Inside the Moon
Turkey Bowling A2
La Posada 2015 A5
Fishing A7
Sports A8
The
Issue 607
Island Moon
The voice of The Island since 1996
December 3, 2015
14646 Compass, Suite 3 Corpus Christi, TX 78418
Around The Island By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com The truck was rolling down the beach when Miss Lizzy let out a yelp. She had spied this fellow who had washed ashore overnight just south of Bob Hall Pier.
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Photo by Dwight Jackson
Its Time to La Posada!
La Posada Kick-Off Party A Hit
The AccuWeather forecast calls for 74 degrees and partly cloudy on Friday, December 11, and clear and 72 degrees on Saturday, December 12; so it looks like great La Posada weather for deck parties.
The Island Strategic Action Committee met Tuesday night, here is a summary of the topics covered.
SPID/Commodores intersection
“He went quick,” Lea said. “ It was a pretty good-sized fish. I’ve never seen this before. I’ve seen them eat too much and the fish bones puncture the esophagus but I’ve never seen a dolphin killed by a fish blocking their blowhole.” If George Costanza had been there the dolphin might have had a chance - “The sea was angry that day my friends” – but alas he was not. We’re sure there is a parable in there somewhere. We will leave it to the denizens of local pulpits to tackle that one.
Kleberg The signs are up in Kleberg County and the law dogs mean business.
The Bowl Property owners south of the Kleberg/Nueces line (south of Sea Pines) have posted the roadways and state and local law enforcement have begun enforcing the no-trespassing laws. The Nueces County Coastal Parks Board has plans for the 3680acre tract it purchased last year but in the meantime is trying to derail decades of bad habits, from a shooting gallery to four-wheeling in the dunes around The Bowl, which is getting larger as more vegetation disappears.
Just be aware that tickets for trespassing are $500 and there is a new sheriff in town.
Smiling Bill We want to say so long to our friend Smiling Bill who passed away this week. Bill was a regular at the standing Tuesday night shuffleboard game on The Island and known far and wide for his colorful tee-shirts. We will miss our friend.
Around continued on A3
Work is underway to redesign the SPID/Commodores/State Highway 361 intersection. City officials told the ISAC Tuesday they are looking for ways to lengthen the small left turn lane from Commodores onto northbound SPID, and to provide two right-turn lanes from SH 361 onto northbound SPID. They said the work may require the removal of the median on Commodores. They said they expect the new design for the intersection to be done by Fall 2016. A comprehensive study of Island traffic and a subsequent plan for future design of Island roads is currently being done by the city in conjunction with the Texas Department of Transportation.
SPID/Park Road 22 Water Exchange Bridge City Engineers told the ISAC during their Tuesday meeting that they expect final approval on the proposed SPID/Park Road 22 Water Exchange Bridge to be in place by the end of December and they anticipate holding a public hearing by the end of February, 2016.
Projects continued on A11
State Agencies Begin Taking Applications for BP Restoration Funds State agencies this week began taking applications for allocation of funds from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which occurred just over five years ago. The draft plan allocates funds from a proposed settlement with BP of up to $8.8 billion for natural resource injuries stemming from the spill, including, $238 million that would be allocated for Texas restoration efforts. The Trustees have proposed to accept this settlement, which would resolve BP’s liability for natural resource injuries stemming from the spill. The draft plan identifies five goals intended to restore wildlife, habitat, water quality, and recreational activities in the Gulf. To achieve these goals, funds are allocated to 13 different restoration types. The restoration types address a broad range of impacts at both regional and local scales. The implementation of this plan will restore wildlife and habitat and associated services such as recreational opportunities that were impacted by the Spill. The figure below identifies the 5 restoration goals and 13 restoration types. The Texas Trustee agencies (GLO, TPWD & TCEQ) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) recently completed a public comment process and will now begin the application process for the 2016 funding cycle from the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund. Some agencies around the Coastal Bend are expected to apply for funds.
BP continued on A3
La Posada Has Arrived!
The La Posada Lighted Boat Parade is just a few days away. As we have in the last two editions we include everything you need to know and/or to enter in this issue. There a no big changes this year in the parade route or rules.
