Section A Final

Inside the Moon...

Rockport Music Festival A3

The Lost Art of Waterskiing A4

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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Oaxaca, Mexico A10

The

Island Moon The Island Newspaper since 1996

Island Area News ● Events ● Entertainment

June 14, 2012

Photo by Miles Merwin

The Only Island with more Kemp’s ridley turtles than vacant hotel rooms

Around The Island

By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com

I

t’s getting to be the busy time of year on our Island. If you are heading out to a restaurant on either end of The Island on the weekend it’s a good idea to make a reservation because there are a lot of people moving around. It’s great to see our Island becoming a dining destination not only for out of towners but for locals coming OTB as well. The selection of great dining spots has never been better.

It has been a busy season so far and we keep having to increase the number of papers we print each week and it seems they still disappear within a few days. It’s a good problem to have and a clear indication that business is good hereabouts.

Traffic jamming If you have been wondering what the crews are doing on the JFK Causeway that is causing it to be reduced to one lane, it has been a combination of things. First in the OTB lane (heading OTB) this week it has been closed in both directions. The reason is that crews are doing electrical work.

Maybe the work will fix a problem some businesses are having in Port Aransas with low voltage during peak usage hours. On the Padre end the problem is the occasional blackout, on the Port A end it is low voltage that melts the ice cream in freezers.

No weed You may have noticed that there is very little sargassum weed coming in to the beaches these days. The reason has to do with offshore currents and water temperature. Read Jay Gardner’s column in this issue for a very good explanation. Jay also reports that there are no offshore mats heading our way.

Turtle season We are also in the midst of a very active turtle season. Donna and her crew have been busy and that means turtle releases. The releases have become an Island tradition and if you have never been to one stay tuned to these pages for announcements and go check one out. You will be glad you did.

Road tax Ever since the speed limit on the road to San Antonio was upped to 75 mph and put the Mathis Speed Trap out of business. The Island, Padre and Mustang both, has been overrun with state troopers writing tickets for whatever they can find to write tickets for. Mostly seat belt violations. Maybe it’s a coincidence but the timing is uncanny. They were collecting their road tax along SPID but people got used to them being there and now they hide at the base of the JFK Causeway and snag people who are trying to get to work.

In Port Aransas they import them from out of town and put them up in hotels for the weekend so they can fleece the weekend flock. It’s starting to feel like Mexico where in lieu of a salary state police are assigned a piece of road and how they monetize it is up to them.

We’re thinking of making up tee-shirts with the image of a seatbelt across the front, left to right for the driver and right to left for the passenger to confuse the heard of state locusts descending on our collective Island wallet – get in line man, our city has been doing it for years. It’s not that we Moon Monkeys don’t like wearing seatbelts it’s just that we don’t like being told it’s for our own good when we all know it’s really just a road tax. Protect and serve?

But here’s a little secret which some “violators” have caught onto; because most of the troopers are from out of town they don’t show up for court hearings. Demand a hearing and when you get there the ticket will get dismissed because the trooper won’t be there. Not only do the troopers not want to be there the state doesn’t want to pay them to be there. The state wants them out there on the road collecting more of the road tax.

As my friend Carlos Guerra used to say, “The best way to get rid of a bad law is to make them enforce it.” Let’s jam the docket.

Schlitterbahn Update Developers of the Schlitterbahn Resort and Waterpark project are nearing an agreement on financing. Not much new to report but no news is good news. Expect groundbreaking no later than the end of August and probably before.

Don’t forget the Island Moon Market on Saturday June 23rd.

In the meantime say hello if you see us Around The Island.

4th of July Watercraft Parade When it comes to parades our Island has three great ones, the La Posada Boat Parade, the Barefoot Mardi Gras Parade, and the Padre Isles 4th of July Watercraft Parade.

This year’s July 4th parade will be the 13th Annual event and will take place on Wednesday, July 4 starting at 7:30 p.m. in the canal at the Padre Island Yacht Club.

Island Moon founder Mike Ellis and Islanders Ann Weber and Harald Meyer started the parade after a particularly brutal La Posada Lighted Boat Parade which left everyone a little frostbitten. The idea was pretty simple; do a parade in the summer when it’s hot but at least predictable – unless of course there’s a hurricane which would mean the parade would go by very quickly. The only change this year is a later starting time to avoid the heat. The muster will begin at 7:30 and the parade at 8 p.m.

Next Publication Date: 6/21/2012

Year 15, Issue 427

Level Of Pollutants Discharged Into Island Canals Has Exceeded State Standards 27 Times Since 2009 Cost to fix Island wastewater treatment system expected to exceed $4 million Whitecap lift Station improvements

By Dale Rankin Discharge from the treatment plant at the end of Whitecap has exceeded state limits for the bacteria Enterococcus 27 times since 2009 according to information provided to the Corpus Christi City Council Tuesday by the City Engineer. The Island’s wastewater treatment facilities are aging and in need of repairs that by current estimates will exceed $4 million.

As part of the projects approved Tuesday the Lift Station at the wastewater plant on Whitecap near Gypsy will get a $$550,000 upgrade. That number includes both design and construction costs.

The project consists of the rehabilitation of the station which requires control of flow, the

Any kind of watercraft is invited from boats of all types and sizes, to windboards, Stand Up Paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes. No preregistration is required, the only requirement is that you show up.

A panel of judges (some judge spots are still available) will crown Mr. and Mrs. Independence Day as well as the watercraft which are the Most Patriotic, and Most Enthusiastic. The judges, and a great party, will be on the docks at the homes of Ann, Harald, and neighbor Sue Ramsey at 13766 Three Fathoms Bank. This is a great annual gathering which has been going on for well, thirteen years, and a good place for longtime Island residents to see old friends and new Island residents to meet longtime Islanders.

Don’t be shy.

There is also a move afoot this year to have a cardboard boat race prior to the parade. This is in the planning stage, which is to say waiting for someone to take charge, so we’ll see.

But if you have something that floats now’s the time to decorate it and get ready. For questions call Harald at 361 937-2423. With this year’s parade in the middle of the week and later in the evening, even people who work that day can still take part.

It’s time to launch the boat and fly the flag

Saturday, June 23

Island Moon Market The next Island Moon Market is set for Saturday, June 23 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Michael J. Ellis Seawall. More than forty vendors have signed up this time and the site will be moved to the seawall in front of the parking lot.

Vendors with everything from Texas wine to homemade jams, jellies and even homemade habanera ice cream will be on hand, and as always there will be live music at the Sandbar.

The markets will be held there the fourth Saturday of each month through the summer.

So in case you needed one now you have another reason to head to the beach.

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.

Street Corner Selling It looks like the Street Corner sales spot has met an ignominious end. No trespassing signs have gone up and the peach vender has packed up his crates and moved on. The spot has been home to sellers of cars, boats, sunglasses, cupcakes, wall fish, produce, tamales, and rides on the back of a longhorn steer. The site is owned by developer Paul Schexnailder and in the past he has allowed vendors there as long as they have the proper city permits and Martin the tamale guy was the only vendor who had one. The problem of course is that there are liability issues involved and the site was often difficult to get to in heavy traffic, and of course there was really no parking.

But commerce is unstoppable and it’s likely just a matter of time until the businesses find a new spot. Anybody got any ideas?

The wastewater treatment plant was built in the 1960s and the discharge from the plant is split with half going to Padre Isles Country Club Golf Course and the other half being discharged into the Island canal system.

The system will get just over $1 million in work over the next year after City Council approval on Tuesday, however, city engineers say the final cost of upgrading the wastewater treatment plant is expected to eventually exceed $4 million with more than $3 million of that going to keep pollutants discharged into the canal system from exceeding state limits. City staffers said many of the violations have come during high rain events when the turbidity of the water renders the ultra-violet treatment done to discharge at the plant less effective.

replacement of pump bases, dry pit submersible pumps, suction/discharge piping, fittings, pump control panels, main electrical disconnects, plug valves, check valves and miscellaneous items of work. The work is scheduled to begin in July and run through December.

What’s in the wastewater?

