Vol. 13 No. 36 - July 3, 2013

news

Fireworks, parade highlight Island 4th

The skies over Anna Maria Island will come alive with fireworks this week as the Chiles Group hosts two shows on the beach.

The first starts after dark on Wednesday, July 3, at the BeachHouse restaurant, 200 Gulf Drive N., in Bradenton Beach. You can watch the fireworks from anywhere on the beach or, if there are still tickets available, you can celebrate at the restaurant as part of a dinner package. The number to call for more information is 779-2222. More...

Mayor seeks big changes

ANNA MARIA – Saying time is running out on life as we knew it in the city, Mayor SueLynn is asking the City Commission to take some drastic steps to make it safer for all and more advantageous to the city’s residents.

The mayor read a three-page memo to the City Commission meeting on Thursday night calling for lowering the speed limit on Pine Avenue and Gulf Drive plus Spring and Magnolia avenues for the safety of other drivers and pedestrians. She also asked for no parking on the rights of way, except by permit and except in the commercial and ROR districts. She also wants an annual beach permit and paid parking in certain areas. More...

Commission goes with Ridan on tower

ANNA MARIA – Ridan Industries LLC will build a cell phone tower in the parking lot at city hall and lease space to cell phone providers if negotiations with the city go well.

The city commission voted last Thursday to have Building Official Bob Welch and Mayor SueLynn negotiate the details with Ridan, and if they cannot agree, two other vendors might have their chance. More...

Tree house owners file suit

HOLMES BEACH – David Levin, attorney for tree house owners Lynn Tran and Richard Hazen, has filed a lawsuit in circuit court regarding the structure.

The city’s building official has ruled that the tree house at 103 39th St. is a structure that requires a building permit, in addition to other violations of the city’s land development code (LDC). More...

Community Center works on future

ANNA MARIA – The Anna Maria Island Community Center is in a state of flux somewhat as the new executive director tries to get a handle on where the Center is headed and how best to fund it.

The board of directors met on Friday, June 21, and Executive Director Dawn Stiles said a needs assessment team of 10 to 12 people is being assembled to figure out how best to serve the community. She said one team member, a snowbird from Michigan, is going to be a valuable asset. More...

Mosquito control official responds to concerns

HOLMES BEACH – Chris Lesser, assistant director of Manatee County’s Mosquito Control District, has responded to a visitor who was upset over a recent aerial spraying mission over the Island and complained to Mayor Carmel Monti.

John Adam, of Atlanta, questioned what he called “a military assault of a runaway sky jockey pilot that managed to spray an area from what appeared to be south of 69th Street up to the north end of the Island.” More...

Arts and culture groups to collaborate

ANNA MARIA – After meeting with individual members of Cultural Connections, Pam Truitt, of the Patterson Foundation, reported her findings to the group last week.

“You told me that Cultural Connections is a positive force and that there’s willingness to explore,” she told the group. More...

Gulf Drive Café seeking kayak, paddleboard rentals

BRADENTON BEACH – Despite safety and traffic concerns expressed by 28 residents in person and by letter and e-mail, the Planning and Zoning Board voted 3-1 last week to approve a kayak and paddleboard rental business at the south end of the Gulf Drive Café.

The board voted to allow Jack Glennon, of Kayak Jack, to display up to eight non-motorized watercraft between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. and to post a two-sided sign up to 6 feet square facing the beach at least 25 feet from Gulf Drive. They also stipulated that no items such as vessels, trucks, kiosks or signs be stored on the beach. More...



features

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryA summer of options awaits Hailey

ANNA MARIA – Seeing Hailey Dearlove for the first time since she was a student at Anna Maria Elementary School was exciting considering the academic and sports accomplishments she has amassed.

Her plaudits on the sports fields are as impressive as her 4.43 grade point average. She’s all area and all conference in basketball and softball, all state and academic in softball. She holds the second most career assists in basketball in the state of Florida and was a Golden Herald Award nominee in athletics. She was the female athlete of the year at Bradenton Christian School (BCS) and holds the Sonlight Award at BCS for being the athlete who continually exhibits Christian character on and off the court or playing field. She was the most valuable player in basketball and softball at BCS and won the coach’s award for basketball at BCS. She holds the career high in assists, steals and three-point goals at BCS and was fourth in scoring and 11th in rebounding. More...



OUTDOORS

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story Tarpon on the fly

The first sign of our quarry appeared far in the distance, as two dark shapes highlighted against the brilliant white sand slid into slightly deeper water and began following an edge that led to the back of Captain Rick Grassett’s anchored flats boat. Standing on the polling platform, I was the first to spot the two tarpon. When I was sure that’s what I was seeing, I called out the direction and distance to Grassett, who swung his rod to allow me to point them out. More...



real estate

Mortgages, myths and independence

Tomorrow is July 4, commonly known as Independence Day celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence declaring our independence from Great Britain in 1776. But if you’re in the market for a home and require a mortgage to make that happen, you may be looking to declare your independence from your bank, especially if a short sale or foreclosure was in your past.

As a consequence of the bursting of the housing bubble and the resulting under water properties, banks started accepting short sales in an effort to get the property off their books and eliminate the necessity of a full foreclosure. A short sale involves seeking approval from your mortgage lender to sell your home for less than the balance of the mortgage as a way of avoiding foreclosure. More...



business

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

ETFs and ETNs – horses of a different color

Investment Corner

Exchange Traded Funds (aka ETFs) and Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs) appear to be very similar when viewed as prospective investment vehicles by the individual investor. Some important differences may never come into play, but should be understood before investing your capital.

First, let’s review the similarities. Both ETFs and ETNs are easily bought or sold on any day the financial markets are open for business. In other words, they offer a high level of liquidity if you need your money for some other purpose. More...



turtles

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

New judge may hear BeachHouse case

BRADENTON BEACH – A plaintiff in the lawsuit challenging the BeachHouse restaurant’s beach parking lot said last week that plaintiffs plan to file a motion to remove Manatee Circuit Judge Janette Dunnigan from the case due to her acquaintance with Ed Chiles, owner of the BeachHouse.

Other conflicts of interest exist in the case, plaintiff Jo Ann Meilner said, including the fact that one of Bradenton Beach City Attorney Ricinda Perry’s clients is W.E.L.D. Inc., whose president is Chiles. More...



SPORTS

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryCenter field gets facelift

The Anna Maria Island Community Center’s athletic fields received a much needed face lift this week. In the past year, the Center reported that it had 95 different athletic teams playing on their outside fields. The wear and tear of all the games, practices and recreational activity on the grass was severe. More...

Second book is for food-divided kitchens

Feasting on Fitness

My second “baby” was born. My book, “Kitchen Divided-Vegan Dishes for Semi-Vegan Households,” got shipped by publisher to all the usual distribution networks. It’s already off to a great start on Amazon, the numbers by which everything is measured. Like my first book, “Eat Vegan on $4 a Day,” my publisher says it takes several months to get distributed. If this book charts the same route, it will be winter when the radio interviews and national events kick in.

As I wrote in my first book, it’s more important to have a person who loves and respects you, than a clone at the dinner table. Many who know me here, know that my soul mate and dear hubby, Clarence, would sooner die than give up his steak. As you might imagine, I’ve tempted him with everything I can think of, including my good health. More...


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