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Governor extends vacation rental order

Governor extends vacation rental order

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

TALLAHASSEE – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has extended a previously issued executive order that prohibits short-term vacation rental operations statewide.

On Friday, DeSantis issued and signed Executive Order (EO) 20-103.

“I hereby extend Executive Order 20-87 until April 30, unless extended by subsequent order,” EO 20-103 says.

In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, DeSantis originally set forth his temporary vacation rental prohibitions and restrictions in EO 20-87 – an order issued on Friday, March 27 and enacted on Saturday, March 28.

“I hereby order all parties engaged in rental of vacation rental properties to suspend vacation rental operations. Vacation rentals are prohibited from making new reservations or bookings and shall not accept new guests for check-in for the duration of this order,” EO 20-87 said.

The governor’s directive did not apply to hotels, motels, inns, resorts, non-transient public lodging establishments, timeshares or long-term rentals of more than 30 days.

“DBPR shall revoke the vacation rental license of any party that violates this order or otherwise advertises vacation rental opportunities during the duration of this order; and DBPR shall alert the state authorities to evidence of violations or attempts to violate this order,” EO 20-87 said.

As a result of Friday’s extension order, the expiration date for DeSantis’ vacation rental prohibitions now coincides with the expiration of DeSantis’ essential services order, EO 20-91 – an order some refer to as a ‘stay-at-home’ order.

As of 5 p.m. Saturday, EO 20-103 was not yet posted at the governor’s website and the governor’s website made no mention of EO 20-87 being extended. The most recent executive order posted at the governor’s website was EO 20-102 on Thursday, April 9.

Local concerns

DeSantis’ delay in extending his vacation rental order caused trepidation for local officials who felt the need to discuss and/or enact local vacation rental-related emergency orders of their own.

On Thursday, Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth issued Emergency Directive 20-5, a directive pertaining to “prohibitions on residential rental properties.”

At Thursday evening’s Anna Maria City Commission meeting, it was noted DeSantis had not yet extended EO 20-87. This prompted discussion as to what, if anything, the city might need to do if DeSantis did not extend his order.

On Tuesday, March 24, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy issued an emergency order that temporarily prohibits new reservations for vacation rental stays of less than 30 days in Anna Maria.

“There shall be no new reservations for an arrival date of March 26 through June 30 of less than 30 days. Reservations with an arrival date on or subsequent to July 1 are excluded from this order,” Murphy’s order said.

Murphy issued his local order three days before DeSantis issued his statewide order.

During Thursday’s commission meeting, Murphy said the rationale behind his local order was to reduce the churn of people coming in and out of Anna Maria on a weekly basis, as part of the city’s efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19.

During Friday afternoon’s emergency Manatee County Commission meeting, county commissioners voted 7-0 in favor of sending DeSantis a letter requesting that he extend his vacation rental order until April 30.

When presenting the request, County Administrator Cheri Coryea said DeSantis had not yet extended his vacation rental order. It was noted the letter was requested and suggested by the Island city mayors and other city officials during Wednesday’s emergency operations policy group meeting.

Lack of notice

When contacted Saturday afternoon, Duncan Real Estate owner Darcie Duncan said she had not been informed that DeSantis extended his vacation rental order.

“We have not been informed of the governor’s extension, and I just checked. We have had nothing,” Duncan said.

Duncan was asked if she was notified when DeSantis issued his original vacation rental order on March 27.

“We didn’t get anything from the governor’s office. I found out through a news outlet,” she said.

Duncan said her company was not expecting any new short-term rental arrivals this week.

“We’re not encouraging anyone to come. We tried to deter everybody when we were on a ‘stay-at-home’ order because we knew it was the best thing to do,” Duncan said.

Duncan said she received notice from the city of Anna Maria when Murphy enacted his local emergency order in March.

Duncan said she received notice from Titsworth when she issued her emergency directive on Thursday.

Duncan said was informed in advance of Friday’s request for the county commission to send a letter to DeSantis seeking an extension of his vacation rental order.

As of Saturday, the city of Bradenton Beach had not enacted any emergency vacation rental restrictions and continued to operate according to the governor’s now-extended order.

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Holmes Beach parking closed for beachgoers

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Visitors to local beaches may have a surprise if they park on city streets, at beach accesses or along the right of way. Beginning at 6 a.m. on April 10, Holmes Beach police officers will tow violators at the violator’s expense.

A press release from the HBPD on April 9 stated that all city parking would be closed, except that on private property, to discourage people from congregating at the beach. All Manatee County beaches, including Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach, remain closed to the public.

In an April 9 conversation with The Sun, Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said that the decision to close the remaining parking at beach accesses, along with street and right of way parking, was made after officers witnessed a larger than normal amount of people on the beach April 8. She said the point is to discourage people from coming to the beach and, rather than issuing a parking ticket that a driver may dismiss or ignore, officers will be towing the vehicles at the owner’s expense.

“Anyone who is illegally parked will be towed,” she said.

To help with outreach for the new parking regulations, Titsworth said that new banners had been purchased to place throughout the city to inform residents and visitors of the penalties for parking illegally.

