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Tag: Anna Maria Island

Holmes Beach officer assaulted by suspect

Holmes Beach officer assaulted by suspect

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

HOLMES BEACH – A man was arrested for resisting an officer with violence and transported to the Manatee County Jail after injuring a city police officer at a shopping plaza, according to a police report.

The incident occurred on Oct. 20 at around 2:05 a.m. While patrolling a shopping plaza in the 3300 block of East Bay Drive, Officer Andrew Adkins said he saw a man standing next to the door of Cheesecake Cutie and Cafe.

“Upon sight of my marked patrol vehicle, he began walking away from the door,” Adkins said in his report. “I turned around and got out with the subject, later identified as Kevin McNamara, on the sidewalk of the restaurant. It should be noted I was in full police uniform. I asked him what he was doing, and he explained he was walking home from work and stopped to meet with a friend. I looked and did not see anyone else.”

Adkins said he tried to explain to McNamara, 35, of Sarasota, that what he was doing was suspicious since all of the businesses in the plaza were closed and the area was private property. McNamara argued that it was public property, and he had a right to be there, becoming agitated, according to the report.

When asked for his ID, McNamara began searching through a bag but became more agitated and eventually threw the bag at Adkins and told him to find it. Adkins dumped the contents of the bag on a table and, while doing so, McNamara approached him, becoming more agitated as he was told to stand back.

“I tried to get him to step back but he took a slightly bladed stance, clinched his fists, and got less than a foot away from me. Kevin was visibly angry and told me twice to ‘do something, bro,’ ” Adkins wrote in his report. “At this point, I felt that violence against me was about to take place, so I told him he was under arrest. Kevin turned around and I went to put his hands behind his back, but he quickly spun back around towards me and punched me on my left side. I grabbed ahold of Kevin to try and gain control, but he also grabbed ahold of me. I struggled to get control of him because he was also trying to control me, and we fell to the ground.”

McNamara refused to comply with orders to stop resisting arrest, according to the report. Another office arrived at the scene and the two officers were able to get McNamara in handcuffs. In McNamara’s bag, the officers found his ID along with two hypodermic syringes and two knives.

Adkins sustained injuries including lacerations to his head and neck.

McNamara requested medics for a high heart rate that he felt was getting worse, so Manatee County EMS was called. EMS came and cleared him, and he refused further treatment.

Artificial intelligence cracking down on party houses

Artificial intelligence cracking down on party houses

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

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Vacation rental company Airbnb is employing artificial intelligence to help reduce the number of properties rented for the exclusive purpose of throwing a party.

The purpose of the technology is to help owners of vacation rentals managed by Airbnb to avoid the hassle of dealing with renters whose primary purpose is to have a disruptive party.

On Anna Maria Island, noise ordinances are in place in Anna Maria, Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach. Police in all three cities respond to multiple potential noise violations every week.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Bradenton Beach Police Lt. Lenard Diaz said.

Last week when The Sun spoke to Diaz, his department had three written reports regarding his officers responding to noise complaints. Those numbers climb significantly around holidays.

Damage to homes is also a concern for owners, many of whom live outside Florida and can’t respond immediately to problems with renters.

Airbnb’s AI and machine learning, which learns the patterns of renters who may be potential party risks, block some renters from procuring properties. One of the key components involves blocking one- and two-night rental reservations that are tagged as high-risk. In addition to the length of the trip, AI also looks at the distance from the destination and whether the booking is last minute. Airbnb has also instituted mandatory anti-party attestation that makes it clear that parties are banned and, if the rule is broken, suspension or removal from the platform could result.

“While disruptive parties are rare, we want to try to reduce the risk of them even more,” said Naba Banerjee, head of trust and safety at Airbnb. “Our AI anti-party system is an important tool in helping us to do that.”

The anti-party system was launched before Halloween last year in the U.S. and Canada and saw significant results. Airbnb says there was a decrease in reports of disruptive parties compared to previous years when the system was not in place. In Florida, 11,300 bookings were blocked during the initial launch in 2022. AI is unique and it learns more the longer it is in use, so the technology is expected to become exponentially more efficient. Numbers for Halloween 2023 are not yet available, but the company expects similar, if not better results than last year.

Airbnb says it has also implemented a dedicated portal for law enforcement, as well as a neighborhood portal where neighbors of rental properties can report concerns, at www.airbnb.com/neighbors.

Other steps the company is taking include a 24-hour safety line for hosts to contact Airbnb’s safety team, as well as a free noise sensor for hosts in the U.S. and Canada.

