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January 2, 2014
The Island where our cold fronts come in bunches
Next Publication Date: 1/9/2014
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2013 Photo of the Year
Around The Island
By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com
Year 17, Issue 507
Well happy 2014 everybody. If you are reading this you made it through the New Year and we’re headed for the dead of winter – or what passes for it on out little sandbar. The winter season has roared in like a lion this year. It got off to a quick start in November when temperatures stayed below 50 degrees for a total of four days breaking a record for the month of November going all the way back to 1929. Historically winter storms are rare hereabouts with about 30% of the winters having measurable snow or ice and about 30% of those bringing a quarter-inch of ice and/or more than one inch of snow. So store up the firewood friends it looks like we’re in it for the long haul.
Island trespassing Last time we mentioned that our city and law enforcement is getting serious about enforcing trespassing laws on the 2000-plus acres of private property on The Island in the wake of the 500 acre fire on the land just south of Sea Pines a few weeks back. The fellow that started that fire by driving past the No Trespassing signs and getting his car stuck has now been fined under the littering law for leaving the burned out carcass of his Honda Ridgerunner on private land – by the pound. We’re not sure how much the carcass of a burned out Ridgerunner weighs but it’s gonna be somewhere north of a single-use plastic bag. A meeting at the site by officials from the city and state, along with a representative of the landowner resulted in a preliminary plan to place Jersey barriers at the turnaround on the western tip of Sea Pines to prevent entry by street vehicles there. More signs and surveillance cameras are soon to go up there so if you decide to head out that way and ignore the new No Trespassing signs be ready for a fine.
ATV area Also part of the plan, which too is preliminary, is to push for an ATV area on the 3680 acres of land just north of Padre Island National Seashore that is soon likely to pass from the control of the Texas General Land Office to Nueces County. The Nueces County Parks Board, City of Port Aransas, and City of Corpus Christi are all in the process of outlawing ATVs on the beach, which became legal when a new state law kicked in on September 1.
2013 Weather
La Posada 2013 and 2013 Hurricane Season Was a Non-Event in Looking Forward Coastal Bend
Banner Year for Toys and Donations
The 2013 Atlantic hurricane season officially ended November 30th, and had the fewest number of hurricanes since 1982, thanks in large part to persistent, unfavorable atmospheric conditions over the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and tropical Atlantic Ocean. This year ranks as the sixth-leastactive Atlantic hurricane season since 1950, in terms of the collective strength and duration of named storms and hurricanes.
The idea is to give the ATV riders a place to safely and legally ride their vehicles away from pedestrian and other vehicle traffic. The matter will likely end up in front of the Island Strategic Action Committee in its next meeting on January 7 at Comfort Suites.
Beach plan Also at that meeting, expect some discussion on a plan by the city for potentially placing bollards on the beach south of Packery Channel to limit driving in that area. The plan is part of the ongoing “Six Pack” group of projects approved by the city council in 2003 in the wake of the citywide vote to dig Packery Channel. Presumably any plan that limits driving there would have to go before citywide voters. Welcome to the New Year friends, stay warm, get ready for the Winter Texan Invasion and say hello if you see us Around The Island.
By John Metz, Warning Coordination Meteorologist
A line of bicycles donated at this year's La Posada
Thirteen named st orms formed in the Atlantic basin this year. Two became hurricanes (Ingrid and Humberto), but neither became major
hurricanes. (See Table 1) Although the number of named storms was above the average of 12, the numbers of hurricanes and major hurricanes were well below their averages of six and three, respectively. Major hurricanes are categories 3 Weather continued on A8
A little Island history
By Brent Rourk With La Posada 2013 behind us, I noticed that the Padre Island Yacht Club (PIYC) was still picking up a few toys and donations days before Christmas. Apparently, as La Posada has grown so has the generosity of islanders. This year over 4,500 toys were collected, making it the top year for collecting toys. La Posada continued on A3
Christmas Tree Bonfire
The Christmas Tree Forest on the beach has become an Island tradition for New Years celebrations
How the Lucky Legume Became a New Year’s Staple
By Dale Rankin Well, it’s not just island history but it the time of year when Islanders’ thoughts turn to the lowly cowpea. By the time you read this the Black Eyed Pea Off at The Gaff will be history. But even if it is a little late you can still soak up some good luck with the Lucky Legumes as the New Year kicks off – we’re going to give you a Moon Pass through the weekend. We’re allowed to do that. The tradition of eating blackeyed peas on New Year’s for good luck has been a tradition for at least 1,500 years. In a portion of the Talmud written around 500 A.D., it was a Jewish custom at the time to eat black-eyed peas in celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. “You should make it a habit to see... blackeyed peas on your table on the New Year.” The tradition came to the New World with Sephardic Jews who first arrived in Georgia in the 1730s- minus the pork now often included in the American tradition.
With most Americans prior to the Civil War the Lucky Legume was looked down on and considered good for little but feeding cattle, but the Civil War changed that. When Sherman made his march to the sea he swept all the food stuffs in his path up but considered the “cowpeas” not worth the History continued on A3
A 2
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At Junkanoo in George Town, Bahamas with former islanders Justin and Meredith and Michele Connolly
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Dallas John spent the weekend building castles in the sand.. By Mark Middleton
Snappy
Snappy is looking for his forever home. Ms Miley was pulled from Aransas County Animal Control, very pregnant. We thought the babies would come 'any day'...well, that turned into several weeks wait...but the wait was well worth it, of course! 8 BEAUTIFUL babies If you'd love Miley or one of her babies forever, please email us at info@ guardiansrescue.org —Or come by our Adoption Event Saturday 11 - 3:30 inside Ace Hardware on the Island. Come out and meet our babies in search of their forever homes. They'd really love to have a new home for Christmas!
January 2, 2014
Moon Monkeys Mike Ellis, Founder
Island Moon
Letters to the Editor Beach Camp Eviction To protect and serve? It was five in the morning, December 26, when I was awakened by a rapping on the door of my RV that was parked on the Port Aransas beach. It’s something I’ve done for the last five years with no problem, but now I’m staring into the glare of a flashlight being held by a police officer who proceeds to tell me about the three day limit that’s always been there but not enforced during winter slow season. So now someone has a new plan and that’s how it goes and I will adjust.
Distribution Pete Alsop Island Delivery
What really struck me though, as I saw another cop and car backup, was that there were two cops, two cruisers, at 1 in the morning addressing a 71 year-old man when all the action was in town, and couldn’t someone have waited until morning. I wasn’t going anywhere. Maybe it’s just like everyone says, that the ”serve and protect” has become to “harass and arrest.” The whole thing was very poorly executed. Maybe they are just practicing for Spring Break; that by the way, will be real interesting to watch.
Coldwell Banker Advertising Jan Park Rankin Patrick Kelliher Office Lisa Towns Classifieds Arlene Ritley Design/Layout Jeff Craft Contributing Writers Joey Farah Devorah Fox Mary Craft
Todd Hunter
You know you’re an Islander when…
You ask you house guests what they would like to drink and the choices are limited to beer and bottled water. Your OTB friends think you live too far to come and visit, but you have plenty of out of town guests.
You use your umbrella more for shade then for rain You know that South Padre Island Drive takes you to North Padre Island A hurricane means Surf’s Up!
Danniece Bobeché
The PIYC and the Marines are extremely grateful for the toys that were donated during the La Posada celebration. I wish that everybody who donated toys could see how full the bottom floor of the PIYC was after filling it with toys. Likewise, the sight of the human chain that took toys from the PIYC to the waiting trucks was incredibly impressive. The toys went a long way in finding the homes of 7,000 less fortunate children in South Texas. The gift of giving is so powerful, putting smiles on the faces of incalculable givers and the receivers.
Your wardrobe includes yard flip flops, town flip flops, and wedding flip flops.
I’m not coming back next year and have informed others in several states of the situation. I have already picked out a better place, but do want to thank Port Aransas for its memories.
Clarence
La Posada cont. from A1
A3
You must explain to your in-town friends that OTB translates into “Over The Bridge” which translates to a “Trip To The City” which translates into “Nobody Wants To Go.” Scan drawing here
You don’t take a shower before you leave home, but you do take a shower before you come home
Colorado
Jay Gardner
Salty Sue and Island Mike have written a book entitled 101 Reasons You Might Be An Islander (or not). The illustrations are done by Wes Nyle and it is just in time for Christmas and may be the ultimate Island Stocking Stuffer. It is available at Isle Mail & More.
I’ve volunteered for the city and always pick up trash on the beach, and everywhere else.
V.R. Zimmer
Maybeth Christiansen
101 Reasons You Might Be An Islander…or not)
Two truckloads of toys Donations also topped the charts as almost $15,000 was raised and collected (as of this article) to help purchase toys for older children and fill in areas where certain types of toys were needed. Most of the donations came from the silent and live auctions during the La Posada Kick-off Party on December 3rd; however, many other generous Islanders simply donated cash for Toys for Tots during the two week event.
