686 a for the web by Mary Craft

Inside the Moon

Rainbows A2

Traveling Moon A9

Gardening A7

The

Issue 686

Island Moon

The voice of The Island since 1996

June 8, 2017

Around The Island

By Dale Rankin “For a minute there I thought I was reincarnated as Robert Schumann,” the voice on the other end of the line said. “I had a single, buzzing note stuck in my head and it wouldn’t stop until finally I went into the house.” That’s when he realized he wasn’t going mad, he was just hearing the collective and constant buzzing of the swarm of Island mosquitos that have become the evening soundtrack on our little sandbar after last week’s rain. “I think it was an A-sharp,” he said, and we didn’t argue. We’ve been adding new steps to the Skeeter Dance everyday as we slap, swipe, and swear while enjoying the sunset on our back decks each evening. Even Island dogs are getting into the act as the little buggers use their infrared sensors to home in on warm noses. When the humidity hits 80% it reaches the Sweat Through Your Shirt While Standing in the Shade levels at which point we Texans say it is simply “too hot for snakes.” It was so hot last week we saw a seagull wearing a slice of bread for a hat. So for now humidity is up, sargassum on the rise, mosquitoes bullish, red tide holding steady. Here’s some of what’s going on around here.

Big year for turtles We want to send out a heartfelt congratulations to the hundreds of people who have volunteered for the turtle program at Padre Island National Seashore over the years. Each year volunteers come literally from all over the world to patrol area beaches looking for nesting Kemp’s ridley turtles to help in the human effort to reverse the damage done over the years to the species by other humans. The thousands of hours dedicated to the task were rewarded this year as the program found the most nests ever, by a lot. We include a history of the program in this issues and we thank all the people whose hard work over the years has brought us to this juncture. Keep up the good work. If you have never attended one of the turtle releases at PINS you will have plenty of opportunities this year as the incubators at PINS and at the turtle pins down at the 40 Mile Marker are full to the brim with nesting turtles that will be squirming their way to the surface and released into the Gulf over the next few weeks.

Fishing A13

Birding Winners A15 Photo by Steve Coons

Free

Weekly

FREE

Our Boat That’s Not Afloat

Yarborough Pass Closed to FourWheel Drive Traffic until Further Notice

$1 million in Island tax money spent for a Packery Channel patrol boat currently setting on a trailer behind Fire Station #16

Current conditions on the Yarborough Pass Road, which provides access to the bay side camping and public use area, may cause vehicle damage and resources adjacent to the road are being heavily impacted by off road travel.

Annual Island Political Action Committee Meeting June 8 By Dale Rankin Since 2005 more than $1 million in Island tax money has been allocated to pay for a patrol boat currently setting on a trailer behind Fire Station #16 on State Highway 361 waiting for money to hire operators. The money was raised and spent through the Tax Reinvestment Zone #2, (TRZ), a taxing district established in 2003 to capture property tax on new construction around Packery Channel and in retail areas on The Island, including the Schlitterbahn waterpark.

Exactly how much money has actually been spent on the boat and its operations in the past twelve years is still under investigation by city officials, but records show that $909,303 was spent on boat operations since 2009, and that number does not include the first four years of its operation when it was active for at least two of those years at a budget of $89,000 annually.

The annual meeting of the Island United Political Action Committee will be held Thursday, 8 June, 6:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn on the Island.

Funding for the boat and its operation is currently the subject of inquiry by the Island Strategic Action

Your involvement in the PAC ensures that our Islands have a greater voice in City decisions. Mark your calendars...hope to see you there!

Boat cont. on A4

The IUPAC was formed in 2009 to unite the vote of the 7200 registered voters on The Island, The IUPAC holds candidate forums prior to each city election for members to choose candidates.

Surf History

The Port Aransas Museum this week will unveil their new exhibit Surfing Through The 60’s $ 70’s In Port Aransas. The exhibit takes a look at the hotbed or Texas surfing that was Port Aransas in that time from the Pat Magee Surf Shop to the old Kody’s on the beach where many of us who grew up in these parts first came in contact with the surf culture. The kickoff for the exhibit is this Saturday, June 10, at 5 p.m. at the museum.

Harvie rocks it! We want to send out condolences and congratulations at the same time to our friend 102 year-old Islander Harvie Chisholm who broke her false teeth while using them for castanets to tap out a rhythm only she could hear. Harvie, the youngest of 10 with 5 brothers, still wonders why her dad gave her his name. You go girl! If we make it to 102 we hope we have the rhythm left to bust our teeth right along with you as we Islanders add new steps to the Skeeter Dance. In the meantime, say hello if you see us Around The Island.

In the interest of safety and resource preservation the National Park Service is closing Yarborough Pass Road until further notice. Specific dates for reopening are unknown at this time.

The first turtle release of the season took place this week. For more information, see page 2.

A little Island history

Kemp’s Ridley Turtle Program has Boom Year Record for most nests in a year shattered

By Dale Rankin It has been big year for the Kemp’s ridley turtle restoration program at Padre Island National Seashore. Known formally as the Padre Island National Seashore Turtle Science & Recovery Program, headed by Dr. Donna Shaver, the program saw the number of recovered turtle nests jump an astounding 30% from last year shattering the record for the most nests ever in the forty-year history of the program. Prior to this year the most nests every found in a single nesting season, which lasts from early spring to early summer, was 209, but this year that number jumped to 307 and counting.

“We believe the increase was due to largely to warm near-shore waters which kept the turtles close to the shore throughout the year,” Dr. Shaver said. “That means more food for the turtles, they eat blue crabs, and makes them more likely to return to the beach and lay eggs.”

Began with a short piece of film The big year is a milestone for the program which was hatched much by accident in the 1970, but the quest for the elusive nesting ground of the turtles goes back to the 1940s when no human had ever seen, or at least recorded, a nesting Kemp’s ridley turtle. In fact scientists were not even sure they were a separate and distinct turtle species until fishermen caught

Rancho Nuevo Beach in the 1970's History cont. on A4

June 8, 2017

Island Moon

First Turtle Release of 2017!

Island Under the Rainbow

Photo by Ronnie Shea

A good crowed turned out on Padre Island National Seashore on Wednesday as 78 hatchling Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatchlings were launched in the first release of the record-setting season. More releases are on tap in the near future, to find out when check the Hatchling Hotline (361)-949-7163 which is updated daily. Dr. Donna Shaver, says if cancellation of the next day’s release, due to weather or other conditions, is not announced by 2 p.m. on the Hotline then the release will take place as scheduled the following morning in front of the Malaquite Beach Visitor Center at Padre Island National Seashore. Assembly starts at about 6:20 a.m. attendees will be lead to the release site at about 6:45 a.m. If you attend please do not bring or eat food since it will attract gulls, and avoid white colored clothing or white colored footwear or take photos using a flash, since all of these will disorient the hatchlings.

Photo by Karen Silva

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June 8, 2017

Island Moon

Moon Monkeys Mike Ellis, Founder

Letters to the Editor

Trash This is a welcome sight from what we usually find on the beach. Rowan Shipman

Did Ya Hear?

By Mary Craft mkay512@aol.com

New Advertisers

Distribution Pete Alsop Island Delivery

Fool's Gold

Coldwell Banker Advertising Jan Park Rankin

225-KILOGRAMS OF GOLD FOR SALE!

Classifieds

From: Cooperative Community Ivoiriennes,

Arlene Ritley

Free Kittens

Attention: Dear Customer:

Production Manager Abigail Bair Contributing Writers Joey Farah Andy Purvis Mary Craft MayBeth Christiansen Jay Gardner Todd Hunter Dotson Lewis Ronnie Narmour Brent Rourk Photographers Miles Merwin

For your information we have 225-Kilogram of 22/24-Carat Gold quality stock in our position for dispossal to you're potential buyer of company associates or you in particular if interested? Contact person name of Chief: Maxwell Akueke, a Traditional gold miner's from cooperative community Ivoiriennes, For negotiation of price with teams and services, willing to send you a sample free of charge for your conformation tested ok, before shipping of first trail two (2) Kilos to your address contact information as we both agreed. Soever: to feel free and make your demand is comfortable with our cooperative community for your interest contact Immediately. Thanks for your comprehension.

