The cool air along the Chattahoochee River mingled with the mid-morning sun created a magical backdrop for the female fly fishers as they worked their way along the stream with their guides.
I had arrived in the North Georgia mountains the previous afternoon and was honored to be included with a number of journalists covering a Casting For Recovery Retreat.
The event had started a day prior to my arrival on a Friday afternoon at Smithgall Woods State Park near Helen, Ga. That Saturday, the participants were taught the basics of fly casting, fly fishing and had the opportunity to enjoy a relaxed day in the Blue Ridge foothills.
Casting for Recovery was founded in 1996 in Manchester, Vermont, by a breast reconstruction surgeon and a professional fly-fisher. Awarded 501(c)(3) non-profit status in 1998, Casting for Recovery’s innovative program focuses on improving the quality of life for women with breast cancer, and has garnered endorsements from medical experts nationwide.
I learned about the event from Jimmy Harris, owner of Unicoi Outfitters, a major sponsor of the two-and-a-half-day event. The women were fishing a private stretch of the Chattahoochee managed by Unicoi Outfitters, a favorite fly fishing haunt of mine. Harris, his wife Kathy, his staff of local fly fishing guides and area volunteers were working up and down the river with the participants, exploring the many runs, riffles and pools that hold some trophy-sized brown and rainbow trout.
As I photographed the anglers and their guides, I was struck by the good humor, the spirit and resilience of a group of women who were recovering from one of life’s most devastating challenges. Whether they were strong enough to wade the swift currents or needed to sit in a chair at the water’s edge, these indomitable women were embracing their lives and the camaraderie of their fellow fly fishers on this halcyon day.
At the end of the day’s fishing, everyone had experienced the thrill of hooking, fighting and landing one of the river’s beautiful trout. That afternoon they returned to Smithgall Woods for lunch, an awards ceremony and a slide show highlighting the weekend’s activities.
Casting For Recovery depends on the support and goodwill of business owners like Jimmy Harris, medical professionals and the volunteers that are so critical to the program’s success. They offer 60 retreats across the country, host 800 women each year and have served over 8,000 women to date. The program is free of charge to participants. To learn how you can help, donate or shop in their online store.
For years, the Island’s community center has met the many needs of the community. This community reaches far beyond the outline of the barrier island and it is strongly exemplified with the game of soccer.
With Island soccer, the feeling of being a part of a community is fulfilled. From the youth soccer league to the adult co-ed league, the field is occupied by players, friends and family who look forward to the weekly games and fellowship that goes along with the events.
The international game of soccer has proved to be a game for all ages at the community center. This season the players are as young as 3 years old and as seasoned as 78-year-old Lyn Clarke.
The love of the game and the community spirit is what keeps Clarke and other veteran players on the pitch every season.
This passion for soccer spills over to the youth soccer clinics lead by parent volunteers. Two of the coaches also play in the adult soccer league. These clinics not only allow for the adults to give back to the community, but also spend precious time with their own children.
Danny Anderson and Sean Flynn take one of the small fields, making it into the training ground for future players. The Flip Flop Shop sponsors the 3- to 5-year-old clinic, which allows the youngest to learn the simplest of soccer skills while still having fun and gaining a sense of accomplishment.
The youngest soccer players listen to the coach’s instructions during the soccer clinic sponsored by The Flip Flop Shop. – Monica Simpson | Sun
The 6- to 7-year-old clinic, sponsored by Beach Bums, works on basic soccer skills and takes those skills to the field in scrimmage games.
These young players have goal scoring and fun games to look forward to as seen by the kids on the big field this week. While all of the individuals contribute to the team and outcome of each game, this week had some solid standouts – Riley Lawson, with three goals, and Kendall Rice, with three saves as keeper for Signarama. The team also had five saves by Beckham Factor on Saturday.
Team Progressive Cabinetry had three goal makers with five soccer balls in the net. Gregory Jordan lead his team with a hat trick. Ewen Cloutier and Lily Kawahata each had a goal of their own. Two saves by Liam Coleman helped the team finish the week with a win and a tie. Inheriting natural goalie instincts and talents, Evan Talucci had 10 big saves for Planet Stone this week. Nick Yatros and Aiden Templeton were given statistical credit for one goal each for their team.
Team Salty Printing was led by Jack Mattick within the net and Frankie Coleman followed with a single score. Jackson Pakbaz nailed three shots for points for Team Bins Be Clean. In their only game of the week, Victor Albrecht was noted to have five great saves giving Bins Be Clean a win.
The adults took the field Thursday night. In the first game of the night Ross Built Construction lost to Legler Flynn Law. Ryan Hogan and Chris Culhane scored for Ross Built. With two goals each, Diego Felipe and Chris LeClainche pushed past their opponent, topped with a score by Shay Coleman.
MAR/Kis Insurance won its first game of the season against Sato Real Estate. Manoj Poudel, Joel Sanchez and Tony Morales each had a goal for MAR/Kis Insurance. Eliza Fallace was the lone scorer for her team.
The 8 p.m. game put Moss Builders against Lancaster Design. Lancaster Design finished with single goals by brothers Danny Anderson and Ricky Anderson, as well as Sumiko Chipman. Robert Armstrong eluded the goalie twice. Jessica Williams scored the solo point for Moss Builders.
