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Blue Land Crabs On the Rocks A2
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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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The Barrel Grand Opening A10
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4th of July Boat Parade A14
The
Island Moon The Island Newspaper since 1996
Island Area News ● Events ● Entertainment
July 5, 2012
Happy 236th Birthday USA!
It’s a known fact that eighty percent of the people who visit The Island from the San Antonio/Austin corridor make up their mind whether to head this way after noon on Thursday. That means when they turn on the morning shows on Friday and the weather dudes predict rain on the Coast they’re not coming. It doesn’t matter if it rains or not, if the prediction is for rain they stay home and that’s what happened last weekend. Rain squalls from The Island to Austin meant slow business all along the Coast but this weekend promises to be better. Shifting winds and a full moon midweek have made for high tides in the Laguna and the canals. Water in the main canal has been up over a foot for more than two weeks and kept the water roiled to a murky brown. Along the beach the water has been very nice but the rip currents due to the odd weather continue. As of this writing, certain types of fireworks have been banned in Nueces County but, of course not in Kleberg County just south of Bob Hall Pier. Come to think of it nothing has ever been banned in Kleberg County and so on the night of the Fourth – after this paper has been put to bed – we expect the skies above Kleberg to be full of gunpowder and the glow of the resultant Annual Fourth of July Brush Fire. Anybody can have fireworks but fireworks with a brushfire…now that’s something.
Return of The Island Cop Those of you who have lived on The Island for a few years will remember Corpus Christi Police Officer Chris Hooper – known to everyone here as The Island Cop. In the years before CCPD established regular beats for officers on The Island Chris was about the only police officer we ever saw hereabouts. Chris wrote a column for the Moon and whether it was a gunfight or a barking dog the cell phone provided Chris by the Padre Island Business Association would ring and he would fix the problem. In fact it was Chris who helped us stop the Burglary Invasion of 2007 when thugs from OTB were going around The Island ringing doorbells and kicking in front doors. They hit more than 45 houses before we managed to get the attention of the CCPD brass who responded by establishing the current beat system which keeps three patrolmen on The Island around the clock and stopped the burglaries. Then about four years ago CCPD kicked Chris upstairs and he became a supervisor on the far side of town where rookie supervisors go to pay their dues. But now the good news; Chris is back on The Island, this time as a supervisor in the Bravo District which covers The Island and goes OTB to Staples Street. He’s been back on Island duty for a few weeks and works The Island from Thursday-Sunday. We’re glad to have him back and will see if we can get him to pick up his writing for the Moon.
Schlitterbahn Update Planning and design work continues for the Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Resort. We hear that the new plans call for a lengthening of the Lazy River ride in the park. Groundbreaking is still anticipated in the next six to eight weeks. We’ll advise of any changes if they happen. In the meantime, say hello if you see us Around The Island.
SUV in Packery Channel
4th of July Island Style
Friday, July 13, 10:30 at City Hall
Texas Department of Insurance Schedules Windstorm Hearing for Corpus Christi Possible revisions in plans could hold dire consequences for Island property owners A move to hike windstorm insurance rates for the fourteen coastal counties in Texas by as much as 200% will get a special hearing by the Texas Department of Insurance in Corpus Christi. The hearing is set for City Hall council chambers at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, July 13. The push by State Representative John T. Smithee, (R-Amarillo) and backed by the chair of the state insurance commission would raise rates in the coastal region prior to the convening of the Texas Legislature next January. The move is being vigorously opposed by legislators from the coastal region, including the State Representative from The Island, Republican, Todd Hunter, who requested the special meeting in Corpus Christi to allow local residents to hear information on the proposed changes and voice opinions prior to the action by the state regulators. The fourteen Texas coastal counties are currently in a common risk pool which charges rates of approximately 1% per year for each $100,000 of replacement value of a home. Under the proposed rates that number could increase to about $3 for each $100,000 of replacement value. Under the plan Islanders could see their rates soar if they are placed in a separate risk group which separates them from other areas of Corpus Christi. Smithee last week released a statement saying the damage from a large hurricane to the Corpus Christi area could cause as much as $14 billion in damage, a number considerable larger than the total amount of taxable property in the area. Island property owners are encouraged to attend the July 13 hearing.
This just in…
NOAA ReportMermaids Not Real The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration took the unusual step this week of issuing a statement denying the exestence of mermaids. Mermaids, those half-human, half-fish sirens of the sea — are legendary sea creatures chronicled in maritime cultures since time immemorial. The ancient Greek epic poet Homer wrote of them in The Odyssey. In the ancient Far East, mermaids were the wives of powerful sea-dragons, and served as trusted messengers between their spouses and the emperors on land. The aboriginal people of Australia call mermaids yawkyawks – a name that may refer to their mesmerizing songs. But are mermaids real? No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found. Why, then, do they occupy the collective unconscious of nearly all seafaring peoples? That’s a question best left to historians, philosophers, and anthropologists. female figures first appear in cave paintings in the late Paleolithic (Stone Age) period some 30,000 years ago, when modern humans gained dominion over the land and, presumably, began to sail the seas. Half-human creatures, called chimeras, also abound in mythology — in addition to mermaids, there were wise centaurs, wild satyrs, and frightful minotaurs, to name but a few. The NOAA article was written from publicly available sources because “we don’t have a mermaid science program”, National Ocean Service spokeswoman Carol Kavanagh told the BBC. She said that at least two people had written to the agency asking about the creatures. The inquiries followed May’s broadcast of Mermaids: The Body Found, on the Discovery Channel’s Animal Planet network.
This car was fished out of Packery Channel early Wednesday morning. About half a dozen cars have found their way into the channel in the last few years.
Year 15, Issue 430
The program was a work of fiction but its winkand-nod format apparently led some viewers to believe it was a science education show, the Discovery Channel has acknowledged.
The 13th Annual Fourth of July Watercraft Parade went off under clear skies in breezy weather Wednesday night with a record number of boats and played to decks along Island canals lined with noisy spectators. The later 7:30 p.m. start for this year’s event meant cooler evening temps for spectators and more time for last minute decorating for boat owners. The boats mustered at the Padre Island Yacht Club after the First Annual Padre Island Cardboard Boat Race then boats set off down the Main Canal past the judging station at Ann and Harold’s houses on Three Fathoms Bank.
Miss Liberty put in an appearance on the bow of one entry while another pulled a canoe load of kids. More than thirty boats took part, including a Customs boat with 900 horsepower in case a Man Overboard was reported but no emergency runs were necessary although one dog found his way into a canal after a dropped hotdog weenie lured him over the high side, but another proffered weenie brought him quickly back to dry land.
All in all it was a great Fourth of July parade on our Island. It’s time to start thinking about the La Posada Lighted Boat Parade in December.
More photos of the Island’s Independence Day Celebration on page A14
Trivia Question of the Week
What was the Mustang Water Exchange Pass, where was it, and why is it not still open? Fish Pass a monument to bureaucratic folly By Dale Rankin This one is a bit tricky as what was called the Mustang Water Exchange Pass when it was built is now known as Fish Pass. When it comes to passes through the Island the first thing to know is that the passes have moved frequently over the years and even if they stayed in the same place their names change in a seemingly random fashion.
Greg Smith 2012
This stretch of the summer has to go down as one of the strangest we have seen in a while. First, the 4th of July holiday comes in the middle of the week which raises the question of which weekend is really the Holiday Weekend. Mother Nature had her say when she dropped heavy rain on The Island Saturday leading the tourists to stay away in droves.
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The local expert on such things is Islander Greg Smith so we consulted him for our answer.
Natural state
New Packery
By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com
Prior to intervention by humans the main opening between Corpus Christi Bay and the Gulf was Corpus Christi Pass. Generally speaking Corpus Christi Pass began on the bay side near where Fish Pass is now located and ran parallel to the beach to a point near the end of Whitecap where it entered the Gulf. That means that the current Michael J. Ellis Seawall and the buildings behind it would have been on Mustang rather than Padre Island. Feeding off of Corpus Christi Pass and running through the Island to the Gulf were various passes over the years that went by various names and moved up and down the Island according to currents and storms.
