Inside the Moon
The
Issue 676
Island Moon
The voice of The Island since 1996
March 30, 2017
Around The Island
Farmers Market A9
New Pier Lights A4
Art Show A2
Eagle Scout A2
Live Music A16
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Lake Padre Area Development Plan Released
By Dale Rankin That roaring sound you hear overhead this weekend won’t be thunder, it will be jet engines from planes in the air show at the Naval Air Station.
The Pathway @ BareFoot Dunes
The pace of life on our little sandbar has calmed this week as the Spring Breakers have departed and most of the Winter Texans have gone OTB until next year. Traffic has been light, and fishing is reported good along Packery Channel.
BareFoot Dunes BareFoot Harbor
Gated Residential
Beach Access Road Work is almost complete on the new and improved Beach Access Road 3A at the end of Windward Drive. One of the changes at the intersection where the new road meets Windward is a four-way stop which drivers are still getting used to. Residents in the area report that most drivers are still rolling through the signs so if you drive through there keep an eye on approaching vehicles because they may not be accustomed to the change.
Marina Slips Fueling
Outfitters Restaurant
Lulu's Restaurant Campus BareFoot Crossing
Multifamily Site
Marina Town Homes
Schlitterbahn
IslandWalk Village
IslandWalk Canal
Developer Paul Schexnailder this week released plans for development around Lake Padre and for improvements on the west side of SPID around the Schlitterbahn waterpark. Some of the work has already begun. The plans are subject to change but show, in general, what the area will look like when completed.
One of the quirks about the new configuration at the intersection is that the residents at El Constante now have their own stop sign. They must stop in their own parking lot before entering Windward. Can you get a ticket for failing to stop in your own driveway…quien sabe?
Kleberg Cleanup Driving on the beach in Kleberg County has been treacherous of
Patrick Brown Burners Without Borders late due to deep soft sand. Cleanup crews reported that the Spring Break crowds left little behind in the way of trash and volunteers from the Burners Without Borders also held a cleanup last weekend that collected a truckload of items which organizer Patrick Brown said was mostly flotsam and jetsam rather than beach trash. The Burners have another cleanup scheduled in a few weeks.
Bridge funding delayed The Corpus Christi City Council on Tuesday postponed a vote on the final $4 million in funding for the Park Road 22 Water Exchange Bridge. District 4 City Councilman Greg Smith requested a delay in the vote because the bridge funding was contingent on changes in spending from the budget of the Island Tax Reinvestment Zone #2 which included a previously unannounced three percent annual increase in funds from the TRZ account to pay for patrols along Packery Channel which have been in place since 2005. The Island TRZ pays $90,000 per year for the patrol boats that were put in place to patrol Packery Channel but the boats are based downtown, a long way from Packery Channel. City staff said the increase was approved by the TRZ board in 2014
Around cont. on A4
Property Owners Meeting Saturday
By Dale Rankin
Members of the Padre Isles Property Owners Association will gather at Seashore Learning Center Gymnasium Saturday to elect two new members of the seven-member Board of Directors. The meeting follows an election earlier this month in which none of the candidates reached the necessary majority of votes. Four candidates are vying for two board seats, see the ballot and statements from the candidates in this issue. The POA board also announced Tuesday they will also consider the adoption of an amendment to Section 2.01 of the Bylaws to provide for the election of directors by a plurality vote, rather than a majority vote in future elections. The meeting is at 10 a.m. and the gym is located at 15801 SPID (Encantada and Park Road 22/ SPID). Other items on the POA’s monthly meeting Tuesday included:
Canal study Work has begun to take an Islandwide inventory of the 32 miles of bulkheads lining the 16 miles of residential canals. As the first step in
the process John Michael, of Hanson Professional Services, said that crews have photographed four miles of bulkheads so far. “The photographs will be loaded into a GIS system that will produce a living document that will catalogue photographs of bulkheads that can be viewed online by residents,” Michael said. “In the future residents will be able to go back and look at what their bulkheads looked like in years past to see changes.” The work is part of a thirty-two month schedule that will culminate with a bidding process for repairs to bulkheads.
Enforcement activity In the past month POA officials have written a total of 293 citations for violation of aesthetic rules, levied $1600 in fines, opened 221 new cases, and report a 45% compliance rate once tickets are issued.
Island construction There are currently 170 construction projects underway on The Island including 90 houses, 15 of which are on waterfront lots, and 80 of which are on dry lots.
Time to Whoop it Up!
The Island Foundations Annual Gala Fundraiser “Whoop it Up” will be held Saturday, April 1, at the Veranda at Schlitterbahn.
The event kicks off at 7 p.m. with live music, special auctions, and light appetizers. It is the major fundraiser for the charter schools on The Island and all proceeds benefit Seashore Charter Schools on The Island.
Air Show This Weekend!
The skies over The Island will be lively this weekend as the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels headline the Wings Over South Texas Air Show at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. The April 1-2 air show is free to the general public and parking is available close to the midway with easy access onto the base with the South/Main Gate opening at 8:30 a.m. The midway along the NAS Corpus Christi sea wall will open at 9 a.m. There will be static displays along the sea wall, as well as food and drink booths and other vendors selling everything from aviation pins, to T-shirts, ball caps and more. There will also be car clubs on display and a Kid Zone with
It’s a chance to have a good time and support the Island schools at the same time. The schools now have 529 students at three schools from prekindergarten through eighth grade. Their goal is to raise $500,000 to begin construction on new classrooms for students in kindergarten, and 1st and 2nd grades. Tickets are available at the organization’s website at IslandFoundation.com.
Mayor Endorsement Forum April 10
The IUPAC will hold its endorsement night for candidates in the May 6 city Special Election on Monday, April 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn. All registered Island voters are encouraged to attend and vote. The candidates will be given an opportunity to address the crowd and at the end of the night the votes will be tallied. Bring your voter registration card with you to speed up the process. You must be registered by April 6 to vote. Early voting takes place April 24-May 2, and Election Day is May 6. The IUPAC was formed to unite the approximately 7200 Island voters behind candidates in city races.
Air Show cont. A4
A little Island history
Seashore Charter Schools: The Early Years
Editor’s note: This weekend is the Whoop it Up fundraiser for Seashore Charter Schools. In recognition of the schools and the good work they do we run this history of the schools. By Colleen McIntyre and Barbara Beeler
It takes a community to educate its children, and Seashore Charter Schools are an embodiment of this concept. Twenty-one years ago the first community organizational meeting was held in Katie Howell's living room. After trying unsuccessfully to pass a bond election to bring an elementary school campus to the island, they took matters into their own hands. Someone read the poem IF....and discussed what the community could create” IF” – “IF” we had small class sizes, ”IF” we had individualized instruction, “ IF” we worked across
the curriculum, “IF” we had multiage classes,” IF” we focused on character and social skills, “ IF” we had the parents involved…..
The dream began with a small group of Island residents: Peggy Shirley, Belinda Stump, Debbie Lichtenberger, and Luis Villarreal. Luis' children never even attended a Seashore school. Jimmy Driver was first CEO/Principal of Seashore Learning Center which opened its doors in 1995 as a private school with 15 students, grade pre-k through third grade, and one teacher, Lori Hernandez, in an old convenience store building. The first year was spent writing a charter to be awarded one of the twenty 1st generation charters authorized by the Texas Legislature. The charter was written to develop a mixed age program for our students with strong cross curricular activities.
The opening of the first Seashore school. Students wore uniforms. Some island residents may still remember seeing kids in the bright dolphin print shirts, royal blue jumpers, and khaki shorts around the island. When charter was approved, the Island Foundation
purchased the old Dairy Queen and opened as a public school K-4 in 1996 and moved the preschool to Island Presbyterian. Construction
History cont. on A4
A2
March 30, 2017
Island Moon
First Friday at Port Aransas Art Center
The First Friday event for April will be held at the Port Aransas Art Center on April 7 with featured work by Gals of the Gulf. The featured artists are Sarah Searight, Suzanne Balluck, Nancy Thyre, and Debra Wilbanks Williams. The event is sponsored by A Mano and begins at 5:30 at the Art Center, 33 N. Alister 361-749-7334. The public is invited. Live music and refreshments will be served.
Islander Receives Eagle Scout Presentation Marks Years of Work
Scoutmaster Ken Harrelson proudly opened the Eagle Scout Court of Honor last Saturday morning at the Presbyterian Church on the Island. A small crowd sat in silence yet with great respect that comes with a young man attaining an Eagle Scout award conferred during the ceremony. Fellow scouts from Troop 949 were flanked by leaders, parents, teachers, friends, and family to watch Mason Dorsey accept the highest and most prestigious award given by the Boy Scouts. After the Color Guard, Invocation, Lighting of the Candles, Dr. Jim Needham, himself the father of an Eagle Scout, gave a heartfelt presentation about what an Eagle Scout award signifies in today’s world, and he delivered personal stories about Mason. But before Needham spoke, the crowd was treated to a delightful slide show about Mason’s history with Scouts and his participation in scouting events over the course of many years. Needham summed scouting when he claimed, “Scouting builds men – of character and determination. Be Proud.”
Pastel by Nancy Thyre
Sarah Searight Surfer Girl
Mason’s mother Theresa Dorsey smiled as she watched the ceremony from her front row seat next to her husband Garrett and her daughter Madison. She commented, “I am so PROUD to say my son Mason is an Eagle Scout! Mason truly enjoys scouting, he especially likes to go hiking. Scouting has taught him leadership skills, the importance of helping others, and the service to his community. I am excited to watch him soar to the next level.” Mason’s father Garrett Dorsey also watched from the front seat and along with Theresa were a part of the ceremony pinning Mason and receiving pins from him. Garrett was equally happy about Mason’s achievement and stated, “I am very proud of Mason’s accomplishment of achieving the rank of an Eagle Scout. Boy Scouts is an organization which develops young boys into young leaders of tomorrow. I have no doubt that my son will succeed in his aspirations due to the values instilled in him through scouting.” Near the end of the ceremony Mason stepped forward and thanked all of the people who have supported him and his scouting endeavors. He is acutely aware that he did not attain that by himself but with a loving family, friends, and a scouting organization full of giving leaders and scouts.
