Tribute to trees. 4 AsTheWorldTerns say “NO” to bridge plan. 6
Nesting season arrives. 14
Bistro rewards. 28 MAY 2, 2018 FREE
VOLUME 26, NO. 27
Meetings
On the government calendar. 4
10-20 YEARS AGO
From the archives. 7
Op-Ed
The Islander editorial, reader letters. 6 HB loses multiple Bert Harris motions. 9
Make plans, save a date. 10
Happenings
Community announcements, activities. 11 Excess noise nettles some HB residents. 12 Center counts on cities, challenge for boost. 16
Obituaries. 20 Cortez co-op owners celebrate 10 years in the ‘park.’ 21
Streetlife. 22 Skimmers found on island pumps. 21
The Best News on Anna Maria Island Since 1992
Megabridge plan hits hardest in Cortez, Bradenton Beach
By Kathy prucnell, Sandy Ambrogi and ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Islander Reporters people in Cortez can’t believe the Florida Department of Transportation wants to build a 75-80-foot tall bridge through a little fishing village. The DOT announced its decision to build a $62 million fixed-span bridge to replace the existing 17.6-foot drawbridge at an April 23 Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting — an unpopular decision opposed 3-1 by people favoring repairs as surveyed by the DoT, through the November 2017 hearing. Jane von Hahmann, vice president of the 210-member Cortez-based Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage, said she and others in Cortez “were flabbergasted,” when they heard the news. Von Hahmann also is a former Manatee County commissioner who owns several properties in Cortez. She’s spoken to a number of FISH members, including Kim McVey, Kathe Fannon and Kris Martinez, and they can’t believe it either, von Hahmann added. “We’re just feeling like we’ve been slamming our heads against the wall for the last three years,” she said, adding the deci-
Patrons gather April 25 around the outside bar at the Tide Tables Restaurant and Marina at the mainland end of the Cortez Bridge, where a new 80-foot-tall bridge would rise above the waterfront. Islander Photo: Sandy Ambrogi
sion came when she thought the DOT was listening to Cortez’s concerns. Cortez historian Mary Fulford Green worked to put Cortez on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995, and the designation stopped a previously proposed high-level bridge, she said. “I’m still interested in knowing if they’re going to be using federal funds,” Green said, because federal money can’t be used to negatively impact the historic district. The district is bounded by Cortez Road to the north, Sarasota Bay on the south, 119th
1st AMI snowy plover nest documented. 24
Sounds in the storm. 25
Teams chase perfection on soccer field. 26 Endless fishing possibilities await. 27
ISL BIZ Business roundup. 30 CLASSIFIEDS. 32
www.islander.org
Young lifesaver earns recognition
Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Mike Jones and Deputy LeAna Cudzilo present Nicholas Costa, 7, of New Hampshire with a certificate of recognition at the April 26 Anna Maria commission meeting. Brother Jake, 4, and parents Jessica and Jeff watch on. For the story, see page 3. Islander Photo: Bianca Benedí
Street to the east and 124th Street Court to the west. Green called U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, for an answer, but didn’t hear back as of April 26. Construction for the new bridge would “wipe out” five streets and shutter businesses east of the bridge, she added. L.K. Nandam, DoT District 1 secretary, PLEASE SEE BridgE PAGE 2
Election complaint deemed ‘insufficient’
By ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Islander Reporter An election complaint filed by former Bradenton Beach Mayor Jack Clarke against then-Mayor Bill Shearon following the 2015 municipal election, was deemed “insufficient” by the Florida Elections Commission. Clarke took the mayor’s seat in May 2015 in a recall election, then lost to Shearon in a card draw after Shearon a tied vote of the electorate in November 2015. According to the April 23 response from FEC executive director Amy McKeever Toman, Clarke alleged that Shearon failed to report an expenditure for a joint mailing with then-commission candidate Janie Robertson. Additionally, the complaint alleged that by sending the joint mailing, Shearon was helping further Robertson’s candidacy. The letter stated that Shearon provided PLEASE SEE ElEction PAGE 3