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Year: 2023

AMI Historical Society seeks tourism funds

AMI Historical Society seeks tourism funds

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Entertainment, Museums.

ANNA MARIA – The Anna Maria Island Historical Society (AMIHS), 402 Pine Ave., draws more than 10,000 visitors a year to its volunteer-managed museum and is making plans to inform and entertain future visitors.

The museum is housed in a building that dates back 100 years to the 1920s. The building has served many purposes in its long life, including an ice house, turtle hatchery and more, and museum directors want to assure it has a bright future for many years to come showcasing the rich history of AMI.

On Feb. 13, they asked the Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) for financial assistance.

According to the TDC, the historical society and its board of directors have explored a partnership with Carter Global, a fundraising agency that helps organizations maximize their philanthropic potential. The goal is to build a six-month plan for AMIHS to generate income that will help support the museum through revenues generated by memberships, admission fees and other strategic planning, rather than just donations from visitors and the community.

The plan presented to AMIHS by Carter Global is a capacity-building project with a total cost of $72,000. Since the AMIHS operates on an annual budget of $40,000, they are not even close to the $72,000 goal but calculated they could delegate $10,000 to the effort. They asked the TDC for an additional $62,000 to complete the project.

As the TDC discussed the request, board member Ed Chiles proposed an amendment to the request in which the TDC would raise the amount to $100,000, with the additional funding going to assist with funding the Historical Society’s first full-time paid employee as the plan moves forward.

AMIHS Board President Elizabeth Hager and Vice President Barbara Murphy addressed the TDC to help clarify the request. TDC Chairman James Satcher asked both Hager and Murphy what the additional $28,000 would fund if they were given the money.

“We are prepared to do this work with a consultant, and we’re ready to go,” Hager said. “We feel it would be wonderful if you voted for Mr. Chiles’s amendment so we could proceed at pace without waiting for agendas and all that kind of thing.”

A unanimous vote from the TDC granted the amended request of $100,000 to the Historical Society. The request will now go to the Manatee County Commission, which has the final say.

Coquina Beach ‘no parking’ signs discussed

No parking signs on scenic highway debated

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Featured.

BRADENTON BEACH –The city’s Scenic WAVES Committee is concerned about the visual appearance of 61 new “No parking on right of way by order of D.O.T.” signs recently installed along Gulf Drive South near Coquina Beach, Leffis Key and the Coquina boat ramps.

The signs were installed by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) at the request of Bradenton Beach Police Chief John Cosby, who asked for the signs a year ago. The police department shares the responsibility of enforcing FDOT’s longstanding prohibition on parking in the state-owned rights of way along Gulf Drive/SR 789.

The Scenic WAVES Committee consists of citizens and liaisons from FDOT, Manatee County and other agencies. The committee advises the city commission on landscaping and beautification efforts in Bradenton Beach. The committee also initiates and conducts landscaping and beautification projects.

The entire stretch of Gulf Drive/SR 789 in Bradenton Beach is designated by the state as a scenic highway and the committee also serves as the city’s scenic highway board.

The new “no parking” signs were discussed during the committee’s Feb. 15 meeting.

Committee Chair Ingrid McClellan noted there are 61 new “no parking” signs in the quarter-mile stretch of Gulf Drive South near Coquina Beach and the Coquina boat ramps. She surmised that placing so many signs so close together results in the sign poles serving as barriers that prevent parking there. McClellan said she was surprised there was no preliminary discussion before the signs were installed.

Citing the Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway Corridor Management Plan, McClellan said ropes and wooden bollards would have been a more natural-looking means of preventing parking along the scenic highway.

“The problem is trying to be solved with the wrong solution,” McClellan said.

Liza Click serves as the Manatee County supervisor for property management in the grounds division. She also serves as a county liaison to the Scenic WAVES Committee.

Coquina Beach ‘no parking’ signs discussed

The new “no parking” signs now line both sides of Gulf Drive South at the south end of the city. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Click said she was surprised to see that many signs when she drove in that morning.

“It was just shocking,” she said.

Click said she’d rather see trees there than signs, but acknowledged the parking issues do exist.

“Holiday weekends are horrible,” she said.

Click said in the past people have removed bollards, barricades and caution tape in order to park near the beach; and vehicles were sometimes double or triple-parked in the right of way.

“They’re still going to park between these signs,” Click said.

Click said the county drainage and parking lot improvements taking place at Coquina Beach will provide some relief.

“We created two overflow parking areas which will accommodate somewhere between 160 and 180 cars once all this construction is done. That’s at our discretion to open up when we see that it’s at capacity and those other cars that are jockeying for spots are starting to park illegally on the sides of the road,” she said.

FDOT District Landscape Architect Darryl Richard also serves as a Scenic WAVES Committee liaison.

Regarding the new signs, Richard said, “This doesn’t happen in a void. Someone had to request this number of signs.”

Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie serves as the city commission’s Scenic WAVES liaison.

“I’m not a big proponent of signs. We have it in writing from the FDOT traffic engineer. That’s how many were needed to cover the area,” Chappie said.

