669 a island moon by Mary Craft

Inside the Moon

Barefoot Mardis Gras A2

Moon on a SpoonA7

The

Issue 669

Island Moon

The voice of The Island since 1996

February 9, 2017

Around The Island

Free

Weekly

FREE

Photo by Ken Jaschob

Volunteer for the Turtle Patrol! By: Donna J. Shaver, Ph.D.

By Dale Rankin Our Facebook page lit up the past two weeks with questions about greatly inflated water bills that hit Island mailboxes, as in double and triple amounts. We queried the City Water Department and here is the response:

National Park Service, Padre Island National Seashore E-mail: Donna_Shaver@nps.gov Padre Island National Seashore is excited to announce the 2017 sea turtle nesting season spring volunteer training events scheduled in March. Each year, more than 100 people from the community volunteer with our sea turtle nest detection and protection program. Volunteers are essential to the success of our program, and if you have some time to donate and are interested in volunteering at Padre Island National Seashore to help with the Kemp’s ridley restoration program this year, this article contains information on how you can participate.

"There have not been any changes as to rates for utility services. In order to assist the customer(s) with their concerns, the defined address would be needed. However, please note, accounts are only discussed with the account holder(s). If you need further information, please let me know. Thanks, M-------" We can only speak from experience. Our bill went from well under $100 to $194 in one week, largely due to and $87.55 hit for Waste Water. When several Islanders questioned the higher bills they were told, “You must have a leak.” We’re not plumbers but if you have a leak in your waste water line isn’t that the same as a sewer leak and maybe should be investigated. The question is whether we believe the Water Wonks or our lying eyes.

Kemp’s ridley sea turtles nest in

Volunteers collect a clutch of Kemp's Ridley eggs at P.I.N.S.

Barefoot Mardi Gras Season is Underway

Next event February 17, Big day is February 25

We’ve hit the sweet spot of the Island season everybody, the Winter Texans are in town, temperatures up, gas prices down, and rent holding steady. Get out there and enjoy it, and say hello if you see us Around The Island.

This weekend...

Help Clean Up Our Beaches... Find out how on A4

Vessel Turn-In Program Ends Saturday

Last year's Barefoot Mardis Gras King and Queen, Blake Morin and Gabriella Castro, will pass the crown on February 25th By Debbie Noble Barefoot Mardi Gras isn't just a party - it is a party with a purpose. We are proud sponsors of the Big Brother, Big Sister's program and the Island Foundation Schools. Last year we were able to donate $5,000 to each charity and with your help we hope to do even better this year!

They bought a 26-foot sailboat that needed about 25 feet of love and care and Justin took it apart and put it back together in a slip behind a condo on Fortuna Bay. For months Justin worked through the night until finally, one beautiful morning we stood there on the dock and watched them sail down the Main Canal and make the turn into the Great Unknown wishing all the while we were going with them. Now just a short three years later they have more than 20,000 miles behind them leaving Martinique two years ago bound for Fiji where they now are temporarily at anchor. We’re not sure if we will ever see them rounding the point at the Padre Island Yacht Club again but with true seafarers you just never know and that’s part of the fun. In this issue we include an update on their journey from Meredith.

Turtle Patrol cont. A4

February 7-11

Coconut woman About three years ago we had the occasion to meet a couple on The Island with a dream of sailing off into the sunset and to keep right on going. It is a dream most of us had had at one time or another here on our little sandbar tucked away here in the corner of the Gulf of Mexico. But the difference between Justin and Meredith and the rest of us is they did it.

Extension of Hunting Limit is Lame Duck By Dale Rankin When the Island Strategic Action Committee held its first meeting at the Padre Isles County Club in 2010 there was a long line of citizens who showed up to complain about duck hunters blasting away at their prey near Island houses.

About the Program Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is the smallest and most endangered sea turtle species in the world. For more than three decades, Padre Island National Seashore has aided with a global effort to help recover the populations of threatened and endangered sea turtles, particularly that of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. More than half of the Kemp’s ridley nests found in the U.S. each year are located at the National Seashore.

Vandals hit The Island A group of knuckleheads decided Friday night would be a good time to tip over four port-a-potties on The Island and destroy the sign in the parking lot at Michael J. Ellis Beach. We take this a bit personally here at the Word Factory since Mike was the founder of this publication and a good friend. City Beach Foreman Billy tells our Pete Allsopp that 50% of his crews’ time is wasted on cleaning up beach vandalism. The sign is now repaired and the port-o-cans back with their business side down after being tipped for the second time in recent weeks, the first by high winds. All we can say is that if you are using a beach port-o-potty after dark you might want a lookout.

Fishing A11

Pacific Islands A7

The Island Foundation consists of the Seashore Early Childhood Academy, Seashore Learning Center, and

Seashore Middle Academy and has been serving our Island community for 20 years. The three schools currently serve 530 students from 390 families. The elementary and middle schools are free public charter schools, but receive substantially less funding than the traditional public schools, and no facilities funding at all.

The Texas General Land Office (GLO) is partnering with the City of Corpus Christi and Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) to offer local coastal Texans the opportunity to remove inoperable and derelict vessels through the Vessel Turn-In Program (VTIP) free of charge. Designed to provide owners with a voluntary method of disposal, interested boat owners are encouraged to participate if the vessel is less than 26 feet long, with longer boats being accepted on a case by case basis. The vessel maybe delivered to the drop off point February 7th to the 11th, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday night at the latest meeting of the ISAC there was a long line of duck hunters complaining that the group was discussing asking the City of Corpus Christi to extend the 1000foot prohibition on hunting near Island houses.

Ducks cont. on A4

Pirates of the Caribbean

Islander Hijacked by Pirates off Honduras

By Michael Brown Captain “Reflections” “Reflections” is moored in Houston, Galveston and Port Aransas and also in Key West, Florida With ties to Annapolis, Md. It was Friday January 13th, of all days and after picking up a dive instructor from Puerto Cortes, Honduras I was struggling against an Easterly wind which forced me closer to the Honduran coastline. After ten hours, I had gained only about 13 miles east and was approximately 5 miles off the coast. Just before sundown the pirates attacked and boarded “Reflections” around 5:30. Coming from the setting sun and the rear of the boat they appeared and boarded with weapons drawn. In just seconds six pirates were onboard, two of which were holding semiautomatic weapons on me. They positioned themselves a distance from me covering themselves with both weapons. Two remained in the boat they came on.

The Big Brother, Big Sister's program is a nationally recognized

"The Vessel Turn-In Program is proud to provide Corpus Christi area boat owners a voluntary method to dispose of their run-down vessels

The first minutes were extremely intense, they were scared and one was ready to shoot and held my full attention. Once I realized they were not intent on killing us and all they just wanted was valuables

Barefoot cont. on A2

Turn-in cont. on A4

Pirates cont. on A4

A little Island history

The Porch in Flour Bluff was a Popular Gathering Place

By Bobbie Kimbrell The once popular Porch bar in Flour Bluff no longer exists because it was demolished a few short years ago. The Porch started off as a bait stand and bar which was located on the water’s edge of the Laguna Madre just east of where Yorktown Boulevard ends at Laguna Shores Road and was called Rex Allen’s Place. Rex rented skiffs for sport fishing and kept most of the skiffs on dry land and some staked out in the edge of the shallow water on cedar stakes. Old timers from the Bluff said that Rex had a blind white horse that he used to pull the skiffs into the water, but quit using the horse because of public sympathy for the blind horse.

The Porch in Flour Bluff Rex owned about a block of land south of his place and in about 1945 or 1946 he had a U-shaped channel dug into the property, then moved the building at the base of the U a little off Laguna Shores Road and also put in a boat ramp for launching outboard

boats. Rex rented out docking space in the channel to commercial fishing motor boats, most of which were 30 to 40 feet long tunnel stern. Short cedar posts were driving into the bank of the channel for the motor boats to tie up to,. Later on short piers were built

and rented to sports fishermen. After the building was moved a porch was added and the building pretty much became a bar and the porch had tables and chairs where you could sit and drink your beer or soda water. At that time in history a lot of young neighbor kids bought soda water and candy and played on the porch. The porch offered a beautiful scenic view of the Laguna Madre. You could see the mullet jumping out of the water and a constant flock of seagulls flying in the air with their loud squawks and screeches. You could also see the boat traffic and tug boats pulling barges up and down the Lagoon with Padre Island in the background. After many years Rex Allen retired and rented out the property to quite a few

History cont. on A4

February 9, 2017

Island Moon

Barefoot cont. from A1

Barefoot Mardis Gras Kicks-Off at Doc's Fat Friday Party

and successful mentoring program that pairs caring adult volunteers with children of adversity to create lasting relationships and have positive effects on lives. So come to the parties and parades, festivals and balls, and help out these deserving organizations while you have fun. Here is the schedule:

Friday, February 17, The 2017 Fat Friday Party will be at the Boathouse Bar & Grill at 15241 Leeward Drive, starting at 6 p.m. Call (361) 589-9601 for more information. Includes a band and a huge silent auction to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Island Foundation Schools. Admission: FREE but COME HUNGRY as a portion of the food sales will be donated to the charities!

Barefoot Mardi Gras Parade The Barefoot Mardi Gras Beach Parade will hit the sand on Saturday, February 25, 11:00 a.m. Floats and fun for the whole family! The parade starts at Whitecap Beach and runs south down Padre Island along the Gulf of Mexico to the Briscoe King Pavilion near Bob Hall Pier. Cars can park on both sides of the parade lane to view floats, golf carts and marching groups.

Barefoot Mardi Gras Festival After the parade the Barefoot Mardi Gras Festival will run from 11:00 am - 5:00 p.m. at the Briscoe King Pavilion parking lot and will include music, games, contests, costumes, food & fun for all ages! Admission is $5.00 for adults. Cash Only. Kids 12 years and under FREE.

King & Queens Ball That night the party moves to the Veranda Restaurant starting at 7 p.m. and running until midnight. Patrons must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Admission Includes a Cajun style dinner and dancing to the live New Orleans style music from Miss Nessie & the Ear Food Orchestra. The new Barefoot King & Queen will be crowned. Costumes encouraged!

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14802 Compass Rd CC TX 78418 Padrevet.com 361-949-8200

February 9, 2017

Letters to the Editor

Moon Monkeys Mike Ellis, Founder

Island Obituaries

Carolyn Sue Lewright Vosseller

Caroline Sue Lewright Vosseller (CDR. John H. [Jack] Vosseller, USN Retired) passed away peacefully with family by her side on January 19, 2017 at the age of 84. Born in 1932 she was the daughter of Lucy & Walter Lewright and stepdaughter of Rosemary Lewright Boggs, whom she dearly loved. Distribution Pete Alsop Island Delivery

Tower Power

Coldwell Banker Advertising Jan Park Rankin Classifieds Arlene Ritley Production Manager Abigail Bair Contributing Writers Joey Farah

Dale, just read with interest your article concerning the island water tower and the required flushing of water lines throughout the city. I only have one question: If a home owner flushed (and wasted) 30 million gallons of water in a month what would be their water bill for that month? Richard Beekman

Andy Purvis Mary Craft

Safety First

Christiansen Jay Gardner

Do POA Members want Safety and Security?

