The Island Moon Newspaper

The Island Moon Published by Island Moon Publishing, LLC 15201 S. Padre Island Drive Ste. 250 Corpus Christi, TX. 78418 editor@islandmoon.com (361) 949-7700

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Island Moon The Island Newspaper

Island Area News ● Events ● Entertainment

January 19, 2012

Photo by By George Brandalick

Keeping the Island Whimsical since 1996

Around The Island

Inside the Moon...

Schlitterbahn planning map

By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com The Red Tide is gone, our Winter Texan friends have arrived, the weather is great… is this a great Island or what friends?

Life is good on our Island.

The wind has behaved itself and for the most part so have the Winter Texans…you guys are slacking get with it and start causing some trouble.

The belt sander racing season has kicked off at The Gaff in Port A on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. There are few sights on earth that cause the heart to soar like an eagle they way it does when those belt sanders tear off down that track to the roar of the popcorn and the smell of the crowd. It’s a thing of beauty.

We continue to get a boatload of complaints here at the Word Factory about the raft (that’s what they are called) of duck hunters who are filling the sky with lead over by the Laguna, often within falling shot distance of Island homes.

As we understand the law it is legal to hunt as long as it is at least 150 feet from a residence, on a piece of land that is ten acres or more, and not posted.

This has been an issue for years and there appears little change will happen without some change in city ordinance.

page A 2 Local Music Scene

Year 15, Issue 406

Plans for Island Schlitterbahn Resort and Waterpark “Nearing Completion” The plan to bring a Schlitterbahn Resort and Waterpark to The Island has reached a crucial stage.

Developer Paul Schexnailder and Schlitterbahn director of new projects and part owner Jeff Henry outlined their plans for the 61 acre park to a packed house at Seashore Academy Gymnasium on last Wednesday night. The exact number who attended is unknown because the signup sheets at the door were filled to capacity even as residents continued arriving until the gym was standing room only.

The development would include the waterpark and resort, retail space, hotels, residential space, and a 3000-foot canal system that would join the development

Page A 4 The Adventure of the Martini Alley

Schlitterbahn Cont. on A2

Schlitterbahn developers spoke to a packed house at the Seashore gym.

Page A 9 Frostbite Betty

Our advice; when you see the ducks coming in for a landing fire a shot in the air and scare them off. No ducks, no hunters. Problem solved. See how easy that was.

Who woulda thunk it?

With the news that we are getting a grocery store on our Around Continued on A6

Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper

By Dale Rankin

We ask again…is this a great Island or what?

Duck baby!

Next Publication Date: 1/26/2012

Page A 11

Signs of progress. Even as the final touches are being put on the plan for the Schlitterbahn Resort and Waterpark and Beach Walk development crews are already at work at the site. The pink flags that have been turning up along SPID (Park Road 22) signify areas that have been designated as wetlands.

Dredging continues in Packery Channel and the sand is being pumped to the beach along Michael J. Ellis Seawall. The work is scheduled to be done by early February.

Grocery Store!

Scientific Study Area idea scrapped

State Regulators to Rely on Public Education Plan or Now Editor’s note: Texas Parks and Wildlife has announced it will scrap its plan to turn the Laguna Madre between The Island and Flour Bluff into a Scientific Study Area – at least for now. The plan was to be presented to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission in March as the next step for putting it into action. However, the move, according to sources originally proposed by commission member Dan Allen Hughes, Jr. of Beeville, sparked a wildfire of backlash from local boaters who saw in the SSA plan the seeds of establishing a no-motor zone in the area.

According to backers of the SSA plan the idea was to provide protection for seagrass in the area.

However, boaters appealed to regulators by saying that if protecting seagrass was the motivation then a state law establishing fines for damage to seagrass was a better course of action and a SSA was unnecessary since it only protected seagrass inside the SSA boundaries and left the remaining 99% of the seagrass along the coast vulnerable.

One of the groups opposed to the SSA was the local chapter of the Saltwater Fisheries Enhancement Association (SEA). What follows is their letter to TPW. Dear Commissioners, The Saltwater-fisheries Enhancement Association (SEA) representing 5,000 members in the Coastal Bend would like to offer the following comments regarding the proposals presented for regulation consideration at the recent scoping meetings conducted in the Corpus Christi area.

not support this regulation due to the lack of supporting evidence which would warrant the need for this regulation. No evidence was presented which indicated either diminished seagrass or significant damage from the prop scarring. It is our feeling that further seagrass studies need to be conducted. At that time, if significant adverse changes are being noted, would encourage input to TPWD from local stakeholders prior to moving forward with a specific proposal.

It is always SEA’s intent to be diligent in protecting, and enhancing our saltwater

Island Groceries and Internet Café, Inc is opening a location at the Subway strip mall where they will occupy the entire back building. You can pick up fresh meat and produce, take care of your business office needs and enjoy fresh baked goodies with gourmet coffee all in one stop. The name of the business here will be Biz Center Café on the Island.

Is it safe to go to the border?

Progresso a Safe Choice for a Day in Mexico

By Dale Rankin

resources. In no manner is our opposition to the SSA to be interpreted as a disregard for the importance of our seagrass for the health of our baby system.

With regard to Proposal Number 1 regarding the changes in fishing rules during freeze periods, SEA endorses the new regulation. In addition, we would like to see efforts extended to restrict barge traffic during these periods.

We feel this is an important component of protecting fish during these periods.

The recent decision to enact a voluntary plan for seagrass protection in the JFK Causeway area has met with some skepticism from our membership. We question why only the JFK area was designated for this program, when there are other areas our membership identifies as being at greater risk. In reality, a voluntary outreach plan to educate boaters about seagrass protection should be considered on a statewide basis. There is even support for a bill to provide reasonable protection for seagrass statewide without the need for separate SSA. The responsible and prudent operation of our boats is incumbent on each of us.

With regard to Proposal Number 2 regarding the establishment of a State Scientific Area (SSA) in the JFK Causeway vicinity, we do

In closing, we would like to thank TPWD for all their efforts and look forward to working closely with the staff on future issues.

One of the reasons Winter Texans like South Texas is they can cross into Mexico for discounts on prescription drugs and a fun daytrip for shopping and dining. But in the last three years the U.S./Mexican border has turned into a war zone with shootings, beheadings, and kidnappings becoming commonplace. An oft asked question is whether there is a safe place to cross for a daytrip; the short answer is yes – the town of Progresso about three hours drive from The Island.

The first thing you notice when you pull into the parking lot on the U.S. side of the Nuevo Progresso Bridge is that of the hundred, even thousands of cars parked there more than half are from out of state. The regular Winter Texans who have been coming here for years have paid no attention to the travel advisory put out for all of Mexico by the U.S. State Department. Are Border Continued on A8

Let’s all go to Mexico!

The Moon is Sponsoring a Day Trip to Progresso, Mexico on Valentine’s Day Mark your calendars for Tuesday, February 14. It will be the first Moon excursion to Progresso, Mexico for a day of Bordertown Fun. So far we have about twenty people who want to go, we need about forty-five people in order to pay for the bus and driver.

(We tried to get them to do it for free but is was a no-go).

Contact us at editor@islandmoon.com and be sure to provide a phone number. The cost is $40 for the roundtrip and we’ll try to throw in a box lunch if we can. We will also have a guide meet us in Mexico to help find deals on and other things we might need help with.

He can also help arranged special prices with the pharmacies for those who want to fill prescriptions on meds.