Debbie Noble

Chief: Maxwell Akueke.

Mary Craft Ronnie Narmour Office Security/Spillage Control (Emeritus) Riley P. Dog

Editor’s note: Dear chief please send our free sample immediately to 777 Easy Street, Walla Walla, Wisconsin! Re: Mrs. Biyu Hairpin. urgent issue.

Four Free kittens Available. 4 weeks old as of 5/25/17. •

Four sweet kittens thrown in box and dumped in field by airport.

•

2 males/2 females; white male, calico female, Siamese colored female,Siamese colored male.

•

Initial check-up at vets - all are healthy and gaining weight. alert, playful, talkative, love to be held.

•

1 pound each.

•

All are comfortable around well behaved dogs.

•

Eating solid food and kitten replacement milk. Initial fecal exams pending.

My Greetings,

Currently on eye medicine for four days; will be clear by Monday 5/29/17.

Publisher

Annaville Air Conditioning is now serving Flour Bluff and the Island with Bluff based technicians for quicker response time. Emergency service is available 7 days a week and they never charge overtime. They have low price guarantees on name brand air conditioners. Check out the coupons in their ad that includes an 18 point a/c check-up for $49. Call 767COOL Lyco’s Nails 2 is under new management and has a coupon in their ad this issue for $5 off Mondays and Tuesdays. They offer SNS/solar, waxing, pedicures and manicures. The hours are Monday-Saturday 9:30 am – 7:30 pm and Sunday 11 am – 5 pm. They are located at 14457 SPID and can be reached at 949-2003.

Business Briefs Bluff Bay Marina recently opened their full service marina and premiere dry boat storage facility at 102 Jester between SPID and the Naval Air Station. They do boat service, repair and detailing. There is a fueling station and a ship store with marine, tackle and convenience items. The Coastways Building under the bridge has been torn down in preparation for a new business to operate at the site.

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

And In Brief introduction my name is Mrs. Biyu Hairpin, From France, and 56years old widow to Late Mr. Mathew Hairpin. And am presently sick critically suffering diagnosed with congested heart failure, haven’t stroked down paralyzed in a wheel chair suffering and have limited time period to live according to the doctors. And I am a new Christen convert willing to donate the sum of (5.500.000.00 Five Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) saved in one Finance Film here, and I want your help to enable the claim and transfer to your position for donation to benefit the less privileges or to invest in any areas to help the homeless Widows in need, also for the both families, hence I can’t survive my situation here hospitalized, helpless without solution. Seeking your advice to this urgent issue. My best regards to you and the family remain blessed.

Where to Find The Island Moon Port Aransas

Sand Piper Condos Sea Gull Condos Gulf Breeze RV Pioneer RV La Palmilla Golf Club Stripes (1A) Kody’s Restaurant

Black Sheep/ Barrel CVS Whataburger Snoopy’s Pier

361 Bar

Isle Mail N More

Moby Dicks

Island Italian

Spanky’s Liquor

Brooklyn Pie Co.

IGA Grocery Store

Ace Hardware

Port A Glass Studio

Holiday Inn

San Juan’s Mexican Restaurant

Texas Star (Shell) Scuttlebutt’s Restaurant Subway Island Tire

Public Library

Padre Pizzeria

Chamber of Commerce/ Visitor’s Center

And all Moon retail advertisers WB Liquor

Back Porch

Flour Bluff

Shorty’s Place

H.E.B.

Fisherman’s Wharf

Whataburger on Waldron

Tarpon Inn Gratitude’s The Gaff Wild Horse Treasure Island

Young lady enjoying the beach. Photo bty Debbie Noble

Jesse’s Liquor

Port A Parks & Rec

Giggity’s

Call John at 361-877-8521 for more info

All Stripes Stores

WB Liquor

Woody’s Sports Center

Editor’s note: Dear Mrs. Hairpin, we suggest you change your last name.

North Padre

Doc’s Restaurant

Drop Anchor Bar & Grill

Mrs. Biyu Hairpin.

$99.00 vet special at Dr. Kresser’s Island vet; I will cover for adopting family. (initial shots/spay or neuter/follow up fecal/follow up physical exam)

Trinity By the Sea Episcopal

Amano

Wash Board Laundry Mat

Yours sincerely,

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

The 5k Sandcastle Run raised $38,000 for children with Diabetes to go to summer camp. Thanks to all the great sponsors and volunteers who helped make the event a great event! A true team effort. The presentation of the check was at Mikel May’s. From left to right Mike Pusley, JJ Hart, May Nardone, Brent Chesney, Stacey Lesly, Jeaneal Dennis, Hannah Chipman and Tara Gallaspy.

Send letters and photos to editor@islandmoon.com Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper

First Community Mortgage will be opening a second Corpus Christi office at 14641 SPID in the building next to Dragonfly Restaurant. Former Islander Vice president Patti Goodson is branch manager for the Corpus Christi and San Antonio locations. Islander Nadine Patrick will be the loan processor here. The PIBA ribbon cutting and grand opening will be held Tuesday, June 29th 5:30 – 8:30 pm. There will be beverages, food, door prizes and live music. The 69th Annual Shrimporee in Aransas Pass will be held Friday, June 9th 6 pm – midnight, Saturday 11 am – midnight and Sunday noon – 6 pm. There will be live entertainment and dancing all weekend with culinary events, carnival rides and much more. A three day access is $12, daily $7 for adults and $4 for seniors, military, children 7-12 and children 6 and under free. Scuttlebutt’s is firing up the smoker for Father’s Day with St. Louis smoked ribs, baked beans, potato salad and corn on the cob. Sunset Sounds Concert in Port A will highlight Aloha Dave and the Tourists who will be bringing that “Beach Boys feeling” on Friday, June 9th 7 – 9 pm. The free concerts are held at Patsy Jones Amphitheater in Roberts Point Park. The Annual Island United Political Action Committee meeting will be held Thursday, June 8th 6 pm at the Holiday Inn. Island Presbyterian Church present a piano concert featuring Natalie Lansford Rumfield and Michael Kris Perez on Thursday, June 15th 7 pm. Donations will be appreciated. The church is located at 14030 Fortuna Bay Drive. Litter Critter will be at the water treatment plant on Saturday June 10th 7 am – 3 pm.

June 8, 2017

Island Moon

History cont. from A1

Boat cont. from A1

some Kemp’s ridley turtles offshore and found eggs inside them. But where were the nesting grounds?

nesting colony of turtles in the park and in 1978 the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Restoration and Enhancement Program (KRREP) was born.

Then in 1951 J.E. Werier published a record of a ridley nesting on the beach in 1941 at what would two decades later become Padre Island National Seashore. But there were still a lot of unanswered questions until a break came in the early 1960s when Flour Bluff resident Dr. Henry Hidebrand met a neighbor who had heard of a man who had film of nesting ridley turtles in Mexico.

