Bradenton Times News Articles

This week, the Palmetto City Council will meet on Monday evening, their first since learning that the county has deemed a proposed Little League field site unacceptable. The Manatee County Commission will meet on Tuesday morning, when a Perico Bay property purchase for a new parking lot and public entrance to Robinson Preserve and several budget amendments will be among the items on the agenda. The Bradenton City Council will meet Wednesday evening.

In the film, The Talented Mr. Ripley, actor Matt Damon impersonates his way into a world of prestige and power by persuading those suspicious of his credentials with his tremendous gall. It seems Herschel Vinyard, Secretary of Florida's Department of Environmental Protection, has taken a page from character Tom Ripley's playbook. Only now he is also being asked to take off the Princeton Jacket. 

When you talk to Bella Mia Grill's Paul Amato, you discover that he and his brother James were born to own restaurants. It's a family tradition. Paul came to the United States as teenager from Italy, and opened a pizzeria with his family. He'll tell you, with great pride, that by age 20 he had found his calling – and owned his dream car. Bella Mia is a beautiful part of Paul's American dream come true. He and his family have owned a dozen or so restaurants in his life long career, all of which are based on his Italian heritage, and his mother's recipes

EarthTalk® is a new column that answers questions on environmental issues. In this week's edition the experts at E - The Environmental Magazine answer a question regarding how environmental groups feel about the 2012 Farm Bill draft recently released by the Senate, explaining the pros and cons as seen by different groups.

The Bradenton Marauders are proud to announce their sponsorship of the Little League District 26 County Cup. The annual competition began yesterday and will continue through June 6th. The Little League District 26 County Cup field is comprised of teams from the Lakewood Ranch Little League, the Braden River Little League, the Buffalo Creek Little League, the North River American Little League, and the Manatee West Little League. This is the first year the event has had a presenting sponsor.

Recent election cycles have seen a marked increase in both citizen-initiated and legislature-led ballot referendums. Nationwide, 98 ballot questions are already certified in 31 states for 2012. Florida is tied with Arizona for the most with seven. Issues range from property taxes to laws regarding the use of state funding for religious groups and abortion, and big money is already lining up behind pushes for each. Clearly, campaigns for direct democracy will again be a big part of this election year.

Thousands of Floridians will now have access to life-saving breast and cervical cancer screenings because of new state funding, thanks in large part to the advocacy of American Cancer Society volunteers throughout the state. American Cancer Society volunteers are advocating for the state to ultimately fund the program at the same level as federal funding for Florida, which currently totals $4.9 million. This year, they urged the legislature to move toward that amount with this initial investment of $1.24 million. They plan to continue to advocate increasing the state spending to match federal levels.

Bradenton Vice Mayor Gene Gallo has accepted an invitation from Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Longboat Key) to serve on a committee to honor exceptional firefighters and EMT's within the Congressman's 13th District. Gallo will join a group of other current and retired fire and rescue personnel who review nominations for the upcoming 13th Congressional District Fire and Rescue Awards.

The Port Manatee Propeller Club will commemorate National Maritime Day with a wreath laying ceremony at Port Manatee May 22nd at 10 a.m. Propeller Club members and the general public will join together to honor seafarers who sacrificed their lives for the maritime industry. Speakers include LCDR Andre Whidbee of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg; Marla Vignocchi, president of the Navy League of the United States Sarasota-Manatee Council; Jill VanderPol, Port Manatee Propeller Club President; and Tim Huppert of Port Manatee’s Anchor House.