials and one of the seats must be held by a Bradenton resident. Applicants must be registered voters in Manatee and prepared to serve four-year terms. Applications, due June 1, are online at www. mymanatee.org/advisory_boards. For more information, contact Monica Luff at the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at 941-729-9177, ext. 3944 or monica. luff@mymanatee.org.

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Page 6 THE ISLANDER | islander.org May 6, 2020 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Opinion

Our

Back to normal

No news of going back to normal can go without mention of my first introduction to “Norml.” David Reid entered the office of the old — former owner, same name — Islander newspaper on Pine Avenue back in the 1970s, hawking the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Reid was no stranger. He took on Mayor Dick Connick in 1977 in Bradenton Beach — a mayor akin to Richard J. Daley’s “my way or the highway” in Chicago — and lost by a narrow 34 votes. He didn’t run again. After a stint as owner of a Bradenton Beach bar, the Oar House, which hosted music legends like Leon Redbone, Tom Waits, Dickie Betts and Greg Allman, he went on to Hollywood to greater things. Normal? Maybe working on “Cheers” and other TV shows isn’t so normal to us on AMI. I visited Reid and his partner Neal Loden one year during Halloween, and nothing was normal. I hear people saying how painful this “stay-athome” business is, but I’m good with it. It’s the longest “vacation” I’ve had since I started working at about age 13. It’s far less painful than childbirth and I’m considering sticking with it for the time being. My biggest problem has been my relationship with the refrigerator. I really hate it. It has nothing to offer and nothing leaps out at me when I’m hungry. My second biggest complaint about staying home is that I won’t be going to visit my cousins in NorfolkPortsmouth. We made something of a tradition of our May visit after my Uncle Harry Sharp turned 100 in 2016. He died at 102, but his life is worth celebrating every year. I figured out while I was visiting in the home where I grew up — splitting time among my mom’s family members — that I was homesick for the people and places from my childhood. It was bittersweet, since both my cousins and I lost our mothers, me in 1972, them in 1982, and we’d barely seen one another. But my Uncle Harry had saved “everything,” and we spent many days looking through the attic, photos, papers and albums and even hats! We wound the cuckoo clock and visited childhood friends, downtown Portsmouth, thrift stores, the theater and the beach. I’m gonna miss it this year. But just like the family memories we share, I remember the old normal. Happy Mother’s Day to y’all. — Bonner Joy, news@islander.org

MAY 6, 2020 • Vol. 28, No. 28 Publisher and Editor Bonner Joy, news@islander.org ▼ Editorial Lisa neff, editor, lisa@islander.org chrisann allen, chrisann@islander.org Sandy ambrogi, sandy@islander.org Joe Bird, editorial cartoonist Kevin cassidy, kevin@islander.org Michael dunn, michael@islander.org Jack elka, jack@jackelka.com Brook Morrison, brook@islander.org ryan Paice, ryan@islander.org ▼ Contributors arthur Brice, arthur@islander.org Sarah Brice, sarah@islander.org Jesse Brisson Leslie Lake, leslie@islander.org Karen riley-Love capt. danny Stasny, fish@islander.org ▼ Advertising Director toni Lyon, toni@islander.org ▼ Office Staff Lisa Williams, office manager Vicki Mcintyre, office assistant, reader advocate info@, accounting@, classifieds@, subscriptions@islander.org ▼ Distribution urbane Bouchet Judy Loden Wasco ross roberts (All others: news@islander.org) ▼

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Opinion

Your

Opening the beaches, limiting parking

Manatee County commissioners April 28 voted to open beaches May 4 for residents to “enjoy the sand and surf along Anna Maria Island.” The commission said parking at county-operated beaches would be limited to two hours. A post on the development on The Islander’s Facebook page engaged more than 1,000 people. Some commented and posted smiling or angry emojis: • Don Niles of Phelps, New York: Open up. Only the rich homeowners of the island want things closed. Katie O’Connor of Bradenton: Does the virus become more contagious after two hours? What is the logic? • Jim Adams of Longboat Key: Just put the bridge up and tell everyone to stay away. Fine by me. • Andrea Doyle Maul of Bradenton: Thank you for trusting we will make the right decision. • Christopher M. Ziebell of Bradenton: Who cares that we need to open business? We business owners are going broke out here. And the bills never stop. But, hey, let’s open beaches. Steve Arndt of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada: Not yet. Too soon.

Thanks from the center

more than $91,000 for the center. The board of directors, the staff and myself are blown away and beyond grateful. I would like to personally thank all for our continued success. Because of your generosity, the center can move toward reopening and reviving programming as soon as we are able. Because of you, the center soon will continue its mission to enhance the overall wellbeing of individuals of all ages, while preserving a sense of community through creative programs and partnerships. Special thanks go out to those who gave generously and kicked off this year’s campaign — Carol and Bob Carter, Mary Catherine and Mark Melancon, Maureen and David Cote and all the others who gave to this year’s Giving Challenge. Thank you, we hope to see you all soon. Center of Anna Maria Island executive director Christopher Culhane

Focused on love

Thank you very much to The Islander for the wonderful coverage of my 82nd birthday parade, orchestrated by the Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island (The Islander, April 29). I loved seeing the photos and the copy, which allowed me to relive my 82nd birthday surprise. It is people like my fellow Rotarians who help us get through times like the ones we are going through right now. There are terrible things happening everywhere but also a great deal of love and support. I choose to focus on the latter. Dantia Gould, Bradenton

On behalf of all of the families, individuals and all those who will benefit from or be served by Center of Anna Maria Island programs and services, I extend my deepest gratitude for the unparalleled community support in this year’s Giving Challenge put on by the Sarasota Community Foundation and the Patterson Foundation. You can peruse The Islander archive, dating The AMI community pulled together and raised back to its launch in November 1992, at ufdc.ufl.edu.

May 6, 2020 THE ISLANDER | islander.org Page 7 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

10&20 years ago

From the May 3, 2000, issue

From the archives Mayoral tribute at the museum dottie Mcchesney, who served as mayor in anna Maria, visits the anna Maria island Historical Society museum, 402 Pine ave., anna Maria, in november 1998 to take in an exhibit about island mayors. islander Photos: Manatee county Public Library System digital collection

… Mayor’s oath of office charlotte Long is sworn in as the mayor of Holmes Beach. Long served as mayor from 1978 to 1986 and was the first woman elected to mayor in Holmes Beach. Holmes Beach elected 11 male mayors 1950-78 and then three women held the top city office 1978-94. the photograph is dated March 15, 1978.

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• Citing public safety as a primary concern, Manatee County Commissioner Joe McClash informed other members of the board that it didn’t make sense to build a new pier at the Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach. County Commissioner Carol Whitmore, a former mayor of Holmes Beach, was pushing for a pier but, McClash, chair of the county tourist development council, cited construction cost and safety as concerns. • The explosion of an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana and the gushing of oil into the Gulf of Mexico caused concern on Anna Maria Island for environmental and economic disaster. — Lisa neff

NOW readers and business advocates can “bank” ad dollars with The Islander that will be entered into a prize drawing for COVID19 “reopening” ads ... every dollar in the bank will be matched by The Islander. Donors can nominate winners or The Islander will select advertisers in a random drawing to receive ad dollars and prizes! All contributors will be included in the prize drawing! It’s your chance to help our momand-pop businesses in a win-win promotion!

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• Anna Maria Mayor Gary Deffenbaugh said he was dissatisfied with the service under a law enforcement contract with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and was exploring the cost of a city-run police department. • The 2000 sea turtle nesting season began May 1 with volunteers patrolling island beaches. There were no nests in late April or early May, which Suzi Fox, the permit holder for Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch, said was unusual. • Holmes Beach city commissioners invited the Anna Maria Island Privateers to park their boat-float on city property near the public works department on Marina Drive. The Privateers had kept the float on a vacant lot in Holmes Beach for 20 years until 1996, when the mayor instructed the city’s code enforcement officer to cite the group for having a trailer on a vacant lot. AMIP then moved the float to Cortez.

