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361-949-7700 editor@islandmoon.com The Island Newspaper since 1996 Facebook : The Island Moon Newspaper

September 26, 2013

The sooner we catch all the fish the sooner we can find out where they hide their money. Next Publication Date: 10/3/2013 Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper

Around The Island

By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com By Dale Rankin

In Atlanta, front yard trash is attracting an infestation of feral hogs which are so bad parents are afraid to send their children to bus stops. The hogs are bad enough but if the trash is so bad it is bringing wild country hogs into the city that’s a whole different story. Burger King announced this week its new diet “Satisfries” will have only 270 calories instead of the 340 in the current fries. Is this a great country or what? Diet French fries. Dang! In Kentucky a 31 year-old pregnant women escaped from jail twice in one week. The second time she climbed out through the ceiling of the jail wearing only a t-shirt and a towel. Just a suggestion but if the law dogs want to find her just hang out at the stage door of the Jerry Springer Show. Look for the girl wearing a towel.

On The Island… Here on our little Island the feral hogs are under control (as far as we know), we like the French fries at Snoopy’s just the way they are, and as far as we know all our pregnant women who belong in jail are still there. We are all doing the home version of the Skeeter Dance though as the recent rains have brought out the Skeeter Fleet in full bloom. Don’t wear your white pants – not because it’s after Labor Day as we don’t stand on ceremony hereabouts – but because they will be red polka dotted before long as you squash the little boogers as they dig in. When is someone going to invent a Skeeter Swatter that works?

Change of seasons The sun crossed the celestial equator this week bringing in the equinox and kicking off autumn in our hemisphere and spring for the folks down under. Here on The Island it marks the beginning of the change from Texas tourists bearing ice chests to Winter Texans bringing RVs and little yappy dogs. We welcome them all. Beach driving has been excellent of late as the high tides that accompany the machinations of the planets and the recent rains have packed down the beach sand to almost concrete-hard surfaces. A drive down the eight miles of beach from Bob Hall to the sticks at PINS last week showed waterlines that had been to the foot of the dunes and only three naked men cowering in their cars from the influx of civilians. It’s getting harder and harder to be a Naked Man of Kleberg. We also got our first northern of the season on Saturday. We’ll name this one Andre after our friend and fellow Beach Bum Andre who recently moved back here from Daytona Beach where his Florida transplant just didn’t take. Welcome home Andre.

Green grass and high tides The rain greened everything up and the high water rose up over the new boat ramps next to the JFK Causeway which were raised several feet last year to keep that from happening. The high water brought work on the new parking lot at the site to a standstill. But take heart fellow Islanders as this too shall pass.

Manatee sighting We had a report from Diver Dave of a manatee in an Island canal last weekend but the water was too murky to get a photograph. Dave says the only thing he could really see were two nostrils coming up for air but there was no mistaking it was a manatee. We get one every once in a while and they usually stick around for a few days, so keep an eye out for a wandering manatee. We won’t give this one a name until we get his picture for the Moon.

Time to hit the beach!

This Saturday is 27 Adopt-A-Beach

Year 16, Issue 493

Corpus Christi Nearshore Reef is In! 10.2 nautical miles off Packery Channel

This Saturday is the day for cleaning up our local beaches after the busiest tourist season every. The 27 Annual Adopt-A-Beach cleanup is on for Saturday, September 28. Volunteers may register at check-in sites between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Saturday, September 28 (St. Jo Island volunteers must register in advance.) The cleanup will take place at 29 sites around the state. Now in its 27th year, 446,000 Adopt-A-Beach volunteers have picked up 17 million pounds of litter from the Gulf Coast. To participate, register at www.TexasAdoptABeach.org. Volunteers should wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and sunscreen. They will be provided with data cards, gloves, pencils and trash bags. Then on November 2 another, and first-time, cleanup will take place on Padre Island National Seashore. We will have more on that event as it gets closer. The cleanup does more than simply remove litter from the beach. Data collected from previous Adopt-A-Beach cleanups played an important role in the passage of an international treaty (MARPOL Annex V) restricting the dumping of plastics in the world’s oceans. In 1991, the International Maritime Organization prohibited the dumping of trash, except for finely ground food scraps, into the Gulf of Mexico.

Local cleanup sites in the area are: North Padre Island - Check-in: Padre Balli Park Office, 15820 Park Rd. 22. Contact: Jim Needham—Surfrider Foundation, 361-8252708 or Todd Dwyer, 361-853-9877, Gladys Choyke, 361-816-1243. Cleanup continued on A7

Ode To Archie’s Boat

By Dale Rankin The barge made its way through the pass at Port Aransas Tuesday morning. On board was the material that by day’s end would be below 73 feet of water 10.6 nautical miles from the mouth of Packery Channel. Material, including concrete pyramids, will be in place by the weekend and ready for anglers and divers to enjoy. The work this week is the result of four years of work by several local organizations. “The program began to come together in 2009, as Saltwaterfisheries Enhancement Association (SEA) was organizing our awareness campaign for the loss of Gulf marine habitat due to the removal of oil and gas production platforms,” said Mike Hurst, SEA Director of Offshore Issues. “After discussing the possibility of an artificial reef near Corpus Christi in State waters Reef continued on A7

Legend

_ ^

TPWD ARP Reef Sites County Lines SAN PATRICIO

1.25 2.5 5 Nautical Miles

ARANSAS

Mustang Island Liberty Ship Reef Water Depth (ft): 110 Distance from Port (nm): 18.15 miles Nearest Port: Port Aransas Latitude: 27.569759 Longitude: -96.858589

7.5

Boatmen’s Reef Water Depth (ft): 60 Distance from Port 4.75 miles Nearest Port: Port Aransas Port Aransas Latitude: 27.773918 Longitude: -96.971100

Corpus Christi Nearshore Reef (new) Water Depth (ft): 73 Distance from Packery Channel 10.6 miles Nearest Port: Packery Channel Latitude: 27.646706 Longitude: -97.007675

Boatmen's

_ ^

Lonestar

_ ^

Corpus Christi

NUECES

KLEBERG

Lonestar Reef Water Depth (ft): 72 Distance from Port (nm): 8.81 Nearest Port: Port Aransas Latitude: 27.691977 Longitude: -96.975266

^ Nearshore Reef _

For a complete list of Texas offshore reefs see www.tpwd.state.tx.us/gis/ris/artificialreefs/

On the Rocks By Jay Gardner

Archie’s boat went down last night It was such an awesome sight There was lighting rain and thunder Then old Archie’s boat went under Neighbors began to gather soon One of them put it in the Moon Archie said he was ready for it to go

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Artificial Reef Program was started in 1990 due to response of the loss of rigs and the wants of the fishing and diving community. Scientists have long known that the artificial oil and gas structures provide a base on to which a variety of invertebrates will attach to and thrive on. This basis of the food chain, which includes barnacles, hard and soft corals, sponges, clams, bryozoans, and hydroids (half plant, half animals) of course, attracts a diversity of tropical and sports fish.

