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Expect comic mayhem at next Island Players show

Expect comic mayhem at next Island Players show

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Entertainment, Theater.

A new play is coming to the stage at The Island Players Theater this weekend. From March 7 to 24, The Island Players will perform “A Flea In Her Ear,” by Georges Feydeau. The comical French farce is directed by Kelly Wynn Woodland and is co-produced by the Off Stage Ladies.

When Raymonde, played by Nancy Denton, believes her husband, Victor, played by Daniel Coppinger, has been unfaithful, she hatches a scheme to catch him at a nearby hotel notorious for extramarital play. As she tries to catch her cheating husband red-handed, utter pandemonium ensues with mischief, mistaken identities and slamming doors taking the lead in this new adaptation by David Ives.

The talented cast includes Nancy Denton as Raymonde Chandebise, Judy Glynn as Lucienne Homenides de Histangua, Daniel Coppinger as Victor Chandebise/Poche, Mark Woodland as Don Carlos Homenides de Histnagua, Mike Lusk as Dr. Finache, Brannon Westfall as Camille, Colin Brady as Romain Tournel, Tiffany Baker as Antoinette, Richard LeVene as Baptiste, Rick Kopp as Ferraillon, Ginger King as Olympia and Jennifer Caldwell as Eugenie.

If acting on the Island stage sounds like it might be your thing, two male actors are still needed for the production. There is the medium-sized, very fun role of Etienne still open for a male aged 40-70 and the smaller but hilarious role of Rugby open for a male aged 20-65. If you are interested, email the director at cringe4141@earthlink.net.

Performances, held at the theater located at 10009 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, are from Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 each. The stage is dark on Mondays.

The box office is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday. On performance nights, the box office opens at 7 p.m. and for Sunday matinees, it opens at 1 p.m. Visa, MasterCard and Discover are accepted.

For reservations or information, call the box office at 941 778-5755 or visit the Island Players website.

Related coverage

Island Players: Baggage

Weather sets mood for Island Players’ ‘Guest’

Castles in the Sand

House hunting – the fun and not so fun

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

I love technology and, although I may not be as well-versed as a 12-year-old, I do feel that for my generation I’m pretty competent. One of the best parts of the high-tech world we’re living in is the multitude of information on real estate at our fingertips. It also can be one or the worst parts of the high-tech world, especially if you’re house hunting.

Shopping online has become more than just a pleasant past time, it has become the go-to form of research for so many things, and house hunting is at the top of this list. Realtor.com makes it so easy to find homes in the zip code, price range and style you’re looking for that it will convince you to stay in your pajamas and make an offer from the bed, but that would be a whopper of a mistake. Online pictures are fabulous. Where else can you peek into someone’s home unobserved? But be careful – the wide-angle lenses typically used in real estate listings make small spaces look deceptively big and water views look endless. Naturally, pictures don’t show flaws in the property like cracked tile, torn screens and mold. Even renovated kitchens and baths will look better in pictures than in person.

The only way to thoroughly check a property is to get out of your pajamas, into the car and set eyes on it. The best thing to do is to use your online research as a guideline to help you pin down a location and get educated in price ranges.

In conjunction with that, getting a home value estimator online can also be a misleading and time-wasting effort. Unless you’re looking at cookie cutter homes or identical condo units, there are too many variables that go into setting the value of a home. Even then, the estimators can’t tell you about renovations and they also can’t keep current with market conditions.

But real estate professionals can keep current with markets and they generally have a pretty good idea about the condition of available properties in your price range and location. That said, remember that all real estate agents work for the seller of the property. The seller pays the commission. Unless you work with a buyer’s agent, be careful not to disclose too far ahead of time your interest in a property and/or an acceptable price for the property, especially if you meet an agent at an open house.

Almost all condo properties and many single-family homes and villas in Florida have homeowners’ associations. Don’t take this lightly. Thoroughly read the condominium rules and regulations, by-laws and financials. Condo boards are very powerful and can and will limit some of your activities. They also have the power to levy assessments. Not all of this is a bad thing; well run HOAs keep the values up and owner’s responsibilities down.

Finally, there are no perfect homes so don’t pass on a property because it may not have the exact color countertops or appliances you want. Changes and improvements you think you will need to make can be a good negotiation point and a little elbow grease could turn into thousands of dollars in real money.