For the next ten years, 1978-1988, eggs from a portion of the Kemp's ridley nests laid each year at Rancho Nuevo were collected, packed in sand brought from Padre Island, and transported to PINS. Overall, a total of 22,507 eggs were collected and relocated through this project. Once the nests arrived at PINS, they were incubated under controlled conditions and hatched. The newly hatched turtles were

Committee (ISAC) whose members are taking the first detailed look at money spent for the purchase and operations of the boat and related services since patrols began in 2005. The first item in the 2017 budget which caught ISAC members’ attention was an expenditure of $9663.78 for “Temporary Services” to pay for personnel to staff the boat while the fund for “Fuel & lubricants” showed expenditures of zero. The amended budget for the patrol boat for 2017 shows $107,244.76 with expenditures so far this year at $28,609.99, leaving $73,927 available. When Packery Channel opened in 2005 federal regulations required a boat to help boaters navigate their way through the new channel. The operators of the boat were hired as temporary workers through Beach Operations under the Parks & Recreation Department. They had no enforcement authority to write tickets for wakes or other potential infractions, they were there solely for the purpose of public safety through education.

said, there are two part-time positions for boat operators which are currently unfilled. The budget item for the Packery Patrol in the 2016-2017 fiscal year was originally $98,812, but city records show an Amended Budget of $107,244.76. The TRZ budget must be approved by the board of the Padre Island Tax Increment Financing District which is made up of the various taxing entities which granted tax incentives to the TRZ and includes members of the Corpus Christi City Council. City practice since the establishment of the ISAC in 2010 has been to pass the budget through the ISAC, an advisory committee to the Corpus Christi City Council, before approval by the TRZ board. “None of the budgets or changes in budgets to the TRZ have come to the ISAC,” said ISAC Chairperson Libby Edwards. “We are not sure how the budget was amended from the original $98,000 number to the $107,000 number. That is one of the questions we are trying to answer.” The Packery Patrol Report from the city shows

1947 Herrera footage of the arribada In the 1940s architect Andreas Herrera often flew the Mexican coast in his small airplane and had heard rumors of large numbers of turtles nesting there. He began carrying a film camera just in case. Then on a sultry summer day in 1947 he looked down and saw what would decades later become the genesis of the turtle program we have today. Herrera saw tThousands of Kemp’s ridley turtles in the first Arribada – Spanish for arrival – ever recorded my man making their way across a sixteen-mile stretch of beach in Rancho Nuevo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Through the neighbor Hidebrand found the film in 1963 and it astounded the scientific world. An estimated 40,000 turtles swarming the beach. But to their horror the scientists also saw a species being destroyed right before their eyes as people loaded turtle eggs by the millions into trucks, sometimes also taking the nesting females. The scientists estimated that 90 percent of the turtle nests were destroyed the same day they were laid. The species was in trouble.

Road to restoration The scientists pressed the Mexican government to take action and in 1966 guards were placed on the Rancho Nuevo Beach to protect the eggs. But the damage had been done. The number of Kemp’s ridley turtles found each year continued to drop and by 1985 only 702 nests were found. The scientists began research which showed that while the heart of the turtles’ nesting area was Nuevo Rancho there was plenty of evidence that historically the nesting zone had reached as far south as Veracruz and as far north as Mustang Island. The move to save the species was on and in 1974 the National Park Service began the process of establishing a

released on the beach at PINS, allowed to crawl on the beach and into the surf, and then recaptured using aquarium dip nets after a brief swim in the Gulf of Mexico. This procedure was done in the hope that the hatchlings would imprint to the National Seashore and the females would return as adults to nest on Padre Island. Once the hatchlings were recaptured, they were transported to the National Marine Fisheries Service Laboratory in Galveston, where they were kept and reared for 9-11 months. The purpose of this process was to allow the turtles to grow large enough to avoid most predators and to be tagged for future recognition to help evaluate project success.

Uncertain future But when the first of the hatchlings were released in 1978 scientists didn’t know how long it took for the Kemp’s ridley turtles to return to the beach to nest. In 1986 the first turtle patrols began scouring the beaches from St. Joseph Island to the Rio Grande from April to August looking for nesting turtles.

Recently appointed Parks & Recreation Director Jay Ellington who this week spoke to an ISAC subcommittee on the Packery Patrol operations, said he believes the approximately $40,000 paid for the boat, (the actual price has not been determined) an inflatable Kodiak, came from TRZ funds. The boat is currently equipped with a YETI cooler seen in the photo which retails for around $800. For the first two years the patrol boat was kept in a slip at Marker 37 and patrolled Packery Channel. After the federally mandated twoyear period expired the whereabouts of the boat has been elusive as city staff turned over and institutional memory faded. The last confirmed employment of operators for the boat was in December, 2016 and currently, Ellington

a total 283 hours on the water, all in Packery Channel, between July, 2016 and December 2016 when staffing for the boat ended. It shows a total of $28,609 for boat operations between July-December, 2016. During that time, the record shows, a total of 2295 contacts between the patrol and citizens with 1474 for “General Contact” and 417 for “No Wake Zone.” The budget also shows $22,941 for “Professional Services” during the year ending on September 30, 2016 but does not specify who that money was paid to. “We are in the process of going through these numbers to make sure we know how the money has been spent and whether this is a good deal for Island taxpayers,” Edwards said.

“The first couple of years we didn’t have much luck,” Shaver said. They would find nests but until they actually saw one of the turtles with a tag nesting they couldn’t be sure their experiment was working. Then, finally, in 1996 they hit paydirt when a patroller found a nesting Kemp’s ridley with a tag nesting on Padre Island and the rest, as they say, is history. All of that effort brought us to where were are today, with a record number of nesting Kemp’s ridley turtles on our beaches. And it all started with a film by a guy flying a small airplane along the beach in Mexico.

Count Your Turtles Before They Hatch!

So far this year, 307 Kemp’s ridley nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast including (north to south in state): 3 Bolivar Peninsula 5 Galveston Island 0 Brazoria County, N. of Surfside 3 Surfside Beach 0 Quintana Beach 0 Bryan Beach 0 Brazoria County, N. of Sargent Beach 0 Sargent Beach 5 Matagorda Peninsula (area record) 0 Matagorda Island 1 San Jose Island 10 Mustang Island (area record) 7 North Padre Island north of Padre Island National Seashore 186 Padre Island National Seashore (area record) 65 South Padre Island (area record)

Attention

Boat Owners!

22 Boca Chica Beach (area record)

LOGGERHEAD TURTLE

Do you own a boat with a cabin

So far this year, 1 nest has been confirmed on the Texas coast including (north to south in state):

and would you like to make some

1 South Padre Island

money with it? We have slips and are looking for boats to use for

Charter Boat Owners and Operators Wanted for new location on Packery Channel

Packery Flats

Floating Cabin Repairs Large Boat Slip (22’ x 40’) available good for either repairs or rebuilding

Located under the JFK bridge on Packery Channel Call for lease terms

Packery Flats Marina

361-774-8886

charters. If you have a boat and are interested in an entrepreneurial opportunity call 361 332-9978.

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Traffic Jam -- Island Style Photographer Steve Coons captured backed up traffic in Port A.

June 8, 2017

Island Moon

Stuff I Heard on the Island By Dale Rankin

As regular readers of this space know I am not a big fan of raising property taxes. As a wise old courthouse reporter once told me, “raising taxes is not policy, it is failure of policy” and I firmly believe that. But for the last thirty seven years since the Texas Property Tax Code was revised cities, counties, and school districts, have been getting a free 8% tax hike every year leaving taxpayers with no recourse other than at the ballot box in the next election. In some cases even that isn’t an option, like the Flour Bluff Fire Department with its board that is appointed by Nueces County Commissioners and doesn’t have to answer directly to taxpayers. The 8% annual increase is allowed with nothing more than two public hearings that are only held after the taxing entity’s board or commission has already voted its intent to raise taxes. The 8% loophole combined with the Nueces County Tax Appraisal District’s uncanny knack for bringing in a countywide increase in appraisals each year at just under that 8% magic number has combined to raise the property taxes in the City of Corpus Christi by 34% in the last three years – one year the council went for 10 %.

