La Posada photos by Miles Merwin
Issue 557
The voice of The Island since 1996
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The Island Moon
December 18, 2014 Around The Island By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com
Weekly
The Island is ‘La Posaded’ for 2014 Colorful Boats, Golf Carts, and Jeeps Keep Spirit Going
The 40th version of the La Posada Lighted Boat Parade went off under perfect weather Friday and Saturday nights. The Padre Island Yacht Club has done a great job of expanding the number of La Posada events in the past couple of years. This year’s parade had fewer boats than in some years but the event collected 4308 toys and $20,000 which will be used to purchase more.
The Flour Bluff department is often the first line of defense for brush fires, which are the most common type of fire we have on The Island. Any Islanders who watched anxiously last December as a brush fire swept across the open grassland on the south end of The Island toward homes will immediately understand what a big deal this is. Brush fires move quickly in our South Texas breeze and having the brush trucks already on The Island to knock the fire down before it spreads is a real game changer
Bluff millionaire One lucky Flour Bluff resident walked into the Stripes Store at Waldron Road and SPID last week and walked out a millionaire. She won a cool million on a scratch off card. We’re told there are still four more of the million dollar scratch offs floating around in the state. Good luck everybody.
Island Christmas The good folks over at the Island House condos on the Michael J. Ellis Seawall are offering a family holiday getaway. What they are offering is a complimentary two- night stay in a two- bedroom, two-bath condo plus a turkey dinner for a family to enjoy. So, if you know a deserving family whose Christmas could use a shot in the arm please email a brief summary of why this person/family should win this Christmas staycation on the beach!!
Sale of 3680 Acres of Island Land to Nueces County Complete By Dale Rankin Almost two years after the first stories on the subject appeared in the Island Moon the purchase of 3680 acres of land by Nueces County from the Texas General Land Office was approved by Nueces County Commissioners on Wednesday.
Island fire station If you have ever noticed way down at the bottom of your tax notice there is a line for Nueces County Emergency Service District #2. You may have wondered what that was for. Well, that one line on the tax notice looks like it may be about to pay a big dividend to The Island. Chief Dale Scott of the fire department in Flour Bluff and Charlie Zahn, Chairman of the Nueces County Coastal Parks Board, are working on a plan that would build a new fire station on five acres of land at Padre Balli Park. . The new facility would be paid for by funds from the district’s budget.
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The newly acquired land will be used for public recreation and remain open to the public under the direction of the Nueces County Coastal Parks Board.
Fleet Award winner Sea Casa was the command boat of the parade By Brent Rourk In bright fashion it came and went again. La Posada, an Island mainstay that celebrates the Christmas Holiday and helps provide many toys for less fortunate children, provided a new event this year (the inaugural Cart and Jeep Land Parade) in addition to the annual and much anticipated Lit Boat Parades. With unimagined powers, the sponsoring Padre Island
Yacht Club (PIYC) requested and received ideal weather for the boat parades. It seemed to many Islanders that there were more parties this year, lasting well into the evenings. The Friday night boat parade was short yet colorful as 9 beautifully decorated boats took many turns around the northern route characteristically stopping where people were partying or flashing
a light for toy pick-ups. Saturday evening’s parade featured 17 lit boats that ran routes through many of the main Island canals and feeder canals. Twelve collector boats, most with Marines on board, picked up thousands of toys that were transported to the PIYC by volunteer Sea Tow and Tow Boat US boats.
La Posada continued on A2
Mazoch Family Christmas
Island Projects
Design for Water Exchange Bridge 90% Complete
GLO continued on A14
The following updates on projects currently underway on The Island come from information presented to the Island Strategic Action Committee in its meeting on December 2. The next ISAC meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 6 at Comfort Suites on Windward Drive. All meetings are open to the public.
Projects continued on A14
Under the agreement beach maintenance will remain in the hands of Kleberg County. Also under the terms of the sale an agreement would need to be approved by Kleberg County Commissioners before the approximately six miles of beach included in the purchase could be included in the area where a beach parking sticker is required. The purchase by the county ends a year-long fight for ownership of the land between the county and the Texas Nature Conservancy which
By Dale Rankin
Park Road 22/SPID Water Exchange Bridge. 90% of the design for the bridge has now been approved by the Texas Department of Transportation, according to information presented to the ISAC
Corpus Christi based Ed Rachal Foundation donated $1 million for the project, the sale price for the land was $626,000; the remaining $374,000 is to be used to purchase a four-wheel drive vehicle for county law enforcement personnel to patrol the area ($70,000) with the remainder to be used for other public-use related items. The land includes 20% of the public beaches between Port Aransas and the Padre Island National Seashore (PINS).
Inside the Moon
The Mazoch Family Christmas Display Whitecap was selected as a 10 Best finalist for Best Private Lights Display in the United States by USA Today newspaper. The vote for the best house in the country continues through 2 a.m. on Friday, December 19.
Island Living Fishing A7
Please email their story to Cynthia at crequenez@ccislandhouse.com. The winner will be contacted on Monday 12/22/14. Please include a contact phone number.
Possible tax cap When the Texas Legislature convenes next month in Austin one of the bills in the hopper is one which would reduce the amount that cities and counties across the state can raise property taxes (the Effective Tax Rate) from 8% to 4% without facing a rollback election from taxpayers. The Nueces County Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted unanimously to oppose the bill; which is interesting given that they, as well as the City of Corpus Christi, bumped their ETR hike right up against the 8% tax increase number for the current fiscal year. Tuesday’s vote looks like a sign that Nueces County Commissioners may have another 7% tax hike in mind for their next budget. The County Commission likes to blame their increased revenue each year on rising property evaluations and not call them tax increases. If they are not raising taxes it makes you wonder why they would care about the reduction of the 8% rollback number. Don’t forget about the Dog Santa at the Animal Hospital on Friday and Saturday. We’ll see you there. In the meantime say hello if you see us Around The Island.
Early Deadlines next two weeks! We'll be printing the paper on Tuesday. Get your submissions in early.
Sports A8
The ladies of P.I.E (Padre Enrichment Club) held their first Holiday Home Tour recently at ten homes around The Island. We will feature more of them in the next few issues. The Ardoin home along Packery Channel is this week’s featured home. The house was originally built in the 1960s and has been added on to twice and the once outdoor swimming pool is now indoors.
More photos on A11
New Ferry Building A9
A2
December 18, 2014
Island Moon
La Posada continued from A1
Festively lit boats slowly cruised main canals for hours on Saturday evening, performing a brief show, a spin, or a slow turn to entertain wide-eyed, smiling, and appreciative children standing on their decks. In many cases, children came running out of their houses to see the beautifully lit boats. Boat captains were generous with their time, looking for signs of
boat owners and collector boat owners enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast prepared by PIYC volunteers. Following the breakfast, the La Posada Parade Commander awarded custom made tumblers to winners of the Lit Boat Parades. The tumblers are intricately hand-made and custom painted by Aloe Tile Company in Corpus Christi, and many of those tumblers proudly adorn the mantles in homes of many past winners.
Winners of this year’s La Posada Lit Boat Parades were:
Marines were well fed at The Forney home on Friday evening prior to the lit boat parade
Fleet Award (Overall Winner) – Sea Casa – Jim and Marie Tipton Most Joyful – 1st Tenacious - Mike and Cindy Taulbert Most joyful – 2nd – Un-Reel - John Murray
Toys and bikes filled a room at the Padre Island Yacht Club
Island Spirit – 1st – Moon Rise – David Wilson Island Spirit – 2nd – Ski Basin Bums – Ernest Brown
life on decks so that they could provide a show.
Most Patriotic – 1st – Lady J – David Waltrip
Repeatedly, Marines who picked up toys were asked to pose with families for a keepsake snapshot. Marines were appreciate and happy to oblige the generous families who donated toys.
Most Patriotic – 2nd – Barnacle Betty – Tom Younghans Most Traditional – 1st – Cuz We Can – Bill Rouse
Some of the La Posada LIt Boat parade winners pose with their custom made tumblers
Long lines of volunteers on Sunday morning helped load trucks with toys
Most Traditional – 2nd – Reelax – Jerry Bravenec After the Lt Boat Parade Award Ceremony, PIYC Commodore Vic Schreck called the Marines ‘front and center’ and awarded them with a $20,000.00 check for Toys for Tots. That money will go a long way (along with the 4,300 toys collected during the La Posada events) in providing toys for countless less fortunate children in South Texas.
The 2014 Fleet Award winners Marie and Jim Tipton vIt seems that many Islanders were a bit slow to get up on Sunday, but not a host of PIYC members who joined a pack of Marines to load 4,300 toys on two trucks. After that early morning workout, volunteers, Marines, parade
The Major receives a check for twenty thousand dollars for Toys for Tots
By Monday evening the La Posada Committee was already unofficially meeting to discuss a few areas of next year’s La Posada. The joy, spirit, and fun that La Posada brings to the Island is incalculable. Hundreds of Islanders cherish lasting memories revolving around La Posada Parades and Parties. A hearty THANKS to every volunteer, business, and person who made the La Posada events possible by giving – giving time, effort, love, toys, and donations. Everybody is a winner, especially the kids. In 2015 the La Posada lit boat parades will be held on December 11th and 12th. Of course, more information will be provided throughout the year. For now – Merry Christmas.
Tenacious was one of the beautifully lit boats during the boat parades
Marines help collect toys during the La Posada Land Parade
JOIN US AS WE REDISCOVER THE TRUE STORY OF CHRISTMAS! Pastor Bil and Jessica Cornelius invite you to join us at Church Unlimited this Christmas season as we experience the story of Christ’s birth in a brand new way! Bring your friends and family for a community-wide celebration you don’t want to miss! PADRE ISLAND CAMPUS CHRISTMAS SERVICE TIMES
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24TH 6:00 PM & 8:00 PM JOIN US THIS WEEKEND FOR OUR REGULAR SERVICE TIMES AT 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM & 11:30 AM CHURCH UNLIMITED • Padre Island Campus 15205 SPID, SUITE 200 • Corpus Christi, TX 78418 WeAreChurchUnlimited.com
December 18, 2014
Island Moon
Moon Monkeys
Port A
Mike Ellis, Founder
Just a quick message to share our recent events. We had a nice turnout for the annual Christmas party. The gift of the year was a wooden duck decoy. Some of you heard that Helen Garrett took a fall and had to leave early (by way of the hospital!). I spoke to her this morning, and she is doing fine and getting her staples out today. Be sure and visit the Christmas tree forest at the Civic Center this week. Our tree is warm and cozy, thanks to the ladies of the Prayer Shawl ministry and others. The handmade scarves and hats are lovely, and it also features gloves and socks. All of the clothing will be donated to the Good Samaritan ministries in Corpus Christi. If you would like to donate, bring adult socks or gloves to the tree. There is a box and basket where items may be left. Many thanks to Diana Vondra, Helen Jameson, and Mary McCann for decorating on Sunday.
