No-kill advocates rally for Animal Services funding

BRADENTON – Bathed in a sea of green shirts and blouses, some 350 animal lovers gathered in front of the old county courthouse Thursday evening to protest their county commissioners, who appeared to be ready to cut pet adoptions from the Manatee County Animal Services budget.

Former Holmes Beach Mayor Carol Whitmore, who is now the chair of the commission, helped protestors organize and visited with them before the meeting. More...

Shark fishing ban rejected

ANNA MARIA — A request from resident Joan Dickinson and a couple of her neighbors asking the city to consider a ban on shark fishing from the Rod&Reel and City Piers is not going anywhere fast.

Dickinson sent a letter to the city saying she swims along the shore from her residence on Tampa Bay, and she's concerned that with all the chumming for shark that takes place at the two piers, she may be in danger of being attacked. More...

Boat permits challenged

BRADENTON BEACH – There was tension in the air at the city commission last week as the mayor stared down the police chief over records kept of illegal activities among the boaters docked south of the Bridge Street Pier.

The showdown came as the commission discussed whether to repeal a resolution that would require those boaters to register with the city and pay a $15 fee to cover expenses. More...

City ponders county fertilizer ordinance

HOLMES BEACH - The Holmes Beach City Commission plans to ask Manatee County officials for suggestions on how the city can comply with the county's new fertilizer ordinance.

The Manatee County Commission passed a fertilizer ordinance on May 24 that regulates fertilizer application, but not sale, from June 1 to Sept. 30. The ordinance prohibits residents within the county from using fertilizer during the rainy season, when fertilizer runs off into waterways and impairs water quality. More...

Drivers be alert around pier

Work continues on the boardwalk at the Anna Maria City Pier and motorists are advised to be careful when in the area.

According to a Florida Department of Transportation news release, the contractor will continue with the construction of the support structure for the boardwalk and the construction of the new shelters this week. Motorists can expect temporary intermittent lane closures along North and South Bay Boulevards. Flagmen will be present as needed. Pedestrians can expect to use alternate routes to access the pier during construction. Weather permitting, this project is anticipated for completion in October 2011. More...

Police say lock your doors

A rash of auto burglaries overnight in all three Island cities has prompted police to warn people to lock their cars.

"The majority of the cars that thieves break into are unlocked," said Holmes Beach Police Lt. Dale Stephenson. "The best rule to follow is to lock your car whenever you leave it." More...

Waste contract goes back to drawing board

BRADENTON BEACH – The city commission wants to further discuss its relationship with Waste Pro before approving an ordinance giving them the exclusive contract to collect trash in the city.

Problems came up during the first reading of the franchise agreement ordinance, which allows Waste Pro to pick up residential trash exclusively, but allows commercial customers to choose other waste collectors. More...

Preparations under way for BayFest

HOLMES BEACH – Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce President Mary Ann Brockman has taken over the planning for BayFest, the annual event that generally marks the start of the festival season on the Island, and she says she's gotten off to a "huge start."

"We already have restaurants committing and new ones are inquiring," she said at the Chamber board meeting last week. "This year, we'll publish a booklet about BayFest with a map and a list of food, refreshments and music and we'll be selling advertising space in that booklet." More...

Island nesting turtles safer courtesy BP mitigation

There was a price on the head of every sea turtle killed as a result of the BP oil explosion and spill last year in the Gulf of Mexico.

That money ultimately flowed into the hands of Sea Turtle Conservancy.

The conservancy used the money around the state to help future generations of threatened and endangered sea turtles survive. More...

Catch and release, carefully

Catch and release used to be a relatively new concept in sport fishing, one that recognized that fish populations are vulnerable and not the endless resource that they were once thought to be. Now the concept is commonplace and has even spawned a sort of a backlash as the "I Kill Fish" sticker on the back of a truck I saw recently attests. Fishermen who fish mostly for fun have been criticized because many see catching and releasing fish as playing with fish. Anglers, unlike hunters can pursue their passion and release their prey. Both hunters and anglers are quite often great champions of their perspective passions and invest their time and money in protecting the habitat and well being of fish and animals. More...

High end villas at bargain prices

If you've ever wondered what's going on behind the gates that are tucked away between the water and the curve on Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach at 52nd Street, I can tell you there is both a lot and a little.

There's a lot because the Villas of Holmes Beach Condominiums are beautiful town home villas built in a Tuscan style which sit at the edge of Tampa Bay, some with spectacular views to the Skyway Bridge. There's a little because the complex which was completed in 2006 has fallen victim of the real estate and financial crises. More...

Insurance comes to Anna Maria

Do conversations about insurance make your eyes glaze over? You're not alone; most people would rather have a tooth pulled than review their insurance policies. If this sounds familiar, Advanced Insurance Brokerage is ready to change your perspective on one of life's less exciting but totally necessary aspects.

Two years ago Lisa Brakefield and her partners opened a branch office of their successful Brandon insurance brokerage firm in Anna Maria. Located on Gulf Drive in the Old Post Office Plaza, Advanced Insurance Brokerage looks more like a trendy boutique than an insurance brokerage office. The sleek bright office is enhanced by a full wall mural of the world cleverly painted by Connie Buckler-Gill. More...

Summer stock market rally – truth or tall tale

The idea of a "summer rally" for stock price has been around for a long time. Perhaps too long as it turns out. Best as we can tell, the origin of the idea that stocks rally during the summer comes from an unusual period way back in the Great Depression. In the Summer of 1932, the Dow Jones Industrial Average almost tripled in price over the summer season. Of course, that tripling came after the drubbing of a lifetime which saw the index down about 80 percent during the previous three years.

I'll leverage some research from Mark Hulbert, editor of the Hulbert Financial Digest and a writer for MarketWatch, an online investment information service, to share some perspective on the fable of the summer rally. As it turns out, a better label for this concept would be "a rally for all seasons." Let's take a look. More...

Buccaneers off to great start

The Sun sports game of the week was an adult Co-ed NFL Flag Football matchup between the Beach to Bay Construction Buccaneers and the Integrity Sound Redskins. The NFL may still be in a lockout, but the Anna Maria Island Community Center's adult flag football eight team league is just heating up. More...

Publishing in an E-book Era

Life just jumped into fast-forward this week. It's like looking into a crystal ball and knowing that what you've been imagining since the age of 5 is about to come true.

Do you remember the game Careers? Google it (of course), and you'll find that it is still in print as well as online. Players set their own victory conditions. A player may choose to pursue Fame, Happiness, Money, or a combination of all three. Funny how some things you know as a child remain constant throughout your life. 18 years in TV news, followed by another media career in front of a camera or audience, and now, on the verge of what I'm told is a pretty big deal book I wrote, guess which sector of Careers I excelled at? Money was always last. That's what happens to do-your-passion-and-the-money-will-come types. Oh well. More...