4th of July on the Island A6
Farah's Fishing A7
Free
High School Football A8
Turtles A9
Island Rule # 417: No Whining on the Yacht!
Live Music A18
FREE
The Island Moon
Issue 534
July 10, 2014
The voice of The Island since 1996
Weekly
Around The Island By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com
The Island 4th of July Fireworks show blasted skyward to the cheer of the Island crowd last Friday and ended with a little fiery bonus when the grass on the spoil island along the Intracoastal caught fire and outlasted the fireworks show by about twenty minutes. The second annual Island Blast! was the main attraction for a plethora of Island deck parties and an armada of Island boats which huddled around the Padre Island Yacht Club. Fundraising is well underway for next year’s show which likely will be moved from its current location at the west end of Whitecap next to the Padre Island Yacht Club. No firm decision has been made for next year but organizer Jerry Watkins is looking to expand the event as it moves into its third year. So a big Island thank you to everyone who contributed to make the Island Blast! possible and we look forward to next year. We got through this year’s holiday weekend without the traffic jams and traffic accidents that have marked the last few years. The beaches from the seawall south were packed to overflowing on Friday with vehicles in Kleberg County stacked three deep and just far enough apart to get the doors open. Saturday was a little slower with some stretches of beach bereft of heavy traffic and then of course Sunday is the Great Exodus back OTB. Ferry lines in Port A stretched to two hours at some points and outbound cars stacked onto city streets. This problem, however, may be rectified in the next few days as a plan to add ferry lines on the south side of the ferry landings is expected to be in place soon greatly increasing the capacity of waiting vehicles without backing them into area traffic.
Seawall Driving Readers interested in the move to remove cars from all or part of the beach in front of the Michael J. Ellis Seawall should mark two dates on their calendars.
Photo by Richard Clark
Schlitterbahn Work Continues
Work continues at the Schlitterbahn water park with members admitted into the park at no charge and their guests for $5. Prospective members can enter the park for free, but need to buy a $10 one-day pass to use
Schlitterbahn continued on A5
GLO Land Deal Moves Closer to Reality
Gladys is hitting the roadsort of Since 2001 there has been one constant at the Padre Island Business Association in the person of Islander Gladys Choyke. Gladys has done pretty much everything there is to do at PIBA from serving on the Board of Directors to Executive Director and most recently working in sales for the PIBA magazine. Prior to that she and her late husband Jerry founded Isle Mail & More and her help was crucial in keeping the Island Moon alive after founder Mike Ellis had a stroke in 2007. Along the way she has also been very active in the Island Presbyterian Church and the Island Kiwanis Club, the La Posada Lighted Boat Parade, the 4th of July Watercraft Parade, and all kinds of fundraisers for Island charities. She and Jerry were also on the Island Advisory Committee which formulated the Island Overlay District ten years ago. For the past twenty years if there was anything going on Around The Island chances are Gladys was involved.
Around continued on A5
The Bowl located on GLO land in Kleberg County By Dale Rankin Turning 3680 acres of Island land owned by the Texas General Land Office into a county-maintained recreational area took a big step toward reality Wednesday when the Nueces County Commissioners Court approved a resolution that could place the land in the hands of Nueces County by the end of July. The land includes about 20% - about six miles - of the entire beach between Port Aransas and the Padre Island National Seashore (PINS). A plan for the Texas Nature Conservancy to purchase the land and turn it over to the PINS to become part of the park was sidetracked late last year when the former Superintendent of the PINS told the Island Moon that once the park took possession of the land the park’s plan was to restrict driving along the beach and force cars entering the park to use Park Road 22 and pay a fee; the beach is now free to the public. Newly appointed Park Superintendent Mark Spier told the commissioners on Wednesday that he has no plans to restrict beach traffic or charge to enter the beach if the park were to take possession of the land but the commissioners voted 3-2 along party lines to keep the land under local control, with Republicans Judge Lloyd Neal, Precinct 4 County
GLO continued on A5
New Funding Supports Research on Red Snapper Growth around Abandoned Oil Rigs in Gulf of Mexico
the pools. If they decide to join the country club, which costs $125 monthly, the $10 pass is deducted from their membership.
First is the Watershore and Beach Advisory Committee which will take up the issue at its meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 10, at City Hall. The Island Strategic Action Committee (ISAC) has already approved a motion asking the Corpus Christi City Council to act on the matter and the Watershore committee is the last stop before a council vote. The second date is Tuesday, July 15, which is the next ISAC meeting, at 5:30 at Comfort Suites on Windward on The Island. Seawall driving is also on their agenda. District 4 City Council member Colleen McIntyre, who announced for reelection this week, is pushing a two-phase plan to remove cars from portions of the seawall beach which are less than 150 feet wide. She said she hopes to have Phase I of the plan in place by Labor Day.
Rigs to Reefs
A Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi program has been selected to receive new funding to support research on artificial reefs that shows how decommissioned oil rigs can help fish communities grow in the Gulf of Mexico. “We have found data showing a high abundance of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico, living around these structures for years at a time,” said Dr. Greg Stunz, Director of the Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation. “Red snapper is the most economically important fish in the Gulf of Mexico, and these structures are key to supporting those populations.”
Researchers at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI) at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi have collected data showing that decommissioned oil and gas structures converted to artificial reefs support a high abundance and diverse fish assemblages within the Gulf of Mexico. HRI researchers have identified 51 fish species from 20 families at 14 surveyed sites near Port O’Connor, Port Aransas, and Port Mansfield, Texas.). “The thriving fish populations are evidence of how converted platforms in these areas are sustaining vital
Rigs continued on A5
Get out your metal detector and go to huntin ‘
Where Be the Treasure, Matey?
All sorts of pirate swag is supposedly hidden in the Coastal Bend area The Island is littered with treasures lost and buried. Moon Mike left us with a treasure of a different sort in his collection of Island history books. One of them is a 1972 book, "A Guide to Treasures in Texas," by author Thomas Penfield who unearthed hundreds of buried-treasure stories, legends dealing with sunken treasures, stolen payrolls and life savings buried by their owners. Some of the might even be true. As Jimmy Stewart said in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance When the legend becomes fact, print the legend. Among the treasures supposedly hidden in the Coastal Bend are: • Payroll for Spanish soldiers buried on St. Joseph Island's southern end. • Gold and ornaments for a Vera Cruz cathedral buried on St. Joseph's Island opposite Rockport. • A treasure chest buried on the
west bank of the Nueces River where the old Laredo-to-Goliad road once crossed.
emperor of Mexico, dumped in Laguna Madre just off Flour Bluff Peninsula.
• Treasure belonging to a member of the Russian nobility hidden on the western side of Mustang Island. Treasure buried in sand dunes on Mustang and Padre Islands.
• A Laffite fortune buried under a millstone on the northern tip of Padre Island. Gold, silver and jewels hidden by Hernando Cortez, later unearthed and reburied by Jesse James, near Three Rivers.
