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361-949-7700 editor@islandmoon.com The Island Newspaper since 1996 Facebook : The Island Moon Newspaper
November 21, 2013
The newspaper where we cover everything that goes down your street or up your canal…
Around The Island
By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com
We had our first Winter Texan Turnaround this week. A baffled Winter Texan was standing outside her RV in the Stripes parking lot stopping anyone who looked like a local asking for directions to the Padre South Hotel. “There’s no such place here Ma’am.” “There has to be we’ve booked a room. This is South Padre Island right?” “No Ma’am this is North Padre Island.” “But the street signs says…” “I know, South Padre Island Drive.” “But why isn’t it North Padre Island Drive? And how do I get to South Padre Island? Can I just go south on South Padre Island Drive?” “No ma’am you can’t get there that way it dead ends in the sand.” “So if South Padre Island Drive doesn’t go to South Padre Island? And North Padre Island Drive doesn’t go to North Padre Island? Then how do I get to South Padre Island?” Well,” and then we went through the explanation we Islanders have memorized for use during the tourist and Winter Texan seasons. “North Padre Island Drive is not on North Padre Island, in fact, you can’t get to North Padre Island on North Padre Island Drive. You have to take South Padre Island Drive to get to North Padre Island. And you are not on South Padre Island you’re on North Padre Island. To get to South Padre Island from North Padre Island you must go north on South Padre Island Drive but if you get to North Padre Island Drive you went too far.” The poor lady stood there with a look on her face like a coyote had just snatched up her little yappy dog. “North on South Padre Island Drive…” “So after I go north on South Padre Island Drive how far is it to South Padre Island?” “I’d give it about three hours ma’am. It takes some time for the feds to search your car at Sarita.”
State Eying Rules Change for Limits on Trout and Flounder
Unexpected results But for reasons that are not readily apparent the changes in rules had the opposite effect from what was intended. Instead of the tighter rules cutting down on the number of fish being taken those numbers are increasing along with the number of fishermen after them. Conversely, the targeted fish, whose populations had been struggling, have seen their numbers stabilize or increase - which is exactly what fisheries
“Which Island again…?” The first Winter Texan Turnaround. And so it goes.
Accent Party Once the Winter Texans arrive in earnest in January The Island Moon is going to sponsor an Accent Party. We’re going to see how many different accents we can get together at one time in one Star Spangled Island celebration of our diversity. Maybe we can set some kind of a record if we count drawls, stammers and winedriven slurs.
Slow your roll… Be careful at the stop sign at Windward and Leeward. The sneaky PD has been hiding behind the dumpster over there and chasing people down after they roll through the stop sign.
Why we don’t live there… The drive time from Georgetown to downtown Austin last Friday was just under three hours. It’s barely twenty miles but there were 300,000plus people in town for the U.T. football game and Formula One race. Rooms at the Driskill Hotel were going for $1000 per night with a three-night minimum and a waiting list. Saturday evening 22,000 people flew out of the airport in less than four hours. Meanwhile on The Island traffic was moving nicely.
Island time It’s a great time of year to be on The Island; temperatures are up, wind is down, rents holding steady. And it’s almost time for the La Posada Lighted Boat Parade and the Mother of All Deck Parties. It’s all just a reminder that everybody else’s vacation is our life. Say hello if you see us Around The Island.
Packery Channel Improvements PHASE 1 - Restroom Facilities at Seawall Parking Lot - Complete PHASE 2 - Packery Channel Parking and Overlooks – Complete PHASE 3 - Restroom Facilities at Packery Channel - $2,066,000 PHASE 4 - ADA Ramps to Jetties - $274,000 PHASE 5 – North side Pavilion - $1,281,200 PHASE 6 - Administration & Maintenance Building - $715,000
Trout continued on A3
Next week's Deadline Is Monday November 25th
La Posada is Only Three Weeks Away! Kickoff party December 3, Parade registration underway The 39th annual La Posada Lighted Boat Parade is only three weeks away on Friday, December 13 in the canals on the north end of The Island, and Saturday, December 14 on the south end.
“Oh, my goodness. Harold start the car. Let’s find a place here on…where are we again? South Padre Island?”
“There are a lot of them sir. You’re on The Island now.”
Contract for Restrooms on North Packery Beach Approved
Regulations governing harvest of the two game sport fish were tightened in 2007 when the daily bag limit of speckled trout was halved in the Lower Laguna Madre and two years later, rules slashing flounder limits and imposing other restrictions on taking of the flatfish took effect statewide.
“Well, you’re headed south ma’am so they’ll be looking for cash.”
“Where’s a good happy hour?” Harold said.
Year 16, Issue 501
State rules for limits on speckled trout and flounder in the Lower Laguna Madre may be undergoing some changes soon.
“Search my car! For what?”
“No ma’am. You’re on South Padre Island Drive on North Padre Island.”
Next Publication Date: 11/26/2013
PHASE 7 - Parking Lot Improvements at Jetty Ramp - $879,000
By Dale Rankin Corpus Christi City Council this week approved the design and construction contract for restrooms on the north side of Packery Channel between the channel and Zahn Road. The $193,500 design contract is part of the total of $2.1 million for the project that will bring, besides the restrooms, a new lift station will connect a new wastewater line from the restroom to an existing lift station on Zahn Road and a parking lot at the site. The contract is Phase 3 of a 7 phase plan for improvements around the channel which were approved as part of the channel project passed by voters in 2000. The improvements were not part of the original vote to approve the digging of Packery Channel in 2000; they were
approved by a vote of the city council when the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) #2 in 2003. The zone captures property tax revenue from new construction inside the zone since that date. The design contract approved by city council this week includes development of an overall conceptual site plan to include the restroom (Phase 3) and future Packery Channel Pavilion (Phase 5). Design and construction of the Pavilion are not included. The project is expected to take about 18 months to complete with the construction contract expected to be awarded in October 2014 with anticipated construction completion in March 2016. The design will be done by Chuck Anastos Associates, LLC.
Litter on Private Island Property Getting Attention
Boaters who want to be part of the parade can T-shirts and other fill out the registration items with this form included in this year's La Posada issue and drop it off at the La Posada Kickoff logo will be available soon. Party at Scuttlebutt’s on Tuesday, December 3 or send it to Brent Rourk – 15606 Gypsy Street, CC, TX 78418. Keep a copy for yourself. You can also e-mail a copy to Brent at brentrourk@yahoo.com. La Posada continued on A9
A Little Island History
Plans to turn the Island into the Next Florida Fall Flat
By Greg Smith
In 1925 the “Duke of Padre” Pat Dunn ruled The Island. Little had changed from the time the Malaquite and Karankawa Indians roamed Padre. There were a few more cattle, with short horns and white faces instead of the long horned animals the Native Americans were familiar with. Instead of shell middens on the Laguna side of the Island marking Indian camps there were cattle stations scattered every twenty miles or so. Padre was still as isolated as ever, the only way to reach it was by boat or crossing the Laguna in the old Indian fords with a hard bottom. For visitors that reached Padre without getting Pat’s permission they would quickly be told to find their way back to the mainland and out of his Island Kingdom.
