TAMPA BAY – Sunday morning, Jeannie Bystrom, Ally Titsworth, Matt Dwyer and Ben Stasurak left Holmes Beach by boat, planning on spending the day rescuing pelicans. In a strange turn of events, they also wound up rescuing U.S. mail that had flown out of a semi-trailer that had been struck by a waterspout while on the Skyway Bridge.

The tractor-trailer was northbound on I-275 on a lower portion of bridge when the waterspout struck between 9:45 and 10 a.m. The trailer was heavily damaged, but its driver, Randall Leaver, suffered only minor bruises.

“We we’re out there rescuing pelicans. It was crazy,” Bystrom said.

“We were out where the fishing pier connects to the causeway, so we were close to the waterspout, but we had the pier to cover us. If it looked dangerous, we were going to take the boat underneath the bridge. We saw it from a distance when it hit the truck. We saw a ton of mail flying all around the sky. We shot across the causeway and under the bridge and there was mail all over the bay.”

Dwyer said, “We were approaching the bridge and saw a lot of debris in the water. We were searching for pelicans, but we soon found out the area was covered in mail, packages and envelopes. Everything you could imagine being in a mail truck was floating in the water.”

Bystrom called her nephew, Brian Hall, a detective with the Holmes Beach Police Department, and asked who they should contact about the mail.

“He said he would make the call for me,” Bystrom said. “Everyone knew the twister had hit the truck, but did they know that it picked the mail up and scattered it all over the place?”

“We picked up as much as we could get,” Dwyer said. “We handed it to the police officers at first and later on we handed more mail to FWC. We were finding checks for $60, for $100 floating around, and the FWC guys said they found a check for either $21,000 or $2,100.”

Added Bystrom: “We collected mail for a while and then decided to go back to rescuing birds because we only had so much time. But then we came back and there were Marine Patrol officers out there collecting the mail. We helped them out some more before we headed back to the house.

“Ally pulled out three or four corrugated bins with lids still attached that were full of mail. We had our dip nets and we pulled out a bunch more. There were pictures, baby pictures, a title to a car, birthday cards… You name it, it was in the water. There were notifications from attorneys; there was one lady responding to a foreclosure notice on her home and giving the reasons she doesn’t think her house should be foreclosed,” she explained.

“I’m just wondering what’s going to happen when all these people think their mail was sent and it never made it? It’s kind of sad. There was also a chain link fence plastered with mail.”

When asked if she saw any Anna Maria, Holmes Beach or Bradenton Beach addresses, Bystrom said, “I didn’t notice any Island mail.”

Dwyer said, “A lot of it was for Palmetto, Fort Myers, Tampa, and out of state; and I saw a few for Canada.”

Don’t Cut the Line

In addition to their mail rescue efforts, the quartet also rescued a pelican that had a treble hook embedded in its chest and was wrapped in fishing line. Bystrom and her Don’t Cut the Line volunteers go out every Sunday as part of their ongoing efforts to rescue pelicans and other seabirds that get ensnared in fishing line. They advise those who fish to reel the birds in and remove the hooks rather than simply cutting the lines and putting them in grave danger of future entanglement.

Learn more about these efforts by visiting Don’t Cut the Line on Facebook.

HOLMES BEACH – Dignitaries will gather on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 9:30 a.m. to break ground on Mainsail Lodging and Development’s new Waterline Marina Resort at 5325 Marina Drive, near the intersection of Marina and Gulf drives.

The ceremony, which is invitation-only, will featuring local officials and development partners speaking about the project, as well as entertainment and refreshments. The ceremony will include comments by Joe Collier, president of Mainsail Lodging and Development; Holmes Beach Mayor Bob Johnson; Chiles Group owner Ed Chiles; Dr. Michael P. Crosby, president and CEO of Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium; Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau; and Deborah Wing, president of the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce.

The project will be the Island’s first full service hotel and will include a lodge with two wings that feature two-bedroom suites with gourmet kitchens, an 80-seat restaurant and meeting rooms; day slips for guests; a 50-boat slip marina and a second building with two-bedroom lodging units.

The resort has formed a partnership with Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium to offer a variety of eco-experiences for guests and locals alike.

