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Inside the Moon

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The

Issue 590

Island Moon

The voice of The Island since 1996

August 6, 2015

Around The Island By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com We had a Blue Moon last week and it had everybody a little jumpy. In the most disturbing news of the week Jared the Subway Guy got de-Subwayed when an FBI report claimed he told his girlfriend who owns a Subway franchise to advertise herself as a prostitute on Craigslist then asked her to introduce him to her underage cousin. That’s really creepy. Closer to home longtime San Patricio County Commissioner James Price Junior was arrested for having county crews and machinery do work on his personal property. That’s been going on so long in Texas we didn’t even know it was illegal, we thought it just came with the job but apparently not.

Car safes and sunglass thieves It looks like we have some burglars working the north end of The Island. Two houses were broken into within a few hours of each other last Friday and thieves have been grabbing items out of cars all over the place, including vehicles in the parking lot at Schlitterbahn. We’ve been leaving our garage door up to try to get rid of some of the junk in there but the last time we checked it’s all still there. A local souvenir shop has now been hit four times this year by sunglass thieves who seem to know where the cops are. The cameras show them going right to the display case where the expensive sunglasses are kept and taking their sweet time before exiting each time a minute before police arrive. A few weeks ago police arrested a guy who went onto private property at the end of Sea Pines and when they looked in his car they found a safe under the floorboard. That’s a little weird.

Offshore fish Offshore fisherpersons say the rigs are holding large numbers of Amberjack and Red Snapper. This is the time of the year when the water is the clearest and our friend Diver Dave has been taking people out to dive the reef.

Voter registration There are more than 6000 registered voters on The Island and more than 9300 permanent residents. Voters in the three Island precincts, including Port Aransas, vote at the highest percent of any in the county. Over the past couple of years, at any given time, there have been between seventy and one hundred houses under construction and that means more residents and more voters. So to try to get them registered County Clerk Kara Sands is going to provide us with 2000 voter registration cards. You will be hearing more in the next few weeks about how to get registered and take part in the activities of the Island United Political Action Committee. As old Ben Franklin famously said, “If we don’t hang together we shall surely hang separately.”

House of the week There are a lot of beautiful houses on our Island and we are looking for some to feature as the Moon House of the Week. If you or someone you know has a particularly nice home please let us know so we can show it to others. We know you’re out there, so give us a call. The sewer pump station at Cruiser and Whitecap is in full summer bloom so when you drive by there roll up your windows and hold your nose. In the meantime say hello if you see us Around The Island.

Chichicastenango Guatemala A16

Live Music A18

Photo by Miles Merwin

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Island By the Numbers City Tax Rates Per $100,000 of Property Value

Island Station Draws Fire Big tax hike and redundant service cited

$550 City of Corpus Christi $280 Port Aransas $250 South Padre Island $30 Nueces County Emergency Services District #2 (current) $100 Nueces County Emergency Services District #2 (if tax hike approved)

Gross Hotel Revenue 2014 $185 million City of Corpus Christi $43 million Padre and Mustang Islands

By Dale Rankin

$38 million Downtown Corpus Christi $42 million SPID Corridor $65 million Port Aransas $150 million South Padre Island $155 million Galveston $250 million Port Aransas and Corpus Christi $10 million North Beach Corpus Christi * All areas of the city are not listed

Port Aransas Council Ups Fees on Golf Carts By Dale Rankin Due to an increasing number of golf carts on Port Aransas streets and the subsequent uptick in the number of tickets and accidents involving the carts, the Port Aransas City Council on Monday voted to increase the licensing fees on commercial carts from $50 to $100 per cart. The fees for personal carts will remain at $50, but more rules changes may be in store over the next few months. The attention to the carts on Port Aransas streets comes as city police have written 325 tickets for golf cart violations since this year. The fee increase will be used to fund a police officer position dedicated to enforcing golf cart regulations and a clerk to process violations. Port Aransas Police Chief Scott Burroughs told the council that during the first two years after the carts were made legal on Port Aransas streets his

Texas Sales Tax Holiday This Weekend August 7-9 Tthe annual sales tax holiday is scheduled for this 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. 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, which has been an annual event since 1999.

Tax Holiday continued on A4

A Little Island History...

Golf Carts continued on A5

New State Laws

Texas to New York: Give Us Back Our Gold!

When Legislators get together in Austin every other year the most of the bills they pass take effect on September 1 of that same year. Here is a look at some of the 1200 bill signed into law in the past session. This year much attention was paid to the border, human trafficking, and veterans struggling with the mental scars of war, and gold. Yes, gold.

Trucks from the Nueces County Emergency Services District #2 respond to Island brush fires A proposal to raise taxes on Island homes by more than 300% to pay for a new fire station on The Island drew fire from members of the Island Strategic Action Committee Tuesday night.

Services District #2, commonly referred to as the Flour Bluff Fire Department, currently collects a tax of 3 cents for each $100 of property value on homes on Padre Island and in Flour Bluff and is placing an item on the ballot for the November

The five-member Board of Directors of the Nueces County Emergency

Fire Station continued on A12

Update on Island Projects

Island Land Use Map, Traffic Light and Water Exchange Bridge

By Dale Rankin City planners on Tuesday revised an Island Land Use Map which would have severely restricted development along both sides of State Highway 361 as well as the land around currently undeveloped canals at the end of Sea Pines known as Cape Summer. City planners told the Island Strategic Action Committee (ISAC) on Tuesday that those areas, which were designated as Flood Plan Conservation and un-developable under the old map, will be changed to Medium Density Single-Family Residential. The new map also changes a parcel of land on the bay side of SH 361 just north of Mustang Island State Park and the land around Island in the Sun church to Planned Development. The city staff also told the ISAC that any zoning currently in place on The Island will remain as is under the new map. The previous map also called for the city-controlled land between Zahn Road and the north side of Packery

Channel to be Permanent Open Space, but under the new plan The Land Use Map is part of the Plan CC 2035 which draws a broad scope for development throughout the city for the next twenty years. The ISAC will draw up an Island Area Development Plan which will be included Plan CC and the Land Use Map will be part of that plan. The entire plan will be presented to the city’s Planning and Zoning Board where the public will have a chance to comment before going to the Corpus Christi City Council for final approval. The previous map drew fire from landowners up and down The Island, but primarily in two areas. One along the Gulf beach adjacent to SH 361, about eight miles of territory that is now mostly undeveloped, where development would have been restricted to residences on quarteracre lots; meaning no townhomes

Projects continued on A5

The Early Days

By Bobbie Kimbrell Editor’s note: Bobbie Kimbrell moved to Flour Bluff, where he still resides, in 1943 and was a commercial fisherman there until his retirement in the 1990s. The earliest known settlers of Padre Island were the Karankawa Indians who waded across the Laguna Madre from Flour Bluff to get there. What year? Who knows? But it was before Indians acquired horses from the Spanish explorers. The Indians main camp ground was at the highest point on North Padre Island where E.O. Leman put in the first motel ever on Padre Island that was across SPID from

A Texas gold bank This one has actually already taken effect. HB 483 created a Texas Bullion Depository—a fortified safe house for the state to stash its gold and other precious metals. No other state has such a facility, but then again they’re not Texas are they? And who can trust those New Yorkers to take care of Texas gold. Governor Greg Abbott says the facility will

New Laws continued on A12

The Island, July 1968 the Whataburger restaurant. Most of the Indian artifacts and arrowheads found on The Island were found in that location.

Bob Hall in its early days.

Most of those artifacts were found by Louis Rawalt year before Mr.

Rawalt put in the Coastways Baitstand next to the JFK Causeway. Mr. Rawalt, at that time was with the National Audubon Society that monitored sea birds up and down the Texas

History continued on A6

August 6, 2015

Island Moon

The Travelling Moon Gets Around

Kim, Rissa and Colleen from Corpus Christi came to the Island to show off their body art at the sandbar on Sunday. Photos by Jan Rankin Islanders Terry and Robert Epps in Dubai on upper viewing deck from top of world's tallest building. The Epps' stopped over in Dubai on way to South Africa for a safari.

