BRADENTON BEACH – The Anna Maria Oyster Bar is back on the Island for which it was named, and the renovated Historic Bridge Street Pier is again poised to become a commercial hotspot.

On Sunday morning, AMOB, an abbreviated version of the Anna Maria Oyster Bar, opened for business in Bradenton Beach.

Last weekend also marked the opening of A Room with a Hue and Tide & Moon 2 retail operation that offers jewelry and hand-painted home accessories in the adjacent retail space Laura Shely and AnnMarie Nicholas are subleasing from Oyster Bar owner and primary pier tenant John Horne.

Sherman Baldwin plans to open his Paradise Boat Tours Activity Center later this week, which will also offer concierge services for watersport rentals and recreational activities provided elsewhere in the city and on the Island.

Sunday’s restaurant opening ended a decade’s-long absence on the Island for the popular local restaurant operation that started on the City Pier in Anna Maria in 1996 and later moved off-Island with two locations in Bradenton and one in Palmetto.

Due to the limited space available inside the city-owned restaurant space, and the desire to create a casual dining experience befitting a beach town, AMOB features counter service instead of full-service. When guests place an order, they receive a table tent containing the name of a famous celebrity. When that name is called, a food runner delivers the food to tables located inside the dining room or out on the waterfront patio, while guests fetch their own utensils, condiments and soft drinks from a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine that dispenses 65 soft-drink variations.

AMOB also has a full bar that offers happy hour specials seven days a week from 3 to 6 p.m.

The menu

The appetizer menu includes chicken wings, Buffalo chicken strips, fried portabella mushrooms, fresh calamari, seafood gumbo and lobster bisque.

The oyster dishes include raw oysters, baked garlic parmesan oysters, deep fried oysters and Grandma Georgie’s Chipotle Oysters.

The entrées include a variety of seafood from salmon and mahi mahi to fresh grouper and shrimp, both coming from the Gulf. Side dishes include cheese grits, fries, red bliss slaw and hush puppies.

There also will be plenty of sandwiches on the menu, featuring burgers, chicken, mahi-mahi and grouper, as well as a kids' menu of burgers, mac and cheese and chicken strips.

Unlike the other Oyster Bars, AMOB offers a breakfast menu that includes omelets, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, breakfast burritos, breakfast sandwiches and Eggs Your Way.

AMOB opens seven days a week at 8 a.m. and remains open until 9 p.m. during the week and 10 p.m. on weekends.

Practice run

Sunday’s opening was proceeded by a week’s worth of invited guests sampling the food and the new service concept. A visit to AMOB on Wednesday found former Mayor Jack Clarke enjoying grilled salmon and a side of cheese grits.

“The salmon was terrific. The quality of food at this Anna Maria Oyster Bar is on par with their others. This was the perfect portion and prepared perfectly. I could not have asked for better,” he said.

Sitting nearby, and joined by her Anna Maria friends Flo Curtis and Debby Perry, Horne’s mother, Ann, said, “I’m having the grouper sandwich, and it’s delicious.”

Curtis and Perry offered similar praise for their fish and chips and clam strips.

Sitting at the bar enjoying calamari and cocktails, Palmetto residents Ed and Shonnie Kirby said they enjoyed the waterfront view and said their food and drinks were excellent.

VIP Party

When addressing the invited guests assembled at Saturday night’s VIP party and ribbon cutting ceremony, Horne said, “We are absolutely ecstatic about being on Anna Maria Island and in Bradenton Beach.”

He then introduced managing partner Tim Bingham and the ownership team that also includes himself, his brother Lynn, Gary Harkness, Stephen Ananicz and Matt Andrews.

While standing on the patio, Bridge Street Merchants association president Angela Rodocker said, “This is going to bring even more people to Bridge Street and keep them here longer. We now have amazing anchors on both ends of the street and all our great businesses in between.”