An anachronism

Tides of the Week Tides for Bob Hall Pier June 8 - June 15

Day

High /Low

High 5:31 AM

Low

High 6:07 AM

Low

High 6:40 AM

Tide Time

9:07 PM 9:34 PM

Low

High 7:12 AM

10:02 PM

Low

High 7:44 AM

10:32 PM

Low

High 8:14 AM

11:04 PM

Low

High 8:44 AM

11:40 PM

Low

High 9:11 AM

Height in Feet

Sunrise Moon Time Sunset

1.6

6:33 AM

Set 6:05 AM

-0.3

8:23 PM

Rise 7:45 PM

1.7

6:33 AM

Set 6:47 AM

-0.3

8:24 PM

Rise 8:35 PM

1.7

6:33 AM

Set 7:32 AM

-0.3

8:24 PM

Rise 9:24 PM

1.7

6:33 AM

Set 8:20 AM

-0.3

8:24 PM

Rise 10:11 PM

1.7

6:33 AM

Set 9:10 AM

Moon Visible

97 99 99

-0.3

8:25 PM

Rise 10:56 PM

1.6

6:33 AM

Set 10:02 AM

-0.2

8:25 PM

Rise 11:39 PM

1.6

6:33 AM

Set 10:56 AM

84 76

8:25 PM

-0.1

6:33 AM

Rise 12:20 AM

1.5

8:26 PM

Set 11:51 AM

The good news here is that when the legislature convenes on July 18 there will be little place for legislators to hide. Since a Special Session can only address the items listed by the Governor hiding and stalling bills in committee is difficult. At some point we can assume that the Tax Reform bill will come to the floor for a vote and we can assume it will include language that will cut the annual handout below the 8% threshold. There is even some crazy talk around the watering holes in Austin that the forthcoming bill could include language that requires a vote by the public for any tax increase. That may be Crazy Talk but if you think the Texas Municipal League was crying wolf over a 5 % increase you can only imagine the decibel level of their screeching if their clients have to ask for even a 1% increase. Western Civilization could never survive such a thing in their world. There is a lot of red meat on the Special Session list that will engender the usual howls from both sides of the aisle but the one that will hit Islanders the most directly is the tax reform bill which I can tell you from experience will get very little of the coverage for the simple reason that most Capitol reporters, and probably many legislators, don’t even understand the difference between a Tax Rate and an Effective Tax Rate. But it is the one item we should be paying the most attention to. Annual 8% tax increases for those of us who live on The Island is a serious whack to the pocketbook and we all know people who have already had to move off The Island due to high taxes. We have a dog in this fight and I plan to attend the Special Session to see how things play out.

The Texas Senate passed a bill in the Regular

Governor Greg Abbot announced this week that he is calling a Special Session of the 85th Texas Legislature with twenty items and topping the list is tax reform after an anti-tax group delivered 3000 signed petitions to his office door.

Session that would cut the annual tax hike allowed to 5% which is still more than twice the inflation rate but is at least a major step in the right direction, and that number could change in a Special Session. The bill stalled in the house after pressure from the Texas Municipal League who took the position on behalf of Texas cities that if they are to live with a mere 5% annual tax hike, why, little children will be dying in the streets of our towns. Oh the humanity!

12:19 AM

The 8% increase was written into law in 1980 when the inflation rate was a whopping 14.76%, but has been left at that number ever since even as inflation has dropped to the current rate of 2.2%. It’s a dirty little secret that office holders often don’t understand when they take office and don’t want to change once they do; it’s a free bite at the apple. But the Texas Legislature has a chance to fix that.

Drill ship coming in by Steve Coons

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Frieghter coming in by Steve Coons

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

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

The BACK PORCH

Ruben V. June 8 Tejas Brothers June 9 Joe King Carrasco June 10 Jerry Dias June 15 Mike Blakely June 16 Uncle Lucius June 17

The BACK PORCH Bar ON THE WATERFRONT

132 W. Cotter St. The

PortA

Rig in channel by Steve Coons

June 8, 2017

Island Moon

Senior Moments

The Flag of The United States of America

By Dotson Lewis

Special to the Island Moon each new state.

Dotson’s Note: Next Wednesday (June 14) is Flag Day. There will be a Flag Day Ceremony at 10 AM, Saturday June 10th at the Ben Garza gym, 1815 Howard Street. The ceremony is presented by the Association of the United States Army. The ceremony is free and open to the public. All are encouraged to join us at the ceremony. Please bring your families, including children of all ages. PBS and Wikipedia contributed to this article.

On May 30, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation establishing a national Flag Day on June 14. Many Americans celebrate Flag Day by displaying the Red, White and Blue in front of homes and businesses. The day commemorates the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States. Do you know the flag's history? According to American legend, in June 1776, George Washington commissioned Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress, to create a flag for the new nation in anticipation of a declaration of its independence. On June 14, 1777, John Adams spoke about the flag at a meeting of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. He said, "Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field,

Today the flag consists of 13 horizontal stripes, seven red alternating with six white. The stripes represent the original 13 Colonies and the stars represent the 50 states of the Union. The colors of the flag are symbolic as well; red symbolizes hardiness and valor, white symbolizes purity and innocence, and blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice.

The National Museum of American History has undertaken a long-term preservation project of the enormous 1814 garrison flag that survived the 25-hour shelling of Fort McHenry in Baltimore by British troops and inspired Francis Scott Key to compose "The StarSpangled Banner." Often referred to by that name, the flag had become soiled and weakened over time and was removed from the museum in December 1998. This preservation effort began in earnest in June 1999, and continues to this day. The flag is now stored at a 10-degree angle in a special low-oxygen, filtered light chamber and is periodically examined at a microscopic level to detect signs of decay or damage within its individual fibers.

Anecdotingly

Jogging: A Cautionary Tale By Abigail Bair Over the last couple of years, I’ve been working pretty diligently to get myself into shape (I’m going for something other than “ovoid”). My body is a sneaky, uneducated hoarder whose sole desire is to spend its days intermittently interrupting nap time by cramming processed “food” and Miller Lite into its pie hole. I spend many hours strategizing like a general, applying formulas stolen from “The Art of War” to diet and exercise. Still, my body pines for potato chips, covets cheese and has tantrums for tacos. Despite my immaculately executed tactical assaults, my weight loss often stalls, and I have to return to the battle council to find another way. I hate running with the desperate passion most people reserve for fascist dictators, broccoli and Kelly Rippa. If someone pointed a gun at my head and said, “Run or I’ll shoot,” I’d probably respond by saying, “Ok, but give me a minute. I gotta work up to it.” Ironically, nothing takes the pounds off me faster than jogging — probably because my extreme hatred microwaves the fat cells right out of me like homemade laser liposuction. Last spring, I had about 10 pounds left to lose in order to hit my first goal, and I thought that I could probably handle adding the activity for a mere couple of weeks. “I can do anything for 14 stupid days,” I thought to myself, willfully ignoring the fact that there are a great many things that I can’t do for that long (holding my breath comes to mind).

There are a few locations where the U.S. flag is flown 24 hours a day, by either presidential proclamation or by law: Fort McHenry, National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore, Maryland Flag House Square, Baltimore, Maryland United States Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima), Arlington, Virginia On the Green of the Town of Lexington, Massachusetts The White House, Washington, D.C. Grounds of the National Memorial Arch in Valley Forge State Park, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Inspiration

representing a new constellation." There have been twenty-seven official versions of the flag so far; stars have been added to it as states have entered the Union. The current version dates to July 4, 1960, when Hawaii became the 50th state.

After a British bombardment, amateur poet Francis Scott Key was so inspired by the sight of the American flag still flying over Baltimore's Fort McHenry that he wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner" on Sept. 14, 1814. It officially became our national anthem in 1931. In 1892, the flag inspired James B. Upham and Francis Bellamy to write The Pledge of Allegiance. It was first published in a magazine called The Youth's Companion.

The History of the Flag

On Distant Shores

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed an act establishing an official flag for the new nation. The resolution echoed the above quote of John Adams. On Aug. 3, 1949, President Harry S. Truman officially declared June 14 as Flag Day.

In 1909, Robert Peary placed an American flag, sewn by his wife, at the North Pole. He also left pieces of another flag along the way. It is the only time a person has been honored for cutting the flag.

