A new mayor in town

BRADENTON BEACH – After last week’s recall election, Jack Clarke is now the city’s highest ranking elected official.

As sitting vice mayor, Clarke assumed former Mayor Bill Shearon’s mayoral duties Wednesday morning. He will be formally sworn in as mayor on Monday, June 1, during a ceremony that will take place at city hall at 1 p.m.

Clarke chaired a commission workshop on Wednesday and a 38-minute commission meeting on Thursday that was aided by a light agenda and produced not a single dissenting vote.

On Friday, he said, “It’s been somewhat hectic. I will be carefully evaluating all the input I’ve received since the recall. I will prioritize it and soon let everyone know what I hope to accomplish.” More...

County traffic plan could include Island

BRADENTON – Because of the congestion the expansion in tourism has produced, Manatee County officials are looking to expand a program used for controlling traffic on the mainland.

That’s the word from L. K. Nandem, Florida Department of Transportation Traffic Operations Engineer, who addressed the Manatee County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, May 19.

Nandem said he had met with then-Bradenton Beach Mayor Bill Shearon and Police Chief Sam Speciale, who were concerned about the gridlock in their city and the other Island cities during the height of the tourist season.

Nandem said the county engineers responded with a suggestion to expand the advanced traffic management system being implemented at busy streets and intersections in the city. More...

Sandee Pruett retires from Center

ANNA MARIA – The Island Community Center’s gal Friday has left the building.

Sandee Pruett retired May 14 after 16 years and filling positions from adult program manager to heading fund-raisers

Her journey with the Center began when she saw an ad after moving to the Island from Tampa.

“I interviewed for the business manager position,” she recalled. “The business manager had left, so there was no one to teach me the job.

“Pierrette (former Executive Director Pierrette Kelly) and Scott (former Assistant Executive Director Scott Dell) showed me around and talked about their vision for the Center.” More...

Neighborhood Watch holds second session ....

HOLMES BEACH – Two groups of residents, one from Key Royale and one from south of 52nd Street, attended the second of three Neighborhood Watch training sessions May 14

The sessions were conducted by Bradenton Neighborhood Watch specialist Tami Spyker and HBPD Sgt. Vern McGowin and focused on personal safety.

Spyker told participants, “Personal safety is 90 percent up to you, and you are 70 percent safer when you go out with someone.”

She said strangers use all types of tactics to get a victim’s attention such as asking for directions, money, a light or the time off day.

“They are strangers; someone you don’t know,” she stressed. “The best way to be safe is keep your head up. If you are walking, walk with confidence. Don’t look like a victim. Use your ears and eyes, senses and instincts. More...

.... and then session number three

HOLMES BEACH – The third Neighborhood Watch training session focused on home security.

Bradenton Neighborhood Watch specialist Tami Spyker and HBPD Sgt. Vern McGowin talked about various types of devices that residents can install or have installed on their doors and windows to make them more secure.

“Whenever you hire someone to do the work, make sure they are licensed in the state and check them out with the Better Business Bureau or the Chamber,” Spyker advised. More...

DEP seeks corrective action on sea grapes

HOLMES BEACH – Florida Department of Environmental Protection officials have sent a letter to Jose Vivero and his attorney, Greg Hagopian, regarding sea grapes in the 4300 block of Second Avenue recently trimmed by Vivero without a permit.

Attached were a compliance inspection report and recommendations for corrective action that state that an owner can obtain an exemption from DEP for maintenance trimming of sea grapes.

“However, the exemption allows for no more than a one third reduction in height of the tree annually and no more than one third of the leaf mass removed annually,” the report continued. “Any proposed trimming beyond what the exemption allows would require a department permit. More...

Robertson disputes recall protocol

BRADENTON BEACH – After city voters recalled Mayor Bill Shearon from office last Tuesday, Commissioner Janie Robertson objected to how the voters’ edict was carried out.

At 9:48 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, the night of the recall election, City Attorney Ricinda Perry sent an e-mail to City Clerk Terri Sanclemente, Shearon, the commissioners and that department heads that explained when and why Shearon would step down.

“As you are aware, the voters have recalled Mayor Shearon from the office of mayor. Michael Bennett, the supervisor of elections, has certified the election results. Accordingly, a vacancy in the office of mayor has been created. Neither state law nor the charter provides for a holdover period for recalled officials. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the mayor, the vice mayor shall succeed to the office of mayor until the next election. More...

Cast-n-Cage closes

BRADENTON BEACH – Sunday was the last day of business for the Cast-n-Cage restaurant.

