ANNA MARIA – A signed contract is now in place for the installation of brick paver sidewalks along Pine Avenue, between Gulf Drive and North Shore Drive, where no paved sidewalks currently exist.
Where applicable, the brick paver sidewalks will follow the same unpaved meandering paths that veer away from Pine Avenue and closer to the business entrances. New crosswalks will also be installed in the initial phase of the multi-phase sidewalk installation project. The existing concrete sidewalks in that area will remain in place for now and be replaced later in a future phase of the Reimagining Pine Avenue safety improvement project.
On Aug. 22, the Anna Maria City Commission authorized Mayor Dan Murphy to sign a contract with Eason Builders Group owner Scott Eason for the initial phase of the multi-phase project.
In reference to the city’s long-protracted efforts to secure a suitable and affordable sidewalk installer, Murphy paraphrased a famous World War II statement made by United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill and said, “It’s the end of the beginning on Pine Avenue.”
The unpaved pedestrian paths will be replaced with brick paver sidewalks. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
For the first one-block portion of the sidewalk and crosswalk installation project, Eason Builders Group bid $233,704, Mali Construction bid $272,796 and C-Squared construction bid $665,290. On July 25, the city commission authorized Murphy to meet with Eason as the mayor and commission’s first choice to do the initial phase of the project. After some additional fact-finding and contract negotiations, Murphy, on Aug. 22, sought city commission authorization to sign the contract with the Eason Builders Group that had already been reviewed and approved by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) as the state agency overseeing the city’s expenditure of the state appropriations that will fund the majority of the Reimagining Pine Avenue project. Murphy said the signed contract would be sent to FDOT so the state agency can issue a notice to commence.
“I expect to get all that done quickly so Scott can begin work and we have this come to fruition,” Murphy told the commission.
Eason’s wife and young son accompanied him to the meeting.
When introducing himself to the commission, Eason, a Holmes Beach resident, said, “I’ve got a seven-month-old boy and what I realized in the past seven months is I’m walking a lot more than I ever have in my entire life. I’m pushing a stroller.”
Eason applauded the mayor for working so hard on the Reimagining Pine Avenue project and not accepting the single bids received from C-Squared that were rejected by the city commission on four previous occasions.
“I’m an Island resident. I want to do this project. I very much care about this city and I think a walkable Pine Avenue is what we all want. We’d love this opportunity to do this work. I won’t let you down,” Eason told the commission.
In response to Eason’s stroller comments, Murphy said he watched his own daughters struggle to push his grandchildren’s strollers down Pine Avenue while headed to the beach at the end of the street.
“I didn’t understand why we had sand sidewalks out here. I’m looking forward to Scott doing a bang-up job and bringing this project home for us. I hope we can get it done quickly, efficiently and to everybody’s satisfaction,” Murphy said.
The commission then voted 4-0 in favor of authorizing the contract with Eason Builders Group, with Commissioner Charlie Salem recusing himself because he and his husband own two commercial properties along Pine Avenue.
The city is approaching the sidewalk installation project in four separate stages, with each stage covering a block or so of Pine Avenue. Bid proposals will soon be reviewed for the next stage that will extend from North Shore Drive to Crescent Drive, followed by another phase from Crescent Drive to Tarpon Street and another phase from Tarpon Street to Bay Boulevard.
MANATEE COUNTY – Anna Maria Island voters helped determine the winners of three key Republican primary races that saw Tal Siddique, George Kruse and Scott Farrington emerge with victories on Aug. 20.
Island voters joined voters countywide in rejecting several candidates associated with political consultant Anthony Pedicini and the divisive, developer-beholden political ideology that has defined county politics since the 2020 elections. Pedicini clients April Culbreath, Kevin Van Ostenbridge, James Satcher, Ray Turner and Steve Metallo lost their primary races.
District 3
Siddique defeated Culbreath in the District 3 county commission race. Siddique received 6,070 votes (61.07%) and Culbreath received 3,870 votes (38.93%). Siddique now faces Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker in the general election in November.
The District 3 commissioner directly represents a district that includes Anna Maria Island, Cortez, a portion of Longboat Key and portions of Bradenton. Of the 9,940 votes cast in the District 3 race, approximately 14% were cast by Anna Maria Island voters.
District 7
In the countywide at-large District 7 Republican primary, Kruse, the incumbent, received 24,225 votes (58.43%) and Van Ostenbridge received 17,232 (41.57%). Kruse now faces Democratic candidate Sari Lindroos- Valimaki in the general election.
In late May, Van Ostenbridge dropped his District 3 reelection bid and chose instead to challenge Kruse in the countywide District 7 race. Culbreath then dropped out of the District 7 race and entered the District 3 race instead.
Supervisor of elections
In the Supervisor of Elections race open to Republican voters countywide, Farrington received 24,327 votes (58.79%) and Satcher received 17,051 (41.21%). With no Democratic candidate in the general election, Farrington’s primary victory means he’ll return to his former workplace on Jan. 7.
Farrington spent 12 years working at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office before resigning in April after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher, then the District 1 county commissioner, to serve the remaining months of the four-year term that long-time supervisor Mike Bennett vacated in March. Despite his primary loss, Satcher will remain in office until Jan. 7 and will still oversee the upcoming general election.
School board
Island voters helped determine the top two vote-getters in the non-party-affiliated District 3 school board race. Charlie Kennedy received 7,370 votes (47.53%). Jon Lynch, a Pedicini client, received 4,655 (30.02%) and Anna Maria resident Perri Ann Parkman received 3,481 votes (22.45%). Because no candidate received 50%-plus-one additional vote, Kennedy and Lynch will face off in the general election.
Non-island races
Several other primary races were decided without input from Island voters. Seeking to fill the District 1 commission seat Satcher vacated, Carol Ann Felts defeated Steve Metallo in that Republican primary and now faces Democratic candidate Glenn Pearson and non-party-affiliated candidate Jennifer Hamey in the general election.
In the District 5 county commission race, Robert “Bob” McCann defeated DeSantis appointee Ray Turner and now faces non-party-affiliated candidate Joseph Di Bartolomeo in the general election.
Heather Felton and Mark Stanoch were the top two vote getters in the District 1 school board race and will face each other in the general election.
Voter turnout
Voter turnout was 24.86%, with 68,211 of Manatee County’s 274,383 registered voters participating in the primary. Voter turnout was 40% in Anna Maria, 36% in Holmes Beach and 33% in Bradenton Beach, with 1,411 of Anna Maria Island’s 3,848 registered voters casting votes.
According to the elections office, 2,316 non-Republican county voters switched their party affiliation to Republican to participate in the Republican primary.
