EGMONT KEY – Egmont Key has reopened to the public after a fire sparked by lightning last Tuesday burned until Friday.

Visitors are asked to stay on marked trails and roadways and avoid the burned areas of the key, a state park and national wildlife refuge north of Anna Maria Island at the mouth of Tampa Bay.

The fire burned 80 acres, about a third of the key's acreage, and was slowed down significantly by a backburn on Wednesday, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer Stan Garner said.

A tactic to suppress wildfire, the backburn removed vegetation between the fire and a narrow line that was cleared of vegetation with shovels, Florida Forest Service spokesman John Saddler said.

Seabreezes fanned the fire, which was doused with buckets of saltwater dropped from a Florida Forest Service helicopter and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service helicopter, he said. Tampa Fire Rescue also responded with a fire boat.

Buildings on the key were not affected, including historic Fort Dade and the 1858 lighthouse, and no structures were damaged at the harbor pilot station, which operated on emergency generator power after the fire caused a power outage, said Capt. Allen Thompson, executive director of the Tampa Bay Pilots Association. The fire did not impact the pilots' ability to guide ships into and out of Tampa Bay, he said.

Shorebird colonies were spared, and gopher tortoise numbers appear strong, Garner said, adding that a full biological assessment will be done in the coming weeks.

The key, which is accessible by boat, has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978, and has contained prisons for Seminole Indians and Confederate soldiers, hideouts for runaway slaves and the U.S. Army Fort Dade Military Reservation.

ANNA MARIA – As Mark Twain once said, "The report of my death was an exaggeration."

So it is with reports of the demise of The Affaire, The Center's annual fundraiser gala held in the spring.

"Last year's Affaire didn't go as well as planned." Executive Director Kristen Lessig said. "It made $60,000 and our goal was $100,000. An event like that takes a very dedicated effort and one person driving it."

Lessig said she met with Trudy Moon, who headed The Affaire committee for is most successful years, and Pierrette Kelly, the Center's former executive director, who was at the helm for the majority of The Affaire events.

"We agreed that the community wants a different event, and The Affaire had run its course. We heard from the community, and people don't want The Center to be an executive club."

So what's ahead?

"The community has changed, and so has the mission of The Center," Lessig explained. "This is the community's gathering place with a more casual atmosphere.

"We are still brainstorming about what kind of event and what to call it. It's an evolution to fit a new center, and we want to make it fun and exciting, a party atmosphere."

Coming fund-raisers

Lessig said the Affaire committee has become an events committee and the first three events it has planned are the annual bowling tournament, a fish fry and a golf tournament.

The bowling tournament will be produced by LaPensee Plumbing and Pools and will take place on Saturday, Sept. 10, at AMF Lanes on Cortez Road in Bradenton. The cost is $30 per person for shoes and three games.

There will be complimentary pizza and wings served on every lane and lots of raffle prizes. The lanes can accommodate 140 bowlers, and businesses can sign up to be lane sponsors.

Harry's Grill and Bistro will present the fish fry on Saturday, Sept. 24, at The Center, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria. There will be fried fish, cole slaw, baked beans, hush puppies and Harry's signature lemonade. It is free for members and $5 for non-members.

The golf tournament will take place on Friday, Oct. 21, at IMG Academy in Bradenton. The cost is $100 per golfer or $350 per foursome. Tee time is 1 p.m., and snacks and drinks will be provided throughout the course. There will be raffle prizes and dinner after the tournament.

BRADENTON BEACH – Thursday's City Commission meeting will include a request to spend $15,235 for consulting services for the permitting and construction of a new and expanded floating dock.

The scope of services proposal submitted by Scheda Ecological Associates says, "Scheda will coordinate with the city staff their chosen coast engineer and regulatory staff to ensure that all information necessary for permitting the proposed additional slips and modified submerged land lease will be incorporated into the applications."

The proposal states the fee estimate does not include engineering or geotechnical fees, seagrass and coral protected species surveying, permit application fees, environmental mitigation or the preparation of legal documents.

If pursued, the slips and finger docks would be installed along the north side of the Historic Bridge Street Pier and leased to commercial and recreational clients. The south side of the pier will remain a free public dock.

If not pursued, what remains of the existing floating dock must still be replaced in order to address concerns that it could break loose and damage the pier during a storm. A portion of dock damaged during Tropical Storm Colin in early June has already been removed.

In mid-June, Commissioner Jake Spooner proposed expanding the dock area as a means of generating additional revenue for the city. The commission voted 4-1 in favor of Spooner serving as the commission liaison on this effort and working with Speciale to further research its viability.