Painting by Debra Williams
Painting by Suzanne Balluck
rank of Eagle Scout is likely the most upheld accomplishment a person can complete. It is the first thing employers and the government look at. You become first in line and first looked at. Scouting makes a boy a man and extremely well rounded. Mason has accomplished a high mark. The rewards will be life long.”
As Mason stood still in the front of the room adorned in his Merit Badge Sash with 47 Merit Badges (21 are required for Eagle Scout), Needham reviewed a few of Mason’s accomplishments including service to others, search and rescue, hike, learning countless skills, service projects, working as a counselor to young scouts, a 50 mile trek, leadership in scouts and his community, and a service project that Mason developed, planned, organized, financed, and built – a large pergola at Seashore Middle Academy. Standing straight with a slightest hint of a smile, Mason later accepted his awards with the grace and humility that people might expect a scout to show, while his parents and sister Madison looked on with tremendous pride. He received his Eagle Badge, Eagle Certificate, Bronze Palm, Eagle Neckerchief, and Eagle Citation. Additionally, he pinned Eagle Scout parent pins on his mother and father. Bryan Haney, a scout, parent of a scout, and Scoutmaster was quick to point out the value of achieving Eagle Scout, “Earning the
Pastel by Nancy Thyre
In the end it was Mason’s dedication, desire, and determination that brought him to the podium and to the table that brimmed with Eagle Scout awards. In the end it was Mason’s drive to learn, to teach, to serve, and to lead – all traits that will serve him well throughout his lifetime.
After graduating from Flour Bluff High School, Mason will take his talents, drive, and ambition to the University of Texas in Arlington where he will pursue a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Certainly, during his lifetime Mason will call upon those skills that he learned when he was challenged as a scout and those characteristics that he honed as a scout. No doubt he will be very successful. Hats off to Mason, his family, and to the Boy Scouts of America. The Island should be proud!
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March 30, 2017
A3
Island Moon
Word From the POA Candidates
Moon Monkeys Mike Ellis, Founder
Editor’s note: In the last issue we printed a list of questions from a group of members of the Padre Isles Property Owners Association to the candidates running for board seats in Saturday’s election. Here are the responses we received in their entirety.
Carter Tate
Stan Hulse
Marvin Jones
Distribution Pete Alsop Island Delivery Coldwell Banker Advertising Jan Park Rankin Classifieds Arlene Ritley Production Manager Abigail Bair Contributing Writers
Greetings Padre Isles Property Owners,
Joey Farah
My name is Carter L. Tate and I’m a fellow Padre Isles property owner and am running for a seat on the PIPOA Board of Directors. I would like to Thank The Island Moon and it’s Monkeys for the opportunity to answer these questions.
Andy Purvis Mary Craft Christiansen Jay Gardner Todd Hunter Dotson Lewis
My “top” priorities, if elected, would be to: return decorum, respect, structure, camaraderie, and common sense to the entire PIPOA System; re-evaluate mission priorities, POA responsibilities/obligations to its owners; upgrade financial systems and investment policy.
Ronnie Narmour Brent Rourk Photographers Miles Merwin Jeff Dolan Mary Craft Ronnie Narmour Office Security/Spillage Control (Emeritus) Riley P. Dog
I would like to see improved communication with upgraded procedures that include televising monthly board meetings and an all around upgrade of everyone’s attitudes and trust. I would like to see improved relationships with downtown (OTB) especially in police presence on the Island and am not opposed to discussing the implementation of our own security systems as back up to police protection. I believe, as stated, we need to upgrade our financial matters in many ways, including bookkeeping. I am in favor of PIPOA term limits, but they need to be properly and thoughtfully implemented.
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
Where to Find The Island Moon Port Aransas Lisabella’s Restaurant Pioneer RV Park
North Padre Angry Marlin
Coffee Waves
CVS
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
Woody’s Sports Center
Jesse’s Liquor
Subway Island Tire And all Moon retail advertisers WB Liquor
Shorty’s Place
Flour Bluff
Giggity’s
H.E.B.
Stripes @ Ferry Landing Gratitude Gift Shop Keepers Pier House Port A Glass Studio The Gaff
If you have any issues you wish to discuss with me, I am now and shall remain totally approachable and available, my phone number is (361) 510-1225, cartertate@sbcglobal.net, or Carter Tate on Facebook . Respectfully, Carter L. Tate
Letters to the Editor
Liquid Town
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! On behalf of my family, friends and neighbors I want to be the first to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Mayor of Corpus Christi, the City Council, the Padre Island Political Action Committee and every other decision maker, designer, engineer, and worker responsible for the approval, design, installation and activation of the traffic signal at the intersection of Park Rd 22 (SPID) and Aquarius St. After almost 23 years, I and my family can now SAFELY negotiate this high speed limited sight distance intersection without, all too frequently, being required to wait patiently or not so patiently incredibly long periods of time for a reasonable break in traffic only to see oncoming cars speed up for a game of chicken as you enter the intersection or try to make your turn. Another wonderful side benefit that I made use of during this Spring Break period was to walk from my house and cross Park Rd 22 at Aquarius St with my grandchildren in a wellmarked, traffic signal protected, crosswalk to go to the Packery Channel Park area. Any attempt to cross PK Rd 22 anywhere in this area before the installation of this traffic signal was impossible or suicidal. Most of us do not understand why this project was so expensive. However, I and so many others thank you all so much for this traffic signal at this very well-designed, well-marked and re-constructed intersection. B. P. O’Brien, Jr.
Whataburger on Waldron
Island Traffic
Ethyl Everly Senior Center
After what seems years of congestion and unsafe Island driving condition predictions, first Schlitterbahn and then the traffic signal at Aquarius, the only really significant change is that folks in the north end of our community finally have a safe way out. And now we have a new overhead warning near the Humble
Fire Station Police Station Stripes on Flour Bluff & SPID
Here are my qualifications both while serving on the POA as well as in the community. Helped establish the Padre Isles Municipal Management District (and appointed its first President by Corpus Christi City Council). This district, which includes only the boundaries of the POA, has the sole purpose of positioning us for possible FEMA and state aid in case of a catastrophic event. Since the POA is selfinsured, the MMD gives us a funding option not available to us before.
Thanks to the Island Moon and especially to Marta Sprout for giving the candidates the opportunity to address these well posed questions- Marvin Jones Response to six priorities 1. Protecting the member’s money from misuse is critical. POA money shall only be spent for POA purposes such as Bulkheads, common areas, and landscape maintenance, etc. Spending the POA money wisely is also critical. Competitive bidding and shopping for the best value for our money must be a top priority. 2. Eliminate Board member’s self-dealing. No Board Member or their business should do business with the POA. No employee of the POA should be allowed to participate in nepotism. 3. Transparency by the Board is all important. No secret votes, no secret meeting after members are forced to leave the monthly Board Meetings. The Board must make full disclosure of issues under consideration prior to any decision being taken. Community input is essential.
I was appointed to the coastal windstorm task force by State Representative Todd Hunter and worked with others in our community and all along the Texas Gulf Coast to fight in the Texas legislature to stop increases in your and my windstorm rates. A fight that continues every year.
4. Term limits, two 3 year terms are plenty for any Board Member. The 7-member Board election must be staggered to preserve continuity. The Island has many, many competent and qualified members that have beneficial experience and skills to be Board Members.
I was appointed by City Council to the Island Strategic Action Committee as the POA representative to advise City Council on all matters that pertain to Padre Island. I helped get the Billish Park issue on the agenda for discussion and action. (Thanks to Carter Tate for working with the Billish Park subcommittee and his work to move the project forward. His participation has been invaluable).
5. Place the check register each month on a POA Member only website for all to see.
I am the Executive Director of the Padre Island Business Association and work with its board of directors and volunteers to bring new businesses to Padre Island to serve both visitors and our community.
***Remember, the Board and POA Staff work for the members***
The POA is currently going through some evident growing pains. And much improvement is needed. We need a strong board with differing skill sets to accomplish this. If elected, I will continue to bring to the table my connections with organizations and governmental entities and leverage them for the betterment of all of us. Thank you. Stan Hulse
6. The voice of the Property Owners must be heard by the Board. The Board must hold open forum, town hall style meetings to facilitate the free flow of information and concerns of the members. The Town Hall meeting must be moderated by a non-Board member.
Two Things for Positive Change 1. Hire a full time qualified accountant to maintain the up graded computer system. The POA has gross receipts of 1.7 to 2 Million dollars per year. Expenses are approximately 1.4 Million. The POA has 5 or 6 checking accounts (how confusing). Help! 2. Create a POA Helping Hand group to assist members in need because of age, health, or military reasons. This group shall be all volunteer and no POA money will be spent. Thank you to all Concerned Citizens on our Island- Marvin Jones
Send letters and photos to editor@islandmoon.com Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper
Port A Arts
A Mano
Back Porch
Any and all steps must be taken to avoid any question of conflict of interest and consequences are an absolute must!
WB Liquors
All Stripes Stores
Duckworth Antiques
All hired services should be open bid. No board members or staff relatives, business partners etc. should benefit financially. Duh.
Sandpiper Condos
Stripes @ Beach Access Rd. 1A
Chamber of Commerce
I trust that our Ballots and voting procedures are on the up and up, but maybe some ideas ought be discussed on improvement of perception.
My name is Stan Hulse and I am running for the POA Board. There has been a lot of negativity of late directed to the POA board and staff. Some of it warranted, much of it misinformation, lack of information and some cases of purposeful misdirection. Also, a lot has also been said and written about me with varying degrees of accuracy. I have been fortunate to have received numerous requests to stay in the race and a lot of support and encouragement by my POA fellow property owners. I cannot change the mind of those who do not know me or what I stand for. But if you have not made up your mind, I ask for your vote.
