The Islander Newspaper E-Edition: Wednesday, March 02, 2022 by The Anna Maria Islander Newspaper

MARCH 2, 2022 Free

VOLUME 30, NO. 19

the Best news on anna Maria island Since 1992

doT analyzing Hb speed restrictions

astheworldterns. 6

Q&A 030222.

aM sets dates for Pine ave., Mote meets. 4

Meetings. 4

By Kane Kaiman islander reporter

comp plan changes reach hB commission. 4 BB ScenicWaVeS seeds arbor day plans. 5

Opinions. 6

10-20 YeARS AGo

Looking back. 7

GoodDeeds. 8 Happenings community events. 10-13

Save a date. 10-11

School days. 15

nick Jones, visiting aMi from Minnesota, drives a rented LSV alongside family members andie Sarafolean in the passenger seat, edie Kleinboehl, right rear seat, and nancy Sarafolean, left rear seat, south on State road 789/east Bay drive in holmes Beach feb. 25 toward their rental home in Bradenton Beach. islander Photo: Kane Kaiman

community key to $16m record home sale By Kane Kaiman islander reporter

Welcome to the neighborhood. A lavish Anna Maria beachfront estate 18-19 sold for $16 million Feb. 22, breaking the all-time residential sale record for Manatee County of $13 million for a Longboat Key Obituaries. 18-19 home sale in July 2020. Listing agent Charles Buky said the Cops & Courts. 20-21 appeal of Anna Maria was as important to the buyer as the mansion itself. Streetlife. 21 “At this price point, you have to sell not only the house but the community,” Buky said Feb. 23. The Coldwell Banker agent accompaeagles suffer exposure. 23 nied the showings of the custom-built in 2020 five-bedroom, six-bathroom estate at 100 Beach Ave. Buky said he treated the buyers — of Colorado — to lunch at the Waterfront Restaurant before touring the Anna Maria area, Sporting news, horseshoe including stops at some Pine Avenue bou-

Gathering.

record set. 24

Sheepshead are biting.

Isl Biz: 26

Burritos in, subs out, kudos

CLASSIFIEDS. 28-29

PropertyWatch. 30

NYT puzzle. 31 islander archive: uoff florida digital newspaper collection at ufdc.ufl.edu.

islander.org

tiques, the Anna Maria City Pier, the Center of Anna Maria Island and the Holmes Beach dog park. The 7,500-square-foot gated home is on a 1.26-acre lot, unusually large for Anna Maria, affording new owners a sense of privacy and tranquility, Buky said. An open floor plan, large kitchen and 180-degree beachfront views were other factors that influenced the buyers to sign. The mansion boasts a gourmet kitchen and wet bar, a primary suite with spa-style bathroom and laundry, a game room, a partially-covered swimming pool, a spa and elevator, as well as a seven-car garage. The builder/seller was Joseph Acebal, a chiropractor and founder of Ideal Image, a chain of med-spa aesthetic clinics he coowned and sold in 2011 for $175 million. Neither Acebal nor the buyer agreed to speak with The Islander about the transaction. Buky — who manages a four-person realty team with his father, Gabe Buky — said the record-setting sale was further proof of the strength of the island market. “The demand for this area, it’s not stopping. It’s moving upward,” Buky said. Also, due to the property’s large lot size, the island native said he doesn’t think the record will be topped in the near future. “I think it will be beat, of course, like all records. But right now it’s tough in the short term, because that type of property doesn’t exist,” he said. taylor Mcfadden, left, gabe Buky, charles Buky and Jim Ptak of the Buky real estate team pose feb. 22 on the beach fronting the $16 million home they sold.

For now, the tortoise is winning the race in Holmes Beach. The Florida Department of Transportation, which has the authority to prohibit the use of low-speed vehicles on state roads in the interest of safety, is coordinating with Holmes Beach to determine if low-speed vehicles are appropriate on state roads, according to a Feb. 22 email to The Islander from Andy Orrell, DOT District 1 director of communications. In an October 2021 email, former DOT community liaison Jesten Abraham told Holmes Beach Commissioner Jayne Christenson low-speed vehicles were not allowed on state roads, which in Holmes Beach includes State Road 64/Manatee Avenue and State Road 789/East Bay Drive. Soon after, the Holmes Beach Police Department, which had received complaints turn to speed, Page 2

Anna Maria cell tower mobilizes for AT&T

a dynamic Structures employee dangles in a bucket feb. 24 while adding an at&t cellular antennae to the cell tower outside anna Maria city hall, 10005 gulf drive. the tower previously had a single server, Verizon. islander Photo: ryan Paice

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speed continued from page 1

about LSVs crossing the Anna Maria Island Bridge on Manatee Avenue, placed a sign on Manatee Avenue reading: “No golf carts or LSV on Manatee Avenue, East Bay Drive” and began enforcing the restrictions. However, at a Feb. 14 Island Transportation Planning Organization meeting in Holmes Beach, current DOT liaison Tanya Merkle appeared to contradict her predecessor when she said the department defers to state statutes and local ordinances regarding the prohibition of LSVs on state roads. Orrell confirmed Merkle’s statement in the Feb. 22 email to The Islander: “After evaluating Florida Statute 316.2122 … the Florida Department of Transportation, District 1, interprets that low-speed vehicles, as defined in the statute, are permitted on state roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or lower.” The posted limits are 35 mph on Manatee Avenue and East Bay Drive within Holmes Beach and the municipality has no restrictions on LSVs. LSVs are defined by state statutes as: • Able to travel 20-25 mph on level ground; • Must be registered, titled and ensured; • Must be equipped with safety accessories, including head lamps and turn signals. On Feb. 25, HBPD moved the prohibitive sign, changed its message and lifted the LSV restrictions pending the results of a DOT study into the safety of operating the vehicles on the roads. As of The Islander’s press time, the DOT had not replied to a Feb. 23 inquiry about the nature or time frame of the department’s safety study. “They’re in the middle of doing their own study,” HBPD Chief Bill Tokajer said. “But I still think that, first, if a low-speed vehicle is only allowed to be traveling at no more than 25 mph from the manufacturer, I don’t know why you would ever allow it to be on a road that’s 35.” “Beyond that, the speed limit as you get off the bridge (on Perico Island) is immediately 45. So I don’t see them allowing low-speed vehicles to go across a

A bicyclist rides Feb. 17 on the right side of Marina Drive in Holmes Beach where the city reduced the speed limit to 25 mph. Islander Photo: Ryan Paice

bridge where it can get to the end of the bridge and has nowhere else to go,” he said. As for State Road 789/East Bay Drive/Gulf Drive, Tokajer, who serves as Holmes Beach’s traffic safety engineer, said he asked the DOT to consider reducing the speed limit on the road from 35 mph to 25 mph within city limits. The city recently reduced the speed on its 35-mph roadways to 25 mph and Tokajer said the reduction “would allow low-speed vehicles to go through our city at 25 mph from tip to tip.” The chief said the reduction could satisfy safety advocates, such as himself, who have been pushing for slower roads, and those who want to operate their LSVs on East Bay Drive. Slower roads are safer because vehicles traveling at slower speeds can stop more quickly, Tokajer said. A reduced speed limit would improve safety for the occupants of LSVs, who share the road with drivers of much larger vehicles, and eliminate scenarios where automobile drivers find themselves behind

LSVs moving 10 miles under the speed limit on East Bay Drive, he said. Holmes Beach resident Stuart Bardwell, an LSV owner who prompted Merkle to clarify the DOT’s stance on the vehicles at the February ITPO meeting, said Feb. 22 that while he would not oppose a speed limit reduction on East Bay Drive, the measure would set Holmes Beach apart from Bradenton Beach. “Yes, I would agree that, if everyone’s doing the same speed, everything’s fine. No one’s getting frustrated,” he said. “But, again, you get to Bradenton Beach, it starts out it’s 35 and it gets to that curve and it’s 25. And it’s 25 in town and then it speeds up to 35 by Coquina Beach. So, where does that argument stand?” Bardwell said. “If all the other barrier island towns operate the same way, are you really willing to say that you’re, no pun intended, going to be an island on this issue?” he asked. Speed limits going south on State Road 789 from Turn to speed, Next page

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SOLD! the home at 100 Beach ave., anna Maria, sold feb. 22 for $16M, a record residential sale in Manatee county, beating the prior July 2020 record of $13M for a Longboat Key residence. islander courtesy Photo speed continued froM Page 2

Holmes Beach through Bradenton Beach vary between 25 mph and 35 mph and Bradenton Beach permits the use of LSVs on Gulf Drive. However, the vehicles are prohibited on stretches of State Road 789/Gulf of Mexico Drive on Longboat Key, where the speed limit is 45 mph. Close

A matter of safety Christenson, the only Holmes Beach commissioner to vote against the city’s recent speed limit reduction, told The Islander Feb. 23 that reducing the speed on East Bay Drive is unnecessary. “I just haven’t seen that speed has created an unsafe environment,” Christenson said. “Yes, there was a fatality, but that was due to a DUI and a person driving that shouldn’t be driving.” In February 2021, an 83-year-old pedestrian was killed by a hit-and-run driver in an SUV around the 2700 block of Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach. The driver later turned herself in to authorities and was charged with leaving the scene of a crash, a firstdegree felony. In a Feb. 23 email to the Holmes Beach City Commission following a Feb. 22 commission meeting,

tellar

Q&A 030222

By Lisa neff

The Islander poll this week’s question

Would you like to see the changing of clocks eliminated twice a year? Tokajer said the speed of the vehicle in the hit-andA. No, I would not. run was one of many factors. B. Unsure. In general, pedestrians struck by vehicles traveling C. Yes, fall back and stay there. 25 mph as opposed to 35 mph have a better survival D. Yes, spring forward and stay there. rate, he said. Last week’s question “If this pedestrian was a family member of mine Would you like to see speed limits lowered to 25 who was involved in a crash, I would much prefer they mph on AMI’s state roads, too? were on a lower speed road,” he said. 48%. Yes. The last major LSV crash in Holmes Beach 36%. No. occurred Nov. 29, 2021, when a sedan struck a golf 3%. Maybe. cart in the 6800 block of Palm Drive. 12%. I don’t like 25 mph on city roads. As of Feb. 14, the driver of the golf cart, Jana To answer the poll, go online to islander.org. Samuels, 79, of Anna Maria, remained in the intensive care unit at Blake Medical Center in Bradenton. “I know the discussion of speed limits came up On Feb. 25, the HBPD responded to calls about during the golf cart/LSV discussion but the speed limit an LSV that rolled over near the 6600 block of Palm does not have to do with how many golf cart crashes Drive. No one was injured in the accident. we have had, it is a global safety issue for the island Bradenton Beach Police Chief John Cosby told and all modes of travel,” he said. The Islander Feb. 23 that LSV crashes were infrequent “We have so many people crossing the street in and and he couldn’t remember the last time his department out of crosswalks. We have the trolley stops. We have responded to a crash involving an LSV. pedestrian traffic walking down the sides of the road In his email to the Holmes Beach Commission, and we have bicycle traffic,” Tokajer told The Islander Tokajer said reducing the speed on East Bay/Gulf Feb. 23. “Everybody is sharing the same road, which Drive within the city is not solely related to safety is a narrow road, and it just makes sense to slow down issues posed by slow-moving golf carts or LSVs. all vehicular traffic.”

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Anna Maria sets dates for Pine Ave., Mote Marine meets By ryan Paice islander reporter

Anna Maria’s set to put two big projects under a microscope in March. City commissioners agreed Feb. 23 to schedule a pair of special meetings, including: • 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 8, to discuss two options for Mote Marine Laboratory’s educational outreach center in the empty building at the T-end of the Anna Maria City Pier, 100 N. Bay Blvd.; • 2 p.m. Thursday, March 17, to discuss a request for proposals to install pervious paver meandering sidewalks and adding and enhancing crosswalks on Pine Avenue.

Mote agreed in September 2021 to lease the empty 1,800-sqaure-foot empty space on the pier and has been planning the interior since. Mote’s options for the outreach center include one with four marine live display tanks featuring different fish and crustaceans visitors can view and touch, and a second option that replaces the live tanks with interactive media displays such as a livestream underwater video from beneath the pier. Mayor Dan Murphy has said both options would be considered if the pier passes a structural inspection. He said Feb. 23 that the inspection should be completed by the end of February and, as of Feb. 23, all

Holmes Beach comp plan changes reach commission By ryan Paice islander reporter

A two-year process to revise Holmes Beach’s comprehensive plan soon may come to an end. City commissioners reached consensus at a Feb. 22 work session to hold a first reading for an ordinance revising the city’s comp plan. The plans were initiated by the state in 1989 and determine community goals and aspirations regarding development, as well as guide future legislation. The city’s comp plan lists 10 elements, including future land use, housing and infrastructure, which the planning commission has reviewed since January 2020 with the help of LaRue Planning, a Fort Myers-based

consulting firm. Commission Chair Carol Soustek called the revised document “beautiful” and credited the planning commission for a thorough review. “I think we’re all appreciative for the time and effort each of you individually and collectively accomplished,” Commissioner Terry Schaefer said. If the commission approves a first reading for the revisions, they will be sent to the state for review before they can be adopted at a second, final reading. The commission will meet next at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive. The meeting will be open to the public. Directions to attend via Zoom can be found at holmesbeachfl.org.

