The Islander and Fifty-five Years of the Best Anna Maria Island News...
We offer this history of The Islander and past Anna Maria Island newspapers beginning in 1947, all courtesy of The Islander news website... www.islander.org.
The Island Bystander
It was on Nov. 25, 1992, that the first edition was published as 'The Islander Bystander'.
This year also marks the 55th anniversary of nearly continuous coverage of Anna Maria Island news and events by varied publishers and publications.
55 Years of Island News
Anna Maria Island's first newspaper was not a newspaper - at least according to the publisher.
The Bradenton Beachcomber datelined its first issue Christmas 1947, announcing in a front-page story called "The World, The Flesh and The Devil" that "Bradenton Beach needs a newspaper like a long-distance swimmer needs a toilet. What is put in, must come out."
The tongue-in-cheek article continued,"Newspapers are unnecessary here except when other perforated kinds of paper fail. Practically every inhabitant of Bradenton Beach is a news-hawk, a star reporter or a gossip columnist."
At that time, Bradenton Beach was the population center on the Island - where there were only about 900 people and 470 houses Island-wide. The cities of Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach weren't incorporated yet.
"Everybody on the Island is informed of everything that happens about 35 seconds after the event. There is no reason why a newspaper should exist on this Island, where every man is a leg-man and every woman a crusader."
"So we have decided to publish a newspaper without news. The Bradenton Beachcomber will contain only items of human interest. In general, we will confine ourselves to generalizations about people and things - about the world, the flesh and the devil."
Kersh packed up his entourage and left his residence at the Gulf Park Hotel shortly after his first and only edition of The Beachcomber - never to be heard from on Anna Maria again, according to a local tavern owner. She said he was disgruntled by what he considered a general lack of hospitality from pub owners - toward his dog.
Indeed, he wrote an article "Floridian Bites Dog," which ended with, "Until the Floridian anti-dog law is altered there must be some other, more tolerant part of the world for us. We intend to look for it, with our dog."
Enter Anna Maria Key News
The first continuously published newspaper on Anna Maria Island, Anna Maria Key News, was started in 1949 by Ellen Brackin (later Ellen Marshall, still residing in Anna Maria) and Harriet Williams (later Harriet Blair of Sarasota).
When she came to the Island in 1947, Marshall was a war widow and stayed at Angler's Lodge on the bay. She became friends with Harriet and together they published the weekly newspaper. The Key News was an immediate success.
"We were young and had a lot of energy," says Marshall. "We soon became secretaries for all the organizations on the Island. Then we got the idea to produce a newspaper. I didn't know much about it but I was gifted with intestinal fortitude."
On the front page of the Sept. 7, 1950, issue, Marshall writes how an unnamed hurricane flooded the Island, causing considerable damage. But she emphasized that natives rose to the occasion.
Marshall took the Bradenton daily to task for reporting that "helpless residents were scared and grim and that rescuers from the mainland found barefoot women wandering around aimlessly."
In her put down, she wrote, "We must remember to wear white tie and tails during the next hurricane."
The major controversy on the Island in the early months of 1950 was whether Anna Maria Island should have several municipalities or be one community, the Key News reported.
The City of Anna Maria had incorporated in 1923 with Capt. W. "Mitch" Davis as mayor. But by 1950, in the wake of the post-World War II boom, sentiment had grown for the incorporation of the southern portion of the Island.
In strongly worded editorials, Marshall backed the cause of one Island, one city, "whether it's Bradenton Beach, Anna Maria or Gasparilla Gulch."
It was a losing battle.
On March 13, 1950, 61 of 75 mid-Island residents voted to incorporate and voted 49-12 for the new city to be named Holmes Beach with Halsey Tichenor Jr. the first mayor.
On Dec. 21, 1950, Bradenton Beach became a city by a vote of 84 to 56. Bernard Wagaman served as its first mayor.
The Anna Maria Key News ceased publishing on March 1, 1951.
The Island News
Its successor in the newspaper trade on Anna Maria didn't last long, apparently lived unremarked and died unmourned. It was named The Island News and apparently only one copy survives. It is dated May 24, 1951. Longtime Island newsman Don Moore (now writing for the Charlotte Sun) says, "If you've got a copy it's the only one I've ever heard of and may be worth a fortune as a collector's item."
Then Came The Islander
Indeed, on Nov. 15, 1951, the first edition of the longest-published Island newspaper, The Islander, rolled off the presses. It was eight pages with no subscribers and no advertisers. Circulation was 500.
There was no bridge between Anna Maria Island and Longboat, and wouldn't be for another six years. The only way to drive to the mainland was via a rickety wooden bridge from Bradenton Beach to Cortez.
The way of life on the Island was summed up in a line under The Islander's nameplate which proclaimed, "Where Life Is Peaceful and Fishing Is Good."
