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Year: 2024

March tourism numbers soar

March tourism numbers soar

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

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – March tourism numbers are up from last year in all three Island cities, significantly so in the City of Anna Maria.

Each month, the Manatee County Tax Collector’s Office reports how much income the county’s 5% tourist tax produces. The tax is collected from owners of accommodations rented for six months or less who charge the tax to their renters, who are mostly tourists. The amount of the tourist tax taken in each month is a gauge of how many people are coming to the Island in a given month, and for March, that was a big number.

While Bradenton Beach was up 1% compared to 2023 and Holmes Beach was up an impressive 19% during the same period, Anna Maria showed a staggering increase of 58% over March 2023.

The Sun reached out to Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Executive Director Elliott Falcione to make sense of the significant increase.

“I’m not sure without further research, but what might have happened in the City of Anna Maria is more of the homes went into the short-term rental pool,” Falcione said. “I’d be curious if there’s any real estate transactions from homeowners that used that as their homestead then made it a short-term rental and had a management firm operate it.”

Falcione also said his department does not promote spring break, saying the Island is busy enough and doesn’t need further promotion during the busiest time of year. He says there has to be a balance between the huge influx of tourists during the busy spring season and the quality of life for the residents who live here. This attitude falls in line with other, more popular, Florida spring break destinations such as Miami and Panama City, who have essentially told spring breakers to find somewhere else to party. Miami officials went so far as to publicly “break up” with spring breakers, saying the relationship is over and they need to move on. No one in Manatee County has gone as far as that to echo that sentiment, since AMI has not been a “party” destination with the riots and violent crime Miami and Panama City have experienced. Nonetheless, the number of people coming is plenty, and the CVB sees no reason for advertising the Island as a spring break destination.

Falcione said the tourist tax is a very good thing for Island residents, because it benefits the residents without any money coming out of their pockets.

The tax is used for things such as boat ramps, piers, beach parking lots, the new water taxi, and perhaps most importantly, 20% goes to beach renourishment.

As far as how to alleviate some of the problems with traffic and congestion, Falcione says a lot of it comes down to parking. He says if there was a solution to the limited parking on the Island, traffic would flow more smoothly and residents would be able to travel during the busy spring season without spending a frustrating amount of time stuck in traffic.

While many Island residents are opposed to a proposed parking garage at Manatee Beach, Falcione says he supports it.

“The parking garage would need to be designed to not look like a parking garage, and would need to be designed to integrate into the look of the Island,” Falcione said. “Once people coming to the Island realized that they could just come to the Island on Manatee Avenue and pull right into a place to park, then what it does is get people off Gulf Drive. Right now the traffic isn’t just the demand for the beaches, it’s cars going up and down Gulf Drive searching for a parking spot and causing traffic problems.”

Falcione says he doesn’t believe the garage will bring more tourists, but rather mitigate traffic on the Island. When asked if he was worried about voicing his support for the controversial parking garage, Falcione said, “I am who I am and I speak from the heart. We all drive cars, and if I’m going from point A to point B, and I want to park that car as fast as I can and know there’s a parking spot as soon as I get on the Island, I’m going to take it. Most importantly, it gets my car off the road and I’m not a part of traffic. I’m not that smart, to me it just seems to be common sense.”

Water quality advisory in effect at Palma Sola

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Featured, Outdoors, Water Quality.

PALMA SOLA – The Florida Department of Health in Manatee County (DOH-Manatee) has issued a water quality advisory for Palma Sola South due to high bacteria levels.

Tests on May 6 and 8 indicate that the water quality at Palma Sola South does not meet the recreational water quality criteria for Enterococcus bacteria recommended by the Florida Department of Health.

Palma Sola South is at the east end of the Palma Sola Causeway and the north side of Manatee Avenue West.

DOH-Manatee advises against any water-related activities at this location due to an increased risk of illness in swimmers. Sampling conducted during water quality monitoring showed that the level of bacteria exceeds the level established by state guidelines.

Water testing on May 6 also showed a bacterial water quality level of “poor” at Coquina Beach North, but no advisory was issued. Test results on May 8 show a “moderate” level of the bacteria at both Coquina Beach North and South, one step below “good.”

Enterococci are enteric bacteria that normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals. According to DOH-Manatee, “The presence of enteric bacteria can be an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife and human sewage. If they are present in high concentrations in recreational waters and are ingested while swimming or enter the skin through a cut or sore, they may cause human disease, infections or rashes.”

The advisory at Palma Sola South will continue until bacteria levels are below the accepted health level. Test results are available at FloridaHealth.gov/HealthyBeaches. For more information, call 941-714-7596 or visit Manatee.FloridaHealth.gov.

Moss Builders wins mid-season tourney

Moss Builders wins mid-season tourney

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

ANNA MARIA – Youth soccer on the Island goes into the month of May with playoff games on the horizon.

In the 8- to 10-year-old league, The Intuitive Foundation team is holding on to the first-place position over team Solid Rock Construction. With their one-point win against Isola Bella Italian Eatery, the Intuitive squad has a 4-1-0 record.

Parker Svoboda put the two points on the scoreboard for The Intuitive Foundation. Teammates Sawyer Leibfried and Silas Whitehead had three total saves in the game to help with the win.

Isola Bella Italian Eatery’s Carson Long worked hard as goalkeeper, keeping his team solidly in the game for two halves of play. Long had four saves against the Intuitive offense.

Scoring the only goal for his team, Asher Patel had a solo goal in the fifth game of the season.

Phoenix Harwood scored two goals against the Emily Moss Design goalies, helping to give AMI Coconuts their second win of the season. Harwood’s brother, Andre, made four solid stops, and teammate Owen Serra had two saves as goalie for the Coconuts team.