Disappearing rigs Anyone that’s paying attention out of Packery over the past year has realized that we’ve lost four out of the ten nearshore structures that you can see standing from the beach. That’s a lot

One Big Fire By Carole Jenness and Two Faulty Seashore Middle Hydrants Make for a Academy Kids Need Smoldering Mess Your Help The old boat went down real real slow!

of habitat lost that had been standing for 30plus years in some instances. Unlike Florida and the Caribbean, Texas has a paucity of hard structures and corals for the invertebrates to flourish on. Early records from commercial fisheries indicates that Texas red snapper were “not significant” enough to support any effort. This is because Texas nearshore waters are by and largely a sandy desert. With the oil boom in the 50-70’s, many structures were placed within State waters to capture natural resources under these shifting sands. Many of the sessile organisms that build the food chain are broadcast spawners, which means their eggs and larvae float around in the loop current for hundreds of miles until they encounter hard structure upon which they can attach and thrive. Nowadays, Texas has arguably one of the better snapper populations in the Gulf due to the

On the Rocks continued on A7

A little Island history

The Island Begins Changing from Ranching to “Tin Can Tourists and Omissive Bathing Suits” as the 1920s Roar In

Run for the border We Moon Monkeys made a pilgrimage to The Gaff last week to see Kinky Friedman. It was one of those truly enchanting Island events as about one hundred people, all locals, turned up to hear the Kinkster spins tales of Irish revolutionaries and revelries with Eric Clapton. The Kinkster is running for something in the state elections next November - “probably the border.” But alas, if the past is any indicator his limited constituency will likely return him to the private sector. Such is the fate of the tilter at windmills on the Wild Horse Prairie. The next eight weeks are the sweet spot in the Island climate when the weather is cooler, the water is warm and the fish are fighting each other to get to bait. Get out there and enjoy it folks. And say hello if you see us Around The Island.

By Dale Rankin Seashore Middle Academy Superintendent Barbara Beeler wants to send sixty students from Seashore Middle Academy to Outdoor camp in Burton, Texas next April. The cost of the camp is $165 per student and $8000 is needed to help pay for the trip. The camp focuses on team building and is built around various activities such as kayaking, archery, climbing, and games. It lasts for three days the students work at various fundraising activities through the year to help pay the costs. The camp runs from March 31- April 2, 2014. If you can help send donations to: Seashore Middle Academy, 15437 SPID, Corpus Christi, TX, 78418.

zFire crews from Station 15 arrived within two minutes of getting the call. Following protocol they rushed to the nearest fire hydrant at the corner of Palmira and Almeria to hook up and that’s when the trouble started. It was late Saturday morning when two kids ran into office at Island Storage Company in the 15,000 block of SPID and told the manager there was smoke coming from a unit on the north side of the sprawling complex. But when firefighters tried to hook up to the hydrant at Palmira and Almeria it was so rusted Fire continued on A4

P F Dunn’s grandson Pat DunnRobinson on the Island circa 1928 Editor’s note: Greg Smith is an Islander and descendent of the Dunn Ranching family. By Greg Smith As the United States entered the 1920’s it was a time of tremendous change. The Great War had just ended; the Country found itself quite thirsty with prohibition starting and History continued on A6

A 2

Island Moon

September

26, 2013

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September 26, 2013

Island Moon

Senior Moments By Dotson Lewis

WWII War Crime Trials

dlewis1@stx.rr.com

Tokyo 1946-1948 When I arrived in Japan in the spring of 1947, the Japanese War Crimes Trials had been going on for a year. I was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division in Tokyo. The “1st Cav” (known as the “Horse Cavalry” by the Japanese) was General Douglas MacArthur’s favorite army division. The division headquarters was a former Japanese Army officers’ training camp north of downtown Tokyo which had been renamed “Camp Drake.” Mon-Thurs 8am-7pm • Friday 8am – 4pm Member hours (with keytag): 4am-11pm every day (361) 949-3298 – (361) 947-7732

a directive, soon approved by the other Allied powers, granting him the authority to proceed with the major trials and giving him basic guidelines for their conduct. As they had done in Germany, the Allies set up three broad categories. “Class A” charges alleging “crimes against peace” were to be brought against Japan’s top leaders who had planned and directed the war. Class B and C charges, which could be leveled at Japanese of any rank, covered “conventional war crimes” and “crimes against humanity,” respectively. In early November, the supreme commander was given authority to purge other war time leaders from public life.

Again, MacArthur moved quickly: by December 8th, he had set up an international prosecution section under former U.S. assistant attorney general Joseph Keenan, which began gathering evidence and preparing for the highprofile Class A trials.

www.islandfitnesscc.com

Dia Chia building Our area of responsibility was the central part of the island of Honshu, which was considered the “main island” of Japan’s five home islands. The 11th Airborne Division was on our north and the 24th Infantry Division was on our south. The two largest cities of Japan, Tokyo and Yokohama were in our area. General MacArthur’s Headquarters was in downtown Tokyo in the “Dia Ichi” building, which was about twenty miles from Camp Drake. On the main road half way between Camp Drake and the Dia Ichi building was Sugamo Prison. All of the Japanese who were being tried as war criminals were confined in Sugamo.

On January 19, 1946, MacArthur announced the establishment of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMFTE), and a few weeks later selected its eleven judges from names submitted to him by the governments sitting on the Allied Far Eastern Commission. He also named Keenan the chief prosecutor and Australian Sir William Webb the tribunal’s president. Twenty-eight high-ranking political and military leaders were indicted on 55 counts of “crimes against peace, conventional war crimes, and crimes against humanity.”

The Tokyo trials began on May 3, 1946 and lasted two and a half years. Although an improvement over the hasty Manila trails, which were also organized by MacArthur and resulted in the executions of Generals Yamashita and Homma, the Tokyo trials have been criticized as another example of “victors’ justice.” On many fronts they were condemned strongly;

I became friends with many G.I.s, who worked in Sugamo. In carrying out my assigned duties, I was in and out of Sugamo almost daily. I saw many of the Japanese who were confined there and my friends and I often talked about what was going on with the “Trials.”

The Dia Ichi Building-1945 Member Padre Island Business Association

The water in front of the building is part of the moat which surrounds the Japanese Imperial Place which is located in downtown Tokyo. MacArthur set up his headquarters so that he could keep an eye on the Imperial Place.

