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Coastal Bend
October 2011
traveler
Vol. 1, Issue 2
STOP AND STAY A WHILE – DISCOVER THE TREASURES IN THE COASTAL BEND
THE TEXAS MILE
TEXAS JAZZ FESTIVAL • REALMSCON • DUVAL COUNTY RANCH
About Us... At the Coastal Bend Traveler, our mission is to highlight the tremendous amount of attributes, events, attractions and people that make our lives special. Our goal is simple: to encourage tourists to visit and stay a while as well as showcasing to local residents what wonders they may experience in their own backyard. By working closely with local event organizers, Chambers of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureaus, the Coastal Bend Traveler provides up-todate information on area happenings in each monthly edition as well as around-theclock updates online at www.coastalbendtraveler.com. The Coastal Bend is a unique, special place, and the Traveler tells our story better than anyone.
Nicole D. Perez Owner/Publisher
Brenda Poe Sales/Graphics
Lois Stephens News/Graphics
Larry & Lanette Smallwood Consultants
Ph: 361- 668-NEWS(6397) Fax: 361- 664-3875 www.coastalbendtraveler.com Owned/Operated by Real Hometown Media, LLC
What a great job I have! The response we received from our first edition of the Coastal Bend Traveler was AMAZING! We received calls from McAllen, Padre Island, Rockport, Port Aransas, Robstown, Goliad and many more. We will continue to work hard each and every month to bring you interesting stories about upcoming events in the Coastal Bend. I am looking forward to attending more local activities as well with my family to share in the unique cultural aspects of the area. On our calender for October is Hub City Rod Run, Buckin’ for Boobs, Cottonfest, the Jim Wells County Fair and the Texas Jazz Festival. What a fun job I have! October is a fun-filled month of activities. If you can’t make any of these events there are many more to pick from (see our events calendar, Page 18). I hope many of you will join us to support our local organizations. Thank you readers for your support, and remember, we accept story ideas and submissions. Please also visit our Web site at www.coastalbendtraveler.com for up-to-date information.
also this issue
Texas Jazz Festival
The 51st annual Texas Jazz Festival promises to once again be a good time with Grammy winning artists set to perform. Page 6
RealmsCon
Fan of Anime? Sci-fi enthusiast? Then don your Jedi costume and head over to the annual RealmsCon event in Corpus Christi. Page 8
On the cover... It’s all about the need for speed in Beeville, Texas, Oct. 21-23 for The Texas Mile event where drivers punch it for one mile at Chase Field. Page 10 Photos by RedLign Auto Sports courtesy of Texas Mile.
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JWC Fair promises lots of family fun vendors at this year’s event. Or, come out and support the youth who have spent many months preparing for the annual contest. A carnival will be on site for a good time. Admission into this year’s Jim Wells County Fair is $4 for adults and $2 for children ages 6 to 12. Children under 6 can enter at no charge. Or, you can pay $15 per vehicle, which will allow for 8 people to enter the event. For more information and a complete schedule of events, log on to www.jimwellscountyfair.com.
Activities of Note t
The Jim Wells County Fair held at the fairgrounds in Alice every October always promises to be a good time. Events officially kick-off with the annual parade held at 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 19 in downtown Alice. Many beautiful young girls will then vie for the title of Miss Jim Wells County at a pageant beginning at 8 p.m. in the show arena at the fairgrounds. Cowboys and cowgirls can have a good time at the team roping event at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, and the Ranch Rodeo beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21. A talent show will also be held beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20. You can also enjoy the food and items that will be on sale by the many
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J ALICE,
Team Roping Thurs., Oct. 20 Carnival Daily Ranch Rodeo Fri., Oct. 21
October 2011 - Coastal Bend Traveler - 3
The Rugged Beauty of Duval County Ranch offers luxury lodging in the center of some of the best hunting J Duval
Waking up to illegal immigrants blowing through two fences on the Duval County Ranch is just another day in the life of Ranch Manager David Kitner. He ended the day fighting an out-of-town oil company attempting to dump waste in a Duval County water aquifer area near the ranch. With more than 130,000 Duval acres on the Duval County Ranch County Ranch, the To book your hunt Killam with the Duval family of County Ranch, ranches log onto includes 10 www.duval ranches countyranch.com from Kansas to Nebraska to Texas. The Duval County Ranch is located seven miles west of Freer, in the heart of prime South Texas brush country. The Ranch has an ongoing management program to maintain correct buck-to-doe ratios, age structure, and densities of whitetail deer. This management program is designed to produce outstanding, mature whitetail tro-
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Co., TEXAS
phies. The Ranch has a reputation across the country as one of the best places to hunt in South Texas. One of the first hunts of the season at Duval County Ranch is for the Wounded Warriors. "They are the start of each year," Kitner says. "The hunts are donated by the Killam family. I have guides and seasoned hunters that volunteer their time to take the soldiers on hunts." Kitner says conducting the deer hunts for the Wounded Warriors is a way of "saying thank you to the guys for all they are doing for us." "We get more soldiers that want to come out every year since 2007," Kitner said, adding the soldiers are expected in late October, early November. Hunters arrive at the ranch ready to relax and enjoy hunting. If they aren't properly licensed, the staff just takes them to town to get one. "We have the ranch set up like a hotel," Kitner said. "We have six bedrooms with two twin beds in each room. It's really designed for smaller hunting groups." Kitner said that 10 to 12 hunters
Story & Photos By Brenda Poe
Duval County Ranch Manager David Kitner. are normal for dove season and six hunters is the ideal number for guided deer hunts. "All our hunts are guided to ensure that only the mature older animals are taken during a hunt.