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said, “It’s a great location, and I think it’s going to be a good fit and partnership.”

Anna Maria Commissioner Doug Copeland said everything he sampled was delicious.

ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy and City Attorney Becky Vose have created an ordinance they hope will help eliminate conflicts between commercial stone crabbers and recreational shark fishermen.

To be discussed at Jan. 14 City Commission meeting, the proposed ordinance would prohibit the launching of non-motorized vessels after dark during the annual stone crab season, which is Oct. 1 to March 1 in state waters.

The ordinance was drafted in response to complaints and concerns voiced by commercial fisherman, stone crabber and Anna Maria resident Anthony Manali during the Dec. 10 commission meeting.

Manali and his wife, JoAnn, own and operate Captain Anthony’s Stone Crab Store. Manali says his livelihood is being threatened by recreational shark fishermen who fish from shore, but use kayaks to chum the water and bring their baited hooks 200 to 400 feet out into the deeper Gulf of Mexico waters, which they cannot reach when casting from shore.

Manali told the commission this practice often leads to the fishing lines becoming entangled in trap lines, which then leads to trap lines getting cut, sending the traps and their valuable contents to the bottom where their recovery can be difficult.

Manali also said trap lines are sometimes simply cut ahead of time in order to prevent entanglement.

“The city hereby declares that the public health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the city and others requires the limiting of the launching of non-motorized floating craft after sunset and before sunrise between October 1 and March 1 of each year to prevent the destruction of stone crabs and traps and to protect the economic viability of crab fishing by limiting deep water/offshore shark fishing from the beach during stone crab season,” the proposed ordinance states.

When discussing the ordinance last week, Murphy said “No rafts, no kayaks, no canoes, no inner tubes or anything like could be launched at night within the city.”

He said he preferred this approach to an outright ban on shark fishing along the city shoreline.

In order to protect swimmers and the public, as well as the economic viability of shoreline properties, the city of Holmes Beach prohibits shark fishing from the shoreline that encompasses the city. A second Holmes Beach ordinance prohibits dumping or discarding dead fish and animals, which makes it illegal to chum the waters for sharks.

“I don’t want to stop the kids from shark fishing and enjoying that sport. They normally only do it at night and people shouldn’t be swimming at night,” Murphy said of the alternative approach he has proposed for Anna Maria.

“If the kids want to shark fish from the beach at night they’re welcome to do so; they just can’t take their lines out deep,” he added.

Discussing the matter last week, Manali said, “The mayor came by and talked to me, and he had a pretty good idea, banning the launching at night. It’s a good start, but they may find a way around it.”

Manali said a friend told him there were approximately 100 people fishing for sharks from the beach near 33rd Street on a recent Monday night, which causes concerns for he and others who have traps in that vicinity.

“People have been putting traps off that beach since Pete Moore and those guys put traps out there 70 years ago, and I’ve been doing it for 46 years,” Manali said.

Manali said people are shark fishing for fun and he does not think they are engaged in commercial endeavors because there are restrictions on the number of sharks and species of sharks you can catch.

JoAnn Manali expressed another concern she has and shared photos of a ray that was recently cut into pieces and discarded on the beach.

“They’re mutilating these endangered animals and that’s illegal,” she said.

BRADENTON BEACH – The holidays can bring out the best in us, but some of us get carried away.

Law enforcement authorities are preparing for illegal fireworks on the beach and impaired drivers on the roads, especially during New Year’s Eve.

The fireworks show New Year’s Eve at the BeachHouse restaurant will be visible up and down the beach, but those are the only fireworks allowed by law.

As for the New Year’s champagne toast, and drinks leading up to it, plan on taking the trolley or a cab home. The trolley is free and a taxi is a lot cheaper than a DUI.

“We’re going to have extra officers on duty,” said Bradenton Beach Detective, Sgt. Lenard Diaz. “We want to keep everybody safe from careless use of fireworks and impaired drivers.”