The kids are friends, the parents are friends, and everyone hangs out together You’re still amazed that every time you drive over the bridge onto The Island your whole body relaxes
Ronnie Narmour Brent Rourk Dr. Donna Shaver Photographers Miles Merwin
The Padre Island Yacht Club was packed to the rafters with donations
Jeff Dolan Mary Craft
Islanders should be extremely pleased with their efforts this year, taking time from their schedules, work, family, and obligations to donate to Toys for Tots and make the entire La Posada celebration a meaningful and fun part of their holiday season. Hats off to the island for making La Posada the amazing event it is.
Dear Moon, I have another lost little guy. This one found my wife at the university. Can you place him in the Moon at your convenience? He is a sweet-heart and needs a good home. He is neutered and about 3 years old. Please call John at 361-877-8521 if you would like to adopt Clarence.
Looking forward to La Posada 2014, the dates have been set for the boat parades. Mark your calendars for Friday, December 12th and Saturday, December 13th as the dates of the 2014 boat parades and Thursday, December 11th as the date of the parade captain’s meeting. Dates of the La Posada Kick-off Party and the Port Royal Tree Lighting will be determined in the near future. Information about La Posada 2014 (the 40th La Posada) is available at www. laposadacc.com. The PIYC is encouraging even more boaters on the island to consider being in both parades for 2014 or as needed toy collector boats. In the meantime have a safe, happy and healthy 2014.
Office Security/Spillage Control Riley P. Dog Editor/Publisher/Spillage Control Supervisor 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.
History continued from A1
The Island Moon Newspaper
trouble of destroying and left the crops in the field. Southerners who had previously turned up their collective nose at the lowly cowpea now found in it a non-Yankee sustenance.
15201 S. Padre Island Drive, Suite 250 Corpus Christi, TX 78418 361-949-7700
The humble nature of the black eyed pea symbolizes humility and a lack of vanity. This idea is summed up in the time worn expression ““Eat poor on New Year's, and eat fat the rest of the year.”
editor@islandmoon.com Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper
Over the years even the Yankees grew to like – or at least tolerate – the black eyed pea on New Year’s Day, and over the years other foods have been added to the New Year’s table.
Where to Find The Island Moon Port Aransas Lisabella’s Restaurant Pioneer RV Park Stripes @ Beach Access Rd. 1A
After the Civil War southern comfort food was added; collards, turnip greens and ham hocks as well as corn bread. The green was thought to bring prosperity – money; and the rising of the cornbread was also a sign of rising times.
Port A Glass Studio The Gaff Wild Horse Saloon
Cornbread
Tarpon Ice House
North Padre
• Serving Boar's Head & Prasek's •
Due to its golden hue, cornbread is associated with money and is often found in many New Year’s meals in the Southern U.S. To add “extra luck” in this comfort food dish, some people add extra corn kernels (which symbolizes golden nuggets, of course).
Miss K’s Catering & Bistro
All Stripes Stores CVS
Amano
Pork
Whataburger
Felder Gallery
Doc’s Restaurant
In countries like Spain and Portugal, eating pork on New Year’s Day is significant because pigs symbolize progress, due to their feeding habits (pigs use their snouts to push along the ground when searching for food).
Island Woman Boutique Coast Club Coffee Waves Moby Dicks Spanky’sLiquor IGA Grocery Store Port A Business Center Carter Pharmacy
Snoopy’s Pier Isle Mail N More Island Italian Ace Hardware Holiday Inn Texas Star (Shell) Jesse’s Liquor Padre Isles Country Club
San Juan’s Taqueria
Scuttlebutt’s Restaurant
Wash Board Laundry Mat
Subway
Port A Parks and Rec Public Library Chamber of Commerce Duckworth Antiques Back Porch Woody’s Sports Center Shorty’s Place The Flat’s Lounge Giggity’s Stripes @ Cotter & Station
• Quality Meats • Specialty Foods • • Unique Home Accents • Great Selection of Wine & Imported Beers On the Island (next to Scuttlebutt's) Open Every Day 10-6
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Island Tire And all Moon retail advertisers WB Liquor
Liquid Town
Fire Station Police Station
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Stripes on Flour Bluff & SPID
Pomegranates Pomegranates signify good luck in both Greece and Turkey. In Greece, individuals often smash a pomegranate outside their front doors right after midnight because they believe the fruit’s seeds will bring them good fortune and prosperity. In Turkey, pomegranates are eaten because of their red color (represents the human heart and symbolizes long life and fertility); their seeds, which symbolize prosperity; and their nutritional value, which symbolizes good health. Greens are often associated with money (green = color of the U.S. dollar). Popular greens consumed at the start of the new year include turnips, mustard greens or collard greens. According to superstition, the more greens you eat, the wealthier you’ll become.
Whataburger on Waldron
Gratitude Gift Shop
If you are superstitious and want a long, healthy life, eating long noodles on New Year’s Day is your solution. In many Asian countries, it is customary to eat long noodles, which symbolizes longevity, on Jan. 1.
Greens
Flour Bluff H.E.B.
Ethyl Everly Senior Center
Long Noodles
Lentils Member Padre Island Business Association
Member Padre Island Rotary Club
In Italy, the New Year is often celebrated by eating “Cotechino con Lenticchie” (green lentils with sausage) because of the lentils’ coin-like appearance and green hue. When these legumes are cooked, they expand (symbolizing wealth); they are also considered good luck foods in Hungary.
Island Moon
A 4
Did Ya Hear? by Mary Craft mkay512@aol.com
New Advertisers Mad Meats & More is now open and is serving Boar’s Head & Prasek’s deli, sausage and cheese. Quality steaks including bone-in rib eye, chops and chicken. Price per pound for pork chops $2.79, sirloin $3.79, t-bone $7.89 and bacon $5.49 to name a few. Imported wines and beers are available to accompany your meal. The boutique area has unique gifts an example of which are the wine glasses that have a small chalkboard to write your name or just “no mas.” Visit owners Chad and Mel at their new venture near Scuttlebutts or for questions call 949-8888.
Dee-Scoveries
favorite soups are the chicken tortilla and meatball served in a big bowl for $5. The shredded spiced pork is cut from meat on a skewer similar to gyro. There is a bar inside where you can enjoy happy hour 3 - 6 pm. I could go on and on so I will stop here. They are in Gulfway Shopping Center at Airline & SPID and are closed Mondays. These briefs were a little more difficult to create this week because it is hard to type with mittens on.
Mad Meats
Café Fresca inside Mail n More serves healthy lunches, baked goods, specialty coffees and teas plus more daily 9 am – 4 pm daily and is closed on Sunday.
E-readers aren’t much different from tablet computers and with each new model they’re getting more like tablet computers as more features are added. On the flip side, more tablets are coming to market equipped with e-reading apps and books. This competition resulted in a decline in Kindle sales from 2011 to 2012.
While most of the time this works just fine not all PDFs convert perfectly and you may find the resulting Kindle version has a flawed layout. E-book conversion is tricky and takes some know how. I’ll touch on ebook publishing as part of my Brown Bag Lunch presentation, “Under Cover Work,” beginning at noon on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014 at the Port Aransas Community Center. Bring your lunch and your questions about being an author.
Catamaran Cruises in Port A – Book now to reserve a space on Parks & Rec Cat Cruises. Jan. 13: 10am-noon, 12-2pm, or Feb. 17: 10am-noon, 12-2pm. Enjoy sailing aboard the S/V Isla with Captain Tom Doran. Preregistration is required due to limited space aboard the boat. Meet at Woody's Sport Center on Cotter Street.. Contact Parks and Recreation Program Coordinator Pam Greene at pamg@ cityofportaransas.org or 749-4158. Fee: $15 per person.
If you didn’t get an e-reader for Christmas but still want to read Kindle, Nook or other e-books, you can download a free e-reader app to your computer, laptop or tablet. You may in fact already have one as most new computers come with some kind of e-reader app preinstalled. Personally, I use the Kindle and the
AgriLife Mariculture Lab Tour at the Texas A&M Agrilife Mariculture Lab in Port A will be Wednesday, January 8th at 2 pm. This working lab develops and commercializes shrimp and sea urchin farming industries for Texas and the U.S. The tour is free. To register also contact Pam Greene.
