Causeway turns pink

HOLMES BEACH – They came on foot and by bicycle Saturday morning to help in the fight against breast cancer. It was the Fourth Annual Causeway for the Cause Saturday morning and the sidewalk was lined with mostly women, of all ages, wearing pink with a determination to wipe out this killer of women and men.

There were high school students belonging to their schools’ Reinaunce clubs and wearing dark shirts that read “Think Pink.” Others wore pink T-shirts. More...

Brace for a flood of rate increases

If you’ve been paying subsidized flood insurance rates, prepare to be swept away by big rate hikes going into effect this month.

The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 requires phasing out subsidized flood insurance rates on several types of properties in high-risk zones like Anna Maria Island. More...

Renourishment set for December

While Bing Crosby sang of a white Christmas, Anna Maria Island will have its own version – new white sand along its beaches.

Manatee County Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker unveiled the timing of the project at the Manatee Council of Governments meeting at the Bradenton Area Convention Center on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Hunsicker, who said earlier that the county was seeking bids for the project, said Great Lakes Dredge and Dock was the low bidder for the two projects that will cover all the beaches on the Island. Great Lakes was the original renourishment company in the initial 1992 project and came back again 10 years later. The dredge used in those projects was the Illinois, a 220-foot-long barge that cuts into the seabed, sucks the sand up and propels it to the shore through a pipeline. More...

‘Reel’ friends move to help fire victims

ANNA MARIA – The manager of the Rod and Reel restaurant wants to move forward following a fire Monday morning, Sept. 30. Dave Cochran said he is waiting for insurance to pay for the damage from the fire before he starts to rebuild.

The fire started in the ground floor kitchen area, according to West Manatee Fire Rescue Fire Inspector Jim Davis, who said it appears the fire spread into the second floor area. He said the fire got inside the exterior walls, which made it extra difficult to find and extinguish. More...

Neighbors concerned about boathouse

ANNA MARIA – A house being built at 60 North Shore by Beach to Bay Construction raised eyebrows when workers started constructing a roof to go over a boat slip.

The home formerly on that lot had been used as a rental; Beach to Bay bought it, razed it and built the house that is nearly finished now. More...

Lots along Magnolia sold

ANNA MARIA – A long-time local family has sold five of the few undeveloped lots to a buyer known for developing rental houses.

The five lots, at 207 to 215 Magnolia Avenue, are located behind the old IGA, the commercial building that houses Ginny and Jane E’s, Body & Sol Spa, Island Yoga Space, Snips Hair Design and Island Yoga Space. The IGA building was not a part of the sale.

The lots belonged to Marie Franklin, John Cagnina and other relatives of the late Ernie Cagnina, who served as mayor of Anna Maria in the 1970s and ‘80s. More...

Governments urged to sign resolutions

Anna Maria Mayor SueLynn and Holmes Beach City Commissioner Jean Peelen urged all of the governmental entities in Manatee County to pass a resolution that would return to cities the right to pass legislation that would affect rental properties within their boundaries.

The two Island women spoke last week at the Manatee County Council of Governments meeting at the Bradenton Area Convention Center. They said efforts to get a handle on out-of-control development of rental properties in their cities have stalled due to a piece of legislation passed in 2011. The law states: “A local law, ordinance, or regulation may not restrict the use of vacation rentals, prohibit vacation rentals or regulate vacation rentals based solely on their classification, use or occupancy.” More...

Bayfest features wide array of music

ANNA MARIA – When the Bayfest celebration begins, so does the music, and there are several great local acts that will be playing and singing on the stage at the four lots on Friday, Oct. 18, from 5 to 10 p.m. and on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Friday is generally a celebration of the end of the work week and it offers a chance to enjoy great shopping and food. After dinner, you might want to get out in the grass in front of the bandstand and dance. More...

Maritime Museum hosts re-opening celebration

CORTEZ – Much to the delight of Museum Supervisor Amara Nash, more than 120 visitors attended Saturday’s reopening of the county-operated Florida Maritime Museum at Cortez.

After closing for a month for renovations and the addition of new exhibits, the Saturday, Oct. 5 celebration revealed to visitors a new gift shop, a children’s area dedicated to the late Sam Bell, an interactive computer fishing game and a cut-away doll house-like replica of the Bratton/Burton Waterfront Store that evolved into the Albion Inn, which was located on ground now occupied by the Coast Guard station. A VIP ceremony took place on Thursday, Oct. 3. More...

How to land a seabird

On Saturday, Oct. 5, Sarasota Bay Watch (SBW) will collaborate with Audubon Florida, Save Our Seabirds and the Sarasota Sailing Squadron to sponsor a fishing line cleanup of local bird rookeries (nesting islands). The cleanup is conducted this time of the year because most birds do not nest in the fall. SBW will target discarded fishing line from shorelines and bridges as well as bird rookeries. Last year’s cleanup attracted over 80 volunteers and recovered three football field lengths of fishing line from the bay’s coastline. Collected materials will be weighed and measured and the data shared with scientists working on entanglement issues. This is a great opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of seabirds and other marine wildlife. More...

The price is right . . . or is it?

Does it make you feel better buying a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes for $800 even though you know you’re really paying mostly for the status of owning a pair of luxury shoes? Can paying more for a piece of property than it may really be worth give you the same high? Some people think so.

What’s the right price to ask for your home? Should you price it high and hope for higher offers or price it low and hope for more offers? Ask 10 realtors and you’ll get 10 different answers. But a 2013 study from researchers at The Wharton School have put an interesting twist on real estate pricing. More...

Stir it up at the shack

Looking forward to an after-beach treat has been a tradition since beach going became a recreational activity, and what’s better than something that’s cool, creamy and mostly guilt free. You’ll find out at one of Pine Avenue’s newest shops.

Three years ago Nicole and John Coleman relocated to Anna Maria with their three children and immediately became part of the young Pine Avenue business community. While working in their first business Poppo’s Taqueria, a partnership with John’s brothers, they learned that residents and visitors were looking for a yogurt shop along Pine Avenue. So to fill what was an obvious need, in July they opened Stir It Up Yogurt Shack. More...

End of year financial review

Most people use the beginning of the year, perhaps motivated by New Years’ resolutions, to examine the state of their finances and investments. I suggest starting the process a bit earlier and the final quarter of the year is a good time to do so.

TAXES

The final quarter is a great time to review the level of income you will achieve and the resulting tax liability. Estimating this now can help avoid a nasty surprise when filing tax returns in the early part of the next year. Making sure you’ve withheld a sufficient amount of federal tax from wages or paid enough in estimated tax payments may also help avoid penalties for late payment. More...

Six and seven soccer sizzles

The Sun Sports game of the week was an Anna Maria Island Community Center instructional league six- and seven-year-old soccer game. It featured the Agnelli Pool and Spas team matched up against the Mr. Bones team.

The Community Center has two instructional co-ed league age groups. Both the four- and five-year-old league and the six- and seven-year-old league are recreational instruction leagues. This means that it is non-competitive and they do not keep score or standings. More...

Mystery girl on rust bucket fuels imagination

Sailing with only wind and my husband, Clarence, can’t be beat. Last weekend down to Sarasota was one of those trips that I don’t want to say too much about. Because if I do, all of the rest of the country will flee here instantly.

It may have been our best trip yet. We saw jumping and feeding dolphins in pairs along with mothers and babies in huge pods. There were so many. More than we’ve ever seen. They were jumping out of the water just like the show at Sea World, may they never go there. And if you haven’t seen the movie Blackfish, it is a must see. Very enlightening based on many actual news clips of the killer whales in captivity. More...