Inside the Moon...
Local Nurse Delivers Baby in Back of Buggy - A5
It’s Always Wine O’clock Here! -A6
The Island Moon Published by Island Moon Publishing, LLC 15201 S. Padre Island Drive Ste. 250 Corpus Christi, TX. 78418 editor@islandmoon.com (361) 949-7700
Wind Tidal Flats - A8
Free
FREE
Seashore News -A10
Local Music Scene - A 11
The
Island Moon The Island Newspaper
Island Area News ● Events ● Entertainment
February 16, 2012
Photo By Miles Merwin
The Only Island Where Canalligator Comes to Barefoot Mardi Gras
Next Publication Date: 2/23/2012
Around The Island
Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper
Year 15, Issue 410
Canalligator!
By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com By Dale Rankin
This year’s weather so far has been a far cry from what we were going through this time last year. Last year was a cold and windy mess. But so far this year we’ve had about the best weather you can ask for in January and early February. The Chamber of Commerce should be proud. The big news this week is the first sightings of the Canalligator in our canals. He’s finding out that it’s a lot harder to get into our canals than to get out of them. Now if he discovers a boat ramp and starts wandering the streets well that’s a different story.
Barefoot Mardi Gras We had a bad Moon Typo of the Week last time and accidentally moved the Mardi Gras Parade and Party to MARCH 18 instead of February 18. That would have been the latest Mardi Gras party in the country. But anyway, this Saturday is the parade and party so get out your beads and masks and we’ll see you there. Riley P. Dog is going this year disguised as a fat dog. This is the third year for the event and should be the best yet.
Progreso and beyond We took our first bus trip to Progreso, Mexico on Valentine’s Day and it was great fun. We endured a couple week’s worth of ribbing about “can I have your stereo” and such but that’s okay. The only attacks we experienced were when the kids shining shoes swarm in droves and the promoters outside the dental offices shove pamphlets in your face. But that’s okay too. We thought we lost Red but he was asleep in the back of the bus. We’re going back around early March. So now is the time to sign up if you are interested. We’ve also had requests to run a bus trip up to the outlet shopping malls in San Marcos so we’re scheduling the first one for Saturday, March 17. Why that day, you ask? Well that’s the weekend when Spring Breakers attack so we’re heading north. That’s right, when Spring Breaks we fix it.
Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Join Us For The Most Outrageous Party Of The Year! Barefoot Mardi Gras WHEN: February 18, 2012, 6 – 10pm WHERE: Padre Isles Country Club MUSIC: Ponte Bone and the Squeezetones DINNER includes Louisiana Style Cajun Cooking and Traditional Mardi Gras Fare Dress in Mardi Gras regalia and join in the fun!! Lots of audience participation and dancing – Don’t miss the crowning of the 2012 King and Queen of the Barefoot Mardi Gras! Tickets are $ 30.00 in advance and $ 35.00 at the door. You will receive 1 free drink with your ticket purchase – NO OUTSIDE BEVERAGES ARE ALLOWED – Adult Only – No one under 21 Tickets can be purchased at the POA Office, Michelle’s Salon, The Office Lounge or call Denise 361-774-2845
Mardi Gras Parade Route
This fellow has been turning heads in the canals on the south end of The Island for the last couple of days. He’s about four feet long and sleeps a lot. He was first sighted floating, asleep, floating in the San Felipe canal on Saturday by John and Carolyn Dean but Carolyn got so excited when she shot the picture she cut off the Canalligator’s head. Then later John Hemphill over on Palo Seco went out on his deck only to find the Canalligator asleep on his dog ramp. In both cases the Canalligator beat a hasty retreat and didn’t seem to want to hurt anyone.
So all you bargain hunters it’s Saturday, March 17 – the Spring Break Escape. E-mail to daytrips@beachsideadventures.com or call 361 589-9650 and by the time we get back to The Island that night the Spring Breakers will all either be on the beach asleep or in jail and by Sunday we’ll all be knee deep in the Ski Basin.