We make sure there are no mistakes," Kitner said, adding that all the guides are familiar with ranch standards. "I have 12 guides that I rely on each season," Kitner said. "They all love hunting season and take week-long vacations from their normal jobs to come here. This is their hunting season." Kitner allows the guides to hunt for themselves when not guiding. He has to pay close attention to the harvest recommendations of Texas Parks and Wildlife and his own expertise. Kitner, who has an education from Texas A&I and ASU, says the ranch is very focused on maintaining the land and providing for the wildlife. He married his wife Diane
12 years ago, and is happy with ranch life. His daughter, Kacey, serves in the U.S. Army in Kuwait. "She was just home on leave. I also have two stepsons. One works here with me. He has a degree in wildlife and range management and helps with guides and takes all the photography featured on our Web site," Kitner said. "He takes the photos from a helicopter that allows us to count deer on the ranch. "I've had a lot of scrapes and bruises over the last 10 years," Kitner continued with a smile, showing his weathered hands. "I am proud of the work we have done here to heal the ranch." (Continued, Page 21)
Field trials for German Short-Hair pointers are held on the ranch. - Submitted October 2011 - Coastal Bend Traveler - 5
All that Jazz J
Corpus Christi, TEXAS
51st Annual Texas Jazz Festival Oct. 21-23 Is the sound of the soul floating on the wind? Follow it to the Texas Jazz Festival. Held annually in Heritage Park in Corpus Christi, this event brings the smooth, uniquely American music genre to a very appreciative audience in South Texas. This year's Festival is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 21 through Sunday, Oct. 23. The Texas Jazz Festival has been legally designated as the Official Jazz Festival for the State of Texas, and is the longest-running free jazz festival in the world. Rick Sanchez, Texas Jazz Festival Society president, said, "This Texas Jazz Festival has been around for 51 years and is internationally known. I get calls from all over the world, even as far away as Russia, because
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they want to bring their bands. But we just can't afford it. This festival is actually put on as a labor of love, not to make money. For a long time we had a motto: 'It's a jazz festival — for the love of it.' It’s entirely volunteer-driven — you have to love it to do this. During the festival, we're there pretty much the whole time. We get home, shower, get a few winks, and come back. But if we don't do what we do, this thing dies and we definitely don't want that." The event began in 1959, when two members of the Del Mar College Jazz Club, Skip Vetters and Joe Gallardo, asked Joe's uncle, Al "Beto" Garcia, to bring his jazz group to the Del Mar Student Union Building for a performance.
The Festival
There is free admission to the Texas Jazz Festival, being held Oct. 21-23 at Heritage Park in Corpus Christi. 55 bands are scheduled to perform.
The original idea was simply to provide a jazz concert and demonstration for the Jazz Club members; and the group only expected an audience of about 30 people. Much to their surprise and delight, Beto, Gallardo, Sal Pedraza, Raul Cuesta and Eddie Olivares found themselves playing to about 150 people. During the intermission, local well-known and well-loved pianist Red Camp asked if he could sit in on the performance. He was welcomed, and Gallardo switched from the piano to the trombone. The enthusiastic response from the crowd planted the seed for what would become the Texas Jazz Festival. The Del Mar librarian, Frank Hankins, a saxophonist and longtime jazz enthusiast himself, brought the obvious student and public interest in jazz to the attention of the college administration.