Defensively, Miles Moss and Wesley Bekkerus showed solid goalkeeping skills for Emily Moss Design. Bekkerus made two saves, adding to the five stops by Moss.

Shutting out Shady Lady Horticultural Services in the third game of the night, team Solid Rock Construction won 2-0. With goals by Everly Chaplinsky and Lucas Urbiola, the team put up its fourth win, keeping them hot on the heels of team The Intuitive Foundation.

With three saves each, Simon Messenger and Karlan Mohib worked the goal for team Shady Lady. Solid Rock’s keepers Samuel Raulerson and Elijah Roadman each had four stops against their worthy opponent in the league’s final game of the week.

The 11- to 14-year-old league teams pressed pause on regular season match-ups with a mid-season tournament. Playing on smaller fields for quick, fast-paced action in the double-elimination tournament, the teens played hard against their normal opponents in the fun format.

Team Moss Builders came back to win the tournament after an early loss. Moss’ win against the Westfall’s Lawn Care & Pest Control team earned the squad three points in the league standing. Two points were awarded to the Westfall team for their second-place finish.

With the youth soccer championship games scheduled for Tuesday, May 28, the two leagues go into the playoffs with the big game in focus.

 

 

SUN SCOREBOARD

 

 

APRIL 30

YOUTH SOCCER – WEEK 5

8- TO 10-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE

 

 

The Intuitive Foundation (4-1-0) 2

Isola Bella Italian Eatery (1-1-3) 1

 

 

AMI Coconuts (2-2-1) 2

Emily Moss Design (1-3-1) 0

 

 

Solid Rock Construction (4-0-1) 2

Shady Lady Horticultural Services (0-5-0) 0

 

 

MAY 2

ADULT CO-ED SOCCER – WEEK 6

 

 

Solid Rock Construction (1-2-3) 5

Salty Printing (3-3-0) 3

 

 

Language Services Association (2-2-2) 3

Progressive Cabinetry (4-1-1) 3

 

 

Moss Builders (3-2-1) 2

Diamond Turf (1-4-1) 1

 

 

Ross Built Custom Homes (3-1-2) 4

Pool America (3-1-2) 2

 

 

Sato Real Estate (3-3-0) 3

Beach House Waterfront Restaurant (1-5-0) 0

Boomers continue to boom

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

Just when you think they’re too old to influence the smart, better-educated and computer-savvy younger generations, they raise their grey and balding heads again to remind their kids and grandkids they are still alive and influential.

For years, the prediction would be that boomers would start to sell off their big houses, flooding the market with properties. Instead, just the opposite is happening. Many aren’t even considering selling their large family homes, and for good reason.

Boomers own half of all of the $32 trillion in home equity in the country, according to a Redfin analysis of Federal Reserve data. In addition, nearly 80% of boomers own their primary residence and about a quarter own an investment property. More than half of them have retirement accounts with a median balance of $191,200, as well as 27% owning stocks and bonds outside of retirement accounts with a median amount of $201,800. These statistics come from a data scientist for the St. Louis Fed who researches wealth.

And it gets better. Not selling their properties has helped boomers accumulate a level of wealth greater than any other living generation. The median prices of existing single-family homes have increased more than tenfold since the early 1970s, when the oldest boomers were buying their first homes.

Even though boomers have a big financial incentive to stay in their homes with either no mortgage or very low-rate mortgages, some are moving on. Boomers made up 31% of home buyers, while millennials made up 38% in 2023, as reported by the National Association of Realtors. They frequently buy with cash, avoiding the higher interest rates in today’s market.

The boomers have had a major influence on the current real estate market. Mortgage rates topped 7% after the Federal Reserve’s last meeting when they held rates at their current level. That has pushed up the yield on 10-year treasuries, which mortgage rates tend to track. They also didn’t give any indication of lowering the rate any time soon based on the level of inflation, however, many economists still expect rates to decline later this year.

Even though new properties have been listed, there is a continuing low supply of homes for sale nationally. This continues to push prices higher with the national median existing-home price going up 4.8% in March from a year earlier to $393,500, as reported by the National Association of Realtors. The Manatee County median sale price for March by comparison was $498,805, 1.4% higher than last year.

Homebuyers are also confused about coming changes to the rules governing how real estate agents get paid and how this will affect their overall costs. And let’s not forget it’s a presidential election year, as well as one with several worldwide military conflicts bubbling up. All this influences home shoppers and sellers to perhaps pause until there is more clarity and less stress in the market.

The lack of boomer activity is, to a large degree, another byproduct of COVID-19, the pandemic that keeps on giving. As bad as COVID-19 was, it has worked to the advantage of boomers, increasing their equity tremendously and allowing them to refinance existing mortgages to a historic low rate.

The baby boomer generation has influenced everything that has gone on in this country since 1946, when the oldest of them were born, and they’re not going away. Whether it’s housing or the price of milk, boomers continue leaving their mark.

Police chief says crime is down in Bradenton Beach

Police chief says crime is down in Bradenton Beach

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – Crime is down in Bradenton Beach.

“Last year I stood up here and I told you crime couldn’t go any lower in the city of Bradenton Beach, but our overall crime went down 43.5% from last year,” Police Chief John Cosby said during his annual crime report to the city commission on May 2.

Cosby said local crime statistics are built into the police software and Lt. Lenard Diaz puts the tabulation together and sends reports to federal and state law enforcement agencies. Those agencies then tabulate the statistics and send a report back to Bradenton Beach Police.

“Our property value crime went down. Last year, our stolen property was at $41,000, which is theft and auto burglary,” Cosby said. “This year it was only $4,100 of property taken, so that is a drop of 89%. I’m really happy about that.”

Cosby introduced night shift officers Roy Joslin, Devon Straight, Eric Hill and Ryan Gagliano.

