CORTEZ – It’s a feast for all the senses with the sweet smell of stone crab and other delicious food offerings, the sound of live music, vendors offering beautiful arts and crafts and the hands-on experience of eating one of the ocean’s finest delicacies.
The Ninth Annual Cortez Stone Crab and Music Festival is a hit with the thousands of people attending the event outside the Swordfish Grill.
“I had never heard of Cortez, but some people in the condo next to us were coming over here to check it out so we shared a ride and came with them, and I’m glad we did,” said Duane Farley. “I don’t like much seafood, but there is plenty of other stuff to eat, and more than enough drink options. My wife has probably spent a hundred bucks on stone crab claws, I think she may have developed an addiction.”
The Farleys also remarked on how impressed they were with the live music, and how pleased they were that the arts and crafts vendors were selling authentic local merchandise.
“So many times you go to one of these things and it’s a bunch of junk these guys just haul from event to event and it looks like they bought it from China,” said Melissa Farley, Duane’s wife. “This is quality art and we will be picking up a few things to take back to Michigan.”
There are dozens of vendors on hand selling a little bit of everything. Food ranges from stone crab to shrimp and grits, burgers, chicken and more. There is no shortage of cold beer to help move the hips to the 11 bands taking to three stages.
UPDATED OCT. 12, 2021 at 11:35 a.m. – CORTEZ – The Cortez post office will close on Friday, Oct. 22 at 4 p.m., leaving residents no choice but to travel about four miles to the Palma Sola branch on 75th Street off Manatee Avenue to get their mail.
The lease is up on the small office in the strip center at 12112 44th Ave. W., and landlord John Banyas is not renewing it, according to the U.S. Postal Service.
“Post Office box holders will be notified of the intent to relocate all P.O. Boxes from the current location to the Palma Sola Post Office, 115 75th St. W. in Bradenton,” according to a statement from the Postal Service obtained by The Sun. The statement lists an earlier closing date, Oct. 22, than the notice at the post office, which states: “Due to circumstances beyond our control, this office will be closing on Oct. 24.”
Oct. 22 is the last day customers can get their mail, while Oct. 24 is the day the post office must be out of the building, said David Walton, corporate communications officer for the U.S. Postal Service.
“I was taken aback when I heard about the sign they put up about circumstances out of their control. It was very much in their control,” Banyas wrote in a notice he posted at the post office. “I want everyone to know that I have worked hard to keep the post office in our village. I want them to stay here just as much as everyone else does for all of my family and friends. I own businesses in the village and I have my family in the village that use the post office. The whole process has been difficult with USPS and in the end, it was their decision to walk away from this village and all its people after all these years, not mine.”
Banyas sued the U.S. Postal Service on Sept. 21 for eviction in Manatee County Court, saying that the 5-year lease expired July 31 and that the post office was notified on July 28 that it would not be renewed, according to court records. In the complaint, he asks that his property be vacated by the post office. On Oct. 6, the case was transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa.
Banyas said he was sued by a man who was injured when the post office flagpole fell on him two years ago. The post office lease makes them responsible for keeping their equipment in good repair, so they breached their lease, he said.
Customers are greeted with a notice that the Cortez post office is closing permanently this month. – Cindy Lane | Sun
“I’m having to take the heat,” he said. “They won’t take responsibility for the flagpole.”
When the lease came up for renewal, Banyas asked to be added to the post office insurance policy. The post office refused, and he decided to not renew the lease, he said.
“I have insurance, but it’s not my responsibility to insure their equipment or exposure,” he said.
The postal service does not comment on lease negotiations, Walton said.
Residents are upset about the pending closure and are organizing to stop it, or at least get home delivery in the historic fishing village, located on the south side of Cortez Road. The post office already delivers mail to the newer homes on the north side of Cortez Road, resident Mary Green said.
“I’m 96 years old. I drive a golf cart. My golf cart won’t go that far,” Green said. “I’ve got to get my mail.”
Mary Fulford Green
“Retrieving mail from 75th isn’t very practical, especially during season,” Cortez resident Karen Bell said. “Mail is generally posted at 10 a.m. By the time someone would turn around, the bridge traffic could potentially make this a big part of the entire day.”
“It’s the convenience” resident Karen Carpenter said she would miss. “I ship a fair amount of packages to my children and grandchildren in Massachusetts. I just renewed my post office box in Cortez and didn’t want one in Palma Sola!”
A flyer has been distributed to homes in the village, stating that the post office closure is in violation of federal regulations.
“The U.S. Postal Service has violated its own regulations, which require prior public notice, feasibility study, public comment and right of appeal prior to a closing,” the flyer states, quoting the Code of Federal Regulations, section 241.3, about the procedures for the “discontinuance of USPS-operated retail facilities.”
