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Issue 588
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July 23, 2015
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By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com
New Island Traffic Light Going to Council
By Dale Rankin A plan to place a new traffic light on South Padre Island Drive at its intersection with Aquarius Street is set to go before the Corpus Christi City Council at its August 11 meeting for approval of funding.
A large Green turtle came ashore just south of Packery Channel just after midnight Tuesday morning. Tony Amos and Guy Davis from the Animal Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) answered the call and made the scene. The best anyone can tell the turtle did not leave any eggs behind but wandered around awhile until too many people showed up for her comfort and she took to the surf.
The new traffic light will be here, at S.P.I.D. and Aquarius.
City staff and the Island Strategic Action Committee have recommended approval of the light which also has had the backing of District 4 City Councilwoman Colleen McIntyre. The total cost of the project is $650,000 for the project, which will also realign the roadway. $420,000 of the money will be paid by the developer of the adjacent property with the remainder coming from the city in the form of bond funds included in a 2014 vote. Pape-Dawson Engineers, Inc., the Developer’s consultant, is completing the plans, specifications and estimates.
The bad news is that Eddie Aguilar and the guys on Hasta Luego (“see you later� for you non-Spanish speakers) only got one good bite all day during the Poco Bueno Fishing Tournament out of Port O’Conner last Saturday. The good news is that it was this guy, a 575-pound Blue Marlin which was the largest caught by exactly one pound.
We are told it is very unusual for Green turtles to visit local beaches. If you find a turtle on the beach keep traffic clear and call the folks at the ARK or Donna Shaver at Padre Island National Seashore.
Dirty Birds The Island’s rugby team, yes we have one, finished second in the tournament that is held each year on the beach just south of Packery Channel. The sand flies each year as teams and players from all over the state come to The Island to play. Last year was the first year for The Island team and this year they played without the benefit of any practice losing only one game to the team that eventually won.
Odds and ends The iceman cometh‌several times per day as ice on The Island has a half-life of a couple of nanoseconds. And folks, it’s not just the heat or the humidity – it’s both. The water depth through Packery Channel continues to be good. There is a deep hole just inside the 361 Bridge and some shoaling on the south side of the basin near the entrance to Lake Padre. Researchers who monitor the channel for the city say they are surprised at the swiftness of the currents making their way through Lake Padre and the currents keep the depth in the lake good. Plans call for the width of the water passage between Packery and Lake Padre to be widened and for a new canal that will connect the passage to the water exchange bridge due to go under SPID near the Schlitterbahn site. That will mean even more currents through the lake, which has held a surprising assortment of blue water fish over the years. The SPID Strip from the JFK to Whitecap is getting crazy folks. Drivers are taking dangerous chances to get into traffic. Be careful out there and say hello if you see us Around The Island.
Justin Aguilar landed the fish and under the rules no one else could touch the line or rod during the hour and a half it took him to fight it. The Hasta Luego is a 55-foot Viking,
A Little Island History
known far and wide as the “Pink Boat� for the color of its hull, and also on board were Captain Dee Wallace, 1st Mate Dougie Edwards, Corbin Plumlee, and Jack Kenworthey. The Poco Bueno is an invitationonly tournament founded in 1969. The name loosely translates to “It’s Okay� but the tournament is more than just okay; it is fair to say that the Poco Bueno is the Superbowl of tournaments on the Texas Coast and winning it comes with serious bragging rights for Justin and the crew.
The impetus for the light came from San Antonio developer Walter Busby who owns a five-acre tract of land on the east side of the intersection where he plans to build a 101room Hampton Inn and a retail development. He told the ISAC that the light was necessary to build the hotel. Island residents who access SPID through the Aquarius intersection supported the light.
Plans call for a warning light and sign to be placed on the JFK Causeway as drivers approach The Island to warn that there is a light ahead.
The biggest question about the light, which was called for in a 2011 Island traffic study, was
If approved by the council construction is scheduled to start in late 2015.
1 of 1
The Story of Colt Firearms
Editor’s note: Keith Guthrie was the owner of several newspapers around South Texas. He wrote several well-researched local history books including, the History of San Patricio County, Raw Frontier, and Texas Forgotten Ports. The following story is based in his research. The six shooter pistol that was one of the guns that won the West and the most effective model of the weapon is arguably the Walker Colt which was made by the Colt Patient Firearms Company. The fact that the gun was designed by Texas Ranger Samuel Walker is well known. Samuel Colt was broke and looking for a market for his pistol when the State of Texas began buying them to arm the Texas Rangers who then took them with them to Mexico during the U.S. Mexican War and from there their use spread throughout the west.
A Colt number 5 with all the accessories breathe some life into the town of Lamar near Rockport. The town was founded during the Texas Revolution in 1836 and by 1840 visionary Colonel Pryor Lea was trying to bring in a rail line to connect Lamar, Goliad, on San Antonio. The
But less known, and there are many versions of this story, is how Walker and Colt met and followed the path that changed both their lives. In 1988 when working on his book Texas Forgotten Ports Guthrie interviewed relatives of those alive in the 1950s when the events happened, and reviewed documents from that period to find piece together the story of how the Gun That Won the West began here in the Coastal Bend. In the 1850s a group of investors were trying to
Aransas Road Company granted a charter in 1852 but the railroad was not built. But when Lea promoted his railroad plan he sought investors and three of them were three men from Connecticut Erastus Williams and Samuel and James Colt, founders of the Colt Patient Firearms Company who bought a one-quarter interest in 14,000 acres of land which included Lookout Peninsula and Goose Island. They also provided money to promote Lamar as a port. From there the story takes two different paths that both lead to the Colt brothers meeting Samuel Walker.
Samuel Colt
whether it would cause vehicles to back up the top of the JFK Bridge at peak times causing high- impact collisions and what effect it may have on the already crowded northbound SPID as vehicles try to leave The Island on afternoons during the busy summer season. A traffic count showed that 55,000 cars passed through that intersection on Saturday, July 4.
The first starts with a bill in 1850 for $12,500 against the State of Texas during its days as a Republic. How that bill was settled is lost to history but what is known is that
Island Invasion This Weekend! An Army of Occupation will land in Port Aransas this Sunday, July 26, in Port Aransas. Troops in period costumes will reenact the events of the morning of July 26, 1845 when the first United States flag in Texas was planted on St. Jose Island. The USS Alabama arrived at the beach with the Third United States infantry which was the vanguard of the U.S. Army of Occupation from New Orleans in anticipation with a war with Mexico over the Nueces Strip, the land between the mouth of the Nueces and the Rio Grande rivers where the city of Corpus Christi is now located.
