City considers changing police coverage

ANNA MARIA – Faced with a bill of more than a half-million dollars, the city commission is now rethinking who it should pay to keep the peace.

Mayor SueLynn had some good news on the subject at last Thursday’s commission meeting, She said the bill is $55,000 less this year because there arer newer deputies who make less than the veterans. However, Commissioner Gene Aubry said there might be a better way. More...

Parking garage proposed

HOLMES BEACH – When Mayor Carmel Monti proposed building a parking garage at Manatee Public Beach, Commissioner Judy Titsworth reacted swiftly.

“The day we have a parking garage in our city is the day I’m packing up and leaving,” she declared to applause from the audience.

Monti made the suggestion during a discussion of Island congestion that was brought to a head by gridlock during the July 4 holiday. More...

Mainsail decision delayed

HOLMES BEACH – A decision on what’s acceptable to commissioners regarding the Mainsail development has been delayed until the building official and fire marshal can review proposed changes to the site plan.

At last week’s commission meeting, City Attorney Patricia Petruff said issues that arose during a recent mediation include parking, the Sunrise Lane access, use of the marina, the height of buildings and setbacks. More...

Developer addresses Long Bar Pointe questions

CORTEZ – More than 150 people filled Fishmermen’s Hall in Cortez on Thursday, July 11, to participate in a town hall meeting with Long Bar Pointe developer Carlos Beruff.

Hosted by the Save Our Bay group, the meeting provided the public an opportunity to question Beruff about the development he and Larry Lieberman have proposed for coastal farmland located along El Conquistador Parkway in Bradenton. More...

Saturday boat brigade to highlight Long Bar Pointe concerns

CORTEZ - On Saturday, July 20, the area near mile marker 17 in Sarasota Bay will become a floating protest of the proposed Long Bar Pointe development that threatens the coastline along El Conquistador Parkway east of Cortez.

Taking place from 2 to 4 p.m., the civic-minded boat brigade is the brainchild of Bayshore Gardens residents Terri Wonder and Suzanna Young, members of the Bay Life Preservers group that is actively opposing the mixed-use project proposed by Manatee developers Carlos Beruff and Larry Lieberman. More...

Commission reacts to mayor’s suggestions

ANNA MARIA – The city appeared to be more concerned with the speed limit than with lifeguards at their meeting Thursday night.

As the meeting wound down, they brought up Mayor SueLynn’s call for lowering the speed limit on Pine Avenue and Bay Boulevard up to the Humpback Bridge and the two streets east of Pine – Spring and Magnolia avenues from 25 mph to 15 mph.

The mayor made the suggestion in a letter she wrote and read before a previous meeting saying the city is losing its residential flavor as properties are sold and turned into short-term rental units. More...

City ponders pier repairs

BRADENTON BEACH – The commission unanimously voted Thursday against repairing the city pier with two wood pilings prior to its scheduled renovation.

The new pilings would not be warrantied if Duncan Seawall, which gave a $3,200 bid for the repairs, was not hired to complete the renovation, according to Public Works Director Tom Woodard.

The pier remains partly closed due to storm damage and is tentatively scheduled for repairs to begin in about a month. More...

Mosquito spray to stay

HOLMES BEACH – Chris Lesser, assistant director of the Manatee County Mosquito Control District (MCD), said he was prepared to offer to stop aerial spraying missions over the city to kill mosquitos, if that’s what the city wanted.

However, commissioners said at last week’s work session that they were not willing to take that step, and Chair Jean Peelen stressed, “People say the mosquitos are horrendous right now. You cannot go outside.” More...

Gould legacy: helping others

The death of Barry Gould last week leaves a void in the hearts of many who are involved with fundraising.

When Gould and his wife, Dantia, arrived on the scene, he took a job with Island Vacation Properties and they started to make friends and get involved in the real estate business and the community. More...

It’s Scallopalooza time

Sarasota Bay Watch (SBW), the organization that is spearheading scallop restoration in Sarasota Bay, will be holding its third annual fund raising event, dubbed Scallopalooza, on Aug. 3 at the Sarasota Yacht Club. Not only is this an exciting evening of food, fun, information and camaraderie, but it has been responsible for raising the funds that have allowed SBW to release more than 24 million baby scallops (spat) into the bay over the last two years. More...

Blank slate tax reform

Blank slate is a theory applied to human development asserting individuals are born without built-in mental content and that their knowledge comes from experience and perception. It appears that our lawmakers are interested in applying this concept to our tax code, which could have staggering consequences to the real estate market.

At the end of June, the Senate’s top Democratic and Republican tax-writers, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Democrat, and the committee’s top Republican, Orrin Hatch unveiled what they are calling blank slate tax reform. More...

Gold may have further to fall

At an educational investment seminar in the spring of 2011, I told a group of salivating gold bugs that the price of the precious metal, which was approaching $1,500 per ounce at the time, might well go higher, but that dreams of $3,000 per ounce seemed far fetched. I went on to say that the dynamics of the gold market had changed dramatically, and that the price of the metal could easily drop 20 percent in one day due to these dynamics, which I’ll review below.

My statements were an opinion based on reasonable expectations, but certainly I don’t possess the power to predict the future. Sometimes, not often, opinions work out to be right. Gold continued to rise in 2011, peaking at about $1,800 per ounce in the late summer. After trending sideways to down slightly in 2012, gold has dropped precipitously in 2013, and is now down about 35 percent from it’s peak in 2011. More...

Trapped turtle rescued from beach chair

HOLMES BEACH – A loggerhead sea turtle was trapped under a beach lounge chair at the Harrington House bed and breakfast after laying her nest last week.

Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring staff members were conducting lighting inspections for the city of Holmes Beach when they discovered the turtle and set it free, Director Suzi Fox said. More...

Miller Electric gets season opening win

The Sun sports game of the week features the season-opening indoor soccer contest between the Bowes Imaging Center team and the Miller Electric team. The 5 to 7 year old game was a fun and energetic way to begin the new season.

Roll out a ball, which looks like a giant tennis ball, and watch the future of Island soccer take shape. These little players follow the ball like a swarm of bees and get plenty of touches on the ball. Indoor is a fast paced sport, even at this age, which is great for teaching and learning. More...

Why I’m running in the Senior Games

I am officially scared. The National Senior Games is in two weeks. As third in state in the 200, 400 and 1,500 meters, and fourth in the 100 meters, I’m allowed to compete in all four events. I voluntarily signed up to do that, and after looking at the schedule, I’m having a little buyer’s remorse.

I fly on Friday, compete in three qualifying events on Saturday, and if I make the final cut, compete in the 100, 200 and 400 meters on Monday, as well as the 1,500 meters, which has no preliminary race like the other three races. What that means is there aren’t as many people as nuts as I am to compete in the 1,500 meters. More...