ANNA MARIA – As the sun was setting into the Gulf, Santa was in his sleigh and the first of many celebrants gathered in the parking lot at the Sun Plaza to enjoy food, music, refreshments and snow.

Snow? In Florida? Thanks to Mark Kimball, a lot of kids got their first experience with the fluffy white stuff. Some even made snow angels on the ground. As the mercury dropped, the stand-alone fireplace became a popular spot to catch some warmth from the crackling fire.

The Christmas spirit spread up and down Gulf Drive and along Pine Avenue Friday night. Folks sat outside J & J Graphics in front of another portable fireplace with their drinks and snacks. Some wandered inside to look at the array of T-shirts and other decorative items.

Just north of them, Crisco Pie Champion and Sign of the Mermaid co-owner Andrea Spring made pastries for the Sun Plaza event.

At Sun Plaza, all the businesses were involved in the celebration. The Anna Maria Island Sun, co-sponsor of the event, hosted Santa in his sleigh. A.J Latteri Caster, owner of The Loft/A.J.’s Island Network, brought in a couple of large outdoor grills and the chefs to provide delicious snacks for the crowd. Victor Mattay brought out cups of ice cream from his shop, Dips Ice Cream. Rotten Ralph’s restaurant donated the complimentary wine. Three Island Monkeys, Fran Maxon Real Estate and Silvia’s Flower Corner also contributed. Nancy Feely entertained the crowd with her harp playing.

Heading north on Gulf Drive, Giovanna Cunger invited everyone upstairs to Body and Sol to see the services offered there, and people gathered at Ginny’s and Jane E’s to look over the varied merchandise inside. Feeling Swell was gearing up for the crowd later, when Larry Rich was scheduled to play. Across the street, Rudy’s offered finger-subs, cookies, and Robyn Helton poured drinks from the ornate tiki bar inside.

The crew at Advanced Insurance Brokerage, a new business where the old post office used to be, joined the celebration with food and refreshment and further down the street, crowds walked through the White Egret and Egret’s Landing, checking out the decorations, home items and furniture. Across the street, the staff at Anna Maria City Hall greeted all with food and drink.

Pine Avenue

Heading down Pine Avenue, P&N (Pink and Navy) is a new store opened by Janae and Scott Rudacille offering a number of eclectic items for the home. Bela By the Sea, another new store, had a good supply of one-of-a-kind gift ideas, including a small clutch purse adorned with your zip code, which Island residents would display proudly. Down the street, Darcie Duncan’s real estate office was brightly lit with enough lights to make Clarke Griswold jealous. She was offering a nice selection of food.

On the other side of the street, Anna Maria General Store and Deli had a pair of blow-up penguins on each side of the front door. In the next block, AMI Accommodations attracted a number of visitors, as did the Flip Flop Shop, which has a good selection of beachy items. Outside, the men were competing in a bocce tournament, a favorite Italian lawn bowling game. There were a number of people perusing Olive Oil Outpost’s selection of gourmet items. Next door, the Business Outpost was busy with people checking out the copy and fax services offered there. Also inside the Business Outpost is Susanne Arbanas' new venture called Anna Maria Island Concierge Service, which was attracting a number of inquiries. The Island Cabana is another new shop that opened for the celebration, offering more unique gift ideas.

Across the street, the Anna Maria Island Historical Society, another sponsor of the event, hosted the Roser Children's Choir, Joyful Noise, and Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra singers performing holiday favorites. The Sign of the Mermaid supplied refreshments.

Further down Pine Avenue, Beach Bums and Sato Real Estate welcomed walkers and at BayFront Plaza, Chapae, Two Scoops and other stores were serving refreshments.

It was a great way to get into the holiday spirit and to find gifts with a personal touch from the stores in the city of Anna Maria. Next year promises to be even better, according to organizers Chantelle Lewin, the Anna Maria Island Sun’s marketing director, and Melissa Williams, president of the Anna Maria Island Historical Society.

CORTEZ – Coyote activists, cat lovers, bird advocates and residents grieving over pets killed by coyotes occasionally bared their teeth at each other last week at an educational workshop on how to live with wild coyotes.

The diverse group questioned state wildlife officers, Manatee County sheriff’s deputies, county animal services and natural resources officers, county commissioners and wildlife advocates about coyotes in Cortez.

