ANNA MARIA – The final week of regular season adult co-ed flag football play energized The Center gridiron last Thursday night. For the four teams in the middle of the pack, every play and every second mattered.
By the end of the night, team Solid Rock Construction captured the third-seed position in the first round of the playoffs, narrowly defeating the Salty Printing squad with a score of 14-12.
Despite a late-game injury, Tuna McCracken and the Solid Rock team won by two points in what proved to be a defensive battle. With 36 total flag pulls recorded by both teams, Evelyn Long led the league in flag pulls for the week.
Long’s eight flag pulls Thursday night put her in third to end the regular season in defensive stops. Her 29 total pulls were only topped by teammates Tyler Brewer and McCracken, each with 30 in the seven-game season.
With McCracken on the sideline, receiver Connor Ludwig took the snaps for the last several minutes of the game. Throwing for a touchdown to Brewer and receiving for one from McCracken, Ludwig helped clinch the team’s playoff position.
On the flip side, Brandon Rolland had the only offensive scoring for Salty while teammate Zaon William scored six points on defense for his team.
Williams also finished the season tied with Long for third in flag pulls with 29 big stops.
Making the scoring difference for Solid Rock Construction was Brewer’s two one-point conversions, giving the squad a marginal lead. Brewer had seven catches in the game, leading his team and adding to his season total of 38 receptions.
Solid Rock’s win put them in the third quarterfinal game bracket with Sandbar Seafood & Spirits. Sandbar lost to #7 Gulf Drive Café in the first game of the night, giving the Gulf Drive team only their second win of the season.
Playing in the last game this Thursday night against the second seed Moss Builders team, team Gulf Drive Café will need to play strong and with no mistakes.
Salty’s loss placed them in fifth position behind Cortez Deep Sea Fishing. In the second playoff game Thursday night at 7 p.m., the two teams will face off for a spot in the semifinal next week.
Playing in the heat of the 6 p.m. game, the underdogs of #8 The Banks Home Lending Team hope the curse of the first-place team continues to rear its ugly head as they face the top-seed Luxury Services team.
As the quarterback, Luxury’s Chase Richardson leads the league in passing touchdowns with 32 this season. Between them, The Banks Home Lending’s Cruz Rodriguez and Cory Banks managed to pass 20 total touchdowns in seven games.
Luxury Services also closed out the season number one and three for receiving touchdowns with Tim Holly finishing with 13 TD catches and Alonzo Lemus securing 11 scoring nabs.
The team’s regular season dominance continued on defense with Holly’s 11 QB sacks, as well as a total of 12 interceptions by teammates Derrick Carey, Jasmine Muldoon and Richardson, each with four picks.
This week’s play will see if the top team prevails or if the undefeated Luxury Services team has their championship hopes stopped short Thursday night.
Last week we talked about the insurance nightmare affecting all homeowners in the state of Florida. However, there is one group of residents having a more difficult time resolving their insurance issues, and those homeowners are seniors.
As I pointed out last week, homeowner’s premiums are increasing rapidly for everyone and that’s assuming your current company even offers you a renewal. Also, properties with aging roofs are a target of insurance companies. They will either not renew your policy if you have an old roof or give you a time frame in which to replace the roof.
This impacts everyone in the state, but seniors are hurt the most since they may not have the resources to replace roofs, and I don’t just mean the funds, I also mean the ability to go through the process of roof replacement and interfacing with insurance companies. Nevertheless, this is something that has to be done not only in order to have insurance on your property but also in the event that you need to sell, a situation many seniors are finding themselves in.
Even if your insurance company hasn’t asked for a roof replacement yet, when you want to sell your property, a home inspector will point out to prospective buyers the age of the roof and the liabilities involved in having an aging roof. Most buyers will not proceed without some guarantee of roof replacement, and most won’t even enter into a contract without the roof being replaced. This is only further complicated by the shortage of replacement roofing materials, particularly when they are dictated by condo documents, and the shortage of workers, resulting in long lead times for roof replacements.
In Manatee County, we have many seniors living in over-55 condo communities. As previously stated, condos have been particularly hard hit by new roof requirements, and many of the older communities with older populations have not adequately set aside reserves for this purpose, resulting in assessments to residents. Florida living, which attracted senior citizens because of the affordability of properties and living expenses, is suddenly making living in Florida unaffordable for the most vulnerable of our population.
Seniors can also anticipate the possibility of repairs based on the milestone inspections the state has approved for condominiums based on location, height and age. Again, not all community associations have done their due diligence in maintaining properties and this law could impact these senior communities where people have lived for decades.
Everyone in the state needs to budget for the possibility of maintenance issues and repairs in their single-family homes or condos, but seniors particularly need to educate themselves on how this may affect their wealth and lifestyle. Certainly, younger family members should be made aware of these issues and start making plans to assist this generation.
Manatee County has elder law legal aid and pro bono services available, but not all seniors will qualify for this service. The state has a legal helpline that is free to all seniors over 60 with limited ability to answer complicated issues, but they could point you in the right direction. It’s called The Department of Elder Affairs Florida Senior Legal Helpline at 888-895-7873. However, if you have the financial ability, the best thing for seniors to do when facing one of these problems is to hire a private elder attorney.