“It is illegal to park in the FDOT right of way. There is a clear safety concern. Whether there’s bollards there or not, people will park there. We haven’t been able to stop them so far and it’s a dangerous situation,” Chappie said.

Chappie said it’s also important to reduce the risk of confrontation faced by Bradenton Beach police officers, county sheriff’s deputies and county code enforcement officers when enforcing the state’s parking prohibition.

Richard acknowledged that enforcement personnel do get pushback from those being ticketed for parking in the right of way and they question why they’re being ticketed when there’s no signs saying they can’t park there.

Possible solutions

Regarding the Scenic WAVES Committee pursuing any sign reductions, Chappie said, “The city is not going to authorize our advisory group going any further than this meeting on this. We’re not going to just get rid of the signs. It’s going to take some convincing because of the issues we’ve had over the last several years, and it’s just getting worse. We did this once before and removed all the signs and then we started having more problems. When they (FDOT) put these out, their engineers said this is how many you have to have to be enforceable.”

Richard said he met with Manatee County Deputy Director of Sports and Leisure Services, Grounds Division, Carmine DeMilio the previous week.

“He mentioned he wanted to do something at Coquina Beach. Maybe you (the county) can sponsor a project and include the consideration of bollards or landscaping and some of the parking signs can possibly be adjusted or removed. We wouldn’t remove all of them. You’ve still got to communicate to the public. Everyone who’s been to the beach knows it’s a madhouse on peak days,” Richard said.

Richard said he doesn’t envision any changes taking place in the immediate future, with peak season and spring break approaching.

Click said she would also talk to DeMilio about the possibility of installing landscaping elements or landscaping beds that might each replace some of the “no parking” signs. She said she can envision ways to reduce the number of signs and still prevent people from parking in those areas.

Related coverage

 

FDOT installs ‘no parking’ signs along Gulf Drive

Tourism up, record set

Tourism up, record set

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Business, Tourism.

BRADENTON – As the busy tourist season approaches full swing, Manatee County’s tourism consultant delighted tourism officials with a milestone set in 2022.

“When we look at the entire calendar year, we see that for the first time ever, we exceeded over a million overnight commercial lodging visitors,” said Ann Wittine, of Tampa-based Research Data Services. “We also had a first-time-ever economic impact of over $1.5 billion for the year. That’s a 20% increase and a 50% increase from pre-COVID 2019.”

Wittine presented her state of tourism update to the Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) on Feb. 13, featuring the latest available statistics related to the tourism industry in the county.

In December 2022, total visitors, number of room nights and economic impact were all up from December 2021, with 73,300 visitors (7.5%), 186,200 room nights (5.8%) and $91,956,200 in economic impact (14.5%).

“We gather this information in a number of different ways,” Wittine said. “We have face-to-face interviewers who are out talking to restaurant and lodging visitors for random surveys. We also talk to management companies, condo associations and others to make sure we get length of stay and party size, so we can calculate these estimates.”

Room occupancy for December was up slightly up (.7%) after being down slightly in the September 2022 report from RDS. The average daily room rate is also up, at $211.38 per day in December 2022 compared to $182.55 in December of 2021.

RDS also keeps track of where people are coming from when they visit the area. After being down in the last report issued in September 2022, visitors from Florida rebounded in December, up 13.9% from the previous year. While European visitors are up 115% from 2021, they have yet to rebound after COVID with only half the number from 2019 before the pandemic. With 12,610 visitors, the Midwest continues to be the largest visitor origin location outside of Florida, but that is down from 2021 by 10.2%. The Southeast region had the most growth with a 22.3% increase from 2021.

The report also included information about Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ). Data from these reports helps the airport locate markets that are underserved, so they can work to get direct flights to those markets, which boosts tourism to Manatee and Sarasota counties. SRQ reported serving 3.85 million people in 2022, up 21.6% over 2021.

Wittine predicted that the spring tourism season underway on Anna Maria Island will be busier than ever, saying that almost every property surveyed in January is reporting more bookings than last year, with many being fully booked through March.

Family seeks missing memorial bench plank

Family seeks missing memorial bench plank

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – Chris and Violet Morton seek the community’s help in locating an inscribed plank that was part of a memorial bench located on the Rod & Reel Pier.

The bench memorializes Adrienne Rae Bertrand, Violet Morton’s daughter and Chris Morton’s stepdaughter.

On Feb. 11, an elderly man drove his vehicle onto the Rod & Reel Pier and struck the memorial bench located about a third of a way down the pier. The vehicle did not fall into the water and was later removed from the pier. The driver was not injured and was believed to have experienced a medical incident at the time of the accident, according to a source with knowledge of what transpired.

Two of the three laser-inscribed planks that went missing as a result of the accident have been recovered, but a third inscribed plank remained missing as of Feb. 19.

The top plank that remains missing says, “Like the sun dances on the waves, your memory shall…”

Continuing the inscription, the middle plank says, “forever dance in our hearts. We love & miss you, Mommy and Chris.”

The bottom plank says, “Adrienne Rae Bertrand, May 30, 1990 – April 19, 2017.”

