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Giving Back Billy Rice

Giving Back does it again

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

CORTEZ – The Swordfish Grill, Sande Caplin & Associates, The Sarasota Post, A Paradise Realty and the local community raised more than $20,000 for Hungers End during the Thursday, Sept. 13, Giving Back fundraiser.

Founded and run by Vicki and Carl Snyder, Hungers End is a Bradenton-based food pantry and blessings closet that’s provided free groceries, clothes and hygiene products to those in need in Manatee County for the past four years.

Last week’s fundraising efforts included the annual event ticket sales, a 50/50 raffle, a silent auction and a live auction featuring Swordfish Grill General Manager Bob Slicker as auctioneer. The Billy Rice Band, TC & The Troublemakers and Tanya McCormick and Rick Fass provided the live music, sponsored again this year by A Paradise Realty.

Giving Back A Paradise
The ladies from A Paradise Realty were the highest bidders for a fishing trip for 35 people with Cortez Deep Sea Fishing and Capt. Lance Plowman. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

“What the Swordfish Grill, Sande Caplin & Associates, and A Paradise Realty do is just amazing, and we were so honored to be the selected beneficiary this year,” Carl Snyder said during the fundraiser’s final hour.

“This is such a blessing, and we want to thank everyone so very much. This will go a long way towards helping us purchase our building at the end of this month. We feed 500 to 600 folks each month, including the elderly in the Grand Palms retirement home,” Snyder added.

“We serve a meal every Monday night to the homeless, and our food pantry at 1802 14th Street West in Bradenton is open the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month from 10 a.m. until noon. We’ll give out free meats, groceries, dairy and whatever else we get donated,” he said. “This is a community-supported, 100 percent volunteer organization. It’s just a lot of loving people who want to give back to the community. We saw how big the need was, and we were led by compassion to help people in need.”

Giving Back organizers
Bob Slicker, Katrina Cox and Sande Caplin play key roles in the annual fund-raiser and Rose Lipke, second to the left, served as a bid spotter during this year’s live auction. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

“What we started with four years ago has turned out to be something we can thank God for – and all the volunteers that make this happen,” Snyder said.

“It was amazing and overwhelming. I was just blown away. I’m so humbled by the giving hearts of Sande, the Swordfish Grill, A Paradise, all their employees and all the people who came tonight. It will help us tremendously,” Vicki Snyder said.

When asked what else the community can do to help, Vicki said, “We’re always looking for volunteers and looking for people to do canned food drives to help stock our pantry. We also need clothing and hygiene products.”

Those who wish to volunteer their time or donate to the Hungers End efforts can learn more from the organization’s website, at the Hungers End Facebook page or by calling 855-777-0259.

After completing his auctioneer’s duties, Slicker said, “We do our Giving Back event every year to benefit a local charity that takes care of people in our community. For four years in a row, we’ve been sold out for this event. It raises a lot of money, and it’s nice to give back. I’d like to thank the sponsors and everyone who came out, and I’m blessed to be a part of it.”

Caplin then said, “This is my seventh year and the fourth year with Swordfish Grill, and this is the best one yet. There were a lot of people who’d never been to the Swordfish Grill and some who’ve never been to our Giving Back event.

“It’s a great fund-raiser, and it’s great to give back. Laura Bell Adams, who works at my company, and Katrina Cox from the Swordfish Grill, pretty much run the whole thing now and A Paradise gave us the money for the bands.

“Every charity in town is important, and it’s a tough decision for us now. We met the Snyders earlier this year and Betsy (Plante) from the Blessing Bags Project recommended them. I’ve been over there on Monday nights when they’re feeding the homeless and it’s phenomenal,” Caplin said.

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Island Players celebrate 70 years of entertainment

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

ANNA MARIA – A piece of Island history is celebrating its roots and looking to its future and its 70th season.

The Island Players spurred on by entertainment-hungry tourists and locals, took over a historic home, converted it into a theater and began the business of providing opportunities for would-be thespians to entertain.

Island Players Herman B and Joe E
Island Players official Herman Brandt with movie star and comic Joe E. Brown. – Submitted | Anna Maria Island Historical Society

According to records at the Anna Maria Island Historical Museum, it all began in 1912 when area pioneer farmer William Gillet had a house built at the north corner of 121st Avenue East and 72nd Street East in Parrish.

