Cortez author to sign books at Fishing Festival

Cortez author Joe Crawford will be signing both his books, Arianna and the Spanish Sardines and Nathan and the Stone Crabs at the Cortez Fishing Festival, Saturday and Sunday.
His booth will be at the end of 119th Street West.
The setting for both books is local, and readers will recognize the DeSoto Monument, Emerson Point, the Portavant Temple Mound, Egmont Key and Fort De Soto.
• New Manatee High School baseball skipper Rob Viera and the Hurricanes honored Bruce Braithwaite by naming their G.T. Bray clubhouse after him. A selfless man if ever there was one, Bruce has served the ballclub and boosters for 29 years.
• Don’t miss the Southeastern Guide Dogs’ Walkathon, Feb. 22 at Rossi Park, 808 Third Ave W., Bradenton. There will be food, fun and tons of dogs. Registration is 8:30 a.m., opening ceremony is 9:45 a.m., and the walk begins at 10 a.m.
Visit www.guidedogswalkathon.org to register.
Or call Walkathon manager Nina Ionata at 941-479-6611.
Read more Vin's People Friday on Bradenton.com.