2009
Around The Island
Next Publication Date: 7/12/2012
Up until the mid-1800s the deepest of these passes was about fourteen feet deep, but only 3-4 feet at the bar meaning large ships could not enter. Two events greatly altered this natural configuration. The first was the dredging of the ship channel which altered the currents in the bay and resulted in the silting up of the water exchange passes. The next event was the completion of State Highway 361 (originally called the 17-Mile Road) which was built without any bridges and blocked all the passes through The Island. No sooner had the road been completed than a move began by civic minded people – in those days there was no such thing as environmentalists – to cut a permanent water exchange pass through The Island. In 1957 the Game and Fish Fund No. 9 was created to raise money for the project and the Parks and Wildlife Commission recommended the pass in its budgets in 1965 and 1967.
2009 aerial photo of Mustang Island, bridges are marked in red.
Let the infighting begin
Mother Nature had her own idea of how traffic should go and water should flow and when Hurricane Beulah raked across The Island in 1967 she cut more than a dozen passes through the Island and left the road from North Padre to Port A cut into pieces. It took several months before the passage along the Island road was completely rebuilt. Fish Pass was opened to the Gulf with or without governmental approval and the need to make the pass permanent took on a new urgency. Trivia Continued on A8
A 2
Island Moon
Yard of the Month
July 5, 2012
On the Rocks By Jay Gardener
Wow, this edition marks my 100th article and three years writing for the Padre Island Moon. Time just flies on by. I miss Moon Mike; he was the reason I finally started writing, after a couple years of politely badgering me to start contributing. Sometimes I wonder what he would think about the way things are going around the Island these days…..
Tombstone musical chairs: Nate Hill and Kiana Boop mummies 400: Stormi Brandstrom and Trinity Hoopes mummies395: Nate Hill, Linda Liu, Katy Simpson, Brooke Becker, Kiana Boop and Buck Honsinger.
Sargassoly speaking Well, my luck is running straight and true 180 degrees of what I think it should be. It’s about right; just about the time I forecasted that the sargassum is over, another wave of the stuff comes in. Guess it had to do with the change in the nearshore currents from Tropical Storm Debbie; she gave us a north and north-east wind for a few days, which messed up the south to north currents and brought in a new wave of the brown menace.
August yard of the month award goes to Betty and Larry Woodman whose street appeal explodes with color and foliage. Their address is 13786 Three Fathoms Bank, just off of Hawksnest Bay Dr. The Island Gardeners received a few suggestions of homes we may have missed. We will look at those and welcome any more suggestions. Please call Dianne at 949-7684
Just about the time the beach fisherpersons were seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, another batch washes in. As of this writing, the tides are still really, really high but dropping slowly, which they should continue to do as the full moon wanes towards new. Barring any more tropical interference, the southeasterly pattern should set the currents back up off shore and entrain any more Sargassum of any consequence from making it in to the beach. This should usher in some pretty water and we will be back on the beach trying to hook JAWS.
fruits and dead stuff, typical of what you would expect. They only come out of their home territory once a year to lay their eggs in the Laguna; hence that’s why they been scurrying across Laguna Shores. Some people attribute their somewhat sudden appearance on the high tides; that is indeed part of the story. They wait on the high tides to come out and lay their eggs at the water’s edge. Some folks have been reporting that they’re crawling up chairs and all kinds of stuff; I think they’re just trying to see the water for all the houses, LOL. They really are pretty crabs; please if you see one on the road resist the temptation to squash it on your way to work just because you don’t like one of your coworkers or your lawnmower broke; it takes them somewhere around 3 years just to become mature enough to be able to procreate. Well, by the time this comes out the Fourth of July Holiday will be pretty much toast. Hopefully you all were responsible with your fireworks and didn’t actually wind up as toast. And while I’m holding my breath, I’m also hoping that some kids don’t light the island on
Blue Bluffin’ I was driving around the Bluff the other day, and saw a blue land crab (Cardiosoma guanhumi) heading across the road towards the water. These land crabs are very large (compared to hermit crab standards) and are becoming a little more rare as time goes by. They live in burrows that they dig, up to five feet deep. Unlike regular blue crabs, the land crabs do not live “in” the water; they have “book lungs” which they only need to get wet every once in a while. They eat
fire again, but by this publishing you’ll know how much faith I have in store for next year. Y’all please celebrate responsibly during these upcoming weekends. I don’t need to remind you that its’ no refusal weekends, and we’ll see you out on the rocks soon enough. Good meeting you Taurus in the ski canals the other day; soon as we get some decent weather we’ll all be skidding the Gulf again in search of the big blue girls.
Dive In For a Deep Sea Adventure And Explore God’s Word! ISLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 14030 Fortuna Bay @ Gypsy Corpus Christi, TX 78418
July 16 – 20
(Monday through Friday)
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. For more information & to Register Call the Church Office at 361-949-8770 OR Visit our website at www.islandpresby.com
Clay McClinton likes his picture in the Island Moon. Photo by Miles Merwin
Joan Sowash was getting a jump start on her vacation and birthday celebration at The Back Porch in Port Aransas with Gary P. Nunn. Photo by Miles Merwin.
A bachelorette party at the Back Porch Photo by Miles Merwin.
The Island Red Hats Answer The Call!
On June 27th, the Island PIPPs Chapter of the Red Hats traveled to Rockport for lunch at the Hemingways Restaurant in the Historic District. After lunch, the PIPPs took a tour of the Coastal Bend Troop Support boxing & mailing operations and gave a $50.00 contribution to their cause. Of course, they went shopping in the unique shops in Rockport after their good deed.
Oso Pony All-star 7-U SLAM team - South Regional Champions
1st row: Ryan Garcia, Jayden Martinez, CJ Ramirez, Lane Atherton (Seashore LC) 2nd row: Nick Mitridis, Jacob Trevino, Zach Reddick (Flour Bluff), Alex Maxwell, Eathan Sanchez, Chris Chavez, Jace Nicolet, Easton Hewitt 3rd row: Coach Ben Garcia, Coach John Trevino, Coach Brad Atherton, Coach David Hewitt
July 5, 2012
Island Moon
A3
Kids Activities
Summer 2012 Saturday, July Youth Basketball 7, 2012 Roberts Showcase Point Park, Port Tournament Aransas Series The Corpus Christi Parks & Recreation Department is offering the second tournament of the Youth Basketball Showcase Tournament Summer 2012 Series at the Corpus Christi Gym (3202 Cabaniss Parkway) and Ben Garza Gym (1815 Howard St.). The August 11, 2012 tournament will follow the 3-game guarantee is $150 per team. This tournament is for boys and girls GRADE DIVISIONS (1 & 2), (3 & 4), (5 & 6), (7 & 8), (9 & 10), and (11 & 12). REGISTRATION will be held Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm at City Hall (1201 Leopard St.), 3rd floor, Parks & Recreation. Registration for this tournament will close on August 3, 2012. The Parks & Recreation Department is dedicated to providing quality, structured, affordable and fun programs for youth. For more information, call the Corpus Christi Gym at 851-1612 or the Athletics office at 826-3478.
Register: Friday, July 6th, 5-6 PM at Roberts Point Park Fee: $15 before tournament; $20 tournament day. Make check payable to Kiwanis Club of Port Aransas Foundation. Fish: Saturday, July 7th starting at dawn. Fish wherever they’re biting! Weigh-In: No later than 12:30 PM at the Park. Rules: Have fun & follow Texas State fishing laws! Food: Hot dog lunch for anglers. Adults may purchase lunch for $5.00.
Stuff I Heard on the Island by Dale Rankin Let’s talk sharks for a minute, specifically the Giant Shark That Ate The Island. Those of you who arrived on The Island since 2004, and probably some who arrived before, may not have heard of the Island Overlay Zone or know that it came about as a result of a giant shark.
The shark that ate The Island It was back in ’04 when the folks who owned the beach supply shop on SPID near Commodores, not the current owners, decided they wanted to build a giant shark on the building. This did not set well with some Islanders who tried to stop it by protesting to the city zoning board. The problem they found was that the shark had already been permitted and therefore there wasn’t much anybody could do. So as you can see when you drive down SPID the shark was built and is popular with tourists who get their picture taken standing in its mouth.
Awards: Presented at 1:00 PM to the top anglers in each of three age divisions: 0-5 yrs., 6-10 yrs., and 1116 yrs. 1st place in each division is a BIKE! Other prizes will also be awarded, and all anglers will receive a Commemorative tee shirt.
