Vol. 15 No. 51 - October 21, 2015

news

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryMystery Solved Cumber Confesses to Murder

HOLMES BEACH – A plea bargain in an eight-year-old murder brought law enforcement officers to the beach at 81st Street to dig for the victim’s remains Thursday. That evening, they found one of Sabine Musil-Buehler’s Converse tennis shoes she was reportedly wearing when she disappeared. They secured the site for the night and the next morning, they found her skeletal remains, ending a bizarre mystery that baffled detectives and friends of the victim for years.

During a pre-trial hearing for William Cumber, who faced second-degree murder charges in the disappearance of Musil-Buehler eight years ago, Cumber confessed to murdering the German citizen and Island businesswoman with whom he was involved. She was last seen by many at a Halloween party at Haley’s Motel in Holmes Beach, which she owned with her estranged husband, Tom Buehler. More...

Commissioner wants to crack down on red tag violators

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioner Carol Soustek proposed a policy at last week’s City Commission meeting to suspend the licenses of a repeat red tag violators.

Soustek said she had obtained a list of red tag violations for 2015 from the building department and “it looked to me like there were willful violations by one party. I looked to see if we have a policy on what to do if you have red tags. I couldn’t find that if you exceed a certain number we do something. I think we need that.”

She proposed that on the second violation, the city shall suspend the contractor’s license and a notice of the violation be sent to the Florida Department of Business and Professional (DBPR) regulation. The license shall remain suspended until the city receives a response from the DBPR. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryMayoral candidates discuss campaigns

BRADENTON BEACH – In last week’s Sun, Mayor Jack Clarke and former Mayor Bill Shearon shared their views on vacation rental regulations, building moratoriums, the administrative department, the city budget and the anchorage.

This week, the mayoral candidates discuss additional elements of their campaign platforms.

On Tuesday, Nov. 3, city voters will determine who serves as the Bradenton Beach mayor for the next two years. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story Waterline project breaks ground

HOLMES BEACH –Excitement was in the air as officials, development partners and employees and residents gathered to break ground on the Island’s first full service hotel, Waterline, located near the intersection of Marina and Gulf drives.

The hotel, being developed by Mainsail Lodging and Development, of Tampa, and has been six years in the making. A project was first proposed for the property in 2001, and it has been through two other developers and several incarnations.

This prompted Joe Collier , president of Mainsail, to liken it to the “Field of Dreams” with all the previous developers walking through the field of rebar, eliciting a laugh from the crowd. More...

Residents defend back yard weddings

HOLMES BEACH – Robert and Liz Lang, of 5601 Flotilla Drive, objected to recent concerns expressed by City Commissioners regarding weddings in residential rental properties being a commercial use in a residential area.

“This is the old saying of ‘shoot first and ask questions later.’ If weddings are banned at private homes, what follows – birthday parties, graduation parties, confirmation celebrations or how about a 70th birthday party for family and friends? Robert Lang asked.

He said he and his wife follow all the city, state and county regulations for rentals and have the proper licenses, and their rental can sleep 16 people and provides 18 parking spaces. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story Bridge Street development approved

BRADENTON BEACH – Jake Spooner’s latest Bridge Street development got the green light last week.

The City Commission unanimously approved the major development application and special exception request for off-site parking Spooner presented at the Thursday, Oct. 15 commission meeting and the Oct. 14 Planning and Zoning Board meeting.

The 36-year-old Spooner owns Bridge Street Bazaar, The Fish Hole adventure golf course and the vacant lot next door used for parking and the seasonal Sunday markets hosted by the Bridge Street Merchants.

When built on the vacant lot, the two-story building will feature 5,340 square feet of ground level retail space Spooner will use to expand his Bridge Street Bazaar operations. The second floor will be leased as a 250-seat restaurant space that offers indoor and outdoor dining; which Spooner said has already generated interest from potential tenants. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryAnchorage resident found dead

BRADENTON BEACH – Anchorage resident John Deal, 58, was found dead Wednesday morning, Oct. 14, aboard the sailboat he owned and lived on for many years.

Known around the Historic Bridge Street Pier and the adjacent anchorage area as “Captain John,” Deal was described by those who knew him a private man who sought little interaction with others.

