The Islander Newspaper E-Edition Wednesday, Jan. 03, 2024

Page 1

Welcome to 2024!

VOLUME 32, NO. 11

The Best news on anna Maria Island since 1992 astheworldterns 6 aM mangrove investigation continues. 2

Q&A 010324 3 Cities look forward … 2024. 4-5

Opinions 6

10-20 YEARS AGO

looking back. 7

election 2024. 8 Investigations might hinder marine poachers. 8

Meetings 9 save the date. 10-11

Happenings What’s up on aMI? 10-11 aMe calendar. 12

Gathering. 14 Obituaries 14 Remembrances 2023. 15

NYT puzzle. 18 Streetlife 22

get in the game. 23 sports news. 24 slim mullet season. 25 good catch. 25 Center nets positive month. 26 looking to session. 27

Christmas bird count. 27

cLASSIFIEDS. 28-29

Isl Biz:

expansions, makeovers and more. 30

Find The Islander archive dating to 1992 at ufdc.ufl.edu.

JAN. 3, 2024 free

islander.org

AMI feels repercussion from new County resets state financial disclosure law ferry launch: Jan. 12 By Ryan Paice and Robert anderson Islander Reporters

A new financial disclosure law made an immediate splash in the political pool on Anna Maria Island. Three of five Anna Maria commission applicants withdrew from consideration and Bradenton Beach City Commissioner Jake Spooner resigned Dec. 28 in response to new, more stringent requirements adopted in Senate Bill 774, which went into effect Jan. 1. The measure dealing with “ethics requirements for public officials” was sponsored by Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Lake Mary, and signed into law in May 2023 by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The law requires government officials, including municipal mayors and commissioners, to file an annual Form 6 financial disclosure form in place of Form 1, a simplified disclosure form. Form 1 requires officials to disclose income sources, business interests, major debts and real estate holdings. It does not require officials to provide specific amounts for income, debts and holdings. Form 6 has lower thresholds for what information has to be disclosed and has long applied to the governor, lieutenant governor, state cabinet members, legislators, state attorneys, public defenders and clerks of circuit courts. The form now applies to mayors and city commissioners and requires them to disclose their net worth, income sources and amounts,

bank accounts and year-end balances, stock and investment accounts, as well as land and real estate holdings. Form 6 requires officials disclose financial spooner debts and liabilities in excess of $1,000 and the amount owed to each creditor, except for credit card debt and taxes. While Form 1 asks officials to declare intangible assets worth more than $10,000 individually, Form 6 requires them to disclose all assets worth more than $1,000, as well as a lump Kolojeski sum value of other household goods and personal effects. All elected officials in office as of Dec. 31 are required to file a Form 6 disclosure form by July 1. olesen SB 774 also increased the maximum civil penalty for state ethics violations from $10,000 to $20,000. In Anna Maria, the disclosure law narrowed the playing field for two vacant stephen seats on the city commission. Three of five applicants for the seats

Manatee County will launch its Gulf Islands Ferry servicing Bradenton and Anna Maria Island Jan. 12. The service was scheduled to launch Dec. 8, then delayed to Jan. 5 and is now set for Jan. 12 — provided the weather cooperates, according to a Dec. 29 news release from the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. The BACVB is managing the service, with operations contracted to Clearwaterbased Gulf Coast Water Taxi. Plans call for two 50-foot open-deck catamarans, each able to carry 49 passengers, to loop from the Riverwalk in downtown Bradenton to docks on AMI. The service is scheduled to run 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Two pilings needed for the ferry service to dock at the Anna Maria City Pier — the first stop for the ferry route — were not installed as of Dec. 28. Despite the pier deficiency, the Dec. 29 news release said the launch service would be between downtown Bradenton and the Anna Maria City Pier. The release said a stop at the Historic Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach would be “added to the route system as soon as some minor enhancements are completed.” Ticketing is available at gulfcoastwatertaxi.com. TURn To DisclOsUre laW, Page 3 People can learn more about the ferry service at bradentongulfisland.com/gulfislands-ferry. ` There was no general phone number for the service provided but the news release offered BACVB executive director Elliott Falcione as a contact at elliott.falcione@ 1st sea turtle hatchlings emerge: The bacvb.com or 941-209-0960. — Ryan Paice and lisa neff first loggerhead hatchlings of the nesting season on Anna Maria Island emerged overMuch loved, retired AME prinnight June 29-30. HB preparing challenge against park- cipal dies at 82. See obituary ing garage law: The city of Holmes Beach for James Kronus, p. 14 was organizing a new fight against a new Florida law authorizing Manatee County to trump municipal home rule and build a parking garage at the beach. Privateers award $7,500 in scholarships: During a Minor League Baseball game between the Bradenton Marauders and the Clearwater Threshers, the Anna Maria Island Privateers presented its 2023-24 college scholarship awards. Go, Suzi, go: Cheers of hundreds of people rang out as members of the Sea Turtle

Flashback 2023: The year in review Part 2

Compiled by lisa neff Islander editor

Islanders shared “hurrahs” in 2023 as they cheered on a tagged loggerhead crawling from the beach to the Gulf, collegebound students with scholarships to bank and campaigns to fundraise and have fun. And islanders in 2023 shared “harrumphs” as they blasted drives from AMI to Tallahassee to change the island way of life and the way the island looks. A look back at the second half of 2023. July County restores water line: Both lanes of the Anna Maria Island Bridge reopened following repairs to a collapsed water main on the underside of the bridge. Bradenton man drowns: A 71-yearold Bradenton man drowned in the Gulf of Mexico in Bradenton Beach.

Flashback ’23

TURn To flashback, Page 8


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.