Do a little surfing and you’ll find lots of portal sites with links to free or discounted e-books. Fridays are a good day to look for giveaways and promotions. One site that I like is http:// indieauthorland.com. Speaking of promotions, Kindle has something called Matchbook. Some authors, me included, make it possible for buyers of the print edition of their book to get a Kindle copy for a discounted price. For example, buy a print copy of my newest release, Naked Came the Sharks, and you can get a Kindle copy for free! That way you can give your print copy to a friend while you keep the e-edition. You’ll quickly find that you can preview a Kindle or Nook book or even download a sample. Many sites besides amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com offer this feature and more, like author bios, interviews and other goodies. One that I think makes a nice presentation is http://bublish.com. Another one is http:// smashwords.com. You can often find a book trailer as well. These video book previews are impressive little productions that cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars to make. You’ll find trailers for all my novels on YouTube. I’m especially proud of the one for Naked Came the Sharks which features an original soundtrack, “Song of the Ocean” by The Bad Monkeys’ Kelly Brown. Lots of sites will help you to sort through the plethora of e-books available by emailing you personalized e-book recommendations. You create a profile; indicate your preferences about genre, level of profanity, violence, sex and other criteria; and specify how often you want to receive notification. A site that I like is http:// thefussylibrarian.com. Like to get your books signed by the author? I don’t blame you. I have a whole shelf of autographed print books. But what about those e-books? Never fear, you can get your digital copy signed too. Visit my Facebook author page (https://facebook.com/DevorahFoxAuthor) and look for the tab that reads “Signed e-books.” This is a link to an app called Authorgraph. You can use it to request a digital inscription for any of my novels. Visit the Authorgraph Web site and you can request digital signatures for other authors too. If you’d like a print edition signed, I’ll be doing just that on Friday, Jan. 3 at the Port Aransas Art Center First Friday reception, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., 323 N. Alister St. and also Saturday, Jan. 11 at the Family Center IGA, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. I’ll see you there.
Combat Marine Outdoors
Unique Fancy Affair will Raise Funds to Benefit Wounded Female Warriors
B-I-N-G-O Returning to the Island
The Chrome Divas of Corpus Christi will host a Charity Biker Ball on Saturday, February 15, 2014 from 7 pm until midnight. All proceeds from this event will help wounded female warriors attend a Combat Marine Outdoors fishing trip in Port Isabel, Texas in April.
By Brent Rourk Back by popular demand and organized by the Padre Island Kiwanis Club and cosponsored by a host of island businesses, BINGO is returning to North Padre Island. The Kiwanis Club is planning six consecutive Thursday evenings of BINGO beginning on January 23rd at the Holiday Inn.
Brought together by their common love for and devotion to their school, the Singing Cadets are comprised of male Aggies who volunteer their time for long rehearsals and more than 70 performances each year. Their reward comes in the form of enthusiastic audiences, gracious host families, and service to Texas A&M. Each member works hard to reach the group’s common goal of excellence, and through their dedication continue to make the Singing Cadets the Voice of Aggieland
Did you get a Kindle, a Nook or some other e-reader for Christmas? Handy little device, huh? You might enjoy these assorted e-reader factoids, tips and tricks. In no particular order:
Here’s a little trick that you might find handy if you have a PDF document that you’d like to read on your Kindle. Set up your personal Kindle email address. Log into your amazon. com account and go to Personal Document Settings (you’ll find the link in the left-hand column) and create a personal-document email address. Then compose an email to that address. The subject line should simply be “convert.” Leave the message area blank. Attach the PDF file and send. You should find the converted document in your Kindle library.
JB's German Bakery has filed an extension and it looks like their paperwork to remain in this country should be in order soon. The bakery has remained open throughout all this and their new bakery Strudel Mania should open maybe as soon as next week at Holly &Airline in town.
The internationally known Singing Cadets – The Voice of Aggieland from Texas A & M University, College Station, will present a concert on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary of First United Methodist Church, Corpus Christi. The concert is sponsored by the Christ in the Arts Series of First United Methodist Church. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for those 18 and under. Tickets may be purchased at www.ccfumc.com, in the First United Methodist Church office or at the door.
devorahfox.com
Unlike tablets, e-readers are intended primarily for the purpose of reading digital books and periodicals. For that reason they have electronic paper which lends itself to better readability. Electronic paper is available mostly in black and white--actually 16 shades of gray (no, not 50! 16...). Electronic paper was first used in the Sony Librie, the precursor to the Sony Reader, in 2004.
Business Briefs
Texas A & M University Singing Cadets Concert
Nook for PC and for iPad since I don’t have a dedicated e-reader.
by Devorah Fox
When you think of e-reader devices you probably think of Kindle or Nook but in Canada the Kobo is the most popular platform and it has 50 percent of the market share in France.
Boathouse Bar & Grill recently had American Idol 9th season winner Lee Dewyze perform a concert to a packed house. Five for Fighting Band, who have the hit "Superman - It's not easy to be me" amongst others, also played.
Get out on a week night for two hours of fun – a great way to break the monotony of week nights at home. Try your luck at guessing one of the jokes and riddles. Meet new people. Kiwanis organizers invite folks from Port Aransas, Flour Bluff and North Padre Island.
A Cozy Reading Nook and Kindle the Fire"
Mole Restaurant recently opened and serves authentic Central Mexican food. My two
Tai Chi Classes begin Wednesday, January 8th 9 am – 10:30 am at the Anchor Resort 4th floor. Call 244-0343 or email corpus.tx@taoist.org for more info.
BINGO revelers can expect to see cash prizes, door prizes, and loads of fun during the evening. Games begin at 7:00 PM and food and drink will be available for purchase both before and during BINGO. Kiwanis officials recommend that BINGO fans bring their family, neighbors and friends to BINGO.
January 2, 2014
“…I admire these ladies for the courage they had that propelled them to serve our country and for the courage they will need to continue their lives.” Diva Tonya, Director, Chrome Divas of CC
ICYMI: Dallas Federal Reserve CEO Praises Texas Economy Richard Fisher, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, praised the economic successes of the Lone Star State in his annual update on the Texas economy. “Above all, Texas is a state of mind where people are ready to work and get things done for the betterment of their families, communities, cities and beyond,” Fisher said. “We should be proud, indeed, to call the Lone Star State our home.” Fisher emphasized that for the past 23 years, Texas has outpaced the nation in job creation by a factor of more than 2-to-1, and employment growth in the state has remained highly diverse across various industries in all income categories. In addition, export growth has increased more than 70 percent since the beginning of 2009.
The theme for the ball has been defined as “Biker Formal” and encourages a bit of wild creativity! Activities will include a silent auction, fashion show, door prizes, photographer and a wide variety of dance music. The Radisson Inn on North Beach has generously offered their
ballroom, so a romantic stroll on the beach with your Valentine could be included! Organizers are working to generate plenty of community support and are including many neighbors, businesses and organizations in the festivities. They are seeking sponsorship, auction items, and door prize donations. Reservations are limited to 200 guests and all proceeds will be donated directly to Combat Marine Outdoors. “When I heard about this event I volunteered to help immediately. We are going to have so much fun and for such a great cause! This will be the event of the season filled with the warmth of charity!” Kim, Entertainment Coordinator. Donations to Combat Marine Outdoors can also be made at Snoopy’s Pier on The Island.
26th Annual Port Aransas Tour of Homes Celebrating our fiftieth year, The Port Aransas Garden Club will host its 26th annual Port Aransas Tour of Homes on Mustang Island Saturday January 25, 2014. The tour originates from the Port Aransas Community Center at 408 N. Alister Street Port Aransas, TX. 78373. This year’s “a glimpse of Island Life” tour features nine homes showcasing older homes, the new and modern, condos and remodeled residences and beachfront living. Five homes will be on the bus tour and all nine will be on the self-guided tour. With the bus tour ticket you also have the option to continue with the selfguided tour in the afternoon. Morning bus tours will be available for $25.00 per/person at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Selfguided tours will be between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM. The self-guided ticket is $20.00 p/p and tour maps will be provided at the Community Center. Bus tours and self-guided tickets can be purchased at Mustang Island Art Gallery 2222 Hwy 361, Gratitude 316 N. Station Street and through our website www. portaransasgardenclub.org after Thanksgiving and 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 Cherie Hoffman at 361-876-4375 or email portagardenclub@ hotmail.com. Follow us at our website www. portaransasgardenclub.org, our Facebook page Port Aransas Home Tour and at our blog http:// portaransasgardenclubhometour.blogspot.com/. For all other information, contact chairperson Virginia Moser at 361-834-4130. Tickets, refreshments, Raffle and Silent Auction items will be available at the Community Center during tour hours starting at 8:30 AM. 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 and scholarships for Port Aransas High School seniors. PAGC is a 501©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.
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January 2, 2014
Island Moon
A5
Backwater Adventures Public Meetings Set for Fisheries Regulations
On the Rocks By Jay Gardner Well here we are in a fresh New Year firmly entrenched in Old Man Winter’s grip. Now is the time of year when I typically promise myself that I’ll get all those pesky chores done, but when Spring comes I typically find that I’ve fibbed to myself again. There’s’ a handful of rods all stacked in the corner of the living room that need to have guides put on them. The other stack of rods and reels in the spare bedroom need to have all the line stripped off them and cleaned and oiled their bearings. I need to organize the various tackle bags and get them re-stocked. I typically start off with “one bag for every season” and by the time the tarpon come around I’ve managed to scatter most of my tackle from here to the street and realize I can’t find anything I need.
olives on the beach just south of the end of the seawall the other day in just a few feet. I’m sure the Seashore is yielding some nice treasures at this point in the season.