Member Padre Island Rotary Club

The BACK PORCH

World War II was the first major conflict in history in which the victors carried out trials and punishment of thousands of persons in the defeated nations for “crimes against peace” and “crimes against humanity,” two new and broadly defined categories of international crime. For most people, this calls to mind the trials of Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg. But an equally difficult, fascinating, and controversial set of trials occurred in Tokyo, under the watchful eye of Supreme Commander Douglas MacArthur.

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The Tokyo trials were not the only forum for the punishment of Japanese war criminals, merely the most visible. In fact, the Asian countries victimized by the Japanese war machine tried far more Japanese -- an estimated five thousand, executing as many as 900 and sentencing more than half to life in prison. But with Japan under the control of the Americans, the most prominent Japanese war leaders came under MacArthur’s jurisdiction.

Deceived and misled The Potsdam declaration of July 1945 had called for trials and purges of those who had “deceived and misled” the Japanese people into war. That was the simple part; there was major disagreement, both among the Allies and within the U.S., about whom to try and how to try them. Despite the lack of consensus, MacArthur lost no time, ordering the arrest of thirty-nine suspects -- most of them members of General Tojo’s war cabinet -- on September 11, just over a week after the surrender. Perhaps caught off guard, Tojo tried to commit suicide, but was resuscitated with the help of American doctors eager to deny him even that means of escape.

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On October 6, 1945, MacArthur received

Tojo

one critic said, “We have found its foundation in international law to be shaky. We have seen that its process was seriously flawed. We have examined the verdict’s inadequacy as history.”

On November 4, 1948, Webb announced that all of the defendants had been found guilty. Seven were sentenced to death, sixteen to life terms, two to lesser terms, two had died during the trails and one had been found insane. After reviewing their decisions, MacArthur expressed his regrets but praised the work of the tribunal and upheld the verdicts. Although calling the duty “utterly repugnant to me,” MacArthur went on to say, “No human decision is infallible but I can conceive of no judicial process where greater safeguard was made to evolve justice.”

General Tojo

On December 23, 1948, General Tojo and six others were hanged in Sugamo prison. MacArthur, afraid of embarrassing and antagonizing the Japanese people, defied the wishes of President Truman and barred photography of any kind, instead bringing in four members of the Allied Council to act as official witnesses.

Next week will discuss what happened inside of Sugamo during the executions and the reactions of those in Japan, both Americans and Japanese to the events of the trail and the carrying out of the sentences.

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Faucets-Disposals

A 4

Island Moon

September

26, 2013

Seashore News

Presenting their cell model to their 7th grade classmates, Tatiana Ortiz and Matthew Pate point out the various organelles

6th grader Victoria Solarek passes the ball to a teammate.

Port A Pirate Parade

Nailing an overhand serve, 8th grader Olivia Fuller serves an ace against St. James.

Fire continued from A1 it was unusable. The next crews in rushed to the next nearest hydrant located about fifty yards down Palmira and after with some work were able to hook in. The first, inoperable hydrant was just outside the fence of the storage site and about 150 feet from the site of the fire. The second hydrant was located more than 300 feet away, over a six-foot high retaining wall, across two open parking lots and on the opposite side of the storage building from the source of the fire. The delay proved costly. Not only was the second hydrant further away than the first, it turned out that it wasn’t in much better shape either. When firefighters got hooked up to it and brought up the water pressure the water lines beneath it began leaking water at enough pressure that it dug a sinkhole large enough for a fireman to stand in, soaking him to the waist. It is unknown how much water pressure it was able to push through the hose onto the fire. Before the blaze was brought under control drivers on SPID had to pull over due to the heavy amount of smoke covering the roadway. Firefighters tore through doors and walls trying to get enough water on the fire to keep it from spreading. In one unit Islanders Jerry and Sharon Watkins had family heirlooms, photographs, Christmas ornaments made by family, and a 1909 Ford Model T given to Jerry by his father. “We had things in there that can’t be replaced,” Sharon said. “I can’t even talk about it without getting emotional.” In another unit a group was getting ready for

Sharkathon and were working on their camping trailer and kayak which are now a mass of charred twisted metal and melted plastic. In others lawmowers and other yard equipment were destroyed, in others appliances and furniture.

When it was all said and done twenty-two units were damaged or destroyed. By mid-week the second of the hydrants had been replaced and the blowhole in the street caused by the leaking waterline filled in and the fire chief announced he will make inspection of hydrants on The Island a top priority. The report from the Corpus Christi Fire Department determined which unit the fire started in but stopped short of listing a cause, saying simply “undetermined.”

Meanwhile, the rusty relic of what used to be a fire hydrant at Palmira and Almeria still stands as a testament to years of neglect that made it useless when it was needed most; good for nothing more than maybe a raffle item for an Island charity with a story to tell.

PASTOR BIL AND JESSICA

SERIES BEGINS ON SEPTEMBER 28 & 29 TH

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Bay Area Fellowship Padre Island Campus 15201 SPID Ste. 200 • Corpus Christi, TX 78415 361.949.0022 • bayareafellowship.com

September 26, 2013

Moon Monkeys Mike Ellis, Founder

Letters to the editor

Island Moon

Kitten

Distribution Pete Alsop Island Delivery Coldwell Banker Advertising Jan Park Rankin Patrick Kelliher Office

Editor,

Lisa Towns

A few weeks ago you ran a story for me concerning a little kitten I rescued at the airport. Turns out he is a Savannah cat. This breed is a cross between a domestic tabby and an African Savannah wild cat. A pure bred can get up to 30 pounds and fetch $10,000.00. But back to the real world of CC; a wonderful couple from Port A saw the photo and fell in love with the little guy. Seems they have a similar cat (savannah) who is 11 months old and needs a playmate. Long story short; we have another happy ending for what may have been coyote snacks. I have attached the last email from the adopting couple with a photograph. I just wanted you to know and to thank you guys again. We are making a difference around here!

Classifieds Arlene Ritley Design/Layout Jeff Craft Contributing Writers Joey Farah Devorah Fox Mary Craft Maybeth Christiansen Jay Gardner Todd Hunter Danniece Bobeché Ronnie Narmour

John McCaleb

Brent Rourk

(kitten or “Scotty” is on the right of the photo.)

Dr. Donna Shaver

Mermaid Cover-up?

Photographers Miles Merwin

The photograph that ran in the last issue of the Island Moon of the Mermaid is Mother to be - Katherine Meier. It was taken during a photo shoot by Cynthia Mack Photography.

