Bayfest one of the best

ANNA MARIA – Island residents and visitors from several counties came out in droves to celebrate cooler weather and the beauty of the Island at Bayfest, sponsored by the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce.

A huge crowd filled the six lots at North Bay Boulevard and Pine Avenue for food, drinks, shopping and music on Friday night. KoKo Ray and the Keepers started things off with a variety of sounds while vendors served everything from barbecue to crab rolls, pizza, fish tacos and more. More...

Forfeiture resolution ironed out

BRADENTON BEACH – The city’s new forfeiture of office resolution has been reviewed and revised and will be presented for final adoption during a special commission meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 10 a.m.

The resolution will serve as the commission’s procedural guide for the forfeiture of office proceedings recently initiated against Mayor Bill Shearon. The document would also provide the framework for future forfeiture proceedings, should the need arise. More...

The day the music died

HOLMES BEACH – Local musician Howie Banfield protested the city commission’s ban on music in the city field on Sundays.

Banfield, who is in charge of music for the AMI Art League’s annual Winterfest and Springfest, said, “It’s a troubadour style of music on Sunday. Unamplified, so Winterfest and Springfest can have some entertainment. It’s people strolling around the grounds playing music, not performing.”

The issue came about in the spring when commissioners considered limiting events in the field due to complaints about too many festivals. In May they agreed on two events per month of one or two days with any one group allowed a maximum of three events per year, with no music allowed on Sundays. More...

Whitmore, Wonder debate Oct. 28

The 2014 Environmental Summit will feature a candidate debate between incumbent commissioner Carol Whitmore and challenger Terri Wonder for the at-large Manatee County commissioner position on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m. at Palma Sola Botanical Park, 9800 17th Ave. N.W, in Bradenton.

The candidates will respond to questions on environmental and growth management issues posed by the Manatee Fish and Game Association.

The summit also will feature a discussion of the Water and Land Conservation Initiative - Constitutional Amendment 1 on the Nov. 4 ballot, which, if passed, will dedicate 33 percent of net revenues from the excise tax on documents to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund. Christine Johnson, president of the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, will speak in favor of the initiative, and Dr. Frank Alcock, associate professor of political science and environmental studies at New College of Florida, will play a devil’s advocate role, posing arguments contrary to the amendment. More...

Three seek commission seats...

HOLMES BEACH – Two incumbents – Commissioners Judy Titsworth and Marvin Grossman - are being challenged for their seats by Andy Sheridan. The two with the highest number of votes in the Nov. 4 election will take the two-year seats.

Two candidates also are vying for mayor – Commissioner David Zaccagnino and resident Bob Johnson. The highest vote-getter will win, and the commission will appoint someone to fill the remainder of Zaccagnino’s commission More...

.... two seek mayor’s seat

David Zaccagnino

David Zaccagnino grew up in Tampa, but has been coming to the Island since he was 10 years old. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in business management from Florida State. He is a financial advisor with Ameriprise.

He has spent nine years as a commissioner and said, “Many people were concerned and asked me to step up and run for mayor because the inexperience of the last mayor caused a lot of problems for the city.” More...

Party with your pirates

Tickets are going fast for the Anna Maria Island Privateers Second Annual Day of the Dead Invasion Ball at the American Legion Kirby Post 24, at 2000 75th St W, Bradenton, on Saturday, Oct. 25, starting at 6 p.m. for cocktail hour, with dinner and dancing at 7 p.m. For $40 per person, you get a buffet dinner, dancing and entertainment and a 2014 Invasion Ball keepsake.

Attendees can upgrade to the reserved Captain’s Table for six for $290, which includes dinner, dancing and entertainment plus prime seating with first buffet service, a specially decorated VIP Table, a 2014 Invasion Ball keepsake, six draft beer tickets, a personalized souvenir table sign and an additional gift for each guest. More...

Mayor advocates paid parking at public beach

HOLMES BEACH – Once again, Mayor Carmel Monti told city commissioners they should institute paid parking at the Manatee Public Beach.

“I think we’re absolutely stupid not to address it,” he stressed. “The elephant is in the room. We could generate about $1 million a year.

“We would have to have an interlocal agreement with the county because it is the county’s property, but I’m willing to orchestrate that.” More...

Family, friends and food

My childhood was full of memorable times spent in my families' kitchens. If we were all together in the house, we were at the kitchen table while my grandmother, mother, aunt or some cousin was cooking an Italian feast. In our family, food was always the centerpiece of a good times with our family and friends.

There were loud conversations going on, not yelling, but definitely loud. Lots of smiling faces and laughing across the room. This was dinner, lunch or even a Sunday morning at mommoms and poppops for breakfast with Sinatra playing in the background. More...

CCA Mangrove Coast Fall Fly Challenge

The 10th annual Fall Fly Fishing Challenge will be held on Oct. 25. Sponsored by the Sarasota Chapter of Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers, the tournament will feature a catch, photo and release fly fishing only event.

The tournament will consist of two divisions. An Open Division is reserved for guides and guided anglers. All anglers are eligible to compete in the Open division so they have the opportunity to test their skills with some of the area’s top talent. Eligible species include snook, redfish and spotted sea trout. More...

Co-owning a vacation home

Most people have the dream of owning a vacation property at some point in their lives. Whether you want to be at the beach or in the mountains, owning a second home may sound romantic and exciting, but it comes with a price and generally a really big one.

Once the domain of married couples or family compounds, more and more homebuyers are discovering the advantages of teaming up with a friend or relative to buy a house. Since in 2013, the sale of vacation home sales rose almost 30 percent, it’s obvious that this market is expanding especially in the South where 41 percent of those purchases where made. More...

Be safe on the Web

The Internet is now ubiquitous in our lives. We bank online, trade stocks, check the news and shop, all whenever and from wherever we desire to do it with the aid of wireless devices. Of course, pursuing much of this activity involves placing private information on certain Websites, including account numbers or credit card numbers.

In an ideal world the process would be wonderfully convenient and safe. Unfortunately, the convenience comes at a cost as the bad guys are out there attempting to gain access to our private information to use for their personal gain. Being safe when using the Internet has become vitally important from a financial standpoint, as well as from a personal safety standpoint for our children and grandchildren. More...

Fall sports in full swing at Center

The fall sports season at Anna Maria Island Community Center is in its second week, and the fields and gym are buzzing with activity.

Adult basketball sponsors this season are Poppo’s, Duncan Real Estate, Sugar Beach Digital, Island Real Estate and Gator Man Pools. Basketball games will be on Tuesday evenings through Nov. 25. More...