Robertson’s Backdoor Railroad and Pancho Villa Sam Robertson was born in DeWitt, Missouri in 1867. At fifteen he left DeWitt to work on building the railroad lines crossing America. By twenty he was building and engineering railroads for the Santa Fe. In 1903 he had the contract for building a line from Corpus Christi to Brownsville. Working out of the Valley he La Posada continued on A11
This dump site along Packery includes a complete bedroom set and personal information including a woman's social security number and credit information. By Dale Rankin Trash left by trespassers on private Island land has landowners asking the City of Corpus Christi and the Texas Highway Department for help in limiting access to the more than 1500 acres of privately-owned land on The Island from public roadways. A representative of the MANTI real estate group, which owns land on The Island, addressed the November meeting of the Island Strategic Action Committee, which in turn asked the City of Corpus Christi staff to present a plan to curb access to private land from public roadways. The issue has come to head after years of complaints about littering on the private land on the west side of Packery Channel adjacent to the SH 361 Packery Channel Bridge which is a popular spot for fishing. No Trespassing and Private Property signs have been torn down at the site several times. But the problem of the public access to private
Trash left on private land near SPID. land on The Island and subsequent littering is one that has been going on for decades. Signs and barricades aimed at limiting or preventing entry onto private land by the public are routinely torn down or circumvented. The problem of littering is exasperated because property owners say they cannot Trespassing continued on A8
A 2
Island Moon
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The Travelling Moon Gets Around
November 21, 2013
Moon Monkey's 500th Issue Celebration At Scuttlebutts
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The mighty Scat Cat does it again! 24 limits of yellowfin in one night!! Plus snapper, blackfin, dorado, and a few triggers. Good haul!!
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The third largest rig in the world made its way from the docks in Ingleside last week, past Port Aransas into the Gulf of Mexico. The 229-foot tall rig is part of the Jack / St Malo deepwater project which is tapping into the two fields which are about 30 miles apart in more than 7000 feet of water in the south/central Gulf of Mexico.
will be developed by a massive floating semisubmersible production facility, which will be installed at a depth of 7,000 feet. Its topsides will weigh 33,000 tons and the facility will have a capacity of 170,000 barrels of oil per day and 42.5 mmscf per day of natural gas. The production facility will act as a hub for 43 subsea wells.
The first exploration well in the St. Malo Field was drilled in 2003 and found oil at 1,400 feet below the ocean floor. The Jack Field was drilled in one year later at 29,000 feet deep where it struck a pay of oil 350 thick.
The fields are projected to produce for about 40 years.
Production on the $7.5 billion play in both fields is expected to begin in 2014. The fields
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On November 8th, the Padre Island Enrichment Club (P.I.E.) members lunched at the Holiday Inn Beach Hotel.The program was speaker Pamela Two Spirits Reader who co-authored the book "The Pipe And The Pen". She is an RN, certified Hypnotherapist, former radio host, has a MS in Family Sociology and a Ph.D in Transpersonal Psychology with many years of Hospice nursing experience.She spoke of gratitude. "When we rewire our thinking toward gratitude, we start opening up to joy and love of our life". P.I.E. members will be having a PIE SALE on November 26th from 11 to 2 at Keller Williams Real Estate Office at 15105 SPID (Park 22 Rd.). Some desserts will be diabetic friendly. All donatios will go for college scholarships for island high school students. On December 13th, P.I.E. members will host a Christmas Party with Christmas music, ornament gift exchange, guest Marines to deliver our Toys For Tots gift bags and Kay Berry to deliver our gift bags to Timmons Ministries. Make reservations by noon on Decenber 11th to PIELuncheon@aol.com. Contact Sheila at 949-2072 concerning membership. Pictured: Pamela Two Spirits Reader.
Those Crafty Red Hatters!
On November 7th, the Island PIPPs Chapter of Corpus Christi Red Hat Society enjoyed a salad potluck at Jaki Boyd's home. There was quite an array of salads and Red Hat cupcakes. The activities were playing Red Hat bingo and creating a Red Hat craft.
November 21, 2013
Island Moon
A3
Flounder continued from A1 managers hoped when they recommended the changes. So while more fish are being taken, the number of fish left in the Laguna is also increasing; the desired effect of the 2007 and 2008 rule changes. So the new rules produced a win/win for both fish and fishermen. As a result, state fisheries managers at the request of Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, are looking at potentially expanding the conservative speckled trout rules to cover more of the coast as well as further tightening flounder rules. They have set in motion a scoping process that began with a public meeting in Austin in early November when the nine-member TPW Commission, which sets policy for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, instructed the agency's coastal fisheries staff to look at the potential effects of expanding the five-fish daily bag limit for speckled trout currently in effect in the Lower Laguna Madre to other areas of the coast.
Flounder rules At the commission's urging, the staff will also look at the potential effects of further tightening flounder regulations, including increasing the length of the current November-long prohibition on gigging flounder. More public “scoping” meetings will also be schedule to get feedback from the 800,000 saltwater anglers in the state. Good evidence exists that Texas' flounder fishery and flounder fishers have benefited from rules changes that took effect in 2009. According to state regulators beween 1980s and 2008 the number of adult and juvenile flounders declined by half as did the number of flounders landed in spite of an increase in fishermen by 50 percent during that period. State fishery managers found that the main problem was a low number of young flounders partially due to the large numbers of female fish being taken during the annual fall migrations as they moved from the bays to the Gulf where they spawn during winter. During that fall migration, when flounder are concentrated in the paths and particularly vulnerable to anglers about 60 percent of the annual flounder catch was taken between October 1 and December 31 with the highest number coming in November.
Reducing bag limits for flounder To reduce harvest the state cut the daily recreational bag limit from 10 flounder to five during all months except November when the daily limit for recreational and commercial fishers was cut to two fish, and gigging flounder was prohibited altogether. The new restrictions reduced flounder landings during that year but recreational landings of flounder have risen each year since. Fishery managers believe this is due to more adult flounder making it through the angling gauntlet
to spawn combined with a series of winters in which water temperatures were cool enough to provide optimum conditions for fertilized eggs and larvae to survive, greatly boosting flounder recruitment. State numbers show that increased numbers of flounder in Texas waters has increased 80100 percent since the regulation changes took effect, even as recreational landings of flounder have dramatically increased, too, in some cases doubling from one year to the next. This comes in the wake of the fact that surveys who more Texas anglers are targeting flounder than ever before; eight percent in the past year saying they primarily target flounder when in past years that number was less than three percent.
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State regulators are also looking at ideas such as extending the current November flounder rules - no gigging, two-fish limit - to cover parts of October and/or December and the potential effects of extending the five-fish bag limit currently in effect in the Lower Laguna Madre to other parts of the Texas coast.
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Overfishing trout In spring of 2005, for the first time since TPWD began standardized gill net sampling of all bays in 1975, the relative abundance of speckled trout in the Lower Laguna Madre, a premier trout fishery, fell below the coast-wide average showing signs it was being overfished – spawning numbers were good but fewer fish were living to the 15-inch length limit. To increase the number of trout surviving to spawning age and older, TPWD placed the Lower Laguna Madre under a five-trout daily bag limit, half the statewide 10-trout daily limit. The move, the agency predicted, would annually reduce Lower Laguna anglers' total landings of specks by about 13 percent while boosting the "spawning biomass" by 15 percent. The move was controversial, but the quality of the fishery quickly and dramatically improved. Prior to the five-trout limit, only 4 percent of the anglers on the Lower Laguna Madre landed five specks in a day of fishing. Two years after the reduced limit took effect, 10 percent of Lower Laguna Madre anglers checked in TPWD creel surveys had landed five trout - more than twice as many as before the rule change. And the fish were, on average, larger. The question now is how to apply those lessons all along the Texas Coast as more anglers take to the water.
'Scoping' meetings At the commission's request, coastal fisheries staff will draw up a list of possible rules changes, including a five-trout bag limit, and their predicted effects to air at "scoping" meetings in late December or early January. State officials say, however, that does not necessarily mean they are going to institute changes. If changes are proposed they would be officially proposed at the TPW Commission's public meeting in January, 2014.