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Page 8 THE ISLANDER | islander.org May 6, 2020 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Gathering

Church hosts ‘safe’ food drive

a group of Manatee High School students and their families, congregants of gloria dei Lutheran church, 6608 Marina drive, Holmes Beach, hold signs May 2 along Marina drive, encouraging people to donate food and cash at the church’s monthly food drive. the church hosted a drivethru event with social distancing guidelines in place due to coVid-19 concerns.

dennis granstad of anna Maria, left, the rev. doug Kings of gloria dei Lutheran church, 6608 Marina drive, Holmes Beach, and Bev ruis of cortez, help May 2 collect food and cash donations during the church’s monthly food drive. the contributions were donated to the roser Memorial community church food Pantry in anna Maria and our daily Bread of Bradenton. islander Photos: chrisann allen

Bev ruis of cortez, a member of the gloria dei Lutheran church congregation in Holmes Beach, accepts a donation May 2 from a drive-by contributor to the collection hosted by the church. Proceeds, including cash and nonperishable food items, were donated to the roser Memorial community church food Pantry in anna Maria and our daily Bread of Bradenton.

Tidings #AMItogether

page. 9:30 a.m. — Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Facebook page. 10 a.m. — Roser Memorial Community Church, roserchurch. ONLINE / STREAMING WORSHIP com. Sunday 10 a.m. — Longboat Island Chapel, longboatislandchapel. 9 a.m. — CrossPointe Fellowship, Facebook page. org. 9 a.m. — St. Bernard Catholic Church, Diocese of Venice Face5:30 p.m. — Roser Church, roserchurch.com. book page. SAVE THE DATES 9:30 a.m. — Episcopal Church of the Annunciation, Facebook May 31, Pentecost. Sept. 18-20, Rosh Hashanah. Sept. 27-28, Yom Kippur The Islander welcomes Nov. 1, All Saints Day. news of the milestones Nov. 2, All Souls Day. in readers’ lives. Dec. 10-18, Hanukkah. Send notices and Dec. 24, Christmas Eve. photographs, along Dec. 25, Christmas. with a contact, to Please, send notices to calendar@islander.org and news@ news@islander.org. islander.org.

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May 6, 2020 THE ISLANDER | islander.org Page 9 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

John Lerro: The 36th victim of the Skyway Bridge disaster

construction flexed and a quarter-mile of the southbound roadway separated and fell. As the span crumbled, six cars and a Greyhound bus drove off the broken bridge into the bay. A pickup truck landed on the bow of the freighter before falling into the waterway. The driver survived. The first mayday call went out at 7:34 a.m. from the Summit Venture, according to skyway.com. “Mayday! Coast Guard! Mayday! Bridge crossing is down!” Lerro yelled into the radio.

By Sandy Ambrogi Islander Reporter

In Tampa Bay history, his name will forever be associated with May 9, 1980, and that morning’s disaster. John Lerro was piloting the empty cargo freighter that brought down a section of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge 40 years ago May 9, plunging 35 people to their death. Today, as then, some people see Lerro as culpable. But not Tampa trial lawyer Steve Yerrid, who represented Lerro in a 1980 trial and, through that process, became his friend. “We became like brothers,” Yerrid told The Islander April 29. “He always wished he could have done more to change the outcome.” Yerrid said survivor’s guilt took Lerro’s soul. “He became the scapegoat,” the attorney said of Lerro, who died in 2002 of multiple sclerosis. The bridge disaster is one of Tampa Bay’s most storied events. Lerro, then 37, was piloting the 609-foot long Summit Venture eastbound in Tampa Bay toward the Port of Tampa when a squall blew in from the Gulf of Mexico, enshrouding the bridge. Lerro could not see the bridge less than a mile away. He couldn’t even see the freighter’s bow. So he did not know he was 800 feet to the right center of the shipping channel, which would have taken the ship safely under the spans. As Lerro lost sight of the bridge, he also was strug-

Obituaries

Caryl L. Clark-Scifres

Caryl L. Clark-Scifres, 73, of Springstead, Wisconsin, died April 23. She was a special person to all she met. She loved traveling and adventure, gardening and making handmade items for her family and friends. She was passionate about family, friends and nature. She was a loving wife, Clark-Scifres mother, sister and friend. She lived for more than 12 years on Anna Maria Island, where she worked at the Gulf Drive Cafe and still has many friends. There will be no services. Online condolences may be made at www.nimsgernfuneral.com. Mrs. Scifres is survived by her husband, Gordon, of Springstead; children Robert Fobes of Poynette, Wisconsin, and Jodie and husband Matt Livingston of Sheboygan, Wisconsin; stepdaughters Amy of Indiana and Shannon and husband John Carlson of Michigan; grandchildren Justin Fobes of Pardeeville, Wisconsin, Josh Fobes of Poynette, Wisconsin, Lindsay Livingston of Sheboygan, and Shelby and husband Nathan Dupree of Sheboygan; great-grandson Brock Fobes of Pardeeville; brother Larry Clark of Virginia; sisters Peggy and husband John Martinson of Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin, and Charlene Clark-Reuhl of Springstead; brother-in-law Dennis and wife Sandy of Indiana; sister-in-law Rosalie Lewis of Indiana; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and friends.

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Attorney Steve Yerrid, left, and John Lerro at the 1980 trial following the Sunshine Skyway disaster. Lerro was piloting the Summit Venture when it hit the bridge, resulting in 35 deaths. Yerrid represented Lerro in the trial. Islander Courtesy Photo

gling to keep control of the 35,000-ton ship in the fastmoving squall, according to The Islander’s archives. Making matters worse, the ship was empty and riding about 35 feet higher than it would loaded in the near-hurricane force winds. The rain cleared moments before impact, but Lerro was unable to stop or steer the vessel clear of the bridge. By the time he ordered a hard turn and the anchor dropped, it was too late. One witness crossing the bridge said the impact felt like an earthquake. At impact, the bridge shuddered. The cantilever

Patricia C. Willette

Patricia C. Willette, 88, of Lancaster, New Hampshire, died April 24. She was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, Sept. 18, 1931, to Archibald and Mabel (Rice) Williamson. She lived in Hampton, New Hampshire, and Anna Maria Island before settling in the Gorham and Lancaster area of the Granite State. She was a bookkeeper for PE Fletcher for more than 30 years. She also worked as a bookkeeper for Bealls in Florida. She loved to knit and volunteer at her church in Florida. A memorial service will be announced at a later date. Arrangements are by the Bryant Funeral Homes in New Hampshire. For online condolences, go online to www.bryantfuneralhome.net. She is survived by her son, Robert of Taos, New Mexico; grandchildren Chelsea Hunnewell, Jasmine Keenan, Joshua and Kianna Steadler; great-grandchildren Elija Hunnewell, Sophie Hunnewell, Gretta Keenan and Bray Keenan; son-in-law Michael Stewart; her partner and good friend Charles Mellon; several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Lerro, Yerrid entangled for life Yerrid told The Islander he was hired by the Pilots Association to defend Lerro, who was scheduled for a promotion to full pilot just two days after the Sunshine Skyway disaster changed his course and history’s. Although many said the case against Lerro could not be won, Yerrid went forward. He defended charges of blame against Lerro from Florida state officials and in federal hearings by the National Transportation Board, which ruled 3-2 that Lerro was partly responsible but other factors, including the storm, had contributed to the accident. “I was 30 years old and ready to take on anything then,” Yerrid said of the case. Judge Chris Bentley, chief judge for the state of Florida Division of Administrative Hearings, ruled Dec. 24, 1980, that Lerro did not act negligently and did act reasonably under the circumstances. Bentley declared the Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster “an act of God.” He also reinstated Lerro’s suspended pilot license, which had been stripped away after the accident. Lerro, however, soon found himself suffering from MS and stopped piloting. Instead, he spent his time answering crisis phone lines and helping others, according to Yerrid. “I told John it was all about fairness, justice and the truth,” Yerrid said. “But sometimes, it just didn’t seem like he was in there.” “We talked a lot late at night,” Yerrid added. “He was a good man in the wrong place at the wrong time.” The Skyway today The first Skyway Bridge opened in 1954 with two lanes of north-south traffic, replacing the Bee Line ferry between Manatee and Pinellas counties. In 1971, a twin parallel span opened, carrying southbound traffic while the original span carried northbound traffic. After the disaster, a taller, cable-stayed bridge was constructed. It opened in 1987 at a cost of $224 million with a clearance of 175 feet and a channel 1,200 feet wide — 400 feet wider than the channel at the time of the disaster. “John definitely was the 36th victim of the disaster,” Yerrid said. “He dealt with it the entire rest of his life.”