More than $3.5 million approved for manatees, red tide research

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Environment, Outdoors.

WASHINGTON – Federal funding is coming to Florida to support two environmental initiatives critical to the state – the protection of manatees and harmful algal bloom research.

A press release from Congressman Vern Buchanan’s office announced that the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed two of his amendments to the Interior and Environment government funding bill.

The first proposal dedicates $1.15 million for the rescue and rehabilitation of manatees.

In October, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) began the process to consider reclassifying manatees from “threatened” to the more critical “endangered” status under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Buchanan introduced the Manatee Protection Act to officially uplist the marine mammal in 2021.

According to the FWC, almost 2,400 manatees have died in Florida since 2021, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) estimates that there are approximately only 6,500 West Indian manatees in Southeastern U.S. waters.

The ESA defines a threatened species as “any species which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.” Threatened species receive protection through separate regulations issued under Section 4(d) of the ESA.

The ESA defines an endangered species as “any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.” Endangered species are automatically protected by prohibitions of several types of “take,” including harming, harassing, collecting or killing, under Section 9 of the ESA.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a species must be listed if it is threatened or endangered due to any of the following five factors:

1. Present or threatened destruction, modification or curtailment of its habitat or range;

2. Overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific or educational purposes;

3. Disease or predation;

4. Inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; and

5. Other natural or human-made factors affecting its continued existence.

In 2016, Buchanan objected to the FWS downgrading the manatee’s designation from endangered to threatened, saying the FWS may have been using outdated data to support the reduction in protection. The manatee had been listed as an endangered species since 1966.

The second proposal will provide $2.5 million to the National Water Quality Program to enhance research into harmful algal blooms, including red tide.

“Over the last several years, the Gulf Coast has experienced severe levels of red tide,” Buchanan said. “Red tide is caused by toxin-producing algae that is extremely deadly to fish and other marine life and adversely affects tourism in the Suncoast region.”

In 2022-23, Manatee County cleared nearly 5 tons of dead fish and debris from area beaches due to a red tide outbreak.

“These commonsense proposals will help ensure the survival of the iconic Florida manatee and combat red tide, which for too long has wreaked havoc on marine life, our waters and the many businesses that rely on Florida’s tourism-based economy,” Buchanan said. “I am very pleased to see these measures pass with broad bipartisan support and look forward to working to see them enacted into law.”

According to Buchanan’s office, he also introduced the Protecting Local Communities from Harmful Algal Blooms Act, which would amend the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to include algal blooms in the definition of a “major disaster.” This change would require the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to provide both technical and financial assistance to states suffering from outbreaks of harmful algal blooms like red tide.

FISH Preserve opens officially with ribbon-cutting

FISH Preserve opens officially with ribbon-cutting

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Outdoors, Parks.

CORTEZ – In the culmination of more than two decades of planning, fundraising and hard work, the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the FISH Preserve on Nov. 3.

At nearly 100 acres, the preserve is on the south side of Cortez Road, an oasis of natural beauty in stark contrast to the multiple construction projects nearby. The preservation and non-development of the preserve, adjacent to the Cortez fishing village and bordering the waters of Sarasota Bay, was precisely the goal of FISH members in 2000 when they began fundraising to purchase the property.

“The FISH Preserve came close to getting paved over by developers, however, the community came together to purchase the property in the nick of time,” according to the FISH website.

The invitation-only ribbon-cutting featured speakers Dr. Dave Tomasko, director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP); Dr. Jay Leverone, staff scientist with SBEP; FISH Treasurer Jane von Hahmann; EPA Region 4 Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle and Manatee County Commissioner and SBEP policy board member Kevin Van Ostenbridge.

A special guest at the ribbon cutting was Dr. Theresa Bert, the widow of John Stevely, who was instrumental in the planning and purchase of the preserve’s parcels, and of the Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival that funded it.

Tomasko applauded what he said was the perseverance and resilience of the FISH board in making the preserve a reality.

“That’s what it takes to succeed,” he said. “This is the light at the end of the tunnel to keep what they had.”

“This is a celebration,” Leverone said. “It’s really moving to have this actually done.”

His participation with the project goes back 10 years.

“We paid for the plans and the permits and we were shovel-ready,” he said. “We were just waiting for the money for the shovels to start. That was the last hurdle we had to overcome. I guess I was the conductor, but I had a great orchestra behind me.”

