Don’t fence me out

Ah, yes. Frolicking in the Gulf coast waters.

Sun, sand and sea gulls, and all for free because every Texan own those beaches and no one can stop us. But wait. State Sen. Mayes Middleton of Galves ton can stop us. He has intro duced Senate Bill 434 which would allow beach-front home owners to basically fence off their property for themselves. There is an as terisk to this proposed fenceoff. You can sue the home owner. Texas has more than 370 miles of coastline along the Gulf of Mexico. Granted, not all of it is snowy sand dunes and frothy waves. Blame the Mississippi River which daily dumps tons of mud into the west side of the Gulf while leaving Tampa & Co. pristine free. Indeed, six Galveston County beaches are listed as the most unsafe places to swim in Texas, per a water quality report released by Environment Texas. Every travel magazine and vacation website lists “the best beaches,” and Texas’ sandlots don’t rank very high, but be careful. One travel company recommends Reynisfjara Beach in Vik, Iceland.

“Come to sunny Iceland and enjoy the blistering climate!”

No doubt every Texan has visited our beaches at one time or another, and most Houstonians have gone to Galveston. Growing up in Dallas, my family made an annual trip to Galveston. We always stayed at the Jack Tar Hotel, which is long gone. Actually, much of Galveston has changed since then, which reminds me of a line spoken by Burt Lancaster as an aging small-time gangster in the movie, “Atlantic City.” From the Boardwalk, Lancaster looks at the waves and sighs, “You should have seen the Atlantic Ocean back then.” Well, you shudda seen the Gulf of Mexico before Rep. Middleton (of Galveston, no less), kicked you off the beaches. His idea is so draconian that even three former Texas Land Commissioners, David Dewhurst (Republican), Garry Mauro (Democrat) and Jerry Patterson (Republican) wrote a blistering op/ed piece to various Texas newspapers against tampering with our beaches. “If SB 434 passes, don’t be surprised if you show up at your favorite beach spot and you’re confronted with a fencedoff beach or ‘no trespassing’ signs,” the op-ed reads. The former land commissioners argued that Middleton’s bill would also hurt the General Land Office’s ability to maintain the coastline on land that’s open to the public. If the beaches become private property, there goes the landscaping. And the three amigos note, “beachfront property owners can’t claim ignorance of the public beach easement. Since 1986 they have received notice of the public beach easement in the documents they signed

Lynn ashby

needs help. In 1900, before the Galveston Storm, that island city was the biggest in Texas -- 37,789 people. Today it isn’t even the biggest in Galveston County. Galveston has 50,446 residents. League City has more than twice that: 115,747 residents.

Much of this dispute centers on the Texas’ Open Beaches Act, passed by the Legislature in 1959. The law is one of the strongest of its kind nationwide, guaranteeing public beach access. In 2009, 77 percent of Texas voters chose to enshrine the Open Beaches Act into the Texas Constitution. Three points about all of this bother me. First, what does Rep. Middleton know that we don’t know? Does he own beach front property or maybe his heavy campaign donors own some? Second, why now after all decades does he want to change a law approved by 77 percent of Texans? If it ain’t broke, don’t mess with Texas beaches.

Third, like you, I am opposed to almost any bill proposed by the Republicans in the Texas Legislature. Remember these are our duly elected (gag) lawmakers who are even now pushing to eliminate tenure in state universities, ban the teaching critical race theory and Daylight Saving Time. Our legislature leads all other lawmakers with at least 36 anti-LGBTQ bills. State Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco), has filed a bill that would eliminate the City of Austin government and establish the District of Austin in its place. HB (House Bill) 436 would prevent parents from seeking appropriate medical care for a transgender child, while HB 643 would equate drag performances with strip clubs, which must collect a $5 per patron state tax.

One bill being considered would forbid state agencies from subscribing to newspapers and magazines while another bill would prevent universities from supporting nonprofit news organizations. A bill before the Senate would impose tight if not impossible restrictions on wind and solar facilities.

Remember Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s infamous bathroom bill he keeps pushing? It’s being re-introduced again. And we have the never-ending proposal for Texas to secede from the Union. We tried that once. Lawmakers, can you spell “Appomattox?” Prob- ably not. Then, of course, there are those bills which forbid school libraries from allowing students to check out anything deemed as “obscene.” There goes the Bible. It contains all sorts of racy

Fencing off Texas’ beaches sounds too goofy, but it is being considered by the same group that wants to control women’s reproductive rights, take taxpayers’ money from public schools and give it to private schools. Hey, let’s put our money in Silicon Valley Bank. None of them seems to worry that, according to US News, Texas ranks 31st among the states in health care, 34th in education, 37th in crime and corrections and 40th in natural environment.

We, the beach-lovers and anyone else who likes to disobey their dermatologist and get a good case of sunburn, need to fight back. Move to Galveston and vote Rep. Middleton out of office. Jump in the Gulf near

Corpus Christi and swim off shore to Galveston. Bring your own beach. And remember that you can sue, so the next time you head to the beach, take along your kids, sunscreen, beer and, of course, your lawyer.

Ashby is sunning at ashby@comcast.net what it meant to have the support of those around me. Whether it was my parents, my sister, or my school – that feeling as an athlete is second-to-none next to winning a championship.

What’s more, it served to remind me of the healing and unifying nature of sports. Booker T. Washington wasn’t just playing for themselves – they were playing for an entire school, and for the entire community in Houston. As I spoke with head coach Vincent Grayson and several players prior to the tournament, you could tell that they knew just how much the run meant to not just them, but their school and community.

With the turmoil regarding a takeover of the district - which was announced Wednesday morning - I feel like the Houston community as a whole needed something to rally behind. And they found it in this playoff run, and it showed in their support.

As I sat there along press row at floor level of the Alamodome and looked behind me and across the arena – especially Saturday night in the state title game – nearly every seat that could be filled was filled. Barely an empty seat in the house. That was a continuation of the spirit shown just days earlier, when a contingent showed up to send the Eagles off to San Antonio.

All in all, it was an amazing weekend. And not just because I got to cover a state tournament for the first time in my reporting career – though that was certainly a thrill, and I am blessed beyond measure that The Leader gives me an opportunity to have such chances.

No, I’d mainly like to thank the Booker T. Washington Eagles boys’ basketball team, their coaches, and the community who supports them that we all hold most dear.

This past weekend, you all reminded me about the purity of youth sports, and about the unifying and healing nature I have always known they possessed – but can sometimes lose sight of in the hustle and bustle.

leader Puzzlers.

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