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Tides of the Week
Member SIPC
Tides for Corpus Christi (Bob Hall Pier) Nov. 21-27, 2013
Day
High /Low
Tide Time
Th
21
Low
21
High
F
22
22
Sa
Height in Feet
Sunrise Moon Time Sunset
% Moon Visible
10:18 AM 0.1
6:55 AM Set 10:04 AM
90
7:32 PM 1.9
5:35 PM Rise 9:10 PM
Low
10:52 AM 0.2
6:56 AM Set 10:45 AM
High
8:01 PM 1.8
5:35 PM Rise 10:01 PM
23
Low
11:28 AM 0.3
6:56 AM Set 11:24 AM
23
High
8:26 PM 1.8
5:35 PM Rise 10:52 PM
Su
24
Low
12:07 PM 0.5
6:57 AM Set 12:00 PM
24
High
8:49 PM 1.7
5:34 PM Rise 11:44 PM
M
25
Low
12:52 PM 0.7
6:58 AM Set 12:36 PM
25
High
9:09 PM 1.6
5:34 PM
Tu
26
Low
5:07 AM 1.0
6:59 AM Rise 12:37 AM
26
High
8:54 AM 1.1
5:34 PM Set 1:11 PM
26
Low
1:49 PM 0.9
26
High
9:27 PM 1.5
W
27
Low
5:08 AM 0.8
6:59 AM Rise 1:31 AM
27
High
10:58 AM 1.2
5:34 PM Set 1:47 PM
27
Low
3:27 PM 1.1
27
High
9:42 PM 1.4
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South Texas Grassroots Bluegrass Band Starting Nov. 24th 6-9pm
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Island Moon
A 4
November 21, 2013
On the Rocks By Jay Gardner
La Posada 2013 Registration & Parade Routes
Ozzie and I pulled not bomb even farther south? So we pulled onto the beach the other down to around the 20MM, and the water day, and it immediately looked brown, and there was seaweed in the fogged over. Driving in wash. the pea soup was fairly disconcerting, as shapes It didn’t take a genius to figure out that we would come out of the fog and immediately had left better looking water for worse water, you would be on top of a vehicle, or people walking a dog. Forget 15mph on the first couple of miles, we were doing more like 5mph. It was impossible to see the water conditions, but we had already agreed on getting down to the 10MM and see what it was like down there. We were chasing pompano, and also just getting out to see the sand since the water level had finally receded to the point that there was actually Danielle with a Red, photo by James more than 15 feet of beach to drive on. Our water levels have been and headed back north. Don’t leave fish to find crazy high lately. fish, right? So, after finding some decent water The water looked ok there at the 10MM, and we decided to give it a shot. We donned heavy, clunky waders and boots due to the water temps, and walked out to the first bar in some slightly sporty conditions for pomp fishing. We both hit paydirt on our first casts and brought in some decent sized pomps to get the day started. We grinned and thought to ourselves that it was going to be a good day. Unfortunately, we were wrong. The 10MM yielded a few more, and the fog lifted a bit. We decided that “it must be better down south” and loaded up camp and headed down into the ‘teens. We stopped at what looked like a decent pinch, and headed back out into the surf. We should have known better when we both sat there for 20 minutes before pulling in double hard-heads. After a half hour, we figured, why
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around the 10, we got back into it and started putting a few more fish in the box, but still mixed with hard heads. We landed and released a huge redfish, and Oz has slacked on getting me the picture. Brad and Beth joined us and they got a few more before we all got off the beach at dark.
Speaking of huge redfish, James and Danielle (aka “Trouble”) were down last weekend in the 30’s and got into a bunch of sharks and a few oversized redfish themselves (picture of “Trouble” taken by James Clark). This time of year there are lots of redfish running out of the passes and down the beach. If you’re looking for a trophy red, now is the time to get out there and hit it, as this front will push them all out. I can’t believe that it’s already Thanksgiving folks. Where does the time go?!! Duck hunting is in full swing (I don’t need to tell you fellow residents that, you already know) and people are heading into the first of the holidays. Kids will be running amuck and folks will be overindulging in tryptophan-laden foods in front of the television. The holiday season is also the time that Texas Parks and Wildlife and National Marine Fisheries will be holding scoping meetings regarding a variety of fishery management issues. The TPWD meetings will be regarding the trout and flounder limits across the state, with hints of a potential reduction. Make sure to stay tuned here and I’ll make sure to keep you in the loop regarding when and where the meetings are. In addition, NMFS will be scoping red snapper limits and a variety of other pelagic fish. Should be interesting. Some of us will be on the sand and on the rocks chasing fish during the break, when the weather cooperates. If you’re out and about down south and see us, say hello.
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November 21, 2013
Moon Monkeys
Letters to the editor
Island Moon
STATE
Dog Killed
Mike Ellis, Founder
Scholarship Opportunity for Future Service Members
From someone wanting to remain anonymous: I live on Palmira and my son and a friend were playing on our deck on Saturday between 12:00 & 1:00 when I heard a loud noise. I ran out to see what was happening and one of three men on motorcycles had just run over and killed my neighbors dog. They did not stop and my young son witnessed the whole thing. My neighbor scooped up his dog and was chasing the men on foot. It was horrible! If anyone has any information about these men please post. They weren't gang members, no identifying jackets or vests. One was on a Harley and the other two were on Kawasakis.
Distribution Pete Alsop Island Delivery
Anonymous
Coldwell Banker Advertising Jan Park Rankin
Nailed on The Island,
Patrick Kelliher
I want to bring an issue to Island residents. I have picked up no less than 18 nails at two stops at the intersection of Whitecap & Park Rd 22 (both times turning north on PR22 off Whitecap). I picked up another 10 leaving Ace / La Palma the other day. I now have a nail in a car tire; unfortunately Island Tire is closed on Saturday. I know we have a building boom going on, and I have done construction financing for 25 years, and realize you need to be careful around job sites.
Office Lisa Towns Classifieds Arlene Ritley Design/Layout Jeff Craft Contributing Writers Joey Farah Devorah Fox
I do not know why we have so many nails, specifically at these intersections. I am asking walkers, runners (if they can break their pace) and even drivers to please, please pick up nails if you see them in the roadway. An unknown and under- inflated tire could create a serious problem for someone traveling at highway speeds. Can you post this in the Moon?
Mary Craft Maybeth Christiansen Jay Gardner Todd Hunter Danniece Bobeché Ronnie Narmour Brent Rourk
Ralph Tapscott
Dr. Donna Shaver Photographers
Whitecap Rescue
Miles Merwin Jeff Dolan
I would like to say Thank You to the very kind military man that picked me up on Whitcap Boulevard on November 14th. My car had just broken down on S.P.I.D. and I had forgotten my purse at home. Your help was greatly appreciated. Leila
Mary Craft
Mark Your Calendars Office Security/Spillage Control Riley P. Dog Editor/Publisher/Spillage Control Supervisor Dale Rankin About the Island Moon
It’s the Biggest Little Auction in Texas!
On Saturday March 1, the Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Association Annual Dinner & Auction at 6:30 p.m. at the Community Center • Adjacent to the Port Aransas Museum
The Island Moon is published every Thursday, Dale Rankin, Editor / Publisher.
Our goals:
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.
Complete The Scow Schooner and Go Sailing! The hull is finished! We are considering hiring a shipwright to help us complete the Tall Ship for Port Aransas. Retire the Note on the Farley Boat Works! So we can be debt free and start planning the new maritime branch of the Port Aransas Museum. Build Our Endowment! We have tripled our endowment so far! Our ultimate goal is to raise 3 million dollars to provide continuing operating income for the Museum.
