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Anna Maria Island Sun January 30, 2019

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- Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class -

VOL 19 No. 16

January 30, 2019

Ed Chiles receives Citizen of the Year award

Ed Chiles has been recognized for his lifelong contributions to the city of Anna Maria. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

Anna Maria City Pier construction underway

ANNA MARIA – Ed Chiles is the city’s 2018 Citizen of the Year. Chiles owns the Sandbar restaurant, The Studio at Gulf and Pine and is a partner in the Pine Avenue Restoration Project that provides space for several Anna Maria businesses. His Chiles Group also owns the BeachHouse restaurant in Bradenton Beach and the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub in Longboat Key. City Commission Chair Brian Seymour presented Chiles the award during the Thursday, Jan. 24, commission meeting. Chiles was accompanied by his wife, Tina, his daughter, Ashley, and several well-wishers. Before the presentation, Chiles shared his thoughts on the award. “It’s an honor to join the group of people that have received this award and have made contributions to the city of Anna Maria. The city has given me and my family more than I could have ever given the city,” he said. When presenting the award, Seymour thanked selection committee members Pat Copeland, Margaret Jenkins and Mary Seine for their efforts. He also recognized Barbara Murphy, Cindy Richmond and John Chambers as this year’s other nominees. Seymour said Chiles received several nominations, SEE CHILES, PAGE 35

The first pier pilings are expected to be driven this week. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – The time has come to build the new city pier. Last week, a barge crane arrived in the Tampa Bay waters offshore from the old pier site. The crane’s arrival was preceded by the arrival of the mobile construction office and the establishment of the on-shore staging area. According to Anna Maria City Commission Chair Brian Seymour, the crew from i+iconSoutheast is expected to begin driving the concrete pier pilings into the bay bottom on Tuesday, Jan. 29, or soon thereafter. The city has scheduled a media boat tour of the work in progress on Wednesday, Jan. 30. In late November, city commissioners authorized Mayor Dan Murphy to execute the $3.33 million contract with Tampa-based Infrastructure & Industrial Contractors Southeast Inc., also known as i+iconSoutheast.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

This barge crane was in place and surveying work was underway for the new Anna Maria City Pier last Thursday afternoon. The contract pertains to the construction of the pier structure, decking and walkway. The contract does not include the restaurant, bait shop and restroom spaces to be built at SEE PIER, PAGE 35

INSIDE

SATO, DUNCAN,

NEWS 4 OPINION 6 OUTDOORS 22-23 RESTAURANTS 24-25 REAL ESTATE 26-31 COPS, OBITS 32 ENTERTAINMENT 33 SPORTS 34

top Realtors in the county. 3

Anna Maria Island, Florida

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

The Citizen of the Year award bestowed upon Ed Chiles includes a key to the city.

CORTEZ FESTIVAL contest winners announced. 13 SONGWRITER Janis Ian to play at

Island Library. 17 The Island’s award-winning weekly newspaper www.amisun.com


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JANUARY 30, 2019


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Sato and Duncan county’s top Realtors 2018 was another stellar year for Anna Maria Island realtors Jason Sato and Darcie Duncan.

own Sato Real Estate at 519 Pine Ave. in Anna Maria. Duncan owns Duncan Real Estate at 310 Pine Ave. in Anna Maria.

BY JOE HENDRICKS

Sato attributes his success to the comfort level and familiarity he has with the Island and its real estate market. “I grew up here, I live here, and my office is Sato here. I do stuff off-Island for friends and people I know, but my focus is Anna Maria Island,” he said. He said new construction and newer homes remain the most popular, but there’s also a market for renovated homes and a price point of desirability for historic bungalows. “The Island’s got something for everyone, which is great. And the vibe is different in all three cities,” Sato said. He’s seeing an increase in the construction of custom homes designed as permanent residences, and he’s not seeing as many vacation rental homes being built.

SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Jason Sato was Manatee County’s top Realtor for the fourth consecutive year, and Darcie Duncan was the county’s number two Realtor in 2018. The sales and listing figures are contained in the 2018 Agent Market Share Report, compiled by the My Florida Regional Multiple Listing Service and shared by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee. In 2018, Sato totaled 70 transactions, with 36 properties sold and 34 properties listed for a total reported value of $71.6 million and an average sales price of $1.06 million. Duncan totaled 57 transactions, with 23 properties sold and 34 properties listed for a total reported value of $54.9 million and an average sale price of $963,000 Sato and his mother, Barbara Sato,

SATO’S OBSERVATIONS

He said the Island’s real estate inventory is strong, and it spikes at the beginning of the year because more people list their homes during season. Sato didn’t see significant home price increases in 2018, and he attributes that partially to the knowledge available to buyers using websites like Zillow.com and Realtor.com. Sato said the red tide had some impact on home sales, but 2019 is off to a busy start and he sees that as a good sign. He said red tide affected the real estate market by bringing fewer people to the Island. This impacts sales because vacationers often turn into potential homebuyers when they discover the Island’s magic. “We need people here to sell real estate,” Sato said of the relationship between vacationers and homebuyers.

DUNCAN’S INSIGHT

“2018 was fantastic,” Duncan said. She said the red tide impacted her vacation rentals, but she didn’t lose a single home sale because of it; and her sales figures were up from 2017.

“I attribute my success to hard work, working with integrity and giving back to my community. Seventy-five percent of my business is from past Duncan client referrals and my sphere of influence,” she said, noting that 70 percent of her sales are on the Island. “Not as many people that I worked with this past year were laser-focused on rental income. They were looking more at living here and retiring here. I think it’s important that people know that,” she said. Duncan believes the housing market is stabilizing, and prices are going to level off some in 2019, She said she’s already seeing some price reductions. She agrees the Island’s real estate inventory is strong, and there’s still much new construction taking place. She said the $500,000 to $800,000 price range is the most-desired right now, but some of the Gulffront homes and others are selling for $1.5 million and up.


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ISLAND NEWS

IN BRIEF

Sandwich board signs still allowed The Anna Maria City Commission has renewed for another year a 2018 city resolution that allows businesses to have A-framed sandwich board signs. The commission temporarily amended that element of the city’s sign ordinance last year to help Pine Avenue businesses offset the economic impacts of the pier closing. The city’s sign ordinance prohibits sandwich board signs, but the resolution provides an exception that is subject to annual commission review. Adopted on Jan. 10, Resolution 19-742 allows each business in Anna Maria to have one A-framed sandwich board sign that is not to exceed 24 inches in width and 36 inches in height, including the frame. The signs cannot be placed in the public right of way or impede pedestrian or vehicular traffic or vehicular sightlines. The signs are only allowed during business hours and must be removed during inclement weather. A previous commission prohibited A-framed sandwich board signs in 2014.

Input sought on Bridge Street changes Should Bridge Street be turned into a one-way street or reconfigured in some other manner? The Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and the City Commission want resident and business owner input on this topic and will host a public work meeting at city hall, 107 Gulf Dr N., on Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 6 p.m.

Murder, mystery and the rockin’ 80s at the Center Pull out your fingerless gloves, legwarmers, parachute pants and best Members Only jacket and come out to The Center of Anna Maria Island for this year’s Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, “1988 What a Difference 10 Years Makes.” This year’s Murder Mystery takes place Feb. 22 and 23. Come in your best 80s gear, and enjoy a VIP mingle with the cast at 6:15 p.m. or just come for the fun with doors open at 6:45 p.m. and the show starting at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $50 each or $360 for a table of eight with an extra $15 for the VIP mingle session. Dinner is included, and there will be a cash bar and raffles nightly. Though the Murder Mystery show is always a good time, it’s only recommended for adults. Sponsorships also are available for the annual event. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.centerami.org, call 941-7781908 or visit the Center at 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria.

MPO hosts transportation forum The Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization is hosting the Southwest Florida 2045 TransForum on Jan. 28. The event is open to the public, and the topic will be future transportation needs for the area including roads, congestion, walking, biking and public transportation. Other topics up for discussion are vertical freight, including airspace and drones, autonomous vehicles and multimodal transportation. The event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Venice Community Center, 326 Nokomis Ave. S., Venice. Preregistration is requested at http://bit. ly/2045TransForum. Tickets are $15.

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JANUARY 30, 2019

City engineer terminates agreement with Anna Maria

Ayres Associates is taking on a larger role as Anna Maria’s contracted engineering firm. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – The city and Lynn Burnett and her LTA Engineers engineering firm have parted ways. The development was announced during last week’s City Commission meeting when commission Chair Brian Seymour referenced a four-page printout the commissioners received in their city hall mailboxes. The printout contained some of the email exchanges shared among Burnett, Mayor Dan Murphy and Ayres Associates Vice President Jay Saxena in recent months. “Lynn Burnett has terminated her professional agreement between LTA and the city of Anna Maria. We wish her well, and we’ll still have the ability to use her in the future,” Seymour told the commission. “She still will continue to work with the MPO (Sarasota/ Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization) and the ITPO (Island Transportation Planning Organization) on our behalf. We have Ayres as our other city engineers, so we feel confident moving forward,” Seymour said. On Jan. 16, Burnett sent Murphy an email that said, “Following the events over the last several months, please accept this email as writtetn notice of my termination of the Master Agreement for Professional Services between LTA and the city of Anna Maria. In the event that circumstances change and the city wishes to enter into a new agreement in the future, we would be more than happy to meet to discuss the terms and conditions of a new agreement.” On Dec. 5, Murphy sent Burnett an email that said, “As you will recall, you and I have had conversations about the city’s

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

Lynn Burnett is no longer serving as a city engineer for the city of Anna Maria. capital plans going forward and the role change your firm would play. It has been our intention to include your firm in this transitioning. “However, if you do not wish to be part of this effort, please advise and the contract will be terminated according to the language contained in that agreement. It has been a pleasure working with your firm and we hope to continue that relationship going forward into 2019.” The printout also contained a Dec. 2 email Burnett sent to Murphy, City Clerk LeAnne Addy and City Attorney Becky Vose regarding a letter and email correspondence she received from Ayres Associates. “I am confirming that it is the city’s intent to terminate the master agreement for engineering services with LTA Engineers dated Feb. 8th, 2018,” Burnett wrote. On Nov. 28, Saxena sent Burnett an email that said, “Please see attached letter providing some discussion regarding the transition of Ayres Associates as the prime city engineer and prime point of contact going forward in serving the city.” The decision to use two engineering firms dates back to 2017, when both Burnett and

Ayres responded to the city’s request for proposals for engineering services. It was decided then that Ayres would provide engineering and design services for the construction of a new city pier, and Burnett would continue her work on the city’s stormwater, drainage, street and road projects. When contacted Friday, Burnett said, “I have always been, and remain, very committed to the property owners, the residents and the three Island cities, and I will continue to do my very best to look out for the interests of all three cities. After returning from his recent vacation, Murphy said on Sunday, “We thank Lynn for her past contributions to our city. I don’t anticipate any delays or issues with our work plan and our deliverables with her departure.” While serving as Anna Maria’s city engineer, Burnett designed the vertical infiltration trenches that are part of the city’s stormwater retention, drainage and filtration system. She continues to serve as the contracted city engineer for the cities of Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach.


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Government shutdown paused On Saturday, Feb. 2 at 5 p.m., the Cortez Cultural Center, 11655 Cortez Road W., will host a concert and fundraiser for Coast Guard workers. Fiddler and mandolin player Soupy Davis

BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com

CORTEZ – The 35 active duty men and women of the United States Coast Guard Station Cortez will get their next paycheck on Feb. 1, their first in a month. President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Congress on Friday, Jan. 25 to pause the federal government shutdown for three weeks until Feb. 15 while negotiations on a border wall continue. If a deal is not reached, the shutdown could resume. He promised prompt payment of back pay for federal workers and thanked them for their extraordinary devotion, calling them patriots. Trump instituted the shutdown on Dec. 22 to persuade Congress to fund a wall along the country’s border with Mexico. While many federal workers

went without two paychecks during the shutdown, Coast Guard Station Cortez received their Jan. 1 paychecks but missed their Jan. 15 checks, Officer in Charge Zach Gray said. All hands were on deck at Station Cortez during the entire shutdown, he said. “Everybody is here,” Gray said. “It’s a team. If I don’t have my whole team, I’m not able to perform search and rescue.” Since the shutdown began, the station responded to 12 search and rescue cases, including a high-profile helicopter crash on Jan. 2 in the

will perform, and hot dogs and s'mores will be served from the fire pit. Attendees are encouraged to donate gas or gift cards, baby food or diapers.

Gulf of Mexico off Anna Maria Island. A photographer was shooting video from the helicopter of a speeding powerboat below; three men were injured. Local businesses and organizations have been helping the Coast Guard workers through the Chief Petty Officer Association (CPOA). Gray is the Cortez representative for the Suncoast CPOA. “I am extremely grateful,” Gray said. “It is remarkable how much they care about us.” Among the many contributors are Star Fish Co., Tide Tables, A.P. Bell Fish Co., Swordfish Grill and Roser Memorial Community Church Food Pantry.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND'S

By Kristin Swain Sun Staff Writer | kswain@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – It’s that time of year again, when the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization submits its list of project priorities to the Florida Department of Transportation for consideration for funding. This year, the Island Transportation Planning Organization members are submitting their own list for funding consideration to hopefully be included on the MPO’s list when it goes to FDOT. At City Engineer Lynn Burnett’s recommendation, ITPO members voted unanimously to approve replacement of the Anna Maria and Cortez bridges and priorities number one and two respectively for the organization. Burnett also suggested continued funding efforts for the Anna Maria Island Sun Trail, extending the official trail map to include the northern end of Holmes Beach and part of Anna Maria as trails. The new recommended route map includes paths along planned and newly constructed multi-use paths from the proposed end of the Sun Trail at the intersection of Manatee Avenue and Gulf Drive all the way the city pier site in Anna Maria. During their Jan. 22 meeting, Holmes Beach commissioners reviewed and approved the project priority list.