“Manatee County Sheriff’s deputies found the middle board on Bean Point and the bottom board was found by the city of Holmes Beach on 81st Street. We’re still missing the top board. We’re trying to get the bench rebuilt and we need that board,” Morton said of the bench that memorializes his late stepdaughter.

“If someone finds it, please contact us and we’ll come and pick it up,” he said.

Morton can be contacted via email at hunterdogbrown@yahoo.com.

Castles in the Sand

When the numbers are too high to count

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand.

Several years ago, I started writing a monthly column analyzing the over $1 million properties on the Island and in Cortez. Then, because of the volume of properties, I amended that to do the analysis quarterly. Now I’m faced with the reality of having so many properties over $1 million that it’s easier to count the ones under a million and provide an overview of what’s going on. And what’s going on is mind blowing, probably something I don’t need to tell you.

Little Cortez has 19 properties either available or pending. Twelve of them are $1 million or over, counting a $999,000 property. The properties start with $4,999,999 and several of the properties are part of the new Hunters Point community.

The city of Anna Maria, which everyone knows by now is the second most expensive zip code in the state of Florida, continues to grow. There are 80 properties either available or pending on the north end and only two of those listings are under $1 million. It starts at $12,775,000 and ends at $1,399,900 with only 16 properties between $1 million and $2 million.

The combined cities of Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach have 172 available or pending properties. They start at $12,995,000 and end at $999,000. There are only 53 out of 172 properties listed under $1 million.

All of the above numbers are based on the available information as of this writing, which changes daily. Nevertheless, it’s pretty obvious that we have broken records and keep breaking them. But why?

It seems like the world is moving to Florida and based on the increase in population numbers it very well may be. The population of Florida in 2022 was 22,244,823, an increase of 1.91% from 2021. The population of Florida at the end of 2019, when the COVID-19 pandemic was just starting, was 21,492,056, an increase of 752,767 in just three years.

As a comparison, the state of New York for the year 2022 had a population of 19,677,151. You would have to go back to 2014, long before COVID was even a word, when Florida’s population was 19,853,880 to come close to New York state’s current population. The increases in Florida’s population show a consistent growth pattern, with only two states, California and Texas, having higher populations.

And there are other reasons for Florida’s expanding population. Certainly, the lack of state income tax is a huge draw for wealthy individuals and businesses alike. Florida has a lower budget by billions than other large states and a higher GDP rate. And, although our sales tax and some permitting fees may be higher than other large states, in the end, it’s generally a more affordable state to live in.

Finally, do I even want to go down the lifestyle road, something it’s impossible to put a number on? For the most part, properties are being bought by buyers from out of state and it’s not all about the money.

I guess I really do know the reason the sales numbers are too high to count and the population keeps increasing. In spite of some adjustments to the real estate market all over the state, chances are it will continue, especially when buyers and sellers realize it’s now or never.

Join in the cleanup

Reel Time: Join in the cleanup

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

Have you been looking for a way to meet new friends who share your passion for the environment and work to keep it healthy? An upcoming event will provide you with that opportunity. Join Sarasota Bay Watch, Suncoast Aqua Ventures and Suncoast Waterkeeper on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Harbor Cove Community, 499 Imperial Drive in North Port. Hurricane Ian blew a tremendous amount of debris into the Myakka River, our area’s premier wild and scenic river. Join the effort in removing debris and restoring this natural treasure.

You can sign up at the Sarasota Bay Watch website. The event starts at 8:15 a.m. with a safety meeting followed by the cleanup, which begins at 8:30 a.m. Lunch will be provided at noon at the end of the cleanup. Fourteen kayaks will be provided for those who want to participate but don’t own a kayak. Sign up early to reserve a seat. Participants can, of course, bring their own kayak or shallow draft boat. Work gloves, trash bags, maps and equipment will be provided. Non-boaters are needed to retrieve trash or clean areas from land. Parking is limited, so carpool if possible. If you have questions, contact Ronda Ryan at 941-232-2363. Other sponsors include North Port Friends of Wildlife and the Harbor Cove Community.

As you may be aware, Hurricane Ian had a huge impact over a wide swath of waterways across the state. While the news has moved on to more immediate stories, the debris left by the storm remains in some of the Suncoast’s most important natural areas. On their first event held on Dec. 11, 2022, the organizations cleaned up the waterways in the community of Holiday Estates. A particularly hard-hit area on the Suncoast, Lemon Bay sits at the southern end of the watershed monitored by Suncoast Aqua Ventures, Sarasota Bay Watch and Suncoast Waterkeeper. With the assistance of Lemon Bay Conservancy and the Coastal and Heartland National Estuary Program, they worked to clean up the canals of Ainger Creek, a major tributary of Lemon Bay.

This is a great opportunity to learn about and participate in the important work of these organizations, as well as an opportunity to spend a day making a difference and meeting new friends. Join in to keep the Suncoast the special place it is for this and future generations.

Tourist tax collections 2022

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Business, Tourism.

