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Tag: Anna Maria Island

jiffy lube soccer Center

Jiffy Lube slips by Ross Built for the win

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

The Center opened another co-ed adult soccer season hot off the heels of the summer season where Sato Real Estate earned the championship. Week one, once again, found Sato’s team with the last victory of the night against Moss Builders with the final score 4-2.

The kickoff game was a tough start for Eason Builders Group with only seven players in the game. Despite a close first half, the team in Carolina blue just could not hold on against Kris Yavalar’s Lancaster Design.

Newly sponsored team AMI Locals faced off against Slim’s Place in the third game of the night. Proving the league looks to be eight closely matched teams, the 8 p.m. game ended in a 4-4 tie.

The matchup between Ross Built Construction and Jiffy Lube started with the Ross Built squad looking to run away with the game.

Two minutes into the game, Connor Bystrom struck swift against Mike Brusso in the goal. After a save by Ross Built’s goalkeeper Robb Marshall in a sea of red offensive players, big man Vince Circharo placed the soccer ball toward the net, with Bystrom sealing the deal to put their team up 2-0.

Out of league retirement, Nathan Kragt for Team Jiffy Lube took a shot that sailed just over the net.

Brusso made another nice save off the strike by former teammate Bystrom. Soon after, Bystrom hit his third shot of the game at the 11th minute, giving Ross Built Construction a three-goal lead.

The third opponent goal lit a fire under the Jiffy Lube offensive squad. Jiffy Lube’s Ricky Anderson warmed up his leg with his first strike only to be saved by Marshall.

Minutes later Anderson’s teammate Steve Oelfke nailed his shot in the lower left corner of the goal taking the score to 3-1.

Anderson quickly found his sweet spot with a goal of his own, decreasing the Jiffy Lube deficit to one point.

Brusso left the goal to be replaced by Michael Lewis. Lewis found himself on his toes quickly with another Bystrom-Kragt attack.

Lewis’ save was followed by another advance to the goal by Anderson. Anderson’s would be tying shot was brilliantly saved by Marshall.

After a mid-field shot by Circharo, Bystrom scored his fourth and final goal of the game with no time on the scoreboard to end the half.

The second half of the game started off slow with eight minutes of play before Ross Built Construction’s Stephen Adair scored his solo goal, once again giving his team a three-point lead.

Team Jiffy Lube’s reputation of non-stop running and endurance to be envied proved valuable in their second-half comeback. In the 35th minute of the game, Kragt found himself one-on-one against Marshall for his second goal in the game, advancing the score to 5-3.

The last 10 minutes of the game was fast-paced and furious with Ross Built working to keep the lead and Jiffy Lube fighting for the win.

For their last goal of the game, Bystrom’s throw in went off the head of Circharo, giving Ross Built Construction the sixth point.

Jiffy Lube’s Eliza Faillace made her moves on the field for a goal of her own. Erin Felipe gave a strong defensive showing throughout the entire game. Her heads-up play opened up the field allowing Felipe to pass to Bystrom, whose shot went just wide of the post.

With a little more than three minutes left on the scoreboard, Anderson lit up the field with two quick goals that tied the game and energized the Island’s community center.

Kragt sealed the deal with his final goal with no time on the clock, turning the official time over to the referee.

Despite a final fight by the Ross Built Construction team, Jiffy Lube finished the game as the victors.

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Reel Time: Yaz Crossing

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

The Gulf and flats that surround Anna Maria Island were just a day’s drive to the south, but they felt a world away as we made our way down the steps at Yaz Crossing to the banks of the Chattahoochee River near Sautee Nacoochee in the north Georgia mountains.

Descending the crooked wooden stairs, fly rods tucked under our arms, our guide Wes McElroy chuckled as he told us how the area got its name. It happened when a local angler nicknamed Yaz took an unplanned swim while fording the river on a cold winter’s day. Now for better or worse, the mishap was forever immortalized.

I was spending the day with my good friend Bob Seeger, a North Georgia transplant from Longboat Key. Whenever my wife, Chris, and I vacation in the area, we set up a fishing trip, a tradition now for over five years. There are many local trout streams in the Georgia foothills and mountains that have a mix of public and private waters.

reel time Unicoi Outfitters
Unicoi Outfitters guide Wes McElroy and Bob Seeger hold two rainbow trout from the waters of the Chattahoochee River. – Rusty Chinnis | Sun

Some, like the stretch of the river we were fishing today, hold trophy trout as well as good numbers of smaller rainbow and brown trout. This trip we were fishing out of Unicoi Outfitters, one of Georgia’s oldest and most respected full-service fly shops.

