Skip to main content

Tag: AMI Moose Lodge

Bradenton Beach Police get powerful new training tool

Bradenton Beach Police get powerful new training tool

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – Police officers face the unknown every day they put on their uniforms.

In 2022, nine police officers were killed in the line of duty in Florida, and while that number may not seem large in a highly populated state such as Florida, the threat of attack is always on the minds of these men and women as they go to work to protect and serve the community.

Bradenton Beach draws tourists from around the world, and may seem like paradise to many, but nevertheless, there are threats to officers who must train to handle these situations.

The Sun reported last year on an incident in which a man was on a jetty in Coquina Beach with a loaded firearm. Bradenton Beach officers arrived to find the man threatening to harm himself, but even though the officers believed he was not intending to harm them or the public, their job was to end the situation with the best outcome possible for all parties involved.

“I saw the way he was sitting with his right arm and hand between his legs, and I felt strongly he had a gun in that hand,” Officer John Tsakiri said. “I took out my binoculars to get a better look, but due to the way he was sitting, I still couldn’t see the gun. Lt. Diaz and I were walking towards the subject with our weapons drawn when we got a call on the radio from the MSO (Manatee County Sheriff’s Office) Marine Boat confirming he was holding a gun. The last thing we wanted was for anyone to get hurt, but after continuing to ignore our commands, and at one point starting to stand up, I told Lt. Diaz that if he pointed the gun at us, I would have no choice but to engage him with my firearm.”

This situation demonstrates that even in an area with a relatively low rate of violent crime, it only takes one incident to put officers in a situation where they must decide whether to draw their weapons and possibly have to shoot with innocent bystanders in the area, or deploy other tactics to de-escalate the situation.

DART system

The department now has a new tool that can help reach the best possible conclusion in multiple situations.

Thanks to help from the Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge 2188, the Bradenton Beach Police Department (BBPD) can offer training to officers on any situation they may encounter without driving miles to a firearms training facility or gun range, thanks to their new DART training system.

“This is a top-end system for its price point right now,” Officer Steve Masi said. “In DART Creator and DART Studios, we can create anything we want. If I want a guy to come from 15 yards to two yards in three seconds, I can create it. I can place him in any room I want, I can create walls, and I can give him any behavior I want.”

According to both Masi and Lt. Lenard Diaz, department officers only get two to four training sessions at the gun range a year. When officers do go to the range, they only shoot stationary paper targets that offer little more than accuracy of the officer’s weapons. The DART system allows police to enact real-world situations and even film their own scenarios they can use to train the department.

“We could film a scenario where there is a situation on the beach, then upload it to this program,” Masi said. “We could project this on the side of a building and allow officers to move around and act as if it were a real life or death situation. There are endless training possibilities.”

Bradenton Beach Police get powerful new training tool
Byron Dalton, administrator of the Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge, takes part in training with the DART system at the Bradenton Beach Police Department. – Jason Schaffer | Sun

At a cost of $10,000, the department needed some help securing funds for this vital training tool, and they got it thanks to the Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge 2188 in Bradenton Beach. Byron Dalton, administrator of the lodge, said the relationship with the BBPD has been in place for a long time, and they wanted to help in any way they could.

“Part of what we do with the police department is community service,” Dalton said. “We told them if there’s anything we can do to help make the department a better place, just let us know. At that time the lieutenant who is now the chief said we have the perfect thing we’d like to do, can you help us with it? We said, heck yeah and we got involved.”

The AMI Moose Lodge assisted in the purchase of the DART system with a $5,000 donation that covered about half the cost of the system. The remainder of the cost was paid by the department. Masi called it an incredible addition to the department’s resources.

“My number one goal is to go home after work,” Masi said. “Anything can happen in an instant, and how officers react to a serious threat may determine whether they go home alive; this is serious training for serious situations.”

AMI Moose Lodge welcomes distinguished visitor

AMI Moose Lodge welcomes distinguished visitor

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – Moose International Board of Directors Chairman Paul Curtis visited Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge #2188 Thursday afternoon and evening.

Accompanied by his wife Bonnie, Curtis stopped by the lodge as part of the couple’s tour of Florida Moose Lodges. The couple lives in Camas-Washougal, Washington and their March 3 visit was their first to Anna Maria Island.