Post-election reaction
“I am thrilled with the results of the election,” Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said. “Talk about a clean sweep! I feel the threat of a parking garage in our city has passed with the results of this election. I have great relations with all current candidates and they are all big supporters of home rule and assisting Holmes Beach as needed. I attended the watch party with Scott Farrington, George Kruse and Tal Saddique and it was a memorable and exciting night.”
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said, “The election turned out to be a great day for Manatee County and the Island cities. The winning candidates took the time to visit the city and look at the parking improvements we have completed. Those candidates spoke about their objection to the parking garage and the consolidation of the Island cities.”
Speaking on behalf of herself and her husband, Richard, Holmes Beach resident Margie Motzer said, “This was our best-case scenario; it was not only a clean sweep, but they were all very decisive wins. Those who care about good governance couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. It should not only send a message to the ‘developer darlings’ and their political consultant, but it was also a repudiation of the local developers backing them.
“In addition, it should send a clear message to the remaining commissioners that voters want good governance, fair representation, ethics, integrity, accountability and clean grassroots campaigns – not smear campaigns with a deluge of mailers and attack ads containing false or misleading information.
“We believe this election will go down in the history books. We believe the proposed parking garage will not have the same support it had under the commissioners who will be leaving office. However, we hope the whole experience will encourage a team effort between city and county officials to look at alternative solutions,” Motzer said.
Siddique reaction
“By running a grassroots campaign as a first-time, unknown candidate I knew I had a difficult path ahead of me,” Siddique said. “I believe this win can be attributed to having the right message, a strong work ethic and great local media that kept voters informed. Voters want someone who will represent them fairly instead of casting them aside for developers or special interest groups. I take the results as a signal that voters are tired of negative campaigning with fiery rhetoric. I was disgusted with the outright lies spread about my work history, the involvement of elected officials in supporting that campaign and the attacks on my wife. We have filed a number of cease-and-desist letters against SIMWINS (Pedicini) and other organizations and are not ruling out future legal action.
“I was in the room with George Kruse and Scott Farrington with dozens of our supporters on election night. As the results came in, I could feel hope and optimism fill the air throughout the night until we reached the crescendo when we realized that not only did Scott win, but that we would see a total shift on the board of county commissioners. I am grateful to all the local journalists, volunteers, political clubs, community organizations, grassroots Facebook groups and Manatee County voters for having the courage to act and fight for their community,” Siddique said.
Farrington reaction
“I am incredibly humbled by the trust that the voters have placed in me,” Farrington said. “I believe the outcome of the election shows the voters want to trust their elections office. I was very optimistic going into election day, but the margin was greater than I expected.”
Regarding the campaign tactics utilized by SIMWINS and Satcher’s campaign, Farrington said, “These tactics are designed to affect the less informed voter; and in my conversations, it seemed more voters had taken an interest and become involved. However, the ads and mailers were constant and deceptive and I didn’t discount that they would have an effect. I hope the outcome of this election will set a new tone for future campaigns. I believe these results prove that you do not need to bombard voters with constant negativity, and it shows that voters want engaged candidates that are willing to communicate and speak to them.”
Looking ahead to the general election to be conducted under Satcher’s supervision, minus four elections office employees that Satcher fired after the primary election, Farrington said, “I want the November election to go well. I am concerned about what I have read in the letters from the staff and I am concerned about the lack of knowledge that the office now has.”
Kruse reaction
“Tuesday, Aug. 20 was a pivotal day for Manatee County. The entire community, regardless of party or affiliation, came together to show the special interests that we are now, and forever will be, an informed voter base,” Kruse said. “The tactics of recent election cycles will no longer convince unsuspecting voters to vote against their best interests. The collective efforts of everyone in our county have turned the tide of our government and our future for the better. I am excited and optimistic about the next four years and beyond for Manatee County. Thank you everyone for your efforts, your resolve and your support this primary season.”
MANATEE COUNTY – Interim Supervisor of Elections James Satcher fired one elections office employee as the primary election wound down and three more the following day.
On the evening of Aug. 20, vote-by-mail employee Mark Darnell was fired. On Aug. 21, 16-year elections office employee Chris Palmer was fired, as were long-time temporary employees Teresa Margraf and Harriet “Heddy” Darnell, Mark Darnell’s mom. None of the fired employees were given a reason for their dismissal.
The firings occurred after Satcher was defeated in his bid to be Manatee County’s next duly elected Supervisor of Elections. That office will instead go to former Supervisor of Elections Chief of Staff Scott Farrington.
Farrington defeated Satcher in the Supervisor of Elections Republican primary race by 7,276 votes. With only a write-in challenger in the general election, Farrington will assume the supervisor’s role on Jan. 7, but Satcher remains in charge of the elections office through and beyond the general election in November.
In April, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher, a county commissioner at the time, to finish the remaining months of the four-year term that Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett vacated when he retired in March. At the time, Satcher had no experience managing an elections office or running an election. Farrington resigned after Satcher’s appointment and ran for office.
Plea to DeSantis
On Aug. 23, Heddy Darnell sent a 1,300-word email to DeSantis, the Florida Division of Elections and the Florida Commission on Ethics.
In part, Darnell’s email said, “This is a plea from the voters and people in Manatee County. We are asking you to please remove James Satcher as supervisor of elections as soon as possible. He lost the primary to Scott Farrington and has now fired four people in retaliation.”
James Satcher suffered a resounding loss in the primary election. – Manatee County | Submitted
Darnell’s email also said, “The voters have spoken in Manatee County. Please help the county before more damage is done. Mr. Satcher needs to be removed. Scott Farrington needs to be put in command of this election in November. Mr. Satcher’s retaliation is hurting innocent people personally and financially. Please hear us.”
Ex-employees speak
On Aug. 23, The Sun spoke with Darnell about her firing. The Sun also spoke with Palmer and Margraf, who were together at the time.
Darnell had worked at the elections office since 2016. During the election cycles that take place every two years, she begins working full-time in February, takes a couple of months off during the slow period, returns in July and works through the November election. Her duties included data entry, registering new voters, making changes to voter records, answering voter questions and more.
“I was fired at about quarter to five on Wednesday, the day after the election. I was told my services were no longer needed. Period,” Darnell said.
She then shared her observations on Satcher’s performance, spending habits and the work environment he created.
“He was never there. He was there maybe 10% of the time, making $176,000 a year. He was very egotistical. He had the walls painted a particular color blue because it made his eyes pop. He bought a podium that he was going to use to speak in a room about the size of a large living room. He thought he was going to speak to his fans and his people that elected him, but it never got used because he never got elected,” Darnell said.
Regarding Satcher’s handpicked chief of staff, David Ballard, Darnell said, “Satcher pretty much dumped the whole show on him. Ballard’s very cocky. He’d come in with a baseball hat on backwards, just strutting around and issuing orders and being a big shot. It was uncomfortable and nobody knew quite how to talk to him.”
Satcher hired 24-year-old Jonathan Clendenon to be his IT (information technology) director.