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The result was the authorization to use the college auditorium free of charge for the first official Texas Jazz Festival, which occurred in May 1960 in connection with Buccaneer Days. The roaring success of the first festival led John Nugent of the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce to bring it to the attention of the Chamber as a potentially successful public event; and in 1961, the Second Annual Texas Jazz Festival was held on the People's Street T-Head on the Corpus Christi marina. As the years passed, and as the Festival became more and more popular, Wanda Gregory's efforts were instrumental in the establishment of the Texas Jazz Festival Society in 1968 as a non-profit corporation to promote and support the singular American art form of live jazz.
The Society tries to set up workshops with the artists before the festival begins to enable young people to meet them and learn more about the music style. The 1987 Festival featured threetime Grammy award winner Ramsey Lewis Jr. performing with the Ramsey Lewis trio; as well as numerous other artists performing non-stop jazz in three other outdoor locations as well as the (Continued, Page 22)
...everyone wants to come to Corpus Christi. All the musicians love it here!
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– Event organizer Rick Sanchez on why so many bands sign up to perform at the annual Jazz Festival October 2011 - Coastal Bend Traveler - 7
The Lingo Cosplay - short for "costume play," is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Steampunk - a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. J
Corpus Christi, TEXAS
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ans of Anime, Manga, Japanese culture, comics, horror and video games are anxiously awaiting the seventh annual RealmsCon Oct. 7 through 9 at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi. First held in 2005, RealmsCon has grown into a large, three-day event featuring internationallyfamous actors, artists and animators. Among the many activities available during the event, attendees will be able to watch Anime movies, participate in interactive gaming, compete in video game tournaments, cosplay, karaoke and other contests, attend live concerts and meet and interact with industry professionals. Unlike years past, this will not be a 24-hour event, so attendees may rest without feeling they are missing out on any fun. The hours for the event will be 10 a.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission prices are $40 for a 3-day pass (price includes one free admission for age 10 and under with pass purchased by a parent or guardian); single-day passes for Friday or Saturday are $20 each for adults (age 11 and up) and $10 each for children age 10 and under. Sunday passes are $10 for adults, $5 for children age 10 and under. Children age 3 and under are admitted free.
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Story By Lois Stephens RealmsCon owner and Convention President Daniel "Po" (as in "Po" the panda from "Kung Fu Panda") Velasquez said the event was born because he missed his customers and his gaming friends. "I used to have a business called Gaming Computers. I sold computers and repaired computers and sold board games and so forth. We had a separate room to play video games and a separate room to play computer games; they were all networked together so people could play against each other. Everyone kept asking me to 'do a convention, do a convention,'" he said. "My business lasted only a year and I started missing my friends from my shop, so that's what gave me the idea to have RealmsCon so we could all get together again. I used to do a TV show called 'Sci Fi Fantasy Corner' on Public Access TV. That's where I caught the bug. My friend and co-host was asked to help out at a convention that Fox was bringing in; then another convention came in and they wanted our help, so I kind of grabbed some knowledge on how to put on a convention and I've been doing it for seven years now," Velasquez said. "It's always been a three-day event, and up until we moved to the American Bank Center last year, a 24-hour event as well."
Velasquez is expecting between 3,000 and 3,500 people this year. "My motto is keep everybody busy and everybody should be happy. We have a lot of entertainment in the hallway, and there's always something going on. One thing I do love about our show is it's very friendly and very welcoming, and I've received emails from a lot of people who met their girlfriend or future wife at our show. I'm very happy to hear all these stories. Next year I'm actually planning on something bigger," Velasquez said, chuckling. The originally-scheduled RealmsCon 2011 Guest of Honor, Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in all of the Harry Potter movies, was forced to cancel because of a scheduling conflict. Convention organizers are trying to bring in another cast member. Check www.realmscon.com for updates. Featured guests this year are Nick Jones, who acted in the recent movie "Battle: Los Angeles;" Anthony Guajardo, who appeared in "Shark Boy and Lava Girl" and more recently in a major gueststarring role in "The Walking Dead;" and twin actresses Electra and Elise Avellan, the nieces of Robert Rodriguez, who are best known for their roles as the "Crazy Babysitter Twins" in the 2007 film "Grindhouse" and as nurses "Mona and Lisa" in 2010's "Machete." Also making an appearance are voice actor Tiffany Grant, known as the English voice of Asuka in
"NEON GENESIS EVANGELION;" and Samantha Inoue Harte, who in addition to her Anime voicing and animation has appeared in live action films such as Robert Rodriguez's "Sin City," and Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's "Grindhouse." Voice actor and writer George Manley has recently lent his talents to "Blue Drop," "Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood," "Spice and Wolf" and "Halo: Legends;" and Jonathan Joss, who
voices the character of John Redcorn on "King of the Hill," will also be in attendance. Voice actor, musician and director Vic Mignogna, who is currently playing Zero in "Vampire Knight" and Yoshimori in Adult Swim's "Kekkaishi," will host a Q&A followed by an autograph session on Saturday afternoon and perform a concert from 9 to 10 p.m.; followed by a concert featuring Steampunk band Abney Park at 10:30 p.m.
