VOLUME
NO. 10
Happy New Year — Finally!
DEC. 30, 2020 fREE
The Best News on Anna Maria Island Since 1992
astheworldterns. 6 Privateers embark on Golden Jubilee. 2 Holiday closures. 3 Bird tally delivered. 3 1st cOVID-19 vaccinations in Manatee. 4
Meetings. 4 AM, HB share 2021 goals. 5
Opinions. 6 10-20 YEARS AGO
Looking back. 7
Fundraising continues for community center. 8 HB upgrades rental sleuthing. 9 The Islander poll. 9
What’s up on AMI 10
Happenings Announcements. 11
AMe takes on new tech. 12 THx to AMITW. 13
Gathering.
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GoodDeeds. 18 Streetlife. 20
ISL BIZ Options to kick off 2021. 22 Getting out, active. 24
Skygazing in 2021. 25 Sports get big chill. 26 Winter conditions challenge anglers. 27
NYT puzzle.
Pier opening ‘best’ 2020 gift for islanders By Ryan Paice Islander Reporter
People on Anna Maria Island were enjoying one of 2020’s best gifts months before the holiday season came around. The new Anna Maria City Pier opened on a limited basis in June for the first time since Hurricane Irma closed the historic pier in September 2017, but full access to the $6.8 million structure and its grill and bait shop opened earlier in December — just in time for the holidays. Multiple city officials, Murphy including Mayor Dan Murphy and Commissioner Mark Short, named the pier’s completion the city’s top accomplishment of 2020. “The opening of the Anna Maria City An angler wets his line Dec. 23 at the T-end of the Anna Maria city Pier as a paddlePier, now with its grill and bait shop, is the boarder pushes along in the bay. The pier and its grill and bait shop fully opened earlier best gift the city could give to island resi- in December. Islander Photo: Ryan Paice dents and visitors at this time of year,” Commissioner Carol Carter told The Islander “We’ve been coming “It’s nice to be able to get out here and go Dec. 23. down here for years, so we fishing and I think it looks amazing.” The attraction was packed with visiwere really pleased to hear Sarasota-resident Kim Schmeits, sipping tors and anglers despite a chilly December the pier was open again,” a beverage outside the bait shop window, told breeze the day before Christmas Eve. Muffie said. “We love it out The Islander that — despite living nearby — Island-themed tunes hummed from the here. It’s just special.” the pier is his “little getaway.” T-end’s loud speakers, broken up only by the carter Chicago-resident Isaiah “We just hop up here occasionally,” grill’s occasional order announcements and Rosas told The Islander that Schmeits said. “We love it here. It’s very the sound of anglers casting their lines. he caught a few mullet, relaxed.” Tampa-resident Marion Muffie, with which he kept in a bucket of “We live in paradise, right? But we come fishing pole in hand, told The Islander her water to his side, but didn’t here and feel a little bit like we’re on vacafamily hadn’t had much luck fishing at the have a knife to clean the tion,” Schmeits added. T-end, but was enjoying it regardless. fish, so he’d probably have By 5 p.m., the canned island-style music “The only thing we caught today was Short to toss them back. floating across the T-end gave way to live a shell,” Muffie said with a chuckle. “But Regardless, Rosas said music by Trevor Bystrom and percussionist we’re just crappy at fishing! We’re having he was enjoying fishing at the pier while vis- James Hershey, “island-grown” musicians a good time.” iting family on the island. He called the pier who perform at a variety of island venues. She added that they visit the area a one of the best fishing spots on the island, Fishing coincides with the grill and bait couple of times a year to fish at the end of adding that he missed the pier in prior visits shop hours, which are 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunthe pier, but hadn’t visited since the historic when it was closed. days-Thursdays and 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays pier was shut down. “I love having the pier back,” he said. and Saturdays.
Flashback 2020: Year in Review
Get in the game. 21
CLASSIFIEDS. 28
islander.org
Part I
compiled by Lisa Neff Islander editor
2020 is nearly in the rearview mirror. The year began on Anna Maria Island with the traditional fireworks and fanfare and the winter tourist season nearly ran its course. Vacationers joined islanders and seasonal residents in Friday night gallery walks, attended the theater, played bingo, browsed the library stacks and crowded onto the beaches as well as into stores, restaurants, bars and on the fare-free trolley. The island scene was happening, but then came March and a deadly pandemic that
breached the paradise bubble and changed every aspect of island life. Early that month, The Islander carried the headline, “Spring break brings virus concerns” and a report that a “new issue, coronavirus or COVID-19, may keep some folks closer to home this year.” A week later, the front page headline in The Islander read, “COVID-19 cautions spark cancellations.” Then, March 25, the newspaper reported, “COVID-19 snowballs, AMI beaches closed.” This issue contains The Islander’s traditional review of the first half of 2020, which was anything but traditional.
A Safe New Year's Eve Join us in our outdoor space The Doctor's Garden, next to The Doctor's Office. Six chef-crafted courses, wine, and champagne. Call (941) 281-5595 to reserve your seat.
5312 Holmes Blvd, Holmes Beach FL Reservations Start at 5:30pm
January Megabridge fight goes to appeal court: The fight over the planned Cortez megabridge was headed to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal. Opponents of the Florida Department of Transportation’s plan to build a 65-foot-clearance fixed filed notice of their intent to appeal the DOT denial of a hearing to the district court. Beach resorts change hands: Two Bradenton Beach motel mainstays changed hands and management. The Seaside Beach Resort, 2200 Gulf Drive, and Tropic Isle Beach Resort, 101 22nd St. N., were purchased by an investors group including TuRN TO flashback, PAGe 14