Your Comments
Name: Janice Bergbom
Date: 2010-08-23 18:35:45
Subject: WELCOME BACK AMI ELEMENTARY
Comments: I can hardly fathum that it has been thirty years since the day we enrolled Ian Fairweather in kindergarden at AMI Elementary. I'll never forget Jim Kronus and the most wonderful Kindergarden teacher, Billie Coles, greeting us and encouraging us to participate in class room activities. Jack and I became very active in moving the school from PTA to the current PTO program, and loved every moment...1980 to 1992, when our youngest son went on to King Middle.
So today our oldest grandson, Mason Fairweather, Ian's son, started his Kindergarten experience at AMI Elementary. We are so very proud of our neighborhood school, and are so excited to again volunteer there. Jack and I encourage all of the past parents, who may now be grandparents,too, to pitch in and become involved in the education of todays Anna Maria Island youth and tomorrows future.
We hope to see you in the AMI Elem. resource center!
Janice Bergbom
Anna Maria
Name: jon hathaway
Date: 2010-08-22 21:00:10
Subject: police pension
Comments: why does it seem like commissioner al robinson and zagacnino are always trying to take something away from our police officers out here. Like they hold some kind of grudge or something. Our officers out here often go way above the their job description in helping people. You are not going to get that kind of service from a sheriffs office. The police position is a high risk job and they should be paid accordingly. I wouldn't want to deal with what they deal with and take the years of my life. Think about the element and underworld of drunks dirtbags and druggies you don't see while you are nice and cozy in your bed tonight. Unless I see a change in robinson and zacagninos tune to be pro law enforcment I will never vote for them again and neither will krd association. We love our law enforcment here. Quit freezing their pay raises and keep your nose out of their retirement because you have nothing better to do.
Name: Richard Martyniak
Date: 2010-08-20 11:16:07
Subject: Honey Bee Removal
Comments: I'm an entomologist specializing in removing honey bees here in Florida. Some of the facts presented in the recent bee removal story are incorrect and I invite folks to seek accurate information prior to having an unlicensed, uninsured beekeeper perform a bee removal from one's property. We perform thousands of removals a year in Florida and are seeing plenty of very defensive African Honey Bees. Please Bee careful.
For more info, we have written a short information piece about bee removal in Florida: http://bit.ly/aUQ8Mx
Jonathan Simkins and Richard Martyniak, Entomologists, Http://ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com
Name: J.M. CUMSTON
Date: 2010-08-17 12:55:59
Subject: Police Pension
Comments: Mr. Robinson whom I really don't know has again chosen to personally attack me as the last person to retire from the Holmes Beach Police Department listing my retirement pension amount and years of service as an example of excess. He also misquoted my age at retirement several years ago by accident I am sure, as you can not retire at 49 years old. Some of his other numbers he quoted need some further explanation as well. First of all we have the present retirement system in place as twenty plus years ago the state of Florida was threatening to confiscate the Holmes Beach police pension funds which totaled about 0,000 at that time. The city had two choices back then join the state of Florida retirement plan or bring the Holmes Beach reitrement plan into compliance with state law. The city decided to go the cheaper route and bring the city's police pension plan into state compliance. When I retired there was I recall around 3.2 million dollars in the plan. Of which I had contributed tens of thousands of dollars of my on salary over a period of twenty two years. Which along with the city's contributions and public donations I might add, were invested and grew. So that means that a chunk of my retirement came from my own funds.
Now as to why I retired it was based on health issues. You see I worked out of mold infested buildings for the city. The old city police department was so bad it was torn down and hauled away even though several island organizations wanted use of it. Even the new city hall had to be treated for mold and guess what we were not even supposed to be in the building until after it was treated for mold. I have the paperwork to prove it.
As a result of working out of bio-hazardous buildings I was left with lung disease and complications from the lung disease. By the way I am a life long non-smoker. I should have sued for the working conditions but I took the retirement instead as my many friends in the city would have paid the price for the lawsuit as I would have gotten a lot more than just my early retirement. It sounds as though some might perfer they not have to pay me that pension for very long and wish me ill will because I took what I was entitled to, I certianly hope that is not true.
