Year: 2024
Brigadoon
The legend of Brigadoon is the story of a mythical village in the Scottish Highlands. It’s a tale of a place that became enchanted long ago and has remained unchanged and invisible to the outside world except for one special day when it can be seen and visited by outsiders. Those lucky outsiders then spend an enchanted day immersed in joy and celebration. This past May, I had the good fortune of spending a day on the enchanted waters of the Brigadoon Lodge, not in Scotland but in the highlands of Northeast Georgia and not far from where we vacation in Sautee Nacoochee.
I first experienced this stretch of water when a trip I planned with my friend Bob Seegar, who had relocated from Longboat Key to Blue Ridge, Georgia, and his grandson, David, was unexpectedly canceled. Fortunately, a friend who lives nearby saved the day when he hooked us up at the lodge through a friend who oversees the guides there.
The lodge sits on a beautiful tract of land where the storied Soque River runs through the Chattahoochee National Forest. It’s one of a few tracts of private land along the river that’s designated non-navigable and where no public access is allowed. It’s appeared in many magazines and hosted the likes of President Jimmy Carter and Ted Turner, founder of Turner Broadcasting System.
On this occasion, Seegar and I were joined by our friend, Michael Riter. The two had arrived at our cabin the night before when we dined at the nearby Harvest Habersham, a new farm-to-table restaurant that serves some of the most delicious and unique dishes I’ve ever tasted.
The next morning, we drove the winding and scenic route 197 that follows the Soque through the Blue Ridge foothills to the Brigadoon Lodge. We were met there by our guide, Doc, and fitted with waders and boots for our day on the river. Over eight hours, we fished several of the river’s “beats” where we all landed numerous large rainbow trout on a fly. We fished mostly nymph patterns under a strike indicator but were also treated to some of the mix of native and stocked trout on dry flies. It was truly an immersive experience that with a slight narrowing of the eyes became the Brigadoon of lore. If you’re ever in the area, a trip to this beautiful river and lodge is unforgettable.
Explore the options at www.brigadoonlodge.com.
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/EewyBNpjGCc?si=ARpe9_pRydEB15Jj
Adult soccer final match set
ANNA MARIA – More than two months of adult soccer action on the Island led to a showdown in the final games of the season this week.
Semifinal playoff action saw teams Ross Built Custom Homes and Progressive Cabinetry outplay their opponents, making way for them to take the last two slots in the league’s bracket.
In the first game of the night last on Thursday, Ross Built had an easy time of their win against team Pool America. The team’s active offense led to the 6-1 win.
Pool America’s Brandon Rolland scored the team’s only goal in the game, while teammate Jessica Reukberg was put to the test as the keeper. Reukberg is credited with six saves in the game against the onslaught of shots from her opponents.
Team captain Chris Klotz put an assist into the game statistics.
Also with six recorded saves, Max Gazzo supported team Ross Built defensively as goalie.
Ross Built Custom Home’s offense pursued the Pool American goal with five scorers and two additional team members with assists. Jake Ross, son of team captain Greg Ross, led the team in scoring with two points.
The father-son scoring trinity was realized with additional goals by G. Ross and Jake’s twin brother, Andrew. Dean Hinterstoisser and Tim Holly shot the other two points for Ross Built.
Hinterstoisser is credited with an assist in the game for Ross Built, with Helio Gomez and Ted Hurst with assists of their own to help with the team’s victory.
The scoring in the second game of the night started in the first minute of play, with Progressive Cabinetry taking the lead early and ultimately winning the game against team Salty Printing. The close semifinal game was won by a single point, making the early Progressive goal all too important.
The six winning shots came off the boots of team captain Keith Mahoney, with three goals, and Junior Martines and Osvaldo Cabello. Martines slid two shots by Salty Printing goalkeeper Charles “Tuna” McCracken.
Alex Aviles, Leo Gonzalez and Raul Loera each had a single assist for the Progressive Cabinetry team. In goal, Tyler Bekkerus made seven critical saves for his team, aiding the squad in securing the last slot in the season finale.