A 26-star American Flag will be part of the reenactment. On board were a group of officers, mostly West Pointers, who would later fill the pages of the history of the Civil War: twenty-four year-old 2nd Lt. Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, William Tecumseh Sherman, future Confederate President Jefferson Davis, future Confederate General Braxton Bragg, future U.S. General Phil Sheridan, Stonewall Jackson, future Brigadier General Joe Hooker, and the future 14th President of the United States Franklin Pierce. The historic landing will be recreated with period costumes and weapons this Sunday, July 26 at the county parks office near Horace
Invasion continued on A6
A2
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Grand Opening Cinnamon Shore Showroom Friday, July 24 ~ 3-9pm 5009 Hwy 361 Port Aransas, TX www.hlancasterco.com
Bringing Back Made in America
Sunday, August 2nd, 2015 10am-10pm
City & County Employee Appreciation Day
City/County employees & families get in free with city/county issued ID KIII-TV, Channel 3’s ‘Domingo Live’ will broadcast from the Freedom Stage, 10:30am-12pm Boogie Bahn Competition Water Volleyball Tournament Clowns at Buccaneer Bay, Lil’Skippers Cove The Travel Channel will be at Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi to film a segment of “Extreme Water Parks.” 5pm-6pm
DJ
6pm-7pm
John Cortez Band (Blues/Jazz)
7pm-7:30pm
DJ
7:30pm-8:30pm
John Eric Band
8:30pm-9pm
DJ
9pm-10pm
Flashback (Rock)
“Made in America” & “Handmade” describe who we are, but it goes much deeper than that. We feel a responsibility to carry on the tradition of fine American craftsmanship. At our Aransas Pass workshop, the crafters of H Lancaster Co shape freshly hewn new woods and reclaimed old woods into beautiful, unique furniture that will be a part of your family for generations.
H Lancaster Co | 260 East Goodnight | Aransas Pass, TX | 361-459-2009
July 23, 2015
Island Moon
Did Ya Hear?
Letters to the Editor
Moon Monkeys Mike Ellis, Founder
Vietnam War
Distribution Pete Alsop Island Delivery Coldwell Banker Advertising Jan Park Rankin Classifieds Arlene Ritley Production Manager Jeff Craft Contributing Writers Joey Farah Andy Purvis Devorah Fox Mary Craft Maybeth Christiansen Jay Gardner Chad Peters Todd Hunter Dotson Lewis Ronnie Narmour Brent Rourk Dr. Donna Shaver Photographers Miles Merwin Jeff Dolan Mary Craft Ronnie Narmour Office Security/Spillage Control (Emeritus)
Riley P. Dog Publisher 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.
With respect to Dotson Lewis for his article on the history of the Vietnam War, there is much additional important history. Japan occupied Indochina and expelled the French colonial administration in WWII. Indochinese nationalists, led by Ho Chi Minh, fought as US allies with US aid and support against the Japanese, seeking liberation and independence. The US assured Ho and his Viet Minh nationalists that after the war, the US would support Indochinese independence from France. But Great Britain, wanting to reassert its colonial authority over its colonies taken by Japan, such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaya, pressured the US not to resist French recolonization of Indochina. So the US broke its word to the Indochinese and supported France's recolonization. Thus began the next phase of the Indochinese war for independence, against France. France was economically devastated by WWII and could not afford another war. So the US provided aid, arms and support for the French war against the Indochinese nationalists. The US flew air cover, dropped supplies and flew close air support combat missions for the French at the decisive battle of Dien Bien Phu, which defeated the French and led to a Geneva peace treaty, the complete withdrawl of the French from Indochina, and created a divided Vietnam with the north ruled by Ho Chi Minh's government and the south ruled by the Bao Dai government created by the French. The peace treaty called for a reunification election in three years to vote on whether to be reunited under the government of the north or under the south. Ho Chi Minh was overwhelmingly supported by the Vietnamese people even though he labelled himself a communist. The government of the south, supported by the US because it was anticommunist, was corrupt and unpopular, and it was a foregone conclusion that the north would win the election. So the government of the south, backed by the US, refused to proceed with the election. Thus started the next phase of the Vietnam War for Independence, against the US backed government of the south and to reunify the country under the government of the north. This phase started in about 1957 and continued, becoming an American war, until 1975, after the US finally withdrew and the government of the south fell. It became an American war because of the gross misconception that it was a war of Soviet and Chinese communist expansion, another chapter in the domino theory chess game between the US and Soviet Union. It was not, it was a civil war between north and south for independence and reunification free from any foreign control. The Indochinese people had always been fiercely independent and had
Car
News articles, photos, display ads, classified ads, payments, etc. may be left at the Moon Office.
In response to last week's letter to Island Teen Columnist Elizabeth Clark:
The Island Moon Newspaper
Pedestrian Pam wants a car, like every teenager. When I was a teen I wanted a car. My parents wouldn't help so I got my license and got a job (I walked, biked, and rode the bus). Over the summer I earned and saved enough to buy a cheap car and pay for minimum insurance. I continued to work to support the car and buy gas. I got my license at 12 and bought my first car (and insurance) at age 13. It's hard work, but if you really want something, it's worth the work. In today's world, kids want their parents to give them a car and not just any car, but a flashy, fast rig they won’t be 'ashamed' of driving.
14646 Compass, Suite 3 Corpus Christi, TX 78418 361-949-7700 editor@islandmoon.com Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper
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Liquid Town Whataburger on Waldron Ethyl Everly Senior Center Fire Station Police Station Stripes on Flour Bluff & SPID
Your parents should cover the insurance and pay for repairs and gas. You can't qualify for a loan until you turn 18. if you want a car before then, work for it. It’s not easy, but nothing in life is. Dave Island Resident
Island Speed Limits I have noticed that the 35 mph speed limit on Sea Pines is rarely observed, and, people have been known to do 50 down this road. Not the safest road to be on. I live on El Soccorro. I walk every day and I have seen cars/trucks doing 40 on the streets in the neighborhood. This is an area with narrow 2-lane streets and no sidewalks. You have to be on alert if you are walking. Why are there no speed limit signs posted on the residential streets here? IMHO this is a safety issue and only a matter of time before someone walking their dog or a small child running out for their ball is hit by a car. I think the street speed limit on the island should be 25. And Texas State law does allow for posting 25 MPH speed limit signs. Can we petition the City and the Police Department for speed limit signs on our streets and an occasional movement of the speed sign on Whitecap?
