Vol. 14 No. 51 - October 15, 2014

news

City searches for control over rentals

ANNA MARIA – With a moratorium on permits for homes with more than three bedrooms or rooms that could be used as bedrooms in place, the city commission is weighing its options on controlling the construction of large, multi-room rental houses that could house a dozen or more people at one time.

The commission met on Tuesday, Oct. 7, and discussed getting a declaratory judgment on whether such a rental home could be classified as a hotel/motel, which is not allowed by city code. More...

Effort to remove mayor resumes

BRADENTON BEACH – The forfeiture of office proceedings against Mayor Bill Shearon will continue at the Thursday, Oct. 16, regular commission meeting, when commissioners conduct a final review of the city resolution that will establish the procedures for the forfeiture actions.

The amended resolution will then be presented for adoption at a following regular or special commission meeting.

Thursday’s meeting starts at noon, and the public will be given the opportunity to speak when the forfeiture resolution is discussed. More...

The public finally speaks on the cell tower

ANNA MARIA – The specter of a cell tower looming over your property can be troubling, especially in hurricane territory.

A neighbor of city hall spoke at last Thursday’s meeting after seeing a similar tower in Bradenton Beach and said he’s concerned for the safety of his house.

“I implore the city commission to rethink its decision to build on city hall property,” said Jeffrey Tugden, who lives on Spring Avenue. “I don’t think it would be appropriate for that location.”

Tugden said it would be located within 55 feet of his property, and it does not look right for the neighborhood. More...

Fire commissioners face challengers

Larry Tyler

Larry Tyler was appointed to the fire commission in 1996 to fill the term of a commissioner who had moved out of the district. He has served on the fire commission since then and has been chairman and secretary/treasurer and represented the district on the Manatee County Fire Commissioners’ Association, where he served as secretary and president.

He was human resource director for a large shoe company for 15 years and for the city of Beloit, Wisc., for 10 years. He and his wife move to Cortez in 1984 and opened Tyler’s Ice Cream, which they sold in 1996. More...

Vosburgh hopes to retain seat

Jan Vosburgh has been a full-time resident of the city for 14 years, and a city property owner for 28.

While living in Utah, she owned and managed a furniture and appliance retail business for nearly three decades. She also worked in finance, marketing, sales and advertising . Now retired, she operates rental units in Bradenton Beach and at Perico Bay Club.

She has served on the Bradenton Beach commission for four and half years. Prior to that, she served on the Charter Review Committee and the Board of Adjustment. More...

Martin looks to oust incumbent

Tjet Martin has lived in the city for 11 years. She previously lived in Illinois and spent many years as a factory worker. An injury suffered in a car accident required a more sedentary profession, which led her to accounts payable, accounts receivable and work as an administrative assistant.

She currently manages and maintains the Linger Longer resort, and serves as personal caregiver to Mayor Bill Shearon, who is legally blind.

Martin serves as the co-chair of the Scenic Waves Committee and has a long history of political involvement. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryBoard recommends denial of hotel request

BRADENTON BEACH – The Planning and Zoning Board is recommending the denial of Wendy and George Kokolis’ request for a special exception that would allow for the construction of a two-unit hotel at 113 Ninth St. N.

City commissioners can accept or reject the board recommendation when they render their final decision at a future meeting.

Last week, planning board members Dan DeBaun and Fawzy Makar supported John Metz’s motion to recommend denial of the special use exception required to operate a hotel in the C-1 commercial zone district. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryCast-N-Cage falls behind on rent

BRADENTON BEACH – The proprietors of the pier-based Cast-N-Cage restaurant are struggling to keep their business afloat and are now facing potential punitive action from their landlord, the city of Bradenton Beach.

As of Monday afternoon, business owners Roland Pena and Tammy Kemper-Pena had not made the October rent payment that was due Oct. 1

On Thursday, Oct. 9, Police Chief Sam Speciale presented business owner Roland Pena with a notice of default for non-payment and notice of termination of lease and concessionaire agreement. More...



features

Something for everyone at Bayfest

Some time you just get it right the first try and Bayfest, the first festival of the season, has been extending that streak for 14 years.

Bayfest, sponsored by the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce, begins on Friday, Oct. 17, and continues through Saturday, Oct, 18, on Pine Avenue. Friday’s kickoff starts in the city of Anna Maria on the six lots field, at the corner of Pine Avenue and North Bay Boulevard.

For the kids

There will be a Kids’ Zone with a variety of games, bounce house, climbing wall and more, sponsored by AMI Fitness. The AMI Privateers’ ship will also be there. More...



OUTDOORS

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryFishing with Captain Andy Cotton

The early fall season can be a crap shoot. One day the waters are roiling with bait and game fish, while the next day action can be slow or non-existent. Last week, I had the pleasure of spending a day on the water with Captain Andy Cotton when the action was fast and furious. During a day that started at 9 a.m. and ended at 2:30 p.m., we caught and released false albacore and Spanish mackerel until we lost count using a wide variety of tackle, lures and flies.

Cotton had been finding action about a mile and a half off New Pass, and although he had been starting early, he had noticed the action didn’t get good until about 10 a.m. That’s why we met at 9 at Ken Thompson Park boat ramp. More...



real estate

Designing your castle

Design and architecture go in and out of style just like clothes, music and vacation hot spots. But what most of us really want is a home we’re comfortable and one in which we may have had a hand in designing or at least decorating. Now in our ever changing computer era there are websites and iPhone apps that even the most un-artistic of us can maneuver.

In what now seems like a century ago, I took some design courses for fun at New York University, and I clearly remember using a scale ruler to draw floor plans and elevations on graph paper and then cutting and pasting design elements to create rooms. More...



business

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

Should we fear inflation or deflation?

Investment Corner

Most people love to go on a rant about how bad inflation is. Deep down we just hate not being able to buy a particular good or service for what we bought it for just a few years ago. Of course, we never complain about the things that haven’t gone up in price or those that have dropped in price. Our focus tends to be on the items that negatively impact our wallet – a very human perspective.

According to the inflation statistics generated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has been muted for the last several years and currently is sunning at a rate of about 2 percent. The CPI is calculated as a basket of goods and services commonly purchased by households included in a group defined as “all urban consumers” which represents about 87 percent of the U.S. population. More...



SPORTS

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story Fall sports in full swing at Center

The fall sports season at Anna Maria Island Community Center is in its second week, and the fields and gym are buzzing with activity.

Adult basketball sponsors this season are Poppo’s, Duncan Real Estate, Sugar Beach Digital, Island Real Estate and Gator Man Pools. Basketball games will be on Tuesday evenings through Nov. 25. More...


AMISUN ~ The Island's Award-Winning Newspaper