Anna Maria rolls out holiday carpet

ANNA MARIA – It was a step back in time when you could walk around at night safely and your front porch served as another living room. That was the setting for the Anna Maria Holiday of Treasures and hundreds of residents and visitors took advantage of brisk temperatures to tour the businesses that opened their doors, shopping for unique merchandise and enjoying their generous libations and snacks. More...

Enjoy all that glitters in Cortez Boat Parade

The Intracoastal Waterway will sparkle and shimmer on Saturday at the Cortez Yacht Club's Eighth Annual Holiday Lighted Boat Parade.

The club is accepting entries for boats of all types, which will compete for $1,000 in prize money, including a $500 first prize for best decorated boat. No entry fee is required, but a toy donation is requested for Toys for Tots. More...

Too much of a good thing, H.B. official says

HOLMES BEACH – As the Manatee County Tourist Development Council applauded a report of record tourism on Monday, Holmes Beach Commission Chair David Zaccagnino added an Island perspective seldom voiced.

"You've done too good of a job," he told the advisory board to the Manatee County Commission, inviting them to attend a Tuesday, Dec. 13 Holmes Beach Commission meeting at 7 p.m. at city hall that will address problems caused by vacation rentals. "If this keeps going the way it's going, you're going to ruin this little Island community." More...

Cortez fisherman sentenced

CORTEZ – Cortez commercial fisherman John L. Yates was sentenced to 30 days in Lee County jail on Thursday, Dec. 8, for violating federal fisheries regulations.

Yates, 59, of Holmes Beach, was found guilty by a Fort Myers jury on Aug. 5 of two felony counts of disposing of evidence to prevent seizure and destroying evidence to impede or obstruct a federal investigation. He was acquitted of a third charge, lying to a federal agent. More...

Bethlehem Walk celebrates birth

ANNA MARIA – The Annual Roser Memorial Community Church Bethlehem Walk puts the Christmas holiday in perspective by re-enacting the night Christ was born with the salt air and cool breezes of Anna Maria Island as the backdrop.

This year's celebration was no different, although one person eating at the Waterfront Restaurant put a smile on everyone's face as the procession passed in front of him. More...

Sarasota woman dies after being hit by car

BRADENTON BEACH – A 65-year-old Sarasota woman is dead after being hit by a vehicle at 900 Gulf Drive N. last Thursday.

According to Bradenton Beach Police Lt. John Cosby, the victim, Antoinette Pruss approached the crosswalk in front of the Gulf Drive Café around 10:30 a.m. and walked in front of the 1998 GMC Yukon driven by Kathleen Benison, of Cortez. According to information provided by the driver, she was talking to her passenger and they were looking at the Gulf of Mexico. The passenger saw Pruss and yelled to Benison, but it was too late. In her panic, the driver accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake. More...

Island Real Estate expands

ANNA MARIA – Island Real Estate has purchased Betsy Hills Real Estate, located at 419 Pine Ave., giving them a presence on Anna Maria's growing business district.

Hills, a 35-year veteran of real estate on Anna Maria Island, will stay, as will her staff, according to Island Real Estate Manager Larry Chatt. More...

Enjoy fine art, music and food at Winterfest

HOLMES BEACH – Final preparations are underway for the opening of the Island's premier winter art festival, Winterfest: Fine Arts And Crafts Festival, on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 10 and 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Holmes Beach City Hall field. More...

Santa arrives via Privateers' parade

Sarasota Bay Watch begins historic scallop restoration

On Friday, Dec. 9, Sarasota Bay Watch (SBW) instituted a revolutionary restoration project in Sarasota Bay. In multiple locations from Manatee County to Sarasota County SBW released close to 3 million scallop larvae over healthy grass beds. The group accessed the location with boats provided by Cannons Marina on Longboat Key. SBW considers the scallop restoration a true legacy project. Sarasota Bay Watch is undertaking a sustained, multi-year restoration effort, releasing scallops multiple times a year. 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...

Kick rocks

Kick rocks is my new favorite expression thanks to a young nephew who was recently visiting. What does it mean? Well, according to what I found in the Urban Dictionary and other on-line sources, it kind a sort of means "get outta here" or "go away" or "I don't care what you think" or words not suitable for this publication. Nevertheless, it's a phrase that can be applied to just about anything in life or in real estate. More...

The Walt Disney Company has confidence

Investment Corner By Tom Brieter

The Walt Disney Company, typically know as Disney, is perhaps one of the most economically sensitive corporations. Almost 100% of their revenue comes from the discretionary spending money of families. No one "needs" to travel to Orlando or Anaheim, pay the $60 - $70 per person admission, then spend additional money on food, beverages and souvenirs, and pay for a hotel room for a couple days. I think we'd all agree this is "want" based spending as opposed to "needs" based spending, and would be the first spending cut if things got tight. More...

NFL Flag Football Preview

The Sun Sports game of the week was the Center Cup Soccer Tournament finals in the Adult Co-Ed division. The number one ranked team, Ross Built Construction, battled the number two seeded team, Sato Real Estate, for the coveted title. More...

Yes you can eat afford to eat healthy

Feasting on Fitness By ellen Jaffe Jones

Any story or study that has the word "poverty" or related words glides onto my radar. As a financial consultant for five years at a major Wall Street firm, my Earth-Mother-in-a-Suit nickname was born as a result of focusing on socially responsible investing. In short, that meant finding companies for clients who wanted their investments to be mission consistent with their values. So if clients didn't support alcohol, animal testing, firearms or tobacco, they didn't want any part of their portfolio to be a company that did either. More...