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Missing
child found unharmed
By Pat Copeland
sun staff writer
HOLMES BEACH —
A visiting Minnesota family is breathing a collective
sigh of relief today after their 6-year-old son
wandered away from them on the beach Friday but
was found unharmed an hour later thanks to quick
action by city police.
John and Jennifer Feltl and their two children,
of Minneapolis, had been staying in a condo on
the beach at 69th Street for the past week. On
Friday about 11:15 a.m., the family was preparing
to go to lunch.
"We had been fishing on the beach the day
before and after lunch we were going to go fishing,"
John said. "Our son must have focused on
the fishing part and broke out ahead of everybody
else. He was not there when we got to the bottom
of the stairs."
The Feltls searched the area, then called police
and the hunt began.
When a six-year-old decided to take a hike down
the beach without his family last Friday, it triggered
a remarkable system the police department can
access called "A Child is Missing" to
help find lost and missing children.
"When a child is missing, we call an 800
number and give them the details," Police
Chief Jay Romine explained. "Within a matter
of minutes, they begin to call all the listed
phone numbers in Holmes Beach with the information.
People get the call and immediately go out with
their cell phones. There are so many things that
can happen. The quicker you can find the child
the better."
John and Jennifer Feltl and their two children,
of Minneapolis, had been staying in a condo on
the beach at 69th Street for the past week. On
Friday about 11:15 a.m., the family was preparing
to go to lunch.
"We had been fishing on the beach the day
before and after lunch we were going to go fishing,"
John said. "Our son must have focused on
the fishing part and broke out ahead of everybody
else. He was not there when we got to the bottom
of the stairs."
The Feltls searched the area, then called police
and the hunt began. Holmes Beach police called
on Bradenton Beach police, the Manatee Sheriff’s
Office and Manatee County Marine Rescue and initiated
the child alert system. The city’s public
works employees joined the search. MSO sent a
helicopter and a K-9unit was on its way. Police
also notified trolley drivers.
"Officer Henry "Chip" Frappier
was the first on the scene," John recalled.
"He did a great job. He was communicating
with us about what was gong on, and within 30
minutes, we had information back to us."
According to the police report, Frappier walked
north along the beach alerting beachgoers about
the child. One of the families he had spoken to
saw the child and waved to the helicopter. The
pilot then alerted ground units, which located
and picked up the child.
"We could not imagine that he went so far
so fast," John said. "We got real lucky.
It was very scary. The Holmes Beach Police Department
did a phenomenal job. I can’t say enough
about them. We’re lucky that they have a
system in place that resulted in finding him within
an hour and 15 minutes.”
According to Romine, the department signed up
for A Child is Missing three years ago, but this
it the first time the service has been used. Residents
who received the call flooded the police department
and city hall with calls offering to help. For
those residents who said they were not called,
Romine said once the child is found, the calls
are stopped.
"They didn’t get all the way through
the alphabet because we found him," Romine
said.
A Child is Missing is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale
and is a not-for-profit organization, which has
served law enforcement since 1997. The service
is free to law enforcement agencies.
"You have to plan for the worst and pray
for the best," Romine said. "Today the
system worked like a charm."
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Reopening
of city pier moves closer
By Tom Vaught
sun staff writer
BRADENTON BEACH
– Good news for anglers; the city commission
has taken steps to get the pier safe for fishing
soon, although the restaurant won't be back in
operation for some time, according to Commissioner
Bill Shearon, who is overseeing the project.
The commission voted last Thursday to approve
spending not more than $3,800 to have LaPensee
Plumbing, of Holmes Beach, refit the public restrooms
with professional equipment. The restrooms, which
were open 24 hours a day, had been targets of
vandals on an almost nightly basis until the city
closed the structure and erected a gate to keep
people out.
The commission also voted to put out a request
for bids from contractors for temporary repairs
to the restrooms including reinforcing the sub-floors,
installing vinyl flooring, repairing or replacing
entrance doors, repairing the walls, replacing
handrails and light fixtures. The city's public
works department will stiffen the posts to the
handrails along the pier and secure the handrails.
The commission approved a request for bids for
a survey of the pier, the clock tower, the parking
lot and a city-owned "dinghy dock" located
at the entrance to the parking lot.
