Right on cue

As Tropical Storm Beryl made its way onshore near the Georgia border, it left a trail of winds and waves.

Lifeguards and law enforcement had to deal with a number of incidents from rip tide rescues to missing children in a weekend that saw a near drowning and a small boat sinking just offshore north of the Sandbar restaurant. More...

Not so fast - Art League still breathing

HOLMES BEACH – When the Anna Maria Island Art League closed on May 11, it took everyone by surprise, but Laura McGeary, president of its board of directors, maintained that the organization was taking a vacation and would reopen.

This week McGeary issued the following statement seeking donations to reopen the doors: "The Anna Maria Island Art League has been struggling financially and now is in need of your financial assistance to continue providing the community visual arts educational resources and numerous events. More...

Hurricane season 2012 is here

Despite the two tropical storms that formed before the official opening of hurricane season, the two main storm prediction teams are saying it will be a less intense one.

This prediction comes on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew, which devastated real estate in southeast Florida in 1992, a season that only had six named storms.

That might be good news for residents and visitors to the Island this summer, but remember it only takes one rogue storm to ruin our hurricane season. More...

Applications abound for Center director position

ANNA MARIA – Applications for the position of Island Community Center executive director are coming in every day, said Transition Committee Chairman Andy Price.

"We have more than 40 applications, and they are still coming in," Price, former chairman of the board of directors, said. "There are a few Island people and the rest from all over the country."

The applicants hope to replace Executive Director Pierrette Kelly, who announced she would step down effective at the end of the fiscal year in July. Kelly has held the position for 22 years. More...

Peelen, Poston appointed to tourist council

BRADENTON – The Manatee County Commission has appointed Holmes Beach Commissioner Jean Peelen and Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston to the Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC).

The appointees replace Holmes Beach Commissioner Sandra Haas-Martens and Bradenton City Councilman Harold Byrd, whose terms expired.

The TDC is a nine-member board that advises the county commission on how to spend county resort tax funds, which totaled more than $7 million in 2011. The funds, paid by tourists to owners of accommodations rented for less than six months, are allocated by the county commission to the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) to market the area to tourists and also are spent on beach renourishment and local tourist attractions. More...

Mayor: State law change needed

HOLMES BEACH – New laws passed during the 2012 Florida legislative session failed to include one that would help Holmes Beach and other communities deal with vacation rental problems, according to Mayor Rich Bohnenberger.

During a presentation by State Rep. Jim Boyd at last week's Holmes Beach Commission meeting, Bohnenberger said he would like to see the repeal or amendment of the 2011 state law that prohibits municipalities from instituting or increasing restrictions on rental properties. More...

AMICCO founder dies

The founder and president emeritus of the Anna Maria Island Community Chorus and Orchestra (AMICCO) has died.

AMICCO president Jeanie Pickwick sent this message to members and supporters this week.

"It is my sad duty to tell you that AMICCO's founder Willem Bartelsman passed away quietly at his home in The Netherlands on May 25, 2012, surrounded by his family and beloved wife Mathilda. More...

Preparing your boat for the big one

Boats can become a nuisance and hazardous during a hurricane, so the time to plan for the big one is now, according to a pamphlet online by marine insurance company Boat US.

The best way to deal with a boat is to get it out of the water when a storm is imminent. A study by MIT after hurricane Gloria found that boats stored ashore were far less likely to be lost than those stored in the water. Many marinas and yacht clubs have evacuation plans that call for pulling as many boats out of the water as possible whenever a storm is approaching. More...

Sip and slide at the beach

It's that time of year when it's especially important to sip your water and slide your feet.

Lifeguard David treated a heat exhaustion patient on the beach on May 12, a reminder to stay hydrated.

Stingray season is also here, and on May 22, we had our first bad hit that required a French vacationer to seek medical attention at Blake Hospital. Soak the puncture in hot water as soon as possible – it will ease the pain. And remember to do the Anna Maria moon walk and shuffle your feet to scare them away. More...

Tarpon fishing: show a little respect

Tarpon season is in full bloom and should be heading to a peak on the full moon in a couple of weeks. If you've never tried tarpon fishing, don't miss out on what one legendary guide has called "the apex of angling."

The best way to experience this amazing fishery is to engage the services of one of the many excellent guides that call local Gulf waters their office. You don't have to hire a professional to catch a tarpon, but a guided trip will be the best investment you've ever made, guaranteed. More...

Citizens insurance depopulation

Question: How is cleaning out your closet like Citizens Insurance? Answer: They both make room for new stuff with higher prices.

With the official start of Florida's hurricane season two days away, Citizens Insurance is on a mission to depopulate its insurance rolls. Without applying to state regulators for rate increases, the state run Citizens is increasing premiums for Florida homeowners through a home re-inspection effort. Citizen's ultimate goal is to move as many as 678,000 policyholders out of the state run agency and try to become what their original mandate was – insurer of last resort. More...

Jazz up your life at Island Spice

Most of us love food we talk about it, think about it, plan for it and of course consume it, but don't you sometimes just get bored with the average menu choices offered. Occasionally you need to shake it up a little. After all, variety is the spice of life.

It's a long way from Tamil Nadu, located on the southern tip of the Indian peninsula, to Anna Maria Island, but four friends all found their way here. Since they had shared experiences in the hotel and restaurant business in the Caribbean and in Colorado, opening a restaurant on our Island was a natural choice. More...

Making sense of J.P. Morgan's loss

The recent news of a trade-gone-bad creating a large $2 billion loss for J.P. Morgan Chase is the latest jab in the war of needles pricking away at investor confidence. With memories of the financial crisis of 2008, the flash crash in 2010, Japanese earthquake and tsunami in 2011 and the seemingly endless Eurozone troubles still fresh in our minds, the last thing we need is a lack of confidence in the soundness of our banking institutions.

Any loss with the word billions after it is a big deal. But, for a large institution like J.P. Morgan Chase, it is not even close to being big enough to bring the firm down. In fact, the estimates of the loss are still growing as the complicated, illiquid trade has still not been wound down, and some say the real loss could end up being $3 billion or $4 billion. More...

Weigh in on gopher tortoises

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is asking the public to share ideas about improving conservation of the gopher tortoise, a state threatened species with colonies on Anna Maria Island and Egmont Key.

Public input will be accepted on the updated version of the state's five-year-old Gopher Tortoise Management Plan though June 25. More...

Youth basketball tourney tips-off

Youth Basketball Results

8-10-year-olds

Walter & Associates  15
Beach Bistro  17
Franklin Valdez had a double-double with 10 points and 19 rebounds. Jack Groves had 4 points and 8 rebounds for the Beach Bistro win. For the Walter & Associates team, Joey Theil had all 15 points and 9 rebounds. More...

Where do you get your protein?

The most common question vegetarians or vegans get about eating a plant-based diet is, "Where do you get your protein?" I got it long before I wrote my book, especially as an athlete. For reasons that have more to do with marketing more than science, some athletes believe that meat and dairy are the only good sources. This is not true.

Most of us are aware that protein has an important role in our bodies, but you may not know why. Made up of amino acids (oxygen, nitrogren, carbon, and hydrogen), protein is the nutrient responsible for growing new cells and building and repairing tissue. However, contrary to popular belief, we don't need to consume that much of it to be healthy. More...