We can always add more buses if we need them but we need at least forty-five people for the trip to make.

So let us know if you are interested…and be aware…this will not be a teetotaler’s trip… after all, it is Mexico Moon Amigos! Let’s go have some dang fun!

A 2

Schlitterbahn Continued from A1 to a proposed bridge under SPID (Park Road 22) leading to Lake Padre and on to Packery Channel. A new canal would connect the existing Island canal system to the new development. The majority of the project would be located on the current site of the easternmost nine holes on the Padre Isles Country Club.

Work crews have begun surveying in the area last week and are set to begin taking bore samples at the sight of the proposed route of the canal and onto the golf course. Developers have said they want to begin construction by June at the latest with the target of an opening in the early summer or late spring of 2013.

Henry told the crowd the park is expected to draw about 250,000 people per year and will be open year round with hours reduced to weekend only in the offseason.

Residence at the meeting expressed concern over the impact the park would have on Island traffic. It is estimated that it will add1800 cars per day to the 26,000 which currently travel along SPID each day. City engineers told the crowd that a traffic analysis will be done but the amount of increased traffic is not sufficient to trigger a full traffic impact study.

Island Moon

corridor between Austin and San Antonio in 1966.

At this writing a meeting is scheduled to place proposed zoning changes needed for the project before the Planning and Zoning board. City staff has said they will recommend the changes be approved. Once the board has ruled the matter will go before the full city council for an up or down vote. That vote, along with consideration of tax incentives and other city-related issues is expected to go before the council in the next 40 days.

Construction at the park is expected to employ about 1200 people, once completed the park will employ an estimated 1500 people during the season and about 100 people full-time. The majority of the summer jobs, Henry said, will go to teenagers who will be trained, among other things, in CPR. “We fit your community well,” Henry said. “If you were going to recruit a company we would be at the top of your list to recruit. We are not industrial. We are not a huge megacorporation.

We are a family company. We build small parks, we are sized for your community. We bring you a positive life-style improvement.”

The park’s hours will be from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. meaning that the additional traffic generated by the park will come at off-peak hours. The current park in Galveston is twice the size of the proposed park here and attracts 500,000 visitors per year.

In answer to questions from the audience Schexnailder said the additional demand for water and sewer the park will create can be handled by existing infrastructure. The park recycles water and the only major water loss at the park is due to evaporation.

“Galveston also has a causeway,” Henry said.

“When the City of Corpus Christi contacted Galveston they were told the park there did not have major impact on traffic on the causeway.”

“The planning process is nearing completion,” Schexnailder told the crowd.

The Island park would be the fifth owned and operated park that Schlitterbahn has built. The business is wholly owned by the Henry family and started in New Braunfels, along the IH-35

January 19, 2012

“When we are finished you will be happy and glad we are here. We are going to be good corporate citizens,” Henry said. “This park will provide an experience that is unique to the Texas Coast. It will be an enhancement of the Island.”

Sonic Drive-In

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January 19, 2012

By Dale Rankin We decided to go to The Border last weekend and see if what all the hype is about; so far Gringo Tourists four, Mexican Drug Gangs zero. Take that Pancho Villa!

Way back when I got my driver’s license over there on the North Shore in Portland one of the first rites of passage was a lost weekend in a border town. You know, when you tell your parents you’re going to a debate tournament in Waxahachie and as soon as you get to the end of your block you head straight for Nuevo Laredo.

You know…accordion music and starry nights.

Border towns are where most all Texas kids first experienced a foreign country (unless you count Aransas Pass) and because of that no matter where we end up travelling in Mexico we always think of the border towns as being Mexico. Of course judging Mexico City by going to Acuna would be like judging New York City by going to Del Rio. So there’s that.

Weird place to be a dog The most surprising thing to me is that over the year the border towns haven’t changed all that much. The basic elements are still there.

Matamoros is still a grungy why-am-I-here kind of town, Laredo’s fun but always one wild rumor away from trouble that results in gunfire and the closing of the bridge for two hours. So it goes.

I once saw a dog get hit by a car in Nuevo Laredo and the dog rolled all the way under the car and came out the back side on his feet and started walking away like nothing happened.

Just looking for his next meal. Along came a man pushing a cart selling corn on the cob who ran out in the street and grabbed that dog up by the withers and carried him to the sidewalk where he tried to sell him to a passing lady tourist as “the perro who defeated the angry car.”

That’s how life goes down in a Bordertown. It’s a weird place to be a dog.

Fast trouble So we get down to Nuevo Progresso and we go to the Red Snapper Restaurant and we’re looking around and I’m thinking,..I know exactly how I could get into trouble real quick in this little hamlet. Walk about eight blocks down from the last place you saw an American right before sundown and stop in the middle of the street. Trouble will find you fast. If I were here by myself I would try it just to see what happens.

Island Moon

Stuff I heard on the Island That’s also how life goes down in a Bordertown.

It’s a weird place to be an old hippy.

Just life its ownself Our Mexican friends like to say there are so close to America and so far from God. Be that as it may dropping down across the border for some cultural exchange is a South Texan tradition. We’re not going to let a little border trouble stop that. No sir, a day in Mexico is good for the soul.

Here closer to home there are some things we do that may seem odd to outsider, but then again outsiders seem a little odd to us so that evens out. When we first come to The Island the first thing we do is start trying to change it into the place we left behind. This of course is puzzling since there is a reason we left that place behind and came here and eventually the logic of that sets in and we adjust.

That’s how life goes down on a barrier island.

So for you newcomers here’s a few pointers on our local mores and idiosyncrasies to help in your Islandization.

We welcome newcomers but we will remind you that we are not Destin, and we are not Huntington Beach. If you like those places we suggest that rather attempting to make our Island like them you simply reverse the route that brought you here and go back from whence you came. We like to keep a little bit of Texas deep down our Island soul. Remember, you must embrace change or change will defeat you.

A3

As a general rule we don’t like a lot of rules and regulations. We don’t need a label to tell us to “Keep hands and feet from under mower,” “Thaw out before eating,” or “Keep taxing authority away from Democrats” anymore than we need a label on a stick of dynamite that says, “Do not swallow while lit.”

The exception might be a sign that says, “If you are going to feed the gulls go someplace other than here,” or “Don’t throw your dang beer bottles – or cans for that matter – on the beach.”

We definitely do need one that says “Men with tavern tumors should not wear Speedos.” For men and women alike if you can’t look straight down and see your toes then leave the Speedo in the drawer.

That friends, doesn’t not have to be part of life on a barrier Island.

Kiwanis luncheons at the Holiday Inn on th Island featured Blake Farenthold with Ilene

Jantz, current Kiwanis President , and To Criser, President last year. The second is Joe Gaz from KIII Television speaking at the luncheon.

Moon House of the Week

We drive on the beach. These seems odd to newcomers but if you are going to tell us we can’t do that you better have a dang good reason or you’re going to have a shooting war on your hands. There’s not a whole lot of room for compromise on this one. We’re not Florida and we don’t want to be, thank you very much.

And yes, we often drive big pickups on the sand and sometimes they have loud mufflers. It doesn’t hurt anyone and it makes us happy so just wait…this too shall pass.

That too is how life goes down on a barrier island.

