Community Manatee Spotlight November 11, 2012

Students Raising Money for Hurricane Sandy Relief

Students from Center Montessori School are taking action to help those impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Today, November 8th, at 3:00 they are having a bake sale. The bake sale is a project of the 4th through 8th grade students. Many were home baking delicious goodies last night. They will run the sale today. All funds from the bake sale will be donated to the Red Cross and earmarked for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.

In addition, the 1st through 3rd graders will donate the money they raise from their annual Holiday Gift Shop to the Red Cross for the Hurricane Relief efforts.

We are so proud of these generous and action oriented children!

Manatee County Government offices closed Nov. 12 for Veterans Day

Manatee County Government offices will be closed Monday, Nov. 12 in honor of Veterans Day.  

Solid waste collections will not be impacted by the Veterans Day holiday. All Manatee County Area Transit routes will run normally on Monday.

Central Library, the only county library normally open on Mondays, will also be closed.

Manatee County parks, preserves and beaches will be open to the public.  G.T. Bray Recreation Center will be closed Monday, Nov. 12, but the two county golf courses will remain open for play.  

Manatee Habitat Selected For Veteran Home Repair Program

Manatee County Habitat for Humanity has been selected to participate in Repair Corps, a veterans-support initiative of Habitat for Humanity International and The Home Depot Foundation.   Manatee Habitat is one of 84 Habitat affiliates selected to participate in this program designed to support U.S. veterans in need of home repair.

“We are excited to participate in the launch of Habitat for Humanity’s Repair Corps program and grateful to The Home Depot Foundation for funding this project,” said Jim Frame, Board President for Manatee Habitat.  “It is truly an honor to work in partnership with former service men and women, and their families.”

Habitat for Humanity’s Repair Corps is a project funded by The Home Depot Foundation with a $2.7 million cash and in-kind gift card donation. Home repair grants will be allocated in amounts up to $15,000 for each Repair Corps project.  The program grants will cover the cost of a variety of repairs that could include roofing and weather stripping to the installation of wheelchair ramps and renovated bathrooms and doorways to accommodate disabled veterans. 

Habitat for Humanity’s Repair Corps is part of a three-year, $30 million investment The Home Depot Foundation is making to multiple organizations to help ease the burdens of military veterans by repairing and renovating homes and public facilities for military veterans.

Manatee Habitat will have staff available to provide information on the Veteran Home Repair program on Monday, November 14^th from 9am-4pm at the Cortez ReStore located at 4105 Cortez Road W, Bradenton.  In addition in effort to recognize those who have served and are currently serving our country , Manatee Habitat will be offering  veterans  and military personnel a 25% discount on ReStore  purchases from Monday November 12^th and through to the end of November.  For more information on ways in which Manatee Habitat is partnering with local vets call 748-9100 ext 102.

City of Bradenton Proclaims November 10-18, 2012 as Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week

Mayor Wayne Poston proclaimed November 10-18, 2012, Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week.Adell Erozer, Linda Gaines and Cheryl Hedger of Community Coalition on Homelessness, and Deborah Bailey, from Project HEART, received the proclamation at the October 24 City Council meeting.

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, people take time to consider what they’re thankful for and donate some of their time, attention and resources to those less fortunate. In the spirit of thankfulness and giving, each year the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign against Hunger and Homelessness set aside the week prior to Thanksgiving to sponsor the National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week. Last year during this week, more than seven hundred and fifty high schools, colleges, communities group and faith based groups from cities across the United States came together to bring awareness to the issues of hunger and homelessness.

Many local organizations are committed sheltering, providing supportive services, meals and food supplies to the homeless including: the Community Coalition on Homelessness, The Salvation Army, Hope Family Services, manatee Community Action Agency, Our Daily Bread, Meals on Wheels, Family Resources, manatee Glen, The Whole child Project and Project HEART.  These organizations work to respond to the needs of men, women and children in our community who are struggling with hunger and homelessness.

Taste of Manatee Restaurant Awards

The organizers of the Taste of Manatee - The Rotary Club of West Bradenton,  congratulate the Restaurant Award winners for the 26th Annual Taste of Manatee held on Nov. 3-4 at Bradenton Riverwalk.  The two-day festival featured 28 local restaurants offering tastes of their finest cuisine. The great food brought some 20,000 attendees to the just completed Bradenton Riverwalk along the Manatee River.  Mayor Wayne Poston presented the awards, along with Miss Manatee Jennie Ozark, Junior Miss Manatee Caroline Howard, Little Miss Manatee Hannah Brady, and Mini Miss Manatee Savannah Cannon.

The Taste of Manatee is hosted by the Rotary Club of West Bradenton and supports many local  charities and non-profits.  Each restaurant contributes a significant portion of their sales from the Taste of Manatee to the supported charities. 

