Smile, and you could be in CLICK!

Good morning, it’s Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. And it’s a glorious day in Manatee County, the kind you wait for throughout the sweltering humidity of the Florida summer. (The extra hour of sleep certainly didn’t hurt, as our clocks fell back this morning...)

This weekend marks the official launch of “in-season” for our community. Crisp autumn days elsewhere bode the coming of snow and ice. Here, they bring countless choices of outdoor fund-raisers, festivals, concerts and barbecues every weekend from now until Easter. 

The perfect time, we think, to launch “CLICK!” Thanks to Features Editor JanaMorreale and East Manatee Editor Jason Bartolone, the Herald is dedicating every Friday Neighbors section to Click snapshots from that week’s featured events. Were you there? Chances are you’ll find your smiling face in one of our galleries, in print or on Bradenton.com/click.

Jason is building a network of freelance photographers to blanket Manatee County. But we also would love to include your photos of family and friends. Are you going to Taste of Manatee today? Here’s our Click gallery from Saturday’s turnout. Send us your photos from today’s throngs to Click@bradenton.com – just remember to keep them smaller than 10MB. And, if possible, include the names of everyone in the picture.

Smile – you’re in Click!

Bradenton Herald's new digs: 1111 Third Ave. W

Goodbye, 102 Manatee Ave. W.

Hello, 1111 Third Ave. W!

The Bradenton Herald has moved downtown, right smack in the middle of things, as promised in my column Sunday. and in this 1A overview by Business Reporter Charles Schelle. We just survived our first full day of business here, amid a sea of moving crates and stacks of belongings. Other than the typical moving glitches and the challenge of  a new phone system, we're not missing a beat in the news business. (Here's a photo gallery by Grant Jefferies chronicling the move.)

The newsroom certainly has its moving heroes: Ken Larrabee, who led the technical nightmare of seamlessly moving our computers overnight; Barry Call, whose muscle saved all of our backs and rescued stranded furniture today; and our "mom", administrative assistant Angie Monroe. I hate to think where I'd be if she hadn't taken charge of this move!

Here she is, proudly at the helm as the newsroom takes shape again:

There's no sign out front yet, but here's my view: City Hall and Police Chief Radzilowski's crew. And Snooty's right around the corner. We've joined quite a neighborhood.

Stop by and say hello.

Commenting on Bradenton.com is changing

Starting mid-day Sunday, we no longer will allow anonymous commenters on Bradenton.com. To join our discussions, you will need to log in using a Facebook account.

We made the announcement in my column today in the Bradenton Herald, giving enough heads-up about the change so you weren't surprised when you sign in over the weekend.

"Change."

The very word gets people going. And when you make a change to established habits, well, you know you're going to hit a nerve. The column is among the most-read stories today, with plenty of those anonymous comments.

They make the reason for this change even more clear: Facebook requires account holders to use their names. By not requiring accountability from our commenters, too often they use that alias for senseless name-calling and abusive attacks on everyone from public figures to each other.

You can read more information about our Facebook commenting in this FAQ. And if you don't have a Facebook account, it's free to set up at Facebook.com.

One reader’s comment  to other commenters today gives me hope:

    Wow...you guys are exemplifying exactly what the BH says is happening on their webpage blog. This has nothing to do with freedom of speech but everything to do with a culture of cowardness, lack of manners, and browbeating. I'm glad that the BH is taking the high road. Comments will mean a lot more coming from people who really are speaking the truth.

Start your week with a smile

Herald columnist Vin Mannix penned an inspiring story last week about Krizzel Cruz, the first student to actually graduate from PACE Center for Girls. PACE helps turn troubled girls into confident young women, sending them back into the mainstream school system when they're ready. Krizzel decided she needed more time there, though, and the folks at PACE embraced her.

"It's like a family," she told Vin and reporter Jessica De Leon, who joined the interview to talk with Krizzel in Spanish. "They know you here and it's like a team pushing you on."

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2013/08/09/4652161/bradentons-pace-center-for-girl.html#storylink=cpy

Vin's story published in print on Friday -- marking a historic day for PACE service awards, with their No. 1 graduate. Just a few hours after the ceremony, PACE executive director Amy Wick-Mavis emailed Vin a huge thank you, copying me and attaching this photo of Krizzel, holding a copy of Friday's Bradenton Herald.

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2013/08/09/4652161/bradentons-pace-center-for-girl.html#storylink=cpy

It's such a joy to share in this graduate's joy. And it's testament to how much a single story can bring joy to people's lives. Thank you, Vin.

Concerned about Manatee's future? Read this

‘Public hearing could change Manatee County's vision for the future’

‘Fort Hamer Bridge study, public hearing return battle to the front lines’

Those are the two huge headlines dominating the Herald’s front page and Bradenton.com today. ‘Huge’ in that each issue has the potential of changing how we define Manatee County. And both are set for public hearings this week.

Public hearings – giving you the chance, the right, an obligation to voice your opinions. And to claim a stake in Manatee’s future. Our coverage today should help you dig into each issue.

Fort Hamer has been a decade (make that century?) in the making, and our newest reporter, Sabrina Rocco,sets the stage for Wednesday’s hearing. The documents, clippings, debates and changes on this issue could fill a library.

