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Spring Break 2014 A2
Island Musicians 3rd on CMT Chart A7
Fish Stories A5
The
Island Moon Weekly
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March 20, 2014
The Island with More Break in it's Spring
Around The Island
By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com
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Photo by Brent Rourk
Next Publication Date: 3/27/2014
Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper
Year 17, Issue 518
Two New Ships Coming to the Island
The Ides of March have come and gone. It is said that if March roars in like a lion she will go out like a lamb. If that’s true we should be in for some nice weather in the next few weeks.
155-Foot Ship Planned for Near-Shore Reef
Here’s a few more pearls of March Weather Wisdom:
Fishing and diving site 10 miles from Port Aransas and Packery Channel
A dry March and a wet May? Fill barns and bays with corn and hay.
Divas Tryouts Satruday A11
Schlitterbahn Adds a Floating Building
As it rains in March so it rains in June. March winds and April showers? Bring forth May flowers. We’ll leave you to decipher and apply those folksy bits as you see fit. But one thing we can say for sure, when it comes to Spring Break, Mother Nature is in charge. This year with only about two days of good weather over the first ten days of the annual rite of Spring Passage the number of revelers on The Island was down considerably from years past. Weather was not the only factor. A check of social media and Spring Break-oriented websites finds that the word went out for both South Padre Island and our local beaches that the law enforcement presence sent the message that Spring Breakers were not particularly wanted. This week most of the Midwest schools are out, from Oklahoma to Minnesota, and the crowds have been barely discernible from any other week this time of year. We will leave you to decide if that’s good or bad. Last Saturday, the day that should have been the height of Spring Break madness looked more like a typical Tuesday during the summer season. Gone were the massive traffic jams and mosh pits that we saw last year, with the exception of the area in Port Aransas south of the bollards where the college kids gathered anyway and ignored the cool, foggy weather. But even there the crowds were much smaller than in previous years.
Sweet spot of Spring So now we head to the sweet spot of the Island calendar as we lean into spring which began Thursday. The Archosargus probatocephalus are biting along the jetties – that’s sheepshead for you non-fisherpersons (watch out for those bones), the turtle season is kicking in, beach driving is getting better, and as soon as the water warms up we can beach up at the Ski Basin and ease on into summer. We have weathered the Ides of March fellow Islanders and we look forward to barns full of corn and hay, and maybe even a little rain in June; and if we get a few April showers, well, we’ll look forward to the May showers.
By Dale Rankin A plan to sink a 155-foot long coastal freighter at the site of the existing 160-acre artificial reef 10.5 miles off Packery Channel is going before the Corpus Christi City Council next week and, could result in the ship being on site by this summer, according to plans announced this week by Saltwater-fisheries Enhancement Association (SEA) in cooperation with the Port Aransas Boatman’s Association. The ship, which was originally purchased in Miami, is 155 ft. long by 33 feet wide, and 40 feet tall and is now undergoing preparation in Alabama, according to Mike Hurst, who is spearheading the effort for SEA.
Whoop It Up! Sunday, March 30
Island Foundation Raising Funds for Expansion
It’s Tax Time: Things You Need to Know
This year’s funds are earmarked for construction projects at all three schools: SMA is getting a new cafeteria. SLC is getting a new classroom building. SECA will have a new facility on the SLC campus. This is a multimillion dollar project, so funds raised now mean less debt to carry. Call Kim Evaristo at 361-779-4888 to make a tax deductible donation or contribution.
The ARB is a group of citizens who live in Nueces County and are appointed by a local administrative judge. Their legal responsibilities and qualifications are outlined in Subtitle B, Chapter 6, Subchapter C of the Texas Property Tax Code. Generally, residential property owners may protest to the ARB any of the following NCAD actions: Taxes continued on A4
P.I.E. Celebrates 25 Years of Service Three original members attend
Island Foundation School’s largest fundraiser, Whoop It Up, will be held at Whiskey River on Sunday, March 30th with doors opening at 6:00 P.M. All islanders are invited to participate in this annual evening extravaganza and are encouraged to bring family members, friends, and neighbors (attendees must be 21 or over).
We have much to look forward to and before you know it we’ll be up to our knees in SandFest up Port A way. We’ll see you there and in the meantime say hello if you see us Around The Island.
The 2014 Notice of Appraisal for properties in Nueces County will be sent out by the Nueces County Appraisal District (NCAD) beginning on or after April 14, 2014. Property owners and lessee who pay property taxes in the Nueces County may protest their proposed appraisal. The protest must be heard or filed by 1 June but not latter than the date printed at the bottom of the Notice of Appraisal. In the event a Notice of Appraisal was not received by 10 May a property should contact NCAD before 1 June. A protest can be heard by a NCAD Appraiser or the Nueces County Appraisal Review Board (ARB). The ARB will begin hearings for 2014 taxpayer protests on May 19, 2014 and is scheduled to approve its findings for 2014 appraisal records by July 20, 2014. A protest filed with the Nueces County Appraisal District after July 20, 2014 can only be heard by the ARB as outlined in the Texas property Tax Code Sections 41.411 or 25.25.
Reef continued on A3
By Brent Rourk
Tickets cost $25.00 in advance and $35.00 at the door, and proceeds benefit the three Seashore Schools (SLC,SMA,SECA). Ticket prices include BBQ dinner, dancing, and the opportunities to bid on both silent and live auction items.
By Robert E. Maupin
The $500,000 project is part of the Near Shore Reefing Program coordinated by the State of Texas aimed at providing habitats for fish within Texas water. SEA has pledged $100,000 and is asking the City of Corpus Christi to match that amount with the state expected to provide the balance once the city funds are in place. The project is expected to go before the Corpus Christi City Council at its meeting next week. Hurst said with the city’s commitment the ship could be in place by the end of summer 2014. SEA and other organizations sunk more than forty tons of concrete structures at the site last year on about forty acres of the site, located in
We have had several calls this week asking about a boat which has been taking soundings in the canal between Cabana East and Compass Streets in the past few days. Here’s what we know. The work is being done in preparation of the arrival of the vessel you see here; formerly a 70,000 square-foot casino in Louisiana which has been purchased for use as part of the Schlitterbahn waterpark. Park owners Jeff Henry said on a radio show recently that the “ship” will house an exercise room and other park amenities once it is in place. A park spokesman said the plan is to bring the vessel in by water through the Port of Brownsville and into the canal where the soundings are currently being taken. The spokesman said it has not yet been determined how to move the vessel from the canal across Commodores onto the park site. No firm date has been set for its arrival. Dale Rankin
Three of the four original members who attended the 25th anniversary are: Ann Marie Colosi, Peg Fairey, Eileen Maltais. Kathy Southard was unable to attend.
Spring Break From the Air
By Dale Rankin In 1989 four Island women hit on the idea of forming a club that would be social, spiritual, and sensitive to the changing needs of the community and the Padre Island Enrichment Club (P.I.E.) was born.
Whoop it Up continued on A3
Pie continued on A3
A Little Island History
How Flour Bluff Got Its Name By Dale Rankin One hundred and seventy-eight years ago this week the Convention of 1836 which had been meeting at Washington-on-the-Brazos to organize a Texas government named Sam Houston as Commander-In-Chief of the fledging Republic’s military forces and then headed southeast fleeing the approaching army of Antonio López de Santa Anna beginning what has become known as the Runaway Scrape. The military events of the Texas War of Independence did not touch Padre Island directly. No battles were fought on The Island and the closest the war came to its beaches was when a Mexican agent stationed at Matagorda Bay was forced to flee his post and escape back to Mexico by traveling down Padre Island.