By Dale Rankin
The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network was called and performed a necropsy on the spot with a surprising result. According to Lea Walker who performed the necropsy the male Bottlenose Dolphin was a sub-adult male, the normal dolphin lifecycle is about thirty years, who met his demise when he swallowed a flounder tail first. Normally dolphins swallow fish headfirst so that the fins don’t get caught in their throat. But this fellow had been gorging on flounder and when he swallowed one backwards the fish’s head lodged in the “gooseneck” which is between the dolphin’s esophagus and his blow hole and the dolphin could not open his blowhole and suffocated.
Live Music A16
Weekly
Update on Island projects
Water Exchange Bridge, Traffic Light, Seawall and Commodores Intersection
Art Show A11
We’ll see you on the water!
US Marines collected toys at the door for Toys for Tots. Photo by Brent Rourk By Brent Rourk While glasses clinked and forks moved from plate to mouth, other party goers at the La Posada KickOff Party at Scuttlebutts strolled the aisles of the silent auction finding perfect Christmas presents. Almost 200 items were claimed in the silent auction. La Posada Foundation members along with Scuttlebutts personnel collaborated to set-up another successful Kick-Off Party. Padre Island Yacht Club volunteers helped shuttle guests from the Baptist Church to Scuttlebutts. Guitar chords filled the air as impeccably dressed United States Marines at the front door collected toys brought by guests. The toys are earmarked for less fortunate children in local counties, delivered by Marines diligently working the Toys for Tots Program.
Live Auction Providing ample humor while manning the mic at the live auction, auctioneer Kenny Stowe deftly helped many guests purchase some spectacular gift items at favorable
A break in the live auction action Photo by Brent Rourk prices. A fishing trip, resort stays, meals, beach party, and additional popular items topped the list of live auction deals. The last item, a gleaming Yamaha Zuma Motor Scooter, drew heavy bidding before fetching $2,800. Though it is too early determine exact counts, many boxes of toys were collected at the front door. Generous guests filled with Christmas spirit also made financial donations to Toys for Tots, and all of those donations will go directly to purchasing toys.
Kick Off continued on A13
La Posada Toy Collection, Parade Boats, and Collector Boats Last Minute Vital Information By Brent Rourk Toy collection during the La Posada Lighted Boat Parades has traditionally been a memorable Christmas event. Collector boats with a United States Marine on board stop at Islander’s docks and decks to pick up toys generously donated to Toys for Tots.
How to Get Your Toys Picked Up The La Posada Foundation would like to make it as easy as possible for Islanders to get toys to the collector boats. All that is needed are a lookout person or two with a flashlight and a bag of toys. All Islanders donating toys during the La Posada parades should look for collector boats Identified by yellow lights. Party goers should shine their flashlight towards the collector boats and the boats with a Marine on board will pick up toys. Please put toys in extra large, heavy duty trash bags for ease of handling from dock to boat to Yacht Club to Marine Trucks. Refer to the parade route maps in the Island Moon Newspaper. If you are a non-water home (not on the parade route) and want to donate toys or you are on the water and collector boat has missed you, then
R. J. Blankship's design won the logo design contest for La Posada 2015. Photo by Miles Merwin
La Posada continued on A5
A little Island history
Opening of Corpus Christi Pass Plan from 1967
By Dale Rankin When the dredging of Packery Channel was approved in 2000 it was the culmination of years of attempts to make a water pass through The Island. In 1967, the same year Hurricane Beulah cut The Island into more than a dozen pieces and opening the pass, a study was commissioned by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission to determine the feasibility of opening Corpus Christi Pass on a permanent basis. By 1970 the pass had silted shut but before the plan could be put into effect Hurricane Celia roared through the Coastal Bend and opened it again.
Corpus Christi Pass depicted on a 19th century navigational chart The exact location of Corpus Christi Pass has moved around over the last few decades. What was originally Corpus Christi Pass was actually a series of passes which began at the bay side of what is now Fish Pass and ran parallel to the beach all the way down The Island to what is now the end of Whitecap Boulevard. The
Corpus Christi Pass after Hurricane Allen in 1980 last remnant of the historic Corpus Christi Pass is Lake Padre. The pass historically was considered the dividing line between Padre and Mustang Islands. That line now is Packery Channel which was originally part of the Corpus Christi Pass system.
History continued on A3