We don’t drive our boats through seagrass and leave a trail. If we see someone doing that we make them stop. ..one way or another. Tearing up seagrass with your prop is not something we do and we don’t really need a law to tell us that but if you feel we need one we’ll help you get it passed. But when you use the protection of seagrass to try and keep us from using parts of our natural resource…we don’t like that very much. Be honest and we can reason together.

Use our leg like a dog uses a fire hydrant and try to tell us it’s raining and there’s going to be trouble; bad trouble.

The Moon House of the Week is this Mediterranean-style house built on four lots in the 14,000 block of Cabo Blanco on The Island.

It was built as a custom home eleven years ago and was designed for entertaining. It has been the site for many parties and weddings. It is currently for sale.

If you know of a unique house on The Island that you think should be the Moon House of the Week let us know.

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Island Moon

A 4

Three Chords and the Truth

By Ronnie Narmour ronnienarmour@gmail.com It may be the dead of winter but I found a few shows to tell you about. I’m especially enjoying the weekly shows at Bernie’s (PA Rockers, Wednesdays at 6:30 pm) and the Tarpon Ice House (Free Beer Band, Thursdays at 7:00 pm and the Open Jam with Ricke Burnett, Sundays at 5:00 pm). Stop by and check them out. They’re really a lot of fun. But right now, time’s a wasting. Let’s roll…

Lukas Nelson

Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real (Paia, Hawaii) played the House of Rock on January

Lukas Nelson played the House of Rock on Jan. 14th 14th. The first thing that impressed me about young Lukas Nelson was that in all of the press releases and interview offers I received leading up to this gig, not once was it mentioned that he was the son of Willie Nelson, a detail you’d think bears mentioning. And, I’m a bit ashamed to admit, it wasn’t until I discovered this little detail that I actually paid attention.

Honestly, I wasn’t even aware Willie had a son. In Austin (back in the 80’s) I knew, Lana Nelson, a daughter from his first marriage. I covered a show of Paula Nelson’s, daughter from his third marriage, who played the Back Porch a couple of years ago. Fact is, Willie’s been married four times and has fathered seven children, but I’d never heard anything about 23 year old Lukas Nelson.

I decided to wait until after I’d seen his show to do my research. I wanted to hear Nelson blind with no predisposed notions in my head. So, as I walked towards the House of Rock I really had no idea what I was about to hear. Actually, I still wasn’t completely convinced he really was Willie’s son until I saw “The Bus” in front of the club. It was Willie’s old tour bus. I’d seen it in Austin a thousand times through the years. I couldn’t believe it! The original “Willie Nelson Bus” (with the horses and Indians on the side) was still alive and sitting in front of the House of Rock. OK…I’m buying it now.

Seeing that bus and knowing all of the “On the Road Again” lineage attached to it, made me immediately accept young Lukas as the chosen one…no matter what he sounded like. This was Willie’s boy and I’d take a bullet for him.

I went to this show with my buddies from the Island who were all seasoned music fans. We’d all been to Willie’s shows and Fourth of July picnics, so we got to the club early expecting large numbers. Nope. Only about 50 or 60 people showed up. I’d gone to the Willie show at Concrete Street two winters ago and knew the people of Corpus could rise to the occasion in the presence of royalty. I guess young Lukas would have to prove himself before he starts filling arenas on his own. As he played it became obvious he was OK with that task. He and his band played to this small audience with

January 19, 2012

Welcome Winter Texans

Free Beer Band Every Thursday (7:00pm)

Carol Elliott (5-7) Friday 1-27 First Friday 2-3

Open Jam Every Sunday (5:00pm) 321 N Alister * (361) 749-2337

a fervor and genuine energy that would have easily blown away a crowd 100 times the size.

And he was good…really good.

The band was a four piece…guitar, bass, drums and percussion (congas and timbales.) Lukas’ voice sounds remarkably similar to Willie’s.

When he sang, it had that unmistakable nasal twang all over it. But, his guitar playing was anything but country. It was blues…fast, in your face, hard, screaming, rocking blues. He was clean and powerful and had his scissor kicks down. The show took on a whole new dimension when Lukas played the guitar with his teeth. He played all original material except for a couple of covers by Jimi Hendrix, one

by Bob Dylan and the exceptional Sympathy For the Devil by the Rolling Stones. He didn’t introduce any of the songs or talk at all, except to introduce the band once and to sincerely thank the audience for giving him a chance.

If anything, his stage presence came off as a little shy. But, the humility this fine young man exuded was noteworthy and it was obvious he wasn’t resting on anybody’s laurels. After the show, he immediately came down to the merch table and made himself available for autographs and pictures. I looked at his tour schedule and he will play 250 shows in 2012. Lukas Nelson is doing it the old fashion way...with hard work and raw talent. I’m sure the next time he comes around he won’t be playing to only 50 people.

Mark my words, this boy will go far, but not just because of his daddy. As Lukas sings it, he’s only, “…riding on the trail that my father left me.”

DO NOT MISS LIST

Carol Elliott Carol Elliott (Port Aransas, TX) will play the Tarpon Ice House on Friday, January 27th from 5-7 pm. Elliott is a favorite of locals and Winter Texans alike. She was active on the national folk scene for many years before moving to Port A from Nashville.

Originally from Atlanta, she’s spent 30 years in the music industry, either as a performing singer-songwriter or as a record company exec on Music Row. Her list of credentials are impressive ranging from a street performer in San Francisco to working with top artists in Nashville. She was a Kerrville Folk Festival finalist Keith Sykes will play the Third Coast Studio on Jan. 21st and even received compliments than 100 songs recorded by a variety of cool from a former Poet Laureate, Howard Nemerov, who said, “If I could sing artists such as John Prine, Roseanne Cash, like that, I wouldn’t bother with poetry.” Her Rodney Crowell, The Judds, Jerry Jeff song, Corn, Water and Wood, was recorded Walker, George Thorogood, Guy Clark,

by Michael Martin Murphy and received the Todd Snider and Patti Loveless. He’s recorded prestigious Wrangler Award from the Cowboy his own albums that include I’m Not Strange, Hall of Fame. She’ll also be back to play First I’m Just Like You and It Don’t Hurt to Flirt.

He has appeared on Austin City Limits and Friday at the Ice House on February 3rd.

Saturday Night Live. Sykes is a regular visitor Keith Sykes to Port Aransas where he often comes to write Singer-songwriter-recording artist, Keith songs in the serenity of the Lydia Ann light Sykes (Memphis, TN) will play the Third Coast house. Tickets are $25.

Theater in Port A on Saturday, January 21st.

Sykes is best known for co-writing “Volcano,” And that’s the truth! a hit for Jimmy Buffett. He also has had more

Live Music Tonight

Thursday, Jan. 26th

Free Beer @ Tarpon Ice House

Thursday, Jan. 19th

Karen Froeschner and Jen Rubinowitz perform in Always...Patsy Cline

Always… Patsy Cline The musical tribute, Always…Patsy Cline played at the Rialto Theater in Aransas Pass last weekend. I attended the sold out Sunday matinee. The play is based around the real life relationship of a Houston housewife, Louise Seger, and country music legend, Patsy Cline.

Cline is played by Jen Rubinowitz and Seger is played by the gregarious Karen Froeschner.

During the course of the show, Rubinowitz sang 25 of Cline’s songs and was backed by a live band on stage. Rubinowitz has a clear, pitch perfect singing style, capable of showcasing Patsy’s hits without a problem. But, clearly she has closely studied Cline’s phrasing and intonations. At moments one could close their eyes and believe Patsy Cline was in the room.