Jeff Dolan Mary Craft

Water Tower Mystery Dale, Office Security/Spillage Control Riley P. Dog

I have heard that the water tower on The Island doesn’t have any water in it. Is that true? Mary Lou White

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.

Editor’s note: We asked POA Executive Director MayBeth Christensen the question and she sent the query to City Engineer Dan Biles. Her response is thus: Another one of those coconut telegraph items The water tower is full Dan was at the water department as he responded to my email. “MayBeth Christensen”

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

Isle Mail N More Island Italian Ace Hardware Holiday Inn Texas Star (Shell) Jesse’s Liquor Padre Isles Country Club

San Juan’s Taqueria

Scuttlebutt’s Restaurant

Wash Board Laundry Mat

Subway

Port A Parks and Rec 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

Island Tire And all Moon retail advertisers

So there you go…

Naughty-Ham Loved your story about the Sheriffs of Naughty-ham. I remember them all. Especially Harlon Copeland. I lived on Natalen, next street over from Mahncke Park, when he did his ethnic cleansing of the park. Sheriff Copeland, with his gaudy Western wear look, was sort of like Liberace meets Lonesome Dove. Remember that incident in Brackenridge Park when a prominent city councilman (his name escapes me) was accosted? He took off running. Oops, Sir Galahad left his girlfriend behind in the car. Ah, the good old days.

Liquid Town Whataburger on Waldron Ethyl Everly Senior Center Fire Station

Gratitude Gift Shop

Police Station

Keepers Pier House

Stripes on Flour Bluff & SPID

Did not find follow-up including that info on page 6 of Sept. 12 issue the MOON. If placed on another page, please note where to find that information? Thank you Janet

Editor’s note: Thanks for the note Janet, the reason you didn’t find the jump on Page 6 is because we somehow forgot to run it. First typo ever in the Island Moon! Here’s the story in its entirety.

Update on Island Projects…

Schlitterbahn, Dog Park, New Water Line to The Island Schlitterbahn. Crews have begun setting forms to run concrete for park buildings and attractions. Excavation work on the new canals west of SPID is nearing completion. Work continues on the main building at Padre Isles Country Club. Work is on schedule. Island Dog Park. The Island Strategic Action Committee (ISAC) on Tuesday heard from both proponents and opponents of building a new dog park in the existing Aquarius City Park. The project was put together by a group of Islanders, but the location at Aquarius Park is being opposed by some nearby residents. At the meeting POA Executive Director MayBeth Christensen answered several questions which have been raised about the proposed park. They included: • There will be no grass in the park. The park would be covered primarily by crushed gravel to help keep out burrs and to facilitate cleanup. • A six-foot tall vinyl fence would surround the park to damped noise and protect park visitors from wind. • The park would be a members only park. A monthly fee would get members an entry card. The fees would pay for upkeep of the park as well as help find dog owners who did not clean up after their dog. • A surveillance camera would be on 24-hours per day. • The city would put no maintenance money in the park; it would pay for itself. • Owners must be present with their dog. Dogs cannot be dropped off and left. • All dogs must have vaccinations. • Aggressive dogs will not be allowed to use the park. • Backers of the park considered placing the park at Billish Park and Padre Balli Park. Nueces County Coastal Park Board Member John White said future plans at the county park may include a dog park but no final decision has been made. City staffers told the ISAC

that due to existing plans for improvements at Billish Park including a baseball field, there will not be room for the park there. Billish Park is the only city park on The Island which gets any city funds for maintenance. • Developer Paul Schexnailder, who is a member of the ISAC, told the group that his firm had previously donated 7.5 acres to the city for a park near the city water tower. Organizers said they would check to see if that park might be suitable for the dog park. Dasmarinas. The city is in the process of installing four speed humps on Dasmarinas. They will be in place “by Spring Break.”

Packery Channel. In its October 8 meeting the City Council will call a meeting of the governing board of the Island Tax Increment Financing Zone #2 which controls the funds for Packery Channel maintenance, dredging, and improvements. A full disclosure of financial statements of the zone will be made at that time.

New water line to The Island. Design is underway for a second water line to The Island to supplement the existing 14-inch line which is currently The Island’s sole source for water and the primary source for the City of Port Aransas.

City planers told the ISAC that all permits for the job are in place and the right of way for the line will run near the existing line which runs parallel to the JFK Causeway. Bids are expected to go out by October and work to begin in February with completion expected by midsummer 2014.

Police Boat for Island canals. In July the ISAC passed a resolution supporting the addition of a police patrol boat for Island canals. The cost of the boat and equipment is estimated at $75,000. The group has pledged to help raise half of the needed money and request that the city provide matching funds. The boat would be based on The Island, manned by uniformed police officers, and enforce city ordinances including No Wake Zones. Dale Rankin

Robert Danesi

Police Blotter Editor’s note: His name was Benny Uriste. The girl was his city hall intern and some guys who had been at a heavy metal concert who were high on acid showed up while he was “parking” with her. Benny hit the ground running, ran all the way across the golf course, swam the San Antonio River, crossed McAllister Freeway and finally stopped long enough at the Borden plant to call police. I was at the police station the next morning when she came in and she had a black eye and many cuts and bruises. Benny recovered enough politically that he ran for re-election to city council but lost. I was at his campaign headquarters on the Westside on election night and my car got keyed. Benny went to law school and practices in Houston defending people on death row. When Harlon cracked down on prostitutes he held a press conference to announce he had “ended prostitution in SA” we told him no you didn’t...you only drove the price up and moved the girls to Cherry Street where they were before they went to Mahncke Park. Some of them moved to Mulberry and Broadway. I lived right behind Good Time Charlie’s and once when my parents were staying with me a “lady” knocked on my door looking for business. i told my parents she was a “co-worker” from the Express-News but they left the next morning and moved into a hotel.

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Way to Go Paul! My husband and I are in love with Port A and can’t stay away. We were there recently and always stop at Tarpon TARPON ICE HOUSE for the music and friendly people. Apparently when we were there my Drivers License, Credit Card and Health Card fell out of my purse without me knowing it. I have been going crazy looking for them. Today, I got an envelope in the mail from Tarpon Ice House with my DL, CC, and health card. I am so very grateful for the person who found these and turned them in and to the person who mailed them back to me. Words cannot express the gratitude I feel. Thank you so very much Tarpon Ice House!!! Patti Brandenberger

Copper lifted from lift station Thursday, September 19, 11:39 a.m. 2902 Laguna Shores Road A 50-year-old man reported to the Corpus Christi Police that some unknown person stole about $800 dollars worth of copper wire from the City’s wastewater lift station on Laguna Shores. The 50-year-old man told Police that the suspect cut the cable to a portable generator and then entered the building by removing bricks. The suspect then entered the building and took about 100 feet of copper wire.

