JAN. 10, 2024 free
VOLUME 32, NO. 12
the Best news on anna maria island since 1992
islander.org
Islander of the year: Rep. Robinson
astheworldterns 6 BB rejects dockside vacation rental. 3
Q&A 011024 3
Will Robinson Jr. of Bradenton won’t be remembered for whatever good he might have done, but rather for his attack on Anna Maria Island and the rights of three cities to determine their destiny. The state rep questioned the number of governments needed on the island at a January 2023 legislative delegation meeting, and proposed a state study on robinson the island’s governing structure for consideration at the 2024 Legislative Session. The all-Republican delegation unanimously approved the motion. But Robinson’s gambit produced an uproar among island political leaders and residents and also caused the cities to invest time in answering the study probe. All the while, Robinson refused to compromise and failed to answer calls from The Islander and others to discuss the matter. The study, which will not be made public and may not conclude until summer, likely won’t play out in this early 2024 session. But Robinson already has failed to serve his constituents, the voters of AMI. For that, he stands out above the people who aimed to improve lives on the island.
am candidate forum ahead. 4
Meetings 4 mlK holiday closings. 4 Wmfr faces rental inspection challenges. 5
RoadWatch 5 Opinions 6
10-20 YEARS AGO
looking back. 7
islanders of the Year: a remembrance. 8
save the date. 10-11
Happenings community announcements, activities. 10-12 new year, new adventures at ame. 13
Gathering. 14 Obituaries 15 Football winner 16 Streetlife 18
Splashing into ’24 aBoVe: Participants in the shamrock shiver charity Plunge Jan. 1 storm into the gulf of mexico at cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach. the annual new Year’s day event put on by clancy’s irish sports Pub and grill, 6218 cortez road W., Bradenton, raised $36,051 for feeding empty little tummies, Healthy teens coalition and take stock in children. the event has raised more than $400,000 since its inception in 2009. islander Photos: robert anderson
— Bonner Joy
rigHt: marty gray ushers in 2024 on the bagpipes during the shamrock shiver charity Plunge, held Jan. 1 at cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach. gray plays with the lion rampant Pipe and drum group of sarasota. see more, page 12.
tops in sports. 20 angling for clean waters. 21 BB continues tree city campaign. 22 nYt crossword. 22
due for an update. 23
CLASSIFIEDS. 24-25
Isl Biz: 26-27
trolley grants ahead. ENDLESS SEASON
tourist tax falls. 27
find the islander archive dating to 1992 at ufdc.ufl.edu.
BB seeks to fill empty seat at dais By robert anderson islander reporter
Bradenton Beach is eyeing an empty chair at the dais. The commission seat was left vacant by Jake Spooner, who resigned in December 2023 less than two months after his reelection. He was unopposed in the November city election. Spooner quit his Ward 1 seat Dec. 28. During a Jan. 4 meetspooner ing, Mayor John Chappie said the city will accept applications for the seat but, as of Jan. 5, the city had no deadline for applicants. “There is a process that our charter dictates that we go through,” Chappie said. “This is something that we need to discuss and advertise, that we are accepting applica-
tions.” According to the charter, when a seat is vacated, the commission nominates candidates and then votes to appoint a successor to fill the remainder of the open term. Spooner’s term ends in November 2025. if the commission is unable to fill the vacancy after two meetings, a successor is chosen by lot, drawn by the city clerk from the pool of nominees. Spooner, who had served on the commission since 2015, cited changes to state financial disclosure rules as the reason for his departure. With the new year, state law changed regarding financial disclosure, requiring that municipal officials file a Form 6 financial disclosure statement, the same as state and county officials. The new law is intended to add transparency to offices that make spending decisions
turn to bb empty seat, Page 2
BACVB confident in new ferry launch date By ryan Paice islander reporter
Despite repeated delays, Manatee County’s Gulf island Ferry program might finally be set to launch. “It’s safe. It’s ready. If the weather’s good, we’re launching Jan. 12,” Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director Elliott Falcione told The Islander Jan. 5 about the ferry service. The Gulf Islands Ferry service is managed by the BACVB and operated by Clearwater-based Gulf Coast Water Taxi. It will involve the use of two 50-foot catamarans, each able to carry 49 passengers, which will loop from the Riverwalk day dock in downtown Bradenton to locations on the island 10 a.m.-9 p.m. FridaySunday. One-way adult fares will be $6. The service was scheduled to launch dec. 8, 2023, but, lacking certification from turn to ferry, Page 2