Inside the Moon
Murder in Port Aransas A7
Sports A8
Spring Break Schedule A5
The
Issue 618
Island Moon
The voice of The Island since 1996
February 18, 2016
Around The Island By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com We know that we said there would be no math but…here’s a simple Island equation that summarizes last weekend: 2 sunny days + 1 Monday holiday = the number of vacant Island hotel rooms < 0. Those happy-go-lucky OTBers who showed up on The Island last weekend with no reservations hoping to pay sub-season room prices were left without a piece of the π. It’s a sign of the Island Time that our “off-season” gets shorter and more crowded as the years go passing by. After two years of cold, wet, windblown winters this winter season is more like what passes for “normal” on our little sandbar. This year the cool fronts we have had have been short lived and blow on through in a couple of days at most. The Old Farmer’s Almanac calls for slightly above average temperatures in March and little in the way of rain. That sounds like better news for we Islanders and our visitors than it does for Old Farmers who might need some rain.
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Spring Break 2016 Kicks in March 5 By Dale Rankin If weather patterns hold as predicted for the next four weeks area beaches are expected to see record crowds for Spring Break 2016.
Texas Game Wardens, and agents from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission will augment the Port Aransas Police Department.
For the past two years weather has been erratic with cold and rain in 2015 and cold but sunny conditions in 2014 when Port Aransas Police Chief Scott Burroughs said beaches saw record crowds in spite of the cool temperatures.
Lt. John Graham said he expects to send between six and fifteen agents to town early in the week leading up to Saturday March 12 when most Texas schools will recess for Spring Break. TABC agents typically wear shirts which read State Police.
“If the current weather patterns hold I would expect the biggest crowds we have ever seen,” Burroughs said.
“We will start out with six agents and a supervisor and bring in more if we need to,” Graham said.
Law enforcement officials on both ends of The Island are gearing up for Spring Break 2016 which will begin with a trickle on Saturday, March 5 and swing into high gear on Saturday, March 12.
Graham said TABC agents will concentrate primarily on Public Intoxication arrests with troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety patrolling for DUIs.
In Port Aransas officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety,
Burroughs said typically about 100 arrests per week are made during
Spring Break continued on A5
Tony Finds His Beach
Good driving
Early Voting Hours and Locations
Early Voting hours are 8-5 Tuesday, February 16- Friday, February19; 7-7 Saturday, February 20; 12-5 Sunday, February 21; 7-7 Monday, February 22- Friday, February 26.
A total of 2493 cast ballots in Nueces County on the first day of Early Voting Tuesday and 106 of them voted on Padre Island. The large majority of them voted in the Republican Primary – 88 – with 18 voting in the Democrat primary. The totals include Mail In ballots. The two Early Voting sites with the largest turnouts in the city Tuesday were the Nueces County Courthouse – 318 – where Democrats outnumbered Republicans 202-116 and, the Corpus Christi Council for the Deaf had 306 ballots cast, split almost evenly between Democrats and Republicans.
A registered voter can vote and any polling place in Nueces County during Early Voting. Island locations and main locations in the city are: SCHLITTERBAHN 14353 Commodores ELLIS MEMORIAL LIBRARY 700 W Avenue A. Port Aransas ETHEL EYERLY SENIOR CENTER 654 Graham Road Corpus Christi NUECES COUNTY COURTHOUSE (1ST FLOOR ATRIUM) 901 Leopard Street Corpus Christi CORPUS CHRISTI AREA COUNCIL FOR THE DEAF 5151 McArdle Road Corpus Christi
New Director Takes the Reigns at Seashore Leaning Center Continued Success for SLC By Brent Rourk Checking her daily itinerary, new Seashore Learning Center (SLC) Director Genger Holt welcomed another busy day filled with opportunities. She seemed familiar with her ‘To Do’ list and had already assisted students and staff in the morning as school began. She and her incredible assistant had already handled an incredible array of tasks and duties prior to my arrival at 9:00 AM.
By Ronnie Narmour
Around continued on A14
Early Voting Turnout High
Voting continued on A4
Tony Amos, Mayor Keith McMullen, Lynn Amos and City Manager Dave Parsons at the Tony Amos Beach dedication on Saturday
Our friend Don Jackson who owns Worldwinds Windsurfing at Bird Island is getting ready for his busy season in a couple of weeks when windsurfers from all over the world show up to take advantage of the weather. Bird Island is one of the top rated windsurfing spots in the world and each spring visitors arrive to camp out and enjoy their sport. They
Election 2016
It is impossible to know the number of voters in each precinct during Early Voting because voters can cast
We made a couple of drives down PINS last weekend and in spite of the warnings at the entryway found the driving conditions down to Little Shell – about sixteen miles down – to be great, once you get past the first one-hundred feet of beach at the end of the pavement which was soft axle-grabbing beach sand. There are a good number of travel trailers which look to be trapped down there by the sandy trailer trap at the entrance and will have a hard time making their way north until the wind shifts permanently to the southeast in the spring. The beach was smooth and clear all the way south with the exception of this
Island traffic jam about ten miles down where a washed-up tree forced vehicles into the deep sand and kept the sandcrabs busy pulling unsuspecting two-wheelers out of the mire. For our Winter Texan friends who have never been down there we recommend going during the week, in a four-wheel drive if you have one – and travel in packs just in case.