successfully resisted domination by China for many centuries. They were not about to let themselves become a satellite state of China or Russia. It was not a creeping communism domino theory scenario at all. That US misconception led to nearly twenty years more war, more then three million Vietnamese deaths, mostly civilians as Mr Lewis pointed out, about 58,000 US deaths plus hundreds of thousands more crippled and maimed. And atrocities such as using biological warfare, Agent Orange, causing massive suffering and deaths on both sides and generations of birth defects among the Vietnamese, past and future. And what was accomplished, what good did we do with the war in Vietnam? JFK was not going to engage in Vietnam, against the demands of the military industrial complex hawks and cold warriors. After his assassination in November, 1963, the LBJ administration favored US engagement to stop the communists, leading to the Tonkin Gulf fiasco in August, 1964, a nonevent that was the pretext for US air strikes against the north and escalation of the war. No, there were no attacks in the Tonkin Gulf, and no, there were no WMD's in Iraq, but when war is seen as an acceptable instrument of foreign policy, so what if it takes some deception to make it happen? Mr. Lewis and I are contemporaries. We have seen and lived through the Vietnam fiasco, and seen history repeat itself with more prolonged wars of choice in Afghanistan, Iraq, and now the promise of another never ending war on terror and against ISIS. We saw how Daniel Ellsberg, a Vietnam vet and think tank scholar for the US, leaked the Pentagon Papers to the press, exposing the decades of duplicity and misrepresentations that got us into and kept us in Vietnam, and how he was prosecuted as a traitor and violator of the Espionage Act, for revealing the Pentagon's own factually accurate study of the history and conduct of the Vietnam War. The US wanted that historical study to be kept secret. And we saw how those charges were dismissed because of US government dishonesty and prosecutorial misconduct, such as burglarizing the office of Mr. Ellsberg's psychiatrist, hoping to find dirty laundry in his life. Those events were instrumental in finally bringing about the US withdrawl, the end of the Nixon administration and the end of the Vietnam War. We are seeing now how the US wants to do to Edward Snowden and Julian Assange what it did to Bradley Manning and tried to do to Daniel Ellsberg, essentially kill the messengers. Will we learn from past mistakes? Maybe, if we are given the truth. Bob Nash, Island
Re: Article on Bacterium Infecting Fisherman
A3
by Mary Craft mkay512@aol.com or @padreeyelander on twitter
New Advertisers Lucy’s Estate Sale at 202 Southern (off Ocean Drive) will be held Thursday, July 23rd 4 – 7 pm and Friday & Saturday 8 am – 3 pm. There will be exquisite pieces of furniture, collectibles, 3 tier barrister bookcases, crystal glasses, and much more. The entire contents of the home must go. Check out the items at Lucysestatesales.com. Deluxe Nails offers waxing, facials, eyelash extensions and permanent makeup in addition to their manicures and pedicures. Look for the $10 off a $50 purchase coupon in their ad. They are located next to Padre Pizzeria. Hours are Monday – Saturday 9:30 am – 7:30 pm and Sundays 11am – 5:30 pm. Call 9491794 for appointment although walk-ins are also welcome. Ace Hardware on the Island and in Port A are looking to fill full time entry level sales associates positions. A background in construction or home repair is highly desirable. There are vacation and medical insurance benefits. Apply in person. 2nd Annual Strutting for Strays Show and Dinner will be held on Thursday, July 30th 7 – 11 pm at Vino MioSocial Club 4102 Staples. Enjoy an evening of fun, pet fashion show, comedian John Roman, live music and buffet dinner for $30/ticket.
Business Briefs Schlitterbahn is having City & County Employee Appreciation Day on August 2nd 10 am – 10 pm with clowns at the kiddie pool, water volleyball tournament and boogie bahn competition. Domingo Live will broadcast from the Freedom Stage 10:30 am – noon. John Cortez Band will play 6 – 7 pm and Flashback Band 9 – 10 pm and a DJ will entertain between those performances. Membership fee is $125/month with one year minimum. Daily fee is $26 and $16 for ages 3- 11 and 55+. Keller Williams Island Properties has 11 open houses Sunday, July 26th 2 – 4 pm. Check their ad for home listings or visit KWPadreIslandRealEstate.com. Scuttlebutts Bar & Grill has re-done a portion of their bar to expand the oyster and shrimp prep area. They have also removed the carpeting and now have concrete flooring. Sonic will have $1 premium beef hot dogs on Thursday, July 23rd. Choose from AllAmerican or chili cheese Coney dog. Jerry Seinfeld will be at Selena Auditorium Friday, July24th 7 pm. Tickets are still available.
Flying ship ahoy!
1) The name of the bacteria is Vibrio Vulnificus (probably). 2) Mode of infection: Through open, bleeding wound. 3) Treatment: Seek medical attention ASAP. 4) Susceptibility Aged or those with weakened immune systems such as diabetes 5) Frequency of occurrence: Probably 10 cases or less annually in the Texas Coast. 6) Clarification: Occurrence not related to the warnings of high bacteria counts of E.coli on Texas beaches which is a result of heavy runoff from excessive rains. 7) Another Case I witnessed: A friend taking the hook out of a hardhead catfish received a deep puncture in his hand. Within 24 hours he needed emergency medical care and similarly to the person in your article, required amputation of his leg below the knee. 8) Our Island or Jay Gardner could give you a better report. Motorists driving over the JFK Causeway last Saturday probably saw this huge crane lifting a 30-foot shrimp boat out of a slip. The work is part of the improvements being made at the old Coastways site between the causeway and Packery Channel. The changes are the result of new proprietors of the site who now have the boat slips available for lease.
Davie Dunseth Island
Plans for the building have not been announced, but anyone interested in either a boat slip for a private or charter user, or in being a tenant in the building can contact us here at the Island Moon.
Where Guys Go For Haircuts!
Thank you. Alan O’Martin Editor’s note: The place to start Alan, is the Island Strategic Action Committee. They are the Island’s voice at City Hall. They meet the first Tuesday of each month at the Comfort Suites on\ Windward and there is an opportunity for citizens to address issues such as this. They have a good track record on issue such as this.
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A4
Art Camp
Debra Williams Wilbanks & Mala Kay Hudson from “Sisters Island Style” taught the youth art camp- painting canvas multi colored hearts today. It was the last day of Summer Session II camp. They painted two hearts & donated one each for the center’s Hearts for the Arts fundraiser. Pictured- Back Row L to R-helper Ari Parsons, Sister-Mala Kay Hudson & Sister Instructor Debra Wilbanks Williams. Front
July 23, 2015
Island Moon
Island Land Use Restrictions
Row L to R-Shannon Archer, helper Claira Wyatt, Linda Liu, Jenna Christenson, Hannah Jo Collins, MadaLynn Messex & Cathy Young. Students not pictured-Alvira& Artur Scott, Hailey & Hannah Mathews and Jennifer Clark. The Port Aransas Art Center is a 501 ( C) (3) Non-profit Corp. promoting Art & Art Education Island Style since 1996.
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Land use restrictions as currently shown in Plan CC 2035
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July 23, 2015
Stuff I Heard on the Island
A5
Island Moon
Police Blotter
Sea Pines trespassers being arrested
by Dale Rankin If you are reading this before 5:30 p.m. Thursday you still have time to get to the meeting of the Island Strategic Action Committee at the Veranda to talk about Plan CC 2035 which is an area development plan for the entire city. The ISAC is drafting the Island’s portion of the plan to replace the current, and largely ignored, plan done in 2004. You can read the plan for yourself on the city’s website and I encourage you to do so, but in general terms I think it is fair to say its intent is to fill in existing vacant areas already in the city limits by limiting growth/sprawl in the area around the back of Oso Bay, and to come up with yet another rationale for throwing more tax money at our moribund downtown. What I perceive to be unintended consequences of the plan for The Island will be to completely reshape the growth potential of our island and greatly limit what can be built and where it can be built. In looking at the map of the plan for The Island – included here – I have to say it doesn’t appear to me that whoever wrote it actually came to The Island and looked around. Instead it looks like it was done by someone from Boston – where the consulting company is based – who drew the map while looking at a satellite photo.