Initial improvements to the Whitecap Wastewater Treatment Plant are to the UltraViolet (UV) Disinfection System at a cost of $549,699 – with an additional amount of about $2.4 million expected to be needed to complete the project. The initial work on the project is scheduled to begin in September and end in February. So what exactly is a “UV” system at a waste water treatment plant and what does it do? We’re glad you asked. Here’s what the

Wastewater Continued on A4

Kemp’s Ridley Nesting Peaks As Hatchling Releases Begin

By Donna J. Shaver, Ph.D. Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery National Park Service Padre Island National Seashore e-mail: Donna_Shaver@nps.gov If you have wanted to witness a Kemp’s ridley hatchling release at Padre Island National Seashore, these releases are on-going now. So far this year, we have held seven releases of hatchings that have been open to the public, and we plan to hold up to 20 more through at least July. If more eggs are found this year, then the releases could continue into August.

No fee is charged to watch the releases, which are held in front of the Malaquite Beach Visitor

A Kemp’s ridley enters the surf after transmitter attachment on June 9.

Center starting at 6:45 am. The releases are more popular than ever this year. More than 2,000 people have attended, and many have traveled to our area just to see a release. It has also been great to see many local residents attending.

Each release is special to watch, as we witness the tiny turtles take their first steps in life, and we watch many of the attendees get their first glimpse of this endangered species. And, it is heart-warming to hear the crowd cheer for the first and the last hatchling that enters the Gulf of Mexico and swims away.

Donna Shaver releasing hatchlings at Padre Island National Seashore on June 10.

For information on when and where the next release will be held call our Hatchling Hotline at 361-949-7163 or visit our Facebook page titled Padre Island NS Division of Sea Turtle Turtles Continued on A2

Turtles Continued from A1

Colleen McIntyre, candidate for district 4 city council and Lillian Riojas, candidate for atlarge city council held a reception at Doc’s.

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Science and Recovery. For information on when later releases might be held, visit the Padre Island National Seashore website at www. nps.gov/pais. The projected release dates for hatchlings that will emerge from eggs currently held in the incubation facility are listed on the website. The projected release date for each clutch spans a 7-day-long window in which the eggs from that clutch will hatch and the hatchlings will be ready for release. People coming from out of town to try to attend a release should target dates Kemp’s ridley hatchlings released at Padre Island National Seashore on June 9. when hatchlings from several clutches are scheduled to be released. This provides The peak of the nesting season extends through insurance so if some hatchlings become active mid-June, and nesting could continue through and must be released immediately, others will mid-July. If only five more nests are found we be available for a public release that morning or will reach 200 nests, which would set a new another morning during the release window. It yearly record. In 2011, 199 Kemp’s ridley nests is also advisable that you have the ability to stay were recorded in Texas, the most since recordkeeping began. For the latest tally of nests found in Texas, visit the Padre Island National Seashore website at www.nps.gov/pais. We are also posting updates about nests found at the National Seashore on our Facebook page.

Although most nesting is located by beach patrollers, some is found by others working or recreating on the beach. You can help protect nesting Kemp’s ridley turtles and their eggs by watching for nesting while you are on the beach and reporting it to a passing turtle patroller or Two Kemp’s ridley hatchlings set free during public release by calling 361-949-8173, ext. 226. Please also drive #6 at Padre Island National Seashore on June 10. carefully on the beach since nesting Kemp’s ridleys can be difficult to see.

Their olive green color a few days since we do not have turtles hatching every day. As the dates that you are interested blends with the sand and vegetation. They in attending a release near, call the Hatchling sometimes become partially buried in the sand Hotline or visit our Facebook page for the latest during nesting, and often nest on windy days.

Your reports of nesting are greatly appreciated details on the next release. and are important in our efforts to protect the Through June 12, 195 Kemp’s ridley nests nesting turtles and their eggs. And, most people have been recorded on the Texas coast this that I have talked to at nesting sites have been year. One hundred and seventeen were found thrilled at their luck of actually getting the locally, including 101 at Padre Island National chance to see one of these beautiful turtles Seashore, eight on North Padre north of the nesting.

National Seashore, and eight on Mustang We have now affixed satellite transmitters to Island.

10 females that nested at the National Seashore this year, which was our target number. You can view the movements of these turtles on www.seaturtle.org. Go to the satellite tracking link and look for the Padre Island National Seashore Kemp’s Ridley Tracking Program 2012. Locations of all turtles that we are tracking are posted on www. seaturtle.org. Transmitters deployed on six turtles that nested last year at Padre Island National Seashore and Rancho Nuevo, Mexico continue to transmit and their locations can also be viewed on this site.

A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle that nested at Padre Island National Seashore on June 10.

I hope to see you at a hatchling release this year!

Kemp’s Ridley Turtle Count So far this year, 195 Kemp’s ridley nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast including v (north to south in state) 1 Bolivar Peninsula 7 Galveston Island 1 Brazoria County, N. of Surfside 4 SurfsideBeach 0 Quintana Beach 0 Bryan Beach 0 Brazoria County, N. of Sargent Beach 0 Sargent Beach 0 Matagorda Peninsula 0 Matagorda Island 2 San Jose Island 8 Mustang Island 109 North Padre Island, including 101 at Padre Island National Seashore 55 South Padre Island 8 Boca Chica Beach LOGGERHEAD TURTLE So far this year, 2 loggerhead nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast including: 1 Padre Island National Seashore 1 South Padre Island

A crowd of more than 500 people witnessing a Kemp’s ridley hatchling release at Padre Island National Seashore on June 10.

June 14, 2012

Rockport Music Festival

Photos by Miles Merwin

Island Moon

A3

Island Moon

A 4

Ebb and Flow- The Changing Face of the Island

The Ski Basin and the Glass Channel

By Melissa Maupin mmaup@ymail.com A friend of mine asked me lately if I wanted to meet in our boats at the drinking hole. I assume she meant the same location we visited as I grew up on the island that we called “the drinking hole”—the undeveloped canal areas off of the second main canal. The general area is often referred to as the ski basin.

My family and friends met there primarily to ski but also to commiserate, get some sun and drink beer. When it got too hot, we would hide from the sun in the shady side of the boat in the water, lined up side-by-side, cold beverage in hand, to snag the little shade relief the boat provided.

Back in the seventies and eighties, it was pretty isolated with little boat traffic. We would hang out at the drinkin’ hole because it offered a nice, sandy beach without waves where you could pull people up to ski and drop them off easily toward the shore. If you came in too close or too fast or the skier held on to the rope too long though, they could easily hit bottom and launch head over heels in the shallows or worse, the beach. I have witnessed this scary moment more than once.

Joy of Skiing Everyone in my family has water skied at some time. I learned when I was five years old. I was already a strong swimmer and had watched my older sister and brother ski. I felt up to the task and according to my father nagged him to let me ski. But when it came down to doing

John Maupin windsurfing into the ski basin 1989 turned the corner so you had to eventually make a circle and go back in the other direction.

While it was a series of golden summers back in the seventies and eighties, skiing in the narrow channels both at the glass channel and the ski basin could often become dicey. You had to pay attention to the width of the canal and sandbars especially when you circled around. “I drove Uncle Carrols’s boat onto the sand bank and lost the engine,” Steve admitted. “Apparently I missed the channel and kept got on going and the boat stopped and the motor was gone. And I looked back and Buddy was standing there in shin deep water with the ski rope in his hands about fifty feet behind the boat. We got the motor and put it into the boat and then hitched a ride with a tow from somebody who dragged us back home.” Boat, motor and all present turned out okay, and they lived to ski another day.

The Dying Sport of Skiing It’s never been easy to ski in the water around the island.

There are plenty of sand banks, the waterways are narrow and the surface can get rough with wind even in the ski basin. Population pressure has also affected skiing. As the years passed and more people moved to the island, the traffic in the ski basin area grew Steve Shearer skiing the Glass Channel 1979 heavier. Pulling skiers it, I freaked out. I was decked out in my life turned strategic and often disastrous. jacket and mini-skis but had a commitment A long-time friend and my neighbor on the problem. My father finally just picked me up island, Lacey Harrelson, recalled her trips to the and threw me in the water. It was sink or ski at ski basin. “Back in the day we could go anytime that point, so ski I did. After several tries, I got we wanted,” she said. “I started driving the boat up and there was no looking back. By the time when I was twelve-years-old. We didn’t have I was eleven, I was slalom skiing. I learned to jet skis in those days. Now you may see twelve slalom on what is officially called Lake Corpus wave runners along with power boats. It only Christi, but we long-time residents still call it makes the area more dangerous.”