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OPINION

The Anna Maria Island Sun newspaper Island Sun Plaza, 9801 Gulf Drive P.O. Box 1189 Anna Maria, FL 34216-1189 Phone: (941) 778-3986 e-mail: news@amisun.com | ads@amisun.com | classifieds@amisun.com

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JANUARY 30, 2019

FEATURED LETTER kkkk

Fence issue needs discussion

I

read with interest your coverage of Commissioner Amy Tripp's proposed amendment to the city of Anna Maria's fence ordinance. Quite frankly, I am surprised and disappointed by the disrespectful comments and lack of support for this initiative from other commissioners. In dismissing this idea without exploring acceptable alternatives, the commission demonstrated an alarming lack of leadership and foresight regarding an issue important to Island residents. Anna Maria has as distinct character - a sense of place if you ill. This natural beauty and village charm are what drew all of us to the Island. Little by little, the unique personality of our community is getting chipped away at - and like it or not, stockade fences lined up along street side property lines are contributing factors. I'd like to think that homeowners and developers are not doing this intentionally, but rather out of a lack of understanding of what other options there are out there. In shutting down Commissioner Tripp's idea out of hand, the commission missed a valuable opportunity to lead. city initiative to educate residents that there are alternatives to these monolithic street-side barriers is not only an appropriate solution to this problem, but one that would be welcome by residents. Requiring landscaping between these fences and the street (or "streetscaping," as it is referred to in the landscape industry) would serve to enhance the beauty of the community as a whole; reduce the "heat island" effect of glaring reflective sun on hard surfaces; provide habitat for wildlife; assist in the infiltration of storm water runoff from adjacent roads; provide additional privacy screening for residents and, as studies have shown, add to the property value by increasing curb appeal. Neighbors, I ask you, would you rather walk down a street that is bordered by lovely, shade-providing plants and trees or one that is lined on both sides by only white stockade fences? On which street would rather live? It is unfortunate that the commissioners showed an unwillingness to explore this concept further and I hope you will join me in asking that they reconsider addressing this important topic. Shawn S. Mayers Holmes Beach

A

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Regulate front yard fences

Dangerous shooting on Perico

Thank you for bringing up the issue of front yard solid vinyl fences. I was surprised that your fellow commissioners did not share your concerns, given that they all are strong advocates of preserving the natural beauty of our Island town. Our elected officials must carefully balance community rights and individual rights. Let me emphasize that I’m addressing front yards, not back yards. Please continue pursuing this issue because doing nothing will, over a period, begin to deteriorate the natural beauty of Anna Maria. Bob Meehan Anna Maria

I live on Perico Island and was angry to be woken up by the sound of nearby shotgun and rifle fire. I drove to the parking lot for the nearest reserve, which would give these fools the closest open water from which to hunt. There were no vehicles parked there. I then walked the trail to the waterfront. There were fresh heron prints; the wader-boot prints I saw were at least a week old. (I lived in the Adirondack Mountains for 16 years. I learned to track there and how to tell from what direction gunfire was coming. There aren't a lot of mountains on Perico to confuse the direction of the shots with echoes.) These cowards with their full

camo, including camo masks so no one can identify them, are firing near and between the residential communities on Perico. That puts people who live here at risk, no matter what the mistaken opinion of one of the hunters implies. I wonder if return fire into the mangroves between the residential complexes would fall under the "stand your ground" law, as these heroes, desperate to feed their families, blast away into the sunrise? Tom Hughes Perico Island

The Anna Maria Island Sun staff Publishers Mike Field Maggie Field Editor/CEO Mike Field Layout Ricardo Fonseca Reporters Cindy Lane Tom Vaught Joe Hendricks Kristin Swain

Columnists Louise Bolger

Digital/social media editor Cindy Lane

Outdoors editor Rusty Chinnis

Accounting John Reitz

Ad director Chantelle Lewin

Distribution Bob Alexander Tony McNulty Connor Field

Ad assistants Chris Boniberger Classified ads Bob Alexander Graphics Elaine Stroili Ricardo Fonseca

Contributors Pat Copeland Steve Borggren Monica Simpson


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JANUARY 30, 2019

Center starts new year on solid financial footing The Center of Anna Maria Island kicked off the new year with $124,854 in the bank at the close of December with even better numbers expected over the coming months. BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – The Center of Anna Maria Island greeted the new year with good news and the nonprofit’s board members hope it will just keep getting better. During a January board meeting, board Treasurer Christine Hicks reported that at the close of December, the midpoint of the fiscal year, the Center had a net ordinary income of $100,304, which was $67,114 over budget and $94,281 over the previous year. Net ordinary income excludes capital income. In capital income, the Center closed out at -$65,450, primarily due to an expected $50,000

reimbursement from Manatee County, which has not yet been received, and the excess concession funds awarded in 2018 for capital improvements to the Center’s facilities. The organization closed out the month with a net income of $34,854, $28,831 over the previous year and $1,664 over budget. Outside of cost-cutting measures, one of the items keeping the Center’s costs down, board Chair David Zaccagnino said, is that there are still two open positions on the nonprofit’s staff that he hopes will be quickly filled. The Center board is seeking an operations director and a development director to join the staff. “Everything’s going good,” Zaccagnino said of the Center’s operations headed into season. With The Outlaws concert oversold at about 600 tickets, he said he expects the estimated gross from the concert to the Center to be about $30,000. The concert was the first of three at the Center presented by the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors

Bureau and Tourist Development Council. The Sandbar restaurant provided food and drinks for the event. Local musician Trevor Bystrom served as the concert’s opening act. The next act to take to the Center stage will be Phil Vassar on Feb. 8 followed by B.J. Thomas on March 31. Other upcoming events include the two-night annual Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, the Tour of Homes and a fashion show. The Center’s board members also are looking into starting a green initiative to improve the building for the environment with the added bonus of saving on utilities. The first part of the initiative being considered is refitting the exterior lights with LED bulbs to help improve visibility on the ground and lessen the light intrusion on the surrounding residences. If the board chooses to go with the LED lights, Executive Director Chris Culhane said it could potentially save the Center $1,000 per month in electricity costs.

New CRA member sought The new CRA member will replace former member John Horne. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – Friday, Feb. 1 is the deadline to apply to serve a four-year term on the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). Applicants must be Bradenton Beach residents and/or Bradenton Beach business owners. As of Monday, City Clerk Terri Sanclemente had received applications from David Bell, Sherman Baldwin, Jim Hassett and Mark Mayo. The City Commission will select the replacement for John Horne, the former CRA member whose term has expired. Horne said he did not seek reappointment when his two-year term expired because he also serves on the board of trustees

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

AMOB president John Horne’s two-year CRA term has expired.

for the State College of Florida and in January began serving on the executive committee of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “I’ve obligated myself to other commitments knowing that my two-year term was ending,” Horne said. “I enjoyed it and I hated leaving because we’re

making such great progress and we’re right on the cusp of bringing so many projects to fruition.” CRA members determine how tax-increment revenues are spent and which improvement projects are pursued. The CRA district extends from the Gulf to the bay, from the Cortez Bridge to southernmost property lines along Fifth Street South. The CRA consists of all five sitting City Commission members and two additional community members. BeachHouse restaurant owner Ed Chiles is halfway through his four-year CRA term. CRA members are subject to the Florida Sunshine Law and the CRA appointee will be required to participate in Sunshine Law training. Applications are available at the city clerk’s office, 107 Gulf Dr. N. Completed applications are to be returned via standard mail.

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ON THE AGENDA ANNA MARIA 10005 GULF DRIVE

For information, call 7086130 Feb. 6, 10 a.m. – City Commission and Charter Review Commission joint meeting

BRADENTON BEACH 107 GULF DRIVE N.

For information, call 7781005 Feb. 6, 9:30 a.m. – Community Redevelopment Agency meeting Feb. 6, 11 a.m. – Pier Team meeting

Feb. 6, 2 p.m. – Scenic WAVES meeting

HOLMES BEACH 5801 MARINA DRIVE

For information, call 7085800 Jan. 31, 10 a.m. – Charter Review Commission meeting Feb. 6, 10 a.m. – Parks and Beautification Committee meeting Feb. 6, 6 p.m. – Planning Commission meeting Feb. 7, 1 p.m. – Charter Review Commission meeting

MARK YOUR CALENDAR Note: Events are free unless indicated.

WEDNESDAY JAN. 30

Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Memoir writing, The Folk School at Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez, 10 a.m., $38. Intermediate kayaking skills, Bayfront Park, 316 N. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reserve to 941-742-5757, ext. 7. Storytelling, The Folk School at Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez, 10 a.m., $38. Lifelong Learning Academy, "Replicating Nature – A Difficult Challenge" with Jim Bartuli, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 1 p.m. Valentine paper crafting, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 4 p.m. Movies in the Park, "First Kid," City Pier Park, 100 N. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria, 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY JAN. 31

Veterans services information, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 9 a.m. Roser-Robics chair-based exercise class, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 9:30 a.m. Seaside Quilters, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. Friends Lecture and Travel Series: Janis Ian, Waterline

Marina Resort, 5325 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m. Jam in the Sand, Anna Maria Island Beach Café, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 5 to 8 p.m.

FRIDAY FEB. 1

Forty Carrots, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. Mahjong, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 11:30 a.m. The Perfect Valentine’s Day Celebration with Chef Warren, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m. Sunset drum circle, Manatee Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 5 to 8 p.m.

SATURDAY FEB. 2

Sailor Valentine, The Folk School at Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez, 10 a.m., $38. Ask a Master Gardener, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m.

SUNDAY FEB. 3

Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

MONDAY FEB. 4

Manatee Audubon Society birding tour, Perico Preserve 12300 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, 8:30 a.m. Reserve to 561-253-5025. Social bridge games, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, noon. SEE CALENDAR, PAGE 32


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AVAILABLE AT WEEKEND BRUNCH ON THE PIER UPGRADE YOUR BRUNCH EXPERIENCE WITH NEW BRUNCH BUCKETS, WITH 5 RUFFINO PROSECCO SPLITS AND A SELECTION OF FRESH JUICES FOR ONLY $22

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JANUARY 30, 2019


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JANUARY 30, 2019

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:<7,9 )6>3 PARTY! ! ;V ,UK 6M .HTL

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VALENTINEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DAY DINNER A romantic dinner from our handselected prix fixe menu awaits you and your valentine.

THURSDAY, FEB 14 | 4pm - 10pm FIRST COURSE

SECOND COURSE

Lobster & Parisian Gnocchi Cognac Americana Sauce, Fine Herbs, Fresh Peas & Chanterelle Mushrooms

Seared Sea Scallop & BBQ Pork Belly $48 Butternut Squash Puree, Black BBQ Sauce, Peanut Cucumber Salsa, Passion Fruit

Cauliflower Vichyssoise White Truffle, Pickled Green Apple, Curried Romanesco Cauliflower

Colorado Rack of Lamb $65 Fava Bean Cous Cous, Feta Cheese, Preserved Lemon, Smoked Tomato Jus

Fried Green Tomato Caprese Salad Buffalo Mozzarella, Saba, Melon Heirloom Tomato, Basil, EVOO

Peruvian Surf & Turf $58 1855 8oz Filet Mignon & Aji Amarillo Australian Prawn, Soft Herb Chimichurri, Maduro Plantains, Roasted Beet Chalaca Red Snapper Ramen $44 Sesame Soba Noodles, Bok Choy Kim Chee, Smoked Shrimp Dashi

DESSERTS Chocolate Pot de Creme & Fresh Raspberries French Macaroon Assortment Sweet Grass Artisan Cheese Plate Plant City Strawberries, Sweet Biscuit, Creme Chantilly

Reservations recommended 941.238.6264 | waterlineresort.com/events 5325 Marina Dr, Holmes Beach, FL 34217

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JANUARY 30, 2019

Live Here Sail Anywhere Kick back in easy breezy island style

move-in ready residences from the high $400S If you’re seeking a coastal hideaway with the carefree vibe of Margaritaville, you’ll love the waterfront residences at One Particular Harbour. Outfitted in classic island style, these residences offer beautiful sunset views and owner access to private clubhouse amenities and the new marina. Plus, construction will soon begin on the new Compass by Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts and Floridays Restaurant & Grill, so you can enjoy even more Margaritaville fun and flavor at your doorstep!

All the amenities for a “no worries” vibe: Marina • beach club • resort-style pool and spa • cabana bar Fitness center • kayak launch • sky bar • yoga lawn • and Much more!

try the margaritaville lifestyle before you buy! ask about our one particular getaway. (877) 542-0822 | OPHMintoUSA.com | 12300 Manatee Ave. West, Bradenton, FL 34209 The facilities and amenities described and depicted are proposed, but not yet constructed. Photographs are for illustrative purposes only and are merely representative of current development plans. Development plans, amenities, facilities, dimensions, specifications, prices and features depicted by artists’ renderings or otherwise described herein are approximate and subject to change without notice. © Minto Communities, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced, copied, altered, distributed, stored or transferred in any form or by any means without express written permission. One Particular Harbour and the One Particular Harbour logo are trademarks of Margaritaville Enterprises, LLC and are used under license. Minto and the Minto logo are trademarks of Minto Communities, LLC and/or its affiliates. 2019. CGC 1519880.


