The Snowflakes perform with Santa’s very own North Pole boy band. - Kristin Swain | Sun
The fifth-grade cast of “The Magic of Christmas” strikes a pose after receiving a standing ovation on Dec. 19 at The Center of Anna Maria Island. From left, back row, are Mrs. Stephanie Davis, Vincent Myers, Sam May, Stryder Petitt, Jase Moore, Gunnar Maize, Sawyer Leibfried, Kellan Oelfke, Colten DeBerry, Eastin Walker. From left, front row, are Kellan Reed, Leo Tyler, Jack Palmer, Roman Smith, Fabian Cianciarelli, Grayson Hinckle, Brandon Sato, Aria Thomas and Sofia Hendrickson. - Kristin Swain | Sun
The Snowflakes, Aria Thomas and Sofia Hendrickson, perform Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” Dec. 19 during the Anna Maria Elementary School fifth-grade performance of “The Magic of Christmas” at The Center. - Kristin Swain | Sun
The cast of “The Magic of Christmas,” a musical holiday production performed by 18 Anna Maria Elementary School fifth-graders, dance together to “I’ve Got The Magic In Me.” - Kristin Swain | Sun
HOLMES BEACH — A new family-friendly complex is coming to the corner of Gulf and Marina Drives now that city leaders have approved the site plan.
Business owner Jake Spooner is planning a second Island Bazaar at the new location with a putt-putt course, a fudge shop, a candy shop, an arcade and a second-floor restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining. The original Island Bazaar is at 3304 E. Bay Drive. Spooner’s Bridge Street Bazaar is at 107 Bridge St. in Bradenton Beach.
The site covers 1.3 acres and is planned to feature three separate buildings – one where the former Wells Fargo bank building is, a smaller one where the drive-through lanes were located on the east side of the bank, and a third for storage and the arcade. The smaller building will be home to a candy shop on the bottom floor and a fudge shop on the top.
The restaurant, which Spooner said would be leased to an independent operator, is planned to have 26 outdoor seats and 100 indoor seats.
This aerial rendering shows an overview of all the planned improvements and buildings for the former Wells Fargo bank site in Holmes Beach. – Submitted
The putt-putt course is planned for the area previously paved for the drive-through bank lanes. Mark Smith, who presented the plan for the property to commissioners, said a 6-foot tall fence would be installed to prevent golf balls from going into traffic and being a hazard on the road. The property is also planned to be surrounded by landscaping to reduce noise and potential hazards.
While commissioners and city staff spoke in favor of the project, noting that it ticks all of the boxes to receive a special exception as laid out in the city’s ordinances and land development code, residents weren’t as enthusiastic.
Resident Margie Motzer questioned the amplified music planned as background music for the putt-putt course. She said she felt the project would cause disruption for nearby residents.
Adjacent residential property owner Dan Howl said he felt it was a very intense use for the area and doesn’t want to see parking for the entertainment facility overflowing into adjacent parking lots or onto his street, Sunrise Lane. Howl said he’d like to see the traffic study that was completed for the project.
City Engineer Chad Minor noted in his staff report approving the project that he saw no significant traffic impact to the area as a result of the installment of the planned entertainment facility.
Resident Debbie Danziger said she’s concerned that the project will adversely affect residents and significantly impact traffic flow along Marina and Gulf drives.
“You’re just asking for trouble,” she said.
“I love the idea. I love the presentation. I’m just not sure we can accommodate it physically,” Anna Maria resident Perry Parkman said.
“All of the people involved in this project are Island residents,” Jason Sato said in defense of the planned complex. “Jake (Spooner) wants to be a good neighbor. Traffic is always going to be bad. It’s a bigger problem than one business.”
“I approve the project,” Commissioner Carol Soustek said during comments. “I think it’s a good one.” She said she has some concerns about the multitude of businesses planned for the site but thinks those issues will resolve themselves once construction gets underway and the project owners see what demand there is in the city for the planned services.
Once the vote was taken, Spooner stood to address commissioners and members of the public assembled for the meeting.
“Thank you very much,” Spooner said. “We’re going to be good neighbors.”
BRADENTON BEACH – Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center Inc. co-founders Gail and Ed Straight are working toward rebuilding not only their hurricane-damaged home, but restoring the non-profit wildlife rehabilitation center they’ve run for the past 34 years.
“I want people to know we’re working our way back to be able to take their animals in,” Gail said. “I miss having the animals here.”
While they rebuild their home and the rehabilitation center, the Straights are staying in a nearby apartment.
“We’ve been in this house 54 years and never got a drop of water,” she said.
Ed and Gail Straight’s home, the Wildlife Inc. animal rehab center, sustained damage during Hurricane Helene. – Leslie Lake | Sun
In between taking Ed to his dialysis appointments, Gail is back at home each day working.
“We’re waiting for drywall to be delivered. The floors need to be replaced,” she said. “I have no sinks. If I need warm water, I go outside and fill a bowl with the hose and take it over to the microwave and heat it up so I can wash things or just make a cup of tea.”
Ed and Gail were home during Hurricane Helene and watched as the water rose up to about 3 feet inside their house.
“We moved most of the animals before the storm, when we knew it was coming,” Gail said. “The water came pretty high. The big tortoises were here. My grandson, who’s a policeman, moved them out back and put them on top of cages.”
She said the freezers and refrigerators were destroyed in the storm and Wildlife Inc. recently received donations of a small freezer and refrigerator.