Channel exit alerting drivers to be prepared to stop for the new traffic signal at Aquarius. Somewhat comical as the drivers to be alerted are visitors who have no idea where Aquarius is. The rest of us who live and work here are aware of the signal and its location. The scare of course is that we will have accidents just over the apex of the bridge due to limited visibility and traffic backed up by the light. If drivers obey the speed limit and stay alert like we all should, there is plenty of room to stop no matter where the slowdown/ stop occurs. The bridge was built and signed that way. Over the years I have seen traffic backed up all the way to Oso Bay. A lot of that unusual congestion could be reduced when required by controlling or temporarily closing the access back to the Hiway at the foot of the Intracoastal Bridge. Many people take unfair advantage of that route under those backup conditions, which begins at the Humble Channel exit (near the bait stands) and then continues alongside the Hiway, to pass up and then crowd in front of the already slowly moving traffic creating a stop-and-go condition. We’ll always have traffic here because this is a great place to be. But we could all help conditions by simply driving courteously and within the law. And the law can help by stopping aggressive drivers and being there to control lights and intersections when unexpected backups occur. Craig Wooldridge
POA Business I read with interest your recent "Stuff I Heard On the Island" piece on the issues with the POA. You suggested that due to the growth of the area it may be time to re-structure. I agree. As Padre Isles has grown and continues to grow unabated, the current POA becomes more and more unable to successfully handle an ever bigger and more complex community. Padre Isles is already divided into distinct communities (I live in Tesoro Point). Perhaps one re-organization solution is to create an HOA for every five, more or less, sections of the overall community. Each section would
have its own BOD to manage the day-to-day needs of its section, with one member of each BOD serving on an "oversight committee" to assure fairness and some modicum of across the board consistency and to deal with issues that affect the entire community. In other words a government form of "Federalism" first created by our Founding Fathers on a much smaller scale. There are most likely other ways of addressing this issue. One way or another, something has to change. Speaking of the POA, here are my two personal experiences. First, there is an abandoned house just a few doors down from mine on Caravel Dr. It has been empty for roughly 12 years, unattended and deteriorating. At this point it probably needs to be bulldozed. It is an eyesore and a safety hazard. I have asked the POA about it three times over the years. The answer is always the same. "We can't do anything about it, the house is in the hands of the city". Well OK, but don't we elect POA board members and pay POA employees to represent our interests with the city? The most recent time I asked about it the response was "We'll ask our attorneys to once again contact the city". Well OK, but if the law firm the POA pays to represent us is that ineffective, maybe we need a change of attorneys. Second, I walk my dog, as do many other people, along Whitecap. For years I have watched cars, pick-ups, and large trucks speed up and down the street at speeds far in excess of the speed limit. Once we had digital speed indicators on both sides of Whitecap, and then they disappeared. When I advised the POA about my experience with the Whitecap speeders, the response was "We have a speeding problem all over the island". Well OK, but what about Whitecap? What happened to the speed indicators? "They were moved to Aquarius" was the response. But why? Aquarius is just two lanes and has speed bumps. Whitecap is four lanes and as straight and long as an airport runway with no speed bumps, no stop signs, nothing to slow speeders down. I drove the length of Aquarius and did not see any sign of the speed indicators. The POA Board and its employees always have the island's best interests in mind and do the
Letters to Ed. cont on A4
A4
New Lighting for Island Public Piers
Around cont. from A1 but never approved by the council. Smith suggested, and the council approved, tabling of the agenda item including the bridge funding until the Island Strategic Action Committee and TRZ board, neither of which was briefed on the increase, can discuss and vote on it. No date was set to bring the item back before the council but the item is likely to be discussed at the next meeting of the Island Strategic Action Committee at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4, at the Veranda at Schlitterbahn. It may be possible to combine the Packery patrol with and canal patrol boat answering the call for a boat to patrol the Island canal system.
outside food and beverages; and drones. Everything brought to the air show will be subject to search and confiscated items will not be returned. Smoking is only permitted in designated areas. All unattended bags
We’ve hit the Chamber of Commerce Weather portion of our schedule everybody, get out there and enjoy it. And say hello if you see us Around The Island.
History cont. from A1 soon began on the Tarpon Building. Seashore Learning Center provided a unique experience for students. Students set their lunches with placemats, real dishes, fork, knife, spoon, and cloth napkin. They also washed the dishes. Classical music was played for quiet minutes during lunch. Class pictures were taken when the kids walked across the street to the beach. Classrooms were built significantly larger than a typical school, by design, to allow for movement, different learning centers, and different learning areas. Class sizes continue to be kept small to enhance learning Over the years, Island Foundation has added buildings to accommodate a growing population. Early capital campaigns brought in about $60k a year to help fund the effort. The Porpoise Bldg. was built with a loan cosigned by four of the board members. The name Porpoise was selected because it was a “multi-porpoise” building – pardon the pun! It originally housed the preschool, then kinder, and now the office. Another notable addition was the Comark Buildings secured with a Federal Grant, greatly improving the financial status of the school by
and packages found on the midway will be removed from the premises. Neither strollers nor wheelchairs will be available for rent. Sun protection, including hats, long-sleeved shirts, long pants and sunscreen are recommended. We want to ensure you not only have an enjoyable visit to the air station, but also a safe one. Remember, when entering the base, your vehicle may be searched, and you need to have a valid driver's license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance with you, and when entering other security checkpoints, all individuals are subject to search. For more information about the air show, visit www.wingsoversouthtexas.org.
Letters to Ed. cont from A3
Seashore Schools run on parental participation, a commodity money cannot buy. Our parents have built playgrounds, laid sod, put up hurricane shutters, sold wrapping paper, and thousands of poinsettias. They continue to supervise lunches, substitute in the classrooms, drive on field trips, and work on our fundraisers: Whoop It Up (May 14th) and the golf tournament. Dedicated staff, both past and present, has contributed to the success of Seashore Schools. Coach Fernandez has taught hundreds of kids to do the two- step for our Lone Star Stampede. Ken Yarbrough gave the acting bug to many of our elementary students through Schoolhouse Rock. Ashley Knotts directed PACT performances to provide creative opportunities for Middle School kids. Tara Haney has coached, been a co-director, and now coaches at our middle school. Lori Hernandez has come, and gone, and come and gone, still keeps tight friendships with teachers and parents at her first school home.
full-time island resident since 2004
Inventive! On the March 23rd, 2017 weekly print, you wrote about the Flowbee inventor; you added a note about the islands former inventor of the pimento in the olive, who was this person? Did they reside on the island? Do you know if any of their operations with the invention were distributed, manufactured, or sold in Corpus Christi. Some of my coworkers and I have tried to research this and have had no luck. Thank you for your assistance. Regards, Pedro Island moon reader Editor’s note: Good question Pedro. The background information is anecdotal so we will have to do some research around Island watering holes. We still checking, but we can say that the invention was in fact distributed in Corpus Christi, often mixed with gin and vermout
Come celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Island Foundations Schools: Seashore Learning Center, Seashore Middle Academy, and Seashore Early Childhood Academy. Join us for Whoop it Up on Saturday, May14th at Schlitterbahn.
Air Show cont. from A1
Creating Dreams for Island Homeowners since 1987
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Call 774-7043 for estimate www.billgoinhomes.com
chests or coolers larger than 2 gallons; pets, other than service animals; illegal drugs and/ or paraphernalia; flammable liquids; glass containers; bicycles, roller skates, roller blades, heelys, scooters, skateboards or Segwaystyle transporters; backpacks and bags larger than 12 inches by 24 inches; fireworks; laser pointers; tents, portable or temporary awnings;
Horace Caldwell Pier work will begin Monday, April 3, 2017 through Thursday April 6th. During this time the pier will be closed to public use and fishing for safety reasons. Horace Caldwell Pier will reopen for the weekend on Friday, April 7th with potential closure the next week April 10th through the
Rick Gangemi
Our first students are now married with children, in the Navy, college graduates, teachers, engineers, in medical residency.... Those first fifteen students, their parents, the first teacher and director, and our original four board members laid an amazing foundation for what we have today.
activities for the youngsters for a minimal cost. The air show will start at 11 a.m. with the National Anthem being sung by a member of the local community as the U.S. Army Golden Knights soar onto the midway with the American Flag. Other acts will include Rob Holland in his MXS-RH, U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demo, the Trojan Phlyers, Paul Fiala, U.S. Navy P-8, Jerry Conley, Beth Ann Jenkins, U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey, Skip Stewart, Randy Ball, Prowlers of the Pacific, and more all wrapped up nicely by veteran air show announcer Rob Reider. And, of course, the grand finale of the air show will be the Navy Blue Angels. Guests may bring folding and lawn chairs to the air show. The following items are also permitted: children's wagons; standard backpacks; fanny packs and purses; bags 8.5x11 inches or smaller; camera bags smaller than 12 inches by 24 inches; bottled water; umbrellas; baby food, diabetic supplies or medicine; and baby diaper bags and strollers. Guests are not permitted to bring weapons, including firearms, knives, pocket knives and multi-tools. Also not permitted are: replica or toy weapons, pepper spray or stun guns; ice
Nueces County Coastal Parks is about to start its pier relighting project for both Horace Caldwell and Bob Hall Piers. Each one of the piers will be completely rewired and equipped with all new state of the art wiring, light poles and LED lighting. Over the years the salt environment has taken its toll on our overhead lighting along the pier and these new marine grade LED lights and light poles will ensure years of low maintenance lighting of the piers for all who use them. The total cost to do both piers is $200K which was made possible through funds made available by County Judge Loyd Neil and Precinct 4 County Commissioner Brent Chesney. Both piers are iconic symbols of the Texas Coast and the Coastal Bend Region and reinvesting in them will ensure many years of family fun and fishing to both visitors and locals alike.
best they can under the circumstances. Changes are needed to make it more effective and more satisfying for its "paying customers".
adding students without adding debt. Over the years, facility use was maximized as grade levels were added. The dolphin building was utilized for drama, art, preschool, kinder, and a one room pre-k to third grade classroom. As a first step to adding Seashore Middle Academy, the Marlin building provided instructional space for seventh grade classes in the upstairs of the Dairy Queen building. Seashore Middle Academy was added to the Island Foundation family in 2007.
March 30, 2017
Island Moon
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13th if contractor needs extra time. After completion of the work at Horace Caldwell the contractor will move to Bob Hall Pier and we anticipate closure of Bob Hall starting April 17th through 20th and again April 24th through 27th if extra time is needed. We will keep the public informed on progress, but the main goal is to have both piers completely refurbished and ready to go for the summer season. We understand this may be inconvenient for many folks who use or visit our piers and we ask for your patience and understanding. For any information related to Horace Caldwell Pier please call the Nueces County Coastal Parks office in Port Aransas at 361-749-6117 and for info on Bob Hall Pier please call the Nueces County Coastal Parks office at Padre Balli Park at 361-949-8121.
Did Ya Hear?