Alcohol related grass fire Tuesday, September 17, 11:27 p.m. 10900 State Highway 361 Corpus Christi Police responded to a single vehicle crash which started a grass fire on the 10900 block of State Highway 361 on Padre Island. A Corpus Christi Police Officer arrested the driver, a 41-year-old man for Driving While Intoxicated with a previous conviction. He was taken to a hospital for a medical evaluation and to collect a specimen of his blood and was then delivered to the city detention center.

Drowning A 29-year old man jumped to his death off the Horace Caldwell Pier Tuesday night around 10:30 p.m. His body was recovered just after 3 a.m.

Police Calls 14400 block SPID 11:25 a.m. Sept. 21 Burglary of building 14500 block SPID 8:04 p.m. Sept. 21 Gasoline theft Beach Marker 215 2:40 p.m. Sept. 19 Theft $500-$1500 15200 block SPID 1:37 a.m. Sept. 22 Criminal mischief $50-$500 15200 block SPID 1:37 a.m. Sept. 22 Criminal mischief $50-$500 15600 block Palmira 4:07 p.m. Sept. 23 Credit card abuse

A 6

Island Moon

Stuff I Heard on the Island

Letters to Riley

by Dale Rankin

By Riley P. Dog

of late.

I don’t know if it’s the pending trip to the Left Coast or just the Flashing Season that has me in a pensive mood

Yesterday I looked at the back of my alarm clock - yes, some of us have those on The Island in case we’re going fishing – and on the back it said “Adjust Time.” What an opportunity. Who knew?! Just a few hours before I had fallen asleep and missed a call from an old friend so I set it back four hours. Nothing. Dang! The thing never worked right. The Flashing Season isn’t a reference to The Naked Men of Kleberg Beach, it’s much more mundane than that. When you drive to the end of Alister Street in Port A and hit Cotter there is a traffic light hanging there. During the High Season it tries vainly to introduce order into the traffic flow by going redyellowgreeen. When the tourists go home it takes a rest and just flashes and let’s the locals make their own way. It is now the Flashing Season and everything has slowed down. Hey Ava, It’s been a big week for dogs here on our little island. We had a dog party on Saturday but by the time my humans got me there it was too late for the obedient course. Dang. I was ready to put my humans through it and see if they could follow instructions. In Port Aransas they are opening a dog park with fire hydrants that say University of Texas on one and Texas A&M on the other. I don’ know what either of those are but I do know what a fire hydrant is for. They got grass too. I like grass. I went to the Back Porch last week and I met a little bitty yapper dog. He was just like a real dog only smaller. Humans seem to mostly come in the same size but dogs come in all sizes. I don’t know why. My size has dropped off some since Dr. Kristi put me on my diet. My human says for Halloween he’s going to float me around in a balloon. I don’t think he really will but I hope he does because it sure would beat walking! How do I write without any “thums?” It ain’t easy Ava. It ain’t easy. Have you ever tried to hunt and peck on a typewriter with your nose? I bet you haven’t. You won’t realize how many times you hit the space bar Ava until you start hitting it with your nose. It makes you write longer words but I can’t do that because I don’t know any because I’m a dog. I only know small words. Seems like big dogs would know big words but it doesn’t work out that way. I don’t know why. I like to chase squirrels at the Country Club because that’s about the only place we got

any squirrels on our island. I don’t know why but our squirrels live in the ground and there is no point in chasing those because they just run in a hole. I like squirrels that run up trees because then I can still bark at them. I like my owners okay. They are nice to me but I think they might be crazy. Sometimes they walk to get someplace when they got a thing you can just get in and roll down the windows and ride where you are going with your head out the window like you are flying. Why would they walk? I think they are crazy. No Ava, I don’t like any foods except hotdogs and catfood. Well, pizza, and hamburgers, and, well, come to think of it Ava I like pretty much anything. Except green beans. My humans gave me one last week and I spit it out under the couch and boy did my human get mad when he had to go under there and get it. I don’t know why he thought I would eat it. My humans are crazy. I like hotdogs a lot Ava. Can you send me one at the Save Riley P. Dog Foundation in International Falls, Minnesota. I got this Winter Texan up there named Frostbite Betty and she’s collecting them for me and she’s going to bring them down here pretty soon and I’m going to find all those pounds I lost. Help me Ava. Help me.

History continued from A1 women had just been given the vote. That new fangled form of mobility, the automobile, was sweeping across the country. From a total of 500,000 registered cars in the United States in 1910, that number of cars zoomed to 20 million by 1927. In Florida a great land boom was taking place with speculators sometimes doubling their money in a matter of months. In the Rio Grande Valley city populations were doubling in a decade as the railroads opened up The Valley to those seeking warm weather, good soil and affordable land. Point Isabel was developing a reputation as a sport fishing hot spot and vacation town.

Dunn Ranch On the Dunn Ranch on Padre Island it was business as usual, the herd was recovering from the 1916 and 1919 storms. Patrick who turned sixty in 1918 was still active along the ranch, although he was enjoying time with his seven young grandchildren staying active in Nueces County and State politics. Patrick never thought much of the lower part of the Island. The grass was sparse, the Island narrow and what grass there was lacked strength. Land titles were iffy with two sets of folks claiming ownership. Patrick never bought the lower twenty miles of Padre, it was owned by Captain King’s widow Henrietta King.

The Island as resort poperty As the nineteen twenties roared on, interests in The Valley looked to Padre, not as a ranch but as another Miami. While there was no shortage of cars there was of roads (The Texas Highway Department was just two years old). Not only would Padre become a tourist Mecca it could also serve as a highway to the Coastal Bend. For this dream, rancher Pat Dunn stood in the way. Valley interests working with Cameron County pushed the idea of the County condemning the beach for a road. When Pat caught wind of

this in 1925 he penned a note to his friend and fellow rancher John Kennedy of his concerns, “The beach is the only part of the Island that has any value, they seek to condemn a drive way along the Gulf beach that belongs to me ….. If they make a drive way along that Beach they will destroy my land as a cattle ranch and render it absolutely worthless for any purpose, which would mean utter ruin for me.” With the prospect of having the beach condemned Patrick put the Island into the play of land promoters.

September 26, 2013

But there is still a lot going on hereabouts so as Ronnie says, let’s roll.

Kleberg Speaking of Kleberg County there has been a lot of attention being paid in that direction of late. The approximately 5000 acres between Sea Pines and Padre Island National Seashore has lain fallow since ranching stopped there almost forty years ago. Some is owned by private interests and some by the state (more on that later) but it is all in a FEMA COBRA Zone which makes any development there ineligible for federal flood insurance which in turn makes financing nearly impossible. New FEMA maps are due out soon but early drafts show no change in the COBRA designation for the area. But of late there has been a nascent movement to bring some improvements to the area, and given the attention The Island is getting these days it is likely to continue. There is nothing definite to report yet but there are some things in motion. We’ll keep you posted.