“He was pretty much a snitch. All he’d do was walk around and listen to people and report back to Satcher. Jonathan couldn’t figure out how to work the printers so Satcher bought all new ones for early voting,” Darnell said.
Satcher also hired Vinola Rodrigues as the election office’s new public information officer.
“All she did was work on his campaign,” Darnell said.
When asked if she hopes to return for the 2026 elections, Darnell said, “Yes, I’d like to go back. I enjoy the voters. I enjoy the work and I’m very knowledgeable. I’m retired and it supplements my income. It’s only every other year that I work, but it’s a great opportunity.”
Palmer began working at the elections office when Bob Sweat was the supervisor. She then worked the entirety of Mike Bennett’s tenure as supervisor. Palmer is a Master Florida Certified Election Professional and was the voter service supervisor.
“I have never had any concerns with Mr. Sweat and Mr. Bennett. I had complete confidence that everything was above-board. I was proud to be in that office and I knew things were going to be done properly,” she said.
Palmer was fired at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Aug. 21.
“Ballard and Jonathan came up to my desk and Ballard said, ‘Your services are no longer required. Here’s your boxes. Pack them up and get out.’ I was in shock. After I got over the shock, I chased him down and said, ‘Tell me what I’ve done.’ He said, ‘Your services are no longer required.’
“In 16 years, I’ve had no write-ups and no warnings. None of us who got fired got any warnings. To fire people because you’re mad about losing the election is crazy and it can’t continue. We are good people in that office. If I could get a free lawyer, I’d sue in a heartbeat,” Palmer said.
Palmer hopes to return to the elections office when Farrington returns, but she’s concerned about the loss of income between now and then and she’s filing for unemployment benefits.
“I loved that job. I loved what I did,” she said.
Margraf was fired in a similar fashion.
She and Palmer said that Satcher didn’t show up for work the day after the election.
“He doesn’t have the guts to do things himself. He sends Ballard or Jonathan to do his dirty work,” Margraf said.
When recalling her first encounter with Satcher, Palmer said, “He walks in with a Bible and puts it on the table and tells us this story about how he’s a minister and his wife saves strippers. That was our first impression. I’m a Christian, but I believe in separation. I have my beliefs and my partisan beliefs, but I don’t take them to work. He has no boundaries. He doesn’t turn it off.
“They have their doors locked almost all day. Almost everything they do is behind closed doors. That, to me, was a bad sign,” Palmer said. “Mr. Bennett and Scott Farrington rarely had their doors closed and never had them locked. They had nothing to hide.”
Palmer said Satcher yelled at her during a managers’ meeting after she told him his plan to open satellite offices in Parrish and Lakewood Ranch before the primary election was “crazy.”
“He just lit into me. I held it together, but I was in tears later. I’ve never had a boss talk to me like that,” Palmer said.
“I learned that I’m not allowed to have an opinion and I’m certainly not allowed to voice anything different than what he wants,” Palmer said, noting her beloved workplace became a “dictatorship.”
“We’ve got 78 days before the general election and they let go of one of their most knowledgeable employees. I was the supervisor and I took care of everything in that department. Satcher and Ballard do not understand the procedures of the office,” Palmer said.
“They have no clue,” Margraf added.
As for who will fill the four recently-vacated positions, Palmer said, “New people that don’t know what they’re doing.”
“After Satcher got appointed, a lot of our poll workers who’d been here for years refused to work under him, so they were scrambling right up to the end trying to train new poll workers,” Margraf said.
When asked if they were nervous about the primary election being conducted properly, Palmer said, “Yes. Definitely.”
“Everybody was nervous about it. A lot of people in the office can’t speak up because they need their jobs and they’re afraid,” Margraf added. “I don’t think things ran quite as smoothly as they normally do, but it did get done.”
“Satcher needs to be removed immediately and there’s a petition going around trying to get him removed,” Palmer said, with Margraf in agreement.
Bradenton Times Publisher Joe McClash has initiated a petition drive seeking Satcher’s removal. The online petition can be found here.
Bennett’s insights
When contacted by The Sun, Bennett said he’s willing to serve as the appointed supervisor until Jan. 7, if needed.
Regarding the firings, Bennett said, “He fired four people that combined had close to 30 years of experience. We’re going into one of the most controversial presidential races we’ve had in quite a while. You’re going to have an 80%-plus voter turnout. In the primary, they had a little less than 25%. You can imagine what’s going to happen when you have 80% turnout without having the people around to do it. Everybody can be replaced, but can they be replaced and pick up what they need to know in such a short period of time? No, they can’t. It’s a real shame. He is not a manager. A manager would have never done something so silly as to relieve so many important people going into the biggest election he’s ever going to have – and he only has one more,” Bennett said.
When asked if he’s concerned about the general election, Bennett said, “Yes, I have big concerns about it, especially if he fires one or two more people.”
MANATEE COUNTY – Manatee County’s Republican voters opted for change during today’s primary election.
In doing so, the county’s registered Republican voters rejected the far right, hyper-partisan political atmosphere that has dominated Manatee County politics since 2020.
Five of the primary losers utilized Anthony Pedicini’s Tampa-based Strategic Image Management (SIMWINS) political consulting firm.
Five of Anthony Pedicini’s six Manatee County clients lost their Republican primary races. – Submitted
The unofficial election results posted at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website must still be certified by the independent three-member canvassing board. Subject to potential change, the vote totals listed in this story were as of 8 p.m. Tuesday evening, with some mail ballots still being counted. Voter turnout was 23.57%, with 64,683 of Manatee County’s 274,385 registered voters participating in the primary election.
Supervisor of Elections
Former Supervisor of Elections Office Chief of Staff Scott Farrington will serve a four-year term as Manatee County’s next elected supervisor of elections, having defeated incumbent gubernatorial appointee James Satcher.
Scott Farrington will serve as Manatee County’s elected Supervisor of Elections. – Submitted
In the closed primary race that was open to registered Republican voters only, Farrington received 23,376 votes (58.92%) and Satcher received 16,299 votes (41.08%). Because there is no Democratic challenger in this fall’s general election, Farrington wins the supervisor of elections race.
County Commission races
Tal Siddique defeated April Culbreath in the District 3 county commission race that pitted two first-time candidates against each other in a closed primary race open only to registered Republicans who reside in District 3 – a district that includes Anna Maria Island, Cortez, a portion of Longboat Key and a portion of Bradenton.
Tal Siddique won the District 3 Republican primary. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Siddique received 5,783 votes (60.91%) and Culbreath received 3,712 votes (39.09%). Siddique will now face Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker in the District 3 general election race that concludes on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
George Kruse will continue serving as the District 7 county commissioner. – Submitted
Incumbent District 7 at-large Commissioner George Kruse defeated current District 3 Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge in the District 7 Republican primary race. Kruse received 23,245 votes (58.48%) and Van Ostenbridge received 16,503 votes (41.52%). Kruse will now face Democratic candidate Sari Lindroos-Valimaki in the general election.