Harry Varley was the founder, editor and publisher. Varley was no newcomer to the publishing business. Having been with a New York City advertising agency for years, he went on to become president of Schick Razor Co. before coming to Anna Maria.
Varley's tenure at The Islander lasted eight years when in 1959 the paper was handed over to Judd Arnett. For five months Arnett and his wife ran The Islander, then went back north where Arnett became a columnist for the Detroit Free Press.
Steve Kimball took over following Arnett's departure. Kimball later would become a mayor of Anna Maria City.
As the Island grew, Kimball switched the focus of the Islander to providing hard news coverage of local events. He is credited with changing the printing process from letter press to offset printing.
Like Varley, Kimball voiced his opinions on subjects of importance to the community, but unlike Varley limited his comments to the editorial page. It was a page that spoke with authority but did not try to drown out other points of view.
In the early 1960s, Moore joined the staff and in 1970 became the third editor and publisher after he and wife Roxanne bought the paper.
A University of Florida School of Journalism graduate, Moore had innovative ideas and a "tell it like it is" style that would win the paper many awards.
Under Moore's guidance The Islander expanded into the commercial printing business in 1974. The plant not only produced The Islander, but several other small papers around Florida.
The Islander won a number of Florida Press Association awards with Moore at the helm. By 1974, the paper garnered two national awards, something no other Florida weekly has accomplished.
Moore's younger brother Colin joined the paper in 1977 and became editor when Don Moore sold his publishing business including The Islander, the Bayshore Banner and the printing operation in May 1980 to The New York Times Corp.
Ed Warren was installed as publisher and in 1981, on the paper's 30th anniversary, he said, "After 30 years of progress we're looking forward to a bright future and another 30 years of progress with our readers."
Not to be, in 1984 The Islander was again sold, again a family-owned paper. Richard Ingham, owner of the Zephyrhills News, bought the paper and appointed his son Sky as publisher. Ingham eventually changed the paper's name to The Anna Maria Islander Press.
June Alder, a veteran reporter with the paper, succeeded Colin Moore as editor but left the position in May 1985 to return to her first love - reporting the always fascinating news on the Island.
Shirley Foor, a former Bradenton Herald managing editor, replaced Alder, with Dennis Ecklund succeeding Foor as editor.
Islander Press printed its final edition on July 25, 1990.
TS Publications and The Island Bystander
In November 1992, TS Publications announced plans to transform its weekly newspapers, The Island Sun, TGIF Beachcomber, Longboat Times, Sarasota Times and two shoppers, Sarasota and Venice, into one regional paper, The Weekly.
With a predicted absence of Island news in The Weekly, advertising agency owner Bonner (Presswood) Joy decided to launch a newspaper that would serve the needs of the Island community.
Joy operated a storefront for her agency, MacBonner, in the Island Shopping Center. Staff members pooled their resources and began selling advertisements. Joy Courtney, a former Island Sun writer, signed on as the paper's first editor and the newspaper, The Islander Bystander, managed to hit the streets with its first edition the same week that TS Publications converted its publications to The Weekly.
"We were 12 pages the first two weeks, then 16 pages, 20, 24 and so on, until we hit 40 pages during the first season - based on the volume of advertising. It happened so fast that we were all swept into perpetual motion", Joy said.
The Islander staff now boasts many contributors from an assortment of former Island papers including long-time cartoonist Jack Egan, June Alder, and Paul Roat.
"When it was evident the Sun would cease publishing, I pooled the resources of everyone that could help generate the news from three cities, write about the people that live here and sell ads. All the while I sought to revive the spirit of the former Islander," Joy said.
"I followed Don Moore's news philosophy: If it doesn't happen on Anna Maria, or isn't about the Island and its people, it doesn't get printed. Adding to that, I devote a lot of the newspaper's energy to people and kids, particularly the elementary school and the Anna Maria Island Community Center. Helping them helps us in the long run, to be a better newspaper for the community."
The Islander competed for awards in the Florida Press Association's annual contest for the past nine years. The newspaper has earned numerous FPA awards for writing, photography, special sections, editorials and editorial cartoons and a coveted First Amendment Defense award. It has also earned more than 50 advertising awards from FPA.
The Islander withstood two competitive challenges from the Island Free Press, February to October 1993, and from the short-lived Dolphin newspaper that folded in October 1995.
Dropping the "bystander" name two years ago and reviving the old "Islander" moniker, the newspaper had long since come to be recognized as Anna Maria Island's "news of record." It maintains an average weekly circulation of 15,000, stretching up to 19,000 in season, serving readers on Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, in Cortez and west Bradenton.
"Ten years is a good number, but watch out for us when we turn 20 - in fact, we've got great plans for this anniversary," Joy said.
"Better than ever. Our great history and dedication to people on Anna Maria Island gives us a remarkable advantage."
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