Elephant adds to St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The leprechauns were out in force last Saturday for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, sponsored by Beach Bistro restaurant.

Dozens of vehicles entered the parade, which featured an elephant. Bradenton Herald columnist Vin Mannix and Lanny Frattare, voice of the Pittsburgh Pirates, followed Judy, the 39-year-old Asian elephant, with shovels, just in case she had an accident. She didn’t. More...

Changes to ease traffic during bridge closing

BRADENTON BEACH – The Cortez Bridge will be available for more traffic during the rehabilitation of the Anna Maria Island Bridge this fall.

That’s the word from U.S. Coast Guard Bridge Specialist and Project Manager Michael Lieberum speaking at the Island Transportation Planning Organization meeting Monday.

Mayors of the Island Cities put together a list of recommendations for the Coast Guard to consider at an earlier ITPO meeting. They addressed minimizing the times that the Cortez Bridge is closed to automobile traffic during high traffic periods while the Anna Maria Island Bridge is closed for up to 45 days to traffic starting Sept. 29. The recommendations also touched on the 75th Street corridor between Manatee Avenue and Cortez Road, where a lot of traffic that would normally use the Anna Maria Island Bridge would travel south to Cortez to use that bridge. More...

Owner seeks relief from $104,700 code fine

HOLMES BEACH – Caught in a classic Catch-22, property owner Joe Hieronimus asked commissioners for relief from a code fine that has reached $104,700.

"I became aware of this situation the first week of February 2008, when I received a letter from Code Enforcement Officer Nancy Hall," Hieronimus explained. "It took me by surprise. The fine has been occurring since March 3, 2006. I thought it was a mistake.

"I met with Nancy to get an overview of the situation and get the background and piece together the history. She recommended that I come here today and talk to you." More...

Pole boxes to enhance cell service

HOLMES BEACH – Chris Sinclair, representing NextG Networks, told commissioners the company has applied to install a series of antennas and optical repeater boxes on existing power poles in the three Island cities.

"We have received operator interest to improve coverage on the Island," Sinclair explained. "The second component is fiber optic cable, which will link each of the pole locations. More...

Signs might be ready for holiday weekend

A trouble-plagued sign project may be ready to aid Island law enforcement officers and beachgoers during the season’s biggest beach weekend.

Manatee County Assistant Director of Transportation Harry Mendenhall said that the four variable message signs on the Island and two on the mainland might be ready to use by the end of the week, but it’s up to the contractor. More...

Police to be out in force at Coquina on Easter

BRADENTON BEACH – With a reconfigured parking area at Coquina Beach and a new ordinance to help police prevent loitering in that area, everyone is hopeful that the violence that has plagued previous Easters at the beach won’t happen again.

Just in case, there won’t be any shortage of patrol officers.

Bradenton Beach Police Chief Sam Speciale said that he met with Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and county officials and they have a plan for Easter Sunday. More...

Where the breakers are

Spring breakers are here, but they’re not the ones who guzzle beer directly from the keg, then jump off the balcony into the swimming pool.

"We googled ‘family beach vacation,’ said Chris Perez, a student at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., who spent his 22nd birthday here last week with 15 friends in a house and condo an affordable block or two from Bradenton Beach. More...

Churches celebrate with Easter services

Whether you’re a resident or a visitor, the Island’s churches offer services to celebrate the Easter holiday. However, one way to celebrate is on the beach as the sun rises from the east.

Once again, the Kiwanis Club of Anna Maria Island has teamed up with Island churches to hold the 45th Annual Easter Sunrise Service at Manatee County Beach, 6000 Gulf Drive at Manatee Ave. More...

Scam suspect arrested

A 44-year-old man has been arrested and charged with scheming to defraud several restaurants in Manatee and Sarasota counties, including one in Holmes Beach, in a series of crimes involving large food orders and fake cashier’s checks.

A Florida State Patrol trooper stopped a vehicle driven by Richard Wright, address unknown, on Feb. 27 on I-75 near Ft. Myers, according to Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Dave Bristow. The trooper arrested Wright after a computer check showed an active warrant for his arrest from Texas. More...

Island weddings & engagements

Celebrate with Island-style weddings. More...

Outdoors Expo returns to state fairgrounds

The Tampa Tribune 17th Outdoors Expo & Boat Show hosted by Frank Sargeant kicks off this Friday, Feb. 29, and runs through Sunday, March 2. This is Florida’s largest outdoors expo, as well its most diverse and educational. The event is a kind of a world's fair for anglers, boaters, hunters, campers and anyone who enjoys the great outdoors. More...

Some houses once came in boxes

Some people love pub crawls, I can’t resist a good house crawl. Since I’ve crawled through more houses than I care to remember during the past 21 years, it takes something a little different to leave an impression on my real-estate-soaked brain, something let’s say like a house that came in a box.

Some years back in the Long Island, N.Y., town where I lived and worked, there was the annual tour of homes, an event I never missed. This particular tour featured a Sears Modern Home marketed from the Sears Catalog right alongside furniture, appliances, and the kids’ socks. Sears homes were ready to assemble houses sold through mail order by Sears Roebuck and Company between 1908 and 1940. More...

Kern Construction offers local experience

When Jerry and Mike Kern and Jim Moss were attending Anna Maria Elementary School and exploring the treasures of Anna Maria Island, they had no idea how much the Island would grow and how much they would be a part of that growth. All these years later their friendship is still strong and the business they are partners in is equally as strong. More...

Basketball‑season comes to an end

This past week saw an end to a very successful basketball season, played with grit and determination by all involved, at the new Community Center. The divisions had their respective champs and now it was all systems go again, as we headed into the playoffs. From Division III through to the Premier League, players took their focus off the standings and eyed the prize they would receive should their team make it to the championship and steal the show. Here is how it played out. More...

Record horseshoe turnout

Thirty-five hopefuls hit the clay on Saturday, March 8, resulting in five teams entering the morning’s playoff round with 3-0 pool play standings.

Advancing to the semi-finals, with matching 21-15 wins, were the teams of George McKay and Dean Rowe and Art Kingstad with partner Steve Doyle. Rowe and McKay went on to defeat Adrian Orr and RB Munro in a lopsided 22-1 win and soon posted their sixth victory of the day over Kingstad and Doyle by a score of 26-12. More...