Egg scramble nets kids sweet treats

A huge crowd of children took part in the annual Easter Egg Hunt behind the Sandbar restaurant, sponsored by The Anna Maria Island Sun. There was a glich this year when a false start resulted in all the age groups hitting the sand at the same time instead of the usual orderly process by age group.

Following that, many kids and their families went to Pine Avenue to participate in an egg roll and check out the shops and goodies there. More...

E-mail case widens

ANNA MARIA — A former city commissioner and four private citizens are now the target of an expanding public records search.

The request was made by legal consultant Michael Barfield, who has been working to obtain all the e-mails dealing with city business that sitting Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus sent from his home computers. More...

Island's season not over 'till it's over

The sun has set on Easter, the traditional end of Anna Maria Island’s heaviest tourist season, but its early April arrival and the sudden advent of spring weather are making visitors linger longer.

After an unusually long, cold winter, Easter week ushered in the first spring weather of 2010, with traffic backed up to 75th Street in Bradenton from the Manatee public beach every day from Thursday through Sunday. Regions Bank near the beach had to post workers outside to keep beachgoers from monopolizing their parking lot, and on Easter Sunday, the empty Publix parking lot was annexed by beachgoers. More...

Paradise Cafe gets 8 weeks to move

HOLMES BEACH – Jackie Estes, owner of Paradise Café in the Anna Maria Island Centre, said she’s been given eight weeks to relocate to make way for a move by Walgreens Drug Store.

The move is part of a plan by officials of Benderson Development to relocate Walgreens from the north end of the shopping center on East Bay Drive into the former Shell’s storefront at the south end of the center. More...

Compromise drilling proposal remains unpopular

Community leaders are largely opposed to President Barack Obama’s plan to expand oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

The federal plan, announced this week, would allow drilling in the eastern Gulf, 125 miles from Florida’s west coast. Current regulations prohibit drilling within 230 miles of Tampa Bay, an area used for military training exercises. More...

Real Florida Festival coincides with Founder’s Day

HOLMES BEACH – The beginning of the three-day Real Florida Festival is also Founder’s Day in the Island’s largest city, so the two celebrations will be held together.

The city of Holmes Beach is celebrating its 60th anniversary on Friday, April 16., at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive. Here’s a look at the schedule. More...

County puts hold on business tax

BRADENTON – Putting unrest to rest, Manatee County Commissioners agreed last week on a one-time grant to the Manatee Chamber’s Economic Development Council for its recruitment effort to encourage businesses to relocate to the county.

The $400,000 grant will be added to the $196,000 budgeted for the EDC, which was to be approved at the meeting. Commissioner Carol Whitmore had the item pulled from the consent agenda for discussion. More...

Stoltzfus says he’s done - again

ANNA MARIA — City Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus has announced again that he’s produced all the records on his home computers that are subject to the public records laws.

This is the fourth time he has said he was finished.

“This is it,” Stoltzfus said in e-mail to City Clerk Alice Baird, when he produced his first batch of records on March 19 in response to a public records request from legal consultant Michael Barfield. More...

Bike team offers first aid at local events

You see them at festivals and at holiday parades and gatherings gliding smoothly through the crowd on their bikes dispensing first aid and offering help.

They are the West Manatee Fire Rescue Bike Team with eight fully equipped bicycles and nine members, who are specially trained to ride in crowds. Typical medical emergencies they encounter are heat related problems, falls, exhaustion and basic first aid. More...

Author writes books for grandchildren

Kathleen Geist-Eskew is the KJ Wihelm who is writing the Grandma Coo Coo Nutts series.

“I have eight grandchildren, so I want to do a book for each child,” Kathleen said. “The first is dedicated to Max Geist, my oldest grandchild who’s now in college.

The stories began when Max was a little boy. More...

Three friends reunite on Island

BRADENTON BEACH – Three women whose lives have spanned two continents gathered together on Anna Maria Island recently to reminisce about where they were and where their paths have taken them.

Born in Ipswich, England, about 70 miles northeast of London, Jean Rowe, Heather Hazelton and Eileen Suhre remember living in the route German bombers and rockets took to London in World War II. It was a time when the reminders of war were everywhere. More...

Island Gallery West celebrates 20 years

HOLMES BEACH - Island Gallery West is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month with a free, public party on Saturday, April 17 from 2 to 6 p.m., featuring complimentary refreshments, live music by the SR 64 band, and a 20 percent gallery-wide discount.

The first 20 party attendees to purchase more than $20 of Island Gallery West art will receive $20 worth of Beach Bistro Bucks coupons from Beach Bistro, the renowned Zagat-rated and award-winning Holmes Beach restaurant. More...

Sheepshead provide a challenge to anglers

Sheepshead may not be at the top of most anglers' catch lists, but maybe they should. These feisty game fish are plentiful during the winter and early spring when other species may be hard to find. They fight hard, are challenging to hook and make a great meal. Recently, I happened upon a group of anglers on a north Longboat Key dock and stopped to inquire about the fishing.

The report I got from Andrew Moriarty, who was fishing the dock with his dad Jim and brother Luke, was encouraging. The trio of anglers hails from Poughkeepsie, N.Y. They travel to Longboat Key to visit "Nana" Kip O'Neil, who lives in the Longbeach Village. More...