The history of our flag is as fascinating as that of the American Republic itself. It has survived battles, inspired songs and evolved in response to the growth of the country it represents. The following is a collection of interesting facts and customs about the American flag and how it is to be displayed:

The Flag That Flew Over Fort McHenry Origins The actual origin of the first American flag is unknown. Some historians believe it was designed by New Jersey Congressman Francis Hopkinson and sewn by Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross. The name Old Glory was given to a large, 10-by-17-foot flag by its owner, William Driver, a sea captain from Massachusetts. Inspiring

Displaying the Stars and Stripes

The flag should be displayed daily and on all holidays, weather permitting, on or near the main administration buildings of all public institutions. It should also be displayed in or near every polling place on election days and in or near every schoolhouse during school days. When displayed flat against a wall or a window, or in a vertical orientation, the “union” field of stars should be uppermost and to the left of the observer. When the flag is raised or lowered as part of a ceremony, and as it passes by in parade or review, everyone, except those in uniform, should face the flag with the right hand over the heart. The U.S. flag should never be dipped toward any person or object, nor should the flag ever touch anything beneath it. *Have any of you ever heard of Ft. Derne (Derna)?

the common nickname for all American flags, Driver’s flag is said to have survived multiple attempts to deface it during the Civil War. Driver was able to fly the flag over the Tennessee Statehouse once the war ended. The flag is a primary artifact at the National Museum of American History and was last displayed in Tennessee by permission of the Smithsonian at an exhibition in 2006. Between 1777 and 1960 Congress passed several acts that changed the shape, design and arrangement of the flag and allowed stars and stripes to be added to reflect the admission of

Dotson’s Other Note: Again you are urged to join us at Ben Garza gym for the Flag Day ceremony at 10 AM Saturday June 10, 2017. We all need to be reminded of what this country is all about. This ceremony will help to get us ready for the soon to be Independence Day (July 4th) Celebration. 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. Hang in there/Have fun!

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I strode out of my house that morning wearing yoga pants that were four sizes too big. In my defense, they didn’t feel that way when I donned them, fresh from the dryer. They were skin tight! As I ran, however, they stretched becoming looser and looser with each thudding stride. I reached back with the one hand that wasn’t occupied with the leash, and pulled them up. It helped for a second — then disaster struck. My pants fell all the way down to my ankles, causing me to trip and fall toes over teakettle to the sidewalk, my enormous purple polka dotted panties clearly visible to all the drivers on their morning rush hour commutes. Stadler valiantly tried to “help” by tangling both of us in her leash and then by standing on my shoulders poking her nose in my face to see if I was dead. I finally got the dog off me and stood up. Stadler ran joyous victory laps around my ankles, tangling us three further times before I screamed her into submission and finally raised my poor puddled pants. There was much honking. One guy laughed so hard he had to pull over and park in the bike lane for a few minutes to get himself together. I stormed past him towards our house, the back of my pants gathered in my right hand, holding fiercely to my dog and the remains of my dignity.

I stopped mid-plod, and quit. Stadler and I sat on a curb for a minute. I caught my breath and cussed while Stadler rested her head on my shoulder, and gave my cheek a consolation lick. Eventually, we started back towards home, panties tragically sagging the whole way.

In July 1969, the American flag was "flown" in space when Neil Armstrong placed it on the moon. Flags were placed on the lunar surface on each of six manned landings during the Apollo program.

The flag is usually displayed from sunrise to sunset. It should be raised briskly and lowered ceremoniously. In inclement weather, the flag should not be flown.

Everyone always says, “Once you lose the weight, you’ll get a whole new wardrobe. Won’t that be great?!?” No one ever remembers that getting skinny is a process. There are a lot of sizes between a sixteen and a six. Who wants to spend a bunch of money to buy clothes that won’t fit in two weeks? Not me. I despise shopping. Instead, I wore all my too big clothes tied on with a bit of rope, Jethro Clampett style. It wasn’t a great look, but it worked – for the most part.

My underwear was falling down.

In 1963, Barry Bishop placed the American flag on top of Mount Everest.

The first time the American flag was flown overseas on a foreign fort was in Libya, over Fort Derne*, on the shores of Tripoli in 1805.

The morning of our first jog, I awoke excited. The weather was chilly, so I threw on a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I keyed up some music, put on my brand new shoes and started stretching. Ten minutes later, Stadler and I were out the door on our way to Ocean Drive.

I was so furious at my failure that I couldn’t give up, even though my knees were skinned and my palms were raw. I charged into my house and put on a pair of pants that had a draw string at the waist. I choked that sucker up as far as it would go, and triple tied it in a knot from hell. It was so tight that even the smallest microbe wouldn’t have been able to slide between fabric and skin. Stadler and I set off again, this time on quieter street. I no longer cared about the view. I plodded down the road, flat footed and miserable. As I trudged, I felt something strange happening inside my new bottoms.

United States customs ports of entry

Above Betsy Ross showing the flag to George Washington and others.

Stadler flowing alongside me as we sailed to the land of skinniness where you can have all the cheese and margaritas you want. Visualization is not all it’s cracked up to be.

Since I knew that I disliked running, I decided that I’d try to make it easier on myself and my poor knees by purchasing proper equipment. My friend, Bethany-who-sometimes-jogs, was the greatest authority I could find on the subject, although I did consult Wikihow. She hauled me to Academy and made me try out shoes by running around the store. The newness of the insoles made me feel like winged Mercury as I bounded through the hiking boot section. Bethany laughingly tried to tell me that I looked like an idiot, but I was happily jumping about, pretending the benches were an obstacle course. You really can’t take me anywhere. I eventually bought some new shoes, and decided I’d start my amended routine on the following Monday. So often in our lives, expectations don’t match reality. I pictured myself, gazelle like, cruising gracefully in front of the sea, my loyal black lab

Stadler and I rarely jog now, but when we have to, I wear compression jogging tights and we go in the deepest, darkest night just in case. I still hate every stinking minute of it.

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Back to Basics – Low Maintenance Flower Garden Care By Melinda Myers Grow a beautiful flower garden with minimal care by investing a bit of time at the start of the season to reduce on-going care. Always match flowers to the growing conditions and the care you are willing to provide. Low maintenance plants need minimal or no deadheading and staking. This means you’ll be growing good-looking plants with little effort on your part. And if the plants are suited to the growing conditions and resistant to common pests you’ll be doing less work managing insect and disease problems. Further reduce your workload by selecting self cleaning or free flowering annuals and perennials and those bred for long bloom and compact growth. You’ll enjoy more colorful flowers with less pruning and grooming. Ageratum, angelonia, calibrochoa and many of the newer petunia cultivars are just a few of the annuals that do not need regular deadheading for continual bloom. Include perennials like willow amsonia, bugbane, Solomon seal, turtlehead and sedum autumn joy for lower maintenance and big results. Prepare the soil and provide proper fertilization before planting. Work several inches of compost or other organic matter into the top 8 to 12 inches of soil to improve drainage and water holding ability. Incorporate a low nitrogen organic fertilizer like Milorganite (milorganite.com) at the same time. The slow release formulation provides needed nutrients throughout most if not all of the season. Plus, it promotes slow steady growth that won’t interfere with flowering, is less susceptible to pests and is more drought tolerant. Properly space the plants, making sure they have sufficient room to reach their full size. Overcrowding means you will be thinning or dividing plants more often or battling disease problems instead of enjoying the full beauty the plants provide. Consider removing flowers on annuals at planting. This allows plants to focus energy on

establishing roots instead of flowers. Can’t bear to do this? Then remove the flowers on every other plant or every other row. Then a week or two later remove the flowers on the remaining plants. You will soon be rewarded with full compact plants that will produce more flowers throughout the season. Pinch back long and leggy transplants. Use a hard pinch to remove the tip and several inches of stem. Use your pruners or fingers to remove stems just above a set of leaves. The remaining plant will still look good while you wait for new leaves and stems to grow and produce new blooms. Encourage branching on single stemmed plants with a soft pinch. Remove just the uppermost portion of the stem where the leaves and tip are starting to develop. Soon you will have a well branched plant and more blossoms.