Shane and Elizabeth Johnson at Rick's in Negrel, Jamaica

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August 6, 2015

Island Moon

Mike Ellis, Founder

Campers

By Elizabeth Clark I hate to be the first to break the news... but the beginning of school is only about two weeks away. Wait! Don't panic. This year is going to be a good one.

Distribution

You might be nervous for the first day of the new school year, but there's no need. Everyone is nervous on the first day, whether they're entering first grade or eleventh.

Pete Alsop Island Delivery Coldwell Banker Advertising Jan Park Rankin

Vets

Classifieds Production Manager Jeff Craft Contributing Writers Joey Farah

Military family members will receive free school supplies on Aug. 6, during a Back 2 School Expo, being held aboard NAS Corpus Christi, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Catalina Club. For more information or to send a media representative, contact MaryJane Garza, NASCC school liaison officer, at 961-2625. Media will be met at the Main/South Gate at 9 a.m. and escorted to the event.

Andy Purvis Devorah Fox Mary Craft Maybeth Christiansen Jay Gardner

Francoise "Fifi" Kieschnick

Chad Peters

Public Affairs Officer

Todd Hunter

NAS Corpus Christi

Dotson Lewis

Stolen Seahorses

Ronnie Narmour Brent Rourk Dr. Donna Shaver Photographers Miles Merwin Jeff Dolan Mary Craft Ronnie Narmour Office Security/Spillage Control (Emeritus)

Start your back-to-school shopping as soon as possible and get outfits and lunches planned for the first day. Having everything in order will really give you a sense of security and help beat the crowds; Get a buddy to be your go-to on the first day so you feel more confident; And, most importantly, have an open mind about this year. It will only be as fun as you make it out to be. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, email me at padreislandteen@ gmail.com.

Tax Increase I believe there is a misunderstanding about the proposed tax increase for a new fire station on Padre Island. This tax increase is being requested by Nueces County Emergency Services District #2 and has nothing to do with the city of Corpus Christi. The vote will be whether or not to increase a tax that is already being paid for by all the home/property owning citizens of Flour Bluff and Padre Island for the Emergency Services District #2, not CCFD (separate tax item). No positive or negative decision(s) on any current or proposed project that the city of Corpus Christi makes will help or hurt the building of this proposed new COUNTY fire station. The addition of the fire station will help to assist an already stretched thin city fire department on a vast and quickly growing area of Padre Island. Katy & Weston Beseda *** I'd like to know a lot more about this, before the vote. It's on the November ballot, right? This proposed tax increase is a significant one. Nothing to sneeze at. It's an extra $30 a month for average Padre Island Beach, Corpus Christi property owners.

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. News articles, photos, display ads, classified ads, payments, etc. may be left at the Moon Office.

The Island Moon Newspaper 14646 Compass, Suite 3 Corpus Christi, TX 78418

I can't imagine the nerve someone would have to come onto my property and STEAL something from in our driveway, right next to our house! These concrete sea horses were taken from right in front of our garage today, where they have sat since May 24. Whoever stole them was STRONG because they are solid concrete and my husband and I nearly put our backs out getting them in & out of our car, they probably weigh over 80 pounds and stand about 2 feet tall. If you see them please get a picture and an address so we can get them back... Cassandra Strom

361-949-7700 editor@islandmoon.com

Where to Find The Island Moon Port Aransas Lisabella’s Restaurant Pioneer RV Park

WB Liquors

North Padre

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 Public Library Chamber of Commerce

Island Tire

Duckworth Antiques

And all Moon retail advertisers

Back Porch

WB Liquor

Subway

Shorty’s Place

Flour Bluff

Giggity’s

H.E.B.

Stripes @ Cotter & Station

Liquid Town

Gratitude Gift Shop Keepers Pier House Port A Glass Studio The Gaff

Discover the benefits of Alkaline Water

Holiday Inn

Scuttlebutt’s Restaurant

Woody’s Sports Center

I believe that's on some sort of easement arrangement allowance with Nueces/Kleberg Counties, for which the precedence was set by the building and installation of the Padre Island Water Tower, no?

Island Italian

Jesse’s Liquor

Whataburger on Waldron Ethyl Everly Senior Center Fire Station Police Station Stripes on Flour Bluff & SPID

Of course, the normal wind direction from the Southeast could quickly blow a 10'-20' wildfire right from the dunes of "The Bowl," area, directly into the back yards of the homes on Allamanda, Poinciana, Tamarisk, Coral Vine, Jessamine, Brromsedge, Sea Grape, Bay Bean and Natal Plum.

And, isn't the City of CC already planning to build a large, new equipment holding facility, pretty much in their backyards, anyway? As I recall it, CC is wanting to put up storage and maintenance structures for Beach Maintenance Equipment and Beach Life Guard equipment just behind those last homes to the south border of the PIPOA.

Port A Arts

All Stripes Stores

I can see how such a new Fire Services Station, up against the dry brush South of Sea Pines, would be a huge safety improvement. That's especially true for the extremely fire-vulnerable homes in the South Sea Pines area.

But, do the homeowners up against the biggest brushfire danger mind the construction of such equipment buildings in their otherwise natural scenic view?

Sandpiper Condos

Stripes @ Beach Access Rd. 1A

Is it true that we pay twice for our Island Fire Service protection? That is, once to the City of CC, for the CCFD; then again to the Nueces County Emergency Services District #2? Isn't that the case?

Then on to the races across Sea Pines, maybe only to end upon reaching the waterfront homes. But, if the wind was strong enough and the fire was high and hot enough, it could possibly make the burning ember jump across the Eaglesnest Canal, and start burning its way toward Whitecap.

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Padre Island Teen

This is a photo I took last weekend on the beach near marker 236. There are 6 other "camps" going to marker 252. Great impression for our tourists. Isn't it against the law to camp more than 3 days. Some of these folks have been here for several weeks.

Arlene Ritley

Did Ya Hear?

Letters to the Editor

Moon Monkeys

Would this proposal for a tax increase, for Nueces County Emergency Services District #2, be part of a collaborative effort to consolidate these many facilities together? Pat Richarde ***

Response from Fire Dept. Pat, Thank you for your interest and wanting to learn more . If you can call the fire house at 361937-2645 or you can come by 337 Yorktown Blvd ask for Chief Scott he will be able to answer any questions you may have. Chief Scott will be able to give you the time and place. JP Hominick

Deluxe Nails Offering: Full Set Refill Pedicure Manicure Gel Polish Waxing Facial Eyelashes Permanent Makeup

New Advertisers Boatworx does on-site marine repair, maintenance and restoration. If it’s on a vessel, boat or yacht they will fix it, paint it, install it or customize it. Nick has 19 years of experience and is originally from Detroit and moved to the Island three years ago. Call Nick at 944-5225. Musik Garten of North Padre Island is now enrolling from birth to age four for music classes to help in their musical development. The classes will be held at the Island Presbyterian Church. Call 972-3510541 or email kellikennedy@hotmail.com. Benchmark Landscapes sets the bar for professional landscape design for residential and commercial buildings. They also do commercial maintenance and irrigation. Call 985-6000. B&P Maintenance does lawn care, pool services, carpet cleaning, errand running and more. Call 949-8703 or 947-6474 for free estimate. Cdiffense is looking for people who have been in the hospital twice in the last year or are planning to be in the hospital to participate in a preventative clinical research and receive compensation. Call Blanca Gray’s office at 288-4668 for more information.