Distribution Pete Alsop Island Delivery Coldwell Banker Advertising Jan Park Rankin Classifieds Arlene Ritley Design/Layout Jeff Craft Contributing Writers Joey Farah
Please have a warm and safe Christmas season, and stay tuned for events in the New Year. Mark you calendar for our January meeting on Jan. 27, with renowned speaker Tony Amos, at the Community Center. Yours,
Andy Purvis
Julie Findley
Devorah Fox
What I learned About our FBISD School Leaders while holding a political sign
Mary Craft t Christiansen Jay Gardner Chad Peters Todd Hunter Dotson Lewis
There are some behind the scenes problems you need to know as taxpayers!
Ronnie Narmour Brent Rourk
The FBISD Public Information Coordinator makes $71,000.00 a year for doing a poor job. She was going to retire...but now continues to build her Teacher's Retirement Pension--thank to the taxpayers.
Dr. Donna Shaver Photographers Miles Merwin Jeff Dolan Mary Craft Ronnie Narmour Office Security/Spillage Control (Emeritus)
She is not very professional--staff and the media both have expressed concerns about her behavior. KRIS-TV "Raise your Eyebrows" spot in November. But I don’t thinks she worries about these things or becoming a news story for taking sides during the most recent school board elections, because it seems she has some pretty good friends on the School Board. And, School Board relationships are even tighter for the second in Command for FBISD-(Alicia Needham) her husband was just reelected to the school board.
Riley P. Dog 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 15201 S. Padre Island Drive, Suite 250 Corpus Christi, TX 78418
Superintendent Joe Kelly has a tough job...but I wonder, with the relationships these two key FBISD leaders have with the School Board... will he even be allowed to do it. I encourage you to get involved and track the actions of the Administrative staff (Kelly, Needham and Kaylor) and the board...I am concerned that "Class, Pride, Heart," might not mean what it used to... One keynote of information. The district employees need to demand their Equal Opportunity Employer offer the same retirement package to all. If you change your mind afterwards it is ok. The precedent has been set. YOU have earned it!! Desiree Fleming
Light
361-949-7700 editor@islandmoon.com Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper
Below is an email, which I sent to Mr. Raymond Chong, CC Traffic Engineering, Dec 11 at 3:58 PM, as follows: Hello Mr. Chong:
Where to Find The Island Moon Port Aransas Lisabella’s Restaurant
Sandpiper Condos WB Liquors Port A Arts
Stripes @ Beach Access Rd. 1A
North Padre
A Mano
All Stripes Stores
Coffee Waves
CVS
Moby Dicks
Whataburger
Spanky’sLiquor
Doc’s Restaurant
IGA Grocery Store
Isle Mail N More
Carter Pharmacy
Island Italian
San Juan’s Taqueria
Ace Hardware
Wash Board Laundry Mat
Texas Star (Shell)
Pioneer RV Park
Port A Parks and Rec Public Library
Snoopy’s Pier
Holiday Inn Jesse’s Liquor Scuttlebutt’s Restaurant Subway
Chamber of Commerce
Island Tire
Duckworth Antiques
And all Moon retail advertisers
Back Porch
WB Liquor
Woody’s Sports Center Shorty’s Place
Flour Bluff
Giggity’s
H.E.B.
Stripes @ Cotter & Station
Liquid Town
Gratitude Gift Shop Keepers Pier House Port A Glass Studio The Gaff
Whataburger on Waldron Ethyl Everly Senior Center Fire Station Police Station Stripes on Flour Bluff & SPID
Did Ya Hear?
Letters to the Editor
My name is Bob Algeo, and I made a Public Comment to CC City Council, Tuesday, Dec 9th, a couple of days ago. My comment was to request that the City Council please take a look at the proposal for a stoplight at the first intersection, coming down the bridge onto Padre Island. My concern is that various local media sources (KRIS, KIII and the Island Moon Newspaper) are reporting that the developer's stoplight proposal has the go ahead for installation. These reports have come out in the last week, since the Island Strategic Action Committee, ISAC, voted to recommend the stoplight installation, given their various caveats. For example - extra lanes, sensor systems, the ability for the stoplight to be shut down to only a flashing yellow light, whenever traffic backs up on the down side of the bridge before it, etc. Also fyi; the developer requesting the light, Mr. Walter Busby, also commented at the City Council Meeting, just after my comments. Perhaps you may have seen his comments, in which he referred to you as agreeing with his Traffic Study company's statements, as follows: "The simulation modeling presented (by Mr. Busby) provides evidence that the Aquarius Traffic Signal will not be the source of cueing, and will not make any existing cueing situations, that begin at Commodores, worse than they are at the peak conditions today. We do expect that a traffic signal at Aquarius will benefit traffic turning to or from Park Road 22, during these heavily congested times, and will create breaks in the cues for turning traffic." Mr. Chong; did Mr. Busby make his attribution correctly, sir? My sense is that there is some ambiguity in his quote. For example, could Mr. Busby's, "evidence," only be one piece of much more evidence required from other sources, for the City to go ahead with installation of a stoplight at that location? The Mayor replied to my comments during the Council Meeting, by saying that the City does, "not skip the step of doing expert analysis." Will the City be conducting expert analysis, apart from the study that the developer paid for? Or, perhaps the City already has conducted such independent expert analysis. If so sir, might the results of that analysis by publicly available? I appreciate any response you may have the time to send to me with actual facts about this developer's proposal for this stoplight, sir. Thank you sir, and Happy Holidays to you and yours'. Bob Algeo
A3
by Mary Craft mkay512@aol.com or @padreeyelander on twitter
Community Center To those of you who are still complaining about the fact that only 30-plus attendees of the POA meeting had input into the planned community center at Billish Park, I say to you: The world is run by those who show up! Dave Yonke
POA Recently on the Island Moon facebook page, Michael S. posted that the POA did nothing for the residents and that come Spring he would put his canal-front home on the market and move away from Corpus Christi.
We hear plans are in the works to bring a grocery store to the Island possibly as soon as a year from now. There will be talks with several grocery stores, not HEB, and the location has already been determined. Our Island population, which is now almost 10,000, can easily support a grocery store so it just needs to be determined which one it will be. La Isla Mexican Restaurant next to Subway is now open 6 am – 10 pm daily. Three cousins own this restaurant and La Palma on the Island. Their uncle is opening the Cancun Seafood Restaurant in the near future next to Padre Island Burger Company but it probably will not be serving breakfast.
Being on the POA Board, I felt compelled to educate Michael before he starts packing. 1. The POA is the largest owners association in the State of Texas, responsible to over 5000 properties, over 30 subdivisions and over 9000 residents. It is managed by 3 full time staff, a couple part-time and overseen by a seven-member elected volunteer board of directors. 2. The POA's most important task is to maintain and repair the bulkheads and canal system (including Michael's). Every year, money is spent repairing bulkheads in a systematic schedule. The POA also maintains the dredging of the canals to ensure our residents have no issues navigating their boats. 3. The POA maintains all the common areas within the vast boundaries of the association. A continuous and relentless task.
The Ashton Inn on Park Road 22 that was formerly Hampton Suites is now La Quinta. A Free Baldwin organ, approximately 20 years old, will be given to anyone interested but preferably to a school or church. Contact Steve Chisholm at 658-7724.
4. The POA oversees seven boat ramps, with parking lots reserved for members only. This includes ramp and lot maintenance as well as patrolling of the lots to ensure memberonly use. One warning is given and repeat offenders are towed at owners expense.
Roosevelt's located in the courtyard of the Tarpon Inn in Port A has "Christmas Dinner Packages" for the holidays. Choose for your main entrée turkey, pork loin, prime rib or roast duck. There is a wide selection of gourmet side dishes and delicious pies. Prices start at $99.95 and feed up to 12 people. Call 749-1540 or 749-5555 to place your order.
5. The POA ensures building requirements are met - requirements that are stricter than the City's to maintain a viable neighborhood. With recent authority to levy fines (something not doable in previously), compliance has risen dramatically.
The Padre Island Dog Christmas Party will be held at the home of Chuck & Bev Hoffman 13913 Skysail 949-3112 on Saturday, December 20th at 10 am. Bring your pup and a wrapped ($5 limit) dog toy or treat.
6. The POA is responsible for the Community gardens at Douden park - enjoyed by members. A growing project that is being looked at by other communities in the City and beyond for duplication.
Construction on Rock & Rolls Sushi Bar has been completed and they are just waiting on final permits. It is located near Surfside Sandwich Shoppe.
7. The POA led the charge in the formation of a Municipal Management District, approved by the State of Texas. The MMD (boundaries of the POA) allows the possible application for Federal and State assistance in case of a natural disaster. Without the MMD, the POA is viewed as a private organization only and would have to rely solely on reserve funds (members fees). 8. The POA has three members on the Coastal Windstorm Task Force and works diligently with Rep. Todd Hunter's office and in Austin to fight against rising windstorm rates.
Johnny D’s Restaurant is now taking orders for Take-away Christmas dinners. The restaurant will be open on Christmas day by reservation only. They are now taking reservations for New Year’s Eve dinners. They will have early dinner specials in January just in time for the Winter Texans. Santa Paws at the Animal Hospital will feature photos of your pet with Santa on December 18th & 19th 11 am – 3 pm. For each $5 donation they will match $5 and the money will go toward benefitting the Riley P. Dog Park. “Nice List” dogs, cats and owners are always welcome.
