Bean Point ‘no swim’ zone proposed
New life
Anna Maria General Store burglary suspect arrested
Leonardo Tilelli confessed to burglarizing the Anna Maria General Store on Monday morning.
BY JOE HENDRICKS
SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – Leonardo J. Tilelli, 24, was arrested on Monday morning and confessed to burglarizing the Anna Maria General Store, 503 Pine Ave. He was charged with unarmed burglary of an unoccupied structure.
According to a report provided by Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Anna Maria Unit leader Sgt. Brett Getman, deputies responded to the store at 5:35 a.m. on Aug. 18 and observed that a large rock had been thrown through one of the store’s
The mayor is concerned about visitors getting caught in the rip currents at Bean Point.
BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – In response to rip currentrelated water rescues in the waters off Bean Point on Aug. 9 and Aug. 12, Mayor Mark Short proposed creating a no swim zone at the northern tip of Anna Maria Island during the Aug. 14 city commission meeting.
Earlier in the meeting, Short praised Sgt. Brett Getman and Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) deputies Vince Bowman, Matt Daugherty and Nate Boggs for their roles in rescuing four swimmers who found themselves caught in the rip currents while swimming at Bean Point.
On Aug. 9, Getman entered the water, threw a life ring to a 15-year-old boy who got caught in the SEE BEAN POINT, PAGE 20
Bolus sends city notice of intent to file suit
BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com
REBECCA SEYMOUR | SUBMITTED
Surveillance video helped apprehend the burglary suspect.
glass doors. The business was cleared with no suspects located.
Surveillance video was obtained; the suspect, whose address is undetermined, was identified and a BOLO (be on the lookout) warning was issued. At 6:55 a.m., Holmes Beach Police Department school resource officer Christine Labranche was driving to
SEE BURGLARY, PAGE 4
BRADENTON BEACH - Homeowner Bob Bolus, an outspoken critic of the city government, has delivered a notice of intent to file a $100 million class action lawsuit against the city based on allegations of fraud and favoritism toward developer Shawn Kaleta.
The letter was delivered to the city by certified mail on Aug. 14.
Bolus, who divides his time between his homes in Bradenton Beach and Scranton, Pennsylvania, has been involved in a legal battle with Kaleta since July 2021. According to the Manatee County Clerk of Court website, Kaleta has sued Bolus, doing business as Bolus Truck Parts and Towing Service Inc., for breach of contract.
Bolus’ letter reads as follows:
“To Whom It May Concern:
“Please be advised that this is a letter of notice of intent to file a lawsuit pursuant to Florida Statutes Section 768.28 (6), as a required condition precedent to maintaining a claim. As per the applicable statute, Florida’s Department of Financial Services is copied on this correspondence.
“Please consider this your opportunity for one-hundred eighty (180) days to investigate the claim and amicably resolve the matter without the need for litigation, as outlined under Florida Statutes 768.28 (6)(d). All of the facts and circumstances relied upon within my claim occurred with the previous three (3) years, fulfilling the requirement of Florida Statutes 768.28 (6)(a) and
JERRY MILLER/ANNA MARIA ISLAND TURTLE WATCH | SUBMITTED
A hatchling makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico at sunrise. Turtle news on Page 9.
Tilelli
Pines homeowners settle with park owners
A lawsuit filed in March against Pines Park Investors LLC has been dismissed following a settlement agreement.
BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com
BRADENTON BEACH – Dozens of evictions and title surrenders have thinned out the population at the 86unit Pines Trailer Park, but those who remain participated in a settlement agreement in exchange for dropping a lawsuit against the park's owners.
The lawsuit was filed on March 28 by the Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association Inc. against Pines Park Investors LLC in part to stop evictions and the park’s closure. Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Edward Nicholas signed an order on Aug. 8 dismissing the suit pursuant to a confidential settlement agreement.
Pines residents reached by The Sun said they are unable to discuss settlement terms or a tentative park closure date as such disclosure risks nullifying the agreement.
“Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association, Inc. and Pines Park Investors LLC, the owner of Pines Trailer Park, are pleased to announce that they have reached a confidential settlement agreement. This agreement amicably resolves the litigation that was pending in the Manatee County Circuit Court,” HOA attorney David Fredericks wrote in an email to The Sun.
“Both parties have worked diligently to address and resolve their differences, and they are satisfied with the outcome. As the terms of the settlement are confidential, no further details that relate to the terms of the settlement will be disclosed.” Davie, Florida-based attorney Shawn Arbeiter represented Pines Park Investors.
In January, the park ownership announced that the park would be closed on July 31. At least one Pines owner is advertising a rental through September. The final closure date has not been disclosed.
According to the Manatee County Clerk of Court website, 26 Pines homeowners were evicted from the park for non-payment of lot rental fees. Many homeowners maintained that they withheld lot rental payments due to the disrepair and lack of amenities following Hurricane Helene in 2024. Others turned over title to their mobile homes to park ownership to avoid eviction.
One former owner was not privy to the settlement agreement after having turned over title to multiple units to park owners.
“Unfortunately, we made the tough decision to just turn over all titles to Pines Park Investors, so we’re out of the loop now,” the former owner told The Sun on Aug. 13. “Our biggest heartbreak will be if we see them fixing up all the old units... and begin renting them out. That will be extremely heartbreaking.”
LESLIE LAKE | SUN
The Pines Homeowners Association has reached a confidential settlement agreement with Pines Park Investors LLC.
ISLAND NEWS
IN BRIEF
Commission to consider city attorney’s invoices
Bradenton Beach commissioners will discuss an update on the city’s building department at a Thursday, Aug. 21 meeting at noon. Also on the agenda is a discussion of a stop work order at 106 23rd St. N., approval of resolution 25-982 regarding transient public lodging establishment fees and approval of resolution 25-981 regarding the employee handbook. Commissioners will vote on expenses in the consent agenda including invoices from City Attorney Ricinda Perry totaling $123,360.63; an invoice from Blalock Walters for $4,675; an invoice from M.T. Causley LLC for $7,315.40; invoices from Pride Enterprises for $18,715.74 and $6,164 and an invoice from Cathcart Construction Company for $282,886.25. The meeting will be in the Katie Pierola Commission Chambers, 107 Gulf Drive N.
CRA to discuss redevelopment of district
The Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) will discuss short-term and long-term plans regarding the redevelopment of the district at a meeting on Thursday, Aug. 21 at 9:30 a.m. Also on the agenda will be a discussion of wind sculpture options and a Coastal Engineering mitigation monitoring proposal. The meeting will be in the Katie Pierola Commission Chambers, 107 Gulf Drive N.
BURGLARY: Suspect arrested
FROM PAGE 1
Anna Maria Elementary and observed a man matching the BOLO description walking on the sidewalk eastbound on Manatee Avenue along the Palma Sola Causeway. LaBranche stopped Tilelli and detained him until additional officers arrived. After being read his Miranda rights, Tilelli confessed to the burglary and some items of evidentiary value were recovered.
“This successful outcome reflects the strong partnership between MCSO and HBPD and greatly benefits both the business community and the residents we serve,” Getman stated in the report he provided to The Sun.
As of Monday afternoon, Tilelli remained in custody at the Manatee County Jail. According to court records, he has no prior arrests in Manatee County.
Scan this code with your smartphone to go there.
Waste Management changes approved
Residential property owners won’t pay extra for side-door trash and recycling service while the pilot program is in place.
BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – City commissioners unanimously approved Waste Management’s request to make side-door trash and recycling service mandatory for all residential properties effective immediately. When doing so, on Aug. 14, the commission also approved Waste Management’s request to switch its current trash and recycling collection days from Mondays and Thursdays to Tuesdays and Fridays beginning in early October. Waste Management will then divide its weekly recycling collections between Tuesday and Fridays and landscaping debris collections will continue on Mondays. As an additional concession provided to the city, Waste Management is already emptying several beach access dumpsters every Saturday at no additional cost to the city. The commission-approved changes required formal amendments to be made to the franchise agreement the city has with Waste Management. Entered into around 2019, the current agreement expires next June. Before that expiration date, the city will seek new proposals from
Waste Management and other companies interested in providing those exclusive services in which the city shares a small percentage of the revenues.
SIDE-DOOR SERVICE
Ideally, side-door service entails Waste Management employees retrieving trash and recycling containers from the side of a residential property, emptying the containers and returning them to the side of the house after they’ve been emptied.
Before the franchise agreement was amended last week, the agreement required all non-homesteaded residential
TDC supports $750,000 ferry funding request
The $750,000 funding request includes money for a new Anna Maria City Pier ferry landing.
BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – The Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) recommends county commission approval to spend up to $750,000 in tourist development tax revenues for capital improvements for the county-contracted Gulf Islands Ferry service.
Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione presented the funding request to TDC members for their preliminary review during the Aug.
18 TDC meeting held at The Center of Anna Maria Island.
If approved by county commissioners, some of the funds would be used for the construction of a new standalone ferry landing to be built adjacent to the Anna Maria City Pier walkway when that new walkway is constructed to replace the pier walkway that sustained catastrophic damage during Hurricane Milton last October. In June, Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short told TDC members and other county officials his goal is to have the pier walkway rebuilt and reopened by October 2026.
According to the Aug. 18 TDC meeting agenda packet, the current initiatives to be funded with the requested $750,000 include $228,427 to be put toward the
design, permitting and construction of a new City Pier ferry landing to be located between the shoreline and the T-end buildings that currently stand isolated without a walkway.
Earlier this year, Manatee County Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker estimated the Anna Maria ferry landing would cost approximately $1 million and include a wave attenuator wall that lessens the impacts that waves and currents have on the ferry boats.
In June, the TDC members recommended still-pending county commission approval of the city of Anna Maria’s request for $2 million in tourist development tax revenues to be used for an anticipated $8 million pier reconstruction project.
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN City officials hope to see fewer trash cans sitting alongside city streets.
Builders call for contracted building official’s dismissal
Some builders want Anna Maria officials to hire an in-house building official.
BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – Mason
Martin Builders and Agnelli Pools & Construction owner Frank Agnelli and other Anna Maria builders are calling for the city to replace contracted Building Official Craig Greene and the Joe Payne Inc. firm he works for with a full-time building official employed directly by the city.
In January, the city commission authorized Mayor Mark Short to execute an agreement with Joe Payne Inc. (JPI) that completely outsourced the city’s building department and floodplain management responsibilities to Payne’s firm, as well as providing some additional constructionrelated city engineering services.
According to the current agreement that’s scheduled for renewal or expiration on Sept. 30, JPI receives 50% of the building
permit application fees generated in Anna Maria each month, and JPI is guaranteed a monthly minimum of $35,000 if permit fees don’t reach that monthly threshold.
The agreement also states that on average, the designated building official is to spend 6-8 hours at least one day a week at city hall, with the remaining services to be provided remotely.
When seeking commission authorization to enter into the agreement, Short said outsourcing the city’s building department would cost about the same as having an in-house city building department.
BUILDERS UPSET
Approximately 30 members of Anna Maria’s construction community attended the Aug. 14 city commission and three of them shared their concerns with the mayor and commissioners.
Speaking first, Agnelli said, “I’m here to discuss the current situations the builders and taxpayers are dealing with. It’s
not good. Since I’ve been here, 20-plus years, we’ve gone through 19 building officials. Everyone comes with a new set of rules, a new interpretation of codes and it’s making it very difficult for us to do our jobs.”
According to Agnelli, Green became the city’s contracted building official around April.
“Since then, contractors and private providers (inspectors) have been seeing a lot of resistance with red tags (stop work orders) on jobs and additional permits needing to be pulled. The
building official has refused to allow private providers to inspect swimming pools. FEMA is being used as a reason, but FEMA doesn’t recognize swimming pools. Up until yesterday, I was denied another permit to have a private provider inspect my pools,” Agnelli said.
Agnelli said using private inspectors reduces the inspection fees paid to the city, which reduces the revenues shared with JPI.
He also said builders aren’t getting their permits when they
need them and builders are being asked to pull multiple permits that should already be covered under the initial single-family home building permit.
“I really want to encourage the city to cancel this contract with JPI,” Agnelli said. “I feel that a full-time building official would benefit all of us in this room, and the taxpayers. Joe Payne needs the inspectors, but the inspectors don’t need Joe Payne because they have all the credentials. He doesn’t.”
According to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Payne is a licensed certified general contractor and that’s the only state-issued license listed for him at the DBPR website.
According to DBPR, Greene is a licensed building code administrator, a licensed plans examiner and a licensed inspector. His plans examiner license expires on Aug. 22. His electrical inspector license expired on June 11 and his
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
Frank Agnelli expressed concerns shared by many other builders who attended the Aug. 14 meeting.
OPINION
The Anna Maria Island Sun Staff
Owner | CEO
Mike Field
Editor
Cindy Lane
General Manager
Bob Alexander
Reporters | Photographers
Joe Hendricks
Leslie Lake
Columnists
Louise Bolger
Rusty Chinnis
Contributors
Steve Borggren
Capt. Rick Grassett
Layout Ricardo Fonseca
Advertising Director
Shona Otto
Classified Ads
Bob Alexander
Graphics
Elaine Stroili
Ricardo Fonseca
Distribution
Bob Alexander
Tony McNulty
Brian Smith
Accounting
Leslie Ketchum
Co-founding publishers
Mike Field
Maggie McGinley Field
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Back to basics
Over the past few years, our Island is experiencing storms that may have been more impressive than in the past. All three cities tried to find ways to keep our Island waters cleaner with a major influx with visitors and ways to deal with stormwater. The cities tried the filtration system that’s intent was to clean the water before entering our waterways.
Due to many storms, the systems are not working like designed. What was not expected is that keeping the filtration systems clean so they can serve the purpose is costly and hard to maintain like they should be. Our city engineers do find some areas that work and the same for the other cities.
Holmes Beach is finding solutions and have started to go back to the basics - swales. To my surprise, these higher tides have showed what the swales had been doing for years ago.
I am happy the mayor has the history to give the swales another try.
Carol Whitmore Holmes Beach
No to speed tables on Key Royale Drive
Mayor Judy Titsworth recently met with approximately 15 residents living in the 500 block of Key Royale Drive to discuss parking issues. The topic of speeding came up during the meeting
and the end result was a commitment by the city to install three speed tables in the 500 block of Key Royale Drive as a safety measure. Before the city spends $24,000 on three speed tables, they need to explore other alternatives and hear from residents in the 322 homes in the 600 and 700 block of Key Royale Drive and those living from Crestwood Lane down to Ivanhoe Lane, and to the many residents driving low speed vehicles on Key Royale Drive headed to the Key Royale golf course.
I agree with the mayor that safety is an issue, but when the mayor and the police chief were asked about the number of speeders in the 500 block who have been ticketed over the past year, three years or five years, there was no reply. No reply to the number of accidents caused by speeders or the number of injuries caused in the 500 block due to speeding during these time frames.