The flyer continues: “What will happen to our community’s elders, disabled folks and folks without a car? There would be a real cost to Cortez residents in time, fuel, aggravation and loss of community.”
“We can’t do without this post office,” said Green, a founding member of the Cortez Village Historical Society.
The village has had a post office since 1896, when it was in the Bratton store at the Albion Inn, she said, adding that the post office made the village change its name from Hunters Point because another Hunters Point already existed.
The Cortez post office is a community gathering place where neighbors meet and catch up with each other and local events, posting and reading notices on the community bulletin board just outside the post office, she said.
The flyer asks residents to call U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan at 941-747-9081, and Stephen Hardin, U.S. Postal Service district manager, at 954-527-6987 to stop the closure.
“Please call now. Time is short,” the flyer states.
CORTEZ – It was 100 years ago this month when a handful of people at the Albion Inn heard an announcement on the only radio in the fishing village about a big blow coming.
Across the bay to the west, the few residents on Anna Maria Island – which had been settled only 28 years earlier – had to rely on ferry service to get to safety on the mainland, as the first bridge from Cortez to the Island was still under construction.
On the night of Oct. 23, a telegram arrived at the Albion Inn, which also housed a community store and post office, warning of a storm approaching.
The Albion Inn was the only building left standing on the Cortez waterfront after the hurricane of 1921. – Manatee County Historical Records Library | Submitted
On Oct. 24, the news got worse. “Key West to Apalachicola. Increasing winds and gales and hurricane velocities along the coast. Emergency: warn all interests,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration alert said.
By the morning of Oct. 25, Cortez was underwater, five feet deep at the docks, according to a Bradentown Herald newspaper report, which apologized for the paper being a day late “on account of the power being turned off Tuesday and Wednesday.”
Nothing was left standing, except the Albion Inn and the red brick Cortez schoolhouse, built nine years earlier at an elevation slightly higher than sea level.
A Cortez family salvages what they can after the 1921 hurricane. – Manatee County Historical Records Library | Submitted
“It was a 100-year storm, and we expect another one. I never say ‘if,’ but ‘when,’ ” said Mary Fulford Green, of the Cortez Village Historical Society.
Green, 96, lived vicariously through the storm in the stories of her family, including her grandfather, who was out fishing when the weather started, and hurried home to tie up his boat to the first thing on land he came to – a church – just in time to escape the worst of the storm.
The 1912 Cortez schoolhouse is the highest place in the fishing village, and the refuge for the survivors of the 1921 hurricane. – Manatee County Historical Records Library | Submitted
Green’s cousin, Doris, was 6 years old when the storm hit. In her book, “Fog’s Comin’ In,” Doris Green recalled that she saw houses and boats floating by their Cortez home, the village’s first schoolhouse. The whole family piled into a skiff just before their house floated off its pine pier foundation. They headed for the new Cortez schoolhouse, where several of their neighbors had already tied their boats to the railing outside and taken shelter. Green remembers her former neighbor, Luther Guthrie’s mother, telling her she had to wade in waist-deep water to carry him to a boat to take him to the schoolhouse.
When it was over, one newspaper headline screamed: “Death Rides on Winds,” reporting that eight people in the Tampa Bay area were killed, but none were from Cortez.
Doodle Bug was among the boats wrecked by the hurricane of 1921. – Manatee County Historical Records Library | Submitted
The hurricane cost the Albion Inn’s owner, Joe Guthrie, $15,000 in damages with the loss of the store, dock, fish house and boats, according to the Herald.
Fishermen lost a favorite fishing ground, Passage Key in Tampa Bay, which was leveled. And the first bridge from Cortez to Bridge Street on Anna Maria Island had been destroyed by the storm while still under construction.
The Cortez docks were wrecked in the hurricane of 1921. – Manatee County Historical Records Library | Submitted
If a hurricane like the 1921 storm hit Anna Maria Island today, “Some have said the fragile barrier island would have so many passes cut through it that it would be unrecognizable,” Green wrote in her book.
The Cortez schoolhouse still stands at 119th Street West and Cortez Road, and is now the Florida Maritime Museum. The Burton/Bratton store – all that’s left of the 1890s Albion Inn – was relocated to the museum grounds in 2006 by the Cortez Village Historical Society and the Organized Fishermen of Florida.
According to the Florida Maritime Museum’s current exhibit, “Caught in the Storm: 100 Years of Florida Hurricanes,” the 1921 hurricane produced 11 feet of storm surge. In comparison, Hurricane Andrew in 1992 created 17 feet of storm surge.
