Surfer Reef Roberts hydrates while dad and mom, Caleb and Brianna, watch from the beach June 5 at Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach — seaward of hay bales lining the shore. The Manatee County Natural Resources Department placed the bales to prevent sea turtles from crawling toward roads and other development while attempting to nest. For more, go to Nesting Notes, page 12. Islander Photo: Robert Anderson
By Robert Anderson Islander Reporter
Bradenton Beach commissioners
June 5 contemplated a proposed prohibition on metal digging tools on beaches to improve public safety and protect sea turtles.
The proposed ordinance would prohibit people from using metal shovels and other tools to dig deep holes.
“I think it is needed,” Mayor John Chappie said, emphasizing that the city’s intent is not to target families or hobbyists but to encourage responsible behavior.
Charlie Hunsicker, director of Manatee County’s Natural Resources Department, has asked the island cities to adopt ordinances modeled on the county’s rules for the properties it man-
Bradenton Beach commissioners take up a city ordinance June 5 related to digging holes on the beach. Islander Photo: Robert Anderson
ages — Coquina and Cortez beaches in Bradenton Beach, Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach and Bayfront Park in Anna Maria.
However, Bradenton Beach city
attorney Ricinda Perry said the city could enforce the county rules through its civil citation process.
“We have concurrent jurisdiction on the beaches,” she said. “If the county
has an ordinance with a fine, then we can apply that here.”
Perry also said existing city regulations prohibit sand excavation on the beach: “It says no person in a park shall dig, remove or displace any beach sand.”
Still, citations for holes in Bradenton Beach have gone largely unenforced. Police Chief John Cosby said without meaningful penalties, warnings often are ignored.
The proposed ordinance before Bradenton Beach commissioners is similar to an ordinance that Holmes Beach commissioners gave a first reading in late May. Meanwhile, Anna Maria officials are reviewing a rule banning shovels longer than 14 inches and requiring all
By Robert Anderson Islander Reporter
Eveann Adams is closing the book on her tenure at Bradenton Beach’s Tingley Memorial Library after more than two decades as clerk.
Adams, the library’s sole staff member for the past 22 years, announced her retirement this month, marking the end of an era for the city-operated institution.
Adams, during a June 3 interview with The Islander, said, “It was just time.”
June 21 will be her last day. Throughout her time at Tingley,
Adams became the face of the library for patrons — full-time and seasonal residents — who frequented the reading room. Her responsibilities included overseeing volunteers, ordering titles and maintaining the collection.
“We order books on a monthly basis. Books are ordered by the clerk at the library and we send the request to the board,” she said.
She also kept the shelves fresh by conducting an annual inventory. “We don’t keep books past 10 years,” Adams said. “We don’t want them to come in and see the same old thing.”
For Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short, the week ending June 6 was “another week of moving various projects forward.”
Progress began on the Anna Maria City Pier, where the walkway to the T-end of the pier was damaged by hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024.
“Our kickoff meeting with the pier demo vendor, Quality Marine, was held and, weather permitting, we expect to see activity by the end of the month,” Short wrote in an email.
Additional meetings were held with an engineering firm, George F. Young, on the design and engineering plans for a new walkway.
Short said recent rain storms revealed drainage challenges and the city is in the process of addressing remediation options.
He noted that Frontier Communication initiated a plan to place fiber-optic cable throughout the city so property owners might see some right-of-way activities.
In Holmes Beach, Mayor Judy Titsworth said June 6 that there had been no response from the seller of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church to the $3 million bid from the city.
She noted the gap between the appraisals for the property — over $9 million for the highest and best use for the church owner, Florida-Bahamas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, which would require rezoning — and $2.1 million-$2.7 million for “as is” appraisals for the city.
The property consists of three parcels over 3 acres and is zoned for public/semi-public use.
In an email to The Islander June 7, Titsworth said she expects to “get word on our offer next week for Gloria Dei. Fingers crossed they accept our offer.”
Will the city make a deal?
Or roll the dice again?
Anna Maria city staff June 2 unveiled a bid that the municipality received in response to its request for proposals to repair and restore stretches of seawall.
Seawalls the city plans to restore include:
• A 104-foot stretch near Oak Avenue;
• A 110-foot stretch along Lake La Vista;
• A 50-foot stretch near Tarpon Street;
• A 40-foot stretch near the base of the Rod & Reel Pier.
City clerk Amber LaRowe told The Islander June 2 that Bradenton-based Tangerine Group Inc. was the only contractor to submit a bid in response to the municipality’s RFP.
She also noted work on restoring city field is anticipated: “We are working with the debris haulers as it is in their contract.”
She said the city anticipates using federal HUD hurricane recovery money for stormwater projects, “as we have identified around $24M in projects covering the next 10 years.”
These will greatly improve our resiliency and we will continue to seek and receive grants as they become available.
Checking the calendar, Titsworth said she expects the city commission to take up an increase in stormwater fees in the coming weeks.
She also noted the city had a great turnout for its June 6 hurricane preparedness presentation.
City clerk Stacey Johnston emailed The Islander June 6 saying Titsworth and the city emergency operations center team hosted a hurricane preparedness workshop on that day.
The workshop was streamed and is archived for review on the city website, holmesbeachfl.org.
“Staff worked hard to present some great information for our citizens in preparation of this year’s hurricane season,” Johnston said.
— Bonner Joy
The cost of the bid will not be publicly available until 30 days after it was opened or the city decides to either award a contract or reject the bid.
If the city rejects the bid, it can publish a new RFP and seek new responses.
The city commission will meet next at 1 p.m. Thursday, June 12, at city hall, 10005 Gulf Drive.
Directions to attend via Zoom can be found on the city’s website, cityofannamaria.com.
— Ryan Paice
week:
We learned this week of the loss of two friends and both are notable in the history of the island cities.
Doris Silverthorn, pictured on her porch on Scaly Mountain, lived many years in Bradenton Beach, raised her family there and she and her husband both served the city. She also figured in the history of The Islander newspaper. John Cagnina was part of a legacy family in the city of Anna Maria. He took over the IGA store from his dad, the late Mayor ernie Cagnina, and lent his financial knowledge to many clients over the years. He lived a quiet life for the most part. In this photo, taken last October, he was waiting for a roofer to give a quote on the damage to the store now occupied by Ginny and Jane e’s Cafe and Gift Store after hurricanes Helene and Milton and we enjoyed a chance meeting. See more, page 10. — Bonner Joy
By Lisa neff Islander editor
Eight months after Hurricane Helene sent a 7-foot storm surge over Anna Maria Island, local officials have some
The Manatee County Property Appraiser’s office on June 1 released its estimate of market and taxable property values, which local governments will be
checking as their treasurers start building budgets for the new fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
Current valuations for some taxing authorities, including on AMI, are down, according to the property appraiser’s spreadsheet, which contains information for each taxing district in the county, comparing current values to the prior year.
The gallery at Holmes Beach’s June 6 hurricane preparedness workshop.
Holmes Beach hosts hurricane prep workshop
Modern Chop Happy Hour Light Bite Specials 4-6, lounge only.
Martini Monday: Signature Martinis, $7, plus 1/2 price lite bites -- lounge only.
Tuesday: $3 Tacos and Margaritas 4-9, lounge only.
Wine Down Wednesday, 5O% OFF Wines by the Glass
Live Maine Lobster Thursdays, plus Happy Hour in the lounge all nite.
Yes, it’s that time.
Time to take some summer days to ponder the options for local government service.
Qualifying to run for elected offices on Anna Maria Island opens in August.
Qualifying in Anna Maria will be noon Aug. 18-noon Aug. 29.
Qualifying in Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach will be noon Aug. 25-noon Aug. 29.
The offices up for election in Anna Maria include three commission seats for two-year terms. The seats currently are held by John Lynch, Charles Salem and Kathleen Morgan.
In Bradenton Beach, there will be three commission seats and the mayoral post up for election. Seats held by Mayor John Chappie and Commissioners Deborah Scaccianoce and Janet E. Vosburgh are up for two-year terms and the seat held by Commissioner Ralph Cole is up for a one-year term due to a prior change in ward numbering and boundaries.
Holmes Beach’s election will include three twoterm commission seats. Steven Oelfke, Terry W. Schaefer and Carol Soustek currently hold the seats.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4.
For more about 2025 municipal elections, go to votemanatee.gov or call 941-741-3823.
—
Lisa neff
holes be filled.
As local governments move to align with the county, metal detectorists, many of whom use specialized metal sand scoops, are voicing concern.
The Islander spoke June 4 with members of the Manatee Search and Recovery metal detecting club, who said they hope city and county officials recognize the positive contributions detectorists make to the community.
“We find a lot of lost items for people,” said detectorist John Pontier. “We also dig a lot of trash — way more trash than treasure, honestly. At the end of the day, our pouches are full of bottle caps, sharp metal objects and all kinds of debris that don’t belong on a
Anna Maria
No new reports
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office polices Anna Maria.
Bradenton Beach
June 1, 1000 block of Gulf Drive South, property damage. A Manatee County lifeguard reported to the Bradenton Beach Police Department that someone forced their way into a locked lifeguard tower overnight, leaving behind beer cans and a vape pen. The offi cer fi led an incident report and assigned a case number.
The BBPD polices Bradenton Beach.
Cortez
May 31, 12000 block of Cortez Road West, theft. A complainant told the MCSO that an aluminum boat trailer was taken. A deputy filed an incident report and assigned a case number.
June 2, 4500 block of 121st Street West, assault. A deputy responded to reports of a domestic dispute. A woman said she was assaulted by her boyfriend after a night of drinking. The woman was treated for injuries by Manatee Emergency Medical Services and the man was arrested and taken to the Manatee County jail in Palmetto on an assault charge.
