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VOL 26 No. 46
August 12, 2026
Smiles and hugs on the first day of school BY LESLIE LAKE SUN REPORTER | llake@amisun.com
CITY OF BRADENTON BEACH | SUBMITTED
A hotel complex is proposed for the redevelopment of the Pines Trailer Park property.
Pines, Bridge Street redevelopment plans presented
HOLMES BEACH – There were hugs, smiles and some tears shed as students began their first day of the 2026-27 school year at Anna Maria Elementary School on Monday, Aug. 10. Students and their parents walked down a red carpet to be greeted by Principal Katie Fradley and the school staff after the long summer break that began on May 29. Holmes Beach Police officers were posted in front of the school, along Gulf Drive, to serve as a reminder that the 15 mph speed limit is in effect during the enforcement hours from 7:30 to 8:40 a.m. and from 2:45 and 3:45 p.m. Speed cameras are activated during those times and tickets will be issued for motorists driving 26 mph and above.
See more back-to-school photos on Page 13.
The conceptual plan includes a waterfront hotel, condos, retail and restaurant spaces, a public plaza and more. BY LESLIE LAKE and JOE HENDRICKS SUN REPORTERS | llake@amisun.com
BRADENTON BEACH – Representatives of the Pines Park Investors LLC ownership group introduced their proposed conceptual plan to redevelop the Pines Trailer Park property at the east end of Bridge Street. The plans also propose redeveloping multiple properties at the west end of Bridge Street, near the Gulf Drive intersection. The conceptual plans and renderings were presented to the mayor, city commissioners and the public during the Aug. 6 city commission meeting. The presentation was given for informational purposes only. The commission took no action and the mayor did not open the discussion up for public comment.
CITY OF BRADENTON BEACH | SUBMITTED
This map illustrates where the proposed buildings and other elements would be located. The plans propose 200 hotel rooms and 13 condo units near the east end of Bridge Street, where the mobile home park and parking lot are currently located. The proposed redevelopment project includes 351 total parking spaces located throughout the four-building project area. The Pines Trailer Park is currently zoned M-1 (mobile home use) and the future land use category is split between ROR (retail/office/ residential) and Commercial. The
park owners would need the city commission’s approval to rezone the property for other uses.
THE PRESENTATION
Sam Negrin was the first to speak on behalf of the Pines Park Investors group, which he said consists of about 15 members, several of whom he said are Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach residents.
SEE REDEVELOPMENT, PAGE 8
REACTIONS TO Pines Trailer Park Plans. 6
MAYOR RECAPS hurricane lessons learned. 4
SHOREBIRD NESTING SEASON
coming to an end. 18
Page 16 Anna Maria Island, Florida
LESLIE LAKE | SUN
Above, Henry was all smiles as he began VPK at AME. Below, The students lined up on the first day of school. .
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Commission rejects proposed valet parking ordinance The city commission seeks greater enforcement of the city’s current parking regulations. BY LESLIE LAKE SUN REPORTER | llake@amisun.com
BRADENTON BEACH – The city commission voted 4-1 in opposition to adopting a proposed valet parking ordinance. During their Aug. 6 meeting, the mayor and commissioners instead chose to increase enforcement of the existing rules against valet parking on public roads. Commissioner Scott Bear cast the dissenting vote. The ordinance, No. 26-571, would have required valet parking businesses to obtain a city license and submit a parking plan showing where vehicles would be loaded, unloaded and stored. Violations would have resulted in fines or license revocation.
“If they go outside that plan, it becomes a code enforcement issue,” City Attorney Erica Augello said. “They can get a daily running fine. They can get their license revoked. This gives you the ability to say, ‘We granted you that plan, you told us you would abide by that plan and now you’re not doing it.’” Augello told commissioners valet parking is already prohibited citywide under current code, but the issue comes with enforcing the current rules. “As it stands right now, the way that your code is set up, you don't allow for valet parking,” Augello said. “This would just regulate it in the event you want it to be allowed for the ability to use public property for that.” The proposed ordinance would not have applied to businesses offering valet parking on their own property. “We've had no valet parking forever, and it hasn't been
LESLIE LAKE | SUN
Traffic cones placed alongside the SALT Bar & Table fencing are used for valet parking. enforced,” Commissioner Debbie Scaccianoce said. “It's going on in rights of way. It's going on in private property every single night. They park on the residential streets. They're loading and unloading in through streets.” In response, Augello said, “If you're not enforcing it, then they're going to do whatever they want
anyway, whether you have the ordinance or not. Because if you have somebody that is not abiding by the law now, I don't know if they're going to abide by a new law that's coming out.” During the hour-long discussion, the commission noted Bradenton Beach has just one code enforcement officer, Evan Harbus, and he
does not work nights when most of the parking violations occur. Harbus said he would be willing to adjust his schedule to include some evening hours. Harbus told commissioners a violation case is already open against at least one property and that he is working with the city attorney and the property's legal counsel to resolve it. Lt. Lenard Diaz said Bradenton Beach police officers can issue tickets for vehicles obstructing roadways, but they cannot issue citations for code violations. Augello then said, “It's a code enforcement issue, but if you have a sworn officer that is designated as a code enforcement officer, you can have your police department enforce the code. The issue you're going to have is a sworn law enforcement officer acting in the capacity of the code enforcement officer
SEE VALET, PAGE 17
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ISLAND NEWS
Visit our website, www.amisun.com. Scan this code with your smartphone to go there. AUGUST 12, 2026
Anna Maria mayor provides hurricane recovery recap
IN BRIEF
The city still seeks reimbursement for costs incurred during and after the 2024 hurricanes. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN REPORTER | jhendricks@amisun.com
SUBMITTED
Chamber hosting AI readiness seminar
The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce will host a Lunch and Learn seminar on artificial intelligence (AI) for local businesses from noon to 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, at the Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria. The seminar, "AI Readiness for Local Businesses," will cover practical workflows, smarter automation and the role of human judgment in adopting AI tools. The program is being offered as an AMI Chamber seminar resource in partnership with Sande Caplin & Associates, a web design and development firm. Attendees can also access a companion guide on AI readiness by scanning a QR code provided at the event. The cost is $30 for chamber members and $50 for nonmembers. Attendees must RSVP by Tuesday, Aug. 18, at memberservices@amichamber.org.
HBPD | SUBMITTED
Kingfish Boat Ramp parking enforcement resumes
The Holmes Beach Police Department resumed enforcing parking rules at the Kingfish Boat Ramp on Saturday, Aug. 8. Construction work at the boat ramp is complete and the parking areas have been marked with new signage. The police department asks boat ramp users to observe the posted signs and park accordingly. In a recent Facebook post, the department said no warnings will be issued before citations are given.
ANNA MARIA – The city is currently facing a $2.3 million hurricane recovery reimbursement deficit, and Mayor Mark Short and city staff are applying lessons learned from the 2024 hurricanes to prepare for the peak months of the 2026 hurricane season that still lie ahead. During the July 14 budget preparation kickoff workshop, Mayor Mark Short provided a recap of what the city did well and what the city didn't do so well before and after the 2024 hurricanes. He noted those past hurricanes are still impacting the city's current and coming fiscalyear budgets. "We have been working extremely hard with respect to the city's status on the hurricane recovery from a financial standpoint," Short said of the "frank update" he was about to give. Short noted the city still has $2.3 million in unreimbursed hurricane cleanup and recovery costs associated with Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Beginning with the positive aspects, Short said Anna Maria's rapid debris removal and cleanup efforts put the city two to four weeks ahead of the other Island communities. He also noted that for the first time, the city used social media to provide hurricane news and updates before and after the storm, which resulted in the city's Facebook followers increasing from approximately 200 to approximately 12,000 followers. He said the city's public works department worked well with Florida Power & Light and the Manatee County Utilities Department to restore the damaged infrastructure. He said the Manatee County Sheriff's Office Anna Maria Unit successfully enforced the city
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
The Bayfront Park area served as hurricane debris collection and staging area after the 2024 hurricanes. entry checkpoints and curfews. He said city staff worked long hours alongside the various city contractors for several weeks after the hurricanes.