One size fits all The broad, citywide plan contains the particulars for what type of growth and development will be allowed in the city in the next twenty years and it is something that is required by state law and something we have needed for some time. The general rules can best be described as “one size fits all.” The problem, speaking broadly, is that rules aimed at pushing growth inward will stifle growth on The Island; whether that is the intent or not I can’t say. I think it is accurate to say – and again read the report and make up your own mind – that the rules as now written would likely stifle growth on the Southside and in Flour Bluff as well; in fact just about all parts of the city except downtown. This is not surprising given that the members of our Political Class for decades have been obsessed with first turning downtown into a “world class tourist destination” and failing that, now an Urban Village. While that approach may have proven to work in Boston it is likely going to cost Corpus Christi taxpayers in the neighborhood of conservatively $50 million – probably in bond money – to find out whether
it is a good idea for Corpus Christi. As far as I can tell there is nothing in the plan about tax incentives for investing downtown, and given the emphasis on development there if private investment isn’t part of the scenario there is only one other source and that’s bond money.
Police have begun arresting drivers and impounding the vehicles of people entering the private property at the end of Sea Pines. The latest arrest was Friday night after a driver ignored the No Trespassing sign and police were called.
No matter what the final draft of the plan says you can bet that it will be used as a “mandate” to spend tax money downtown.
What it means to The Island
Again, we certainly need an area development plan and there are certain to be some problems along the way. I commend our current council for taking this on. But if the current plan is approved as is it should be renamed the Retirement Plan for Property Owners Attorneys because you can bet that when Island property owners find out their land use has been completely redefined without their input, or even knowledge, it will be litigious.
The BACK PORCH The ISAC has its work cut out for it.
Open at 2 pm Mon - thurs Fri-Sun + nOON-2AM
July 21
10:00 a.m. 100 Castlewood Street Aggravated Assault
A 50 year old man was hit in the head by his girlfriend after the two got into a disturbance over a Facebook posting. The man called Corpus Christi Police and told them that he and his girlfriend were having an argument over a Facebook posting while inside their home located in the 100 block of Castlewood Street. He said that they were yelling at each other and he went to lay down on the couch. That is when his girlfriend, Manuela Yruegas (11/27/1980), struck him in the head with a metal “Rawlings” baseball bat.
The plan as now constituted has some provisions that if left in place will have great impact on The Island; and it’s hard to see how they can be positive. According to the Island map included in the current plan a maximum of four residences per acre will be allowed on the Gulf side of State Highway 361 from the SPID intersection all the way to the Port Aransas City Limits. That means no condos, townhomes, or high-rise buildings. Under the proposed rules we would not have existing developments like Port Royal, one of the highest paying hotel/ motel tax payers in the city, nor developments like Cinnamon Shore (which is in Port Aransas), nor any new hotels. What we would have are houses on quarter acre lots which would greatly limit number of people who could afford to buy them. The proposed rules also prohibit building anything on the twenty- six finger tips at the end of Sea Pines (the Ski Basin area) and across the canal from the Padre Island Yacht Club at the end of Whitecap. While development out there is years away due to the lack of utilities and infrastructure this plan, as I read it, lists that area as “Flood Plain Conservation.” That would rule out residential which I doubt is going to make the property owner, Developer Paul Schexnailder, very happy given that the total number of lots on those fingertips is greater than the rest of The Island combined; especially given the fact that those lots are already zoned and platted for residential use. The current plan wipes that out.
Facebook Post Leads to Assault
The man had a severe cut to his forehead, but he refused to be taken to the hospital. He was treated at the scene by CCFD EMS. The female was arrested for aggravated assault
Police Calls 14200 block SPID 1 p.m. July 16 Criminal mischief $50-$500 14400 block Verdemar Dr. 10:30 a.m. July 18 Criminal mischief $1500-$20,000 100 block Zahn Road 9:15 a.m. July 20 Theft $50-$500 14300 block Commodores 1:45 p.m. July 18 Theft $500-$1500 14800 block Quarterdeck 1 p.m. July 19 Criminal mischief $1500-$20,000 15200 block SPID 6:45 p.m. July 18 Burglary or a vehicle Whitecap/Windward 7:15 p.m. July 18 Assault with injury 14800 block Windward 5:30 p.m. July 16 Burglary of a vehicle 14900 block Windward 3:42 p.m. July 21 Indecent exposure
He was just checking the wind direction
14800 block Windward 10 p.m. July 19 Criminal mischief $500-$1500
July 21 3: p.m. 14900 Windward Drive Indecent Exposure
15000 block Windward 3 p.m. July 18 Burglary of a vehicle two counts
A 62 year old man called Corpus Christi Police after he saw a man exposing himself near the public showers and restrooms in the 14900 block of Windward Drive.
15200 block Windward 6:10 p.m. July 18 Burglary of a vehicle 14100 block Bounty 5:42 p.m. July 17 Assault with injury
Officers arrived and were told that a man was sitting in his grey Honda sedan and he would open the door of his car and expose himself. Officers saw the car parked with the man inside and he had his driver’s side door open and his feet hanging out of the car. The Officer also saw that his underwear was pushed down to his knees and he was exposing himself. Officers arrested the man, Larry Reuter (03/10/1951), for indecent exposure and his car was impounded.
15600 block Cruiser 3:04 a.m. July 18 Burglary of a habitation 15800 block SPID 8:29 a.m. July 18 Assault with injury 15800 block SPID 4:55 p.m. July 18 Theft $500-$1500 El Socorro Loop/Sea Pines 7:53 p.m. July 17 Criminal trespass
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The year is 1845.
General Zachary Taylor and the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment are dispatched to Texas and the first U.S. Flag is planted on Texas soil located north of Port Aransas.
The Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Society, Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce & Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce
Present the 170th Anniversary of this moment in history with Re-enactment by the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park
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A6
Islanders Compete in Senior Olympics
July 23, 2015
Island Moon
Social Security Board of Trustees: Trust Fund Reserve Gains One Year for Projected Depletion Date
Parenting tips
Lack of Daily Small Talk Could Lead to Poor ParentChild Relationships, Says Island University Researcher
The Social Security Board of Trustees today released its annual report on the long-term financial status of the Social Security Trust Funds. The combined asset reserves of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Funds are projected to become depleted in 2034, one year later than projected last year, with 79 percent of benefits payable at that time. The DI Trust Fund will become depleted in 2016, unchanged from last year’s estimate, with 81 percent of benefits still payable.