With frequent wardrobe changes (reflecting 50’s and 60’s styles) the play had no dull spots.

The band accompanied Rubinowitz faultlessly and Froeschner delighted the audience with her vivacity and unexpected asides. This is the last weekend of this production. Tickets are $15 and can be reserved by calling (361) 758-0383 or by going to www.rialtotheater.org.

Carol Elliott

Roger Creager @ Brewster Street Ice House

Free Beer @ Tarpon Ice House

40 Pound Dog @ Executive Surf Club

Matt’s Local Showcase @ House of Rock

Friday, Jan. 27th Ray T & the City Crew @ Flats Lounge

Charlie Montague @ Executive Surf Club

Pacifica Quartet/ Wann-dar Tan @ House of Rock

Friday, Jan. 20th Ray T & the City Crew @ Flats Lounge

John Cortez @ Dr. Rockits

Another Level @ Brewster Street Ice House

Aaron Einhouse @ Executive Surf Club

Friends and Lovers Art Show @ House of Rock The Groove @ Dr. Rockits Flashback @ Executive Surf Club

Keith Sykes @ 3rd Coast Theater Lourdes @ Dr. Rockits Paul Renna @ Executive Surf Club

Burlesque Show @ House of Rock Mighty Org @ Dr. Rockits Dean Seltzer @ Executive Surf Club

Saturday, Jan. 21st Metal Shop @ Brewster Street Ice House

Saturday, Jan. 28th

Welcome Winter Texans

Open Electric Jam w/ Rockin’ Ricke @ Tarpon Ice House

Mon-Sat 10am- 2am Sun Noon- 2am Live Music EveryFriday

Tumble Dry Low @ Bernie’s Beach House Monday, Jan. 30th Open Jam w/ Antone Perez @ Dr. Rockits

Sunday, Jan. 22nd Open Electric Jam w/ Rockin’ Ricke @ Tarpon Ice House

Acoustic Night w/ Art Barrera @ House of Rock

Franken Bike #1 @ House of Rock

Tuesday, Jan. 31st

Tumble Dry Low @ Bernie’s Beach House Monday, Jan. 23rd Open Jam w/ Antone Perez @ Dr. Rockits

Willie Nelson’s old tour bus

Carol Elliott will play the Tarpon Ice House on Jan. 27th

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Daily Lunch Specials

Private Parties, Personal Chef, Weddings

Acoustic Monday w/ Benny Perez @ House of Rock Tuesday, Jan. 24th Antone & Atomic Blues Band @ Dr. Rockits

Moby Dicks Medicare Band Every Wednesday

All You Can Eat Shrimp 517 South Alister Street Port Aransas, Tx

Open Mic w/ Rev. Matt Martinez @ House of Rock Scarecrow People @ Executive Surf Club Clarissa Serna @ Revolution Bar & Grill Wednesday, Jan. 25th

Sunday, Jan. 29th

Antone & Atomic Blues Band @ Dr. Rockits Open Mic w/ Rev. Matt Martinez @ House of Rock Scarecrow People @ Executive Surf Club Clarissa Serna @ Revolution Bar & Grill Wednesday, Feb. 1st

Open Jam w/ Wolf Jaw @ Flats Lounge PA Rockers @ Bernie’s Beach House Beer & Berto Show @ House of Rock Medicare Band @ Moby Dick’s

Open Jam w/ Wolf Jaw @ Flats Lounge PA Rockers @ Bernie’s Beach House

Thursday, Feb. 2nd Free Beer @ Tarpon Ice House

Beer & Berto Show @ House of Rock

Saturday, Feb. 4th

HOBO @ House of Rock

Terri Hendrix @ 3rd Coast Theater

Medicare Band @ Moby Dick’s

Fred Andrews & Honeybrowne @ Executive Surf Club

The Gaff Beer ● Pizza ● Belt Sander Races (361) 749-5970

January 19, 2012

Island Moon

Letters to the Editor Duck Hunters

Hi Dale,

We come to the end of the duck hunting happily and regretfully. - happily because we won’t hear the report of shotguns shortly after 6am (at times before the legal time of 30 min. before sunrise) and regretfully since we have not received any promise of of help in enforcing the municipal code. This time last year I was told by an officer in the CCPD that he and other officers were working towards a resolution of the problem. Last week, the same officer told me that there is nothing that can be done because Corpus must conform to State law. and indeed we must, however, the 2011-2012 Texas Waterfowl Digest does not state that shotguns can be discharged 150 feet from a dwelling.

All of the State Hunting Codes are firm that no hunting is allowed on private property without “the expressed consent of the owner.” “Under the trespass provisions of the penal Code, a person on a property without the permission of the owner is subject to arrest. Since proof of consent is difficult to prove, property should be posted and/or purple markings should be on the trees or posts. The private property that I am specifically addressing is off Aquarius Street (unpaved) commonly called Aquarius pond.

Shooting has been going on at that location for several years. The posted signs are regularly removed and the mounds of sand acting as barriers are run over and destroyed by the

large trucks of the duck hunters. Other private property along Aquarius has been trespassed by hunters. The muni code forbids shooting/ hunting from the shoreline of the Laguna Madre. Shooting takes place in the nearby mitigation area to include rifles at times.

Certain hunters have cut away the breasts of the ducks and thrown the feathered remains in our canals or waters leading to the canals. This seems to me to be contraindicated by the section regarding Wanton Waste of a wildlife resource spelled out on page 5 of the Waterfowl Digest.

The other parts of the duck are edible. Even if the wanton waste is disputed, the issue of the pollution of the water is clear. It also violates the section on Species Identification on page 7 of the digest that states “One fully feathered wing or head must remain attached to dressed waterfowl while being transported between the place taken and the personal residence (personal abode) of the hunter.”

I AM NOT opposed to hunting that is conducted in a legal manner and where the game is eaten .

I believe that the only solution tot the confusion of the CC Code is petition the mayor and city council to revise the code regarding the discharge of firearms in the city limits without exception.

A5

6th Annual Coastal Bend Travel Fair Wednesday, January 25th

The 6th Annual Coastal Bend Travel Fair will be presented on Wednesday, January 25, at the Aransas Pass Civic Center. This 2012 Travel Fair is sponsored by the Texas Coastal Bend Regional Tourism Council (www.txcoastalbend. org) and is an opportunity for representatives from the 18 counties who make up the Council to join together to showcase the diverse tourism opportunities available to the Coastal Bend Winter Texan visitors and area residents.

recreational adventures. These vendors will also include health care professionals and a book store as well as various Aransas Pass businesses. Guides will also be there to book your deep-sea fishing adventure, a kayak fishing & scenic tour or personalized guided fishing excursion. Food and drinks, including a hot lunch, will be on sale throughout the day.

The South Texas Coastal Bend area is home to cowboys, historic homes and museums, birding, surf and freshwater fishing, wineries and so much more. Join us in Aransas Pass and learn more about all this fun and adventure.

A highlight of the event will include door prizes given away throughout the day, donated by the various featured tourism attractions and other vendors. No purchase is necessary, but you must be present to win. Over 100 door prizes were given away during the 2011 event including fishing trips, an overnight stay at a coastal B&B and gift baskets representing area communities.

Free Admission The Travel Fair will be open to the public with free admission from 10 am to 4 pm. The Aransas Pass Civic Center, located at 700 W. Wheeler in Aransas Pass, will be filled with a variety of booths representing tourism attractions from around the Coastal Bend.

