Part 1
Compiled by Lisa Neff
Islander Editor
What made headlines in 2023?
News that broke last winter involved issues that dominated The Islander’s news pages and impacted island life throughout the year, including county and state attacks on municipal home rule, plans to sell one of two remaining trailer parks on AMI, a proposal to transform Bradenton Beach’s commercial district with a hotel resort, repeated delays in completing major infrastructure projects in Holmes Beach’s City Center — where a pedestrian and concerns about congestion and safety on island roads.
The Islander news pages carried reports of tragedy, including the death of a pedestrian in Holmes Beach and a bicyclist on the Anna Maria Island Bridge; of suffering, including the loss of prominent islanders; and of endurance, including weathering extreme storms.
The Islander news pages also carried reports of personal joys and community celebrations as people kept AMI traditions — parades and potlucks, festivals and fundraisers, market days and theatrical plays.
Read on in Flashback 2023, the first half of the year, with more to come next week.
January
- Holmes Beach eyes Feb. finish for City Center: Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said Sarasota-based C-Squared CGC could complete work on a $3 million improvement project by February, before high season.
- Wildlife rescues increase: Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Center Inc., which operates from a home in Bradenton Beach, saw a higher-than-usual number of birds suffering from exposure after a cold front moved in with Christmas 2022.
Anna Maria names 2 for Citizen of the Year: Anna Maria’s 2022 Citizen of the Year was to be shared by two people — former Anna Maria Commissioner Carol Carter and the late Suzi Fox, executive director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring. Fox also received The Islander of the Year award from the newspaper.
Campaign to halt Bradenton Beach hotel gains traction: Hunter Jensen launched a Change.org petition against a resort development proposed near the roundabout at Bridge Street and Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach.
Coast Guard rescues cruise passenger: Crew members from U.S. Coast Guard Station Cortez medevac’d a 43-year-old British national experiencing a cardiac event from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship offshore of AMI.
State Rep. drops bombshell on AMI cities: Kaboom! State Rep. Will Robinson Jr., R-Bradenton, ignited a powder keg of uncertainty for island cities, proposing legislation to void Holmes Beach’s parking garage prohibition and also to launch a study on consolidating the island cities.
AM moves forward with Pine Ave. improvements: Mayor Dan Murphy said the DOT completed its review of plans for Pine Avenue sidewalk and crosswalk improvements and issued its approval with “minor revisions.”
DEP fines for mangrove trimming: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued a proposed consent order that called for Long Bar Pointe and Medallion Homes on Sarasota Bay to pay $8,500 in fines for illegally cutting mangroves.
Counting casualties: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released a “manatee mortality” report for 2022, finding that 800 manatees died that year. The number was higher than the five-year average of 741 but lower than the 1,100 deaths in 2021.
BB mayor, commission consider dissolution of ScenicWAVES: Bradenton Beach commissioners’ discussion about appointing a new ScenicWAVES member turned into a conversation about whether the committee was needed.
Salem takes vacant AM seat: Anna Maria commissioners voted to appoint resident Charles “Charlie” Salem, a newcomer to politics in the city, to fill a seat vacated by Carol Carter.
State orders educators to cover books: The Manatee County School District was facing a challenge as it looked to implement new state legislation and regulations limiting content in classroom libraries. The measures had teachers cataloging classroom books.
County begins work on events area at Coquina: Manatee County was taking steps to create a new Coquina events area and planting the gridwork for a pathway to carry eventgoers’ footsteps.
Anna Maria greenlights food trucks: City commissioners voted to adopt an ordinance permitting food trucks to operate on cooperating private properties in the commercial-1 zoning district.
State fishes for feedback on pelican protections: The FWC held a three-hour workshop to solicit comments from more than 100 people on potential rules for the Skyway Fishing Pier State Park to reduce severe entanglements of birds.
February
Ethics board dismisses complaint against HBPD chief: The Florida Commission on Ethics found no probable cause to believe former Holmes Beach Commissioner Jayne Christenson’s claims that police Chief Bill Tokajer violated statutes by using and/or disclosing information not available to the general public.
DOT forum for Cortez Bridge draws questions: A Florida Department of Transportation forum on the design of a new Cortez Bridge drew 102 business owners, local officials and curious people to Kirkwood Presbyterian Church in Bradenton.