Todd Hunter Dotson Lewis

Crime, in particular theft, is becoming a bigger and bigger problem. The police presence on the Island is minimal at best. The C.C. city police say the department is understaffed and underfunded. Thus, the Island gets less police service.

Ronnie Narmour Brent Rourk Photographers Miles Merwin Jeff Dolan Mary Craft

Proactive Possible Solution!

Ronnie Narmour

The POA should form a safety and security committee. This committee should explore the possibility of the POA hiring off duty Corpus Christi Police Officers to patrol the POA neighborhoods. We do not need 24/7 coverage but random scheduling of patrols. The patrols must have high visibility. Deterrence is the name of the game. No high-speed chases, no shoot outs allowed.

Office Security/Spillage Control (Emeritus) Riley P. Dog

Many Texas City Police Departments provide a patrol vehicle when POA’s pay the Officers. This concept is not new. Hundreds of cities around the country do this. Publisher 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.

The Island Moon Newspaper 14646 Compass, Suite 3 Corpus Christi, TX 78418 361-949-7700 editor@islandmoon.com Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper

There is no reason to accept crime on the Island. Let’s be proactive. In 2016, the POA had a surplus of $300,000. The POA has the money. In my career, as United States Secret Service Agent, I worked with hundreds of Police departments across the country. I know this can work. Full Disclosure, I am running for the POA Board. Please give me your opinion on the matter. Email me at mjones.law@att.net

Lisabella’s Restaurant Pioneer RV Park

Sandpiper Condos

Moby Dicks

Whataburger

Spanky’sLiquor

Doc’s Restaurant

IGA Grocery Store

Snoopy’s Pier Isle Mail N More

Carter Pharmacy

Island Italian

San Juan’s Taqueria

Brooklyn Pie Co.

Wash Board Laundry Mat

Holiday Inn

Ace Hardware

Port A Parks and Rec

Texas Star (Shell)

Public Library

Scuttlebutt’s Restaurant

Back Porch Woody’s Sports Center

Jesse’s Liquor

Subway

H.E.B.

The Gaff

Olive

Island resident and Moon Mother Naomi Sue Rankin, 87, passed away on Sunday, January 29th, 2017 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Sue was born January 22nd, 1930 in Bixby, Oklahoma to Richard Albert Evans and Thelma Kathyrn (Earp) Evans. She grew up in the Bixby area and graduated from Kinta, Oklahoma High School. Sue married J. Howard Rankin on July 10, 1949 in Crescent, Oklahoma. Howard preceded her in death on December 22, 2012. She is survived by her son Dale Rankin, one sister Kay Cox of Kinta, Oklahoma, two sister-in-laws, Jerry Bodkin of Maud, Oklahoma and Alene Saulsbury of Drumright, Oklahoma. Funeral services were held on Friday, February 3rd at the Church of Christ in Seminole, Oklahoma.

Business Briefs An outdoor furniture store will open in the Loma Alta Plaza near Scuttlebutt’s. More info next issue. The Barrel next to Black Sheep Bistro now serves “late night bites” 10 pm – midnight on Friday and Saturday. The Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History are hosting Chisholm Trail Day celebrating the 150th anniversary on Saturday, February 11th. This family friendly event will include cowboy themed activities, a petting zoo, cowboy ropers, science show with actors in costume and much more. The Texas Winter Market at the Aransas Pass Civic Center will be held February 11 – 12. Hours are Saturday 10 am – 5 pm and Sunday 10 am – 4 pm. There will be Texas handmade items, wood art, glass sea sculpture, gourmet food and much more. Admission is $3 with $1 off if you bring a canned good for the food bank. The Creative Referral Network meets every Friday on the second floor of Schlitterbahn 8:30 – 9:30 am. It is a free networking event so just bring your business card and a handshake. The Boathouse Bar & Grill has Sunday Karaoke on the patio back on Sundays starting at 6 pm. The Navy Blue Angels Air Show will be at NAS April 1 – 2 with free parking and free admission. Get there early to avoid the traffic. Gate opens at 8 am. The 22nd Annual Billy Sandifer Big Shell Cleanup will be held on Saturday, February 25th and is a great way to see some of the down-island area of Padre Island National Seashore. To participate arrive at Malaquite Pavilion by 7:30 am with your four-wheel drive vehicle and flatbed trailer for hauling trash in and out of the work area. Walking volunteers and those without four wheel drive will be transported. A free lunch will be provided after the event. The Century Theater has replaced all the seats with large soft adjustable recliners that are spaced apart so you can go to the restroom or get a snack without disturbing others. You can also reserve your seats. Obviously changes were made in response to the Alamo Draft House coming to town. Taoist Tai Chi beginner classes are now offered on the Island at Island Presbyterian Church every Wednesday 11:00 am - 12:30 pm. For more information contact Dianne Gimpel at 361-563-0951.

The Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Nesting Project at PINS is looking for volunteers who can commit to at least 10 hours/ month or 30 hours over the entire patrol season (April – mid-July). Call 9498173 ext. 268 to register or email pais_ seaturtlevolunteer@nps.gov. Call soon to sign up for training classes because space is limited and fills up fast. A carry-on suitcase filled with personal items was found in the parking lot behind Black Sheep Bistro near Palm Bay rentals. Call the Moon office at 949-7700 to identify.

Olive you! Q: Why did the banana go out with the prune? A: Because it couldn't get a date. Q: What is a ram's favourite song on February 14th?

Texas Prepaid Tuition Program Enrollment Deadline Approaches

A: I only have eyes for ewe, dear Q: What travels around the world but stays in one corner? A: A stamp. Q: What happens when you fall in love with a French chef?

Texas families can lock in the cost of undergraduate tuition at Texas public colleges and universities by enrolling their children in the tax-advantaged Texas Tuition Promise Fund® prior to the close of the current enrollment period, which ends February, 28.

A: You get buttered up. Q: What is a vampire's sweetheart called? A: His ghoul-friend. Q: If your aunt ran off to get married, what would you call her? A: Antelope.

Being journalists, Moonenites tend to send "accurate" Valentines.

The Texas Tuition Promise Fund, the state’s prepaid college tuition program, allows participants to prepay undergraduate tuition and school-wide required fees for a four-year degree, two years of community college or just a few semesters at Texas public colleges and universities by purchasing tuition units. “I’m encouraging Texas families and individuals to remember the upcoming deadline to prepay and lock in today’s rates for all or some future tuition at any two- or four-year Texas public college or university,” Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said.

Liquid Town

Enrollment in the program at 2016-17 prices closes the last day in February. This deadline extends to July 31 for children younger than 1. The next annual enrollment period begins Sept. 1, with new contract prices based on Texas public college costs for the 2017-18 academic year.

Whataburger on Waldron Ethyl Everly Senior Center Fire Station Police Station Stripes on Flour Bluff & SPID

By Mary Craft mkay512@aol.com

Olive who?

WB Liquor

Giggity’s

Port A Glass Studio

Q: What did one snake say to the other snake?

Did Ya Hear?

The 6th Annual Coastal Bend Boat & RV Expo will be at Richard Borchard Regional Fairgrounds February 10 – 12.

And all Moon retail advertisers

Flour Bluff

Gratitude Gift Shop

Naomi Sue Rankin

Island Tire

Shorty’s Place Stripes @ Cotter & Station

A: Can I hold your hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand?

Who's there?

CVS

Duckworth Antiques

Q: What did the boy octopus say to the girl octopus?

North Padre

Coffee Waves

Chamber of Commerce

A: No, but they had an Apple.

Knock, Knock,

Angry Marlin

In lieu of flowers, Sue suggested that donations be made to Puppies Behind Bars or a charity of your choice. Puppies Behind Bars trains inmates to raise service dogs for wounded war veterans and explosivedetection canines for law enforcement. This organization was dear to Sue’s heart. Puppiesbehindbars.com

A: Stick with me and we'll go places!

Port A Arts

A Mano

Memorial Service and internment for Sue will be held at Miramar National Cemetery, San Diego, California on February 13th at 10:30 a.m.

Q: What did the valentine card say to the stamp?

A: Give me a little hug and a hiss, honey.

All Stripes Stores

Sue is survived by sisters Lucy Hill of San Diego, California, Posy Stielow of Austin, Texas, Averill Walters of Corpus Christi, Texas, her brother Dorr Lewright of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, her four children, Walter Bartlett Vosseller of Mathis, Texas, Catherine Susan Shinnick of Hamilton, Bermuda, James Lewright Vosseller of Austin, Texas, and John Bryne Vosseller of San Diego, California, her six grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.

A: Forget-me-nuts.

WB Liquors

Stripes @ Beach Access Rd. 1A

She retired in 1993 as did Jack from Real Estate and they moved to North Padre Island, Texas shortly thereafter. In 2013 she and Jack moved to San Diego, California where Jack passed away shortly thereafter in 2014. After Jack’s passing, Sue moved to the Austin, Texas area where she lived with family until her passing.

Q: What do squirrels give for Valentine's Day?

Q: Did Adam and Eve ever have a date?

Port Aransas

She and their four children moved with each new duty station along with their various and sundry pets to be where “Jack” was next assigned to duty. After Jack’s retirement from the Navy in 1979 the family moved to Port Aransas, Texas where Sue created the best little library in Texas, one book at a time where none had existed before – with no library credits in her education background, her Bachelor of Arts degree from Hockaday Jr. College in Dallas, Texas and Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas served her well in the process.

Horrible Holiday Humor

A: You turn me on.

Where to Find The Island Moon

She was born in Pampa, Texas, and died in San Marcos, Texas. She lived in Corpus Christi, Texas from 1936 till 1955 when she married John H. Vosseller USN, a student pilot.

Stay SafeMarvin Jones

Q: What did the light bulb say to the switch?

Keepers Pier House

Island Moon

Water treatment plant at the end of Whitecap. Someone please report this to the proper authorities. Thank you!

Complete plan information, current prices, enrollment forms and more are available online at TuitionPromise.org, or call 1-800-445GRAD (4723), Option 5.

February 9, 2017

Island Moon

Turtle Patrol cont. from A1

Date: March 11, 2017 (Saturday) Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Location: Padre Island National Seashore, Malaquite Visitor Center UTV Training and Safety for New Volunteers Date: March 12, 2017 (Sunday) Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Location: Padre Island National Seashore Headquarters, Turtle Lab/UTV Barn

south Texas from April through mid-July. Females nest one to three times throughout the nesting season, at intervals of about 14 to 28 days. They often come ashore in synchronized nesting events called arribadas (Spanish for “arrival”), which typically happen on days that are windy or when cold fronts pass through the area. The females crawl onshore in search of a spot above the high tide line to lay their eggs. Once a female selects a nest site she uses her rear flippers, tossing sand up in the air while digging, to build an “egg chamber.” She then lays a “clutch” of eggs in the chamber and covers the nest, never to return to the nest again. Each clutch contains about 100 soft, leathery eggs. The eggs from nests found on North Padre Island and the northern Texas coast are relocated to Padre Island National Seashore for protected incubation. Nests recovered from the southernmost section of the Seashore are transplanted into a “corral,” a large screen enclosure located 40 miles south of Malaquite beach. Nests from South Padre Island are protected in a corral there. At these locations, the delicate eggs are protected from a variety of threats including poaching, predators, tidal inundation, and vehicles, and are monitored and cared for throughout incubation. After about 50 days of incubation, the hatchlings emerge from the eggs and are protected from predators as they are released into the Gulf of Mexico. Every year, thousands of people come to the National Seashore to watch release of these hatchlings, which occur mostly between June and mid-August.