But to a group of Islanders the offending shark was a harbinger of eyesores to come and a movement was set afoot to outlaw such signs, and other such aesthetic protuberances, in the future. Whether this group constituted an avenging angel or a runaway Grand Jury depends on the point of the viewer.
Questions? Elvia Tamayo (361) 7495814 or (361) 816-5282
When you come to a shark in the road take it We have reached a point in our Island’s history and development when we may need to start thinking about exactly what type of Island we want to be. You have seen this from some of the opponents of the Schlitterbahn project who object to the “uniqueness” and “quaintness” of The Island which they see the new park as threatening. There’s no question we are a tourist area, a look at the beach this weekend will answer for that. The question now could be framed along the lines of whether we want to be a resort/ residential destination, a residential/resort destination, or some other mutation thereof, but you get the idea. The first time this became a topic was during the vote in 2004 about whether to ban vehicles from a section of our beach in order to bring in a beachfront resort. The answer turned out to be no, but in that vein that same year the ordinance for the Overlay Zone was passed. Generally speaking the Overlay Zone covers most everything in the area from the beach to SPID, including the businesses on the west side of SPID, but not the residential areas. It covers everything from signs, to paint colors, to material used in new construction within the zone. The idea behind it was to look more like say, Palm Beach than Fort Lauderdale. Now that it appears development is heading our way maybe it’s time we Islanders give some thought to where we want to be a decade or so from now and the document that defines that is the Overlay Zone ordinance passed into rule by the City Council.
Specifics The rules govern new construction and some of the provisions in ordinance seem vague in their wording, others potentially onerous in their application, others just puzzling in their intent. In no particular order here are some examples.
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“Except as provided by Section 13A-8, this district prohibits outdoor storage of any goods.” Section 13A says in part “A six foot screening wall similar to or complementary with the color of the finish on the building shall be required to screen the following uses from public rights-ofway: A. Boat and RV storage, B. Mini-storage, C. Areas used for outdoor sales, service, storage, and display must be screened from view of public right-of-way by a six foot high wall.” Is that a single boat parked beside a building? And what exactly are Outdoor Sales areas? Does that mean all boat dealers must have a sixfoot wall around the outdoor lot in case they want to use that area to do business? And do we really want retail businesses up and down SPID surrounded by six foot walls?
Section 13A-9 Landscaping Requirements. “13A-9.01. Extensive landscaping is required to provide a lush landscape. All landscaping is to be maintained in a healthy, growing condition.” This would seem to mean that as soon as a plant starts to get brown it becomes illegal. Who is to police that? “A. Tracts, lots, or reserves that are developed within the Island Overlay District must have 10 percent site landscaping of the total gross site area.” As you go around The Island notice the parking lots which have rectangular indentations in the parking lot filled with rocks or gravel, those are there because they fit under this 10 percent rule. The intent was for them to be planter boxes or flower beds but the ordinance doesn’t say that; the result is parking space used up by gravelly pits that serve no purpose except to meet the requirements of the ordinance. There is a color pallet in the ordinance which paint colors must be chosen from. The colors have four digit numbers and names like Bristol Fog, Shadowy Evergreen, Whale, and Yucca Green. The problem is that no two paint manufacturers use the same name for the same colors. In at least one case a builder took a photograph of a building with the color he wanted to use to the city inspection office to see if it was permissible. “It looks too dark,” said the inspector while staring at the color pallet on his computer screen. “How about now,” said the builder as he adjusted the color contrast on the city computer? “Yea, that looks fine,” said the inspector. There’s some slack in the system.
Signs Then there are the rules for signs. “13A-10.03. Prohibited signs. The following signs or types of signs are prohibited: D. Sign Statuary – Life size or larger than life size replicas of animals, fish, or inanimate objects intended to be used as a commercial message.” This was aimed specifically at the shark sign but the way it reads if the giant shark is painted black and white and called a Killer Whale it is legal since there are Killer Whales that big. And what about the mermaid on the front of the shop near the JFK Bridge? Is that mermaid a fish, or inanimate object? And exactly how big is a mermaid? By that language the USS Enterprise Hot Dog Stand can have a sign one foot smaller than the actual aircraft carrier. How big then is a UFO, or the Jolly Green Giant? Is it the Giant on the can or the Giant in the commercial? “D. One monument sign per freestanding building and one (1) additional monument sign per 200 feet of street frontage. e. Monument signs are to be finished with similar materials to structure and should reflect the design theme of the building style.” That means all the banners, freestanding yard signs, and flags you see along SPID are illegal, and there are dozens of them and more going up.
The list goes on There are similar rules for building material, lighting, specific types of architecture, particular types of cement, a rule requiring eight-foot palm trees on five foot centers at all new businesses, types of plants (Chinaberry trees are illegal); I could go on. My point is that we look like we are about to enter a period of new construction and we have an ordinance on the books that has some parts which are arbitrary and full of ambiguities at best, and downright unenforceable and already being ignored at the worst.
Section 13A-8.05. “ Mechanical equipment on the ground must be screened by a wall with a finish similar to that of the building.”
Take some time and go to the city’s website and read the entire ordinance. No doubt it was noble in its intent and may even be mostly workable in its application. But without a doubt there are some parts of it that need to be revisited and now is the time to do it.
This would seem to include air conditioners but exactly what constitutes “mechanical equipment” is not defined in the ordinance. Does it include lawn mowers? What about a car?
Otherwise it is just a matter of time before we end up in court arguing over how tall the biggest Sasquatch is or someone tries to build a sign as big as a water tower – which, by the way, under the current ordinance would be legal.
Island Moon
A 4
July 5, 2012
Did Ya Hear? Send your business news to mkay512@aol.com
New Advertisers CC Island Construction builds decks and docks and also does home repair, remodel and exterior shade structures. Call Brock Johnson for unbeatable prices and service at 673-4321. Turtle Cove Driving School is offering a summer blowout sale with $20 dollars off of the price of the course if you mention The Island Moon. They offer teen drivers education with a convenient location in Flour Bluff. They are open Thursday through Sunday July 2nd- July 9th and the first summer session starts July 11th through July 30th. Call (361) 937-1170
Port Aransas Art Center is having their First Friday reception July 6th 5:30-7:30 pm. Island Moon writer Devorah Fox will be there for her The Lost King book signing.
The 3rd Annual Bluewater Kayak Classic will be held Saturday, August 11th. It is an offshore kayak only kingfish, Spanish Makeral and ling. Check in and weigh in will be behind the Nueces County Parks Office near Bob Hall Pier. For rules and registration go to www. bluewaterkayakclassic.com.
Business Briefs Padre Island Mail Plus has had a soft opening and will be officially open at the end of the month. They are a full service mailing facility and also sell cigars. David Devlin recently moved here from Dallas and welcomes local artists to display their work to sell at his establishment. Call 949-7471 for more info. Lieutenant Chris Hooper is once again our Island Cop. He is supervisor for our district which goes from the Island to Staples and is on duty Thursday – Sunday. Give Chris a warm welcome when you see him cruising the Island.
Islander Jim Carlisle and his stepson Blake Baylor were the first to enjoy the new bar stools at The Barrel Wine and Tapas. Photo by Mary Craft.
It’s not pretty, it’s art
Local Artist Draws Inspiration from Beach Debris By Laurette Escobar Art can be many things to many people. That is fairly obvious. Some people see listless seagulls coasting over windswept sand dunes as art and still others see something that will pull at their base emotions in an abstract fashion as the definition of art. But Geri Vela, a native of Laredo, chooses to make art that makes us think. All her life Vela honed her skills and love of environmental art. Environmental art is where the artist finds their subjects in the everyday things of their immediate environments. Vela chooses beach debris.
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Vela said she was always fascinated with litter. “I have never been able to ignore [debris] and find myself looking downward all the time,” she said.
She hopes this awareness will begin a dialogue that questions our environmental concerns and that this will provide the impetus for change. She went on to say that she finds most of her litter at Oleander Point and Cole Park. But there are a few really unpleasant items that surprisingly appear quite often that she refuses to use.
“Condoms, syringes and dirty diapers,” she said. “Everything else has its uses hard plastics, candy wrappers, shopping bags, string, just to name a few. Most are petroleum based products, but I do use some organic materials such as bone.”