A hundred years ago, hurricanes didn’t have names or categories, but today, the storm – which made landfall in Tarpon Springs on Oct. 25, 1921 – would have been designated a Category 3, with 115 mph winds.
Of the 20 named storms so far this Atlantic hurricane season, four have been major hurricanes, according to the National Hurricane Center – Grace (125 mph), Larry (125 mph), Ida (150 mpg) and Sam (150 mph).
While no hurricanes are heading this way on the radar at the moment, more than 60% of hurricanes that make landfall do so after the peak of the season in September. The season lasts from June 1- Nov. 30. See The Sun’s hurricane guide for what to do if one approaches.
CORTEZ – Whether you love crafts, food or are just looking for Halloween ideas, the upcoming Cortez Cultural Center Arts and Crafts Fair is sure to please.
Visitors will enjoy a wide variety of local arts and crafts, great food, jewelry, Halloween costume help and much more. The event will take place Saturday, Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cortez Cultural Center, 11655 Cortez Road W.
Cortez artists including Linda Molto will be on hand, as well as a special booth dedicated to Halloween. Whether you want to be a pirate, mermaid or even a talking seashell, you’ll be able to get there with help from Costume Creations Halloween. There will also be custom jewelry, beautiful plants and plenty of amazing art that can be purchased on site.
If you don’t have any idea what to cook for the holidays, The Cortez Cookbook is a gem, with recipes by local celebrities. The Cortez Cultural Center has a plethora of history books about Cortez, including Marijuana Millions, Growing Up in a Fishing Village, Cortez Village Then and Now, all providing interesting information about this historic village.
Get there early to get the best selection. Vendor space is almost filled up. Email cvhs2016@aol.com to see if there’s still space.
CORTEZ – The Cortez Cultural Center, 11655 Cortez Road W., invites everyone to enjoy its fall events, including Music on the Porch, an Arts and Crafts sale and a Veteran’s Day Weekend Salute.
Open to the public every Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the center hosts Music on the Porch with local musicians who welcome others to jam with them at the tiki hut located between the center and the Florida Maritime Museum next to the Bonefish Bridge on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.
An Arts and Crafts Sale is set for Saturday, Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring local artists and their paintings, prints, colorful crafts, hand-crafted jewelry, baked goods, books and more.
A Veteran’s Day Weekend Salute in November will feature a tribute to Cortez veteran Albert Few Jr., who passed away this summer at the age of 100. The commercial fishing village of Cortez is home to veterans who have served in all branches of the U.S. military, and the organization showcases the impacts of those who went to war as well as those who went to sea to fish; many did both.
The center has an extensive collection of historical records related to the rich history of Cortez and its residents, including artifacts, books, documents, records and other items related to the families and individuals who have shaped Cortez, past and present.
Visitors are welcome to stroll through the FISH Preserve next to the center, formerly a 1940s Bradenton Beach cottage that has been relocated and repurposed into an exhibit space. Admission is free.
As we all know, the real estate market has gone from fundamentally shut down to an unparalleled explosion of demand for housing all over the country, and particularly in Florida. Buyers and real estate professionals are trying to maneuver their way through the maze of historic low inventory and pent-up buyer activity. The result of all this is outsized prices pushing buyers and creating bidding wars.
Recently, buyers have added different strategies to set themselves apart. For instance, cash is king, and if you have it or can borrow it, your offer will put you in the top tier of buyers.
Buyers love non-contingency offers; that means no mortgage as we discussed, but also no home inspection. It’s a good strategy if you’re comfortable with the property, especially if you know something about home construction.
One of the newest strategies out there in this market is an escalation clause in your offer. In order to be competitive, buyers are stipulating that they will top any offer from another buyer up to a certain level. This at least keeps you in the game and gives you an opportunity to improve your offer.
In addition, it’s always important to be flexible, but in this market, it’s essential. Get yourself in a position to change your desired closing date to fit the schedule of the seller as well as accepting any little quirky changes that may come up.
Finally, don’t wait if a new property comes on the market – be prepared to act quickly.
Now let’s look at the million-dollar-and-over market in the three cities on Anna Maria Island and in Cortez. This analysis will cover February, March and April closed sales as reported on the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s website and properties that are currently on the market or pending from realtor.com.
Cortez closed three properties over $1 million; one for $2,250,000, one for $1,215,000 and one for $1,075,000. The last three-month analysis showed two properties over $1 million.
The city of Anna Maria closed 31 properties; one for $4 million, three for $3 million or over, five over $2 million and 22 at $1 million or over. The last analysis showed that Anna Maria closed 41 properties.