Other notable industry professionals scheduled to attend are James O'Barr, the creator of the comic series and graphic novel "The Crow;" famous cosplayer and model Miyu; special effects makeup artist Sergio Guerra; comic and film artists Monty and The Mongoose; comic artist Austin "Redbeard" Rogers; and illustrator, fashion designer and model (Continued, Page 20)
me Co r 50% ou isle See FF A O th
49 Anniversary Celebration October 1stst - 31stst
Hurry in for Best Selection and Great Values
119 N . King St.• Alice
361-664-3421
See Sept. 30 issue of Alice Echo-News Journal for full page ad
October 2011 - Coastal Bend Traveler - 9
The Texas Mile Chase Field – Beeville Oct. 21-23
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NO LIMITS - NO COPS
Beeville, TEXAS
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If you have a need for speed, then The Texas Mile is where you should be Oct. 21-23 in Beeville, Texas. Participants come from all edges of the United States, Canada and Mexico to test themselves and their motorized equipment on the fastest and most challenging 1-mile track in the world. They achieve their top speed in 1-mile and shut down in a 1/2-mile. There is one aim - go as fast as you can! This bi-annual Motorsports Festival is created for performance enthusiasts - welcoming motorcycles, performance street cars, race cars and land speed racers. Spectators enjoy seeing the cars and motorcycles on the track and visiting with the participants in the pad-
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dock. There are onsite concessions to enjoy while at the event. This is a High Speed Shoot-out and Land Speed Racing Venue that compares to the likes of the legendary Bonneville; beckoning one to “Drive in Your World, Race in Ours!”
1 Mile 1 Goal: Go fast, very fast! The Texas Mile will be at Chase Field Industrial Complex in Beeville in October. Admission to the three-day event is $15 a person. Get more information at www.texasmile.net.
= PURE ADRENALINE All racing slots are filled, but a wait list is being created. Log on to www.texasmile.net for details. Admission fee for a three-day pass is $15 per person. Children 12 and under are admitted free. Overnight stays are permitted. The Spectator Overnight fee per motor home/camper, in addition to the spectator fee, is $50 per night. There are no facilities for electricity or water. Please register your motor home/camper with Jessica at 281-303-1844 or email at info@texasmile.net.
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SOME TOP DRIVERS
Tom Gates, La Porte, Texas 261.5 mph Josh Ledford, Houston 244.5 mph Kelly Bise, Cypress, Texas 244.5 mph Jennifer Robertson, Center Point, Texas 230.7 mph Paul Holcomb, Cuero, Texas 205.7 mph October 2011 - Coastal Bend Traveler - 11
Celebrating Cotton J Robstown,
TEXAS
The Robstown Cottonfest is an annual event recognizing the importance cotton production has had to the development of Robstown and the area. Cottonfest 2011 will be the 27th annual event Oct. 8 - 9, and is a chance to come and celebrate the cultural and economic heritage of this part of South Texas. This year's events are scheduled to include a Cottonfest car show, Oct. 8 - 9 Richard M eating chalBorchard lenges, live Fairgrounds entertainRobstown. ment, Events include live cookoffs, a music, eating children's challenges and area with more! GIGS, face painting, turtle races, food, vendors and more. All years, makes and models are welcomed to the Cottonfest Car show. There is no entry fee; setup and registration will be from 9 to 11:45 a.m. Register early! Classes will include Lowrider, Classic, Hotrod/Muscle, Import/Domestic and Truck. Specialty awards will be Best of Show, Judges Choice, Best Custom Paint, Best Interior and Best Wheels. The show will be open to the public with free admission from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday. Contact Josie Segura at 361-3873933 for information. A "Man versus Food" eating challenge will be hosted by Rod N Rolls Treats and Eats and Rosie's Tamales. The Rod N Rolls portion will feature a 6-pound Angus burger in a timed competition. The win-
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Story by Lois Stephens
ner must finish it to take the prize. "Yeah, that's a lot of food, we only had one person completely destroy that last year," Ray Hunt, executive director of the Robstown Area Development Commission said of the Angus burger competition. Rosie's Tamales claims they have the hottest tamale, and contestants will have to eat and finish two dozen of them within the time limit. Saturday's featured performance will be Solido from 10 to midnight. On Sunday, The Hometown Boys will perform from 8 to 10 p.m. Los Arias and Grupo Vida along with
