Inside the Moon...
Girl Scouts A2
Kemp’s Ridley Hatchings A4
First Houses on the Island A8
Free
FREE
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
Live Music A11
Senior Moments A 14
The
Island Moon The Island Newspaper since 1996
Island Area News ● Events ● Entertainment
May 31, 2012
Photo by Miles Merwin
The only Island soon to have more Water Parks than Grocery Stores.
Next Publication Date: 6/7/2012
Around The Island
Election Results for the Island
The old Island adage that holds What Happens on The Island leaves on Sunday was true last weekend but with a caveat. It didn’t leave until Monday but when the exodus headed OTB began it hit in earnest. By early afternoon Monday the drive from Port Aransas to Flour Bluff, normally about half an hour, took twice that long.
Voters in the two Island precincts voted at a 19% rate in Tuesday’s primary elections compared to 13% countywide.
By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com
The popular spot on the beach this holiday was in front of the seawall where more cars than ever found their way onto the beach. They entered at the north end of the seawall and exited the same way; most not aware they were breaking the law by driving northbound on Michael J. Ellis Beach which is still illegal under city ordinances. Ellis Beach and Seawall is more and more becoming the beach of choice for out-oftowners and locals alike. The beach renourishment done there earlier this year when Packery Channel was dredged has provided a wide beach with good driving conditions, even as the driving south of Bob Hall Pier and north of Newport Pass has become untenable. All in all the Memorial Day crowds on The Island were not as large as last year and not a whole lot bigger than a normal summer weekend. The parking lots at Island restaurants were full and business was brisk but the beaches were not as Wall-to-Wall crowded as on some recent holiday weekends.
Island Moon Market Speaking of the seawall, the first Island Moon Market was held there on Saturday. About twenty vendors turned out along with a steady pedestrian crowd. After some initial discussion about where exactly to locate the vendors things worked out and the market looks like a good addition to Island activities. They will be held the fourth Saturday of each month with the next on June 23. Expect about forty vendors including some food vendors, provided some space in the Windward Parking Lot can be used. The city provided trash cans for the event and a group of beachwalkers began what is to be the monthly Trashy Hour when they started at one end of the seawall and walked the beach picking up trash. The second Trashy Hour will form up at the Windward parking lot on Sunday June 24 at 5:30 p.m. and everyone is invited to attend. The event is put on by a non-profit group with the aim of raising money for seawall improvements. Anyone interested in becoming a vendor or who is simply curious can contact the organizers at islandmoonmarket@gmail. com, or visit the website at islandmoonmarket. com, or call Phil at 361 403-4032. It’s time to start watching weather reports as we begin the 2012 version of the Hurricane Season. According to the people who study such things it is supposed to be a semi-mild one. Of course the Island definition of “mild” is when they hit somewhere other than here.
Say hello if you see us Around The Island.
Year 15, Issue 425
Memorial Day on the Island
According to the Nueces County Clerk the combined number of voters registered in Precincts 40 and 81, the two precincts that make up North Padre is 6516. Out of that number 1259 voters went to the polls; 656 from Precinct 40, and 613 from Precinct 81. Countywide 24,447 out of 185,045 registered voters cast ballots. Here is a breakdown of votes from North Padre, Port Aransas, and Flour Bluff.
Republicans Precinct 40 N. Padre Total registered voters 3256 656 votes cast 20% of registered voters in precinct Ron Paul 10% Mitt Romney 76% Rick Santorum 5% Newt Gingrich 4% Uncommitted 3% U.S. Senator 527 voted cast David Dewhurst 48% Ted Cruz 41% U.S. Rep. Dist. 27 Blake Farenthold 93% Trey Roberts 3% John Grunwald 2% Don Al Middlebrook 1.4%
A Kit Gutherz profile
Sometimes You Got to Slow Down and Smell the Tuba Editor’s note: Sara Hendricks has just returned to Port A after being away for 32 years. Kit on the other hand has been here pretty much all along. It was Kit who told us years ago that if you play a guitar, harmonica, and tambourine all at the same time you are a one man band, but as soon as you strap a set of cymbals to your knees you become a novelty act. by Sara Hendricks You don’t have to have talent to be a musician, Kit Gutherz says. You just have to be committed. Kit wouldn’t be the first musician to be committed.