Before it ended, coyotes were blamed for killing dogs, cats, small wildlife and turtle eggs, feral and pet cats were accused of killing birds and small wildlife, dogs were accused of attacking humans more than coyotes do, coyotes and cats were praised for killing rodents and people were threatening to hunt and kill coyotes.

Cortez resident Linda Molto, who organized the meeting, wore a tag with the names of her two cats, which she said are among dozens of Cortez pets killed by coyotes in the past six weeks. Another resident described her dog being attacked two days before the meeting by a coyote that leaped from between two parked cars.

Best protection

The best way to protect pets is to keep them indoors, leash them when they’re outside, avoid leaving food and water outside, keep outdoor garbage sealed and never feed coyotes, according to Lisa Hickey, a naturalist instructor with the Manatee County Department of Agriculture and Resource Conservation. Fencing is not effective at night, but may provide some daytime protection for pets that are outdoors for short periods if it is 5-6 feet high and buried at least 6-8 inches deep.

If approached by a coyote, yell and wave your arms, throw rocks and pick up small pets, she said, suggesting carrying a stick or golf club on dog walks, especially at dawn or dusk or near water.

The techniques worked for residents in northwest Bradenton near Robinson Preserve two years ago when coyotes were killing pets there, she said.

Residents speculated whether those coyotes had left the area and traveled to Cortez, or whether they are coming from the Manatee Fruit Co. flower farm or the recently-cleared FISH Preserve, both nearby.

Ken Hawkins of Manatee Fruit Co. said he has only seen three coyotes on the property. Hickey said that removing plants from the FISH Preserve is not likely the cause of coyote activity. It’s more likely that increased development has boxed the animals in, she said.

No statistics on local coyote populations are available.

Cortez resident Jane von Hahmann suggested that residents keep a list of when, where and how many coyotes they see, and leave the information at the Florida Maritime Museum at Cortez at 119th Street West and Cortez Road to start a database.

Fortunately, Hickey said, no human fatalities from coyotes have been recorded in Florida, and people are more likely to be attacked by a dog than a coyote, but adults and children have been killed by coyotes elsewhere.

Molto inquired whether a license would be needed to hunt coyotes on the FISH Preserve, which borders homes and Cortez Road.

Coyotes are fair game all year around with a hunting license, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Lt. Tom Ware said, warning that anyone using a firearm is responsible for where the bullets land.

Traps not an option

The state will not trap and remove coyotes, Ware said, adding that most trappers will not handle coyotes because they can carry rabies, they can be vicious when cornered, and, by state law, they must be euthanized after capture.

Hunting or trapping coyotes only causes population increases, according to Project Coyote’s Becky Bailey Pomponio, who implored residents not to kill the animals.

But coyotes also kill small wildlife, such as raccoons, which are disappearing from Cortez, pet owners said, prompting Damen Hurd, who leads tours at Mixon Fruit Farms, to say that feral cats do as much damage to small wildlife as coyotes.

Cats also keep down rodent populations, Molto said.

Coyotes also eats rodents, Hickey said.

Nancy Dean, of the Manatee County Audubon Society, said feral and domestic cats have caused the extinction of 33 species of birds.

“Cats are supposed to be on a leash,” she said. “And 43 percent let their pet cats out,” attracting coyotes in the process.

“The problem is that people are leaving their cats outside,” agreed Gail Straight with Wildlife Inc. Education and Rehabilitation in Bradenton Beach.

According to the county’s animal ordinance, dogs and cats are not allowed to be at large, or outside unsupervised, either on public property or on private property without the property owner’s consent, according to Joel Richmond, officer supervisor for Manatee County Animal Services, which handles domestic animals, but not wildlife. If cats are outside unsupervised on their owner’s property or have permission to be on a neighbor’s property, they must have a license tag and microchip, tattoo or ear tip and also must be sterilized, he said.

Owners or handlers must have direct control of dogs and cats at all times, such as on a leash or inside a fence, he said.

While no coyotes have been reported on Anna Maria Island, coyotes can swim and cross bridges, said Ware, adding that he once saw a coyote walking on the Sunshine Skyway bridge spanning Tampa Bay. They are known to prey on sea turtle eggs in Florida’s Panhandle, Hickey said.