Three city commissioners have responded to me that they favor other options over the speed tables, would like the topic to be revisited or are totally against the speed tables. Commissioner Whitmore stated, “The speed tables have been tried unsuccessfully in the past, it is overkill, reactionary and the matter should be brought back for more discussion.”
Commissioner Oelfke responded, “I do share your concerns about the speed tables and hope another option can be used to support the reduction of speeding.” Commissioner Diggins replied, “Let me see if we can earmark this expenditure to another area.”
"We have no other choice, we have tried radar flashers, officers have used radar guns and we do not have the manpower" are all reasons being given for installing the speed tables. Technology, however, is moving quickly and cameras can now be installed that identify speeders and issue tickets accordingly. If that is cost-prohibitive at this time or not permissible for any reason, why not have a greater police presence for a short period of time to identify and fine the speeders? After getting fined a number of times, the habitual speeders may get the message or lose their license. History tells us most of the speeders in the 500 block who have been ticketed in the past live in Key Royale.
I have been told that cars can be driven comfortably over the speed tables at 25 mph, yet no one has taken up my challenge to drive with me at that speed in my car holding a cup of hot coffee. Working fulltime five days per week and running errands or heading to church on the weekends, with three speed tables, I will travel over a speed table six times per day, 42 times per week or 2,184 times per year, yet I have been told the speed tables will not be an inconvenience or a nuisance. Safety is the priority, but there have to be options other than speed tables to solve the problem, especially with the ongoing parking situation in the 500 block.
Jeff Dentz Holmes Beach
Let's
John M Campora, ChFC®, CRPC™ Financial Advisor
6400 Manatee Ave West, Suite B Bradenton, FL 34209 941-779-2499
ON THE AGENDA
ANNA MARIA
10005 GULF DRIVE FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-6130
Visit www.cityofannamaria. com or contact city hall for more information.
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 9 a.m., Planning and Zoning Board meeting Thursday, Aug. 28, 10 a.m., City Commission meeting
BRADENTON BEACH
107 GULF DRIVE N.
FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-778-1005
Visit www.cityofbradentonbeach.com or contact city hall for more information.
Thursday, Aug. 21, 9:30 a.m., Community Redevelopment Agency meeting Thursday, Aug. 21, 12 p.m., City Commission meeting
ANNA MARIA ISLAND CHURCH SCHEDULES
CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION EPISCOPAL CHURCH
4408 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, Sunday service 9:15 a.m.
CROSSPOINTE FELLOWSHIP
8605 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, Sunday service 9 a.m.
HOLMES BEACH
5801 MARINA DRIVE FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-5800
Visit www.holmesbeachfl.org or contact city hall for more information.
Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2 p.m., City Commission meeting.
ROSER MEMORIAL COMMUNITY CHURCH
512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, Sunday services 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.
ST. BERNARD CATHOLIC CHURCH
HARVEY MEMORIAL COMMUNITY CHURCH
300 Church Ave., Bradenton Beach, Sunday service 9:15 a.m.
248 South Harbor Drive, Holmes Beach, Masses: Saturday, 4 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.; Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m.
Bungalow Beach parking restrictions remain in effect
A special master in the Bungalow Beach hearing ruled that she does not have jurisdiction to override the city’s decision.
BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com
BRADENTON BEACH -
Following a July 29 hearing of Luper Enterprises’ appeal of the city commission’s April 17 decision to prohibit resort fee-based parking at Bungalow Beach Resort, special master Marisa Powers ruled on Aug. 11 that she did not have jurisdiction to override the city commission’s quasi-judicial ruling.
“The special magistrate got it exactly right,” said attorney Robert Lincoln, who represented the city at the hearing.
Luper’s attorney, John Anthony, wrote in an Aug. 12 email to The Sun: “Our client (Gayle Luper) wishes to express heartfelt gratitude to the Special
Master for the care that went into her handling of the hearing and the rest of the process. However, we believe that the process has produced an error that requires further correction.
“When the federal and state governments have stepped up to help AMI and related coastal communities, the response of the city has been completely shocking,”
Anthony wrote. “When so many businesses have found themselves underwater in multiple senses of the word, the City has pushed Ms. Luper underwater even further. This is not a reasonable decision for the City,” Anthony wrote. “The reconsideration order gives too much credit and deference to the City Commission for a decision like this one.”
At issue is the lot where the original older cottages at Bungalow Beach Resort once stood. Hurricane Helene in 2024 destroyed those cottages and the lot was cleared of debris.
Luper said she had been told by the city planner that a permit was not needed to use the lot for parking. On March 14, a portion of the parking lot was reopened for parking at a resort fee-based rate of $50 per car per day. City code enforcement told Luper that parking in the lot was a violation of city code
and must cease. On March 16, Luper applied for a temporary parking permit.
At the April 17 quasi-judicial city commission hearing, the commission placed the following stipulations on the property:
• Only employees, agents and registered guests of the resort are allow to park at the razed parcels;
• Parking at the razed parcels is limited to 17 parking spaces per TPLE (Transient Public Lodging Establishment) license;
• No trailers, recreational vehicles, campers, or buses are allowed to park at the razed parcels and no tailgating, overnight parking, or paid parking shall be conducted;
• Only employees, agents, or registered guests of the resort are allowed to park at the razed parcels; and
• Parking at the razed parcels is limited to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. enforced by a towing service secured by Luper. Luper Enterprises filed a lawsuit against the city of Bradenton Beach on April 25 and the city filed a request for dismissal of that lawsuit on May 21. The case remains open.
• Parking at the razed parcels (the lot where the bungalows were) is permitted for a period of one year or 30 days from the issuance of a building permit;
LESLIE LAKE | SUN
Parking restrictions remain in place at the Bungalow Beach Resort following a July 29 appeal.
Turtle Watch hotline callers save turtles
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella expressed gratitude to those who have called the organization’s hotline to alert volunteers to hatchlings found in roads, pools and elsewhere.
“Our 24/7 hotline (941-3018434) allows us to promptly respond to hatchlings and adults that are in trouble,” Mazzarella wrote in an Aug. 16 email. “Our
TURTLE TIPS
During sea turtle season, May 1 –Oct. 31, follow these tips to help turtles:
• Turn off lights visible from the beach and close blinds from sundown to sunrise; lights confuse nesting sea turtles and may cause them to go back to sea and drop their eggs in the water, where they won’t hatch. Light can also attract hatchlings away from the water.
• Don’t use flashlights, lanterns or camera flashes on the beach at night.
• Remove all beach chairs and other objects from the sand from sundown to sunrise; they can deter sea turtles from nesting and disorient hatchlings.
• Fill in the holes you dig in the sand before leaving the beach; they can trap nesting and hatching sea turtles, which cannot live long out of the water. You might also accidentally dig into an unmarked nest.
team has been trained to assess each situation to determine if hatchlings can be released immediately, need rest, or need to be taken to rehabilitation at Mote Marine Laboratory Hatchling Hospital.”
She noted that this time last year, Tropical Storm Debby caused damage to at least 200 nests.
“We are happy to report that, other than some nests being affected by the heavy rains we
got on Sunday night, most nests have remained safe from storm damage,” she wrote. “We are right at the halfway point with about half the nests laid still left on the beach, and we've already produced nearly 18,000 hatchlings. If the storms hold off, this may be a big year for hatchling production. Let's all make sure these hatchlings make it to the water by keeping the beach nice and dark so the night sky will lead them to the water.”