Small talk has big consequences for the relationship between parents and their children. Dr. Stephanie Rollie Rodriguez, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication and Media at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, conducted in-depth interviews with parents who do not live with their children to understand just what is missing from the relationship when they don’t have a chance to interact with them on a daily basis.
In the 2015 Annual Report to Congress, the Trustees announced: • The combined trust fund reserves are still growing and will continue to do so through 2019. Beginning with 2020, the cost of the program is projected to exceed income. • The projected point at which the combined trust fund reserves will become depleted, if Congress does not act before then, comes in 2034 – one year later than projected last year. At that time, there will be sufficient income coming in to pay 79 percent of scheduled benefits. Island residents Doc Cannedy, his daughter Carolyn Arwood and his son-in-law Sam Arwood competed in table tennis at the National Senior Games in Minneapolis July 10th thru July 12th. Daughter Sherri Grundhauser had to withdraw because of a health issue and could not compete. Carolyn won the Bronze Medal in the women’s singles (age 50 - 54), since her sister Sherri couldn’t be there to compete, she teamed up with a lady she met at the games. They won the Gold Medal (National Championship age 50-54). Carolyn and Sam placed 8th in mixed doubles (age 50-54). Doc and Sam teamed up to play in the men’s doubles and finished 5th (age 55-59). Doc, Carolyn and Sam were very excited about their results achieved in the National Senior Games. Congratulations to Carolyn for winning a National Championship and also to Doc and Sam for their 5th place finish.
Texas Sales Tax Holiday is Aug. 7 to 9 Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar reminds shoppers they can save money on certain items priced under $100 during the state's annual sales tax holiday. This year, the sales tax holiday is scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 7 - 9. The law exempts most clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks priced under $100 from sales tax, which could save shoppers about $8 on every $100 they spend during the weekend. “As the father of three young children, I know back-to-school expenses can really put a strain on family budgets this time of year,” Hegar said. “This is an opportunity for families to save some money and prepare for the start of the school year.” Lists of apparel and school supplies that may be purchased tax-free can be found on the Comptroller's website at TexasTaxHoliday.org. This year, shoppers will save an estimated $87 million in state and local sales taxes during the sales tax holiday. The tax holiday weekend has been an annual event since 1999.
• The projected actuarial deficit over the 75-year long-range period is 2.68 percent of taxable payroll -- 0.20 percentage point smaller than in last year’s report.
“Research on relationship maintenance shows that day-to-day small talk is important in sustaining however, Dr. Stephanie Rollie Rodriguez relationships, not all relationships have opportunities to engage in regular interaction,” said Rodriguez. “Participants who have limited interactions struggle to ‘know’ their children while those with frequent interaction with their children have access to the mundane stories of their children’s lives, which helps to maintain the relationships.”
“While the projected depletion date of the combined OASDI trust funds gained a year, the Disability Insurance Trust Fund’s projected depletion year remains 2016. I agree with President Obama, we have to keep Social Security strong, protecting its future solvency. President Obama’s FY 2016 budget proposes to address this near-term Disability Insurance Trust Fund’s reserve depletion. By reallocating a portion of payroll taxes from Old Age Survivors to the Disability Trust Fund – as has been done many times in the past – would have no adverse effect on the solvency of the overall Social Security program,” said Carolyn W. Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security.
Rodriguez’s participants revealed several major issues regarding access to information about their children. The major issues dealt with parents feeling like they had to play “catch-up” in order to get information about their children’s daily activities. Often when talking on the phone, they reported their children would not provide information about themselves or only share weekly highlights. This caused parents to have to dig for information to learn details. She noted, too, that parents who have regular interaction with their children during their time apart find it easier to maintain those relationships.
“We believe that Congress must take action to reallocate a portion of the payroll tax rate between the trust funds to avoid deep and abrupt cuts or delays in benefits for individuals with disabilities who paid into the system while they worked and now need the benefits they earned to support themselves and their families,” Colvin said.
Other highlights of the Trustees Report include: • Income including interest to the combined OASDI Trust Funds amounted to $884 billion in 2014. ($756 billion in net contributions, $30 billion from taxation of benefits, $98 billion in interest, and less than $1 billion in reimbursements from the General Fund of the Treasury—almost exclusively resulting from the 2012 payroll tax legislation)
Rodriguez said she first became interested in this topic during a Family Studies course she took as a graduate student at the University of Iowa where she earned her Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Communication Studies. As a student, she was exposed to research which revealed divorced dads were often the least satisfied parents. This information led to her desire to understand what factors into maintaining a good parent-child relationship when one of the parents does not live at home. Although Rodriguez’s study results focus on the parent-child relationship, the findings could be applied to any type of relationship.
• Total expenditures from the combined OASDI Trust Funds amounted to $859 billion in 2014. • Non-interest income fell below program costs in 2010 for the first time since 1983. Program costs are projected to exceed non-interest income throughout the remainder of the 75-year period.
“This has implications for all kinds of relationships,” Rodriguez said. “It reinforces the idea that a lot of relational maintenance and a sense of ‘knowing’ someone comes from daily interaction and small talk.”
• The asset reserves of the combined OASDI Trust Funds increased by $25 billion in 2014 to a total of $2.79 trillion.
Rodriguez is currently working with researchers at Kansas StateSalina on a study that looks at how separated parents and children connect through technology. If you are a divorced/separated parent or teen aged 12-17 with divorced/separated parents and would like to participate, please contact Dr. Rodriguez at 361825-5753 or Stephanie.rodriguez@tamucc.edu.
• During 2014, an estimated 166 million people had earnings covered by Social Security and paid payroll taxes. • Social Security paid benefits of $848 billion in calendar year 2014. There were about 59 million beneficiaries at the end of the calendar year. • The cost of $6.1 billion to administer the program in 2014 was a very low 0.7 percent of total expenditures.
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• The combined Trust Fund asset reserves earned interest at an effective annual rate of 3.6 percent in 2014. The Board of Trustees comprises six members. Four serve by virtue of their positions with the federal government: Jacob J. Lew, Secretary of the Treasury and Managing Trustee; Carolyn W. Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security; Sylvia M. Burwell, Secretary of Health and Human Services; and Thomas E. Perez, Secretary of Labor. The two public trustees are Charles P. Blahous, III and Robert D. Reischauer.
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Invasion cont. from A1 Caldwell Pier in Port Aransas by the Palo Alto Historical Society. The public is invited to attend.
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Just a few weeks prior to the landing, on June 26, the Ninth Texian Congress had consented to the annexation of the Republic of Texas into the United States of America. But in the mind of the Mexican government, who still wasn’t completely convinced any of Texas was not part of Mexico, the Nueces Strip, was still part of Mexico and the matter would be settled by a contest of arms.