Undoubtedly life isn’t fair, and seniors who may not have had a real estate transaction in decades are finding out they can’t sell their home until they have a new roof, then finding out the new roof could take months. Plan ahead and ask for help is my best advice; the insurance issues will not go away anytime soon.
HOLMES BEACH – Four turtle hatchlings that had fallen into a hole on the beach were found by Holmes Beach Code Enforcement staff on the morning of July 16.
While entrapped, the turtles were using up energy they needed for their long swim to the floating sargassum line where they will spend the next few years.
“You can prevent this,” Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring posted on its Facebook page. “Fill in your holes and spread the word that by filling our holes and leaving the beach flat, we can all help share the beach with sea turtles!”
A code enforcement officer called Turtle Watch at 941-301-8434 to report the hatchlings, which were later safely released to the Gulf of Mexico.
“We’ve had at least two nests this season that have had hatchlings trapped in holes on their way to the water,” Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella said.
Besides unfilled holes in the sand, another ongoing hazard to turtles is beach furniture that is left out overnight.
“We are in contact with all (three) municipalities on the Island,” Mazzarella said. “We let them know when we see beach furniture left out overnight and they usually come to attend to it – either remove it or speak to the folks that left it out.”
She said all of the municipalities are very responsive when they hear from Turtle Watch volunteers.
“We do not tag or remove furniture that’s been left out,” she said. “We leave that to code enforcement. Beach furniture has definitely been a problem on the entire Island, but since hatching season started, our focus has been primarily on lighting and disorientations.”
Lights facing the beaches can disorient turtle hatchlings on their way to the water.
Mazzarella said tent canopy structures with sandbags on the legs have been left on the beach often, with the structure left flat on the ground.
“I don’t think people realize that this is still an entanglement hazard for nesting turtles and needs to be removed just like all the other furniture,” Mazzarella said.
LONGBOAT KEY – A portion of the Greer Island beach will be closed through the beginning of September as a dredging project continues.
According to the Town of Longboat Key’s Public Works Department, an area along the west side of Greer Island, also known as Beer Can Island, is undergoing dredging of the sandspit near the dock area.
The Greer Island Spit Management Project’s tentative schedule, including the mobilization of upland equipment and dredging, began July 17-28, followed by upland clearing and excavation from July 24-31.
From July 31 through Aug. 14, hydraulic dredging of the Greer Island Spit is set to occur followed by hydraulic dredging of Canal 1A from Aug. 5-8.
Beach tilling is scheduled from Aug. 21-23, with the demobilization of the project set from Aug. 23 through Sept. 4.
The Longboat Key website notes that the schedule is tentative and subject to change.
In June 2022, the Longboat Key Town Commission permanently restricted the anchoring and beaching of motorized vessels in two areas of the southeast portion of Greer Island, along the east side of the Longboat Pass Bridge, across the bay from Jewfish Key.
Those areas are limited to beachgoers, waders, kayakers, paddleboarders and other non-motorized vessels, according to a 2022 town press release.
Boaters who violate those restrictions are subject to a $250 penalty for the first offense and $500 for subsequent offenses.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The Island’s evolution into a vacation rental destination and the resulting lack of affordable housing has displaced many former permanent residents who rented their homes. Alex Bounds, Matt Bauer, Dawn Mathisen, Tracy Eckert and Rick Lewis have left the Island, while long-time renter Sharon Bell is among those managing to stay. Here are their stories.
Alex Bounds, Matt Bauer
In September 2022, after living on the Island for about 15 years, Matt Bauer, a two-time leukemia survivor, moved from a rental home in Bradenton Beach to an apartment in the Arium Bristol Bay complex in Bradenton. His friend and roommate, Bounds, moved with him and they now live less than three miles from the Island they used to call home. Bauer owns Reel Clean Marine Maintenance and Management and most of his clients are on the Island.
Before they moved off-Island, Bauer and Bounds rented a house on Avenue B they knew was slated for demolition to make room for a new vacation rental house. At the time, they were paying $1,800 a month in rent and The Sun interviewed them regarding their struggle to find an annual rental on the Island.
“I used to live next to three of my best friends. I had two more up the street. Now I only have a couple friends that live out here,” Bauer said. There’s a growing lack of community. It’s a lot of investors trying to make a quick buck renting or flipping their properties and housing on the Island has been monopolized by vacation rentals.
“I have friends that own businesses on the Island and it’s hard for them to find employees because there’s nowhere to live. And if you live off-Island, you spend so much time stuck in traffic,” he said.
“I was born in 1993. My first house was on the Island,” Bounds said. “I lived out here until I was 4 years old. We lived in one of those little cottages in Bradenton Beach. In all my baby pictures, I’m on the beach. To be on the Island is so important to me and it’s sad to see what’s going on.”
Bauer said he and Bounds are still living at Arium and are doing well.
