The Anna Maria Elementary Fall Festival at The Center of Anna Maria Island on Saturday, Oct. 18 featured a costume parade, rides, games, food and a pumpkin patch. Last year’s event was canceled due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Costumed students participated in the Halloween parade. - Leslie Lake | Sun
Costumed students participated in the Halloween parade. - Leslie Lake | Sun
Madeline Jones takes a ride down the slide at the AME Fall Festival. - Leslie Lake | Sun
A monster bounce house was one of the featured rides at the AME Fall Festival. - Leslie Lake | Sun
The rock wall was a big hit at the AME Fall Festival. - Leslie Lake | Sun
Three princesses participate in the AME Fall Festival costume parade at The Center of Anna Maria Island. - Leslie Lake | Sun
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer led the costume parade around The Center of Anna Maria Island at the AME Fall Festival. - Leslie Lake | Sun
HOLMES BEACH – Prior to the start of the new school year on Monday, Aug. 11, new speed zone cameras have been installed near Anna Maria Elementary school.
According to Police Chief Bill Tokajer, the automated speed detection devices will only be operational when the yellow caution lights are flashing during the morning and afternoon student drop-off and pickup periods. Tokajer said a 30-day grace period will be in effect to give motorists time to adjust to the new automated speed detection activities. During the grace period, warning notices will be issued. After the 30-day grace period expires in early September, violators who exceed the posted 15 mph speed limit by 10 mph or more will be issued speeding tickets that carry a $100 fine.
Speed zone cameras and new fences were recently installed at Anna Maria Elementary in Holmes Beach. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The Florida Legislature’s adoption of House Bill 657 in 2023 authorized the use of speed detection systems to ticket drivers exceeding the school zone speed limit by more than 10 mph.
In August 2024, the Manatee County Commission-approved school speed zone camera program was launched but speed cameras were not installed at Anna Maria Elementary. In February, public outcry about the speed cameras being operational during the entire school day prompted county commissioners to adjust the program’s operational hours to 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the start and end of regularly scheduled school sessions. On March 4, county commissioners voted to end the speed camara program entirely. The program ended on March 6 and all citations issued through March 5 remained valid.
The Anna Maria Elementary school zone speed limit is 15 mph when the yellow caution lights are flashing. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
According to the county press release, the county’s school speed zone program resulted in 55,243 notices of violation being issued to motorists. As of March 4, 22,292 drivers paid the $100 fine. At the time, 4,051 violations were still awaiting law enforcement review and 45 violations were to be addressed during a special magistrate hearing held later that month.
New fencing
New security fencing now surrounds the AME property at 4700 Gulf Drive. Most of the fencing installed along the front of the school property is black metal rail fencing that stands between waist and chest high.
Black rail fencing was installed along most of the front of the Anna Maria Elementary property. – Joe Hendricks | SunBlack chain link fencing was installed at the north end of the Anna Maria Elementary property. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The north end of the front of the school property features higher, black metal chain link fencing. The rest of the property is surrounded by higher, silver, chain link fencing. According to Tokajer, the Parent Teacher Association helped fund the more decorative rail fencing installed along the front of the school property.
HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners have approved changes for the school zone in front of Anna Maria Elementary School, but drivers won’t notice them until school begins on Aug. 12.
A new ordinance will expand the school zone by 300 yards – 200 to the south and 100 to the north. The area will be restriped and flashing signs will be moved to alert drivers of the lowered speed limit during school hours in the mornings and afternoons.
A no-cost camera system also will be installed by Blue Line Solutions to catch speeders through the school zone during the same hours before and after school when children are likely to be crossing the street. At a previous public hearing, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said the camera system would only be used to catch and issue tickets to speeders during times when the flashing beacons are in use to indicate an active school zone.
In the agreement with Blue Line, the city could choose to either pay a service fee to the company of $25 per ticket, taken out of the ticket cost to a speeding driver, or lease the camera system. In messages to The Sun, Tokajer said the city had chosen the service fee agreement.
Once the system is active, he said speeding tickets during school zone hours will cost drivers $100 with $25 of that going to Blue Line, $40 to the city, $20 to the state of Florida, $12 to a school fund and $3 to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s criminal justice training program. A nominal processing fee of $4-5 may also be charged by Blue Line for processing credit card payments.
HOLMES BEACH – Changes are coming to the school zone in front of Anna Maria Elementary School and drivers need to take note to avoid a ticket.
“This isn’t about making a buck, it’s about safety,” Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said of the planned camera system.
The system, being provided by Blue Line Solutions, is intended to catch drivers who speed through the school zone and who illegally pass school buses during school zone hours. City leaders in Holmes Beach are entering into the agreement through a piggyback agreement from one recently executed in Hollywood, Florida.
Though the speed limit on Gulf Drive is typically 25 mph, it drops to 15 mph when the yellow flashing beacon activates before and after school hours when there is more traffic in the area and kids are crossing the street.
With the new system, it will be easier to enforce the school zone speed limit with the system automatically generating speeding tickets for offending drivers. A representative for Blue Line, Dave Bocchino, said that the system uses artificial intelligence to identify illegal activity in the school zone and generate tickets, allowing for law enforcement services to be reallocated to other areas, if needed.
