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Commissioner proposes unique solution to noise

Commissioner proposes unique solution to noise

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

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioner Kim Rash wants city leaders to follow the letter of the law, particularly where it involves the enforcement of the city’s noise ordinance.

Rash brought up noise in residential areas during the April 23 regular meeting. He said that the noise from vacation rentals in residential areas remains a large problem for residents. With some rentals being occupied for less than the required seven days and other over posted capacity, Rash said he wants to make sure that no one is exempted from the city’s noise ordinance, including children. His argument is that the noise ordinance governing the levels of acceptable noise during day and nighttime hours does not single out an age group to apply to, so it should be applied to everyone equally.

“I don’t see anything where any age group is exempted from our code. We have the decimal reader and that covers everybody,” he said. “I’ve heard different people say we’re not going to give kids citations even though they’re breaking our code. My thing is noise is noise and it doesn’t matter if you’re one or 91.”

Mayor Judy Titsworth didn’t agree with Rash’s idea.

“Do you want us to cite children playing in pools?” she asked Rash.

“If people are violating our noise ordinance, they need to be cited,” Rash replied.

Titsworth said the city’s residential neighborhoods are not 55 plus communities and are open to families. She added that she hopes to attract more families to the area rather than deter them through police presence.

“Once we start citing children in pools people will leave and never come back,” she said. Rather than giving a citation to children or their families for loud horseplay outside during the day, Titsworth said she prefers to have code enforcement officers visit the property who greet the family in a friendly manner, bring gifts for the children and gently remind visitors that they’re vacationing in a residential neighborhood.

Rash replied that while he loves children, visitors to the city and the rental agents who manage properties need to follow the rules, including the noise ordinance. Rather than discourage families from coming to the Island, he said his hope is to create balance between visitors and residents so that everyone can enjoy the residential neighborhoods. He added that he would like to see occupancy enforced during the day time, rather than just for overnight visitors, to prevent backyard parties at rental properties during the day.

Police Chief Bill Tokajer said that while overnight occupancy limits can’t be enforced during the day, his department is ready to respond to noise complaints, including those generated by a large group of people gathering at one property.

City Attorney Patricia Petruff said that she doesn’t know how occupancy can be enforced during the day because property owners and renters are allowed to have guests visit the property as long as they don’t exceed maximum occupancy of two people per bedroom or six people maximum, whichever is greater, at night.

In a letter to city leaders, resident Renee Ferguson followed up on Rash’s comments, saying that with the high price of property on Anna Maria Island, she feels that young families have been largely priced out of living in the area, leaving the population primarily a mix of visitors and retirees, in her estimation.

“No one that bought here to live full time signed on to be responsible for making sure our visitors are entertained and have a good time. I sure never agreed to that when I built my home,” Ferguson’s letter states.

“Our chief states clearly in a newspaper letter (Feb 26th) that day time noise is “normal conversation.” Screaming kids in a pool is not normal conversation. If this is occurring, then the renter should be cited. Our police and code enforcement have the tools they need to enforce.

“Residents have asked to make clearer to management companies what our ordinances state,” the letter continues. “The clingers, (small instruction signs) showing kids playing in the pool, states a message of being “respectful.” That message alone could mean something different to each reader. We need something clearer. Normal conversation is acceptable, screaming is not.

“If we just follow our own codes, the residents and visitors could enjoy the best the Island has to offer. Beautiful sunsets, clean beaches and fun times,” she wrote.

While no resolution was achieved with regard to daytime noise, Titsworth did say that the city’s noise ordinance will soon come before commissioners to consider changes to the fine structure.

Related coverage

No winners in noise battle

How to report noise in Holmes Beach

Mayor calls out residents for noise complaints

Aeration plans take shape for Spring Lake

Aeration plans take shape for Spring Lake

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

HOLMES BEACH – Relief is coming to the residents located around Spring Lake in the form of an aeration system for the ailing body of water.

City leaders have been searching for a way to help repair the damage done to the lake by a lift station leak back in 2016 that left the water polluted and acidic. At a previous meeting, City Engineer Lynn Burnett and her associate, Eron Wasserman, from LTA Engineers, gave commissioners two proposals – one for an aeration system and another for dredging. Due to the large cost of dredging and lack of access to the lake, commissioners opted for the aeration system during their April 23 meeting.

The aeration system involves an air compressor planned to be placed on an existing concrete pad near the northwest corner of the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church property, an air filtration system on the opposite side of Palm Drive, and a system of pipes running to the bottom of Spring Lake. The pipes, which will push air bubbles into the lake 24 hours a day, are capable of turning over the entire lake twice in one 24-hour period, moving around seven million gallons of water. A sound abatement apparatus is planned to be placed over the compressor, reducing the noise produced to about the same as what comes from a modern pool pump.

Burnett said she hopes that using the aeration system will create an oxygenated, uniform column of water in the lake that will be able to support marine life.

The lake is filled tidally via an outflow pipe running under Palm Drive from the Grand Canal near Gloria Dei. This naturally brackish water system will be retained.