House hunting is like marriage, best approached with good humor and compromise.  If I’m correct, I think you can do that online also. That would have been right up my alley. Where was the 12-year-old when you needed them?

More Castles in the Sand:

Florida’s new foreign buyers

A home’s equity is sometimes subjective

Why is the housing market declining?

Beaches free of red tide

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Environment, Outdoors, Red tide.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Today’s Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) red tide report shows no red tide in Manatee County waters over the past week, and a clear red tide forecast for Anna Maria Island through Monday, March 4.

For the first time in months, the report also reflects no respiratory irritation or fish kills in the county over the past week.

Red tide has gradually disappeared in Manatee County waters over the past month, and remains only in background concentrations in Southwest Florida and Northwest Florida, according to the report. Background concentrations have no discernable effects on people or marine life.

The red tide bloom began in October 2017 in Southwest Florida and appeared locally in August 2018.

Florida red tide, or Karenia brevis, emits a neurotoxin when it blooms that is deadly to marine life. It can make shellfish unfit to eat and can cause respiratory irritation in people, especially those with asthma, COPD or emphysema.

Scientists say that salinity, currents, temperature and light play a part in the formation of blooms, as do nutrients from Florida’s natural phosphate deposits, Caribbean seawater brought to Florida’s west coast on the Loop Current, the Mississippi River, Saharan dust blown across the Atlantic Ocean to Florida’s waters, and fertilizer and animal waste runoff.

Progressive Cabinetry closes doors on Bins Be Clean

Progressive Cabinetry closes doors on Bins Be Clean

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

ANNA MARIA – The youth flag football season is coming to an end, and semifinal playoff games dominated the sports schedule last week. The youngest competitive players took to the field Wednesday night.

After beating #3 team Slim’s Place the week before, underdog #6 team Bins Be Clean faced the #2 team Progressive Cabinetry in the semifinal game of the week. Coach Troy Kosteinik led the Progressive Cabinetry team to victory in a nail biter against Coach Joe Peery’s Bins Be Clean squad.

Early in the game the two teams put points on the scoreboard. Connar Henderson put six points in the statistics book with a touchdown for Progressive Cabinetry to start the scoring. Cyrus Ryan followed for Bins Be Clean, getting into the end zone for the touchdown and the point after, giving his team a one-point lead.

The Progressive Cabinetry defense covered the field and stumped the Bins Be Clean quarterback, forcing him play after play to make a play right at the seven-second count down by the referee.

The first half of the game ended with the score 6-7.

Going into the next 20 minutes of play, Kosteinik’s team started on offense. Henderson looked like he was going to weave in and out of traffic for the score but was stopped 10 yards from the Bins Be Clean end zone.

Mary Harrison put the football into action as the Progressive Cabinetry center on a number of plays. On the second down play, Gabriel Conn made a critical flag pull for Bins Be Clean, forcing a third down play that had to end in a touchdown.

The Progressive Cabinetry quarterback finally found Henderson at the front pylon for his team’s second touchdown, moving the score to 12-7.

Bins Be Clean started its next set of downs with a reverse to Conn, who sped down the sideline, taking the football just short of the first down. Conn’s team could not cross the midfield line, turning the ball over to the opponent.

Landon Snyder made quick work of the field with a touchdown. The Progressive Cabinetry point after conversion gave the team a 12-point lead in the game with the score at 19-7.

Assistant coach Josh Conn, along with Coach Peery, encouraged the Bins Be Clean to continue the fight on the field, resulting in a critical score in three snaps of the ball. The series started with a short reception and important yards after by G. Conn.

Connor Samblis was the quarterback’s choice for the third play of the possession. Samblis evaded defenders, with flags slipping through many hands, before finding the end zone. Going for two points, Ryan made the sliding catch taking Bins Be Clean within four points of the tie.

Back on defense, big brother Conn was assisted by Tyler Conn to box in the Progressive Cabinetry quarterback, preventing the first down. Despite the efforts of the Bins Be Clean defense, Progressive Cabinetry scored its final points of the game, taking the score to 25-15.

Working the clock with a never say quit attitude, the Bins Be Clean quarterback scored a touchdown with 45 seconds left on the game clock. G. Conn scored the extra point to make it a three-point game.

T. Conn, back on defense, rushed in to put the pressure on the Progressive quarterback, eventually leading to a key sack. The second down incomplete pass forced the third down push to the midfield line. Despite a nice pass, Progressive Cabinetry could not cross the line.

