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VOL 20 No. 23
Manatee County declares state of emergency As of Monday afternoon, there were five known cases of COVID-19 in Manatee County, with no reported fatalities.
March 18, 2020
Manatee County School District extends spring break Manatee County students are currently expected to return to school on Monday, March 30. BY JOE HENDRICKS,
BY JOE HENDRICKS
SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
BRADENTON – As a fifth case of coronavirus (COVID-19) was announced in Manatee County on Monday, March 16, commissioners declared a state of emergency. Manatee County Public Safety Department Director Jake Sauer made the announcement during the afternoon’s emergency Manatee County Commission meeting. “We added one today for a total of five residents in Manatee County that have tested positive for COVID-19. We have 25 under public health monitoring within the county,” Sauer said. “So far in Manatee County, there are zero fatalities related to COVID-19. So far in Florida, there are four deaths. Positive cases, 136. There’s a lot of data coming in and as soon as I say these things they’re already out of date,” Sauer said of those numbers. Florida has several confirmed COVID-19 cases and exposures related to ports and airports, Sauer said. He also noted Florida has a large tourist population and a large population of elderly citizens. “These factors make Florida communities particu-
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
Dr. Jennifer Bencie and Public Safety Department Director Jake Sauer addressed county commissioners Monday afternoon. larly vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19,” Sauer said. “We are nowhere near the peak of this and you should expect to see more cases come online as testing becomes available.” SEE EMERGENCY, PAGE 36
Coronavirus may be increasing tourism BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – While COVID-19 is causing canceled cruises, the shutdown of Disney World and widespread anxiety about venturing far from home, it may also be causing an unexpected uptick in Island tourism. Some tourists have canceled their plans to visit the Island, but others – including stranded cruise ship passengers – are coming unexpectedly, said Terri Kinder, president of the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce. “A lot of these people already planned their vacation, and the rest of the family has already set aside the
MIKE FIELD | SUN
Beaches on Anna Maria Island were crowded over the weekend and even late on Monday afternoon. days, so they have to go now,” she said, adding that vacancies still existed as of the weekend of March 14-15. Mid-March is the peak of the Island’s tourist season, and crowded beaches, congested roads
and an increase in spring breakers caused by the coronavirus-inspired extension of spring break attest that visitation is at normal to above-
MANATEE COUNTY – As a coronavirus (COVID-19) precautionary measure, spring break for Manatee County students has been extended by an additional week. Manatee County schools are currently scheduled to reopen to students on Monday, March 30. School district employees are currently scheduled to return to work on Monday, March 23. On Friday, March 13, Michael Barber, School District of Manatee County director of communications, family and community engagement, issued the following written statement addressing the spring break extension: “Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran, with the support of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has directed school districts across the state to close for two weeks due to concerns related to coronavirus (COVID -19),” according to the statement. “For the School District of Manatee County, that means schools will be closed to students until Monday, March 30. Next week, March 16-20, is spring break in the district, so schools were already closed. The district will extend spring break for an additional week to meet the commissioner’s requirements. All extracurricular activities for students, including all athletic contests, will be postponed for the next two weeks,” the statement said. “The coronavirus pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on our society and across the world, so it is not surprising that it is now directly impacting our schools,” Superintendent Cynthia Saunders said in the statement. “We are charged with the safety and security of our students and employees so we will abide by all protocols and procedures endorsed by the CDC, the Florida Department of Health, our Governor and the Commissioner of Education. I know our students, employees and community will rise up to meet the challenges before us,” Saunders said in the statement. “All school district employees will work the week of Monday, March 23 – Friday, March 27. Instructional personnel will work on professional development and training while support personnel will conduct the regular business operations of
SEE TOURISM, PAGE 34 SEE SPRING BREAK, PAGE 36
INSIDE NEWS 4 CALENDAR 7 BUSINESS 14 OUTDOORS 22 RESTAURANTS 25 REAL ESTATE 26-31 SPORTS 32
FIND ‘ ALL things
ANNA MARIA’S City Pier is
matrimonial in The Sun’s Wedding Guide. 17
expected to reopen in April. 3
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THREE CORTEZ women are
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MARCH 18, 2020
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New City Pier expected to open in April The specific opening date has not yet been announced.
PIER RFP DEADLINES
BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy expects the new Anna Maria City Pier to open in April, but he has not yet determined an exact opening date. “It looks like in the April time frame we’ll be opening the pier for fishing and sightseeing,” Murphy told the city commission on Thursday, March 12. Murphy said Florida Power & Light completed its work on the pier that day. That work consisted of installing transformers and electrical connections needed to light the new pier and to power the new restaurant, bait shop and public restrooms at the pier’s T-end. Murphy said he would provide a specific opening date
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
The City Pier is expected to open in April, but the new restaurant and bait shop aren’t expected to open until later this year or early next year. once he completes an analysis of the remaining work that needs to be done. Due to the lingering con-
cerns and uncertainties associated with the coronavirus (COVID-19), Murphy said he and the commission will soon
determine whether the city will host grand opening ceremonies for the pier as previously discussed.
As of Sunday, no changes had been made to the existing schedule for interested restauranteurs to respond to the city’s request for proposals for a new pier tenant to lease the restaurant and bait shop buildings. According to the city website, Wednesday, March 25 was still the last day to submit written questions about the city-owned spaces for lease. Wednesday, April 8 was still the deadline to submit the pier lease proposals scheduled to be opened inside the commission chambers at approximately 1 p.m. that day. Murphy recently said he expects the new restaurant and bait shop to open during the fourth quarter of the current year or the first quarter of 2021.
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ISLAND NEWS
IN BRIEF
Safety advice for spring breakers Spring break is upon us and continuing for Manatee County students until March 30. With that in mind, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer has released a few tips to help everyone enjoy their time in the sunshine safely. He advises that everyone lock all doors and do not leave valuables visible in vehicles. Tokajer said in a March 9 press release that HBPD officers will have an increased presence and will be paying special attention to parking and alcohol violations as well as traffic issues. He reminds beachgoers that alcoholic beverages and open fires are not allowed on the beaches.
Traffic study results online The results of the Sarasota/Manatee Barrier Island Traffic Study are available online for public review, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. FDOT representative Jesten Abraham made the announcement during a March 9 Island Transportation Planning Organization meeting at Bradenton Beach City Hall. The traffic study wrapped up in late 2019 and the results of the study were released in November. However, this is the first time that all three phases of the study have been released for public review. Interested parties can view all three traffic study phase results online at http://swflroads.com/sarasotamanateebarrierislands/.
Road work continues on Cortez Road work on Cortez Road at 123rd Street in the Cortez Village is scheduled to continue until fall, according to Jesten Abraham with the Florida Department of Transportation. Currently, he said March 9 during an Island Transportation Planning Organization meeting, work is being done to move drainage lines and drivers can expect intermittent lane closures in the area from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. as needed to complete work and move equipment.
Two ordinances move to second reading With minimal discussion and two unanimous votes, Holmes Beach commissioners moved two new ordinances to a second and final reading during their March 10 meeting. The first ordinance formally adopts the Manatee County standards for fertilizer use and gives city code compliance officers authorization to enforce the county ordinance locally. The second ordinance adopts a 5% increase in the city’s business tax receipts. Local business owners will see the increase at renewal. Both ordinances will be up for a final reading when commissioners next meet on March 24 at Holmes Beach City Hall.
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MARCH 18, 2020
Longboat Key Club addressing possible coronavirus exposure
Many group activities have been temporarily suspended and precautionary measures are being taken. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
LONGBOAT KEY – The Resort at Longboat Key Club is dealing with an individual’s potential exposure to the coronavirus virus (COVID-19). On Friday, March 13, Resort at Longboat Key Club Managing Director Rick Konsavage addressed this matter in the resort’s weekly newsletter. “It goes without saying that we are currently living through an extraordinary time and as many businesses throughout the world are being affected by the threat of COVID-19, we at the Longboat Key Club are also feeling the impact,” according to the March 13 newsletter signed by Konsavage. “We have just been informed by our local hospital that an individual working in our outdoor golf facility at The Links course where a few of our members have private lessons may have been exposed to COVID-19. While this does not include Longboat Key Club staff currently, we are taking immediate actions including isolation to anyone having physical contact with this person. There may be some minor disruptions through this transition in our golf operations in the next two weeks,” the newsletter said. “If there is anything that our Longboat Key team can do to assist you through this stressful and challenging time, please let us know. We wish you and your families the best of health,” the March 13 newsletter said in conclusion. March 14 update On Saturday, March 14, Konsavage and the Resort at Longboat Key Club distributed a written update referred to as a “communiqué.” “The club has decided to implement the second stage of preventive measures for the protection of members and employees,” the March 14 communiqué said.
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
On Friday March 13, The Resort at Longboat Key Club notified its members of a potential COVID-19 exposure associated with its golf facilities. The March 14 communiqué said the club is implementing the following measures on or before March 16 and all activities and suspended activities will be reevaluated on March 30. According to the March 14 communiqué, the suspended activities include: • Suspension of fitness center operation and wellness activities such as yoga, etc.; • A complete deep cleaning and sanitation process will be implemented in the facility, including all studios, locker rooms and equipment to be fully sanitized and disinfected; • All group activities and meetings are suspended for two weeks; • All group lessons in tennis, golf and wellness are suspended for two weeks; • There will be no buffets at any outlets in our club or resort for two weeks. The March 14 communiqué went on to say: “For the safety or our club members, we request: • No access to the Club for members and immediate household family and registered caregivers within 14 days of returning from any country that self-isolation or quarantine is required by the U.S. Government; • No access to the Club for any member and/or immediate household family and registered caregiver if exhibiting the following symptoms that could be COVID-19: shortness of breath/difficulty
breathing, fever, cough, muscle aches and tiredness; • No access to the Club for any member and/or immediate household family and registered caregiver if they have knowledge of being exposed to an individual or individuals diagnosed with COVID-19.” The March 14 communiqué stated all magazines and newspapers were being removed from the Club due to the difficulty of sanitizing those items. “The club has suspended any handshakes or physical touch until further notice,” the communiqué said. “Employees in designated departments are wearing gloves for their personal protection,” it also said. The communiqué said the Club will continue to monitor the information, recommendations and restrictions through the CDC and the Florida Department of Health. “By working together, we will do our best in providing a healthy and safe environment for all,” Konsavage’s March 14 communiqué said in conclusion. The Sun’s efforts to reach resort officials directly by telephone and social media proved unsuccessful. Phone calls transferred to the resort’s executive office resulted only in the ability to leave a voicemail. Efforts to contact the resort via Facebook Messenger produced an automated response unrelated to the potential coronavirus exposure.