The MCSO polices Cortez.
Holmes Beach
beach where families are walking barefoot.”
Deborah Magnin, a longtime detectorist on AMI, added, “I think I could speak for most of us in the group by saying that we are not the people who leave big holes. … When I go out in the morning to detect, I always find huge holes that have been dug by beach visitors that clearly are not made with a detecting scoop.”
“We respect the environment, we keep it clean and we play a small part in making sure it’s safe and enjoyable for everyone,” Pontier said.
Bradenton Beach commissioners are expected to revisit the issue during a June 25 meeting at city hall, 107 Gulf Drive N. Islander archive? Search online
May 27, Walgreens, 3200 E. Bay Drive, recovered narcotics. A Holmes Beach police officer responded to reports of narcotics found inside the store. The officer met with an employee who pointed to a bag containing a white powder that tested positive for cocaine.
May 29, Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Baker Act. Two offi cers responded to the beach in response to reports of a man attempting to drown himself. The man was placed in protective custody under the Baker Act and transported to Centerstone Behavioral Hospital in Bradenton.
May 29, 100 block of 52nd Street, underage alcohol. Three officers responded to reports of a disturbance and spoke with a man who said he saw teenagers in cars throwing cans at a fence. The officers found a vehicle with two 18-year-old males inside, with beer and several empty cans nearby. One of the teens claimed ownership of the beer. Another teen admitted to drinking and said there were others drinking before the police arrived. The officer arrested the teen who claimed ownership and transported him to the Manatee County jail.
May 31, Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Marchman Act. Two officers responded to reports of a man urinating at the beach. The man, who smelled of urine, appeared to be impaired and had a bag full of alcoholic beverages. The officers placed him in protective custody under the Marchman Act and transported him to HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Bradenton.
The HBPD polices the city.
Streetlife is based on incident reports and narratives from the BBPD, HBPD and MCSO.
Island watch In an emergency, call 911. To report information, call the MCSO Anna Maria substation, 941-708-8899; Bradenton Beach police, 941-778-6311; or Holmes Beach police, 941-708-5804.
A fight outside a Holmes Beach bar could result in criminal charges.
Police officers responded May 30 to the Anchor Inn, 3007 Gulf Drive, in reference to a domestic disturbance. There, according to a Holmes Beach police report, officers found a 54-year-old Longboat Key man and a 50-year-old Bradenton woman yelling at each other across the parking lot.
The man told police they used to be in a relationship and got into an argument in the bar. When she left, he said followed her to a nearby condominium, where a 54-year-old Holmes Beach man stuck him with a metal pipe.
The Longboat Key man said he responded by taking the other man to the ground and striking him. Then, he said, his ex began hitting him in the back of the head and he struck her.
Manatee County Emergency Medical Services transported the Longboat Key man to a Bradenton hospital for treatment.
The woman told police her ex had been following and harassing her since they broke up and she wanted a protection order. She also said her ex struck her twice and the Holmes Beach man came to her defense.
Meanwhile, the Holmes Beach man said he went outside when he heard a woman calling for help. He alleged the other man hit him “suddenly and unprovoked.” He denied using a pipe.
There were no arrests made but an officer filed capias requests for potential charges.
— Ryan Paice
Holmes Beach police arrested nonresident Brittany Bull, 38, May 29 on a felony for alleged possession of methamphetamine, a controlled substance.
Bull also was charged with a s misdemeanor for allegedly violating a state law requiring nonresidents who work in the state or have children enrolled in public schools to obtain a driver’s license within 30 days after such employment or education begins.
Bull was arrested shortly after midnight following a traffic stop, during which an officer observed a plastic bag containing a white crystalline substance, according to a police report.
HBPD reported finding two bags containing 0.4 grams of a substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine and arrested Bull.
She also did not have a driver’s license.
Bull was transported to the Manatee County jail, where she remained in custody under $5,150 bond as of June 5.
If convicted, punishment for the third-degree felony charge includes up to five years in prison while punishment for a second-degree misdemeanor includes up to 60 days in jail.
An arraignment will be at 9 a.m. Friday, July 18, at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.
— Ryan Paice
Plan now for the next holiday!
Is your business ready to make the most of a new season?
Improve your odds of success with Islander newspaper readers looking to shop and dine, seeking indoor and outdoor fun, and a place to stay for their next visit. Call or text 941-778-7978.
By Ryan Paice Islander Reporter
The National League of Women Voters maintains the United States is in a constitutional crisis.
And a local chapter wants islanders to speak out.
Anna Maria resident Barbara Ehren, communications chair for the LWV of Manatee County, called for islanders to display yard signs beginning June 14.
The National LWV is a nonpartisan organization founded in 1920 with the aim to help newly enfranchised women become politically educated. Florida has 30 chapters, including one in Manatee that is run by volunteers who work to register new voters, call for reform and host community forums and debates.
National leaders declared April 17 that the country is in a constitutional crisis due to the actions of the Trump administration and launched the Unite and Rise 8.5 campaign, an effort to build a movement of people to “unite and rise up against the anti-democratic actions of this administration.”
For its part, the Manatee group is distributing yard signs stating “uphold our constitution and the rule of law” to display starting June 14 — the day of President Donald Trump’s military parade and the planned “No Kings Day” protests.
The signs are meant to remain up until “democracy is restored.” The signs are free and can be picked up 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, and noon-2 p.m. Thursday, June 12, at Manatee Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 322 15th St. W., Bradenton.
Despite limited space and budget, Adams curated a collection of 3,000 books, DVDs and audiobooks.
“We spend about $300 a month on new books, give or take,” she said. “We try to keep up with the bestsellers list and patron requests.”
Volunteers help carry the load, especially during the winter season. “We have about seven volunteers right now,” Adams said. “Yeah, we lost some after the storm, but we are accepting volunteer applications.”
Adams also helped guide the library through difficult periods, including an extended closure following hurricanes Helene and Milton. “We were closed for about eight months,” she said.
City building official Bill Palmer assessed damage after the storms, citing an unstable rear staircase, a deteriorating wheelchair ramp and issues with the HVAC platform. Some damages weren’t covered by insurance and ongoing air conditioning problems threaten the building’s contents.
The library, established with a $600,000 bequest from Beulah Tingley, now faces rising repair and maintenance costs.
City treasurer Shane Thompson told commissioners May 21 that annual operations typically cost $50,000–$60,000, but recent repairs, including a roof replacement, pushed that number above $100,000 and remaining structural repairs are estimated at $274,000.
People can also order signs via lwvmanatee.org/ unite-and-rise-8.5-sign-order-form/.
“I would urge all American citizens to take a good hard look at what is going on in our country and voice their concerns,” Ehren said. “If you are an American and you love this country, you understand the value of our constitution. You have to advocate for it to be upheld.”
She added that additional events are planned.
“It’s just the beginning,” she said.
The city manages the remaining $165,400 of Tingley’s bequest, enough to operate the library for three-five years, excluding major repairs. An additional $100,000 is administered by the library board.
Adams sees the library’s value as clear and enduring: “When Beulah Tingley left all her money to build this place, she called it a ‘reading room’ and that’s kind of what it is. And of course it morphed into a library. People who love libraries, that’s really kind of all they want and that’s what they are coming for. It’s a place where you can just sit, read, use the internet, use a printer.”
Traffic at Tingley rises and falls with the seasons — from more than 300 patrons in January to under 150 in summer months. “The people that come here are very, very loyal,” Adams said.
She didn’t share what’s next for her in retirement, but Tingley’s next chapter begins with appreciation for the woman who kept it turning page after page.
“I just wanted to publicly thank her on behalf of the city for the 22 years she’s dedicated to that library — her heart and soul. We really appreciate everything she’s done to keep the Tingley Memorial Library afloat and running,” Mayor John Chappie said, addressing Adam’s resignation letter during a June 5 meeting.
During the meeting, commissioners agreed to work with the library board to find candidates for the post.
I don’t know much about what “dad’s” do — since as a kid, I had a step-dad who left me to my mom to raise and a dad I didn’t know until I was about 11, and only then for short visits.
And my mom didn’t know for another five or six years that I’d met my dad, and, believe me, being a keeper of the secret was hard work as a kid.
My grandmother would say, “It’s for your own good.” And that was because my mom would have been angry at my grandmother — and no one wanted my step-dad to know.
That had the potential to infuriate my step-dad and signal the end of life as we knew it.
So it went on. Gifts from my dad were disguised as gifts from my grandmother and subsequent visits were kept secret.
There was a “Seinfeld” show that reminded me of my own situation when Elaine encountered an alternate universe of Jerry, George and Kramer.
My mom and step-father had three children — two boys and a girl. My dad and step-mom had three children — two girls and a boy.
My two families never knew one another.
I remained an only child.
And I think that contributed greatly to my independence.
Lucky for me, my step-dad had a friend in Bradenton and it led him and my mom, who really warmed up to the idea of living near the beach, to move here in the early 1970s.
Whether you’re going to grill something or picnic for dad’s day or you’re heading to the beach or a baseball game, I hope it holds great memories for you.
I finally found something to be grateful to my stepdad for, and that is a life in Florida.
Living on Anna Maria Island led me to know great people like Doris Silverthorn and John Cagnina and I came to appreciate all the more their contribution to the island life.
Doris was a firecracker, said Islander office manager Lisa Williams. “A feisty ol’ gal,” son Gary commented. I like to think she was the finest kind and I was so proud to know her.
And John, too, although he maintained a more subtle relationship with “the press.” He was always working quietly for better government and a better island.
Thanks to them both for the grace they shared. Many thanks.
— Bonner Joy, news@islander.org
hand basket.”
“The world’s going to hell in a hand basket,” my Uncle George said often.