Slim’s Place won the last game of the night over Acqua Aveda with a hat trick by Rico Beissert and goal scoring shots by PJ Smargisso and Nate Welch. Jake Parsons had three goals of his own for Team Acqua Aveda, with a contributing score by Shea Yates.
With one week of regular season play, the youth soccer season comes to a close with the championship game on Wednesday, May 23 at 7 p.m.
The adults continue on the field through the month of June. The big winner will be named on Thursday, June 14 at 8 p.m.
HOLMES BEACH – Stories of climate change and sea level rise may soon be more than just cautionary tales for Island property owners, but City Engineer Lynn Burnett has a plan to keep those stories from becoming nightmares.
“Our ultimate goal is net zero loss of properties that are buildable today,” Burnett said, opening a discussion with planning commissioners concerning the steps needed to keep rising tides out of local businesses and residences.
Second place
Environmental writing
2018
Burnett’s plan is to begin slowly raising city streets, seawalls and private properties, along with adding more stormwater drainage to lots, to help keep the water out over the next 20-40 years as sea levels continue to rise. With Anna Maria Island elevations so close to existing sea level, if the Island cities and property owners do nothing, Burnett said in Holmes Beach 20-30 percent of currently buildable lots could be underwater by 2060 with no hope of reclaiming them. Because of the way the Island is graded, with the higher side bordering the Gulf of Mexico, the loss of land would be concentrated on the opposite side bordering Tampa Bay, Anna Maria Sound and Palma Sola Bay. The flooding that islanders see during king tides, Burnett said, would become the norm.
City Engineer Lynn Burnett discusses her plan to help keep rising tide waters out of Holmes Beach through the year 2060 with planning commissioners. – Kristin Swain | Sun
“The do-nothing option does not exist,” she said.
To prevent property loss, Burnett wants to begin working with each Island city and private property owners to inspect individual properties and determine what can be done to keep the water out.
“It’s not a one size fits all solution,” she said. “We’re not going to be able to prevent 100 percent of flooding on this Island. That’s not an achievable goal. It’s better to have the water recede in hours rather than days.”
“We all know it’s coming,” Planning Commissioner Chuck Stealey said. His primary concern with the plan was how the proposed improvements will be funded. For people living on a fixed income or those who recently completed repairs to their seawalls expected to last for 20 years, he said the cost could be too much to bear. He also worried that some property owners can’t foot the bill for the improvements if it will endanger surrounding properties when the flood waters come.
Burnett said determining the cost and figuring out how to pay for it would be one of the things discussed with each individual property owner as the program progresses. If the property owner can’t afford the repairs or improvements, she said some grant funds or other monies may be available to help lessen the financial burden. She said savings to property owners also will be present in the lessening of flood insurance payments which would help cover the initial cost of improvements in savings spread out over several years of property ownership.
Planning Commissioner Scott Boyd said he feels the project will just raise the cost of homeownership on the Island and push out more permanent residents.
City Planner Bill Brisson said for new Island homeowners seeking to rebuild or remodel a home, several of the proposed improvements are already enforced during the site plan approval stage in the building department. Already property owners are required to raise new structures and those receiving more than a 50 percent remodel above the current flood level as determined by FEMA. New site plans and remodels also require stormwater drainage facilities to be placed on the property able to hold all the property’s stormwater runoff.
“The alternative is you won’t have a place to live,” Brisson said.
“Nobody’s going to buy our property if it’s underwater,” Planning Commissioner Barbara Hines said.
Burnett said the things city leaders are doing to keep the rising tides out are “nothing new,” but aren’t outlined specifically in the city’s comprehensive plan. City initiatives include the installation of WaStop valves at outflow pipes to prevent tidal water from backing up the city’s stormwater drainage system, repairing and slip-lining damaged pipes, incrementally raising roads as they’re resurfaced and putting a 12-inch cap on city-owned seawalls as they’re repaired or replaced. To keep the water from flooding Bayside properties, adequate stormwater infiltration and retention facilities must be installed upland on both public and private property.
“We don’t have a choice,” Hines said. “We are going to lose this Island if we do not take action now. I don’t know about you, but I can’t afford not to do it.”
Burnett said if the proposed ordinance outlining the plan is approved by city commissioners, private property owners could see implementation plans for their residences as soon as 2020. Before the ordinance goes to commissioners for approval, planning commissioners are holding a public hearing to determine if it’s consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan at their June 6 meeting.
The kindness of strangers was on full view last week in the 2018 Giving Challenge.
The philanthropic fundraiser generated a little more than $11.7 million in donations and dollar-for-dollar matches for local nonprofit organizations.
Interestingly, most of the gifts were of the grassroots variety, averaging less than $100 throughout the four-county region of Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and DeSoto counties.
A few notable among the local recipients were the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH), which received more than $28,500 from 178 donors. Almost half of that dollar amount came from the dollar-for-dollar match.
Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Inc. of Bradenton Beach made $14,780 from 198 donors and $12,955 from matching grants for a total of $27,735.
Other local nonprofit recipients included Mote Marine, The Center of Anna Maria Island and the Anna Maria Island Historical Society. A complete list is included in our story.