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Troops scrambled from the ship to the shore and a Lt. Chandler climbed to the highest dune on San Jose Island and planted the flag of the United States with its twenty-seven stars in the sand. Capt. W.S Henry reported, “It floats over a rich acquisition, the most precious Uncle Sam has yet added to his crown.”
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July 23, 2015
A7
Island Moon
Backwater Adventures On the Rocks
Family Roots By Joey Farah
We loaded up the truck with all the necessary supplies (except food, we forgot that) and headed south with the rods on the front of the truck. Expectations were high, and we finally had managed to stave off responsibilities and functions to clear the way for a trip south. Baxter and I were headed down the Padre Island National Seashore to see what was shaking. Reports had been of course that the water was still dirty, but that there might be some clearer water all the way down. We waited in line for what seemed like an eternity at the entrance station for 47 cars to buy daily passes, and then we hit the sand.
Farah’s Fishing Adventures
Looking back through the years it is easy to forget times and people that have come and gone. Throughout time we have captured events through paintings, then pictures, and now digital cameras and Facebook. Whether we know it or not our true intentions are to share our experiences with those we care for, inspire our friends and family to follow in our footsteps and join us. We plant seeds in their hearts and grow "Roots". These roots become family traditions and our identities. For outdoorsmen we go a step further and hang trophies on the walls to honor the fish and game that we chase. As a kid I would stare at mounts and dream of adventures of my own to come. I took off and planted my own roots and just added on to the tree my father planted. In the field we all share memories that will be there long past we are gone, but our spirit will still be alive every time my grandchildren take their kids out on the water. Plant some roots and get your family out on the water and catch some fish. As the summer heat razed and the summer low tides draw out, shrimp move out of the back reaches of the bays and start their journey to the sea. These waves of shrimp have congregated along the funnel areas close to the JFK Bridge and attract lots of trout reds and flounder. The ICW at night is alive with feeding trout, one walk along the pier at Marker 37 after dark and you can watch trout pushing shrimp to the surface, and seagulls attacking them from above. Live shrimp under a clear torpedo float or free lines will bring all anglers a lot of action. Fishing the edge of the channel at first light has put some great trout in the ice chest of local fishermen as well. Down south in the Land Cut it's the same story, we have been catching limits
By Jay Gardner
Kimberly holding one of her many nice trout she brought in this week in the Laguna Madre with capt Farah. The surf has been starting to lay down and the blue water is just out past the third gut. This is perfect timing for anglers to walk the beach and jetties for Spanish mackerel. Silver spoons and paddle tailed minnows are great lures. Just remember they like a fast retrieve and require a heavy mono leader because of their teeth.
Driving is fairly decent, however there are patches of dry, loose sand all up and down the length of the beach, requiring four wheel drive. This happens every year as the tides range lower, the rain lets off, and people drive up and down the beach. We weren’t able to catch the tides right coming or going, so the low road wasn’t an option.
We beat the dirty water to a bloody froth, to no avail. The snapper (or anything else for that matter) wasn’t cooperating except the hardheads. We left the jetty to head north and camp for the evening, and had a nice relaxing evening around a small, neat campfire with lots of stories told. We awoke late the next morning, and headed back to see if the conditions had changed. And indeed, the water quality HAD changed; it had gotten worse. We threw lures around for a while, I lost a flounder at the rocks, and had one decent hit where I failed to set the hook and got schooled. After several hours, frustrations set in, and Kevin was ready to head back to the truck. He mentioned that it was time to go, and I really didn’t see any reason to disagree. However, while reeling in my “last cast”, I finally hooked and landed a little common snook and got a picture. This completes my goal of catching a snook off all the jetties south of the Port Aransas north jetty (Fish Pass, Packery, now Mansfield, and Brazos Santiago (south Padre)). Awesome! I guess it’s time to start planning the trip to the next set down; La Pesca at the southern end of the southern lagoon of the Laguna Madre de Tamaulipas. Well folks you don’t need me to tell you it’s hot out there. You can’t walk in between the house and the vehicle without melting like Frosty the Snowman. 95 degrees and 95 percent humidy equals wet underwear if you’re outside. Make sure to stay cool, drop me a line at jaygardner@scientist. com, and I’ll see you on the rocks when I get back out there.
We passed Patrick headed off the beach to attend a family function, and finally caught up with James and Dani way down. They had the shark rods out, and were waiting for the bite to turn on. We visited and transferred last minute requests, and then finally hit the rocks at Mansfield. The water wasn’t anywhere near as clear as we hoped, and there was no appreciable bait in the surf or in the channel. Bummer. But we had some dead bait that we had brought, and got busy chumming and attempting to get into some mangrove snapper (the trips’ target species). We spent the larger portion of the afternoon catching and releasing pinfish, hairy blennies, hardheads, and I got a surprise black drum. But no snaps. We got skunked on that end. Kevin finally joins us towards evening, and he had a bunch of live shrimp to get us going again. Well, he HAD a bunch of live shrimp, because his aerator had conked out on the way down. The shrimp were all toast; round two was a loss as well.
Brown family putting down ROOTS of trout and some nice reds as those fish follow the shrimp south out the Port Mansfield Jetties. Many times I find that fish will feed heavy just before fist light when the shrimp are thick as the shrimp burry up in the bottom at first light. As the 10 o’clock hour comes up, the gamefish become hungry again and will start to hunt and give anglers a great mid-morning bite. Those two areas are hot but the Aransas Bay Area is alive with a movement of shrimp headed towards Port A as well.
Moon Phases July 2015
Spanish mackerel are much better eating than kingfish. Walking Bob Hall and Horace Caldwell piers are great places at sun up and high tide to catch some great Mack action. The flats have been LIT UP for me lately, I have been so impressed with a new product that is bounds above the others. DRAGON EYEWARE has some of the "sickest" new fishing and outdoor sunglasses I've ever seen. The lenses are specially coated to resist scratching and have some very cool green and blue tints to them to keep your eyes relaxed all day. I was getting headaches even with some I the top brands but that has stopped. They will pay for themselves quickly because the high quality injection molded frames make the glasses FLOAT! I can't tell you how many pairs of sunglasses I've lost in the water. They are something special and will certainly help you see the drop offs and sand pockets while you are fishing. Stop by their exclusive dealer at DOCKSIDE SuRF SHOP, ask for the DRAGONS! Summer is fast approaching the tail end so don't waste any time taking your family out and planting some of those family roots. Who knows your great grand kids may even take you fishing someday! Keep your lines tight and go get wet!
Baxter on the jetty
August 2015
Tides of the Week Tides for Corpus Christi (Bob Hall Pier) July 23 - 31, 2015
Rowdy Brown with a great flounder from the flats close to Pita Island. Live piggy perch.
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Preston and I with a 30 inch red pulled in from the Laguna Shores Shoreline.
