Anna Maria Island Sun March 28, 2018

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- Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class -

VOL 18 No. 24

March 28, 2018

Island SUNset

CINDY LANE | SUN

Beach sunflowers in an Anna Maria Island dune get the last rays of a spring sun.

Get ready - pipeline work descending on Gulf Drive BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com

Construction work moves down Gulf Drive when work on the Anna Maria Island Force Main 5 replacement project begins the week of April 9 on the Island’s main corridor. Four weeks of construction are planned for Gulf Drive between 28th Street in Holmes Beach to 26th Street North in Bradenton Beach. During construction traffic lanes will remain open in both directions on Gulf Drive, though traffic lanes will be shifted toward the western side of the street to allow for construction equipment. During this phase of construction, access to side streets will remain open from Gulf Drive. A second phase of construction on the new force main is expected to begin on or around May 1, ending around June 29. Construction on

INSIDE NEWS 4 OPINION 6 SUN SURVEY 7 BUSINESS 14 FOOD & WINE 22 OUTDOORS 43 REAL ESTATE 46-53 CLASSIFIEDS 61-63

the force main replacement will take place between Avenue C and Cortez Road down Gulf Drive. During construction, Gulf Drive will remain open to motorists with traffic lanes realigned on the west side of the street. Once work reaches the area of 10th Street and Gulf Drive, access from Gulf Drive to 10th Street will be closed. Motorists will need to use either 11th Street or 12th Street to access 10th Street from Gulf Drive during this phase of construction. Drivers can expect lowered speed limits and temporary delays when traveling through construction areas. Pedestrian and bicycle facilities will be closed in construction areas. Walkers and cyclists moving through these areas will need to move to the west side of the street or take an alternate route. In some areas of construction, SEE CONSTRUCTION, PAGE 18

GO AHEAD,

pamper yourself at Body & Sol. 14

Anna Maria Island, Florida

School tax passes The majority of Island voters opposed the new property tax. SUN CORRESPONDENT jhendricks@amisun.com

The special election that determined the fate of the new tax requested by the Manatee County School District concluded Tuesday, March 20. Countywide, the final official results were 28,967 voters (51.4 percent) in favor of the new tax and

MANATEE COUNTY – By a slim margin, Manatee County voters passed the proposed one-mill school tax, but the majority of voters in all three Anna Maria Island cities opposed the new tax. Adoption of the additional one-mill tax means Manatee County property owners will pay an additional $1 for every $1,000 of assessed taxable property value for the next four years. The self-imposed tax is subject to voter renewal in 2022.

This graphic illustrates how the votes were cast on Anna Maria Island. Precinct 301 is in Anna Maria. Precincts 303 and 305 are in Holmes Beach and Precinct 307 is in Bradenton Beach.

BY JOE HENDRICKS

27,403 (48.6 percent) in opposition. Of the county’s 235,388 registered voters, 56,479 cast votes. This equates to 24 percent voter turnout. SEE VOTE, PAGE 11

MANATEE COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS | SUBMITTED

FIND OUT who the Island favorites are in our Readers’ Choice Awards. 23 EASTER weekend on AMI will offer

something for everyone. 5 The Island’s award-winning weekly newspaper www.amisun.com


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Anna Maria Island Sun March 28, 2018 by Anna Maria Island Sun - Issuu