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Tag: Anna Maria Island

Anna Maria pier demo pile

Pier demolition ahead of schedule

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

ANNA MARIA – A visit to the Anna Maria City Pier late Friday afternoon indicated the demolition process is proceeding at a rapid pace and is ahead of schedule.

Only a short section of pier remained, and when contacted that day, Mayor Dan Murphy said he anticipated the pier demolition to be completed this week – well ahead of the Oct. 1 deadline specified in the contract with Speeler & Associates.

“The pier demolition should be done by Tuesday barring any unplanned events. I’m pleased with the progress,” Murphy said.

Anna Maria pier demo remaining walkway
Only a short section of the main pier walkway remained by the end of Speeler & Associates’ second week of demolition work. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Speeler & Associates began its demolition work on Monday, July 9 and two days later demolished the T-end buildings and began removing the decking. The demolition team has now removed most of the remaining pier walkway and pulled most of the wooden pilings.

As part of the demolition project, the remaining unclaimed engraved pier planks were removed by a crew from Agnelli Pools & Construction. The unclaimed engraved planks will be used later to build memorial walls across the street at City Pier Park and outside the Anna Maria Island Historical Society Museum on Pine Avenue.

The City Commission’s next order of pier-related business will be to accept or reject the two bids recently received for the construction of a new pier. Speeler & Associates bid $3.72 million to build a new pier and Tampa-based ICON bid $4.13 million.

Murphy will present the commission with the bid rankings and the commission will decide if the mayor is to begin negotiating potential contract terms with the highest-ranked firm. If the commission rejects both bids, a new request for proposals would be issued. The construction bids will be discussed at the commission’s  Thursday, July 26 meeting, which begins at 6 p.m.

Pier planks retrieved

According to Murphy, more than 145 engraved planks had been picked up at city hall as of Friday, July 20. The deadline to retrieve a pre-claimed engraved plank is Tuesday, July 31.

“We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from individuals who are very happy and very pleased to be able to get these planks,” Deputy City Clerk Debbie Haynes said during the July 12 commission meeting. Holmes Beach resident and local charter fishing captain Scott Moore recently retrieved the engraved pier plank bearing his name. He said his family members wanted him to keep it.

“I thought it was very graceful of the city of Anna Maria to go out of the way to make sure the residents and others got their planks. I’d like to thank the city and it will be great to see the new pier rise again when it’s built,” Moore said.

“I’ve traveled all over the United States and when I tell people I live on Anna Maria Island they immediately say that it’s a beautiful island with a beautiful pier at the end of it. I grew up fishing on the Rod & Reel Pier and the City Pier as a kid and I was very fortunate to have those experiences as part of my childhood,” Moore said.

Related coverage

Pier banner vandalism suspect arrested

Pier demolition begins

Pier demolition clarified

Commissioners respond to pier criticism

Center adult soccer league summer

The spirit of the World Cup on the Island

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

On the heels of the excitement of World Cup action, the Island soccer community came together Thursday night to start another season. Representing the countries that made their way to the semi-final round of the sport’s big show, more than 50 adults took to the pitch for a summer season of fun on the field.

Seven teams make up the league for the last-minute added soccer season, as summer adult flag football did not come to fruition for the first time in the league’s history. This shift in interest came at the perfect time, allowing Team Brazil, sponsored by Moss Builders, and Team Croatia, sponsored by Progressive Cabinetry, to set the tone for the night in the first game of the season.

With the co-ed rule of one female player on the field lifted, Erin Felipe represented for the limited girl power this season. Felipe plays on Team Croatia with Damir Glavan, who proudly represents his home country that made it to the finals of the World Cup.

Utilizing other portions of the field at The Center, the slightly wider but shorter field allowed more open play with five and a goalie for each team manning the field.

Progressive Cabinetry’s Ryan Hogan hit the first of his three goals early in the game with the assist by Hakan Toka. Third round pick Toka proved to be a player to watch with his performance week one.

In the fourth minute of play, last season’s sleeper Chris Scott showed why he has to be picked in the first round in the last two drafts with a solid shot after making the moves against Croatia team captain Kris Yavalar.

Aaron Parkin returned to Island soccer this season with a goal of his own less than three minutes later to put Moss Builders up by a goal in what looked to be a close game.