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
Port A Glass Studio The Gaff Wild Horse Saloon Tarpon Ice House
North Padre
Miss K’s Catering & Bistro
All Stripes Stores
Amano
Whataburger
Felder Gallery
Doc’s Restaurant
Island Woman Boutique
Snoopy’s Pier
Coast Club Coffee Waves Moby Dicks Spanky’sLiquor IGA Grocery Store Port A Business Center Carter Pharmacy
CVS
Island Italian Ace Hardware Holiday Inn Texas Star (Shell) Jesse’s Liquor Padre Isles Country Club Scuttlebutt’s Restaurant
Wash Board Laundry Mat
Subway
Public Library Chamber of Commerce Duckworth Antiques Back Porch Woody’s Sports Center Shorty’s Place The Flat’s Lounge Giggity’s Stripes @ Cotter & Station
Seating will be limited–tickets go on sale Jan 1, 2014 for more info contact Nancy Donley at nancydonley1@gmail.com www. portaransasmuseum.org.
Republican Candidates Begin Filing The Nueces County Republican Party announces that the filing period for candidates to submit their application for a place on the March 4, 2014, Republican Primary Election ballot runs from Saturday, November 9, 2013 through Monday, December 9, 2013. Chairwoman Kimberly Curtis is accepting applications from local candidates seeking the Republican nomination for offices that are up for election in November 2014. Republicans interested in filing for candidacy should contact our Nueces County Republican Headquarters at 361-994-9317.
Isle Mail N More
San Juan’s Taqueria
Port A Parks and Rec
We are doing big things in our little town. Join up with the coolest Museum in the coolest town in Texas!
Island Tire And all Moon retail advertisers WB Liquor
Flour Bluff H.E.B. Liquid Town Whataburger on Waldron Ethyl Everly Senior Center Fire Station
Gratitude Gift Shop
Police Station
Keepers Pier House
Stripes on Flour Bluff & SPID
by Mary Craft mkay512@aol.com
New Advertisers Howard’s BBQ is now open in the Bluff in the former Sparrow’s Landing location on SPID between Flour Bluff Drive and Waldron. Their other location has been on Antelope Street in town since 1949 – that’s longer than Whataburger! Obviously they must have great barbeque and their sides are made fresh daily. The carrot cake dessert that they have served since opening is from a 100 year old family recipe. The walls are lined with large screen TVs and there is live music on the patio. The Grand Opening featuring Johnny Rodriquez will be held Thursday, November 21st 7:00 – 8:30 pm. They open daily at 10:30 am and close at 9 pm weekdays and 10 pm weekends. Port Royal Resort is offering tennis lessons by tennis pro Rob Peterson to all ages and ability levels. Rob holds the Guinness World record for longest volley, longest rally and for making shots more than one million shots in a year which comes to almost 3000/day. Call 790-8455 for more info. Masters Touch Airbrush Studio does murals, canvas, signs, faux finishes and more. Artist Stoner Jones also does portraits of humans and/or their pets. Stoner has more
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By Todd Hunter, District 32
The month of November serves as an occasion for our country and the State of Texas to recognize the service of our men and women in the armed services. In addition to thanking those who have served, the Texas Legislature seeks to help those looking to serve. One of the things that the legislature did to help honor those who feel the calling to serve their country was to establish the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program. The purpose of the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program is to encourage high school seniors and freshmen college students to participate in a civilian college Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program while in college. A student must meet specific eligibility criteria in order to receive an initial scholarship award. In addition to the eligibility criteria, a student must enter into an agreement requiring a four-year commitment as a member of the Texas Army National Guard, member of the Texas Air Force National Guard, or a commissioned officer in any branch of the armed services of the United States. Annually, the governor and the lieutenant governor may each appoint two students, and each state senator and each state representative may appoint one student to receive a conditional Texas Armed Services Scholarship. A maximum of 185 students may be appointed statewide. A student may receive up to $10,000 dependent on funding availability. Students may receive continued scholarship awards. My office is accepting scholarship applications from students who reside in House District 32. Each state representative has been asked to nominate one student to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is responsible for overseeing the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program.
Eligibility for Nomination In order to be considered for the Texas Armed Services Scholarship, a student must meet two of the following four academic criteria at the time of the application: • Graduate or have graduated high school with the Distinguished Achievement Program (DAP) or the International Baccalaureate Program (IB); • Have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale; • Achieve a college readiness score on the SAT (1590) or ACT (23);
• Ranked in the top third of their graduating class. Once a student receives the nomination, then a number of criteria must be met for the nominated student to be eligible for receipt of an initial scholarship. The student must enroll in an ROTC program. A selected student must also enter into a written agreement with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board agreeing to complete four years of ROTC training and graduate no later than six years after the date the student first registers at an institution of higher education. No later than six months after graduation from college, the selected student must provide the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board with verification of a four-year commitment to be a member of the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air Force National Guard, Texas State Guard, U.S. Coast Guard or U.S. Merchant Marines; or a contract to serve as a commissioned officer in any branch of the United States Armed Forces. A selected student must meet all prescreening requirements of the Texas Army, the Texas Air Force National Guard, Texas State Guard, U.S. Coast Guard or U.S. Merchant Marines, or the appropriate branch of the armed services. The student must repay the scholarship if the student fails to meet the requirements for receiving the scholarship. This is an exciting opportunity for any student seeking to enter the armed forces by way of a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program at a civilian college. If you are a student who would like to be nominated for this scholarship program, please submit a cover letter along with proof that you have met the required academic criteria to either my Capitol office in Austin or my District office in Corpus Christi. If you would like any additional information on the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program, please don't hesitate to contact my Capitol or District office (512-463-0672; 361949-4603). The scholarship is administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Questions can also be directed to the board's Office of External Relations which can be reached at 512-427-6117. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603). Rep. Hunter represents Nueces (Part). He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.
Islander Norm Baker Files for Nueces County Commissioner Precinct 4 Race Long time Island resident Norm Baker has filed to run for Nueces County Commissioner Precinct 4 in the Republican Primary on March 4, 2014. The post is currently held by Republican Joe McComb who filed for reelection last week. Baker said taxes and the property appraisal system in Nueces County will be his primary issue. “I am running because I want to see something done about our unfair real estate tax situation in this county,” Baker said. “I have an unbelievable tax story to tell and there are many more in our district. Something must be done.” “It is not about the rate, but the very unfair appraisals assessments creating larger tax
bills,” Baker said, citing a 10.2% increase in property taxes under the current Nueces County Commissioners Court. An increase in rates which is over and above increases in the county budget caused solely by rising appraisal values. Besides McComb other current office holders are expected to file for the race. In the last Precinct 4 race in 2000 no Democrat filed to run. “I know that I will be running against at least two professional politicians, and will have an uphill battle, but if I can create an awareness of this unfair tax, in my mind I have won.” Nueces County Commissioners $70,220.80 annually.
make
Santa Will Arrive on The Island on December 7 By Brent Rourk Good little boys and girls should mark the morning of December 7 on their calendars because that’s the day the Padre Island Kiwanis Club will bring jolly old St. Nick to the Island for Breakfast with Santa. Rumor has it that Mrs. Clause will also be there with Santa from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at St. Andrew by the Sea Family Life Center. The visit will include a free breakfast (pancakes, sausage, juice, milk and coffee) and a visit with Santa.
Recent conversations with Padre Island Kiwanis Club officials reveal that Santa will definitely attend and will be happy to chat with local island children. There is no charge for this event; however, everyone is encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy for a less fortunate child. Circle December 7th on your calendar and prepare for a fun family outing, including breakfast, friends and an opportunity to chat with Santa. Have you been good…or not? Let Santa know.