Kevin Roman’s Salty Printing team worked hard on the field to stop the Progressive charge. The 14 saves by McCracken exemplified the offensive attack released by his opponents.
Roman, the Salty team captain, dominated the field and his team’s scoring with four goals. Tyler Brewer made a solo goal for Salty Printing, working to keep the team in the hunt for the championship honors.
Salty Printing came up just short of the championship goal, 6-5, paving the way for the final matchup: Progressive Cabinetry versus Ross Built Custom Homes. The final game of the season for the Island’s adult co-ed soccer league is scheduled for Thursday, June 13 on The Center’s pitch.
SUN SCOREBOARD
JUNE 6
ADULT CO-ED SOCCER
SEMIFINAL PLAYOFF GAMES
Ross Built Custom Homes 6
Pool America 1
Progressive Cabinetry 6
Salty Printing 5
Reinsurance causing rate hikes
I know, not more talk about insurance, especially a week after the beginning of hurricane season. But if the Wall Street Journal can put it on their front page, I can report it.
Reinsurance is apparently the reason for the increase in insurance rates around the country. And if you don’t know what reinsurance is, like it or not, I’m going to tell you.
Simply, as if anything related to insurance is simple, reinsurance is insurance for insurers. Reinsurance lets insurers sell policies in vulnerable areas without the risk of being wiped out by a single disaster. The reinsurance market is a global entity that spreads the risk globally, allowing local insurance companies to provide insurance in risky areas, like Florida.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the reinsurance market is unregulated and is one of the major drivers of the high cost of property coverage across the country. Last year this came to a head after the reinsurance companies suffered a sharp drop in profits and started raising rates and cutting coverage at the start of last year.
This, of course, has had consumer advocates complaining that reinsurer profits have come at the expense of homeowners. The advocates have called for a federal reinsurance program, similar to the national flood insurance program, to protect consumers from unrestrained cost increases. The reinsurance industry says they’re the wrong target and are only responding to the increase in losses in the home insurance industry.
Wherever the blame lies, at least in Florida there is a round of reinsurance renewals currently underway, as well as in other high-risk states, that will help determine whether more premium increases are in the future. Interestingly, insurance brokers who are tracking a round of reinsurance policy renewals in June say they expect premiums to stay fairly level in Florida; we can only hope. However, there is some new money coming into the industry which may help to lower prices assuming this year’s hurricane season is overstated even though this year’s prediction is calling for the largest number of major hurricanes ever forecasted.
Since everything related to insurance influences the real estate market, the increased cost of reinsurance will be affecting the availability of home insurance. If there isn’t insurance available or the cost of the insurance is unreachable for buyers, it will slow the real estate market. Nevertheless, Lisa Miller, a Florida-based insurance adviser, indicates the 2024 reinsurance costs are going to be better.
We don’t usually talk specifically about reinsurance since the cost of it has always been built into our insurance company’s overall costs. But it is now becoming an issue on its own and hopefully will help explain to the average homeowner why insurance has gone up and what the future may hold.
The good news for us is across the country, approved home insurance rates are higher in Texas, Louisiana, Washington state and several more states than in Florida. The West, including California, is exposed to wildfires and the Midwest, tornadoes, both of which can be just as or more devastating than hurricanes.
I guess what I’m saying is there are no risk-free places to live, but some reasonable legislation or big brains should get together and see what can be done for the average homeowner. Think that will ever happen?
Whitmore enters commission race
HOLMES BEACH – A new contender is putting her hat in the ring for one of two city commission seats up for grabs in November.
Carol Whitmore is a well-known face in the community and in local politics. Previously, she served as a city commissioner in Holmes Beach followed by tenure as the city’s mayor and several years on the Manatee County board of commissioners as an at-large commissioner. Whitmore left local politics in late 2022 to pursue the role of development administrator for Help to Home Inc. Now she said her contract with that nonprofit organization is up and she’s ready to step back into the local political spotlight with the goal of helping her community.
“I love my city,” Whitmore said of the Anna Maria Island community that has been her home for 55 years.
She said that she has no agenda going into the November election other than to try and shine a positive light on Holmes Beach. She added that she hopes to use her relationships with local and state leaders as well as with candidates running in elections throughout Manatee County to help rebuild and reinforce positive working relationships between officials.