Price of lobsters at the dock went to $3 a pound. “The world’s is going to hell in a
Rum rose to $5 a pint. “Hell in a handbasket.”
My grandmother ran a religious household and I developed a sense of hell from an early age.
You could not swing a cat in her house without hitting a crucifix or knocking over a statue of baby Jesus.
him take me to church.
We had a church about the size of a 7-11 store. Sundays it was filled with everyone we knew.
We always arrived late. Uncle George strode arrogantly to his pew in the front row. He stopped, glared at the priest and then once around the room. He sat, imposing in his big rubber boots and crossed legs, and snapped open his newspaper.
▼ Publisher, editor
Bonner Joy, news@islander.org
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Kevin Cassidy, kevin@islander.org
Jack elka, jack@jackelka.com
Lisa neff, lisa@islander.org
Ryan Paice, ryan@islander.org
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When I was 5 years old, I met my first Jesuits, who I had heard stood guard at the gates of hell.
All others: info@islander.org
I was baby-sitting one Christmas morning and the doorbell rang and as I opened the door, there was a giant priest filling the doorway. All in black — homburg, overcoat and then the white collar. Scared the bejeezuz out of me.
I did not know they let priests out to walk around.
In a booming voice he asked, “You must be young Sean. Where does your father keep the rum?”
I led him to the locked liquor closet and apologized for not having a key.
“That’s ok. A screwdriver will work.”
The doorbell rang again. I left him rummaging through the kitchen junk drawer to answer the door.
Sweet Jesus, there was another one. Black overcoat and homburg and 6 feet tall.
Then, another booming voice, “Where’s my brother?”
Apparently, I had two uncles who were “monsignors.”
Uncle George claimed, “They would have been bishops but for the drink.”
George read the paper until collection time, got his collection basket-on-a-stick and worked the rows. Some of the other ushers passed loose baskets down the rows, but Uncle George insisted on the basket on a stick. When I asked, he told me, “You can’t trust the bastards not to take money out.”
I wondered quietly if those loose collection baskets George didn’t approve of were the ones we were all going to hell in.
If George was still alive, he would be certain that we are going to hell in a hand basket.
This past fall we had the biblical flood with Helene, then Milton wreaking God’s wrath.
I am filling my hand basket with steaks. And I’m planning to take advantage of the high heat in hell for searing.
I’ll be ready for Father’s Day.
— Sean Murphy
Sean Murphy is proprietor of the Doctor’s Office and the Doctor’s Garden, a craft cocktail bar with fine dining in an intimate setting in Holmes Beach.
Everyone seemed pretty certain that George was going to hell. Nana said Uncle George could sell a hot water bottle to a man on his way to hell. George appeared not to give a damn where he was going.
I stayed with George all summer and mom made
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ABOVe: Customers stand below the sign at the Beach Lounge in Bradenton Beach in 1979. ABOVe LeFT: At the bar at the Beach Lounge. LeFT: Diners crowd the tables at Trader Jack’s in Bradenton Beach in 1977. Islander Photos: Manatee County Public Library
This week’s question Dad’s favorite activity on Father’s Day?
A. Getting outdoors.
B. Watching sports.
C. Enjoying a meal.
D. Working in the yard.
E. Other.
To answer the poll and see poll results, go to islander.org.
From the June 8, 1995, issue
• Manatee County commissioners, persuaded by islanders, agreed not to install a traffic signal on Gulf Drive at an entrance to Coquina Beach. Commissioners instead agreed to a median at the location.
• Bradenton Beach’s building department issued five permits for the Bradenton Beach Marina project, which involved building a new shed and dock.
• Hurricane Allison brought winds of 75 mph to AMI, downing tree limbs and causing some beach erosion.
From the June 8, 2005, issue
• A fire at a duplex on Sycamore in Anna Maria killed fi ve dogs and three cats and left a fi refi ghter suffering from heat exhaustion. The fire also caused about $200,000 in property damage.
• Holmes Beach’s planning commission was developing a plan to limit rentals in single-family and medium-density zones to a minimum of 30 days.
From the June 10, 2015
• Former Bradenton Beach Mayor John Shaughnessy became the city’s new Ward 1 commissioner. He was appointed by the commission to succeed Jack Clarke, who became mayor earlier in the spring.
• The city of Anna Maria was facing a lawsuit over its vacation rental ordinance. The plaintiffs alleged that the ordinance created “an unworkable, arbitrary, oppressive and cost-prohibitive scheme” to prohibit the use of homes as short-term rentals.
• Homeless camps were cleared from the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage’s FISH Preserve in Cortez following a small brush fire on the site.
— Lisa neff
The Islander is archived online by the University of Florida library at www.ufdc.ufl.edu.
Wednesday, June 11
10 a.m. — Distractions Art Studio time, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Info: 941-778-6341.
6:30 p.m. — Island Time Book Club, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Info: 941-778-6341.
ONGOING ON AMI
• Throughout June, Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island exhibits “Up and Away,” Artists’ Guild Gallery, 5414 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Info: 941-778-6694.
ONGOING OFF AMI
• Throughout June, Island Gallery and Studios presents “Harmony: Lines, Shapes and Color,” 456 Old Main St., Bradenton. Info: 941-778-6648.
• Through June 29, “George Harrison: A Gardener’s Life,” Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St., Sarasota. Fee applies. Info: 941-366-5731.
• Through July 30, “Art from the Heart: Connectivity,” The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. Fee applies. Info: 941-3595700.
• Through Aug. 3, “Robert Rauschenberg: A Centennial Celebration,” The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. Fee applies. Info: 941-359-5700.
• Through Aug. 9, “Circus Spectacular 2025,” The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. Fee applies. Info: 941-3595700.
• Thursday-Saturday, through Aug. 30, the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature Laser Light Nights, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton. Fee applies. Info: 941-746-4131.
• Through Aug. 31, “Life on the Edge” exhibit, the Bishop Museum of Science, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton. Fee applies. Info: 941-746-4131.
• First Fridays, 6-9:30 p.m., Village of the Arts First Fridays Artwalk, 12th Street West and 12th Avenue West, Bradenton. Info: villageofthearts.com.
• Second Saturdays, 10:30 a.m., Island Gallery and Studios art demo, 456 Old Main St., Bradenton. Info: 941-778-6648.
• Last Saturdays, 10:30 a.m., Island Gallery and Studios critique corner, 456 Old Main St., Bradenton. Info: 941-778-6648.
SAVE THE DATES
Oct. 18, Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce’s Bayfest, Anna Maria.
• Most Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Coquina Beach Market, South Coquina Beach, Bradenton Beach. Info: 041-840-0789.
Thursday, June 12
10 a.m. — Mad Science: Fire and Ice, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Info: 941-778-6341.
Saturday, June 14
3 p.m. — Family game night, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Info: 941-778-6341.
Monday, June 16
10 a.m. — Author’s storytime, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Info: 941-778-6341.
Wednesday, June 18
10 a.m. — STEAM Day, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Info: 941-778-6341.
ONGOING ON AMI
• Most Fridays, 10 a.m., Forty Carrots, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Info: 941-778-6341.
• Most Tuesdays, 10 a.m., Family Storytime, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Info: 941-778-6341. OFF AMI
Saturday, June 14
10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. — Florida Maritime Museum/Cortez Village Historical Society Summer Social with family-friendly fun, Cortez Cultural Center, parking at FMM, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez.
SAVE THE DATES
• July 4, Anna Maria Island Privateers Fourth of July Parade, islandwide.
• July 4, Bradenton/Palmetto Fourth of July fireworks, Manatee Riverfront.
CLUBS & COMMUNITY
ONGOING ON AMI
• Most Fridays, 11:30 a.m., mahjong, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Info: 941-778-6341.
• Most Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m., experienced mahjong Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Info: 941-778-6341.
SAVE THE DATES
• July 12, Kiwanis Club of Anna Maria Island meeting, Bradenton Beach.
• Nov. 8, Friends of Manatee County Animal Welfare Friendsgiving, Palmetto.
LESSONS & LEARNING
ONGOING ON AMI
• Mondays, through August, Sea Turtle Tracks and Shorebird Facts with Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch, 10 a.m., Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive. Info: 941-301-8434, islandturtlewatch. com.
SAVE THE DATES
• June 28, Florida Maritime Museum’s Protecting Family Treasures program, Cortez.
SPORTS & FITNESS
ONGOING OFF AMI
• Through Sept. 27, various dates, Bradenton Marauders’ minor league baseball, LECOM Park, 1611 Ninth St. W., Bradenton. Fee applies. Info: 941-747-3031.
SAVE THE DATES
• July 12, Run Manatee Coquina Beach 5K, Bradenton Beach.
OUTDOORS & NATURE ON AMI
Tuesday, June 17
9 a.m. — Manatee County Natural Resources’ Seashell Shore Walk, Coquina Beach near the Longboat Pass Bridge, Bradenton Beach. Info: emily.laughlin@mymanatee.org.
OFF AMI
Wednesday, June 18
9 a.m. — Manatee County Natural Resources’ Tide Trekkers paddle cleanup, Perico Bayou kayak launch, Perico Island. Info: shelpy.reece@mymanatee.org.
SAVE THE DATES
• June 23, Sea Turtle Conservancy/Tour de Turtles sea turtle release, Bradenton Beach. TENTATIVE.
• June 26, Manatee County Natural Resources’ Frog Watch, Perico Island.
KEEP THE DATES
• Sea turtle nesting season continues. Lights out.
• Atlantic hurricane season continues. Be prepared.
• Pride Month continues through June.
• June 14, Flag Day.
• June 15, Father’s Day.
• June 19, Juneteenth.
• June 20, summer solstice.
• July 4, Independence Day.
