Salute to SAM. 14
Super Bowl contest. 18-19
JAN. 31, 2018 FREE
VOLUME 26, NO. 14
AsTheWorldTerns drive slow, slower. 6 HB commissioners debate Gloria Dei parcel purchase. 2 AMI SUNTrail on path to state funding. 4
Meetings
On the government calendar. 4
Op-Ed
The Islander editorial, reader letters. 6
10-20 YEARS AGO
From the archives. 7
HB may miss formula business deadline. 8
Happenings
Community announcements, activities. 10-11 Make plans, save a date. 12-13 Trolley ads generate not-for-profit cash. 12 Diving into deep water. 16 Storm recovery begins at Cayman Cay. 17
PropertyWatch. 19 Streetlife. 20 NYT Crossword: Substitutes. 20
Obituaries. 22 24 Football playoffs. 26 Stone crabs perk up. 28 Winter fishing proves productive. 29 Anna Maria ‘happiest’ seaside town? 30
Celebrating STEM. 24
The Best News on Anna Maria Island Since 1992
www.islander.org
Visitor dies from Gulf Drive crash
By Kathy Prucnell Islander Reporter Tragedy struck in Holmes Beach. An 80-year-old Canadian woman died after she and her husband were struck on their way to the beach by an SUV Jan. 24 in the 5600 block of Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach. Marion Timmins died at Blake Medical Center in Bradenton, where eMS had transported the couple. Her husband, William Timmins, 78, had surgery and was in stable condition Jan. 26 at Blake, according to Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer. The couple, visiting Anna Maria Island from Thorold, Ontario, was crossing Gulf Drive toward the beach, north of Guava Street, at about 2 p.m., when a motorist in a white 2016 Chevy Suburban traveling south struck both pedestrians, according to the Holmes Beach police report. Holmes Beach Chief William Tokajer called the crash a “tragedy” the evening of the incident. He said Jan. 25 he didn’t expect to charge the driver, Tracey Thompson of Anna Maria, who had a 7-year-old passenger. There were no injuries to either person in the SUV, according to the report.
Thompson told police she saw the couple at the last second, tried to stop and failed. There is no crosswalk in that area. A witness who was sitting on a balcony at 5613 Gulf Drive reported seeing the man “hurry along” his wife as they crossed the street before the SUV struck them both. Authorities estimate the SUV was traveling 30 mph in the 35-mph zone.
By Bianca Benedí Islander Reporter One of Anna Maria’s city commissioners is stepping down, leaving four officials to temporarily legislate city affairs. Commissioner Nancy Yetter will step down in February. Yetter said she is closing a sale on her home and moving to Tampa. She expects the Feb. Yetter 8 city meeting will be her last, prematurely ending her third two-year term on the commission. The city will host a farewell for Yetter at 5:30 p.m. before the Feb. 8 meeting. She plans to keep in contact with her island friends, but her days of daily living here are over. Looking back on her time in office, Yetter said she kept her promise to priori-
tize residents, citing actions such as adopting the vacation rental and living-area ratio ordinances. Mayor Dan Murphy said he was “sorry to lose” Yetter, adding that she was a big contributor to city politics. Yetter consistently supported residents’ interests in her time in office, Murphy said. Her absence creates a void on the commission “in terms of experience.” Commissioners will nominate and vote on a replacement to serve until the November city election, when Yetter’s term expires. Residents interested in serving on the commission can apply at city hall, 10005 Gulf Drive, or online at cityofannamaria.com. The qualifying period is through 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16. Commissioners plan to vote at their meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, and a new commissioner may be sworn in that night if all goes according to plan.
Bradenton Police Officer Chris Hutchko assists HBPD with measurements at the Jan. 24 scene of what turned out to be a fatal pedestrian-SUV crash in the 5600 block of Gulf Drive, near a beach access in Holmes Beach. Islander Photo: Courtesy HBPD
Anna Maria commissioner to step down
The recommended speed on the curve, which is banked by a guardrail, is 25 mph. Accident reconstruction experts from the Bradenton Police Department assisted in the investigation, Detective Sgt. Brian Hall said Jan. 26. “The driver was not at fault,” he added. Online at www.islander.org, additional photos and crash diagram.
Ruckus raised over AM pier planks
One of two planks pulled from the Anna Maria City Pier — resulting in two employees losing their jobs — was replaced with a new plank that is visible from the landside of the pier. See page 3. Islander Photo: Bianca Benedí