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JANUARY 30, 2019

THE SUN

11

Moratorium ends permit-to-permit construction Owners of single-story properties in Holmes Beach are subject to a new moratorium that calculates the value of improvements versus the value of the home over a three-year period for FEMA’s 50 percent rule. BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – City commissioners voted unanimously to reintroduce a threeyear calculation period for the FEMA 50 percent rule for properties built below flood level, improving on a recommendation from Building Official Jim McGuinness for a one-year calculation period.

The three-year moratorium applies only to nonconforming structures built below the current flood level and is aimed to stop permit-to-permit substantial remodels in violation of the 50 percent rule. FEMA’s 50 percent rule allows for improvements to an existing structure up to 50 percent of the property’s value. After 50 percent, either no additional improvements can be made, or the structure must be torn down and rebuilt as a raised structure compliant with current FEMA guidelines. With permit-to-permit remodels, McGuinness said each permit is individually evaluated against the 50 percent rule. Under the new moratorium, improvements made over a three-year period are evaluated against the rule,

meaning that if someone improves their home up to the 50 percent amount and a storm event damages the structure it will have to be rebuilt. McGuinness recommends homeowners considering substantial improvements leave some room in the 50 percent calculation for potential storm damage repair. He said the moratorium should encourage property owners to consider their structural alterations more carefully. When commissioners approved the moratorium, they added in a provision for special consideration for repairs or alterations due to major storm damage. The moratorium went into effect with its approval on Jan. 8. An effect of the moratorium is that it may help property owners save money on their flood insurance. The local

regulations on the 50 percent rule are tied to the city’s flood insurance rating. McGuinness said the stricter the city is on these regulations, the more it may help better the city’s rating, which increases the discount available to property owners on flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program. All of Holmes Beach is located within a flood plain, and there are two velocity zones prone to increased flooding within the city. Holmes Beach property owners currently pay more than $4 million annually in flood insurance premiums, receiving a discount city-wide of just over $1 million for the city’s Class 6 rating discount, an average of $300 per policy, according to a staff report submitted to commissioners by McGuinness.

KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN

Celebrating Florida Arbor Day From left: Jennifer Hoffman of Keep Manatee Beautiful, Holmes Beach Parks and Beautification Committee members Dennis Groh and Zan Fuller, Mayor Judy Titsworth, Commissioner Carol Soustek and Parks and Beautification Committee member Susan Anthony celebrate Florida Arbor Day Jan. 18 at Memorial Garden, adjacent to Holmes Beach City Hall, with the planting of an old man palm tree to replace a tree lost during Hurricane Irma.

brunch is back baby!

5344 gulf drive | Holmes s Beach hurricaneliquorami.com 941.779.2337 | hurricaneliq quorami.com

SUBMITTED

Animal author Tim Fortier with an unidentified young lady who bought his book at the Beach Market. Fortier, of Bradenton Beach, said he wrote “Animal Imagine,” a book of poetry, after thinking up funny things about animals, both wild and pets. He sells at the Beach Market on Sundays or you can get him on Facebook.

Sunday Brunch 10:00 am - 1:00 pm new menu items & refreshing drinks


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THE SUN

JANUARY 30, 2019

37th ANNUAL

CORTEZ I AL C R E M M Co

FISHING FESTIVAL

FEB.16&17 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission $4

Proceeds benefit F.I.S.H. Preserve

Kids 12 & under FREE

The festival is located at the East end of town adjacent to the Florida Maritime Museum on 119th St. W. to the Bay. Off site FREE parking is available at: • G.T. Bray Park (with $3.00 round trip shuttle to Cortez) 5502 33rd Ave Dr W., 34209 -- turn east off 59th St onto 33rd Ave Dr • Coquina Beach (with $3.00 round trip shuttle to Cortez) • One block east of the village, off Cortez Road (5-minute walk)

GREAT FOOD AND LIVE MUSIC COMMUNITY DISPLAYS EXPANDED KIDS AREA LARGER PARKING AREA NAUTICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ART

FOR INFORMATION CALL 941-254-4972 WWW.CORTEZ-FISH.ORG

Member FDIC


JANUARY 30, 2019

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Cortez festival contest winners announced

If you go... What: The 37th Annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival, featuring fresh seafood, live music, arts and crafts and Dock Talks

BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com

CORTEZ – Even Jane von Hahmann didn’t remember “Into the Mulletium,” the theme for the Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival in the year 2000. “That’s awesome!” said the longtime festival volunteer and board member of the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH), the beneficiary for the proceeds of the 37-year-old festival. But Hugh Holmes, Jr., of Terra Ceia, a member of the family that founded Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island, did remember it. Holmes submitted a photo of the T-shirt to The Sun’s contest, aimed at collecting a full set of photographs of festival T-shirts, and won a 2019 festival T-shirt and two admission tickets to this year’s event, the weekend of Feb. 16-17 in the historic fishing village. Larry and Bonnie Heiniger, of Morton, Ill., didn’t exactly send a photo of a T-shirt, but The Sun recognized them with an award for their quilt made of several festival T-shirts, including the previously missing 2007 25th anniversary festival T-shirt. The Sun is well on its way to compiling a complete photographic record of festival T-shirts, which will be submitted to FISH, the Cortez Cultural Center and the Florida Maritime Museum, none of which has a complete set. While the prizes have been claimed, please participate in preserving the history of Cortez and send your T-shirt photos to news@amisun.com. Here are the slogans and years for the Tshirts we already have in our virtual festival T-shirt collection. Help us complete it! 1983 Commercial Fishing Festival ‘83 1984 Commercial Fishing Festival Cortez Florida 1990s Navigating in the 90s

THE SUN

When: Saturday, Feb. 16, & Sunday, Feb. 17, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Where: Main admission gate at Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez Park at the FISH Preserve parking lot east of 119th Street West in Cortez; shuttles from G. T. Bray Park (5502 33rd Ave. Drive W., Bradenton) and the Coquina Beach parking lot in Bradenton Beach ($1.50 one way, $3 round trip); paid parking on private property in the fishing village

SUBMITTED

Above, Dyed-in-the-wool Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival fans Larry and Bonnie Heiniger, of Morton, Ill., submitted their festival T-shirt quilt to the contest. Right, The Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival T-shirt from the millennium year 2000 was unearthed in The Sun’s contest this month. 1996 Casting into the Future 1997 Cortez Fishing Festival 1997 1998 Eat More Fish 1999 Our Past is our Future 2000 Into the Mulletium 2001 Fishing for a Future 2002 Fishing for You 2003 If Wishes were Fishes… 2004 Got Fish? 2005 Caught up in Cortez 2006 Mullet, Mangos and Music 2007 25th anniversary 2008 Net Working 2009 Claws 2010 White Boot Ready 2011 You Are Here 2012 Something’s Fishy in Cortez 2013 Better Fish to Fry

Cost: $4 (kids under 12 free); benefits the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage FISH Preserve Theme: “Changing Tides”

CORTEZ COMMERCIAL FISHING FESTIVAL MUSIC

2014 Wishin’ I Was Fishin’ 2015 I’m a Grouper Groupie 2016 It Takes a Fishing Village 2017 Fishing for our Future 2018 Rooted in History Our Net, Your Gain Commercial Fishing Festival Cortez Florida Commercial Fishing Festival Cortez, Florida (by Dirt Shirts) Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival, Cortez (by Sheila Mora) Before There Was Tourism

Saturday, Feb. 16 10-11 a.m. Shanty Singers 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Doug Deming 1-1:30 p.m. Awards and introductions 2-4 p.m. Eric Von Band 4:30-6 p.m. Koko Ray Show Sunday, Feb. 17 10:30 a.m.-noon Soupy Davis and his Band 12:30-2 p.m. Ted Stevens & the Doo Shots 1-5 p.m. Eric Von (on the Bratton Store Porch) 2:30-4 p.m. Jason Haram 4:30-6 p.m. Karen and Jimmy Band

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THE SUN

She’s a winner Anna Maria Elementary School first grader Sophia Cryer, shown with student support specialist Ivory Graham, won first place in the poster contest for the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Attendance Awareness. She was one of 49,000 students in Charlotte, DeSoto, Sarasota and Manatee County districts who competed. She will be honored by the Manatee County School Board at a ceremony before the board’s meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 215 Manatee Ave. W, from 4:45 t0 6:15 p.m. She’ll also get an iPad. The poster promotes student attendance and urges them to not miss more than five days in a school year. TOM VAUGHT | SUN

Opportunities to get involved The Island Players Theater is hosting an open house for volunteers on Sunday, Feb. 10, from 2 to 4 p.m. It’s an opportunity for the public to take a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of the Island’s theater For those have dreamed of acting on stage, building sets, operating lights, taking tickets at a playhouse or just exploring their theatrical side are welcome. Island Players actors will lead back

stage tours and volunteers from the Off Stage Ladies and the board of directors will be available to answer questions. Refreshments will be served and visitors can even sign up to audition for a play if they wish or just come to learn about the many other available volunteer opportunities. For more information, call the box office at 941 778-5755 or visit the website at www.theislandplayers.org.

JANUARY 30, 2019


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JANUARY 30, 2019

THE SUN

15

Impervious pool exception being crafted All three Island cities consider swimming pools to be impervious surfaces that do not provide for additional stormwater retention and drainage. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – The city of Bradenton Beach will continue designating swimming pools as impervious surfaces, but city officials are working on an exception for properties that lack the space required to install a pool that’s fully compliant with city code. Impervious surfaces don’t allow rainwater to drain downward through them. Pervious surfaces do, and they play an important role in a property’s ability to retain, filter and discharge rainwater without overflowing onto adjacent properties. The city’s land development code (LDC) allows a maximum lot coverage of 40 percent. This means no more than 40 percent of the residential property can be covered with impervious surfaces. Impervious surfaces include the house or primary structure, paved driveways, parking pads, sidewalks, concrete patios, sheds and other accessory structures.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

A pool built underneath a house is not counted as an additional impervious surface. A swimming pool built outside the building footprint is considered an impervious surface. City code also requires 30 percent of the property to be left as open space and at least 17.5 percent to be used for stormwater retention. In February 2018, the City Commission voted 3-2 to designate swimming pools as impervious surfaces. Commissioners Jake Spooner and Ralph Cole opposed the decision, but Mayor John Chappie and Commissioners Marilyn Maro and Randy White felt it would help reduce the size of the vacation rental homes built in residential neighbor-

hoods. At the time, Spooner said developers would still find ways to install pools, but residents who wanted to add pools to their existing homes would be prevented from doing so. Chappie scheduled the Jan. 22 work meeting discussion on impervious pools in response to Spooner and Cole’s requests to revisit that 2018 decision. During the work meeting, it was noted that developers often install pools underneath the new elevated homes being built, which

means they don’t count as additional impervious surfaces. Pools or portions of pools built outside the building footprint count as impervious surfaces when calculating lot coverage. Spooner said installing pools underneath houses creates an echo effect and produces more noise for neighbors. Cole said the evaporating pool water contains chlorine that corrodes the building materials, and the SEE POOLS, PAGE 25


2019

16

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THE SUN

Roser Concert Series

4:00 PM SUNDAY rt-Series www.RoserChurch.com/Conce ering Doors open at 3:00 • Free-will off

FEBRUARY 10

A seven-piece jazz band playing Dixieland and swing tunes in a New Orleans traditional jazz style. The band’s two trom tr ombbo and clarinet lead, enhanced by banjo, bass, drums and vocalist, trombones provide a sound that is UNIQUE and MELLOW, yet DRIVING and EXCITING!

Mark your calendar • MARCH 10 Ring Sarasotaa MARCH 31 Key Chorale Chamber Singers

A NON DENOMINATIONAL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY UN COMMUNITY CHURCH • 512 Pine Ave, Anna Maria [near Pier]

SUNDAY WORSHIP • 8:30 AM and 10:00 AM 10:00 AM Nursery & Church School 8:45 AM Adult Bible Study • 9:00 AM Adult Bible Study

941-778-0414 • www.RoserChurch.com • Facebook @RoserChurch

JANUARY 30, 2019


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JANUARY 30, 2019

THE SUN

17

Janis Ian in demand for library appearance BY TOM VAUGHT SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught@amisun.com

‛S YOUR COMFORT ZONE? WHERE

Open at 11:00 AM

Lunch Specials S Daily 4628 119th St W Cortez (941)798-2035 swordfishgrill.com Marker 49 by boat

HOLMES BEACH – When Janis Ian makes her appearance for the Island Branch Library’s Friends’ Lecture and Travel Series Thursday at 2 p.m., she will likely do so before the largest audience in series history. As a result, the library has enlisted the aid of Waterline Marina Resort and Beach Club, located nearby at 5325 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, to handle the large crowd. To attend, you will have to get a free ticket at Waterline at 11:30 a.m. on the day of her appearance. At Waterline, Ian will sing, read and talk about her life and career and her appearance will be streamed back to the library so more people can watch. Afterward, she will sign copies of her book Ian broke into the popular music world at the age of 16 with the ballad “Society’s Child,” a song about interracial dating in in the socially conscious mid 1960s. She followed up in the 1970s with “At Seventeen,” a Grammy-winning song about the importance of looks among young females. She won a second Grammy in 2013 for Best Spoken Word Album, for her autobiography, “Society's Child,” with a total of 10 nominations in eight different categories. Ian currently lives in Nashville with her wife, Patricia, and they have visited Anna Maria Island. They are trying to engineer a move to the Island. She knows about the Island Branch Island. “That’s why I said yes when they asked me to be a

SUBMITTED

Singer-writer Janis Ian looks forward to speaking at the Island Branch Library Travel and Lecture series on Thursday, Jan. 30. speaker in the lecture series,” she said. “I love what they do there and I’m a big supporter.” Ian, who continues to write music, said she kept busy after “At Seventeen.” “I went on the road from 1978 to 1982 and explored some things, but I was and am always writing,” she said. “I look forward to my appearance for the library and I’m expecting to meet some nice people.”