• Sept. 1, Labor Day.
GET LISTED!
Send listings to calendar@islander.org.
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The Artists Guild of Anna Maria Island welcomed two artist members to the Guild Gallery — Rebecca Mack and Jeff Merrill.
The gallery is at 5414 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach.
Mack is a shell artist. The retired teacher recently moved to Florida from South Carolina. Inspired by walks on beaches of Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key, Mack began experimenting with artistic ways to display the shells she collected, according to a news release from AGAMI.
Merrill, AGAMI said, is an accomplished artist who has been drawing and painting since childhood thanks to the influence of his grandfather, who was an artist. Merrill’s art features figurative and portraiture work. He said he specializes in a “romantic realism style but is comfortable with the abstract as well.”
For more information, go online to www.amiartistsguildgallery.com or call 941-778-6694.
The Manatee County natural resources department will host a Seashell Shore Walk at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 17, at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach near Longboat Pass.
A notice invited people to join “a relaxing walk on the beach to search for seashells and learn to identify them.”
For reservations, email emily.laughlin@mymanatee.org. For more information, call 941-742-5923.
By Lisa neff
Assistance sought on AMI
• All Island Denominations accepts financial donations at P.O. Box 814, Anna Maria, FL 34216. Info: 941-778-4769.
• The Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra seeks volunteers, donors and a venue space. Info: info@amicco.org.
• The Anna Maria Island Historical Society, 402 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, seeks donations for restoration and volunteers. Info: 608-444-0084.
• The Anna Maria Island Privateers seeks a covered building and/or land for the Skullywag, sleigh and other items. Info: amiprivateers.org.
• The Friends of the Island Library seeks volunteers, including for website management and graphic design. Info: 941-778-4255.
• The Island Players in Anna Maria seeks volunteers in every area to “come and be part of our family.” Info: 941-920-1362.
• Wildlife Inc., Education and Rehabilitation Center in Bradenton Beach seeks gift cards for supplies. Info: 941-778-6324.
• Roser Food Bank welcomes applicants for food assistance, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Info: 941-778-0414.
• AID offers financial help. Info: 941-778-4769.
The Florida Maritime Museum and Cortez Village Historical Society will host the Summer Social 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 14, in the fishing village.
The event will feature activities, including scavenger hunts, creating sponge sailboats and joining in storytime.
Also, the Summer Social will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Mullet Meadows, a “fisher-gnome” community on the grounds of the Cortez Cultural Center. Volunteers transformed tree stumps downed
last fall by hurricanes Helene and Milton to create a gnome village.
“You can even make your own gnome-home or fairy house to take with you!” organizers announced.
Parking is available at the Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez.
Activities will be on the FMM grounds and at the Cortez Cultural Center.
For more information, contact the CVHS at 941840-0590 or cvhs2016@aol.com, or the FMM at 941708-6120.
center gains $30K for post-storm funding gap
The Center of Anna Maria Island announced June 2 the receipt of a $30,000 grant from The Ralph S. French Charitable Foundation Trust, a philanthropic organization dedicated to supporting programs that promote community well-being and public benefit.
The center, in a news release, said, the closure disrupted activities and programs and when the center reopened, it served as a hub for hurricane relief.
Some funding also will be used for building repairs, including roof work.
The center, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria, will use the funding to help cover revenue lost during the closure due to Hurricane Helene in September 2024 and then Hurricane Milton in October.
The Kiwanis Club of Anna Maria Island will gather at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, June 14, at Bradenton Beach City Hall, 107 Gulf Drive N.
The club meets monthly in the summer.
For more information, call Sandy Haas-Martens at 941-730-0016.
The Anna Maria Island Privateers posted a registration form for the annual July 4 parade. To enter the all-wheels parade, which runs nearly the length of the island, go online to amiprivateers.memberlodge.org.
The entry fee will be $25.
The parade will begin at 10 a.m. on the holiday.
For more information, call Privateer Kim “Syren” Boyd at 931-639-0986.
The Privateers’ float-boat travels in the 2023 parade. Islander File Photo: Robert Anderson
By Lisa Neff
Christ Church of Longboat Key continues its recovery from last year’s storms and announced progress on renovations and repairs for the relocated church library.
The library, along with books and furniture, was damaged in Hurricane Helene’s storm surge last September. Since then, the library was relocated to a larger space, offering room for more books and also reading and conversation.
New bookcases, chairs and tables recently arrived.
So, according to a notice in the church newsletter, “We are ready to get the books out of boxes.”
The church also called for volunteers to help organize the library, as well as oversee the ministry.
Christ Church is at 6400 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key.
For more information, call Christ Church at 941383-8833.
St. Bernard Catholic Church continues to host a weekly program on the Gulf beach.
Rosary on the Beach takes place at 7:30 a.m. Wednesdays on the sand behind the Anna Maria Beach Cafe at the Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach.
The church is at 248 S. Harbor Drive, Holmes Beach.
For more information, call 941-778-4769.
Doris Marie (Leindecker) Silverthorn, 94, of Scaly Mountain, North Carolina, and formerly of Bradenton Beach, died June 2.
She was a beloved mother, grandmother and friend. She was born Sept. 8, 1930, in Quincy, Illinois, to Robert and Florence (Feld) Leindecker.
She spent her early years in Quincy and Bradenton, and later attended the University of Minnesota.
A proud graduate of Quincy High School, class of 1948, she soon-after relocated to Florida, where she met and married on July 10, 1951, the love of her life, her husband of 50 years, Philip Silverthorn of Cortez.
She worked for several banks in Manatee County and also contributed her production talents to community weekly newspapers on Anna Maria Island, first for Don Moore at The Islander and again for Bonner Joy at The Islander newspaper and later at The Highlander newspaper in Highlands, North Carolina.
She often talked about living as a child with her family in a tent in the winters at what is now the Pines Trailer Park, traveling to school over the old wooden bridge to Cortez, and spending rainy days with family friends, the Monroes, in their cottage in Bradenton Beach.
That cottage was moved to Cortez and now serves
She served the city of Bradenton Beach as city clerk in the 1970s.
Husband, Phil, served Bradenton Beach as chief of police in the 1970s-80s.
After retiring in 1987, Doris and Phil moved to Scaly Mountain, North Carolina, where she found joy in volunteering at the Highlands-Cashiers Hospital for 13 years.
She spent many winters in Bradenton Beach with friends and family.
A devoted homemaker, Doris found her greatest joy in her family and the simple pleasures of life, such as camping, spending time outdoors, cooking, sewing and quilting. Her warm heart, adventurous spirit and generous nature touched all who knew her. She will be deeply missed and fondly remembered.
Cruising into summer Children fill their plates June 3 during dinner service at Roser Memorial Community Church’s “True north” Alaskanthemed vacation Bible school, held June 2-6 at the church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Islander Photos: Courtesy Roser Church/Bev Hunsberger
Krista Carpenter of Bradenton Beach-based Wildlife Inc. shows a kestrel falcon during a June 3 session of Roser’s VBS.
LeFT: Volunteer Zoe Brookshire holds an African tortoise for Bible school students to touch June 3 at Roser Church.
Both Phillip and son, Phillip Jr., preceded her in death and, as the pioneering woman she was, she survived for many years either alone or with Joseph, a mini-schnauzer, in her cabin on Scaly Mountain. We considered her a “firecracker of the finest kind” at The Islander newspaper and son Gary agreed, saying she was “a feisty ol’ gal.”
She kept many us on our toes on Facebook. Guests can plant a memorial tree or leave condolences online at bryantgrantfuneralhome.com.
She is survived by her children, Susan of Scaly Mountain and Sheri Fannon and Gary, both of Bradenton; grandchildren Nicole Mears, James Fannon, Gary Jr., Kaitlyn Grosse, Anna Maria and Eva; and nine great-grandchildren: Sophia, Nicholas, Annaka, Mila, Ryker, Hazel, Raidyn, Kali and Layla.
By Robert Anderson Islander Reporter
The Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage is ready to restore its headquarters — the historic Fishermen’s Hall, 4511 124th St. W., Cortez.
The former church has served as a community gathering space for more than a century and is an anchor for the nonprofit’s mission to preserve Cortez’s working waterfront.
Once known as the Church of God, the building stands at the center of the village. According to board members, over the years it has been patched together with various additions and repairs, many of which now need to be removed or replaced after the structure sustained damage during hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024.
During a June 2 meeting at the Cortez Village Historical Society Center, a temporary meeting site, the board discussed the restoration. The scope of work includes removing the siding down to the studs, replacing damaged plywood and covering the building with cement board.
FISH board member Dave Cadmus said, “There’s roofing that needs to happen. There’s siding — and it’s kind of a mishmash of stuff added over the years.”
FISH treasurer Jan von Hahmann recently solicited bids from contractors for the siding removal and replacement. The bids received were:
• Bayshore Exterior: $45,953;
• Excel Exteriors: $47,213;
• West Coast Exteriors: $104,228.
While all the quotes include removal and replacement of the buildings siding, Cadmus said the highest quote from West Coast Exteriors was more expensive because it included work to remove potential hazardous materials, such as lead and asbestos.
“We know that we took apart that building from the inside before, so anything (hazardous) that was there was removed. So we don’t anticipate having that extra charge,” he said.
Some of the bids also included work already covered under a separate roofing contract.
To reduce costs, the board tasked Cadmus with meeting with vendors.
By Robert Anderson Islander Reporter
Bradenton Beach commissioners June 5 approved $306,014 in road work funding to repair damage caused by hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The funds come from the public works budget. The project will be carried out by Cathcart Construction Co.-Florida LLC out of Winter Springs.
The work includes reconstruction on several residential streets that sustained erosion and surface degradation last fall.