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Got symptoms? Call the Manatee COVID-19 health line
Coronavirus prompts message from Bishop
they may have coronavirus can call as well. The number is 866-779-6121 and operates 24 hours a day, seven days week. Experts will interview callers to determine whether they are at risk for having COVID-19 based on travel history, contact with confirmed cases and other factors. “Calling the health department ahead of time allows us to coordinate with the health care system to assure appropriate infection control measures in our community,” Manatee Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Bencie said. “It also meets the guidelines laid out in Section 3 of the statewide Declaration of Public Health Emergency issued on March 1.” The Department of Health (DOH) routinely updates case counts, prevention tips, worldwide developments, reputable links and more at its COVID-19 web page: www.flhealth. gov/covid-19. Any questions that the web page cannot answer can be phoned into the State Health Office hotline (866-7796121) or emailed to covid-19@health. gov.
The Most Rev. Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Venice in Florida, provided guidance to the faithful in a March 13 letter regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus) and the obligation to attend Mass. “The Mass is the source and summit of our Christian life and allows us to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist and strengthens our sense of community. As Catholics, we are all obliged to participate in Mass on Sundays and other Holy Days of Obligation. Yet in these difficult times, there is also an obligation to protect the vulnerable and those who may care for them.
BRADENTON – The Manatee Health Department has set up the Manatee Health Line, a phone number that residents are asked to call first if they believe they may have coronavirus (COVID-19). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the following persons to be at greater risk of contracting COVID-19: • Anyone showing symptoms of the disease, including fever, cough and shortness of breath; • Anyone who has been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19; • Anyone who has recently traveled from a country or area with widespread or ongoing spread of COVID-19. Manatee residents who believe they may have COVID-19 are asked to call the Manatee Health Line before visiting health care providers. The Manatee Health Line number is 941-242-6649. Subject-matter experts are on duty 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Department of Health runs a hotline that anyone who believes
Manatee Health continues to encourage the public to exercise prevention tips: • Wash your hands often with soap and water • Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze • Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow (not your hands) if a tissue is not available • Try not to touch your face with unwashed hands • Frequently clean and disinfect touched surfaces • Don’t touch or shake hands with people who are sick • Stay home when you’re sick and keep your children home when they’re sick Manatee Health continues to work with local partners – hospitals, clinics, government, schools, businesses, emergency management, law enforcement, tourist development and more – to shape messaging and address specific concerns.
SEE MESSAGE, PAGE 24
Church services continue at Roser Amid coronavirus concerns, the staff at Roser Memorial Community Church has announced that while church services will continue as usual, concerned parishioners have another way to attend worship service – online. The church is encouraging anyone who feels ill or who is concerned about contracting the virus to worship online. The 10 a.m. Sunday church service and the 5:30 p.m. Sunday SoulJourn Praise and Worship contemporary service are both being streamed online live at www.roserchurch.com/worship.
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Hardship provision added to building moratorium Applicants have until Tuesday, March 31 to request a hardship waiver. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – The 60-day temporary emergency building moratorium enacted Wednesday, March 4 now includes a new hardship provision to allow some projects to break ground. The emergency moratorium prohibits the city of Anna Maria’s building department from processing new building permit applications for the construction of a new single-family home. The emergency moratorium also applies to the renovation of an existing home that increases the square footage or lot coverage. The emergency moratorium applies to all such projects not in the city’s permitting pipeline as of March 4. The emergency moratorium does not apply to swimming pool permits or renovations that do not increase square footage or lot coverage. To be followed by a six-month, nonemergency moratorium, the building moratorium gives the city time to study the potential implementation of impact fees that would be charged to builders upon the completion of their projects, according to city officials. Impact fees would help the city offset the impacts of new construction, including large vacation rental homes, is having on city streets, drainage, stormwater projects, recreational facilities and more. A moratorium also gives the city time to review and revise the existing building codes that no longer accomplish the city’s intended goal, and to implement new codes to address construction site parking and staging areas, construction delivery times and other issues not currently addressed by city code. The city also wants to reduce the time it takes for builders to get their projects permitted.
HARDSHIP WAIVER
In response to the initial industry reaction
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
City officials are concerned about construction site parking, staging areas and the impact new construction is having on the city’s infrastructure. to the emergency building moratorium, the commission’s Thursday, March 12 adoption of Ordinance 20-865 added the hardship waiver process to the 60-day moratorium. A hardship waiver, if granted, would allow a not-yet-permitted project to begin the permitting process and begin construction while the building moratorium is in effect. Each hardship waiver request will be granted or denied by Mayor Dan Murphy on a case-by-case basis. Those who wish to challenge a waiver denial can appeal to the city commission, whose ruling would be final. According to the ordinance, an application for a waiver must include the following: • A complete building permit application and complete building plans; • The basis for the hardship, which may include the reason or reasons the permit application was not yet submitted; • The intended use of the house to be built; • Whether the applicant is currently a resident of Anna Maria or intends their new home to be their permanent residence; • Any other basis for a finding of
hardship. Applicants have until Tuesday, March 31 to request a hardship waiver. Commissioner Jon Crane said he doesn’t want hardship waivers automatically rubber-stamped. Crane and Commissioner Carol Carter said those seeking waivers need to verify and prove their hardship. The commission adopted Ordinance 20-865 by a 4-1 vote, with Crane voting in opposition.
PUBLIC INPUT
During public input, Moss Builders coowner Jim Moss provided an example of a legitimate hardship. Moss said he has a female client who is selling her home up north and wants to move to Anna Maria. Moss said she already bought her property, hired a contractor, engineer and architect and took out a construction loan to build her new “dream home.” Moss said the woman already took her first draw on the construction loan and he previously anticipated starting the city permitting process in approximately two weeks.
Moss also said significant changes made to the existing building codes could destroy his client. He noted that a couple of commissioners recently built new homes and he hopes they don’t impose codes that are more restrictive than those in place when they built their homes. “Treat your neighbor as yourself,” Moss told the commission.
EXTENDED MORATORIUM ON THE WAY
The emergency moratorium provides the commission the time needed to enact a sixmonth temporary building moratorium. First read on March 4, the six-month moratorium’s enabling ordinance, Ordinance 20-864, will be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning board before it returns to commissioners for second reading and final adoption. As currently written, the six-month moratorium would prohibit new pool permits. Public input provided by builders and others during the upcoming planning board and city commission hearings will help craft the final language that establishes the six-month moratorium.
Drop us a line Got an opinion, a complaint or a compliment? Is there something you need to get off your chest? Send us a letter to the editor and have your say. There are a couple of ways to do it. The easiest and most direct is to email The Sun at news@ amisun.com. Remember to put Letter to the Editor in the subject field. Or you can snail-mail a letter to us at The Anna Maria Island Sun, P.O. Box 1189, Anna Maria, FL 34216. Letters should be kept to 300 words or less and must contain your name and the city in which you reside. Personal attacks and obscene language will not be printed. The Sun reserves the right to edit letters for length or content.
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ON THE AGENDA ANNA MARIA 10005 GULF DRIVE
For information, call 941708-6130 March 20, 2 p.m. – Planning and Zoning Board meeting March 23, 10 a.m. – Love AMI group meeting March 26, 6 p.m. – City Commission meeting
BRADENTON BEACH 107 GULF DRIVE N.
For information, call 941778-1005 March 18, 1 p.m. – Planning and Zoning Board meeting March 19, 11 a.m. – Pier Team meeting
March 19, noon – City Commission meeting March 24, 9 a.m. – City Commission work meeting
HOLMES BEACH 5801 MARINA DRIVE
March 18, 10 a.m. – Code Compliance Special Magistrate Hearing March 24, 6 p.m. – City Commission meeting with work session to follow
ISLAND-WIDE
March 24, 6 p.m. – West Manatee Fire Rescue board meeting, administrative offices, Palma Sola Presbyterian Church, 6510 Third Ave. W., Bradenton
MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOTE: EVENTS ARE FREE UNLESS INDICATED.
WEDNESDAY MARCH 18
Sunset drum circle, Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wonders of Architecture, Lifelong Learning Academy, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 1 p.m. Florida Cracker Crafts: Weaving, Robinson Preserve, Mosaic NEST, 840 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., $20 cash only. Reserve to coral. bass@mymanatee.org. Sunshine Stitchers knit and crochet, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 3 p.m.
SATURDAY
THURSDAY
SUNDAY
Roser-Robics chair-based exercise class, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 9:30 a.m. Book Club, “Pachinco” by Min Jin Lee, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10:15 a.m. Storytelling and Service Book Club, Robinson Preserve, Mosaic NEST, 840 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 4 p.m. Reserve to 941-7425923 ext. 6035.
Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
MARCH 19
FRIDAY MARCH 20
Friends of the Island Library Book Sale, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 9 a.m. to noon for members-only and noon to 5 p.m. open to the public.
MARCH 21
Saturday at the NEST, Robinson Preserve, Mosaic NEST, 840 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 8 a.m. to noon. Valentine House open, Robinson Preserve, 1704 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friends of the Island Library Book Sale, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Open to the public. Tortoise Talks, Valentine House, Robinson Preserve, 1704 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 1 p.m. MARCH 22
TUESDAY MARCH 24
Farmers Market, City Pier Park, 100 N. Bay Blvd. Anna Maria, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Roser-Robics chair-based exercise class, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 9:30 a.m. Preschool story time, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. Mahjong, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 11:30 a.m. Duplicate bridge, Episcopal Church of the Annunciation, 4408 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 12:15 p.m.
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Coronavirus concerns prompt event cancellations Concerns about a coronavirus outbreak are causing the cancellation of numerous Island events. BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – If you were planning on attending an event on Anna Maria Island over the next couple of weeks, your plans may be changing. Events and programs scheduled to take place through April 17 at the Florida Maritime Museum are canceled or postponed, including all classes at the Folk School, lectures and Music on the Porch. The city of Anna Maria’s weekly Farmers Market at City Pier Park has been canceled until further notice. The seasonal farmer’s market was scheduled to continue into mid-May.
The Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge in Bradenton Beach is closed until at least Monday, March 23. Queen (of Hearts) sales will not resume until further notice. Because of the COVID-19 virus, all activities except Mass have been temporarily canceled at St. Bernard Catholic Church, including the blood drive, pancake breakfast, coffee/donuts, adult and youth education, the parish mission and the exercise class. The office will remain open. The Anna Maria Island Garden Club flower show, scheduled for March 18 at Roser Memorial Community Church, is canceled. The Grass Roots concert planned to take place at The Center of Anna Maria Island on March 19 has been postponed to December 3 by the Manatee Performing Arts Center. Ticket holders can contact Manatee Performing Arts
Center at 941-748-5875 to inquire about refunds. Tickets for the show are still on sale and previously purchased tickets will be valid for the new date. The Center of Anna Maria Island remains open for regularly scheduled classes, fitness center hours, sports, youth programs and other programming. Operations Director Aris Thompson said that regular updates will be posted on the nonprofit’s social media page. Members also can contact The Center at 941-7781908 for more information. The Island Branch Library canceled its book sale, scheduled for March 20 and 21. No reschedule date has been set. The Center of Anna Maria Island’s 27th Annual Tour of Homes, scheduled for Saturday, March 21, will be postponed until 2021 due to coronavirus concerns. SEE CANCELLATIONS, PAGE 34
Anna Maria suspends farmers market A decision has not yet been made on the Memorial Day parade and ceremonies in May. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – The city of Anna Maria is cancelling or considering cancelling many public events. On Monday, March 16, the city cancelled the Tuesday, March 17, farmers market at City Pier Park.