“The weekend night team works from 5 (p.m.) to 7 (a.m.) during the busiest days,” Cosby said.

Cosby encourages his officers to use the community policing model, in which relationships are developed with members of the public.

“I encourage my officers to stop and talk to everybody,” Cosby said. “We’re fortunate we have a lot of longtime officers that people know. We encourage a lot of foot patrol too, on Bridge Street and the pier and even the neighborhoods. Even our newer guys are very friendly and ready to talk and to do their job.”

Cosby said laws are a tool, but officers are mainly looking for compliance.

“Sometimes that doesn’t work and you have to take action and that’s the way it goes,” Cosby said.

He said the biggest enforcement issue may be tourists and drinking.

“They’re getting drunk and they’re getting bulletproof and they like to fight each other, but other than that, we’re doing good,” Cosby said.

“Great job chief and everything you’ve been doing,” Mayor John Chappie said. “I constantly get comments from citizens and businesses, elected officials and the tourists just how happy they are. We’re no longer that pass-through community we used to be, we’re a destination now.”

Chappie said that one of the major goals of the Community Redevelopment Agency was to make the central area of the city a family-friendly environment.

“There was a time a few years ago, when families were out until 7 or 8, that’s when the hard drinking used to start,” Cosby said. “Now we’re seeing young families out until 10 o’clock or so.”

“It is such a transformation,” Chappie said. “This is a celebration of a really great

Egmont, Passage keys prove enchanting

Egmont, Passage keys prove enchanting

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

Extending approximately 5 miles from Anna Maria Island to St. Petersburg, the mouth of Tampa Bay is fronted by the barrier islands of Egmont Key and Passage Key. The surrounding waters are beautiful, ecologically important and provide anglers with some excellent fishing opportunities. The history surrounding the islands is rich and, in the case of Egmont, goes back some 2,000 years. They seasonally hold some of angling’s prized species, including tarpon, snook and permit.

Egmont Key is a Florida State Park and a National Wildlife Refuge. Steeped in history, the entire island is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Artifacts and pottery dating back two millennia have been found on the island. The first recorded landing there dates back to a Spanish explorer in 1757 and its recent history spans from the Spanish-American War to World War II. The island is home to the Tampa Bay Pilots and has miles of old brick roads, a holdover from a time when there were over 70 buildings and 300 people living there. It has a functioning lighthouse, rebuilt in 1857 after a hurricane destroyed the original structure. Ever changing, Egmont Key was once 50% larger than it is today.

Passage Key, the southernmost island, is uninhabited and also a National Wildlife Refuge. It was first established as a bird sanctuary in 1905 by President Theodore Roosevelt. At the time, it was a 60-acre island and had a freshwater lake. That all changed in 1921 when it was decimated by a hurricane and has never been the same. Over the past decade, Passage Key has been little more than a constantly changing sandbar but is building back. In the 1970s, the island was designated as a wilderness area. Together the islands hold nesting colonies of all Florida seabirds including the largest concentration of royal and sandwich terns in Florida.

In the spring and summer, schools of tarpon and permit can be sight fished on the vast clear white sand flats that surround Passage Key. During the warm months of the year, there are also schools of sharks and large houndfish on the flats. In the cooler months, trout, redfish and pompano can be found on the edges of the flats and the grass beds to the east side of the key. Houndfish, which resemble large needlefish, gather in schools and, while they are not often pursued by anglers, they’re great sport on flies and light tackle. Small white clousers and lures that resemble baitfish can elicit some explosive strikes.

Egmont Key has a much more varied habitat and also has excellent fishing for tarpon, snook, permit and sharks. Old structures, vestiges of the Spanish-American War, can be seen along the western side of the Key, many of which are submerged. They provide a perfect habitat for species including pompano, trout and sheepshead as well as other pelagic species that swim these waters. On the east side, the pilot’s dock holds sheepshead, black drum, trout and redfish. Extensive grass flats there are home to trout, pompano, Spanish mackerel and redfish. A ship’s channel north of the key provides access to Port Manatee and the Port of Tampa. This deep waterway holds a plethora of gamefish including kingfish, Spanish mackerel and little tunny. The exposed ledges along the channel are also home to mangrove snapper, grouper and sheepshead.

If you haven’t explored these historical islands, a trip there will be eye-opening, and, whether you’re swimming in the clear Gulf waters, exploring the rich history or angling for a trophy, you’ll find these islands enchanting.

Island Players produce thrilling ‘Woman in Black’

Island Players produce thrilling ‘Woman in Black’

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

ANNA MARIA – Anyone who regularly attends performances by the Island Players is used to lighthearted comedies that have the audience in hysterics for a great deal of the time they are in their seats.

With performances of “Later Life,” “Farce of Nature,” “The Mousetrap” and “Communicating Doors,” the Players’ historic 75th season has offered plenty of what audiences are used to, until now.

The play that closed the season was definitely not a comedy, and was actually scary at times.

When telling ghost stories, Arthur Kipps’ (Tom Horton) children ask him to tell one of his own. Pushing him by saying, “Everybody knows at least one ghost story,” Kipps knows if he shares the tale he has to offer, it won’t be a story they want to hear, and he has no desire to share it at the time.

What Kipps does decide to do is share his horrific encounter with the supernatural with his friends and family on a theater stage, so he hires a professional actor to help him. While Kipps isn’t much of an actor in the beginning, the Actor (Mark Lennox) convinces him to play all of the characters besides himself in the story, while the Actor plays Kipps.

The play was adapted by Stephen Mattatratt from a novel by Susan Hill and directed by veteran director Kelly Wynn Woodland, who has well over 100 plays under her belt. While it wouldn’t fall under the horror genre, “The Woman in Black” is a fantastic ghost story that takes place in a creepy English manner that is only accessible at low tide due to its remote location just outside a small town, whose residents won’t go anywhere near it. Add in plenty of fog, deadly quicksand, some strange characters and a terrifying ghost (Tahlia Chinault) who manages to make the audience jump despite not having a single line of dialogue in the entire play, the audience was much quieter than at a typical Island Players production.

