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The Island Moon Published by Island Moon Publishing, LLC 15201 S. Padre Island Drive Ste. 250 Corpus Christi, TX. 78418 editor@islandmoon.com (361) 949-7700

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Island Moon The Island Newspaper since 1996

Island Area News ● Events ● Entertainment

August 2, 2012

It turns out it wasn’t the humidity, it was just the heat all along.

Next Publication Date: 8/9/2012

Around The Island

Bond Package for November Ballot Set

As of this writing there are 670 million people in India without power, the London Olympics are playing to empty houses, and a Chinese swimmer just swam so fast that the water almost caught fire.

$135 million total, $13 million for downtown “aesthetics”, $1.2 million total for The Island

By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com

Here on The Island things are a little calmer; it’s too hot for snakes and Whitecap traffic is backed up while The Island gets a new large intestine.

Work is moving at a feverish pace over there at the sewage pump station as crews work to put in a new line from the Gypsy Pump Station all the way down Whitecap to the treatment plant past Bonasse. We do the dipsy doodle around the barricades and chalk it up to progress. Might as well get used to it.

Meanwhile we’ve stopped doing the Skeeter Dance as we haven’t had enough rain for the little buggers to breed so we got that going for us. The weather on the other hand has been hotter than a two-dollar pistol in a bordertown conjunto bar.

We continue to have beautiful water coming right up to our beaches and in through the Packery with no sargassum weed to report.

Driving conditions all up and down the beach continue to be a challenge with the exception of Michael J. Ellis Beach along the seawall where the fine sand and heavy traffic keep it very passable.

Hollow canoe connect connect Did you lose your canoe? If you did and can call and describe it by color and serial number we know where you can find it. Call 949-7700.

Hooks night Don’t forget Wednesday, August 8th is Island Night at the Hooks game. 100 seats have been set aside for Islanders about half are still available. The seats are $10 each and is a fundraiser for the local chapter of the American Diabetes Association. Tickets are avaialbe at the POA office, Isle Mail & More, American Bank, and from John White at 549-6347. Wear red to support the ADA.

PAC questions Now is the time to get your questions for city council candidates to the Island United Political Action Committee. The next time someone says, “Why doesn’t the city….?” Tell them there is a way to find out. If they send their question to the PAC at islandunitedpac@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook. com/islandunitedpac it will be included in a questionnaire handed out to candidates during the PAC’s endorsement process. While the official deadline for questions was last Sunday if you tell them the Moon said they could still get one in they will let you. The Moon will publish a complete list of questions and answers as they become available.

Fishy fishy The trout are biting out there folks. The full moon is shining down upon us and it’s making the fish crazy, it’s not doing much for the Moon Monkeys’ sanity either.

Say hello if you see us Around The Island.

The sole Island project is $1.2 million to improve the streets and infrastructure in the area just west of the JFK Causeway behind Doc’s and Snoopy’s Pier restaurants. In its Tuesday meeting the city council moved that project into the portion of the bond package which does not require a tax increase if passed, greatly increasing its chance of approval.

The businesses located in that area have been paying city taxes since 1980 but all of the improvements have been paid for by the businesses with no help from the city.

The access road which runs just west of the JFK, as well as the one on the east side, is actually part of Park Road 22 which is a state right of way but maintained by the county.

The road which runs perpendicular off the access road and behind Doc’s and Snoopy’s Pier is privately owned. All the land in the area is owned by Texas General Land Office.

Aside from the $55 million dollars included in the first group of bond packages the remainder consists of $1.7 million to City Hall, $4.7 million to various other city structures, $16 million for Parks, $2.3 million for museum and library improvements, $820,000 in public health facility improvements, $700,000 in improvements to public safety facilities, and $13 million in what are being called Economic Development Projects – all downtown.

Also on Tuesday, the council voted to remove $60 million in bond money from the ballot that would have gone to the proposed Destination Bayfront park, also downtown.

If only the $55 million in bonds which do not require a tax increase are approved Island residents, who bear 14% of the tax burden citywide, would be on the hook for $7.7 million in principal plus the ensuing debt service. If all $135 million of the bonds are approved Islanders would pay $18.0 million of the principal.

If Proposition 8 passes, the item spends $13 million for aesthetic improvements downtown, Islanders would owe $1.8 million.

The final vote on the bond packages will be held at the next scheduled city council meeting on Tuesday, August 14.

out a questionnaire to the candidates. If you have questions you’d like included in this questionnaire, you can email them to islandunitedpac@gmail.com. Your name will not be included in the questionnaire. Questions need to be received by Sunday, July 29.

In the most hotly contested race on the ballot Island Republicans favored Ted Cruz over David Dewhurst by a margin of just under 2-1.

Our Endorsement Nights will be on September 19 & 26, 6pm at the Holiday Inn. This is going to be a very important election for the Island so we need to have as many people involved as possible.

35 voters They favored Paul Sadler for U.S. Senate over Gardy Yarbrough by a margin of 75% to 25%; In the race for U.S. Representative District 27 Election continued on A14

This is what Happens When an Old Oil Platform is Removed

The first bond package is a $55 million street improvement measure that would not require a tax increase due to the retirement of old bonds in the past year. The remaining $80 million, which each can be approved or rejected separately, would require a tax hike.

Just under 8 percent of the 186,341 registered votes in Nueces County (14,669) turned out for the runoff elections this week. The majority were Republicans with about 8400 voters while the Democrats had just under 6000. Islanders voted at a higher rate of 15%.

Precinct 19 Port Aransas

Year 15, Issue 434

Barring major changes the City of Corpus Christi will have eight separate bond packages before voters in November totaling $135 million dollars with a total of $1.2 million for The Island.

Send your Questions for the Candidates to Islanders Favor Cruz the PAC

By JJ Hart over Dewhurst by President, Island United PAC The Island United PAC’s endorsement process Almost 2-1 is beginning soon and, as always, we’ll send

Democrats

Facebook: The Island Moon

By Dale Rankin

Complete Island Runoff Election Results

Here are the titles for the three Island precincts, one in Port Aransas and two on Padre Island.

We’ll continue to keep you posted on the campaigns and the process. If you would like to receive our newsletter and updates, send your email address to islandunitedpac@gmail. com. Also, visit our Facebook page at www. facebook.com/islandunitedpac.

We need the Island to vote “united” so we can continue to receive the attention and support from the City.

The aftermath of a rig relocation

By Dale Rankin For the past two years the Federal government has been forcing oil companies to remove abandoned oil platforms off the Texas Coast.

The idea behind the forced removal is that the rigs are an affront to the environment in general and while they may be relocated as reefs they may not be placed within a five-mile radius of any existing rigs. While this may seem like a small clause in a thousand-plus page bill it has in fact stopped the reefing of rigs in Texas waters for the reason that the cost of the barge and subsequent equipment needed to convert the rig to a reef is about $250,000 per day. To convert the old rig to a reef without moving it takes one day of work from the barge. But if the rig is located within five miles of another rig, which almost all are, it takes three days use of the barge – one to pick it up, one to transport, and one to drop it in its new location.

This increases the cost of converting the rig to a reef from $250,000 to at least $750,000 – plus whatever additional personnel costs incur over the additional two days. Since the barge is needed for only one day if the rig is removed oil companies have understandably been reluctant to relocate them. Instead they use explosives to blast the legs free below the surface and the result is the massive fish kill you see here.

This photo is a picture that was recently taken just a few weeks ago offshore from Corpus Christi. On the way out for a day of fishing in the Gulf a fisherman ran by this rig on their way to another rig to fish. A while later they thought they heard thunder off in the distance but there was no sign of rain so they continued fishing.

Later on their way back in they found the fish kill seen in the picture and remembered that on

the way out there had been a rig located there.

What they had heard was the explosion when the rig was blown from its foundation during the removal process.

Due to the mostly featureless Gulf floor off the Texas coast the rigs become their own ecosystems and attract large numbers of fish, like the Red Snappers seen here.

U.S. Rep. Farenthold, (Dist. 27 which includes The Island) has introduced a bill that would put a moratorium that would prevent the removal of rigs for two years while a long-term solution to the problem is found.

Specifically, H.R. 6208, the Retaining Essential Environmental Fishing Structures (REEFS) Act would place a two year moratorium on an October 2010 Department of Interior (DOI) directive to remove all non-producing oil rigs from the Gulf of Mexico.

“Now, almost two years after the DOI directive the Gulf Coast is feeling the negative impacts of this directive as important habitats are being removed,” Farenthold said. “The REEFS Act stops a misguided DOI directive requiring removal of safely plugged rigs from the Gulf of Mexico, destroying valuable ecosystems.