More ‘Skyway’ Attorney Steve Yerrid and Frankie VanDeBoe were involved in making the documentary, “The Sunshine At your service Skyway Bridge Disaster,” now on Amazon Prime. Search Sunshine Skyway on The Islander webObituaries are offered as a community service by The Islander newspaper to residents and family of resi- site, islander.org, for photos from former Islander staff, dents, both past and present, as well as to those people and the chilling mayday call that went out on the airwith ties to the island. Submit to news@islander.org. waves.

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Page 10 THE ISLANDER | islander.org May 6, 2020 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Community groups cheer donors to 2020 Giving Challenge By Lisa neff islander editor

Community groups saw a windfall from a stay-athome audience April 28-29, as an annual fundraiser generated more than $18 million. Nearly 700 community groups — including some Anna Maria Island organizations — rallied 58,947 donors in the 2020 Giving Challenge with pleas, promises and pitches, mostly on social media. The 24-hour fundraiser, held amid the COVID-19 crisis, began at noon April 28 and concluded mid-day April 29 with rounds of congratulations and thank-you notes from nonprofit leaders, including the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, which hosted the challenge, and the Patterson Foundation, which matched up to $100, dollar for dollar per donor per organization. The challenge was open to 501(c)(3) charities in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties and 686 nonprofits participated, many of them suffering as health and safety restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic forced the closure of their offices and cancellation of events. A leaderboard posted at givingpartnerchallenge. org lists the dollars raised, including: • In Anna Maria, $91,046 for the Center of Anna Maria Island, the community gathering place for many residents and seasonal visitors. • In Holmes Beach, $8,950 for the Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra, which holds concerts and dances during season; and $9,656 for the Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island, which operates a gallery and conducts educational initiatives. • In Bradenton Beach, $30,700 for Wildlife Inc., the rescue and rehab center operated from Ed and Gail Straight’s home. • In Cortez, $17,974 for Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage, which maintains a preserve and works to protect the historic fishing village; and $10,840 for the Friends of the Florida Maritime Museum, which advocates for the institution in the old schoolhouse. • In Sarasota, $241,806 for Mote Marine Laboratory, which operates a research and rehab institute and an aquarium on City Island, as well as $26,000 for the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. Other beneficiaries, which conduct work and activism on Anna Maria Island, are TIFF’s Initiative, which raised $8,010, and Moonracer No Kill Animal Rescue, which raised $9,010. In a social media post, the Patterson Foundation exclaimed: “#Coronavirus can’t stop us! The time was right and we did this together!” The Community Foundation of Sarasota County,

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Margo Kingsley, treasurer of the roser Memorial community church Women’s guild, presents a check for $1,100 to chris culhane, executive director of the center of anna Maria island. the annual contribution from one anna Maria institution to another occurred outside the center april 27 for the giving challenge april 28-29. the guild raised its money from sales at the roser thrift Shop, which also generates money for college scholarships, support to migrant families and some 17 charities. islander courtesy Photo

in a statement, said people demonstrated a “remarkable outpouring of support.” To the donors, the foundation said, “Thank you for being the one to make a difference.” The Center of Anna Maria Island, boosted in the effort by an added fundraising challenges, including by Anna Maria City Commissioner Carol Carter and husband Bob, ranked 38th in overall dollars raised,

pulling in 183 donors, and generated the most money among the island groups. “Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2020 Giving Challenge a success,” said executive director Chris Culhane. “Our community is amazing and we are beyond thankful for all the support.” The community foundation said checks would go to nonprofits by July 1.

Holmes Beach releases community center 2019-20 funds Nonprofit organizations are feeling the strain of COVID-19. Especially those that hinge on community interaction and events. At an April 28 teleconferenced meeting, Holmes Beach commissioners voted 4-1 to release $22,500 in funding to the Center of Anna Maria Island. The money was budgeted last fall for fiscal year 2019-20. Commission Chair Jim Kihm voted “nay.” Holmes Beach also contributed $22,500 to the center for 2018-19 and 2017-18. Last year, Rash suggested directing a portion of the city’s contribution to senior programming. Center executive director Chris Culhane, who attended the meeting online, said the center partnered with Meals on Wheels PLUS for a dining program and also worked with the Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s to create a “Pedaling for Parkinson’s” class for seniors. Culhane said the center needed to raise about $200,000 to operate through December, not including $50,000 in reserves. “With the help they’ve been giving to seniors, I think we need to give them what we have budgeted,” Rash said. Kihm said he was not convinced the center had a viable long-term business model. Additionally, he said, although he has not seen recent statistics, it appears about half the people who partake in center classes and resources come from off

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the island. Earlier in April, the Anna Maria City Commission agreed to contribute $25,000 to the center. The next city commission meeting will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, and also will be held by teleconference. The city clerk will provide the public with instructions for joining the meeting when the agenda is prepared. — chrisann allen

Center fundraises with ‘After Party’

The Center of Anna Maria Island held an online party to add funds to its after-school program. In the Cote Challenge for the Center Kids, David and Maureen Cote were matching dollar-for-dollar money donated to the Beyond the Classroom scholarship fund. The campaign was April 30-May 4. A center newsletter said the Cote family “After Party” contribution was matching funds for up to $10,000 for the program at the nonprofit, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria. The newsletter noted that $500 pays for a child to attend the day camps that occur during school vacations; a $750 contribution supports a child’s enrollment in the after-school program; and $1,000 pays for a child to attend summer camp. For more information, call the center at 941-7781908.

Island happenings

May 6, 2020 THE ISLANDER | islander.org Page 11 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Photo finish

From the home studio

the screenshot is from Michael Spoon’s winning entry in the center of anna Maria island’s virtual scavenger hunt that ended april 27. the center, with people staying home due to the coVid-19 pandemic, created a virtual game, asking players to find and assemble into a video 10 photos of “scavenger” items. “to win, you must successfully complete the scavenger hunt and submit your answers,” the game announcement stated. Spoon won two center t-shirts. drake Parsons won a $50 gift certificate to dips ice cream and christine Hicks won a $25 certificate to the Sandbar restaurant. islander Screenshot

donna Slawsky sings a tune in a weekly segment of “art intertwined,” a Youtube series the artists’ guild of anna Maria island debuted in april. agaMi, with its Holmes Beach gallery shuttered and seasonal events canceled due to the coVid19 pandemic, launched a series of online efforts, including the Youtube videos, featuring member artists “sharing their art, music, poetry and prose. to watch, go online to Youtube and search for “artists guild of anna Maria island.” islander Screenshot

The Islander Calendar

By Lisa neff

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LOOKING AHEAD ON AMI

Oct. 17, Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Bayfest, Anna Maria.

KIDS & FAMILY LOOKING AHEAD ON AMI May 30, Anna Maria Island Privateers Kids Day, TBD.

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

AMIHS honors scholar High school senior tori coover of Holmes Beach plans to attend the university of South florida. She’ll be studying to become a veterinarian with the help of a $2,000 scholarship awarded by the anna Maria island Historical Society board of trustees. tori, the daughter of todd and Jennifer coover, received the scholarship april 24. aMiHS raised the money for the scholarship by selling Settlers’ Bread at the museum, 402 Pine ave., anna Maria. islander courtesy Photo

LOOKING AHEAD OFF AMI Oct. 23, Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament, Bradenton.

Early achievement for Mother’s day 2009, the islander invited readers to enter an essay contest to win gift baskets for their moms. tori coover, then a first-grader, entered this illustration for her essay about mother’s protective measures. She wrote: once i was walking my dog Max and i saw a snake in the yard and my mom waped a broom at it until it ran to the field.