To report large holes or other turtle obstacles, call:
- City of Anna Maria code enforcement — 941-708-6130, ext. 111.
- City of Bradenton Beach code enforcement — 941-778-1005, ext. 227.
- City of Holmes Beach code enforcement — 941-778-0331, ext. 260.
• Level sandcastles before leaving the beach; they can block hatchlings from the water.
• Don’t use balloons, wish lanterns or fireworks; they litter the beach and Gulf, and turtles can ingest the debris.
• Do not trim trees and plants that shield the beach from lights.
• Never touch a sea turtle; it’s the law. If you see people disturbing turtles, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404FWCC (3922).
Source: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring
that disoriented. They were later released.
NESTING NEWS
Turtle nests laid: 540 (525 loggerhead, 15 green)
Record: 543 in 2019
False crawls: 826 (796 loggerhead, 30 green)
Record: 831 in 2010
Where’s Winnie?
Winnie, a female loggerhead sea turtle, is in fourth place in a field of 12 turtles in the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s Tour de Turtles Race that began on Aug. 1. She has traveled 263 miles in the Gulf of Mexico since she was satellite-tagged and released after nesting on Coquina Beach on June 23 and 113 miles since the race began.
Winnie is swimming to raise awareness about the threat of light pollution and how lighting near shore can negatively impact nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings. Her participation in the 2025 Tour de Turtles is sponsored by Hurricane Hanks and Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.
Nests hatched: 256 (250 loggerhead, 6 green) Record: 453 in 2022
Hatchlings produced: 17,825 (17,611 loggerhead, 214 green)
Record: 35,850 in 2022
Hatchling disorientations: 88 (87 loggerhead, 1 green) Adult disorientations: 30 (28 loggerhead, 2 green)
Source: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring
LINDA O’NEAL | SUBMITTED Turtle Watch reports that 163 loggerhead hatchlings were found at night on Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach this week from multiple nests
City outsourcing holiday decorations
Anna Maria city commissioners unanimously approved Mayor Mark Short’s request to enter into a three-year holiday lighting agreement with Shellard Lighting Designs for an annual cost of between $38,741 and $44,606, depending on which add-on items are included. The decorations will include a 24-foot lighted Christmas tree surrounded by LED gift boxes,
garland-wrapped streetlight poles, a Santa’s chair and mailbox site, tree lighting in multiple locations and more. When seeking commission approval on Aug. 14, Short said outsourcing the city’s holiday decorating would cost about $9,000 more than what it currently costs the city and city staff to do it and the outsourcing will free up about three weeks’ worth of city staff time.
CITY OF ANNA MARIA | SUBMITTED
Anna Maria’s holiday decorations will include a 24-foot Christmas tree.
BOLUS: Sends city notice of intent to file suit
assessments” of their properties.
all potential causes of action are within their respective statutes of limitations under the relevant law.
“During the past year, I sent an informal complaint to The Board of Commissioners as an attempt to resolve these issues, and that complaint was ignored, so now, in order to preserve my rights, I believe I’m left with no recourse but to seek redress in Federal District Court in The Southern District of Florida.
“Due to the devastating effects of hurricanes Helene and Milton, which struck Anna Maria Island on September 25, 2024 and October 9, 2024, property owners requested “substantial damage
The assessments were largely found to determine that the cost of restoring the structure would equal or exceed fifty percent (50%) of its market value. I have copies of numerous property owners contacts with Bradenton Beach officials.
“Further, I have evidence that through political corruption and graft, Braden (sic) Beach officials have conspired with an individual, Shawn Kaleta, and any number of fictitious entities controlled by Mr. Kaletta (sic) to fraudulently determine that properties are “substantially damaged” at or beyond 50% of their market value in an unlawful agreement wherein Kaletta (sic) would then purchase
and develop the properties.
“I also have a witness who is a “whistleblower” with intimate knowledge of these allegations who was dismissed because he refused to go along with what he knew to be morally objectionable.
“I further have reliable evidence of sweeping restrictions imposed on small business owners who were devastated by the 2024 hurricane season that are nothing more than a fraudulent attempt to force them out of business in a conspiracy to benefit Mr. Kaletta (sic), fictitious entities controlled by Mr. Kaleta, and local officials and their associates.
“I plan to consolidate all claims into a class action lawsuit for fraud and any and
“I believe fraud is apparent as there is a knowingly false material misrepresentation, made with intent to deceive, upon injured third parties who relied on that misrepresentation, had a right to rely on that misrepresentation, and were, in fact, injured because of that misrepresentation.
LESLIE LAKE | SUN
Bob Bolus appeared at a recent Bradenton Beach city commission meeting.
all other appropriate claims and seek damages, including punitive damages, treble damages, and all other damages allowed by applicable law in a claim for relief of one-hundred million dollars ($100,000,000.00).
BUILDERS: Call for contracted building official’s dismissal
plumbing inspector license and his provisional mechanical inspector license expired on Feb. 14, according to DBPR.
Agnelli said the city previously issued a job posting offering a $188,000 salary for full-time city building official. With the current 50% fee sharing agreement, Agnelli said the city could hire a building official for $250,000 and still pay less than what JPI is getting paid.
Agnelli thinks JPI has a hidden agenda and the intent is to increase the permit fee revenues shared with the city.
“Please reconsider this approach. I think it’s very dangerous for the city,” Agnelli said. “We don’t need this private firm here. Joe Payne told Craig this is a one- to two-day-a-week job. That is so inaccurate. We need somebody fulltime. We all need help.”
Anna Maria-based Gagne Construction owner Dan Gagne said he seconded everything Agnelli said. He then offered to help the mayor and commissioners better understand how the city’s building codes and regulations impact builders and property owners.
“We love this city. We just have a problem right now with the existing building official. It’s just unbearable,” Gagne said.
Elements Pools and Spas owner Tyler Lancaster agreed and said, “We’re here to play by the rules, but we keep getting rules stacked on us we’re blind-sided by. We need help.”
Commission Chair Charlie Salem acknowledged the mayor was already aware of some of these issues and he thanked the builders for sharing their concerns with the commissioners.
“I think there will be in-depth discussion of what the issues are, how it’s changed
“Lastly, I plan to report graft and political corruption to the Florida Office of Attorney General, as what is happening is criminal, as well as civil.
“Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
“Sincerely, Bob Bolus, Sr. cc: Florida Department of Financial Services.”
Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie declined to comment on the letter.
since we’ve hired this new firm and what needs to change going forward,” Salem said. “We want to protect this Island just as much as you all do; and we want to make sure our residents and our contractors know what the rules are and that they’re as consistent as possible. This is the not the last time we’re going to have a conversation about this.”
Regarding the number of builders in attendance, Short said, “I have had the opportunity to meet with a couple of you regarding your concerns. This is clearly a demonstration of bigger concerns.”
Short said he would coordinate a meeting where he, city staff, Payne, Greene and the builders can discuss their concerns in greater detail. Short said that meeting will happen sooner rather than later and Agnelli offered to keep the other builders informed as to when it will happen.
ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS
The previous week, Holmes Beach-based builder Pete Dospel contacted The Sun and said Greene denied one of his Anna Maria clients a permit to laterally expand their hurricane-damaged ground-level home. According to Dospel, Greene said the new addition would have to be elevated per FEMA guidelines and the property owners were considering filing a Bert Harris claim against the city. On the morning of the commission meeting, Dospel was informed that the city would issue a permit for the lateral expansion.
Monica Simpson provides consulting services to many local builders and property owners. She attended Thursday’s meeting but didn’t address the commission. The following day, she shared her insights with The Sun.