Live Music A16
Winter Texan Roundup A13
Every other day since April 1, 1978, Tony Amos has walked Mustang Island observing his surrounding and tabulating birds, turtles, trash, people, cars, marine life and measuring beach widths, dune erosion/accretion, sea temperature and salinity. His records provide a dynamic record of an everchanging environment. But now when Tony says, “I feel like that’s my beach” he can rest assured knowing that it now is. On Saturday Tony’s friends and family turned out while the City of Port Aransas dedicated the stretch of beach going south from Road 1 to Road 2 to the island icon to Tony with a big sign proclaiming, “Entering Tony Amos Beach. For His Years of Dedication to Port Aransas Beaches.” As a research fellow at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, Amos stays perpetually busy. It’s a good thing he only sleeps five hours a day because between his quest to collect data and his role as founder and director of the Animal Rescue Keep (ARK), a facility to aid distressed turtles and aquatic birds, this silver bearded guardian angel never slows down. It’s not uncommon to see Tony saving a baby dolphin entangled in a crab trap or chasing down a pelican with a hook in its mouth. Not to mention the astronomical number of turtles that he’s saved through the years. Amos did mention that he’s identified 270 different species of birds on this beach. Tony’s bio reads like a virtual who’s
who. His oceanographic career has spanned 47 years, first at Columbia University’s Lamont Geological Observatory before coming to UTMSI in 1976. He has participated in research expeditions to all the
Tony Amos continued on A6
Her infectious smile and positive attitude are two of her hallmarks. Her loyal devotion and support for SLC students and staff have helped jettison her initial year to success. She is determined to continue procedures and protocols that have worked and is equally committed to working collaboratively with the staff to continue to make SLC an even better school.
SLC Director Genger Holt photo by Brenbt Rourk Great Experience Working in education for many years, Genger has brought with her a wealth of experiences as a school teacher in grades 1,2,3,4,5, and 8. She also worked closely with staffs as a Teacher Advisor at four
Director continued on A4
A little Island History
Daytona 500 Began in a Hotel Room 57 Years Ago
Editor’s note: This weekend is the running of the Daytona 500 in Florida. While this story doesn’t have a direct Island connection we do have a large population of Island NASCAR fans and it is a reminder of how things that start small in a beach community can become Big Things over time. By Andy Purvis Did you hear about the train conductor who got fired because he couldn’t help but stop his train along the backstretch to watch a Martinsville stock car race? His stopping messed up the train traffic all along the entire eastern seaboard. Or the time when our guy was so mad at all the noise coming from outside his motel room that he stormed out in the wee hours of the morning demanding that it stop. What he found was future NASCAR Hallof-Famers, “Fireball” Roberts, Curtis Turner and Joe Weatherly, skinny-dipping in the motel pool. He was a storyteller all right, one
Barney Hall of the best. This guy had more tales than Will Rogers. He was genuine and as much a country boy as they were. His voice was a mixture of pure Carolina sipping whiskey with a jolt of white lightning moonshine. Add a splash of racing fuel and a squirt of motor oil and you had a delivery that was smooth enough to stand the test of
time. A broadcasting giant for over fifty years, he defined stock-car racing over the radio. If he said it, it was so. He was like listening to Vin Scully in overalls or watching Rembrandt painting you a picture from his toolbox in the pits. His soothing bass voice was more than great; it was strong enough to cut
History continued on A8
A2
February 18, 2016
Island Moon
The Travelling Moon Gets Around
Will and Ruth Dunn took the Island Moon to Makapuu Lookout on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
The Moon traveled to the Carribean on the Larry Joe Taylor Cruise with Flanny Flynn, Janet Dirmeyer, Pam Benson and Carrie Moreland.