She added that while she understands that people may feel “cooped up” staying at home, it’s still very important for everyone to stay home as much as possible and practice social distancing when they go out to stop the spread of coronavirus.

According to an emergency directive issued by Titsworth on April 9, the new parking regulations will continue through midnight April 30 unless terminated through the official action of the mayor.

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Mayor issues executive order for vacation rentals

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Mayor Judy Titsworth wants vacation rentals in her city to remain on hold at least through April 30.

On April 7, Titsworth issued an executive order requiring all vacation rental owners and managers to stop taking new reservations and to cease check-ins until Gov. Ron DeSantis lifts the state-wide stay at home order. The governor’s order is currently set to expire on April 30.

Titsworth’s order is in response to coronavirus concerns and in an effort to slow the spread of the disease. As of April 9, Holmes Beach had one confirmed case of COVID-19, the only case so far on Anna Maria Island.

In Titsworth’s April 8 daily status of the city report related to COVID-19, she said that the city’s vacation rental management companies informed city hall staff that there are many rental check-ins scheduled for the weekend of April 10-12.

In an April 9 discussion with The Sun, Titsworth said she spoke with several rental agency representatives who are expecting check-ins this weekend and needed help to cancel the reservations. By issuing the order, she said it gives the rental agencies the ability to cancel upcoming reservations. Titsworth added that all of the vacation rental managers she’s spoken with are on board with not allowing vacation rentals through the end of the month.

DeSantis issued an order March 27 stopping new vacation rentals in Florida for 14 days. Those 14 days expire on April 10. Titsworth said that during an April 8 policy group conference call with the leaders of neighboring municipalities and Manatee County that it was decided to ask county leaders to reach out to the governor’s office to see if the order stopping vacation rentals could be extended to match the length of the stay at home order.

If the order is not extended, Titsworth has instructed city attorney Patricia Petruff to draft an emergency directive prohibiting any check-ins at vacation rentals and any advertising of residential vacation rental properties until May 1.

Police and code compliance officers are enforcing the city’s no new check-in mandate for vacation rentals.

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Celebrate Easter with Roser Church

Celebrate Easter with Roser Church

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

ANNA MARIA – Congregations may not be able to gather this year due to the governor’s orders to stay at home and not gather in groups of more than 10, but that’s not stopping the Holy Week ministry at Roser Memorial Community Church.

The Holy Week services begin with Maundy Thursday on April 9. Between noon and 2 p.m., the Roser Chapel will be open for a drop-in communion service. During the service, all COVID-19 guidelines will be observed including limiting the number of people in the chapel at any one time, disinfecting and cleaning, and maintaining social distancing of six feet between people.

This year’s Good Friday service, “He Took My Place,” will be broadcast live online April 10 at 7 p.m. on the Roser website. The service also will be available to watch after the live broadcast on the Roser YouTube page.

On Easter Sunday, April 12, the 10 a.m. traditional worship service will be streamed live online followed by the 5:30 p.m. SoulJourn contemporary worship service. During the 10 a.m. service, the flower cross traditionally decorated by congregation members will be in the sanctuary. Once the service concludes, it will be placed outside the church for the public to view, along with Easter lilies, which can be purchased in honor or memory of a loved one for $7. The names of those honored with the lilies will be in the Friday April 10 e-bulletin.

Currently, the church is closed to the public but the chapel remains open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for individual prayer and meditation. A sanitizing station is located inside the door and the chapel is cleaned and sanitized twice daily.

The Roser Food Pantry also remains open to offer assistance to the community. While the food pantry is well-funded financially due to generous donations, the ability of volunteers to purchase items in bulk has been diminished by the current demand on supplies due to the coronavirus’s effect on the community. Volunteers are asking for help in purchasing needed supplies including canned soups, vegetables, beans, meat and fish, peanut butter, jelly, boxed meals such as macaroni and cheese, canned fruit, fruit juice, rice, pasta and cereal. Donations can be dropped off in front of the church office at 512 Pine Ave. in Anna Maria during office hours. A cart for the food pantry is located just outside the office door for donations. A full list of needed items is available online.

To request assistance from the food pantry, contact a pastor or make a prayer request, contact the church office at 941-778-0414 or email info@roserchurch.com.

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First coronavirus case reported on Island

First coronavirus case reported on Island

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – The first case of COVID-19 has been reported on Anna Maria Island and the patient is from Holmes Beach.

When the 10 a.m. coronavirus data came out April 2 from the Florida Department of Health, it showed 73 cases in Manatee County with 50 of them in Bradenton, four in Lakewood Ranch, two in Palmetto, one in Ellenton and one in Holmes Beach. There also are five cases in Longboat Key with three on the Manatee County side of the island and two on the Sarasota County side.

As of April 5, there were 135 cases of COVID-19 in Manatee County with three deaths and 28 hospitalizations, according to data from FDOH.