9. The POA has an appointed member on the City of Corpus Christi's Island Strategic Action Committee (ISAC) to ensure residents have a voice in all matters discussed by City Council that affects the Island. 10. Likewise, the POA meets regularly with City staff and City Council to ensure services to the Island are rendered and to keep communication and action open between the City and the Island. 11. The POA participated in actions that led to the raising of the causeway, the opening of Packery, the improvements on Whitecap and many other amenities.
It looks like the Lilliputians have taken over the Port Aransas water tower.
12. Speaking of Whitecap, as a result of resident requests, the POA is currently revitalizing the medians on Whitecap for improved curb appeal. A few years ago, they did the same at Sea Pines. 13. The POA formed and managed the Litter Critter service. Where residents can drop off their bulk items for the City to collect, rather than our members having to drive them to the dump. The POA Office was the drop off site for many years until the City requested it be moved to the Wastewater Treatment plant at the end of Whitecap. 14. The POA has been working with City staff for the Billish Park improvements. Without POA involvement, the City would be making all the decisions of what to put into the park and what it would look like. The POA has also committed funds to add to the Bond money to ensure a top-notch park for the children and all residents to be proud of. 15. Aside from dredging, the POA also periodically conducts canal clean-ups. Retrieving debris, garbage and other matter that fall or blow into the canals. Additionally, they contract to have the water quality tested regularly. 16. The three-person staff at the POA office also offer small services to members, such as the swapping library and free notary service. 17. The POA works with area builders to keep construction sites clean and disreputable builders out. 18. The POA meets with CCPD and Code Enforcement Officers regularly to ensure our resident safety and code compliance. Michael - this is the pared down list. I could go on and on. And while, just like any large organization, not everything is perfect, but the POA is responsive and works hard to continue improving. You admitted that you never attended a POA board meeting, so if this list is not enough to convince you, let me know, I'll be happy to help you pack in the Spring. Stan Hulse Proud Board Member of the PIPOA
KPAB Party
New island traffic light A councilwoman has declared no more study needed? The developer that wants a new traffic light at Aquarius and PID hire their own traffic engineer (conflict of interest ?) and used a study done in 2001 in November and declares it a good idea. He also stated that most traffic is going to Port Aransas and the new turning lanes will handle that. I wonder if he would have been paid his fee if he said "No it shouldn't be done." No one ever said if the Schlitterbahn water park traffic figures were included in this 2001 study. Why? It is .9 of a mile to the top of the bridge and they think their "Timed Light" will figure this out when traffic already backs up now even with the new turning lanes going left but what about the Water Park when it opens and people will be turning right? The Island Stratigic Action Committee does not need a vote by the City Council? What are the ISAC priorities? To develop> > the island and get tax money at any means, even letting a Developer call the shots and allowing this light being put in at his expense, not the roadway change, that’s the taxpayers’ expense. I guess if the ISAC said no to the light the Developer would pull out of the deal so let him have his way at the inconvenience of us all, especially those of us who live out here? I say let’s put this to a vote and tell people we can vote on this light that requires very little approval of anyone, even a non-biased traffic engineer not paid by the developer. Don’t we have a traffic problem already and now we want to back up traffic to the top of the bridge or further to Flour Bluff so a Developer can have his way? Scott Nichols
A4
December 18, 2014
Island Moon
More than 700 Graduates from the Island University’s Five Colleges Received Diplomas at Fall Commencement About 710 students representing Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s five colleges received their diplomas during the fall 2014 commencement ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 13, beginning at 10 a.m. at the American Bank Center Arena. There was one ceremony, which included all five colleges. See the replay and a collection of social media messages at http://tamucc.edu/islandergrad/ and check out #IslanderGrad on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see photos and thank you and congratulatory messages from and to graduates.
The graduates included: • Completing 21 fall semesters, 20 spring semesters, 11 summer semesters, and surviving six strokes barely scratches the surface of James Edmonson’s long history of accomplishments. After surviving his most recent stroke in August, Edmondson received his 10th consecutive master’s degree, a Master of Science in Reading. • Elizabeth Garza first stepped foot onto campus in 1996 at the tender age of three when she was enrolled at the Blanche Davis Moore Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC), which is located on the Texas A&MCorpus Christi campus. She completed a goal she set for herself in the first grade when she walked across the stage to receive her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. • Brianna Eby maintained a 4.0 GPA while completing a 400-hour internship in the physical therapy department at Christus Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Shoreline. During the internship, she was able to gain hands-on experience learning about physical
therapy. After graduation, she plans to attend physical therapy school at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston to earn a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. • Originally, from Turkey, Tuncer Yasdiman came through the English as a Second Language International Program and graduated with his Bachelor of Business Administration in less than three years. Yasdiman also worked as an International Graduate Student Coordinator while in graduate school. After graduating this fall with his MBA, he aspires to become a successful entrepreneur by opening highquality restaurant chains. The commencement keynote speaker was State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa who is a native of Mission, Texas, with a civil and criminal defense law practice in south Texas. Sen. Hinojosa was first elected to represent Senate District 20 in 2002. He previously served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1981 to 1991, and again from 1997 to 2002. He is the current Chairman of the Texas Senate Hispanic Caucus, Chair of the Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations, Vice Chair on the Finance Committee, and serves on the Agriculture, Rural Affairs & Homeland Security, and Criminal Justice committees.
Top prize: United Airline tickets, Royal Caribbean Cruise and a class trip to Schlitterbahn
“Many little Texans never get to go to the beach, but this contest is an easy way to help teach them about the natural beauty of the Texas coast,” Patterson said. “If we want future generations to protect this treasure it’s essential they learn why it’s worth protecting.” Commissioner-elect George P. Bush — who takes office on Jan. 2 — will select the grand prize winner. This year's grand prize winner will receive two round-trip coach-class tickets from United Airlines to any United destination in the 48 contiguous United States, one 7-night Caribbean cruise from Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines departing out of Galveston, Miami, or Ft. Lauderdale, and a class party at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in New Braunfels. The grand prize winner's teacher will also receive two round-trip coach-class tickets from United Airlines, and one 7-night Caribbean cruise courtesy of Royal Caribbean Cruises. Ten winners will be chosen from each of four grade-level categories (K – 2nd, 3rd – 4th, 5th, and 6th). One grand prize winner will be chosen from among the 40 finalists. All 40 winners will receive a ticket to the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, two all-day passes to Schlitterbahn Waterpark in New Braunfels, two tickets to the Burke Baker Planetarium at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, a certificate of recognition and prizes from the Texas General Land Office and a calendar displaying the winning artwork. Winning artwork will appear together in a 2016 calendar, which will be distributed across the state. State Rep. Greg Bonnen has even
sponsored a display of the winning artwork at the Capitol from May 19 to May 26. The Adopt-A-Beach “Treasures of the Texas Coast” Children’s Art Contest began in 1996 to mark the 10th anniversary of the AdoptA-Beach Program. The annual competition encourages Texas schoolchildren to learn more about the Texas coast and express what they’ve learned through their art. Open to students in grades K-6 across Texas, the contest motivates thousands of young artists each year. Artwork must be displayed on a plain sheet of white 8 ½-inch by 11-inch paper and can be in any medium except computer generated. Threedimensional art or artwork displaying logos, product brands and/or store names is ineligible. Only one entry per student is allowed, and all entries must have a completed parental release form taped to the back. Parental release forms may be printed from the Land Office website located at www.texasadoptabeach.org. Each contest entry must be postmarked by Tuesday, March 3, 2015, and submitted on an 8 ½-inch by 11-inch sheet of white paper. Students are encouraged to color copy their artwork prior to sending it in because all artwork submitted becomes property of the Texas General Land Office and cannot be returned. This year’s contest sponsors are Royal Caribbean International, United Airlines, Schlitterbahn Waterparks, the Texas State Aquarium, the Houston Zoo and the Houston Museum of Natural Science. For more information and contest guidelines on the “Treasures of the Texas Coast” 2015 Children’s Art Contest, please contact the General Land Office at 1-877-TXCOAST or visit our website at http://www.texasadoptabeach. org.
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The Dog Ate My Homework! No Really! Roscoe is a History Buff A dog in Spring, Texas, is recovering after he literally ate a kid’s homework. The 5-year-old mixed-breed dog named Roscoe ate a Magnolia West High School
361-949-1900
student’s homework last week. Reagan Hardin, a sophomore at Magnolia West High School, had been working on her AP history class homework project that involved building a model of a Middle Ages farm manor. The project included plastic farm animals, grass, wood, metal wire fencing and model structures. When Reagan’s mom, Kristen Barker, went upstairs to where Reagan had been working on the project, she realized something was wrong. She found the project torn up and many of the objects were missing. After rushing Roscoe to an emergency veterinarian, they confirmed his stomach was full of different pieces of the project. He was then referred to internal medicine specialists at North Houston Veterinary Specialists, a BluePearl Veterinary Partners’ hospital.
Roscoe’s Lunch
Doctors there were able to use an endoscope to extract the pieces one by one until Roscoe’s stomach was empty of the dangerous objects. Endoscopy is a noninvasive procedure using a scope with a camera, which is safer and faster to recover from than surgery. “Endoscopy saved Roscoe’s life,” said Barker. “Endoscopy was our first line attempt to retrieve the contents he ingested because of cost and what was actually best for him. If he would have had surgery instead, the cost would have tripled, and he would have had several weeks of recovery with potential
Since his election to the Texas Senate in 2002, Hinojosa has secured more than $100 million for new construction at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and at the University of Texas-Pan American. Hinojosa served his country in the U.S. Marines Corps as a squad leader during the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1968. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas-Pan American and a law degree from Georgetown University.
Treasures of the Texas Coast Children’s Art Contest Opens Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is calling for entries in the 19th annual AdoptA-Beach “Treasures of the Texas Coast” Children’s Art Contest. The deadline to submit artwork is Tuesday, March 3.”
Letters to Riley
Roscoe has since been reassigned to the school cafeteria, so additional endoscopies may be necessary.
