The Islander Newspaper E-Edition: Wednesday, July. 15, 2020

Page 1

#aMItogether

VOLUME 28, NO. 38

the Best news on anna maria island Since 1992 astheworldterns look for better attitudes. 6

Ready, set, pump sand!

manatee county health director Q&a. 3 Visitors share appreciation for new pier. 4

Meetings. 4 HB closes in on permit parking. 5

Opinions. 6 10-20 YEARS AGO

looking back. 7

HB budget talks. 8

Happenings announcements. 10 center reopens. 11

GoodDeeds. 11 RoadWatch. 12 Bridge Street flips the switch. 13 time’s up for cortez stilt house. 14 landscape changes in cortez preserve. 15 royal treatment for rescued deer. 15

Cops, Courts & Streetlife. 16-17 Gathering.

18

Obituaries.

18

testing follows longboat Key sewer spill. 19

NESTING NOTES. 20

a stink by the shore. 21

Skimming AMI. 22 center resumes adult soccer. 22

islander.org Beach renourishment rolls south from Holmes Beach, where equipment lines the shore July 8 near 77th Street. the $17.3 million project funded by the federal, state and manatee county governments will restore beaches to longboat Pass, moving several blocks each day. the sand is pumped ashore from a borrow pit by a dredge vessel. Sea turtle nests are being relocated from the area to hand-dug nests in anna maria to protect eggs and hatchlings from being buried in the sand. for more on renourishment, see nesting notes, page 20. islander Photo: chrisann allen

Pressure mounts to lift COVID-19 bar restrictions By ryan Paice islander reporter

Bar owners on both Florida’s coasts are launching challenges against the state’s suspension of alcohol service at bars. Bars that are licensed to serve alcohol and less than 50% food are impacted, while restaurants that serve alcohol and more than 50% food were exempted by the state. Joe Cuervo, owner of the Drift In, 120 Bridge St., Bradenton Beach, confirmed July 10 that he and a group of local bar owners, including Bob Tingler, owner of the Anchor Inn in Holmes Beach, would initiate a classaction lawsuit against the state so their busi-

Top Notch Week 1: Pool fun anne ricci of Holmes Beach takes the prize in the first week of the islander’s 2020 top notch photo contest with this summer-strong photograph of her great-grandson, Jayden Jenkins, cartwheeling into the swimming pool June 9 at ricci’s home. ricci won an islander “more-than-a-mullet wrapper� t-shirt and entry into the finals, which offers a grand prize of $100 from the islander and gift certificates from islander advertisers. for more on the contest, see page 12.

mangoes on the hook. 23 CLASSIFIEDS. 24

NYT puzzle.

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nesses could resume operations and recover monetary damages suffered due to the state’s “discriminatory� policies. “It’s going to be a long process,� Cuervo said. “But we’re the only ones who have been shut down and it’s really unfair.� A June 26 emergency order from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation prohibited on-premises consumption of alcoholic beverages at bars to slow the spread of COVID-19. The DBPR amended the order July 1 to allow bars licensed to sell food to resume selling cocktails at their establishments, but five of the island’s seven bars lack food ser-

vice licenses. Bars without food service licenses — the Drift In, Sports Lounge and Tommy Knockers in Bradenton Beach and the Anchor Inn and D.Coy Ducks in Holmes Beach — were limited to the sale of packaged alcohol and to-go beverages. “It’s not enough,� Cuervo said. “I’m losing money daily.� Cuervo argued the state order discriminates against bars because it fails to also restrict alcohol sales at restaurants. He said his clientele hadn’t stopped going out to drink, they just went to restaurants instead. PleaSe, See bars, Page 2


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