Business Briefs Boat slips for lease on Packery Channel between Clem’s and Billings Bait Shops. They are available immediately for personal or commercial use. Call 332-9978 for details. There is a 600,000 square foot retail development going in on Rodd Field Road that includes a Costco. Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve has Nature Walks every Friday 8:30 – 9:30 am. For more info call 826-3947 or email manuelc2@cctexas.com. A free basic CPR class for beginners will be held at the police substation on Zahn Road on Saturday, August 8th 1 – 3 pm. Call 774-0117 for more info. Padre Island Enrichment Club invites you to join them for lunch and bingo on Friday, August 14th 11:30 am at the Holiday Inn. The cost is $15 and includes lunch and great bingo prizes. Learn more about this longtime Island ladies club. Make reservations at PIELuncheon@aol.com or call Katherine at 960-0327. Pink Beach Boutique invites you to shop the Sales Tax Holiday August 7 -9. They will have sweet treats and sweet deals with 30 to 50% off select items. They have swim and beach wear for kids and women up to size 3X. They will be open Sunday noon – 4pm and Friday and Saturday 10 am – 6 pm. They are located at 15037 SPID behind Padre Island Mail Plus. Bella’s Nails & Spa is currently offering $5 off a $30 purchase. They are located next to Farmers Insurance at 15125 SPID and can be reached at 867-1281. A Trash Collection Center will be located at the corner of Holly and Flour Bluff Drive for convenient free disposal of bulky items, brush and debris. It is expected to open the fall of 2016 and will be open four days a week including a weekend day. Port Aransas Parks and Recreation is offering a game night for high school and college student, ages 16 and older. Gamers will play Pathfinder, Star Wars RPG and Mutants and Masterminds every Friday and Saturday 4:30 pm to close. Their building is located at 730 W. Ave. A. The North Padre Mahjong Group meets weekly to play in small groups for the fun of it. They are looking for people who play the game and who also would be willing to teach it. For more information contact Mitzi Mendez at almimendez@att.net. The Health & Wellness Health Fair will be held at the Flour Bluff High School cafeteria on Friday, August 7th 8 am – noon. The Back Porch Bar in Port Aransas will have Texas icon Larry Joe Taylor performing on Saturday night, August 8th. CCISD and Port A ISD students go back to class on Monday, August 24th and Seashore Learning Center students return Wednesday, August 19th. The Health & Wellness Community Health Fair will be held at the Seashore Middle Academy on Tuesday, August 11th 4 – 6 pm. The screenings are free and include school physicals, blood pressure, blood glucose, hearing, height, weight and BMI.

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Off

Your purchase of $50 per customer

361-949-1794 Mon - Sat 9:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m • Sunday 11 a.m - 5:30 p.m. 14493 S. Padre Island Dr., Unit B Next to Padre Pizzeria

Tax Holiday continued from A1

Six Steps to Prepare for Tax-Free Weekend and Back-to-School Shopping

• Thanks to tax-free weekend, shoppers can save about $8 on every $100 they spend.

Texas CPAs offer tips to prepare for and save money on back-to-school expenses

• However, Texas CPAs caution that a good deal shouldn’t be an excuse to overspend.

With tax-free weekend just a few days away (Aug. 7-9), Texas CPAs share six tips to help you save money and prepare for back-to-school shopping.

• Nothing says your children must start the first day of school with a closet full of new clothes.

Tip #1: Do a Closet Inventory • Kids grow out of clothes quickly, but before counting out last season’s wardrobe, check the closet to see if those khaki pants or that collared shirt still fit and are in good shape. • An older sibling’s gently worn clothes could be used to supplement a younger child’s back-to-school wardrobe.

Tip #2: Set a Spending Plan… and Keep It! • Before you head to the nearest mall, make a shopping list. • Without a pre-determined list, you risk blowing your budget on unnecessary items. • As part of your spending plan, figure out how many pairs of pants, shirts and socks your child needs. • Remember, buying mix-and-match clothing may be less expensive in the long run than buying pants that can only be worn with certain shirts and vice versa. • Don’t forget to consult the school’s dress code to make sure your child can wear the clothes you purchase.

Tip #3: Take Advantage of Texas’ TaxFree Weekend • Tax-free weekend exempts most clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks priced under $100 from sales and use taxes. • All sales of qualifying items made during the holiday period qualify for the exemption, including items sold online, or by telephone or mail.

Tip #4: Look for Deals Year-Round

• Buy the necessities prior to the first day of class, and continue to keep an eye on sales and other bargains throughout the year. • If your child experiences a huge growth spurt, you won’t have wasted your entire year’s clothing budget at the beginning of the school year.

Tip #5: Involve Your Children • Back-to-school shopping provides an excellent opportunity to teach your children money management skills. • Concepts like comparison shopping, distinguishing needs from wants and sticking to a budget can be taught during back-toschool shopping. • Involving your children in the decisionmaking process can help them learn life-long financial literacy lessons.

Tip #6: Consider Events in the Months to Come • Think about future events in the months to come that you can buy now and save for later, such as birthdays, holidays, winter months, etc. • Know someone expecting or who recently had a baby? Baby clothes and diapers are also tax-free! • Consider holidays and formal events…why not buy something for yourself? • Ties, neckwear, hosiery and dresses are also untaxed

Fire Station continued from A1 3 election that would more than triple that tax to 10 cents per $100 of value to build and staff a $2.2 million fire station somewhere near the intersection of Park Road 22 and Beach Access Road #6 south of Balli Park. The tax increase would raise taxes for the district from the current $30 per year on each $100,000 of property value on homes on The Island and in Flour Bluff to $100 per year for each $100,000 of value. Fire Chief Dale Scott said the new fire station would include a full-time ambulance, brush truck, rescue pumper truck, and rescue boat but because of the size of the tax increase required the issue must go before voters. But members of the Island Strategic Action Committee (ISAC), who did not take a formal vote on the plan when it was presented to them Tuesday night, were sharply critical of the plan, questioning the need for the station, the cost, and the size of the tax increase.

August 6, 2015

Island Moon

“Islanders have been paying taxes for this department for years when it has never had a fire station on The Island,” said ISAC Chairman Greg Smith. “Your fire station is eleven miles from the SPID/Whitecap intersection. Now you want raise taxes to provide services that the city is already providing.” Smith pointed out that Island taxpayers would be paying twice for redundant services. “We already pay $550 for every $100,000 of property value. Now you want to add $70 to that.” Emergency Management District Board Member Gary Graham told the ISAC that part of the motivation for the new fire station is that the City of Corpus Christi is “rumored” to be closing Fire Station #16 located on State Highway 16 at the northernmost boundary of the Corpus City Limits, about nine miles north of the SPID/Commodores intersection. That station is one of two city fire stations on The Island, the other being Station #15 on Commodores. “We are not closing Fire Station #16,” Wes Pierson, Corpus Christi Assistant City Manager, said after the meeting. That is not happening.” District 4 City Councilwoman Colleen McIntyre, who also attended the meeting, said there are no plans or discussions about closing any fire stations on The Island. Station #16 was built when the land along SH 361 was annexed in the late 1990s and its construction was a condition of the annexation. Any attempts to close it could prompt an attempt by residents in that area to be de-annexed from the City of Corpus Christi. Officials from the Emergency Management District said after the meeting they do not currently have a site for the proposed station and but have a contingency fund of $250,000 to purchase land if they cannot get it donated. ISAC member Jodi Steen questioned the $2.2 million cost of the new station, which is greater than the cost of the new Corpus Christi Fire Station in Greenwood at $.19 million. “We are trying to get our salaries up to par with those of CCFD,” Chief Scott said. The tax increase, if approved by voters, would raise the district’s budget from the current $883,211 to about $2.9 million. The current coverage area of the district, besides Flour Bluff, is the area south of the Corpus Christi City Limits in Kleberg County, south to Padre Island National Seashore. That area includes a resident population of over 36,000 and encompasses 80 square miles and over 150 miles of waterfront. The primary response to Island emergencies by the District has been brush trucks to fight Island grass fires.