The fund will continue to grow as the years pass and the invested funds continue to grow through those investments. The fund should double in size every five or six years or so give or take. That means that 3.2 million dollars will with time double to 6.4 million dollars and so on. As the Holmes Beach Police Department is not going to grow in size and the city's population and land mass are set, that means that the fund will given time become self funding.
Now if the City of Holmes Beach no longer wishes to provide city services and treat their employees with the decent respect and benefits they deserve for the jobs they do, like providing a police pension as described by Florida state law. Then please by all means get out of the city business and unincorporate, become just part of the county like anywhere outside of city limits. I am sure that a Sheriff's deputy will drive through once in a while like the rest of the county. You would save 8.4 million dollars a year plus inflation for the years to come.
Now I know the folks in Holmes Beach very well and the vast majority like their city just the way it is with it's own 24 hour police department and they don't begrudge the officer's their pension plan,on the whole only a very few hand full of folks would. Let the majority rule the way it should be and keep the city going.
I can tell you from my 22 plus years working there, and I have the x-rays and scars to prove it. There was very little wasted money by city goverment. City budgets through out the years were kept to bare levels. As everyone on those city councils lived in the city to you know. So I can't accept that there are such area's to cut as have been implied. Leave the police pension alone there is nothing wrong with it. It was fixed twenty some years ago already, to be in state compliance.
Thank you for having allowed me to serve the city and I wish I could still.
Officer J.M. Cumston retired
Name: Ann Chappell
Date: 2010-08-16 16:23:31
Subject: Visitors and Violations
Comments: I rent our vacation home and whenever I read about a visitor receiving a citation for a violation - speeding, not coming to a full stop, not parking in the right direction, not parking off the street, not putting out the garbage/collecting the bins, bothering turtles - I just add it to the note I send them BEFORE they arrive. Anna Maria residents abide by the laws and so should visitors. I just like my guests to leave happy and wanting to return to Anna Maria.
Name: Shane Hamilton
Date: 2010-08-11 08:48:47
Subject: Shark
Comments: Me and my wife found a shark at Holmes beach.8/7/2010.It was 5ft to 6ft long... Thank god it was dead.We didnt know at the time that it was already dead.So I got back in the water and observed the shark.After about 10 or 15 minutes.I decided to get just a little bit closer.It was hovering on the bottom of the ocean.Very little movement.In 4ft water.I pulled it from its tail and dragged it out of the water.It was tagged by the marina.So I oped the tag and it had a number to call.So I called and they said they didnt want anything to do with it.They sent a lifegaurd out to the scene where we where at,and he said there was nothing he could do.I told him to get a shovel and I would dig a 6ft holr way of the ocean.And bury it.He said he would,but he never returned.We called the city police and they arrived and I helped them rope the shark and then he dragged him off behind a ATV.I have pleanty of pictures of the shark and it laying on the beach.Both in the water and out.
Name: Carol Whitmore
Date: 2010-08-09 16:05:54
Subject: Cafe on the Beach
Comments: I was one of the Commissioners that voted to keep Tommy and Dee but it did not work. I have made a point of going up to the new owners and wish them luck. Tommy and Dee asked me to do this and I am. It will be ok all. For someone who has lived on the island for 41 years, I don't like the change but will wish the new people the best. David Z. you need to also.
Name: Mary Kilgore
Date: 2010-08-08 16:35:08
Subject: Cafe on the Beach Farewell
Comments: It is a sad day for Anna Maria Island when local businesses are forced into operation by larger, out of town conglomerates. To wish the new folks well is the Christian thing to do. However, this venue would not need new people if common sense had prevailed. As for Dee, she knows first hand how important it is for small tourist towns to keep their uniqueness and integrity. It seems as if the members of council have such lessons to learn. I have known Dee for sixty years. We, like so mamy residents of Holmes
Beach, grew up in the still charming town of Nashville, in the heart of beautiful Brown County, Indiana. We learned tourism at our parents' knees. It is too bad your council has not learned those lessons of balancing healthy local lifestyles with a twist of progressive tourism. I will return only to visit Dee, not to bask in the charm of the island. The charm is gone. For you who live on Holmes Beach year round, I would hope that you keep a keen eye on your local politics. There is more at stake than organized, friendly meetings.