Sgt. Paul Davis, head of the Anna Maria substation of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, said they will enforce the ban on firecrackers on the beaches and in the streets.

“If we find fireworks, we will confiscate them,” Davis said. “If you find you’ve had to much to drink at a bar, get a ride on the trolley or the Monkey Bus.”

Davis said the trolleys will run until 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day to make sure all the revelers have a ride home.

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said he would have additional patrols as necessary.

“The fireworks show in Bradenton Beach is a nice way to see fireworks safely,” he said. “We want everyone to have a safe holiday and we will be out there under the ‘Be sober or get pulled over’ campaign.”

ANNA MARIA – Amy Tripp hopes to make Anna Maria safer for bicyclists in 2016.

Working individually and at times with Claudia Carlson and the Holmes Beach Bike/Walk Committee, Tripp has developed a bike map that designates secondary roads for bicyclists to use when traveling through the city. She is also working with George McKay and the Public Works Department to develop and install signs and pavement icons that would identify these safer, less-traveled routes.

At the request of Mayor Dan Murphy, Tripp devised a preliminary concept that in November resulted in the Anna Maria City Commission approving $12,000 to fund these efforts. The presentation Tripp made to commissioners included a map indicating a P-shaped route that generally avoids Gulf Drive, Pine Avenue and North Shore Drive, where traffic is heavy and the bike lanes are scarce or non-existent, and instead utilizes residential roads such as Jacaranda Road, Gladiolus Street, Crescent Drive, Spring Avenue and Willow Avenue, where the traffic is less intense.

Tripp noted that there is nothing that currently directs cyclists to these preferred secondary routes.

Inspired by the bike map used in the city of Venice, Tripp envisions a foldable, pocket-sized document that would contain on its backside additional safety tips and information of use to bicyclists, especially those who are visiting and may not be familiar with Anna Maria roads and intersections and the particular hazards they present.

Once printed, the maps would be made available at local businesses, including those that rent bikes, vacation rental agencies, city hall and other locations, while also being posted online at the city Website.

Last week, Tripp said she hopes to have the map and wayfinding measures in place early this year, which will depend in part on when the Public Works Department can install the signs and pavement icons.

While noting that the Gulf Drive bike lane that connects Anna Maria and Holmes Beach ends near the entrance to the city, Tripp said she has no intent to tackle costly and complex bicycle-related right of way improvements she feels would need to be addressed at the city or state level, depending on the road in question.

“That’s way above my ability. Rather than worrying about something that’s too big to tackle, let’s get the riders on Willow and then they can cross Gulf Drive at Magnolia to go to Ginny’s & Jane E’s, the Sandbar or wherever else they’re going,” Tripp said, noting that the Pine Avenue district can also be accessed using side streets.

Taking into account the space limitations that might limit the expansion of existing bike lanes or the construction of new ones, Tripp said she is not making it a priority for Anna Maria to pursue a certified bike friendly community designation, although making the city safer for bicyclists is a major component of that designation.

While Tripp and her husband, Alan, enjoy riding their bikes around the city and sometimes down to Coquina Beach, she does not consider herself a serious bicycling enthusiast. When asked why she offered to develop the bike map and the alternative bike routes, she said her primary concern was safety.

“I just think it needs to be done. I see all these families, and I feel the Island could do a better job of making it safer for them to be on these bikes. We also want to make it safer for the motorists by reducing the number of bikes on the main roads,” she said.

HOLMES BEACH – Claudia Carlson is spearheading an effort to make Holmes Beach and Anna Maria Island safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Carlson heads the Holmes Beach Bike/Walk Committee that includes Terry Green, Loretta Estabrooks and Ed Goff, with additional assistance provided by City Engineer Lynn Burnett and Police Chief Bill Tokajer.

Carlson and the committee are also working in conjunction with Anna Maria resident Amy Tripp, who is engaged in a similar endeavor at the north end of the Island.