Fishermen, divers, the oil industry and even our school children understand the important role these artificial habitats play in both the economy and ecology of the Gulf. The REEFS Act gives the Government time to find a common sense long-term solution to save man made reefs instead of removing decades of environmental progress.”

To see a live video feed of fish and other sea life that forms around an off-shore rig see the website SaveTheBlue.org.

A little Island history

What a Difference 100 Years Doesn’t Make

By Dale Rankin It is the early in the second decade of a new century and unrest along the Texas/Mexico border makes crossing the river dangerous to the point of impossible. Meanwhile, north of us in the heart of Texas an oil boom is creating boomtowns overnight.

Roving cross-border gangs frequently bring their attacks to bordertowns and to the open ranchland of South Texas. Meanwhile the oil boom is bringing people and jobs to the state.

Déjà vu all over again 2012? Well, yes; but also 1912. One hundred years of South Texas life finds us pretty much where our grandfathers were a century ago.

The Mexican Revolution kicked off in 1910 and by 1912 was in full bloom and spilling north across the border.

Porfirio Diaz figured himself a benevolent dictator and figured he would “control” the presidential election of 1910 the way he had controlled the previous six. When it comes to fixing elections the Mexican way is not a subtle one. As soon as Francisco I. Madero declared his candidacy Diaz promptly had him thrown in jail – election over; or so Diaz thought. What he didn’t count on was

Madero’s escaping from jail and running to San Antonio where he promptly issued his Plan de San Luis Potosí, with its main slogan Sufragio Efectivo, No re-elección (“free suffrage and no re-election”). It declared the Díaz regime illegal and called for revolt against Díaz starting on November 20, 1910 and the revolution was on.

Pancho Villa and other rebel leaders “liberated” Juarez across from El Paso and revolution spread like wildfire along the Texas border. Over the next five years The Border was an uneasy place. The Coastal Bend became a transshipment point for arms into Mexico and local tales of intrigue and boats headed south in the night abounded.

When in doubt shoot If history is an indicator then 2015 will be an eventful year on the border. It was in 1915 that things escalated. Captain Henry History Continued on A5

A 2

Island Moon Market

Island Moon

Letters to the Editor

Canal Water

Schlitterbahn Map Hello.. wondering if it’s possible to obtain a copy of The Island Moon issue that displayed the layout of Schlitterbahn on the island..

Thank you, Sylvia Ronan Here it is Sylvia. Keep in mind this design is old and the layout has probably been moved around some. The design of the park is a work in progress and we hope to have a new drawing as we move on toward groundbreaking in the coming weeks.

Some news involving 3 of our Island athletes:

This month’s Island Moon Market was a huge success for vendors and for some very lucky puppies from PeeWee’s. Tanya adopted two males and Coby adopted a little female brendal.

August 2, 2012

Hi,

In the 7-12-12 issue under ‘Street lights on the new Aquarius Extension’ it was reported ‘the Whitecap Treatment Plant exceeded state limits on bacteria in its outflow------’ The Ultraviolet Light treatment to fix the problem RIGHT is being put off in favor of a system more expensive to operate. Why not just do it right in the first place??? Apparently this has been a problem for some time. At what point will the canals not be safe to swim in? I would think this should be a TOP priority for our Island AND the city.

Bev Bloess

Laguna Little League’s Senior League team won the Little League Texas West state championship on July 22, 2012, in Fort Worth.

The team is undefeated through district, section, and state tournament play. They will play in the regional tournament beginning August 3, 2012, in Seguin, Texas. There they will face other state champions representing Colorado, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Texas East for a chance to compete in the Little League World Series. Chuck Daffron coaches the team. The team includes 3 players from the Island – Josh Solarek, Jacob Porterfield, and Thomas Evaristo. The Little League Senior League is made up of players under the age of 16.

Thanks for reading, Mike Evaristo

P.S. Could the bacteria have anything to do with our yucky water?

Bev,

As of this writing the city has yet to make a final decision on whether to go with the quick fix or wait for the proper U/V system. As to whether the outflow has anything to do with yucky water we’ll just go out on a limb here and say that when the level of bacteria exceeds state mandated standards by 24,000% that probably isn’t good for water quality in the canals.

Just this week we got an eyewitness account here at the Word Factory that an Island resident was driving by the plant’s outflow drain last Sunday when he saw a “brown bubbly sludge” emitting from the drain. Again, we’ll go out on the limb and say that discharging a “brown, bubbly sludge” from the sewer treatment plant into the canal system we live on and swim in is probably not a good thing.

The Island Strategic Action Committee addressed this at their last meeting but city planners did not offer a firm plan for fixing the problem. We will make another request (the results of the first we published a few issues back) from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and publish the results of any new testing.

Mystery Person of the Week Can anyone identify this happy person from bygone years?

Coffee Waves owner David Bendett with State Representative Todd Hunter. The Texas flag in the frame was flown over the Capital in Austin in support of the Coastal Bend economy.

Photo by Ronnie Narmour

First Friday Art Show The First Friday art show and reception will be held at the Port Aransas Art Center 323 N. Alister from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on August 3.

There will be refreshments and live music, the event is open to the public. This month’s featured artists are Zulia Gotay Anderson, Donna Garven, Norma Gafford, and Jim Sikes. The exhibit will remain up through August 30. For more information call 361-749-7334.

Donna Garven, 3 pelicans

Norma Gafford,Deep Sea Jewelry

August 2, 2012

Island Moon

News From Your

Stuff I Heard on the Island

By Maybeth Christensen If you have not purchased your Hooks tickets for the Wednesday, August 8, 7:05 PM game against the Arkansas Travelers, stop by today. Tickets are $10 each for reserved seats with $5 going to the American Diabetes Association. So, pick up your tickets today to donate to a great cause and have a most enjoyable night of baseball.

by Dale Rankin

items are available at all Kleberg Banks. You do not have to be present to win! And, if you are not a paddler, you can still contribute.

We got these questions from new Islander Sue Avenell who is recently retired and happily living full-time on the Island.

Flying plastic

1. At the intersection next to CVS, there is a green information sign indicating a U.S. Post Office is located on Compass St. Let me tell you, I drove myself nuts trying to find that place, not once but twice. I finally realized that a U.S. Post Office does not exist on the Island. Thank goodness for Mail & More.

My question is why doesn’t someone remove that sign?

Bloodmobile The Coastal Bend Bloodmobile will be in the parking lot at Island Presbyterian Church Sunday morning from 8 AM to Noon. You must have a photo I.D. in order to donate blood and all donors will receive a free t-shirt. Blood is always needed, so stop by and roll up your sleeve (although I think it is too hot for long sleeves!)

Island Art Walk For all of the Island artists, start building up your supply of completed works. The Third Annual Island Art Walk is set for Sunday, November 4 at Billish Park. More details will be forthcoming, but the organizers wanted to give all of you a heads up so you have enough inventory on hand for the sale.

Hey rubber ducky!

Plans are also underway for a rubber duck race sponsored by the Rotary which may take place also on November 4. The race is planned for the canal by Billish Park.

Paddle for Parkinson’s Also, Paddle for Parkinson’s will be the Saturday of Labor Day weekend which is September 1. Raffle tickets for some great

Last Friday I observed plastic bags blowing out of the garbage trucks. Well, actually, the wind caught them during the dump from the individual cans into the truck. If you will take a few minutes to use those bags for some of your trash and then tie them closed, we would eliminate a lot of plastic bags blowing around the Island.

Thank you to all the volunteers who worked so hard this past weekend at the Litter Critter.

We had a great crew and a special thanks to Ron Christensen (yes, he is related), Tommy Hallick and Dave Vann who worked both days.

Without the volunteers, things would not go as smoothly as it does for dropping off. If you have some time and would like to help on the last weekend of the month, just give the office a call. You will meet your neighbors and possibly even make some new friends.

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ignominious failure. As far as we know the area around Newport Pass is maintained by the county so it will be up to them to put trash cans out there.

3. My daughter loves the water and wants to learn to surf. She has Down syndrome, but is in excellent health. Do you know of any trustworthy person or organization I could contact who could give her lessons?

Here you are in luck. The Padre Island Surf Camp exists to do just that. You can find them most weekends on Michael J. Ellis Beach right in from the seawall parking lot. Contact them at 361 774-2264 or info@padreislandsurfcamp. com. They offer after school camps and also transportation. A surf camp that delivers, is this a great Island or what!

4. Is there a fishing school for dummies, like me? I have never caught a fish in my life.

Can you point me in the right direction?

