Board back to two pools on duplex lots

HOLMES BEACH – Reversing a previous decision after getting input from their planner, commissioners agreed to continue to allow each half of a duplex to have its own swimming pool.

“We agree with comments made by (Manatee) County Commissioner Carol Whitmore regarding the fact that such a regulation may tend to make two-family structures less attractive to those who wish to reside in the city on a permanent or semi-permanent basis and, therefore, may result in encouraging two-family units to be used primarily for short-term rentals purposes. We also believe that developers will find a way around the regulation,” City Planner Bill Brisson said in a memo. More...

Mainsail public hearing set for Feb.12

HOLMES BEACH – Despite objections from two board members, city commissioners set a public hearing for Feb. 12 on the site plan for the Mainsail development at the corner of Gulf and Marina drives.

When Chair Jen Peelen announced that the developers of the Mainsail property would make a presentation on their plans at a work session on Feb.7, Commissioner Judy Titsworth objected. More...

New head deputy on duty

ANNA MARIA – The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office has installed a new sergeant at its office in Anna Maria and he’s excited to be on the "beach beat."

Sgt. Paul Davis is a 21-year veteran of law enforcement and has been with the sheriff’s office for 18 years. He says he’s familiar with Anna Maria Island, and he loves it here. More...

Fire district responds to fire safety issues

HOLMES BEACH – The fire district has no jurisdiction to inspect single- and two-family homes for fire safety, West Manatee Fire Chief Andy Price told city commissioners at a recent work session.

Chair Jean Peelen said commissioners have been concerned about the separation of duplexes built on one lot and joined by a common foundation. More...

Holmes Beach Building Department to move

HOLMES BEACH – Mayor Carmel Monti announced at last week’s work session that the building department would be moved out of city hall and into the public works building.

The public works building is a free-standing building between the skate park and West Manatee Fire Station 1. It was built in 2011 with money from the gas tax. More...

Cumber hearing postponed

The man accused or murdering Haley’s Motel owner Sabine Musil-Buehler will have to wait for the next step in his second-degree murder trial.

Judge Thomas Krug agreed to delay a case management hearing for William Cumber until April 17 at 9 a.m. Cumber’s court-appointed attorney, Carolyn Schlemmer, had asked for a delay until May after she received 600 pages of discovery from the prosecution. She said she needed time to read and respond to the discovery. Cumber has waived his right to a speedy trial after pleading not guilty to the charge last Oct. 17. More...

Island to get water shuttle

The man accused or murdering Haley’s Motel owner Sabine Musil-Buehler will have to wait for the next step in his second-degree murder trial.

Judge Thomas Krug agreed to delay a case management hearing for William Cumber until April 17 at 9 a.m. Cumber’s court-appointed attorney, Carolyn Schlemmer, had asked for a delay until May after she received 600 pages of discovery from the prosecution. She said she needed time to read and respond to the discovery. Cumber has waived his right to a speedy trial after pleading not guilty to the charge last Oct. 17. More...

Red tide causing problems

Most of the coughing you hear on – and even off – the beach these days is not from this year’s severe flu season, it’s from red tide.

Karenia brevis, Florida’s aquatic red tide, was found in background to low levels off Anna Maria Island and Longboat Pass last Friday, causing fish kills and respiratory irritation, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). More...

Tree house owners get another chance

HOLMES BEACH – Richard Hazen and Lynn Tran, of Angelino’s Sea Lodge, 103 29th St., have persuaded the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to allow them to apply for a permit after the fact for the triple decker tree house they built last year without a permit in an Australian pine tree.

Last summer, DEP ordered the removal of the tree house, granting the owners 30 days to submit an application for a new tree house in another location. More...

The secret to fly fishing

The secret to the creation of a successful fly fisherman is really no secret at all. Like anything else, we master and enjoy, it involves the intention to be good and requires a lot of patience and practice. Mastering the fundamentals, applying the principals and practice will pay dividends that lead to a lifetime of enjoyable fly casting and fly fishing. More...

What to know when accepting an offer

You finally accepted the proposal, there’s a sparkling diamond on your left hand and you’re thinking, “OK. Isn’t life great? Everything is falling into place.”

This scenario may work for a wedding proposal, but an accepted proposal for the sale of your home comes with a whole bunch of obstacles that could trip up the process. More...

Bistro offspring gets honor

The judges at the Golden Spoon are in love with Sean Murphy’s Beach Bistro and now they’re saying “Eat here,” when talking about his newest restaurants. The Eat Here Restaurants at 5315 Gulf Drive, in Holmes Beach, and 1888 Main St., in Sarasota, have won the Golden Spoon “Best New Restaurants in Florida” Award

Murphy was profoundly moved by the award. More...

A story of two barometers

There is no shortage of Wall Street adages related to the calendar. These range from the likelihood of a good year based on where we are in the presidential election cycle to where the year lies within the decade, to the one I want to highlight today – the January barometer.

There are two versions of the January barometer. Both are said to predict the stock market’s direction for the full year after observing the success, or lack thereof, in either the first five trading days of January, or the full first month of the year performance. Both have reasonably good track records, but like any indicator which averages enough time together to make a prediction, there will be exceptions to the rule. More...

Dolphins avoid a late charge

The Sun sports game of the week was an Anna Maria Island Community Center eight- to ten-year-old division flag football game between the Manatee Cancer Center Dolphins and the Miller Electric Chargers.

The Miller Electric Chargers started the game on offense. Jaclyn Schlossberg took a handoff and ran 45 yards for the first touchdown. The extra-point was no good, and just like that they took the early lead 6-0. More...

A weekend of transformation in Texas

Just pinch me, again. You’ve heard me say this before. Here it comes again. We moved here, like so many people do, to chill. But that is not what the universe had in mind. Last weekend, I didn’t have a column because I was honored to be a speaker in the New Year, New You Healthfest. Its website called me one of the most influential speakers/authors and athletes. I don’t know. It’s always better when others say those things.

Here’s part of what I wrote and what was published in the largest vegan magazine in the US. I was also asked to be the reporter for the event. More...