Hogan struck back quick to tie the game against goalkeeper Olaf Krause. Krause guarded the house until the 12th minute of play. Team captain Ryan Moss put on the goalie jersey just in time to stop a ground shot by Glavan.

Moss could not stop the Yavalar-Hogan combination moves, as Hogan solidly placed the ball in the net for a hat trick giving Progressive Cabinetry’s Team Croatia the lead once again.

As the scoreboard showed the score at 3-2, Moss made a beautiful throw to Parkin, taking advantage of the shorter field. Parkin found Ed Moss in perfect position near the Croatia goal. E. Moss’ shot went wide right.

The scoreboard clock showed a little more than two minutes left in the first half of the game when Brazil’s Scott took a shot that was finished by Raymond Gardner, tying the game at 3-3.

Toka scored his second goal of the game to put Progressive Cabinetry up again to finish the first half of play.

Less than two minutes into the next half, Parkin and Scott made easy work of the field taking the score to 4-4.

Nearing the 30th minute of play, E. Moss scored his last goal before his 60th birthday on a play made possible by the long pass of now-goalkeeper Gardner, giving Moss Builders’ Team Brazil the lead.

Yuri Pereira and Krause score goals of their own, putting the Moss team up by three goals.

In the 40th minute of the game, R. Moss found himself in the goal in a one-on-one situation against Toka. Toka’s strike could not be defended, giving Team Croatia a glimmer of hope with plenty of time on the game clock.

Toka narrowed the gap to a one-point lead with another on-target shot before Parkin and Gardner tag teamed goalie Will Case, putting the shot through his legs.

Unselfish play by Parkin gave the soccer ball to Pereira who found Scott open for yet another point on the board.

As the clock ticked down, with four seconds left in regulation play, Scott sealed the deal with a goal ending the game with the score 7-10 and giving Moss Builders’ Team Brazil the first win of the summer season.

Valuing civility

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Editorial, Opinion.

Election season is upon us, and already the gloves are coming off between candidates and between some candidates and the public. The first ballot is months away from being cast, but the first punches have certainly been thrown.

In some races already votes of confidence are coming down to where candidates stand on certain issues. Out of consideration is whether or not the candidates, if elected, would have any influence over those issues. Neighbors are pitting themselves against neighbors, and the political divides are becoming painfully obvious.

Everyone should stand up for what they believe in. Everyone should help create the change they want to see in their community. The trick is to make a positive change in the community in a positive way, without resorting to backstabbing and dirty politics. At this point, all of the current candidates in all three cities are staying in the game for the long haul. It’s now up to everyone else to do their part. Get out there and do your homework before you vote. Research your community’s candidates, what they stand for, what their track records are and what their background is.

At the end of the day, campaign promises often are just ploys to encourage voters to come to a candidate’s side, unless that candidate has the intent and ability to follow through if elected. Part of responsible voting is knowing what you’re endorsing before you go to the polls. While it’s tempting to vote for your friends or vote for someone who makes grand promises, it may not be the best decision for your community and how you want it to be two years from now.

In the meantime, remember that we’re still a community. No matter who ends up in office in any of the three cities, we’re all living on the same seven-mile stretch of sand. Every candidate is a friend, neighbor or a welcoming face that you likely see every day. If elected, they will be less politicians and more public servants who receive precious little compensation for their time and effort.

As we gear up for the election, let’s not forget the real focus – our Island community. It’s still a long road to November. Let’s all try to stay friends and reject the incivility that seems to be spreading throughout this land.

Castles in the Sand

Property values, taxes always hot topics

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

Summer cocktail parties are one of the staples of the nice warm summer months, sometimes too warm. But whether you’re on the beach, on the boat or just hanging by the backyard pool, the conversation at some point will always turn to property values and taxes.

Last week, we talked about the May sales statistics for Manatee County, which continue to go up overall. This week, we have some new property value information from Manatee County, which was submitted to the Florida Department of Revenue.

Construction was up $1.1 billion in market value, which included 2,502 new single-family homes and 398 new condos. County-wide the taxable values increased from $33.3 billion to $36.1 billion, an 8.16 percent increase.

On Anna Maria Island, the city of Anna Maria had the biggest increase in taxable value between 2017 and 2018 by 10.32 percent. This was the largest increase compared to all other Manatee County municipalities. Bradenton Beach’s taxable value increased 9.3 percent and Holmes Beach’s taxable value increased 7.9 percent. Per Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker the fiscal year of 2018 saw a growth of 9.2 percent in the tax base. This means that he does not see the need to increase the property tax rates for the next fiscal year and presented this recommendation to county commissioners.