During the visit, Curtis accepted a $5,000 donation from the AMI Moose Lodge and he presented Bradenton Beach Police Chief John Cosby with a box of Tommy Moose stuffed animals to share with youngsters. The couple joined local Moose officers and members for a ribeye steak and shrimp skewer dinner prepared by head chef Zack Machleit and his kitchen crew.

AMI Moose Lodge welcomes distinguished visitor
Thursday’s festivities included a steak and shrimp dinner for members and guests. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Curtis currently serves in the highest member-elected position within the Moose fraternity.

“As chairman of the board, we’re the goodwill ambassadors for this fraternity. This is a one-year commitment. During the course of our year, my wife and I spend our time traveling throughout the United States visiting different associations and lodges. We tell them how much we appreciate who they are and what they do, and we thank them for being great Moose members,” Curtis told The Sun.

“We visited four lodges in Florida. This is the last one on the list. This is really fantastic,” Curtis said of the AMI lodge located along the Gulf of Mexico shoreline.

“This lodge has the largest membership in the United States and Canada; and the Florida association is the biggest association we have in the Moose fraternity. There are somewhere around 121 Moose Lodges in Florida. I’m from Washington and we have 23 lodges,” Curtis said.

Bonnie Curtis is a Women of the Moose member and last year she received her senior regent’s honor. In that role, she leads meetings and helps organize lodge events, dinners, memorial services and more back in Washington.

“We won the award of achievement for our state. We help take care of the sick and disabled. We take them to doctor’s appointments and things like that. We’re a big family,” she said.

When asked about their first visit to the lodge and the Island, she said, “I love this lodge. The people are great and they’re so much fun.”

AMI Moose Lodge welcomes distinguished visitor
Honored guests, lodge members and lodge officers gathered for a photo on the AMI Moose Lodge’s Gulf-front patio. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Lodge administrator Byron Dalton said, “It’s an honor to have a man of Paul’s stature at our lodge and for Paul and Bonnie to join us for dinner. It’s great that our members get to meet one of the guys in charge of the fraternity. It’s like a fireside chat for our members and they realize the people at the top of the organization do care about the membership.”

Mooseheart Child City

Curtis received from the AMI Moose Lodge a $5,000 check made out to Moose Charities in his honor. The money will be used for the new Mooseheart Activity Center (MAC) being built in Mooseheart, Illinois.

Having its own zip code, Mooseheart Child City is a residential childcare facility located on a 1,000-plus-acre campus about 40 miles west of Chicago. Dedicated in 1913, Mooseheart provides housing and care for infants through high-schoolers whose families are unable to care for them.

Regarding the activity center, Curtis said, “It’s the athletic center for the kids on the Mooseheart campus, especially the high school kids. We’re going to tear down the old athletic center and we’ve already started building the new one. It’s going to have bowling alleys, game rooms, workout rooms, a weight center and other stuff kids want to do. On behalf of our kids on the Mooseheart campus and others, we thank this Moose Lodge from the bottom or our hearts. We’re very appreciative.

“We’re also grateful for the 1.2 million Moose members we have throughout the United States and Canada. Without their membership, support and financial donations, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do for our kids on the Mooseheart campus and our seniors on the Moosehaven campus,” he added.

Moosehaven is a private membership retirement community in Orange Park, just outside of Jacksonville.

Tommy Moose to the rescue

During Thursday’s visit, Curtis and lodge President Steve Boniberger presented Police Chief Cosby with a box of Tommy Moose plush toys.

AMI Moose Lodge welcomes distinguished visitor
Police Chief John Cosby, Steve Boniberger, Paul Curtis, Bonnie Curtis and Byron Dalton displayed some of the Tommy Moose plush toys given to the police department. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

“These stuffed animals are presented to first responders throughout the United States and Canada. In the performance of their duty, they run into situations where they have to separate the children from the parents. These Tommy Moose stuffed animals don’t solve the problem, but it helps relieve some of the trauma and tension the child may be going through,” Curtis told the members.

“The Tommy Moose program was started about 18 years ago by the supreme governor at that time, Tommy Hatcher, so it’s been known as Tommy Moose ever since. We’re very proud to present these to our first responders everywhere. From coast to coast, Moose members everywhere respect you, admire you, stand by you and will always have your back.”

Cosby told The Sun his officers give the stuffed animals to children whose parents are involved in traffic accidents and other police interactions.

