The Islander Newspaper E-Edition: Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Page 1

Labor day wrapup. 19

Post-Irma work. 4 Astheworldterns watch the weather. 6 BB faces floating dock debacle. 3 HB takes on fraud investigation. 4 KORN petition gets court hearing. 5 The Islander editorial, reader letters. 6

Op-Ed

From the archives. 7 Budget hearings begin. 10-20 YEaRS ago 8 AM issues RFP for city pier construction. 9

budget talks Save the date. 10

Privateers plan ball. 11 What red tide? fishing excels offshore. 12 HBPD-Islander shark video goes viral. 13 AME calendar. 14 Happenings Island Players stage 70th season. 15 Obituaries. 18 Streetlife. 20 HBPD announces Night Out. 21 Saving wildlife. 23 Magic team kicks off its season. 24 Clean water, good fishing. 25 Business briefs. 26 CLASSIFIEDS. 28

PropertyWatch. 32 NYT crossword. 32

ISL BIZ

Wildlife support. 22 SEPT. 12, 2018 FREE

VOLUME 26, NO. 46

The Best News on Anna Maria Island Since 1992

www.islander.org

Lake residents cry foul about pollution, await answers

By Sandy ambrogi islander reporter there’s a small spring-saltwater fed lake in Holmes Beach that many people pass by and never notice. the neighborhood lake with a pocket park on Holmes Boulevard lies between 68th and 70th streets in Holmes Beach. But those whose homes surround it say problems continue to impact the health of the once pristine waters of Spring Lake. answers may soon come. after nearly three years of complaints, the city of Holmes Beach again is testing Spring Lake to determine the health of the lake waters. residents melissa and frank Williams say the smell is horrible some days, just like raw sewage. They say the fish that hung out under their backyard dock and the birds and other wildlife that frequented the lake have disappeared. they are concerned for the environmenpLeaSe See FOUL LAKe page 2

Manatee County utility workers employ a generator and pump Aug. 21 near 68th Street at Palm Drive to divert and mitigate runoff after a county worker broke a sewer line during force main replacement work near Spring Lake in Holmes Beach. Residents say the pump and bladder remained in use at the site for several days, while a county spokesperson maintained there was “no sewage issue.” Islander Photo: Melissa Williams

HaB moves slightly offshore, onshore conditions improve

By Sandy ambrogi islander reporter easterly winds and tropical Storm gordon chugging northward in the gulf of mexico may have helped lessen the impact of a harmful algal bloom in the waters surrounding anna maria island in September. many islanders had their hopes up, buoyed by fresh air and turquoise waters. Beach chairs and umbrellas returned to the shoreline and reports of fish kills fell off. the midweek report Sept. 5, compiled A map from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, published Sept. 5, shows concentrations of Karenia brevis along the Gulf coast. The midweek report showed lower concentrations for AMI waters, but by Sept. 7, the bloom was in higher concentrations offshore. Islander Courtesy Image

by the florida fish and Wildlife conservation commission, showed the red tide bloom decreased slightly in size, down to 120 miles in length from 145 miles on the southwest florida coastline. High concentrations were offshore in southern counties and Hillsborough, but the concentration of red tide dropped Sept. 5 offshore of manatee and Sarasota counties. Very low concentrations on the manatee coast — less than 1,000-10,000 Karenia brevis cells per liter of water — appeared

on the map for the first time since red tide arrived in island waters just after aug. 1. But numbers released by the fWc Sept. 7 showed a slight reversal in the clearing trend, with the toxin climbing 5-25 percent higher than mid-week readings. the highest concentration remained about 5 miles offshore. Officials had hoped easterly winds and tropical Storm gordon would move red tide west, away from anna maria island and Longboat Key beaches. However, surface waters pushed the HaB slightly northwest, with fish kills becoming prevalent Sept. 8 on the beaches at clearwater, treasure island and madeira Beach. Some preceding weeks had readings exceeding 1,000,000 parts per liter, resulting in massive fish and wildlife kills and respiratory issues for some people. the damage from red tide continued to take a toll on florida wildlife. the fWc reported 127 manatee dead from red tide through aug. 31. many have been necropsied and others were awaiting examinations. forty-one dolphins died in august in the five-county Southwest Florida HAB area. the 10 carcasses examined as of aug. 26 all showed high levels of red tide toxin. pLeaSefor See Redworkers tide page 3 Help continues island


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