‘Beautiful’ awards. 4 Astheworldterns welcome winter friends. 6
Theatrical toasts. 16
Get in the game. 13 SEPT. 26, 2018 FREE
VOLUME 26, NO. 48
‘Tiny’ Pine Ave. house investigated. 2
Op-Ed
The Islander editorial, reader letters. 6
10-20 YEARS AGO
Looking back. 7
Meetings
On the government calendar. 8 Make plans, save a date. 10
Happenings
Community announcements, activities. 11
budget talks
BB adopts 2018-19 budgets. 12 Convenience store expansion planned. 14 BB seeks to grow green campaigns. 15 Community center adds board members. 16 Expect applause from ‘Unexpected Guest.’ 17
Gathering. 18
Obituaries. 18 HBPD organizing Night Out party. 20
Streetlife. 20 Documenting nesting season. 22 Falling into autumn. 23 Islander inducted into MHS sports hall of fame. 24 Clean fun on clean water. 25 Biz Briefs: ‘Dine to the Nines.’ 26 CLASSIFIEDS. 28
PropertyWatch. 28 NYT crossword. 31
The Best News on Anna Maria Island Since 1992
www.islander.org
AME celebrates hope on Peace Day
By ryan paice islander reporter Hope for peace is universal. the 17th annual international peace day celebration Sept. 21 at anna maria elementary School brought more than 100 people together for a morning of peace, poetry and song. manatee High School’s drumline arrived nearly 20 minutes late, and the celebration began when the drumming erupted. Jackie featherston, ame principal, and Judith rup, vice president of the rotary club of anna maria island the school’s 17-year peace partner, opened the ceremony with speeches about the importance of individuals working for peace. “celebrating peace day, each of us has an individual responsibility to model peaceful behavior to others so that a chain reaction can happen throughout our world,” featherston said. the mHS drumline led students from the fourth- and fifth-grades — carrying flags from countries around the world — to the peace garden, where they posted the flags at the ame peace pole.
AME students march Sept. 21 with flags from countries around the world during a celebration of International Peace Day. Islander Photo: Ryan Paice the pole was donated after Sept. 11, 2001, by the island rotary club, a partner in peace day and other learning opportunities. Students from every grade read essays and poems they wrote celebrating peace day, and each grade performed a song. after the grades performed, the student body sang
together, “a Song of peace.” as students made their way back to their classrooms, they walked under an olympic flag held up by older students. “it’s a great way to start the day,” rup said. “the kids are so full of hope and enthusiasm. it’s incredible.”
Gulffront and handpicked dead fish from areas that were inaccessible to the tractor. Gov. Rick Scott’s office announced Sept. 18 that the florida department of environmental protection would provide another $4 million in funding to help parts of the state suffering from red tide. that raises the total amount of funding for red tide to $13 million. Scott declared a state of emergency aug. 13 for Manatee, Sarasota and five other Gulf coast counties to release funds to clean up dead marine life. now manatee county’s state of emergency has expired, according to the weekly situation report released by the county public safety department division of emergency management. the county is considering the need to re-declare. red tide along the beaches of anna maria island dragged into the eighth week, measuring moderately high to high concentrations of the toxin, and some businesses were reporting slow traffic. Small Business Administration officials continued to operate a help center at the island Library, 5701 marina drive, Holmes
Beach, to assist business owners with SBa loans offering low interest rates and up to 30-year terms. The office operates 9 a.m.-6 p.m. monday-friday and was to remain open at least through Sept. 28. Scott also reminded business owners that the florida Small Business emergency Bridge Loan program was available for short-term, 180-day borrowing. casey Hoffman owns Zegway by the Bay, 3228 e. Bay drive, Holmes Beach. Her Segway tours depend on good conditions outdoors. She admitted business was slow in September, but was quick to point out the month is traditionally the slowest in the calendar year on the island. “i planned for it. it’s always slow,” Hoffman said. “that’s not to say we haven’t been impacted by the red tide. Just not as much as some others. people have continued to come and take the tours, and we’ve not had any problems with respiratory issues with the riders.” Hoffman said the red tide crisis brought pLeaSe See red tide page 3
Red tide persists, clings to coastline, beyond
By Sandy ambrogi islander reporter the Sept. 19 mid-week florida fish and Wildlife conservation commission map bore out what people living along the coast already knew — red tide was present in some areas of anna maria island after several weeks of diminishing levels of Karenia brevis. from Longboat Key to the northern edge of manatee county, concentrations were high — more than 1,000,000 Karenia b. cells per liter. Some small localized areas did show a slight decrease in concentration. aerial surveys by fWc also indicated the bloom had traveled far into the gulf of mexico. residents along the northern shore of Anna Maria reported dead fish and the accompanying stench. county crews confirmed the fish kills. “Yes. We found fish on the north end. it’s heavier up there,” carmine demilio, parks and grounds operations manager for the manatee county property management department, said Sept. 19. crews continued to run tractors with rakes attached on the