Vol. 14 No. 40 - July 30, 2014

news

‘No parking’ plan worries chief

HOLMES BEACH – Police Chief Bill Tokajer told congestion committee members that he has some concerns about their recommendation to eliminate street and right of way parking in all residential districts.

When committee members said if there is a party, residents could call police and tell them there would be several vehicles parked there, he questioned how that would work. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryBudget deficit projected

BRADENTON BEACH – The city of Bradenton Beach is expected to enter the 2015 fiscal year with a projected budget deficit of $441,458.

The preliminary budget lists $3,254,005 in projected expenditures and $2,812,547 in projected revenues. These figures do not include community redevelopment agency and Tingly Memorial Library funds. More...

Commission to study parking proposal

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners weren’t convinced by the congestion committee’s recommendation to eliminate street and right of way parking in all residential districts.

Committee member Jayne Christenson made the presentation by stating that problems created by visitors parking on residential streets include parking on both sides of the road, parking the wrong way and leaving trash. She said residents are putting signs, fences, rocks and plants in the rights of way to prevent parking in front of their homes. More...

Couple arrested on beach sex charge

BRADENTON BEACH – Police arrested two people on Sunday, July 20, after receiving a complaint that the two were engaging in intercourse on a sheet on Cortez Beach.

Jose B. Caballero, 39, of Bradenton, and Elissa M. Alvarez, 20, of Bradenton, were arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious exhibition.

Witnesses said the couple appeared to be intoxicated as they had sex on a sheet on the beach in plain view of other beach goers for about 25 minutes and then went into the water, presumably to cool off. When they returned, they fell asleep for hours and when they awoke, they again fondled and had sex. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryRecords requests fly fast and furious

BRADENTON BEACH –City Commission candidate Tjet Martin and her partner, Bradenton Beach Mayor Bill Shearon, are the subject of an extensive records request submitted last week by Sarasota-based legal consultant Michael Barfield.

Barfield’s request arrived 10 days after Martin submitted a public records request pertaining to the e-mail accounts of her Ward 4 opponent, incumbent Commissioner Jan Vosburgh. Martin also requested the e-mail records of Vice Mayor Jack Clarke. More...

No breaks yet in suspicious death case

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the death of a woman who reportedly had a fight with her husband and hit her head on their personal watercraft when he threw her off the vessel near Passage Key, northwest of the Island.

The fight began on Sunday, July 19, when Pamela Doster caught her husband, Michael, both of Bradenton, having sexual relations with another man. Sheriff’s Office Detective John Kenney said they have not heard from the other man and are still looking for more witnesses to the fight. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryAustin fundraiser takes place Saturday

BRADENTON BEACH – A benefit for Austin Goncalves and his family will take place Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Blue Marlin restaurant, 121 Bridge Street, in Bradenton Beach.

Goncalves, his mother Karen, her boyfriend Allen Smith and 14-year-old Marlin Ellis were stricken with ciguatera fish poisoning during a recent vacation in the Bahamas.

Ellis’ parents own the Blue Marlin. More...

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryBeach flags at fire stations questioned

Beach condition flags flown at fire stations may be giving beachgoers a false sense of security, according to Joe Westerman, captain of the Manatee County Marine Rescue Division.

The West Manatee Fire District recently began flying the flags at its stations in Holmes Beach and on Cortez Road to let motorists on their way to the beach know about rip currents, jellyfish and other conditions at Anna Maria Island’s beaches before they arrive. More...



features

Anna Maria Island Sun News StoryPrivateers rally for new sleigh

BRADENTON BEACH – Long known for their efforts in assisting kids and community, the Anna Maria Island Privateers turned to the community they have long served as part of their efforts to raise funds to build a new holiday sleigh.

Taking place at the Drift In in Bradenton Beach the Privateers’ annual Christmas in July event raised $1,863 of the estimated $5,000 needed to build a new sleigh to replace the club’s previous sleigh that was lost during a recent legal dispute with a former Privateer. More...



OUTDOORS

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story Scallopalooza celebrates fourth year

It’s Scallopalooza time again and you are invited to come to Sarasota Bay Watch’s yearly fund-raiser held at the beautiful Sarasota Yacht Club. Monies raised from this event have paid for the introduction of millions of scallop larvae into Sarasota Bay from Bradenton to Sarasota with the hope of repopulating our bay waters with this once abundant species.

The Scallopalooza event has enjoyed the continued support of the community, proof that the businesses and inhabitants of Manatee and Sarasota Counties care about and are willing to tackle this long term restoration project. More...



real estate

Dog days of summer

If the country is in the dog days of summer, then in Florida the dogs are about to pass out. But just because it’s hot doesn’t mean it’s a bad time to either put your house on the market or leave it on the market. You just need to be cool about it.

I uncovered an interesting statistic recently – 60 percent of all homes in 2014 will be bought and sold from May to August. Admittedly, the majority of those sales will be in the North and Northeast, where the summer is prime real estate season. However, with the west coast of Florida quickly becoming a 12-month season we have to assume plenty of those sales will be in Florida, and here’s why. More...



business

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

Risk on - risk off

Investment Corner

In the investment realm the term risk on – risk off usually refers to the short to intermediate term attitudes of investors. Are they taking money out of safer investment to move into stocks and other more aggressive opportunities indicating a high level of optimism? Or, are they pulling back from growth investments and moving into government bonds and cash, indicating a high level of cautiousness?

There is also a longer-term aspect to risk on – risk off behavior. There is a tendency for investors to build confidence as an economic expansion takes place, moving a larger percentage of their portfolio into riskier investments as the rising bull trend rolls on. This is not in keeping with the idea of buying low and selling high. More...



SPORTS

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story Sensational soccer

The adult co-ed spring soccer season comes to a climatic conclusion this week at the Anna Maria Island Community Center.

The soccer buzz is all over the world right now due to the FIFA World Cup in soccer. The most popular sport on planet earth has fans reeling and soccer fans on the Island are no different. What a perfect time for the conclusion of the Center’s adult soccer season.

Upsets were prevalent in last week’s first round of the playoffs. Three out of the four tournament playoff games were won by the underdog seeded team. Again this shows the parity of the Center’s drafting system in the sports leagues and how any team can win on any given night. More...


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