Leverone said the Biden Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding of $700,000 was critical in the completion of Phase IV.

“We talked about preserving this; what it looked like before I’m not sure we wanted to preserve it,” he said. “Over time, it really needed a facelift. The goals of what we wanted this property to look like have finally become realized.”

Leverone said 10,000 native plants have been planted recently.

FISH Preserve opens officially with ribbon-cutting
Dr. Jay Leverone leads a tour of the FISH Preserve. – Leslie Lake | Sun

“We have committed the estuary program to one year of maintenance of the plants,” Leverone said.

“Finally, we’re not quite done. We have and we continue to look to foundation or public funding for bridges, trails, signage, kiosks,” he said. “We want to make this publicly friendly, publicly usable. We want people to come and enjoy this.”

Gettle said that the preserve is “an inspiring story for us all.”

Van Ostenbridge recalled his youth when the preserve land was a hangout for teens.

“I never thought at the time we’d ultimately be turning this into a wetland mitigation project; it was essentially a dump site and a hangout site in what we all assumed was going to a subdivision – a waterfront subdivision,” Van Ostenbridge said. “It’s thanks to the foresight of (former Manatee County) Commissioner von Hahmann and the FISH board that we ended up here and when EPA came up with the money, that we were shovel-ready.”

Plaques were presented to Leverone and Bert in recognition of their contributions to the preserve.

“In recognition of your outstanding dedication to the restoration of Sarasota Bay and the FISH Preserve and the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage,” Tomasko read from Leverone’s plaque.

“There’s one person that could not be with us today,” von Hahmann said. “This is a gentleman who was part of the original purchase of this program, who was part of the original board that was FISH in 1992, he was part of Sea Grants and sat on the board. And we lost him last year to a battle with cancer.”

Von Hahmann then asked Theresa Bert to come to the podium to accept a plaque on behalf of her late husband.

“In memory of John Stevely, without his dedication to, and passion for, the FISH Preserve and the village of Cortez, the FISH Preserve restoration project never would have been accomplished. Gone but not forgotten,” von Hahmann read from the plaque.

“This is indeed a momentous day, because our only son’s wife is at this moment in the hospital having our first grandchild,” Bert said.

“I think I have a surprise for you guys perhaps,” Bert said. “In John’s and our will, we put $50,000 to be willed to the FISH Preserve. What I would like to do is donate that $50,000 to the FISH Preserve now, specifically for trails and bridges. So this will help build those.”

The preserve is fully restored, but public recreation is currently limited to a few foot trails.

“When you build things to make them more natural, you make the divisions. Water is so important,” von Hahmann said. “Because you can’t access the west side from the east side so now we have to do these bridges and connective trails, so people can use the entire property.”

State orders immediate AMI consolidation study

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Featured.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Mayors in the three Island cities received a trick on Halloween in the form of a letter from the Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA). The Oct. 31 letter states that the Florida Legislature has directed the organization to begin reviewing the potential consolidation of services and government entities on Anna Maria Island.

The OPPAGA study is expected to begin immediately.

While Mayor Dan Murphy of Anna Maria declined to comment on the study and Mayor John Chappie of Bradenton Beach was unable to comment due to illness, Mayor Judy Titsworth of Holmes Beach spoke to The Sun concerning the pending study.

“I’m feeling really threatened,” Titsworth said. “I’m not concerned about the city of Holmes Beach’s worthiness to be a city. I feel the city will show when audited that we have every right to be a city. We’re thriving. We didn’t ask for this study and neither did the residents. It’s not supposed to be government from the top down, it’s supposed to be a government for the people, by the people and that’s not what’s happening in this case. We didn’t ask for this.”

The study into whether or not certain services among the three Island cities should be consolidated or the cities themselves merged into one came about as a result of a Manatee County legislative delegation meeting in January in which delegation members brought up consolidation without warning to the three Island governments.

Legislators have since demanded that the three mayors work to consolidate services themselves. In the past, Titsworth said she’s hosted regular meetings of the three Island mayors and that some efforts to standardize services across the Island have been made. During an October legislative delegation meeting, neither consolidation nor the pending study was mentioned.

As the study progresses, representatives from OPPAGA are expected to meet with city leaders and staff in each Island city. Items ranging from tax rates to expenses, staff numbers, services offered, utilities, infrastructure, number of voters and number of residents are all expected to be analyzed during the study.

