Stoltzfus qualifies for recall election

ANNA MARIA — City Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus has qualified to run in an election that could recall him from office.

The rare election will be held Sept. 7 if a judge decides later this month that the recall process has been followed properly. More...

Fisherman drowns off boat ramp

HOLMES BEACH - A man drowned in a rip current on Thursday afternoon while fishing about 400 yards from the southern shoreline of the Intracoastal Waterway near the Manatee Avenue bridge.

Terry Cox, 50, was fishing with friend John Bell when Bell saw Cox move his arms in the water, as if fighting a fish, according to a police report. More...

Bare bones budget in Holmes Beach

HOLMES BEACH – Calling it bare bones, Mayor Rich Bohnenberger and City Treasurer Rick Ashley presented the $8,413,450 budget for 2010-11 to commissioners last week.

Last year’s budget was $7,865,490 with a millage rate of 1.7549. Last week, commissioners approved a millage rate of 1.75 for 2010-11. More...

Anna Maria brothers cleaning up oil

Working 12-hour shifts seven days a week in triple-digit heat, two Anna Maria brothers are slowly making a dent in cleaning up the oil off Louisiana.

Joe Webb and his brother, Ben Webb, have been in Louisiana for 50 days, nearly half the time that oil from the Deepwater Horizon rig has been spreading throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico. More...

Garbage in, garbage out in Holmes Beach

ANNA MARIA — For the second time in a month, city HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners said they are tired of rental agents allowing renters to put their garbage out days ahead of the pickup schedule and then leaving the cans for days after the pick up.

That was one of the new issues they asked City Attorney Patricia Petruff to address in an amended ordinance defining stop service and establishing a code enforcement procedure for violators. More...

Board lightens up on parking requirements

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners agreed to reduce the number of parking spaces required for new restaurants, hotels/motels and places of assembly.

Restaurants will be required to provide one parking space for every five seats rather than every three seats, and no parking spaces will be required for employees. More...

County delays trolley action

The future of the trolley system south of Anna Maria Island is in the hands of the Sarasota County Commission following a no-vote by the Manatee County commissioners last week during a budget work meeting.

Budget cuts because of lower property tax income and the end of a grant that paid for the extension have forced the two counties to scramble for funds. The grant, which was to have run through the fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 31, ran out early and Manatee County has agreed to pay the operating expenses for the extension until the end of September. More...

Local waters tested for oil

Local scientists are testing water, sediment and marine animals for petroleum contamination for later comparison and damage calculations in case Deepwater Horizon oil reaches area waters.

Samples of sediment have been collected from waters around Anna Maria Island and other Manatee County locations, and have been frozen for later analysis, said Rob Brown, division manager for the Manatee County Department of Natural Resources. More...

NEMO looks at future involvement

ANNA MARIA – The North End Merchants Organization is preparing for the many events that occur during season on the Island.

Ideas range from purchasing banners for the city’s centennial celebration to organizing a neighborhood watch. More...

Price and Pollock designated Chief Fire Officers

Fire Chief Kenneth A. Price, Jr. and Deputy Chief Brett Pollock, of the West Manatee Fire and Rescue District, have successfully completed the process that awards them the professional designation of Chief Fire Officer (CFO). The Commission on Professional Credentialing met recently to officially confer the designation upon them. There are only 693 CFOs worldwide. More...

A BEACH FAREWELL

HOLMES BEACH – Music, food and drink flowed along with tears as Tommy Vayias, John Menihtas and Dee and Gene Schaefer greeted friends Saturday, their final day at Café on the Beach at Manatee County Public Beach.

“Although I don’t have many years under my belt, these were the best ones,” Vayias said. “I loved serving the community and the residents. It was a privilege. It was a wonderful experience. I’ll miss all the people.” More...

DOA lures hosts writers and guides

If you've followed this column over the years, you've heard me talk often of DOA Lures and its charismatic designer Mark Nichols. Nichols didn't start DOA with seed money or a public offering. He started his company with an idea, the most rudimentary of materials and most importantly an indomitable spirit. Oh, and yes, the fact that he had a nose for fish didn't hurt. Nichols didn't ask you to believe him, he was willing to show you firsthand how his creations enticed fish. What started out as an idea for an artificial shrimp has blossomed into a multi-million dollar operation that has made believers out of some of the state's top anglers. More...

Cayman Cay Villas will fulfill your wish list

If you’re thinking of purchasing a property on Anna Maria Island, chances are you have a wish list of amenities that you would like. You probably want to be near the beach and the Island trolley and have access to a swimming pool. If it’s a second home, a turn-key arrangement would be nice, and, most of all, you want all of this at a bargain price. Welcome to Cayman Cay Villas in Holmes Beach, possibly filling your dream wish list. More...

Chamber events listed for August

The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce has a dance planned along with its regular breakfast, luncheon and business card exchange this month.

The Sizzling Summer Dance will be held on Saturday, Aug. 14, from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Anna Maria Island Community Center, 407 Magnolia, Anna Maria. Tickets are $12 per person and are available at the Chamber, 5313 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, or the Community Center. Island performer and DJ Mike Sales will emcee the event More...

Government bond bubble – or not

The slide in U.S. Government bond yields to below 3 percent during the recent stock market correction once again brings up the topic of whether global government debt is the next speculative bubble waiting to burst and disappoint investors. With the long-term average yield of U.S. 10-year bonds a little north of 5 percent and record highs in the mid-teens back in the early 1980s, it is easy to make the case that rates will rise from here. This would cause existing bond prices to drop and a large group of investors left to feel the pain once again. Here’s a chart showing this wild range of treasury bond yields over the last 30 years or so. More...

Season's first turtles hatch

HOLMES BEACH – Anna Maria Island’s first loggerhead sea turtle nest of 2010 hatched 69 turtles on July 27 at 27th Street, bringing to light a persistent problem.

Some lights can still be seen from the beach at night, a violation of the law in all three Island cities, according to Suzi Fox, of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shore Bird Monitoring. More...

Key Royale Golf Club adds Mike McGowan

Key Royale Golf Club has added Mike McGowan to its management staff as dining room manager and teaching golf professional beginning July 12. McGowan has a wealth of experience as assistant teaching professional at Misquamicut Club in Rhode Island, Ancil Hoffman Club in Sacramento, CA and Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, FL. He was also a teaching professional at the Rolland Strafford Golf School in New York. More...