Top Stories this week on Anna Maria Island: Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009 While others stumble, Island tourism continues upswing By Rick Catlin Islander Reporter At a time when tourism in Orlando is off 40 percent and other Florida destinations are suffering drops of 15-30 percent, Anna Maria Island continues to defy the trend. According to figures available from the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the two-month average of occupancy figures on the Island for September and October was 14.7 percent higher than the same two months last year. Full Story... Construction wraps up at Kingfish Boat Ramp By Nick Walter Islander Reporter The deadline to complete improvements at the Kingfish Boat Ramp is less than two weeks away. Construction has been ongoing for three weeks, and some boaters have complained about a lack of lighting around the ramp, said James Santjer, one of the project workers for Oneco Concrete and Asphalt. “They just need to know that the lighting is coming back,” Santjer said. “Right now, they can’t see because there’s no lights to put the boats in.” Full Story... Anna Maria pier needs repair, but who pays? By Rick Catlin Islander Reporter One of the first questions waiting for the new Anna Maria City Commission when it meets Nov. 19 is what to do about the city pier. An inspection report completed by MTCI Inc. estimated the cost to repair the structure is $176,000-$225,000. That’s money the city doesn’t have in its contingency fund, although there are sufficient funds in the city’s reserve account. Full Story... New commissioner questions Pine Avenue parking By Rick Catlin Islander Reporter Newly elected Anna Maria City Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus wasted little time fulfilling a campaign promise to investigate parking on Pine Avenue. Full Story... Time running out for Levengood By Kimberly Kuizion Islander Reporter Levengood on short time at AME Anna Maria Elementary School principal Tom Levengood didn’t realize three years ago when he signed up for the Florida Deferred Retirement Option Program how much he would enjoy his work at AME. Full Story... Two bridge closures in a week delays traffic By Nick Walter Islander Reporter Traffic on the Anna Maria Island Bridge was delayed twice in last week — once because of a traffic accident and another time because of a bridge malfunction. Cindy Clemmons, public information officer for Florida Department of Transportation District 1 office, said the first delay, on Nov. 5, was due to a vehicular accident in the west-bound lane. There was a brief traffic disruption. Homes Beach police re-routed traffic on the Island side of the bridge at the Manatee Avenue-East Bay Drive intersection. Full Story... Motorist alerts on Anna Maria Island this week The Florida Department of Transportation has advised motorists of the following construction projects on Anna Maria Island Nov. 16-20 that may affect traffic. Anna Maria: North Bay Boulevard from North Shore Drive to Hibiscus Street. The DOT project involves sidewalk construction, sign relocation and sodding. Motorists can expect temporary daily lane closures and delays Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. Full Story... Australian pines cut for beach improvements By Lisa Neff Islander Reporter Thirteen Australian pines came down last week to make way for improvements to facilities at Coquina Beach. In the past, some Islanders resisted the removal of the non-native invasive species. Not so last week. Neither county nor Bradenton Beach officials fielded complaints, but beachgoers asked questions. Full Story... Maritime administrator approves port license By Lisa Neff Islander Reporter The U.S. Maritime Administration has approved a license for a deepwater port and natural gas pipeline in the Anna Maria Island area. Port Dolphin Energy LLC requested the license to construct and operate the port, which will be built about 28 miles west of Anna Maria Island, and the pipeline, which will traverse the bottom of Tampa Bay and connect with onshore lines at Port Manatee. Acting Maritime Administrator David T. Matsuda approved the license following a review of Port Dolphin’s application and the receipt of endorsements from Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Full Story... Fire damages northwest Bradenton home West Manatee Fire Rescue was alerted at 2:43 a.m. Nov. 11 to a house fire in the 1100 block of 64th Street in Bradenton. Full Story... These are a few of our favorite things By Bonner Joy Friends are, of course, No. 1 on our list of things to be thankful for every year. Friends who share great recipes are No. 2. For these friends and recipes, the holidays are a time for sharing. Full Story... Top Top Notch: Waves, camera, action Chris Pate of Holmes Beach won the grand prize in The Islander's annual Top Notch contest with his photograph of a wave-skater at White Avenue beach. Pate won $100 from the newspaper, plus gifts from Islander advertisers, including a $50 gift certificate from the Chiles Restaurants Group, a $50 certificate for Hair's to You Salon, a $25 certificate from Mister Roberts Resortwear, a $10 certificate for Minnie's Beach Cafe and the framing of the winning photo by Karly Carlson Custom Framing. The weekly winners received Islander "more-than-a-mullet wrapper" T-shirts and front-page placement of their photos. Next week, The Islander's honorable mentions in the popular contest.