While most OPPAGA studies are conducted at the request of a municipality’s residents or government leaders, this one was requested by state leaders. And though it’s not common, state leaders have the ability to present a bill to the Legislature for a vote to consolidate the three Island cities without the input of city leaders, property owners or voters.

Typically a municipality is only dissolved at the state level when the city is insolvent or the level of residents has dropped to such a small number that it can’t sustain the city’s government. Titsworth said that Holmes Beach doesn’t suffer from either problem. She added that she also believes the cities of Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach are still strong despite a recent lack of people running for office in those municipalities.

“No one wants to lose their incorporation,” she said, adding that she plans to show her city’s strengths at every turn during the auditing process. “The best thing we can do right now is work harder to prove them (state leaders) wrong and show the strength of the community and city.”

Where’s Suzi?

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

In the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s Tour de Turtles race, which ended on Nov. 1, loggerhead sea turtle Suzi finished in fifth place in a field of 11 sea turtles, having traveled 1,355 miles. Sea turtle Bella took first with 1,534 miles. Suzi was released from Coquina Beach after nesting and being satellite-tagged on June 27. She soon headed to the Yucatan Peninsula, where she has remained for several weeks. Suzi swam in the race to bring attention to the cause of light pollution and how lighting near shore can negatively impact nesting turtles and their hatchlings. She was named in honor of Suzi Fox, the late executive director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, which sponsored her along with the Coastal Wildlife Club and Waterline Marina and Resort.

Team Gulf Drive Café hands Moss Builders first loss

Team Gulf Drive Café hands Moss Builders first loss

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

ANNA MARIA – Going into the final game of adult co-ed soccer regular season play, team Pool America seems to be gelling at the right time. At the start of the season, the 2-4-1 team struggled to find their footing on The Center pitch.

Looking to repeat their championship success from last season, captain Eduardo Schlueter led the Pool America team to its second win against third-ranked Ross Built Custom Homes.

The Pool America squad was the underdog in this match-up based on their record, but the Ross Built defense could not contain the scoring power behind their opponents last Thursday night.

Scorers Murat Akay, Enrique Claderas, Chris Klotz and Sam Parker were among the teammates who kept Ross Built keeper Max Gazzo busy at the net.

Akay and Claderas each had two goals for Pool America, while Klotz and Parker had solo goals. Teammate Drew Jacobson has one assist in the game to help his team score against the Ross Built defense.

Despite his never-ending efforts in goal, Gazzo’s 11 physical and fully committed saves just were not enough for Ross Built Custom Homes. Gazzo’s counterpart, Nate Welch, played keeper for Pool America and was credited with six saves.

Team captain Greg Ross’ solid play assisted Ethan Hampton’s scoring effort and his single goal. Ross had a goal of his own, showing why he is one of the most consistent scorers in the league.

These two teams find themselves going head-to-head in the first round of the fall soccer season’s playoffs on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.

Last week, in the second game Thursday night, brothers Josh and Ben Sato shared the team Sato Real Estate goalkeeping duties against seventh-place Sandbar Seafood & Spirits. The Satos had a total of 10 saves, with three made by B. Sato.

In the fourth-ranked position, Sato Real Estate showed why the team was the heavy favorite coming into the game. Strong on both the defensive and offensive side, the Sato Real Estate team won the game against the Sandbar 7-3.

Sato’s scoring came off the foot of James Troxler with a hat trick, and scores by Amy Ivin and James Noblett, each with two goals. Her ability on the field, with a scoring assist, shows why Ivin is always selected early like a hot commodity.

Gulfview Windows & Doors won 2-1 against team Slim’s Place. Finishing the regular season with one win, Slim’s Place’s keeper Steve Oelfke kept on his toes for 40 minutes of regulation play and 16 credited stops.

Soccer coach Stephen Adair had Slim’s Place’s only goal in the team’s last regular season game.

On the other side of the pitch, captain Keith Mahoney and Jesus Martinez each scored for fifth place Gulfview. Goalkeeper responsibilities were in the hands of Leo Gonzalez and Chris Culhane, each with six saves in the night.

Culhane, who typically plays on the pitch where needed, showed his goalie talents with six big saves to help his team to their win. Raul Loera came up with six stops of his own against the last seed Slim’s Place.

Gulfview Windows & Doors plays against Sato Real Estate to kick off playoff action at The Center this Thursday at 6 p.m. Moss Builders takes on Slim’s Place at the end of the night.

After six weeks of soccer action at The Center, second place Gulf Drive Café defeated the previously undefeated Moss Builders team with a final score of 5-1. Holding their opponent to only one point, the Gulf Drive Café team earned their fifth win of the season.