Anna Maria puts restrictions on sexual offenders, predators By ryan Paice islander reporter

Anna Maria commissioners voted Feb. 23 to adopt an ordinance prohibiting sexual offenders and predators from renting, residing or doing certain activities within 150 feet of several locations designated by the city, including the Center of Anna Maria Island. The vote was unanimous. The ordinance allows commissioners to designate a list of locations via resolution and can include “any schools, day care centers, beaches, parks, trolley stops and playgrounds, including but not limited to the center.”

Milestones

The Islander welcomes stories about islanders and island life, as well as photographs and notices of the milestones in readers’ lives — weddings, births, anniversaries, travels, obituaries and other events. Submit announcements and photographs — along with contact information — to news@islander.org. You also can visit on Facebook and join the 17,622 followers and 15,700-plus friends of The Islander in commenting on the news of the week.

Meetings

The code states “the city will endeavor” to keep a map of designated locations and their 150-foot buffer zones on the city website at cityofannamaria.com. The ordinance also requires a sexual offender or predator attending any event with more than 10 children present to declare their status as a sexual offender or predator to the person leading the event upon arrival to the location. Penalties include a $250 citation for a first offense, and $500 for a second and any subsequent violations — which can be issued every 10 minutes to a violator until they leave the designated location or buffer zone. The ordinance states that the city “may pursue injunctive relief to address repeated or continuing violations” if it deems such action appropriate. City attorney Becky Vose said the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office had reviewed the ordinance and was “very willing” to enforce the new code. A Feb. 26 search of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Sexual Offenders and Predators website found no offenders or predators residing in Anna Maria, one offender in Holmes Beach and three in Bradenton Beach.

compiled by Lisa neff, calendar@islander.org

Anna Maria City March 8, 10 a.m., commission (Mote). Anna Maria City Hall, 10005 Gulf Drive, 941708-6130, cityofannamaria.com.

West Manatee Fire Rescue None announced. WMFR administration building, 701 63rd St. W., Bradenton, 941-761-1555, wmfr.org.

Bradenton Beach March 2, 9:30 a.m., CRA. March 2, 2 p.m., ScenicWAVES. CANCELED March 3, 6 p.m., commission. March 16, 2 p.m., planning and zoning. March 17, noon, commission. Bradenton Beach City Hall, 107 Gulf Drive N., 941-778-1005, cityofbradentonbeach.com.

Manatee County March 3, 9 a.m., commission (land). March 7, 6 p.m., environmental land management. March 8, 8:30 a.m., commission. March 22, 9 a.m., commission. County administration building, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, 941-748-4501, mymanatee. org.

Holmes Beach March 2, 10 a.m., parks and beautification. March 2, 5 p.m., planning commission. March 8, 5 p.m., commission. March 9, 10 a.m., clean water. March 22, 10 a.m., code. March 22, 5 p.m., commission. Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, 941-708-5800, holmesbeachﬂ.org.

Also of interest March 1, 9 a.m., Manatee County/Holmes Beach joint meeting, county administration building. March 15, 2 p.m., Barrier Island Elected Officials, Holmes Beach City Hall. Please, send meeting notices to calendar@ islander.org and news@islander.org.

signs were positive. After the inspection is completed, city and Mote staff will meet to review plans, then bring them before the commission, according to Murphy. The city also is waiting for traffic engineer Gerry Traverso, from St. Petersburg-based George F. Young, to create a request for proposals for Pine, which city commissioners have been “reimagining” since Summer 2021. The meandering sidewalks will be constructed of permeable pavers — which commissioners will determine colors and materials for at a later date — and vary in width between 5 feet and 6 feet, depending on location. Crosswalk improvements will involve raising all crossings by 3 inches and installing in-road blinking lights on both sides to increase visibility. The city also plans to add and enhance street lighting along Pine, convert the trolley turnaround at the east end to include room for delivery trucks, as well as add bicycle paths to both sides of the roadway. Those improvements are scheduled to follow shortly after the sidewalk and crosswalk projects are completed. Both meetings will be at city hall, 10005 Gulf Drive. The meetings will be open to the public. Directions to attend via Zoom can be found online, at cityofannamaria.com.

Island native, writer joins Islander staff

Robert Anderson comes to write for The Islander with a family history on Anna Maria Island that dates to the early 1900s. Fortunate to grow up locally, Anderson’s childhood was a mix of island stories and history, exploration of the barrier islands and a general disregard for shoes. This upbringing left Anderson as an adult with a strong respect for nature and a love of all things Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. Early on, Anderson became interested in learning about and protecting the natural environment of Florida — the waterways and the wildlife. As a writer, he is drawn to stories of island life and how those stories interact with the comings and goings of the island’s natural workings. He is an avid writer, currently working on a collection of Florida-themed poetry. Anderson will be covering the city of Bradenton Beach, including city hall and the police department. He’ll also be writing features and reporting on AMI and area events. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, photography, pottery, vegetable gardening, fishing, boating and cooking. He can be reached at robert@islander.org or at The Islander office, 941-778-7978.

robert anderson of Bradenton has joined the islander staff.

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AM reviews federal funding, commission split on spending By ryan Paice islander reporter

anna Maria city commissioner deanie Sebring speaks feb. 23 in support of a proposal to seed 1 million-2 million Southern hard clams along the city’s northern shoreline on tampa Bay and Bimini Bay. islander Photo: ryan Paice

Anna Maria has a chunk of change to address environmental issues but no consensus on how to spend the money. It remained unclear which direction the commission will take after a Feb. 23 presentation from engineer Quinn Duffy of Melbourne-based Infrastructure Solution Services on stormwater infiltration trenches and their ability to remove excess nutrients from local waters. The city received $740,432 from the U.S. American Rescue Plan and has earmarked $50,000 to spend on environmental issues, including red tide. A collection of four contractors, supported by Palmetto-based Gulf Shellfish Institute, a nonprofit that would provide collaborative oversight, proposed using the money to seed up to 2 million Southern hard clams along the city’s northern shoreline on Tampa Bay and Bimini Bay. Proponents say seeding filter feeders like clams could improve water quality and marine resilience to red tide, a high concentration of naturally occurring algae, specifically Karenia brevis, which produces brevotoxins that can kill marine life. Detractors, such as retired marine scientist Randy Edwards, have told the city that the proposed quantity of clams would not remove a significant amount of nitrogen and would result in minimal benefits. Commissioners reached consensus to direct city staff to explore other options for the $50,000 to improve the local marine environment.

Duffy told commissioners Feb. 23 that their solution may be to continue adding stormwater infiltration trenches along city rights of way. He said the trenches drain stormwater from roadways and also remove excess nutrients before it reaches waterways. Studies have shown infiltration trenches can remove up to 90% of sediments, metals and organic matter, as well as up to 60% of nitrogen and phosphorous in the runoff. Duffy said that at a cost of $63 per linear foot of trench, the option provides proven results at an affordable cost. Commissioner Robert Kingan said he would prefer to use the $50,000 to create additional infiltration trenches rather than seed clams since it was a proven nutrient-removal strategy. Anna Maria adopts off-site “It’s proven to work,” Kingan said. “It seems to me to make sense … to put (the ARPA funds) toward this parking regulation Anna Maria businesses must claim their off-site rather than something we do not know the results of.” Commissioner Jonathan Crane agreed. parking spots. City commissioners unanimously voted Feb. 23 to adopt an ordinance requiring businesses to mark new off-site parking spaces that are intended for that particular business.” Mayor Dan Murphy said the measure was a stopgap that the commission would need to revisit as changes are made to Pine Avenue. Alan Ward, a trustee at Roser Memorial Community Church, asked the commission during public comment to add considerations for shared parking. He said the church provides off-site parking for five nearby businesses, but the church limits those businesses to allow for maximum parking for attendance at the church’s Sunday services. Murphy said the ordinance would not impact existing parking, such as the church’s shared parking. Commissioner Deanie Sebring moved to approve the ordinance. Commissioner Mark Short seconded the motion, which passed 5-0. — ryan Paice

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“We’re charged with spending federal taxpayer money to do something good for the community,” he said. “I’d rather put that money into something we know works rather than a hope and a prayer.” Commissioner Deanie Sebring, however, said the $50,000 would be a “drop in the bucket” in comparison to the millions spent by the city over the years to add trenches. “I think we should try something new,” she said. Commission Chair Carol Carter said no action was needed and that the ARPA funding would be revisited at a future commission meeting. About ARPA The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, also called the COVID-19 Stimulus Package, was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden in March 2021. The $1.9 trillion economic stimulus measure was intended to speed up the recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and recession.

BB ScenicWAVES seeds Arbor Day plans By robert anderson islander reporter

The Bradenton Beach ScenicWAVES Committee is seeding a celebration. Plans for marking National Arbor Day were discussed when the committee met Feb. 23 at city hall. ScenicWAVES is a commission-appointed advisory board involved with beautification, scenic highway improvements, tree protection and waterfront enhancements. During their discussion regarding Arbor Day, committee members talked about the types and number of plants to be used as well as plans to welcome Arbor Day April 29 at Bradenton Beach’s newest park, City Park. City Park sits just across the street from Bradenton Beach City Hall at 107 Gulf Drive N. Proposed plans include an organized cleanup of the state-designated Gulf Drive scenic highway, a

golden shovel planting of five sabal palm trees and a walk back across the street to city hall, where committee members will update a Tree City USA recognition sign with a sticker marking 11 years in the program. Tree City USA provides communities with a fourstep framework to maintain and grow tree canopies. The committee also addressed: • A final Sarasota Bay Estuary Program grant proposal for wildlife educational signage; • Maintenance of beach access signs and benches; • Installation of emergency access signs and benches for the south end of Bradenton Beach. The committee also heard from Darryl Richard of the Florida Department of Transportation regarding landscaping plans for State Road 789/Gulf Drive from 22nd Street North to 12th Street North. The committee’s next meeting was not scheduled as of Islander press time.

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Opinion

Our

Hammered down

Current events on Anna Maria Island are often out of sync with the global news. After all, we’re in paradise. They are not. But world events can bring pressure. And fear. And concerns. I recall a time when another Russian leader, the Soviet Union’s premier, Nikita Khrushchev, threatened the world powers in the 1960s. There was a notorious shoe-banging incident that occurred during a United Nations debate Oct. 12, 1960, over a Soviet resolution decrying colonialism. Khrushchev was infuriated by a statement charging the USSR with employing a double standard by decrying colonialism while dominating Eastern Europe. Khrushchev demanded the right to reply, accusing a Filipino delegate of being “a fawning lackey of the American imperialists.” The Filipino delegate countered, accusing the Soviets of hypocrisy. Khrushchev yanked off his shoe and began banging it on his desk. That scene, replayed on TV news many times over, was embedded in my mind. I became very concerned. Khrushchev then ruled in the tensest years of the Cold War, culminating in the Cuban Missile Crisis. That’s about when my world history teacher, a former U.S. Marine, wisely decided our class should document the Cuban crisis, clipping and saving news articles and discussing the daily events in class. The project took on enormous proportions, as the Cuban crisis — 1962-64 — including the installation of nuclear missiles brought to Cuba by Russia and aimed at the United States, also brought with it a great deal of threats and posturing over the 35-mile span of water between Florida and Cuba. Finally, our teacher, Mr. Luzenski said, “You can stop clipping newspaper stories.” It was such a huge task, that we all knew he could never grade our efforts. And as the tension surrounding the Cuban missiles grew, we continued to talk about the fears we had. And, thus, my message is to talk over the world situation with your children. Explain the threat to On AMI’s ‘major Skimming online … Ukraine and what it means to the world. It’s not just beach days that we share on AMI ... thoroughfares’ Web (register for free news alerts) but, for young people, understanding the world is islander.org As a part-time visitor to Holmes Beach, I believe about building empathy, concern and love for people. Facebook 35 mph should remain 35 mph on major thoroughStrength and power come from knowledge. @islandernewspaper fares. Putin is doing worse than banging a shoe, but he Twitter Yes, I know that 25 mph is safer than 35 mph just will not win. @ami_islander as 15 mph is safer than 25 mph, but what is not safe We’ll see to it. Instagram are golf carts traveling at 15-20 mph on major thor— Bonner Joy, news@islander.org @theislanderami oughfares. Pinterest It is simply unsafe and disrespectful to both full@islandernewspaper time and part-time residents of Holmes Beach. E-edition If they can’t travel at the speed limit, they should MARCH 2, 2022 • Vol. 30, No. 19 For $36 a year, e-edition subscribers have stay home. access to the weekly e-edition with page-by-page ▼ Publisher, Co-editor In my neck of the woods, a golf cart traveling at a Bonner Joy, news@islander.org views of all the news, photos, columns, commusignificant variation from the legal speed limit gets a ▼ Editorial nity announcements and advertisements. And subtraffic violation. editor Lisa neff, lisa@islander.org scribers receive breaking news notices. robert anderson, robert@islander.org On another subject, I support any number of fundTo subscribe online, visit islander.org. Joe Bird, editorial cartoonist raising causes but I don’t support the cavalier nature Kevin cassidy, kevin@islander.org For other subscriber services, call our newsthat average folk’s lives are interrupted by poor planJack elka, jack@jackelka.com paper office at 941-778-7978. Kane Kaiman, kane@islander.org ning of an event. Brook Morrison, brook@islander.org Coming back from off-island on the day of the ryan Paice, ryan@islander.org Dolphin Dash took 90 minutes, with the last 1.2 miles Have your say ▼ Contributors Karen riley-Love taking 52 minutes. The Islander accepts letters of up to 250 words. Samara Paice Event organizers and local officials should do a Please, email news@islander.org. capt. danny Stasny, fish@islander.org better job of administering this worthwhile fundraising nicole Quigley event, whether it’s a better route, better traffic control ▼ Advertising Director Keep your promise to keep the historic pier as toni Lyon, toni@islander.org or any other number of other alternatives. it was by having a restaurant in that gorgeous space ▼ Webmaster Wayne ansell Bruce Corner, Pawleys Island, South Carolina ▼ Office Manager, Lisa Williams like before and have the restaurant be a Mote-type info@, accounting@, classifieds@, setting. subscriptions@islander.org Dining by aquarium light? The restaurant could display marine life informa▼ Distribution urbane Bouchet Anna Maria does need a restaurant that can serve tion and perhaps include an aquarium. ross roberts Kids and adults could learn while waiting for their a crowd at an affordable price — that is what we had Judy Loden Wasco food via place mats that provide educational aquatic with the restaurant at the old Anna Maria City Pier. (All others: news@islander.org) People visit a restaurant much more frequently and marine life information as well as a fun activity. Single copies free. Quantities of five or more: 25 cents each. ©1992-2022 • Editorial, sales and production ofﬁces: Combine the two to have an affordable restaurant than they visit a display or an interactive educational 315 58th St., Suite J, holmes Beach fL 34217 with a “Mote” theme? experience or the Mote Marine. WeBSite: islander.org Karen McDonald, Bradenton Beach Why not compromise? text or call: 941-778-7978