“Right before the storm, I had just bought $1,000 worth of food for the owls, that all had to go into the landfill,” she said.
Straight is currently taking care of five raccoons and several owls in cages behind the house.
“We’ve been taking some animals in,” she said. “Our phones are off right now.”
She said it will be at least another month or two before the rehabilitation center will be operational.
“I’ve gotten people coming to help,” she said. “I just wish I could get back to doing this full time.”
Gail said they are dealing with insurance issues as well as finding available electrical and plumbing contractors to get up and running. She said she and Ed are also appreciative of the help they’re received from the community.
“If this happened again, I couldn’t do it,” she said. “If we flood like this again, I’m gone.”
GOFUNDME
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Straights get back on their feet after the storms.
Page organizer Juli Vasilas wrote: “For nearly 40 years, Gail and Ed Straight have passionately and tirelessly organized Wildlife Inc. Education & Rehabilitation Center, a volunteer based non-profit which relies solely on private donations and receives NO funding from local, state, or federal governments. They have rescued, rehabilitated and aimed to release an estimated 150,000 injured or orphaned wildlife. They are some of the most selfless and dedicated people I know, who have made tremendous
sacrifices in order to serve the wildlife in their community. On Sept. 26, their Anna Maria Island location was severely damaged by Hurricane Helene. Risking their own safety, they were miraculously able to keep ALL of the wildlife safe, however their home, wildlife hospital and both of their vehicles are a total loss. I am hoping to spread their story and provide a platform for their loyal supporters to help them in what I am sure will be a very long and challenging road of rebuilding their lives. Thank you for considering a donation, any amount is hugely appreciated by these deserving animal advocates.” https://gofund.me/c6987b87
On Dec. 14, Suncoast Waterkeeper, Suncoast Aqua Ventures, the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, the Organized Fishermen of Florida and Sarasota Bay Watch jointly worked to clean up marine debris in the waterways and mangroves in the Manatee River from Blenker Boatworks and Marina in Bradenton and in Terra Ceia Bay from Tropic Isles Marina in Palmetto.
Kayakers, the Suncoast Waterkeeper patrol boat, numerous boat owners and shoreline helpers collected over four dumpsters of rubble at the two locations. Each site hosted over three dozen volunteers who were provided gloves, pickers and garbage bags to collect hurricane debris.
A large part of the debris consisted of destroyed docks and aluminum from lanais and pool cages as well as all manner of items from residential areas that was washed into the mangroves from Hurricane Helene’s storm surge in September and Hurricane Milton’s winds in October. Volunteers ranged in age from 16-80 and included a group of students from the Manatee School of The Arts. I was impressed with the willingness of the students and volunteers to get wet and team up to remove large sheets of aluminum and other detritus from the mud and mangroves.
Hurricanes, sewage spills and all the insults that local waters are exposed to should be a wake-up call to all of us who enjoy recreation on our local waters and understand their importance to the local economy. There are many ways that you can help. Write letters to your local representatives, congressmen and senators to let them know that you’ll consider their votes on water quality and resource protection when you vote. Attend local commission meetings, write opinion pieces and get involved with these nonprofits who work, day in and day out, to protect our marine resources. Check their websites and learn about upcoming events and how you can be a part of protecting what makes the Suncoast so special.
ANNA MARIA – Mayor Mark Short and General Manager Dean Jones recently provided city commissioners with a hurricane recovery update.
Given during the Dec. 12 Anna Maria City Commission meeting, the update addressed damage assessments, the hurricane-damaged City Pier, a beach replanting project and more.
DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS
Short noted the FEMA field team completed their site assessments a few weeks ago and this week the city will be sending letters to all Anna Maria property owners who appeared to have suffered at least some hurricane damage.
The letters will include information about the hurricane repair permitting process. Short said the city will then use the submitted repair-related permit applications to help determine whether a specific structure has been substantially damaged to the point that it warrants potential condemnation by the city.
This beachfront home at the end of Spring Avenue was damaged during hurricanes Helene and Milton. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“We have the FEMA evaluations but we are going to rely on the property owner and the permitting process. We are not going to just go out and make our own decisions on whether or not a property has been substantially damaged. While this is going on, we’re also inputting the FEMA information. We’re using that as a data point,” Short said.
“At this point, we have yet to come across a property that has been deemed totally damaged or substantially damaged to the point that it needs to be condemned. We have not condemned a single property and we have not had a property yet that’s hit that 50% threshold, based on the formula provided to us,” he said.
PIER INSPECTIONS
Short noted the city recently contracted the George F. Young engineering firm to conduct above-water and underwater structural inspections and underwater geo-technical inspections of the City Pier walkway that was heavily damaged and partially eliminated by Hurricane Milton.
The engineering firm is submitting the needed permit applications to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and will design and engineer the pier repairs to be carried out by a yet-to-be-selected contractor.
Hurricane Milton wiped out a significant portion of the City Pier walkway. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Short said the Army Corps permits have been submitted and the structural inspections were scheduled to begin on Dec. 13, weather permitting. He said the pier debris piled in the pier parking lot by the humpback bridge will also be inspected in attempt to determine what caused the pier walkway to fail during the hurricane. The inspection process is expected to take about two weeks and will coincide with the geo-technical inspection of the submerged lands the pier pilings are driven into.