To report coyote problems, call the Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

CORTEZ – It’s lights on for the Cortez Yacht Club’s 7th Annual Holiday Lighted Boat Parade on Saturday, Dec. 18.

The parade will begin at dusk at the basin near the Moore’s Stone Crab and Mar Vista restaurants at the north end of Longboat Key, and end at the Seafood Shack in Cortez, where prizes will be awarded and Toys for Tots will be presented to the U.S. Marine Corps Manatee County coordinator.

Spectators can enjoy the parade from the Seafood Shack, the Cortez Bridge, the Bridge Street Pier, street ends in Bradenton Beach along the Intracoastal Waterway, Coquina Bayside Park, the Longboat Pass bridge, Moore’s and Mar Vista.

Boaters can join in the free event just for fun or to compete for a $500 grand prize for the best-decorated boat overall and cash prizes for the best decorated boat in each division, donated by the Bridge Street Merchants of Bradenton Beach.

A skippers’ meeting is set for Thursday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m. at the Seafood Shack Marina, which will provide overnight docking for skippers who would rather wait for daylight to return home.

Members of the Cortez Yacht Club are available to assist with decorating, advice or to volunteer as crew if needed.

The yacht club encourages canalfront residents in Anna Maria Island, Cortez and Longboat Key to call Laura Ritter at 780-3547 for dockside toy pickup on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 17 and 18 by club members participating in the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots toy drive.

The parade is sponsored by the Bridge Street Merchants Association and the Anna Maria Island Sun.

If You Go

Cortez Yacht Club Lighted Boat Parade
When: Dec. 18 at dusk
Where: Boats will parade from Mar Vista on Longboat Key to the Seafood Shack in Cortez.

Two former Anna Maria Island mayors have been elected to key positions in Manatee County government.

The Manatee County Commission has elected county commissioner and former Holmes Beach Mayor Carol Whitmore as its 2011 chair, and as chair of the Tourist Development Council and second vice chair of the Manatee Port Authority.

Former Bradenton Beach mayor and Manatee County Commissioner John Chappie was elected as first vice chair of both the commission and the Manatee Port Authority. Chappie has served on the commission since 2008.

The commission chair presides over the weekly county commission meetings, with the first vice chair stepping in during the chair’s absence, and the second vice chair presiding in the absence of both.

Having two former Island mayors - and current residents - in key leadership roles on the commission will benefit Island communities, the officials agree.

“We live out there, and being mayors helps us because we already have relationships with other municipalities, and that can be 90 percent of the problem,” Whitmore said.

Whitmore, who has served on the commission since 2006, previously served as chair of the Tourist Development Council in 2009, taking over from Commissioner Joe McClash, who served for seven consecutive years in the office. He also chaired the TDC this year, and will chair the Manatee Civic Center Authority in 2011.

“I live and breathe for tourism,” said Whitmore, who has lived in Manatee County since 1969 and is an at-large commissioner, serving countywide.

“Tourism is the economic driver for the whole county,” she said, adding that soccer fields and a new rowing facility in east Manatee County will draw visitors to Island beaches.

“They will go to the beach while they’re here for tournaments,” she said. “They’re going to spend money.”

Chappie represents District 3, which includes five of the county’s six municipalities, including all three Island cities and the town of Longboat Key, which he says is good for beachfront communities.

“I believe a district commissioner is here to represent the concerns of their district, and that’s what I’m trying to do,” he said. “I want to make sure the Islands are fairly represented, even if I don’t agree.”

His representation on boards including the West Coast Inland Navigation district has entailed working with the city of Anna Maria on dredging projects and with Bradenton Beach on the removal of abandoned vessels, he said.

Chappie said he is working to increase tourism through the county’s Economic Development Council and Realize Bradenton, which drives visitors to the area for arts, cultural and sports activities.

The biggest issues facing the county in 2011 are the economy and jobs, he said.

“Foreclosures are killing us,” he said, adding that the county commission has been working on nuisance abatement laws to keep neighborhoods looking decent in the wake of foreclosures.

Another important issue is keeping the trolley system free on Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key, he said.

The biggest issue next year facing the commission is the budget, Whitmore said, adding that she has a special interest in social service issues including homelessness, animal shelters and public safety.