The 40-foot Washingtonian palm trees at the intersection of Gulf Drive and Bridge Street in Braden ton Beach were removed on Aug. 5-6. The trees are expected to be replaced with lower height palms.
“We’ll be putting in a lower canopy tree so when you do drive or walk down the corridor the canopy will only be 15 to 20 feet so you can see it and it will look more tropical rather than having to look skyward,” Police Chief and Public Works Director John Cosby said.
Cosby had said at a recent meeting that the trimming of the Wash ingtonian palms had become cost prohibitive and the newer palms could be maintained by city staff.
The Washingtonian palms were planted approximately 30 years ago.
JILL KENNEDY | SUBMITTED Quiet beauty
A night-blooming cereus makes its magic in Bradenton Beach. The bloom only lasts one night.
LESLIE LAKE | SUN Washingtonian palms are removed from the intersection of Gulf Drive and Bridge Street in preparation for replacement with smaller trees.
BEACH BEAT
BRADENTON BEACH
Aug. 8, 4:14 a.m. Bridge Street, Warrant. An officer observed a man at the city pier with a small raccoon clinging to his leg. As the man walked toward Bridge Street, the raccoon followed behind. A police report stated that it is illegal to possess a Florida native species without first obtaining proper permits. The man reportedly told police he knew the possession was illegal but he had it as a pet for the past nine weeks after its mother was killed by a vehicle. Police told the man it was in the animal’s best interest to be taken to a wildlife facility and he reluctantly surrendered the raccoon to police, who secured it in the back of a patrol car and took it to a wildlife facility. The man reportedly gave police incorrect information about his birthdate, middle name and social security number and police determined the man had an outstanding felony warrant involving fentanyl. The man reportedly told police he “didn’t want to get arrested the same day as his raccoon.” He was charged with failure to appear/felony warrant, possession of wildlife without permit and false ID given to law enforcement. Bradenton Beach police were assisted by Holmes Beach police in identifying the man.
Cortez Cultural Center seeks volunteers
The Cortez Cultural Center is seeking friendly volunteers to share the rich history of the Cortez commercial fishing village, welcome visitors and help keep local heritage alive. Hours are flexible and no experience is needed. For information, email cvhs2016@aol.com.
Pine Island Redfish: Sustainable aquaculture
Reel Time
hen I first heard about Pine Island Redfish, I contacted owner Megan Sorby about a tour. I had assumed that the operation was on Pine Island but when I reached out to Megan by phone, she informed me that they were located at the Mote Aquacultural Park in Sarasota, refining their operations while they built out their vision on Pine Island. Check out their excellent video at www.pineislandredfish.com for an introduction to see the operation and learn about their plans. Sorby has worked in commercial aquaculture around the world for the past 20 years.
“I actually had my first internship in the field right here at Mote Aquaculture Park and was hooked ever since,” she related. “Together with my partner, Tom, we focus
on the development of new species for aquaculture, beginning with broodstock all the way through to harvest. We saw a real need for our sector to communicate our process more with the public so that seafood farming was seen as just that - farming - and something that offers great opportunity for coastal communities, working waterfronts and transparency in food supply. In that, we also wanted to be the model for how all our food systems must be for the future, which is regenerative.”
Pine Island Redfish’s intention is to produce food in harmony with the environment and, when possible, in a way that gives back.
The company was founded in late 2023 by Sorby. They’re developing a land-based Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) on Pine Island, Florida, to sustainably farm a food fish that’s been off limits to commercial fishing since 2007 due to severe overfishing rightly or wrongly attributed to the blackened redfish craze of the early 2000s.
Pine Island Redfish is the first company in the U.S. to successfully farm red drum
using RAS technology. In March 2025, they achieved their first commercial harvest and now their farmed redfish are available at select Publix supermarkets in Sarasota and in several regional restaurants, including Indigenous, an elegant and trendy Sarasota eatery. The company uses the waste generated by the fish farm to grow mangroves and halophytic (salt-tolerant) plants like sea purslane that contribute to coastal restoration and ecological health.
Building on their initial success, Pine Island Redfish intends to develop a full-scale facility capable of producing around 800 metric tons of redfish annually, and growing nearly 50,000 mangroves each year.
What instantly excited me about Pine Island Redfish was the fact that their farming method combines sustainable seafood production with habitat restoration, which minimizes their environmental footprint while enhancing coastal ecosystems. If successful, Pine Island Redfish could serve as a blueprint for climate-conscious aquaculture practices nationwide, eliminating concerns of organizations like Suncoast Waterkeeper
with proposed local offshore operations that threaten pollution and potential negative effects on native fish stocks.
To learn firsthand from the people behind this exciting technology and to sample their product (redfish) prepared by proprietor and chef Steve Phelps of Indigenous, come to Mote Marine Laboratory's Keating Building on Saturday, Aug. 30 from 2-5 p.m.
RUSTY CHINNIS
SUBMITTED
Pine Island Redfish will provide the featured dish at Regenerative Seas on Saturday, Aug. 30 at Mote Marine Laboratory.
ISLAND SPORTS
CENTER SCOREBOARD
ADULT FLAG FOOTBALL
Slim’s Place 37 (5-1) Salty Printing 27 (5-2)
Moss Builders 47 (3-3) Edible Cookie Dough Café 31(0-6)
G.I. Bins 32 (2-4) Reel Coastal Properties 18 (0-7)
Solid Rock Electrical 40 (5-1) Solid Rock Construction 26 (5-1)
Coaster Continent (W) Bubble Binz (Forfeit)
KEY ROYALE SCOREBOARD
AUG. 4 - MODIFIED STABLEFORD
First PlaceJim Bailey +4
AUG. 5 - LOW NET SCORE
First Place - Helen Pollock 29 Second Place - Jana Samuels 31
AUG. 7 - SCRAMBLE
First Place - Dale Miller, Rich Salzburg, Jana Samuels and Quentin Talbert tied the team of Deb and Dave Richardson, Terry Schaefer and Warren Stevens with 30, 2 under par.
AUG. 14 - SCRAMBLE
First Place Team - Bill Shuman, Quentin Talbert and Steve Vasbinder with 30, 2 under par
Second Place Team - Dale Miller, Ken Nagengast, Earl Ritchie and Ron Vandeman with 31, 1 under par.
Bob Hawks, left, teamed up with Billy Silver on Aug. 16 to win the day’s competition at Anna Maria Horseshoes after they posted the only 3-0 record during pool play. Hawks was also in the winner's circle on Aug. 13 after he earned the day’s bragging rights outright after pool play.
REAL ESTATE
Americans on the move
Americans have always moved around. Going back to the original settlers who first landed on the eastern coast of the country, everyone was looking for adventure and opportunity. Not much has changed; hundreds of years later, we’re all still looking for the golden ring.
According to relocation company Move Buddha’s 2025 Moving Trends Report, Americans are still on the move, only now they’re looking for affordability, space and a better work-life balance. MoveBuddha analyzed over 55,000 searches on its website to determine where people are planning to move this year to date.
Castles in the Sand
LOUISE BOLGER
The most popular domestic destination for relocation in the first six months of 2025 is Conway, South Carolina, with four times as many people seeking to move in compared to those wanting to move out. In fact, since 2023, South Carolina has dominated interstate move searches. Conway surpassed its neighbor, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina which topped the list in the first quarter of the year.
South Carolina ranks number one for the move-in compared to move-out numbers, with 206 move-ins compared to 100 move-outs. New Jersey, California and New York have received the highest number of outbound inquiries, indicating that these states are more likely to lose residents in the future.
