New parking plan proposed for city

ANNA MARIA – After fellow commissioners rebuffed her suggestions for paid and permit parking, Commissioner SueLynn presented a new plan last week.

“I’m coming back with another proposal – Mike Coleman’s suggestion,” she said. “There would be no parking in the city’s rights of way after 10 p.m. with the exception of the ROR commercial or a special permit that has been obtained from the city to allow parking until 1 a.m. for a special event on a specific date.” More...

Despite Dr. Phil, Morris death still classified a suicide

BRADENTON BEACH – Despite claims of murder on the Dr. Phil show last week, the 2009 death of Sheena Morris in a Bradenton Beach hotel room remains, for now, a suicide.

Bradenton Beach police found Morris, 22, hanging from a dog leash tied to a showerhead at the BridgeWalk resort on New Year’s Day, after hotel guests called 911 and reported an overnight disturbance in the room she shared with her Tampa boyfriend, Joseph Genoese. More...

Copeland honored in Anna Maria

ANNA MARIA — Long-time resident Doug Copeland has been honored the city’s 2012 Citizen of the Year.

“This is one of the nicest things we do in the city of Anna Maria, and I’m so proud to be a part of the committee,” former Mayor Fran Barford said prior to making the presentation. More...

Fire damages Anna Maria house

ANNA MARIA – An observant neighbor who smelled smoke and saw it coming from an old frame house at 206 Magnolia Ave. Monday morning around 8 a.m., and called the fire department, saving the two-story structure from further damage. West Manatee Fire Rescue responded with four units and Longboat Key sent one and the fire was extinguished shortly after that. More...

Sandpiper saga intensifies

BRADENTON BEACH – In new court filings last week, Sandpiper Co-op Resort claims that the city of Holmes Beach is improperly using public funds for private purposes in violation of the Florida Constitution.

In a counterclaim filed on Friday, Oct. 26, by Sandpiper attorney Chuck Webb in the case of Holmes Beach vs. Sandpiper Co-op Resort Inc. and the city of Bradenton Beach, the mobile home park requests an injunction prohibiting the expenditure of attorney fees paid to the Holmes Beach city attorney for what it calls a “private purpose” in violation of the Florida Constitution. More...

Commissioner asks: Do you want a pier?

HOLMES BEACH – Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore is asking residents to let her know if they still want the pier at Manatee Public Beach replaced.

The pier, which was demolished in December 2009, was closed in February 2009 due to continued deterioration to the structure. County commissioners agreed to replace it with a 300-foot pier, but later said there was no money for the project. More...

Red tide worst since 2007

The patchy red tide bloom in the Gulf of Mexico is being called the worst since 2007, according to START (Solutions To Avoid Red Tide).

Whipping winds from Hurricane Sandy on the east coast have blown red tide toward the west coast, leaving dead fish on Anna Maria Island beaches last week and causing respiratory complaints from beachgoers, according to START. More...

Board moves forward on site plan ordinance

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners agreed to proceed with an ordinance requiring a building permit to be issued subsequent to site plan approval and establishing a sunset for site plans.

The ordinance was the result of Mayor Rich Bohnenberger’s call last month to revoke the site plan for the Mainsail project at the corner of Marina and Gulf drives. He claimed it is an abandoned construction site, there has been no activity for five years and it is a public safety issue. More...

Dogs rule at Canine Costume Contest

The stars came out and went completely to the dogs Saturday afternoon during The Sun’s 10th Annual Canine Halloween Costume Contest. There were plenty of celebrity sightings, including the team of “Bark Obama” and “Mutt Romney,” More...

Striking fish invade local waters

Anglers fishing the waters off Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key have been experiencing some terrific action on schools of Spanish mackerel, kingfish and little tunny (false albacore) just off the beaches. October and November are traditionally the best months to find these pelagic fish, which can be targeted using many different methods.

Live baiting is the most common technique followed closely by trolling. All of these species are also great targets for fly fishers and spin anglers using spoons, jigs and top water plugs. More...

A haunted house can be a dud or a deal

It’s Halloween, the night when ghosts, goblins and paranormal activity is at its ultimate. But if your house is haunted, this particular holiday may not be much fun, since selling a stigmatized home is just one more challenge to overcome right up there with 20-year-old air conditioners and neighbors’ barking dogs.

A property can be stigmatized if it is associated with an event or situation that could negatively affect its chance of selling. Houses that are thought to be haunted or that were the sites of murders or suicides are often considered stigmatized. More...

O'Shucks – new name, new look, new menu

CORTEZ – O'Shucks has opened quietly where Pelican Pete’s used to be at 12012 Cortez Road West, and early patrons have been seen leaving the restaurant raving about the food.

O'Shucks owners Jimmy and Sandy Galanis reopened the eatery with a new look inside and a plan to make it a restaurant with a bar and outside dining. They are adding windows and have put in French doors to make it easier to go from the front porch tables to the bar or tables inside. Inside, there’s a new wood floor, and it’s lighter inside than in the past. More...

Bond rush continues

In my last article two weeks ago, I referenced the lack of interest of a majority of individual investors to invest in stocks. In fact, they have been net sellers of equity investments pretty much since the end of the financial crisis in 2009. That comment then begs the question – Where are investors putting their money?

It is obvious that investor’s favorite investment in the last few years, other than holding very large amounts of money in cash equivalents like money market funds and certificates of deposit, have been buying bonds of all types. Perhaps attracted by the promise of regular income payments from bonds and bond mutual funds and volatility that is usually significantly less than stocks, bonds have gained in popularity in today’s less-certain economic and political climate. More...

Shelter from the storm

Tropical Storm Debby claimed most of the seabird nests, eggs and chicks on Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key in June, but one chick has survived with help from a lot of bird lovers.

Debby, a black skimmer, was one of a couple of dozen chicks that were found washed up against a building on Longboat Key, cold, wet and covered with sand after the storm. More...

Pure soccer produces pure enjoyment

The Sun sports game of the week was an Anna Maria Island Community Center’s Instructional League 4-5-year-old soccer game. The game was so much fun to watch and reminded me how innocent and pure the game of soccer can be when you take the competition out and emphasis instructional fun.

This game featured the Air & Energy team vs. the Beach Bistro team. Both volunteer coaching staffs deserve much praise on how they guided and instructed their teams with character and class. It is not an easy job instructing four- and five-year-olds and requires a great deal of patience. The assistant coaches did an equally great job in handling the bench players while players waited to enter the game. Especially when the post-game snacks are by the bench and within reach. More...

Asking the author

One more Vegfest next weekend as the only author/speaker in San Diego, then my book tour slows for the holidays. Book tours do that to avoid cold weather and busy holiday commitments.

Yesterday was Orlando’s VegFest and my dear husband, Clarence, joined me once again and helped me at the book author’s signing table all day. Once again, my book outsold the others. More...