Once we were by the river, McElroy rigged our five-weight rods with nymph patterns. These flies mimic the aquatic life stage of insects like stoneflies and mayflies that begin their lives in the river. While I have always preferred fishing dry flies, the reality is that most of the time nymphs make up 90 percent of a trout’s diet. The time to switch to dry flies is when the nymphs emerge from the river and fly away as adult insects.

For anglers like me, there is a fallback.  Although experienced anglers can fish nymphs and detect a strike when their fly line pauses or stops, most anglers use a strike indicator.  This consists of a small cork or piece of floating yarn that is tied above the fly. This gives neophyte anglers a more visual reference when a trout picks up the subsurface offering. My fall back was to use a dry fly as an indicator with a nymph suspended below. Whether the fly is rigged below a traditional indicator or a dry fly, the depth the nymph is fished is calculated by approximating the depth of the water and adding 50 percent to the leader.

We started out fishing a run that tailed out in a pool. Wes positioned Bob along the river and then me about 50 feet further upstream. It didn’t take Bob but four casts to hook a beautiful 18-inch rainbow trout. Three casts later and my nymph was taken by a trout a bit smaller than Bob’s. When either of us hooked a fish, Wes was right there to net them. He was also readily available when we got hooked in a tree or tangled our line around the rod. Besides helping with equipment, he was constantly coaching us on how to maximize a drift or pointing out a particular area that would hold trout.

With my new appreciation of nymphing I put what I had learned into practice,  and by being quicker with my hook set, started catching fish on every third or fourth cast. During our afternoon of fishing, we moved no more than four times and probably caught and released 20 plus fish each. The afternoon had started out cloudy with light showers and progressively improved.  When we left the water at five p.m., the sky had cleared and the temperatures dropped to a delightfully cool 65 degrees.

If you are new to the sport or unfamiliar with a stream, I highly recommend a guide. It’s money well spent. Some amazing stream fishing for trout is only a day’s drive away from Anna Maria Island.

If you find yourself in the area, give Unicoi Outfitters a call. They have a  beautifully stocked full-service fly shop with private water on the Chattahoochee right out their door. They can also arrange trips for native shoal bass and striped bass on nearby streams and lakes. Check out their website at www.unicoioutfitters.com.

More Reel Time:

Reel Time: Reflections

Reel Time: Sarasota Bay Watch active during red tide

Reel Time on the road: Fishing the South Georgia coast

Castles in the Sand

Florence – another wake-up call

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

If you live in Florida or other states along the East Coast almost up to Canada hurricanes and coastal flooding are just part of the territory. A little over a month ago, everyone in these regions had another wake-up call when Hurricane Florence blew into all of North Carolina and most of South Carolina before moving west. Although Florence made landfall as a Category 1, she was an enormous slow-moving storm that lingered for days dumping large amounts of rain into coastal communities and inland rivers.

Whenever a storm of this magnitude hits, it always makes everyone take stock of their flood insurance situation or lack thereof. According to the National Flood Insurance Program’s records, fewer homeowners in the Carolinas own flood insurance than five years ago. As of July 31, the latest figures available, the number of flood insurance policies in place were down 3.6 percent from 2013. In South Carolina, flood policies were down 1.2 percent. This is in spite of the region’s significant coastal development in recent years.

That said, after last year’s hurricanes and subsequent flooding from Harvey, Irma and Maria, policy ownership rose 3.6 percent in North Carolina and 2.8 percent in South Carolina. These states have seen an influx of retirees and young families from the Northeast and California seeking more affordable homes but may not really appreciate the importance of flood insurance and exactly what it covers if they have never lived in a flood-prone region.

Thanks to the Flood Disaster Protection Act, everyone who lives in a flood zone can purchase flood insurance and The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) produces flood maps for this purpose outlining special flood hazard areas. The Flood Disaster Protection Act is a government subsidized program, and as we know, the government has been attempting to lower their financial exposure because of this huge subsidized program with premiums going up annually.

If you have a mortgage on your home, your lender will require you to have flood insurance, and even if you live in a condominium, the lender will require proof of flood insurance purchased by your condo association annually. The flood coverage at a minimum needs to be at least equal to the lesser of the combined outstanding balance of all loans and lines of credit limit and 100 percent of the estimated replacement cost value of the building.

However, many homeowners who do not have outstanding mortgages because they are either paid up or the property was purchased with cash, choose to go without flood insurance, especially in recent years since premiums have increased in cost. This is especially true of residents who have lived a long time in areas that have never flooded and become overconfident about the future. But as we know it, only takes one bad storm combined with stalled downpours and high tides to change all that.

And for those homeowners who go without flood insurance and look to the federal government to bail them out, well they may be a little disappointed. The Federal Emergency Management Agency may provide a fraction of what it will take to repair their damaged property and bounce back, but it could take a long time to get those funds, little as they may be.

