Vol. 13 No. 4 - November 7, 2012

news

Arts to glitter on AMI this weekend

The Island’s annual artsHOP weekend Nov. 9 through 12 begins on Friday with a gallery walk in Anna Maria and Holmes Beach and a special performance at the Island Players Theater on Friday.

Saturday offerings include an arts and crafts festival, a book signing by local authors, a mini-fair, an auction of painted chairs and a special performance at the Island Players Theater.

On Sunday, the weekend concludes with an arts and crafts festival, a chorus and orchestra concert and a drum circle. More...

Cell tower ordinance heats up city hall

BRADENTON BEACH – It was a brisk City Commission meeting last weekend, but a spat between one commissioner and a resident and former committee member heated up the Katie Pierola Meeting Room at city hall.

Jo Ann Meilner, who resigned from the Planning and Zoning Board in May because the City Commission ignored its recommendations on a parking lot/sand dune project, spoke during public comment about the communications tower ordinance and hiring a city manager.

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Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryAMICCO showcases young talent

The Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra (AMICCO) begins its 20th season on Sunday, Nov. 11, at 2 p.m. at CrossPointe Fellowship, 8605 Gulf Drive, with the winner of its youth competition, 16-year-old Natasha Snyder. Natasha will be performing Saints-Saens Violin Concerto #3, First Movement.

Born in Brazil, Snyder began her violin studies at the age of 4 and studied for five years under the instruction of Lena Cambis, director of the Sarasota Music Academy.

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Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryProgress noted in dock and pier projects

BRADENTON BEACH – The dingy dock reconstruction is finished and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will pay for the project because it was damaged when Tropical Storm Debby came through this summer.

That was the word from Bradenton Beach Police Chief Sam Speciale, who led the city’s pier team meeting last Thursday.

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Second worker pleads not guilty

Emanuel Centeno-Hernandez, 32, of Bradenton, has pled not guilty on one count of workers compensation fraud, a third degree felony, during his arraignment on Friday, Nov. 16, before Manatee Circuit Court Judge Thomas Krug.

Centeno-Hernandez was arrested at 119 Neptune Lane, a Beach to Bay Construction site in Holmes Beach, on Tuesday, Oct. 16, when he allegedly tried to get workers compensation benefits using a false identification. He was one of two men arrested by agents of the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance Fraud, during raids on several Beach to Bay construction sites after the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, informed them that at least 18 individuals working for Beach to Bay Construction showed false identification while applying for construction jobs.

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Board revises parking regulations

ANNA MARIA – Commissioners refined an ordinance establishing new parking regulations for some city streets.

The proposed regulation to make the Magnolia Avenue/Gulf Boulevard/Palm Avenue loop one way with vehicles entering at Magnolia and exiting at Palm generated the most discussion. Residents told the commission in September that the streets are a safety hazard.

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Job descriptions topic of city inquiry

BRADENTON BEACH – City Attorney Ricinda Perry brought up a personnel procedure during the city commission meeting last Thursday.

“When Ed McAdam resigned several years ago as building official, then-Mayor John Chappie placed City Clerk Nora Idso over the building department with no raise for that extra duty, and she recently asked if she was still working in that capacity,” Perry said. “We need to have city commission state whether she is still in charge or not. If not, you need to have the mayor nominate somebody. There are no other individuals in this building that can fill in at that capacity, and she is willing to continue.”

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Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryDiscover Egmont Key this weekend

EGMONT KEY – It’s just off the northern tip of Anna Maria Island, but if you don’t have a boat, you may never have seen it up close.

This weekend, if you’re willing to drive to Fort DeSoto Park in Pinellas County, you can Discover the Island.

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features

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryCommunity comes together to package food

HOLMES BEACH –An estimated 800 community volunteers gathered at City Field in Holmes Beach Saturday, forming human production lines that produced 104,544 packaged lentil casseroles to be distributed by the Food Bank of Manatee County to needy families.

Gathered in rows under the shade of a large white tent next to city hall, teams of 12 to 15 volunteers worked 90-minute shifts scooping, filling, weighing, sealing, boxing and packing the brown lentils, white long grain rice, dehydrated vegetables and Himalayan salts that produce a packaged meal designed to feed a family of six.

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OUTDOORS

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryStriking 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.

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real estate

Boomerang buyers bounce into the market

Truth is stranger than fiction and never more so than in the real estate market. Just as the national real estate market continues on a slow but steady upward trend, guess which buyers are back on the scene?

The National Association of Realtors reported in October that the sale of previously occupied homes fell in September after hitting a two year high in August, partly because there were fewer homes available to buy. September’s sales figures were the second highest level of the year, down 1.7 percent from August, but up 11 percent from a year earlier. These statistics were somewhat expected since sales in August were so strong they were expected to dip slightly. More...



business

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryBaked bliss at Hometown Desserts

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...

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

Bond rush continues

Investment Corner

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...



turtles

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

One down, one to go

Halloween was the official end of turtle season on Anna Maria Island, but one special straggler nest is still incubating.

An endangered green turtle nest is due on Nov. 9, at the earliest, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, whose statistics show that only four greens have nested on the Island in the last 30 years. More...



SPORTS

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryCommunity Center Cup championships coming

The playoff picture is ready, and the stage is set. Twenty six teams in the Anna Maria Island Community Center’s soccer and basketball leagues will square off for the illustrious Community Center Cup championships.

The action will heat up as the playoff games will begin this week. Every competitive division team will have its fair shot at the crown. All teams, no matter what place they finished in the regular season, will make the playoffs. They are all single elimination games, so each team will have to bring its A-game every night. More...

Asking the author

Feasting on Fitness

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...


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