2022 tourist tax collections compared to 2021

January

Anna Maria ↓ 6%

Bradenton Beach ↑ 37%

Holmes Beach ↑ 40%

Manatee County ↑ 34%

February

Anna Maria ↓ 18%

Bradenton Beach ↑ 23%

Holmes Beach  ↑ 42%

Manatee County ↑ 39%

March

Anna Maria ↓ 16%

Bradenton Beach ↑ 21%

Holmes Beach ↑ 33%

Manatee County ↑ 33%

May

Anna Maria  ↓ 42%

Bradenton Beach  ↓ 11%

Holmes Beach  ↑ 17%

Manatee County ↑ 4%

June

Anna Maria  ↓ 24%

Bradenton Beach  ↓ 9%

Holmes Beach  ↑ 9%

Manatee County ↑ 7%

July

Anna Maria  ↓ 42%

Bradenton Beach  ↑ .01%

Holmes Beach  ↑ 12%

Manatee County  ↑ 8%

August

Anna Maria  ↓ 84%

Bradenton Beach  ↑ .03%

Holmes Beach  ↑ 22%

Manatee County  ↑ 12%

September

Anna Maria  ↓ 17%

Bradenton Beach  ↓ .006%

Holmes Beach  ↑ 12%

Manatee County  ↑ 18%

November

Anna Maria  ↑ 8%

Bradenton Beach  ↑ 5%

Holmes Beach  ↑ 3%

Manatee County  ↑ 33%

December

Anna Maria  ↑ 21%

Bradenton Beach  ↑ 2%

Holmes Beach  ↑ 14%

Manatee County  ↑ 32%

Manatee County’s 5% resort tax, or tourist tax, is collected from owners of accommodations rented for six months or less who charge the tax to their renters, in most cases, tourists. About 50% of the tax proceeds are allocated to Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau tourism marketing efforts, with 20% allocated to beach renourishment. The tax also partially funds tourism-related attractions such as the Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria piers. Manatee County totals include Anna Maria Island cities, Bradenton, the portion of Longboat Key within Manatee County, unincorporated Manatee County and Palmetto. To anonymously report a rental owner who may not be paying the tax, call 941-741-4809 or visit https://www.taxcollector.com/tdt-evader.cfm.

Source: Manatee County Tax Collector

FDOT installs ‘no parking’ signs along Gulf Drive

FDOT installs ‘no parking’ signs along Gulf Drive

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) recently installed dozens of signs along various sections of Gulf Drive that say, “No parking on right of way.”

Approximately 55 signs are located along Gulf Drive South near Coquina Beach and the Coquina boat ramps.

FDOT installs ‘no parking’ signs along Gulf Drive
Approximately 30 new “no parking” signs are located along the west of Gulf Drive South, near Coquina Beach and the Coquina Boat Ramps. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

In groups of two or three, more signs are located along Gulf Drive North at 11th Street North, along the 1900 block of Gulf Drive North by the La Costa condominiums, between 22nd Street North and 23rd Street North near Katie Pierola Park and between 25th Street South and 26th Street South.

Police Chief John Cosby told The Sun that he requested the new signs from FDOT last year and they were installed last week.

FDOT installs ‘no parking’ signs along Gulf Drive
Smaller groups of “no parking” signs have been installed at the north end of the city. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

When contacted by The Sun, FDOT Operations Center Engineer Trisha Hartzell said, “The District Traffic Operations office initiated this action to prohibit vehicles parking on Florida Department of Transportation right of way along State Road 789/Gulf Drive South at the request of the city of Bradenton Beach.”

In the past, temporary barricades with “no parking” signs affixed to them were placed along the Gulf Drive South right of way near Coquina Beach to help prevent people from parking in the state-owned rights of way where parking is prohibited.

When contacted Monday, Cosby said those temporary signs were previously removed at the request of the city’s Scenic WAVES Committee due to concerns about sign pollution along a scenic highway. The Scenic WAVES Committee also serves as the city’s scenic highway board.

According to FDOT’s www.FloridaScenicHighways.com website, the entire 3-mile stretch of Gulf Drive/SR 789 in Bradenton Beach is a state-designated scenic highway.

Leaders in the adjacent city of Holmes Beach, meanwhile, have ordered the removal of several no parking signs from its streets, citing sign pollution as the reason.

Cosby said it’s the state that prohibits parking along the Gulf Drive rights of way and that longstanding parking prohibition has not changed.
“To have proper enforcement, the signs have to be there. It’s hard to enforce the law if you don’t have the proper signs telling people they can’t park there. We need them year-around,” Cosby said.

When asked about the signs being placed along a scenic highway, Cosby said, “There’s already speed limit signs, crosswalk signs, directional signs and other signs along the scenic highway and this is in the areas where we have to have enforcement.”

With two to go, team Luxury Services is 5-0

With two to go, team Luxury Services is 5-0

Written by Monica Simpson on . Posted in Football, Sports.

ANNA MARIA – Team Luxury Services remains in the top-ranked position in The Center’s adult co-ed flag football league going into week six of winter league play.

