The
Issue 569
Island Moon
The voice of The Island since 1996
March 12, 2015
Around The Island By Dale Rankin
editor@islandmoon.com We enter the second week of Spring Break 2015 with barely enough Spring Breakers to fill up a minivan in sight, so far. The rain kept the Breakers at bay last week but this weekend looks to be different with milder weather predicted and the big Texas schools starting their breaks; expect big crowds on beaches in Port Aransas and in the area north of Zahn Road. Most likely on Saturday and Sunday afternoons for the next two weekends State Highway 361 north of SPID will be a parking lot. Watch out for the Annual Spring Break Speed Checks on Thursday as bored officers set up radar on Whitecap and Aquarius. CCPD will also set up a temporary substation in the American Bank Parking lot, which has a tendency to empty Island night spots.
Fundraiser for Flour Bluff Youth Football League March 21
Free
Weekly
FREE
Photo by Kimberly McDonald
Getting Ready for Spring Break 2015
By Linda Walsh A fundraising dinner will be held on March 21 at 4:30 pm at the Flour Bluff High School cafeteria for the Flour Bluff Youth Football, Padre, Sharks Football, Flour Bluff Youth Cheer, and the Flour Bluff Little Dribblers Basketball teams. We need sponsors, and volunteers to cook and donate an Italian dish including lasagna, spaghetti, pizza, ravioli, garlic bread, salad or any other Italian dish you can come up with. The cost is $10.00 per adult, $5.00 per student and under 5 are free.
Crews preparing beach at Newport Pass for Spring Break 2015 Beach maintenance crews have been battling the elements for the past week as they get the beach north of Packery Channel ready for Spring Break 2015. The normal Spring Break configuration for the most contested area of the beach, around
Newport Pass, is two southbound traffic lanes and a center lane for law enforcement with the lanes divided by sand berms. The berms were well underway before recent rains reduced them to sand piles and crews had to begin anew.
SMA – Regional Science Olympiad Competition and Family Math and Science Night Up Port A way the Annual DPS Invasion has already begun as hundreds of agents swarm into town from points north and spill out into the city in the days before the crowds arrive. It’s a good time for the locals to stock up on groceries and hunker down.
Bigfoot sighting!
Featured speakers at the dinner will be Youth Athletes speaking on what this program has done for them and why you should help keep the program going. The youth participants will be serving and assisting tables and entertaining.
Football continued on A8
Police Calls
Texas A&M Shrimp Research Facility in Flour Bluff Closing Only months after closing of the Texas A&M Agrilife Research Lab in Port Aransas, the A&M University System has announced the closing of the shrimp production research facility at the Texas A&M Mariculture Laboratory in Flour Bluff in September.
Lack of police support on The Island has been an ongoing issue since 2007 when due to a complete lack of regular police presence on The Island we had 46 home burglaries in two months; some were actually home invasions when one resident confronted the burglars with a .45 pistol. Prior to that time we had Island Cop Chris Hooper, who carried a cell phone provided by PIBA, and that system worked fine. When he was reassigned it didn’t take long for the burglaries to start.
Shrimp continued on A6
Around continued on A3
By Brent Rourk Students touched the two rocks expecting magic to happen. It did. The two different Moon Rocks once adorned our Moon and were scraped up by NASA during one of the lunar missions. On Wednesday evening during the SMA Family Math and Science Night the two rocks had a different home for a few hours.
USA Wins CAN-AM! A2
SMA Science Teacher Katie Sykes shows student Dylan Trial Moon Rocks. Photo by Shannon Trial
It is one thing to say that you have touched a valuable rock or mineral, it is another thing to say that you have touched rocks that were once on the moon. It was magical. The Family Math and Science and Night was organized by SMA staffer Sharon Smith and the Moon Rocks
By Dale Rankin
In last week’s issue we ran an item about an Island family who had an intruder at the door and when they called CCPD were told no officers were available. After our story one of the local television stations picked up on the story and ran the tape of the police call, which is on our Facebook page, and took the story in a different direction by citing a lack of a sufficient number of officers as the cause. This is nonsense. The city is already struggling under nearly $300 million in debt to the public safety sector which eats up all of the property and sales tax collected each year and then some; hiring more officers at this point is a fiscal pipe dream.
Over the years the problem has ebbed and flowed as each six months CCPD goes through a reassignment of officers. In recent months the situation has stabilized somewhat, however, on the night this call came in CCPD dispatch was overwhelmed with a perfect storm of events happening all at once. The problem is not a lack of officers on the force but the way they are assigned, which is by a squeaky wheel system. Each time the question of police presence has been put to CCPD brass or city
Inside the Moon
NASA Loans Moon Rocks to SMA
Flour Bluff Youth Football League was founded to promote sports for the youth of Flour Bluff and Padre Island. This league includes Flour Bluff Youth Football, Flour Bluff
A giant offshore platform called Bigfoot is (as of this writing) scheduled to exit the Port Aransas Jetties around 8 a.m. on Friday. That is subject to change but when it heads out it will be hard to miss and is sure the scare the daylights out of some bleary-eyed Spring Breakers.
As in years past, traffic will be allowed to enter the beach through Access Road 3 and beach traffic will be southbound only with beach exit at Zahn Road, which will be one-way only off the beach. No dogs will be allowed on that area of beach; normal beach rules apply everywhere else.
“It is simply a business decision,” said Dr. Juan Landivar Research Director for the Corpus Christi A&M Agrilife Extension Center. “Commercial shrimp production in the United States has dropped from 14 million pounds per year to 3 million pounds and there simply isn’t enough funding from the industry to keep the Flour Bluff shrimp research facility open.”
SMA Director Barbara Beeler was very happy with the Family Math and Science Night offering, “Math and Science are cornerstones of our college prep program. This was a wonderful opportunity to provide hands on experiences to the entire community.”
Staff Organizer Sharon Smith worked hard to make it happen and clarified, “This is our third year and it was bigger and better than ever. Although the activities and booths seem geared towards students, many parents found themselves SMA Science Team enjoying the competition. engaged in the activities Photo by Melanie Ortiz as well. Working in collaboration with Texas A&M, Corpus Christi is important were on loan from NASA after SMA Science Teacher Katie Sykes to us. We are a collegiate prep school completed a week long training at and what better way to reinforce that NASA. She became ‘Moonstruck’ then with a university, student, and and qualified to request Moon Rock family experience.” samples for educational purposes.
Dee-Scoveries A6
Sports A8
Airtales A9
Seashore continued on A2
A little Island history By Dale Rankin
Jim Bowie’ Long Road to the Alamo
It was 179 years ago this month that our Texas forefathers forted themselves in the Alamo in what is now downtown San Antonio and secured their place in our history. Of the non-Hispanics in the Alamo – and there were many Hispanic Texians who died fighting for the Texas cause – Jim Bowie was the one who had been in the state the longest and risen the highest prior to the fight in the Alamo. Over the sweep of history, as the legend becomes fact and writers print the legend, there has been a shift in the roles of the iconic figures that died there and the role of the man who in some ways was the quintessential Texan – James Bowie is no exception.
Snake Island
The road that lead him to the Alamo began in the summer of 1819 when Bowie’s string had just about run out in Louisiana. A hurricane had gutted the southern part of the state for the past two years and Bowie was dodging court summons for payment on a mulatto slave woman. His solution was to take his brother Rezin Bowie and head for Snake Island near Galvestown (Galveston) where the pirate Jean Laffite had set up an operation where he preyed on Spanish shipping, often taking slaves which he had to dispose of since the Mexican Revolutionary government had taken a strong stance against slavery. Bowie and Laffite became instant friends. Laffite sold slaves like merchandize at one dollar per pound.
Spring Break Schedule A13
Texas was a wild place then and Bowie settled quickly into Laffite’s township of Galvestown where Lafitte had an over supply of slaves taken from passing ships. Bowie
History continued on A6
Live Music A16
A2
Island Moon
Flash Floods and Colorado Powder
Seashore continued from A1
March 12, 2015
The Family Math and Science Night featured 35 activities for families to experience. Both the adults and students in attendance were impressed with the student activities and learning centers. SMA student Derek Boles thoroughly enjoyed the evening commenting, “I went to six stations. I liked Austin’s Robotics and Tatiana’s station – it was awesome.” Of course, Boles was fascinated with the Moon Rocks too, stating, “It was weird to think that I could touch something so old from the Moon’s surface.” SMA 7th grader Julia Cole liked the activity about the senses, yet also liked the Moon Rocks claiming, “I thought that the Moon Rocks were spectacular.” Student Mariah Goldberg claimed, “It was really fun because there were a lot of activities to do. Math Bingo was the best one. It was exciting to see the Moon Rocks. It felt cool to touch the Moon.”