Bins Be Clean got the football back with 14.8 seconds on the clock. The team made every effort to get back into scoring position, but time was not on its side. On third down, Henderson made what might have been the most important flag pull of the game for Progressive Cabinetry to end the game, keeping the opponent from scoring what would have been the game-winning touchdown.

Related coverage

Blue Lagoon cleaned up on the field

Football futures constructed by Moss Builders

Island Charms takes the win

Reel Time: Pothole savvy, Part 2

Reel Time: Pothole savvy, Part 2

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

Last week I wrote about the anatomy of potholes and how to approach them. Depending on conditions, you will want to tailor your strategy when fishing them. When the water is clear enough for you to spot fish, they will often be traveling between holes. When possible, make a cast into the fish’s path with at least a 5-foot lead and let the fly settle to the bottom. As the fish approaches, bump the fly to imitate a baitfish or crustacean that has been surprised. Fish lying right over sand in a pothole are the hardest to make a presentation to. The cast must land far enough away not to be noticed and stripped so the fly doesn’t approach them.

Match flies to whatever forage is most prevalent. Generally speaking, use smaller flies and fish them slower in the winter. In the warmer months, switch to a larger pattern and work it a bit faster. Patterns with lead eyes, like Clousers, are very effective in the winter. In the warmer months try flies that mimic baitfish like the Lefty’s Deceiver, a bend back pattern. Whether you’re fishing from a boat or wading, make an effort to use the elements to your advantage. Keep the sun at your back for the best visibility.

On an incoming tide, fish will naturally stage at the edges of a flat and move into the potholes and slues as the tide rises. If the fish are hard to approach, try stationing yourself in an area where you have a good view of a pothole or series of holes. Stay off to the side in the grass where you’re less visible and keep a low profile.

By staying a long cast away, you can easily see the fish when they enter a hole or pass across the white sandy bottom. By just waiting them out, you can target reds, trout and snook as they wander the flat. It’s important to be able to land the fly line and the fly softly and not rip the line off the water for the next cast. Stand still, be observant and make your casts low and slow. It takes patience but can be very productive.

In most cases, there are few obstructions on a flat allowing you to use a light 6- to 8-weight outfit. Lines and leaders can be varied according to the conditions. On a shallow, clear flat, use a floating line and a long leader. A 12-foot leader with a 30-pound fluorocarbon bite tippet is standard. If the fish are particularly wary, drop down to a 20 or even 15-pound bite tippet. When fishing holes with deeper water, 6 to 8 feet, switching to a sink-tip fly line with a 10-foot leader might be more productive.

Potholes on a flat concentrate fish for fly anglers. They provide cover for predators and a way for them to enter and exit a flat. Learn to fish them according to their unique topography, the time of the year, tides and local conditions, and they’ll consistently provide action to the savvy angler.

More Reel Time:

Reel Time: Fly fishing strategy – pothole savvy

Reel Time: New dimensions in trolling motors

Reel Time: Clams restored to Manatee County waters

Letters to the Editor: No late calls, please

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Letter to the Editor, Opinion.

Our mayor is a morning person. I remember during noise ordinance discussions, her describing sleeping in as 8 a.m., something service workers laughed at and felt compelled to correct. Our chief of police can be more of a night owl. Do you know how I know this? From the time stamps on their responses to my emails.

Both our chief and our mayor have personally intervened on my behalf when I was having issues with a certain rental agent. Both our mayor and our chief have urged me to contact them if I need their help, but because we maintain different schedules, I prefer to use email. I write the mayor at 3 a.m., and she responds at 6:30 a.m. I have likewise received responses to emails from our chief that were written in the wee hours.

I would NEVER call anyone after 11 p.m., with the exception of my friends on the West Coast where it is three hours earlier. I cannot believe the hubris of folks who think it is OK to call after 11 p.m. for a nonemergency situation, especially when they know the person they are calling is most likely in bed, let alone a city commissioner.

I so appreciate living somewhere where I have an opportunity to butt heads with our elected officials. But it does not mean I can abuse this opportunity. Especially when it is about an issue that should be handled with a call to the police, a department that works 24/7.

I support our mayor publicly stating that this is not acceptable. I support our mayor blocking the numbers of folks who abuse it, telling them she will only respond to calls made through the city switchboard, the number to which the calls should have been directed in the first place. Your rant will actually be heard better and responded to better if you call our mayor when she is actually awake. And she will also respond to rants communicated via email rather than over the phone.

