Islanders shared “hurrahs” in 2023 as they cheered on a tagged loggerhead crawling from the beach to the Gulf, college-bound students with scholarships to bank and campaigns to fundraise and have fun.
And islanders in 2023 shared “harrumphs” as they blasted drives from AMI to Tallahassee to change the island way of life and the way the island looks.
A look back at the second half of 2023.
July
County restores water line: Both lanes of the Anna Maria Island Bridge reopened following repairs to a collapsed water main on the underside of the bridge.
Bradenton man drowns: A 71-year-old Bradenton man drowned in the Gulf of Mexico in Bradenton Beach.
1st sea turtle hatchlings emerge: The first loggerhead hatchlings of the nesting season on Anna Maria Island emerged overnight June 29-30.
HB preparing challenge against parking garage law: The city of Holmes Beach was organizing a new fight against a new Florida law authorizing Manatee County to trump municipal home rule and build a parking garage at the beach.
Privateers award $7,500 in scholarships: During a Minor League Baseball game between the Bradenton Marauders and the Clearwater Threshers, the Anna Maria Island Privateers presented its 2023-24 college scholarship awards.
Go, Suzi, go: Cheers of hundreds of people rang out as members of the Sea Turtle Conservancy, working with Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, released a female loggerhead sea turtle named “Suzi” at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach.
Captains, FWC thwart poaching: Shellfish poachers were cited over the July 4 holiday with credit due to the observations of tour boat captains and the efforts of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers.
Ferries arrive, Anna Maria balks on agreement: Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy hinted at potentially walking away from an interlocal agreement that would allow the county-subsidized service to use the city pier as a water taxi stop.
Beach joyrider drives over turtle nests: A joyrider on the beach disturbed four sea turtle nests in Anna Maria and Holmes Beach.
Holmes Beach approves preserve improvements: City commissioners reached consensus to authorize Mayor Judy Titsworth to execute a $169,770.42 agreement with Pinellas Park-based Khors Construction to complete improvements at Grassy Point Preserve.
BB commissioner buys bank building: Bradenton Beach City Commissioner Jake Spooner purchased a 1.83-acre two-lot commercial property at 5325 and 5327 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach for $4,750,000.
AME assailant pleads no contest: A man arrested in connection to an assault outside Anna Maria Elementary School dropped his case weeks before it was set to go to trial and pleaded no contest to aggravated battery.
County gives nod to new beach market operator: Manatee County commissioners voted to approve a franchise agreement with Ready Set Go Tour & Travel for the company to coordinate a new Coquina Beach market at the county-run beach in Bradenton Beach.
Community center at $257,887 loss: The community center finished its fiscal year $257,887 in the red after falling into a $222,187.32 deficit only three months through.
Dredging gets underway at Beer Can: A dredging project paused earlier in the nesting season to allow the incubation of a sea turtle nest on Longboat Key’s Beer Can Island was getting back underway.
August
Privateers install all-female board: The Anna Maria Island Privateers installed the nonprofit’s newly elected 2023-24 board — all female — during a celebratory meeting at the Bradenton Moose Lodge No. 1223, 310 44th Ave. E., Bradenton.
Bicyclist killed on AMI bridge: A 33-year-old man from Lancaster, New York, died Aug. 9 after he was struck while biking on the Anna Maria Island Bridge on Manatee Avenue by a 23-year-old Bradenton resident who was driving an SUV.
Commissioner wants to trade parking garage for pier: Holmes Beach Commissioner Dan Diggins wanted to see the Manatee County Board of Commissioners switch their proposal for a parking garage at the Manatee Public Beach to a pier at the Manatee Public Beach.
County OKs $1.3M trail funding: The Manatee County Board of Commissioners approved $1,305,432.93 to remodel a multiuse trail at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach.
Dog attacks, kills dog in BB bar: Bradenton Beach police cited a Holmes Beach man for an ordinance violation after his English mastiff killed another dog and injured the dog’s owner.
