Reaction swift to Bin Laden news

The news that al Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden had been killed stirred up a lot of emotion for people everywhere. There were celebrations after President Barak Obama made his terse announcement Sunday night but for many, the memories were too strong and full of loss to generate celebration as much as relief.

West Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Andy Price said it took a long time to find the terrorist leader who financed and planned the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackings and attacks on the Twin Towers that brought them to the ground, killing almost 3,000 people. More...

Saving turtles for 20 years

BRADENTON BEACH – Twenty years ago, when Turtle Watch volunteers still believed it was a good idea to dig up sea turtle nests and incubate the eggs in hatcheries, turtles were the last thing on Suzi Fox's mind.

Fox had moved with her mom and sisters from Michigan to Miami, where she was a hotel manager, then they relocated again to Anna Maria Island. The family lost two grandparents, then their mom in December 1990. More...

City Pier Centennial drawing near

ANNA MARIA - Organizers are putting the finishing touches on the Anna Maria City Pier Centennial Celebration on Friday, May 13, and Saturday, May 14, which will feature a parade, fireworks, music, food and fun.

A parade on Friday will begin at 5 p.m. at CrossPointe Fellowship Church and end at the pier at 7 p.m. There will be a pier dedication and speeches at 7 p.m., followed by a reception with refreshments and a cash bar in a tent in the north pier parking lot. More...

Cell tower questions persist

ANNA MARIA – At Mayor Mike Selby's suggestion, commissioners agreed to hold a work session with a consultant to determine their options regarding requests to build a cell tower in the city.

"I wanted this back on the agenda after reading about the proposition that was presented to the Community Center and receiving letters from residents," Commissioner Jo Ann Mattick said. More...

City won't refund building permit fee

ANNA MARIA – Commissioners denied a request from Nicky and Robert Hunt to refund a portion of a $10,000 building permit fee they paid to the city last year.

According to Building Official Bob Welch, the Hunts sought an extension of their building permit last year, but he denied it, prompting them to seek a refund. More...

City to consider tax agreement with county

ANNA MARIA – Former Mayor Fran Barford asked commissioners to consider entering into a tax incremental financing agreement with Manatee County.

TIF is a method to pay for redevelopment of a slum or blighted area through the increased ad valorem tax revenue resulting from that redevelopment. It has been used in many states since the 1940s and early 1950s to pay for redevelopment projects. More...

Sheriff's AMICC probe all but over

ANNA MARIA - The investigation into allegations of misconduct by an Anna Maria Island Community Center staff member turned up nothing new this week and is winding down, authorities said.

"Unless there is new information, there's nothing to investigate," said Manatee County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Dave Bristow. "We've interviewed everybody involved so far, and we've found nothing that would result in criminal charges." More...

Skinny's matriarch celebrates 94th birthday

HOLMES BEACH – Janice Freeman had a lot of well-wishers last Friday as she sat at a table in the corner of Skinny's. She had a right to be the center of attention because it was her 94th birthday.

Her daughter, Jan, who runs the popular hamburger spot across the street from Manatee Public Beach, had Publix fix two birthday cakes for her. One looked like a hamburger and the other like a cheeseburger. More...

Join Sarasota Bay Watch's Sister Key's cleanup

On Saturday May 7, Sarasota Bay Watch, in cooperation with the town of Longboat Key and the Chiles Group, will be holding the Third Annual Sister Keys Cleanup from 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Cleanup participants will gather next to the public dock at the corner of Linley Street and Lois Avenue adjacent to the Mar Vista Dockside restaurant beginning at 8:30 a.m. Participants are encouraged to bring their own boats, kayaks or canoes, but boats will be available to transport non-boaters to the Keys courtesy of Cannons Marina. More...

Palm Gables for the luxury buyer

There are plenty of good reasons to walk our beautiful beaches, not the least of which is for exercise, but when I walk the beach, my eyes are automatically drawn to the homes along the shore, undoubtedly an occupational hazard. I may have missed a few birds, dolphins and one or two sunburned tourists but what I never miss is outstanding real estate. More...

Some say, 'Sell in May and go away'

Investment Corner By Tom Brieter

Investment lore has a lot of sayings meant to pass long wisdom from one generation to the next, usually after some calendar or valuation pattern becomes obvious, but may not prove to be everlasting when viewed with the benefit of hindsight a few years later.

One popular calendar based prognostication is upon us now. Some call this the "Sell in May and go away indicator." Others call it the "Halloween indicator." The theory behind this market pattern is that over time, the bulk of the stock market's return is delivered from the end of October through the end of April, the most favorable six months of the year to invest. More...

Opening Day for Adult Kickball

The first ever adult co-ed kickball league at the Anna Maria Island Community Center started this week. The old-school playground game is becoming more and more popular all over the U.S. and now it has found its way to the Island. More than 40 players, making four teams, play every Thursday night in this fun sport. All the teams are competing to see who will be crowned the first ever Center kickball champion on the Island. More...

It's all relative

Feasting on Fitness By ellen Jaffe Jones

Recently, I wrote about Rebecca Donovan, who had lost 26 pounds in 10 weeks working out at the gym and with some guidance from her personal trainer, yours truly. I stressed heavily that it wasn't so much the weight that she lost that measures success. More...