Roscoe
Henry The Sea Gull I just stepped outside of my vehicle and onto the beach of Port Aransas to breathe in some saltier air, squiggle my toes in the sand and think about life. Will this island village be my home or, is this merely a stopping point? Suddenly, attention was drawn to a laughing sea gull slumped over a wooden bollard, spewing obscenities out of it’s mouth like a drunken pirate. It turned its head toward me, blinked its eyes and, spoke. “AHOY! Just so you know, I’ll never take vengeance on the likes of YA. But, remember this…we’ll never forget, for nothing lasts forever and tomorrows another day! With a blank stare, I leaned against an adjoining pole, fearful to move, scared to breathe. Was this the early stage of something more serious like, mental illness? I probably shouldn’t mention this to anyone; after all, people already think I’m a nutty writer! So then, does this sea bird have an agenda? “AVAST, names Henry, I’ve been drinking grog for two days straight, don’t YA know. HA! Found a container on the beach YA see. ARRR, follow me, I want to show you something!” Sliding haphazardly down the bollard like most drunken sea gulls would do, Henry staggered toward the water’s edge, “Come on and get a move on YA, time is running out!” Waddling behind the drunken bird, I found myself in the midst of a very strange and surreal situation and now acting on an order from a talking sea gull. Could this be another wacked out adventure piece, I thought; was I losing my mind or…could this possibly be, the beginning of the end? Henry crouched down on the sand and motioned for me to sit. The feathers on his head moved with the wind as he looked out towards the vast water in front of us. “Beauty has value YA know and…once it’s lost is difficult to regain.” “But Henry, I’m simply a…lost and confused writer, what is it you seek? And, why are you so drunk? ” The wise gull peered deep into my eyes. And, with the tip of his wing resting upon the bottom of his beak as if in deep thought spewed with drunkenness, “Bilge! The flock had informed me there’s a writer on the island that cares; I’ve waited for your arrival to write about things most people do not want to talk about! Born with the ability to speak to people, I’ve been chosen to lead the southern flock. Many humans are caring and kind like you. But, you see my new writer friend… many of your people live without respect for authority, moral standards and have little awareness of the real world. For those uncaring people that think there is no such thing as doing something that doesn’t matter, they may not know it matters and maybe, don’t care. Maybe, some people can’t even imagine how it matters, but it does! Look around you; the aftermath of irresponsibility and disrespect, garbage is everywhere! It’s on the beach; it’s in the water, on the streets and in front of our quaint little shops on
our lovely island! The flock and our marine friends do not understand the difference between eating manmade garbage and food that they can safely digest! I’ve been alone on this quest to help but it’s gotten the best of me. I’m drinking heavily whenever it’s available. But today, AHH…it’s a new day and I’m counting on people like you, caring people, that can help make a difference and spread the word for change!” Henry then bowed his head and slowly moved some sand around with one claw, obviously in deep thought. He stared into my eyes, one lone teardrop dripping down my face and in that moment of pure clarity, both writer and beast were on the same level. While, staring at the falling sun, Henry waved goodbye and flew away; I began recounting my own selfishness and concluded that man and all of his progress can indeed live with the beast without destroying the precious world we all live. But, it will take believing in something greater than us to remove one of America’s “Darkest Secrets,” self-righteousness; and, we must educate our people that learning the difference between right and wrong starts with love when we are young. And that, money isn’t the root of evil, greed is. For, the beauty in our world is not a right; it’s a privilege and never can there be an excuse warranting stripping that beauty of value away from our young, from the old, from those that are weak, vulnerable and from future generations to come. Tony Romano Station Street. Rear Blue Port Aransas Hey Tony, That’s one wise old bird and “wise” is not a word we use very often when it comes to sea gulls. He’s right about one thing, beauty is a delicate and fleeting thing that only remain for a moment and is easily damaged. It was Socrates who said, “The mind is rightly called beauty because she does the works which we recognize and speak of as the beautiful?” He also said “Beauty is the bait which with delight allures man to enlarge his kind.” I would like to enlarge my kind Tony, so do you have any hotdogs? I got an All American Dog last week when my human left if on the couch. When he came back he couldn’t remember if he had already ate it, he suspected me but I played dead. To quote Socrates again, “I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.” Plausible deniability Tony, that’s how the litterers get away with it. If a redneck throws down a beer bottle on the beach and nobody sees him does it make a sound? Of course it does, it’s the sound of ignorance. Tony, please put the hotdog in a box that says Flammable and send it to Riley P. Dog, International Falls, MN. That would be beautiful Tony.
December 18, 2014
A5
Island
A little Island history
Stuff I Heard on the Island
Walking the South Texas Plains in 1534
By Dale Rankin Editor’s note: In late 1534, about this time of year, three shipwrecked Spaniards and a former slave arrived in the area south of the Nueces River and headed on into the trackless prairie in hopes of finding their way back to Spanish settlements in Mexico.
by Dale Rankin The desperate survivors had suddenly somehow morphed into medicine men, shamans who could perform miracles. That same night the Indians came to Castillo and explained they were suffering from terrible headaches. He made the sign of the cross over them and the headaches stopped, the Indians left and returned a short time later bearing tunas and venison. The next morning more Indians arrived with five comrades who were “paralyzed and very sick” who offered their bows and arrows. By the morning the sick men were recovered.
Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Andrés Dorantes de Carranza, Alonso del Castillo Maldonado, and a black Moroccan Berber slave named Esteban (later called Estevanico) who had made the Atlantic crossing in bondage, had fled the Karankawa bands It was a pattern that was to repeat itself along the Coast during the harvest as the travelers made their way across the season of the tunas fruit from the Southwest and formed a legend which prickly pear cactus, but the end preceded the men as they traveled from of the tunas season was upon tribe to tribe; men who not only cured them and as they set out on their headaches but cured paralysis. As the four own they had no food, no way survivors moved on they were sought out of knowing what lay ahead of by Indians who brought food and trade them in the vast open territory of goods. what is now South Texas. They De Vaca They were called to help a patient at a were in the land of “indomitable savages” – that is to say, somewhere near distant tribe and upon their arrival found his hut dismantled, a sign he was dead. In fact they present day Alice. found him with no pulse and with eyes rolled The tale of their journey comes to us from back in his head; but after prayers and blowing two primary sources; one, the most famous, on the man’s face he miraculously was soon called Shipwrecks by Cabeza de Vaca, and a walking, eating and talking. This struck awe second in an account later written by Dorantes. and terror into the Indians across the land as Their accounts vary chronologically but work of the feat spread. fundamentally agree in the experiences the men encountered. Legend becomes fact According to De Vaca, just as night fell, “we noticed smoke and we headed for it. Just before nightfall, we saw an Indian, but as soon as he saw that we were heading toward him, he ran off without waiting for us. We sent the black man after him.”
Esteban and the Children of the Sun The “black man” was Estaban, a remarkable character in the history of South Texas who was largely ignored by historians until the last century when his contribution to the survival of the Spaniards and their ability to deliver to Spain the first accounts of the land that would become Texas was recognized. For a man who began his life in bondage, Estaban lived a trailblazing life that brought fame from the plains of what is now South Texas to the Spanish Court. His tales of wandering in South Texas and beyond would eventually be a large part of the motivation of Francisco Vasquez de Coronado to mount his quest for the Seven Cites of Gold which would eventually open the Southwestern portion of present day America to settlement. He was the most accomplished of the Europeans in the languages of the Indians and the most physically imposing. It was he who would go ahead when the group encountered a new band of Indians, and it was through him that the Indians came to know the blondebearded Europeans as they came to be known by the Indians as the Children of the Sun.” The irony that the first foreigner, European or otherwise, who the Indians of the Texas Plains encountered was a black man has largely been ignored by historians, but as you will see of the four men who were the first outsiders to South Texas and the land beyond, Esteban’s story was the most unusual and interesting. The freedom he found in the wilderness after spending his life in bondage not only led him back into the wild but also granted him his freedom when he returned to the Spanish settlements in Mexico.
The Avavares Estaban alone followed the frightened Indian they had encountered and as soon as he saw that Estaban was alone in following him he stopped and stared in wide wonder. “We are looking for the people making the smoke,” Estaban told him, in the local dialect. “I will take you to some houses near here,” the Indian replied. As they approached the village in the creeping darkness they found four Indians waiting for them beside the trail, ready to welcome them… as gods. “In the language of the Mariames, we told them that we had come in search of them.” Their language was different from that of the Mariames but similar enough that they understood it. “They seemed happy to have us among them and took us to their dwellings.” These Indians were known as the Avavares and with winter coming on the four survivors decided to spend the winter with them. During this winter, 1534-1535, the Europeans almost starved. The Avavares moved constantly in search of food and the bellies of the children “swelled up like toads” with malnutrition. They often awoke in the morning to find another of the Indians dead. In the summer of 1535 Estaban set out with Cabeza de Vaca to make contact with a band of friendly Indians camped nearby. After traveling twenty miles they reached the camp. Three days later the other Spaniards caught up with them and they all set out cross country, surviving by eating some kind of pea or bean, the fruit of what might have been mesquite trees but is still the subject of speculation by scholars. They traded some of the animal pelts that had kept them warm over the winter for creatures described as dogs as they continued their journey. At night they dug out pit ovens which they filled with prickly pear cactus which after roasting overnight made their breakfast.
Crossing a cultural divide After three days they came across an Indian village of about fifty wigwams of a type which were different than those of the Karankawas; they had crossed a cultural divide and entered the world of the Mexican Indians known as the Coahuiltecans. “It was there,” Oviedo wrote later, “that the Indians first began to fear these few Christians, holding them in great esteem and showing reverence for them. The Indians came up to them and began to rub themselves, gesturing to the Christians to rub and stroke them. They brought some sick people to be cured, which the Christians did, after all they were more used to hardships than performing miracles.”
How much of the story is true and how much was later embellished by publishers in Spain to sell books is unknown. What is agreed upon by scholars is that the Indians held the Spaniard’s healing skills in such high esteem that the visitors were treated as semi-gods and this was the key to their survival. The legend was supplemented by the tale of one of the Spaniards who was lost in the wilderness for five days in the winter cold. According to De Vaca’s writings the man survived when he found a burning tree and was able to warm himself without the tree being consumed; South Texas’ own Burning Bush story. The story gained some credence when many years later a Louisiana physician named John Sibley came upon such a strip of land ten miles long and five miles wide near the bay of Saint Bernard in which there was “a mountain of coal, which was on fire for many years.” Who knows, the Spaniards may have discovered Texas’ first oil field.