Congratulations to the nonprofits, which will greatly benefit from these cash infusions. And a big thank you to all those who donated, illustrating once again the generosity of the people of Anna Maria Island and the entire region.
There is a word that no one who follows an active real estate market wants to hear, and that word is “plateauing.” What does that mean in real estate lingo? It means leveling out rather than breaking through, and it’s a word that more than one economist has recently used. Before you start looking up at the sky waiting for it to fall, it’s not all bad, and some of it may be good.
According to the National Association of Realtors, existing home sales nationally in March declined 1.2 percent from last year. This translates to the national single-family home median selling price being $250,400 in March, which was 5.8 percent higher than March of last year. The March results were largely in line with economists’ expectations for the housing market this year – not a great performance. As we already know, a limited supply of homes has driven up prices and curtailed sales volume.
The March sales statistics from the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee’s website are also looking a little off in both selling price and sales volume for single-family homes. The number of closed sales in March of this year was 580 for single-family homes. Last year it was 581, no real change, but there has been a change in the median sale price. After three months of median sales price being at or above $300,000, in March of this year, it was $285,000, a decline of 1.7 percent from last year.
The average sale price for single-family homes in March was $367,268, up 8.4 percent from last year. In addition, the median time to contract was 47 days, a very good number, and we still have only four months of properties available for sale, a very bad number. By comparison, the state of Florida’s median single-family home sale price during March of this year was $250,800, an increase of 8.2 percent from last year.
Condo sales numbers were all around better. The median sale price for this year was $201,500, up 15.1 percent, and the average sale price was $245,563, up 15.7 percent from last March. This March we closed 284 condos compared to last year where we closed 259. The median time to contract was 46 days, a good number, and we are holding at four-and-a-half month’s supply of available properties, a bad number.
It’s pretty much the same old story – too little inventory is pushing prices up overall and keeping properties off the market. The low number of days for both single family and condos on the market before going to contract proves this. With interest rates starting to go up, keeping fewer buyers in the market, something will have to give, which is why we may be seeing a leveling off.
But there is good news too. It appears that Florida is one of a handful of states in the country that are importing vast numbers of residents from other states. Since 2007, Florida has gained 850,000 residents. Texas, another state without income tax, has gained 1.4 million. Combined, Florida and Texas have gained a net of $50 billion in income and purchasing power from other states. Compare this to California and New York, which have given up a combined net of $23 billion, and this does not include other states like Connecticut, New Jersey, and Minnesota, which have consistently lost residents. Economists predict this exodus will only continue when the tax cut bill fully takes effect, capping state income tax at $10,000.
Will the influx of residents from out-of-state keep our real estate market from plateauing or are we going to start feeling a little pain? Like everything in real estate, stay tuned.
ANNA MARIA – It’s the final play of the season and the Island Players are ending on a high note with “An Inspector Calls.” The play, written by J.B. Priestley, is set in the early 1900s before World War I. It was written shortly after World War II and carries a “do unto others” message with a touch of science fiction at the end.
The play is complicated, but the Island Players performed it with perfection.
The Birling family is celebrating their daughter’s engagement. The daughter, Sheila, is played by Silvia Marnie, while her fiance, Gerald Croft, is played by Colin Brady, an English businessman.
Father of the bride Arthur Birling, played by Daniel Coppinger, also is a businessman and the two men get along well, discussing the perfect balance of charging enough for their products while keeping personnel costs low for a more-than-tidy profit.
Birling’s wife, Sybil, played by Caroline Cox, is the perfect wife who helps raise money for the poor, some of whom work for her husband.
As they make plans to celebrate the engagement, they get a call from police Inspector Goole who wants to question them about a suicide.
Goole, played by director Heiko Knipfelberg, starts questioning them about their knowledge of the suicide victim, Eva Smith. As the questions continue, the inspector starts making moral judgments about the family members. Smith worked at Birling’s company but was fired after she joined other workers in asking for a raise and going on strike.
As the questions continue, they learn that Croft had an affair with her and he paid for her expenses for a short time. Smith also had an affair with the son, Eric Birling, played by Lucas Piety, and was pregnant with his baby when she died.
With that for a plot, the people get very vocal and their moods go from guilt to sorrow. Finally, Arthur Birling makes a call to the police chief, who disavows knowledge of any Inspector Goole and confirms there was no suicide and in their relief, they drop the sorrow and guilt. What happens next puts this play in line to be an episode of “The Twilight Zone.” But you’ll have to see it to find out why.
Each cast member gives excellent performances, including Diane Phinney, who played Edna, the maid. It’s well worth the price of admission.
“An Inspector Calls” runs through May 13 and demand has been high for tickets. Call 941-778-5755 for information and to purchase tickets.
Anna Maria Commissioner Amy Tripp made a good point last week when she suggested the $150,000 it would cost to install an automated license plate recognition system might be money better spent on lighted crosswalks.
Automated plate readers may or may not be a good idea, but most folks would agree that safe crosswalks are a great idea.
Tourists love to walk to the beach to enjoy the sunsets, but if they linger long enough they find themselves walking home in darkness, often with children in tow. The growing fear is that someday a large group of visitors is going to get struck by a motorist who doesn’t see them crossing.