The bottom line is if you live in a designated flood zone, buy flood insurance even if you’re not mandated by a lender. Anything else is just crazy and too risky. Be responsible even though the storms aren’t.

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Fannie, Freddie and Ginnie

Attorney or no attorney – that is the question

Honesty is the best policy – especially in real estate

Bayfest 1024 tiger

Crowds come out for Bayfest

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Entertainment, Featured, Festivals.

ANNA MARIA – Despite a serious problem with red tide this summer, the Island’s first festival of the season was a success as residents and visitors braved the warm weather to enjoy themselves at Bayfest on Pine Avenue sponsored by the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce.

If there was any red tide in the air, it didn’t seem to be a bother.

“It was very well attended,” said Chamber President Terri Kinder, who said thousands of people showed up. “It was great to see all the people who came out.”

She said the crowd was great during the morning, lightened in the heat of the day and increased as shade emerged and everything cooled off.

When the threat of red tide abated last week, Kinder said the vendors were anxious to participate.

“Not one vendor pulled out,” she said. “We didn’t have any cancellations.”

More than 100 classic cars and their owners greeted visitors as they entered Pine Avenue from Gulf Drive. The Bill Mergens Memorial Auto Show, named after the show’s late organizer, attracted the attention of the visitors, some of whom may have owned or wanted to own one of the colorful vehicles in their youth.

Vendors filled the sides of the street, offering arts and crafts, while non-profits gave opportunities to help a cause.

There was a bounce house, slides and games in the Kid’s Zone and across the street, Roser Memorial Community Church had arts, coloring and face painting for youngsters.

Further down the street, the food court added a variety of aromas to the air. A large tent shaded diners as they sat at rows of tables.

Music boomed from the stage at the end of Pine Avenue and later, after the sun went down, the dancers took to the blocked off street.

Kinder did not have any monetary results at press time. Some of the proceeds will go to Island workers who suffered as the Island economy was hit by the lack of business from the red tide.

Kinder said it was a great Bayfest and praised the people who worked it.

“The volunteers did a wonderful job,” she said. “We couldn’t have done it without them.”

Funny signs for any occasion. - Tom Vaught | Sun

Funny signs for any occasion. - Tom Vaught | Sun

Bayfest brings out the community to Pine Avenue. - Tom Vaught | Sun

Bayfest brings out the community to Pine Avenue. - Tom Vaught | Sun

Thousands ignore the heat and red tide threat to attend Bayfest. - Tom Vaught | Sun

Thousands ignore the heat and red tide threat to attend Bayfest. - Tom Vaught | Sun

Former Anna Maria City Commissioner Gene Aubrey displays his 1923 Chevrolet at the auto show. - Tom Vaught | Sun

Former Anna Maria City Commissioner Gene Aubrey displays his 1923 Chevrolet at the auto show. - Tom Vaught | Sun

A car plane was one of the most unusual vehicles at the Bayfest classic car show on Saturday on Pine Avenue. - Cindy Lane | Sun

A car plane was one of the most unusual vehicles at the Bayfest classic car show on Saturday on Pine Avenue. - Cindy Lane | Sun

CBD samples also were available at Bayfest - cannabidiol is a naturally-occurring constituent of cannabis, one of at least 113 cannabinoids identified in hemp plants. - Cindy Lane | Sun

CBD samples also were available at Bayfest - cannabidiol is a naturally-occurring constituent of cannabis, one of at least 113 cannabinoids identified in hemp plants. - Cindy Lane | Sun

Local first responders help with hurricane recovery

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

BRADENTON – Manatee County first responders don’t only answer the call of duty locally, they also answer when other people need their help, including those affected by Hurricane Michael in the Florida Panhandle.

West Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Tom Sousa said that when the call came in for assistance in the aftermath of the Category 4 storm, five strike teams of firefighters and emergency medical service workers from region six, stretching from Manatee to Collier County, assembled including 25 fire engines with around 100 firefighters and five ambulance teams with 25 ambulances and about 50 medical personnel.

Sousa said the region’s six strike teams assembled first in Tallahassee before traveling to Marianna, Fla., where they helped to clear debris, treat injuries using the WMFR advanced life support engine, distribute supplies and run emergency calls with local first responders.

He said the team, including firefighters from WMFR, Longboat Key, Cedar Hammock, Southern Manatee, the City of Bradenton, East Manatee and North River fire districts, was redeployed Oct. 15 to Port St. Joe and Port St. Joe Beach to provide hurricane recovery assistance.

WMFR Battalion Chief Ben Rigney served as the leader for an engine strike team of five engines and around 30 personnel. The City of Bradenton Urban Search and Rescue team also responded, sending six personnel to the region along with Manatee County EMS workers.

Sousa said the teams were expected to return home after nearly two weeks in the region early this week.