The Evil Thing They were also asked by the Indians to protect them from the Malo Cosa the “Evil Thing,” which the Indians described to the Spaniards who recorded it thusly, “He was small of stature, wore a beard, and they could not see his face clearly.” He was said to terrorize the Indians, brandishing a burning torch, entering their homes, and stealing whatever took his fancy. “He slashed three long cuts into a man’s side with a sharp flint” and thrust his hand inside, carefully drawing out the entrails. He would then “cut off a small slice of intestine and throw it into the coals of a fire.” Sometimes he appeared dressed as a woman; at other times he dressed as a man. He never ate the food the Indians offered him. He could pick up a wigwam and throw it high in the air – yet despite all the violence he did to the Indians, afterward he would heal their wounds - sort of an early day Chupacabra but with a benevolent side. At first the Spaniards believed the Malo Cosa was no more than a myth but were then shown the wounds on victims he had attacked. Whatever the source of the myth the Spaniards were grateful they were never called on to confront the Evil Thing but it added to the otherworldly tale they later took back to Spain from the New World of South Texas. The wanderers spent the winter of 1535 with the Avavares in South Texas and their existence there was even harder than it had been with the Karankawas along the coast. “We were always treated well, but we had to dig for the food we ate and carry our own loads of drinking water and firewood.” They spent the day naked, like their hosts, and at night covered themselves with deerskins. The Avavares “had neither corn, nor acorns nor pecan nuts” While the three Spaniards and the Moroccan Berber had achieved some degree of celebrity among the Avavares their biggest notoriety was still to come as they moved further into the uncharted southwest. Curiously, the further they ventured into the wilderness the more their fortunes would soar.
Give Barber Joe Gift Certificates!
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The past week has found me writing stories about two new additions to the Island’s transportation system; one at each end of it. The first was the discussion of a new traffic light near the base of the JFK Causeway and the other the dedication of the new headquarters building of the Port Aransas ferries. As I have pointed out here before the roads and beaches between the JFK Causeway on Padre Island and the ferry landings in Port Aransas are all part and parcel of a one contiguous, twenty-mile-long, inexorably intertwined organic system which forms the backbone of our tourist economy. The beach is where visitors are headed and the roads are how they get there. The way they use the beach defines how the roads are built and the way the roads are built defines how they use the beach. The roads are the front door and the beaches are the back porch.
Shaky numbers The additions to both ends of the road system sent me on a search for a critical piece of information which, to my great surprise, I found out doesn’t exist; to wit, exactly how many vehicles travel up and down main Island thoroughfares each day. The fact is we don’t know. The best information I can find shows that we in essence have about half a dozen snap shots taken at different times and places which provide jumping off points for the extrapolation (guesswork) at how many vehicles are driving around our roads every day. The problem with the traffic models that I have seen is fundamental, and profound. The most comprehensive as far as the numbers it creates, was done in May 2013 by the Corpus Christi Metropolitan Planning Organization and is called the Park Road 22 Access Management Study and can be found on the MPO website. It was funded by grants from the Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation and focuses on SPID/Park Road 22 from Aquarius, where the new stop light is going, to Whitecap but also makes some rather startling claims about traffic on State Highway 361.
Cookie cutter methodology The problem with it, and with the other less comprehensive studies I have been able to find, is that it is cookie cutter software designed to predict traffic patterns driven by commuter traffic; which is not our situation on The Island. Our problem is not early morning commuters who return in the evening, our traffic issues are created in the summer months when everyone wants to be on The Island at the same time and leave at the same time. This leads to the study’s conclusion, among others, that peak afternoon traffic on SH 361 at any time of the year other than Special Events such as holidays, is 630 vehicles per hour – and that includes both directions. Anyone who thinks 630 vehicles is the highest number on SH 361 on a summer afternoon is not paying attention. The rule of thumb is that a single traffic lane can handle up to 1600 cars per hour and last summer I personally saw cars backed up past Island in the Son Church on non-holiday weekends, which means there were well over
630 vehicles per hour. The study also says 1010 vehicles per hour is the highest traffic load on SH 361 anytime of the year, including summer holidays and Spring Break. This is fantasy. What is missing from the report is when the baseline traffic count was taken. The report doesn’t say. It also makes the jaw dropping conclusion, based on its modeling that the wait time driving southbound on SPID from Aquarius to Whitecap varies only 18 seconds whether it is the slowest traffic day of the year or Spring Break.
Monday, June 18, 2012 The one actual, non-holiday traffic count I can find comes from an MPO count done on June 18, 2012, a Monday. On that day 27,000 vehicles were counted; 12,265 coming to The Island, 14,375 leaving. Another count (on an unknown day) in 2010 found 13,047 vehicles coming onto The Island and 14,734 leaving. Those numbers are very close to the 2012 count, so if we add the additional 3000 vehicles per day estimated to arrive here once Schlitterbahn opens we have as close to a real count as we can currently get.
Not a survey but a census But my point here is that when it comes to how many vehicles go up and down our main roads on a daily basis we don’t know. We take a sample here and there and extrapolate the rest. We are using guesswork to plan the future of the one system that can kill the goose that lays the golden egg. If a visitor comes once and the traffic is a nightmare they won’t come back. What we need is not a survey but a census. According to current city projections by the summer of 2016 SPID between Commodores and Whitecap will be torn up for the building of the Water Exchange Bridge and will remain that way through the summer of 2017. That means that summer 2015 is the last chance we have to get an uncluttered census to find out exactly how many vehicles we have on our roads. If we miss that window then we will be rolling right into 2018 with our head in the sand and using the same guesswork, cookie cutter models based on random snapshots of traffic counts to make strategic design decisions for our roads. There is a good chance that well before that, possibly as early as the legislative session which starts next month in Austin, that we will find the money to completely revamp the roads between the Port A ferries and the JFK, it would be nice to know how many vehicles we have on those roads now before that design work is done. Traffic counters are cheap. A line across the road connected to a box. Place one at the base of the JFK, one on SPID before Commodores, another before Whitecap, another at the Packery Bridge, right on up the road into Port Aransas and to the ferry lines. Put them there before Spring Break 2015 and leave them there until after Labor Day 2015. Then we will have the baseline data we need to make rational design decisions and to plan the future of the system that is the lifeblood of our tourist economy. Otherwise, we will still be just guessing.
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A6
December 18, 2014
Island Moon
Reflections on 2014 By U.S. Sen. John Cornyn As 2014 comes to a close, many will reflect on the year that was – the losses and the low points, the highlights and the memories. Surely, 2014 saw its share of tragedy and hardship here in Texas. We sadly witnessed senseless acts of violence, such as the shooting at Fort Hood in April, which took the lives of three service members, wounded 16, and rocked a community still healing from the attack that occurred only five years ago. We experienced the fear and anxiety that came with the news of the nation’s first confirmed Ebola case in Dallas this September. And we witnessed tens of thousands of children make a treacherous trek to the United States often at the hands of vile smugglers and traffickers, some experiencing untold horrors along their journey. But even among these heartbreaking stories were glimmers of light—moments that brought encouragement to all of us. We saw this in the bravery of Sergeant First Class Danny Ferguson, who was fatally wounded in the shooting at Fort Hood. As the shooter opened fire at Fort Hood on April 2, Ferguson, who had served a combat tour in Iraq and had recently gotten home from another one in Afghanistan, used his body to prevent the shooter from entering a crowded room. He gave his life so that his fellow soldiers could keep theirs. He showed the kind of heroism that most people can’t even imagine -- the kind of heroism that defines our men and women in uniform. We saw the joy and encouragement one person can bring to another when former President George W. Bush stopped by Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in the wake of the Ebola scare. He gave Amber Vinson, one of the nurses who contracted Ebola, a big hug and kiss on the forehead and thanked her for her service. The President walked the hospital halls, shaking hands with the nurses, doctors, and staff, thanking them for their hard work, and providing encouragement to a group of individuals whose critical service often goes unappreciated. We also saw it in the acts of kindness carried out by groups like Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley and my friend Bishop Daniel E. Flores who, through the generous contributions of the surrounding community, provided diapers, bottles, formula, clothes and more for the babies and young children at the center of the humanitarian crisis that unfolded along our southern border this summer. Indeed, there were countless Texans across the state this year who showed us the incredible impact that even the actions of one individual can have on so many lives. I’m reminded of a young man named Barrett Kenny, age 11, from Kingwood, Texas. Earlier this year, Barrett lost his best friend Landon Ahrendt to a rare form of soft-tissue cancer. Landon was only 10 when he lost his 18-month battle with the disease. Since kindergarten, Barrett and Landon had been inseparable, running fundraising races together and going on each other’s family vacations. When Landon passed away, Barrett decided to set a goal for himself to honor his friend and raise money for fighting pediatric cancer. Barrett’s goal is to run 10 races a year in honor of Landon’s 10 years of life. In just a few short months, Barrett has run several races and already raised more than $10,000. He says, “Racing helps me stay on the bright side of things. Instead of being sad and mad I know I can do races that Landon would have liked to have done. I am racing for the both of us.” As we gather with our loved ones this holiday season, may we be inspired by Texans like Barrett Kenny and the many like him, and find opportunities to go the extra mile for a friend or fellow Texan in need. From my family to yours, we wish you the happiest of holidays and God’s blessings of peace and good health in the New Year.
Stage 2 Drought Contingency Measures Continues The City of Corpus Christi reminds residents and customers the city remains in Stage 2 of the Drought Contingency Plan. Even with recent rains, there has not been enough rainfall to refillLake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon to change the drought stage. Stage 2 conservation measures were initiated on July 28th and continue to be in place. Those measures include: 1) Sprinkler irrigation limited to one day per week, the designated watering day is on the customer’s garbage pickup day; 2) Car washing is limited to designated watering day, except at a commercial car wash. Fundraising car washes need a permit; 3) Hand-held and drip irrigation is allowed any time. Violations of these provisions may result in citations up to $500 per day. Additional information is available at www.cctexas. com/water or by contacting the Water Hot Line at (361) 8261600.
Spa Packages Starting at $159 Spa Package Retreat
Real Estate Ticker
27th Annual Port Aransas Tour of Homes January 31
Padre Island Real Estate Activity November 1-November 30
The Port Aransas Garden Club will host its 27th annual Port Aransas Tour of Homes on Mustang Island Saturday January 31, 2015. The tour originates from the Port Aransas Community Center at 408 N. Alister Street Port Aransas, TX. 78373.