The show started almost lighthearted, but as it progressed, it became obvious things were turning darker by the minute, eventually leading to an ending that left the entire audience literally speechless. Even as the audience filed out of the final performance, the lobby was much more quiet than the average Players’ play, as guests were still processing what had just happened moments earlier.

There’s still time to catch one of the last shows of the season. “The Woman in Black” runs through May 12 with nightly performances at 7:30 p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Both online and box office ticket sales are available at www.theislandplayers.org and 941-778-5755. Box office hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and one hour before curtain on Sundays for will call tickets only.

County pushes for fire district mergers

County pushes for fire district mergers

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Manatee County, West Manatee Fire Rescue.

MANATEE COUNTY – County commissioners asked the county’s seven fire chiefs to consider merging their districts at an April 23 meeting.

Commissioners said they would support doing a study to look into the benefits of consolidating fire districts, adding that they would bring state leaders and the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Governmental Accountability into the conversation if needed.

Manatee County Administrator Charlie Bishop reminded commissioners that they have no authority over fire districts, which are special districts and governed by the state of Florida.

The conversation was brought to the dais by District Four Commissioner Mike Rahn as a result of the volunteer Duette Fire Department seeking a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (COPCN) for non-transport advanced life support capabilities from the county. Receiving a COPCN is one of the many steps for district firefighters to be certified to provide the same care as an EMS first responder. Non-transport ALS means that the firefighters can provide the same medical care as EMS workers but cannot transport patients to the hospital or other care facility. West Manatee Fire Rescue, the department that covers Anna Maria Island, Cortez and the west side of unincorporated Manatee County, is a non-transport ALS provider in addition to having fire response, water rescue and dive team capabilities, among others.

During the meeting, Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge said that Duette does not meet the minimum capabilities to provide non-transport ALS service to its residents and encouraged the fire chiefs to consider merging districts.

Duette Fire Chief Rocky Parker took to social media to dispute Van Ostenbridge’s claim. Parker said that he believes the district meets the requirements to provide the service to residents and will continue to seek COPCN approval, despite the county commission’s argument that the Duette fire department doesn’t meet the requirements because its firefighters are volunteers.

Van Ostenbridge said that there are positives and negatives to living “out in the country” with one of the negatives being that there is less access to emergency services. He suggested that Duette and Parrish fire districts consider consolidating with North River Fire District to provide more services to residents and property owners.

While fire districts are allowed to consolidate, they can only merge with ones contiguous to their established boundaries within the county.

During the discussion, Van Ostenbridge singled out WMFR as a fire district that would be interested in merging with another district. While Chief Ben Rigney said that the district is always willing to keep its options open to better serve residents and property owners, he doesn’t see a merger coming any time soon.

“It seems to come up every five to 10 years or so,” Rigney said of the talk of fire district consolidation in Manatee County. “I did not feel that West Manatee was being targeted or threatened by the discussion from the Manatee County commission meeting. The commissioners are trying to ensure that the fire districts remain fiscally responsible to their communities. I feel that our district has continued to be responsible with taxpayer monies and are always open to working with them on providing a better service.”

Van Ostenbridge said he doesn’t want to see services reduced but would like to see administrative costs reduced.

Commissioner George Kruse said he thinks it’s important to continually look at opportunities but he’s not sure what the opportunity would be. He said he doesn’t want to see residents have different kinds of safety services based on where they live. He said he would rather see fire safety capabilities standardized across Manatee County. Kruse added that he doesn’t want safety services dictated by where people can afford to live.

“I would just encourage people to have that conversation,” Kruse said. “I would like this to be a bigger discussion. Maybe the (state) delegation needs to get involved in it. We seemingly can get free OPPAGA studies at a snap of a finger. It doesn’t commit to anything, but it can support data for future discussion.”

“I want you guys to keep control of all of this, keep control of your own destiny,” Van Ostenbridge said. When the state delegation and OPPAGA studies are involved, he said that the fire districts would start to lose control of their futures.

Jewfish Key could become part of county

Jewfish Key could become part of county

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Community News, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – County commissioners and officials from the Town of Longboat Key discussed a petition from the Jewfish Key Preservation Association to de-annex Jewfish Key from the town at a joint April 30 meeting.

If the de-annexation is successful, Jewfish Key will become part of unincorporated Manatee County.

“This is a little unusual and I just wanted to place it on your radar,” Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton said to the commission at the April 30 meeting. “There is a possibility you may have an unusual enclave for county services within the Town of Longboat Key.”

“On Jan. 16, 2024, the Town of Longboat Key received a voluntary petition from the Jewfish Key Preservation Association Inc. for the contraction of the island (Jewfish Key) from the municipal boundaries of the town,” Tipton read from a prepared statement. “The homeowners association submitted the request to examine the town’s levels of municipal service and because the town has land use controls that are more restrictive than Manatee County’s. Specifically, the town has a longstanding grandfathered-in land use regulation that restricts the duration of short-term rentals of residential properties for less than 30 days.

“While there is no role for Manatee County in the statutory contraction process, this information is being shared to create awareness of the pending request and the upcoming Town Commission discussion relating to the future of Jewfish Key within the town’s boundaries or as part of unincorporated Manatee County,” Tipton read further.

“I was a little surprised by the name – the Jewfish Key Preservation Association,” County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge said. “What is it they’re trying to preserve? It seems like a disingenuous name that’s misleading.”

Tipton said he didn’t have an answer to that question and said there has been no communication between the association and the town outside of the petition.