LEARNING UNDER FIRE
Short was elected mayor in November 2024, less than a month after the second of the two back-to-back hurricanes struck. Before he was elected mayor, Short was a city commissioner, and as part of his preparations to potentially serve as the next mayor he spent a great deal of time after the hurricanes struck assisting then-Mayor Dan Murphy with the city's recovery efforts. Short said a month after he took office, he began holding "postmortems" with city staff and the Manatee County Sheriff's Office to help identify what worked and what didn't. He said those lessons helped shape the city's current hurricane preparation. He said he also learned a lot when he attended the Governor's Hurricane Conference in May 2025. Short said his review of the city's efforts revealed some serious gaps. He said the city had no competitively bid contracts in place for debris hauling, debris monitoring or the overall management of the debris-removal process before the hurricanes hit. Short said the city had no maintenance logs documenting
the upkeep of the city's equipment. He said the city failed to move its equipment off the Island before the hurricanes hit, resulting in the loss of golf carts and other equipment from the public works building. He said the city had no software to track property damage assessments. He said photographic documentation of the hurricane damage was spotty, and the city later had to reconstruct the GPS data FEMA requires for reimbursement claims. Short said the city's insurance coverage and policies were inconsistent: some buildings carried flood insurance and others didn't, including the building that ultimately flooded.
DEBRIS REMOVAL
Short said the costliest mistakes the city made pertained to debris removal. He said the city never checked to see if the debris-removal trucks and contractors had the required state certification. He said the debris-removal and hauling contractors the city used were not paid according to FEMA's preferred method. He said FEMA prefers debrisremoval reimbursement to be based on cubic yards of debris hauled away, and Anna Maria's debris-removal contractors were paid by the ton, by the load or by the hour. Short said this cre-
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AM HURRICANE: mayor provides recovery recap FROM PAGE 4 ated a labor-intensive, after-thefact process of converting that data into cubic yards as part of the ongoing efforts to get FEMA reimbursement. Commissioner Chris Arendt asked how the city ended up with debris haulers that weren't FEMA-compliant. Commissioner Gary McMullen said the previous administration pushed to get contractors on-site quickly and used the city's emergency procurement rules because no pre-storm contracts existed. Short said he agreed with McMullen's comment. Short said the biggest hurricane-related financial shortfall is the result of the debris-removal efforts. He said the city spent $3.14 million on debris-removal activities and to date has received $759,000 in reimbursements, with an additional $120,000 in reimbursements still pending. Short said the $1.7 million in anticipated debris-related
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
Mayor Mark Short leads the city’s ongoing hurricane recovery and preparation efforts. claims sat in FEMA's reimbursement queue for more than 260 days without a response. "They have been a little bit radio silent," Short said of FEMA's response. Short said the potential $2.3 million reimbursement gap represents a worst-case outcome, and the final outcome isn't yet certain. "I don't think that $2.3 million is going to be the number that comes in the door," Short said, but he noted the city is not including any of those
potential reimbursement funds as anticipated revenue sources during the coming 2026-27 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Short said the city has now put in place four debris-hauling contracts and a debris-monitoring contract. He noted that earlier that week he presented the commission with a contract to be entered into with AC Disaster Consulting (ACDC). Short said the new debris-hauling and monitoring contracts are structured to meet FEMA standards from the outset. Short said it's possible the future debris-removal efforts will take longer to complete, but the FEMA reimbursement process will be faster. On the bright side, Short said the city is obligated to receive up to $4.2 million from FEMA for the reconstruction of the hurricane-damaged City Pier, but only $443,000 of the $1.6 million in reimbursement claims submitted to date has been received in payments. He noted the city had to cover
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
Hurricane debris lined Anna Maria’s streets after the 2024 hurricanes. these expenses upfront before submitting reimbursement claims, and doing so contributed to the city's undesignated reserve funds dropping from approximately $4 million to approximately $1 million. Short said the pier-related reimbursements received, and to be received, from FEMA go directly toward paying down the $4 million loan the city secured to finance the pier reconstruction project. In addition to the City Pier
repairs, Short said the city has spent about $1.5 million repairing damaged city equipment and infrastructure, with about $1.3 million of that already obligated for reimbursement, but only 87% of that category is recoverable under FEMA rules. City Treasurer Randy Maxson said the city is also pursuing a scoring system-based state readiness certification that could make the city eligible for upfront disaster payments for future hurricanes.
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The Anna Maria Island Sun Staff Publishers Bob Alexander John Reitz Editor Joe Hendricks Reporters | Photographers Joe Hendricks Leslie Lake Ernie Vanderwalt Columnists Louise Bolger Rusty Chinnis Contributors Steve Borggren Capt. Rick Grassett Layout Ricardo Fonseca Advertising Director Shona Otto Classified Ads Bob Alexander Graphics Elaine Stroili Ricardo Fonseca Distribution Bob Alexander Tony McNulty Brian Smith Accounting Leslie Ketchum John Reitz ©2026 Longboard Communications Inc.
Online commenters weigh in on Pines, Bridge Street redevelopment plans The Pines Trailer Park and Bridge Street redevelopment plans generated hundreds of Facebook comments. BY LESLIE LAKE
SUN REPORTER | llake@amisun.com
BRADENTON BEACH – The Pines Trailer Park redevelopment plans included in the Pines Park Investors ownership group “Bridge Street Pier District” redevelopment project generated a great deal of social media commentary before, during and after the plans were presented to the Bradenton Beach City Commission on Thursday, Aug. 6. Shared by the city clerk’s office on Wednesday, Aug. 5, the conceptual presentation references four buildings, 200 hotel rooms, 13 condo units, a beach club, restaurant and retail spaces, 351 parking spaces, a public plaza, a waterfront walkway and more – to be spread across the Pines Trailer Park property at the east end of Bridge Street and the properties currently being used as a paid parking lot at the west end of Bridge Street.
PRE-PRESENTATION COMMENTS
More than 750 comments were posted after the plans shared in PDF form were posted on The
CITY OF BRADENTON BEACH | SUBMITTED
The proposed Pines Trailer Park development plan includes a 200-room waterfront hotel. Sun’s Facebook page on Aug. 5. Many Facebook users lamented the loss of the charm of Bridge Street, the possibility of increased traffic and the loss of the Pines Trailer Park, and some expressed support for the proposed project. Kimberly Meyers-Collins wrote, “This takes away all the charm of Bridge Street and the area in general. We fell in love with the area almost 20 years ago because of the quaint bars, stores and charm. This reminds me of something you would see in St. Armands along with all its traffic.” “It's almost like the hurricanes did SK (Shawn Kaleta) a favor, making those trailers unlivable and making his property suddenly worth way more,” Scott Andrews wrote. Eric Geraldson wrote, “Traffic already doesn’t move around
here. How could this even be considered?” Rusty Price wrote, “McDonald’s, Holiday Inn and a ferris wheel next. Y'all are getting what you wanted now!” Lynn Marie wrote, “Please don’t commercialize it more than it already is. I love Bradenton Beach and the south end just the way it is. Well, other than the traffic, but imagine what traffic will be like if this monstrosity happens!” “They're killing the goose that laid the golden egg. Say good-bye to old Florida. Sorry for y'all,” Dennis Chasse wrote. “The problem is its going to bring so much more traffic and people than that area can handle,” Nancy Green wrote.