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February 18, 2016
Letters to the Editor
Moon Monkeys Mike Ellis, Founder
Clyde
Pete Alsop Island Delivery Coldwell Banker Advertising Jan Park Rankin Classifieds Arlene Ritley Production Manager Jeff Craft Contributing Writers Joey Farah Andy Purvis
After work I went to the back door of flats lounge and I sat amongst a beautiful display of hundreds of flowers and candles alit. I talked to God. I talked to Clyde. I prayed. I left heavy hearted but I felt protected and loved. No one can answer the question why. The men were caught and they will be punished. As I stood up to leave I thanked him for being an unfaltering friend. I said see ya again one day and I wiped my tears and went home. Don't go a single day with out telling your loved ones how much you love them because you may not get a second chance. Julie Powell White
Devorah Fox
Wake
Mary Craft Maybeth Christiansen Todd Hunter Dotson Lewis Ronnie Narmour Brent Rourk Dr. Donna Shaver Photographers Miles Merwin Jeff Dolan Mary Craft Ronnie Narmour Office Security/Spillage Control (Emeritus) Riley P. Dog
Here is the image of yet another boater caught in the act of ignoring the no wake laws in front of my house. Our kids swim in the canal and so does our dog. We kayak and fish often. And we do not appreciate these idiots disregarding our safety and damaging our dock. There were no fewer than five boaters speeding through our canal this weekend and we are sick and tired of it. SLOW DOWN. If you dare to break the no wake law in front of our home, be prepared, the next picture in the Moon could be you! Michael Clark
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 361-949-7700 Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper
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On several recent nice beach days the sand road is full of people playing football, throwing Frisbees, bar b queuing; the things people come to the beach to do. The PROBLEM is that the city has created only this narrow sand road for our visitors to do these things in. A Massive safety issue has now been created. ATTENTION NORTH PADRE ISLAND BUSINESS OWNERS: when our summer visitors arrive to enjoy our beaches they will not be able to even get to the water, be able to park anywhere but in the sand road and be in fear of their children being run over. These visitors will then go down to Kleberg county beaches, PINS, or Port Aransas where their tourist dollars will be spent elsewhere. STOP THE MADNESS of THE SANDPILES. It simply makes NO SENSE
Moon, Drugs are so accessible and accepted part of culture in Port A, that this type of tragedy was always moments away. Some of the people screaming the loudest for justice are part of this culture. It is all fun and games, until someone you care about is hurt. Many of my friends and family stopped vacationing in Port A, because of petty theft. Auto being broken into, etc.
Please make some calls if you want to continue enjoying our beach:
As an outsider looking in, it appears the "real" riffraff has arrived. I am truly sorry that you folks lost a good friend.
Management Assistant: Martha Lowhon 361826-3469
Phylajanes, Alamo Heights
editor@islandmoon.com
Anyone who has attempted to enjoy our beaches from South Packery Channel south past the Michael .J Ellis seawall to access road 4 has had a problem the last several months. The city of Corpus Christi has been piling sand up at the water’s edge since last fall creating a 3-6 foot high sand berm that is 50 plus feet wide. They have scraped a road behind this berm which creates lakes when it rains. This "road" now requires constant grading as the south easterly winds blow the soft sand back into it making it impassable for an average vehicle. An average vehicle cannot possibly cross this sand berm to get to the water. It is actually difficult to even walk across it as its so high and soft. If a visitor parks on the sand road the berm is so high that the water is not even visible. Recently there have been installed "No Parking" signs along the sand road on the natural dune side of sand road. If a normal vehicle cannot cross this huge sand barrier and not park on the sand road.... where the heck are the beach visitors supposed to park?? (this after purchasing a beach parking permit) I attended an ISAC meeting in December to inquire as to what the plan was. I was told to "have patience". An ISAC member, Jay Gardner, who is with the beach advisory board contacted me via email and explained that the sand movement was to widen the beach in front of the seawall so that the bollards now in place at south end of seawall can be removed. Well as of 2-15-16 there has been NO sand placed in the pedestrian beach between the bollards nor has the sand been situated as to widen the beach in the seawall area. What’s up with that?? The giant, long, wide, visitor prohibiting sand berm simply continues to grow in height and width.
Anybody recognize this jerk?
Jay Gardner
Did Ya Hear?
What on Earth is the City Doing to Our Beach???
Distribution
Port Aransas
A3
Island Moon
Beach Maintenance & Island Parks Interim Beach Superintendent: Reba George 361-8264168 Beach Parking Permit Coordinator: Sam Armstrong 361-826-4184
Seriously Concerned, Kelly Byrom
Election It’s an election year. Early voting starts tomorrow. As a former high school government teacher I don’t have it in me not remind you to GO VOTE!!! I don’t care WHO you vote for, I don’t care if you are Democrat or Republican, Libertarian or Green Party… JUST. GO. VOTE. Let me explain my passionate for our American right to vote. This is my cousin Nick. Nick and I were very, very close. He was the first baby I ever held. We spent summers on the Texas coast playing in the sand, Christmas and 4thof July holidays together (where he slipped firecrackers in a metal coffee can under my chair). He hated all my boyfriends until Scott, he put together my kids’ toys at Christmas, and had my son rappelling off the roof at age 7…basically he was the little brother I never had. Nick struggled in school. He was dyslexic, ADHD and just plain ornery! At 19 he joined the Army. Where he had struggled in school, he excelled in the military. He was born to be a soldier. One of his first overseas deployments was with a UN peace keeping mission in Sarajevo. He couldn’t stand seeing kids there with no pencils and crayons, so he wrote home and had his mom organize the sending of school supplies for he and the other soldiers to give out to the kids. In 2005, Nick was sent on the first of two deployments to Iraq. Nick was an MP whose unit was sent to aid in the security of the first free election in Iraqi history. They literally guarded the ballots as they made their way across the country. Insurgents were determined to stop the election. Their plan was to create as much chaos
by Mary Craft mkay512@aol.com or @padreeyelander on twitter
New Advertisers Coastal Eco Blasting is a mobile dustless media blasting for surface preparation, auto or boat paint removal and concrete or brick preparation. They come to you just call 944-6080.