“I want to move our city forward and hopefully help rebuild relationships,” she said.
Despite having previously served in the role, Whitmore said she has no interest in running for the mayoral seat in Holmes Beach that’s also up for election this year.
Also in the race for the two commission seats are incumbent Commissioner Dan Diggins and resident Steven Oelfke. Incumbent Commissioner Greg Kerchner has not yet qualified to run for re-election.
Incumbent Mayor Judy Titsworth thus far has one challenger for her seat, Tampa businessman Mike Roth.
Candidate qualifying for the Holmes Beach commission and mayoral seats continues at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office through Friday, June 14 at noon. For more information on how to file to be a candidate, visit www.votemanatee.com.
Net camp refurbishment continues
CORTEZ – The historic net camp just offshore of the fishing village is being refurbished thanks to the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH) and some local commercial fishermen.
Nathan Meschelle, FISH board member and vice-president of the Cortez chapter of the Organized Fisherman of Florida (OFF) and FISH board member Lance Plowman gave an update on the net camp repairs at the FISH board meeting on June 3.
“We’re getting the roof on there and that front deck before the hurricanes start,” Meschelle said. “We’ll be working on it the next few weekends and try to get that roof on there.”
The net camp, known as the Curt Johns net camp, had fallen into disrepair, and until recently, had a hole in the roof, debris on the back deck and an unnamed person living in it.
OFF members conducted a coastal cleanup in April and brought back boatloads of debris from the net camp to be discarded. The net camp occupant was trespassed and renovation began.
The structure is owned by John Guthrie. FISH undertook the renovation to maintain the historic building.
Net camps are wooden structures built in the water on stilts that were used by fishermen to hang hemp and cotton fishing nets to dry before the advent of modern materials. According to historic photographs, there were once dozens of net camps on Sarasota Bay off Cortez.
The historic Curt Johns net camp is one of two off Cortez. It is next to the 2017 net camp owned by Raymond “Junior” Guthrie, which Florida courts have ordered to be removed at the request of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection due to its non-historic status and the state’s ownership of the submerged land upon which it was built.
Least tern numbers increasing
BRADENTON BEACH – A colony of least terns is continuing to grow and now has 36 birds with 20 of those sitting on eggs in the sand.
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring has been watching the nesting birds at an undisclosed location that has been roped off since nesting began the week of May 6.
As the eggs begin to hatch, beachgoers are cautioned to watch for chicks crossing beach access points. Turtle Watch volunteers have placed “chick fencing” near the beach access along with “chick huts” within the enclosure to shade the chicks and protect them from predators.
Least terns are listed as a threatened species in Florida. The population has declined in the last 10 years and estimates suggest the species is vulnerable to extinction if their current threats are not addressed, according to a press release from Turtle Watch.
Least terns become agitated by disturbances by people as well as avian predators. Birds may fly away from their nests, leaving eggs and chicks vulnerable.
“Avian predators such as fish crows and laughing gulls harass nesting birds and have been documented to eat unattended eggs and newborn chicks,” according to Turtle Watch Shorebird Coordinator Kathy Doddridge.
One way to manage the threat of fish crows is by using crow effigies – a likeness made from plastic and feathers to mimic dead crows.
The placement of effigies near nesting colonies is a management tool used to scare crows away and reduce the number of crows in a specific area. Turtle Watch volunteers have placed two effigies in the area of the least tern colony.
Turtle Watch offers the following reminders to beachgoers:
• Keep your distance. If birds become agitated or leave their nests you are too close. A general rule is to stay at least 300 feet away from a nest;
• Respect posted areas. Avoid posted nesting and resting areas and use designated walkways;
• Never intentionally force any birds to fly. When birds are chased or disturbed, they use the energy they need to reserve for nesting and migration;
• Pets are not allowed on Anna Maria Island beaches. Keep cats indoors;
• Keep the beach clean and do not feed wildlife. Food scraps attract predators such as raccoons and crows to the beaches. Litter on beaches can entangle birds;
• Spread the word. If you see people disturbing nesting birds, gently remind them how their actions may hurt birds’ survival. If they continue to disturb nesting birds, report their activities to FWC’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
City’s busy sidewalks to be repaired
BRADENTON BEACH – Police Chief John Cosby, who is serving as interim public works director, told the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) about upcoming improvements, including sidewalk repairs, at its June 5 meeting.