• A chest of gold and other valuables buried along the Nueces River on the Riverside Ranch. • Money, jewels and gold plates belonging to Maximilian, former
• Gold buried in Kleberg County from a Spanish ship stranded 20 miles south of Padre Island's northern tip.
A2
July 10, 2014
Island Moon
The Travelling Moon
The Travelling Moon did just that, accompanying Island resident Yvonne Brooks all over Panama, from zip lining in the rainforest (with dear friend Nova Adamson) to celebrate 100 years of the Miraflores Locks, Panama Canal… The Moon definitely knows how to roll! Oh the places it goes! Photos by Yvonne Brooks
Twirlers
Gatchel and Stotz families on vacation at Dunns River Falls in Ocho Rios Jamaica with the Island Moon.
Bargain Beachfront Lots Limited Supply! Pool / Cabana Golf Cart Dune Crossover Beachfront Lots Starting at $200k Interior Lots starting at $50k
Call me for details!
Julie Reupke 361-774-5645
These five girls competed at both the Southwest Regional Twirling Championships in Amarillo this spring and the Texas State Twirling Championships in DeSoto last weekend and qualified to compete at the NBTA National and World Open Championships at Notre Dame University! Three will be representing our state and region in the Miss Majorette of America Pageant July 22-26 ( Cayla Watson, Amber Sorenson and Kaylynn Lambert). All the girls including Piper Vegh and Alexis Tanner will be competing for national titles and Cayla Watson, an advanced twirler, is trying to qualify for the World Championship as well! We would appreciate it if you could publish this information and possibly our picture with our fundraiser information on it this week in the Island Moon Paper or it's online component. Each of these girls is a student of Nancy Einsenhauer's School of Twirling which has been serving our local Flour Bluff students for over 30 years! One of her former students Crystal Evans has even started her own twirling studio in Houston and has a team that qualified for nationals this year. She and her teachers have created an amazing legacy!
julie@portaransasrealty.com www.portaransasrealty.com
Don’t miss “At The Movies” as Bay Area Fellowship transforms into an actual movie theater complete with popcorn and real Hollywood films! In this series, Pastor Bil Cornelius will take a look at how two of Hollywood's biggest films can help bring out the best in your life!
LIVE SATELLITE FEED AT 10:00 AM & 11:30 AM SERVICES!
PASTOR BIL AND JESSICA
Join us July 6th - July 13th
SERVICE TIMES: Sundays at 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM & 11:30 AM
Bay Area Fellowship Padre Island Campus 15201 SPID Ste. 200 • Corpus Christi, TX 78418 361.993.5900 • bayareafellowship.com
July 10, 2014
A3
Island Moon
Moon Monkeys Mike Ellis, Founder
Letters to the Editor
Beach Driving
Did Ya Hear? by Mary Craft mkay512@aol.com
New Advertisers Distribution
Bonds
Pete Alsop Island Delivery
Dear Council Members:
Coldwell Banker
My wife and I have been homeowners on the Island for many years. During this time I have written a number of letters promoting a bridge on Encantada much like the one on Whitecap.
Advertising Jan Park Rankin Classifieds Arlene Ritley Design/Layout Jeff Craft Contributing Writers Joey Farah
I appeal to you that now is the time with the advent of the improvements that are being put in place by Schlitterbahn and the upcoming Bond Election to construct the Encantada Bridge for the following reasons: 1. Road Improvement: This should be considered as a road improvement that should have been built with the original construction like the bridge on Whitecap. The homeowners on the south side of Encantada should have similar access under a bridge.
Andy Purvis Devorah Fox Mary Craft Maybeth Christiansen Jay Gardner
2. Environmental: Our canals are virtually dead. New water exchange and a bridge on Encantada will bring new marine life to the canal system that has never been there before.
Chad Peters Todd Hunter Dotson Lewis
3. Health Reasons: New water exchange will diminish the effects of brown & red tides which will diminish its negative effects on the nearby residents.
Ronnie Narmour Brent Rourk Dr. Donna Shaver Photographers Miles Merwin Jeff Dolan Mary Craft Office Security/Spillage Control
4. Economic: With a bridge over the canal at Encantada, hundreds of home/boat owners may be more willing to patronize the restaurants and retail that will be accessible by boat more easily than by car which would also take some of the pressure off parking. Again, I appeal to you as a home owner and taxpayer of both residential and commercial property, but mostly as a lover of our magnificent Island, to allow this bridge on Encantada to move forward. Respectfully, Mitchell Davis Kalogridis
Turtle
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.
The Island Moon Newspaper 15201 S. Padre Island Drive, Suite 250 Corpus Christi, TX 78418 361-949-7700 editor@islandmoon.com Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper
Where to Find The Island Moon Port Aransas Lisabella’s Restaurant Pioneer RV Park Stripes @ Beach Access Rd. 1A
North Padre
Felder Gallery
Doc’s Restaurant
Island Woman Boutique
Snoopy’s Pier
IGA Grocery Store Port A Business Center Carter Pharmacy San Juan’s Taqueria Wash Board Laundry Mat Port A Parks and Rec
CVS
Isle Mail N More Island Italian Ace Hardware Holiday Inn Texas Star (Shell) Jesse’s Liquor Scuttlebutt’s Restaurant Subway Island Tire And all Moon retail advertisers
I was there when this happened. The driver was leaving and totally had plenty of room to back out. This picture shows them purposely driving through the court instead of around. What you don't see is seconds later the vehicle ripped down the net. Ongoing problem. Drivers going way too fast, children and tourists walking across to the water, someone will get hurt, only a matter of time. Our children and families play out here and what's sad is that it's some local islanders and Corpus Christi residents that are not being safe and respectful to pedestrians. Don't we all come out here to enjoy the beach, weather and spending time with friends and family? I know I do. Eddie Casas Having a right to drive on the beach doesn't mean you have the right to drive however you want. It doesn't help that for the last year or so, the city or county has essentially established a highway in front of the seawall by grading the sand. We continually see people driving too fast. Even though the majority of drivers seem to drive responsibly, the few idiots that don't are going to hurt someone. If you have to drive on the beach, be prepared to stop on a dime. Careless pedestrians can't hurt someone like you can. Plus, now it's two-way traffic. It used to be southbound one-way only. The city has done everything to increase traffic on the beach. If that's what they want, they should provide adequate speed limit enforcement. Jon Brandt The beach is a state public roadway and traffic can not be blocked. I agree that the driver should have been more courteous but he has every right to drive on the beach! Sam Johnson I’ll be glad when this issue is resolved! why would you want to drive in front of Island House down to Holiday Inn anyways?? Just to show off?? That's cool! not!!!! Stupid!! Hope they close it to driving sooner than later before someone gets killed! Patrick Blair
Stuck Bird
It did nibble on some lettuce so may be a pet. Have there been similar reports? Cobo de Bara Circle
Send us a picture of the turtle and we’ll see if anyone is missing one.
Have been calling the POA for months about these stinking goats.Yesterday I took several pictures and took them to the POA office.I hope they do something this time.