Vela’s work is attractive as art and does promote conversation on the deeper issue of pollution. It really is amazing to watch her work. As her fellow artist and studio mate I find myself fascinated to watch how she creates art out of garbage with such precision and care. I sincerely hope Vela realizes her dream of bringing about change in the way we treat our little patch of earth. Geri Vela is a member of Chicken Bone Studios and an ArtWalk participant. Chicken Bone Studios are located at Water Street Village 505 East Water Street in Suite #517. ArtWalk is on the first Friday of every month in downtown.
Located in the Alta Plaza FullLoma Service 14254 SPID, Suite 109 Catering and 949-4848
323 N. Alister Port Aransas TX 361-749-7334 artcenter@centurytel.net
Gourmet Take Out
Sponsors- Charlie & Linda Zahn South Jetty Newspaper and Devorah Fox
Joan (361) 949-4848 Offering Gourmet Take-Out Meals Sowash Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
First Friday Reception July 6th 5:30-7:30 pm
Peewee's Animal Shelter Peewee’s Animal Shelter is located at 1307 Saratoga and has been in operations since May, 1997. Peewee’s presently houses over 300 animals, including dogs, puppies, cats, kittens as well as, pigs, goats, rabbits and other barn animals. Peewee’s relies on donations only for its operation.
“I am striving to produce a body of work that says more than a portrait or still life. For instance, nothing feels more of a failure to me than to have my work referred to as ‘pretty’ or ‘cute,’” Vela said. “I want it to express environmental concerns and find it infinitely important to use my art as a vehicle to shift the audience’s perspective to an awareness that will make them think twice about our environment and how we are relating to it.”
She began working with found and recycled objects when she was in art school at University of Texas San Antonio. Since moving to the coast, walks along the bay are a frequent occurrence. It soon became a natural progression for her to begin using the sea tumbled and sun scorched objects that litter our Texas coastline.
AuntSissysKitchen@stx.rr.com www.AuntSissysKitchen.com
Live music & Refreshments-Coastal Bend Wildlife Photo Contest Benefactor’s Exhibit –up thru July 29th
Located in the Loma Alta Plaza 14254 SPID,Hours: Suite4:00 109– 7:00 p.m. Visit our website at www.AuntSissysKitchen.com 949-4848 For weekly menus
Shelter operations are accomplished strictly by donations. Peewee’s does not get any government, city or federal funding. Peewee’s helps those animals no one else will - the sick and the stray. The volunteers at Peewee’s work tirelessly to rehabilitate poor orphaned pets in the hopes that they will find new, loving homes. The dogs and cats are spayed/neutered, given regular heartworm preventative, and are on flea & tick prevention and medications as needed. Peewee’s does not discriminate due to age or health conditions of the pet. Please visit Peewee’s Pet Adoption World & Sanctuary at 1307 Saratoga Road. You can call them at 361888-4141 but they do not have staff to answer phones so please leave a message.
And-Book Signing by- Devorah Fox– The Lost King
Bill & Sharon Draker-Photographers
Welder Wildlife Refuge-Landowner Full Service Catering Available Port Aransas Art Center is a 501 (C) (3) non profit Corp. since 1996 For Private Parties
Offering Gourmet Take-Out Meals Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Hours:Recipient 4:00 – of 7:00 p.m. Choice Award the People’s Visit our website at www.AuntSissysKitchen.com 2011 Taste of the Island For weekly menus Full Service Catering Available For Private Parties 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
Recipient of the People’s Choice Award 2011 Taste of the Island
July 5, 2012
Island Moon
Letters to the Editor Street Corner Selling
Dear Editor, We have been going back and forth with the legal issues of parking on the corner at Whitecap and Park Road 22. After being run off several times by officers, and after getting verbal permission from the owner of the corner lot, we were also told by code enforcement that we were legally able to be parked there, as long as, we were 20 ft behind the street. We were also considered to be on City property, NOT the owners property because the property line did not begin until after the location of the telephone poles. Regardless, we finally moved locations because of all the headaches. Here is where I have issues with the P.O.A.. First, they do not have any legal authority on the other side of Park Road 22, and have been constantly harassing the police department about our mobile van. In fact, the last time I was parked at the corner lot, the P.O.A. (not the property owner), called the police department three times to have “a suspicious cupcake van” being parked without authority to be there. Since then we have moved to Whitecap Liquor with permission from the owner.
Food Park in San Antonio Today we parked at Whitecap Liquor so that we would not have to deal with the issues involved at the corner and though we have permission from Whitecap Liquor, the P.O.A. called the police again to have us removed. Keep in mind they are the Homeowners association, NOT the business owners association. They do not have legal authority to have us removed especially when we have permission to be there. I have heard that the motivation for this from the P.O.A. is because they believe we look tacky and should not be on the Island period. They are making efforts to have all mobile vendors banned from the Island. We have all the proper permits, and are being harassed by the Padre Island Homeowners association. This is absolutely ridiculous. Here is the best part. My family lives on the Island and have been a member of the P.O.A. since 2004. The residences and non-residences believe we are a great addition to the Island and are always taking pictures of the mobile cupcake van from The Cupcake Shoppe!! The P.O.A. needs to stop calling the Corpus Christi Police Department on these issues, and let them take care of more important issues with our tax dollars. If the P.O.A. believes mobile vendors are a tacky looking nuisance to the Island, they need to look at the bigger cities who have streets dedicated (such as Austin) exclusively for mobile vendors. The P.O.A. needs to get with the times and leave businesses trying to make a living ALONE!!!!! Mark Miller Who Are the Moon Monkeys
Mike Ellis, Founder Distribution Pete Alsop Island Delivery Coldwell Banker Advertising Jan Park Rankin Raeanne Reed Office Lisa Towns
Windstorm Insurance: All Hands On Deck!
Texas has an insurance problem. Tragically, a few key people in Austin seem inclined to exacerbate the problem rather than solve it. Residents of the 14 coastal counties are largely relegated to the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) for coverage due to wind related losses. TWIA has been serving in a capacity that it was never intended to fulfill. At inception, it was designed to serve as the insurer of last resort. In recent years, private insurance companies have been allowed to leave the market and Texans have been forced to seek coverage for their properties through the state run insurance pool. Few, if any, are satisfied with the current scenario. In fact, large sums of money are being spent to hire consultants and a group of industry experts has been assembled to help chart the course for this troubled organization. In recent days, Eleanor Kitzman, the Commissioner of the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), and State Rep. John Smithee, the chairman of the House Committee on Insurance, have made the news with a series of comments that have been regarded by many as irresponsible and negligent. The Armageddon scenario of potential storm damage for Nueces County in excess of $14 billion that was referenced by Rep Smithee was not refuted by the Insurance Commissioner. However, TWIA did later reveal that this reflects an “exceedingly remote” 1/10,000 or .01 percent probability of occurring. Such numbers would never be used by insurance companies for planning purposes. Their remarks come at a time when the legislature is out of session. In the coming weeks, TDI and TWIA will conduct a series of meetings and each consider measures that would have a major impact on every Texas coastal community. Elected legislators who represent the people of Texas are not able to participate in these important policy decisions. To make these decisions in the absence of the people accountable to the public and without the complete findings of those hired to provide direction to this organization is unacceptable. The aforementioned inflammatory remarks seem to set the stage for drastic measures and they indicate a lack of sensitivity to the residents and economy of the Texas coastline. This month, TDI will be conducting a hearing to consider adopting rule changes that would result in premium surcharges on all coastal property and casualty policies in the event of catastrophic storm damages. In August, TWIA will hold a meeting to discuss a variety of issues including implementing a territorial rate structure that would divide the 14 coastal counties. All of this could result in a major blow to our economy. A group of local community leaders has been working to prepare alternative solutions that can be considered for implementation when the legislature assembles in January 2013. What is needed is an efficient program that enables private insurance companies to provide coverage for catastrophic events statewide. We all know that Texas is big. We’re quite proud of that fact. We face a variety of threats from Mother Nature. Some preliminary reports for the June 2012 hailstorm in DFW are in excess of $2 billion. Yet that area of our state is not being singled out with onerous measures. The legislative delegation from the Coastal Bend has been working diligently to protect coastal communities. If you have a vested interest in property located on the Texas coast, I urge you to immediately contact your state representative and senator. Additionally, you should contact the offices of TDI and TWIA. Let them know that you do not want them to enact the proposals that are currently under consideration. Make no mistake; we don’t expect a free ride. That’s not the Texas way. However, we expect and demand that our state government find a viable long-term solution that will meet the needs of consumers in a manner that does not discriminate. The current system needs to be overhauled or replaced. Texas deserves better. TDI Office of the Commissioner P.O. Box 149104 Austin, TX 78714 TWIA Public Information Coordinator P.O. Box 99090 Austin, TX 78709
Classifieds Arlene Ritley
DPS
Design/Layout Jeff Craft Contributing Writers Joey Farah 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 / Publisher. Total circulation is 10,000 copies. Distribution includes delivery to 4,000 Island homes, free distribution of 3,000 copies in over 50 Padre Island businesses and condos, as well as 600 copies distributed in Flour Bluff, 1,400 copies on Mustang Island and Port Aransas businesses. News articles, photos, display ads, classified ads, payments, etc. may be left at the Moon Office 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.