The Gillet family sold the house in the 1940s to Bill McKechnie, a longtime manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and it was towed by barge to Anna Maria Island for use by ballplayers during spring training. It was later given to the city and used as Anna Maria’s first city hall, a community center, a tourist information center and eventually, the Island Players Theatre. They held their first performance in 1949.

The building fell in disrepair in the 1960s and its only use was as a theater. In 1971, at an Anna Maria City Council meeting, Mayor Harry Cole faced some opposition to having the termite-ridden building placed under the city’s care. It had some nostalgic value, but it would be a drain on the city’s budget, opponents said.

After much debate, the Island Players, who were planning to build their own theater, agreed to use the building and presented plans for a new stage, seating and to remove some of the building that would be unnecessary for a theater.

Island Players cast rehearsal
The cast for the upcoming play, “An Unexpected Guest,” from left: Heiko Knipfelberg, Kristin Mazzitelli, Colin Brady, Dan Coppinger, Valerie Lipscomb and Mark Shoemaker. On the sofa, Sylvia Marnie and Caroline Cox. – Submitted

Over the years, the Island Players’ productions became a favorite for locals, snowbirds and tourists. Within the past 25 years, they replaced the seats and the curtain with one that is a regal red shade.

Today, the players have the support of Island businesses that sponsor its productions and advertise in its playbooks, and there is an Offstage Ladies of the Island Players group that supplies volunteers as ushers, in the ticket booth, and behind the stage.

There is also a corps of actors that appear regularly as well as new faces, young and old, who make their acting debut here. Island Players President Sylvia Marnie, a veteran of several plays, said there is a lot of love that goes into each production.

“It’s like a family,” she said. “People know you, and they enjoy that.”

Due to its small size, the Island Players use more than the stage. They sometimes stand in the aisles and say their lines

“We do a lot, considering our size,” Marnie said. “At the Island Players, you’re only limited by your own imagination.”

As the Island Players celebrates seven decades of fun, they won’t take too much time out because, as they say, “The show must go on.”

Red tide seagull

Red tide continues to increase

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Red tide.

Red tide increased in waters off Anna Maria Island during the week ending Sept. 14, according to the latest report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and forecasters predict high concentrations through at least Sept. 18.

While the Sept. 14 report shows that overall Manatee County red tide levels were from 5 percent to 25 percent lower than the previous week, high concentrations of red tide were found in water samples taken at the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria and at Longboat Pass and Cortez Beach, both in Bradenton Beach. Low concentrations were found at the Palma Sola Bay bridge. Samples in all those locations showed higher red tide concentrations than the previous week.

University of South Florida, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission | Submitted

At least 140 manatees have died during the red tide bloom that has plagued Southwest Florida since October 2017, and which reached Anna Maria Island on Aug. 3.

To date, 47 dead manatees tested positive for red tide, and red tide is suspected in 93 manatee deaths, according to the FWC.

Six manatee deaths have been recorded in Manatee County so far this year, two in Anna Maria Sound; none are confirmed from red tide.

So far this year, 599 manatees have died in state waters, compared to 538 in all of 2017.

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, which was reported on Friday, Sept. 14.

Respiratory irritation was reported from Sept. 9-12 at Coquina Beach (Bradenton Beach) and Sept. 7 and Sept. 9-14 at Manatee Beach (Holmes Beach).

The last reported fish kill in Manatee County was on Sept. 8.

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.

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Red tide resources

Manatee County logo

County addresses red tide

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Community News, Manatee County.

Red tide remains off Anna Maria Island, and undoubtedly will continue to return in the future, Charlie Hunsicker, director of the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources department, told Manatee County commissioners this week in his report on the county’s activities to address the outbreak.

“It’s still there. We’re still seeing results coming ashore on our beaches,” he said, adding that the county has two beach rakes cleaning the beaches, with Mark Taylor, the full-time beach raker, putting in 21 straight days without a day off.

“As a natural occurrence, it’s always with us,” Hunsicker said. “It’s only when it blooms in a fantastic abundance that it starts to affect the respiratory abilities of fish,” affecting the smallest fish first, then the larger ones as they ingest the smaller ones. “Red tide is in the water column. I can’t paint it any worse than that.”