other local and area bands are also scheduled to perform throughout the event, to keep the live music going almost continuously. On Sunday, there will be a fajita and chili cookoff with cash prizes awarded to the winners. The amount of the prizes will be determined by the number of entries in the cookoff competition. Vendors at the event donate items ranging from gift certificates to jewelry, which are then auctioned during a silent auction. And speaking of vendors, there will be (Continued, Page 19)
The Turtle Races are an annual and fun part of Cottonfest. Sponsor a turtle and encourage him to win! - Submitted
October 2011 - Coastal Bend Traveler - 15
HISTORICAL STOP SIGN
Marker Location: Alice 200 N. Almond Street
Jim Wells County Courthouse Governor Oscar B. Colquitt signed legislation creating Jim Wells County on March 11, 1911. Taken from territory formerly a part of Nueces County, the new county was named for prominent Brownsville attorney and business leader James B. Wells, Jr. (1850-1923). The first county elections were held two months later, and in January 1912 the citizens of the new county approved a bond election to finance the construction of a courthouse and jail. The county commissioners hired San Antonio architect Atlee B. Ayers to design the courthouse. The laying of the cornerstone on July 25, 1912, drew a crowd of more than 2,000 people. Celebration activities included performances by the Alice Concert Band and the Alice Symphony Club, as well as a barbecue, rodeo events and baseball game. Although its original appearance has been altered, the Jim Wells County Courthouse stands as a significant structure in the county's history. It continues to serve as the center of county government. Source: Texas Historical Commission
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Kingsville Symphony Orchestra’s 6th Season The Kingsville Symphony Orchestra is celebrating its 6th Season. Shows are at Jones Auditorium on the Texas A&M Kingsville Campus. The Symphony is welcoming its new Resident Conductor, Maestro Oleg Proskurnya. This season's theme is "¡Viva la Música!" and will feature music from and inspired by Spain and the Americas. • Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011 at 3 p.m. The season-opening concert,
sponsored by the Coastal Bend Community Foundation, will feature Grammy-nominated cellist Bion Tsang. Mr. Tsang's wife, cellist Amy Levine-Tsang, will join him during a concerto by Antonio Vivaldi. • Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011 at 7 p.m. King Ranch Goes to the Movies! The annual King Ranch Spectacular Concert returns to the movies with fantastically entertaining guest conductor Lee
Gwozdz. This concert will delight audiences. • Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 3 p.m. Help welcome spring with a concert featuring pianist JooHyun Lee. Her performance will include numbers by Beethoven, Silvestre Revueltas and Tchaikovsky. • Sunday, July 1, 2012 at 3 p.m. Get in the mood to celebrate the 4th of July with a concert filled with patriotic music. Virtual fireworks are included!
VENTS ( ECLECTIC E e h I n t ht tl ig o p S
ec·lec·tic /iklektik/ - Adjective: Deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.
)
Friday, Oct. 28 - Corpus Christi - Dia de los Muertos Street Festival: Features a parade, live music, food, art, children’s tent, costume contest, vendors with Dia de los Muertos-themed items, a Lucha Libre wrestling ring ($5 admission), a citywide altar of remembrance and much more. Starr Street at Chaparral Street. Phone: 361-887-6834 http://www.kspacecontemporary.org/dia-de-los-muertos/ Every Tuesday in October - Corpus Christi Open Mic Night - Comedians, acoustic acts and full bands. House of Rock. Phone: 361-882-7265 http://www.texashouseofrock.com through Nov. 15 - Corpus Christi - Hawk Watch: North American Broadwinged Hawks fly through the area. Hazel Bazemore County Park. http:// www.ccbirding.com Friday-Sunday, Sept. 30-Oct. 2 - Port Aransas MustangFest: Ford Mustangs arrive on Mustang Island for the Mile of Mustangs lineup, car shows, live music and other events. Plantation Suites, 1909 State Highway 361. Phone: 405-563-0307 http://www.mustangfest.org/ Saturday, Oct. 1 - Port Aransas - Sand and Surf Beach Run featuring a 5K and 10K run on Port Aransas Beach. Phone: 361-749-4450 Saturday, Oct. 1 - Victoria - Fall Family Fun Fest with children’s activities, clowns, entertainment, and more. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Downtown, 204 N. Main St. Phone: 361-485-9140 Sunday, Oct. 2 - Kingsville - Symphony Orchestra Concerts, Jones Auditorium, 855 N. Armstrong. Phone: 361-5932804 http://kingsvillesymphony.org/ Friday, Oct. 7 - Corpus Christi - Moonlight in the Gardens: Cocktails, dinner and more. Reservations required. 6 p.m. South Texas Botanical Gardens, 8545 S. Staples St. Phone: 361852-2100 http://www.stxbot.org/