Red tide weekend forecast good

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

The red tide forecast predicts very low concentrations of the toxic algae in Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay waters at the north tip of Anna Maria Island, and low concentrations around the rest of the Island through at least Monday, Oct. 22, according to the University of South Florida/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides.

Hurricane Michael did not destroy the red tide bloom that showed up in local waters on Aug. 3, but local levels are staying low, according to an Oct. 19 FWC report.

The report shows low concentrations of red tide in water samples on Oct. 15 at Cortez Beach and Longboat Pass (Bradenton Beach), with very low concentrations at the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria and none at the Palma Sola Bay bridge.

Background concentrations of red tide cause no anticipated effects. Low levels can cause respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures and possible fish kills. Medium levels can cause respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures and probable fish kills. High levels can cause all of the above, plus water discoloration.

Respiratory irritation was reported on Oct. 11, Oct. 13 and Oct. 17-18 at Coquina Beach (Bradenton Beach) and Oct. 11-13 and Oct. 16-18 at Manatee Beach (Holmes Beach).

No fish kills were reported in Manatee County from Oct. 12-19.

Red tide is a type of algae that emits a neurotoxin when it blooms. Deadly to fish, sea turtles, marine mammals and shorebirds that feed on affected fish, red tide makes shellfish unfit to eat, and can cause respiratory irritation in people, especially those with asthma, COPD or other respiratory diseases.

The bloom has been spreading in the southwest Gulf of Mexico for the past year and was first detected in Florida’s east coast waters early this month.

center youth soccer group

Youth soccer takes to the pitch for another season

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

The 8-10-year-old age group is a tight three-team league with Planet Stone currently on top with a record of 2-1-1

Ugly Grouper is right behind having played an additional game and having one more loss. Progressive Cabinetry’s fight hard attitude gives it a current record of 1-2-2

Team Planet Stone and Progressive Cabinetry met head-to-head last Tuesday night. The defensive battle ended the first half of play with the score 1-1.

After 12 minutes of play in the first half of the game, both teams took the field for what would be a scoreless second half.

Putting the second tie in the record book, Planet Stone proved there are contenders in the fall soccer season.

Playing back-to-back games, Progressive Cabinetry could not keep up with the offensive attack of Team Ugly Grouper. Ugly Grouper dominated the field ending the game with the score 3-0.

In a role reversal, Ugly Grouper’s second game of the night was a challenge against Planet Stone. The third game of the night ended with Planet Stone taking the win with three goals.

The 11- to 13-year-old league has a clear leader early in the season with Bins Be Clean undefeated for the time being. Slim’s Place has a 1-1 record, while Wash Family Construction plays with determination looking for their first win.

Bins Be Clean won both of its games last Tuesday night, scoring two goals against Slim’s Place and four against Wash Family Construction.

In their head-to-head, Slim’s Place took the win against Wash Family Construction. Both teams worked hard on the field, having already played one game. The defense of Wash Family Construction could not stop the offensive attack of Slim’s Place, losing the game 3-6.

With four more weeks of regular season play, each of the six teams face off each Tuesday night leading to the championship games on Wednesday, Nov. 14.

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Manatee County logo

County Commission candidates address campaign issues

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Manatee County.

Anna Maria Island and Cortez voters will help determine the winner of the District 6, at-large County Commission race between incumbent commissioner Carol Whitmore and challenger Candace Luther.

The two candidates recently responded to questions received from The Sun and some of those questions and answers appear below.

Manatee County Luther
Luther

Why do you want to serve on the County Commission?

Luther: I don’t feel the citizens of Manatee County are being properly represented. Too often those making the decisions go against the wishes of the people in favor of the special interests. I want to be the voice for the people of Manatee County.

Too often county staff does not do due diligence in reviewing proposals before coming before the commissioners. I have seen errors in the past and it is time to stop this. I will do the research myself. I will not just rubber stamp whatever comes forward, and staff needs to do better.

Whitmore: There are many issues that will mold the future of the county and the islands and we need someone on the commission who knows Anna Maria Island. Before I became a county commissioner, I served as the Holmes Beach mayor for eight and a half years. I know how to work with other governments and agencies to get Manatee County its fair share of federal and state funds.

I pushed for the Island Trolley and for free transit for all county citizens over 80 years old. I worked with all three Island mayors to help them acquire beach concession funds that stay on the Island.

Manatee County Whitmore
Whitmore

What do you see as the most important issues facing the county?

Luther: The single most important issue facing our county right now is the red tide air and water pollution problem. The sources for this problem have still not been addressed, and nothing has been done to correct this problem. I have gone out myself to collect samples of water, sand, sludge and foam to find out what is in the water, so the sources can be properly identified.

