HOLMES BEACH – It was difficult to find a parking space and sidewalks were packed at the Jan. 12 Night Market. The event is a partnership between the City of Holmes Beach, Bradenton Area Arts and Culture, The Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island (AGAMI) and many other area businesses. The event was formally called the Art Walk, but the departure of Island Gallery West left only AGAMI in Holmes Beach.
The monthly event, held the second Friday of the month, is meant to stimulate business for Holmes Beach merchants by extending hours later into the evening and allowing them to showcase what they have to offer with sidewalk sales, live music and product demonstrations.
The Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island had artists demonstrations on the sidewalk in front of the gallery, live music from Larry Wilhelm, wine and snacks, People’s Choice Awards and an Artist Paint-A-Round, where artists collaborate on one painting. That painting was then raffled off after the event.
The AGAMI Featured Artist for January, Karen Eddy, was also on hand to talk to visitors about her featured front window display, titled Sky Wonders. Since moving to Florida five years ago, Eddy has been inspired by the colors found in the coastal sky and how those colors are reflected on the ample bodies of water that can be found just about everywhere. As a lifelong Southerner, she has paintings displayed in the gallery featuring low-country South Carolina and Georgia, in addition to her current home state of Florida. While all her works are unique, most do have one thing in common – colorful skies reflecting their beauty on a body of water.
“I was living in Arizona, and decided to move back here because I missed water,” Eddy said. “I’ve been fascinated by the clouds and the atmosphere and the sunlight. When I get up every day, it’s like a different painting.”
Eddy’s window display will run through Jan. 31 and all her works are available for purchase.
Although AGAMI spearheads the event, plenty of other Holmes Beach businesses took part, including Pizzano’s Pizza and Grinders, DCoy Ducks, Small Town Creamery, howluckyami, Irene’s Clothing Store, Sand Dollar, The Feast, Hurricane Hank’s, Freckled Fin and The Doctor’s Office. It was a treat for both art lovers and anyone looking for something unique they may only find on Anna Maria Island.
The next Holmes Beach Night Market will take place Friday, Feb. 9 from 5-7:30 p.m. or later.
ANNA MARIA – When contractors Mason Martin LLC removed 67 feet of mangroves at a canal-front home on Dec. 12, they did so without all of the required approval, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
According to an FDEP final inspection report dated Jan. 11 following a Dec. 22 site visit to the property at 111 Gull Drive, the mangrove removal required – but did not receive – the approval of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The site visit was the result of several complaints the agency received about mangrove removal on Dec. 13, according to the FDEP report.
On Sept. 19, FDEP issued a letter verifying that the construction of an approximately 116-foot seawall with a 2-foot-wide concrete cap and 815 square feet of backfill was exempt from department authorization. However, FDEP noted that no further work should be continued until authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was obtained.
“The inspection revealed that construction had commenced and a portion of the mangroves on the property were removed within the exempt activity’s footprint,” according to the FDEP report. “Erosion control devices were installed upon request after the inspection. In addition, the Department notified the property owner that they should continue to coordinate with USACE and to not continue construction until a USACE authorization is obtained.”
As of Jan. 8, USACE had not issued authorization for the project.
Approximately 67 linear feet of mangroves were removed, with approximately 49 linear feet of mangrove fringe remaining. The pre-impact height of the mangroves was more than 24 feet, according to the FDEP report, and consisted of 40% red, 35% black and 25% white mangroves.
“The canal system is considered Water of the United States (WOTUS) and is within retained waters. Therefore additional authorization is required from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,” the FDEP report states.
“No work should have commenced within jurisdictional ‘waters of the United States,’ which includes wetlands, without a permit,” attorney Justin Bloom, representing environmental group Suncoast Waterkeeper, wrote in an email to The Sun.
EXEMPTION CONCERNING
FDEP spokesperson Brian Humphreys emailed the following to The Sun on Jan. 11 with the report: “As you will see in this report, DEP’s investigation has determined that the mangrove alteration/removal activities at this property are in compliance and within the footprint of their seawall exemption. Under this exemption, limited mangrove alteration/removal is allowed within that footprint, per Rule 62-330.051(12) (a), Florida Administrative Code, and Chapter 403.9328 (5), Florida Statute.”