The Weather Wonks were working out their adjectives this week as the local office of the National Service issued a Flash Flood Watch for Most of South Texas. We Islanders get a chuckle out of Flash Flood Watches; if we get flooded it won’t be from the sky, it will be from the tide – like a hurricane tide. If there is enough rainfall
to flood a strip of land surrounded by saltwater the folks OTB better build an ark. The good news, for snow skiers at least, the same storms that blew through Texas dropped six feet of snow in parts of New Mexico in the past two weeks. It is truly a mean storm that doesn’t blow somebody some good.
Last Saturday the SMA Science Olympiad Team went to Texas A&M at Corpus Christi to compete in the Regional Science Competition. SMA has a long history of winning that regional competition and advancing to State, and this year was no different as a very talented team of students again earned first place. They will advance to State Competition at Texas A&M at College Station on April 23-26. SMA student James Kernan claimed, “It was a ton of work and took a lot of time, but to see all of those first place medals among our team was worth it.” Student Tristan Cardon stated, “It was nice to see all of the work and determination pay off
SMA Science Team accepts its first place trophy. Photo by Melanie Ortiz and finally get first place after my third year of Science Olympiad.” Science Olympiad Team Sponsor Katie Sykes was very pleased with the results and looks forward to the State Competition. Sykes commented, “I was very surprised by the results. I never count chickens and did not expect us to go back to state this year. We struggled a bit in preparations and I knew that we would have stiff competition from other schools. I am always amazed by the talent that our students possess and with how with seemingly short preparation they can compete at such a high level. Seashore has the best students of anywhere.” Sykes continued, “This year was the first year that 5th graders were allowed to compete and our two 5th graders, Ashton Haney and Matthew Grassadonio, placed in all three of their events. As expected, our 8th graders performed at a very high level. I am hoping to bring home a couple of medals from the state competition particularly the events that Tatiana Ortiz and Elizabeth Clark compete in. A special thank you to the Haney family, Ortiz family, Burkett family, and the Cartwright family for their support and for helping me keep my sanity.” Also last week the SMA Builders’ Club (a middle school service club sponsored by Kiwanis) read to kinder students at Seashore Learning Center for the last time this year. The SLC tykes have looked forward to getting individual reading attention and the SMA students again enjoyed being a respected reader for an hour.
The Gulfsstream Condominium had their annual winter Texan Can Am golf tournament this year on February 26th. The weather was great and the American team has finally won after 6 years of playing. Congrat's to all the men and women that played.
SMA 7th grader Victoria Solarek reads to 2 SLC Kinders. Photo by Brent Rourk
SLC Kinder Teacher Peddy Fernandez stated, “The kindergarten students really enjoy the reading and look forward to it.” Judging from their faces, they enjoy getting attention from the older students at SMA.
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March 12, 2015
Island Moon
Letters to the Editor
Moon Monkeys Mike Ellis, Founder
Crosswords I enjoy reading the weekly Island Moon, and look forward to picking up a copy on Fridays when I shop at HEB in Flour Bluff. However, I don't understand why your crossword puzzle, and especially the clues, are in such small print. I believe your target audience is "seasoned" seniors, who may often have difficulties with small print.
Distribution
Thanks for letting me "vent"!
Pete Alsop
Mary Welch
Island Delivery
Editor’s note: You will find the problem corrected in this issue Mary. Thanks for writing.
Coldwell Banker Advertising
Riley P. Dog Park
Jan Park Rankin Classifieds Arlene Ritley Design/Layout Jeff Craft Contributing Writers Joey Farah Andy Purvis Devorah Fox
Sara Russell
Mary Craft
Dog Park Meeting Rescheduled for March 21
Maybeth Christiansen Jay Gardner Chad Peters
Due to the Padre Isles POA Annual Meeting planned for Saturday, March 14, 10:00-12:00, we are re-scheduling our March event.
Todd Hunter Dotson Lewis Ronnie Narmour Dr. Donna Shaver Photographers Miles Merwin Mary Craft Ronnie Narmour Office Security/Spillage Control (Emeritus)
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. News articles, photos, display ads, classified ads, payments, etc. may be left at the Moon Office.
The Island Moon Newspaper 15201 S. Padre Island Drive, Suite 250 Corpus Christi, TX 78418 361-949-7700 editor@islandmoon.com Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper
Where to Find The Island Moon Sandpiper Condos WB Liquors Port A Arts
North Padre
Stripes @ Beach Access Rd. 1A
All Stripes Stores
A Mano
CVS
Coffee Waves
Whataburger
Moby Dicks
Doc’s Restaurant
Spanky’sLiquor
Snoopy’s Pier
IGA Grocery Store
Isle Mail N More
Carter Pharmacy
Brooklyn Pie Co.
San Juan’s Taqueria
Ace Hardware
Wash Board Laundry Mat
Texas Star (Shell)
Port A Parks and Rec
Island Italian
Holiday Inn Jesse’s Liquor
Public Library
Scuttlebutt’s Restaurant
Chamber of Commerce
Island Tire
Duckworth Antiques
And all Moon retail advertisers
Back Porch
WB Liquor
Woody’s Sports Center
Subway
Shorty’s Place
Flour Bluff
Giggity’s
H.E.B.
Stripes @ Cotter & Station Gratitude Gift Shop Keepers Pier House Port A Glass Studio The Gaff
In the meantime say hello if you see us Around The Island.
Ronnie Narmour
You can do it,
Three years ago today, I gave up my nasty cigarette habit. Not one puff. I smoked a pack and a half a day, so at $7 a pack, I figure I've saved $11,497.50 ... think I'll treat myself to a steak today. Ronnie Narmour
Liquid Town Whataburger on Waldron Ethyl Everly Senior Center Fire Station Police Station Stripes on Flour Bluff & SPID
There are many ways rental scams work. In most cases, con artists create rental listings that may contain appealing photos to attract customers. Once the potential renter has fallen in love, the phony landlord collects an upfront deposit, leaving the vacationer to find out they’ve been cheated when they show up at the address weeks later. Bait-and-switch is another way scammers may appeal to vacation home hunters. The scammer may show them a home that isn’t actually available and at the last minute change the location to a much less appealing property. Today, there are more secure ways of renting a vacation home rather than just finding an online ad. Legitimate websites exist to protect renters by providing secure payment solutions, visitor comment sections and rating systems. However, even legitimate sites are not immune to dishonest cons. BBB warns consumers of the following red
by Mary Craft mkay512@aol.com or @padreeyelander on twitter
New Advertisers Seashore Learning Center & Middle Academy now has open enrollment for their tuition-free public charter school until March 31st. To download forms go to www. islandfoundation.com. Space is limited so act now! Realtor Sally Bales has a rare find on the Island – a double lot with a pool, covered patio, outdoor kitchen and tropical landscaping with irrigation. Call Sally at 442-5305 or 882-5588 to schedule a showing. Landscape Lighting can help beautify your home and they offer a lifetime warranty. Call 960-7641 for more info. Decorative Concrete Edging can help you jazz up your driveway, gardens and patio with stamped/colored concrete. Call 23802312007 4 passenger E-Z Go golf cart in good condition is for sale for $1750 obo on North Padre. Call 512-619-7144.
Business Briefs The Aransas Queen Casino Ship should set sail late March according to an ad they placed this month in a Corpus Christi magazine. It is a 155' boat that can hold up to 300 people and will have 200+ slots, blackjack, craps, roulette and an all you can eat buffet. Party for a Purpose Pub Crawl & Party Bus Fundraiser to raise money for a new playground will be held Saturday, March 28th and the cost is $40/person. It will begin at the Boathouse at 6 pm then go to Mikel May’s Beachside, next to the Pelican 9 – 11 pm finally the Boathouse until 1 am. To register and for more info go to the Billish Park Playground Facebook page.
BBB Cautions Consumers When Using Online Websites to Find a Vacation Rental Home It is a problem that has surfaced several times in recent years on The Island; a family knocks on the door of a vacation home they have rented for a week online only to find someone living in the house.. Better Business Bureau serving Central, Coastal, Southwest Texas and the Permian Basin is warning consumers of scammers who may see vacation plans as an opportunity to rip people off.
Riley P. Dog
Pioneer RV Park
We Islanders learned by experience that if we want attention from City Hall squeaking at the ballot box through the Island United Political Action Committee was the answer and the same goes for police. Lack of officers on the force is not the problem, lack of the number assigned to The Island is and the solution is to be the squeaky wheel. Let’s get to squeaking!