In Holmes Beach, Mayor Judy Titsworth has been issuing a state of the city report related to coronavirus daily for the past two weeks. Her update April 2 acknowledged the newly identified coronavirus case and reiterated her April 1 request, addressing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order 20-91 ordering all Floridians to limit their movements outside of the house to essential activities, such as grocery shopping or going to the pharmacy, or providing essential services to the community. Titsworth asked that all residents stay at home, if possible, and practice social distancing when it’s necessary for them to leave their homes.

Titsworth extended the city’s state of emergency for an additional seven days, ending on April 6 with the option to extend for another seven-day period to be re-evaluated on a weekly basis. Currently, all city offices are open but the doors of city hall remain closed to the public. The April 14 city commission meeting and work session both are canceled.

She added that the city’s beaches and boat ramps both remain closed, though people are still allowed to go to the beach in groups of 10 or less as long as they practice social distancing, leaving 10-15 feet between groups. At the end of the day on March 31, Titsworth closed all of the city’s parks including the dog park, skate park, basketball court and tennis/pickleball courts to the public to discourage groups of more than 10 people forming and encourage residents to practice social distancing, remaining at least six feet from each other to reduce the community spread of coronavirus. On April 3, she reopened the large dog park with the pavilions remaining closed to discourage socialization by pet parents. Parks and the beaches are all being monitored by Holmes Beach police officers.

She also said that city code compliance officers are monitoring the occupancy levels at Holmes Beach motels, hotels and short-term rentals on a daily basis. On March 25, she sent a letter out asking that all vacation rental owners and agents stop taking new reservations until further notice. On March 27, DeSantis suspended all vacation rental check-ins in the state for a period of 14 days.

In the April 2 report, Titsworth noted that nine out of the 20 properties checked that day by code compliance officers were found to be in violation of the city and governor’s orders and advertising mandates, still allowing for booking and check-in of guests. She said that code and police officers will be monitoring in person and online advertising to make sure that no check-ins take place at vacation rentals. Any property owners or managers found to be in violation will be cited and reported to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Titsworth’s daily updates can be found on the city’s website.

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Holmes Beach logo OLD

Mayor requests temporary end to vacation rentals

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Mayor Judy Titsworth has issued an official request to stop all new vacation rentals in the city in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

In an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, Titsworth issued a letter March 25 to all vacation rental owners and agents in the city asking them to stop taking new reservations for the time being. The request does not affect reservations that were already made, though each vacation rental owner or agent may have different policies regarding reservations during this time.

Titsworth’s request states that it’s in response to two executive orders issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis. One order requires all people entering Florida from an area with substantial community spread of the virus to self-isolate for 14 days upon entering the state. The states mentioned in the order include Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, and was later amended to add Louisiana.

The second order involves a public health advisory asking all people over age 65 to stay home and take other measures to limit their potential exposure to the virus.

In response to Titsworth’s request to suspend vacation rental reservations, Barbara Sato, president of the Anna Maria Island Vacation Property Association, forwarded a letter stating that the group will be taking proactive steps for rental properties in Holmes Beach.

Effective March 25 and continuing for three arrival weeks, the group agreed to not take any new reservations for vacation rental properties in Holmes Beach unless the reservation is for one month or longer. Existing reservations for people arriving from the states mentioned in DeSantis’ order are canceled for the next two weeks with the issue to be re-evaluated weekly. Also, for the next three weeks, the group of rental agents agreed to limit the occupancy in vacation rental units to no more than 10 confirmed guests.

Members of the property association include Anna Maria Island Accommodations, Coastal Cottages, AMI Vacation Rentals, Duncan Real Estate, Fran Maxon Real Estate, Island Real Estate, Lizzie Lu’s Island Retreat and Sato Real Estate.

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Mayor discusses the state of the city

Mayor discusses the state of the city

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Everyone may feel a little disconnected while social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, but Mayor Judy Titsworth is working to make sure that Holmes Beach residents stay connected to their city government.

Titsworth is releasing daily updates on activities at city hall. The March 27 update gives the most up-to-date information on how things are working behind the closed doors of city hall.

While city hall is closed to the public, allowing only essential city employees to enter, the rear entrance at the police station remains open for emergency access to Holmes Beach police officers.

Right now, the only meetings being held are essential meetings, with the city’s parks and beautification committee, planning commission and city commission work sessions all canceled for the first half of April. The April 14 city commission meeting will be held via teleconferencing with login credentials supplied to the public via the city’s website.

The mayor is continuing to update the city’s state of emergency and re-evaluate the extension on a weekly basis.

HBPD officers are continuing their daily monitoring of the beaches. Currently, all public beaches are closed and city leaders are asking that anyone who does choose to go to the beach during the coronavirus pandemic gather in groups of 10 people or less, maintain a distance of 10-15 feet between groups and park legally. To help with the beach closure, Police Chief Bill Tokajer said that public parking has been reduced by 85-90% for beach parking and that police are enforcing the new restrictions.

Titsworth said that code compliance officers are monitoring occupancy in city hotels, motels and vacation rentals. On March 25, Titsworth issued an official request to all vacation rental owners and agents along with hotel and motel management to ask them to cease taking new reservations at this time. She said that the response to this request has been primarily positive.