PINS addition As we have reported before the Texas Nature Conservancy is in the process of buying 3900 acres of land in Kleberg County just south of the Corpus Christi City Limits from the Texas General Land Office and donating it to the National Seashore. This will be a great addition to the park but it is already causing some consternation to beachgoers. PINS officials have said once the land is secured, a process said to take at least another year, they plan to move the entrance to the park north to the current city limits and place bollards across the beach to force drivers to go through the park entrance on Park Road 22 to get to Kleberg Beach.

Currently, the north end of PINS is marked by wooden bollards on the beach meant to block traffic but drivers ignore them and drive through the space where one bollard has been removed. But if this driving restriction is moved five miles north and is enforced it is sure to make the already overcrowded beaches northward even more crowded. It’s an issue that needs to be addressed before the GLO sale is done.

Talking water meters There are 155,626 water and gas meters in the city and they are about to start talking. The city is spending $545,194.23 to install transmitters so they can send their data to readers, sometimes as often as once an hour. I’m not certain how this will affect utility bills but I’ll say this; I’ve never seen this city or any city spend money to lower rates to customers. We’ll see.

Red Tide We had the first hint of Red Tide last week. Jay says it is somehow related to a trichodesmium bloom that turned up in both the bay and off the beaches. No harm done so far but experience has taught us there is no such thing as a “little” Red Tide.

Dog Park After five years of back and forth Port Aransas opened its dog park this week. As one city official said, “If you measure that in dog years none of us would have been around to see it open.” Here’s hoping the Padre version doesn’t take that long. Some dogs can’t wait – literally.

Duck and cover As we get ready for a possible shutdown of the federal government in the next few weeks there are those who will tell us the sky is falling. But I think not. When I was in first grade in Laurel, Mississippi, once a week the teacher would tell us to get under the desk and cover our head with our arms. Why? We were preparing for nuclear attack, as if being under our desk was going to save us. I always figured that if we took a nuclear strike the only thing left of the school would be the “hot rolls, butter, and milk” those hairnet ladies dished out in the cafeteria. That my friends is when the sky is falling. Compared to that a government shutdown is a walk in the proverbial dog park.

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This is certain to force people who now frequent that busy stretch of beach who don’t want to pay the PINS entrance fee to migrate northward to beaches inside the city limits. Anyone who went to those beaches, from about 1 mile south of Bob Hall Pier to the south Packery Jetty, this summer can attest to the fact that there is no room for more people there.

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hotdog stands tin can tourists and omisive bathing suits The first bite was by a New York group, with the following announcement; “Pat Dunn’s Padre Island, Texas’ last real frontier, where romance and reality will hold hands just a few months longer, is to be introduced to the hot dog stand, the tin can tourist and the omissive bathing suit, if plans of former Senator John Hastings of New York and his group of Eastern associates are carried out. …. Padre now is to become one of the biggest watering places in the nation. Yacht basins are to be scooped out at each end. Two causeways will connect it with the mainland to admit streams of restless tourists. Its 90 miles of golden-sanded beach is to be put in competition with Miami and the other watering places on the Eastern seaboard. Sections of the Island are to be turned over to residential building. Highways will be laid out in the sand and they will be flecked with tourist camps and hot dog stands and filling stations. Backing up all of this will be a gigantic program of national advertising.”

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Unfortunately for the fast talking youthful exSenator from New York the Florida land bubble had just burst and along with it the “Eastern Syndicate”. Next to make an offer was Col. Sam Robertson of San Benito. Col. Robertson was a railroad engineer, builder and ex- Sheriff of Cameron County. What the Syndicate lacked and Col. Robertson had was money. The Island was about to change forever.

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September 26, 2013

Island Moon

Angler’s Alley

Reef continued from A1

By Jay Gardner amount of structures. Enter the new Idle Iron mandate, and we’re losing this now-precious habitat at a high rate of speed.

2640 feet x 2640 feet

A site was picked based on stability for the long term survival of the reef, Texas 2 % Parks and Wildlife sent the application for licensing the site to the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers in late 2010. The permit application was approved and signed in May 2011 and the surface lease with the Texas General Land Office was completed shortly thereafter.

New reef

2The site is % % 2 160 acres, just inside the state line,

in 73 feet of water. Regulations call for at least _ of water above the reefed material, so ^ fifty feet the reef can have profile of up to 23 feet.

2 %

SEA began to work with the City of CC to secure a site, to store materials that would be used to build an artificial reef, with Councilman Mark Scott as the main driver of the project within the city, according to Hurst. Once a storage site was secured on Rincon Road near the Port of Corpus Christi the collection of reefing material began. Hanson Pipe Products 2 that had % in Robstown had concrete box culverts 0.285 0.38 been made for Nautical specific applications, that were, Miles

Corners of Reef Site and Center Point Center NW NE SW SE

WGS84_lat 27° 38' 47.05" N 27° 39' 00.34" N 27° 38' 59.89" N 27° 38' 34.21" N 27° 38' 33.77" N

for various reasons, not used on the projects. Hanson donated the culverts and transported them to the storage site. Then in 2012 the TPWD Artificial Reef Department decided to issue a contract to build 400, 8-foot high fabricated reef pyramids. CCA Texas donated $100,000.00 to this reef site which allowed funding for 70 more pyramids. So when the reef work is finished this week there will be approximately 200 plus concrete box culverts of all sizes up to nine-feet square and each weighing over 35,000 pounds, and 470 fabricated pyramids in place. All told, there will be enough material to reef approximately onequarter of 160 acre site immediately. Work is already underway to bring more material to the site in the future.

WGS84_lon 97° 00' 26.79" W 97° 00' 41.13" W 97° 00' 11.94" W 97° 00' 41.63" W 97° 00' 12.44" W

WGS84_lat 27° 38' 49.71" N 27° 38' 49.62" N 27° 38' 44.48" N 27° 38' 44.40" N

WGS84_lon 97° 0' 29.66" W 97° 0' 23.82" W 97° 0' 29.76" W 97° 0' 23.92" W

The variety of materials being placed is also going to make for a nice balanced environment. The large culverts piled up will provide habitat for both very large and very small fish. These culverts are between three and eight feet in width, which will provide areas for large groupers (including goliaths, gag, and potentially warsaw) to hang out away from the current. Snapper, sheepshead, and mangrove snapper will also push their luck and hang out in this area, hopefully just out of the reach of the goliath grouper.