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First On-Line Oil and Gas Lease Sale Nets the State $20 Million Texas breaks tradition and shatters the record in first attempt

Texas' first-ever online sale of oil and gas leases quickly became the biggest state lease sale in the nation to be held on EnergyNet, earning public schools nearly $20 million Tuesday morning. "When private oil and gas companies develop minerals managed by the GLO, it creates highpaying jobs and earns hundreds of millions of dollars a year for public education in Texas," Texas Land Commissioners George P. Bush said. "With today's online energy lease sale I've delivered on my promise to make the bidding process more accessible and more efficient, while earning even more money for Texas schools." Previously, anyone wishing to develop oil and gas reserves on Permanent School Fund land had to physically submit their bid, sealed in an envelope. It was a process that had changed very little since the 1950s. During Tuesday's oil and gas lease sale -- for the first time in Texas history -- private oil companies competitively bid against each other for the right to explore for oil and gas on land owned by the state. Permanent School Fund tracts of land, which includes submerged land in the Gulf of Mexico and land in West Texas,

brought in more than $20 million in Tuesday's bidding. That's about $1,500 per acre more than the last lease sale. Or about seven times more per acre than the last traditional sealed bid lease sale held in January. The Permanent School Fund will also earn 20 to 25 percent royalties on any oil or gas produced from newly revised standard leases. "This was the biggest online lease sale yet -but then again, this is Texas, so it should be," said EnergyNet president William Britain. EnergyNet partnered with the General Land Office to conduct the online sale. EnergyNet is an industry leader with its easy-to-use oil and gas auction and sealed bid transaction service. "Even in a soft oil and gas market, we made more money today by opening up the bidding process to more producers and investors," Bush said after the sale. "The 21st Century economy is online. We sell on eBay, buy from Amazon and catch a ride through Uber. Putting these energy lease sales online just makes sense. Texans demand a more efficient, effective government and we are delivering it at the General Land Office."

C. diff Superbug Threat Rises as Clinical Investigations Continue - Answers may be closer than you think You may have heard of the growing threat of superbugs in our hospitals and homes. Over the last decade, the bacterium Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is on the rise and has almost tripled in America. Each year approximately 14,000 individuals die from the infection with 80-90% of this population being from the age group 65 and older (CDC, 2012). C. diff is a bacterium that forms toxic spores that can colonize in the large intestine and cause problems. Frequently, the good bacteria in the digestive system can ward off an infection. However, the wide use of antibiotics, especially during surgery, kills off the all of the bacteria, good and bad, leaving the gut unprotected. When this happens, usually harmless bacteria can grow out of control. Like other superbugs, C. diff spores are resistant to many of the standard cleaning practices, such as extreme heat, acid, general antibiotics and alcohol-based hand sanitizers. The bacteria can be washed away with soap and water; hence, adequate bathroom hygiene is required to slow the spread to vulnerable individuals of the population. Commonly, the bacteria can cause infections in vulnerable populations, including older individuals, young children, women who are pregnant, and people with severe diseases.

Some individuals carry the bacteria without showing any signs of infection. However, these individuals are still able to spread the infection. For those who do show signs of the disease, the symptoms appear within a few months of infection. Mild symptoms include watery diarrhea, mild abdominal cramping and tenderness. Severe symptoms include severe versions of the mild symptoms, dehydration that may require hospitalization, loss of appetite, and possible kidney failure. Current treatment includes a round of antibiotics where 25% of those treated need a second set of antibiotics. In addition, some physicians recommend probiotics and fluids. For severe cases, a fecal transplant from family members might be required. But hope is on the horizon! Local islander, Dr. Blanca Gray, and Third Coast Research Associates are currently investigating a medication that may protect patients from C. diff. To be considered for this clinical trial, you must be over the age of 50 and have either been hospitalized twice in the past year or scheduled for a surgery in the next couple of months. For more information, contact Third Coast Research Associates (361) 288-4668 or visit their website at 3cra.com.

Flour Bluff Collection Center Fact Sheet Corner of Flour Bluff Dr. and Holly Rd. Editor’s note: A plan to place a collection center for trash at Flour Bluff Drive and Holly Road in Flour Bluff is moving forward. The city this week released this fact sheet pertaining to the project. In an effort to provide the very latest information on the Flour Bluff Collection Center, the City of Corpus Christi is providing a fact sheet with the most frequently asked questions received by staff and City Council members. We believe the information will assist residents and business owners in understanding the details of the collection center project. The fact sheet can also be viewed on the City’s website at www.cctexas.com.

What exactly is a Collection Center?

What is the timeline for the project? The anticipated opening of the Flour Bluff CCC is in the fall of 2016. The land for construction of the CCC was purchased and the City will be entering the design phase.

Does the ‘Citizen Collection Center’ require any special permitting? Just like any other build within the City, a building permit is required. Although no special permitting is required for operation, a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) required notification process must be followed.

Will residents have any input on the design of the ‘Citizen Collection Center’?

A Citizen Collection Center (CCC) will provide to citizens a convenient free disposal of bulky items, debris and brush. It will promote a cleaner city especially in the Flour Bluff area by discouraging illegal dumping. Citizens will simply be able to unload their debris into containers which will then be transferred to the landfill.

Residents will have the opportunity to provide input on the design of the CCC through a public meeting that will be scheduled in the next couple months. The design-build method offers the flexibility to design the facility with all stakeholder groups input.

Why build a ‘Citizen Collection Center’ in Flour Bluff?

How will daily operations of the ‘Citizen Collection Center’ affect residents?

The idea to build a Collection Center in Flour Bluff was started by requests from residents and businesses. This Collection Center is just the first to be built. In the future, additional collection centers will be considered for other locations around the city.

Other than offering additional options for residents to dispose of their bulky items and brush, the City anticipates the daily operations of this facility will not affect residents. The state-of-the-art facility will be designed with residents in mind, utilizing trees and facade to hide the facility and allow for quieter and fully contained loads. The City will be looking in to compactors that contain debris and do not allow for fly-a-ways or odors. At the end of the four operation days, all containers will be removed from the site and no debris will be left in the facility.

Where will the ‘Citizen Collection Center’ be located? The CCC will be located at the northwest corner of Flour Bluff Drive at Holly Road. It will be a first class collection center and visually buffered from Flour Bluff Drive. The final facility layout for entrance and exit points will be built to meet city code. The center will be constructed for all-weather access with concrete ramps and utilization of steel containers whereby residents can deposit their items.

What will be accepted at the ‘Citizen Collection Center’? Heavy brush, yard waste, mattresses and furniture, used motor oils, paints, recyclables, batteries and clean wood waste. The center will not accept commercial building materials, metals, dead animals or hazardous material. The same rules will apply at this Center just as they do at the JC Elliott Collection Center.

What will be the days of operation for the ‘Citizen Collection Center’? The Flour Bluff CCC will operate four days a week, including one day over the weekend.

In a ‘Major Weather’ event requiring evacuation and / or necessary preparations for a major weather event, what will happen with the collected items? The CCC is designed to only hold moveable containers. In the event of a major weather event, the facility and building will be closed and secured. All containers at the CCC will be removed from the site and no debris will be left in the facility.

Will the ‘Citizen Collection Center’ have security? There will be a security system (cameras), as well as signage to prevent illegal dumping of debris after hours. The Corpus Christi Police Department will also monitor the site during regular patrols. Illegal dumping violators could face up to a $2,000 fine.

August 6, 2015

Stuff I Heard on the Island by Dale Rankin Last week we ran two stories that need follow up, so here goes.

First, we wrote about the City of Corpus Christi raising taxes 8%, the highest allowable with the possibility of a tax rollback election, to fund street repair. That plan as of this writing is still moving forward. We also speculated about whether the Nueces County Commissioners Court would follow suit; we are happy to report that they are not. Word came Monday from a county budget workshop that the commissioners will adopt the Effective Tax Rate from last year, keeping county tax revenue steady; no tax increase. Since property values across Nueces County went up by just under 8% in the past year this means that if the tax value of your house is the same as last year the check you write to the county will actually shrink by 8%. We congratulate our County Commissioners and County Judge Loyd Neal for holding the line. Precinct 4 County Commissioner Brent Chesney ran and won last November on a No Tax Hike platform and was as good as his word. This is the first time in the last four budgets that the county has not raised taxes and we thank you.

As The Island Burns We also reported last week that the Nueces County Emergency Service District #2 which includes Flour Bluff, and Padre and Mustang islands was going to ask voters to raise taxes from 30 dollars per $100,000 of property value to $100 per $100,000 to pay for a new fire station near Park Road 22 and Beach Access Road #6 near the Kleberg County line. Regular readers of these pages know that tax increases get my attention and this one is a whopper, even by Island standards. For background see the story on the front page of his issue. Here are the events I know of which led us to where we now find ourselves.

