Vol. 13 No. 29 - May 8, 2013

news

Anna Maria Island Sun News StorySublime time at Wine on Pine

ANNA MARIA –Thousands flocked to Pine Avenue Saturday to sample the best in food, wine, beer, music and art that the area has to offer at the third Food and Wine on Pine event.

“We expected 2,500 people and the Sheriff’s Office deputies said there were 10,000,” said event organizer Caryn Hodge, of the Chiles Group. “I was so excited about the turnout; people came from all over. It was a great day. More...

Feds to take over Coastline Realty case

HOLMES BEACH – The pile of complaints against Michael Carleton, who owned Coastline Realty, have been transferred to the Postal Inspection Service.

Holmes Beach Police Chief William Tokajer said Monday the investigation by his department had been completed and they turned the case over to the Post Office and the U.S. Department of Justice.

“When criminal charges are filed, Michael Carleton will be charged with federal charges and prosecuted in the Federal Court System,” Tokajer said in a press release. More...

Rotten Ralph’s to leave pier

BRADENTON BEACH – Bradenton Beach commissioners voted last week to terminate the city’s concession agreement with Dave Russell to operate Rotten Ralph’s restaurant on the Bridge Street Pier.

After negotiating with Russell over the amount of unpaid rent, late fees and other charges the city claims he owes, the commission voted 3-2 to accept $15,000 with the provision that Russell pay a past due garbage bill of approximately $14,000 that the city otherwise would be liable to pay, and vacate the premises. More...

Burglary sparks police reaction

ANNA MARIA – A burglary in progress can get law enforcement personnel to react quickly. It’s like catching a child with his hand in the cookie jar.

A recent incident on Tuesday night, April 30, just before midnight caused all kinds of reaction in the city of Anna Maria, according to Manatee County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Dave Bristow.

It began as a burglary in progress at an apartment on Pine Avenue. A burglar reportedly got the screen off an outside window before being discovered. More...

Sandpiper suit dismissed

With little discussion, Bradenton Beach officials unanimously approved a proposal last week by the city of Holmes Beach to file a joint motion to dismiss the lawsuit that Holmes Beach filed in May 2012 against Bradenton Beach and the Sandpiper Resort Co-Op Inc.

Sandpiper officials also are in agreement with the dismissal, said Mayor John Shaughnessy, a Sandpiper property owner. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryWedding Festival was smaller, but better

HOLMES BEACH – Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce officials Monday were assessing Sunday’s Wedding Festival, and while the numbers were down, the people who attended were willing to commit.

“The vendors said that even though there were fewer visitors, they felt the ones who were there were more in our target market,” said organizer Deb Wing, Chamber vice president. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryBridge survey hears familiar suggestions

CORTEZ – As the bascule to the Cortez Bridge rises for boats and shuts for cars, the question is whether the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) would dare shoehorn a tall, fixed-span bridge into its place.

FDOT held a public information meeting to explain the options for the bridge’s future and collect citizen reaction on Tuesday, May 30, and a group of people who fought off an attempt to replace the Island’s other drawbridge with a fixed span 20 years earlier attended, looking ready as ever to be heard. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryBoston nurses remember bombings

ANNA MARIA – The beach behind the Sandbar restaurant bears absolutely no resemblance to the scene at the end of the Boston Marathon April 15. That’s one reason nine nurses from Boston were celebrating their third annual trip to Anna Maria Island to celebrate Mother’s Day last Sunday.

This time, they came with the memories of the horrible bombings and the lives that were lost or torn apart. More...



features

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryChurch organists to exchange benches

Jim Johnston, organist and director of music ministries at Roser Memorial Commmunity Church in Anna Maria, and Eric Spencer, organist from London and Cape Town, will switch appointments this month.

Johnston met a young couple from overseas who were very excited about their house swapping experience. Johnston became excited to do the same, so he put an ad in a respected musical journal, and Spencer answered. 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

Citizens’ policy holders grateful

There aren’t too many things to be grateful for when it comes to homeowner’s insurance in Florida, but you may start feeling differently if you’re one of the lucky ones to have a current Citizens policy.

Lucky and Citizens is painful to use in the same sentence, but this month a lot of Florida residents who have homeowner’s insurance with Citizens Insurance, the state run company, may be feeling exactly that way. The Florida Senate Bill #1770 which has passed the Florida Senate will actually protect existing policies while sacrificing new policyholders. More...



business

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

Chair service grows

BRADENTON BEACH – Environmental sciences major Zac Shely has created his own job - and company - making the beaches safe for sea turtles by removing chairs at sunset.

Last year, as a high school senior at Manatee School for the Arts, he started Bradenton-based T&C (turtles and chairs) Services as a sole proprietor. This year, as a student at State College of Florida, he has incorporated as an LLC and has two employees, with three more hoping to get jobs as he adds more beachfront businesses to his client list. More...



SPORTS

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryBowes bounced back

The Sun sports game of the week was an Anna Maria Island Community Center’s adult co-ed basketball game between the Bowes Imaging Center team and the Gator Man Pools team.

Bowes Imaging Center got out to a very slow start in the first quarter of play. Five minutes into the quarter, Gator Man jumped out to an early 8 to 2 lead from the combination of scoring between Joe Combs and Aaron Dudukes. More...

Picking a trainer

Feasting on Fitness

I only got second in my age group at the Island 5K run this weekend. It was the 51st 5K I’ve placed in in my age group since 2006. The legendary Island triathlete, Sandy Menele, not only got the female masters award, but she won the fourth overall female award. What a speedster.

Others have asked and I want to mention, as I do occasionally, that I’m sorry I’m not reporting more results. I’m not a reporter paid to research, get results and interview. I’m just a volunteer writer/columnist. I write what I can in the time I have. More...


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