Sunset festival a great idea

That's a great take Ed Chiles had (on creating a festival featuring the best local food, wine and crafts.) (Island Sun, June 25) I'm an artist doing these markets and they do make some people happy. I want a regular FUN sunset fest. Both the Chiles restaurants are perfect. Something free for the public, affordable to artists and a good time for all. Strolling artists, musicians, sand castle builders. A WHOLE green flash festival perfect for all types of people in times where the good times need to be bundled in together and reasonable. Bridge Street Merchants are doing a fantastic job. Anna Maria is benefiting from keeping itself real, keeping out the wall of condos and providing so many fun places to go/things to do. Now lets get that pier to hopping with some FUN and for God's sakes let some people walk their dogs on it and a designated portion of the beach. Heads in beds? Let people vacation with their pets. It's the national trend. Get on board! Pet smart is $$ paw-sitive.

Rhonda Kitchens
Cortez

Thanks to all who helped with the birds

On behalf of the FFWCC Shorebird Partnership Coordinators, we would like to announce that we have removed the roped off area off the 700 block of N.Shore Drive. We thank the residents who were so understanding, the fabulous Anna Maria city staff that helped to organize and all the beach walkers that reported in daily. It was home to one of the first snowy plover families that FWC staff had ever seen in a group. Thank you to all the kind people of Anna Maria Island!

Suzi Fox
AMITW director