“It’s something nice to give to the kids and it provides them a little comfort,” Cosby said.

Friday morning, the Curtis’ headed to Fort Myers before traveling to Jacksonville for the annual Moose Charities and Moosehaven board meetings.

Anna Maria Island bars ordered to close again

Anna Maria Island bars ordered to close again

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Business, Restaurants | Bars.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – On Friday, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) enacted an emergency order that once again prohibits bars, pubs, night clubs and other non-restaurant establishments from selling alcohol for consumption on premises.

In an effort to curtail the spread of COVID-19, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on March 17 doing the same, but lifted it on June 5.

On Anna Maria Island, the second round of statewide bar closures impacts the Drift In, Sports Lounge, Tommy Knockers and the AMI Moose Lodge in Bradenton Beach and the Anchor Inn, Dcoy Ducks and The Doctor’s Office in Holmes Beach.

Issued late Friday morning and effective immediately, DBPR Order 2020-09 says, “All vendors licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises who derive more than 50% of gross revenue from such sales of alcoholic beverages shall suspend such sales of alcoholic beverages for consumption on premises. Such vendors may continue to sell alcoholic beverages in sealed containers for consumption off premises in accordance with Executive Order 20-71.

“Vendors who are also licensed as public food service establishments or restaurants may continue to operate for on-premise consumption of food and beverages at tables so long as these vendors derive 50% or less of gross revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages for on premises consumption,” the order says.

The DBPR order explains the reasoning behind these actions.

“Under Phase 2, bars and other vendors licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises were given permission to operate at 50% of their indoor capacity so long as they provided seated service only.

“The governor directed the Department of Business and Professional Regulation to enforce restrictions in Executive Order 20-139. During the month of June, the number of individuals testing positive for COVID-19 increased significantly in the State of Florida, especially among younger individuals, and some of these cases involving younger individuals are suspected to have originated from visits to bars, pubs or nightclubs who have disregarded the restrictions set forth in Phase 2 of the Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step plan for Florida’s recovery.

“Non-compliance by bars and other vendors licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on premises is suspected throughout the state to such a degree as to make individualized enforcement efforts impractical and insufficient at this time,” the DBPR order says.

During his Friday afternoon press conference, Gov. Ron DeSantis mentioned the increased number of younger people testing positive for COVID-19 but he did not directly address the bar closures. He simply made a passing reference to an unnamed action taken that day by the DBPR president.

Local reaction

With no advance notice, Sports Lounge bartender Courtney McGough finds herself unemployed again.

“This is so devastating to bartenders and bar owners. We followed all the guidelines that were asked of us and we even hired a door man seven days a week to help us stay at 50% capacity. It’s just not fair,” she said Friday afternoon.

Anna Maria Island bars ordered to close again
The Sports Lounge in Bradenton Beach was among those forced to close on Friday. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Anchor Inn owner Darla Tingler said, “There’s nothing to say except this is unbelievable.”

“I’m so upset I can barely comment,” Drift In manager Doreen Flynn said.

Flynn said Drift In owners Joe and Angie Cuervo were equally surprised and upset.

“Our employees are all texting me and they just can’t believe this is happening again. They are wondering how they’re going to pay their bills and whether they go back on unemployment,” Flynn said.

Flynn questions the fairness of restaurants still being allowed to sell alcohol while the bars are forced to close.

“This is not going to slow the spread of the virus. All this does is change where our customers go to drink,” Flynn said.

The AMI Moose Lodge reopened on Friday, June 12 – one week after the other Island bars reopened.

“I am very disappointed in our system,” Lodge Administrator Byron Dalton said. “It appears the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. How are we supposed to pay our employees and pay our bills? We just restocked our coolers and freezers and there’s a lot of money invested in the products we will lose.”

Jason Benn is the bar manager at the Anna Maria Island Beach Café at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach. That establishment remains open, but Benn sympathizes with others in the industry.

“With the spike in cases, I can understand taking steps to get the numbers back under control, but I do not feel it is right to take away one type of business. I think it is wrong for those to suffer who are doing to the right things and taking extra steps to be safe,” Benn said.

“I hope the bar owners and bar employees are able to get help and assistance much easier this time. I know some that have still not heard or got anything from the first shutdown. And the bars have only been back open since June 5,” he added.

DBPR order 2020-09 can be viewed or downloaded here.