Yellow rumped warblers There are a few birds around doing their wintering thing. The yellow-rumped warblers are thick in many of the trees, eating the seeds from the Chinese tallows, the golden-fronted woodpeckers are still banging on my eaves and eating my oranges, and the piping plovers are still piping, although many shorebirds are found at the edge of the marshes on the backside of the island at this point in the year due to the lower water levels. The winter tides drop what seems like all the water out of the bays and expose a nice smorgasbord for the wintering birds.
Make up in the rearview I have a few landscaping projects that need to be pushed up the stairs. I’m piece-mealing some pavers around the porch trying to beat the weeds back a little, and put up some security screening and have some vines fill in the rest for a secluded garden shower and cooler rinse station. I’d really like to get the outside sink hooked up in the same area as well. Don’t get me started about my truck. The beach cancer is eating more and more of it from the inside out. I’m scared to look underneath it and see what’s going on under there. One of these days I’m going to hear a loud “kathunk” and look in my rear-view mirrow and see my gas tank sliding off the side of the road. That will be a fun day; something to look forward to in 2014. Already my tail-gate latch is heading that direction, as this morning I was headed down SPID towards work and it popped open, scaring me pretty good. The loud “bam!” and tailgate falling open didn’t make the car behind me flinch though; they kept tailgating me while the lady applied make-up in the rear-view, steering with her knees, talking on the phone at 68MPH. It’s a wonder some of us are still alive. Let’s all try to drive safe in 2014.
Strawberry Moon Pies
56-degree water
I hope that the beginning of a new year brings all you loyal readers all the happiness and joy you can handle. I just figured out they make strawberry Moon pies, so I already have something to look forward to. Deer, duck and dove is still going strong for the next few weeks. I’ll see you out there on the rocks.
Tides of the Week
Tides for Corpus Christi (Bob Hall Pier) January 2-8, 2014 Day
High /Low
Tide Time
Th
2
Low
2
High
F
3
3
Sa
Height in Feet
All interested parties are encouraged to attend any of the meetings listed below, learn about the proposals, and provide comments. Those unable to attend one of meetings may provide comments online via the TPWD public comment web page http://tpwd.texas.gov/business/ feedback/public_comment/proposals/201401_ scoping_coastal.phtml , which provides brief summaries of the proposals, or by email to SWFishComments@tpwd.texas.gov.
All of the following scoping meetings will be from 6-8 p.m. on the dates shown:
With the seawater temperatures at Bob Hall hovering around a miserable 56 degrees, there’s not much in the water for fishing out there right now. Not too many folks have been able to sneak out onto the blue either. There is however, some really great shelling on the beach right now. I saw pieces of scotch bonnets and lettered
At these meetings, TPWD will be scoping several items for the upcoming 2014 statewide hunting and fishing proclamation process. The department is considering changes to the current flounder and spotted seatrout regulations to improve overall numbers in these fisheries. The option of applying a sunset date to potential regulation changes also may be considered by TPWD.
After these meetings, department staff will present recommendations to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission at its Jan. 22-23 meeting. Based on the commission’s feedback, TPWD staff will hold a series of formal statewide public hearings if any regulatory proposals are advanced. Hearings for all fishery- and wildlife-related proposals would be held after the January meeting and before the March 2627 commission meeting. Final decisions about proposed regulations will be made by the commission at that meeting.
At least we made it fishing the other day and I handed my curse off to Clay. I had been experiencing technical difficulties with catching fish (the freezer is empty!!!) and I was tentative when Danny asked me if I wanted to fish. I didn’t want to bring the skunk on the boat, but figured why not? After two days on the water, the fish box wasn’t hurting at all, as Danny and I strung together some decent enough catches, although Clay was getting frustrated (one keeper fish in two days). We’ll get them next time buddy.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Coastal Fisheries Division will host seven public scoping meetings Jan. 7-Jan. 9 in several communities to discuss potential changes to Texas saltwater fishing regulations.
Sunrise Moon Time Sunset
% Moon Visible
9:06 AM -0.9
7:20 AM Rise 8:12 AM
0
5:48 PM 1.6
5:46 PM Set 7:33 PM
Low
9:59 AM -0.7
7:20 AM Rise 9:02 AM
High
6:18 PM 1.4
5:47 PM Set 8:40 PM
4
Low
12:27 AM 0.9
7:20 AM Rise 9:48 AM
4
High
2:44 AM 1.0
5:48 PM Set 9:45 PM
4
Low
10:51 AM -0.5
4
High
6:43 PM 1.3
Su
5
Low
12:54 AM 0.8
7:20 AM Rise 10:30 AM
5
High
4:22 AM 0.9
5:49 PM Set 10:48 PM
5
Low
11:45 AM -0.2
5
High
7:03 PM 1.1
M
6
Low
1:34 AM 0.5
7:20 AM Rise 11:10 AM
6
High
6:05 AM 0.8
5:49 PM Set 11:48 PM
6
Low
12:43 PM 0.2
6
High
7:19 PM 1.0
Tu
7
Low
2:22 AM 0.3
7
High
8:03 AM 0.8
7
Low
1:52 PM 0.5
7
High
7:34 PM 1.0
W
8
Low
3:13 AM 0.0
7:21 AM Set 12:46 AM
8
High
10:44 AM 0.9
5:51 PM Rise 12:28 PM
8
Low
3:32 PM 0.8
8
High
7:46 PM 0.9
7:21 AM Rise 11:49 AM
2 8
16
25
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• Jan. 7, 2014, Port Lavaca: Bauer Community Center, 186 County Road 101 • Jan. 8, 2014, Rockport: Aransas County Court Room, 301 N. Live Oak St. • Jan. 8, 2014, Corpus Christi: Del Mar College Center for Economic Development, 3209 S. Staples St., Room 106 • Jan. 8, 2014, San Antonio: Lion’s Field Adult and Senior Citizens Center, 2809 Broadway • Jan. 9, 2014, Port Isabel: Port Isabel Community Center, 213 Yturria • Jan. 9, 2014, Port Arthur: Gallery Room of the Port Arthur Public Library, 4615 9th Ave. • Jan. 9, 2014, Dickinson: TPWD Dickinson Marine Lab, 1502 Pine Dr. (FM 517) Here are some frequently asked questions about the proposed changes:
Flounder 1. What is the status of the flounder population along the Texas coast? In 2009, TPWD implemented significant changes to flounder regulations to help the populations recover from a long-term decline that had been observed in fishery independent sampling efforts. These changes reduced the recreational possession limit to five fish, and the commercial possession limit to 30. The possession limit was reduced to two fish for
Since implementation of these regulations, department gill net surveys indicate improvements in relative abundance of flounder. Both recreational harvest and commercial harvest landings show improvement as well. Juvenile recruitment of flounder into bays and estuaries, as was noted in 2009, is temperature related, with cold winters resulting in higher juvenile recruitment than warm winters. 2. Are flounder overfished? No. Flounder populations are not overfished. Flounder are one of the top three most sought after species by anglers in Texas inshore waters, but the landings are currently at a sustainable level. A reduction in landings would increase the number of older and larger fish in the population. 3. Do commercial fishermen catch most of the flounder? Daytime recreational landings exceed commercial landings. Nighttime recreational gigging adds to the recreational take. Based on a previous TPWD study, recreational gig fishing effort represented approximately one third of the hook-and-line fishing effort. 4. Will closing bays to gigging during other months help? Reducing flounder harvest prior to and during the fall migration will increase escapement of adults to the Gulf and can increase the potential spawning population; and therefore increase recruitment. 5. Is changing bag limit/season expected to be permanent? Not necessarily. The option of applying a sunset date with the regulation could be considered by TPWD. Regulation changes are applied to address specific issues within a fishery, and to realize the full benefit of the change it generally takes one generation of the managed species. TPWD continuously monitors populations and landings of marine species, and will make appropriate recommendations for regulation changes as the population and landings of any given species change over time. Typically, regulations result in positive impacts on the overall population of a species and it is sometimes harder to develop support for liberalizing regulations even if the populations at some point can support the increases in landings. In 2001 the daily bag limit for Spanish mackerel was increased from 7 to 15; however, during the mid to late 1990’s scoping of options to liberalize red drum bag limits were not favorably received, consequently no regulations were considered for implementation. 6. How can I contact TPWD with my opinion on these proposals? • There are several ways that constituents and interested parties may provide input. Visit our website at www.tpwd.texas.gov for an online comments section or e-mail your comments to SWFishComments@ tpwd.texas.gov. Also, the public is invited to attend the public meetings.
Celebrate the New Year in Texas With 5 Free Crapemyrtles from the Arbor Day Foundation Residents of Texas can ring in the New Year with 5 free crapemyrtle trees by joining the Arbor Day Foundation any time during January 2014. "These small flowering trees will provide any landscape in Texas with a splash of color for much of the year," said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. "Members will experience pink and red flowers in the spring, green foliage in the summer and a mix of red, orange and yellow during autumn." The free trees are part of the nonprofit Foundation's Trees for America campaign.