Commissioner Lisa Marie Phillips asked why they
are moving so quickly when she thought there might
be grant money available to help pay for it.
"I've always been hesitant when it comes
to surveys, but there have been questions as to
where the property line it," said Mayor John
Chappie.
The commission also approved a contract with O'Brien
and Smith Architecture, LLC, of Bradenton Beach,
to develop an overall plan for the pier, although
that plan won't have anything to do with getting
the pier open to fishing as soon as possible.
It will, however, determine what the city can
do as far as rebuilding the structures on the
pier or replacing them.
The city closed the pier when an initial survey
of the structure showed it was dangerous. The
survey report also said it appeared the restaurant
and enclosed bait shop areas were not worth saving
because of their design and their condition. The
city also ended its contract with the franchisees
who were there after winds from a hurricane in
the area tore off a portion of the roof to the
restaurant, which led to more damage to the walls
and flooring.
The city wants to open the structure to fishing
soon because of complaints from residents and
visitors. It is also under the gun to get the
restaurant ready to lease to a franchisee, citing
a requirement that it not be closed for more than
a year in order to keep its restaurant permit.
The deadline is Sept. 9. Shearon said he felt
there was no way they would have the restaurant
in operating condition by then, but he said City
Attorney Ralf Brookes had told him the state department
that issues licenses would extend the deadline
if they felt the city was making progress toward
that end.
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Planners
review criteria for variances
By Pat Copeland
sun staff writer
HOLMES BEACH —
Planning commissioners last week discussed whether
to allow variances for building height while working
on revisions to the city’s land development
code.
"It’s a really policy decision for the
city commission and yourselves," City Planner
Bill Brisson told them. "Do you wish to allow
some form of flexibility in height? Right now,
there is a height limit of two stories and 36
feet above the crown of the road."
Brisson said the city could maintain its current
policy by keeping the impervious surface coverage
at 40 percent and allowing variances to the physical
height but not the number of stories. The other
option would be not allow any variances to height.
"Seaward of the coastal construction control
line, the DEP (Florida Department of Environmental
Protection) is moving up the distance from sea
level to the lowest horizontal structural member,"
board member Mike McCaleb pointed out. "They’ve
bumped it up almost two feet. That needs to be
addressed as a potential problem because people
are going for variances on that issue. They might
go up again."
Chairman Sue Normand said the city commission
discussed that issue in depth and did not change
the city’s height standard.
State regulations
"Allowing for flexibility helps with the
‘what if,’" board member John Monetti
noted. "What if they raise it another two
feet? It would take us a long time to discuss
and deal with it.
"I think there’s a general consensus
among us that we want our homes to look as they
do; we don’t want to go above that two-story.
But the time may come through circumstances outside
of our own control where it might be helpful to
have some flexibility."
Normand asked if the commission could add a provision
to address a change in DEP regulations if it decided
on the no flexibility option.
Brisson said it would take a year for the city
to change the comprehensive plan to address a
change in DEP regulations and noted, "I think
you could put something in there along the lines
of ‘except should the state increase the
minimum first floor elevation.’"
"If the base flood elevation changes, could
the city commission consider an ordinance to allow
for variances? board member Gary Hickerson asked.
"Rather than making it automatic," Normand
added.
"I’m not sure you could do that,"
Brisson responded. "I’d have to check
with the attorney because what you’re essentially
doing is passing your own instant change to the
comp plan."
He said he would check with the attorney about
having a temporary emergency provision to take
effect until the comp plan could be amended.
Practical difficulties
Brisson said the city’s code allows for practical
difficulty in addition to hardships for granting
variances, but the code does not define practical
difficulty.
"Practical difficulty is better than hardship
in some ways," Brisson said. "Any hardship
qualifies as a practical difficulty, but a practical
difficulty is not a hardship."
A practical difficulty standard requires only
that the applicant demonstrate an inability to
secure one permitted purpose, while the unnecessary
hardship standard requires the applicant to demonstrate
that no permitted use within the district can
be secured, Brisson said.
The other recommendation Brisson made was to clarify
the special conditions and circumstances standard.
"It’s real important that the unique
circumstances relate to the land," he explained.
"It’s supposed to be something that’s
not typical in the zoning district. If there are
a lot of properties in the same situation, maybe
you need to look at the zoning district regulations,
unless you’re trying to eliminate certain
situations."