Classroom Session for New Volunteers Date: March 14, 2017 (Tuesday) Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Location: Padre Island National Seashore, Malaquite Visitor Center

Volunteers with our program help find, document, and protect nesting Kemp’s ridley sea turtles and their eggs on North Padre Island. A variety of local, national, and international partners conduct simultaneous patrols for nesting Kemp’s ridley turtles and their nests elsewhere in Texas and on the Gulf coast of Mexico. We are proud to say we have many returning volunteers; but we seek to recruit additional volunteers to help with increased needs of the program this year. Most people volunteering with our turtle project help patrol to find, document, and protect nesting Kemp’s ridley turtles and their eggs using our Utility Transport Vehicles (UTVs). Patrols are during daylight hours since Kemp’s ridleys nest mostly during the day, along designated routes on the northern section of North Padre Island. Volunteers conducting UTV patrols are paired with Biological Science Technicians. Volunteers can also help in other ways such as radio dispatching or conducting walking patrols on local Gulf beaches. Volunteers also help with operational support activities such as transporting eggs to our incubation facility by beach and highway. Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age. If volunteers will be driving a government vehicle, they must possess a valid driver's license. Volunteers are asked to make a commitment of at least 10 hours a month for each month of the patrol season (April through mid-July), or at least 30 hours over the entire patrol season (this does not include training hours). Housing is not provided to volunteers.

Volunteer Training Schedule All people that want to volunteers during the 2017 nesting season are required to attend a classroom training session every year, regardless of the activities they will be conducting. At the classroom training session, volunteers will be provided the documentation required for their participation in the upcoming season. They will also receive information about the program and volunteer duties. Note that attendance at the 2016 fall/winter cold stunned training does not fulfill the requirements of becoming a 2017 spring/summer volunteer. If you attended a full day of classroom training and a full day of UTV training last year and volunteered during the 2016 nesting season, you will be eligible to sign up for the Refresher Class on March 4. If you are returning and not going to patrol on a UTV, you will only need to attend the classroom training in the morning that day. If you did not attend the nesting season classroom training and the full-day UTV Training And Safety class last year, or are a returning volunteer that is unable to attend the Refresher Class on March 4, you will need to sign up for the Classroom Session for New Volunteers on March 11 or March 14 and a fullday UTV Training And Safety Class on either March 12 or March 15 if you want to conduct UTV patrols. Training dates and times are listed below. Classroom & UTV Training for Returning Volunteers (Refresher Class) Date: March 4, 2017 (Saturday) Time: 8:00 – 4:30 p.m. Location: Padre Island National Seashore, Malaquite Visitor Center/Headquarters UTV Barn Classroom Session for New Volunteers

in a safe, environmentally-conscious manner," said Land Commissioner George P. Bush. " We want to spread the word: Never abandon or sink a vessel to dispose of it. Not only does it pose an environmental and navigational hazard, it's also illegal. Removing abandoned or sunken vessels can be hazardous to the safety of others and expensive for the State of Texas. We want to encourage folks to take advantage of this fiveday VTIP in Corpus Christi."

Vessel Turn-In Program Hours: February 7th - 11th, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Drop-off location: Flour Bluff Drop-Off Location:

UTV Training and Safety for New Volunteers

Laguna Madre Wastewater Facility

Date: March 15, 2017 (Wednesday)

Corpus Christi

Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Location: Padre Island National Seashore Headquarters, Turtle Lab/UTV Barn Volunteers wishing to conduct walking patrols and/or UTV patrols must successfully complete a physical fitness test, which will entail a short walk at your own pace immediately after the classroom session. For the physical fitness test, please wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes, and be prepared for all types of weather. For the UTV training, you must wear long pants, eye-wear (such as glasses, sunglasses, or goggles), long sleeve shirt or jacket, and anklehigh boots. If you do not wear the appropriate clothing, you will not be allowed to participate in the UTV class. Because of high demand to attend these classes, space is very limited so come prepared. Additional safety gear (such as helmets, safety glasses and safety vests) will be provided at the training. Parking is limited at the Padre Island National Seashore Park Headquarters. Please consider car-pooling if you know someone attending the same training. Please note, that we are conducting the lecture portions of the training at the Malaquite Visitor Center. Please bring a packed lunch. There will be a 30-minute lunch break. An ice chest will be available to hold your food and beverages. Please call as soon as possible to sign up for training classes. Space is limited and fills quickly. Call (361) 949-8173, extension 268 to register or you can contact us by email to pais_ seaturtlevolunteer@nps.gov . Hope to see you soon and thank you in advance for your help this year!

Volunteer Opportunities

Turn-in cont. from A1

GLO Coastal Bend Winter Beach Cleanup this Weekend Seven beaches targeted for trash pick up

The 13th Annual Winter Beach Cleanup Saturday will be held Saturday, February 11th at seven Coastal Bend beaches. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The cleanup will take place from 9 a.m. to noon. The locations participating in the Winter Beach Cleanup are: Padre Island National Seashore − Check in at the Malaquite Visitor Center, 20420 Park Road 22, contact Buzz Botts at 361-949-8068 or via e-mail at buzz.botts@texasadoptabeach.org. Packery Flats − Check-in is at the parking lot off Highway 361 on Mustang Island near near Packery Channel. Contact Jace Tunnell, with Coastal Bays Foundation at 361-882-3439 or via e-mail at jace.tunnell@texasadoptabeach. org or cbbf@baysfoundation.org. Port Aransas − Check-in is at Avenue G at the beach. Contact Harry Martinez at 361215-2763 or via e-mail at harry.martinez@ texasadoptabeach.org. Rockport − Check-in is at Rockport Beach Park pavilion. Contact Kerry Goodall at 361729-6661 or via e-mail at kerry.goodall@ texasadoptabeach.org. Aransas Pass/Redfish Bay − Check-in is at Lighthouse Lakes Park, four miles east of Aransas Pass on Highway 361. Contact Richard Gonzales at 361-779-7351 or via e-mail at richard.gonzales@texasadoptabeach.org. North Corpus Christi Beach − Check-in is at the Texas State Aquarium, 2710 N. Shoreline Blvd. Contact Rosanna Gossett at 361-8811204 or via e-mail at rosanna.gossett@ texasadoptabeach.org. Kid's Place at Cole Park − Check-in is at 1526 Ocean Drive, contact Celina YbarboPulcher at 361-765-1900 or via e-mail at celina. pulcher@texasadoptabeach.org. The Winter Beach Cleanup is one of three all-volunteer seasonal cleanups coordinated through the Adopt-A-Beach program of the Texas General Land Office. Most trash found on Texas beaches is left there by litterbugs. Since 1986, Adopt-A-Beach volunteers have picked up 9,300 tons of trash, which is the equivalent to the weight of 62 blue whales, making it one of the most successful volunteer programs in the nation. Volunteers record data on the trash to learn more about the causes of marine debris and to help mitigate pollution along Texas' 367 miles of coastline. The Texas G e n e r a l Land Office's Adopt-ABeach program is funded primarily by private contributions. To help out, or for more information, call the Adopt-A-Beach program at 1-877-TXCOAST or visit our website at TexasAdoptABeach.org. You can follow Adopt-A-Beach on Facebook at Facebook.com/TexasAdoptABeach or on Twitter at Twitter.com/TXAdoptABeach.

201 Jester St. To pre-register, sign-up surveymonkey.com/r/vtipcc.

at:

www.

TPWD will verify the vessel (boat) qualifies for disposal. Verification of ownership and a Release of Interest and Ownership must be completed and provided to the VTIP agency. The title must be free of any loan balances, liens, and/or taxes. The GLO will sponsor the removal of all hazardous materials (fuel, oil, and batteries), while the City of Corpus Christi will transport vessel to landfill for disposal. Boat must be clear of waste and debris. Potential participants may contact the GLO with questions at (361) 825-3300 or the City of Corpus Christi Code Enforcement at (361) 8263032. Para instrucciones en español, llame al (361) 826-3032. Thus far the GLO has conducted five VTIP collections in Galveston, Brazoria, and Matagorda counties, resulting in the processing of 177 vessels, totaling 3001 feet in length, for disposal and a savings of more than $600,200. There is an additional VTIP in Brazoria scheduled for January 30th, prior to the five-day VTIP in Corpus Christi. Working with petroleum and commercial fishing industries, U.S. Coast Guard and the general public, Oil Spill Prevention and Response staff support educational opportunities, daily water and shore patrols and firehouse-ready response teams to prevent and immediately address environmental problems - because even the smallest spill can endanger Texas' precious natural resources. Abandoned vessels can leak fluids into coastal waters that can be harmful for the wetland environment, wildlife and humans.

Background - Texas GLO's Oil Spill Prevention and Response The oldest state agency in Texas, the GLO was formed to determine who owned what and where after the Texians and Tejanos won independence. Today the General Land Office manages state lands, operates the Alamo, helps Texans recovering from natural disasters, helps fund Texas public education through the Permanent School Fund, provides benefits to Texas Veterans, and manages the vast Texas coast. With hundreds of millions of barrels of crude oil and petroleum products passing through ports, bays and beaches along the Texas Gulf annually, the Texas General Land Office Oil Spill Prevention and Response team is on call 24/7, ensuring oil stays out of Texas coastal waters.

Ducks cont. from A1 On a split vote the 15-member committee voted not to establish a sub-committee to study the problem, leaving in place the 1000-foot barrier which has homeowners along the Laguna Madre up in arms and all but assuring there will be another debate when the next duck season opens at the end of 2017. Since its inception seldom a year has passed without complaints from homeowners about the cacophony of firing which reaches peaks around sunup and sundown in the December-January hunting season. This year’s controversy began when Island resident Rick Hunts brought the matter to ISAC in January, however, at the Tuesday meeting it was the duck hunters who turned out in numbers. In the ensuing month Hunts has put his house on the market and is moving away from The Island after twenty-eight years. The matter could still find its way to the Corpus Christi City Council but that is unlikely without a definitive recommendation from the ISAC, which is an advisory committee to the council. After several false starts the council voted in 2011 to limit hunting within one thousand feet of structures on The Island. However, that restriction allowed hunters to fire from the spoil island along the Laguna Madre within about twelve hundred feet of Island homes. Hunts last month asked the ISAC to consider suggesting to the city council that the limit be extended and the matter was put on the ISAC agenda for February prompting Tuesday’s vote. Maybeth Christensen, Executive Coordinator of the Padre Isles Property Owners Association, told the hunters present at the meeting that duck carcasses, minus the fillets removed by hunters, floating into Island canals is an ongoing problem. “Sometimes we remove hundreds of them from Island canals in a week,” she said.