Aransas. Robert’s Point Park, 301 J.C. Barr Blvd. Phone: 281-474-2511 http://www.harvestmoonregatta.com/ Friday, Oct. 14 - Corpus Christi - Islander Review: Music and dance extravaganza showcases a variety of performances. Begins at 7 p.m. Performing Arts Center at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Phone: 361-825-5558 Friday-Sunday, Oct. 14-16 - Beeville - Annual Western Week Celebration. Phone: 361-362-3290. Friday-Sunday, Oct. 14-16 - Victoria - Annual Gem and Mineral Show, Victoria Community Center, 2905 E. North St. Phone: 361-935-1433 http://www.victoriagemandmineral.com/ through Saturday, Oct. 15 - Corpus Christi Beyond Shared Language: Contemporary Art and the Latin American Experience: Works by 14 Latin American artists. Art Museum of South Texas, 1902 N. Shoreline Boulevard. http://www. artmuseumofsouthtexas.org Phone: 361-825-3500 Saturday, Oct. 15 - Corpus Christi - Blue Crab Festival: Seafood, music, markets, crab races, prizes, and more. Corpus Christi Beach. Phone: 361-8341481. Saturday, Oct. 15 - Beeville - Annual Bee County Chamber of Commerce Parade. Call 361-3583267 for information.
Friday through Sunday, Oct. 7 through 9 Corpus Christi - Texas Heat Wave Car Show American Bank Center. Phone: 361-826-4700.
Saturday, Oct. 15 - Port Aransas - 5th Annual ArtWalk - PORT A ARTABOUT Phone: 361749-7334 http://www.portaransasartcenter.org/
Saturday, Oct. 8 - Aransas Pass - Farmers Market/Trade Day - 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Chamber of Commerce/Visitors Center parking lot, 130 W. Goodnight, off Hwy. 361. http://www.aransaspass. org/farmers_market.cfm
Saturday, Oct. 15 - Port Aransas - Old Town Festival - activities for the whole family including a parade, tours of Port Aransas historical locations and more. Port Aransas Museum, 408 N. Alister. Phone: 361-443-4683
Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 13-16 - Port Aransas - 25th Annual Harvest Moon Regatta - Sailboat race starts in Galveston and ends in Port
Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 20 through 23 - Victoria - Bootfest: Victoria puts on its biggest barbecue-cooking, boot-making, poker-playing, crafts-selling, trail-riding, guitar-jamming,
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fireworks-booming festival of the year. Downtown. Phone: 361-582-4285 http://www.bootfest.org/ Saturday, Oct. 22 - Corpus Christi - Paddle Prix Kayak Race and Rally paddling event along the Nueces River ends at Labonte Park. Registration required. http://www. cctexas.com/paddleprix/ Saturday, Oct. 22 - Aransas Pass - Farmers Market/Trade Day - 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vegetables, arts & crafts, and animals - In the parking lot of the Chamber of Commerce/Visitors Center, 130 W. Goodnight, off Hwy. 361. http:// www.aransaspass.org/farmers_market.cfm Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 22 and 23 - Robstown - Saxet Gun Show, Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds. Call Todd at 361-289-2256. http:// www.saxetshows.com Tuesday, Oct. 25 - Victoria - Crossroads Country Opry: Jaycee Hall, 2905 E North St. Meals for $6 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Showtime is 7 to 9:30 p.m. Admission $5 per person. http://crossroadscountryopry.com/ Wednesday & Thursday, Oct. 26 & 27 Victoria - South Texas Farm and Ranch Show - Community Center, 2905 E. North St. 361-5754581 http://www.southtexasfarmandranchshow. com/ Saturday, Oct. 29 - Corpus Christi - Zombie Prom: Come “dressed to kill” and enjoy music, dancing and the zombie costume contest. House of Rock. Phone 361-882-7625 http://www.texashouseofrock.com/ Saturday, Oct. 29 through Nov. 27 - Victoria - “El Dia de los Muertos”: The Day of the Dead Festival and Exhibit: Block party from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 29. Day of the Dead altars will remain on exhibit through Nov. 27. The Nave Museum, 306 W. Commercial St. http://www. victoriaregionalmuseum.com 361-575-8227
(Continued From Page 14)
food vendors selling everything from funnel cakes to hot dogs, gorditas, fajitas, brisket, fried fish, fried pickles, menudo and more. "The funnel cakes are probably the biggest sellers, although everything is popular," Hunt said. Vendors also will be selling goods such as arts and crafts, candles, belts, jewelry, t-shirts and other items designed to give attendees an enjoyable shopping experience. This year's Cottonfest Queen, Junior Miss and Little Miss will make an appearance during the event. The Cottonfest queen's pageant will be held on Oct. 1 with categories based on age. Categories will include Little Miss Cottonfest, Junior Miss Cottonfest and Miss Cottonfest. The Junior Miss and Little Miss Cottonfest winners will receive a savings bond; and the young lady selected as Miss Cottonfest will receive a scholarship. To delight the young and "young-at-heart" crowd, the event will include face painting, a "Kidz Corner," Giant Inflatable Games Systems (GIGS) with $5 bracelets