Mayor Bill Shearon cast the one opposition vote and expressed displeasure at Spooner was asked to serve as the commission liaison on the pursuit of this project.

That same meeting then saw the commission vote 3-2 in opposition to a request to spend $11,988 for Scheda to conduct a feasibility study on the potential construction of a managed mooring field. Shearon and Vice Mayor Ed Straight supported the mooring field study.

FDEP Meeting

On Friday, July 22, Speciale, Spooner, Gilbert and Scheda's Sarasota branch manager Dianne Rosensweig traveled to the Florida Department of Environment Protection (FDEP) office in Tampa to discuss submerged land lease options that would allow for the replacement of the existing day dock and the future addition of leased slips.

According to Speciale and Spooner, the FDEP reps said the city could replace the existing day dock in the current footprint without the need to amended the existing lease. They were also told that amending the submerged land lease in a hybrid fashion that would allow for public and commercial use was a relatively simple process that could be completed in a few months. In exchange for a submerged land lease that allows for both commercial and public purposes, the state would receive approximately six percent of the revenue generated by the leased slips.

Dock research

On Friday July 15, Shearon accompanied Speciale to Fort Myers Beach to examine the floating dock system at Snook Bight Yacht Club and Marina that could be used to replace and/or expand the existing day dock. Created by Technomarine USA, the dock system is designed to withstand a category three hurricane winds and waves.

"This system is really nice," Speciale said after the visit.

Based on previous preliminary estimates received from Duncan Seawall and Dock and Technomarine President Mike Shanley, Speciale and Spooner tentatively estimate the replacement and expansion of the dock would cost between $250,000 and $300,000, but the exact cost has not yet been determined. Spooner also noted that 14 slips leased at $2,000 a month would generate $336,000 in annual revenues.

ANNA MARIA – I found it tucked away with other mementos of past chapters of my life – a small cardboard box filled with my Girl Scout badges, pins and stars.

They were like new – never sewed on a sash. There was no reason. The visions came flooding back.

Sixth grade 1959 – laughing children just learning that life is not all fun and games. This day our troop was going on a Girl Scout field trip to the Xenia library in our leader's station wagon.

"I can't go on the trip," I told my best friend Connie with disappointment.

"Why not?" Connie questioned.

"My mother is going to a card club meeting, and I don't have any way to get home afterward," I replied.

"Well, I don't want to go if you don't," Connie declared.

"I don't want you to miss the trip because of me," I said. "You go and tell me about it later."

About halfway through the morning, Connie whispered, "I have a great idea. Doesn't Mrs. North (our teacher) live near you? Anne North is going on the trip, so maybe she can take you home.

"Why don't you ask her?" she said in a note that she passed to me. "I wish you would. Please ask Mrs. North if you can. Love always, Connie."

I wrote back, "You and I will ask her at the last recess, maybe, OK? Love always, Patty."

Missing the trip

At recess we rushed up to Mrs. North and explained the problem. She understood and agreed to give me a ride home. When the school day ended, I went to my locker. My lock stuck, and when it finally opened, I got my books and walked out the door to see the station wagon pulling away.

My heat sank at missing the trip as I got on the bus to go home. Once at home, I settled down to do my homework, and then took a break to watch TV.

"Special news bulletin," blared the TV announcer. "A car carrying eight Girl Scouts and two leaders has been hit by a train at the Factory Road railroad crossing."

All perished as a result of the crash. That Friday, my parents took me to each funeral home to pay our respects. In those days there was no closure, no counseling. You bucked up and went on, and that's what I did, along with the two others, Candy Prystalowski and Sharon Smith, who also missed the trip.

Preparing to visit the park

Fast forward to 2016. My visiting sister told me of the Beavercreek Community Park, built near the former train crossing, where a memorial honored the Girl Scouts and leaders that perished. The train tracks were now a bike path.

It was called Angels' Pass Memorial, and Girl Scouts who cared for the memorial received special Angel's Pass patches. I e-mailed the troop with my story, asked for a patch and began corresponding with two leaders.

I was planning to go to Indiana to visit my mother, and my sister said she would take me to see the memorial. I told the Scout leaders Anna Henderson and Susan Grinkemeyer about my trip, and they graciously arranged for a Girl Scout memorial ceremony to present the patches.

I decided I needed to get a Girl Scout sash and sew my patches on it to wear to the ceremony. I called my friend, Juile Krokroskia, a Scout leader, and she got me a sash. We met at her office so she could show me where to place the pin, stars and patches.