Roads slated for repair include sections of 23rd Street North, 22nd Street North, 11th Street North, Church Street and Fifth-Eighth streets South.
The scope of the work involves roadway base
replacement and resurfacing, erosion control, sand removal, surveying and mobilization.
“These are roads we were unable to evaluate earlier due to (hurricane) debris,” Police Chief John Cosby, who also acts as the city’s public works director and emergency management officer, said June 2.
Helene brought heavy rainfall and storm surge that weakened the integrity of several roadways, depositing sand and debris in places. While initial emergency repairs were made following the storm, Cosby said this new phase focuses on solutions for long-term resilience.
The most expensive components of the plan include the mill and resurface work on Seventh and Eighth streets South, totaling over $100,000 combined.
The Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization wants to equip transportation planners with better tools for work on the barrier islands.
The MPO, the regional transportation group, is working on the Barrier Island Implementation Plan to identify short-term “practical and implementable solutions,” including but not limited to turn lanes, pedestrian facilities, parking access, roundabouts, trail development and micromobility.
Consultant Nathan Kautz of Kittelson & Associates Inc. briefed the MPO board during a meeting in May in Sarasota.
The plan, he said, will incorporate the findings of other reviews, include the Barrier Island Complete Streets Improvement Study Update, the Florida Department of Transportation Barrier Islands Traffic Study and the Congestion Management Process Study.
As the plan is developed, the MPO is creating an interactive mapping tool to pinpoint locations of
concern at https://barrier-island-congestion.streamlit. app/.
The study area is from Anna Maria Island’s north end to Manasota Beach in Sarasota County and planners will be available to use the toolkit to identify a potential project impact, cost and timeline.
Planners, said Kautz, will be better able to prioritize the projects that matter the most.
An “operations and roadway toolkit” he displayed at the meeting identified a couple of short-term potential island improvements, including:
• Modifying lane configurations at Gulf Drive and Manatee Avenue West in Holmes Beach to increase capacity and traffi c fl ow, with an estimated cost of $140,000;
• Modifying lane configurations at East Bay Drive and Manatee Avenue to increase capacity and improve flow, with a cost of $639,000.
— Lisa neff
Church will receive base replacement and surface work totaling more than $14,000. Smaller, but necessary, items such as traffic maintenance, erosion control and cleanup are also included in the final quote.
The city’s selection of Cathcart continues a trend of working with contractors experienced in post-storm repairs.
Cosby said the road work will begin July 7. Commissioner Debbie Scaccianoce motioned to approve the funding as part of the city’s June 5 consent agenda and was seconded by Commissioner Ralph Cole. The motion passed unanimously 5-0.
By Lisa neff
Island bridges safety project : Through June, the Florida Department of Transportation is installing pedestrian/bicycle detection systems on the Cortez Bridge, Longboat Pass Bridge and Anna Maria Island Bridge. Motorists are advised there will be intermittent sidewalk and lane closures. Motorists also are advised to use caution in the construction zone. For area road watch information, go online to swflroads.com or dial 511.
Cortez Bridge utility relocation project: The Manatee County Public Works Department is relocating a water main and force main at the Intracoastal Waterway crossing at Cortez Road and the Cortez Bridge. The work requires shoulder, sidewalk and bike lane closures in the area, as well as road detours and flagging operations. The northern shoulder of 124th Court West in Cortez is closed. Also, 127th Street West is closed on the north side of Cortez Road West up to 126th Street West. For more, call 941-306-4660, email info@amiprojects.io or go to amiprojects.io.
By Lisa Neff
Beachgoers in early June found areas in Bradenton Beach lined with hay bales, prompting a range of inquiries on local social media pages.
No, the bales aren’t new sustainable beach benches.
No, AMI doesn’t have a wagon train rolling down the shore.
No, they don’t attract bobcats or alligators.
But offi cials with the Manatee County Natural Resources Department and Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring hope they protect nesting sea turtles, prohibiting them from crawling into danger zones — roads, rock revetments and pools.
The hay bale barrier is a new tool deployed by the county for 2025 because hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024 eroded the beaches, washed away dunes and destroyed sea oats and other plants that helped prevent sea turtles from reaching hazards or disorienting toward artificial light.
The locations include Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach.
Beachgoers are asked to leave the barriers intact.
“We are grateful to Manatee County’s Natural Resources Department for being proactive and deploying hay bales as an organic barricade to prevent adult and hatchling sea turtles from getting trapped in the
As of June 6, AMITW reported a total of 164 nests, 248 false crawls and 15 adult disorientations.
Manatee County has placed hay bales on the shoreline to keep nesting sea turtles from crawling into rock revetments or toward a roadway in some areas of Bradenton Beach. Islander Photo: Courtesy Kristen Mazzarella
rock revetments at the south end of the island and from being able to make their way directly from the beach to the road,” AMITW executive director Kristen Mazzarella said.
In her May 6 weekly report, Mazzarella said nesting had continued to increase for the week prior “and we are only 20 nests short of the count this time last year.”
AMITW also documented the season’s first green turtle nest. All the other nests have been made by loggerheads.
Greens are larger than loggerheads, have parallel flipper marks and create large craters when covering their nests, Mazzarella said.
Green turtles generally nest every other year on AMI. In 2023, AMITW reported a record year for green turtles with 12 nests.
“We hope to break that record this year,” Mazzarella said.
Class lessons from AMITW, AME
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, during the 2024-25 academic year, invited teachers and students at Anna Maria Elementary School in Holmes Beach to compose questions about sea turtles, shorebirds and AMITW’s work on the beaches. Over the next couple of months, the Islander will share AME questions and AMITW answers.
Nicole Ditzel’s third-grade class: How long does it take for the turtle eggs to hatch?
AMITW: It takes approximately two months for sea turtle eggs to hatch but it depends on the temperature of the sand, the color of the sand and whether or not the nest was rained on or washed over by the tide.
The hotter and dryer the sand is, the faster the nest hatches and the cooler the sand is, the longer it takes to hatch.
On Anna Maria Island, we have white sand, so it takes longer to hatch than on a beach that has darker sand like in Venice.
The city of Holmes Beach will host Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring for weekly talks about sea turtle and shorebird nesting.
Sea Turtle Tracks and Shorebird Facts talks continue most Mondays at 10 a.m. through August at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive.
For more information, call turtle watch at 941-3018434 or go to www.islandturtlewatch.com.
AMITW is a nonprofit focused on collecting data on threatened or endangered sea turtles and shorebirds. Nesting data is required by beach renourishment contracts and AMITW is compensated by the county for its service.
Submit your social news, weddings, anniversaries, births, travel photos, fishing, sports and event news and photos to news@islander.org.
By Capt. Danny Stasny Islander Reporter
After some needed rainfall — and then some — Anna Maria Island anglers are ready to get back on the water to fish.
The next full moon occurs June 14 and should result in some well-anticipated banner days for tarpon fishing.
Dramatic outgoing tides occurring in the evenings should be flushing plenty of crabs to the passes of Longboat Key, Bean Point and Egmont Key, which will trigger a fishing frenzy for the silver kings.
Stasny
These tides are some of the most popular to fish for tarpon, so be prepared for crowds. Bring plenty of patience, as well as stamina, as this is your best chance to get hooked up — possibly multiple times — during a tarpon-fishing excursion.
Once hooked up with a large tarpon, there are many obstacles to overcome before the fish is brought boatside. Maneuvering around the other boats in close proximity is probably the most difficult.
If you’re able to accomplish that, don’t forget about the bull sharks and hammerhead sharks on the lookout for an easy meal.
And you’ll soon learn if you are strong enough to fight the fish for as long as it takes to get it to the boat. I’ve seen anglers take up to two hours to land a tarpon and, by the time they were done, they didn’t want to catch another. So make sure you’re mentally and physically prepared for the battle of your fishing life.
And don’t forget to pack plenty of drinks on the boat as you’ll want to stay hydrated before, during and especially after the ordeal. There’s nothing worse than having your arms cramp up halfway through the fight and passing the rod over to someone else because you just can’t hold on for another second. These fish fight hard and they fight to the end, so plan accordingly.
When you do get that majestic fish boatside, it’s time to get some trophy pictures or maybe even some video to remember the amazing feat.
Once the fight is over, you’ll feel an overwhelming sense of pride, as the adrenaline is still pumping hard through your veins. Cherish the moment because when it’s gone, the fatigue will set in, making you apprehensive of casting another bait into the water to start the process over again.
But you’ll do it, because you’re hooked.
On my Just Reel charters, I’m finding the backwater action to be quite good. Spotted seatrout are being found on just about every grass flat where clean, clear water and good tidal flow exists. All sizes of the bucktoothed fish are being caught, with many slot-size fish in the mix, which is making it easy to attain a limit of trout for anglers looking to take home a fish dinner.
Targeting catch-and-release snook is going well, although fi nding concentrated numbers of fi sh has become cumbersome as many are migrating to the beaches to spawn.
This scenario requires moving to new spots more frequently to keep the bite going instead of sitting in one area and hooking up multiple times.
I’m also starting to see some frequency in the mangrove snapper bite, as many catches are occurring on deeper flats where I’m targeting trout. Most snapper are 12-14 inches.
There also is a surplus of migratory fish — ladyfish, jacks and sharks — in Tampa Bay, which is filling the gaps between snook and trout.
Matt Glynn, visiting the Anna Maria Island area from Kansas, shows off his trophy catch, a large tarpon caught May 26 on a blue crab on a charter fishing trip with Capt. nate Costello of AMI excursions. The fish was held boatside for the photo and quickly released.
in quite a few hookups.
As the sun rises and visibility is good, White patrols the beaches of Anna Maria Island, Egmont and Longboat keys where schools of tarpon are migrating the shoreline. In these scenarios, live threadfin herring work well to attract a strike.