Last week, we also touched on the new tax overhaul as it related to home equity loans, but here’s a little more detail. Prior law allowed homeowners to deduct interest up to $100,000 of home equity debt to be used for any reason. Under the new tax provision, you will no longer be allowed to take the interest deduction on new or existing home equity loans unless they’re used for home improvements.

The term “home improvements” is broadly defined as anything that adds value to the home such as landscaping or remodeling but not repairs. This can be a definite maybe when calculating your ability to make these deductions and should be discussed with a tax expert.

A lot of homeowners who currently have outstanding home equity loans on their property will not be happy. Note that if you took a home equity loan out 5 years ago to help your daughter purchase a home and have been deducting the interest on this loan for 5 years, you will no longer be able to take this deduction for the 2018 tax year. However, keep in mind that since the standard deduction has increased to $12,000 for single people and $24,000 for married couples with a potential added benefit for filers 65 and older, the loss of the home equity deduction may not be as bad as you think.

In addition, as previously stated, homeowners from high taxed states are seriously on the move. Residents of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Maryland, and Oregon have the highest state and local tax rates in the country, which are now being capped under the provision of the new tax law.

States like Florida are seeing potential buyers from these and other high taxed states looking for property in the Sunshine State with the potential of establishing residency. I haven’t personally seen it yet, but I’m sure some creative real estate professional is marketing the property to out-of-state buyers, pointing out the tax benefits of relocating to Florida.

With property values going up, property taxes not increasing and no state tax, no wonder we’re seeing a huge influx of new residents. The only minor blip on the radar is the home equity tax deduction ruling. At least this summer the cocktail party chatter won’t get boring.

More Castles in the Sand

Where have all the houses gone?

Preparing your home for sale

Anna Maria Pier Vandalism

Pier banner vandalized

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

ANNA MARIA – The city pier restoration project banner was vandalized at some point over the weekend. Located near the foot of the pier that is currently being demolished, the banner featured a rendering that showed what the new pier will look like.

On Sunday morning, July 15, Public Works Manager Dean Jones sent Mayor Dan Murphy an email that said, “Someone slashed the pier picture banners. I am going in to look at video and do a police report. Going to leave the banners like that until I can get there, take photos and get the deputies involved.”

Anna Maria Pier vandal suspect
Police are looking for his man who was photographed near the pier banner that was vandalized. – Submitted | Sun

Later in the day, Jones shared photos taken from the surveillance camera near the pier. According to Murphy, no arrest had been made as of Sunday afternoon. Anyone with information pertaining to this incident is asked to call 866-634-8477.

Holmes Beach city budget

Holmes Beach leaders talk new fiscal year budget

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

HOLMES BEACH – After two public budget discussions, the city’s proposed 2018-19 budget will be going before commissioners for a public hearing and a vote after a few modifications are made.

City Treasurer Lori Hill proposed a $15,450,807 budget for the coming fiscal year, $2,027,153 over the adopted budget for the current year. The total budget includes $6,414,078 in assigned and unrestricted reserves.

Total operating expenses are budgeted at $2,326,244 with personnel services at $4,742,941 and capital outlay expenses at $1,818,544. The proposed budget also includes $149,000 for debt services, a cost that the city has not yet incurred. Those funds are estimated and set aside for potential future land acquisition purchases.

In the 2018-19 fiscal year, the proposed budget for the mayor and commission is expected to remain steady at $109,178. The general government budget is expected to increase from $1,152,497 in 2017-18 to $1,343,365 in 2018-19. The primary reasons for increases include increases in employee insurance payments, an increase of $50,000 in legal contingency and the addition of a sixth employee in the city clerk’s office to be shared with the city treasurer. The budget also includes $25,000 for donations to The Center of Anna Maria Island and other community organizations as approved by commissioners.

The Police Department’s proposed budget shows increases from $3,056,439 in 2017-18 to $3,324,163 in 2018-19. Primary increases in the budget are attributed to an increase in overtime payments, allowing for bulletproofing of the department’s lobby area where a dispatcher is posted around the clock and $101,000 for the installation of a five-camera license plate recognition system.

