Vol. 11 No. 2 - October 13, 2010

news

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Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryDon't blink - 10 years of the SUN

Ten years. A decade. A tenth of a century.

That’s how much time has passed since my wife, Maggie, and I started The Anna Maria Island Sun.

It hardly seems possible. But there it is. We’ve been at this now for 10 years, and I have to ask myself, “Where did the time go?” More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryCortez Cup Regatta a winner

CORTEZ – The Fourth Annual Cortez Cup Regatta began without a whisper of a breeze on Saturday, as fisherman cast nets for bait on the glassy Gulf of Mexico.

Beachgoers on Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key admired the 21 sailboats clustered together all morning in the Gulf two miles west of Longboat Pass, waiting for wind. More...

Spill may prompt local claims

HOLMES BEACH – Attorneys from three high-powered law firms came to the city to advise business owners on filing for compensation from BP for economic damages due to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) retained the firms for their members, but invited any interested businesses to attend seminars around presented by the law firms the state. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryBayfest beckons with tasty local treats

ANNA MARIA – When the crowds begin to gather at the empty field at Pine Avenue and Bay Boulevard around 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 15, there will be plenty of food.

This year, the 10th Annual Bayfest will feature music and food Friday night, from 5 to 10 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. There will be plenty of liquid in the form of water, soda, beer, wine and rum drinks to wash it down. More...

Fire districts won't combine

BRADENTON – According to local fire officials, there is no burning desire to consolidate the area’s 11 fire districts.

The topic was on the agenda of the Manatee County Council of Governments (COG) last week. While there was no interest in pursuing it, elected officials did agree to invite fire district representatives to join them at the table on a regular basis. More...

Knight challenges Whitmore for county seat

BRADENTON – Democrat Sundae Lynn Knight is challenging Republican Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore for her at-large seat on the board. The term is four years. More...

Voters to elect two of three Holmes Beach candidates

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners approved a site plan for a stand-alone Walgreen’s Drug Store to be built at the south end of the Anna Maria Island Center on East Bay Drive.

The approval came with stipulations regarding the number of parking spaces and the installation of a sidewalk and a crosswalk on the Gulf Drive side and a buffer in the rear. More...

County approves trolley money refund

With one dissenting vote, the Manatee County Board of Commissioners has approved returning $40,200 to the Anna Maria Island Chamber for free trolley rides so the Chamber can return the money to the businesses that advertised on the sides of the popular Island vehicles. More...

Commission rescinds land settlement vote

BRADENTON BEACH – Saying the vote was for the wrong reason, the city commission has rescinded its vote to approve a land settlement with two developers over a project on the beach.

The Oct. 7 decision nullifies an Aug. 31 vote to accept an offer from developers Island, Inc., and Beach Development, Inc., to pay $375,000 for two acres of land on the beach that the city had confirmed was unbuildable, based on its land use map. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story Chamber dedicated to Pat Geyer

HOLMES BEACH – Friends, family and city employees gathered in the foyer of city hall last week to dedicate the commission chambers to former mayor and commissioner Pat Geyer.

Geyer and her husband, Ed, moved to the Island in 1961 and bought Duffy’s Tavern in 1971. She was elected to the commission in 1978 and served until being elected mayor in 1990. More...

Thoughts about the past 10 years

What is a decade to a lifetime?

Depending on how long you think you’re going to live, 10 years could hopefully, be a rather small fraction of your life, but we’ve had a ball these past 10 years and time flew by.

As a veteran of two previous Island weeklies, I can tell you that it isn’t easy to start and operate a newspaper. You need a good plan, a dedicated staff and the right business philosophy. More...

feature

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryA champagne toast - to the Island Sun

All of life’s milestones, birthdays and anniversaries should be celebrated with the tiny bubbles in champagne. Everything about champagne is celebratory. It starts with a pop. It leaps joyously from the bottle. In the glass it sparkles with fireworks and crystal lights. The bubbles slide giggling down your throat.

To say no to champagne is to say no to life. More...

OUTDOORS

Anna Maria Island Sun News StorySun provides creative, educational outlet

I was introduced to fishing in Anna Maria Sound and the edges of Tampa Bay by Captain Scott Moore in the early 1980s. I was invited along on trips with my friend Bobby Lee, and we were blessed to experience amazing days on the water with a man who would become a legend for his prowess with snook, tarpon, redfish and myriad other species. Those early days were the beginning of an awareness of the vulnerability of our fisheries resources and led to the formation of the Manatee Chapter of the Florida Conservation Association and a lifetime desire to protect fish and the waters they inhabited. More...



real estate

A decade in real estate

When The Anna Maria Island Sun began publication in September of 2000, Anna Maria’s real estate market was in first gear. The market had moved out of neutral and was slowly accelerating forward comfortably sitting in first on its way to second.

By the time our fifth anniversary was upon us, the market was well into third gear heading for overdrive. Now we’re at 10 years and the deceleration of real estate has both shocked and delighted, depending on whether you’re a buyer or a seller. The question now is what will the next 10 years bring? More...



business

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

Social security strategies

Investment Corner

You wouldn’t think that something as simple in principle as Social Security benefits would require much thought or strategy. But just like many things associated with the government, it’s never quite as simple as it seems. More...



turtles

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story Sea turtles have good season

Sea turtles have laid more nests on Florida’s beaches this year than the 10-year statewide average, and Anna Maria Island’s turtle activity is right on target.

This year, loggerhead turtles laid 134 nests on the Island, exactly on track with the 10-year average of 134, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shore Bird Monitoring statistics. More...



SPORTS

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryBack Alley defense doesn’t back down

The first ever Sun sports adult league Game of the Week proved worthy of its entitlement. On adult sports Thursday night at the Community Center, Back Alley played Ross Built Construction. For the first 10 minutes, both teams battled back and forth playing very controlled soccer. The teams used excellent passing and patience waiting for just the right time to strike. Ross Built’s defense, anchored by Rich Bell, Darrin Wash and goalie Dave Johnston, kept Back Alley at bay. Until a shot by David Greene deflected off the post and onto the foot of Erin Vogel who finished it for Back Alley’s first goal. With 10 seconds left to play in the half, Back Alley struck again. A beautiful center pass from Amy Talucci to Justin Noyes gave their team a 2-0 lead at the half. More...

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