In some instances, the use of a cork to keep the bait in the strike zone works, while in other cases simply freelining the bait will suffice.
Finally, on the evening outgoing tides, White is using live crabs to work the passes.
The silver kings are averaging 80-120 pounds.
Capt. Johnny Mattay reports despite many days of rain and windy conditions, he’s managing to take advantage of the windows of opportunity to get out and do some fishing.
Fishing offshore is yielding limits of American red snapper, as well as red grouper and various smaller snapper, such as mangrove and yellowtail.
Nearshore fishing around reefs and wrecks is producing action on mangrove snapper, which are Mattay’s main target in the shallower waters.
Moving inshore, redfish and catch-and-release snook are frequently being hooked during the higher stages of the tide.
Finally targeting tarpon is going well for Mattay’s anglers, although numerous days of wind and rain made it challenging to locate schools of fish. When Mattay does find them, he’s hooking up his clients by baiting with live crabs and threadfin herring.
Send photos to fish@islander.org.
Capt. David White reports spending all his time on the water targeting tarpon. He’s employing a variety of baits to target the larger fish, depending on the time of day and the location.
White says the early morning action around the passes yields the best opportunity on live crabs as bait. Casting crabs to rolling fish on the surface is resulting
The state will offer a license-free fishing weekend for Father’s Day.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s summer license-free fishing weekend is June 14-15 for freshwater.
All other rules, such as seasons, bag and size limits apply on the weekend.
For more information, go to myfwc.com.
By Kevin P. Cassidy Islander Reporter
After eight weeks of action in the adult 3-v-3 basketball league at the Center of Anna Maria Island, Moss Builders and Slim’s Place are on top of the standings with matching 7-1 records.
Luxury Services and Solid Rock Construction occupy the next two spots in the standings with 6-2 records. Bradenton Home Inspections holds down fifth place at 4-4, while Coaster Continent, Salty Printing and Slicker’s Eatery all have 3-5 records to occupy sixth through eighth in the standings. Primetime Lending at 1-7 and 0-8 Edible Cookie Dough Cafe complete the standings.
Action June 5 got started with first-place Slim’s Place taking on winless Edible Cookie Dough. Predictably, Slim’s Place swept past the Cookie Dough team 22-9, 23-12 and 21-10 behind a balanced scoring attack led by Jacob Munoz, who totaled 24 points in the three games. Corey Jacques added 20 points, while Michael Lidge finished with 12 points for Slim’s.
Katrell Zachary scored 12 points for Edible Cookie Dough, while Dallas Buchholtz had 10 points and Meghan Mitchell finished with seven points in the three losses.
The second series of the night saw Coaster Continent take two-out-of-three games from Slicker’s Eatery, winning 21-16 and 23-13 with an 18-21 loss. AJ Poole led Coaster Continent with 25 points, while Olvin Izquiredo added 20 points and Matt Manger finished with 17 points in the victory.
Bradenton Home Inspections lost its first game to Salty Printing 17-14, but then rallied to win the next two games 22-18 and 24-22 for the third match of the evening. Richard Fosmore led the way with 37 points
in three games, while Andrew Simonetti finished with 14 points.
The fourth match of the night saw Moss Builders sweep Primetime Lending 22-15, 21-10 and 21-14 behind 30 points from Connor Morse and 14 points from Ryan Moss.
Solid Rock Construction took two out of three from Luxury Services 21-14, 20-22, 20-18 behind 26 points from Wes Jackson and 16 points from Chase Richardson.
The regular season of 3-v-3 comes to an end June 12 with play-in games in the playoffs set for June 18, when the No. 7 seed takes on No. 10, followed by the No. 8 seed matching up against the No. 9 seed.
2
Semifinal action June 5 in the adult soccer league at the community center saw No. 2 seed Florida Impact Windows and No. 6 seed Sato Real Estate battle to 2-2 in regulation time.
That match went to a penalty-kick shootout where Sato earned the upset win.
Chris Culhane and Raul Loera scored goals in regulation time for Florida Impact Windows while Sato saw goals from Dean Hinterstoisser and Hakan Toka.
The penalty-kick shootout went four rounds with Keith Mahoney and Loera converting their spot kicks for Florida Impact Windows, but Sato got successful spot kicks from Hinterstoisser, Josh Sato and Ben Sato to win the shootout 3-2 and advance to next week’s championship game.
The second semifinal match lacked the excitement of the first one as No. 8 seed Duncan Real Estate cruised to a 9-4 victory over No. 4 Ross Built. Cody Wright scored four goals and added one assist while Joey Hutchinson and Figo Alvaro both scored two goals to lead Duncan. Jasmine Muldoon chipped in with a goal and an assist and Danny Free came through with seven saves in the victory.
Adam Bujarski scored two goals and had an assist for Ross, which also received a goal each from Alex Landy and Molly Setsma and five saves from Lorenzo Llorente in the loss.
The championship match is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, June 12, on the center pitch.
Heavy rains closed the Holmes Beach golf course June 2-3, leaving the June 5 scramble as the only organized golf for the week. The team of Jim Bailey, Terry Schaefer and Bill Shuman combined on a 3-under-par 29 to earn clubhouse bragging rights for the week.
Horseshoe action washes out
Horseshoe action June 4 at the Anna Maria City Hall pits got washed out shortly after the first shoe was thrown in the Wednesday matchups.
The Islander newspaper is FREE at Publix Holmes Beach. Just stop by the customer service desk, hold out your hand and say, “Islander, please!” And maybe remind staff you’d like the serve-yourself community news returned to the lobby.
The June 7 games also were short and sweet, but not because of rain and thunder. The team of Gersey Fernandes and Steve Kriebel posted the only 3-0 record in pool play and were the day’s outright champs.
The action gets started at 9 a.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays — weather permitting — at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. Warmups begin at 8:45 a.m., followed by random team selection.
There is no charge to play and everyone is welcome.
By Lisa Neff
I’ve read some troubling research reports about dolphins over the past year.
“Microplastics detected in dolphin breath.”
“Florida dolphin found with highly pathogenic avian flu.”
“Study reveals presence of fentanyl in Gulf of Mexico dolphins.”
The fentanyl study, released in early December and based on research at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, said, “A team of faculty and student researchers at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Precision Toxicological Consultancy, have detected traces of human pharmaceuticals in the blubber of live, free-swimming common bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico.”
Fentanyl is an opioid analgesic for severe pain that is 100 times more potent than morphine.
The researchers selected dolphins from three sites around the Gulf, including Redfish Bay and the Laguna Madre in Texas and also the Mississippi Sound.
“Pharmaceutical drugs are therapeutic substances used in human and veterinary medicine to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease,” said Dr. Dara Orbach, the lead researcher on the project. “Yet, improper use of pharmaceuticals can cause harmful effects including antibiotic resistance, addiction, overdose and mortality. Furthermore, pharmaceuticals have become emerging micropollutants and are a growing global concern as their presence has been reported in freshwater ecosystems, rivers and oceans worldwide.”
The researchers analyzed 89 blubber samples, including 83 collected through live-animal biopsy and six from deceased dolphins.
They found pharmaceuticals in 30 samples. Fentanyl was present in 18 biopsied animals and in all post-mortem dolphins.
Tissue samples from dolphins in areas with high threat risks, such as oil spills, vessel traffic and algal blooms, showed higher levels of pharmaceutical contamination.
Orbach said, “Chronic exposure to pharmaceuticals and their cumulative effects on marine mammals are not yet fully understood, yet their presence in three dolphin populations across the Gulf of Mexico underscores the need for large-scale studies to assess the extent and sources of contamination. Our research team emphasizes the need for proactive monitoring of emerging contaminants, especially in regions with large human populations and major fishing or aquaculture industries.”
Ongoing local studies, meanwhile, have found opioids and other pharmaceuticals — as well as microplastics — in marinelife.
In the Texas A&M study, one of the samples came from a dead dolphin found in Baffi n Bay in South Texas within a year of the largest liquid fentanyl drug bust in U.S. history in the adjacent county.
The Florida fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission encourages people to participate in the annual wild turkey survey through Aug. 31.
And yes, wild turkeys have been seen on Anna Maria Island, more often in recent years with the expansion of habitat for the birds at Manatee County’s Robinson, Perico and Neal preserves.
The survey is part of a broader multistate initiative aimed at better understanding the reproductive success and abundance of wild turkeys. The survey helps determine wild turkey nesting success, poult survival and population distribution and abundance.
The FWC, in a news release, said, wild turkeys are abundant in Florida and are found throughout the state, and nests typically begin to hatch in late spring and continue into the summer.”
Mike Adkesson, president and CeO of Brookfield Zoo Chicago, and Randy Wells, director and chair of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, participate in the recent Sarasota dolphin health assessment project. Wells, in a newsletter, wrote, “Over the course of nine field days, 86-96 team members — including researchers from Bermuda, Denmark, France, the Galapagos and Spain — were on water each day in 13 boats.” The team took measurements and gathered biological samples, as well as conducted ultrasounds to determine reproductive status and check the condition of internal organs. SDRP has conducted assessments since 1988. Islander Photo: Courtesy SDRP
However, based on other pharmaceutical detections, the researchers believe the pollution is a longstanding issue in the marine environment not isolated dumping.
What actions can ordinary people take?
Properly dispose of unneeded or expired medicines.
• The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration leads Take-Back Days twice a year, partnering with local law enforcement agencies in April and October to collect medicines — prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
• Some pharmacies, including those operated by Walgreens and CVS, serve as year-round household pharmaceutical collection locations.
• Some pharmacies also sell postage-paid, preaddressed mail-back envelopes for disposal of drugs.