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THE SUN

JANUARY 30, 2019

Charter Review Commission gets to work With the election and the holidays behind them, members of the newly formed Holmes Beach Charter Review Commission are ready to get to work. BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – With two organizational meetings under their belts, the members of the newly formed Charter Review Commission are ready to get to work reviewing the city’s charter section by section. After a welcome from Mayor Judy Titsworth and a crash course in sunshine law from attorney Jim Dye during their first meeting, commissioners set about the business of selecting a chair and vice chair. Commissioner Ed Upshaw was chosen as the chairman with Commissioner Sean Murphy elected as vice chair. “I’m very pleased to be on this commission,” Upshaw said. “I consider it an honor.” When asked what his priorities are for the coming commission discussions, he said he feels that there are three areas that will need consideration in reviewing the charter – vision for the future, editorial and what he called the “800-pound gorilla,” governance. Commissioner David Zaccagnino said he agreed but also feels it would be prudent to go through the city’s existing charter section by section, which his fellow commissioners agreed to. With an Aug. 30 deadline not far on the horizon to get any recommended charter amendments on the November ballot for voters to have their preferences heard, City Clerk Stacey John-

Coquina jackpot A huge number of coquina shells washed ashore in Bradento Beach recently, leaving the shore covered with the colorful shells. And that’s why they call it Coquina Beach! CINDY LANE | SUN

KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN

Members of the Holmes Beach Charter Review Commission discuss their priorities for upcoming meetings. ston recommended having any proposed charter amendments ready to be presented to city commissioners by the end of April. This would allow enough time for the proposed charter amendments to go through the required two commission votes and public hearing to be approved by ordinance to go on the ballot. Though commissioners can vote on the proposed amendments, they’re not allowed to make changes and approve them more as a matter of formality. “You’re the ones who are going to make the changes, not the (city) commission,” Johnston told charter review commissioners. Commissioners agreed to meet for two hours every Thursday for the time being with the city attorney also attending to make sure any proposed amendments are worded correctly. Murphy added that he would like to spend some time talking about a proposed change of government to a city manager type government for the city. Commissioners agreed, saying they would like to, at a future meeting, host members of the now-disbanded adhoc committee that studied the city’s form of government and recommend-

ed the change to a city manager versus a mayoral-led form of government. Murphy also said he would like to discuss the idea of a citizen’s bill of rights to address the needs of residents, workers and snowbirds who visit the Island for several months a year. He said he feels the people who are here and invested in the Holmes Beach community deserve more consideration than the daily and weekly visitors to the Island city. Former Mayor Bob Johnson, who also served as a member of the last Charter Review Commission, congratulated the members on their appointments and thanked them for the time they’re donating to the city. “I wish you the best,” he said. During their second meeting, charter commission members met with City Attorney Patricia Petruff to go over the changes suggested by the previous charter commission and approved by voters. They determined to begin their third meeting by examining the existing charter section by section, setting aside the topics, such as form of government, that they feel warrant further discussion.

CELEBRATING OUR 40th ANNIVERSARY!

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THE SUN

19

Shop savings throughout the store & at BeallsFlorida.com

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Go to BeallsFlorida.com for hours & locations. Bealls Stores & BeallsFlorida.com are operated by Bealls Stores, Inc. and Beall’s Westgate Corporation. GE01


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Students show STEM skills The latest term for problem solving in education is STEM. It stands for science, technology, engineering and math. Students at Anna Maria Elementary School in Holmes Beach held STEM night on Tuesday, Jan. 22. Parents went with their kids to learn what they are learning.

TOM VAUGHT | SUN

Clockwise from above, Jordan Moore’s science experiment took first place for the fourth grade. In Mrs. Lashway’s classroom, Alex Kendal shows how to launch a rocket with air power. In Mrs. Jordan’s room, Mike Hager made water conservation T-shirts for Alexander Teich and Isabella Parlo.

Giving back

Manatee County government and the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce gave $42,784 to eligible nonprofit agencies on Wednesday, Jan. 23, at Waterline Resort & Beach Club. Afterward, the persons representing the agencies posed for this picure. TOM VAUGHT | SUN

JANUARY 30, 2019


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JANUARY 30, 2019

THE SUN

21

WMFR plans for a new chief With the chief retiring from the fire service, WMFR staff and commissioners are now tasked with finding a successor. BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com

BRADENTON – West Manatee Fire Rescue commissioners and staff are officially on the hunt for a new chief to replace retiring Chief Tom Sousa who plans to leave the district in October. During a workshop, Sousa presented the five fire commissioners with a succession plan. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the plan during the following regular meeting. Sousa said the proposed plan is similar to the process used when he was hired five years ago to replace Chief Andy Price, who was retiring. The plan recommends the board choose a commissioner to chair a screening committee

made up of a battalion chief and regional fire chief of the commissioner’s choosing. Commissioner Larry Jennis volunteered to head the committee. Once the committee is formed, a notice is placed for internal candidates who wish to apply for the position. If any internal candidates meet the requirements for the chief position, they will first have to pass an interview with the screening committee before being moved forward in the process to have individual interviews with each commissioner. Candidates then will have the opportunity to make a 15-minute presentation to the board as a whole. If no internal candidate is found for the position, the committee will them open the selection process up to external candidates. Sousa recommended that commissioners set a June deadline to find an internal candidate to appoint to the position, if one can be found. “You have time; it’s not a decision you need to rush into,” he said.

KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN

Chief Tom Sousa plans to retire from leadership at West Manatee Fire Rescue in October.

Cephalopod art This octopus sculpture by an unknown artist was found on a beach in Anna Maria recently. CHANTELLE LEWIN | SUN


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THE SUN

OUTDOORS

JANUARY 30, 2019

Clams restored to Manatee County waters

S

arasota Bay Watch capped a two-year clam restoration effort last Saturday. Despite windy conditions and a choppy bay, board members and volunteers placed 7,000 pounds, or about 52,000 clams, at two sites in Manatee County. This brings the total to just over 250,000. At one of the sites the water was crystal clear and Al Jeffrey and diver Ian Kayea, an underwater videographer and Scuba Quest employee, got excellent footage of the clams in their new home. Sarasota Bay Watch has a second round of about 750,000 clams growing as we speak under the watchful eye of Curt at the Bay Shellfish hatchery While much of restoration has been focused on sites in Sarasota County, SBW President Steve Martin made it clear that the nonprofit is dedicated to restoring clams to all the waters of Sarasota Bay. “Sarasota Bay extends to all of Manatee County's bay waters from mid-Longboat Key to Tampa Bay. In 2019 we’ll be introducing more clams to Manatee County

Reel Time

Clams filter Bay waters and can actually “eat” the red tide that has been decimating area fish stocks. RUSTY CHINNIS | SUN

RUSTY CHINNIS waters and holding events there like the Sister Keys clean and island invasive plant control in conjunction with Longboat Key Public Works. Sarasota Bay Watch is a grassroots, nonprofit, citizen-based organization dedicated to preserving and restoring Sarasota Bay’s ecosystem through education and citizen participation. SBW would like to thank Reef Innovations, Gold Coast Eagle Distributing, Sarasota Sailing Squadron, and their many wonderful volunteers for making the restoration effort possible! Sarasota Bay Watch works with a set of core values to guide their activities. Their goal is to initiate innovative and effective action grounded in selfless and comprehensive planning to assure the sustainability

of Sarasota Bay, its stakeholders and all its inhabitants.

ACTION

It is our objective to establish collaborative relationships with other environmental organizations, scientists, and NGOs. We strive to forge partnerships that allow Sarasota Bay Watch to accomplish its goals while enhancing the effectiveness of every person and group that benefits from the natural assets of the Bay system.

COMMITMENT

We are committed to accomplishing our mission because of a shared

love of the estuarine environment, knowing full well that it supports our economy, our health and an ineffable legacy for future generations. It is our belief that sustainable ecosystems are essential for the well-being of human communities, and that our goals can be accomplished through citizen action that is guided by sound science.

INTEGRITY

Sarasota Bay Watch is committed to an openness and honesty that fosters a culture of sincerity and trust. We strive to attain tangible SEE REEL TIME, PAGE 23


www.amisun.com

JANUARY 30, 2019

THE SUN

23

Winter fishing brings variety CAPTAIN DAVE WHITE

Well the winter winds have kept us inshore this week, but we here at Anna Maria Charters haven’t had any issues finding fish for our clients. The name of the game in the winter is sheepshead. On the clearer days, we also can find some bigger trout and pompano on the flats. Using live shrimp is producing some hefty sheepshead. The largest one we saw last week was 21 inches with lots of keepers and a few undersized fish as well. Also in the mix while sheepshead fishing are black drum and redfish on occasion. We’ve been doing our fair share of fly trips as well. Although pretty cold water has them a bit sluggish, descent sized snook and trout are still readily taking shrimp and baitfish patterns. You have to slow your strip down a bit and let the fly get a bit deeper when these fish are hunkered down. Looks like this week’s weather is going to remain chilly. But that won’t stop us from hitting the water and filling the cooler. Good luck and tight lines.

CAPTAIN DAVE WHITE | SUBMITTED

Katie Brown, of Flushing, Mich., shows off a hefty sheepshead caught with Captain David White, of Anna Maria Charters.

CAPTAIN RICK GRASSETT

Fly anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had fast action catching and releasing snook and hefty blues on flies in the ICW at night recently. Spin fishing anglers also had some action with reds and trout on DOA Lures in Gasparilla Sound. Keith McClintock and Hal D’Orazio, both from Illinois, fished

Gasparilla Sound near Boca Grande with me one day. The water was cold, behind a front, and action was slow to start. It warmed enough in the afternoon for them to catch and release a couple of small reds and trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. Jerry Poslusny, from Palmetto and Rich Hunter, from Longboat Key, fished the ICW at night for snook on a trip with me recently.

They had their personal best trip catching and releasing snook and bluefish to 5 pounds on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Martin Marlowe, from New York, and Tim Hearon, from Siesta Key, also got in on the action. They also caught and released numerous snook and nice blues on the same fly on another trip. Great action and the blues are a welcome addition, since they fight as hard as or harder than snook of the same size. Fishing dock lights in the evening is usually a good option for catch and release snook fishing this time of year, although it is dependent on tide and conditions. Fishing shallow flats is both challenging and rewarding. It usually requires fishing hard to find and catch fish. You may not catch big numbers of fish, but you may catch some good ones. Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by agricultural and residential runoff, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation. Please limit your kill; don’t kill your limit.

CAPTAIN WES WILDMAN

We are in full blown winter mode here at Keyes Marina. The sheephead bite has been steady, but due to the dropping of water temperature, we have to really slow down and be patient for our bites. I drop down to 15-pound flourocarbon leader, with a #2 Owner ssw bait hook, and a #4 split shot. The bait of choice for me is half of a fresh shrimp – just enough to hide the hook. This approach seems to be working best casting to deeper docks around Anna Maria Island. The sea trout bite has been hit or miss lately, but when we do catch them, they have been nice fish up to 22 inches. These guys are great on the grill. Just like the sheepshead bite, you just have to slow down and be patient on the bites. A popping cork and 20-pound leader with a 1/0 Owner Mutu circle hook rigged with a live shrimp over the grass flats has been the right choice for us. With more weather ahead of us, we are just hoping for a few decent days to get out wet a line.

REEL TIME: Clams restored FROM PAGE 22

and measurable results through relationships and methods that hold to the highest ethical and financial standards.

RESPECT

We vow to respect the opinions of our members, volunteers, donors and co-workers. We will also respect the views of those with whom we may

disagree, and strive to reach consensus through dialogue, transparency, and collaboration.

SUSTAINABILITY

We believe a sustainable ecosystem to be one that most closely resembles its natural state absent human influences, and to the greatest extent possible, one that maintains its balance of species and habitat quality in

harmony with human communities. This requires both the education and active stewardship of our human communities. You can become an active participant by joining as a member and volunteering in Sarasota Bay Watch’s on-going effort to protect and restore this valuable natural resource. Donate your time or help fund our efforts at www. sarasotbaywatch.org


24

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THE SUN

JANUARY 30, 2019

Manatee waters clear of red tide BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com

Manatee County waters remained clear of red tide last week, according to the Friday, Jan. 25, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) report. No red tide was found in water samples at the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria, the Longboat Pass boat ramp in Bradenton Beach or Palma Sola Bay as of Jan. 22, according to the FWC. However, three red tiderelated fish kills were reported in Manatee County over the past week, one at the Anna Maria City Pier. Respiratory irritation was reported on Jan. 17 and Jan. 19-20 at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach and Jan. 20-21 and Jan. 23 at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach, according to the FWC. Blooms of Florida red tide can be patchy, with varying concentrations of the toxin it produces causing effects to be noticeable on one beach but not on a nearby beach. The bloom, which is now affecting Collier County to the south, began

in southwest Florida in October 2017 and arrived in Anna Maria Island waters on Aug. 3.