How we got here The idea of the Emergency Service District #2 placing a fire station on The Island fire surfaced over a year ago when the Nueces County Parks Board was drawing up plans for improvements at Balli Park. The idea was floated to build a structure to house the District’s brush trucks, which constitute the primary service the District provides to The Island. That idea was pushed through with the help of several people, including District 4 City Councilwoman Colleen McIntyre, and looked like it was going to happen. It seemed like a good idea and the only cost was the building which could have been done with funds available. No one ever said anything about a tax increase to me, Colleen, or the Parks Board. Then last week I get a call informing me the Service District’s board had passed a plan to increase taxes to fund an entire fire station; that was news to me, and as it turns out to Colleen as well. The already-funded station she pushed forward in good faith had somehow burst into full bloom. When I talked to the good people at the District they informed me that the city approached them about putting a station on The Island so the city could close the station on highway 361 and

moved it OTB. City officials flatly deny this ever happened and say there were never, and are no plans or discussions to close that fire station and I believe them. Closing that station would open a can of worms that could create a real mess.

By the numbers The District is the remnant of the old Flour Bluff Volunteer Fire Department that served the area before annexation. It was kept around when Flour Bluff was annexed more than forty years ago as a stop gap until the city could extend service to Flour Bluff and later to The Island. It kind of got lost in the shuffle and just hung around over the years with its only station being in Flour Bluff. They had a creative former chief who bought surplus equipment cheap at state auctions and I would go over there every so often when they got a new toy and do a story. When we had a brush fire south of Sea Pines they were usually the ones who put it out and we appreciated it, and, let’s be honest, they were cheap lingering there at the bottom of the tax notice. Their firefighters still make barely half of what CCFD people make. But the salaries aren’t all the numbers. Last week the chief told me they made 56 calls last year on a budget of $883,211. By my eighth grade math that’s $15,771 per call. And according to what District officials told the ISAC on Tuesday it will cost $2.2 million to build the new station, even as the City of Corpus Christi builds a new one at $1.9 million. When you add in the fact that the city has a Firefighters Union, and a rather cantankerous one I might add, to deal with it makes me wonder how they can build one cheaper than the Services District. A clue might be what the District’s Fire Chief told the ISAC, that they are trying to “get their salaries up closer to CCFD.” Maybe it’s just me but that seems a poor reason for building a new fire station which, even if it doubled the number of calls under the new District operating budget of $2.9 million, with the tax hike would increase the cost per call to a whopping $25,892. Not to be flippant here but it might be cheaper to let the houses burn down and pay to rebuild them.

The timing Then there is the timing. Why the push for this station, this tax hike, now? The election this November is neither a Gubernatorial nor a Presidential one so turnout will be light. A few dedicated voters who use word of mouth to get friends and relatives to go to the polls could swing the results. It reminds me of the May 11, 2013 election when 456 voters passed a $49 million bond package for the Flour Bluff Independent School District by a margin of 82 votes. They snuck one by the goalie.

The second area was the Cape Summer area, the area around the Ski Basin, where there are 2000 lots that are currently platted and zoned for residential development but where there is no infrastructure.

SPID Water Exchange Bridge City staff also told ISAC members they expect to have final approval of design plans for the Water Exchange Bridge under SPID near the Schlitterbahn park in hand by the end of September and will then hold a public hearing. The plans, as now constituted, call for a bridge with a 40-foot wide waterway with 14 feet of clearance from the waterline to the bottom of the bridge for boat passage and a bridge which also spans two forty-foot pedestrian and cart paths on each side of the waterway.

Port A Happenings… By Pam Greene Parks and Recreation Department, Port Aransas

Port A RPG Game Night Port Aransas Parks and Recreation is offering a game night for high school and college student, ages 16 and older. In a controlled environment, gamers will play Pathfinder, Star Wars RPG and Mutants and Masterminds. It is held every Friday and Saturday, 4:30 to close, in the Girl Scout hut inside Parks and Recreation building, 739 W. Ave. A.. There is no charge to attend, but food is usually ordered if gamers want to eat while playing.

Yoga on the Beach Stretch! A free yoga lesson will be offered on Saturday, Aug. 8. Experienced yoga instructor Nancy Myers conducts the free monthly class. Meet her at 8 am, next to Horace Caldwell Pier at end of Beach Street in Port A. Bring a mat or towel suitable for use on the sand. This event is held the second Saturday of each month courtesy of Port Aransas Parks and Recreation Department.

Sunset Sounds Harmony will fill the air at a free concert for the public on Friday, Aug. 14, in Port Aransas. Bad Buoys will be playing from 7-9 pm at the Patsy Jones Amphitheater in Roberts Point Park. Woodie Ray Lawson on Bass and Vocals; Ron Baker, Lead Guitar and Vocals; Steve Goldstein, Lead Guitar, Key Board and Vocals and Rusty Hicks, Drums and Vocals make up the new band. Each member brings years of professional level experience and a passion for what they do. All four have song leads, and all four do harmonies. The two Lead Guitars switch off on lead and duel each other! They have been fine tuning their play list the past few months. In addition they have fun together, a synergy together which makes for a “ Rockin” good time for all. They play Classic Rock and Country and more..... definitely danceable as well as pure listening enjoyment! Bring a chair or blanket, friends, food, drink, and have an evening of musical entertainment as the sun sets over the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. The concert series runs monthly April through October provided by the City of Port Aransas Parks and Recreation Department.

Remaining 2015 Sunset Sounds Schedule

Oct 9 South Texas Grass Roots Blue Grass and Acoustic 7-9 pm

Aquarius/SPID Traffic Light The plan to put a new traffic light at the Aquarius/SPID intersection will go before the Corpus Christi City Council on August 18. As part of the current plan the intersection will be reconfigured and signage and warning lights will be placed on the JFK Causeway to warn approaching drivers that there is light ahead. The light is being for in part by a developer who owns retail property on the east side of the roadway where he plans to put a retail center and 105-room hotel.

Open every day but Mondays, the schedule includes Open Swim Tuesday through Sunday from 1-6 pm. Pool is open for Lap Swim/Exercise: Tuesday through Friday from 7:30 am to 6 pm; and noon to 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Water Exercise is held Tuesday through Friday at noon - $2 per class. Deep Water Aerobics is held Wednesday and Friday at 1pm, with belts to hold you up. Swim lesson sessions end Aug 7. For private lessons after that contact pool. A few nights still are available for private parties: 6:30-8:30 pm for $150. Contact pool to book.

Special events: Mom & Tot Time, Tue thru Fri, Aug. 11-14, 10:30 - 11:30 am, Regular fee Back to School Blast: Saturday, Aug. 15, 6:30 - 8:30pm, rock & roll party - free hot dog or pizza slice with paid admission.

Birding on the Boardwalk The public is invited for a free guided birding tour for anyone, novice to expert. It is held every Wednesday at 9 am at the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center at end of Ross Ave. in Port Aransas. Expert local guide Nan Dietert imparts her knowledge that inhabit or visit the birding center. The tower and a handicapped accessible walkway give plenty of opportunities to see fowl, animal, flora and fauna. Held all year weekly courtesy of Port Aransas Parks and Recreation Department.

Golf Carts cont. from A1 officers wrote warnings for all but the most egregious cart-driving violations, but this year, at the direction of the council, began writing tickets. He said about half of the violations are for carts driven by Port Aransas residents and half for carts driven by cart renters. He said those numbers are deceiving because only about 20% of the carts on the streets are rentals so the rental drivers are offending at a much great percapita rate.

“People are treating the carts like toys,” Mayor Keith McMullin said. “We have got to get kids out from behind the wheel.” The council is expected to take up further regulation of the carts in September. Fines for violations are $500.

As we say in the journalism dodge, that doesn’t pass the Stink Test.

Permitting of the bridge and the waterway are being done separately and construction on the bridge will not begin until the permit for the canal is in place. That permit is expected within the next two months, which fits with the city’s announced timetable for construction to begin in the middle of 2016.