For the Island, the biggest issue will be maintaining funding for beach renourishment, which may require traveling to Washington D.C. to meet with Congressional leaders to secure funds, she predicted.

ANNA MARIA — With barely a nod to the stalemate and polarization that gripped the city for almost year, members of the planning and zoning board voted to recommend that the commission adopt a parking plan that is quite like the so-called corridor plan.

The plan, which would apply to parking in the city’s residential/office/retail district, would apply automatically to all new projects. All parking for retail and office properties will be on the subject property, and a sidewalk will be close to the buildings so that no traffic will enter or exit across the sidewalk — a practice that has long been a flash point in safety considerations.

The plan also has a provision for existing retail and office buildings whose owners choose to retrofit their properties to the new plan.

“This is win-win,” said Micheal Coleman, the managing partner for Pine Avenue Restoration, LLC. “We’ve laid out an example of how it would look and how it would work in front of our new building at 216 Pine. Anyone’s welcome to come over and take a look.”

There was very little opposition to the proposal, which is akin to a plan the city tossed around for about a year without making any progress.

Walkable Communities guru Dan Burden came to town and conducted a workshop, during which he outlined something similar for Pine Avenue, but Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus, who has since been recalled from office, and his supporters were vocally and angrily opposed to anything resembling the corridor plan first proposed by City Commissioner Gene Aubry.

In the P&Z board’s Dec. 7 meeting, City Planner Alan Garrett outlined the plan, which would provide angled parking on the developer’s property with a sidewalk between the buildings and the parked vehicles.

The five-foot wide sidewalks would meander in front of the cars as necessary to provide a continuous footpath, which could also be used for bicycle traffic.

Mayor Mike Selby spoke extensively with the Pine Avenue community and brought a number of people to the sidewalk model at 216 Pine.

“It’s interesting to me that people who were violently opposed to this now applaud it,” said Dr. Carl Pearman, a member of the P&Z board. “I personally like the idea of a meandering sidewalk, and I endorse it with the parking on private property.”

Larry Albert, a resident who headed a safety committee formed to address the parking and who had been opposed to the corridor plan, also approved of the idea.

“I think this looks very good,” Albert said. “And I think it is an improvement on the safety issue.”

The P&Z board’s recommendation will be passed to the full commission, which is charged with making any final decisions on the plan.

There are still rooms in the inns, but tourism is up in Manatee County in the last quarter of the year so far, according to a consultant’s report presented to the county’s Tourist Development Council on Monday.

In October, occupancy was up 1.4 percent over October 2009, with 51 percent of the rooms full countywide, while average daily rates were up 1.2 percent to $117, according to Research Data Services. In November, occupancy was 2.3 percent higher than last year, with 49 percent of rooms full, and rates up 2.4 percent to $120 a night.

Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key statistics were not available.

Much of the increase is attributed to the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau website, which indicates that the majority of people visiting the website are from Bradenton, Sarasota, New York City, Tampa and Ellenton, in that order. About 5 percent of the website traffic is from mobile devices, according to Steve Berlin, of Miles Media.

While the Deepwater Horizon oil spill had virtually no impact on tourism, a stigma remains, as evidenced by survey participants who mention oil when questioned about their perceptions of the beach, consultant Walter Klages said.

In other business, the TDC learned:

• The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce is working with the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau to list local events on both websites.

• Nathan Benderson Park rowing and aquatic center in Sarasota is scheduled in January to host the Harvard University rowing team, which has reserved 100 hotel rooms in Ellenton.

• Anna Maria Island is featured in Coastal Living magazine’s November edition in a story about “Best Beach Towns.”

HOLMES BEACH – Public Works Supervisor Joe Duennes said the Benderson Development Company has applied for its building permit for the new Walgreens at the south end of the Anna Maria Island Center.

In October, city commissioners approved a site plan with stipulations regarding the number of parking spaces and the installation of a sidewalk on the Gulf Drive side and a buffer in the rear. The city recently revised its parking requirements, and the plan now meets them.

The sidewalk is shown on the construction plans along Gulf Drive from East Bay Drive to the west end of the shopping center. However, Duennes said the plans does not show the buffer and noted, “We want to make sure the community and the city commissioners are comfortable with the buffer and sidewalk before we proceed.”