Midcoast Decking Solutions serving Padre Island and Corpus Christi can help you with all of your decks, docks and shade structures. You can call them at 361-994-3152 or shoot them an email at midcoastdecking@yahoo. com All-Tech Construction services offers carpentry, Drywall, painting and more. Estimates are always free. Call 361-3254835 Huge Island Estate Sale this weekend Friday and Saturday 8 am – 1 pm at 15321 Cartagena on the Island and they request no early birds. There will be plenty of furniture, household and office equipment.
Business Briefs The Nueces County Commissioners Court voted 3-2 to approve the purchase of the Kleberg County land south just north of the Padre Island National Seashore. The 79th Annual deep Sea Round Up will be held this weekend in Port Aransas. The tournament is sponsored by the Port Aransas Boatmen’s Association. Late registration will be at Woody’s Sports Center at 6 a.m. on Friday, July 11th. For more information you can go to DeepSeaRoundup.com. The Black Marlin Bar & Grill inside of the Palmilla Beach resort in Port Aransas continues their summer concert series this Saturday night with Brian Keane. The Black Marlin was featured in the July/ August issue of Prime Living magazine. Go to BlackMarlinBar&Grill.com to purchase tickets. Scuttlebutt’s Bar & Grill will happily “Cook Your Catch.” It’s $6.99/lb grilled, blackened or fried. For an extra $5.99 you can get the homemade sauces for it -- White Wine Crab Cream Sauce -- deep, creamy and complex; Cajun Crawfish -- spicy and very creole; Mango Salsa -- sweet, island flavor or Lemon Butter Caper -- simple, but rich -- the lemon is ideal for many types of fish. Your fish must be filet and presented ready to cook.
Kody’s in Port A has prime rib specials every Wednesday 5 pm until they run out. They serve seafood, steaks, and burgers daily and have a full bar. The kitchen closes at 1 am and are the restaurant/bar is located at 2034 Hwy 361.
Editor’s note: Well Rob, we’ve had a Canaligator, a bobcat, and Wilber the Pig, but this is the first report of a runaway Island turtle. It sounds like you may have a talented turtlehunting dog who could help Donna and her dog Ridley in locating nests. The good news is that if it was a Kemp’s ridley it will likely return next year to lay eggs.
Get Yer Goat
Bealls Department stores is again offering Island residents special discounts in this issue of the newspaper. Please use your coupons to show your support of our advertisers that keep our free weekly newspaper in print.
Great with their family sized sides like grilled asparagus, garlic mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, grilled zucchini -- to name a few.
Rob Maier
Tarpon Ice House
Whataburger
Spanky’sLiquor
It appears to be impossible for it to have climbed out of the canal. Perhaps from the empty lot next door? I did find a small gap at the gate corner post but the turtle could not get through the rocky opening.
The Gaff
Amano
Moby Dicks
A turtle - about 5 inches long - was found exiting the doghouse. It was probably carried into the doghouse by one of our two small dogs. The exit was probably caused by the other dog barking hysterically.
Wild Horse Saloon
All Stripes Stores
Coffee Waves
Hello Editor,
Port A Glass Studio
Miss K’s Catering & Bistro
Coast Club
Julie Repuke with Port Aransas Realty has beach front lots at bargain prices. The lots include a pool/cabana area. The development also has golf cart crossovers. The beach front lots start at 200 thousand dollars and there are interior lots starting at as little as 50 thousand dollars. Call Julie today at 361-774-5645.
Just now, heard all kinds of commotion going on, this is what I found. I have no idea how it managed to get its neck stuck in here but it was firmly stuck and crackling pretty bad. Upon further inspection and the birds desperation,so desperate that it actually pulled its right claw off itself, I took the pics, closed my hands around its body and lifted it up out of the gap in the fence, put it on the poolside table, it kinda shook itself, and took off, albeit with a missing foot. Bet its glad I was around Eh Mark Middleton
Water 39% water in our lakes!!! Can someone please tell me why a North Padre homeowner can call about a little mess the utilities department created in his already not-so-lovely yard, and utilities ignores our water crisis and rushes out to plant new beautiful turf in the guy's yard. Now of course he will be needing lots of water to establish this yard and the city will look the other way. At some point before we have only mud flowing from our lakes, people need to be told "We're sorry about the crisis, but these perks have to be put on hold until we have some huge changes in the weather conditions". The home developers need a similar jerk to their jocks!
The Litter Critter which previously at the POA office parking lot is now being held at the end of Whitecap near the water treatment plant the second and fourth Saturday of every month. The litter critter collects unwanted furniture, appliances and other items too large to go into your regular household garbage. They will be there this Saturday, July 13th 7 am – 4 pm. The Seashore Middle Academy is being expanded and adding new classrooms due to the increased enrolment that will total 220 students the coming year. The Island Strategic Action Committee meeting was postponed on Tuesday, July 9th due to a scheduling conflict with the room at Comfort Suites. The meeting has been rescheduled for Tuesday, July 15th at 5:30 p.m. at the usual room in Comfort Suites. Topics on the agenda include: placing bollards on the beach to prevent vehicles from driving on it and a report on the status of the beach in front of the seawall by Texas A & M University C.C. Bay Area Fellowship is presenting “At the Movies” where it will be transformed into an actual movie theatre with popcorn. Pastor Bil Cornelius will take a look at how two of Hollywood’s biggest films can help bring out the best I your life. Live satellite feed at 10 am & 11:30 am July 6th and 13th. Rumour has it that some high powered executives from out of state were in Port A this weekend buying up waterfront lots. No word on what they plan to do with the lots but a source told us that they were looking to get in on the ground floor of something good.
Martin R. Frey
WB Liquor
Public Library Chamber of Commerce
Flour Bluff
Duckworth Antiques
H.E.B.
Back Porch
Liquid Town
Woody’s Sports Center
Whataburger on Waldron
Shorty’s Place
Ethyl Everly Senior Center
The Flat’s Lounge Giggity’s Stripes @ Cotter & Station Gratitude Gift Shop Keepers Pier House
Fire Station Police Station Stripes on Flour Bluff & SPID
Member Padre Island Business Association
Member Padre Island Rotary Club
A4
July 10, 2014
Island Moon
Stuff I Heard on the Island by Dale Rankin The week started off a little weird but got a lot better toward the end there.
As I was walking into a Stripes store (did you ever notice that on the sign they don’t spell it with a capital “S”) and right outside the door was a pack of Winston cigarettes on the ground, the little short kind in a red and white pack like your crazy uncle used to smoke, like Camels only with a filter. I thought it was an empty pack and picked it up to throw away and realized it was a fresh, unopened pack. I’m not a smoker but, hey, they’re free and I might decide to channel my inner rebel so I picked them up and stuck them in my pocket. So I’m standing in line behind a nice lady who is buying lottery tickets with a purse full of nickels and pennies and a pack of Benson & Hedges menthol light 100s with the microlight filter and cool taste that will remind you of a spring morning when this fellow comes walking in and says to the lady behind the counter, “You only gave me one pack of cigarettes and I paid for two.” I had picked up a copy of the Enquirer and was reading all about Jennifer Aniston’s pending nuptials and wasn’t paying much
attention. We’ve been planning for an April wedding in our family and I was hoping to get some pointers but the Beverly Hills Hilton is a bit out of my price range. As I was trying to figure out how much to offer for an elopement the lady behind the counter spoke up. ‘I gave you two packs,” she said, in no uncertain terms. “I can check the tape and make sure, but I know I gave you two packs!”