“Due to recent developments with COVID-19 over the weekend, I feel it would be in the best interests of our residents and visitors to cancel the farmers market scheduled for this Tuesday and going forward until further notice,” Mayor Dan Murphy wrote in his March 16 email to city commissioners. The seasonal farmer’s market was scheduled to continue until mid-May. Murphy’s note to commissioners also said, “The special event permit previously approved for Vintage Flea Market will be on the March 26 meet-
ing agenda for your consideration as to rescinding or allowing to go forward.” During the Thursday, March 12, commission meeting, Murphy said a decision must eventually be made as to whether to cancel the annual Memorial Day Parade and post-parade ceremonies on Monday, May 25. The commission also discussed the need to make a decision soon regarding opening ceremonies for the new City Pier in April. Stay up to date with future city developments and/or cancellations at www.cityofannamaria.com.
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DAR recognizes Cortez women with awards BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com
CORTEZ – Three Cortez women, local historian Dr. Mary Fulford Green, artist Linda Molto and former Manatee County Commissioner Jane von Hahmann, were honored on Friday by the Manatee Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, based in Anna Maria. The March awards highlight both Manatee History Month and Women’s History Month in recognizing women’s contributions to the preservation of the historic fishing village of Cortez, according to Manatee Chapter DAR Regent Kathy Doddridge, who presented the awards at the Kirby Stewart American Legion Post in Bradenton. The trio are “ordinary women who have achieved extraordinary things,” she said.
DR. MARY FULFORD GREEN
The DAR National Historic Preservation Recognition Award was awarded to Dr. Mary Fulford Green, who was unable to attend for health reasons. Doddridge detailed highlights of her life. Born in Cortez in 1925, Green is the granddaughter of 1887 Cortez settlers William Thomas Fulford and Sallie Adams of Carteret County, North Carolina, whose Cortez home Fulford lives in. She was valedictorian of her 1942 Bradenton High School class (now Manatee High School) and earned a B.A. in science, M.A. in chemistry and Ph.D. in education from Florida State College for Women (now Florida State University) in Tallahassee. She was a founder of Hope Family
CINDY LANE | SUN
From left, Robin Schoch, accepting an award for Mary Fulford Green, award winners Linda Molto and Jane von Hahmann, and Manatee Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution Regent Kathy Doddridge. Services in 1979 and served as president of Manatee County’s Mental Health Association for seven years. Green was instrumental in establishing the Cortez Village Historical Society (CVHS) in 1984 and in getting the village of Cortez on the south side of Cortez Road on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. With fellow award-winner Linda Molto, Green wrote “Cortez – Then and Now” in 1997; they also produced the Walking Tour Map of the Cortez Fishing Village. Robin Schoch, who accepted the award for Green, said that Green has also worked on successfully opposing a 65-foot-tall bridge from Cortez to Anna Maria Island, a proposed marina development in the village, and the proposed purchase of the Cortez Trailer Park.
LINDA MOLTO
Originally from Toronto, Canada, Cortez artist Linda Molto also received a National Historic Preservation
CINDY LANE | SUN
Dr. Mary Fulford Green, dressed as her grandmother during a history talk she gave recently at the Cortez Cultural Center, was awarded the DAR Historic Preservation Recognition Award.
Recognition Award. She moved to Florida in 1965 and purchased a 1920s home in Cortez village, next to the parsonage of the Church of God. When the parsonage was slated for demolition in 1992, she protested at a CVHS meeting, joined the group and remains an active member. Molto worked with Green on obtaining National Register of Historic Places status for Cortez. She has served on the board of FISH (Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage) since its inception in 1991, and was instrumental in purchasing land east of Cortez village to create the FISH Preserve. She organized the Cortez Historic Homes Tour in 2004-05 to help pay for preserve property. Molto is currently involved in protesting the proposed 65-foot-tall bridge from Cortez to Anna Maria Island. Molto showed the DAR group a piece of artwork she created of the first person she met in Cortez, a young boy selling mangos for 2 cents each. Cortez is “a place that you don’t see
anymore, where it feels like home,” she said. While residents have their differences, above all, they are neighbors who are there for each other, she said.
JANE VON HAHMANN
FISH board member and former Manatee County Commissioner Jane von Hahmann was presented the DAR Community Service Award for her longstanding support for FISH. Established in 1991, FISH sponsors the annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival, which provides funds to restore, maintain and enlarge the 98acre FISH Preserve. This year, the festival netted about $60,000, von Hahmann told the group, close to last year's net, and attracted more than 20,000 people over the twoday event in February. She has been the co-chair of the festival for the past nine years. FISH has removed invasive plant SEE AWARDS, PAGE 23
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‛S YOUR COMFORT ZONE? WHERE
AMI MOOSE LODGE | SUBMITTED
The AMI Moose Lodge closed on Monday.
AMI Moose Lodge closes The Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge in Bradenton Beach has closed due to COVID-19 concerns. On Monday, March 16, the lodge posted closure notices on the lodge doors, emailed notices to lodge members and posted a notice at the lodge Facebook page. “Due to the coronavirus threat, the officers have decided to close the lodge starting today until at least Monday, March 23. We are doing this in an effort to help keep our members and employees healthy and safe. Also, the Queen (of Hearts) sales will not resume until further notice, due also to health concerns. We will let you know if the lodge will remain closed beyond Monday the 23rd,” the notice said.
Food truck festival postponed The Beach'N Food Truck & Music Festival scheduled for Saturday, April 11 at City Field in Holmes Beach has been postponed. Event organizers are expected to provide future updates and/or a future rescheduled date.
NOW Every Saturday AND Sunday!
11:00 - 2:00 p.m.
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MARCH 18, 2020
Walkable waffles - go get one BY LOUISE BOLGER SUN STAFF WRITER
S
o, let’s just say you’re a married full-time school principal, mother of three and a self-declared “foodie” looking for something to fill in the 10 or 20 minutes a day you have left over. The natural thing to do is open a food-related business, right? Well, that’s exactly what Kellie Potter did a year ago and she’s not done yet. Potter and her partner, Scott May, decided that the Island needed a waffle shop - one devoted exclusively to waffles and all nature of creative fillings and toppings. A year ago February, they opened The Waffle Press in a mini, adorable, French door storefront on Pine Avenue in the city of Anna Maria. Kellie Potter gave me a crash course in how Waffle Press waffles differ from
typical waffles. They are made with sturdy, thick batter that produces a nice, dense waffle sprinkled with pearl sugar giving the waffle a satisfying firm crunch. They have turned the typical eat-with-a-knife-and-fork waffle into a portable, walkable finger food. The selection of waffles and toppings will keep you busy for at least 10 minutes trying to decide. There is the Purist, which speaks for itself; Camper, with marshmallow and chocolate; Grand Slam, with peanut butter and chocolate; Canadian, with maple butter and candied bacon, as well as mini waffles. You can also choose a waffle sandwich with ice cream, egg, pulled pork and more. The Waffle Press also offers coffee, latte, espresso, cappuccino and cold brew all made with the finest local coffee beans. Potter points out that they try to use all local sourcing for their shop. The Waffle Press is next door to
THE WAFFLE PRESS 425 Pine Avenue Anna Maria 941-242-2413 In Season Hours: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Regular Hours: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. All Major Credit Cards Accepted the Pineapple Junktion, a collectors’ paradise, so when you have your fill of waffles you can walk it off, or rest your SEE WAFFLE PRESS, PAGE 24
LOUISE BOLGER | SUN
Kellie Potter, Owner of The Waffle Press
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MARCH 18, 2020
Using rental leftovers to benefit the less fortunate BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
HOLMES BEACH – When vacationers leave Anna Maria Island, they often leave behind unused products, including toiletries, cleaning supplies and non-perishable food items. Ritchie Bell, appearing before Island city leaders at the March 11 Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials meeting with Shirley Pearson of the Mayors Feed the Hungry Program, asked for support from the Island mayors to help reduce waste and help the community. He suggested using outdated recycling or other bins to place at rental units with a list of items that could be eligible for donation to benefit community programs including the Mayors Feed the Hungry Program. Bell suggested that vacationers could leave behind the items they won’t use in the bins
and the bins could be collected and taken to a collection point, such as the law enforcement offices in each city or The Center of Anna Maria Island, to be collected and sorted for donation and distribution. Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie suggested including the Roser Food Pantry as a potential beneficiary of the donations. Mayor Judy Titsworth said she feels that the donation drop offs should be done either by cleaning crews or by employees of the real estate company that manages the rental property to ensure that the drop off is done in a timely manner and that all of the items are able to be donated. “We don’t want to create just a dumping location,” Chappie agreed. Titsworth suggested that Bell work with Pearson to develop a plan and present it to each city individually.
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WMFR chief asks for city support Chief Ben Rigney hopes city leaders will support the fire district’s efforts to create a west side EOC at its new administration building. BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
HOLMES BEACH – Members of the Coalition of Barrier Islands Elected Official group spoke with West Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Ben Rigney during the group’s March 11 meeting about the fire district’s proposed new administration building. During the meeting, Rigney asked for letters of support for the creation of the new building as a type of west side emergency operations center, if city leaders feel like they could benefit from using the building in the event of a natural disaster. WMFR commissioners recently purchased a nearly two-acre parcel of land in west Bradenton, located just behind the Fountain Court Shopping Center off of Manatee Avenue. The plan is to use the lot as the home for the district’s new administration building. Commissioners have hired an architecture firm and at-risk construction manager already for the project though construction has not yet begun. Currently, WMFR leaders hope to make at least one large conference room
in the building hardened to Miami-Dade hurricane standards for use as a west side emergency operations center. Rigney said the hope is that the large lot can be used for equipment staging and the west side EOC can be a communication hub for first responders and local governments for information coming out of the Manatee County EOC, located on the east side of Bradenton. He added that he feels it could be beneficial for the Island’s city leaders to have a primary point of communication and operations closer to Anna Maria Island in the event of a hurricane or other natural disaster. If Island city leaders would like to use the district’s new administration building, once built, Rigney asked that they let him know what type of specialized communication connections or other equipment they would need to make best use of the space. Rigney clarified that the building would not be designed to take the place of the Manatee County EOC but rather to serve as a substation. He also added that there’s no financial request from the fire district to utilize the space. WMFR has a budget of $1.4 million for the total project, including the land already purchased. Currently the fire district’s administrative offices are located temporarily at Palma Sola Presbyterian Church in Bradenton.