Bocchino also said that the system is funded by offenders, meaning that no charges will be billed to the city for the camera system, installation or services provided by Blue Line. The company recoups the cost of operation through an administrative fee charged and fines issued to traffic offenders. Rather than making money or “a cash grab,” he said it’s about making school zones safer for students.
A study conducted by Blue Line in the AME school zone showed 327 speeders over a five-day period going 11 mph or more through the school zone while the flashers were on indicating the lowered speed limit. Starting 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the flasher times in the morning and afternoon, Bocchino said the study showed 1,300 drivers going through the school zone at speeds in excess of 11 mph over the speed limit. With the camera system, he said the company sees an average reduction of 90% in school zone speeding incidents.
Tokajer said the camera system would only be used to enforce speeding in the school zone while the flashers are on in the mornings and afternoons, when students are moving about in the area. He added that he’s spoken with representatives from AME who are in favor of the camera system.
Blue Line collects a $25 per incident fee along with a monthly fee of $2,500 per camera plus a $15-per-incident processing fee. All fees are subtracted from the gross amount of tickets issued through the system.
The camera system is being installed under a law passed by the state Legislature and approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis that allows camera enforcement of speeding and illegal school bus passing in school zones as of July 1, 2023.
Bocchino said in addition to the camera system and operation, Blue Line also offers an included public education component to help spread the word through the community that the camera system is in place and what to expect when driving through the school zone during school zone hours.
After meeting with several potential vendors while at the Florida Chief’s Association annual conference, Tokajer said that he selected Blue Line because the company has a local presence in Sarasota and charges less in administrative fees to offenders than some other companies.
In addition to the new system, Tokajer said that Director of Public Works Sage Kamiya also completed a Florida Department of Transportation study that shows the one-block-long school zone is not large enough to meet the department’s standards. When the cameras go in, he said the school zone will be restriped and extended by 100 yards to the north and 200 yards to the south.
Drivers won’t have to worry about the new system or the larger size of the school zone until classes resume in August.
Commissioners passed the first reading of an ordinance allowing for the regulation of the school zone. City Attorney Erica Augello said that the ordinance is required to enforce regulations in the school zone.
HOLMES BEACH – Anna Maria Elementary School (AME) Principal Mike Masiello announced his retirement earlier this month, and Willis Elementary School Assistant Principal Katie Fradley has accepted the job.
The Sun recently spoke to her regarding her new position.
“My career spans 34 years. Thirty of those years were spent right here in Manatee County and four of them in Hawaii,” she said. “I hold a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from FSU, a master’s degree in reading from USF and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from USF. I’m a teacher at heart and was a teacher for 21 years at Braden River, Sea Breeze and Rowlett. When I left the classroom, I served as a reading coach at Moody Elementary, a literary coach at a private school in Hawaii, and an instructional specialist with the school district. I then moved into administration in 2020 when Mr. Masiello hired me as assistant principal at Ballard Elementary School. After working at Ballard for two years, I moved to Willis Elementary School, a large school in Lakewood Ranch with tremendous family involvement, as assistant principal.
“I look forward to bringing my own passion and excitement for teaching and learning to AME, as well as carrying on the traditions that have been established throughout the years,” Fradley said. “As I settle into the role, I look forward to seeing how I can maintain the unique historical qualities of the AME experience while ensuring that the students are also provided with opportunities for growth and success.
“AME is magical!” she said. “I love its charm, starting with its traditions, small student body, family-like atmosphere and community involvement. The partnership with the Guy Harvey Foundation has so much potential to have a major impact on our community, and I look forward to being very involved. I am so excited to get to know each of the families and to support and nurture every child as they move through the AME experience.”
Principal Masiello, who has been at AME since 2020, said he was retiring to spend more time with his family, and requires surgery in the coming months with a lengthy recovery time and felt it was the right time to step down.
“I love AME and it’s been an amazing time here at this special school,” Masiello said, adding that he believes the school is in very good hands.
“Getting to be involved in the Guy Harvey Academy has been a highlight of my time here, and I know the school will continue to grow and provide a learning experience like no other. I wish the new principal the best,” said Masiello, whose retirement wraps up an almost 30-year career in the Manatee County School system.
HOLMES BEACH – Anna Maria Elementary School (AME) is unique for many reasons – a caring and dedicated staff, its spectacular location on the bay and the recent addition of the world’s first Guy Harvey Academy are just a few things that make the Island’s only school something special.
For the past 37 years, students, staff and visitors have also been treated to the unmistakable sight of the school’s unofficial mascot, its train caboose, which has been as much a fixture of the school since 1987 as teachers, principals and homework. Unfortunately, due to years in the salty air that makes the school’s location one of the best in America, the caboose had to be removed on Feb. 24.
The caboose spent nearly four decades on a short stretch of track near the main entrance of the school. It all began in 1987 when a former student and parent, Joan Pettigrew, read about CSX Railroad phasing out their cabooses. With some help from members of the community, she convinced the school’s administration and the Manatee County School Board to allow it to be moved to the school.