The company plans to demolish the former Shell’s restaurant and three other storefronts to make space for the drug store and drive through. The store will be 5,000 square feet larger than the present location, or from 555,866 to 61.065 square feet, and take up a portion of the parking lot in front.

Duennes said the city has issued the demolition permit but company representatives have not picked it up yet and observed, “I suspect they’ll wait until they get the building permit before they demolish the building.”

As of Dec. 5, 699 manatees are documented to have died in Florida waters this year, shattering last year’s record of 429 deaths and approaching twice the five-year average, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists.

Cold stress last winter was the cause of 244 of the deaths (35 percent of the total), while another 271 deaths in the undetermined and unrecovered categories (39 percent), also are likely to be cold-related, according to the FWC.

Other causes of death did not differ substantially from last year, including watercraft mortalities, said Gil McRae, director of the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, probably due to lower boat traffic in cold weather. Watercraft (boat and personal watercraft) strikes accounted for 78 deaths, or 11 percent of the total.

In comparison, 100 marine mammal deaths, which includes both manatees and dolphins, have been documented from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill as of last month.

Of the 14 manatee deaths documented in Manatee County, six were from cold stress, four from watercraft strikes and four from undetermined causes.

So far this winter, no cold stress deaths have been documented, said FWC veterinarian Martine deWit, adding, “It will depend on how long the cold weather lasts.” Manatees experience cold stress when water reaches the 60s. Local water temperatures last week were in the 50s.

Last January in bitter cold, researchers counted a record high 5,076 manatees in a one-day, statewide survey of the endangered marine mammals. The number was up from 3,807 in 2009, primarily because record cold weather made it easier to count manatees congregating at warm water sites such as power plant discharge areas, according to the FWC.

The manatee is on both the federal and state endangered species lists, but is being considered for downlisting to threatened status. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will make the decision, not the FWC, said Kipp Frohlich, director of the FWC’s Imperiled Species Section.

While boaters are cautioned to watch especially carefully for manatees on the move seeking warm waters in cold weather, no stricter speed limit regulations currently are under consideration.

“We wouldn’t change the management strategy based on one year’s bad mortality,” Frohlich said.

However, the FWC and its law enforcement partners will be increasing patrols and strictly enforcing manatee protection zone speed limits to aid the animals during this period when they are most vulnerable to vessel strikes, he said.

If you see a manatee in distress, call the FWC at 888-404-3922.

When you get to the Christmas on Bridge Street celebration on Saturday, Dec. 18, from 3 to 7 p.m., you might see snow, but you won’t need a shovel.

The Bridge Street Merchants, a not-for-profit organization that is hosting the celebration, has secured the services of a snowmaker to turn Bridge Street into a winter wonderland. Between the snowflakes, the shopping opportunities and Mrs. and Mrs. Santa Claus, who will be visiting, it’s bound to bring a smile to the faces of children of all ages.

Music will help set the mood at the Christmas on Bridge Street celebration and there will be performers from around the county. The Island Rockers, an exciting, talented group of youngsters, who started at Anna Maria Elementary School, will be there to put the "Rock" in Jungle Bells. Rowlett Elementary School students will perform “Christmas Around the World,” local students will sing carols, Mike Sales will make a special musical appearance and DJ Tom Barrons will present more holiday tunes.

Raffles include fabulous gift baskets containing resort stays, dinner certificates, jewelry (including the AMI Destination bracelet), gift certificates for area attractions and activities, beautifully decorated holiday wreaths and much more to benefit the Manatee County Food Bank and the Roser Memorial Community Church Food Bank. The merchants will also be collecting canned goods for the area food banks. For every five food items people bring, they will receive one Bridge Street Wooden Nickel, which is valid at participating Bridge Street shops. There will also be a collection for Toys for Tots. Any new, unwrapped toy will be collected by the Marines to distribute to local families. In addition, area school kids will sell handmade crafts, baked goods and holiday items at the special Children’s Gift Bazaar.

The Cortez Yacht Club will also be hosting its annual Lighted Boat Parade. The Anna Maria Island Privateers will also be at the event.

The evening on Bridge Street is sponsored by the Anna Maria Island Sun. Come on out and enjoy this old-fashioned celebration of Christmas.

For more information, contact chodge@chilesgroup.com or visit www.bridgestreetmerchants.com.