Happy retirement, Jim Jones!

Jim in his office Thursday, after a day of celebrating his retirement.

Happy Easter! What a glorious day we've had here in Bradenton...

As we wind down from celebration, family and totally awesome Easter dinner, East Manatee Editor Jim Jones is busy in the newsroom, slugging away to get Monday's edition in shape. He volunteered, of course, for the Easter holiday editor gig. Let's see, he started with Easter Sunrise service along the new downtown Riverwalk, and will probably wrap up just around midnight after he checks the last page proof. A mere 18-hour day, give or take a few breaks...

James A. Jones Jr. is going out in style -- his style, and his alone. For today is his last official day with the Bradenton Herald. He humbly announced his retirement in his column this morning, with a lede that took him at least a year to write. That's how much notice he gave me -- a whole year! But I still can't imagine our newsroom without him.

I have never met a kinder, stronger, more sincere man in this business. Jim believes in people –- all shapes, all sizes, all creeds. Everyone. And that’s what makes him such a damned good journalist. He finds a story in every corner, then reports it, writes it, shoots the photos and video, then publishes it to the web and to print. And nowadays, he tweets, builds galleries, posts to Facebook...

For the past 14 years, Jim has led our coverage of East Manatee and Lakewood Ranch and helped define its legacy. And we will continue to emulate the standards he has set for us as editor Jim DeLa takes over and editor Terry O'Connor joins the newsroom.

Jim, you will always be one of my most treasured friends. It has been an honor to work with you for these past 14 years. May your next chapter be as rich as this one has been for all of us.

Joan

Local young weather artists in the spotlight

You'll find one of my favorite bright spots every day in the bottom right corner of the Bradenton Herald's front page:

Our youngest readers' weather art. For several years, we've gathered some fabulous art from Manatee County's elementary school students for this feature. It adds a touch of young talent, imagination and sometimes humor to our 1A report -- and the kids love to find that we've chosen their art.

It's such a popular feature that we get far more than 365 drawings every year. So, starting this week, we're creating online galleries so you can view all of the entries. Herald news designer Jon Sachtjen has taken on this project, and he launched the first gallery today -- everything we just received from Blackburn Elementary School.

Weather art gallery on Bradenton.com

Make that 76 inspired pieces of art -- so many that Jon hasn't tagged them with the students' names yet. But we love the concept and hope it inspires you.

If a local youngster you know hasn't had this chance in their classroom, perhaps their teacher would be interested in the project. Or you can contact us directly -- one very proud grandpa recently hand-delivered his grandson's masterpiece! And yes, it made Page 1A that week.

They never run out of ideas with Florida's crazy weather, either. These are two of my favorites from Blackburn fifth-graders: Jacob Soob, above, at the beach; and Manny Reyes, left, in the eye of our recent tornado warning.

Paying tribute to Stan the Man

Associated Press file photo

"Baseball's perfect warrior, baseball's perfect knight."

That was Stan the Man, one of my all-time heroes. We lost him this weekend, but in many ways we found him for a lot more people through this. So many of the stories I've read by writers not in the St. Louis area talk about how Stan Musial was underappreciated, underrated, unrecognized.

Not in my home town. Not anywhere KMOX could be heard, broadcasting the Cardinals' games to their diehard fans. Stan the Man embodied our love of the game of baseball, helped us build on that reputation of being the greatest baseball fans in the world. He was a constant. He was loved. He was ours.
 
My memories are mostly through the recollections of my dad, who worked in Sportsman's Park as an usher in the '50s. Dad had a glove and a ball signed by Stan Musial, and an old black-and-white photo with Dad and Stan the Man, side by side.

I don't know what happened to those gems, but my first softball glove bears the signatures of "Stan Musial" and "Lou Brock" -- thanks to a Fort Worth Star-Telegram sports columnist who, unbeknownst to me, snuck my glove to a sportswriters' convention and came back with the autographs.

Those memories came flooding back Saturday night when Night Metro Editor Jim DeLa left me a voice mail with the news of Musial's death. I didn't check for messages until almost 11 p.m. -- and by the time I called, they already had this beautiful sports cover well in the works. Designer/copy editor Jon Sachtjen, with guidance from Sports Editor Tim Wolfrum, crafted this amazing tribute to one of the all-time greats in sports history.

For the next few hours, I followed some threads on Twitter. #StantheMan and @cardinals offered some of the best links to columns and stories that poured out, from the New York Times and ESPN to fellow McClatchy journalist Joe Ostermeier at the Belleville News-Democrat. My brother called, I talked with my best childhood friend, my mom called ... we all shared memories.

Still, my love of the printed word holds steady -- they're sending me a copy of the Sunday St. Louis Post-Dispatch, including a 14-page special section commemorating Stan the Man's life. And you can bet that this Bradenton Herald sports cover is going to be a keeper for me.

As Musial's statue outside Busch Stadium declares, "Baseball's perfect warrior, baseball's perfect knight."

That is our Stan the Man. Rest in peace.

Winners all at the 2013 Manatee County Fair

Final countdown is running for the official opening of the Manatee County Fair at 5 p.m. today -- but we've been in fair mode all week. And we didn't have to check with the weather service before grabbing umbrellas and jackets. Rainy skies and cooler temps are synonymous with the fair's first day!

Herald reporters, photographers and editors will be sure you're getting the highlights from the fairgrounds in Palmetto for the next 10 days. All the stories, photos, videos and more will be one click away at bradenton.com/manatee-county-fair/

If you have fair photos we can post, email them to metro@bradenton.com Send your tweets with the hashtag #ManateeFair and join the fun.

