Cafe loses bid for beach concession

BRADENTON – A committee of three has recommended United Park Services (UPS) to provide concessions at both Manatee and Coquina public beaches with Café on the Beach as the second choice for Manatee Beach.

“I have vacationed on Anna Maria Island all my life,” Alan Kahana,

president of UPS, said. “You have a beautiful community with an easy-going lifestyle, and I’m excited to be a part of that.” More...

PAR involved in records lawsuit

ANN AMARIA — Pine Avenue Restoration (PAR) officials said Monday that the development company is, in fact, the entity behind the lawsuit against City Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus and planning and zoning board member Jim Conoly. It also is responsible for the public records request to former City Commissioner Duke Miller, Robin Wall, Nicky Hunt and Cathy Stoltzfus, the wife of the commissioner. More...

Real Florida Festival this weekend

Anna Maria Island celebrates this weekend with three days of arts and crafts, food, refreshment and activities aimed at raising money to keep the Island trolleys free and helping non-profit agencies. More...

Experts predict more storms than normal without El Nino

Look for more storms this hurricane season with more days when named storms are nearby when El Nino goes away.

That’s the prediction made by Phillip Klotzbach and William Gray, two Colorado State University meteorologists who make predictions every year. More...

Rezoning proposed in corner of FISH Preserve

CORTEZ - A half-acre lot in the northeast corner of the FISH Preserve may be rezoned from residential to small professional on April 27, which would allow an office or retail store up to 3,000 square feet to be built.

The undeveloped land, which the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage had hoped to purchase, was sold in 2006 to the present owner, Andrew Wills, of Westport, Ind., for more than the not-for-profit FISH could afford – $80,000, according to Manatee County Property Appraiser’s office records. More...

Cortez boat festival this weekend

The Fifth Annual Great Florida Gulf Coast Small Craft Festival will be held April 16, 17 and 18 in Cortez.

Activities will include sailing, paddling, racing and "messing about" in traditional types of small sailboats, rowboats, canoes and kayaks. More...

Holmes Beach history began with Cobb family

HOLMES BEACH – The history of this Island city began when Sam and Annie Cobb homesteaded 160 acres from the Gulf to the bay in 1896, including a bayou with a harbor for small boats.

They built Cobb’s Marine Ways at the end of 52nd Street, the first commercial establishment on the Island. Their daughter Anna Maria Cobb was the first non-native child born on the Island. More...

Auditor sees improvement in procedures

BRADENTON BEACH – City Clerk Nora Idso was wearing a smile after Ed Leonard briefed the city commission on his latest audit.

The report showed improvement in the way budget figures are entered and the only downside was something Idso’s office had little control over – an increase in property owners not paying their sanitation or stormwater utility bills. More...

Crime statistics up for Island

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement report on crime in 2009 shows a drop in crime in the major law enforcement agency districts, but Island cities took a hit.

While the number of homicides more than doubled last year, the crime rate overall in the county dropped 11.3 percent, according to the FDLE’s numbers. There were no homicides on the Island. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Department’s crime rate dropped 12.1 percent, Bradenton’s was down 4.7 percent and Palmetto saw a 21.2 percent drop. More...

Lee Greenwood to sing at Affaire

Country artist Lee Greenwood will perform four songs at the Community Center’s annual dinner auction, the Affaire to Remember on Saturday, April 24.

"We are extremely excited and honored to have a famed American patriarch and legendary country music star like Lee supporting the children and families of this wonderful community at our auction,” Assistant Director Scott Dell said. “We hope everyone will join us in supporting the Center and pack the hall.” More...

Sheepshead provide a challenge to anglers

Sheepshead may not be at the top of most anglers' catch lists, but maybe they should. These feisty game fish are plentiful during the winter and early spring when other species may be hard to find. They fight hard, are challenging to hook and make a great meal. Recently, I happened upon a group of anglers on a north Longboat Key dock and stopped to inquire about the fishing.

The report I got from Andrew Moriarty, who was fishing the dock with his dad Jim and brother Luke, was encouraging. The trio of anglers hails from Poughkeepsie, N.Y. They travel to Longboat Key to visit "Nana" Kip O'Neil, who lives in the Longbeach Village. More...

Are the boomers staying put?