The proposed Code Enforcement Department budget is expected to increase by $81,718 to $211,896 for the coming fiscal year. The increase is due to the proposed addition of a third full-time code enforcement officer and a $26,045 increase in the city’s part of employee insurance payments. The budget also includes $31,000, a one-time fee for setting up Icompass host software for compliance issues.

Commissioner Judy Titsworth said she’s concerned that the vacation rental program is not paying for itself at a cost to rental owners of $150 per unit for a two-year period. Tokajer said increasing the cost at this point could reduce compliance by rental unit owners. Instead, he suggested adding and increasing violation costs to those who violate the vacation rental certificate program. He said an updated schedule of violations will be coming before commissioners for consideration at an upcoming meeting.

The Public Works Department proposed budget is expected to stay close to the approved $1,341,242 in 2017-18 at $1,342,757 in the 2018-19 fiscal year.

In the Building Department, Building Official Jim McGuinness presented an estimated $874,053 budget for the coming fiscal year versus the $773,154 approved in the current year. McGuinness said the increase is due primarily to a plan to add a sixth full-time employee and remodel the department’s lobby to make it more welcoming to the community. The new employee would be stationed in the lobby and able to issue most simple permits while the applicant waits, improving service to the community and speeding up the permitting process.

In addition to the already budgeted items, commissioners agreed to add $50,000 for dog park renovations and $15,000 to the budget for the services of City Planner Bill Brisson from carryover monies.

To make the budget work, Hill recommended a 2.25 millage rate. The millage rate is figured at the number of mills per $1,000 of taxable property value. The adjusted taxable value for all applicable Holmes Beach properties is $1,950,802,312, up from $1,826,165,695, the final gross taxable value in the 2017-18 fiscal year. Though the millage rate stays the same, because of the increase in property values, the city’s income from ad valorem tax is expected to increase from $4,108,873 in the 2017-18 fiscal year to $4,433,170 in the coming fiscal year. To keep the level of income at the same rate as the current fiscal year, commissioners would have to vote to set the millage rate at the rollback rate of 2.1062 mills. Though 2.25 mills is the recommendation, commissioners have not yet voted on the millage rate for the coming year.

Copies of the city’s draft budget are available to the public in the lobby at Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive.

Commissioners will vote to set the maximum millage rate for the 2018-19 fiscal year at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24 at City Hall.

Good times

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Editorial, Opinion.

Congratulations to The Anna Maria Island Privateers for staging another great Fourth of July parade, bringing together neighbors and visitors for a wonderful day and chance to celebrate our great country.

It was a fun, well-produced parade that attracted good-sized crowds of people lining the route from Coquina to the Anna Maria City Pier.

There were even groups of empty chairs placed out early along the road to stake out the shady spots, similar to the De Soto Grand Parade in Bradenton.

And it was nice to see everyone pulling together and recognizing we are all on the same team here, despite our differences.

Also deserving plenty of recognition was the city of Anna Maria for its Party in the Park. How many public festivals are there anymore where the food and drinks are free?

What a nice, pleasant gathering in City Pier Park, full of good company and small-town flavor.

As usual, the nighttime drew the fireworks crowd to the beaches and, fortunately, there were no reported injuries from all the pyrotechnics. And there were lots of pyrotechnics.

All in all, a grand old holiday worth savoring and remembering.

Center of Anna Maria Island

Island cities ok Center funding

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

ANNA MARIA – City commissioners have agreed to make an $18,500 contribution to The Center of Anna Maria Island.

To be taken from the city’s current fiscal year budget, the money will help support the nonprofit’s youth programs, including summer camp and after-school activities.

Executive Director Chris Culhane presented the budget request to commissioners on Thursday, June 28, after he and board chair David Zaccagnino were told on June 14 their request needed to include more specific details.

Each year the Anna Maria commission budgets taxpayer money to help support the Center, but this year’s contribution was withheld until concerns about the nonprofit’s financial stability and the organization’s willingness to share financial and operational records were addressed.

During last week’s meeting, Commissioner Brian Seymour made an initial motion to give the nonprofit $32,000, but his motion died for the lack of a second. The commission then voted 4-1 in favor of the requested $18,500 contribution, with Seymour voting opposition.

