Morris case not homicide

BRADENTON BEACH – The 12th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office in Manatee County has declined to prosecute the Sheena Morris case as a homicide or any other crime, according to Assistant State Attorney Art Brown.

“After a painstaking and thorough review and compilation of facts relating to the death of Sheena Morris, FDLE has concluded that ‘the investigation shows no evidence of a homicide,’ ” Brown wrote in a 21-page report, concurring with the conclusions in an exhaustive, 44-page Florida Department of Law Enforcement report released last week. More...

Island shows charitable side

The bell ringers are back at Publix and some Island businesses have begun to collect from the public and their customers to help those less fortunate.

The Kiwanis Club of Anna Maria Island organizes the bell ringers.

Other charitable opportunities include the Sandbar restaurant’s 20th Annual Lawton Chiles Christmas for Children, which served Christmas cheer for more than 100 kids last year. This year, businesses will bring kids to the restaurant around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10, and they will have lunch in the pavilion and Santa will deliver their presents from the Gulf, as always. They need contributions of money to pay for the gifts, which are wrapped by restaurant staff members. Make checks payable to the Sandbar restaurant and mail it to P.O. Box 1478, Anna Maria, FL 34216. Put a notation on the check to indicate it is for the Kids Christmas Party. More...

Bridge Street to sparkle

The First Annual Lighting of Bridge Street is set to dazzle on Saturday, Nov. 30, from 5-10 p.m. on Historic Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach.

The free event, in the Bridge Street Market lot at 107 Bridge St., will feature live music from Sarasota rockabilly band, Ted Stevens and the Doo Shots, from 7-10 p.m., plus dancing, crafts, food by O’Shucks restaurant of Cortez and a full bar with beer, wine and liquor. More...

A good friend, trusted colleague

AMI Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring lost a great friend this last week, Laurie Margaret How Krosney.

I first met Laurie when she interviewed me over the phone. She told me she was going to be my turtle reporter and told me (not asked me) that we would walk on the beach for my first interview. I met her at the end of her street and we walked to the public beach and back. The walk took forever, and not because she used two canes, but because she seemed to know everyone who passed by name. She picked up sea shells all the way. She kept them all in big dishes around her house. More...

Home sales continue strength

The real estate market continues its growth as the nation’s economy slowly re-emerges from the recession.

According to figures gathered by Island Real Estate agent Alan Galletto from the local Multi-List Service, sales for October 2013 were 32, almost even with October of 2012 at 33. Sales for October 31, 2013 year-to-date (Y-T-D) were 333 compared to October 31, 2012 Y-T-D at 369 only 6 percent from a banner sales year.

“Based on where we are in the year and the healthy pending sales activity it looks like we will again go over 400 sales for 2013,” Galletto wrote. More...

Optimistic first meeting for new officials

BRADENTON BEACH – The first city commission meeting for newly-elected Mayor Bill Shearon, Commissioner Jack Clarke and Commissioner Janie Robertson was full of good tidings, as the police department was congratulated on its investigation of the Sheena Morris case and on its commitment to sea turtle protection.

The commission congratulated Police Chief Sam Speciale on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement report on the Morris case that supports the police department’s finding of suicide, and on the 12th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office decision to decline to file charges in the case, thanking the department for their work on the case. More...

Bird count cancelled on Island

A decrease in the number of birds caused by the overdevelopment of Anna Maria Island has prompted Audubon to remove the Island from its Christmas Bird Count, coordinator Dick Comeau said.

The Gulf Circle, a group of volunteers that has counted birds on the Island, Longboat Key and Cortez each Christmas for several years, has been “retired,” he said. More...

Barrier island cities pledge cooperation

HOLMES BEACH – Taking place this month at Holmes Beach City Hall, and hosted by Mayor Carmel Monti, the Wednesday, Nov. 20 Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials meeting saw commissioners from four cities discussing congestion, the repeal of the vacation rental law, paid parking, duplication of services, legislative priorities and the idea of outside evaluation by paid consultants.

Anna Maria Mayor SueLynn said she was headed to Orlando later that afternoon to encourage Florida League of City officials to include repeal of the state’s vacation rental law in their 2014 legislative priorities. More...

Tips for cooking a Thanksgiving turkey

There are only a few "cooking turkey" tips that are elemental.

Tip Number One: Cook it breast side down

Flavor in a turkey is like intelligence in a Tea Party congressman - it is all in their backside. More...

Get into fishing: Back to basics

Sport fishing writers usually like to recount the exploits of seasoned anglers or delve into some specific type of fishing like fly rodding for tarpon. However periodically it’s important to get back to the basics, the foundations that all good fishing is built on. This is a way to reach out to people who want to learn to fish, those who are new to fishing and also as a way to remind every angler that fishing doesn’t have to be complicated. More...

Be thankful for state licensing laws

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we all have special things to be thankful for. One thing that every resident of the state of Florida is certainly thankful for is the quiet and basically non-existent hurricane season we just exited from, but when it comes to real estate there’s always more.

All states in the United States have their own set of licensing rules regarding the sale of real estate. The Florida Statutes are very clear as to client broker relationships especially when it comes to the handling of funds. Believe it or not this may not be a sexy topic but it is one that is important and one that we should all be thankful for. More...

Commissioner voices dissent during discussion

During the last five years, Anna Maria Island has gone from a sleepy little beach community to a full-fledged travel destination. Growing right along with the Island, Bridge Street Jewelers has developed their client base from vacationers buying a token remembrance to travelers and seasonal visitors looking for high-end custom jewelry, and they’re just beginning.

Like so many other Island transplants Brad Smith and Kassy Quinn found Anna Maria Island through friends with a little kismet thrown in thanks to an airline postponement delaying their return to Pennsylvania. Since that time the husband and wife team have not only maintained their northern jewelry store but have also expanded the level and selection of jewelry at Bridge Street Jewelers. More...

The ‘Best Days’ Myth

Most brokerage firm and mutual fund websites have articles to inform us of the dangers of trying to time the stock market, meaning that they discourage any effort to move into and out of the market in an attempt to participate in the good times, and to miss out on the bad times.

At first glance this seems like noble advice, but it is often provided in a manner which excludes half of the truth. The gist of most of this material is to show you how little your investment plan will make if you miss out on the best 25, 50, or 100 days of the last 20 years, and therefore imply that you need to stay invested at all times so you won't miss out on these very best days. More...

How to pick a personal trainer

Recently I was asked, “What makes a good personal trainer or running coach?” I’ve had conversations with many trainers and coaches and we all ask ourselves that question. The answer changes over the years.

I had a lengthy conversation with a trainer who at least at one point worked with a lot of celebrities. He echoed the same sentiment I’ve heard from many other trainers who say that the business is very fickle. People often change trainers by the week, month, or year. It does seem rare that some people will stay with the same trainer for more than a year, though it can vary by the time of year, location, and age of the client. Way before I ever became a personal trainer, I had two over the years that really stood out. They seemed totally focused on my goals, past and future, and medical history as it affected the reality of the goals. They asked many questions and focused on clients, not themselves. More...