The Island Moon Published by Island Moon Publishing, LLC 15201 S. Padre Island Drive Ste. 250 Corpus Christi, TX. 78418 editor@islandmoon.com (361) 949-7700
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Island Moon The Island Newspaper
Island Area News ● Events ● Entertainment
September 9, 2011
Photo by Patrick Lewis
The Island where Parkinson’s is Paddled
Around The Island
Real Estate Roundup
By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com It seems the Weather Gods have gone a little crazy of late on our Island. The wind has been swinging from the north to the southeast and back again. It made for some nice waves for our surfer friends over the weekend. It also cooled things off just a bit for the first time in a long time.
Next Publication Date: 09/23/2011
The boats at the tournament were showing a lot of flags as they lined up at Roberts Point for the weight in. It was impressive to see upwards of $15 million dollars of floating fun line up to back in. It was a reminder that we get to live in a really special place.
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Year 15, Issue 396
Inside the Moon
NoPac Beach Cleanup A2
By Dale Rankin
On the rocks
Paddle for Parkinsons Raises $12,000 A3
The weird weather patterns were spinoffs from Tropical Storm Lee that broke the usual pattern of southeast wind. It pushed water way up on our beaches over the early part of Labor Day Weekend but things were pretty much back to normal by Saturday afternoon. It did cut into the amount of usable beach in the SoPac area after city crews created a high bank by piling much sand there. The weather on Labor Day Monday though was really odd. It was really strange to come back OTB and see a haze of smoke hanging over our Island. Normally brush fires inland produce no more than spectacular sunsets as the smoke is blown landward by the prevailing onshore breeze but this time large brush fires as far inland as Bastrop put smoke in Island nostrils causing much dryness leading to the consumption of holiday beverages. Brush fires this season have burned a hole in Texas literally the size of the state of Connecticut and in the last few months six of the ten largest brush fires in our state’s history have occurred. The fire that blew smoke over The Island took out more than six hundred homes. It’s dry out there folks. Then we awoke the next morning to what passes for cool temperatures in these parts. It was a welcome change to the sweltering temps we have had for several weeks but with the storms, heat, fires, and smoke it makes us wonder if an earthquake is next.
It hasn’t been just offshore that fishing has been good. When it doesn’t rain inland the water flow from our rivers drops and our water gets nice and blue. The blue water line has moved close enough to shore of late that fisherpersons have been able to get tarpon and kingfish to chase bait all the way into the jetties at both the Packery and in Port Aransas. What recession? If there is indeed a recession going on someone forgot to tell Port Aransas. Sales tax numbers for Port Aranas in June were up a healthy 49% over June of last year, and last year was no slouch as it recorded record numbers as well. The reason for the increase is up for grabs but common opinions include new money coming to town from the Eagle Ford oil play which cuts a wide swath through the Heart of Texas from Laredo all the way to East Texas. There is a rush to poke holes in the ground up there that the cost of drilling a single well is running in the $10 million range. All that money has to go somewhere and we’re the nearest Island. Then of course there is the simple fact that Texas gained $5 million people in the last census. That means a lot of newcomers to our state and sooner or later they all find their way to The Island. There is also the fact that due to the trouble going on at the border many visitors are deciding to come to North Padre rather the South. Whatever the reason we are lucky that we have not been hit as hard economically as some other parts of the country. Whatafire
Offshore fishing One effect of the strange weather has been flat water in the Gulf. For the first time in quite a while small boats have been able to head out Packery Channel and fish the rigs. Fisherpersons who have been out there say it is the best it has been in a long time. We have more about that in this issue. We did make it out to the Texas Women’s Angler Tournament in Port Aransas and the array of boats was quite impressive. It was very Texas with most of the boats we saw belonging to oil people, ranchers, or country music singers; well, actually only one to a country music singer, George Strait whose wife fished in the tournament while Mr. Straight did what all good country music singers do while their wife fishes, he drank beer at the Back Porch. He signed a few autographs mostly for tourists since most Port Aransasians respect the fact that celebrity types need a day off too.
Texas Women Anglers Tournament A 15
We had one of those Only On The Island events on Labor Day when a sailboat caused a power outage over around Whataburger. The boat was heading down SPID on a trailer when its mast hit a lowhanging power line and blew out power along the roadway. It knocked off power to among other places, Whataburger which was shut down for a few hours. A live wire caused a small brush fire by the road. But as far as we know there were no Whatainjuries. A similar incident happened in Port A after the fishing tournament when a boat with a tuna tower smacked into the light at Cotter and Alister. How about some
street signs that say “Boat Drivers Watch Out for Overhead Lines.” Say Hello if you see us Around The Island.
Tagging Sharks on PINS B1
Labor Day at Ellis Beach