“What’s most practical at this point, before we can get money for big engineering projects, is to reroute the bicycle and pedestrian traffic as much as possible. We can start by making small changes that will get people off the busy thoroughfares where they’re most vulnerable,” Carlson said last week.

This entails creating a map and installing signs and pavement icons that indicate safer and more enjoyable routes.

“Now’s the time to do something because we have more people coming to the Island, and we’ve got an unsafe situation. We’re trying to get traffic off of Gulf, Marina and Palm. It’s just not wide enough there and there’s not enough buffer between the cars and the bicyclists,” Carlson said.

She noted that Green is playing an instrumental role in the route and map development. Goff, a Bradenton resident, has developed a long range plan for bike paths in Manatee County.

Carlson expects the committee to present its proposed route to city commissioners soon and hopes the new map, signs and marking can be in place within six months. She and the committee also envision an eventual online map and a possible smartphone application, which Estabrooks, an avid bike rider and computer consultant, could assist with.

Venice connection

The committee may also eventually embark on the arduous application process that could potentially lead to Holmes Beach being designated a Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) by the League of American Bicyclists.

On Dec. 1, Monty Andrews and Russ Johnson traveled from Venice to Holmes Beach City Hall to share their experiences in helping their city obtain the silver-level BFC designation. BFC designations come in the bronze, silver, gold and platinum varieties.

Andrews and Johnson stressed the importance of map development as the critical initial component and touted the five E’s of bike friendly communities: engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation and planning.

“I think they’re a great inspiration for what can be done at the local level by just starting small. They’ve made their city much safer by what they’ve done, and we hope to do the same thing here,” Carlson said.

A week later, during the Dec. 7 Island Transportation Planning Organization meeting, Burnett unveiled preliminary sketches for three Gulf Drive/Marina Drive roundabouts envisioned, but not yet approved, with greater pedestrian and bicyclist safety in mind.

Two-way enforcement

During the Dec. 1 discussion with Andrews and Johnson, Tokajer said he and his officers would gladly increase enforcement in order to provide a safer biking environment, but he cautioned that enforcement works both ways.

He said cyclists are bound by law to observe and obey the same rules of the road that apply to motorists, and this includes stopping for traffic signals and stop signs, traveling with the flow of traffic rather than against it and ensuring that lights and safety devices are utilized and in working order.

“Chief Tokajer has been a fantastic advocate, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes,” Carlson said.

Carlson’s cause

“I’m a very casual bicyclist and I’m only comfortable bicycling where I feel safe. I’m mostly concerned about the overall health and safety of the community. My background is as a nurse practitioner. For me, this is an opportunity to prevent injury and promote health,” Carlson said.

In regard to working with Tripp, Carlson said, “We want to have consistent signage and connect our maps.”

As for future funding, Carlson said, “We can probably do the signs, marking and maps with city money, and the county may help with the map, but there are sections of the route we want to improve, and that’s going to require some big dollars. We hope to apply for regional funds and grants and the city engineer will help us. This is an ideal time to be working on the project, not only because the safety needs are great, but because we have strong interest and cooperation from all three Island mayors and a city engineer who works for all three cities.”

Carlson also praised the past efforts of former commissioner David Zaccagnino, and the current efforts of City Commissioner Marvin Grossman and Manatee County Commissioner John Chappie.

Those interested in assisting the committee or representing Bradenton Beach can e-mail Carlson at amibikeroute@gmail.com or call 503-819-3132.

ANNA MARIA – Terry Tucker and his wife Sandra have donated $5,000 to the city of Anna Maria, to be used for non-specified improvements to City Pier Park.

The Tuckers are part of the family-owned Maple Leaf Farms operation in Leesburg, Indiana, which is known as the largest duck distributor in the western hemisphere.

The Tuckers have owned a beach house in Anna Maria for the past 18 years.