With the win over The Briley Mortgage Team, Luxury stays one game ahead of team Moss Builders. Luxury beat the Moss squad week two in the season.

Matthew Briley did the scoring for his team with two rushing touchdowns. Briley also had three critical stops on defense.

The lack of points after the TD and a successful throwing game kept The Briley Mortgage Team squad playing catch-up the entire game going into halftime scoreless.

Karri Stephens lit up the field for The Briley Mortgage Team with two interceptions, two catches and five flag pulls. Alonzo Lemus caught four catches and had a defensive stop.

Teammate Connor Haughey made three nice receptions and pulled one flag in the game for The Briley team.

In the win, Luxury Services’ QB, Chase Richardson, had four passing touchdowns and a pick six on the other side of the football. Two of the scoring catches were to Jonathan Soultatos.

Soultatos’ contributions in the game also included six points running the football into the endzone and a flag pull to help stop the opponent’s forward progress.

Teammates Ramon Guerrero IV and Sequiel Marintez each had a receiving touchdown. Guerrero made three defensive stops, while Marintez had two along with a two-point conversion.

Tim Holly was most effective for Luxury Services with three flag pulls and a sack to help with the big win.

Ugly Grouper looks to put their first win in the record books this week against Luxury Services. The Briley team plays Solid Rock Construction, which shares a 3-2-0 record with their next opponent, as well as The Banks Home Lending Team.

Solid Rock Construction kept team Ugly Grouper out of the endzone, shutting them out with the final score 36-0. In a scoring showdown, Moss Builders eked out the win by three points, in the 58-55 win over The Sandbar.

Sharing a record of 1-4-0 with The Sandbar after week five play, the Gulf Drive Café team lost against The Banks Home Lending team by 20 points.

With the championship match up on Thursday, March 16, all eight teams are looking to the end game with a win. The championship game starts at 7 p.m.

 

 

Sun Scoreboard

Feb. 6

8- to 10-year-old league

Week 4

 

AMI Coconuts (2-2-0) 34

Cloud Pest Control (1-3-0) 12

 

Solid Rock Construction (3-1-0) 26

Moss Builders (2-2-0) 21

 

Westfall’s Lawn Care & Pest Control (3-1-0) 35

SynLawn (0-4-0) 0

 

Sato Real Estate (4-0-0) 26

Island Real Estate (2-2-0) 7

 

 

Feb. 7

11- to 13-year-old league

Week 4

 

Solid Rock Construction (3-1-0) 26

Shady Lady Horticultural Services (2-2-0) 0

 

Moss Builders (3-1-0) 24

International Resilient Intuitive (1-3-0) 0

 

Pineapple Market Place (4-0-0) 41

Sandhoff Construction (1-3-0) 22

 

Chick-Fil-A (1-3-0) 26

Storage Building Company (1-3-0) 8

 

 

Feb. 9

Adult flag football

Week 5

 

Luxury Services (5-0-0) 28

The Briley Mortgage Team (3-2-0) 12

 

Solid Rock Construction (3-2-0) 36

Ugly Grouper (0-5-0) 0

 

Moss Builders (4-1-0) 58

The Sandbar (1-4-0) 55

 

The Banks Home Lending Team (3-2-0) 42

Gulf Drive Café (1-4-0) 22

Castles in the Sand

A question of affordability

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand.

Buying a house during the past almost three years can be compared to a rollercoaster ride. You go up and you go down, you scream and you hold your breath waiting for the next hairpin turn. But maybe, just maybe, we’re starting to see the end of the ride.

The National Association of Realtors reported at the end of last year that the sales of previously owned homes, most of the real estate market, slid 17.7% in 2022. Also, on a month-to-month basis, sales fell 1.5% in December for an 11th straight monthly decline, the worst rate since November of 2010.

The housing boom generated by the pandemic and the ability for workers to work remotely accelerated selling prices and demand until the Federal Reserve stepped in to cool the economy and curb inflation by raising interest rates. This took a big chunk out of the ability of buyers to proceed with purchases when borrowing rates more than doubled.

As recently as October of last year, mortgage interest rates climbed over 7%, a rate not seen for two decades. This, plus the increased asking price of homes, forced many buyers out of the market since they could not qualify for the additional monthly carrying charges. Now, however, the rates are starting to trend down, and as of Feb. 5, Forbes reported the following average annual percentage rates (APR) rates: 6.37% for a 30-year fixed mortgage and 5.56% for a 15-year fixed mortgage, the two most popular mortgage products.

The forecast for 2023 is that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage rates will stay within the 5% to 6% range. Freddie Mac forecasts the average 30-year mortgage rate to start at 6.6% in the first quarter and end up at 6.2% in the last quarter of this year and Lawrence Yun, the National Association of Realtor’s chief economist said, “Mortgage rates have fallen for the past few weeks, so I’m very hopeful that the worst in home sales is probably coming to an end.”

The other bit of good news is that the Federal Reserve raised their benchmark interest rate by only a quarter of a percent rather than a full half percent, which they have been doing monthly for some time. All of this may point to the fact that the mortgage rates have hit their peak, advertising to buyers and sellers it may be time to get back in the game.