By Mary Craft mkay512@aol.com
New Advertisers Dzignscapes provides great landscape design services by Robin that are innovative and include water features, pergolas, outdoor rooms and more. Call 867-8017. Ranch Land For Sale – 136.52 acres of hunting and cattle grazing land between Realitos and Hebbronville. All low fences allowing lots of game to move around. Asking $2K/acre. Call Hector at 361-251-4603.
Business Briefs Dr. Tom Dorrell’s Medical Center is merging with Complete Care emergency room and is expanding the building to accommodate the union. Completion of the expansion should be in about five months at which time the Island will have a 24/7 facility fully equipped including a cat scan. Dr. Dorrell will still be seeing patients on a full time schedule. Turtle’s Nest Gift Shop next to Jesse’s Liquor will be closing at the end of April. Most items are 40% off. Everything must go including the store fixtures. The Farmers Market will be at the Island Presbyterian Church Thursday, March 30th 4 – 8:00 pm. It is the one year anniversary market and will feature food trucks and entertainment. NASCC will be hosting the Wings over South Texas Air Show this weekend starting at 11 am featuring the Blue Angels. Radio Shack has so far closed about 36% of its stores nationwide including the four in Corpus Christi which closed this week. The next Island Strategic Action Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 4th 5:30 pm at the Veranda Restaurant/Schlitterbahn. One of the items to be discussed is the possible funding for an Island patrol boat. Pickleball can be played at the Community Park Inline Skate Rink at 700 Clark Parkway in Port A at any time at no charge. The rink is marked off for the correct size, allowing three teams to play at a time. The Boathouse Bar & Grill has a smoked pulled pork sandwich for $12 with one side and pulled pork sliders with fries for $10. Bob Hall Pier and Horace Caldwell Pier will be getting state of the art wiring, light poles and LED lighting. Bob Hall Pier will be closed for the installation April 17 – 20 and Horace Caldwell April 3 – 6. La Barataria Restaurant in Port A will be moving to 224 E. Cotter Street next to the Tarpon Inn on, hopefully, Monday, April 10th. They are no longer at the Island Moorings Yacht Club. Nueces County Tax Appraisals are being mailed out April 3rd and 4th The Island Foundations Annual Gala Fundraiser “Whoop it Up” will be held Saturday, April 1st at the Veranda at Schlitterbahn. The event kicks off at 7 p.m. with live music, special auctions, and light appetizers. It is the major fundraiser for the charter schools on The Island and all proceeds benefit Seashore Charter Schools. The City of Corpus Christi will auction 96 cars, trucks, and motorcycles at the Police Vehicle Impound Lot, located at 5485 Greenwood Drive on Saturday, April 1st. The vehicles can be viewed at www.siskauction.com. The auction will start at 10:00 am. One of President Lyndon Johnson’s speechwriters lived at Portofino Condominiums on the Island. Anyone have any more info?
One Bite and You’re Hooked! Wednesdays Prime Rib
(with twice baked potato)
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)
March 30, 2017
A5
Island Moon
Stuff I Heard on the Island By Dale Rankin It was at the Stripes store on Whitecap last weekend that it. I was trying to slip onto the baby Stripes on the west side of the intersection where even on Spring Break you can make the U-turn from Whitecap and avoid SPID/Park Road 22 traffic – more on that later.
Drive or Park Road 22. The answer is yes. I wrote the first story on this subject way back in 2000 when I first moved to The Island and I asked Moon founder Mike Ellis why the street had two names.
As I made for the door I was approached by a millennial who asked, “Where is the South Padre Holiday Inn.”
Even the street signs are confused. Notice as you drive around The Island that some say Park Road 22 and some say SPID. Mail comes to SPID addresses, but a check of Google Earth and other online maps uses both names.
Here we go, “About four hours south of here,” I said. “What do you mean, isn’t this South Padre?” “No this is North Padre…or something…but not South Padre. You made a wrong turn at Three Rivers.” “But the sign says “South Padre Island Drive.” “Yea, I know, but it’s the Drive part that’s South, not the Island part.” He looked closer to see if I was doing the Spring Break waddle; no, it’s noon. “What do you mean?” “You are on South Padre Island Drive on North Padre Island.” “Can I take South Padre Island Drive to South Padre Island?”
Tides of the Week
“No, only to North Padre Island.”
“North on South Padre Island Drive?
Tides for Bob Hall Pier March 30 - April 6
Day
Th
30
High 6:10 AM
1.7
7:21 AM
Rise 9:25 AM
30
Low 1 2:53 PM
1.0
7:45 PM
Set 10:46 PM
30
High
4:25 PM
1.1
30
Low
11:23 PM
0.0
31
High
7:26 AM
1.8
7:46 PM
F
High /Low
Tide Time
31
Sa Su M
Height in Feet
Sunrise Moon Time Sunset
7:20 AM
Low
12:14 AM
-0.1
7:19 AM
1
High
8:51 AM
1.8
7:46 PM
2
Low
1:13 AM
-0.1
2
High
10:25 AM
1.8
Rise 10:13 AM
Set 12:53 AM
28
7:47 PM
Rise 12:00 PM
-0.1
7:17 AM
Set 1:53 AM
1.8
7:48 PM
Rise 12:58 PM
2:22 AM
3
High
11:56 AM
4
Low
3:41 AM
0.0
7:15 AM
Set 2:48 AM
4
High
1:04 PM
1.8
7:48 PM
Rise 1:57 PM
5
Low
5:03 AM
0.1
7:14 AM
Set 3:39 AM
5
High
1:50 PM
1.7
7:49 PM
Rise 2:56 PM
6
Low
6:20 AM
0.2
7:13 AM
Set 4:25 AM
6
High
2:20 PM
1.6
7:49 PM
Rise 3:54 PM
6
Low
8:17 PM
1.1
6
High
11:48 PM
Tu W
Th
“That doesn’t make any sense at all.” “No, it doesn’t.” “Yes.” “How far?” I went on into the store I when I came out he was asking someone else the same questions and getting the same answer. It happens every year.
A street by any other name
7:18 AM
Low
10
18
“You drive north on South Padre Island Drive.”
“Half an hour north then three hours south.”
Rise 11:05 AM
3
4
Set 11:51 PM
1
Moon Visible
“How do I get to South Padre Island?”
Which leads to another longstanding Island question; is our main street South Padre Island
“Because adding a second name doesn’t cost any money,” he said. “If it cost money we would cut back to one.”
So I called around at city hall and what it came down to is that the Island Road was Park Road 22 until we were annexed into Corpus Christi and then it should have changed to SPID since it was an extension of that road from OTB. But, as far as anyone can tell, the street was never officially named by the city and the road is still a state-maintained road inside the city limits. SPID on the other side of the JFK Causeway, and technically on The Island as well, is State Highway 358 but no one calls it that. But since the city has never made it officially SPID the state still considers it Park Road 22 while the city considers it SPID. If official rules were followed it would remain SPID until it exits the Corpus Christi City Limits in Kleberg County at which point it turns into Park Road 22. But in the popular lexicon we have a street so nice we named it twice – or really three times for those keeping score at home. So now the city is now planning to build the Park Road 22 Water Exchange Bridge on a street where that its own signs call SPID. To avoid confusion, or to create more, we have been calling it the Park Road 22/SPID Water Exchange Bridge which is not technically correct because the city, which gets to name it, is using only Park Road 22. As problems go this is not a big one, unless any Islander following the long held show business custom, who wants their stage name to be a combination of the name of their first pet and the first street they lived on. Fido SPID has a lot more potential than Park Road 22 Fido. So with that, this is Seventh Avenue Buttons signing off.
39
50
61
71
1.3
Remind anyone else of the Wizard of Oz? Even the signs are confused.
Police Blotter City Hosts Vehicle Auction this Saturday
15200 block Gulf Beach Noon March 26 Public intoxication
The City of Corpus Christi will auction 96 cars, trucks, and motorcycles at the Police Vehicle Impound Lot, located at 5485 Greenwood Drive, on Saturday, April 1, 2017. The auction will start at 10:00 a.m.
15200 block Windward Midnight March 26 Abandoned child/criminal negligence
The general public is encouraged to register and view the vehicles for auction from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Friday, March 31, 2017. The general public can continue to view the vehicles from 8:00 am to 10:00 am on the day of the auction.
The BACK PORCH Myndfields Scarecrow People Ruben V. Jul & Chrome Wheels Laid Back Texas Out of Bounds
Mar. 31 Apr. 01 Apr. 07 Apr. 08 Apr. 14 Apr. 15
The BACK PORCH Bar ON THE WATERFRONT
132 W. Cotter St. The
PortA
The vehicles for auction may be viewed online and an auction list may be downloaded from www.siskauction.com.
