Categories
Community Real Estate Tourism

Tour of Homes Anna Maria Island 2019

Anna Maria Island Tour of Homes is an annual fund raiser for “The Center of AMI”, which provides recreational facilities, educational, and entertainment programs for young and old.

This year’s home tour is on Saturday March 16, 2019, 10am to 3pm. Homes are at the following locations:

  • The Fangmeyer Home: ….95 52nd St, Holmes Beach (ground level plus stairs)
  • The Kerchner Home: ……637 Key Royale Dr, Holmes Beach (ground level plus stairs)
  • The Horne Home: ………8403 Marina Dr, Holmes Beach (ground level)
  • The Willow House: ……….222 Willow Ave, Anna Maria (ground level plus stairs)
95 52nd St, Holmes Beach, Florida
The Fangmeyer Home: ….95 52nd St, Holmes Beach (ground level access plus stairs)
The Kerchner Home: ……637 Key Royale Dr, Holmes Beach (ground level access plus stairs)
The Horne Home: ………8403 Marina Dr, Holmes Beach (ground level access)
The Willow House: ……….222 Willow Ave, Anna Maria (ground level access plus stairs)
The Center of Anna Maria Island….407 Magnolia Avenue, Anna Maria: Bazaar, auction, raffle, refreshments, facilities, transportation.

Tickets are $25 and are available at all the above locations on the day of the home tour, plus these local businesses prior to the event:

AMI General Store……………………….503 Pine Ave., Anna Maria
AMI Sun Newspaper……………………202 Palm Ave., Anna Maria
Duncan Real Estate……………………..310 Pine Avenue, Anna Maria
Egret’s Nest……………………………..10010 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria
Ginny’s & Jane E’s………………………9807 Gulf Dr., Anna Maria
The White Egret ………………………10006 Gulf Dr., Anna Maria
AMI Chamber of Commerce………5313 Gulf Dr., Holmes Beach
Holmes Beach Ace Hardware…….3352 East Bay Drive, Holmes Beach
LaPensee Plumbing……………………..401 Manatee Ave., Holmes Beach
The Egret’s Landing……………………5602 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach
Crowder Bros. Ace Hardware……..5409 Manatee Ave., Bradenton

Due to limited on-street parking, visitors are advised to park at one of the larger lots marked on the map and take a courtesy minibus or shuttle cart to and between home locations. Carts will run frequently by volunteers.

Free parking is available at Crosspointe Fellowship Church located at 8605 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach.

Crosspointe Fellowship Church, Holmes Beach provides park and ride.

“The Center of AMI” at 407 Magnolia Ave, Anna Maria hosts the raffle, auction, bazaar, and food vendors.

Real-time traffic conditions on island bridges and roads are available at:
http://www.localconditions.com/weather-bradenton-florida/34215/traffic.php

Weather conditions can be found at:
https://www.wunderground.com/weather/us/fl/anna-maria/KFLANNAM2

Categories
Environment Health Politics

Daylight Savings Time Is A Waste




Does “daylight savings time” save energy? Does it save money? Does it save lives? Does getting up when the sun is lower in the morning sky mean you have more time before you go to bed at night?

“One hundred years ago when they first proposed this, they said it was about saving energy,” said Michael Downing, author of “Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time. This has never been realized no matter how many times they say it.” 

A University of California study has shown that DST doesn’t save anyone any money at all. In fact, it’s costing consumers extra, to the tune of $3.19 in extra utility bills per year. The study was made possible because of the peculiarities of the state of Indiana, which was only partially on DST until 2006. When the whole state finally went DST (to sync with the national business day), some comparisons vs. the prior method were made apparent. The study calculated that the shift costs Indiana residents an extra $8.6 million in electricity bills in total.

If the justification for DST has always been energy savings, why isn’t ‘saving daylight’ burning fewer light bulbs and saving energy?

Continue reading “Daylight Savings Time Is A Waste”
Categories
Environment

Red Tide At Anna Maria Island

Red Tide Current Status:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC):
https://myfwc.com/research/redtide/statewide/
Mote Marine Laboratory:
https://visitbeaches.org/

Red tide algae bloom was detected on Anna Maria Island shores August 3, 2018, and affected air and sealife soon after. While the municipalities and county services cleaned up dead fish on the beaches, the irritating smell sent people to seek indoor relief and, as word spread, visitors cancelled their trips.

(Update September 5, 2018 below at end of article.)

The current bloom is from microscopic Karenia Brevis, an alga native to Gulf of Mexico, spreading north from Naples to Tampa Bay.

K. Brevis concentrations Florida Gulf Coast, from Florida Wildlife Conservation https://myfwc.com/research/redtide/statewide/

Dead fish started turning up in the bay-side waters and canals a few days ago, but not as prevalent as the last red tide fish kill in December, 2015, which lasted several weeks.

Dead fish and sea grass August 2018 Red Tide
Red Tide December 2015 piled dead fish at the end of canals
Red tide January 2013 fish kill on Anna Maria Island beach

Since August 20, 103 manatee have died of which 29 tested positive for K. Brevis, and suspected in the 74 others. The manatee death toll so far this year from all causes has reached 554, compared to 527 for all of 2017.

Red tide also affects turtles and seabirds. “This year so far, we have rescued or recovered a total of 137 sea turtles,” said Hayley Rutger, spokesperson for Mote Marine Laboratory. “A lot of those were already deceased. Some of them were affected by humans, like boat strikes or entanglements in fishing gear, but some of them are suspected to have been affected by the ongoing red tide bloom.”

“Cormorants will dive through the water, and they’re basically diving right through the blooms so they’re getting it in their eyes and their faces and their mouths,” explained Avian Hospital Administrator Dana Leworthy. “They don’t necessarily need to ingest the fish to get the red tide.”

Although the Florida red tide is a naturally occurring phenomenon, agricultural and urban runoff can prolong red tide blooms inshore.

Continue reading “Red Tide At Anna Maria Island”
Categories
Environment

2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast

Hurricane Charley washed over Captiva Island in 2004




The 2018 extended range tropical forecast has been released updated by Colorado State University Department of Atmospheric Science.

As at April 5 July 2, the forecast is for slightly above average storm activity below average activity for the Atlantic Ocean basin. The current weak La Niña is not expected to transition into a significant El Niño by summer and fall. El Niño conditions create vertical wind shear that inhibits hurricane formation. Without wind shear, the tropical Atlantic is conducive to storm development.

We have decreased our forecast and now believe that 2018 will have below-average activity. The tropical and subtropical Atlantic is currently much colder than normal, and the odds of a weak El Niño developing in the next several months have increased. With the decrease in our forecast, the probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the United States coastline and in the Caribbean has decreased as well.

The forecast predicts a slightly above-average below average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean.
(full details at https://tropical.colostate.edu)

2018 Forecast numbers:

Continue reading “2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast”
Categories
Real Estate

Beach Front Island Homes




What styles of Anna Maria Island homes are on the Gulf beach?

Construction on sandy beach front has changed a lot in 80 years, with easier access, higher standard of living, FEMA rules, and wealthier newcomers. Many older properties have been remodeled and often demolished to be replaced by larger houses.

Here are a few examples of houses built since the island’s early visitors through to today’s new construction.

Built c.1940
Built c. 1965
Continue reading “Beach Front Island Homes”
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