Next week when we review the January sales statistics, we’ll have a better idea if our local market is starting to show an increase in sales activity and available inventory. As far as affordability, the asking prices on the Island are as high as ever and the construction of new homes is on practically every street. If the city of Anna Maria is second in Florida’s most expensive median listing price, as recently reported by Realtor.com, it will take a lot to turn that around any time soon.

So, just like getting off the rollercoaster, it takes you a few minutes to get your land legs back under you and wait for your heart to return to a normal beat. Everyone’s hoping this is that time… prices are still high but leveling off, mortgage rates are gradually declining and sellers who have been sitting on their super-low mortgage rates may start to reconsider the financial benefit of selling. However, stand by – there’s always another rollercoaster coming down the track.

Art Walk showcases local talent

Art Walk showcases local talent

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Art, Entertainment.

HOLMES BEACH – The Feb. 10 Art Walk brought locals and visitors to two art galleries to see the best of Island art.

Participating businesses around the Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island and Island Gallery West that normally close earlier stayed open later for the event, which repeats the second Friday of each month.

The Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island

The Artists’ Guild gallery is hosting several activities this month as part of its Paint the Town event, sponsored by Bradenton Arts & Culture, a division of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau:

  • Daily artist demos in front of the gallery – Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.;
  • Gallery competitions – vote for your favorite locally-inspired subjects;
  • Paint Arounds – Fridays from 3-5 p.m., five artists collaborate on five paintings;
  • Kid’s activity – papier-mâché Fridays from 3-5 p.m.;
  • Plein aire artists – Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., locations to be announced at www.amiartistsguildgallery.com.

“We had a great day with our Paint-a-Round today to kick off the Art Walk,” Guild member artist Joanne Wilhelm said. “We have five artists who paint a little, then they switch. So, each work is actually done by five artists. After it’s finished, we raffle it off. We also did papier-mâché with the children today, which was a great time.”

The Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization at 5414 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. For more information, call 941-778-6694 or visit the gallery website.

Island Gallery West

Island Gallery West (IGW) offers live music in the parking lot as well as wine and snacks for visitors to enjoy while they chat with member artists and shop the gallery for special works of art to purchase and take home to have a visual reminder of the Island.

Art Walk showcases local talent
Visitors to Island Gallery West enjoyed wine and snacks while they mingled with the resident artists at last week’s Art Walk in Holmes Beach. – Jason Schaffer | Sun

February’s featured artist, Karen Beach, has her work on display in the front of the gallery, and anyone who couldn’t make the Art Walk can view the display through the end of February.

IGW also has something special this month with non-member artists invited to showcase their work for the first time in the gallery: Debra Rhoads, who focuses on Florida’s beautiful birds and sunsets; Gail Curry, who calls her design style “Fluid Geometrics” and Lynn Coppinger, who works in a variety of art mediums. Coppinger has since been juried into full membership in the gallery, and is now its newest member artist. Also showing her work this month is Cosette Kosiba, who is displaying her pastel paintings.

The gallery is located at 5368 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, call 941-778-6648 or visit the gallery website.

Reel Time: The magic of seabirds

Reel Time: The magic of seabirds

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

Seabirds are one the Suncoast’s prime attractions for anglers, visitors and residents alike. Birds in general, and seabirds specifically, provide a significant boost to Florida’s economy and are a major reason the state ranks as one of the nation’s top wildlife viewing destinations. We are stirred by their song and their aerial displays and are guided to fish as they wheel and dive over schools of bait being plundered by pelagic fish. The haunting sound of a whippoorwill signals the arrival of spring, while the colorful plumage of a spoonbill and the elaborate rituals of herons, terns and other seabirds heralds the breeding season. We marvel at the graceful flight of a formation of black skimmers, their bills tracing paths across the water’s surface at sunset, as they wheel overhead in a rush of wings.

With all that birds provide us, it’s alarming to learn that species-wide, we’ve lost the equivalent of one in four birds in the last 50 years. The major reason is loss of habitat, and the seabirds we treasure are particularly vulnerable due to the loss of mangroves for nesting and the practice of many seabirds to lay their eggs and raise their young just above a barrier island’s high-water line.

Birds need our help, and there are specific things that anglers and outdoor enthusiasts alike can do to help them. One of the most heartbreaking things anyone can experience is a dead or dying bird garroted in the mangroves by an unsuspecting fisherman’s line. Anglers who fish the coastal waters of Florida will invariably come into contact with seabirds that inhabit the estuaries of our state. Often that encounter is deadly to seabirds if anglers don’t know the basics of avoiding contact with or caring for hooked birds. Birds live here, it’s their home and they aid savvy anglers as they search for food. The birds get into trouble when they come in contact with discarded fishing line in the mangroves or they take line to their roosts after becoming hooked.  
The incidents of anglers hooking birds can be reduced or eliminated by following a few simple rules. First, never feed birds. This trains birds to look for a handout and leads them to often unsuspecting anglers. Secondly, while you’re fishing, be aware of birds that might be eyeing your bait or lure. It’s easy to pull it out of harm’s way at the last second before a bird dives on it. 