Currently, code compliance officers are not conducting vacation rental certificate program inspections. The city’s public works department is working diligently to sanitize city hall, city offices and all city vehicles to help keep employees safe.

The Holmes Beach building department is still open but is only accepting new permit requests through the city’s website. Inspections are still being conducted, with all city inspectors wearing personal protective equipment. Inspectors are considering video submittals for inspections on small permit projects. Contractors have been asked to limit the number of workers on job sites to 10 or less. Anyone with questions about the new policies is asked to contact building department staff by email or by telephone at 941-708-5800.

“I continue to urge all Island residents and guests to continue to practice social distancing,” Titsworth said in her March 27 update. “Everyone in our community has a very important job to do. That job is to assume you have COVID-19 and to not spread your germs. Please continue to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer and stay at home.”

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Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Featured.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has suspended vacation rentals for two weeks.

“We’re going to suspend for two weeks any new vacation rentals in the State of Florida. The concern is people in some of these hot spots wanting to come here. Now’s not really the time to do that, so the vacation rentals will be suspended for two weeks. If you’re in one now, then finish and go home – but for any new rentals there’s going to be a suspension on that,” DeSantis said during Friday’s press conference.

These actions are set forth in Executive Order 20-87.

Governor suspends vacation rentals, mayor suspends rental reservations
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a two-week suspension on new vacation rental stays. – www.flgov.com

“I hereby order all parties engaged in rental of vacation rental properties, as defined in Florida Statutes, to suspend vacation rental operations. Vacation rentals are prohibited from making new reservations or bookings and shall not accept new guests for check-in for the duration of this order,” according to the executive order.

The directive includes any house, condominium or dwelling unit that is also a transient public lodging establishment as defined under Florida Statutes.

The governor’s directive does not include hotels, motels, inns, resorts, non-transient public lodging establishments, time share projects or long-term rentals. The order does not include rental stays at which the guests are already occupying the rental unit or have previously booked a stay and are scheduled to check in no later than March 28.

The order does not apply to those performing military, emergency, governmental, health or infrastructure response, or travelers engaged in non-vacation commercial activities.

“DBPR shall revoke the vacation rental license of any party that violates this order or otherwise advertises vacation rental opportunities during the duration of this order; and DBPR shall alert the state authorities to evidence of violations or attempts to violate this order,” the executive order says.

“This executive order shall expire in 14 days unless extended by subsequent order,” the order concludes.

Restrictions in Anna Maria

On Tuesday, March 24, Anna Maria Dan Murphy issued an emergency order that temporarily prohibits new reservations for vacation rental stays of less than 30 days in Anna Maria. The order took effect at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25.

Governor suspends vacation rentals, mayor suspends rental reservations
On Tuesday, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy issued an emergency order suspending new vacation rental reservations. – File Photo | Joe Hendricks | Sun

“There shall be no new reservations for an arrival date of March 26 through June 30 of less than 30 days. Reservations with an arrival date on or subsequent to July 1 are excluded from this order,” Murphy’s order says.

“If a rental of 30 days or more during the period between March 25 and June 30 is cancelled before the end of the 30-day period, that vacation rental shall not be permitted to be made available for rental, or be rented, for the balance of that 30-day period,” the order says.

According to the order, it is now considered fraudulent and unlawful to advertise a short-term vacation rental unit in Anna Maria that does not state all restaurants on Anna Maria Island are limited to takeout service only and all bars are closed.

It is also considered fraudulent and unlawful to not include mention of the governor’s 14-day mandatory self-quarantine requirements that apply to visitors from specific states and cities.

“This order is deemed necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the city of Anna Maria,” the order says.

The order notes violations shall incur punishments that include but are not limited to the suspension or revocation of the vacation rental unit’s annual registration; removal of tenants; criminal penalties levied against the vacation rental owners and the rental management companies and personnel that represent them.

“Every day of non-compliance will be punished by separate fines levied against both the vacation rental owner and the vacation rental management company in the amount of $500 per day of non-compliance,” the order says.

Murphy is required to review his emergency order at least once every seven days to determine whether it needs to remain in place or be lifted.

On Wednesday, Murphy sent city commissioners an email update on the decision he made.

“Our city is the only one in the county with this type of order. I was on a conference call this afternoon with all cities and county officials in Manatee County. I was asked to explain our rationale/position for this order. I explained that part of our rationale was based upon reducing the churn of people coming into and out of Anna Maria weekly,” Murphy’s email said.

The mayor’s email expressed concerns about visitors being at a higher risk of infection while traveling; about potentially infected visitors using public facilities and visiting city beaches; and about potentially infected visitors being in close proximity to Anna Maria residents, many of whom are senior citizens.

“I acknowledge that there is pressure and displeasure with this order from some quarters. But I still feel this is in the very best interest of our community,” Murphy said in his email.

On Thursday, Murphy and the city commission held their first virtual commission meeting.

Joining the virtual meeting by telephone, several out of state residents expressed concerns about the emergency order impacting their existing reservations.