GOOD TO KNOW SAVE THE DATES Sunday, May 10, Mother’s Day. Monday, May 25, Memorial Day. Sunday, June 21, Father’s Day. Saturday, July 4, Fourth of July. Send listings to calendar@islander.org.

Click! The Islander welcomes news of the milestones in readers’ lives. Send notices — along with contact info — to news@islander.org.

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Page 12 THE ISLANDER | islander.org May 6, 2020 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Holmes Beach stalls business tax, holds steady on stormwater tax hike By ChrisAnn Allen Islander Reporter

As Holmes Beach plans its 2020-21 budget, the impact of the novel coronavirus must be considered. Commissioner Terry Schaefer asked the mayor and commissioners to reconsider a recent local business tax increase during an April 28 teleconferenced work session. The commission voted March 24 to approve the second and final reading of an ordinance to increase the business license tax by the state-allowed 5%. During the April 28 work session, commissioners directed city attorney Patricia Petruff to draft an ordinance requiring the filing of a business tax renewal form, but the fee collection would be suspended for fiscal year 2020-21, which begins Oct. 1. So the 5% increase would apply to 2021-22. Suspending the fee for 2020-21 would cost the city about $45,000. “I think the city is in a decent position to help the businesses with the situation they find themselves in,” Kihm said. “The last thing we need to do is add an

additional burden of a tax.” Petruff will present a draft ordinance Tuesday, May 12, at the work session following the 6 p.m. commission meeting at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive. Schaefer also suggested April 28 that commissioners reconsider the annual stormwater management fee, which they increased from $1.68 per 100 square feet to $2.95 per 100 square feet by a vote in December 2019. The city engineer had proposed a $4.40 increase to fund repairs to failing infrastructure. Schaefer proposed rolling back the fee to the previous rate until 2021-22. Commissioners considered discussing a draft resolution to roll back the rate, but then decided against that route. Mayor Judy Titsworth suggested keeping the rate at $2.95, but possibly retaining it the following year, after the city collects data about the financial effects of COVID-19. The city had planned to increase the rate A low-lying area on 38th Street in Holmes Beach is annually to fund infrastructure repairs. “I don’t want to do this rushed,” Titsworth said. flooded following rain and high tides in July 2019. Islander Photo: ChrisAnn Allen “We have to be stewards of the big picture.”

Holmes Beach hears infrastructure project updates, good news By ChrisAnn Allen Islander Reporter

Rebuilt seawalls, parks and sidewalks were all on the roster in Holmes Beach for 2019-20. While many Anna Maria Island activities and businesses were paused due to COVID-19 concerns, the city’s capital improvements projects were going strong, with several ahead of schedule for the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30. The city’s development services director, Eran Wasserman, shared a report April 28 on the progress of city projects in the 2019-20 budget during a teleconferenced city commission meeting. Ongoing and completed capital improvement projects for 2019-20 include: • Extension of the sidewalks on the north side of 56th Street on Gulf Drive at the S-curve connecting pedestrians to a new mid-block crosswalk between Guava and Carissa in the 8500 block of Gulf Drive with completion date set for the end of May;

• Other sidewalk improvements planned by the end of September along the east side of Holmes Boulevard at 56th Street and Fifth Avenue, from 36th to 37th streets; • Completed crosswalks at Gulf Drive and White Avenue, 55th Street mid-block and 72nd Street; • Completion of the portion of the dog park for large pets, although partially closed the week of April 27 to allow hydro-seeded grass to establish. The small dog park also was closed for hydro-seeding, but set to reopen this month; • A request for proposals was being drafted the week of April 27 for repairs to the bridge on Key Royale Drive; • Sidewalks, resurfacing, striping and symbols for the “city center,” the intersection of Gulf and Marina drives to the 5600 block of Marina Drive, where seawalls were being repaired are being designed for presentation to the city commission at a May or June meeting;

• Construction on stormwater improvements in the city center area was planned to start in May; • Design plans and a contract for stormwater “Phase D,” which includes drainage between Marina and Palm drives from 80th to 84th streets, are be presented to the commission this month, with two months of construction to commence in June; • Seawall and cap replacement in the 5400 and 6700 blocks of Marina Drive was underway with completion expected in late May or early June; • New city shuffleboard courts were to be completed this month, with bocce courts to follow; • A backstop, dedication sign and bleachers were installed at the baseball field, with batter benches and bases on order the week of April 27 and an outfield fence was to be installed in May; • Bike lane symbols and striping; city field grading, landscaping, sod and irrigation; the city skate park and a new toddler playground were completed.

Upon completion, a new sidewalk on the S-curve in the 5600 block of Gulf Drive will connect to a mid-block crosswalk.

A sidewalk is under construction April 29 in the 5500 block of Gulf Drive. Upon completion, the walkway will join crosswalks, allowing for safer pedestrian crossings to nearby beach accesses. Islander Photos: ChrisAnn Allen

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When too much fertilizer is applied to landscapes, it seeps past the root zone, into our storm drains and into the bay. This affects the plants, animals and people who depend on clean water for survival. Follow these tips to help prevent water pollution: • Fertilize lawns, trees and plants only to maintain health. Don‛t exceed recommended amounts. • Use slow-release fertilizers that provide nutrients to plants for a longer time. They also are more cost effective. • Use iron instead of nitrogen to “green-up” your lawn. • Hold off on fertilizing if a heavy rain is expected and don‛t over irrigate after applying. • Avoid weed-and-feed products as well as pesticides and herbicides. Incorporate native vegetation when replacing or creating new landscape areas. More information is available at City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, or at the Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach.

Times are tough for pets, too. It’s especially true for rescues and foster pets waiting for a family and a home during the safer-at-home orders. Please, join us and help wherever you can with adoption, food or funding. … or reach out to our partners at Moonracer No Kill Pet Rescue, Moonraceranimalrescue.com, 941-345-2441. Dropoff: The Islander, AMI Centre (by Walgreens) 3218 E. Bay Drive, Holmes Beach. 941-778-7978.

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May 6, 2020 THE ISLANDER | islander.org Page 13 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Election 2020

Vote-by-mail apps, registration encouraged

Manatee County registered voters can apply now to vote by mail this year, including balloting for the Aug. 18 primary and the Nov. 3 general election. To apply, go to votemanatee.com and click on the “Vote by Mail and Early Voting” link. A voter does not have to be absent from the county of residence or require an excuse to vote by mail. Also, one request covers elections through the next two regularly scheduled general elections. The Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office also has opened voter registration for the August primary. Registration will close at 5 p.m. July 20.

Candidate qualifying starts in June

Candidate qualifying in Anna Maria will open at noon June 1 and close at noon June 12. Commission seats held by Amy Tripp and Mark Short and the mayoral post held by Dan Murphy are up for election. Qualifying in Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach will begin at noon June 8 and end at noon June 12. Commission seats held by Marilyn Maro and Ralph Cole are up for election in Bradenton Beach. In Holmes Beach, the mayoral post held by Judy Titsworth and commission seats held by Pat Morton and Kim Rash are up for election. Qualifying also is June 8-12 for those seeking to run for state legislative and Manatee County offices, including the board of county commissioners. Up for election are commission seats held by Priscilla Whisenant Trace, District 1; Stephen Jonsson, District 3; Vanessa Baugh, District 5; and Betsy Benac, District 7. Trace, a Republican, is the only active candidate in her district, with more than $46,000 in political contributions. In District 3, which includes Anna Maria Island, Republicans Matthew J. Bower and Kevin Van Ostenbridge are active candidates. Ostenbridge was endorsed by Jonsson, who is not running again, and has more than $86,000 in contributions. Bower, who lost to Jonsson in 2016, has no money reported and announced earlier in April he would not accept contributions from developers. In District 5, Baugh is an active candidate with more than $72,000 in contributions. In countywide District 7, Benac is not seeking reelection. Three other Republicans are active — Paul Finer, Edwin Hunzeker and George Kruse. Hunzeker, who was county administrator 2007-19, has about $52,000 in contributions; Kruse, $13,000; and Finer, $8,000. Qualifying for judicial office and Congress closed April 24. Details about voter registration, as well as candidate qualifying and more, can be found online at votemanatee.com.