Brisson also recommended adding a provision that
the practical difficulty or hardship did not result
from actions of the applicant.
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Some
ADA violations remain at city hall
By Laurie Krosney
sun staff writer
ANNA MARIA —
There are still some problems with compliance
with the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities
Act at city hall, but for the most part, the building
is in compliance with the dictates of the 1974
act.
Ed Lopacki, an attorney who is himself wheelchair-bound
as a result of multiple sclerosis, came to city
hall April 8 to check out the facility.
"There's nothing glaring or too bad,"
Lopacki said, "But there is an issue with
signage."
When the administration moved back into itsnewly
remodeled building in October of last year, signs
indicating the location of the handicapped entrance
and other facilities should have been posted.
"But there are no major modifications necessary
to come into compliance," Lopacki said.
The city falls under Title III of the act, and
regulations are not quite as strict as they are
for the private sector, which falls under Title
II of the act, according to Lopacki, who has been
on ADA compliance advisory boards for years.
"I was expecting something much worse,"
he said. "If you get the signage up, you're
pretty much OK."
Lopacki said he did have to check on access to
the building department. People wanting to go
to that department must use a separate entrance.
That door has a step up into the offices, and
therefore is not ADA compliant.
To get to the building department, a person in
a wheelchair or who is otherwise unable to use
stairs, must go into the administrative offices,
through a kitchen area and into the building department.
The law specifically mentions that requiring a
handicapped person to go through a kitchen area
is prohibited, Lopacki said. But he said that
since the kitchen area is open and not closed
off to public access, it may be all right.
He said he'd check on it and get back to Mayor
SueLynn to let her know if access to the building
department is all right as it is now.
Another issue was access to the dais where city
commissioners sit.
"I'm not sure where it came from," SueLynn
told Lopacki. "But we got permission from
someone connected with the ADA to leave the steps
in place since it would have required a 40-foot
ramp to the dais to make it accessible."
"That doesn't sound right to me," Lopacki
told the mayor. "I've never heard of something
like that."
The mayor said she'd find out where the waiver
for dais accessibility came from and get back
to Lopacki.
Everything in the sheriff's substation in city
hall, including the outside entrance is in full
compliance, according to Lopacki.
Lopacki asked the mayor who the city's compliance
officer is.
"I don't know that we have one," SueLynn
said.
"Every municipality has to have one —
a sort of point person," Lopacki said.
"This is the first I've heard of that,"
the mayor responded. "I guess it should be
the building official. Mayors come and go, so
it should probably be someone on staff."
Lopacki had been called out to city hall to check
on the compliance with the parking regulations.
"The spot off Pine Avenue is all right as
long as there is some signage telling people where
to go. I wasn't at all sure where the entrance
was," Lopacki said.
"Everyone has that problem," SueLynn
remarked. "No one can figure out where the
entrance is."
Lopacki said the signage should be up now, and
the city really shouldn't wait for next year's
budget.
The mayor said she has approval to spend the money
now.
The city's other handicapped parking space which
is located in a lot along Gulf Drive is not in
compliance, because it's in a shell lot, and it
must be on a surface that someone in a chair can
wheel easily across.
You need one handicapped parking space for each
25 regular spaces, according to Lopacki.
The mayor said she wasn't sure how many spaces
were on the city hall campus.
Other issues remain with the Island Players building
and the AMI Historical Society facility.
"Everything the city owns should be in compliance,"
Lopacki said.
When asked if the city had any liability issues
with these properties being out of compliance,
he said it did.
"Under 'kitchen sink' lawsuit practices,
people today sue anyone and everyone who's remotely
connected to make sure someone pays," he
said.
Attorney Ed Lopacki consults with businesses and
governments on the dictates of the ADA requirements.
He can be reached by phone at 792-8244 or by e-mail
at lopackilaw@aol.com
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Mowry’s
Haitian trip a success
By Pat Copeland
sun staff writer
HOLMES BEACH —
Earl Mowry has returned from another successful
trip to Haiti to oversee the distribution of supplies
and aid the people living in the coastal village
of Cap-Haitien.
"It was a wonderful trip," Mowry said.