The extended temporary ferry landing is expected to open on Dec. 19. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Short said a second 30-foot spud barge has been added to the previously installed and temporary Gulf Islands Ferry landing located between the damaged pier and the Lake La Vista jetty. The additional barge extends the ferry landing into deeper water and ferry service to Anna Maria is expected to resume on Thursday, Dec. 19, weather permitting.
BEACH REPLANTING
Short also provided an update on the Stimart family’s “Build Back the Beach” beach replanting project. Short said he received an email from Cindy Stimart stating that all potentially impacted property owners in the project area from Sycamore Avenue to Bean Point have received certified letters and most of those property owners will allow the free beachfront plantings to take place on their property in late January. Short said more information on this project (including volunteer registration and financial donations) can be found at the Good Guardians Collective website.
ADDITIONAL MATTERS
Jones said the city has completed its hurricane debris collection efforts but there are still some debris piles visible throughout the city. He said the city’s code enforcement department is contacting those property owners, who are now responsible for the debris removal. In response to a question posed by Commissioner Gary McMullen, Jones said the city rights of way where debris was placed are being restored.
Jones said hurricane debris has also been removed from three drainage swales and those debris piles would soon be removed. He also said FEMA is accessing the city’s stormwater infiltration system to determine what additional steps might be taken to improve the performance of the city’s stormwater and drainage systems during heavy rains.
Jones said hurricane-related road repairs will begin on Jan. 4 for the city streets that sustained erosion and significant deterioration during the hurricanes.
He said six or seven parking spaces will be created in the City Pier parking lot for those using the temporary post office across the street in City Pier Park.
He said most of the beach access points have been restored but work continues on a couple of beach access points along North Shore Drive.
Jones said the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office has surveyed residential canals in search of debris and derelict vessels and one derelict vessel has already been tagged for removal.
ANNA MARIA – Each year, Anna Maria resident Carl Augostini restores discarded bikes and donates them to a Sarasota church to give away during the Christmas holiday.
This year, Augostini restored and donated 35 children’s bikes and three adult bikes to the Light of the World Sarasota church. Augostini, a retired electrical engineer, restored an additional 20 adult bikes this year. The first 10 bikes were donated and delivered to a halfway house that assists former jail inmates. Delivered later, the additional 10 bikes were donated to a church that assists the homeless. Former Island resident Dave Huggins assisted Augostini with those deliveries.
Carl Augostini restored and donated 38 bikes this year. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Augostini has been at this for at least 13 years and many years ago, Roser Memorial Community Church employee Charles Wade connected him with The Light of the World church.
On Dec. 13, Light of the World church volunteer David Daniels, his son, D.J. Daniels and family friend Elijah Pantophlet arrived at Augostini’s Anna Maria home in two pickup trucks, each towing a trailer to be filled with donated bikes.
D.J. Daniels, David Daniels, Elijah Pantophlet picked up the bikes restored by Carl Augostini. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
David Daniels, the owner of Devine Design Landscaping and Maintenance, said, “We knew we needed two trailers this year because last year we barely stuffed them into one trailer.”
Augostini’s adult children, Craig and Carla, and their spouses, Lisa Augostini and Derek Dobbertin, were also on hand to help load the trailers.
“This is the most I ever had,” Augostini said.
“That’s a lot of bikes,” Craig added.
After this trailer was full, a second trailer was partially filled with more bikes. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Two of the childrens’ bikes featured “Barbie” paint schemes and one of the childrens’ bikes featured a “Hot Wheels” paint theme, with a noise-making RPM gauge attached to the handlebars.
Some lucky girl received this “Barbie” bike. – Joe Hendricks | SunSome lucky child received this “Hot Wheels” bike. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When asked why he does this, Augostini said, “I like to see kids have bicycles. It gets them away from their iPhones and iPads and gets them out there getting some exercise and doing things kids should be doing.”
Augostini spends many hours each year restoring the bikes donated to him and this year he had to restore most of them a second time after they were partially submerged in the hurricane-related saltwater storm surge that intruded the ground-level garage of his elevated home.
“Most of them were done and the sprockets all froze up and I had to redo them,” he explained.
“During Hurricane Helene, I lost the garden, the yard and all the plants. There was a lot of water in the garage and I lost a lot of tools and bike parts. They were rusted and the saltwater ate right through them. Milton took a lot of siding off the house and took a lot of soffit out. It took the ceiling above the deck and a few shingles and gutters but Craig is very handy and we put most of it back together.”
Carl Augostini’s bikes come in a wide variety of sizes and colors. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Bayside Church in west Bradenton provided Augostini with several bikes to restore.
“They have a program where they donate bikes to homeless people and people coming out of jail but they can’t use the children’s bikes. That’s why I have so many this year. I hope these kids enjoy the bikes and I’m sure they will. I just love to see kids outside riding their bikes,” Augostini said.
His annual efforts come with a cost: “It’s not cheap. The cost of tires and parts has gone out of sight. A tire for an adult bike used to be $5 to $10 and now they’re $15 to $20.”
Carl Augostini embodies the Christmas spirit with his annual bike donations. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Before loading the trailers, David Daniels shared a story that illustrates the importance of a bike to a kid. He said a young boy who wanted a donated bike last year didn’t get one. But despite his disappointment, the boy told Daniels that was OK.
“It touched my heart,” Daniels said. “I told his mom I was sorry we didn’t have any more bikes. I asked for their address and the next day I bought a bike and a helmet at Walmart and delivered it to their house and they were so thankful.”