After the meeting, Seymour said, “While $18,500 is a generous donation, it doesn’t amount to anywhere close to what I feel the city should be contributing to the Center on an annual basis to support our youth. Our $18,500 is less than one-half of 1 percent of our annual budget and less than 1.5 percent of the Center’s current budget. I will keep pleading the case for more support in future years, and I hope the other commissioners can get on board.”

The Bradenton Beach Commission recently authorized a $5,000 contribution from its current fiscal year budget to assist with the Senior Adventures program that provides weekly adventures for senior citizens departing from the Annie Silver Community Center in Bradenton Beach.

The Holmes Beach Commission recently approved a $22,500 contribution to the Center from the city’s current fiscal year budget.

Related coverage

Center board makes plans for the future

Commissioners vote to financially support Center

Center finances hold steady in March

U.S. flag

Fourth of July holiday fun

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

The Fourth of July is one of the busiest holidays on Anna Maria Island with a parade, a park party and fireworks at the beach.

The Anna Maria Privateers Fourth of July Parade starts at 10 a.m. at Coquina Beach, south of the city of Bradenton Beach, and ends at Anna Maria City Pier. After that, the Privateers will go to the Anna Maria Island Beach Café at 4000 Gulf Drive to hand out scholarships. They will end their day with a party at D Coy Ducks in Holmes Beach.

Earlier, the Privateers asked parade participants to refrain from squirting people in the crowds with squirt guns to avoid injuring anybody or damaging cameras and cell phones, but late last week they decided to allow some squirt guns that don’t shoot a strong stream of water, according to Privateer Kim Boyd.

The park party runs from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at Anna Maria City Pier Park on Pine Avenue. There will be free hot dogs, chips, liquid refreshments and patriotic music.

Finally, the Sandbar restaurant, 100 Spring Ave., will sponsor a fireworks show on the beach. It should be the only fireworks on the beach because private individuals on the Island are not allowed to shoot anything that explodes or flies. Police say that ordinance will be strictly enforced.

Parking is limited so the free trolleys are a good alternative to get there. The county will have the trolleys running late to make sure people can stay until the end of the show and still get home.

Fourth of July hot dog contest

How many hot dogs can you eat?

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Entertainment.

CORTEZ – The Swordfish Grill will host its Fifth Annual Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 4.

Given 10 minutes to eat as many hot dogs as possible, the winner will have his or her name engraved on the prestigious Hahana Ilio Cup trophy – hahana ilio is Hawaiian for “hot dog”. The winner will also take home $250 in prizes, including cash and Swordfish Grill swag.

Billy “The Batter Box” Raley won last year’s contest. Past winners also include Jarred “The Belly” Kelley and two-time champion Jake “The Dominator” Rodgers.

There is no registration fee, but all participants are required to sign a waiver. Contestants under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian’s written permission. Contestants can stop by the Swordfish Grill and pre-register ahead of time or register by noon on the day of the event.

The annual contest will also feature raffle prizes, and while there, ask about the new Cortez Passport program and get your passport stamped.

The Swordfish Grill is located at 4628 119th St. W. in Cortez. For more information, call 941-798-2035.

Brady family and friends Center

Island rallies for celebrated family

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

ANNA MARIA – Old-timers and new residents turned out Saturday to raise money for Jim and Ronee Brady, owners of the fire-damaged West Coast Surf Shop. The couple is now waiting on insurance money to pay for the damage to their shop and merchandise that was destroyed in the April blaze.

However, insurance won’t cover all their expenses or loss of income since the shop has been closed. And when their friends and fans, who included customers and former employees, heard about their plight, they organized the fundraiser. At press time, there was no count of the money raised.

Ben Webb, who helped to come up with the idea, talked to the crowd about the Bradys’ contributions to the Island.

“We decided to have a good old-fashioned fundraiser just like many we’ve held so many times in the past,” he said. “Through all those events, the Bradys were there contributing items to sell and helping with the work it takes to put on these things. They were at every one of them.”

The crowd applauded, and the family members there waved and posed for photos.

Somebody brought out two skimboards that were in the shop during the fire, and everybody there was asked to sign one of them.

There was music, beer, food, raffles and memories from those who recall how Island residents worked together to help those down on their luck. Webb said he hoped they always would.

Webb Brady Center fundraiser
Ben Webb introduces Jim Brady to the crowd. – Tom Vaught | Sun

Webb said they got the idea for the fundraiser like so many others.