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MARCH 18, 2020
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Beachfront, award-winning rooms As long as you’re getting married on the beach, why not stay on the beach? Bungalow Beach Resort, 2000 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach, has won the Top Romance award in the US by tripadvisor.com, and it is located right on the beach – the perfect place to escape between the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony and the reception. With the Gulf of Mexico just steps from your lushly landscaped cedar bungalow, it’s a great place for an extended stay after the bride and groom leave for their honeymoon. If the bride and groom want to continue their stay, Bungalow Beach Resort, which also won the 2013 Excellence Award from tripadvisor.com, is a very popular honeymoon destination. Originally a group of beachfront army barracks, each of the Bungalow Beach Resort units retains the old Florida charm that is Anna Maria Island, with modern conveniences inside. And you will stay in luxury with personal touches like baskets of embroidered towels, flowers and candy. Whether you’re getting married or part of the wedding party, pick awardwinning Bungalow Beach Resort as your home base where you will cherish those moments when you’re not involved with the ceremony. You’ll want to return when there is nothing to distract you from your stay. Call Bungalow Beach Resort at 1-800-779-3601 or log onto www.bungalowbeach.com.
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DARA CAUDILL | WWW.ISLANDPHOTOGRAPHY.ORG
Debi Wohlers and Lori Waggoner celebrated 15 years of being together on February 18, 2020 by getting married on the beautiful beach in front of the Beach Bistro. Beach Bistro owner, Sean Murphy officiated. Following the ceremony, guests celebrated in the garden of the Doctor's Office. Chuck Caudil provided the music for the ceremony and the gathering at the Doctor's Office. Chris Macarone, of the Doctor's Office, coordinated the ceremony and the celebration in the garden. flowers were by Blooms by The Beach, and the cake was by Hometown Desserts. On February 19, a formal reception was held at Key Royale Club, where Lori is president, and Debi is the women's club champion. Debi and Lori are Anna Maria Island residents.
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941.779.2337 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM 7 DAYS A WEEK 5344 3 GULF DRIVE, HOLMES BEACH
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OUTDOORS
MARCH 18, 2020
AMI fishing takes off CAPTAIN DAVE WHITE
What a beautiful spell of weather we’ve had here on Anna Maria Island lately! With rising temperatures and flat calm seas, fishing this past week has been stellar. Inshore, the sheepshead bite remains strong. We aren’t having much trouble filling the cooler for clients that want a nice fish dinner or two. Spanish mackerel have also started to fill the waters around the Island. These fast fish make for great fish tacos, especially when bled immediately and cleaned properly, taking the lateral line out. Clients looking for sport are getting on the other end of catch and release snook and permit. Offshore, the kingfish are starting to show up. As well as other pelagic species such as cobia, bonita and Spanish macks. Bottom fishing for red grouper and mangrove snapper is great as well. We’re grateful for the change in weather. Also, for the influx of business due to the closures of major Florida attractions such as Disney, Sea World and the likes. This seems to have sent the tourists to the beach. We hope you all stay safe and have a good week.
CAPTAIN DAVE WHITE | SUBMITTED
Blair Reynolds, wife of Pirate’s outfielder Brian Reynolds, shows off a hard fighting Little Tunny, caught with Captain David White of Anna Maria Charters.
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Authors discuss Cortez, Terra Ceia history “You can’t believe what people went through to settle Florida,” she said.
BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com
J.B. CRAWFORD
CORTEZ – Three local authors delighted members of the Manatee Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution on Friday with tales of Cortez and fishing history. The featured authors were J.B. Crawford, author of “Cortez Village” and several other books, Peggy Donoho, author with Ron Prouty of “Miguel’s Bay” and John McDonald, author of “Growing Up in a Fishing Village.”
JOHN MCDONALD
Born in Cortez, McDonald is the son and grandson of fishermen. A docent at the Florida Maritime Museum in Cortez, he showed historic photos of Cortez, including McDonald the village’s original fishing boats - sailboats known as skipjacks that were propelled by poles. The boats later were outfitted with motors in the 1900s, he said. The catch was packed in salt and shipped by boat to Cedar Key for sale. A 1947 photo shows the Cortez fishing village waterfront with net camps built offshore by fishermen who used them to clean, dry, mend and store cotton fishing nets. The camps were located in “The Kitchen,” the part of Sarasota Bay off Cortez where you could always get something to eat, he said. Vegetable fields in the distance are now condo developments. McDonald traced the types of nets
CINDY LANE | SUN
A 1947 photo of the Cortez village waterfront shows net camps built in the water that fishermen used to clean, dry, mend and store their nets. used in Cortez, from large gill nets – now outlawed – to purse seine nets and stop nets. Currently, most Cortez fishermen use small cast nets for mullet, and sell their roe, or eggs, a valuable commodity, he said. Mullet are a vegetarian fish with gizzards, like chickens, he said, adding that he and other Cortezians grew up on mullet, grits, collard greens and cornbread. The proper Cortez term for abundant mullet is “a mess of mullet,” he joked.
PEGGY DONOHO
Donoho, who is related to the Cortez Few family, wrote about Miguel’s Bay in Terra Ceia with co-author Ron Prouty. Writing is in her genes. Her relative, Capt. Albert Few, 99, originally from
AWARDS: Cortez women recognized FROM PAGE 11
species from the preserve, planted native vegetation and created tidal channels. Outside the preserve, FISH projects include the restoration of the 1890 Burton Store, turning the Church of God into Fishermen’s Hall, renovating the FISH Boatworks and the Cortez firehouse and more. Von Hahmann also has volunteered with the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and opposed large developments including Aqua on the Bay and the 65-foot-tall bridge proposed from Cortez to Anna Maria Island. Cortez has been battling encroachment for 135 years, von Hahmann told the group, adding, “You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been.”
Donoho
Cortez and now living in Bradenton, wrote a book about being a pilot in World War II, she said. “I have ‘mangrove roots’ ” in Cortez, Donoho said. Her book about her great-great grandfather, Miguel Guerrero, born in 1817 in Spain, details how he established a fishing rancho on Terra Ceia Island in 1848 and shipped fish to Cuba. Mullet were so thick they would jump in the boat, she said. She told the poignant story of how he missed his own wedding during a fishing trip and had a stand-in marry his fiancée for him; he lost his wife en route to the U.S. in a ship. He later married Frederica Kramer, a German woman who did not speak his language, and the couple lived in a palm-thatched hut for two years and endured the Third Seminole Indian War and the Civil War, among other hardships.
The author of several books, including “Cortez Village” and three children’s books about Cortez, including “Elof and the Red Grouper” and “Arianna and the Spanish Sardines,” Crawford Crawford spoke about moving to Cortez in 1946. “Does that make me a native?” he asked jokingly. Crawford said his books strive to preserve the fast-disappearing craft of commercial fishing. A bait fisherman who delivered live shrimp to local bait and tackle shops, Crawford also fished for grouper and stone crab, a local industry pioneered in part by Jack Moore, whose longstanding restaurant, Moore’s Stone Crab on Longboat Key, has recently been replaced by an upscale restaurant, he said. Mullet, the Cortez staple catch, was used to bait stone crab traps, he added. Cortez has faced many challenges, Crawford said - first, to survive, then to succeed. A 1918 flu epidemic devastated the village, followed in 1921 by a hurricane that destroyed the entire waterfront, blew down the Cortez bridge, still under construction at the time, and flooded the village, he said. Two World Wars took several fishermen from Cortez, some permanently. Then, in 1995, the state banned the use of gill nets, forcing Cortezians to find other ways to fish, primarily cast nets, he said. And Cortez “always succeeded,” Crawford said.
Island leaders consider mini car legislation BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
HOLMES BEACH – Anna Maria Island city leaders are considering combining efforts to combat the rental of mini cars on the Island. During the March 11 Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials meeting, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer broached the subject with the Island mayors. He said the mini cars, currently rented in Anna Maria, are a serious safety problem, one that he would like to stop from coming down Island streets. Issues that Tokajer cited with the vehicles, which are considered street legal by the state, include the low height, limited visibility, no ability to reverse
the vehicles and the steering, gas and brakes for the vehicle being limited to the handlebars used to control the mini cars. Because the vehicles do not fit into any current definition of a vehicle by the state, Tokajer asked if all of the Island mayors would be amenable to drafting legislation to properly identify and regulate the vehicles. He said he’d like for the group to present the legislation together to state leaders. “I don’t think anyone likes those things buzzing around our streets,” Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said. He suggested the three Anna Maria Island mayors direct their city attorneys to work together to prepare draft legislation for consideration by all three city commissions. Once the draft is prepared, he recommended
presenting it first to the Florida League of Cities to see if that group would help the legislation gain traction in Tallahassee. In the meantime, Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth suggested each city consider banning the rental of the mini cars, though she recognized that the existing rental business would have to be grandfathered in Anna Maria. Tokajer suggested that Anna Maria city leaders consider a sunset clause for the rental of the mini cars in their city. Holmes Beach commissioners have already blocked the mini cars from being rented in their city. Mobility device ordinances are currently on the agenda in Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach.
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WAFFLES: Just try one FROM PAGE 14
weary feet in the courtyard they share. Potter is a native of Bradenton so her connection with Anna Maria Island goes way back. She loves the community and provides the music for the weekend market, offers a morning happy hour between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. with $1 off coffee, and a BOGO on waffles between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. They are also just starting a delivery service in conjunction with Island Eats, so you can order online and not leave the beach or the pool. And, lest we forget, The Waffle Press caters and mini waffles are their best seller. As busy as she is Potter is looking toward the future by expanding her hand-crafted waffles around Manatee County with the addition of a portable food truck to go along with her portable waffles. Whatever she does, I have no doubt she’ll bring her energy and creative eye toward it. I mean, come on, who ever heard of walkable waffles before?
MESSAGE: From the Bishop FROM PAGE 5
During the current public health emergency facing all, for guidance we look to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the State Health Department to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. As regards the Mass, several precautions have already been put into place within the Diocese of Venice to limit the spread of this virus. Out of pastoral concern for the health and wellbeing of the Faithful, the following dispensations are indicated: those who are sick and those providing care for them; those with chronic medical conditions or severely compromised immune systems; those whose age or frailty causes them to be at greater risk; those that have been exposed to the coronavirus; and those who, because of anxiety, may decide not to attend Mass, are dispensed from the obligation. Until further notice, this dispensation shall remain
valid. If circumstances dictate otherwise in coming days, the Diocese will make a timely announcement. As Catholics, we trust in the power of prayer. Please join me in praying for all those who have lost their life and their loved ones, may they be consoled. We also pray for the sick, caretakers, medical providers and all impacted by this pandemic. United for a common good, we can overcome fear and together face the challenges in the days ahead. The Diocese will continue to monitor the situation and update, as appropriate, on the Diocesan website www. dioceseofvenice.org. During this Lenten Season, and this time of trial, I extend to each of you the assurances of my prayers. Sincerely yours in Christ, Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of the Diocese of Venice in Florida.”