If you do hook a bird, make sure that you fight them just like you would a trophy fish to prevent them from breaking the line. Trailing line can be a death sentence for the birds when they return to their roost at night. Care should be taken when handling birds due to their fragile, hollow bones and sharp beaks. First, place a towel over the bird’s head. This will calm them and protect the angler from sharp bills. You can then cautiously remove hooks and unwind line before releasing them. 

During nesting season (peaking here May through June) birds are particularly vulnerable, especially those that nest on the beaches of our barrier islands. It’s crucial that humans avoid breeding colonies on public beaches and especially the few places designated as off-limits because of their critical nesting potential. Locally protected areas like Egmont Key and Passage Key are often threatened by unsuspecting and careless beachgoers endangering eggs and young hatchlings. The birds don’t have a voice and it’s left to those of us that appreciate and benefit from them to be their advocates. 

If while fishing you see a hooked or tangled bird in an active rookery, don’t approach them during nesting season. Our well-meaning intentions can cause more harm than good by causing startled young birds to fall from the nest. 

Taking care of the environment that feeds our passion is everyone’s responsibility. Follow these simple guidelines: be aware of the presence of seabirds, take care in handling them and never feed birds. If you see a bird in distress and it’s not nesting season, you can free them. If they swim or fly away on their own that’s all you’ll need to do. If you believe they are too weak to recover on their own, contact one of the local organizations that rescue and rehabilitate sea birds. On Anna Maria Island you can call Wildlife Inc. at 941-778-6324. To our south, call Save Our Seabirds on City Island in Sarasota at 941-388-3010. Audubon’s Coastal Island Sanctuaries has an informative website and can be reached by calling 813-794-3784. Join Suncoast Waterkeeper in their efforts to protect mangroves and water quality and join Sarasota Bay Watch’s Annual Fishing Line Cleanup in the fall. 

Birds of all kinds are a critical component and bellwether of a healthy environment. Let’s all work together to create a vibrant and safe place – for the birds.

Commission adopts food truck regulations

Commission adopts food truck regulations

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – The city has new food truck/mobile food dispensing vehicle regulations in place.

The new regulations are set forth in city resolution R23-787, which the city commission adopted by a 4-1 vote on Feb. 9.

The resolution accompanies the food truck/mobile food dispensing vehicle ordinance, Ordinance 23-913, adopted by commissioners on Jan. 26. The ordinance allows food trucks to operate in Anna Maria only on privately-owned properties that carry a C-1 (commercial) zoning designation. The ordinance includes a provision that allows food truck operations elsewhere in the city during city commission-approved special events.

Resolution R23-787 contains the following regulations:

  • Every food truck must be a motorized vehicle with a valid tag; no trailer may operate as a food truck.
  • No food truck may be longer than 18 feet.
  • No more than one food truck shall be located on any one tax parcel.
  • No more than one vendor may operate out of one food truck.
  • No food truck shall be permitted to operate before sunrise or after sunset.
  • Every food truck operator must provide a trash bin and recycle bin and remove all trash and recyclables from bins and properly dispose of it off-site at the end of each day of operation.
  • Every food truck operator shall keep the site of the food truck and surrounding areas clean and picked up during hours of operation and shall also clean up the site at the end of each day of operation.
  • All food trucks shall be in compliance with any and all state, county and city regulations and laws regarding the operation of food trucks.

Recently appointed Commissioner Charlie Salem initiated a discussion about a proposed regulation that would have required food truck operators to provide temporary seating for their patrons. Salem noted food trucks are often considered “grab and go” dining options and requiring tables and chairs might result in more objects being placed in the temporary food service area than the city wants.

Commission adopts food truck regulations
Anna Maria’s new mobile food truck regulations prohibit non-motorized food dispensing trailers. – Sun file photo

Commission Chair Mark Short said he proposed the seating requirement as a way to help ensure that food containers and other trash associated with the food truck operation are properly disposed of. Short said it wasn’t his intent to require all food purchased from a food truck to be eaten in the provided seating area. Short later voted against the resolution after the proposed seating requirement was removed.

Commissioner Robert Kingan questioned whether requiring food truck operators to provide tables and chairs might be considered onerous by the state. The commission adopted the food truck ordinance and resolution in response to a state law enacted in 2020 that prevents local governments from prohibiting food truck operations citywide or countywide. The state law also prohibits local governments from imposing additional licensing requirements and/or licensing fees on food truck operators.

Commissioner Jon Crane asked who would enforce the ordinance and the resolution. Mayor Dan Murphy said the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the city’s code enforcement officers would enforce both. In response to a question posed during public comment, Murphy said any excessive food truck generator noise would be enforced according to the city’s noise ordinance.

Bradenton Beach Police get powerful new training tool

Bradenton Beach Police get powerful new training tool

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – Police officers face the unknown every day they put on their uniforms.