City commissioners in all three Island cities spend a great deal of time funding projects. Perhaps the time has come for lighted sidewalks to become a greater funding priority – an endeavor that will require FDOT cooperation for crosswalks located on the state-owned portions of Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach.
Perhaps the finest example of a lighted Gulf Drive crosswalk is in front of the Runaway Bay condominiums in Bradenton Beach. Pedestrians push a button to activate the signal lighting, and it’s nearly impossible for a motorist not to see that a crossing’s imminent. There’s another lighted crosswalk near the Gulf Drive Cafe, but folks tend to cross there in a more willy-nilly fashion rather than using the designated crossing area.
Public safety is a responsibility shared by elected officials, pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists alike.
Pedestrians: Walk defensively, be aware of your surroundings and cross at marked crossings when possible. When crossing, look into the eyes of the approaching driver to see if they see you and plan to stop.
Bicyclists: Follow the rules of the road and obey traffic signals – including stop signs that may slow your roll but save your life. And put lights on your bike if riding at night, even if it’s a rented bike.
Motorists: Be constantly alert for pedestrians crossing anywhere at any time and pay close attention to the yellow pedestrian crossing signs at which you are required by law to stop when pedestrians are present.
This isn’t rocket science. We’re all in this together; let’s all do our part so we all get home safe.
ANNA MARIA – The Island Players, 10009 Gulf Drive, presents “An Inspector Calls” by J.B. Priestley, directed by Heiko Knipfelberg and co-produced by The Off-Stage Ladies, from May 3 -13.
The setting is 1912 in England where a well-to-do family, eminently respected in their community, is subjected to what seems to be a routine inquiry in connection with the death of a young woman from the seedier side of town. When Inspector Goole arrives unexpectedly at the Birling family home, their peaceful engagement dinner party is shattered by his investigation. His startling revelations shake the very foundations of their lives and challenge us all to examine our consciences.
“An Inspector Calls” was first staged in 1945 and has had numerous stagings since then. Most recently, after a five-year run in London, it closed just last year. Its continued success is due to the themes within that are more relevant now than ever. It’s a must-see for a whole new generation of theater-goers.
The cast includes Daniel Coppinger as Arthur Birling, Caroline Cox as Sybil Birling, Sylvia Marnie as Sheila Birling, Lucas Piety as Eric Birling, Colin Brady as Gerald Croft, Heiko Knipfelberg as Inspector Goole and Diane Phinney as Edna.
Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 each. The box office is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. On performance nights, the box office opens at 7 p.m. and for Sunday matinees, it opens at 1 p.m. Visa, MasterCard or Discover are accepted.
For reservations or information, call the box office at 941 778-5755 or visit the website.
We’re at the end of our winter season, and as much as I hate to say it, the traffic was worse than ever. I know everyone says the same thing every year, but they’re correct every year. It is indeed worse and for good reason.
Between July 1, 2016, and July 1, 2017, Manatee County gained an estimated 10,000 more residents according to the U.S. Census data. This makes Manatee County the 44th fastest-growing county in the United States between 2010 and 2017. In addition, we added about 62,700 people during a seven-year period, and they all want to go to our much-publicized beaches.
The estimated population of Manatee County as of July 1, 2017, was 385,571, and there’s more.
The Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research estimates the 2020 high projected population to be around 405,100, and by 2045 it could go as high as 645,200, and with all of the new development either underway or planned, I believe every one of those numbers. What effect this has on real estate values, in general, is almost impossible to predict, but more people need more housing – you do the math.
But this is still 2018, and it’s time for my one million dollars and over analysis of properties sold and listed in Cortez and the three cities on Anna Maria Island. This time I looked at January, February and March for sold properties and currently available properties for sale or pending as of this writing.
The statistics on foreclosed properties are from the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office, and the properties on the market are from the realtor.com website, which generally reflects properties on local multiple listing services. Also, please note that I use primarily condos and single-family homes in the analysis.
Properties $1 million and over that closed between January and March of this year are as follows:
Cortez had one sale at $1,112,500; the previous three-month period had none. The city of Anna Maria had 11 sales during this period ranging from $4,260,000 to $1,140,000; during the previous period there were nine. The combined cities of Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach had eight sales between $1,925,000 and $1,000,000; the last three-month period had 11.
Available properties for sale as of this writing are: Cortez has four properties either available or pending between $1,100,000 and $1,500,000; the previous three-month period there were five. The city of Anna Maria has 56 properties either available or pending ranging from $4,995,000 to $1,169,000. During the previous three-month period there were 42. And the combined cities of Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach have 70 either available or pending properties between $4,600,000 and $1,000,000. The previous three-months there were 47.
So, what does this snapshot of our coastal market tell us? First of all, it tells us that the number of closed properties is more or less stable. However, the number of available properties, some of which are pending, is up on the island, particularly Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach, which is way up. There are certainly closed sales that are not reflected in these numbers, and, hopefully, the next three-month period will reflect more closing as we start to ease out of the winter selling season.
What we do know for sure is more and more people are discovering our little piece of paradise, which will only lead to bigger and bigger traffic jams. I can almost guarantee you that a year from now I will be writing the same thing as I stated in the first paragraph of this column – it’s the worst year for traffic ever, assuming I can get over the Cortez Bridge.