Did Ya Hear? than 39 years of experience. Call 658-3699 or visit masterstouchairbrush.com.
Business Briefs Seafood & Spaghetti Works in Port A has had their geodesic dome former building torn down so CVS can’t be far behind. Their new location is just up the street. Johnny D’s Restaurant will again offer their take-away Thanksgiving feast that serves 6 – 8 people. The deadline to order is Sunday, November 24th with pick up on Wednesday. The feast includes sliced turkey or ham, four sides and a pie ready for re-heat. The cost is $79.95 and they also have dinner for two and a la cartes available. Call 949-2500.
there is a city requirement that water be available. The sink in the rest room does not count and though they sell bottled water that doesn’t count either. A table with a large bottle of water and paper cups didn’t fly either. I tried to google this but could not find anything on this city permiting requirement. The huge crane visible from the bridge Wednesday was placing two large a/c units on top of Snoopy’s roof. The restaurant should have it going by next week. There will be more interesting Snoopy news next issue. Next week’s issue of the Moon will be out Wednesday instead of Thursday because of the holiday.
The Padre Island Strategic Action Committee will meet Tuesday, December 3rd 5:30 at Comfort Suites across from the Holiday Inn. Dragonfly Restaurant will be closed until Monday, December 2nd. Schlitterbahn/Padre Isles Country Club Golf Course will soon have nine instead of eight holes. The 9th green had to be moved and they literally had to watch the grass grow to start using it. They are still giving lessons throughout the construction. Call Golf pro Patrick Kelliher at 407-346-9922. Mad Meats near Scuttlebutt’s has to put in a water fountain at the cost of $1100. Apparently
The Island Moon Artwalk and Market was held at Johnny D's. the courtyard proved a lovely spot to spend the day. Photo by Miles Merwin
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Letters to Riley By Riley P. Dog
It’s been a sad week in Animal Land as my mammal family lost one of our old kitties. We just called her Mama Kitty and she was thirteen and she just ran out of time. She just couldn’t go no more and that was that. But that kitty had more than her share of nine lives. I’m thinking she was on about life twenty seven or better. One time when my humans moved from Longview to Austin Mama Kitty ran under the house and wouldn’t come out. The movers loaded up all the furniture and the humans were ready to go but Mama Kitty wasn’t coming out. No sir! One human went in after her and he got scratched and boy was he mad. He called that kitty some names that most kitties never get called. She was an albino so we could see her back there in the dark but she wasn’t budging.
got Ditch Kitty too because he wouldn’t stay in the house either. But those two albino cats they stayed in the house and they were just fine. Then we moved to San Antonio and another cat lived in the bushes so we called her Bush Cat and then when we moved to The Island she lived in a spare bedroom and she fought with the albino cats. Then the coyotes got Mr. Big and we never got any more outside cats. But the albino cats they like to jump from the roof onto the patio and that’s where the owl tried to carry one away but they both made it okay. That is until this week when Mama Kitty couldn’t go no more. She was a cat but I liked her. So long Mama Kitty. You had a good run.
Then the human got a firecracker and lit it and was about to throw it under the house. He had a dip net over the hole where he expected Mama Kitty to come running out. It was a plan only a Stoopid Human would ever think was going to work. But about the time he was ready to throw that lit firecracker under there the other human came running out of the house yelling like, well, like the other human had been yelling at Mama Kitty, and that firecracker exploded in the yard and Mama Kitty ran farther up under the house. Boy that human was yelling then! I haven’t read the whole Bible but the part I have read doesn’t have any words like that in it I tell you what. So the humans loaded me and the stray cat that had been living in the ditch out front of the house whose name was Ditch Kitty, and Pumpkin the tabby cat, and the other albino cat who is the daughter of Mama Kitty, in the car and we moved to Austin. But Mama Kitty was still back there under the house in Longview which suited one of my humans pretty good but the other one made him drive all the way back and get her after she got caught in a raccoon trap the lady down the block shoved under the house. We went all the way back to Longview and picked her up and she howled in the back seat all the way back to Austin. I guess she really liked Longview but if she did she was the only one. One of the humans complained all the way there and back almost as loud as the cat. Stoopid Cats! So when we got to Austin Pumpkin wouldn’t stay in the house and he disappeared and when the humans put up signs somebody brought another cat that looked like him and his name was Mr. Big. My humans said they thought the coyotes got Pumpkin and they
Island Moon
by Dale Rankin
Those of us of a Certain Age remember where we were when 911 happened, when the first space shuttle blew up (unfortunately by the time the second one followed suit we were a bit jaded), and for those of us of a Certain-Age-Plus, the first crisis we remember was when John F. Kennedy was killed. It was fifty years ago this week and in many ways, for the Post-War generation of Baby Boomers it was the end of innocence.
Buttford's Run for Freedom Run Buttford Run Last week a dog from OTB got kidnapped for ransom and the owner didn’t have $300 so the dog got dropped off on The Island. He was seen over on the beach by Whitecap and he name is Buttford so some humans kept wandering around yelling, “Here Buttford Here Buttford” but Buttford was liking his freedom pretty good and even though he had a limp he was a fast mover and he got away and kept going. So run Buttford Run! Run like the wind my little friend! But if any of you humans see Buttford try to catch him because his humans want him back. You won’t get $300 but you will be doing a favor for my friend Buttford and Buttford could use a favor about now.
the satisfaction of a white election judge. The downtown Sears store had a “black” water fountain; “It tastes the same mommy,” “Get away from there!” And a “black” restroom, the Kress store had a “black” section at the lunch counter. It was hard core segregation and there was not a lot of enthusiasm among whites in Laurel to change any of that and the fact that the Kennedy brothers had been very vocal proponents of changing it didn’t make them very popular among Southern whites.
Time goes by…
When she heard her son was the chief suspect in the shooting she called the Ft. Worth Star Telegram and hitched a ride to Dallas with reporter Bob Schieffer. The story was legend around Texas newsrooms. Schieffer was turned away at the Dallas Police Station without interviewing Oswald and Marguerite returned to Ft. Worth where the next morning she signed a book deal to tell her story. The writer came to her duplex in Ft. Worth and she began dictating her story to him in her living room with the idea of getting a book on Oswald out before anyone else and cashing in.
The first Post War visceral experience for me was the Cuban Missile Crisis when my father drove us to the downtown post office in Laurel, Mississippi and showed my mother where the bomb shelter was. We would have to find it ourselves because my father was in the Air Force Reserve –he still called it the Army Air Corps – and was piloting one of the old propeller-driven B-29s that were still in service. The fleet was airborne and scattered over the skies in case of nuclear attack from Cuba which seemed imminent and which was close enough that we were told we would have less than twenty minutes to get to the shelter after the horn went off. In hindsight our parents had been living with such realities their entire lives.
So the story went, what she and writer couldn’t figure out was how her words kept appearing in the Ft.Worth Press the day after she told them. What they didn’t know was that Press reporter John Tackett, who later worked for the San Antonio Express-News and San Antonio Light had tipped the lady living in the other side of the duplex to let him climb up in the attic where he was listening to Marguerite and taking notes and passing them out a back window to a courier who was running them to the newsroom.
For weeks we had air-raid drills in school “ducking and covering under our desks in case of a nuclear war which could come without warning at any second and I’ll never forget the kid in my class who raised his hand and said, “My daddy says if we get hit with the Big One it won’t matter if we’re under our desks or not.”
“I don’t have nearly as much baloney as you’re getting from that crazy Oswald woman,” she told him. “That woman is crazy.”
