Top Stories this week: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 Top Notch fourth week and Grand Prize Winner: Taking the plunge Mary Anne Keenan of Bradenton won the grand prize in The Islander's annual Top Notch contest for this photo of ducklings anticipating a swim at Freedom Village. Keenan won $100 from the newspaper, plus a bevy of gifts from Islander advertisers, including certificates from the Jolly Roger, Tortilla Bay and Minnie's, of Holmes Beach, and framing a photo from Karly Carlson Photography and Custom Framing of Cortez. Other photographers were weekly winners in the Top Notch contest — Suki Janisch, Craig Fisher, Don Lee, Kimberly Walters and Hannah Howell. The weekly winners received Islander “more-than-a-mullet wrapper” T-shirts and front-page placement of their photos. Stoltzfus recall: Election yes, results no By Rick Catlin Islander Reporter Manatee County Circuit Court Judge Edward Nicholas ruled last week that the Sept. 7 vote on the recall of Anna Maria Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus will proceed as scheduled, but he also ordered the ballots sealed. No results will be announced, and Nicholas ordered a stay on the certification of the results. Nicholas ordered Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Bob Sweat to withhold certification of the election until the Second District Court of Appeal further stays the election, rules on Stoltzfus’ appeal of his Aug. 24 order to proceed with the recall, or his stay ruling expires. Full Story... Election ballots reviewed The Anna Maria election canvassing board members Sherry Oehler, city clerk Alice Baird, public works supervisor George McKay and SOE Bob Sweat discuss acceptance of absentee votes in the recall election of Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus. Full Story... BB mooring field grant terminated By Lisa Neff Islander Reporter A state agency has formally terminated a $165,000 grant to Bradenton Beach for a mooring field south of the Historic Bridge Street Pier. Bradenton Beach commissioners voted to rescind a contract for the grant in June, then asked the city attorney and city clerk to make sure FWC canceled the grant. The city commission had approved the contract with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission earlier in the spring. And, in late May, the FWC executed the contract. Full Story... Coquina Beach renourishment study under way By Rick Catlin Islander Reporter Marine biologists, surveyors and divers from Coastal Planning and Engineering Inc. of Boca Raton were on Anna Maria Island last week to inspect the borrow area for the planned renourishment of Coquina Beach beginning in January next year or February. Manatee County Natural Resources Department director Charlie Hunsicker said the team was performing a biological assessment at the borrow area, which is off the north end of the Island. The team also will assess rocks near the perpendicular jetties on Coquina Beach. Full Story... Commission accepts settlement in land dispute By Lisa Neff Islander Reporter Bradenton Beach commissioners voted to settle a longstanding legal dispute Aug. 31, but they did not lay grievances to rest. The commission, by a 3-2 vote, agreed to accept an offer from Island Inc./Beach Development Inc., the owners of a half-acre of beachfront property that the city has deemed preservation. The vote followed nothing short of a plea from acting city attorney Greg Hootman, who said he has spent “thousands and thousands” of hours on the case, which dates back to the late 1990s. Full Story... Chiles drops bid for gov By Lisa Neff Islander Reporter Lawton “Bud” Chiles III dropped his Independent bid for governor last week. Chiles, a 57-year-old Tallahassee businessman, is the son of Rhea Chiles, former first lady of the state and a Holmes Beach resident. He is the brother of Anna Maria resident and Island businessman Ed Chiles. His father Lawton was a popular Democratic governor and U.S. senator. Full Story... Sex offender moves to Bradenton Beach The Florida Department of Law Enforcement reported last week that a convicted sex offender moved to Bradenton Beach from Tampa shortly before Aug. 30. Full Story... Witness tampering alleged in porn case By Lisa Neff Islander Reporter Local authorities allege a Bradenton Beach man charged with a series of porn offenses tried to bribe a witness. Joseph Edmund Chiquet, 35, of Bradenton Beach was arrested a year ago and faces 27 counts of possessing and promoting child pornography. Chiquet is now also accused of witness tampering. He allegedly offered an ex-girlfriend $10,000 if she told police she was depicted in the photographs and not, as prosecutors allege, a 15-year-old girl, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Full Story... Coquina Beach waters safe for swimmers By Rick Catlin Islander Reporter The Manatee County Environmental Health Services Department Sept. 1 lifted its advisory for the waters on the north side of Coquina Beach, but the advisories for the waters at Bayfront Park in Anna Maria and the south side of the Palma Sola Causeway remained in effect. Full Story... Snook season remains closed By Nick Walter Islander Reporter The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission decided Thursday to continue to prohibit the harvest of snook in Florida’s Gulf of Mexico, Everglades National Park and Monroe County state and federal waters until Sept. 1, 2011. The prohibition stems from the latest status of the snook population, which suggests from studies and surveys that snook on the Gulf Coast were impacted much more by the prolonged cold weather this past winter than on the Atlantic Coast. Full Story... WMFR stakeholder’s meeting is Sept. 8 West Manatee Fire Rescue will be holding an External Stakeholder’s Meeting at noon, Sept. 8, at the Palma Sola Presbyterian Church, 6510 3rd Avenue West in Bradenton. Full Story...