“It’s kind of weird getting used to living in an apartment with the dogs and everything, but I can’t complain. I’m still close to the Island. I work out there just about every day, but once I get off work I don’t hang out on the Island much anymore. I usually just go home.”
Bauer hopes to live on the Island again someday.
“Our lease is up in September. I don’t know if I’m going to stay or find something else. I’m still trying to find a long-term rental but some don’t allow dogs. I’d like to rent a house out there for a year or two and then maybe buy one someday. Business has been really good and it’s growing a lot since I took over,” Bauer said.
Dawn Mathisen
Mathisen now lives in the Pine Bay Forrest condominium near 75th Street and Manatee Avenue, about five miles from the Island. She sells and rents electric bikes at Beach’N Bikes on Cortez Road, just east of the Cortez Bridge, and often rides her E-bike out to the Island. On Saturday, she took one of the new semi-recumbent trikes for a test ride on the Island.
When asked how she’s adjusted to living off-Island, she said, “To avoid cognitive dissonance, I make the best of it.”
The Sun first interviewed Mathisen in 2022, after she’d been displaced from the Island.
Former Island resident Dawn Mathisen frequently E-bikes to the Island. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“I lived on Anna Maria Island for four years. I started in Holmes Beach, living with a friend from Indianapolis. I’ll never forget the first time I came across the Cortez Bridge. That was magical. After my housemate got married, I met my next housemate, English Jim. He’d been on the Island for 15 years and I lived with him for about three years, until he got cancer, moved back to England and passed away,” she said.
She then moved to the other side of the Intracoastal Waterway and rented a mobile home in Cortez Park, near the east end of the Cortez Bridge.
“I lived there until the mobile home was sold. I was there three years and that was my first place here without a roommate.”
When asked what she loves about the Island, she said, “I loved everything about it. The natural beauty, meeting the local people and being able to walk to the local pubs. Everyone can see how it’s changed. There are so many more monstrosity-sized vacation rentals and Airbnb’s. The very charm of Anna Maria Island that the gatekeepers like to sell is being destroyed.
“We’ve lost most of our affordable housing on the Island and it’s happening all across the county too. There’s going to be repercussions: staffing shortages and overworked employees. There’s a lot of young people busting their humps working at the restaurants and bars. They make good money but they can’t afford to live on the Island. Don’t treat the local residents like the Native Americans of the past and tell us to take our things and get out,” she said.
“I was renting for $600 a month when I first moved to the Island,” she said, adding that she now considers $1,200 to $1,400 a month to be affordable housing.
Would she ever live on the Island again?
“Probably not, but I want to because I still love the Island and the people. As unhappy and uneasy as I am with the progression of capitalism on the Island, there are still a lot of things to appreciate – seeing a local band at a local bar, seeing people you’ve known for many years and meeting people you’ve never met,” she said, noting that a return to the Island would probably require roommates and a second job.
Tracy Eckert
Tracy Eckert, a retired emergency room nurse, now owns a mobile home in a large mobile home park in St. Petersburg.
He moved to St. Pete in April 2021 after spending 17 years as a rental resident on Avenue B in Bradenton Beach.
He spent 11 years in his first rental unit and paid $850 a month. He voluntarily left that location because the building was dilapidated and was later demolished and replaced by a vacation rental home. He spent five years at his second rental unit and one year at his third rental unit on Avenue B.
Former Island resident Tracy Eckert misses walking to the beach. – Submitted | Tracy Eckert
“In May 2021, after five years there, my landlord gave me written notice that I had to move out. This was during the height of COVID and I was treating COVID patients at the hospital in St. Pete. It put me in a bind trying to find an affordable place to rent on the Island. It was a hardship financially and emotionally during the height of COVID. I was paying $1,150 a month. The place I found after that was $1,700 and it too was later slated for demolition to make room for a vacation rental.”
Eckert and his dog, Martini, then moved off the Island and into an apartment at Perico Bay Club on Manatee Avenue for a few months before moving to St. Pete.
“I like having my own yard and garden, a hot tub, a billiards room, a pool and it’s not too far from the beach, but it’s not the Island. I miss the Island life. I lived there for about a third of my adult life. I got to know so many people in my 17 years there. I miss my friends. I miss walking across the street to get to the beach. I miss the Island, but its best days have passed and greed has taken over.
“When I moved to the Island, there were 12 residences and two vacation rentals on my block. Now it’s like 10 vacation rentals and four residences. The restaurants are getting more expensive and everything is now geared toward the tourists and not the locals. The ‘old Florida’ experience is gone. It’s more reasonable living off the Island and you get a lot more bang for your buck,” he said.
“I’ll always have good memories of my time on the Island. Everybody seemed to know each other and everybody knew your name. There was a great sense of community but we’ve lost a lot of that. I remember when we were begging for more tourists. Now we have too many. I had a great 17-year run, but unfortunately, it came to an end,” Eckert said.
He still visits the Island but doesn’t expect to live there again.
“I can’t afford it.”
Rick Lewis
Former Island resident Rick Lewis grew up in northwest Bradenton and had a lifelong connection to the Island.