To get the one-foot layer of algae off the bottom of the lake, Burnett and Wasserman said they are researching types of marine life that could thrive in the lake and eat the algae, leaving behind a two-foot deep layer of clean silt in the bottom of the manmade lake.

The cost to install the aeration system is estimated at $4,608.31 with around $380 annually in maintenance costs and around $2,000 for an electricity hookup from Florida Power and Light. Water quality testing is estimated at about $200 for bi-annual testing.

“I think it’s a go,” Commissioner Carol Soustek said.

Commissioner Kim Rash said he’d spoken with several residents in the area and found that more are in favor of installing the aeration system than attempting to dredge Spring Lake.

“It’s a good start,” Commissioner Jim Kihm said of installing the aeration system.

Mayor Judy Titsworth said she’s observed minnows in Spring Lake recently, along with jumping mullet.

“It is getting healthy,” she said of the water quality. “All we’ve got to do is keep it healthy.”

The aeration system is expected to be installed and operational by the end of May as long as the final contract passes legal review with the city attorney.

Related coverage

Spring Lake cleanup options presented

Deciding the future of Spring Lake

Spring Lake pollution continues to be a problem

Castles in the Sand

Floods, saltwater and freshwater

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

The poet W. H. Auden said, “Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” Surely, he meant both freshwater and the ocean water since both feed the body and soul, but both can have their challenges and both are subject to flooding.

Let’s start with the waters that surround our Island. This is the saltwater that feeds our souls. Those of us who choose to live on the Island or near the surrounding waters would never think of living in a landlocked state, it’s just who we are. But we do pay a price for it and that price may be increasing soon.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has published new Flood Insurance Rate Maps which will change the base flood elevation for many Manatee County property owners. The last time these maps were updated were 30 to 40 years ago and since then there has been much new technology to better analyze data. In addition, the new maps will consider wave action as well as the height of flood waters.

The result of this will be more accurate maps and could result in flood zone ratings going up for some properties, down for others or no change at all. You can determine how your property is affected by checking the Manatee County website, www.manatee.org and keyword search “flood zone.”

The flood zones are assigned a letter and are also color-coded on the maps. Here is a quick review: A (blue), AE (lavender), Floodway (pink), VE (green), X (shaded) and X (no color). A, AE, Floodway and VE are all high-risk for flood and typically require flood insurance. X (shaded) is moderate risk and does not typically require flood insurance and X (no color) is low risk and does not typically require flood insurance.

As most homeowners who have a federally backed mortgage know, you are required to have flood insurance as one of the terms of the mortgage. However, all homeowners in flood zone areas should carry flood insurance. Also, the Manatee County website has lots of good information specific to your property so it’s worth taking a look at for a variety of reasons, including flood zone information.

But what about the other water essential to our lives, freshwater. It may come as a surprise that flooding in the home is the number one risk that everyday consumers make insurance claims on. One in 50 homeowners filed a water damage claim each year between 2013 and 2017.

Part of the reason there are so many more claims compared to previous years is the increase of water-using appliances like wet bars and water filtration systems as well as the popularity of second story laundry rooms. Old pipes in aging homes, worn out valves and worn out hoses contribute to interior floods.

Some of this can be mitigated by inspecting the caulking around tubs and shower stalls, watching for drips under sinks in both the kitchen and bathrooms, and changing hoses to dishwashers, washing machines and ice makers. Condo living is especially vulnerable to leaks from upper units and residents of upper units should be especially vigilant. There is some technology available containing water detecting sensors but at this stage, they are not 100 percent dependable.

Water is life but too much of it can be deadly and inconvenient. So, check the new floods zone maps and check the old hoses, then relax and enjoy the view.

More Castles in the Sand:

Taxes come and gone

Real estate process speeding up

Traffic, real estate sales up

Turtle hatchling

Turtle season is here

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Environment, Outdoors, Sea turtles.

BRADENTON BEACH – It’s the first week of sea turtle nesting season, and while turtles jumped the gun on Longboat Key, none have nested so far on Anna Maria Island, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Director Suzi Fox.

Turtle Watch volunteers have reported three false crawls, turtles that crawl onto the beach to nest but return to the Gulf without doing so, sometimes due to obstructions on the beach or lights.

Fox is relieved that a snowy plover finally laid a nest this spring on the Island; it contains a sole egg, she said, and is roped off to protect the threatened bird species.

Anna Maria Island cities are enforcing local ordinances protecting the two threatened turtle species that nest locally, loggerheads and green turtles.

From May 1 to Oct. 31, residents and visitors to the Island must be careful that light is not visible from their windows and doors facing the Gulf of Mexico to the west or the Intracoastal Waterway to the east.

That’s because light can make both nesting and hatching turtles lose their way to the water, leading, in some cases, to their deaths from dehydration or predators. Turtles most often nest on Gulf beaches, but occasionally nest on the bayside, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring statistics.

