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THE SUN
ISLAND NEWS
IN BRIEF
Sentencing hearing scheduled in felony hit-and-run
Holmes Beach resident Cierra Shannon, 28, who plead no contest to the felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident with a death on April 11, is scheduled for a sentencing hearing in front of Manatee Circuit Court Judge Lon Arend on June 20. An acknowledgment and waiver of Shannon rights signed by Shannon on April 11 states that the maximum penalty could be as severe as 30 years in prison or a potential minimum sentence of 4 years behind bars. Shannon was charged in the Feb. 10, 2021, accident that killed pedestrian Madelyn Dakin, 83, of Michigan. Though not in law enforcement custody, Shannon is not allowed to leave the state of Florida while awaiting sentencing in the case.
Get prepared for hurricane season Manatee County Emergency Management will present the second annual Hurricane Preparedness Expo on May 17 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Blvd., Palmetto. This is a family friendly event where visitors can learn about insurance, evacuation levels and procedures and much more about what to do when hurricanes approach. Hurricane season officially lasts from June 1 to Nov. 30. There will be vendors, an emergency vehicle showcase, door prizes and giveaways. For more information on this free event, call 941-749-3507.
Arbor Day planting scheduled City leaders in Holmes Beach will be celebrating National Arbor Day with the planting of a cabbage palm tree. The celebration begins at 8:30 a.m. at the 34th Street pocket park located at 3400 6th Ave. The public is welcome to attend and view the new addition to the park.
Business card exchange at AMI Historical Society The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce will hold a business card exchange Thursday, Apr. 28 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Anna Maria Island Historical Society, 402 Pine Ave. in Anna Maria. Bring your business cards and mingle with chamber members, and those who may be considering membership. The fee is $5 for members and $10 for future members. The Pat Copeland scholarships will also be awarded at this event. The scholarship was named in honor of former Sun staffer Pat Copeland, who is a founder of the Historical Society and has been chairwoman of the scholarship committee since the organization began awarding one.
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APRIL 27, 2022
Locals go crazy for crawfish
The Center of Anna Maria Island was ringing with the sounds of Louisiana on April 23 as participants gathered on the lawn for the sold-out Cajun Crawfish Boil. The event was sponsored by Christine Major-Hicks, who had fresh crawfish brought in all the way from Louisiana for the event. Along with the crawfish, served as a traditional Low Country boil, the menu featured chicken and sausage gumbo, red beans and rice and bourbon bread pudding all from the Ragin’ Cajun out of Lafayette, Louisiana. Music was provided by The Stockton Brothers. All proceeds from the Cajun Crawfish Boil go to help fund The Center’s senior programs and environmental initiatives.
KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN
The big draw of the sold-out event was the fresh crawfish brought in from Louisiana and served as a Low Country boil. The Stockton Brothers took to the stage to play all of the crowd’s favorite tunes.
Treehouse case put on hold BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
The case of the city of Holmes Beach versus tree house owners Richard Hazen and Lynn Tran is on hold, at least for the time being. In a March 21 ruling, Manatee County Circuit Court Judge Edward Nicholas stayed the case through Aug. 31. The ruling will allow both parties to comply with a March 8 case management order requiring each to enter briefings with the court. In this case, city representatives are suing Tran and Hazen for injunctive relief to have a 2013 Holmes Beach Code Enforcement Board ruling enforced. Under the ruling, the couple would have to bring their property, known as Angelinos Sea Lodge, into compliance with city building codes and pay more than $123,300 in code fines as of April 22, 2022. To bring the property into compliance, the two-story beachfront treehouse, a non-habitable structure, would have to be torn down. The continuing $50 fine, assigned by the city’s special magistrate in May 2016, was backdated to July 22, 2015, more than 2,400 days ago as of press time for The Sun. While city leaders, through their attorney Randy
FILE PHOTO
The beachfront treehouse belonging to Richard Hazen and Lynn Tran in Holmes Beach is back in the news. Mora, filed to have the matter go to trial on Feb. 1, Tran and Hazen’s attorney, David Levin, filed an objection on Feb. 16 stating that the case isn’t ready to go to trial because of another pending case in Manatee County circuit court. That case concerns whether or not a section of the city’s land development code named in the code enforcement order violates the couple’s constitutional rights. That case is set for a Sept. 28 hearing before Nicholas.