“It does present a challenge,” Van Ostenbridge. “The island has slowly built up over time. There’s no fire hydrant there.”

“There are no utilities that serve the Island,” Tipton said. “It is a well and septic enclave.”

Jewfish Key is the only part of the Town of Longboat Key that is without water and sewer service and any increased density would raise concerns, he said.

“I think there’s a concern for the property owner for any future commercial use which would be their lack of sewer, their lack of potable water, the fact that they’re on well and septic,” Van Ostenbridge said. “I don’t know that the county would be eager or even willing to run sewer. The expense would be exorbitant. They may want to do it at their own expense.”

Florida Statutes require the town to undertake and evaluate a feasibility study within six months of receipt of the petition. The anticipated presentation of the completed feasibility study to the Town Commission is at a public meeting on Monday, June 3 at 1 p.m., Tipton said.

Bradenton Beach logo

Irrigation system to be installed on Bridge Street

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – The 80 newly-planted palm trees on Bridge Street will need a regular watering schedule, and on May 2, the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) unanimously approved the expenditure of up to $7,500 to have an irrigation system installed along both sides of the road.

CRA members discussed the cost of the irrigation system versus the $3,500 three-week rental cost of a water truck.

“The CRA has looked at installing more landscape irrigation on Bridge Street. There’s been a lot of trees installed and some additional bushes,” Perry said. “It’s always become an irrigation issue when we come into that dry spell when we’re not getting rain.”

Water trucks come at a high cost, she said, adding that some water meters already exist on Bridge Street.

“And now we’ve invested the funds for trees which we can continue to water and they should be fine once they take,” Perry said. “In the event we come into a dry streak, I would hate to come into the expense of a water truck when we could get an irrigation system for close to what we would pay for a one-time water truck use.”

Irrigation system to be installed on Bridge Street
A rental water truck operator waters the newly-planted coconut palm trees along Bridge Street early Sunday morning. – Leslie Lake | Sun

Perry said she received an estimate of about $5,000 from M&F Lawn Care for the installation of an irrigation system.

“To me that’s a no-brainer to get that infrastructure in place and we know that we’re investing in the pergola and we will probably be doing some plantings in there,” she said. “I’m looking for an opportunity to strengthen and protect what we’ve invested and I saw this as an opportunity.”

Eighty coconut palm trees were planted in late April along Bridge Street and the Gulf Drive roundabouts in a city partnership with developer Shawn Kaleta. Kaleta agreed to accept responsibility for the maintenance of the trees as well as donate $10,000 toward the $50,000 cost of the palms and white river rock. The balance came from CRA funds.

Mayor John Chappie said that one of the things he looked at was doing the irrigation in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

“We can remove the pavers and dig down in the paver row and then put in the irrigation without cutting into any asphalt,” Mayor John Chappie said. “I would really recommend we do this; it will make a big difference and save us some money.”

CRA member Deborah Scaccianoce said it made sense from a financial perspective to install the irrigation system.

CRA member Ed Chiles made a motion with a second by member Jan Vosburgh to approve the installation of an irrigation system by M&F Lawn at a cost not to exceed $7,500.

There was no public comment and the motion passed unanimously among board members.

Woodard leaving Bradenton Beach

Woodard leaving Bradenton Beach

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – With the city officially announcing the resignation of Public Works Director Tom Woodard at a May 2 commission meeting, it was also announced that Police Chief John Cosby will fill in as interim department head during the search for Woodard’s replacement.

Woodard, who has been with the city for 20 years, is taking a job as Public Works Director in Bedford, Virginia.

Mayor John Chappie said on May 3 that Woodard’s last day with the city will be sometime this month.

Woodard, a lifelong Bradenton resident, said the move has been a family decision.

“I wanted to make a change primarily for my wife and two daughters,” he said. “This has nothing to do with Bradenton Beach. I respect and love everyone here.”

The news of Woodard taking the new position was announced by Bedford in an April press release. He was one of 40 applicants for the position there.

“I’ve been here for 20 years. I’m a little nervous about it, I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. The town there issued a press release before I spoke to anyone here. I sent an email to the mayor, the commissioners and to my staff,” Woodard said.

The press release stated in part: “Throughout his distinguished career, Woodard has managed a wide range of departmental responsibilities and played a pivotal role in municipal operations, especially in emergency management, including the effective removal and disposal of debris following hurricane damage.”

According to the release, Woodard’s career spans over three decades, starting in Manatee County, where he served as a traffic management supervisor for eight years. He is a graduate of Manatee Community College and holds several professional certifications, including from the National Incident Management System.

A modest Woodard said he didn’t want to make a fuss, but when pressed to say what has been his proudest accomplishment, he said it is being part of a team in emergency situations.

“What I’m most proud of is the emergency management team,” Woodard said. “The chief (Cosby) is the incident commander, and I’m number two, we handle debris removal to get the island open. My department is boots on the ground first responders with police. My staff is a group of talented people.”

He said Bradenton Beach sets the standard for storm response.

“Because of the way we operate, the city gets FEMA money back. Shayne Thompson is part of our three-man team who takes on the FEMA aspect,” Woodard said. “We are the only city I know of, maybe in the state, that gets 90-100% reimbursement from FEMA. The chief has been doing this for 40 years, I’m 30 years, it’s great how well we work together to get people back into their homes quickly after a storm.”

Woodard attributed the teamwork among city departments as a contributing factor in the city’s progress.

“Here in Bradenton Beach, it’s always a team effort,” Woodard said. “The chief and mayor are very involved. Ricinda (City Attorney Ricinda Perry) is there for legal support, and when a job goes out to bid the city clerk (Terri Sanclemente) is involved as well as the building official (Darin Cushing.)

Among other large projects, Woodard has been involved in the rebuilding of the city pier and the roof of the Anna Maria Oyster Bar building.