When assessing this year’s donation, Daniels said, “These bikes are gorgeous. You have to have a heart to do this. You have to love kids and understand what a bicycle means to a kid.”
The donated bikes were given away the following day at the Light of the World church’s annual Community Christmas Extravaganza.
Pastor Peter Greenidge shared the joy of a child recieving a bike. – David Daniels | SubmittedThis youngster received a bike at the Light of the World church’s annual celebration. – David Daniels | Submitted
“We usually have about 100-150 families come out. We have other gifts from different places but the bike is like the ultimate prize. The joy is when you see the kids get the bike. Just to see the smiles on their face. Some parents can’t afford a bike and a bike is like a gift from heaven,” Daniels said.
ANNA MARIA – FEMA financial assistance may be available to Anna Maria Island homeowners who wish to elevate their ground-level homes to avoid future flooding.
Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short made this announcement during the city commission’s Dec. 12 meeting. He told commissioners he invited the city’s FEMA consultant, Del Schwalls, to address the commission and the public on Thursday, Jan. 9. Schwalls assists the city with its flood insurance-related Community Rating System compliance efforts that help provide Anna Maria property owners with reduced flood insurance rates.
Short said it’s been brought to the city’s attention that there are FEMA programs that may benefit Anna Maria and Anna Maria Island residents, including a program that may possibly help fund a significant percentage of the cost associated with elevating a ground-level home for flood prevention purposes.
Short said he asked Schwalls to make a presentation about the elevation assistance program, what it entails, what would be required of the city and what it would mean for residents and property owners interested in pursuing FEMA assistance.
“This all came out in the flood of information we’ve received since the hurricanes. I do think it could be of interest to some of our property owners,” Short said.
Commission Chair Charlie Salem suggested promoting the Jan. 9 presentation on the city’s Facebook page so residents and property owners are aware of it. The meeting is scheduled at 2 p.m. at city hall.
“I know this would be of interest to a number of people in our community,” Salem said.
Anna Maria General Manager Dean Jones agreed and said the presentation might also be of interest to property owners elsewhere on Anna Maria Island.
ANNA MARIA – Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells and other members of the sheriff’s office expressed their appreciation for former Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy and his 10 years in office.
During the Dec. 12 Anna Maria City Commission meeting, Capt. Lou Licata presented Murphy with a plaque on Wells’ behalf, accompanied by Lt. John Belt and Sgt. Brett Getman from the sheriff’s office Anna Maria Unit.
“This is in recognition of Mayor Murphy’s service to the city of Anna Maria,” Getman said.
Licata then said, “We wanted to make sure you got the proper recognition that you deserve from the sheriff’s office. You’ve always been a huge advocate for us and for the unit out here. It doesn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated. I definitely appreciate it and I know Sgt. Getman does, as well as Lt. Belt and all the way up to the sheriff.”
Licata read aloud the inscription on the plaque presented to Murphy for his exemplary leadership that began in November 2014 and ended on Nov. 19.
“His commitment, vision and tireless support profoundly impacted our community,” the plaque says, noting Murphy’s partnership with the sheriff’s office strengthened public safety and created a safer city for its residents and visitors. The plaque expresses Wells’ and his office’s gratitude and offers best wishes for Murphy in his retirement.
“Thank you very much. I am enjoying my retirement. I’m honored that I received such a beautiful plaque,” Murphy said.
Murphy then thanked Mayor Mark Short and the reconfigured city commission for the farewell ceremony that took place on Nov. 19. Murphy couldn’t attend the ceremony because he was hospitalized at the time, but he was able to later watch it in its entirety via Facebook video. During the ceremony, Short proclaimed Dec. 20, 2024 (Murphy’s 80th birthday) to be “Mayor Dan Murphy Day” in Anna Maria.
“I emotionally probably couldn’t have handled it had I been here,” Murphy said. “But laying in that bed, I only could think of how grateful I was to have worked with each one of you and how much we accomplished over the years – you and the staff.”
Referencing the mythical King Arthur and his court while expressing gratitude for his own decade in office, Murphy said, “It was just remarkable. It was a piece of Camelot.”
Murphy mentioned the strong alliance the city and the sheriff’s office have forged during the many years the sheriff’s office has served as the city’s contracted law enforcement agency, which he noted was the only such alliance in Manatee County.
“It has worked so well and it’s proven itself time and time again,” Murphy said, noting the sheriff’s office helped the city through six hurricanes and a pandemic during his time as mayor.
He said contracting the sheriff’s office continues to be a cost-effective means to provide the city with a law enforcement agency that offers a wide array of services and resources.
“I hope you’re able to keep that alliance live and well,” he told the new mayor and commission.
In conclusion, Murphy said, “Without any further ado, I’m going to boogie out of here,” which he did, shaking hands with many in attendance as he exited the commission chambers.
ANNA MARIA – Operating inside a large trailer parked at City Pier Park, the temporary Anna Maria Post Office is now operating as a full-service postal facility.
Anna Maria Postmaster Sheila Brunger said on Dec. 11 that full-service postal operations began inside the trailer about three weeks ago. Prior to that, limited mail service was conducted out of mail trucks parked under the City Park shade sail.
The temporary post office now operates inside this trailer at City Pier Park. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Home mail delivery has never been available in Anna Maria and residents, property owners and business owners historically have retrieved their mail at the post office.
