VOLUME
Celebrate Earth!
NO. 26
APRIL 21, 2021 fRee
The Best news on Anna Maria island Since 1992
Astheworldterns. 6 AM planners send lot splits to commission. 3
Q&A 042121
3
#VaxupManatee. 4
Meetings. 4 Opinions. 6 10-20 YEARS AGO
looking back. 7
BB-DoT meeting set for reveal. 8 HB tracks state bills of interest. 9
Save a date. 10
Happenings Activities. 11 Center in red, appeals with fundraisers. 12 AME principal to retire. 13
Gathering. 14 Obituaries. 14
AMI’s racing sea turtle on return trek
islander.org
By Kelsey Mako islander reporter
Bortie the loggerhead sea turtle is on the move toward a familiar destination. Satellite tracking data shows Bortie — adopted by island turtle enthusiasts years ago — moving north in the Gulf toward Anna Maria Island, where the Sea Turtle Conservancy began tracking the loggerhead in 2018. STC is an international organization dedicated to helping endangered or threatened sea turtles survive through tracking, education and research. Bortie, as of April 13, was southwest of Cape Coral, south of AMI. In June 2018, Bortie was captured and outfitted with a tracking device after nesting at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach. Bortie spent much of the past three years swimming in a feeding area near the Florida About 100 people watch in June 2018 as Bortie, a loggerhead sea turtle with a satellite Keys, Dan Evans of the Sea Turtle Conser- tracker attached to its shell, makes tracks on its path to the gulf of Mexico. islander file Turn To BoRtIe, pAgE 2
photo: Jack Elka
On watch for Piney Point pollution By lisa neff islander Editor
“He’s got a snook! Close to 30 inches,” Capt. Scott Moore shouted April 15. Moore was guiding a fishing trip in Terra Ceia. Mote to focus on awareHis delight that morning diverged from ness at city pier. 16 the dismay of April 14, when he had steered Stilt-house owner puts his boat to Bishop Harbor to assess condifaith in lawmaker. 17 tions after an estimated 215 million gallons of wastewater flowed from the defunct Piney Cops&Courts 18-19 Point phosphorus plant to the Tampa Bay estuary. Streetlife. 18 Controlled discharges began March 30 and continued until April 9 in an effort to Committee halts horseback riding debate. 20 avoid a large-scale breach at the site and the collapse of the phosphogypsum stack Shorebird season system. Some “low-level” seepage from a begins. 22 containment area was observed after authorized discharges ceased and, as of April 14, about 222 million gallons remained in the protect land, lots of compartment. land. 23 On April 14, Moore observed brown and greenish water at Bishop Harbor. He didn’t Women’s golf tops find dead fish, but he noticed a lack of fish. scorecard at KrC. 24 “On the other side of the Skyway, the water’s not so good,” Moore told The Springtime fishing. 25 Islander April 15. island cities eye tourism The Holmes Beach captain, who’s $$$. 26 guided charters for four decades and in 2019 was inducted into the Manatee County ISL BIZ: revolving Agriculture Hall of Fame for his conservadoors. 27 tion efforts, remains chiefly concerned with CLASSIFIEDS. 28 a cascading impact from the nutrient-rich — red tide, fish kills, seagrass PropertyWatch. 30 wastewater destruction, habitat loss. The pollution in Bishop Harbor isn’t the puzzle. first from Piney Point. Waste dumped there
NYT
Estate to donate preserve land to HB By ryan paice islander reporter
Capt. Scott Moore of Holmes Beach on the water April 15. Moore is guiding fishing charters on and around Tampa Bay and also keeping watch following the discharge of nutrient-heavy water from the piney point phosphate site. islander Courtesy photo
in 1970 killed fish and about 170 million gallons of polluted water spilled into the harbor and Tampa Bay in 2011. “We’ve been going through this for years, since the ’60s. There is no excuse. This shouldn’t have happened,” said Moore, who lays blame on Piney Point ownership and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Holmes Beach soon will have a new preserve to neighbor Grassy Point. City commissioners voted 5-0 April 13 to authorize Mayor Judy Titsworth to sign Earth Day 2021 an agreement to receive the “Hames Family Preserve” — more than 22 acres of upland and submerged lands adjacent to the preserve — from the estate of Cedar Hames, who died in 2018. The agreement states, “The city’s acceptance of title to the property is for the purpose of promoting open space, preserving protected lands and providing flood and climate change mitigation.” Nora Scholin, a surviving sister and estate representative, told commissioners she is giving the city all but three residential parcels from the 26-acre property. “It was very difficult to try to preserve as much of this property as possible, but I was very determined to do that,” Scholin said. “It’s up to you to move forward with this.” The agreement establishes that the city must continue to identify the propTurn To pReseRVe, pAgE 5
Turn To pollutIoN, pAgE 5
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