The company also owns the Tidemark Shoppes center adjacent to the Waterline project and the Mainsail Beach Inn at 101 66th Street, where two- and three-bedroom units are sold as condo/hotel units and rented when not in use by the owners. Guests at both Waterline Marina Resort and the Beach Inn can use amenities at either location.

BRADENTON BEACH – City commission candidates Bill Shearon and Janie Robertson recently unveiled campaign letters that prompted individual and collective responses from several city employees. Identified as paid political advertisements approved by the candidates, both letters are particularly critical of Mayor Jack Clarke and City Clerk Terri Sanclemente and have begun to arrive in the mailboxes of city voters.

Shearon is trying to regain the mayor’s seat he lost to Clarke in May. Robertson is trying to retain the ward 3 seat she current holds, facing a challenge from first-time candidate Ralph Cole, whom she never mentioned in her letter.

“While I am asking you to return me to commission, most importantly I am asking you to return Bill Shearon as our mayor,” Robertson’s letter says.

Targeting Clarke and clerk

Shearon’s letter states Clarke:

• Hired a city clerk who has no credentials, formal training or formal education;

• Promoted the uncredentialled city clerk to permanent status with a $20,000 pay raise, plus 13 percent in additional benefits, plus a city car;

• Disrupted city operations and violated an existing ordinance by placing properly credentialed city staff under the supervision of the uncredentialled city clerk, resulting in the resignation of the treasurer.

Shearon’s letter also says Clarke “supported deficit spending” by giving city employees a 3 percent raise.

Robertson’s letter said Clarke “gave huge raises to two marginal clerks who had vaguely claimed harassment by Shearon and manipulated commission into a 3 percent raise to all staff.”

Clerk responds

In response, City Clerk Terri Sanclemente said, “William Shearon asked me on three separate occasions to become city clerk. He and former Treasurer Sheila Dalton’s plan was to keep me on probation.

"If they deemed my performance satisfactory, they would give me a small salary increase every three months, which after one year would have brought my salary to what the two previous city clerks were hired at.

"Because I had already done the clerk’s job for close to a year, the commission felt I deserved to be paid $55,000.

“As far as me being uncredentialled, I worked under former City Clerk Nora Idso for more than six years. In my opinion, I was trained by the best, and William Shearon and Tjet Martin gave my boss the same grief they are giving me.

"And just so everyone knows: I do not have to be a certified master clerk in order to serve as the city clerk, but I am attending classes and working toward that certification,” she said.

Sanclemente pointed out that Clarke actually proposed a 1.5 percent pay increase for city employees, and it was the commission majority, minus Robertson, that collectively agreed on 3 percent raises.

“The previous city clerks also had use of the city clerk’s car. The car is a 1997 and doesn’t even have a tape deck or overdrive,” Sanclemente added.

“Mayor Clarke is a fair and just mayor who city employees can approach and not be afraid of retaliation,” she concluded.

Chief critical

Commenting on Shearon and Robertson’s campaign letters and many other statements that have recently appeared in print, Police Chief Sam Speciale said, “I’ve been working for the city for almost 30 years. I’ve never seen such vile comments made or misinformation spread for one hateful little group’s own gain.”

Collective response

Several other city employees collectively responded to Shearon’s letter with a written statement presented on behalf of the public works department and some members of the administrative department.

“It truly is sad to read an election letter with such a venomous tone, vile accusations and bad grammar. Shearon couldn’t even spell his opponent’s name correctly,” the statement said.

In regard to the recent administration department restructuring, it said, “Mayor Clarke reinstated city staff supervision back to how it was before Shearon changed it. Treasurer Sheila Dalton and Deputy Clerk Audra Lanzaro chose to quit after not being able to answer for some of their actions.
"For example: they did not submit the 941 form to the Internal Revenue Service which resulted in late fees and penalties for the city in the amount of $1,773. They also falsified the 941 form by putting the wrong dates of submittal on it.”

The IRS revelations were discussed at the Oct. 1 city commission meeting.

The employees’ statement also noted that Clarke proposed a 1.5 percent pay raise for city employees and mentioned unbudgeted pay raises Lanzaro and former Deputy Clerk Tammy Johnson received from Shearon without commission approval.

The employees’ statement concluded by saying, “Mayor Clarke has restored stability and civility in city hall. We do not have that bully mentality anymore. The black cloud has been removed. It has been an honor working with Mayor Clarke, and he, not Shearon, is truly the people’s mayor.”

