ANNA MARIA to showcase Holiday Open House

ANNA MARIA – The business district becomes a tropical holiday open house on Friday, Dec. 10, from 5 to 7 p.m., and everyone is invited for fun, food and gifts.

Most of the businesses will be open to meet and greet visitors, just like Christmases of yore. Each one will be working to make this the best holiday celebration ever. Look for snacks, refreshments and music as you walk down the street like they did in the old days. The only thing missing will be the snow, but if you catch “It’s a Wonderful Life” on television, you’ll be able to see snow from the safety of your home. More...

Coyote battle shaping up

CORTEZ – Cortez residents concerned about coyotes attacking their pets are invited to a workshop on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Florida Maritime Museum at Cortez.

Residents should bring information about how many coyotes they have seen in the area, and when and where they were spotted, Cortez resident and workshop moderator Linda Molto said, adding that those who have lost pets are encouraged to wear photos of their pets or name tags with their pet’s names. More...

Privateers' parade Saturday

The Anna Maria Island Privateers will host their annual Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 11, starting at 10 a.m. at Bayfront Park in Anna Maria and ending at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach where Santa will be available for kids to visit.

Riding in Skullywag, the Privateers will be tossing bead necklaces and trinkets and shooting their cannons while the parade’s guest of honor, Santa, follows in his sleigh. Once the procession reaches Coquina Beach, Santa will take his place on the Skullywag, along with his pirate assistants, and pass out gifts to the children. Refreshments will also be available. Everyone is welcome to participate. All activities are free of charge; donations are always welcome. More...

Top off your celebration with boat parade

BRADENTON BEACH – Bridge Street becomes a holiday playground on Saturday, Dec. 18, from 3 to 7 p.m. as the Bridge Street Merchants, Whitney Bank and The Anna Maria Island Sun present Christmas on Bridge Street.

The shops will be open offering snacks, refreshments and the sights, smells and sounds of the season and perhaps special holiday prices on unique, decorative items for the home or under the tree. More...

Bethlehem Walk re-enacts Christmas

ANNA MARIA – The night Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary spent a lot of time seeking refuge in Bethlehem.

For many years, Roser Memorial Community Church’s annual Bethlehem Walk has given people an opportunity to re-enact this holiest of nights. This year’s walk on Saturday, Dec. 11, starting at 6:30 p.m., is no exception. More...

City victimized by con artist

ANNA MARIA – With all the political turmoil it went through recently, the city now has an identity problem. Quite simply, a bad-check artist has stolen it.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating seven bogus checks worth a total of $7,021.13 written and cashed on the city of Anna Maria’s checking account. More...

Soldier’s mom appeals for holiday cheer

HOLMES BEACH – A soldier who was adopted by Mrs. Joan Sackett’s Anna Maria Elementary School class last year when he was serving his country in Iraq never forgot the generosity of those children. Todd White visited Sackett’s class in March of last year after he got back to the United States to tell the children about his war duty. More...

Green building award for PAR

ANNA MARIA — The Pine Avenue Restoration building at 401/403 Pine Avenue achieved platinum status, the highest certification possible from The Florida Green Building Coalition.

FGBC certification requires a minimum score of 100 points. PAR’s properties at 315 Pine exceeded this by more than 50 percent, scoring 165 points. More...

Winterfest this weekend

Art, music and food are on tap at the 23rd Annual Winterfest Festival of Fine Arts and Fine Crafts Saturday and Sunday Dec. 11 and 12 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Holmes Beach City Hall field.

Art lovers will enjoy paintings, glass, jewelry, pottery, sculpture, fiber arts, photography, wood and more from 100 local, regional and national artists.

Musical entertainment will be provided by Koko Ray and the Hurricanes and the Anna Maria String Band. More...

James Beard’s House

ONe hundred sixty-seven W. 12th St., New York City is a non-descript brownstone in Greenwich Village across from the old St Vincent Hospital. It is also James Beard’s House - the temple of American culinary art.

James Beard and Julia Child were responsible for making chefs cool. He encouraged young men to go to Europe to develop chef skills, wrote books on food, and promoted restaurants and food events. More...

A marathon runner's diary

Dec. 1 – if this is your first time reading the diary, I chose to run my first marathon at age 58 to show my three daughters that genes do not always determine destiny. My mom, aunt and both sisters had breast cancer. Most other adults had major heart disease and diabetes. Doctors urged me early on to have an active lifestyle and eat healthfully to avoid the many diseases that can be prevented. As the youngest in my family, I had a lifetime to witness the physical and emotional side-effects of diseases. It also gave me time to follow doctors’ orders and make different choices. Every time I cross a finish line in a race, I see a face or two of relatives not there. Finishing without injury has always been the goal. More...

A passion for tarpon

When I first heard from Andy Mill that he was writing a book on tarpon, I had no idea that his vision would unfold in the form of an encyclopedic tome of such great depth and breath. Later as a signed copy arrived, I was amazed at the weight and feel of the book before I ever removed it from its careful packing. What I found truly inspired me. I knew first hand of his aplomb and passion for the silver king. What impressed me was how completely it told the story of tarpon, the legends, the tackle, the flies, the life history of the great creature and the wealth of information that Mill would share, gleaned from a 15-year love affair with a fish. More...

Weathering the insurance storm

There are a lot of islands in the world and a lot of waterfront land, but for some reason little Anna Maria Island keeps popping up as one of the best.

Most recently, Coastal Living Magazine’s November issue featured a story about buying a second home, and again Anna Maria was one of the locations chosen as a great spot to live. Basically, the short piece pointed out all the great things about Anna Maria, beaches, trolley, sunsets, restaurants and most important of all, in their words a “plethora of water-accessed homes.” More...

Surprising finds at Timesaver

Tunisia is a lot different from Anna Maria Island, or is it? Both have access to a beautiful body of water and both have a lot of sand. Maybe that’s why Mondher Kobrosly found his way here from north Africa to make his home and start his business.

Kobrosly traveled to Anna Maria to visit his in-laws from his home in Connecticut on a regular basis. During one of those visits, while shopping in the same store he now owns, he decided he could run a more attractive business, made an offer to the owner and started packing up the family. More...

Year-end planning may save on taxes

One of the least exciting things I could choose to write about is year-end tax planning. But a penny saved is a penny earned, and when saving it by reducing taxes, it seems twice as sweet. So, let’s take a couple minutes to review some actions or record keeping tasks you can work on between now and the time you file your tax return. More...

Fish Hole takes soccer title

The Community Center’s first ever Adult Co-Ed soccer season fittingly ends in a dramatic shootout. The Center’s recreational athletics programs strive for parity in its leagues through a structured drafting system. Apparently this system works when three out of the five competitive league championship games went into overtime shootouts. More...

Island runners end successful cross country season in 2010

In cross country, there are no substitutions, no time outs, no quarters, periods or halves to gather your thoughts or your breath. It is game on from the sound of the starting gun. Five kilometers or 3.1 miles later it ends up with you versus the clock and other runners vying for an individual place and total team scoring of the first five runners on the team. It’s like golf – lowest total wins. The Manatee High School Cross Country Hurricanes compete in the toughest 4A Cross Country District and Region in the state of Florida. More...