Seeking to fill the District 1 county commission seat that Satcher vacated in April – when Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher to serve the remaining months of former Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett’s four-year term – Carol Ann Felts defeated Steve Metallo in the District 1 Republican primary. Felts received 5,427 votes (54.07%) and Metallo received 4,610 votes (45.93%). Felts will now face Democratic candidate Glenn Pearson and non-party-affiliated candidate Jennifer Hamey in the District 1 general election.
In the County Commission District 5 race, Robert “Bob” McCann defeated gubernatorial appointee Ray Turner. McCann received 5,744 votes (54.31%) and Turner received 4,833 votes (45.69%). McCann will now face non-party-affiliated candidate Joseph Di Bartolomeo.
Property Appraiser, Clerk, Sheriff
In a countywide race open to all voters, Incumbent Manatee County Property Appraiser Charles Hackney defeated Republican challenger Darin George. Hackney received 48,830 (80.98%) votes and George received 11,469 votes (19.02%).
Running unopposed, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller Angel Colonneso will serve another four-year term in that role. Running unopposed, Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells will serve another four-year term as sheriff.
School board races
Charlie Kennedy was the leading vote getter in the non-party-affiliated District 3 school board race. Kennedy received 6,970 votes (47.39%). Jon Lynch, a Pedicini client, received 4,426 votes (30.09%) and Anna Maria resident Perri Ann Parkman received 3,311 votes (22.51%). Because no candidate received a 50%-plus-one additional vote, Kennedy and Lynch will face off in the general election.
Heather Felton was the leading vote-getter in the District 1 school board race. Felton received 6,100 votes (38.96%), Mark Stanoch received 4,960 votes (31.68%) and Alex Garner received 4,596 votes (29.36%). Because none of these candidates secured a 50%-plus-one additional vote, the top two vote-getters, Felton and Stanoch, will face each other in the general election.
Island city races
The winners of the Anna Maria mayor’s race and the Holmes Beach city commission race will be determined in the general election this fall.
HOLMES BEACH – Judy Titsworth has already served three terms as mayor, but she’s not ready to step down yet.
Titsworth is up for re-election on the November ballot and after running unopposed in 2020 and 2022, this year, she’ll face challenger Mike Roth.
“I feel that the community still needs me,” Titsworth said about her reasons for running for re-election. She noted that in her time as mayor, the city has worked to improve its failing infrastructure, reached a healthy reserve amount in case of a natural disaster, and worked to improve water quality with the Islanders 4 Clean Water campaign. One of the thing’s she’s most proud of is the revitalization of City Field with the creation of a larger dog park, installation of a new playground, bocce ball, pickleball and shuffleboard courts and the skatepark.
“That’s proof of what the community can do when it comes together,” she said, indicating the skatepark and accompanying skate bowl were funded by community members.
With good people in office and working behind the scenes at city hall, Titsworth said she feels that the community can continue to take steps forward into a future with a good quality of life for both residents and visitors. She does not, however, support having a community manager.
Titsworth said that a community manager, one city manager serving all three Anna Maria Island cities, would mean that the cities are consolidated, something she strongly opposes unless the voters band together and decide that’s what they want to do. “If the voters want it and are in favor of it, I’ll support it,” she said of consolidation, though Titsworth added that she hopes it never comes to that. If consolidation did happen, she said it would not only put a lot of people out of work, but it could also cost taxpayers more money to implement than it would save, remove current community protections and remove the character of the three Island cities. She fears that hiring a single manager for the Island would either lead to consolidation or be a disaster for employees and property owners.
“That would be extremely messy and everything would run at a snail’s pace,” she said of hiring a community manager for the Island, noting that one person would have to manage time and responsibilities across all three cities working with three different governments. “Nothing would ever get done.”
She did say that she feels there are more ways that the three cities can work together and streamline efforts to the benefit of the community, something she’d like to work on if leaders in Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach are amenable to the discussion.
One of the issues that has plagued the city for the past few years is a strained relationship with Manatee County leaders, a problem that bled over into the city’s relationship with Florida state leaders.
Titsworth said that issues with the county stem back to four years ago when she refused to publicly endorse then-county commission candidate Kevin Van Ostenbridge. Now a county commissioner and also running for re-election, Van Ostenbridge took the dais for the first time by announcing his plans to oppose the city of Holmes Beach on a parking garage at the county-owned Manatee Beach. The issue has since escalated the issue to the state Legislature, which approved a bill allowing county leaders to build a three-story garage at the beach without regard for the city’s approval processes. The relationship between the county and city has continued to deteriorate over the years.
“The only thing that’ll change those relationships is to elect people who care about relationships back in office,” Titsworth said. “Local politics shouldn’t be Republican and Democrat. It should only be about quality of life issues. Once it became where quality of life wasn’t the focus, environment wasn’t the focus and all it was is greed and power, this is why we’re where we are today.”
“As hard as I’ve tried to mend a relationship, they don’t want a relationship with the city of Holmes Beach,” Titsworth said of the Manatee County commission. “It’s like you’re trying to make friends with a wall and there’s no breaking down that wall at this point. It’s up to the voters.”
Another issue facing the city is development, something that she said she doesn’t disapprove of but feels must be controlled to preserve the quality of life for the city’s residents.
“I’m not against development. I’m against out of control development. We’re always going to have change; we’re always going to have to adapt,” she said. “You have to be a good steward to the community you’re building in and that’s where we see that divide. They don’t care anymore. And that’s where I’m going to continue to fight for the citizens. I’m going to continue to fight for quality of life. If accepting money from certain funds means we’re trading off on quality of life, I’m not going to accept that money. We’re doing alright. Our population’s on the rise. People want to live in Holmes Beach. So, we’re making the right decisions.”
The biggest issue facing the city, she said, is water quality. And while she said she’d love to reduce the millage rate, she’s more concerned about funding infrastructure to help preserve properties on the Island for years to come.
Titsworth said she’d love to see everyone in the community step up to do their part to help improve water quality, including reducing impervious surfaces and installing native plants.
Titsworth will be answering questions from the community at The Sun’s Holmes Beach Candidate Forum on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. at city hall. Submit your questions by Monday, Aug. 26 to news@amisun.com.
HOLMES BEACH – Mike Roth may be a political newcomer on Anna Maria Island, but he has plans for what he’d like to see in the community if residents vote him in as mayor in November.