The Travel Fair will feature approximately 40 vendors, representing tourism and outdoor

Door Prizes and Fun

Plan on attending the January 25 Coastal Bend Travel Fair to learn more about the area’s treasure trove of tourism attractions, win some door prizes and have lunch.

For more information, contact Nancy Deviney at 361 547-8033 or nancydeviney@yahoo.com.

Sincerely, Agnes Maier

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Around Continued from A1 Island (see story this page) that means we now will have a Mexican restaurant, a Barbeque place, a drug store, a grocery store, and soon maybe a waterpark…the world has gone mad!

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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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A 6

Island Moon

January 19, 2012

Port Aransas Home of the Week

Dee-Scoveries

The view … period. That’s the response from the Crafts when asked what is special and welcoming to them, family and friends about their 2 story, 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths condo at the Mayan Princess.

The Square Mile

By Devorah Fox devorahfox@aol.com devorahfox.com

This beachfront condo with 2 beautiful balcony views from the 3rd and 4th floors has been furnished and decorated to be both functional and fashionable for guests. Aside from the 2 bedrooms there is additional sleeping for 4 persons.

While our esteemed editors were seeing in the new year in the Big Apple, I welcomed 2012 across The Pond, in The Square Mile and environs. Translation: I started the year in England — my first transatlantic trip — in London and surrounding areas, at the invitation of The Captain who for 10 days squired me around, arranged transportation and lodging, suggested venues and menu choices, translated, guided and was all in all the consummate host.

The color scheme of neutral grays and muted coastal greens and blues are complimented by grays and browns in the slate-like ceramic tile and contrasted by the rich, dark woods, leather furnishings and deep rich marble throughout.

We covered quite a bit of ground, spending part of the time in the Dorset County at Lyme Regis along the English Channel Coast and the rest in London, with a side trip to St. Albans.

I had expected awful weather. While it wasn’t sunny and 70 degrees the way it was at home while I was gone, it wasn’t freezing either.

England’s having an unseasonably warm winter, so daytime temperatures were comfortable enough for a walking tours. I expected lots of rain too but very few of our activities got rained out.

I had also expected bland food and that wasn’t the case at all. I tried a lot of traditional English dishes, including a full English breakfast, a steak-and-ale pie, fish and chips, Marmite and afternoon tea with scones and clotted cream.

Believe me, you have not lived until you’ve had a scone with clotted cream. To wash down some of my meals I had a “pint” — British beer — and no, it’s not warm. It’s not ice-cold either, but it is pleasantly cool. And very flavorful. I liked it so well that I bought three bottles from the Town Mill Brewery in Lyme Regis. You may not have heard of Lyme Regis but you might be familiar with its harbor, the Cobb. It was featured in Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion and in the film and novel The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles, a well-known local writer. I got the opportunity to tour the Town Mill which dates back to 1340 century and which still operates today, grinding wheat for flour and producing hydroelectric energy.

My tours took me as far back as 3,000 BC (the date that the Stonehenge monument was started) to the mid 300s (to which parts of St. Alban’s cathedral date back) and the time of William the Conqueror (the construction of Windsor Castle). I took a boat trip down the Thames River and visited the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the location of Greenwich Mean

Time where I got to stand in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

I did take in some high culture. I visited 221B Baker Street, the “home” of Sherlock Holmes and saw Joanna Lumley, star of the popular AbFab television in Trafalgar Square. And of course I went to Harrods, the luxury department store. Frankly, I had more fun at the markets at Covent Garden where not only are there lots of great shops but also buskers (jugglers, magicians and street musicians) providing free entertainment.

The home’s best features are considered to be the balconies, the newly remodeled bathroom with the “human car wash,” along with the custom counter-height bar on the main floor and teak furnishings on both balconies.

After 2 years of research the Crafts chose the M. P. unit for its’ unique 2 story plan and lowcost per foot which allowed them lots of room in their improvement budget, plus easy access to Port A, the Island and Corpus. Along with the Mayan having 3 beachside pools, one which is heated, a Jacuzzi and, of course, the beach the Crafts found Kurt Tugman of Innovo Custom Renovations to help them ‘see’ their beach home become reality.

I rode in British taxis (which are all the same model vehicle), on the Tube (the London Underground rapid transit system), on trains and double-decker buses but I also walked. A lot. Including a climb up White Cliff, an ascent up the steep hill to the Royal Observatory and the 193 stairs from the Covent Garden subway platform up to the street level exit, the equivalent of climbing to the top of a 15-story building (I’ll take the lift the next time!).

For more about my trip, and more photos, visit my blog at http://devorahfox.com.

There was so much that I didn’t get to see and do — and eat! I’ll have to go back. I would definitely get The London Pass Travelcard again. That was well worth the investment for free entry to lots of attractions, discounts on others and unlimited travel on all public transport. And I’ll bring a better pair of walking shoes. I’ll see you there.

Surfing in Port A Photos by Ronnie Narmour

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January 19, 2012

Island Moon

On the Rocks

GulfBreeze

New Year

By Jay Gardener Wow, this year has really gotten kicked off with a bang.

Things are moving and shaking around our sandbar out here with the Park Road 22 Bridge, Schlitterbahn, and the anticipated discussions with more development and infrastructure questions. Top that off with some fairly mild weather and folks are running around all over the place. Although I can almost taste spring, I know that we still have February to go, and most freezes occur in February, including the past two in which I lost pipes in my house and made some awesome ice structures down the side of my house. I hopefully nipped that in the bud and finally bought the foam and wrapped all those pipes. Bring it on!

Big Shell Cleanup One thing that is coming up sooner than later will be the Billy Sandifer/Big Shell Clean up slated for the last Saturday in February (the 25th). I will be heading down the sand this year, as I have let the moss grow under my feet too long up at the VC (Visitors Center at Malaquite)

for a very worthy cause here coming up shortly next month.

A SSA by another name Something else that is coming up sooner than later is the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Commission meeting. This is where a set of Perry-appointees decide what changes need to be made to our Outdoor Fishing and Hunting rules. This year they of course have the freezerelated change that will make it illegal to collect cold-stunned fish by any means. That’s a nobrainer that we all support. The second change will be a State Scientific Area (SSA).

Now, I know that the public was very vocal against the proposal, however the TPWD Staff will be moving forward with a modified proposal. It’s not over folks: even though there won’t be the enforcement of uprooting sea grass, there will still be an educational component, and of course the scientific studies.

So, no matter what, the Department is going to “draw lines on a map”. I see this as nothing more as a means to circumvent popular public sentiment to get what “they” want. If you move quickly you can still get online and post your

Camp Host at Bird Island Throughout the winter Bird Island Basin (BIB) is a popular site for recreational vehicle campers. Waterfront campsites along the windsurfing area have no hook-ups and only a BIB one-time recreational fee is required. There are posted rules applicable to all visitors and campers.

Either way, the main focus of the exercise is to come on down to the VC parking lot by 7 a.m. that morning and be ready to head down the beach and clean some trash. We always need 4WD vehicles and especially larger trucks with trailers to help get the trash off the beach.

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Flatland pachanga We got out of town this past weekend and went up to Amy’s folks ranch outside of Campelton for the season closure of the deer season. I was really tired from the past week and the pachanga on Friday for Shawne, so I just kind of took it easy and tried some fishing and dove hunting (both complete busts). Trevor, Bumpy and Jason took to the stands, and Jason got a spike, and Trevor found out his gun wasn’t “on”. Mickey (and Gabby) showed up later and we all had a nice visit around the campfire (I can STILL smell it on me, LOL) and some good vittles. Thanks India and Steve for the hospitality.