ScenicWAVES defends work to commission: Members of the Bradenton Beach ScenicWAVES group came together to ensure the survival of their committee, defending their record and plans before the city commission.
Bradenton Beach P&Z drafts parameters for outdoor dining: The planning and zoning board held a hearing on a proposed ordinance aimed at clarifying land development code stipulations for open-air dining.
State Rep: Consolidating cities off the table: Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said Feb. 9 that state Rep. Will Robinson Jr., R-Bradenton, agreed to kill a bill he proposed for a study into island governance that could have led to the consolidation or dissolution of AMI municipalities.
BB puts brakes on food truck operations: Bradenton Beach commissioners were putting the brakes on any food truck operations until they could draft some rules for the businesses.
Holmes Blvd. road work extended: Manatee County commissioners unanimously voted to approve a change order authorizing a 72-day extension to the construction schedule for a county force main project on Holmes Beach roadways.
State rep. files parking garage preemption bill: State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. filed a bill that would authorize Manatee County to construct a 36-foot-tall parking garage in Holmes Beach.
Gallery making move to mainland: Island Gallery West had been operating in the same location in Holmes Beach for 33 years when it announced it was moving to Bradenton.
County TDC boosts funds for historical society: The Anna Maria Island Historical Society, which for years raised dough with donations and bread sales, was in line for $100,000 in Manatee County tourist development tax dollars.
Anna Maria increases rental registration fees: City commissioners unanimously voted to adopt a resolution establishing vacation rental registration fees for 2023-24 based on maximum occupancy allowed under each registration, at $84.17 per allowed occupant.
Pines park offered to HOA: Notices at the Pines Trailer Park in Bradenton Beach announced HOA meetings based on an offer from the park owner, Jackson Partnership, to sell the property for $16 million.
Crews start new phase of buried utilities: The Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency was burying utilities along Third, Fourth, Fifth streets south and Bay Drive South between Fourth and Fifth.
State proposes changes to fishing regs at Skyway park: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission proposed a rule to modify regulations at the Skyway Fishing Pier State Park to protect pelicans and other birds from fishing activity.
County commission advocates parking garage takeover: The Manatee County Board of County Commissioners was unanimous in its support for House Bill 947, legislation that would authorize a parking garage in Holmes Beach.
HB says farewell to 2 key staff: City officials and staff gathered for a party in The Doctor’s Office Garden to celebrate the retirement of city planner Bill Brisson and treasurer Lori Hill.
March
Bradenton Beach Marina in new hands: City attorney Ricinda Perry discussed developments at a city meeting surrounding an offer from developer Shawn Kaleta to finance an upgrade of a city-owned parking lot on Church Avenue near the Bradenton Beach Marina, 402 Church Ave. The announcement confirmed a badly kept secret: Kaleta had purchased the marina.
Pines park offer to buy land rejected: The ownership of the Pines Trailer Park in Bradenton Beach rejected a purchase offer from the homeowners.
HB racer hits big $100K prize: McKenna Kitterman, a Holmes Beach resident and University of Central Florida student, won the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod held at Bradenton Motorsports Park.
HB roadwork pushed back: City engineer Sage Kamiya said Sarasota-based C-Squared CGC Inc. was projected to reopen Gulf Drive by the end of March and to reach substantial completion on the city center project by the end of April. “We’re getting close,” he said.
AM approves Mote extension: City commissioners voted to extend by 14 days a March 10 deadline for Mote to apply for a certificate of occupancy for an outreach center at the city pier.
Cortez Bridge challengers’ appeal dismissed: A federal appeal effort ended for a group challenging the Florida Department of Transportation’s plan to build a Cortez-Bradenton Beach megabridge.
AMOB negotiates expansion: Bradenton Beach commissioners and the mayor voted to approve changes to the Anna Maria Oyster Bar agreement allowing for an expansion of outdoor service at the Historic Bridge Street Pier.
Man drowns at AMI beach: A 75-year-old Georgia man drowned after losing his footing and falling in the Gulf of Mexico in Bradenton Beach.
Magistrate rules former HB commissioner violated code: Special magistrate Michael Connolly found former Holmes Beach Commissioner Jayne Christenson in violation of city code for advertising only a portion of her property at 132 49th St. as a vacation rental unit.