“We love Anna Maria Island, and we like to be supporters of projects that improve the quality of life there,” Terry Tucker said Monday afternoon, speaking by phone during an ice storm that was pelting his hometown.

Mayor Dan Murphy announced the donation at the Dec. 17 City Commission meeting.

“We received a $5,000 donation from the Mr. and Mrs. Terry Tucker Family Foundation. Mr. Tucker came by city hall and told me how much he liked the idea that we were going to develop that park. He thought that was a great idea and said, ‘Once you start, I’ll be glad to give you a donation.’ That was very generous of them, and I want to thank them for what they did.”

Commission Chair Doug Copeland said, “We’re grateful for that, and hopefully there will be more. It doesn’t have to be $5,000.”

In other City Pier Park news, the construction of the comfort station, aka restrooms, continues, and Murphy recently joked that he expects the “inaugural first flush” to take place on or around Jan. 31.

ANNA MARIA – In the absence of a December board meeting, The Center’s Executive Director Kristen Lessig submitted a written report.

She said employees produced a program guide, which was mailed to members. The guide includes membership information and listings of sports programs, after school activities and classes in group fitness and wellness, education, parent and child development, art and dance and information on family support program offerings and the volunteer program.

In addition, employees are sending e-mail blasts to members detailing activities, classes, special events and programs and have created new member packets. Lessig reported that The Center has 411 memberships since the new membership structure was launched Nov. 1.

Lessig has met with representatives of Cultural Connections regarding use of the new art space. A new volunteer program, a parent advisory committee and a committee for upcoming special events such as the Tour of Homes, Affaire, and luau have been created.

Grants have been submitted to various agencies focusing on youth, senior and family support programs. Family support programs including grief groups, parenting classes, couples classes and respite care are set to begin in January.

A grant has been submitted to the U.S. Tennis Association for money to resurface the tennis courts.

Annual appeal letters were sent out in December with a goal of raising $50,000 by Dec. 31. Donations can be made at www.centerami.org.donate.

ANNA MARIA – If you’ve shopped some of our local stores, you might have found packets of sea salt from the waters off Anna Maria, Coquina Beach, Longboat Key, Lido Key and Siesta Key.

The man behind the product, Tim Norwood, of Bradenton, was a design engineer before getting into sea salts. His company is called Sea Salt Florida, LLC.

Once he learned how to process it, he put his engineering background to work on making the process better, although it still takes five gallons of water to make one pound of salt and 24 hours to process 100 gallons.

It’s edible, having been filtered extensively from the water before drying to a solid, and there are some salts that are flavored for meat rubs plus some combined with pinot noir or dehydrated Portobello mushrooms. His exfoliating scrubs are grainier and they draw moisture from the skin.

Norwood said one of his experiments blew up in his kitchen, so he moved the “laboratory” to a barn on his property.

In case anyone is worried about ingesting sea salt from water that carries red tide, Norwood said he took precautions.

“I prepared for red tide and got my processing done before it got too close to our shores,” he said. “I’m not harvesting now but I monitor the red tide reports constantly.”

This project is a serious endeavor for Norwood, and he has a business plan.

“I want to have eight 1,000-gallon tanks processing the water and 20 employees by next year,” he said. “I don’t want this to be something I play with; I would be the happiest man alive if I did this the rest of my life.”

For those who associate salt with high blood pressure, here’s a note.

“My blood pressure has never been lower, and I consider myself a salt-aholic,” he said. “Maybe my blood pressure is down because I’m doing what I love.”

Locally, Sea Salt Florida is sold at the Cortez Maritime Museum Gift Shop, Bell Fish Market and the Sea Hag in Cortez; Olive Oil Outpost in Anna Maria; Island Fresh Market in Holmes Beach; Bridge Street interiors and the Coquina Beach Gift Shop in Bradenton Beach; and Rip Current in Longboat Key.

Norwood can be reached at 941-780-5514 or at seasaltflorida.com.