It seems funny now but back then it was just a sobering piece of reality. We’d all seen the films, if the Big One hit the school would be gone, heck the whole town would be gone, and we’d be vaporized. Having the roof fall in our heads would be the least of our worries.
Call for our Daily Specials 361-993-9300 book online at www.servicemaster-tx.com
For those not familiar with Mississippi geography Laurel is in Southern Mississippi. This was Mississippi Burning before the feds showed up; five months before the kickoff of the Freedom Summer which saw 1000 white kids come down to Mississippi to help black organizers register black voters. Jim Crow Laws at the time still required black voters to fill out a 21 question registration form and answer a question on interpretation of any one of 285 sections of the state constitution to
Twenty five years later I was working at the San Antonio Express-News and I met several reporters there who had worked at the Fort Worth Press during the assassination. Lee Harvey Oswald’s mother Marguerite was a known figure around Metroplex newsrooms for her obsession with money and her frequent screaming diatribes about people who refused to give it to her.
Twenty minutes after the horn
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the first shock of a shocking day.
So when Mrs. Odem came in and announced that President Kennedy had been shot – we weren’t told he was dead – when the shock wore off and we were sent home for the day it’s sad to say but there were many parents who thought it was in celebration rather than mourning.
his shirt pocket – he had been a POW in Asia for three years and for years after the war would eat only half of what was on his plate to save the remainder for his next meal. The uncles who refused to go into Japanese restaurants and who wouldn’t really say why. These were the stuff of real life and among the Greatest Generation were just part of our culture.
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November 21, 2013
Stuff I Heard on the Island
We grew up hearing stories of World War II and saw some tangible effects of the aftermath; the man across the street who would occasionally run screaming into his front yard in the middle of the night as visions of the Battle of the Bulge struck him. Another man who came to dinner and each time would slip a slice of bread into
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Before 1989 the constant threat of Soviet tanks rolling into the Fulda Gap and the West responding with nuclear force was a very real part of life. Once that happened all bets were off.
Very real Friday But the shooting of John Kennedy while riding down a public street in the heartland of the country wasn’t hypothetical. It was a very real Friday afternoon and we were called from the lunchroom over the loudspeaker and told to return to our classes. When we got back to Mrs. Odem’s first grade class at Mason Elementary, an all-white school there in Laurel, Mississippi we knew immediately something was wrong. Mrs. Odem walked in with tears streaming down her face. The fact that teachers had emotions hadn’t occurred to us before. It was
Baloney in the attic
‘I lived up there on baloney sandwiches for almost three days paying her a dollar per sandwich,” he told me. “I said lady don’t you have anything but baloney.”
Watershed moment The Kennedy assassination was a watershed in Texas journalism. Careers were made and broken in its aftermath. Jim Lehrer went from the Dallas Times-Herald to PBS fame, Schieffer ended up in the Big Chair at CBS News, Tackett ended up in the Texas Hill Country, Another radio reporter later became a fixture on local San Antonio television after he had to leave Dallas because he, like many reporters and police officers was friends with Jack Ruby, and got blamed for letting Ruby into the basement at the police station where he shot Oswald. In the late 1970s myself and a friend, who shall remain nameless because he holds a very visible position at U.T. Austin now, snuck into the Sixth Floor room of the Texas School Book Depository where Oswald fired the fatal shots and took what would now be called a Selfie to show our friends. It was a non-descript and rather disappointing room where sad history was made that still reverberates today. On a day where we all remember where we were.
November 21, 2013 by Ronnie Narmour
It’s been a busy week in Port A so lets’ get going… Wall at Ice Plant collapses…
Around Port A
and smashed into the buildings. We asked Chief Scott Burroughs what happened and he told me this, “Preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 2:50 AM 11/17/2013 a 2009 Dodge Nitro driven by a 28 year old Corpus Christi woman was traveling north in the 300 block of Alister. The driver lost control of the vehicle near the intersection of Roberts Street and the vehicle left the roadway striking a sign and two buildings. The vehicle then rolled at least once trapping the driver and a 49 year old male passenger. First responders were able to free the two occupants from the vehicle. The driver was transported by PAEMS to Memorial with non-life threatening injuries. The passenger was treated at the scene and refused transport. Excessive speed and alcohol are believed to be contributing factors. The investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed as of yet.”
The building above the ice factory collapsed leaving one man injured Wayne Serpa at the ice plant on Alister, (next to Port A Brewery) was doing some remodeling on his place upstairs when a wall collapsed. Wayne took one heck of a fall and was taken to Memorial Hospital by EMS where he received 14 stitches behind his ear. He’s OK but a little shaken and bruised up.
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that ministry. This will be a process of years of dreaming, discernment, planning, and creating. I’m looking forward to all of it!”
Frostbite Betty is back in town… And the most exciting thing that I can think of swept down on me last Monday night at Giggity’s. Hold on to your seats… FROSTBITE BETTY and BERT are back in town and popped in on me with NO notice. Betty and Bert have come back to their winter homes here in Port A for a visit and I can’t tell you how happy I am to see them. They had wonderful stories of their summer spent in Frostbite Falls, MN and we will be telling you all about it, come January, in our Frostbite Betty column. Bert and Betty are looking fantastic and are full of life and love.
Rick Pratt and Father James Derkits of Trinity By the Sea bless the lot just purchased by the Church New tattoo for Zack… At the Tarpon Ice House last Sunday our friend Tiffany Duckworth was giving Islander Zach Zuller a new Henna tattoo on his freshly shaved head. Zach had just gone through a grueling regiment of chemo treatments and thought a little makeover was in order. Good luck Zack. We’re with you buddy!
Say hello if you see us Around Port A…
Trinity By the Sea buys new lot… Trinity by the Sea, Episcopal Church celebrated the completion of the purchase of the lot next door to the church on Sunday, November 17. Mrs. Sharon Cobb sold the lot to Trinity after being good neighbors for 50 years. Local Bagpiper, Rick Pratt led the congregation from the church doors to the lot, where they prayed prayers of thanksgiving and blessing. Trinity by the Sea purchased the lot with financing from the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, and has begun to raise the funds to pay off the financing. There are not any plans for the land yet.
LNG Boat loses power in ship channel… So Lighthouse Rick calls about 9:00 Saturday morning and leaves a message: “If you could get your lazy butt out of bed, you might get some great photos of a big LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) boat that’s lost power in the channel.” Rick lives at the lighthouse and watched the whole thing transpire… the converted LNG boat coming in through the ship channel lost power as it came in. They got some “pusher” boats to keep it centered while the Coast Guard aggressively kept everyone at bay with big guns drawn (including Lighthouse Rick who was trying to get to town to do his laundry). By the time Rick dropped off his laundry and was heading back to the lighthouse, maybe ten minutes, they had turned the boat around and got it up on its own power to head back out to the Gulf.