Ships waiting to enter the Port of Corpus Christi July 5. One Pack Man “I’ve only got one,” the fellow said. “Go check the tape.” And he waved the pack he had and guess what, they were Winstons; the short kind in a red and white pack like your crazy uncle used to smoke. Things came into focus. I had walked straight into a mix-up between a lady who knew her business and a nic addict who was convinced he had been chiseled out of twenty lungfulls of pure smoking pleasure. I didn’t like the way this was going, no not at all. I had walked right into a Fellini movie and while the lady went backstage to check the tape One Pack Man went outside to look around on the ground. What’s the etiquette for such things? I never read about this in Dear Abby. Obviously I should say something but by the time I figured out what was going on things had escalated beyond the “I think there might have been a mistake” stage right to “you owe me a pack of cigarettes” stage and all I wanted was a bottle of Gatorade. My mind raced. Clearly it was this fellow’s pack of cigarettes I had in my pocket. What if he saw me pick them up and knew I had them? What if he was just waiting to see if I would fess up? Oh the humanity! One Pack Man came back in and the store lady still hadn’t come back. I waited just long enough that it would seem like I couldn’t wait for her any longer and I set down my bottle of Gatorade and booked it for the door. I started to throw the Winstons back down where I found them but it was in plain sight of the counter where One Pack Man lurked in nic-deprived anger. All of a sudden I felt like Homer Simpson. I had passed from the sublime to the ridiculous without even a pause at absurd.
I swerved toward the ice machines but Oh no! A surveillance camera! What if the store lady who was checking the tape saw me pick them up? Busted for a crime I didn’t commit. And she might be watching me right now. I shoved the Winstons deep down into my pocket and hugged the ice machine, out of view of the see-all camera. If I kept the smokes in my pocket no one would know, but I would know. Now I just wanted to be shed of them weighing me down like Poe’s Tell- Tale Heart. I scanned the parking lot for eyewitnesses and finding none I threw the pack of Winstons on the ground and tried to keep from breaking into a run as I made my escape. I couldn’t help but feel like I was on Candid Camera or maybe one of those What Would You DO? TV shows. As I said the week started out a little weird. To One Pack Man and the store clerk I apologize for my nicotine faux pas. I panicked, and the next time I see a full pack of red and white Winstons like your weird uncle used to smoke lying on the ground I’ll leave ‘em be.
County Beach at Bob Hall Pier July 5
RAY HERRERA DIRECTOR Operations VOTED BEST Pet Services
2006-2013
Www.padrevet.com
361-949-8200
CHRISTI KRESSER VETERINARIAN Cats & Dogs
14802 Compass Dr. Corpus Christi, TX 78418 “On The Island”
VOTED BEST
Veterinarian 2006-2013
Cat -Dog Friendly Facility *SAVE up to $75.00 On 1 Year Supply
$50.00 REBATE $25.00 Discount per Dr. Kresser
Or $25 on 6 Month Supply
Well-Behaved Cats, Dogs & Owners Always Welcome
Island aflame So then on Friday night it was up to me to light the fireworks show. They gave me a fireman’s suit and a road flare and told me to back up pretty fast – which I did. And then some sparks came down and lit the dry grass on fire so everybody had their own version of the Moon headline: Moon Monkey Sparks Up Island! Arsonist in White Shrimper Boots Sets Island Aflame! Man in Rockport Ropers Burns Island to the Ground! Personally I thought the grass fire on the spoil island was a nice compliment to the fire in the sky. No charge for the grassfire.
Salsa in the Sky Then on Saturday I went flying with Jason from Skydive South Texas where they had twenty-four tandem jumps last Saturday. We flew the beach all the way from the Port Aransas ferries to the National Shore taking pictures of beach crowds and traffic but had to head home early because Jason had to jump into the Big Bang Salsa Fest and we weren’t sure if it was salsa eating or salsa dancing and we didn’t want to take a chance on upsetting a conga line of salsa dancers. So the week that started out weird ended up just fine. Here are some gratuitous aerial shots from last Saturday. Man, all that flying was a booger, I need a cigarette.
Keep Your Cats & Dogs Safe From Heat Exhaustion: *Don’t Leave Your Pet Unattended *Always Keep Water Available *Provide Plenty of Shade
The Seawall on July 5
July 10, 2014
A5
Island Moon
Rigs continued from A1
A Special Gift From Down Under Islander Puddy Albright has published a children's book. We've provided a sample of his work with illustrations by James H. Durfey
fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Stunz. “We’re also studying characteristics such as size, distance from shore, how many in a particular area that are best suited to maintain these ‘fish homes’ for a variety of species, and the long-term effects of keeping rigs in the Gulf after they stop functioning.” Led by Stunz, the South Texas Artificial Reef Monitoring Program will receive funds from the National Marine Fisheries Service as part of the fiscal year 2014 Marine Fisheries Initiative Program (MARFIN) for “Investigation of the relative habitat value of oil/gas platforms and natural banks in enhancing stock building of reef fish in the western Gulf of Mexico.” The MARFIN program addresses the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) mission to protect, restore, and manage the use of coastal and ocean resources through an ecosystem approach to management. This two-year project, which begins on Monday, Sept. 1, 2014, will be funded at $242,299.
Stunz, who is working with Dr. Matt Ajemian, Assistant Research Scientist, says that in addition to supporting a variety of fish populations, artificial reefs lure commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, and divers; benefiting many Gulf Coast economies. “What we do is try to develop the best science,” said Stunz. “If you’re going to create artificial reefs, we want to create them in a way that they are going to have the maximum productivity. Fisheries replenish themselves, so if we manage them properly, there will always be enough there for future generations.” The South Texas Artificial Reef Monitoring Program works to enhance the effectiveness of current conservation and management initiatives in Texas, which has one of the largest rigs-to-reef programs, and throughout the Gulf of Mexico. The project is also set to serve as an educational tool, providing research experience for students at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Around continued from A1 But as of July 1 Gladys has entered the ranks of the retired and is hitting the road for California to visit her daughter and from there she’s headed for points unknown. She’s selling one house on The Island but keeping another so she’ll be back in time to fill the role she’s held for more than a decade as The Commish of the Island Fantasy Football League; and believe us, you don’t want to tangle with The Commish. She will still be an Island resident just a little quieter and a less present one. So let us take this opportunity to thank Gladys for all the great things she has done over the years for The Island. We wish her well in her retirement and encourage everyone to thank her for all she has done when you see her Around The Island.