By Cindy Molnar Coldwell Banker
Come visit the beach and enjoy a “Glimpse of Island Life.” From island resort properties to cottages with historical significance you will visit homes showing off island living at its best with remodeled and new construction exemplifying life in the Coastal Bend
Waterfront Homes Sold 14929 Aquarius 15310 Bowsprit
The Port Aransas Home Tour is one of few remaining tours offering a ‘bus tour party’ in the morning and a self-guided tour in the afternoon. Our bus tours at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM, leaves the driving to the professionals and allows the exceptionally knowledgeable, verbose Garden Club members to guide you on your journey and provide a world of information and entertainment along the way. Four homes and a casita will be on the morning bus tours. Any guest, who takes a morning tour, is welcome to return on the afternoon self-guided tour to see the remaining homes not included in the morning tour. Your $25.00 ticket covers the bus tour and the self-guided tour making it an all day excursion. Relax, sit back and enjoy the semi-narrated, sometimes hilarious antics of the PAGC’s Cruise Staff while “the wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round. . . “ The bus agenda provides plenty of time to see the town and explore the fine shops and restaurants.
14866 Cobo De Bara Circle
Our self-guided tour is from 1:00 – 5:00 P.M. with nine homes for your viewing pleasure. A map and brochure is provided to keep you on the path to our wonderful homes which you will receive when checking in at the Community Center located at 400 North Alister. Each home will have hostesses/hosts answering your questions about the historical and decorating significance. The self-guided tour ticket is $20.00
15942 Punta Espada
Bus tours and self-guided tickets can be purchased at Mustang Island Art Gallery, 2222 Hwy 361 and Gratitude, 316 N. Station Street after December 15. Tickets can be purchased via our website www.PortAransasGardenClub.org using PayPal or on tour day at the Port Aransas Community Center. Bus tour tickets are limited to 90 per each tour, self-guided are unlimited. For ticket information call 361-813-2508 or email portagardenclub@hotmail.com. Follow us at our website www. PortAransasGardenClub.org and our Facebook page Port Aransas Home Tour and our blog portaransasgardenclubhometour. blogspot.com. For all other information contact Virginia Moser, chairperson, at 361-834-4130.Tickets, refreshments, raffle and silent auction items will be available at the Community Center during tour hours with doors opening at 8:30 AM.
33 Interior Homes Listed from $149,000-$485,000
15973 Punta Espada Loop 15942 El Soccorro Loop 15365 Bowsprit Average Sales Price $398,816 64 Waterfront homes listed from $289,000-$1,950,000
Interior Lot Homes Sold 14922 Topgallant 14017 Hawksnest Bay 13914 Sea Anchor 15918 Punta Espada 15853 Punta Espada 13802 Eaglesnest Bay 14726 Aquarius Average Sales Price $235,818
Waterfront Condominium/Townhomes Sold 14428 Compass #111 14434 Cabana North #216 14434 Cabana North #201 14427 Compass #B10 14810 Windward #319 15505 Cruiser A & B Average Sales Price $244,116 59 Listed From $60,000-$489,900
Interior Condominium/Townhomes
Port Aransas Garden Club formed in 1964 to encourage interest in beautification of the city. Proceeds from Club activities are used for landscaping, various civic projects in Port Aransas and scholarships for Port Aransas High School seniors.
22 Listed From $109,000-$305,000
Waterfront Lot
PAGC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All contributions are tax deductible. PAGC is a member of the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce, KPAB, and the Corpus Christi Garden Council.
46 Lots Listed From $129,900-$1,200,000
Interior Lot Sold Lot 36 Dyna Lot 8 Dyna
VFW
Lot 12 Lighthose
Take a holiday break and join us at the VFW!
Lot 12 Grenadine Lot 18 Cabo Blanco
Saturday December 20th 311 N. Alister, Port Aransas.
Lot 7 Almeria
5:00-6:30 PM Enjoy a home cooked Spaghetti Dinner. Authentic Italian meatballs with your choice of Marinara or a spicier Puttanesca sauce made by Chef Doc. Hot Bread, Salad and Dessert included. $8 per person or $15 for two 6:30-9:30PM Music and Dancing with Shaken & Stirred (aka Ken & Mike) Beer, Wine and setups available – BYOB The VFW is always open to the public.
Average Sales Price $39,250 81 Lots Listed From $37,000-$240,000
Commerical Lots 10 Lots Listed From $150,000-$4,557,465
Claude & PJ Lamoureu
2018 Youth Sailing Championships Coming to Corpus Christi
PORT ARANSAS COMMUNITY THEATRE
The Corpus Christi Yacht Club and the Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau are pleased to announce that the 2018 ISAF World Youth Sailing Championships was awarded to the United States and will be hosted by Corpus Christi Yacht Club in Corpus Christi, Texas.
December 11-13 and 18-20 7:30pm December 14 and 21 2:30pm
Calendar of Events Gift of the Magi
A classic one-act play of the true meaning of Christmas. Admission $10 all seats
Golf Cart Christmas Caroling December 22
The 2018 ISAF World Youth Sailing Championships is the largest youth sailing event for Olympic hopefuls. More than 375 youth sailors, ages 15 to 19, from around the world will compete in nine Olympic training classes including the Laser Radial, International 420, 29er, RS:X and FL16. The event will take place over 8 days in July of 2018.
Christmas Movie Night December 23 2pm to 2am
A fun night of your favorite Christmas movies.. Come for one or two or stay for all of them. Check the schedule in the Jetty or on portaransascommunitytheatre.com Refreshments available for sale...no admission charge.
Sin, Sex and the CIA
January 8-10, 15-17 and 22-24 7:30pm January 11, 18 and 25 2:30pm
The planning committee, represented by Mark Foster, past Commodore of Corpus Christi Yacht Club, presented the bid proposal earlier this month at the 2014 ISAF Annual Conference in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Other countries bidding to host the International event were Argentina, Azerbaijan, China, Italy and Poland.
A rib-splitting comedy about a CIA agent...you’ll wonder how he got the job! Admission $15 all seats
Church Basement Ladies
February 5-7, 12-14 and 19-21 7:30pm February 8, 15, 22 2:30pm
The highlights of four days in the life of the “kitchen crew” of the Lutheran Church of Cornucopia, Minnesota. Admission $15 all seats
“Sandy” Awards
The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) is the world governing body for the sport of sailing, officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). ISAF currently consists of 138 member nations who are its principle members and are responsible for the decision making process that governs the sailing world. Ask about our VIP Membership Cards New Slimming Body Wraps
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6:30pm
Golf carts are provided. Starts at PACT Theatre with cookies and hot chocolate...no charge.
February 22
7:30
Awards for 2014 PACT productions. Free.
Money Matters
March 5-7, 12-14 and 19-21 7:30pm March 8, 15 and 22 2:30pm
“Bud the Stud” and “Charmaine” return to the stage...it’s not counterfeiting if it’s for a worthy cause. Admission $15 all seats
The economic impact of this world class event for Corpus Christi is expected to be in excess of $1.75 million.
For more information, call the theatre at 361-749-6036 or go online at Portaransascommunitytheatre.com
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December 18, 2014
A7
Island Moon
Backwater Adventures By Joey Farah
On the Rocks
Farah’s Fishing Adventures
Christmas Fishing
By Jay Gardner Well, the Big Event is right around the corner, and I have to admit, I haven’t given a thought to shopping for Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, I picked up plenty of toys for various kids’ programs, but nothing for the family yet. Oops. Guess I need to get moving. I received a note from Bob the other day (thanks Bob!) asking the question, “why are the roads in Flour Bluff and on the Island in disrepair with the “washboard” type ruts running across them?” Good question Bob, and welcome to the Island! To learn the answer, all you have to do is look closer at the sand piles next to the roads, in the vacant lots and in back yards (thanks Mickey Berry for the picture). Those fresh sand mounds are the calling card of the maritime pocket gopher (Geomys personatus) that is endemic to Flour Bluff and the Island.
Flounder season is still on! With limits back to five, look for some great big blankets holding in and around the upper Lagoon close to the JFK.
Looks like a basket of fish for Christmas!
The gophers are around 10-12 inches long, with grey fur and large front claws that are used to “swim” through the sand. The burrows are typically 9-12 inches below the surface, and one excavated on the Island was over 90 feet long. They prefer the soft sands, and dig down to where the sand is damp so that their burrows will stay open and not collapse. Their burrows may have numerous short side branches, complete with food caches and may have one to store fecal pellets. Yup, those gophers are coprophages, which means they eat their, well, yeah. And sometimes it literally goes from the end right straight back to the beginning. And that’s your National Geographic moment for the week. Gross.
and then the burrows collapse and the asphalt does too. Believe it or not, there IS a way to cut down on the road damage that the gophers cause. As most of their burrows are within a foot or so of the surface, a trench could be dug next to the road about two feet down, and either silt fencing (with the metal grating ,readily available, fairly cheap) could be put down, or even short PVC sheet pile placed. This would prevent 99% of gophers from crossing back and forth and causing the roads to collapse. Of course that costs money though, however preventative measures typically pay for themselves in the end with decreased maintenance.
They eat grubs and native vegetation, and will pull the entire plant down by the roots into their burrow. They prefer Bermuda grass, red love grass, and wait for it, yup, sticker burrs. Believe it or not, those gophers eat the roots and stalks of sticker burrs. And you thought nothing ate sticker burrs. This will make sense as you drive around the Island, as the vacant lots that have the most gopher burrows also have the most sticker burrs, which makes those lots even that more un-inviting. My buddy Big Al always said if we could breed mosquitoes to eat sticker burrs and then fly into the sun we’d be on to something. But I digress….
Now, believe it or not, due to the relative geographic isolation of this particular species of gophers, the Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the maritime pocket gopher as a “Species of Concern”. Seems they have a hard time going under large concrete slabs, very wide roads, and deep ditches. This restricts their distribution, and isolates populations from dispersal (genetic degradation). My barriers next to the roads wouldn’t help their cause. Sorry I got off on a tangent folks, but as least you can say you learned something today. You learned the word “coprophage” and now you can call your friends “poop eaters” without them knowing it. I’m just doing my part to make the world a little more fun. LOL. Drop me a note at jaygardner@scientist.com and I’ll see you On the Rocks if the weather will clear.