Code officials are conducting lighting inspections beginning this week, and Bradenton Beach Code Enforcement Officer Gail Garneau advises property owners and rental agents to be proactive in monitoring their properties for compliance during nesting season.

Visit the beach at night to see whether your lighting is visible, she suggests. Turn off or shield all lights that are visible from the beach from sunset to sunrise, or change to turtle-friendly bulbs to avoid leaving people in the dark.

Also remember to remove beach furniture and other items from the beach, or pull them back behind the front dune line, from sunset to sunrise to keep nesting sea turtles from becoming entangled, and fill in any holes dug in the sand before sunset to avoid entrapping turtles and injuring people.

Island cities must enforce turtle ordinances to continue to qualify to have the beaches renourished, according to Garneau. Turtles also are protected by state and federal laws.

A record 534 turtle nests were laid on the Island in 2018.

Literature on being turtle friendly is available online and at City Hall.

Related coverage

Turtle Watch volunteers ready for season

Turtle season soars into record books

 

Four chosen for chamber scholarships

Four chosen for chamber scholarships

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Anna Maria, Anna Maria Island, Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce, Bradenton Beach, Community News, Holmes Beach.

The four members of the Anna Maria Island Scholarship Committee – Bev Lesnick, Wendy Webb, Mike Southwick and Amy Tobin – distributed scholarships to four students at a ceremony on Thursday, April 19 at the Chamber.

The four scholars were chosen from a record number of applicants, according to Chamber President Terri Kinder.

This has been the highest application response the program has seen. Applicants came from a wide variety of Manatee County schools including St. Stephens, Manatee, Bayshore, Lakewood Ranch, Southeast, Palmetto, Manatee School for the Arts, Bradenton Christian and State College of Florida.

The recipients are:

  • Emma Johnson, a Manatee High School senior, who took first place in the Manatee Science Fair. Johnson has volunteered her time as president of the Science National Honor Society, a member of the Key Club, marching band, private tutor and after-care teacher. Her GPA of 4.0 unweighted and 4.7155 weighted makes her the number one ranked senior in her class. She plans to attend Bates College in Lewiston, Maine for a degree in Biology.
  • Ava Clinton, a senior at Manatee School for the Arts has balanced leadership in clubs, volunteer work or working 25 to 30 hours a week while she maintained her class ranking as first in her senior class. Coming from a single parent home she learned to be creative, such as in competing in the “Recycled Dreams Fashion Competition.” She constructed a ball gown out of Walmart shopping bags and cereal boxes to win it. Ava has overcome many challenges to become successful in college already through the Early Admissions program. She will study Biology and Environmental Science at the University of Florida.
  • Gabriela Guardiola will be the first in her family to pursue a post-secondary education. As a student at Bayshore High School, she was involved in the AVID (Achievement Via Individual Determination) college prep program. While maintaining herself in the top one percent of her class of 350 Gabriela also will attain her A.A. degree at the same time, she graduates with her high school diploma. She aspires to become a forensic psychologist to help rehabilitate mentally ill people in the community, those who have harmed others and themselves. To achieve this goal Gabriela wishes to enroll at Florida Gulf Coast University.
  • Bayshore High School senior Orbilia Matiano has shown the motivation to achieve her scholastic goals, evidenced by the AVID 4.0 GPA award while actively involved in the Key Club, school newspaper, JROTC and taking leadership roles. Her desire is to obtain her Associate’s degree in diagnostic medical sonography at State College of Florida.        This scholarship is a new one from the Chamber for students who want to study, graduate and work in Manatee County. It is called Stay, Learn and Live.
Speciale steps down as dock facilitator

Speciale steps down as dock facilitator

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

BRADENTON BEACH – Police Chief Sam Speciale will no longer serve as the facilitator and city liaison for the Community Redevelopment Agency’s (CRA) yet-to-be completed floating dock project.

Speciale made the announcement in an email sent to Mayor John Chappie and the city commissioners at 1:29 p.m. on Thursday, April 18.

“With the sending of this email, I am officially stepping down as facilitator for the floating dock project. A recent shift in the duties of individuals has put the direction of this project in a direction I do not agree with, and it is for these reasons I am stepping down. I will forward any correspondence to date with any and all of the parties involved and will advise all parties to forward any further correspondence to the city attorney and to the city treasurer,” Speciale’s email said in its entirety.

Speciale’s email did not specify which duties had changed and when contacted later in the week he declined additional comment. Speciale is not retiring as the city’s police chief.

City Hall was closed on Friday due to the Easter holiday and no formal discussion had taken place yet as to who would replace Speciale as the dock project facilitator.

Until last week, Speciale served as point man for the CRA-funded efforts to install a floating public day dock along the south side of the Bridge Street Pier. The new dock will replace the storm-damaged floating dock removed in 2017.

The dock project began in early 2017 when the CRA contracted the Technomarine Group to manufacture and install the floating dock for $119,980. Due to circumstances beyond the control of Speciale and the CRA, the yet-to-be-completed project has dragged on for nearly two years.