Schlitterbahn cont. from A1
Padre Isles Country Club is set to be phased out at the end of July and current members are being asked to join the newly formed Schlitterbahn Country Club, said Schlitterbahn spokesperson, Colette Rye. The Grand Opening of the park has been pushed back from the original July 12 date as work continues with an official opening day expected before the end of July. The water park’s concession stand also is open. The country club’s nine-hole golf course and two tennis courts have been open to members throughout construction. Other larger attractions, including the Boogie Bahn inland surfing ride and its Shoot the Chute log flume ride, will be completed later, Rye said. The park eventually will employ 700 to 1,000 people. So far the park has hired about seventy water park employees, mainly lifeguards, since the park’s soft opening in June in addition to the 200-plus construction workers at the site.
GLO continued from A1
A scientist removes large red snapper captured from vertical longline gear set on an artificial reef, and collects tissue samples from the fish.
We now have Gluten Free Pizza!
LIVE MUSIC
Thursday John Eric, Friday Brian Winfrey Saturday, Ruben Limas
♥ Reservations Recommended ♥
Lunch Specials Monday Tuesday
Unlimited Spaghetti Salad 9 inch Sub for 6 inch Price
6.50 6.50
Wednesday Thursday Friday
Pasta Menu Full Order for 1/2 order price Salad with a 6-inch Sandwich & Drink Unlimited Dinner Salad
6.50 5.99
Commissioner Joe McComb (whose precinct includes the land) and Precinct 1 County Commissioner Mike Pusley voting in favor of the plan, and Democrats Precinct 3 County Commissioner Oscar Ortiz and Precinct 2 Joe Gonzalez voting against the plan, with each of the decenters speaking in favor of turning the property over to the National Park Service. “By keeping this land under local control anyone who has an issue or a problem or a suggestion down there can come to this court and with three votes get something done,” Judge Lloyd Neal told the crowd Wednesday. “Our plan is to keep the land in a natural state and provide a public recreation area for our citizens.” Under the plan outlined at the meeting McComb said the Ed Rachal Foundation will purchase the land which will then be placed under the care of the Nueces County Board of Coastal Parks for maintenance. County Constable Bobby Sherwood’s office will provide security and the Rachal Foundation is also donating a vehicle for that purpose. . The land is located entirely in Kleberg County and has been a land beyond the law for decades as the response time for law enforcement between it and the Kleberg County seat in Kingsville is close to two hours. Kleberg maintains trash cans and pick up on
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The land to the north of the GLO property, which runs 1.2 miles south from Bob Hall Pier, is maintained by the City of Corpus Christi The plan approved Wednesday now goes to the Kleberg County Commissioners Court for their approval before being sent to the GLO for a final decision. Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, who oversees the GLO statewide, has told local officials he wants a deal on the land in place by the end of July
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The GLO land begins about 8000 feet south of the Kleberg County line and runs south along the beach to the northern boundary of PINS, and west to the Laguna Madre. An impromptu shooting gallery has sprung up on the land on the west side of Park Road 22 which also includes the “bowl”, a bare patch of sand along the dune line where revelers and four-wheelers often go to avoid law enforcement. McComb said the county will address those issues and the cleanup through the county park service and through help from volunteers. . Representatives of the Rachal Foundation at the Wednesday meeting said that organization might also be willing to provide an annual grant to pay for further maintenance on the property.
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Day
High /Low
Tide Time
Height in Feet
Sunrise Moon Time Sunset
Th
10
High
4:32 AM
1.6
6:41 AM
Set 4:49 AM
10
Low
7:59 PM
-0.7
8:28 PM
Rise 6:46 PM
F
11
High
5:10 AM
1.7
6:41 AM
Set 5:50 AM
11
Low
8:49 PM
-0.8
8:27 PM
Rise 7:45 PM
Sa
12
High
5:47 AM
1.7
6:42 AM
Set 6:55 AM
12
Low
9:41 PM
-0.
8:27 PM
Rise 8:40 PM
Su
13
High
6:19 AM
1.6
6:42 AM
Set 8:02 AM
13
Low
10:33 PM
-0.6
8:27 PM
Rise 9:31 PM
M
14
High
6:48 AM
1.5
6:43 AM
Set 9:10 AM
14
Low
12:49 PM
1.0
8:27 PM
Rise 10:18 PM
14
High
3:28 PM
1.1
14
Low
11:25 PM
-0.4
Tu
15
High
7:11 AM
1.4
6:43 AM
Set 10:16 AM
15
Low
1:13 PM
0.9
8:26 PM
Rise 11:02 PM
15
High
5:03 PM
1.1
W
16
Low
12:20 AM
-0.1
6:44 AM
Set 11:19 AM
16
High
7:30 AM
1.2
8:26 PM
Rise 11:43 PM
16
Low
1:50 PM
0.6
16
High
6:41 PM
1.0
Moon Visible
90 96 99 99 97
91
83
A6
July 10, 2014
Island Moon
Photos by Miles Merwin
Fourth of July on the Islands
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July 10, 2014
A7
Island Moon
Backwater Adventures Summertime Blues
Rachel May with a Lone Star Reef Snapper last week when the gulf went flat. the “spots” I pulled up on that day and laughed to myself. I should sometimes just listen to my own advice, something we should all do sometimes, follow your instinct. I turned the old GPS off and closed my eyes and smelled the air. I pulled over and let my guests run and play in the sand dunes along the National Seashore as I looked at the beautiful green water along the beach. I pulled out and headed north with no place in particular in mind. As I got closer to the Causeway I remembered summers past when the temperatures got high and all the fish dove into the channels in the Upper Lagoon. My first stop I coasted up to the green marker and slipped the anchor in. No one was really excited except the one lady that kept our spirits up all day with her laugh and conversation, of course her rod was the first to bend over. She boated a few more keepers before we headed in and saw that it was a hard day for everyone. That afternoon I went back and got on some nice trout in the deeper water areas that I had not been fishing. The bay changed in just a few days. When the winds stopped the grass spread out and the sun’s rays penetrated the shallows. Water temperatures have rose more than one might expect in the last few days. Along with all the boat traffic the temperatures have moved fish to deep water, areas of good current flow, and the extreme shallows where boats are not present. Sometimes I should just take my
Reds all over the flats close to the JFK bridge. Live bait and big gold spoons advice, turn off the GPS and close my eyes and let things just happen. The rest of the week has been great and I’m on new spots, fish, and sanity. Flow through your fishing patterns as well and keep an open mind. Don’t hesitate to do something different when your strategies are not working, because the worst thing that can happen is that you will continue to not catch fish and just enjoy being free on the water.