and Country Time Turtle Races on Sunday. "We have about eight inflatables out here and games for kids, and I believe we're also having a haunted house," Hunt said. "And then there are the turtle races. I've lived in Robstown all my life, and one of the things we have always had – that's gone on forever, we've always had turtle races. This is the 27th annual Cottonfest and we brought back the turtle race 16 years ago, so this is also the 16th annual turtle race," Hunt said. If you would like to sponsor a turtle, call Jo Ann Pattillo at 361-3874630. Live entertainment will include the local CGA cheerleaders performing on Sunday, performances by area Ballet Folklorico groups from Corpus Christi and Kingsville, and a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) exhibition featuring TaeKwon-Do and Jujitsu demonstrations. The sports-minded will want to attend the men's softball tournament on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There will be an admission charge to the tournament. Cottonfest includes free admission and free parking and will take
place from noon to midnight Saturday, Oct. 8, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at the Richard M. Borchard Fairgrounds, 1213 Terry Shamsie Blvd. in Robstown. "We run later into the evening than most events on Sunday because Sunday is almost always our biggest day. On Sunday, we get people from all around the area Alice, Kingsville, Corpus, Portland - it's just a 30minute drive, I guess they come in to enjoy the fun on Sunday before they have to go back to work," Hunt said. Call 361387-3933 or visit the Robstown Area Development Commission at www.robstownadc.com for information.
Rushing & Gonzalez Your Hometown Pharmacy & More
featuring DEMDACO designs for the home
301 East Main St. Alice, Texas
664-4368
361
October 2011 - Coastal Bend Traveler - 19
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Melissa Diaz of OSO. The Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures and Education Center will be on hand to provide information about Asian cultures; and also will host panels on "Japanese 101" and "Origami." A few of the many activities scheduled for this year are a "Ninja Breakdance Class" and the Steampunk Ball on Friday; the Cosplay Contest and the "In Living Cosplay" show followed by the 18+ ILC "Cutting Floor Chaos" rave Saturday night and early Sunday morning. There will be ongoing free play in the video game rooms as well as new and old favorites such as Magic: The Gathering Legacy, Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon, Hero Clix, Warhammer Fantasy and much more in the Card, LARP and Tabletop gaming room. "Our Cosplay is always our biggest event. It's always our biggest focus. About 70 to 80 percent of the attendees are in costume and almost all of them make their
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own costumes. It's pretty amazing to see the level of creativity; and it's a good little show that everyone enjoys," Velasquez said. There will be an interactive special screening of the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" with the Aurora Arts Theater (ages 18 and up only, please) beginning at midnight Friday night. No convention would be complete without its vendors. "We've
Steve Blum with a fan. Photos submitted got a lot of steampunk coming in, a lot of comic books coming in, a whole bunch of Anime vendors and so forth as well as gothic costumers," Velasquez said. For more information, (because we couldn't possibly include everything that's going on at RealmsCon!) please visit http://www.realmscon.com.
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In 2010, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department awarded the ranch with the Lone Star Land Steward Award. The program recognizes private landowners for excellence in habitat management and wildlife conservation on their lands. The awards also publicize the best examples of sound natural resource management practices and promote long-term conservation of unique natural and cultural resources. The ranch also hosts field trials for dog hunts in Region 7. The trials allow hunters to run horseback while the dogs hunt. "It's all very official," Kitner said. "The dogs are pointers and rated for their ability to seek out and point to the quail." The field trial is a big event for the ranch, and Kitner is concerned with the recent drought. "We always set out protein feeders over the 20,000 acres that are hunted," Kitner said. "We feed diligently. And let me tell you the deer are starting to eat pretty seriously right now." Kitner said that means that the land isn't providing the nutrients the animals are needing. "We will have about 40 deer hunts during the season," Kitner said. "And usually only one or two dove. We like to save the birds for the field trials held in February." The ranch is a multi-use ranch, featuring cattle, oil and gas, and has a budget of $1.5 million, which includes a staff that lives on the property.