For environmentalist and self-described whistleblower Ronnie Leto, whose property is across the canal from 111 Gull Drive, the FDEP exemption raises concerns.
“This is the environmental protection agency,” Leto said. “What environment are they protecting?”
Leto noted that the property owner of 111 Gull Drive lives out of state and is readying the house for sale.
“This is all being done for profit and gain,” he said.
The listed property owner is Sharp Real Estate Development based in Hingham, Massachusetts.
Leto is concerned about what he said could be the domino effect of the project exemption.
“If other neighbors see this being done, they may want to do the same,” he said. “Responsible people always do the right thing. Would you rather live by a dead sea or a living sea?”
The mangroves have been nurturing the estuaries, which are teeming with fish and manatees, Leto said.
“The fight is ugly,” Leto said. “I want to see the outcome be for the betterment of the shoreline and our area.”
A third layer of approval, a seawall permit from the City of Anna Maria, also has not been issued. A stop work order was put in place by the city on Dec. 6 and as of Jan. 8 was still in effect.
“City staff visited the site on Dec. 13, and observed workers actively removing mangroves,” Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy wrote in a Dec. 18 email to The Sun. “During this visit, staff noted that the Stop Work Order had been removed from the property.”
City staff reposted the stop work order on the property.
BRADENTON BEACH – Demolition began Saturday on 101 Bridge St., the second of four buildings slated to be torn down to make way for a 106-room resort hotel/restaurant/retail project.
Developer Shawn Kaleta and hotel co-applicant, former Bradenton Beach Commissioner Jake Spooner, received city commission approval on Dec. 7 to build the project on the corner of Bridge Street and Gulf Drive South. In addition to the hotel rooms, a 60-seat restaurant and 5,396 square feet of retail space is planned, with 154 on-site parking spaces.
The hotel property is sited on 1.61 acres and located at 101, 105 and 117 Bridge St. and 106, 108, 110 and 112 Third St. S.
The 101 Bridge St. building, formerly the Freckled Fin, was built in 1925. It is listed on the demolition permit application as a mixed-use commercial property with two living units and one commercial property.
Kaleta is named as the property owner on the application.
On Dec. 11, the permitted demolition began at 129 Gulf Drive S., the location of the former Joe’s Eats N Sweets.
In a Dec. 27 email to The Sun from Bradenton Beach permit technician Annabre Veal, demolition permit applications for 105 and 117 Bridge St. had been submitted but were missing some information.
The former Magnolia Inn at 105 Bridge St. dates back to 1935. 117 Bridge St. houses the Fudge Factory.
HOLMES BEACH – City leaders are hoping to reinforce their position in the battle against state politicians infringing on the city’s home rule.
During a Jan. 11 meeting, commissioners agreed to draft a letter opposing Florida Senate Bill 280, which would take away local municipalities’ ability to regulate vacation rentals and give the sole rights to the state.
Local regulations that would be removed if the bill passes the state Legislature and earns the approval of Gov. Ron DeSantis include the Holmes Beach vacation rental ordinance, all locally-enforced vacation rental safety regulations – including those mandated by West Manatee Fire Rescue under the Florida State Fire Code – and all local occupancy requirements.
While the bill mandates occupancy by the number of sleeping areas in a rental, City Attorney Erica Augello said it doesn’t specify that those sleeping areas be bedrooms, as required by the Holmes Beach vacation rental ordinance, which specifies two people per bedroom or six per unit, whichever is greater, is maximum occupancy.
Augello said she feels the bill is well-written enough that it may have a better chance of passing where vacation rental pre-emption bills have failed at the state level in the past.
Commissioners also decided to enter into an agreement with Sunrise Consulting Group for legislative consulting services at a cost of $4,500 per month.
Rather than replacing the city’s current lobbyist firm in Tallahassee, Mayor Judy Titsworth said the city’s team at Sunrise would work with the city’s lobbyist at the state level. One of their main tasks, she said, would be to represent the city’s interests at the local level with Manatee County representatives for project funding and other issues affecting the city.
CORTEZ – A U.S. Coast Guard Station Cortez law enforcement crew cited what they said was an illegal uninspected small passenger vessel-for-hire operating on Anna Maria Sound on Jan. 3.