Day
High /Low
Tide Time
Height in Feet
Sunrise Moon Time Sunset
Th
23
Low
12:50 AM
0.7
6:47 AM Set 12:28 AM
23
High
8:00 AM
1.1
8:23 PM Rise 1:22 PM
23
Low
3:51 PM
0.2
F
24
High
8:08 AM
1.1
6:48 AM Set 1:04 AM
24
Low
4:29 PM
0.1
8:23 PM Rise 2:14 PM
Sa
25
High
3:52 AM
1.1
6:48 AM Set 1:42 AM
25
Low
5:11 PM
-0.1
8:22 PM Rise 3:07 PM
Su
26
High
3:30 AM
1.3
6:49 AM Set 2:24 AM
26
Low
5:54 PM
-0.2
8:22 PM Rise 4:02 PM
M
27
High
3:45 AM
1.4
6:49 AM Set 3:11 AM
27
Low
6:38 PM
-0.4
8:21 PM Rise 4:58 PM
Tu
28
High
4:09 AM
1.5
6:50 AM Set 4:02 AM
28
Low
7:24 PM
-0.5
8:21 PM Rise 5:54 PM
W
29
High
4:36 AM
1.6
6:51 AM Set 4:58 AM
29
Low
8:10 PM
-0.5
8:20 PM Rise 6:49 PM
Th
30
High
5:03 AM
1.6
6:51 AM Set 5:59 AM
30
Low
8:57 PM
-0.6
8:19 PM Rise 7:42 PM
F
31
High
5:30 AM
1.6
6:52 AM Set 7:03 AM
31
Low
9:45 PM
-0.5
8:19 PM Rise 8:32 PM
Moon Visible
37
46 56 66 75 83 91 96 99
A8
July 23, 2015
Island Moon
SPORTS Sports Talk
Game Changer
NFL's First Full-Time Female Official Low-Key as Debut Nears
By Andy Purvis Special to the Island Moon
By Dotson Lewis
Special to the Island Moon Dotson’s Note: I have received many calls, Emails and letters regarding the Sarah Thomas assignment as the NFL’s first full-time female official. Two friends of mine, Walt Coleman and Ed Hochuli, made comments about her below. Just as a reminder, Ed’s son is starting his second year as an NFL official. Thanks to AP Sports Writer, Schulyer Dixon, for many of the facts contained in the Sarah Thomas article. I believe many of you remember Brett Favre, if so, since he has been out of sight lately, the second article is an update on him. Sarah Thomas shared hugs and idle chatter at her first preseason clinic since the NFL made her the first full-time female on-field official. All of her colleagues were doing the same thing Friday in what amounts to the unofficial end of their offseason. The pharmaceutical representative and mother of three was just another one of the guys, which is how she hopes
Walt Coleman of the guys: "They work their way up," he said. "They work junior high. They work high school. They work college football. And so when they get the opportunity to work in the NFL, they're working with the best officials in the world."
Vin Scully, longtime Brooklyn Dodgers’ announcer, would begin the game’s line-up like this: “Starting at shortstop, #1, ‘Pee Wee’ Reese.” Another of the “Boys of Summer” has gone on to join his teammates in Heaven. Harold Henry Reese was born July 23, 1918 in Ekron, Kentucky, a stones throw south of Louisville. This son of a railroad detective would grow to be five feet nine inches tall and weigh 140 pounds. Scully would later say, “Reese was #1 on your scorecard and number one in our hearts.” Reese would become known as the “Little Colonel,” but first he received the nickname Pee Wee, at age 12, where he spent most of his free time knuckling down over a circle of marbles. Pee Wee won the city championship and went on to place second to the National Champion. Kids in the thirties and forties called their marbles many different names like “mibs,” “ducks,” “peewees,” and “steelies.” Whether you were playing for keeps or playing for fair, marbles was a serious game, and many kids were experts in collecting the other guys’ marbles.
And that means she can expect the fans to hate her the same way they do every guy around her. "I can tell you, when you get out there, with all those guys in those striped shirts, and everybody's going to be after us," said Coleman, whose son Walt Coleman IV is among the first-year officials. "And it's going to be the same way for Walter and Sarah or whoever it is. Once that game starts, it's going to be back to the same old football." And Thomas is ready, for the grief, for the second-guessing and for the attention. "The spotlight is what it is and being a first, I know that's the reason this is," she said. "I get it. It just comes with the territory, so no big deal." She's used to it, hope she has fun.
Sarah Thomas coaches and players see her when the regular season starts in two months. "I know it may be new for some, but I think being a part of the developmental program and going that way, maybe they'll see me just as an official," Thomas said. "That's how I want them to see me." The 41-year-old Thomas won't be the first woman to call a regular-season game. That was Shannon Eastin in 2012 when the NFL used replacement officials during a labor dispute. But she will be the first one getting a full season… and a lot of attention along the way. "I certainly wouldn't want that attention," said a chuckling Aaron Santi, one of nine other first-year officials likely to get that wish. "It's going to be tougher for her. She's going to be under the microscope a little more because the reality is this is a really difficult job and we all make mistakes. Hopefully the fans and the public and the media will allow her to make mistakes and not treat her with a different standard than anyone else." Thomas, who will be a line judge in 2015, is already the first female official in major college football, and the first to work a bowl game. She's been in the NFL's development program for two years, so she has done training camps and preseason games. As for the novelty of being an NFL regular, long-time referee Ed Hochuli says that will wear off fast. "It'll be a big deal for the first few games," Hochuli said. "Then it will go away. And then it's a matter of are you right or wrong in your calls and you're just another official out there and you get treated the same."
Brett Favre returns to Lambeau for Packers Hall of Fame On Saturday, July 18, 2015, Brett Favre headed up the Lambeau Field tunnel, a path that he had walked dozens of times. He turned left at the end, and then walked through a set of double doors. The Green Bay Packers' locker room was just down the hall on the right. And that's when it finally it him. He was back at his football home. Fans watch former Packers quarterback Brett
Thomas, who grew up and still lives in Mississippi, recalled the story of her first game as an official, when she was asked to be the clock operator and told one of her mentors that she didn't even know where the clock was. Thomas was a basketball player in high school and college and never worried about finding the clock. "So he said, 'Well, we can train monkeys to do the clock, and we're just short of them tonight, so it's your job,'" Thomas said. "That's how I got introduced." Thomas said not much has changed since the NFL hired her three months ago, "working out and rules study, film review, talking to mentors that I have. Same thing." And she won't be expecting players to treat her any differently. "They just want the job to be done and be done consistently," Thomas said. "Done right." Referee Walt Coleman, getting ready for his 27th season, has another view of Thomas as one
From the farm team to captain Pee Wee joined the Louisville Colonels Club of the American Association of Baseball in 1938, as a shortstop, and spent two years there. This club was bought by the Boston Red Sox to gain the rights of this slick fielding shortstop, but their current shortstop Joe Cronin was not ready to retire; so Reese’s contract was sold to Branch Rickey of the Dodgers for $40,000. Reese arrived in Brooklyn in 1940. His Dodger days were initially cut short when he was hurt during his first season with a broken foot, and he also got hit in the head by a pitched ball. Reese became a regular in 1941 and helped Brooklyn win its first pennant in 21 years. As with most players, World War II took him away for three years (1943-1945). He returned to Brooklyn in 1946 to become a complete player who, despite limited power, helped make the Dodger offense go. Reese also became the anchor on defense, of a team that won seven National League Pennants in twelve seasons. This ten-time AllStar was given another title by the team, “The Captain.” From then on, it would be Pee Wee Reese, not the manager, who brought out the line-up card to the umpires at the start of their games.