How Flour Bluff got its name The war did, however, place Padre in an undefined position between Mexico and the new Republic. Texas claimed that its
territory extended to the Rio Grande. Mexico claimed that its state of Tamaulipas extended to the Nueces River, placing what is now Port Aransas right on the border. With neither side possessing the military capability to enforce its claim, Sam Houston the status of the region including Padre Island became no man's land where, as one historian has put it, "for nearly a decade a predatory and guerrilla like warfare was waged between Mexicans and Texans." It is unknown how the Texas War of Independence affected Mexican citizens living on Padre Island. Like their compatriots who had ranches between Matamoros and Refugio, they might have been forced to flee to the Rio Grande settlements. However, in History continued on A8
Photo by Jason Towns
A 2
Island Moon
March
20,
2014
This week at the beach
RAY HERRERA DIRECTOR Public Relations Operations Marketing
KRESSER PadreVet.com CHRISTI VETERINARIAN 361-949-8200 New AHPI Mobile App
Chef Nick in a kilt serving Islanders Ray and Kathie corned beef and cabbage at the Boathouse on St. Patrick's Day. Photo by Mary Craft
Launching March 31, 2014 Earn Loyalty Points & Save Money, Order Food / Prescriptions, Make Appointments Easy, Fast, Convenient Upload app to your Android or Iphone
Voted The Best Of The Best Veterinarian 2006 - 2013 DIRECTOR’S MARCH SPECIAL
New Puppy/Kitten Exam 1st Set of Vaccinations (Rabies, Distemper) Parasite Screen & Spay/Neuter Only $99.99
BRING THIS AD IN & RECEIVE $25 Rebate + $20 OFF per Dr. Christi on 1 year supply of Trifexis
Island kids celebrate St. Patricks's Day Michelle Shipperley
March 20, 2014
Moon Monkeys Mike Ellis, Founder
Island Moon
Letters to the Editor
Did Ya Hear?
Coyote
Keep Port A Beautiful Dear KPAB members and friends,
Pete Alsop Island Delivery Coldwell Banker
1. Attend a city council meeting on March 20 (this Thursday) and/or on April 17. The bag ban will NOT be on the agenda at this week's meeting, but citizens may sign up to speak. The mayor plans to request that a bag ban be put on the April agenda. Lots of people are needed to show up for the April meeting.
Advertising Jan Park Rankin Classifieds Arlene Ritley Design/Layout
2. Write a letter to the Island Moon at editor@ islandmoon.com and voice your support for a bag ban.
Jeff Craft Contributing Writers
3. Sign a petition supporting a bag ban. There will be a petition circulating soon, either online or on paper.
Joey Farah Andy Purvis Devorah Fox
There is a Port Aransas chapter of Skip the Plastic that has formed. If you would like to be on their email list, let me know, preferably on my personal email address (juliefindley@ utexas.edu).
Mary Craft Maybeth Christiansen Jay Gardner Todd Hunter
This is a wonderful opportunity to join other communities--South Padre Island, Brownsville, Austin, and even Freer--in saying NO to singleuse plastic bag pollution.
Dotson Lewis Ronnie Narmour Brent Rourk Dr. Donna Shaver
Julie & Butch Findley
Photographers
Mardi Gras
Miles Merwin Jeff Dolan
Denise and Duane:
Mary Craft 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.
The Island Moon Newspaper 15201 S. Padre Island Drive, Suite 250 Corpus Christi, TX 78418
You have so much to be proud of and we have so much to be grateful for. You have worked tirelessly and unselfishly. Thank you for all that you have done on behalf of this terrifically spirited event. The North Padre Island Mardi Gras Parade has grown so much. No doubt that additional help is needed. We need to move in that direction. We will forever be deeply grateful for the immense effort and hard work that you and Duane have given to the Parade for the past five years. I truly believe that our Mardi Gras parade is the most unique Mardi Gras parade in the nation. Thank you Denise. Thank you Duane. ---Judge Marisela Saldana
Status of concrete repairs on Whitecap Change order signed by contractor and Felix Ocanas through the Lifecycle Curb and Gutter Replacement contract. We are awaiting approval by construction office and work is scheduled to begin 3/24/14. Gustavo Gonzalez, P.E. ACM of Public Works and Utilities City of Corpus Christi
361-949-7700 editor@islandmoon.com Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper
Where to Find The Island Moon Port Aransas Lisabella’s Restaurant Pioneer RV Park Stripes @ Beach Access Rd. 1A
Port A Glass Studio The Gaff Wild Horse Saloon Tarpon Ice House
North Padre
Miss K’s Catering & Bistro
All Stripes Stores
Amano
Whataburger
Felder Gallery
Doc’s Restaurant
Island Woman Boutique Coast Club Coffee Waves Moby Dicks Spanky’sLiquor IGA Grocery Store Port A Business Center Carter Pharmacy
CVS
Snoopy’s Pier Isle Mail N More Island Italian Ace Hardware Holiday Inn
Padre Isles Country Club
Wash Board Laundry Mat
Subway
Chamber of Commerce Duckworth Antiques Back Porch Woody’s Sports Center Shorty’s Place The Flat’s Lounge Giggity’s Stripes @ Cotter & Station
The American Cancer Society will sponsor Bark For Life this Saturday, March 22, at Billish Park, 15601 Gypsy, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The event benefits the Relay For Life of Flour Bluff, NAS, and Padre Island. There will be live music, contests, dog services, raffles, a silent auction, and food. Vendors are welcome. For more information call Nicole Morin at 361 815-2055. Good dogs welcome.
Corpus Christi Ranked 19th Best City to Start a Business
New Advertisers Did Ya’ Hear? By Mary Craft Open House on 13842 Topsail on Sunday, March 23rd 11 am – 3 pm. This 3 bedroom, 2 bath canal home has a new roof, tile and paint. Call 816-0663 for more info. Coyote sighting at the park on Gypsy. He was hanging around the baseball practice fields when I was walking in the park, did not seem scared of people. He even hung around when I drove up to him to take this picture/ Jonathan Simms
POA dues I am a tad confused about one of the articles on page 1 of the March 13th Island Moon. The POA article references the 2006 covenant change whereby homeowners after 2007 are charge higher POA dues than owners prior to that date. Are we to assume that no changes have been made to that policy or is it missing something about changes to the completely unfair difference in dues. It is crazy that waterfront owners see an 8 cent difference depending on when they bought their lot. Incidentally "you're welcome" to the lucky owners that pay 2 cents, it was a pleasure to pay for the bulk of our bulkhead repairs. All sarcasm aside, I for one would like to see the dues be the same for all residents. Why should the unlucky owners after 2007 keep subsidizing the older owners? Yes, I was aware of the difference when I bought my property but it doesn't mean I agree with it. The difference is significant and if level-set could make a huge difference in projects that could be done. I will advocate a "no" vote on the clubhouse until the dues are corrected because a clubhouse is a huge financial endeavor that could mean an increase in dues. I will be completely upset if my dues go up because of fixes or improvements that need to be made to anything while I am paying a large difference than some owners. The dues discrepancy is just plain wrong.
Island Tire
PIE continued from A1 Last Friday more than 100 Island women gathered to celebrate the club’s 25th anniversary with three of the four original members present for the fun, Kathy Southard was there only in spirit due to a broken leg. The four women who conceived and formed the club were: Nancy Weeden, Ann Alexander, Lois Breslen, and Susanne Hughes and the first meeting was held February 7, 1989 at the Padre Island Baptist Church with 24 women present. The name was chosen and a contest held to design the club’s logo with the winning design done by Vera Muschenheim along with the slogan “Grow Where You Are Planted.” The club’s monthly luncheon serves as a social, fundraiser, update on upcoming events, activity groups, and clubs. Over the years P.I.E. has helped, among others, Flour Bluff Helping Hands, Women’s Shelter of South Texas, Salvation Army, Toys 4 Tots, Timmons Ministries, FBISD Operation Graduation, Pee Wee’s Pet Adoption, Padre Isles Beautification, Spoil Island Clean Up, Coastal Bend Troop Support, New Life Refuge Ministries, Island Indian Monument, and the ARK. The group also gives scholarships to Island seniors each year. The mission of the club, which now has 169 members, is to enrich the lives of residents on Padre Island through social activates and community involvement. Something they have been doing for twenty five years. Congratulations ladies and we look forward to the next twenty five.
WalletHub, a personal finance social network site aimed at entrepreneurs, has named Corpus Christi the 19th best city in the United States to start a business. The rankings were done using 14 unique metrics, ranging from 5-year survival rate and the affordability of office space to the educational background of the local labor force. The site also listed Texas as the 7th best state to be a taxpayer.
And all Moon retail advertisers WB Liquor
Flour Bluff H.E.B. Liquid Town Whataburger on Waldron Ethyl Everly Senior Center Fire Station
Gratitude Gift Shop
Police Station
Keepers Pier House
Stripes on Flour Bluff & SPID
Reef continued from A1 73 feet of water nine miles offshore and about equidistant from Packery Channel and Port Aransas. “This will be one of the best dive and fishing sites along the mid-Texas Coast,” Hurst said. “We have secured the ship and are in the final stages of permitting.” In order to bring the ship to the site a waiver is needed on the existing state permit to allow the ship to come within 33 feet of the surface, the Coast Guard has stated that they will allow that, as long as there is a lighted buoy on the reef.