According to a U.S. Coast Guard press release, the 22-foot boat was operating a ferry service to a short-term lodging sailboat with two people and three dogs as passengers. During the investigation, it was found that the unnamed operator was previously issued a Captain of the Port order in June 2023 for operating without a Coast Guard-issued captain’s license, a regulatory requirement.
“Short-term lodging vessels on the water are not illegal,” Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg Chief of Investigations Brian Knapp said. “If owners of short-term rentals provide transportation by way of a ferry service to and from the rental on the water, that is considered a passenger-for-hire operation, and the owner must be a credentialed mariner and follow the regulations for operating this type of service.”
“The crew was out on patrol and recognized the boat as one that had been stopped before,” Coast Guard spokesperson Nicole Groll said. “They boarded the boat and found that the operator was in violation. Because they were doing something they were told not to do, the boat was escorted back to shore.”
Groll declined to provide an incident report or identify the person who was cited.
“The case has been sent to the U.S. Attorney’s office and they will decide whether to pursue criminal charges,” Groll said. “Because they violated a Captain of the Port order, that is a federal offense.”
The boat was a 2008 22-foot Sea Hunt bow rider. The boat name was not visible in the Coast Guard release photo.
The operator of the boat was cited with the following violations:
• Violation of 46 CFR 15.605 for failing to have an uninspected passenger vessel under the command and control of a credentialed mariner;
• Violation of 46 CFR 16.201 for failure of the operator to be enrolled in a drug testing consortium;
• Violation of 33 CFR 160.105 for failure to comply with a Captain of the Port order.
“Anyone paying for a trip on a vessel should ask to see the merchant mariner credential of the boat operator to verify they are properly licensed by the Coast Guard to operate that vessel as the captain,” Knapp said. “If the captain can’t produce their license, don’t get on the boat.”
Groll said that a Coast Guard civil hearing will be scheduled to determine any potential fines.
Owners and operators of illegal charter vessels can face maximum civil penalties of over $60,000 for illegal passenger-for-hire operations. Charters that violate a Captain of the Port order can face a maximum penalty of $111,031. Some potential fines for illegally operating a charter vessel are:
• Up to $22,324 for failure to operate a passenger vessel without a merchant mariner credential;
• Up to $9,086 for failure of operators to be enrolled in a drug testing program;
• Up to $5,661 for failure to provide a Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection for vessels carrying more than six passengers;
• Up to $19,324 for failure to produce a valid Certificate of Documentation for vessels over 5 net tons.
Anyone suspecting a vessel of violating the law is asked to report the alleged violation to U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg at 727-502-8720.
BRADENTON BEACH – It was just after 1 a.m. on Jan. 12 when three fishermen on a boat near the Bradenton Beach Pier needed a break from the inclement weather and decided to head to the adjacent dinghy dock to get warm.
When they pulled up to the dock, they observed what appeared to be a coat and clothing lying on the dock. As they got closer, they found a man slumped over the end of the dock with his head underwater. The reporting witness, Joshua Adkins, called 911 and waited for police to arrive.
According to his report, Bradenton Beach Police Officer Thomas Ferrara responded to the scene with Officer Roy Joslin and Officer Devon Straight to investigate.
“As we approached the dimly lit end of the dock, I observed an adult male body, obviously deceased with the chest area laying over the edge of the dock above the water and the left leg laying straight out on top of the dock out of the water,” Ferrara said in his report. “The right leg was above the water and half wrapped around a wooden piling that was attached to the dock. The deceased had both hands and arms dangling in the water and his entire head was under the surface of the water.”
After confirming that the deceased was beyond resuscitation, Straight pronounced the time of death to dispatch and the officers left the pier. They briefed their supervisors, Chief John Cosby, Sgt. Steve Masi and Lt. Lenard Diaz, about the situation. Diaz told Ferrara to contact the medical examiner and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit to respond and photograph the scene, according to the report.
The Sun spoke to Diaz on Jan. 12, who said the victim, identified as Mark Allen Crooks, 63, lived on a boat the department had cited previously for not being properly operational in the bay near the Bradenton Beach Pier. Diaz said Crooks had moved the boat to the coast of Cortez to avoid further Bradenton Beach violations.