46
both recreational and commercial fishermen for the month of November. In addition, no gigging is allowed in November.
The trees will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting, between February 1 and April 30, with enclosed planting instructions. The 6to 12-inch tall trees are guaranteed to grow, or they will be replaced free of charge. Members will also receive a subscription to the Foundation's colorful bimonthly publication, Arbor Day, and The Tree Book, which includes information about tree planting and care. To receive the free trees, send a $10 membership contribution to 5 CRAPEMYRTLES, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE 68410, by January 31, 2014. Texas residents can also join online at arborday.org/ january.
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A 6
Island Moon
By Riley P. Dog Here’s me in my new digs. We moved to the quiet end of The Island and I don’t have too many boats to bark at so I sleep a lot.
I resolve to chase cats when there are no humans to yell at me. Stoopid Cats! I resolve to eat as much cat food as I can get. I have to go upstairs to get it and sometimes I get caught and sometimes my humans block the stairs but they are fools. They can’t stop me from getting the catfood. Stoopid humans! I resolve to whine until my humans take me to the beach when I am not chasing cats or eating catfood.
My human say it’s a new year. Feels the same to me but since I’m in a new place he are my resolutions: I resolve to eat more hotdogs. As many as I can get. Please send me some to the Save the Riley P. Dog Foundation in International Falls Minnesota. I resolved to find the eighteen pounds I lost last year due to Dr. Christi putting me on a diet. It will help if some humans send me hotdogs. I resolve to bark at Little Yappy Dogs every time I get a chance. Stoopid Little Yappy Dogs…they sit in humans’ laps. They have no shame.
I resolve to hang my head out the car window and pretend I’m flying as often as I can. I’ll drive myself when I can. I’m pretty good on right turns but left turns are hard so it will take me a while to get to the beach because I have to keep going around the block.. If you see me coming you might want to stay on my right side. I resolve to dig as many holes as I can. Sand holes are easy. I resolve to catch a gopher this year. I’ve been trying for years but this is the year. Remember we dogs celebrate seven New Years for every one human New Year. Thanks everybody. Send hotdogs… International Falls…watch out for coyotes. Send your letters to Riley to : Riley P. Dog C/O Island Moon Newspaper
15201 S. Padre Island Drive, Suite 250 Corpus Christi, TX 78418 or email editor@islandmoon.com Custom Built Furniture, Remodeling, Cabinets, Doors, Custom Pull-Out Shelves, Dry-Wall, Tile, Quality Carpentry, Exterior Mold Removal, Power Washing, Faucets-Disposals
Police Blotter
4200 block SPID 23 December 11:35 p.m. Theft $50-$500 15200 block Dasmarinas 23 December 3:15 p.m.. Public intoxication 15300 block SPID 27 December 3:45 a.m. Assault with injury 14100 block Bounty 25 December 9:30 p.m. Burglary of habitation 14000 block Punta Bonaire 24 December 4 p.m. Theft $50-$1500
by Dale Rankin
There is no missing them on our Island these days. They pick through the trash cans at Stripes, they gather in the grass at CVS, they cackle and stare at us with those hypnotic yellow eyes with their beaks splayed open like they would peck out our eyes if the got the chance. There’s no mistaking it folks: Island grackles are ubiquitous and getting more ubiquitouser all the time. As a kid my knowledge of grackles was limited to Heckle and Jeckle from the old comic strip. Then it turned out Heckle and Jeckle were in fact not grackles at all but magpies so I in fact had knowledge of grackles at all.
Dusting of the Rubes It was Sir Alec Issigonis who in Vogue Magazine, July 1958 coined the phrase: A camel is a horse designed by committee. If ever there was a textbook case it involved grackles, The San Antonio City Council, and the Dusting of the Rubes. One day a fellow got up at the City Council meeting to complain that the grackles were harassing the customers at his waterside restaurant on the Riverwalk by taking food right off their plates. One hapless tourist went to the men’s room and came back to find himself the protagonist in a Alfred Hitchcock movie as a pair of grackles had descended on his forty dollar plate of food in his absence and effectively contaminated the entire field making it unfit for human consumption. The restaurateur had put up string and wind chimes and other items in a vain attempt to ward off the winged scavengers but to no avail. They were too crafty for his bobbles and becoming aggressive as word got around the grackle community that easy pickin’s were to be had.
Fire, ready, aim It turned out there were several owners of Riverwalk establishments in attendance that day demanding that somehow the nine non-botanists on the council do something about those @#$% grackles and do it quick. The council, ever in the fire, ready, aim mode decided on the suggestion of one of their members whose experience as a dove hunter taught him that birds are not fond of the shotgun and would scatter at its report. This discussion produced slightly more heat than light as they debated the wisdom of actually firing a live shotgun round into the downtown air. “Won’t it come down on somebody’s head?” They discussed that for a while. The fact was that nobody on the council really knew what to do but they had to do something, so they ordered the city staff to go out for bids on two mini-cannons, firing blanks with sufficient decibels to scare away the pesky birds who had no idea what was coming at them. Problem solved.
Horse designed by committee
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January 2, 2014
Stuff I Heard on the Island
Letters to Riley
Letters to Riley
A few weeks later - quick action for a city government for this was a problem with economic repercussions if tourists began avoiding the Riverwalk due to the grackle infestation - we were sitting at our favorite Riverwalk watering hole at the La Puerta Bar
– fortunately the inside part - at the Hyatt Regency Hotel when suddenly two loud successive BOOMS shook the liquid in our glasses.
The Grackle Death Cannon Being news types we ran outside to see if there was news in the making: A drive-by gang shooting? Maybe a jealous husband who found his wife in a Riverwalk tryst with the next-door neighbor, maybe he was a Democrat and she a Republican? What a story! Our news minds whirled. What we found was even better. A scattershot plague of grackle dung in Biblical proportion had rained down on the heads of the unsuspecting dining public. Instead of grackles on their plates a string of tourists up and down both sides of the Riverwalk had grackle leavings for desert and the spotted clothing of those who had been the victims of terrified grackles lightening their load as it were, before taking flight to avoid certain annihilation from the demon Grackle Death Cannon.
next day all three daily papers ran front page stories as we competed in breathless headlines: Grackle Bomb Peppers Riverwalk Tourists! Waiter A Steak Please -With a Side of Grackle Dung! Death Cannon Scares the Grackle Out of Riverwalk Birds! It was News Manna From Heaven only stinky and slimy and literally dropping on the heads of the unwary lifeblood of downtown’s major industry. Our City Council in its wisdom had taken a bad situation and slathered bird dung all over it. There wasn’t another City Council meeting for nearly two weeks so every afternoon we gathered at the La Puerta to watch the Dusting of the Rubes. Right on time they fired that cannon and right on cue the grackles let fly. It was beautiful. Soon we were betting the over and under on how many dung splattered tourists would come running out of restaurants.
Only it gets better Granted we were easily entertained but it was quite a sight to see. You got to admit watching thousands of terrified grackles disgorging their innards on tourists who paid top dollar for a plate full of grackle droppings is pretty dang good. Talk about a nice meal ruined. The restaurant owners did their best to forewarn their customers but they lost track of time, or the tourists wouldn’t listen, or the inside of the place was full and they didn’t want to turn away business. It was great fun for a couple of weeks. But then it got better. We soon discovered that when the grackles fled the Riverwalk they descended on the trees around the Alamo just down the street. The Alamo closed its doors at 5:00 so as the tourists left the Alamo they were startled by an Army of Grackles still raining down their bombs in quantities that would have brought a tear to the jaundiced eye of old General Santa Anna himself. This produced another round of headlines: Grackles Dust Off Riverwalk Invade the Alamo! We soon found out the Great Tailed Grackle actually had the word Mexicanus in its name and we became delirious. Mexican Grackles Attack Alamo! Run Gringo Run! Revenge of the Santa Anna Grackles, Mexican Collusion Suspected! It was too good to be true. We called the Mexican Consulate and made him swear in print his government was not involved. The Council’s camel had gone international. It was better than beautiful. It might even start a border war!
