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VOL 22 No. 3
October 27, 2021
Cortez prevails in post office battle The Cortez post office did not close as planned last week, and negotiations are in progress to keep it open permanently. BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com
CINDY LANE | SUN
The Anna Maria Elementary School fall festival packed the field on Saturday at The Center of Anna Maria Island, offering carnival games and food, hayrides, a super slide and creative activities including face painting and pumpkin decorating. The event is the school’s major fundraiser.
Family fun at AME Fall Fest Coconuts owner faces off with city code officers City code officers are seeking compliance and potential fines from one owner at Coconuts who is renting for less than seven days. The owner argues he has the right to rent nightly.
NEWS LETTERS OUTDOORS RESTAURANTS REAL ESTATE SPORTS CROSSWORD
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Red tide medium in Manatee County SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com
SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
INSIDE
SEE POST OFFICE, PAGE 30
BY CINDY LANE
BY KRISTIN SWAIN
HOLMES BEACH – The October code compliance special magistrate hearing featured eight cases and they were all issues occurring at the same complex, The Coconuts. The property, located at 100 73rd St. in Holmes Beach, has four units managed by Coconuts Management Inc. and 11 units owned by local builder Shawn Kaleta. While the four units managed by Coconuts Management Inc. are rented weekly in compliance with the city’s codes and ordinances, Holmes Beach code compliance officers allege that some of the units owned by Kaleta are being rented in violation of the
CORTEZ – A short walk to the post office on Saturday was a big victory for residents of the historic fishing village, who fought for and won a reprieve from the federal government on the closure of their post office. An announcement posted on the window that the post office would close last weekend mobilized residents to contact U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R Manatee) and Manatee County commissioners earlier this month, saying they did not want to travel more than 5 miles each way to the Palma Sola post office to get their mail every day. “The United States Postal Service is pleased to announce to our customers that we have reached an interim solution to allow operations to continue at the Cortez Post Office,” Corporate Communications officer David Walton said Friday. “We are currently working with the lessor on a long-term solution so we can continue to provide postal services to residents of Cortez from our existing location.”
KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN
The owners of units at The Coconuts are risking fines of up to $250 per day by renting for less than seven-day stays. city’s vacation rental ordinance. Attorney Louis Najmy was on hand to represent Kaleta during an Oct. 20 code compliance hearing held at Holmes Beach City Hall. SEE COCONUTS, PAGE 30
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Medium concentrations of red tide were discovered last week at both public beaches, Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach and Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach, according to Friday’s Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission weekly report. Medium concentrations also were detected on Oct. 18 in water samples taken at the Rod n’ Reel Pier in Anna Maria, the Longboat Pass boat ramp in Bradenton Beach and the 10th Street Pier in Bradenton Beach. Low concentrations were found on Oct. 14 at Key Royale (School Key) in Holmes Beach. Very low concentrations were found at the Palma Sola Bay bridge in Bradenton on Oct. 18, according to the report. SEE RED TIDE, PAGE 30
IT’S ALL IN THE
RED TIDE cleanup earns
family with Brian Mathae in Food & Wine. 23
tourism award for park manager. 3 LEARN where to take Fido in our Pet Evacuation Guide. 21-22
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