MARCH 18, 2020
Artists' Guild seeking community support In the wake of a recent rent increase at the Artists’ Guild Gallery in Holmes Beach, members of the art organization are hoping to receive a little financial help from the community to keep the gallery’s doors open and continue to provide scholarships, supply donations and grants to the community. In a March 8 letter, correspondence secretary Donna Grossman said the group has a GoFundMe page set up to accept donations to help out not only with the rent increase but also needed renovations and funding for community programs. The page can be found online at https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/ be-someones-sunshine and states that the “not for profit” gallery members are hoping for donations to reach $10,000. The Guild Gallery is at 5414 Marina Drive in Holmes Beach and is open to the public with local wall art, jewelry, postcards and other items for sale.
MARCH 18, 2020
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REAL ESTATE
MARCH 18, 2020
Million dollar homes and curb appeal
hree months pass by really quickly. Just think about where you were three months ago mid-December; wrapping Christmas gifts, planning a New Year’s Eve party, getting your heating system checked for the cooler weather ahead and possibly organizing your winter guest calendar. The one thing for sure you weren’t doing is getting worried about something called the coronavirus, canceling vacations and stocking up on non-perishables as if it were hurricane season. But here we are and you either roll with it or, well there is nothing else to do except roll with it. The one thing that appears to be consistent, however, is our real estate market, so in a few more paragraphs we’re going to see just what the million-dollar and over marketplace looks like. First let’s consider a few
Castles in the Sand LOUISE BOLGER tips on how to make your house stand out from the others, whether they’re $1 million or not. There’s a whole theory about curb appeal that most real estate professionals learn from experience. Most professionals will tell you to make your home as appealing as possible so that potential buyers will want to get out of the car and step inside. You would be surprised by the number of buyers who refuse to even take this simple step when looking at a home; usually it’s a big mistake that buyers may come to regret.
What you want to do is to never give the buyer a reason not to get out of the car. Start with the front lawn, the most basic of basics is to mow the lawn, trim the bushes, pick up the trash and the kids’ toys and paint peeling trim. Now if you’re able to get a buyer that far, consider painting the front door a special color. We live on an island, so many of our doors are tropical and fruity, but how about a red door, which means welcome in America and protects from evil spirits in China. Also, if there is any way to get your neighbors next door or across the canal to tidy up, you will be doing not only you but them a big favor. Everyone knows that curb appeal has value, but it wasn’t till recently that we knew how much value. In a recent study in the Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, researchers have started analyzing
that very thing. These researchers compared Google Street View photos to sales data and have determined that homes with good curb appeal sold for 7% more than similar homes. They’re also expanding this research with the hope of providing information to banks and Fannie Mae in determining value for home financing. Well, back to the $1 million and over analysis for the months of November, December and January in the three cities on Anna Maria Island and in Cortez. The closed sales are from the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s office website and the available properties are from realtor.com at the time of this writing. Cortez did not have any $1 million or over sales, same as last time. The City of Anna Maria had 16 ranging SEE CASTLES, PAGE 30
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Sign ordinance amendments moving forward The proposed sign ordinance amendments address construction sites, residential properties, A-frame sandwich board signs and more. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – Anna Maria’s soon to be amended sign ordinance will be reviewed by the planning and zoning board on Friday, March 20, at 2 p.m. Accompanied by the planning and zoning board’s recommendations, the amended sign ordinance will then be presented to city commissioners for second reading and final adoption at 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 9. Public input will be allowed at both public hearings. The proposed changes are included in Ordinance 20-862. The proposed sign ordinance amendments have already been discussed at multiple city commission meetings and a commission work meeting. The first reading of the amended ordinance was presented to city commissioners on Thursday, March 12. During that meeting, Duncan Real Estate owner Darcie
Duncan was the only person to provide public input on the proposed changes. “Back in 2014 when the sign ordinance was worked on, we all changed to the four-square feet banjo sign 10 feet from the house. All the sudden that’s not enforced anymore. It was implemented for a while then it all just went to heck and you’ve got giant signs here and there and everywhere,” Duncan said. “There were many of us that did comply with the sign ordinance and still do today and follow it like it is. I hate to see it now being possibly being changed again. With small businesses, signs are not inexpensive. I just wanted to point that out from a cost issue because there are those of us that follow the rules and follow the ordinance as it stands now versus having to reinvent the wheel,” Duncan told the commission.
A-FRAME SIGNS
If adopted as proposed, Ordinance 20-862 would once again prohibit the A-frame sandwich board signs. In January 2018, the city commission lifted the existing prohibition on A-frame signs to assist Pine Avenue businesses and other businesses impacted by the City Pier closing in September 2017.
CONSTRUCTION SIGNS
Construction sites in Anna Maria often include individual signs for builders, subcontractors, architects, landscapers and more. The amended sign ordinance will require all construction related entities to be contained on a single sign no larger than four square feet. An empty lot will be allowed one sign that is no larger than four square feet and is placed no closer than 10 feet from the right of way.
RESIDENTIAL SIGNS
Properties with existing structures will be limited to one permanent sign and one temporary sign. One example given and often discussed by the commission is a vacation rental home that is also for sale. In this situation the sign offering the reoccurring vacation rental would be the permanent sign and the ‘For Sale’ sign would be the temporary sign. Those two signs would be the maximum allowed. During the March 12 meeting, City Attorney Becky Vose said an instance where one sign advertises the home as a long-term rental and another sign that advertises the home being for sale would be a violation because it would constitute two temporary signs.
The amended ordinance will prohibit signs painted on or attached to fences, walls or structures. House numbers, garden décor, holiday decorations and murals are not considered signs. Flags and banners are allowed but not on construction sites or empty lots.
SPECIAL EVENTS
For special events, one temporary sign not exceeding four square feet can be placed no more than seven days before the event and must be removed no more than two days after an event.
CAMPAIGN SIGNS
“The number of temporary signs on any kind of property shall be unlimited 30 days prior to a public election held in the city. This subsection does not address temporary signs otherwise controlled by special event permit,” the amended ordinance language says.
PERMITS REQUIRED
Placement of a sign generally requires a city-issued sign permit. Contact the Anna Maria Building Department for specific sign permit details and requirements.
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MARCH 18, 2020
Premier Sotheby’s International Realty is proud to welcome associates Laurie Mock & Jonathan DellaTorre
Laurie Mock, MBA Broker Associate Laurie.Mock@PremierSIR.com 941.232.3665
Jonathan DellaTorre Sales Associate Jonathan.DellaTorre@PremierSIR.com 941.315.9519 For buyers and sellers who seek an exceptional and professional real estate experience on Anna Maria Island – there are only Laurie and Jonathan.
Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.
606 Crestwood Lane – $3.99 Million
MARCH 18, 2020
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Zdravecky appointed to planning board Longtime Anna Maria resident Barbara Zdravecky has been appointed to the Anna Maria Planning and Zoning Board. “She’s amply qualified to serve on our Planning and Zoning Board and I think she’ll make a great addition,” Mayor Dan Murphy said when recommending the appointment of the former CEO and registered nurse. The city commission unanimously supported the appointment during its Thursday, March 12 meeting.
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CASTLES: Million dollar homes FROM PAGE 26
from $2,550,000 to $1,000,000, double from the last reporting period. The combined cities of Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach closed 24 $1 million or over properties ranging from $5,850,000 to $1,000,000 - way more than the eight closed during the previous three months.
On the market as of this writing there are four in Cortez ranging from $1,600,000 to $1,200,000; last time there were two. The City of Anna Maria has 63 properties $1 million or over listed. The range is from $6,850,000 to $1,045,000. Out of these 11 were $3 million or more; in the last analysis, there were 59. Finally, in the combined cities of Holmes Beach
and Bradenton Beach there are 93 properties listed over $1 million, 12 between $7,995,000 and $3,100,000 and 60 between $2,995,000 and $1,044,500; last time there were 73. I hope the next three months don’t have too many surprises and that we all stay healthy enough to prepare for hurricane season. Oh, think about that front door.
MARCH 18, 2020
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City planner retires Alan Garrett’s retirement was anticipated later this year. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
BRADENTON BEACH – Bradenton Beach City Planner Alan Garrett has resigned. On Friday, March 6, Garrett sent his termination notice to his supervisor, Building Official Steve Gilbert. Garrett’s note to Gilbert included a title that said, “RE: Closure of planning contract with the city of Bradenton Beach.” In its entirety, Garrett’s short note to Gilbert said, “Steve: I have recently been approved for Social Security retirement benefits. Given my desire to retire, this letter is to confirm the closure and termination of the professional planning contract with B.A. Garret & Associates and the city of Bradenton Beach. I will send to the city my remaining invoices for payment.” Garrett’s retirement was expected at some point this year, but not in such a sudden and abrupt manner. On Thursday, March 5, the city commission supported Gilbert’s request to allow Garrett to work one day a week at home and three days at city hall. It was noted then that Garrett was expected to retire this year.
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
Alan Garrett has ended his long tenure as Bradenton Beach’s city planner. On Monday, March 16, Gilbert said via email, “Regarding Alan’s retirement, he had mentioned retiring last July. I asked him to get us through updating the zoning and future land use maps. He started on Social Security in January. He told me he got tired of the commuting, which I understand. He was a great help to the city during the time he worked for us and I will miss his advice and professionalism.” During the March 5 meeting, Gilbert was also authorized to work with his direct employer, M.T. Causley, to help secure the contracted services of a temporary code enforcement officer to fill in for Code Enforcement Officer Gail Garneau while she is temporarily unable to work.
Holmes Beach prepares for future storms City leaders approved an emergency planning services contract for $24,500. BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
HOLMES BEACH – City commissioners voted unanimously March 10 to accept a contract for $24,500 with Emergency Response Educators and Consultants Inc. of Ocala to create a comprehensive emergency response and continuity of operations plan. The plan, scheduled to be completed before the start of hurricane season, would provide direction and job requirements for city staff and elected officials in the event of a natural disaster
affecting the area. Mayor Judy Titsworth presented the contract, saying the company came highly recommended by Manatee County officials. She added that having the plan will help provide direction for staff during what could be a chaotic time, if the city leadership has to operate from an off-Island location following a hurricane. The plan also will provide guidance for what paperwork needs to be completed for any FEMA reimbursements after a storm event. “I’m excited,” Titsworth said of the plan development. “It’s money well-spent,” Commissioner Terry Schaefer said.