The 100-year-old Roser Memorial Chapel will be open on Saturday, Oct. 17, during Bayfest.
At 10:30 a.m. the Roser Chancel Choir will sing, at 11:30 a.m. the Grace Notes Trio will perform
and at 12:30 the Joyful Noise Children’s Choir will sing. All children are invited to explore the Children’s Tent and enjoy free crafts, games, and snacks.

Roser Pastor Dr. Bob O’Keef will sign his book, “Through the Crystal Snow,” outside the Chapel. The cost is $20.

The book is set in 1806, when Robert Tyler, a successful North Carolina planter, businessman, and politician, learns that he is both the father of an adult son he has never met and that he is the target of an assassination plot.

Tyler knows that his opponents not only want to destroy him but also to destroy Lynnmont, his estate, and the Tyler Companies. In an attempt to save everything for ,his son, he makes the difficult decision to die for his son rather than live for himself.

Pine Avenue in Anna Maria will be center stage for live music, food, arts, crafts and a classic car show at the 15th Annual BayFest on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Pine Avenue will be closed off to traffic during the free festival to make room for vendors offering one-of-a-kind gift items, jewelry, local artists’ works, collectable items, T-shirts, island crafts, gifts and more.

Music begins at 10 a.m. with emcee Mike Sales, followed by Can’t Turn Left from 11 a.m. to noon, Billy Rice from 1-2:30 p.m., Whiskey Blind from 3-5 p.m., Koko Ray from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and Shotgun Justice (The Karen and Jimmy Band) from 8-10 p.m.

The Food Court will feature grouper, hot dogs, burgers, pizza, chicken and BBQ in addition to desserts, beer, wine, margaritas, rum coolers and beverages from T & L Award Winning Ribfest Bar- B-Q, The Waterfront restaurant, The Feast restaurant, Seafood Shack Marina, Bar & Grill, Corky’s Hot Dogs, J Burns Pizza, Tyler’s Ice Cream, Wicked Cantina, O’Shucks, enRich Bistro, Quality Foods International, AMI Privateers, Joey’s Italian Ice and The Lemonade Factory.

A Kids’ Zone, sponsored by AMI Health & Fitness, will feature games, bounce houses and more.

Parking is available at CrossPointe Fellowship Church. Ride the free trolley to Pine Avenue from the church, Manatee Public Beach Park or any of the trolley stops on the Island; the trolley runs until 10:30 p.m.

First of two parts

BRADENTON BEACH – Mayor Jack Clarke and former Mayor Bill Shearon did not participate in the recent candidates’ forum, but they each agreed to answer the following questions submitted by The Sun. The candidates for the two-year mayor’s term that will be decided in the city elections that conclude on Tuesday, Nov. 3, were provided with the same questions and given a week to respond in writing. Their responses are being printed verbatim, other than being edited for length.

When city voters cast their votes, why should they vote for you instead of your opponent?

CLARKE: I have provided an effective and cohesive work environment for city employees. Employees who did not see the value in my approach are now former employees by resignation or termination.

I have stepped up and faced long ignored items such as the BP oil spill money and addressing the anchorage situation. Stormwater projects are back on line, we are truly lawsuit free and legal bills have plummeted.”

SHEARON: Our citizens are being ignored. My opponent has had two general citizen meetings at which the citizens have raised their wishes on the moratorium and the vacation rental problem. Each time the mayor has rejected the citizen’s consensus and pursued his own agenda, not that of the people.

What is your approach to regulating the vacation rental industry in Bradenton Beach?

SHEARON: I have and will listen to the citizens and will support their views. This is a democracy not a monarchy. I would attack the party house problem by advocating a moratorium against large houses to give us time to enact a thoughtful, effective ordinance while utilizing the wisdom and experience of Holmes Beach and Anna Maria.

Expand enforcement of our current ordinances on noise and parking especially on weekends and at night when most of the complaints are being made and enforcement is not available currently. Code enforcement should be made more proactive than reactive.

Create an ordinance that balances the property rights of the owner with the rights of citizens to enjoy their neighborhoods, without burdening the mom and pop rentals that have existed in the past, without creating the problems of these big party houses now being built and run by non-resident investors.