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Dale, you apparently have an issue with DPS Troopers working on the Island. You make the assumption that they are “doling the road tax to seatbeltless drivers”, but you don’t know exactly what they are stopping people for unless it’s you who has been stopped. Regardless, what is your point? If you have an issue with the seat belt law, talk to your state representative or senator. The legislators are the ones who put the seat belt law on the books. Don’t whine about a Trooper doing what he’s been paid to do. Where is your distaste of CCPD doing their part out here? With the rash of thefts and burglaries lately I want the law enforcement presence. Another point to consider: when you make snide comments like that you alienate the Troopers who live among us on the Island... there are several. Chris
Eighty Ferraris, Technocrats, Soccer, and the World Economy
80 Ferraris in one parking lot led me to reflect on a number of assumptions that as an American I had accepted.
is an automatic assumption that rules and regulations are things to be coped with, not necessarily instructions to be obeyed.
Callista and I have recently been in Singapore, Paris, Rome, Florence and Siena.
Having a technocrat as prime minister reinforces the gap between citizens and government. Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti never won an election. He was an academic appointed to serve in the European Commission. He was nominated to a life appointment in the Italian Senate one week before being appointed prime minister.
It has been a good opportunity to see the world from outside America. Some of the experiences challenge the framework of traditional reporting. Let’s start with the 80 Ferraris in downtown Florence. There was a street race the day we visited and as part of it the participating Ferraris were paraded through the streets. They were then parked around the Medici Palace -- a former parliament building before the Medici family rose to power in the 15th Century. I counted 80 of these extraordinarily expensive cars ($229,000 to $429,000 depending on the model) in this one square. If Italy ranks right after Greece and Spain as an economic basket case, how can that many hyper-expensive cars be in one square? A big part of the answer is unpaid taxes. There is a long history in Italy of routine tax evasion. In fact, the problem is so great and wealth and income reporting so understated, that official numbers simply fail to capture the truth of what is going on. Because the official world relies on official numbers there is enormous pressure to force Italians into paying taxes -- especially when the country is nearing an economic crisis. One new technique is to stop drivers of expensive cars and check their income tax reports. By some indications, this is significantly depressing the nation’s luxury car market. This is in turn leading wealthy Italians to two new behaviors. First, to only drive a modest car in Italy and either sell their fancy cars or move them to vacation homes in other countries. Second, to give up on Italy and move their businesses to a friendlier country. This pattern of people avoiding or undermining the authorities has a long tradition in Italy. Lampedusa’s classic novel The Leopard is the story of a Sicilian noble rejecting the new Italian state in the 19th century. Today, over 100 years later, Italy remains a people with a government laid on top. There
PUC Raises Maximum Electricity Rates by 50% AARP’s Jackson: PUC manipulates the market at the expense of the consumer The Texas Public Utility Commission on June 28th voted to increase the systemwide offer cap in the state’s wholesale electricity market by 50 percent — from $3,000 per megawatt-hour, to $4,500 per megawatt-hour. This increase will take effect August 1st. The following is a statement by AARP Texas State Director Bob Jackson: “The Public Utility Commission again has put investor profits over the well-being of consumers in Texas. By increasing the price cap on wholesale electricity rates by 50%, Chairwoman Nelson and Commissioner Pablos showed their contempt for ratepayers. They rushed a decision without fully analyzing its impact on families in deregulated areas of the state. Moreover, their action ran counter to their own consultant who warned against implementing major changes too quickly. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that when wholesalers raise prices, retailers will pass them along to customers. This means in a nutshell that consumers will be left holding the bag; the history of this PUC pretty much guarantees it. But what makes this action particularly insulting and harmful is that there is no guarantee that consumers will get anything in return. No additional power plants are guaranteed under today’s rushed decision.”
The gap between the citizens and the government in Europe keeps getting wider.
But while the challenges are growing, so is the interconnectedness between countries. We had a chance in the small town of Montisi to join hundreds of Italians to watch the ItalyGermany and Italy-Spain final UEFA European Football Championship matches. The most striking Italian player is Mario Balotelli. He is Italian born of Ghanaian descent playing professionally for the Manchester City team in England. He personifies the complexity and interconnectedness of the modern world.
At the Palio, one of the world’s oldest and most dishonest horse races and another major sporting event for Italians, I was told attendance was down by at least 20 percent due to the poor economy.
By comparison with European problems it was fascinating to spend a week in Singapore. Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s ongoing contribution to disciplined, autocratic selfgovernment continues to attract investments, jobs, and prosperity.
The 5.2 million people living in Singapore (3.2 million Singaporeans and 2 million registered non-citizens) are focused on fast-tempo, hardworking economic achievement. As a result, in one recent survey more bankers said they wanted to work in Singapore than any other city in the world.
The intensity of education would stun most Americans. The commitment to achievement at every level is remarkable.
As we face our challenges in the United States we can learn a lot from Europe about what not to do and a lot from Singapore about an ethos that works. Your Friend, Newt Gingrich
Andy Griffith dies at age 86
Andy Griffith, who portrayed a small-town sheriff on US 1960s sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, has died aged 86. A family statement said Griffith passed away at his home in Manteo, North Carolina on Tuesday morning. The actor received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian award, in 2005.
Born in Mount Airy, North Carolina, Griffith starred in the popular eponymous comedy series as Sheriff Andy Taylor from 1960-68. The show portrayed life in the quiet North Carolina town of Mayberry, where the sheriff had little crime to contend with. It generated several spin-off shows. “I guess you could say I created Andy Taylor,” Griffith said. “Andy Taylor’s the best part of my mind. The best part of me.”
Griffith continued to act, gaining a second TV hit as defense lawyer Ben Matlock in the 1980s and 1990s. He was nominated for a Tony award in 1956 and won a Grammy for his album of gospel hymns in 1996. In 1992, he was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts Hall of Fame.
No word yet on where Opie will live; Aunt Bee and Barney Fife have passed on, but Town Drunk Otis is said to be alive and well and living in Mount Pilot, Ernest T. Bass is the current Senator from West Virginia.
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Remembering The Sacrifices Behind Independence Day
By U.S. Sen. John Cornyn
On this day we celebrate the bedrock principle upon which our nation was built 236 years ago: freedom. Take a look across the nation and you would be hard-pressed to find a stronger spirit of freedom and independence than the one that flows through our great state of Texas. Home to 15 major military installations and nearly 2 million veterans, it is often said “Texas defends America.” Indeed, we have witnessed firsthand the bravery of our men and women in uniform and the countless sacrifices they have made to defend the freedoms we celebrate on Independence Day. Just recently, a number of Texans gathered to show their appreciation to one of these heroes: Marine sniper, Corporal Daniel Peterson, who was severely wounded in Afghanistan in 2010. On June 23, 2012, Peterson, who has been receiving treatment at Brooke Army Medical Center, was presented with the keys to a new, specially adapted home in Tomball, Texas, courtesy of the non-profit Homes for Our Troops, Texas-based contractor Spawglass and the many volunteers who worked to build his house since the beginning of the year. Cpl. Peterson said his new home would be a “life-changing experience” that would help to return his life “to some sense of normalcy.” Though we can never fully repay Cpl. Peterson for the sacrifices he has made, the efforts of all the Texans who contributed to make his new home a reality should be commended. This new beginning for a brave young man who gave so much in defense of our country is an important reminder for all of us on Independence Day. It reminds us that freedom is not free—that generations of American heroes have sacrificed to enable us to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. It is a reminder that we must do all we can to show our appreciation to our service members, not just on the Fourth of July, but on every day of the year. Let us remember with gratitude their sacrifices and live with purpose the charge so aptly put forward by John Adams in 1777, “Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present Generation to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make good use of it.” May God bless you and may He continue to bless Texas.