Anna Maria pier inches toward completion By ryan Paice islander reporter

Contractors are close to finishing the new 800plus-foot-long Anna Maria City Pier that reaches out over Tampa Bay with a vista of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. But not so fast. Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy wrote in a May 1 email to The Islander that the pier was 10-15 days from substantial completion after Florida Power & Light completed meter work the week of April 27. Murphy said items in need of Murphy “substantial completion” are the bathrooms and lighting fixtures. He said some light fixtures were held up by the manufacturer, but temporary lights were installed as a stopgap. The mayor added that some smaller items that also need to be addressed, include: • Benches; • A fish-cleaning station; • A flagpole; • Paint touchups; • Additional electrical work that requires removal of some decking. Pier construction began in 2018, after damages from Hurricane Irma in September 2017 and demoli-

tion of the historic pier. Murphy told city commissioners in a May 1 telemeeting that despite the April 30 expiration of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ safer-at-home order, the pier would remain closed to the public after completion since “we’re not out of the woods yet” in regards to COVID19. City commissioners will meet at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, by teleconference to discuss the two responses to the request for proposals for a lease and terms to operate the restaurant and bait shop at the new pier. The bids are from the Ugly Grouper restaurant in Holmes Beach and Sean Murphy, owner of Beach Bistro, Eat Here and the Doctor’s Office, all in Holmes Beach. The RFP was briefly discussed at a previous meeting, but commissioners agreed to postpone the discussion until the city received more information from the bidders. The mayor wrote that he had received the information needed from the bidders and that he already met individually and discussed the bids with each commissioner. The bid packets are being withheld from the public record until the May 6 meeting. The meeting agenda, including instructions for people to call in, will be placed on the city’s website at www.cityofannamaria.com.

HB commissioners approve data for adjusting salaries Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth is gathering information and watching the numbers. Preparations for the 2020-21 fiscal year budget have begun, and Titsworth and city treasurer Lori Hill are crunching numbers as they plan for the city. City commissioners April 28 approved a resolution allowing the mayor to use data from a recent compensation study by Evergreen Solutitsworth tions of Tallahassee. The vote was 3-2. Commission Chair Jim Kihm and Commissioner Kim Rash voted “nay.” The study, which cost $16,000, was approved in the 2019-20 budget and was an updated version of an analysis completed by Evergreen five years ago under then-Mayor Bob Johnson. The results of the initial study allowed the Evergreen analyst to change the way of calculating annual increases from a time-based longevity program to a

merit-based plan. The newer study, which started in November 2019, was a “compensation plan update study” that included internal city data and feedback, as well as comparisons with peer cities and other external sources. Rash said he was concerned the benefit package was not included in the salary evaluation. He also said, “right now is not the time to push raises,” referring to rash economic impacts related to the novel coronavirus outbreak. City attorney Patricia Petruff said commission approval of the resolution did not mean the mayor would provide raises proposed in the study report. She can use the data as a guide for salary considerations, Petruff said. “This as a tool,” Titsworth said. “I have to look at merit in order to stay competitive.” — chrisann allen

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Page 14 THE ISLANDER | islander.org May 6, 2020 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Kingﬁsh Boat Ramp overﬂow parking revisited

Gone today, here tomorrow? Following a request from Manatee County administrator Cheri Coryea, the Florida Department of Transportation reviewed overflow parking on the south side of Manatee Avenue, across from Kingfish Boat Ramp, 752 Manatee Ave., Holmes Beach, the week ending May 3. The DOT installed “no parking signs” April 28 on the south side of the state road — restricting the overflow of boats and trailers from the boat ramp. In a May 1 report on the state of the city during the COVID-19 outbreak, Mayor Judy Titsworth said the review and signage installation was performed by the DOT without communicating with the city or Police Chief Bill Tokajer, who serves as the city’s traffic engineer. Tokajer said May 1 the area between East Bay Drive and the Anna Maria Island Bridge has been used as an overflow lot for boaters without incident since Parked trucks with boat trailers line the right of way on the south side of Manatee avenue May 2, where previously posted “no parking” signs — put up by Manatee county with approval from the dot — are he came to the city in 2013. The DOT allowed HBPD officers to temporarily covered by the city, opposite the Kingfish Boat ramp in Holmes Beach. islander Photo: chrisann allen cover the signs April 30 to allow time to discuss a parking plan in lieu of closing the area that serves overflow Staff reports parking from Kingfish Boat Ramp.

RoadWatch

Eyes on the road

The Florida Department of Transportation and Manatee County posted the following notices: State Road 684/Cortez Road at the Cortez Bridge: Crews will be working on the bridge. Motorists can expect intermittent east and westbound lane closures 9 p.m.-4 a.m. through May 7, and also May 11-14. State Road 64/Manatee Avenue over Perico Bayou and Palma Sola Bay: Crews are working on the bridges. Motorists can expect lane closures 7 p.m.-6 a.m. • Multiple locations in Bradenton Beach: A county pipeline replacement project continues in Bradenton Beach. • Cortez Road and 119th Street West in Cortez: Work to realign 119th Street West on Cortez Road/ State Road 684 continues. Drivers can expect lane closures 10 p.m.-6 a.m. For the latest road watch information, go online to fl511.com and swflroads.com or dial 511. — Lisa neff

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Streetlife

Island police reports

Anna Maria April 27, 400 block of Magnolia Avenue, noise. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office dispatched a deputy at about 10:25 p.m. to check a complaint about loud noise. A neighbor reported people on the tennis courts at the Center of Anna Maria Island were “drinking, yelling, goofing around.” April 28, 200 block of Coconut Avenue, disturbance. The MCSO received a report of a disturbance at about 12:30 a.m. The report stated that a woman who appeared intoxicated allegedly was making verbal threats and offensive remarks to a neighbor. The deputy issued the woman a noise citation and suggested she go to sleep. April 28, 200 block of Cypress Avenue, suspicious circumstances. The MCSO dispatched a deputy at about 9:15 p.m. to investigate a report of suspicious circumstances. The report stated someone saw a red flare over the Gulf, about a mile out. April 29, 800 block of North Shore Drive, suspicious person. The MCSO dispatched a deputy at

about 1 a.m. to look into a report of a suspicious person. No additional information was available. April 29, 800 block of North Shore Drive, suspicious person. The MCSO received a complaint at about 9:20 p.m. about a suspicious person in the vicinity of the Rod & Reel Pier, which was closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No additional information was available. Anna Maria is policed by the MCSO. Bradenton Beach No new reports. BBPD polices Bradenton Beach. Cortez No new reports. MCSO polices Cortez. Holmes Beach April 24, 5800 block of Gulf Drive, burglary. An officer spoke with a complainant who reported several items stolen from his shed. No action was taken. April 25, 500 block of Manatee Avenue, traffic. An officer was alerted to a hit on the license plate PLeaSe, See sTReeTLIFe, neXt Page

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May 6, 2020 THE ISLANDER | islander.org Page 15 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Bradenton man critical after hit-and-run on AMI Bridge

a bicycle remains april 27 on the sidewalk on the north side of Manatee avenue West at the anna Maria island Bridge in Holmes Beach at the scene of a hit-and-run collision between the bicyclist and a truck towing a forklift on a trailer. the bicyclist was in critical condition as of May 1, according to the fHP. islander Photo: courtesy HBPd

