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Tag: Anna Maria Island

itpo longboat pass bridge

Longboat Pass Bridge work to begin in 2019

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News, Longboat Key.

The days for the current Longboat Pass Bridge may be numbered, but the bridge’s number isn’t up quite yet.

During the October Island Transportation Planning Organization meeting, representatives from the Sarasota Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Florida Department of Transportation gave an update on the planned repairs for the existing drawbridge. Repairs are planned to begin May 1, 2019, but FDOT representative Jim Jacobsen said there would be limited disruption to vehicular traffic during construction.

Jacobsen said the bridge, built in 1957, is functionally obsolete, having served past it’s expected 50-year lifespan by 11 years. The bridge is rated by FDOT as fair, and the project development and environment study to determine if it should ultimately be repaired or replaced will begin in 2020. In the meantime, major repairs estimated at $3.7 million will begin in mid-2019. Jacobsen said the contractor has been given a $160,000 incentive to finish the repairs before Thanksgiving 2019.

Repairs will be made to the sidewalks and traffic lanes to cover potholes and cracks, along with repairs to the steel span to combat rust, correct mechanical issues, repair the supporting concrete beams and protect the undersides of the bridge from erosion. One of the primary goals with these repairs is to correct issues caused by exposure to the harsh environmental elements in the pass and seal the bridge to reduce the effects of rust and erosion in the future.

What motorists can expect, Jacobsen said, is to see nighttime lane closures between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. with 15-minute-long temporary bridge closures allowed between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. to move equipment. Detours where the bridge will be completely closed to traffic from midnight to 5 a.m. for two nights only, have already been mapped out. Jacobsen said the United States Coast Guard has already approved the bridge closures.

Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie requested that FDOT keep Bradenton Beach and Longboat Key police in the loop regarding lane and bridge closures. Jacobsen agreed, adding that the lane closures will be optimized to allow emergency vehicles through the construction area if necessary. He said lane closures are not allowed for Friday and Saturday nights. Prior to the start of construction Jacobsen said an environmental review of the area will be done to ensure that lighting for the project does not adversely affect nesting sea turtles on the beaches.

Trial date set in alleged burglary, assault

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

BRADENTON – The trial of a Holmes Beach man accused of burglarizing a Holmes Beach house and beating the female owner has been set for April 15, 2019, in circuit court.

Mark L. Snyder, 56, faces charges of burglary, assault or battery, aggravated battery (with great bodily harm – victim 65 years of age or older) and second-degree grand theft in the June 28 crime.

Mark Snyder trial
A trial date has been set for Mark Snyder, accused of attacking a Holmes beach woman and burglarizing her home. – File Photo | Sun

Snyder was arrested July 3 after a neighbor tipped police that he appeared to match a surveillance video’s description of the suspect, and he drove a vehicle that also matched the suspect’s vehicle.

According to the Holmes Beach Police report, the victim returned home to find a man in her bedroom in the process of stealing her property. She told police she screamed, and he hit her a number of times, causing her to fall and bleed. He then fled the residence carrying bags of stolen jewelry.

The victim, who does not want to be identified, was taken to Blake Hospital with a broken bone in her face and lacerations to her head.

Snyder is still incarcerated after his bail was revoked.

Related Coverage

Suspect arrested again, charged with second burglary

Burglary in Holmes Beach

ultralight

Commissioners consider aircraft nuisance ordinance

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

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners are considering enacting an aircraft nuisance ordinance that will carry hefty fines for violations.

During the Oct. 23 commission work session, Police Chief Bill Tokajer presented the proposed ordinance to commissioners, saying there have been complaints about the pilot of a two-person aircraft that flies along the Palma Sola Causeway and Anna Maria Island. Tokajer said the pilot’s intent to pick up and drop off passengers from the Manatee Public Beach also is a cause for concern because it creates a liability issue for the city.

If the new ordinance is approved, ultralights and other aircraft cannot be piloted over congested areas and places of open-air assembly. Under the ordinance, beaches, parking lots, waterways, and water areas surrounding the city would be included. Commissioners also agreed to include parks in the proposed ordinance. To fly over these areas, the pilot must fly no lower than 1,000 feet over the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft at any time.