The combined cities of Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach closed 58 properties; two over $4 million, two over $3 million, 10 over $2 million and 44 at $1 million or over. Last time, 39 properties were closed.
Available and pending properties as of this writing are, of course, a blowout again, so here we go: Cortez has a property listed at $4,750,000, the highest I have ever seen for a single-family home, and there is land listed for $1,300,000. The new development, Hunters Point, has seven properties listed from $1,300,000 to $785,000, three of them over $1 million. Last time, Cortez had three.
The city of Anna Maria has 46 properties over $1 million; one over $6 million, two over $5 million, two over $4 million, three over $3 million, 14 over $2 million and 24 over $1 million. The lowest-priced available property in the city is $995,000. Last time Anna Maria had 31 properties available.
Finally, the combined cities of Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach had 67 properties listed or pending over $1 million; one over $6 million, two over $5 million, two over $4 million, six over $3 million, 20 over $2 million and 36 over $1 million.
I’ve decided that after 15 months of ending my column with “stay safe,” it’s time to put this phrase to bed. Not that we still shouldn’t protect ourselves and our family from COVID-19, I just feel it’s time to be more positive. Besides, we now have a new “stay safe” to contend with – hurricanes. Here’s hoping we have a safe season.
BRADENTON – Property owners in the West Manatee Fire Rescue District in western Manatee County will notice an increase in the fire assessment rate when TRIM notices go out later this year, but it won’t be a big jump in cost.
District commissioners voted 4-1 to increase assessment rates for the 2021-22 fiscal year. The increase will be 4%, slightly less than the allowable increase of 5.64%.
WMFR gets most of its income from special assessment rates paid by property owners in the district. Since the assessments are non-ad valorem, they’re not based on a property’s taxable value. Instead, they are based on the size of the building on the property or set at a flat rate if the property is vacant.
The maximum percentage that the rate can be increased each year is based on personal income growth, or PIG. Though district leaders expected the 2021 number to be much lower, it came in at 6.8% for the state of Florida according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The maximum increase considered by WMFR commissioners during their April mid-year budget workshop was 5.64%.
What this means for district taxpayers, including all property owners on Anna Maria Island, in Cortez and the west side of unincorporated Manatee County, is that what you pay annually for fire service is increasing slightly on your next property tax bill.
A 4% increase will bring the residential property base rate up $7.82 to $203.35 with an increase for properties over 1,000 square feet of $0.0046 to $0.1199 per square foot. For a 2,000-square-foot home, this brings the total rate up from $310.85 to $323.28, a difference of $12.43. The rate for a 3,000-square-foot home would increase from $426.17 to $443.22 and from $541.50 to $563.16 for a 5,000-square-foot home.
Commercial property owners will notice an increase as well, with the commercial base rate increasing from $485.94 to $505.38 and the per-square-foot rate increasing from $0.2104 to $0.2188 for buildings over 1,000 square feet. The 4% increase brings the total rate for a 2,000-square-foot commercial property to $724.23 with a 3,000-square-foot building coming in at $943.08 and the rate for a 4,000-square-foot commercial building increasing to $1,161.92.
Commissioner Al Robinson was the lone vote against raising the assessment rate for the coming year. Robinson has previously been vocal about curbing the department’s spending and lessening the burden of the fire district on property owners.
Despite the increase in assessment rates, WMFR still has one of the lowest rates in Manatee County.
Commissioner David Bishop said the decision to vote whether or not to increase assessment rates is a difficult one. He warned his fellow commissioners that in looking to the future of the district they don’t get too far ahead for the taxpayer base. He said he feels the district could quickly reach a tipping point with costs and that they want to make sure that those costs don’t tip the wrong way, ending up too high to be sustainable.
CORTEZ – For the second time, Raymond Guthrie Jr. has asked a local court to delay its order to demolish a structure he built on pilings in Sarasota Bay in 2017.
In a document filed on May 11 by Bradenton attorney Robert Schermer, Guthrie asked the 12th Judicial Circuit Court in Manatee County to grant a 90-day extension to allow four Florida legislators to help supporters find a way to save what Guthrie calls a net camp.
Net camps, which once dotted the Cortez waterfront in Sarasota Bay, were used to clean, dry and store cotton nets. They declined in the 1970s when netmakers began using monofilament nets, and were made virtually obsolete by the 1994 Florida gill net ban.
Citing prior net camps his family built on the same spot, Guthrie claimed ownership of the property, but the court ruled that the state owns the submerged land under his structure and ordered its demolition by Jan. 24, granting a 60-day extension on March 1 to allow the Florida Legislature time to act to save the structure.