Business Briefs Black Sheep Bistro has a new menu and has asked us Moon Monkeys to help come up with local terms for the entrees such as their Osso Good veal shank. Other entrees include pork chop coated in an apple bourbon glaze, salmon grilles over a layer of green apple sweet potato hash and deep fried chicken breast topped with a poblano sauce. Brandeis Annual Used Book Sale is on until Monday, Marcy 24th at the Sunrise Mall. There are thousand of items including audio books, CDs, games, DVDs and VCR tapes. It will be open during mall hours. La Barataria Restaurant in Port A has $6 wine flights every day and on Monday all wines are half price. Thursday is Martini Madness with $6 executive martinis. Enjoy their popular Sunday brunch 11 am – 3 pm. Island Auto Shine & Steam Cleaning is a complete professional mobile detailing service. They will come to you to service your vehicle, boat or RV. Call 500-7146 to set up an appointment. Padre Island Animal Hospital is launching a new mobile app on March 31st. You will be able to earn loyalty points, make appointments and order food and prescriptions. Dragonfly Restaurant can host your next party. This is the time of year when we have many reasons to throw a party. Call Ricky at 949-2224 to plan your graduation, wedding, winging or any other party event. Sorry folks, that's all I got. It's a brief Briefs week.
Name withheld by request
Jesse’s Liquor
San Juan’s Taqueria
Public Library
Bark For Life This Saturday
mkay512@aol.com
Texas Star (Shell)
Scuttlebutt’s Restaurant
Port A Parks and Rec
by Mary Craft
For those of you who were unable to attend the "Bag It" movie last week, our mayor city manager, and council member Steve Lanoux were there, and spoke to the audience. Mayor McMullin said that the city council would like to bring up the possibility of a ban on singleuse plastic bags in Port Aransas, but he needs to know if our citizens are in favor. If you are tired of seeing plastic bags (and bottles, wrappers, etc.) on the streets, beach, in trees, floating the harbor, and all the other inappropriate places for plastic, then let's show our support for an end to these nuisances. There are 3 ways to help:
Distribution
A3
P.I.E. President Katherine Pierce
Whoop it Up cont. from A1
An economic impact study done by the University of Texas at Brownsville found that the sinking of the Texas Clipper that was reefed 17 miles offshore of South Padre in 2008 generated in excess of $2.5 million the first year and over $3.7 million the next year in new revenue for the area.
These projects at the three schools are much larger projects than in past years and they should provide needed classroom space and facilities as the three campuses continue to expand. Seashore Middle Academy opened its doors at the old Dairy Queen building located at SLC over 7 years ago with about 40 students. In its present location, SMA has been expanding by about 20 students per year and continues to need more instructional space. Likewise SLC needs the new classroom building.
SEA along with other agencies, has been successful in the past year in getting a change in federal guidelines which prevented unused offshore rigs from being “reefed in place” which has led to approval for two rigs north of Port Aransas being turned into reefs in the next year and a third currently under permitting.
It’s a chance to support your local schools while enjoying a boot-stomping time. Help your local schools fund their construction goals. Donate cash, items and services. Attend this gala event with friends and purchase auction items. Get your tickets today at any of the Seashore Schools or call 361-949-0076.
A One Act Play.... Death by Pufferfish! “On Death’s Doorstep” Looking for Actors and Directors By Brent Rourk The Port Aransas Community Theatre has scheduled auditions for ‘On Death’s Doorstep’, a popular one act play, on April 6th at 2:00 P.M. at the theatre. Written by Walter Ellis, the play is a comical murder mystery with a heavy dose of finger pointing, innuendoes, and surprises. Salle Ellis, who last directed the Christmas play ‘Ebby Scrooge’ at PACT, will be directing the play. The play centers around seven actors who are mindfully preparing for a play, however, the leading man mysteriously dies of Pufferfish poisoning. The local sheriff determines that it was not an accident, but murder, and the investigation begins amidst intense quibbling and finger pointing with lots of laughs along the way. This will be an opportunity for everybody to learn the techniques for acting, directing and assisting back stage. All of the actors selected for this play will learn the "how to" of producing a short play which does not take a long-term commitment. PACT is located at 2327 Highway 361, Port Aransas, Texas. Call PACT at 361-749-6036 for questions about the audition.
A 4
Island Moon
Taxes continued from A1 • the appraised value of their property; • unequal appraisal of the taxpayer’s property ; • inclusion of the property on the appraisal records; • denial of a partial exemption; such as a homestead exemption; • identification of the taxing unit or units in which the property is located; • determination that the taxpayer is the owner of the property; • any other action of NCAD that adversely affects the property owner. In order to obtain an ARB hearing, the property owner must file a written notice of protest that shows why the owner is protesting to the ARB. Official forms for a notice of protest are included with appraisal notices to owners but also are available at the appraisal district office. The taxpayer must file this notice by the date at the bottom of the notice of appraised value. A protest letter from the taxpayer is also acceptable provided it identifies the property owner, the property protested, and indicates dissatisfaction with some decision or action of the district with respect to the property. The ARB will provide written notice as to time, date, and place of a property owner/lessee
hearing at least 15 days before the hearing date. The protesting owner/lessee will also receive a copy of the State Comptroller’s pamphlet titled “Taxpayers Remedies”, a copy of the ARB procedures and other information regarding how an owner/lessee might obtain a copy of the data the district used to determine their appraised value. At the hearing, the property owner may offer evidence or argument, either in person or by sworn affidavit with the ARB. A property owner may also appoint another person to present the protest by filing an “Appointment of Agent” form with the District. Property owners should know that the ARB has no authority over tax rates or spending and will not hear protests on these topics. The ARB will provide a Determination Order that states the results of the protest hearing. Once the records are approved by the ARB, the Chief Appraiser will certify the appraisal roll and distribute it accordingly to local governments (taxing units), who will then use these appraisals to set their 2014 tax rates. For more general or specific information about filing protests, exemptions, renditions or appraised values, contact the Nueces County Appraisal District’s web site at (www. nuecescad.net) or call (361)881-9978.
March 20, 2014
Senior Moments
Are You Being Dragged, Kicking & Screaming into the Age of Modern Technology?--Part III By Dotson Lewis, dlewis1@stx.rr.com Special to the Island Moon
What Is the Information Superhighway? When we talk about getting online, we mean being connected to the Internet--a giant network of computers that connects people and information all over the world. The Internet has a lot in common with other forms of communication: • Like the U.S. Postal Service, the Internet allows anyone who knows your Internet address to send you a letter. (It's called electronic mail, or e-mail for short). • Like the telephone, the Internet allows you to "chat" with other people by participating in online discussion groups.
GCF Learn Free Website: gcflearnfree.org/internet GCFLearnFree.org is an online platform for courses that cover technology, online literacy, and math skills. The site lists around 750 lessons that are designed for basic and intermediate levels. The easy on the eyes design of the site should be suitable for senior citizens to grab basic internet and computer skills. A look down their topics page reveals the range of tech related courses they cover (there’s even a course on how to use an ATM). Courses are interactive and supported with articles, videos, and animation.
HP Learning Center
• Like the library, the Internet contains information on almost any topic you can imagine in many formats, including books, articles, videos, and music recordings.
Website: tinyurl.com/ppggsrj
In addition to words, one part of the Internet-the World Wide Web (often shortened to WWW or the Web)--is especially interesting to people because it includes pictures and sounds.
The HP Learning Center is not specifically for senior citizens, but as the classes (with 2 to 6 lessons) are easy to follow, they too can pick up pointers on how to go about with a digital lifestyle. You need to do a free registration before you pick a class to start off. Classes include two to six lessons and may also include interactive demos, quizzes and assignments. For quick sessions check out the 5-minute how-to videos or short lessons.
A Short History Lesson
Meganga
• Like the newspaper, the Internet can give you new information every day, including world news, business, sports, travel, entertainment, and ads.
The Internet began in the 1960s as a U.S. Department of Defense communication network. Soon after, university researchers and professors began to use it to communicate with others in their fields. Internet use really took off in the early 1990s with the arrival of the Web, which made it easier to find and view information online. Today, millions of people throughout the world are connected to the Internet. No one--no country, organization, or company--is in charge of the Internet; it's growing and being changed by its users every day.