Long Bar Pointe has also been a decade or more in the making. Reporters Charles Schelle and Sara Kennedy have been digging into the on-again, off-again plans for the biggest remaining piece of pristine shoreline in Manatee County.

 In its latest rendition, developers Carlos Beruff and Larry Lieberman have proposed a waterside resort featuring a five-star hotel, conference center, condos, apartments, single-family homes, a marina/boat basin, docs, boardwalks and retail/office space. Who are the developers? Who are the opponents? And what will the proposed changes to the county's comprehensive plan mean for the long-term vision of Manatee County?

With so much at stake, the Bradenton Herald continues to examine all these issues to help guide these landmark decisions.

Today, Kennedy profiles Beruff and Lieberman in two stories. She gives insights into how Beruff built his empire from modest beginnings in Manatee County, and how Lieberman put together, piece by piece, the valuable acreage now called Long Bar Pointe.

Schelle spells out the concerns of environmentalists who fear the development will destroy the area’s birding and wildlife watching, a $3 billion economic driver in the state. Last Sunday, he explored the claims and counterclaims that the development could destroySarasota Bay’s seagrass and mangroves. On Monday, Schelle successfully tackles a tough assignment: Just what are the commissioners voting on Tuesday? It’s a must read.

We’ve had a great assist from McClatchy-Tribune Services, whose visual editors helped us build a phenomenal interactive graphic of the site, which we also have run in print.

For a project that’s technically not even on the drawing boards yet, Long Bar Pointe has already polarized our community. Dozens of letters, calls and online comments have poured in for weeks. A rough scan of published comments finds that the opponents significantly outweigh supporters – maybe as much as 10 to 1. But that might not be representative of true public opinion. Are you more likely to call your favorite newspaper (no doubt the Herald!) if you like what you see – or because you couldn’t disagree more, because you found a typo or, worse yet, the paper didn’t arrive on your driveway today? All are valued calls, trust me. But you typically call because you want change, not necessarily because you approve of something.

As a now 15-year disciple of almost all things Manatee County, I’ve grown to love and appreciate how different our coastline is from those to the north and south. I also lived through the exciting boom of the early 2000s, just to watch that plummet in the last four years. So what will be the best for our future? It certainly shouldn’t pivot solely on Long Bar Pointe. But that sweep of waterfront land is the heart of our coastline. So, as the Herald urged in Sunday’s editorial, the Manatee County Commission should move with caution. Take your time. Get it right. 

Contest is calling for your patriotic photos

We're making it a practice to always have at least one photo contest on Bradenton.com/contests for the thousands of photographers who love to share their images. Some will be challenging, others might be amusing. But my favorite are the ones that are thought-provoking and touching. 

Our current contest is already knocking that out of the park. In the first 24 hours of our "Salute to our Servicemen and Servicewomen Photo Contest", nine entries are already contenders for the four prizes:

• Marauders Season Tickets for Two
• YMCA Annual Adult Annual Membership - $540 Value
• $250 Visa Gift Card courtesy of Veteran Air
• $100 Visa Gift Card courtesy of the American Legion
  
  Read more here: http://bradenton.upickem.net/engine/Welcome.aspx?contestid=97787#storylink=cpy

It's a grand way to pay homage on this Fourth of July.
Here's a sampling:

Entered by sergeant's wife: Sgt. First Class Enrico Maschino and oldest son Shaun Maschino, moments before her husband left for his third tour in Iraq.

Celebrating Dad in our Father's Day Contest

Your Dad is the best because:

 "He always makes me smile!"

  "He is always the one to pick me up when I fall down."

  "He is always here for us when we need him. He always will be."

   "He always supports me in everything I do and is always there for me when i need him!"

These are the first four entries in our newest online contest at Bradenton.com. Choosing your entry might be the toughest part, as you look at the competition lining up. We're asking you to submit your favorite photo of Dad -- and most have included the nominee -- and include the reason why your Dad is the best. (Your memories of Dad will also be cherished, and ovations to your significant other are welcome -- as I will be doing this Father's Day...)

There aren't any losers, just a few luckier winners than others. All will be added to this photo gallery as they are submitted, too. The three top prizes:
$50 Gift Card at Crowder Bros. Ace Hardware
$50 Gift Card at Backyards N More
$50 Gift Card at American Car Care Center

Bradenton Herald's Digital News Director William Winter modeled it after -- what else -- our successful  Mother’s Day Photo Contest,  in which readers submitted a picture of their mom along with the best advice she ever gave them. An interesting tidbit: almost 40 percent entered their photos via a mobile device. Thousands of you viewed the contest pages before we chose 

Amanda Huffman, right, and her mother, Sharon Guerra

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2013/05/19/4531598/herald-readers-pay-tribute-to.html#storylink=cpy

these three beautiful winners, featured in this A&E cover story by features writer Marty Clear.

Melina Adkins, right, of Sarasota, honored her mother Amelia Alanis

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2013/05/19/4531598/herald-readers-pay-tribute-to.html#storylink=cpy

Tiffany Velez, with her baby, Ray,