County pushes forward on parking garage: County commissioners reached consensus for staff to move forward with design work for four parking garages, including a three-story structure to replace the current parking lot at Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach.
Wildfire burns 30 acres at Egmont Key: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service temporarily closed access to Egmont Key, where a wildfire burned 30-35 acres.
School’s in session: Anna Maria Elementary staff and students entered the first weeks of the new school year with gusto. “We had a great turnout for back-to-school night,” principal Mike Masiello said.
State reps email consolidation threat to cities: State Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, and Rep. Will Robinson Jr., R-Bradenton, emailed a letter to the island mayors threatening to call up a Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability study into “combining the three municipalities.”
2 unopposed for 3 Anna Maria commission seats: This election season would be the sixth consecutive year without a contest in the city of Anna Maria, where only two incumbents, Jonathan Crane and Charlie Salem, qualified for reelection.
County orders mandatory evacuation ahead of Idalia: Manatee County declared a state of emergency Aug. 28 and public safety officials announced plans for evacuations, beginning with a mandatory level A evacuation — including all of Anna Maria Island.
Downed power line ignites duplex: Hurricane Idalia resulted in more than water and wind damage to one Holmes Beach property. A duplex at 210 71st St. suffered extensive fire damage.
September
3 Holmes Beach incumbents unopposed for reelection: Three incumbents — Commissioners Pat Morton, Terry Schaefer and Carol Soustek — qualified for reelection without opposition and were returned to office.
Bradenton Beach mayor, commissioners retake seats: Mayor John Chappie and Commissioners Jan Vosburgh and Jacob Spooner submitted qualifying paperwork to run for reelection. But there was no voting at the polls as no one else qualified.
Locals cite bay poaching epidemic: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued 20 separate citations for poaching in Sarasota Bay since Jan. 1. The citations were issued to 10 individuals.
Center unveils $1.8 million budget: The Center of Anna Maria Island’s spending plan was revealed almost two months after fiscal 2023-24 began. The center projected spending $1,819,119.84 for the year.
Nichols guilty of 2019 hit-and-run: A jury found David Nichols guilty of two felonies in a 2019 hit-and-run that left a Cortez man critically injured.
Island developer declares ownership of Pines Park: Louis Najmy of the Najmy Thompson firm released a statement confirming island developer Shawn Kaleta purchased the mobile home park at 103 Church Ave., Bradenton Beach.
Oil spill at county port under investigation: The U.S. Coast Guard continued to investigate an oil spill at SeaPort Manatee on Tampa Bay.
County asks feds for nourishment: County commissioners authorized asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for federal aid to rehab Anna Maria Island’s coastline in the wake of Hurricane Idalia.
Island mayors question causeway resiliency: Island mayors were raising questions about resiliency on the Palma Sola Causeway, which was closed to traffic due to flooding associated with Hurricane Idalia.
Anna Maria, county reach ferry agreement: City commissioners unanimously voted to approve an interlocal agreement and improvement plan to allow the county’s ferry to dock at the city pier and use it as a passenger station.
Coquina trail pine trees getting axed: Manatee County began remodeling the multiuse path at Coquina and Cortez beaches by removing dozens of Australian pine trees.
2 challengers qualify for county commission seat: Democrat Diana Shoemaker and Republican Talha “Tal” Siddique qualified with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office to challenge Manatee County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge for the District 3 seat.
October
BB commission addresses commissioner absences: Bradenton Beach was taking action on the absences of one member of the city commission, Marilyn Maro, who had not been at a city meeting since the start of 2023.
Northern wildfires cause poor air quality: Manatee County issued a health advisory, warning that elevated particulate matter — PM2.5 — levels fell within the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards.
Crabbers prep for stone crab season: Crabbers were hustling to bait, set and pull the first traps of the stone crab season, which opened Oct. 15.
Holmes Beach orders wind sculpture: City engineer Sage Kamiya, chair of the Holmes Beach Parks and Beautification Committee, said the city followed through and purchased an $8,145 wind sculpture in partnership with the local garden club.