Easily Repair a Slow Computer. Very Simple Instructions Website: tinyurl.com/qahme7s Clean PC, Boost Speed, Fix Errors. Free Download
Website: meganga.com/ Online computer training for seniors and beginners is arranged in a blog-styled layout. You can use the category listing on the right to wade through the free lessons. The site is incomplete in some areas and still looks like a work in progress, but you can definitely use it to pick up some free beginner lessons on how to use computers.
Good50 Website: http://good50.com/ Good50 is not a website for senior citizens and related tech skills. It is a Google powered search engine customized to be more readable and user-friendly to everyone including older adults, senior citizens, and school-aged children. The larger text on the search page and the optional high-contrast setting makes it easier for older adults to access content on the web.
Eldy
Website: tinyurl.com/ozrfje7
Websites That Teach Basic Internet and Computer Skills For senior citizens, learning computers and basic internet skills is not only for accessing information. It is the tool now for keeping in touch with family members. I won’t even go into the health benefits that could come from nimble fingers on the keyboard, or from playing senility staving games. The list goes on. In fact, what holds true for those on the right side of the age divide is also true for senior citizens when it comes to internet and basic computer skills. Many of the elderly tribe fear the computer, but basic computer skills are very easy to learn – more so today when everything is designed to be user-friendly and visually accessible. So let’s head out and attend classes at these eight websites that teach basic internet and computer skills…not only for senior citizens, but also for any rank newcomer.
Skillful Senior Website: skillfulsenior.com Skillful Senior is a computer skills site for the elderly that believes basic navigation skills are important specifically because it is a great help for accessing health information on the web. The site has interactive animated tutorials that teach how to use a mouse, the arrow keys on the keyboard, and touch typing. But first learn a bit about ergonomics too (how to use your computer in a way that won’t result in pain). Each tutorial is helped along with a voiceover by a digital character.
BBC – Webwise Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/0/ Webwise is a beginner’s guide to using the internet. But that’s just one part as the online guide starts off with an introduction to the basics of using a computer. The guides on Webwise cover a facet of computer use – each explained very simply and a few of them are supported with interactive multimedia which makes learning computers lot of fun. Webwise meets the usual standards of quality associated with BBC and all its learning resources.
Website: eldy.eu I will slightly diverge here to tell you about Eldy the software. Yes, it is not a website but a free download that turns any standard PC into an easy-to-use computer for first time computer users. Jessica has taken the software through a run and explains its use when she shows how to teach an elderly person how to Email, browse the web & more with Eldy. A reader also sends a helpful suggestion with another similar program called Maavis. Both installs are for the elderly and are simple to use with nice big navigation buttons. Del Mar College offer a number of Senior Education Computer Classes which are taught by volunteers. Each consists of 7 three hour classes for a total of 21 hours. Some of the classes offered are Beginning Computers, Windows 7, Beginning Internet, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power Point, Digital Photography and Social Networking. The tuition for each 21 class is $4. Call 361-698-1321 for information or to register for a class. The Senior Moments Computer Interest Group meets each Monday, 12:30-2 PM at the Ethel Eyerly Community Center at 654 Graham Road (Flour Bluff). All are invited to attend--we have a question and answer session every week and discuss computer items of interest. All questions are welcome, of course there are a few that we can’t answer, but we will get the answer for you. If you would like to discuss a topic or have a topic discussed or suggest a guest speaker, please contact Jack Young: happy17jacks@ yahoo.com or Dotson Lewis: dlewis1@stx. rr.com Please bring your flash drive if you want copies of discussion items, power points & videos. We have 5 desktops computer for your use and access to the Internet by a Wi-Fi hotspot. Bring your laptop/tablet and access the internet. Please call/Email your friends and invite them join us for a fun-filled & informative hour and a half.
Dotson’s note: Questions and/or comments are welcome. Please snail mail or Email The Island Moon or call Dotson at 361-949-768 or 530-748-8475 or Email: dlewis1@stx.rr.com
We now have Gluten Free Pizza!
LIVE MUSIC
Thursday John Eric, Friday Brian Winfrey Friday Ruben Limas
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March 20, 2014
Island Moon
A5
Backwater Adventures Spring Swarm
On the Rocks By Jay Gardner After a long, brutal winter that included conditions typically found above the Mason-Dixon Line, spring is finally springing and we’re headed quickly towards the vernal equinox. Most of the trees have begun to flower, except the pecan trees, which are the last ones to get back in the game. Should be any time now. The water temperature at Bob Hall Pier is still flirting around 60 degrees, and we need to get some warmer weather around to kick it off. We had two days of southeast wind the other day, and I saw a few migrants, but the majority of them won’t be around for another week. The minimum to get the birds back is at least three days of a strong southeast wind for them to cross the Gulf, and I just don’t see it on the near forecast. Old man winter isn’t going to let us go that easy.
By Joey Farah nearshore fisheries. The banquet is the time of year that we raise money to do projects like this with our partners (TPWD and SEA), oyster restoration in Aransas and Copano Bay (partners with HRI), marsh grass plantings (partners with CBBEP) and other great ecological restoration and enhancement projects. If you missed the banquet this year, please contact me on how you can get involved in the coming year if you feel inclined to do so. You can always get on the
I’m sure by reading Joey’s column (over to the right of this one) you can get some really good information about fishing at this time of year. A white lure a couple of feet below an Alameda popping cork fished aggressively in dirty water at this time of year typically produces fairly well for myself. I look forward to next week getting out there and giving it a shot in the skiff. Thanks to Big Al, Zep, Rachel, and Baxter for sticking with me and helping me get it all done; should be floating by the middle of next week.
Baffin Bay Working Group The Baffin Bay Working Group will meet at the HRI in a couple weeks on April 16th at 5:30 if anyone is interested in showing up and getting updated as to what’s going on. There are researchers looking at the food-webs, sediments, water quality, and fish health. There will be updates by several groups regarding their studies, and it should be interesting. I’ll be there. You can get more information, directions, and an agenda by emailing Jace Tunnell at jtunnell@cbbep.org
CCA Banquet By the time you read this, the 36th Annual CCA-Corpus Christi Chapter Banquet and Fundraiser will be history. Last year we raised a little over $700,000 in one night for conservation programs, including some of the artificial reefs that were placed 9 miles out of Packery Channel this past fall. You loyal readers know that we popped out there the other day, and there were a ton of fish all over the culverts and pyramids. That project is going to be a game-changer for
CCA website and learn more as well. Shoot me an email at jaygardner@scientist.com
Spring Break Other than that, thankfully spring break is over, although some of the local businesses might be lamenting that fact due to the weather and low turn out we had. Again, I saw the posts from people going through Port Aransas and some local business owners that there was a heavy DPS presence and some of them feel that it is getting worse every year, as word gets out. That’s a bummer for local business, and I don’t have any answers for you, other than take it to the top. Get your feeders ready folks, I promise that we won’t be stuck in this weather pattern forever. The coming southerly winds and corresponding cool fronts after are going to make for some of the best birding in the country soon. Bobby, Allison and Drake will be over from Cali this weekend to do exactly that. See you on the rocks.
Tides of the Week
Tides for Corpus Christi (Bob Hall Pier) Mar 20-26, 2014
Day
High /Low
Tide Time
Height in Feet
Sunrise Moon Time Sunset
Moon Visible
Th F Sa Su M Tu W
20 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 26 26
High Low High Low High Low High Low High Low High Low High Low High Low High
7:22 AM 1:46 PM 4:09 PM 12:06 AM 8:38 AM 12:57 AM 10:06 AM 1:59 AM 11:40 AM 3:12 AM 12:52 PM 4:32 AM 1:38 PM 5:53 AM 2:09 PM 8:06 PM 11:13 PM
1.4 1.0 1.1 0.0 1.5 -0.1 1.6 -0.1 1.6 -0.1 1.6 -0.1 1.6 0.0 1.5 1.2 1.3
7:33 AM Set 10:00 AM 7:40 PM Rise 11:39 PM
90
7:31 AM Set 10:48 AM 7:41 PM 7:30 AM Rise 12:38 AM 7:41 PM Set 11:40 AM 7:29 AM Rise 1:35 AM 7:42 PM Set 12:37 PM 7:28 AM Rise 2:31 AM 7:42 PM Set 1:37 PM 7:27 AM Rise 3:24 AM 7:43 PM Set 2:40 PM 7:26 AM Rise 4:13 AM 7:43 PM Set 3:44 PM
82 73 63 52 41 30
Farah’s Fishing Adventures This week starts the first official day of spring, and it is fitting as we are late. The buds on the mesquite trees just popped out last week so I think we are in the clear. The bay system is ready to explode as well as the shrimp have started to move in regularly now that the water temperature is steadily above 62degrees in the Laguna Madre’. One look under the dock and in the lights at night behind the house and you will see the massive swarms of small minnows that are in great abundance. Many of the local fish spawn in the fall and early winter, now is Great boxes continue to be an every day event in Baffin Bay the time when fish of many types are in their youngest see the small local sand eels in the stomach of swimming state. When game fish are hungry they may not be tempted fish yet never see anyone throwing small thin by large live, dead, or artificial baits. A cloud worms? Having the weight to cast such small of minnows holding tight to a grass clump or baits is the largest problem, downsize your rod under your dock may just be an all you can eat and reel set up. Keep a light action spinning buffet. How do you get them to take your hook? rod with 8 or 10lb line and you can fish small baits, even tiny crappie baits here. Light drag Offer them a snack. and quality fluorocarbon leader are important when catching large fish on small baits. The man who held the Texas State Record for Speckled Trout Mike Blackwood fishes with very light action custom spinning rods with light line and handmade top waters that are only a few inches long. He does nothing but make precision casts to sighted fish or areas that look like they would be the perfect hunting spot for a big trout to take a stand. This kind of precision fishing brings an angler to become better and catch bigger fish.
