Sunny Shores public pancake event overun by Cortez Fishing Festival

For 20 years, a small community off Cortez Road and 115th Street West called "Sunny Shores" has had a pancake breakfast on the second Saturday of January, February and March.

Until the last few years, it worked real well and we were able to pay our bills, gas, electric, water and repairs. Then, out of the clear blue sky, the annual Cortez Fishing Festival changes its usual weekend to conflict with our event.

Last year, we sold almost 100 fewer tickets. In addition, the Cortez Fishing Festival does not have enough parking, and their visitors park on both sides of 115th Street West to the point where you cannot get a emergency vehicle into our park.

Sure, we went ahead and had the county put up "no parking" signs. But when you call the police, they say they won't do anything about it.

Last year, as usual, we put up our signs on Cortez Road, close to our park. Guess what? The county took them away and left the festival signs.

I guess I better end with how can a private function, county supported, forget their own community trying to survive for a lot longer than the Cortez Fishing Festival?

Robert Hoffman

Bradenton

This story was originally published February 12, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Sunny Shores public pancake event overun by Cortez Fishing Festival ."