Top Stories this week: Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2005 West Manatee Fire and Rescue Firefighter Paul Hopkins shows Heather Bosch's first-grade class the equipment firefighters wear to protect themselves from smoke and flames. The students learned about fire prevention and were encouraged to talk to parents about fire safety. This year's fire-safety focus was "blow out and keep out" candles - the cause of a large number of fires. Also pictured from WMFR is firefighter Buddy Bowen. Islander Photos: Diana Bogan Wet and wild By Rick Catlin. Islander Reporter West Manatee Fire and Rescue Firefighter Paul Hopkins let AME first-graders spray the firehose on the front lawn of Anna Maria Elementary School. Behind the nozzle is an excited Anna Albers. Full Story... Code board won't meet on fence future By Rick Catlin. Islander Reporter Mark English cut short his North Carolina vacation to be back in Anna Maria in plenty of time to prepare for the Oct. 10 meeting of the city’s code enforcement board. Full Story... Parking, landscape issues presented at AME meeting By Diana Bogan The Anna Maria Elementary School Construction Team held a community meeting Oct. 4 in the school auditorium to announce changes to its landscape plans and limitations for onsite parking during the next phase of construction set to begin Oct. 17. However, the public was surprisingly absent from the meeting. Full Story... Height restriction draws fire from Anna Maria business owners By Rick Catlin. Islander Reporter The division between residential and business property owners in Anna Maria flared up once again, this time at the planning and zoning board’s Oct. 3 meeting to discuss the future land-use element of the proposed revisions to the city’s comprehensive plan. Full Story... DOT has projects for Bradenton Beach By Rick Catlin. Islander Reporter The Florida Department of Transportation has plans for three enhancement/beautification projects for Bradenton Beach and will consolidate all three into one contract. The city has received matching grant funds from the DOT for the projects. Full Story... Cortez boats triumphant 'up north' By Jim Hanson Cortez volunteers built their boats by hand from the keel up, took them north and whipped the competition at "the most prestigious event of its kind on the Atlantic Coast." Full Story... Holmes Beach traffic woes continue Island motorists, particularly those in Holmes Beach and Anna Maria already weary from the innumerable detours along Gulf Drive near 50th Street in Holmes Beach the past few weeks, can expect more of the same in the next few days. Full Story... Passage Key refuge passes 100-year mark By Joe W. Chiles - Special to The Islander While waiting for a boat from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to pick up the press representatives from this side of Tampa Bay on Columbus Day, I began to muse on several matters regarding Passage Key. Most locals don’t think of it as one of the nation’s earliest national wildlife refuges - second, fourth or sixth, depending on who does the counting. Full Story...