“I’ve been on-Island for over 20 years,” Roth said, noting that he and his family visited almost every weekend from their primary residence in Tampa. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he said their Holmes Beach house became their primary residence and it’s a move that neither he nor his wife have regretted. Roth made his career in the U.S. Army as a Green Beret before making the move to the Army Reserves and switching careers to banking. He said he still works as a banker with an office in Tampa though he enjoys working from home most of the time and says that his work and his training with the Reserves will not impact his ability to serve as the city’s mayor.
In fact, he said his retirement from an active military life is what enabled him to be able to run for mayor. “I’ve had people say you should run for mayor, but I couldn’t. Now I can.”
Once he retired from the military, Roth said he began attending city commission meetings and was happy giving suggestions during public comment until the parking garage at Manatee Beach discussion came up.
“It doesn’t even make sense to me why we don’t have someone outside of the Island agreeing with us that it’s a waste of money, it’s going to environmentally impact a great location and it’s going to be a real pain in the butt for Manatee County residents who normally park in that lot to not be able to use it for a couple of years while the construction is going on.”
When Mayor Judy Titsworth went to Tallahassee to speak with lawmakers before the bill was passed and didn’t sway any votes, Roth said he felt the city was facing a serious issue.
“That’s when I was like there’s something wrong,” he said. “I’ve got to figure out what it is and I’ve got to do something about it because I’m that person.”
Roth said a new injection of ideas and solutions could be what the community needs.
“No one comes here to start their political career,” he said, adding that, after speaking to some community members and Manatee County leaders, he feels that he can help to mend relationships with other political leaders.
“They made it very clear to me that it’s one individual,” he said, noting that while he doesn’t have an issue with any elected officials in Holmes Beach, some local politicians do, something that he would hope would change if he was elected as mayor.
“You can find creative solutions to bring both parties closer together or you can just ignore it,” Roth said. “From an outsider’s perspective, they believe that we’re not willing to compromise, we’re not willing to do anything to help Manatee County.”
One of his primary goals would be to create a better relationship among the city, the county and the state.
“We are their largest capital contribution but we have the smallest voice,” he said, noting that there are so few voters on the Island that without some give and take with Manatee County leaders, consolidation of the three Island cities would happen.
Roth said county leaders would like to have an Island-wide planner or manager, one person who would oversee planning and building to help bring agreements among the three cities to handle Island-wide ordinances. He said environmental impact would be another item that could be handled by the Island manager.
Over the next few years, Roth said it’s imperative for the three Island cities to work together and see what services can be consolidated and where resources can be shared, another goal of county commissioners.
“Manatee County is telling us they want us to do that,” Roth said. “The fact that we don’t want to do it doesn’t mean we just ignore that. And that’s going to be our problem. We have to have some level of compliance with the state of Florida and with Manatee County. We have to be able to communicate with them and keep them updated on what we’re trying to do because otherwise they can do something drastic like what they’re trying to do right now. I do believe both of those (consolidation and the parking garage) can go away. The biggest concern I have is, and I’ve asked the outside parties if they can wait until after the fifth (Nov. 5) because I really am just offering my capability, because if I don’t get elected, that’s fine. The powers that be have already told me what they plan on doing if I don’t win and I’m like okay, well the Island will be very different. May be good, may be bad, but most likely bad, in my opinion. And that’s what worries me. It’s not about me. It’s not about I’m so much better, so much smarter, so much faster. I’ve got a lot of experience in leadership and in business. I think both of them will apply here very rapidly. I do believe we have a good city government in general, I just think it needs a more professional way of handling things outside the Island and better communication with the county and the state of Florida.”
Other goals, he said, would be to incentivize owners to give city center businesses a facelift to make the area more appealing, work to conserve the environment and create better solutions to stormwater and tidal flooding.
Submit your questions to Roth for The Sun’s candidate forum at news@amisun.com.
Reel Time was conceived as a fishing column, a way to spread information on a passion that you and I as anglers and environmentalists share. I include environmentalists because with time, you begin to understand that protecting the resource is protecting the quality of the fishing we love. We all take up rod and reel in the hopes of catching fish, but for most anglers, just being “out there” is a big part of the experience. That experience has evolved for me, as reflected in this column’s emphasis on advocacy.
Now another threat has arrived in the form of huge sewage and wastewater releases occasioned by storms that bring rainfall amounts that easily overwhelm the failing infrastructure. While these have been referred to as 100-year storm events, the reality is they are increasing all over the world as temperatures rise. Case in point, the two “unprecedented” rain events that occurred in the last month. Then-Tropical Storm Debby alone resulted in 25 million gallons of wastewater and sewage being released into the Manatee River.
Raw sewage bubbles from a manhole on its way to the Manatee River during the passing of then-Tropical Storm Debby. – Submitted | Alex Conyers
Suncoast Waterkeeper Executive Director Abbey Tyrna was right on target when she made the following statement, “Florida’s wastewater technology is alarmingly unprepared for the increasingly frequent extreme weather events. The recent tropical storm with torrential rainfall is not an isolated incident; we’ve seen the devastating aftermath of Hurricanes Ian and Idalia, which led to massive amounts of sewage entering our surface waters. The pressing question is: how are state and local governments preparing wastewater infrastructure for the next extreme weather event? The state should collaborate with local governments to elevate infrastructure, create additional storage, ensure adequate backup power at lift stations, innovate filtration technology and reduce inflow and infiltration. Regrettably, these necessary actions are not being taken. Instead, the state is drafting rules that will place this outdated industry in charge of our drinking water supply. For more details, refer to the FDEP rulemaking site here and our comment letter here.
“Florida’s history of prohibiting references to climate change has set us back decades. We remain unprepared and will continue to be until we have leaders who prioritize resiliency on the Suncoast and throughout Florida. How many more storms must we endure before meaningful action is taken? We need leaders who have the vision to comprehend what needs to be done to protect our waters and can marshal the forces to make the changes.”
Tyrna is right on target and this need for leaders with vision circles right back to you and me, the voters. Unless and until we vet our candidates, and demand action and accountability, we’ll see the continued loss of the resources that enrich our lives and are the foundation of our economy. Vote water.
ANNA MARIA – Youth indoor soccer resumed last week after the Island recovered from the recent tropical storm. The action in the gymnasium brought the summer season to a close with two champions reigning, teams Positive Waves and AMI Outfitters.
The older kids started the week with the first round of playoffs with all four teams battling for the two slots in the final game of the season. After beating their opponents last Monday night, team Jiffy Lube and AMI Outfitters went head-to-head later in the week.
The Center’s 8- to 10-year-old league summer indoor soccer champions, team Positive Waves, are, back row from left, Coach Brooke Svoboda, Silas Whitehead, Parker Svoboda, Kellen Reed, Alexander Czajkowski and Assistant Coach Jacek Czajkowski. Front row from left are Ryan Greenberg, Sebastian Cordova, Caroline Svoboda and Kayleigh Fountain. – Monica Simpson | Sun
Last Tuesday night, the 8- to 10-year-olds had a night filled with indoor soccer play with the first round of playoffs between the Gulf Drive Café team and Progressive Cabinetry. Easily coming out on top, Gulf Drive faced the Positive Waves squad to determine which team would face team Shady Lady Horticultural Services in the big game.
