MAY 11, 2022 free
VOLUME 30, NO. 29
the Best news on anna Maria island Since 1992 astheworldterns. 6
Q&A 051122
3
Parking rehash. 4
Meetings 4 BBPd chief appeals for funding. 4
10-20 YEArs Ago
Looking back. 7
Stilt-house case remains dormant. 8 ScenicWaVeS looks at bike trail. 9
Save the date. 10
Happenings community events. 11 Scholars honored. 12
aMe-Pto seeks putters, sponsors. 13
Gathering. 14
Obituaries. 14 arbor day adds to canopy. 15 Where’s Tuna Street.
toP: a specialized fWc landing boat attempts to subdue an injured manatee May 4 in Palma Sola Bay. aBoVe: a manatee injured by a watercraft became the subject of a fWc May 4 rescue attempt. islander Photos: courtesy Joe arena
Injury prompts boater reminder: Watch out for manatees By robert anderson islander reporter
An injured manatee May 4 eluded capture attempts in Palma Sola Bay. But the situation provided an opportu16-17 nity for a reminder from the Florida Fish and HB parks committee Wildlife Conservation Commission to boatprepping for plots. 19 ers and personal watercraft operators: Keep your eyes peeled for the large mammals. Cops & Courts 20 FWC wildlife technician Hannah Garcelon spoke with The Islander May 5 regarding Streetlife. 20 the rescue attempt. eyes wide for birds. 22 “We were watching a positively buoyant manatee. We’ve been watching him for about a week and a half,” Garcelon said. “It eew! ugh! oh! 23 looks like he is progressing in a way that he might be able to get better on his own but Play on. 24 if he needs that assistance, then we can get tarpon entice anglers. 25 him out.” “Positively buoyant” is FWC terminolIsl Biz: 26 ogy for a manatee that can not properly dive another tourist record. 27 or submerge. The animal had been injured by a waterCLASSIFIEDS. 28-29 craft, according to Garcelon. This time of year, with warmer weather PropertyWatch. 30 and warmer waters, manatees are leaving puzzle. 31 winter shelters, such as Tampa Electric Co.
NYT
county consults contractors on water taxi By ryan Paice islander reporter
Opinions 6
add ‘Psychic’ to your future. 14
islander.org
power plant outflow, Homosassa and Crystal River, to move into bays, estuaries and the nearshore Gulf. And, this time of year, manatees are mating. They search for shallower water when they are mating, making them more susceptible to the dangers posed by boats and PWCs. So the FWC recommends boaters: • Obey posted waterway signs. Boaters are encouraged to familiarize themselves with FWC manatee and boating safety zone maps when planning trips. • Use propeller guards appropriately if they have a guard on their vessel. Boaters can reduce their speed while using a prop guard to give manatees time to get out of the way. A slower speed also reduces the chance that the guard will harm a manatee if it is struck. • Avoid traveling in seagrasses or other shallow areas where manatees may be feeding or resting. Look out for manatees and give them space. For more information, including safety zone maps, go online to myfwc.com.
Manatee County might have a long way to go before its proposed water taxi service hits the waves. Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau director Elliott Falcione, who was tasked with launching the service, said May 3 he’s working with potential operators to hammer out a more defined concept. Local officials have discussed creating a water taxi service for several years to alleviate traffic and provide an alternative travel route between the island and mainland. The county began its own efforts to move the idea forward earlier this year and issued an invitation to bid for an operator, but there was no response to call by the March 30 deadline. Falcione attended the Manatee County Council of Governments May 3 meeting to update local leaders about the county’s efforts to move forward. He said he’d contacted several water taxi and ferry operators from across the state to gather feedback, such as recommended vessel specifications, to better define the proposed service.
turn to water taxi, Page 2
cities plan projects with fed funds By ryan Paice islander reporter
Federal funds are accelerating two island cities’ plans for infrastructure improvements. The U.S. American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion federal stimulus bill signed into law in March by President Joe Biden, committed $78.2 million to Manatee County and $3,537,200 to Anna Maria Island’s three cities. Funding includes: • $740,432 for Anna Maria; • $640,592 for Bradenton Beach; • $2,156,176 for Holmes Beach. The federal government released half of the funding May 10, 2021, and was set to release the second half May 10 — a year after the initial disbursement. The money can be applied to a variety of uses, such as replenishing lost revenue, bolstering nonprofit organizations, responding to public health emergencies, as well as funding infrastructure and environmental projects. turn to fed funds, Page 2