Blue Haired Trouble By the time the City Council met again the chamber was packed with Grackle spotted business owners and blue haired ladies from the Alamo with fresh Grackle bombs in their beehive hairdos. The only thing worse than grackle trouble is Blue Hair Trouble from the Alamo and now the council had both. They lined up at the podium to tell their tales of woe as unwilling grackle targets. The council was non-plussed. Not only had they been taking broadsides from the newspapers for two weeks now they had the operators of two of the biggest moneymakers in the city before them sporting the evidence of their malfeasance. The betacams rolled as the Mexican Consul General took the podium to complain that his countrymen had been unfairly aligned with the grackle population and
its fecal flingings. “Yes the birds are from Mexico but we have no control.” You can’t make this stuff up. It was Viva Max only real. The council reversed course and the Grackle Death Cannon fell silent. Experts were consulted and it was conceded the grackles were here to stay. But the Dusting of the Rubes had made bureaucratic decision-making history. So here’s my suggestion. Let Austin have its bats. We’ll be Grackle Island. If the grackle population keeps increasing hereabouts let’s get us a Grackle Death Cannon. A real big one. We’ll fire it off in the evenings on the seawall and we can bet the over/under. I say always take the over; because when it comes to grackle bombs you can never go wrong taking the over. I’m just saying…
Divine Doggie
Scared the Grackle Out of the Birds! This was the stuff we ink stained wretches lived for; other people’s problems caused by politicians’ bad decisions. Holy Grackle Dung! It was a gift from the News Gods in the becalmed news doldrums of summer. The
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January 2, 2014
Island Real Estate
Island Moon
Senior Moments
The Annual Rush to Close By Mary Lou White 361-960-9460 marylou@baxterbrooks.com Last week as I was out and about, I realized that I was having the same conversation with almost everyone I met. The end of 2013 is dead ahead and real estate participants are anxious to reach the closing table before the end of the year. As humans, we tend to be procrastinators and in the world of real estate, that is not an acceptable trait to possess. Especially, in December, when business takes a back seat to the personal side of life, where holiday parties, family, travel and an endless list of commitments tax our emotional and financial resources to the limit. Just like UPS and Fed Ex, I think it is time we learn to revise our optimism and be clear about when to say “no”…..I cannot meet that deadline. One good thing about South Texas, we rarely can use “weather”, as an excuse for missing a deadline. An agent in our office has a classic quote: “I would rather upset you now, than disappoint you later.”
At the Title Company As I entered an Island title company office, I was greeted by the Closing Officer, who literally had her arms wrapped around a heavy stack of files. This person has been in the title business for many years and in more than one state. When she tells me that the Monday before Christmas was one of the worst days she has ever experienced, I have to believe her. If your phone NEVER stops ringing, how can you accomplish any constructive work? Each and every file represents hours of work by numerous people. Just one missing component, can cause a “hold” on that closing. Contemplate this list: Buyer, Seller, Listing agent, Selling agent, Listing Broker, Selling Broker, Title researchers, Title Policy issuers, Closing officers, Lending personnel represented by loan officers and underwriters, possible government agencies, such as FHA, HUD or VA, surveyors, notaries, members of POA/HOA groups, who must prepare legal documents that are time specific with a set deadline or the documents must be re-issued, tax record providers, inspectors, repair providers, appraisers, possible re-inspections to determine repair completion, home warranty providers, movers, insurance agents, windstorm certificate or flood policy providers, utility providers, document delivery companies for “mail out” closings, mortgage companies who provide loan pay-off figures, Deed preparation attorneys, banks that transfer funds electronically or issue cashier’s checks, and finally, if the home is a foreclosure, short sale or the Buyer must close on their previous home first…..this list can explode exponentially. Add to this the tax implications of closing after the end of the year and you have a recipe for frustration from every quarter. So much for Holiday Cheer and Good Will to Man….it is more a case of bring on the alcohol!
A7
Internment Camps By Dotson Lewis dlewis1@stx.rr.com
you” and the “property” must be reviewed and approved, before a policy will be issued. My friend at an Island insurance agency, was lamenting that people are not allowing enough time to complete this critical step. Obtaining insurance on your “new property” should be one of the first things on your list, to set in motion. Especially, on the Island where Windstorm and Flood policies are becoming more and more difficult to obtain. If new inspections and certifications are needed, this can take days to accomplish. Add to that issue, the increased volume of sales in Corpus Christi this year and you have a system that is overwhelmed and pushed to the limit. As a real estate agent, it is your job to look at each transaction and judge how complex this file might be. Just one year ago, we could safely predict that most files would close in 30 days. Today, it is prudent to set closings for a minimum of six weeks, when you write the original offer. Remember, you can always close early and keep the good will of all the participants, which surpasses having to ask everyone to sign an Amendment to the Contract that extends the closing date and breeds animosity. It goes without saying, that your job also includes “touching” that file every day to determine the status of every component and keeping your client informed about any potential problems that appear on the horizon. Being informed is a good thing….
Dotson’s Note: Don’t stop here, in addition to the Internment Camps article, there is the Ethel Eyerly update; and information about upcoming Del Mar College Senior Education computer classes.
Internment Camps Islander Roy Kelsey wrote: “Dotson, great article, I wish I could have supplied you this info prior to the publication. I think it would have reflected the loyalty of these folks to the US. I joined the USN in 1971 and my first cruise was aboard Enterprise in an E2 squadron from 72-73. During a night launch there was an A6 spotted next to our plane. I watched the preflight and man up the A6. The B/N was the XO of VA 196, his name was CDR Gordon Nakagawa. He was shot down and taken as a POW. One of the last shot down in Vietnam. He was released along with the rest of our guys in 73. He met the ship in Hawaii with his two sons and did the tiger cruise to the states. He was in the internment camps as a child.” Thank you very much Roy…here is the follow-up:
Gordon Nakagawa
Padre Island Real Estate Ticker
3
Multi Family Properties For Sale From $329,900 to $1,100,000
11
Commercial Properties For Sale From $150,000 to $12,000,000
170
Padre Island Lots and Land For Sale
42
Parcels on a canal or water From $120,000 to $1,200,000
128
Parcels not on the water From $32,000 to $899,000
188
Padre Island Residences For Sale
79
Attached Residences For Sale From $78,500 to $509,000
62
Detached Residences on a canal or water From $266,000 to $1,495,000
47
372
Detached Residences not on the water From $170,000 to $399,900 Total Properties on Padre Island Actively For Sale on MLS
Mustang Island Real Estate Ticker
At the Insurance Agency Same scenario, different office…..gone are the days, when you called the insurance agent of your choice and a “friendly” voice replied that they would issue an insurance binder immediately and your troubles were over. In today’s world, the “vetting” process on an insurance policy can take days, if not a week or more. Both”
3
Multi Family Properties For Sale From $550,000 to $635,000
15
Commercial Properties For Sale From $125,000 to $3,000,000
180
Mustang Island Lots and Land For Sale From $40,800 to $5,650,000
210
Mustang Island Residences For Sale
143
Attached Residences For Sale From $79,500 to $1,199,999
67
Detached Residences For Sale From $209,000 to $2,400,000
408
Total Properties on Mustang Island Actively For Sale on MLS
a Naval Aviator in 1959, earning his gold wings. He had many assignments in the navy, but when the war broke out in Vietnam, he was to fly the A-6 intruder. Flying off aircraft carriers, he was shot down on his 185th mission, captured and imprisoned at the Hoa Loa prison in Hanoi, known to all as the Hanoi Hilton. He was freed in 1973 and soon regained his flight status. He returned to Vietnam flying protective cover for the evacuation of Saigon in 1975. In his program are two quotes that meant a great deal to him.. the first by John F. Kennedy speaking at the US Naval Academy, "...any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: 'I served in the United States Navy.' " Another he remembered scratched on a wall in the Hoa Loa prison by an unknown POW, "Freedom has a taste to those who fight and almost die for it that the protected shall never know." His son, Steven Nakagawa is now a Captain in the Navy and also flew the A-6. He told an interesting story. He went through the tail numbers of all the A-6s still flying some years ago and discovered eleven that both he and his father had flown. Then he told of touring the 'boneyard' of aircraft stored in the dry desert of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, AZ. Walking through the A-6s there, he found the one he was looking for. A generation apart, both had flown her. Said he, "Good old girl, you served two generations of Nakagawas." Steven had arranged a special event for those in attendance. The squadron at Lemoore Naval Air Station had just returned from deployment in the sand box and the mechanics gave up their Saturday with their families to ready two for a flyover. At precisely 3:30 PM, two FA18s flew over the crowd in a salute to Gordon. They set off about a hundred car alarms. It was awesome.