“I was out here a lot. This was part of our playground,” he said.
Lewis now lives on his monthly Social Security benefits and his last Island home was a rented living area in an Anna Maria home he helped care for while the owners were away.
“I was there for three or four years and I moved out last June, in 2022. On Memorial Day weekend, the owners told me they were going to put the house up for sale. I didn’t have a lease. It was just kind of a monthly thing. In early June, I was told I had to be out by the end of the month,” he said.
Rick Lewis recently visited his canine friend, Baxter, in Pine Island before Baxter passed away. – Submitted | Rick Lewis
Lewis stayed with a friend in Port Charlotte for a few months and then relocated to a friend’s home in Parrish. He also travels back and forth to Pine Island to care for a home while his friends are vacationing. He also helped care for their dog, who recently passed away.
Last week, Lewis was back on the Island taking care of a house in Holmes Beach while the owner was on vacation.
“I’ve been bouncing around doing that but I don’t have a stable place,” he said.
A few months ago, Lewis bought a rooftop tent for his old Toyota pickup truck. After he clears up a medical issue, he plans to take his truck and tent to North Carolina to try living there. He also hopes to take some road trips in his mobile rig.
Before moving to Anna Maria, Lewis rented a studio apartment in Holmes Beach for about eight years.
“I lived on the Island for 10 or 11 years. I can’t afford to live out here anymore. When I first moved to the Island, my studio apartment in Holmes Beach was $550 a month, plus electricity. Then it went up to $600. My landlord died and his son took over and sold the place. Then I found the place in Anna Maria that I lived in until last year. There’s still a few hidden gems around, but they’re hard to find and you have to get lucky,” Lewis said.
When asked what he misses most about living on the Island, Lewis said, “Being able to ride my bike to wherever I want to go. And the salt air. I need to be around water. I’m happier around water,” he said.
Lewis doesn’t think he’ll live on the Island again.
“I’d like to, but I can’t afford $1,200 to $1,600 a month for a one-bedroom, and that’s the market rate almost everywhere else too. In the old days, people worked on the Island and lived on the Island. Now they can’t afford it, or they need three or four people living together to afford a place. Normal working people can’t afford to live out here and we’ll never have that again,” Lewis said.
Sharon Bell
Sharon Bell recently moved from her previous apartment on Avenue C to a two-bedroom apartment on Avenue C where she now pays $1,850 a month in rent. Bell tends bar at The Doctor’s Office in Holmes Beach, where she mixes and serves martinis and other craft cocktails.
“It’s the most rent I’ve ever paid, but it’s still a good deal. The reason I have the place is the guy who lived here for 22 years before me, Don White, recommended me. His girlfriend, Cindy, has an apartment in the same building and they decided to consolidate into one apartment. I don’t think I would have got this place without his reference,” Bell said.
Sharon Bell still lives and works on the Island. – Submitted | Sharon Bell
“I moved to the Island in early 2018 after I started working at the Drift In in Bradenton Beach. I moved into one of the ‘Carter Cottages’ on Third and Highland that have since been mowed down. There were four units. Charlie Woods lived back there. So did David Marshall and Martha Kelley. Jen from Island Time too. I paid $650 a month – $600 if I paid before the first of month. I could walk to work and live on the Island.
“Then I moved to Avenue B and 24th Street on a 10-month lease, then I moved to a triplex near the entrance to Seaside Gardens in Holmes Beach and lived there until it was sold. Then I spent a couple years in a four-plex behind the Anchor Inn until the owner sold it. I was paying $1,350, then $1,450 a month. It sat vacant for six months or so and someone just told me it’s now renting for $2,000 a month,” Bell said.
Although her monthly rent consumes a considerable chunk of her earnings, Bell’s grateful she still lives on the Island.
“I feel blessed. Most places are going for more, even off the Island. Thank God I don’t have any big outstanding debts. I drive a car that I own and I keep my bills low. I have a small second bedroom but I prefer to live by myself. The longest I stayed somewhere was the two years in the four-plex. It’s hard moving all the time, but I love it out here and I don’t want to go anywhere else. Good timing and being part of the community has saved me so far,” Bell said.
When asked if she ever considered leaving the Island, Bell said, “Yes, but this is where my people are. Rent’s gone up everywhere and I’m paying the same as a lot of people are paying in town. I don’t think there’s another employee I work with that has a place on the Island. They don’t even think it’s possible anymore.”
As for what she loves about the Island, Bell said, “The people, the water and it’s a really great community. I’ve had a lot of loss in the past few years and that’s what carries me. One of the things I love about my industry is people come here to make a memory – to get married or celebrate a birthday. They work a whole year to be here for a week. I’m blessed to be here for the whole year surrounded by positivity, sunshine and the water.”
HOLMES BEACH – A new website invites owners to place portions of their property for rent at an hourly rate, but city officials say that’s not an allowable use for residential properties in Anna Maria Island’s largest city.
