Debate over Pine Ave. heats up

ANNA MARIA — A barrage of letters and e-mails are flooding into city hall. Some are in favor of the Pine Avenue Restoration Project (PAR) and a proposed inn on the northwest corner of Pine Avenue and North Bay Boulevard, some are opposed and some are vehemently opposed.

"Why do we need more inns, shops and restaurants when nearby Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach and Bradenton are rife with them?" wrote Susan Willis in e-mail to the city. More...

Helen Hagen passes away at 79

Long-time community donor and supporter, Helen Hagen, died Thursday, Jan. 15, in Indiana at the age of 79. Hagen, and her husband, Rex, lived in Holmes Beach before moving to Anna Maria a few years ago. They also had a home in Indiana.

"Ever since I’ve been in politics, they’ve been a fixture in Holmes Beach," Manatee County Commissioner and former Mayor Carol Whitmore said. "They paid for equipment for the skate park and bleaches for the ball field, among many other things. We had a very good friendship. She will be sorely missed." More...

Pipeline would plow more sea floor

ANNA MARIA – Port Dolphin’s newly proposed natural gas pipeline route would plow through more of the Gulf of Mexico’s sea floor off Anna Maria Island than its previously planned route, according to the company’s revised deepwater port license application. More...

Survey: tall bridge wins

A second attempt to get more people to give their opinions about the future of the Anna Maria Bridge fell short of expectations, but the responses showed few people have changed their mind.

At issue is whether the public wants to replace the drawbridge, which is now toward the end of a $10 million rehabilitation project, and if so, with what type of structure. The two FDOT surveys showed that the majority wants a tall, fix-span bridge. More...

Vacation request requires public hearing

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners got a second surprise at last week’s meeting when they learned that they must hold a public hearing on a request by Fred and Susan Bartizal to vacate a 10-foot alley.

Neighbors of the property at 2812 Avenue E had protested the request because they said it could set a precedent and result in the loss of sea turtle habitat and increased storm damage. More...

Parking request denied due to code requirement

HOLMES BEACH – In a ruling that took everyone by surprise, City Attorney Patricia Petruff said at last week’s meting that the commission’s vote on a request for a special exception required a super majority and, therefore, the motion failed. More...

Cumber denies probation violation

HOLMES BEACH – William Cumber has entered a plea of denial to a petition filed against him for violating his probation, waiving his arraignment and demanding a hearing.

Cumber, 39, may have been the last person to see Holmes Beach motel owner Sabine Musil-Buehler, 49, before she disappeared on Nov. 4, 2008. He told police they argued at their home over his cigarette smoking. More...

Relay for Life kicks off

Runners brave chilly weather

HOLMES BEACH – The mercury was in the 30s and cold winds brought chill factors that were unfathomable for this part of Florida last Saturday, but that didn’t stop 150 runners from participating in the third annual Dolphin Dash at Anna Maria Elementary School. More...
Race Results

Louisana's land of giants

I had always heard of the great red fishing in Louisiana, but never had the opportunity to fish the state. That all changed one day last July when I was fishing with Captain Mike Locklear in north Florida. While we were on the water, we met Captain Greg Arnold, a guide who lives in New Orleans and fishes the marshes near the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. Arnold invited Locklear to visit New Orleans and fish. About a month later I received a call from Locklear asking me if I wanted to join them. I jumped at the chance. Last week the date came due. More...

Investing in tax lien certificates

It’s a tough economic world out there. There doesn’t seem to be too many good investments, stocks are down, interest rates are down and property values are, well, let’s not even go there. And strange as it may seem, Manatee County may actually have one of the best investment programs around with the potential of even more benefits down the road. More...

Dream come true at Thompson Pre School

No one can resist the charms of babies and young children, but there are few people in the world who love them as much as Cindy Thompson. For 10 years Thompson has worked in the child care industry, and in August her life long dream of opening her own child care center came true with the establishment of Thompson Pre School And Kids Club in Bradenton. More...

Common stocks as income vehicles

For the last few decades, investors have tended to think of government bonds to produce income and provide safety of principal and stocks to provide growth of principal value. The recent explosion in bond prices and decline in stock prices has flipped this idea on its head, at least in some ways. More...

Sand Dollar stays unbeaten in Division II

Instructional Division
Beach Bistro 20, Sandbar 6

Andy Proctor’s team continues to dominate this division, with Joey Stewart and Aidan Grumley doing the damage. Bo Arner and Jo Rogers scored for Sandbar. More...

Cold hinders horseshoe turnout

Four teams competed for the trophy on Wednesday, Jan. 14, before the cold weather hit. In the semifinal, Jerry Disbrow and Ted Powers easily defeated Al Norman and Bruce Munroe by a score of 21 to 13. In the other semifinal competition, Gene (Horseshoe-shirt) Bobledyk and Bryan Waqar defeated Hank Huygne and David Batchelder in a closer match 22 to 15. Disbrow and Powers were really hot and went on to win easily 21 to 8. More...