With the Sunshine Laws in place, going through official channels is always preferable. And I hope our city commissioners know that.

Laurel Nevans

Holmes Beach

Letters to the Editor: Where did you go, “Island time?”

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Letter to the Editor, Opinion.

The Holmes Beach City Commission appears to want to “speed up” Island traffic by adopting regulations designed to effectively eliminate golf carts. These regulations are presented in the name of safety but really represent the frustration of those who want to drive faster on our tiny Island.

Where/why do we want/need to go faster? Aren’t we all here to see children/grandchildren/tourists enjoy the beauty of our fresh air paradise? There is no statistical evidence that seat belts save lives at 20 MPH. Child car seats in a golf cart is “helicopter policing;” parents can be relied upon to protect their children.

Golf carts don’t kill people on this Island, automobiles kill people here– look it up.

For whom do we want to speed up traffic – the contractor’s pickup trucks and their landscaper’s flotillas?

Why do we need any speed limit above 25 MPH in Holmes Beach?

Every errand in an (electric) golf cart is one less automobile emission.

When I purchased my AMI home 10 years ago, I was drawn by the ethic of “Island time,” no need to go faster. The industry of the Island is tourism. Do the tourists feel the need to go faster? Don’t they rent the golf carts and other non-traditional vehicles to enhance enjoyment for them and their families which ultimately leads them to come back each year?

The Holmes Beach Commission should eliminate regulations that are not fact-based nor in the interest of the AMI experience. Life is better on “Island time.”

Will Flinn and Michele Lentz

Holmes Beach

Murder, mayhem and nostalgia on stage at The Center

Murder, mayhem and nostalgia on stage at The Center

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Entertainment, Events, Theater.

ANNA MARIA – The Center of Anna Maria Island’s annual Murder Mystery is a favorite night out for many Islanders, but this year’s festivities were particularly interesting with a nostalgic 1980s theme and a real-life onstage proposal ending the night.

The play, written by Brianna Roberts and Beth and Mike Shaughnessy, began with a trip down memory lane for the cast, all 1978 graduates and staff from Ben Dover High School gathering for a 10-year reunion. Things quickly took a turn to the sinister when Principal John Hughes, played by Will Schenerlein, dropped dead after having a drink from the bar.

As various characters tried to find out who the murderer was, more antics ensued including the musical stylings of Marty McGoldblum, played by Clay Spangler, to 80s classic songs and a dance-off between Coach Dick Diggler, played by Don Purvis, and high school football great Ray Rodney King Jr., played by Ray Gardner. A prom court was voted in and a prom king and queen were awarded $50 gift cards to Slim’s Place in the costume contest.

Other cast members included Jillian Cacchiotti and Leah Purvis as mean girl cheerleaders Jillian Ryder and Leah Lockler, Chris Scott as nerd Judge Brinehold, Mike Shaughnessy as stoner bus driver Mike, Monica Simpson as exchange student Short Swan Chow, Brianna Roberts as undercover CIA agent Regina Jacobs and Caleb Roberts as George Michael look-alike Caleb Michael.

Center Murder Mystery engagement
As the cast of the Center’s Murder Mystery take their final bows Feb. 23, cast member Ray Gardner proposes marriage to long-time girlfriend and castmate Jillian Cacchiotti onstage. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Sponsors for the event included The Ugly Grouper, Slim’s Place, Progressive Cabinetry, Abrahamson and Uiterwyk Personal Injury Law Firm, Island Photography, Beach House Real Estate, Eason Builders Group, Moss Builders, ALSCO Linen and Uniform Rental Services, Johnson Homes, Key 2 Life Training, Steam Designs, the Freckled Fin and the Traveling Gourmet.

In keeping with the high school theme, food for the event was served on Styrofoam cafeteria trays in a lunch line setting, including a serving of mystery meat. Guests also were treated to a dessert table featuring cupcakes and mini mud pies, and appetizers including shrimp cocktail, spinach artichoke dip and salad.

Friday’s festivities topped out with around 170 attendees while Saturday night’s final performance drew a crowd of about 350.

Ending the final night of the Murder Mystery was a surprise onstage marriage proposal. As the cast took its final bows, Gardner proposed to longtime girlfriend Cacchiotti, ending the evening on a happy and celebratory note.

