Where’s Perico artifacts. 25 Tuna Street? 18
‘Beach’ music. 14
NOV. 13, 2019 FREE
VOLUME 28, NO. 3 Astheworldterns take some air for generosity. 6 contractors face costly kink in pier design. 2 election results. 4-5
Meetings: on the
government calendar. 4
Opinions. 6 10-20 YEARS AGO
from the archives. 7 Bridge street design plan presented. 8
BB merchants question jitney plan. 8
Happenings announcements.
save the date. Players relate in 1960s British comedy. BB cra oKs pavers for Bridge street. traffic study solutions shared. Judge grants fees in sunshine suit.
Streetlife. football contest.
Gathering. take 5:00:
AmE NEWS 24 county readies beach renourishment. 26
tagged, tracked. 27 Bird rescuer contracts infection. 27 soccer playoffs. 28 temps cool, fall fishing remains hot. 29
ISL BIZ tourist tax numbers up from 2018. 31 CLASSIFIEDS.
NYT puzzle.
The Best News on Anna Maria Island Since 1992
islander.org
Money rolls in to build concrete wave By chrisann silver esformes islander reporter
“Holmes Beach reached its goal to fund the bowl!” Mayor Judy Titsworth said Nov. 8, regarding a last-minute push for donors to build a skate bowl. The skate bowl and a new skate park are in the works for the city field recreation area adjacent to city hall, 5801 Marina Drive. The commission approved the skate park in February, at a cost not to exceed $150,000 and with an option to include the skate bowl if $100,000 could be raised from grants or donations. Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer and others with the city kicked off a fundraiser as the Nov. 8 deadline approached to raise $100,000 for the bowl. With about 40 donations, ranging from cash to construction materials to giveaways for donors, the community met the goal to fund the bowl just in time. “It was an amazing response from the community — as soon as we put it out there that we were looking for funds, people started calling and wanting to donate,” Tokajer said. The city had been seeking funds for the bowl for about eight months, but the big push came the week of Nov. 4. “It makes me happy that the community
Holmes Beach mayor Judy titsworth, second from left, and Police chief Bill tokajer, raise skateboards high in a cheer for reaching the skate bowl goal with code compliance supervisor Jt thomas and former commissioner david Zaccagnino Nov. 8 at the site of the future skate park on city field, 5801 marina drive. islander Photo: chrisann silver esformes
is coming together for such an instrumental park for the kids,” the chief said. Former Commissioner David Zaccagnino — parent to potential young skaters — said Nov. 8 that the bowl is integral to the skate park. “A good way to understand it is that it would be like having a playground without a slide,” he said. “You need to have that bowl
component.” The Y-shaped skate bowl — called a concrete wave in the surfing culture — will resemble a custom-built swimming pool, about 4 feet deep, but, at 800 square feet, bigger than the average family pool. Tokajer said people have remarked that they miss the skate park since it closed to Please see money, Page 2
Kihm, Soustek keep seats, newcomer Schaefer eases in By chrisann silver esformes islander reporter
Four people were vying Nov. 5 for three seats on the Holmes Beach dais. And, when all was said and done on Election Day, Commissioners Jim Kihm and Carol Soustek and political newcomer Terry Schaefer were the top vote-getters. Rick Hurst lost his bid for re-election. For the three seats on the commission, 658 voted to re-elect Kihm, 606 voted for Schaefer and 546 voted for Soustek, while 471 voted for Hurst. “I’m thrilled,” Schaefer said of his win in the nonpartisan race. “The campaign was really all-encompassing and I learned about issues I’d never considered from the variety of people I spoke with.” Schaefer, a retired senior bank manager, said many people asked him about the city Please see eLeCTIon, Page 4
Holmes Beach commissioners Jim Kihm, left, and terry schaefer, along with Kihm’s son greg, commissioner carol soustek, Kihm’s daughter gretchen strub and Holmes Beach resident david cheshire, take a break Nov. 5 from campaigning outside of the city polling station at st. Bernard catholic church in Holmes Beach. islander Photo: chris ann silver esformes