Compiled by Islander Staff
Part 1, January-June
Before Hurricane Helene hit Sept. 26, 2024, there were 269 days of Anna Maria Island news, news about ferry launches, mangrove removals, parking garage proposals and consolidation considerations, as well as news about accidental drownings and wrongful deaths, least terns nesting, sea turtles disorienting and more.
Here is a look back at the first half of 2024, when, yes, the federal government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued this warning: “All the ingredients are in place for an active season.”
JANUARY
> County resets ferry launch: Manatee County in January launched its Gulf Islands Ferry servicing Bradenton and Anna Maria Island, with operations contracted to Clearwater-based Gulf Coast Water Taxi.
> BB seeks to fill empty seat: Bradenton Beach was eyeing an empty chair at the dais. The commission seat was left vacant by Jake Spooner, who resigned in December 2023, less than two months after his reelection.
> Bradenton Beach rejects dockside vacation rental boat: Commissioners snubbed a request to operate a houseboat as a short-term vacation rental at 2399 Ave. A on the bayfront end of 23rd Street North.
> DEP exempts Anna Maria mangrove removal: The removal of mangroves at a canalfront Anna Maria property was cleared by the state. An inspection by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection found the contractor that performed the removal at 111 Gull Drive, Anna Maria, was within the footprint of exempt activity.
> Man found drowned at BB dinghy dock: The Bradenton Beach Police Department responded to an emergency call at the city dinghy dock, 200 Bridge St., after boaters, returning from a fishing trip, discovered a body in the water. The body of Mark Allen Crooks, 63, was found with his right leg caught against a dock piling.
> Anna Maria appoints 2 commissioners: Vacant seats on the Anna Maria City Commission were filled. City commissioners voted to appoint residents Kathleen Morgan-Johnson and Gary McMullen to the board, which had shrunk to three members following Robert Kingan’s and Deanie Sebring’s departures.
> Holmes Beach commissioner struck by car: A Jan. 25, 2024, crash sent Holmes Beach City Commissioner Pat Morton to the HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Bradenton for medical treatment.
FEBRUARY
> BB looks to paid moorings to drown problems: Bradenton Beach officials were entertaining the prospect of establishing a mooring field in a bid to revamp the waterfront. Such a program would require that boaters anchor and pay to tie up at moorings in the area south of the city pier.
> Anna Maria charter review starts off with big questions: The Anna Maria Charter Review Committee wasted no time in asking some major questions. At their first meeting, members discussed the merits of a city manager, decreasing the number of elected commissioners and increasing term lengths for commissioners and the mayor.
> Bradenton Beach ward changes get 1st OK from commission: Bradenton Beach commissioners voted to approve the first reading of an ordinance to modify ward boundaries due to population changes.
> State pitches AMI dissolution: Consolidation was not the only option for Anna Maria Island’s three cities. An information request from the Florida Office of Program Policy and Government Accountability to the city of Bradenton included a fourth option involving dissolution of the island cities.
> Competition begins for HB mayor’s seat: The 2024 election cycle kicked off in Holmes Beach. Michael “Mike” Roth filed the required forms with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office to run for the mayoral seat held by Judy Titsworth.
> Coast Guard halts search: The U.S. Coast Guard made a chance rescue, finding two stranded boaters who had been unable to call for help about 35 miles west of Anna Maria Island in the Gulf of Mexico, where their boat capsized. A third person from the boat was still missing.
> BB disputes developer’s residential parking lots: Bradenton Beach officials were taking a stand on procedure, telling a developer to back up and park his ideas. Officials raised concerns over the emergence of paid parking operations in the city’s historic district that lack permitting, placing developer Shawn Kaleta’s actions under a magnifying glass.
> DOT wrapping up study for BB-LBK bridge: The Florida Department of Transportation was approaching a milestone in its efforts to evaluate the Longboat Pass Bridge. The DOT was finalizing a project development and environment study aimed at evaluating bridge options.
> Jewfish Key homeowners seek separation from LBK: The Jewfish Key Preservation Collective, which acts as a homeowner’s association for property owners on the key, requested disengagement from the municipal boundaries of Longboat Key.
> Georgia murder suspect surrenders in Bradenton Beach: Rodobaldo Portuondo, a 17-year-old from Georgia wanted in connection with a fatal shooting in Savannah, surrendered in Bradenton Beach.
