Spooky pooches walk the runway

Like models on parade, more than 25 dogs walked the runway in the parking lot of the Island Sun Plaza last Saturday afternoon in The Sun’s Eighth Annual Dog Costume Contest.

This year's event saw 28 entries, a new record. As the crowd observed from the fringes of the parking lot and the shoping mall's balcony, they applauded the entries and marveled over the hard work so many of the owners did to make it a memorable Saturday afternoon on the Island.

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Fire board rejects complaint

HOLMES BEACH – West Manatee fire commissioners voted to dismiss a formal complaint by Al Robinson after considering a 70-page investigative report by Commissioner Larry Tyler.

At the September fire commission meeting, Robinson filed a formal complaint against Chief Andy Price and Deputy Chief Brett Pollock alleging censorship, violation of freedom of speech and of assembly rights and use of threats and intimidation by government officials. More...

Ghosts ready for Fall Fest

HOLMES BEACH – A procession of spooks and ghouls will make their way from the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce to the Anna Maria Elementary School on Saturday, Oct. 29, for the 2010 Fall Festival.

The kids will gather in costumes at the Chamber around 9:45 a.m., in time for the 10 a.m. costume judging. After the winners are chosen, the parade will start at 10:30 a.m. and when they get to the school, around 11 a.m., the festival begins. More...

'Treats' trail goes to all 3 cities

PALMETTO – The Manatee County Tourist Development Council voted Monday to recommend $2.62 million in tourist tax funds for tourism marketing in 2011 – the same level as 2010 and an increase from 2009’s budget of $2.31 million.

The 2011 marketing campaign will include variations on the theme, “Find yourself in our island culture,” such as “Find your passion here,” targeted to couples, “Find your balance here,” aimed at outdoor sports and “Find your peace here.” More...

Causeway goes pink for the cure

Manatee Avenue was speckled with pink on Saturday during the first Causeway4theCause walk from Manatee County Public Beach to the Palma Sola Causeway.

More than 100 participants raised more than $2,500 for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization, which supports breast cancer research. More...

Robinson parking plan progresses

BRADENTON – The Palma Sola Causeway parking lot for Robinson Preserve should be completed by fall of 2011, Manatee County project manager Salvatore Bordonaro saidrecently.

“The budget for this project is $410,000. That includes permitting, design, engineering, land acquisition and any other expenses,” he told members of the Palma Sola Scenic Highway Committee. More...

Sun captures eight awards in statewide contest

The Island Sun newspaper has been recognized for excellence in graphic arts and design by winning eight awards in the Florida Press Association's 2009-2010 Display Advertising Contest.

Sun graphic artists Elaine Stroili and Ricardo Fonseca received the recognition for ads they created over the past 12 months for a variety of Island businesses. More...

Roots in the water

CORTEZ – Like the mangroves that line local shorelines, Manatee County’s historic roots are in the water, and the Florida Maritime Museum at Cortez is bringing two chapters of local history to life, in wood.

Wooden boats were integral in the landing of Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1539 in west Bradenton and in the escape of Confederate Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin from the Union in 1865 in east Manatee County. More...

Beach Bistro celebrates milestone

HOLMES BEACH – Nestled at the rear of Resort 66 with a magnificent view of the beach, you would hardly guess that it is home to sumptuous concoctions that have won so many awards. While the view is first-rate, the menu is even better and together, you have the recipe for the perfect bistro – Beach Bistro.

Sean Murphy and his wife, Susan Timmins, opened Beach Bistro on Nov. 1, 1985, on the heels of Hurricane Juan. The couple and a bunch of dedicated friends and family, were busy all night bailing the Gulf of Mexico out of their bistro. More...

Cultural Connections promotes arts and culture

Cultural Connections is preparing to present its annual November weekend of arts events called artsHOP, which will kick off the Island arts season.

Cultural Connections is an umbrella organization for nine of the Island’s arts and cultural groups. The organization formed in 2008 so members could pool resources and promote the Island as a destination for arts and culture. Representatives of those groups meet monthly to share information. More...

Great restaurant one-liners

There is an old baseball joke that is enjoying revival this year.

“What is the difference between a Yankee Stadium hot dog and Fenway Park hot dog?”

“You can still get a Yankee Stadium hot dog in October.”

Baseball teams and area restaurants have a lot in common. Great restaurants are about the team. Only the good ones survive the summer and get to play in the fall. More...

Turtle art comes in many forms

Local artists have created more than The Sun is featuring some of the artists that have contributed art inspired by loggerhead turtles for the annual artsHOP silent auction.

This week’s artists are Sara Gafvert, Laura Shely and Ellen Riley.

Gafvert majored in studio arts at Ohio University and began working in fiber art in the early 1970s. She specializes in batik. More...

Sun provides creative, educational outlet

I was introduced to fishing in Anna Maria Sound and the edges of Tampa Bay by Captain Scott Moore in the early 1980s. I was invited along on trips with my friend Bobby Lee, and we were blessed to experience amazing days on the water with a man who would become a legend for his prowess with snook, tarpon, redfish and myriad other species. Those early days were the beginning of an awareness of the vulnerability of our fisheries resources and led to the formation of the Manatee Chapter of the Florida Conservation Association and a lifetime desire to protect fish and the waters they inhabited. More...

TV show on houses is addictive

I have an addiction, well actually, I have many addictions, but the only one I’ll admit too in this space is my addiction to "House Hunters." For those of you who don’t share my addiction, "House Hunters" is an HGTV television show which follows buyers and their real estate agents through potential homes. More...

The most profitable bank in the world

The title may have you thinking of which large well known bank I’m referring to. Bank of America? JP Morgan Chase? Deutsche Bank of Germany or the Bank of China? All would be good guesses, but the most profitable bank in the world is the United States Federal Reserve Bank. More...

Vintage volunteer keen for turtles

More than 20 years ago, when John DaFazio began volunteering with Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch, it was a common practice to dig up freshly laid sea turtle eggs and take them to a hatchery to incubate.

“We used to use Styrofoam coolers to keep eggs and sand in a shed, and would go spray a little water on them every day or two to keep the sand from getting too hot,” said DeFazio, 67, who started with Turtle Watch in 1989. “They’d hatch and we’d take them that night and release them. More...

For the love of the game

This week’s Sun sports Game of the week does not single out just one game but focuses on the entire Instructional Soccer League at the Community Center. This article is for those of you who enjoy watching kids laughing and playing, for those of you whose kids are now older, and for those of you who like to really feel good about the youth of our great nation and watching grass roots soccer. The 4- to 5-year-old and 6- to 7-year-old recreational instruction leagues are all about fun. These kids are just out there playing because they love the game. You can’t help but smile and feel good inside watching a group of kids, knee high to a grasshopper, chasing around a soccer ball like a swarm of bees. All the while laughing and giggling trying to kick the ball. This is contagious and gets the crowd of fans chuckling and cheering about how cute they are. More...