Litter Critter

9929 SPID in Flour Bluff Plaza

A3

Good question Sue. Sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to see the obvious; we’ve been ignoring that sign for years. We will send the request along to the city since they would have to be the ones to remove it. In the past Mail & More was a U.S. Post Office but the Postal Service in an attempt to boost its own business a few years ago started requiring that if a private postal store wants to be an official U.S. Post Office it cannot offer services that compete with those offered by the postal service. This apparently sounded like a great idea at the postal planning meetings. However, as is the case with many federal agencies their best laid plans backfired and now instead of forcing private postal stores to use only U.S. Postal services there are now just fewer private stores that are Official Post Offices because when a customer absolutely, positively has to make sure something arrives overnight they prefer private industry to the U.S. Postal service. Who knew!?

And it doesn’t look like we’ll be needing that sign anytime soon either. Getting our own Island Post Office has been an ongoing goal for years but it doesn’t look like that’s going to be happening as the U.S. Postal Service on Wednesday defaulted on $5.5 billion due to the U.S. Treasury due primarily to a plummeting of first-class letters and indecision by Congress on how to fix the Postal Service’s problems. The $5.5 billion was to pay future postal retirees’ health benefits and another $5.6 billion is due in September which the service said on Monday will also be left unpaid. Another $1.5 billion payment is due to the Labor Department for workers compensation later in the year as well as millions in interest payments to the Treasury.

The federal government will stop mailing paper checks starting next year for millions of people who receive Social Security and other benefits, paying via direct deposit or debit cards instead.

First-class mail volume, which has fallen 25 percent since 2006, is projected to drop another 30 percent by 2016.

Turns out it wasn’t rain, sleet, snow, or dark of night which was the threat to the delivery of mail, it was free enterprise. It doesn’t sound like they have the money to remove that sign much less build a new post office on The Island.

Anybody have any ideas about what we could paint on it?

2. Another observation, I always pick up trash when my daughter and I go to the beach. I don’t know why everyone does not pick up a little extra trash. I usually go to Luby Park they have lots of trash cans, which is convenient. However, at Newport Pass, I did not see one trash can. What is up with that? It wouldn’t cost too much to put a few trash cans and maybe it would be an incentive for people to pick up their trash.

You are on tricky grounds here Sue as you have entered the Beach Maintenance Matrix of Confusion. One of the quirks of the way responsibility for beach maintenance has developed on The Island is that there are overlapping jurisdictions. From Kleberg County north to Bob Hall Pier is cleaned by the city, from Bob Hall Pier north to the end of the county park is maintained by the county. From the county park to the South Packery Jetty is maintained by the city. North of the Packery is the city until you get to Newport Pass where the county again takes over for a few miles until the city takes over again.

The city and county crews literally pass each other on the highway as they hop scotch their way up and down The Island. There were several attempts to resolve this but alas all met

This one is a bit harder as everyone pretty much agrees on the best way to surf but almost nobody agrees on the best way to fish. Island fisherpersons come in a variety of species.

You got your wade fisherpeople, you got your hardcore kayak fisherpersons who fish for sharks offshore in boats often smaller than the sharks they catch (watch out for those guys), you got your offshore boat fisherpersons who mostly go out to the rigs, you got your channel fisherpersons who you see lining the shores of Packery Channel or fishing from the jetties, you got your bay fisherpersons who fish from boats in the Laguna mostly for specks and reds, you got your pier fisherpersons who sit out there all night with lines in the water, and then you got your head boat fisherpersons who go out on the big charters out of Port Aransas. This last category is where I would recommend you start.

For one thing you can rent the gear there so you don’t have to buy anything before you go.

There are people on the boats who will tell you what kind of bait to use and how to put it on the hook and how to get it off the hook if you catch something. And if it turns out to be the day when the fish aren’t biting then at least you got a good boat ride. It only costs about $25 and that’s where I would start.

There is one final category of fisherperson to which yours truly belongs. I hesitate to bring it up here because it’s like always skiing the bunny slope and that is the television fisherperson. You get a pole see, doesn’t matter what kind because you really aren’t trying to catch anything, you put some cheese on there – because it’s handy, you fling the bait off the deck into the canal and let out enough line so you can fish while sitting in your living room watching NASCAR. If you close the sliding door so there is just enough room to let your line through the cool air won’t get out and after a while you will forget you are fishing at all. If you somehow hook a whopper while you are standing at the fridge not to worry; the reel will get stuck in the door and you’ll have plenty of time to retrieve your beverage and still reel in your whopper.

The main thing to remember when angling is that there is a fine line between fishing and just sitting there looking stoopid. So have fun out there.

5. Also, I love JB’s Bakery, Johnny D’s and Dragonfly, but I do not understand why ALL of these restaurants are closed on Monday.

Since, lots of holidays fall on a Monday, wouldn’t it be better to close on some other day, say Tuesdays? Just sayin.

We’ll just say this about that; what happens on The Island leaves on Sunday. Monday is the day when we try to recall the weekend and hope the phone doesn’t ring.

Our suggestion; Doc’s and Snoopy’s are open on Monday, along with Island Italian and Scuttlebutt’s.

6. Finally, I have owned my home for two years and this is the first year I noticed my palm trees have these really funny long things growing on them with berries at the end. What is up with that? Are these things edible? Just some random thoughts, I thought I would share. PS. I love the Moon and all you Monkeys!

We had to call an expert on this one as we Moon Monkeys have never actually eaten part of a palm tree. The expert we called wasn’t sure what we were talking about with the berries so as for eating them, well, I wouldn’t but that’s just me. Maybe one of our readers can help us out here.

What we can tell you from experience is that if a palm tree has dead limbs hanging down like a lion’s mane then sooner or later it’s going to have bats living in it and it’s going to be full of what we euphemistically call Palmetto bugs.

That pretty much exhausts our knowledge of botany. Maybe Jay can help us.

That’s all for this time. If anyone has any questions we might be able to answer send them along.

A 4

Turtle Count Sets New Record

116 Kemps ridley nests reported on North Padre Island So far this year, 209 Kemp’s ridley nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast 1 Bolivar Peninsula 7 Galveston Island 0 Brazoria County, N. of Surfside 5 Surfside Beach 0 Quintana Beach 0 Bryan Beach 1 Brazoria County, N. of Sargent Beach 0 Sargent Beach 0 Matagorda Peninsula 0 Matagorda Island 2 San Jose Island 8 Mustang Island 116 North Padre Island, including 106 at Padre Island National Seashore 59 South Padre Island 10 Boca Chica Beach The 2012 nest total sets a new record for the number of Kemp’s ridley nests documented in Texas in a year. The previous record of 199 nests was set during 2011. Record keeping for nest tallies in Texas began in the early 1980s.

Cats! Regional Cat Show is This Weekend

Island Moon

August 2, 2012

On the Rocks

By Jay Gardner

The regional cat show will be at the Omni Bayfront August 3-5, 2012. This is the annual cat show of the south central region of The International Cat Association. 200250 pedigreed cats, household pets and cats for adoption from the Cattery are expected.

Visitors can also buy cat supplies, cat toys and cat themed gifts for all their cat loving friends.

Friday’s hours are 3 pm to 10 pm, Saturday 9 am to 9 pm and Sunday 9 am to 9 pm. Visitors pay only $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for children 5-12 years old.

Computer Classes for Seniors Del Mar College has scheduled two Senior Education Computer classes during August.

These classes will be held at the DMC South Campus (Center for Economic Development), 3209 South Staples. The cost is $4 for each class. All who are 55 or more years old are eligible to take these classes. If you wish to enroll in either or both of these classes, please call 361-698-1328. Please call soon, the classes are filling fast.

The scheduled classes are: Beginning Computers; 12:30-4:30 pm, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8/7 to 8/21/2012.

Beginning Excel: 8:30 am-12:30 pm, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday; 8/20-8/24/2012.

For further information, please call Stella: 361-698-1329 or Dotson: 361-949-7681

Right about this time of year interesting things start to wash up on the beach. We’ve had some southerly winds for at least several weeks now, and the longshore currents coming up from Mexico carry a variety of items. Of course, there’s always the lovely used syringes and associated medical waste that makes its’ way with the rest of it that you need to be careful of. And with the start of shrimping season, we’ll also start to see the onion sacks full of trash from the shrimp boats start to wash up.

One of the more interesting things (at least to me) is the appearance of the red mangrove seeds.

We have two types of mangroves here in Texas, the black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) and the red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle). You’re much more familiar with the black mangrove, which looks like a small green shrub that grows around the water. You can see some of these along Park road 22 on the right hand side when you turn off Whitecap headed back towards Hwy 361 and OTB. In some areas, like in the Shamrock Cove area, the black mangroves form dense monotypic stands that stretch for miles.

The seeds of the black mangrove are around a quarter in size and tear-drop shaped. Those are maturing now, after blooming in the spring, and will drop off and float around with the bull tides in the fall and early winter.

The red mangrove, however, is much less common. The only ones that I know of is the one at Cedar Bayou and the one in South Padre on the backside of the Island down there. I mean, besides the two growing in my buddy Topdog’s pond and the one growing in mine.