Pool fun Still lots of hot weather inviting pool play at the Port Aransas Community Park Pool. It is located at 700 Clark Pkwy. Off Ross Avenue.

Currently cart renters must initial a list of five things that are against the law, including no unlicensed drivers, no reckless driving, the same rules that apply to driving on Port Aransas streets apply to driving on the beach, no driving carts on State Highway 361, and no driving in the water or the dunes.

Sept 11 Sandy Bottom Boys Hillbilly Gospel Music 7-9 pm

So my question to the Nueces County Emergency Service District #2 is this, where’s the fire? If the city isn’t closing any fire stations then there isn’t any rush to get this before the voters, especially when you don’t even have the land yet. It could have waited until next November when there is a Presidential election, cost of the holding the election would have been less, the turnout will be much greater, and the whole plan will be intact.

Projects continued from A1 or condominiums, and the large lot-size requirements would have driven the cost of homes there to the high end of the price range.

Island Moon

Sandy Bottom Boys will play Sunset Sounds on September 11

On Padre Island golf carts are legal on all streets with a speed limit of 35 mph or under which includes all roadways except South Padre Island Drive where the carts are allowed only to cross at marked crossings. The carts must have lights and turn signals.

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Aug. 6 The Cruise Control Aug. 7 BACK PORCH Larry Joe Taylor Aug. 8 Big Joe Walker Aug. 13 Bar Roxy Roca Aug. 14 The War Party

Some things never change! Photo courtesy of Port Aransas Museum

LADIES

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August 6, 2015

Island Moon

History continued from A1 coast as well as the entire United States. At that time most sea birds nested on Big Bird Island because the water was deep enough around it to keep the coyotes and other varmints from getting there and eating up the bird eggs. After the digging of the Intracoastal Waterway up and down the Texas coast, every spoil island became a nesting place for sea birds most of them are now sanctuaries protected by law.

The Holiday Inn Beach Hotel on Windward Drive and the controversial seawall between it and the surf, which was erected despite no seawalls on the beach law, helped created a better economy for The Island.

The Island before television Ira Van Lowe, another pioneer, put in the first baitstand and sport store on The Island. It was located a block or so past Whataburger on the same side of the road. Ira gave a fishing report on the radio (before television was available), that was very accurate on fish caught on Bob Hall Pier and in the surf.

Dunn Crossing and Whataburger But back to The Island and before the JFK Causeway was built, the Don Patricio Causeway was built in the early thirties that created little, if any, settlement. Prior to that time history tells us there was a hide rendering establishment at Packery Pass at about the time of the Civil War and afterwards. Patrick Dunn, a rancher and banker had a ranch house near Packery Pass that was headquarters for his cattle ranching. At market time the cows were herded across the shallow Lagoon to where Yorktown Boulevard starts at Laguna Shores Road. The area from Padre Island to Yorktown was known as Dunn crossing. The corrals at Yorktown and Laguna Shores are no longer there but the land is still vacant after 100 years or so.

Many years later a man by the name of Frenchie showed up on The Island and put in a night club with a pen outside with exotic parrots from South America in it. Frenchie’s place had gogo dancers with music so loud it shook the walls. He put in a restaurant with mounted sharks in it.

Million Dollar Inn before the seawall, Feb. 4, 1968.

The next major development on The Island was when Packery Pass was re-opened and jetties put in which enable boaters access to the fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison introduced legislation for the funding of the Packery project. She is a true Island pioneer.

E.O. Lemans motel and Benny Kocurek’s café were two of the first business places on The Island and were put in shortly after the JFK Causeway connected Flour Bluff to Padre Island. Benny’s wife, Betty, (nee Betty Boyd) from Austin, who was working at what later became Whataburger, suggested naming that establishment Whataburger and is credited for it.

And last but not least is the Schlitterbahn Waterpark to become a major recreation attraction to The Island. It should bring record crowds during the summer months. Many years from now Schlitterbahn will be remembered as one of the original pioneers along with the rest who have made Padre Island what it is today and what it holds for the future and they did what they did because, “That’s the way, ugh huh, they like it!”

Puppies of the Week

Million Dollar Inn Pool after the seawall was built The Island develops

Padre Island Country Club, date unknown.

As for E.O. Leman, he and his brothers were from Chapman Ranch and known as “wealthy”, farming and making farm machinery If a couple rented a room from E.O., they had to prove they were married. E.O. was a good fisherman and member of the Flour Bluff/Padre Island Business Association, traveling to different cities promoting new businesses for Padre Island. Benny Kocurekc also bought and sold fish and had a fish market on Laguna Shores Road a little past the bend. Later on he had a shrimp market on Laguna Shores Road where Hustling Hornet Drive abuts Laguna Shores Road.

The development of Padre Island was very slow to start with but after the Padre Isles development of water channels and home sites were put in it speeded up things as more pioneers put in business places and then the Padre Island National Seashore that was established really helped in more ways than one. With the National Seashore on the east side and the King Ranch on the west side it preserved the Laguna Madre from shore development which made for more boat and outboard motor establishment and enterprises. Lady Bird Johnson, wife of LBJ, dedicated the National seashore which was a great achievement for Padre Island and the State of Texas.

Ernie was found seeking shelter under a shack on a flooded property with his brother Bert. He is on the shy side and will do well in a home where he will receive a lot of affection and cuddles. He is now 5 months old and up to date on his shots. He enjoys playing with the other dogs in his foster home. He will be neutered at 6 months of age. It is gratifying to see how he is coming out of his shell as he learns to trust the humans around him.

The next development to go in was Bob Hall Pier which was a boon for the sport fishing industry. The original Bob Hall Pier was destroyed by a hurricane and then replaced with cement pilings that should withstand any future hurricane. Business was excellent during the summer months but as winter grew on some businesses had to borrow money from the bank to keep their doors open but all of that got better as the community got big enough to be partially self-supporting.

Ernie is available for adoption through Mission Pawsible will be at ACE Hardware on the island this Saturday from 10-2 hoping to meet his forever family. Mission Pawsible : 361-277-1731 info@missionpawsiblecc.org

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August 6, 2015

Island Moon

Backwater Adventures On the Rocks

Last Chance to Enjoy Summer By Joey Farah Farah’s Fishing Adventures

This week I took two young girls out on an end of summer fishing trip, their eyes were alight with excitement as they jumped into the boat. I couldn't help but remember when I was their age and my parents would bring us out on adventures. After they smashed a few limits of fish I heard stories of their friendship since they

times close to sunrise and sunset, rods will be bent. The water in the Laguna Madre is beautiful especially up shallow. Redfish have been thick in the flats south of Pita Island close to Pure Oil Channel. Many boats you see will be running schools in the morning, wait till the winds picks up and make drifts with big gold

By Jay Gardner I don’t know where to even start folks, I’m like a one legged cat trying to bury a, or a one handed man, err, I don’t even remember how that goes. I’m just flat out busy around here lately. And I’m not the only one. I’m not sure if it’s trickle-down economics from the oilfield, infrastructure that needs fixing, other development work, a result of the increased population moving to the coast or what, but it seems everyone is cranking lately. Sign of the times, and the sign reads “nose to the grindstone” right now. We did something a little out of the ordinary this past weekend; we fished the gas wells in Corpus Christi bay. It was flat as a pancake out on the water, and we took advantage of heading out that way. At times, Corpus Christi Bay can get so rough you want to abandon ship. The depth of the bay (around 12’) makes the worst waves of about any area water in typical conditions. Normal conditions are 2-3 foot waves that are like 1-2 seconds apart. There is no trough to hide in. Most bay boats can’t span the crests and stay on top. That bay will literally beat the teeth out of your head on most days. I would rather be offshore in 4-6’ waves with a 6 second period; at least there’s time in between waves to go up and down them. Not so in the bay.

