Red, White and Blue Celebrations

Manatee County residents and visitors celebrate the Fourth of July holiday with fireworks, food, parades and beach time, as these photos from the Bradenton Herald archives demonstrate. To see more photos from past July 4th activities check out the slideshow

in Bradenton.com's photo gallery section.

It has been a tradition at the Anna Maria Island Fourth of July celebration for the island kids to decorate their bikes and ride in the annual parade. This group of fun riders from 1983 appears to have set the standard for years to come.

You can't celebrate our nation's birthday without a hotdog and beans cookout, and Brian Labonte looks like he was enjoying his fine fare at the 1992 Bayshore Gardens residents' picnic.

The Fourth wouldn't be complete without a dip in the Gulf or, as this beachgoer in 1988 was set to do, ride the waves in an inflated innertube float.

G-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-al ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Soccer fans from across the world are caught up with World Cup fever this week, but the joy of playing soccer goes back decades in Manatee County, as these photos from the Bradenton Herald archives show.




Bradenton Christian School player David Kesten, left, and Saint Stephen's School player Adam Buskirk tussle for the ball in a Sept. 28, 1993 game.



Sarasota Hurricane's Joe Hembree, right, flies into the air to get to a kick off the foot of a Naples Sharks player in a March 13, 1993 tornament game at G.T. Bray Park in Bradenton.



Boomer No. 10 Brent Smith charges down the pitch past Strikers No. 3 Jeff Hernden after the ball in a MAYSO Under-9 Championship game Jan. 18, 1993.



Although the World Cup play in South Africa this month is all men, Manatee County is preparing its young women for the 2011 Women's World Cup in Germany. Almost two decades ago, the young girls on the G & E team in this Nov. 9, 1991 photo show off their skills in getting the ball down the pitch in a game against the DesChamps & Gregory team.

Good Times at the 13th Avenue Community Center

With this week's opening of the new 13th Av Dream Center, 922 24th St. E., many adults may be remembering the good times they had and life lessons learned at the original 13th Avenue Community Center. The center has been part of the community for more than seven decades, offering the thousands of youth who have walked through its doors a safe haven for learning and fun. Below, some photos from the Bradenton Herald archives give glimpses of what went on at the building at 13th Avenue West and First Street.

Physical education to get youths to burn off all that stored-up energy has always been a part of the center's program, as this Aug. 4, 1988 photo shows.

 Tamara Brooks instructs Lynette Yaumans during a sewing class at the center on Dec. 12, 1992. April Dawes and Tiguilla Ross practice their skills in the forefront, as Synora White, sits in the back and listens.

Mary Poole, in charge of the computer room in December 1992, watches over Lamar Jennings, in the foreground, Chris Poole, Craig Poole, Andy Warrick and Darryl Blalock.

Cross that bridge when you come to it

For years, a bridge linking the two sides of the Manatee River was a goal of many of the leaders in Manatee County. Several business owners, including Capt. C.H. Davis, incorporated The Manatee Bridge Company on Jan. 29, 1909. And after 1 1/2 years of planning and construction, the Davis Toll Bridge was opened on June 23, 1910. It ran across the Manatee River beginning at the city dock on the southern bank of the river at Central Street (present-day Ninth Street East) in Old Manatee, and connected with the opposite shore just east of the present-day Manatee County Convention and Civic Center, according to "The Singing River" by Joe Warner. The wooden bridge had only one lane of traffic, so turnouts were provided at intervals to allow vehicles and buggies to pass. Photo from the Manataee County Historical Society archives.

Were you there? View vintage high school photos

Our high school seniors will be graduating this week and moving on with their lives, but after the pomp and circumstance of their graduation ceremony, many will look back on their high school years with fond memories. Here are some photos from the Bradenton Herald archives to help some of those who graduated 20-25 years ago remember those happy days.

Just the sight of the iconic facade of the Davis Building in this photo from the late 1950s will bring many Manatee High School alumni to tears, especially since it was demolished to make way for a new structure. Constructed in 1926, the building was first used as the Biltmore Grade School, then for the Manatee High School. It was named after longtime Principal Paul F Davis. Anyone remember what the occasion was when this photo was taken?

During graduation ceremonies, high school seniors hear speeches of hope and promise.

Timothy W. Bembry addresses the Palmetto High School Class of 1989. Does anyone remember what Timothy's speech was about?

Showing off their winning routine, the 1982-83 Palmetto cheerleader squad placed first in competition at the Florida State Fair. This photo was taken Feb. 12, 1983. Can anyone identify all nine of these athletes?

Back in the days the Audio-Visual Club worked to make sure the movie and overhead projectors and other electronic equipment was in good working order and its members were often the nerds of those times. Here Bill Booth, left, Todd Starner, center, and David Hardinge, right, check out the equipment at Manatee High School on Sept. 29, 1982. Ever wonder what the three are up to now? Maybe they all went on to start some successful Internet company and are happy to be in the nerdy class of Bill Gates.

  

Here's a link to some of the Herald's archived photos:

High School Memories

 Post some of your photos to help others reminisce.