Members of the Wounded Warriors program are brought to the Ranch to hunt. "Everyone that works here lives here, except for a few cleaning ladies," Kitner said. "This is a business, not just a recreational property. I have seven full-time employees and one dedicated
groundskeeper." The ranch holds seminars for season lease hunters showing the progress and growth on the ranch. Kitner said there are usually 60 to 70 people at the seminars.
HOW IT BEGAN...The Killam Companies first began as one company under the leadership and vision of one man, Oliver Winfield Killam. O.W. Killam, as he was usually referred to, moved to Laredo, Texas, in the spring of 1920. As an Oklahoma businessman and State Senator, O.W. had in most eyes achieved success. Anticipating the financial panic of 1919, O.W. sold his business, property, and sacrificed his promising political career - during which he advocated and helped achieve Statehood for Oklahoma - to make the fateful journey south to Laredo. O.W. was 45 years old, married, and had three children. Having made up his mind to head to South Texas, O.W. set forth to discover oil, where no man had ever discovered oil before - south of San Antonio and north of the Rio Grande. O.W. did what most might not have done. He moved his whole family to this outpost on the Mexican border. In 1937, the oil operators of the Laredo district at the Oilman's Jubilee crowned Oliver Winfield Killam as "King Petrol."
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People’s Street T-Head, and attracted a crowd of about 17,000 people. Executive Director and Past President Bill Weed successfully moved the event in 1988 to the new Bayfront Plaza Convention Center Watergarden. That year's event featured 24 jazz groups. It grew to about 43 bands for the 33rd Annual Festival in 1993, which included musicians such as Beto y los Fairlanes and Plas Johnson. Returning to the Coliseum area in 1994 with a stage also located in the Performers downtown area to help Include stimulate tourism, the Joe Revelez 1994 event and Latin Heart included outstanding and Stacey Knights legendary jazz artists such as Redd Volkaert saxophonist Kirk Whalum, Michael Ward drummer Louis Bellson 22 - Coastal Bend Traveler - October 2011
and trumpeter Marvin Stamm. Rick Sanchez took over as president of the Texas Jazz Festival Society in 1999, and has served in that capacity ever since. Bringing to the group a fresh outlook as well as a new board of directors, he successfully worked with both past and present board members, together elevating the event to unprecedented heights. Flooding caused a change of location in 1999, moving the festival to Heritage Park among the historic homes and lovely trees. Sanchez said attendance has increased steadily from the about 25-to-30,000 people when he first took over as president to nearly 70,000 over the three-day weekend. The number of performing artists and groups has also increased considerably from the early days. Sanchez said for the last 12 years, there have been at least 50 bands at each festival; and this year's event is scheduled to include 55 bands. "The artists love to come to Corpus because they say — I've heard it from them over and over: 'They listen. It's not like playing in
a club where everyone is talking — at this event, the people are coming to listen,'" Sanchez said. New to the Festival this year is female singer, songwriter, saxophone player and flutist Stacey Knights of Florida. She was named a "Best Emerging Artist of 2006" by American Idol Magazine after winning first prize in their Jazz Competition with her "Morning Monk," an original tribute to Thelonius Monk. She has produced three CDs which contain mostly original music. This year's three-day familyfriendly festival is presented by the Coastal Bend Chevy Dealers, and promises to be one of the best ever, with scheduled performances by many local and area groups and artists as well as musicians and ensembles from as far away as New York and Florida, not to mention three Grammy winners. From 5 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Grammy winner Joe Revelez and Latin Heart of San Antonio will perform. Also on Saturday, transplanted Texan and Grammy winning guest artist Redd Volkaert will
perform with the Austin Community College out of Austin, Texas, from 9:30 to 10:30 p.m. From 5:45 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Grammy winner Michael Ward of New Orleans will play with Kyle Turner of Houston, who was a saxophone player for Luther Vandross. Concerts will be held continuously on three stages, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Friday on the center stage with Corpus Christi artist Freddie Martinez. The day's final performance will end at midnight as Tom Braxton of Dallas closes down the house. Saturday's event kicks off at noon with Ric Cortez and the Latin Jazz Project of Laredo and Corpus Christi's Luna & the Gang on the north and center stages. Dallas' Inner City Allstars will bring the curtains down, ending the day's festivities at 12:45 a.m. On Sunday, wake up smiling with an 11:45 a.m. performance by the West Oso High School Jazz Band. The jazz performers of Texas A&M University Kingsville will wrap up the Festival with their performance ending at 9:15 that evening. For more information on the Texas Jazz Festival and scheduled performers, please visit www.texasjazz-fest.org.
Story By Lois Stephens