In mid-2017, Technomarine representative Ben Talbert predicted the dock would be installed that September or October. After that potential deadline was missed, Technomarine CEO Erik Sanderson promised subsequent completion deadlines that were also missed. Earlier this year the CRA severed its working relationship with Technomarine.

On April 10, the CRA members directed City Attorney Ricinda Perry to draft a contract to enter into with the Gibsonton-based Hecker Construction Company to install the pilings and the pre-manufactured deck sections alongside the pier for $105,754. This will bring the estimated final cost of the floating dock project to between $190,000 and $195,000.

During the April 18 city commission meeting, Perry said she was still working on those contract terms. The CRA members want the contract to include a specific completion date, but that request is complicated by a separate permitting process with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the Army Corps of Engineers.

The CRA needs an updated submerged land lease before the new floating dock can be installed.

Until last week, Speciale also served as the CRA liaison with the Environmental Science Associates (ESA) consulting firm that is assisting the CRA with the submerged land lease update. The update is required not only for the floating dock but also for the pending installation of a police department boatlift and the proposed installation of additional finger docks that would expand the public dockage provided by the floating dock.

On April 10, ESA representative Dianne Rosensweig told CRA members she would submit the needed documents to FDEP and the Army Corps by mid-May. She said she does not anticipate any more delays with the submerged land lease update, but she said she couldn’t promise when those two agencies would sign off on the lease update that is needed before the floating dock can be installed.

When the dock project started, FDEP considered it to be a standalone project, but the state agency now wants all three pier area projects combined into a single submerged land lease update.

Related coverage

Increased costs anticipated for Bradenton Beach dock project

Digital trail leads to undelivered day dock

Day dock project pushed back again

Last pier piling driven

Last pier piling driven

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

ANNA MARIA – The last concrete piling for the new Anna Maria City Pier has been driven and the request for proposals (RFP) to build the new T-end restaurant and bait shop has been issued.

On Wednesday, March 17, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy emailed city commissioners a pier construction update.

“The last pile for the pier was driven today. The barge will be leaving for Tampa by the weekend, weather permitting, and returning next week with the timbers to build the caps and complete the bents. In other events, the RFP for the restaurant and bait shop was issued this week with a bid submission deadline of May 20,” Murphy wrote.

Murphy’s email update said the firm selected to build the restaurant and bait shop will have 200 days to complete the building, with a December 2019 completion date and a $475 per day penalty failing to complete that work on time.

Murphy also noted the commission must still make a final decision on exterior siding for the restaurant and bait shop. The commission originally selected Kebony hardwood siding but later discussed possibly using Hardie Plank instead.

Murphy’s email said the contractor of choice may also provide an additional siding option for commissioners to consider.

Later in the week, Murphy said, “The last pile driven is a significant event in that it marks a milestone of phase one in the reconstruction of our historic pier. I’m sure over 110 years ago the Anna Maria pier builders felt the same sense of accomplishment as they drove their last palm tree pile.”

Photographs of the original palm tree pier pilings Murphy referenced were displayed at the April 11 city commission meeting.

Construction continues

I+iconSoutheast is not expected to bid on the construction of the pier building. The i+iconSoutheast crew is now moving into the next phase of pier walkway and platform construction that includes the installation of the support bents and prefabricated concrete caps upon which the Ipe wood decking will rest.

The onshore pier pavilion is open again now that the pier pilings along the shoreline have been driven. At some point, the pavilion will be temporarily closed again while the concrete caps are installed close to shore.

Aug. 27 is the completion date for the construction of the pier walkway and T-end platform. The completed Anna Maria City Pier is expected to open to the public in late December or early January.

Related coverage

Pier pavilion closing temporarily

Two city pier pilings fail

Pier change orders requested

Gulfview takes the win opening week

Gulfview takes the win opening week

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

The spring adult soccer season kicked off last week with the ladies and gentlemen of the Island area taking the pitch. With 10 teams in the league, in a record-breaking season, two teams had a bye week.

Moss Builders, playing without Ryan Moss on the roster, went head-to-head with Solid Rock Construction. A new sponsor to the soccer league, owners James Roadman and Zachary Long played for the first time along with Evelyn Long, sister-in-law of Roadman.

In a close one, Solid Rock took the win to start the season.

The second game of the night between Beach House Real Estate and Gulfview Windows and Doors started off as a defensive battle. The first half of play ended with no goals on the scoreboard.

The game remained scoreless until nearly the 37th minute of action. Moss, captain of Gulfview, hit the net for the first goal of the matchup.

Four minutes later Adam Bujarski tied it up with Beach House Real Estate’s only goal of the night.

Beach House’s goalie, Cliff Powell, who had five saves in the game, could not handle the shot by league newcomer Jose Urbiola Bolanos leading to Gulfview’s second goal, advancing the score to 2-1.

Ashley Friszman, in her first game at The Center, shot her own goal with the assist by Aaron Parkin.