Lake Mathis.

The last time I visited the area, it was crazyDuring my college years, my brother, Steve crowded and difficult to ski or even pull Shearer, moved back to the island from someone on a tube behind the boat. Kayaks California and he and my cousin Randy and I and jet skis have intermixed with power boats ventured many days a week during the summer and it isn’t the calm little get-away it used to to the ski basin. Sometimes island resident be. Still it is a nice place to escape to when the and current real estate broker, Brion Hunsaker beaches are lined with people. Picking the right would make an appearance or family friend, day and time is crucial. Lacey agreed. “It’s still Buddy Strauss. Everyone skied well but Steve a good place to hang out with the family. We was impressive. Bored with simply slalom just go early and come back early.” skiing, he started barefoot skiing.

I wouldn’t even attempt barefoot skiing, but he grew very accomplished at it.

Wastewater continued from A1 material provided to the council said.

antibiotics such as penicillins,cephalosporins, carbapenems, as well as many aminoglycosides.

In the last two decades, particularly virulent strains of Enterococcus that are resistant to antibiotics have occurred in patients, especially in the US.

“The existing Whitecap Wastewater Treatment Plant utilizes an ultra-violet (UV) disinfection system for the final effluent in order to comply with bacteria limits in the TCEQ discharge permit. The system was originally designed for the inactivation of E. coli. Since the plant discharges to saltwater, TCEQ now requires that enterococci be monitored for compliance with the discharge permit rather than E. coli.

Enterococci bacteria are more difficult to inactivate than E. coli and often require a higher dosage of UV.

“We don’t have an exact cost until we do some more research,” Daniel Biles, P.E., Interim Director of Engineering Services told the council. “Right now it looks like the improvements will cost at least $3 million but that could change.”

In short Enterococci is bad and the city is spending $549,699 to keep it out of the canal water. That is good, but of course we have to wonder what has been going into the canals before the $549,699 in improvements? What we do know is that the 27 times since 2009 it’s level has exceed health standards mandated by the state.

The plant has periodically had difficulty meeting the enterococci limits. The purpose of this project is to upgrade the disinfection system to allow continuous compliance with the enterococci limits. Freese and Nichols Inc. was selected to perform this work because of their experience in designing multiple UV disinfection systems for wastewater treatment plants around the state of Texas ($249,352.00 of the $549,699 is for design work).

Lights, camera, sewer

Also approved Tuesday, $502,933 to run video cameras through 40,650 linear feet of the city’s sewer lines. This may seem like a trivial thing until you consider that last year the intersection of Gypsy and Whitecap was swallowed by a Giant Sinkhole caused by the leaky sewer line that runs the length of Whitecap from SPID to the sewer plant at Bonasse. At the time crews said that much of the line, which was installed in the 1970s, was probably corroded and leaking into the sand under the road. The line is a charged line which generates 4 pounds of pressure per square inch at the lift station in order to move the contents of the line to the Bonasse station, meaning that a small leak can do a lot of damage. The camera will determine if the line can be repaired or must be replaced.

The proposed project will design an upgrade for the existing disinfection system including larger UV modules, flow metering to flow pace the UV dosage, piping, instrumentation and control, electrical and miscellaneous items of work to provide a complete installation.”

So what does that mean? As best we can tell they are going to build bigger pipes and a bigger space for treated water to get more UV rays before it is discharged from the plant into the Island canal system in order to cut down on the amount of Enterococci to avoid fines from the state.

And what you may wonder exactly is Enterococci? They are are facultative anaerobic organisms, i.e., they are capable of cellular respiration in both oxygen-rich and oxygenpoor environments (such as canal water).

They can cause infections such as urinary tract infections, bacteremia, bacterial endocarditis, diverticulitis, and meningitis.

Sensitive strains of these bacteria can be treated with ampicillin and vancomycin. However they have a high level of intrinsic antibiotic resistance and some strains are intrinsically resistant to

So to sum up; the City Council approved three projects that taken together will give the Island’s Large Intestine the Once Over Twice and before it finished the combined cost will be over $4 million. On the good side, as per the contract, the workers on the project will have to pass drugs tests before work can begin. So we have that going for us.

TERRY VICKERY CANCER FUNDRAISER THURSDAY JUNE 21ST, 5P-10P

Come out and enjoy the beautiful ocean view here at The SandBar and also provide help for a good cause. There will be lots of prizes to be won and auctioned.

If you would like to donate to the Raffles or provide items for bid, Please call Shaunna@ 361.813.9579

LIVE MUSIC 6P-10P DUNK TANK RAFFLE ITEMS AUCTION $5 BBQ PLATES BARTENDERS’ TIPS DONATED MORE...

Ms Terry Vickery is a long time employee of Beachside Grill @ The Holiday Inn. If you have ever had our wonderful breakfast, Terry probably was one of the cooks that prepared it! We all desire her to be with us for many, many more breakfast’ to come!

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The Glass Channel Across the main canal and around the corner on the north side of Whitecap, where the yacht club is currently located, is what we dubbed the “glass channel.” We called it that because the water surface was almost always glassy, protected from the wind, which made it great for skiing. In the late seventies, there weren’t any houses in that subdivision, so there was no one who yelled at us for making a wake.

The channel wasn’t long though and it

June 14, 2012

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June 14, 2012

Island Moon

Letters to the Editor Death Race Dear Island Moon,

Water Exchange Island Moon Newspaper

On behalf of the Spartan Death Race organizers, thanks for the article you wrote about Mike McBain, who will be competing in the Spartan Death Race beginning this Friday, June 15th in Pittsfield, VT. On Monday, June 18th, we will be issuing a press release with a list of this year’s finishers.

We will be sending it to you at this address whether or not your local participant is one of our finishers. If there is another email address you would like us to send the release, please reply to this email.

Doug Editor’s note: Finishers? In a Death Race!?

It’s a crazy world we live in.

Grocery Store What’s the status of The Island GroceriesInternet Cafe-Business Center?

Ronnie Shea Ronnie, The fixtures have been in the building at the back of the strip center behind Subway for many months. The sign on the door indicates they are awaiting permitting from the city…a common theme among new businesses on The Island.

They still plan to open…as for the time frame… only the city inspectors know.

I am very excited, as many residents are, about Schlitterbahn coming to the Island. The benefits to our island are obvious, from high quality residential, hotel, and retail venues that will come to our area. The master plan, which includes a boardwalk, will not only be greatly enjoyable, but will benefit all of the island residents and guests, both socially and economically.

One of the benefits that I am most excited about is the prospect of breathing life into our canal system. With the new canal/water exchange, it appears that the only barrier left to having a “full tidal exchange” would be the very small space left at that portion of Encantada Street that blocks the flow of the entire canal system.

It seems that the relatively small cost to construct a bridge similar to the one on White Cap or, at minimum, of putting in a sizeable pipe connecting the two channels would allow a tidal flow to come directly from the Packary Channel through the back of the canal system and out through virtually all of the canals to the Laguna Madre, and vice versa.

The ecological benefits of this water flow would be tremendous to both the remaining canals and to the Laguna Madre. It seems that there should be funds available from any number of City, State, or Federal agencies, to include grants, due to its positive environmental impact.

I would be willing to vote on an HOA Assessment to build this infrastructure due to the positive benefits to the canal-front property owners and to all residents of the Island.

Mitchell Davis Kalogridis

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Gary Lunt, Inc 361-537-8333 Port aransas “YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR”

Property owner Mitchell, There are culverts – or pipes – currently under Encantada which are silted in. We are working with the City to get them pumped out. I do not have a date certain for the completion of this work, but we are working on it. Encantada is a City street so the City needs to do the work.

Currently, the tidal change on this “back” canal is minimal. With the addition of the bridge, the tidal change should increase the flow and it is believed it will help keep the culverts open.

In addition, we have installed three aerators in this canal, two on the north side of Encantada and one on the south side. They are improving the water quality, also.

MayBeth Christensen POA

The Great Wall & Nita Smith POA Complaint

It is apparent that the Padre Isle Homeowners Association is not and does not enforce the covenants in place here on the island that we are all forced to live with and pay the price to do so.