10 Reasons Not to Use Retractable Leashes

Retractable Dog Leashes Can be Dangerous for You and Your Pet A retractable leash is not so much a leash as it is a length of thin cord wound around a springloaded device housed inside a plastic handle. The handles of most retractable leashes are designed to fit comfortably in a human hand. A button on the handle controls how much of the cord is extended. Retractable leashes are popular primarily because they aren't as confining as regular leashes, allowing dogs more freedom to sniff and poke around on walks. But unfortunately, there are many downsides to this type of leash.

10 Reasons Not to Use a Retractable Leash

Improve plant posture and reduce the need for staking with early season pruning. Keep mums and asters compact by pinching them back to six inches throughout June to encourage compact growth. Eliminate floppy growth and the need for staking on late bloomers like Boltonia, Autumn Joy sedum, Russian sage and Heliopsis

5. Dogs have also received terrible injuries as a result of the sudden jerk on their neck that occurs when they run out the leash, including neck wounds, lacerated tracheas, and injuries to the spine. 6. Retractable leashes allow dogs more freedom to pull at the end of them, which can look like aggression to another dog who may decide to "fight back." 7. The handles of retractable leashes are bulky and can be easily pulled out of human hands, resulting in a runaway dog. 8. Along those same lines, many dogs – especially fearful ones – are terrorized by the sound of a dropped retractable leash handle and may take off running, which is dangerous enough. To make matters worse, the object of the poor dog's fear is then "chasing" her, and if the leash is retracting as she runs, the handle is gaining ground on her – she can't escape it. Even if this scenario ultimately ends without physical harm to the dog (or anyone else), it can create lingering fear in the dog not only of leashes, but also of being walked.

Revive catmint and perennial salvia that flop open in the center with pruning. Cut flopping plants back halfway once or twice a season as needed. And don’t forget to mulch. Covering the soil surface with an inch or two of shredded leaves, evergreen needles/pine straw or other organic material will conserve moisture, suppress weeds and improve the soil as they decompose. Always water new plantings often enough to keep the top few inches of soil moist. Once established water thoroughly and only as needed. This encourages drought tolerant roots, so you’ll need to do less watering in the future. With proper planning, plant selection and soil preparation you can keep your ongoing care to a minimum. That means more time to relax and enjoy your beautiful garden.

4. If a dog walker gets tangled up in the cord of a retractable leash, or grabs it in an attempt to reel in their dog, it can result in burns, cuts, and even amputation. In addition, many people have been pulled right off their feet by a dog that reaches the end of the leash and keeps going. This can result in bruises, "road rash," broken bones, and worse.

9. Retractable leashes, like most retractable devices, have a tendency to malfunction over time, either refusing to extend, refusing to retract, or unspooling at will.

Silly dog photos by Debbie Noble 1. The length of retractable leashes, some of which can extend up to 26 feet, allows dogs to get far enough away from their humans that a situation can quickly turn dangerous. A dog on a retractable leash is often able to run into the middle of the street, for example, or make uninvited contact with other dogs or people.

10. Retractable leashes are an especially bad idea for dogs that haven't been trained to walk politely on a regular leash. By their very nature, retractables train dogs to pull while on leash, because they learn that pulling extends the lead.

2. In the above scenario, or one in which your pet is being approached by an aggressive dog, it is nearly impossible to get control of the situation if the need arises. It's much easier to regain control of – or protect -- a dog at the end of a six-foot standard flat leash than it is if he's 20 or so feet away at the end of what amounts to a thin string. 3. The thin cord of a retractable leash can break – especially when a powerful dog is on the other end of it. If a strong, good-sized dog takes off at full speed, the cord can snap. Not only can that put the dog and whatever he may be chasing in danger, but also the cord can snap back and injure the human at the other end.

If your dog is well trained, gentle mannered and smart enough to master a regular leash and a retractable leash without being confused, you could be one of the rare guardians that can walk your pooch on any kind of leash without increasing risks to either one of you.

Homegrown Flavor from an Indoor Garden By Melinda Myers Add some homegrown flavor to your meals. From microgreens to tomatoes, it is possible to grow produce indoors. Microgreens are a quick and easy way to add some flavor and crunch to your plate. Just plant seeds labeled for sprouting or microgreens in a shallow container filled with a sterile potting or seed starting mix. Within two weeks you will be harvesting nutritious mini vegetable and herb leaves for salads, sandwiches or snacking. Take it one step further and grow a few of your favorite herbs on a warm sunny windowsill. Select a container with drainage holes and set on the appropriate size saucer to protect your woodwork. Fill the container with well-drained potting mix and plant seeds or transplants. Purchase basil, chives, parsley, oregano and rosemary plants from your local garden center or the produce department.

flower and fruit. Blue light promotes leaf and stem growth, while red combined with blue promotes flowering. Consider investing in energy efficient and long lasting high intensity grow lights for the greatest yields when growing tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and other fruiting plants indoors. Leave lights on for 14, but no more than 16 hours each day. Plants need a dark period as well as bright light each day to grow and thrive. Use a timer to ensure the plants receive the right duration of light. Most flowering and fruiting plants need a high intensity of light, so keep the lights six to twelve inches above your plants. Use reflective surfaces under and around the plants to bounce light back into larger plants. Increase your indoor growing space by going vertical. Shelf units with built-in light fixtures like the Stack-n-Grow Light System (gardeners.

Wiley and his ling.

Greens, like lettuce and spinach, will also grow in a sunny window or better yet under artificial lights. Grow them in a container filled with a well-drained potting mix similar to your windowsill herb garden. Plant seeds according to the seed packet. Continually harvest the outer leaves when they are four to six inches tall. Those that like a bit of a challenge may want to try growing a compact tomato, pepper or eggplant. You’ll get the best production with a combination of natural and artificial light or full spectrum lights. Natural sunlight and full spectrum lights contain the variety of light plants need to grow,

com) provide multiple layers of growing space. And once your tomatoes, peppers and eggplants start flowering, you will need to shake things up a bit. Gently shake the plants several times a week, better yet daily, to move the pollen from the female to the male parts of the flower so fruit will develop. A gentle breeze from a fan or vibrations from a battery-operated toothbrush work well. Indoor gardening won’t yield the same results as a sunny outdoor garden, but the flavor can’t be beat when gardening outdoors is not an option.

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SPORTS Sports Talk Special to The Island Moon

Adam Silva Can Save the WNBA By Dotson Lewis Special to the Island Moon Dotson’s Note: Since its start in 1997, the Women’s National Basketball Association has had enthusiastic fans looking for good basketball and seeing in the league affirmation of the goal of sports equality. But as its 20th season gets underway, the WNBA’s modest attendance and television viewership (just below 200,000 on ESPN’s networks last season) illuminate a stubborn imbalance between men’s and women’s professional leagues, adding to the expanding debate about the place of women’s sports in society. Nina Mandell & Wikipedia contributed to this article.

Adam Silva Can Save the WNBA

A Perfect Day

times what they make in the WNBA) it will go beyond basketball.

By Andy Purvis Special to the Island Moon

It will help in answering that question of how to make women’s sports profitable and worth investing in and could translate into a better professional women’s soccer league, softball league and even a football league where women can play without having to shed most of their clothes. Doing that trickles down to women and little girls everywhere who want to play sports and still are searching for role models that their friends know and like too.