Gulfview Windows and Doors’ keeper Jordan DeMers successfully prevented Beach House Real Estate’s offense from scoring with 12 saves.

The final goal of the night was off the foot of Bolanos with two minutes left in the game with the score 4-1.

The tough matchup between Sato Real Estate and Blalock Walters ended in a 3-3 tie. Josh Sato, team captain of Sato Real Estate, scored all three of his team’s goals. Brother Jason Sato had nine saves in the game.

Blalock Walters brought in their team of attorneys and family onto the field, without Matt Plummer. Stephen Perry returned to the field after a long hiatus to score a goal. Matt Staggs hit two of his own.

Coming out of retirement to protect the net and play with his co-workers, Scott Rudacille had eight recorded saves.

The final game of the night ended with 19 goals on the scoreboard. Flynn Law faced off against Jiffy Lube in the shooting match.

Playing for Jiffy Lube, Sean Flynn had a single goal and assist in the night. Goalkeeper Robb Marshall had 10 saves against Flynn Law.

Stetson Matthews put up four goals against Flynn Law goalie Josh Bernet. The scoreboard lit up with Ricky Anderson’s four goals, with brother and team captain Daniel Anderson scoring his own goal to give Jiffy Lube 12 points and the win.

Team captain Kevin Roman, for Flynn Law, scored three goals in the game. Teammate Lexi Sato had a hat trick of her own, with an additional score by Olaf Krause.

The 12 game regular season ends with the championship match on June 27 for the recipient of the Paul “Ace” Hayward Cup.

Related coverage

Progressive Cabinetry shuts the door on Lancaster Design

Rotary Club scores again with annual golf tournament

Solid Rock Construction built a solid season

Castles in the Sand

Taxes come and gone

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

April 15th has finally passed. Every year we hold our breath until this day is in our rearview mirror, especially this year. Let’s see how some of the changes impacted property owners and take a glance at the future.

Mortgage interest and state and local tax deductions have been the most controversial changes in the new tax code. The capping of state and local tax deductions has been a blow to states where these taxes are high and where homeowners own more than one property, driving families to make tough decisions about where to live.

However, of the two, the mortgage interest deduction is the one that could change the face of real estate. The eligible deductible mortgage interest was capped at real estate sales for $750,000 or less, this was reduced from $1 million. But this only tells part of the story; the real change is the doubling of the standard tax deduction to $12,000 for single people and $24,000 for married couples, making the mortgage interest deduction for many homeowners irrelevant.

So far less than half as many American homeowners are claiming the mortgage interest deduction for 2018 taxes than last year. When all tax filings are completed, it is estimated that the number of taxpayers who take the mortgage interest deduction will fall from 20 percent of returns in 2017 to 8 percent of returns in 2018.

For many economists, this is long overdue and could be the first nail in the coffin of the mortgage interest deduction being suspended permanently. The mortgage interest deduction has been in effect since 1913 when the income tax was created, and it was always assumed that the mortgage interest deduction encouraged homeownership, however, study after study does not agree with this. Our close allies, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia have no mortgage deductions and their homeownership rates are slightly higher than in the United States. Further, this subsidy reduced federal revenues by about $60 billion a year now down to around $30 billion. In addition, the mortgage interest deduction encourages homeowners to purchase larger homes with larger debt, increasing the likelihood of default and many believe has an environmental impact.

And as if New York City doesn’t have enough problems with a soft real estate market and high taxes, now the tax gun is pointed at the ultra-rich. There is already a “mansion tax” in effect in New York of 1 percent of purchased properties valued above $1 million, which doesn’t buy you much in New York City. Now the city wants to impose an additional tax starting at 0.5 percent a year on property valued over $5 million graduating up to 4 percent on property value that exceeds $25 million. How would you like to be a high-end real estate broker in New York if that happens?

As a final note on taxes, now that 2017’s tax returns are hopefully in the file cabinet, it’s probably a good time to have a chat with your accountant relative to payroll deductions. The tax overhaul did decrease weekly withholdings for most people resulting in smaller tax refunds than some people anticipated.

So, congratulations – you made it through a very hairy tax year. Now you can sit on the beach, read trashy novels and make the rounds of island restaurants. You deserve it after surviving the largest tax overhaul in a generation.

More Castles in the Sand:

Real estate process speeding up

Traffic, real estate sales up

Should you digitally – or actually – renovate?

Turtle watch volunteers ready for season

Turtle Watch volunteers ready for season

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Featured, Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – As the first day of turtle nesting season approaches and shorebirds begin pairing up and making nests, volunteers with Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring are making ready to protect them.

Turtle watch volunteers ready for season
Suzi Fox, right, director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, briefs volunteers last week about their tasks during the six-month turtle season that begins on May 1. – Amy Waterbury | Submitted

The group’s volunteers need protecting too, Director Suzi Fox told them last week at CrossPointe Fellowship.