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SPORTS
MARCH 18, 2020
Youth flag football finals named three champions BY MONICA SIMPSON SPECIAL TO THE SUN
The youth flag football winter season came to a close last Tuesday night with the three championship games played at The Center. Of the six teams that played, only three would be named the victors. In the eight-to 10-year old league, HSH Designs came out on top with a 39-16 victory over Cool Today. Cool Today’s Peyton Hovda had two rushing touchdowns in the game and was named the league’s male MVP for the season. Hovda also completed a two-point conversion reception for his team. The league’s female MVP, HSH’s Savanna Coba, caught two passes, one for six points. In addition to being named Most Improved Player, Noah Rigney made a catching touchdown, along for an extra point, for HSH Designs. Cale Rudacille was voted the recipient of the Sportsmanship Award for the season. Bailey Cain scored two points for Cool Today with a two-point play. Teammate Chad Nunez made two catches in the game. In the win, Connor Samblis made rushing TD for HSH Designs. Charlie Neri, in the quarterback position, recorded three passing throws. HSH’s Chase Signor made a touchdown catch to add to his two additional receptions in the game. Contributing in the offensive game for HSH Designs, Sterling Holiday finished the championship game with three grabs. Ugly Grouper took home the big win against Slim’s Place in the 11-to 13-year old league. Slim’s Place’s JM Feeney scored a rushing touchdown and was named the Male MVP. Gabriella Gilbert had a running score herself for Ugly Grouper. Gilbert was voted the female MVP for the predominantly middle school league. Despite the loss, Jaxon
MONICA SIMPSON | SUN
Clockwise above, HSH Designs, eight-to 10-year old flag football league champions. 11-to 13-year old league champions, Ugly Grouper. Youth flag football 14-to 17-year old league champions, Hashmark Sports. Rush caught the football for a TD, along with five other big catches. Ben Rigney made a nice catch for Slim’s Place. For the win, Ashton Hovda can be seen as the championship game’s MVP With four rushing touchdowns for Ugly Grouper. Jackson Zoller made four critical receptions for the Ugly Grouper offense, in addition to scoring two points in a conversion play. Teammates and brothers Mikey and Frankie Coleman both had catches of their own in the game. M. Coleman had a one-point conversion to add to his team’s scoring. Ugly Grouper’s scoring was made complete with a touchdown by Brennan Gunter. Additional league awards went to Matthew Hennesey as the Most Improved Player and Jack Mattick receiving the Sportsmanship award. In perhaps the most anticipated youth flag football game of the season, Hashmark Sports took the field against MuniPlan. Playing without their second round draft choice, Blake Balais, the league’s Quarterback of the Year, Tuna McCracken, was missing a key target. Despite the deficit, MuniPlan put
19 points on the scoreboard with rushing touchdowns by McCracken. MuniPlan’s offensive action was spread across the roster with two catches by Tyler Brewer, Morgan Horesh and David Daigle. McCracken caught the football for a single statistic in the game. In their big win, Hashmark Sports’ Ian Godefry, voted league Most Improved Player, made threw for three touchdowns. Team MVP in the game could be given to Shawn Balvin with five total catches, three for touchdowns. Balvin scored an extra point to add to his game statistics. Nate Costello, league MVP, and Chance Howard also each scored a touchdown and extra point. Hashmark Sports’ Noah Costello had two sacks in the game, with brother Nate marking a single sack. Defensively, Alex McCauley’s interception was a big part of the team’s win against the number one seed team for the championship. Cole Carter was bestowed the Sportsmanship award in the award ceremony that followed the final game to end another youth flag football season.
SUN SCOREBOARD MONDAY, MARCH 9 ADULT CO-ED VOLLEYBALL
THURSDAY, MARCH 5 ADULT CO-ED INDOOR SOCCER
Bins Be Clean (3-4) 23 14 Ugly Grouper 25 25
Slim’s Place (2-2) 10 Ross Built Construction (1-3) 13
Sand Bar (0-7) 12 25 Solid Rock Construction 25 27
Gulfview Windows Pool America
(1-3) 17 (3-1) 3
Ugly Grouper (5-3) 25 19 17 Solid Rock Construction (71)13 25 15
Sato Real Estate Duncan Real Estate
(1-3) 6 (4-0) 11
TUESDAY, MARCH 10 YOUTH FLAG FOOTBALL EIGHT-TO 10-YEAR OLD LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Firkins Automotive Rays Ramblings
(4-3) 20 (5-2) 27
Lancaster Designs Capt. Sky Cruises
(5-2) 40 (2-5) 12
Ugly Grouper Moss Builders
(0-7) 21 (6-1) 41
Slim’s Place Beach Bums
(3-4) 34 (3-4) 3
HSH Designs Cool Today
11-TO 13-YEAR OLD LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Slim’s Place Ugly Grouper
14-TO 17-YEAR OLD LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Hashmark Sports MuniPlan
39 16
12 41
35 19
ADULT CO-ED FLAG FOOTBALL
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MARCH 18, 2020
THE SUN
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Fashion and fun on the runway BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – The ladies of the Roser Women’s Guild hosted their annual fashion show fundraiser March 10 with the models walking the runway to a sold-out crowd. Dozens of people gathered at Roser Memorial Community Church for a three-course luncheon before the fashion show began. Appetizers included blackberry and cucumber caprese skewers with shrimp street tacos while the main course was a cobb salad followed by a strawberry shortcake dessert. Laura Doughty and Linda McGee led the luncheon team while mistress of ceremonies Ginger Huhn emceed the event. All of the fashions for the show came courtesy of the Roser Guild Thrift Shop, located across the street from the church at 511 Pine Avenue in Anna Maria. The shop is open to the public on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The money the Guild earns through fundraisers like the fashion show and the thrift shop goes to help provide scholarships for area students and projects benefitting the community.
KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN
Some of the biggest smiles of the day came when Lillian Chin Burks took her turn walking the runway.
KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN
Left, Model Kathryn Sandberg walks the runway in a red tunic and black leggings. Above, Priscilla Seewald shows off one of the designer fashion finds from the thrift shop and Mary Baldovini models a formal dress she purchased for a black and white wedding and then donated to the thrift shop.
KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN
Above, Curt Huhn strolls down the runway as a traveler completely outfitted by the Roser Guild Thrift shop, from his clothes to his carryon bag. Below, Ginger Huhn serves as emcee for the event.
KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN
Rev. Dr. Bob O’Keef takes a bow during his final strut down the Roser Guild’s runway.
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ENTERTAINMENT
Family Fun At the Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach: • Wednesday, March 18, Lifelong Learning Academy, “Wonders of Architecture,” 1 p.m.; Sunshine Stitchers knit and crochet extra, 3 to 5 p.m. • Thursday, March 19, Book Club, 10:15 a.m. • Friday, March 20, Friends Book Sale, open to members, 9 a.m. to noon; Friends Book Sale, open to the public, noon to 5 p.m. • Saturday, March 22, Friends Book Sale, open to the public , 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Marina Drive, Holmes Beach: Friends Book Sale, open to the public, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Tuesday, March 24, Preschool Storytime, 10 to 11 a.m., Mahjongg Club, Club, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Beadwork with Rachel, from 2 to 4 p.m.
For more information, call the library at 941-778-6341.
Last call for flapjacks The final Roser Pancake Breakfast of the season will be on Saturday, March 21, from 8 to 11 a.m. in the Roser Community Church Fellowship Hall, 512 Pine Avenue, Anna Maria. For $6 per person, enjoy pancakes, sausage, syrup and/or melted butter, applesauce, biscuits and gravy, juice and coffee or tea. There is no charge for children under the age of five. For more information go to www.roserchurch.com/pancake-breakfast or call the church at 941-778-0414. After breakfast, stroll across the street and browse the best bargains in town at the Roser Guild Thrift Shop, which opens from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. You
CANCELLATIONS: Many Island events called off FROM PAGE 7
A press release from The Center states that tickets purchased for this year’s Tour, along with raffle tickets for the final Tour quilt, will be good next year. Ticket’s purchased for the quilt drawing will be included in next year’s drawing. West Manatee Fire Rescue commissioners have canceled their upcoming March 24 meeting. Their next meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on April 21 with a budget workshop at 5 p.m. The March 30 Tourist Development Council meeting has been canceled; the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is expected to announce the rescheduled meeting soon. The Beach’n Food Truck & Music Festival scheduled for Saturday, April 11 at City Field in Holmes Beach has been postponed. Event organizers are expected to provide future updates and/or a future rescheduled date. Manatee County School District students will be getting an extra week of spring break until Monday, March 30 with employees returning to work March 23. All extracurricular activities and sports also are canceled until March 30. Amid coronavirus concerns, the Holmes Beach Art Walk scheduled
for Friday, March 13 was canceled. Both the Artist’s Guild Gallery and Island Gallery West remain open to customers during business hours as does the newly reopened Sand Dollar gift shop. The Anna Maria Island Privateers postponed their March 14 Thieves Market in response to concerns about the spread of coronavirus. The new date for the outdoor market is April 11 at Coquina Beach. Health concerns also prompted parade organizer, Sean Murphy of The Beach Bistro, to postpone the 21st Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Holmes Beach. In a March 12 Facebook post on the Bistro’s page, it was noted that the parade will be rescheduled for later in the year. The parade was previously scheduled to take place Sunday, March 15. The Island Players closed their theater doors after performances on Sunday, March 15. The theater will reopen for the final show of the 2019-20 season, “Death by Design,” on April 30. The play runs through May 10. For ticketholders for performances of the current show, “Leading Ladies,” contact the box office for a refund for shows scheduled after March 15. The Off Stage Ladies also announced that their April 8 meeting is canceled.
can also check out the progress on the Anna Maria City Pier, visit the unique stores on Pine Avenue, enjoy the beach and take in the spectacular sunset later in the day.
Closed for the season The Annie Silver Community Center is cancelling all remaining bingo games and scheduled dinners for the season. The decision was regretfully made due to coronavirus concerns and close quarters at the community center. All regularly scheduled events will be back next January. Anyone with questions can call Linda Yarger at 941-778-3580.
Safe worship Those who choose to avoid crowds are invited to worship online at Roser
MARCH 18, 2020
Community Church. The 10 a.m. worship service and 5:30 p.m. SoulJourn Praise and Worship service are streamed live and can be viewed at www.roserchurch.com/worship. Please note: All services and events will take place as usual. Contact Rev. Dr. Robert O’Keef - Pastor (910-580-7359), Rev. Neil Crowell - Associate Pastor (980-521-7129) if you would like more information or have questions.
Cut the ribbon The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce will hold a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for The Tides RV Resort, 6310 Bayshore Road in Palmetto on Saturday, March 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
TOURISM: May be increasing due to coronavirus FROM PAGE 1
normal levels. “We’re not alarmed at this time of the year,” said Elliott Falcione, director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. In fact, he said, people in densely-populated cities like New York and Boston are saying, “ ‘We’re going to get out of here and come to a safe place.’ They believe the beaches are safer than the dense city.” European visitors are booked for summer and fall, Falcione said, adding that the CVB’s London office is currently monitoring the perception of prospective overseas visitors. “We’re going to take this one day at a time,” he said. Some airlines are addressing the health crisis by offering hospitalcaliber filtration systems on board the aircraft, Falcione said. “If I had to fly, I wouldn’t be concerned,” he said. “Just keep your hands from your face and keep your hands clean.” While some visitation has been lost with canceled airline flights, it has been regained or exceeded by more people driving to Manatee County, he said. “People within driving distance
who had plans to fly are coming here,” agreed Bill Annis, of Island Vacation Properties, adding that the company has had some cancelations from other countries. Although rental agents are fielding calls and questions all day long, “It hasn’t been horrible for us,” he said, with March booked solidly. “Overall, it’s leveling out for us.” “It’s a little bit of a hodgepodge,” said Lisa Spehar, of Island Real Estate. People within driving distance from Tampa and Orlando are calling to book rooms because kids on spring break are unexpectedly out of school longer due to coronavirus concerns, she said. But fears about the virus and its impact on the stock market caused at least one visitor who returns to the Island annually to cancel, she said, while some visitors who normally book a year in advance have said they don’t want to commit to visit next year because of uncertainty about the virus. “We believe our customers will come back,” Falcione said. The Monday, March 30 Tourist Development Council meeting has been cancelled due to the coronavirus.