A wild turkey hen with poults. Islander Photo: Courtesy FWC/Ashley Williams
To report turkeys, go online to https://myfwc.com/ hunting/turkey/brood-survey/.
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Lisa neff
The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce will bring its members to the Freckled Fin Irish Pub June 12 for lunch and networking.
The Thursday event will be 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the restaurant, 5337 Gulf Drive, Suite 600, Holmes Beach.
The menu includes a choice of entree — Reuben sandwich with fries, seared ahi tuna with pickled ginger and wasabi or a “Fin” salad with grilled chicken, shrimp or tuna.
The cost to attend is $22 for members, $30 for guests.
To reserve a seat at the table, call the chamber at 941-778-1541 or email terri@amichamber.org.
— Lisa neff
Sandbar Seafood + Spirits is rewarding students for their work through the 2024-25 school year with a summertime freebie.
This month, students can bring report cards to Sweet Willy’s Ice Cream Shoppe at the Sandbar, 100 Spring Ave., Anna Maria, for a free scoop of ice cream.
Also, through July 31, teachers and other school employees can show their school ID and receive a free adult beverage at the Sandbar, as well as at Beachside Hospitality’s other local restaurants — the Beach House, 200 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach, and Mar
We love you, Rob Riley! This special day is dedicated to fathers everywhere. We want to extend our warmest wishes to all the amazing dads in our community. Your dedication, strength and love inspire us every day.
Automotive Professionals Day is celebrated this month and we want to honor the hardworking professionals who keep our vehicles running smoothly and our roads safe. The automotive industry is one of the most complex and you are constantly adapting to new innovations and challenges. To all the technicians, mechanics, service advisors and all the professionals who make the automotive world go round — Thank you for your hard work and commitment. We celebrate YOU!
Merchants in the Island Shopping Center at Marina and Gulf drives in Holmes Beach gather june 6 for a ribbon-cutting with board members of the AMI Chamber of Commerce to mark the reopening of the center following damages from the 2024 hurricanes. Islander Photo: Ingrid McClellan
For more, go to www.sandbardining.com or call 941-778-0444.
— Lisa neff
The Bradenton Beach City Commission June 5 heard the first reading of an ordinance for a proposed amendment to the taxation code allowing a 5% increase to local business tax receipt fees.
The ordinance, if passed, will raise the fees businesses pay to operate within city limits.
City attorney Ricinda Perry said the change is part of a routine adjustment permitted by state law.
“This is an ordinance that the city has had on the books for a very long time,” Perry said during the meeting. “Every two years, the statute allows the city
to make a small increase to the business tax receipts. The clerk’s office reached out to me to let us know it’s time to reconsider that increase.”
According to Perry, the increase is supported by calculations from the city clerk’s office.
With no public comments or objections from commissioners, the motion to approve the ordinance on first reading passed 5-0. The second and final reading and a vote are scheduled for the city meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 3, at city hall, 107 Gulf Drive N.
— Robert Anderson
By Lisa neff
• June 26, 5-7 p.m., AMI Chamber business card exchange, Artists’ Guild Gallery, Holmes Beach.
• July 19, 11:30 a.m., AMI Chamber luncheon, Slicker’s Eatery, Cortez.
• Oct. 18, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., AMI Chamber Bayfest, Anna Maria. Send listings to calendar@islander.org.
By Lisa neff Islander editor
April’s tourist development tax dollars climbed 12.72% compared with April 2024’s collection in Manatee County but the tax also increased.
The tourist tax, also known as the bed tax or resort tax, is the 6% collected on overnight rentals of six months or less. County voters elected to raise the tax by 1% last November, with the hike taking effect in January.
The 2025 collection for April was $3,286,678 compared with the $2,915,794 collected last April, which was down from April 2023.
High season for tourism usually coincides with spring break from area schools, as well as Easter. This year, early spring breaks where in March but the breaks continued into April and Easter arrived late, April 20.
The April tax revenues were gathered by the county tax collector’s office from accommodations agents throughout May and then reported June 2.
Some details for April:
• Holmes Beach’s accommodations generated $814,966 or 24.8%. Last year’s April brought in $800,053;
• Anna Maria’s accommodations generated $540,676 or 16.45%. The numbers last year were $419,643 or 14.39%;
• Bradenton Beach’s accommodations generated $109,202 or 3.32%. Last year, the tax generated $136,217;
• Longboat Key generated $269,453 or 8.2%;
• Bradenton, $269,509 or 8.2%;
• Palmetto, $74,507 or 2.27%.
Unincorporated Manatee County accommodations generated the largest share of the tax revenues — $1,208,377 or 36.77%.
After the tax collector’s 3% administrative fee, the county’s net revenue for April was $3,188,077.
April tourist tax collections:
April 2021: $2,423,608
April 2022: $3,108,553
April 2023: $3,227,222
April 2024: $2,915,794
April 2025: $3,286,678
Source: Manatee County Tax Collector
Manatee County is accepting applications for four seats on its nine-member tourist development council, which advises county commissioners on tourism-related projects and tourist development tax spending.
Eligible candidates must be either owners/operators or general managers of motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks or other short-term lodging establishments subject to the county’s 6% resort tax. Applicants also must be registered voters in Manatee.
The appointments are for four-year terms.
The seats are held by Tony DeRusso, Jiten Patel, Eric Cairns and Rahul Patel, whose terms expire June 30.
Applications, due by June 30, are online at www. mymanatee.org/advisory_boards.
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Lisa neff
The revenues do not go back to the cities where they were generated but instead are spent at the county level, as determined by the county commission on the advice of the tourist development council.
Revenue must be used to bolster tourism per state law.
Tourism-related institutions that receive resort tax funding include the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Bradenton Area Convention
Center, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Realize Bradenton. Tourism-related projects that have been funded by the tax include island beach renourishment and the construction of the new Anna Maria City Pier. May bed tax data will be released in early July. The TDC will meet at 9:30 a.m. Monday, June 16, at the Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria.
GEM CAR STORAGE trunk for sale (older model). Very good condition. Pictures on request. $250. Pick up only. 610-730-1214.
2000 SCHWINN ROCKET 88 adult mountain bike. Very good condition, $250. Craftsmen garage door opener, $40. Bill, 724-986-0314.
STUDIO APARTMENT FURNISHINGS: For sale, nightstands, bar stools, upholstered bench, dresser. 970-556-0596.
ANTIQUE PARTNER DESK: All wood, $500. Inquire at 941-778-7978.
Individuals may place one free ad with up to three items, each priced $100 or less, 15 words or less. FREE, one week, must be submitted online. Email classifieds@islander.org. (limited time offer).
GOLF CART RENTALS: Fun for residents and tourists! 941-213-5730. www.annamariacartrentals.com
GOLF CART: 2023 Bintelli luxury golf cart. sixpassenger, street legal, lithium battery, fully loaded, under 900 miles, burgundy, sound bar, L e D undercarriage lighting, garage-kept. $10,900. 630-768-2054.
HAve A BOAT and wanna catch more fish, better bait or learn the water? 50-year local fisherman, your boat, my knowledge. Captain Chris, 941896-2915.
SUNCOAST BOTTOM PAINTING: Professional bottom painting. Mobile. Call 941-704-9382.
CAPTAIN FOR HIRE and boat caretaker services: If you need help with your boat on or off the water, call Captain Dan. USCG, retired. 772-486-8085.
WeLCOMe ABOARD jOYFISH Charters for private fishing, sunset cruises, and dolphin watching. Check out joyfishcharters.com or follow us on Facebook. Call to reserve, 941-840-3181.
FOR SALE: 35 Bristol sailboat, Yanmar diesel, new shaft, cutless, log, prop and bottom job, 2024. $12,000. Located on Holmes Beach ready to sail. Bill, 302-494-4096.
ROSER CHURCH SEEKS part-time Assistant Facilities Administrator to cover Friday to Sunday and special events. Read the job description RoserChurch.com/job-opportunity
HANDYMAN: REPAIRING TWO homes on AMI. Carpentry, painting, flooring, minor electric and plumbing, etc. Work your schedule, self-starter, full or part-time. Call or text Darryl, 813-4390516.
NOW HIRING HANDYMAN: Full-time professional services. $18 an hour and up, based on experience. Call JayPros, 941-962-2874.
REPORTER WANTED: Full- to part-time. Print media, newspaper experience required. Apply via email with letter of interest to news@islander. org.
KIDS FOR HIRE ads are FREE for up to three weeks for Island youths under 16 looking for work. Contact The Islander, 941-778-7978.
IS YOUR HOME or office in need of some cleaning? Well, I’m your girl! Local, reliable, professional! Please, give me a call or text, 941-773 -0461.
CLEANING: VACATION, CONSTRUCTION, residential, commercial and windows. Licensed and insured. 941-756-4570.
PRESSURE WASHING, PAVER sealing, driveway, roof, fence, pool area. Also, window cleaning. Licensed and insured. 941-565-3931.
BICYCLE REPAIRS: Just4Fun at 5358 Gulf Drive can do most any bicycle repair at a reasonable cost. Pick-up and delivery available. 941-8967884.
API’S DRYWALL RePAIR: I look forward to servicing your drywall repair needs. Call 941-5248067 to schedule an appointment.
PC OR TeCH issues? not sure where to start? With years of experience, I’ll come to you with reliable solutions. Contact Gavin at 928-5871309. www.gse.codes
SARASOTA PAInTInG: InTeRIOR/exterior/cabinets: Call or text Don, 941-900-9398. Free estimates. Fully insured, twenty years’ experience.
RIDEEASY 247 YOUR professional, reliable and courteous car service to airports and events since 2015. You can reach us via text 941-447-7737 or email to mrfort5001@gmail.com We are available 24/7.