Kit Continued on A 3
Converting Rigs to Reefs at a Virtual Standstill
State Sen. Dist. 20 Total votes cast 358 Election Continued on A 4
Time to Reason with Hurricane Season
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center predicts a 70 percent chance of nine to 15 named storms this year. Of those storms, NOAA forecasters expect four to eight to become hurricanes, including one to three major hurricanes. That is slightly below the average season. So far the season is off to an auspicious beginning with two storms named before the season even started. The Albert and Beryl names have already been burned up and Chris is on deck. It is the first time that has happened since the 1908 season. The season officially runs from June 1-November 30. So what names should be look for this year? Here they are. Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, Tony, Valerie, and William.
Moon Question of the Week
Padre Isles Country Club Since the City Council voted to approved the tax incentives for the Schlitterbahn Waterpark last week and with the developers stating they want to start construction at the site in the next eight weeks we have had many calls asking whether golfers will be able to continue to use the Padre Isles Country Club through the summer.
construction of the waterpark. It depends on how the financing package for the park is done and that is yet to be decided.
As many readers know the planned park would displace nine holes on the existing golf course and current tentative plans call for three holes to be added to the remaining nine holes for a twelve hole course when the final work on the waterpark is done. However, by adding some fairways and using greens for more than one hole eighteen holes could still be played during a round.
If the work on the new course is put off until phase two, not slated to begin until next year, then most likely nine holes would remain open this summer even as work on the waterpark is ongoing.
The plans call for the waterpark to be built in two phases with work on the first phase to begin by the end of this July. The question is whether that would mean all the holes would close during that part of the construction or some would remain open. As of this writing no determination has been made on whether the changes to the course will be included in the first or second phase of
Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper
If the building of the newly constructed course is done is phase one, the entire course would be closed for about four months starting around August and all work on the new course finished by next spring.
Design work on the newly configured course is a work in progress and it is possible the final design could be a 15-hold course. We will keep you apprised as things develop, but for now there are no firm plans to close any of the holes on the course this summer. Dale Rankin
Single clause in federal rule By Dale Rankin To the casual observer offshore oil rigs and environmental improvement may seem like opposite ends of the spectrum. So for the people who are trying to save the offshore ecosystems that have formed around offshore oil platforms education is the first step to progress. The local group Saltwaterfishers Enhancement Association, SEA, has taken the lead in trying to turn the tide on the demolition of 650 offshore retired rigs scheduled to be torn down in the Gulf of Mexico in the next five years. The federal government considers them marine debris.
About 54 percent of U.S. crude oil production and 52 percent of natural gas production comes from the Gulf of Mexico and when the
Rigs to Reefs Continued on A 7
Corpus Christi’s Padre Island National Seashore Recognized by USA Today as the Top Beach in Texas to Visit This Summer USA Today Travel released “Just for summer: 51 great American beaches,” an article featuring each state’s top beach to visit this summer. Padre Island National Seashore was the featured as the best beach for Texas. USA Today has more than 23.6 million readers and has multiple award recognitions from the North American Travel Journalists Association and the Society of American Travel Writers. More than 7.1 million visitors came to Corpus Christi last year and according to industry studies about 80% came to the area to visit the beach. Padre Island National Seashore has over 500,000 visitors annually. The nearly 70 miles long coast protected by the National Seashore is part of the world’s longest undeveloped stretch of barrier island beach. It is also the spot for visitors to witness turtle releases during the summer season as hatchling Kemp’s ridley turtles are released by Dr. Donna J. Shaver and the Division of Sea Turtle Science and
Recovery. The releases often draw crowds of several hundred. PINS is also home to Worldwinds Windsurfing at Bird Island. On Saturday June 9 the park will be free to celebrate Get Outdoors Day. Not only is it a free admission day, it is also Jr. Ranger Day and will include a variety of free family activities and provide children with a chance to earn their Jr. Ranger badge.” For additional information please call the Malaquite Visitor Center at (361) 949-8068.”