Reporter Katy Bergen and photographer Grant Jefferies were under the big tent at noon to capture Manatee's 2013 Distinguished Citizen: Ken Burton Sr. 

What a resume this humble gentleman has! And there were four generations of Burtons there to honor him. Our community owes him so much.

Just across from that tent is the Arts & Crafts' Chaires building, filled with more than 2,000 entries -- jewelry, artwork, crochet, quilting, photographs, you name it. Plenty of competition, which is why I have to brag on our Metro Editor Marc Masferrer.

He sent a nonchalant email to me with a photo -- check it out! Marc is now a proud member of the 2013 Manatee County Fair Ribbon Winners.
 

Here's what he has to say about his entries:

During the summer months, I spend a lot of time out of Anna Maria Island, including early Saturday mornings accompanying my wife Marie as she patrols the beach for Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch. On one of the walks, I photographed a fisherman casting a net as the rising sun illuminated clouds in the western sky. (this is the blue ribbon winner).

I also spend a lot of sunsets on the beach, and one occasion I captured the second image. The challenge always is to make a sunset photo as unique as possible. (red ribbon)

Both photographs were shot with my iPhone and enhanced using Instagram.

First time I had entered any photo contest. -- Marc

There's nothing that says "community" more than our annual fair. And there's nothing more beautiful than Anna Maria Island at sunset. How lucky am I -- they're both on my calendar this weekend.

Capturing the caring of Just for Girls

Just for Girls' third-graders/ Grant Jefferies/gjefferies@bradenton.com

"I can't believe everybody clapped!!!"

That was the quote of my day Wednesday, followed quickly by a close runner-up:

"That's all that matters ... these caring, sharing girls."

That first was a gleeful shoutout by one of the 30 young third-graders who had just finished a trio of holiday songs to lift our spirits -- as if we needed anything more uplifting after the positive report given on the new charter school, Just for Girls Academy. The academy was the focus of this year's annual luncheon with Just for Girls' donors and volunteers in Manatee County,as seen here in Herald photographer Grant Jefferies' gallery.

The girls had just finished singing the last song -- "A Song of Peace" -- with magical untarnished belief, and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

And when we sang
My magic song
All hate and war would cease
If I could write a magic song
I'd write a song of peace

 Not only did everyone clap, but they were on their feet to praise the girls. And a teary-eyed chief executive Becky Canesse couldn't have been prouder in rounding up with what we all were thinking: These girls are what matters. That's why we were there.

Grant and reporter/columnist Vin Mannix were there to capture the moments. Here's a shot of veteran Mannix in his new mode: videographer!

And in this one below, I missed the best shot fumbling with my own iPhone. They were team-tagging, Grant with the stills that make up this beautiful gallery, and Vin filming the video below. Grant almost had his head on Vin's chin. You can still see his lense peering over Vin's shoulder if you squint.

Lucky Dogs owner shares veteran's thank you

A newsroom junkie’s mantra: You should never go anywhere without coming back with a story to report.

A beautiful one fell in my lap today. It won’t get huge headlines, but it’s one that must be shared. It reminded me that every gesture counts, that goodness does pay, that telling this story might prompt someone else to do a good deed.

I found my lucky tip at Lucky Dogs, a great hot dog/sandwich café on Third Avenue west in downtown Bradenton. I had called ahead for a “Joan dog” to go -- a Lucky Dog sans onions, plus plenty of pickles.

Co-owner Sheri Clinard answered with a “Gotcha!” that almost made me turn around. “No, no, I promise I’d never surprise you with bad news without warning,” she assured me. “You have to come hear this story.” So I did.

Sheri prides herself on knowing everyone who comes into her shop more than once. But today, she didn’t recognize the man carrying a vase of flowers. She didn’t think much of it, welcoming a busy lunch crowd. But when the man turned to pay, he gave Sheri the flowers – and this amazing letter.

To that special person who works here:
Last year on Veterans Day, I came to the Lucky Dog for lunch. I had on a Dale Earnhardt Sr. jacket and a Vietnam Veteran hat.
After I finished my lunch, I tried to pay for it but the lady (I don’t know her name) said Thank You for my service in Vietnam and lunch was on her!
I was surprised and grateful because no one has ever said Thank You or bought me lunch for my service. Her thoughtfulness and words are in my heart almost daily.
I gave her a hug and said Thanks, while trying to hold back tears as I walked out of the restaurant. She changed my life without even knowing it!
I brought you these flowers today to try to show you my thanks. Each petal on the flowers represent each time I think of your kindness on that day. Thank you!!
God bless you and your family,
A Vietnam Vet

The Vietnam vet left Lucky Dogs today before Sheri could get his name. But one year later, Sheri’s act of kindness has come full circle.

And we are reminded, on this Veterans Day weekend, that millions of men and women have served in the military to protect our freedom, as Jim Jones – himself a veteran – reported today in this wrapup of events.

 Throw politics aside for at least a day, and thank a veteran. You may change a life. Sheri did. My lucky day at Lucky Dogs!

Bradenton Herald's 1A Frankenstorm stars on CBS

Good morning, Bradenton! As the sun shines here, the East Coast is bracing for "Frankenstorm" -- the pre-Halloween hybrid weather monster that is looking more ominous by the hour.

And the "Eye Opener" on CBS This Morning? Your Bradenton Herald's front page! The national network news flashed today's cover, designed by 1A Editor Kelly Lipp, in the swirl of Sandy for the nation to see. Serious stuff, as they predict $1 billion in damages. But what a thrill to grab that attention! You early birds have been sending us "Wows" all morning.

(I'll wait to congratulate Kelly -- she closed up shop here at 1:30 a.m. to make sure Bradenton.com was as sharp as that print edition. The news never stops...)