HOLMES BEACH – Officers have a suspect in custody for the March 22 assault of a clerk at Jessie’s Island Store.
Holmes Beach police officers arrested 44-year-old Jason Rawlings Bounds April 17 after the clerk positively identified him as her attacker. The clerk was identified in a police report as April Gonzalez. The incident was captured on the store’s surveillance system.
Bounds is facing one count of battery as a second or subsequent offense, a third-degree felony, and one count of resisting a merchant, a first-degree misdemeanor. A third-degree felony is punishable by up to five years in prison, five years of probation, and a $5,000 fine if convicted. A first-degree misdemeanor carries a possible sentence of up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine. The arrest warrant says Bounds is being held at the Port Manatee Jail.
The suspect arrested in the March assault of a store clerk at Jessie’s Island Store has been identified as Jason Rawlings Bounds. – Submitted | HBPD
A report attached to the arrest warrant, completed by Holmes Beach Police Department Det. Sgt. Brian Hall, states the incident occurred at the Island store when Gonzalez confronted Bounds for concealing beer, milk, and beef and cheese sticks in his jacket. Bounds returned the items to the clerk when approached but punched her in the side of the head and abdomen when she threatened to call the police if he didn’t immediately leave the premises. The punch left Gonzalez with minor injuries to the side of her face and earlobe. After the attack, the clerk and two customers attempted to restrain Bounds but he escaped on foot. Gonzalez was able to positively identify Bounds as her attacker from a photo lineup. He was later located and arrested by law enforcement officers.
This is not Bounds’ first tangle with the law. Hall’s report says Bounds was previously convicted several times for battery and battery-related crimes including one as late as Dec. 7, 2017, in Putnam County, West Virginia. His history of battery-related offenses dates back as far as January 1993.
BRADENTON – Eugene Matthews will likely spend the rest of his life in prison for the shooting death of Rebecca Rawson on Jan. 10, 2017.
On Thursday, April 19, Judge Brian Iten sentenced the 84-year-old Parrish resident to life in prison with a 25-year minimum for felony second-degree murder with a firearm. He also sentenced him to 30 years on each of two counts of felony attempted murder in the second degree with a firearm. Each count also had a 25-year minimum attached to it.
Rawson’s daughter, Kathryn, who was with her mother when she was mortally wounded by a gunshot, spoke before the sentencing decision was ready by Judge Iten.
“You have taken away a beautiful woman, my mother, my everything,” Rawson said after she took the witness stand. “I will never feel her kiss my head or call me her honey bunny.”
After she returned to her seat, she was heard sobbing.
Matthews took the stand, saying any sentence would be a death sentence to him because of his age. He alleged the incident started as a home invasion.
According to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, on the day of the shooting, Rebecca Rawson, her daughter and brother-in-law, Rodney, were driving to Matthews’ home in Parrish to pick up Rawson’s dog, which Matthews had been watching. When she pulled up to the house she was greeted by Juanita Sills, who also lived in the home. Rodney Rawson called for the dog, which came running outside. Rodney Rawson picked up the dog and headed toward the car. Matthews then emerged from the house and fired two rounds from a pistol into the air. He fired a third round toward the car and it hit Rebecca Rawson in the face. The vehicle subsequently backed up and crashed into a gate. Rodney Rawson tried to get the pistol out of Matthews’ hand and another round was fired before the incident ended.
Kathryn Rawson testifies about the loss of her mother in court Thursday afternoon at the sentencing of Eugene Matthews. Matthews was found guilty of the January 2017 fatal shooting of his late best-friend’s ex-wife outside his Parrish home. In February, a jury found Matthews guilty of second-degree murder with a firearm and two counts of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm as charged. He was handed a life sentence. – Submitted | Tiffany Tompkins-Condie
At the hearing, Matthews call Kathryn Rawson a “spoiled brat” who got her mother killed. He said Rebecca Rawson was hit by a bullet that ricocheted.
Matthews called the court a “kangaroo court” and talked about how he felt his home was being invaded and he had to stand his ground, referring to a law that allows people to use force to protect their property.
Matthews then talked about his military duty where he earned two Purple Hearts and two Silver Stars and spilled two gallons of his blood.
After Judge Iten announced the sentence, Matthews was returned to jail. He has 30 days to appeal.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Along the Holmes Beach/Bradenton Beach border, residents and visitors alike are finding themselves stuck in something reminiscent of winter season traffic with added heavy construction equipment.
The backup is due to work on the Manatee County Force Main Five project in two spots on Gulf Drive, at 28th Street and 26th Street. Construction in the area is expected to last through the end of April, resuming May 1 at Gulf Drive and Avenue C. With traffic patterns shifted to the west side of the street and sections of sidewalks used for vehicular traffic, bicyclists and pedestrians should be especially careful when moving through construction areas.
Cars drive past a crosswalk stuck in the middle of Gulf Drive construction where traffic is temporarily down to one lane for vehicles. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
While construction is ongoing during the day, flaggers are stationed at both ends of each construction area. These flaggers will stop vehicular traffic to allow bicyclists and pedestrians through the vehicular traffic lanes where sidewalks aren’t available. They also stop traffic to allow pedestrians and cyclists to safely cross Gulf Drive. Temporary crosswalks are located on both sides of each construction area. Cyclists and pedestrians should be very cautious when approaching the construction areas and remain to the side of vehicular traffic until instructed to move by flaggers. If a flagger is not available, pedestrians and cyclists should avoid the area or move through with extreme caution. Without a flagger’s assistance, pedestrians should not attempt to walk in vehicle lanes. Sidewalks on the west side of Gulf Drive remain open except where vehicle lanes shift to the west.