Pennsylvania resident Rose Jordan said she and several other family members have reservations on Anna Maria Island scheduled to begin on April 18. Jordan said she was not sure which of the three Island cities everyone in her party was scheduled to stay in.

“The order doesn’t apply to existing reservations. You have a legal right to come to the Island and stay,” Murphy said in response – not knowing what Gov. DeSantis would do the following day.

Murphy also cautioned that now is not a good time to travel and he noted the closures and restrictions placed on the Island’s bars and restaurants.

Jordan and others also expressed concerns about some vacation rental companies on the Island not providing refunds to those who wish to cancel their reservations due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Jordan said she was offered a credit that must be used during the 2020 calendar year. Jordan said due to their occupations she and several others in her party must bid out their vacation time well in advance and cannot make it to the Island at any other time in 2020.

New York resident Marco Dipasquale expressed similar concerns. He said he is an Airbnb host and that Airbnb and VRBO hosts, for the most part, are giving refunds for cancellations.

“This is not sitting well with us,” Dipasquale said, noting this might be the “last straw” for him when it comes to dealing with some of the Island’s vacation rental companies.

Local businesses lend a hand to the community

Local businesses lend a hand to the community

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Business, Restaurants | Bars.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Local businesses are reaching out a helping hand to community members amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minnie’s Beach Café, at 5360 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach, is offering free breakfasts and lunches to local kids in need. In addition, if anyone is having trouble finding fresh eggs, produce or any items other than paper goods, the staff at the café is willing to help. Call the restaurant with what you’re looking for and, if they have it, the staff is willing to sell supplies to the public. And if you need something but can’t get out and live locally, they’ll deliver your order to you. The restaurant also is offering freshly prepared food to-go. Minnie’s Beach Café can be reached at 941-778-4140. The restaurant is open for pick up from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.

The Sandbar Restaurant and Mar Vista are both offering farm fresh organic produce boxes to the public. Each box of vegetables comes straight from Worden Farms and features an assortment of salad greens, root vegetables, culinary herbs, cooking greens and other organic veggies. Each box is $30 with orders delivered to The Sandbar on Thursdays for pick up after 1 p.m. and to Mar Vista on Thursdays for pick up after 2 p.m. The vegetable boxes are the farmer’s choice and cannot be customized.

Both restaurants also have a menu of freshly prepared dishes for pick up along with a selection of grocery items including eggs, cheese, fresh meat and seafood, pasta, fresh vegetables and bottles of wine, beer and liquor. For more information, or to place your order, visit Mar Vista online to order or The Sandbar online to order. Pickup from both locations is available daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Mar Vista is located at 760 Broadway St. on Longboat Key. The Sandbar is at 100 Spring Ave. in Anna Maria.

Over in Cortez, the Swordfish Grill and Tiki Bar also is offering not only some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes to-go but groceries, bait, ice, deli supplies and sandwiches, beer, wine and liquor for pick up by land or by boat. The food menu and available groceries change daily as do the groceries available which range from fresh vegetables to milk and eggs, seafood, deli meats and cheeses, fresh bread and even a few paper goods. The restaurant, located at 4628 119th St. W. or at mile marker 49 by boat, is accepting orders online or by phone at 941-798-2035.

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Island bars sobered by governor’s decision

Island bars sobered by governor’s decision

Island bars sobered by governor’s decision

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – For Anna Maria Island’s stand-alone bars, St. Patrick’s Day was supposed to be a night of celebration.

Instead, St. Patrick’s Day 2020 became the day Florida’s bars went dark. This took place at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17 as a result of the executive order Gov. Ron DeSantis issued earlier that day.

In an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), DeSantis ordered all non-restaurant-affiliated bars and nightclubs to close at 5 p.m. sharp. Those that didn’t comply faced immediate legal consequences.

The governor’s order closed the Drift In, Sports Lounge and Tommy Knockers in Bradenton Beach, and the Anchor Inn, D Coy Ducks and the Doctor’s Office in Holmes Beach. The city of Anna Maria currently has no stand-alone bars in operation.

The Drift In was very busy during its final hour, and at the outside tiki bar, bartender Sharon Bell worked her final bar shift for the foreseeable future.

“I’ve never seen anything like this. It feels ominous and foreign and awful. This place has been serving liquor 365 days a year since before this was Bridge Street, when that bridge (the Cortez Bridge) was made out of wood,” Bell said.

“People have been really sweet today. They’re concerned and they’re asking if I’m going to be alright. Some of our vacationers are worried about what’s going to happen when they go home and if they’re going to get stuck trying to get home. This is not just here. This is not just Florida. This is our whole nation and it’s scary,” Bell said of the pandemic.

“I have another job, thankfully,” she said of her part-time position in the insurance industry.

Bell said she hadn’t had time yet to form an opinion about the governor’s decision to make bars and nightclubs the first Florida industry to be shut down as a result of the pandemic.

Anna Maria Island Privateer and longtime Drift In patron Tim “Hammer” Thompson said he’d already been to D Coy Ducks and the Anchor Inn and he planned to hit the Sports Lounge too before it closed.