Packery Channel update Speaking of Shawne, I would like to wish our friend Shawne Thorsen good luck as she takes the next step towards life 2.0. She’s accepted a job in the bustling town of Fort Worth and has already headed north out of town. Good luck (although you don’t need it) and make sure to let us know when you’re planning on coming down to visit.

Management... second retirement

Warren also had a long career in the Commercial Real Estate business. He managed properties for several large companies in Denver, Colorado for ten years. His daughter and three granddaughters still live in Denver.

Warren also worked 14 years in Dallas, managing various properties in Texas,

Background... more room for everyone In 2005 the Padre Island National Seashore (PINS) completed major improvements at BIB to separate roads to the boat ramp and windsurfing areas and expand the parking at both areas. PINS also began utilizing a volunteer camp host at the windsurfing camping area, during peak crowd levels, generally November through April.

Transition... on-site camp host Park regulations, posted at the boat ramp parking and the windsurfing areas, are enforced by Park Rangers. The onsite camp host has radio contact with the rangers to help manage daily questions and issues. The camp host keeps records needed to enforce regulations which limit the time campers are allowed to remain on site. There have been a number of different camp hosts each year. The host is on-site for various time periods and only one camp host returned a second time.

First tour... maiden voyage

while cooking hotdogs for everyone. Now, don’t start hyperventilating, I will have a crew assembled by that time that should be more than capable to handle things. So don’t fret, there will still be my famous chili-cheese dogs, only there will be someone else there serving. Our good friend Candace Tidmore has volunteered so far; thanks Candace. Hopefully Roadkill Willie will be there to dish up his famous Frito Pies.

A7

In November of last year, Warren Herd arrived to volunteer as the camp host at BIB. This is his first trip in a new 33 foot long double slide trailer and Warren plans to remain as camp host t BIB through April. Warren is from Protection, in southwest Kansas, where he was born and raised on the family’s third generation wheat farm and cattle ranch.

Warren graduated from Kansas State University at Ft. Hayes, Kansas with a degree in Agriculture. He decided early that he did not want any part of the family farm/ranch. Warren also received a degree in business in addition to completing extensive training to become a mechanic and engineer in the United States Air Force (USAF).

Military... first retirement In 1981, Warren enlisted in the USAF and was a non-commissioned jet engine mechanic for six years. He became an officer and continued his military service as a Squadron Maintenance Officer at various stateside locations and was offered a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel.

Warren decided to retire from the USAF as a Major and Viet Nam veteran with 20 years of service.

Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee.

He served as President of the Building Owners and Managers Association in Dallas and before retiring again in 2004, his largest account was a 1.2 million square foot, three building JP Morgan/Chase Bank complex. His other daughter, granddaughter and grandson are still living in Dallas.

Retirement... third time around

Warren finally retired in 2001 in Protection, Kansas where he has an extensive wood working shop at home. A few years later he bought a 100 year old Spanish style house and began a major renovation. He was also doing some real estate consulting and wrote some articles for a Dallas magazine while working on the house. Warren gave up work other than the house project, now after seven years he thinks the work is 80% complete.

Warren intends to increase his recreational vehicle living, spending several months in the Rocky Mountains during the summer and maybe back to BIB for the winter. He travels with two large dogs, a Stratford Shire Terrier (Pam) and Labrador Retriever (Rascal), stays active by reading and enjoys the secluded waterfront location at BIB.

There have been about 15 campers on average during Warren’s stay to date, only a few windsurfers from Canada and Wisconsin.

Warren has managed the campsite with minimal problems and it is good to know he will continue through the peak season which will be upon us rapidly. All BIB visitors have benefitted greatly from the improvements that greatly increased the space available for boating, fishing, windsurfing and other visitors.

Later this month on January 30th at the NRC (TAMUCC Campus, second building on the right from Ennis Joslin) at 7pm the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation will have a forum and presentation by Diedre Williams of the Blucher Institute regarding Packery Channel. She’ll present the latest results of the studies and will give you an excellent update of where the current dredging is, and where its’ heading.

Come on out and join us, log on to www.cbbf. org to get more information.

And speaking of the sand, I will see you folks out there! It’s almost time to hit the rocks and see what’s shaking on local beach!

AAAHHHH Ahi Tuna Poki!

We’re glad you’re here!

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2012

Laissez Les Bons Tems Rouler (Let The Good Times Roll)

Family Parade

PANCAKE BREAKFAST

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2012

Adults $

7 am – 11 am

6.00 - Children 10 and under $ 3.00

St. Andrews by the Sea Community Center 14238 Encantada Avenue, Corpus Christi

Meal Includes: Pancakes, sausage, coffee, milk and orange juice.

For more information call John (361) 949-4979

Thank you for supporting local Lion’s charities.

February 18, 2012 Noon until 2:00 p.m.

Free for the Entire Family Starting at Whitecap Beach ending at Brisco King Pavilion Parking Lot for Presentation of 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place Trophies for Best Floats

Party

February 18, 2012 6-10 p.m.

At Padre Isles Country Club Tickets: $30.00 Includes Cajun dinner, Band and (1) Free Drink *No Outside Beverages Allowed* Featuring Ponty Bone and the Squeezetones No One Under 21 Admitted

Benefiting Big Brothers & Big Sisters www.barefootmardigras.com The tickets can be purchased at Michelle's Salon, the Office Lounge and the POA office on the Island.

You may also call Denise at 361-774-2845 for tickets or any questions.

A 8

Border Continued from A1 they all crazy? It turns out they are not, they just know a little more about what is going on than your average American.

The walk from the parking lot to the international bridge is a short one, less than 100 yards, and the first reminder that you are entering a foreign country are the outstretched arms holding upturned ball caps reaching through the bridge’s fence literally yelling for alms.

Progresso – actually named Nuevo Progresso to distinguish it from the Progresso in the Yucatan – is not its own city. It is part of the much larger town of Rio Grande City just up the road and has a population of fewer than 500 people. The original bridge was built by private funds in the early 1950s to provide a crossing point for trucks heading south out of the U.S. bound for the newly discovered oil field in northern Mexico.

Over the years it had all the things you would expect from a Mexican truck stop located on the border; bars, liquor stores, gas stations, bars, bordellos, curio shops, and bars. In the past sixty years it has evolved into a multifaceted border town consisting primarily of a single main thoroughfare about ten blocks long

Island Moon

January 19, 2012

The largest industry after dentistry is pharmaceuticals. In between the dentist offices are dozens of small pharmacies selling pretty much any kind of prescription drug that is available in the U.S. Prices vary according to drug type but for the right type of drugs discounts can be as deep as 70 percent, while for other drugs the Mexican prices vary little from those in the U.S. If you have a prescription take it with you, if you don’t one can be had from the many doctors’ offices located conveniently adjacent the pharmacies.

For lunch there are two main choices, Arturo’s which has been there for decades and the Red Snapper located just down the block. Both are good and neither are expensive. The Red Snapper is the stopping place for a small army of Winter Texans who take in the street scene below from the second floor balcony and who dance throughout the afternoon to the sounds of a live band.

If there’s any danger here someone forgot to tell the crowd.