Pirates cont. from A1

and money I maintained a submissive posture letting them know to take what they wanted and leave. Hats off to my sailing companion who handled herself with bravery. She was slapped around while trying to get them money and they would not come near me, just held their guns on me. Luckily the dive instructor spoke Spanish and helped to calm the situation and translate instructions. I instructed them to take the dinghy as I knew once it was overboard they would have to chase it as we were still underway. A lot happened in that 20 minutes that seemed like a lifetime. But as the dinghy was floating away they left in a hurry to catch it. After seeing that my sailing companion was okay and not physically harmed I decided to take a direct route to Roatan, 70 miles away but a known safe port. My communications and other electronics were taken making for a

difficult night ahead. My charts were gone that were stored in my iPad but my radar has backup with limited charts. Friday night we encountered up to 20-foot seas. We motor sailed pushing into heavy seas moving only two knots most of the night. One of my worst nights ever. Heavy seas stayed with us all the way to Roatan. After 20 hours making slow progress I radioed again with the only device not taken and heard a clear American voice pick up my call “Omaha451”, a Navy P3 surveillance plane. It was like heaven responding. From our first contact, they altered their course and flew over us taking a full accounting of the incident. They circled us like angels until they ran low on fuel then brought in another massive plane from the U.S Customs. The Americans escorted us all the way into safe harbor. The U.S Navy set up a warm welcome for us with the Roatan Coast Guard and embassy advocates. Since our arrival, we have been taken care of by amazing people. The Canadian Ambassador is travelling from Costa Rica to lend support to my sailing companion who lost her passport during the attack. Both law enforcement and locals have reached out every day for support and we are so grateful.

History cont. from A1 different people later on. After Rex died his son, living in New York, rented out the property for about the same price as a two-bedroom house rented for at that time and I think that is when everybody started calling it the Porch instead of Rex’s Place. The Porch had a wood-burning cast-iron stove for heating in the wintertime and eventually a pool table and piano and a juke box was added. The floor of the bar and porch were uneven and tilted toward the water side and was noticeable as you walked in. the pool table had to be jacked up on one end to make it level. From time to time small two or three member bands would play music on weekends. People who knew how to play the piano would often play when they came in to have a couple of beers. One piano player in particular was a 25 year retiree from NAS Civil Service named Richard Collier. He pounded the keys like did Jerry Lee Lewis of the Elvis days. At one time the Porth was rented by a couple from the island of Trinidad. The wife also worked at the Tuloso Midway school. A commercial fisherman, Richard Barta and his wife Jenny rented the Porch for a while. Richard did quite a bit of barbequing on the weekends and Jenny had a moon game going on most of the day and night. A lot of commercial fishermen made the Porch their favorite watering hole and a lot of fishermen kept their boats in the channel. After a while Jerry Barca and his wife took over the Porch and added a lot of improvements. They put in an ice cooler for storing bars of ice, gasoline and live bait tanks near the boat ramp. Jerry usually had a barbeque on Saturday night which was served a little before closing time. Jerry had a lot of friends and Bohemian relatives come by the Porch to visit and drink a few beers and go fishing and dancing. Jerry’s son-in-law won the first Texas Million dollar lottery jackpot in the city. After winning he kept his job and took over for Jerry when Jerry wanted some time off. After Jerry retired his brother, Big Ramond Baros. and his wife took over the Porch and he and his wife did some commercial fishing also. I think it was Ramond who put in a little room on the Porch for pinball machines and added a room on the other side for dancing. Ramon previously was a fuel tank truck operator which might have been with Osage Oil Company near Upriver Road. Raymond’s two daughters helped him run the Porch at times. I forgot to mention earlier that Rex Allen also built two hurricane storm shelters. One was about a half mile or so west of the Porch, amid the scrub oak trees about 10 feet from the King Ranch fence. It was built of heavy timbers that might have come from when the 1933 hurricane washed away the Don Patricio Causeway between Flour bluff and Padre Island. The other shelter was built on stilts directly behind the Porch using conventional lumber materials. From time to time it was used by the locals for poker games. The poker games helped sell a lot of beer. Eventually a new renter presumably bought the property and put in RV rental units which helped the business greatly and it’s assumed that is why they closed the Porch and demolished it. The Porch was so popular somebody put in a makeshift Porch on the site and the locals would bring iced down beer for their get-togethers and reminisce about the old days and gaze across the Lagoon as they had done for years. As the walls of the Porch came tumbling down it ended an era in the history of Flour Bluff. I never knew there was a place in Port Aransas called the (Back) Porch until I read about it in the Island Moon Newspaper.

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Attention

Boat Owners!

Do you own a boat with a cabin and would you like to make some money with it? We have slips and are looking for boats to use for charters. If you have a boat and are interested in an entrepreneurial opportunity call 361 332-9978.

February 9, 2017

Island Moon

Stuff I Heard on the Island

By Dale Rankin When I pulled into the church in Seminole, Oklahoma last Friday a car was tailing me. It was a cold day and when Jan got out of the car she had a hood pulled up over her head. The car blocked me in and by the time I walked over he had his window down. “What does that license plate mean?” he demanded. I looked, “Well, it is the Island Moon Newspaper that we have down on Padre Island. “Are you the Muslim?” “The what?” “The Muslim, The Islam, the al Qaeda? Your license plate says you’re an al Qaeda.” I started reading it trying to see what he was talking about, and then at Jan’s Oklahoma winter accidental burka and by the time I figured out what he was talking about and turned back around I was ready to pull him out through his open window and go all al Qaeda on his stupid face. I think he sensed trouble and off he went in his rusty car squeaking his way across the parking lot. I was there for my mother’s funeral and all things considered I was pretty sure she wouldn’t have approved of me going shirts off

bidders who picked up bid packages meant that all the bids were turned in at the last minute so the opening has been delayed until 2 p.m. on February 22. The city’s estimate of the cost is $8.5 million with about $6 million available from bonds and another $4 million potentially available from funds in the Island’s Tax Increment Refinance Zone which must be approved by that board in its next meeting on Tuesday, February 21. Bridge funding looks to be fine. A final stumbling block was cleared when the majority owners of the park, the Schlitterbahn parent company, were presented a Memorandum of Understanding in January by which they agree to finish the canal system on the park-side of SPID within two years. This puts an end of the “bridge to nowhere” concern. I am told off the record at City Hall that the city also wants assurances that the canal walk, and not just the canal itself, will be connected to both sides of the bridge since two of the three arches on the bridge are for pedestrian and cart paths on either side of the canal. What form that may or may not take I can’t say. But with the final piece of funding coming up in two weeks along with the bid openings, as well as an agreement on the connecting canal it looks like all the moving parts for the bridge project should be in place by the end of February. Unless they aren’t.

The Park As for the waterpark itself, since it is a private development, on private land, built with private money there is little in the way of required public disclosure. It is no secret there is a lawsuit from the death of a boy on a Schlitterbahn ride in Kansas City and while a portion of the suit has been settled there, the plaintiff’s attorneys are suing the ride’s designer, a formerly whollyowned subsidiary of the parent company, in Texas courts. The outcome and the effect on the company is at this point undetermined.

Tides of the Week Tides for Bob Hall Pier February 9 - February 16

Day

9 9

High /Low

Tide Time

Height in Feet

Sunrise Moon Time Sunset

Low

7:34 AM

-0.8

7:10 AM

Set 5:58 AM

High 4:18 PM

1.4

6:16 PM

Rise 5:13 PM

Low

8:25 AM

-0.7

7:09 AM

Set 6:47 AM

High 4:45 PM

1.3

6:17 PM

Rise 6:14 PM

Low

High 1:05 AM

1.0

7:09 AM

Set 7:32 AM

Low

9:14 AM

-0.5

6:18 PM

Rise 7:13 PM

High 5:04 PM

1.1

10:13 PM

10:33 PM

Low

High 2:17 AM

1.0

7:08 AM

Set 8:13 AM

Low

9:59 AM

-0.3

6:18 PM

Rise 8:10 PM

High 5:17 PM

1.0

Low

High 3:25 AM

0.9

7:07 AM

Set 8:51 AM

Low

-0.1

6:19 PM

Rise 9:06 PM

High 5:28 PM

Low

High 4:34 AM

0.9

7:06 AM

Set 9:28 AM

Low

0.1

6:20 PM

Rise 10:00 PM

0.3

7:06 AM

Set 10:03 AM

0.9

6:20 PM

Rise 10:53 PM

0.2

7:05 AM

Set 10:39 AM

0.8

6:21 PM

Rise 11:45 PM

10:41 AM

11:28 PM

High 5:39 PM

Low

High 5:47 AM

Low

12:02 AM

High 5:51 PM

Low

High 7:11 AM

Low

High 6:01 PM

12:41 AM

0.8 99

0.6 96

0.5 91

0.4 0.8

12:53 PM

0.9

12:04 PM

0.9

11:22 AM

0.9

10:58 PM

Moon Visible

in the parking lot with the local self-appointed vigilante at her ceremony. But the vigilante’s timing was way bad and I’m not sure cool thinking would have won the day. To get to the street the vigilante had to circle back through the parking lot on the other side of the building, I knew this because many years ago my father designed the church building, so I ran through the church lobby to cut him off at the Khyber Pass but he was kicking up gravel and putting a ton of dust in the air as he whizzed by and onto the highway. If you are going to Seminole, Oklahoma with the intention of blowing up the church be aware they are on to you. As for me, I would suggest the Waste Water Treatment Plant would be a more fitting target.

Schlitterbahn We have been getting a barrage of questions about the future of the Schlitterbahn waterpark as the new season approaches as well as the proposed Park Road 22/SPID Water Exchange Bridge. Here’s what I know. First, the Park Road 22/SPID Water Exchange Bridge is out for bids which were supposed to be opened on Tuesday of this week. However, gamesmanship between the eight prospective

There is currently an ongoing binding arbitration process between the waterpark’s owners over cost overruns on the original build out at the park – as high as the $20 million range - as well as the cost of finishing the park as originally designed – as high as another $9 million. That’s a lot of millions that eventually someone(s) will have to come up with. The arbitration process also involves fiduciary issues which would not go away even if at some point in the future a bankruptcy is involved – which as of now is not on the table. Bankruptcy could endanger the tax incentives valued at $111 million. The two main parties which own the park are talking – the Schlitterbahn parent company owns two-thirds and developer Paul Schexnailder owns one-third. Each of the parties has veto power over major decisions. A bank is involved and it is in everyone’s best interest to get something worked out and sooner rather than later. It has been a troubled project but I believe things will be worked out. While no one involved in the process has told me so directly, due to increased noise in the system of late I believe things are coming to a head fairly soon. Expect the park to open this season on time, pretty much as is. As for development on land around the park on the west side of SPID I think it is accurate to say it is at least a year away and that is probably conservative. Now you know as much as I do.

