Center concerns reach city hall

ANNA MARIA – The Center's financial struggles and the board's reluctance to fully disclose financial information were discussed at last week's City Commission meeting.

Commissioner Nancy Yetter serves as the commission's Center liaison, and she initiated the Thursday, June 22, discussion when giving her commissioner's report that pertained to her concerns about The Center and the new board of directors chaired by David Zaccagnino.

Her remarks were partially a result of the board meeting she attended the night before. More...

Chiles has high hopes for expanding business venture

BRADENTON BEACH – Local restaurant owner and businessman Ed Chiles is embarking on a new business endeavor – medical marijuana.

The Chiles Restaurant Group owns and operates the BeachHouse restaurant in Bradenton Beach, the Sandbar in Anna Maria and Mar Vista in Longboat Key. On Monday, the company's namesake discussed his latest business venture.

"My partner and I, Ted LaRoche, purchased a share in 3 Boys Farm in Ruskin in 2013. They were the first hydroponic grower in the country certified by the USDA. I was interested in it for the restaurants. They were growing beautiful lettuces, tomatoes, fruits and all kinds of things I could use, just like we did with Gamble Creek Farm. That's where I was coming from. When the first medical marijuana rule came down it was very specific, and there were only 40 or 50 people in the state that met that barrier, so it became something we had to look at. You had to have 30 years of continued ownership and you had to be growing 400,000 plants a year. 3 Boys Farm was ideally suited, so we decided to make an application and we were ultimately successful," he explained. More...

Personal watercraft banned in Bayfront Park

ANNA MARIA – In advance of the Fourth of July weekend, the City Commission has adopted an emergency ordinance that strengthens existing city prohibitions on water scooters and other motorized watercraft at Bayfront Park.

Adopted at the Thursday, June 22 meeting, and to be replaced later by a permanent regular ordinance, emergency Watercraft Ordinance 17-831 prohibits the use of motorized vessels along the entire Bayfront Park shoreline. The emergency ordinance that is now in effect also eliminates the motorized watercraft access point that existed between the north jetty and the southeast end of the park. It also makes it illegal to swim in the Lake LaVista canal inlet and illegal to jump into the water from any bridge located within the city limits.

Violators found guilty of the emergency ordinance or its permanent replacement can be punished with a fine not to exceed $500, 60 days in jail, or both. More...

Fireworks in store at the Sandbar

BRADENTON BEACH – The Sandbar restaurant at 200 Spring Ave. in Anna Maria will again provide a firsthand fireworks spectacular for its customers and a panoramic show for those up and down the beach on Tuesday, July 4, beginning shortly after dusk.

These are the only fireworks that are legal, and law enforcement agencies from the Island and the Manatee County Sheriff's Office will be out in force to make sure spectators are safe from the do-it-yourselfers who break the law. Those who do, face fines and having their bootleg fireworks seized and destroyed by authorities. More...

Island trash pick-up schedule changes for July 4

With the July 4 holiday landing on a Tuesday this year, many Islanders are wondering what will happen to their trash pick-up schedules.

Fear not, all three Island cities have a plan to help keep the trash, yard waste and recycling from piling up over the holiday weekend.

In Anna Maria, Waste Management will be providing regular service to residential customers on Monday, July 3. Service will suspend July 4, starting up again on Wednesday, July 5. Residential customers with regular pick-up Tuesday through Friday will experience a one day delay with regular service resuming Monday, July 10.

Beach end pick-ups are expected over the weekend with normal service on Monday and resuming on Wednesday. More...

Aqua by the Bay hearings rescheduled

BRADENTON – The next two public hearing reviews of Carlos Beruff's Aqua by the Bay will both take place in August.

Having been provided additional information by the developers, as requested by the Manatee County Commission, the Manatee County Planning Commission will conduct its second review of the controversial development on Thursday, Aug. 10. The Planning Commission review had been tentatively scheduled for July 13.

The County Commission will then review the revised general development plan and rezoning request as previously scheduled on Thursday, Aug. 16. Both meetings will allow for public input. More...

Center addresses endowment fund concerns

HOLMES BEACH — Commissioners may have to give up the dream of being able to ban new formula businesses from coming to Holmes Beach.

During the June 15 work session, City Planner Bill Brisson addressed commissioners' concerns about formula businesses and gave them some unwelcome news — it may not be legally feasible to ban new formula businesses city-wide.

Brisson said while an argument can be made to ban the businesses from the city's downtown core area and on the east side of East Bay Drive, it may not be possible to stop them from moving in on the west side of East Bay Drive. The problem with instituting a permanent city-wide ban on the chain businesses is that not all areas of the city have a unique character to protect. For instance, Brisson said the western stretch of East Bay Drive from Manatee Avenue to Gulf Drive is primarily a modern shopping district which lends itself to inclusion of formula businesses. More...

Revamped center board focuses on finances

ANNA MARIA — The Center of Anna Maria Island's 2017-18 budget process is underway, and board Chair David Zaccagnino hopes the numbers will reflect the organization's commitment to the community.

Zaccagnino presided over his first meeting as chair June 21, presenting the Center's current financial state along with his hopes for the future of the nonprofit.