High

WILDLIFE IMPACTS

Since the bloom began, red tide caused 589 sea turtle deaths, according to the FWC. Of the 824 manatees that died in Florida waters in 2018, 132 of them were caused by red tide, including 10 from Manatee County, with six of those discovered around Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key, the FWC reports. An additional 79 manatee deaths are suspected to have been caused by red tide, for a total of 211 probable red tide deaths, more than from watercraft (121 deaths) in 2018. As of Dec. 20, 2018, 127 dolphins had died from red tide in Florida waters, according to NOAA, which stopped tracking dolphin mortality during the federal government shutdown that was suspended last Friday.

CAUSES

Florida red tide, or Karenia brevis,

RED TIDE REPORT

(respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures, fish kills, water discoloration)

Very low

(possible respiratory irritation)

Background

Medium

(probable respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures, fish kills)

(no effects)

None

(no red tide present)

Low

(possible respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures, fish kills) Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is a type of microalgae that emits a neurotoxin when it blooms. Deadly to marine life, red tide also can make shellfish unfit to eat and can cause respiratory irritation in people. Scientists say that salinity, currents, temperature and light play a part in the formation of blooms, as do: • Nutrient runoff from Florida’s natural phosphate deposits; • Nutrients from the Loop Current, which brings Caribbean seawa-

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ter to Florida’s west coast; • Natural and man-made nutrients that travel down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico; • Nutrients iron-rich Saharan dust blown across the Atlantic Ocean to Florida’s waters; • Nutrients including nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers and animal waste.


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JANUARY 30, 2019

THE SUN

25

POOLS: Exceptions crafted FROM PAGE 15

additional moisture is conducive to mold. Regarding stormwater retention, the concern is that pools can fill up with water during heavy and prolonged rains and then overflow onto neighboring properties. Building Official Steve Gilbert and City Engineer Lynn Burnett said the impervious pool designation could be maintained with an exception that allows property owners with limited space to install a pool if additional stormwater mitigation steps are taken. Gilbert said this could be accomplished by requiring the installation of an underground infiltration and drainage system next to the pool. “This would be an exception for existing properties, where they cannot put the pool under the building. This would be an exception that lets them miti-

gate that by doing additional infiltration as necessary for new construction or as necessary for existing construction,” Gilbert said. “Pools are impervious, except if open space and poolside infiltration system requirements are met.”

REDUCING IMPERVIOUS SPACE

Gilbert and Burnett said property owners also can be issued a building permit for a pool if they reduce existing impervious surfaces. This can be accomplished by replacing paved driveways and parking areas with driveway strips that allow drainage in the unpaved areas between the strips. Sidewalks, concrete patios and pads and accessory structures can also be removed to create more pervious space. “We’re not asking them to meet today’s code. We’re asking them to reduce the nonconformity to the extent possible,” Gilbert said.

“As long as they’re decreasing the non-conformity, then we can issue a permit,” Burnett said. When asked, Gilbert said no pool permit applications have been denied because of last year’s impervious pool designation. Gilbert and Burnett share the opinion that the LDC does not clearly define what open space is and what type of landscaping materials should be used in the required open spaces. They feel this also needs to be addressed. “This seems like it will work. People are going to be able to retrofit a pool, and the drainage is going to be improved overall,” Spooner said of the proposed changes. The commission directed Burnett to continue working on this issue, and Gilbert said it would be two or three months before the proposed changes are presented to the commission for final adoption.

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26

THE SUN

REAL ESTATE

JANUARY 30, 2019

Sunshine State population growth

T

here’s a reason that Florida is called the Sunshine State and it has nothing to do with sunshine. What it does have to do with is people – people from other states – and here’s why. According to a new federal census report from the U.S. Census Bureau, Florida was the second fastest growing state, adding more than 322,000 people last year. Only Texas scored higher than Florida, adding nearly 380,000 people during the same time frame. In addition, for the eight-year period between 2010 and 2018, Florida’s population increased 13.3 percent with Texas just above adding 14.3 percent in population. Nevada and Washington state came in third and fourth with approximately an increase of 12 percent each. So why are we importing so many residents from other states? Obviously, in spite of the threat of hurricanes, which are frequently overblown, we do have a lot of sunshine and almost perfect weather for at least six months. And for those of us who

Castles in the Sand LOUISE BOLGER live here full time, even the summers are a non-issue compared to the six months of horrible weather experienced in many other parts of the country. The car starts every day even if it’s 90 degrees, and, in Florida, boots are a fashion statement rather than a lifesaving essential. And Florida has no state tax in a state friendly to business, which has created a booming business community. Although retirees keep coming, businesses are recruiting young workers in an effort to keep up with the expanding population. All of this is happening in Florida during a time when the United States population growth has fallen to an 80-year low because of declin-

ing birth rates. Consequently, what goes up must come down, and there are plenty of states that are losing some of the population coming to us. For the one-year period from July 2017 to July 2018, the top two states to lose population are New York, losing 48,510 people, and Illinois, losing 45,116. These two states, in addition to Connecticut, which also lost population, are some of the highest taxed states for both state tax and property tax. In addition, the implementation of the federal tax reform last year will limit the deductibility of state and local taxes hitting these states particularly hard. It will be interesting to track the population shifts in a few years after residents have experienced several years of tax returns. What this all means to Manatee real estate can only be good. These are the December sales statistics from the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee’s website:

Single family homes in December maintained their benchmark $300,000 or over sale price again coming in at $309,000, 2.7 percent down from last year. The average single-family sale was $380,272, a 1 percent increase. The median time to sell was 90 days about the same as last year, and the months supply of properties remains at about four months. Condo sales were a median of $190,000, down 2.6 percent from last year, but the average was $236,606, up 7.2 percent. Median time to sell was 96 days, up from last year by 17.1 percent, and month’s supply of properties was four months, up slightly from last year. I know the U.S Census Bureau has its algorithms and fancy computer programs to analyze population growth, but I have my own personal methods. If the Cortez Bridge is backed up to the firehouse during the summer and the parking lot at Publix has zero spaces, that’s when I know July isn’t what it once was. Let the sunshine in.


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JANUARY 30, 2019

THE SUN

27

Deposition raises more Sunshine questions Michael Harrington said under oath that he thought he deleted all the CNOBB-related emails from his Gmail account. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON – The deposition of former webmaster Michael Harrington has uncovered emails that raise additional questions about possible Sunshine law violations by members of the Concerned Neighbors of Bradenton Beach (CNOBB) group. The city of Bradenton Beach and resident Jack Clarke are co-plaintiffs in a 2017 lawsuit seeking a judge’s ruling as to whether the city advisory board members violated the Florida Sunshine Law by discussing past and potentially foreseeable board and commit-

tee business during CNOBB meetings. The suit names former Bradenton Beach Planning and Zoning Board members Reed Mapes, John Metz, Patty Shay and Bill Vincent and former Scenic WAVES Committee members Tjet Martin and Rose Vincent as defendants. All six defendants were members of the now-disbanded CNOBB group when the alleged violations occurred. A July 25, 2017, CNOBB meeting included a recorded discussion about a proposed citywide ban on parking garages. CNOBB members have also discussed the revised Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) plan and other city matters. With his wife, Carol, sitting next to him on Jan. 23, the 81-year-old former Bradenton Beach resident – who is not a defendant in the suit – was deposed under oath by attorney Robert Watrous for nearly six hours. Paralegal Michael

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

Former CNOBB webmaster Michael Harrington was deposed under oath with his wife, Carol, by his side. Barfield assisted Watrous. The deposition was part of the discovery phase of the suit, scheduled for a mid-March trial. A motion to dismiss one count by the defendants is scheduled for hearing on Friday, Feb. 8, but that date may be subject to change. A court-ordered mediation session is scheduled for Feb.

25. Depositions for Metz and City Attorney Ricinda Perry are also scheduled in February.

EMAIL TRAIL

In response to a subpoena, Harrington recently provided Barfield with a flash drive containing approximately 10,000 emails and documents obtained from his computer.

Harrington said he meant to turn over 325 emails pertaining to CNOBB and the lawsuit, but the additional emails and documents were inadvertently included. During the deposition, Harrington said under oath that he thought he deleted all CNOBBrelated emails from his Gmail account, only to discover they were never fully deleted. Toward the end of the deposition, Watrous referenced an October 2017 email from Mapes to Harrington suggesting they communicate by phone instead of email. Watrous and Barfield presented 24 of those documents as exhibits during the deposition. Watrous said that email also included a request from Mapes to delete two previous emails he sent Harrington. Those emails were not among those provided to Barfield. “We didn’t get all of the emails. Some of them you SEE SUNSHINE, PAGE 28


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THE SUN

JANUARY 30, 2019

SUNSHINE: More questions raised FROM PAGE 27

might have been successful in deleting,” Watrous said. Harrington said his old Gateway computer died approximately two months ago, and when he took it to the technicians at Best Buy, he was told it would cost $250 to repair. Harrington said he told the technicians to dispose of the computer and destroy the hard drive. Harrington said he bought a new laptop computer about four months before the Gateway died. Watrous found it interesting that Harrington had the foresight to buy a new computer before the computer he’d been using died. Because of this, Watrous said he was not terminating the deposition, and he would consider seeking a judge’s order for a forensic investigation of Harrington’s computer and email records. During one of the breaks, Watrous said, “Every time we ask for discovery, we get things we haven’t seen before. A lot of this we’ve never seen before.” He also noted that those subpoenaed are required by law to produce all documents requested.

ADDITIONAL EXHIBITS

Watrous produced a June 2017 email exchange among Harrington, Bill Vincent and Mapes in which

I don’t want you to say we made a mistake. I think you are agreeing to the fact that there was a Sunshine violation. I would hate for the four of us to have you say that.” Reed Mapes Former CNOBB member

Mapes questioned whether the CNOBB website forum page should be public or private. “Here again is the issue of Sunshine violations,” Mapes wrote. Watrous produced a July 24, 2017, email Mapes sent to Harrington and others requesting to be allowed to respond to a CNOBB forum post called “Nix the Parking Garage.”

He also produced two emails and the attached documents that Martin sent CNOBB members regarding the CNOBB mission statement and proposed charter amendment initiatives. Martin’s July 23, 2017, document listed five charter initiatives that included a citywide parking garage prohibition. Harrington said he was asked to post that document at the CNOBB website. On July 25, Martin distributed a revised document that no longer referenced the parking garage prohibition. On July 26, Mapes sent Harrington an email that said, “Please delete the item about the parking garage. Since we decided it might one day be a P n Z issue we decided to drop it for now.” Watrous produced a letter to the editor addressed to Bradenton Beach residents which Harrington had drafted and sent to several CNOBB members on Aug. 12 seeking their feedback. “The very brief mention of a ‘parking garage’ was in front of four of the Planning and Zoning Board (members) in attendance. That mistake was quickly realized and the subject was dropped,” Harrington’s letter said. Harrington said he was asked not to publish the letter, but he could not recall who made that request. Obtained previously by Barfield,

Every time we ask for discovery, we get things we haven’t seen before. A lot of this we’ve never seen before.” Robert Watrous Attorney

Harrington distributed another email that same day containing Mapes’ response. “I don’t want you to say we made a mistake. I think you are agreeing to the fact that there was a sunshine violation. I would hate for the four of us to have you say that,” Mapes wrote


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JANUARY 30, 2019

THE SUN

BRIAN BLAINE | SUBMITTED

29

CINDY LANE | SUN

Bridge Street sunrise

Sole survivor

A wading bird looks for breakfast as the sun rises over the mooring field next to the Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach.

New life emerges from a sand dune freshly swept by the wind on Anna Maria Island.

LO C A L LY K N OW N . G LO B A L LY C O N N E C T E D.

ANNA MARIA 113 N Bay Boulevard Michael Habony 941-920-2494 A4409990 $2,247,500

H O L M E S B E AC H 529 Key Royale Drive Hannah Hillyard 941.744.7358 A4184576 $1,945,000

B R A D E N T O N B E AC H 110 7th Street S Judy LaValliere 941-504-3792 A4210751 $1,800,000

ANNA MARIA 107 Willow Avenue Laurie M Mock 941-232-3665 A4421946 $1,449,000

B R A D E N T O N B E AC H 2500 Gulf Drive N Laurie M Mock 941-232-3665 A4424506 $2,949,000

H O L M E S B E AC H 674 Key Royale Drive Michael Habony 941-920-2494 A4419598 $895,000

BR ADENTON 1710 71st Street NW Mark Boehmig 941-807-6936 A4423427 $675,000

H O L M E S B E AC H 503 70th Street Laura Rulon 941-896-2757 A4406584 $599,000

B R A D E N T O N B E AC H 1710 Gulf Drive N E Hannah Hillyard 941-744-7358 A4215055 $1,899,000

ANNA MARIA 867 N Shore Drive Ken Kavanaugh, Jr 941-799-1943 A4418345 $1,850,000

ANNA MARIA 111 Spring Avenue Kristi Berger 941-730-3801 A4421014 $1,125,000

BR ADENTON 2701 9th Street E Laurie M Mock 941-232-3665 A4420352 $1,039,000

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Chamber has busy schedule

The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce at 5313 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach has some networking opportunities next month. On Wednesday, Feb. 6, IMG Academy Golf Club located at 4350 El Conquistador Pkwy, Bradenton, hosts the AMI Chamber February luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost to attend is $15 for members and $25 for prospective members. To RSVP, contact the Chamber at 941-7781541 or email info@amichamber. org. On Wednesday, Feb. 27, the Chamber February business card

exchange encourages members to meet the board of directors from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Chamber office. The cost to attend is $5 for members and $10 for prospective members. To RSVP, contact the Chamber at 941-7781541 or email info@amichamber. org. Looking ahead, the Chamber scholarship application deadline is Sunday, March 31. The Chamber is offering a total of four $1000 scholarships, three $1000 scholarships to Manatee County graduating seniors seeking a four year degree and one $1000 scholarship to a Manatee County graduating senior seeking local

trade or career focused education. The applications can be found on the AMI Chamber website, www.amichamber.org, by clicking on Event and Scholarship Forms under the About the Chamber drop down. Applicants also can contact the chamber at 941-778-1541 for an application. Scholarship recipients will be notified by phone in early April. The awards presentation will take place at the Chamber board of directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meeting at the Chamber office at 5 p.m. on Wednesday April 17.