Activities at the Ethel Eyerly Senior Center 654 Graham Road (Flour Bluff) Phone: 361-937-3218
Senior Moments
By Dotson Lewis dlewis1@stx.rr.com
Senior of the Moment Don Barnes
Silver Haired Fitness 10 am ($7 month, Ladies Only) Computer Interest Group 12:30-2 pm Wii Bowling 12:30 pm
Tuesday Bingo 10 am ($.50 Cards) Silver Life Fitness (Co-Ed) 11 am Zumba
July 5, 2012
Del Mar College Senior Education Computer Program
Monday
Don Barnes has lived on the island for 7 years and thinks it is the best place in the world to live. Don was born in Kansas City. His family moved to Texas when he was 2 years old. As he says, he got to Texas as soon as he could.
out how to play within the rules and gain an advantage over the opposition.
In the interest of player safety the Rules Committee has made three major changes in the rules governing kick-offs. (1) Kick offs in college games will now be from the 35-yard line (last year the 30-yard line); high school will continue to kick-off from the 40-yard line. (2) In 2012, if there is a touchback on the kick-off, the receiving team will snap the ball from the 25-yard line, last year it was from the 20-yard line. (3) Also this year on kick offs, only one player of the kicking team (the kicker) may be more than five yards behind the ball before it is kicked. Las year there was no limit.
Before the 2010 season, the football rules committee banned wedge blocking on kickoffs, and at that time concluded that 20 percent of all football injuries occurred on kickoffs.
Table Tennis & Table Games 12:30 pm
There are a few additional interesting rules changes for 2012 which we will discuss in later issues of the “Island Moon,” before the season starts …Stay Tuned…
Wednesday
Moments in Passing
End of the encyclopedia era-“All things must pass,” wrote the late musician George Harrison, formerly of the Beatles. Such is true of another old and venerable institution. In March, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., announced that after 244 years, its print version will cease publication.
Silver Haired Fitness 10 am ($7 month, Ladies Only) AARP Chapter 4181 1 pm 2nd & 4th Wednesdays
Thursday Silver Life Fitness (Co-Ed) 11 am Zumba Wii Bowling 12:30 pm Quilting Guild 2nd Thursdays Starts 10 am
Friday Silver Haired Fitness 10 am ($7 month, Ladies Only)
Don, a teen-ager in Houston, Texas Don owned a chemical business in Houston, which he sold in 1991.
Table Tennis 12-5 pm Line Dancing 2 pm Ethel Eyerly Monthly Dinner/Dance 4:30-7:30 pm Friday July 19, 2012 Tickets are $5 & go on sale July 9, 2012
Moment Notes
Please call 937-3218 for more information and reservations.
Landscape Design h Decks and Docks First Time Cleanups h Shade Structures/ Pergola Demolitions & Scraping h Outdoor Kitchens We install: Plants, Palms, Rock, h Boat Lifts Sod, Pavers and Outdoor Decor. h Fences & Gates Yard Maintenance h General D&D Repair Concrete Drives/Patio & Retaining Walls
Collier’s Encyclopedia was last printed in 1998, Encyclopedia Americana in 2006. For Encyclopedia Britannica, The writing was on the virtual wall. The announcement was no surprise to those following the world of encyclopedias. The main reason for the demise of print encyclopedias is the rise of digital ones – first cam CD-ROM version of printed encyclopedias, the Internet-only encyclopedia. But the king of them all, the dragon slayer, is Wikipedia.
If you have a set of Encyclopedia Britannica, it may be wise to hang on to them and/or pass them on to your heirs. I am open to offers for the set of encyclopedia, not Britannica’s, which I purchased from an enterprising door-to-door salesman in 1955, for my then 1 year-10 month old daughter. To tell the truth, they never did get much use.
Bingo 12:30 PM ($.50 Cards)
Serving: Padre Island, Flour Bluff, Port Aransas, Mustang Island and Rockport. 9 9 9 9 9 9
Island Moon
NASCC South Gate will be closed July 7th
He also sold his house and all his belongings and moved aboard his 50’ sailboat named “Silver Cloud”. He spent the next fours years sailing in the Caribbean traveling southward from the Bahamas to Trinidad. In 1995 he sailed back to Clearlake, Texas where he met a wonderful girl named Mimi Tucker. Together they set sail for an around the world adventure. 1995 was the year the named hurricanes went through the entire alphabet and started over again. Don was ready to go, but could not safely cross the gulf, so they traveled the ICW as far as Panama City and then sailed to Key West in Florida. After completing as many boat projects as possible and crossing things off the many items on the to do list they picked up the anchor and headed to Panama. After transiting the Panama Canal, Don declared that he only liked to travel forwards and not backwards and that there was no turning back now. Fnroute to the Galapagos Islands he crossed the equator and his course was set.
We’re your full service outdoor solution! Give us a call today. Tim Arlitt - Decks & Docks Specialist 361.229.2530 Sami Wilson - Landscape Designer 361.949.2691
Plan ahead – the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi South Gate (Flour Bluff Gate) will be closed on Saturday, July 7th to conduct maintenance. The closure is scheduled to run from 8 am to 3 pm, weather permitting. During the closure, the North (Ocean Drive) Gate will be open for entering and leaving the Air Station.
A REMINDER-Election Day- Plan now to vote Primary Run-Offs July 31, 2012
Early Voting for Primary Run-Offs-July 23-27, 2012 Most Consumers Don’t Read Terms of Service When you sign up for a social media site or download an eBook from a website, do you read the terms of use agreement that pops up before you click the “Agree” button? Probably not, though terms of service can be exhausting and cumbersome to read — the iTunes terms of service agreement is now around 55 pages long — but it is a contract, and not reading the fine print can be a big mistake.
Still, most consumers simply don’t read terms of service. According to Jeff Sauro, founding principal of quantitative research firm Measuring Usability, no more than 8 percent of users typically read terms of service agreements in full before accepting them. Furthermore, Sauro found that at least 70 percent of users spent less than 12 seconds reviewing the terms of use before accepting them.
IslandLandscapingDecksAndDocks.com Quality & Insured. Don & Jack Young, DMC Senior Education Computer Instructor Over the next 10 years he crossed the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, sailed through the Caribbean Sea, the Coral Sea, the South China Sea and a few other seas. He visited over 19 countries by boat and many others by land. He crossed the equator 3 times and the international dateline once. He enjoyed many of the countries so much that he would stop, buy a car and stay a year or two. Everyday was an adventure. He was continually meeting new people, experiencing new cultures, and eating the local fare. Daily life could be challenging where everything from finding fresh water to doing laundry to making repairs became complicated. To live abroad while living aboard was an incredible cruising experience. While in South Africa Don’s medical problems (Leukemia) forced him to return to Houston to the Medical Center for treatment. He sold the boat in Cape Town. Don knew he did not want to be away from the water for long. So when it came time to look for a place to live, the Island was the ideal choice. Don now has a house with a dock, a 34’ catamaran named “Mimi B” and a 17’ foot fishing boat. He hopes to see you on the water. Don thanks for sharing. We are happy to have you as a friend and a resident of the Island.
Moments Sports Talk College and Texas High School Kick-Off rules changes for 2012. As most of you know, Texas is one of the two states, the other is Massachusetts (I can’t say or spell it), that high schools play by college rules. The other states play by National Federation of State High School Association football rules. The kick off changes have Texas high school and college coaches’ spending long hours studying their special teams and trying to figure
Most users are impatient to move through the purchase or sign-up process. But agreeing to these virtual contracts is the same as signing a physical contract, and consequences are just as real. In fact, a survey commissioned by investment company Skandia found that 21% of respondents admitted they had suffered as a result of accepting the terms without reading.
What are some of these consequences, and what may be hidden in these agreements? Business Insider detailed some of the scarier items included in typical terms of use agreements, including:
• You could give up your right to file classaction lawsuits against the company (Business Insider points to new clauses inserted by Sony for its PlayStation network and Microsoft for its Xbox Live site).