Mark these upcoming dates for PI DOG events: April 11 & May 16. For more information, contact Lyn Edler (lyn.edler@gmail.com) or Bev Hoffman (bevhoffman@aol.com)
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Lisabella’s Restaurant
staff the answer has been consistent; officers are assigned according by frequency of calls. That is to say, whichever section of the city generates the most calls gets the most officers. Whether more calls from The Island would have meant an officer was available for the call in question we will never know. What we can say for certain is that the best way for us to get more police presence is to squeak. Barking dog – call 826 CITY (2489); unfixed pothole call 826-CITY; Neighbor’s cat up a palm tree – call 826-CITY; emergency call 911.
PI Dog will meet Saturday, March 21, 9:00 am at Dowden Park for coffee and a dog walk. Please bring water for you and your dog and poop bags.
Brent Rourk
Port Aransas
We need your storage space! The Riley P. Dog Park group is looking for someone willing to donate storage space (roughly 6x4 sqft) to hold a dog wash station that a local girl scout troop wants to build. You'd be helping 2 awesome groups in one fell swoop! Please contact Info@ RileyPdogpark.com if you'd like to explore making such an offer. Thanks so much!
Around continued from A1
Did Ya Hear?
A3
flags when searching for a vacation rental property: The deal sounds too good to be true. Con artists will often list a rental for a very low price to lure victims. Find out how comparable listings are priced. If the rental comes in suspiciously low, consider walking away. The landlord is located elsewhere and prefers to communicate via email. Scammers might say they have just relocated out of the country for a job or missionary work. If the landlord is truly overseas, there is also no way to get a copy of a lease or keys. The landlord cannot provide additional photos or information. Request more photos of the property, or ask to be given a virtual tour via webcam. Ask for specific details about the house. Legitimate property owners will be happy to oblige.
The Annual POA meeting will be at the Seashore Learning Center Gym on Encantada will be held Saturday, March 14th at 10 am and is open to the public. The Veranda Restaurant at Schlitterbahn has lent specials that include fish & chips for $7.99, grilled fish & shrimp for $12.99 and all you can eat fried shrimp for $15.99 unti April 5th. You can enjoy daily happy hour specials 2 – 7 pm and Sunday brunch 10 am – 2 pm. FlexFit Gym is nearing completion in the Bluff next to Bealls. Eyerly Senior Center in the Bluff is hosting a St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Dance on Friday, March 20th 4:30-7:30 pm. Music will be provided by Texas Regenration and fthe cost is $6. For reservations call 8262330 or 826-2333. Water Park Villas are currently under construction at 14702 Compass across the street from Schlitterbahn.
Being told you must rent now because others are putting money down. Sometimes you may receive a phone call or email pressuring you to make a decision on the spot for a rental. The crook may tell you that someone else is interested and will pay more, in order for you to act now. Ignore it and move on. The landlord asks the renter to wire money. Money sent via wire transfer service is extremely difficult to retrieve. Once the scammers have picked it up, there is little recourse, if any, for getting any money back.
Local Atheists Take Out Bus Bench Ads This tag line from new ads on Corpus Christi bus benches highlights what local group Corpus Christi Atheists says is a tradition of giving and volunteerism that has spanned most of the years of the organization's existence. Founded in 2006, Corpus Christi Atheists first launched their volunteer efforts in 2010 after responding to a call from the city for volunteers to assist with a beautification project on the bay front. "The idea that doing good work in your community requires the fear of a supernatural punishment or the desire for an eternal reward is unfortunate," said Christian Ferris, President of the organization. "We believe that this life is the only existence you get and that makes it extremely valuable. Making this world as great as we can for everyone in it is an important endeavor." The ads appear on bus benches in two locations: on the corners of Ayers St. and Clemmers St., and on Leopard St. and Corn Products Rd. They are scheduled to run for two months. Amanda Stephens, Volunteer Coordinator for Corpus Christi Atheists, noted that the ads are part of an effort to continue to grow their volunteerism. "Atheists are some of the most generous people I know. We have been able to run successful fundraisers for many local organizations including the Autism Spectrum Resource Center, the Women's Shelter and CASA," Stephens said. "The level
of our support has continued to grow with our membership." Currently Corpus Christi Atheists has a total of about 1,000 members. The group hopes that the ads will help generate awareness and help them do more for Corpus Christi, but the ads have not been without controversy. Some in the community have been critical of the location of the bus benches which are in close proximity to two local churches. "Our goal is not to offend," Ferris explained, noting that their group has frequently worked side by side with religious people of many faiths who have joined them in their work. "We hope local religious organizations become more aware of the work we do in the local community and would consider working with us for the betterment of our city." Corpus Christi Atheists says that their current volunteer project is assembling care packages for local chemotherapy patients to help ease the discomfort of their treatment.
Pet Adoptions at Ace Weekly pet adoptions are being held at ACE Hardware on the Island Saturdays from 11-3. The events are held by Mission Pawsible Animal Assistance. Stop by and say hello and if you can’t adopt an animal they would gladly take a donation for care of the animals in foster homes.
Work at Water Park Villas Dragonfly Restaurant has a special St. Patrick’s Day menu that includes corned beef and cabbage, Irish lasagna, house made bangers with creamy mash, caramelized onion gravy, chicken or fish boxly with vegetables and stout lamb stew with horseradish dressing. For dessert choose triffle cake or Bailey’s cheesecake. You can also order to-go just call 949-2224. Lot for sale in the prestigious Ports O' Call subdivision on 15622 Cumana where Cayo Gorda T's into. It offers a water view if a second story is built. Currently can view canals from ground level but may later be obstructed. For Sale by Owner for $65,000. Email Mary Craft at mkay512@aol.com.
Where Guys Go For Haircuts!
Barber Joe Right here on the island! Easy 4 Step online appointment se6ng. #1-‐Go to my website: BarberJoeSexton.com, #2-‐Click on the big yellow “Appointments” buDon, #3-‐Click the cut you want and #4-‐Click any open slot in my schedule. I’m INSIDE the yellow Alamo-‐looking building at 15037 Park Rd 22. Or call 361-‐500-‐8955 and leave a message. Walk-‐ins OK.
A4
March 12, 2015
Island Moon
Bernie Johnson got this Senior Fishing Equipment this week. Might want a patent on that Bernie.
Bachelorettes from Arlington party it up at Spring Break
The Seashore Middle Academy fifth and sixth grade boys basketball team played against Annapolis Christian Academy and St. Elizabeth's on Thursday night in the Seashore gym while the police held a town meeting next door in the Seashore cafeteria to discuss preparations for Spring Break 2015. Jacob Ledesma (#12) said, "We won the first game 26-27 and I scored 10 points! Zane Anderson (#20) added, "We lost badly in the second game, but I like being able to do teamwork." Chace Childers explained, "Logan and I scored the same number of points in the second game, but we lost." Logan Townsend (#3) chimed in, "I was happy because I played well and this is only my second year." - Photo by Debbie Noble
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March 12, 2015
A5
Island Moon
Stuff I Heard on the Island by Dale Rankin
Last week I wrote about the various people I have encountered simply by answering phone calls in newsrooms for thirty five years and this month marks the 20th anniversary of a saga which began with a newsroom phone call and ended with media coverage around the world over a hole dug in the ground in front of the Alamo. At the time I was doing a segment called Alamo Moments for KENS TV which featured locations around the city where historical events had taken place like the Cyprus tree on the San Antonio River where according to common history Ben Milam was killed “while moving from one position to another;” however, contemporary accounts say he was answering the call of nature when a Mexican sharpshooter cut him short. One of the stories I did was about the Veramendi House on the Plaza de Armas where Jim Bowie lived. A friend of mine had opened a Riverwalk bar under the Solo Serve store and found the last remaining remnant of the house still standing, (the current doors on the Alamo were the original doors from the house), a stone wall in the bar’s basement which we duly noted was located directly under the women’s undergarment section of Solo Serve (Jim was known to be a Lady’s Man).
were then on French ships off the Texas Coast awaiting payment. Frank wanted to dig for the well and was hitting a bureaucratic brick wall. He first heard about the mysterious treasure at the Alamo during a trip to Mexico where he met Maria Gomez, a respected museum curator who also had a reputation as a psychic who had never been to the Alamo but told him there was treasure to be found in a well there and drew him a map which purported to show the exact spot where the well was located – which turned out to be spot on. I called the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, who controlled the Alamo at the time before a leaky roof cost them custodianship, and they immediately informed me that the well was a myth and no such well ever existed. I informed Frank, “Tell them to meet us there in an hour,” he said. When we arrived at Alamo Plaza Frank took them to a bronze plaque along Alamo Street that detailed the plaza during the siege and pointed, “Look there?” Clear as day it said “Alamo Well” and had a picture of the well, and across the bottom said “Daughters of the Republic of Texas.” The Daughters had to admit there was in fact a well, and a check of Alamo records showed it had never been excavated.
