A two-vehicle accident on the Cortez Bridge around 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 29, closed the bridge to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic for several hours, and put the cab of a tractor-trailer over the guard rail and dangerously close to falling into the water.
Bradenton Beach Police Chief Sam Speciale said he had few details of the cause of the accident, but there were no serious injuries.
Palm to palm, hundreds of people joined hands on Anna Maria Island’s shore June 26, forming a human boom in a symbolic stand against an expansion of offshore oil drilling in U.S. waters.
Protesters lined up on the shore in Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach and Anna Maria. They did not form a chain the entire length of the Island, but they did form long ribbons, especially at weekend hotspots, including the Pine Avenue beach in Anna Maria and Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach.
Holmes Beach Police Officers June 21 arrested two Manatee County residents on robbery charges, according to an HBPD report.
Toni Gilletto, 25, of 34th Avenue West in Bradenton, was charged with principal to robbery by sudden snatching and was transported to the Manatee County jail.
Anna Maria business owners plan to attack the problem of trash following the July 4 holiday.
The newly formed North End Merchants Organization hopes to show its community spirit with service projects and its first effort involves the Independence Day holiday weekend.
President Barbara Sato of Sato Real Estate in Anna Maria said, “This is important to NEMO. It’s our first event and we really want to show everyone that business in Anna Maria is a vital part of the community.”
Ashley Northfleet knows that nesting sea turtles tend to be up and about after dark.
“They go to bed after me. My bedtime is 8 o’clock,” says the 4-year-old from Ocean Isle Beach, N.C.
Often at night, the turtles have the beach to themselves, but over the July 4 weekend holiday revelers also will be up and about on the beach after dark.
United Parks Service will begin its operation of the concessions at Manatee Public and Coquina beaches July 21.
At Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach, UPS plans a Key West-style look inside and out, and two phases of capital improvements.
UPS officials have said they will maintain the popular all-you-can-eat specials. UPS’s contract with Manatee County protects against price increases, and, for the first time, the restaurant will accept credit-card payments.
The Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency is collecting details about how much it would cost to purchase one or two First Street North properties and convert them into parking lots.
The CRA committee, meeting June 23 at city hall, 107 Gulf Drive, voted 4-2 to press forward with reviewing the potential property purchase using CRA money.
CRA members Janet Vosburgh, Gay Breuler, Bob Connors and Ed Chiles voted to move ahead with the project suggested by Chiles.
Anna Maria city attorney Jim Dye sent the city a letter June 22 stating the city does not have to pay the legal fees incurred by Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus regarding a complaint by a private citizen to the Florida Commission on Ethics.
The complaint was filed by Anna Maria businessman John Cagnina against Stoltzfus, but the COE dismissed the case in early June without investigation, stating it did not have jurisdiction regarding the accusations.
At least one Anna Maria business owner received an anonymous notecard from someone indicating he or she would no longer do business with the company because the owner had signed the petition to recall Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus from office.
The unsigned card was postmarked in St. Petersburg and read, “I saw your name on the list of people to recall our City Commissioner. Couldn’t believe you would join the gang to ruin our city.
“I have used your company for years and recommended you to others, but no more.
The July 4 holiday weekend will feature three nights of professional pyrotechnics on local shores and a parade punctuated with the Anna Maria Island Privateers’ trademark canon-booms.
On July 3, the Privateers’ July 4 parade will take place, beginning at about 10 a.m. at Coquina Beach and traveling north on Anna Maria Island, mostly along Gulf and Marina drives, before traveling east on Pine Avenue to the Anna Maria City Pier.
John L. Wilson is this week’s winner in the newspaper’s six-week-long Top Notch contest, winning front-page placement of the photo and an Islander newspaper “More-Than-A-Mullet wrapper” T-shirt. Wilson’s entry — a great blue heron at work at the Gatorland rookery in Orlando — will go into a pool of weekly winners eligible for the grand prize of $100 from the newspaper and a bevy of gift certificates and other prizes from Islander advertisers.