Best friends Joey Farah and Andrew Leal with a handful of big state snapper. were 7yrs old. I started to tell them that those friendships will last forever. As a lump grew in my throat I told them, "someday you will call each other's mothers Mom and fathers Dad. You will always know exactly where they came from and who they are." Years may roll bye like they do but those friends of these youthful summers play will always be so close to your heart. I remember my dad worked offshore for weeks at a time, my friend Nick's dad took us fishing and hunting when mine was gone. Those days cross my mind all the time. They set my path to my future and let me experience things I would

weed-less spoons. I have also been doing well casting big DOA SHADS, these big paddle tails and spoons send off a lot of vibration bringing reds out of the cover of the grass. Making long casts is very important so string up with 6-8lb diameter braided line and use big plastics with light jig heads.

But anyhoo, it was flat and there was no wind. The first well we pulled up to was loaded with hard heads, lizard fish, toadfish, and a few other non-desirables. The dolphins circled us relentlessly. Morale was low in the stifling heat. After a bit, we slowly started catching a few trout. Out of nowhere, a big expensive Haynie rolled up to the next well over, idled around it quickly, and then pulled right up to us. Normally this would be a breach of etiquette; however, he cut off his motor and drifted up to us, asking how we were doing. We gave him the “mas o menos” hand gesture, and he told us that

the next well over was covered in fish. He then just bailed out at a high rate of speed, not even fishing the area. After a few minutes, we moved over to the next rig, and started whacking trout right and left. Whoever you were, thanks for reviving that comradery and lost art of sharing fishing tips on the water. Awesome!

I’ve been traveling all over south Texas lately it seems, and having just finished reading Lonesome Dove (Larry McMurtry), I have no idea how people survived around here without having a/c at least at night. It’s crazy out there! I guess the heat is the reason the squirrels went ballistic and destroyed my favorite hummingbird feeder that the Berry’s had graciously gifted me. I heard a crash the other day, and popped out on to the porch to catch one of the little heathens swinging on the remaining feeder like he was part of the Flying Wallendas trapeze act. He had broken one and was pushing mechanical limits on the other one. When I ripped open the door, it gave the little guy such a fright that he rushed his dismount at the worst possible time. Needless to say his double-back flip while twisting through the air, and reaching vainly missed the porch post by a good foot or two, which resulted in him landing half in and half out of the pond, which resulted in yet another panicked, wet double back flip before leaping like a wounded gazelle under the old dodge. I laughed so hard I almost forgave him for breaking the other feeder. ALMOST. But not quite. The little bit of north wind brought some migrants into the yard, which was weird. We had that slight west and north wind for about a day and a half, and I thought migration was starting. I had a horde of black and white warblers bouncing around in the yard. Hummingbirds suddenly appeared and were mobbing each other on my remaining feeder. Other reports of interesting birds came in over the wire too. Keep your eyes peeled. Well folks, by the time you get this I will be headed north to the Frio for our annual trip to the land of the cypress trees and clear cool water. Time to recharge the batteries. Leave me a note at jaygardner@ scientist.com and I’ll get back to you when I get a chance.

These two best friends teamed up on this 29 inch trout and a beautiful flounder. Brought to hand along the sand pockets of Pita Island. Carly Hudson with her first offshore snapper this week when the seas went flat. Farah

have never seen. Joe and Linda are still mom and dad as mine are to them. I can remember hurting my dad's feelings by asking if I could always take a friend, now I realize I was only trying to show off the great things my family did, and share them with my friends. We have a few weeks left of summer, grab those kids and give them some memories. The fishing this week has been great if you catch the lunar feedings. When you find those

Trout have been feeding right at daybreak and just before dark. Small minnows and shrimp have filled their diet, so the smaller piggy perch have been my bait of choice. I'm looking for sand spots in and around areas of good tidal flow that hold cool water. Anywhere along the ICW canal is a great place to start first thing in the morning. Look for washouts along the west side of the channel and any sandy edges.

August 2015

TGSA Surfing Association will be hosting the 2015 GROM ROUNDUP! This is a great time for all involved. All new members are welcome under the age of 13, and the first 36 kids get T-shirts and trophies. The family we have in the TGSA is tight. Our arms are always open to new kids to join and enjoy the ALOHA SPIRIT. Bring your kids out for a day of surfing and fun on August 22, 2015 at Horace Caldwell Pier in Port Aransas. Look up the website and get signed up for this all day event. We have less than three weeks left of summer, get out and get wet! FOLLOW ALL OUR HOOK-UPS ON FACEBOOK AT JOEY FARAHS BACKWATER FISHING ADVENTURES, or call anytime to book a trip or just ask a question.

Bella’s Nails Spa $5 off $30 Purchase Professional Nails Care, Waxing, Eyelash Extension

Appointments & Walk-ins Welcome This gentlemen brought bananas against his friends advice. He was hooked up solid with catfish while everyone else caught trout! Be warned!

Moon Phases

Hours: Monday - Saturday 9 am - 7 pm Sunday 11 am - 6 pm

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Tides of the Week Tides for Corpus Christi (Bob Hall Pier) August 6 - 12, 2015

Day

High /Low

Tide Time

Height in Feet

Sunrise Moon Time Sunset

Low

2:42 AM

0.9

6:55 AM Rise 12:14 AM

High

7:28 AM

1.1

8:15 PM Set 1:27 PM

Low

3:06 PM

0.1

High

11:14 PM

1.3

Low

4:46 AM

1.1

6:55 AM Rise 12:59 AM

High

7:37 AM

1.2

8:14 PM Set 2:27 PM

Low

4:08 PM

-0.1

High

1:29 AM

1.4

6:56 AM Rise 1:46 AM

Low

5:11 PM

-0.2

8:13 PM Set 3:26 PM

High

2:44 AM

1.6

6:56 AM Rise 2:36 AM

Low

6:11 PM

-0.3

8:12 PM Set 4:22 PM

High

3:35 AM

1.6

6:57 AM Rise 3:27 AM

Low

7:07 PM

-0.3

8:11 PM Set 5:14 PM

High

4:15 AM

1.6

6:57 AM Rise 4:20 AM

Low

7:58 PM

-0.3

8:10 PM Set 6:03 PM

High

4:46 AM

1.6

6:58 AM Rise 5:13 AM

Low

8:43 PM

-0.2

8:10 PM Set 6:48 PM

Moon Visible

41 31 21 13 7

August 6, 2015

Island Moon

SPORTS Sports Talk

Tom Brady Will Have to Carry out a FourGame Suspension

By Dotson Lewis

Dotson’s Note: Were you surprised that the NFL decided that Tom Brady would have to sit out the first four games of the 2015 season? I thought when I wrote last week’s article, that the punishment would be no more than a two game suspension at the most. Boy was I wrong! All of you Cowboy supporters should be very happy that the fourth game on the Patriots schedule is the Dallas Cowboys. It appears that Jerry Jones has prevailed again. What do you think will happen to the appeal?

Brady was suspended by the league for his alleged role in a scheme to deflate footballs in the AFC Championship win against the Indianapolis Colts. The union also released a 54-page filing to the court arguing the handling of the situation. “The Wells report did not find that Brady actually knew about any ball deflation at the AFC Championship game; it did not find that Brady directed or authorized any ball deflation; nor did it find that Brady even had any knowledge of the competitive integrity policy pursuant to which he was punished…” A settlement remains a possibility in the case.

Roger Goodell The next deadline in the case is set for August 13, when the NFLPA will be due to file its response to the league’s request for the court to confirm Brady’s suspension. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick spoke out for the first time, at a press conference, since the NFL upheld their decision . Owner Robert Kraft came to the podium first saying, “this decision is unfathomable.” Kraft backed Brady claiming his quarterback was hoodwinked by Goodell and the league, now regretting not taking legal action against the NFL. “I was wrong to put my faith in the league,” said Kraft. “This was never about being fair and just.” While Kraft apologized to the fans enduring the harshest team penalty in NFL history, Bill Belichick did not have much to say this time. His press conference was quickly over when it was apparent the questions would be targeted toward Brady and the league, instead of the first day of training camp.

By Andy Purvis Special to the Island Moon One of the stories Tommy Lasorda tells has remained with me over the years and I have retold this story a countless number of times on the radio.