She asked if I had troop numbers, and I said I did not. She insisted that I needed those and asked me the number. I said it was 133.

She said, "You're in luck. Our troop number is 136, so I have 1s and 3s."

She fixed me up with numbers, and I completed the sash for the trip.

The memorial

My sister and I arrived at the memorial, a beautiful, serene park with a brick pathway in a circle and benches, named for each one who perished, arranged around the circle. In the center was a memorial stone with the Scouts and leaders' names, a plaque that told their story, a hedge of lush green bushes, bright yellow flowers and three flagpoles.

I was greeted by Candy, who was instrumental in having the memorial built, and Susan, who planned the ceremony, as well as members of the families of the girls' who perished, park officials and local Girl Scouts.

The ceremony began with raising the flags of the U.S., Ohio and my former Troop 133 by the Girl Scout Color Guard, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and the Girl Scout Promise and singing the Girl Scout song, "Make New Friends."

Special guests were introduced and candles were passed out and lit for the Juliette Low (Girl Scout founder) Candle Ceremony that included reciting the Girl Scout Laws. Next, I was called up to receive a bouquet of flowers and the Angel's Pass patches.

I think it was at that moment that I finally felt closure as the names of my troop members were read, a bell tolled for each one and the ceremony ended with Juliette Taps:

On this day,

We have come –

From the North

From the South,

East and West – All your dreams

Will live on, Juliette.

I am humbled that so many people would come together to welcome a stranger into their hearts, and I am grateful to all those whose love and dedication made this park a reality.

ANNA MARIA – As of late last week, none of the proposed 24 Bert Harris claim settlements authorized by the Anna Maria City Commission had been formally accepted by those who filed them.

On July 21, the commission approved potential settlements for 24 of the then 59 claims that City Attorney Becky Vose determined to be the most legitimate. The settlement terms Vose proposed called for permanent occupancy allowances of two persons per bedroom; and all but one of those property owners requested and was offered an additional two guests per property.

During that recent meeting, Vose said she was still in the process of evaluating the remaining 39 claims, some of which she suggested the city might fight in court if need be.

In regard to the proposed settlements, Vose said on Friday, "Formal offers have not been sent. We are working on them."

While the proposed settlements remained a work in progress, the city received three more Bert Harris claims on Monday, July 25, bringing the total number of claims received to 62. All three of the new claims were submitted by the Najmy/Thompson law firm.

Two of the claims were filed on behalf of 791 Jacaranda LLC for properties located at 789 Jacaranda Road and 791 (lot 16) Jacaranda Road. According to state records, developer Shawn Kaleta and attorney Louis Najmy serve as 791 Jacaranda LLC's registered agents.

These two claims each pertain to five-bedroom homes that list a pre-vacation rental ordinance occupancy of 12 to 14 occupants; and each lists $345,000 in assessed lost value if restricted to the occupancy limits set forth in the vacation rental ordinance enacted earlier this year.

The third claim was filed on behalf of KPI 48th Street Development LLC, which is also registered to Kaleta and Najmy. This claim lists $515,000 in assessed lost value for a six-bedroom home that listed an occupancy of 14 to 16 occupants prior to the vacation rental regulations taking effect.

Totaling $1.2 million, the three new claims bring the total compensation sought – if not granted occupancy relief – to more than $24 million. This includes the $6.8 million affiliated with the 24 claims approved for settlement via increased occupancy rather than financial compensation.

Property owners have one year from being notified of the enactment of new regulations to file a Bert Harris claim. According to Vose, that official notification occurred on Jan. 26 of this year. Once the one-year deadline expires, no more Bert Harris claims can be filed in opposition to the occupancy limits imposed on vacation rentals.

Residential structures permitted and built after the one-year deadline expires will be restricted to eight occupants per property and will not be eligible for the grandfathering provisions that sunset in 2021.

HOLMES BEACH – City commissioners last week approved a tentative millage rate of 2.25 for fiscal year 2016-17, the same as fiscal year 2015-16.

"This is little different from last year, when we were looking at a gaping hole," Mayor Bob Johnson pointed out.

Last year, he and Treasurer Lori Hill discovered an error, which if allowed to continue, would have bankrupted the city. Commissioners set a high millage rate to try and rectify the error. Johnson said he plans to continue a program of austerity to build the reserve.

Vice Chair Jen Peelen pointed out that 2.25 is the maximum millage, and commissioners can reduce it but not increase it before the final budget is approved.