"When you go to Haiti, always expect the
unexpected, and you won’t be disappointed."
Mowry was referring to the fact that in early
March he shipped 1,300 pounds —10 boxes containing
toiletries and toys, clothes, construction materials,
tools electrical supplies and school supplies.
He arrived March 10 to distribute the supplies
and found they had not arrived.
The absence of the boxes didn’t deter Mowry.
He had plenty of other tasks to accomplish such
as purchasing tile to complete the Madeline church
that he and others began building in 1999 and
purchasing land for the pastor’s home.
Past donations had helped build the church to
replace the straw hut the people used for worship
and purchase property adjoining the church for
a schoolhouse. Included in the shipment that hadn’t
arrived were four sets of tables and chairs and
a dozen extra chairs for the school.
"I took laminated sheet music of "Jesus
Loves Me" for a music lesson," Mowry
said. "On Saturday, I had 20 kids and in
10 minutes they knew the song in English! They
just loved that song."
Sunday was filled with various Sunday school classes
and church services. One couples group met to
discuss community and world events. Mowry said
he was asked to deliver the sermon at the evening
service and spoke about choices.
"On Monday, I bought the tile for the church
and deposited money in an account to purchase
the land for the pastor’s home," he
said. "I got the tile up to the church and
we began laying it. The women carried all the
water in containers on their heads. The water
was for the masons to use, and they carried enough
to fill four 55-gallon barrels."
Monday night is family church night. The people
go to someone’s house for a service in order
to take the church into the community.
"On Wednesday, I was laying tile and was
told to go home and clean up for a party,"
Mowry said. "They had a surprise birthday
party for me. The children sang songs in Creole
and then they sang "Jesus Loves Me"
in English."
On Thursday, Mowry returned to the Island and
noted, "A lot of things were accomplished.
We have a closer relationship with the Haitian
people with the love we brought and all the things
we sent."
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Stoddard’s
book a how-to for life
By Cindy Lane
sun staff writer
Reading Alexandra
Stoddard over the years, I’ve come to regard
her as a favorite aunt dispensing heartfelt advice
from a richly-lived life.
Twenty-three books ago, she began writing about
decorating homes. A New York interior designer,
she gradually began to focus more on living in
homes than on adorning them, eventually evolving
into topics examining how to beautify the art
of life.
Her books are beautiful works of art themselves,
each with unique color combinations (this one
is blue ink with green accents for quotations;
another sports lavender ink with blue quotations).
The paper, even the book jacket, is soft to the
touch and even smells good – one wonders
if she stores them in potpourri before distributing
them.
It all reflects Stoddard’s commitment to
beauty as a way to give life more meaning. She
writes her books longhand with a fountain pen
on fine paper from a desk with a view of her rose-covered
Connecticut white picket fence.
Her attention to such detail is one of the philosophies
she espouses in her newest book, “Things
I Want My Daughters to Know: A Small Book About
the Big Issues in Life,” dedicated to her
two grown daughters, Alexandra and Brooke.
But lest you think she’s Stepford Wife-perfect,
Stoddard has acknowledged that you can take that
philosophy too far in another book, “The
Art of the Possible, the Path from Perfectionism
to Balance and Freedom.”
Her advice to her daughters, which she writes
are things she wishes she had known earlier in
life, include "find work you love that supports
you financially," "avoid joint accounts
and shared finances with anyone," "unplug
technology with no apologies" and "when
you discover something you love, stock up."
One of my favorite chapters is Living Takes Time,
in which Stoddard quantifies a common experience
– everything takes more time than you think
it will. The lesson? Don’t schedule too many
difficult tasks in one day or you will make yourself
crazy. Leave something undone once in a while
to do something more meaningful, she suggests.
"Living takes time. Use all there is. Linger
in the shower. Stare at the ocean waves. On your
evening walk, look up at the stars. Take time
to feel humble at the miracle of being here."
A related chapter explains the virtue of building
buffer time into your day, to allow for inevitable
delays and give you free moments to revive yourself.
Her last chapter is a gem because it practices
what she preaches. "Make your point. Sit
down," she writes at the end of the book,
with what one imagines is a playful smile.
It’s a book that will make readers smile
too, whether they’re mothers, daughters,
or anyone looking for ways to live happier lives.