Reds can get upward of 20 feet here in this area, which is about average size for the ones out in Florida and down south from here. The closest source for our reds here is the Rio Soto de la Marina, which runs from approximately Cuidad Victoria down to the coast. The river exits into the southern end of the southern lagoon (Laguna Tamaulipas) through the town of La Pesca. Southerly winds push the seeds up the coast and deposit them here. The red mangroves are more tropical and are not freeze tolerant than their black cousins.

Even though the black mangroves are doing fairly well here, there was a time when they were absent. Evidently the mangroves have either began to be freeze tolerant, or global warming is

real and things are changing. Hopefully the red mangroves will follow the same pathway and get established here. And despite the number of seeds that washes up, we still don’t see any (many) reds growing here, but that doesn’t mean that they couldn’t establish. There’s a theory that I have tried to explain to folks before, and the best I have is that “Biology tries”….which means despite the fact that you may be sending

your seeds (or eggs, or whatever) into almost certain doom, if just one can be established on the other side of some harsh conditions, well, then you’ve created or helped support an additional population. But, y’all aren’t reading this for the biology or genetic lesson, are you?

Mangroves (both red and black) can actually be very nice ornamental plants. You can easily grow your own straight from the seeds, and you don’t need any special set-up or chemicals. Both of these “trees” will grow heartily in fresh water as well; no need to use salt water either. The idea is to get a container that actually doesn’t drain; five gallon buckets work, although you can get something a little more fashionable, lol. Fill your container up with regular potting soil or even just sand to the top, then fill the container up with water from the hose, and simply place your mangrove seed on top. Once a year put in a gallon of Miracle Grow, and keep water in it and you’re good to go! The black mangroves will even bloom in the spring after several years and may start to drop seeds of its own, which can then be planted.

The wind needs to let up a little bit, and needs to change directions. This south wind we’ve been having switches a little out of the southwest in the mornings, which really messes up many folks allergies, including mine. That desert wind......at least the north jetty is blocked from it, and I’ll see you folks on the rocks!

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Peewee’s relies on donations only for its operation.

Shelter operations are accomplished strictly by donations.

Peewee’s does not get any government, city or federal funding.

Peewee’s helps those animals no one else will - the sick and the stray. The volunteers at Peewee’s work tirelessly to rehabilitate poor orphaned pets in the hopes that they will find new, loving homes. The dogs and cats are spayed/neutered, given regular heartworm preventative, and are on flea & tick prevention and medications as needed. Peewee’s does not discriminate due to age or health conditions of the pet. Please visit Peewee’s Pet Adoption World & Sanctuary at 1307 Saratoga Road. You can call them at 361888-4141 but they do not have staff to answer phones so please leave a message.

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August 2, 2012

Island Moon

A5

History continued from A1 Lee Ransom commanded Company D of the Texas Rangers headquartered in San Antonio but billeted in Harlingen. Just five days after he took command of the Rangers cross-border raiders, later found to be connected to Madero forces – struck against a the forty-two-foot bridge of the St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico Railroad near the Valley town of Sebastian destroying it, cutting telephone and telegraph lines and isolating Brownsville from the rest of Texas.

Ransom managed to identify one of the raiders and arrested him at his house where he gave up the names of several other raiders. Ransom was in charge of security for Nueces County and his method of law enforcement was stated clearly and left little room for nuance, “When in doubt shoot.” He believed in shooting bandits on the spot and that included “those who looked like bandits.” As he put it, “A bad disease calls for bitter medicine” and he unleashed his bitter medicine and racial profiling down the barrel of a gun which only served to heat up an already simmering border environment. His instructions from Governor Pa Ferguson, an anti-prohibitionist Democrat, were to “clean it up down there if he had to kill every d--- man connected with it.” Governor Pa promised to pardon every man who had to do the dirty work.

It was a declaration of war.

had he been present Pinkie Taylor could stand it no more.

Governor James E. “Pa” Ferguson

Porfirio Diaz

of the Sebastian raiders in a house near the main crossing of the Arroyo Colorado and killed the occupant and one of his sons, riddling one body with seventeen bullet holes. The next morning as the Rangers searched the house a surviving son fired a point blank shot from his hiding place under a bed which left powder burns on a Ranger’s nose before the Ranger returned fire and dispatched him.

Raid on the King Ranch In order to cover up the double game they were playing the Madero representative in San Antonio issued a statement saying that the bandits operating in South Texas were American citizens. But that claim was put to the lie when on August 8 the manger of the King

On July 24, 1915 raiders connected to Madero robbed S. Saenz’s store on the American side of the Rio Grande at Progresso, the favored border crossing these days of Winter Texans in search of cheap prescription drugs. Two raiders were killed “resisting arrest.”

Then on August 3 twenty-six cavalrymen of Troop A, 112 Cavalry were called to the Scrivner Ranch twenty miles north of Brownsville where it was said that a Madero supporter was harboring the same group of raiders on his ranch called Los Tulitos. The group of about fifty raiders managed to hold off three troops of cavalry but the fight brought the borderland into open warfare.

Horses and automobiles Once again, on August 4, telephone and telegraph lines to Brownsville were cut and the railroad bridge on the St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico Railroad line was burned thirty-three miles north of Brownsville isolating that city and making Corpus Christi the southernmost functioning city in the United States.

Business leaders in South Texas decided they must act. They met behind closed doors in San Benito on August 5 and while there are no minutes of what was discussed the outcome was the realization that the recent violence was not of the typical form of South Texas political feuding but instead a campaign of guerrilla warfare being waged by people from the Mexican side of the river.

The very next day fourteen bandits swept across the river into Sebastian and looted a store then raided a corn sheller being run by a pair of farmers one of whom was A.L. Austin the president of the local vigilante Law and Order League and his son both of whom they executed. The next day they took a pot shot at a random automobile near Los Fresnos wounding the driver and then shot the night watchman in the town of Lyford. It was open war.

The next night it was the Texans’ turn to strike. They surrounded the house of one Who Are the Moon Monkeys Mike Ellis, Founder

Distribution Pete Alsop Island Delivery Coldwell Banker Advertising Jan Park Rankin Raeanne Reed Office Lisa Towns Classifieds Arlene Ritley Design/Layout Jeff Craft Contributing Writers Joey Farah Devorah Fox Mary Craft Maybeth Christiansen

Norias Ranch Headquarters Ranch, Caesar Kleberg learned that raiders had been seen on one of the ranch’s five divisions, the Sauz Ranch just south of Kingsville. The fight was moving north.

The Army sent troops along with two companies of Rangers to the Ranch including a former Ranger named Marcus Hines who weighted over 300 pounds. When the troopers arrived at the headquarters of the Norias Ranch which consisted of a two-story frame ranch house located next to the railroad tracks that cut across the ranch, they found that the Rangers and several of the King Ranch cowboys had already left the house in search of the bandits.

They were sitting around the ranch house at six o’clock that evening trying to plot their next move when they saw riders approaching from across the plain. They figured it was the Rangers returning until they got close enough to see there were about sixty of them wearing large sombreros and heading for the ranch house in a dead run. One of the leaders was wearing a Mexican Army uniform. The guerrillas carried a white flag of truce and a red flag of no quarter and while the ranchers were trying to figure out their meanings the Mexicans opened fire with 7mm Mauser rifles at 250 yards. The sixteen defenders were outnumbered four to one and two of them were immediately wounded and the ranch’s carpenter George Forbes was shot through the lung as the group raced for the cover of a nearby railroad embankment.

The raiders charged from three sides but their initial onslaught was stalled when a King Ranch cowboy named Lauro Cavazos shot the bandit leader’s horse from under him. But in a whimsical twist that was a sign of the changing times straight out of a Roy Rogers movie the bandits forgot to cut the telephone line to the house. The ranchers called Kleberg who was in Brownsville and one can only imagine how the call must have gone; “Hello, operator we’re calling from the King Ranch and we are being attacked by Mexican bandits.”

“Mexican bandits? Okay, hold on while I connect you.”

Kleberg explained that there were no locomotive captains willing to take the risk of running a train to their rescue and his failure to act was said to be a sore spot with the cowboys for years afterward. After two solid hours of fighting – about 8:30 p.m. – the raiders “yelling like Indians” mounted a full charge at the headquarters but cowboy Pinkie Taylor shot and killed the bandit leader at forty yards and when five other raiders were hit it took the momentum out of the raiders. They strapped their wounded on horses and rode off south leaving their white flag behind.

Dr. Donna Shaver

We were here!

Photographers

The Rangers had missed out on the fight and when they returned after 10 p.m. they began to offer gratuitous advice on what they would have done had they been there for the fight.