He was far from a regular guy. He had always been a person of faith, but not religious. He may have had one of the most recognizable faces in the game. Why, because he looked like a boxer instead of a baseball player. Some said he owned the face of a saint, a Saint Bernard. He couldn’t hide anything; his whole life was written right there on his face. He was the kind of guy who wore a crew-cut, ate with his fingers, and met his current wife at a bowling alley. He could get as mad as Coach Woody Hayes, cuss like General George Patton, and pull five different muscles while celebrating. Slow-footed yet strong, he owned brute strength in a body that remained brittle; he was injured as much as he was healthy. He wanted to be liked so much that he never realized his own value; he would have played for nothing. Big yet gentle, he was a free-swinger, a guess hitter, who guessed right an awful lot. He once said,

It doesn’t take a miracle maker to make the WNBA popular and more successful than it has been in its first two decades. But it does take some help — and Silver offering it is the best birthday present it could ask for.

WNBA’s 2017 Season Tipped Off May 13th

*Brittney Griner-Height 6’8” - Arm Span 86 Inches Adam Silva The revitalization of the future of the WNBA started with a seemingly off-the-cuff remark by NBA commissioner Adam Silver in September that he thought the league would have caught on more by now. Adam Silva said last November: “Everyone who loves the game of basketball acknowledges how great the team play is on the floor. Anybody who watched the WNBA Finals came to the same conclusion. If we can get fans of the game of basketball to sample this product, they will come back. This is great basketball. There is no dispute. And in the early days of the WNBA, we had detractors who claimed that the quality of the basketball was not sufficient to sustain a league. No one is saying that anymore. It’s entirely a business issue.” And now, as the league hits the 20th season mark, it seems like Silver has turned the attention of the NBA’s front office even more towards working with its women’s league with the mandate to make sure it succeeds. The league has a huge opportunity this year with a landmark season, Diana Taurasi coming back from her season off, more big-time endorsements than ever and some of the most marketable stars in the league’s history. The announcement that every playoff game will air on ESPN is also long overdue — after all, how can you expect fans to really be invested if it is difficult to watch the biggest games of the season?

The WNBA tipped off its 21st season on Saturday, May 13, 2017, with three games, highlighted by the defending WNBA champion Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Seattle Storm. Los Angeles, led by 2016 WNBA regularseason MVP Nneka Ogwumike and Finals MVP Candace Parker, received its championship rings in a pregame ceremony and Seattle featured nine-time All-Star selection Sue Bird and reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year Breanna Stewart.. In the other opening-day matchups, the New York Liberty, led by former league MVP Tina Charles, hosted the San Antonio Stars, owners of the top pick in WNBA Draft 2017 presented by State Farm (3 p.m. ET); and twotime WNBA scoring leader Angel McCoughtry and the Atlanta Dream visited All-Stars Chiney Ogwumike and Alex Bentley and the Connecticut Sun WNBA Tip-Off 2017 presented by Verizon consisted of 16 games played over nine days (May 13-21), showcasing the home opener of every team. Throughout the 2017 season, ESPN’s family of networks will air up more than 40 games during the regular season. The network’s schedule will be announced at a later to 29 games, including every game of the WNBA Playoffs and WNBA Finals presented by Verizon. All ESPN telecasts will also be streamed live on WatchESPN and the ESPN app. NBA TV schedule to be announced. In addition, WNBA LEAGUE PASS will provide online and mobile viewing of live and archived WNBA games for the entire season with enhanced options such as multiple-game viewing and DVR functionality as well as boxscore and play-by-play overlays.

2017 ESPN Remaining Broadcast Schedule of the WNBA June 13 (Tuesday), 10 PM ET — Dallas @ Los Angeles (ESPN2)

Breanna Stewart

June 23 (Friday), 8 PM ET — Washington @ Minnesota (ESPN2) June 29 (Thursday), 8 PM ET — Seattle @ Connecticut (ESPN2)

But most importantly what seems to be happening is Silver and the NBA’s executives (most visibly NBA deputy commissioner and chief operating officer Mark Tatum) are taking a big and public stake in making the WNBA as a must-see event during the summer. Advertising the league during big-time NBA events like the All-Star game is a huge first step. Having one of the NBA’s biggest stars in Kevin Durant endorse the league in interviews can go a long way in helping make it OK for people other than women and families to support the league.

July 6 (Thursday), 8 PM ET — Los Angeles @ Minnesota (ESPN2)

“It’s amazing. It’s incredible,” Durant said. “A lot of people don’t respect the game. And I think it’s unfair. Those women can play the game of basketball. If you love the game the way I love it, it doesn’t matter who is shooting the basketball.”

August 10 (Thursday), 8 PM ET — Phoenix @ Dallas (ESPN2)

It is, after all, good basketball. The play of the WNBA has significantly improved as the game has continued to grow — thanks in large part to the WNBA — over the past two decades. But for women’s sports the importance of the WNBA succeeding goes beyond the league itself. The WNBA is the most high-profile and well-funded women’s sports league in the United States. If it can push itself back into a growth league, boost its television ratings and make it so that its stars get enough endorsements and league-wide pay raises so they don’t have to play an additional season overseas for money (which is where they currently make about 10

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July 18 (Tuesday), 9 PM ET — Chicago @ Seattle (ESPN2) July 22 (Saturday), 3:30 PM ET — WNBA All-Star Game 2017 (ABC) July 25 (Tuesday), 8 PM ET — New York @ Minnesota (ESPN2) August 3 (Thursday), 8 PM ET — Atlanta @ Minnesota (ESPN2)

August 16 (Wednesday), 7 PM ET — Los Angeles @ Washington (ESPN2) August 24 (Thursday), 9 PM ET — Los Angeles @ Phoenix (ESPN2) August 27 (Sunday), 7 PM ET — Minnesota @ Los Angeles (ESPN2) The 2017 WNBA regular season runs from Saturday, May 13 through Sunday, Sept. 3. A complete game-by-game list is available at http://www.wnba.com/schedule/. *Britteny Griner plays for Phoenix Dotson’s Other Note: Many of you Moon Monkeys may remember when it was very difficult to find NBA games that were televised. Then it exploded, and now you can find almost every NBA game on television and/or online. For the true fan of the game, the WNBA is a much better game for the average spectator than the NBA. If you agree, contact the networks and tell them how you would like more WNBA games being televised. Your comments, suggestions, questions and concerns regarding Sports Talk articles are greatly appreciated, please call the Benchwarmers at 361-560-5397 weekdays, Mondays thru Fridays, 5-7 PM, or contact me. Phone: 361-949-7681 Cell: 530-748-8475 Email: dlewis1@stx.rr.com Have fun -30-

Moose Skowron “I don’t always swing at strikes; I swing at the ball when it looks big.” He was also sincere, hardworking, and powerful; he could hit a baseball to Brazil with only one hand on his bat. His teammates called him “Popeye.” He was Paul Bunyan in spikes. He could rip a phonebook in half with his bare hands; even his hair had muscles. When he hit the ball square, it went so far out of the park you could pick it up on your way home from practice. Colonel Jacob Ruppert, an earlier owner of the New York Yankees, was once asked by a reporter what he considered to be a perfect afternoon at the ballpark. “When the Yankees score eight runs in the first inning and slowly pull away,” answered Ruppert. With players like Bill “Moose” Skowron, every afternoon in Yankee Stadium had potential to be perfect. The well-kept secret of the Yankees’ success could be revealed in three categories. First, they had great players who all loved playing baseball. Second, they played for a team with history and expectations on the biggest stage in America, New York City. And third, they wanted to win “today’s game.” Today’s game, there lies the magic. William Joseph “Moose” Skowron, Jr. was a big game player. He was born December 18, 1930, in a Polish neighborhood, in Chicago, Illinois. His father, Bill Sr., was a garbage collector and played semi-pro baseball for 18 years. Moose was the batboy for his dad’s team. Skowron got his nickname, Moose, from his grandfather who was cutting his hair one day when he was seven years old. “He told me I looked like the Italian Dictator Benito