Early forecast: Average Atlantic hurricane season ahead: An early projection suggested the Atlantic hurricane season would bring 11-15 named storms.
Ian, Fiona get retired: The World Meteorological Organization’s hurricane committee retired Fiona and Ian from the rotating lists of Atlantic tropical cyclone names due to the death and destruction the storms caused.
MPO adopts transportation priorities: The Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization board met March 27 in Sarasota and approved a list of priorities for the region.
Deep well completed for Piney Point: A Fort Myers company completed a deep injection well to hold wastewater from the Piney Point phosphogypsum stacks in east Manatee County.
April
Army Corps seeks input on dredge project: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was dredging up public opinion about a proposed project in a large section of the Intracoastal Waterway.
County begins wastewater transfer at Piney Point: Manatee County transferred about 1.9 million gallons of industrial wastewater into a deep injection well the first week of April.
Churches call for pantry aid: Island churches in April were calling for help in restocking the Roser Food Pantry in Anna Maria.
Worshippers gather for 58th annual Kiwanis Easter service: The Kiwanis Club of Anna Maria Island held the 58th annual Easter sunrise service at the Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach.
Bradenton Beach chief takes code enforcement under his belt: City commissioners took steps to fill a vacancy created when Ron Peterson left the city in December 2022. The code department also moved over to the police department.
BB commission OKs agreement for water taxi: Bradenton Beach commissioners voted to approve revisions to an interlocal agreement with Manatee County for a water taxi service between Bradenton, Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria.
AMI cities unite on water quality campaign: Anna Maria Island’s three cities were leading a combined effort to improve local water quality.
Final phase of restoration starts at preserve: The Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage in Cortez began completing the final part of a four-phase project started in 2000 to return a 95-acre parcel to a natural state.
New turtle watch leader named: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch announced that Kristen Mazzarella was the new executive director and would succeed Suzi Fox, who died in 2022.
Pharmaceuticals found in Tampa Bay redfish: Florida International University and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust conducted a yearlong study and reported finding pharmaceutical contaminants in the blood and other tissues of redfish.
HOA purchase of Pines park fails: Negotiations failed between the land owner and the homeowners in the Pines Trailer Park in Bradenton Beach.
1st turtle nest marked on AMI: A female loggerhead crawled ashore April 18 on AMI, creating the first sea turtle nest of the 2023 season just days after Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring began patrolling the beaches.
County, Corps consider park project near Skyway: Will a spoil island or spit of new land reside someday in the shade of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge? Manatee County commissioners in April gave the go-ahead for their chair and their director of their parks and natural resources department to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a “Skyway Island Boat Ramp/ Park.”
Bradenton Beach puts paid parking study into drive: Commissioners approved a motion for a paid parking study and directed city attorney Ricinda Perry, Mayor John Chappie, building official Steve Gilbert, public works director Tom Woodard and Police Chief John Cosby to research and seek quotes for a paid-parking program for city-owned lots.
Fire district advances rate hike: West Manatee Fire Rescue District commissioners voted unanimously to draft a resolution establishing a 4% increase in fire assessment rates for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.
AM settles litigation over party houses: City commissioners voted on motions to approve settlement agreements with the owners of property at 205 S. Bay Blvd. — Beach to Bay Investments Inc. — and at 313 Magnolia Ave. — Mangoes on Magnolia LLC.
TDC backs $425K water taxi subsidy: Tourism officials showed enthusiasm for the prospect of launching a ferry service between Bradenton and Anna Maria Island for the July 4 weekend by recommending the county subsidize the service.
MCSO rescues swimmers at north end: Deputies with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office rescued two swimmers — a man and a child — swimming off Bean Point.
State to study Cortez Road corridor: The Florida Department of Transportation secured support from Manatee County commissioners for its “Cortez Road Vision and Action Plan” study after outlining a need for a “refined vision for the corridor and identification of specific projects.”
Tourism council backs Coquina trail plan: The county tourist development council reviewed and backed a plan to rebuild a multipurpose beach path in Bradenton Beach.
Cortez Seafood Shack hits the market: Vandyk Properties, a Canadian-based development company and owner of the Seafood Shack, put the restaurant and surrounding properties on the market for $15 million.