While the Legislature did not act, Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton), Rep. Tommy Gregory (R-Manatee), Rep. Michele Rayner (D-Manatee) and Rep. Bill Robinson (R-Manatee) sent a letter on April 29 to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) – which initiated the complaint against Guthrie – suggesting the agency work with them to save the net camp.
“It has been rebuilt multiple times and is currently a more modern building than the previous structure,” the legislators wrote. “While the Guthrie Net Camp has lost some of its historic charm, it is an important part of the history of Cortez. We hope to find a way to save and preserve this small piece of Florida history for future generations to enjoy.”
In Guthrie’s request to the court for a second stay, his attorney states that Guthrie and his siblings are in the process of providing a bill of sale for the structure to an unnamed not-for-profit group that could apply to DEP to lease the submerged land under the structure.
Manatee County commissioners wrote DEP in their second letter of support on April 15 that while the structure does not conform to state standards, they believe that such an organization pledged to “the historical interpretation, facade reconstruction and subsequent maintenance of the structure will restore the net camp to its historical character.”
Whether the structure is owned by a not-for-profit organization is irrelevant, according to DEP spokeswoman Shannon Herbon, who said the agency intends to pursue the demolition.
CORTEZ – Raymond Guthrie Jr. has 60 days to convince the Florida Legislature to save the net camp he built in Sarasota Bay off the commercial fishing village before a court order to demolish it takes effect.
Manatee County 12th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Ed Nicholas ruled today that if the Legislature decides before it adjourns 60 days from the session’s start on March 2 that the structure should be protected, “that would certainly be a factor that the court would take into consideration.”
There is no harm in seeing “if the Legislature wants to consider the potential to grandfather this camp, as it appears they have done to others at some point throughout the state,” Nicholas said in his ruling on Guthrie’s motion to stay the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)’s Oct. 8, 2020 order to demolish the structure by Jan. 24, 2021.
The order resulted from DEP prevailing in its claim that the state owns the submerged land under Guthrie’s structure and that its construction was illegal.
Guthrie built the stilt structure in 2017 on what he says is the site of his family’s three former net camps, built over 70 years in Sarasota Bay.
A.P. Bell Fish Co. manager Karen Bell recently asked local legislators to request that DEP stay its demolition order, giving them time to draft legislation to protect the camp during the session. Legislators advised her to seek a stay in court.
“I’m happy,” she said. “Now it’s time to talk to the Legislature and see if they can help.”
Bell previously appealed in vain to Gov. Ron DeSantis to overturn the demolition, writing, “These camps are iconic to this community. Artists come from all over the world and have memorialized these structures in their work. I do not understand how my state is not supportive of our history.”
“I think there’s a failure to appreciate the historical nature of this,” Guthrie’s Bradenton attorney, Robert Schermer, told the court. “This is, in our view, no different than the historic school in Cortez, the historic museum; this is a part of the history of the village.”
Cortez is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Net camps, which once dotted the Cortez waterfront in Sarasota Bay, were used to clean, dry and store cotton nets. They declined in use when net makers began using more durable fibers and were made virtually obsolete by the 1994 Florida gill net ban.
Today, only Guthrie’s structure and a historic net camp remain off Cortez, the latter restored by the not-for-profit group, the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH).
Bell also previously intervened unsuccessfully in the lawsuit, claiming the structure has existed on the spot since at least the early 1900s and was protected by the 1921 Butler Act. DEP said the Butler Act did not protect the most recent structure because it had been allowed to deteriorate beyond use.
CORTEZ – Owned and operated by Bob Slicker, Slicker’s Eatery is now open.
Located at 12012 Cortez Road W., Slicker’s latest culinary adventure set sail on Tuesday, Feb. 9 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by members of the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce and others. The ceremony kicked off a two-day soft opening that doubled as a fundraiser and raised more than $10,000 for Slicker’s favorite charity, The Blessing Bags Project.
Slicker, who previously enjoyed a long and successful run as the general manager of the nearby Swordfish Grill, now finds himself doing business in a recently renovated building whose legacy includes Pig Out BBQ and O’Shucks.
Offering “crafts and drafts” in the form of specialty food served as small plates or large plates, specialty cocktails, draft beers, desserts and more, Slicker’s Eatery represents the culmination of the bar, restaurant, team building, fundraising and community service experience Slicker has gained during his first five decades of life.
Community service is an important part of Bob Slicker’s business model. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
On Monday, Slicker shared his thoughts on his first week at the helm of Cortez’s newest restaurant.
“It went even better than I expected. The support of the community and the performance of my new team were better than I could have ever hoped – especially for a guy who took ownership of a restaurant seven weeks ago,” he said.