Business Briefs The Black Diamond Oyster Bar on NAS Drive in the Bluff is now open with a bar and dining area. They have additional outdoor seating with fruit trees providing the shade. The Back Porch in Port A will re-open on Friday, February 26th. Boathouse Bar & Grill will host the Spring Fling Arts & Craft Fair with live music on Saturday, March 5th. Interested vendors can pick up an application at the Boathouse. The Blue Crab Coastal Interiors & Gifts near Scuttlebutt’s is having their grand opening on Thursday, February 25th noon – 6 pm. There will be wine tasting and hor d’oeuvres with door prizes and grab bags. Brush and bulky items can be put out February 24 – 28. The Annual Kite Day at the Padre Island National Seashore with kite flying club members giving tips and demonstrations will be held Saturday, February 20th 10 am to 3 pm. Island Tire offers vehicle inspections for $7 and they submit them electronically. Check out their coupons in this issue for a $22.70 oil change and $19.99 A/C service and Freon.
Beach There were letters in the latest Moon responding to the POA's letter including the rules for maintaining Island properties. They pointed out that the rule that palm trees should be trimmed of brown branches was misguided, and I agree. Untrimmed trees are healthier, and their untrimmed branches droop down to form excellent habitat for birds, lizards and other creatures. I think they are sometimes more attractive than the trimmed palms that are all bare trunk and a little green at the top. I also think that where we place our garbage cans is a much less significant problem than what we do with our weeds. Certainly the out-of-towners and working people need to get at least a little slack for timing of garbage can placement. I've been aware of most if not all of these rules for the last decade. If you want to boil them down to three words, all the rules say "Don't be trashy". I would also make clear that if you spray Round Up on foot tall weeds, that is not adequate action. It turns living green weeds into even uglier dead brown ones that persist for months if not manually removed. Susan Comer
as possible in hopes of preventing the election from happening. Their hope was that fear would stop the people from voting. Terrorists attacked the convoys carrying the ballots with IED’s. This happened to one of the convoys Nick was in and he was awarded a bronze star for valor for his actions that day. He sustained a TBI, traumatic brain injury, that day, which was the first of several he experienced during his tours in Iraq. The Iraqi elections did take place in December of 2005 thanks to the efforts of the many brave men and women who fought to protect that election. My family and I were so proud that Nick was there doing his part to protect their right to vote…and ours. Many Iraqi citizens stood in line for 13+ hours for the chance to cast that first vote. I remember seeing the pictures of those ink-dyed fingers to show they had voted and the smiles on their faces. Iraqis went to the polls that day knowing they could be attacked and possibly killed. American soldiers went to the polls that day to protect democracy in a nation that was not their own. Can you imagine having to be protected by men with body armor and guns because going to vote is that dangerous?! Voter turnout here in America suffers if it happens to be raining on Election Day! Heaven forbid there be a wait. In that first, historic, dangerous election, 78 percent of Iraqis voted. Voter turnout in the 2014 November election in Texas? 38%. No danger, no guns, no need for body armor, not even bad weather…and only 38 percent of us cared enough bother. We laid Nick to rest this past August. A series of traumatic brain injuries had earned him a medical retirement from the military, but had also caused lesions on his brain. He died at 36 from a grand maul seizure resulting from these lesions. I said I don’t care who you vote for, but I guess I really do. Vote for Nick. Vote for Nick and all the young men and women, past and present, who have served, who have come home changed in unimaginable ways, who have given up so much, including their lives, to protect our right to vote. Rain or shine… I will vote in every election for the rest of my life. In their honor, in his honor. Vote. For Nick. #VoteForSgtNick God bless our family, friends, and countrymen who serve. Leslie Milder Founder Friends of Texas Public Schools lmilder@fotps.org
Beach Signs
No Parking signs - first ones ever installed, in front of the Michael Ellis Seawall. Beach Management says they are supposed to indicate no parking on the Seawall side of the packed portion of, "the beach road." Supposed to mean parking allowed only on the east/water side of the beach road. No parking up near the Seawall, nor along Seawall side of the, "road." No way I could have understood that message, from these new, first ever, No Parking signs. Beach Management is currently reviewing these signs for ambiguity, and withholding enforcement, pending clarification. Now, there are also No Parking signs on the open beach space, between South Packery Channel, and the Seawall. IF these new No Parking zones were to remain in place and be enforceable, there will be very few places to park legally on firm ground, as there is now only very soft sugar-like, dry piles of sand to nearly the water's edge. Beach Management is also talking about enforcing No Driving within 50 feet of the water, and No Parking within 25 feet of the water. That doesn't leave much legal space for vehicles, nor parking. Bob Alego
Joshua Judges Ruth A lot of folks are writing about the friendship between two so-called 'political opposites' in the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and his fellow jurist, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He a 'staunch conservative' and she a 'steadfast liberal.' Labels deserved only for simple minds. This relationship is not a matter of liberal versus conservative. It's about a meeting of great minds - and even greater humor. This truly great friendship should illustrate for us the kind of would-be leaders we, the American people, are electing. Then, we need to look at ourselves as citizens and ask, 'Are we going to elect fellow citizens who care for the good of one another - or partisans who care more about party than they do country?' Judges Scalia and Ginsburg care about country - through the joy of intellect, not the sorrow of stupidity. Michael Pearson
A4
Letters to the Editor
February 18, 2016
Island Moon
Island Moon on a Spoon
Bump Up Your Salad Game!
