Kindergarten walkabout. 19
Beans spill onto AMI. 15
1st nest marked. 22 MAY 17, 2017 FREE
VOLUME 25, NO. 29
The Best News on Anna Maria Island Since 1992 AsTheWorldTerns dance to the music. 6
www.islander.org
Bridge St. biz: going, going … gone!
Sound off in Bradenton Beach over noise ordinance. 2 Big ‘tiny home’ development proposed in Cortez. 4 HB mayor holds out hope for post office. 5
Op-Ed
The Islander editorial, reader letters. 6
10-20 YEARS AGO
From the archives. 7
Meetings
On the government calendar. 8 Mark the date. 10
Happenings Announcements. 11
HB served Bert Harris lawsuit; AM makes offers. 12 Vacation rental bills fail in Tallahassee. 14
Gathering. 18
Streetlife. 20 Obituaries. 21
Diving into data. 23 Soccer, golf, horseshoes lead sports. 24 Calming winds spur great fishing. 25
ISL BIZ Business around AMI. 26 Classifieds. 28
DOT’s Cortez Road-119th St. plans rile Cortez, spark widespread concern
By Kathy Prucnell Islander Reporter Island and Longboat Key leaders met their counterparts from Cortez May 9. At a presentation and public hearing put on by the Florida Department of Transportation for a $3.7 million project on Cortez Road West between 86th and 123rd streets, more than 150 people came to be heard. Swordfish Grill general manager Bob Slicker called out the elephant in the room — saying the island and key leaders had imposed their wishes on Cortez. Swordfish is at 4628 119th St. W. on the bay end of the street. He said the mayors “all got together” to ask the DoT for the continuous eastbound traffic flow, without input from Cortez. Slicker said the solution for Bradenton Beach and Longboat Key will hurt Cortez businesses and inconvenience residents, “so you all can get off your island quicker.” He and others suggested Longboat Key
build a bridge to the mainland to bypass Cortez. While views from Cortezians and mainland residents and Longboat Key clashed, many predicted the corridor problems would worsen as future developments in Cortez and nearby build out. About 15 people spoke and 40 attendees submitted written comments. The intersection of 119th Street West and Cortez Road at the east end of the village has a traffic signal with lanes for left hand turns, and serves commercial, business and residential traffic at a busy corner that includes a strip shopping center and the Florida Maritime Museum. The DoT presented four options May 9 to improve the lighted intersection, where the crossroad, 119th Street West, is separated by about 200 feet: • Leave as is. • Remove the signal. PLEASE SEE Bottleneck PAGE 3
Longboat Key Mayor Terry Gans testifies at the DOT Cortez Road119th Street public hearing as others look on, including LBK town manager Dave Bullock and West Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Tom Sousa. Islander Photo: Kathy Prucnell
ZAGAT “Top Restaurants in America”
941-778-6444 www.BeachBistro.com
The building at 119 Bridge St., Bradenton Beach, is demolished May 8 to make room for new retail space and a restaurant. Developer Mike Hynds plans to add residential units in a second phase. Construction is planned for later this year, with a prospective February 2018 opening date. The site is the former location of The Hive and other gift shops. Islander Photos: ChrisAnn Silver Esformes
Turtle watch spots false crawl
Alice and Glenn Schubert, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch volunteers, stand near 48th Street in Holmes Beach May 11 next to the tractor-like tread marks made overnight by a loggerhead sea turtle. The crawl turned out to be a failed nesting attempt. More on turtle season, page 22. Islander Photo: Courtesy AMITW
Crafted Cocktails
941-213-9926
www.DoctorsOfficeAMI.com
Florida Trend “Best New” Restaurant
941-778-0411 www.eathereflorida.com