Judge gives man 30 years for hit-and-run: Twelfth Circuit Judge Frederick P. Mercurio sentenced David Lynn Nichols of Bradenton to 30 years in prison for a 2019 hit-and-run in Cortez.
County OKs $325K for Bridge Street boardwalk: The Manatee County Board of County Commissioners approved a motion funding a boardwalk project near the Historic Bridge Street Pier with tourist development tax funding.
Anna Maria sets process to fill commission vacancies: City commissioners approved a timeline for appointing successors to Commissioners Robert Kingan and Deanie Sebring in 2024.
Anna Maria buys city hall annex: City commissioners voted to approve a $1 million Florida Realtors/Florida Bar contract to purchase the previously leased annex property at 307 Pine Ave.
November
State initiates government study: A state study that could steer the fate of Anna Maria Island’s governance was underway.
Public speaks out at BB resort hearing: The crowd at a hearing on a future development on Bradenton Beach’s Bridge Street overflowed city chambers into the parking lot. The city planning and zoning board convened the hearing on a rezone of 1.61 acres for a 106-room resort.
2022-23 tourist tax tops $30 million: The Manatee County Tax Collector’s Office reported collecting $30,838,907 in tourist development taxes in 2022-23 compared with $28,605,229 for 2021-22.
Cortez celebrates completion of FISH Preserve restoration: After 23 years of grassroots efforts and environmental restoration that began in 2000, FISH and Sarasota Bay Estuary Program hosted a celebration commemorating the completion of restorative efforts of the 95-acre preserve.
Holmes Beach adopts code, Seaside Gardens changes: Holmes Beach commissioners unanimously voted on changes that allow the reconstruction of existing nonconforming townhomes within the city’s R-4 zoning district, which includes Seaside Gardens.
Firefighter arrested on child porn charges: Manatee County sheriff’s deputies arrested West Manatee Fire Rescue firefighter Benjamin Dillon, 54, of Sarasota, on a third-degree felony charge for allegedly possessing child pornography.
Anna Maria seeks volunteers charter review: Mayor Dan Murphy announced the city was seeking three to five residents to volunteer for a committee to comb through the charter.
Ferry makes trial run: Manatee County’s two mainland-to-AMI ferries shuttled their first passengers in a Nov. 20 preview cruise. The trips were for invited guests, local officials and media members.
Anna Maria to explore prototype for Pine Avenue: Mayor Dan Murphy said, pending approval from the Florida Department of Transportation, that he planned to recommend the city commission move forward with improvements on Pine Avenue from Gulf Drive to North Shore Drive.
December
By the numbers: 2023 nesting season: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring released its final numbers for the May-October 2023 sea turtle nesting season, reporting 404 sea turtle nests marked.
‘Above-normal’ hurricane season ends: Twenty named storms churned in the Atlantic basin during the 2023 hurricane season. Forecasters had predicted an above-normal season.
Ferry launch delayed to 2024: The Gulf Islands Ferry was hung up at the dock. The Islander and the public learned the launch of the service was delayed Dec. 7 in a community post on Facebook.
October tourist tax dips: October’s tourist tax dollars — the first collections reported for the 2023-24 fiscal year — registered a 17% decrease compared to the prior year.
County chair subject of state ethics investigation: Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, R-District 3, was the subject of a Florida Commission on Ethics investigation after an ethics complaint filed against the commissioner was found to contain “sufficient” allegations of potential ethics violations.
BB green lights Bridge Street resort: City commissioners approved a planned development ordinance that paves the way for a 106-room resort likely to transform Bridge Street.
Contractor violates AM stop work order: A Bradenton-based construction company allegedly clear-cut mangroves without a permit at an Anna Maria property, according to the city.
AME excels with A grade: The Florida Department of Education released school grades for the 2022-23 academic year, with Anna Maria Island Elementary School securing an A for the second consecutive year.
Anna Maria deputy named Deputy of the Year: Manatee County Sheriff’s Deputy Jared Leggett received the MCSO’s 2023 Deputy of the Year award from Sheriff Rick Wells.