> Tour guides, captains create anti-poaching group: Tour boat captains, meeting in Cortez, organized into a group dedicated to stopping the illegal harvest of marine organisms in Sarasota Bay.
> Garden Club named Anna Maria Citizen of the Year: Anna Maria decided on a winner for its 2023 Citizen(s) of the Year award: the Anna Maria Island Garden Club.
> Ferry service expanded: Manatee County added a fourth day — Thursday — to the Gulf Islands Ferry service operating between downtown Bradenton and Anna Maria Island.
> HB treehouse ‘coming down’: “The saga of the treehouse is over,” said Judge Edward Nicholas of the 12th Circuit Court. “The treehouse is coming down.” Nicholas ruled on the beachfront treehouse at the Angelinos Sea Lodge, 2818 Ave. E, Holmes Beach.
> Fatal crash prompts legal suit: Deborah Trotter, a woman who was injured and whose mother was killed by a vehicle in 2023 while they were in a crosswalk at Marina and Gulf drives in Holmes Beach, announced a wrongful death suit intended to hold a driver and a construction company accountable.
MARCH
> Holmes Beach approves settlement agreement with developer: The city of Holmes Beach and developer Shawn Kaleta had been at odds for years. But a settlement agreement wiped the slate clean. City commissioners unanimously voted to approve a settlement with Kaleta to resolve his 2022 federal lawsuit against the municipality and all claims involving its alleged “anti-Kaleta policy.”
> Resident rep on Bradenton Beach CRA resigns: David Bell resigned his seat on the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency following a March 6 meeting at city hall. Bell cited dissatisfaction with CRA and city policies.
> Anna Maria hikes rental registration fees: Despite preemptive state legislation on the horizon, the city of Anna Maria increased registration fees for vacation rentals for 2024-25.
> Fire district sued over vacation rental assessments: The first legal challenge against the West Manatee Fire Rescue district’s vacation rental inspection program was launched. Holmes Beach-based C&D Properties of AMI LLC sued, maintaining the district’s new fire assessments violate state law.
> State pushes removal of Cortez stilt house: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection asked a court to compel Raymond “Junior” Guthrie to demolish a stilt house he built just a short distance from the working docks in Cortez.
> Bradenton Beach appoints new commissioner: Bradenton Beach commissioners appointed Deborah Scaccianoce as commissioner for Ward 1. Scaccianoce is a co-owner of Double Deez Chicago Style Hotdogs in Holmes Beach.
> Cortez honors village matriarch: A crowd gathered at the Cortez Village Historical Society’s Cortez Cultural Center to honor the late Dr. Mary Frances Fulford Green. During the celebration, a commemorative plaque was mounted on the CCC building as a testament to Green’s dedication to preserving the cultural heritage of the fishing village.
APRIL
> Island governments coordinate taking on mangrove authority: Momentum was building behind the barrier island governments’ combined efforts to protect mangroves as Anna Maria and Holmes Beach officials discussed continuing exploration into seeking delegated authority of mangrove enforcement and regulation from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
> Dogs allowed in AM park: Anna Maria commissioners unanimously voted to adopt an ordinance allowing people to walk their dogs on leashes at City Pier Park, 103 N. Bay Blvd., except during certain events.
> Jeep accelerates into store: Three people were hospitalized with serious injuries following a motor vehicle crash in Holmes Beach. A woman driving a Jeep crashed through the south-facing window of Gypsea Tides Beach Boutique, 5602 Marina Drive, and into the boutique before smashing the shared wall with Reed Fitness & Physical Therapy.
> Principal change coming to AME in 2024-25: At an Anna Maria Elementary School Advisory Council meeting, it was announced that principal Mike Masiello would retire in May.
> Tourist council recommends 3rd ferry boat: “We’re gonna need a bigger boat,” echoed April 15, 2024, in the Manatee County commission chambers in Bradenton. The county tourist development council, the board that advises the commission on tourism-related funding and projects, was recommending the Gulf Islands Ferry service between Bradenton and Anna Maria Island that launched in January with two custom boats needed a third boat.
> TDC seeks 6th penny for bed tax: Another penny under the pillow? The Manatee County Tourist Development Council unanimously agreed to recommend adding a sixth cent to the resort tax.
> BB public works director takes new post: Longtime Bradenton Beach public works director Tom Woodard was bound for Bedford, Virginia, and a new job.
> Sea turtle patrols launch for 2024: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring hit the beaches April 15, 2024, conducting the first Anna Maria Island patrols of the nesting season.