Beach
As someone who walks the Michael J. Ellis Beach & Seawall almost daily, I would like to offer a different opinion from the one recently expressed in The Moon by Mr. Scott Nichols. Mr. Nichols questioned the sand relocation project. I understand his concern. Since I moved to the island nine years ago I, like Mr. Nichols, have questioned the care and maintenance of our local beaches. The work seemed to be sporadic and always occurred around spring break. There did not seem to be a master plan. However, something changed a couple of months ago. It began in December when city beach crews cleaned, painted parking lines and planted palm trees in the planters at the Michael J. Ellis Beach & Seawall public parking lot. I’ve seen this before and thought I was watching the preparation for another spring break. But then the beach crews kept going. They cleaned the restrooms and the area around them every day. Next they removed the drifting sand from the seawall walking area and the dunes that had piled up against the face of the seawall. This was part of the relocated sand that Mr. Nichols referred to in his article. With the sand removed people started walking the seawall, riding bikes, pushing baby buggies, strollers and wheel chairs. This past Sunday morning I counted over 70 people on the seawall during the short time I was there. I don’t know if that is more than a year ago but I am sure the ones there had a better impression of what they saw compared to a year ago. The next project was to erect corrals along the seawall every 250 feet for the placement of trash barrels. Now the barrels are protected from being blown over and from being used as hockey pucks by a few “cowboys” as they drove their pickup trucks all over the beach. As part of this project the ramp from the parking area to the beach was extended for easier access. Then came boxes with clean-up bags and directions for the many people (including me) who walk their pets on the beach. My pet peeve
(pun intended) is people who don't clean up after their animals. Next came the “sand relocation” project that Mr. Nichols referred to in his letter. Sand was moved from the north end of the seawall south to widen the beach in front of the public parking area. This also raised the beach elevation along the waters edge and does a great job to keep the high tides controlled. Before the sand relocation high tides would roll in twice a day and leave the “ponding” mentioned by Mr. Nichols. Beach walkers would have to dodge this standing water every time they walked the beach. Since relocating the sand I have not seen one instance of “ponding” and along with it the usual mess of flotsam and debris it left behind. The beach is now self-cleaning. The most recent project was to delineate and maintain a driving lane. People now drive the beach without the worry of getting stuck. As dry as it has been lately it would be normal to see several bottomed out cars and trucks stuck in dry white sand. Now if cars will stay on the designated driving lane they can drive the beach without fear. It’s almost like they are getting more than just a clean beach in return for the $12.00 permit they must purchase to drive there. However, I think the best part of the designated driving lane is the increased safety. I now walk the beach without having to dodge cars and trucks and them me. I can only assume this will be much safer in the future for children, sunbathers and all beach goers. It’s almost like someone now has a master plan. In the past I, like Mr. Nichols, have been quick to question and criticize the care and maintenance of our local beaches. But something has changed for the better. I would encourage anyone who has not been there lately to visit the beach named in memory of Michael Ellis. I think you will be pleased. I think Mr. Ellis would be also. Terry Leber Local beach walker and island resident
Director continued from A1 different CCISD schools in addition to teaching in Australia. She has worked in a variety of schools, including Title 1 Schools, giving her a wide variety of experiences and perspectives in dealing with challenges, leadership, and school improvement. Her B.A. was in Interdisciplinary Studies and her MA was in Educational Administration. When reflecting on why she applied to SLC she responded, “The primary reason I applied at SLC is that I have lived on the island since 2001, and am happy to call it home! I moved to Taos, New Mexico, to help my dad during some health issues, and after his recovery I was eager to get back to my family and the island.”
Education Philosophy In her first year at SLC and holding to a child based philosophy in a context of promoting staff and community to engage in that support, Holt offered, “I believe each child is a unique individual who needs a secure, caring, and stimulating atmosphere in which to grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially.” One of her most pleasant surprises has been discovering the level of parental involvement. Holt stated, “I know most residents on the island have a strong sense of community, but the level of involvement and commitment shown to Seashore schools by our families has exceeded all my expectations. We have the best parents!” Holt’s path to education was constructed early in her life as she cheerfully divulged, “I was the kid in my 5th grade class who always wanted to help out, so my teacher sometimes sent me to the 1st grade to help those students. That is where my passion started.” Continuing, Holt admitted, “I took other routes to education, first working in the banking field and then raising a family, prior to becoming a teacher.” She is still a mother to two adult sons and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren.
Free Time Typically, administrators do not have tons of time to spend on hobbies or other pastimes because they devote so much time to their schools. When she finds time Holt shared, “I love to spend time with my family, especially my grandchildren. I also love to go to the beach. When I can do both at the same time – that is the best!”