Everybody’s pal Diane & Brett Favre Favre give a speech at Lambeau Field prior to his induction to the Packers Hall of Fame and having his No. 4 jersey retired. The three-time MVP quarterback had his No. 4 jersey retired by the Packers before being inducted into the franchise's Hall of Fame in a ceremony inside Lambeau Field. It was the first time in the team's storied history that a player received both honors at the same time. "It was like I never left. It was a great feeling. It was kind of weird because I had been here for a couple of hours and just walked off of Lambeau," Favre said before the ceremony. "It's kind of funny how things are triggered. And then it was kind of a sigh of relief almost." It was a moment that some Packers fans thought would never come, not after the "will he-or-won't he retire" drama that marked the end of his 16-year tenure in ‘Titletown.’ He was traded to the New York Jets in 2008. He then played two more seasons with division rival Minnesota starting in 2009 before calling it quits for good. Now a reconciliation that has been years in the making is finally complete.
Ed Hochuli
Shortstop Pee Wee Reese
Dotson’s Note: While you are thinking about it, please check out Favre’s behavior during the recent ESPYS. What do you think of that? Your comments, suggestions, questions and concerns regarding “Moon Sports Talk” are appreciated. Please call the Benchwarmers at 361-560-5297 weekdays, Mondays thru Fridays, 3-6 P.M. or contact me. Phone: 361-949-7681 Cell: 539-748-8475 Email: dlewis1@stx.rr.com
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Reese’s teammates poured praise on their shortstop. Duke Snider said, “He was the greatest Dodger of them all.” He was so much more than a baseball player. Reese was the voice in the clubhouse and the team’s conscience on the field. Pee Wee Reese was everybody’s “pal.” After catcher Roy Campanella’s accident, it was Pee Wee who chose to roll Roy’s wheelchair out onto the field in front of 90,000 fans on “Campanella Night,” at the Los Angeles Coliseum. This is the same guy who sat quietly beside pitcher Ralph Branca, who cried in the clubhouse after he had given up the winning home run to Bobby Thomson of the New York Giants, during the final game of the 1951 National League Pennant race. Reese was “the salt of the earth,” as my dad would say. Pee Wee stood tallest in 1947, when teammate Jackie Robinson was catching hell from the Cincinnati Reds bench and their fans. Pee Wee simply walked over to Jackie at first base and placed his hand on Robinson’s shoulder. As he spoke to Jackie, the crowd began to settle down; and some say the face of baseball changed forever that day. This show of sportsmanship by a white southerner to a black teammate helped pave the way for many great players of color. There is a bronze statue of Reese and Robinson that stands in KeySpan Park in
Brooklyn, New York. It depicts this gesture of the teammates. It was unveiled on November 1, 2005, almost ten years ago.
Hall of Fame Reese was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. Besides being a superb fielder and a great base runner, Reese had accumulated over 2,100 hits, scored 1,338 runs (the best of any Dodger), and finished eight times in the top ten for MVP candidate. In his career, Reese also recorded 885 RBI’s, hit 126 home runs, and stole 252 bases during a time in the game when shortstops were known for their fielding. He would also become a World Series Champion in 1955, when the Brooklyn Dodgers beat the New York Yankees. Interestingly, Reese and Yankees’ catcher, Elston Howard, hold the record for playing in the most World Series for the losing team (six each). Unfortunately I never got to meet Pee Wee in person. I did make it a point to ask Tommy Lasorda about Pee Wee every time I saw him. The following is my favorite story about Pee Wee as told by Lasorda. “One time, the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers were being honored at Shea Stadium by the New York Mets and we were all lined up side by side, being introduced to the fans,” said Tommy. “I was standing next to Pee Wee and I leaned over and said to him, if I would have told you that one day one of us would be the Manager of the Los Angles Dodgers, how would you have lined up the 25 of us, according to chance?” Pee Wee said, “I would have put you 24th.” “I asked, who would you have put at 25th? “Sandy Amoros,” said Pee Wee. “He couldn’t speak English.’” Reese married Dorothy “Dottie” Walton on March 29, 1942. She and their two children survived Pee Wee. Reese moved with the team to Los Angeles, California in 1957 and played until 1958, when he was then replaced by Charlie Neal. Reese would stay with the now Los Angeles Dodgers during the 1959 season, as a coach, and he earned his second World Series ring. After retirement, Reese joined with Hall-of-Fame pitcher, “Dizzy” Dean on CBS Television (1960-1965) and then with Curt Gowdy on NBC (1966-1968) to call play-byplay. After his retirement from television, you could find him working at Hillerich & Bradsby, makers of Louisville Slugger bats. It’s with much sadness that I inform you that on August 14, 1999, Pee Wee Reese, at age 81, took his place in the Dodger line-up in Heaven, along with Gil Hodges, Carl Furillo, Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson and the rest of “Dem Bums,” and I bet he’s still wearing #1. Reese had battled lung cancer since 1997. Teammate Carl Erskine once said about Pee Wee, “He never shouted, and he played every day. He didn’t have to say anything, he just showed everyone.” You know, it’s always tough when we lose our pals. Andy Purvis is a local author and radio personality. Please visit www.purvisbooks. com for all the latest info on his books or to listen to the new radio podcast. Andy’s books are available online and can be found in the local Barnes & Noble bookstore. Andy can be contacted at purvis.andy@mygrande.net. Also listen to Sports talk radio on Dennis & Andy’s Q & A Session every Thursday 6-8 PM on ESPN 1440 KEYS.
July 23, 2015
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Plaque Honors John White
Doggone Party at the Animal Hospital of Padre Island
Robert Pruski, Jr. 361.652.2278 adventure1mgmt@gmail.com
A plaque was placed at the community gardens in Douden Park on Saturday to honor John White who originated and managed the project. There a now one hundred gardens which cost $10,000 to build. On hand for the ceremony were Councilwoman Colleen MCIntyre, Gaye White, and State Representative Todd Hunter.
Vintage Boat at the Ski Basin
When Islander Michelle Smith isn’t flying as a Flight Attendant for Delta Airlines she is busy restoring her 1957 Starcraft boat. The aluminum hulled boat is finished with mahogany and a new motor which Michelle has added in the past year. She had it out at the Ski Basin last weekend.
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July 23, 2015