Moving trends are pointed toward affordability and quality of life, favoring states known for low home prices, less tax burden and Sunbelt climates. Certainly, Florida scores high points for all of these items in addition to a thriving job market and a business-friendly environment and lack of personal income tax.
In 2025, Florida’s population is
estimated to be around 23.8 million with a growth rate of 2% annually over the past five years, making it the fastest growing state in the country. Florida is still growing; however, the growth rate may slow down in the coming years primarily because of housing affordability. Because of this, the growth areas could shift, and the infrastructure needs will likely expand.
So how does Manatee County measure up in the ever-changing Florida landscape?
In 2024, Manatee County saw a significant influx of new residents, particularly from other parts of Florida and the Northeast, including the New York metropolitan area. This growth has led to increased development and pressure on the county’s infrastructure and resources.
Development has expanded from the coastal areas eastward into the more rural parts of the county - Lakewood Ranch, Parrish, as well as Palmetto and Ellenton. All areas of the county including coastal communities are experiencing rapid growth with new housing communities
sprouting out of the ground where farms and ranches previously existed.
Manatee County is actively reviewing and amending its Land Development Code (LDC) and Comprehensive Plan to manage growth and development, particularly concerning future development. I’m skeptical how much real change these reviews will achieve since privately-owned land is sacrosanct and will be difficult for the county to control the usage of as long as it is within zoning regulations.
So, there will be some serious fights ahead with developers and government. But in a popular county with a population of 385,571 at last count, 244 sunny days on average and an average temperature of 73 degrees, 150 miles of coastline and of course zero snowfall, it will be hard to keep people away. Few of us stay living in the same house, on the same street, in the same community and the same state for all of our lives. This movement keeps the economy healthy and the populations creative; it’s in our DNA and not likely to change.
OBITUARIES
Claudia Barron left this world on Aug. 4, 2025. She was 72, born in Ohio in 1953. She was preceded in transition by her father, Claude (Red) Barron, of the Warren, Ohio area; and her mother, Dorothy Mae Whitaker Barron, who passed before her father.
Claudia graduated from Miami University of Ohio in Oxford, Ohio. She was super intelligent overall and with numbers in particular.
An adventurer? You bet! From hiking the mountainous area of Deadwood, South Dakota to accumulating close to 100 sky dives! Her wit was unique and really funny. Early in her life, she lived in Germany and France. When she discovered Anna Maria Island in the mid-80s, she became friends with many. She worked as a bartender/manager at Bortell's and also D Coy Duck's.
Holding true to her adventurous nature, she moved to Iowa to work a casino riverboat on the Missouri
River. Being good with numbers, she dealt cards and other games. She expanded her knowledge and moved to the South Beach/Miami area to work the casino boats there.
Claudia owned property locally and was part-owner of O'Riley's Pub located just off the Ohio State Campus. She lived in Columbus for a while, and when she returned to AMI, she
There will be a gathering at Bortell’s
Cortez, in view of the water and surrounded by her husband Bill and children.
She was born on Dec. 6, 1949 to Gilbert Vandermarliere and Louise Marsack in Detroit, Michigan. They were an Air Force family with a busy household. Connie had two older brothers, a younger sister and a younger brother. She fondly remembered family military assignments to Japan, Charleston, South Carolina and Mountain Home, Idaho. However, Selfridge Air Force Base near Mount Clemens, Michigan was home base. During her
father’s many unaccompanied deployments, the family lived near Selfridge. She graduated from South Lakes High School in St. Clair Shores, Michigan and earned a bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. After graduation she worked in several positions in the Detroit area. Her most memorable job from that time was serving on the staff of the Detroit City Council.
Her passion for service eventually led her to join the U.S. Air Force. She considered being an Air Force officer to be her life’s work. Connie had a stellar Air Force career, rising to the rank of Colonel and retiring after 26 years. Connie was a proud Transportation Officer and her early years focused on transportation and logistics endeavors. Assignments included Warner Robbins, Georgia; Anderson Air Force Base, Guam; Scott Air Force Base, Illinois; Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Montgomery, Alabama; and two tours in the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Along the way she earned a master’s degree from Webster University near St. Louis. Her military focus was on transportation/logistics, and she had various assignments that included working with an operational weather squadron, operational war planning and strategic war planning. She was
A4638677/$250,000 Marsha Winegarden (248) 563-2820
a graduate of the Air Force’s Air War college and was able to add a second master’s degree to her impressive list of accomplishments. She proudly served in the Pentagon and was in the building during the 9-11 attacks. Connie retired from military service in 2005 with her final assignment being the Chief, Plans, Doctrine and War Games under the Air Force’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics at the Pentagon.
After completing her military career, Connie worked 10 more years for the Defense Intelligence Agency. A memorable highlight included a short deployment to Bagdad, Iraq. She retired in 2014 having served her country for 40 years in city government, U.S. Air Force, and Federal Civil Service. Connie married the love of her life, Bill Morrow, in 1995 while stationed at Nellis AFB, Nevada. It was a delightful Las Vegas wedding with all the family joining in the celebration. Connie and Bill had been previously married and eagerly blended their two families. It was a huge success with frequent travel to visit children and grandchildren. Activities included white river rafting, New York City Broadway plays, a Rose Bowl week, cruise to Cancun, Kennedy Center ballet, several Florida vacations, the Calgary Stampede and Disney World.
PAGE 19
Jeff & Jennifer Jordan
Andrew & Brooke Doucett
Betsy Hagan
Joe McCall
Chelsea Oelker
Kathy Harman
Dee Munn
Laura Rulon
George Myers
Suzy Korinek
Amy Ward
Hannah Hillyard
CORTEZ – Slicker’s Eatery hosted a pig roast on Aug. 16 in celebration of owner Bob Slicker’s birthday along with the birthdays of many of his friends.
“My birthday was Aug. 13, and we’ve had a party every day this week,” Slicker said. “I have a lot of friends with birthdays in August, and this is the slowest time of the year, so we thought we’d do something fun.”
The 70-pound pig was served under the tents at Slicker’s. Foolish Relics provided live music.
For those who may want to roast their own pig, Slicker’s will be raffling off a new roasting box on Labor Day weekend.
OBITUARIES
FROM PAGE 17
Connie and Bill retired in 2014 and moved to their dream retirement
Birthday roast
on Anna Maria Island. In retirement, Connie continued her passion for service and served on her condominium association’s Board of Directors as well as joining and volunteering with the Community Association Institute. Connie considered herself an educator. Mentoring others was in her DNA and she took pride in her many successful mentorships. She was still actively serving the community at the time of her death. Her post-retirement years were filled with travel adventures with her husband. They
took the trans-Canada train and traveled/ vacationed in Italy, Germany, France and Portugal. They caught the cruising bug and enjoyed Mediterranean, Caribbean and Panama Canal cruises as well as several European River cruises. But the best travel was to visit family and grandchildren living in Idaho, Michigan, Illinois, Massachusetts and Germany. Her children will always remember her as supportive, strong and thoughtful. A dear friend summarized her life with these descriptive attributes - supportive,
high standards, kindness, love of family, creativity, humor, leadership, passion for service, and friendship. Her favorite motto: “Have your head, heart and feet in the same place.” Connie was predeceased by her parents and three brothers. She is survived by her husband, Bill Morrow; her children Cristen (Terry) Talbert, Robert (Dani) King, Carolyn (Chuck) Ferros and Kathleen (Mike) Kennedy; her sister, Joanne Neff; 14 grandchildren; and four great grandchildren. She leaves a legacy of abundance and life well lived.