Victory or Death!
The treasure hunter and the Mexican psychic
I went to the state archive in Austin where, a s t o n i s h i n g l y, they handed me the original letters Bowie had sent out of the Alamo, along with Travis’ famous Victory or Death letter. There was in fact a time gap in Bowie’s whereabouts in the weeks before he entered the Alamo for the last time. I also found contemporary accounts of a “Back Door” to the Alamo, Depiction of the Alamo compound with well shown in lower left a limestone cave that ran from the basement corner of the Menger Hotel The next day the newsroom phone rang and across E. Crocket Street, where it was used to I met historian, treasure hunter, and eventual keep beer cold before the days of refrigeration, friend Frank Buschbacher. Frank spun a all the way to Alamo Heights, where it ended at fascinating tale of treasure buried in the battle Cave Lane. I found some squatters living in an well inside the Alamo compound and how Jim abandoned house a couple of blocks north of the Bowie and his brother Rezin had disappeared Alamo and asked if they knew anything about a just before entering the Alamo and, according cave. One of them was sitting on an old couch, to Frank, returned with a cache of silver from he stood up and said, Yea, right over here,” and the mines in San Saba (see the history story on shoved the couch down a hole which caused a the front page of this issue) which they intended splash at the bottom. There was some red meat to use to pay for arms for the Revolution which here and I called the head of the Convention
and Visitor’s Bureau. “Look, dig in January and February when the river is drained, there’s no one in town anyway and you’ll get press from all over the world.” He hedged so I called Nelson Wolff at City Hall and the CVB kicked in $75,000. Frank brought in ground penetrating radar from St. Mary’s University which did indeed show “an anomaly” about twelve feet below the flagstone paving of the street in front of the shrine. Who knew what might be down there? The best information from the survivors of the battle had said Bowie ordered the well filled in just before the Mexican assault. Whatever was down there might still be there. So Frank and I, and the late Carlos Guerra, or Charlie War as we called Veramendi house in San Antonio with doors that are now in the Alamo him cause he was a feisty sort and who was then a columnist for the Expressof local Native Americans who, after being News, repaired to Logan’s Bar down the block converted to Christianity, had been buried in a to toast our old friend Jim Bowie. When Logan’s V-shaped area that emanated from the door of closed we realized the dig was supposed to start the chapel and spread out across the plaza. They the next day and we hadn’t decided precisely had been buried within a sightline of the main where to dig. The “anomaly” was large enough alter inside the shine and over time buried under that excavating all of it was out of the question. flagstone street where tour buses hourly overran Frank went to his car and came back with two their graves. copper divining rods and we headed to Alamo The public could not see down the hole, by Plaza where we took turns walking around until the rods crossed. Unfortunately, none of us hit now more than fifteen feet deep and shored at exactly the same spot so, through a process none the bottom to prevent a cave in, and the story that went out was that “nothing was found in of us could later remember, we picked a spot. the Alamo well;” which technically was true Dig here since we didn’t dig “in” the well. Whatever was The next day digging began. First it was just down there, if anything, is still there. clay, then about eight feet down some metal pieces from Mexican Army uniforms and some musket balls. As soon as we hit the Mexican stuff the story caught traction. Crews from NHK (Japan) showed up, the BBC, the New York Times stationed a reporter at the site, all of the Texas newspapers did daily stories, the networks were monitoring progress and I found myself doing daily live shots, “It looks like it may be a diamond neckless!…no wait, it’s a Big Red bottle.” A six-foot cyclone fence had to be put up to keep the crowds back as archeology students armed with paint brushes removed a century and a half of sediment. The tension built until about a week in when Frank pulled me aside,” We missed it by six feet,” he said. “We hit the side of well structure about twelve feet down.” Sure enough, I looked down the hole and clearly the well was there, the problem was that we were out of money and time and couldn’t start over at the top. We kept digging until the bottom of the bellshaped well casing blocked our way. But in the meantime up came evidence of the graves
Fortress of San Antonio de Valero
But Carlos began beating the war drum over tour buses driving over Native American graves and when you visit the Alamo today you will notice giant planters blocking the road where buses used to roam free. As far as I know there has never been a comprehensive excavation of Alamo Plaza, which is astonishing since the Yanaguana tribe lived there for thousands of years before the Spanish arrived in 1709 and built the mission. It seems like something that should be done. Musician and Alamo aficionado Phil Collins bought the old eyeglass store across the street from the plaza and dug in the basement where he unearthed a trove of Alamo artifacts which, along with the Travis letter, are on display in the shrine. I haven’t heard from Frank since, he’s likely still chasing treasure somewhere in the world. Carlos passed away in Port Aransas a few years back. And me, I’m still answering phones in a newsroom, well, sort of, waiting for the next Big Story. If you’ve got one call me, I’ll answer the phone.
Travis Letter
Plan of the Alamo, drawn by Colonel JoséJuan Sanchez-Navarro, showing the Military Operations brought about on the 6th of March, 1836. Fortress of San Antonio de Valero, commonly called the Alamo: it was abandoned by the Mexican troops for lack of resources after 55 days of forceful siege, December 13,1835; it was taken by assault, by the same [troops], March 6, 1836, and they destroyed it the 22nd of May of the same year.
from Aldama and the Active [Battalion] of San Luis, but having lost many men, has made an oblique movement to the right and entered the plaza. Y. Battlement provision rooms. J. Circular trenches with pit and palisade.
A. Parade ground
K. Pit that defended the main gate.
B. Main gate; taken the day of the assault by Colonel Juan Morales, accompanied by José Miñon, of equal rank, with his Active Battalion of San Luis.
L. Hospital. James Bowie died here.
C. Ruined church, with cemetery; upon a platform that was built in the chancel of the church, a window battery of three canons was placed, being called Cos' small fort.
O. Well for supplying water.
D. This was the weakest part of the fortress, since it was only defended by a low palisade and a log; at this place, some of the colonists attempted, in vain, to escape when they saw they were losing. E. Upper barracks with its corridor and corral; by its construction and being next to the church, it constituted the biggest obstacle. F. Barracks for the troops. This is where Colonel José María Romero assaulted and entered with the Jiménez and Matamoros battalions.
M. Kitchens. N. Barrier. P. Interior pits and banquettes. Q. Site where 250 (sic) bodies of colonists were burned. R. Levelling battery, constructed on the night of the 4th and put in place on the 5th of March. At this battery, the reserve column composed of the sapper battalion and the company of grenadiers from the other battalions was situated, on the orders of General Santa Anna. S. Initial position of the first column of General Cós and direction of his march for the assault. T. San Antonio River.
G. Two cannon battery. This is where Colonel Duque assaulted, and because of being wounded, General Castrillón continued the assault and entered the fortress with the Toluca and sapper battalions. On the platform of said battery, Travis, Commander of the Colonists, died as a soldier.
V. Battery established in Bexar since the 1st of March.
H. At this place, General Martín Perfecto de Cós, intended to assault with a column composed of light infantry and musketeers
b. Three dismantled iron canons, which were found in the interior of the Alamo.
X. Wooden bridge. 2. Horse-shoe shaped ford for carts. a. Island that facilitated crossing the river by means of two timbers.
Commandancy of the The Alamo Bejar, Feby. 24th. 1836 To the People of Texas & All Americans in the WorldFellow Citizens & compatriotsI am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna - I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a man - The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken - I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the walls - I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch -
The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country Victory or Death. William Barret Travis. Lt. Col.comdt. P. S. The Lord is on our side - When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn - We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels and got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves. Travis - See more at: http://travisletter.com/the-letter. html#sthash.dpZkgoQv.dpuf
A6
March 12, 2015
Island Moon
DEE-SCOVERIES
Shrimp continued from A1
Padre Island Real Estate Activity February 16-February 28
More Fun Than the Law Allows by Devorah Fox
The other areas of the Flour Bluff facility will not be effected by the closure and will remain in operation. Landivar said that after 2012 when legislative earmarks were reduced in Washington funding for the shrimp research facility dropped dramatically. He said the cost of the A&M center in Port Aransas shrimp operation was about $700,000 per year and in Flour Bluff about $500,000.