Name: J.M. Cumston
Date: 2010-08-05 12:03:42
Subject: response to Al Robinson
Comments: It appears that Mr. Robinson's case of ignorance far out weighs his intelligence on the matter of police pension's. He had the arrogant audacity to attack my pension as an example of excess. He did not mention my name, but as I was the last one to retire from the Holmes Beach Police Department it is obvious to everyone of whom he spoke. I can read between the lines also. His inference is to the fact he believes police officers should not be paid a living wage as they are not worthy and they certainly don't deserve a pension. Well let me enlighten you Mr. Robinson.
First of all we have the present retirement plan due to the fact that twenty odd years ago the state of Florida was threatening to take the Holmes Beach police pension funds and confiscate them, at the time a little over a half million dollars. As the plan was not in compliance with state pension law for police officers. The city had two choices join the state retirement plan for police officers, which is a better plan by the way, or go the cheaper route and bring the Holmes Beach plan into compliance with state law. You see Mr. Robinson the retirement plan is dictated by state law. Not by Al Robinson's law.
Part of the state law says that the retirement plan is an independent enity from the city. The funds are collected from the police officers themselves and from the city. That money is then put into investments which makes it grow, so the city will not have to put in as much money in the future, as it will become self funding in the years to come. Because the city police department will not grow anymore in numbers of officers,and because the city is small in population. That means Mr. Robinson that the city will not have to put anymore money in. The fund should double in assets about every five or six years or so. You know two,then four then eight millon dollars and so forth.
Now as to my choice to take retirement it was based on health issues. You see I worked out of mold infested buildings for the city. The old city police department was so bad it was torn down and hauled away even though several island organizations wanted to use it. But the city understood the danger they had exposed me to for years and did not want to expose voters to that danger. Even the new city hall had to be treated for mold. Guess what, we were not even supposed to be in the building while it was treated for mold, but we were just low life cops, no worry exposing us to that crap, as we meant nothing isn't that right Mr. Robinson. Read the mold reports for the city I have. I chose to take retirement so as not to penalize my friends in the city, as I would have won a lot more money in a lawsuit then I get on pension. My friends would have paid the price.
You see this left me with lung disease, by the way I am a life long non-smoker. From that disease I have had one heart attack and had eye surgery from the side effects of the medication for the lung disease. So with any luck at all Mr. Robinson you will not have to pay that pension too many more years as if it actually comes out of your pocket anyway. I have the scars and x-rays to prove I spent 22 years dealing with what you don't want to deal with on a daily basis. I also have a substantial amount of my own money invested in this retirement plan that has been there the last twenty odd years growing as well in the fund. That means a chunk of my retirement is my own money,duh.
You can probably discern that I am no longer bound by the rules and regulations of the city being retired and can speak the truth.
officer J. M. Cumston retired
Name: Andy Sheridan
Date: 2010-07-29 17:01:41
Subject: for publication: This is not the time to raise taxes.
Comments: It’s a shame that the county Sheriff’s budget is facing a shortfall; however our county commissioners should not surtax the incorporated island cities. For instance, Holmes Beach residents already fund their own police department which additionally patrols the county’s beach, beach concession, and parking properties. Historically, the Sheriff’s office reimbursed Holmes Beach for some of these expenses (,000/year), but has indicated it will not do this going forward. A portion of our county taxes already support ‘unique’ Sheriff services such as K9, Bomb Squad, Helicopter and Jail, but I am sure the island cities experience a proportionately lower utilization of these exceptional services.
In the City of Holmes Beach, the mayor, treasurer and commissioners should be commended for committing to lowering the millage rate for the upcoming budget year. This is not the time to raise taxes.