“I gotta get ‘em all in before 5 o’clock,” he said.

Thompson said he felt bad for all the bartenders that would become unemployed at 5 p.m. Using an expletive, he also said he disagreed with the governor’s decision.

“At 5 o’clock on St. Patty’s Day I’m going to be the last pirate standing,” he said before making his way to the Sports Lounge next door.

At exactly 5 p.m., the Drift In and the Sports Lounge closed as ordered and many patrons simply dispersed to the other restaurant bars that remained open.

Anchored for now

Although the front door was already locked at 5:20 p.m., Anchor Inn owner Darla Tingler opened the door to discuss what just happened.

“I understand it, but I don’t think it’s fair that he started with the bars,” she said of the governor’s decision.

Tingler said she didn’t understand how sending her customers to another establishment would help separate people in terms of containing the spread of the coronavirus.

“That’s doesn’t make sense to me. As owners, me and my husband will be OK. My employees, that’s another situation. Brad’s been with us for 18 years,” she said.

Her son, Joey Tingler, said, “I woke up this morning thinking I was going to work and I heard they were shutting us down for the next month. None of us saw this coming and none of us were prepared for something of this magnitude.”

Tingler’s husband, Bobby, said there are many times during the day when there are 10 or less people in the bar – and there might be 20 or so people there when it’s busy.

“You’re going to get way more people in the restaurant bars,” he said.

Restaurants rocked by coronavirus pandemic

Restaurants rocked by coronavirus pandemic

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Cortez.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Many restaurants on Anna Maria Island and in the village of Cortez are now offering takeout and delivery service to help offset the economic damage being caused in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

On Tuesday, March 17, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order that closed all Florida bars and nightclubs as of 5 p.m. that night. The executive order also mandated all restaurants reduce their seating capacity to 50% and create a six-foot distance between groups of diners that are now limited to no more than 10 per group.

Restaurants rocked by coronavirus pandemic
Swordfish Grill server Scarlett Szarko makes a dockside delivery to boater and longtime patron Mick Weick. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

The next change came shortly after 2 p.m. on Friday, March 20, when DeSantis issued an executive order that immediately restricted restaurant operations to delivery and takeout service only. The order allows alcohol to be sold for takeout purposes but prohibits alcohol being consumed on the premises of any Florida restaurant.

Shellshocked in paradise

Although not a complete surprise, Friday’s announcement sent immediate economic shockwaves throughout Florida’s restaurant industry as owners, managers and employees scrambled to enact contingency plans.

In Cortez, Swordfish Grill General Manager Bob Slicker already had his plan in place.

“We had already been providing our customers with to-go services that include having their food delivered curbside or dockside,” Slicker said Friday afternoon.

“If you order something to go, you get a free roll of toilet paper if you need it. And if you’re a restaurant employee and have a check stub to prove it you get 40% off your food. We can do to-go alcohol too. You can pick up a six-pack and some food and then stay home,” Slicker said.

He encourages those who purchase takeout food anywhere to tip generously.

“I want to be there for my team and my community and pay some of our employees for as long as I can. Some people can’t bounce back from something like this and they might start making bad decisions,” Slicker said when expressing his concerns about mental health issues and suicide rates increasing as the economic hardships become greater.

By 3:45 p.m. Friday, Anna Maria Island Beach Café bar manager Jason Bell had already closed the tiki bar and the café was in the process of closing until further notice.

“We’re waiting to see what happens next and we’re pretty much out of a job at the moment. Luckily, they’re going to let us come in and do some cleaning and stuff like that, but there’s only so much of that you can do,” Benn said.

By 4 p.m., Hurricane Hanks in Holmes Beach already had banners in their windows that said, “Open for takeout and delivery.”

Management and staff there were already dealing with unhappy customers who were learning they would not be allowed inside to eat or drink.

Around the corner at the Ugly Grouper, General Manager Thad Treadwell was still trying to process what just happened and he said it was too soon for him to comment.

While Treadwell and his staff swung into takeout-only mode, Wisconsin visitor Cindy Jewett and her son Nick learned they were not going to be sitting down to enjoy food and drinks.

“Before you could sit with the tables further apart, but this is ridiculous,” she said of the events that unfolded during her week-long stay on the Island.

In response to the governor’s order, most Anna Maria Island and Cortez restaurants quickly took to social media to announce and promote their takeout and delivery services.

Ed Chiles and the Chiles Group own and operate the Sandbar restaurant in Anna Maria, the BeachHouse in Bradenton Beach and Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant in Longboat Key.

When contacted Sunday, Chiles said, “All three restaurants are operating with takeout menus and we’re looking to do custom food too if people need a bigger, family-style meal.”
Regarding his employees, Chiles said, “Our staff is concerned and we’re providing them information on where to go to sign up for unemployment compensation, how to do that and what we’re doing with their health insurance after these layoffs happen. We also set up a GoFundMe account for our Chiles Group employees and we put $12,000 in that. This is a vehicle for people who want to help these folks who work for us.”

Before last week’s events unfolded, the Chiles Group had more than 300 employees.