By Cindy Molnar
devorahfox.com
Coldwell Banker
I’m not sure what possessed me to sign up for the Wine, Whine and Design workshop at the Port Aransas Art Center. The workshop was described as a “stress free and creative” exercise in creating a painting one step at a time. I’m an author, not a visual artist. But I had been in a bit of a writing slump lately and thought I would exercise different creative muscles.
Waterfront Homes Sold 15738 Cuttysark 13918 Cabana 13717 Cayo Cantiles Average Sales Price $356,550
For a $40 donation, the Art Center provides canvas, paints and tools and instruction. Participants are encouraged to bring wine to drink and a snack to share. The Art Center even provides the wine glasses. The classes are held on a Sunday and run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
76 Waterfront homes listed from$309,500 -$1,500,000
Interior Lot Homes Sold 1313 Sea Anchor 13962 Jibstay 14825 Dasmarinas 14110 Coquina Bay “The private shrimp industry has moved overseas and is doing most of the research now,” Landivar said. He said the industry has moved to Asia and South America where year-round growing seasons mean higher production and lower production costs.
15405 Finistere 14838 Dasmarinas Average Sales Price $244,808 41 Interior Homes Listed from $182,900-$465,000
“In the U.S. we can only grow shrimp half the year,” he said. “The United States used to produce 90% of the shrimp consumed in the country, now we produce less than 10%.”
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The Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Corpus Christi was officially opened in February, 1974 and is located on land owned by the Topaz Power Group which owns the adjacent Barney Davis Energy Center. The lease for the property runs through 2017.
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Our work areas were already supplied with stretched16” x 20” canvases, palettes of acrylic paint, brushes and sponges, and stencils. Arlene Hughes stood at the head of the class ready to guide us in creating a scene studded with four palm trees. (Different artists take turns leading the workshops and the subjects vary by workshop.) Sure there was a lot of “paint by numbers” to this. Arlene instructed us to “put a strip of this color here, put a strip of that color there. Make a tracing of the palm tree fronds there,” etc. Still there was certainly room for individual artistic expression. Ever the rebel, I decided to have five palm trees, not four, and another student chose to deviate with regard to the colors for his striped background. In between the different stages of making the paintings we took breaks to nibble on the snacks, refresh ourselves with the beverages and get acquainted with our fellow artists. If we got so involved with our work that our glasses ran empty, Arlene’s helpers circulated around the workroom to see if anyone needed a refill. The evening went by like a flash. I found it not only fun but therapeutic: three hours during which I was so focused on the task at hand that there wasn’t a brain cell left to worry about a single other thing. Yes there was wine and design but absolutely no whining. The energy was high, paint brushes flew and the artists laughed, oohed and ahhed with delight not only over what they were able to create but what the other students produced. Although we all worked with the same canvas, the same tools and the same design, we ended up with unique paintings. It was quite astounding. We ended the workshop with a group art exhibit and a toast to Arlene and the Art Center staff for a job well done. Before the night was out I signed up for the March 22 class (we’ll be painting an angelfish) and the April 19 class (the subject’s a parrot). At this rate I’ll soon need a gallery of my own to exhibit my work. For more information about the Port Aransas Art Center Whine, Wine and Design workshops, or any of the other classes or events, stop by 323 N. Alister St. Send an email to artcenter@centurytel. net, visit the center’s Web site at http://www.portaransasartcenter. org, visit the group’s page on Facebook or call (361) 749-7334. P.S. As for the Author me, I’ll be the guest of the Friends of the Library “Coffee with the Author” event on Saturday, Mar. 14, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Ellis Memorial Library, 700 W. Ave. A. I’ll read an excerpt from “The King’s Redress,” my latest work, and take questions. Want to know where I get my ideas or how long it takes to write a novel? Come ask, enjoy free coffee and donuts plus some surprise treats from me. I’ll see you there.
The latest research in shrimp production at the Maritime Laboratory was directed at producing shrimp indoors in greenhouses and warehouses. Landivar said he is now working to put together a consortium of the Texas A&M Agrilife Center, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and other organizations to direct study at the shrimp research lab toward work in production of oysters, fish, animal feed, ,meats and other proteins, as well as market development.
Waterfront Lot
I was told that this is a very popular program and that they sell out quickly, so when I showed up for the Feb. 15 class I wasn’t surprised to find the classroom filled. I joined a dozen or so other people at the worktables.
Commerical Lots 12 Lots Listed From $113,900-$4,557,465
History continued from A1 and Rezin soon hit on a plan to buy slaves from Lafitte and sell them at the slave auction in New Orleans where they would fetch $1500 each. The problem was how to get them there; the presence of cutters off the coast made transporting them by ship untenable. Bowie would smuggle the slaves through the swamps and bayous and the first group of forty slaves was purchased, with Bowie’s share costing $1850 and in 1819 and 1820 he made four trips from Galvestown to New Orleans smuggling as many as 180 slaves each time. Bowie based his smuggling operations on Snake Island, moving it to Lafitte’s headquarters on his anchored brig after a hurricane wiped out Galveztown and his settlement of Campeachy. By 1821 Bowie and his brothers had made $65,000 from their slave smuggling operations and when it was time for Bowie to move on he looked west.
an old friend of Austin’s who was arguably the most influential man in town and who also had a keen interest in land grants. Veramendi also had a daughter named Maria Ursula who was about to turn seventeen who Bowie also had a keen interest in.
Floating Grants and Bowie Knives
Lost mines and land grants
After the Louisiana Purchase there was great confusion in Louisiana and Texas over how many land grants the Spanish Dons had written over the years. Many of the grants were known as Floating Grants which were not attached to a particular piece of property but rather defined within a huge tract of open country as being “between the river and the mountain.” Since it was not known how many of these Floating Grants had been written nor exactly where they applied they were easily and often forged. Bowie had experience doing just that in Louisiana and Arkansas and saw opportunity west of the Sabine.
He returned to Louisiana to tend to his affairs and with visions of her and the lost silver mines which he had heard of near the Texas area of San Saba. He returned to Texas with a twenty-two year-old mulatto slave named William who he had bought for $350 who was light skinned enough to pass for a Cherokee. Bowie, now thirty-three, courted the now eighteen year old Ursala, and settled into life among the Tejanos and Bexarenos of San Antonio. But he heard the call of the Almagres silver mine in the San Saba country 120 miles to the northwest in the heart of the Comanche country. No one but the Comanches had seen the mine for more than a century and Bowie set out along with a few accomplices and rode out across the trackless Hill Country until he found the ruins of the old Presidio de San Saba where they began looking for the abandoned mine shaft. He was chasing a myth. The mine was seventy miles away and had never been an operating mine. The only thing he accomplished was to engrave “Bowie con sua tropa 1829” in pigeon Spanish on the wall of the ruined presidio.
Marriage certificate
After he was shot in the chest in a barfight in Alexandria armed with nothing but a pin knife Bowie vowed never to be caught unarmed again. He fashioned himself a leather scabbard into which he inserted a knife made by his brother Rezin from a file; nine inches long, it had an edge along one side, and a crosspiece separating the blade from the handle. Bowie was never without it for the remainder of his life. He didn’t have to wait long to use it.
Soon enough Bowie found his way to the Mexican state capital of Saltillo where he polished his Spanish and his charm and in short order walked away with land grants covering close to one million acres for the sum of $25,000 which could be paid in small increments. His Spanish citizenship and his required conversion to Catholicism in place Bowie married Ursula and settled into life in San Antonio and headed down a path that would lead him only a few years later to his date with destiny in the Alamo.
Near the town of Rapides, on his route to Texas, he found himself in the midst of the Sandbar Fight in which he was shot through the lung but still managed to drive his newly acquired Bowie deep enough into a man’s chest that he “twisted it to cut his heartstring” killing him on the spot.
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On January 19, 1836 Bowie rode into the Alamo compound, and what he saw impressed him. Under Commander James C. Neill, the old mission had begun to look like afor.t Neill convinced Bowie of the consequences of leaving the camino real unguarded and the Alamo was the only post between the enemy and Anglo settlements. Neill's arguments convinced Bowie. "I cannot eulogize the conduct & character of Col. Neill too highly," he wrote. "no other man in the army could have kept men at this post, under the neglect they have experienced." On February 2 Bowie wrote that he and Neill had resolved to "die in these ditches" before they would surrender the post.