Served on slate, the Seared Ahi Tuna Crostini has quickly become a small plate menu favorite. – Slicker’s Eatery | Submitted
Out of respect for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, seating is currently limited. Masks are required while entering the restaurant and moving about, but not while seated and eating and drinking.
“We’re trying to keep a third of our tables empty until this pandemic is over. When we’re at full speed, our seating capacity will be 160 people,” Slicker said.
He recommends making reservations in advance, but there is limited seating for walk-in patrons as well: “During our first five days, three were sold out.”
As he’s done in the past, Slicker views the eatery as an extension of the community it serves, with fundraising and assisting others as a key component of the business model.
“We are building this business to make a difference. A lot of people asked me how and why I opened a restaurant during a pandemic. It’s truly because of the kindness of the community and the friends and family that support me and my endeavors and the things we do to give back to the community,” he said.
The staff
“Our food menu is eclectic and it’s a chef-driven menu. My nephew, Kurt Clennan, is a California-based chef. He developed the menu and trained the staff. Our menu offers healthier choices and we have no fryers, which we are very proud of,” Slicker said.
“Barry Smith is our operations manager/kitchen manager and Brandon Rolland is our general manager. I’ve known Brandon for 20 years and we have a rum-based drink on the menu called “Rolland with the Foamies,” Slicker said.
The core staff at Slicker’s Eatery is close-knit and well-trusted. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“Max Schumacher is our bar manager. We call our bartenders ‘spirit guides’ and Max is our shaman, the leader of the spirit guides. I’ve known Max for 29 years, because he turned 29 yesterday.
“And my daughter, Molly Slicker, is our creative director. She designed the restaurant, the layout of the menu and worked with Sande Caplin & Associates on our logo. Sande is doing our website and Molly is handling our promotion, public relations and social media,” Slicker said.
Molly Slicker plays a key role at her father Bob’s new eatery. – Slicker’s Eatery | Submitted
“The support from the community has been so strong that we are already adding to our staff and looking for people who not only want to make a difference in their own lives, but for others also. During the interview process, we ask our applicants what cause is important to them,” Slicker said.
Menus and décor
When discussing the menus, Molly Slicker said, “It’s hard to pick a highlight of our food menu because the menu is so eclectic and features so much fusion from so many different flavors. I’m a big Cuban sandwich connoisseur, so my favorite is our Cubano. It’s truly the best I’ve had in the area. A lot of our guests are enjoying the Seared Ahi Tuna Crostini, the Petite Filet and the Spicy Octopus that might be the most exciting dish we have on our menu.
Spicy Octopus is one of the small plates featured on the Slicker’s Eatery menu. – Slicker’s Eatery | Submitted
“Our most popular, and maybe our most exciting, signature cocktail is our Santa Teresa Smoked Old Fashioned. It’s an experience in that the bartender brings it to your table. After wood chips are fired under the glass, the drink is poured into it, which produces a really nice smoky flavor. My favorite drink is the Tanqueray-based Fizzie Maguire. I love the light, refreshing flavor and the Lizzie McGuire reference, and it comes with Pop Rocks as a garnish that makes a fizzing, popping sound,” she said.
“With the décor, I really wanted to go with a sustainable theme and a lot of the décor you see is from our team’s personal collection or something I got from a local thrift store. And the photographs are of our management team, our families, our favorite places and things like that. I wanted it to feel like you were going somewhere nice, but somewhere that was also comfortable – like you’re walking into our home. Color-wise, I wanted to go with a modern and fresh feel, so anything black, white and grayscale, with tops of fresh greenery. The plants and greenery are from Mackenzie Fortenberry’s AMI Roots houseplant pop-up shop,” she said.
Members of the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce were among the first soft-opening guests at Slicker’s Eatery. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
With the exception of certain holidays, Slicker’s Eatery is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and there are plans to soon serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays as well.
For reservations, call 941-251-9428. You can also make online reservations and view the menus at the Slicker’s Eatery website.
CORTEZ – At about 3:45 p.m. Monday afternoon, personnel from West Manatee Fire Rescue and Cedar Hammock Fire Rescue responded to a boat fire at the Cortez Cove Marina, 4522 121st St. W. in Cortez.
WMFR Fire Chief Ben Rigney said the fire occurred on a 72-foot Princess yacht that was out of the water and up on jacks when the fire occurred.
A 72-foot Princess yacht that was out of the water and up on jacks caught fire Monday afternoon. – Ben Rigney/WMFR – Submitted
“It’s contained to the one boat and it is not out yet. We have a ladder truck in the air. There’s a lot of fiberglass and fuel so it will probably take a while to put out,” Rigney said.