Diaz said there was no foul play suspected in the death, and that the results of the autopsy would not be available by press time. Whether the man drowned or had a medical emergency that led to his death will not be known until that report is made available.
HOLMES BEACH – Anyone who’s driven through the intersection at Marina and Gulf drives lately may have noticed a significant change in the flow of traffic due to the installation of a new traffic light and new signage.
The intersection was remodeled in 2023 as a part of the city center revitalization project, which realigned bicycle and traffic lanes and added crosswalks for pedestrians at the intersection. With the new traffic light, vehicles turning right from Gulf onto Marina are required to stop and wait for an arrow.
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said that the changes will help drivers remember to make that stop.
Before the intersection was improved, traffic turning right onto Marina Drive was continuous with a yield sign and a merge lane near Keyes Marina. When the seawall along the east side of the road began to experience structural problems, the merge lane was deemed unsafe and closed to motorists. While drivers were required by law to stop before turning right, it didn’t always happen.
As a part of the intersection revitalization project, the seawall was repaired and the old merge lane turned into greenspace, a bicycle lane and a new sidewalk. With drivers still not coming to a complete stop before turning right, Tokajer said the decision to add new signals and signage to the intersection was made for public safety reasons.
Now, there is a right turn arrow for vehicles turning right from Gulf to Marina along with a sign instructing motorists to stop for pedestrians. Tokajer also said when a pedestrian activates the crosswalk, all the vehicular lights turn red to allow pedestrians to safely cross the intersection.
Pedestrian safety in the Gulf/Marina intersection has been a concern for years. Prior to the 2023 addition of the crosswalks, there were no crosswalks at that intersection. Pedestrians had to walk a block north or west to cross. And while some did, many would walk through the intersection regardless of the lack of a crosswalk.
Two pedestrians were struck in the intersection on May 12, 2023 by a driver making a left-hand turn from Marina to Gulf who failed to yield to pedestrians. The driver stated that he didn’t see the two women, one of whom died from injuries sustained in the crash.
Spring Lake looks almost normal from the surface, but the acidic water won’t yet support fish or other living organisms. - Kristin Swain | Sun
The Marshall Tucker Band at The Center of Anna Maria Island - Kristin Swain | Sun
Kristin Swain | Sun
A beautifully carved mirror in one of the bedrooms at the Fangmeyer Home. - Kristin Swain | Sun
- Kristin Swain | Sun
Kristin Swain | Sun
- Kristin Swain | Sun
- Kristin Swain | Sun
If the city purchases the property surrounding Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, the southwest corner facing Palm Drive could be used to realign Marina Drive, connecting it to 67th Street. - Kristin Swain | Sun
After years of wrangling, the Gulf front tree house in Holmes Beach may really have to come down. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Kindergarten teacher Kelly Crawford receives an enthusiastic greeting from a former student at AME’s back to school night. - Kristin Swain | Sun
The tree lights up in front of the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Dec. 4. - Kristin Swain | Sun
ANNA MARIA – Making its maiden voyage for the Gulf Islands Ferry service on a cold and windy day, the Miss Anna Maria ferry boat docked at the Anna Maria City Pier at approximately 9:45 a.m. Sunday morning.
Carrying six passengers who traveled down the Manatee River from the Riverwalk Day Dock in downtown Bradenton, the Miss Anna Maria was the first Manatee County-funded Gulf Islands Ferry boat to arrive at the City Pier carrying paying passengers.
Miss Anna Maria approached the City Pier after traveling down the Manatee River. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Phil Quesnel captained Miss Anna Maria, assisted by crew member Mike Pollard, and the wind and waves made docking a challenge. After three unsuccessful attempts to dock nose-first, Quesnel and Pollard decided to pull up to the pier with the port side of the boat parallel to the landing area at the T-end of the pier.
The wind and waves made docking nose-first difficult. – Joe Hendricks | SunMiss Anna Maria eventually docked with the port side parallel to the pier. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Eight-year-old Marlon Haoui was the first passenger off the ferry, accompanied by his parents, Bryan and Annslie Haoui, and their friend, Holly Mayotte.
When asked how it felt to be the first ferry passenger to set foot on the pier, Marlon said, “Good.”
When asked if it was cold on the river, he said, “Very.”
He was then asked what he planned to do in Anna Maria.