Andy Sheridan
Holmes Beach
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Date: 2010-08-23 18:35:45
Subject: WELCOME BACK AMI ELEMENTARY
Comments: I can hardly fathum that it has been thirty years since the day we enrolled Ian Fairweather in kindergarden at AMI Elementary. I'll never forget Jim Kronus and the most wonderful Kindergarden teacher, Billie Coles, greeting us and encouraging us to participate in class room activities. Jack and I became very active in moving the school from PTA to the current PTO program, and loved every moment...1980 to 1992, when our youngest son went on to King Middle.
So today our oldest grandson, Mason Fairweather, Ian's son, started his Kindergarten experience at AMI Elementary. We are so very proud of our neighborhood school, and are so excited to again volunteer there. Jack and I encourage all of the past parents, who may now be grandparents,too, to pitch in and become involved in the education of todays Anna Maria Island youth and tomorrows future.
We hope to see you in the AMI Elem. resource center!
Janice Bergbom
Anna Maria
Name: jon hathaway
Date: 2010-08-22 21:00:10
Subject: police pension
Comments: why does it seem like commissioner al robinson and zagacnino are always trying to take something away from our police officers out here. Like they hold some kind of grudge or something. Our officers out here often go way above the their job description in helping people. You are not going to get that kind of service from a sheriffs office. The police position is a high risk job and they should be paid accordingly. I wouldn't want to deal with what they deal with and take the years of my life. Think about the element and underworld of drunks dirtbags and druggies you don't see while you are nice and cozy in your bed tonight. Unless I see a change in robinson and zacagninos tune to be pro law enforcment I will never vote for them again and neither will krd association. We love our law enforcment here. Quit freezing their pay raises and keep your nose out of their retirement because you have nothing better to do.
Name: Richard Martyniak
Date: 2010-08-20 11:16:07
Subject: Honey Bee Removal
Comments: I'm an entomologist specializing in removing honey bees here in Florida. Some of the facts presented in the recent bee removal story are incorrect and I invite folks to seek accurate information prior to having an unlicensed, uninsured beekeeper perform a bee removal from one's property. We perform thousands of removals a year in Florida and are seeing plenty of very defensive African Honey Bees. Please Bee careful.
For more info, we have written a short information piece about bee removal in Florida: http://bit.ly/aUQ8Mx
Jonathan Simkins and Richard Martyniak, Entomologists, Http://ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com
Name: J.M. CUMSTON
Date: 2010-08-17 12:55:59
Subject: Police Pension
Comments: Mr. Robinson whom I really don't know has again chosen to personally attack me as the last person to retire from the Holmes Beach Police Department listing my retirement pension amount and years of service as an example of excess. He also misquoted my age at retirement several years ago by accident I am sure, as you can not retire at 49 years old. Some of his other numbers he quoted need some further explanation as well. First of all we have the present retirement system in place as twenty plus years ago the state of Florida was threatening to confiscate the Holmes Beach police pension funds which totaled about 0,000 at that time. The city had two choices back then join the state of Florida retirement plan or bring the Holmes Beach reitrement plan into compliance with state law. The city decided to go the cheaper route and bring the city's police pension plan into state compliance. When I retired there was I recall around 3.2 million dollars in the plan. Of which I had contributed tens of thousands of dollars of my on salary over a period of twenty two years. Which along with the city's contributions and public donations I might add, were invested and grew. So that means that a chunk of my retirement came from my own funds.
Now as to why I retired it was based on health issues. You see I worked out of mold infested buildings for the city. The old city police department was so bad it was torn down and hauled away even though several island organizations wanted use of it. Even the new city hall had to be treated for mold and guess what we were not even supposed to be in the building until after it was treated for mold. I have the paperwork to prove it.
As a result of working out of bio-hazardous buildings I was left with lung disease and complications from the lung disease. By the way I am a life long non-smoker. I should have sued for the working conditions but I took the retirement instead as my many friends in the city would have paid the price for the lawsuit as I would have gotten a lot more than just my early retirement. It sounds as though some might perfer they not have to pay me that pension for very long and wish me ill will because I took what I was entitled to, I certianly hope that is not true.
