Early January has been unusually cold on Anna Maria Island. So cold that we came alarmingly close to that Florida “four letter word”: snow. Early one morning I looked outside and it was raining. The outdoor thermometer registered 32 degrees. Although it did snow just to the north of Tampa, we were spared.
Still, the temperatures remained low for most of a week, barely making it into the forties for a daytime high. We were less cold than much of the country, but still cold enough to want to stay inside. We left the heat off at night, and the house temperature dropped into the low fifties. One morning it was 48 degrees.
It was sad to see the effects of this coldest spell in ten years on the wildlife. One morning we saw lots of large fish swimming in strange circular motions near the surface of the water. These jack crevalles were suffering and most of them died, along with snook and many other tropical species.
We have seen a dead pelican float by, and a dead egret floating across the bay. We marvel at the dedication and endurance of a parent great blue heron who has continued to sit in its nest through these frigid times. We wonder what has happened to the eggs or tiny chicks that may have been in the nest when the temperatures dropped. In general, it’s disturbing to think of what might happen to the birds’ food supply with thousands of fish now dead from the cold.
For years, people arriving on Anna Maria Island via any of the bridges have had a wonderful close-up view of the water along the way. In fact, many of the island’s more laid-back residents and visitors express their welcoming of bridge openings, as opportunities to enjoy the beauty of the surroundings. They don’t mind pausing for a few minutes to appreciate the place in which they have chosen to spend time.
Although the Anna Maria Island Bridge on Manatee Avenue has recently been repaired and restored to last another ten years, there already is a major bureaucratic process underway to determine the ultimate future of this bridge. In fact, what happens to the bridge ten years from now is almost settled.
On March 26, at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Holmes Beach , the FDOT held the final hearing at which they received public input on options for the Anna Maria Island Bridge ’s future. In addition to filling out questionnaires and comment sheets at the hearing, members of the public spoke and their comments were incorporated into the permanent public record. Those who did not attend the hearing can still enter their feedback into the public record by filling out questionnaires and comment sheets and submitting them to the FDOT by April 9. These forms can be downloaded from the site www.annamariaislandbridge.com. Input also can be given by phoning 863-519-2293.
Anna Maria Island is a great place to spend Spring Break, as long as you’re not looking for a party. Not every college student is an extrovert. Many are looking for something a lot more interesting than joining a herd of students who are experimenting for the first time with alcohol, sex and drugs. For those college students who are mature enough to already be clear about these things, and who are intelligent enough to want to do more with their time than run with the crowds, Anna Maria Island is a lovely destination for Spring Break or any other holiday.
The Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage, F.I.S.H., will hold the first ever “Mullet Invitational Fishing Contest” in Cortez, Florida.
The event will be held Friday and Saturday September 5-6, 2008. The contest will be a tribute to Ben Gullett of “Gullett’s Smoked Mullet” fame and proceeds will be to the benefit of F.I.S.H.
The 3 Great Blue Heron chicks that we referred to in the story Great Blue Heron Rookery have now fledged and left the nest.
In the past week, first one, then two, and finally the third have taken short departures from the top of the Australian Pine that has been their home for the last 2 months.
A parent is still feeding them as they continue to beg, but they spend less time in the nest, which is now falling apart and being raided by another nesting pair.
The heron chicks appear to be healthy and active, but
Organizers of last month’s Cortez Fishing Festival announced it netted $113,000 from the 2-day event.
Dedicated volunteers and sunshine brought in about 28,000 people. Proceeds far exceeded expectations and almost doubled last year’s $60,000.
The first festival initiated to purchase 95 acres of historic waterfront raised $98,000.
The funds created the Florida Institute of Saltwater Heritage (FISH) Preserve, dedicated to retaining the character and heritage of one of Florida’s last traditional waterfront communities within a natural environment. More privately owned land may be added to the preserve as it becomes available. The old wharves, fish houses, 1912 schoolhouse and 1896 Burton’s Store are in the process of restoration.
The Annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival returns Saturday and Sunday February 16 & 17 from 10:00 to 18:00.
Spend a day amongst fishing boats, gear, fish houses and commercial fishermen to appreciate a different perspective on life.
Originally known as Hunter’s Point, Cortez is located on the northern edge of Sarasota Bay adjacent to Anna Maria Island and its three cities, Anna Maria, Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach. Cortez has one of the few remaining active commercial fishing waterfronts in Florida.
Historic Cortez has long been an important fishing village and the fish so plentiful the adjacent Anna Maria Sound was referred to as ‘The Kitchen’. In the 1850′s, before refrigeration, most of the mullet caught was salted and shipped to Cuba.
Some out-of-area commercial fishermen were checked for compliance with fishing regulations while netting for mullet in Bimini Bay (also known as Fiske Bayou) on Anna Maria Island.
The new Bradenton Boat Club marina and boat condominium is emerging from the former C&C Marina in Cortez. Construction is progressing on 3 buildings that will accommodate 272 boats in dry storage, and 10 wet slips. The $17 million boat storage project won out over residential usage of the 4 acre site as other boating facilities declined in the area.
Florida Department of Transportation announced that the start of the Anna Maria Bridge renovations has been delayed until Feb 4. A new contract with Quinn Construction Co of Palmetto calls for the bridge on Manatee Avenue, or State Road 64, connecting Anna Maria Island to the mainland and Bradenton, to be closed completely to vehicles for 45 days.
Originally announced last year to begin April 1, the closure was to be 75 days, but
We have seen a dead pelican float by, and a dead egret floating across the bay. We marvel at the dedication and endurance of a parent great blue heron who has continued to sit in its nest through these frigid times. We wonder what has happened to the eggs or tiny chicks that may have been in the nest when the temperatures dropped. In general, it’s disturbing to think of what might happen to the birds’ food supply with thousands of fish now dead from the cold.
The 3 Great Blue Heron chicks that we referred to in the story 
Organizers of last month’s 
The Annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival returns Saturday and Sunday February 16 & 17 from 10:00 to 18:00.