Heritage Day celebrates Anna Maria’s history

Heritage Day celebrates Anna Maria’s history

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Entertainment, Events, Family fun, Festivals.

ANNA MARIA – As part of Manatee County’s Heritage Days celebration, the Anna Maria Island Historical Society will hold its annual Heritage Day Festival on Saturday, March 2 at the Anna Maria Island Historical Museum and Park at 402 Pine Ave. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Howie Banfield and the AMI String Band will provide music, and BBQ and refreshments will be available.

Local crafters will demonstrate arts and crafts as practiced by early Island settlers including beekeeping, wool spinning, candle making, woodworking, soap making, jam and jelly making, basket weaving and quilt and rug making. A Settler’s Market will offer local produce, herbs and Early Settler’s Bread baked by local volunteers, and there will be a collectibles tent with items for sale.

Local authors will sign books at the author’s table, the Anna Maria Island Privateers will stage an invasion and children can participate in a scavenger hunt and games with prizes. Raffle tickets will be available for a host of prizes, and there will be a silent auction. Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring and Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Inc. will have educational booths, and Belle Haven Cottage, the museum, and the surrounding native plant garden will be open for tours.

For more information, call 941-778-0492.

Related coverage

History comes to life at Heritage Day

Castles in the Sand

Florida’s new foreign buyers

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

I was born in New York state and up until 20 years ago when I moved to Florida, lived my entire life in the New York City and surrounding suburban area. There have been innumerable times during those years when I missed my old home, but frankly, this place in time is not one of those.

About a month ago, I reported the findings of the U.S. Census Bureau’s recent analysis. According to it, Florida was the second fastest growing state in the country after Texas based on an eight-year period ending 2018. In addition, Florida had the highest level of net domestic migration from July 2017 to July 2018, according to the U.S. Census data released in December. Also, Florida has been creating jobs, gaining 231,000 jobs in 2018, a 2.7 percent increase over the previous year. This brought the Florida unemployment rate down to 3.3 percent in December.

Governors and public officials in New York and other high taxed states like New Jersey, Illinois and Connecticut are looking for an excuse to blame the reason residents are leaving their states as well as their state deficits and high taxes on the federal government’s cap on state and local taxes. There is some truth to this contributing to the states’ shortfalls, but not everyone is leaving because they can’t fully deduct their property taxes. Maybe the real question is “Why are these states’ taxes so high to begin with?” Even though Floridians are benefiting from the North’s problems, rather than gloat we should be paying careful attention not to make the same mistakes.

An analysis by Zillow shows the preliminary data indicates a jump in Florida home purchases by buyers from high-tax states, as well as home values increasing in other low-tax states. According to real estate brokers in the Miami area, the loss of their foreign buyers has been replaced by buyers from New York, Florida’s new foreign buyer. Considering that Manhattan co-op and condo sales last year were down 12 percent from 2017 and that New York state was the largest overall population loser, you have to take the census reports seriously.

Down here in Manatee County, we’re ready for all of those tax-soaked Northerners. Just take a look at the January sales numbers from the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee.

For single-family homes in Manatee County, the median sale price (half above half below) was $309,000, 3 percent more than last January. The average sale price was $386,927, exactly the same as last year. Median time to sell was 97 days, up 4.3 percent, and the month’s supply of properties available for sale was 4.4 months, no change.

The condo market is doing better. The median sale price was $195,000 this January, a 13 percent increase over last January, and the average sale price was $241,191, a 10 percent increase over last January. The median time to sell was 94 days, an increase of 11.9 percent, and the month’s supply of properties was 4.7 months, down from 5 months.

Again, the market looks like it’s leveling off as previously stated. However, we have not hit the busy selling and buying season yet, so the jury’s still out.

I guess after 20 years, I’m a Floridian. After all, if Amazon decided not to move to New York City after the city giving it billions of dollars in credits, who am I to whine? My advice to Island brokers – better check out advertising rates in The New York Times. I think it just might be the right time.

More Castles in the Sand:

A home’s equity is sometimes subjective

Why is the housing market declining?

Selling your home – it should show like a model

Local vacation rental regulations under fire again

Local vacation rental regulations under fire again

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

ANNA MARIA – City officials in Anna Maria are already following proposed state legislation that pertains to vacation rentals.

Vacation rentals are among the many matters that will be debated by the Florida Legislature during the 2019 legislative session that convenes on Tuesday, March 5.