Working in an Already Well Established School SLC has been one of the most successful elementary schools in the Coastal Bend for many years, and Holt plans to continue that record. Every year dynamics change, staffs, change, students change, and even TEKS change. Holt, aware of those changes, is steadfastly committed to improving the progress of all students. As the Director Holt readily gives credit to the staff of teachers that builds relationships, monitors all students, and individualizes instruction. She admits that she is committed to building relationships to support her staff. Holt is genuine, positive, and supportive as the Director and vows to support every student and staff member. Her enthusiasm poured from her as she spoke, punctuating our meeting with her goal, “I want to make a difference and to do what I love to do as long as I can.” We wish our elementary Island gem Seashore Learning continued success and hope the new Director Genger Holt has many satisfying and successful years.
By Chef Vita Jarrin With warm weather on the Island and warmer weather approaching we not only look to salads for health benefits but we also look to avoid eating heavier meals that weigh us down. However salads can get boring. Sometimes lettuce and tomatoes just don’t cut it anymore. One way to bump up your salad game is by trying different salads made from various ingredients, oils and vinaigrettes. You accomplish this by stocking your fridge and pantry with a variety of these ingredients in order to give you lots of fun options to try. Let’s talk vinegar. Most of us are accustomed to red wine vinegar, balsamic, and cider vinegars. But the variety doesn’t end there. There are white wine vinegars, as well as white balsamic. There are also many varieties of infused vinegars. Some varieties include garlic with rosemary, tarragon, oregano, etc. If you’re looking to expand your options even further, other infused varieties include fig, pear, citrus, and even hot chili peppers. Let’s not forget the importance of a good oil. I only use Extra Virgin Olive Oil in my salads. It’s not only tasty but it’s heathy. Although when buying it, it is crucial to look closely at the label on the bottle. Some say Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but they aren’t always pure olive oil. If you look closely at the small print they are blended. So you may be paying for Extra Virgin, but what you’re really paying for is a diluted olive oil. Explore the countless varieties imported from all over the world. Some come from Italy, some from Spain or Greece and each one varies in color and flavor. Therefore these varieties make each salad unique in taste. Lettuce and tomato varieties are huge in bumping up your salads as well. Don’t be afraid to try radicchio. Radicchio is a purple leafy vegetable from the chicory family that adds bitter notes to your salad that compliments the sweetness of tomatoes and the sharp notes of an onion. Instead of Romaine or Ice-burg, try mesclun greens. Other varieties include, bib lettuce, red leaf, endive, escarole, kale, arugula, frisee and a countless variety of others. Want to add a little creaminess? Well if you love cheese… you can add bleu cheese crumbles. However don’t buy the dried out crumbles in a bag. Opt for a real creamy bleu cheese, such as Boar’s Head. Or if you’re a fan of Feta, try a Bulgarian Feta cheese or French Feta. It’s important to buy and try various brands, until you find the one that works for you. Although they can get pricey the difference is night and day. Most importantly don’t limit your options out of fear, ask for samples and try new things.
Tip of the week:
If making a larger salad for a crowd, play by adding different tomatoes. Using various types and sizes, adds a little visual fun to the dish as well as flavor. Have Fun! Try New Things! Happy Eats… Enjoy!
At the Ethel Eyerly Senior Center in Flour Bluff 79 ballots were cast split almost evenly between Democrats and Republicans. At the Ellis Memorial Library in Port Aransas 35 votes were cast. Turnout in Primary Elections in Nueces County has not surpassed 15% since 2008. There are now 6963 registered voters on Padre Island according to the Nueces County Clerk, and 3032 in Port Aransas. For hours and a list of voting places in and around The Island see the list in this issue. For elderly, disabled, or limited mobility voters, Curbside Voting will be available at all early voting locations upon request by calling (361) 888-0303. Early Voting by mail is also available for voters who are 65 years of age or older, disabled, confined, or will be absent from the county on Election Day and during the early voting period. Applications to vote by mail must be received at the County Clerk’s office no later than the close of business (5 p.m.) on February 19.
Please join us for the Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Association
2016 Museum Dinner Saturday March 5th 6 o’clock in the Evening
Fun add-ins help bump up salads as well. Adding artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, fresh or cooked asparagus, pickled veggies, olives and fun ingredients such as this, gives each salad that element of surprise. Lastly, determine what you want out of your salad. Do you want it as a side? Do you want it as a one dish meal? Is this a meal you’re looking to have because you are trying to lose weight? This is very important, because the ingredients you choose answer all of these questions differently. Calories can add up very quickly if you add candied nuts, cheese as well as creamy dressings. If you’re looking to fill up on a salad as your meal you may want to top it off with a delicious piece of fish or a breast of chicken or juicy piece of filet. This salad is more satisfying and will keep you from getting hungry in the next hour. This week I am sharing my Panzanella Salad recipe. It’s creamy, crunchy, juicy and tasty! It has all of the elements described above!