The fund will continue to grow as the years pass and the invested funds continue to grow through those investments. The fund should double in size every five or six years or so give or take. That means that 3.2 million dollars will with time double to 6.4 million dollars and so on. As the Holmes Beach Police Department is not going to grow in size and the city's population and land mass are set, that means that the fund will given time become self funding.
Now if the City of Holmes Beach no longer wishes to provide city services and treat their employees with the decent respect and benefits they deserve for the jobs they do, like providing a police pension as described by Florida state law. Then please by all means get out of the city business and unincorporate, become just part of the county like anywhere outside of city limits. I am sure that a Sheriff's deputy will drive through once in a while like the rest of the county. You would save 8.4 million dollars a year plus inflation for the years to come.
Now I know the folks in Holmes Beach very well and the vast majority like their city just the way it is with it's own 24 hour police department and they don't begrudge the officer's their pension plan,on the whole only a very few hand full of folks would. Let the majority rule the way it should be and keep the city going.
I can tell you from my 22 plus years working there, and I have the x-rays and scars to prove it. There was very little wasted money by city goverment. City budgets through out the years were kept to bare levels. As everyone on those city councils lived in the city to you know. So I can't accept that there are such area's to cut as have been implied. Leave the police pension alone there is nothing wrong with it. It was fixed twenty some years ago already, to be in state compliance.
Thank you for having allowed me to serve the city and I wish I could still.
Officer J.M. Cumston retired
Name: Ann Chappell
Date: 2010-08-16 16:23:31
Subject: Visitors and Violations
Comments: I rent our vacation home and whenever I read about a visitor receiving a citation for a violation - speeding, not coming to a full stop, not parking in the right direction, not parking off the street, not putting out the garbage/collecting the bins, bothering turtles - I just add it to the note I send them BEFORE they arrive. Anna Maria residents abide by the laws and so should visitors. I just like my guests to leave happy and wanting to return to Anna Maria.
Name: Shane Hamilton
Date: 2010-08-11 08:48:47
Subject: Shark
Comments: Me and my wife found a shark at Holmes beach.8/7/2010.It was 5ft to 6ft long... Thank god it was dead.We didnt know at the time that it was already dead.So I got back in the water and observed the shark.After about 10 or 15 minutes.I decided to get just a little bit closer.It was hovering on the bottom of the ocean.Very little movement.In 4ft water.I pulled it from its tail and dragged it out of the water.It was tagged by the marina.So I oped the tag and it had a number to call.So I called and they said they didnt want anything to do with it.They sent a lifegaurd out to the scene where we where at,and he said there was nothing he could do.I told him to get a shovel and I would dig a 6ft holr way of the ocean.And bury it.He said he would,but he never returned.We called the city police and they arrived and I helped them rope the shark and then he dragged him off behind a ATV.I have pleanty of pictures of the shark and it laying on the beach.Both in the water and out.
Name: Carol Whitmore
Date: 2010-08-09 16:05:54
Subject: Cafe on the Beach
Comments: I was one of the Commissioners that voted to keep Tommy and Dee but it did not work. I have made a point of going up to the new owners and wish them luck. Tommy and Dee asked me to do this and I am. It will be ok all. For someone who has lived on the island for 41 years, I don't like the change but will wish the new people the best. David Z. you need to also.
Name: Mary Kilgore
Date: 2010-08-08 16:35:08
Subject: Cafe on the Beach Farewell
Comments: It is a sad day for Anna Maria Island when local businesses are forced into operation by larger, out of town conglomerates. To wish the new folks well is the Christian thing to do. However, this venue would not need new people if common sense had prevailed. As for Dee, she knows first hand how important it is for small tourist towns to keep their uniqueness and integrity. It seems as if the members of council have such lessons to learn. I have known Dee for sixty years. We, like so mamy residents of Holmes
Beach, grew up in the still charming town of Nashville, in the heart of beautiful Brown County, Indiana. We learned tourism at our parents' knees. It is too bad your council has not learned those lessons of balancing healthy local lifestyles with a twist of progressive tourism. I will return only to visit Dee, not to bask in the charm of the island. The charm is gone. For you who live on Holmes Beach year round, I would hope that you keep a keen eye on your local politics. There is more at stake than organized, friendly meetings.
