Stoltzfus ethics case dismissed

The Florida Commission on Ethics has dismissed an ethics complaint filed against Anna Maria City Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus.

The Commission found that the complaint, filed by John Cagnina, “substantively fails to indicate a possible violation” of the ethics laws. More...

Oil protest set for June 26

HOLMES BEACH – During the first Hands Across the Sand event on Feb. 13, about 180 protesters lined up on Manatee public beach in 47-degree temperatures and brisk 17-mile-per-hour winds to draw a line in the sand against offshore oil drilling.

Across the state, Floridians representing 90 beaches joined hands to protest efforts by the state Legislature and the U.S. Congress to lift the ban on oil drilling in Florida waters. More...

Beach sand still the goal

The money may or may not be there and there’s a tremendous amount of oil floating around in the Gulf of Mexico, but Charlie Hunsicker is undeterred.

Hunsicker addressed a Manatee County Commission budget workshop last week, lay ing out plans for a $56 million, three-pronged, re-layering of the beaches of Anna Maria Island over the next five years. More...

May tourism down

May tourism was down from last year on both Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key, according to the latest statistics from the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).

Hotel occupancy on Anna Maria Island was 58.5 percent, down from 62.2 percent in May 2009. The Manatee County portion of Longboat Key also saw a decrease in visitors, with occupancy at 52 percent, down from 54.1 percent last May. More...

House moves down the street

ANNA MARIA – The historic Sears Cottage on Pine Avenue was moved a couple of blocks down the street on Tuesday, June 8, to the Anna Maria Historic Green Village at 503 Pine. The cottage was a mail order home from the Sears catalog and was built on its old site at 308 Pine Avenue, in 1935.

Dan Gagne, the contractor who is working on the village, was in charge of the house moving. He said once it is in place at its new location, owners Mike and Lizzie Thrasher will go through the permit process for site plan approval. More...

Recall petitioners get the boot from plaza

ANNA MARIA — The post office and Bayveiw Plaza are off limits for now to anyone conducting political activity.

Tom Breiter, the manager of Bayview Plaza at the intersection of South Bay Boulevard and Pine Avenue, just across from the city pier, sent a memo to Mayor Fran Barford asking her to notify a committee working to recall City Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus that they cannot use the business condominium property to collect signatures for their recall petition. More...

Local oil spill hotline activated

Residents and visitors anxious to help in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster can be coast watchers for local emergency officials using a local hotline scheduled for activation this week.

Anyone who suspects that they see oil or tar balls in area waters or on coastlines should call 941-749-3547 to report it, Manatee County Department of Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker said. More...

Oil spill meeting Thursday

A community meeting on the Gulf oil spill is planned for Thursday, June 17, at 7 pm. at the Anna Maria Island Community Center, 407 Magnolia Ave. in Anna Maria. Sponsored by a new group, Keep O.F.F. (Oil Free Forever) Manatee, the meeting will provide an opportunity to meet with federal, state and local government officials and non-profit organization representatives. For more information, contact Mike Shannon at 779-2222.

'Bottledarter' lure has local ties

BRADENTON BEACH – A fishing lure catching red drum and tarpon in Florida and striped bass and bluefin tuna in New York was invented by a part-time Anna Maria Island resident.

Larry Welcome, of Cutchogue, N.Y. and Bradenton Beach, has been making wooden lures by hand since 1993. Each Bottledarter, a cross between a bottle plug and a darter, takes 40 minutes to make by hand on a lathe in his workshop. More...

Denied site plan won’t be reconsidered

ANNA MARIA — A site plan application that the city denied for a project at 308 Pine Avenue will not be reconsidered.

The city commission rejected the plan at a May 27 meeting then reconfirmed that denial last week. The move comes despite a positive recommendation by the planning and zoning board to approve the proposal. The city planner and city attorney also both said the plan met all current city codes. More...

Chiles Group hosts weekend of fireworks shows

The Chiles Restaurant Group will host a fireworks show at each of its three waterfront eateries the weekend of July 2-4.

The weekend starts, on Friday, July 2, with the Second Annual Boom Boom on the Bay at the Mar Vista Dockside restaurant at 760 Broadway Street on the very north end of Longboat Key. The Mar Vista is exactly two miles south of the BeachHouse. More...

Sharkman details exploits in book

Captain Bill Goldschmitt got his name, The Sharkman of Cortez, from Channel 13’s colorful sportscaster “Salty Sol” Fleishman after pulling in a large shark off Bean Point in the 1970s.

Now it is the title of the book written by he and his wife, Marisa Mangani, and details his adventures as one of the area’s most famous shark fishermen. The book will be available next week. “I ran away from home, which was Pittsburgh, to Siesta Key in the 1970s,” Goldschmitt recalled. “I always wanted to be a commercial fisherman. More...

Chico Fernandez, flyfishing pioneer

Chico Fernandez needs no introduction to dedicated fly anglers, as he is one of the pioneers of saltwater fly fishing in South Florida. Early on, anglers sought him out in south Florida and the Keys to buy his bonefish specials and honey shrimp patterns which he had perfected to catch bonefish or macabi as they were known in his native country of Cuba. He caught his first bonefish on the fly in Cuba in 1956 and the "grey ghost" of the flats have captured his imagination ever since. His infatuation for bonefish didn't keep him from pursuing other species, including a world record 42 pounds, 5 ounces (I.G.F.A. record on 12 pound test tippet)red drum (redfish) which he caught on a fly in North Carolina. More...

Another type of real estate investing

It’s been a long slow slog for those looking for a decent return on their investments, but as every investor knows, when the deity of finance closes one window he frequently opens another. More...

Investor nervousness builds

In my column two weeks ago, I discussed the concept of expecting financial markets to be uncertain and to learn how to capitalize on volatility rather than being a victim. Of course, the idea for that article was primarily the very sharp intraday market drop that occurred on May 6, which is now known as the “flash crash." More...

AMI CC basketball award winners announced

The winners of the Community Center’s awards for the basketball season were announced last week. Congratulations to all. More...

Golfers enjoy drier air

Last week started out hot and humid, but a front came through on Wednesday bringing drier air and the Key Royale Club golfers were a little more enthused about getting out and knocking golf balls around the course. More...

Visitors enjoy Island turtle, bird nests

ANNA MARIA – Visitors taking a tour of Anna Maria Island’s sea turtle and bird nests last week were treated to a delight – perfectly preserved turtle tracks from the night before, and two new turtle nests.

Volunteers Pete and Emily Gross waved at Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shore Bird Monitoring Director Suzi Fox as she showed the tour group a bird nesting area at the north end of the Island that had attracted hundreds of black skimmers. More...