Danniece Bobeché

Miles Merwin Office Security/Spillage Control Riley P. Dog Editor/Publisher/Spillage Control Supervisor Dale Rankin About the Island Moon The Island Moon is published every Thursday, Dale Rankin, Editor / Publisher.

Total circulation is 10,000 copies. Distribution includes delivery to 4,000 Island homes, free distribution of 3,000 copies in over 50 Padre Island businesses and condos, as well as 600 copies distributed in Flour Bluff, 1,400 copies on Mustang Island and Port Aransas businesses.

News articles, photos, display ads, classified ads, payments, etc. may be left at the Moon Office 15201 S P I D. Suite 250. For more information call 361-949-7700 or contact the Moon at 15201 S Padre Island Dr., Suite 250, Corpus Christi, TX 78418 or by e-mail to editor@islandmoon.com.

The bodies of the guerrillas were lassoed and dragged into a pile for burial and photos were taken of Rangers posing with the skulls of dead men. It caused an outrage in the Hispanic community which led to another

Noria’s Texas House

raid on Progresso in which an Army private was captured and taken across the river where his ears were cut off and his decapitated head placed on a pole where it was visible from the American side.

Decapitations on the Mexican side of the border; sounds a lot like 2012.

Next time:

Martial law in South Texas?

(Public Notification of Nondiscrimination in Career and Technical Education Programs)

Ronnie Narmour

Jay Gardner Todd Hunter

One raider survived the fight but “died during questioning” but not before telling his captors that the raiders expected to find only three or four cowboys at the ranch headquarters and they planned to loot the place to obtain money, rifles, ammunition, food, and saddles from the ranch store before burning the headquarters to the ground then stopping the next train and robbing the passengers, then burning the train.

Flour Bluff Independent School District Career and Technology Education

The only fatality suffered by the Norias contingent was an Hispanic woman whose husband worked as a section hand on the ranch who was captured by the bandits and asked how many gringos were on the ranch. She cursed the bandit chief and was shot in the mouth and killed.

Dr. Tom Dorrell

“Listen, we were here – we did not get a man killed – and we were here when they came, we were here when they left, and we are still here, and I don’t know what you all would have done if you had been here, but I know THERE WAS NOT A @#$%#$% SON OF A (*%*! OF YOU HERE!”…less like a Roy Rogers movie than a Mel Brooks one.

After Ranger Captain Ransom let fly with his version of how things would have gone down

1. Flour Bluff Independent School District offers career and technology education programs in Agricultural Science, Global Information Systems, Health Science, Cisco Internetworking Technology, Family and Consumer Sciences, Law Enforcement, Fire Science, Teacher Education, Transportation Systems, Aircraft Mechanics, Drafting/Architecture, Business/ Accounting, Marketing, Heating/AC, Cosmetology, Court Reporting, Welding, Instrumentation/ Plant Processes, and Project Lead the Way (Engineering). Admission to these programs is based on career interest, ability, achievement, age appropriateness, and class space.

2. It is the policy of Flour Bluff Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or handicap in its vocational programs, services or activities as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

3. It is the policy of Flour Bluff Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, or age in its employment practices as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

4. Flour Bluff Independent School District will take steps to assure that lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in all educational and vocational programs.

5. For information about your rights or grievance procedures, contact the Title IX Coordinator, Dr. Audra Ude, at 2505 Waldron Rd., Corpus Christi, TX 78418, (361) 694-9220.

Flour Bluff Independent School District Career and Technology Education Carrera y Educación Técnica FORMA DE MUESTRA 1. Flour Bluff Independent School District ofrece programas de carrera y tecnología de la educación en Ciencias Agrícolas, Sistemas de Información Global, Ciencias de la Salud, Cisco Internetworking Tecnología, Ciencias de la Familia y del Consumidor, Aplicación de la ley, Ciencia Fuego, la formación de docentes, sistemas de transporte, Mecánica de aeronaves, de Redacción / Arquitectura, Negocios / Contabilidad, Marketing, calefacción y aire acondicionado, Cosmética, archivos de la Corte, Soldadura, Instrumentación / procesos de la planta, y del Project Lead the Way (Ingeniería). La admisión a estos programas se basa en el interés profesional, capacidad, rendimiento, conveniencia de la edad y la clase de espacio.

2. Es la política de Flour Bluff Distrito Escolar Independiente de no discriminar por motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo, o discapacidad en sus programas, servicios o actividades de acuerdo al Titulo VI de los Derechos Civiles de 1964, modificada , Titulo IX de las Enmiendas de Educación de 1972, y la Sección 504 de la Ley de Rehabilitación de 1973, según enmendada.

3. Flour Bluff Distrito Escolar Independiente de tomar medidas para asegurar que la falta de habilidades del idioma Inglés no será un obstáculo para la admisión y participación en todos los programas educativos y vocacionales.

4. Flour Bluff Distrito Escolar Independiente de tomar medidas para asegurar que la falta de habilidades del idioma Inglés no será un obstáculo para la admisión y participación en todos los programas educativos y vocacionales.

5.

Para obtener información acerca de sus derechos o procedimientos para quejas, comuníquese con el Coordinador del Título IX, el Dr. Audra Ude, en 2505 Rd. Waldron., Corpus Christi, TX 78418, (361) 694-9220.

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Island Moon

A 6

August 2, 2012

Senior Moments

By Dotson Lewis dlewis1@stx.rr.com

Senior of the Moment

Andy Samo On 4 August 1922 Andrew Samo was born in San Antonio, Texas. His father, a World War I veteran, was a carpenter and his mother, a homemaker. He also had two younger sisters.

Andrew did not care for school, but did enjoy playing baseball with his buddies. Although the depression years were very lean, Andrew was a very enterprising young man. He started to work at the age of eleven in a local drug store as both a delivery boy and a soda jerk. When he was sixteen, he traded a bicycle for a Whippet automobile.

Unfortunately, this turned out to be a bad deal since the car kept him broke all of the time. Later, he worked with the National Youth Administration, a government program and helped to rebuild an historic site in San Antonio. In high school, he belonged to the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and later served for a short time in the Texas National Guard.

At just about sundown and all of a sudden, a Japanese torpedo bomber, flying low, appeared to our front and headed right for our LST 117.

At approximately 1,000 yards, the bomber dropped his torpedo which was aimed straight for our ship. The plane then banked off to the left and got away, while every ship in the convoy was shooting at it. We were on the bow of our ship and had nowhere to go. We just kept staring at the torpedo, knowing we would surely be injured or killed. I then observed the LCI on our port immediately take off to intercept the torpedo. After nearly 30 seconds had passed since the bomb had been dropped, I saw the little LCI’s bow raised as he deliberately rammed his ship into the torpedo. It was only about 500 yards away from our ship when this action took place. The captain of the LCI sacrificed his ship to save our larger ship and numerous lives, including own. The LCI’s bow broke off and sank when the torpedo hit. The remaining part of the ship was later towed away and sunk by gunfire. I still do not know if the captain or how many crew members were killed, but I am sure there were some survivors. I often wonder if that captain was given a citation for his heroic act. The marines all around me were sure that we had just had a very close call.

“From my prospective as we ran ashore (Saipan) from the LST, it appeared that we were on the first landing craft to hit the beach. To our surprise, the landing was lightly defended.

Not long afterwards, however, the fighting became very fierce.

I was promoted to Sergeant on Guam and after about seven days, I was shot through the right arm and eventually sent back to the States. I was very fortunate because my wound kept me from the battle on Iwo Jima.”

Andy was honorably discharged from the Marines in November 1946. He went to photography school and Andrew Samo, USMC started up his own business.

In early 1940, there was Unfortunately, this business was talk about starting up the unsuccessful and Andy went to work for Huntnational draft and Andrew began thinking about Wesson Foods. He remained with this company joining the service. His father had told him for 35 years and retired in 1988 in Victoria, stories about the “Devil Dogs,” the legendary Texas. After his retirement Andy joined the Marines who had fought in Europe during the Coast Guard Auxiliary. He spent the next 21 First World War. The Marines had earned the years doing safety patrols from Port O’Connor nickname from the Germans whom they fought to Port Mansfield. Andrew and Thelma had four in the bloody battle of Belleau Wood. These children. Thelma passed away in 2003 and he stories generated his interest in Marine Corps moved to the Island in 2004. and at the age of 19, in September 1940 he enlisted. He attended Boot Camp at San Diego, Teaching A Boating Class California. After boot camp he was assigned to Now 90 years old, he enjoys traveling, boating the 8th Marines. and fishing. He is a member of the Coast Guard “I always volunteered to go overseas. The Auxiliary and the 3rd Marine Division. Andy Captain called me into his office one day and attended the 3rd Marine reunion in 1959 and said ‘Son, I am sending you home to Corpus 1960 in Washing, D.C. and plans to attend the Christi, Texas,’ I was very disappointed because 3rd’s reunion in San Diego later this month.