Turtle watch volunteers ready for season
Blue Water Beach Club is letting guests know about sea turtle nesting season, asking them to bring beach chairs off the beach at night. – Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring | Submitted

Each volunteer walks the beach at least two miles at dawn once a week. Fox told her group that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is asking Turtle Watch to have each beach walker take two days instead of one beginning next season, and that anyone unable to walk that much without assistance should think about making way for new volunteers to participate.

Other volunteer positions include staffing the Turtle Watch booth at festivals, giving Turtle Talks, fundraising and staffing school events.

Turtle season begins on May 1 and lasts through Halloween, but turtles can start showing up any time now, Fox said. The organization’s volunteers already are making sweeps up and down Island beaches to check for nesting of turtles and shorebirds, which begin nesting earlier than turtles.

Turtle Tips

  • Turn off lights visible from the beach and close blinds from sundown to sunrise; lights confuse nesting sea turtles and may cause them to go back to sea and drop their eggs in the water, where they won’t hatch. Light can also attract hatchlings away from the water.
  • Don’t use flashlights, lanterns or camera flashes on the beach at night.
  • Remove all objects from the sand from sundown to sunrise; they can deter sea turtles from nesting and disorient hatchlings.
  • Fill in the holes you dig in the sand before leaving the beach; they can trap nesting and hatching sea turtles, which cannot live long out of the water.
  • Don’t use wish lanterns or fireworks; they litter the beach and Gulf.
  • Do not trim trees and plants that shield the beach from lights.
  • Never touch a sea turtle; it’s the law. If you see people disturbing turtles, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Bird tips

  • Never touch a shorebird chick, even if it’s wandering outside a staked nesting area.
  • Teach kids not to chase birds – bird parents may abandon nests if they’re disturbed.
  • Don’t feed birds – it encourages them to fly at people aggressively and is not good for their health.
  • If birds are screeching and flying at you, you’re too close.
  • Avoid posted bird nesting areas and use designated walkways to the beach.
  • Keep pets away from bird nesting areas.
  • Keep the beach clean; food scraps attract predators such as raccoons and crows to the beach, and litter can entangle birds and other wildlife.
  • If you see people disturbing nesting birds, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Beach ‘n good food and fun

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Entertainment, Events, Family fun, Festivals, Food, Music.

Hot weather didn’t stop people from enjoying the music, car show, kids zone and food served by a dozen food trucks at the Beach ‘n Food Truck Festival on Saturday at Coquina Beach. Boat and trolley shuttles helped keep down the traffic but some drivers parked illegally along an access road, slowing down the trolley shuttles.

Customers raved about the lobster rolls from this colorful food truck. - Tom Vaught | Sun

Customers raved about the lobster rolls from this colorful food truck. - Tom Vaught | Sun

Whiskey Blind was one of several bands that provided live music. - Tom Vaught | Sun

Whiskey Blind was one of several bands that provided live music. - Tom Vaught | Sun

Customers ate at small tables outside this truck. - Tom Vaught | Sun

Customers ate at small tables outside this truck. - Tom Vaught | Sun

Reel Time: When opportunity meets preparedness

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

Out there!  It’s where we all want to be, and where we get so few chances to actually spend time. Whether it’s stalking permit in Belize, poling a flat in Florida for tailing redfish, wading into the northeast surf for stripers, or casting for sea-run rainbows on the west coast, we actually spend more time wishing than fishing. When we do get a chance to pursue our passion, we face the unpredictable forces of a whimsical natural world that can send us hurricanes, fronts, wind storms, clouds and floods. Golf anyone?

While the world of fishing in general, and fly fishing in particular, presents us so many challenges, it’s just these tests that make it so appealing. That’s why we stalk fish with these inventive combinations of feathers, fur, synthetics and tinsel. The excitement of making a presentation to a feeding game fish, fooling it into taking a fly, and then feeling the elemental power transferred through graphite and cork makes all the preparation, time, money and past disappointments moot.

Reel Time Preparedness
If you pursue permit, the “Holy Grail” of fly fishing, you’ll have to be prepared to fish in the wind on open flats. – Rusty Chinnis | Sun

With so many unavoidable pitfalls facing the fly angler there is often a propensity to just hope for the best, and then take what the gods give you. How many of us have waited for months to take that trip of a lifetime, had perfect conditions and then found our casting abilities no match for our prey?  The old saying that luck is “opportunity meeting preparedness” is especially true for fly fishers. Why not develop the mindset that everything you do, (on the water and off), contributes to turning odds into opportunities?

Preparation comes in many forms, and the most important components are practiced throughout the year. By being prepared, I mean having your tackle in top form, as well as knowing how to tie proper knots and flies that imitate the food of your prey. Casting skills are developed over a lifetime, and practice should not be saved for fishing trips, or even the days leading up to a trip. The best practice is on grass, throwing to targets (dinner plates or hoops) placed at different distances. Don’t make the mistake of judging your casting ability by how long a line you can throw. Learn to make a tight, accurate 40-foot cast first, and then work on distance.