“The vacation rental snake is alive and well. There are three bills pending in the Senate at this point. Two of them are from Rep. David Simmons from the Orlando area,” Mayor Dan Murphy said during the Feb. 14 city commission meeting.

Simmons’ Senate Bill 815 proposes the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations (DBPR) Division of Hotels and Restaurants impose a fee schedule on hosting platforms that advertise or list short-term vacation rentals.

Simmons’ Senate Bill 812 proposes persons engaged in certain public lodging-related transactions be required to display a valid certificate of registration number in their rental listings or advertisements. It also calls for DBPR’s vacation rental inspection responsibilities to be revised and the vacation rental classification to be revised.

Murphy said Simmons’ legislation seeks a compromise between local governments and vacation rental advertising platforms like Airbnb, VRBO and others.

Murphy said this legislation would prevent cities like Anna Maria from conducting annual vacation rental inspections as part of its local vacation rental registration process. Murphy said Simmons’ legislation calls for the state to do any needed inspections, with local municipalities relegated to tracking vacation rentals based on voluntary participation from rental owners and managers.

“I see very little value in this compromise. It’s so watered down it would be meaningless to our city to even participate,” Murphy said.

Commissioner Carol Carter said a state-based inspection program would result in little to no inspection of Anna Maria’s vacation rentals.

Commissioner Doug Copeland said the city needs to be cautious of the Simmons legislation.

“Counties like Manatee County who have failed to collect any tax from Airbnb will be supporting it because it’ll require them to register with the state. They’ve not taken the initiative like we have,” Copeland said. “They figure this is the way to at least get some of that money. They could be a thorn in the side, so beware.”

Murphy also referenced the private property rights bill, SB 824, filed by Sen. Manny Diaz Jr. (R-Miami-Dade). He likened it to previously unsuccessful legislation proposed by former Sen. Greg Steube (R-Sarasota), who is now a member of the United States House of Representatives.

Steube’s past legislative efforts attempted to usurp city and county governments’ home rule rights when it comes to regulating vacation rentals by preempting that authority to DBPR.

Diaz’ legislation also seeks to preempt the regulation of vacation rentals to the state, requiring each person applying for a vacation rental license to provide DBPR with specified information.

“It’s the same old song that Steube introduced. It puts us out of business vacation rental-wise,” Murphy said of the potential impacts.

Murphy said the Diaz bill was written by Airbnb lobbyists and did not yet have a companion bill in the Florida House of Representatives, which is required for any state legislation to be adopted.

Murphy said it’s possible that Rep. Mike La Rosa (R-St. Cloud) could file the companion bill, as he did last year for Steube’s failed legislation.

Sen. Bill Galvano (R-Bradenton) is now serving as the new Senate president, and Murphy hopes that local connection provides some opposition to these latest attacks on the city’s home rule rights.

“He has at least passively, if not somewhat overtly, said that he’s opposed to it,” Murphy said.

Murphy said Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota), who is also the new head of Florida’s Republican Party, might be a potential ally.

“He has told me that he felt our pain about the vacation rentals. Unfortunately, we did not get his vote last year,” Murphy said. “We’ll get our defenses up. I think it’ll be the same old game that we fought before.”

Lobbyist Chip Case is again assisting the city with these legislative matters. Last year, he and City Attorney Becky Vose helped derail Steube’s vacation rental legislation by getting a sexual predator amendment introduced and adopted.

“Chip was instrumental in killing it. He was the rainmaker last year. Hopefully, he can cut through and be the rainmaker again this year,” Murphy said.

Murphy said it’s also important for residents to become engaged and share their views with state legislators.

This can be accomplished with personal visits, phone calls, letters or email. A complete list of Florida Senators can be found online along with a complete list of Florida Representatives. All proposed legislation also can be tracked at these websites.

WMFR board members plan for the future

WMFR board members plan for the future

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, West Manatee Fire Rescue.

BRADENTON – West Manatee Fire Rescue commissioners had a full agenda for their February board meeting.

The group met Feb. 19 at the administration building to discuss the future of the fire district.

Retirement and succession

With Chief Tom Sousa retiring from the district in October, the search is on for a new fire chief. Opening the position up first to internal candidates, only one emerged – Battalion Chief Ben Rigney.