Close and Far As I noted earlier on fishing in the deeper guts, channels, and the Intracoastal Canal this week has been better than the crowded popular spots around the Lagoon. Temperatures, boating traffic, and the outgoing tide all have good influence on this. Look for the last of the shrimp to head out towards the passes and change much of the diet of both reds and trout to small baitfish. My friend told me he walked down the packer channel and an old fishermen was giving him buckets of shrimp from his cast net telling him, you can have them we want the croakers and shad. He brought them home and ate them. The redfish were thick around the rocks this weekend at Packery and along the channel for those using small finger mullet. The areas behind Mustang Island are full of bait and gamefish for those looking to drive and walk into some great fishing. The east shoreline of Corpus Christi Bay at sunrise is awesome with a rising sun behind you and a slow walking top water dancing over the shallow grass beds behind the Fish Pass. Go try that one out. The water when the tide is low around the JFK is dirty but just to the south it clears up and gets very nice down by Bird Island. The water in the mouth of Baffin is green. I cannot wait for my upcoming sight casting trips that I will be concentrating on this late July and August. The water in the extreme shallows is amazing. When you can see your lure, and the reaction of the fish to your movements, you learn the symphony of life out in the Back Waters of Baffin Bay. The live bait fishing along the Rocky Slough area is good as well as the Tide Gauge Bar, but can get very crowded on the weekends. Try smaller spots big enough for just one or two boats, the fishing will probably be better and you will be able to concentrate on the water and relax instead of looking over your shoulder.
Marker 37 Tournament This Weekend!! Well it’s finally here and I hope some of our local Island and Port Aransas Locals come out and join the PARTY. Friday night is the sign up party at Marker 37 Marina. Rudy’s Barbecue will be catering the evening for free, LIVE MUSIC! and a Calcutta for all the teams.
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The next day is the tournament witch is a family style completion with both guided and non-guided divisions. The weigh in is only two trout and one legal redfish. Our friend Kendal is sponsoring a “MOST SPOTS REDFISH” division for those lucky anglers that catch a multispotted red. There will be lots of prizes and giveaways. There will be FOOD AND LIVE MUSIC ON SATURDAY AS WELL!! COME ON OUT AND SEE SOME FRIENDS, AND MAKE SOME NEW ONES. It will be a great weekend event.
FREE FISHING SEMINARS THURSDAY THE 17TH Next Thursday my friends from DOA lures will be here visiting from Florida. We will be hosting a free seminar event on Thursday the 17th at 6pm at Marker 37 Marina. For those that came last time, everyone had a great time and learned some details that elevated their knowledge of fishing. This is the chance for you to visit with Mark, the founder of the most PHOTO. BOMB!! nice keepers down south along innovative shallow water saltwater lure the Kenedy Ranch Shoreline. company in the last 20yrs. He is a native guide or tournament angler come out and Texan who moved to Florida. His top Florida Prostaff will be here as well as myself introduce yourself to these guys and jump on to give three in-depth seminars on FISHING one of the largest prostaff in saltwater fishing. WITH DOA LURES, SIGHTCASTING, AND EVERYONE SHOULD COME OUT AND SUMMERTIME REDFISH TACTICS FOR GET SOME FREE LURES AND LEARN AS THE LAGUNA MADRE’ AND BAFFIN BAY. MUCH AS YOU CAN FROM THESE GUYS. If you are a beginner come break out into the Anglers in Florida have fine-tuned their fishing new world of angling not just fishing, if you are and tackle to make up for the very spooky and the seasoned angler, come grab some tid bits of educated fish in their overcrowded bays and information that might give you just a different coastal lagoons. See you there. angle on your fishing. If you are a fishing Today I had some guys from Kansas on the boat for an afternoon. They had come down for a week, floating cabin trip, guided fishing, and a few days down at PINS. I picked them up from the cabin and the wind was blowing across the bay and kicking up grass everywhere. Their eyes were bright with excitement as we pulled away from the floater. The first spot we caught four nice trout only a hundred yards away from the Causeway. We moved over to a little island and as I turned off the motor and snuck ahead with the trolling motor I turned and caught all three of my guests staring off into the wind and just taking it all in. I watched as one fella closed his eyes and I did the same for just a second. The wind whistled over the lines to make a soft buzz, the gulls laughed in the distance, and the sound of the water rolling against the boat somehow all meshed together in harmony. I anchored the boat and we casted out so close to everything but still far removed. In that one little spot we were invisible to the world. The one angler I caught with his eyes closed hooked up and a beautiful trout came to our hands. We moved over a few yards and the same guy hooked battled and landed his first redfish. We sometimes forget that many people come from far and wide, dream and save, just to come soak up a little Upper Lagoon Trout fishing with live bait has bit of our paradise we call home. Have a been best in the deeper channels within the a blessed week, AND KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT! few miks of the JFK bridge.
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As we reach the middle of summer and everything is just hot every day, our fishing becomes very dependent on the moon. Just as the daily temperatures govern how and when fish feed in the winter months, it is the most important factor in summer fishing as well. Look for fish to be most active during minor and major feedings during the night or right at daybreak and sunset. Mid-day feedings will happen when those high points on the lunar feeding table coinside with the rise of winds during the day, cooling off the water and creating some water flow and higher oxygen levels. After a few days off and time offshore with friends and family, it was back to the bay and I was hit with a blow of a hard day fishing. I tried to hit all the spots I had been catching fish, then hunted good water and baitfish, all in vain. I couldn’t catch more than a few all day. I watched as a minor feeding period passed without any indication that things were getting any better. I checked with a few other guides and they were slow but had a good ten fish more than I did. I blamed it on the moon and everything else I could dream up and tried to keep up my angler’s confidence. On the way back from Baffin I thought about all
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A8
July 10, 2014
Island Moon
SPORTS Sports Talk
Texas High School Football--Knowing and Understanding the Game By Dotson Lewis, Special to the Island Moon dlewis1@stx.rr.com Dotson’s Note: Many who attend these games actually know little or nothing about the game. After a little history, following is an outline of what spectators need to know and understand in order to more fully enjoy watching the game! Football can seem to be very confusing if you don't know the rules, but actually, the basics of football are very simple.
Football-Circa 1934 In Texas, high school football is much more than a sport—it's a way of life—and many young boys dream of the day when they can participate and help lead their hometown teams to victory.
understanding of the Game. Below is a list of what a well informed spectator needs to know. Because of limited space, we cannot fully discuss each item here, but this is a spring board for what you can look up or research: • The Field--Learn the dimensions of the playing field as well as some of the basic terms associated with a football field. • The Teams--Each team is comprised of an offense, defense, and special teams. Check out the basic functions of each unit along with their fundamental responsibilities.
A friend of mine, Grant Teaff, former Baylor football coach, recalls an idea he had for improving his football game in Snyder, Texas:
• Object of the Game—“Organized chaos”? Learn what those guys running around on the field are trying to accomplish.
"Early on I said, ‘Look, if I'm going to be ready for Friday night's game, I think I need mental rest, you know. I can be better at playing if I'm mentally rested.' So I decided that I would not go to school on Friday before the game on Friday night. Then—two or three other guys had sort of seen what I'd done, and they decided, well, that'd be good for us too. If he's getting ready mentally, we can get ready, so they missed school."
• Down and Distance--This is the key! If you can get a grasp on this, the rest of the game will come easily.