“We were sitting at Duffy’s having some beers, and we decided it would be a great idea,” he said. “Then the girls took it over and handled the details.”

One of those women was Janae Rudacille, who praised the volunteers for their hard work.

Duffy’s Tavern and The Chiles Group restaurants provided the food. Duffy’s co-owner Peggy Davenport served liquor during the event, and Ed Chiles visited the event with his wife, Tina.

“This is another example of the community pulling together to help one of their own,” Chiles said. “The Bradys have been around for years and they have contributed to the fundraisers with donations and labor.”

Trevor Bystrom and Kristie Armas, Chuck Caudill and Kettle of Fish provided the music.

Jim Brady posed for photos and spoke with people he hadn’t seen in years.

“I’m amazed at the turnout,” he said. “We want to thank everybody who showed up and hope to see you when we reopen.”

Castles in the Sand

Preparing your home for sale

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

William Morris was an English textile designer who was part of the Arts and Crafts movement in the late 1800s. One of his famous quotes is, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”

Which brings us to what you need to do during the summer if you’re planning on putting your home up for sale in the fall. Removing all the negatives in your house, and believe me every house has them, is particularly important in the slightly weaker real estate market we’re starting to see. In particular, homes and condos that need renovations are frequently being passed over by buyers who don’t have the time or inclination to do the work even for a lower sale price.

If your home has an outdated kitchen and bathrooms which you were hoping would be overshadowed by the charm of Anna Maria Island, it may be time to rethink how a buyer will look at these rooms. We live in a go-go, busy world, and buyers who are making a permanent move can be overwhelmed by the logistics of pulling it all together and can’t face moving in and taking on a project.

Second homebuyers are almost always from out of the area and really don’t want to have a long-distance relationship with a contractor.

If a major renovation isn’t in your budget, then at the very least, for starters, follow William Morris’ advice and remove any and all extraneous items from your home. Clutter on kitchen countertops makes a kitchen look smaller and prevents potential buyers from seeing beyond the clutter. Clean and shine appliances, including the inside of the refrigerator. Buyers are nosey. And clean out the pantry or cabinets of dishes and groceries you don’t need.

Same for bathrooms. Remove the five bottles of shampoo and cream rinse in the tub, as well as the hanging hair dryers, flat irons and electric razors. Buy new towels, and don’t let the kids use them, and scrub any mildew on the tile. Ask your friend to come over with her white glove and honestly tell you if she can smell any kind of mildew odors or any other odors in your home.

Also, I think William Morris might have had some advice about the contents of closets. What’s the guideline for keeping clothes? If you haven’t worn it in a year get rid of it, it’s no longer useful. However, the gold jacket you bought for your sister’s wedding five years ago may no longer be useful, but since it’s still beautiful, you should keep it, just not in your closet. Store it with the rest of your wedding and cruise wardrobe off premises.

Finally, clean windows are a must, cleaning up trash in the yard is a must, putting away the kid’s toys is a must, power washing mildew from around the home is a must and having working systems like heat, air conditioning and plumbing are a must. And the cherry on top is painting the front door a fresh tropical color that blends in with the overall color scheme. It may not be useful, but it will be beautiful and memorable.

The more you dig into William Morris’ quote, the more it makes sense in our everyday lives. Displaying a life-size statue of a rare African white rhinoceros is not useful in our everyday life, but to you, it’s beautiful standing next to your outdoor grill. Just remember, potential buyers may not feel the same way.

Related Coverage

Mortgages ain’t what they used to be

Let the sunshine in

Taxes and second homes

Fourth of July fireworks

Celebrate the Fourth, Island style

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Uncategorized.

The Anna Maria Island Privateers will hold their Fourth of July parade with a new rule – don’t spray the observers.

The parade starts from the south entrance to Coquina Beach parking lot at approximately 10 a.m. and proceeds north to the Anna Maria City Pier. A news release said participants are not allowed to spray water from the vehicles onto the crowds along the roadway. Participants are required to register online with the Privateers.

After the parade stops, the Privateers invite everyone to the Manatee County Beach Café at 4000 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach to watch as they award this year’s scholarships to their winners.

Following that, there will be a post-parade party at D Coy Ducks, 5410 Marina Drive in Holmes Beach.