It is too bad that disclosure to potential buyers is not provided to apprise them that their yearly dues are being paid into a black hole.

Just last month I attempted to contact 3 board members in regards to EIGHT (8), Yes 8 trucks with boat trailers that had NO stickers on them (neither the vehicle nor the trailer) which would allow them to legally be parked and launching at the boat ramps. On my 3rd attempt I finally reached Brent Moore’s wife and he was kind enough to call me back only to tell me “Maybeth Christensen usually drives around the boat ramps on the weekends”. Even after the complaint none of the vehicles were towed. (As the sign says they will be). However, now keeping in mind the boaters using these boat ramps are either people living on dry lots, their friends or boaters from OTB. As a canal homeowner we are forced to pay far more for association fees however, the majority of canal owners do not use the boat ramps as our boat hang in our back yards.

We are told the association maintains the bulkheads? We prefer to maintain our own because 5 years ago when the bulkhead at our home was replaced there were gapping holes so deep as to your arm will go completely into it up to your elbow. After many calls to the POA and they sent out a retired McLanes Truck driver with is cane! The response was “Yup, that’s a deep hole in the concrete!” In asking this man “are you a structural engineer or what gives you the credentials to inspect this bulkhead?”

His response was that he was a retired delivery driver for McLanes. To date, no repairs have ever been made by the POA. In addressing the “Great Wall” I have to ask what is the purpose of even having “Padre Isles Home Owners Association”?

Covenants are NOT enforced. Construction sites are a mess. The island is not the lifestyle it is portrayed to be. I have great sympathy for the homeowners who will now have to share their backyards with a waterpark! I am sure many agree and now we are going to be graced with Schlitterbahn. Lets see who will stand up from the HOA and give all of the homeowners an explanation as to why covenants are NOT being enforced and where are money is going!

I am sure many are anxious to read the explanation.

Mrs. Keri Morales Keri, It is difficult to respond to this one since we are involved in a lawsuit.

However, I can point out that Ms. Smith was aware of the bench on the deck prior to her closing on her home purchase. The bench was modified with the approval of the Architectural Control Committee.

I do patrol the boat ramps regularly as well as our regulatory support person. We issue warning tickets the first time we find a boat trailer and vehicle without the proper sticker.

Yes, we do keep track of the violators.

Andy Stansel, Manager

The second time we find a violator, we tow.

Most folks are excited about going fishing and don’t stop to think about whether they have the current stickers. Our warnings give them the opportunity to purchase the Stickers – which they do. I would rather give folks the opportunity to do the right thing than have them pay $250 for towing.

Who Are the Moon Monkeys Mike Ellis, Founder Distribution Pete Alsop

Roa Klepach is one cool dude.

Island Delivery Advertising Jan Park Rankin Raeanne Reed Office

Fishing Tournament & Music Fest Featuring Pat Green and Friends Roberts Point Park, Port Aransas Concert: $12 pre-sale, $15 at the door

Visit www.texasgamewarden.com for more information.

Tuesday, June 19 @ 5:30pm PIBA MONTHLY MIXER

Port Royal Ocean Resort & Conference Center Networking * Door Prizes * Food & Drink Remember to bring your business cards!!

Call 949-9498 to donate door prizes!

Thursday, June 21 @ 8:30am - 12:30pm 2012 Governor’s Small Business Forum Hosted by the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce American Bank Center $25 per person 0r $250 per table Call 881-1800 for tickets or more information

Pat Green heads music lineup

Game Warden Association Fishing Tournament This Weekend

For families looking for a weekend on the water and a great music event look no further than the 3rd Annual Texas Game Warden Association Fishing Tournament this weekend (June 15th and 16th) in Port Aransas.

The Game Warden Association uses the tournament to raise money to put on fishing and outdoor events for kids throughout the year. There are cash payouts for 1st,2nd, and 3rd place for Speckled Trout, Redfish, and Black Drum. There will be divisions for Youth, Individuals, and Guided.

Entry fees are $60 per person and all tournament events will be held at Roberts Point Park in Port Aransas. There are several fishing spots and piers around the area where anglers can try their luck.

Live music will begin at 4 p.m. with Bri Bagwell, followed by Cody Johnson, Turnpike Troubadours, and at 10:30 headliner Pat Green will take the stage.

For more information see their website at http://tgwa.justgofishin.com/.

Dale,

The story on the pic of Paul and Dede and Mike and Janet is...when Paul and Dede went to Costa Rico last year they took 5 tarpon ice house bumper stickers and hid them around during their travels with a note attached that whoever finds them and returns them to Port Aransas will get on free night at the Tarpon Ice House...Well as luck would have it, Port A residents Mike and Janet did find one of the bumper stickers and brought it back to Paul. They redeemed their prize on Sunday during the weekly jam.

Ronnie Narmour

Our financial information is always provided at our Annual Meeting and is also available in the office should anyone wish to see it.

Lisa Towns Classifieds Design/Layout

Friday & Saturday, June 15 & 16 3rd Annual Texas Gane Warden Association

We are constantly repairing damaged bulkheads and spend around $400,000 per year. With 32 miles of bulkhead, we can not do repairs immediately, but work on them with a priority system.

Coldwell Banker

Arlene Ritley

Regarding the bulkhead repairs, since Ms. Morales did not provide her address, and she is not listed as an owner in our system, I would ask that she contact me directly. I have no idea who could have looked at the bulkhead as we do not have anyone with a cane working for us and there has not been since I started in this position almost three years ago.

A5

Upper Padre Happenings…

Captain Chester and Vicky cooked up some lobster tails for the Moon Monkeys on the Stray Cat this weekend.

Photo by Jan Rankin

MayBeth Christensen POA

Jeff Craft Contributing Writers Devorah Fox Mary Craft Maybeth Christiansen Dr. Tom Dorrell Jay Gardner Todd Hunter Danniece Bobeché Ronnie Narmour Dr. Donna Shaver Photographers Miles Merwin 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.

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 15201 S P I D. Suite 250. For more information call 361-949-7700 or contact the Moon at 15201 S Padre Island Dr., Suite 250, Corpus Christi, TX 78418 or by e-mail to editor@islandmoon.com.

Patty brings a bright new smile to Michelle’s Salon. Patty, formerly of Sport Clips next to Lowes. Mention this ad and receive 25% off any chemical service and guys, you will receive a complimentary scalp massage on your first visit. If you are looking for a military cut or a super fade, Patty is your girl. As always, Walk-ins welcome

A 6

Why Attorney General Eric Holder Should Resign

Island Moon

By Senator John Cornyn Tuesday morning I called on Attorney General Eric Holder to resign from office. Let me explain why.

The case against Eric Holder could begin and end with his handling of “Operation Fast and Furious,” the program in which our Justice Department deliberately allowed the sale of nearly 2,000 firearms to Mexican drug cartels, and then intentionally lost track of them. In December 2010, two of these guns were found at the murder scene of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, yet Mr. Holder still has not held anyone accountable. Moreover, his sworn testimony has repeatedly been contradicted by internal memos, and his administration has misled Congress.

The gunwalking scandal has destroyed Mr. Holder’s credibility. We need an attorney general who will put justice before politics. Our current attorney general is so fiercely political that he has even blocked my home state of Texas and others from implementing commonsense voterID laws. Ironically, Mr. Holder has ignored genuine cases of voter intimidation and failed to protect the voting rights of our men and women in uniform and their families. He is all politics, all the time.

Mr. Holder has a long history of such behavior, which is why I opposed his confirmation.

While serving as deputy attorney general under President Clinton, he aggressively pushed his Justice Department colleagues to support clemency for 16 Puerto Rican terrorists, despite strong objections from the FBI and other prominent law-enforcement authorities. Then, in the final weeks of the Clinton administration, he recommended pardoning the fugitive commodities trader Marc Rich, whose wife was a major Democratic donor. Americans deserve an attorney general whose loyalty to the justice system will trump his loyalty to the White House.