While I’ve been privileged to learn from some of the industry’s leading experts over the years, I’ve also found that perhaps the best instructor has been experience. One of the first and most important lessons I’ve learned is to see the wind as friend not foe. If you’re new to the game, don’t put off a fly fishing trip because the wind is daunting. I’ll never forget my first trip to the Bahamas when I was face to face with a large school of bonefish just 40 feet away…. into a 25 mph headwind! All those days of avoiding the wind meant that I didn’t have the skills to get the fly to them!  Now I can appreciate the windy days because I know that if I can surmount the challenge I can benefit from the conditions. I know that fish are far less spooky and will more readily take the fly I put in their path and that waves on a riffled surface can provide windows into the water.  As a bonus, if I can make a good presentation into a 15-knot wind I’ll be golden on those rare days when the wind is in my favor.

Mental preparedness is equally important and often overlooked. Having the proper mental attitude is a critical skill of top fly fishers. Visualization, or guided imagery, is an art that is practiced extensively by all top athletes but is seldom mentioned in fly fishing. It’s the ability to form a mental picture of the outcome you desire by seeing the quarry in exquisite detail and imagining yourself making the perfect presentation, setting the hook, feeling the line and the pressure on the rod as the fish streaks for the horizon. The “top guns” know how to make a plan and visualize their outcome. They’re prepared when an opportunity presents itself as “luck.” So the next time you have a chance to go fishing don’t let the wind dissuade you. The fishing might actually be better and at the worst, you’ll get some practice that will pay dividends in your fishing future.

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Spring Lake cleanup options presented

Spring Lake cleanup options presented

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

HOLMES BEACH – The situation at Spring Lake isn’t likely to resolve itself and commissioners want to explore all of their options before deciding how to proceed with a cleanup.

During an April 9 meeting, City Engineer Lynn Burnett and fellow LTA Engineers representative Eron Wasserman gave commissioners an update on the effort to clean up the pollution in Spring Lake.

Burnett said that the algae on the bottom of the lake has eaten away the solid waste pollution on the bottom of the lake, leaving approximately three feet of sediment and sludge. To remove one foot of the sludge by dredging, Burnett said it would cost the city about $245,000 for the dredging and an additional estimated $196,000 to haul the dredged material to a landfill. Part of the issue, she said, is that there’s limited access to the lake and limited area to lay out and dry the dredge material before it can be taken to a landfill.

Another option is to find a type of sealife that can survive in the acidic, brackish water and use it to clean the water. Burnett said she’s still attempting to find out what kind of organism would be best suited to the task.

Wasserman said that one thing that would help the lake water almost immediately would be to install an aeration system. The system would mix the water and add oxygen to it, reducing the amount of acid in the water. Burnett said that the constant movement would create a more uniform water column in the lake. She anticipates that an aeration system would cost $8,800 to install, including the first year’s maintenance, with an additional $744 in annual costs.

Wasserman said that if commissioners approve the aeration system, what’s planned is to place a compressor on an existing cement pad on Palm Drive and use the storm water system to run pipes underground to the lake. A second system would be located on the opposite side of the lake and a third would possibly be installed with pipes in the middle of the lake. The pipes would push air bubbles up through the water to mix it.

Burnett said that with oxygenation and the right marine life installed to eat the existing algae on the bottom of the lake, it could leave Spring Lake with a layer of clean sand and sediment.

Commissioners asked Burnett to bring back plans and a contract for the aeration system to their next meeting for further consideration and possible approval.

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Pedal pub proposal falls flat

Pedal bus proposal falls flat

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

ANNA MARIA – Anna Maria commissioners offered no support for a proposed eight-to-12 passenger pedal bus that would allow passengers to drink alcohol while traveling in traffic lanes at slow speeds.

Illinois resident and Anna Maria Island property owner Robert Secord pitched his pedal bus proposal to the Anna Maria Commission on Thursday, April 11. Secord said he would like to have one pedal bus in Anna Maria and another in Holmes Beach.

Secord said the pedal bus he has in mind has six seats on each side, with pedals underneath that are connected to the drive shaft. The pedal bus would be steered by a company employee who has full control of the steering and braking. Some pedal bus operations use a second employee as the tour host.

Secord said the business model is based on clients reserving the pedal bus in advance for a tour lasting 90 to 120 minutes.

Secord said a pedal bus can travel at 4 to 7 miles per hour and is equipped with a small motor for short-term use when needed.

“We don’t supply the alcohol. We permit it as a limousine or party bus, so they can bring their own beverages,” Secord said. “The primary marketing focus is the tour experience, coupled with maybe a beer or margarita.”

Secord said party bus operations have a strong appeal with women and are often used for bachelorette parties and wedding-related activities.

“The indirect benefit is how it promotes the rest of Anna Maria’s businesses,” he added.

“If it can happen, the pedal bus needs to be permitted as a private establishment to exempt it from open container and consumption laws on public roadways. That’s probably the biggest point of contention getting this business authorized in Anna Maria,” Secord acknowledged.

