- Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class -
VOL 23 No. 34
April 19, 2023
Over the rainbow
CINDY LANE | SUN
As they say here in Florida, if you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute. Monday morning’s rain cleared up with a rainbow curtain call off Anna Maria Island.
Turtle season begins under Mazzarella’s watch A new executive director at Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring will oversee sea turtle and bird nesting. BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – As Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers begin checking the beaches this week for early sea turtle nesting activity, its Mazzarella new executive director, Kristen Mazzarella, takes over the watch from the late Suzi Fox. “I envision following in Suzi’s legacy
and to keep it going how it has been with the great community involvement,” Mazzarella said. “My goal is to keep the community educated, engaged and involved.” Mazzarella has an extensive background with both turtles and shorebirds. She was a senior biologist at Mote Marine Laboratory for 15 years. She was on turtle patrol for 25 years in North and South Carolina and also worked with the Audubon Society for 15 years. “The group of volunteers (with Turtle Watch) has been very welcoming,” she said. “Manatee County has been amazing; they clearly care a lot about the environment.” SEE MAZZARELLA, PAGE 28
SPRING IS IN THE AIR and here come
Page 27
Opposition to vacation rental legislation continues The proposed legislation would end the ability of local governments to regulate online vacation rental advertising. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – City officials continue to lead the opposition to proposed state legislation that would curtail local governments’ ability to regulate shortterm vacation rentals. Senate Bill 714 and House Bill 833 seek to preempt the regulation of vacation rentals to the state, specifically to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). According to the April 15 staff analy-
sis provided to House of Representatives Commerce Committee members, HB 833 would still allow local governments to create local vacation rental registration programs and charge an annual registration fee, but the fees could not exceed $50 to register a single vacation rental home or unit, or $100 to collectively register vacation rental homes or units. The proposed legislation would make the regulation of online vacation rental advertising platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo exclusively the state’s responsibility and take enforcement abilities away from local governments. The staff analysis notes the proposed legislation would not supersede the SEE RENTALS, PAGE 31
the beach weddings!
CELEBRATE ANNA MARIA’S 100th anniversary. 4 MOTE’S educational outreach
16-17
center opens in May. 5
Anna Maria Island, Florida
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