Friday 27 February 2009

Sharks feeling the bite

If you think times are tough for us in economic terms at the moment, spare a thought for the sharks, who are having a pretty lean time of it themselves.
According to a story on Reuters, even the sharks are feeling the impact of the global economic slowdown.
It says: Shark attacks on humans dropped worldwide in 2008 to their lowest level in five years, apparently because the recession has curtailed seaside vacations, University of Florida researchers who compile the annual tally have said. They confirmed 59 shark attacks on humans in 2008, down from 71 the previous year and the fewest since 2003.
"I can't help but think that contributing to that reduction may have been the reticence of some people to take holidays and go to the beach for economic reasons," said George Burgess, who directs the International Shark Attack File at the university.
"We noticed similar declines during the recession that followed the events of 2001, despite the fact that human populations continued to rise," he said in a reference to the September 11 attacks.
The number of shark attacks in the United States, which typically accounts for about two-thirds of the global total, dropped to 41 last year from 50 in 2007. Thirty-two were in Florida, which has a higher concentration of sharks because its warm waters are home to species not found in cooler regions.
As in past years, surfers were the victims of most of the world's attacks, 57 percent. Sharks often mistake them for prey.
"The splashing of arms and particularly the kicking of feet at the water's surface where visibility is poor is provocative to sharks," Burgess said.


Actually, on second thoughts, as far as humans are concerned, this might just be one of the big positives to come out of the economic downturn...

Tuesday 24 February 2009

You can't get friendly with a crocodile...

Alligators are as much a part of Florida as sunshine and Mickey, but their reptilian friends, the crocodiles, are not always so warmly welcomed by those who live in the Sunshine State.
But help is at hand after a new study has revealed that the temporary use of magnets to disrupt the internal navigation of federally and state-protected American crocodiles, which have been spotted most often in neighborhoods of Miami-Dade and Monroe counties in Florida.
“Scientists in Mexico have reported success in using magnets to break the homing cycle,” said Lindsey Hord, crocodile response coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
A report in the Sun Sentinel newspaper says: When crocodiles show up where they don’t belong, they’re typically captured and transported to a suitable habitat as far away as possible, according to commission officials. “Unfortunately, they usually return,” said spokeswoman Gabriella Ferraro.
As part of the study, trappers have been told to attach magnets to sides of the reptile’s head where it’s captured. The magnets are supposed to disorient the crocodiles and disrupt their navigation so they can’t find their way back.
Besides protecting crocodiles from vehicles and other hazards that could injure them if they try to return, the magnets could also help keep more of them in the wild.
Generally, if a crocodile returns three times, and under certain other circumstances, it gets placed into captivity. An estimated 2,000 crocodiles are thought to be in the wild in South Florida.

And remember the old song from Peter Pan: Never smile at a crocodile...
We don't have crocs on Anna Maria Island. Come and find out why it is consistently voted the top secret tourist destination in Florida. Visit Anna Maria Vacations to find out more and check out some of the best vacation rentals money can pay for.

Friday 20 February 2009

Charity begins at home

Here's a story from Florida's News Channel 7, about what you can do to help Florida's economy in the short term. And, according to their report, it starts much closer to home than you might think.
Florida business leaders want stimulus money spent on infrastructure. Tax groups, economy experts, and construction contractors have looked at different ways to spend the money, and they have a plan to spend half of Florida’s 12 billion stimulus dollars to create 150-thousand jobs.
As state tax revenues dwindled this summer, so did the road construction jobs they funded. Since September road builder Craig Elmore has laid off 50 workers.
“We’ve been in business for 56 years and I don’t know how much longer we can go on if we don’t get some help.”
Help is around the corner as Florida looks for ways to spend 12 billion federal stimulus dollars. State Senator Mike Fasano is siding with business leaders who say the 1.3 billion earmarked for roads should be used as soon as possible.
“It’s making certain that every dollar goes to exactly what it’s suppose to, resurfacing, building and repairing.”
Some of the money could be spent to update water treatment plants and pipelines.
“Getting money to stimulate change in infrastructure makes it better for you and me to drink water and it also puts people to work.”
And if the money begins to trickle down, businesses and retailers are asking consumers to shop locally. An estimated 12 billion dollars that could be spent in Florida stores is being spent online or in other states.
And for every 100-thousand of those dollars spent out of state, one Floridian loses their job… causing businesses to close their doors.
Floridians are not only being encouraged to shop locally, business leaders are also asking them to take instate vacations.


