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Castles in the Sand
Business, Castles in the Sand

Are we starting to turn a corner?

Aug 1, 2022 – Louise Bolger
July 4, 2022
By Jason Schaffer
New owners take over Monkey Bus

Monkey Bus sold; new owners to focus on safety

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Sally Dirbas and her son, Mitchell Gross, a Monkey Bus driver for more than a year, have acquired the Monkey Bus from Island Beach Monkeys LLC, operated by Roque Pastorius. Dir…
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June 28, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Homebuyers getting hit every day

Buying a home was once a happy time for families. Homes were plentiful to choose from, and imagining your grandmother’s credenza in the dining room and the Christmas tree in the living room f…
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June 28, 2022
By Jason Schaffer

Spring tourism surges on AMI

ANNA MARIA – Spring tourism was strong on Anna Maria Island, according to Anne Wittine, Director of Quantitative Research for Tampa-based Research Data Services. The Manatee County tourism consult…
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June 21, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Condo living getting more complicated

Florida is the mecca for condo living. East coast, west coast, the Panhandle, Orlando – no matter where you go in Florida, it’s likely you will trip over a condominium complex. However, the carefree…
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June 13, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Money flowing into Florida

I recently read an interesting historical novel about the wealthy landowners in the South in the years just before the Civil War. These privileged folks moved their entire households, including their…
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June 13, 2022
By SUN contributor
Getting coconutty on AMI

Getting coconutty on AMI

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Very few things bring to mind the feeling of lazing on a white sand beach enjoying the ocean breeze like drinking from a freshly cracked coconut. The couple behind AMI Coconuts is…
June 6, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Tallahassee finally at work

Just when you think it’s hopeless, there is a sliver of hope. The special session of the Florida Legislature is finally getting some changes on the books related to condominium recertification and ho…
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May 30, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Can’t be, not again – it’s hurricane season

As we get older, the years tick by more quickly – or so it seems – and here we are again looking down the barrel of the 2022 North Atlantic hurricane season cannon. As usual, Colorado State Universi…
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May 23, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Insurance and affordability

It’s the week to report the April sales statistics for Manatee County; it’s also the week where the Florida Legislature may be going into a special session to address the out-of-control property insu…
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May 16, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Are you noticing the mortgage interest rates?

My April 20 column was titled “The end of an era,” the era being one of ultra-low mortgage interest rates. In that column I reported that the current average mortgage interest rate was 4.72%, a rate…
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April 9, 2025
11:45 am

The Off-Stage Ladies of the Island Players, April luncheon meeting