Vol. 10 No. 22 - March 10, 2010
news
Heritage Fest
delights all ages
ANNA MARIA – Hundreds of visitors took advantage of the first bright, sunny day in weeks on Saturday to enjoy the Historical Society’s annual Heritage Day Festival.
“We had fabulous weather and an overwhelming crowd,” AMIHS Director Betty Yanger said. “We are ecstatic.”
Visitors roamed the grounds of the museum complex to visit booths featuring artwork, woodcarvings, antiques and collectibles and jewelry. More...
Moratorium meeting set for Thursday
ANNA MARIA — The city is another step closer to imposing a moratorium on new mixed-use construction.
At a meeting last week, three members of the City Commission said they’d be in favor of imposing such a moratorium to buy some time to revise the parking regulations in the residential/office/retail district, which runs the length of Pine Avenue and includes a few blocks of Gulf Drive south of Pine. More...
Green's the color at this weekend's parade
The Beach Bistro’s 14th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the largest one south of Savannah returns on Sunday March 14, at 4 p.m. in Holmes Beach.
The parade will proceed from the former Tidemark property at 54th Street and Marina Drive north along Marina and Palm Drives to 79th Street in Holmes Beach. It will feature high school bands, three pipe bands and players from the Pittsburg Pirates – an associate sponsor of the Parade. More...
No solutions for Pine Avenue parking problems
ANNA MARIA — How cars should park in the city’s residential/office retail district has been a topic of contentious conversation since last November.
The city’s Planning and Zoning Board and the City Commission met for the fourth time on March 4 to seek solutions to the present situation, which has cars entering and exiting parking spaces across the sidewalk. More...
Springfest this weekend
Celebrate Spring this weekend at the Anna Maria Island Art League’s 22nd Annual Springfest: Fine Arts and Fine Crafts Festival at the Holmes Beach City Hall park.
The two-day outdoor festival will feature original artwork by local, regional and national artists, including paintings, glass, jewelry, pottery, sculpture, fiber arts, photography, wood and more. More...
Live blue; love the ocean
CITY ISLAND – Now that the world is focused on living green, it’s time to expand that vision into living blue.
That’s the message in the blue marbles that Dr. Wallace J. Nichols passed out to the audience who came to hear him speak on the oceans last week at Mote Marine Laboratory.
“When the time is right, give it to someone and tell them what you love about the ocean,” he told them. More...
Bootleg hits the Florida trail
They came close to their first national tour, but it wasn’t in the cards yet, so they’re going to hit the Florida trail during spring break to reconnect with their fans.
Bootleg, a favorite Island band, played at the first Friday Music Festival in Anna Maria on Feb. 19. The word at that time was they were going to tour the West and along the East Coast of the nation after the festival – one of those tours that would make it or break it for a band trying to break into the big time – but they had to turn it down, according to band manager Robin Tingen. More...
FISH nets $80,000 for preserve
CORTEZ – The 28th annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival netted about $80,000 in February, money that will fund restoration and expansion efforts in the FISH Preserve.
The annual festival, organized by community volunteers, has funded the acquisition, piece by piece, of the 95-acre preserve that provides a buffer between the fishing village and development to the east.
feature
South American tango
Surviving a major weather event while cruising through the most dangerous waters in the world may not be for everyone, but it does make for some interesting cocktail party conversation. Throw in a historic earthquake and accompanying tsunami and you’ve got your basic two week vacation, or at least mine.
My husband and I left in early February for what is known in the travel industry as a “around the horn cruise.” After sightseeing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for a few days, including Evita’s balcony and her final resting place at the famous Cementerio Del Norte Cemetery, we set sail. More...
reel time
Sharpen your saw for spring boating and fishing
Winter continues to keep a virtual stranglehold on local waters, but there’s still a lot of fishing to be done. I’ve always liked the old adage, “When it’s slow you sharpen your tools.” Anglers have a chance to do that at the upcoming event being held at Cannons Marina on Longboat Key.
Cannons Annual Open House will be held on Saturday March 27. Here’s an opportunity to get valuable information on fishing, boating and the weather that affects our favorite sport. Boaters, fishermen and all who love the outdoors will find the event fun and informative. More...
real estate
Is there a new real estate morality?
Remember when principles and ethics really meant something? When bank tellers would assume an overage would be returned to them and you could be pretty sure your lost wallet would be returned with the cash inside. Fortunately, most people still believe in principles of right and wrong behavior, but for some it’s a slippery slope, and its becoming too easy to justify marginal behavior. More...
business
Grab a beer and a bite at Slim's
There’s a new place in town and it belongs to Slim. Chances are you won’t see much of Slim around, but he wants everyone to come in anyway and see his place. It’s relaxed, it’s fun, Slim has arranged for live entertainment and an outrageous chef, and you can get a cold one on tap.