Hunsicker predicted that the naturally-occurring algae, which was first reported as early as the 1700s off Florida’s coast, will continue to affect county beaches.

“As sure as we will see blue skies and blue water and sandy beaches again in the years to come, we may and will be revisited by red tide,” he said.

“The red tide is absolute in its effect and very difficult to mitigate,” Hunsicker said, adding that its severity can vary from day to day and place to place.

During the current outbreak, which began on Aug. 3, the county has taken several actions, Hunsicker said:

  • Adopted stringent local stormwater controls to protect the Outstanding Florida Waters classification for Sarasota Bay
  • Completed enhanced levels of wastewater treatment in March 2017 to lower nitrogen levels in its reclaimed water distribution systems at a cost of more than $21 million
  • Implemented summer fertilizer use restrictions
  • Mobilized a 12-hour-a-day/7-day-a-week project to clean beaches and boat ramps
  • Provided dumpsters at 16 locations to provide citizens the opportunity to dispose of fish
  • Mobilized emergency services through Aptim Environmental and Infrastructure and SWS to provide three collection vessels for floating fish, a transport vessel for hauling collected fish to shore dumpster locations, and administration for in-water collection services
  • Organized three volunteer clean-up events with department staff along the Palma Sola Causeway
  • Initiated the “Nets to Neighbors Program” providing nets to residents who are able to clean their own canals.

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Red tide continues to increase

County approves $500,000 more for red tide beach cleanup

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Where’s Bortie?

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

Picking up the pace and moving ahead to 11th place from 12th in a field of 13, loggerhead sea turtle Bortie continues to swim off Everglades National Park in the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s 11th Annual Tour de Turtles.

Bortie has traveled 128 miles since the race began on Aug. 1. The event is part of the organization’s research project tracking satellite-tagged turtles to determine where and how far they migrate.

Bortie was satellite tagged and released on Coquina Beach on June 19, and is sponsored by the Conservancy, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, Waterline Marina Resort in Holmes Beach and Bortell’s Lounge in Anna Maria, for which she is named.

Bortie’s nest hatched successfully in August.

Where's Bortie
Bortie is still hanging around the Florida Keys in the Tour de Turtles race.
Bradenton Anna Maria Island Longboat Key

County approves $500,000 more for red tide beach cleanup

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Business, Featured, Tourism.

BRADENTON – Manatee County commissioners unanimously voted on Sept. 11 to take another $500,000 from tourist tax funds and use it to remove dead fish killed by red tide from local beaches.

Red tide is causing concern for people with Florida vacation plans, and some are considering cancelling their reservations, according to the Better Business Bureau.

The bureau reports an increase in complaints filed against businesses offering vacation rentals during the current red tide bloom, which reached Anna Maria Island on Aug. 3.

Consumer complaints allege issues with receiving refunds following cancellation, and businesses not disclosing potential red tide issues.

The bureau recommends knowing your consumer rights, beginning with understanding the terms and conditions of your contract for a vacation rental, or the refund policy for a hotel reservation.

Establishments are not required under Florida law to issue refunds for prepaid reservations, according to the bureau.

Communication with the business is key, the bureau advises; talk with the management to resolve your issues. Most businesses want to keep you as a customer and will work with you to find a reasonable solution.

If you’re having a problem with your reservation visit www.bbb.org/howtocomplain for more information.

The vote raises the total tourist tax funds allowed for beach maintenance to $1,250,000 a year.

“We don’t know how long this red tide event is going to go on,” Elliott Falcione, director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), told commissioners.

“We are standing down on marketing right now in certain areas,” he said. “We believe if we were putting our brand out there, our ROI (return on investment) would be next to nothing and we could be deceiving the marketplace.”

Marketing funds saved during the red tide outbreak will be used when the crisis is over to double down on the area’s tourism message, countering negative publicity in the (UK) Daily Mail and other publications, he said, adding that a $1 million contingency fund is also available to be used for marketing after a disaster, including hurricanes and red tide.

County commissioners amended the Tourist Development Plan in 2014 to allow $100,000 per year in tourist tax funds for maintenance of county-owned beaches. The following year, commissioners increased the funding to $750,000. Last month, the Manatee County Tourist Development Council voted unanimously to recommend the commission approve the additional $500,000.

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Red tide continues to increase

Red tide resources

Red tide assistance available for businesses

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Business, Featured, Tourism.

Loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network are available to businesses whose customers are staying away because of red tide.

The red tide bloom that continues to persist in the Gulf of Mexico began in September 2017 in Southwest Florida, reaching Anna Maria Island on Aug. 3. Since then, dead fish and the respiratory irritation caused when the algae’s neurotoxin is dispersed in the air have kept the Island’s usual crowds away from restaurants and retail stores.

SBA loan office opens Sept. 7 in Holmes Beach

The Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Outreach Center opens Friday, Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. to assist such businesses affected by red tide.

The center is at the Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive in Holmes Beach. After Sept. 7, hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. No appointments are necessary.

SBA representatives will provide information about disaster loans and assist business owners in completing loan assistance applications. Manatee County’s economic development team and local Chamber of Commerce partners also will provide information and resources to assist businesses in documenting financial losses.

Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program

The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network’s Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program is available to small business owners in designated disaster areas, including Manatee County, who experienced physical or economic damage because of red tide.

Small business owners can qualify for between $1,000 and $50,000 in interest-free loans, payable after 180 days. If paid late, an 18 percent interest rate applies.

The program is not designed to be the primary source of assistance to affected small businesses; program eligibility is linked to the pursuit of other monies, such as the proceeds of insurance claims or other loans, other financial assistance the borrower receives after receipt of the loan or proceeds from the revived business.

Applications will be accepted from for-profit, privately-held small businesses that have maintained an office in Florida since at least Aug. 13, 2018, employ between two and 100 employees and have suffered physical damage and/or economic injury because of red tide.

Borrowers will be required to sign agreements that proceeds of the loans will be used only for maintaining or restarting the businesses in the designated area. Use of proceeds to pay off debts already incurred for qualifying business maintenance or restart purposes may be authorized on a case-by-case basis.

Applications will be accepted through Oct. 12, contingent on availability of funds.

For more information, visit SBA or call 800-659-2955.

For more information, visit The Sun’s Red Tide Resources.

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red tide fishing license exception

Special license sought to lessen red tide fish kills

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

BRADENTON BEACH – Cortez fisherman and businessman John Banyas is seeking a state-issued special activity license allowing him a greater ability to harvest mullet and threadfin herring when those species are threatened by red tide.

Banyas will ask the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for the special license, and the city of Bradenton Beach has agreed to serve as the applicant and license holder for those efforts.

“My concern is to utilize the fish before they are wasted,” Banyas said when addressing the Bradenton Beach commission on Thursday, Sept. 6. “It’s like you were fish farming and knowing you were going to lose the oxygen in your fish ponds. A prudent farmer would harvest those fish before they die and go to waste.”

Banyas first proffered this idea during an Aug. 14 gathering of local restauranteurs. He then requested and received letters of support from the Manatee County Commission and Congressman Vern Buchanan. He’s also reached out to State Sen. Bill Galvano.

Banyas owns Cortez Bait & Seafood, Killer Bait, Gulfstream Boats Inc., the Swordfish Grill, N.E. Taylor Boatworks and the restaurant space leased to the Cortez Kitchen – all in Cortez.

He told the Bradenton Beach commission that a special activity license permit can only be issued to a municipality or a research or educational organization. He said he sought the city’s assistance because he was born and raised there – and the village of Cortez does not have its own city government.

On Sept. 26, Banyas will attend the FWC Commission meeting in Tallahassee in hopes of presenting a special licensing request that if approved would allow him and his crew to use a 500-square-foot nylon net with a two-to-four-and-a-half-inch mesh size to harvest mullet. He also seeks permission to use, at one mile out, the one-inch mesh purse seine nets he’s allowed to use at three miles out. Banyas seeks these temporary and limited provisions for waters within five miles of a red tide outbreak or an anticipated outbreak, as determined by FWC.

“This five-mile radius can be adjusted within 24-to-48 hours,” Banyas said.

“It’s only going to be the mullet and the thread herring. This gear catches a designated species. There’s no indirect catch of any other species. I would encourage FWC to provide a marine biologist observer to ride with me to see first-hand what is occurring, and in predicting these fish die-offs,” he said.

If issued, the special activity license would allow Banyas to harvest mullet and thread herring in any state water being threatened by red tide, as determined FWC. This would include Sarasota Bay.