Sincerely, Marvin L. Tamez, Capt Game Warden
Some time back we had two Canalligators known as Boots and Bags but they seemed to disappear, maybe this is their offspring. In both cases the people tried to get someone to come and get the Cannalligator but it was not to be. John wrote to Texas Parks and Wildlife and got this response: Mr. Hemphill, As per our phone conversation, the gator is in its natural habitat, and is small enough not to cause an immediate concern. As for being in its natural habitat, though alligators do not prefer salt water they can tolerate this environment. Perhaps it being in a non preferred environment will lead to the alligator leaving the area seeking more comfortable surroundings. We, TPWD, strongly discourage feeding of wild animals and it is against the law to feed wild alligators. If you, as my eyes on the ground, will call me when the gator is observed sunning, I can dispatch a Game Warden in an attempt to catch it using snare pole. If we find that this alligator is not leaving and
We’ll go up and back the same day and the mall people say they will provide everyone with a coupon book for discounts. Discounts at a Discount Mall! Now is this a great country or what?
you and your neighbors express further concern, I can look into employing a professional trapper to remove it. I hope this allays any concern and answers your questions. Please feel free to contact me at anytime concerning this issue.
So if you see the Canalligator swimming around give them a call, then take a picture to send to the Moon, or call Guy Davis over at the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network at 361 688-5159 and Guy will single-handedly wrestle the Canalligator into his truck. (that’s worth the price of a phone call right there).. In the meantime, keep an eye on your yappy dogs! Dale Rankin
Dolphins Washing Up on Area Beaches More than a dozen in recent weeks By Dale Rankin
Speaking of Spring Break Crews on the beach have been hard at work trying to get the dredging done by the time the Spring Breakers arrive. City crews have been moving sand to the far south end of the seawall so hopefully cars will be able to drive from the beach on to Whitecap and out. Otherwise they will have to reverse course and head northbound on the beach, which is illegal. The beach re-nourishment is coming along nicely. Much better than last time. Come April we should have a beautiful beach for the locals to enjoy before the tourist season hits in full swing. Say hello if you see us Around The Island.
Padre Island National Seashore Welcomes the 17th Annual Big Shell Beach Cleanup
This dolphin was found on the south side of Packery next to the jetties at about 10 a.m. Last week. From what I understand, two more dolphins were found at the same time down by Bob Hall Pier. No obvious cause of death.
Photo by Marsha Burkett
By: Donna J. Shaver, Ph.D., and Dimitra Guerrero Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery National Park Service, Padre Island National Seashore E-mail: Donna_Shaver@nps.gov It’s that time of year again! For nearly two decades, Billy Sandifer, Friends of Padre Island, and the community have come out to Padre Island National Seashore to pick up large amounts of beach trash. This event, proudly supported by the National Park Service is known as the Annual Big Shell Beach Cleanup and is scheduled for Saturday, February 25, 2012. If you are familiar with this event, then you know it will occur rain or shine! As a result of converging currents, winds, and tides occurring off the coast of the National Seashore, a large amount of debris tends to wash upon our beaches. With over 65 miles of shoreline, keeping the beaches clean is a hefty task. To augment the park’s marine debris removal program, the park hosts Cleanup Continued on A2
More than a dozen dead dolphins have washed up on area beaches since the middle of December, according to the Texas Marine Mammals Stranding Network. Lea Walker, who patrols the beaches for the TMMSN, says the age of the dead animals has ranged from three years to adult. Tony Amos and Guy Davis have found five between them on St. Joseph Island in the past week and Walker said from 5-7 have been found each day on the coast near Galveston.
National Park Service personnel and visitors load a park vehicle and trailer with debris removed from Big Shell.
cause of death may be related to a particular disease. TMMSN found a sick dolphin in South Padre in late December and brought it to Corpus Christi for rehabilitation. It later died and a necropsy found evidence of a particular strain of pneumonia in its lungs.
”We have seen the same lungs in the dolphins we have found,” Walker said. “But have not been able to do the testing to determine if it is all the same and if that is what is killing them.”
“That does not mean more are dying in that area,” she said. “The currents take them there from points all along the Texas Coast.”
TMMSN does not receive governmental funding. Walker takes samples from the animals and saves them until money can be found to do a complete set of tests.
Walker has been working for the network for eighteen years and says while the number of dolphins found recently is significant it is not outside the bounds of historical numbers for this time of year.
”We save the samples but we don’t have the money to do the full tests,” she said. “Until we can do those we can’t be certain what is killing these dolphins.”
”We are in the stranding season,” she said. “It is the time of year when we find them.” What is unusual for this season she said, is that the
The cost of a full necropsy can run as high as $3500. If you find a stranded mammal or to donate to TMMSN contact Walker at gwalker4@stx.rr.com or call her at 361 947-4313.