Holmes Beach logo OLD

Holmes Beach mayor declares state of emergency

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Amid growing COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, concerns, Mayor Judy Titsworth declared a temporary state of emergency March 17. The state of emergency will last for seven days before it will either expire or another state of emergency will need to be declared.

Under the state of emergency, the city is eligible for federal and state emergency funds, if needed.

As of March 18, eight cases of patients with the coronavirus in Manatee County had been confirmed by the Florida Department of Health.

For residents and visitors to Holmes Beach, the declared state of emergency means that Titsworth may limit or suspend the sale of alcoholic beverages, establish a curfew and stop price gouging, among other things. Currently, no restrictions have been placed on Holmes Beach residents and visitors though everyone is encouraged by city, state and federal leaders to practice social distancing, limit gatherings to 10 people or less and wash hands regularly.

Some business owners have restrictions placed on them but those have come from the state. Gov. Ron DeSantis required all bars and nightclubs in the state of Florida to close for a 30-day period beginning at 5 p.m. on March 17. Restaurants can still operate, however, they are required to operate at 50% seating capacity for the safety of staff and diners.

Local schools also are affected by the coronavirus with schools, including Anna Maria Elementary School, shuttered until April 15. Manatee County School District employees will return to work for the week of March 23-27 to complete instructions for K-12 students to continue learning at home beginning March 30 using a remote learning program called Schoology. Students will be able to work online from home and communicate with their teachers through the program.

State testing and school grades for the year are canceled by DeSantis with students to have the option of moving forward next school year or remaining in their current grade.

For more information on the city of Holmes Beach’s response to the coronavirus threat, visit the city’s website. For more information on the school district, visit the Manatee County School District website.

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Roser Church moves services online

Roser Church moves services online

Roser Church moves services online

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

ANNA MARIA – After taking into consideration guidance from the National Centers for Disease Control and the concerns of parishioners, leadership at Roser Memorial Community Church made the decision March 17 to close the church’s doors to the public, temporarily moving all worship services online.

The closure of the church building has caused the cancellation of the popular senior aerobics class RoserRobics and the church’s annual Easter cantata, planned for March 29 as well as other programming.

For now, everyone is invited to join the church online with both the 10 a.m. Sunday traditional worship service and the 5:30 p.m. Sunday SoulJourn contemporary worship service being broadcast live online. Previous worship services can be viewed any time on the church’s YouTube channel.

In addition to the Sunday worship services, regular bible studies also will continue online at the church’s website. Terrific Tuesday bible studies will take place live online at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesdays with previous sessions available to view on YouTube at any time.

All other planned church events and meals are currently canceled.

The Roser Thrift Shop also is temporarily closed due to coronavirus concerns.

The Roser Food Pantry remains open to those in need by appointment only. Please call the church office at 941-778-0414 to schedule an appointment or if you wish to drop off a donation. Recommended items for donation include cereal, soup, canned fruits and vegetables, fruit juices and dried rice, potatoes and pasta. For more information, visit the food pantry online.

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Youth flag football finals names three champions

Youth flag football finals names three champions

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

ANNA MARIA – The youth flag football winter season came to a close March 10 with the three championship games played at The Center of Anna Maria Island. Of the six teams that played, only three would be named the victors.

In the eight-to 10-year old league, HSH Designs came out on top with a 39-16 victory over Cool Today.

Cool Today’s Peyton Hovda had two rushing touchdowns in the game and was named the league’s male MVP for the season. Hovda also completed a two-point conversion reception for his team.

The league’s female MVP, HSH’s Savanna Coba, caught two passes, one for six points.

In addition to being named Most Improved Player, Noah Rigney made a catching touchdown, along for an extra point, for HSH Designs.

Cale Rudacille was voted the recipient of the Sportsmanship Award for the season.

Bailey Cain scored two points for Cool Today with a two-point play. Teammate Chad Nunez made two catches in the game.

Earning the win, Connor Samblis made a rushing touchdown for HSH Designs. Charlie Neri, in the quarterback position, recorded three passing throws.

HSH’s Chase Signor made a touchdown catch to add to his two additional receptions in the game.

Contributing to the offensive game for HSH Designs, Sterling Holiday finished the championship game with three grabs.

Ugly Grouper took home the big win against Slim’s Place in the 11-to 13-year old league.

Slim’s Place’s JM Feeney scored a rushing touchdown and was named the male MVP. Gabriella Gilbert had a running score herself for Ugly Grouper. Gilbert was voted the female MVP for the predominantly middle school league.

Despite the loss, Jaxon Rush caught the football for a touchdown, along with five other big catches. Ben Rigney made a nice catch for Slim’s Place.

With four rushing touchdowns for the win for team Ugly Grouper, Ashton Hovda can be seen as the championship game’s MVP.

Jackson Zoller made four critical receptions for the Ugly Grouper offense in addition to scoring two points in a conversion play. Teammates and brothers Mikey and Frankie Coleman both had catches of their own in the game. M. Coleman had a one-point conversion to add to his team’s scoring.