Lots of big and wise trophy trout along the King Ranch shoreline. With my Eyes
The Rodeo is Still Going Strong
The drum fishing is still hot and heavy. Over spring break I took double trips most every day and caught limits of drum every time. For anyone entertaining company, kids, or customers now is the time to get out and get a good fight on the end of a fishing pole. There are still some giants in the Intracoastal Canal and many small fish out in the deeper water along the King Ranch Shoreline. Stay out in the deeper muddy water. The drum are staying in the gravely sand bottoms where the small mussels that they eat are found. Dead peeled shrimp and live
I eased up to the large stretch of glowing sand pockets out in wait deep water. The scattered clouds brought variable rays of sunshine over my shoulder and illuminated the pot hole in front of me. Gin clear water lined the King Ranch shoreline this week and I had moved out away from the others and slipped into a trance. I could only hear the birds on the beach and the wind, I peered into the water and searched for any sign of life in front of me. As I stared ahead I noticed a black swirl of shadow moving over the grass, as my eyes adjusted I realized that what I saw was a mass of minnows hovering close to the edge of sand over a mature grass patch. Suddenly they bolted out into the open and a long black silhouette darted under them. The figure zigged and zagged under the swarm then slowly moved off to the far side of the sand. I casted my paddle tailed soft plastic and as it dipped into the water the swarm jumped together and ran back to the security of the grass. The next few casts produced nothing The drum run is still hot and heavy, another monster on at all, not a strike where I knew Farah's boat that there was a predator. I dug through my box and found a small D.O.A shrimp are the best baits. If you are fishing the TinyTerrorEyz bait. This is a small bait with Intracoastal Canal for the oversized fish use cut holographic eyes and a hidden lead head. The up crab. The best drum fishing of the year will smaller size of the bait makes it perfect for this continue for another two months. Most of the kind of situation. The bait hit the water and I let marinas are getting live shrimp regularly now it sit for a moment, then started bumping it up and the use of live shrimp and popping corks and down I never saw the trout come out of her is good right now. Drifting the rocks in Baffin grassy hide but saw only the silver flash and the Bay is a great strategy with good boxes of trout, reds, drum, and sheephead are plentiful. Use a deep most of the time except when the water is extremely dirty then shorten the drop leader. In muddy water the fish will move towards the cork and not see the shrimp far under the float, keep the leader 20in to 25inches in stained water. Sometimes I like to enhance my bait with a FISHBITES triangle along with my shrimp when drifting with popping corks. This adds smell and color, as well as gives you a little bit of chance if they take the shrimp off.
The Spawn is Here This last full moon in March marked the first of the trout spawns of the year. With the cooler than normal season the spawn was not as intense as it is in warmer years. These next few weeks anglers will see the grouping of small groups of specks in the shallow sand holes as they eat as many small pin perch as they can trying to get rid of those little egg eaters as well as fuel their bodies in preparation for the upcoming This is what anglers are competing with lots of little snacks spawn on the next full moon. As we get warmer and see a big out there in the flats. tide come in the next few weeks boil of the bottom as her tail fluffed the sand on follow migrations of bait through the Laguna her attack. She came to the surface and tried to Madre’ by keying in on groups of birds along throw the bait but it was so far in her mouth I cut the Intacoastal Canal. When you see an area full my hands to get it out. I only had one and felt a of bird activity start looking for places to fish. bit guilty for not sharing with my group because The calendar is filling up quickly so if you see I knew that the size of the bait was the deciding some fun time coming up with friends, family, factor in success that day. Tuning in to what fish or customers give me a call and let’s go make are feeding on is very important, only if you are an adventure on the water. Get out and get wet! willing to change what you are fishing with. I Capt. Joey Farah (361)442-8145.
A 6
Island Moon
Letters to Riley
Dog Party By Riley P. Dog
I got to go to a Dog Party this week over at Dr. Christi’s. I like Dog Parties. There’s a lot of tailpiping going on and I’m pretty good at that. I sure am. I heard the nice humans trying to make us a Dog Park are working hard. We Island Dogs thank you. We look forward to parking our dogs. For some reason my human friend Andy has cats. I don’t know why humans have cats. Stoopid cats. All they do is whine. Never trust an animal that does its business in the house. That’s what I say. Stoopid Cats! Anyway, here’s what happened to my human friend Andy. Look on the bright side Andy, at least you don’t have to hit the space bar with your nose like me.
Caged Animals By Andy Purvis - Human Now I know why our cats used to like me so much, I had never taken them to the veterinarian. My wonderful wife has been taking care of our two cats, Tangerine and Shadow, for eleven years, until yesterday. Don’t ever make the mistake in thinking that your pets are just dumb animals. They instinctively know you inside and out. I think they can read minds. I’m certain that they just allow Grandma and me to live here with them. Anyway, it took me thirty minutes to catch our cats because they knew before I did that they were going to the vet. They even knew how to place their paws on the outside of the doors of their cages to keep me from pushing them inside. I have to tell you, I’ve never before heard the kind of sounds coming from our cats when I placed their cages in the front seat of my car. It was unbelievable. You would think they were dying a slow, painful death. Shadow cried like a baby and I think Tangerine would have been a little better if she had been by herself, but eventually she joined in. I prayed a policeman would not stop me for anything, as he would surely arrest me for animal cruelty. So I talked to them and turned the music up and sang songs, but no use. I was the bad guy and they were letting me know it. When I finally got to the vet, there was only one parking space. That should have been my
first sign to turn around and go back home. As I entered the veterinary hospital with a cage in each hand, there were six people with seven pets ranging from a golden retriever that was as big as a horse to another cat smaller than mine. I was greeted to more howling and growling with owners pulling on leashes. It was busy, behind schedule and loud, kind of like my doctor’s office. There were no seats available, so I had to ask for a chair.
March 20, 2014
by Dale Rankin
Spring Break 2014 is behind us now and unlike the last few years this year did not bring the invasion that we have come to expect. On Saturday I drove the beach from the Port Aransas Jetties to the north boundary of Padre Island National Seashore. In no particular order, here are some observations.
Beachgoers do not like bollards.
Which leads to the second chase, also originating in Port Aransas which led to a low-speed chase south on SH 361 into Corpus Christi. CCPD was notified that the Cannon Ball Run was headed their way and deployed tire-flattening strips on the roadway, leading to a caper that would make a fitting scene in a Burt Reynolds movie.
The offender, who according to witnesses never went much above 55 mph, avoided the strips and kept on truckin’ southbound. But behind Empty Beach him were two uninvolved civilian cars that happened to be in the wrong place at Bollards the wrong time, a vehicle for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and two cars for the Texas Department of Public Safety which for reasons unknown all were unable to avoid the strips and were left with flat tires. CCPD followed their policy of not instigating chases with non-violent offenders and wisely refused to join in. The offender was later caught near Oso Bay.