When contacted again at 5:03 p.m. Rigney said the fire was contained but not completely extinguished.
A ladder truck was used to disperse water on the burning boat. – Ben Rigney/WMFR | Submitted
“We have it knocked it down pretty good, but it’s fiberglass so it will burn for a while. It’s on jacks so we have to let it fill up and then let the water drain out and then do it again because we don’t want to put too much stress on the jacks and have the boat fall over. It’ll be a long, slow process, but you shouldn’t be able to see the smoke anymore,” Rigney said.
Rigney said the fire was contained to that yacht only and there were no injuries and no damage to the marina buildings.
This ladder truck and crew responded to the fire scene. – Ben Rigney/WMFR – Submitted
Rigney said Sea Tow diked the area to prevent water runoff and the Coast Guard was notified as well.
“We had a quick knockdown and did a good of containing this to the one boat. Now it’s just a slow process making sure it’s out,” Rigney said.
The fire was contained to a single boat and no injuries or structural damage to the marina occurred. – Shane Pelkey | Submitted
CORTEZ – Karen Bell has directed her lawyer to sue to stay the order to demolish a stilt structure known as a net camp just offshore of her commercial fish house, A.P. Bell Fish Co.
After the Manatee County legislative delegation offered verbal support for the net camp at a public meeting on Jan. 6, Florida Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Manatee), Rep. Tommy Gregory (R-Manatee) and Rep. Will Robinson (R-Manatee) made it clear to Bell that their hands are tied on extending the demolition deadline of Sunday, Jan. 24, won by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in the 12th Judicial Circuit Court on Oct. 8, 2020.
Bell had intended to ask the legislators to request that DEP grant a 120-day extension on the demolition order, allowing the Florida Legislature time to draft legislation to protect the camp during the session that begins on Tuesday, March 2.
The delegation made it clear almost immediately that the request was futile.
“Because it’s a court order, they have no authority. I was told to ask the judge for a stay,” Bell said.
Meanwhile, back at the net camp, a work crew appeared on the roof the day after the hearing, prompting rumors to fly about whether the stilt structure was in the process of being demolished as ordered.
It was not.
Guthrie, who built the camp in 2017 and claims ownership based on prior net camps his family built on the spot, instead reroofed the structure last Thursday, Bell said.
Net camps, which once dotted the Cortez waterfront in Sarasota Bay, were used to clean, dry and store cotton nets. They declined in use when netmakers began using more durable fibers, and were made virtually obsolete by the 1994 Florida gill net ban.
Today, only Guthrie’s structure and a historic net camp remain, the latter restored by the not-for-profit Cortez group, the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH).
The 12th Judicial Circuit Court has ruled that the state owns the submerged land under Guthrie’s structure, and that the construction was unpermitted and therefore illegal.
Bell appealed in vain to Gov. Ron DeSantis to overturn the demolition order by Manatee County Circuit Court Judge Edward Nicholas, saying that the Guthrie camp had been rebuilt in the same spot as previous Guthrie camps and on some of the same pilings.
Previously, Bell had unsuccessfully intervened in the lawsuit, floating the argument that the structure has existed on the spot since at least the early 1900s, and, with the submerged lands, is protected by the 1921 Butler Act.
The act awards title of submerged lands to adjacent waterfront property owners who made permanent improvements on the submerged lands. Repealed in the 1950s, the act continues to affect title to submerged lands that were “improved” with construction prior to its repeal.
DEP conceded that aerial images show that a smaller, dilapidated structure existed where Guthrie built his structure, but said the Butler Act did not protect it because it had been allowed to deteriorate and become unusable.
Other stilt structures stand on state submerged lands in Charlotte, Lee and Pasco counties, but DEP maintains that those structures were not allowed to collapse before being rebuilt.
Bell said she is hopeful that her most recent lawsuit to stay the demolition order will be heard before the Jan. 24 deadline to tear down the net camp.
As she wrote to Gov. DeSantis: “These camps are iconic to this community. Artists come from all over the world and have memorialized these structures in their work. I do not understand how my state is not supportive of our history.”
Updated 1/4/21 – Manatee County Public Safety Director Jake Saur announced that 1,400 vaccine doses had been received by the county for distribution to seniors age 65 and older and front line healthcare workers. Of those doses, 1,200 will be available to seniors to book appointments online for Jan. 5 and 6 at 2 p.m. on Jan. 4. Seniors without computer access can also dial 311 ext. 1 to book over the phone with a county operator. Saur warns that 311 staff is limited so it’s better to try to book vaccine appointments online if possible.
Anyone with medical questions concerning the vaccine should contact their primary care physician or the Manatee County Health Department.