I wanted to go overseas. It was February 1941 Happy 90th Birthday Andy…Saturday, August when we arrived at Corpus Christi Naval Air 4, 2012.

Station; we were the first detachment of Marine SEMPER FIDELIS stationed at the Base. While on duty in Corpus Christi, I met a beautiful girl who later became Moments Sports Talk my wife. I was stationed at Rodd Field when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

The start of football season is less than a month “Soon after Pearl Harbor, we were shipped to away; we are getting ready, are you?

New River, Carolina to form the 3rd Marine Division. In February 1943, we of Company K, 3rd Battalion 21st Marines (3/21), found ourselves in New Zealand.”

In New Zealand, Andrew attended Malaria Control School and, because he had previously used the M-1 rifle in the National Guard, he helped train his fellow Company K marines in the familiarization with the M-1, which had replaced the Marines’ ‘03 Springfield riles.

“We landed on Guadalcanal in August 1943, after the main fighting was over,” Andrew said.

“We did our jungle warfare training there and went out on several patrols looking for stray enemy troops. From there, our first major campaign was Bougainville.”

The 3rd Marine Division landed on Bougainville on 1 November 1943. It would fight stiff and heavy enemy resistance for nearly two months. On January 1944, the Army took control of the island and the Division returned to Guadalcanal. “Back on Guadalcanal, we regrouped, got replacements and started training for the invasion of Guam.”

The 3/21 left Guadalcanal on 3 June 1945 and initially sailed for Kwajalein in the Marshal Island Group, en route to Guam in the Mariana Island Group. It remained afloat off Saipan, also in the Marianas, from 15 to 28 June 1944 as a part of a reserve for the ongoing battle. “We were at sea for several weeks because the Marines were having a hard time securing Saipan, and we were kept on standby. We were on an LST (Landing Ship Tanks). Our convoy consisted of ships as far as you could see. Battleships, cruisers, destroyers, LSTs and LCIs (Landing craft, Infantry) were everywhere. Overhead, the sky was crowded with our planes protecting the convoy. On the eve of the invasion day, a group of us K Company were up on the bow talking. Just to our port side was a smaller LCI.

Football Injury Concerns Bart Scott, an unapologetically violent Jets linebacker known as the Mad Backer, will not let his 7-year-old son play football.

Pop Warner, the sport’s largest youth organization, announced rule changes last week that will drastically reduce the amount of contact allowed during practice.

In a recent appearance on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” the Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw said he believed that concern over head injuries would cause football to be eclipsed in popularity by soccer and other sports within 10 years.

Jay Coakley, a sports sociologist at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, said: “Football is really on the verge of a turning point here. We may see it in 15 years in pretty much the same place as boxing or ultimate fighting.”

In other words, less a lucrative American colossus and more a niche sport beloved for its brutality. For some, this is pure hyperbole.

Football is a multibillion-dollar business, with television money fueling a booming college football scene and popular interest in the National Football League so intense that, as just one measure, the league released next season’s schedule in a prime-time television special.

It is rare, then, for an enterprise that successful to simply shrivel up and disappear, no matter how harsh the scrutiny. As Randy Cross, a retired offensive lineman turned television analyst, said, “Contact sports will go away when we completely roll over and go toes up as a people.”

Still, whether it is because of the rule changes

by Pop Warner, the legal precautions likely to be taken in the wake of a lawsuit brought against the N.F.L. by thousands of former players or

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the comments from a plain-spoken figure like Bradshaw, there is a growing sentiment among those who love the sport and those who loathe it that football has come to a critical juncture.

The question now is what exactly it will look like in the years to come and how much football can evolve while still preserving the integrity of the game.

Football is an inherently physical game with little chance of ever fully eradicating the risk of injury. But it seems to have little choice but to adapt. And in certain ways, it has.

The Ivy League last year slashed the number of full-contact practices its teams can hold. The N.F.L. has stiffened penalties for hits to the head, moved kickoffs up 5 yards last season in an attempt to reduce the violent collisions that can occur on the play and in December instituted a policy requiring an independent trainer to attend each game to aid in identifying concussions.

No one disputes that more change is in the offing, but the scope of that evolution has emerged as a divisive issue.

Coakley said he agreed with Bradshaw’s assessment, adding that if more high-profile football figures speak publicly about the dangers of playing the sport, their words will give parents “cultural permission” to forbid their children to participate.

Kurt Warner, a Super Bowl-winning quarterback who sustained multiple concussions in his career, expressed ambivalence about whether he would allow his children to play football. Even the father of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady — perhaps the N.F.L.’s most prominent player — said recently that he was not sure he would have allowed his son to play when he was young if he had known the possible long-term health risks.

“Football is resting on this foundation of parental and cultural and masculinity-issued support that could be pushed to the background once people start to realize that taking the chance of brain damage isn’t worth proving that you’re a particular kind of man,” Coakley said. “We’re beginning to see the erosion of that support.”

Cross championed several changes — in equipment, in philosophy, in rules — that he said he thought would improve player safety.

And he suggested expanding active N.F.L. rosters, now at 53 players. Such a move, Cross said, would offer a safeguard to teams that lose players to concussions for several weeks and give them more flexibility when replacing those who were hurt.

He also advocated flag football as a worthy substitute for young players, who can learn rules and fundamentals in a controlled environment where the risk of head injury would be significantly diminished. He deflected the concern that children who start playing late are at a disadvantage, saying that talent is the ultimate determining factor.

Moments Tech Talk If you would like to test your real age and read many very interesting articles regarding aging, try one of my favorite websites: http://www.realage.com/raap/realage-test

Moment Notes Scam Immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act, scammers hit the phones for some rip-off role playing.

They posed as government employees seeking personal information about bank accounts, Social Security and Medicare numbers, even credit cards. Provide it, they warned, or risk losing the health benefits you’re entitled to.

If you get one of these calls, don’t talk — hang up right away.

If you have questions and/or comments regarding “Senior Moments” please contact Dotson at the Email address shown above, or Phone 361-949-7681; Cell 530-748-8475

Activities at the Ethel Eyerly Senior Center 654 Graham Road (Flour Bluff) Phone: 361-937-3218 Monday Silver Haired Fitness 10 am ($7 month, Ladies Only) Computer Interest Group 12:30-2 pm Wii Bowling 12:30 pm Tuesday Bingo 10 am ($.50 Cards) Silver Life Fitness (Co-Ed) 11 am Zumba Table Tennis & Table Games 12:30 pm Wednesday Silver Haired Fitness 10 am ($7 month, Ladies Only) AARP Chapter 4181 1 pm 2nd & 4th Wednesdays Thursday Silver Life Fitness (Co-Ed) 11 am Zumba Wii Bowling 12:30 pm Quilting Guild 2nd Thursdays Starts 10 am Friday Silver Haired Fitness 10 am ($7 month, Ladies Only) Table Tennis 12-5 pm Bingo 12:30 PM ($.50 Cards) Line Dancing 2 pm Ethel Eyerly Monthly Dinner/Dance 4:30-7:30 pm the 3rd Friday of each month.

Please call 937-3218 for more information and reservations

August 2, 2012

Legislative Update

Island Moon

Help the PAC get out the vote

Todd Hunter, District 32

Sunset Review Process State Commission on Judicial Conduct Over the past couple of months or so, I have been outlining Texas’ sunset review process. The agencies I have covered so far include the Texas Board and Department of Criminal Justice, the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and several others. As a reminder, in order to identify and eliminate government waste, duplication and general inefficiencies in state agencies, the Texas Legislature established the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission in 1977.

The sunset review process is designed to review each of these agencies every twelve years. This review is done by taking up a certain number of the state agencies each session when the Texas Legislature convenes.

In last week’s article we examined the Texas Board and Department of Criminal Justice which is tasked with the responsibility of managing offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities which have contracted with the State of Texas. In this week’s article we are going to look at the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.

The State Commission on Judicial Conduct is an independent state agency which was formed in 1965 by an amendment to the Texas State Constitution. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct is tasked with investigating allegations of judicial misconduct or judicial disability and for disciplining judges.

Currently the State Commission on Judicial Conduct is made up of thirteen commissioners of which each serves six-year terms. The members of the commission include: • Six judges which are appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas, one is appointed from each of the following court levels: appellate, district, county court at law, constitutional county, justice of the peace, and municipal; • Two attorneys are also appointed by the State Bar of Texas, they cannot be judges; and • Five citizen members which are appointed by the Governor and the five citizens cannot be attorneys or judges.