SEE COMMENTERS, PAGE 12
AUGUST 12, 2026
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ON THE AGENDA
ANNA MARIA
10005 GULF DRIVE FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-6130
Visit www.cityofannamaria.com Tuesday, Aug. 11, 1 p.m., WSP parking study informational meeting Thursday, Aug. 13, 10 a.m., City Commission meeting Wednesday, Aug. 19, 9 a.m., Planning and Zoning Board meeting
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107 GULF DRIVE N. FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-778-1005
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Visit www.cityofbradentonbeach.com Thursday, Aug. 20, 9:30 a.m., Community Redevelopment Agency meeting Thursday, Aug. 20, noon, City Commission meeting
Visit www.holmesbeachfl.org Tuesday, Aug. 11, City Commission meeting, CANCELED Wednesday, Aug. 12, 9 a.m., Clean Water Ad Hoc Committee virtual meeting
Cabana rentals, stormwater fee calculations on Thursday’s agenda The Anna Maria City Commission will meet Thursday, Aug. 13, at 10 a.m. After general public comment on nonagenda items and approving the multiitem consent agenda, the commission will be presented with the first reading of a proposed stormwater utility rate ordinance that changes how the city’s annual stormwater fees will be calculated using a new methodology that factors in each property’s impervious surface coverage. The commission will be presented with the first reading of an ordinance that amends the city’s franchise agreement with Waste Pro to include additional definitions and clarifications that include a definition of a vacation rental and the number of
941-798-9010
trash and recycling containers required for vacation rentals. The commission will be presented with the first reading of an updated parks and recreation ordinance that further addresses commercial activity (beach cabana rentals) on the city’s public beaches. The mayor and public works manager will provide a capital projects update that includes the status of the City Pier reconstruction project. To attend or participate in the meeting by phone, call 1-929-205-6099 and, when prompted, enter the meeting ID 85392000280.
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REDEVELOPMENT: Pines, Bridge Street plans presented FROM PAGE 1 It is not known if developer Shawn Kaleta remains a member of the Pines Park Investors limited liability company formed in 2023. The Florida Division of Corporations listed Kaleta as the LLC’s authorized person and manager until November 2025, when Negrin was first listed as the LLC’s authorized representative. Negrin is currently listed as the LLC's authorized representative and the Najmy Thompson law firm remains listed as its registered agent. The annual limited liability company reports submitted to the Florida Division of Corporations do not list the additional company or ownership group members. The plans propose a two-story retail building with a rooftop deck along Bridge Street and Gulf Drive South, and an adjacent 74-space ground-level parking lot along Gulf Drive South and Third Street South – to be located on the four Kaletaaffiliated properties currently used as a paid parking lot. When addressing the commission, Negrin said, "A little less than two years ago, Hurricanes Helene and Milton changed the landscape of Bradenton Beach and created
CITY OF BRADENTON BEACH | SUBMITTED
The plan proposes a two-story retail building along Bridge Street and a parking lot along Third Street South. Right, Architect David Chilinski presented the redevelopment plans and renderings, joined by Bill Galvano, left, and Sam Negrin, center. uncertainty for nearly everyone in the community, including us. In the aftermath, we had to step back and seriously reconsider what the future of our property should look like. We do not want to respond to the storms by simply placing a private, isolated development in the middle of one of the most important areas of the city." Several mobile homes were flooded and damaged by the 2024 hurricanes and
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
most residents of the 86-unit Pines Trailer Park were displaced. Some residents withheld their lot rent payments due to the continued disrepair of the mobile home park and the lack of usable amenities. Park ownership subsequently filed eviction notices against those residents, and some later turned over the titles to their mobile homes to avoid eviction. In 2025, the Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association
filed a lawsuit against the park’s ownership group, and a confidential settlement agreement was later reached. A handful of residents still live in the park. Negrin said the plan being presented that evening was more than a year in the making and had been studied, refined and reconsidered from many perspectives.
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REDEVELOPMENT: Pines, Bridge Street plans presented FROM PAGE 8 "We believe this property deserved a more thoughtful approach, one that could help strengthen the Bradenton Beach Pier district, one that could reconnect Bridge Street to the waterfront and one that could contribute something meaningful to the future of Bradenton Beach," he said. "What we are proposing is not simply a closed-shape hotel accompanied by some downstairs retail. Our goal is to create a welcoming extension of Bridge Street – one that draws people naturally toward the pier and the water, and introduces new gathering spaces." Negrin said the project team studied the roots of Key West Victorian architecture and drew inspiration from the late Emily Anne Smith – the architectural designer who designed many buildings on Bridge Street, including the BridgeWalk Resort, the Island Time/Bridge Street Bistro building and the Bridge Street Bazaar/Daiquiri Deck building. Attorney Bill Galvano, a former state senator, spoke next and noted the presentation was being given voluntarily. "It's not a required presentation. It's not something that we have to do, or that frankly you have to do, but it's something that we wanted to do, so that we can broach the subject with the
city leaders, so that you can start to understand what the vision is and be part of the vision and be part of the working together going forward," Galvano said. He said the developers have not yet filed any formal permit applications and want to gather city feedback before they begin the permitting process. "We will work with your city planner, your city staff, your city attorney to make sure that as we go through the process, we are doing everything correctly, but at the same time collaborating with the city. I think you and the folks in the audience are going to love when they see what the vision is. It's a game changer." The 15 or so people who attended the meeting on a rainy evening were not allowed to give public input. Most online comments made on The Sun's Facebook page while the presentation was being livestreamed expressed strong dislike and opposition to the proposed development, but some viewers expressed support for the project. Galvano said he discussed the project with Florida Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly and she expressed interest in potentially providing some state-level support for it. Architect David Chilinski is the president and co-founder of the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based PCA architecture, planning and interior design firm. He provided some background information
CITY OF BRADENTON BEACH | SUBMITTED
The plans propose a two-story retail structure along the west end of Bridge Street. and displayed many conceptual drawings of the project. He said the entry from Gulf Drive onto Bridge Street is currently "a little weak." The area he referred to as weak is the area currently used as a paid parking lot. Chilinski said the project would also entail making some changes at the east end of Bridge Street, near the city-owned clocktower and the pier. "We're going to color a little bit over the lines and engage with some city property in order to, quite frankly, build on what you've done," he said. Chilinski said the design proposes extending the Bridge Street district through the mobile home park property to Second Street and including a public walkway and plaza along the waterfront. He mentioned the need to realign an existing city-owned street that passes through the
Pines property. Chilinski said the street realignment would add about 30 public parking spaces and give the city roughly 2,000 additional square feet of land. "Some of it's on our land, some of it's on city-owned land, but essentially this is a public plaza along the water's edge to create an open public boardwalk that would lead you to another plaza that's the culmination of Second Street," Chilinski said. Chilinski noted the proposed project is divided into four building areas identified as A, B, C and D – Buildings A and B would be located on the current Pines Trailer Park property. "The thought here is to do something that from a scale-wise is going to fit within the height limits of the district, but to energize the shoreline and to bring people to that water's edge," he said. He said 177 hotel rooms would be Building B and 23 hotel rooms
would be located in A, both of which are located on the Pines property. Located closest to the water, on the Pines property, Building A would include 23 hotel rooms, 10,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and 27 groundlevel parking spaces. Located behind Building A, Building B would include 177 hotel rooms, 12,560 square feet of retail space and 200 covered parking spaces, including 95 that would utilize stackers that allow more than one vehicle to be parked in a single parking space, with 27 more parking spaces on the street. The 13-unit condominium building (Building C) would be located on Church Avenue and First Street North, in the space currently used as a paid public parking lot and a parking lot for the remaining Pines residents. Building D would be the multistory retail building along the west end of Bridge Street.