“If red tide was here on Bradenton Beach and St. Pete was clean, clear and fresh, I couldn’t go over there. I would be bound to be within a five-mile radius within the red tide. It would have to be fish that are in jeopardy of dying,” Banyas said.

“Right now, this might not help us because all our fish are dead. This will potentially help in other areas as the red tide continues to travel north. The red tide is moving more over to Hillsborough and Pinellas counties,” he said.

Banyas seeks a one-time license that would expire on Dec. 31 but potentially establish a permitting precedent for future years.

“If all this doesn’t work this year, I’ve made ground getting through to them. If we’ve got to do it the next time this happens, the groundwork is set. We know red tide is going to come back, and I’d like to utilize the resource before they die the next time red tide is present,” Banyas said.

To protect the city from liability concerns, City Attorney Ricinda Perry recommended the city be added to Banyas’ insurance policy and that Banyas and the city enter into an indemnification and hold harmless agreement that relieves the city of any liability related to Banyas’ fishing activities. Banyas agreed to those terms.

After further discussion, the commission unanimously supported Commissioner Jake Spooner’s motion to authorize Banyas to apply for a special activity license using the city of Bradenton Beach as the applicant and license holder and to perform work under the license, if approved, as a non-exclusive contractor.

Banyas was asked later if he expects pushback from the recreational fishing community.

“I couldn’t see why, because who wants to waste the fish? I just want the mullet and the thread herring. Why sit there and watch them die and worry about cleaning them up and or the carcasses going to the bottom and creating bacteria that contaminate the water. I’m not out to change the law, it’s just to catch the fish before they die,” he said.

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Holmes Beach City Hall

Meet the Holmes Beach candidates at The Sun forum

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

HOLMES BEACH – If you have questions for the City Commission and mayoral candidates, Sept. 19 is your chance to get answers.

The Sun is hosting its annual candidate forum at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 19, at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive. Candidates will take to the dais to answer our readers’ questions before early voting begins in October.

During the forum, candidates will be asked to answer your questions with their fellow candidates given the chance to respond with their thoughts on the issues.

Commission candidates are first up at 6 p.m. With two two-year terms available on the City Commission, three candidates are vying for votes – Commissioner Pat Morton, Don Purvis and Kim Rash.

Morton served as commissioner since first being elected in 2003 and is currently serving a one-year term on the dais. In his current term, expiring November 2018, Morton was elected by his fellow commissioners to serve as vice-chair. He serves as liaison to Waste Pro for recycling and solid waste concerns, the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center and the Holmes Beach Police Department pension board.

Purvis is a newcomer to the local political arena. A Holmes Beach resident since 2010, Purvis works as the managing broker and an owner of Beach House Real Estate. After spending a year on the Center of Anna Maria Island’s board of directors, Purvis is ready to branch out into the local political arena to provide the City Commission with a fresh perspective on community issues.

Rash, the self-proclaimed mayor of Holmes Boulevard, is a long-time Holmes Beach resident who prides himself on giving a voice to the residents. After spending several years on the sidelines, he’s ready to dive into local politics to continue advocating for Holmes Beach residents and the rights of property owners in a more official capacity.

Immediately following the commission candidate forum, the mayoral candidates take the dais for a discussion of local issues and to answer questions. Vying for the mayoral position are Commissioner Judy Titsworth and political newcomer Joshua Linney.

Titsworth has been a lifetime resident of Holmes Beach. She was first elected to the city commission in 2012 and has served as commission chair since 2013. If elected as mayor, Titsworth hopes to use her years of local political and business management experience to benefit the city’s residents and business owners. Currently, she serves as the commission’s alternate for the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center and liaison for roads, bridges, canals and erosion issues.

Linney is a newcomer to the local political arena. A long-time resident of Holmes Beach, he currently serves as a member of the city’s Parks and Beautification Committee. He owns a website consulting service and previously served for three years in the U. S. Army. If elected, Linney says he wants to give voice to the residents of Holmes Beach.

To submit questions to be asked during the forum, email them to news@amisun.com or post them to our social media page.

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Bradenton Beach CRA underground

CRA approves undergrounding project

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

BRADENTON BEACH – The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has agreed to spend approximately $568,000 to place underground the utility lines on Bridge Street and some of the lines that cross over Gulf Drive.