• You might inadvertently agree to repeat billing of your credit card, once your annual subscription to a service is up (without your renewing and/or authorization).
• You could authorize a site to share and/or sell your information.
It is issues like these that highlight why consumers should always read items before accepting them. But in consumers’ defense, these agreements are often long, complicated, and confusing. Knowing this, consumers and companies alike are pushing for simpler terms.
Some sites, like Pandora, are even providing “plain-English” version of their terms of service. But no legislation is in place to put this into permanent practice. And until more, and eventually all, sites follow Pandora’s example, consumers must still wade through the legalese.
Be Careful !
If you have questions and/or comments regarding “Senior Moments” please contact Dotson at the Email address shown above, or Phone 361-949-7681; Cell 530-748-8475
July 5, 2012
Legislative Update
Island Moon
Todd Hunter, District 32
State Agencies Undergo Sunset Review Process Texas Education Agency Over the past month or so, I have been outlining Texas’ sunset review process. The agencies I have covered so far include the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners, the Texas Lottery Commission and the Railroad Commission and several others. 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. In last week’s article I took the opportunity to cover one of our state’s smaller agencies, the State Preservation Board. In this week’s article I want to cover and outline for you another of our state’s largest agencies, the Texas Education Agency. In 1840 the first public school law was enacted in the newly formed Republic of Texas. The first public school law was important because it provided for the surveying and allocation of 17,712 acres of land in each county to provide for and support public education. This step to support public education was expanded upon five years later when the state constitution of 1845 established that onetenth of the state’s annual tax revenue be set aside as a perpetual fund to support public schools. Over the next 150 plus years a number of reforms and laws were passed in order to try and improve public education in the State of Texas. One such reform occurred in 1949 with the passage of Gilmer-Aikin laws which established the Foundation School Program in order to apportion state funds to local school districts. The new set of laws also restructured how public education was administrated; as well as created an elected State Board of Education which was responsible for appointing a commissioner of education, the new laws also restructured the administration of state public education policy through the Texas Education Agency. Today the Texas Education Agency outlines their mission as follows, “to provide leadership, guidance, and resources to help schools meet the educational needs of all students.” The
Port A Happenings 7/5, Thursday, 9:30-11:30am, Park play Balloon Volleyball: Water Balloon fun outside the pool. All ages welcome, FREE. 7/5, Thursday, 2-4pm, Chillin’ Time - Paper Lanterns. Age 5 & up, Girl Scout hut, $2/$1
Some of the Texas Education Agency responsibilities include:
7/10, Tuesday, 9:30-11:30am, Get Active: Name Pantomime in the gym. All ages welcome, FREE
• Provide support to the State Education Board in developing statewide curriculum; • Administer data collection on public schools. If you are interested in learning more about the Texas Education Agency, you can go to their website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us . On the Texas Education Agency site you can find information on funding, testing/accountability, curriculum and reports, along with a number of other information related to public education in Texas. Some of the other agencies we will review in the upcoming weeks include The Board of Pardons and Paroles, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and a number of other agencies currently going through the sunset process. 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 Texas Education Agency 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, 512463-0672; 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.
from April through October, courtesy of the Parks and Recreation Department.
Kid Activities
Texas Education Agency is composed of the commissioner of education and agency staff. Today, in conjunction with the State Board of Education (15 elected member board comprised of individuals representing different regions of the state), the Texas Education Agency works to guide and monitor activities and programs that are related to public education in the state.
• The administering the distribution of state and federal funding to public schools;
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Yoga on the beach Another free session of yoga instruction will be offered on Saturday, July 14. Meet yoga teacher Nancy Myers at 8am, nearthe Horace Caldwell Pier. It is located at the end of Beach Street in Port Aransas. Bring a mat or towel suitable for use on the beach. The free tutoring is held the second Saturday of each month, courtesy of the Parks and Recreation Department.
7/5, Thursday, 7:05pm, 25 Cent Cinema: Family friendly, movie & popcorn at Library, $0.25 7/7, Saturday, 6:30-8pm, Popsicle Night: Be cool at pool. Regular fees 7/9, Monday, 1-4pm, Board Games: All ages welcome, Girl Scout hut, FREE
2012 Swimming Lessons Registration for group swim lesson session #3 at the Port Aransas Community Pool will begin Tuesday, July 17. Parents may register children age 6 months and up for lessons to be held for two weeks, Tuesday through Friday, July 24-Aug. 3.
7/10, Tuesday, 2-4pm, Chillin’ Time - Fish Prints. Use real and fake fish to paint wall hangings. Age 5 & up, Girl Scout hut, $2/$1
Sign up at the pool, 700 Clark Parkway, off Ross Avenue, while the pool is open.
7/11, Wednesday, 9:30-11:30am, Fun Food Dirt Cups. Age 5 & up, Girl Scout hut, $2/$1
Each session will have classes each day at 9:40 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. for ages 13 months and up. Babies ages 6-12 months will be taught from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m.
7/11, Wednesday, 2-4pm, Hooligan Wars: Wear old clothes-bathing suits, ready to get wet, water guns. Age 5 & up, Girl Scout hut, $2/$1 7/12, Thursday, 9:30-11:30am, Park play OK To Be Nosey: Water Balloon fun at pool pavilion. All ages, FREE
The fee for Port Aransas residents are $8 for the first child in family, $7 for the second, $6 for the third, with a maximum of $21 total per family for each two-week session. For nonresidents, the fees are $14 for the first child in family, $12 for the second, $10 for the third, with a maximum of $36 total per family for each two-week session.
7/12 Thursday, 2-4pm, Chillin’ Time Permanent sand castles. Age 5 & up, Girl Scout hut, $2/$1
Sunset Sounds The next free Sunset Sounds concert will feature Latin Gypsy Combo on Friday, July 13.
Registration with full payment (space permitting) may be presented at the Community Pool.
The musical treat will highlight Lissette Torres blending Afro-Caribbean rhythms and musical elements with American and Latin jazz forms.
Fees for private swim lessons for one child include four 30-minute sessions for $18. Semiprivate swim lessons with two children are four 30-minute sessions for $30.Private or SemiPrivate Lessons are by arrangement with Pool Manager only.
It will be held 7 to 9 pm, at the Patsy Jones Amphitheater in Roberts Point Park in Port A. Bring a chair, friends, food, drink and enjoy an evening of musical entertainment as the sun sets over the Corpus Christi Ship Channel.
Contact the pool at 361-749-2416 or Parks and Recreation Department at 361-749-4158 for more information.
The concert series is presented the second Friday of the month (unless otherwise noted)
The BACK PORCH oPEN 7 dAYS + nOON-2AM Live Music
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July 5, 2012
Trivia continued from A1 A move to fund the pass was approved by both houses in Austin and in 1969 Governor Preston Smith signed it into law. Then in April of 1970 Texas Parks and Wildlife approved $3 million to build jetties and the necessary bulkheads to keep the Pass – first called Mustang Island Pass then eventually Fish Pass – open permanently. Construction was to begin by August of 1970 and take about two years to complete. But as is usually the case with such things the infighting among members of the TPW Board began immediately. Mrs. Sam E. Wilson was to donate the land for the pass but Commission Chairman Pearce Johnson objected to various clauses in the contract and the fight between Johnson and Wildlife Commissioner Harry Jersig of San Antonio was on. Jersig was owner of the Lone Star Brewery and an avid outdoorsman. The fight centered around two issues: First, Johnson questioned the legality of using money from the General Fund or from Fund No. 9 to build the pass. The second was a curious provision in state law prohibiting the use of a “fish pass” by boats. Promoters of the project wanted boats to use the pass since it could spark economic development. At this point both Newport Pass and Packery Channel were still open periodically due to Beulah but were slowly silting up. Another fight had already begun because fishing groups in the area accused developers who owned land next to Packery of using sand fences to fill the channel in so as to add land to their holdings.
1887 USGS Map showing Corpus Christi Pass
Mother Nature intervenes While the commission was fighting over Fish Pass Mother Nature intervened once again when in August of 1970 Hurricane Celia reminded the humans that Mother Nature was not crazy about having an impervious barrier paralleling her beach and cut the road to pieces again.