COMMISSION RESPONSE
The mayor and commissioners shared their concerns about the project's scale, relative to the rest of Bridge Street. "This just looks like to me that it's overwhelming the waterfront, the way it's presented today," Commissioner Debbie Scaccianoce said. "It makes the rest of Bridge Street look like an afterthought."
SEE REDEVELOPMENT, PAGE 11
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Where’s Krysta? As of Sunday, Aug. 9, Krysta, a female loggerhead sea turtle, had traveled 448 miles since she was satellite-tagged and released on June 29 after nesting on Coquina Beach. She is participating in the Sea Turtle Conservancy's 2026 Tour de Turtles race, which began Aug. 1. She had traveled 26 miles since the race officially began and she was in 11th place for miles traveled in a field of 11 tracked sea turtles. Krysta is symbolically swimming to raise awareness about the threat of beach erosion. Her participation in the 2026 Tour de Turtles is sponsored by Hurricane Hanks. Source: Sea Turtle Conservancy (conserveturtles.org/turtle/Krysta)
SEA TURTLE NESTING NEWS As of Friday, Aug. 7: Total loggerhead turtle nests: 455 Nests this week (8/1-8/7): 6 False crawls this week: 5 Total false crawls: 569
Total nests hatched: 107 Total hatchlings produced: 6,591 Total adult turtle disorientations: 20 Nests inventoried: 96 Disoriented hatchlings: 649-1,530 Disoriented hatchlings found dead: 52 Source: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring
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REDEVELOPMENT: Pines, Bridge Street plans presented FROM PAGE 9 Participating by phone, Commissioner Robert Talham said he agreed with Scaccianoce's assessment, but he noted it’s early in the planning process. "These guys are going to spend a lot of money, and they've got a lot of money, and they're going to make a lot of money," he said. "We should, in our own time, in our own work meeting, decide what do we want as a town? What can they provide for us, with their dollars, in order for us to let them do this?" Commissioner Ralph Cole questioned the scale and height of the proposed project. "I'm trying to get a visual of what we have sitting next to it. When you digitally enhance this, it looks a lot taller. Are we seeing the right proportion?" he said. Chilinski said the proposed buildings would comply with the city's three-story height limit. He said he'd create some additional renderings that better illustrate the proposed buildings in relation to their surroundings. Commissioner Scott Bear said Key West experienced similar redevelopment a couple of years ago, which he saw firsthand when he visited. "The locals that we talked to thought that the new development overshadowed everything else and the rest got lost and then that lost its luster. It was like a sore thumb sticking out," he said. Mayor John Chappie said, "I agree about the overwhelming part, and this kind of makes everything else secondary to some degree."
KALETA PROPERTIES
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This diagram of the proposed waterfront hotel complex includes details about the parking accommodations. "You started out talking about Key West Victorian style and Emily Anne Smith," Chappie said. "Some people loved it, some people didn't like it and said it's too much gingerbread." Chappie said he would like to see the proposed project buildings with an old Florida look, but not a Key West look. "I'd like to see more of an Anna Maria Island look, and this isn't quite that," he said. Chappie noted the proposed east end redevelopment would occur near the city-owned Bradenton Beach Pier, the historic clocktower and the boardwalk that leads to the pier. "That's kind of a signature thing for Bradenton Beach and you see that all over the county in photos," Chappie said.
"I would hope that you're talking to also John Horne a little bit," he said in reference to pier tenant and Anna Maria Oyster Bar CEO John Horne. Galvano closed the presentation by telling commissioners the development team would take the commission feedback into consideration as it continues refining the plans and preparing to work with city staff on a formal application. "I just want to highlight again, we're here to work with you," Galvano said. "Regardless of some of the comments, we do have property rights; we do have development rights and there are procedures that we can follow that are more sterile. The feedback that we got tonight is helpful and we'll take it under consideration." No timeline was given as to when the permitting process would begin.
On Aug. 7, The Sun texted Negrin and asked him if Kaleta is still affiliated with the Pines Park Investors ownership group. In response, Negrin wrote, "Different ownership groups coming together to create the most comprehensive plan for the area." The proposed retail space and parking lot along Bridge Street, Gulf Drive South and Third Street South, would be located on four adjacent properties currently owned by four different limited liability companies that each list Kaleta as the manager and authorized person. The Najmy Thompson law firm is listed as the registered agent for the four LLCs – 205 Sycamore LLC, Bridge Street Resort LLC, Bridge Street Retail LLC and Tampa Bayshore Trust LLC. On June 26, according to Manatee County official records, the four Kaleta-affiliated properties were used as collateral for a $10 million mortgage (loan) agreement with ServisFirst Bank. Kaleta signed the agreement four times, as the manager of each LLC. According to Manatee County official records, on June 23, Bridge Street Retail LLC bought the property at the corner of Gulf Drive South and Third Street South (201 Gulf Drive South) from AMI Plaza LLC for approximately $2.45 million. The Florida Division of Corporations lists William Conrad Saba as AMI Plaza LLC’s manager and Firkins Nissan Inc. as its authorized persons.
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“These guys had the best selection , decent prices, and were overall just good people.” Matthew
“Great assortment of spirits and competitive prices.” Nyor “Amazing selection knowledgeable staff and best service on the island” Vicky
SHOP AMI LOCAL BUSINESS - PROUDLY SERVING LOCALS AND VISITORS SINCE 2007
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AUGUST 12, 2026
COMMENTERS: weigh in on Pines, Bridge Street redevelopment plans FROM PAGE 6 “This is replacing the dilapidated trailer park. I'm all for it,” John Rainieri wrote. “This looks great, but it needs to incorporate condos for workers and also more trees. The architecture style is lacking,” Lucie Allen wrote. “Great plan but needs to be better executed. Employ better architects. More greening, more trees, more planting and more textures on the building itself.”
LIVESTREAM COMMENTS
During and after The Sun's livestream of the Aug. 6 presentation given to the city commission by Pines Park Investors group’s representatives, 232 Facebook comments were received on the livestream post. Cindy Quinn wrote, “AMI is not Key West!” “Too big for this space,” Calvin Johnson wrote. “Why do people feel bigger is better? We love our sleepy town. We will never come back from this!”