Having discussed the project for several months, the CRA members received cost estimates on Sept. 5 from the CDM Smith engineering and consulting firm that’s guiding the Longboat Key undergrounding project.

The CRA members agreed in principle to spend $440,000 to bury the utility lines on Bridge Street, including the connection fees for Bridge Street property owners and business owners to be connected to the above-ground transformers.

CDM Smith Senior Utility Coordinator Mark Porter said the fee connections typically cost $2,000 to $7,000, and he thinks the Bridge Street connections will be on the low end of that. Earlier this year, CRA member and City Commissioner Jake Spooner discussed the connection fees with several Bridge Street property owners and some opposed the connection fees.

The $440,000 estimate includes $18,000 for street lighting replacement and $40,000 in contingency funds to cover unanticipated costs.

The CRA members also agreed to spend $77,000 to bury eight lateral utility lines that cross over Gulf Drive between Cortez Road and Fourth Street South. That estimated fee includes $4,000 in contingency funds.

The CRA members agreed to hire CDM Smith to oversee the undergrounding project. CDM Smith associate Amelia Davies estimated that cost to be about 10 percent of the overall project costs. This amounts to about $51,700 and brings the total estimated project cost to $568,000. A previous preliminary cost estimate provided by CDM Smith was roughly $750,000.

The CRA approval included the stipulation that CDM Smith coordinates with Emily Anne Smith, the independent architectural designer contracted to develop a CRA district master plan. During public comment, Smith said she supports the project, will incorporate it into her designs and wishes it would have happened 20 years ago.

The contract with CDM Smith is expected to be presented at the next CRA meeting.

CRA discussion

CRA chair and City Commissioner Ralph Cole has pushed for the undergrounding project since at least early 2017, and he’s often noted it was included in the original CRA plan adopted in 1992.

“It’s always been put off because the funds weren’t available,” he said last week.

Cole said burying the utility lines would beautify and enhance Bridge Street while also eliminating the possibility of those power lines coming down in a storm.

“We’re using the CRA money for what it was meant to be used for,” he said.

Spooner, who’s also a Bridge Street business owner, asked Porter how disruptive the project would be to the businesses.

Porter estimated the entire project would take no more than six months, and the Bridge Street properties would never be without power. He said the disruption to the businesses would be minimal because directional boring would be used to bury the utility lines and conduits.

“You don’t have to go in there and tear up roads and sidewalks. We just have to have somewhere to set the rig and have the bore come up,” Porter said, noting the most disruptive work could be scheduled earlier in the week when the businesses are slower.

“I think this is a bold move. I think it says a lot about Bradenton Beach and its CRA and is something tangible that people can see,” said member Ed Chiles, who was participating by phone.

“I do think this is one of the most important projects the CRA has taken on. It shows the leadership in Bradenton Beach because by this move the CRA is leading the way to underground the utilities for Anna Maria Island. Bradenton Beach’s downtown area is taking the very first, most important step in this regard. I think it can grow from here and go Island-wide, and I hope it will,” Chiles said.

Funding mechanism

Using tax increment revenues generated in the CRA district that extends from Cortez Road to the southernmost property lines along Fifth Street South, the CRA will cover the entire cost of the project, and the city’s general fund will not be impacted.

As of early August, the CRA fund balance was about $1.7 million, according to City Treasurer Shayne Thompson. The CRA’s 2018-19 fiscal year budget anticipates an additional $474,463 in tax revenues for the new fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. The undergrounding project was not included in the CRA’s 2018-19 budget, and that will require a future budget amendment.

AME peace day 2017

AME prepares to celebrate peace

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Community News, Schools.

HOLMES BEACH – Anna Maria Elementary (AME) School teachers, staff and students are preparing for the 17th Annual Peace Day celebration, on Friday, Sept. 21, starting at 9 a.m. in front of the school.

The celebration serves as a lesson for students that violence is not the way to solve disagreements.

AME Guidance Counselor Susan Tabicman said this year’s celebration involves pinwheels and students’ thoughts on what peace looks like and means to them. The theme is “The Right to Peace,” according to Tabicman.

The event will begin with an introduction by AME Principal Jackie Featherston and Rotary Club of AMI Past President Judy Rup. Fourth- and fifth-graders will present the colors while the Star-Spangled Banner plays. The Manatee High School Drumline will perform as students plant the Peace Flags around the Peace Pole.