By chrisann allen islander reporter

A 61-year-old Bradenton man remained in critical condition May 1 after he was struck April 27 by a vehicle headed west across the Anna Maria Island Bridge on Manatee Avenue West in Holmes Beach. The bicyclist was struck at the west end of the bridge, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report shared with The Islander by Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer. HBPD responded to the crash and worked the traffic detail, but FHP investigated. Tokajer said May 1 that the man was in critical condition and the FHP had located a suspect vehicle and was continuing its investigation. The incident occurred at about 2:30 p.m. and the bridge was closed until about 5:40 p.m., according to the dispatch log from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Traffic on and off the island was directed to the Cortez Bridge, which was closed later that afternoon due to a crash on that bridge. Traffic from all directions on Manatee Avenue, Cortez Road and on the island as far south as Longboat Key was in gridlock. In the Holmes Beach crash, a truck was traveling west on Manatee Avenue West towing a trailer loaded with a red forklift, according to FHP. The bicyclist was riding uphill — eastbound onto the bridge from the sidewalk along north side of Manatee Avenue/ STREETLIFE continued froM Page 14

reader and stopped a vehicle. The male motorist was driving with a suspended license and had no insurance. He was cited, his tag was seized and his vehicle was parked and scheduled to be removed that day. April 26, 100 block of 31st Street, domestic battery. A woman reported her boyfriend verbally and physically assaulted her. Officers observed marks on her wrists and questioned the male suspect. The report stated the man was “extremely intoxicated,” so he was taken by the BBPD to Blake Medical Center, then transported to the Manatee County jail. April 26, 4600 block of Gulf Drive, alcohol. An officer was called to a noise disturbance on the beach. Upon locating the source, a man and a woman arguing, the officer saw the woman was drinking alcohol in violation of a city ordinance. She was cited and released. April 27, 400 block of 62nd Street, traffic. An officer received a call that a male driver’s vehicle was stuck in a ditch. Upon arriving and checking the man’s license, the officer determined it was suspended. The motorist was given a notice to appear and released. April 28, 3200 block of Gulf Drive, marijuana. An officer received a call that a person observed as three people trespassed through his/her property to get to the beach. The officer located the male suspects on the beach with a marijuana cigar, bags of mari-

WE TWEET TOO

State Road 64 — when he fell off the bike and into the road. The cyclist was struck by the right rear portion of the westbound truck, which did not stop, according to the FHP report. Tokajer said the city’s license plate reader did not help the FHP locate the suspect vehicle because

several trucks towing trailers with red forklifts drove over the bridge at about the same time and the forklift blocked the license plate from the camera. Anyone with information about the accident is asked to contact the Florida Highway Patrol at 239938-1800 or Manatee County Crime Stoppers at 866634-8477.

Cortez Bridge crash doubles down on trafﬁc gridlock People gather near an ambulance following a collision april 27 on the cortez Bridge. the crash occurred around 5:40 p.m. and closed both lanes of the cortez road/State road 684 bridge the same afternoon a hitand-run closed the anna Maria island Bridge. the florida Highway Patrol cleared the crash and reopened traffic lanes around 6:30 p.m. on the cortez Bridge. fHP did not provide a report incident by press time for the islander. for information about traffic in the area, including the bridges, go online to www.smarttrafficinfo. org. islander Photo: Mark “Scoop” Malinowski

juana and paraphernalia. Each was issued a citation for possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. April 28, Walgreens, 3200 E. Bay Drive, trespass. The store manager called to report a theft. The male suspect had previously received a trespass warning at the location and was in possession of items the $10 each @ The Islander, 3218 E. Bay Drive, HB.

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manager claimed were stolen. The man was arrested and taken to the police department for processing and then released on his recognizance. HBPD polices Holmes Beach. Streetlife is based on incident reports and narratives from the BBPD, HBPD and MCSO.

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Page 16 THE ISLANDER | islander.org May 6, 2020 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

tracks made by a loggerhead sea turtle lead to a nest at the Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach in the path of the planned beach renourishment project. aMitW removed and relocated the eggs to a safer spot.

Nesting notes By ChrisAnn Allen

New â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;saferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; practices launch with 2020 sea turtle season

Sea turtle nesting season has begun on Anna Maria Island. Two nests, both in Holmes Beach, were documented as of April 30. And Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring is operating with new â&#x20AC;&#x153;saferâ&#x20AC;? protocols. It is up to AMITW to keep future allen hatchlings â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and volunteers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; out of harmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way and collect data for Manatee County government and state and federal agencies. In 2020, those tasks may present a challenge, but whether the sea turtles know it or not, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re safer at home, even if home is in the Gulf of Mexico. In April, Suzi Fox, AMITW executive director, was patrolling the beach with four people on two ATVs, limiting volunteers and contact with people on the beach due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19. She anticipated nesting could start early due to warmer temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico. However, Fox already had planned to limit the pool of 67 trained turtle watch volunteers to seven people on four ATVs as of May 1, the official start of nesting season on the island, to speed up and refine the data collection process during a planned beach renourishment project, which may overlap with nesting season. Nests laid on beaches that are part of the project â&#x20AC;&#x201D; from 78th Street in Holmes Beach south to Longboat Pass â&#x20AC;&#x201D; must be relocated to avoid being covered with sand pumped from an offshore seabed to restore eroded beaches. The county had not released a start date for the

project as of May 1, although its website stated plans to â&#x20AC;&#x153;begin in May 2020 at the earliest and continue through September 2020.â&#x20AC;? Previously, AMITW divided island beaches into nine sections, each about a mile long. Two volunteers would walk each section up and back again every morning during season, which lasts through October. This year, turtle watch split the beaches into three sections, not including the beaches north of 78th Street in Holmes Beach or the Anna Maria bayfront, which are not part of the renourishment project. Usually, AMITW documents every nest spotted on the island. This year, nests outside of the project area will not be marked with stakes and tape, but turtle watch will track the dates laid and locations. The first nest of the season, found April 21, was discovered on the beach near Coconut Avenue in Anna Maria, past the data collection point. If a sea turtle nests inside the project area, turtle watch volunteers collect data on the nest, including GPS coordinates, while another volunteer digs a replacement nest farther north and landward, where the eggs are placed. The new nest is staked off for protection and data collection. Fox said the relocated nests will be spread out over about a half-mile to a mile of beach near the north end of the island. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t put them all in one place because the

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Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission does not want us to put all our eggs in one basket, so to speak,â&#x20AC;? Fox said. She added that fewer nests would be destroyed by a storm or predation if they are not all in the same location. In 2019, by the end of nesting season Oct. 31, turtle watch reported a record-breaking season, with 535 loggerhead and nine green sea turtle nests. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are expecting another busy year,â&#x20AC;? Fox said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We must be fast and thorough to safely collect data and relocate nests. But we are up to the challenge.â&#x20AC;? For more information, visit islandturtlewatch. com.

Skip coyne, aMitW volunteer, holds loggerhead eggs removed from a nest april 30 at the Manatee Public Beach, Holmes Beach. the eggs were relocated to a human-made nest in the sand. islander Photos: courtesy aMitW

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By Lisa Neff

Mothers and their nature

My childhood backyard was a baseball diamond, complete with stone blocks planted in the infield for bases. The back of the house was a home run wall, complete with ivy like Wrigley Field. The yard wasn’t large enough for hardball, but more than a few tennis balls and wiffle balls got hammered at the kitchen window. There were shade trees and ornate shrubs on the yard’s perimeter but mostly the scruffy space belonged to the kids — our playground for ballgames and rounds of catch with my dad. neff I recognize now that the backyard was a gift from my mom, who as her nest emptied, transformed the space into what she wanted — a colorful oasis that could win garden club prizes. She’d sacrificed the space for her kids. Back then, to get her hands in the soil and grow, my mom created community garden plots in the open field across the street. On summer mornings, she carried buckets of water from our house to the field. She seeded and weeded and watered until she had zucchinis the size of watermelons and cantaloupe the size of pumpkins. Some mornings, probably not without whining, I

the personification of nature as “Mother nature” goes back to ancient times but was widely popular in the 16th and 17th centuries. islander Photo: Via Wikimedia commons

helped in the garden, as did my siblings. We learned how to identify a ripe strawberry, stake a tomato plant, pull carrots and clip basil. We got farmer’s tans from working in T-shirts and jeans. We got stronger from carrying buckets of water and baskets of vegetables. And then we got fed well on field-to-table produce.