“He was a grumpy old man, but I liked him,” said anchorage resident Robert Randall. “I saw him about a week ago, and he was looking very gray.”

Randall said Deal lived a hermit-like existence and was thought to be a writer. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryCumber details Musil-Buehler’s killing

BRADENTON – After confessing to murdering Sabine Musil-Buehler last Thursday, William Cumber sat down with State Attorney Arthur Brown and Public Defender Franklin Roberts to record what happened on Nov. 4, 2008, they night she was murdered.

Cumber said he was in the bedroom watching the election results, and she was in the living room of the home they rented at 208 Magnolia, Apt. B, in Anna Maria, watching another show. He went out to smoke a cigarette and when he returned, she smelled the smoke. He said she was wearing only her underwear at that time

Cumber said she got dressed and came into the front room wearing clothes.

“She said she was through with the relationship,” Cumber said. More...



features

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryBayfest kicks off 'festival season'

The Chamber of Commerce could not have drawn up a more perfect setting than the one greeting those attending this year's Bayfest celebration, held Saturday on Pine Avenue in Anna Maria. A true family friendly event, Bayfest was held under clear blue October skies and offered up fabulous selections from local restaurants, bands and artists. Estimates put attendance somewhere north of 10,000, but that probably was a little on the low side. Even with the crowds, a few geographic tweaks with some vendors and the music stage made the event seem less jammed up down at the bayside end of Pine. Next up for the "festival season" will be The Sun's Canine Halloween Costume Contest this Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m. in Island Sun Plaza, 9801 Gulf Drive in Anna Maria. See you there! More...



OUTDOORS

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryThe lure of reds

Redfish are a favorite target for local anglers, and fall and early winter is a great time to target this versatile gamefish. Redfish are a sort of everyman’s fish because they can be targeted on a variety of tackle throughout local waters. They’re challenging, put up a good scrap and take readily to live bait, lures and flies.

Anglers who fish the flats can find reds in channels adjacent to structure like docks, jetties and grass flats. The flats are one of the best areas to find redfish. During high tides, reds will congregate near the mangroves that line the shore. As the tide begins to fall, they work the edges of the roots searching for minnows, crabs and other crustaceans. Redfish move in and out with the tide following the contours of channels, slues and potholes that funnel water on and off the flats. More...



real estate

Lifestyle vs. value

There are fewer challenges to a marriage than the topic of home renovations. What will it cost? Is it a do it yourself job? Who do you hire? and the really significant question, “Why? It looks fine to me.” If this sounds familiar, there is some ammunition you can stock up on before the conversation starts.

The age old question of how much will an improvement add to the value of your home is probably the wrong place to start when considering upgrades, since frequently renovations don’t add as much value as most homeowners think. A better question is how does this improve your lifestyle for the number of years you plan on living in the home, rather than using a renovation as an investment strategy.

However, there are improvements that do tick a few boxes when it comes to improving value, and they’re not always really big ones. For instance, according to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value study, changing the entry door has a 96 percent cost to value ratio for a relatively small investment. More...



business

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

A new tool for parents of children with special needs

Investment Corner

Twenty-five years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law, guaranteeing disabled Americans – people with mental, physical, or emotional disabilities – equal opportunity in employment, transportation, government service and public accommodations. The most recent statistics show about one-in-four Americans has a disability. Many are children with special needs.

The vehicle is not available yet, but the new 529 Able Accounts are anticipated to make their debut in 2016. The federal government has authorized states to create 529 Able Accounts – tax-advantaged accounts for disabled individuals. So far, 40 states and the District of Columbia have either passed laws making the accounts possible or have legislation pending. These accounts are similar in structure to the 529 college savings accounts which have been in existence for more than 10 years. More...



SPORTS

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryLearning one game at a time: Center instructional leagues mold little players

With cooler wind in the air, the fans of the littlest soccer players gathered at the Center Friday night to watch the three-to five-year-old instructional league in action on the small field. Coaches David Zaccagnino and Jon Coleman take the field with their players teaching and encouraging every kick of the game.

Playing four-on-four on a smaller pitch, Brady Thompson, for Team Air & Energy, scored the first goal of the game with the support of his teammates. While the instructional league does not officially keep score, achievements are met with attaboys, and high fives are frequent occurrences. More...


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