14700 block Whitecap 8 p.m. March 25 Theft $2500-$30,000 14700 block Whitecap Midnight March 26 Theft of vehicle 15400 block Cuttysark 4 a.m. March 24 Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle 15600 block Finistere 3 p.m. March 26 Burglary of a vehicle 15300 block Tortuga 10 a.m. March 24 Fraudulent use of identifying information
Island Police Calls
15300 block Caravel 6 p.m. March 24 Criminal mischief under $100
13300 block SPID 2 a.m. March 26 DWI/ Driving while license suspended
15400 block Fortuna Bay 1 a.m. March 21 Terroristic threat
14000 block SPID 1 a.m. March 25 DWI
14200 block Pescadores 2 a.m. March 22 Criminal mischief $750-$2500
14000 block SPID Noon March 25 Assault with injury 14600 block SPID 10 a.m. March 24 Burglary of a building 14300 block Commodores 11 a.m. March 26 Theft $100-$750 11500 block Gulf Beach (North Packery) 10 a.m. March 27 Fire 14700 block Whitecap Midnight March 26 Theft of vehicle 15200 block Windward 10 p.m. March 24 Hit and Run 15200 block Gulf Beach (South Packery) Noon March 26 Consumption of alcohol by a minor/Purchase-furnish alcohol to a minor
15800 block Punta Espada Loop 11 a.m. March 27 Assault with injury (two counts) 15800 block Punta Espada Loop 11 a.m. March 27 Assault with injury 158000 block Punta Espada Loop 8 p.m. March 27 Assault 14100 block Coquina Bay 5 p.m. March 24 Illegal dumping under five gallons 15800 block SPID 9 p.m. March 23 Public intoxication 7900 block 7 p.m. March 22 Assault 7900 block 8 p.m. March 23 Hit and Run
A6
March 30, 2017
Island Moon
Senior Moments
Pearl Harbor-Where Does the Blame Lie? By Dotson Lewis Special to the Island Moon Dotson’s Note: To me an interesting aspect Navy-Army liaison. Kimmel did not pass of Pearl Harbor is how it was possible for the on intelligence reports he received from Japanese Imperial Navy to successfully carry Washington and failed to inform Short that he out the surprise attack of Pearl Harbor. For had not instituted reconnaissance flights. He a very interesting inside point of view and a did not even inform the Army when an enemy great read is the book: “A Matter of Honor- submarine was spotted at the entrance to Pearl Pearl Harbor: Betrayal, Blame, And A Family’s Harbor on the morning of 7 December, even Quest For Justice” by Anthony Summers & though intelligence analysts had long said that this would herald an aerial assault. Robbyn Swan. In turn, Short, who believed that the Navy had deployed reconnaissance aircraft, failed to inform Kimmel that he was limiting the use of radar to three hours a day, due to a shortage of spare parts. It is clear that he thought that the Navy was in Pearl Harbor to defend the Army installations, rather than the other way around. With the General Short & Admiral Kimmel fleet in port, he believed that the After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, major threat to his aircraft was sabotage, so he Admiral Husband E. Kimmel Commander in bunched the planes together on the airbase. That Chief of the Pacific Fleet -and General Walter way they were easy to guard against saboteurs, C. Short- the Army commander on Oahu were but it made them sitting targets to air attack. relieved of duty and demoted. On instructions from Washington, Short had During the raid itself, Kimmel had replaced the shoulder boards of a full admiral he wore as CinCPac with those of a rear admiral, his permanent rank. Both Kimmel and Short retired in 1942. A commission of inquiry hurriedly set up under Associate Supreme Court Justice Owen Roberts and seven subsequent inquiries blamed Kimmel and Short for the catastrophe at Pearl Harbor. However, the Navy Court of Inquiry and the Army Pearl Harbor Board partially exonerated them, though their ranks were not restored to them. Neither man was granted the court martial they requested to clear their names. In 1941, they had agreed to sign a waiver to speed the investigation and the government held them to it. Short died in 1949, it is said, due to the stress cause by the humiliation of Pearl Harbor. During the attack on Pearl, a spent bullet broke the window of Kimmel's office. “It would have been more merciful if it had killed me,” he said. Kimmel died in 1968, still protesting that the Pearl Harbor debacle - America's worst wartime defeat - was not his fault. But there was plenty to blame Kimmel and Short for. Although, for security reasons, they were not supplied with raw intelligence data, they were give “war warnings” that told them
to prepare for a Japanese attack. A surprise attack by submarines, planes, possibly both, was a “definite possibility,” they were told on 18 February. However, like most other people, neither Kimmel nor Short expected the Japanese to attack at Pearl Harbor. They assumed that the enemy's first target would be far to the west. The crucial information that the Japanese consulate was sending Tokyo - details of the Pacific Fleet's moorings in Pearl Harbor in preparation for an attack - was denied to them. Nevertheless, Kimmel failed to organize longrange reconnaissance flights. He had flying boats that could have patrolled out to 800 miles from Hawaii - the Japanese attack was launched from only 250 miles. (Although, to have covered the area effectively, Kimmel would have needed 250 flying boats, not the 49 he had.) Meanwhile, Short, who thought Kimmel had long-range reconnaissance in place, only deployed his radar equipment for three hours a day. It was operated by inadequately trained men who had no proper way of communicating with headquarters. Neither Kimmel nor Short had any experience with aviation and Kimmel had been leap-frogged over 46 senior officers to take command in the Pacific. When the war warnings came, Kimmel saw his duty to follow the long-established US Navy battle plan, which was to divert the Japanese from attacking Singapore, until the Royal Navy had time to reinforce it. However, he had more ambitious plans of his own. He aimed to lure the enemy out into the middle of the Pacific Ocean and engage them in an oldfashioned engagement between battleships. This kind of battle never took place during the Pacific war; all naval engagements took place between carrier-borne aircraft. So Kimmel's preparation for war was to ready his fleet for aggressive action. The defense of Pearl Harbor, he thought, was in the hands of the Army and he complained bitterly to Washington at Short's lack of equipment. Short, however, believed that the Japanese would not attack the military installations on Oahu while the Navy was there. An infantry officer, he admitted that he had no idea of how to protect the base against air attack. He made preparations to defend to the island against an amphibious assault. When the attack came, he retreated to his bunker and prepared to defend the beaches. Although Kimmel and Short played golf together, they had set up no effective
not instituted an all-out alert for fear of alarming the civilian population. When he informed Washington that he was calling a low-level alert against sabotage only, they made no response, so he assumed they concurred. The Navy was also informed of his state of preparedness, which was Level 1, the lowest state, in Army parlance. The Navy assumed that Level 1 was the highest. When the attack on Pearl Harbor finally came, neither Kimmel nor Short had serious defense plans to put into action. Kimmel said that, if he had received the raw intelligence that had been denied to him, he would have ordered the aircraft carrier Saratoga back from the West Coast and would have sent the Pacific Fleet to sea to intercept the enemy. His successor, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, pointed out that this would have been a disaster: “It was God's mercy that Admiral Kimmel didn't have warning that the Japanese were about to attack Pearl Harbor,” he said. “If we had been warned, our fleet would have gone out to sea. All our ships would have been destroyed one by one in deep water. We would have lost the entire Pacific Fleet and eighteen to nineteen thousand men, instead of the ships and 3,300 men we did lose.” Kimmel, a 1991 report concluded, fancied himself “the American Nelson” and neglected his defenses while preparing for attack. He had already had a falling out with Short over the defense of Wake Island. Short wanted c o m m a n d if the Army was deployed there. Kimmel refused, and deployed the Marines instead. This falling out explained why vital intelligence was not forwarded from Kimmel to Short. Kimmel and Short must bear some of the responsibility for the losses at Pearl Harbor. Despite the warnings they had been given, they were not ready for war. But they were not the only commanders to be unprepared. General Douglas MacArthur on the Philippines, for example, had seven hours' warning after the attack on Pearl Harbor and his aircraft were also caught on the ground. He eventually conceded the Philippines with over 70,000 killed or taken prisoner, yet he went on to become a war hero. If there was a conspiracy at the highest level to invite a Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to get America into the war in Europe on the British side then, it is argued, Kimmel and Short were merely scapegoats. Since their deaths, their families and friends have tried to clear their names on the grounds that Washington had not provided them with all the intelligence indicating an impending attack. On those grounds the US Congress exonerated the two men in 2001. They have subsequently been returned to the ranks they held before Pearl Harbor. Now, it seems, America must find someone else to blame. Dotson’s Other Note: Well what do you think… was justice served in the punishment of Admiral Kimmel and General Short? On January 12, 1979, Captain Glenn Shoop at the controls of the British Airways Concorde 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 Round Table Meeting will be Tuesday, April 4, 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 April 1, 2017. Please listen and call in. The listener/text line is: 361-560-5397…It’s your show. Hang in there/Have fun!
Anecdotingly
Plumb Stupid
By Abigail Bair My kitchen sink has been broken for three days. I discovered the problem because Terry, my dark brown, ergonomic rug was soaked early one morning. I didn’t even want to know what was wrong with it, so instead of crawling under there and looking to see where the water was fountaining, I just turned the knob off and made coffee. Then, rather than dealing with the problem by calling the appropriate authorities (the G.P. or a plumber), I just left the water off and did my dishes with the hose. Things started to get pretty real this morning. You can only pretend you’re camping for so long before reality descends like an axe. As I stood, hosing out a pan, ankle deep in yard mud, I decided I was going to “McGyver the hell out of it” fixing the problem with the unstoppable combination of duct tape and a spunky, can-do attitude. I actually have ‘fixed’ things using gum wrappers before, but mostly those things were pieces of gum that needed wrappers. I don’t know what makes me so uniquely confident in my ability to repair objects, but it’s certainly not personal experience. I have this idea that I’m crafty, and it’s been in my head since childhood. When I was 8, I stole a bunch of wood and some hand tools out of the G.P.’s workshop and constructed rickety handmade furniture that I then tried to sell on our front lawn. My parents found me a few hours later, totally dejected because no one wanted a table that kept falling over. People notice things like that, no matter how much you claim that it was “designed” that way. And this was not an isolated incident. Another time my friend Emily and I stole what we thought were some boards but were actually parts of an antique mahogany bookcase. We nailed them to a tree to make a club house. We even had a sign: “Wild Hors Club.” I maintain that it was supposed to say “Horses,” but others in my family are unsure. And even that wasn’t enough to stop me…I later: made my own homecoming dress that mostly held together and wasn’t solely responsible for being called “Streak” for the last two years of high school; hand dyed Easter Eggs with onion skins that just turned out looking like brown eggs; almost blew up a city block assembling my own propane grill; rewired a light fixture that I constantly worry about just a little bit every time I walk by it because I’m still not sure which color went with what; and don’t get me started on the duct tape. There is a lot of cheap furniture in my house that is made mostly of wood glue and painted duct tape. To be fair, it was originally particle board, so the duct tape is an upgrade. Still, this morning, there was no doubt in my mind that I could fix a significantly leaking faucet with a pretty okay flashlight, a pair of pliers, some pipe tape and a permanent felt tip marker (I don’t know why I needed a Sharpie. It just felt right). I didn’t neglect my due diligence, though. I messaged a Dude. It’s not that I don’t believe in women’s equality, I just don’t currently know any ladies other than myself that mess with this stuff. If you are that lady, let’s be best friends. We can drink chardonnay, talk about boys and rewire my primary pond pump.