Commissioner Larry Jennis, who’s heading the panel to find qualified candidates, said that he was very impressed with Rigney and his credentials, advising his fellow board members to allow him to move forward in the selection process. The next hurdle is for Rigney to have an interview with each board member.

“He’s exceptionally well qualified to be fire chief,” Jennis said, adding that when he spoke to the district’s firefighters Rigney also received glowing recommendations.

After the individual interviews, commissioners will decide whether or not to open the position up to outside candidates.

Administration merger

In light of Sousa’s retirement and the imminent sale of the district’s administration building to the Oasis Middle School, Commissioner George Harris suggested his fellow commissioners consider a different option – merging administration services with nearby Southern Manatee Fire Rescue. If this happened, the firefighters, stations and board would all remain West Manatee Fire Rescue but the administrative staff would be merged with Southern Manatee’s and that district’s chief would also serve as WMFR’s chief.

Because the two fire districts do not share a border, they could not completely merge into one district without Cedar Hammock Fire Rescue also agreeing to merge.

The idea received mixed reviews from commissioners with Jennis and Commissioner Al Robinson both agreeing that since WMFR has a small administrative staff that works well they don’t see a benefit or a need to the merger. Commissioners voted 3 to 2, with Jennis and Robinson dissenting, to allow Harris to enter into exploratory talks with Southern Manatee.

Cortez Fire Station

Harris said he’d received word from Cortezian Mary Fulford Green that the old Cortez Fire Station is vacant. He added that Green asked if the district would be interested in helping to create a fire services museum at the site. Commissioner David Bishop asked Sousa and Harris to do more research on the project, potentially reaching out to other county fire districts to see if there is any interest in creating a museum, and bring the information back to the March meeting.

Related coverage

WMFR celebrates excellence and career milestones

WMFR merger just talk for now

WMFR commissioners address merger concerns

Red tide forecast clear

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Outdoors, Red tide.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The red tide forecast for Anna Maria Island is clear through Sunday, Feb. 24, according to today’s NOAA report and the Feb. 20 report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Background concentrations of red tide continue to drift in area waters, causing respiratory irritation that was reported in Manatee County last week. Red tide also can be carried on the wind to areas where the water is free of the microalgae.

Florida red tide, or Karenia brevis, emits a neurotoxin when it blooms that is deadly to marine life, can make shellfish unfit to eat and can cause respiratory irritation in people, especially those with asthma, COPD or emphysema.

Scientists say that salinity, currents, temperature and light play a part in the formation of blooms, as do nutrients from Florida’s natural phosphate deposits, Caribbean seawater brought to Florida’s west coast on the Loop Current, the Mississippi River, Saharan dust blown across the Atlantic Ocean to Florida’s waters, and fertilizer and animal waste runoff.

Blue Lagoon cleaned up on the field

Blue Lagoon cleaned up on the field

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

ANNA MARIA – In the final games of the regular season for the high school boys that play on the gridiron at The Center, Team Cloud Pest Control could not put a win in its season statistics against Team Blue Lagoon.

The first four series of play resulted in no score by either team. For Blue Lagoon, incomplete passes by Chris Snyder and strong defensive play by Roman Langley, including a sack, was on par with dropped passes by Cloud Pest Control and big yardage gains by Julius Petereit.

Snyder found his rhythm hitting Jeremiah Sculco for a first down reception. Despite a sack by Ben Barreda, Team Blue Lagoon was the first to put points on the board with a beautiful one-handed catch by league newbie Jernard Dunbar. The failed extra point conversion gave the team coached by Randy Langley a 6-0 lead.

Three and out was the next possession for Cloud Pest Control, giving the football back to Snyder. Dunbar effectively moved the ball down the field, weaving in and out of defenders, putting his team on the Cloud 10 yard line.

With a huge defensive stop by Cloud, Blue Lagoon had to find the end zone on third down. Snyder scored the second touchdown of the game and Rutger Langley caught the ball for the point after, advancing the score to 13-0.

Cloud Pest Control could not make anything happen in the last minute on the scoreboard, taking the game to the halftime.

Six points finally made its way into the record books for Cloud Pest Control to start the second half of play. Getting away with flag guarding, Silas Banyas made it past the midfield line on the first snap of the football.

Jackson Hayes made the touchdown catch for Cloud, but the failed extra point attempt to Evan Christenson left the score at 13-6.

Blue Lagoon quickly marched down the field for another touchdown and an extra point by Dunbar.