On Monday morning a handwritten sign on the door said, “We are closed, thank you for your business,” although the adjacent bait shop remained open.

This ends Roland Pena’s year- and-a-half long struggle to operate a successful business in the city-owned restaurant space located on the Historic Bridge Street Pier.

Pena and his wife, Tami, now have until Sunday to remove their possessions the restaurant, bait shop and former harbor master’s office they leased from the city, which will reclaim possession on Monday, June 1. More...

Beer dinners pair brews with entrees

Local restaurants have begun to embrace craft beer and some even host fun events like beer dinners, where each brew is paired perfectly with a signature entrée. Head brewer of Motorworks Brewing, Bob Haa, especially enjoys planning beer dinners with local chefs. Not only does he appreciate the collaborative efforts and creative processes as he works alongside the head chef(s) deciding the best pairings to offer, he also enjoys the reward of consuming the pairings on the evening of the event.

Much like being a chef, a head brewer has many different recipes that make a very wide range of styles. By using different malt, hop and yeast varieties, the color, flavor, aroma and mouth-feel possibilities are endless. Every beer falls under either the ale or lager category. This is determined by the type of yeast strain being used, which determines what temperature it will be fermented at. More...

STAR tournament offers big prizes

The first CCA Florida STAR Tournament begins May 23 and offers anglers a chance to win close to $500,000 in prizes and college scholarships. Hosted by Yamaha Motors, the tournament runs until Sept. 7. There are numerous ways for anglers to cash in during the event with only one small catch: participants must be registered for the tournament and be a member of CCA.

The main contest centers on the tagged redfish division. If you’re lucky enough to catch one of the first six tagged redfish, you could win a pick-up truck or a boat motor and trailer package powered by a Yamaha motor. Boats include a Contender 22 Sport, a Hell’s Bay Waterman or a Pathfinder 2200TRS. There will be a total of 80 tagged redfish released from Pensacola to the southern boundary of the Florida Everglades. Sarasota and Manatee waters will have a fair share of tagged redfish waiting to be caught by some fortunate angler or anglers. More...

Do you need to build an ark?

June 1 is less than a week away – the day Floridians and many of the residents along the east coast dread every year. However, since it’s a day that most of us have come to terms with, why do I feel more anxious than usual? Probably because the expected number of storms is below historical levels. Do I hear the kiss of death?

This year’s storm level prediction is well below the 30 year average standing at nine named storms, five hurricanes and one major hurricane. The 30 year average is 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes. I’m sure the meteorological science for this year’s prediction is perfect, but perfect or not, it only takes one storm to create a serious flood situation in your home.

There has been a lot written about the state of flood insurance since 2012, when the government attempted to reform the system. Since then many of what was enacted then has been rolled back in an attempt to find a less costly way for the federal government to continue subsidizing flood insurance. More...

Systematic investing: the path to financial freedom

Often when I meet someone for the first time and am asked what I do for work, what invariably follows is, “If I had money to invest ...” or “When I have money I will be sure to call you.”

I recognize they are politely diverting the feared financial sales pitch they typically receive. For those getting started, my reply is that investment success and freedom is not necessarily determined by your income, but by how much you save, how it works for you and how long you can make it grow before relying on it to produce income in retirement.

Individuals often get bogged down by the details in an attempt to create the perfect plan, all the while never actually implementing their strategy. Investors should not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. A way to avoid perfectionist thinking is to systematize and streamline the planning and investment process. More...

Youth basketball scores at the Center

The history of the Anna Maria Island Community Center is long, but from the beginning and with every twist and turn, the Island and local area kids have always been the focus and part of the mission of the institution. At its inception, the Center was known as a youth center, a place where the area children and teens could play sports and spend their free time – a place many of the Island’s adults once made their own as kids themselves. As time went on, organized sports for the kids became key to the Center’s programming, just as it is today. Like then, the youth sports programs would not be possible without the volunteer coaches and business sponsors.

Typically, the volunteer coaches are dads, whose love of the sport and love for their kids make a winning combination for the Center’s youth sports leagues. More and more, mothers, grandparents and family friends are filling these all-important shoes and sharing their time for the benefit of the community. More...

Center kids learn about shorebirds

BRADENTON BEACH – Last Tuesday’s Turtle Talk took a turn for the birds.

Anna Maria Island Community Center kids watched nesting shorebirds through a high-powered scope with Glenn Wiseman, of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.

The two groups are partnering to offer summer activities for area youth.

Last week’s event focused up close on shorebirds nesting in Bradenton Beach, including black skimmers and least terns. More...