Coach Grant Teaff
“Legs and Lou”
By Andy Purvis Special to the Island Moon
One of the best things about sports are the stories and, as time moves past us, sometimes the stories behind the stories get left out or pushed aside. As a sport enthusiast who has written several books, aired on the radio for twenty years and interviewed many persons from the world of sports, I am amazed at how often we do not know the whole truth. The history of this game is important to me. During the summer of 2000, my radio partner, Dennis Quinn, and I interviewed a fellow who was working as an executive for the Texas Rangers. At that time he had spent 61 years in professional baseball as a player, manager, and front office executive. In that interview, he described to us a firsthand account of Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech given on July 4, 1939. You see, he was there as the lead-off hitter for the Washington Senators. I’ve got to tell you, firsthand accounts of historic events give me “Goosebumps.”
• Methods of Scoring-Learn all the different ways to put points on the scoreboard. Basic Terminology Knowing and understanding football terms will be of great benefit. Here is a small sampling, note that I have included definitions, pronunciation (when needed), “AKAs” and examples.
Gehrig making speech July 4 1939
Audible Definition: Changing a play at the line of scrimmage by calling out predetermined set of signals. Pronunciation: ô'de-bul Also Known As: check off, automatic Example: An audible is often called by the quarterback when he doesn't like the play call after getting a look at the defensive formation.
Automatic Definition: Changing a play at the line of scrimmage by calling out predetermined set of signals. Grant describes how his coach reacted to this plan: "So we all jovial, come in, getting ready for the game, we're going to win this game, and walk in the door. And there stood Mule Kaiser with his arms folded looking right at us. And I thought, Uh-oh. We walked in, and he said, ‘Grant, where were you this afternoon? Where were the rest of you guys this afternoon? You weren't in school.' I said, ‘Well, Coach, I— you know, I—you know, you told us it's really important to be mentally ready for this game, and I was getting mentally ready. Really, I feel great. I'm ready to go.' And he said, ‘You missed school.' I said, ‘Yes, sir. To get mentally ready.' He said, ‘You know that you can't do that.' I said, ‘No, but Coach, it's for the team.' So he said, ‘Come out here in the middle of the field.' Now, here's all my teammates around, and I was the example. And the other two, three guys were going to get it as well. But he said, ‘Okay, bend over,' and I bent over. And he had some lumber from somewhere. And he started on my rear end, and the splinters, pieces of wood were flying, the guys were over in their little locker areas covering up their head. I mean, he was—he whacked us all pretty good. And he said, ‘Now, about next week, what do you think about mental preparation?' I said, ‘Oh, Coach, I'm going to be in school, I promise you that.'" Baylor graduate Bill Patterson Jr. played for the Chicago Bears in 1939 and Pittsburg Steelers in 1940. But he recalls how, at one point in high school, he wanted to leave football: "In my sophomore year I was getting hurt, and it was hot in workout, and the field was rough. And I wanted to quit, but I didn't want it to be my initiative. So I devised a scheme and told my mother that either I had to quit football or make poor grades. And I thought [for] sure that my mother would say, ‘Well, if it's a choice, you must quit football.' So then I would go to my coach and with big tears rolling down my cheeks, I'd say, ‘Coach, my mother is going to make me quit.' But my mother was wise and she said, ‘Bill, if you don't want to play, I don't believe I'd quit in the middle of the season. Why don't you play out this season and then just don't come out next year.' And between that time and the next year I gained weight and maturity and decided I'd have another go at it." On Friday nights during the fall, stadium lights continue to shine bright throughout Texas, building character on the field and bringing together communities off the field.
Also Known As: audible, check off Example: An automatic is also often called by the quarterback when he doesn't like the play call after getting a look at the defensive formation.
Back Definition: An offensive player whose primary job is to run with the football. Also Known As: quarterback, halfback, fullback, tailback, running back, slot back, wing back Example: A back generally lines up in the offensive backfield, but will occasionally split out as a receiver. As long as he is positioned in the offensive backfield he is a back. Dotson’s Note: There are many more football terms that one needs to understand! If you are interested, I will send you a glossary, which has a website “link” for each term. We are considering offering a class “Football 101” to be held either on the Island or in Flour Bluff. If you are interested, let us hear from you. Your comments regarding this and/or any other Moon Sports article will be greatly appreciated. Please call the Benchwarmers between 3 and 6 PM weekdays at 361-560-5397 or call or Email Dotson. Phone: 361-949-7681 Cell: 530-7488475 Email: dlewis1@stx.rr.com
Hot and muggy day It was already a hot and muggy day when they opened the Yankee Stadium turnstiles at 10 a.m. that morning. The New York Yankees were hosting the Washington Senators in a doubleheader on Independence Day. A big crowd was expected as several busloads of fans from Manville, New Jersey, poured into their seats to see for the first time their hometown hero, a rookie centerfielder named Johnny “Legs” Welaj. Legs had been born on May 27, 1914, in Moss Creek, Pennsylvania. His family soon moved to Bound Brook, New Jersey, where he graduated high school in 1934, and began playing semi-pro baseball. Johnny had starred in baseball, basketball and football, and become the inaugural member of his high school’s Alumni Hall of Fame. He joined the Albany International League in 1936, and his contract was sold to the Washington Senators in 1937. Welaj made his debut as a Washington Senator on May 2, 1939, and this was the first time his fans, friends, and family would see him play as a professional. “We were told it was to be ‘Johnny Welaj Appreciation Day,’” said Legs. Johnny’s contingent of fans gathered around home plate before Game One to celebrate. It was not until then that Welaj was informed by the Yankee management that Lou Gehrig would give his retirement speech that same day.
Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day For the first time ever, he was afraid to be on a ball field. During Game One, Lou told Joe McCarthy, “I’d give a month’s pay to get out of this.” Joe did not respond. The Yanks lost the first game, 3-2. The Yankees lined up along the third-base line and the Senators down the first-base line. A band marched onto the field. Lou had lost weight, his uniform no longer fit as he shuffled toward home plate with his head down, arms hanging lifeless by his sides. Ed Barrow walked beside Gehrig, edging him along. It was July 4, 1939, before Game Two of the doubleheader. “Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day” was about to begin, and 61,000 fans sat in silence at Yankee Stadium. Now making his way from the dugout, he has been regarded as the greatest first baseman in the game. Even though his body had been breaking down since the beginning of 1938, he never complained. Lou Gehrig was the heart of the New York Yankees. The Yankees hung the World Series buntings out around the stadium and invited the 1927 Yankees’ team to this event. Special guests were introduced, including Babe Ruth and Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia. Then Lou received the gifts, a fishing rod, silver plates, and a trophy. Lou never said a word, as these gifts were handed to him. The gifts piled up around his feet, as he was not strong enough to hold them. Lou Gehrig also became the first Major League player to have his uniform number retired. Gehrig would be the only Yankee to ever wear the #4. The Yankee emcee, Sid Mercer, asked Lou if he had anything to say. Gehrig, head still down, wiping away tears with a white handkerchief, shook his head “no.” Then the fans begin to understand this was it, the last time they may see the “Iron
Horse.” They stood in unison and chanted, “We want Lou! We want Lou!” Gehrig stood still, afraid he might collapse if he moved too quickly. Manager Joe McCarthy whispered in Lou’s ear. Gehrig slowly stepped toward the microphone and the fans quieted down. It was as silent as an empty classroom. Gehrig ran his hand through his hair, then leaned forward and poured his heart out for everyone to hear. Lou Gehrig would speak without notes, while ringing his blue cap between both his hands. His words may have been the strongest message anyone had ever heard. I’m convinced that most of you have only heard a portion of Gehrig’s farewell speech, perhaps the first two sentences and the last two. Below are his words in their entirety.