Violation of the ordinance constitutes a nuisance, and offenders can be charged $500 for the first violation, $1,000 for the second violations, $2,000 for the third violation and a fourth violation would amount to the highest fine allowable by law. City Attorney Patricia Petruff said she would research to determine what the options for the actual maximum fine could be. Commissioner Jim Kihm suggested also adding a provision that if the recipient chooses to contest the fine and go to a special magistrate, the recipient should pay all fines plus the cost of special magistrate administrative fees if the fine is upheld.

Though the ordinance was scheduled for a first reading at the regular commission meeting immediately following the work session, Petruff said too many changes had been made, and a first reading would need to be scheduled for a future meeting.

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Bradenton Beach Christmas decorations

CRA purchasing holiday decorations

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

BRADENTON BEACH – The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) authorized member Jake Spooner’s proposal to spend $12,000 to $32,000 to decorate Bridge Street for the Christmas holidays using decorative elements purchased from Christmas Designers – the firm that decorates University Boulevard and the University Town Center mall in Sarasota.

Christmas Designers has been used in the past by Bridge Street Merchants Association which, in recent years, spent $20,000 to purchase holiday decorations.

When purchased, the decorations will be installed, removed, stored, maintained, insured and reused in future years for approximately $2,400 to $4,400 a year, depending on what is purchased. The most expensive components are the elevated skylines that would hang over Bridge Street.

“We’re in a tight time frame, and they’re super busy right now, so we’re not sure if we’ll get the skylines this year,” Spooner said last week.

The CRA members recently directed Spooner to get three price quotes or, as an alternative, obtain a written partnership agreement from the merchants’ association that serves as a continuation of the merchants’ pre-existing relationship with Christmas Designers.

As of Friday, Spooner was still waiting on an itemized invoice to present to city staff. He and Christmas Designers Joe Campbell were still researching the cost and requirements for the poles needed to mount the elevated skylines. Spooner said if the entire decorative concept can’t be finalized this year, the skylines can be purchased and added next year.

Castles in the Sand

Real estate sales can require scary disclosures

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

What do people do when they have everything they can possibly need? A safe and secure place to live, plenty of good quality food and access to modern health care. You know what they do, they pay to be locked in a spooky room and challenged to find a way out.

One of the hottest forms of entertainment in our privileged country is called an escape room. In it, you are literally locked in for an hour with a group of other people and look for clues while the ghost of a recently departed leaves hints to help you find an exit.

Crazy as this may sound, it’s not nearly as crazy as selling properties where there is a belief of hauntings or a death in the property. In September I wrote a column about property disclosure and discussed that the state of Florida holds sellers responsible to disclose defects in a property. Although this disclosure does not have to be in writing, it is recommended for the seller’s protection that it is.

The state’s guidelines indicate that disclosure does not have to be made if the property was inhabited by a person infected with HIV or AIDS or that a murder or suicide has occurred or is suspected to have occurred on the property. Likewise, disclosure does not have to be made if the house is known to be haunted since there is no way to authenticate a haunted house; it’s all subjective.

However, the guideline also states that disclosure must be made if there is a potential impact on the value or desirability of the property. This is a little bit of a conflict and a gaping gray area in an already ambiguous zone of the disclosure. Most real estate professionals would advise full disclosure for rumors about hauntings as well as unusual deaths in the property just as you would disclose foundation cracks hidden behind walls particularly if you’re asked.

Even though sellers are not obligated to do so and would not have a financial obligation after a closing, why make a buyer feel he/she has been duped? Since some buyers are sensitive to previous activity in a property, the disclosure is the best course of action, as silly as it may sound. Even Bernie Madoff’s New York City condo had a problem selling because buyers didn’t want to be associated with the bad energy that may be lurking in the property.

But what about future developments adjacent to properties or bridges? Manatee County is exploding with construction – some very big that will change the lifestyle of nearby residents, not to mention the rebuilding of both bridges out to Anna Maria Island, both of which could impact existing properties.