Padre Island Real Estate Ticker

0.6 0.8

January 1- January 15

By Cindy Molnar Coldwell Banker Island Realtors

Waterfront Homes Sold 15358 Yardarm Court 15358 Mutiny Court

Interior Lot Homes/Condominiums and Duplexes 14828 Leeward Drive 106 Interior Lot Townhomes/ Condominiums/Duplex’s Listed From $76,000-$389,000

Average Sales Price $415,000 68 Waterfront Homes Listed From $292,000-$1,799,999

Interior Lot Homes Sold 16106 Coralvine Street

One Bite and You’re Hooked! All You Can Eat Fried Shrimp Wednesdays 5 - Close Prime Rib Thursdays 5 - Until They're Gone Mini Golf Great Food Seafood, Steaks, Salads, Burgers & Full Bar Open 11am - 2am • Kitchen Closes at 1am 2034 State Hwy 361

361-749-TACO (8226)

15009 Tesoro Drive

Waterfront Lots 44 Waterfront Lots Listed From $139,000-$6,000,000

Interior Lots Sold 13602 Catamaran Drive

15629 Escapade

Average Sales Price $267,450

15509 Chris Craft

77 Interior Lot Homes Listed From $185,000-$439,900

Average Sales Price $46,333

Waterfront Condomiums/Townhomes Sold 14813 Leeward Drive #603 112 Waterfront Townhomes/ Condominium/Duplex’s Listed From $69,000-$899,000

73 Interior Lot Listed From $39,900$150,000

Commercial Lots 16 Commercial Lots Listed From $49,900-$4,557,465

February 9, 2017

Island Moon

Senior Moments

Anecdotingly

Second Korean War

Insufferable Audacity ByAbigail Bair

By Dotson Lewis Special to the Island Moon July 30, 1968: In a pair of clashes with NKs Dotson’s Note: Over shadowed by the war in Vietnam, a low level ground conflict in the south of the DMZ, 1 GI of C Co., 3rd Bn., 23rd narrow confines of the Korean Demilitarized ID, is KIA and 3 WIA. Zone also claimed lives in combat. From 1966 August 5, 1968: NKs kill 1 U.S. soldier of the to 1969, it simmered, boiling over into ambushes 1st Bn., 38th Inf., 2nd ID; 4 other members are and firefights. But after the opening salvo, those WIA. isolated incidents were seldom reported in the August 18, 1968: 2 NCOs of the 32nd IR, 7th mainstream media. Consequently the public was largely oblivious to the small-scale fighting ID, are KIA when8 NKs class with the UNC on the DMZ. That was just fine with the Johnson patrol south of the DMZ. Administration. It was determined to keep a September 2, 1968: 3 U.S. officers re assaulted tight lid on hostile actions in South Korea. That in the JSA at Panmunjom by 15-29 NKs. policy effectively denied recognition to the GIs September 19, 1968: 4 NKs are killed in a on the line. All of you Monkeys know that I don’t care much for acronyms, but in the interest of firefight in the 2nd ID area. space, I used many in this article. If needed you September 27, 1968: 2 members of the 2nd OD will find the keys to the acronyms/abbreviations are LOA when their jeep is ambushed south of at the end of this article.* Thanks to the VFW the MDL. (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Magazine and October 5, 1968: 1 2nd ID soldier is KIA and 2 Ricard K. Kolb for contributing to this article. WIA in an ambush.

Ground Combat November 3, 1966 to December 3, 1969

November 3, 1966: Deadliest Single U.S. Ground Action on DMZ. An eightman patrol is ambushed a halfmile south to the DMZ, 6 U.S. soldiers, and 1 South Korean of A Company, 1st Bn., 23rd IR, 2nd ID, are KIA. A Silver Star is awarded posthumously to Pvt. Ernest Reynolds. The Silver star wounded GI, Pvt. David Bibee, survives after being hit 48 times by shrapnel. February 12, 1967: 1 GI of the 3rd Bn., 22nd IR, 2nd ID, is KIA in an ambush. May 22, 1967: 2 Soldiers of 1st Plt, A Co., 1st Bn., 23rd ID, are KIA and 16 WIA when satchel charges shatter their barracks at Camp Walley in the first act of sabotage against GIs since the armistice. June 1967: U.S. Army Special Forces are sent into the mountains of south-central Korea to hunt down infiltrators.

October 23, 1968: 1 soldier is KIA and 6 other Americans of the 2nd Bn., 39th IR, 2nd ID are WIA during a firefight with NKs. December 13, 1968: 1 GI of A Co., 1st Bn., 23 rd. IR. 2nd ID, is KIA by an NK booby trap while on patrol in the DMZ. An observation post is name (OP O’Malley) in his memory. December 26, 1968: Combat Infantry Man Badge and Combat Medical Badge authorized for select “grunts” in Korea. But only after January 4, 1969, 60 days in the hostile fire zone (between the DMZ and Imjin River) and five firefights; few will qualify. December 31, 1968: By year-end, Americans have been KIA and 54 WIA.

March 15, 1969: An NK guard post opens fire on a 10-man work party of the 23 rd., IR, 2nd ID, replacing markers on the MDL. 1 GI is KIA and 2 WIA from a patrol during a 4 hour firefight. A US helicopter evacuating the WIA accidentally crashes shortly after takeoff, killing 3 crew of the 377th Medical Company, a doctor from the 121st Evacuation Hospital and the 2 wounded from the 23rd IR. April 23, 1969: NKs open up on a UNC guard post in the southern half of the DMZ with recoilless rifle and machine gun fire. July 21, 1969: 2nf ID troops repulse NKs after a 35-minute firefight. No U.S. casualties. July 30, 1969: 45 NKs guards attack 15 UMC personnel in the JSA.

July 16, 1967: 3 23rd IR, 2nd ID soldiers are KIA by NKs in an attack. July 28, 1967: Construction begins on the barrier fence in the U.S. Sector of the DMZ. It is complete two months later on September 28th. August 10, 1967: First daylight ambush. 3 GIs of the 2nd and 3rd Platoons, B Co., 2nd Bn., 31st, 7th ID, are KIA and 16 WIA in an unprecedented daylight ambush on a truck near Freedom Village. August 22, 1967: 123rd, 2nd ID, soldier is KIA, and 1 WIA when their jeep hits a mine and then is fired on by NKs. August 28, 1967: In an NK attack on C Co., 76th Eng. Bn., 2nd Eng. Grp., near the JSA, 2 GIs are KIA, 14 WIA. Their unit is raked with 3,000 rounds of ammunition. August 29, 1967: 3 38th IR, 2nd ID, soldiers are KIA and 5 WIA when two vehicles detonate mines. September 13, 1967: NK’s blow up two trains near Seoul in 2nd ID area, destroying seven carloads of Army supplies. No U.S. casualties are sustained. October 1967: A rotation system begins alternating all infantry battalions into “the Z.” October 7, 1967: 1 2nd ID soldier drowns after being WIA by NK gun fire, which raked a U.S. patrol boat on the Imjin River. December 31, 1967: By year-end, Americans have been KIA and 52 WIA.

January 19, 1968: U.S. troops conduct search operations for a group of 31 NKs sighted near Pobwonni. January 24, 1968: 1 soldier of the 1st Bn., 23rd OR, 2nd ID is KIA.

Combat Medical Badge August 17, 1969: U.S. OH-23 helicopter with three members the 59th Aviation Company aboard is shot down over NK-held territory. Also 1 GI of the 1st Bn., 31st IR, 7th ID, is KIA in an ambush while working with the 13th Engineers clearing brush from a suspect infiltration route. October 18, 1969: Last fatal ground attack on GIs. 4 soldiers of C Co., 1st Bn., 32nd IR, 7t h ID, are KIA in a daylight ambush after leaving Guard Post Turner. Their light truck, flying a white truce flag, is hit by 100 submachine gun rounds and two grenades. December 3, 1969: Crewmen of the August 17th ‘shoot-down’ are released 108 days later. All were WIA. This gesture signals the end of the so-called “Second Korean War.” *Abbreviations/Acronyms: Dept.-Department; ID-Infantry Division; Engr.-Engineer; GIGovernment Issue; IR-Infantry Regiment; JSA-Joint Security Area; KIA-Killed in Action; MDL-Military Demarcation Line; NCO-Non Commissioned Officer(s); NK-North Korea; Plt.-Platoon; Pvt.-Private; ROK-Republic of Korea; UN-United Nations Command; U.S.United States; WIA-Wounded in Action; Bn.Battalion;

Dotson’s Other Note: Thanks to the many Moon Monkeys who expressed their appreciation for last week’s article about the Korea War. Many commented they learned quite a bit of information they previously had not heard. In that vein, I believe Combat Infantry Man Badge the foregoing has put the “UN Korean Police Action” stories to January 29, 1968: Members of the 2nd ID repel bed for the time being. four separate NK agent teams attempting to On January 12, 1979, Captain Glenn Shoop infiltrate into the South. at the controls of the British Airways Concorde April 1, 1968: Hostile Fire Pay is authorized by the Defense Department for GIs who serve north of the Imjin River. By this time, 24 men have already been KIA and 73 WIA since 1966. April 14, 1968: NKs ambush a truck and kill 2 Americans of the USA Support Group and wound 2 others south of the JSA. April 18, 1968: NK guards attack a UNC guard in the JSA. April 21, 1968: Largest battle of the period. A U.S. patrol from B Co., 2nd Bn., 31st IR, 7th ID, and an NK force of 50-75 men clash in the southern portion of the DMZ, leaving 1 American of the 2nd Platoon dead and 3 WIA, 5 NKs die. April 27, 1968: 2 men of the 3rd Plt., B Co., 2nd Bl, 31st IR, 7th ID, are WIA when their patrol is ambushed by an NK near Panmunjom. July 20, 1968: 2 U.S. soldiers-one of the 2nd Bn., 38th IR, 2nd ID and the other from the 7th ID-KIA and 2 WIA in separate firefights.

G-BOAE (N94AE), and Captain Ken Larson at the controls of the Air France Concorde F-BVFC (N94FC) made a stunning parallel landing on the two West runways at D/FW to open Braniff Concorde Service.Your thoughts regarding this or any articles appearing in The Island Moon are greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading and commenting on Senior Moments. I can be reached at: dlewis1@stx. rr.com and/or Land Line: 361-949-7681 Cell: 530-748-8475. Please Note: The next Veterans Roundtable Meeting will be Tuesday, February 14, 2017, 9-11 AM, 3209 S. Staples. All Veterans, their families and anyone interested in Veterans affairs, are invited. Coffee & doughnuts are provided. Hope to see you there. Also our Veterans Radio Round Table is on the air on KEYS AM 1440, 8 – 9 AM, Saturdays. The next will air February 11, 2017. Please listen and call in. The listener/text line is: 361-5605397…It’s your show. Hang in there/Have fun!

We’re going to have to face it: Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. I know some of you folks are really excited for this holiday ostensibly celebrating romantic love. Believe me, it’s difficult to refrain from making fun of you lovers, considering the holiday’s origins involve ritualistic animal sacrifice and nude youths running around the city wonking people in the face with thongs made of goat skin to encourage pregnancy. Honestly, it sounds more fun to me than the Hallmark Industrial Complex Enforced Love Initiative we’re stuck with now, but to each his own. Last year alone, what Charles Dickens called “Cupid’s Manufactory” churned out 17.9 billion dollars in sales of Pepto Bismol colored hearts, trite cards and chocolates. People still seem to like it, though. I am, despite the whole “Dear Abby” coincidence, the worst person in the world to ask for dating advice. My romantic history consists of relationships with men who could easily be confused with the byproducts of a colo-rectal exam. Being dismal at dating, I tend to formulate complicated strategies to avoid it. They don't work because I am evidently built upon a bedrock of indefatigable hormones, which have simultaneously caused me to cry like a baby over posters featuring uncomfortable kittens and leave finger marks in all my Kool Whip. It's not always fun to be a female.

