So many political fliers are overkill

Picking up our mail is something I look forward to when I get home Thursday evenings.
That’s when my Sports Illustrated usually arrives.
There it was, too, Jamaica’s charismatic Olympic hero Usain Bolt on the magazine cover.
Guess what was also in our mailbox?
If you said more glossy campaign fliers pertaining to Tuesday’s primary, you are absolutely right.
We hit the jackpot.
There weren’t one or two or three this time, but five fliers.
They included the usual suspects.
One trashing county commission incumbent Joe McClash.
One touting his opponent, Betsy Benac.
One panning Ed Brodsky as state attorney candidate.
One praising him.
Then there was another one from Mike Bennett.

Read more Sunday in Mannix About Manatee on Bradenton.com.

Marauders staffer wins FSL scholarship

Marty the Marauder and stadium operations coordinator Kris Koch flank Ellen Hyland.


Big ups to Ellen Hyland.
The Bradenton Marauder staffer was one of 12 $1,500 Florida State League Scholarship recipients and will be a guest of the Miami Marlins in pre-game ceremonies on Sunday.
Hyland has been an employee of the Marauders since the team’s first season in 2010.
The Bellefontaine, Ohio, native is in the physical therapy assistant program at State College of Florida.

Gillian Palino, a Southeast High IB junior, attended the 2012 Girls World Forum in Chicago last month. There were 500 participants from 90 countries to mark the Girl Scouts 100th anniversary. Gillian has been in Girl Scouts 11 years.

The ubiquitous Charles Clapsaddle and the folks at METV celebrate its 20th anniversary next month.

Chelsea Hodges, the youngest of Sheila and Ross’s three children, will be a senior at Florida State majoring in speech and communication disorders.
Big brother Spencer is the new offensive line coach for the Ridgeview High Panthers in Orange Park. The ex-Manatee Hurricane graduated from Jacksonville University last spring after three years on the Dolphins offensive line.
Their big sister, Whittni, a Florida Gator and 2011 Stetson Law School grad, passed the bar exam last April and is an assistant state attorney in Bradenton.

Read more Friday in Vin's People on Bradenton.com.

Gator Club kickoff party Aug. 25

The Manatee County Gator Club is cranking up for the 2012 football season, hosting the ultimate Gator kickoff party Aug. 25 at Pier 22.
The night will include dinner, drinks, Las Vegas style casino tables, a silent auction, raffles and more.
The event is open to all family, friends and University of Florida alumni.
Advance tickets are available at manateegatorclub.com.
Or email manateegatorclub@gmail.com.
Proceeds benefit the Manatee County Gator Club Scholarship Fund.

Fieldhouse to be dedicated to late Bulldogs

There will be poignancy Aug. 25 when the East Manatee Youth Football Association holds an opening day ceremony for the 2012 Bulldogs season.
Program officials will dedicate the fieldhouse in memory of Brett Wagner and Josh Rogers, former Bulldogs who died in a tragic vehicular accident on State Road 70 last Christmas night.
The Wagner and Rogers families were cornerstones in the foundation of the Bulldog program that became part of Pop Warner Football in 1995.
The ceremony will be held at approximately 1-2 p.m. between the Pee Wee and Junior Pee Wee games and mark the fulfillment of the program's ambition to construct the fieldhouse.
It includes concessions, offices, equipment storage, meeting room, merchandise shop and outdoor covered shelter.
Visit www.eastmanateebulldogs.com for more details.

Jurors in Smith trial face daunting task

Presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Fair and impartial.
Beyond a reasonable doubt.
Those are among the key phrases that are going to weigh heavily on the jurors selected for the Delmer Smith III murder trial that begins Monday at the Manatee County Judicial Center.
They must render judgment on a man who has remained a sinister specter in the community’s consciousness for the past three years.
The shaved head.
The scowl.
The history of violence.
Twelve Manatee County residents must look beyond Smith’s severe countenance for the truth as he goes on trial for his life over the brutal slaying of Kathleen Briles at her family’s home just off Terra Ceia Bay on Aug. 3, 2009.
That was three years ago last Friday.

Read more Sunday in Mannix About Manatee on Bradenton.com.

Tap Dance troup takes titles in Orlando

The Starfire Tap Dance Company won team and individual honors at the Starpower National Talent Championships in Orlando behind Bruce Colby, Susan Wilcox, Jeanne Wacker, Vickie Inglese, Michelle Del Rosso, Evelyn Sturn and Suzy Berinsky.
They won the adult national tap championship in small group division and were second overall.
Berinsky was national champion adult soloist.
Bonnie Gray’s the choreographer.

The Sarasota-Manatee Ohio State Alumni Club will honor several of its scholarship recipients 2-5 p.m. Sunday at the Holiday Inn Sarasota Airport, 8009 15th St. E., Bradenton.
Among the sophomore honorees are Palmetto High grad Josh Eddington and LRHS alum Emily Auker. Kyle Riley-Hawkins, an LRHS grad and OSU wrestler, will also be there.
Senior honorees are Southeast’s Kathryn Schaulelberger and Braden River’s Kari Schultz.
Then there’s Saint Stephen’s grad Brian Swain, a Ph.D. candidate in ancient Roman history.

Ellie Ohlman joked about her sticker shock after ponying up $40 to take her nephew to the movies with drinks and snacks.
“I had no idea I needed to take out a loan for 3D!” tweeted the former DeSoto Queen and Miss Florida Pageant contestant.

Fireworks Saturday night at McKechnie Field. Game time is 6:30 p.m.

Read more Friday in Vin's People on Bradenton.com.

Palmetto Youth Center getting makeover

The Palmetto Youth Center is going to be getting a makeover next week, thanks to Manatee County Government employees, the United Way of Manatee County and area businesses.
The event will start at 8 a.m. Aug. 9 and run until noon.
There will be buildings painted and grounds landscaped among other upgrades.
The event partnering organizations are:
Arrow Fence -- providing fencing repair on entire property.
Alternative MC (clean and sober motorcycle club) -- providing lunch.
Bealls -- providing workers for event.
Coca-Cola -- providing 250 cold drinks.
Father's Eyes Photography -- providing photography for event.
METV -- filming event and producing video.
Sherwin Williams -- providing paint and painting supplies.
Turner Tree and Landscape -- providing two trees for planting on the property.
In addition, Amerson Landscape may be working on the property improving landscape around the flag pole and Terry's Tree Service may be removing a dead tree on playground.
Visit unitedway@mymanatee.org for more details.