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Finally in February, 1971 the groundbreaking for the pass was done with the notable absence of TPW Chairman Johnson who not only failed to show up but refused to sign the enabling documents for the project. The squabbling continued during the dedication ceremony as Jersig in his comments said the new commissioner recently appointed to the board by Governor Smith, “was nominated because he holds the same negative opinion about the Island just like Smith” and was appointed because he “wants a park in East Texas near Livingstone.”
A horse designed by committee While opponents were unable to stop the building of Fish Pass they were able to stop some of the approximately $4 million set aside for its construction from being used. If a camel is indeed a horse designed by committee then Fish Pass is a channel designed by a committee that couldn’t get along. This produced two developments which resulted in the silted up “pass” we have today. Eventually just under $2 million of the money was spent on the project. So rather than a bridge with enough clearance for boats to pass there is just enough room for water. The second cutback was on the jetties extending into the Gulf. Rather than pushing the jetties out about 700 feet as originally designed, far enough to keep the mouth of the pass from silting up, the cutbacks meant the jetties barely make it to the water’s
The fight over Fish Pass as portrayed in the Big Daily in 1970-71
edge. The result is a pass designed by a committee that couldn’t get along; the pass soon enough silted shut allowing for passage of neither boats or fish, and the jetties now serve only as an impediment to traffic down the beach and a permanent reminder of what might have been.
The bulkheads you see now as you drive down SH 361 were meant to line a permanent water pass and a fund was to be set aside to dredge the pass as needed. The cutbacks resulted in jetties lining a sandy flat on the Gulf side and no money for dredging. Fish Pass stands today a monument to bureaucratic wrangling and a job only half done; a pass that isn’t a pass, waiting for Mother Nature to come along once again and remind us where she wants the water to flow.
July 5, 2012
Island Moon
Real Estate Roundup
By Mary Lou White If you have sold or brochures from five different providers, in our purchased a home in office. Nancy shared Old Republic statistics the past several years, with me that claims May 2012 was the highest you probably have revenue month in Old Republic history. That also received a home included new policies written and renewal of warranty, as part of existing policies. Before the US economic the transaction. Home down turn, many policies were allowed to Warranty programs seemed to have originated lapse after the first year of purchase. But that in the late 60’s or early 70’s, as consumer has changed drastically in the past three years. activist groups made serious inroads against Nancy shared the fact that the national renewal the prevailing attitude of “caveat emptor” or rate on policies is currently at 22% and Old “Let the Buyer Beware”. Republic has a Think of your home warranty policy renewal This was a property law doctrine that implied the rate of 38%. She policy as similar to your Buyer could not recover believes many from the Seller for defects homeowners human health care policy. It on the property after the are deciding it date of closing. Four of is “cheaper” to does not cover pre-existing the seven Residential keep the home conditions and it does not pay warranty policy Contracts that we use, have a paragraph under than run the risk of for cosmetic surgery. “Property Condition” paying for home that addresses the system repairs purchase of a Residential that come up at Service Contract. According to Nancy unexpected intervals. Another factor is also a Anonsen, the Senior Account Executive for possibility. As income levels have dropped or Old Republic Home Protection, who drops have become more tenuous, homeowners have by my office on a regular basis, as part of her allowed home maintenance to slide further daily marketing strategy, Home Warranties down the budget scale. Therefore, a home became such a common practice, that they were warranty policy may be an option for “risk” addressed specifically in the Offer/Contract management that compensates for deferred form rather than being added by the agents in maintenance. special provisions. Apparently, Texas is one of It Helps But It Does Not Cover the few states that have included this paragraph Everything in their Residential Contracts and allows Continuing Education Credits for Agents who Nancy Anonsen, who has been with Old attend classes based on Residential Service Republic for seven plus years and was a real Contracts. It is my understanding, from Nancy, estate agent prior to that, suggests you think of that Home Warranties are now included in 87% your home warranty policy as similar to your of all residential contracts. Old Republic Home human health care policy. It does not cover Protection was created in 1974 in California (a “pre-existing” conditions and it does not pay very “activist” state) and is based today in San for “cosmetic surgery.” In other words, it will Ramon, California. Prevailing law requires pay to repair or replace those things that are that 40% of all warranty sales income must necessary for everyday living. Case in point…. be held in reserve in the home domicile state. it will fix your stove to operate properly, but Old Republic writes warranties in 28 states and it will not pay to fix the clock on your stove. retains at least 40% of sales income, in each state. It has a total reserve of $97 million.
It will fix your plumbing problem, but it won’t pay for the remodel job. Most service contracts cover common home components such as: stove, dishwasher, garbage disposal, trash compactor, built in microwave and vent hood, water heater, central vac system and central heat and air systems. Refrigerators, washer/dryer and pools must be covered by a separate added policy combined with the “basic” home policy for an additional fee. The brochures are quite extensive and each have minor variations and different prices. It is the responsibility of the purchaser (Buyer) to understand what they are being asked to pay during the term of the contract. As with many things in life, this is not always easy. That is where the help of the account executive in charge of your area, can be very beneficial. In the case of Nancy Anonsen, her territory runs North to Port Lavaca, South to the Rio Grande valley and West to Laredo. Her car and her phone are her mandatory assets.
Builder Home Warranty Plans Just as resale properties have Service Contracts, some builders on new homes, also provide for 10-year home warranties through licensed companies that specialize in covering new home construction. These policies are more extensive and run for 10 years from the date of first occupancy. That is a topic for future discussion. Being informed is a good thing.
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Island Real Estate Ticker 7
Commercial Properties For Sale From $150,000 to $4,557,465
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Island Lots and Land For Sale
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Parcels on a canal or water From $99,000 to $1,850,250
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Parcels not on water From $26,900 to $299,000
215
Island Residences For Sale
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Attached Homes For Sale From $42,500 to $495,000
65
Detached Homes on the water From $224,900 to $2,200,000
38
Detached Homes not on the water From $135,000 to $513,000
33
Island Residences Closed in June 2012
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Island Land Parcels Closed in June 2012
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What The Numbers Imply
Home Warranty policies are written for of one year. Originally, they are chosen Bperiods 2 by the Buyer and reimbursed by the Seller, at closing, per the contract. The warranty provider must be licensed with the Texas Real Estate Commission(TREC) and the contract clearly states in bold letters that the purchase of a “Residential Service Contract” is optional and may be purchased from various companies authorized to do business in Texas. We have
A9
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$1,429,000 Qualified buyers only please call
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Mary Ann McShane, Realtor, GRI, SRES e-mail: malm335@sbcglobal.net Corpus Christi Realty Group Considering a move to the Island? Let me help you find your piece of Paradise - waterfront or interior homes, condos, townhouses, lots Considering selling your Island Property? Call me for a free consultation to obtain the current market value along with tips to make your property the one buyers will put on their “must see” list
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Island Moon
A 10
July 5, 2012
The Barrel Grand Opening
The oldest Island resident, 97 year old Harvie, enjoying the seawall. Give this North Carolina native a shout out if you see her on her 1.6 mile seawall walk. Photo by Mary Craft.
A beautiful full moon shines behind an airstream trailer parked on the beach in Port Aransas.
Sometimes the building of the bonfire is just as entertaining as watching the bonfire burn. Photos by Miles Merwin.
The sargassum mounds on the beach attract children much like cheetos attract seagulls.
Deno and the gang celebrated the eighth annual Full Moon bonfire on the beach in Port Aransas. The Full Moon bonfires are held monthly near mile marker 26.
Joan and Rick Sowash with some friends at the Gary P. Nunn show last weekend at The Back Porch. Photo by Miles Merwin.
The Barrel wine and Tapas bar held their pregrand opening party on Friday, June 29th. A sampling of the new tapas menu was served along with beer and wine. The Barrel is owned by Garrett and Trish Frazier who also own The Black Sheep Bistro. Photos by Jan Rankin.
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Live music at Scuttlebutt’s! Blues every Thursday night. 7/5- John Cortez band. 7/12- Antone & The all Stars, 7/19 Rich Lockhart Band Best Happy Hour on The Island every day 3-7. Check it out!
14254 SPID 361-949-6769 www.scuttlebuttsbarandgrill.com High Quality Work at Competitive Pricing!
Season’s Greetings & Happy Holidays Best Rates, Best Carts
Bron’s Beach Carts located at 314 East Avenue G. Best cars in Port Aransas. Great service, friendly people.
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