Soul squatters with excellent lawyers The thing about love is that no matter how stupid, or misdirected, or one-sided or simply wrong it turned out to be, you still have to carry it. It gets inside you and never leaves. Decades later, we still think of past lovers maybe with fondness, or regret, or a wry smile, but they are still there – dirty un-evictable soul squatters with excellent lawyers. And maybe that’s okay. About a thousand years ago, I was on a faraway beach, watching hundreds of falling stars, with someone who could walk through the walls I surrounded my heart with as though they were made of air. We were glowing pale blue-green with the sea’s bio-luminescence, sitting out on the very edge of the surf. In that moment, I felt like I finally understood why the poets write and why the musicians sing. With each breath I was taking in the world. When you feel something like I felt that night, and when your soul emerges from the desert bomb shelter in which you’ve hidden it, you don’t want to go back. Let’s face it, it’s much more fun to be glowing and magical on a beach than it is to be fearfully hiding in a corner subsisting on rations of dried beans and stale mineral water. The difference is so stark that it causes terror. Having loved and lost, we’re well aware both that the stove is hot and that we’re definitely going to touch it again.

Love and dirty sox Despite all of this, though: the pain, the fear, the rejection, the rage…despite every scar striping us, we carry on. We keep walking because somehow, even in the face of all the evidence to the contrary, despite all the electrified, razor wire topped fences and savage dogs that stand in our way, the soul and center of us is calling, and every single one of us would walk through fire for even a hint of an answer. Love is at best a Sisyphean task involving very little romance and lots of picking up other people’s dirty socks, and everyone

knows it…and no one cares. All the trivial dayto-day nonsense pales in comparison to finding a person who can see your light no matter how well you've hidden it under bushel baskets. And, if you’re lucky enough to have found the one who cares enough to cultivate that light, fanning the flame that is you until you glow like all the light in a thousand galaxies, then the risk and pain that came before were worth it. Finding the strength to trust another human being with your heart is the consummate exercise in sheer will, voluntary suspension of disbelief, and (if we’re being honest) hormone induced insanity. The struggle to find and keep love is perhaps the most audacious thing a human being can do, and maybe that's why we need a day (and a whole hell of a lot of sugar) to celebrate it.

Live chickens and rattlesnakes If I look back, there has been a great deal of what I perceived at the time as loss of love in my life. Friends and lovers have come and gone, leaving me bullet riddled and heart sore. Missing people became a habit, and hanging on to the past is at best a cold comfort. You have to keep going, however, even if the way is dark and you walk alone. If you go far enough, you’ll find that relationships you’ve chalked up to being a total loss really weren’t. Maybe they were strange roadside attractions featuring live chicken decapitation and bins full of rattlesnakes, but they weren’t nothing. The world is large, and our lives are longer than we expect and shorter than we’d like. Every time you feel joy, you increase your capacity for joy. Every time we love, we’re able to feel more love. It’s a simple equation: the bigger it gets, the bigger it is. Love is absolute inflation – that’s why the most important thing we can do is seek out and save those people who embiggen us bigly (to translate to Trump) -- the ones who make us soar despite the dull and depressing probability that we’re actually penguins. No matter where you are in the world this Valentine’s/Single Awareness Day – in love, or out, happy, or hurt, remember it’s a journey. Take a minute today to feel all your love and light and to see all there is and all there can be. Being alone is difficult, but there is always more – for you, for me, for everyone. We walk, we learn, we grow, and we shine. As my sadistic Youtube kettlebell coach Body-by-Amy said this morning, “Whoopsy! Bad form on those last few. Next time, I’ll be stronger.” You can take that to the bank.

February 9, 2017

The Authentic Pacific Islands: a Mix of Plenty and Scarcity By Meredith Dunning Editor’s note: Former Islanders Meredith Dunning and Justin Smith left our balmy shores more than three years ago in a 26-foot sailboat bound for Florida and Equator and never looked back. Along the way they traded the first boat for the one you see here. They are now in Fiji after traveling 20,000 miles.

Herman Melville jumped ship in this beautiful bay and was taken in by the cannibalistic tribe who lived here. He earned his way as a translator but left the island, suspecting they may have been fattening him up for a future feast! This here cauldron was filled with water. You might say it was used for the most powerful potion of all: self-reflection. Whereas most people we know see themselves in the mirror every day, Marquesans did not. One of its uses was to view the tattoo art on their bodies. When people talk about traveling to the Pacific Islands, they're usually referring to the tourist hubs like Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, and Bora Bora. But if you really want to experience life as a borderline castaway while drifting through daily panoramas of lush landscapes fit for a topographical soap opera, a place where locals really do greet you with flowers and fresh fruit because it is the custom and not because the hotel hostess is paid to do so, where heaven was thought to reside beneath the waters instead of high in the skies, where the roads are only two years of age and people you could have graduated high school with tell you about life

Island Moon

before electricity, where horses run wild and flowers are in constant bloom, and waterfalls are more plentiful than are grocery stores, then you might just think the Marquesas is a decent place. All the better if you bring your own boat to enjoy anchorages in uninhabited, or sparsely inhabited bays surrounded by striking rock formations and verdant landscapes, minus light pollution, the sounds of traffic and bar music, litter, and high speed power boats and ferries kicking up waves that send your Passion Fruit juice on a Kamikaze mission across the table and onto the cat's head. On the other hand, if your boat isn't selfsufficient out here, then you'd be up a creek without a paddle. No watermaker? Welcome to lugging your own water from the spring out to the boat. No solar panels or wind gen? Welcome to shortening the life of your engine by running it every day, or have fun lugging gallons of gas out to the boat for the generator. You need an engine part? It might take two to six weeks to receive it in the mail. You have some sort of health emergency? The hospital here seems quite nice, but there's a good chance you'll have to hold your breath until your flight arrives in Tahiti. You want to go shopping just for fun? There are about three clothing stores and a wonderful local artisan market on Nuku Hiva, but unless you love perusing the hardware store shelves, mall rats and Parisian haute couture addicts are plum out of luck. You know what else there's just about none of here? Crime. The market has oodles of delicious fresh produce, much of it new to us. Every variety of banana has its own unique flavor. Or take a walk down the street and pick your own fruit right off the trees. Check out the docks after the fishermen come in with their catches. Barter with a local friend for some chicken. Go surfing with some local kids and you might receive an invitation to the family BBQ and Bocci Ball game. Even if your French is just as bad as your Chinese, we've found the gesture of doing your best to speak the language is more than worth the effort

Island Moon on a Spoon

Good Ole Fashioned Donuts

By Chef Vita Jarrin One of my weaknesses is donuts. I remember many moons ago, my father going to Dunkin Donuts every Saturday morning and buying a dozen donuts. Back then the donuts were made on premise. Therefore, when I was up early enough to go with him and personally pick out my favorites, I would walk into a sense of donut euphoria. You could smell the fryer, cooking batches and batches in the back, and watch the speed racks filled with freshly glazed treats, ready to be set out for sale.

These days however, the donuts in donut shops are made mainly in commissaries. It's a real treat to find a "from scratch" donut shop near by. Donuts have also been introduced to new age trends and ingredients, such as bacon, ginger, pop rocks, cereal and cookie toppings. My personal favorites are Boston or Bavarian cream filled donuts, or apple fritters. There is also a new craze of donuts, called the cronut. It's a combination of croissant and a donut. If you haven't tried one... let me just say... It's a must. It's crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and that sweet glaze on top and bottom, makes you want another. But if you want to try your hand at making fresh simple donuts at home, nothing tastes or compares to a freshly made,

2 whole eggs beaten. 1/4 c sugar 1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg 1 1/2 tsp salt

Kids will get the opportunity to decorate and build their own kites with the help of park volunteers (while supplies last), and kite-flying clubs will give tips and demonstrate techniques.

Please note that there will be an entrance fee to the park. Depending upon your circumstances, you will be eligible for one or more of the following entry options:

Preheat oil in deep fryer to 365 degrees (use thermometer) for best results. Gently place donuts in oil, no more than 3 to 4 at a time. Cook 1 minute per side. I like to use chop sticks for easy flipping and removing from oil, through the donut hole. ( if this is your first time, I suggest you make a test donut to check doneness) Place on a cooling rack. Prepare your glaze and dip donuts.

Glaze: 1/4 C Milk 1 Tsp. Vanilla 2 C Confectioners sugar

One tip is that you can fry up those cute donut hole remnants and have snack bites for kids or anyone else while making the larger batches of donuts. Also. you can make various glazes, like chocolate for instance. Just melt chocolate chips over a double boiler and add to the glaze recipe and dip. You can use various sprinkles as well. I didn't say anything was wrong with chopped oreos, or bacon. You are the master in your kitchen! Most importantly… Enjoy yourself, get creative, try new things have fun!!! Happy Eats!

The 22nd Annual Billy Sandifer Big Shell Cleanup Saturday, February 25th at Padre Island National Seashore Come make a difference! Help clean up marine debris from the beautiful and remote Big Shell Beach! The 22nd annual Billy Sandifer Big Shell Cleanup will be held on Saturday, February 25th, 2017. Organized by the Friends of Padre, a local group of anglers and other supporters of the park, this event is a great way to see some of the down-island areas of the park while helping to make a difference. To participate, meet at the Malaquite Pavilion parking lot. Participants are recommended to arrive by 7:30 am. A FREE lunch will be provided after the event and the park entrance fee will be waived for the clean-up.

It takes to the sky from 10 a.m. --2:00 p.m. at the Malaquite Beach Visitor’s Center.

On a well floured surface, roll out the dough to 3/8 inches thick. Using a pastry cutter, cut into the dough and twist and continue until you go through all of the dough. Using a small circle dough cutter, make the holes in the middle. On a sheet pan, with parchment paper, place the donuts and let rise an additional 30 minutes.

Tip of the week:

1/3 c warm water

Come join kite flying experts, park rangers, and volunteers for a day of family fun at the 6th Annual Kite Festival at Padre Island National Seashore on Saturday February, 18,

Warm the milk, enough to melt the shortening. In a bowl, add the vegetable shortening and add the warm milk over it. Set aside. In a separate bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water and let dissolve for 5 min. After 5 minutes, pour yeast mixture into a large stand mixer bowl and add the shortening mixture. (make sure mixture is lukewarm or you you will kill the yeast) Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg and half the flour. Using a paddle attachment, combine ingredients on low speed until the flour is incorporated. Add the remaining flour and change speed to medium and mix ingredients once more (2-3 minutes). Change attachment to a dough hook and mix on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl. Transfer to a well oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Ingredients:

2 pkgs instant yeast (not active dry yeast)

Valentine Dance in Port Aransas

Method of preparation:

good ole plain glazed donut, served warm. It takes a little practice, and as with all cooking, everything takes time and patience but it's oh so worth it.