So it came as no surprise when, shortly after taking office as attorney general in 2009, Mr. Holder released classified memos on enhanced interrogation techniques, thereby (1) ignoring the advice of seven former CIA directors, (2)

Last week, we again witnessed Mr. Holder’s willingness to put politics before justice, when he refused to appoint an independent special prosecutor to look into the unprecedented leaks of possibly classified operations. As Democratic and Republican Senators have made clear in a resounding voice, these leaks endanger our national security and the lives of the men and women sworn to protect it. We know these leaks came from the Obama administration, and some may have even come from the Justice Department. Mr. Holder faces a clear conflict of interest. This is exactly the type of situation that calls for a special prosecutor.

Unfortunately, Mr. Holder has rejected that option and instead chosen Ronald Machen, the US Attorney for the District of Columbia, to lead an investigation. This decision offers yet another example of Holder’s poor judgment.

Mr. Machen has donated thousands of dollars to President Obama’s political campaigns; he vetted vice presidential candidates for the Obama team in 2008; and he got his first job as a federal prosecutor from, you guessed it, Eric Holder.

Social Media Coordinator at Texans for Fiscal Responsibility

Mr. Hamilton both carried gambling legislation last session and chaired the all-important Licensing committee for Speaker Straus. As Bill Lerner of the Union Gaming Group said, “This certainly doesn’t bode well for future passage of gaming expansion.”

That may be a setback for big-monied special interests, but for taxpayers it will help close the floodgates of bigger government in 2013.

Proponents of expanded gambling claim it would expand liberty and bring in “new revenues.” Neither is true.

Arguments about “free markets” and “letting adults gambling with their money here” are redherrings at best. Under the proposals floating around Austin, only established gambling interests with open checkbooks for legislators in charge of the licensing process would be granted authority to operate their casinos – not regular Joe’s looking to start up a new business venture.

This “cronyism” has nothing at all to do with capitalism. In fact, it’s the antithesis of a free market for a government-run gambling commission to have the power to pick winners and losers.

Likewise, if gambling was expanded in Texas, it would actually be a net loss in revenue.

Research demonstrates that bringing in $1 costs state and local governments $3 in increased public safety and social services, and lost economic productivity.

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) will present information on money-saving tools, the $2 million Skills for Small Business Fund, the Texas Back to Work wage subsidy program, and other programs available from state and federal workforce agencies.

Hosted by the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce, the event will feature TWC Chairman, Andres Alcantar, TWC Business Services and Project Development Specialist, Diane Mosley, Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend President & CEO, Ken Trevino, and Texas Small Business & Exports Manager, Amir Mirabi among many others. Other area

Allen is ranked all time as one of the most powerful storms ever to roam the Atlantic with its winds crossing the Category Five threshold a record three times during its lifetime. The

lowest pressure recorded in the storm’s life was the third lowest pressure on record in the Atlantic behind Hurricane Gilbert which hit the Texas Coast just south of The Island on the King Ranch in 1988, and the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. While Allen was not a Category Five storm when it made landfall it still packed wind gusts of 129 mph. But it was the 17 feet of water is pushed that did the most damage on The Island.

By the time Allen hit the coast its pressure had fallen to

The 2012 Republican Party Platform, adopted in Fort Worth on June 9, strongly states: “We oppose the expansion of legalized gambling and encourage the repeal of the Texas State lottery. We oppose dedicating any government revenue from gambling to create or expand any government program.”

Given the time-crunch for Texas’ gambling interests like Retama Park (owned in part by Speaker Straus’ family) to pass expanded gambling or continue losing money, taxpayers can bet the crony-casino lobby isn’t yet ready to fold. Make sure your legislator is ready to call their bluff this next legislative session.

The Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce hosts informative, one-day forum for small business owners

The Governor’s Small Business Forums are designed to educate the Texas entrepreneur and small business community on workforce development, marketing, hiring and managing employees, and training and growth opportunities.

Bob Hall Pier was nearly destroyed, to the point that some of the pilings were salvaged and are now part of the Coastways building next to the JFK Causeway. The causeway itself was inundated cutting The Island off from the mainland which eventually lead to the raising of the causeway.

This has been the experience of every state in the nation that has expanded gambling: their economies are worse off than Texas’ and their budget problems bigger. And let’s not forget about the last magic bullet for funding public education: the Texas Lottery. It only funds three days worth of public school operations in the state!

Thursday, June 21st

Small business owners in the Corpus Christiarea will benefit from valuable information designed to assist them as they grow and expand their businesses at the Governor’s Small Business Forum in Corpus Christi on June 21st from 8am to 12:30pm. Corpus Christi was selected by the Office of the Governor to be included in this statewide series of business-building events.

The eye of Hurricane Allen hit Port Mansfield in the early morning of August 10. The Island was in the northeast quadrant of the storm, the side you don’t want to because it is the portion where the counterclockwise winds and tidal surge are highest. The storm put a 17-foot surge tide on The Island and destroyed the seawall and also dumped almost 20 inches of rain.

Americans deserve an Attorney General who will uphold basic standards of honesty, transparency, and accountability. They deserve an attorney general whose loyalty to the justice system will trump his loyalty to the White House. They deserve an attorney general who will treat Congress and the public with respect, not contempt. They deserve someone better than Mr. Holder.

Gambling in Texas Dealt Losing Hand

Howard Stutz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote that “casino expansion in Texas apparently took a hit.” In summarizing what the primary election results mean for the gambling special interests, Stutz notes that three of pro-gambling House Speaker Joe Straus’ allies – Reps. Vicki Truitt, Rob Eissler, and Tuffy Hamilton – were defeated by “anti-gaming conservatives.”

We are in the first weeks of the 2012 hurricane season so it is a good time to take a look back at the last big storm to hit the area; Hurricane Allen which struck in August of 1980.

In short, Mr. Machen’s inquiry will not seem truly independent. It is insulting for the attorney general to pretend otherwise. Once again he has shown his penchant for putting politics ahead of justice.

By Dustin Matocha While some might argue over who had the most success in the May 29 primary, one special interest group is languishing in defeat. A Las Vegas newspaper reports that the chances of expanding casino operations in Texas was dealt a losing hand.

A Look Back at Hurricane Allen the Last Big Storm to Hit The Island

By Dale Rankin providing sensitive information to our enemies, and (3) giving our allies fresh cause to doubt America’s reliability. After releasing the memos, Mr. Holder launched a politically motivated investigation of several CIA interrogators, even though career Justice Department officials had already recommended against prosecuting them.

event sponsors include Del Mar’s Small Business Development Center, the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, the Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Padre Island Business Association, the Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Wide Open for Business, Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend, American Bank Center, Stripes, H-E-B, Andrew’s Distributing, Jake 107.3 FM, the Port of Corpus Christi, Re/Max Associates and the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

Individuals interested in attending may purchase tickets in advance from the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce for $25 per ticket or $250 per table; company sponsorships are available online at www.corpuschristichamber. org or by calling 361.881.1800. Registration will begin at 8:00am.

The Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce is a member-driven, non-profit organization established in 1916 by a group of local businessmen. The mission of the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce is “To foster business growth by advocating business issues, enhancing the business climate, and providing services to its members.” For more information on the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce please visit corpuschristichamber.org, or call 361.881.1800.

June 14, 2012

909 mb, or 26.84 inches of Hg. By the time it hit the coast Allen was a Category Three Hurricane with maximum sustained winds falling to 115 mph, and its central pressure rising to 945 mb, or 27.91 inches. It ended a long drought much like one we are experiencing now in Texas.

Allen caused $42 million in damage in the Coastal Bend and spawned a tornado in Austin which caused $100 million in damage making it the costliest tropical cyclone-spawned tornado in recorded history.

Repair of the seawall became a huge issue because it is privately owned by the property owners there. Who would pay the $3 millionplus cost became an issue. It was finally done with one-time-only money from the state, leaving open the question of who will pay for repairs if/when it happens again.

It has been 42 years since The Island took a direct hit by a major storm, Hurricane Celia in 1970. Since 1851 Texas has been hit by 10 major storms with 90 percent of those coming between August 15 and September 15. It is also an alphabetical anomaly that the storms that have done the most damage has been storms which begin with the letters A,B, and C; storms early in the cycle of storms for that year, hence the low letters in the alphabet, but relatively late in the hurricane season. Across the Gulf region about 30 percent of the storms hit between June 1 and August 23. On the Texas Coast storms hit on average once every three years.