Improvements in the CRA district will include sidewalk leveling and repairs to alleviate tripping hazards, the proposed purchase of a custom-made pressure washer, new garbage receptacles along Bridge Street and increased days of trash pickup.
“Any trash that was out there was only tended to once a week,” Cosby said, adding that the first thing every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, unless it’s raining, the street will be policed for trash. “They’ll start at the pier and work their way down to the circle at Gulf Drive and go up here to city hall at Second and down to Third to make sure everything is picked up and cleaned up.”
Cosby said on every Thursday, the sidewalks will be blown off and a street sweeper will come down the road to clean up that debris.
“We were only doing that once a month. Now we’ll be doing that every week,” he said.
Cosby said after walking the CRA district with the public works crew, they found tripping hazards in several areas in the sidewalks. He said the city is responsible for all the sidewalks that have shell alongside, including those on Gulf Drive.
“We’ve got the machine and they’re leveling those tripping hazards off,” Cosby said. “A few years ago we had a couple of people who had tripped at different locations and had some serious facial injuries.”
Within the next several weeks, maintenance crews will be replacing sidewalks that are crumbled or crushed in the CRA district, he said.
“The team is able to do that,” Cosby said. “The shell will be put back in the way it was, we’ll just have some new sections and we do have quite a few areas of that where it’s cracked severely.”
Cosby said he will be bringing back to the CRA suggestions about the public works department obtaining a custom-made pressure washer, which would be a 500-gallon tank on a trailer.
“It’s not going to be cheap. But that will allow us to pressure wash the sidewalks, pressure wash the brick in the CRA district and clean the swing sets at the parks,” he said. “This will also allow us to clean the new white signs that are going up. Hopefully, we’re not going to make it too big so we can utilize it on the pier. Right now we have a small pressure washer.”
Cosby said the pressure washer would be designed with a hose reel on it so it can be used for watering.
“Keep in mind we’re paying $3,500 for the HERC truck to do this (watering). By the time we’re done what we’re doing, we could have bought the system we’re talking about,” he said.
Public works employee David Higgins also presented options for new garbage receptacles in the CRA district.
Cosby has been serving as interim public works director since the May resignation of former director Tom Woodard.
“Since we’re planning on delaying hiring a public works director until we figure out what is happening with OPPAGA and what the state is going to do with regards to whatever it is they’re going to do, we’re going to hold off on that because it would not be fair to hire somebody and find out there’s nothing to come to so we’re going to wait,” Cosby said, referring to a proposal to consolidate or eliminate the Island cities, thus eliminating city employees.
“I’m planning on hiring the position we have for the CRA, that’s been in the CRA budget for the last 2.5 years,” Cosby said. “Their work schedule would be Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday – that way over the weekend we can make sure the trash is taken care of and any other issues that may come up over the weekend and held keep it tidy.”
District 3 primary pits Siddique against Culbreath
MANATEE COUNTY – The District 3 Manatee County Commission race reshaped by incumbent Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge’s switch to the District 7 at-large race sets up a Republican primary race between Tal Siddique and former District 7 candidate April Culbreath.
The winner of the Republican primary that concludes on Aug. 20 will face Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker in the general election that follows.
District 3 represents all three Anna Maria Island cities, Cortez and portions of Longboat Key, west Bradenton, Bradenton and Rubonia.
On June 3, Siddique provided The Sun with the following statement regarding Culbreath’s decision to exit the District 7 at-large race and enter the District 3 race after Van Ostenbridge switched races.
