Vol. 13 No. 28 - May 1, 2013

news

Anna Maria Island Sun News StorySpring is pie queen supreme

ANNA MARIA – Andrea Spring has made history once again as the first person to win the American Pie Council/Crisco National Pie Championship for a third time.

“I’m speechless,” Spring said Sunday after the winners were announced. “I’m completely blown away. I was so nervous. Everybody’s pies were so good.”

Spring won First Place in the peanut butter category and then Best of Show for her peanut butter cracker pie. Her prize was a beautiful trophy and a $5,000 check. More...

Commissioner addresses Mainsail concern

HOLMES BEACH – Once again, Commissioner Judy Titsworth declared she does not have a conflict of interest regarding her vote on revoking the Mainsail development’s site plan.

In a past meeting on the site plan, several elected officials maintained that she has a conflict of interest because she has the potential of financial gain or loss from the project and they asked her to recuse herself. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryFestival cultural and culinary

ANNA MARIA – To many of the day-trippers, snowbirds and other visitors to the Island over the past century, the good things in life were the sounds, sights and smells of the beach. After all these years, the Food and Wine on Pine celebration adds some appreciation of “the finer things in life” this Island has to offer.

The Third Annual Food and Wine on Pine event is scheduled for Saturday, May 4, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., bringing its unique strolling style presentation, an outstanding selection of food from 25 locally-owned, independent restaurants, a variety of art and music plus fine wines and crafted brews, all in the historic setting of Anna Maria’s shopping district. More...

Island author to sign books

Longtime Bradenton Beach resident Jim Kissick will sign his books on Saturday, May 4, on the Roser Church Fellowship Hall porch during Food and Wine on Pine on historic Pine Avenue in Anna Maria. Proceeds will go to the Roser Memorial Missions. The Roser Memorial Chapel will also be open for prayer and historical information. Stop by and ask about what Fig Newtons have to do with this beautiful chapel.

The book, “A Flyer’s Dash,” represents the factual documentation of a Florida farm boy who graduated from high school in June 1942 and, almost immediately, entered the United States Navy. He first faced the enemy in the rear seat of a dive-bomber. He also saw service as a radioman-gunner in torpedo bombers, before seeing WWII combat in, again, dive-bombers. More...

Mainsail mediation proceeds

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners approved the next step in the process of responding to Mainsail Development Company’s request for relief under the state’s Bert Harris Private Property Rights Act and the city’s dispute resolution proceeding.

“It is an alternative to litigation,” City Attorney Patricia Petruff told the board at their April 22 meeting. More...

Mainsail plans to file lawsuit

HOLMES BEACH – Mainsail Development Company notified the city that it plans to file a lawsuit against the city and the city commission over the commission’s decision to revoke the company’s site plan for its development near the corner of Gulf and Marina.

City Attorney Patricia Petruff received a courtesy copy prior to the April 22 meeting and explained to the commissioners that the lawsuit would be on hold while the issue proceeds through a mediation process. If mediation fails, the lawsuit becomes active. More...

Commission gets tree house update

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners asked for an update on the tree house at Angelino’s Sea Lodge at Thursday’s work session, and Building Official Tom O’Brien maintained that it is not structurally sound and not permittable.

On April 16, the city ordered the structure at 103 29th Street demolished and then put the order on hold. The tree house was constructed on the beach in 2011, and owners Lynn Tran and Richard Hazen have worked with DEP officials, who most recently asked for a letter stating that it complies with the city’s setbacks and zoning requirements. More...

City rejects restrooms in lots

ANNA MARIA – Plans for the six lots at the Tampa Bay end of Pine Avenue continue to come together or fall apart depending on what the city commission wants.

Commissioner Gene Aubry brought a model showing plans to make approximately one-third of the area into a parking lot with trees around the lots, walkways, benches and two unisex restrooms. By the end of the meeting last Thursday, the restrooms were just a memory. More...



features

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryTourism promoters oppose tourism funds for lifeguards

Tourism promoters asked tourism operators last week to fight a bill making its way through the Florida Legislature that would allow tourist development tax funds to be spent on hiring more lifeguards.