Your

Opinion

March 2, 2022 THE ISLANDER | islander.org Page 7 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Beulah Tingley, the woman who built a library Building began in January 1993 on a Bradenton Beach institution that was dreamed of years before. A bequeath from the late Beulah Rebecca Hooks Hannah Tingley made possible the construction and the ongoing operation of the Tingley Memorial Library, 111 Second St. N. Tingley was 92 when she died in 1986. Who was she? The Islander, marking Women’s History Month throughout March, looks back at Tingley’s life, documented in newspaper accounts, tributes and an entry on Wikipedia. She was born Aug. 24, 1893, in Lakeland, and grew up in a politically active family in Clermont. She served as chair of the Democratic Party of Florida and also on the Democratic National Committee, championing women’s causes in the party and beyond. In 1932, she became the second woman to address a Democratic National Convention, as she seconded the nomination of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. “With this great human leader at the head of the Democratic Party, the party of the people, we will win a sweeping victory in November, and these sad, long, lean years that we are now passing through will seem but a nightmare in the light of a better day and a better administration,” she told the convention. Tingley also was a businesswoman who managed the family’s citrus groves, as well as a writer of short stories and poetry. Later in her life, she came to reside on Anna Maria Island, where her family had vacationed when she was a child. In Bradenton Beach, she served on a library board for the nonprofit Bradenton Beach Public Library,

10&20 years ago

From the Feb. 27, 2002, issue

• The Cortez Bridge was scheduled for five days of maintenance work — $409,000 in repairs and renovations. • Consideration of a county charter government was placed on indefinite hold when “the Big Three” — the county, Bradenton and Palmetto governments — agreed to create a joint planning commission to address growth. • Bradenton Beach commissioners rejected pleas that they reverse a vote approving a permit for the condo-office development called Old Bridge Village. Petitioners said they would push a referendum but the city attorney said a petitioninitiative on the matter was contrary to state law.

From the Feb. 29, 2012, issue a portrait of Beulah rebecca hooks hannah tingley appeared in the Jan. 7, 1993, issue of the islander, which reported on the scheduled groundbreaking for the tingley Memorial Library in Bradenton Beach. islander archives Photo

which was founded in 1959, and identified a need for a permanent place for a library in the city. The library was maintained in Tingley’s home until plans for the bequeath were solidified. She wanted “a quiet place where books could be enjoyed” and that’s the Tingley.

Have your say

The Islander accepts letters of up to 250 words and reserves the right to edit for grammar and length. Letters must include name, address and a phone number for verification. Email: news@islander.org.

We’d love to mail you the news!

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

• Anna Maria commissioners voted to enact a building moratorium, halting the issuance of construction permits, as well as some remodeling permits. • Bradenton Beach commissioners continued to hear calls for and against an open-air market at the Gulf Drive Cafe, 900 Gulf Drive N. The commission had temporarily approved the market for 60 days. • The Tampa Bay shoreline in Anna Maria was built up north and south of the entrance to the Anna Maria City Pier with dredge material from the Bimini Bay channel. — Lisa neff

find the islander dating to november 1992 online at the uoff digital newspaper collection at ufdc.ufl. edu.

Print Your Own Memories

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looking back

Childhood and change on AMI By John dockins Special to the islander

Robert “Bob” Johnston’s family relocated to Anna Maria Island from Connecticut when he was 12 years old. He spent his formative years living in the family home on 85th Street and Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach. Johnston attended the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kingsport, New York, and traveled the world as a merchant marine but he’s never forgotten his Anna Maria roots. Johnston He currently resides near Farmville, Virginia, with wife Sandy and together they migrate back to Anna Maria Island for a few months every winter. He remembers how his family came to reside in Holmes Beach: “My father was in the transportation business and he received a complimentary stay at the old Lay-By railroad resort on the beach at White Avenue. Anna Maria Island was my father’s Shangri La. After a few more visits at Lay-By he decided in 1952 to build a house on Gulf Drive near White Avenue.” He continues: “My mother was not thrilled with the move. She complained of the bugs, the heat, humidity and lack of access to the mainland. (There was a one-lane wooden bridge to the mainland at the time). However, after a prolonged visit back to Connecticut, she never complained about Anna Maria Island again. She grew to love it here and especially liked walking the beach and floating in the Gulf.” Regarding the building of the family home Johnston recalls, “Our house was built at the same time the bank at the corner Gulf and Marina was being built.

The bank had some white marble slabs left over that made their way into our fireplace design.” He recalls having fun on School Key, which is now Key Royale: “There were no bridges to School Key and my buddies and I liked to take our small boats over to the key to hang out. It was full of snakes and not very hospitable. One of my friend’s father had a lumber business and we were able to ferry over some lumber odds and ends to School Key to build our ‘Grand Ballroom’ treehouse on the north end of the island. We often camped out there and had the run of the island.” He continues: “My friends and I liked to fish at the Rod & Reel Pier. We would attach our fishing lines to an old tire and put the tire over a piling while we went upstairs to have a soft drink. When a fish hit the bait we were alerted and the tire’s elasticity served to set the hook. We caught plenty of sharks that way. Back then you either fished at the Rod & Reel or the city pier. For some unknown reason the two groups never crossed over from one pier to the other.” A memorable event occurred during a chance encounter with another Anna Maria Island resident and eventual member of baseball’s hall of fame. Johnston recalls, “I was working weekends and afternoons at a furniture store in the Holmes Beach shopping center, mostly sweeping up, uncrating and making deliveries. So it was a pleasant surprise when the finicky owner asked me to keep an eye on the store while he went to the bank and did errands. Shortly after he left a couple came in and browsed. It happened that we had a throw rug about three feet in diameter that was round and looked like a baseball complete with stitching. It wasn’t until the couple bought the rug that I recognized the man. Warren Spahn, arguably the best pitcher in the Major Leagues. He was staying on the island during the winter training season.” “I could hardly wait for the store owner to return to tell him of my great sale. Unfortunately, instead of praise he chewed me out because I didn’t detain Mr. Spahn until the owner got back as it would have made

GoodDeeds

compiled by Lisa neff

Assistance sought on AMI

• The Kiwanis Club of Anna Maria Island is organizing for its Easter sunrise service at the Manatee Public Beach and welcomes volunteers and new club members. Information: 941-778-1383. • The Friends of the Island Library seeks storage space for donations to its annual book sale. Information: 941-778-6341. • The Island Players seeks volunteers, including house managers, backstage and prop crews, website experts and actors. Information: 508-965-5665. • Moonracer Animal Rescue seeks volunteers to offer foster and forever homes for rescued animals. Information: 941-345-2441. • The Roser Food Bank seeks donations. Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, administers the pantry, supported by All Island Denominations. Information: 941-778-0414.

Assistance offered on AMI

• The Roser Food Bank welcomes applicants who live and/or work on Anna Maria Island for food assistance, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Information: 941-778-0414. • AID offers financial help to individuals and families who reside on the island, go to church on the island, attend school and/or work on the island. Information: 941-725-2433. good publicity for the store in the Islander. Another life lesson learned.” Even though Johnston has seen a lot changes on Anna Maria Island over the past nearly 70 years, he says one thing remains constant: “Anna Maria Island is a great place to be.” Some things never change. Editor’s note: The article is based on several years of recorded conversations between John Dockins and Robert Johnston.

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March 2, 2022 THE ISLANDER | islander.org Page 9 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Open-air annual meeting Liz hager, president of the anna Maria island historical Society, reads aloud feb. 23 from a history of the organization during the nonprofit’s annual luncheon meeting, held outside the aMihS museum, 402 Pine ave., anna Maria. attendees dined on a picnic lunch, reelected officers and enjoyed music, dancing and other entertainment. islander courtesy Photo

Growing the krewe the anna Maria island Privateers welcome Kevin avalone to the krewe at their feb. 16 meeting at the Bradenton Moose Lodge. avalone said he’s onboard to “help the community and be a role model to kids.” for more information about the Privateers, go to amiprivateers.org, email liaison@ amiprivateers.org or call Valerie “dallas” Mabry at 941-896-0797. islander courtesy Photo

Look before you drive

do you know that a “smart traffic” site on the web shows real-time traffic situations in Sarasota and Manatee The Islander was counties? users invited to take part in a click a camera — pilot project with the Unior multiple cameras versity of Florida George — to see current A. Smathers Libraries. traffic conditions, Our collection of printed including on the newspapers, beginning anna Maria island with the first edition in Bridge and on the 1992, is maintained on the Manatee avenue library site, searchable by key word, name or date. and cortez road Look for Islander in at the UofF Florida digital news- approaches to the island. the site is at www.smarttrafficinfo.org. islander Screenshot

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Island happenings

Page 10 THE ISLANDER | islander.org March 2, 2022 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