Cheryl Lumsden Jozsa wrote, “It's apparent that the old charm of AMI Bradenton Beach is done. It's disgusting.” Joanita McGreal Mayle wrote, “I love the Bridge Street character. The current Bridge Street, I hate this plan. We already have a paradise! Leave it be $$$$!” “The character of Bridge Street will be gone,” Lynn Johnson wrote. “Cruise ship port vibes.” Anita Burris Jones wrote, “This will take away the charm of Bradenton Beach.” Michael Patsy wrote, “Too big for the space.” Joachim Schiffer wrote, “Nobody can or will stop this.” Sue Longacre wrote, “Our Mayor and Commissioners DO NOT LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE. They approved the last proposed big hotel on Bridge Street despite over 5,000 signatures opposing the size of it.” Regarding the park owners’ redevelopment rights, Valerie
CITY OF BRADENTON BEACH | SUBMITTED
The rendering conceptually illustrates the retail corner of the proposed hotel. Amick wrote, “They have rights, but there are many of us who also have rights that precede theirs.” Regarding comments made by architect and presenter David Chilinski, Shannon Anberzon wrote, “Bring people to the pier?! The pier is always busy with people visiting?!? This guy is a joke.” Jennifer Garringer wrote, “Please don't let this happen!! BB can't handle this craziness!! The small-town ambiance that we are loved for is already
disappearing and this will absolutely destroy our wildlife and everything we stand for!” In support of the project, Peter Zig wrote, “It’s a great concept, maybe a bit overwhelming in scale for that area, but the future of that property is more businesses and revenue for everyone. The new owners of the trailer park property will be utilizing that prime waterfront real estate one way or another. Most business owners will want
this to happen. It will bring in more people & more money to Bridge St. businesses.” Will D Johnson wrote, “Way better than a bunch of old trailers. And, the fact is the Pines owners could be lobbying for making the whole dang parcel a giant hotel giving residents nothing but tax receipts in the deal. Love the idea of anchoring the concept with a public boardwalk.” Jeepin Jen wrote, “AMI is NOT CLEARWATER.” Susan Curry wrote, “Goodbye lovely quaint, REAL, Bradenton Beach. Looks like every other contrived, beachside tourist trap. Nothing like OUR island.” Meg Rago Burnopp wrote, “There’s nothing architecturally pleasing about that design! Looks like a mall we have up in Illinois! Not a historic beach area!” Sandy Ziros wrote, “I sure hope the commissioners do the right thing and save Bridge Street.” Sharon Puckett Verderber wrote, “WE DO NOT WANT THIS!”
AUGUST 12, 2026
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Back to School at AME After their summer break, Anna Maria Elementary students returned for the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 10. The Holmes Beach Police Department reminds motorists to obey the 15 mph speed limit in effect twice-a-day on school days.
Left, Samuel, Gavin and Jackson were happy to be back at school. LESLIE LAKE | SUN
LESLIE LAKE | SUN
Above, Abel’s dad reassured him as he began his VPK year. Left, Cove and Tilly were all smiles on their first day of school. Right, Madelyn and Hendrix were excited to start first grade. LESLIE LAKE | SUN
LESLIE LAKE | SUN
‛S YOUR COMFORT ZONE? WHERE
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OUTDOORS
AUGUST 12, 2026
Monitoring Anna Maria Sound's seagrass loss Reel Time RUSTY CHINNIS
A
s I reported in a story earlier this year, I was alerted by Capt. Scott Moore and his son, Capt. Justin Moore, last year about a large loss of seagrass in Anna Maria Sound. I, like Scott and Justin, remember when the sound was lush with seagrass, but when I recently flew my drone to investigate, I was shocked by what I saw. Large areas of the sound were devoid of grass and dotted with large areas of bare sand. Seagrass, which is mostly hidden from view, is a vital link in the web of life that supports water quality and the fish, birds, manatees, dolphins and economy of the region. Concerned, I quickly
alerted Suncoast Waterkeeper (SCWK) Executive Director Dr. Abbey Tyrna, who passed the information and drone video on to Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) Executive Director Ed Sherwood. Areas of the bay, north of the Manatee Avenue Bridge to Holmes Beach, are covered by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. On Aug. 6, Sherwood, TBEP Restoration Ecologist Kerry Flaherty Walia, TBEP Community Programs Scientist Sheila Scolaro Moffatt and Holmes Beach Ad Hoc Clean Water Committee member Bill Romberger joined Dr. Tyrna, me and SCWK Water Quality and Pollution Specialist Pia Ronquillo-See on the Suncoast Waterkeeper boat to set up a transect similar to more than 60 others that have been established in Tampa Bay by their estuary program since the late 1990s. The Tampa Bay Estuary Program has a seagrass transect dashboard that provides a way
RUSTY CHINNIS | SUN
Bill Romberger (center) sampled seagrass as Abbey Tyrna and Pia Ronquillo-See (right) assisted and recorded the findings, while Kerry Flaherty Walia set a transect in the background. for interested parties to view and download results for all transect data in Tampa Bay. Assessments include an overall summary of seagrass trends in different segments of Tampa Bay. The transects are linear and use three different sizes of square sampling frames, called
quadrats. A 1-meter-square frame is the primary grid size. Our team placed this square frame every 25 meters along the transect line to estimate overall percentage cover, evaluate sediment and identify seagrass species. This work is vital to give scientists and
advocates an idea of the health of seagrasses so they can spot problem areas quickly. The Holmes Beach Ad Hoc Clean Water Committee is an advisory group to the city commission that is focused on improving and sustaining local water purity. Chaired by Jennifer Miller, the committee meets monthly at city hall (5801 Marina Drive) to discuss water strategies and collaborate with regional estuary programs, with a focus on improving drinking water quality the quality of our coastal waters. Romberger joined us as part of the city of Holmes Beach's commitment to improving water quality. To get involved and follow the progress of these efforts, join Suncoast Waterkeeper. Learn more at suncoastwaterkeeper.org. The video of our recent efforts can be viewed at my YouTube channel at youtube.com/@ rustychinnis3474.
AUGUST 12, 2026
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Anna Maria commission discusses citywide expenses Law enforcement is annually the city’s largest single citywide expense. BY JOE HENDRICKS
SUN REPORTER | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – The mayor and city commissioners held their third budget preparation workshop on Thursday, Aug. 6. The latest budget workshop focused on citywide expenses that are not assigned to a single department. City Treasurer Randy Maxson and City Clerk and Human Resources Administrator Amber LaRowe reviewed many of the proposed expenditures included in the 2026-27 fiscal year budget that takes effect Oct. 1.
PUBLIC SAFETY
The largest single citywide expense is $1.78 million budgeted for the law enforcement services provided by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office Anna Maria Unit. That is a projected 6.7% increase over the current fiscal year, for which $1.72 million was budgeted. Mayor Mark Short noted the Anna Maria Unit consists of Sgt. Brett Getman and eight deputies.
Short said the budgeted figure does not reflect additional services the sheriff's office provides at no extra charge, including marine patrols, extra-duty officers during busy periods and dispatch services. Short noted Anna Maria's law enforcement costs are lower than the two other Island cities.
ADMINISTRATION AND IT
LaRowe presented the proposed $299,804 city administration budget and the proposed $155,000 information technology (IT) budget, both of which are now standalone departmental budgets after previously being grouped with other departmental budgets. LaRowe said the change is intended to improve budget transparency and allow for more accurate year-over-year comparisons. She said the administration's priorities for the coming year include continued emergency management planning, professional development for staff and expanded use of the city's CityConnect resident communication platform. When discussing the IT budget, LaRowe was joined by Big Sur Technologies' Noah Williams and Todd Williams. The city's IT contractors
explained the city's recent shift toward cloud-based systems, including a move to Microsoft 365, which they said would keep city operations running even if local infrastructure were knocked offline during a storm. The city eliminated its on-site server and now backs up data through a security platform called Barracuda. It was noted that the CitizenServe system will cost approximately $50,000 during the new fiscal year. The system is used to issue and track building permits, and it's also used to help operate and enforce the city's in-house vacation rental registration and inspection programs. Commissioner Charlie Salem asked staff to review the city's 20 software subscriptions for possible duplication, which might provide the city with some additional cost savings.