In 2022, nine police officers were killed in the line of duty in Florida, and while that number may not seem large in a highly populated state such as Florida, the threat of attack is always on the minds of these men and women as they go to work to protect and serve the community.

Bradenton Beach draws tourists from around the world, and may seem like paradise to many, but nevertheless, there are threats to officers who must train to handle these situations.

The Sun reported last year on an incident in which a man was on a jetty in Coquina Beach with a loaded firearm. Bradenton Beach officers arrived to find the man threatening to harm himself, but even though the officers believed he was not intending to harm them or the public, their job was to end the situation with the best outcome possible for all parties involved.

“I saw the way he was sitting with his right arm and hand between his legs, and I felt strongly he had a gun in that hand,” Officer John Tsakiri said. “I took out my binoculars to get a better look, but due to the way he was sitting, I still couldn’t see the gun. Lt. Diaz and I were walking towards the subject with our weapons drawn when we got a call on the radio from the MSO (Manatee County Sheriff’s Office) Marine Boat confirming he was holding a gun. The last thing we wanted was for anyone to get hurt, but after continuing to ignore our commands, and at one point starting to stand up, I told Lt. Diaz that if he pointed the gun at us, I would have no choice but to engage him with my firearm.”

This situation demonstrates that even in an area with a relatively low rate of violent crime, it only takes one incident to put officers in a situation where they must decide whether to draw their weapons and possibly have to shoot with innocent bystanders in the area, or deploy other tactics to de-escalate the situation.

DART system

The department now has a new tool that can help reach the best possible conclusion in multiple situations.

Thanks to help from the Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge 2188, the Bradenton Beach Police Department (BBPD) can offer training to officers on any situation they may encounter without driving miles to a firearms training facility or gun range, thanks to their new DART training system.

“This is a top-end system for its price point right now,” Officer Steve Masi said. “In DART Creator and DART Studios, we can create anything we want. If I want a guy to come from 15 yards to two yards in three seconds, I can create it. I can place him in any room I want, I can create walls, and I can give him any behavior I want.”

According to both Masi and Lt. Lenard Diaz, department officers only get two to four training sessions at the gun range a year. When officers do go to the range, they only shoot stationary paper targets that offer little more than accuracy of the officer’s weapons. The DART system allows police to enact real-world situations and even film their own scenarios they can use to train the department.

“We could film a scenario where there is a situation on the beach, then upload it to this program,” Masi said. “We could project this on the side of a building and allow officers to move around and act as if it were a real life or death situation. There are endless training possibilities.”

Bradenton Beach Police get powerful new training tool
Byron Dalton, administrator of the Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge, takes part in training with the DART system at the Bradenton Beach Police Department. – Jason Schaffer | Sun

At a cost of $10,000, the department needed some help securing funds for this vital training tool, and they got it thanks to the Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge 2188 in Bradenton Beach. Byron Dalton, administrator of the lodge, said the relationship with the BBPD has been in place for a long time, and they wanted to help in any way they could.

“Part of what we do with the police department is community service,” Dalton said. “We told them if there’s anything we can do to help make the department a better place, just let us know. At that time the lieutenant who is now the chief said we have the perfect thing we’d like to do, can you help us with it? We said, heck yeah and we got involved.”

The AMI Moose Lodge assisted in the purchase of the DART system with a $5,000 donation that covered about half the cost of the system. The remainder of the cost was paid by the department. Masi called it an incredible addition to the department’s resources.

“My number one goal is to go home after work,” Masi said. “Anything can happen in an instant, and how officers react to a serious threat may determine whether they go home alive; this is serious training for serious situations.”

Annie Silver elects 2023 officers

Annie Silver elects 2023 officers

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – For decades, the Annie Silver Community Center has served the community, providing a meeting place for Island organizations such as the Anna Maria Island Privateers, condo associations, civic events and even wedding receptions.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, they provide the center free of charge, asking for donations to help with operating costs. They also serve the community by hosting dinners, bingo and other activities such as Senior Adventures, which offers outings for area seniors in cooperation with The Center of Anna Maria Island.

Center members elected board members and officers last week to oversee the operation of the community center. The officers are: President – Jim Hassett; Vice-President – Donna Kirkpatrick; Treasurer – Dianne Coates; Secretary – Judy Pruitt. The board members are: Kaye Bell, Linda Yarger, Wally Sinn and Bruce Butler. The center needs one more board member to make up the necessary five required by its charter.

“Several of our officers and some of the board members have been in these positions for quite awhile,”  Pruitt said. “We really need to find some new members that would be willing to help. They do not have to live here all year. Mainly during January through April or May.”

The Annie Silver Community Center will hold its next dinner, open to anyone in the community, on Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 5-7 p.m. at the center, 103 23rd St. N. They will serve BBQ chicken, pulled pork, potatoes, mac and cheese, baked beans and rolls. Soft drinks and coffee will also be available.

The center’s next book sale will be on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; a potluck lunch also will be served and everyone is welcome. Bingo is every Thursday at 6 p.m. with pizza and soft drinks available for purchase during the games. Money raised from these activities helps with operating costs.