Late night weekend visitors no longer welcome

It’s been a late night ritual every weekend the last two months.
A club closes, the crowd empties out, piles into cars and heads down U.S. 301 to Sarasota.
Sometimes it’s a convoy of 50 to 60 cars with 200 to 300 people, maybe more, looking for a place to congregate and party some more.
Not all of them are tipsy joyriders, either.
Some are career criminals.
A recipe for disaster.
That’s what Major Kevin Kenney, a commander with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, calls it.
So does Palmetto Police Chief Rick Wells.
City of Bradenton Police Chief Mike Radzilowski does, too.
Joined by Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube, they’re among the law enforcement officials trying to resolve a nettlesome problem of mutual concern.

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

State tournament awaits Cal Ripken All-Stars

Those Manatee Cal Ripken 8-&-Under All-Stars are on their way to state. Manager Lee Heintz’s ballclub remained unbeaten in postseason play, sweeping last weekend’s district tournament in Ocala, beating North Central Florida, 8-4, Oviedo, 9-6, and South Daytona, 9-1. The Cal Ripken State Tournament is July 3-8 in Palm Beach Gardens.
• Brittany Wilson’s going to have an interesting summer. She’ll spend five weeks in Ecuador as part of Florida State University’s Travel Abroad Program. Brittany will stay with a host family, immerse herself in the language and take twice-daily classes, too.
 • Adam Mott just earned a bachelors degree in fire and emergency services from the University of Florida. He’s with the Port Charlotte Fire Department.
• That’s 59 years of wedded bliss Sunday for Jack and Darlene Stewart.

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

A sentimental snapshot of summer long ago

Three barefoot boys are sitting on a fence in the shade of a big tree and the farmland beyond is veiled in a light haze.
It could be Myakka City.
Or Duette.
It’s Lancaster, Pa.
A few years ago, Sherri and I were driving through Amish country, saw the lads and stopped to take a picture.
Then we lingered awhile and gazed at the scene and its surroundings.
It was a mesmerizing snapshot of summer.
A wistful glimpse at those carefree days of our own youth when school was out, summer truly seemed endless and Labor Day was far, far away.
Summer’s official arrival last Friday, punctuated by the rising of Sunday’s “Super Moon,” brings back those feelings.

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

It's been quite some week for McKechnie Field

Marty the Marauder has got some big dates ahead at McKechnie Field.

What a week for McKechnie Field.
First, the announcement it will host the 2014 Florida State League All-Star Game, bound to be a big bash for B’town.
Then the news its Independence Day celebration is July 2 with country music’s David Nail performing after the Marauders 5:30 p.m. game with Fort Myers.
Finally, 2012 Cy Young winner David Price makes his first rehab start Friday when Tampa Bay Rays’ affiliate Charlotte Stone Crabs play the Marauders.
Game time is 5 p.m.

• Palmetto High School’s 74th annual FFA Award recipients were: Kathleen McClure, Farm Bureau Leadership; Aubrey Rife, Star Green Hand Award; Austin Hamblin, Star Agri-Business Award; Kara Varnadore, Jack Gay Leadership Award; Darrylin Cannon, Blue and Gold Spirit Award; Kristie Teachey, FFA Pride Award; Shea Hartford, Agriculture Scholar Award; Tyler Harper, Outstanding Beef Showmanship; Colin Kirker, Outstanding Swine Showmanship; Hannah Farabee, Outstanding Goat Showmanship; Jackie Ervin, Bradenton Kiwanis Award; Caleb Summeralls, Work Horse Award; Sam Jackson, Callon Keen Sr. Award; Chrissy White, Leona Keen Award; Rebecca Keefer, Susan Keen Award; Kelly Lowimore, Horticulture Crop In Honor of B.L. Groover; Avery Kotlarczyk, Jack Gay Dairy Award; Kaitlyn Richman, Outstanding Rabbit Showmanship; Deven Penaloza, Outstanding Poultry Showmanship; Shelby Falsetti, Jeanette Gay Horticulture Award; Bill Tillett, Mosaic; Audrey May, John P. O’Conner Award and CattleWomen Award; Sierra Oliver, Cattle Men Award; Tabetha Lex, Conservation Award.

• The Carl Weeks Retirement Tour makes a stop June 28 at the Palmetto Boys & Girls Club. The Boys & Girls Club of Manatee president, who’s riding off into the sunset in August after 42 years with the organization, will be honored by Denver Bronco Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie’s DRC Foundation and his father, Stanley Cromartie.
The event is in conjunction with the DRC Foundation’s Summer Basketball Camp Championship Friday awards ceremony at the Palmetto club.

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





 

FDOT estimate on Cortez Bridge job a real lulu

We've known for awhile the ol' Cortez Bridge was heading for some changes.
The Florida Department of Transportation has been making noises about that inevitability off and on for the past 30 years.
High-level fixed span?
Mid-level drawbridge?
Or a major overhaul?
We've heard all that.
What we'd like to know is when does the rubber begin to meet the road on this project?
Uhhh, not so fast, the FDOT said Tuesday in the Manatee County Commission chambers.
They need to "properly assess" the repairs necessary and how much it will cost.
OK, how long should that take?
Better hold onto something.
Three years.
Not three weeks.
Not three months.
THREE YEARS!
Not to actually fix up the bridge.
Just "study" it.
Excuse me, but wasn't it two years ago the FDOT announced a $1.5 million study on the structure's long term future?
And area residents said, hey, you guys have studied this thing long enough, haven't you?
What's more, including that 3-year study, FDOT officials estimate the project -- "We're looking at a rehab option" -- to be an 8-to-10-year job.
For a rehab?
For that amount of time and who knows how many millions, we better be getting something brand spanking new.
Our tax dollars at work, indeed.

Lincoln urban farm vandalism hurtful, thoughtless

 

"I am heartbroken. My eyes are sore from crying."
Those were the words spoken Monday by Kimberly Lough, the agriculture/science teacher and urban farm program director at Lincoln Middle School for the past 10 years.
You feel her pain.
That's because for the second time in less than two weeks, some idiots have vandalized the school program's property, a place where students learn about growing plants hydroponically and vegetables and fruit the old fashioned way.
Now this  happens.
What audacity.
How senseless.
Hydroponic structures were shattered.
Rain barrels turned over.
Greenhouse benches with plants upended.
Tilapia taken out of their tanks and thrown on the concrete floor, left to die.
All told, the consecutive acts of vandalism did nearly $4,000 worth of damage.
This is outrageous.
How will those items be replaced?
Who's going to pay for them?
The Manatee County School District?
Lincoln Middle School?
Don't count on it.
Not with the financial difficulties our public schools are facing.
I hope the Palmetto Police Department arrests whomever is responsible.
Then make those morons pay for it and replace all they ruined.

Referendum going down to the wire

Property tax relief.
Double taxation.
New jobs.
A shell game.
Health care for the poor.
It’ll pay for abortions.
Abortions?
Egad.
Guess some people didn’t think this campaign had gotten heated up enough over the past few weeks.
So let’s pour a little more gasoline on the fire.
What in blue blazes does abortion have to do with Tuesday’s half-cent sales tax referendum?
Manatee County can be justifiably criticized on enough matters when it comes to spending our tax money, but indirectly funding abortions?
Please.

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