Brunger said the temporary post office contains 780 post office boxes. The hurricane-damaged post office building across the street on Pine Avenue contained approximately 2,000 and approximately 900 of those were in use when Hurricane Helene hit.
The temporary post office contains 780 P.O. boxes. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“If they had one over there, we transferred it over here. So, they have the same number, the same address and we reissued the keys to them beginning the Monday before Thanksgiving so they can pick up their own mail again,” Brunger said as a steady flow of residents passed through the temporary post office.
“It’s nice to be inside, but we’d rather be at home in our post office again,” she added.
Some restoration work has taken place at the main post office building. – Joe
Brunger doesn’t know yet when the hurricane-damaged post office will reopen but some restoration work has been done. On Dec. 12, an Andy’s Carpet Cleaning van was parked outside the post office building with a hose extending into the post office building. The storm surge-damaged drywall has been removed.
Time is running out to mail those Christmas gifts. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When asked about holiday mailing, postal worker Kristen Gray said, “It’s Christmas time. Mail early.”
“Do it ASAP,” Brunger added. A sign affixed to the front door of the temporary post office lists Dec. 18-21 as the deadlines for gifts to arrive in time for Christmas using priority USPS shipping services.
BRADENTON BEACH – After nearly three months of uncertainty, 83 of the 86 Pines Trailer Park owners received a notice from the city that they may repair their hurricane-damaged mobile homes with the proper permits.
Some residents remain hesitant to move forward with repairs, however, saying questions about the Pines ownerships’ intent for the park are still unanswered.
Pines residents received a letter from Bradenton Beach Building Official Darin Cushing on Dec. 9, which stated in part: “We previously provided you with a notice that your property may have been affected by flooding due to hurricanes Helene and Milton, and that a second, more thorough inspection would be performed to gather data critical to making a formal determination as to whether the cost of repairs necessary to restore your building to its pre-damage condition might rise to an amount constituting ‘substantial damage’ as defined in the City’s Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance 21-538.”
Following the results of that second inspection, and with a review of the data, as well as a review of the property values, repairs may be made with the applicable permits, according to the letter. Permits include, but are not limited to, structural repairs to the foundation or building envelope, including roof repairs, electrical repairs, plumbing repairs and mechanical repairs.
“At this time, the data suggests that costs to perform repairs and restoration will not constitute a substantial damage repair,” Cushing’s letter stated.
Cushing, former city building official Steve Gilbert and a team of 20 inspectors provided by the state conducted the inspections.
To track and document costs, a Floodplain Development Permit application, including building permits as needed, must be submitted to the city building department, Cushing’s letter stated.
The Pines mobile homes had varying levels of water intrusion during the storm surge from Hurricane Helene in September.
At an Oct. 17 city commission meeting, Pines residents had been told that FEMA guidelines related to any water covering the floors caused by a hurricane deemed their structures as having major damage. Based on those guidelines, and prior to interior inspections, they were deemed substantially damaged and subject to a city floodplain ordinance requiring elevation of the mobile homes.
”After the city’s initial reaction to what FEMA representatives said, the city has been fair, especially Darin Cushing,” Pines mobile homeowner Elayne Armaniaco said on Dec. 13. “Darin has been an advocate for fairness in the FEMA process.”
On Dec. 13, a representative for Pines ownership, Pines Park Investors LLC, had no comment on the matter.
Pines homeowner Ryan Pfahler said on Dec. 5 that he and others were hesitant to move forward with repairs until they receive guarantees from the park ownership about the continued existence of the park, along with having other issues addressed.
One of those issues included parking.
Owned by Shawn Kaleta, one of the owners of the Pines Trailer Park, the parking lot at 201 First St. N., used by close to half of the Pines residents, was recently converted to a public paid parking lot. Those Pines residents’ annual paid parking passes, at a cost of $750 a year, will expire on Dec. 31.
“Many of the residents currently have no parking available,” Pfahler wrote in a Dec. 13 text message to The Sun. “It appears that the LLC park owners have converted the only parking lot into a public pay-by-the-hour parking lot, further inconveniencing residents and creating logistical challenges.”
Pfahler said on Dec. 13 that he is awaiting clarification about the parking issue and said other issues at the park also need to be addressed.
“There is no park manager in place, nor has any plan been communicated regarding who residents should address for concerns or emergencies,” he wrote and he is asking park ownership for the following:
• “Provide immediate clarification on who is managing the park and how residents can raise concerns or issues;
• Clearly communicate the landowner’s long-term plans for the park;
• Provide written guarantees or commitments regarding lot rent stability and park longevity;
• Address plans for repairing and maintaining shared facilities and services;
• Restore resident parking or provide an alternative parking solution; and
• Commit to consistent, transparent communication regarding park developments and resident concerns.”
ANNA MARIA – The first of two city-sponsored “Ring in the Recovery” events drew residents and visitors to Pine Avenue on Saturday afternoon.
A second “Ring in the Recovery” event is scheduled on Saturday, Dec. 21 from 1-5 p.m.
The events are a celebration of the Anna Maria businesses that have reopened since the city was struck by hurricanes Helene and Milton in late September and early October.
‘Barb the elf,’ Mrs. Claus and Santa welcomed Mayor Mark Short. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Mayor Mark Short invited Santa Claus to sit outside the Anna Maria Historical Museum and visit with youngsters, who were also given gifts. Santa (played by Anna Maria General Manager Dean Jones) was joined by Mrs. Claus (his wife, Laurie) and a helpful elf (Administrative Assistant Barbara Jeffries), whose son, Jackson, handed out candy canes while Mike Sales performed Christmas songs.