This beloved train caboose sat on the grounds of Anna Maria Elementary School for nearly four decades before being removed on Feb. 24 due to disrepair. – JASON SCHAFFER | SUN
Billie Coles, AME’s curriculum specialist from 1988-1992, led the successful effort to make the caboose a computer lab in 1988, and the caboose was later dedicated to her. According to current Principal Mike Masiello, Coles was instrumental in getting parents involved in students’ computer education at a time when most schools had limited access to computers. The caboose later went on to serve as the speech classroom and later the school store. Even once the caboose was no longer being used as a classroom, it remained a source of pride for students and staff, as well as a backdrop for plenty of class pictures. So the question for many has been, why remove it?
“It’s a safety hazard at this point,” Masiello said. “It was too rusty, it was falling apart to the point where nobody could go inside of it. The roof was shot, it leaked, causing mold and mildew. Nobody has been in it for years. It just kept rusting and rusting and rusting because of the salty air here on the Island.”
Early in the morning on Feb. 24, a crew from the Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish arrived at AME with a large crane and an extended-length “wide load” semi-truck to remove the caboose. They chose a Saturday because of safety concerns associated with such an undertaking when children and staff were on the campus. The caboose was successfully lifted off its track and onto the truck without incident. It was then taken to Parrish, where Florida Railroad Museum staff will evaluate whether it can be restored and join the museum’s five other vintage cabooses currently on display.
HOLMES BEACH – After a year and a half, a second attacker in a 2022 battery case has been sentenced to prison.
On Oct. 12, Judge Stephen Whyte of Manatee County’s Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court sentenced John William Bartholow, 18, of Ellenton, to three years in state prison along with one year of community control and six years of probation following his release. He also was sentenced to 16 weeks of anger management classes, substance abuse and mental health evaluations and treatment and 100 hours of public service work for his role in the March 23, 2022 attack on Evan Purcell, 41, at Anna Maria Elementary School. He must also write a letter of apology to the victim.
Bartholow pled no contest to the felony charge of aggravated battery with great bodily harm.
Bartholow
Purcell, a Holmes Beach resident, was walking his dog with his 10-year-old niece when he came upon some teenagers breaking bottles, drinking alcohol and vandalizing AME property. According to police, Purcell yelled at the group to stop what they were doing, resulting in the group of teens becoming aggressive. Although Purcell waved a pocketknife as he feared for his safety, it was not a deterrent. He was knocked to the ground and beaten with a wooden object, possibly a skateboard.
Bartholow was one of three suspects arrested in the attack. Cameron Evans, 20, of Sarasota, was given a similar sentence last March. The identity of the juvenile involved in the attack was not released.
Bartholow was also convicted of felony criminal mischief in a separate case, and has nine unrelated criminal charges pending for burglary and attempted burglary of an unoccupied conveyance.
Since the incident, several security measures have been put in place at Anna Maria Elementary to deter loitering on school grounds after hours. Locking gates have been installed at all vehicle entrances and “No Beach Parking” signs have been posted to keep the lots clear during the day.
HOLMES BEACH – Anna Maria Elementary School fifth grader Charlee Maize has her artwork displayed in an unconventional place – in the window of Holmes Beach Police Officer Christine LaBranche’s patrol vehicle.
As the school’s resource officer, LaBranche is a daily presence at AME and a friend of students and staff alike.
LaBranche presented school Principal Mike Masiello with the idea to create a contest for fifth graders to create artwork honoring police officers and their work in the community.
The winner’s artwork would be turned into a decal to be placed on the officer’s patrol vehicle. With Maisello’s support, the contest was held with the theme of “police protecting our community.” After reviewing all of the submitted artwork, HBPD Chief Bill Tokajer chose Maize as the winner.
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer congratulates fifth grader Charlee Maize on her contest-winning artwork, which will spend the rest of the school year on School Resource Officer Christine LaBranche’s patrol vehicle. – Submitted
“The idea was brought to me by Officer LaBranche, and I loved it,” Masiello said. “She said she had seen it somewhere else, and it would be great for community relations and I agreed.”
Tokajer presented Maize with the chief’s challenge coin. Her art will remain displayed on the school resource officer’s police vehicle until after next year’s competition.
“Every student did a great job,” Tokajer said. “I really liked the way Charlee made the “o” in police as a donut, it was a great touch, and we’re happy her work will be seen by many in Holmes Beach. We hope to continue this with the fifth graders every year.”
He said he hopes to make this a yearly tradition honoring the artwork of AME students and to continue the long-time positive relationship between the community and the police department.
AME is one of only a few elementary schools in the county with a full-time police officer stationed on campus. Tokajer says while it is common to have a police presence at high schools, AME is fortunate to have the service of a full-time school resource officer. While he said most elementary and schools do have on-site security, they are generally private, often retired police officers and bonded civilian agents.
HOLMES BEACH – Each year, the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on Sept. 21, and each year, students at Anna Maria Elementary School (AME) hold a celebration of peace at the school known as Peace Day.
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly (UN). Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Each year the UN designates a specific theme for the day, and this year’s theme was “End racism, build peace.”
Students spent the day putting on performances, flying international flags and enjoying presentations from guest speakers such as Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island President Jim McDaniel. During his presentation to the students, he used three different kinds of apples to explain how – just like the apples – people may look different on the outside, but are the same on the inside, regardless of race.
The Manatee High School Drum Line was also on hand to perform.