Select students will read poetry and essays on peace, and it concludes with everyone singing a song of peace.

Peace Day began after then-AME Guidance Counselor Cindi Harrison realized two new students had moved here from a school in New York near the Twin Towers that were destroyed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island provided AME with the Peace Pole in March 2002 and the teachers decided to use it as a part of the celebration.

Castles in the Sand

Why aren’t you moving?

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

Last week we talked about moving and the emotional and financial toll it can take on your family. This week we’re going to touch on why people aren’t moving as much, at least not for jobs.

It’s a new world out there; technology has made it possible to practically run a multi-million-dollar business from home in your pajamas. More employers are offering their staff the ability to work virtually from home, saving enormous amounts of corporate dollars. This could be part of the reason why, according to the U.S. census data, fewer people are relocating for jobs.

About 3.5 million people relocated for a new job or job transfer last year, which is a 10 percent drop from 2015, but there are other reasons as well. The once traditional family, where job transfers hinged on the primary breadwinner’s career, usually the husband, are almost gone. During the time I worked in the relocation business we had an awful expression for this, “the trailing spouse,” which conjured up nasty images. In the late 1980s, more than a third of job seekers relocated, and it has gone continually down to below 20 percent after 2000. The first half of this year shows only about 10 percent.

Thankfully these days, no one is trailing primarily because both spouses or partners generally contribute to the financials of the household, and job opportunities must be weighed very differently. In addition, with the high divorce rate and former spouses co-parenting their children, relocating presents logistical issues most employees don’t want to face.

Even for those willing to relocate, the previous generous incentives used to induce skilled workers to uproot themselves and their families have gotten smaller. Therefore, the cost of selling a property and moving to a different location is not being offset by companies as in past years. Add into this the low unemployment rate pretty much all over the country, enabling employees who may want to look for other opportunities to do it a lot closer to home.

Not only are job seekers unwilling to relocate but just regular people are deciding to stay put and renovate homes rather than give up a low mortgage rate and upend the family. Nationally, according to The National Association of Realtors, the sale of existing homes from June to July fell 0.7 percent. This represents the fourth straight month of declines. Compared with a year earlier in July of last year, sales were down 1.5 percent. Lack of inventory to sell is what is pushing sale prices up, keeping buyers out of the market, which depends on a continuing flow of new homeowners to keep it healthy.

We, however, in Manatee County are not having the same problems plaguing the rest of the country. Single-family sales for the month of July were up 19.2 percent from last year and up 10.1 percent for condos. Appreciation rates are also continuing their upward trend. This doesn’t mean we don’t have a shortage of inventory, we do, and in July it dropped a little further, but so far, the number of sales are being maintained.

Florida has never been a state that imported a lot of job seekers. That certainly has changed in recent years with so many younger people relocating from high priced, high taxed Northern states. However, for the most part, our incoming population consists of second-home buyers and retirees, and that’s what’s keeping the sales going.

So why aren’t you moving? Probably because Florida has lots to offer, not the least of which is a more relaxed way of life and sunshine. Have laptop, won’t travel.

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Score a strike at the LaPensee Bowling Tournament

Center fans rock the lanes at bowling tournament

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Bowling, Featured, Sports.

BRADENTON – More than 300 bowlers took to the lanes Sept. 8 in a bowling tournament that was more about comradery than competition.

Bowlers filled 52 sponsored lanes for the annual LaPensee Bowling Tournament held at the AMF Bradenton Lanes. Two kids’ lanes, sponsored by the Zaccagnino and Talucci families, were filled with laughter and a lot of excitement as children took turns rolling bowling balls down the lanes. After taking a year off in 2017, the tournament returned stronger than ever as one of the primary fundraisers for The Center of Anna Maria Island, this year bringing in more than $15,000 in sales and donations.

bowling
From left: Center Board Chair David Zaccagnino; 50-50 winner Martha Jones, who donated half her winnings back to the Center; event chair Karen Harlee; and Cindy Jones, Martha’s mom. – Chantelle Lewin | Sun

Throughout the three-game tournament, bowlers cheered on each other and surrounding teams as some people rolled strikes and others rolled gutter balls. Everyone agreed they had a great time as they came out to support the Center in one of the organization’s signature events. Though the competition was all in good fun, there were a few awards handed out.