When she took Tangerine out of the cage first, the orange and white hair on this poor cat came out in clumps. I was shocked as she explained to me that Tangerine was just scared and that a burst of adrenaline would create this mess. There was enough hair on the table now to stuff a pillow. But there was good news, Tangy had lost some weight. Shadow was next and he was so aggravated that she decided to wait for the doctor to weigh him. Shadow hissed and made noises I had never heard before. The look on my face must have been enough to shoe her away as she turned and left. Finally, at 10:30, the Vet shows up, a nice looking and acting man, who has never seen me before. With him are three other females who appear to be in training. He too begins to ask questions and I point to the note. He apologizes for the wait and begins to check the cats. Shadow has gained weight which is even better news. Again they hiss, howl, and now some grey hair too is flying everywhere. Grandma had written something about some previous blood work for Shadow and the Vet asked me again. So I called Grandma. After a brief discussion, the Vet said to Grandma, “I think your husband is ready to give this job back to you.” He could not have been more correct. You would not believe what it cost for him to tell me my cats were in great shape. Heck, we both knew that; it’s Grandma and me that are having the issues.
Stuff I Heard on the Island
I arrived at 9:05 for a 9:20 appointment. “Good luck” should have been written over the admission desk. I was led to the patient’s room at 10:10. The young girl began to ask me questions about Tangerine and Shadow. I played dumb and handed her the piece a paper with the info my wife had written out for me. Our cats were simply there for their yearly checkup. They were to be weighed, have their eyes and ears checked and be looked over in general. I was to purchase some medication for heart worms.
Guess what, the howling did not stop on the way home. Shadow and Tangerine may never acknowledge my presence again. We arrived home right at 11:00 AM and they were set free. I’m sure they are plotting against me as I type.
Party at The Animal Hospital
Once again the aggressive tactics of the visiting DPS troopers mixed a chase, albeit a low-speed one solely due to the discretion of the suspect, with crowded Spring Break roads and a fatal crash was avoided strictly by pure chance. These tactics are a game of Russian roulette which should be addressed before someone is killed.
I started at the jetties in Port Aransas and the first thing I noticed is that the beach just south of the jetty where there are no bollards restricting driving were packed. The beaches south of there where bollards force head-in parking and walking to the beach, even in mid-afternoon were not full. Cars were parked door-to-door all the way south to Mile Marker 24 where the bollards end and traffic came to a stop due to the amount of people on the beach. For whatever reason, and it is true for tourists and locals alike, the first part of the beach that fills up is the portion without bollards. The stretches of beach where the bollards force head-in parking, even when the parking is door-to-door, leave most of the beach unpeopled as the number of cars cannot bring enough people to fill the beach. In contrast where there are no bollards the beach is packed. That’s just the way it is.
SH 361 is woefully inadequate
Minor in Possession bounty A decision to offer a $250 bounty for turning in under-age drinkers in Corpus Christi manifested itself through the Law of Unintended Consequences sending an unexpected influx of freshmen, sophomore, and junior college-level partiers north to Port A beaches. The bounty also raises a question; does it pay by the call or by the individual? A call by an informant sent the PD to a house where an estimated 200 under-age kids were drinking but only one arrest was made. Where did the other 199 go? An arrest of all 200 would have led to a bounty of $50,000. Seems some clarification is in order here or the PD officer on the scene is put in the unenviable position of releasing 199 juvenile revelers onto the town or bankrupting Crimestoppers. I’m just saying…
Segregated beaches
Police on both ends of The Island did a remarkable job of controlling traffic on State Highway 361, but all it takes is one fender bender to create the Mother of All Traffic Jams. On Saturday afternoon a simple rear-end collision in the northbound lane of the highway just south of Mustang Island Airport caused a massive traffic jam all the way back to the Corpus Christi City Limits. There were also two fatal wrecks on this stretch, one of them in broad daylight. The only question here is how high the body count must go before something is done. The plan to add intermittent turn lanes to that stretch of road is a good start but is merely a Band-Aid on a bleeding artery. A full, four-lane highway is the only real solution to the problem which would have been worse by several orders of magnitude if the regular Spring Break crowd had arrived.
My drive along area the twenty-plus miles of our beaches over the past few days has led to one undisputable conclusion; our beachgoers, for whatever reason, self segregate by demographic.
Chase policy
South of Packery Channel there are a few college kids, but mostly locals looking to avoid the Spring Breach crunch. This was true all the way south through Kleberg County.
There were two car chases, both of which originated in Port Aransas, which should raise serious questions about the policy of conducting high-speed chases during crowded weekends unless the offender is an immediate threat to the public. The first involved a chase that led to speeds of over 70 mph along the beach in which the offender was driving a stolen car out of Austin. The offender ended up crashing into the north Fish Pass Jetty and fleeing into the dunes where he was arrested. It was only by pure chance that no one was on the beach at the time or likely there would have been a civilian hurt or killed. I have not been able to determine what started the chase, which involved visiting DPS troopers sent here for Spring Break, but the only charge other than resisting arrest was for a stolen car. While these chases may be great fun for the visiting troopers, the wisdom of conducting them should be considered before someone is killed.
The bollarded beaches at the north end of the beach in Port Aransas are full of families. South of Mile Marker 24, where the bollards end, is where the college kids congregate in numbers large enough that driving in that area is nearly impossible unless you get there early in the morning. The beach north of Packery Channel, from Beach Access Road 3 to Zahn Road, is bereft of college kids. The people I spoke to there were primarily from San Antonio and were a mixed bag of families, high schoolers, and non-college kids, and a lot of locals from in town.
Whack a mole And finally, even though we dodged a bullet this year, it is clear we are doing a poor job of communicating at the political level. Law enforcement at both ends of The Island is doing a much better job of talking to each other than our politicians are. Policy decisions made at one end of The Island, such as the $250 bounty, effect what happens at the other end yet there is little discernible attempts made at consultation before the decisions are made. The consequences of that would have been dire had the weather last week been like it is this week. We now have fifty-one weeks to figure out what we want to do next year.
Trying to get to mile marker 24 last Saturday
March 20, 2014
Island Moon
Club News The Island Moon provides this space for Island organizations. If you are a member of a club and want to get the word out about your events and/or projects send them along and we will get them in. Be sure to include a brief description of what your organization does and a contact person for those interested in joining. Send the info to editor@islandmoon.com and we will include it. Or call us at 949-7700. P.I.E. Padre Island Enrichment Club, Inc, celebrated its first 25 years last week. See the story in this issue. P.I.E. strives to enrich the lives of Padre Island women through social activities and community involvement. Full membership luncheon meetings are held the second Friday of each month at the Holiday Inn. Members may also participant in special interest clubs (bunco, bridge, spades, books, etc) that meet throughout the month. For more information about PIE, please contact Katherine Pierce, President, at 361 960-0327 or Sandy Leber, Membership Chair, at 361 949-4175. KIWANIS Club of Padre Island. The Kiwanis Club of Padre is wrapping up their annual nut sale. All Proceeds Help Children! They will also host their annual Easter Egg Hunt in Billish Park. The Kiwanis meet at noon each Wednesday at Black Sheep Restaurant. For more information contact Karen Wilson at 361-446-4626. e-mail at karenwilson61@gmail.com. PIDOG. PI Dog Group (PIDOG).is currently raising funds for an Island Dog Park to be located near the water tower. The newest plans were presented this week at a public meeting. The total needed to build the park is $500,000. Anyone who would like to help make the park a reality, or join the club can contact Sara. JustBe@yahoo.com or Bev bevhoffman@aol. com IUPAC (Island United Political Action Committee): Maximize representation of Corpus Christi residents on Padre and Mustang Islands in area government by promoting and supporting, by the endorsement process, proactive and unified voting in non-partisan races and other issues and referendums put to public vote. Contact Persons: President – Linda A Walsh lawalshva@yahoo.com 361-445-7999. Secondary Contact Person: Member – Brent Hess, bhess0604@gmail.com. 361-774-0089. Meetings: Open to the public, meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month. Parrot Heads of Port Aransas – A not-forprofit organization whose purpose is to assist in community and environmental concerns and provide a variety of social activities for people who wish to volunteer. Founded in 2009 the club motto is “Partying With a Purpose.”