LESLIE LAKE | SUN
From left, Mike Dinius, Bob Slicker and Kevin Mann check on the 70-pound wild pig served up at the Aug. 16 pig roast at Slicker’s Eatery.
BEAN POINT: ‘No swim’ zone proposed
rip current and helped pull him ashore while Bowman stood on shore relaying information to the dispatcher according to MCSO protocol while the Manatee County Beach Patrol and the MCSO Marine Unit rescued the boy’s 45-year-old father, who appeared to suffer cardiac arrest after being placed on a rescue board. The father was transferred by boat to the nearby Galati Yacht Sales marina and EMS then transported him to a local hospital where he died the following day, according to Getman.
Later that afternoon, a 73-year-old man drowned near the Sandbar restaurant, south of Bean Point, but his death is not believed to be rip current-related.
On Aug. 12, Daugherty entered the water off Bean Point and helped rescue another father and son in a similar manner while Boggs relayed critical information to dispatch.
“I just wanted to commend them for their acts of heroism,” Short said, with Getman and Lt. John Wren in attendance.
Short said Getman, Bowman, Daugherty and Boggs are being
HENDRICKS | SUN
nominated to receive MCSO Life Saving Awards for their rescue efforts.
‘NO SWIM’ ZONE
When proposing the Bean Point no swim zone, Short said local residents know it’s not safe to swim at Bean Point but visitors don’t.
“It’s a great place to walk. It’s a great place to enjoy the view. You just don’t go swimming there because of the currents. Unfortunately, our visitors don’t know that,” Short said, noting all four swimmers recently rescued at
Bean Point were visitors.
“We constantly have these types of issues come up and it’s always someone who’s here visiting who just doesn’t know any better,” Short said.
“I’d like the commission to entertain the idea of putting up a no swim zone up at Bean Point so we make it perfectly clear to visitors that this is not an area you want to swim in,” he said.
Even though every designated beach access point has a sign that cautions beachgoers about rip currents, Short thinks the city should take it a step further and create a no swim zone that begins at Fern Street and extends around the northern tip of Bean Point.
“It’s clearly a safety issue,” he said when requesting future commission discussion at the commission’s next meeting on Thursday, Aug. 28.
None of the commissioners commented on Short’s proposal, but Sgt. Getman addressed the risks he and his deputies face during Bean Point water rescues.
“It’s also dangerous for us to go in the water and get these people out. Please keep that in mind,” Getman told the commission.
BUILDERS: Call for contracted building official’s dismissal
FROM PAGE 11
“The building official keeps changing the rules of the game and he’s not communicating well. He’s battled back and forth with me about the legal rights he has as building official to not have private providers. He’s not reading the laws correctly. He’s also interpreting the codes we’ve been working with forever differently. Everything you’re hearing about inconsistency, overreaching and overarching power, changing the rules without communication and misinterpretation of the code is all very true and something needs to happen,” Simpson said.
“Having previously run the building department in Longboat Key, I understand the budget side of things as well. If you really start looking at the numbers and how much we are paying for building permits in Anna Maria, it’s about double what you would pay in Longboat Key, and for no good reason. And a lot of that money is going to Joe Payne’s company. His contract runs out soon and he doesn’t have to be involved anymore,” Simpson said. “We deserve to have a dedicated building official, not a building official who works for three or four different cities and is here one day a week. Meanwhile, he’s failing everybody and denying permits for no good reason. It’s a mess, but I am positive Mark Short and the city will figure out a remedy to the situation.”
JOE
This sign at the Bean Point beach access addresses rip currents and escape techniques.
FUN IN THE SUN
CLASSIFIEDS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
THRIVE BEACH YOGA: All Levels Welcome! 100 Pine Ave on AMI. 8:30am every Saturday & Sunday, $15 PreRegistration required at ThriveYogaFit.com
I HAVE SANDBAGS. Need filled and delivered in Holmes Beach. $2.00 per bag. Penney 941-9936485
COMMERCIAL SALES, RENT & LEASE
HAVE YOU BEEN thinking of selling? We NEED properties to List for SALE!!! Duplexes, multi family, small resorts? Call BIG Alan Galletto of Island Real Estate to get it SOLD 941-232-2216
CLEANING SERVICE
TOTAL HOME SERVICES CLEANING: Residential, Commercial, Rentals, VRBO. Professional and Reliable. Call 941-756-4570 or 941-565-3931
CONSTRUCTION/ INSURANCE
WE SPECALIZE IN: WIND Mitigation forms, 4-POINT forms, DECK safety and evaluation. State Certified since 1990. Call Mike Conley 941-778-2385. Straight Inspection Service. Veteran Owned
HOME IMPROVEMENTS
RENOVATION SPECALIST ALL carpentry repairs, Wash Family Construction, locally owned and operated CBC 1258250 Call 941-725-0073.
KERN & GILDER CONSTRUCTION, INC New Homes & Remodel. Design/Build. Since 1968. License # CBC 1261150. Call the Office. 941-7781115. NEW OFFICE ADDRESS: 1878 59th Street W Bradenton, FL 34209
API’S DRYWALL REPAIR 15+ years experience. Free estimates. No job too small. Love to help you. Call 941-524-8067.
GET’R DONE DRYWALL, INC Specializing in Remodels & Repairs. Island Resident for 20+ years. Call Neil. Cell 941-9621194
JSAN CORPORATION
Renovations Construction & Handyman Services 941-243-0995 Lic# CRC1332505 jsancorporation@gmail. com Flooring, Drywall, Painting, Repairs, Kitchen and Bathrooms, Trim & Doors Free Estimates. Credit Cards Accepted.
GORILLA DRYWALL REPAIR, LLC. 15+ years of experience. Free Estimates. Let’s solve your Drywall problems together. Call 941-286-0607.
CCS DRYWALL REPAIRS We are local. Family owned & operated since 1991. Free Estimates. Licensed/Insured/Bonded. License # SCC131149803 Call 941-713-6531.
HURRICANE DAMAGE?
I’m an Island resident. Pressure washing, tree work, fence repair, mailbox replacement. Also see ads under “Landscaping & painting. Bill Witaszek 941-307-9315
FROM HOME TO BUSINESSES, we build it all. You’re Reliable General Contractor for new construction, water damage, restoration 941-894-7549 or email at@constructionatr.com
BATHROOM REMODEL STARTING at $1999 Limited Time Promotion (labor only) McGhie Construction Inc. State certified CBC 1258471 Call 813-966-3707 Free Estimates
START TO FINISH, Custom Carpentry, Accent Walls, Drywall and much more 941-565-2165
HOME SERVICE
HATE TO COOK? Long time Island resident. Can help with cooking, laundry and many things around your house. Many compliments on cooking. References available. Please Call or Text 941685-0045.
LANDSCAPING & LAWN CARE
R. GAROFALO’S Interlocking brick pavers, driveways, patios, pool decks. Free estimates. Licensed & Insured. Call Rafael 941-778-4823 or Veronik 941-526-7941
ISLAND RESIDENT. TREE/ BUSH Trimming, removal. Sweeping, blowing, and weeding. Weekly, bi-monthly or monthly schedule. Pressure washing. Call Bill Witaszek 941307-9315
SHELL DRIVEWAYS & LANDSCAPE. Specializing in Old Florida Seashell and Lime rock driveways and scapes. Also River Rock, Sand, Mulch, & Soil. Call Shark Mark 941-301-6067
MOVING & STORAGE
MARTIN’S MOVING YOUR Island movers! Offering dependable, competitive rates. No hidden costs. 941-809-5777.