Following up on a hope expressed by former board Chair Patty McBean, Zaccagnino said he had committed to going through the Center's finances line by line, paying particular attention to any irregularities and places where the organization can potentially cut costs.

According to Center Treasurer Jim Froeschle, the organization is operating at expected expense levels, the issue with the finances comes in the amount of revenue it's receiving from donors, the three Island cities and Manatee County. More...

Ted's breads

Ciabatta is Italian for slipper, named by the baker who developed the dough due to its resemblance to a slipper once baked. Ciabatta bread was developed in response to the popularity of the French baguette. Its wet dough creates the characteristic crumb that is open and airy, with a crisp, thin crust. Fresh baked ciabatta is just one of the various breads you can find throughout the menus of the Sandbar, Beach House and Mar Vista restaurants today.

My desire to bake bread came about somewhat by accident. I grew up here in Bradenton/Anna Maria, where my family owned Zorba's Pizza. I was too young to work in the kitchens at that time, but I remember tossing dough around and burning my finger on the giant pizza oven. I really never intended on getting into the restaurant business, but after graduating from college I decided to head to California to obtain a formal culinary degree. More...

Egmont and Passage keys

Extending approximately five miles from Anna Maria Island to St. Petersburg, the mouth of Tampa Bay is fronted by the barrier islands of Egmont and Passage keys. The surrounding waters are beautiful, ecologically important and provide anglers with some excellent fishing opportunities. The history surrounding the islands is rich, and in the case of Egmont, goes back some 2,000 years. They seasonally hold some of angling's prized species including tarpon and permit.

Egmont Key is a state park and a National Wildlife Refuge. Steeped in history, the entire island is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Artifacts and pottery dating back two millennium have been found on the island. The first recorded landing there dates back to a Spanish explorer in 1757 and its recent history spans from the Spanish American War to World War II. More...

Summer fluff and faux

It's summer – time for the fluff that makes life bearable. Other parts of the country embrace the relief from winter by spending as much time outdoors as possible, while Floridians spend as much time indoors as possible, taking it slow and easy on those hot humid days. What better time to do a little fluffing up inside your cool air conditioned home, and here are some trendy home solutions published by Pinterest.

Pinterest is the go to online decoration website used by committed do it yourselfers and probably secretly read by professional decorators. Its Home Work Report for 2017 includes some interesting new trends that are also functional and perfect for the tropical lifestyle. Here are the top eight:

Faux finishes – certainly not new to home decorating, but having somewhat of a rebirth after years of being considered old school. Renters and homeowners, who need or want a quick fix, will love faux wall coverings like stick-on subway tiles and faux-marble, a nice touch to upscale your bathroom. More...

Keyes Marina – your key to good fishing

How would you feel if you were an established boutique boat marina with 19 slips suddenly in the shadow of a brand-new marina with 50 slips? Well the Keyes family couldn't be happier and look forward to their next-door neighbor, Waterline Marina Resort, opening its doors, and becoming part of the Island community.

The Keyes family have been owners of Island Discount Tackle since 2009 and Keyes Marina since 2011. The location of the Keyes' property in the heart of Holmes Beach, which also includes a marine mechanic, watersports facility and gasoline fuel dock, has been used for boating related businesses since the early 1960s.

Paul and Sally Keyes relocated to Longboat Key, Fla. As part of their retirement plan, their love of fishing eventually brought them to Anna Maria Island and the purchase of Island Discount Tackle. When the marina became available two years later, they and their sons saw what a great match this would be for both businesses and seized the opportunity. Although Paul and Sally Keyes are still helping in the business, their sons, Jim, Jonny and Joe, are the primary face of the shop and marina. More...

Will the curse of the undefeated prevail? Team Sato Real Estate looks to the championship

Finishing the seven-game, regular season, the adult co-ed soccer league at the Island's community center came to an end Thursday night. Eight teams battled it out despite the rain and humidity, leaving Team Sato Real Estate at the top of the ranking undefeated and looking to take it all in the playoffs.

Team Mulock Flynn Law won its last game of the season against Team Lancaster Design. Lancaster Design, a team that started strong in the season, ended up in the middle of the pack. Playing without their standout, Andre Lewis, the rest of the squad only managed to score one goal against Mulock Flynn's goalkeeper Ivan Gaeta, who also scored his first goal in the game.

In the third game of the night, Team Slim's Place and Team Acqua Aveda played with passion and intensity that rocked the field. Missing their team captain Eric Pullen, Acqua Aveda held on to its one point lead to the end, clinching the second place ranking in the league. More...

Sea turtle race contestant to be chosen

A loggerhead sea turtle that nests on Anna Maria Island the night of Monday, June 19, will be fitted with a satellite transmitter and tracked by the Sea Turtle Conservancy in its Tour de Turtles migration marathon that begins Aug. 1, according to Suzi Fox, director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.

The turtle will be named Eliza Ann and will be released to the Gulf of Mexico somewhere on the Island on June 20, she said. The turtle is sponsored by Waterline Marina Resort and Beach Club in Holmes Beach. More...