The bees of Team Bins Be Clean took home the award for best team costume, beating out the “Dodgeball” inspired costumes from Team Purvis. Young bowler Fiona McCarthy took home the award for the highest kids score. Bowler Charles Wade, from the team from Roser Memorial Community Church, won the award for the highest male score after bowling three nearly perfect games. Lauren Powell took home the highest scoring female bowler award. The award for lowest male score went to Greg McKinney, while Isabella Miller took home the award for the lowest scoring female in the bowling tournament.

In addition to competing for awards, bowlers also were competing against each other for silent auction items and raffle prizes along with $603 in the 50/50 raffle. Auction and raffle prizes included gift baskets from local businesses, a two-hour sunset cruise with Capt. Ben Webb, an original artwork print by artist Patricia Bowers, a trip to LEGO Land, a fishing charter and a one-year family membership to the Center. The two largest raffle prizes were a grill donated by Rice’s Appliances and a beach cruiser bicycle donated by Beach Bums. Winner of the bicycle, Alex Harllee, even considered taking the bicycle for a quick spin through the bowling alley at the urging of Center board chair David Zaccagnino causing a round of laughter to erupt from nearby bowlers.

While not everyone went home with an award or a prize, everyone agreed they had a great time. Center executive director Chris Culhane said the tournament was a lot of fun for everyone involved.

“We’re thankful to everyone who came out tonight,” he said.

New red tide treatment for manatees in works

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Outdoors, Red tide.

Florida International University and Mote Marine Laboratory are developing new and more efficient ways to treat manatees exposed to the toxic red tide.

Through a $428,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s ECOHAB program, FIU and Mote are launching a three-year project to improve veterinary care for rescued manatees by studying how the cells in their immune systems respond to certain antioxidants. The goal is to identify antioxidants that may work better than the current treatment, which uses anti-inflammatory substances.

FIU chemist Kathleen Rein and Mote marine immunology expert Cathy Walsh are leading the research team.

“The current approach is simply to give palliative care and wait for them to clear the toxin and get better,” Rein said. “This new treatment could accelerate the healing process. If this treatment is successful, it could be used with many other animals including dolphins, turtles and birds.”

Red tide toxins can compromise a manatee’s immune system, causing a harmful phenomenon known as oxidative stress, leaving the animal vulnerable to illness. Manatees can become sick or even die from eating tainted vegetation or inhaling contaminated air.

“We’re identifying what compounds are the most promising in minimizing oxidative stress levels so they can be tested in a veterinary setting with these animals in the future,” Walsh said. “The need for better treatment is underscored by the current, long-lasting bloom of Florida red tide and its intense impacts on Florida manatees.”

The current bloom of Karenia brevis — the microscopic algae causing the Florida red tide — is the worst the state has seen since 2005. Seven counties are currently in a state of emergency with no predictions on how long the current red tide bloom will last.

Red tide is to blame for 10 percent of manatee deaths over the last 10 years. During bloom years, that number jumps to 30 percent. More than 575 manatees have already died this year including 103 suspected or confirmed red tide cases, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. This surpasses the year-long total of 538 from 2017.

Just two years ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service changed the manatee’s status from endangered to threatened. Rein and Walsh’s research, if ultimately applied successfully to veterinary care, may help keep manatees from plummeting back to endangered status.

FWC: Red tide increasing

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

Red tide is increasing again in the Gulf of Mexico off Anna Maria Island, according to today’s report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

The Sept. 7 report shows that red tide levels are from 5 percent to 25 percent higher than last week.

Low concentrations of red tide were found in water samples taken at the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria. Medium concentrations were found in water at Longboat Pass and at Cortez Beach, both in Bradenton Beach, and background concentrations were found 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 from Aug. 30 to Sept. 5 at Coquina Beach (Bradenton Beach) and from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2 and again on Sept. 4 at Manatee Beach (Holmes Beach).

The last reported fish kill in Manatee County was on Aug. 31 in Bradenton Beach.

Persistent surface currents before, during and after the passage of Tropical Storm Gordon likely played a role in transporting Karenia brevis red tide cells to the northwest, according to FWC.

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.

Call 866-300-9399 in Florida to hear a recording about red tide conditions. Callers outside of Florida, call 727-552-2448.