The issue was brought up to Mayor Judy Titsworth by a group of concerned residents after a local vacation rental owner put a pool up for rent on the site Swimply.com. The website allows property owners to rent out anything outside of their house or vacation rental, including parking, pools, backyards, sports courts and even experiences, like a home art studio, for an hourly fee.
The Holmes Beach pool rental popped up on the website the week of July 24. The listing, which was removed by July 29, offered the use of onsite parking and a backyard pool in Holmes Beach for $50 per hour. The host, simply identified as “Craig” in the listing, offered the use of the residential property’s pool area on Swimply.com when not in use by the owner or vacationers renting the entire property.
When The Sun spoke with Titsworth on July 28, she said she had recently been made aware of the website and that renting pools and other amenities without renting the entire property was not allowed in the city. She added that the city’s code compliance officers had been alerted to the situation and were responding. There were no other listings on Anna Maria Island on the website at press time for The Sun.
In Holmes Beach, Titsworth explained, city codes do not allow for only a piece of a property to be rented, such as a pool, for an hourly rate. The city’s vacation rental regulations allow for residential properties in the R-1 residential zone to be rented for a minimum of 30 days to the same renter. In other residential zones in the city, properties can be rented for no less than 7 days. The city’s code defines a “day” as a 24-hour period for property rental purposes. Only hotels and motels are exempt from the regulations and are allowed to rent daily. And while part of a property, one half of a duplex for example, can be rented independently from the rest of the property, owners are not allowed to rent out single bedrooms in their homes to different groups of people or rent only amenities, such as pools, without renting the rest of the property or unit.
MANATEE COUNTY – Property owners located in West Manatee Fire Rescue’s district recently received some mail they likely weren’t expecting from the fire department.
District leaders sent out a letter to all property owners in the district, spanning Anna Maria Island, Cortez and unincorporated Manatee County in west Bradenton, notifying them of an upcoming public hearing to discuss increases in assessment rates. The good news for property owners is that unless you own a vacation rental property in the district, your rates won’t increase much.
While most residential property owners will be looking at an average $13 increase in non-ad valorem assessment rates in the coming 2023-24 fiscal year from the fire department, owners of vacation rentals will be looking at a more significant increase to the tune of a few hundred dollars depending on the size of the unit.
The change for vacation rentals comes by way of the Florida Fire Code, which allows for districts like West Manatee to classify vacation rentals as commercial properties operating in residential districts, even if the property is zoned residential. The reason for the change in WMFR’s district is to allow fire inspectors to inspect vacation rental properties – seen as businesses despite their location – for safety and compliance with fire prevention measures such as placement of fire extinguishers, plans for egress and placement of fire alarms. The inspections are slated to begin with the new fiscal year on Oct. 1.
Fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski said that vacation rental owners should not be concerned about needing high-ticket items such as sprinkler systems. He also said that the district will be working with other organizations already conducting safety inspections, such as the Holmes Beach Code Compliance division, to make sure that efforts are not duplicated.
Changing the classification for the district of vacation rental properties also changes how those properties are taxed for services by the district. While the zoning for the properties is not changing, under the fire code they’re now viewed as commercial rather than residential properties, triggering an increase in rates. The increase in funding allows WMFR to complete the staffing needed for the new inspection program, including the hiring of a new fire inspector and assistant for the Fire Prevention Bureau.
The public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. at the district’s administration building, 701 63rd St. N.W. in Bradenton. The public is invited to attend and speak in person or over Zoom.
MANATEE COUNTY – County officials say that new tests confirm the drinking water coming from Lake Manatee is safe.
In a July 18 press release, more than a week after attention was first drawn to the strange odor and taste in local drinking water, county officials said that the compound affecting the water is geosmin, not an algal toxin.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, geosmin is a compound, often related to the cyanobacteria Anabaena, that causes taste and odor issues in water related to blue-green algae outbreaks.
“While certain blue-green algae can produce toxins, it is important to note that not all blue-green algae blooms are toxic,” according to last week’s press release from county Information Outreach Manager Bill Logan.
Logan’s previous press release from the county on July 10 stated that tests showed the presence of blue-green algae at elevated concentrations in drinking water.
The algae bloom in the county reservoir, which provides water for a large part of the county, caused a musty taste and odor that persists, according to the county.
Local environmental advocacy group Suncoast Waterkeeper disputed the water’s safety in a press release on July 12, naming Anabaena as a health risk.
Independent testing done by GreenWater Laboratories showed that a number of cyanotoxins related to blue-green algae were not found in the water, according to the county.
The county is treating the reservoir with activated powdered carbon.
Algae blooms in the county’s drinking water are common, seasonal occurrences, according to the county, which advises the public to use a carbon filter on faucets to minimize the earthy taste of the drinking water.
If you’re new to Florida or need a refresher course in the basic practices of ethical angling, the Florida Sea Grant program has just the course for you – the Florida Friendly Angler Program.
With feels-like temperatures in the triple digits every day, this is a good time to prepare for cooler weather in the comfort of your home.
