Top Stories this week: Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006 Whitmore new county commissioner; fire district fee hike OK'd Countywide ballot items of interest that can be concluded with early returns include results for the districtwide seat on the Manatee County Board of Commissioners. Full Story... Anna Maria: Barford is mayor; Mattick, Miller take commission seats By Rick Catlin. Islander Reporter Fran Barford, the former mayor of Temple Terrace, will now occupy the same role in Anna Maria, handily defeating former planning and zoning board chairman Tom Turner, 695 to 260, in the Nov. 7 election for the mayor's post vacated by outgoing Mayor SueLynn. Full Story... Holmes Beach voters elect Haas-Martens, Monetti By Lisa Neff. Islander Reporter Holmes Beach voters today elected two commissioners - one incumbent and one newcomer to the board. Full Story... Voters beat path to ballot box By Lisa Neff. Islander Reporter A steady stream of voters went to the polls on Anna Maria Island to cast ballots in a mid-term election deciding the balance of Congress and the makeup of city commissions. Full Story... Art appreciation starts off Island art season "Look at this one," 4-year-old Blake Hallman, of Tampa, says, calling his mother's attention to a photograph. Blake, his family, and dozens of other art and craft enthusiasts browsed on Sunday afternoon at the Arts and Crafts Fair in Holmes Beach. The two-day fair on the lot next to Holmes Beach City Hall brought out local and regional artists, who showed off their photographs, watercolors, sculptures, carvings, jewelry and fun items like dog hats, and fun-to-eat items, like kettle corn. Islander Photo: Lisa Neff Meanwhile Manatee County Sheriff's Deputy Beau Griner stopped traffic in one lane along Marina Drive by the Island Shopping Center to protect a disabled hawk in the road. Griner called Wildlife Inc. of Bradenton Beach, which happened to be manning a booth just a few blocks away at the art festival. Gail Straight of Wildlife Inc. said it is a Sharp-shinned hawk, and that it was "stunned" and came back to life. It had no injuries, she said, and "they're crazy birds in captivity," and so they released it a couple of hours later. Islander Photo: Bonner Joy New bridge opening time delayed By Rick Catlin. Islander Reporter Islanders and Longboat Key residents expecting that the U.S. Coast Guard would implement peak opening times of every 30 minutes on demand for the Cortez Bridge and Anna Maria Island Bridge this December in time for the winter season may have to wait a bit longer. Full Story... Tax collector accepting tax deferral applications By Rick Catlin. Islander Reporter Manatee County Tax Collector Ken Burton Jr. and his staff are now accepting applications for a working waterfront tax deferral for county ad valorem taxes only. Full Story... Community Center plans groundbreaking ceremony By Lisa Neff. Islander Reporter The season to be jolly comes a few weeks early for supporters of the Anna Maria Island Community Center. Full Story... Program-project manager sought in Bradenton Beach Bradenton Beach officials are actively seeking a person to fill the program-project manager position vacated by Dottie Poindexter last month. Full Story... Building's move through Cortez cleared By Jim Hanson. Islander Reporter Permits in hand at long last, movers are ready to shift the historic Burton Store from one side of Cortez to the other any day (or night) now. Full Story... Cortez Showboat is no more By Jim Hanson. Islander Reporter The paddlewheeler "Showboat," a fixture along the Cortez waterfront and on Sarasota Bay for many years, is transferring to the Virginia coast. Full Story... Fishermen sue over monitoring devices By Lisa Neff. Islander Reporter Gulf fishermen, including some in Cortez, are suing the U.S. government to stop enforcement of a regulation requiring monitoring systems on certain boats. Full Story... Key Royale Bridge deck to be poured By Lisa Neff. Islander Reporter Workers replacing the Key Royale Bridge planned to begin pouring a concrete deck this week, probably on Thursday. Full Story... Island gets No. 1 ranking in online survey By Lisa Neff. Islander Reporter An international travelers group recently put Anna Maria Island on its map as the top 2007 U.S. destination. Full Story... Top Notch: First weekly winner also 2006 grand prize winner The grand prize winner from among six weekly award-winning photos in the 2006 "Top Notch" Islander photo contest is 'Hermit' by Kim Klement of Bradenton. Her shot was the first winner on June 28 and was taken at Andros Island in the Bahamas in May. She can claim her grand prize, including $100 from The Islander, a dining certificate from Ooh La La! Bistro, a bottle of champagne from Anna Maria Island Liquor and Wine, dinner for two at a Chiles Group Restaurant and framing of the winning photo by Decor and More. Congratulations to all the winners - and be watching next week for our featured runnersup.