Mike Sales performed Christmas music. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“We’re trying to show how much we’ve recovered from the hurricanes and we want to promote the businesses along Pine Avenue and throughout Anna Maria. The city is helping get the word out that they are open for business,” Short said. “This is our first celebration. We’ll have another one next Saturday and we hope to see more people here as we ring in the holiday season.”
Short was joined on the museum grounds by his wife, Pat, and several family members who later visited many Pine Avenue businesses.
Attendees included London residents Kelly and Ramanan Rajamanohara and their infant son, Rory.
London residents Kelly and Ramanan Rajamanohara and their infant son, Rory, visited Santa. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Originally from Scotland, Kelly said she’s been visiting Anna Maria since she was 17 or 18 years old. She said they considered postponing their trip, but ultimately decided to vacation on Anna Maria Island as planned.
“My uncle came in the middle of November and said everything was quickly cleaned up,” she said. “It seems a lot quieter, but more businesses are up and running than I expected, which is impressive.”
Ramanan noted more businesses have reopened since they arrived.
Retired U.S. Marine Christian Ulanch and Michigan resident Laurie Schaal said hello to Santa. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Anna Maria resident and retired U.S. Marine Christian Ulanch posed for a photo with Santa, joined by his friend Laurie Schaal, who made a weekend escape from the winter weather in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Schaal asked Santa for some sunny weather before she returned to Michigan on Monday.
BUSINESS RECOVERY
Across the street from the museum, The Island Cabana retail store that reopened on Black Friday had several customers inside browsing and buying.
The Island Cabana is open for business. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Next door, AMI Outfitters owner Jennifer Hagey said she and her husband, David, also reopened their store on Black Friday. She said business has been slow but she hopes business will pick up as more vacation rental guests return.
AMI Outfitters owner Jennifer Hagey is happy to be open again.- Joe Hendricks | SunSloane, Harlow and Emmy Self visited AMI Outfitters. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“It’s just nice to be open again,” she said.
Like most ground-level businesses along Pine Avenue, AMI Outfitters suffered storm surge-related water damage.
“A week before Thanksgiving, we had 4 feet of drywall cut out. We lost furnishings and we lost inventory. We weren’t starting from scratch, but it was pretty close. We appreciate the visitors and the local support we’ve been getting and it’s great to see the locals coming back in,” Hagey said.
Olive Oil Outpost owner Kelly Kari reopened her business on Dec. 10. – Joe Hendricks Sun
Olive Oil Outpost owner Kelly Kari said, “We opened on Tuesday and today we’re just getting things more in order, having our doors open, welcoming everybody back and trying to get our rhythm back that we’ve had for the last 15 years. We took on about 2 feet of water. We had to have the drywall replaced and mold mitigation done. We had to buy new refrigeration equipment and new fixtures but it feels good to be open again. We specialize in olive oil, but we also have wine, cheeses, meats, pastas and pasta sauces,” she said.
She’s keeping her fingers crossed for the upcoming holiday and tourist seasons and she said, “Come on out to Pine Avenue.”
AMI Beach & Dog Supply owner Janalee Gallagher’s dog, Dante, joined her for a photo-op.
AMI Beach & Dog Supply owner Janalee Gallagher said, “We got a foot-and-a-half to 2 feet of water – just enough to take out the drywall and the electrical. We lost most of our dog food and dog treats and our dog shirts, dog bandanas and those kinds of things absorbed a lot of the smell.
“We reopened two weeks before Thanksgiving and we were the first retail store open on Pine Avenue. I don’t know that it did us a lot of good, because there was no traffic, but we’re starting to see a lot of local folks coming out, which is fantastic. And I make sure to thank the people who are coming from out of town. I say thanks so much for not canceling your vacation. We’re glad to be here because some places aren’t coming back. We’re lucky.”
Kiersten Blandon and Hometown Desserts owner Cindy Tutterow worked outside the dessert shop, next to a pink Christmas tree. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Hometown Desserts owner Cindy Tutterow and her employee, Kiersten Blandon, had a table set up outside the dessert shop, next to a pink Christmas tree.
“Today we’re just taking Christmas orders and selling gift certificates and our pretty coffee mugs. We’re going to try to open next Saturday, the 21st,” Tutterow said. “We make all kinds of cakes, including our best seller, key lime coconut cake. We also make pies, cookies, decorated Christmas cookies and some gluten-free items too.”
Blandon said, “I’m excited. I miss working and seeing everybody coming into the shop.”
Shiny Fish Emporium owner Rebecca Preston reopened for Thanksgiving weekend after about 3 feet of water flooded the emporium and damaged her inventory, drywall and displays.
Shiny Fish Emporium owner Rebecca Preston appreciates being open again. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“It’s been quiet, but weekends are better and we are seeing some tourists,” she said.
When describing the emporium’s offerings, Preston said, “A little bit of wonderment. Resort wear, Christmas ornaments, comic books, crafts, European toys, sunglasses from Paris and artisan jewelry.”
Looking ahead to the holidays and the hoped-for peak tourist season, she said, “I’ve had people reach out and say they’re excited to come back and they’re excited the Island is coming back so quickly.”
