Happy Father’s Day
VOLUME 30, NO. 34
The Best news on anna maria island since 1992
JUNE 15, 2022 Free
islander.org
Meetings 4
AM moves toward beachbuild approval
LBK considers Beer can boater restrictions. 5
By ryan Paice islander reporter
astheworldterns. 6
Q&A 061522
3
budget talks 4
White’s whale shark
RoadWatch 5 Opinions 6
10-20 YeArs Ago
Looking back. 7
Legislation could soften insurance market. 8 HB water committee discusses sample results. 8
$$$$$$$$
ami values rise. 9
save the date. 10-11
Happenings What’s up on ami?
10-11 surf’s up for island son. 12 Top notch contest opens. 13
Gathering. 14
Obituary 14
Cops & Courts 16
Streetlife. 16
amiTW: conservation instruction. 18
‘Pop’ photography. 19 summer sports. 20 dad’s day on the water. 21
Isl Biz: 22 cLASSIFIEDS. 24-25
PropertyWatch. 26
NYT puzzle. 27
find The islander archive dating to november 1992 online at the university of florida digital newspaper collection at ufdc.ufl.edu.
a 30-foot whale shark, one of a pod of four observed June 6 about 40 miles off anna maria island in the gulf of mexico, checks out the charter fishing boat captained by david White of anna maria charters. for more, see fishing, page 21.
It looks as if the path to build on the Elm Avenue beachfront is clearing. City commissioners unanimously voted June 9 to approve — with one stipulation — a right-of-way use permit allowing the development of vehicle access to an undeveloped lot at 105 Elm Ave. It may be the final hurdle to build a home on the controversial property, seaward of existing homes and previously thought to be unbuildable. In order for the permit to be approved, the applicant must better address drainage at the end of Elm and commissioners must approve the revised plan. The permit would allow a 12-foot-wide, 68-foot-long access drive, consisting of 12-inch-thick 250 rock mix alongside the existing beach path and pedestrian bridge. The access drive would connect to a proposed 2,144-square-foot three-story singlefamily home that owner Fedora Campbell has contracted to build for $1.635 million. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection provided a notice to proceed and a permit for the proposed development in June 2020. The proposed home would be built in the city’s conservation zone, which allows limTurn To beach build, Page 3
it’s a race! 2nd challenger steps up in HB By ryan Paice islander reporter
The competition is heating up over three seats up for grabs in Holmes Beach this November. Four candidates, including two incumbents, had filed forms as of June 10 with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office to qualify to run in this year’s municipal election. The November ballot will determine who wins the mayoral post and two city commission seats. Mayor Judy Titsworth, who served as a city commissioner 2012-18 and has served as mayor 2018-22, was one of the two incumbents to qualify for reelection. While no candidate had completed the process to oppose Titsworth as of June 10, incumbent Commissioner Kim Rash wrote in a June 7 text message to The Islander that he is interested in running for mayor. “I don’t know if I’m going to run for commissioner but I’m really thinking about
the mayor position,” Rash wrote. Rash was first elected to the commission in 2018 and reelected in 2020 with 28.72% of a four-way vote. Meanwhile, incumbent Commissioner Jayne Christenson has filed the required paperwork to run for another two-year term. Christenson was first elected as commissioner diggins in 2020 with 25.36% of a four-way vote. Christenson will compete with at least two other candidates, including Daniel Diggins and Greg Kerchner, for her seat. Kerchner The two highest votegetters will be elected. Diggins challenged former Commissioner Marvin Grossman for appointment to a commission seat in 2016, when Grossman Turn To hb elecT, Page 2
Cortez matriarch dies June 9 cortez Village Historical society founder mary fulford green — often called the matriarch of cortez — serves strawberry shortcake to benefit the cortez Village Historical society at the 2004 cortez commercial fishing festival. mrs. green died June 9. full obituary, page 14. islander file Photo