Mom’s garden provided sustenance. And my mom provided instruction and direction, along with many good times. It’s my mother’s nature to seed. And it’s my mother’s nature to nurture, which brings me to Mother’s Day. I was thinking about putting on a mask to go buy a greeting card for that second Sunday in May when I received a text from my mom. “Happy May Day!” she wrote, including in the message a Bitmoji of her leaping over flowers and a cheery “Oh Happy Day.” My “like” prompted her remembrance: “Do you guys remember making little paper baskets and taking them around and putting them on peoples’ doorknobs?” Indeed, I do remember the baskets we filled with white clover and dandelions picked from the very field where my mom’s vegetable garden grew. I also remember Mother’s Day cards made of construction paper, colored with crayons and adorned with elm and maple leaves from the yard where we played ball. I don’t think my mom ever appreciate a storebought card like she loved those homemade cards. Does a handmade card by a 56-year-old daughter have the appeal of one made by a 9-year-old? I’m confident the answer is yes, because of Mom’s nature. Happy Mother’s Day. Mom — Mary neff — and the neighborhood gang of kids on the steps of the neff home in Waukegan, illinois, circa 1976. islander Photo: tim Peevler

Water shortage declared

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s governing board voted April 28 to declare a water shortage for Manatee, Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota counties. The district said the phase 1 water shortage declaration requires utilities to review and implement procedures for enforcing year-round water conservation measures and water shortage restrictions and prohibits “wasteful and unnecessary” water use. Florida’s dry season runs October-May and April is historically one of the driest months of the year. For more information about Swiftmud and water conservation, go online to watermatters. org.

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Page 18 THE ISLANDER | islander.org May 6, 2020 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Hurdle goes back to school, embraces new family life By Jerry dipaola Special to the islander reprinted with permission from trib total Media

He rises every morning around 6:30, just in time to watch the sun rise over Anna Maria Island on the Gulf Coast of Florida. “Sunrises are pretty magnificent here,” Clint Hurdle said. Life isn’t bad, either, for the only manager in 27 years to bring playoff baseball back to Pittsburgh. For 36 minutes Friday, Hurdle stepped away from his new daily ritual that includes prayer, yoga and reading “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” with 17-year-old daughter Maddie. He talked a little baseball, but the conversation mostly focused on how he has spent the past seven months at home — really at home — for the first time in 45 years. “It’s almost like a 7-month-old puppy that’s still getting housebroken,” he said. Hurdle, 62, has been in baseball since he was the Kansas City Royals’ first-round draft choice (ninth overall) in 1975. He hit .259 over 10 seasons and was manager or coach in the majors and minors from 1988 until last September when he was fired by the Pirates at the end of a 69-92 season. Yet, he said, “I’m in a good place. I’m at peace.” Thanks to the pandemic, Hurdle is home-schooling Maddie and 15-year-old son Christian, not far from his former spring training base in Bradenton. With schools closed, Hurdle, his wife, Karla, and family helper, Alex — “She’s a lot more than a nanny,” he said — lead instruction in English, Spanish, history, physical education, music, biology and math. “We need each other to get through this paused life,” Hurdle said. The day begins with Hurdle sitting on the back porch for more than hour “just being quiet,” he said. He reads, prays and “gets my thoughts together for the start of the day.” His reading material ranges from “Coach Wooden and Me” by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to “When Breath Becomes Air,” neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi’s memoirs on his battle against cancer. After an hour of breakfast and family time — something Hurdle often missed as a manager — classes

Holmes Beach resident clint Hurdle welcomes a crowd to his annual fundraising dinner and auction March 13 for the Prader-Willi Syndrome association. islander file Photo: Lisa neff

begin, first upstairs in the home gym and later in the family’s nearby second home where Hurdle said he can create more of a school environment. “Reading Huck Finn, chapter 39, almost finished,” he declared. Hurdle seems to especially enjoy music class. When Maddie’s assignment was to interview someone 60 years or older about their taste in music, she chose her father. (Hurdle said he has had a passion for music since buying “Meet The Beatles,” their second album, at the age of 7.) “We sat down and put a presentation together,” he said. “We lost track of time while we were doing it. I found it as much fun as anything I’ve done in a long time.” Those are the moments Hurdle would have missed if he had accepted the two-year contract the San Diego

Island sports on hold, will Bucs play 2020 season? As we turned the corner into May, Covid-19 cases continued to climb in Manatee County. It seemed likely that youth and adult sports wouldn’t resume anytime soon, despite the “Safe. Smart. Step-by-step” plan to reopen Florida. The sports and fitness programs at the Center of Anna Maria Island remained on hold. Golf and horseshoe action are logical choices to get going as they’re not huge groups and social distancing can be achieved. However, the Key Royale Club won’t be resuming organized golf outings until mid- or late-May at the earliest, according to member Tom Nelson. Horseshoes also remained on hold, according to player/spokesman Jay Disbrow, who said, “They still have yellow tape blocking the paths to the pits, so as soon as we get the all clear, we will resume play.” Buccaneer fans, giddy with the acquisition of Tom Brady and his right-hand man, Rob Gronkowski, tuned in to the NFL draft on TV, hoping the Bucs could sign

one of the four elite offensive tackles. They got their man after swapping a fourth-rounder to move up a pick, selecting Iowa Hawkeye offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs. Wirfs, at 6 feet 5 inches and 320 pounds, is set to step in and help protect the 43-year-old Brady this season — if there is a season. The Bucs’ faithful, including myself, are excited for the season to start but, as a card-carrying, long-suffering fan, it wouldn’t shock me to see the season canceled and quarterback Brady KO’d for the season! The National Hockey League playoffs should have started April 8 and, here we are in May, when Major League Baseball should be about 30 games into the season. Meanwhile, I recently found myself watching a rock-skipping competition on ESPN. The resumption of sports and our regular routine can’t get here soon enough. — Kevin P. cassidy

Padres offered to be their hitting coach this season. “I just get back to the point that everybody was adjusting to me again,” he said. “This adjustment would have been spring training in Arizona. We’d move to San Diego. It’s as far West Coast as you can get. “Karla and I have been married 20 years. I’ve been a husband for 10. I’ve been a father for Maddie for half of 17 and Christian half of 15. I’m gone two weeks of every month. Even in the winter, you’re gone for something. “All the days that you’re even home, you’re not home. My wife has done nothing but make adjustments. My kids have made adjustments. It was time for me to make an adjustment.” Still clinging to some Pittsburgh ties, the family will return this summer to put their house in Allison Park up for sale and allow Maddie and Christian to reunite with friends. Fired with two years left on his contract, he said he doesn’t know if he will attend a game at PNC Park. “I’m in no hurry to run back to the ballpark,” he said. “I don’t want to be a distraction. “I’ve been fired twice. I want to honor the people who have come in to follow and give them the opportunity to do their thing without somebody being around.” Hurdle said he has spoken to his former front office bosses Neal Huntington, Kyle Stark and Frank Coonelly and reached out to Derek Shelton when he was named the new Pirates manager. “We’ve known each other a long time,” Hurdle said of Shelton. “I have a lot of professional and personal respect for him. I reached out to him when he got the job. I reached out to (president) Travis (Williams). I wish them nothing but good things. “It’s kind of like running a relay race, and it’s time to give somebody else the baton or you hand the torch to somebody else.” Hurdle is proud that he has been to three World Series with the Royals in 1980, Colorado Rockies in 2007 (as manager) and Texas Rangers in 2010. That he lost in all three is only a detail. “There is a pretty small group of men who have been to the World Series as a player, a coach and a manager. It’s a smaller group who has lost three times,” he said, laughing. “That fourth time was going to be a charm and my hope and my dream was for it to be in Pittsburgh. We weren’t able to pull that one off, but a lot of good things went on when we were there.” He likes to remember how PNC Park looked and sounded during those three playoff seasons. “The ballpark’s a jewel, to see it filled and noisy and proud, it’s fantastic.” But the games are only a part of his nine seasons there. “One of the great things I got to watch when I was there,” he said, “I got to watch some of our players establish relationships with girlfriends, that turned into wives, that turned into families. “I watched them grow up, physically, mentally, spiritually, professionally, personally. That’s the most rewarding aspect for me.” Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review sports writer based in Greensburg, Pa. You can contact him by email at jdipaola@triblive.com or via Twitter.

