Having a blast at SandBlast

BRADENTON BEACH – Teams worked under summer-like conditions at the BeachHouse restaurant on Saturday to create everything from teddy bears to aliens at SandBlast 2010.

They worked in the shadow of a monumental professional sand sculpture by Team Sandtastic focused on recycling. Recycled art also was for sale to celebrate America Recycles Day, Nov. 15. More...

Home sales continue to rise

Home sales on Anna Maria Island continue to outpace those of a year ago, according to records gathered by Island Real Estate agent Alan Galletto.

Twenty-one properties sold in October 2010, compared to 19 a year earlier. Those totals included 10 single-family homes for both months, eight condo units and one duplex for both periods. One lot was sold in October 2010 and there were no lot sales in October 2009. More...

PAR site plan approved for 308 Pine

ANNA MARIA — After months of denials, postponements and a lawsuit, the site plan for 308 Pine Avenue was heard and approved at the Nov. 17 city commission meeting.

Pine Avenue Restoration became a focal point of contention under recalled City Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus, who objected to the parking, which was originally planned to be the same way it is at other PAR buildings. More...

Perico sales center to open next month

BRADENTON – Minto Communities’ planned development on Perico Island, Harbour Isle on Anna Maria Sound, will open its sale and information center in December and its model homes in February.

Minto president Michael Belmont said the project’s first neighborhood, Mangrove Walk on Harbour Isle, will be along the eastern side and will include 96 two- and three-story homes featuring Southern coastal resort architecture. More...

Stoltzfus' request denied

Former City Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus has lost another round of legal battles connected with his recall from office. The Second District Court of Appea

l on Friday denied a request from by Stoltzfus for more time to show why his request to dismiss the recall petition against him shouldn’t be rejected as moot. More...

Octopi and golf balls - a perfect match

It doesn’t surprise John Labash to pull yet another stone crab trap out of the Gulf of Mexico and find an octopus has gobbled up his profits.

He just bags the octopus and sells it to Bell Fish Co. in Cortez, where it will be sold as a Mediterranean dinner entrée, and that’ll teach it, by golly.

What did raise an eyebrow, and his curiosity, was the golf ball that an octopus apparently brought into the trap with it. More...

Cortez Folk Art Festival, song are hits

CORTEZ – “Give me an ‘F!’ Give me an ‘I!’ Give me an ‘S!’ Give me an ‘H!’ What’s that spell?”

“FISH!”

It was a combination of Woody Guthrie and Woodstock when Andrew Eddie sang the Cortez Village Fish Song for the first time at the Cortez Folk Art Festival on a warm November Saturday, with the audience singing along on songsheets. More...

Merchants host Christmas celebration on Bridge Street

The Bridge Street Merchants, a not for profit organization, will be hosting the Christmas on Bridge Street celebration Sunday, Dec. 18, from 3 to 7 p.m. on Historic Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach. The Anna Maria Island Sun is a sponsor of this event. More...

Stone crab season starts off bright

CORTEZ – Stone crabbers have something to be thankful for this holiday, as consumers are snapping up claws at restaurants and fish markets.

A month into stone crab season, which ends on May 15, “They’re starting to pick up,” Anna Maria Island crabber Anthony Manali said, calling the season so far “better than last year.”

A few days of rough weather muddied the water, providing the cover that motivates stone crabs to start crawling, he said, which increases their odds of finding a trap. More...

A marathon runner's diary

Why do you run a marathon? As I touched on last week, I may have the worst genes in America with a mom, aunt and both sisters devastated by breast cancer. That is only the beginning of a legacy of diseases that had me growing up at bedsides witnessing chemotherapy, Alzheimer’s, diabetic disasters and every heart procedure imaginable. The real reason I’m running 26.2 miles is to show my three daughters that genes do not have to be destiny. The reality is that between us four ladies, one or more of us has an appointment with cancer and other diseases in the gene cesspool. One of my relatives who got breast cancer used to say, “I always thought it was a matter of when, not if, I would get breast cancer.” I refuse to go there. I have no time for that or any other disease. If mind works over matter, sign me up. More...

Turkey talk

I was born and raised in Canada. Thanksgiving was really just OK. A chilling Monday in October. A little football on the tube. Three downs.

My brother calls every year from Nova Scotia.

“Why do you Americans make such a big deal about Thanksgiving?”

“Because we have more to be thankful for.” More...

Catch and release: Investing in a fishing future

I've mentioned fishing guides on many occasions in these articles. If it weren't for the graciousness of guides, much of what I write about wouldn't be possible. Over the years I've learned invaluable lessons from fishing guides and been taken to places where I've had the opportunity to get stories and images that have become lasting memories and won me awards. My number one admonition to anglers that have the good sense and good fortune to spend a day on the water with a guide has always been, "Listen to the guide." I don't care how experienced an angler you are, you will never have the local knowledge of a professional that spends up to 250 days a year on the water. More...

Down under real estate

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and at first blush, you may not think there’s much to be thankful for regarding Florida’s real estate market, but it would be a mistake not to take another look. I was recently in New Zealand and Australia and compared to their real estate market, we’re looking pretty good, not to mention their unusual real estate culture. More...

Equity investors have reasons for optimism

The first 10 months of 2010 have been pretty good for investors in most of the major asset classes. Just a few short months ago investors were quite pessimistic as the first correction of the new bull market larger than 10 percent occurred in May and June, convincing many that Armageddon II was just around the corner. More...

Dramatic finishes end soccer season

Nearly 300 participants said farewell to another great soccer season at the Community Center. After three months of practices and games, it all culminated into tournament championship games Saturday. The teams showed the parity of the league when twoout of the four championship games were decided by exciting shootouts. Each division battled it out in dramatic fashion to see who would be this year’s tournament winners! More...