The Speech “For the past two weeks, you’ve been reading about a bad break. Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. When you look around, wouldn’t you consider it a privilege to associate yourself with such fine-looking men as are standing in uniform in the ballpark today? Sure, I’m lucky. Who wouldn’t consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball’s greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with such a grand little fellow as Miller Huggins? To have spent the next nine years with that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Who wouldn’t feel honored to room with such a grand guy as Bill Dickey? When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift—that’s something. When the groundskeepers and office staff and writers and old timers and players and concessionaires all remember you with trophies—that’s something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law, who takes sides with you, in squabbles against her own daughter—that’s something. When you have a father and mother who worked all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body—it’s a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed—that’s the finest I know. So I close in saying that I might have had a bad break, but I have an awful lot to live for. Thank You.”
Sweet Corporal cigarettes Henry Louis Gehrig grew up in New York City, the only survivor among four siblings. Lou learned about the game of baseball by collecting baseball cards from his father’s Sweet Corporal cigarette packs. A mama’s boy, he was considered shy and socially awkward, strong but clumsy, a misfit on a team of drinkers and hell raisers. There is no doubt that Gehrig and Ruth formed the greatest slugging tandem in baseball history. He married his sweetheart Eleanor. He called her “Pal” and she called him “Luke.” In January of 1938, Lou went to Hollywood to act as an extra on one of the most popular westerns at that time, Rawhide. He was having trouble with his balance. Bruises and blisters began to appear on his hands. Still, Lou never missed a game that year. Gehrig would be diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or what is now called “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” Doctor’s gave him hope, even wrote him letters of encouragement, all while telling his wife, Eleanor Gehrig, the terrible truth. There was nothing they could do, Lou would not survive. Lou Gehrig died on June 2, 1941. He was 37 years old and, as expected, fought to live until the end. Some say the Good Lord wept as the New York Yankees were rained out that day. Our friend, Johnny Welaj, passed away on September 13, 2003. He had been living at the “Autumn Leaves of Arlington” Assisted Living Center. He was 89. Interestingly, Johnny had a brother also named Lou, who played with the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1942 to 1950. The Yankees won Game two for Lou, 11-1. How lucky I have been to see and experience the greatness of Lou Gehrig through the eyes of Johnny Welaj. Happy Independence Day!
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July 10, 2014
A9
Island Moon
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Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Hatchling Releases Draw Hundreds to The Island
By Donna J. Shaver, Ph.D.
Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery National Park Service, Padre Island National Seashore e-mail: Donna_Shaver@nps.gov
Padre Island National Seashore staff and volunteers held public releases of endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatchlings at Padre Island National Seashore on 6 consecutive mornings between July 1 and 6. Hundreds of people attended each release and cheered on the turtles as they crawled towards the Gulf of Mexico and then swam into the surf. Many people told us how much they appreciated the opportunity to see these hatchlings and how they planned their vacations around the chance to see them. Many traveled long distances to attend, including from elsewhere in the state, elsewhere in the U.S., and even from other countries. Our public releases are held starting at 6:45 am, in front of the Malaquite Visitor Center at Padre Island National Seashore. No fee is charged to attend these releases. The dates of these releases depend upon when the eggs were laid, how fast they hatch, and when the hatchlings become ready for release. We are posting the projected hatchling release dates for the nests that we are currently caring for on the Padre Island National Seashore website www.nps.gov/pais. The projected release dates for each clutch encompass a 6-day-long window. Hatchlings are released sometime during that window, when they have emerged from their eggshells and start to become active. The more clutches hatching at once the greater chance of a release. This provides “insurance”
so that even if some hatchlings become active and must be released during the middle of the night, others will hopefully be ready for release at 6:45 am on the public release morning. Releases will be less numerous from now through about July 21 since only a few nests will be hatch then. However, between about July 22 and mid-August hatchlings will be released from 50 nests and we expect to be able to hold public releases on several of those mornings. In fact, this is the best time to target if you would like to attend a release or have company coming from out of town that would like to see the hatchlings. For information on the next upcoming release please call our Hatchling Hotline at (361) 949-7163 or check our Facebook page titled Padre Island NS Division of Sea Turtle Science & Recovery.
Please continue to watch for and report nesting A few more sea turtle nests were found in Texas during the last two weeks. Through July 7, 116 Kemp’s ridley nests have been recorded in Texas, including locally 71 at Padre Island National Seashore, 10 on North Padre north of the National Seashore, and 5 on Mustang Island. Also, two loggerhead nests were found in Texas, both on North Padre Island including one at the National Seashore. Nesting by Kemp’s ridley turtles could continue through July and by loggerhead turtles through midSeptember. Eggs from all sea turtle nests found in Texas are transported to our incubation facility or tobeach enclosures called corrals for protected care. However, despite nest detection patrols on Texas Gulf beaches and nesting reports from visitors, occasionally nests are not found at egg laying. The eggs and hatchlings from these nests have lower survival than those from protected nests. However, occasionally some hatchlings “beat the odds”, successfully emerge from the nest, and are spotted making their way to the surf by beachgoers. Please watch for nesting sea turtles or hatchlings emerging from previously undetected nests while you are on the beach. Immediately report them to a passing turtle patroller or by calling 361-949-8173, ext. 226 (North Padre Island) or 1-866-TURTLE5 (elsewhere in Texas). If you see a nesting turtle, please do not rush up her or you could frighten her back into the water without nesting. If you are driving on the beach, please watch carefully and drive slowly since nesting turtles can be difficult to see and will not move quickly to avoid a passing vehicle. To learn more about what to do if you see a nesting sea turtle and to obtain the latest information on the number of nests found this year, visit our website or Facebook page.
Catch the view from Port A’s only elevated bar.
Black Marlin Bar & Grill is the ONLY destination on the island that marries chef-driven cuisine, an elevated bar and weekly live music.
Stop by and get hooked.
LIVE MUSIC EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT! Join us every Saturday night this Summer for great food, cold drinks and live music overlooking the gulf. Visit blackmarlinporta.com for details and tickets. Featuring BRIAN KEANE this Saturday, July 12. Visit blackmarlinporta.com for details.
Lunch 11 – 3 pm Daily
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Dinner 5 – 9 pm Wednesday – Saturday
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Elevated Bar Open Daily
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A10
Island Moon
July 10, 2014