House made Croutons ½ loaf ciabatta bread available at HEB Bread aisle (cut into large 1 inch cubes) ¼ C Olive Oil ½ Tsp. granulated garlic ¼ Tsp. black pepper ¼ Tsp. Salt Preheat oven at 375 while cubing bread Toss cubed bread with olive oil and spices, place on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown. Remove from oven set aside
Panzanella Salad 1 Pt. cherry tomatoes (halved) 1 Medium red onion (peeled/quartered/ sliced) 1 English cucumber (sliced in rounds) 1 Pt. Bocconcini Fresh Mozzarella balls (drained) ½ C Red Wine Garlic Infused Vinegar ¼ C Extra Virgin Olive Oil ¼ Tsp. salt ¼ Tsp. black pepper ½ Tsp. granulated sugar 5 Basil Leaves (rough chop) In a large bowl combine the above ingredients and let rest for 10 minutes. The salt will extract the tomato juices and combine with the oil and vinegar making for a tasty vinaigrette. Toss in the ciabatta croutons and add fresh basil for garnish.
Local Coast Guard Auxiliary Sets Boating Class
Voting continued from A1 ballots at any polling place in the county. On Election Day voters must vote in the precinct where they are registered.
I love my salads to have a little crunch. On a day when time is short I’ll grab a sprinkle of sunflower seeds. On a day that I can play I love to sweeten up pecans or walnuts for that extra touch.
Welcome New Members and Practice Knot Tying By Brent Rourk The Local Flotilla 7-11 of the Coast Guard Auxiliary has for many years assisted the Coast Guard in carrying out duties in the Coastal Bend. They have consistently answered the call to duty regardless of what the mission was. They continue unwavering in their support of the Coast Guard, meeting monthly at the Padre Island Yacht Club. This week new Flotilla Commander Roy Pell began an entertaining meeting that involved distributing awards and certificates, followed by reviewing classes that Auxiliarists must take. Potential new members to the flotilla were introduced along with Coast Guard guests. Member training involved practicing knots and having a knot competition among all of the attendees who learned, practiced, and perfected two different knots before competing. The Coast Guard’s ABS Boating Class will be held at Seashore Middle Academy (15437 South Padre Island Drive on North Padre Island) on February 27th from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM. The coast is $49 and includes materials and instruction in addition to donuts, coffee, and lunch.
7-11 Flotilla Commander Roy Pell presents an award to Auxiliarist John Brough. Photos by Brent Rourk
Students who successfully pass the one day course will receive their Texas Boating Certification, allowing them to drive a boat in Texas. The class includes 7 lessons designed to give students the knowledge they need to obtain
For additional information or to reserve a spot for this class, please contact Lee Tallas at 361765-3969
their certification and subsequently to promote safe boating practices on the water.
Port Aransas Community Center & Port Aransas Museum 408 North Alister Street Port Aransas, Texas Dinner • Auctions • Open Bar Tables $1,500, $1,800, $2,500* Individual Tickets $150 RSVP 361.215.3498 or nancydonley1@gmail.com
*Table Donation Includes Festivities at Farley Boat Works Friday March 4, 5:30-7:30 pm
www.portaransasmuseum.org
Auxiliarists practiced knot tying and then compete against one another
February 18, 2016
Sailing with Phil
A5
Island Moon
Cold Front in a Utopian Town
Editor’s note: San Antonio attorney, former judge, and former San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger is an avid sailor who for many years kept his boat in Port Aransas. He chronicled his sailing adventures for the San Antonio ExpressNews and we reprint this article with their permission. By Phil Hardberger We stayed a week in New Orleans, too long really. It was unspeakably hot, and was the only time on the trip that I felt we might have made a mistake coming at this time of the year. We had planned this stop as a celebratory milestone in the trip. It was Linda’s birthday, and New Orleans for all Texans symbolizes a good time, undiluted with responsibility. But the heat overcame our enthusiasm and we were glad to get underway once more. Jeff had gone home when we reached New Orleans and we were joined by Katrina Meredith, formerly of San Antonio, Linda’s good friend, and a returned Peace Corps volunteer. She is in her mid 60s, and is not a stranger to adversity. Unfortunately, we were to give her a little dose.
Mississippi Sound Moving from New Orleans to Mobile Bay involves crossing the Mississippi Sound, a portion of the Gulf of Mexico unprotected from the Gulf except for some scattered barrier islands that run east and west. Under normal summer wind conditions, a southerly wind blows across these islands, giving good protection when you are on the north side. I had seen these islands many times, both from my own airplane, but also from commercial airplanes and on the charts. I had always wanted to visit one, but this was my first opportunity. We were tired when we arrived, having already been underway for 10 hours, but we made our way to Ship Island only to find all the trees and other vegetation had been killed by the recent hurricanes. The absence of any life, human or plant, presented a bleak, melancholy prospect that was depressing. Also the seas were disturbed, and it was not the peaceful anchorage I had envisioned. Nevertheless we anchored and swam (Linda didn’t, saying wisely it was too rough). Katrina and I gave it a go, and enjoyed the cool, salt water. We ate a more or less normal dinner though occasionally you had to go chasing after your plate as it scampered from one end of the table to the other. In due time we all went to bed, and fell fast asleep. A short sleep as it turned out.
wishful memory. Katrina became seasick and spent the night with her face in a bucket making strange sounds. Linda spent the night sitting up, sleepless, and, no doubt, contemplating that her husband was an idiot. She claims that the captain (that would be me) snored the night away without a care. I dispute that however because I remember the night as being distinctly unpleasant. And, I, along with countless sailors through the ages, wished for the dawn to come, grey and shapeless as it always seems to be in such circumstances.
