One Packed Island

Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce President Mary Ann Brockman said Friday the Chamber had been getting calls from people wanting to know where rooms might be available, but few resorts had called saying they had a room for rent.

The Chamber has a service for member resorts and rental agents who might not be sold out or get a last-minute cancellation. If they call the Chamber and tell them there is something available, Chamber volunteers will try to match people needing places to stay with them. Apparently, she said, people made their reservations early and few had to cancel. More...

Here it comes - hurricane season 2013

The hurricane predictions are coming in, and it looks like it will be an active season, although it’s a hit-or-miss situation when forecasting the number of storms and where they are going to strike.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its predictions on Thursday, May 23, and they foresee an active 2013 hurricane season, which begins June 1 and officially ends Nov. 30. More...

Holiday weekend a memorable one

Sunny with a breeze; not too humid; crystal clear water at 83 degrees – it was a recipe for the beach this Memorial Day weekend, and throngs came to Anna Maria Island, the fourth best island in the country, according to TripAdvisor.

A couple who lives in Sarasota said they chose Anna Maria Island for the weekend because Siesta Key beach, which is closer to their home, has been too crowded since it won recognition as Dr. Beach’s Best Beach in America in 2011. More...

Wind insurance soars for vacation rentals

Condominium associations with 25 percent or more of their units rented on a short-term basis are being reclassified from residential to commercial accounts and limited to $1 million in coverage by state-run Citizens Insurance.

The change applies to association policies for multi-unit buildings, duplexes, or any building in the condominium form of ownership with transient occupancy – 25 percent or more of the total number of units rented for less than 30 days more than three times a month, said Mike Angers, vice president of Brown and Brown in Sarasota, who specializes in condo insurance. More...

Parents react to budget cuts

HOLMES BEACH – As the school year enters its final weeks, an Anna Maria Elementary School parent has started a petition drive to thwart teacher and staff cuts mandated by the Manatee County School District last week.

Karen Riley-Love, of Cortez, said she has collected more than 1,000 signatures and that number is growing. She plans to present them to Manatee School Superintendant Rick Mills at his Soup with the Supe public luncheon on Wednesday, May 29. More...

Prepare now for blood drive

HOLMES BEACH – Register now for the Island Blood Drive at the St. Bernard Catholic Church Activity Center, 248 S. Harbor Drive on Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Go online to www.oneblood.org. Use code MTFF0 (M-T-F-F-zero).

Before you go, make sure you bring some identification. More...

Fishermen rescue swimmer

CORTEZ – Two Cortez fishing boats were loaded down with fish and in a race back to the fish house in Cortez to unload when they saw a swimmer being swept from Longboat Pass out into the Gulf of Mexico last Wednesday.

Wade and Lightning Campbell aboard the Trista Lynn were in the lead against fisherman Harry Mofield on the Barbara Ann, but they were closer to the swimmer, so they turned back to fetch him and dropped him off on Beer Can Island, from where he started, according to Kathe Fannon, of Capt. Kathe and First Mate Pup Pup boat tours, who witnessed the event. More...

Waterfront seeks full liquor service

ANNA MARIA – Customers of the Waterfront restaurant, 111 S. Bay Blvd., sing the praises of the food and view and most are content to wash it down with beer or wine, but they might soon be able to order a cocktail, if owner Jason Suzor gets his request.

Suzor and his attorney, Scott Rudacille, appeared before the City Commission Thursday night. More...

Tree house stars on radio

HOLMES BEACH – The notorious tree house belonging to Lynn Tran and Richard Hazen at the beach at 29th Street was a radio star for a while on Wednesday, May 22, when Brent Mitchell, from WSRZ Oldies 108, visited, reporting back to David Jones and Christina Crane on The Morning Crew show.

Mitchell climbed the ladder to the first floor, amazed at the natural beauty of the house built by the two owners and the great view of the Gulf of Mexico. More...

Georgia’s Delayed Harvest a boon for trout fishermen

Smith Creek undulated along the shaded walking path, dancing around boulders and sliding over granite outcroppings, sometimes sparkling in the early afternoon sun and then tumbling into shaded glens where the sunlight didn’t reach. Walking along the path with my five-weight fly rod, I looked for places that might harbor trout, while providing enough room to maneuver my rod and line.

Spotting a side trail that led to the creek’s edge, I discovered a stretch of the creek that looked like it might be the perfect lair of a rainbow or brown trout. I entered the water and began working my way upstream making casts to areas that looked promising. I was fishing a dry fly and had to make my casts carefully so the offering would float along the water’s surface without appearing unnatural. More...

Facing a big decision

Benjamin Franklin eloquently said, “But in the world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” We all know that we can’t control death, but taxes are something that we actually have some power over, and next month you’re going to be asked to utilize that power.

On June 18, Manatee County is having a special referendum election to decide if the sales tax should be raised a half-cent from the current 6.5 percent to 7 percent. This increase is expected to generate an estimated $23 million annually which will be earmarked to fund health care costs for the indigent. The plan is designed to replace current funds for indigent care, which will be exhausted in 2015. More...

Family practice at its essence

The term family practice is pretty common when medical professionals describe their services. Usually it means the practice can accommodate all members of a family, but sometimes it can refer to the individuals who work in the practice.

Dr. Charles A. Tomeo has been living and practicing in Bradenton for over 30 years. Originally from the Northeast, Tomeo attended Fairleigh Dickenson University on a full lacrosse scholarship followed by the University of Maryland Dental School where he also had a full academic scholarship. More...

Social Security's value

During almost any conversation about Social Security, it is inevitable that some of the more disparaging comments about the system will come out. “I’m taking mine right away before the system runs out of money” and “It’s not enough to retire on anyway” are typical comments.

It’s not my job to champion the system, but there is certainly a lot of misinformation getting passed around that causes people stress, and that is never good. I hope to cover the reality and with the information we have today, dispel some of the ideas which are just plain wrong and to provide some insight as to what your Social Security benefits are worth in terms of a cash value. More...

Making beach lights turtle friendly

HOLMES BEACH – Gulffront homeowners and business owners are invited to work together or independently to build sand dunes on the new sand that will be brought to Anna Maria Island in the beach renourishment project in September.

The project will leave wide, flat beaches as a blank canvas for new, landscaped dunes, Charlie Hunsicker, director of the Manatee County Natural Resources Department, told a small audience of local property owners last week. More...

Season championship on the line

The Sun sports game of the week was a battle for first place in the 14-17-year-old youth basketball league between the Heritage Paper Co. and the Walter & Associates team.

The sports term “on the line” ended up having a double meaning in this game. The season ending regular season championship was on the line, but the conclusion of the game and the championship outcome was on the foul line. More...

Feasting at a vegan bakery in NOLA

If anyone should be terrified of breast cancer, it should be me. My aunt died of it in our home when I was 5. As I say in my YouTube video responding to the Jolie decision to undergo two prophylactic mastectomies, figuring out the truth about food and how to avoid breast cancer has become the investigative reporting job of my life. Many newspaper articles have been written about my apparent success in defying the odds. More...