2 1/2 oz veg shortening (Crisco)

Padre Island National Seashore hosts Kite Day 2017

23 oz flour (by weight) plus extra for dusting

Heat milk add vanilla and then stir in the sugar. Whisk gently in order to not incorporate too much air. Dip cooled donuts into glaze and set on a sheet pan that has a wire cooling rack inside.

1 1/2 c whole milk, heated

The Boat Coconut Woman, a 1981 Panda 40, also known as the Baba 40 and Tashiba 40, has proven to be a true blue water cruiser. Designed by Robert Perry and built by the Ta'Shing boatyard, her classic Scandinavian-inspired appearance combined with her balanced helm and respectable speed contribute to a sailing experience not unlike that of cruising in a Cadillac Eldorado while slicing through waves like a freight train. Well-built and tough, these boats are known for taking care of their crew.

1 to 1 1/2 gal veg oil (for frying)

Four-wheel drive vehicles, flatbed trailers for hauling trash in and out of the work area, and working volunteers are needed. Walking volunteers are welcomed and

those without 4-wheel drive vehicles will be afforded transportation to and from the work area. Those who have 4-wheel drive vehicles but are unable to pick up trash are most welcome to aid in hauling volunteers. The event does not re-schedule and will take place rain or shine. For more information, check out the Friends of Padre website: www.friendsofpadre.com , or call the Malaquite Visitor Center at (361) 949-8068. Thank you to the almost 7,000 volunteers who have removed 2,456,000 pounds of trash during Big Shell Beach Clean-ups over the years! About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.

The Port Aransas Art Center will hold its 2nd Annual Rock Around the Arts Valentine’s Dance-Music by the PA Rockers-Time: 6:3010 p.m. on February 14th at the Port Aransas Civic Center on Ave. A in Port Aransas. Heavy hors devours, beer and wine- 25$ per person. Tickets are selling fast so get your Tickets at the Art Center as soon as you can to secure your attendance at this very fun event!! 323 N. Alister 361-749-7334 artcenter@ centurytel.net

$10.00 entrance fee to the park per car load (good for 7 days). $20.00 annual fee to the park per car load. $80.000 “America the Beautiful” annual pass valid in all national parks. Free Annual 4th Grade Pass – available to U.S. 4th graders & their family with a valid Every Kid in a Park paper pass. Home schooled 4th grade are also eligible. Free Annual Pass for active U.S. Military members and dependents. Free Access Pass – lifetime pass to all national parks for the permanently disabled Senior Pass - $10 Lifetime Pass – U.S. citizens age 62 or over.

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Choose one of our Signature Paninis and a medium Gelato... only

Wednesday & Thursday 12-8 Friday & Sunday 12-9 Saturday 12-10 14254 SPID Sweet 101 361-589-4130

February 9, 2017

Island Moon

SPORTS Sports Talk Special to The Island Moon

Officials' Bias Study Officially Biased By Dotson Lewis

NFL issues grades to every official each game, Special to the Island Moon breaking down each play and judging both calls Dotson’s Note: I thought and no-calls. By the NFL’s accounting, officials you as a sports fan (not being a sports fan does get over 97% of the calls correct every game. not automatically disqualify you from reading Fewer than 5 calls per game are graded either this) might be interested in a recent study as a “miscall” or a “support” (a call in a grey regarding officiating bias. Thanks to Noah area and not judged wrong). These ratings by Davis, Michael Lopez and Marcus Griep for the NFL stand in contradiction to claims that the officials exhibit a sideline bias, as an observer contributing to this article. grading the game after the fact is not subject to the supposed influence of the sideline. In fact, an official who does display a bias, whether it be toward or against a team or sideline, is likely to be out of a job with a tarnished reputation, although the league’s extensive scouting and vetting process would identify any of these tendencies before such an official is hired.

When it comes to officiating, there is a minefield of perceived biases. Visitors claim that officials succumb to the cheers and jeers of the home team crowd. Fans claim that the NFL pushes officials to favor a chosen team. At the end of the day, both teams may leave convinced that the officials were out to get them. However, a recent article by Noah Davis and Dr. Michael Lopez may have overplayed its hand when it claimed, “sideline bias in the NFL is real, and it’s spectacular.”

In addition, the magnitude of the difference is blown out of proportion by the article. The graphs published in the paper and displayed by FiveThirtyEight give the appearance of bigger disparity than bears scrutiny. While FiveThirtyEight claims that defensive penalties are called about 50% more often on the offensive team’s sideline, over the 160 plays in an average NFL game, the actual figure comes out to less than 1 foul per game. At these levels, the differences are more mundane than they are spectacular. The chart from FiveThirtyEight below (“defensive aggressive penalties”) shows areas of uncertainty that are separated by less than ¼ of a penalty for every 1,000 pass plays, but the scale of the chart gives the appearance of a wide gulf.

True Pro By Andy Purvis Special to the Island Moon John Steinbeck once said, “No man really knows about other human beings. The best he can do is to suppose that they are like himself.” I may have to disagree with Mr. Steinbeck. This guy was as good as it gets. He always checked his ego at the door. He was better than a large dose of vitamin C and one of the guys who put the “good” in good morning. He also made a better first impression than Denzel Washington on a blind date. Well-educated, he was the standard for studio hosts. You could hear his voice anywhere in the world and recognize it. It was as if he were speaking to you personally. They started making Emmy Awards for guys like him. “Why me?” he asked. “I’m nobody special.” I think we all now know different. He was humble and so cheerful; he could do playby-play on a kamikaze flight. “I never met anyone more forgiving than John Saunders,” said Dick Vitale. Some guys have to Google the word patience to find out what the word means; not John.

to 2004, John did play-byplay for ESPN’s coverage of the NBA on Sundays nights. From 20042006, he hosted ESPN’s NBA Shootaround. In 2008, John joined Chris Berman and Tom Jackson during the NFL season, for Sunday’s Sportscenter. John Saunders also called play-by-play for college basketball from 1990 and covered the NCAA Final Four broadcast, from 1991 to 1993. One of his partners on college basketball was Jim Valvano, former head coach of the N.C. State Wolfpack. They became instant friends, both on and off the court. Saunders always laughed when he told this story about his television partner and friend, Jimmy Valvano. “Jim once introduced himself to the mother of a prospect as Jim Valvano, Iona College,” said John. “Her response was ‘Aren’t you a little young to own a college?’” Saunders also never forgot his love for Canada and worked out a deal with ESPN to call playby-play for the Toronto Raptors, from 1995 to

In fact, the discrepancy may have a more natural cause: the players. A defensive player, playing on the offensive sideline, may play more aggressively. “Friendly sideline banter” may increase the likelihood that a defensive player, who doesn’t have the luxury of knowing the play beforehand, will commit a foul when on the offensive sideline. The FiveThirtyEight article is based on a 2016 paper by Lopez, an assistant professor of statistics at Skidmore College, which looked at whether plays toward a sideline resulted in a higher proportion of fouls beneficial to that sideline. Four types of penalties, including holding and pass interference, were included in the analysis, which appeared in the October 2016 issue of the economics journal Economic Inquiry. While the paper finds that there is an imbalance between the number of fouls called to each sideline, a critical review finds that the absolute difference is quite small. The paper then errs when it asserts that officials must be the cause for the discrepancy while discounting the possibility that the difference might be a natural consequence of normal play. Issues start early on when, during the presentation of the paper’s hypotheses, Lopez asserts that any difference found would necessarily be attributable to pressure to call or not call a penalty which benefits the team whose sideline the official is on. This assertion, which is unnecessary to the paper’s core hypotheses, presupposes that the singular cause is the officiating. By doing so at the beginning of its methods section, it leads the reader to believe that the author has analyzed a “control” group which factors for all other causes.

Granted, the article does include a discussion of possible of player-performance factors, admitting that the effect on sideline plays is most relevant for aggressive defensive penalties. But it discards this explanation because it is an inadequate justification for offensive holding calls, one of the more weakly correlated results. He further discounts this player-sideline effect for DPI (Defensive Pass Interference), claiming that, because DPI could occur anywhere in the outer third of the field, the effect would be

minor. Here Lopez errs in failing to appreciate the time cornerbacks spend near to the opposing sideline before and at the start of plays. In discarding this explanation, Lopez goes all-in on the officials as the reason for the difference, but the existence of a difference alone doesn’t

Every Sunday morning I always made sure to record The Sports Reporters on ESPN, because it came on while I was on my way to Church. I will miss John Saunders and his ability to take a controversial issue in the world of sports and help me understand the impact. As they say in Hockey, Saunders’ favorite sport, "He shoots-He scores.” Saunders always scored the winning goal. John Saunders was a true pro. John Peterson Saunders was given to us on February 2, 1955. John was born in Ajax, Ontario, Canada. Like every other Canadian kid, John grew up with a hockey stick in his hands. He truly loved the game and was good at it. John attended high school in Montreal. He became an All-Star defenseman in the Montreal junior leagues and was offered a scholarship to play hockey at Western Michigan University. John played there with his brother, Bernie Saunders, from 1974-1976. Saunders then transferred to Ryerson University located in Toronto, in 1976, and played there for the Rams during his last two years of college. He played well enough to be named to the Ontario University Athletic Association All-Star team. John started his work career like most of us, at the bottom. He joined CKNS Radio in 1978 and then moved to sports anchor for CKNYTV, North Bay, Ontario, at the end of 1978 and into 1979. In 1980, you could find Saunders at ATV News in New Brunswick. From the end of 1980 to 1982, John, became the sports anchor for CITY-TV, in Toronto. John moved to the United States in 1982 and worked in Baltimore at WMAR-TV, until 1986.

The paper utilizes raw data sourced from Armchair Analysis and Football Outsiders, both reputable subscription services. From this data, Lopez concludes that there is a statistically significant difference in the frequency of calls to each sideline, but only for defensive pass interference and aggressive defensive fouls. He further concludes that location relative to the goal line has an effect on whether fouls for offensive holding are called on runs toward the defense’s sideline (though there is no statistically significant difference overall). Lopez, a former collegiate offensive lineman, has a keen interest in using statistics to analyze sports, especially football and hockey. Lopez has written several reviews, including an analysis of when penalties such as offensive holding are more likely to be called during a game. In all, it’s not Lopez’s statistics which are flawed, but rather the conclusion that he jumps to with those statistics. The paper finds some statistically significant correlations, but then attempts to present the findings as showing a causal link, which is beyond the reach of this type of study. This gap between correlation and cause would be acceptable for a discussion at the local watering hole, where there are lower editorial standards than a peer-reviewed journal article. Notably, Lopez does not consider whether the fouls called are actually warranted. The

necessarily demonstrate that the cause was official bias. It’s easy to place the blame at the feet of the officials who point out the fouls. We want officials to “let the players play” when a foul is called on our team. At the same time, we want the officials to stop the other team from “getting away with murder.” But officials tend to work by one common sense rule: they don’t hand out flags; the players earn them. Dotson’s Other Note: By the time you read this, the Super Bowl has come and gone. This is your chance, if you are a fan of football at any level, to have input to rules changes. As a Moon Monkey you have earned the privilege of submitting one or more suggested football rules change(s). I will review it, send you my thoughts, and then I will submit your suggestion(s) to the appropriate football rules making body. Since I spent more than 20 years working with rules makers, they show me the courtesy of reading my suggestions. What they do after reading them is another matter. Your comments, suggestions, questions and concerns regarding Sports Talk articles are greatly appreciated, please call the Benchwarmers at 361-560-5397 weekdays, Mondays thru Fridays, 5-7 PM, or contact me. Phone: 361-949-7681 Cell: 530-748-8475 Email: dlewis1@stx.rr.com Have fun -30-