compiled by Lisa neff, calendar@islander.org.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ON aMi Thursday, March 3 2 p.m. — Friends of the island Library Lecture and Travel series talk, Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine ave., anna Maria. information: mymanatee.org/library, 941-778-6341. Saturday, March 5 10 a.m.-5 p.m. — Anna Maria Art Fair, city ﬁeld, 5800 block of Marina drive, holmes Beach. information: 231-350-8277. Sunday, March 6 10 a.m.-5 p.m. — Anna Maria Art Fair, city ﬁeld, 5800 block of Marina drive, holmes Beach. information: 231-350-8277. ONGOiNG ON aMi March 3-20, island Players’ “a Comedy of Tenors,” 10009 Gulf drive, anna Maria. Fee applies. information: 941-778-5755. Throughout March, sue elliott’s “wonderful world mixed-media exhibit, island Gallery west, 5368 Gulf drive, holmes Beach. information: islandgallerywest.com, 941-778-6648. second Fridays, art walk, downtown holmes Beach around ‘Beyond Van Gogh’ arrives Gulf and Marina drives. information: 941-778-6648, 941-778- the acclaimed “Beyond Van gogh: the immersive experience” will open friday, March 4, in Sarasota and 6694. continue through Sunday, april 24, at the “Starry night Pavilion” at university town center, 195 university town center drive. Visitors will move along projection-swathed walls wrapped in light and color as that ahead ON aMi focus into Van gogh’s images. for more information, including ticket details, go online to vangoghsaraMarch 11, Center of anna Maria island bingo night, anna sota.com. People also can call 800-441-0819. islander Photo: Paquin entertainment group Maria. March 13, island Players’ “The Psychic” auditions, anna tion: villageofthearts.com. CLUBS & Maria. saturdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Bradenton Farmers Market, Main March 19-20, art League of anna Maria island’s springfest, street, downtown Bradenton. information: realizebradenton.com, COMMUNITY holmes Beach. 941-301-8445. ON aMi March 23, Center of anna Maria island concert with Richard ahead OFF aMi Marx, anna Maria. Thursday, March 3 March 12, Palma sola Botanical Park spring Plants and More March 23, Friends of the island Library 40th anniversary open 2 p.m. — sunshine stitchers, island Library, 5701 Marina sale, Bradenton. house celebration, holmes Beach. drive, holmes Beach. information: mymanatee.org/library, 941March 12, Mote Marine Party on the Pass, sarasota. March 23, annie silver Community Center community dinner, 778-6341. Bradenton Beach. Friday, March 4 KIDS & FAMILY 2 p.m. — Paper crafting, island Library, 5701 Marina drive, OFF aMi ON aMi holmes Beach. information: mymanatee.org/library, 941-778Saturday, March 5 6341. Friday, March 4 Noon-5 p.m. — Manatee Pride Festival and Gay Youth inc. 10 a.m. — Forty Carrots, island Library, 5701 Marina drive, Saturday, March 5 fundraiser, Bradenton Riverwalk pavilion. information: admin@ holmes Beach. information: mymanatee.org/library, 941-77810 a.m.-1 p.m. — ask a Master Gardener, island Library, 5701 ppsrq.org. Marina drive, holmes Beach. information: mymanatee.org/library, 6341. 941-778-6341. Tuesday, March 8 ONGOiNG OFF aMi 2 p.m. — Paper crafting, island Library, 5701 Marina drive, 10 a.m.— Family storytime, island Library, 5701 Marina drive, March 4-april 24, “Beyond van Gogh: The immersive experi- holmes Beach. information: mymanatee.org/library, 941-778- holmes Beach. information: mymanatee.org/library, 941-778ence,” starry Night Pavilion at University Town Center, 195 Univer- 6341. 6341. sity Town Center drive, sarasota. Fee applies. information: vanWednesday, March 9 ONGOiNG ON aMi goghsarasota.com. 6:30 p.m. — island Time Book Club, island Library, 5701 First Fridays, 6-9:30 p.m., village of the arts First Fridays artTuesdays, 6:30 p.m., anna Maria Movies in the Park, City Pier Marina drive, holmes Beach. information: mymanatee.org/library, walk, 12th street west and 12th avenue west, Bradenton. informa- Park, 103 N. Bay Blvd., anna Maria. information: 941-708-6130. 941-778-6341. ahead ON aMi March 13, st. Patrick’s day Parade, holmes Beach. ONGOiNG OFF aMi First wednesdays, 5:30 p.m., “soar in 4 Family Night, the Bishop Museum of science and Nature, 201 10th st. w., Bradenton. Fee applies. information: soarin4.org, 941-746-4131. saturdays and sundays, 3 p.m., Tales Under the Tree, the Bishop Museum of science and Nature, 201 10th st. w., Bradenton. Fee applies. information: bishop.org, 941-746-4131.

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ONGOiNG ON aMi Thursdays, 6 p.m., bingo night, annie silver Community Center, 103 23rd st N., Bradenton Beach. information: 941-757-6029. Fridays, 11:30 a.m., Mahjong Club, island Library, 5701 Marina drive, holmes Beach. information: mymanatee.org/library, 941-7786341. saturdays, 8:30 a.m., kiwanis Club of anna Maria island meeting, Bradenton Beach City hall, 107 Gulf drive N., Bradenton Beach. information: 941-778-1383. Mondays, 12:30 p.m., anna Maria Bridge Club, Roser Memo-

Island happenings

March 2, 2022 THE ISLANDER | islander.org Page 11 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Presenting ‘A Comedy of Tenors’ the cast of “a comedy of tenors” rehearses ahead of the opening for the island Players production. Performances will be March 3-20. Preston Boyd is directing. the cast features James thaggard, Mikey Lynch, Valerie Lipscomb, John ambruzzi, Katie Zanders, colin Brady and Sharon Bartley. the theater is at 10009 gulf drive. for more information or tickets, call the box office at 941-778-5755. islander courtesy Photo

ahead ON aMi

OUTDOORS & SPORTS

OFF aMi Saturday, March 5 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. — Manatee County FiTFest, Robinson Preserve south, 840 99th st. Nw, Bradenton. information: mymanatee. org, 941-742-5923. ONGOiNG OFF aMi

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March 25, 14th annual Robinson Preserve Twilight 5k/10k run, Bradenton. aMi dragon Boat Team—Paddlers from Paradise practices and april 12, Marauders home opener, Bradenton. meetups, various times and locations. information: 941-462-2626, May 13, anna Maria island Chamber of Commerce Golf Tourmrbradway@gmail.com. nament, Bradenton.

wednesdays, 4 p.m., Tortoise Talk education program, Robinson Preserve north, 1704 99th st Nw, Bradenton. information: mymanatee.org, 941-742-5923. saturdays, 8 a.m., Robinson Runners running club, Robinson Preserve expansion, 840 99th st. Nw, Bradenton. information: mymanatee.org, 941-742-5923, ext. 6047. saturdays, 9 a.m., saturday Mornings at the NesT nature exploration, Robinson Preserve expansion, 840 99th st. Nw, Bradenton. information: mymanatee.org, 941-742-5923, ext. 6047. ONGOiNG OFF aMi saturdays once a month, Manatee County audubon society Tuesdays, noon, Rotary Club of anna Maria island lunch workday, Felts Preserve, 4600 24th ave. e., Palmetto. information: meeting, Compass hotel by Margaritaville, 12324 Manatee ave. manateeaudubon.org, zholmes003@gmail.com. w., Perico island. second Tuesdays at 5 p.m. info: 941-920-2505.

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The Kiwanis Club of Anna Maria Island will hear March 5 from Elena Cassella of the Foundation for Dreams. Cassella is executive director of the Bradentonbased organization that offers camps and other programs to children with special needs. The club meets Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. at Bradenton Beach City Hall, 107 Gulf Drive N. The club also is organizing its Easter sunrise service, which will take place at the Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach. For more information, call Sandy Haas-Martens at 941-778-1383.

ONGOiNG ON aMi

March 10, senior adventures strawberry Festival outing. March 12, women of the Moose Great american Cleanup, Bradenton Beach. March 15, anna Maria island historical society heritage day, anna Maria. March 16, anna Maria island Garden Club Flower show, anna Maria.

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The Anna Maria Island Historical Society will bring back Heritage Day Fair this year, after skipping 2021. The festival will take place outdoors at the AMIHS museum grounds, 402 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, Tuesday, March 15. Hours will be 9 a.m.-2 p.m. The nonprofit is seeking crafters to participate in the fair. For general information, call the museum at 941778-0492. Crafters seeking information can email amihs4315@gmail.com.

Kiwanis to meet

rial Community Church, 512 Pine ave., anna Maria. information: 205-910-6344, 941-778-0414. Tuesdays, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Farmers Market in the Park, City Pier Park, Pine avenue and Bay Boulevard, anna Maria. information: 941-708-6130. Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m., Mahjong Club, island Library, 5701 Marina drive, holmes Beach. information: mymanatee.org/library, 941-778-6341. Tuesdays, noon, duplicate bridge, episcopal Church of the annunciation, 4408 Gulf drive, holmes Beach. Fee applies. information: 703-582-7755. Through March, Friends of the island Library 40th anniversary celebration, island Library, 5701 Marina drive, holmes Beach, and other venues. information: 941-778-6341.

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Page 12 THE ISLANDER | islander.org March 2, 2022 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Booked in the parking lot

Art sale at HB city ﬁeld takes Roser food donations

Roser Food Pantry will collect donations Saturday-Sunday, March 5-6, at the Anna Maria Art and Craft Show. The show will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in city field, 5800 block of Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Organizers said an undisclosed flat fee would be donated to Roser Memorial Community Church in Anna Maria. Also, people who bring nonperishable food items will receive a chance to win a selection of arts and crafts at the event. For more information, call the organizer at 231-350-8277.

Mary Katherine froehlich of Waynesboro, Virginia, fills a tote bag feb. 26 at the friends of the island Library annual book sale, a fundraiser to support improvements and programs at the holmes Beach institution. the sale took place in the parking lot at the island Library, which is marking a 40th anniversary at the 5701 Marina drive location. islander Photos: Lisa neff

Venice topic for Friends talk

The Friends of the Island Library will continue its winter Lecture and Travel Series Thursday, March 3, with “Venice: Empire from The Lagoon.” Robert Gaglio will discuss the Venetian empire while also demonstrating the making of some classic desserts from the region. The lecture will be at Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. For more information, call the library at 941778-6341.

customers browse the selections at the friends of the island Library book sale, held feb. 26 outside the library, 5701 Marina drive, holmes Beach.

Seniors set for adventure

carol Soustek, a holmes Beach city commissioner, browses the fiction section at the friends book sale.

The Senior Adventures group is planning an outing to the Florida Strawberry Festival this month. The annual celebration takes place in Lakeland March 2-13 and the Senior Adventures group plans to attend Thursday, March 10. There is a fee to attend. The outing is being coordinated by the Center of Anna Maria Island. For more information or reservations, call the center at 941-778-1908.

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March 2, 2022 THE ISLANDER | islander.org Page 13 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

St. Pat’s parade in the making

Full house for

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade, an Anna Maria center bingo Island tradition, returns after a two-year hiatus due to A full house came for the coronavirus pandemic. bingo night Feb. 11 at The parade will take place Sunday, March 13, the Center of Anna Maria beginning at 4 p.m. at Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Island in Anna Maria. Marina Drive, according to an early notice from the Each bingo card and a Center of Anna Maria Island. dauber was $1. Snacks From there, the procession will travel north on and drinks — includMarina Drive to Palm Drive, then Gulf Drive into ing alcoholic beverAnna Maria. ages — were available In Anna Maria, the procession will turn from Gulf for a donation. Winners Drive right on Pine Avenue, then right on Tarpon Street received gift certificates and on to the center at 407 Magnolia Ave. to local restaurants. Participants must assemble by 2 p.m. March 13 Bingo is scheduled again behind Holmes Beach City Hall. at the center on March Registration is required by 7 p.m. Friday, March 11 and April 8. Islander 11, with forms available at the center and at Duffy’s Photo: Brook Morrison Tavern, 5808 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Sean Murphy, owner of the Doctor’s Office in Holmes Beach and former owner of the Beach Bistro, started the parade tradition in Holmes Beach. The parade was set to take place in March 2020, when the pandemic forced its “postponement.” Murphy, in a March 18, 2020, announcement, said, “The Irish are good at tragedy … and hilarity. Our history abounds with famines and celebrations. In an effort to take all measures available to help ensure public safety and at the request of our chief of police and emergency services, we are postponing our annual St. Patrick’s Day parade until a time when public gatherings are more carefree.” The parade was not scheduled in 2021. For more information, call the center at 941-7781908.

Annie Silver serving BBQ

Annie Silver Community Center volunteers invite people to dig into a barbecue feast March 23. The center, 103 23rd St. N., Bradenton Beach, will hold a community dinner, offering barbecue ribs and chicken entrees prepared by Bigg Dogg BBQ of Sarasota, as well as side dishes, dessert and drink, for $10. For more, call Donna Kirkpatrick at 941-7576029.

Campers in the courtyard Youth campers at the Center of Anna Maria Island stand Feb. 4 in the courtyard, after planting flowers with the help of island-based Shady Lady Horticultural Services. Islander Photo: Courtesy CofAMI

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St. Pete skater tears up quarter pipe

PTO plans golf fundraiser

St. Petersburg-resident ethan clothier tucks, left, to grab the nose of his board feb. 24 while getting air off of a quarter pipe on his first run through the holmes Beach Skate Park and, above, taps the tail of his board, 5801 Marina drive. islander Photos: ryan Paice

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Aloha, AMI. Anna Maria Elementary’s spring fling will be a golf tournament and family social Saturday, May 14, at Terra Ceia Country Club, 2802 Terra Ceia Bay Blvd., Palmetto. The Hawaiian-themed tournament is being organized by Parent-Teacher Organization secretary Kari Kennedy. The fundraiser will include silent and online auctions, raffle prizes, challenges and activities on the golf course. “Some of the silent auction items included will be class art projects and these collaborative efforts are some of the most popular auction items,” Kennedy told The Islander Feb. 24. She added that the items are “loved by parents because of the pride and nostalgia they elicit.” Ahead of the event, the PTO is collecting auction donation items, as well as signing sponsors and recruiting volunteers. Funding will help the PTO support programs, supplemental learning materials and school enhancements. For more information, contact Kennedy at 813-409-1336 or amepto@gmail.com. — Brook Morrison

Dash results on the web

The results for the AME Dolphin Dash, held Feb. 19 in Holmes Beach, are available online at runsignup. com. Click “find race” button; search for “Dolphin Dash” and scroll down to the results link.

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AME noses were in books for Literacy Week anna Maria elementary students set aside time in the classroom Jan. 28 in favor of the outdoors to read and celebrate Literacy Week.

