Sunday morning WIPEOUT

HOLMES BEACH - Residents on the northern half of Anna Maria Island were greeted with a rude awakening Sunday morning - no water to make coffee and none for bathing. Worse still, some also were without power.

The cause? A 3 a.m. accident in which a Holmes Beach motorist ran over a fire hydrant and hit a power pole at 73rd Street and Gulf Drive. More...

Officials cleared in Sunshine inquiry

HOLMES BEACH – The Holmes Beach Police Department has closed its investigation of alleged Sunshine Law violations against Manatee County Commissioners Carol Whitmore and John Chappie and Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker, calling the accusations “unfounded.”

In a press release, Chief Jay Romine said the investigation was closed for lack of evidence after all parties gave sworn statements about a Sept. 15 gathering at the Beach Bistro on Anna Maria Island. More...

New film studio may benefit AMI

A new film studio in Sarasota County could mean business for Anna Maria Island, said Debbie Meihls, executive manager of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).

Sanborn Studios, with offices in Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport, is now hiring, and is planning to begin production next month on the pilot of a television series, ‘Miami 24/7.’ More...

Boogie to Bootleg at Bayfest

ANNA MARIA – Get ready to rock and roll at Bayfest on Friday, Oct. 15 and Saturday, Oct. 16 with a lineup of bands to appeal to every musical taste.

On Friday, the kickoff party will be held in the lot at the corner of Pine Avenue and North Bay Boulevard with DJ Mike Sales, the Dr. Dave Band from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and Bootleg from 8 to 10 p.m. More...

Two candidates vie for each fire commission seat

An extensive investigation and mobile surveillance by Holmes Beach Police has yielded an arrest and confession rn several burglaries on Anna Ma of Holmes Beach, was arrested, and after being read his Miranda rights, confessed to the burglaries. He also took Det. Mike Leonard to the locations of the break-ins on the north end of Holmes Beach and in Key Royale. More...

Board approves Walgreen’s site plan

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners approved a site plan for a stand-alone Walgreen’s Drug Store to be built at the south end of the Anna Maria Island Center on East Bay Drive.

The approval came with stipulations regarding the number of parking spaces and the installation of a sidewalk and a crosswalk on the Gulf Drive side and a buffer in the rear. More...

Recall appeal deadline this week

ANNA MARIA — Closure on the story of former City Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus’ recall may or may not come this week.

The Second District Court of Appeal ordered Stoltzfus to show cause within 20 days as to why his appeal of Circuit Judge Edward Nicholas’ decision to let the recall election go forward should be heard. Those 20 days end Oct 6. More...

Pier centennial pendant ready for Bayfest

ANNA MARIA — The centennial celebration for the Anna Maria city pier won’t take place until next May, but for months now a committee has been working on creating a memorable event.

Early on, the committee wanted to commission a commemorative piece of jewelry, and they’ve adopted a pendant created by jeweler Wendy Thurlow. More...

Robinson blueway detours for eagles

Bald eagles have landed at Robinson Preserve, and a portion of the paddle trail will be closed to insure the feathered family is not disturbed.

Paddlers will be detoured around the eagle’s nest until the eaglets have fledged, or left the nest, sometime in Spring 2011.

Paddlers still can launch from within the preserve and enjoy paddling throughout. More...

Kids' Fair had something fun for everyone

HOLMES BEACH – Kids and their parents flocked to the campus of CrossPointe Fellowship to partake in the church’s first Kids' Fair Saturday.

In the sanctuary, Kurt and Nancy Lathrop provided one of the most popular programs about Lucky the arson dog. Kurt is Lucky’s handler for West Manatee Fire & Rescue. More...

Spanish mackerel hot on top

Spanish mackerel are staged off Anna Maria, enticed to local waters by the fall migration of baitfish. Live bait, spoons, plugs, jigs and flies are all effective on mackerel. I love targeting mackerel on top water lures and flies. I use poppers like the Gartside Gurgler when I fly fish (www.jackgartside.com), and top water plugs like the Chug Bug when spin fishing. For the fly rod angler, a light 6-8 weight outfit and the small white foam poppers are a perfect match. Attach a small 6-8 inch trace of light wire to a 30-pound butt section of leader using an Albright special. An alternative method is to tie flies on long shank hooks. Light spinning tackle is also effective. Try the same light wire leader with plugs, or, if you prefer, use a small white buck tail jigs or silver diamond jigs. Four- to six-pound test Ultra-light spinning tackle provides some real drag screaming action. More...

Florida hometown democracy

Ever since developers started selling swamp land to unsuspecting Northerners, there has been an ongoing discussion about the overbuilding of Florida. On Nov. 2, Florida residents will be asked again to make a decision on this age old issue, in the form of a constitutional amendment. More...

Fine food, focus on detail at Martiniville

HOLMES BEACH – Fine food prepared with fresh ingredients and a focus on detail is what you’ll find when you visit the Island’s newest restaurant and bar, Martiniville, in the AMI Plaza.

Owners Debbie and Mike Hynds welcome you to a sneak preview on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 23 and 24, at 8 p.m., and the grand opening on Saturday, Sept. 25, at 5 p.m., all with live music. Food will not be available at the sneak preview. More...

Cracks in muni market

A few months ago I wrote about the potential for trouble in the municipal bond market as some cities, counties or states struggle with shrinking revenues and trying to cut expenditures while delivering the services the citizens have grown to expect. More...

School's in session in Loggerheads 101

HOLMES BEACH – There’s a lot to learn about loggerheads, according to former teachers and Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shore Bird Monitoring volunteers Glenn and Claudia Wiseman.

Loggerhead sea turtles have laid 137 nests on Anna Maria Island since turtle season began on May 1, with the last 20 nests expected to hatch by the end of the season on Oct. 31, they told a group at the Episcopal Church of the Annunciation on Monday night. More...

Autoway Ford captures dramatic win

This week’s Sun sports game of the week was a battle to the finish. On Wednesday, Sparks Steel Art played Wash Family Construction for what proved to be a game like a heavyweight bout. During the contest, Coach Darin Wash said, “It’s like a great boxing match out there. Whichever team has enough energy at the end will be the winner.”

The Wash Family team came out like gangbusters in the first half. The entire team was beating Sparks to every loose ball and dominated play. Nico Colleja scored two goals and the great passing of Gavin Sentman, Michel Datolli and Zoran Kolega helped Leo Tilelli score another. Stellar goal tending by Joe Joe Rogers and defense by Cortni Wash gave Wash a 3-0 lead at the half. More...