Then there are the usual shops selling everything from accordions to blankets, to cheap liquor (you are allowed to bring back four bottles each but must pay a tax of between $1 and $3.25 depending on the size of the bottle). Pottery and leather goods abound along with cowboy boots, hats, wool pullovers, tee-shirts, shoes, and all sorts of trinkets from refrigerator magnets to customized bracelets.

It makes for a fun day of shopping and is a great diversion from anything you will see on the American side.

If you go If you decide to make the trip here are a few things you might want to keep in mind. lined with businesses designed to cater to the tourist crowd.

Crossing into Mexico is as easy as paying 25 cents and walking through a turnstile. Once you enter Mexico you are fair game for the hawkers who, in English, sell their wares at one hundred decibels. Our personal favorite pitch was a guy outside a dentist’s office, “The dentist can see you now. Two chairs no waiting.” That’s pretty good.

Progresso is a theme park for dentistry. There are more than 200 dentists practicing within the first few blocks of the bridge. Entire blocks, indeed entire streets, are dominated by Dentist signs. Many are trained and licensed in the United States and all are much cheaper than their U.S. counterparts. Caps, dentures, extractions, fillings, and most all dental procedures can be had for about one quarter the cost of that in the U.S. Business is brisk and waiting rooms are busy if not filled to capacity.

Doctors are also available for general ailments and some specialties, including many plastic surgeons. Most doctors and dentists alike honor insurance and their practices consist of about half Mexican citizens and half from points north of the Rio Grande.

The drive is just under three hours from The Island. The best approach is to park ($2 per day) and walk across.

If you have a passport take it, as it is required to return to the U.S. Trite as it may sound; don’t drink the water. Avoid ice if you can. Stick to canned and bottled drinks and you’ll be fine.

Even the ice in a Margarita can be enough to fire up old Montezuma.

To be safe, go in a group. This isn’t really necessary but it never hurts. Besides, it will help to ward off the small army of shoe shiners ($1 per shine), hair cutters ($5 or less depending on how much hair you have), movie sellers (War Horse is the latest release), or custom bracelet makers (for dog owners a woven necklace with your pet’s name and your cell phone is $3).

Leave by dark. There is little to do after dark since the only real bar on the strip is out of business. We can’t say what the streets are like after dark since we didn’t stay that long, but by late afternoon the vendors were closing up shop and going home.

That’s about it. No matter how bad the news from other border towns we saw no evidence of trouble in Progresso, in fact the police presence is minimal. Go with a group and have fun.

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January 19, 2012

Island Moon

A9

The Final Voyage of Martini Alley

Everything Was Going Great Until the Heads Stopped Working, We Hit a Buoy, and the Sharks Attacked

By Diane Klutz Allow me to begin this boat story with three statements: No one was seriously hurt, the coast guard was wonderful, and the boat is now for sale.

Sit right down and you’ll hear a tale…

This tale began about five months ago. My husband, Stephen, and I were cruising our boat; a forty-foot trawler named Martini Alley, from Port Aransas, Texas to Kemah for needed repair work. Ron, one of the men who had been working on the boat, and his wife Judy were going also. Small problem; Judy doesn’t like being in a boat, except when docked and she really doesn’t like open water, but we assured her that the winds were calm and we were going to cruise only in the intra-coastal. Plus, the journey should only take 20 hours. All would be well.

The first clue that things might go awry occurred the day before our planned departure.

The forward marine head stopped flushing.

This would not be a major problem because we still had the aft head. With prudent use of the one remaining toilet, all would still be well.

The second clue was finding the wiring within the connector to one of the main power cords majorly burned. This was probably the reason our electrical circuits kept blowing. Anyway, after much debate, we erroneously decided to take off, even though it was now early afternoon and we were minus one toilet.

Cruising went well for oh-about thirty minutes.

Then the new rebuilt port engine started sputtering. Next the wind picked up making the water choppy. It was nearing five o’clock as we approached the last available marina to dock at for the night. Should we stay or should we go?

a working air conditioner, good batteries, lights and so forth. Ever the optimist, all could still end well.

As luck, or lack of luck, would have it, dusk was rapidly approaching and we had not found a cove deep enough for us to enter. We ran onto sand if we even moved a few feet out of the channel. It was Stephen’s turn at the helm and I was navigating. We both noted a green buoy marker at the edge of the channel, so we approach it on our starboard side like we were supposed to. However, again we hit sand.

Being more patient and experienced, Ron took the helm to power us off the sand. Perhaps it was the force of the reverse, but we had not moved very far when an ear splitting grinding sound erupted underneath our feet, and the boat lurched to a stop.

The starboard propeller was lodged in the buoy.

We were being slammed off the buoy, and the propeller wash from closely passing barges was making the boat rock so that walking around was like riding a bucking bronco. Judy became sick, the generator stopped working, and the only air blowing out of the air conditioner was hot. And, as if on cue, the one working head stopped working.

If not for the courage of the fearless crew…

We were fully shrouded in darkness when Stephen decided to dive under the back of the boat in hopes of freeing the propeller. No luck.

The buoy was firmly lodged in the propeller; its chain was firmly wrapped around the propeller shaft; and the bottom of the boat was resting on a sand bar.

The weather started getting rough the tiny ship was tossed…

In the meantime Ron and I were talking to the boat towing service and the coast guard. “Good news,” Ron said. “A tow boat is on its way.”

Without skipping a beat he added, “Bad news.

It will take three hours to reach us.”

Throwing caution literally to the wind, we decided to go. After all, we had a new generator,

By this time Judy was in full panic mode. Her nausea was getting worse and she was really

breathing fast. Any time we radioed a passing vehicle or the coast guard, she yelled, “There’s a sick woman on board.” We finally convinced her to lie down, and she did.

But, not on the fly bridge where there was a smidgen of a breeze, but below deck in the forward berth. The air was hot and steamy everywhere. However the forward berth was worse and Judy was soon sopping with sweat, especially since she was also wearing a life jacket. Actually, all of us were wearing life jackets, including the dogs. Not that there was a chance of sinking---I mean we were only in four feet of water, but better safe than sorry, as my mother always said.

Martini Alley could be lost…

Suddenly, a loud clanging bell-noise erupted from the bowels of the boat. “Taking on water,” Ron yelled as he opened the hatch to a find a foot of water in the bilge. We had three bilge pumps, but none were working. “But, we’re resting on sand”, I said. “So, no problem.

Right?” “Yes, there is”, replied the deep voice over the emergency channel. “If the water in the bilge gets any deeper the boat will lose all battery power. Additionally, when you get pulled off the sand bar into deeper water, and if there is a hole in the hull, then water could come rushing in, and you could sink.” My throat constricted, I couldn’t breathe. Then we lost all radio communication, except for the emergency channel.

Near midnight, the Coast guard arrived and Ron got one of the bilge pumps working.

But, it was still a “no go” for the toilets, air conditioner, and non-emergency radio channels.

A medic evaluated Judy and another young man evaluated our boat. The bilge water was down to six inches and Judy’s pulse and breathing slowed with the help of oxygen. Things were definitely looking better.

The Coast Guard stayed for about an hour, monitoring the ETA of the tow boat, the water in the bilge, and making sure Stephen and I would be okay after they took Ron and Judy ashore.

There was one itty-bitty glitch. Because of a fishing tournament, there were no hotel or motel rooms available in the area. “Don’t you have any friends you can call?” one of the men asked.