AmE NEWS By Brook Morrison, brook@islander.org

aMe fifth-grade students focus on their reading Jan. 28 during Literacy Week, a program to encourage students to make reading part of their daily routines. islander courtesy Photos

aMe kindergartners owen Serra, Jackson griffin, grady niedzwick, graham Stroup and Lucas urbiola smile Jan. 28 for a photo on the final day of a week of celebrating literacy at the holmes Beach campus. aMe students take a field day during Literacy Week, observed Jan. 24-Jan. 28 in florida schools and designed to raise awareness about the importance of reading and to inspire students and families to make reading part of their daily routines.

AME Calendar

• Wednesday, March 2, spring picture day. • Friday, March 11, record day, no school. • March 14-18, spring break. • Tuesday, March 22, TSA field trip. • Monday, April 4, 3:30 p.m., PTO membership meeting, cafeteria. • Tuesday, April 5, third-grade FSA reading assessment. • Wednesday, April 6, third-, fourth-, fifthgrade FSA reading assessment. • Friday, April 15, Good Friday, no school. • Tuesday, April 19, 6:30 p.m., first-grade play, auditorium. • Wednesday, April 20, early release. • Staff Appreciation week, May 2-6. • May 3-4, fourth- and fifth-grade FSA reading assessment. • May 10-11, fourth- and fifth-grade FSA math assessment. • Saturday, May 14, PTO golf tournament. • Tuesday, May 17, 6:30 p.m., second-grade play, auditorium. • May 17-18, fifth-grade FSA science assessment. • Friday, May 20, field day. • Tuesday, May 24, fifth-grade luncheon. • Wednesday, May 25, fifth-grade awards ceremony. • May 24-26, early release. • Thursday, May 26, last day of school for students. • Friday, May 27, last day of school for teachers. Anna Maria Elementary is at 4700 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. For more information, call the school at 941708-5525.

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Page 18 THE ISLANDER | islander.org March 2, 2022 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Gathering

She sells by the seashore

By Lisa neff

Snowbird gretchen Littlefield of Bradenton and Minnesota sells jewels and jewelry at the White elephant sale held feb. 26 in the community room at the episcopal church of annunciation in holmes Beach. the sale, which wasn’t held last year due to the pandemic, again attracted a crowd of shoppers and buyers. islander Photo: courtesy cindy curley

Roser brings back JOY

Roser Memorial Community Church is resuming meetings of the JOY — Just Older Youth — program, which was suspended due to the pandemic. A JOY program will begin at 11 a.m. Friday, March 4, in the fellowship hall, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. The program will include a presentation by Barbara Stegeman about her trip to Africa. Attendees are invited to bring a brown-bag lunch. Additional JOY programs will be on the third Friday of the month at 11 a.m. For more, call the church office at 941-7780414.

Tidings

ReGULaR wORshiP

Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. — st. Bernard Catholic Church, 248 s. harbor drive, holmes Beach. information: 941-778-4769, stbernardcc.com. Thursdays 9:30 a.m. — episcopal Church of the annunciation, 4408 Gulf drive, holmes Beach. information: 941-778-1638, amiannunciation. org. Saturdays 4 p.m. — st. Bernard Catholic Church. 5 p.m. — Gloria dei Lutheran Church, 6608 Marina drive. holmes Beach. information: 941-778-1813, gloriadeilutheran.com. Sundays 8 a.m. — episcopal Church of the annunciation. 8:30 a.m. — st. Bernard Catholic Church. 8:30 a.m. — Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine ave., anna Maria. information: 941-778-0414, roserchurch.com. 9 a.m. — CrossPointe Fellowship, 8605 Gulf drive, holmes Beach. information: 941-778-0719, crosspointefellowship.church. 9:15 a.m. — harvey Memorial Community Church, 300 Church ave., Bradenton Beach. information: 941-779-1912. 9:30 a.m. — Gloria dei. 10 a.m. — Roser Church. 10 a.m. — Christ Church of Longboat key Presbyterian Usa, 6400 Gulf of Mexico drive, Longboat key. information: 941-9004903, christchurchoﬂbk.org.

Growing in Jesus’ Name

10 a.m. — Longboat island Chapel, 6200 Gulf of Mexico drive, Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m., Roser Church Roser Robics ﬁtness. Longboat key. information: 941-383-6491, longboatislandchapel. special dates org. March 2, 7 a.m., noon and 7 p.m., ash wednesday services, 10:15 a.m. — episcopal Church of the annunciation. episcopal Church of the annunciation. 10:30 a.m. — st. Bernard. March 2, 10 a.m., ash wednesday service, Gloria dei Lutheran Church. ONGOiNG eveNTs March 2, noon, ash wednesday service, Roser Church. wednesdays, 7:15 a.m., st. Bernard Rosary on the Beach, March 2, 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., ash wednesday Manatee Public Beach, holmes Beach. Mass, st. Bernard Catholic Church. wednesdays, 7 a.m., CrossPointe men’s Bible meeting. March 8, noon, Roser women’s Guild Thrift shop style Most wednesdays, 8 a.m., episcopal Church of the annuncia- show. tion men’s breakfast meeting. wednesdays beginning March 9, 5:30 p.m., annunciation wednesdays, 9 a.m., Roser Church hope seeds packing. Lenten program, including soup supper. wednesdays, 9 a.m., Roser Freedom through Faith Meditation save The daTes program. wednesdays, 9:30 a.m., Gloria dei social gathering, anna March 10, Longboat Chapel Lord’s warehouse Garden Maria island Beach Cafe, holmes Beach. Party. wednesdays, 9:30 a.m., CrossPointe women’s Bible study. March 20, Roser winter Concert with Barry and the Boomwednesdays, 6:45 p.m., CrossPointe wednesday Night ers. Blast. March 27, Gloria dei concert. Thursdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Roser Thrift shop sales. March 27, March Madness Basket Bonanza at st. Bernard. Thursdays, 10 a.m., Longboat Chapel shifting sands support april 2, Ramadan begins. meeting. april 8, Roser women’s Guild picnic lunch. april 10, Palm sunday. Thursdays, 4 p.m., Roser Church handbell class. april 10, Roser cantata. Thursdays, 7 p.m., Roser Church chancel choir rehearsals. april 15, Good Friday. Thursdays, 9:30 a.m., Roser Church Roser Robics ﬁtness. april 15, Passover. saturdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Roser Thrift shop sales. april 17, easter. Mondays, wednesdays, saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Longboat april 17, kiwanis Club sunrise service, holmes Beach. Chapel thrift store sales. Please, send notices to calendar@islander.org.

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At your service

Obituaries are offered as a community service to residents and families of residents, both past and present, as well as to those people with ties to the island. Submit to news@ islander.org. Obituaries are provided free — a service of your community newspaper. Paid obituaries can be discussed with advertising specialist Toni Lyon at 941-7787978.

Obituaries

Mary Louise Seine

A tiny woman with a giant heart died Feb. 13. Avid cyclist, world traveler and retired accountant, Mary Louise Seine’s love of life didn’t come to an end with her death. She died in her sleep at the age of 94 but the people who loved her continue to honor her legacy by living their lives to the fullest, wrote daughter Alicia. Seine Her love for others was palpable. She would greet every person with a toothy grin and, “I need a hug.” A word of encouragement or expression of her genuine excitement to see you often followed as well. She didn’t have acquaintances, only friends. It didn’t matter if a person was a sheriff, garbage collec-

Roser Church

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March 2, 2022 THE ISLANDER | islander.org Page 19 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Obituaries

What’s cooking?

Continued

Breakfast coordinator Glenda Beck helps serve pancakes Feb. 26 in the Fellowship Hall at Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. The menu included pancakes, orange juice, coffee and more. Beck and other volunteers staffed the kitchen, the serving line and the cleanup crews. The breakfast was the first at Roser since the spring of 2020, when the pandemic hit. Islander Photos: Lisa Neff

Robert “Bob” Wiersema

Robert “Bob” Wiersema, 68, of Bradenton, died Feb. 21. He was born Nov. 25, 1953, in Oak Lawn, Illinois, one of six boys of Martha and Gilbert Wiersema. He moved to Anna Maria Island when he was about age 4 and his love for the island never left him. He attended Manatee High School. His love of cooking started at an early age when he would bake and sell pies to friends and family. He went on to be an accomplished self-taught chef of over 20 years at local restaurants, including the High Seas and the Seafood Shack. While working there, he met Linda Sundstrom, who would become his wife of 39 years. He followed his restaurant career as a rural mail carrier with the U.S. Postal Service, where he retired in 2015 after more than 20 years of service. He was an active member of the National Rural Letter Carriers Association, serving as a delegate to many state and national conventions. Mr. Wiersema battled lung disease for several years, defying doctor’s expectations. He received a double lung transplant in January but died due to complications after surgery. He was a friend to all and a firm believer in going after one’s dreams, and was quick to offer support to others. He loved spending time with family, boating and fishing. He was an avid NASCAR fan. He also loved his pups, Paisley, Remy, Gus and Izzy. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to the Humane Society of Manatee County. Mr. Wiersema is survived by his loving wife, Linda; daughter Jackie and husband Eli Medina; grandchildren Cadence, Reed and Harper; brothers Michael and wife Meg, and Carl and wife Delaine; sister-in-law Debby Sundstrom; numerous nieces and nephews; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Mary Seine accepts a plaque from Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy, left, and then-Commissioner Dale Woodland at her 90th birthday party, attended by many friends and family in the fellowship hall at Roser Church. Mrs. Seine died Feb. 13. Islander File Photos obituaries from page 18

tor or neighbor, everyone got homemade zucchini bread. Mrs. Seine understood the importance of connecting, especially as people age. She helped sustain an active bridge group and it really wasn’t about the bridge game for her, but rather the relationships fostered there. Adorned in a safety vest that was lettered, “One Less Car,” she could often be seen bicycling on Anna Maria Island — and it wasn’t unusual for her to ride 100 miles a week at age 90. She and husband Joe “Papa Joe” Seine were married 35 years and enjoyed many epic adventures and cruises. Mayor Dan Murphy of Anna Maria spoke at her 90th birthday party at Roser Memorial Community Church, declaring April 22 to be “Mary Louise Seine Day.” He said, “She is the island’s role

A billboard at Roser Church announces the breakfast menu and the price. Diana Vennera, right, and Margaret Art prepare for a sale day Feb. 26 at the Roser Thrift Store, run by the church’s women’s guild. A sale coincided with the church’s pancake breakfast.

Mary Seine was featured in The Islander in her “One Less Car” vest in March 2013.

model.” She was born Mary L. Clay on April 22, 1927, in Battle Creek, Michigan. She married her high school sweetheart Charles Auren Kiger. Years after his death, she moved to Anna Maria and began to work at Bealls department store. She worked in accounting there for 20 years. She volunteered as treasurer for the Women’s Guild at Roser for 25 years. A memorial celebration is being planned for mid-July at Roser, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Memorial donations may be made to Roser Church, P.O. Box 247, Anna Maria, FL 34216. Mrs. Seine is survived by her children, John W. Kiger of Grand Haven, Michigan, and Alicia L. and husband Robert Fuller of Big Rapids, Michigan. She was “Grandma Mary” to several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mark Hagin- Optician

Page 20 THE ISLANDER | islander.org March 2, 2022 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

‘1st step’ in Holmes Beach’s trafﬁc plans draws mixed response By ryan Paice islander reporter

Reception to Holmes Beach’s new citywide 25-mph speed limit remained mixed two weeks after it went into effect. The resolution-based measure, which city commissioners approved Feb. 8 by a 3-1 vote, went into effect Feb. 17 after city staff switched out the 35-mph signs, according to Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer. The change is intended to improve traffic safety and better integrate golf carts and low speed vehicles onto city roads. It impacts three stretches of roadway — Gulf, Marina and Palm drives — where the speed limit had been 35 mph. Tokajer, one of the resolution’s original proponents, told The Islander that the transition went without issue and police had yet to issue any speeding tickets since the lower speed limit was established. “I don’t expect that we’re going to have a large amount of traffic tickets issued to people in a 25 (mph zone),” Tokajer said. “We truly do not issue a tremendous amount of speeding tickets.” But the plan has polarized public opinion. All of eight speakers supported the speed reduction during public comment at a Jan. 25 work session. The change elicited the opposite response when

three people spoke during public comment at the Feb. 8 public hearing. Opinion remained polarized at the commission’s Feb. 22 meeting, when two speakers took opposite stances on the issue. Resident Stuart Bardwell commended commissioners for adopting the speed reduction. Bardwell said he’d seen traffic begin to slow due to the change. “It’s slowing down and it’s a pleasure,” Bardwell said. “It’s just safer.” Resident Marjorie Motzer said the reduction failed to address the issues caused by golf carts and LSVs, which she said still inhibit traffic flow since many of the vehicles could not reach or maintain 25 mph. Motzer added that many of the vehicles are not insured and questioned the city’s decision to open its roads to them. Mayor Judy Titsworth said the speed limit reduction was the first part of the city’s plans to address traffic safety — to be shortly followed by an ordinance regulating golf carts and LSVs. Titsworth said city staff were working on an ordinance that may require owners to register their vehicles with the city and/or prohibit golf carts from traveling on “main roads.” She said it would be discussed at the next city meeting. “We haven’t really addressed the golf carts yet

Man arrested by HBPD with marijuana, mushrooms By ryan Paice islander reporter

Holmes Beach police arrested Bradenton resident Samuel Romero, 32, Feb. 17 on a third-degree felony for possession of more than 20 grams of cannabis and a second-degree felony for possession of psilocybin mushrooms with an intent to sell. Romero also was charged with a second-degree misdemeanor for driving without vehicle registration. A Holmes Beach Police Department officer ran a license plate for a suspicious vehicle and found that it was not registered, so he conducted a traffic stop. The officer spoke with the driver, Romero, who said the vehicle was not registered and belonged to a family member. The officer asked if there were any drugs or weapons in the vehicle and Romero presented him with a kitchen knife, marijuana and a pipe. The officer called for backup and searched the vehicle after another officer arrived, finding bags with 21.6 grams of marijuana and 41 grams of psilocybin

mushrooms, as well as a digital scale. The officers arrested Romero and transported him to the Manatee County jail, where he was released Feb. 18 after posting $3,120 bond. Conviction on a second-degree felony is punishable with up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, while a third-degree felony is punishable with up to five years in prison, five years of probation and a $5,000 fine. An arraignment will be at 9 a.m. Friday, March 11, at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.