40 acres of habitat

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This new reef out of Packery will be comprised of culverts and the pre-constructed pyramids that I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of. This mixture of materials is a great balance to reef design. All surfaces will immediately begin to provide hard structure for the sessile organisms to attach to. The first will be the sponges and the barnacles, followed quickly by the other organisms. The concrete will start to look “fuzzy”. As the concrete settles over the next few months, it will start to attract fish of all kinds.

The pyramids are also going to provide some really great habitat for juvenile fish. These are the three-paneled concrete pyramids that have six holes in each side, about 16 inches in diameter. This allows smaller fish to enter the pyramid and hide from the goliaths, sharks, and other larger predators that can’t fit in the holes. It also provides a great three-dimensional surface area which to feed on.

Corners of Reefing Zone NW NE SW SE

On the Rocks continued from A1

with TPWD Artificial Reef Division, SEA and the City of Corpus Christi agreed to partner up to work together to try to make sti Culvert Reefing Site this happen.”

2 %

When I talked to the contractor, he said the general plan was to make a big pile of the culverts in the middle of the reef area, and then place the pyramids in groups of 3-5 in one of the quadrants of the approved reef site spread out over a large area. This will provide 40 acres of habitat (whereas a typical rig off the beach provides about one acre of habitat). This is going to be one heck of an area! You will be able to use your bottom graph, find and mark the corners, and then drift across this area, fishing or diving as you go. I can’t wait to strap on a tank and film my way through it.

channel to the moat around their sandcastle at the beach, right? These structures will likely meet the same fate, although they should stay exposed for several years to maybe a decade. Time will tell how long. I hope it’s a long time. Also, there’s the question of these structures not being in the photic zone, but that’s an article for another day.

It has taken several groups several years and almost $700,000 to make this reef a reality, including TPWD, SEA, CCA, and the City of Corpus Christi. The coordinates for the very center of the reef are 27° 38’ 47.05” N and -97° 00’ 26.79” W. Go ahead and plug them into your GPS right now. If you have any questions, shoot me an email at jaygardner@scientist.com and I’ll see you out there Over the Rocks.

Cleanup continued from A1 Padre Island National Seashore - Checkin: Malaquite Visitor Center, 20420 Park Rd 22. Contact: William “Buzz” Botts, 361949-8068. Baffin Bay, Loyola Beach, Riviera Kleberg County. Check-in: Kaufer-Hubert Park, FM 628 Contact: Susan Ivy, 361-5958591. St. Joseph Island - Check-in: 8:00 am, Fisherman’s Wharf, 900 Tarpon Street. Contact: Deno Fabrie, 361-749-0256. Port Aransas - check-in: Avenue G at the beach. Contact: Deno Fabrie, 361-7490256. Mustang Island State Park - Check-in: Park Headquarters Parking Lot, 17047 State Highway 361. Contact: Clarissa Flores, 361-749-5246. Rockport - Check-in: Rockport Beach Park beachfront pavilion Contact: Kerry Goodall, 361-729-6661.

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A 8

Island Moon

Building a Farley Boat

A Mean Piece of Mahogany Makes for a Nice Farley Boat

Real Estate Round Up

My son Joey had returned to high school and so it was up to me to finish the few items on the boat he and I started this summer at Farley Boat Works in Port Aransas. But this piece of wood turned the air blue while spraying its deep brown saw dust into the nearby dust collector.

Cutting a mahogany sandwich A common refrain from the staff and volunteers is that they do not build peoples’ boats but rather train and help them build their own boat. This piece of timber was going to do its best to keep from being built into anything. My job was to steady the wood as it came off the table saw. Darrell Lynn, shop foreman, started out by raising the height of the table saw’s cutting fence which guides the wood as it is cut. He did this with a 2x4 cut to the length of the saw’s fence. He clamped the fence into place for the first cut and added a second clamp to make sure it held tight. Finally several lengths of plywood were added to the large mahogany board which when it entered the cutting zone would help keep it stable. A bad cut on a large piece of wood can be expensive. Seeing the trouble this board was causing led someone near the door to ask why straight grain boards were not bought instead. Clearly this was the wrong question at the wrong time. I had never heard of straight grain lumber so all I’ll say is the question went unanswered. When the wood was inspected after cutting it there were multiple amazing thick lengthwise wavy grains in it. With its twin still uncut Darrell agreed the boat would look great with two matching pieces. So it was back to the table saw and the growling length of lumber. For cutting those boards and for his invaluable leadership in building our boat I agreed to refer to Darrell, once, as Batman. Like the Mayor of Gotham City whenever I ran into trouble I called for help and he showed up. Thanks Batman.

#17 is first of its kind These now absolutely gorgeous matching lengths of mahogany would be used for the inner rail of the boat. The rail is called the gunwale.

Our boat would be the first from Farley Boat Works since it was reconstituted in 2011 to have open gunwales. These open gunwales will allow us to anchor at any point of the boat and for sticking fishing rods into them. With open gunwales you do not need cleats when tying off at docks either. The mission of Farley Boat works is to return the lost art of wooden boat building to the Texas coast. The effort is in full swing. Our boat has transom number 17. Number 16 is in the process of being painted.

Taking on a challenge both Darrell Lynn and the shop’s visionary Rick Pratt began building boats 18 and 19. There was a small gap in the schedule before the next scheduled build and both had repeatedly postponed their opportunity to build. Another individual who postponed his boat build was Pat Farley, grandson of the fellow who began his boat building career about 1916. Pat had started to construct a tarpon fishing boat this past summer but graciously placed the parts aside to give my son and myself shop space to build ours. Such is the nature of all we have experienced this summer.