“Every grade level got up and sang a song for Peace Day,” AME principal Mike Masiello said. “Every class also did a different craft project, some did shirts, some did Peace Day plates, and they all did bulletin boards with themes like what does Peace Day mean to you. It’s a lot of fun and the kids learned a lot about diversity while having a great time.”
Masiello also said his staff and students are thrilled to be able to once again have events like Peace Day where students, parents and staff can all get together in person after two years of no activities or restricted activities due to COVID-19. He said as long as there are no drastic changes regarding COVID, all the plays and gatherings this year are back to the way they were pre-COVID.
“Racism continues to poison institutions, social structures, and everyday life in every society. It continues to be a driver of persistent inequality. And it continues to deny people their fundamental human rights,” according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “It destabilizes societies, undermines democracies, erodes the legitimacy of governments, and the linkages between racism and gender inequality are unmistakable.”
ANNA MARIA – Following in the footsteps of former Anna Maria Elementary School Dolphins, a new generation of talented high school volleyball players have their roots on the Island.
With hard hitters Mallory Cosfeld, Mackenzie Cosfeld Fortenberry, Sarah Howard and Kelly Stewart blazing the trail playing volleyball in high school, several AME alumni are set to play for Manatee High School (MHS) and Bradenton Christian School (BCS) this year.
As a freshman, making the varsity volleyball team at MHS was a hard-earned accomplishment for Natalie Talucci. An Island girl through and through, Talucci started at the School for Constructive Play, graduating to becoming an AME Dolphin. She went on to King Middle School and in the summer of 2020, with COVID protocols in place, discovered beach volleyball was a safer sport to play. A passion was born when Talucci took to the sand with Nancy Cothron, director of the Manatee Area Volleyball Club (MAV).
Playing on the Bradenton Riverfront beach volleyball courts in the beginning, Talucci expanded her game to Manatee Beach. She went from playing to competing with AME alumni Ava Baugh in a Coquina Beach tournament. The duo continued to play this summer and her love of the sport grew. Talucci joined the MAV indoor club in 2020.
Natalie Talucci and Ava Baugh partner for beach volleyball action this summer. – Submitted
As a seventh grader, she played for King, and by the eighth grade, Talucci decided she wanted to improve her game.
“Being shorter I have to work harder to get on the court usually. I play back row as Defensive Specialist or Libero,” Talucci noted in an email. “My dad warned me that I will probably need to play myself onto the court where taller girls usually have to play themselves off the court.”
Understanding her strengths and weaknesses and liking the hardcourt, she played with the Wave Volleyball Alliance in 2021 seeking opportunities to improve. The weaknesses only made Talucci want to work harder.
“I want to play,” she said.
After finishing the eighth-grade season, Talucci joined the Bevolley Beach Volleyball Academy in St. Petersburg, Florida, to stay on the court year-round.
“I knew that I could not take the off-season off. I had to keep working,” she said.
With her sights set on making the varsity squad, Talucci enlisted the assistance of her older brother, Evan. An inspiring personal trainer, Talucci’s brother jumped at the chance to help her improve her overall fitness and ability in time for MHS tryouts.
“I wanted him to push me,” she said. “I needed more conditioning.”
She has seen him running before school and going to the gym during the summer after football practice.
“He works hard and we are both super competitive,” Talucci said, adding that “Don’t you want to be great?” is one of Evan’s favorite things to say around the house.
The trainer-athlete relationship was not without its challenges as siblings, but the goal prevailed. Working together, Evan’s motivation toward his personal goal propelled his sister with a sense of accomplishment.
“When she first came home from school the day she made varsity as a freshman, I knew I helped her get there,” he said. “The summer conditioning we did helped her show up when she needed to.”
Training whenever they could this summer, Talucci and her brother saw results. The hard work paid off.
After making the team, her mother, Amelia “Amy” Talucci, noted on a Facebook post, “We are so proud of Natalie, she has spent the last year determined to learn more and become a better athlete and volleyball player and teammate.”
Her trainer/brother made clear, “She is a TALUCCI – she is loud and brings the energy to the court!”
Fiona McCarthy joins other AME Dolphins on MHS varsity volleyball this year. – Submitted
Fiona McCarthy joins Talucci on the varsity team at MHS. Starting at AME as a second grader, McCarthy started playing volleyball when she was 12 years old.
For her, playing varsity will allow her to train with more skilled and experienced players.
Along with McCarthy and Talucci, former AME student Ava Baugh was named to the MHS varsity team.
In addition to MHS varsity players, former AME student Marley Culhane earned her spot on the BCS varsity volleyball team as a sophomore. Culhane left AME, following her siblings to BCS after finishing the third grade.
A few years later in 2017, Culhane started playing volleyball after watching her sisters, Mikaela Culhane and Kiera Johnston, play for BCS.
“After all, I wanted to be like them,” she said.
Even though her sisters are no longer playing the game, they motivated her to work hard to make the team. Dedicated to her goal, Culhane could be found in the gym every day, as well as available scheduled workouts.
“If there were no workouts, I would go to the gym by myself or with a friend,” Culhane said.
She also trained with former Dolphin and recent BCS graduate, Emma Laade. Selecting Laade to work with this summer, Culhane wisely used her talents and experience. Laade, BCS’s athlete of the year for 2022, committed to St. Leo University in Dade City, Florida after receiving four offers to play at both Division 1 and 2 schools and earning two NCAA scholarships for indoor and beach volleyball.