Charles “Tuna” McCracken had 10 championship-caliber saves. His teammates put the points on the scoreboard, including two by captain Kevin Roman. Single points scored by Hello Gomez, Javier Rivera and Juan Vega solidly paved the team’s way to playing the Sandbar squad in the quarter-final round of playoffs.

Gulf Drive’s Eliza Faillace had an assist in the team’s scoring against Moss Builders.

The single goal by James Roadman was the only point on the scoreboard for the Moss Builders team.

Captain Ryan Moss and Karri Stephens shared the goalie position last Thursday night. The four stops by Moss and two by Stephens in goal were not enough to keep the team undefeated after seven games of regular season play.

With eight teams going into the adult soccer playoffs at The Center, only two will take to the field on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. to start the Paul “Ace” Hayward Cup championship game.

SUN SCOREBOARD

 

OCT. 24

 

YOUTH SOCCER WEEK 7

8- TO 10-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE

 

 

#1 Moss Builders (6-0-0) 3

#2 Solid Rock Construction (3-3-0) 0

 

 

#6 AMI Coconuts (1-3-2) 2

#5 La Creperie (2-4-1) 0

 

 

#4 Adrian Griffin Interiors (2-2-2) 4

#7 The Porch (1-4-1) 2

 

 

11- TO 13-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE

 

 

#2 Solid Rock Construction (4-4-0) 4

#4 HSH Design (2-5-1) 0

 

 

#3 The Gitt Team/KW on the Water (3-4-1) 4

#1 Cheesecake Cuties (5-1-2) 1

 

 

OCT. 26

ADULT CO-ED SOCCER

WEEK 6 MAKE-UP GAMES

 

#6 Pool America (2-4-1) 6

#3 Ross Built Custom Homes (4-3-0) 2

 

 

#4 Sato Real Estate (4-3-0) 7

#7 Sandbar Seafood & Spirits (1-5-1) 3

 

 

#5 Gulfview Windows & Doors (3-4-0) 2

#8 Slim’s Place (1-5-1) 1

 

 

#2 Gulf Drive Café (5-1-1) 5

#1 Moss Builders (6-1-0) 1

What is a condominium?

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

Condos are all over Florida, representing every imaginable price range. People live in them full-time, part-time or invest in them. They’re a very flexible real estate resource, but are they meant for you?

A condominium is a privately-owned individual unit within a community of other units. In general, the owner usually owns the interior of their condo and the structural components of the exterior walls. Condo owners jointly own shared common areas within the community, such as pools, garages, elevators, gyms and boat slips. Some condos are in high-rise buildings, mid-rise buildings, detached villas or semi-attached villas. In waterfront communities in Florida, you will even find condo associations of boat slips. You name it and it probably can become a condo as long as it abides by Florida condominium laws.

Condo communities are popular because they provide an easy, turn-key way of life. There is low homeowner maintenance – no lawns to mow, pools to clean or peeling paint to address. Many condo associations have secured gated entrances and some have on-site security personnel. It’s easy to make new friends and socialize if you’re new to the area. There are many affordable condo associations in Manatee County. They come in all shapes and sizes, but there are also some very high-end associations, mostly with water or beach access. Finally, condo living usually offers many amenities ranging from pools, clubhouses, barbecue areas, gyms and dog parks.

So that’s the good stuff, but what about the bad stuff? The biggest complaint about living in a condo community is the rules of the homeowner’s association. If you’re not a good, follow-the-rules kind of person, you may be in for a shock. Just about everything from trash to noise to pets to paint color to patio furniture could very well have a rule attached to it.

Also, condo associations are essentially small businesses and, in some cases, not so small. HOAs are required to maintain reserves for maintenance of the property, funded by the collection of monthly or quarterly dues. This is always the biggest cause for concern with condo owners who sometimes feel they have no real input on how much money is spent to maintain the property.

Associations are organized with an elected board of directors, and, with some limitations, they make the decisions on behalf of the community. If you don’t like what they have decided, the only thing you can do is run for the board yourself or not vote for some or all the directors at the next election. Since participating in a condo board can be tedious and time-consuming, it’s not that easy to get volunteers, so be careful what you wish for in a dispute with a board member.

Condo owners are sometimes worried about their investment since they don’t have complete control of their assets and maintenance decisions. The only thing I can say here is before you buy, go over the financials of the association as well as condo documents with a fine-tooth comb and see if this is the place for you.