The free course is open to anyone, especially anglers looking to up their game. The course teaches skills and practices that help fish and the environment, a win-win for our fisheries, according to Florida Sea Grant. You will learn about three topics essential for any angler who wants to protect fisheries and the environment:
1. Best Practices for Fish Handling and Release,
2. Environmental Ethics for Anglers and
3. Introduction to Fisheries Management and Giving Back.
The course is self-paced and you can take as long as you need to complete it, but why wait? In just under two hours, you can be a fully certified Florida Friendly Angler. You will receive a certificate and a weatherproof decal if you provide a mailing address. Share this opportunity with friends and on social media using the tag #FloridaFriendlyAngler. After registering, you will be sent a confirmation email with details about how to log on. Check your spam folder if you do not see the email.
Today more than ever, it’s critical that anglers know how to properly handle the fish they catch so that those that don’t come home to dinner with you can grow up and help create the next generation of gamefish. Getting involved in protecting the environment so that future generations of anglers have some of the same opportunities we’ve had is more urgent than ever as the area grows exponentially.
The Florida Friendly Angler Program was created through a partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, UF/IFAS Extension and Florida Sea Grant. For questions about the program, email course administrators Michael Sipos at Sipos624@ufl.edu or Savanna Barry at Savanna.barry@ufl.edu.
ANNA MARIA – After six weeks of adult co-ed flag football games at The Center of Anna Maria Island, team Moss Builders is the victim of the undefeated team Luxury Services. The 40-point loss is uncharacteristic of any Moss Builders team that hits the field.
In the easy win, Luxury’s QB Chase Richardson threw for five touchdowns and took the football into the endzone for six points of his own. Defensively, Richardson contributed with two flag pulls.
The Luxury defense prevented the lethal arm of Ryan Moss from being effective, holding him to just one scoring pass to James Roadman for Moss Builders. Roadman’s catch for six points compliments his defensive interception and stop.
The Moss Builders’ loss was not for the lack of effort by the defense. With 14 recorded flag pulls, the Moss D put the pressure on Richardson, sacking him once and nabbing two interceptions. Isaiah Lambert, for Moss Builders, is credited with the Richardson sack and a flag pull in addition to his single catch.
Peggy Smith, playing as the required female on the team, caught five receptions for positive yardage. Defensively Greg Moss and Nick Cavalluzzi each had four flag pulls, helping to keep the Moss Builders team in the game.
With the victory, Luxury Services’ Tim Holly had the hot hands with seven catches, including one for a TD and a two-point conversion. Holly carried the football into the endzone and had a safety to add points to the scoreboard.
Teammates Alonzo Lemus and Derrick Carey each caught five Richardson passes. Lemus scored two touchdowns, while Cary was hit for one.
Jasmine Muldoon scored six points with a catch and contributed on defense with two flag pulls.
The Cortez Deep Sea Fishing team plays Moss Builders Thursday as the last regular game of the season at 9:00 p.m.
It’s like waking up from a bad dream and realizing it was only a dream and everything is just fine. However, the Florida insurance nightmare isn’t just a bad dream, it’s the new reality, and we keep taking hits.
The latest is Farmers Insurance Company pulling out of Florida, leaving 100,000 policyholders high and dry. They will no longer be writing policies for homeowners, auto and umbrella in the state. They point to storm risk and increased litigation forcing them to reimburse more funds than they feel comfortable doing, meaning they’re not making enough money selling insurance in the state of Florida.
We can’t do anything about the storms and unless Farmers is living in a different dimension, the state has always had the risk of storms. The litigation issue was addressed by the governor and Florida Legislature this past year hoping to reduce the number of lawsuits relative to claims.
As always, homeowners live in fear each renewal that their insurance will be canceled or will go up too much. You always have the option of shopping around before your next renewal in the event you do get canceled, but be careful.
Make sure the company or insurance broker you’re talking to is a real person. There is a National Association of Insurance Commissioners that can help you verify who you’re talking to. My advice, especially for homeowners who live near the water, is to try as hard as possible firstly not to get canceled and if you get an increase, bite the bullet and pay it before shopping for a lower rate.
You can make your home more insurable by changing things that will make the property less risky to insure. Fire alarms and security systems can get you several percentage points off your premium. Hurricane shutters, hurricane-proof windows and fire-resistant siding also will help.
But the elephant in the room in Florida is the age and condition of your roof. Be prepared to get a cancellation or requirement to replace the roof if it is anywhere over 25 years of age, even if there are no leaks and no claims against it. This is also true if you live in a condominium complex where the roofs are the responsibility of the association. Condo owners are getting hit all over the place with special assessments to replace roofs in order to get insurance.
Time to report the June sales statistics in Manatee County released by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee.
Single-family homes closed 17.7% more properties from last June. The median sale price was $525,000, down 4.5% from last year, and the average sale price was $678,994, down 1.7% from last year. The time to contract was 37 days compared to six days last year and the month’s supply of available properties is 2.8 months compared to 1.8 months last year.
Condos closed 12.1% more properties from last June. The median sale price was up 3.8% to $370,000, and the average sale price was up 6.6% to $471,003. The time to contract was 34 days compared to seven days last year and the month’s supply of available properties was 3.4 months compared to 1.5 months last year.