Ethel Eyerly Captain Gordon Ross Nakagawa, USN (ret), age 76, a career naval officer, passed away surrounded by his family at Westland House on August 24, 2011, following a courageous battle with cancer. His Celebration of Life was held at the Fort Ord chapel, with the reception at the hall of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, which was his last assignment as a professor. His was an interesting life of service to his country, his family and to his community. He gave the Navy 32 years of active service. He was born in Auburn, CA and at age six when World War II broke out, his family, like so many other Japanese-American families were rounded up and shipped to the remote, wind swept lands of Tule Lake, CA to live in an internment camp. They soon were relocated to a farm labor camp in Caldwell, Idaho. He excelled at school, graduating tops in his class. He met his wife to be, Jeanne, in grade school. He entered the University of California at Berkeley and became the Battalion Commander of the Naval ROTC class. He was commissioned as an Ensign in 1958 and became
After being closed for about eight months for renovation, the Ethel Community Center (must have been renamed) in Flour Bluff is open and will resume daily activities soon. The meal service resumed Wednesday, December 18th. Please call by noon the day before to make your lunch reservations. As soon as the new daily activities schedule is available, it will be published in The Island Moon. The center’s phone number and address are shown below. ETHEL EYERLY COMMUNITY CENTER NUTRITIOUS MEALS SERVED For Persons Age 60 and Over AT 11:30 A.M. ($1.50 SUGGESTED MEAL DONATION) Del Mar Senior Computer Classes Last week we published the DMC Spring 2014 tentative class schedule. Thanks for your great response. As soon as the schedule is approved, we will let you know when, where & how to register for a class(s). If you would like further information or volunteer to be an instructor, please call/Email Dotson Phone: 361-949-7681 Email: dlewis1@stx. rr.com
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2013 in WEATHER
Weather Event of the Year in South Texas was Nueces River Flooding Mike Buchanan, Science and Operations Officer, National Weather Service, Corpus Christi Between the morning of October 13, 2013, and the morning of October 14, 2013, a large area of 6 to 8 inches of rain with isolated measured amounts as high as 13.88 inches (Crystal City) fell in the upper portions of the Nueces River watershed. In fact, rainfall amounts in northern Dimmit and southern Zavala counties exceeded 10 inches in many areas. The intense rainfall was triggered by an upper level disturbance interacting with an outflow boundary and deep tropical moisture from both the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific Ocean. The result of this very heavy rainfall produced some of the most significant river crests along the Nueces River in recorded history. On October 17, the Nueces River at Asherton recorded a crest of 29.70 feet which was the 5th highest crest of all-time. On October 17, the Nueces River at Cotulla recorded a crest of 22.81 feet which was the 4th highest crest of all-time. During the evening of October 17, the Nueces River near Tilden recorded a crest of 23.50 feet which was the 3rd highest crest of all-time. On October 21, the Nueces River at Three Rivers recorded a crest of 38.95 feet which was the 10th highest crest of all-time.
Island Moon
What causes cold weather in South Texas?
By Todd Hunter, District 32
When high pressure in the upper atmosphere surges northward into Alaska, the jet stream often buckles, resulting in the very cold air across the northern territories, surging southward through the plains and into Texas. This has been a common pattern during the 2013 winter thus far. However forecasting these Jetstream patterns is very difficult beyond 7-14 days. Historic cold snaps and ice storms have occurred during similar weather patterns. During the 1985 winter, very cold high pressure surged into south Texas resulting in 9 days in January with low temperatures in the 20s and 30s. One of the greatest ice storms in Corpus Christi history occurred during this event. The Corpus Christi Caller Times reported up to 1” of ice accumulated along the Nueces Bay Causeway. There were 2 fatalities and 27 injuries due to traffic accidents. The ice storm closed roads, bridges and school for several days.
The closest threat to Texas came during the peak of the season when Hurricane Ingrid formed in the Bay of Campeche on Sept 12. Ingrid initially moved north, but took a sharp left turn, making landfall along the central Mexico coastline. Ingrid produced large swells that impacted Texas beaches caused some minor tidal overflow. The 2013 hurricane season was only the third below-normal season in the last 19 years, since 1995, when the current high-activity era for Atlantic hurricanes began. Unlike the U.S. which was largely spared this year, Mexico was battered by eight storms, including three from the Atlantic basin and five from the eastern North Pacific. Of these eight landfalling systems, five struck as tropical storms and three as hurricanes. This also marks the 8th consecutive year without a major hurricane strike in the United States. The last major hurricane was Wilma which struck south Florida in October of 2005. Although many would consider Hurricane Ike a major hurricane, because of its low pressure and
On January 1, 2014, new laws passed during the 83rd Regular Legislative Session will go in to effect for the first time. These new laws range from bills addressing ad valorem taxes to the disconnection of electric or gas utility services. Each of the bills that will take effect on January 1 went through a 140 day legislative session. During that 140 day period, these bills went before House and Senate Committees before going before the Texas House and Senate as a whole and then going to the Governor’s office. The laws mentioned below represent some of those pieces of legislation that passed and will go into effect on January 1: • House Bill (HB) 242 addresses the requirement that certain ad valorem tax-related notices be delivered to a property owner by certified mail. HB 242 amends the Tax Code to include the following list of notices to the certified mail requirements. According to the HB 242 bill analysis, the list now includes: 1. Notice by a Chief Appraiser of a determination that land previously designated for agricultural use has been diverted to a nonagricultural use. 2. Notice by a Chief Appraiser that a new application for an appraisal of property as agricultural land is required to confirm the land's current eligibility if the appraiser has reason to believe the land's eligibility has ended. 3. Notice of the imposition of a penalty for a late application for an appraisal of property as agricultural land and an explanation of the reason for the penalty. 4. Notice by a Chief Appraiser of a determination that a change occurred in the use of land that has been appraised either as agricultural land or timber land and of the owner's right to protest the determination.
Weather continued from A1 Tropical storm Andrea, the first of the season, was the only named storm to make landfall in the United States this year. Andrea brought tornadoes, heavy rain, and minor flooding to portions of Florida, eastern Georgia and eastern South Carolina, causing one fatality.
STATE
massive storm surge, technically it was ranked a category 2. Hurricane categories are only derived from the storms maximum sustained wind speed. NOAA and the U.S. Air Force Reserve flew 45 hurricane hunter aircraft reconnaissance missions over the Atlantic basin this season, totaling 435 hours--the fewest number of flight hours since at least 1966. NOAA will issue its 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Outlook in late May, prior to the start of the season on June 1.
South Texas Weather Journal This also marks the 8th consecutive year without a major hurricane strike in the United States. The last major hurricane was Wilma which struck south Florida in October of 2005. Although many would consider Hurricane Ike a major hurricane, because of its low pressure and massive storm surge, technically it was ranked a category 2. Hurricane categories are only derived from the storms maximum sustained wind speed. NOAA and the U.S. Air Force Reserve flew 45 hurricane hunter aircraft reconnaissance missions over the Atlantic basin this season, totaling 435 hours--the fewest number of flight hours since at least 1966. NOAA will issue its 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Outlook in late May, prior to the start of the season on June 1.
• HB 316 develops a pilot program authorizing a property owner to appeal to the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) regarding certain appraisal review board determinations. Following the success of the pilot program which initially began in 2010, the legislature has now established this as a permanent program.
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• HB 489 establishes that a food service establishment, retail store or entity which is regulated under Chapter 437 of the Health and Safety Code may not deny admittance to a service animal in an area of the establishment or store which is open to customers and is not used to prepare food. The service animal must be accompanied and controlled by the person with the disability or an approved trainer. In the circumstance in which a person's disability may not be clearly recognized, the establishment, store or entity may only inquire if the service animal is required for a disability and for what type of work the service animal is trained to do. For the purpose of this statute a service animal is defined as a canine that is specially trained or equipped to help a person with a disability. Those found in violation of this statute can be required to pay a $300 fine and complete 30 hours of community service. It is important to learn and know about the new laws that were passed by the 83rd Texas Legislature. If you would like to view any of the other legislation that was passed during the 83rd Regular Session, these websites are great resources: • The Texas Legislature at www.capitol.state. tx.us . • The Texas House of Representatives at www. house.state.tx.us . • The Texas Senate at www.senate.state.tx.us . If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603). Rep. Hunter represents Nueces County (Part). He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house. state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.
Drone aircraft have become a regular sight in the skies over The Island in the past few months, and for a good reason. Texas has been named a test site for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), based on a statewide proposal led by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. “We are proud to be a part of this historic moment in aviation history,” said Dr. Flavius Killebrew, President and CEO of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. “Together with our partners, we will lead the way for the research and development of this new age in aviation technology.”
and the command and control of unmanned aerial vehicles,” said Dimitris LaGoudas, Deputy Director of TEES. Camber is a leader in unmanned technology and was approached by several states to help in developing test sites, but chose Texas because of what the University has to offer.
The test sites will facilitate testing and research of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) technologies to provide scientific data on the future integration of these aircraft safely with other air traffic. Congress mandated that the UAS be integrated into the national airspace by 2015. One of the main research goals is finding the safest methods for unmanned planes to sense other aircraft and take measures to avoid collisions.
This historic decision will have huge financial implications for the entire state of Texas, especially South Texas. The Association of Unmanned Vehicles International published an economic impact study in March projecting, once airspace is opened to UAS, the economic impact would be about $8 billion statewide, and $260 million in South Texas over the next 10 years; creating about 1,200 jobs. “Texas earned the FAA designation partly as a result of efforts by two Texas A&M System institutions who brought together their industry-leading knowledge and research,” said Chancellor John Sharp, Texas A&M University System. “We are proud to grow the Texas A&M System’s reputation for excellence in research to the unmanned aircraft field.”