Island watch In an emergency, call 911. To report information, call the MCSO Anna Maria substation, 941-708-8899; Bradenton Beach police, 941-778-6311; or Holmes Beach police, 941-708-5804.

with the speed limit change,” Titsworth said. “We’re looking at the whole thing.” Commissioner Terry Schaefer asked for people to exercise patience as they evaluate the lower speed limit and explore additional changes. “I would hope the community would be patient in giving us time to evaluate what we’ve done to determine whether we’ve gotten our anticipated results,” Schaefer said. “And, if not, we may need to rethink.” The commission will meet next at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive. The meeting will be open to the public. Directions to attend via Zoom can be found at holmesbeachfl.org.

Bradenton man arrested for possessing oxycodone By ryan Paice islander reporter

Holmes Beach police officers arrested Bradenton resident Jimmy Altidor, 38, Feb. 21 on a third-degree felony for possession of controlled substances without a prescription. A Holmes Beach Police Department officer was dispatched to the Bali Hai Beach Resort, 6900 Gulf Drive, in response to potential fraud. The officer met staff who were concerned a guest, Altidor, was making charges to stolen credit cards since he could not produce a credit card for the booked room. Altidor returned to the hotel premises, where the officer and staff asked him for an alternative form of payment for the room. He could not provide one, so they evicted him and escorted him to his vehicle. The officer saw loose marijuana inside the vehicle. A search found a bag with pills identified as oxycodone. The officer then searched Altidor and found a bag containing more oxycodone pills and a credit card belonging to someone else. The officer asked Altidor if he had a prescription for the oxycodone, but he “denied knowing anything about it,” according to a report. The officers also cited him for driving with a suspended license, arrested Altidor and transported him to the Manatee County jail. He was released Feb. 22 after posting $1,500 bond. Conviction on a third-degree felony is punishable with up to five years in prison, five years of probation and a $5,000 fine. An arraignment will be at 9 a.m. Friday, March 18, at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.

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Streetlife

Cops & Courts

Staff reports

Island police reports

Anna Maria Feb. 16, Anna Maria City Pier, 100 S. Bay Blvd., disturbance. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint about a dog on the pier. The report states the complainant, an employee on the pier, told the MCSO that the owner “became aggressive, not the dog.” Dogs are not allowed on the pier for safety reasons. No additional information was available. Feb. 17, Anna Maria City Pier parking lot, vandalism. The MCSO responded to a complaint that a person broke window glass on an island trolley after being told they could not ride without shoes. A search of the area was conducted but no arrest was made. Feb. 21, 10000 block of Gulf Drive, found property. The MCSO received a call that a driver’s license was found at Bean Point. The license was turned in at the MCSO substation at Anna Maria City Hall. The MCSO polices Anna Maria. Bradenton Beach No new reports. The Bradenton Beach Police Department polices the city. Cortez Feb. 18, 12300 block of Cortez Road, theft. The MCSO took a complaint regarding the past theft of a beach cruiser valued at about $600. No additional information was available. The MCSO polices Cortez. Holmes Beach Feb. 15, 700 block of Manatee Avenue, suspended license. A Holmes Beach police officer saw a motorist driving a vehicle with an expired decal, so he conducted a traffic stop. The officer spoke with the driver, who had a suspended license with an incorrect address and expired registration. The driver said he did not know his license was suspended. The officer issued citations and had the vehicle towed to the driver’s

Bradenton man arrested for boating under the inﬂuence A Bradenton man faces a misdemeanor charge of boating while intoxicated. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office arrested Ryan M. Davis, 43, at about 3:40 a.m. Feb. 21 near the 4500 block of 124th St. Court W. in Cortez. U.S. Coast Guard officers had observed a Carolina skiff lacking illumination in the Intracoastal Waterway near the Cortez Bridge. The vessel later was found stuck in the sand and the MCSO responded to conduct a BUI investigation

of the vessel’s operator and sole occupant, Davis. An MCSO report said Davis had red, glassy eyes and a flush face and showed signs of impairment. Davis was transported to the Manatee County jail, where he refused a breath test. He was released after posting a $120 cash bond. Davis is scheduled for a court appearance March 28 at the Manatee County Judicial Center.

address. Feb. 16, 4800 block of Gulf Drive, suspended license. An officer located a vehicle pinged by the city’s license plate recognition system and conducted a traffic stop. The driver’s license was suspended, so the officer issued a court summons. Feb. 17, 6000 block of Marina Drive, suspended license. An officer ran a vehicle’s license plate and found that its driver’s license was suspended. So, he conducted a traffic stop and spoke with the driver, who said he did not know his license was suspended before reversing his claim. The officer issued a court summons. Feb. 18, intersection of 48th Street and Gulf Drive, marijuana. An officer located a vehicle pinged by the city’s license plate recognition system for a classified reason and conducted a traffic stop. The officer smelled marijuana and asked the driver if he had any. The driver handed the officer a jar containing less than 20 grams of marijuana. The officer issued a citation. Feb. 20, 5100 block of Fifth Avenue, suspicious circumstances. An officer responded to reports of suspicious circumstances and found the complainants, two men. They said they heard banging coming from inside a vehicle, then saw a man open its trunk from

the inside and start screaming for help. The complainants said they ran away and called 911 after returning to their vacation rental unit. Police searched the area for a vehicle matching their description, but found none. The Holmes Beach Police Department sent a “be on the lookout” warning to local law enforcement agencies. Feb. 21, 3200 block of East Bay Drive, suspended license. An officer located a vehicle pinged by the city’s license plate recognition system and conducted a traffic stop. The driver’s license was suspended, so the officer issued a court summons and the vehicle was left in a parking lot. Feb. 22, 100 block of 52nd Street, marijuana. An officer saw an empty vehicle parked at a beach access around 10 p.m. and saw “suspected marijuana” and paraphernalia. The officer called for backup, which located the vehicle’s owner, a juvenile, on the beach. The juvenile admitted to possessing marijuana and produced a bag containing 4 grams. The officer issued a citation and transported the juvenile to the HBPD to contact his parents for pickup. The officer also confiscated the paraphernalia. HBPD polices Holmes Beach. Streetlife is based on incident reports and narratives from the BBPD, HBPD and MCSO.

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Sarasota Bay Watch stages ‘Clamtastic’ fundraiser Sarasota Bay Watch exceeded expectations with its Feb. 12 gala — “Scallopalooza, It’s Clamtastic” — raising enough money at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota to grow its “CLAMpaign for Clean Water.” Nearly 400 participants attended, contributing funds to put an additional 1 million clams into Sarasota and Manatee county waters. To date, Sarasota Bay Watch has released 875,000 clams into the bay. “To have a community embrace our projects reaffirms our mission. We had such a great time at the event and are so thrilled with the success. Now it’s time to get our boots and gloves out again and get back to work,” Ronda Ryan, SBW’s executive director, said in a news release. Ryan told The Islander Feb. 22 that the organization was still tabulating donations but they were certain they “would be purchasing another million clams for restoration.” The Southern hard shell clams, once prevalent here, are grown by Bay Shellfish of Terra Ceia, raised on a lease in Tampa Bay. “There is a blooming interest in clam restoration statewide and nationally,” Ryan said. SBW promotes clams in the bay because they filter excess nutrients that contribute to red tide blooms, pro-

al and tania almond with helios technologies present a $10,000 “check” to islander ed chiles for Sarasota Bay Watch during the nonprofit’s 12th annual “Scallopalooza, it’s clamtastic” fundraising event. helios is the inaugural donor for SBW’s cLaMpaign for clean Water. islander courtesy Photo

mote water clarity and boost seagrass growth. Depending on its size, a clam can filter 6-20 gallons of water per day, according to SBW. In addition to planning the placement of a million clams in Sarasota and Manatee waters, SBW intends to coordinate with researchers conducting studies at certain sites.

To carry out the efforts, SBW seeks volunteers, who can apply online at sarasotabaywatch.org. About Sarasota Bay Watch Sarasota Bay Watch is an action-based, grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring coastal ecosystems through citizen participation.

Volunteers to clean up, green up for spring Keep America Beautiful will celebrate nationwide the the Great American Cleanup — March 21-June 22. Local cleanups are coordinated by Keep Manatee Beautiful in partnership with nonprofit organizations and municipal governments. The national campaign usually involves millions of volunteers working in about 15,000 communities and removing litter from more than 100,000 acres of public spaces and miles of roadways and shorelines. As of the Islander’s press time, KMB had not announced public island events but had called on adopt-a-spot groups to pick up supplies March 17. For more information, go online to kab.org and

manateebeautiful.com or call KMB at 94107958272. Moose women set for cleanup The Women of the Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge is organizing a coastal community cleanup for Saturday, March 12. Work takes place in the area around the lodge, 110 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach. For more information, call the lodge at 941-778- Imaginative imaging 4110. ichthyologist John Sparks treated fish with a cali-

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brated series of chemical dyes to create this and other images featured in the Bishop Museum of Science and nature’s “Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and imaging technologies” exhibit. red dye tints bones, blue dye clings to cartilage and enzymes are “clear” tissues, rendering them transparent. the exhibit will open Saturday, March 5, at the museum, 201 10th St. W,. Bradenton. an admission fee applies. for more information, call the Bishop at 941-746-4131. islander image: courtesy John S. Sparks/Vertebrate Zoology american Museum of natural history

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Wildlife Inc.’s work

Wildlife Inc., a rescue and rehabilitation center in Bradenton Beach, treats bald eagles, including seven last season and two this season. One eagle tested positive for lead poisoning last year. More recently, an injured eagle was euthanized. It will be necropsied by the state, which would determine whether lead poisoning was an issue. Cindy Ellis, at the island rescue, said, “It is important to note that all scavenger species are affected by lead ammunition, not just eagles.” Wildlife Inc. is a nonprofit that depends on donations for day-to-day operations. To learn more, contact them at 941-778-6324.

By Lisa Neff

U.S. eagles suffer exposure

Bald eagles watch over The Islander newspaper office. The eagles’ residence is high up as we gaze up from the door to the office, high up on the tower in the 6000 block of Marina Drive in Holmes Beach. The birds might come down for prey, the critters that scurry about at dusk and dawn in a lot behind a car wash. But most mornings when I savor my coffee on the office patio, I look up at the eagles and sense the eagles looking down at me. neff From time to time, staff at the newspaper office, 315 58th St., Suite J, will take a call from a reader calling attention to the Marina Drive nest or another bald eagle seen on the island. The eagles aren’t common as crows but their numbers are higher on and around AMI. Decades ago, island newspaper staff were prepared to advise callers reporting eagle sightings that they probably mistook the smaller osprey for the big allAmerican bird because bald eagles were that scarce. In fact, the bald eagle population was in trouble nationwide for many, many years. Through most of its U.S. range, the species was close to extinction by the 1960s due to habitat destruction and degradation, illegal shooting and in large part due to pesticides washing into waterways, poisoning fish that poisoned birds. The federal government acted in 1972 and 1973 to rescue the eagle and other threatened and endangered species with the ban of DDT in 1972 and passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973. The birds also remain protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Act. In August 2007, the bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list because the federal government determined their populations recovered sufficiently. A government estimate now puts the U.S. population of bald eagles at about 300,000 while the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the state has one of the densest concentrations of nesting bald eagles in the lower 48 states, with about 1,500 nesting pairs. When the bald eagle — symbol of the nation — came off the endangered species list, the bird’s recovery was heralded as an American success story. But threats remain.

the bald eagle has been the national emblem of the united States since 1782 and a spiritual symbol far longer for native people. islander file Photo

A first-of-its-kind study published in the journal Science in February found widespread and frequent lead poisoning in bald eagles and golden eagles. Researchers associated with the U.S. Geological Survey, Conservation Science Global Inc. and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service evaluated lead exposure in 1,200 eagles 2010-18. “This is the first study of lead poisoning of wildlife at a nationwide scale and it demonstrates the unseen challenges facing these birds of prey,” said Todd Katzner, USGS wildlife biologist and lead USGS author. The poisoning is causing population growth rates to slow for bald eagles by 3.8% and golden eagles by 0.8% annually. Almost 50% of the birds sampled showed evidence of repeated exposure to lead and the frequency of chronic lead poisoning found in both species increased with age because lead accumulates in bone as eagles are repeatedly exposed to the heavy metal throughout

a bald eagle shows signs of lead poisoning. islander courtesy Photo

their lives. Such poisoning typically occurs when eagles eat lead ammunition fragments lodged inside an animal carcass or in the “gut piles” left by hunters. And doesn’t that feel like a punch to the gut?