Culhane’s goals for this season are to always play her hardest and improve her vertical jump height.
As a varsity underclassman, she is excited for the season.
The MHS junior varsity volleyball team is complemented with AME alumnae Ava Harlan and Gabriella Gilbert.
Harlan started at AME in kindergarten, moving on to MHS before finding volleyball in April 2022 with Wave Volleyball Alliance. Volleyball clinics took Harlan full circle to Manatee High.
“So far, I have loved being a part of the MHS volleyball team. I have already made a ton of new friends and reconnected with my old AME ones! So happy I decided to go for it!” Harlan said.
The future of local high school volleyball is looking bright with the help of the former AME students and Dolphin pride.
ANNA MARIA – Longtime resident and former Anna Maria Elementary School principal Jack Dietrich, 92, passed away on Aug. 1.
A memorial service will be held at Roser Memorial Community Church on Saturday, Aug. 13 at 1 p.m.
In the early 1960s, Jack and his beloved wife, Betty, moved into the Anna Maria home originally built for Betty’s parents in the 1920s. Jack and Betty married in 1955; she passed away about a dozen years ago. Dietrich is survived by his daughters, Beth Conner and Jan Smith, his son, Greg Dietrich, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Before becoming a teacher, Dietrich flew fighter jets in the U.S. Air Force while stationed in Panama City, Florida. After moving to Anna Maria, he taught fifth grade at Bayshore Elementary, served as a teacher and the principal of a two-room school in Duette and taught fifth grade and served as the principal at Parrish Elementary. He was then transferred to Anna Maria Elementary School in Holmes Beach in 1967, where he served as the principal for four years.
“When I came to Anna Maria Elementary, it was a different program with the Island kids. They were good kids. I paddled some of them on the butt, but we’re still the best of friends,” Dietrich told The Sun in March.
He was then transferred to Ballard Elementary in Bradenton before he helped open H.S. Moody Elementary in Bradenton in the mid-70s, where he served as the principal until he retired in 1992.
When asked about his approach to work and life, Dietrich said, “I never had trouble with anybody and I was always friendly to everybody. I’m happy and not looking for problems. I’m 92 and I’m still going. Anytime the Lord wants me, I’m ready to go. I have a good life and I’m ready for the next one.”
Jack and Betty’s home on Mangrove Avenue features a large, wrap-around porch where they, as Florida State fans, often hosted football watching parties and other gatherings.
In his spare time, Dietrich liked to spend time on the nearby beach with his family. He also enjoyed sailing and he participated in sailboat races hosted by the Bradenton Yacht Club in Palmetto. While in his late 50s, Dietrich ran the New York City Marathon. Dietrich served as a deacon at the Island Baptist Church, which later became CrossPointe Fellowship. He served as a Gideon and was a former member of the Anna Maria Island Rotary Club.
Parting thoughts
When asked about her father’s passing, Beth said, “I am trying to imagine life without him. He was so loving and he stood for all things good. I will always continue to strive to make him proud and to become more like him.”
Jan said, “He will always be my hero.”
Greg said, “He was a wonderful husband to my mom, a great father to our family and a dear friend to all.”
Jack Dietrich was beloved by his daughter Beth Conner, his son, Greg Dietrich, and his daughter, Jan Smith. – Rick Lewis | Submitted
Jack’s long-time friend, Rick Lewis, lived in Anna Maria until just recently.
“I first met Jack in the late 70s, when I met Jan and Greg. He was a blast to be around and some of the things he said have lived forever amongst our close-knit crew. The days and nights on his porch were epic, watching football, baseball and golf. After my father died in 1992, Jack became someone I could talk to like a dad. He was always there to listen. Jack was a special human who loved people, and it showed. The memories of the ‘porch’ and the words of wisdom Jack delivered will live with us forever. The Island has lost a great man. I love you, Jack,” Lewis said.
Rick Lewis frequently visited his long-time friend, Jack Dietrich. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Dietrich’s longtime friend, Pat Slowey, and his wife, Annie, spend part of the year in Anna Maria and part of the year in Pittsburgh.
“Jack was the last of that generation of fine gentlemen and there’s so many people on the Island that knew him,” Pat Slowey said, speaking by phone from Pittsburgh.
“I used to sit with him at night and he would tell stories about growing up, moving to California to get his college education so he could get into the Air Force, his fighter pilot training, his excitement about getting over to Korea to help the cause and then things changed and the war was over and he finds himself down in northern Florida where he meets Betty – and the rest is history,” Slowey said.
Jack Dietrich and Pat Slowey had many enlightening conversations on Jack’s porch. – Pat Slowey | Submitted
“I’ve never met a better example of courage. I was with him up in St. Pete last fall when he had his colonoscopy. Beth and I drove Jack up and we knew it was going to be a battle. We talked to the surgeon and the oncologist and we knew that he was in palliative care. It was not something they could cure. We knew he had a short time to live and it was crazy how well he did, how long he lived and how long he was able to hang out with us. The last couple months were pretty rough, but I’ve never seen anything quite like the courage he exhibited. He’s an inspiration. It was a double-edged sword: You want him to be here because he’s so special, but you also want him to move on, which he was ready for. Jack was a man of faith and he knew where he was going. It’s tough, but he’s dancing with Betty now and it’s a new beginning for him,” Slowey said.