We need to stop the sources of the pollution. Our residents’ health is being affected, tourism is being affected, the incomes of our residents are being affected, and the list goes on. Without clean air and water, nothing else really matters. There are many issues I want to address, but this is priority number one.

Whitmore: Searching for a new county administrator; acquiring and pushing the study for a new bridge over Manatee River to relieve traffic congestion; pushing to improve and update our parks; initiating a campaign to build a new animal shelter more centrally located in Manatee County; getting ahead of the infrastructure being built in north county with sidewalks, roads and bridges.

How would you assess the county’s red tide response?

Luther: I think it has been a pathetic attempt at a cover-up with no solutions. Their response to the red tide was to dump the toxic biohazardous waste into the landfill. All this did was spread the toxins to the eastern part of the county too. It seems all anyone cared about was removing the carcasses from the beach to make it look as though everything was fine. I would like to know where are the water tests showing what toxins and bacteria are present? Where are the air quality tests?

Whitmore: As a 49-year resident on Anna Maria Island, I have been through many red tides. I was on the first board of START when they formed after a terrible red tide in the 90s. The county is still assessing the beaches every day, cleaning when needed and reporting the status of the beaches. I recently received a call from someone wanting help in their canals and I referred them to Cortez fisherman Nathan Meschelle.

What are your thoughts on the recent County Commission approvals of the Aqua by the Bay, Lake Flores, Peninsula Bay and Hunters Point development projects?

Luther: Aqua by the Bay is a disaster in the making. I don’t know how it got approval without a complete site plan or even knowing how many buildings are to be built. This monstrosity does not fit the atmosphere of the fishing village around it. All this development is going to create an even bigger traffic problem and create more stormwater runoff due to there being less permeable land. Once again, approvals were given despite the public outcry for denial.

Whitmore: Aqua was a tough one, mainly because most people don’t understand what they wanted and what they got. They wanted to destroy the shoreline and The Kitchen. They got the number of units they have had the right to build since 1989, and they are allowed the same height as IMG. Lake Flores is being built by the Preston family, who have owned the property for over 100 years. This project was supported by many environmental groups. Peninsula Bay, also a Whiting Preston project, allows them to develop land they have had the rights to since 1989, with no cutting of mangroves. Hunters Point is my favorite, with zero carbon footprint and tiny houses.

Holmes Beach city field third base

New plans emerge for city field

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

HOLMES BEACH – Though commissioners didn’t approve City Engineer Lynn Burnett’s entire layout for the city field complex, they did combine her plan and theirs to create a layout that could work for everyone.

During an Oct. 9 work session, Burnett provided commissioners with an updated concept plan for the remodel of the city field complex, located adjacent to city hall. In her plan, she moved the baseball field slightly to the southeast, making the field a multiuse area rather than a designated ball field. Where third base and part of the outfield are now, she suggested installing a new concrete skate park, demolishing the old one and using that area to relocate the construction staging area currently taking up part of the parking lot near the basketball courts and dog park.

She recommended moving the city’s shuffleboard courts to the current home plate area, adding a bocce court and horseshoe pits along the first base area and pushing the large dog park north into the current staging area. She also suggested relocating the tot lot park from Marina Drive to next to the existing gazebo on Flotilla Drive and creating a parking and focal point entry area long Marina Drive. Eventually, she said the whole complex could be surrounded by a multi-use track with exercise stations.

Holmes Beach city field skate park
The city’s current skate park is planned to be removed and the area used as a staging area for public works employees and city construction contractors. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Over a two-year period, including the current fiscal year, she projects the project will cost an estimated $300,000 to complete.

While commissioners were in favor of some items, such as relocating the staging area and the tot lot, the two big items, the dog park and the skate park, caused some concern.

Commissioner Judy Titsworth got the ball rolling on a compromise, one that dog park users in attendance at the work session approved of when she suggested using the third base and outfield area for the large dog park, allowing for a large dog run.

Titsworth said the placement would put the dogs further away from residential neighbors and allow the small dog park, which is expected to remain in its current location, to share a fence with the large dog park, allowing users to speak with each other and dogs to chase each other along the fence. She said the main two things for Burnett to consider with the relocation of the dog park is that the park should not be any smaller than its current size and adequate drainage will be needed.

Dog park users in attendance at the work session agreed with Titsworth’s plan. Both Don Anthony and Renee Ferguson said they were “very, very happy” with the new plan for the dog park. Anthony suggested leaving the third baseline dugout in place to provide a shaded spot for dog park users to sit just outside the proposed park area.

Burnett agreed to study the area and measure it to make sure that the improvements planned for the dog park would fit and that adequate drainage could be obtained.