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Football matchups, champ at KRC, record set in horseshoes By Kevin P. cassidy islander reporter

The dress rehearsal that is the regular season has concluded and playoff matchups are set in the youth flag football league at the Center of Anna Maria Island. Moss Builders finished the regular season with a perfect 6-0 record and will face 0-6 Mac Parkman Foundation to open the 8-10 division quarterfinal action at 5:45 p.m. March 1. cassidy The games are set to begin after press time for The Islander. No. 3 Beach Bums will face off against No. 7 seed Progressive Cabinetry in the second game at 6:30 p.m. Next up in the third match at 7:15 p.m., No. 2 Solid Rock Construction will take on No. 6 Bradenton Beach Parasailing. Finally, fourth seed Prosper Bradenton will face fifth seed Shady Lady at 8 p.m. Blalock Walters secured a first-round bye into the semifinals, securing the No. 1 seed in the 11-13 division on a 4-0 record. No. 3 Nissan of Bradenton will open quarterfinal action at 6:30 p.m. March 1, again, after press time, taking on No. 6 Miz & Hiz Biz, followed by No. 2 Moss Builders in a 7:15 p.m. matchup with No. 7 Wash Family Construction. Fourth-place HSH Designs will take on No. 5 Investigative Lawyers Group in the final match of the evening at 8 p.m. Action for the 11-13s kicked off Feb. 23 with Nissan of Bradenton outscoring HSH Designs 38-35 behind four touchdown passes from Charlie Rogers, including two each to Brennen Gunter and Colton Shook. Gunter added two interceptions on defense, including one that he took to the house for a TD. Shook added a rushing TD and an extra point in the victory

Bob Lee threw 13 consecutive ringers over two games during feb. 23 horseshoe action at the anna Maria city hall horseshoe pits. he closed out game one with eight straight ringers, then followed with five in a row to start game two. islander Photo: courtesy of aMi Pitchers

Steve Pfeil and herb clauhs pose on the green on earning a come-from-behind victory in the membermember four-ball match play tournament at the Key royale club in holmes Beach. islander Photo: courtesy Krc

for Nissan of Bradenton. Audrey Guess threw for two touchdowns and added a touchdown reception and an extra point for HSH Designs, which also received a passing touchdown and a pair of rushing touchdowns from Jack Mattick. Avery Guess and Emma Raulerson chipped in with TD catches to complete the scoring in the loss for HSH Designs. The second game of the night saw Moss Builders cruise to a 40-6 victory over Wash Family Construction. Greg Jordan accounted for four touchdowns with three touchdown grabs and a pick-six, while Mason Moss threw five TD passes. Matthew Winsper and Joey Suebert added TD catches to the victory. Reef Marin connected with Chase Signor for the lone touchdown for WFC. Investigative Lawyers Group outlasted Miz & Hiz Biz 38-36 in the night’s final 11-13 division matchup thanks in part to a pair of pick-sixes by Landon Sallier. Tommy Baugher also had a big game, running for three TDs, while also connecting with Jesse Zaccagnino for a touchdown. Jack McCarthy threw five TD passes, including three to Chad Nunez and two to Frankie Coleman to carry Miz & Hiz Biz in the loss.

Center cookout tops off season families line up for burgers, hot dogs, chips and drinks feb. 22 at the center of anna Maria island, 407 Magnolia avenue, anna Maria. the cookout marked the end of the youth flag football season. islander Photo: Brook Morrison

Mason Moss ran for two TDs and threw another to Miles Moss to lead Moss Builders to a 29-0 victory over Mac Parkman Foundation to open the Feb. 22 8-10 division. Austin Guess added a pair of extra points and a pick-six on defense to the Moss victory. Beach Bums held on for a 26-20 victory over Progressive Cabinetry behind a pair of rushing TDs and a receiving TD from Wade Kasten. Brandon Sato threw two touchdown passes, including one to Dylan Sato to complete the win for Beach Bums. Gunnar Maize ran for two TDs and Charlee Maize ran for a score and added a 2-point conversion for Progressive Cabinetry. The third 8-10 division game of the evening saw Prosper Bradenton slip past Bradenton Beach Parasailing by a 14-12 score, thanks to a pair of TD passes from Landon Sinphay to Cayson Travis and extra-point grabs from Kyle Mims and Ava Gitt. Parasailing Kellen Hunt scored both TDs on passes from Luther Sasser IV and Connor Fountain. Solid Rock Construction outscored Shady Lady 29-18 behind three TD passes from Van Havell, who also added a pair of 2-point conversions. Nixon Conner also added a rushing touchdown in the victory. Luca Vieman ran for two touchdowns and added a touchdown grab on a pass from Preston LaPensee for Shady Lady in the loss. Soccer continues in center gym Adult indoor soccer action in the center gym wrapped up its fourth week Feb. 24 with some exciting end-to-end high-scoring action. The games got going with Sato Real Estate slipping past Beach Bums 6-4 behind a hat trick from Damir Glavan and two goals from Olaf Krause. Daniel Hampton added a goal, while Josh Sato made 22 saves to help preserve the victory for Sato. Francisco Vecchio scored a pair of goals for Beach Bums, which also received a goal each from Kevin Roman and Mauro Vecchio, while Yuri Pereira and Osvaldo Cabello combined on 23 saves in goal. Mi-Box outscored Gulfview Windows & Doors 16-14 behind seven goals from Gerardo Urbiola Bolanos and five goals from Josh Waggoner. Lindsey Styka and Selena Gonzalez each added a pair of goals, while Steve Oelfke made 14 saves in goal for the victory. Luca Vecchio’s seven goals and five goals from Keith Mahoney paced Gulfview, which also received three goals from Chris Culhane and 24 saves from Mark Long in the loss. Progressive Cabinetry doubled up on Slim’s Place 10-5 in the night’s final game. Daniel Anderson and Connor Bystrom each scored four goals to lead Progressive, which also saw two goals from Miguel Ajoy and seven saves from Omar Polar in the victory. Austin Nutting scored a hat trick for Slim’s Place, which also received a goal each from Chris Klotz and Ryan Moss in the loss. Seedings set for adult football playoffs Though the schedule for the finals was not released, the seedings were set in the adult flag football league at the center. Solid Rock Construction narrowly held on to a 5-2-0 record, closely followed by We The Best Lenders and TBT at No. 2 and 3 with matching 4-2-1 records. Moss Builders and Prosper Bradenton both finished at 4-3 with Moss taking fourth seed, followed by Shady Lady at 3-4 at No. 6. Cortez Deep Sea Fishing finished 2-5 for seventh seed, while Sandbar Restaurant finished at No. 8 on a 1-6 record. PLeaSe, See sports, next Page

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It’s a wonderful time of the year — sheepshead are biting By Capt. Danny Stasny Islander Reporter

Those fishing around Anna Maria Island are experiencing the peak of sheepshead season. The celebrated time of year is occurring as sheepies are being caught around most any structure — residential docks, fishing piers, seawalls, rock piles, wrecks and reefs. We’re just prior to the spawn and these fish are feeding heavily on all Stasny sorts of crustaceans. Barnacles, crabs, shrimp and even coquinas are not safe while the hungry fish gorge in preparation of the spawn. The popularity of the sheepshead bite is attained by the fact that the fish are accessible to most anglers. Since you can catch them from piers, bridges and along beaches, most anyone can get in on the action. And, as far as bait is concerned, it can be as easy as stopping by a local shop and purchasing live shrimp. Those who want to employ some strategy may harvest fiddler crabs or sand fleas. And, at times, like when the sheepies get finicky, those baits will give an added advantage. For anglers fishing from a boat, local reefs, wrecks and rock piles are favorite spots to target the zebrastriped fish. And live shrimp as bait works fine for these areas. If you’re itching to go out and wet your line, now is a great time to do so — sheepshead are putting up a great fight on medium-spinning tackle and are a favorite on the dinner plate. Just remember, sheepshead must be 12 inches total sports from page 24

Club news Twenty-four two-man teams divided into four flights embarked on a five-week golf event at the Key Royale Club in Holmes Beach that concluded Feb. 18. Each of the flight winners moved into a playoff in the final week for a chance to be crowned champs. The team of Herb Clauhs and Steve Pfeil earned a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Mike Gillie and Al Waal to take the prize. Down two holes with three holes left in the match, Clauhs and Pfeil rallied for a one-up victory. Tom Perkins and Tom Solosky defeated Tom Nelson and Terry Tarras to capture third. Following the golf, libations and nibbles — meatball sliders, chicken wings and Tater Tots — were enjoyed by all on the clubhouse patio. Regular golf action got started Feb. 21 with the men playing their weekly modified-Stableford system match. Buddy Foy finished at plus-5 to edge Art McMillan and Ron Pfaff, who both finished at plus-4. Bill MacMillan, Larry Solberg and Terry Schaefer tied for third at plus-3.

Anna Maria Island Tides

Date

Mar 2 Mar 3 Mar 4 Mar 5 Mar 6 Mar 7 Mar 8 Mar 9

12:40p 12:49p 12:33a 1:18a 2:05a 2:58a 4:09a 3:12p

HIGH

1.4 11:46p 1.5 — 1.9 1:02p 1.7 1:19p 1.5 1:40p 1.3 2:06p 1.1 2:36p 2.0 —

2.1 — 1.6 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.0 —

LOW

Moon

6:00a -0.5 5:25p 0.6 New 6:28a -0.2 6:11p 0.3 6:51a 0.0 6:56p 0.2 7:12a 0.2 7:42p 0.0 7:31a 0.4 8:32p 0.0 7:48a 0.6 9:28p -0.1 7:57a 0.8 10:36p -0.1 11:55p -0.1 — —

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

achieve a bite. In deeper areas, where limestone ledges are present, Girle’s clients are hooking into hogfish. Capt. David White is finding a good bite while working the offshore waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Fishing waters less than 120 feet deep is yielding keeper red grouper. To catch the grouper, White is baiting with frozen sardines and live pinfish combined with a bottom rig. In waters of 60-80 feet, he’s putting clients on good action, with limits of mangrove snapper, which are taking frozen sardines and live shrimp. Moving inshore, live shrimp is the bait of choice. Fishing the artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico and in Tampa Bay is yielding numerous sheepshead. Sheepies also are being caught close to the beaches on sandy bottom, where renourishments have not occurred. Black drum also are mixed in on the bite, as well as pompano. Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier is seeing the beginning of the sheepshead bite at Anna Maria Island’s northernmost pier. Schools of sheepies are taking up residence under the R&R to nibble on the barnacle-encrusted pilings. Pier fishers baiting with live shrimp are hooking into sheepies weighing 1-3 pounds. Malfese reports that in the days to come the numHowie Howison of Holmes Beach shows off a nice bers of fish will increase. sheepshead he caught Feb. 22 while fishing with Other catches at the pier include black drum and Capt. Danny Stasny of Just Reel Fishing Charters. whiting. And, with warmer water temps, Malfese is seeing snook returning to the pier — just in time for length and each angler is allowed a daily bag limit of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commiseight fish. sion to open the species to catch and keep. On my Just Reel charters, I’m finding many large sheepies throughout Tampa Bay and in the Gulf of Move over sheepies, here come the snook Mexico. Most catches are 2 pounds, although 6-7Snook reopened to recreational harvest March pound fish are being reeled up. 1 in some Gulf waters, including Escambia County While targeting the sheepies, I’m seeing a mix of to the north through State Road 64/Manatee Avenue mangrove snapper, hogfish and Key West grunts. at the Anna Maria Island Bridge in Manatee County. Capt. Warren Girle is working structure in the Gulf Snook remains catch-and-release only in state waters of Mexico. In depths of 25-45 feet, Girle is finding from State Road 64 in Manatee County south through action on sheepshead, mangrove snapper and Key West Gordon Pass in Collier County through Aug. 31. grunts. Live shrimp on a knocker rig is working to Send photos and reports to fish@islander.org. The women took the course Feb. 22 in three flights for their weekly nine-hole individual-low-net match. Roxanne Koche rode a birdie on the eighth hole and a 3-under-par 29 to first place in Flight A. Linda Dorsey and Judy Christensen tied for second at evenpar 32 while Brenda Solleveld took third at 2-over-par 34. Helen Pollock and Beth Lindeman tied for first in Flight B with matching 2-under-par 30s. Jan Turner was a stroke back in second while Pam Alvord and Annette Hall shared third place at even-par 32. Judy Menchek carded a 3-under-par 29 to win first place in Flight C by one stroke over second-place finisher Jackie Gorski. Terry Westy was alone in third place at 1-under-par 31. The week concluded Feb. 24 with a nine-hole scramble. The team of Diane and Fred Miller, Tom Solosky and Terry Tarras combined on a 5-underpar 27 to edge a pair of teams for first place. Hoyt Miller, Art McMillan, Ken Nagengast and Tom Nelson matched the 4-under-par 28 carded by Ken Butler, Jon Holcomb, Bill MacMillan and Jerry Martinek for a two-way tie for second.

