Happy Fourth of July
VOLUME 28, NO. 36
JULY 1, 2020 Free
the Best news on anna maria island since 1992 astheworldterns wish you a united holiday. 6 Businesses close as coVid-19 spikes. 4
Let summer begin for AMI
celebrate america, be counted. 4
Meetings. 4
islander.org looking south from anna maria to Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach June 20, the official start of summer, beachgoers appear to be social distancing with their families and groups, many clustered under canopies. islander Photo: Jack elka
coVid-19 cases double on ami. 5 Preparing for the primary. 5
Opinions. 6
fear and loathing on ami?
10-20 YEARS AGO
looking back. 7
HB contracts lobbyists, dredging, drainage improvements. 8 center staffer tests positive for virus. 8
Happenings announcements. 10-11 am code changes, new sign regs adopted. 12 anna maria discusses pier lease, opening. 13
Top Notch
Photo contest launches. 14 message in a bottle travels from ami to Bermuda. 15
Streetlife. 16 law enforcement readies for July 4. 17
Gathering. 18
PropertyWatch. 19 ISL BIZ: 19 NESTING NOTES. 20 a blockbuster 4th. 21 center sports halted due to coVid-19. 22 fishing action: from hot to hotter. 23 CLASSIFIEDS. 24
NYT puzzle.
27
Pandemic surges, 2 of 3 island cities mandate masks By ryan Paice islander reporter
Hard decisions come to all levels of leadership in a pandemic. Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees issued a public health advisory June 24 announcing people “should” wear face masks when social distancing can’t be maintained. Add Gov. Ron DeSantis to the “should” proponents, who said at a June 26 news conference that wearing face masks should be voluntary, ands that a statewide requirement to wear masks “probably would backfire.” That same day, the Florida Department of Health reported a record-high 9,564 new cases of COVID-19. The number broke the state’s previous record of 8,816 cases in a
single day, which was set the day before on June 25. Manatee County commissioners also balked June 24 at the idea of mandating masks to slow the spread of the virus. Instead of implementing a requirement, the county commission approved a statement, which endorsed Rivkees’ advisory and authorized a public health alert using the reverse 911 system to urge residents to adhere to the advisory. The statement also voiced support for businesses that require patrons to wear masks inside their establishments, as well as those that uphold social distancing when masks are removed. Without requirements from the state or county, the cities of Anna Maria and Holmes
Beach independently adopted policies June 25 to make wearing face masks mandatory in many public situations. “If wearing a mask would save a life, why would you not do it?” said Holmes Beach Commissioner Carol Soustek. Holmes Beach commissioners voted unanimously for an emergency ordinance requiring people to wear face masks if they are inside a business, as well as outdoors if they can’t maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet from people outside their family or group. Employees and patrons of local businesses must wear face masks — covering their nose and mouth — inside the business. However, restaurant patrons can remove Please, see Pandemic, Page 2
Holmes Beach considers owner-resident parking permits By chrisann allen islander reporter
He said it was a “work in progress.” Now, progress is proceeding. When Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer recommended the removal of about 1,100 on-street parking spaces in late April, commissioners agreed to the plan on Tokajer’s assurance it would be tweaked. At a teleconferenced commission meeting June 23, Tokajer presented a draft ordinance for a “parking-by-permit-only zone.” If approved, residents and owners would obtain decals for parking 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in 619 of the 1,100 prohibited parking spots. After 5 p.m., parking in the zone would open to the public. “We do not think that our sunset crowd is our concern,” he said. “Plus, if you have a dinner party at your house, chances are that would be after 5 p.m.”
Mayor Judy Titsworth in the wake of coronavirus closures. The move was meant to reduce congestion and trash near neighborhood beach accesses. However, people from on and off the island were divided over the decision, which limited parking near publicly funded beaches and, some said, pushed traffic into Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria. In letters to officials and on social media, some people complained the decision was made too quickly, with little input, while others commended the city action. a family walks the path to the shoreA similar permit parking ordinance was line June 24 at the White avenue beach approved 3-2 by the commission in 2016, access in Holmes Beach. islander Photo: but was vetoed by then-Mayor Bob Johnson. chrisann allen Mayor Judy Titsworth said June 23 the new proposal was adapted from the 2016 ordiTokajer’s effort to inventory and remove nance. on-street parking was made at the behest of Please, see Parking, Page 3
THERE'S TAKEOUT, AND THEN THERE'S GREAT TAKEOUT.