Holmes Beach city field hut
Refinishing the shade structures in the city’s dog park is one of the temporary improvements planned for the current dog parks before city field goes under construction. – Kristin Swain | Sun

After a lengthy discussion, commissioners also asked Burnett to study the feasibility of moving the skate park so that it fronts Marina Drive, where noise from skaters would be near commercial businesses rather than residential homes. They also suggested moving the parking area more toward the east along the city hall side of the park complex and expanding the Flotilla Drive parking area near the dog park and basketball courts. This, they suggested, could better serve park goers and overflow parking from the nearby public boat ramp.

Burnett agreed to come back before commissioners at a future work session with a new plan for city field incorporating their suggestions.

Related coverage

Dog park users concerned with city field improvements

New concept emerges for city field remodel

City Field could get big makeover

Holmes Beach 47th lot clear

Retribution sought for sea grape destruction

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

HOLMES BEACH – City commissioners are asking police officers and City Attorney Patricia Petruff to work together to find a way to prosecute local builder Shawn Kaleta for the destruction of sea grapes and other vegetation on city property.

The destruction of the sea grapes and sea oats was observed over the summer with Building Official Jim McGuinness putting a stop work order on the 102 47th Street property and adjacent lot until Kaleta came into compliance and received permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Kaleta owns two parcels of land at the western end of 47th Street from which he cleared of all vegetation up to the dune line and public beach access on the southern side of the property. He also cleared the vegetation from the city unimproved right of way that would extend Fourth Avenue from 48th to 47th Street that divides his two properties without permission from the city.

The incident is similar to a situation Kaleta found himself in over the summer of 2017 when he removed sea grapes and sea oats from another property he was developing at 102 77th Street. The property remained under a stop work order for more than a month while the builder struggled to receive after the fact permits from the DEP, make an agreement to replace the removed sea grapes and sea oats with the DEP and come into compliance with the city’s building department. Though the sea grapes and sea oats were replanted at the location, it will take years for the plants to return to their previous size.

“This is minimal,” Commissioner Carol Soustek said of the replanting, a plan that will repeat itself at 47th Street. “What they destroyed at 77th Street was natural. What’s there now looks like a model house.”

Commissioner Judy Titsworth agreed, pushing for consideration of some sort of prosecution for the destruction at 47th Street and Fourth Avenue.

“Sea grapes need to be wild, not trimmed and pruned,” she said. “Fourth Avenue looks like a war zone.”

She added that as a licensed contractor, Kaleta should know the local laws and regulations about the removal of sea grapes. At the site of the sea grape removal on 47th Street, there is a sign at the beach access advising of the find for damaging sea grapes.

“We can’t continue to just allow it to happen,” Titsworth said, fearing that the situation would continue to be repeated if no further action is taken by city leaders.

City attorney Patricia Petruff said she would have to investigate to see what action can be taken at this point. She suggested that commissioners also consider potential uses for the Fourth Avenue right of way now that it has been cleared. Prior to Kaleta clearing the property, Petruff said the right of way was impassible due to vegetation.

The stop work order has been lifted on the property and McGuinness said Kaleta has reached an agreement with the DEP to replant the sea grapes on the right of way, the sea oats on the western edge of the property and create a buffer between the dune line and the planned residential development.

“What he’s offering isn’t even a token,” Commissioner Pat Morton said of the plan to replant some of the destroyed vegetation. Morton added that as a “habitual offender of city code” Kaleta should be “put in his place.”

Though several options for prosecution were suggested by commissioners, Petruff said it would take time to determine legally what the city’s prosecution options are and how strong of a case could be brought against Kaleta for the damage. She agreed to work with Mayor Bob Johnson and HBPD officers to determine what the best course of action will be. In the meantime, commissioners reached a consensus to write a letter reporting the incident to the state licensing board so that the issue is on record when Kaleta’s construction license comes up for renewal.

Related coverage

Building official maintains position on dune destruction

Dune destruction sparks concerns

Holmes Beach Spring Lake update

Deciding the future of Spring Lake

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

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners aren’t sure about what to do for the future of Spring Lake, and they’re hoping the lake’s residents will step up to help them make a decision.

City Engineer Lynn Burnett presented commissioners with a water quality report and lake assessment for Spring Lake during an Oct. 9 meeting. Burnett said she agreed with the assessment made by Aquatic Systems Lake and Wetland Services to install an aeration system to improve oxygen levels in the polluted lake and monitor the water quality periodically.

Burnett also suggested dredging the lake to remove pollutants on the bottom and adding a connection to a freshwater well to refill the lake as needed. Two things that city commissioners weren’t sure about with the plan are the cost to dredge the lake and whether the currently saltwater lake should be cut off from tidal waters and made into a freshwater lake.

The report listed the lake’s waters as well over the recommended levels for phosphorus, nitrogen and ammonia, with levels significantly higher at the bottom of the lake than at the top. The oxygen level in the lake is listed as critically low and unable to support aquatic life. The lake’s waters also have high levels of chloride, salt, dissolved solids and suspended solids.