Shady Lady Horticultural Services topped the Solid Rock Construction team in the first round of playoffs, allowing the team to play for the championship against Positive Waves.
Coming off their win against team Gulf Drive Café, the Positive Waves team was ready to face their opponent to earn the title. A solo goal off the foot of Enzo De-Oliveira, an assist by Grady Neidzwick, and nine saves by teammate Hudsen Smoljanovich just were not enough for Gulf Drive.
Positive Wave struck and scored with goals by Sebastian Cordova, Ryan Greenberg and Parker Svoboda. On defense, Kellen Reed protected his team’s goal, making nine critical stops and helping the Positive team capture the championship.
Also scoring three goals, team AMI Outfitters netted their championship title against Jiffy Lube 3-0. The Outfitters’ defense and goalkeeping of Jordan Tobey prevented their opponent from putting any points on the scoreboard.
Wes Saxon scored two of the three goals, with a single by Matthew Darak. Tobey made 11 saves in the big game.
Tobey’s counterpart on the Jiffy Lube team, Cohen Weber, tried to keep his team in the game with 16 nice stops as goalkeeper, but the team’s offense just could not make anything happen to score.
As the youth indoor soccer season ends, the adult co-ed flag football league enters the first round of playoffs. With all eight teams vying for the final two spots in the bracket, any of the contenders can come out on top as the league’s champion on Thursday, Sept. 5.
Aug. 9 was an interesting day. Manatee County was still cleaning up from the flooding and record-breaking rain from Debby and the mortgage rates hit the lowest level in over a year. What’s the connection? Well, you can’t predict a storm and you can’t predict mortgage rates.
We’ve been waiting for a long time for the day when we see interest rates decrease in any meaningful way. Well, it happened, but will it stick and will it shepherd in more rate cuts?
The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate declined significantly in August since hitting a 2024 high of 7.44% to start May. The average rate on the benchmark 30-year mortgage dropped 26 basis points from 6.73% to 6.47% for the week ending Aug. 8, according to Freddie Mac. This was the sharpest weekly decline in about nine months. A basis point is one one-hundredth of a percentage point.
The key factors here are that home prices nationally fell last year to their lowest level in nearly three decades and 2024 has not been much of an improvement. In addition, mortgage rates have roughly doubled since the Federal Reserve began its campaign to curb inflation in early 2022. This increase in rates has pushed up the monthly cost to borrow for a home, blocking buyers who do not qualify for the additional monthly cost. Finally, the other elephant in the real estate room is the inventory of homes for sale. They have been slowly rising but they remain well below historical averages.
Some mortgage advisors say this is happening faster than expected and predict the central bank will approve one rate cut later this year. This should prompt a gradual easing of mortgage rates, but Freddie Mac still expects mortgage rates to remain above 6.5% through the end of the year and then decrease below 6.5% in 2025.
Fannie Mae predicts the rates will average 6.8% in the third quarter and 6.7% in the fourth quarter. They feel this downward trend will continue into the next year, averaging 6.5% in the first quarter of 2025.
The National Association of Realtors thinks rates will average 6.9% in the third quarter and 6.5% for the fourth quarter, going up to 6.7% by the end of the year. In addition, Chief Economist Lawrence Yun says the second half of 2024 will experience moderately lower mortgage rates, higher home sales and stabilizing home prices.
The Mortgage Bankers Association says rates will average 6.8% in the third quarter, going down to 6.6% in the fourth quarter and continue trending downward next year.
All the above is pretty much in agreement, but one of the most interesting opinions came from Melissa Cohn, regional vice president at William Raveis Mortgage, who was interviewed by a Forbes advisor. She hopes mortgage rates will hover in the 5% range next year, but says the presidential election could factor into it, something I have also heard from local brokers. Fiscal policies could impact inflation, which hopefully can stick at 2%, allowing for reduced interest rates for the next five years.
Nevertheless, she feels that when the rates come down, there will be another hot housing market where there are more buyers than sellers, jacking up prices since the problem of low inventory has not been resolved.
Everyone is still holding their breath for the next several months and waiting to see what the Federal Reserve is signaling for next year. Aug. 9 hit a low and a 6.5% rate may not be 3.5%, but it’s better than 7.5% and may just be enough to get everyone moving. Now on to the next storm.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring has completed a post-storm assessment of the turtle nests remaining on the beach after what was then Tropical Storm Debby passed by, and they are still hopeful for a near-record season.
The final tally was 479 nests still incubating on the beach at the time of the storm. Of the total 683 nests that were laid, 202 had already hatched. Turtle Watch volunteers documented 182 nests washed out, and 68 nests that are possibly still viable were restaked, according to Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella in an Aug. 17 email.
“Prior to the storm, we secured the nest stakes and made sure that all nests were marked with a special GPS that we received funding for from an anonymous donor,” Mazzarella wrote. “The GPS documented the location of the nest with high accuracy which makes it very easy to accurately refind and repost nests that lost their stakes in the storm. After the storm passed, we picked up approximately 1,000 nest stakes that were pulled out from the heavy surf.”
Nest inventories are conducted three days after a hatch. Turtle Watch volunteers count the eggs inside the nest to determine the hatch success.
“Having missed two days of patrol, on 8/7 we had 27 inventories to complete – 19 were completed and eight were unable to be found,” Mazzarella wrote. “We used the new GPS’s to locate nests and determine which ones were washouts and which ones could be reposted.”
In the past week, Turtle Watch documented one new nest and three false crawls, along with 31 nest hatches.
“We are hopeful that we will still have a near record season, with 255 nests still incubating on the beach, combined with the 202 nests that have already hatched, we will have more nests than last year (2023 had 404 nests)” she wrote. “However, to make this a successful season, we will need the help of the public and visitors to ensure that hatchlings make it safely into the Gulf.”
Rolland traveled to Dewey Beach, Delaware for the annual tournament that took place this year Aug. 9-11. Rolland, 31, competed in the Grandmasters division that featured 13 amateur competitors 30-39 years old who came from around the country to participate. Rolland won his quarterfinal heat on Friday, his semi-final heat on Saturday and the final heat on Sunday.
“On Friday, the waves were absolutely terrible because of the remnants of Hurricane Debby. The waves were decent in size but the conditions were really windy, rainy, nasty and choppy. It got really glassy and clean on Saturday and Sunday and it was beautiful weekend,” Rolland said.