“Since entering this race in September 2023, I am proud to have sustained a conservative, grassroots movement behind me,” Siddique stated. “I am running my campaign as I have since the beginning with a focus on improving the quality of life for District 3 residents. I encourage readers to read the facts about my opponent’s disturbing police record and her poor performance as chair of the Manatee GOP, where she sought to benefit herself over the party. I don’t have to play musical chairs to better my chances of winning like other unqualified and unfit candidates. I am the only serious District 3 candidate with the community support needed to restore trust with the county government.”
Whitmore endorsement
On June 4, Siddique issued a press release announcing the endorsement he received from former Manatee County Commissioner, former Holmes Beach Mayor and current city commission candidate Carol Whitmore. The press release included this statement from Whitmore: “I have had the pleasure of getting to know Tal through his deep commitment to understanding all facets of Manatee County and through his active participation in numerous civic organizations, including the Bradenton Kiwanis. Tal’s family has deep roots in Manatee County, and I have personally known them and their community involvement for decades. Tal and his wife, Kristen Truong, embody the energy and passion we need from our young leaders to build a better future for Manatee County. I believe he is exceptionally qualified to represent his constituents on the Board of County
Commissioners, and I hope you will join me in supporting his candidacy.”
The press release also noted that Siddique received previous endorsements from Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth and Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer.
Culbreath campaign
According to her campaign website, “April Allison Culbreath has served Manatee County as a sheriff’s deputy for 27 years. Over the course of her 30-year career in public service, including three years in emergency medical services, she has served in almost every possible law enforcement capacity. She counts her greatest accomplishments to be her services as a Crimes Against Children detective and her volunteer work as deputy advisor to troubled Manatee County youth.
“April entered the political realm in 2016, when she began volunteering locally for the Republican Party. She has served in multiple Manatee County Republican leadership positions. Now retired from law enforcement due to injuries sustained in the line of duty, she looks forward to continued service as a Manatee County Commissioner.”
Her campaign website also notes, “Together with her husband, Duane, she is raising three teenagers. April and her family are committed to their Christian faith and to the Manatee County community.”
Culbreath is currently named as the defendant in a civil lawsuit filed on May 20 regarding her actions as the chairperson of the Manatee County Republican Executive Committee. Incumbent committee member Michael Keegan filed the lawsuit seeking an emergency injunction to prevent Culbreath from removing an incumbent committee member without due process, denying a member’s access to a committee meeting, denying a committee member’s voting rights and eliminating the committee’s dual signature requirement for financial disbursements.
A lawsuit-related declaration filed by Keegan states the executive committee treasurer and secretary both resigned in December because of their civil and criminal liability exposure created by “Culbreath’s ongoing financial malfeasance and abuse of executive committee funds.”
Police record
The Sun emailed Culbreath’s campaign email account on June 6 seeking her comments on the District 3 race and some of the incidents cited below. As of press time, she had not responded.
Culbreath’s 12-page Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Professional Standards Employee Resumé lists several internal affairs investigations regarding her actions.
In 1999, Culbreath received verbal counseling as a disciplinary action pertaining to her responding to a call without being dispatched or notifying dispatch, and also for gathering information not included on MCSO forms.
In 2000, she received a letter of reprimand for failing to preserve evidence.
In 2001, she received a letter of reprimand for driving an MCSO vehicle out of the county to her residence without permission.
In 2004, she received a letter of reprimand for failing to properly secure her weapon in her holster, which resulted in her handgun falling out and being discovered on the ground.
In 2005, she was suspended 86 hours without pay after she failed to respond and conduct an investigation, as ordered by a supervisor.
In 2005, she was suspended for 129 hours without pay for having sex while on duty.
In 2006, she received a 387-hour suspension for allegedly attending a wedding reception and being observed dancing in a suggestive manner while in uniform.
In 2009, she received a 17-hour suspension without pay for disrespecting her supervisor by using profane and obscene language because she was called in to respond to an assignment.
In 2009, she received an 8.6-hour suspension without pay after she failed to respond to a missing child call as directed by her supervisor.
In 2011, she received a 258-hour suspension without pay for an off-duty incident in which she allegedly became involved in an altercation when obtaining her own medical records and allegedly punching an employee in the face.
In 2015, she received a verbal reprimand for the misuse of the Driver And Vehicle Information Database (D.A.V.I.D.) utilized by the sheriff’s office.