The draft budget shows total operating revenues of $6,723,918 and carryovers/reserves of $5,567,725 for a total of $12,291,643. It shows expenditures of $3,950,203 for personnel, $5,683,729 for operating expenses, $2,578,611 for capital outlay and $79,100 for debt service for total of $12,291,643.

Department budgets

The mayor/commission budget shows an increase of $20,000 in the reserve.

The general government budget shows increases for personnel, a special magistrate and a planner. It also shows an increase in outside agency funding due to some funding being moved from public works.

The police department shows increases in 911 upgrades and equipment with a minimal decrease overall. The code enforcement department shows in increase for a second full time officer, but a decrease in part time salaries with a minimal decrease overall.

The public works department shows an increase for professional services, insurance, repairs and maintenance, capital improvements, Grassy Point and equipment.

The building department shows a decrease in part time salaries, professional services (planner moved to general government), IT services, utilities, repairs and maintenance, operating supplies and equipment.

Copies of the draft budget are available in city hall, 5801 Marina Drive. Public hearings on the budget were set for Tuesday, Sept. 13, and Tuesday, Sept. 27, both at 6 p.m.

BRADENTON – The Manatee County Board of Commissioners voted in favor of a resolution authorizing the County Parks and Natural Resources to file a long-term beach erosion control budget plan with the Florida Department of Environment Protection.

The resolution calls for the county to name projects which will require state funding and confirm the county's ability to act as the local sponsor for the projects and the county's ability to fund the local share of projects, presumably from the county's rental tax.

Parks and Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker included a local government funding request with the information packet at the commission meeting, detailing projects past, present and future, with a total request of $400,000 from the state for the coming fiscal year.

He wrote about the 2011 nourishment project that covered beaches in the city of Anna Maria and Coquina Beach that had not been covered before. The Coquina Beach project also included a geotextile tube along Longboat Pass next to Coquina Beach.

The county is now planning to repair the geotextile tube or replace it with a jetty. The anticipated cost is $225,000.

The county is also planning more sand for Anna Maria City's beaches, possibly in 2017 or 2018. There will be no state cost to that project since the Port Dolphin Project allocated $5 million to the project that will come through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The county also wants to re-vegetate the upland dunes in Cortez Beach near the Twin Piers project and build three dune walkovers. Again, no state funds would required.

The final project is an inlet management plan for Passage Key, which was required as part of an earlier agreement to take sand to put on Coquina Beach in the 2014 nourishment project.

A new Florida law, approved by the Legislature and Governor during the 2016 session, will enable county and local authorities along with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to more effectively manage the state's waterways. The new law (F.S. 327.4107) allows law enforcement officers to issue non-criminal citations to owners who allow their boats to become at risk of becoming derelict.

"This law allows officers to take action before a vessel crosses that line between at-risk and derelict, and hopefully prompts the owner to rectify any issues with the vessel before it reaches a state of disrepair," said Phil Horning, FWC's derelict vessel program administrator.

"Prior to this law being enacted, officers had to wait until a vessel met the legal criteria for a derelict vessel before beginning any sort of official interaction with the owner."

Under the new law, a vessel is deemed to be at-risk if any of the following conditions is observed:

• The vessel is taking on or has taken on water without an effective means to dewater.

• Spaces on the vessel that are designed to be enclosed are incapable of being sealed off or remain open to the elements for extended periods of time.

• The vessel has broken loose or is in danger of breaking loose from its anchor.

• The vessel is left or stored aground unattended in such a state that would prevent the vessel from getting underway, is listing due to water intrusion, or is sunk or partially sunk.

If an officer observes a vessel with one or more of these criteria, a non-criminal citation may be issued that requires the owner to correct the problem or face stronger penalties after 30 days have passed. If problems are not fixed, non-compliant vessel owners can face additional fines issued every 30 days until they are.

Officials expect that this new law will decrease the number of vessels becoming derelict, a problem which continues to burden the state's public waterways.

"Our goal is to keep Florida's waterways safe and protect their environmental stability," said Horning. "We are committed to protecting this valuable resource for the people of Florida and its visitors."

Vessel owners are also reminded to sell their vessels properly.

"Many owners don't realize that not only is the buyer required to get the vessel retitled in their name, but the seller is also required to notify the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles within 30 days that they have sold their vessel," said Horning.

Failure to do so is a violation and may cause the prior owner of record legal troubles should the vessel become derelict at a later date. The FWC will be assisting state and local governments with derelict vessel removal grants that will be available soon. The grant funding was also approved by the Legislature and Governor during the 2016 session. Interested applicants may contact the FWC Derelict Vessel Program office at 850-617-9540 or email DVGrant@MyFWC.com for more information.