Vehicles share the road with two bicyclists as they travel northbound on Gulf Drive through the Force Main Five work zone. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Motorists also will experience intermittent temporary lane closures where traffic is reduced for a short time to a single lane. Anyone driving through the area should prepare to experience delays. Speed limits are reduced to 25 miles per hour in the construction zones.
Because the Force Main Five project is a two-year project, construction will be ongoing on different sections of the Island’s primary roadways for the near future. Tina Allen, community outreach specialist on the project, said workers will try to get everyone through construction areas as quickly as possible. Due to the amount of work to be done, she said it’s impossible to plan work around seasonal traffic increases.
“Inevitably, this project presents impacts to someone, somewhere on AMI related to daily construction activities,” Allen said in an email to The Sun. “We understand the impact that a project of this magnitude presents to AMI property owners and visitors, and the project team is working to ensure that our contractors are sensitive and responsive to all expressed concerns, to the extent practical.”
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Everyone who’s driven on the Island during winter season months knows that a little extra time and a lot of patience are needed to deal with traffic delays.
The Florida Department of Transportation’s Barrier Island Traffic Study recorded hourly numbers of motorists on Manatee Avenue as high as 40 percent over regular traffic volumes during peak season times, January through April 2017, with the traffic on Cortez Road noted as 15 percent over average volumes. That comes out to about 1,500-1,600 cars per hour on Manatee Avenue and 1,200-1,400 on Cortez Road.
Once they’re on the Island, there are only so many places for all those cars to go. During the same time, FDOT contractors recorded an average of 1,000 cars an hour on Marina Drive with the same number also driving down Gulf Drive to Bradenton Beach.
“It’s like taking 30 pounds of potatoes and trying to put it in a 5-pound sack,” said Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, who also serves as the city’s traffic engineer. “There’s no where to send the traffic. People are driving out to a dead end.”
Part of the issue is that for everyone coming onto the Island, they need somewhere to go, and everyone already on the Island is trying to get somewhere. Rather than merging, the two traffic streams are clashing as parking becomes more limited and streets fill with vehicles.
Holmes Beach Mayor Bob Johnson referred to Queue Theory, a mathematical study of waiting lines, to explain it. He likened it to waiting in line to check in at the airport. He said waiting lines move faster because airlines open up more counters to serve guests. According to the theory, lines can only move as quickly as the person in front is being served.
If the person at the front of the line is a driver who’s stuck at a red light or can’t find a parking space, the line builds up and the wait time for other drivers increases. The issue, Johnson said, is there’s only so many gateways to the Island, three including access from Longboat Key, and potentially 1,000 people trying to use each one at the same time.
Every time the Anna Maria Island Bridge raises to allow a boat to pass it can take up to 15 minutes for traffic patterns to return to normal. – Kristin Swain| Sun
One long-term fix to help traffic coming from the mainland is the installation of high fixed-span bridges in place of the Anna Maria Island and Cortez bridges. Eliminating the 5-minute raising and lowering of the current drawbridges could save motorists up to 15 minutes of wait time.
In Holmes Beach, Tokajer also is working to optimize the timing of the red lights at East Bay Drive and Manatee Avenue and Gulf Drive and Manatee Avenue to allow traffic to flow better once the bridge reopens.
Another short-term solution being considered in Holmes Beach is to extend the right turn lane for East Bay Drive to the merge lane from the Manatee Public Beach and extend the right turn lane on Manatee Avenue for Gulf Drive to allow motorists more freedom of movement.
One of the fixes proposed by the traffic study engineers at Stantec is to have a park and ride service from the mainland down Manatee Avenue to the county beach. Without a dedicated traffic lane, Tokajer doesn’t think that idea will be popular with beachgoers.
An elongated roundabout is proposed as a long-term solution for the busy intersection of Marina, Palm and Key Royale Drives near Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. – Submitted | Sun
“They’re still stuck in the same traffic but without the comfort of their own car,” he said, also expressing concern about what happens to all those people if a rainstorm blows up. “How will you get them off the Island?” he said.
Lynn Burnett, engineer to the three Island cities, thinks she may have some long-term solutions to help traffic, if not eliminate it, ideas the people behind the traffic study are getting behind.
One idea is to remove traffic lights and install roundabouts slightly larger than the one at Bridge Street and Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach. Burnett said the roundabouts will encourage free flow of traffic, if motorists obey the rules of the road. FDOT encourages the use of roundabouts. The department’s educational materials for the use of roundabouts say that all approaching traffic must yield to traffic already in the roundabout. Approaching motorists must slow down before entering the roundabout, yield to bicyclists entering the traffic lane and watch for pedestrians crossing the road at one of the roundabout entrance points. Burnett said with the right public education, she thinks roundabouts will help traffic move faster than red lights, hopefully lowering the wait time of drivers trying to enter and exit the Island. At busy intersections such as the Gulf Drive and Marina Drive intersection, it also would allow a safe way for pedestrians to cross the street. Due to several close calls at that intersection with cyclists and pedestrians crossing without a marked crosswalk, Tokajer said he hopes to install a sidewalk railing to prevent people from entering the intersection and signage to direct them to a safe, lighted crosswalk. The matter goes before city commissioners for a decision in April.