June 14, 2012

Legislative Update

Island Moon

Todd Hunter, District 32

State Agencies Undergo Sunset Review Process Includes Agencies both big and small Over the past couple of weeks, I have been outlining Texas’ sunset review process. The agencies I have covered so far are the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners and the Texas Lottery Commission. As a reminder, in order to identify and eliminate government waste, duplication and general inefficiencies in state agencies, the Texas Legislature established the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission (Commission) in 1977. The sunset review process is designed to review each of these agencies every twelve years. This review is done by taking up a certain number of the state agencies each session when the Texas Legislature convenes.

While some of the agencies undergoing the sunset review process are rather large agencies, some of the agencies undergoing the process are also quite small. One such agency is the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee (CMHCC). The CMHCC was established by the Legislature to provide oversight and coordination authority for the distribution of health care services provided to inmates that are incarcerated with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). The CMHCC works on behalf of TDCJ to contract for the health related services provided to individuals who are confined in one of the state’s incarceration facilities. In order to meet their goals, CMHCC manages a partnership which TDCJ has with the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC).

The mission of CMHCC is outlined on their site as follows: “The CMHCC’s mission is to develop a statewide managed health care network to address three key goals: • providing TDCJ offenders with timely access to care consistent with correctional standards; • maintaining a quality of care that meets accepted standards of care; and, • managing the costs of delivering comprehensive health care services to a growing and aging offender population.

CMHCC is established as a nine member

committee. Three of the members of the committee serve as public members and are appointed by the Governor, two of these public members must be physicians. Two members are appointed by the Executive Director of TDCJ, one of these appointments must be a physician. Another two members are appointed by the President of UTMB, and one of these individuals must be a physician. The final two members are appointed by the President of TTUHSC and one of these appointments must be a physician. One of the physicians appointed to the committee is designated to serve as Chairmen of the committee by the Governor. The day-to-day operations of the CMHCC are handled by its Executive Director and three staff members.

If you are interested in learning more about the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee, you can go to their website at www.cmhcc. state.tx.us/index.htm . There will be more agencies to come, in the weeks. They will include the Railroad Commission of Texas, State Preservation Board, Board of Pardons and Paroles, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and a number of others.

If you would like to learn more on your own about the Sunset Advisory Commission or other agencies undergoing the sunset review process, you can go to www.sunset.state.tx.us .

If you have any questions regarding the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee or the sunset review process, please don’t hesitate to contact either my Capitol or District office. 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 Aransas, Calhoun, Nueces (Part) and San Patricio Counties. He can be contacted at todd.hunter@ haouse.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.

A7

Island Police Blotter

Missing memorial found

Claudia Karina DeLeon Elizondo was known by many Islanders as a waitress at La Palma Mexican Food Restaurant on The Island. On May 22 she died after losing control of her car about 2 a.m. on South Padre Island Drive near the JFK Causeway. After her car spun out of control a surfer on his way to The Island stopped to help and stayed with Claudia Elizondo her until help arrived.

He was so moved by the experience he created a surfboard as a remembrance of her and attached it to the median as a memorial.

When her family returned to the scene a few days later the surfboard/memorial was gone. The family asked for the surfboard back, no questions asked, and on Saturday after an anonymous tip it was recovered.

Elizondo’s sister received a text message with a street address and when the family went to the house near Airline and SPID they found the surfboard in the back of a pickup. No one was home at the residence.

PINS Rescue A three-year old boy was rescued Tuesday morning off the Padre Island National Seashore and is reportedly doing fine. Medics were called to PINS just before 9 a.m. to treat child who had been taken to the ranger station about one mile south of the entrance to the park. Witnesses said the child was found in the water not breathing a few minutes of CPR began breathing on his own. He was taken to Driscoll Children’s Hospital and is fully recovered.

Police Calls Beach Marker 207 Noon June 6 Theft from vehicle 14200 block SPID 6:39 a.m. June 7 Recovery of stolen property 14100 block Cabana 10:29 p.m. June 8

Runaway

14400 block Compass 8 a.m. June 1 Theft under $50 14500 block SPID 9:08 a.m. May 30 Theft 14400 block S.H. 361 9:05 p.m. June 11 Assault with injury 14600 block SPID 5 p.m. June 11 Harassment Beach Marker 199 5:41 p.m. June 9 Public Intoxication Beach Marker 203 10:53 a.m. June 2 Public Intoxication Beach at Zahn Road 4:30 p.m. June 7 Two citations for no car insurance 14800 block Leeward 8:29 a.m. June 10 Fraudulent use of identification 15200 block Windward 10:27 a.m. June 10 Credit Card abuse 15100 block Leeward 10 p.m. May 29 Burglary of building 15200 block Windward 11 a.m. June 2 Criminal Mischief 15200 block Windward 10 p.m. June 2 Theft from building 14700 block Whitecap 6:44 p.m. June 4 Fraudulent use of identification 15800 block SPID Balli Park 10 a.m. June 1 Theft under $50 15600 block Cuttysark 9:43 p.m. May 30 Assault with injury Gulf Beach & Marquesa Dr. 10 p.m. June 6 Found narcotics 15900 block Cruiser 12:06 a.m. May 5 Burglary of habitation 13700 block Cayo Cantiles 5:27 p.m. June 1 Harassment 15400 block Fortuna Bay 5:25 p.m. May 29 Theft under $50 15300 block Yardarm 10:16 a.m. June 1 Assault with injury 15100 block Aquarius 12:26 p.m. May 30 Fraudulent use of identification The Corpus Christi Police Department now has two officers dedicated solely to beach patrol.

There are currently four registered sex offenders on The Island, 44 in Flour Bluff

Island resident Captain John Pasch celebrated his Change of Command and Retirement from the United States Coast Guard in a warm, but well attended event in the Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi hangar on Friday, June 8.

After two years as the Commanding Officer of Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi, he officially turned the reins over to Captain Samuel Creech.

The Island Woman Boutique, located in the Tower Center in Port Aransas hosted a Fresh Produce trunk show last Friday and Saturday

Scoopy’s Veranda Sun - Sat 11am - 10pm

Brenda Barnett celebrated the fifth anniversary of her pottery studio, Potters on Cotter last Saturday. Photos by Miles Merwin

Stray Cat Sailing Adventures

$225 4 Hours $350 All Day Up to 6 People Captain Chester Ruder

Carry-out Available!

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(361) 416-0054 3500 Island Moorings Pkwy Port Aransas, TX 78373 straycatsailingadventures.com

Island Moon

A 8

Father’s Day Spa Retreat Spa Package Retreat

June 14, 2012

Trivia Question of the Week

How did settlers on the Texas Coast make peace with the Karankawa Indians?

Trivia Question of the Week from last issue: Which is correct, Duct Tape, or Duck Tape?

By Dale Rankin

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Costa Sur

It is one of the burning questions of our times friends; Duck Tape or Duct Tape? We probe the depths of the human condition by plumbing the existential depths with questions like… “It’s used for Ducts not on Ducks right? So it must be Duct Tape.” Let Plato wrestle with his shadows on cave walls. We’re talking Duck/Duct Tape here. Well, if the answer was that simple the Moon Tape Information Department wouldn’t have to get involved. So here’s the sticky truth.

The tape was invented during the D-Day Invasion to waterproof ammunition cases going ashore with the troops. Johnson and Johnson‘s Permacel Division manufactured it and because it was waterproof soldiers referred to it as Duck Tape. It didn’t take long for the soldiers to figure out that there are many good uses on a battlefield for waterproof tape and before long it was being used on everything from jeeps to clothes. In those days Duck Tape was Army green as Duck Tape, like Camel Cigarettes, had gone to war.

under on how long it will take for the fight to break out).

Then again, various professions have their own nomenclature, such as…

Gaffer’s Tape: Holds lighting equipment and cables in place on sets and has a dull finish so that it won’t reflect lights. From experience we can say it can also be used to silence mouthy producers or keep an anchor’s hairpiece from sliding down over his eyes due to a lubricating Flop Sweat.

Spike Tape: Comes in thin rolls and is used in theatres to stick on the stage so actors can find their mark or stagehands know where to set the scenery. Here too it can be used on mouthy producers or to keep the hairpiece of the aging Lothario playing the lead from sliding due to Flop Sweat.

Then after the war when a housing boom kicked in it was discovered to be great for joining heating and air conditioning Ducts.