MARCH 18, 2020
FUN IN THE SUN
Across 1 "Are you getting 100%?" cereal 6 Lover 11 Excludes 15 Place to play 16 Gulf of Oman vessel 17 Neutral tone 18 Charcuterie fare 19 Quaint sleeping coach 21 Target, as a receiver 23 "Moonlight Sonata" opening movement, e.g. 24 Stand buy 25 Dromedary feature 28 Hybrid fruits 31 Cheerleader's cry 33 Top __ 34 "Garfield: __ of Two Kitties" 37 Deceptive appearance 39 __ Plaines 40 Classic American board game symbolized
Answers to 03-11-20 Crossword Puzzle.
by this puzzle's circles 44 Fish often fried 45 Famille member 46 Out of practice 47 Deceptive 50 Took to heart 52 Sleep soundly? 53 Classic movie theaters 54 Maple yield 57 Martial arts teacher 61 Knesset country 63 Brit's afternoon drink 67 Raised landform 68 Stable baby 69 Befuddled 70 It was originally a sitting meditation pose 71 Capital on the Tiber 72 With 22-Down, intimidate 73 Reach Down 1 __ Bay Rays
2 Nymph associated with Artemis 3 Needle 4 Tiny tunnelers 5 Eighteenth, usually 6 Clotheshorse 7 Sch. with a Brooklyn campus 8 Penne __ vodka 9 Fuse 10 Writer Bombeck 11 Inoffensive 12 Praise 13 New Deal agcy. 14 __ La Table: cookware shop 20 Bonn : Wasser :: Barcelona : __ 22 See 72-Across 26 Soccer star Rapinoe 27 Beer belly 29 Unlikely to react 30 Likely to react? 31 "Scram, varmints!" 32 2017 "Hello, Dolly!" Tony winner 33 TV's Arthur 34 Billing nos. 35 "This __ / Doth to our rose of youth rightly belong" (Shakespeare) 36 Intrusive MP3 files 38 Aerodynamic 41 __ sauce 42 Bridal gown storage option 43 It'll never work 48 Big Easy cuisine
49 Co-worker of Lane and Olsen 51 "Where __ sign?" 54 Pulled a chair up to 55 Insurance giant 56 Skirt fold
THE SUN
58 Dove, e.g. 59 Young salamanders 60 Wee 62 Sleight of hand 63 Egypt's cont. 64 Jack of "Barney Miller"
35
65 Common Market letters 66 Hot tub sigh
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THE SUN
MARCH 18, 2020
EMERGENCY: State of Emergency declared in Manatee County FROM PAGE 1
I’m happy at this time there are no deaths in
Sauer stressed the importance of taking precautionary measures that include avoiding large crowds and staying home if you’re sick. “Moving forward we must all be proactive rather than reactive. It is not a time to panic. It’s a time to plan and prepare. There’s not a supply chain problem and there’s not a supply problem. You do not need to hoard supplies,” Sauer said.
DR. BENCIE SPEAKS
Sauer then deferred to Dr. Jennifer Bencie, director of the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County. “The new and uncharted territory we’re entering with this disease and the tremendous publicity that it is generating can only deepen concerns. Now is not the time to panic, but a time to unite and a time to practice prevention tips,” Bencie said. “Although we’re only at the start of this pandemic, with no idea how long it will last, we will surely see this public health event through, just as we have with so many others in the past,” she added. “As of one o’clock today, Manatee County has seen five cases of the disease. I’m happy at this time there are no deaths in Manatee County due to this illness and that those who have been diagnosed have either recovered or are in the recovery phase,” Bencie said. “Our team continues to track and monitor
those who have been diagnosed have either
funds become available regarding the coronavirus outbreak. “That’s one of the main reasons for a local state of emergency. It really is for tracking and financial purposes,” Sauer added.
recovered or are in the recovery phase.”
NO BEACH OR BUSINESS CLOSINGS
Manatee County due to this illness and that
Dr. Jennifer Bencie, Manatee County Health Department director anyone who may be at risk for having coronavirus based on symptoms, travel history, contact with those who’ve been diagnosed with the disease and other criteria,” Bencie said. Bencie said the symptoms of COVID-19 include a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher, a dry cough and shortness of breath. Bencie encourages anyone who believes they might have contracted COVID-19 to first call the Manatee Health Line or the Florida Department of Health before visiting a hospital emergency room or health care provider. The Manatee Health Line phone number is 941-242-6649 and is in operation from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Florida Department of Health COVID-19 call center in Tallahassee can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 866-7796121. Bencie encourages anyone who has
traveled internationally or domestically to places with higher case counts, or those who have come in contact with someone diagnosed with coronavirus, to also call one of the health department phone numbers before going to an emergency room or doctor’s office. Bencie said this allows health department personnel to interview the caller to help determine if they need to be tested. It also helps prevent a contagious person from walking into a doctor’s waiting room or an emergency room unannounced and unexpected.
EMERGENCY DECLARATION
During Monday’s emergency meeting, county commissioners declared a countywide state of emergency. Commissioner Steve Jonsson said declaring a state of emergency gives the county a place in line if and when state and federal
Commissioner Betsy Benac asked if there were any plans to close the county beaches. Sauer and County Administrator Cheri Coryea said there were currently no plans to do so. In response to questions from Benac and Commissioner Reggie Bellamy, Sauer said the county does not have the authority to close or dictate hours of operation to privately owned restaurants, bars and businesses. He said that direction would have to come from the state and Governor Ron DeSantis.
FEDERAL GUIDELINES ANNOUNCED
About an hour after the county meeting ended, the White House Coronavirus Task Force released a new set of federal guidelines that recommend people not gather in groups larger than 10 people for the next 15 days. Task force member Dr. Deborah Birx stressed the importance of all Americans of all ages to follow these voluntary guidelines in order to help contain the spread of COVID-19.
SPRING BREAK: Extended by Manatee County School District FROM PAGE 1
the district and prepare for the return of students on March 30,” the statement said. “School District officials will continue to monitor developments regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) during the next two weeks and will provide updates on district and school websites; social media pages; the mobile app MySDMC and through electronic Connect-Ed phone calls and emails. Additional details will be provided to students, parents and employees next week,” the written statement says in conclusion.
MIKE FIELD | SUN
MARCH 18, 2020
CLASSIFIED
Call us today! 941-778-3986
ANNOUNCEMENTS
COMMERCIAL SALES, RENT & LEASE
BEACH YOGA ON Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays at 8:30am at the end of Pine Ave by the Sandbar Restaurant by donation. www.thriveyogafit. com
ESTABLISHED RETAIL BUSINESS for sale on AMI. 250k plus inventory. Long term lease possible. $4200. a month plus low cam fees. Sharon Hightower RE/MAX Alliance Group 941-330-5054 Email to sharonsellsbeaches@ yahoo.com
FACE PAINTER/PORTRAIT ARTIST Island student artist, reasonable price for parties, events, and special portraits. Call/text Lillian 210-380-9691
13 UNIT RESORT: $3,999,900 Bradenton Beach on Gulf Dr. WAREHOUSE: 9300 sq ft possible Machine Shop w/ Heavy Duty Elect. Or Car Storage. So many Possibilities. Near SRQ Airport. $595,000. Island Real Estate call Alan Galletto 941-232-2216
THE BEST VOLUNTEER position on the island. The AMI Historical Museum needs docents and bread makers. Call Lynn at 813758-3234 or lbrennan47@ gmail.com ROSER FOOD BANK needs donations of cash and non-perishable food. Donations boxes are located at the Church, Moose Club, and Walgreen’s.
COMPUTER SERVICES EMPIRE COMPUTER SERVICE Computer problems fixed in your home or office. The fastest friendliest service around. Serving the Island since 2004. Call 941-739-6424
Join the team at the FLORIDA MARITIME MUSEUM to preserve Florida’s fishing and maritime heritage. Assist with collections, school tours and more! Contact 941-708-6120
TWO SIDES OF NATURE – Anna Maria Island’s Largest Little Beach Shoppes... is now hiring part-time associates. Varied shifts available must be able to days, nights and weekends. Retail Experience Preferred. Great personalities a plus! Great pay! Apply today Two Sides of Nature 101 S. Bay Blvd. Unit A-1, Anna Maria. Two Sides of Nature, Two Sides of Nature Too, Two Scoops – having a little fun every day!
TWO SCOOPS – Anna Maria Island’s Favorite Ice-Cream... is now hiring part-time associates. Varied shifts available must be able to work nights and weekends. A great place to work and have a little fun… looking for a few friendly people to join our team. Food prep. or server experience preferred. Great Pay! Apply today… Two Scoops 101 S. Bay Blvd. Anna Maria.
EMPLOYMENT
BOATS: SALES & RENTALS BOAT LIFT FOR RENT. 10,000#. Deep water. Walk around deck. Direct access to Intracoastal. Key Royale area. $450 Monthly. 941-518-3682.
CARPET CLEANING QUALITY COUNTS. CARPET cleaning. Upholstery cleaning. Tile & grout cleaning. Island's favorite cleaner. Manatee Chamber Member. Great price/free estimates. Call 941-7561082
CLEANING SERVICE THC CLEANING : Residential, Commercial & Rentals. Professional and Reliable. Call 941756-4570
THE AWARD-WINNING ANNA MARIA ISLAND SUN, a weekly newspaper on Florida’s Gulf Coast, (https://amisun. com; www.facebook. com/AnnaMariaIslandSun), is looking for a freelance reporter/ photographer to cover events on this tourismdriven island. The ideal candidate will have reporting and photography experience at a community newspaper and have some experience writing for a news website. Local residents or those with previous local knowledge and willing to relocate here a plus. Resumes and cover letters may be emailed to news@amisun.com or by U.S. Postal Service to The Anna Maria Island Sun, P.O Box 1189, Anna Maria, FL 34216, attention: Mike Field, publisher. NAIL/SKIN PRO needed now at busy island day spa. Fl. license req. 941896-2222
FULL TIME RECEPTIONIST- Busy Island Real Estate office seeking outgoing energetic people person. Computer & communication skills a must. Come join team PARADISE. 941778-4800. VACATION RENTAL AGENT with excellent customer service skills, experience with RNS software preferred but willing to train, flexible schedule, dependable transportation a must. Full and Part Time positions avail. Salary based on experience. Send Resume to info@paradiserealty.com.