Sales are up in both areas of the residential market, keeping in mind most of these transactions were booked at least 30 days ago before the slower season really kicked in. Nevertheless, the news release from the Realtor Association states, “The residential market in Manatee County continues to thrive with strong buyer activity.”
Insurance nightmares or not, Florida is still a great state to live in. Hopefully, we’ll have a moderate storm season and improved litigation laws that will give insurers a reason to come back to Florida. That would be a happy dream
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – On a daily patrol last week, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers were shocked and saddened to find multiple turtle nests that had been trampled on and run over with vehicles.
On its Facebook page, Turtle Watch posted photos of tire tracks and footprints through multiple nests with marker stakes broken and on the ground.
Vehicles are illegal on the beaches of Anna Maria Island.
“We’d like to remind everyone that tampering with, disturbing or harassing any nest, adult or hatchling sea turtle is a federal offense punishable by a fine and/or jail time,” Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella said.
Disturbances to nests have the potential to impact their success, she said.
“We don’t know if any of the eggs were broken,” Mazzarella said. “We’ll find that out later in the season.”
Turtle Watch volunteers spent the morning of July 11 reposting nest stakes and documenting disturbances to at least four nests in undisclosed locations in Anna Maria and Holmes Beach.
This is the second time in a week that Turtle Watch volunteers found damaged nests, although Mazzarella said the prior incidents were likely not malicious and due to carelessness.
Mazzarella said multiple issues with nests following the Fourth of July holiday included people knocking over stakes, tearing marker tape, walking across nests, digging in the sand close to nests and putting up tents in nesting areas.
Turtle nests on local beaches are clearly marked with yellow numbered stakes and pink caution tape.
Turtle nesting season runs from May through October.
“I’d like to remind people, if you see something, say something,” Mazzarella said.
Report wildlife violations to the FWC. If your information results in an arrest or citation, you may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. You can report four ways:
• “FWC Wildlife Alert” app (download from Google Play or Apple Store)
• Text 847411 (Tip411) with the keyword “FWC” and information about the violation
• Call the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922)
MANATEE COUNTY – A blue-green algae outbreak reported last week at Lake Manatee, the county’s primary drinking water reservoir, has prompted a local water quality watchdog group to question Manatee County’s claim that the water is safe, despite discoloration and an unusual odor.
In a July 19 press release, Suncoast Waterkeeper members noted that the blue-green algae, known as Anabaena or Microcystin-LR, is a cyanotoxin that may be safe from a regulatory standpoint, but not necessarily from a health standpoint.
Water straight from a faucet in Manatee County shows water that county officials say is “safe” for consumption. Large particles of unknown material came out of the faucet along with the water. – Kristin Swain | Sun
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, elevated levels of cyanotoxins, including Anabaena, can cause health issues in humans ranging from a rash to liver and kidney damage if ingested. The most common health effects in humans include abdominal pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, nausea, dry cough, diarrhea, blistering around the mouth and pneumonia. Continually ingesting drinking water contaminated with elevated levels of the bacteria can lead to liver and kidney damage. Anyone experiencing any of the symptoms after coming into contact with the toxin should seek medical treatment immediately and rinse off with clean water.
The EPA also warns that pets, livestock and other animals also can be adversely affected by coming into contact with contaminated water. Symptoms of cyanotoxin poisoning in animals include excessive salivating, fatigue, difficulty breathing, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures. In some severe cases, exposure can also lead to death.
In the water where the blue-green algae bloom occurs, plant and animal life may also die both during and after the bloom, resulting in fish kills in the county’s primary water supply.
County leaders say they’re treating the water with activated carbon and that anyone who is concerned about the smell or taste of the water should use a carbon filter at home.
To learn more about Anabaena and how it can affect your health, visit www.epa.gov/cyanohabs.
LONGBOAT KEY – The vigilance of three local charter captains has resulted in multiple citations against three men for the alleged poaching of marine life in local waters.
Capt. Joey Sweet, of Sweet Sunset Dolphin Tours, Capt. Katie Scarlett Tupin, of Capt. Katie Scarlett Boat Tours, and Capt. Kathe Fannon, of Capt. Kathe and First-Mate Pup-Pup Charters, had long noticed a depletion of marine life at local sandbars and suspected that poachers were to blame. They reported their suspicions to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), resulting in several citations.
According to FWC incident reports, Linh Ha, 51, of 3401 24th St. W., Bradenton, Loc Nguyen, 55, of 3230 44th Drive E., Bradenton, and Hai Nguyen, 51, of Rockford, Ill., were charged by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers on July 1 at Jewfish Key.
“The three individuals were identified to FWC officers by a vessel passing by stating they were keeping over the bag limit of shellfish,” according to the FWC report. “Upon performing a resource inspection, we found all three suspects to be over the allowable bag limit for marine life species (20 max per person/day) as well as over the bag limit for each species (2 per species/per person per day.) The subjects were in possession of 25 tulip snail, 24 crown conch, 9 fighting conch, 2 lightning whelk and 2 horse conch.”