Appetizers:

•    1st Place - Yacht Sea Grill
•    2nd Place - Lobstahs
•    3rd Place - Riverhouse Reef & Grill

Entrees:

•    1st Place - Mexicali
•    2nd Place - J & J  Barbeque
•    3rd Place - Edelweiss German Cuisine

Desserts:

•    1st Place - Fias Cafe
•    2nd Place - Ocean Harvest Grill
•    3rd Place - Meany Mini Donuts

Specialty Foods:

•    1st Place - Ferraro's Pizza
•    2nd Place - Mr. Cheesecake
•    3rd Place - Taste of Hawaii

Best Booth:  Blue Marlin

Best Of The Best:   Ocean Harvest Grill

Meals On Wheels Plus Adds New Friendship Dining Center

Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee is seeking participants for its new Friendship Dining Center, which will open on November 13, 2012 at Faith United Methodist Church, located at 7215 1^st Avenue West in Bradenton. The Faith United Methodist Friendship Center will operate Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM.

The daily program will include a heart-healthy breakfast, hot lunch, and varied activities or social events. Individuals age 60 and above may be eligible to participate in the program at no cost, though donations toward the cost of $6.50 per meal are gladly accepted. Transportation may be available. Call 941-747-4655 to sign up or to receive more details.

Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee currently operates Friendship Dining Centers at the following locations:

• Journey Church- 5017 37^th St E in Bradenton; M-F, 9am-1pm
• Palmetto Elks- 4611 4^th Ave E in Palmetto; M-F, 8am-12:30pm
• Palmetto Gayle- 501 17^th St E in Palmetto; M-F, 9am-1pm
• Westminster Presbyterian Church- 3011 19^th Ave W in Bradenton; M-W, 9am-1pm
• Westside- 3512 15^th Ave W in Bradenton; M-F, 9am-1pm
• Woodwinds- 1800 Woodwinds Dr E in Bradenton; M-F, 9am-1pm

Boaters: Winter Manatee Zones Take Effect November 15

The Tampa Bay Manatee Awareness Coalition reminds boaters that several slow speed zones go into effect November 15 in Tampa Bay to protect manatees that will be gathering near area power plants as water temperatures fall.

As many as 350 manatees are expected to spend all or part of the winter months in Tampa Bay and its tributaries. When water temperatures consistently drop below 68 degrees, the majority of the animals will be in or near Tampa Electric Company’s Big Bend power plant near Apollo Beach.

Through November 2, 12 manatees have been killed by watercraft in Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas counties. Statewide, 306 manatees have died already this year, 73 as a result of collisions with boats.

Manatees are most in danger of being hit by boats when in waters less than 6 feet deep that contain underwater seagrass meadows where the animals feed and rest. These flats, and their deeper edges, are popular with anglers as well as manatees.

Several slow speed zones or combustion motor exclusion zones will be in effect from Nov. 15 - March 31. A county breakdown of these zones follows.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

• A No Entry zone is in effect from November 15-March 31 in the waters immediately south of the discharge canal at TECO’s Big Bend power plant near Apollo Beach, where the vast majority of manatees in Tampa Bay seek refuge when water temperatures fall below 68 degrees.
• An Idle Speed Zone is in place from November 15-March 31 for waters south of the Apollo Beach No Entry area, generally east of the “Hammerhead” portion of Apollo Beach and north of Apollo Beach Boulevard.
• A year-round slow speed zone is in effect south of the Courtney Campbell Causeway near Rocky Point from the shore out to the 6-foot depth and extending to Old Port Tampa south of the Gandy Bridge. Marked channels into Culbreath Isles allow speeds of 25 mph.
• A year-round slow speed zone is in effect from the shore to the 6-foot depth from the mouth of the Alafia River south to the Manatee County line, except for marked channels into Apollo Beach, Bahia Beach and into the Cockroach Bay boat ramp which allow on-plane speeds.

MANATEE COUNTY

• A year-round slow speed zone is in effect along the entire shoreline of Terra Ceia Bay, throughout Bishop Harbor, and within 500 feet of the shore of the Manatee River. In addition, the entire Manatee River east of I-75 is slow speed except for two sections of marked 25 mph channels.
• The entire Braden River is slow speed year-round except for designated 25 mph channels.
• The entire shoreline of Palma Sola Bay, and most of Anna Maria Sound and Sarasota Bay (within Manatee County) is a year-round slow speed zone except for marked channels.

PINELLAS COUNTY

•  A combustion motor exclusion (“no motor”) zone goes into effect November 15 in the shallow flats south of the Gandy channel and north and east of the Progress Energy power plant at Weedon Island. Extensive year-round slow speed and no-motor zones also are in effect for the waters surrounding Weedon Island Preserve – watch for markers identifying these zones.

Maps of most of the zones can be downloaded at http://myfwc.com/manatee/data/mapref.htm

To report an injured or dead manatee, or an on-water violation, call 1-888-404- FWCC (3922). If you do hit a manatee while boating, please report it! The sooner the animal is located and its condition is assessed, the better its chances for survival. You will not be cited for accidentally hitting a manatee as long as you were not violating any boating laws.

The Manatee Awareness Coalition also reminds boaters to stay in marked channels when traveling on plane, to wear polarized glasses and to watch for tail swirls that indicate the presence of manatees.

The Manatee Awareness Coalition,  sponsored by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, is  an  alliance of citizens, agencies and special interest groups working to protect Tampa Bay manatees and their habitat