Programs help struggling homeowners

Talk about being conflicted. I have never before in my adult financial life had both sides of my brain in a continuing battle. One side is asking me, "Why are we giving so much financial help to homeowners in trouble?" while the other side is slapping me around saying, “What’s wrong with you? It’s the only way to get out of this.” It looks like the federal government’s brain is also having the same conflict because at the end of March it unveiled another plan to help struggling homeowners. More...

Currency exchange rates impact investors

In recent years, the consensus among individual investors has been to increase the portion of their investment portfolio held in international investments. In fact, over the last decade, this has generally been a profitable decision. It is well known that the last 10 years has been tough for investors in stocks, particularly in the 2008 to early 2009 period. More...

High golfing in high season

The weather is perfect for a few rounds of golf and the action has been heavy at Key Royale Club.

Ernie Hauser and Bob Landgren took first place in the men’s weekly 9-hole tournament on Monday, March 22, with a low-net-of-partners score of 56. Carl Winkler and Jim Dunne came in second with a score of 60. There was a tie for third place between Frank Vikingstad and Omer Trolard and Carl Voyles and a proxy with scores of 63. Matt Behan and Charlie Knopp took fourth place with a score of 64, and fifth place was a tie at 65 between the teams of Mike Conlan and Austin Rice and Russ Olson and Chuck Hutton. More...

Players leaving horseshoe pits

It was Saturday, April 3, and the snowbirds are departing. That meant only two teams waiting for the horseshoe games in Anna Maria. It will continue to cut the waiting times for the teams.

Four teams qualified with three wins and no losses. In the preliminary, Karl Thomas and Gene Bobeldyk destroyed Sam Samuels and Jay Disbrow 21 to four, and John Crawford and Dave Lansaw eked by Debbie Rhodes and Ron Gagnon 23 to 19. More...

Events are free unless otherwise indicated..

Wednesday, April 7

Lecture on “What horrors befell some residents of Macon County, Ala.? The dirty truth of medical ethics,” by Dr. Samuel Gross, Island Community Center, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria, 11 a.m.

Friday, April 9

Opening reception for Linda Schmid, Island Gallery West, 5368 Gulf Drive in S & S Shopping Plaza, Holmes Beach, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Opening reception for “Artists Gone Wild,” Anna Maria Island Art League, 5312 Holmes Blvd., Holmes Beach, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Opening reception for Karen deLeon Stuart, Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island, 5413 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 10

Privateers’ Thieves’ Market, Coquina Beach parking lot in Bradenton Beach, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Bridge Street Market, 107 Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sidewalk sale, Artist’s Guild Gallery, 5414 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Arts and Crafts Festival to benefit the Holmes Beach Butterfly Park, Holmes Beach City Hall field, 5801 Marina Drive, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

De Soto Bottle Boat Regatta, Palma Sola Causeway, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Debra Ridgedill will present a demonstration of burnishing (polishing clay), Island Gallery West, 5368 Gulf Drive in S & S Shopping Plaza, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to noon.

Village of the Arts Brunch and Fashion Show, Bits and Pieces Gallery, 1303 13th Ave. W., Bradenton, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., $20.

Sunday, April 11

Arts and Crafts Festival to benefit the Holmes Beach Butterfly Park, Holmes Beach City Hall field, 5801 Marina Drive, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Wednesday, April 14

Einstein Circle discussion on “Immigration: We know we have problems. What should we do?” The Studio at Gulf and Pine, 10101 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration is required by calling 359-4296.

Thursday, April 15

Phillip Karp will demonstrate plique-a-jour enameling, or miniature stained glass, Artist's Guild Gallery, 5414 Marina Drive in Holmes Beach, 1 to 2 p.m.

Friday, April 16

Holmes Beach Founder’s Day celebration, city hall, 5801 Marina Drive, 9 a.m.

Holmes Beach Founder’s Day and Real Florida Festival arts and crafts fair, city hall field, 5801 Marina Drive, 5 to 10 p.m.

Real Florida Festival Island Idol karaoke finals, Holmes Beach City Hall field, 5801 Marina Drive, 5 to 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 17

Holmes Beach Founder’s Day and Real Florida Festival skate contest, Holmes Beach Skate Park, 5801 Marina Drive, 8:30 a.m.

Holmes Beach Founder’s Day and Real Florida Festival arts and crafts fair, city hall field, 5801 Marina Drive, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Bridge Street Market, 107 Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Real Florida Festival Parrothead Dance, Island Community Center, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria, 6 to 10 p.m., $10.

Twentieth anniversary party with refreshments and music, Island Gallery West, 5368 Gulf Drive in S & S Shopping Plaza, Holmes Beach, 2 to 6 p.m.

Sunday, April 18

Real Florida Festival, Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Wednesday, April 21

Lecture on “Watson, Crick, Wilkins: The Story of DNA,” by Joe Kerata, The Studio at Gulf and Pine, 10101 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, 11a.m.

Thursday, April 22

Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Training, Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 marina Drive, 6 30 to 8 p.m.

Saturday, April 24

Bridge Street Market, 107 Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Re-enactment of DeSoto’s landing, DeSoto National Memorial, end of 75th Street, Bradenton, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

DeSoto Grand Parade, west on Ninth Avenue, north along 39th Street West to Manatee Avenue then east toward downtown Bradenton to Ninth Street West.

DeSoto after parade party, Bradenton Municipal Auditorium, 1005 Barcarrota Blvd., $30 in advance or $35 at the door.