Here’s a transcript of this morning’s Plumbing With Dudes session: (warning: if you can’t handle technical terminology like “thingy,” maybe skip this bit): Me: Hey…my sink is leaking like a bleepity bleep bleeper. I think it’s where the hose thingy connects to the faucet deal. So…here’s what I’m thinking: first I find out for sure where all this water is coming from (I’m only fairly sure it’s not space), then I turn off the water to the house, unscrew the thingy that attaches the dealy, do the pipe tape all up in there, and then screw the bleeper back together? Dude: That sounds right to me. Make sure you put the pipe tape going in the right direction. Me: Um…explain “right direction.” Dude: Not counter to the direction of the threads when tightening. Youtube if you have to. I’d explain it better, but I’m not a plumber. Me: (after watching the world’s most boring Youtube video on application of pipe tape which did NOT need to be 9 minutes long) I’m encouraging myself by thinking about how proud I will be if I fix it while simultaneously ignoring how very awful everything could get if I utterly bleep it up. Cut to FIVE MINUTES LATER after I crawled under the sink, turned the water back on and got hit in the face with a not very nice deluge. I’m not sure it was water. It was wet. I’m trying not to think of all the gross things in the world that are wet, but I’m pretty sure at least 90% of them are at least damp. Me: Yeah, I looked under there. I can’t fix it. At this writing, the G.P. is scheduled to arrive to help me fix Old Sinkful in a couple of hours. He was not totally happy to get the call, nor was I thrilled to make it. I do not suffer defeat with very great aplomb, and I am literally dying to go over there and pull the entire thing apart into its component bits because the sink is now THE ENEMY. I have pliers. I have pipe tape. I have a not so terrible flashlight. I have a sharpie. I also have a really big hammer. The bleeps are going to be epic. Update: The G.P. showed up yesterday, assessed the problem and immediately began conjugating the “eff word” with Latin verb endings. He decided that the entire faucet had to be replaced. Then we couldn’t get it detached from the sink because a nut had become glued shut with some kind of super rust. Dad tried everything, including hitting it with two hammers. Frustrated, my by then bare chested father threw his tools on the counter, raised his arms to the sky and shouted, “How can you resist the mighty power of Thor’s hammer?” Dad went home and got his Saws-All. There isn’t a faucet any more. I mean, somewhere, in some other dimension there might be a highly theoretical faucet that resembles the faucet that once was, but in this reality there is nothing. Honestly, I’m lucky. I got to whomp the bleeper with a hammer a few times while the G.P. wasn’t looking. Eventually, I’ll probably get really good at doing dishes in the yard.
My History With Sears By Dr. Mary (Krkljes) Craft, Optometrist I heard the news this week that Sears is in serious trouble but wow what a heyday they had that I was part of. I graduated college at 20 and worked for the sports buyers department of Sears in a bad neighborhood of Chicago that I had to take a bus to.
WLS radio station was one of the original 50,000 watt stations and the call letters stand for World’s Largest Store.
I was responsible for the project management information system (PMIS) a very rudimentary electronic program that was used for catalog items. I had to be sure, for example, that the stock number for the green hunting glove didn’t get you the orange one (that was my only screw up). Sears was “the retail store” of the time both with stores and catalogs. My favorite childhood memory was of the Christmas Wishbook catalog. Sears, Roebuck & Co started as a mail order catalog company in 1886 and in 1924 started opening retail stores. That same year they decided instead of running their radio commercials on others’ stations they would form their own. Their
Ironically, when I moved to Texas in 1993 and did fill in work for a year the opportunity to have an independent practice of my own came in an office in the Sears building next to the main entrance. In Texas, optometrists cannot be employees and wherever they are located no one can dictate hours or how they practice at all.
Sears offered me free training on computer programming which was just beginning in the 70s. It would have been a great opportunity but at the same time it was offered I realized I delivered coffee to regular visitors; baseball that maybe I could be an optometrist although hero Ted Williams and Mount Everest Sir it was a male dominated profession at the Edmond Hillary who had their name brand time. I worked part-time during college for on sports items. When the Sears Tower was the neighborhood optometrist which was the built they brought out the employees to the only type there was. He was involved with the Illinois College of parking lot where they laid Optometry a short bus the last beam of the tower ride away. His influence to sign (Mary Krkljes is got me in because at on that beam). I worked on the time it was based the 37th floor and it was on who you knew and very futuristic with robot if your daddy was an mail delivery and robot alum. My class of 155 arms window washing. had 12 women. Later I was very involved when I was in practice in Affirmative Action often during the exam sending inter-departmental the patient would ask communication regularly to The original Sears Tower when the doctor was the CEO about the obvious coming in. There were segregation of men in the window offices and women on the floor. He many patients who would not want to see a female doctor. would respond that they are working on it.
Corpus Christi is an old school kind of town and Sears is still doing well here because of the customers that have been coming for years and are not online. So this store is not on the chopping block but who knows how long the company can stay afloat - but I had a nice ride.
March 30, 2017
A7
Island Moon
BBB offers tips for maintaining your lawn in time for spring By Kelly Trevino Regional Director, Corpus Christi Better Business Bureau Whether your lawn needs a little touch-up or complete makeover, it’s important to find the right helping hands. Better Business Bureau serving the Heart of Texas advises people not to rush into hiring lawn help. It’s important to get clear, written expectations for what services the company or contractor will provide and agree on a fee before work begins. Last year, BBB received more than 7,200 complaints against landscape and lawn maintenance businesses and contractors nationwide. More than 100 of those complaints were processed by your BBB. Many complaints claimed dissatisfaction with the services provided and performance of the business. Other complaints reported problems with contracts and delivery. To find a lawn care business you can trust, BBB offers the following advice: Know what you want from a lawn service. Lawn care businesses provide many services, so it’s important to decide what services and products are appropriate for your needs and budget. Find a trustworthy business. Go to bbb. org to check the company’s BBB Business Profile. Here you can find information on the business, such as how long they’ve been in business, contact information, complaint history and customer reviews. Check references. Ask the business for references and photos of previously completed projects. Contact references, and ask about their experience working with the
business and if they were satisfied with the services provided. Don’t sign up for services on the spot. If a sales representative comes to your door, get their information or business card. Call the business directly or perform the transaction through the company’s website, and provide the name of the sales representative if you’re concerned about them getting credit for the sale. If you insist on signing up on the spot, carefully read all the documents you are signing, particularly if they are electronic. On tablets or laptops, scroll up and down to see the entire document you are signing.
Kelly Trevino is the regional director for the Corpus Christi/Victoria area of Better Business Bureau serving the Heart of Texas. Kelly is available for media interviews and speaking engagements. You can reach her by phone: (361) 945-7352 or email: ktrevino@ corpuschristi.bbb.org.
james.needham@texasadoptabeach.org
Volunteers are needed for the nation's biggest all-volunteer coastal cleanup Saturday, April 22nd. The 2017 Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Coast-wide Spring Cleanup takes place at 29 of Texas' most popular tourist beaches. Volunteers can sign up at one of the locations online at www.texasadoptabeach. org to take part in a fun-filled day at the beach that makes a difference.
North Beach Corpus Christi
Each volunteer will be given data cards, gloves, pencils and trash bags. All volunteers are advised to wear closed-toe shoes, bring sunscreen and plenty of drinking water. The Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Cleanups are held rain or shine!
Check-in: Texas State Aquarium, 2710 North Shoreline Blvd. Contact: Rosanna Gossett 361-881-1204 rosanna.gossett@texasadoptabeach.org
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., clean up will be from 9 a.m. to noon. Everyone who signs up online and checks in at their cleanup location will be entered to win a RTIC 20 Soft Pack cooler or one of five Sony Portable Wireless Speakers (Bluetooth + Waterproof). The random drawing will take place after the cleanup. Winners will be contacted directly.
Packery Flats
Texans who are not able to attend the cleanup can help keep their beaches clean by making a tax-deductible donation online at www. TexasAdoptABeach.org. There are several different Adopt-A-Beach sponsorship levels ranging from $25 to $25,000, allowing both individuals and corporations to contribute to this major cleanup effort.
Aransas Pass/Redfish Bay
Check-in: Malaquite Visitor Center, 20420 Park Rd 22 Contact: William “Buzz” Botts 361-949-8068 361-949-8069 buzz.botts@texasadoptabeach.org Mustang Island State Park Check-in: Park Headquarters Parking Lot, 17047 State Hwy 361 Contact: Eric Ehrlich 361-749-5246 eric.ehrlich@texasadoptabeach.org North Padre Island/Padre Balli Park Check-in: Padre Balli Park Office, 15820 Park Road 22 Contact: John Vaughn 361-779-0477 john.vaughn@texasadoptabeach.org Jim Needham—Surfrider Foundation
By Chef Vita Jarrin Although serving “Deviled Eggs” on Easter sounds inappropriate, it is truly a delicious snack or appetizer to serve none the less. So for the sake of being politically correct we can call them “Bunny Cheeks”. Held side ways they actually resemble the cheeks of a bunny. Ok it’s stretching it I know… But let’s focus on the recipe. ;) For most of us who make or eat “bunny cheeks” we can’t eat just one. Years ago, while preparing this recipe at a golf course where I was the Executive Chef, I decided to make
minutes. After 13 minutes have passed drain the water and add fresh cold water and ice. This stops the cooking process and holds the eggs bright yellow. When you are ready to peel your eggs, place a couple of paper towels on the counter and peel away. Rinse your eggs and place rinsed eggs, on another paper towel, to absorb any water. Gently, with a sharp knife, cut them directly in half, - length wise. Add yellow yolks and the ingredients of this recipe in a food processor and blend. You can spoon the filling back in the egg or get fancy and use a pastry bag and star shaped pastry tip and fill accordingly. Refrigerate and serve.
Get a written agreement. A contract should clearly state the services you will receive, guarantees and refund policies, as well as how and when payment will be handled. If you are using a recurring service, the contract should also include how often the company will come out to work on your lawn, how to cancel the service and a schedule for when payments are due.
Volunteers needed coast-wide to turn the tide on trash!
Padre Island National Seashore
Easter Eggs Aren’t Just For Coloring
Ask for a lawn inspection and free estimate. Lawn care businesses that quote a price without seeing your lawn may not give you an accurate estimate. A business should be willing to visit your home to provide you with an agreed upon fee.