Burnett said that pollution in the lake is caused by a number of things including fertilizers and sediment washing in from nearby houses, dumping into the lake and leakage from a nearby waste station, the same one that had a massive leak more than two years ago, dumping around 30,000 gallons of wastewater into the lake.

With the lake being a man-made structure created from a natural freshwater wetland system, Burnett suggested cutting off the saltwater intrusion to the lake, removing pollutants, dredging the bottom, installing an aeration system, and connecting the lake to natural artesian wells to make the lake a freshwater system. She said, if the residents want it, the lake could be stocked with freshwater fish for fishing. The catch for residents is that to keep the lake clean of pollutants, residents surrounding the lake would not be able to fertilize their rear yards because of runoff into the lake system.

“It’s beautiful back there,” she said. “I hope the residents would want to protect and preserve it.”

Commissioners Judy Titsworth and Carol Soustek were both concerned about dredging at the lake. Titsworth said she understands dredging to be expensive and there’s a lack of access to Spring Lake. She also questioned where materials would be dumped after removal from the water. Soustek questioned if it would be possible to remove pollutants over time with aeration and pellets designed to break down the pollutants in the water. Burnett said she’d have to get quotes and speak with experts to be able to come back to commissioners with options for viable solutions.

“We need to find a way to fix it,” Soustek said of the lake.

Lake resident Melissa Williams gave commissioners an impassioned plea during public comment to allow the lake to remain saltwater, as it has been since the 1950s, calling it “a wonderful mistake.”

Titsworth noted the lake would be easier to maintain if it was left as a saltwater lake and questioned if it would be possible to clean the lake then restock it with fish.

Burnett said she would look into the possibility to present commissioners with all of the options. To allow the lake to remain tidal, she said the WaStop valve on the outflow pipe at Grand Canal would have to be removed and the lake’s residents would then be subject to flooding from king tides and sea level rise. While she understands that the lake has been a saltwater lake since it was turned from wetlands without permits in the 1950s, sea level rise makes it a different situation for surrounding residents in the coming decades.

The matter will come back before commissioners on a future work session.

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hurricane michael relief supplies

Hurricane relief donations

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, through Anna Maria City Hall, is collecting items to send to the areas hit by Hurricane Michael last week. The hallway at city hall was already full of items donated by Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch volunteers on Monday. The collection period ends Sunday, Oct. 21. City hall is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

New items being collected include toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo, conditioner, hair brushes/combs, hair ties, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, Chapstick, soap/body wash, body lotion, first-aid kits and items, razors, shaving cream, feminine products, sanitary wipes/gel, sunscreen, insect repellant, laundry soap, cleaning supplies, towels, sheets, blankets, sleeping bags, flip flops, water shoes, work gloves, shovels, rakes, saws, empty gas cans, flashlights, batteries, tarps, ropes, box fans, extension cords, paper plates, plastic silverware and cups, mops and brooms and Ziploc bags and trash bags, pet food and supplies and baby products such as diapers, formula and bottles, wipes, baby food (no glass, please) baby wash and shampoo. Donate canned food only.

Cash is not accepted; money can be donated to the Red Cross.

Holmes Beach police also involved

The Holmes Beach Police Department is partnering with Manatee County Search and Rescue to be a drop off location for hurricane relief goods to be transported to the Panhandle. Items may be delivered to the police station, 5801 Marina Drive, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday until Oct. 21.

You can also drop them off at the following Beef O’Brady’s locations:

8913 US-301 N Parrish

1795 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. Bradenton

4286 53rd Ave E (corner of Lockwood Ridge Road and SR 70)

Items requested include duct tape, tarps, cleaning supplies, toys for little children, clothes such as T-shirts, socks, underwear and shoes, plus other nonperishable items like diapers, personal hygiene and feminine products.

There also is a desperate need for pants and boots for the first responders. Any help would be appreciated.

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Hurricane relief drive taking place in Cortez

Bradenton Beach Ave C restoration

Avenue C restoration accelerated

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

BRADENTON BEACH – City commissioners want to make stormwater and drainage improvements along Avenue C sooner rather than later. As part of that process, the commission also wants to restore, at the city’s expense, the Avenue C driveways disturbed as part of Manatee County’s force main replacement project.

During the Tuesday, Oct. 9, work meeting, commissioners tentatively agreed to accelerate these previously discussed city projects. City Engineer Lynn Burnett was authorized to bring back to the commission a proposed $302,626 contract from Westra Construction – the company hired by Manatee County to do its force main project.