Jack Dietrich welcomed many visitors on his legendary porch. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
HOLMES BEACH – The first day of the school year at Anna Maria Elementary will have an added layer of excitement as it becomes the first home in the country to the Guy Harvey Academy of Arts and Science.
“The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) has been creating a marine science STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) curriculum that will align with our school district’s curriculum,” AME Principal Michael Masiello said.
Teachers will be trained to implement the curriculum and use of materials prior to the Wednesday, Aug. 10 first day of school.
“Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation staff will conduct the trainings. Future trainings are planned as we move throughout the school year,” Masiello said.
Students will be introduced to The Guy Harvey Collection: Sharks, Introduction to Marine Science, Mangrove Science and Coding-Ocean Edition.
“We will be adding additional curriculum topics as we move throughout the school year,” he said.
One existing classroom will be converted into an aquarium research room.
“The aquarium research room will house up to four aquariums with different marine ecosystems and new furniture,” Masiello said. “Students will be able to visit the aquarium room with their class to learn about the marine life and ecosystems, which will align with lessons of study.”
Dr. Guy Harvey is a well-known marine artist and conservationist. The GHOF’s mission statement reads in part, “The GHOF conducts scientific research and hosts educational programs aimed at conserving the marine environment… (and) will help ensure that future generations can enjoy and benefit from a naturally balanced ecosystem.”
The GHOF also funds affiliated researchers working to better understand our ocean ecosystem and educators helping to foster the next era of marine conservationists, according to the GHOF website.
The agreement between the School Board of Manatee County and GHOF was signed and adopted on June 28.
Masiello said that school enrollment will be 189, approximately the same as last school year, and students are still being enrolled at different grade levels.
“Students zoned for Anna Maria are automatically approved to attend,” he said. “Students outside of the Anna Maria school zone can apply for ‘hardship’ and must be approved prior to enrollment. ‘School choice’ will become available again in December.”
AME registrar Amy Slicker said that approximately 65% of students at the school live off-Island.
HOLMES BEACH – Anna Maria Elementary School (AME) will soon be home to the first Guy Harvey Academy of Arts and Sciences in the country.
The Academy, named for world-renowned wildlife artist, conservationist and businessman Guy Harvey, will focus on marine sciences, conservation and the arts. A collaboration between the School District of Manatee County and the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF), the Academy will develop a K-5 curriculum that will include an aquarium room at AME that should be completed by October or November and accompanying art components.
“It is a goal of our school district to bring innovative educational opportunities to our students to expand their career and life possibilities,” Superintendent Cynthia Saunders said. “It’s been a genuine pleasure to work with Dr. Harvey and everyone associated with his ocean foundation to make this academy a reality.”
The collaboration happened quickly after Saunders met representatives from GHOF at a conference. The school’s waterfront location on Anna Maria Island made AME the perfect place to launch the academy, and it didn’t take long before both parties agreed to move forward with the project, scheduled to begin at the start of the 2022-23 school year.
“We are so excited, this is the first one of these in the country,” AME Principal Mike Masiello said. “It’s not just us that will benefit. During the summer, other schools will bus over to us to take advantage of what this Academy has to offer.”
In the near future, the district hopes to develop curricula for Guy Harvey Academies at King Middle School and Manatee High School in Bradenton. Masiello said this will be a benchmark that schools around the country can observe and adopt.
Dedicating most of his life to the environment, Dr. Harvey has devoted his talent, time and resources to protect oceans, fish populations and reef systems through the development of the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University and The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation. Those institutions have made numerous contributions to protecting fish resources and biodiversity in the world’s oceans.
Harvey is also an internationally-known artist and his artwork is regularly featured in galleries, on apparel and on many other products. He holds a degree in Marine Biology from Aberdeen University in Scotland and a Doctorate in Fisheries Management from the University of West Indies.
“I can’t tell you how honored and excited Jessica and I are to be working with you on the creation of the very first Guy Harvey Academy of the Arts and Sciences,” said Dr. Harvey in a video statement with his daughter, Jessica.
“We’re excited to bring a new generation of young people together who will make a difference in saving our oceans,” said Jessica Harvey, who serves as co-chair of GHOF.
The agreement between the School Board of Manatee County and GHOF was signed and adopted at the June 28 board meeting. Doug Evans, chief philanthropy officer for GHOF, was in attendance.
“I don’t think there could possibly be a better fit for the very first Guy Harvey Academy of Arts and Science than Anna Maria Elementary,” Evans said. “You can actually see the entrance to Tampa Bay and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge from the back of the school.”
The adopted Memorandum of Understanding included a detailed outline of what would be provided, how teacher training would take place and how the Academy would progress over the next five years. Year one includes the aquarium, training materials, educational materials and a certificate of completion for 5th-grade students who complete the program. Year two covers a plan to expand to the 6th-grade curriculum and establish a summer school program. Year three will see the development of 7th– and 8th-grade modules and the beginning of a high school program.
The memorandum also calls for joint efforts in fundraising initiatives for the initial collaboration of three years to support the development and expansion of the program.
ANNA MARIA – Former Anna Maria Elementary Principal Jack Dietrich, 92, is living out his golden years surrounded by family members and friends at his Anna Maria home.
