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VOL 23 No. 51
August 16, 2023
AME students back in school BY JASON SCHAFFER SUN CORRESPONDENT | jschaffer@amisun.com
ANNE YARBROUGH | SUN
Kindergarten teachers Kiley Flynn and Rachel Frantz lead their students to the classroom after the new parent orientation on Aug. 10, the first day of school at Anna Maria Elementary, as Joshua Cook looks back. Inset, Jana Wilder smooths her son Abel's hair on his first day of kindergarten at Anna Maria Elementary.
County moves forward with beach garage design
Manatee County commissioners are moving forward with plans to remove the parking and buildings at Manatee Beach, replacing the amenities with a parking garage. BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
MANATEE COUNTY – Parking garage plans for Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach are moving forward despite pushback from Anna Maria Island residents and one commissioner. During an Aug. 14 work session, county commissioners discussed four potential parking garages, one of which is the proposed parking garage at the county-
owned Manatee Beach that was approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year. When initially discussed, Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge proposed a three-story 1,500 parking space garage costing an estimated $45 million. The garage proposal presented to county commissioners during the work session is expected to cost $30-35 million to build and have about 900 parking spaces. While the actual look of the garage is not yet decided upon, the garage is planned to cover the entirety of the existing beach parking area, including the concession, retail and restroom areas. The new parking garage would include concession, retail, restroom and other facilities.
SEE GARAGE , PAGE 21
SEE AME, PAGE 28
FDOT launches Cortez Road corridor study The study will focus in part on the relationship between transportation and development along the Cortez Road corridor. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
MANATEE COUNTY – The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is conducting an extensive study of the Cortez Road corridor from the east end of the Cortez Bridge in Cortez to the tip of U.S. Highway 41 in the West Somerset area. During the Aug. 1 Council of Governments meeting at the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto, FDOT Community Planner and Strategic Intermodal System Coordinator Vitor Suguri and Renaissance Planning Managing Principal Frank
SUMMER WEDDINGS are best
on the beach! 18
Kalpakis provided county and city officials with an overview of the study and what it hopes to accomplish. Suguri said the study, in addition to transportation elements, also addresses land use and future development along the corridor and will look at the relationships between transportation and land use. He said land use has a great impact on transportation and vice versa and the goal is to integrate both approaches in the study. The study’s first phase includes meeting with and gathering insight from city leaders, residents, impacted stakeholders and property owners, developers and others. Public input meetings will be scheduled, but none have been scheduled yet pertaining to the western portion of Cortez Road that leads to Cortez and Bradenton Beach.
SEE CORTEZ ROAD, PAGE 15
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Bowling Tournament. 12
DRIVER INVOLVED in fatal pedestrian
accident sentenced. 27
Page 25 Anna Maria Island, Florida
HOLMES BEACH - For some children, it was their first day of kindergarten, and emotions ranged from excitement to just plain nervousness. For fifth graders, it was the first day of their last year at Anna Maria Elementary School (AME), and they were ready to enjoy a year of being at the top of the elementary school food chain. Dressed to impress, with many sporting new backpacks and their personal favorite outfit, students were ready for the first day of school on the morning of Aug. 10. Parents lined up to drop off their children at AME as Principal Mike Masiello, the school staff, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer and several Holmes Beach police officers greeted parents and this year’s 206 students. “We had a great turnout for back-to-school night. Parents and students were excited to meet the teachers,” Masiello said. “It’s wonderful to be back in session and see the kid’s smiling faces as they walked into the building for the first day of school. We look forward to a school year full of teaching, learning and all of the wonderful events that make AME such a great school.”
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