“We’re gonna go into the aquarium,” he said in reference to the Mote Marine Science Education & Outreach Center located on the City Pier.
“And then we’re going to get breakfast,” Annslie said.
“We figured this was historic, the first ferry ride from Bradenton to the Island, so let’s be the first ones to do it. We were looking forward to it,” Bryan said.
“We bought our tickets on Friday,” Annslie said, noting that she and Mayotte are teachers at the Team Success charter school.
“It was beautiful. We went right by our homes and up the river,” Mayotte said of their morning ride.
Some ferry passengers planned to visit the pier-based Mote Marine Science Education & Outreach Center. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When asked about the boating conditions, Pollard said, “It was a little rougher than we would’ve thought. We’re getting 2-3-foot swells out there. Hopefully, as the day goes on, it’ll settle down.”
Pollard said the wind, waves and other conditions determine the best way to bring the boat in to dock.
“That dictates whether you come in nose-first, port side or starboard side. Right now, it’s better to come in on the port side,” he said.
Quesnel previously captained charter boats in the Long Island, New York area.
“We’ve done this a few times as practice, but today was probably the roughest day,” he said in regard to docking at the City Pier.
Kristen Deevy and her friends, Sue and Bob, were among the first five passengers to make the trip from the City Pier to downtown Bradenton. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Five new passengers boarded Miss Anna Maria for the first return trip from the City Pier to downtown Bradenton. Visting from Colorado, Kristen Deevy and her friends, Sue and Bob, planned to eat brunch in downtown Bradenton and explore the downtown area on foot.
Five passengers boarded the Miss Anna Maria for its first return trip to downtown Bradenton. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
According to Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Marketing Director Kolby Gayson, 12 passengers booked passage on the Downtown Duchess for the ferry service’s second Sunday morning voyage to the City Pier.
The passengers settled in for their ferry ride to downtown Bradenton. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Weather permitting, Miss Anna Maria and her sister ship, Downtown Duchess, were to continue making hourly trips between downtown Bradenton and Anna Maria until 9 p.m. To establish consistency of service, the hourly ferry trips were to be made with or without passengers onboard.
The now-active Gulf Islands Ferry service will operate Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., weather permitting. The ferry service will also travel to the Bradenton Beach Pier once some needed docking modifications are completed there.
At approximately 10 a.m., Miss Anna Maria headed back to downtown Bradenton. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The round-trip fare for adults 18 and older is $10 and a one-way trip is $6. The round-trip fare for seniors, active military members and youths aged 4 to 18 is $6 and a one-way trip is $4. Children 3 and younger ride free. Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.gulfcoastwatertaxi.com.
ANNA MARIA – City Commission applicants Gary McMullen and Kathleen Morgan participated in a candidate forum at city hall on Jan. 11.
McMullen and Morgan hope to be appointed to fill the two vacant seats on the Anna Maria Commission.
With Mayor Dan Murphy serving as moderator and city commissioners Jon Crane, Charlie Salem and Mark Short in attendance, McMullen and Morgan answered all 30 questions provided in advance and an additional audience question posed during the forum. The candidates took turns answering five questions at a time and alternating who answered first.
The two candidates hold similar views on most of the issues. Both displayed a strong knowledge of the issues and neither has ever served before as an elected government official.
The candidates
McMullen spent much of his life living in Anna Maria at least part-time and has lived in Anna Maria full-time for about 15 years.
Morgan bought her first Anna Maria Island home in 2000. She and her husband, David Johnson, bought their current home in Anna Maria in 2006.
McMullen retired after a career with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles that included office management.
Morgan works part-time as a legal assistant for her husband’s Sarasota-based law firm. She also holds a real estate broker’s license. For 24 years, she owned and operated a retail/wholesale business in New York.
As for why he wants to serve, McMullen said, “I want to improve the quality of life for the residents and make this a better place to live.”
Morgan said, “I would like to serve as a commissioner to help make positive changes and reinforce current policies that reflect our city’s heritage. Anna Maria is a beautiful place to live and I am committed to improving it.”
Regarding the skill sets they’d bring to the commission, Morgan said, “I have an ability to bring people together in a cooperative fashion. I am a person that people respect and trust. I’m an effective communicator, a good follower and a good leader when needed. If appointed, I will work collaboratively with others.”