These days, Jack can be found on his front porch, sitting in his favorite rocking chair reminiscing and talking with friends, family members and beachgoers.
Those who know Jack and his late wife, Betty, who passed away at 82 in 2010, likely spent time on the Dietrich’s porch watching Florida State football games and attending other gatherings.
Dietrich has dealt with some health issues in recent years, including a recent cancer diagnosis, but he continues to live at home with help from his son Greg Dietrich, who lives in Bradenton; his daughter Jan Smith, who lives in Bradenton; his daughter Beth Conner who lives in Richmond, Va. and visits regularly; his granddaughters and grandson; the nurses who assist him and longtime friends Rick Lewis, Dale Woodland and Pat and Annie Slowey.
Jack Dietrich receives frequent visits from his daughter Beth Conner, his son Greg Dietrich and his daughter Jan Smith. – Rick Lewis | Submitted
The Dietrich’s beachfront home on Mangrove Avenue was built by Betty’s parents, James Alexander Robbins and Alice Clark Robbins, in the 1920s and served as the family’s Island getaway.
“This house was built with lumber my mom’s family milled at the Willow Mill,” Beth said.
The Dietrich family home on Mangrove Avenue was built in the 1920s. – Submitted
Betty’s father and uncle founded the sawmill in the town of Willow in 1926. Located in north Manatee County, near Parrish and the Hillsborough County line, Willow began fading from existence during The Great Depression and after the sawmill moved to Tampa in 1937.
“Betty’s younger years were spent in Willow,” Beth said, noting her mom’s family later moved to Tampa and then to Bradenton.
Jack Dietrich’s front porch still serves as a gathering place for family and friends. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Jack was born and raised in Columbia City, Indiana. After high school, he attended college in California for two years before joining the United States Air Force.
“I went to school in California so I could get two years of college to be a pilot. This was during the big band era. I could read music and I would sit in on the drums sometimes,” Jack said, noting he played with big band leader Les Brown when his drummer wasn’t available.
“Around the time of the Korean War, I was in Las Vegas at the fighter pilots’ school and we were waiting to go to Korea. They said the war’s over, you’re going to Florida. The next thing I knew I was in Panama City and I flew jets there for about four years,” Jack said.
This wooden model of the jets Jack Dietrich used to fly sits in his living room. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
While stationed in Panama City, Jack met Betty in 1954.
“My mom went to Panama City to teach after she graduated from Florida State, which was a women’s college at the time,” Beth said.
“She was there when they let in the first men, and the University of Florida was a men’s college,” Greg added.
While dating Betty, Jack visited Anna Maria Island and Anna Maria for the first time. He said there were only about four homes on Mangrove Avenue at the time and Ernie Cagnina’s IGA store, which opened in 1946, was the place to go for groceries.
Jack and Betty got married in 1955 in a Methodist Church in Fort Walton Beach. After Jack left the Air Force, they moved to North Webster, Indiana and bought a Crystal Flash gas station.
“Then I bought Frank’s Pizzeria. In the summer, I made far more money in the pizza business than I did in the gas business,” Jack recalled.
At the same time, Jack was earning his bachelor’s degree in education.
“I took Betty from Florida to Indiana and we were there about six years. She was a Floridian and she froze while we lived there. During our last year there, I worked as a teacher at the North Webster school I graduated from. I taught fifth grade,” Jack said.
An educator’s life
The couple moved the family to the Anna Maria home in 1963 or 1964.
“I taught fifth grade at Bayshore Elementary. The next year I went to Duette, out in the boondocks, and I was there for about a year. It had two rooms, but we called it a one-room schoolhouse. I was the teaching principal. I taught the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades and I had 13 students – probably about four in each grade. You could get into a subject and everybody was interested in it so everybody learned at the same time. I had another teacher and she had first, second, third and fourth grades, and kindergarten twice a week. It was mostly farmers and ranchers who lived out there and every time I got in the car to come home there’d be vegetables in the back of my car,” Jack said.
“It took me about 45 minutes to get from here to Duette,” Jack said of the commute he made in his Chevy Corvair. “Now it takes almost that long to get off the Island.”
After working in Duette for about a year, Jack was transferred to Parrish Elementary where he taught and served as principal.
“The Parrish kids were farm kids and they always behaved. I don’t think I ever had any problems,” Jack said.
Jack was part of the group of men who gathered regularly at the Rod & Reel Pier – a group that was a precursor to the Anna Maria Island Privateers. He and Betty and the kids usually spent their weekends on the beach and they often dined at Pete Reynard’s restaurant in Holmes Beach, which was known for its rotating salad bar.
“Pete Reynard’s was the place to go. The old Sandbar was there too. There wasn’t much going on in those days,” Jack said.
Greg and Beth mentioned Webb’s Drug Store and Key Sundries as other Island businesses they frequented as youths.
In 1967, after about a year and a half in Parrish, Jack was transferred to Anna Maria Elementary in Holmes Beach, where he served as principal until 1970 or 71.
“When I came to Anna Maria Elementary it was a different program with the Island kids. I paddled some of them on the butt, but we’re still friends,” Jack said.