On his 12th birthday, Gabriel Vasser and his loved ones visited Shiny Fish Emporium. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Imari Deadrick was part of a group of visitors from Detroit who were vacationing in Bradenton while celebrating Gabriel Vasser’s 12th birthday. They took a day trip to Anna Maria Island on Saturday and enjoyed lunch at the BeachHouse restaurant in Bradenton Beach before heading to Anna Maria, where they painted sand dollars while sitting outside Shiny Fish Emporium.
When asked if they had any concerns about their vacation plans, Deadrick said, “We were a little bit nervous, but we have social media now and that kept us updated on how it was looking down here. This is our first trip here and it looks really good. We’re checking off everything we had planned on our itinerary and we leave tomorrow.”
New York residents Kelly and Harper Blanco painted sand dollars at Shiny Fish Emporium. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Kelly Blanco and her daughter, Harper, also sat outside Shiny Fish Emporium painting sand dollars. They traveled from New York, were staying in Tampa for a soccer tournament and decided to take a day trip to Anna Maria.
“I’ve never been to Anna Maria. I love it. We’ll have to come back and stay with our whole family,” Kelly said.
Pizza Social owner Andrew Simonetti offers discounts for local customers. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Pizza Social owner Andrew Simonetti said they reopened the Sunday before Thanksgiving after suffering about 2 feet of water intrusion that damaged their equipment, coolers and the electrical components in the pizza oven. He and his manager did all the restoration work themselves to avoid being on someone else’s timeline.
“It feels good to be open and running a pizzeria again,” Simonetti said. “Business isn’t what it was, but we’ll build back up as more vacation rental homes become available. And we offer a year-round discount to locals. Let us know you’re a local and we’ll apply a discount to your order.”
Nong Klainthind, Woody Tajawandee and Ton Ton Chueakuna represented Sushi Ramen. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The Sushi Ramen restaurant on Gulf Drive is now open and during Saturday’s event, owner Woody Tajawandee and employees Ton Ton Chueakuna and Nong Klainthind set up a table in front of Lazy Turtle Beach Rentals on Pine Avenue and served free samples of chicken curry on rice.
Lazy Turtle Beach Rentals and Anna Maria Island Tours Operations Manager Tom “T-Bone” Anderson said he reopened soon after Hurricane Milton.
“Our building was just high enough that we’ve been able to be open the whole time,” he said. “We had a good Thanksgiving week but the lead up to Christmas is always slow. We’re looking to be busier the week after Christmas.”
Looking ahead to the peak tourist season, he said, “We’ll be back on track just like every other year.”
Pineapple Marketplace vendor Sam Heil is pleased with the progress made. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The multi-vendor Pineapple Marketplace reopened on Dec. 11, and Reclaimed Soul vendors Sam (Samantha) and Jim Heil were there Saturday.
“We’re just excited to be open again. I think we look good considering how we looked a couple months ago,” Sam said, noting some vendors are still bringing back their inventory.
Jim said he and AMI Guy vendor Mark McConnell replaced all the water-damaged display walls that also help separate the vendors.
Kristen Curtis is part of the Beach Bums team. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Next door, the floors inside Beach Bums are being replaced but their golf cart, bike and kayak rentals and limited retail sales are still taking place out on the front deck. Manager Kathy Manning said they hope to be back inside again by Christmas.
The Anna Maria General Store, Dips Ice Cream and gRub Tropical BBQ are open. At the nearby Bayview Plaza, Two Sides of Nature and AMI Cool Beans have reopened and Two Scoops ice cream will reopen this week. The neighboring Waterfront restaurant also recently reopened. At the other end of Pine Avenue, North Shore Café, Poppo’s Taqueria and The Donut Experiment have reopened.
BEYOND PINE AVENUE
Around the corner, The White Egret home interior store at 10006 Gulf Drive owned by Barbara and John Jaeger reopened Saturday. They also own the Egret’s Nest clothing boutique next door.
The White Egret lost its roof during Hurricane Milton.
“All the merchandise we had was put upstairs because we thought we’d get a bigger surge than Helene, so we lost tons of inventory,” John said.
On a brighter note, he said, “We’ve been open since 10 o’clock today. It feels great. We scrambled for a good month trying to get this place ready to go. We were going to try to open the Egret’s Nest first, but the roof leaked during the last rainstorm. We hope to reopen that in January.”
White Egret employees Pamela Kimmey, Cindy Wright and Jackie Wurster are thrilled to be open again. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Director of Operations Pamela Kimmey said, “We are thrilled to be here. It’s been a great day. We have a great team that worked tirelessly to get it to look like this today. We combined the two stores for now, so we have clothing, jewelry, handbags, home interior items, artwork, lamps, gift cards and all our Christmas items. People come in year-round to take a Christmas ornament home as a token of their vacation.”
The reopened businesses along Gulf Drive also include the Nomad Collection, Bortell’s Lounge, Harry’s Grill, the Mademoiselle Paris restaurant, The Porch restaurant, the Beach Hut convenience store, Q’s Beach Boutique, Robin Hood Rentals and Slim’s Place, with Ginny’s and Jane E’s Café reopening on Wednesday, Dec. 18. The Grand Pavilion at Sandbar, at the end of Spring Avenue, has also reopened.
BRADENTON – Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge #2188 and Bradenton Moose Lodge #1223 teamed up to bring holiday joy to area children on Dec. 14.
As was the case with the AMI lodge’s annual kid’s Halloween party, the Christmas party was again held at the Bradenton lodge because lodge #2188 in Bradenton Beach suffered significant damage during hurricanes Helene and Milton and remains closed for the foreseeable future.