JANUARY 30, 2019


JANUARY 30, 2019

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THE SUN

31

SUBMITTED

New look Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce members David Berude and Dan Alderson, at left, and Eric Cairns and Cathy Pizzo, at right, watch as Kimberly Roehl and Shannon Cooley of Island Destinations of Anna Maria representatives cut the ribbon at the Driftwood Motel , 5108 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, on Tuesday, Jan. 22, to celebrate the facility's remodeling,


32

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THE SUN

Dog park to be named for Laurie Crawford

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

BY CINDY LANE

FEB. 5

SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com

Farmer’s Market, City Pier Park, 100 N. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Roser-Robics chair-based exercise class, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 9:30 a.m. Preschool storytime, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. Mahjong, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 11:30 a.m. Tech help, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m. Tortoise talks, Robinson Preserve, Valentine House, 1704 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 3:30 p.m. Reserve to coral.bass@mymanatee.org.

BRADENTON - The Happy Tails Dog Park at G.T. Bray Park will be renamed the Laurie Crawford Dog Park in honor of the woman who was instrumental in establishing it. The 64-year-old Anna Maria Island hairdresser passed away on Nov. 8, 2018, after a brief illness. In addition to her work on the Crawford dog park, she founded the Animal Network in 1999, an all-volunteer organization with a mission to keep pets out of Manatee County animal shelters. She founded Canine Christmas in 1999, introduced the No-Kill Manatee movement in 2011 and served on the Manatee County Animal Advisory Board from May 2000 to September 2015, chairing the board from 2001 to 2015. On Dec. 18, 2018, Crawford’s friends at the Animal Network asked Manatee County commissioners to rename the dog park after her. Commissioners plan to respond on Tuesday, Jan. 29, with a resolution changing the name and stating, in part, “Laurie substantially and significantly changed the way the county and our community views animals and their treatment.”

BEACH BEAT ANNA MARIA

1/22, Baker Act, Gulf Drive and Willow Avenue. The deputies were patrolling the area when they saw a vehicle slowly driving on Cedar toward Gulf without any lights on. The driver stopped and then turned towards them, creeping at a slow speed north on Gulf Drive. The driver stopped on Gulf at Willow and turned on her lights. The deputies affected a traffic stop on the vehicle. The driver was acting unusual and claimed she was on an underwater mission from God. She stated she was looking for a way to access the beach to drive the “submarine” she was in, into the water. EMS was summoned, and the female refused their help. She became combative and was secured for her safety and placed under a Baker Act. She refused to exit the vehicle as she stated she had to complete her mission. She was removed from the vehicle and placed on the stretcher, then taken to Blake Medical Center.

BRADENTON BEACH

1/ 9, burglary to a vehicle, 1800 block of Gulf Drive N. A wallet was stolen from a parked car. 1/9, burglary. to a vehicle, 1801 Gulf Drive

From Page 7

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Feb. 6 Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

N., Runaway Bay. The interior of the car was entered, but not much was taken. 1/10, burglary to a vehicle, 1801 Gulf Drive, Runaway Bay. Electronics were stolen. 1/15, driving with no license, 1700 Gulf Drive. The officer stopped the driver for a cracked windshield and found out the driver had never gotten a license. He was arrested. 1/18, recovered stolen boat, South Coquina Boat Ramp. It had been stripped of all components, 1/19, attempt to defraud a food server, 101 7th St. N. Officers were dispatched to the restaurant on an intoxicated customer who refused to pay for his meal. He aggressively charged an officer and was redirected towards the exit and pepper sprayed. The officers arrested him.

HOLMES BEACH

1/19, DUI, 600 Manatee Ave. The officer stopped the driver for making an illegal U-turn. He noticed signs of impairment. He refused to take a field sobriety test and was arrested. He also refused to give a breath sample. 1/19, drugs, larceny, Walgreens, 3200 East Bay Drive. A person in line took the prescription pills on the counter accidently left by the person in front of him. Police caught up with the suspect and arrested him. 1/20, domestic disturbance, 3010 Gulf Drive. The complainant said she got into a non-physical argument with her fiancé

JANUARY 30, 2019

Memoir writing, The Folk School at Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez, 10 a.m., $38. Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce February Luncheon, IMG Academy Golf Club, 4350 El Conquistador Pkwy, Bradenton, 11:30 a.m., $15 for members or $25 for prospective members. Reserve to info@ amichamber.org. Gulf Coast Writers, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 1 p.m. Movies in the Park: Ice Age, City Pier Park, 100 N. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria, 6:30 p.m.

Bradenton, 10 a.m. Reserve to coral.bass@mymanatee. org. Painting Cortez, The Folk School at Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez, 10 a.m., $38. NEST Nature Days, Robinson Preserve, Mosaic NEST, 1704 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 1-4 p.m. Friends Lecture and Travel Series: The Dolphins of Sarasota with Dr. Katherine McHugh, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m. Jam in the Sand, Anna Maria Island Beach Café, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 5 to 8 p.m.

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Veteran services information, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 9 a.m. Roser-Robics chair-based exercise class, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 9:30 a.m. Treetots: Counting Nature, Robinson Preserve, Mosaic NEST, 1704 99th St. N.W.,

Coastal climate walk – mangrove mitigation, Robinson Preserve, 1704 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 9:30 a.m., $25. Reserve online at www. eventbrite.com/e/coastalclimate-walk-mangrove-mitigation-tickets-52448208002. Ship in a bottle demonstration, The Folk School at The Florida Maritime Museum,

FEB. 7

FEB. 8

over his insisting to drive while he was intoxicated. The complainant took her fiance’s car keys and gave them to a witness and the subject said they might as well take his gun and he turned over the pistol and ammunition. The complainant and witness had the police take them until he gets sober. 1/19, obstructing justice, 700 Manatee Ave. The officer made a traffic stop, and while attending to the driver, another man approached him and started screaming at him from behind. He kept yelling at the officer and approached

OBITUARIES Marcia Kendall Smith Powers Marcia Kendall Smith Powers, 79, of Bradenton, passed away Jan. 18, 2019, at her residence. She was born in Elkhart, Ind., a daughter of the late Roger and Hazel (Kidder) Kendall. Marcia moved from Detroit, Mich., to Anna Maria Island in 1968. She was a well-known real estate broker and a member of Roser Memorial Community Church. Marcia loved to sew, quilt, travel and was especially interested in vintage cars. She is survived by her husband, Dale Powers; sister, Beth Knox; her son,

4415 119th St. W., Cortez, 10 a.m., $10. Forty carrots, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. Mahjong, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 11:30 a.m. Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m. Sunset drum circle, Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 5 to 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY FEB. 9

NEST Nature Days, Robinson Preserve, Mosaic NEST, 1704 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Origami Club, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. Feel the beat drumming class, The Folk School at Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez, 10 a.m., $28. LEGO Club, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m.

him aggressively, He was told to leave and refused at first, but left when backup arrived. He identified the aggressor and filed a capias request to arrest the subject. 1/20, disorderly intoxication, 5300 Marina Drive. The officer was approached by three females who said there was a man outside Hurricane Hank’s who was yelling at cars driving past. When the officer arrived, the subject headed for D Coy Ducks. The officer caught up with him, and he refused to talk. He was arrested.

Sean; daughter, Jennifer; three stepsons, Mark Smith, Robert Smith and Edward Powers; stepdaughter, Cay Powers; Dale’s stepdaughters, Karen and Kathy; six grandchildren and five great grandchildren. A celebration of life will be held 1 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019, at Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Avenue, Anna Maria. Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory 43rd Street Chapel, 604 43rd St. W., Bradenton, is in charge of arrangements. Memorial Donations may be made in Marcia’s memory to Roser Memorial Community Church, P.O. Box 247, Anna Maria, FL 34216. Condolences may be made to: www.brownandsonsfuneral.com.


JANUARY 30, 2019

ENTERTAINMENT

FAMILY FUN

At the Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach: Thursday, Jan. 30, a veteran’s services professional will be available to help vets with needs, 9 to 11 a.m.; Seaside Quilters, 10 a.m. to noon; Friends Lecture and Travel Series, Janis Ian, Grammy award-winning artist and author, Waterline Marina Resort, 2 to 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, Forty Carrots – Partners in Play, 10 to 11 a.m.; Mahjongg Club, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; The Perfect Valentine’s Celebration with Chef Warren, 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, Ask a Master Gardener, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, Preschool story time, 10 to 11 a.m.; Majongg Club, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Technical help, 2 to 4 p.m.

GET YOUR BOOKS HERE

The Friends of the Island Branch Library will hold its annual book sale at Roser Community Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, on Thursday, Feb. 14, from 1 to 3 p.m. with a Friends of the Island Branch Library membership only sale, and Friday and Saturday, Feb. 15 and 16, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friends memberships may be purchased at the door on Thursday. This is a major fund-raiser for the Friends, a group that supports the library through donations and fundraisers. For more information, call the library at 778-6341.

BINGO IS THE NAME-O

Annie Silver Community Center, 103 23rd St. N., Bradenton Beach, has started its winter bingo. The doors open every Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

SENIORS GET HISTORY AND LUNCH

Senior Adventures will leave from Annie Silver Community Center, 103 23rd St. N., Bradenton Beach, on Friday, Feb. 1, at 10 a.m. to tour the Tampa Bay History Center at 11 a.m. Bring $8.50 cash for the tour. After that, participants will have lunch at Channel Side Columbia Cafe in the same building at 12:30.p.m. Reservations are mandatory; make them with Kaye Bell at 941-538-0945.

CATCH IT EARLY

You could be alerted to possible stroke or other health problems by taking Prevention Plus Stroke and Vascular Screening offered on Saturday, Feb. 2, at The Center, 407 Magnolia, Anna Maria. The screenings are being offered at reduced prices. They include stroke/carotid ultrasound for $40, abdominal aortic aneurysm for $40, arterial disease test for $40, thyroid ultrasound for $40, abdominal ultrasound for $95 and heart scan-echocardiogram for $95 or all six tests for only $179. Blood tests, liver, cholesterol, PSA and TSH tests are also available. To register, call 888-667-7587.

WISCONSINITES TAKE NOTE

Those who moved here or are visiting from Wisconsin are welcome to come to the 62nd celebration of Wisconsin Day on Wednesday. Feb. 6, starting with registration at 10 a.m. at St. Bernard Catholic Church, 248 S. Harbor Drive, Holmes Beach. Attendees need to bring a dish to generously feed eight to 10 adults, their own table settings and $5 per person. Label both your food dish and its lid, there will be electric outlets for slow cookers. The organizers will provide baked beans, coffee and hot water for tea.

There will be live polka music for dancing or just listening, a 50/50 raffle and door prizes. Celebrate your heritage: Harley Davidson, beer, cheese and the Green Bay Packers. Seating is by geographic area, so you might find somebody you know. For more information, call Denny at 941-907-6646 or Larry at 863-651-5425.

PRIVATEERS HOST FLEA MARKET,

The Anna Maria Island Privateers will hold their Thieves Market at the Coquina Beach parking lot south of Bradenton Beach on Saturday, Feb. 9, starting at 8 a.m. There will be crafts, vendors, antiques, jewelry, clothing and food for sale. The Privateers will fire up the grill to make hamburgers, hot dogs, chili and cheese, walking tacos and buck-n-ear roasted corn on the cob. If you would like to be a vendor to sell your wares, contact Kim “Syren” Boyd at 931-639-0986. You get a 14by-35 ft. spot for $30. Act fast as they fill up quickly. There will also be another Thieves Market on Saturday, March 9. All money raised will go towards the Privateers, a 501 c3 nonprofit organization, with a mission statement of Pirates for Kids & Community. Visit their website, www.amiprivateers.org, and don’t forget to like them on Facebook.

TIME FOR WHITE ELEPHANT SALE

The Episcopal Church of the Annunciation, 4408 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, will host its annual white elephant sale on Friday, Feb. 8, from 3 to 5 p.m., with a $5 per person fee, and Saturday, Feb. 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Members will be selling punch and appetizers. Shop for housewares, linens, jewelry, books, collectibles and clothing. Their famous pickles will be

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available. Purchase raffle tickets for a quilt or one of two gift baskets. For more information, call the church at 941-778-1638.

LEARN MORE IN CORTEZ

The Folk School at Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez, has some new classes coming up. Italian Desserts, Jan. 29, $38. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Come learn how to make something sweet for your special someone, or celebrate early with the Folk School. In this hands on class, students will learn how to make cannolis, pizzelles and zeppoles, which are some of Italy's most delicious desserts. Sailor Valentine. Feb. 2, $38. Students will learn the step-by-step process of creating a sailor’s valentine as well as a shell flower to incorporate into the design. This is a beginning shell mosaic class and is designed to give students a basic understanding of design, tools, and materials. Call 941-708-6120 for more information.

