ArtsHOP melodies delight

Hundreds of art lovers in a festive mood descended on the Island this weekend for the fourth annual artsHOP filled with art and cultural activities for every age group.

Art was featured at a variety of galleries around the Island during Friday's gallery walk. The weekend also included a rousing performance of Bach and Beethoven by the Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra and a one-man performance at the Island Players Theater. More...

Familiar faces win in Anna Maria

ANNA MARIA –Three familiar faces will be returning to the dais for the next two years – incumbent Commissioners John Quam and Dale Woodland and former Mayor SueLynn, who won the third commission seat.

Woodland was the high vote getter with 463, followed by Quam with 415 and SueLynn with 359. The fourth candidate Nancy Yetter received 291 votes. More...

Two incumbents returned in H.B.

HOLMES BEACH – Pat Morton, Jean Peelen and David Zaccagnino have won three seats on the Holmes Beach Commission, beating incumbent Al Robinson and second-time candidate Andy Sheridan.

The turnout was light, with 984 ballots cast out of 3,247 registered voters, according to Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Bob Sweat. More...

Cortez folk arts festival is Saturday

CORTEZ - Mullet, music and more is on the menu at the Fifth Annual Cortez Folk Arts Festival on Saturday, Nov. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Florida Maritime Museum at Cortez.

The Cortez Village Historical Society will provide mullet dinners with sweet tea and all the fixin's, and Jose's Real Cuban Food will offer Cuban dishes, with Tyler's Ice Cream sponsoring an ice cream eating contest for children and adults. More...

Rental tax evaders targeted

Property owners who cheat on paying resort taxes are on the Manatee County Tax Collector's radar as never before, a collections team told a group of local tourism operators last week.

The office is investigating and collecting from people who own short-term rentals and don't pay the 5 percent resort tax or who underpay it, said Tanya Ranney of the tax collector's office. More...

Audubon Society seeking bird fans

The Manatee County Audubon Society is looking for volunteers for its Christmas Bird Counts to spot birds, drive birders to designated locations and write down what they find. More...

Three road projects this week

Motorists have three locations where road work might be a problem on and near the Island.

Crews will be installing a fire hydrant on State Road 684, Cortez Road, at 115th Street on Wednesday, Nov. 16. There will be intermittent road closures during the project from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. More...

Jake the Snake knows rock and roll

He's got an infectious smile complete with dimples, he can play guitar like a rock star with an ever-growing list of hits from the birth of rock and roll, he looks like Buddy Holly when he wears his black glasses on stage and he's only 10 years old.

Jacob Castro, who recently released his first CD, has become a favorite of local singers, who don't mind sharing the stage with a youngster who can keep up with them. After releasing the CD, his agent decided to re-mix it, and it will be available again soon and The Sun will report when and where. More...

Burning daylight

Time's a wasting.

It's been more than a week now since we switched from Daylight Saving Time to standard time, but standard time still does not seem normal. More...

The monster bones of Aitutaki

Ian Dollery, director of the Aitutaki Bonefish Management Committee, told us to bring heavy fly tackle that could handle the large bonefish that swam this Cook Island atoll. My three choices were a nine weight, a 10 weight and an 11 weight. It didn't take long for me to find out that even with this tackle I could be defeated by some of the monster bones of Aitutaki. The recommendations were spot on, but there were times when the use of a floating line and bead chain flies was required. The high winds we experienced and the deeper water where the big bones often lurk required us to get our flies down quick much of the time. Most of the effective flies were variations of Clousers and the McVey Gotcha with large and medium weight lead eyes. More...

Review: The Hell's Bay Biscayne

I have to start this boat review with a disclosure. I've owned a Hell's Bay boat for close to eleven years and I count it among one of my prized possessions. When I got a call from Captain Todd Fuller with an offer to try out the Biscayne, Hell's Bay's newest boat, I jumped at the chance. Not only was there the opportunity to drive and fish the new model, but  I would also have the chance to meet and fish with Captain C.A. Richardson, host of "Flat's Class" a popular TV show that airs on Sun Sports, The Sportsman's Channel and The World Fishing Network. More...

Mi casa es su casa?

If you're like me, I sometimes find myself defending why I moved to Florida. I've pretty much learned to brush off comments like "isn't everybody old" or "isn't it too humid" or "I never really liked Florida," but it doesn't take long for all of this to change once these same people come to visit and keep coming and coming and coming some more. More...

Rent it for baby or the beach

Have you heard from the kids yet with their winter travel schedules? Have they added a new baby or two or do they want to bring little Billy's best friend along on the trip? Or maybe Aunt Mildred is flying down but can't bring her wheel chair or walker. Don't despair. Everything you need to accommodate all your winter visitors can be delivered right to your front door. More...

Know thine enemy

Investment Corner By Tom Brieter

It goes without saying that investors are frustrated by several years of below average returns and high volatility. Obviously our goal is higher returns with lower volatility, so in a manner of speaking we have been in investment hell. It may be helpful if we can think of risk in terms of being permanent or temporary. More...

Youth soccer, adult basketball end this week

Much to the sorrow of 27 teams and numerous fans, the 2011 Anna Maria Island Community Center youth soccer and adult basketball season comes to a close this week. The youth soccer season ends this Saturday with the playoff championship and all-star games. The adult basketball season ended on Nov. 15, with its championship game between Agnelli Pools & Spa and Beach to Bay Construction. More...

Ellen answers your questions

Feasting on Fitness By ellen Jaffe Jones

I get a lot of questions about being a vegetarian and about fitness in general, especially when I'm doing public speaking. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions I get. More...