“They score you on your three best waves. I probably ran 10 waves in each heat. The goal is to get on your board and do as many tricks and maneuvers as you can while connecting to a wave, surfing out and doing as many tricks as you can on your way back to the beach. You start on the beach with a running start. Dewey Beach has a nice little slope, kind of like a mini-ramp, so you get a lot of speed running downhill towards the water. You jump on your board, slide out to the waves and try to time it right so you get the biggest and best ride. This is my second time winning this event. I try to do this one as often as possible. This is probably my fifth or sixth time competing in this event,” he said.
Brandon Rolland received a medal for his winning efforts.
“I’ve had friends tell me I should go pro but I’ve always felt like I still need to do more to earn it. There’s people that have entered the pro ranks that haven’t really climbed the ladder the way things used to be. Anyone can enter as a pro but there’s kind of an unwritten rule that you don’t go pro until you’re dominating your division, which for me is starting to happen. I’ve won my division several times. It’s a thought, but not yet,” he said.
Rolland started skimboarding when he was 14.
“I actually learned to skim on the Manatee County Golf Course. When I was old enough, I’d take the bus to the beach by myself and take the trolley up and down the Island. I’d skim on the north end by White Avenue and the Sandbar restaurant and then come up to Coquina and skim the groins,” he said.
When asked what he likes about skimboarding, Rolland said, “The connection to the beach and the water and being able to express myself and blow off steam. It’s creative and it’s an adrenaline rush when you’re riding the waves. I love being on the beach and I grew up on the water. I also like to surf and I enjoy watersports.”
At this stage in his life, Rolland has to balance his love of skimboarding with his work responsibilities.
“I try to do the Shore Pound Throwdown tournament in Sebastian Inlet that’s put on by Shore Pound in the spring and then this one in August. I try to get to both of those if I can. I used to do the tour non-stop and go to every single event,” Rolland said of the annual tour that consists of five or so tour stops.
“I won the entire tour in 2019 but working at the restaurant makes it tougher to do that. Winning this year sparked that desire again and I do want to try the tour again. Skim USA puts on the tour events and there’s also the United Skim Tour,” he said.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Former City Pier bait shop bartender Brian Blaine passed away on Aug. 4 at the age of 51.
The Bradenton resident is survived by his significant other of nearly four years, Jill Anderson. Brian, who never married, also leaves behind his 12-year-old daughter, Molly Ann Blaine, and his 18-year-old son, William Robert Blaine, both of whom live with their mom in Bradenton.
“He loved to take Molly to the Bridge Street Pier and she’d throw pennies at the heart-shaped rock in the water like a wishing well. She also loved going to the Moose with us. He loved that little girl like no other,” Jill said.
Molly Ann Blaine loved her father, Brian Blaine. – Brian Blaine/ Facebook | Submitted
A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, Sept. 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Drift In in Bradenton Beach. Attendees are invited to bring a covered dish to share, along with their memories of Brian. Steve Paradis will provide the live music in honor of his late friend.
“The Drift In was like home to Brian. That was like family. We were there every day. We spent Christmas and Thanksgiving there. He loved that bar. Brian didn’t want a funeral service. He wanted me to spread his ashes at the City Pier and have a celebration at the Drift,” Jill said.
“Brian was a wonderful man and a good friend to all,” Drift In manager Doreen Flynn said.
Beer on the pier
Brian sold bait, tackle and beer at the City Pier bait shop in Anna Maria for about six years when Mario Schoenfelder leased the city-owned City Pier Restaurant and bait shop buildings. He was among those displaced from their jobs when the City Pier was closed in September 2017 and later replaced due to damage inflicted by Hurricane Irma, including the loss of the bait shop roof.
In 2017, Hurricane Irma ripped the roof off the City Pier Restaurant bait shop. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
A few months later, on Thanksgiving morning, Brian, a former executive recruiter, and his former co-workers gathered at Bayfront Park to catch up and check in on each other.
In 2017, the displaced City Pier Restaurant employees gathered at Bayfront Park on Thanksgiving morning. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“The pier is a magical place for us. It was my favorite place in the world. It’s the worst I’ve been paid, but the best corner office I ever had,” he said that day before passing out lottery tickets as holiday gifts.
City Pier Restaurant General Manager David Sork received a Thanksgiving lottery ticket from Brian Blaine in 2017. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The new pier opened in mid-2020. Under new management, the City Pier Grill and bait shop opened later that year but Brian never worked there again.
David Sork was the general manager of the old City Pier Restaurant and bait shop. He now works at the Ugly Grouper in Holmes Beach.
“Brian wasn’t nearly as interested in the fishing end of things as he was in entertaining folks and pouring beers,” Sork said. “We were a big family out there and a lot of folks became really good friends. We came together for a common objective: to make a living and have a good time. Brian was incredibly friendly. He built relationships with the customers and had a lot of regulars. He absolutely loved that job and he did it well. He’d serve you a beer and a smile and engage in conversation. He was a happy-go-lucky guy and I’m glad he walked into my life.”
In early May, Brian posted on Facebook a photo of himself, Sork and former City Pier Restaurant staffer Rockey Corby. He referenced Sork and Corby as “the two greatest bosses ever in my life.”
Former City Pier Restaurant employees David Sork, Brian Blaine and Rockey Corby met up in early May. – Brian Blaine/Facebook | Submitted
When discussing his final visit with Brian, Sork said, “Rock and I got together with Brian and Jill a few months ago at the Drift In. We had a good time and it was nice to reminisce and laugh. There was always a big smile on that boy’s face.”
Trevor Peres owns and operates the T-Bone’s Famous Smokin’ Bar-B-Que food truck at Keyes Marina. He also plays rhythm guitar in the famous death metal band, Obituary. After moving to Holmes Beach in 2010, Peres met Brian while fishing at the pier.
After meeting at the City Pier Restaurant bait shop, Trevor Peres and Brian Blaine became good friends. – Jill Anderson | Submitted
“The City Pier had that cool little bait and tackle shop with a bar where you could buy beer. He loved beer, I loved beer, he played guitar and I played guitar, so we hit it off immediately and became friends,” Peres said.
“Brian was cool and funny. When he was bartending, children would come over with their parents and he’d tell the kids knock-knock jokes. I found out he was from New Jersey so I started calling him ‘Jersey,’ and I’d say it with a New Jersey accent. He liked that,” Peres recalled.
Peres helped Brian record some of his own original songs at a friend’s recording studio near Lakewood Ranch.
“He was a huge Grateful Dead fan. I’m more Celtic Frost and Slayer,” Peres said of their differing musical tastes.
Peres, now a Bradenton resident, last saw Brian about a year ago at Danny’s Pizzeria.
“He was leaving and had a piece of pizza crust in his hand. Being silly like he was, he threw it at me and it hit my windshield. I never saw him again, but I talked to him on the phone two weeks before he passed.”
Love story
Brian was born in Newton, N.J. and grew up in nearby Sparta.