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Under HB 316, individuals are allowed to protest an appraisal review board determination to SOAH on property in which is valued over $1 million dollars. Proponents of this program suggest that this provides an alternative process to appealing to a district court, all of which can be quite an expensive and long process.
Island University Designated by FAA as Unmanned Aircraft System Test Site
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi has been doing UAS research for about two years, looking at ways to use UASs for mapping sea grass, detecting oil spills and hotspots in wild fires, monitoring hurricanes, and herd counting for ranchers.. The University’s Lone Star Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center (LSUASC) proposal was the only one from Texas being considered by the FAA, and had the backing of Texas Governor Rick Perry.
Winter surfing
January 2, 2014
New Year Brings New Laws
As a result of the immense volume of water flowing down the Nueces River, Lake Corpus Christi completely filled to 100% capacity by November 1, 2013. Before the flood wave arrived, Lake Corpus Christi was at 25% capacity due to a long-term drought which has plagued South Texas for several years.
and above. v
A drone launch site on the Island “The intellectual energy and intellectual capital this university brought to the table, along with the leadership and the vision of both University President Dr. Flavius Killebrew and Dr. Luis Cifuentes, makes us very excited about our partnership with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi,” said Joe Henry, Camber Corporation. A&M-Corpus Christi is also collaborating with the top engineering, research and technology experts in the state including those at the University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute and the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) in San Antonio.
Much of the expected economic benefit would center on the Coastal Bend. The City of Corpus Christi recognizes the importance of bringing this type of research to the area and has been very supportive of the proposal.
"The University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute (UTARI) and our UTAaffiliated faculty are proud to be part of such a momentous effort for the state of Texas," says Lt. General Rick Lynch, U.S. Army (Retired), Executive Director of UTARI. "We're looking forward to working with our statewide partners in the coming months to bring all of our hard work and planning to fruition."
“This is good news for the University, for Corpus Christi and for the entire state,” said Nelda Martinez, Mayor of Corpus Christi. “The FAA recognizes what our community has to offer in its expertise and immense airspace that cannot be found anywhere else.”
The SWRI is one of the oldest and largest independent, nonprofit, applied research and development organizations in the United States and has designed and operated UAS vehicles and payload systems since 1993, utilizing numerous Texas sites.
The LSUASC has been designated as a research center affiliated with the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) by the Texas A&M System Board of Regents. A&MCorpus Christi and TEES collaborated with private-sector partner Camber Corporation and other research institutions and private-sector companies to form the statewide team that produced the competitive proposal accepted by the FAA.
“This designation will help make South Texas and the Gulf Coast the home of future generations of unmanned aerial systems,” said Richard Somers, Vice President of SWRI’s Aerospace Electronics, Systems Engineering and Training Division. “Good flying weather year-round, varied terrain, and the possibility of overwater testing above the Gulf of Mexico add up to an attractive locale for developing new designs and new capabilities.”
“This is a unique opportunity for TEES to connect its research divisions from Corpus Christi and College Station into a powerful coalition and help develop a test site that will benefit from the research and technology expertise within TEES in several key areas associated with the design, communications,
Now that the sites have been announced, the University will have six months to get the test site fully operational. In preparation for this, LSUASC opened the UAS Command and Control Center at the Coastal Bend Business Innovation Center in October that will manage the 11 Texas test ranges.
January 2, 2014
By Brent Rourk Why not spend a delightful New Years holiday in a snowy wonderland? Because after 37 years of winters in Colorado the glee of playing in snow mostly wore off. I needed a new adventure and why not Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls and Buenos Aires. Brazil is the land of the Amazon, incredible beaches, waterfalls, Carnaval, Samba Music, the Bossanova, Brazilian Churrascaria Restaurants, festive people, and the skimpiest bathing suits known to humanity. For only a few thousand dollars (cough) I could experience those cultural icons now. So here I amexperiencing the growing and unstoppable zeal forming here on the beaches of Copacabana as the New Year approaches. Why? Because arguably the largest New Years celebration in the world is about to take place one measly block from where I am typing this. They steadfastly claim here that Rio always has the largest New Years Eve bash. They could be right judging from I can see: huge stage and tents erected on the beach, full hotels, happy tourists spilling over into the streets, detour signs, rumors about Madonna performing, street hawkers practicing their best pitches, and a sense that everything is about to break loose, like being in a middle school teo days before summer. Brazilians know how to party as evidenced by Carnaval. Enough said. That is hard to beat and only festivals like Octobetfest in Germany and San Fermin (running of the bulls) in Pamplona, Spain rival the celebrations and parties that
Island Moon
Ringing in the New Year Brazilian Style
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Hotels and streets are swelling with people, like a balloon about to burst. Initial local estimates put the party comfortably at one million plus. Who is not invited? Recent, local estimates have steadily climbed and now guesses range from two million to three million plus with guest appearances from Madonna and Lady Gaga. I will miss it, instead moving to one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World - Iguazu Falls. But the Rio faithful know how to party and plan for them, though I understand from a couple of locals who have partied among arguably the world's best partiers that there will be no water, drink or food left on the beaches. Everything will be gone as if it were in the path of wildly hungry ants. The amount of alcohol consumed defies estimation yet one clever fellow said it was enough to put another landing pod on the moon. In the meantime, my travel group and I have been satisfied with more mundane accomplishments like being a good tourist and viewing downtown Rio, taking the teleforica to the top Sugarloaf, and visiting Christ the Redeemer. Also on my personal list was a walk through one of Rio's largest Favelas (slums or tennement areas, now more correctly and kindly labeled as communities). Then we will be off to Iguazu Falls for New Years and then to Argentina and Uruguay.
Dangling name tags
Our first group adventure was walking single file, with dangling name tags, along a street in Copacabana one block from the beach. Our destination was a typical Brazilian and Argentinian meat restaurant where one overdoses on meat and then goes back to their hotel where they silently suffer the variety of ill-effects from eating too much grilled muscle. Not too long after that, the real insanity began. Those meat lovers who have been to these 'Churrascaria' restaurants in the United States or elsewhere know exactly what is next. Death by grilled meat delivered cleverly and directly by skewer. The Brazilians and Argentinians love their beef and pork.
Every visitor to Rio must see Christ the Refeemer, a beautiful soapstone statue welcoming visitors to the bay in Rio. For some it is a pilgrimmage of sorts, for others a chance to appreciate art, and yet for others a chance to enjoy the unimaginable views of Rio from that mountain top. Christ the Redeemer is the most visited sight in Rio and consequently gets busy early in the day. Go very early, take a rain poncho, water, and camera, and enjoy the ride to the base of the mountain as well as the quaint train ride up. All spectacular! An awe-inspiring view is also delivered from the top of well-known Sugarloaf Mountain, another frequently visited iconic tourist 'must see'. We took our cameras, water, and ponchos (in case) up the teleforico to the first mountain and enjoyed the scenery and forest covering the rock. After a brief rest, we ascended to Sugar
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Brazil hosts. They get with it; dance, drink, eat, dance some more, and then have one more drink.then they try to walk and talk.
Requesting from a knowledgeable local information about other Brazilian food specialities, my Padre Island traveling partner and I were directed to a wonderful 'mom and pop' restaurant specializing in seafood. We enjoyed a very typical Portugese dish of cod, potatoes, onions, garlic, olives and parsley...and not a hint of beef. That was followed by a local pastry that was to die for.
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Loaf, where even more spectacular views, cold water, and snacks waited. Another forest complete with birds, lizards, monkeys and colorful butterflies kept our attention along with indescribable views of Rio and the many small islands off of the coast. I was relieved that we went early as the line of visitors below and the number of mountain top spectators grew by the hour. Touristy? Yes. Worth the time and money? Absolutely! There is much to see in Rio, certainly more than we observed during our brief downtown camera snapping opportunity. Wealthy neighborhoods border favelas, the marina areas are being renovated, and the downtown area contains terrific architecture spanning hundreds of years. The beaches are beautiful, both at Ipanema and Copacabana. It is readily apparent to any tourist with marginal eyesight that Brazilians pay little for their swimwear, opting to use as little material as possible. Women and men of all ages proudly parade their packages as they walk down streets or blaze the beach. Not judging, just saying. At times one must almost deliberately squint to see if there is any material on the lower half of these sun worshippers. I know my eyes hurt. My travel companion to Brazil noticed that men also wear little here. She is indeed observant and also resting her eyes. The shops in Ipanema are world famous with perhaps the top shop being H Stern, conceivably the world's most recognized jewelry store. In this gigantic building over 800 employees carefully design, create, display and sell some of the most coveted jewelry on the planet. This is not for the thin wallets and speaking of wallets, hold on to you own. The sales force is magnetic, well trained, and generous with water and coffee. The least expensive pair of earrings this pauper saw on sale was for a "my pencil is sharp" price of 'kaching'... $1500.00. I was shown nothing cheaper. The tour was informational even though the prices were 'slighty' unaffordable. Next: the Favela in Rio and on to Iguazu Falls.
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Island Moon
January 2, 2014