That’s when the color was changed to the silver we see today. To confuse things further the tape was made using cotton duck similar to what was used in cloth medical tapes. It didn’t take long before it was being called Duct Tape. So we’re going to say either name is appropriate, especially since most of us will likely never actually use it on a Duck or a Duct.

Rock and Roll Tape: The name is selfexplanatory, without it the show wouldn’t go on.

Today it’s just a matter of copyright. You can find it written both ways on the tape package depending on which copyright the brand is under, but originally it was Duck Tape.

Technically speaking – if you have to settle a bet – here’s the deal; if it is manufactured by Scotch Tape their brand is Duct Tape, if it is manufactured

by Duck Brand tape then its Duck Brand Duct Tape, in which case it is both Duct Tape and Duck Tape.

Got that? (Most likely a bet on this subject will end in either a fistfight or a draw so it should be avoided – unless of course you want to bet the over/

1,000 Mile tape: Norman Vaughn, arctic explorer for whom Antarctica’s Mount Vaughn was named, puts it on his dog sled runners to prevent ice build-up and says it’s good for 1,000 miles. Here too we’ll take his word for it.

200 MPH TAPE: Pit crews in NASCAR know this one. It’s good for 200-plus mph and the term is even trademarked.

1,000 M.P.H. Tape: The U.S. Navy uses duct tape to repair radomes and has to be transparent so radar waves can penetrate it. We’ll take their word on the 1,000 mph part.

Wisconsin Pewter on a Roll: Island Packer fans know what keeps that cheese on their heads.

Oklahoma Chrome: Good for leaky boats and yappy dogs.

Plastic Surgeon on Roll: Ask Ms. South Texas.

So there you have it. Duck Tape by any other name…

Dale Rankin

ISLAND MOON MARKET Make a day at the beach even better!

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$2.00 Pints 4:30 Full to 6:30 p.m.

Service Bar Located on Padre Island, Johnny D's offers Island dining at its best. Serving Corpus Christi with the freshest local

seafood and culinary masterpieces, order the rack of lamb and you'll be calling your friends from the table! Hours of operation are Tuesday-Saturday 4:30 to 10pm and Sunday 4:30 to 9pm

$2.00 Pints 15600 SPID On the Island 949-2500

Featuring 7 Draft Beers HOURS-Closed SUNDAYS & MONDAYS Located on Padre Island, Johnny D's offers Island dining at its best. Serving Corpus Christi with the Check our website forfreshest daily local specials seafood and culinary masterpieces, order the rack of lamb and you'll be calling your friends from the table! Hours of and more information TUES-SAT 4:30 till 10:00 on 4:30 Tap operation are Tuesday-Saturday 4:30 to 10pm and Sunday to 9pm www.letseat.at/johnnydsrestaurant Daily Features.15600 Fresh Fish.

SPID On the Island 949-2500 Great Daily Dinner Specials We will cook your catch.

Full Service Bar We can cook your catch!

Featuring 7 Draft Beers on Tap Great Seafood

rs e g r u B d n a Great Daily Dinner Specials Libations Amusements 18 Holes of Minature Golf

We can cook your catch!

Wednesdays Prime Rib with Twice Baked Open 11 am - 2 am Potato Kitchen Closes @ 1 am

One Bite & You’re Hooked

2034 State Highway 361

361 749- Taco (8226)

Get your summer started!

Join us at the opening of the new

Island Moon Market!

June 23rd, 2012 7:40am to 7:40pm

On the Seawall North Padre Island Fun for the whole family!

Every 4th Saturday

We’ve gathered the best craft vendors, food trucks and beach & sport rentals around and we’ll be right there on the sea wall… all day. The music kicks off at 2pm and goes on into the night. Parking is free and there is plenty of it.

After this grand opening weekend, the Island Moon Market will be held the 4th Saturday of every month beginning in June and running through December.

If you are interested in participating as a vendor, Email us at islandmoonmarket@gmail.com Or call Phil at 361-403-4032 Sponsored by: Budweiser Island Moon Newspaper

June 14, 2012

The Travelling Moon

Island Moon

Napa valley

My wife and I (right, 3 photos) just returned from a Napa Valley, CA trip with some friends. After consuming many different grape products and visiting several wineries, we were ready to get home to the beaches of North Padre.

And yes, we brought back some consumable souvenirs.

Only this is, sipping wine in the 70 degree temp is fine, but it takes a good cold cerveza to enjoy our muy caliente summers.

By the way, it was great having the full “Moon” last week to remind us where home is.

Thanks, Ted & Gail Morris

By Air

Moon Monkeys,

Times Square

By sea

The Moon traveled to Napa and took a ride in a hot air balloon to celebrate island resident and homebuilder, Jodi Steen’s “significant-number” birthday. A bunch of island residents and OTB’ers went along for the ride (in left side of the basket).

Imagine our surprise when we found out in conversation that the right side of the basket had some residents from Washington that used to live in Flour Bluff!

Teresa Ranly

By Land Brent and Leslie Hess took the Island Moon on their recent Western Caribbean cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas. This picture was taken on 5/27/12 with Captain Thore Thorolvsen, master of the ship. Brent and Leslie were celebrating their 28th wedding anniversary.

They are new to the Island, having owned a lot in the Coquina Bay subdivision for several years, they recently moved from the Denver area to The Island to be closer to family.

A9

Supporters of the new Schlitterbahn – Frank Pezold’s grandkids getting the news in Times Square.

Paul’s Seafood The Freshest Seafood Available

Happy 50th wedding anniversary to Dudley and Mary Prewitt! They celebrated their anniversary at the Padre Island Burger Company recently. Don’t worry, he didn’t really stab her.

Photos by Brenda Fey

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I’ll Have Another may have not made it to the Belmont Stakes in New York last weekend but Islander Dan Carignan did and he took along the Moon.

The Island Moon went to the 2nd Annual Rockport Music Festival held on June 7th, 8th and 9th at the Fulton Harbor Park in Rockport-Fulton. This years Rockport Music Festival, featured 7 GRAMMY nominees including 6 winners.

The Los Lobos Band was the headliner on Saturday night.

Other bands that played the festival were Marcia Ball, The Blues Broads featuring Angela Stehli & Tracy Nelson, The RMF All-Stars featuring Davis Grissom, Derek O’Brien and Chris Layton, Geezy Wheels, Rodney Crowell, Hayes Carll, Delbert Mc Clinton and Toni Price. Photos by Miles Merwin, Ronnie Narmour and Jan Rankin

Mary Melick Real Estate

Beach House Realty 361-332-1021

WATERFRONT penthouse 3/2 condominium with boat slip.

High ceilings, totally redone, fully furnished, beautiful views and short hop to beach. Close to where new waterpark will be.....$185,900 Make it yours today.

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2217 State Highway 361, Suite A-1, Port Aransas, Texas 78373

Bron’s Beach Carts

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Bron’s Beach Carts located at 314 East Avenue G. Best cars in Port Aransas.

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Call 361-290-7143 for pricing and reservations.

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Open Monday- Sunday 8:00 am - 10:00 pm 2016 On the Beach Joe Sanchez III 210-844-9840

Call Liz today!

122 Bay Court, Aransas Pass, TX

Beautiful, well maintained 3/2.5/2 home in prestigious Pelican Cove Subdivision. In ground pool, covered patio, boat lift and easy access to Redfish Bay! This home has beautiful hardwood and tile floors, granite counter tops in bathrooms and kitchen! An extra room with Dry/bar and one whole wall a wine cooler...awesome for entertaining! Easy to see just give me a call!

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361-758-8777

Left or right, you’re always home.

A 10

Island Moon

Oaxaca, an Oasis of Art and Food in Mexico

June 14, 2012

By Brent Rourk At a time when travel to Mexico is sometimes associated with potential danger, there are some locations that are relatively safe and as well provide a host of amazing places to see and things to experience. Oaxaca, Mexico is largely an unknown gem in terms of Mexican destinations. It is a fairly quick international

Monte Albon trip with locals flying directly from Houston to Oaxaca. My personal interest in visiting Oaxaca stemmed from learning about it in a Spanish textbook. As I researched the state and city of Oaxaca, I became increasingly interested in visiting so that I could personally experience the culture, take many photographs, and share with my students more in-depth information about the area and culture. It was a wonderful experience. You can take an easy week to ten day exploration that will reveal an extremely exciting and colorful world of art, architecture, and food.