Mussolini,” said Skowron. “He later shortened it to Moose and it stuck.” As a youngster, he spent eight years as an alter boy and at age 11, won the city marbles championship. Moose attended Weber High School in Chicago, where he played football and basketball. They did not have a baseball team. Moose wanted to attend Notre Dame and the Irish wanted him as well, but during his visit to the campus, football Coach Frank Leahy, made it clear that he would play football and nothing else. “I went to the grotto, lit a candle, prayed, and decided to go to Purdue,” said Moose. He loved baseball. Purdue offered him a football scholarship and allowed him to play basketball and baseball. Future Hall-of-Fame football coach, Hank Stram, was the freshman football and baseball coach. Skowron played third base and won the Big Ten batting title his sophomore season by hitting .510 for the season. That record stood for ten years in the Big Ten Conference. Moose also set a Purdue football record for punting. He once punted the football left-footed against Northwestern, for 82 yards. While enrolled in college, Moose decided one summer to play semi-pro baseball in Austin, Minnesota. Yankee scout, Burleigh Grimes, watched him hit four home runs off four different pitchers and made him an offer. When the Yankees offered him 25 grand, Stram said, “Moose, take the money and get out of here.” In 1950, at the age of 19, Skowron left Purdue and signed with the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent, for 25,000 dollars. In 1951, Bill reported to the Rookie Instructional League in Arizona. His body had filled out quite well, now standing 6’ tall and weighing 195 pounds. There he met other players like Gil McDougald, Mickey Mantle, Jackie Jensen, Tom Morgan, Bob Crev and Andy Carey. That’s quite a class, and their teacher was none other than “The Old Perfessor,” Casey Stengel. Moose described his time with Mantle in 1951 as, “a spring you only dream about.” Skowron was later sent to Class-B Norfolk, Virginia, and played outfield for Manager Mayo Smith. In 1952 and 1953, Moose tried his hand at first base while playing for the Kansas City Blues, the triple A team for the Yankees. Casey had told Moose that his quickest way to the Major Leagues was at first base. Stengel was proved correct. Skowron’s manager in Kansas City was former Yankee great, George Selkirk. Selkirk had the honor of wearing the #3 of “Babe” Ruth for the Yankees a few years before Ruth’s number was officially retired. In the book, Dynasty: The New York Yankees 1949-1964, written by Peter Golenbock, Moose tells the following story. “DiMaggio brought her to Spring Training one year, and we begged him to take us to dinner with her. I shaved four times that day. Marilyn Monroe was great--classy, funny, wanted to learn more about baseball and absolutely gorgeous.” Next week: The New York Yankees. 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.

June 8, 2017

Island Moon

The Traveling Moon Gets Around

Hi, a month ago I stayed with two wonderful people in Corpus Christi, Flour Bluff. I was on vacation then. They gave me an edition of your newspaper. I promised my hosts to take a picture when I would be back in my home country, Belgium. So I kept my promise and took a picture at the Royal Palace. It would be very nice if you would publish this picture, my hosts (Laura and Keb) will be glad to see it appear! Chuck and Ruby Anderson took the Island Moon with them to Akumal, Mexico on vacation. Water was as nice as OTB on Padre Island.

North Padre Islanders Joe and Rachel Trevino vacationing in front of the hotel Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec, Canada with the Island Moon.

The Gilliam girls took Islander Mark Gilliam and the Island Moon to NOLA for his birthday. L to R Birthday boy, Mark, Jules, Sarah and Suzanne.

A10

June 8, 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

15958 Punta Espada 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 3 car garage. 2,575 sq. ft. Upgraded granite, lots of lighting. Double oven. $379,900. Charlie Knoll 361443-2499.

14853 Quarterdeck 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath 2 car garage with 2,177 sq. ft. Built in 2013. Master features walk in shower and separate tub. Granite and tile. $289,000. Charlie Knoll 361-443-2499.

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. $789,000. Call Charlie Rouzer 949-3015.

Beachfront! Corner Unit. 2/2 Spectacular views. Floor to ceiling windows. Private balcony. Elevators. Sparkling heated pool. Gated. Carrie 361-949-5200.

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.

14427 Compass B8 $228,000. 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1 car garage. Great location. 1,326 sq. ft. on the water with boat and boatslip. Kellye 361-522-0292.

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. $369,900. Charlie Knoll 361-443-2499.

Great 2/2 Unit at the Riviera on Ocean Dr. Fantastic waterviews from living and master. Tile and carpet floors. Very secure building. Call Cheryl Floyd 361-5630444.

15729 Dyna—3/2/2 interior lot. Walk to the Charter school and beach. Move in ready. Nicely landscaped backyard. Call for a viewing today. Cheryl 361-5630444.

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

Condos, Condos, Condos

Check Out these Condos available in Wonderful Complexes allowing Short Term Rentals!

14978 Topgallant Fantastic two story 2,160 sq. ft. + a bonus area of 235. 3-2.5-2 two story. Salt water heated pool. Large lot on cul de sac. A must see. Call Cheryl 563-0444.

13641 Camino De Oro Luxurious one story 4/2.5/2 3,210 sq. ft. waterfront home with 2 living, 2 dining, 2 fireplaces, boat lift. $650,000. Cindy Molnar 5495557.

13953 Blackbeard 3/2/2 waterfront home with 1,589 sq. ft. North facing exposure. Open airy floorplan. Deck and dock set up for sailboat. $314,900. Charlie Knoll 361-443-2499.

15973 Cuttysark Gorgeous 3/3/2 located on large pie shaped waterfront lot with two dining areas, lots of built ins, boat dock, covered patio. $494,900. Terry 549-7703.

15629 Escapade Fabulous open floor plan with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2 dining areas, 3+ garage, covered patio. Still time to customize, $314,900. Call Cindy Molnar 549-5557.

13921 Flintlock 3/2/2 with 1,499 sq. ft. of living space. Four side brick. Nice floor plan, covered patio. Close to boat launch. $204,900. Charlie 443-2499.

Walking Distance to Schlitterbahn!

Beach Club Condos Close to Beach Pool, hot tub, fitness center

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

Anchor Resort #196 1/1.5 remodeled unit $139,400

#375 2/2 $159,900 #394 Studio $99,000 #334 1/1 $115,000 #289 Studio $115,000

Beach Haven #703 3/2.5/1 Close to beach $199,900

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

Lot 9 Block 218 Cruiser Great waterfront lot perfect for multifamily construction. 80x120. $150,000. 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., $675,000. 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.

15217 Isabella An amazing location and views are yours with this 3/2.5/2 waterfront. 2,013 sq. ft. Covered deck and boat lift. Large living. Call Charlie Knoll 361-4432499.

13817 Halyard 3/2/2. Open floor plan. Lots of tile. Great light. Lots of decking. 1,654 sq. ft. Separate laundry. $305,000. Call Cheryl for a viewing. 563-0444.

15674 Cumana 3/4/2. Bonus area now set up as a mother in law suite. Mature landscaping. Pool. Well maintained. You don’t want to miss this one. Call Cheryl 5630444.

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

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

6612 Hardwick 3/2 $900

15125 Leeward #24 2/2 $1150

14910 Leeward #302 3/3.5/2 $2200

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

13534 Buillon 4/3.5/2 $3000

13997 Ports O’Call 3/2 $1400

Leeward Isles #308 1/1 furnished $975

4765 Willowick 3/2/2 $1400

Beach Club #375 2/2 $1275

Sale Pending

Great Investment! Duplex with oversized RV garage. 12’x75’x15’ full hook ups. Each unit has: 3B/2B/1. Open floor plan. Tile. Boat Parking. Carrie 949-5200.

13914 Mingo Cay 1 bedroom, 1 bath waterfront condo with boat slip, covered patio and washer/ dryer hook up in unit, $110,000. Call Cindy Molnar 549-5557.

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

13626 Whitecap—Seaquist Homes 3/2/2. 1,635 sq. ft. Tile floors, stainless appl., open floor plan, crown moulding, covered patio. $229,000. Cheryl.

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

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.