To truly make a difference in vehicular Island traffic, Burnett said people need alternate forms of transportation. While the Island trolley does move people around the Island, it still lands in the same vehicular traffic as a car. Burnett hopes to receive Island city support, along with local, state and federal funding, for a complete street project stretching the length of the Island from Anna Maria through Bradenton Beach to Longboat Pass.
If it materializes, the project would see vehicle lanes shrink to 11-feet wide with a designated bicycle lane on each side of the road and pedestrian sidewalks. The bicycle lanes would be brought up to current FDOT standards with a 3-foot clearance between the traffic lane and bicycle lane to help keep cyclists safe. The move also would remove some bicycles from sidewalks along the Island’s main corridor, helping to keep pedestrians safe.
For all the fixes proposed, three challenges remain – approval, time and money. Replacement of the Anna Maria Island and Cortez bridges is currently unfunded and expected to take at least another five years plus the time for construction. Intersection changes also need funding and approval from the state, county or local municipality, depending on whether the road is a local or state road.
In the meantime, all drivers can do is plan ahead, help out their fellow motorists by allowing people to turn across crowded traffic lanes and wait their turn rather than trying to use bicycle lanes as passing lanes, something that can cause a hefty fine from local law enforcement. Bicyclists should remember to travel only in the direction of vehicular traffic and use bicycle lanes whenever possible, yielding to pedestrians on sidewalks. Pedestrians need to remember to be aware of their surroundings and look both ways before crossing a street, even at a crosswalk.
ANNA MARIA – A perfectly sunny day dawned on Saturday, March 17, helping to make The Center of Anna Maria Island’s 25th annual Tour of Homes a success.
More than 700 people came out to view the interiors of five elegantly appointed homes before making a final stop at The Center for the Tropical Treasures Boutique and Center Bazaar.
While attendees could start at any of the six stops, the first listed stop in the official Tour guide is Sand Dollar Cove, the dream home of Ron and Peggy Jude. The Holmes Beach house was completed in March 2017 by Moss Builders. The house features four bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths in 2,800 square feet. To help comfortably house their seven grandkids, one unique feature of the home is a secret staircase connecting the kids’ bunk room to another bedroom where parents can keep an eye on the little ones. The house is complete with a large, open living space and doors opening directly to the outdoor living space and pool deck.
“This is just a beautiful house,” one attendee gushed. “If I had this house, I’d move here.”
Another stop on the Tour was the home of Don and Leah Purvis in the enclave of Key Royale. The couple’s love of New Orleans is evident throughout the home, from the wrought iron sconces to the antique mirror backsplash in the kitchen. Each room of the home features a unique piece of furniture chosen especially by the homeowners for its beauty and back story. One of the most talked about pieces is a large 100-year-old armoire purchased by Don’s mother and refinished by her in the 1980s.
“It’s incredible, just a beautiful piece,” an attendee said while admiring the armoire. “You’d never believe it used to be painted pink.”
The winter home of Tom and Jane Gauld, also on Key Royale, was another stop on this year’s Tour of Homes. The home features high ceilings with wood details and a second-floor media room with a wall-sized screen and cozy sofa seating. The chef’s kitchen opens to a dining room, living room and the expansive outdoor area with a pool and seating area overlooking the lovely water views. An indoor/outdoor living area leads to a separate kitchenette and staircase to a master suite where the owners’ adult children can escape but still view their children playing with their grandparents in the pool.
Right across the street from The Center is the Magnolia Home, the only house on the tour that attendees can purchase and make their own. For a mere $1.49 million, the newly-built elevated home has covered living space around the pool and hot tub and just under 2,000 square feet of indoor living space.
“If I could take anything out of these houses, I’d take the bedrooms from this one,” one woman commented.
Each of the four bedrooms features its own en suite bathroom with unique wooden chandeliers throughout. All of the bathrooms feature a distinctive distressed wood or brick decor.
The final stop on this year’s Tour was the newly renovated home of Art and Wooley Dutton. The single-story home features three bedrooms, four bathrooms, an open floor plan with high ceilings, a separate art studio and a secret passage to the master bedroom.
“It’s just art,” volunteer Sandee Pruett said of the home.
At the Center, attendees could sample food from the Travelling Gourmet and Italian Culinary Tours or check out items for sale at the Center Bazaar and Tropical Treasures Boutique.
More than a dozen local artists contributed to the Tropical Treasures Boutique, sponsored by Duncan Real Estate, including Susan Anderson, Jan Bryant, Judy Christensen, Erin Hughey, Joyce Hunt, Monique Marlow, Joan Pettigrew and Sandee Pruett. Local artisans and merchants joined the Boutique in the Bazaar, offering everything from handmade soaps to unique jewelry and decor items for sale. Nearby was this year’s quilt raffle, created by the Eyeland Needlers and sponsored by Green Real Estate. The winner of the quilt, titled “See You By The Sea,” was Chris Smargisso.