“Tom is looking at working with the chief to make sure he has what he needs,” Perry said. “I plan to meet

with Tom to go through the list of things the chief needs to effectively take that department forward and make sure the city is well-serviced and also for us to make sure we have a list of emergency projects before he leaves our city and helps set up a game plan.”

The commission voted unanimously to approve Cosby’s salary increase of $850 a week while serving as interim public works director.

The search for a full-time public works department head to replace Woodard will likely take place in July.

“We feel it’s important we write a very good advertisement for that position, and it’s going to take a little bit of effort because we’re not entirely sure of everything that role entails,” Perry said, noting the position has certification and reporting requirements.

“I would hope we would be able to advertise by July and maybe by the second meeting in August bring back recommendations,” Cosby said. “You have to remember also I have to do budgets for all the departments. It’s not just maintaining the day-to-day operations. I have to do their payroll, I have to pay their bills and develop the budget.”

“I don’t think it will be that easy to find someone with Tom’s qualifications,” Commissioner Ralph Cole said. “He’ll be missed.”

“This is another example of the employees working as a team,” Cosby said. “You have someone who can step in because we do work so closely together.”

Longboat Key officials suggest traffic flow options for Coquina Beach

Longboat Key officials suggest traffic flow options for Coquina Beach

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

LONGBOAT KEY – Citing a study concluding that the 1.7-mile stretch of Gulf Drive from the Longboat Pass Bridge to Cortez Road is one of the most unpredictable in the region in terms of traffic expectations, Longboat Key Public Works Director Isaac Brownman asked the county to join the cities in finding solutions.

Brownman made a presentation to Manatee County commissioners at an April 30 joint meeting of Longboat Key officials and the county commission.

“The MPO (Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization) is conducting a congestion management plan update,” Brownman said. “And what they found was the Gulf Drive segment from Longboat Pass to Cortez Road is one of the most unreliable segments in the county – in the two-county region, in fact. And what they mean by unreliable segments – it’s not one of the most congested segments, we already know that – it’s that you can’t rely on the level of congestion. Sometimes it’s four times what you expect, sometimes it’s two times what you expect, sometimes it’s what you expect.”

He said that the top complaint in the town’s annual citizen’s survey is traffic congestion.

“We wanted to bring to the county’s attention, that the Town of Longboat Key is going to be embarking on these discussions with Bradenton Beach and we’d love the county to be at the table as well,” Brownman said.

Gate closure at Coquina Beach was brought up as one option to alleviate traffic congestion coming in and out of Longboat Key.

Brownman said a simple, cost-effective solution that will help with traffic is to close some of the access points at Coquina Beach, which is at the southernmost end of Bradenton Beach.

“The Coquina Beach parking lot is a very large beach parking lot with three access points. The center access points have a simple gate that can be shut,” he said. “That isolates each parking area from the other and keeps people who are in a long-standing queue from hopping into the southernmost access point and traveling 4/10ths of a mile to travel further north and jamming things up further.”

Brownman said when Manatee County park staff close those gates, there is a noticeable improvement in traffic flow.

“If that simple thing is done consistently throughout season from a certain time of day, it’s a significant cost-easy improvement from our perspective,” he said.

He said Longboat Key residents’ main concern is to get from Longboat Pass to the Cortez Bridge to get to the mainland.

“The FDOT is spending millions of dollars to upgrade Cortez Bridge and that will be a huge improvement,” he said. “They’re also planning the replacement of the Longboat Pass Bridge which, depending on which option they go with, will reduce the number of bridge openings and closings which contributes to the congestion as well.”

“Take a good hard look at the Bridge Street traffic circle,” he said. “This would be the perfect time to look at the Gulf Drive and Cortez Road intersection. Even though the state is doing a major bridge project, they’re not looking at the end point intersection and how to improve that at this time.”

Longboat Key Vice Mayor Mike Haycock said much of the traffic congestion in season is due to employees of Longboat Key businesses coming to the area to work.

“To reiterate, in those 90 days of hell during season that everybody’s talking about, the people of Longboat Key decide in those 90 days not to go north,” he said. “Not to go to Anna Maria Island for dinner like we do many other times. For the workers that live in Manatee County who are working on Longboat Key, it can cause them an extra 1.5 to two hours to get to work, so any help you can give to support some additional studies to see what else we can do would really be helpful.”

City may charge commercial boats to use dock

City may charge commercial boats to use dock

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News, Featured.

BRADENTON BEACH – The free dockage for commercial vessels at city docks may soon come at a cost.

A discussion of the $5,000 cost to replace several floats lost on the floating docks during high surf in April turned to the city’s overall cost of dock maintenance and the possibility of charging a fee for businesses using the docks.

“Five thousand dollars every time that happens, that’s a lot of money,” Commissioner Deborah Scaccianoce said at the May 2 city commission meeting. “This is happening more than once, and it seems like it’s going to be a problem and we’re going to be chasing these floats constantly every time there’s a storm or a lot of wave action on that pier.”

Mayor John Chappie said he had received an update from Duncan Seawall General Manager Steve Porter that the replacement floats were on order.

“It’s a tough area to have the floating dock structure in there because it does get a lot of wave action,” Chappie said. “It’s totally exposed to the northern part of Sarasota Bay. I’ll try to get an update on cost and maintenance, what we need to do to prevent some of this damage that’s been happening and try to mitigate the maintenance costs.”

City Attorney Ricinda Perry said she agreed with Scaccianoce and said there should be an established maintenance program, then suggested that commissioners reopen previous discussions about charging commercial vessels to use the city dock.

“What I’d like to revisit, and we had talked about it but didn’t move it forward, was perhaps a charge for those commercial entities who are using the floating dock for their business at no cost to them,” Perry said.

Perry said that she has spoken with people who rent out slips at a minimum of $2,500 per month.