So that's a pretty clear message. Shop local and take vacations in-state if you want to help out. And for the very best vacation rentals in Anna Maria Island, visit the website annamaria.com and grab yourself a piece of affordable luxury in paradise...

Tuesday 17 February 2009

Get crabby in Cortez

We don't usually recommend that you stray too far from Anna Maria Island but this weekend we will make an exception.
That's because this weekend is the Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival and a crowd of 30,000 people is expected to visit the historic waterfront community on the shore of Sarasota Bay.
There are many reasons to go along and join in the fun, not least the promise of live entertainment, some yummy food and drink, and displays of traditional arts and crafts.
This year it's time to get crabby - stone crabby that is which are harvested along Florida’s west coast from the Florida Keys north and Cortez is a major port of call for the claws. You'll be able to enjoy crab cooked in all the ways you can imagine - so don't have a big breakfast whatever you do.
Admission is $2, and children under 12 are free. The fun starts at 10am and runs to 6pm on both Saturday and Sunday. If you want to park up and walk along, off site parking is available at Sugg Middle School, 3801 59th St. W, Bradenton, or Coquina Beach Bayside, Bradenton Beach, with a shuttle bus service to Cortez for a $2 round-trip fee. You could also park east of the village off Cortez Road and enjoy a 10-minute walk.
The Anna Maria Islander newspaper reports that proceeds from the 27th annual festival will support expansion of the FISH Preserve and restoration of vitally important wetland habitat. The preserve is 100 bayfront acres just east of the village, dedicated as a nature preserve.
The blessing of the fleet and an awards ceremony is scheduled for noon Saturday. Winners of The Islander newspaper-sponsored Cortez Crab Cookoff will receive their awards on stage at noon. And the winning restaurant in the crab cake category, Banana Cabana of Bradenton Beach, will have a booth at the event with a menu including owner Michael Rapport’s “Mango Island Crab Cakes". Yum yum!
Entertainment features the Richard Culbreath Group, Sunshine Express Cloggers, Gumbo Boogie Band, The Alternators, Gulf Drive Band and the Manatee River Bluegrass Band.
It promises to be a great weekend, so get along there and enjoy yourself.

Friday 13 February 2009

Visit Florida quizzed on spending habits

The fallout from the investigation into the spending habits of Visit Florida continues, with senators spending a second day quizzing officials about their decision to employ a Missouri vendor to field telephone calls about Sunshine State vacations.
Yesterday, as reported in the Palm Beach Post, they questioned executives of the non-profit corporation, which receives more than half of its cash funding from the state, about salaries, travel expenses and the $587,000 contract which has since been canceled and will now go to a Florida-based business.
The report read: Senate Majority Leader Alex Diaz de la Portilla, who serves on the committee, said he telephoned the Kansas City-based vendor Tuesday afternoon and four out of five times an operator was unable to tell him where the capitol of Florida is located.
Visit Florida received $35million from the state this year, and Gov. Charlie Crist put back in $5 million lawmakers had tried to take away for advertising during a budget-cutting exercise earlier this year.
The Senate Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations Committee today learned that at least one Visit Florida executive earned a $50,000 bonus last year and that the five highest paid officials there earn collectively more than $800,000 annually. Visit Florida president Bud Nocera earns $222,000 per year.
Crist said he expected the salaries to be trimmed as lawmakers are struggling to come up with ways to handle a $5 billion spending gap in next year's budget and deal with a $700 million shortfall before the end of this fiscal year in June.
"This is not a time when high salaries are the kind of order of the day. I think we'll probably see some reductions," Crist said. He said he would defer to the legislature regarding whether some executives should be fired.
Visit Florida also spent more than $1million for staff to travel internationally to promote the state, officials told the committee.
And they paid $500,000 for non-employees - travel agents, meeting planners and others - who don't live in Florida to visit the area.