STAFFING AND PAYROLL
Short outlined the staffing changes anticipated during the coming fiscal year, including a new full-time position focused on procurement, grants and contract management, and the shift of payroll processing to a part-time role. He said the city currently has about 19 full-time and part-time positions
combined and is budgeting for 20.5 positions in the coming fiscal year – driven in part by the recent decision to bring vacation rental inspections in-house rather than pay outside contractors to do the annual inspections. Short said the number of registered vacation rentals in the city has grown from 700-730 short-term rentals to 905 rentals. He said the added positions are expected to be offset by eliminating about $190,000 in thirdparty contracts for vacation rental management and grant administration. Overall payroll costs are projected to rise about 18% next year, to an estimated $1.55 million, which factors in new staff positions, promotions, a proposed 4% across-the-board raise for city staff and payroll tax increases. Before the workshop ended, Commissioner John Lynch thanked city staff for their budget preparation transparency. "I feel very confident that you guys have been very good stewards about the city's money," he said. After two more budget workshops, the commission will be asked to adopt the final budget and property taxrelated millage rate during two public hearings in September.
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REAL ESTATE
AUGUST 12, 2026
The storm before the law
torms are unpredictable. They can be moderate, leaving our homes untouched, or they can be deadly, leaving monumental damage in their wake. The storm we're facing this year has less to do with hurricanes and more to do with property taxes and tax relief. About a month ago, we started talking about the amendment to the Florida Constitution increasing the homestead tax exemption. To be clear, Florida currently has a property tax assessment exemption in the amount of $50,000 for homesteaded properties. The November vote will be to increase the exemption for homesteaded properties to $150,000 for the first year and $250,000 for the second year, with the expectation of future increases. If this amendment passes, Florida would have the largest property tax exemption in the United States, according to the Tax Foundation. Keep in mind, Florida is now the
Castles in the Sand LOUISE BOLGER third-largest state in population in the country, so increasing the property tax exemption will still leave a lot of revenue in the coffers of local government, just not as much. We're now just starting to hear the county commissioners rattle the cages about what services will need to be cut, and you can anticipate more media visibility between now and Election Day. Pretty much every Florida county is looking for ways to decrease county spending. They're looking at freezing hiring; cutting travel; canceling or reducing capital projects; cutting services like parks
and beaches, fire response and EMS programs; and increasing fees and other taxes to offset the loss of income. In other words, this would be a historic change to a primary revenue source for local governments. According to the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research, if passed, the amendment would reduce property tax revenue in the state by almost $5 billion in the first year. There are even discussions among county commissioners and city commissioners about combining services like fire and police. This won't sit well with the local populations and local governments that will lose their autonomy. Since there are always good and bad ways to look at monumental change, how do you think potential new residents of Florida will view this amendment if it passes in November? Florida is already an advantageous state to relocate to
relative to taxes, and if passed, this could take the edge off the increases we have had in insurance, property maintenance and construction. If passed, this amendment will likely draw more residents to the state, which will increase tax revenue even if the homestead exemptions are higher. I'm not suggesting this is the reason to vote for the amendment, but you can be sure everyone in state and local government in Florida has considered this possibility. Florida is growing in population rapidly, and with that comes all of the growing pains associated with growth. We're not that state where you can retire in sunshine for very low living expenses anymore; Florida is a victim of its success. So, stay aware of what your county commissioners are proposing in the event of the amendment passing. Tightening your belts isn't always a bad thing, especially with an oncoming storm.
AUGUST 12, 2026
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VALET: Commission rejects proposed ordinance FROM PAGE 3 cannot act as a sworn law enforcement officer. That means if you see illegal activity, you don't get to just take off your code hat, put on your PD (police department) hat and go after them.” Diaz offered to have night-shift officers photograph parking violations and forward them to the code enforcement officer so cases could be built for violators ordered to appear before the city's special master. “This ordinance isn't to target any particular person or property,” Augello said. “This is a forwardlooking regulation. In your code regulations, you can’t park in rights of way, you can’t load and unload there. You already have those restrictions.” During the Aug. 6 discussion, the commission did not name a specific business as a valet parking violator. However, during the April 16 commission meeting, Scaccianoce named SALT Bar & Table, which does not have a dedicated parking lot and has been the source of many valet parking complaints
LESLIE LAKE | SUN
Lt. Lenard Diaz, right, addressed the commission. Code Enforcement Officer Evan Harbus, left, also spoke. received from residents. “The valet is using 26th Street as a staging area for the cars. When people come to SALT, the valet is putting the cars in the active driving lane facing east. If the person is leaving the restaurant, they're bringing the car around in the active lane on 26th Street facing west,” Scaccianoce said in April. “Every day I go home, there are cars facing in opposite directions waiting either for people to get
out of their cars to go into the restaurant or coming out of the restaurant to their car, and you cannot drive down 26th Street,” Scaccianoce said in April. During the Aug. 6 meeting, Augello said, “If you're not enforcing them now, this is one extra thing that you have to enforce. The only time it really becomes a law enforcement issue is if you are stopping in the middle of the road and you're causing congestion.”
“By the time a phone call is made to the police, the cars are gone,” Scaccianoce said. “So, the police get there and there's nobody blocking the road anymore. You can't enforce the loading and unloading because it's temporary, but it's constant.” Commissioner Ralph Cole said he was in favor of enforcing the current laws rather than adding a new regulation. Mayor John Chappie said, “We're going to have to look at our budget and see what we can do about it. We know we need another code enforcement officer in the city.” Bear said the proposed ordinance would be an additional enforcement tool. Commissioner Robert Talham suggested the city hire an off-duty sheriff's deputy who’s certified as a code enforcement officer to spend several hours documenting the city’s valet parking violations. “If right now there's no valet parking allowed, then there should be no valet parking and we need to put a stop to it and we need to enforce it,” Scaccianoce said.
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Sea turtle nesting slowing as hatching picks up BY LESLIE LAKE
SUN REPORTER | llake@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Sea turtle nesting is slowing down and the hatching is picking up. "With so many hatches, Turtle Watch is also conducting a lot of nest excavations," Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella wrote in an Aug. 7 email. "Nest excavations are done three days after a nest hatches to determine how well the nest did. Turtle Patrol often draws a crowd when excavating a nest with everyone hoping to see not only a lot of hatched eggs indicating that the nest did well, but also the possibility of finding a live hatchling that hasn't left the nest," she wrote. Spectators are free to watch Turtle Patrol conducting excavations. "These are excellent educational experiences. We love to educate people about the turtles as we celebrate the success of a good hatch," she wrote. Mazzarella expressed appreciation for those who called the
DEBBIE HAYNES | SUBMITTED
A tiny loggerhead hatchling made its way to the Gulf. Turtle Watch 24-hour hotline to report disoriented hatchlings and wash back post-hatchlings. "Turtle Watch has recovered more than 10 post-hatchlings this week, including one found in a canal and another in the bay," Mazzarella wrote in an Aug. 7 email update. "Wash backs are hatchlings that have made their way out into the Gulf and have been pushed back to shore. They are often dehydrated, exhausted and need rehabilitation. If you find a hatchling, please do not put it back in the water but call our 24-hour hotline so volunteers can assess the hatchling and get them
the help that they need." Mazzarella said calls made to the hotline at 941-301-8434 helped rescue hundreds of hatchlings. "These calls have helped us identify disorientations that we didn't know about because the hatchling tracks that we usually follow have been obliterated by heavy rains,” she wrote. “By tracking disoriented hatchlings, we can identify potential lights that are causing disorientations." Mazzarella said lights are reported to local code enforcement and officers will reach out to the occupants, asking them to turn off the lights or change them to turtle-friendly lighting. "Small changes like these prevent future disorientations of the other nests still left on the beach and can end up saving the lives of hundreds or thousands of little hatchlings," she wrote. "With an estimated one in 1,000 hatchlings surviving to adulthood, it's critical that we do our best to ensure that every sea turtle that hatches makes it to the water."
