The Islander Newspaper E-Edition: Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Page 1

Sailing into safety. 15 VOLUME 25, NO. 30

South from Alaska. 16

AME parties in PJs. 19

Remember those who served on Memorial Day

The Best News on Anna Maria Island Since 1992 AsTheWorldTerns salute fallen heroes. 6 BB parking fines to increase. 3 County lists projects for BP funds. 5

Op-Ed

The Islander editorial, reader letters. 6

10-20 YEARS AGO

Looking back. 7

Meet the crew at HB public works. 8

Meetings

On the government calendar. 8 Make plans, save a date. 10

Happenings

Community announcements. 11 BB extends building moratorium. 12 Focus: King tide photo contest. 14 Staff shakeups continue at center. 17

Gathering. 18 . 19

Cops & Court. 20 Tracking turtles. 22 Taking root. 23 Islander completes Boston Marathon. 24 Tarpon take off. 25 Real estate. 26 Stone crab finale. 27 Classifieds. 28

MAY 24, 2017 FREE

www.islander.org

Cortez Bridge fails — but not falling down

By Kathy Prucnell Islander reporter The florida Department of Transportation is not worried about the May 16 midday malfunction of the Cortez Bridge. for about two hours, the bridge on Cortez road West/State road 684 between Anna Maria Island and Cortez shut down, causing traffic to be rerouted and delayed. Built in 1956 and repaired about two years ago, the Cortez Bridge should last another 10-12 years, according to DoT communications specialist robin Stublen. Bradenton Beach police redirected the island traffic at Cortez Road West and Gulf Drive. With the BBPD station next to the bridge, Detective Sgt. Lenard Diaz sees the bridge close for repairs unexpectedly “twice a year maybe.” Stublen blamed the recent bridge closure on an electrical malfunction in a mechanism PLEASE SEE Bridge PAGE 3

Draw up: Starting at about 1:30 p.m. and continuing for about two hours May 16, motorists were rerouted due to valve and electrical problems with the bascule on the Cortez Bridge. When the bridge failed to close completely, the Florida Department of Transportation dispatched a repair crew to the bridge that crosses the Intracoastal Waterway on Cortez Road/State Road 684. According to David Gywnn, District 1 director of operations, the repair was successful and it “shouldn’t happen again.” The bridge reopened at 3:30 p.m. Islander Photo: Kathy Prucnell

Tree house owners seek rehearing after loss

Couple charged in Bradenton Beach condo fraud

By Kathy Prucnell Islander reporter Voters won’t be weighing in on grandfathering a beachfront tree house in Holmes Beach if the most recent court decision stays its course. The newest city win came in early May, when the 2nd District Court of Appeal let stand a lower court order prohibiting a city ballot question based on the petitions of Lynn Tran and richard Hazen in 2013 under the city charter. The 2nd DCA affirmation of the 12th Circuit Court came without a decision from the justice panel. In response, the owners’ attorney, David Levin, of Icard Merrill, filed a motion May 17 for a full rehearing. The motion seeks a decision from 16 appellate justices of the 2nd DCA. The attorney handling the tree house cases for the city, Jim Dye, of Dye Deitrich Petruff & St. Paul P.L., wrote a May 18 email to Mayor Bob Johnson, saying such motions have “an astonishing low chance of success.”

ZAGAT “Top Restaurants in America”

941-778-6444 www.BeachBistro.com

Tree house and Angelinos Sea Lodge owner Lynn Tran stands May 19 on the beach in front of the tree house, the subject of controversy in Holmes Beach since 2011. Islander Photo: Kathy Prucnell “The rule governing a rehearing is strict in that it requires that a new issue is present or the court overlooked something the first go-around,” Dye wrote. PLEASE SEE Tree house PAGE 2

Crafted Cocktails

941-213-9926

www.DoctorsOfficeAMI.com

By Kathy Prucnell Islander reporter A former president and treasurer of Gulf reach Condominium Association in Bradenton Beach have been charged with defrauding the Florida not-for-profit corporation of more than $50,000 over a six-year period. The association address is 1303 Gulf Drive S. Alyson Colosia, 51, and Javier Colosia, 53, who also own a condo in the 1300 block of Gulf Drive north, were arrested May 3 A. Colosia and charged with the firstdegree felony. The couple pleaded not guilty May 9 in 12th Circuit Court, posted $20,000 bond and were released that day J. Colosia from the Manatee County jail. Their ability to post bond was delayed by the court to ensure none of it came from a nefarious source. A court investigation into PLEASE SEE fraud PAGE 2

Florida Trend “Best New” Restaurant

941-778-0411 www.eathereflorida.com


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