I’ve been asked on occasion if there is a way to prevent the gopher from crossing the road (regardless of its’ intentions and whether it’s following the chicken or not). The gophers burrow under the road to get to the other side,
We have done well in Baffin this week catching some nice trout with grump and popping corks. This trout came from the Point of Rocks.
Big redfish have been pulling out drags in the Laguna Madre' drifting with plastics along the king ranch shoreline has been very good. Look for relatively clear water and concentrate on 3ft of water for the reds.
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Lots of big boxes of keeper drum from both Deadmans Hole and the Land Cut. With live shrimp scarce dead shrimp has been working well. When it's not available get the large flash frozen eating shrimp from HEB.
25% Off All Christmas Decor Starting Friday! Including all tin Christmas Trees, Nativities and Tree Ornaments
Considering a move to the Island? Mary Ann McShane 361-215-8629
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A8
December 18, 2014
Island Moon
SPORTS The Dawgfather
Sports Talk-Special to The Island Moon
By Andy Purvis Special to the Island Moon
Army - Navy Game July 1, 2014. Navy is the first service academy to be outfitted by the Under Armour Brand from head-to-toe.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “It is one of the beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” This story is about someone like that.
Army
Planned his own funeral
By Dotson Lewis Special to the Island Moon Dotson’s Note: Did you watch the Army-Navy football game Saturday? If you didn’t watch it, you didn’t miss much of a game, but the atmosphere was great and the Midshipmen and Cadets always put on a great show. The game winner was awarded the Commander in Chiefs Trophy, but the award was not presented by him (it appears he was AWOL), it was presented by the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Whether or not you watched it live, you may be interested in a major part of the game. That was the uniforms and accruements thereon. I was very interested in the patches which were worn by Army and why. I did a little research on the patches (insignia) worn by members of the Army team and found some pictures of them, but I didn’t recognize any of the Navy patches (insignia) being worn, but will give any of you “swabbies” equal time and space to “show & tell.”
Army vs Navy for the One Hundred and Fifteenth Time Both the Navy and Army football teams have traditionally worn basic uniforms that included gold helmets. However, the two teams started introducing elaborate jerseys in recent years for the nationally televised Army-Navy game.
Navy
The Navy football team wore custom Under Armour "Don't Tread On Me" uniforms for the 115th Army-Navy Game which was played on Saturday, December 13 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD. The Under Armour uniforms are inspired by the First Navy Jack. In 2002, Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England ordered all United States Navy ships to fly the First Navy Jack with the "Don't Tread On Me" motto and moving rattlesnake in place of the regular Navy Jack for the duration of the global war on terror. The First Navy Jack, with its red and white stripes, was first used by the Continental Navy during the American Revolution. On the uniforms, the "Don't Tread On Me" motto is embroidered into the hem of each jersey as well as the side of the pants, and right sleeve of the baselayer. The 13 red and white stripes featured in the flag are incorporated into the shoulders of the jersey, knee insets of the pants, palms of the gloves, baselayer and socks. Under Armour designed a new N-Star logo using the red and white stripes of the flag with an interlocking rattlesnake, which appeared on the side of the helmets. Under Armour has been outfitting Navy's 33 men's and women's varsity athletic teams since
Along with a brand new uniform ensemble, the Army Black Knights wore more than 20 different unit patches when they took on the U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen in the 115th meeting between the two academies. The patches have become a staple of the football uniform for the Army-Navy Game since 1988's matchup, and Army teams have been representing the force by wearing the unit patches throughout the season. Eleven different patches were worn this year--one for each game-in honor of the soldiers of each organization. During this year's classic, units were represented by players based on position. Army running backs, the workhorses in the spread offense, wore 10th Mountain Division, while the offensive linemen who worked to create holes in the line wore the "Old Ironsides" patch of 1st Armored Division. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th Infantry Divisions were represented by the Army's defensive front--the linebackers, defensive ends and linemen, respectively. Also on defense, the 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) were seen in the secondary on the Army cornerbacks and safeties. On offense, quarterbacks honored the U.S. Army Special Operations Command; fullbacks, the 1st Cavalry Division and the 26th Infantry Division were worn by the receiving corps. There were also be several unique patches on Army players. Players were afforded the option to select a patch on their own for the game. About 20 cadets made the decision to wear specific patches to honor someone important in their lives. Among the patches you may have seen (but maybe didn’t recognize) were the Black Lion which was in honor of former Army football player Don Holleder, Class of 1956, and soldiers of the 28th Infantry Regiment; the 45th Infantry Division “Thunderbirds;” the Joint Special Operations Command; the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade; the 2nd Ranger Company and the 28th Infantry Division. Dotson’s Other Note: The First Cavalry was my outfit in Japan & Korea 1947-52. Did you see your unit patch in the ArmyNavy game? Both teams were wearing unit patches. Your suggestions, comments and/ or questions/concerns are appreciated. Call the Benchwarmers 361-560-5397 weekdays, Mondays thru Fridays, 3-6 p.m. or contact me. Phone: 361-949-7681 Cell: 530-748-8475 Email: dlewis1@stx.rr.com
Attention Aggies!
KBTX, the official media partner of Texas A&M Athletics, will provide the official online stream and feed of the Kyle Field implosion via www.12thMan. com, www.KBTX.com and its linear channel available in the Bryan-College Station area. KBTX-DT is the CBS television network affiliate covering the Brazos Valley, including Bryan/College Station, Texas. B-roll with camera angles from within the stadium will be available for credentialed media. Public viewing of the implosion will be available from the Reed Arena lawn and parking lots. Public parking will be available in Lots 74, 97 and 65. Lot 61 (gameday Lot H) and Lot 104 will be available for pedestrian access only.
Kyle Field officially became a construction zone following the conclusion of the LSU game. The Kyle Field project has been recognized as the largest stadium redevelopment in the history of college football. Scheduled for completion in time for the 2015 season, the new west side of the stadium will feature new suites and premium areas for fans, the majestic Hall of Champions and state-of-the-art facilities for television broadcast media. Final seating capacity for the stadium will be 102,512.
Tides of the Week
Day
High /Low
Tide Time
Height in Feet
Sunrise Moon Time Sunset
Th
18
Low
5:54 AM
-0.1
7:14 AM Rise 3:43 AM
18
High
2:56 PM
1.5
5:38 PM Set 3:06 PM
F
19
Low
6:27 AM
-0.3
7:14 AM Rise 4:40 AM
19
High
3:33 PM
1.6
5:38 PM Set 3:53 PM
Sa
20
Low
7:04 AM
-0.5
7:15 AM Rise 5:39 AM
20
High
4:11 PM
1.7
5:39 PM Set 4:44 PM
Su
21
Low
7:44 AM
-0.6
7:15 AM Rise 6:38 AM
21
High
4:49 PM
1.7
5:39 PM Set 5:41 PM
M
22
Low
8:27 AM
-0.7
7:16 AM Rise 7:36 AM
22
High
5:28 PM
1.7
5:40 PM Set 6:42 PM
Tu
23
Low
9:12 AM
-0.7
7:16 AM Rise 8:31 AM
23
High
6:04 PM
1.7
5:40 PM Set 7:46 PM
W
24
Low
10:00 AM
-0.6
7:17 AM Rise 9:22 AM
24
High
6:36 PM
1.6
5:41 PM Set 8:51 PM
Move linebackers with his eyes Donald Earl “Don” James was born on the last day of the year 1932, in the high school football capitol of Ohio, Massillon. James grew up on the corner of “Happy and Humble” streets. Don’s older brother Tommy was currently playing in his third year of a ten-year career in the NFL. Tommy, a star in his own right, played for the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns and spent his last year in the pros with the Baltimore Colts. Don graduated from Massillon’s Washington High School in 1950 and was recruited by the Miami Hurricanes to play quarterback. There, Don set five school passing records, while manning a defensiveback position on occasion. It was said Don could move linebackers with his eyes. In 1954, he graduated and received a B.A. degree in Education and was commissioned a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. After graduation, Don also won the Phillips Optner Trophy, which honored the senior player at the University of Miami with the highest grade-point average. Chuck Mather, Don’s former high school coach, had moved to coach at the University of Kansas while Don served his country. In 1956, Don joined Mather at Kansas, as a graduate assistant for the football team. Mather said at the time, “James seemed so young; he looked like he was playing ‘hooky’ from school In 1971, James accepted the head-coaching position at Kent State University. In four seasons (1971-1974), his Golden Flashes compiled a 25-19-1 record while winning the 1972 MidAmerican Conference (MAC) Championship and receiving the school’s very first Bowl bid. James was also named the Conference Coach of the Year. James served as the “Dawgfather” (his nickname) to the Washington Huskies Nation from 1975 through 1992. James’ first two seasons were tenuous, as the Huskies went 6-5 and 5-6. His 1977 team had a few bumps but definitely help kick-start the program. The team started 1-3, before quarterback Warren Moon, running back Joe Steele, and receiver Spider Gaines began their magic. They routed Oregon 54-0 and started a streak of seven wins in the next eight games, ending the season with a big win over a heavily-favored 4th ranked Michigan team in the 1978 Rose Bowl, 27-20. It was Washington’s first bowl game of any kind since 1964. “What you need is a Bowl season and a marquee win, to get the program going,” said James. During his eighteen seasons, he led Washington to six conference titles and a part of the 1991 National Championship. His 1991 team not only went undefeated (12-0), but “smoked” the University of Michigan 34-14 in the Rose Bowl.