The lodges also joined forces for the 2023 kids’ Halloween party while the AMI lodge’s dining room floor was being replaced.
One of these youngsters correctly guessed how many pieces of candy were in the tumbler. – Joe Hendricks | SunEliana, 2, received a visit from Rudolph. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
42 children attended Saturday’s party. Upon arrival, each child was asked to guess the number of candies contained in a tumbler sitting on the table. Malcolm Riti hit it right on the head when he guessed 30 pieces. The kids also received gingerbread-themed stickers and sticker sheets. They were treated to a breakfast of French toast sticks before Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer arrived, which led to the children singing Rudolph’s theme song.
Sandra Zenzel read “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” – Joe Hendricks | SunWhen Natalie later opened her present, she discovered a My Look sparkling gem hair styler. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Before Santa arrived, AMI lodge member and event volunteer Sandra Zenzel read aloud “ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The kids were then asked to sing “Here’s Comes Santa Claus” to greet Santa as he and Mrs. Claus arrived. After taking his seat, Santa visited with the children and each child received a gift selected specifically for them.
Amani, 7, received a gift from Santa. – Joe Hendricks | SunSeven-year-old Amani received a makeup kit. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
As the festivities wound down, AMI lodge Administrator Byron Dalton noted the annual children’s parties are part of the Moose organization’s mission to serve the community. Dalton expressed appreciation for the Bradenton lodge’s partnership and the teamwork shared with lodge administrator Wanda Ayers. Ayers tended bar during Saturday’s party and served Bloody Marys and other adult beverages to some of the parents and grandparents in attendance.
Henry, 8, received a Terra remote-controlled spider. – Joe Hendricks | SunThese Women of the Moose members helped organized the party. Shown from left to right are Kathy Blair, Sandra Zenzel, Terri Dalton, Linda Rosso, Joanne Eyester. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Regarding the damaged lodge in Bradenton Beach, Dalton said the plan is to soon wall off the south end of the lodge so the social quarters (the bar area) and the upper deck can be used while waiting for the dining room to later be restored or reconstructed.
I was so impressed with the cartoon on page 6 of the Dec. 11 issue of The Sun. What a wonderful tribute to Hoss, the rescue beach horse that was killed on the way home from his “work.” I drive on the causeway almost daily and love seeing the horses in the water entertaining the tourists and their children. The cartoon made me sad but I also loved the image of Hoss wearing wings. I think he won his wings with the good work he did and is resting in Heaven (after leading Santa’s sled around AMI, of course).
During the tragedy that was Hurricanes Helene and Milton, there were many teams of helpers that were hired to pick up our precious memories that we had to place at our curbside. Most did a marvelous job, but one pair went above and beyond what they were paid to do.
Not only did Andrew and Carl pick up the accumulated debris, but my surveillance cameras show them sweeping my driveway and the street in front of my house.
Not only did they do this once, but they did this several more times and they said that their company did not pay them for their extra efforts.
Some residents complained when their trash truck got too close to their property while most of us were very grateful.
In the spirit of this Christmas season, I would like to use this GoFundMe Account to reward these two: https://gofund.me/df46af8b
ANNA MARIA – After nine weeks of regular season play, the fall adult co-ed soccer league heads into the “play-in” games to determine which eight teams will make the playoffs. With 10 teams in this season’s competition, the top four teams battle it out for the final two post-regular season spots.
Language Services Associates will face off against Sato Real Estate after tying against Moss Builders last week 3-3. Jana Whitehead, Juan Rodriguez and James Rodriguez scored for the Language Services team, while Stephen Adair, Erica Nielsen and Greg Moss put up the points for Moss Builders.
Sato Real Estate tied in their match up last week against the Gulf Drive Café squad 5-5.
Helio Gomez scored a hat trick, with goals scored by teammates Eliza Faillace and Ian Godfrey for Gulf Drive Café.
Ben Sato and Jonathan Stern each had two goals for the Sato Real Estate team. Juan Vega had a solo goal in the tied ball game.
Playing the second play-in game, Gulf Drive Café and Hampton Paintings will square off on the Center pitch. Hampton Paintings lost by one goal last week against Bubble Binz.
Evelyn Long, Matt Staggs and Nate Welch did the scoring for Bubble Binz for the win. Daniel Hampton and Ethan Hampton put up the three points for the Hampton Paintings team.
AMI Dolphin Tours beat the Pool America team 4-2 last Thursday night. Scoring came off the boots of Robert Fellowes, Damir Glavan, Selena Gonzalez-Salinas and Cody Wright for team AMI Dolphin Tours.
Pool America’s two points were scored by Eduardo Schlueter and Lucas Wilson.
To close out the regular season, the top seed Solid Rock Construction team beat team Ross Built by one goal.
Scoring seven goals, Solid Rock secured its position in the playoffs. Julio Cantu and Alex Landy each scored two points, while teammates Jacek Czajkowski, Raul Loera and Keith Mahoney put the soccer ball past the Ross Built Custom Homes goalie.
Greg Ross and son Jake Ross each put two points on the scoreboard in their effort to topple their opponent. Mack Heitchue and Kevin Roman scored two points to help keep Ross Built in the game.
The first round of playoffs starts Thursday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. at The Center of Anna Maria Island. The champion will be named on Thursday, Dec. 19. Kickoff starts at 7 p.m.