I’ve written columns like this before, and I always point out that communal living is not always easy and, unless you have a “condo personality,” it may not be the right choice for you. If your neighbor isn’t quite making their trash into the trash bin and it ends up on the ground, you may not like it, but it’s one of those adjustments condo living requires. The good part is you’ll always find a friend to help you pick it up.

Idalia nudged tourism down slightly

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

ANNA MARIA – Hurricane Idalia caused many travelers to cancel their trips to Anna Maria Island in August, Research Data Services’ Ann Wittine told the Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) on Oct. 16.

The Tampa-based consultant’s report featured the latest available statistics related to the tourism industry in Manatee County from August 2023 compared to August 2022. In August, the total number of visitors was down by 2% and economic impact was down slightly, by .01%. Room nights were also down slightly from August 2022, by .2%.

“The important thing to know is that even though visitors are down slightly, the economic impact remains flat, so the visitors that came, on an economic basis are leaving more of an economic impact on their destination,” Wittine said.

Room occupancy for August was down slightly by 3% after being down 2.6% in the last report, which quoted data from June 2023. The average daily room rate, was up 4.2%, at $183.63 per day in August 2023 compared to $176.22 in August 2022.

The consultant for the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau also tracks where tourists are coming from when they visit the area. The largest increase in any visitor origin came from Canada, up 40% over the same period in 2022. Travel from Europe has risen 5.8%. The largest domestic visitor origin was the Northeast, which was up 5.3% over the same period in 2022.

“Opportunity markets, which are essentially markets west of the Mississippi, are seeing growth,” Wittine said. “The biggest of these markets is Texas, where we’re seeing a lot of growth.”

She said the number of visitors in fiscal year-to-date in Manatee County was 983,900 as of the end of August. The economic impact of those visitors was $1,579,797,500, up 6.4% from the same period in 2022.

FISH Preserve opens this week

FISH Preserve opens this week

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Featured, Outdoors, Parks.

CORTEZ – The vision that FISH (Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage) members had more than 20 years ago to preserve the environmental integrity of coastal land on Sarasota Bay has come to fruition.

The preserve, on 100 acres of coastal wetland between Cortez Road and Sarasota Bay, will open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Nov. 3 at 10 a.m.

The sold-out event will feature speeches from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle and Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge.

The FISH Preserve borders the historically significant Cortez commercial fishing village and the waters of Sarasota Bay. It is one of the only untouched waterfront properties on the bay.

The preserve underwent years of environmental restoration which removed exotic vegetation and added waterways to connect to Sarasota Bay and restore aquatic habitats.

“The FISH Preserve came close to getting paved over by developers, however, the community came together to purchase the property in the nick of time,” according to the FISH website. FISH raised the initial funds for the protection of the land in 2000, buying parcels one at a time ever since.

Funding for the first $60,000 mortgage payment on the land was raised from donations from citizens and conservation-minded companies. Years of proceeds from the annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival each February and donations from members and friends allowed FISH to pay off their original mortgage.

A major grant was provided by the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, which led to the creation of a tidal stream system. That grant allowed for the creation of new wetland areas and the removal of invasive plants.

“The water quality in Sarasota Bay is improving. Large-scale restoration projects like the FISH Preserve build on that progress to help restore our fish and wildlife populations,” said Dave Tomasko, executive director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program.

The preserve is fully restored, but public recreation is currently limited to a few foot trails. FISH and its partners are looking at adding boardwalks, trails and signage.

Restoration of the preserve was a collaborative effort between FISH, the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the EPA, the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Island youth soccer heats up as weather cools down

Island youth soccer heats up as weather cools down

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

ANNA MARIA – As the youth soccer season starts heading toward the playoffs and an October chill fills the air, team Moss Builders and team Cheesecake Cuties dominate the 8- to 10-year-old and 11- to 13-year-old leagues, respectively.

Both teams, with five wins, find themselves at the top of the ranks, with a two-game lead on their closest opponents.

Moss Builders shut out The Porch last Tuesday night, 6-0. The hat tricks by Parker Svoboda and Gunnar Maize showed the offensive dominance of the Moss team. Each teammate assisted each other in a goal.

Island youth soccer heats up as weather cools down
Thane Maize dribbles the ball down the field for AMI Coconuts with Air & Energy’s Mason Bekkerus closing in from behind last Monday night in The Center youth soccer’s youngest league. – Monica Simpson | Sun

The Moss offense kept The Porch goalie busy with six wonderful stops. For the victors, goalie duties went to Miles Moss, who stopped two shots, and Everett Hood, who had a single save in the game.