PAINTING & WALLCOVERING
PAINT! PAINT! AND MORE 28 years of experienced interior/exterior custom painting. Pressure cleaning, drywall repairs and texture finishes. Many Island references. Please call Neil for free estimates. 941-812-0507
“WIZARD OF WALLS” Established 1980 Prompt quality service. Wallpaper installation/ removal. Mary Bell Winegarden 941-794-0455
DONALD PERKINS ABRACADABRA PAINTING LLC fully insured. 30 years experience. Many Island references. Call 941-705-7096
PROFESSIONAL PAINTING SERVICES. Prompt & Reliable. Island Resident. Quality Workmanship. Interior/Exterior. Minor repairs & carpentry. Free estimates. Bill Witaszek 941-307-9315
TRUE TONE PAINTING. Painting, power washing, epoxy floors and more, No job too small. Please call 941-224-4020 www. truetonepainting.com
PEST CONTROL
ANNA MARIA PEST CONTROL Call 941-7781630
POOL SERVICES
FOUR SEASONS POOL SERVICE AND CHEMICAL SERVICES. Certified Pool Operator. 18 + Years Experience. Residential/commercial. Chemical Service Licensed & Insured. Call Dennis Clark 941-7375657
COLE'S TROPICAL POOL SERVICE Call Cole Bowers for all your pool maintenance needs! Affordable and Dependable!! 941-7131893
PRESSURE WASHING & WINDOWS
TOTAL HOME SERVICES CLEANING: Residential, Commercial, Construction, Vacation, VRBO Rentals . Also available Pressure Washing, Roof Cleaning, Paver Sealing and Windows. Call 941-5653931.
REAL ESTATE HOMES & CONDOS FOR SALE
Have you been thinking of selling? We NEED properties to List for SALE!!! GULF FRONT, CANAL FRONT, BAY FRONT CONDOS or HOMES ASK for BIG Alan Galletto of Island Real Estate to get it SOLD 941-232-2216
LOOKING FOR A highly motivated real estate broker to buy or sell your next home? Darcie Duncan, Broker Duncan Real Estate a lifelong island resident bringing success to her customers for 30 years. Proven track record brings you results! 941-725-1589
FOR SALE - PERICO
BAY CLUB New Price for 2BR/2BA villa with Water View! 2 CAR GARAGE, open floor plan & high ceilings! $374,400 Call Erin Leathem at The Anna Maria Sales Team at Island Real Estate 941448-5616
For Sale. 3BR/2.5BA TownHouse . Walk to Holmes Beach Shopping and dining! Walk to beach. Beautifully designed interior and Garage! No water in house ever! Cape Town Village. In Bradenton close to pickleball courts! 3/2.5 beautifully remodeled . No flood zone. $539,000. Brenda Boyd May. Broker. 941-730-8589
RENTALS: ANNUAL
ANNUAL RENTAL CENTRAL HOMES BEACH
3BR/2BA completely remodeled. Walk to beach, school, trolley, shopping. $2595/mo Call 941-7136743
HOLMES BEACH 209 83rd
St.: 2BR/2BA private pool, large screened lanai! $3000/mo. Water, trash, lawn care included. Also pool care. Annual, unfurnished. 1 Year lease. 1st, & $4500 security deposit Call 941-809-2488
BEAUTIFUL PERICO BAY
Club Condo! 2BR/2BA, Second Floor Unit $4750/ mo seasonally, $2500/mo annually +Security Deposit Please call 941-7781979 for more details.
ANNUAL RENTAL! Available NOW, Palm Dr in Holmes Beach.2BR/1BA, elevated duplex, pets welcome with deposit. 2 car garage, washer and dryer hookups $2000/month Application with background check required. Call Carol with Island Real Estate, 941-345-1300
YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS this rare opportunity to live on Anna Maria Island. Please call the office at 941-778-1979 to see this 2BR/2BA $2975/ mo renovated home with a beautifully landscaped large backyard.
AMI ANNUAL RENTAL 3BR/3BA House on Canal close to beach. $3688/mo + Deposit & utilities Call 203-223-1119.
ANNUAL RENTAL 1BR/1BA apartment. Laundry room with W/D. All utilities + WIFI. 7 miles from island.. Out of Flood Zone. $1400/ mo. First, last & security. Call 941-778-3206
BUSINESS & SERVICE
RENTALS: SEASONAL & VACATION
ANNA MARIA ISLAND
CONDOS Large pool, beach access, free WiFi, 1&2 Bedroom $900 to $1200 per week redekercondosonami.com Tim 941-704-7525
TIFFANY PLACE Gulf Front Condo for Rent Incredible views from living room and master bedroom. 2BR/2BA Green Real Estate Call 941-778-0455
SEASONAL RENTAL in PALMA SOLA. 3BR/2BA weekly or monthly rates. Contact Barb Grace 941201-2190
SNOW BIRD SPECIAL: DISCOUNT for multiple months. 2BR/2BA 2nd Floor Condo in HOLMES BEACH. POOL, Tennis/ Pickleball, in-unit laundry, WIFI, screened lanai, covered parking. AVAILABLE 2025/26 Season beginning December 2025. Beautiful, bayside seating area. Pool/Beach toys, Bikes included. Call Jack 312-835-2323 for more info/photos.
TOP FLOOR OCEAN VIEW 2BR/2BA rental available August 15th 3 month minimum rent. $5-10k prorated. Utilities included 201-317-6922 owner operated
SEASONAL RENTAL on Sarasota Bay. Great location, beautiful neighborhood 2BR/1BA weekly or monthly rates. Contact Vicky or Taylor. 941-7731552.
TRANSPORTATION
ANYTIME TRANSPORTATION to all Airports, Casino, etc. Tampa/St. Pete $85. Sarasota $40. Pets welcome. Very dependable. Reasonable rates. Contact Jeanne. 941-7795095
WASTE MANAGEMENT: Changes approved
properties (including short-term vacation rentals) to use side-door service at an additional monthly cost.
The owners of homesteaded residential properties were not required to use side-door trash and recycling service.
Despite the city’s side-door service requirement set forth in the franchise agreement and the additional costs incurred by non-homesteaded property owners, Waste Management employees frequently left the emptied trash and recycling containers out by the street rather than returning them to the side of the house. This resulted in complaints frequently expressed by the current mayor and commission, the previous mayor and commissioners and many residents.
In an effort to resolve those concerns and complaints, it’s hoped that requiring side-door trash and recycling service for all residential properties will eliminate the confusion as to who’s supposed to receive side-door service and who isn’t.
Regarding trash and recycling containers still brought to the street by unknowing vacation rental
guests or property owners, Waste Management District Manager Chris Sawallich said, “If they are out at the curb, we’re going to take them back to the house.”
Sawallich said Waste Management’s public outreach team will provide impacted residents and property owners with more information about the changes taking place now and in October.
During the pilot program now in effect and continuing until the current agreement expires next June, non-homesteaded property owners and others who’ve been paying extra for side-door service will no longer be charged that additional fee. Homesteaded property owners who didn’t desire or require side-door service won’t be charged extra for the mandatory service that no longer requires them to bring their trash and recycling containers out to the street and retrieve them after they’ve been emptied.
During a previous meeting in July, Waste Management Government Affairs Manager Brenna Haggar said that residential rates might be “recalculated” if Waste Management enters into a new franchise agreement with the city next summer.
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