Bowie headed for Texas where the Revolutionary Mexican government was encouraging Anglo settlement as an eastern barrier to American expansion and Comanche Indians. He crossed the fringes of Kickapoo lands and the Neches River along the edge of Stephen F. Austin’s colony and into its main settlement of San Felipe; an unimpressive “wretched, decaying looking place,” with only five stores, two “mean” taverns, and twenty to thirty unpainted log houses. Land grants had to be filed in San Antonio de Bexar and land grants were on Bowie’s mind so it was there he went. There he met Juan Martin de Veramendi;
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March 12, 2015
A7
Island Moon
Backwater Adventures On the Rocks
By Joey Farah Farah’s Fishing Adventures
Spirit of Spring There isn’t anyone that is not ready for classic spring sunshine that I have met, fish included. The recent cold and wet weather has dampened the spirits of many outdoors enthusiasts that would rather be working on their tans and bent poles. The roll of seasons in the Laguna Madre’ and Baffin Bay is right on time and the bays are alive with life and good fishing. The sun is on its way and soon we will see the sprouts on the Mesquites start coming out and the water will warm up. I don’t believe that I am the only one that has had a winter that they would like to put past them. I’m tired of the cold winds blowing through my heart and the sound of the winds blowing the palms. I am ready for the laughing of kids playing on the beach and the warm sun shining down on me warming my face and heart alike. It is hear don’t miss out on the first glimpse of Spring, its just around the corner. This week the trout fishing has been very good when the temperatures have climbed up to the mid-sixties and seventies. Trout have been holding along the Laguna Shores shoreline close to the deeper channels and have still been easy catches for anglers using soft plastics with natural color patterns in the clear water. During the windy periods when the water clarity gets worse switch to a brighter color like glow or pink. The King Ranch Shoreline has been a parking lot of wade fishermen and boats, but at times the fish that are living there can produce some great stringers. The secret is definitely staying away from the boat traffic. Most anglers are just driving along until they spy an empty place and pull in. The problem with that is that someone just left. Most anglers sneak in to their area but none pull out quietly. It only takes one large outboard and group of four waders briskly stomping a flat to alert a school of fish hiding in shallow sand pockets. The lunar feeding tables have also been right on the money, plan your afternoon fishing trips to this area to match them and your success will increase. The drum run is on fire and the boxes have been full. With the availability of live shrimp coming back to the local marinas shrimp and popping corks have been very productive on trout, reds, and drum and sheep head as well. Drift fishing Emmorts Hole and the rocks in Baffin have been seeing fishermen bringing in some limits of trout and some great redfish from live shrimp. The Land Cut has been good and quiet with most fishermen looking for drum in the mouth of Baffin Bay THE CUT has been empty. Fishing the area between Marker 2 and 4 has been pretty good and well worth the run. The Land Cut has been good for trout when the sun comes out and warms the trout up and gets them active.
MARKER 37 PADRE ISLAND FISHING TOUNAMENTS
Elizabeth and David Nobles with the spirit of Spring. to be a lot of fun. The MARCH DRUM TOURNAMENT IS FOR THE LARGEST BLACK DRUM OFF THE PIER it is $10 to enter and the winner gets $500 bucks! The monthly JACKPOT TOURNAMENT IS MARCH 22. This is a fun tournament that is $20 to enter to anyone and the winner takes all. The catch to this tournament is that it is a two fish tournament that can easily be won by anyone. It is I believe the largest trout up to 25inches combined with a legal slot redfish. This makes it a much more open tournament. Drifting with a boat full of friends on a great Sunday with shrimp and popping corks could land you more than a good time but a hand full of money as well.
PURE ADVENTURE IN THEIR HEARTS
GET READY APRIL IS FREE KIDS FISHING ON THE PIER AT MARKER 37 ALL MONTH! This is awesome and I can’t wait to see all the smiles out there when the sun comes out. This is a great opportunity to just go out for an hour or more and let them stretch their imaginations and get some fishing in. If you have any questions about any of it just stop by the store or call Matt at the marina. I’m out busy week this week so keep the Lines tight and your hooks sharp!
By Jay Gardner We finally made it through bend that holds a different type of oyster reef, the two-mile manatee no- mangrove configuration, channel, bars, etc. wake zone, and Randy pushed You would be hard pressed to give the area a the throttles down on the once-over during a lifetime, and likely would Hanson skiff. We all yelled “aaaiiieeeee!” take several decades to learn more than a square and headed off into the great blue, err, green, mile really well and get it dialed in. That’s yonder that makes up the 10,000 Island area likely the mystique that keeps us coming back. on the south western coast of Florida (Gulf of Mexico still). Anticipations ran high, and we discussed where to look for a campsite, based on last year’s experiences and the current conditions. We headed up north a little from the launch at Port O’ the Islands between Naples and Everglades City towards White Horse Key, because of the deep water channel access near to what appeared to be a decent camping spot. The tides moved 6 feet up and down twice a day, and we had to pick carefully to keep the boat wet. A 6 foot tide twice a day around here Ten Thousand Islands territory would wreak major havoc and cause catastrophic issues! The weather was gorgeous, and spring has truly sprung on our neighbors across the Gulf. Birds were migrating, and the temperatures were awesome, 68 at night, and 80 during the day. And like every day and night, the same thing. We did have to fight a few mosquitoes and nosee-ums, but a nice smoky campfire helped with that. The breezes were light, the sky was blue and partly cloudy, and fish flipped all over the place. Turtles came through our channel on a regular basis, and a curious shark hung around the lower unit of the boat the first day. Just what the doctor ordered! We settled into a daily routine, with scouting new territory, learning the tides, and fishing some mangroves. On the first day, I was throwing a topwater against the mangroves and a huge snook blew up on it, but missed the hooks somehow. It got everyone on the boat fired up, and we threw lures the entire first day. The second day we cast netted some local baits, and started having better and more consistent luck. Several more large snook were lost, some small ones caught, and some mangrove snapper were added to the Saturday night menu. The last day there were some small snook caught, and a few more large ones lost. Despite seeing very large tarpon roll, we never got a shot at the title with those guys. The scenery is absolutely beautiful out there; there is always another island around the
We grudgingly broke camp and headed back to civilization on the last day, learning a new back way back to the boat ramp. She’ll give up a secret or two during each adventure, which serves as a hook to get you planning the next trip. I’ll be back out there as soon as I can make it. When I touched down in Houston on the way home, I was disappointed that spring hadn’t apparently sprung around here yet. Here it is mid-march and I feel like I’m living in England or something. The bright side is that Roadkill Willie saw a hummingbird on his lemon tree blooms yesterday. Which tells me that the birds and the trees are *thinking* that it’s ready to hit it, but the temperatures aren’t cooperating. I’m not even going to mention the water temps at Bob Hall pier, they continue to remain depressing. Hope everyone has their supplies for the rapidly approaching onslaught of spring breakers. Make sure to plan your reversecommutes accordingly. We’ll be hanging out at Dave and Heidi’s this weekend on the dock with the “March Birthdays and Avoid the Spring Breakers Party.” Wave hi if you’re idling by, or stop by if you are trapped down Cobo de Bara. We’ll have plenty of supplies. Drop me a line at jaygardner@scientist.com and I’ll see you on the water (but NOT the roads!)
Moon Phases
Marker 37 is putting on a few fun tournaments that are I little out of the ordinary and look
Tides of the Week Tides for Corpus Christi (Bob Hall Pier) March 12-19, 2015 This young angler knocked it out of the park with this 30 inch black drum was her first fish ever
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Day
High /Low
Tide Time
Height in Feet
Sunrise Moon Time Sunset
Th
12
Low
1:29 AM
0.0
7:42 AM Rise 12:56 AM
12
High
10:35 AM
1.3
7:36 PM Set 12:04 PM
F
13
Low
2:27 AM
-0.1
7:41 AM Rise 1:51 AM
13
High
12:18 PM
1.4
7:36 PM Set 12:54 PM
Sa
14
Low
3:36 AM
-0.1
7:40 AM Rise 2:46 AM
14
High
1:25 PM
1.5
7:37 PM Set 1:50 PM
Su
15
Low
4:50 AM
-0.2
7:38 AM Rise 3:39 AM
15
High
2:07 PM
1.5
7:37 PM Set 2:50 PM
M
16
Low
6:03 AM
-0.2
7:37 AM Rise 4:31 AM
16
High
2:38 PM
1.5
7:38 PM Set 3:53 PM
16
Low
8:53 PM
1.1
16
High
10:54 PM
1.2
Tu
17
Low
7:12 AM
-0.2
7:36 AM Rise 5:21 AM
17
High
3:04 PM
1.4
7:38 PM Set 4:58 PM
17
Low
8:44 PM
1.1
W
18
High
12:38 AM
1.3
7:35 AM Rise 6:09 AM
18
Low
8:16 AM
-0.1
7:39 PM Set 6:04 PM
18
High
3:26 PM
1.3
18
Low
8:57 PM
0.9
Padre Isles Property Owners Association Annual Meeting Saturday – March 14, 2015 10:00 A.M. Seashore Learning Center Gym
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March 12, 2015
Island Moon
SPORTS The Madness of March
Sports Talk
March Madness 2015 Part I
By Andy Purvis Special to the Island Moon
By Dotson Lewis
Some teams call it the Big Dance,
Special to the Island Moon Dotson’s Note: Here we go, it’s March Madness time again. The following article is “bracketology,” which is the science of projecting who will be in the field of 68 for the NCAA Basketball Division I tournament. If you get all of the winners and losers correct, you could win one billion (that’s with a “b”) dollars American. Thanks to Scott Gleeson, USA Today sports writer, for much of the information contained in this article. Don’t forget to fill out your bracket and send it in…who can tell, you could be a billion dollar winner! Basketball Brunch: As of Monday, March 3… Five things to watch before Selection Sunday One week away from Selection Sunday, it's only going to heat up. The regular season concludes for major conferences and league tournaments tip off this week, thus giving the elite teams a chance to boost their NCAA tournament seeding, fringe teams a chance to secure at-large tickets, and out-of-the-running teams to stage improbable runs that are only fitting to the billing of March Madness.