31st Adopt-A-Beach Spring Cleanup set for Earth Day - Saturday, April 22nd
The cleanup sites are:
Island Moon on a Spoon
Baffin Bay Check-in: Kaufer-Hubert Park, FM 628 Contact: Susan Ivy 361-595-8591 susan.ivy@texasadoptabeach.org
Check-in: Parking lot off Hwy 361, on Mustang Island near the Packery Channel Contact: Coastal Bays Foundation 361-882-3439 cbbf@baysfoundation.org
them a little more filling and tastier. I followed a traditional recipe and added cooked chicken breast in the along with the whipped yolks and it made an amazing difference. The chicken added a richer, tastier addition to the basic yolk mixture. If you’re feeling adventurous… why not add smoked salmon instead of chicken and then add a shred of the salmon as a garnish, a small dollop of lemony sour cream, and top with a sprig of dill or chive. The tricky part isn’t what you add to embellish the eggs, it’s actually the art of cooking the eggs properly so that they don’t turn green and they look better when being served. Although making hard boiled eggs is fairly easy, there are a couple of little tricks I’ve learned along the way that I’d like to share with you. When you are ready to boil your eggs, place each egg in a pot of cold water. The water should be at least 2 inches above the eggs. In order to peel them without the shell sticking to the egg, add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the water. Gently add each egg one at a time to avoid cracking the shell. Once all of your eggs are in the pot, turn on burner and pay attention to the water. Soon after tiny bubbles start forming, the water will begin to boil. Once the pot begins to boil turn off the burner and cover with a lid for 13
Stuffed Bunny Cheek (Eggs) Recipe: 12 large hard cooked eggs 1 Large Cooked Boneless Chicken Breast Chopped Fine (Rotisserie Chicken works too) 1 cup PHILADELPHIA Whipped Chive Cream Cheese Spread 4 Tbsp. Hellman’s Mayonnaise 1 Tbsp. Sour Cream 1 tsp. spicy brown mustard 1 Tbsp. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice ½ tsp. sugar dash hot pepper sauce ¼ tsp. Salt and pepper ¼ tsp granulated garlic 2 Tbsp. fresh chives
Tip of the week! Deviled Eggs / Bunny Cheeks are truly like making pizza… You can get creative and add all kinds of ingredients. Bacon, ham, olives, capers, even caviar. So play away and have a great Easter! Have Fun! Try New Things! Happy Eats… Enjoy!
Burners Without Borders & TAMUCC Collaborating to Clean Uop
Check-in: Lighthouse Lakes Park, 4 miles east of Aransas Pass on Hwy 361 Contact: Richard Gonzales 361-779-7351 richard.gonzales@texasadoptabeach.org Cole Park/Corpus Christi Check-in: 1526 Ocean Drive Contact: Celina Ybarbo-Pulcher 361-826-1655 chelsea.craig@texasadoptabeach.org Magnolia Beach/Port Lavaca Check-in: Crabbin' Bridge Contact: Rhonda Cummins 361-552-9747 rhonda.cummins@texasadoptabeach.org
Send Letters and Photos to editor@islandmoon.com and follow us on Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper Burners Without Borders in collaboration with student volunteers from TAMUCC collected over 1200 pounds of trash last Saturday
$6.00
off any oil change!
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March 30, 2017
Island Moon
SPORTS Sports Talk Special to The Island Moon
Moe Berg: Catcher and Spy
By Dotson Lewis
days, he volunteered for the job.
Special to the Island Moon
A deft handler of pitchers and possessor of a rifle arm, by 1929 he was the White Sox's regular catcher. He hit a career-high .288 in 106 games and received two votes in balloting for the American League's Most Valuable Player.
Dotson’s Note: I guess I am having one of those “senior moments,” because I can’t remember if I have or have not reported to you the story of Moe Berg. Regardless, since my Senior Moments article for this week has to do with the 1941 Pearl Harbor incident, this topic should work, even if it’s been discussed before. This is, to me, the fascinating story of Moe Berg, baseball player and spy. Nick Acocella ESPN Writer, contributed to this article.
Meet Moe Berg Moe Berg has long enjoyed a reputation as the most shadowy player in the history of baseball. Earning more notoriety for being a frontline spy than for being a backup catcher, it is difficult to separate fact Mo Berg from fiction in Berg's undercover career. Just Berg being a spy begs the question: How much of the fiction might have been used as cover? In 1934, five years before he retired as a player, Berg made his second trip to Japan as part of a traveling major league All-Star team. One might wonder what the seldom-used catcher, a .251 hitter that season, was doing playing with the likes of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Berg, who spoke Japanese, took home movies of the Tokyo skyline that were used in the planning of General Jimmy Doolittle's 1942 bombing raids on the Japanese capital. The U.S. government wrote a letter to Berg, thanking him for the movies. Biographies, magazine articles and word of mouth have elevated this story into the stuff of legend. The only utility player to be the subject of three biographies, few of his accomplishments came in the batter's box. It was Berg whom St. Louis Cardinals scout Mike Gonzalez was describing when he coined the phrase "good field, no hit" in the early 1920s. In his 15 major league seasons, in which he played just 662 games, Berg was a lifetime .243 hitter. He started out as a slick-fielding utility infielder before the Chicago White Sox in 1927 moved him to catcher, where he then found his niche as a substitute backstop, filling that role until he retired in 1939. In only one year did the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Berg appear in more than 100 games; he played in fewer than 50 games in 12 seasons. But he
Unfortunately for Berg, the following year in spring training he suffered a knee injury and spent the rest of his career (with the Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators and Boston Red Sox after Chicago) as a bench warmer. When he called it quits at 37, he had just 441 hits in 1,812 at-bats, with only six home runs and 206 runs batted in. After two years as a Red Sox coach, Berg left baseball on Jan. 14, 1942, the same day his father died. Bernard Berg always regarded his son's choice of a career as a waste of a fine intellect. Moe's love of the game - and of the travel and social hobnobbing it afforded him -- was a matter of contention between them to the end. It is at this point, just after the start of the United States' entry into World War II, that Berg's life became the subject of much speculation. N e l s o n Rockefeller gave him a job with the Office of InterMoe’s Medal of American Affairs Freedom-Highest that allowed him Wartime Award to a to travel through Civilian South and Central America studying the health and fitness of the population. He parlayed that post into becoming an officer in the Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner of the CIA, in 1943. Berg, according to one biography, was prone to blunders: getting caught trying to infiltrate an aircraft factory during his training, dropping his gun into a fellow passenger's lap, and being recognized by wearing his O.S.S.-issue watch. Despite these mistakes, Berg was well-regarded enough to have been chosen to carry out one of the O.S.S.' more ambitious endeavors - a plot to possibly assassinate Werner Heisenberg, the head of Nazi Germany's atom-bomb project. Berg, who spoke German fluently, was sent in December 1944 to Zurich to attend a lecture by Heisenberg. Berg's assessment of the situation was that Germany was not close to having a nuclear bomb, and there was never an attempt to kill Heisenberg. Another story involving Berg's spying career came at the end of the war, when, while traveling through Soviet-occupied Czechoslovakia with some other agents, he produced a letter with a big red star on it when asked for credentials. The Americans lacked any authorization, and supposedly what Berg showed the Soviet soldiers was a copy of the Texaco Oil Co. letterhead. After being forced out of the spy business in the late forties, Berg didn't hold a regular job. A bachelor, he often freeloaded off friends and relatives, especially his brother Sam, who once sent Moe two eviction notices to get him out of his house. After living with Sam for 17 years, he moved in with his sister Ethel for the final eight years of his life. To the end, however, Berg remained a dandy.
Berg’s Baseball Card-Only Baseball Card in the Baseball Hall of Fame was a brilliant scholar, picking up degrees from Princeton and Columbia Law School and studying philosophy at the Sorbonne. His linguistic skills inspired this observation by a teammate: "He can speak seven languages, but he can't hit in any of them." Berg was a hit with people, though. He had a reputation for charm and erudition that brought him introductions to powerful people, such as the Rockefeller family, who ordinarily did not associate with ballplayers. Morris Berg was born in a cold-water tenement on East 121st Street in Manhattan on March 2, 1902, to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents -Bernard, a druggist, and wife Rose. The family moved across the Hudson River to Newark, N.J., in 1906. At seven, Berg began playing baseball for a Methodist Church team under the pseudonym Runt Wolfe. He later starred at Barringer High School. From there, it was on to Princeton, where he majored in modern languages and played shortstop on the baseball team. He and a teammate, also a linguist, would communicate on the field in Latin. After graduating magna cum laude in 1923, Berg was signed by Brooklyn, for whom he played shortstop and batted .186 in 49 games. After spending the winter at the Sorbonne in Paris, he returned to the United States and played two seasons in the minors. A student at Columbia Law School, in 1926 he joined the White Sox, who had bought his contract from Reading of the International League. Berg became a catcher by accident the next season. In August 1927, after three Chicago receivers were injured in a matter of
In 1960, out of financial necessity, he was prepared to break his lifelong silence about his supposed exploits and agreed to write a book. However, the project collapsed when the editor glowingly praised the prospective author's movies on the mistaken assumption that he was about to sign a contract with Moe of The Three Stooges. Berg died at 70 on May 29, 1972 in Belleville, N.J., of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Ethel took his ashes to Israel. To this day, no one knows where his remains are buried. In death, as in life, Moe Berg was a mystery. Nicholas Dawidoff, a Berg biographer, wrote: “He [Moe Berg] bluffs his way up onto the roof of the hospital, the tallest building in Tokyo at the time. And from underneath his kimono he pulls out a movie camera. He proceeds to take a series of photos panning the whole setting before him, which includes the harbor, the industrial sections of Tokyo, possibly munitions factories and things like that. Then he puts the camera back under his kimono and leaves the hospital with these films." Dotson’s Other Note: I am in the middle of finding out all I can about what happened before, during and after December 7, 1949. It appears to me that we have not been told the actual story of the events surrounding this epic event. My current interest was sparked by the book “A Matter of Honor Pearl Harbor: Betrayal, Blame, And A Family’s Quest for Justice” by Anthony Summers & Robbyn Swan. A great read! Are We Having Fun Yet? 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: 530748-8475 Email: dlewis1@stx.rr.com Have fun -30-
Send letters and photos to editor@islandmoon.com