Shorebird nesting season coming to a close ANNA MARIA ISLAND - The shorebird nesting season is ending on Anna Maria Island. The season began in May as more than 120 black skimmers and 80 least terns were observed sitting on an unusually high number of nests. However, both colonies experienced significant predation by avian and mammalian predators, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella. The black skimmers failed to produce any chicks, but the colony of least terns produced 17 chicks, of which 11 survived to become flight-capable. Six chicks received color identification bands. "When members of the public spot a banded bird and report its location and the color combination of its bands, that information helps scientists track the birds' movements and learn more about their migration and survival," Mazzarella wrote in an Aug. 7 email update. As of Aug. 7, the number of adult least terns fluctuated between 39 and 80. "As these birds are starting
KATHY DODDRIDGE | SUBMITTED
Two young least terns rested on Anna Maria Island. their migration from Anna Maria Island, several young-of-year chicks are migrating with the flocks from other nesting beaches and stopping on Anna Maria Island to rest and feed so they can bulk up for their journey." All 11 chicks have joined migrating flocks to start their journey to the Caribbean islands, and the protective beach enclosure is being dismantled. "Least terns have nested on Bradenton Beach since 2021, and this has been the most successful season with a 65% fledge rate," Mazzarella wrote. Least terns are designated as a threatened species in Florida and are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
"Their successful nesting on Bradenton Beach highlights the importance of protecting suitable nesting habitat and giving these vulnerable birds the space they need to raise their young," Mazzarella wrote. Armed with her binoculars, a spotting scope and a camera to gather data about the colony, Turtle Watch shorebird coordinator Kathy Doddridge monitored the least tern colony daily for 87 days. Every morning she shared her enthusiasm and knowledge with curious locals and visitors, teaching them the importance of protecting these special visitors to Anna Maria Island, according to Mazzarella. Mazzarella also expressed her thanks to the Bradenton Beach Police Department and Code Enforcement Department, Manatee County Beach Patrol and the Anna Maria Island Club for their support throughout the season. Mazzarella and Turtle Watch also thank the hundreds of beachgoers who stopped to learn about the nesting birds and respected the posted boundaries and signage.
AUGUST 12, 2026
AUGUST 12, 2026
ISLAND SPORTS
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Moss Builders (win by forfeit) (3-3-0) Sato Real Estate (loss by forfeit) (5-1-0) Solid Rock Construction 4 (4-2-0) Leading Edge Investments 2 (0-6-0) 82 West Home Inspections 4 (4-2-0) USA Fence 0 (1-5-0)
KEY ROYALE CLUB GOLF SCORES
CENTER SCOREBOARD
ADULT SUMMER 5V5 SOCCER (WEEK 7)
Hampton Painting 8 (4-2-0) Salty Printing 4 (3-3-0)
THURSDAY, AUG. 6 - MIXED SCRAMBLE
First place team: Mike Gillie, Tom Nelson, Bill Shuman, Steve Vasbinder, 31, (-1)
Bowling tournament seeks bowlers, sponsors The Center of Anna Maria Island will host the annual Greg LaPensee Bowling Tournament on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Bowlero Bradenton, 4208 Cortez Road. Presented by LaPensee Plumbing, Pools and Air, the annual tournament is open to the community for an evening of bowling, competition and fundraising. Check-in begins at 5:30 p.m., with bowling from 6 to 8 p.m., followed by an awards ceremony and raffle drawings. Lane sponsorship and participation packages are available at four levels, ranging from $750 to $275. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit The Center. Those interested in reserving a lane or registering can call 941-778-1908 or register online at centerami.org/events.
ANNA MARIA HORSESHOES | SUBMITTED
Doyle, Farrington win on Wednesday
At Anna Maria Horseshoes, two teams met in the final after each went 3-0 during pool play on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Steve Doyle, left, and Tom Farrington, right, edged out Tim Sofran and Gary Howcroft by a 22-17 score to claim the day's bragging rights. On Saturday, Aug. 8, two teams moved on after going 3-0 during pool play. Playing solo, Sofran cruised to a 24-10 victory after a game-ending double-ringer to beat Farrington and Billy Silver, and he ended up in the winner's circle. SUBMITTED
20 THE SUN
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AUGUST 12, 2026
AUGUST 12, 2026
FUN IN THE SUN
Across 1 Body art, slangily 5 Turn into baby food 9 "I am half __, half hope": "Persuasion" 14 La __ Tar Pits 15 Comic-Con, e.g. 16 Engaged for a job 17 Very inexpensive 19 South American mountain range 20 Neck of the woods 21 Drag show accessory 23 HS diploma equivalent 24 Subway smooch, e.g.: Abbr. 25 Pants one may have to wriggle into 30 Stirred up 32 Red wine grape 33 Many a TikToker 34 Orange tubers 37 Delicious
Answers to 08-05-26 Crossword Puzzle
38 Kitchen cloth 41 Great Lakes mnemonic 44 Hippocratic __ 45 Jittery 49 Very tops 51 Like elastic material 53 Traditional Chinese wedding ritual 56 Industrial tub 57 Secrecy contract, for short 58 Pie __ mode 59 Skedaddled 61 Selling point? 63 Trendy jargon, or what can be found at the starts of 17-, 25-, 38-, and 53-Across 67 Cowpoke's hello 68 __ Day vitamins 69 Out on the water 70 "Siddhartha" novelist Hermann
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71 Designer Vera known for bridal gowns 72 Refuse to allow Down 1 Brief "More info soon" 2 Daughter of King Minos who helped Theseus escape the labyrinth 3 Feature of many a rice paddy 4 Fill up 5 Verbal shrug 6 Log chopper 7 Offspring 8 Pickup line? 9 "I've got it!" 10 Sodas in Shirley Temples 11 Major trials 12 "I __ remind you ... " 13 Ribbon purchase qty. 18 Playbill list 22 Place to raise the bar? 24 Cherry discard 26 Cipher breakers 27 State with a potato museum 28 Ballet leap 29 Farm pen 31 Items in recipe boxes 35 NYC subway org. 36 __ voce 39 "Understood" 40 "At what time?" 41 Fedora, for one 42 Like shoes that show off a pedicure
43 Spots for sheep to sleep 46 Not all the same 47 Cheer up 48 "Are we there __?" 50 Mrs., in Madrid 52 Manhattan event with
many designers and runway models, for short 54 Arm joint 55 __ Loa: world's largest active volcano 60 Laundry batch
61 Finger-on-lips sound 62 Hurricane center 64 Super chill 65 Zig and __ 66 "You can __ that again!"
22 THE SUN
CLASSIFIEDS
COMMERCIAL SALES, RENT & LEASE HAVE YOU BEEN thinking of selling? We NEED properties to List for SALE!!! Duplexes, multi family, small resorts? Call BIG Alan Galletto of Island Real Estate to get it SOLD 941-232-2216
CLEANING SERVICE TOTAL HOME SERVICES CLEANING: Residential, Commercial, Rentals, VRBO. Professional and Reliable. Call 941-756-4570 or 941-565-3931
EMPLOYMENT ROSER CHURCH SEEKS part-time Assistant Facilities Administrator to cover Friday to Sunday and special events. Read job description at RoserChurch. com/job-opportunity.