To join go to portaransasparrotheads.com or call Donnie Simpson 210 367-2674. Padre Island Yacht Club - A members only Club, however we invite all Island residents to visit us. The PIYC is about boating, friendship and enjoying living on Padre Island. We collect more toys than any other organization in the area for the US Marines “Toys for Tots” program with La Posada events, including the Lighted Boat Parades. To schedule a visit or find out more information please contact John Diggins Phone 361-867-1313 as the Rear Commodore/ Membership for 2014. POA - Padre Isles Owners Association. The Association's primary responsibility is to maintain the Common Areas, assess and collect the annual fees and provide information and assistance to property owners. .. Membership in PIPOA is automatic for anyone acquiring record legal title to any property within Padre Isles. Their office is located at 14015 Fortuna Bay Drive on The Island. (361) 949-7025, padreisles@pipoa.net zARK – Animal Rehabilitation Keep. Located in Port Aransas the ARK is affiliate with the University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Center. They handle the rehabilitation of most species of wildlife in the area with an emphasis on marine animals. They care for abut 1300 animals each year, including about 300 sea turtles and more than 100 species of birds. If you find an animal in peril they can help Tony Amos is the Director. 750 Channel View Dr. Port Aransas. 361 749-6793, 361 442-7638. afamos@mail.utexas.edu. Island Strategic Action Committee. Is a 14-member committee which meets (usually) at 5:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at the Comfort Suites on Windward Drive. The committee’s purpose is to advise the Corpus Christi City Council on matters pertaining to The Island. Island's PIPPs Chapter of Corpus Christi Red Hat Society. In 2004 a group of Island ladies got together under a Palapa and founded the Padre Island Palapa Pals (PIPPs). Our only rule is that there are no rules! We are all about fun and friendship. We meet once a month for lunch and various fun outings from cupcake making to CPR.
Editor’s note: Last week Captain Sail Offcourse had just weathered Tropical Storm Alberto on his boat. This week finds him treasure hunting in the hideout of Captain Morgan on Andros Island. After replacing the mainsail with one I had Quantum Sails made for me before my trip, headed out across the Spanish Channel. The Wind was still strong so headed for the Lee of Andros Island. I had intended to take the Man of War Channel but with the wind dead on the nose I headed off for the north side of the island. It would mean putting an extra 400 miles on the trip but was a great sail with the wind making the little yacht fly along at 9 knots with a storm jib and reefed down main. When I rounded the north end of the island the wind dropped down to five miles per hour and less. Tropical storm Alberto was headed for Florida.
Behind the reef is a narrow channel that Morgan used to wreck pursuers. He would sail out of the bay into the tongue of the ocean; fire cannons from a distance at other ships then turn and run for the cut in the reef. When behind the reef, he would head south in the narrow channel between the cliffs of the mainland and the reef. The chase ships not knowing the reef would try and cut him off and end up on the
The video from their latest album, RAMBLE ON PRIVILEGE CREEK, which they played at their Island show, on Nashville-based Vision Entertainment caught the attention of music fans, securing a #5 debut – and currently on the rise at #3 – on the CMT Pure 12 Pack Countdown. The video is for the song “Huck Finn” and was filmed on the banks of the San Marcos River in central Texas, the video is currently in rotation on CMT Pure and featured on CMT Edge. Since their Island gig Statesboro Revue’s third hit single reached the Top 10 of the Texas Music Chart and the band also snagged two nominations at this year’s Lone Star Music Awards for “Best Album Artwork” and, Stewart won “Best Male Vocalist.” Their single also hit #26 on the Americana Chart and #6 on the European Americana Chart in 2013. Since their last Island show Stewart has also starred in the role of The Buddy Holly Story
The swing through Europe was so successful they will head back across the Pond on the heals of their next Island 4th of July show this year for slew of festival and venue appearances this summer, including headlining spots at the UK’s equivalent to NASCAR, the British Super Bike Brands Hatch Bash on July 19 and the British Super Bike Party In The Park-Caldwell Park on August 24. But first, they will entertain the Island crowd before the Island fireworks show in what looks to become an Island tradition as their band is exploding like the Island Fire in the Sky on the 4th of July. Mark you calendars.
Captain Morgan is called that because when you get a 5 hit on the gauge, it usually means you have found a gold ring. I puzzled over this as the floor was solid rock. Then after studding the rock I found it was limonite. It contains Iron that carries with it gold. The whole area is covered with iron bearing rock and all you need to do is look along the shoreline to see it. Inside the cave to the west is what is known as the treasure room. To get to it one has to lie on their stomach and wiggle through a small round hole. Once inside it opens up into a small room just big enough to sit up in. There is a small opening in the roof just big enough to stick your hand outside the cave, so there is plenty of air inside. Using the detector I found that in a depression I got a strong hit. Getting my folding shovel out, I started digging. I got about three feet dug out when I heard what sounded like a truck pull up and stop on the road where the trail led up to the cave. Suddenly I realized it must be a school bus because there were lots of kids talking and laughing. I lit a cigarette and listened to the kids daring each other to go inside. Some of the braver boys came down inside. I could hear the teachers talking up above me and they had noticed the smoke being blown by me through the vent hole. They believed someone was inside there.
On the headlands in the hillside are several natural caves. The caves are rumored to be where Morgan kept his treasure. The locals believe that the caves are haunted by the victims
“Our second show was in Barcelona, Spain, and we had been told that it was a very tough town to make a dent in, due to the fact that it's such a big city and they have so much music going on every night,” Steward said. “To our surprise, when we stepped on that stage, the place was wall-to-wall with people, and they were screaming and hollering the entire show. We even received two encores, which wound up becoming a very common theme, night after night.”
Knowing that Morgan’s treasure has never been found, I grabbed my metal detector and took off for the caves from the yacht basin. It is a short walk to the east down the shoreline. There is a trail from the south-east corner of the bay to the caves. Inside it drops down and turns right. I took my metal detector and started sweeping the floor of the cave, sure enough the detector showed the ring zone, It
Captain Morgan Morgan’s Bluff is named for Captain Morgan. It is claimed that this natural bay is where he kept his ship. There is good reason a pirate would use the bay for anchorage. It has a cut through the off-lying reef that is wide with plenty of depth. In fact the water tanker for all the Bahamas uses the cut today. The reef to the south of this bay is the third largest in the world. (First is the Great Barrier Reef, second is the reef off Belize) This reef is one of the top destinations for divers.
Hunting Morgan’s Treasure
at the historic Cameo Theatre in San Antonio. Europe came calling in January, and Statesboro Revue embarked on a tour through Spain, Belgium, Germany, and France, with two record releases through Blue Rose Music in Germany.
of Morgan. They were so afraid of the caves that the upper caves were filled in with rocks. The lower cave is marked with a sign that proclaims that these were in fact Morgan’s Caves.
I pulled into Morgan’s Bluff Yacht Basin. The basin is well protected and has a seven foot entrance channel. They have a weekly delivery of fuel, a mail boat and ferry service to Nassau. I got a ride from the dock master Lee Shalom to the airport and checked in with customs for a small fee of twenty five dollars.
reef. The outer side of the reef is a wall that goes from 5000 feet deep to inches in a matter of feet. In fact there was a sailboat on the reef over a mile from shore while I was there. There is no warning that the reef is there except by eyeball navigation. In this area was where Morgan had many victims that were plundered.
Last summer they played for the first ever Island Blast! 4th of July fireworks show on The Island and they are scheduled to return for this year’s show. But in the meantime local products and still part-time Islanders and fulltime brothers Stewart and Garrett Mann have a #3 video hit on the Nashville charts as the singer and guitar player for the band Statesboro Review.
A7
By Capt. Sail Offcourse
Islanders Statesboro Review will kick off second European tour immediately after Island show this year
By Dale Rankin
I Crave Cave Crawling
Band Scheduled to Play 4th of July Island Fireworks Show Hits #3 on CMT Music Charts
Part-time Islanders Stewart and Garrett Mann will play the Island Blast! 4th of July fireworks show on The Island this summer for the second year in a row.
When the bravest of the boys looked in the entrance to the treasure room, I held the cigarette where he could see the red glow from its burning end. His mind raced and immediately thought it was red eyes and told the others. Now a group had gathered and was peering in the hole to the treasure room. I got into a position where I would be looking directly back at the crowd on the other side of the hole. I got my flashlight positioned in front of me, switched it on and yelled “ARG” at the same time. The kids about trampled each other screaming as they fled the cave. They loaded up on the bus and left in a big hurry! I still laugh to this day thinking about how no one will be able to convince this new generation that the cave is not haunted.