Phi Slama Jama By Andy Purvis Special to the Island Moon Guy V. Lewis’s accomplishments on the basketball court are exceeded only by his vision to help integrate college basketball in the South by signing the Houston program’s first African-American players, Elvin Hayes and Don Cheney. These two were among 30 of his players who moved on to the NBA. Hayes became the university’s first No. 1 NBA draft pick, followed by Hakeem Olajuwon. Guy was a true giant in the game of college basketball. Lewis’s accomplishments are many. From 1959-1985, the Cougars of Houston recorded 27 consecutive winning seasons. Of those 27 seasons, the Cougars were selected to play in the postseason 17 times, 14 in the NCAA Tournament, and three times in the (NIT) National Invitational Tournament. His Cougars reached five Final Fours without
Art Casper a national Championship. Lewis is one of seven basketball coaches in NCAA history to compete in nine or more Final Four contests with the same program. John Wooden, Mike Krzyzewski, Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp, Denny Crum and Bobby Knight are the other coaches to accomplish that feat. Lewis was chosen the National Coach of the Year twice, in 1968 and 1983. He was selected Southwest Conference Coach of the Year twice, 1983 and 1984, and four times Texas Coach of the Year, in 1968, ’77, ’82 and ’83. Houston earned six Southwest Conference titles. Lewis coached 15 players who earned All-American honors, including National Players of the Year, Elvin Hayes and Hakeem Olajuwon. Beside Drexler, Hayes and Olajuwon, there are others with names you may recognize that achieved All-American status: Otis Birdsong, Michael Young, Larry Micheaux and Greg Anderson. Twenty-six of his players scored over 1,000 points during their career. He also provided the NBA with 11 first-round picks. Guy V. Lewis is the only one to be inducted into the University of Houston’s Athletic Hall of Fame, as a player in 1971 and as a coach in 1998. In 1995, the University of Houston honored Coach Lewis by naming the court at Hofheinz Pavilion after him. In 2013, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame finally called Guy V. Lewis a Hall-of-Famer. Broadcaster, Jim Nantz, and many former Cougar players had spent years campaigning for their coach. In 1985, I moved my family to Corpus Christi, Texas. The company I had joined and worked for at that time, known as Texas Pizza Corporation, had purchased the Pizza Hut franchises in El Paso and Corpus Christi and the surrounding markets. My job as Vice President of Operations was to oversee both markets and return them to profitability. The advertising agency we chose to use to help market our restaurants was known as the Winius-Brandon Agency. They were located in Houston, Texas. This agency was owned and operated by Art Casper. I later found out that Art had another passion, college basketball. For 28 years, Art had been one of the radio broadcasters for the University of Houston Cougars’ basketball program. So every year, Art would send me the Cougars’ schedule and allow me to pick three or four home games where I would join him in Houston, courtside at the scorers’ table. There I would chart rebounds, fouls, turnovers, or whatever Art wanted me to do. It also gave me a chance to meet some of the greatest coaches
of the games, along with national broadcasters. Ray Meyer and his son Joey with DePaul, Don Haskins with UTEP, Denny Crum with Louisville, and “Digger” Phelps with Notre Dame were some of the best. Terrific broadcasters like Don Crique, Gary Bender and Cheryl Miller were on hand for nationally televised games. Being from North Carolina and growing up enjoying Atlantic Coast Conference basketball, I naturally looked for ACC teams coming in to play Houston. On this occasion, the team was the University of North Carolina, coached by Dean Smith. It was a nationally-televised game and I was excited, to say the least. Former basketball coach and Houston legend, Guy Lewis, was in attendance and sat a couple of rows behind the U of H team. Lewis had retired after the 1986 season. I asked Art to introduce me to Lewis before the game. I had no idea that Art would set me up in front of this great coach. As we met, Art said, “Guy, I want you to meet a good friend of mine, Andy Purvis, who knows everything you would ever want to know about ACC basketball.” Lewis looked straight at me with disdain and said, “What in the hell would I want to know about ACC basketball?” I was so stunned I almost swallowed my tongue. Then Lewis smiled and stuck out his hand as Art started laughing. Lewis had taken five of his teams to the Final Four but had lost twice to ACC teams: UNC in 1982 and N.C. State in 1983. Those losses still didn’t sit very well with him. Art would never let me forget the look on my face that day. Even though they went to different schools, Guy Lewis met the love of his life, Dena Nelson, while attending a high school dance in the 1930’s. They married in 1942 and had three children, Vern, Terry and a daughter Sherry, who died early at the age of 63. Sherry’s son, Noah, also survives the family. Dena passed away in June of 2015, five months before Guy. They had been married almost 73 years. Vern Lewis went to junior high school with my pal Ronnie Arrow, but they ended up playing at different high schools, each winning a Texas State title in basketball: Vern Lewis played for Houston’s Austin High School whose team won the state title in 1964. Ronnie Arrow played at Houston’s Jones, whose team won in 1965. Guy V. Lewis left us on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 26, 2015. He died of natural causes with his family by his side. Lewis had suffered in recent years from a stroke which occurred in February of 2012. He had been confined to a wheelchair and stayed out of the public spotlight. He was living in a retirement home in Kyle, Texas. Lewis was 93. Guy V. Lewis’s story was a masterpiece as he was much more than a basketball coach. Sometimes the story of life is how close we get to success and failure. A wise man, Anatola France, once said, “To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.” Lewis had them all, in spades. I’m very glad I got to meet him. 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.
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March 30, 2017
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Island Moon
The Traveling Moon Gets Around
Thursday, March 30th
Island Farmers Market's First Birthday!
The Island Farmers Market will be celebrating its first anniversary on Thursday, March 30th from 4-8 p.m. at 14030 Fortuna Bay Drive. Hosted by the Island Presbyterian Church, the celebration will feature: food trucks, balloons, face painting, cupcakes, farmers, music, art, family and fun. All past art vendors are invited to join. The Island Market has grown over the last year to include more food trucks, vendors and farmers. As variety increased, so did the crowds of people wanting homemade goods (including jams, jellies, breads and preserves), fruits and
vegetables, farm fresh eggs, original artwork, and handmade jewelry and other items. Various charity organizations have been represented as well, including the Island Moon's own efforts to create an Island Dog park named in honor of Moon Security Engineer and columnist, Riley P. Dog. Cost to be a vendor was very low as of the Moon's last attendance. For further information, be sure to attend the event. Island Farmers Market takes place every other Thursday.
The Traveling Moon spent Spring Break 2017 in Playa Grande, Costa Rica! Pictured in front of Taco Star are island residents (l to r) Andrew Brooks, Kristalyn Pressley, Jimmy Pressley, Veda Pressley, Jagger Pressley, Yvonne Brooks and Serena Nava.
We are 'Winter Texans' who just made it home to our tiny town of Riverside, Wyoming and we're already planning our trip back to Port A for next year! Leroy and Lee Ann Stephenson
Photos by Debbie Noble
Mern & Barbara Williams take the Island Moon to the host home of Ray & Dorothy Higgins, Organic Dairy Farmers in Cambridge, New Zealand
Under new ownership!
Island Creations Remodeling
Total Renovation & Remodels, Outdoor Kitchens & Spas, Additions, Kitchen & Bathroom Upgrades, Sunporches, Replacement of Windows and Doors, Roofing, Painting & Stucco
Landscaping Insured Member, Padre Island Business Association Member, Builders Association, Corpus Christi
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Driveways, Patios, Sidewalks, Patio Overlays, Decorative Stamping & Staining, Decks, Bulkheads, Grouted Stone Walls & Patios, Decorative Stone Paver Driveways & Patios
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Every Night $4 cocktail drink special Half Price Wine Night Tuesday and Wednesday
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March 30, 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 3/26 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.
Open Sunday 2‐5 p.m.
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 Condo at Portofino! Incredible views of the Gulf of Mexico. Floor to ceiling windows. #202—2/2 corner unit. Carrie 361949-5200.
14745 Quarterdeck 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage located on a corner lot. 1,888 sq. ft. Granite counters, split bedroom arrangement. $229,900. Charlie Knoll 443-2499.
Open Sunday 3/26 2‐5 p.m.
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.
Condos, Condos, Condos
Open Sunday 3/26 2‐5 p.m.
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.
Open Sunday 3/26 2‐5 p.m.
15350 Yardarm 3/2.5/2 waterfront home with two living and two dining areas. Boat dock. Tile roof, stucco construction. New tile downstairs. $399,000. Terry 549-7703.
Beachfront Aransas Princess #203. Open House Sat/Sun 2-5 p.m. Multiple units open. $315K$795K. 2 pools & boardwalk to the beach. Charlene 361-2442344.
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.
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.
Marquesas #401 2/2 unit Great complex $184,900
Beach Club Condos #375 2/2 unit close to beach $159,900 #394 Studio Pool, hot tub, and more $99,000
Anchor Resort #196 1/1.5 remodeled unit $139,900 Palm Bay Village #905 2/2.5/2 poolside unit, open floor plan $234,900
Call Charlie 443-2499 or Terry 549-7703 to view!
Open Sunday 3/26 2‐5 p.m.
13866 Hawksnest Bay Spacious 4 bedroom, 3 bath, stucco/ tile waterfront with boat lift, 2 car garage plus golf cart garage, $424,900. Call Cindy Molnar 549-5557.
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.
Lot 9 Block 218 Cruiser Great waterfront lot perfect for multifamily construction. 80x120. $160,000. Call Shonna Soderqvist 510-3445.
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
Open Sunday 3/26 2‐5 p.m.
Open Sunday 3/26 2‐5 p.m.
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
14806 Highland Mist 3/3/2 $2500
13953 Fortuna Bay 5 & 7 2/2 ea. $1200 ea.
15205 Dasmarinas 3/2/2 $1650
13830 Gunwale 3/2/2 $1995
Leeward Isles #308 1/1 furnished $975
14205 Jacksh A 3/2/1 $1425
214 Las Palmas St. 3/2 $1300
13817 Halyard 3/2/2. Open floor plan. Lots of tile. Great light. Lots of decking. 1,654 sq. ft. Separate laundry. Call Cheryl for a viewing. 563-0444.
Open Sunday 3/26 2‐5 p.m.
Duplex for Sale. Each unit has 3/2/1, open plan, oversized RV garage 12’x73’x15’. RV has 30 amp & 50 amp power & hook ups. Carrie 361-949-5200.
14021 Rudder 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.
Open Sunday 3/26 2‐5 p.m.
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.
El Constante #217 Great views of the Gulf from this 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath condo with 1,060 sq. ft. of living area. Fully furnished. $194,900. Call Terry 549-7703.
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
13901 Hawksnest Bay Wonderful 4-2.5-3 new construction. Corner lot. Room for a pool. 2254 sq. ft. Tile floors. Mudroom and butler’s pantry & more. Cheryl.