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers photographed what they said were illegal catches of marine life at Jewfish Key on July 1. – Submitted | FWC
Each man was charged with violation of the Florida Administrative Code Pertaining to Southwest Florida Shells-Harvest of Live Shellfish in Manatee County; Permitted Harvest of Shells which states: “A person may not harvest in Manatee County more than two live shellfish of any single species per day or possess in or on the Florida waters within Manatee County that are seaward of the mean high water line more than two live shellfish of any single species.”
They were also charged with Violation of Florida Administrative Code Pertaining to Marine Life-Recreational Bag Limit which states: “A person may not harvest in Manatee County more than two live shellfish of any single species per day.”
The FWC report states that at approximately 5:30 p.m. on July 1, officers were patrolling the area of Jewfish Key and received a report of three men taking excessive marine life from the north end of the sandbar.
“We observed three subjects matching the complainant’s description near a red and white personal watercraft (PWC) wading along the Jewfish Key sandbar,” according to the report. “The subjects had several hand-nets full of various species of marine life and additional marine life in the footwell of the PWC.”
Hai Nguyen was also found to have no saltwater fishing license and was issued a warning.
Since the other two men were licensed, four of the tulip snails, crown conch and fighting conch were returned to Loc Nguyen and Ha. Two lightning whelk and one horse conch were returned to Loc Nguyen, as they fell within bag limits. The remainder of the organisms were returned to state waters alive, according to the FWC.
The three men are required to appear in Manatee County Court on Wednesday, Aug. 2 at 9 a.m.
According to an FWC press release, officers have received multiple reports since summer began of individuals harvesting marine organisms near Longboat Pass in the Jewfish Key area of Manatee County.
“Over the course of the Independence Day weekend, FWC officers increased patrols in the area and performed resource inspections on multiple vessels,” the press release states. “The violations included the harvest of more than two live shellfish species per day, harvest of more than 20 individual tropical marine life species per day, the possession of undersized stone crab, the possession of egg-bearing stone crab, the possession of whole-condition stone crab, the possession of stone crab during closed season, and fishing without a valid saltwater fishing license.”
“I feel like we are just scratching the surface,” Sweet said. “We’re still seeing a lot of the same activity. Hopefully, people will take notice. I was told by the FWC that if anyone sees something, they should take down the numbers on the boats and report it.”
Call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922).
Residential mortgage rates barely budged in June, leveling off at the 6.5% mark the last week of May. Just when buyers were starting to exhale, thinking this may be as high as we go, the national 30-year average fixed-rate mortgage blew past that mark the first week of July. Talk about fireworks. According to Freddie Mac, rates finished the week ending July 6 at an average of 6.81%. One outlier from the Mortgage News Daily reported a 30-year fixed mortgage hit 7.22%.
If you’re thinking well, that’s not too bad, consider the poor buyer who is looking at a $400,000 mortgage and now faces an increase in monthly carrying charges over $100. This could be the breaking point for some buyers as far as qualifying.
And we’re not done yet. Housing market watchers expect mortgage rates to remain elevated amid ongoing economic uncertainty and the Federal Reserve’s rate hike war on inflation. The expectation is two more rate increases before the end of 2023. If they proceed with quarter-point increases, you do the math.
The Federal Reserve has clearly stated there is a long way to go to bring inflation back to its 2% goal. Since July 26 is their next meeting, we won’t have long to wait for an answer. Housing experts like Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors, feel the Fed has been hawkish as it regards rate increases. Yun says, “The rate hikes from earlier months have yet to exert their force at a time when inflation has already decelerated to 4% and there is no need to consider raising interest rates.” We’ll see if anyone in Washington listens to him.
Further, if you think housing inventory is down now, wait till these higher rates kick in. Sellers with mortgage rates below 3% or 4% are not motivated to sell no matter how much they want that extra bedroom or water view. Homeowners feel locked in and are remaining on the sidelines willing to wait it out. They may have a long wait.
No matter how high the rates go, however, keep in mind the real estate market has survived rates higher than we will probably be looking at by the end of the year and people were still buying houses. Eventually, buyers and sellers will have to blink and start the market rolling again.
Before I end this column, I would like to acknowledge the passing of Pat Copeland, an Island treasure and the editor of this column for The Sun for many years. She edited with a light touch, never passing judgment, simply suggesting a more concise sentence structure or precise word, and she was always right.
I was away when she passed, but was thankfully home in time to attend her memorial at Roser Church on Pine Avenue. Her family did her proud, from her young grandchildren to her well-poised and talented daughters and sons-in-law and, of course, her husband of 50 years, Doug Copeland, an Island treasure in his own right. It was an uplifting event with big smiles from all who attended, ending with a New Orleans-style second-line processional to celebrate a life well lived by a special lady.
You may not be able to influence how mortgage rates are moving, but you can keep your life moving in the right direction. In the words of Pat Copeland, “Life is a party.” Who cares what the Federal Reserve says?