Commission reaction

Commissioner Amy Tripp asked if a permit is needed.

“The open container is the $5,000 elephant in the room,” Mayor Dan Murphy said.

“Open container would be the issue,” Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Mike Jones said in response to Murphy.

City Attorney Becky Vose said the city would have to rewrite its relevant ordinance. She asked Secord if the pedal bus would also pass through Holmes Beach. Secord said it would, and he has not yet presented his idea to Holmes Beach commissioners.

Commissioner Doug Copeland said, “I think you would find yourself hated because traffic is bad enough. The people that live here will say, ‘What the hell is this?’ They already curse the golf carts that don’t travel even 25 miles per hour. I think you’ll face a lot of negative feelings from the community, even if it were allowed.”

Commission Chair Brian Seymour said his biggest concern was the impact on residential neighborhoods.

“You’re putting a party-type atmosphere on our residential streets,” he said.

Seymour said he’s seen pedal buses in Key West and Daytona, but he thinks it would be an issue in Anna Maria.

“I have a problem with the open container piece. You can’t ride a bicycle with a beer in your hand. You can’t walk down the street with a beer in your hand,” Tripp said of the city ordinances, also noting that a passenger in a car can’t have an open beer.

“Going way below the speed limit on these really crowded, congested roads it seems really dangerous,” she added.

Commissioner Dale Woodland shared the concerns expressed by the other commissioners.

“I encourage you to go present to the other cities and see what kind of feedback you get,” Seymour said.

“It’s not a make-or-break deal for me. It’s an idea I thought would be pretty cool to present to the Island,” Secord said as the discussion ended with no formal request made and no commission action taken.

Island bridges, roundabouts on DOT radar

Island bridges, roundabouts on DOT radar

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

BRADENTON BEACH – The members of the Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials had a lot to think about when Florida Department of Transportation representative Albert Rosenstein appeared before them to give an update on ongoing projects.

Roundabouts

Rosenstein said the two roundabouts planned for Manatee Avenue in Holmes Beach are almost through the department’s approval process. A planned roundabout for Manatee Avenue at East Bay Drive is in the last of three stages of approval. He said that no right of way acquisition is needed for the project, but it will wait for construction until the accompanying roundabout at Manatee Avenue and Gulf Drive can be built.

The roundabout at Manatee Avenue and Gulf Drive, at the main entrance to Manatee Beach, is in the second stage of approval. Rosenstein said this roundabout does require a right of way purchase. Construction on the roundabouts is expected to take place at the same time and is currently not funded. An extension of the northbound turn lane from Manatee Avenue to Gulf Drive is currently funded in the fifth year of the DOT’s current funding cycle.

How to Navigate a Roundabout
To navigate a single-lane roundabout, vehicles are required to reduce speed to 10 to 15 miles per hour when approaching the roundabout. Drivers must look for and yield to bicyclists and pedestrians. The two roundabouts planned for Holmes Beach will have pedestrian crosswalks at each of the four entrances to the roundabout. All vehicles circle the roundabout to the right. Drivers entering the roundabout must yield to the vehicles already in the roundabout. Enter the roundabout when there is a gap in traffic and do not stop or attempt to pass other vehicles. Use a turn signal to indicate when exiting the roundabout.
Drivers should never stop once in the roundabout but can slow down to allow another vehicle to enter. If an emergency vehicle comes through the roundabout, drive to the nearest exit and then move over beyond the splitter island. – FDOT

Anna Maria Island Bridge

Design plans are expected to be complete in late 2019 for the new high-span Anna Maria Island Bridge on Manatee Avenue. The bridge will have a 65-foot navigational clearance with a 74-foot maximum height and a 4 percent grade. A new bridge is planned to lift off and set down in the footprint of the current bridge and be constructed just to the south of the existing drawbridge. Though the new bridge is on the DOT’s advanced project list, Rosenstein said it’s currently unfunded.

Cortez Bridge

Though Rosenstein didn’t know if the plans were still negotiable, he said that the favored replacement for the aging Cortez Bridge is a high-span bridge also with 65 feet of navigable space underneath the bridge. Because the bridge would have to be slightly shorter than the Anna Maria Bridge, Rosenstein said the current projections show the bridge with a 5 percent grade. Currently, the bridge is awaiting the design phase and construction is unfunded. Rosenstein said he expects the concept for the replacement bridge to be officially approved in October. With the Cortez Bridge, he said there will be right of way acquisitions or imposition of eminent domain by the department. The new bridge is planned to be constructed just to the north of the existing drawbridge.

Longboat Pass Bridge

Beginning June 10, Rosenstein said that repair work will begin on the Longboat Pass Bridge. Construction is expected to take approximately 80 days to complete. Lane closures will occur Mondays through Thursdays from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. with no closures planned on the weekends. Lanes could be closed for up to 15 minutes periodically from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. during the week for testing with no detours planned. Two days of detours for machinery to be brought on or removed from the bridge are planned from midnight to 5 a.m. The days of those detours and the path of the detours are not yet known.

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