“The Skyway bridge is down. This is a mayday. Emergency situation.”
The recording of the 30-year-old emergency call crackles.
“Stop the traffic on that Skyway bridge.”
The call to the U.S. Coast Guard at about 7:38 a.m. May 9, 1980, came from John E. Lerro, who was piloting the Summit Venture to the Port of Tampa when the 608-foot freighter struck the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
Discussion about which company should operate the Manatee Public Beach concession is on the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners agenda beginning at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 11, at the first floor chambers of the County Administration Center in downtown Bradenton.
A county-appointed committee has recommended United Parks Service of St. Petersburg to operate the concessions at both Coquina and Manatee beaches.
Tourism officials across the state, including industry representatives in Manatee County, are spreading a message: Florida beaches are clean and safe.
Tourism officials joined in a conference call organized by the Florida Association of Convention and Visitors Bureau recently to discuss monitoring the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon well off the coast of Louisiana and also the state’s message to vacationers, as well as press coverage.
The Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service is seeking people who live along or are visiting coastal communities to watch for oiled wildlife, vegetation and beaches by becoming a Coast Watch volunteer.
Whether W.H. “Snooks” Adams was unveiling his unique sense of humor in one of his lengthy, intriguing yarns or sharing his boundless knowledge of Anna Maria Island history, he had a knack of striking someone with something unforgettable.
Adams’ died April 27 at the age of 92. He was born April 24, 1917, in Cortez, a lifelong resident of Manatee County, and longtime resident of Holmes Beach. Adams served Holmes Beach as police chief from 1962-78.
The Manatee Economic Development Council earlier this year served up a proposed $35 annual tax on local businesses.
The Board of Manatee County Commissioners last week agreed to leave the tax on the table.
The commission vote to table the tax was unanimous, coming near the conclusion of the board’s regular meeting at the administration center in Bradenton April 27.
The Recall Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus committee in Anna Maria last week reached the minimum of 136 signatures needed to present the petition to the clerk of the circuit court. The figure required by Florida law is 10 percent of the city’s 1,362 registered voters.
Committee member Sandy Mattick said the volunteers would continue this week to collect more signatures.
The petition must be filed with the Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court within 30 days of the first signature, according to the Florida statute on recall. The committee began obtaining signatures of registered Anna Maria voters April 22.
A barrage of support to keep Cafe on the Beach on Manatee Public Beach has led to more than 1,000 online and hand-written petition signatures.
“I’m overwhelmed,” said Dee Schaefer, owner of The Beach Shop at the Holmes Beach facility. “I’ve never seen such support in my life, and it just touched me to the bottom of my heart.”
A recommendations committee appointed by Manatee County administrator Ed Hunzeker reviewed four companies’ proposals and has recommended the county negotiate with United Parks Service of St. Petersburg for operations at Coquina and Manatee beaches. If the county approves the recommendation, UPS would take over operations July 21.
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.
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