These are projects that have been approved, on the books but not begun and would not be obvious to a potential buyer. Are sellers obligated to disclose future approved projects that could have a substantial financial impact on properties? Don’t look to me for an answer, but if it were me and I knew something on the books would financially or aesthetically impact property I was selling, I would have a sit down with an attorney.

In the spirit of full disclosure, you should disclose the spirits if you have any. Have a happy Halloween and watch out for the ghosts – even the friendly ones.

More Castles in the Sand

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Red tide sign

Red tide high through Monday

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

High levels of red tide are back in the air and water around Anna Maria Island, and forecasters predict high levels will continue through Monday, Oct. 29, according to today’s Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) report.

The red tide forecast through Monday, Oct. 29 is mostly high for Anna Maria Island. – University of South Florida/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides.

Between 5 percent and 25 percent more water samples showed medium or high levels of red tide than the previous week, according to the Oct. 26 report, which shows high concentrations of red tide in water samples collected on Oct. 22 at Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach, and medium concentrations at the Rod and Reel Pier in Anna Maria and Longboat Pass boat ramp in Bradenton Beach.

Respiratory irritation was reported Oct. 18-23 and Oct. 25 at Coquina Beach (Bradenton Beach) and Oct. 18, Oct. 20-21 and Oct. 23-25 at Manatee Beach (Holmes Beach).

Fish kills also were reported in Manatee County over the previous week.

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.

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 toxic algae bloom has been spreading in the southwest Gulf of Mexico for the past year, reaching Anna Maria Island in early August. It was detected in Florida’s east coast waters early this month.

Hands Across the Sand oil protest

Oil drilling off, then back on ballot

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in First Place, Special Sections.

Even though it addresses two entirely unrelated subjects – prohibiting oil drilling and indoor vaping – Florida Constitutional Amendment 9 will be included on the 2018 General Election ballot in November, the Florida Supreme Court has ruled.

The decision reverses a Leon County Circuit judge’s decision to remove the proposal and two others from the ballot because they combine unrelated issues in single proposed amendments.

In its Oct. 17 opinion, the state’s high court ruled that the Florida Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) can include multiple issues in single amendments, a practice criticized by opponents as a political ploy to defeat popular proposals by pairing them with unpopular proposals.

First Place

Environmental Writing

2018

Three justices, R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince, agreed with the ruling but criticized the practice.

“When amending our Florida Constitution, voters should not be forced to vote ‘yes’ on a proposal they disfavor in order to also vote ‘yes’ on a proposal they support because of how the Constitution Revision Commission has unilaterally decided to bundle multiple, independent and unrelated proposals,” Pariente wrote.

“Bundling multiple, independent and unrelated proposals in this way makes the task of voting significantly more difficult for Florida’s citizens, requiring them to decide – in addition to weighing the independent merits of each proposal – whether voting in favor of one proposal they approve of is worth also approving a proposal they do not favor.”

Earlier this year, the CRC approved the proposal, which would prohibit drilling for exploration or extraction of oil or natural gas beneath all state waters between the mean high-water line and the outermost boundaries of the state’s territorial seas, about nine miles off the western and southern coastlines and at least three miles off the eastern coastline.

It also adds the use of vapor-generating electronic devices to the current prohibition of tobacco smoking in enclosed indoor workplaces.

Passing the amendment might signal to a federal government that advocates drilling in federal waters that Floridians oppose offshore drilling, according to the League of Women Voters, which supports the amendment along with the Florida Wildlife Federation, Gulf Restoration Network, American Cancer Society, Florida Policy Institute, Progress Florida, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and Earthjustice.

The amendment is one of 12 that Florida voters will decide Nov. 6. Constitutional amendments require at least 60 percent of the vote to become law.

Related coverage

Oil drilling proposal may be headed for ballot

More Gulf waters leased for oil, gas

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.

Related coverage

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Hayward Cup champions: Sato Real Estate eeks out the final win

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.

More Castles in the Sand:

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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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.