HOME IMPROVEMENTS RENOVATION SPECIALIST ALL carpentry repairs, Wash Family Construction, locally owned and operated CBC 1258250 Call 941-725-0073. KERN & GILDER CONSTRUCTION, INC New Homes & Remodel. Design/Build. Since 1968. License # CBC 1261150. Call the Office. 941-778-1115. OFFICE ADDRESS: 1878 59th Street W Bradenton, FL 34209 GET’R DONE DRYWALL, INC Specializing in Remodels & Repairs. Island Resident for 20+ years. Call Neil. Cell 941-9621194 JSAN CORPORATION Renovations Construction & Handyman Services 941-243-0995 Lic# CRC1332505 jsancorporation@gmail. com Flooring, Drywall, Painting, Repairs, Kitchen and Bathrooms, Trim & Doors. Free Estimates. Credit Cards Accepted.
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Call us today! 941-778-3986 AUGUST 12, 2026
GORILLA DRYWALL REPAIR, LLC. 15+ years of experience. Free Estimates. Let’s solve your Drywall problems together. Call 941-286-0607. LOCAL ISLAND RESIDENT 30+ years of experience. Licensed & insured. Professional Services. Carpentry, Painting, Drywall and More. Reliable, Honest, Quality work. FREE estimates- Call Brian 941-220-8300
LANDSCAPING & LAWN CARE R. GAROFALO’S Interlocking brick pavers, driveways, patios, pool decks. Free estimates. Licensed & Insured. Call Rafael 941-778-4823 or Veronik 941-526-7941 ISLAND RESIDENT. TREE/ BUSH Trimming, removal. Sweeping, blowing, and weeding. Weekly, bi-monthly or monthly schedule. Pressure washing. Call Bill Witaszek 941307-9315
MOVING & STORAGE MARTIN’S MOVING YOUR Island movers! Offering dependable, competitive rates. No hidden costs. 941-8095777.
DONALD PERKINS ABRACADABRA PAINTING LLC fully insured. 30 years experience. Many Island references. Call 941-705-7096 PROFESSIONAL PAINTING SERVICES. Prompt & Reliable. Island Resident. Quality Workmanship. Interior/Exterior. Minor repairs & carpentry. Free estimates. Bill Witaszek 941-307-9315
PEST CONTROL ANNA MARIA PEST CONTROL Call 941-7781630
POOL SERVICES FOUR SEASONS{POOL SERVICE AND CHEMICAL SERVICES. Certified Pool Operator. 18 + Years Experience. Residential/commercial. Chemical Service Licensed & Insured. Call Dennis Clark 941-7375657 COLE'S TROPICAL POOL SERVICE Call Cole Bowers for all your pool maintenance needs! Affordable and Dependable!! 941-7131893
PRESSURE WASHING & WINDOWS TOTAL HOME SERVICES CLEANING: Residential, Commercial, Construction, Vacation, VRBO Rentals . Also available Pressure Washing, Roof Cleaning, Paver Sealing and Windows. Call 941-5653931.
REAL ESTATE HOMES & CONDOS FOR SALE Have you been thinking of selling? We NEED properties to List for SALE!!! GULF FRONT, CANAL FRONT, BAY FRONT CONDOS or HOMES ASK for BIG Alan Galletto of Island Real Estate to get it SOLD 941-232-2216 LOOKING FOR A highly motivated real estate broker to buy or sell your next home? Darcie Duncan, Broker Duncan Real Estate a lifelong island resident bringing success to her customers for 30 years. Proven track record brings you results! 941-725-1589
FOR SALE Stunning completely renovated home in the HISTORIC LONGBEACH VILLAGE single family home with garage, 2BR/2BA with option of a 3rd sleeping area. Walkable to the beach and restraints. $899,900 unbelievable price. Gorgeous! call Sharon Hightower RE/MAX Alliance Group 941-330-5054 today. 3BR/2BA SINGLE FAMILY HOME NW BRADENTON, COMPLETELY RENOVATED all new windows, doors, roof, bathrooms, flooring, new ac, fenced backyard, room for boat or jet ski parking. Gorgeous inside and outside NO Flood insurance required. Vacant move in ready. $769,900 call Sharon Hightower 941-3305054 direct RE/MAX Alliance Group
RENTALS: ANNUAL ANNUAL 12 MONTH MIN. Holmes Beach 2BR/2BA + office. Walk to beach, shops, restaurants & trolley. $2800/mo. Call 203223-1119.
PAINTING & WALLCOVERING PAINT! PAINT! AND MORE 28 years of experienced interior/exterior custom painting. Pressure cleaning, drywall repairs and texture finishes. Many Island references. Please call Neil for free estimates. 941-812-0507 “WIZARD OF WALLS” Established 1980 Prompt quality service. Wallpaper installation/ removal. Mary Bell Winegarden 941-794-0455
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ANNUAL CONDO BRADENTON BEACH 1BR/1BA Furnished, all utilities including cable & Wifi. Small resort, big pool. One block to beach. 6 month minimum $2200/month. Call 941-315-6678
RENTALS: SEASONAL & VACATION TIFFANY PLACE Gulf Front Condo for Rent Incredible views from living room and master bedroom. 2BR/2BA Green Real Estate Call 941-778-0455 SEASONAL RENTAL in PALMA SOLA. 3BR/2BA weekly or monthly rates. Contact Barb Grace 941201-2190
TRANSPORTATION ANYTIME TRANSPORTATION to all Airports, Casino, etc. Tampa/St. Pete $90. Sarasota $45. Pets welcome. Very dependable. Reasonable rates. Contact Jeanne. 941-7795095
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Mail voting, early voting underway in primary elections BY JOE HENDRICKS
Recreation Center at 3675 53rd Ave. E in Bradenton and the supervisor of elections office at 600 301 Blvd. W in Bradenton. On primary election day, Tuesday, Aug. 18, Anna Maria voters will vote at the Roser Memorial Community Church. Bradenton Beach voters will vote at the Annie Silver Community Center. Holmes Beach voters will vote at the Island Branch Library.
SUN REPORTER | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Manatee County Assistant Supervisor of Elections Sharon Stief provided an update on the number of vote-by-mail ballots sent to Anna Maria Island voters for the primary election that concludes with in-person voting on Tuesday, Aug. 18. Stief said 478 ballots were sent to Holmes Beach voters, 136 ballots were sent to Anna Maria voters and 88 ballots were sent to Bradenton Beach voters, as of Friday, Aug. 7. The deadline to request a vote-bymail ballot was Aug. 6. The deadline to return a vote-by-mail ballot is 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18. In-person early voting began at various locations on Aug. 8 and continues
PRIMARY RACES
daily through Sunday, Aug. 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. G.T. Bray Park, at 5502 33rd Avenue Drive West in Bradenton, is the closest early voting location to Anna Maria Island. Early voting locations also include the John Marble
Island voters will help determine the winner of the county-wide Manatee County Commission At-Large District 6 Republican primary race between Tony Barrett, John Calovich, Ed Ference and Tara Poulton. The winner of the primary race will face Democratic candidate and former county commissioner Reggie
Bellamy in the general election that will conclude on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Republican voters will help determine the winner of the District 71 Florida House of Representatives primary race that includes Melton Little, Dylan Paul Modarelli and Jordan Varnadore. Democratic voters will help determine the winner of the District 20 State Senate primary. Primary voters will also help decide the winners of the gubernatorial, U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives primary races, including the race to fill the congressional seat being vacated by Vern Buchanan. Primary voters will also help determine the winners of the Florida Chief Financial Officer and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture primaries.
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AUGUST 12, 2026