The members of the commission are not paid for their service. All members appointed to the commission are from varying appellate districts of the state. However, the citizen members, the justice of the peace and the municipal court judge are selected at large. All members must be confirmed by the Senate.

on Judicial Conduct only has jurisdiction, or authority, over the following types of Texas judges: • municipal judges; • magistrates; • justices of the peace; • constitutional county judges who perform judicial duties; • county court at law judges; • statutory probate judges; • district judges; • appellate judges; • retired and former judges, sitting by assignment; and • associate judges and masters.

The State Commission on Judicial Conduct outlines their mission statement on their website as follows: “The mission of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct is to protect the public, promote public confidence in the integrity, independence, competence, and impartiality of the judiciary, and encourage judges to maintain high standards of conduct both on and off the bench.”

If you are interested in learning more about the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, you can go to their website at http://www.scjc.state.tx.us . Some of the other agencies we will review in the upcoming weeks include the Board of Pardons and Paroles, Texas Ethics Commission, Texas Facilities Commission and a number of other agencies currently going through the sunset process.

If you would like to learn more on your own about the Sunset Advisory Commission or other agencies undergoing the sunset review process, you can go to www.sunset.state.tx.us.

If you have any questions regarding the State Commission on Judicial Conduct or the sunset review process, please don’t hesitate to contact either my Capitol or District office. My offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).

Rep. Hunter represents Aransas, Calhoun, Nueces (Part) and San Patricio Counties. He can be contacted at todd.hunter@haouse.state. tx.us or at 512-463-0672.

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Volunteers Needed For ‘The Walk’ October 9th & 10th The Island United Political Committee needs 100 volunteers to step forward and offer their time to distribute Door Hangers to Island residents on October 9th and 10th. These door hangers, which the PAC has distributed before, will contain information about the Endorsed Candidates voted on by Island voters on September 19th and September 26th.

The hangers will also contain relevant information about the voting and ballot process.

Past distribution of door hangers has increased Island voter turnout at the polls.

The combined November election is a new process in Corpus Christi and the ballot will be longer entailing the need to familiarize oneself prior to going into the voting booth. The PAC’s goal is to complete ‘The Walk’ all over the Island and to again successfully increase turnout at the polls.

It is not too early to volunteer your time.

You will be picking up the door hangers at a specified location and distributing them in a specified area. By volunteering early, you may choose ‘the walk’ containing the blocks/ area you prefer. Please contact Pam Maupin at pammaupin@sbcglobal.net or phone 9498708; give your name and contact information and you will be placed on the volunteer list.

Our goal is the have the volunteers signed up

by September 26th so we can proceed with this needed project…. and we must have enough volunteers to reach all residents.

Your Island PAC is looking forward to meeting you and working with you. See you on ‘The Walk.’

CCA Texas, Redfish Bay Chapter Meeting August 8

The Redfish Bay Chapter of CCA will have a General Membership Meeting – free and open to the public – on August 8, at 7 p.m. at Redfish Bay Boat House, located on Conn Brown Harbor, Aransas Pass.

The Guest Speaker will be Captain Nino Gonzalez. Captain Gonzalez has fished professionally since 2008 and is already becoming a recognized contender! Nino calls Aransas Pass, TX his home waters. Constant access to the redfish and trout rich waters has allowed Nino to hone his site casting skills to pinpoint accuracy! Look for Capt Gonzalez to be a familiar face at all the upcoming IFA and Saltwater Series events in the coming years!

The committee encourages everyone to come out early and grab a bite at Redfish Willies before the meeting.

A7

Port Aransas marina gets extra protection

General Land Office donates 600-feet of boom for speedy containment of spills

The Port Aransas Marina will be more able than ever to respond to small spills with 600feet of containment boom donated by the Texas General Land Office’s Oil Spill Prevention and Response Division.

The boom will enhance response times to oil spills in the marina and allow marina staff block off the marina to protect it from spills. “They will be able to quickly boom any sunken vessels in the marina — containing a spill — until the Land Office or the U. S. Coast Guard is on the scene to further assess impacts,” Veselka said.

The cost of the boom is about $5,500. The Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act of 1991 (OSPRA) designated the Texas General Land Office as the lead state agency for preventing and responding to oil spills in the marine environment.

Texas Sales Tax Holiday Weekend Less Than a Month AwayAugust 17 to 19

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs reminds shoppers they can save money on everything from pens, jeans and shoes to backpacks and other items priced under $100 during the state’s annual sales tax holiday.

This year, the sales tax holiday is scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 17-19.

“Shoppers across Texas can take advantage of the three-day sales tax holiday and save extra money for their budgets,” Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said. “Families gearing up for the new school year would not pay any sales tax for many back-to-school items from clothing and footwear to school supplies during that weekend.”

Lists of apparel and school supplies that may be purchased tax free can be found on the Comptroller’s website at: www.

TexasTaxHoliday.org.

This year, shoppers will save an estimated $64.8 million in state and local sales taxes during the Sales Tax Holiday.

The tax holiday weekend has been an annual event since 1999.

Island Moon

A 8

Which dog breeds are the smartest?

Gone Fishin’

Meet Chaser, the World’s Smartest Dog

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human. The tendency to follow human direction depends very much on what a breed was developed to do in the first place. Of the most trainable breeds, almost all come from herding or retrieving backgrounds, jobs for which the ability to follow human cues is vital.

A good herder must be able to follow the shepherd’s directions to move the sheep around, a good retriever must be able to follow his handler’s directions to locate fowl downed out of the dog’s sight, or to avoid swimming into danger. Even lapdogs tend to have an obedient streak, giving them a chance at becoming some of the smartest dog breeds, since they’ve been selected as companions for generations.

This is Chaser, a Border Collie and he can distinguish the difference between nouns and verbs and correctly identify over 1,000 different objects!

Some of the other smartest dog breeds are:

Border Collies are considered to be one of the smartest breeds of dogs around. Chaser is owned by retired psychology professor John Pilley and he (Chaser not the professor) responded correctly to identifying a noun as an object 95% of the time.

Not only was Chaser able to pick out the correct toy out of over 1,000 every time, she was able to identify toys she’s never seen by process of elimination - all based on verbal commands.

Chaser definitely qualifies as one of the world’s smartest dogs.

Two years ago, Stanley Coren of the University of British Columbia presented research that stated that “dogs can learn about 165 words, can count to four or five, and have a basic understanding of arithmetic. He said the mental abilities of dogs are close to those of a human child of about 2 or 2½ years old, but abilities vary by breed.”

But aside from Border Collies which are the smartest breeds of dogs?

When it comes to deciding which dog breeds are the smartest it is not surprising to learn that “smart” is usually defined by humans as the ability of a dog to follow directions from their

Australian Kelpie Poodle Beauceron German Shepherd Dog Golden Retriever Doberman Pinscher Shetland Sheepdog Papillon Belgian Malinois Labrador Retriever Breeds often accused of being most likely to be held back a grade include: Afghan hound Basenji Bulldog Chow chow Borzoi Bloodhound The Moon Complaint Department for the Ratings of Smart Dogs is currently closed…we don’t rank ‘em folks, we just report ‘em.

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Capt. Joey Farah (361)442_8145 Facebook: Farah’s Backwater Fishing Adventures Fishing continued to be on fire this week along with the temperatures in the area. Just be happy we live in paradise, inland areas are over the boiling point every day. Every year i hear everyone’s guess about what the bay is doing “man, the redfish are late this year to school up” or “ its about time the trout showed up in the upper lagoon, and on and on. Well in my experience watching the tides roll bye season after season the most consistent thing around is mother nature and the way the fish and wildlife respond to her symphony of seasons. Right now the water in our inland bays has warmed up to its peak temperatures of the season. The Live Piggy Perch has been the bait of small baitfish that were spawned and hatched choice in the Upper Lagoon. this spring are of size to be a good food source as well as large enough to make their way out the east side of the spoil areas with live shrimp to the deeper waters of the open bays and surf or small live pin perch that anyone can catch in a zones. This along with the movements of shrimp cast net or perch trap. Then work the small areas out of the bays to the gulf will pull schools of between the icw and the shallow spoil dumps. trout and redfish up the lagoon and out of baffin The windy days are best, when winds are calm to the cooler areas to feast on baitfish. The areas redfish are extremely spooky of boat noise and to our south will see large schools of mullet vibration. On the western side of the laguna and shad streaming out from the western parts madre trout have been scattered up and down of baffin towards the mouth of the bay where the long grass lines that stretch the length of the lagoon in pods. Avoid tides and daily currents the crowds and find will provide cooler areas your own secluded and better circulation and area, the larger trout water quality. The spoils have been caught along yarborough pass from my boat far away and the eastern grass flats from the noise of of the meadows and nine running boats. During mile hole will be thick the middle of the day with both bait and game and afternoon look fish. For anglers looking for the bigger schools for fun fishing on lures of trout to be most wade the spoils along the intracoastal canal south Island resident Louis and his friends with active far out away of baffin. Deep water some of their morning catch from the King from the grass on the harder shell and sand on both sides will keep Ranch Shoreline. bottom. This is where fish feeding all day long, especially when the winds are blowing. The the most current, cool water, and refuge from land cut is probably the most consistent spot floating grass and small parasites that pester to catch yourself a solid stringer of flounder in the trout in the hot soft bottoms around the big august. Look for them to congregate around the grass beds. I’ve seen many fish with scratched up stomachs where they are rubbing themselves brakes in the channel and side channels. on the bottom and The laguna madre has been battling with some trout from the thick brown tide on and off for months but when grass are covered anglers can find decent water good catching are in clear parasites close at hand. The action close to the icw has that live on their been best with the movement of bait staying skin. Live bait is the close to the channel, as well as the cool currents best way to catch of the water exchange. The spoil islands south a trout right now of bird island have been gathering grounds for with the floating the first of many schools of big redfish. This area grass and higher is a low pressure area void of most professional temperatures. Live Groups of Big Redfish guides, the park requires a registration fee and croaker has been have started to show paperwork to run charters there. Start by drifting good but the switch up in the Lagoon North to live piggy perch of Pure Oil Channel. will bring faster action and more redfish hook-ups. The area close to the jfk has been excellent with most of my afternoon charters limiting out with 30-40 trout in just a few hours. This afternoon bite is on fire. The shrimp they are coughing up tell me that there is a good amount of feeding going on right before sun-up before the shrimp burry up in the mud. By mid afternoon they are hungry and willing to engulf a larger bait like a piggy.