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May 6, 2020 THE ISLANDER | islander.org Page 19 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Tarpon still staging, other species coming on with force By capt. danny Stasny islander reporter

As we enter the month of May, tarpon fishing seems to be the topic of conversation. Rumors of tarpon sightings are surfacing, although the real numbers of fish have yet to arrive. That being said, reports for both inshore and offshore fishing are quite good. Inshore on the flats, the fish are Stasny producing plenty of action. The key to finding the action is locating clean, clear water where good tidal flow exists. In recent days, rain has diminished the water quality to less than favorable in Anna Maria Sound and its waters to the south in Sarasota Bay. As a result, most anglers are finding their way north to the waters of the Manatee River, Terra Ceia Bay and even north of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. In these clear, pristine-looking waters, the top trio of catch-and-release species — snook, spotted seatrout and redfish — are apparent. Free-lining live shiners as bait is working well for all three. If you struggle at catching bait, try using soft plastics combined with a jig head. These will suffice. You may not see the results you’re used to when using live shiners, but you should get some action — especially from the trout. Moving out to slightly deeper water also has its rewards. Fishing structure in Tampa Bay is worthy of some Spanish mackerel and even a few mangrove snapper. Most snapper inshore are on the smaller side but, if you’re not picky about filleting 10-inch snapper, you might be able to get a limit. If you’re looking for bigger game — mangrove snapper above the 10-inch minimum limit — you may want to venture offshore. Reports of nice-sized mangrove and yellowtail snapper are increasing in frequency. Anchoring and chumming over offshore reefs and wrecks sounds like it’s quite productive. Fishing ledges and hard bottom is producing action on these tasty fish, too. And while offshore, you’ll want to target some migratory fish — blackfin tuna, kingfish, amberjack and African pompano. Free-lining baits over wrecks should get you connected with these species. On my own Southernaire charters, I am targeting the catch-and-release sportfishing trio of snook, redfish and trout. The snook and trout are cooperating most days — especially when tidal flow is swift and clean and the water presents clear. As for the redfish, I’m seeing some, but only catching a handful here and there. Free-lining live shiners for the snook and trout is producing plenty of action. I am noticing the snook are

Send your fishing, sports, event news and photos to news@islander.org.

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Anna Maria Island Tides

Date

May 6 May 7 May 8 May 9 May 10 May 11 May 12 May 13

12:07a 1:08a 2:09a 3:16a 1:32p 2:11p 2:56p 3:54p

HIGH

1.9 1.7 1.6 1.4 2.7 2.6 2.4 2.1

11:28a 11:54a 12:24p 12:56p — — — —

2.3 2.5 2.7 2.8 — — — —

5:21a 5:47a 6:07a 6:23a 9:47p 10:44p 11:43p —

LOW

0.7 0.9 1.1 1.2 -0.4 -0.3 -0.2 —

6:22p 7:12p 8:01p 8:53p — — — —

-0.2 -0.4 -0.5 -0.5 — — — —

AM City Pier tides; Cortez high tides 7 minutes later — lows 1:06 later

Southernaire Fishing Charters

Moon

Full

april 27, Mark Kieper from Pennsylvania fished inshore using shiners catching several red fish all released. He was guided by capt. Warren girle.

a little spread out, so moving frequently is necessary if you want good numbers of hookups. For the trout, it’s the opposite. Once I find some fish, there seems to be a bunch of them. Some mornings I’m seeing 15-20 trout caught in one area. Then you move slightly and nothing. A couple of spots later and it’s back to catching a bunch again. Capt. Warren Girle is hooking catch-and-release spotted seatrout in Sarasota Bay. By drifting and jigging with soft plastics, Girle is finding encouraging numbers of these popular fish. Deep grass flats where clean water exists is key to getting on this bite. Mixed in are some ladyfish and Jack crevalle. Using live shiners is working, especially on the shallower grass flats. Catch-and-release snook and redfish are present in these areas and are readily taking live bait offerings. Capt. Aaron Lowman says inshore fishing in Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay is going strong. Targeting catch-and-release snook and redfish along mangrove shorelines, oyster bars and sandy potholes is resulting in plenty of action. Live shiners are the bait of choice, although soft plastics on a jig head are a good bet, too. Targeting spotted seatrout on deeper grass flats also is producing good catch-and-release action. Lowman says concentrations of the seatrout can be found in areas with decent tidal flow and clear water. Fishing structure in Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico is proving to be quite good, according to Lowman. Mangrove snapper and Spanish mackerel are the primary targets in these areas. Capt. Jason Stock is targeting blackfin tuna while chartering offshore. With an abundance of sharks that

also are on the hunt, he says the tuna can be challenging to get to the boat once on the line. Lucky anglers are finding success, but many of the tuna are chomped by the prey before making it boat side. When the sharks become intolerable, Stock is moving to other areas to target permit. He’s finding live crabs cast over offshore wrecks and reefs are resulting in permit up to 30 pounds. In the same areas, amberjack are making their presence known. Casting live shiners or pinfish is luring these reef predators to the hook. Lastly, Stock says anchoring and chumming over structure is working well to fill the coolers with mangrove snapper. Capt. David White of Anna Maria Charters says he’s finding an insane offshore bite right now. Migratory species like blackfin tuna, kingfish and African pompano are being caught frequently. Both live shiners and sardines are working well and targeting reefdwelling and bottom-dwelling species are good bets. Red grouper, mangrove snapper and yellowtail snapper are being caught over reefs and hard bottom. Live baits such as shiners and pinfish are producing action, but, according to White, frozen baits like sardines will work, too. Moving inshore, White is seeing good numbers of catch-and-release snook redfish and spotted seatrout. Live shiners are White’s bait of choice for the inshore bite. Send high-resolution photos and ﬁshing reports to ﬁsh@islander.org.

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Page 20 THE ISLANDER | islander.org May 6, 2020 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

I S L A N D E R C L A S S I F I E D S ITEMS FOR SALE

ANNOUNCEMENTS Continued

KIDS FOR HIRE

ANTIQUE PARTNER DESK: All wood, $1,000. See at The Islander office, 3218 E. Bay Drive, Holmes Beach. 941-778-7978.

Wanted: Your oLd cellphone for recycling. deliver to the islander, 3218 e. Bay drive, Holmes Beach.

FOUR OFFICE CHAIRS: From Anna Maria City Hall, circa 1950. The Islander newspaper, 3218 E. Bay Drive, Holmes Beach. 941-778-7978.

aeriaL PHotoS of anna Maria island. View and purchase online: www.jackelka.com.

KidS for Hire ads are free for up to three weeks for island youths under 16 looking for work. ads must be placed in person at the islander office, 3218 e. Bay drive, Holmes Beach.

free gun LocK courtesy of Project childsafe, florida fish and Wildlife conservation commission and Holmes Beach Police department. Pick up at the islander office, 3218 e. Bay drive, Holmes Beach. don’t be sorry, be safe.

FREEBIE ITEMS FOR SALE individuals may place one free ad with up to three items, each priced $100 or less, 15 words or less. free, one week, must be submitted online. email classifieds@islander.org, fax tollfree 1-866-362-9821. (limited time offer)

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found: Pair of expensive sunglasses. to claim, identify brand and beach visited recently. call turtle Watch office, 941-778-5638.

Wanted: WorKout dVds and retired but working XBox, Wii units with games for Ministry of Presence for kids and teens in Haiti. deliver to the islander, 3218 e. Bay drive, Holmes Beach.

PetS

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A E T N A

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G E S T U P R E I R C U E S R E S R

Wanted: docK SPace/boat lift/boat slip to rent or buy for 23-foot boat on anna Maria island. 203-247-6405.

FISHING LocaL fiSHing guide for hire. Wanna catch more fish, have better bait, learn the local waters? Your boat, my knowledge. call nelly, 40 years local fishing experience. 941896-2915.

JeSSie’S iSLand Store has immediate openings for full and paty-time cashiers for both day and night shifts. apply in person at 5424 Marina drive, Holmes Beach or call 941778-6903. rePorter Wanted: full- to part-time. Print media, newspaper experience required. apply via email with letter of interest to news@ islander.org.

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F I R E O B A R E I G O Z E D A D E S A C K S L R O Y S I O N A B L E F I N A L

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By Jesse Brisson

Island real estate transactions