Special to the Island Moon

After months of speculation since the week leading up to the Super Bowl, Tom Brady will have to carry out a four-game suspension handed out by the NFL. The league announced Tuesday, July 28th, that Commissioner Roger Goodell decided to uphold the suspension amid an appeal by the New England Patriots quarterback.

Can I Have Your Autograph

“When I was a kid, I was a school patrol boy for the school system in Philadelphia,” said Tommy. “I knew that every year they picked the best school patrol person and gave them tickets to a baseball game, free of charge. I wanted to go to a game. So, I did a great job, rain or shine, protecting the other kids crossing the street, and I won the trip. We went to Shibe Park, where the visiting team always had to walk a ways down the outside of the park to the visitor’s entrance door. The kids would stand there and ask for autographs from the visiting players.

Tom Brady Tom Brady Released the Following Statement on His Official Facebook Page: “I am very disappointed by the NFL’s decision to uphold the 4 game suspension against me. I did nothing wrong, and no one in the Patriots organization did either. Despite submitting to hours of testimony over the past 6 months, it is disappointing that the Commissioner upheld my suspension based upon a standard that it was ‘probable’ that I was ‘generally aware’ of misconduct. The fact is that neither I, nor any equipment person, did anything of which we have been accused. He dismissed my hours of testimony and it is disappointing that he found it unreliable. I also disagree with yesterday’s narrative surrounding my cellphone. I replaced my broken Samsung phone with a new iPhone 6 after my attorneys made it clear to the NFL that my actual phone device would not be subjected to investigation under any circumstances. As a member of a union, I was under no obligation to set a new precedent going forward, nor was I made aware at any time during Mr. Wells investigation, that failing to subject my cell phone to investigation would result in any discipline.

you before, I can only assume you don’t like me. I want to know why?’ “I know you were in the Major Leagues and when I was a kid, you wouldn’t give me an autograph.” ‘You’re serious, said Maynard,’ and he turned, shook his head in disbelief and walked away. “Because of that,” Tommy said smiling, “I have always told my players to sign those darn autographs; you

I asked this player from the New York Giants for an autograph, and he shoved me aside. As he turned, I noticed the name on the back of his jersey. It said Maynard. Well, several years later, I was pitching in the Dodger Minor League system with the Montreal team and we were in Atlanta. I was the starting pitcher and retired the first two batters when I heard the P.A. announcer say over the loud speaker, ‘Now batting, #12, Buster Maynard.’ This is the guy who had shoved me out of the way when I was a kid. So, with the first pitch, I threw right at his head. His cap went one way and his body the other, as he hit the dirt. I threw the next pitch in the same place, and down he went again, only this time I hit him. Confused, he got up and trotted down to first base. After the game, I was leaving the park and this guy came up to me outside the locker room, and said, ‘I’m looking for Tommy Lasorda.’ “I said, ‘I’m him, who are you?” He answered, ‘I’m Buster Maynard.’ He continued, ‘I have been in the Major Leagues for years and there are only two reasons a pitcher would throw at a batter. Either he hit a home run off of him or he doesn’t like him. Since I have never seen or heard of

Tommy Lasorda never know who they may grow up to be.” 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 from 6-8 PM on Sportsradiocc.com 1230 AM, 96.1 FM and 103.3 FM. The home of the Houston Astros.

Most importantly, I have never written, texted, emailed to anybody at any time, anything related to football air pressure before this issue was raised at the AFC Championship game in January. To suggest that I destroyed a phone to avoid giving the NFL information it requested is completely wrong. To try and reconcile the record and fully cooperate with the investigation after I was disciplined in May, we turned over detailed pages of cell phone records and all of the emails that Mr. Wells requested. We even contacted the phone company to see if there was any possible way we could retrieve any/all of the actual text messages from my old phone. In short, we exhausted every possibility to give the NFL everything we could and offered to go thru the identity for every text and phone call during the relevant time. Regardless, the NFL knows that Mr. Wells already had ALL relevant communications with Patriots personnel that either Mr. Wells saw or that I was questioned about in my appeal hearing. There is no ‘smoking gun’ and this controversy is manufactured to distract from the fact they have zero evidence of wrongdoing.

Lasorda, as he's usually portrayed...

I authorized the NFLPA to make a settlement offer to the NFL so that we could avoid going to court and put this inconsequential issue behind us as we move forward into this season. The discipline was upheld without any counter offer. I respect the Commissioners authority, but he also has to respect the CBA and my rights as a private citizen. I will not allow my unfair discipline to become a precedent for other NFL players without a fight.

Bill Belichick Bill Belichick, in the most Bill Belichick fashion, dismissed any questions about Deflategate and Tom Brady’s suspension after a six-minute press conference from Patriots owner Robert Kraft in which he blasted the NFL and his quarterback’s suspension. From the transcript of Belichick’s press conference on Wednesday, via the Patriots official website: Q: Do you believe Tom Brady when he says that neither he nor anyone in the Patriots organization did anything wrong? BB: We start training camp today. We’ll get ready for the 2015 season starting today. Q: Is there something flawed about the system here in the organization that you keep ending up in these cheating controversies? Can you explain why? BB: It’s already been addressed. Q: Could you elaborate a little? BB: No. Q: Why not? BB: Because it’s already been addressed. Q: Well, people have a lot of questions – the public, fans. BB: You heard what Robert just said. It’s already been addressed. Maybe you ought to go back and look at your notes. Q: I want your opinion. BB: It’s already been addressed. Q: Were you personally surprised by Roger Goodell’s decision yesterday? BB: We’re going to continue to get the team ready for the 2015 season and that’s what we’re going to do.

Lastly, I am overwhelmed and humbled by the support of family, friends and our fans who have supported me since the false accusations were made after the AFC Championship game. I look forward to the opportunity to resume playing with my teammates and winning more games for the New England Patriots.”

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The National Football League Players Association Will Now Take the League to Federal Court on Brady’s Behalf. The NFLPA will seek an injunction therefore leaving a chance Brady can play prior to the court ruling. The accusations were denied by Brady, who spoke at a regularly scheduled event at Salem State University back in May. The Patriots were also fined $1 million and docked two draft picks following the outcome of the independent investigation. They elected not to appeal their punishment. Belichick was adamant back in January that he had no knowledge of anyone on the team attempting to alter footballs in any way. The Patriots open the regular season Sept. 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dotson’s other notes: --All veterans are invited to our “Veterans Weekly Round Table” each Tuesday 9 a.m.11 a.m. in the Del Mar College, Center for Economic Development, Room 130. We plan to discuss any concerns veterans may have. Spouses, relatives and interested friends are welcome to attend. --I still haven’t spoken with my friend Walt Anderson (Deflategate Referee.) Last weekend I met with 8 NFL Referees (Crew Chiefs) and when I would bring up the subject, they would just smile and change the subject. Walt was not in attendance. I do know that the NFL is changing the pre-game “ball protocol.” 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: 539748-8475 Email: dlewis1@stx.rr.com

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August 6, 2015

Island Moon

Schlitterbahn Plays Host to City and County Employees

Read the Moon on Facebook! Search: theislandmoonnewspaper

Photos by Miles Merwin

Schlitterbahn Waterpark played host to nearly 4000 visitors on Sunday as a crew from the Travel Channel’s “Xtreme Waterparks” wrapped up filming for a one-hour special titled “The Madness of Jeff Henry Continues.” The crew has followed Henry, the park’s part-owner and designer, for almost a year. The Sunday event was free to city and county employees. The show will air sometime in late September or early October on the Travel Channel.

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Norm Baker's grandsons came to visit Lizzy the Moondog from Illinois Can anyone tell what this says?

Happy 60th birthday Millie!

Wiley and his prize 47 lb. ling

VOTED BEST Veterinarian 2006-2014 Dr. Christi Kresser

RAY HERRERA DIRECTOR A rare summer northern blew this line of storms and lightning across the mustang beach airport Friday evening. A north wind kept temperatures pleasantly below normal through mid morning Saturday.

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A10

Island Moon

August 6, 2015