APRIL 27, 2022 free
VOLUME 30, NO. 27
the Best news on Anna maria island Since 1992
islander.org
aM agrees to extend Motepier timeline
Astheworldterns. 6 trolley drops facemask orders. 3
Q&a 042722
3
Meetings 4
county scrambles for water taxi. 4
By ryan Paice islander reporter
The long wait is to be continued. Anna Maria commissioners voted 4-1 April 22 to extend a contract through March 1, 2023, with Mote Marine Laboratory for an educational outreach center in the vacant 1,800-square-foot building on the pier. They also directed the city to work with Mote on contract revisions to add intermittent deadlines — or Mote will risk voiding their lease with the city. Commissioner Mark Short voted “no,” stating frustration with Mote’s lack of production through that point. This isn’t the first push for the project’s timeline. Mote first presented its proposal to city commissioners last February and, early in the lease negotiation process, city officials projected a December 2021-January 2022 opening date. organized fishermen of florida-cortez chapter By the time Mote entered a 10-year lease members and helpers pose April 23 at Blenker Boatworks in Bradenton with debris they collected with the city for the installation and operation of the proposed outreach center in Sepduring a cleanup. About 35 volunteers gathered tember 2021, the opening date had moved to trash for four hours, including at an abandoned March-April 2022. homeless encampment in the mangroves near However, Mote delayed presenting the miguel Pass in the terra ceia Aquatic Preserve. final conceptual plans for the outreach center left: Stewart Susser, 10, of Anna maria, left, until the April 22 city meeting — much less and Jason Bussey, 9, of cortez, hold baskets of
BB charter committee assembles. 5
Opinions 6
10-20 Years ago
looking back. 7
Beach access dispute heats up. 8
Cops & Courts 8 fire district may hike rates. 9
Cops & Courts 8
OFF tidies up its workspace
Save the date. 10-11
Happenings community events. 10-11
registration opens. 13
Gathering. 14
GoodDeeds 14 Obituaries 14 center explores next green step. 15 BB reaffirms clam campaign. 20 Arbor day events. 21
garbage collected from the mangrove shoreline during the off event. islander Photos: courtesy Alexis meschelle
tourism tide rises to record By Kane Kaiman islander reporter
The sand dollars continue to pour in. Consultant Anne Wittine and Sarasota Bradenton International Airport COO Mark Stuckey shared statistics related to Manatee nesting notes. 22 County’s tourism boom at an April 18 tourist development council meeting at the county administration building in Bradenton. Wittine, director of quantitative research Sandbites. 23 at Research Data Services, said almost all Youth soccer kicks off. 24 February 2022 tourism metrics surpassed benchmark data points from February 2020, Anglers adjust. 25 which had been a record-setting month. Isl Biz: 26 Total visitors increased 6.3% from 2020 and length of stay increased 12.5%, a trend Stone crab season winds related to growing numbers of tourists from down. 27 outside the state. CLASSIFIEDS. 28-29 The county experienced a more than $200 million economic impact from tourPropertyWatch 30 ism in February, a record-breaking achievepuzzle. 31 ment.
NYT
aMi toUrisM: endless season While occupancy decreased about 2% from 2020, rental properties commanded higher-than-ever fees. “This has never happened before in the entire time that I have looked at tourism information from the Bradenton, Anna Maria, Longboat Key area — we had properties with average daily rates over $500 for January and February,” Wittine said. The data described a changing mixture of visitors to the area. Tourists from within the state decreased 30.9% from 2021 — still a 20.4% increase from 2020 — while out-of-state visitors turn to toUrisM, PAge 4
turn to Mote, PAge 2
check your watch: it’s turtle time on aMi
Lights out. Action. Sea turtle nesting season officially begins May 1 and with it comes the enforcement of measures intended to safeguard nesting female sea turtles — mostly loggerheads on AMI — and the hatchlings that eventually emerge from the beachfront nests left to incubate on their own. The southeastern United States hosts the world’s largest nesting aggregation of loggerhead turtles and AMI sees its share. To protect the nesting activity, regulations require dark beaches clear of obstacles at night. Beachfront, near beach residents and visitors are reminded to: • Close curtains. • Turn out lights along the shore or use turtle-friendly fixtures and bulbs. • Fill holes in the sand. • Remove beach gear by dusk. For more, see page 22.