The baby boom generation, generally considered Americans born after World War II starting in 1946, have been governing our culture for over 60 years. It’s the generation that wore mini-skirts and marched against the Vietnam War; it’s the generation that watched the moon landing and screamed for the Beatles; it’s the best educated generation, and it produced the greatest middle class wealth. But now as the leading edge of this influential generation is starting to think about retirement, the Age of Aquarius may not be as promising as once thought. More...

Currency exchange rates impact investors

In recent years, the consensus among individual investors has been to increase the portion of their investment portfolio held in international investments. In fact, over the last decade, this has generally been a profitable decision. It is well known that the last 10 years has been tough for investors in stocks, particularly in the 2008 to early 2009 period. More...

High golfing in high season

The weather is perfect for a few rounds of golf and the action has been heavy at Key Royale Club.

Ernie Hauser and Bob Landgren took first place in the men’s weekly 9-hole tournament on Monday, March 22, with a low-net-of-partners score of 56. Carl Winkler and Jim Dunne came in second with a score of 60. There was a tie for third place between Frank Vikingstad and Omer Trolard and Carl Voyles and a proxy with scores of 63. Matt Behan and Charlie Knopp took fourth place with a score of 64, and fifth place was a tie at 65 between the teams of Mike Conlan and Austin Rice and Russ Olson and Chuck Hutton. More...

Players leaving horseshoe pits

It was Saturday, April 3, and the snowbirds are departing. That meant only two teams waiting for the horseshoe games in Anna Maria. It will continue to cut the waiting times for the teams.

Four teams qualified with three wins and no losses. In the preliminary, Karl Thomas and Gene Bobeldyk destroyed Sam Samuels and Jay Disbrow 21 to four, and John Crawford and Dave Lansaw eked by Debbie Rhodes and Ron Gagnon 23 to 19. More...

Events are free unless indicated.

Wednesday, April 14
Einstein Circle discussion on “Immigration: We know we have problems. What should we do?” The Studio at Gulf and Pine, 10101 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration is required by calling 359-4296.

Thursday, April 15
Phillip Karp will demonstrate plique-a-jour enameling, or miniature stained glass, Artist's Guild Gallery, 5414 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 1 to 2 p.m.

Friday, April 16
Holmes Beach Founder’s Day program, city hall, 5801 Marina Drive, 9 a.m.

Holmes Beach Founder’s Day and Real Florida Festival arts and crafts fair, city hall field, 5801 Marina Drive, 5 to 10 p.m.

Real Florida Festival Island Idol karaoke finals, Holmes Beach City Hall field, 5801 Marina Drive, 7 to 8 p.m.

Saturday, April 17
Holmes Beach Founder’s Day and Real Florida Festival skate contest, Holmes Beach Skate Park, 5801 Marina Drive, 8:30 a.m.

West Manatee Fire Rescue open house, 6001 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Great American Cleanup, various locations, 9 a.m.

Holmes Beach Founder’s Day and Real Florida Festival arts and crafts fair, city hall field, 5801 Marina Drive, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Real Florida Festival Parrothead Dance, Island Community Center, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria, 6 to 10 p.m., $10.

Twentieth anniversary party with refreshments and music, Island Gallery West, 5368 Gulf Drive in S & S Shopping Plaza, Holmes Beach, 2 to 6 p.m.

Sunday, April 18
Bridge Street Market, 107 Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Real Florida Festival, Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Wednesday, April 21
Lecture on “Watson, Crick, Wilkins: The Story of DNA,” by Joe Kerata, The Studio at Gulf and Pine, 10101 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, 11a.m.

Thursday, April 22
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Training, Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Saturday, April 24
Bridge Street Market, 107 Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Re-enactment of DeSoto’s landing, DeSoto National Memorial, end of 75th Street, Bradenton, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

DeSoto Grand Parade, west on Ninth Avenue, north along 39th Street West to Manatee Avenue then east toward downtown Bradenton to Ninth Street West.

DeSoto after parade party, Bradenton Municipal Auditorium, 1005 Barcarrota Blvd., $30 in advance or $35 at the door.

Wednesday, April 28
Einstein Circle discussion on “U.S. foreign policy: Are we headed in the right direction?” The Studio at Gulf and Pine, 10101 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration is required by calling 359-4296.

Saturday, May 1
Bridge Street Market, 107 Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.