Name: J.M. Cumston
Date: 2010-08-05 12:03:42
Subject: response to Al Robinson
Comments: It appears that Mr. Robinson's case of ignorance far out weighs his intelligence on the matter of police pension's. He had the arrogant audacity to attack my pension as an example of excess. He did not mention my name, but as I was the last one to retire from the Holmes Beach Police Department it is obvious to everyone of whom he spoke. I can read between the lines also. His inference is to the fact he believes police officers should not be paid a living wage as they are not worthy and they certainly don't deserve a pension. Well let me enlighten you Mr. Robinson.
First of all we have the present retirement plan due to the fact that twenty odd years ago the state of Florida was threatening to take the Holmes Beach police pension funds and confiscate them, at the time a little over a half million dollars. As the plan was not in compliance with state pension law for police officers. The city had two choices join the state retirement plan for police officers, which is a better plan by the way, or go the cheaper route and bring the Holmes Beach plan into compliance with state law. You see Mr. Robinson the retirement plan is dictated by state law. Not by Al Robinson's law.
Part of the state law says that the retirement plan is an independent enity from the city. The funds are collected from the police officers themselves and from the city. That money is then put into investments which makes it grow, so the city will not have to put in as much money in the future, as it will become self funding in the years to come. Because the city police department will not grow anymore in numbers of officers,and because the city is small in population. That means Mr. Robinson that the city will not have to put anymore money in. The fund should double in assets about every five or six years or so. You know two,then four then eight millon dollars and so forth.
Now as to my choice to take retirement it was based on health issues. You see I worked out of mold infested buildings for the city. The old city police department was so bad it was torn down and hauled away even though several island organizations wanted to use it. But the city understood the danger they had exposed me to for years and did not want to expose voters to that danger. Even the new city hall had to be treated for mold. Guess what, we were not even supposed to be in the building while it was treated for mold, but we were just low life cops, no worry exposing us to that crap, as we meant nothing isn't that right Mr. Robinson. Read the mold reports for the city I have. I chose to take retirement so as not to penalize my friends in the city, as I would have won a lot more money in a lawsuit then I get on pension. My friends would have paid the price.
You see this left me with lung disease, by the way I am a life long non-smoker. From that disease I have had one heart attack and had eye surgery from the side effects of the medication for the lung disease. So with any luck at all Mr. Robinson you will not have to pay that pension too many more years as if it actually comes out of your pocket anyway. I have the scars and x-rays to prove I spent 22 years dealing with what you don't want to deal with on a daily basis. I also have a substantial amount of my own money invested in this retirement plan that has been there the last twenty odd years growing as well in the fund. That means a chunk of my retirement is my own money,duh.
You can probably discern that I am no longer bound by the rules and regulations of the city being retired and can speak the truth.
officer J. M. Cumston retired
Name: Andy Sheridan
Date: 2010-07-29 17:01:41
Subject: for publication: This is not the time to raise taxes.
Comments: It’s a shame that the county Sheriff’s budget is facing a shortfall; however our county commissioners should not surtax the incorporated island cities. For instance, Holmes Beach residents already fund their own police department which additionally patrols the county’s beach, beach concession, and parking properties. Historically, the Sheriff’s office reimbursed Holmes Beach for some of these expenses (,000/year), but has indicated it will not do this going forward. A portion of our county taxes already support ‘unique’ Sheriff services such as K9, Bomb Squad, Helicopter and Jail, but I am sure the island cities experience a proportionately lower utilization of these exceptional services.
In the City of Holmes Beach, the mayor, treasurer and commissioners should be commended for committing to lowering the millage rate for the upcoming budget year. This is not the time to raise taxes.
Andy Sheridan
Holmes Beach
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