ART AT THE ATTUNEMENT CENTER

Midge Pippel is the featured artist at The Attunement Center and will be introduced at the open house with her show called, “Transitions” featuring butterfly paintings. Just as the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis having transformed itself, we too can learn to embrace life’s infinite possibilities for positive change. Pippel’s art will be on display through March 15. The Attunement Center (Aligning Mind Body Spirit) is located at 3909 E. Bay Drive, #215, Holmes Beach, at Anna Maria Square, across from Publix. For more information, call 941-538-8484.


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SPORTS

JANUARY 30, 2019

Adult gridiron action

Hashmark Sports, no competition for Gulfview Windows the gap before the end of the game, Ferris hit Smith for yardage and then threw an uncatchable pass to Carder. In the final end zone toss up, Gulfview Window’s Ball knocked down the football to end the game. Thursday night, Gulfview Windows faces Ray Gardner’s Progressive Cabinetry at 6:30 p.m. In the second game of the night, Hashmark Sports goes against Tim Shaughnessy’s Lancaster Design team. The late game puts Team Ugly Grouper, lead by Charles Buky, on the field with Beach House Real Estate in the third week of flag football action at The Center.

BY MONICA SIMPSON SPECIAL TO THE SUN

The second week of adult co-ed flag football action on the Island took place last Thursday, now that the adult soccer finally came to a close last week. Gulfview Windows, a new sponsor in the league represented by a veteran team lead by Ryan Moss, took the field by storm against Hashmark Sports. Young new team captain Tim Holly started his team on offense in the second game of the night. Moss quickly showed the members of the Hashmark Sports team how things are done in the adult league with an interception on the first snap of the ball. The pick six put Gulfview Windows in the early lead. Missing the point after, Moss’ team once again took the defensive field position. Hashmark Sports Joey Carder gained short yardage on first down. On third down, Moss grabbed the pass and took it to the end zone. Going for two points, Tyler Lancaster returned to the league with a nice catch for the two-point conversion and 14-point lead for Gulfview Windows. Taking the field with possession of the football, Hashmark Sports answered back with a bomb to Chris Smith and touchdown by Carder. Jordan DeMers became Moss’ favorite go to guy in the game reception with a long run to score six points. Going for two points, Moss was diligently chased by Carder causing the incomplete pass. Claudia Perez had her first reception opportunity in the game, but the Hashmark Sports quarterback could not quite get the ball to her hands. Her team gained a critical first down on second down and took advantage of the momentum taking the football down town for another TD. Both teams had unsuccessful offensive series until the scoreboard showed 55 seconds left in the half. Lancaster made a first down reception that set up another long ball to DeMers and touchdown. With the

SUN SCOREBOARD

MONDAY, JAN. 21 YOUTH FLAG FOOTBALL EIGHT- TO 10-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE

MONICA SIMPSON | SUN

Joey Carder, Hashmark Sports rusher, puts the pressure on Gulfview Windows’ captain and quarterback Ryan Moss. score 26-12, Holly sacked Moss on the point after attempt. The quick effort by Holly’s team came up short as Gulfview Windows’ Joe Ball knocked down the ball right in front of the intended receiver to end the half. The last 25 minutes of the game started with a touchdown catch by Lancaster, followed by an extra point, advancing the score to 33-12. Three snaps and out for Hashmark Sports gave the football back to Gulfview Windows. The DeMersMoss combination gave their team another touchdown and two-point conversion with an on the run pass by Moss to Lancaster. With a 30-point lead, the Gulfview defense could not rush the Hashmark quarterback Matteo Ferris. After an incomplete pass, Ferris hit his receiver with a bomb, putting him into the end zone, shrinking the point spread to 24 points. Moss’ next target was Eliza Fail-

lace. The pass was long and out of the reach of the soccer powerhouse. A turnover by Gulfview Windows gave Hashmark a scoring opportunity. With the extra point, the score moved to 42-24, keeping the game open for anyone to win. The first play in the Gulfview series allowed Moss to run the football all the way to the end of the field, putting six more points on the board. After the Perez reception and Faillace flag pull, DeMers made an interception. Stopping another touchdown, Holly chased the Gulfview Windows game MVP to prevent another score. Ed Moss made the next catch of the night with the stop by Smith. The rolling game clock sparked a strong defensive effort by Hashmark Sports. Ferris sacked R. Moss on third down to put the football back into his team’s hands. Trying to close

Ugly Grouper Beach Bums

(0-3-1) 0 (4-0-0) 31

Bins Be Clean Progressive Cabinetry

(0-4-0) 19 (2-1-1) 33

Slim's Place Planet Stone

(3-0-1) 33 (1-2-1) 28

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 23 YOUTH FLAG FOOTBALL 11- TO 13-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE Beach House Real Estate Grooms Automotive

(2-1-0) 4 (2-2-0) 26

CABB Cleaning Tyler’s Ice Cream

(3-0-0) 33 (1-2-0) 0

YOUTH FLAG FOOTBALL 14- TO 17-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE Cloud Pest Control Blue Lagoon

(0-3-0) 18 (2-1-0) 32

THURSDAY, JAN. 24 ADULT CO-ED FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE Lancaster Design Beach House Real Estate

(1-1) 20 (1-1) 22

Gulfview Windows Hashmark Sports

(2-0) 48 (1-1) 24

Progressive Cabinetry Ugly Gouper

(1-1) 34 (0-2) 14


www.amisun.com

JANUARY 30, 2019

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Fox describes precious Island wildlife Suzi Fox has been with Turtle Watch for 30 years. BY TOM VAUGHT SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH ¬– She started guarding sea turtle nests and widened her scope to include nesting shore birds. Last Thursday, Suzi Fox shared her love and knowledge of the Island’s most precious treasures in a lecture at the Island Branch Library. A full house audience listened as Anna Maria Island’s Turtle Watch and Shorebird Patrol Director talked about the island’s corps of volunteers who walk the beaches from May to October searching for turtle tracks and marking off nests of mostly loggerhead turtles, although there are occasional green

turtles. In the old days, Turtle Watch consisted of an army of mostly Island residents, looking for nests and sometimes digging up the eggs to let them mature in buckets. That’s not allowed by the federal government now and turtle watchers come from all over the country, timing their vacations to coincide with turtle season. Artificial lights at night draw turtle hatchlings to land, instead of out to the Gulf waters. Fox has been a friend to turtles and sometimes her passionate attempts to make sure lights from the Island, and especially waterfront resorts and homes, are dimmed have put her at odds sometimes with property owners and governments. She joked about that saying the three code enforcement officers on the Island are good friends to

PIER: Construction underway FROM PAGE 1

the pier’s T-end. That part of the pier project will be addressed in a separate request for proposals (RFP) issued later this year. The issuance of that RFP is partially contingent on Murphy’s pending negotiations with current pier tenant Mario Schoenfelder, whose current lease expires in December 2020. Murphy has proposed that Schoenfelder contribute $500,000 toward the interior buildout of the restaurant and bait shop spaces. Those ongoing negotiations are expected to be finalized in the near future. The city’s contract with i+iconSoutheast provides the company 270 days to complete this portion of the pier project by Aug. 26. The contract includes a $975-per-day penalty the commission can impose at its discretion for any delays incurred beyond that completion date. According to the contract, the city pier will be approximately 730 feet long and 12 feet wide, with a 111-foot by 88-foot T-end section that will accommodate the restaurant, bait shop and restrooms. I+iconSoutheast Operations Director Paul Johnson is in charge of the pier project. Ayres Associates designed and engineered the pier structure, decking and walkway. Sarasota architect Barron Schimberg created the architectural vision for the pier building. Ipe hardwood will be used for the pier decking. The plans call for Kebony hardwood to be used for the exterior siding of the pier building. The new pier and pier building were designed to look like the old, aging pier that was closed due to hurricane damage in September 2017 and demolished last July.

Turtle Watch now. Her newest assignment protecting shorebird nesting areas came about as the numbers of birds increased. “Our renourished beaches offer a large expanse of sand for nesting,” she said. “We’re in line for another renourishment this year.” But there is a disturbing trend at this time. “We’re losing colonies of nests at this time,” she said. “We don’t know why.” Public education is a big part of the organization. It relys on flyers and signs on the beach to inform vacationers of the shorebirds and sea turtles and it is relying more on youngsters to help. “We go to schools, tell the kids about what we are doing and ask them to help,” she said. “They design flyers and signs that go on the beach. It also makes the kids more aware of

TOM VAUGHT | SUN

Suzy Fox talked about the sea and shore animals that need our help sometimes. the need to protect this precious and endangered animals.”

CHILES: Citizen of the Year FROM PAGE 1

and he read aloud two of the nomination forms received, beginning with one submitted by local realtor Barbara Sato. “I think it’s about time he’s awarded citizen of the year. He is constantly giving back to the community. He truly cares about our hometown. He is a great supporter of our school, our community center and anything that benefits our town. Over the years, many people have asked Ed for many things. Ed is always there, saying not just yes, but what else can I do? Not to mention the multiple events Ed does, from fireworks to fundraisers,” Sato wrote. Seymour then read the nomination submitted by former Mayor Fran Barford and her husband, George. “He uses his love of the city of Anna Maria and his resources to make it even better. Ed serves on boards and committees when asked and is always looking out for the well-being of our city. He actively supports education and never says no when asked to be involved. This involvement is not something new for him. He has been making positive things happen for many years in our city,” the Barfords wrote. Seymour also relayed a story on behalf of Mayor Dan Murphy, who was on vacation. Seymour said Murphy appreciated the assistance

Chiles provided when the red tide outbreak began affecting Anna Maria’s beaches. Murphy contacted Chiles about getting county assistance with the beach cleanup efforts. “He enlisted your help and support and within 15 minutes it was taken care of – and I believe you were in Montana at the time,” Seymour said to Chiles. “We appreciate it and congratulations. There is no one more deserving,” Seymour said before presenting Chiles with the award that contains a key to the city. “I haven’t been in here in a while, and I know you all appreciate that. I appreciate that. I spent a lot of time in this chamber over the years,” Chiles said, addressing those in attendance. Chiles said he’s privileged that Anna Maria has always been a part of his life. “I came here in utero when my mom (Rhea Chiles) was pregnant,” Chiles said. His father, Lawton, was the governor of Florida from 1991 to 1998. “Whatever little I’ve given, I’ve been given a lot more,” Chiles told the audience. The award presentation was preceded by a reception in the commission chambers that featured bite-sized treats from Hometown Desserts and fruit punch that City Clerk LeAnne Addy concocted using her mom’s recipe.


36

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FUN IN THE SUN

Across 1 Alan of "Tower Heist" 5 Partridge family tree? 9 Eliot's Bede 13 He shared the AP Driver of the Century award with Andretti 14 Consumed 16 Con __: tempo marking 17 Museum figure 18 Chat at the supermarket checkout? 20 Bigelow offering 22 "Utopia" author 23 Request on "ER" 24 Marsh bird with uncontrollable urges? 28 Oldest Japanese beer brand 29 Discounted by 30 Cut out 31 Trivial amount 33 __ science 37 Paella veggie 38 Way into Wayne Manor? 41 "Eureka!" 42 Legendary first name in skating 44 Northwest Passage explorer 45 Cinco times dos 46 Noodle bar order 49 Fulfill 51 Work of a major opera house villain? 55 Animal house 56 Pertaining to 57 SHO-owned cinematic channel 58 Attract ... or, as three words, sequence change with a hint about 18-, 24-,

38- and 51-Across 62 Not at all tough 65 Skye, for one 66 Card worth a fortune? 67 Stir up 68 Slender swimmers 69 Sweet tubers 70 Winter coat Down 1 Laughlin in Tex., e.g. 2 He often batted after Babe 3 Like "The Hunger Games" society 4 Tackle 5 Wood fastener 6 Ringing organ? 7 Physics class topic 8 Cringe 9 Youngest of the "Little Women" 10 Article of faith 11 Arcade giant 12 Exxon follower? 15 Guts 19 Giant in little candy 21 GI's address 24 Typical Hitchcock role 25 Celestial bear

Answers to 01-23-19 Crossword Puzzle.

26 Take from a job 27 Johannesburg's land: Abbr. 28 Finishes (up) the gravy 32 Former SSR 34 Go ballistic 35 Taking something badly? 36 Unclear 38 Mismatch 39 __ Coast 40 Repeated word in the Beatles' "She Loves You" 43 National Ice Cream mo. 45 Aids for romantic evenings 47 Hedger's last words 48 42-Across' homeland 50 Vietnamese holiday 51 __ Bauer 52 Part of a song 53 Collectively 54 Anne of comedy 59 Director Craven 60 Danube Delta country: Abbr. 61 Drying-out hurdle 63 __-mo replay 64 Taxus shrub

JANUARY 30, 2019


JANUARY 30, 2019

CLASSIFIED

ANNOUNCEMENTS

THOMPSON CLEANING SERVICE CommercialResidential-Marine. Island Based Company. Seasonal Deep Cleaning-Weekly-Occasional. Call for Free Estimate. 317-908-9483

FACE PAINTER/PORTRAIT ARTIST Island student artist, reasonable price for parties, events, and special portraits. Call/text Lillian 210-380-9691 THE BEST VOLUNTEER position on the island. The AMI Historical Museum needs docents and bread makers. Call Lynn at 813758-3234 or lbrennan47@ gmail.com ROSER FOOD BANK needs donations of cash and non-perishable food. Donations boxes are located at the Church, Moose Club, and Walgreen’s.