HB gives nod to restaurant site plan: City commissioners reached a consensus to move forward with a site plan and outdoor dining request for the Bohemian Restaurant, 5910 Marina Drive, owned by Tampa chef and Anna Maria Island native Jeannie Pierola.
May
Anna Maria-Mote center opens: Opening day finally arrived May 5 for the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium Outreach Center at the Anna Maria City Pier.
Parking garage bill heads to DeSantis: Legislation that would allow Manatee County to construct a parking garage in Holmes Beach despite the city’s height limits and ban on such structures was sent to the governor.
HB construction picks up again, local businesses suffer: Work on Manatee County’s force main replacement project on Holmes Boulevard was again ramping up and businesses in the “downtown” area of Holmes Beach were finding access to their shopping centers and stores limited.
Anna Maria rejects bid for Pine Ave.: Anna Maria commissioners voted to reject an undisclosed bid from Sarasota-based C-Squared CGC to complete sidewalk improvements along the commercial corridor.
Cortez stone crab season claws to a close: Florida stone crabbers hauled in their traps, leaving stone crabs to repopulate until Oct. 15, when the harvest season would begin anew.
Offer to buy Pines Park noticed: Homeowners in the Pines Trailer Park in Bradenton Beach received notice of an offer from an unknown entity seeking to purchase the parkland.
Seaside Gardens residents hash over FEMA improvements: A handful of Seaside Gardens residents attended a Holmes Beach commission meeting to discuss a proposal to allow owners to raise their homes above the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s base flood elevation height.
New AME-PTO board installed: AME-PTO president Jen Serra, vice president Caroline Liebfried, secretary Morgan Blackburn and treasurer Jamie Hinckle were elected to head the school PTO for the next year.
Anna Maria’s outdoor market closes up: The 2022-23 season at the Anna Maria Farmers Market was slowing down before it ended May 9, evidenced by the absence of some of the 14 vendors in City Pier Park.
Feds show concern for bird casualties at Skyway: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service committed to exploring options to address the injury and death of Tampa Bay birds at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier State Park.
Safety measures follow deadly HB crash: Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer told The Islander that the city was set to adjust the traffic signals at the intersection of Gulf and Marina drives to better protect pedestrians after a motorist struck two people in a crosswalk, injuring islander Deborah Trotter, and killing her mother, Miriam.
Seafood Shack owners extend negotiations: The owners of the Seafood Shack properties extended their timeline as they said they were negotiating for the sale of the Cortez property.
Feds forecast ‘near-normal’ hurricane season: The federal Atlantic hurricane season forecast called for a “near-normal” season of 12-17 named storms, including 5-9 hurricanes.
Island restaurant ordered to pay damages: The U.S. Department of Labor recovered $60,065 in back wages and damages for a former employee of Wicked Cantina in Bradenton Beach.
June
Federal judge denies motion to dismiss discrimination suit: Judge Charlene Honeywell of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida denied the city of Holmes Beach’s motion to dismiss developer Shawn Kaleta’s lawsuit against the municipality for its alleged “anti-Kaleta policy.”
Scenic highway extended on AMI: Florida Department of Transportation scenic highway coordinator Darryl Richard announced that a request to extend the Palma Sola Scenic Highway in Holmes Beach was approved.
State budget includes $1M for AME: Gov. Ron DeSantis’ budget, signed June 15, included funding for the Manatee County School District’s Guy Harvey Academy of Arts and Sciences, which is based at Anna Maria Elementary in Holmes Beach.
Bradenton Beach welcomes new officers: Bradenton Beach Police Chief John Cosby introduced Evan Harbus as a code enforcement officer and Ryan Gagliano as a police officer during a city commission meeting.
AMI water main collapses: There was a “catastrophic” collapse of one of two water mains to Anna Maria Island. About 1,000 feet of a 16-inch water main attached to the underside of the Anna Maria Island Bridge on Manatee Avenue collapsed, falling into Anna Maria Sound.
Gov. signs parking garage bill: Gov. Ron DeSantis filed a transmittal letter stating that he approved 10 bills, including HB 947, filed by Rep. Will Robinson Jr., R-Bradenton, and authorizing the county to construct a parking garage at Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach.
Editor’s note: Look for part 2 of The Islander’s Flashback 2023 special report in the Jan. 3 issue.