Organizer and board member Karen Harllee said she was pleased with how the Bazaar and Boutique went this year and hopes for an even better turnout next year.
“We want to make it bigger and better next year,” she said.
The media room at the Gauld’s Key Royale home. – Kristin Swain | Sun
Enterprising leprechauns set up shop, selling lemonade across from the Jude house in Holmes Beach. – Kristin Swain | Sun
The amoeba-shaped pool is at the 420 Magnolia Ave. investment home belonging to Mike Ross. – Kristin Swain | Sun
The annual quilt raffle, created by the Eyeland Needlers and sponsored by Green Real Estate. – Kristin Swain | Sun
New to the Tour of Homes this year was the Center Bazaar. – Kristin Swain | Sun
HOLMES BEACH – Recycling is one way people can feel like they’re doing their part to help save the Earth. Unfortunately, some of the things that are put in the recycling bin end up in the landfill.
Waste Pro Regional Vice President Keith Banasiak addressed Holmes Beach commissioners’ concerns with the waste removal company’s recycling program, confirming some of their worst fears – a lot of what goes into the city’s recycling bins ends up at the landfill.
With single stream recycling, various types of recyclable materials can go in one container, making it easier for consumers. Unfortunately, if one of those items is incorrectly placed in the bin or has food residue, Banasiak said the entire bin’s contents can be considered contaminated and must be disposed of with other garbage rather than going on to Waste Pro’s recycling center. If contaminated items are found at the recycling center, the company must pay more to repackage and send them off to the landfill.
Items that can contaminate recyclables include those with food particles, raw garbage placed in the container, and the inclusion of items that can’t be recycled, like plastic bags. Publix in Holmes Beach accepts plastic bags for recycling.
Part of the issue, Banasiak said, is the labor cost and time to remove contaminated items at Waste Pro’s sorting facility and send them to the landfill. Another issue is that many recyclables from the United States are sent to China to be repurposed. Because so many items are being sent, receivers in Asia can be pickier about the types and grades of materials they accept. With such a huge availability of materials, Banasiak said it drives down pricing and makes it so that some materials, even though they are recyclable, may not be financially feasible for the company to send off for repurposing.
In the United States recycling is a $200 billion a year industry. In a 2016 economic study, the Environmental Protection Agency tied 757,000 jobs, $36.6 billion in paid wages and $6.7 billion in tax revenue to recycling efforts.
According to the EPA, Americans in 2014 created more than 258 million tons of solid waste. Out of that, 89 million tons were recycled or composted, about 34 percent. Out of the remaining waste, 33 million tons were combusted with energy recovery and over 136 million tons ended up in landfills. The EPA estimates that 75 percent of waste created by Americans is recyclable. About 87 percent of the country’s population has access to curbside or drop-off recycling programs in their local areas.
If recycling participation levels reached 75 percent, Recycle Across America estimates it would create 1.5 million new jobs and be the environmental equivalent of removing 55 million cars from the country’s roads.
Locally in Holmes Beach, fewer materials are making their way to the recycling facility primarily because of raw garbage placed in the bins, Banasiak said.
Compliance problems at vacation rentals
When workers find garbage and non-recyclable materials in a recycle container, Banasiak said the bin is tagged for trash pick up. He’s finding that a lot of these tagged bins are located at short-term rental properties.
“The problem is getting excessive,” he said.
Commissioner Carol Soustek suggested not eliminating recycling at repeat offender properties but charging those clients more for their trash and recycling to compensate for the added expense to Waste Pro. For properties opting out of recycling, she suggested adding a fee to cover the cost of creating a new landfill.
“The big issue is when you recycle you don’t want it to go into a landfill,” she said. “If they decide they don’t want to recycle then we’ll decide the optimal fee to cover the landfill.”
Commissioner Jim Kihm agreed though Banasiak was quick to say the company can’t charge property owners for not recycling or recycling incorrectly. The key to compliance, he said, would be education, hopefully through a stakeholder meeting geared toward owners and operators of short-term rentals.
On the agenda for the stakeholder meeting will be to discuss what materials are and are not recyclable with Waste Pro. While the items are listed on a decal on each recycle bin, Banasiak said people may not see them or may not pay attention to how recyclable materials need to be handled to not end up treated as household garbage.
Items that can be recycled include paper, cardboard, glass, metal and plastics numbered one through seven. To be considered not contaminated, all items must be clean, with labels removed, and items made of two or more materials should be broken down. That means a soup can may be recycled, but it must be washed out with the paper label removed before it’s placed in the bin for pickup, even though that paper label may also be placed in the bin for recycling. Cardboard boxes are eligible for recycling if they’re flattened for pickup, but pizza boxes cannot be added to the recycle pile. Though items such as batteries and some household appliances are considered recyclable by the EPA, they can’t be placed in a bin for Waste Pro pickup. These items must be taken to a facility accepting them and often a fee is charged to cover the special handling required to process the items for recycling.
Items that will contaminate recycling bins include garbage, plastic bags, Styrofoam, unclean containers, food waste and yard waste.
Commissioners agreed to readdress the issue after the stakeholder meeting.
For more information on recycling or how to recycle materials, visit Waste Pro or the EPA.