LOOK NO MORE! Residential, vacation rental and commercial cleaning. Give us a call, 941250-8548.
OUR SERVICES: CLEANING, home repairs, tile, concrete, remodeling, decks, steps, flooring, water drainage solutions, rental 24-hour services. Hurricane shutters and pre-storm service. New, low-cost generator and insulation (starts and runs on propane when power off). No permits needed. Islander, over 40 years here! Call 941404-9163.
I SLA n D e R ARCHI ve. u ofF Florida digital newspaper collection at ufdc.ufl.edu.
IS YOuR POOL deck, driveway, or garage floor looking worn out and dated? Bring them back to life with our top-tier resurfacing services! Services offered: Pool deck resurfacing, Slip-resistant, cool-to-the-touch finishes that enhance safety and aesthetics. Driveway resurfacing, durable surfaces that stand up to heavy traffic and harsh weather. Garage floor resurfacing, easy-to-clean, stain-resistant surfaces that look great and perform even better. Don’t wait! Transform your spaces today with our trusted resurfacing services. Contact us now for a free consultation and estimate. Call u Plus Me LLC at 727-623-5050 or visit u-plus-me.com
GOT DIRTY WInDOWS? Free estimates/insured. Five-star customer service rating. “We want to earn your business. Downeast Window Cleaning, 207-852-6163.
AIRPORT SHuTTLe: QuALITY transportation, 10 years by Lewber. 352-339-3478.
LOOKInG FOR SOMeOne who needs me: Clean, house-sit. I can cook, make sandwiches. I can do anything you can do but better! I can run to the grocery store for you. I can walk pets or go out to lunch with you. Looking for a part-time job caregiving companion, I am your right arm! I love people and I love helping others. I have references and I’m reliable and dependable. My name is Dena Gray a.k.a. Sparkles! 941-524-2234.
IN-HOME SUPPORT: 26-plusyears’ experience. Tammy Roberts, 941-580-4440.
ACHAuFFeR4u FOR TRAnSPORTATIOn anywhere in Florida. Properly insured and over 40 years in Bradenton. Dennis, 941-812-5930.
ONECALL CLEANUP. Junk removal, water damage, and more. Fast, reliable service. Call, 941-544-1260.
NEED A RIDE to the airports? Service to Tampa, St. Pete or SRQ. Call Gary at 863-409-5875.
HOMe WATCHeR: WHen you can’t be at home, I’ll watch your home and send video of my inspection. I’m a State Certified Residential Appraiser with background check. 317-997-4056.
AFFORDABLE PRESSURE WASHING and small job painting. 941-356-1456.
AMI AIRPORT SH u TTL e Guy: We pick up from Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota airports. u p to seven passengers with luggage Reliable, Licensed and friendly transportation to and from Anna Maria Island. AMIShuttle.com. 941-500-3388.
CLEANING SERVICES: Ten-plus years’ experience. Professional, prompt with a flexible schedule. Contact Jessica, 941-900-8051.
BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS JD’s Window Cleaning looking for storefront jobs in Holmes Beach. I make dirty windows sparkling clean. 941-9203840.
BEACH SERVICE air conditioning, heat, refrigeration. Commercial and residential service, repair and/or replacement. Serving Manatee County and the Island since 1987. For dependable, honest and personalized service, call Bill Eller, 941720-7411. Residential, call Nate, 941-524-2248. CAC184228.
CLEAN TECH MOBILE Detailing. At your location. Cars, boats, RVs. Call or text Billie for an appointment. 941-592-3482.
LOOKInG FOR An eARLY BIRD? You can read Wednesday’s classifieds on
CONNIE’S LANDSCAPING INC. Residential and commercial. Full-service lawn maintenance, landscaping, cleanups, hauling and more! Insured. 941-713-1965.
COLLINS LANDSCAPE LIGHTING: Outdoor lighting, landscaping, irrigation services and maintenance. 941-279-9947. MJC24373@gmail.com
SHeLL DeLIveReD AnD spread. Hauling all kinds of gravel, mulch, topsoil with free estimates. Call Larry at 941-795-7775, or “shell phone” 941-7200770.
VAN-GO PAINTING residential/commercial, interior/exterior, pressure cleaning, wallpaper. Island references. Bill, 941-795-5100. www.vangopainting.net.
GRIFFIn’S HOMe IMPROveMenTS Inc. Handyman, fine woodwork, countertops, cabinets and wood flooring. Insured and licensed. 941-7228792.
LANE’S SCREENING SERVICES: Replace your window, door or lanai screens. Many screen options available. Retired veteran serving our community! Free estimates, call 941-705-5293.
LOOKInG FOR AnY home improvement? jRCC Home Improvement, handyman service can get the job done. Please, contact us at 413-2462410. We would love to help.
TILE-TILE-TILE: All variations of ceramic tile supplied and installed. Quality workmanship, prompt, reliable, many Island references. Call Ashdown Flooring, 941-726-3077.
DOnALD PeRKInS PAInTInG LLC. Interior/exterior/pressure washing. Island references. dperkinspaint@hotmail.com. 941-705-7096.
GORILLA DRYWALL RePAIR LLC. Let’s solve your drywall problems together. Give us a call at 941-286-0607.
Queen Bee PAInTInG: “We Do It Royally.” Interior/exterior painting and pressure washing, pool decks, garage floors, cabinets, popcorn ceiling and wallpaper removal, drywall, door and trim install and repair, window cleaning. Sheryl, 864884-3380.
TeTI TILe: 40 years’ experience in Delaware, now on AMI and surrounds. Tile, marble, murals. Free estimates. Call john Teti, 302-983-5774.
TRUE TONE PAINTING: Painting, power washing, epoxy floors. 941-224-4020.
CALL HYDRO CLEAN. Full-service pressure washing, sealing. Pavers, travertine and natural stone. Window washing too, up to three stories. Call Jacob, 941-920-2094.
ISLAND HANDYMAN: I live here, work here, value your referral. Refinish, paint. Just ask. JayPros. Licensed/insured. References. Call Jay, 941-9622874.
ANNA MARIA GULF beachfront vacation rentals. One- two- and three-bedroom units, all beachfront. www.amiparadise.com. 941-778-3143.
AVAILABLE NOW AND season: 1BR/1BA, sevennight minimum. carlesvacationrentals.com. Special rates are available. 941-807-1405.
MAY 2025 AVAILABLE: Snowbird special! Perico Island patio home, single floor, high ceilings, 3BR/2BA, privacy wall/gate, two-car garage. Call or text Alison, 859-771-6423. www.pericoislandrental.com
2026 SEASONAL RENTAL: Just one block from the beach, Single-story 2BR/2BA private residence, screened patio. No smoking/no pets. December-April. 64th Street, Holmes Beach. Call 813-833-4926.
CENTRAL HOLMES BEACH, 3BR/2BA completely remodeled, walk to beach, school, trolley, shopping. Annual, $2,595/month. 941-713-6743.
AvAILABLe nOW! AnnuAL rental. Beautiful, bright renovated condo 2BR/2BA, one floor. Perico Bay Club, pool, hot tub, tennis, pickle ball, covered parking. $2,500/ month. Call 612-802-8357.
2026 SEASONAL RENTAL: Waterfront villa, two miles to Bradenton Beach. Six-month availability. Eloquently furnished, located on 90 acres of paradise. $4,600/month. Phil, 941-725-1043.
PERICO BAY CLUB 2BR/2BA condo for rent. Annual, $2,500/month or seasonal, $4,500/ month. Call our offi ce, 941-778-1979 for more information.
RARE ANNUAL RENTAL in Holmes Beach! 2BR/1BA close to the beach access. $2,975/ month. Call the office for more information, 941778-1979.
AnnuAL RenTAL: 1BR/1BA Recently renovated, quiet street in Holmes Beach. Steps to a public beach access in Holmes Beach. $2,200/month. First, last and security. 941807-1405.
2BR/1.5BA UPDATED WITH washer/dryer. $2,300 month. 406 71st St. B, Holmes Beach. 2BR/1BA house with garage, $1,950 month. 12016 45th Ave. Cortez Village. Mike Norman Realty, 941778-6696.
WInnIe MCHALe, ReALTOR, 941-504-6146. Dalton Wade Real estate. You need an aggressive and experienced Realtor in today’s market! Selling island homes, Sarasota and Bradenton areas. Multi-million-dollar producer! “Selling HomesMaking Dreams Come True.”
WATERFRONT 3BR/2BA MANUFACTURED home with ample parking for boat/RV and two cars. Screened-in lanai for enjoying sunsets. Steps away from Parrott Cove Marina and free boat launch. Sunny Shores beach nearby and easy walk or bike ride to Anna Maria Island. Awaiting new owner to complete drywall and decorative flooring. You own the land. Sunny Shores, a friendly community with voluntary homeowners’ association that provides access to clubhouse and park amenities. Ideal vacation home or rental property. Asking price, $250,000. Call 847-4360938 for more information or tour of home.
LARGe vACAnT LOT on north end. 132 Crescent Ave, Anna Maria. 7,700 sf lot cleared and ready for your plans/builder. Close proximity to Pine Avenue shops and beaches. Optional HOA ($200 annually) gives dock access for kayak/fishing. upper floors of new build and skydeck would have water views of Lake Lavista and Tampa Bay/Skyway Bridge. $1,175,000. Call 630-8633845.
THe ISLAnDeR OFFeRS the best results for your classified advertising dollar. We really work for you! Submit your ad no later than noon Monday on the website, islander.org. For Monday holidays, the deadline is Friday.
All real estate advertising herein is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination Familial status includes children under age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HuD toll-free at 1-800-669-9777 or for the hearing impaired, call 0-800-543-8294.