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STATE
Island Moon
By Todd Hunter, District 32
The following is a sampling of charges given to different House committees. If you would like a complete list of the study charges or if you would like more information about issues being studied by any particular committee, please don’t hesitate to call my Capitol office at 512-463-0672 or visit The Texas House of Representatives at http://www.house.state. tx.us/. Here are some examples of charges given to the standing House committees:
House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety • Assess the level of preparedness among critical infrastructure entities, state and local emergency planning organizations, first response efforts, and overall coordination of jurisdictions across the state. Include a review of the state’s role in preparing, resourcing, and coordinating with local emergency response, specifically in rural areas or areas that depend largely on volunteer response efforts. House Committee on Human Services • Examine crisis resources for individuals with co-occurring mental illness and intellectual/ developmental disabilities. Identify strategies to serve individuals with complex behavioral and medical needs in the community. • Monitor the implementation of Foster Care Redesign. Evaluate its impact on the child welfare system in areas of the state where redesign is underway, including transition from the legacy system, foster family retention and recruitment, placement stability, permanency, and child safety. • Former foster youth have the benefit of free tuition and fees if they enroll in higher education, yet very few take advantage of this opportunity. Consider new strategies to support these youth
March 20, 2014
History continued from A1
Homeland Security, Insurance, Trade on State Agenda As outlined in the previous week’s article, the Speaker of the House Joe Straus has released a list of interim committee charges for the standing committees of the Texas House of Representatives. These committee charges and the resulting recommendations that will be developed during the interim could form the basis for legislation to be considered during the next legislative session. House committees were each given several issues to study. Committee hearings will be held over the course of the interim period (2014) giving the public an opportunity to testify on a variety of issues. At the end of the interim, each committee will have the opportunity to submit a formal report to the Speaker of the Texas House with their recommendations on possible future legislation to be handled by the next Texas Legislature.
and make recommendations to enroll and retain more foster youth in higher education. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Higher Education)
House Committee on Insurance • Evaluate options to expand transparency in the health care marketplace and facilitate informed consumer choice. Monitor the implementation of prior legislation to encourage transparency and adequacy of health care provider networks. Review prior legislative attempts to achieve greater transparency and the effectiveness of regulatory efforts to minimize the negative impacts on consumers related to out-of-network service disputes.
that they were in little danger from the Texans, who were more interested in filibustering along the Rio Grande than in routing a few Mexican peons on a remote island, they probably stayed on Padre and tended the cattle and horses. In September 1838 the Telegraph and Texas Register reported militiamen interrupted Mexican smugglers unloading cargo on the Encinal Peninsula, the wedge of land between the Cayo del Oso and the Laguna Madre that we now call Flour Bluff. The smugglers reported they met a company of Mexicans on shore ready to load the smuggled goods on pack horses to carry into Mexico when the Texas militia arrived. The smugglers dumped 100 barrels of flour and parts of a steam engine and ran and in the process gave Flour Bluff its name.
House Committee on International Trade & Intergovernmental Affairs • Examine opportunities and innovations to increase international trade and investment in Texas. Review state and federal regulations to determine what can be done to ease tariff and non-tariff barriers in order to maximize trade flow. • Quantify the impact of commercial ship traffic on smaller coastal waterways and find creative, pro-growth solutions that will allow all Texans access to the Gulf of Mexico. 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.
In September 1841, a Mexican force raided Dimitt's post, capturing him and several other traders. They plundered the establishment of all its merchandise, which they loaded on boats and took south to Mexico. Dimitt and a colleague named James C. Boyd were packed off overland to a Mexican jail where Dimitt committed suicide. Dimitt's arrest naturally enraged his fellow Texans. Irish immigrants from San Patricio organized to conduct a reprisal raid. They received intelligence as to Mexican troop strength from fellow countrymen living at the south end of Padre Island. The Texans captured a Mexican colonel and nine enlisted men and took them back to San Patricio. In addition they accused Kinney, who was left untouched by the Mexican raid, of being in league with the Mexicans.
• Monitor the status of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA). Consider options to enhance TWIA’s ability to serve its statutory purpose and to fairly and equitably serve its policyholders. Include an evaluation of TWIA’s operations, improved incentives for coverage by the private market, and effective use of reinsurance, bonds, and other financial devices. • Examine opportunities to improve the resiliency of the Texas coast to withstand tropical storms. Study strategies to incentivize and encourage hazard mitigation, and consider the current state of building codes and how they might more effectively protect property and reduce losses. Examine the proper role of insurance in protecting the Texas coast. Coordinate as necessary with the joint interim committee created by HB 3459 (83R). (Joint charge with the House Committee on Land and Resource Management)
Then in May 1841 three men, Philip Dimitt, an early trader on Lavaca Bay who had been one of the first to raise the Texas flag, James Gourlay, and John Sutherland set up a trading post in competition with Kinney. This post was located either at Flour Bluff on the Laguna Madre or at the head of Padre Island. Dimitt's activities aroused the anger of the Mexican authorities, who thought he was involved in smuggling and purchasing stolen cattle. They were probably right.
Henry Kinney The Americans arrive In the years immediately after the war Americans for the first time arrived in the immediate vicinity of Padre Island. Henry Kinney established a trading post on the shores of Corpus Christi Bay. The trading post would later become the prosperous and modern city of Corpus Christi. There were reasons why the Americans had not come at an earlier date. Prior to 1836 the land between the Rio Grande and the Nueces had not been granted Texas empresarios, but rather to trusted and reliable Mexican citizens. Moreover Mexican authorities allowed no foreign immigrant colonies within ten miles of the coast. The closest foreigners had come to Padre was an Irish colony at San Patricio. It was only after Texas had achieved her de facto independence that Americans could move into the coastal areas, which had previously been reserved for Mexicans.
Kinney was arrested and charged with treason. He was subsequently acquitted. For a brief five months in 1841 Padre Island was the possible location of a busy trading post. In transporting goods south into Mexico, it is probable that Dimitt's agents often traveled the beach on Padre Island. When the weather is right, the beach becomes a hard, flat surface, an ideal wagon road. Those desiring to smuggle goods into Mexico could easily do so by rolling down Padre Island and boating the contraband across the Laguna Madre to the mainland. Understandably the people who did this kept no written records, any more than the people who do it today.
Manifest destiny arrives The unstable conditions which prevailed between the Nueces and the Rio Grande, and especially the hostility that Texans demonstrated for all things Mexican, were noted by Santiago Morales, the owner of one-half of Padre Island. In 1845 when Texas joined the United States Morales recognized that it was only a matter of time before Texas enforced its claim that the Rio Grande was the border. He also apparently knew that Mexicans would have a difficult time as citizens of the United States. In 1845 he sold his interest in Padre to one José María Továr.
As Továr and perhaps Grisante continued to ranch Kinney and his partner The Island, and American William P. Aubrey choose immigrants arrived at San well the location of their Patricio and Corpus Christi. trading post. It was right on American manifest destiny the border between Texas Recruiting poster for Texas was casting ever more and Mexico. The post was covetous eyes on the vast Army easily supplied by sea and Mexican possessions of New Kinney prospered. Although Mexican officials Mexico and Upper California. By 1846 the frowned on the trade, American goods such American desire to settle its territorial questions as calico, hardware, and tobacco moved south with Mexico reached a climax and The Island and Mexican silver, beans, sugar, flour, shoes, was suddenly the front lines in a war between and saddles arrived at Corpus Christi Bay. the two countries. Kinney's success soon attracted other frontier entrepreneurs.
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March 20, 2014
Island Moon
A9
Yard of the Month Restaurant
& Wine Bar
-SUNDAY BUBBLY BUBBLY ALL HALF PRICE! The Island Gardeners awarded their first yard of the month this year to Jerry and Becky Edwards. Their address is 14882 Tesoro Drive on the corner of Tesoro and Cobo De Bara Circle. The Edwards have resided their for many years and recently made great improvements. They invited their neighbors to take all the old
white rock and replaced it with various multicolored rock. They added a covered front porch for a very welcoming result. Drive by to see their home on your way to the Butterfly Garden. To recommend a yard of the month, please call Island Gardener Dianne Gimpel at 361-5630951.
Including: Mimosas, Champagne Cocktails and House Specialty Champagne Martinis
-SUNDAY BRUNCH11:00 - 3:00 PM -MONDAYALL WINES 1/2 PRICE by the glass or by the bottle
Moon Monkeys spotted! Three Moon Monkeys are being held hostage at the Brownsville Zoo
-THURSDAYMARTINI MADNESS! $6 executive martinis
$6
Wine Flights Every Day
361-749-2212
3500 Island Moorings Parkway at The Island Moorings Yacht Club & Marina in Port Aransas
www.labaratariarestaurantwinebar.com
HOURS
Monday, Thursday, Friday 4 pm - 10 pm Saturday Noon - 10 pm Sunday 11 am - 10 pm Closed Tuesday & Wednesday
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Island Moon
March 20, 2014