Capturing their second win of the season, Isola Bella Italian Eatery defeated the second-ranked Solid Rock Construction. The number three team now has a 2-2-2 record with the 5-2 win.

With four goals, Bailey Shenbaum got past the goal-keeping talents of Solid Rock’s Carson Long. Leo Tyler is credited with a solo goal for Isola Bella, along with Chandler LaPensee’s assist.

Long’s eight saves for the Solid Rock Construction squad helped keep his team in the game. Offensively, Matthew Darak shot and scored on two of his attempts.

Trinity Miller put three saves in the game stats for Isola Bella.

Still looking for the team’s first win, AMI Coconuts gridlocked 1-1 at the end of regulation play against team Adrian Griffin Interiors. The low-scoring game was not for the lack of shots taken against the opposing defenses.

Island youth soccer heats up as weather cools down
Fighting for position on The Center pitch, Mason Bekkerus and Thane Maize led the crowd in last Monday night’s developmental game for team Air & Energy and team AMI Coconuts. – Monica Simpson | Sun

Andre Harwood made eight nice stops for the Adrian Griffin Interiors team, while his counterpart, Evangeline Zupa, was moving and grooving, saving 13 shots in the game.

Goal scoring came courtesy of AMI Coconuts’ Beau Canup, while on the other side of the field, Joseph Caballero did the scoring for his team.

The La Creperie team, ranked fourth, had a bye week.

With playoffs starting in November, the matchups for the final games of the season are still up in the air.

 

SUN SCOREBOARD

 

OCT. 17

YOUTH SOCCER

WEEK 6 – 8- TO 10-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE

 

 

#1 Moss Builders (5-0-0) 6

#6 The Porch (1-3-1) 0

 

 

#3 Isola Bella Italian Eatery (2-2-2) 5

#2 Solid Rock Construction (3-2-0) 2

 

 

#5 Adrian Griffin Interiors (1-2-2) 1

#7 AMI Coconuts (0-3-2) 1

 

 

11- TO 13-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE

 

 

#3 HSH Design (2-4-1) 5

#4 The Gitt Team/KW on the Water (2-4-1) 4

 

 

#1 Cheesecake Cuties (5-0-2) 3

#2 Solid Rock Construction (3-4-0) 0

 

 

OCT. 19

ADULT CO-ED SOCCER WEEK 7

 

 

#5 Gulf Drive Café (4-1-1) 7

#7 Sandbar Seafood & Spirits (1-4-1) 0

 

 

#8 Slim’s Place (1-4-1) 6

#3 Ross Built Custom Homes (4-2-0) 2

 

 

#2 Gulfview Windows & Doors (2-4-0) 8

#6 Pool America (1-4-1) 6

 

 

#1 Moss Builders (6-0-0) 4

#4 Sato Real Estate (3-3-0) 1

Hurricane ends turtle season early

Hurricane ends turtle season early

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Turtle nesting season is over early this year, with Hurricane Idalia having left a large dent in nesting numbers.

“Hurricane Idalia had a major impact on our nesting season, causing the loss of 18.5% of this season’s nests,” Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella said. “Only one of the nests remaining after the storm hatched and only four hatchlings emerged from that nest.”

Mazzarella said she was grateful that more than 80% of nests – 405 total – had already hatched before the Aug. 31 storm.

“Overall, we did very well with hatchling production this summer,” she said. “Our last nest was inventoried on Oct. 14. The final numbers are still being reviewed and compiled.”

Turtle season officially ends on Oct. 31, but with no more nests on the beach, Turtle Watch is preparing for the 2024 turtle season.

“We have removed all our equipment from the beach, cleaned it and are working on repainting stakes and restocking equipment for next season,” Mazzarella said. “We are double-checking all the data and compiling reports for the county and the state.”

She said Turtle Watch is currently working with the City of Bradenton Beach, Manatee County, and Florida Power and Light to identify problem streetlights and get them switched to turtle-friendly fixtures before next nesting season.

Known as light pollution, lighting near the shore can discourage females from nesting and cause hatchlings to become disoriented, as at least 3,270 hatchlings on the Island did this season.

“Artificial lighting on the beach discourages female sea turtles from nesting. Instead, turtles will choose a less-than-optimal nesting spot, which affects the chances of producing a successful nest,” according to the Sea Turtle Conservancy. “Excess lighting from the nearshore buildings and streets draw hatchlings toward land, where they may be eaten, run over or drown in swimming pools.”