BOATS: SALES & RENTALS BOATS ARE SELLING VERY WELL. Season is here and Buyers are too. Keeping the process simple with “Business On A Hand Shake” We Also Buy Boats. Island Boat Sales Dave-941-2283489 2008 MAKO 204cc 150 Suzuki 450 hours T-Top. EZ Load Trailer. Lift Kept, One Owner $23,000 Call 941-7268414 KEY WEST 2007 176 SPORTSMAN Center Console, Yamaha 4-stroke 115 horsepower with only 208 engine-hours, recent tune-up and 2 new batteries. Trim tabs for added stability. Lowrance GPS. Bimini top. On local marina lift. No trailer. $12,700. Call 757-635-3219.

CARPET CLEANING QUALITY COUNTS. CARPET cleaning. Upholstery cleaning. Tile & grout cleaning. Island's favorite cleaner. Manatee Chamber Member. Great price/free estimates. Call 941-7561082

CLEANING SERVICE TOTAL HOME SERVICE CLEANING : Residential, Commercial & Rentals. Professional and Reliable. Call 941-756-4570

Call us today! 941-778-3986

AUTHORITY ONE SERVICES. Residential/Commercial/Vacation Rentals & Construction Cleaning. Also Power Washing, Windows, Paver Sealing & Roof Cleaning. Ask about your Senior Citizens Discount Call 941-251-5948 or 941565-3931

COMMERCIAL SALES, RENT & LEASE

WAREHOUSE: 9300 sq ft possible Machine Shop with Heavy Duty Elect. Or Car Storage, So many Possibilities. Near SRQ Airport. $629,000 RESORT: 13 UNITS $4,999,000 Bradenton Beach. Island Real Estate Alan Galletto 941-232-2216

COMPUTER SERVICES EMPIRE COMPUTER SERVICE Computer problems fixed in your home or office. The fastest friendliest service around. Serving the Island since 2004. Call 941-739-6424

EMPLOYMENT

RETAIL SALES POSITIONGreen Turtle. Looking for a personable, reliable, energetic person with excellent customer service skills. Must work well with others. Position includes cash register usage, stocking merchandises, light cleaning. Call Manager 813-409-7540

FISHING CHARTERS CAPT. MAC GREGORY Fishing Charters. Full Day, Half Day, Night, Inshore & Near Shore. 941-809-5783 U.S.C.G. Certified/Insured

FOR SALE VARIDESK CUBE CORNER 36, two tier design and keyboard deck. Heavyweight base for stability. Color black. Also Varidesk sitting/ standing chair and floor mat. All perfect condition. All pieces new $805. Asking $250. Call Steve 941-724-2728.

GARAGE, MOVING, RUMMAGE & YARD SALES ROSER THRIFT SHOP & ANNEX Open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9:30a.m2pm. Saturday 10a.m.1p.m Donations preferred Wednesdays 9am-11a,m, 511 Pine Ave., Anna Maria Phone 941-779-2733 FLEA MARKET RADERS REEF parking lot Sunday February 3. 8am-4pm 5508 Marina Dr. Antiques, collectibles, jewelry, furniture, misc. items

THE SUN

MASTER CARPENTER. Decks-Docks-FencingStairs & Railing. Free Estimates. Handyman Work. Call Richard 941448-3571

JSAN CORPORATION Renovations and Handyman Services 941-2430995 jsancorporation@gmail. com Flooring, Drywall, Painting, Repairs, Kitchen and Bathrooms, Trim & Doors. Credit Cards Accepted.

HAULING SITE CLEAN-UP to trash outs we can handle it all. Call us for your dumpsters/ trash needs today 941-7538772

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

TILE! TILE! TILE! All variations of tile supplied and installed. Quality workmanship. Prompt, reliable, many Island references. Free estimates. Neil 941-726-3077 RENOVATION SPECALIST ALL carpentry repairs, Wash Family Construction, locally owned and operated CBC 1258250 Call 941-7250073. KERN CONSTRUCTION NEW Homes & Remodel. Design/Build. Since 1968. License # CRC1327296. Call Jerry Kern 941-7781115 www.kernconstructioninc.com BATH ROOM & KITCHEN REMODELING. Anna Maria Home Accents. 25 years experience. Call 786-318-8585 LIGHTHOUSE PROPERTY INNOVATIONS LLC State Certified General Contractor (Lic. #CGC 1515821) New Construction, Renovations & Additions. Call 941-266-7500 HOME IMPROVEMENT Michigan General Contractor 30+ yrs. experience. Large or small projects. Budget minded knowledgeable tradesman will complete your project start to finish: On Time/On Budget. Call Mike 616-204-8822.

HOME SERVICES HOME REPAIR. Anna Maria Home Accents. 25 years experience. Call 786-318-8585 THE HARDWOOD STOP Flooring installation services; Laminate, hardwood, vinyl and tile. Bathroom and shower. Virtually dustless FLOOR REMOVAL License and insured FREE ESTIMATES 941-227-0041 www.thehardwoodstop.com BAYSIDE PAINTING Residential & Commercial. “More than just a Painter!” Drywall, pressure washing, handyman services and hauling. Call David 941-565-9446 Carroll 941773-4777

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 SHELL DELIVERED AND spread $55/yd. Hauling all kinds of gravel, mulch, top soil with free estimates. Call Larry at 941-795-7775, "shell phone" 941-720-0770 STRAIGHT SHOT LANDSCAPE. Specializing in Old Florida Seashell driveways and scapes. Also Rock, Mulch, & Soil. Free estimates. Call Shark Mark 941-301-6067

37

LOST & FOUND

PETS

LOST WHITE GOLD 18 carat wedding band on Anna Maria Island on beach near Sandbar Restaurant. Call 352-484-4040 if found.

YOU LEAVE EM, I LOVE EM! Experienced professional will stay in your home and love on your precious fur babies while you’re away. References supplied. Call 423-483-8059

LOST ON AMI near the curve at Bradenton beach in the gulf a small red ricoh underwater camera and a size 14 gold wedding band of 25 years. reward if found. Has very sentimental pictures that I cannot duplicate the camera had a half of a lanyard attached to it and on the clip of the lanyard was my wedding ring. Call 205-223-1548 LOST THICK STERLING Silver Ring between the Moose and Beach House Restaurant. Call 941-2431444

MOVING & STORAGE MARTIN’S MOVING YOUR Island movers! Offering dependable, competitive rates. No hidden costs. 941-809-5777. TWO MEN and a TRUCK. Movers who care. Local and Long distance. www. twomen.com Call 941-3591904. We sell boxes!

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. Paperhanging/removal Faux finishes. Interior painting. Mary Bell Winegarden 941-794-0455 PROFESSIONAL PAINTING SERVICES. Prompt & Reliable. Island Resident. Quality Workmanship. Interior/Exterior. Also minor repairs & carpentry. Free written detailed estimates. Bill Witaszek 941-307-9315

POOL SERVICES FOUR SEASONS POOL SERVICE AND CHEMICAL SERVICES. Certified Pool Operator. Residential/commercial. Chemical Service Licensed & Insured. Call Dennis Clark 941-737-5657 COLE'S TROPICAL POOL SERVICE Call Cole Bowers for all your pool maintenance needs! Affordable and Dependable!! 941-7131893

PRINTING CUSTOM DIGITAL PRINTING "Your printing dream to reality" Specializing in Dye sublimation Printing. Graphic Design. Performance Active ware. Logo Design. Call Rhonda 330-550-4847

PROFESSIONAL PRESSURE & WINDOW WASHING AUTHORITY ONE CLEANING : Residential, Commercial, Construction and Vacation Rentals . Also available Power Washing, Roof Cleaning and Windows. Call 941-251-5948

REAL ESTATE HOMES & CONDOS FOR SALE

FROM THE LOW $300’s. Only minutes from the beach, this new active adult community is perfectly located just south of Manatee Ave, off Village Green Pkwy. Perfectly designed, open 2BR or 3BR/2BA plus den & 2CG floor plans. Luxurious amenities, pool, spa, gym, pickle ball and fenced-in dog park. HOA only $209/ month. Models open daily. Contact us 941254-3330 www.MirabellaFlorida.com

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CLASSIFIED

REAL ESTATE HOMES & CONDOS FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE: OPEN HOUSE

CANAL FRONT HOMES Holmes Beach - Key Royale GULF FRONT CONDOS Gulf Place, L’Plage, Vista Grande & MORE. Island Real Estate ASK Alan Galletto 941-232-2216

OPEN HOUSE- 202 71st St, Holmes Beach Thursday January 31. 11am- 2pm. 4BR/4BA Duplex steps to beach. Fran Maxon Real Estate 941-778-2307

PERICO BAY CLUB: gated community 2 miles from AMI 504 Woodstork $279,000. 830 Audubon $244,900 Call Kathleen White at 941-773-0165 Island Real Estate INCREDIBLE NEW CONSTRUCTION Home 407 Pine Ave! Prime location to shops, restaurants, bay and beach! $2,295,000 Call Charles Buky Coldwell Banker 941-228-6086 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 28 years. Proven track record brings you results! 941-725-1589 PERICO BAY CLUB!1215 Edgewater $398,000. 640 Estuary $335,000. Call Erin Leathem 941-448-5616 Island Real Estate MOBILE HOME FOR SALE Fully-furnished trailer located in local mobile home park (55+ community) Bradenton Beach (AMI). 50 steps from beach, pool, laundry facility, docks, clubhouse and more. $75,000 (no land share). Call 813-679-3561 WEST BAY POINT & MOORINGS, AMI. Million dollar view! First floor 2BR/2BA Updated. Boat slip $455,000 Rosiekov@ gmail.com 941-7781264 or 570-704-8486

SNOWBIRDS GET YOUR Housing lined up for Next Year. For Sale by Owner. 2BR/2BA remodeled in Beautiful Cortez Co-Op Park. Water View. For Personal Showing Call 740-398-9846

AMISUN.COM

Call us today! 941-778-3986

RENTALS: ANNUAL ANNUAL RENTALS WANTED! We have well qualified tenants for beach and mainland annual rentals, Full management or Finders fee. Call today for details. Ask for Paige DUNCAN REAL ESTATE 941-779-0304 www.teamduncan.com

ANNUAL RENTAL and CONDOMINIUM Association management serviced by (2) offices open 7 days a week! Contact junew@ islandreal.com – 941-3451295 - Island Real Estate of Anna Maria Island, Inc. 2BR/2BA GROUND LEVEL in the UTC area. $1500. 1st, last, sec dep. 1BR/1BA GROUND LEVEL in Bradenton Beach. $1200 1st, last, sec dep. No Pets. Call A Paradise Realty. 941-7784800

HOLMES BEACH ANNUAL 2BR/2BA. No pets, no smoking. Steps to Beach. $1825/mo. First, last & security deposit. Call 860922-3857 HOLMES BEACH DUPLEX 209 83rd St. Small 1BR efficiency $900/mo $1500 security deposit. Available January 1. One year lease. Credit check required. Call 941-809-2488. PERFECT NEIGHBORHOOD 2BR/1BA/1.5CG. Ground floor 2 blocks from Beach & Bay. Updated thru-out. Plenty of storage, W/D, Gas Stove. $1700/mo Call 941580-5747 HOLMES BEACH ANNUAL Adorable unfurnished 2BD/2BA garage lanai balcony nice quiet area no pets/smoking $1650/mo. Call 970-331-1042

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

JANUARY 30, 2019

ANNA MARIA ISLAND, Fl Condos. Pool beach access, fully equipped $650-$800/ wk Redekercondos.com 941-704-7525 GREAT RATES! Weekly, Monthly. 3BR/2BA NW Bradenton. Call Grace 941-201-2190 HOLMES BEACH 1.5 BLOCKS to Beach. Completely updated 2BR/2BA. Available December 2018 thru April 1, 2019. $4500/mo Nelson & Associates Real Estate. Call 863-6401864 WINTER CANCELLATION. Bradenton Beach. 1BR/1BA half block to beach. Steps to fishing dock. Pet friendly. 3 month minimum. $2495/mo plus tax. Hosting happy snowbirds for 25 years! InnRealLife.com. 941-720-3670 MARCH STILL AVAILABLE, 2BR/2BA waterfront on Bimini Bay, fantastic view. Now taking 2020 reservations. Reasonable, pet friendly, by owner. 941795-0504. http://goff-club. com/510A/

HOLMES BEACH BEAUTIFUL West Bay Point Moorings 2BR/2BA Condo. Gorgeous bay views, WIFI, TV, W/D, community pool, hot tub, tennis. March $4000, April thru October $3000/mo. No pets, pickups or smoking. Call 207-944-6097

TRANSPORTATION AMI TAXI metered-on-callcards accepted. Airport: Tampa $95, Sarasota $40, Clearwater $85, Orlando $165. Call 800-301-4816. amitaxi4u@gmail.com, www.amitaxi.com ANYTIME TRANSPORTATION to all airports, appointments, casino, cruises, etc. Tampa $65. Sarasota $30. Pets welcome. Very dependable. Reasonable rates. Contact Jeanne. 941-779-5095 ROGER'S AIRPORT SERVICE. Tampa, St. Pete/ Clearwater, Sarasota/ Bradenton. Call Roger 941773-1469

B-SAFE-RIDES, Peggy R.N. I live on Anna Maria Island. Airport (seats 1-6) & Personal rides, errands etc. Don’t Risk It. Call Now 727-902-7784


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JANUARY 30, 2019

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www.amisun.com

JANUARY 30, 2019

Vacation Rentals • Sales • Property Management

TeamDuncan.com • 941.779.0304

310 Pine Avenue Anna Maria, FL 34216


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