The Senate unanimously passed an appropriations bill on Friday, April 26, that includes an amendment allowing coastal counties with populations of less than 250,000 to use tourist development tax, or resort tax, funds to pay for lifeguards on public beaches. More...



OUTDOORS

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story Join in the Sister Keys clean up

It’s a chance to see first-hand the restorative power of nature, while exploring the largest undeveloped group of islands between Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor. You get this and much more when you participate in the Fifth Annual Sister Keys Clean-Up hosted by Sarasota Bay Watch and The Mar Vista Dockside restaurant Saturday May 11. Be a part of the effort to protect and enhance Sarasota Bay; enjoy lunch by the water and if you don’t have a kayak or boat, a shuttle to the islands will be provided courtesy of the Kathleen D, a sailing catamaran. More...



real estate

Flooding the market with easy money

The philosopher George Santayana famously said, “Those who refuse to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” Apparently no one in Washington has ever heard of good old George, which could lead to a repeat performance in the real estate market.

Let’s start with the housing market, which is significantly better than it was, even this time last year. Low interest rates, low prices and built-up buyer anticipation are resulting in a high volume of sales, low inventory and higher prices. All of this is good, especially for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who if you recall received a $187 billion bailout of tax payer money in 2008, when they were seized by the government. More...



business

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryInvesting in Edward Jones

There are few things in our lives as personal and important as our finances, so finding a financial advisor we’re comfortable with can be challenging. Integrity and trust are undoubtedly at the top of the list when making this decision, but individual attention, which is sometimes hard to find in our fast paced world, is possibility the most important.

Danny Wood has been in financial services since 1992 and has been part of the Manatee County business community for 14 years. He worked in banking and ultimately owned his own mortgage company for 10 years, and almost three years ago he joined the Edward Jones family as a financial advisor in Holmes Beach. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

Gold and Apple

Investment Corner

From time to time I write about the difficulty of picking tops and bottoms as prices go through their inevitable fluctuations in the financial markets. In 2012, I used Apple Computer as my example. At the time is was around $500 per share and I inferred that it might well go higher, but to be careful about assuming a move to $1,000 was imminent.

My guesses are no better than anyone else’s, but it turns out that Apple did move to just north of $700 per share, but since has dropped over 40 percent in price. As usual, there were more people loving Apple at $700 than do now at about $400. Obviously for a given level of sales and earnings, Apple is a much better buy today than it was 6 months ago, but fears of Apple’s dominance fading are causing investors to re-think the value of the company and many are selling their shares. More...



turtles

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

Sea turtles anxiously awaited

The wait has begun to pass out the cigars for the first sea turtle nest of the 2013 season on Anna Maria Island.

May 1 is the start of the six-month-long season, which will be especially challenging with the beach renourishment project scheduled to begin later this summer, said Suzi Fox, director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring. More...

Read Suzi Fox's Blog - Flipper's and Feathers >>



SPORTS

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryFriday night family fun

The Anna Maria Island Community Center was full of Friday night family fun. Many children and families were participating in sports activities both inside the gym and outside on the ball field.

In the Center’s gymnasium, youth basketball was rocking the house. The gym was packed with players and spectators as the 11-13-year-old division Ross Built Construction remained unbeaten against second place team Walter & Associates. For Ross Built Construction, Trent Boring led the way with a double-double scoring 18 points and having 19 rebounds. Jake Ross added 12 points and 6 rebounds while brother Andrew Ross chipped in with 10 points and 6 rebounds. Hannah McCracken also scored 2 points in the win. More...

Running the De Soto parade race

Feasting on Fitness

Still digesting Boston This weekend, I had the privilege of running in a traditional 5K race in Bradenton.

It was the annual race before the De Soto parade along Manatee Avenue. I’ve done this race many times. In fact, it was the very first race I ever did years ago when I started running again. More...


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