According to The Bradenton Herald, in 2010, Culbreath (then known as Dugan) was involved in a disciplinary case. Capt. Kristin Kennedy told investigators she kissed Det. Dugan the previous year and then had two subsequent intimate encounters with her.
Drainage improvement project progressing
BRADENTON BEACH – City Attorney Ricinda Perry updated commissioners on June 6 about the drainage project on Avenues A and B.
“This commission made a major improvement to an area in need without burdening the taxpayers,” Perry said of the $2.69 million appropriation from the state for the drainage project on Avenues A and B.
Perry gave a history of the project that included changes in engineering companies as well as changes to the plans, and reported the latest progress.
“I’m pleased to tell you today that we’ve gotten a major segment of B done,” she said.
Public Works staff was used to clean off walkways to prepare for milling of the road.
“High tides I can’t do anything about when the water comes on the road, but at least we have a little bit of something there to catch it,” Perry said. “We got that retention area built and it’s functioning.”
Perry said all the catch basins are done on Avenue B and the subbase on half of Avenue A is being removed.
“That was a big part of what we originally said we wanted to do. I’m coming in on budget,” Perry said. “Commissioner Scaccianoce said Avenue B is pretty rough all the way down.”
Perry said she worked with Woodruff Construction and Superior Paving and found a way to pitch the road and make some corrections to send the water to existing catch basins.
“I can give proper flow that didn’t exist,” she said. “We found some of the road was inverted and it was collecting in there and it wasn’t letting the water run off into the catch basin. We made decisions to crown it and direct it into the catch basins so there’s been a lot of stormwater work.”
She reported that all of Avenue B is going to be paved and the subbase of Avenue A is being rebuilt.
“I had talked to each of you individually about some of this extra cost in getting through A,” Perry said. “They were willing basically to give me a great deal to get these added pieces of paving in, including the elbows off of A. I would be able to do all that but I needed an additional $70,000 to get there, which is quite a bargain for all of this paving, so I talked to Shayne (City Treasurer Shayne Thompson) and Chief (John Cosby) and we do have funding available for that.”
Perry said the city has stormwater money that had been set aside for LTA (the original project engineer) to do a match with the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) with a 50/50 agreement for Avenue B.
“We decided to depart and we had a meeting with SWFWMD about how to undo that because it was married to the Avenue C project,” Perry said. “That’s been stopped. That means the money we’ve been collecting for that stormwater is available. So what I’m talking about is tapping into that stormwater money and the shortfall that I would have.”
She said the whole block of Avenue B is deteriorated.
“I need your blessing tonight that if there is a shortfall that I can use the stormwater funds in order to cover that expense. I’m asking for it to be up to $70,000,” Perry said.
Perry said the extra paving would be on 26th Street, 23rd Street, two elbows off of Avenue A, and all of Avenue B.
A motion was made to approve an amount not to exceed $70,000 of the stormwater line item to be determined by the treasurer. The motion passed unanimously.
Perry noted that she needed to have the project completed by June 30.
Based on Woodruff’s recommendation that moving the existing catch basins on 20th Place may result in driving water into people’s driveways, Perry requested that commissioners make a motion to eliminate the paving on 20th Place.
“The last thing I want to do with this project is compound someone’s flooding issue,” she said.
The motion passed unanimously.
Mayor accepts responsibility for misplacement of palms
BRADENTON BEACH – At the June 5 Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting, Mayor John Chappie accepted responsibility for the Florida Department of Transportation-mandated removal of the newly planted coconut palm trees on Gulf Drive.
“I did make a mistake at the beginning when we had the 19 palms that were planted in the FDOT right-of-way and that’s all on me,” Chappie said.
The trees were planted the week of April 24 on the Gulf Drive South roundabout and traffic islands as part of a CRA-approved project that included Bridge Street. The $50,000 coconut palm project is a public-private partnership between the city and developer Shawn Kaleta’s Beach to Bay Investments LLC.
That portion of Gulf Drive South is a state road and falls under the jurisdiction of the FDOT. The city was notified by FDOT that coconut palm trees are not allowed on state roads due to safety concerns about visibility, along with falling fronds and coconuts.
