Top Stories this week: Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2006 The Magic Snow Florida Studio Theater actors performed winning student-written plays in the media center at Anna Maria Elementary School to inspire students to write their own play for the 2006 Young Playwrights Festival. Here, FST actors perform 'The Magic Snow,' a poignant play penned by a Manatee County second-grader about making a wish - for a father to come home from Iraq - before the first snow hits the ground so that it will come true. Playmakers inspire AME writers By Diana Bogan. Islander Reporter Florida Studio Theater's Playmakers group came to Anna Maria Elementary School to inspire second- through fifth-grade students to let their imaginations and emotions help them carve out a good play. Full Story... Sandbar site plan may be in jeopardy By Rick Catlin. Islander Reporter Ed Chiles and the Sandbar restaurant could be in danger of starting from scratch with a new site plan to remodel the existing facility after Chiles failed to meet the city's six-month deadline to return to the city commission with a final site plan. Full Story... Settling in to AME's new home By Diana Bogan. Islander Reporter "Old is good, but new is terrific." That was first-grader Joey Cucci's comment as he entered his new school for the first time. Full Story... Boatel planned for part of Bradenton Beach Marina By Paul Roat. Islander Reporter Changes may be in store for the Bradenton Beach Marina. Owner Allan Bazzy highlighted renovation plans for the marina on Church Street, just south of the Cortez Bridge on Anna Maria Sound, at a planning and zoning board meeting last week. No plans have been filed at the city, he admitted, but he wanted to be sure that the city's ongoing review of the comprehensive plan would concur with his thoughts on changing the use of the property. Full Story... Condos proposed for Cortez RV park By Rick Catlin. Islander Reporter The Holiday Cove RV Resort at 11900 Cortez Road would be converted into 78 condominiums under a proposal by Federal Resort Properties Inc. of Sarasota. Full Story... Old Cortez school nearly new again By Jim Hanson. Islander Reporter You name it and it's just about done at the old Cortez school, now being rehabilitated as a museum/exhibit hall/community center. Full Story... Consolidation study not moving - yet By Rick Catlin. Islander Reporter Although both Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach approved a non-binding referendum last November to discuss the feasibility of consolidating either the two cities or some essential services, the initial effort appears to be lagging. Full Story... Holmes Beach land-use changes: Yes and yes By Rick Catlin. Islander Reporter Holmes Beach city commissioners at their Jan. 10 meeting agreed that a discrepancy between the city’s 1989 future land use map and the zoning between the Anna Maria Elementary School and the former Moreland Marine should be corrected to favor the type of structures that exist there. Full Story... North again wins in new north-south battle By Paul Roat. Islander Reporter A short war between the north and south took place on a short street in Bradenton Beach last week. The north won. Full Story... Heart attack claims Taylor At press time, The Islander learned that Jim Taylor, owner of Taylor-Made Marine Construction and Taylor-Made Pyrotechnics of Holmes Beach, died in Orlando in the early morning hours Monday, Jan. 16. Full Story...