“He had some trauma and bad times and needed to get away. He got in his car and came here in 1998 and never left,” Jill said.
Regarding the bait shop and the pier, Jill said, “To him, that place was magical. He used to be a corporate headhunter. He made good money but it was high stress and he’d had enough. Working at the pier was the best job of his life and the happiest he’d ever been.
Brian Blaine and Jill Anderson loved hanging out at the Drift In. – Brian Blaine/Facebook | Submitted
“We met at the Drift In on Oct. 23, 2020. By fluke, he was out at night. He was usually a day drinker. My girlfriend and I came on a trip from Nebraska. Our second night here, I walked through the back door of the Drift and he was standing by the women’s bathroom. I walked up to him, he put his hand out, I put my hand in his and said, ‘Hi, I’m Jill.’ He said, ‘I’m Brian.’ He kissed me and I fell in love right then and there.
“I took him to our Airbnb and we stayed up all night talking. He was so deep and I felt so comfortable with him. We had so much in common. It really was love at first sight and we were lucky to have found that love that most people don’t find in their lifetime.”
Jill returned to Nebraska, to her children, family and a successful hair and nail salon that included a boutique, tanning salon and massage therapy. Jill and Brian visited each other several times before she moved to Bradenton in August 2021.
“I’d been a hairdresser for 35 years, but I knew when I met Brian that’s who I wanted to be with the rest of my life. I didn’t want to spend 10-12 hours a day in a salon anymore even though I loved it,” she said.
“Brian loved the Grateful Dead and went to 49 of their concerts. He loved Jerry Garcia and that music helped him through hard times and good times. He loved “Ripple” and I played a lot of Grateful Dead songs the night he passed away at our home in Bradenton.”
Many years before he met Jill, Brian wrote a song called “Tonight,” which later became their song; and he played it for her at the District 10 gathering place in Linwood, Nebraska.
“Brian would come back to Nebraska with me to see my family and kids. He made so many friends there. He loved driving down the gravel roads and being around the cornfields.
“We were best friends, lovers and confidants. Neither one of us worked and we were together all the time. We had the most amazing and romantic times. He always described us as ‘One: Pure and true,’ and we were.
“Around 2019, he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. He had other health issues too. In 2017, he had that flesh-eating bacteria on his hand. He had neuropathy in his feet and gallstones. He was officially diagnosed with end-stage liver failure last October. A liver transplant was the only thing that would have saved him, but he believed the doctors were wrong and his body would bounce back. He knew deep down it was from the beer, but he enjoyed beer and what’s life if you can’t enjoy it? He never complained or felt pity for himself and he always said there’s people out there who have it far worse. He tried to see the good in people and he loved talking to strangers. Every day, he tried to do a good deed to make somebody’s day special.
Jill Anderson lost the love of her life when Brian Blaine passed away. – Jill Anderson | Submitted
“I always hoped I’d find true love like my mom and dad had. Brian and I only had four years together, but that’s what we had. I’m so thankful he was in my life. He was my world and always will be. I lost my life partner, my best friend, my everything. I feel such an emptiness,” Jill said.
HOLMES BEACH – An old cottage will soon find a new home at Grassy Point Preserve.
The cottage, currently located at 109 48th St., is planned to be moved to one of the two vacant lots the city owns adjacent to Grassy Point Preserve. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, the city’s Public Works Department has budgeted $100,000 to move and temporarily place the structure.
City Planner Chad Minor said there is a lot of site work to be done at the location where the cottage will be moved, work that could take a year or two to fully complete before the cottage can be opened to the public. The first step, he said, is to get the cottage moved to its new location, secured and weatherproofed to prevent it from being demolished and allow for the city to continue working on the site.
Minor said his vision for the property is to make it a cultural center in conjunction with the Anna Maria Island Historical Society with a Florida-friendly garden and parking for Grassy Point. Commissioner Carol Soustek said she’d spoken with the Anna Maria Island Art League, which would like to use the cottage for art classes.
“There are a myriad of uses for that property,” she said.
Minor said the cottage has been in the Dupps family since it was built in 1931 and while the family wants to see it preserved, they’ve outgrown the structure and want to rebuild on their lot. Currently, the city is investigating moving the cottage in October.
Minor said a geotechnical study needs to be done to determine what kind of foundation needs to be built since the house isn’t a designated historical structure and therefore needs to meet FEMA standards. He added that he’s already spoken to Florida Power & Light along with the house movers and said it should be an easy move with the home placed on a temporary foundation until a full foundation can be engineered and built. Two line drops and a few trimmed tree branches should be all that’s needed to clear the way, he said.
Minor’s hoping to bring a more formal presentation on the cottage, the move and the potential future uses for it at an upcoming commission work session with the help of some members of the community.
PALMETTO – Severe weather associated with then-Tropical Storm Debby passed over the Piney Point site on Aug. 4-5, producing high winds and more than 9 inches of rain, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), which says the rainfall was well within the plant’s storage capacity of 90 inches.
The Piney Point property is the site of a former phosphate processing plant closed for several years. Wastewater holding ponds were built on the crest of phosphogypsum stacks at the site, less than two miles from Tampa Bay and near two state aquatic preserves.
In April 2021, a breach in the outer wall of one of the retention ponds resulted in approximately 215 million gallons of water containing high levels of nitrogen and phosphate being intentionally discharged into nearby waters to avoid flooding nearby homes and businesses. The discharge worsened a bloom of the toxic algae red tide that lasted six months, causing fish kills and respiratory irritation.
Afterwards, a 3,300-foot-deep well was built near Piney Point at 3105 Buckeye Road to permanently store the wastewater being drained from the stacks, a process still in progress.
In an Aug. 9 FDEP status update, it was reported that:
• The site has received 9.55 inches of rain so far this month, including approximately 9.5 inches from Hurricane Debby. Piney Point has received approximately 44.49 inches of rain since Jan. 1.
• The storage capacity for additional rainfall at the site is over 90 inches. This capacity is expected to change with rainfall amounts and adjusted water management activities at the site.
• Approximately 160.2 million gallons are currently held within the NGS-South compartment. Pond level readings are expected to fluctuate due to a host of factors, including wind/associated waves in the pond, rainfall and water management activities.
“FDEP has been in contact with the court-appointed receiver and confirmed there is no identified damage to the compartment systems and there are no other water management concerns,” according to the Aug. 9 update. “FDEP is working closely with the court-appointed receiver to continue site evaluations and manage water levels. A full site inspection is underway to assess any post-storm impacts.”
In July, FDEP reported that final closure procedures for Piney Point are moving forward.
“Forgen LLC, the project contractor, has completed the liner installation on top of the OGS-South compartment and is now working with court-appointed receiver Herb Donica to complete the final details for closure, including placing soil cover and grass over the area so that it will no longer accumulate rainwater,” according to the July update.