Ugly Grouper’s scoring was made complete with a touchdown by Brennan Gunter.

Additional league awards went to Matthew Hennesey as the Most Improved Player and Jack Mattick receiving the Sportsmanship award.

In perhaps the most anticipated youth flag football game of the season, Hashmark Sports took the field against MuniPlan.

Playing without their second-round draft choice, Blake Balais, the league’s Quarterback of the Year Tuna McCracken was missing a key target. Despite the deficit, MuniPlan put 19 points on the scoreboard with rushing touchdowns by McCracken.

MuniPlan’s offensive action was spread across the roster with two catches by Tyler Brewer, Morgan Horesh and David Daigle. McCracken caught the football for a single statistic in the game.

In their big win, Hashmark Sports’ Ian Godefry, voted league Most Improved Player, made threw for three touchdowns. Team MVP in the game could be given to Shawn Balvin with five total catches, three for touchdowns. Balvin scored an extra point to add to his game statistics.

Nate Costello, league MVP, and Chance Howard also each scored a touchdown and extra point.

Hashmark Sports’ Noah Costello had two sacks in the game, with brother Nate marking a single sack.

Defensively, Alex McCauley’s interception was a big part of the team’s win against the number one seed team for the championship.

Cole Carter was bestowed the Sportsmanship award in the award ceremony that followed the final game to end another youth flag football season.

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Coronavirus concerns cause event cancellations

Coronavirus concerns prompt event cancellations

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Entertainment, Featured.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – If you were planning on attending an event on Anna Maria Island over the next couple of weeks, your plans may be changing.

Events and programs scheduled to take place through April 17 at the Florida Maritime Museum are canceled or postponed, including all classes at the Folk School, lectures and Music on the Porch.

The city of Anna Maria’s weekly Farmers Market at City Pier Park has been canceled until further notice. The seasonal farmer’s market was scheduled to continue into mid-May.

The Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge in Bradenton Beach is closed until at least Monday, March 23. Queen (of Hearts) sales will not resume until further notice.

Because of the COVID-19 virus, all activities except Mass have been temporarily canceled at St. Bernard Catholic Church, including the blood drive, pancake breakfast, coffee/donuts, adult and youth education, the parish mission and the exercise class. The office will remain open.

The Anna Maria Island Garden Club flower show, scheduled for March 18 at Roser Memorial Community Church, is canceled.

The Grass Roots concert planned to take place at The Center of Anna Maria Island on March 19 has been postponed to December 3 by the Manatee Performing Arts Center. Ticket holders can contact Manatee Performing Arts Center at 941-748-5875 to inquire about refunds. Tickets for the show are still on sale and previously purchased tickets will be valid for the new date. The Center of Anna Maria Island remains open for regularly scheduled classes, fitness center hours, sports, youth programs and other programming. Operations Director Aris Thompson said that regular updates will be posted on the nonprofit’s social media page. Members also can contact The Center at 941-778-1908 for more information.

The Island Branch Library canceled its book sale, scheduled for March 20 and 21. No reschedule date has been set.

The Center of Anna Maria Island’s 27th Annual Tour of Homes, scheduled for Saturday, March 21, will be postponed until 2021 due to coronavirus concerns. A press release from The Center states that tickets purchased for this year’s Tour, along with raffle tickets for the final Tour quilt, will be good next year. Ticket’s purchased for the quilt drawing will be included in next year’s drawing.

West Manatee Fire Rescue commissioners have canceled their upcoming March 24 meeting. Their next meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on April 21 with a budget workshop at 5 p.m.

The March 30 Tourist Development Council meeting has been canceled; the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is expected to announce the rescheduled meeting soon.

The Beach’n Food Truck & Music Festival scheduled for Saturday, April 11 at City Field in Holmes Beach has been postponed. Event organizers are expected to provide future updates and/or a future rescheduled date.

Manatee County School District students will be getting an extra week of spring break until Monday, March 30 with employees returning to work March 23. All extracurricular activities and sports also are canceled until March 30.

Amid coronavirus concerns, the Holmes Beach Art Walk scheduled for Friday, March 13 was canceled. Both the Artist’s Guild Gallery and Island Gallery West remain open to customers during business hours as does the newly reopened Sand Dollar gift shop.

The Anna Maria Island Privateers postponed their March 14 Thieves Market in response to concerns about the spread of coronavirus. The new date for the outdoor market is April 11 at Coquina Beach.

Health concerns also prompted parade organizer, Sean Murphy of The Beach Bistro, to postpone the 21st Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Holmes Beach. In a March 12 Facebook post on the Bistro’s page, it was noted that the parade will be rescheduled for later in the year. The parade was previously scheduled to take place Sunday, March 15.

The Island Players closed their theater doors after performances on Sunday, March 15. The theater will reopen for the final show of the 2019-20 season, “Death by Design,” on April 30. The play runs through May 10. For ticketholders for performances of the current show, “Leading Ladies,” contact the box office for a refund for shows scheduled after March 15.

The Off Stage Ladies also announced that their April 8 meeting is canceled.

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