“Not at 1 a.m.,” I retorted. But, with no other choice, I reluctantly woke-up Forest, one of our few friends under the age of 65, and begged for help. Without hesitation he agreed. It took him nearly three hours to reach Ron and Judy, whom he had never met, and another three to get back home. Boy, did we owe him.

A tale of a fateful trip Around 2 a.m. the tow boat team arrived, and about an hour later Martini Alley was freed from the sandy bottom. We were instructed by the Coast Guard to check the engine room for water every fifteen minutes, and every twenty minutes they called for an update.

The fearless crew, Stephen and Diane Klutz

Foster dog

with low mileage, ready to go to loving family. Two year old male cocker spaniel that just loves animals and kids.

Ready to play or pet.

Healthy, vetted and eager. Call Lorraine at 949-0440. Visit Pee Wees Animal Shelter for more loving dogs and cats in need of good homes.

Scoopy’s Veranda Sun - Sat 11am - 10pm Carry-out Available!

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The Martini Alley

Thankfully, we made it to deeper water without problems and dropped anchor. The diver was able to free the buoy from the propeller, but the chain around the propeller shaft was wrapped too tightly to be moved. The diver was still working under the boat, when the captain noticed dark fins swimming close to both boats. They probably belonged to dolphins, we were in the Intracoastal, but the way our luck was going, nothing was taken for granted.

Yanking on the air hose alerted the diver and he scrambled out of the water. He avoided the fins, but just as he pulled himself onto the swimplatform he collided with and was stung by a huge Portuguese Man of War. He was okay, but shaken.

Just when we thought things couldn’t get worse, seasickness in its entire glorious splendor hit Stephen, and soon he was retching up his guts over the railing. Simultaneously, he was trying to retract the anchor, but he couldn’t stop vomiting. I ran up to the fly-bridge and hit the electrical switch for the new anchor motor.

Nothing. I tried the switch again, and this time a few sputters before silence. The anchor was dead in the water, and so were we.

The ship set ground

Not finding the breaker or a hand crank, Stephen started pulling the anchor out of the water by hand. Naturally, the chain attached to the anchor was covered with channel-bottom slime, so as soon as the anchor broke water, the chain slid through his hands like a snot covered snake and crashed back into the water.

Explicative’s, alternating with gastric contents, spewed from Stephen’s mouth. Much like Ahab with Moby Dick, it was now him or the boat.

Gathering all the strength he could muster, he called to the young diver to help pull up the anchor. Five minutes later the anchor, chain, and Stephen lay on the deck.

Then, the slow tow back to shore commenced.

We had been awake over 28 hours, and we were tired, cranky, grimy, sweaty, stinky, and in desperate need of a potty. As we arrived at the ship yard and climbed off the boat, we vowed never to step on its deck again. Just sell the d--thing, and never look back. And, so the story ends---well, almost.

Stay tuned for continuing story of The Final Voyage of Martini Alley.

Tides of the Week

Tides for Corpus Christi (Bob Hall Pier) with January 11 - 18, 2012.

High

Tide

Height

Day

/Low

Time

Feet

Th

19

Low

5:19 AM

19

High

3:11 PM

F

20

Low

20

High

Sa

21

21

Su

Sunrise

Moon Time

% Moon

Sunset

Visible

-0.8

7:20 AM

Rise3:53 AM

23

1.5

5:59 PM

Set 2:38 PM

6:18 AM

-0.9

7:20 AM

Rise 4:53 AM

3:54 PM

1.5

6:00 PM

Set 3:38 PM

Low

7:13 AM

-0.9

7:20 AM

Rise 5:48 AM

High

4:31 PM

1.5

6:01 PM

Set 4:41 PM

22

Low

8:04 AM

-0.9

7:19 AM

Rise 6:37 AM

22

High

5:00 PM

1.3

6:01 PM

Set 5:43 PM

M

23

Low

8:52 AM

-0.7

7:19 AM

Rise 7:21 AM

23

High

5:18 PM

1.2

6:02 PM

Set 6:44 PM

23

Low

10:44 PM 0.9

Tu

24

High

1:21 AM

1.0

7:19 AM

Rise 8:00 AM

24

Low

9:36 AM

-0.5

6:03 PM

Set 7:42 PM

24

High

5:27 PM

1.1

24

Low

11:04 PM 0.7

W

25

High

2:37 AM

7:18 AM

Rise 8:36 AM

25

Low

10:16 AM -0.3

6:04 PM

Set 8:38 PM

25

High

5:32 PM

25

Low

11:30 PM 0.6

0.9 1.0

14 7 2 0

0

2

A 10

The Travelling Moon

Island Moon

Margie Quigly with The Moon in front of the most famous drug store in the world: Wall Drugs in Wall, South Dakota.

Island Moon writer Devorah Fox took her work along on a recent trip to England

Margie Quigley, with the Moon, in front of the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake Iowa.

The place where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the “Big Bopper” J. P. Richardson last appeared.

January 19, 2012

Islander John and his sidekick Danny waited patiently at the CVS parking lot. Danny is a papillon which is also called a continental toy spaniel. They are perfect Island dogs because they can withstand heat but are sensitive to cold temperatures. They are very intelligent so they can even appreciate living on the Island like the rest of us.

Photo by Mary Craft.

Seashore Middle Academy cheerleaders Bri Tieperman, Shelby Reed, and Julia Delgado (front); and Heather Hanson, Haley Morgan, Aldyn Ewing, and Hayley Campbell (back) perform at the last home basketball game of the season. The school’s first cheerleading squad was formed this year. Photo by Zane Ortega Jacob Augs in Brazil -From a recent surf / business trip to Copacabana beach (Rio De Janiero)

Port Aransas is on the move with the addition of a strip center next to the Tower Center on State Hwy 361

Mary Ann McShane, Realtor, GRI, SRES e-mail: malm335@sbcglobal.net Keller Williams Island Properties 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

Adopt a Pet

(361) 215-8629

A winter Texan searches for treasure on Ellis Beach.

Photo by Miles Merwin

Moon founder Mike Ellis with Mindy Niles and her mom in happier times at the Seashore Marketplace

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Specialty Teas

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Design work, Yard Maintenance, Decks, Pergolas, Installation of Rock, Grass, Plants, Trees, Walkways, Paths, Tree Trimming, Container Planting, Vacant Lot Mowing & Shade Covers. All Kinds of Fencing, Pressure Washing & Deck Staining & Sealing

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Doing Everything a Home or Business Needs

High Quality Work at Competitive Pricing!

IME T R E T N I $350 W

Season’s Greetings & Happy Holidays L A I C SPE 27 Years Experience ● Commercial & Residential Member On The Island

On Padre Island Duane Ebert 361-658-2459 | 361-949-0661 decksanddocksnorthpadre.com Member Padre Island Business Association

Padre Island Business Assoc.

Home Remodeling and More...

Duane Ebert Cell: (361) 658-2459 Bus: (361) 949-0661 28 Years Experience l Commercial & Residential

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DA BLU TIL

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COFFEE BAR

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Matilda Blue Cafe Australian Teas, Christmas Gifts, Design your own Gourmet Sandwiches Fresh Croissants Scones Cookies (Can be made to order) Fresh Farm Eggs Located inside Mail N More Open M-F 8-4, Sat 9-12

(703) 786-7255 Come in and enjoy a tea or breakfast lunch or coffee break. Dine-in or takeaway, and you can always call ahead.