Wango Tango Rick opted for a traditional skiff while Darrell went for a stitch and glue boat called the Wango Skiff. If Ted Nugent the outspoken outdoors man whose song Wango Tango hit the charts back in 1980 had to choose a skiff to go hunting ducks in he would pick Rick’s. But if he wanted to live up to his reputation as the Motor City Madman he would jump in the Wango Skiff. The differences in constructing these boats results in the Wango having a much lower weight for the same size boat. When dealing in hardwoods weight is also an expense in both materials, gas and the size motor required to reach the same speeds. The traditional skiff attaches solid lengthwise chines, splash rails and gunwales to a front stem to form the boat’s hull. With stitch and glue your cut the plywood parts, drill holes in them along the edges then insert plastic wire ties to bind the pieces to one another. There is no need for the chines or a front stem to attach the keel to. I haven’t read in the plans that the Wango Skiff has traditional gunwales either but that is because I have been busy putting the finishing touches on our boat. Once these final items are completed we will embark on weeks of sanding after school in the evenings as we prepare the boat for painting. It has been a pleasure to deliver these stories to you as our boat build progressed. This is the 8th installment and the writing of a weekly update

has given me a new respect for writers who meet deadlines. Thank you the reader as well as the publisher and editorial staff for making this possible. Our next installment will be sometime in the future. In the meantime take a ride over to Port Aransas and check out what’s going on at Farley Boat Works. As for me I’ll be pointing out spots my son needs to sand smooth. Photos are available for free download at zenfolio.com/joecalvey and comments may be directed to me at jcalvey@aol.com

Talia

Urgent need for a foster for beautiful Talia! If you can, or know someone who can foster this sweet, deserving girl please call Belinda at 361-510-5980. ♥ Talia has been spayed and is up to date on her shots. She is a very loving girl and has lived with other dogs and cats. Here is Talia’s story: This gorgeous, very pregnant girl followed the homebuilder’s van to a home under construction on the island. She stayed there the entire day. A friend of mine lives on that street and when she saw her, she called me and i went out to meet her. It was love at first sight! The poor girl was shivering, she was so cold. After warming her up, she promptly fell asleep in my lap. On May 6th, Talia gave birth to 6 perfect and beautiful babies! Sadly, two babies that we named Mocha and Pudge did not make it...Mocha left us on May 12th and Pudge went to join Mocha on May 15th. Of the 4 remaining puppies, 2 have now found their forever homes and 2 are available for adoption.

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Foundation is defined as the basis upon which something stands and is supported. Whether it is society or your home, if the foundation is weak, the structure built upon it will eventually crumble and collapse. As you drive through the Island neighborhoods, it is impossible to ignore all the new foundations that are being built on previously vacant lots. The first sign of activity begins when the “Batter Boards” are nailed to posts at the corners of the excavation site to indicate the level and to fasten strings that mark the outline of the building. That allows the digging to begin that creates trenches for the interior and exterior beams that will be poured using “forms” to determine the depth and width of each beam.

Time Versus Design Prior to the early 1950’s, it was common practice to place piers, in a geometric pattern under the home to be constructed. Often a perimeter wall was built that held the outside walls of the house, but allowed for a crawl space under the home. However, in Corpus Christi, there are many homes that have only piers to support the beams, upon which the sub-floor is laid. Go below Bob Hall Pier and look up, for a quick lesson, in this style of construction. As time and cost of materials, plus labor, became a bigger factor, slab floor homes began to appear. They had the added advantage of a lower profile, that eliminated entry steps and raised porches. But, they also prevented easy repair or change of components under the house. In the rush to build more homes faster and more economically, often corners were cut. Add to that mix, the “expansive clay soils” of many states, especially Texas, and all the factors are in play for foundation issues.

within the concrete. Ideally, this is done within 10 days after the slab is poured. One caveat, if a post tension slab ever needs to be removed, it requires expert assistance in the demolition process, since these cables are under force and must be released gently.

The Good News

Island residents benefit from the “sandy” nature of our soil. We are far less prone to the major foundation problems that plague homes “in town”. The next time you see a slab waiting for the wooden super structure to take shape, please realize that the quality of that slab will determine the future happiness of the homeowners and their ability to have pride and value in their future residence. It may look insignificant, but it is NOT. For help with this article, I turned to Monica Sanderson at Conreco. They specialize in Rebar and Post Tensioned Cable. (msanderson@conrecoinc. com 361-851-0352). Being informed is a good thing!

Padre Island Real Estate Ticker

Total Active Listings on Padre Island

Multi Family Units For Sale

Commercial Properties For Sale

184

Lots and Land For Sale

194

Residences For Sale 72 Attached Residences and 122 Detached Residences

Mustang Island Real Estate Ticker

The Building Product We Never Think About What is the most widely used construction material in the world? Concrete employs more than 2 million workers in the United States and is an annual US$35 Billion industry. It is highly durable and is typically produced within less than 100 miles from the jobsite, resulting in low transporation costs. Concrete is composed of coarse granular material (aggregate) embedded in a hard binder (cement) that glues them together. The Most Famous concrete structures are the Hoover Dam, the Panama Canal and the Roman Pantheon. Concrete was widely used by the Romans, in building their empire. However, it passed into obscurity until the mid1700’s, when it was used to build the Eddystone Lighthouse in Devon, England. Portland Cement was patented in 1824, by Joseph Aspdin, an English masonry worker. In 1849, Joseph Monier invented re-inforced concrete which led to bridge and “high rise” construction. The Hoover Dam and Grand Coulee Dam were built in 1936. Of course, WWII diverted resources away from home building for almost a decade, but gradually, concrete found it’s way into residential construction. The first slab floor homes were reinforced with re-bar and poured within a perimeter border. Technology quickly passed into the “monolithic slab” that allowed the floor and beams to be poured at one time without joints. However, as clay soils contract and expand with erratic rain fall and moisture content that varies widely, slab failures became a prominent issue that devastated the value of a home and left homeowners in dire straits. The 1980’s saw the rise of many “foundation repair” techniques and companies that specialized in trying to fix what mother nature had torn apart. In an attempt to build a better product, PostTension Foundations were introduced. Before, the slab is poured, half inch cables are laid in a grid pattern. Inside the plastic casing, seven strands of steel are woven to form a steel cable. One end of this cable is attached to a “dead” or fixed post while the other end is attached to a “live” post that will be used to hydraulically stretch the cable after the slab has been poured. Concrete must “cure” or harden and external factors play a major role in determining the quality of the slab, during this process. The first three days are critical. Drying too fast, from wind or heat leads to shrinkage and cracking. Normally, here in the Coastal Bend, freezing is a non-issue, which is a good thing for us. Improper curing can cause scaling, reduced strength, poor abrasion resistance and cracking. In about four weeks, 90% of the final strength is reached, although hardening continues for decades. To improve the odds of not having slab cracks, tension is applied to the cables

391

428

Total Active Listings on Mustang Island

Multi Family Units For Sale

Commercial Properties For Sale

181

Lots and Land For Sale

227

Residences For Sale 164 Attached Residences and 63 Detached Residences

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September 26, 2013

Foundations Really Do Matter!

By Joe Calvey, Sr.

The 250 pound 20 foot length of mahogany arrived long after it was harvested somewhere in Africa. It came with an attitude that rivaled a mean drunk on his third day of sobriety. The table saw screamed in protest as the grain of the wood fought to be cut in a straight line. This is no ordinary table saw. It is of the type that will not cut off fingers, hands or other parts not meant to be detached from the human body.

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September 26, 2013

Island Moon

Backwater Adventures