Vol. 10 No. 22 - February 24, 2010

news

Halt to site plans sought

ANNA MARIA — Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus again has called for a moratorium on site plan approvals and this time he will at least get his proposal on a meeting agenda.

The freshman commissioner, who has been a vocal critic of the way the Pine Avenue business area is evolving, got his wish last week at the close of a meeting dealing with site plans and parking in the city’s ROR (residential/office/retail) district. More...

Concession bids vary widely

BRADENTON - Bids received by Manatee County for the concessions at Manatee and Coquina public beaches are as varied as their bidders.

For Manatee Public Beach, there were four – Café on the Beach/P.S. Beach Associates; Blue Wave, a division of Sunrise Sunset Concessions; United Park Services; and Loggerheads LLC at Holmes Beach. For Coquina Beach, there were three – all of the above with the exception of Café on the Beach/P.S. Beach Associates. More...

Beach search ends

ANNA MARIA – The front-end loaders have been pulled off the beach and the search for clues in the disappearance of motel owner Sabine Musil-Buehler will go in a new direction, according to investigators.

Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Investigator John Kenney brought the front end loaders to the beach several weeks ago the beach between Palm Avenue and Magnolia Avenue next to Gulf Boulevard. The beach at that location is within two blocks of where Musil-Buehler lived with her boyfriend, William Cumber, whom she had befriended while he was in prison for an arson conviction. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story Oil issue beginning to rise

Oil opponents and supporters alike will be watching the Florida Legislature beginning March 2 for an anticipated proposal to allow oil and natural gas exploration and drilling in Florida state waters.

Last year’s proposal was voted down in the last days of the session after surprising lawmakers, who responded by commissioning the Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee to review the implications of drilling. More...

Island gets top tourism billing

Anna Maria Island has top billing in the updated Manatee County tourism logo, which emphasizes the county’s island appeal.

The new logo reads: "Anna Maria Island & Longboat Key, florida’s gulf islands, and on the mainland, Bradenton & Lakewood Ranch,” revising the former logo that emphasized “florida’s gulf islands” followed by the four destinations, leading some to the mistaken conclusion that Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch are islands. More...

Pier boardwalk project gaining favor

ANNA MARIA — With four of the five city commissioners on hand at a meeting about technical drawings for the boardwalk at the city pier, it appears that some of the questions about the grant-funded project are getting answered.

“I think that everyone could see that we really can put the project there,” said City Commissioner Jo Ann Mattick, who chairs the transportation enhancement grant committee. “There were questions about whether the boardwalk would fit there, and I think with the overlay drawings, everyone could see that this could work out.” More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story Cool time at first Friday Fest

ANNA MARIA – It was a good time at the first Friday Music Festival of the season on Friday, Feb. 19. There were booths of arts and crafts, local food vendors, refreshment of all types and live music. The only thing out of character was the large number of people wearing their coats in the open-air festival.

Crowds of people started streaming in as the festival opened at 3 p.m. Island D.J. Chris Grumley introduced the first act, the Island Rockers, who immediately got the crowd’s attention. These pint-sized rock stars are the talk of the Island and their appointment book is filling fast. They have already played at the Manatee County Fair and various events on Anna Maria Island. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story County says contractor should have looked for nests

CITY ISLAND – This is the 40th year that Dr. Randall Wells, manager of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, has been hanging out with dolphins in Sarasota Bay.

But there’s another local resident who’s been at it even longer.

Nicklo, a 60-year-old female dolphin, is the oldest dolphin identified in the program, which is a collaboration between Mote and the Chicago Zoological Society. More...



feature

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryCORTEZ FEST PACKS 'EM IN

CORTEZ – The 28th Annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival drew about 25,000 visitors to the historic fishing village last weekend for food and fun.

Streets brimming with maritime art, steaming crab claws and displays of all things marine kept folks entertained, along with music, dancing and free boat tours of the “kitchen,” as Cortezians refer to their Sarasota Bay waterfront. More...

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reel time

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryWinter soon to be not-so-fond memory

It’s the third week in February and my three decades of experience angling area waters would normally tell me to start looking for snook in shallow waters on area flats. Fishers who study the trends and pay close attention to the seasonal shifts get the jump on most anglers who started targeting linesiders in late March and April. While I won’t be looking for the same scenario this year, I feel spring closing in and know that sooner than later the winter of 2009 and 2010 will be a (not so fond) memory for the record books. There has been colder winter days in this part of Florida in the past few decades, but the stretches of days where the temperatures never made it out of the 40s is historic. The unprecedented cold took its toll on snook and a host of other species that swim local waters. During the worst days in December and January I even saw dead pilchard shiners and mullet. More...



real estate

Someone's always buying

You know the expression, “if you want something done give it to a busy person,” well how about my favorite saying, “if you want to sell something, market to the people with the money.” Even in this economy there are plenty of people with money, and if you were paying attention towards the beginning of the year you know who they are. More...



business

Anna Maria Island Sun News StorySalon Salon introduces beachy chic

The words stylish, smart and elegant don’t always come to mind when you think about businesses on the beach. On an island framed by beaches, we’ve become accustomed to a casual beachy style, but there’s a new business in town that thinks beachy can be more, in fact they think it can be beachy chic.

Salon Salon of AMI is a new salon and spa on Anna Maria Island which opened in November of last year in Holmes Beach. Annie Petitt and her daughter Nikita Fosmore have designed a spa and salon which is so posh Fryou’ll think you’re on Fifth Avenue rather than East Bay Drive. The cool elegant motif has just a hint of the beach with its sandy color floor, pale tinted walls and wicker furniture all reflected in the mirrors and understated lighting. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

Correction creates nervousness

Investment Corner

The most significant correction for the financial markets since the new bull market began last March has taken place over the last few weeks. Investor sentiment studies have revealed a significant shift from optimism to pessimism during the short period of time, indicating the large declines of 2008 and early 2009 are still fresh in their minds. More...



SPORTS

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story Dearlove helps BCS team to state Final Four

To be the starting freshman point guard on a varsity basketball team competing in the Final Four Tournament is no easy task, but Island teen Hailey Dearlove is up for the challenge. Dearlove, a freshman at Bradenton Christian School, has played an integral part in the Panthers’ successful 27-3 season. Most recently on Feb. 20, the team rallied from a 14-point deficit to defeat Agape Christian School 57-55. More...

Regular season nears end as teams prepare for playoffs

One more week of regular season games remain for the Premier and Adult Divisions, while the two younger age groups are preparing for the playoffs to start in the first week of March. At this point in time, it appears that the team’s heading into the playoffs in first place for each division are the Tortilla Bay Dolphins, Ross Built Raiders, Tapes Tennis Titans and Raiders. In the 10-12 and Adult League’s only the top four teams with the best records will advance into the playoffs. For up-to-date stats, standings and schedules you can visit the Community Center’s website at www.islandcommunitycenter.com. More...

 

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