Island Moon
Tiffany Duckworth gives Zack Fuller a new look after his chemo treatments
Car loses control and smashes businesses… On Sunday night, our friend Steve Coons, who lives next door to the Tarpon Ice House, woke up to a loud boom at around 3:00 AM. The next morning he got up and went to investigate and took pictures of the Keller Williams building and Gibb Cottages where a car had obviously missed Susan Castor’s and the Gibb’s Cottages were damaged by a the curve at Roberts Street late night SUV who didn’t quite make the curve on Alister
James Derkits, the Vicar of Trinity said, “As a community, we could not pass up this amazing opportunity, and we are grateful that Mrs. Cobb was willing to sell her family land to us; now we will prayerfully consider what ministries God is calling us to, and how this land fits into
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Island Moon
Police Blotter Police Seek Culprits in Thefts of Security Cameras
Monday, November 18, 7:18 p.m.2800 Ransom Island Drive Murder 1st Degree Felony
November 1st and November 13th 1818 Rodd Field Theft
Corpus Christi Police responded to a call of a vehicle crash in the 2800 block of Ransom Island at 7:18 pm Monday night. Officers arrived and discovered that there was no vehicle crash, but that a 23-year-old woman had injuries that appeared to be stab wounds. The woman was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Officers were later notified that the women had not survived her injuries sustained in the assault. Officers and Detectives secured the crime scene within the home of the victim, so that Forensics could process it for evidence. Officers developed information that the person, who had stabbed the woman, was in fact her 57-year-old father. He was last seen driving away in a gold 2010 Nissan Altima. At 8:06 p.m. Officers received information that the suspect’s vehicle was at the Wal-Mart (1821 South Padre Island Drive) and was on fire. Officer’s arrived and found the suspect outside of the vehicle. The suspect was being treated for burns to his body by EMS. Officers secured the scene and consequently called for the Bomb Squad as a suspicious package had been found near the burning vehicle. Bomb Squad Officers retrieved the package and took it to a safe location for further examination. It was unknown if the package was related to the scene or had been there prior to the fire. The Bomb Squad cleared the scene and was made safe for Detectives to continue in their follow-up. Detectives were informed Tuesday morning that the 57-year-old was transported to San Antonio for further treatment to his burns. He remains the sole suspect in the case but detectives will continue to investigate.
Trespassing continued from A1 place garbage cans on the private land without incurring more liability, since the presence of the cans could be construed as inviting the public in.
November 21, 2013
Real Estate Roundup
Disturbance at a Home in Flour Bluff Leads to Homicide
Corpus Christi Police Detectives are investigating their 14th criminal homicide of 2013 that occurred in the 2800 block of Ransom Island in Flour Bluff on Monday evening.
Corpus Christi Property Crimes Detectives are asking the public’s assistance to help identify the suspects responsible for stealing the 72-year-old victim’s security cameras on two separate occasions. Clips of the video surveillance have been uploaded to the Police Department’s CorpusChristiPD YouTube account at http:// youtu.be/KVAQRnDRnD0. If anyone knows the identity or has any information on these crimes please call Detective G. Shipley at 361-886-2841. If you would to remain anonymous you can call Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS or submit a tip online at www.888TIPS.com. Callers will earn a cash reward if the suspects are identified and arrested.
Police Calls 13300 block SPID 6:10 a.m. Nov. 9 Criminal mischief $500-$1500 13900 block Suntan 10 p.m. Nov. 6 Assault with bodily injury 14200 block Ambrosia 11:55 p.m. Nov. 9 Unauthorized use of motor vehicle 14400 block SH 361 11 p.m. Nov. 16 Assault with injury 13800 block Laffite 4:02 p.m. Nov. 7 Criminal mischief $50-$500 15300 block Gypsy Midnight Nov. 8 Theft $50-$500 15300 block SPID 8:45 a.m. Nov. 11 Theft from vehicle $50-$500 15200 block Windward Nov. 9 Theft from building $500-$1500 A Captured Moment Photography
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The MANTI spokesman told the ISAC that most of the people who enter private land without permission due so across or from public rights of way. City staff told the ISAC they will study the problem and advise on ways to block access from the public roads and rights of way.
Briefly Meet the Builder By Mary Lou White 361-960-9460 marylou@baxterbrooks.com Each month, as I wade through the list of meetings that I attend, to stay current on local plans and issues, I consistently see the same faces sitting around the “board room” table. Predominately, those are male faces. However, one female face seems to be in evidence. It took a while, before I was able to put a name with that face. Eventually, I realized that name was Jodi Steen. Having lived in The Netherlands, the word “steen”, in Dutch, means: stone or rock, a baksteen is a brick, or it can mean a “gem” stone. I found that connection to be intriguing, because Jodi builds homes, where stone and brick are often used. Plus, she has the qualities of being solid, steadfast and reliable, which makes her a rare “gem”.
grandson is “fascinated” with the building site. Jodi attributes her success, not only to her family, but to the ability to find and maintain “quality subs”. The men and women who bring their best skills, daily, to the jobsite. Another source of success is the constant movement toward better construction techniques and environmental protection. Jodi was at the forefront of the Green Building Program. Maybe that ingredient is enhanced by the fact that “mother’s” always want the best future possible, for their children. Being informed is a good thing…
Padre Island Real Estate Ticker
Padre Island Endeavors Jodi normally builds “high end” custom homes, for clients who search for her services, based on a solid reputation that spans almost thirty years. This coming May, we will all be able to tour one of her homes. She has selected a lot in Island Fairway Estates and will be completing a Parade of Homes entry for the tour presented by the Builder’s Association of Corpus Christi. This 2600 square foot home will feature a three car garage and a unique workroom. (Ladies think “wrapping” area) As a female builder, Jodi pays special attention to the design/function relationship that provides a home to meet the homeowners’ needs in a thoughtful and efficient manner. She definitely considers building homes an “Art Form” and creates a unique “expression” for every client.
Mustang Island Contributions As you whiz past Cinnamon Shore, on your way to Port Aransas, think about slowing down and turning through the entry. Take the time to drive through the streets of the First Planned Beach Community in Texas. You will notice the consistent level of design and construction. Jodi Steen was one of the limited number of builders designated to construct these homes. Occasionally, I have had the pleasure of touring a home and I am always impressed with the level of workmanship combined with quality components and design. This pinnacle of craftsmanship is well worth the trip to view. However, the speed of construction and sales may soon result in only private entries.
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Custom Built Furniture, Remodeling, Cabinets, Doors, Custom Pull-Out Shelves, Dry-Wall, Tile, Quality Carpentry, Exterior Mold Removal, Power Washing, Faucets-Disposals
Old construction material dumped near Packery Channel.
Jodi chose the name Newport Custom Homes and uses a Pineapple in her logo. Pineapples have represented “Welcome” since Revolutionary times and are often used in door decorations, especially along the East Coast where the thirteen original colonies were located. That historical reference does not keep Jodi from embracing the future and the “new” port of Corpus Christi, on the Texas Coast. In her own way, she is building for the future and hoping to envision an enhanced Quality of Life, in our immediate area. With that goal in mind, she serves on the Island Strategic Action Committee and chairs the Government Relations and Membership Committees at the Builder’s Association, where she is an active Board Member. Her steadfast and conservative experience was forged as the only child of a Builder. Her father, Jim Ward, was once her “boss”, where she learned her trade, before he joined her organization in 2005. I can attest to the fact, that when you grow up in a “construction” family, it is almost impossible to break that connection. Today, Jodi’s daughter has a career in landscaping and her young
Multi Family Units For Sale From $329,900 to $1,100,000
9
Commercial Properties For Sale From $150,000 to $4,557,465
182
Lots and Land For Sale on Padre Island
135
Parcels not on the Water From $29,900 to $899,000
47
Parcels on a Canal or Water From $120,000 to $555,000
211
Residences For Sale on Padre Island
85
Attached Homes For Sale From $85,000 to $509,000
66
Detached Homes on a Canal or Water From $265,000 to $1,650,000
60
Detached Homes not on the Water From $152,900 to $399,900
405
Total Properties For Sale on Padre Island
43
Padre Island Properties Closed in October 2013
5
Lots and Land
38
Residences
Mustang Island Real Estate Ticker
The Meaning behind the Symbol
The staff is expected is present preliminary findings at the next ISAC meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 3 at Comfort Suites on Windward Drive.