Horseshoe news Challengers arrived at the Anna Maria City Hall horseshoe pits Feb. 23 as the AMI pitchers played host to a team from Trailer Estates mobile home community in Bradenton — a revival of a friendly rivalry. AMI jumped to an early lead as the home team cruised to a 21-to-7 game victory. The rivalry will continue in the near future with the AMI pitchers visiting the Trailer Estates pits. Regular horseshoe action commenced Feb. 23 with the team of Rod Bussey and Tim Sofran earning the day’s bragging rights after posting the lone 3-0 record in pool play. Bob Lee was hot early, throwing 13 straight ringers in his first two games to set a new two-game record, but he missed out on making it a two-team playoff after losing his final game of pool play. Three teams advanced to the knockout stage during Feb. 26 horseshoe action. The lucky bye went to the team of Bob Lee and Bob Heiger, who watched as Bob Palmer and Bob Rowley cruised into the finals with a 23-6 victory over Adin Shank and Jim Hyde. Palmer and Rowley stayed perfect on the day with a 22-11 victory over Lee and Heiger to take the win.

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Page 26 THE ISLANDER | islander.org March 2, 2022 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

isl

Disenfranchised Happy Gilmore’s favorite restaurant on the island closed Feb. 22. After approximately 30 years of operation by several franchise operator in the Anna Maria Island Centre plaza, the Subway, 3232 E. Bay Drive, Holmes Beach, shut off the ovens for good. The Subway owner did not reply to The Islander’s Feb. 24 inquiries about the closure.

biz

By Kane Kaiman

Burritos in, subs out, kudos

Islanders drool at the prospect The only thing better than a burrito is a burrito as big as your head. And they’ll be available on the island when Los Chiludos, a California-Mexican-style restaurant, opens in late spring/early summer. As of Feb. 22, an announcement post from the restaurant’s Facebook page shared to the Island Ratz Unite group garnered 87 “likes” and 46 Kaiman comments from people excited to have another Mexican dining option on the island. “If you saw the private messages that we’ve gotten from people in Anna Maria now, it’s overwhelming, it’s exciting,” owner Tera Lemus said Feb. 21. The eatery, offering large servings of homemade Cal-Mex cuisine, will occupy the storefront at 3232 E. Bay Drive, Holmes Beach, in the Anna Maria Island Centre shopping plaza left vacant by a Subway franchise that closed Feb. 21. In 2008, Tera Lemus opened the original Los Chiludos in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, with her husband Jose. Their sons, Alonzo and Anthony, grew up working at the eatery. The Lemus family established a reputation in Canonsburg they intend to carry to Holmes Beach. “We have so many customers that have been fol-

Presidential commendation You can’t spell Lewin without W-I-N. And that’s her mantra for 2021. Wagner Realty broker Chantelle Lewin won the President’s Circle Award, her second commendation in three years with the company. Lewin, who specializes in island luxury homes and previously managed an award-winning real estate office in New Jersey, said she’s in the rewarding business of helping people purchase a piece of paradise. Coming in hot She attributes her success to listening skills and taylor Kolesar, left, and anthony, tera, Jose and proactivity. alonzo Lemus vacation in december 2021 in riviera “Customers that I’ve worked for have said I’m Maya, Mexico. the family is opening its Los chilualways on top of it and that I anticipate things that dos Mexican restaurant in holmes Beach. they plan could happen before they do to ensure a very smooth to open in May or June in the storefront formerly transaction,” she said. occupied by Subway in the Benderson-owned Lewin works out of the Anna Maria Island Wagner shopping plaza. islander courtesy Photos Realty office, 2217 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach. For more information, visit chantellelewin.com or call 941-713-1449. lowing us since day one,” Tera Lemus said. For more information, visit the Los Chiludos Mex- Well-built reputation reaps rewards ican Restaurant and Catering page on Facebook. Ross Built has gotten with the program. And, by the way, in other news from the AMI In January, the Bradenton and Sarasota-area home Centre in Holmes Beach, Graze Street AMI — a construction outfit was one of seven Florida builders chef-run market with fresh breads, oils, vinegars and selected for the 28th annual Southern Living magazine other sundries, sandwiches, cookies, charcuterie trays custom builder program. and even a fresh offering of flowers by the bunch — Founded in 2007 by Greg and Lee Ross, a husopened Feb. 23 at 3218 E. Bay Drive. Hours are 11 band-and-wife team, Ross Built is credited with seva.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. eral award-winning homes. Stay tuned for a grand opening. The company’s @rossbuilt Instagram page caught For more on the newbies, visit grazestreetami.com the eye of Southern Living, a 56-year-old magazine or call 941-896-6320. with a circulation of 2.8 million. The program provides Ross Built access to a conreal estate sortium of builders, relationships with suppliers such broker associas General Electric and Sherwin Williams, and more ate chantelle than 1,000 exclusive house plans from architects across Lewin is all the country. smiles feb. 24 Inclusion in the program also puts Ross Built in the on a visit to the running to build a showcase home for the magazine. beach in anna Greg and Lee Ross are Holmes Beach residents Maria, having with longstanding ties to the island. learned she Greg grew up in Holmes Beach and calls on childearned Wagner hood friends who work in construction. realty’s 2021 “His family has lived on the island since 1966. President’s It’s kind of rewarding to think, ‘He was once a Little circle award. League baseball player on the island and now we’re PLeaSe, See isl biz, next Page

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March 2, 2022 THE ISLANDER | islander.org Page 27 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BizCal

This train has left the station Subway, 3232 E. Bay Drive, Holmes Beach, was closed for good Feb. 21 and most of the equipment and supplies had been removed by Feb. 25. The franchise opened about 30 years ago in the Anna Maria Island Centre shopping plaza. Islander Photo: Bonner Joy

compiled bY KANE KAIMAN

AMI Chamber This week

Thursday, March 3 7:30 a.m. — member breakfast, Breezy Bakery, 11904 Cortez Road W., Cortez. Save the date March 10, member luncheon, Annie’s Bait & Tackle, Cortez. Info, RSVP: 941-778-154, info@amichamber.org.

isl biz from page 26

being recognized by a national publication,’” Lee Ross said. You can reach Ross Built at 941-778-7600.

And as always… …Got biz news? Contact Kane Kaiman at kane@ islander.org or call The Islander office at 941-7787978.

GOT STINK? Monthly Garbage Bin Cleaning Specializing in Vacation Rentals

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Save the date March 22, Politics and Pints, Motorworks Brewing, Bradenton. Info and RSVP: manateechamber.com, 941-748-3411.

Business news Planning new services?

New in business? Celebrating achievements? Submit to news@islander.org. Please, remember to include a contact number and name.

Islander archive 24/7

Some years ago, The Islander was invited to take part in a pilot project with the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries. We donated our collection of printed newspapers beginning with the first edition in 1992. It took some time, but it’s all maintained

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Welcome We join the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce in welcoming five new members in February: Captain Sal’s Island Adventures serving Manatee County and Sarasota; Makschu Productions of Sarasota; Starwheel Websites; Cool Beans AMI, a coffee boutique in Anna Maria; and Mean Deans restaurant of Bradenton. For more information, call 941-778-1541.

Manatee Chamber

Page 28 THE ISLANDER | islander.org March 2, 2022 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HELP WANTED

for SaLe: $375. oops shouldn’t have just bought Queen Zinus 12-inch cooling gel foam mattress from amazon, paid $575. our cortez rental being sold. 810-577-4709.

Wanted, garage for storage of golf cart and bikes. need electric. call dave, 716-545-0887.

SaLeS aSSociate Wanted: full-time. call, email or apply in person at Sun and Surf, 5418 Marina drive, holmes Beach. 941-778-2169. sunandsurfjenn@aol.com.

couPon: SaVe $5 on the only patented sandless beach blanket. Bring this coupon to the Beach hut across from ginny’s and Jane e’s cafe on gulf drive, anna Maria. call 855-686-Sand or go to https://sandlessblanket.com for home delivery.

LongBoat KeY’S BiggeSt and best royal rummage Sale xiV: noon-4 p.m. friday March 4, $5 admission, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, March 5, free admission. St. Mary Star of the Sea, 4280 gulf of Mexico drive, Longboat Key.

antiQue BaBY carriage: Wood and wicker. Proceeds benefit Moonracer animal rescue. email for photos: moonraceranimalrescue@ gmail.com.

garage SaLe: 9 a.m. friday, March 4. tools. furniture, decorations fishing gear. Smoker, Mako boat, outdoor furniture. 10005 Kingfisher road east, Bradenton.

LooKing for an earLY Bird? You can read Wednesday’s classifieds on tuesday at islander.org. and it’s free!

antiQue Partner deSK: all wood, $500. antique wood office chairs, perfect for eclectic dining set. circa 1950 from anna Maria city hall. inquire at the islander newspaper, 315 58th St. Suite J, holmes Beach. 941-778-7978.

LOST & FOUND

KIDS FOR HIRE

found: Wedding ring. found at Walmart on cortez road, Bradenton. 518-822-7315.

dePendaBLe, reSPonSiBLe, fun babysitter for hire. 13 years old, island local. available in June. 941-526-9090.

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heLP reScued PetS! Volunteer, foster, computer help needed! Moonracer animal rescue. email: moonraceranimalrescue@gmail.com.

Residential & Condo Renovations Kitchens • Bath • Design Service Carpentry • Flooring • Painting Commercial & Residential

References available • 941-720-7519

2009 VeSPa Lx50 scooter. Low miles, runs great. 609-828-9798. chrYSLer SeBring Sedan: 2008, silver, runs well. $4,000. 941-345-2441. text for information.

BOATS & BOATING Pontoon tourS! With upper deck! Sandbar hopping, dolphins, waterfront restaurants. do all the fun stuff! call 941-243 -2425. haVe a Boat and wanna catch more fish, better bait or learn the water? 50-year local fisherman, your boat, my knowledge. captain chris, 941-896-2915.

AdoptA-Pet

for SaLe: 23-foot Mako (1978) 200-hp Johnson, runs smooth, $10,500, 5-by-8 foot utility trailer, like new, $750, golf cart, $500, smoker, $200 or best offer. Mcgraw 20-gallon compressor, $150. 208-660-8492.

Bobby needs YOU!

Bobby is a male lab/dobie mix, 8-9 months old, about 50-pounds and needs a caring family. To meet this cutie, call Lisa Williams at 941-345-2441 or visit The Islander ofﬁce in Holmes Beach. For more about pet adoption, visit moonraceranimalrescue.com.

uSed BoatLift for sale: 16,000 lb. needs one drive pipe replaced. call 863-287-8078 for details.

the iSLander offerS the best results for your classified advertising dollar. We really work for you! Submit your ad no later than noon Monday on the website, islander. org. for Monday holidays, the deadline is friday.

got a Van or SuV? deliver flowers for local Bradenton florist. Part-time, 3-4 days week. extra days at holiday. 941-755-1540. rePorter Wanted: full- to part-time. Print media, newspaper experience required. apply via email with letter of interest to news@islander. org.

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, 315 58th St. Suite J, holmes Beach.

HEALTH CARE exPerience cna for hire! 1. Skilled. 2. respite. 3. Long-term 4. home health. i have 22 years in the medical field, i love what i do, serving the elderly. contact information: 941-580-4440. tee0123@yahoo.com. SERVICES need a ride to airports? tampa $65, St. Pete, $55, Sarasota, $30. gary, 863-409-5875. gvoness80@gmail.com. iS Your hoMe or office in need of some cleaning? Well, i’m your girl! Local, reliable, professional! Please, give me a call or text, 941-773 -0461. cLeaning: Vacation, conStruction, residential, commercial and windows. Licensed and insured. 941-744-7983. PreSSure WaShing, PaVer sealing, driveway, roof, fence, pool area. also, window cleaning. Licensed and insured. 941-565-3931. BicYcLe rePairS: Just4fun, 5358 gulf drive, can do most any bicycle repair at a reasonable cost. Pick-up and delivery available. 941-8967884. coMPanion/hoMeMaKer: honest and reliable offering help with running errands, grocery shopping, house sitting, pet and plant care, light cooking/cleaning, transportation. references available and licensed. call Sherri, 941-592-4969.