In the past, the city contracted Woodruff & Sons to install the 57 stone-topped vertical infiltration trenches and alley-based drainage improvements. The original plan was to use Woodruff again for the Avenue C stormwater and drainage improvements planned for the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

During last week’s work meeting, Burnett said the city could save approximately $20,000 in mobilization costs by having Westra do the job now, while still onsite finishing up the county force main project.

More importantly to Avenue C residents, Burnett said having Westra do the work would significantly reduce the time that the Avenue C driveways and city rights of way remained in an unfinished state.

Approximately 10 months ago, Westra began tearing up Avenue C and the connecting driveways and yards located in the city-owned rights of way.

The project timetable Burnett presented last week proposed the contract with Westra be executed this month, which would then allow the stormwater and drainage projects to begin in November and be completed in February. The final restoration of the Avenue C driveways and rights of ways would then occur in March and April and include the final paving of Avenue C.

The previous plan called for Westra to simply restore the impacted driveways and rights of ways with the 57-stone that would remain in place until the city’s contractor came along to do the city-funded stormwater improvements beginning in late 2019.

As part of this modified approach, Burnett proposed the new four-foot wide infiltration trenches include honeycombed, plastic eco-grids that sit atop the fine sand that replaces the muddy soil removed to create the trenches.

The eco-grid will then sit below the final surface material of the property owner’s choice. If the property owner had brick driveway pavers removed and stored as a result of the county project, those pavers will be replaced atop the eco-grid. If the driveways and rights of way were covered sod, grass, concrete, asphalt, 89 stone or 250 shell mix, those areas will be similarly restored.

Driveways not already disturbed by the force main project will not be disrupted by the stormwater project.

Previous infiltration trenches installed elsewhere in the city were topped with white, lime rock 57 stone that proved problematic in high traffic areas. Burnett said later there will be no visible lime rock associated with the Avenue C project.

During the work meeting, Mayor John Chappie and Commissioner Ralph Cole stressed the importance of the repaved Avenue C being graded in a manner that allows rainwater to properly drain toward the outfalls that empty into the bay.

The Avenue C residents who attended last week’s meeting encouraged the commission to get Avenue C fully stored as soon as possible, even if that means working through another peak tourism season.

Project funding

For the stormwater and driveway restoration projects to begin nearly a year ahead of schedule, two budget amendments have been scheduled for discussion at the commission’s regular meeting at noon on Thursday, Oct. 18.

The commission will be asked to approve a $140,161 budget amendment for the driveway restoration project and a $151,350 budget amendment for the stormwater and drainage improvements.

Before the budget amendments are voted on, the commission will be asked to release $400,000 previously set aside in the restricted pier reserve fund. On Monday, Chappie said that fund previously provided the city with self-insurance for the Bridge Street Pier that is now insured.

Southwest Florida Water Management District grants and future stormwater assessment revenue will help the city recoup the cost of these projects in future fiscal years.

Anna Maria Pier RFP seagulls

Anna Maria City Pier proposals still awaiting approval

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

ANNA MARIA – The city’s plans to rebuild its famous city pier are still being kept confidential.

Mayor Dan Murphy said Oct. 11 he sent requests for more information to the five Florida-based construction companies that applied to the city Oct. 3 with plans to rebuild the pier.

Murphy told the City Commission that he gave the five companies a deadline of Oct. 12 to return with clarification on several questions. Murphy wouldn’t go into detail about what issues needed answers.

Once the answers were received, Murphy said he will release the proposals to the commission for review and possible selection.

The mayor said until then the contents of the packages had to be kept confidential.

The five companies that submitted applications were Cone & Graham, Inc., from Port Saint Lucie; GLF Construction Corporation, from Miami; Speeler & Associates, Inc., from Largo; and i+iconUSA and American Bridge, both from Tampa.

City officials have budgeted approximately $2.5 million for the reconstruction. Murphy also has submitted applications to Florida and federal departments for funding, but the mayor has said they’re still waiting for answers.

A meeting date for the RFP decisions hasn’t been scheduled as of publication.

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ami shore erosion

AMI northern shore lost, gained says AM mayor

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

ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy said Oct. 11 he thinks the city’s north shore lost 30-35 percent of its white sands, but, he added, Bean Point has grown.

Murphy and Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Mike Jones toured the city’s beaches after the high waters caused by Hurricane Michael receded. Murphy’s opinion of the state of the beach is based on opinion and visual inspection, not on a formal study.

“We got really lucky,” Murphy said, adding the sea oats planted along the coastline helped keep the sand on the shore. “That’s what they’re there for.”

Anna Maria’s beaches also were spared from major erosion during Hurricane Irma in 2017. According to a coastal impact report published by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the beaches of Anna Maria were listed as only suffering “minor damage” due to the storm losing a lot of its momentum after making landfall.

Murphy said there’s no plan to replace the eroded sand at this time.

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Michael brushes past Anna Maria Island

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