A Chiles CHRISTMAS

ANNA MARIA – They ran, they laughed, they played – 120 children from the Head Start program and Healthy Families Manatee gathered at the Sandbar restaurant for the 15th Annual Lawton Chiles Christmas for Kids.

The event, sponsored by the Chiles Group, was held in the restaurant’s pavilion last week to a backdrop of perfect weather. More...

More Holiday Event Photos

Parking panel appointments draw criticism

ANNA MARIA – A second committee – this one appointed by the mayor and approved by the city commission – will take a look at safer parking in the residential/office/retail district of the city that runs the length of Pine Avenue and covers parts of Gulf Drive south of Pine.

The appointments were made at the city commission’s Dec. 17 meeting. More...

Debate over twin piers begins to build

BRADENTON BEACH – Opposition is swelling against a state plan to demolish three beach erosion control structures, including two that form the popular twin piers surf spot.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has notified Manatee County that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is likely to remove the structures in a beach renourishment project scheduled for 2014. More...

Barlow named to P&Z board

ANNA MARIA – Bob Barlow will serve on the planning and zoning board. It was not a routine appointment.

Under the city charter, the mayor names people to serve on boards and committees and the commission approves or disapproves those appointments.

Funding causes friction

A 6-1 Manatee County Commission decision last Tuesday to give $250,000 to the Ringling International Arts Festival has Manatee tourism promoters concerned that Manatee tax dollars will boost Sarasota’s bottom line.

Half of the funds will come from Manatee County coffers while the remaining $125,000 will come from county tourist tax reserve funds usually earmarked for tourism marketing, to rebuild consumer confidence after a hurricane or other disaster. More...

Burglars play Grinch before Christmas

HOLMES BEACH – Burglars broke into four businesses in the same area of this city overnight Thursday, Dec. 18, and when she was called to her shop, one business owner lamented having to close on one of the busiest days of the season.

The four businesses were Mister Roberts Resort Wear, 5330 Gulf Drive; The Color of Coconut Clothing Company, 5352 Gulf Drive; The Tide and The Moon, 5337 Gulf Drive; and AMI Health and Fitness, 5364 Gulf Drive. More...

Beach fireworks to welcome 2010

BRADENTON BEACH – Welcome the New Year Island style, by watching the 17th Annual BeachHouse Fireworks display on the beach.

The BeachHouse restaurant, 200 Gulf Drive, N., Bradenton Beach, sponsors and hosts the fireworks display starting at midnight and you may watch them from your own vantage point on the beach or from the restaurant itself as part of dinner or a New Year’s Eve package. More...

LIFEGUARD, OFF DUTY!

Lifeguard Jim Pritchard will trade in his surfboard for a golf bag when he walks down the stairs of the Manatee public beach lifeguard tower next week after 24 years on guard.

The first lifeguard to retire from the Manatee County Marine Rescue Division, a lot has changed since he hit the beach in 1974. More...

Chorus and Orchestra an Island Treasure

Sunday was the annual Christmas Concert by the Anna Maria Island Community Chorus and Orchestra, and, as usual, the show was a triumphant presentation of holiday classical music. Under the direction of renowned Maestro Alfred Gershfeld, the Chorus and Orchestra brilliantly performed holiday selections by Vivaldi, Mozart and Handel to a packed house at Crosspointe Fellowship in Holmes Beach. More...

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Yacht club celebrates boat parade winners

Festive, twinkling boats sailed the Intracoastal Waterway in brisk holiday weather during the Cortez Yacht Club’s lighted boat parade on Saturday night.

Observers bundled up and enjoyed the display from the Seafood Shack restaurant, the Cortez Bridge and Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach. More...

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Fishing in a winter wonderland

December can be one of the “hottest” months for fishing the waters in south central Florida. The fishing opportunities create an angler’s winter wonderland. Seasonal runs of Spanish mackerel, kingfish, bluefish, cobia, pompano and a host of other species make the holiday season a boon for locals and visitors alike. A week ago, I had the pleasure of experiencing some terrific action on big bluefish and pompano with my friend and Sarasota guide Captain Rick Grassett. More...

How the Grinch stole real estate

Once upon a time, there was a great country that extended from sea to shining sea. The country was dotted with beautiful homes, large and small, expensive and affordable, new and old. Everyone in the beautiful country wanted to own one of the homes, and from high atop his mountain, the real estate Grinch told them they could. Unfortunately, almost everyone believed him and eventually owned a home, and that was the beginning of the end. More...

Commercial real estate – crisis or no big deal

Scary bear markets generally end with a reversal to the upside that catches most investors by surprise and creates a feeling of disbelief and doubt that the move higher can be sustained. Investors commonly look to headline news items like high unemployment and other systemic troubles and wonder why the market can move higher when the news still isn’t good. More...

Tuesday, Dec. 29
Wagon tour of Robinson Preserve, 99th Street N.W. and 17th Avenue N.W., Bradenton, 9 and 10:30 a.m., $3 per adult and $2 per child. Call 742-5757, ext. 1, to reserve.

Saturday, Jan. 2
Susan Oberender will demonstrate glass fusing in making jewelry, Island Gallery West, 5368 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, in the S&S Plaza, 10 a.m. to noon, free.

On going through Dec. 24
Island Holiday Boutique of local artists’ paintings, jewelry, and crafts, Sun House restaurant, 1111 Gulf Drive. S., Bradenton Beach, 5 to 8 p.m.

Horseshoe play is hot

One dominant team emerged from Nov. 4 play. The team of Jeff Moore and Jerry Bennett ended the days action with an unblemished 3-0 record. A battle ensued for second place with a collection of four pairs vying for runner up honors. In the first semi, the duo of Tom Rhodes and Norm Good squashed would be competitors John Nelson and Jay Disbrow, 24-12. In the subsequent match, the dyad of Sam Samuels and Norm Langeland narrowly defeated walker Steve Grossmann, 21-16. The closing match of the day was a teeter totter contest. In the end, Good and Rhodes squeezed out a victory with a final score of 21-18. More...