Meanwhile, there is a celebration at City Pier Park at North Bay Boulevard and Pine Avenue in Anna Maria from 12:30-2 p.m. with patriotic music, free hot dogs, chips and beverages.

On Wednesday night, the Sandbar restaurant at 200 Spring Ave. in Anna Maria features its 32nd annual beachfront fireworks display, depending on the weather. The show is free from the beach, and there will be a party at the restaurant under the pavilion. VIP packages are offered; for more information, call the Sandbar at 941-778-8709.

Police will have extra personnel on duty to enforce parking and fireworks laws.

The law states fireworks that explode or fly are illegal, and if police catch violators, they will confiscate their fireworks and ticket them.

Parking is limited, and the free trolleys will run until there are no people at the stops, so officials advise drivers to plan accordingly.

Anna Maria Pier criticism

Commissioners respond to pier criticism

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

ANNA MARIA – Some Anna Maria Commissioners are becoming frustrated with the social media criticism levied at them regarding the pending demolition and replacement of the city pier.

During the June 14 commission meeting, some commissioners commented on online criticisms posted at The Sun’s Facebook page in response to recent pier stories.

“How do you know they’re real and authentic? You could have a bunch of cranks making up hurtful things, and it doesn’t help anything,” Commissioner Amy Tripp said.

“It’s bordering on the line of slander too, calling into question everyone up here’s character and saying that we’re taking bribes, the mayor’s lining his pockets and we should all be removed from office.

Frankly, I’m sick and tired of it. Nobody shows up for our pier meetings, but yet all these keyboard warriors are making some pretty wild accusations. Pull up their profile and they’re in South Dubuque, Iowa and have nothing to do with this city,” Commissioner Brian Seymour said.

“I get it, the decisions we make are up for public scrutiny,” he noted.

“We’ve put a lot of extra time into this pier, and none of us wanted the storm to damage it. None of us wanted to find out from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that it’s never been permitted for 50-60 years, and none of us wanted to find out that we’re (the Army Corps) not going to let you rebuild that pier the way it is. You can put some Band-aids and lipstick and a couple of nails in it and open it back up – that’s not the case,” Seymour said.

Commissioner Carol Carter agreed and said, “I think one of the points Brian made is certainly worth reinforcing. The fact of the matter is that over 40 years, things were done on that pier that were never permitted. If we were to go back and just fix up the pier we would be in for huge amounts of fines because we never drew permits on all the upgrades and repairs that were made on that pier. That’s something most people have no idea about.”

“People will see progress and hopefully that will change the narrative,” Seymour concluded.

Mayor Dan Murphy did not attend the June 14 meeting and was unavailable for comment last week.

Related Coverage

Speeler and Associates selected to demolish Anna Maria City Pier

Pier demolition team selected, rejected

bird harassment snowy plover

Bird harassment complaint investigated

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Birds, Outdoors.

HOLMES BEACH – An unidentified woman has frightened two snowy plovers and their three chicks off their nest at 5400 Gulf Drive condos, and they have disappeared, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Director Suzi Fox said.

“It’s a little three-ounce bird. What difference could that make to you?” she said.

Snowy plovers are a threatened species in Florida.

It’s possible the chicks were old enough to fly away, Fox said hopefully, but if they were not yet fledged, they would be easy targets for predators, such as osprey, without parents nearby to protect them.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sent an investigator, but the woman, who was reported to Turtle Watch by anonymous witnesses at Martinique condos next door, eluded detection, she said.

Why would someone chase tiny birds off the beach?

“We suspect it was the woman who accosted us last year,” Fox said, referring to an incident that occurred when Turtle Watch volunteers were staking off a black skimmer nesting area at 5400 Gulf Drive condos in 2017.

“She came out and yelled at us,” Fox said, adding that volunteers always leave a path for people to reach the beach when staking off bird nesting areas.

“And it’s a public beach,” she said, not private property belonging to 5400 Gulf Drive condos.

“We think she just didn’t want any wildlife in her front yard,” Fox said.

The act was a violation of state laws protecting threatened species, and it was also a case of cruelty to animals, Fox said, adding that the witness said the woman struck one of the birds.

Normally Turtle Watch volunteers track at least 11 snowy plovers on the Island, but this year, only the family of five were seen, and they have disappeared, she said.

No other plover nests have appeared on the Island this spring.

“It makes me sick,” Fox said.