Kentucky 31 & 0
12 tournament which started yesterday in Kansas City can be. Iowa State and Oklahoma are virtual locks for No. 3 seeds and winning the league tournament title would boost their credentials, although Kansas is the only team positioned to be passed since the other projected No. 2s are so solid. Perhaps most intriguing are projected No. 4 seeds Baylor and West Virginia, two dark horses to stage deep runs in the NCAAs . Even Texas and Oklahoma State have the potential to make runs despite lacking momentum. There likely never has been a more dangerous candidate to steal a bid than Kansas State , which recently knocked off Kansas and Iowa State but will need to win the Big 12 tournament to reach the NCAA tournament. 4. The mid-majors. A large portion of the smaller conference tournaments end sooner than the big dogs, while there are favorites to win, it’s March and anything can happen. Whether it is an expected or unexpected league tourney run, this is often where March Madness stars are born.
Seeding becomes vitally important,
5. The bubble. There are still plenty of teams in play for at-large bids. Here's a look at the last four in/first four out picture:
All eyes turn towards Dayton, Ohio,
Three-pointers at the sound of the horn.
To see which First Four teams move on with a win.
Two-three zones and half court traps,
Comfortable: Purdue, Boise State, Temple, Davidson, Dayton, Georgia, LSU, Colorado State.
The week before the selection committee chooses 68 teams is an ideal appetizer for the upcoming tournament. The season-long question has been, will Kentucky go undefeated? Here's a look at the biggest areas to focus on heading into the NCAA tournament: 1. The race for a No. 1 seed. There are six legitimate No. 1 seeds. Undefeated Kentucky is the only true lock. Villanova, Duke and Virginia currently hold the top seeds in the latest USA’s Today bracketology projection. Virginia's 59-57 upset loss to Louisville Saturday moved the Cavaliers to the border of the No. 1 seed line, but keep in mind we're discussing the full body of work over the course of the season. Virginia has lost to Duke and Louisville. That's it. It would take a bad loss in the Cavaliers' opener of the ACC tournament to pave way for the Wisconsin or Arizona to leapfrog them.
Texas A&M Basketball
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To win just one game more,
Some just play their way in.
Then you’re off to basketball heaven.
Others get in on the strength of their schedule,
You will arrive at the Final Four.
But for most teams it’s about losses and wins.
The Final Four is a wonderful place, Where young boys grow up to be men.
It all unfolds this Sunday,
It’s where coaches can become legends,
The brackets for 68 teams.
If their teams can continue to win.
And the upsets still remain unseen.
It’s a place where anything can happen. A stage where tomorrow’s stars are born.
For eight lower ranked teams
Three-sixty dunks and charging calls,
On Tuesday their games begin.
Become part of the announcer’s jargon. Are full of excitement and dreams.
For the price—This is really a bargain.
First four out: BYU, Tulsa, Old Dominion, UCLA
It cuts the field down to the sweet 16.
Others considered: Illinois, Miami (Fla.), Richmond
Three days are given for travel,
You’ve got to be able to win six in a row,
As the fans begin to speculate.
Hey—that’s why they call it March Madness.
Indianapolis NCAA Basketball 2015 Final Four The most important wins and losses from last week:
Winners Texas: Defeated fellow bubble team Kansas State 62-49 to stay alive. The Longhorns' Big 12 tournament opener could decide their fate, however. Miami (Fla.): Defeated Virginia Tech 82-61 in a must-win against a bottom-feeder. BYU: Defeated Santa Clara 78-76 in the WCC Tournament to stay in the mix. Georgia: Defeated Auburn 64-61 in a scare as a loss would have significantly stained the résumé. LSU: Defeated Arkansas 81-78 to likely secure an at-large bid. Temple: Defeated dangerous Connecticut 7563 to inch closer to safety on the bubble.
Kansas State: The Big 12 tournament title is only path to NCAA tournament.
3. The Big 12. This is one of the deepest conferences we've seen in quite some time. Kansas once again won the regular-season title, but Oklahoma's victory against the Kansas team playing without Perry Ellis is just a small dose of how exciting and revealing the Big
And then if your team is still lucky,
Most teams win their own conference,
Last four in: Texas, Ole Miss, Indiana, Texas A&M
Losers
After defeating pesky Florida 67-50 on Saturday, Kentucky capped off its perfect regular season at 31-0. It would take nine more wins for the Wildcats to duplicate the feat of Indiana in 1976, the last time a team completed a season undefeated.
It’s the tournament that’s simply the best.
Offensive boards and the pick and roll,
Colorado State: Defeated Utah State 75-70 to stay safe.
2. Kentucky. The Wildcats are kind of like the movie where you know exactly what's going to happen but you still need to see it. The SEC tournament tipped off in Nashville on Wednesday and based on momentum, and, well, dominance, there's very little belief the Wildcats will lose. It is March, though, and the biggest story line of the season gets bigger this week. Ole Miss, Texas A&M and LSU have played the Wildcats close. Kentucky could face A&M or LSU in the semis.
Can they join the Elite 8?
If you’re a basketball fan in America,
The tournaments first two rounds
Boise State: Defeated Fresno State 71-52 in a must-win situation.
There's a better chance if either Duke or Villanova slip up. Although, the Blue Devils' 84-77 road victory against North Carolina makes them relatively secure. If Villanova, which routed St. John's 105-68 on Saturday, loses one game in the Big East tournament — even if it's in the semifinals or final — that might be the best-case scenario for Wisconsin or Arizona, who would both have to win their league tournaments. That's a bit perplexing considering how well both those two teams are playing. But bad losses — to Rutgers for Wisconsin and to Arizona State for Arizona — are the deal breakers. That and finishing Duke's runner-up finish in the ACC holds more weight than convincingly winning the Big Ten and Pac12 in years where both of those conferences lack powerful teams.
Can their team win just one more game?
For others it spells success.
Indiana: Lost 74-72 to Michigan State in a game that would have made the Hoosiers a lot more comfortable heading into the Big Ten tournament. Illinois: Lost 63-58 to fellow bubble team Purdue. A Big Ten title run might be the only path left, now. Texas A&M: Lost 61-60 to Alabama to inch closer to the wrong side of the bubble. Ole Miss: Lost 86-77 to Vanderbilt in a game that could have made the Rebels completely safe. Pittsburgh: Lost to Florida State 61-52 to all but solidify the Panthers' NIT fate barring a monster ACC tournament run. DANCE, DANCE: One of 68 NCAA tournament teams officially has been decided. Belmont upset No. 25 Murray State 88-87 in a thrilling Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship, ending the Racers 25-game winning streak and likely sending them to the NIT in route to another NCAA tournament ticket. Meanwhile, Yale had a chance to become the second team to reach the tournament but faltered. After knocking off four-time reigning Ivy League champion Harvard on Friday, the Bulldogs needed to beat Dartmouth to earn the league's automatic bid (decided in regular season because there's no tournament). Gabas Maldunas hit a game-winning shot with .5 seconds remaining, as Dartmouth stunned Yale 59-58. Harvard and Yale face off Saturday in Philadelphia to decide who gets the NCAA tournament bid. Dotson’s other note: Dale Rankin & I have been discussing having a few watch parities during March Madness 2015. If you would like to join us, Email or call Dale or me. Your suggestions, comments and/or questions/ concerns regarding “Moon Sports Talk” are appreciated. Call the Benchwarmers 361-5605397 weekdays, Mondays thru Fridays, 3-6 p.m. or contact me. Phone: 361-949-7681 Cell: 530-748-8475 Email: dlewis1@stx.rr.com
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As the winners move on to the Regionals, The Champ is then crowned on Monday, And their opponent is filled with sadness.