Slim’s Place opened in November last year on Gulf Drive in the heart of the city of Anna Maria. Owners, Laurie and Rich Shahinian’s vision was to create a friendly gathering place for people of all ages who want to have good time. More...
There’s an investment lesson in Toyota’s problems
Investment CornerInterpreting investment trends and indicators is rarely an exact science. It strikes me, and I’ve written about this many times, that most investment decision processes break down when the decision maker gains confidence that recent trends will continue far into the future and he/she begins to concentrate his/her portfolio into those areas that have had the most recent success. More...
SPORTS
Champions crowned as upsets abound
One of the best aspects of sport competition on any level is that there is no definitive outcome, any team can win or lose on any given day. This fact remained true in our own little world during the flag football playoffs at the Community Center this past week, as things proved to not always turn out as most people expected. All three Super Bowl games turned out to be very one-sided and some of the top seeds didn’t advance past the first round of the playoffs. This, however, provided for an exciting finish to another successful season of flag football that has come to an end. Congratulations to this year’s Super Bowl Champions – the Sparks Steel Art Eagles, the Ross Built Raiders, the Tapes Tennis Titans and the Adult co-champs Bengals and Titans. More...
WEEKLY CALENDER
Events are free unless otherwise indicated..
Wednesday, March 10
Lecture on “Biomimetrics – How Nature Influences and Inspires Human Inventions” with Jim Vartulie, Community Center, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria, 11 a.m. Registration required by calling 359-4296.
Thursday, March 11
Mote Marine biologist Kim Bassos-Hull will speak about dolphins, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10:30 a.m.
Friday, March 12
“Cupid, Cosmos, Cinema,” live music by by Straight Up at 5 p.m., followed by outdoor movie, “An Affair to Remember,” at 7 p.m., Village of the Arts, between 9th and 16th avenues and 9th and 14th streets, Bradenton.
Saturday, March 13
Privateers’ Thieves’ Market, Coquina Beach parking lot in Bradenton Beach, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Master Gardener tour, DeSoto National Memorial and Riverview Pointe Preserve, end of 75th Street, Bradenton, 9 to 11 a.m. Call 941-722-4524 to reserve.
Dog activities, information and demonstrations, DeSoto National Memorial, end of 75th Street, Bradenton, 10 a.m to 3 p.m.
Tingley Memorial Library's Annual Book Sale, 111 2nd St. N., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Anna Maria Island Art League’s Springfest: Fine Arts and Fine Crafts Festival, Holmes Beach City Hall park, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Shirley Dean will demonstrate the use of acrylics as watercolors, Island Gallery West, 5368 Gulf Drive in S & S Shopping Plaza, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to noon.
Naturalist led wagon tours of Robinson Preserve, 99th Street N.W. and 17th Avenue N.W., Bradenton, 2 and 3:30 p.m. Call 941-742-5757, ext. 1, to reserve.
Sunday, March 14
Master Gardener tour, Robinson Preserve, 99th Street N.W. and 17th Avenue N.W., Bradenton, 9 to 11 a.m. Call 941-722-4524 to reserve.
Anna Maria Island Art League’s Springfest: Fine Arts and Fine Crafts Festival, Holmes Beach City Hall park, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
St. Paddy’s Day parade, Mainsail Lodge at Gulf and Marina drives to 81st Street, Holmes Beach, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, March 16
Pooch party dog walk, Robinson Preserve, 99th Street N.W. and 17th Avenue N.W., Bradenton, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Call 941-742-5757, ext. 8, to reserve.
Island Players performance of “Catch Me If You Can” to benefit the American Cancer Society, Island Players Theater, 10009 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, $15.
Wednesday, March 17
Einstein Circle discussion on “The nation is polarized. How can we find common ground?” The Studio at Gulf and Pine, 10101 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria,11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration required by calling 359-4296.
Friday, March 19
Floor Cloths with Deeana Atkinson, AMI Art League, 5312 Holmes Blvd., Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., $68 members and $78 non-members.
Saturday, March 20
Community Center’s Tour of Homes, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Anne Abgott will demonstrate watercolor painting techniques, Island Gallery West, 5368 Gulf Drive in S & S Shopping Plaza, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to noon.
Sunday, March 21
AMICCO concert, "An Invitation to the Opera,” CrossPointe Fellowship Church, 8605 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m., $20.
Wednesday, March 24
Learn about Florida edible plants and preparation, age 16 and older, Robinson Preserve, 99th Street N.W. and 17th Avenue N.W., Bradenton, 6 and 8 p.m. Reservations required by calling 941-742-5757, ext. 5.