Leading the game by 14 points, Blue Lagoon’s defense did not allow Cloud Pest Control to move down the field. Barreda tried to juke out the defense, but could not get by Roman Langley, who was credited with the flag pull.

The Cloud defense gave the ball back to its offense, leading to the touchdown by Hayes and taking the score to 20-12.

Blue Lagoon sealed the deal by taking the football into the end zone with 12.6 seconds left on the clock, ending the game with the score 26-12.

The playoffs are underway for the eight- to 10-year-olds. The older ballers start this week with semifinal action between #2 Island Charms playing #3 Beach House Real Estate for the 11-to 13-year old league, and #4 Grooms Automotive versus #5 Tyler’s Ice Cream on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m.

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Reel Time: Fly fishing strategy – pothole savvy

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Archives.

Fly fishing is a sport that rewards the angler who carefully considers his prey and pays attention to the conditions and terrain that they inhabit. For anglers who regularly fish the flats, potholes are a prime area where every species of inshore fish can be targeted. Potholes provide an advantage to both the angler and the fish that can be exploited to the angler’s advantage. Potholes are generally defined as clear sandy depressions in grass flats that are devoid of vegetation. Their contours attract both fish and the prey they feed on. In reality, of course, most potholes are a combination of sand and grass. If you carefully examine them, you’ll find sand in the deepest section and grass on the borders.

Fish that take up station in these depressions are often found on the grass perimeter where they are less visible to prey. Quite often fish will wander between holes, staying just inside the edges or seams. At other times they can be seen right over the sand in the middle of the hole.

Not all potholes are created equal. Some will be almost perfectly round and shallow, while others are oblong and deep. Many of these depressions are man-made, but others are created by tidal action or even scouring by boats. Extreme low tides are excellent for scouting areas to fish. When the bottom is exposed the topography can be closely examined. Look for birds feeding on a flat with potholes. The same food they’re feeding on will attract game fish when the flat is covered with water.

Potholes can be fished either from the boat or wading. If the water is clear, fish on a shallow flat can be very spooky. Gin clear water in the winter and spring often necessitates getting into the water for a stealthier approach. When fishing from a boat, a long accurate cast is a real asset. There will be times when the wind is up and the water is off color and a cast of 40 feet or less will be all that’s required.

More often than not, an accurate 60-plus-foot cast will be needed for any measure of success.

When poling a flat, both the angler and the guide must be as quiet as possible. It’s important to make sure the pole doesn’t hit the side of the boat and enters and exits the water without making a splash. Pole extremely slowly in very shallow water as fish are sensitive to the pressure wave a boat pushes.

Many anglers are not aware, but simply moving your feet on the deck or platform can spook fish. Another mistake rooky anglers make is rocking the boat with their casts. When fish are spotted, take time to plan your attack and don’t let a high waving rod alert your prey to your presence. Keep the rod low and behind you so you can launch a quick side arm cast.

As you scan the flats and potholes, pay attention to any movement on the periphery of your vision. Fish that are stationed over grass on a pothole may give their presence away with only a shadow or subtle movement of their mouth or fins.

Reel Time: Fly fishing strategy - pothole savvy
Try using Google Earth to find and explore potholes when you’re not on the water. – Google Earth

Wading gives you an advantage but a stealthy approach is equally as important. Small flats with potholes can be completely blown if you motor too close, slam hatch lids, or toss an anchor. Advance quietly, poling at least the last 100 yards to the area you intend to fish. Stakeout or anchor well away from the action. Slip into the water and approach potholes slowly. Move too fast and your body will create a pressure wave that the fish will sense.

If the visibility isn’t great, or you’re fishing early or late, and can’t see fish, target the edges where grass and sand meet. The edge seams are perfect ambush spots for the predators you’re targeting. Start with presentations about 2 feet outside the sandy area.

Make sure you target the deep grassy ends of the potholes. These areas can be very productive and always warrant a couple of casts. After working the edges of the holes and the seams, begin casting into the sandy areas. Fan the hole with casts to cover them completely and vary your retrieve.  If a quick strip doesn’t produce, try slowing down and working the fly close to the bottom.

Next week we’ll look at some additional strategies and see how conditions in the winter can improve your odds as we move into spring.

More Reel Time:

Reel Time: New dimensions in trolling motors

Reel Time: Clams restored to Manatee County waters

Reel Time: Push poles – a must in skinny water