Football continued from A1 Youth Cheer, Padre Sharks Football, and Flour Bluff Little Dribblers Basketball. Over 500 youths are in this program and they need our help! A hundred years from now it will not matter what your bank account was, what sort of house you lived in, or what kind of car you drove.......but the world may be different because you were important in the life of a child. Norma Wright, one of our Islanders has organized a committee to help raise funds for necessary items such as equipment, uniforms, and insurance. With an organization consisting of over 500 youths, you can see the need. This is an all-volunteer program, the coaches and organizers, and they can really use our help to keep these youths busy in a positive program. This organization prepares youth athletes for junior high and high school sports. Tickets are available by contacting Norma Wright at normas_wright@yahoo.com and you can also get them from any of the FBYFL Board Members and also at the door. There are two additional upcoming programs designed to help FBYFL raise some funds.
appetizers and desserts. The cost will be $25.00 and will include the food and beer and wine. This will be a fun neighborhood experience. Come out and meet your fellow Islanders at a fun “walk-about” dinner put on by the residents of the Man O War Culdesac. More information on the date will be forthcoming. A wine tasting will be held sometime in June at the Padre Island Yacht Club. There will also be a silent auction. Anyone interested in sponsoring this event and donating some auction items contact Norma at normas_wright@yahoo.com . Stay tuned to the Moon for further updates as the programs near.
Flour Bluff Youth Football is a Non Profit A progressive dinner will be held sometime in Organization, for more information see www. May at the Man O War block on the island. HEB flourbluffyouthfootball.com will bexpairing and wine with the entrees, 3.5” 2.5” beer | Maximum Font Size: 30 pt
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Airtales
By Jason Towns Oh…. Mexico… as James Taylor put it. Our recent skydiving “deployment” to Honduras required traveling the coast of our neighbor for several hundred miles with a couple of fuel stops. Of course any Fox News watching gringo would expect this to be a complex hair-raising adventure but it was actually pretty darn pleasant and uneventful.
Gringos on a Mission There were three of us crammed into our Cessna along with several hundred pounds of parachute equipment and a trunk of tools and spare airplane parts—just in case. Chris Townsend is a young pilot and recent Island transplant from San Antonio with both commercial and instrument ratings. Miss Lana Fingarson was swept off her Seattle feet a couple years’ ago and transplanted to Texas by a Kingsville Naval Aviator who’s really taught her how to handle an airplane. (Who says women don’t pay attention?) She’s also pretty good at packing parachutes and was tagging along to handle that chore once we arrived in Honduras. Such a crew compliment offered the old dog the chance to take a turn napping in the little cocoon area we created amongst all that gear. Our route took us from Brownsville to the cities of Tampico, Veracruz, Villa Hermosa then finally across the root of the Yucatan— crossing the southern corner of Belize—and on into Honduras. The first myth I’ll dispel about traveling this way is of instant tropical paradise upon crossing the border. On the contrary the clouds, mist, fog, humidity and wind characterizing our own Gulf Coast winter continued all the way to Guatemala. We flew hundreds of miles relying solely on instruments without seeing the ground or even much in front of our faces. Fortunately the Garmin Corporation makes sure Mexico’s terrain and airports aren’t neglected when populating the data in their aviation devices. (Before departure I’d asked a Customs & Border Patrol friend to acquire some military-issue topographical maps of Central America for me; they were great to have along as backup but after noticing several airports and even entire cities which had either been renamed or picked up and relocated I realized these “official” US Government publications had last been updated in 1987!)
Papers, Please….
Visiting the Airport Commandante in Veracruz. the dashboards. The supposedly outlandish and numerous fees turned out to be $135.00 for an entry permit which allows my airplane to travel all over Mexico anytime for an entire year and an $8.00 landing fee at each airport we visited Not too bad really and nobody asked for any payoffs. The fact we could all declare ourselves as “crew” seemed to help as well—Lana was frequently asked if she was our passenger but the Mexicans were always surprised and impressed to see her student pilot certificate and waived the passenger-fees and forms. Each stop in Central America requires the pilot to fill out an old-fashioned paper flight plan with layers of multi-colored carbons. The copies are presented for stamping (yes, rubber stamps!) at the weather, customs, immigration and operations offices then finally presented upstairs to the airport’s Commandante. This guy usually speaks English—eagerly does so in welcoming visitors and making light conversation—and is always a pretty jovial fellow. I suppose I would be too if I held the title of “Commandante… “
luggage inspections but still very friendly and accommodating. We were met by Mexican soldiers and a German Shepherd who’d been outfitted with little shoes to prevent his feet from burning on the hot tarmac. He hopped into the Cessna and sniffed everything thoroughly, thankfully paying no attention to Lana’s sweet coconut bread she was sneaking home from Honduras. We then cruised along the flat Pacific coast to avoid a few more cumulogranites before turning north into the high desert plains of central Mexico, spending the night in the sprawling city of Tuxtla Gutierrez. This was probably the most nationalistic city we visited as evidenced by the hotel’s and restaurants’ absolute refusal to accept U.S. dollars, of which we all had plenty. A visit to the ATM was necessary to replenish our supply of Pesos, but it only took a few of them to enjoy some absolutely fabulous meals during our stay. I now find myself very reluctant to visit any “Mexican” restaurants back here in Texas. The good visibility once we reached the gulf coast again prompted Chris and I to daydream of another trip down this way soon for some fishing. Although we saw a few passes and coastal settlements, the barrier Islands of the Mexican Laguna are overall pretty uninhabited, making it a good bet the trout are more plentiful than in our own wake-riddled intracoastal. U.S. Customs in Brownsville greeted us almost sleepily with little hubbub; one agent looked at
13,000 foot Volcanoes just West of Guatemala City. our passports in the office while another went outside to scan the plane with a “radiation detector”. No radiation was found apparently and we were quickly on our way to Port A. Hopefully my next column on this topic includes trophy fish pictures… Until next time, Blue Skies and y’all come visit for some airtales of your own! Moon Monkey Jason Towns is a Major in the Air Force Reserve, Afghanistan Veteran, Corporate Pilot, Flight Instructor, Island Resident and Owner of Skydive South Texas in Port A.
The processing of these flight plans seemed very important and official until we realized we were being asked the same questions by all these individuals—AND the airport control towers—throughout the trip: “Where are you coming from?”, “Where are you going?”, “What is your type airplane?” Aren’t these the most important items on the flight plan? What was being done with these flight plans after all the stamping and processing? It seems in true government fashion, paperwork was being collected and workers paid to collect it but the information on it wasn’t actually going anywhere. Oh well, when in Rome.
Go West… Then Take a Right
Mexican Army & Navy with Canine assistance inspect the airplane and papers in Tapachula. Clearing Mexican Customs, bureaucracy and fees was actually a breeze— slow but otherwise courteous, more-or-less logical and quite cheap-- I’d been cautioned to take enough cash to pay for all our fuel and for possible “palmgreasing”…. In reality the full-service fuel trucks with cheerful and prompt drivers had cellular-data credit card machines mounted on
Beautiful weather greeted us in the descent over rain-forested mountains into San Pedro Sula Honduras, where we cleared that country’s Customs—which was actually much more lengthy than Mexico-- then fired up again to zoom low across thousands of acres of banana fields to the coastal town of Tela. As reported in my last column a busy week of aviating, parachuting and socializing was had. Then it was time to wearily head for home. Here’s where there was a trick: only two airports in Mexico allow direct flights from Honduras: Cozumel and Tapachula, neither of which was on our way. Experienced pilots warned me Cozumel was a madhouse of bureaucracy and expense and the latter was definitely the way to go, but it meant crossing the high mountains of Guatemala to reach the Pacific coast of Mexico. Thankful for a day of fine weather which would allow us to actually see the thirteen-thousandfoot volcanoes as we flew around them at eleven-thousand, we headed west. There were actually only a few of these big boogers jutting up near Guatemala City, easily circumnavigated along with the steam and smoke they were spewing. Tapachula was a bit more thorough with their airplane and
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