The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper

Vol. 13 No. 32 - May 29, 2013

FEATURE

Tree house stars on radio

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

tom vaught | sun

Brent Mitchell relaxes in the tree house hammock
and with treehouse owner Richard Hazen.

HOLMES BEACH – The notorious tree house belonging to Lynn Tran and Richard Hazen at the beach at 29th Street was a radio star for a while on Wednesday, May 22, when Brent Mitchell, from WSRZ Oldies 108, visited, reporting back to David Jones and Christina Crane on The Morning Crew show.

Mitchell climbed the ladder to the first floor, amazed at the natural beauty of the house built by the two owners and the great view of the Gulf of Mexico.

That praise grew as he climbed up to the second living area, where the view was better. Mitchell finally found a hammock, curled up in it and enjoyed a respite before calling in to do a live remote.

Hazen said it all began with a e-mail.

“It asked if we would mind if he came out after they saw the publicity from the Island papers,” Hazen said. “He talked with Lynn, and she said come on out.”

The city of Holmes Beach has ordered the owners to demolish the unusual home that is built on and into an Australian pine on the beach near their beachfront facility, Angelino’s Sea Lodge. Tran and Hazen are resisting and have hired an attorney.

The digital media helped the house’s notoriety spread.

“We put it on Facebook and it went viral,” he said.

Hazen said it took six months to build the tree house, which is off limits to their renters. Hazen said he uses it as an office, and there is a desk inside it.

“I worked on it every day,” he said. “It was a work of love.”

Tran said there was a downside to the house in the tree.

“The squirrels felt kind of intruded on,” she said, laughing.

Meanwhile, Mitchell lay on the hammock and he made another call to the Morning Crew.

“Do I have to come back?” he asked.

After determining he had to return to the studio, he begrudgingly got up from the hammock and climbed down the ladder.

It was just another day in paradise, but this radio personality had to return to the work world and finish his day.


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