“If you start making a collection from the people who are running their business off of our pier at no cost, you could start to set aside maintenance money to keep that dock in great shape,” Perry said.

She said such charges would give the city the ability to collect funds for future maintenance but also regulate and know if commercial captains are properly licensed.

“We have under $300,000 sitting there for the entire pier, which isn’t enough to handle the wear and tear which the mayor and I have personally observed from these commercial companies who come in, they do not use anything to protect their boat from slamming into the structure and they take chunks out on the side,” Perry said. “We can’t help the storm vessels that come right under the floating dock and pop off floats and destroy the structure, but I do believe we should consider revisiting this concept of regulating through cost the people who are coming in and using our asset.”

Perry said that if someone on an uninsured vessel gets injured on the dock, the boat operator may not have proper insurance to cover losses.

“I’ve been told some of these commercial entities do not have licensed captains running the vessels and so those who do have the proper insurance and do have the proper captains are charging about $50 a tour,” she said. “Whereas those who don’t, their overhead is less and they’re charging $20-$25. They’re putting us at risk. We do have insurance to cover things that happen, but I believe it’s something the commission should consider revisiting again and we need to make sure we have the funds to take care of that.”

“We really should look at this again,” Chappie said. “We are that destination now and we’re getting more and more people to use the facility and the infrastructure that we have developed there.”

Chappie said the discussion will be put on a commission work meeting agenda in about a month.

New book highlights Drift In’s past, present, future

New book highlights Drift In’s past, present, future

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Entertainment.

BRADENTON BEACH – Casey Hoffman and Paul “Big Sexy” Weremecki have written a book about the Drift In bar.

Published in March, the 144-page book is aptly titled, “Drift In, Stumble Out” and tells the tale of one of Florida’s great dive bars.

Chapter 1 opens with the following passage: “There’s a host of reasons one would come to the Drift In on Anna Maria Island, such as to enjoy a frosty cold beverage, to try their hand at karaoke, play bingo or bar fun, perhaps listen to some of the best music on the Island or meet up with friends. You may even walk out with a mate.”

New book highlights Drift In’s past, present, future
The Drift In was once owned by Babe Ruth. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Some sections were written solely by one of the authors and others were written collectively. The book also contains numerous photos of the characters, past and present, who’ve contributed to the bar’s legacy, including former owner Babe Ruth, previous owner Joe Cuervo, current owner Derek Williams (Cuervo’s son-in-law) and the staff members, musicians, locals, part-time residents and visitors who helped make the Drift In “one of the most unique watering holes in America,” according to musician Mike “Mac” McConnell.

The book’s front cover features some of the old photos that hang near the front window, including a classic photo of bar manager Doreen Flynn sporting an impressively high and curly Afro-style hairdo.

New book highlights Drift In’s past, present, future
The “Drift In, Stumble Out” cover features some of the old photos that hang inside the bar. – Submitted
New book highlights Drift In’s past, present, future
These old photos pay tribute to past and present patrons and staff members. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

The back cover notes the book was “Written from the dual perspectives of both patrons and a ‘Dive Bar Worthy’ bartender (Weremecki).”

Hoffman and Weremecki each wrote a chapter about their relationships with the bar. Another chapter is dedicated to the bar’s iconic, sexy and world-renown mannequin, Mannie. Other chapter titles include “As the Barstool Turns,” “Extraordinary Crew Members,” “Timeless Entertainment” and “Drifting and Stumbling Into the Future.”

New book highlights Drift In’s past, present, future
Drift In manager Doreen Flynn selects Mannie’s ever-changing outfits that range from sexy to sophisticated. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

“Drift In, Stumble Out” book is available at the Drift In for $25 and also at Amazon.com.

 Authors’ insights

Hoffman owns the Holmes Beach-based Zegway by the Bay business and serves as a tour guide while giving Segway tours of the Island. She was also the co-founder of the now-defunct AMI Radio station that used to broadcast from the Magnolia Hotel building on Bridge Street that was demolished earlier this year.

In addition to bartending at the Drift In, Weremecki and his wife, Laurie Lancaster, co-founded the Sunrise Hope nonprofit organization that assists foster children (www.SunriseHope.org). He’s also the founder of the AMI drum circle in Holmes Beach.

“The Drift In has been such a big part of my life since I moved here,” Hoffman said. “The book is a way to give back to the community and tell a fun story about our favorite little watering hole and the people that come through there. There’s always a sense of community, family and friends when you come to the Drift.”

“The Drift was the first bar I went to on the Island when I moved here in 2020,” Weremecki said. “I had my eye on working there and it finally happened last July. The book is a quick, easy read and it makes a nice souvenir. We share some memories and some of the things that go on here.”

New book highlights Drift In’s past, present, future
This Babe Ruth cardboard cutout stands inside the Drift In. – Paul Weremecki | Submitted

“We got to sit with Joe Cuervo and he shared some stories with us,” Hoffman said. “We had to verify a couple things, like when Bridge Street became the happening street on the Island, when the original bridge was built, when the Pines Trailer Park used to be a campground and about Babe Ruth owning the bar. It turns out his father owned several saloons back where he was born.”

New book highlights Drift In’s past, present, future
One of the Drift In walls is dedicated to former owner Babe Ruth. – Derek Williams | Submitted

Once written, the book was assembled in Microsoft Word, saved as a PDF file, uploaded to Kindle Direct Publishing and self-published at Amazon.

“The tricky part was the cover, the spine and the back of the book,” Hoffman said. “We always knew that was the cover we wanted. Thankfully, it worked.”

For those who want to publish their own book, Hoffman said, “I encourage people to give it a try. It’s challenging but very rewarding.”

So far, the pair has sold about 150 copies of their book.

“Some of the proceeds will go to charities supported by the Drift, including Sunrise Hope,” Weremecki noted.

