Peaceful celebration on beach
by Jim Hanson and Lisa Neff. Islander Reporters
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Giving chase
Nicholas LaFountain, 6, leads a game of tag on Coquina Beach on Easter weekend. The beach weekend brought rain and sun, crowds and celebration, as well as law enforcement on foot, in cruisers and on horseback. Islander Photos: Lisa Neff |
Easter weekend was not celebrated quietly at the beach, but it was celebrated peacefully.
Crowds gathered on Island beaches to mark the arrival of spring and the Easter holiday with typical beach activities, in contrast to last year on Coquina Beach, where the shooting of three young men scarred the holiday celebration and scared Islanders.
“It was really frightening that something like that could happen in such an easy-going place,” said Holmes Beach resident Mary Thackery as she walked on the beach. “But I don’t think it is representative of life here.”
The shooting allegedly involved rival gang members. One man negotiated a plea bargain in the incident and was sentenced to house arrest. A second man is scheduled to go to trial on attempted murder charges later this year.
The incident prompted a number of changes at Coquina, most visibly the reconfiguration of the parking lot to create zones that can be opened or closed by police. The county commission also passed an anti-loitering ordinance.
This year’s Easter weekend began and ended quietly on the beach, according to police.
Saturday’s mix of drizzle and downpour kept the crowds away on the mostly overcast day.
Sunday also began with rain, breaking a 43-year record of dry sunrise services on the Island. An estimated 1,400 people arrived in the dark at Manatee Public Beach for the 44th annual nondenominational service organized by the Kiwanis Club of Anna Maria Island.
Worshipers contributed $4,058.80 in donations to be divided among six Island churches, $676.46 each, said the club’s Larry Fowler. This brings to at least $134,000 the total the Kiwanians have turned over to the churches.
With the sun’s rise and a parting of the clouds, beach-goers turned to play time on the shore from Bean Point in Anna Maria to Coquina in Bradenton Beach.
Law enforcement stepped up its presence, concentrating on Coquina, where a crowd estimated at 7,000 - far fewer than last year - gathered on Easter. The enforcement team included officers with the Bradenton Beach Police Department, as well as Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies and the MCSO’s tactical team, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and members of a statewide anti-gang task force.
Police reported the arrest of four alleged gang members, but no incidents of violence.
With the crowd smaller than in recent years, beachgoers joked that they were outnumbered by police officers, but said they appreciated the protection.
“I think it’s good,” said Billie Parker of Holmes Beach, who spent sunrise to sunset on the beach. “The beach should be for beachgoers. There’s no reason to hang out in the parking lot with the music blasting. That’s spells no good.” |