“Darryl (FDOT Scenic Highway Coordinator Darryl Richard) was very kind and very efficient with trying to get ahold of us,” Chappie said. “Once he got ahold of us I was out of town for a week at the hurricane conference, but within 24 hours, I considered it an emergency situation that those needed to get out of the right of way because they were concerned that it doesn’t meet their standards.”
Chappie said the city would have to fill out a permit form and go through the FDOT process to plant in the traffic islands and roundabout.
“He (Richard) did say, the rule is four inches in circumference,” Chappie said. “The Alexander palms (which were previously in the roundabout) were four inches in circumference but apparently, 10 years ago or whenever it was, there wasn’t needed permission from FDOT to put them in. So my thought was on trying to replace those, they didn’t look very healthy and that’s all on me of course.”
According to Chappie, four of the 19 palms were taken back to landscaper M&F Lawn Care’s yard. Chappie said the trees may be relocated to Lou Barolo Park or the city police department.
Chappie said he will be meeting with Miguel Mancera of M&F Lawn Care and city attorney Ricinda Perry to determine what is needed to finish the project.
Chappie then spoke about the trees along Bridge Street.
“There were a total of 60 palms that have been delivered. We planted 56 palms on Bridge Street, on First Street and the pier dock area,” he said.
Chappie said that four or five of the smaller palms were leaning and didn’t appear to have a good connection with the root ball.
“Miguel assured us that he was guaranteeing everything that was planted,” Chappie said. “I talked to him yesterday. We need to get together to go over everything, to continue to do some of the beautification that we like.”
IRRIGATION PURSUED
Chappie brought up an irrigation system installation on Bridge Street which had received CRA approval for a cost of up to $7,500.
Police Chief John Cosby, who is currently serving as interim public works director following the resignation of Tom Woodard, weighed in.
“I don’t think the amount of money that’s budgeted is going to cover it,” Cosby said. “In order to run the line down the entire street on both sides we’re going to have to lift the bricks out of the crosswalks to put the pipe underneath it, otherwise we’re going to have to bore and boring is very expensive so that brick would have to be removed and the lines run so the whole street has irrigation. I don’t know that $7,000 is going to cover it but we’ll get some estimates and bring those back and we’ll go from there.”
MAYOR RESPONDS
At the June 6 city commission meeting, Chappie responded to press coverage of the city’s lag in producing a fully-executed agreement between the city and developer Shawn Kaleta ensuring Kaleta’s assumption of responsibility for newly-planted coconut palm trees on Bridge Street.
The Sun’s news coverage included a timeline of events, including emails from the city, that showed that a signed agreement for the coconut palms between the city and Kaleta was not in place until May 28 – more than a month after the trees were planted the week of April 24. The Sun also published two editorials criticizing the process and the project.
Chappie did not name The Sun and did not refute any of the facts in the stories.
“As everybody knows, we’re five people up here and we are a weak mayor form of government, we are equal, and we assign people to oversee on certain projects,” Chappie said. Ricinda (City Attorney Ricinda Perry) has gotten the brunt of a lot of projects to do and unfortunately has gotten a lot of the brunt of the criticism.”
Four candidates qualify in Anna Maria
ANNA MARIA – The first week of Anna Maria’s two-week candidate qualifying period saw city commission chair Mark Short and former city commissioner Brian Seymour qualify to face each other in the race to succeed departing Mayor Dan Murphy.
Seymour is the business owner of the Anna Maria General Store on Pine Avenue and the co-owner/ operator of the City Pier Grill business that leases city-owned space on the Anna Maria City Pier.
Incumbent Commissioner Gary McMullen qualified to run for a city commission seat, as did former charter review committee Chairperson Chris Arendt. McMullen was appointed to the commission in January and now seeks election to a full two-year term. Arendt seeks his first city commission term.
Short qualifying to run in the mayor’s race means he must vacate his current city commission seat, win or lose, after the general election in November.
This creates a third opening to be filled in the general election – or filled later by commission appointment if no additional commission candidates emerge during the second and final week of qualifying.