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He was one of Seattle’s most revered sports figures and one of the top football coaches in The door to the College Football Hall of Fame this country. He even coached his coaches. He swung open for Don James in 1997. The Tyee was all about the details and organized with a Center, the stadium’s only premium-seating capitol “O”. He even planned his own funeral area, at Husky Stadium, has been renamed The right down to the music. This fellow owned the Don James Center. college football world in the Great Northwest. A&M came calling He was Meet the Press, The Tonight Show, and Saturday Night Live all rolled There is a little-known story told into one. He inspired folks to by former Dallas Cowboys’ Vice be better people. He treated President of Player Personnel, everyone from the stars to the Gil Brandt. In 1981, Texas lowliest walk-on players with A&M asked Brandt for help with dignity and respect. He believed its search for a football coach. that good friends build character Brandt targeted two people for and they enrich your life; but as the Aggies: Michigan’s “Bo” an opposing coach, you never Schembechler and Washington’s felt comfortable until you shook Don James. “Schembechler his hand. After eighteen seasons, flirted with the idea,” said Gil. he became the winningest coach “James didn’t even have to in Washington Huskies’ history. think about it. Don said, ‘I’m This fellow was one of the people flattered you would even talk to you meet in life that you never me, but they’ve been so good to forget. The players’ names me at Washington. I don’t think changed from year to year, but it would be appropriate.’ They one name remained constant, Don were offering him to be the Don James James. He was one of a kind, a coach, athletic director and have master of the moment. We have the automatic roll-over in the lost a lot of great coaches these past two years: contract, all of that. It was a lot more money Joe Paterno, Jack Pardee, Darrell K. Royal, than he was making at Washington, let me tell “Bum” Phillips, Chuck Fairbanks, Paul Dietzel, you. But he gave it no thought,” explained Gil. and now Don James. Don James was 49 at the time and coming off
The Dawgfather
Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp has announced the implosion of the west side of Kyle Field will take place Sunday, December 21 at 8 a.m., with a ceremony to begin promptly at 7:30 a.m.
Moon Visible
19
12
Wine
Beer
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6
1
0
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That 1991 team has been regarded as the best in Washington University history. They scored a modern era record 461 points and only gave up 101 points, setting another record for the least amount scored against them.
of back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances. James was perhaps one of the hottest coaches in the nation, but he didn’t want to play “The Game.” James wanted to build a tradition at Washington. The Texas A&M Aggies hired Jackie Sherrill.
Along with the 1972 MAC Coach of the Year Award, Don James received eight other coaching awards during his career. He was chosen the AFCA Coach of the Year in 1977. James won the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award, the Eddie Robinson Award, Sporting News Award, and the George Munger Award, all in 1991. And he was chosen the PAC-10 Coach of the Year three different times (1980, 1990, and 1991). Alabama Head Coach, Nick Saban, says he would not have chosen the coaching profession if it had not been for Don James. Saban loved cars and wanted to one day own a car dealership. Don James coached Nick Saban for two years, while at Kent State University. In 1973, James offered Saban a graduate assistant coach’s job. Forty years later, Nick Saban is one of the best college football coaches in the land “He was the same way when it came to assistant coaches or anyone who worked for him,” said Saban. “ You were a better person because of the time you spent with Coach James.” The most successful coach in Washington Huskies’ history passed away after a brief bout with pancreatic cancer on October 20, 2013. It was said that when he died, his eyes were closed but his heart was still open. James was 80 years young. He had been scheduled to begin chemotherapy shortly after being diagnosed. James’ complete win-loss record stands at 17876-3 with a 10-5 Bowl record. James’ ten Bowl wins placed him fourth in most wins in college football history, behind only Paul “Bear” Bryant, Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden. Don James was survived by his wife, Carol, three children, Jeff, Jill and Jeni, along with ten grandchildren. Andy Purvis is a local author and radio personality. His newest book “Greatness Continued” in now available to order online at bn.com, Amazon, Google Books, Bookamillion, etc. You may also purchase all three of his latest books at the local Barnes & Noble Book store in Moore Plaza. All three books are also available in e-book format, Kindle, Nook, Apple I Pad and Kobo. Please visit www.purvisbooks.com for more info and leave a message in the guest section. You may also contact him at purvis. andy@mygrande.net and don’t forget to listen to Story Time with Uncle Andy on Tuesdays 5-6 PM and Dennis & Andy’s Q & A Session each Thursday night from 6-8 PM on ESPN 1440 KEYS.
December 18, 2014
Island Moon
New Operations Building for Port Aransas Ferries
Airtales By Jason Towns
The success of our mall venture is hard to quantify. Only a handful of folks have purchased a Gift Card for a jump, but several hundred have stopped to watch our three highdef video screens of free-fall action and aerial shots of the Island. At least eighty percent have asked for a business card and stated their intent to come visit sometime soon and several dozen have asked “Remember me? I jumped from your plane last spring. It was great!” This makes us feel pretty good and reinforces our confidence in the whole thing.
Maj. Jason Towns, USAFR Owner, Skydive South Texas This week’s column has very little to do with aviation but rather that very capitalist allAmerican endeavor of Christmas retail! Our skydiving business does slow down a darn good bit after Labor Day although we all know the best weather on the Island is generally right about now; heck, even local Corpus Christi-ans stop coming over the bridge until Spring Break. It’s a conundrum we’ve been trying to solve for five years. Operations at the Port Aransas ferries now have a new home. The new $2.5 million headquarters was dedicated last week with great fanfare including a brass band. The new building is located on the same site as the old operations building and is the nerve center for the operation of the ferry fleet which consists of eight boats which carry up to 20 vehicles each and to which carry 28 vehicles. As the older, smaller boats are retired plans call for them to be replaced by the larger, 28 vehicle boats. The ferries are operated by the Texas Department of Transportation and the statewide head of TxDot was on hand for the dedication.
African Children’s Choir to Coming to Town
The internationally known African Children’s Choir FRICAN CHILDREN'S CHOIR returns to Corpus Christi and will present a concert on Sunday evening December 21 at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary of First United Methodist Church, 900 S. Shoreline Blvd,. There is no admission charge but a free will offering will be taken. This group of children travels worldwide sharing their native music. Over the past twenty years, the children have appeared in thousands of concerts around the world, including concerts at the Pentagon and the United Nations. They have been featured on popular television and radio broadcasts such as “Jay Leno” “CBS This Morning,” “Good Morning America”, “The Today Show,” ‘Dove Awards”, “Focus On The Family”. They have also performed alongside a number of well known artists and musicians including the National Symphony Orchestra of
Belgium, Wyclef Jean, Bobby McFerrin, Mariah Carey, Chantal Kreviacuk to name only a few. The Choir has had the privilege of performing at Live8 in London, Royal Albert Hall, the London Palladium and other internationally renowned concert venues. Most recently the Choir was invited to perform at ONE.org’s pre Oscar party in Hollywood calling on everyone to join together to end extreme poverty. For more information contact Brad Kisner at First United Methodist Church, 884-0391. The African Children’s Choir is composed of African children, ages 7 through 11. Many have lost one or both parents through the devastation of war, famine and disease. They represent all the children of a continent and they demonstrate the potential of African children to become strong leaders for a better future in their land.
A9
Silver Years’ Retail Observation
Mall Rats It seems there are plenty of frisky old ladies in this town. Or, rather: “Rats. I’m at the My strongest hawking ploy mall…” Yep, I’ve come up with a has been to pick women over marketing idea for the slow season fifty and simply ask “Ma’am, which has put me in one of my least would you like to jump from favorite indoor locales during these an airplane with me?” Their past few beautiful weekends. We eyes gleam as if I’d just asked decided to rent one of those little them to prom. One has said kiosks in La Palmera Mall and my “No, but I’ll marry you.” staff and I are taking turns manning Another has asked “Can the thing and trying to sell skydiving I be on top?” and one has gift certificates for the holidays. queried if I had “dependable What better place to do this than an equipment”. The wink area where thousands of people are told me she didn’t mean the wandering aimlessly in search of— Ms Dorice Grove, a parachutes. theoretically-- something exciting recent transplant from on which to spend their money? Arizona and FAA Certified Earlier I mentioned the I’ve discovered most of them are Parachute Rigger, greets prospect of marketing to simply wandering aimlessly. The shoppers at La Palmera thousands of people, but as I others are looking for one of only with the most exciting gift peer up and down this place two things: the restroom and it looks more like hundreds in the mall! Macy’s. I point the way to one or of thousands. I’ve avoided the other about every five minutes. malls for most of my adult life and had no idea so many folks were spending beautiful Saturday Bottom of the Dead Sea afternoons here. But alas they do and many Our kiosk is located only twenty-five feet of you will probably make a visit yourselves. from the “Organic Beauty” booth. This is the However, our retail “tour of duty” is finished one manned—or womanned—by those long- as the last two weekends have simply worn us haired Israeli beauties with the funny accents out. Guys like us just can’t handle 12 hour who snag male customers like a Venus flytrap days indoors. Yep, I said twelve hours. And snags bugs. Watching them hawk their beauty this coming week, with Christmas approaching, creams reminds me of when I fell for it myself they even up the ante to fourteen! So rest about five years ago. (The cream is still sitting assured La Palmera will be open for you from in my lovely wife’s cabinet.) Their strategy 9am until 11pm if you need anything from the is effective: they look men dead in the eye bottom of the Dead Sea. If you’re going to with a big mesmerizing smile, tell them how Macy’s pee before you leave home because the handsome they are and hold their hands for a bathrooms are on the opposite end. And finally, few minutes while demonstrating their product. if you’d like a skydiving gift certificate for that The victim is then convinced he can be finished adventurous someone on your list just go to our with Christmas shopping in one $40 stop and website at www.SkydiveSouthTexas.com or maybe even return here for a date if the recipient come see us at the airport-- where I always have isn’t pleased. Plus, as I’ve now heard them say my dependable equipment handy… about four hundred times, the stuff is made with salt “from the bottom of the Dead Sea!” How can one go wrong?
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DECEMBER 18th & 19th 11am - 3pm
Puppy Kitten Package P.I.E. held their annual Christmas Luncheon Friday,
th at P.I.E. held their annual Christmas Luncheon Friday December 12 December 12 at the Holiday Inn to spport Toys for Tots. provided King High Schoolwas the Entertainment Holiday Inn to was support Toys by for the Tots. Entertainment th at P.I.E. held their annual Christmas Luncheon Friday December 12 Show Choir. Lots of fun was had by all! provided by the King High School Show Choir. Lots of fun was had the Holiday Inn to support Toys for Tots. Entertainment was by all! provided by the King High School Show Choir. Lots of fun was had by all!
$5 Dollar Donation $99 We’ll Match Each $5 Donation 25% OFF Dental Services
Basic Spay/Neuter Dhlpp Rabies, Parasite Screen
Benefitting Riley P. Dog Park
CAT Wednesday
“NICE LIST” Dogs, Cats & Owners Always Welcome
MERRY CHRISTMAS Animal Hospital of Padre Island 14802 Compass (361) 949-8200 Check Website For Specials
A10
Island Moon
December 18, 2014