Santo Domingo Museum in Oaxaca contains a modest sampling of artifacts from different Oaxacan cultures and periods and fortunately, it is located next to the Botanic Gardens and the main cathedral of Oaxaca, making for a delightful day of exploration on foot within the old downtown area of Oaxaca.

For those interested in more contemporary indigenous people there are countless enclaves of local and varied Indian cultures throughout the state of Oaxaca, each speaking a distinctly different language or dialect. Those surrounding cultures add their unique flair to crafts, food, and art. Each local town has its own market day of the week as well as traditional celebrations and parades during the year. Heaping mounds of fruits, vegetables, spices, dried foods, and meats displayed in the markets inevitably attract your eye while rows of gorgeous and colorful flowers fill the air with numerous sweet and scintillating scents.

Markets are bustling and exciting places where you can readily sample locally grown foods and witness the locals performing their weekly shopping. I would strongly recommend that you visit several small towns in the rural areas during their market days and experience their cultures first hand. Typically, the November Day of the Dead and Easter celebrations engage entire towns and present a colorful opportunity for those who wish to experience local, festive cultural events.

Cold water, a fine digital camera, and several small denomination bills will ensure cool spectating, great closeup photos and a tasty lunch.

Soak up the surroundings as you drive from one small town to another. Appreciate the industrious locals as they strive to find employment in what appears to be more of a third world environment. Common transportation includes horse, mule, cart, bike, and foot in addition to cars and older pick-up trucks. Take note of the small businesses and farms that dot the landscape, including cactus, brick, textile, mescal liquor, corn, vegetables, and cattle raising.

The art lover will fall in love with the Oaxaca area because two indigenous art forms have adorned museums worldwide. A third art form, The Onion Peddler tapestry, is boldly enriched with local designs, materials, and dyes. Both Barro Negro Pottery No trip to Mexico is complete without and Alebrije originated in the Oaxaca area and tasting the native ‘mole’(pronounced ‘mo- are made to this day in small shops and factories lay’) sauces that southern Mexico is famous throughout the region. Local artists skillfully for. These complex sauces vary in taste, color, create masterpieces before your eyes and and spiciness, however, all of them are slow- obligingly share their story and history of their cooked and contain a wide menu of up to 22 art. Master weavers living in the Oaxaca region fresh and local ingredients, resulting in a thick create absolutely stunning pieces at bargain and delicious sauce. Typically the mole sauce prices. A trip is used to to Oaxaca must dress chicken, include a day of fish, pork and visiting Alebrije beef.

The shops both in green, orange, and around the red, and dark city of Oaxaca. brown colors Craftspeople add to the expertly cut presentation copal wood into as well as exaggerated the flavor animal forms. of the meal.

These forms Son muy are then painted deliciosas. with bright A stack of colors, typically small, warm with designs homemade that cover the corn tortillas animal. Several is the perfect well known ‘utensil’ for artists create sopping up these attractive the remaining and sometimes mole sauce Barro Negro Pottery wild looking once you animals in a complete profusion of shapes, colors, and sizes. They the meal. Fresh fruit is also a staple of each are cute, colorful, and fun, and will most likely Mexican meal; a mainstay for breakfast and a find a new home on your desk, cabinet, counter, generous helping accompanying both lunch and refrigerator, or floor. They are irresistible. Barro dinner. Other meal favorites are guacamole with Negro pottery was developed in nearby San homemade chips in addition to local hot sauces.

Don’t forget an enticing pico de gallo, either with chilies or papaya, as a tasty topping for shrimp or fish dishes. Adventurous eaters might try an offering of goat, menudo, gazpacho, stuffed chilies, baked snapper, or any one of a handful of the local soups, including the mouth watering Azteca Soup. Hungry?

The impact of the indigenous cultures remains strong in Mexico and the plentiful and incredibly well-preserved archeological ruins provide an extremely interesting historical glimpse into the stunning architecture and cultures that once blanketed Mexico and extended well into Central America. Zapoteca and Mixtec ruins abound throughout the state of Oaxaca and conveniently surround the city of Oaxaca, with the most notable being Monte Alban. It is an absolute ‘must see’ as are the Mitla, San Jose el Mogote, Dainzu, and Yagul ruins. I spent one half day walking the Monte Alban ruins and was completely awestruck by its complexity, variety, and location. A few more hours wandering the Mitla ruins gave me a rich appreciation for these complex civilizations.

If archeology interests you, then drive to or engage a local and inexpensive tour company to escort you to the above ruins and several others around the towns circling Oaxaca. The

Crushing Cactus Leaves to Make Mezcal

Cutting Designs Bartolo de Coyotepec by local potter Doña Rosa decades ago, when she learned to infuse a glossy and attractive black finish on what used to be for centuries a rather dull, plain, and grey pottery. Though she died in 1980, her shop is still open as are several other local shops that provide this globally famous and coveted style of pottery. Doña Rosa’s husband still goes to the family run shop every day and will be glad to share his memories about the family and this very gorgeous pottery. I might suggest that you save space in your luggage for a piece or two. I visited another family run Barro Negro Pottery shop and was completely impressed and enchanted by the artistic abilities of an endearing old couple who demonstrated how they turn a block of local clay into a kiln-ready bowl using a primitive wheel (no electricity) and a simple carving knife. The region of Oaxaca is also home to many master weavers who are happy to welcome you into their shop, show you how they spin and dye yarn, and then how they work at their looms, creating

Alebrije Peacock fabulously colored, detailed, and complex wall hangings. These hand-made prize winning tapestries require up to hundreds of hours to complete and demonstrate both indigenous and modern designs. Finally, a visit to a rural craft cooperative will allow you to meet working artists who hand-make a variety of crafts,

Alebrije Fish including table runners, coasters, scarves, place mats, sweaters, belts, and more. It is truly amazing to watch talented and focused artists create valuable goods on very primitive but efficient and functional equipment. Prices for these hand-made crafts are unbeatable. For all art lovers I strongly recommend that you visit the shops where the art is actually made for the most rewarding experience. When visiting the shop you can learn more about the process, watch it being made, interact with the artist and perhaps even get a prized photo of the artist and the art or the artist and you. I have found that most artists are very willing to chat with their customers directly and are willing to offer you a better price, avoiding the city retailer and even a distributor.

Most reputable tour companies have not discovered Oaxaca yet, which might be a good thing. I recommend planning this trip on

your own (or with friends and family) to optimize savings. There are several websites that will provide you with accurate and current hotel, car rental, and local tour company information. Since the climate in and around Oaxaca is excellent year round, you choose the time (remember to coincide your visit with local celebrations and markets). Airline tickets directly from Houston to Oaxaca are very affordable and coupled with very reasonable hotel and car rental rates, you should be able to travel alone or with friends or family for a modest amount. If you use one of a few local day tour companies and if you stay in a hotel in the old downtown area, you really will not need to rent a car. The main plaza (El Zócolo), several outstanding restaurants, the main cathedral, the Botanic Gardens, the Santo Domingo Museum, and fine shopping are all within a square mile. Taxis and the local tour companies can easily and affordably transport you to other city landmarks and to rural destinations.

Enjoy all that Oaxaca has to offer at bargain prices. ¡Qué Bueno! If you have more time to spend, then branch out into the state of Oaxaca that extends to the Pacific Ocean where eco-tours are available and into the northern mountains where two dozen distinct languages and cultures are located.

At the minimum, a one week visit to the city of Oaxaca and the surrounding towns will reward you with long lasting memories, sights, flavors, and samples of exquisite art.

Museum Ceiling Design

Come check out the new huge selection Talavera pottery and dishware. Make sure and stop by for a little summer fun.

1726 State Hwy 361 In the Tower Center 749-1828

Just inside Port Aransas City Limits.

Handmade Arts, Glassware, Clothing, Jewelry.

And much more… Come out & see us.

“Don’t worry–You have a place for it!”

PORT “A” OUTFITTERS Huge selection of Costa del Mar sunglasses Shimano Yeti Coolers Guy Harvey Clothing Pleagic Gear Saltlife

126 W. Cotter • Port Aransas, Texas • (361) 749-3474 (FISH)