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2
Multi Family Units For Sale For $635,000 and $795,000
16
Commercial Properties For Sale From $125,000 to $3,000,000
171
Lots and Land For Sale on Mustang Island From $40,800 to $5,650,000
211
Residences For Sale on Mustang Island
148
Attached Residences For Sale From $79,500 to $1,199,999
63
Detached Homes For Sale From $189,000 to $2,400,000
400
Total Properties For Sale on Mustang Island
41
Mustang Island Properties Closed in October 2013
2
Commercial Properties
7
Lots and Land
32
Residences
W illiam a. T hau iii, P.C. “F ormer U.S. N avy L awyer ”
l Divorce and Separation l Child Custody and Support l Adoption/Guardianship l Paternity Cases
l Auto Accidents l Personal Injury l DWI l Criminal Justice
l Wills and Probate
l Military Law
ConvenienT Flour BluFF loCaTion 9708 S.P.I.D., Suite A-101 s C orPus C hrisTi (361) 937-5513 s T oll F ree 1-877-888-1369 Licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas Former President of the Corpus Christi Family Law Association (1999-2000) Selected as a Texas “Super Lawyer” in November 2003, October 2004 and October 2005 Issues of Texas Monthly
• Moving • storage • Remodeling • Free up space • home staging
Convenient and secure, timely pickup and delivery! COWs of Corpus Christi • 361.937.3930
www. 866-get-a-cow .com
866-get-a-cow
The BACK PORCH
oPEN 7 dAYS + nOON-2AM Live Music
Harbor Lights Thanksgiving Buffet Available 12-4
The BACK PORCH Bar
JohnnyJohnny D’sD’sRestaurant Restaurant 361-949-2500 361-949-2500 Thanksgiving Take Away Package We are offering Thanksgiving Dinner ready for pick up the day Thanksgiving. hanksgivingbefore Take Away Package The Includes sliced Turkey or Ham, Four Sides, and a Pie. TURKEY BOWLING (3 PM) Dec. 1 ReadyDinner for Reheat. ready for pick up BACK PORCH Thanksgiving the day For 6-8 people 79.95+tax Bar $2 Wacky Wednesdays! before Thanksgiving. Dinner for Two and A la Carte Items available. Deadline for ordering will be Sunday the 24 . ced Turkey or Ham, Four Sides, and132a Pie. PortA W. Cotter St. Uel Jackson Trisum Stevie Start Russell Edge Melissa Brooke Cruise Control
th
ON THE WATERFRONT
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November 21, 2013
La Posada continued from A1 The event collects toys for the Marines Toys for Tots program each year provides the most amount of toys from any single event in Texas. Toys can be dropped off at a number of locations around The Island including the Kickoff Party. Last year with the generous help of many local businesses and individuals, the PIYC collected over 4200 toys and over $8000 for Toys for Tots. All of the toys and monetary proceeds go directly to Toys for Tots
to Toys for Tots, a G-rated burlesque show, live music, and more.
Official La Posada T-shirts will be sold again this year. A local artist has helped the Padre Island Yacht Club design a very attractive logo for the shirts. You can purchase them for $15.00 each from Padre Island Mail Plus. Make check payable to Padre Island Yacht Club.
The Padre Island Yacht Club (PIYC) now has a La Posada website available. Please check out http://www.laposadacc.com/ for more information, including registration information.
The 3rd annual La Posada Kick-Of party at Scuttlebutts will include characters in costume, face painting, trivia contests, a fire action show, celebrity live auctions with 100% of proceeds
Island Moon
A9
Island Construction Construction work is going on all over The Island these days.
Wonderful live auction items include a sky diving package, weekend away packages, a condo on South Padre Island for two nights, a guided fishing package, dinner with Marines, space for two on the La Posada Command Boat and lots more. Locals can bring Toys as well as cash donations during the La Posada Kick-off Party.
Judging for lights at Island homes will be done between December 9 and 11 to chose Best of the Best, as well at Streetside and Waterside categories and Community Display. All Island homes and business are eligible to enter and no sign up is required.
On Nemo Court work on new townhomes by Alex Harris is moving quickly. They are expected to be open by next spring.
This sprial staircase went into the kitchen at Schlitterbahn this week.
2013 LA POSADA BOAT PARADE REGISTRATION The following information is required. Please print legibly: NAME___________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS________________________________________________________________ PHONE with area code_______________________ CELL_________________________ E MAIL ADDRESS________________________________________________________ POWER________ SAIL________ BOAT NAME_________________________________ BOAT DESCRIPTION______________________________________________________ STATE REGISTRATION #___________________________LENGTH_______________ NAME OF INSURANCE COMPANY_________________________________________ Additional requirements:
CAPTAINS OR A VESSEL REPRESENTATIVE MUST ATTEND THE CAPTAINS' MEETING DECEMBER 12, 2013 AT THE PADRE ISLAND YACHT CLUB AT 7 PM.
Meanwhile at Corpus Christi City Council on Tuesday Harris received approval of a zoning change to move ahead with a new 31-unit townhome development at Windward and Robla. Over by Packery Channel and the JFK Causeway work is progressing on a new parking lot for vehicles and boat trailers.
ALL VESSELS MUST MEET STATE & FEDERAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. ALL VESSELS MUST HAVE A WORKING VHF RADIO. CAPTAINS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFE AND PRUDENT OPERATION OF THEIR VESSELS. ONLY ENGINE-POWERED VESSELS ARE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE. PARTICIPANTS ARE ASKED TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRE PARADE ROUTE FOR WHICH THEY ENTER.
Work on the old clubhouse at the Schlitterbahn site is moving quickly.
The ducks have arrived. Can the Winter Texans be far behind?
Indicate Parade Area(s) in which you will participate: ______FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2013. GALLEON BAY/COMMODORES COVE Marshalling area at the entrance to Commodores Canal by 6:30 PM. Parade begins at 7 PM. ______SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2013. NORTH & SOUTH OF WHITECAP BLVD Marshalling area by the Caravel Drive boat ramp (north of Whitecap) by 5:30 PM. Parade begins at 6 PM.
Dwight Jackson and friends took advantage of the great beach weather for a birthday bonfire. Happy Birthday Jack!
Instructions: Return this completed registration form to PADRE ISLAND MAIL PLUS, the PHARMACY at CVS or NORTH PADRE ISLAND ACE HARDWARE. Electronically to brentrourk@yahoo.com or trawlergenesis@yahoo.com. You will receive a confirmation after your registration form is received.
Island Pumpkins
Under New Management Happy Hour Every Day 2-7 p.m. $2.50 Domestic • $3 Well • $3 import
Open All Winter Season, Weather Permitting
The Sandbar, On the beach!
1900 STL
2013 Blue Wave 19’ Super Tunnel
• Legendary “Super Tunnel Design”
• Full Fiberglass “Inner Liner” 100% Composite • 100% Hand Laminate Hull w/ Lifetime Warranty • 115 HP Suzuki “4 Stroke” w/ Stainless Steel 4 Blade Prop • Aluminum Custom Drive-on Trailer
Sale $28,995 List $34,572
Self bd bailing deck W/ check ball scuppers
S.S. Reversible S.S. cup Forward Holders Livewell Helm Seat
Flip-up Seats W/ Arm rests
245Mo.
$
Fish Box Step-up Storage Anchor Locker
Inset Transome
Hydraulic Aft Livewell Steering
Alum. Rod Removable Holders Windshield
Lockable Rod Storage
40 Gal Fuel Tank Under deck
10% down + TTL @ 5.9% APR for 180 months W.A.C.
10121 South Padre Island Drive Hours of Operation M-F
8 - 5:30
•
Sat 10 - 4
(361) 937-7800
www.gcmboats.com
We always wondered who put that thing up there...
A 10
Island Moon
November 21, 2013