Most of my biggest boxes have come from 6ft of water. The redfish are on their way and we will be starting to follow the herds and catch Lots of family fun on the Laguna lately. them on the drift with big gold spoons and logic tandem riggs. Don’t forget those kids! They only have a few short weeks of summer. Get them out on the water and enjoy some fun. As & always follow our catches on facebook and i’ll see you next week after the full moon. We are going to Shlitterbahn!

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Island Moon

Real Estate Roundup

A9

Animal Hospital of Padre Island’s Margarita Mixer 2012

By Mary Lou White costs include: principal and interest, combined with property taxes, insurance and utilities.

Texas statistics indicate a substantial number of low to modest income households that can afford modest priced homes. At current financing levels, it is assumed that about 3.02 million Texas households can afford to buy a home priced at $100,000 or less. Texas data exhibits a “bulge” in the “Affordability Pyramid” for homes priced from $300,000 to $400,000, because household income levels show that 28.5% of Texas households earn between $60,000 to $125,000 annually, meaning they can afford a home in this price range.

The required annual income, currently, to qualify for a $600,000 home is $200,000. Based on 2010 census data, only 332,563 households, in Texas, had an income of $200,000 or more.

I thought it might be beneficial to step back and take a look at the bigger picture. To do this, we have an excellent resource in the State of Texas. We actually have a Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University.

According to their website, The Center is the nation’s largest publicly funded organization

Housing has been consistently more affordable in Texas than in the United States as a whole devoted to real estate research. They receive most of their $2 million, in annual funding, from real estate license fees. Apparently, over 140,000 real estate related licenses contribute to this fund. A huge change from the 2,498 people who claimed their profession was in Real Estate in Texas, on the 1900 United States Census. The Center is part of the Mays Business School and came into existence when Governor Preston Smith signed Senate Bill 338, on 18 May 1971. The center maintains a staff of around 20 people, who are supervised by an advisory committee appointed by the Governor.

To Rent Or To Buy….That Is The Question In Texas, the percentage of housing units occupied by renters has exceeded the national average since 1984. Rental units reached an all time high in 1992, when they comprised 41.7% of the state’s total housing units. That figure fell to 34%, by 2006, but has slowly moved upward during the recession. Renter occupied housing units vary across the metro areas, within Texas.

In 2010, College Station-Bryan had the largest share of rental housing units at 48.2%. Midland was the smallest with 30.9%. These numbers reflect the positive relationship between high college enrollment and large numbers of rental units. College enrollment is highest in College Station-Bryan with 25.4% of the population being represented and lowest in BrownsvilleHarlingen, at 5%. Typically, a 1% increase in home ownership costs leads to a 1.1% rise in tenant-occupied units. To me, these numbers paint a picture of Texas. If we continue with a high level of college enrollment, we will be able to sustain a robust rental market, followed can place higher by an educated workforce that

on the “affordability pyramid” qualify for and

higher priced homes. Being informed is a good

thing….

Region 6 / South Texas According to the July 2012 report, Region 6 runs from the edge of the Edwards Plateau to the Lower Rio Grande Valley and includes South Texas brush country, as well as, the coastal plains. Large areas are covered by sparsely populated ranch lands that are famous for superior quality wildlife. 68% of the total is kept as native rangeland. 20% of the acreage is cropland and about half of that is irrigated land.

Sales slowed early in the recession and prices remain close to 2007 levels. ($3,040 per acre) There were 498 sales posted in 2011, which matched figures posted in 1990. However, the increase in population and capital that is expected from development of the Eagle Ford Shale is predicted to permanently change the area.

Texans Fare Better Than Many Other States

Island Real Estate Ticker

Housing affordability is the relationship between household income and housing prices. According to the Center’s Texas Housing Affordability Index, housing has been consistently more affordable in Texas than in the United States as a whole. In addition, figures show that affordability actually increased during the housing recession, based on data compiled by local Multiple Listing Services. Two main causes have been the reduction in median home prices and lower interest rates. The national median home price declined 25% between 2006 and 2011, while the median home price in Texas actually increased 4% , over the same period. Major housing markets in Texas are among the most affordable in the country. Fort Worth shows the highest level of affordability and Austin has the highest median home price in the state. However, in 2012, affordability may statistically decline as home prices begin to firm up and rise faster that income levels. The U.S. Census Bureau provides detailed income distribution data in their American Community Survey. The most recent data available is from the 2010 census. Monthly Home Ownership

6

Commercial Properties For Sale From $150,000 to $4,557,465

2

Multi Family Units For Sale From $385,000 to $2,500,000

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Island Lots and Land For Sale

52

Parcels on a canal or water From $99,000 to $1,850,250

72

Parcels not on water From $26,900 to $1,529,000

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Island Residences For Sale

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Attached Homes For Sale From $42,500 to $495,000

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Island Moon

A 10

August 2-12

August 2, 2012

Laguna Wins Senior League Championship

The Travelling Moon

Broadway Musical “Annie” in Port Aransas Traveling Moon Mark & Cyndee Malowitz took the Island Moon with them on a trip to Oahu’s beautiful North Shore.

Leapin’ Lizards! The reserved seats for the Broadway musical “ANNIE” are already being pre-sold at www.brownpapertickets. com and through a link at www. portaransascommunitytheater.com for the performances beginning on August 2 through August 12. The plays will be on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 PM and two Sunday matinees at 2:30 at 2327 State Highway 361 in Port Aransas. Tickets are $15. Adults and $10. Children under 12. Mark these dates and plan to attend.

The cast of more than 30 is singing up a storm on the stage at the Port Aransas Community Theatre as they prepare to tell you the story in song and dance of a poor little orphan girl named Annie who was abandoned in the 1930s and the adventures she encounters as she struggles to find her parents.

For further information, call 361-749-6036

Rachel Park stopped at The Grand Canyon with the Island Moon. Rachel and her sister Nicole were on a road trip to California where Rachel is moving to attend graduate school.

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Laguna Little League’s Senior League team won the Little League Texas West state championship on July 22, 2012, in Fort Worth.

The team is undefeated through district, section, and state tournament play. They will play in the regional tournament beginning August 3, 2012, in Seguin, Texas. There they will face other state champions representing Colorado, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Texas East for a chance to compete in the Little League World Series. Chuck Daffron coaches the team. The team includes 3 players from The Island – Josh Solarek, Jacob Porterfield, and Thomas Evaristo. The Little League Senior League is made up of players under the age of 16.

Arlene Minor stands by her 18th Century Dutch Commode 4 drawer chest of walnut as it is loaded up to go to the Antiques Road Show. The show is being taped here this weekend at The American Bank Center. Photo by Jan Rankin

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(361) 949-7980

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                                      

            

Scuttlebutt’s now has online ordering available!

Best Rates, Best Carts

Bron’s Beach Carts located at 314 East Avenue G. Best cars in Port Aransas.

Great service, friendly people.

Call 361-290-7143 for pricing and reservations.

Don’t want to wait? Order online and your food will be ready to pick up at whatever time you chose. Just go to www.scuttlebutt’sbarandgrill.com

14254 SPID 361-949-6769