HB police chief fires back

HOLMES BEACH – The gloves are off, said Police Chief Jay Romine, after the latest salvo from Commissioner Al Robinson.

“I’m tired of theses gross inaccuracies, this garbage with no basis in fact getting shotgunned out there and hoping it sticks and getting people all riled up, ” Romine said. “It’s not fair to the employees; it’s damaging to morale. I’m tired of it and my people are tired of it.” More...

Island property values decline

The good news is that most property taxes on Anna Maria Island are lower this year than last, and there’s still time until Dec. 8 to get the maximum discount.

The bad news is that most property values are lower, too, for the third year in a row, affecting refinancing, home equity loan amounts and sales prices. More...

Music, house tour benefit two groups

Kick off the holidays with the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of Christmas at a beautifully decorated Holmes Beach home while benefitting two great organizations.

It begins on Saturday, Dec. 4, from 6 to 9 p.m. with a Taste of Holiday Gala to benefit the Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra (AMICCO).

Enjoy music, food and champagne under the stars at Villa Alexia, 518 58th St., Holmes Beach. Villa Alexia is a stunning waterfront residence overlooking Tampa Bay and Perico Island owned by Debbie and Michael Hynds, who also recently opened Martiniville. More...

Bridge Street Christmas celebrates giving

Enjoy an old-fashioned Christmas with a touch of Florida on Saturday, Dec. 18, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Bridge Street and get a good viewing spot for the Cortez Yacht Club Lighted Boat Parade starting around 7 p.m., weather permitting. More...

Share the Chanukah spirit with congregation Ner Tamid

On Friday, Dec. 3, at 6 p.m., Ner Tamid, a Bradenton Jewish congregation, invites the community to a special celebration. The congregation will light hundreds of Chanukah candles on dozens of menorahs brought by the congregation’s members and friends. More...

Lighted boat parade coming soon

CORTEZ – Enjoy a real Florida Christmas along the Intracoastal Waterway at the Cortez Yacht Club’s Seventh Annual Holiday Lighted Boat Parade on Saturday, Dec. 18.

All boats are welcome to join the free event, which offers a $500 grand prize for the best-decorated boat and cash prizes for the best decorated boat in each division.

The parade will begin at dusk at the Mar Vista restaurant in Longboat Key and end at the Seafood Shack in Cortez. More...

Coyotes prompt Cortez workshop

CORTEZ – Cortez residents are invited to learn about coyotes at a workshop on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Florida Maritime Museum at Cortez.

Dozens of pets have been killed by coyotes in recent weeks, residents say.

Lisa Hickey, a naturalist instructor with the Manatee County Department of Agriculture and Resource Conservation, will discuss coyote behavior, habitat, prey, attack statistics and interactions with humans. More...

City agrees to hear R-1 rental request

HOLMES BEACH – A group of property owners on the Gulf between Manatee County Public Beach and 52nd Street have petitioned city commissioners to allow seven-day rentals in the R-1 district.

The R-1 zoning district is primarily properties from 66th Street to the city limits east of Marina Drive. However, there are other pockets of R-1 in the north, central and south parts of the city. More...

A marathon runner's diary

I try to remember that most people who run marathons feel that their training hasn’t gone the way it was supposed to or wasn’t enough. One thing’s for sure – come race day, everyone gets to try to finish 26.2 miles, as the legendary Greek soldier running from Sparta to Athens did centuries ago. It is a test of the heart, mind and body. If you had to pick one of the three, the mind is the most vulnerable. From what I’ve read and experienced, your mind tells you that you are not ready, that you are crazy to risk life and limb on a bucket list check-off. More than the bucket list, my mission has always been to show my three daughters that our family history of disease, including my mom’s, aunt’s and both sisters’ battles with breast cancer, doesn’t have to be destiny. More...

A passion for tarpon

When I first heard from Andy Mill that he was writing a book on tarpon, I had no idea that his vision would unfold in the form of an encyclopedic tome of such great depth and breath. Later as a signed copy arrived, I was amazed at the weight and feel of the book before I ever removed it from its careful packing. What I found truly inspired me. I knew first hand of his aplomb and passion for the silver king. What impressed me was how completely it told the story of tarpon, the legends, the tackle, the flies, the life history of the great creature and the wealth of information that Mill would share, gleaned from a 15-year love affair with a fish. More...

Beaches of the world can't beat ours

There are a lot of islands in the world and a lot of waterfront land, but for some reason little Anna Maria Island keeps popping up as one of the best.

Most recently, Coastal Living Magazine’s November issue featured a story about buying a second home, and again Anna Maria was one of the locations chosen as a great spot to live. Basically, the short piece pointed out all the great things about Anna Maria, beaches, trolley, sunsets, restaurants and most important of all, in their words a “plethora of water-accessed homes.” More...

Holy Cow is udderly cool

Some families go on vacation together just to have fun, others to get to know each other better, but rare is the family that goes on vacation and returns with a business plan.

Rare or not, that’s exactly what happened when Andrea and Ben Stewart took their kids for a two week RV vacation last summer. All those highway miles and togetherness resulted in a lot of creative thinking, fulfilling a dream that Andrea always had – to open a family ice cream shop. More...

Year-end planning may save on taxes

One of the least exciting things I could choose to write about is year-end tax planning. But a penny saved is a penny earned, and when saving it by reducing taxes, it seems twice as sweet. So, let’s take a couple minutes to review some actions or record keeping tasks you can work on between now and the time you file your tax return. More...

2010 soccer all-stars shine

Division III (8-9-year-olds)

Blue Team: Coach Rich Bell. All-stars: Emilee Bell, William Bernett, Jim Class, Josh Class, Allie Connelly, Taro DeHaan, Noah Fischer, Hannah McCracken, Sean Quattromani, Ava Zink.

Green Team: Coach Charles Colson. All-stars: Jack Barnes, Sean Brian Jr., Adra Dupuis, Corbin Gregg, Katie Krokroskia, Daniel Sentman, Jaclyn Schlossberg, Rory Welch, Clayton Wilkinson, Roli Zeledon.

The Blue All-Star team gelled quicker and worked together to pull off a 5-0 shutout. Josh Class led all scorers with two goals. League MVP Taro DeHaan, Jim Class and Ava Zink each added one goal for the victory. More...