One of the primary goals of Turtle Watch is education and outreach.

“We will be updating our educational materials, working with local schools on creating new ones, and printing enough to distribute to all the local properties and businesses on AMI in March 2024,” Mazzarella said.

Turtle Watch volunteers will staff an educational booth at the City of Anna Maria Farmers Market at City Pier Park on Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. through May 7, 2024.

Volunteers replace sea oats

Volunteers replace sea oats

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Environment, Outdoors.

HOLMES BEACH – More than 40 volunteers planted 1,000 sea oats on Saturday, replacing those that were lost during Hurricane Idalia’s high tides.

Sea oats were lost when Anna Maria Island was hit with storm surge and high winds in the Aug. 31 hurricane.

Keep Manatee Beautiful (KMB) led the volunteer effort with a financial contribution of $5,000 from the City of Holmes Beach and direct assistance from the City’s Code Enforcement division, KMB Executive Director Jennifer Hoffman said.

Volunteers gathered at the 52nd Street entrance to the beach at 8 a.m. and within an hour, the sea oats had been planted.

“One thousand plants, 42 volunteers and done in less than an hour,” she said.

Sea oats are a perennial grass that play a vital role in shoreline protection.

“Sand dunes and sea oats are natural barriers against storm surge and they did their job by breaking up the wind and surf and bracing against storm surge,” Hoffman said. “But large portions of sand dunes and sea oats washed away as tides receded. Holmes Beach officials and I spotted those losses early on and decided to do something about it.”

“Sea oat is an extremely valuable plant for coastline and barrier island protection,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (USDA). “Its massive root system is capable of holding soil and sand in place during extreme weather events.”

Sister Keys clean-up set for Nov. 4

Reel Time: Sister Keys clean-up set for Nov. 4

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

Sarasota Bay Watch (SBW) is conducting its annual Sister Keys clean-up on Saturday, Nov. 4. The event is a collaboration with Suncoast Waterkeeper, the Town of Longboat Key and Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant. Volunteers will work for four hours on the island and around the mangrove fringes collecting trash and recyclable items. After the event, volunteers will load the collected debris into a truck provided by the Town of Longboat Key Public Works for disposal. All plastics and cans will be collected in separate green bags provided by SBW and recycled. The volunteers will then be treated to a box lunch courtesy of the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant, a longtime supporter of the event.

The Sister Keys were originally slated for development in the early 60s as the Shangri Isle Club and were once again threatened in 1989 when they went on sale for $1 million. That spurred a group of citizens to form the Sister Keys Conservancy in an attempt to buy and preserve the islands as a nature preserve. Longboat Key purchased the islands in 1994 with a stipulation that the keys would never be developed.

The islands underwent a million-dollar mitigation in 2007 to remove all invasive species. Native flora was planted and a two-acre wetland was created. Today mature mangroves dominate the waterways, which are rich with crustaceans, minnows, juvenile finfish and wading birds. Native species planted on uplands created from the dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway in the late 1800s have matured, making the islands one of the best examples of a thriving native marine environment in coastal Florida. The clean-up is part of a two-pronged ongoing effort to clean the islands of trash and support the resurgence of invasive species. The Longboat Key Marine division will be patrolling the Intracoastal Waterway to slow boaters. Kayakers and those without a boat will be ferried to the islands by volunteers.

The Sister Keys clean-up is just one of many projects that SBW is involved in. In recent years, SBW has planted over 1,000,000 clams in the bay and recently obtained a restoration lease in Sarasota Bay, a first of its kind, in its ongoing restoration effort. Other clean-ups (including underwater) are conducted at various locations throughout the bay, as well as an annual monofilament cleanup and much more.

Suncoast Waterkeeper (SCWK) is a Sarasota-based non-profit committed to protecting and restoring the Florida Suncoast’s waterways through enforcement, fieldwork, advocacy and environmental education for the benefit of the communities that rely upon these precious coastal resources. Their efforts have been responsible for major initiatives that hold municipalities responsible for mandates established in the landmark 1982 Clean Water Act. SCWK also conducts bi-monthly water testing of inland coastal waters. To learn more about the work of these organizations and join the effort, check out their websites at www.suncoastwaterkeeper.org and www.sarasotabaywatch.org.

The event is limited to the first 40 registrants, so reserve your spot today.