CLARKE: We need a quality of life ordinance to tie all our assorted ordinances together to address citizen concerns with transient public lodging establishments.

Enforcement: Chief Speciale has clearly stated what he needs to have to ensure compliance. We need to provide the police department and code enforcement with the necessary tools.

Accountability: Uniform standards and conditions of operation of transient lodging establishments.

Process: Follow-up by the city to ensure constant and consistent application of the ordinance.

Do you support or oppose a temporary building moratorium in the residential districts?

CLARKE: In general I do not support legislation that denies citizens their property rights. I do not support a moratorium in its present form. It is incomplete, appears inconsistent and seems to lack focus. Most important, a moratorium puts off dealing with the root causes of citizens’ stated concerns. I certainly would consider any moratorium if it can be shown to legally and adequately address the concerns citizens have voiced to me in person.”

SHEARON: I strongly support a moratorium. A moratorium will be on my first agenda when I am elected. The current rush to create a new ordinance without due diligence and the opportunity of the citizens to express their views will only lead to further problems and litigation. Let’s do it right when we have breathing time while delaying the influx of these large party houses.

Do you feel City Clerk Terri Sanclemente is qualified to hold that position and how would you rate her performance since being promoted from Clerk Pro Tem to City Clerk?

CLARKE: Yes. Excellent. Over and above the call of duty despite personal and professional pressure from outside the city that amounts to character assassination. Ms. Sanclemente’s dedication to Bradenton Beach and her ability to excel in her very demanding job are amazing. We are fortunate to have here.

SHEARON: Terri currently lacks the credentials according to the employee handbook and base education required of a credentialed city clerk. She was just given a $20,000 dollar raise, not including benefits, without any achievements made towards obtaining a clerk’s certification. Currently, she has been put over department heads with college degrees, certifications, and expertise that she does not share and has had no significant management experience to justify such a position.

Do you feel the city treasurer should report to the city clerk or serve as an independent department head?

SHEARON: The city treasurer needs to be an independent department head, as I established before because of deficiencies and material weaknesses pointed out in previous city audits. This insures accountability. The city clerk does not have the qualifications to oversee the accounting and budget processes, much less the building and planning departments as it is currently structured.

CLARKE: “City treasurer is in actuality a title for one employee, not a department. Best practices indicate there should be a certain separation within the administration section regarding signing of checks, accounts payable, and receivables. Common sense dictates that there is only room for one boss when there’s only four employees in the administration department. The city clerk is not expected to oversee the nuts and bolts of the treasurer's job, but there needs to be a competent knowledgeable person, the clerk, to insure that statutory deadlines and required paperwork is transmitted in a timely fashion.

This month the city paid over $1,700 in penalties and fines based on reporting and submission errors by the treasurer during the previous administration. Records indicate that two staff members who have since resigned were well aware of this and deliberately remained silent on the subject to avoid being caught.

What your thoughts on the 2015-16 budget compared to the 2014-15 budget and the manner in which each of you as mayor guided the budget process?

CLARKE: As the new mayor I directed staff to follow all the previous years’ procedures in constructing the budget. It was only after the abrupt departure of the treasurer that questions arose about the process. Despite this, all deadlines were met and all applicable statutes and regulations were satisfied.

I put forth, and commission approved, an operating budget with the least shortfall – the difference between income and expense – in recent memory, with approximately one-quarter of the previous budget shortfall established by my predecessor. This is not a deficit budget. A deficit budget is one wherein you owe third party debt, as in money borrowed to cover your shortfall.

SHEARON: My budget process was a six-month public meeting and commission committee process. The current budget process had no committee meetings or the opportunity for public involvement. The mayor, without commission, filed the notice of the proposed tax increase from last year. The only city budget workshop was for a 3 percent wage increase without the opportunity for public comment. The approved budget with increased tax revenue continues to be balanced with deficit spending using city reserves. To continue deficit spending will be unacceptable in my future budget proposal to commission.

What can and should be done to better manage the anchorage area?

SHEARON: The strict enforcement of maritime laws, on a regular schedule, should be developed. Vessels with derelict registration need to be removed. We need to develop a plan for a controlled anchorage.

CLARKE: This issue has been under study for years. Recently I have reinstituted frequent enforcement activities with positive results. Proposed changes in FDEP regulation of anchorage/mooring fields may allow us to go forward with plans I have had under discussion for some time.