“We’re working on getting the book into some shops on the Island and we’re working on a Kindle E-book version too,” Hoffman said.

On April 14, the authors held a book signing party at the Drift In.

“It was so much fun,” Hoffman said. “A couple people said they already started reading the book and couldn’t put it down. One lady said she read it in one sitting at the beach. We also got some great feedback from the bar owners and Doreen. They were very supportive of our project.”

“We sold about 30 copies in a few hours,” Weremecki added.

Those who want a signed copy of the book can swing by the Drift In during one of Weremecki’s shifts. He’s there Mondays from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m., Wednesdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m.

“It was lot of fun to write. We enjoyed it and hope whoever buys it enjoys it,” Weremecki said.

“It was a true joy to be able to write the book and help tell the story of a place I love as part of my hometown community,” Hoffman said.

The authors hope to develop a live show at the Drift In that serves as an extension of the book.

“People have emailed saying they have pictures they want to share and stories they want to tell. We’re going to do it live on Facebook and make it a podcast too,” Hoffman said.

Efforts appreciated

Williams and his wife, Helena, bought the Drift In from her parents a few years ago.

“Helena and I both enjoyed the book,” Williams said. “‘Drift In Stumble Out’ is a funny and honest take on an Island original. The team did a great job sharing anecdotes about the Drift: Babe Ruth, the legacy of ownership, the talented musicians and the unique circus of individuals that enjoy our establishment. We’re really proud of Paulie for all he does.”

New book highlights Drift In’s past, present, future
The Drift In’s tiki hut provides outdoor seating and bar service. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Flynn said, “I thought it was well-written and I loved the fact that our entertainers were featured.”

General Manager Dan Zelko said, “It’s fantastic. I love the fact that ‘Big Sexy’ helped write the book and that he loves the bar as much as he does – we all do. He did a great job of expressing how the bar really is. He’s here and he understands it. We appreciate that.”

Ferry service to Longboat Key discussed

Ferry service to Longboat Key discussed

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Business, Featured, Tourism.

LONGBOAT KEY – Gulf Islands Ferry service may one day be expanded to the north end of Long­boat Key, but that isn’t expected to happen in the immediate future.

Future ferry service was one of the topics discussed during the joint meeting that Manatee County and Longboat Key officials participated in on April 30 at the county admin­istration building in downtown Bradenton.

Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione said the county and the Town of Longboat Key have and will continue to discuss if, when and how the county’s Gulf Islands Ferry service might one day be expanded to Longboat Key.

Town Manager Howard Tipton said there have been preliminary discussions about using the town dock near the Mar Vista restaurant, which is also within walking distance of the Shore restaurant. Tipton plans to survey potentially impacted Longboat Key residents to gauge how they feel about a ferry stop there.

Ferry service to Longboat Key discussed
The canal behind the Whitney Plaza in Longboat Key is probably too shallow to accommodate the ferries. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Falcione said the canal behind the Whitney Plaza along Gulf of Mexico Drive at the north end of the key is too shallow to accommodate the ferries and he doesn’t envision the ferries traveling to the residential and resort areas further south.

“We’re talking. We’re not there yet,” Falcione said, noting that county resort tax revenues would fund any dock improvements needed in Long­boat Key.

FERRY INSIGHTS

Falcione also shared some general insights on the county-contracted ferry service that began in January and currently features stops at the Riverwalk Day Dock in downtown Bradenton, the Anna Maria City Pier and the Bradenton Beach Pier.

Initially operating on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the service was later expanded to include Thursday and Wednesday service. Falcione said the five-day service will continue through the month of May. Service days may be reduced during the summer months.

Falcione said county staff is working on extending ferry service to the Coquina South boat ramp by the end of the year to accommodate Manatee County residents who want to travel to Coquina Beach.

Ferry service to Longboat Key discussed
The county hopes to have a ferry stop at the South Coquina boat ramp in Bradenton Beach by year’s end. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Falcione said the two 49-passenger pontoon boat ferries transport 300-350 passengers per day, weather permitting, reducing the number of automobiles traveling to the Island.

“Since we started, we’ve served about 9,000 passengers. The chal­lenge that we face is we’ve lost 25 days due to the weather,” Falcione said.

Falcione said the county and the contracted ferry operator are research­ing the construction of a high speed, partially-enclosed 90-passenger ferry that would help minimize the service days suspended due to rain, wind, waves and other factors.

The larger, faster ferry would travel the Manatee River between downtown Bradenton and the Anna Maria City Pier and the two pontoon boats would then service Anna Maria Island – and potentially Longboat Key. Falcione preliminary discussions have occurred with the city of Bradenton Beach about docking the pontoon boats there overnight in that future scenario.

Ferry service to Longboat Key discussed
The Bradenton Beach Pier currently serves as one of Anna Maria Island’s two ferry stops. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Falcione said it would take about a year to build the larger ferry and grants are being sought to help fund it.

Falcione also expects the ferry service to eventually be expanded to the convention center in Palmetto and the new 252-room Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa next to the convention center.

Falcione acknowledged the ferries are not yet a primary source of trans­portation for the Anna Maria Island workforce that commutes from the mainland – due in part to the uncer­tainty posed by suspended service days. He said a partially enclosed high-speed ferry might help.

“The St. Regis is going to employ a lot of folks,” County Commissioner Mike Rahm said of the new resort opening in Longboat Key at the former Colony Beach Resort location later this year.

Longboat Key Commissioner Debra Williams said Longboat Key busi­nesses struggle to attract and retain employees because of the transporta­tion challenges and lengthy travel times. She said workforce transporta­tion should be the top priority and ferrying folks to restaurants should be a secondary goal.

Ferry tickets can be purchased at www.gulfcoastwatertaxi.com.