Send letters and photos to editor@islandmoon.com

It was in Baltimore that John Saunders was noticed by ESPN and ABC Sports. Saunders started with ESPN in 1986 as a host for Sportscenter. He co-hosted NFL-Primetime from 1987 to 1989. In 1995, John anchored the World Series and MLB All-Star Game broadcast for ABC, as well as hosting Baseball Tonight in America. He also covered NHL broadcasts in studio, from 1992 until 2004. Fifteen years ago, John was offered and accepted the job of hosting The Sports Reporters, when host Dick Schaap became ill and passed away. From 2002

2001. He was eventually replaced by Chuck Swirsky. John Saunders was a founding member of the V Foundation for Cancer Research, a charity started by the network after former college basketball coach and ESPN announcer, Jim Valvano, died of cancer in 1993. Dick Vitale said, “John Saunders was as close to Valvano as anybody.” John was the Master of Ceremony for many of Vitale’s galas and V Foundation fundraisers. John Saunders, sports journalist, television personality, commentator and announcer, passed away in his sleep on August 10, 2016. It was said that he had not been feeling well a few days earlier. He was 61 years of age and had suffered from diabetes most of his life. He also had some heart problems and had suffered several concussions while playing hockey in college. Mitch Albom and Mike Lupica, both guests on The Sports Reporters, mentioned that John often showed up for the taping of the show while not feeling well. They noticed that his hands would shake and he had to give himself insulin shots quite often. The cause of his death is still not known. More importantly, John was a loving husband and a devoted and beloved family man, who cared deeply about others. John and his wife, Wanda, were living in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. John is also survived by his two daughters, Aleah and Jenna. I heard John say one time, “Sometimes you have to let yourself be great.” I could not agree more. Andy Purvis is a local author and radio personality. Please visit www.purvisbooks. com for all the latest info on his books or to listen to the new radio podcast. Andy’s books are available online and can be found in the local Barnes & Noble bookstore. Andy can be contacted at purvis.andy@mygrande.net. Also listen to sports talk radio on Dennis & Andy’s Q & A Session from 6-8 PM on Sportsradiocc. com 1230 AM, 96.1 FM and 103.3 FM. The home of the Houston Astros.

Lt. Governor Patrick: Texas Rangers on Case of Theft of Tom Brady's Jersey Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has asked the Texas Rangers to assist the Houston Police Department in finding New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady's jersey, which was stolen from the Patriot's locker room at NRG Stadium in Houston last night. Brady wore the jersey during the Patriots comeback victory in the Super Bowl. "In Texas we place a very high value on hospitality and football. Tom Brady's jersey has great historical value and is already being called 'the most valuable NFL collectable ever.' It will likely go into the Hall of Fame one day. It is important that history does not record that it was stolen in Texas. I've called Colonel Steve McCraw to ask that the Texas Rangers work with the

Houston Police Department on this case. ”I'm a Texans and Cowboys fan first, but the unquestionable success of the Super Bowl in Houston last night was a big win for our entire state and I don't want anything to mar that victory. Whoever took this jersey should turn it in. The Texas Rangers are on the trail."

February 9, 2017

Island Moon

Harvey Turns 102

Harvey Chisolm turned 102 on Super Bowl Sunday! Harvey is the youngest of 10 children (five of which were brother's), and is her father's namesake. "I don't know why he waited until I was born to name one of us after himself,' said Harvey of her unique moniker, "but that's what happened." Harvey lives on the Island with her son, Steve. Many Happy Returns, Ms. Harvey!

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m-f 8:30-6:00

sat 8:30-5:30

10514 S.P.i.d.

5034 Holly Road Corpus Christi, TX 78411 Each Office Independently Owned and Operated

♥ Home Decor ♥ ♥ Chocolate & Coffee ♥ ♥ Gift Baskets ♥ ♥ Wine Accessories ♥ ♥ Jewelry & Purses ♥ ♥ Sunglasses ♥ Wine Wednesdays

Open Until 6:30 with wine & snacks!

Open Tuesday - Saturday 10-5 14814 Compass St. (361) 867-8033

A10

February 9, 2017

Island Moon

COLDWELL BANKER ISLAND, REALTORS 14945 S. Padre Island Dr., Corpus Chris�, TX 78418

(361) 949‐7077 or (800) 580‐7077 www.cbir.com

ISLAND, REALTORS

Open Sunday 2‐5 p.m.

15958 Punta Espada 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 3 car garage. 2,575 sq. ft. Upgraded granite, lots of lighting. Double oven. $386,000. Charlie Knoll 361443-2499.

Beach Club 3rd floor 2 bedroom, 2 bath w/view of pool, pond and Gulf. Nicely furnished. Great investment property. Short term rentals allowed. Call Cheryl 563-0444.

15101 Cane Harbor 3/2.5/2 waterfront home located at the end of Cane Harbor. 2,615 sq. ft. Outstanding backyard with pool. Amazing views. $920,000. Call Charlie Rouzer 949-3015.

Beachfront Condos! Incredible views of the Gulf of Mexico. Floor to ceiling windows. #805–1/1 top floor. #202—2/2 corner unit. Carrie 361-949-5200.

15233 Reales 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage waterfront home. Fresh exterior and interior paint. 1,667 sq. ft. $339,000. Charlie Knoll 443-2499.

Mayan Princess 2 bedroom/2.5 bath condo w/fantastic Gulf and beach views. Beautiful hardwood floors. $249,900. Call Shonna today. 361-510-3445.

15821 Punta Espada 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 3 car garage. 2,500 sq. ft. Room for a pool. East facing backyard. Upgraded granite, lots of lighting. $375,000. Charlie Knoll 361-443-2499.

2301 Beta Great Flour Bluff location. 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage w/1,480 sq. ft. Split bedrooms. All located on a corner lot. $184,900. Charlie Knoll 361-443-2499.

Nicely updated Village on the Greens townhome. Now allows short term rentals. 3-2.5-2 + loft. Master down. Walk out your door to the pool. Call Cheryl 361-5630444.

New Construction by R.T. Bryant. 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 car garage. 1,854 sq. ft. of living area. Close to beach. Quiet area. $269,000. Call Terry 549-7703.

Condos, Condos, Condos

SOLD

Check Out these Condos available in Wonderful Complexes allowing Short Term Rentals! Walking Distance to Schlitterbahn!

Compass Condo 2-2-1 on water. Being sold unfurnished. 2nd floor unit, elevator. Move in ready. Call Cheryl 563-0444 for an appointment. $219,900.

15202 Main Royal 3/2/2 East facing with 90’ on the water, a covered boatlift, open floor plan with 2 dining areas, $389,900. Call Cindy Molnar 549-5557.

1818 Rodd Field I-5 2 bedroom, 2 bath centrally located townhome with 1,134 sq. ft. of living area. Private patio. Well cared for property. $114,900. Charlie Knoll 361-443-2499.

Flour Bluff retail opportunity. Stand alone building 950 sq. ft. Central H&A. 522 Caribbean, $99,000. Call Shonna to preview. 361-510-3445.

14901 Canadian Mist 4/2.5/2 with 2,342 sq. ft. of living space. Backs up to a pond and the golf course. Two stories with master located down. $270,000. Charlie 443-2499.

Marquesas #401 2/2 unit Great complex $184,900

Beach Club Condos One bedroom, one bath units #285 $129,900 #334 $119,000 Two bedroom, two bath units #262 $179,900 #375 $162,900 Studio #394 $99,000 #291 $105,000

Call Charlie 443-2499 or Terry 549-7703 to view!

Sale Pending

15821 Vincent 3/2/2 interior lot home. New carpet in bedrooms. Freshly painted. Open airy floorplan. Granite countertops in kitchen. Call Cheryl 563-0444.

15350 Yardarm — 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath waterfront home with two living areas and two dining areas. Boat dock. Tile roof, stucco construction. $399,000. Terry 5497703.

13830 Hawksnest Bay completely updated inside/out 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 2 dining, 3 living, over 4500 sq. ft., $699,900. Cindy Molnar 549-5557 to preview.

13722 A La Entrada 3 bedrooms, 4 baths, 2 car garage w/3,769 sq. ft. located on a wide canal. Gourmet kitchen, dramatic fireplace, cathedral ceilings, office & more! $1,150,000. Charlie 443-2499.

Great Mustang Island 2/2 condo, updated, covered veranda, pool/spa, private beach access, short term rentals apply, $180,000. Call Dorothy 361-5638486.

14945 S. Padre Island Dr. Corpus Chris�, TX 78418 (361) 949‐2131 (877) 269‐2131

www.rentpadreisland.com Superior Service, Outstanding Reputa�on since 1999 Looking for Professional Long Term Property Management Services? Our services include:  Tenant Qualifying  Collec�ons of Rents  Coordina�ng Repairs & Maintenance  Professional Itemized Monthly Statements  Marke�ng/Adver�sing

Sale Pending

Looking for Long Term Rental Property? Below are some of our available rentals:

14861 SPID #113 3/2.5/2 $1650

14901 Canadian Mist 4/2.5/2 $2000

14434 Cabana #208 2/2 $1300

13953 Fortuna Bay 5 & 7 2/2 ea. $1200 ea.

Mys�c Harbor #308 1/1 $1000

13705 Cayo Gorda 4/3.5/2 $3200

Beach Breeze #503 3/2.5/1 $1550

14205 Jacksh A 3/2/1 $1425

Beach Club #324 1/1 $900

Duplex for Sale. Each unit has 3/2/1, open plan, oversized RV garage 12’x73’x15’. RV has 30 amp & 50 amp power & dump station. Carrie 361-949-5200.

13914 Mingo Cay 1 bedroom, 1 bath waterfront condo with boat slip, covered patio and washer/ dryer hook up in unit, $115,000. Call Cindy Molnar 549-5557.

Portofino #407 4th floor corner unit w/3 bed., 2 baths, 1,406 sq. ft. of living space. Wonderful beachfront complex, great pool. $190,000. Cheryl 563-0444.

New One Story home by RT Bryant offers three bedrooms, two full baths. Large master, hurricane windows, tile floors, granite counters. $244,900. Terry 549-7703.

New Golf Course construction. Enjoy incredible views from this 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage home with 2,315 sq. ft. Tile throughout. Call Cheryl.

El Constante #217 Great views of the Gulf from this 3 bedroom, 3 bath condo with 1,060 sq. ft. of living area. Fully furnished. $194,900. Call Terry 549-7703.

Wonderful 3-2.5-3 new construction. Corner lot. Room for a pool. 2254 sq. ft. Bonus room. Tile floors. Mudroom and butler’s pantry and much more. Cheryl.

Looking for Vaca�on Rental Services you can trust? Call Padre Escapes, Padre Island’s Premier Vaca�on Rental Company at 361‐949‐0430 Visit us online at www.padreescapes.com email at vaca�on@padreescapes.com