> Fence blocking disputed beach path to come down: The blockade of a disputed beach access path at the west end of 78th Street in Holmes Beach was headed for change. City planning and zoning administrator Chad Minor wrote in an email to The Islander that part of an illegally built fence on property at 99 78th St. and 101 78th St. was to be removed ASAP.
> HB homeowners sue tour company: Holmes Beach residents Roger and Irene Alvarez filed a lawsuit against Bradenton-based Fun Florida Tours seeking more than $50,000 in damages and an injunction to prohibit the company from, among other things, entering Sportsmans Harbor.
> BB CRA greenlights Bridge Street coconuts project: The Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency voted to enhance Bridge Street with more than 80 coconut palms among the street’s landscape easements.
> Cortez captains seek assistance in clearing derelict vessels: Cortez captains were appealing to Manatee County and the state to keep their home waters safe and navigable. Effective derelict and at-risk vessel policing programs in Sarasota, Bradenton Beach and Palmetto are pushing boat owners to Cortez, an unincorporated area of Manatee County.
MAY
> New AME principal named: Katie Fradley of Bradenton was set to go from Gecko to Dolphin. Willis Elementary’s vice principal for 2023-24 was named Anna Maria Elementary’s principal for 2024-25.
> Feds forecast above-normal season: The federal government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was forecasting 17-25 named storms for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Of those, eight to 13 were forecast to become hurricanes, including four to seven major hurricanes. “All the ingredients are in place for an active season,” said National Weather Service director Ken Graham.
> Developer prevails in canal dock dispute: An appellate court determination affirmed that Cortez Road Investments and Finance Inc. had the right to proceed with dock construction along a canal at Hunters Point in Cortez.
> County OKs $2.9M for parking garages: Manatee County commissioners approved a budget amendment designating $2.925 million toward preliminary design services for three proposed parking garages, including one at Manatee Public Beach.
> PS Bay bacteria linked to horses: Water quality testing linked horses to pollution in north Palma Sola Bay. Testing by the nonprofit environmental monitoring group Suncoast Waterkeeper showed elevated levels of enterococci bacteria in north Palma Sola Bay and DNA testing links the bacteria to horse waste.
> AMITW discovers least tern colony: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring verified a nesting least tern colony on Anna Maria Island.
> Squatters ‘spoil’ island in waterway: People were taking up residence on a spoil island in Anna Maria Sound, prompting concerns from mariners and residents and action from authorities.
> New ‘official’ financial disclosure requirements suspended: Elected officials’ concerns about financial disclosure requirements were quelled as filing of Form 6 was suspended following a temporary injunction ordered by a U.S. District Court judge.
> Jewfish Key group withdraws petition: Jewfish Key residents withdrew a petition to withdraw from the town of Longboat Key. The action resulted in the cancellation of a public hearing for the potential deannexation of the key.
JUNE
> Speed cameras coming to AME school zone: Holmes Beach commissioners unanimously voted to authorize Mayor Judy Titsworth to execute a piggyback agreement to hire Tennessee-based Blue Line Solutions LLC to install and operate an automated speed enforcement system in the school zone along Gulf Drive.
> BB removes palms on DOT protest: A $50,000 initiative, approved between the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency and developer Shawn Kaleta, involved planting 80 coconut palms along Bridge Street, including the Gulf Drive intersection. However, Gulf Drive is a state road and the CRA didn’t get permission for the plantings from the Florida Department of Transportation.
> Construction continues on controversial beachfront home: Work on a controversial beachfront home in Anna Maria continued. Anna Maria-based Gagne Construction’s work on Fedora Campbell’s new single-family home at 105 Elm Ave. — a previously undeveloped lot — passed inspections.
> Disorientated sea turtle killed: A loggerhead sea turtle disoriented, crawling onto Gulf Drive South in Bradenton Beach, where it was struck and killed by a vehicle. The incident occurred in the 1600 block of the state road near Coquina Beach.
> 3rd ferry gets nod: Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director Elliott Falcione asked for and received an OK from county commissioners to spend $3 million in tourist development tax money to build a third boat, enclosed for passengers, to add to the Gulf Islands Ferry fleet.
> Boat captains see evidence of continuing poaching: Tour boat captains, who had organized into a group dedicated to stopping the illegal harvest of marine organisms in Sarasota Bay, reported evidence of more poaching.
FLASHBACK: To be continued, Jan. 8, 2025.