Note: The May 6 candidates’ forum that Clarke and Shearon previously participated in can be heard in its entirety at www.localmatters.podomatic.com.

 

THE ISLAND – Island arts and culture groups are finalizing plans for the 2015 artsHOP celebration, which ushers in the Island’s arts and culture season.

Two events are set to kick off the weekend on Friday, Nov. 13. Art galleries and shops in Anna Maria and Holmes Beach will host an Artwalk showcasing various artists and offering refreshments, prizes and live music from 5 to 8 p.m.

The same night, the Island Players in Anna Maria will hold a special performance of “Radio Ridiculous,” by Rich Orloff, at 8 p.m. There is general admission seating and tickets are $20 each.

“Radio Ridiculous is a comic homage to the Golden Age of radio, featuring “Sorry, You’ve Got My Wrong Number,” “The Wacko Brothers Show” and “A Tale of Two Miserables.” The cast is comprised of Island Players veterans Jennifer Caldwell, Pamela Hopkins, Mike Lusk, Gilbert Ortiz, Walter Price and director James Thaggard.

On Saturday, Nov. 14, the Arts and Crafts Show to benefit the Anna Maria Island Butterfly Park returns to the Holmes Beach City Hall field at 5801Marina Drive from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Find jewelry, glass, photography, art, clothes, food, entertainment and more.

Compelmenting artsHOP, the Symphony in the Sand takes place on Saturday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Coquina Beach Gulfside Park. (See related article).

On Sunday, the Arts and Crafts Show continues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the Island Players will hold another special performance of “Radio Ridiculous” at 2 p.m. with general admission seating and tickets at $20 each.

Bridge Street shines

Artists have been busy crafting turtles using forms supplied by Island Lumber and cut out by Matt Myers, of Bridge Street Interiors/Mermaid Haven. The turtles will be displayed in various businesses on Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach from Nov. 1 through 15, and buyers can bid on them until Nov. 15. Details on the auction will be released at a later date.

Bridge Street also has a full day of activities for its artsHOP day, Sunday, Nov. 15, beginning with the Bridge Street Market from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by the Artwalk from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Participating in the Artwalk are:

• Bridge Street Bistro’s Second Floor Gallery featuring nautical paintings;
• BridgeWalk Resort showcasing Dustin Cole and his large format wood sculptures;
• The Lot with photography and upcycling by Gayden Shell;
• Sea-renity Beach Spa and Eco Boutique with Sky30 coastal wood art by Kelly Headley and art by other local artists;
• Bridge Street Interiors/Mermaid Haven showcasing handmade jewelry and art by local artists;
• Segs by the Sea featuring the Art of Motion;
• Bridge Tender Inn with the Art of the Cocktail and murals by resident artists.
• Bridge Street Market with more than 30 vendors.

Visit all eight stops and be entered in a drawing for a prize basket. Visitors can listen to the sounds of Ted Stevens and the Doo Shots while strollling the street.

From noon to 2 p.m., restaurants including Bridge Tender Inn, Blue Marlin, Bridge Street Bistro, Back Alley and Anna Maria Oyster Bar will present a Taste of Bridge Street.

The seasonal Bridge Street Sunday Market will have a new manager when it resumes operations next month. Cindy Thompson is taking over for Melissa Enders, who managed the market for the past four years.

“I will miss my market family, but I’m still very involved with Bridge Street,” Enders said in a recent press release distributed by the not-for-profit Bridge Street Merchants association that hosts the weekly market.

“Events are what I really love to do most,” Thompson added.

She will have 23 weekly events to manage once the market season opens on Sunday, Nov. 15, and continues through the end of April.

Thompson was one of the original Bayfest organizers and helped turn that into one of the most popular festivals in all of Manatee County. She also opened Paradise Bagels with her mother, Jackie and helped organize the Concert in the Park music series in Holmes Beach. She has volunteered heavily at the AMI Chamber and the AMI Community Center and recently served as interim director at the Center.

“I’m getting calls and e-mails nearly every day,” Thompson said, noting that complete vendor details and applications can be found at www.visitbridgestreet.com/market. She can also be contacted by phone at 941-536-4257 or by e-mail at events@visitbridgestreet.com.