Front line healthcare workers seeking a vaccine can go to the Bennett Park site on Jan. 5 and 6 between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. to receive their first COVID-19 vaccination. Workers must have a copy of their state healthcare license and be able to prove that they work in direct contact with patients in order to receive a vaccine.
MANATEE COUNTY – More than 1,000 seniors age 65 and older in the county have received COVID-19 vaccinations as of Jan. 2, according to the county’s social media page. Any senior who didn’t receive a vaccination appointment in the first round will have another chance to try for an appointment beginning at 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 2.
In a Dec. 29 briefing, Manatee County officials discussed receiving 3,500 doses of the Moderna vaccine to be distributed beginning on Dec. 30 and continuing through Jan. 4 to seniors, first at the Manatee County Department of Public Safety and then at Bennett Park. Those appointments filled up within minutes, leaving many seniors wondering when they could receive the vaccine. Information Outreach Manager Nicholas Azzara said that as available vaccine numbers dwindle to 500 or less, more shipments of the vaccine will come to Manatee County for distribution.
To sign up for one of the vaccine appointments released Jan. 2, visit the county website to fill out the Department of Health COVID-19 screening and consent form. Both forms can be filled out in advance and need to be printed and taken to your vaccine appointment. Visit the site at 2 p.m. on Jan. 2 to book your vaccine appointment.
Vaccine appointments are available to anyone age 65 and older. There is no residency requirement, however, the Moderna vaccine requires two doses with the second one to be received 28 days after the first one. Anyone receiving the first vaccine dose in Manatee County must also receive the second dose in Manatee County. Vaccine records do not transfer.
To receive the vaccine, patients must provide photo ID, present their screening results and provide a copy of their appointment reservation. All vaccinations provided by Manatee County are given free of charge.
Currently, vaccines are being distributed in a drive-thru location at Bennett Park, 280 Kay Road in Bradenton. When getting a vaccine, patients are advised to not leave their vehicle unless requested to by onsite medical personnel.
If unable to get a vaccine appointment on Monday, Azzara asks people to be patient and continue to monitor the county’s website for the release of upcoming appointments. You can also sign up for email alerts.
BRADENTON – The West Manatee Fire Rescue District has a new commissioner who will take the dais later this month.
Joining Commissioner Larry Jennis, who had no challengers for his seat, will be Robert Bennett, taking the place of Commissioner Randy Cooper. After 12 years on the dais, Cooper decided not to run for re-election this year.
With no challengers, Jennis was automatically re-elected for an additional four-year term on the fire district’s board of commissioners. He currently serves as the board’s vice-chair.
Three candidates qualified to fill Cooper’s vacant seat – Bennett, Steven Pontious and Derrick Warner. Bennett received the most votes and won the seat in a landslide with 9,689 ballots cast in his favor across 11 precincts, or 64.47% of the total number of votes. Pontious came in second with 2,681 votes, or 17.84%, with Warner ending the night with 2,659 votes, 17.69% of the total votes cast.
Pending election certification, Bennett will be sworn in along with Jennis during the Nov. 17 commission meeting planned to be held at the district’s temporary administration offices at Palma Sola Presbyterian Church, 6510 Third Ave. W. in Bradenton. The meeting also will be available to attend via Zoom.
WMFR commissioners serve four-year terms and work with the fire chief to help create policy and manage the fire district. The West Manatee district includes all of Anna Maria Island, Cortez and unincorporated Manatee County on the west side of the county.
CORTEZ – Dr. Mary Frances Fulford Green, valedictorian of the Bradenton High School Class of 1942, has been selected as Manatee High School’s 2020 Outstanding Alumna.
Bradenton High is one of the former names of Manatee High.
Among her accomplishments, Green has been instrumental in preserving the historic fishing village of Cortez, where she was born. She was a driving force in creating the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH) that purchased 100 acres on Sarasota Bay to protect and enhance the habitat for fish, birds and other wildlife, and she wrote the application and lobbied successfully to have Cortez put on the National Register of Historic Places. She also is among the founders of the Cortez Village Historical Society.
Green helped to create the career counseling program at State College of Florida and was one of the founders of HOPE Family Services. She was a licensed mental health counselor and served as a full-time volunteer with the Manatee Mental Health Association, volunteering with the Manatee County Drug Court and several Florida prisons to mentor those incarcerated.
When class reunions became too difficult for aging classmates to attend, Green began calling all her 1942 classmates and still sends a newsletter to keep them informed about each other.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Outstanding Alumni Banquet has been postponed, but organizers hope to honor Green later this year.
The Manatee High Alumni Association has recognized and honored outstanding MHS alumnus/alumna with achievement awards since 1994.