Anna Maria’s qualifying period ends on Friday, June 14 at noon. Qualifying packets can be obtained from the city clerk’s office or the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office.
10-year-old struck by car in Bradenton Beach
BRADENTON BEACH – A 10-year-old West Virginia girl was fortunate to only have some scratches and bruises after being struck by a car crossing Gulf Drive North in the 1300 block on June 7 around 5:30 p.m.
The accident happened on the west side of Gulf Drive across the street from the Tortuga Resort. According to officers with the Bradenton Beach Police Department (BBPD), who quickly arrived on the scene, the juvenile was crossing the street where there was no marked crosswalk when she was struck by a Ford Mustang traveling south.
West Manatee Fire Rescue arrived on the scene quickly and assessed the girl, determining her injuries were not serious. Still, they transported her to HCA Florida Blake Hospital for further treatment, where she was later released.
Officers said she crossed the road in an area that did not have a dedicated crosswalk, meaning the vehicles on the road had the right of way. They said it’s important for people to know that unless there is a marked crosswalk, pedestrians must wait for traffic to clear before crossing according to Florida Statute 316.130 (10): “Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.”
A local resident witness said he sees dangerous pedestrian crossings regularly and worries there will eventually be a serious incident if people don’t pay closer attention to the rules of crossing the street on foot.
“I see it all the time, people in that area of Gulf Drive cross the street thinking traffic will stop,” Mark Platt said. “There is no marked crossing, and at night it is incredibly dark because of the lack of lighting because of turtle regulations. It’s dangerous, and I worry someone will be seriously hurt or worse; you just can’t see them a lot of the time.”
The driver of the vehicle that struck the juvenile stayed at the scene of the accident, and according to BBPD was cooperative and was not cited for any traffic offenses.
Letter to the Editor: Fond farewell
I was saddened to hear that Mayor Dan Murphy had decided not to run for reelection. But only for a minute, because I quickly realized how fortunate Anna Maria has been to have him as mayor for the past 10 years. He has not only been honest but also strong in his attempt to keep Anna Maria, Anna Maria in the face of powerful forces. His accomplishments are many but none greater than the rebuilding of the City Pier. With his vision and hard work, it should be in place for the world to enjoy for many decades to come.
I have witnessed Anna Maria mayors for the last 50 years and it is not a stretch to say he has been the best I’ve seen. So, I thank Dan and his wife, Barbara, for what they have given the city. Enjoy your well-deserved retirement.
Doug Copeland
Anna Maria
Suspect charged in Sunny Shores shooting
CORTEZ – A suspect is in custody charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and one count of battery after a shooting at the Sunny Shores Mobile Home Park the night of June 6.
According to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office press release, Kevin R. Armstrong allegedly confronted a 33-year-old female who arrived at a residence in the 3900 block of 116th Street West around 8:08 p.m. with two males on a golf cart to retrieve some personal items.
Detectives said that Armstrong and the female victim had been in a domestic relationship, and he had allegedly slapped the victim in the face earlier in the evening.
A verbal altercation between Armstrong and the victim quickly escalated, according to the release. During the argument, Armstrong allegedly grabbed a shotgun and shot at her as she and the two males accompanying her tried to flee the home, resulting in the female victim being shot in the chest.
One of the men with the victim retrieved a handgun from the golf cart and allegedly returned multiple rounds of fire in Armstrong’s direction, but did not hit him. The three, including the injured female, fled the area on the golf cart to 119th Street West and 45th Avenue West, according to the release.
At 8:45 p.m., according to West Manatee Fire Rescue (WMFR) Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski, an unidentified male victim was assessed for a gunshot wound to the foot at 3916 116th St. W. but refused treatment.
MCSO deputies confronted Armstrong at the 116th Street West address, where he was attempting to hide inside the residence, according to the release. After being ordered to surrender to police, he complied and was taken into custody. Other deputies met with the victims at 45th Avenue West to gather further information.
The female victim was transported to HCA Florida Blake Hospital, where she was treated for a gunshot wound to the chest. As of this morning, she was listed in stable condition.
The investigation is ongoing.