“Everybody on the Island knew me. On weekends, people would call and ask me to open up the school so their kid could get their violin because their grandparents wanted to hear them play, and stuff like that. After four years, they moved me to Ballard Elementary in town,” Jack said.
In the mid-1970s, Jack left Ballard Elementary and, as principal, helped open H.S. Moody Elementary in Bradenton, where he worked until he retired in 1991.
Family and friends
Jan recalled growing up in the family home on Mangrove Avenue.
“My mom would cook dinner at night and dad would have an aluminum rocking chair in the kitchen while mom was making dinner. We always knew there was love in our house. It was a loving and fun family. I had friends who loved coming to our house because it was different than theirs. It was a great place to grow up and I couldn’t ask for better parents. They taught us love, how to have fun and to take responsibility for our actions,” Jan said.
“I’m so grateful he’s my father. He’s a fun guy and we’ve had a blast being around him. He’s humble and he’s never met a stranger. He’s somebody I’ll always look up to and he’s taught me so many things. He was our principal when Greg and I went to Anna Maria Elementary. He was always fair. He loved the kids, he had a good sense of humor and he expected them to take responsibility for their actions,” Jan said.
Regarding the annual football parties her parents hosted, Jan said, “The place was packed. We’d have chairs all the way to the back of the porch. Sometimes we had 20 people watching the Florida State-Florida and Florida State-Miami games. The porch was a fun place and everyone was welcome.”
A recent visit to Jack Dietrich’s front porch found him accompanied by his longtime friend Rick Lewis, his daughter, Beth Conner, and his son, Greg Dietrich. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
While sitting on Jack’s porch recently, Rick Lewis said, “I’ve known Jack since the early 70s, when I met Jan and Greg. I was an in-town kid. I grew up on 59th Street. Our bus driver, Ruby Bass, would pick up the Island kids and we were the first bus stop in town. A lot of us are still friends to this day. Jack’s got quite the crew and it gets quite busy here during football season. I’m a Florida fan and we can’t agree on our college teams but we all love our Bucs.”
“He also had time to run the New York Marathon,” Lewis noted.
“I ran the New York Marathon when I was 58. I went there just to see the city from the streets and run through the five boroughs. That was one of the best things I’ve done in my life,” Jack said.
“He was a deacon in the Island Baptist Church, which is now CrossPointe. He was in the Rotary club and served as president for one year. He was also a Gideon, with Anthony Rossi, the founder of Tropicana,” Beth said.
“We put Bibles in hotels and motels and I used to talk to a lot of churches,” Jack said.
“He was also in a play in the Island Players called ‘Sunday in New York.’ He played the pilot, one of the main characters,” Beth said.
“Jim Zerby, the mayor of Holmes Beach at the time, never knew his lines and you never knew what he was going to say,” Jack added.
Jack also raced sailboats.
“I belonged to the Bradenton Yacht Club in Palmetto and I was in the races they had there,” he said.
“One summer in the early 80s we sailed to the Bahamas with a couple other boats – mom, dad, Jan and I,” Greg said. “We had a lot of motor problems and spent a couple days on dry land sleeping in the boat at night.”
When asked about his approach to work and life, Jack said, “I never had trouble with anybody and I was always friendly to everybody. I’m happy and not looking for problems.”
“When he was a principal, his faculty just loved him. He used to have Christmas parties when he was at Moody and a lot of the young teachers would come out here. He always got along with everyone. People still walk by here all the time and wave to him and say hi,” Greg said.
“He has a lot of friends,” Beth added. “He’s friends with the people who patrol the parking, he’s friendly with the people who park out front, he’s friends with the garbage men and people stop by to bring him food.”
As for what the future holds, Jack said, “I’m 92 and I’m still going. Anytime the Lord wants me, I’m ready to go. I have a good life and I’m ready for the next one.”
HOLMES BEACH – For the first time since the start of the school year, Manatee County is reporting no new student COVID-19 cases and only one staff case at Ballard Elementary.
COVID in Manatee County
Oct. 29
Cases 210
% Positivity 2.57%
Deaths 161
% Eligible population vaccinated 62.9%
New hospital admissions 19
Nov. 7
Cases 155 (-26.19%)
% Positivity 2.16% (-0.21%)
Deaths 96 (-40.37%)
% Eligible population vaccinated 63.2% (+.02%)
New hospital admissions 13 (-31.58%)
Source: Centers for Disease Control
The 2021-22 school year started with none of the restrictions that had kept students and staff from close contact in 2020-21. This quickly changed when the Delta variant of COVID-19 swept the county and the debate over mask mandates and other COVID-related restrictions quickly began.
At the peak of the Delta variant during late August and early September, county schools were seeing more than 300 new cases in a single week. Cases are now at the lowest since the start of the pandemic in 2020 – zero.
The total COVID-19 cases in Manatee County schools for the year are 2,580 students and 375 staff. At Anna Maria Elementary, there have been a total of 13 student COVID cases this year, – among the lowest in the county – and no staff cases. Only AME and Jain Middle School have had no staff cases this year.
The county mask mandate has expired, and it is unlikely it will return unless COVID returns to AME and other county schools. Other school districts such as Sarasota and Hillsborough counties that had stricter mask mandates that did not include an opt-out clause like Manatee County also have allowed those mandates to expire and show no signs of bringing them back.