McMullen cited his historical perspective, managerial experience and the knowledge of government operations he acquired while working in and with governments at the city, county, state and federal levels.
“I know how government operations work,” he said.
Regarding community service, McMullen said he currently serves as the vice-chair of the city’s Historic Preservation Board and was one of Anna Maria’s first code enforcement and parking officers. Morgan serves as president of the Anna Maria Island Garden Club and as a board member and secretary for The Center of Anna Maria Island’s board of directors.
Neither candidate owns a business or vacation rental property in Anna Maria.
The issues
McMullen said that “Keeping our residential base” is the most important issue facing the city in 2024.
Morgan agreed that residents are the most important component of the community and she supports Commissioner Charlie Salem’s desire to conduct a feasibility study to help determine what more can be done to incentivize permanent residents.
Morgan views the ongoing OPPAGA consolidation study and the potential consolidation of the three Island cities as the biggest challenge facing the city in 2024.
“I am only for consolidation of services,” she said. “I am also concerned that we only get charged for our portion of the service and not an equal share of the total charge.”
Regarding consolidation, McMullen said, “I’m against it. We would have negligible savings if we consolidated services and I’m not for consolidating the cities.”
McMullen and Morgan both oppose the proposed county parking garage in Holmes Beach.
Gary McMullen believes the retention of permanent residents is the most important issue facing the city in 2024. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
McMullen is also concerned about pedestrian and bicyclist safety, particularly on Pine Avenue.
“I see people walking on the streets, I see bicycles on the streets and people coming out between the cars. I don’t believe it’s safe,” he said.
McMullen and Morgan both support the still pending Reimagining Pine Avenue safety improvement project that includes Magnolia and Spring avenues. McMullen supports eliminating the parallel parking spaces along Pine Avenue and installing sidewalks and bike lanes along both sides of the street. Morgan supports eliminating the parallel parking spaces along one side of Pine Avenue and replacing them with a multi-use path.
McMullen said the opening of the Mote Marine Science Education and Outreach Center on the City Pier was the commission’s most significant accomplishment in 2023.
Kathleen Morgan sees the OPPAGA consolidation study as the biggest issue facing the city in 2024. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Morgan cited the opening of the Mote facility, planning for the Pine Avenue project and the city-sponsored events and celebrations that take place at City Pier Park and said, “Perhaps the best thing was reaching a cooperative yet united front against those who desire to consolidate the Island’s three governments and build a parking garage.”
If appointed, McMullen said his top three priorities would be making Pine Avenue safer, retaining full-time residents and expanding the Gulf Islands Ferry operations to better serve Island employees, including a Holmes Beach ferry stop if possible.
Morgan cited vacation rental regulation, street paving, stormwater/drainage improvements and the Pine Avenue safety improvements as ongoing top priorities and she’d also like to see more sidewalks and bike paths installed throughout the city.
If he could initiate one city project, McMullen would extend to Pine Avenue the multi-use trail along Gulf Drive that currently ends at Willow Avenue. Morgan again mentioned installing more sidewalks.
Both candidates support strong enforcement of the city’s vacation rental and noise ordinances.
Both candidates support maintaining the city’s 2.05 millage rate for the collection of property taxes and McMullen would like to see the millage rate reduced as property values and property taxes continue to increase.
Both candidates support allowing leashed dogs in City Pier Park, but not during city-sponsored special events.
The appointments
On Jan. 25, the three sitting commissioners will rank the two candidates in order of their personal preference. A commissioner’s first choice will receive a ranking of 1 and his second choice will receive a ranking of 2. The candidate with the lowest total score will be appointed to serve the longer term that expires in 2025. The candidate with the second-lowest score will be appointed to serve the term that expires in December. A candidate that receives at least two zero rankings will no longer be considered a candidate.
Grassy Point Preserve in Holmes Beach offers mangrove tunnels on the bay side of Anna Maria Island on the Intracoastal Waterway and nearly 35 acres to explore on land, some of it accessible by boardwalk.
You may see roseate spoonbills (often mistaken for flamingos), roosting pelicans and white ibis, or even one of Florida’s threatened manatees.
Turn east at Gulf Drive and 30th Street, then north on Avenue C.