ESTATE SALE ESTATE SALE FRIDAY March 20. 9:30-3. 515 58th St, Holmes Beach (behind Holmes Beach City Hall). Please park with wheels off payment. Leather sofa, curio, secretary, mid century dresser & chest, Victorian bed & chest, wicker desk & chair, lamps, patio table & chairs, costume jewelry, art work, game cabinet, kitchen ware, linens, some tools, decorative accessories. Sale conducted by Palma Sola Sales. Numbers given out at 8am.
THE SUN
FISHING CHARTERS CAPT. MAC GREGORY Fishing Charters. Full Day, Half Day, Night, Inshore & Near Shore. 941-809-5783 U.S.C.G. Certified/Insured
GARAGE, MOVING, RUMMAGE & YARD SALES ROSER THRIFT SHOP & ANNEX open 9:30-2p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Donations preferred 9a.m.-11a.m. Wednesdays. 511 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Phone 941-779-2733
HOME IMPROVEMENTS TILE! TILE! TILE! All variations of tile supplied and installed. Quality workmanship. Prompt, reliable, many Island references. Free estimates. Neil 941-726-3077 RENOVATION SPECALIST ALL carpentry repairs, Wash Family Construction, locally owned and operated CBC 1258250 Call 941-7250073. KERN CONSTRUCTION NEW Homes & Remodel. Design/Build. Since 1968. License # CRC1327296. Call Jerry Kern 941-7781115 www.kernconstructioninc.com GET’R DONE DRYWALL, INC Specializing in Remodels & Repairs. Island Resident for 18 years. Call Neil Cell 941-962-1194 LIGHTHOUSE PROPERTY INNOVATIONS LLC State Certified General Contractor (Lic. #CGC 1515821) New Construction, Renovations & Additions. Call 941-266-7500 MASTER CARPENTER. Decks-Docks-FencingStairs & Railing. Free Estimates. Handyman Work. Call Richard 941448-3571
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.
HOME IMPROVEMENT Michigan General Contractor 30+ yrs. experience. Large or small projects. Budget minded knowledgeable tradesman will complete your project start to finish: On Time/On Budget. Call Mike 616-204-8822. HOME MAINTENANCE. Tile and Laminate installation. Popcorn ceiling removal, Drywall repair, texturing and painting. Call 941-7259876 COASTAL INTERIORS Trim, paint, repairs and more 27yrs experience Local 786-318-8585
HOME SERVICES THE HARDWOOD STOP Flooring installation services; Laminate, hardwood, vinyl and tile. Bathroom and shower. Virtually dustless FLOOR REMOVAL License and insured FREE ESTIMATES 941-227-0041 www.thehardwoodstop. com GREEN INSTALLATIONS VOTED #1 by Yelp for last 3 years! Call 786-318-8585
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 STRAIGHT SHOT LANDSCAPE. Specializing in Old Florida Seashell driveways and scapes. Also Rock, Mulch, & Soil. Free estimates. Call Shark Mark 941-301-6067
LOST & FOUND LOST ON BEACH Beige Women’s Eye Glasses. $50 REWARD Call John 941705-6068 LOST DIAMOND STONE on Trolley or shops on Anna Maria Island. $500 REWARD. Call 314-324-5921
MOVING & STORAGE MARTIN’S MOVING YOUR Island movers! Offering dependable, competitive rates. No hidden costs. 941-809-5777.
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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. Paperhanging/removal Faux finishes. Interior painting. Mary Bell Winegarden 941-794-0455 PROFESSIONAL PAINTING SERVICES. Prompt & Reliable. Island Resident. Quality Workmanship. Interior/Exterior. Also minor repairs & carpentry. Free written detailed estimates. Bill Witaszek 941-307-9315
CUSTOM PAINTING, Residential-Commercial, Interior/Exterior Professional quality work for over 40 years. Free estimates. Call Larry at 941-400-8754. References available. DONALD PERKINS PAINTING LLC fully insured. 30 years experience. Many Island references. Call 941-7057096
POOL SERVICES FOUR SEASONS POOL SERVICE AND CHEMICAL SERVICES. Certified Pool Operator. 10 + 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
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PRINTING
CUSTOM DIGITAL PRINTING "Your printing dream to reality" Specializing in Dye sublimation Printing. Graphic Design. Performance Active ware. Logo Design. Call Rhonda 330-550-4847
PRESSURE WASHING & WINDOWS AUTHORITY ONE CLEANING : Residential, Commercial, Construction and Vacation Rentals . Also available Pressure Washing, Roof Cleaning, Paver Sealing and Windows. Call 941565-3931.
REAL ESTATE HOMES & CONDOS FOR SALE CANAL FRONT HOMES Holmes Beach – GULF FRONT CONDOS Gulf Place, L’Plage, Vista Grande, SPW, 5400 – DUPLEXES & MORE Island Real Estate ASK Alan Galletto 941232-2216 IMMACULATE WATERFRONT HOME 520 Kumquat Dr. 4BD/5BA 3928sf Coastal Beauty! Prime location on AMI. $2,750,000 Call Charles Buky Coldwell Banker 941-228-6086
Call us today! 941-778-3986
REAL ESTATE: OPEN HOUSE
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 28 years. Proven track record brings you results! 941-725-1589 MOBILE HOME in 55+ community 1975 Fully furnished, excellent rental history, 1BR/1BA, 50 steps from beach. $72,500. Call 813-679-3561 2BR/2BA GULF FRONT Condo. Fabulous view rarely on the mkt.! Sun Plaza West. $749,000 COMPLETELY REMODELED gorgeous condo with Peek of Gulf. $600,000 firm. RIVER DISTRICT Homes Bradenton. $300,000 start ! Very cool historical area. PERICO ISLAND Patio Home. private pool. Close to AMI! $369,000 Brenda Boyd May Broker/ owner Boyd Realty LLC. 941-730-8589 www. boydrealty.com 2BR/2BA REMODELED UNIT in Up coming Beautiful Cortez Park. Water View. For Personal showing call 740-3989846
OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY March 22 1pm-4pm. 7920 4th Ave W. Bradenton. Pine Bay Forest Condo. Gorgeous 1300sq. ft. 2BR/2BA Condo. Completely remodeled. Beautiful coastal glam style with vinyl plank floors. Recessed lighting. Brand New Kitchen. Custom Touches like barn wood slider doors. MOVE RIGHT IN. $225,000 Call 941-713-6531
RENTALS: ANNUAL HOLMES BEACH, elevated nice 2BR/2BA duplex a block to the beach. Updated kitchen with washer and dryer included, all tile floors, large carport and storage area, nice front deck to enjoy the sunsets. $1,800/mo. immediate occupancy, non smoking, no pets. Call Paige Rogers 513-382-1992 paige@ teamduncan.com Duncan Real Estate ANNUAL RENTALS WANTED! We have well qualified tenants for beach and mainland annual rentals, Full management or Finders fee. Call today for details. Ask for Paige DUNCAN REAL ESTATE 941-779-0304 www.teamduncan.com
MARCH 18, 2020
2BR/1BA GROUND LEVEL condo in Bradenton Beach. $1400/mo. 1st, last, and security. $150 application fee which requires HOA approval. 2BR/2BA FURNISHED gulf-front 8 month lease starting May 1, 2020 $2750/mo. Call A Paradise 941-778-4800 WARE CREEK AREA 2216 8th Ave W. Cute 2BR/2BA House fenced yard $1500/ mo. Available Now. 3BR/2BA on Wares Creek $1800/mo Available NOW. First, last & security. Credit check required. Call 941809-2488 NW BRADENTON HOUSE for Rent. 1012 76th St NW Catalina Sub-division. 3BR/2BA on Lagoon. 6 miles to AMI beaches. Available Now $1800/mo. First, last & security. Credit check required. Call 941809-2488 ANNUAL RENTAL BUGALOW with mini-loft. Vaulted ceilings. Utilities included, Washer/Dryer. Steps to Beach. Pets considered. $1395/mo. First, Last & Security. Call 941-741-1096 SMUGGLERS LANDINGS. CORTEZ 2BR/2BA/2CG. Overlooking Canal.1400s.f. , unfurnished, with 2 pools, 40ft boat slip. $1900/mo. Available May 1. Call 770883-3561
ANNUAL RENTALHOLMES BEACH 1BR/1BA 2 blocks to beach. Nice back yard. $1,200/mo. No pets. Contact Fran Maxon Real Estate 941-778-2307 for details. 2BR/2BA, READY NOW, $1200/month. 1BR/1BA, ready soon, $950/month. No dogs. Annual rental. Call for more details. Dolores Baker Real Estate 941-778-7500.
RENTALS: SEASONAL & VACATION TIFFANY PLACE Gulf Front Condo for Rent Incredible views from living room and master bedroom. 2BR/2BA Green Real Estate Call 941-778-0455 GREAT RATES! Weekly, Monthly. 3BR/2BA NW Bradenton. Call Grace 941-201-2190 KEY ROYALE, SEASONAL, February 1-29, 2020, gorgeous canal home 3BD/3BA, 8500$/mo,10 min walking distance to the beach. Mike text 514952-7022 or drmsake@ yahoo.ca
TRANSPORTATION AMI TAXI metered-on-callcards accepted. Airport: Tampa $95, Sarasota $40, Clearwater $85, Orlando $165. Call 800-301-4816. amitaxi4u@gmail.com, www.amitaxi.com ANYTIME TRANSPORTATION to all Airports, Casino, etc. Tampa $70. Sarasota $35. Pets welcome. Very dependable. Reasonable rates. Contact Jeanne. 941-779-5095 AIRPORT RIDES- Tampa, St. Pete, Sarasota. Reasonable rates! Call or text Anna 941-932-1600 ADMIRAL TOWN CAR Professional chauffeur, taxi prices! Airports (1@ $75, 10 $150 to Tampa), Appointments anywhere. Credit cards accepted. Phil 941-320-1120 admiraltowncar@gmail.com, Licensed & Insured
www.amisun.com
MARCH 18, 2020
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Call today to place your ad: 941-778-3986 HOME SITTING / PET SITTING
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MARCH 18, 2020
the Team Duncan Difference!
Darcie Duncan Broker - Owner
Cindy Jones Sales Associate
Michelle Laade Sales Associate
Dee Munn Broker Associate
Katie Self Sales Associate
Paige Rogers Sales Associate
Martha Jones Sales Associate
April Green Sales Associate
Pat Short Sales Associate
Robyn Hawk Joey Hutchinson Sales Associate Sales Associate
✔ Local-Area Expertise ✔ Outstanding Customer Service ✔ Experienced Professionals ✔ Proven Performance
310 Pine Avenue Anna Maria, FL 34216
TeamDuncan.com
941.779.0304