Tuesday 10 February 2009

President aims to bring back sunshine to state

President Obama traveled to recession-hammered Florida yesterday to make his case for passage of the economic stimulus package. On Monday, in a town in Indiana, he noted the community is 'shedding jobs at an alarming speed'. The over $800billion plan was due to be passed in the Senate yesterday. It must be reconciled with an earlier version passed in the House. Obama hopes to sign the stimulus bill into law next week.
En route to Florida, Obama said, "The American people don't need to be convinced" about the need for action.
"We just wanted to shine a spotlight on how severe this downturn is all across the country, and to make sure that members of Congress understand the sense of urgency that I feel in getting something done," Obama said in explaining his travels to reporters aboard Air Force One.

Friday 6 February 2009

Cuba still a hot potato

It's the issue that refuses to go away, whether or not the new Obama administration will shortly open up trade and travel links with Cuba. Whatever your thoughts on the situation, it is currently up for discussion among our leaders.CNN reports that many travelers and travel industry professionals hope the Obama administration will soon loosen Cuba travel rules. During the campaign for the White House, President Obama promised to lift travel restrictions on Cuban Americans trying to visit family.
It says: under Bush's policy, Cuban Americans had to wait three years between visits to relatives in Cuba. The policy also complicated travel for Americans with no ties to the island.
In 2007, about 45,200 Americans, including Cuban Americans, legally obtained a license or approval from the U.S. government to enter Cuba by air, a dramatic drop from nearly 84,500 travelers in 2003, according to reports from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Travel and Tourism Industries.
Easing travel restrictions for Cuban Americans alone isn't enough for many in the travel industry. The American Society of Travel Agents, the nation's largest group of travel professionals and companies, would like all Americans to be allowed to visit the island.
The group formally requested the Obama administration lift all travel restrictions.
American travel to Cuba remains tightly controlled and highly bureaucratic for most Americans since the U.S. imposed a trade embargo on the country in the 1960s. Many American critics say opening U.S. travel to Cuba would be supporting an oppressive, totalitarian government.
Several academics say Obama's administration wouldn't go as far as allowing American leisure travel, and the president indicated he will maintain the trade embargo.


Whatever President Obama decides, it appears there will be some relaxation of some kind with Cuba. Let me know whether you think this would be a good idea or a bad idea.
Come to Anna Maria Island and stay with us in paradise at www.annamaria.com

Tuesday 3 February 2009

Crist vetoes tourism cut

The tourist industry in Florida received a major boost this week with the news that Florida Governor, Charlie Crist, vetoed a $9.9million cut to the state’s tourism agency, Visit Florida.
“Tourism is the largest industry in Florida and it has a huge economic impact,” said John Reyes, president and CEO of Visit Jacksonville. “During these tough economic times, why would you want to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs?”
Crist released his veto list for the fiscal year 2008-2009 Tuesday. He restored $90.9million in projects and programs throughout the state, leaving a cut of $2.5billion in total from the special session.
The $10million cut to Visit Florida that legislators approved previously concerned many tourism officials because its marketing and advertising projects would be reduced in the public and private sector. The five welcoming centers across the state run by the agency were also at risk of being closed.
Thankfully that will no longer be the case and Visit Florida can keep getting the message out there that the Sunshine State is the place to come on vacation.
When you get here, come stay on Anna Maria Island, a haven of peace on the Gulf Coast. Check out www.annamaria.com for the very best in vacation rentals.