Riders rip at 2009 Skim Bash

BRADENTON BEACH – Skimboarders shredded the shallows under sunny skies at Sunday’s Skim Bash.

Families and friends pitched tents and cheered on about 80 skimboarders ranging from beginners to masters who competed in the clear green Gulf behind the BeachHouse restaurant. More...

Trolley donations lagging

The donation boxes on the Island trolleys are filling slowly, but that’s not bad considering the time of year.

“I was down at (Manatee County Area Transit) MCAT recently and they have collected about $500 so far,” said David Teitelbaum, the Island businessman who convinced everybody to try giving people a way to donate money to keep the trolley service free. “You have to remember, though, that this is the slowest time of the year, and we don’t have many tourists here.” More...

Little anglers have big fun at contest

BRADENTON BEACH – The sunshine brought out the kids and the taste of shrimp brought out the fish last Saturday at the second annual Kids Fishing Contest at Bridge Street Pier.

When it was all over, the fish were back in the water and the kids were sporting big smiles. More...

Bayfest to offer homegrown music

ANNA MARIA – Bayfest, generally known as the first festival of the season, is a chance for everyone to shake off the summer doldrums and celebrate the upcoming activities.

It’s also a chance for area musicians to strut their stuff in front of the locals.

This year’s Bayfest features a Friday evening of music, food, drink and fun plus a full day of celebration on Saturday. More...

Director roles evolving at Community Center

BRADENTON – Island governments, neighborhoods, organizations ANNA MARIA – Community Center Executive Director Pierrette Kelly told board members that the roles for her and Assistant Director Scott Dell are evolving due to the economic times.

“I asked Scott to step up his role,” she explained. “He’ll be reporting on faculty and programs, and I’ll be working on a development plan.” More...

A clean sweep of beaches

More than 300 volunteers came out Saturday for the Florida Coastal Cleanup, scouring area beaches for trash and debris. More...

Cortez shrimper was lifelong fisherman

CORTEZ – One of the handful of commercial shrimpers remaining in Cortez has died at age 73.

Frank Tupin was a sturdy, soft-spoken man with a twinkle in his eye from watching decades of Florida sunshine glinting off the water.

The lifelong Cortez fisherman and shrimper always wanted a son to fish with, and got four daughters instead. More...

Perfect Health series balances mind, body and spirit

ANNA MARIA – Bring your life in balance with Joan Dickinson’s Perfect Health series that will be offered at The Studio at Gulf and Pine in Anna Maria.

"If you can balance yourself in mind, body and spirit, you can improve your health," Dickinson said. "The basic goal of the series is to improve your lifestyle." More...

New teacher meets kids, parents

HOLMES BEACH – Laura Redeker spent last week settling into her new classroom at Anna Maria Elementary School.

To the former Island resident who attended middle and high school by crossing the bridge to the mainland every day, it was like a homecoming as she prepared to meet the parents of her new classroom of kindergartners. More...

Fast fall action is here

Anglers get a glimpse of the changing season when schools of predatory fish begin to gather around the local passes as fall approaches. The weather might be saying summer, but fall is definitely in the air and out on the local waters. Last week, I had the pleasure of experiencing some fast and furious action with my friend and Sarasota guide Captain Rick Grassett.

We launched Grassett’s 18 foot Action Craft flats boat at the Kingfish Ramp on Manatee Avenue about 10 in the morning and headed north in the general direction of the Tampa Bay ship channel. The tide was just starting to come in when we first surveyed the waters. More...

Going green increases efficiency

If you’re thinking that living green is a concept that just hatched in the last decade, think again. Thomas Edison, the father of just about our entire way of modern life, had a serious leg up on conserving energy and using renewable energies. Despite of the fact that he may be largely responsible for our current level of energy consumption, in the early 1900s Edison was already considering alternatives to fossil fuels, which he recognized wouldn’t last forever. More...

Feel better? Time to be cautious

I am an optimist by nature. Some of my clients even call me Pollyanna (just kidding). As I write this article, barring a correction of about 5 percent or more before the end of September, it appears the stock market will have moved upward for seven months in a row. More...

Sandbar, Ross Built remain undefeated in Center soccer

Although the weather cooled down around the Island this past week, it was a much different story at the Community Center’s soccer fields, where some heated action and spectacular games were going on. We saw three players have outstanding games as they scored four goals to ultimately lead their teams to victory There also were a few great defensive shutouts and even a couple other players earning hat tricks. More...