Fairhope Finally it did arrive, grey and shapeless as expected. The boat continued its wild gyrations, and there were no votes to hang around to see what happens. At first light we were underway again to Mobile Bay. We arrived at the utterly charming town of Fairhope, Alabama on Mobile Bay by the close of the day just as the cold front was dying. We didn’t know it then, but we were never to be really hot again on this trip. So perhaps it was worth the miserable night. We turned north at Fairhope, and for the next six weeks this was our primary direction. The rivers turn and twist, and you wind up at some point in the day going in all cardinal directions, but the sum total was north.
Utopian community On our second day in Fairhope, an attractive woman stopped by the boat and asked, “Is the Mayor aboard?” She was Sherry Stuart, formerly of San Antonio, and the daughter of prominent San Antonio attorney Henry Christopher. She married a man from Alabama and they now live in Fairhope. It was the first time I had been called Mayor since leaving San Antonio. I will own up to enjoying it. Fairhope is an interesting town. It was formed by a group of American Communists in 1894. They were seeking to build a utopian community where everyone shared their wealth, with mutual goals and an absence of conflict. They named it Fairhope. Despite these lofty goals, and high ideals, their fair hope was not realized. It didn’t work out. But all was not lost. After some years it became an artist’s colony. This did work out, and, in due time, it became a highly desirable place to live. Fairhope has a lovely location looking west across Mobile Bay, with many high-end stores and fine restaurants. Maybe not utopia, but a good looking American town.
Spring Break with half of the arrests for Public Intoxication with the second highest attributed to revelers who were ticketed the previous year and return to The Coast to find an arrest warrant waiting for them. The change in rules for a ban on alcohol on the beach is not expected to cause much change, Burroughs said, in fact he said the existing ban on beach drinking from midnight to 7 a.m. is typically only enforced two or three nights per week during the event. The Port Aransas City Council last month passed rules to make it easier to change the hours for the beach drinking ban which they may choose to do in their meeting scheduled for Thursday, February 18, possibly moving it earlier into the evening. Burroughs said policy is to ask post-midnight imbibers to pour out their drinks and if they comply are ticketed but not arrested and that policy will continue this year.
Padre Island On Padre Island CCPD told the Island Strategic Action Committee in early February they plan to use essentially the same traffic and crowd controls used in years past with beach-
Week beginning February 20 University of Chicago
Week beginning February 27
No changes are expected in beach operations south of Packery Channel but the beach in front of the Michael J. Ellis Seawall is expected to be wider as crews finish current beach maintenance work there to move sand from the area just south of Packery Channel toward the southern end of the seawall to widen the beach. City officials told the ISAC that work is scheduled to be finished by the start of Spring Break. The first schools begin their Spring Breaks on the weekend of March 5-6 with the majority of the crowd arriving the following weekend of Marchf 12-13. For a schedule of schools for Spring Break 2016 see the listing in this issue.
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Missouri Western State College Washington University University of Nebraska at Kearney
University of Florida
Cleveland State University
Rice University
Denison University
University of Michigan Flint
The College of Wooster
Ohio Northern University
The Ohio State University
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Oklahoma State University-Stillwater
Ohio University
University of Oklahoma
Week beginning March 5 Loyola University Chicago Monmouth College Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Ball State University Butler University Indiana University-Purdue University University of Notre Dame University of Southern Indiana Albion College Central Michigan University Ferris State University Grand Valley State University
8:00 AM COURTYARD SERVICE 10:00 AM SANCTUARY SERVICE YOUTH SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:00 AM
bound traffic limited to Beach Access Road 3 and allowing only southbound traffic along the beach to Zahn Road. The access road at Newport Pass will be closed. Last year due to a narrow beach north of Packery Channel parking was limited to one line of cars on the beach side, a wider beach this year may allow for more vehicles. Police officials said a temporary substation will be set up either near the entrance to Zahn Road or in the parking lot of American Bank at the intersection of State Highway 361 and SPID.
Spring Break Schedule 2016
University of Evansville
Praying for dawn By midnight the predicted cold front hit, with accompanying thunder, lightning and stronger wind. The wind switched to the northwest and now we had no protection from the island at all. The bow of the bow was falling and rising through an eight, and rolling from side to side for variety. We were never in any danger, and we were well anchored with plenty of chain scope. But it was rough as a cob, and sleep a
Spring Break continued from A1
Lansing C.C. Michigan State University Northwood University Saginaw Valley State University Siena Heights University Western Michigan University Minnesota State University Moorhead Minnesota State University-Mankato St. Cloud State University Winona State University Missouri State University Saint Louis University Bowling Green State University Case Western Reserve University Kenyon College Muskingum College Ohio Wesleyan University Shawnee State University Wittenberg University Xavier University Youngstown State University Baylor University Southern Methodist University Sam Houston State University
Week beginning March 12
University of Tulsa Abilene Christian University Del Mar College Texas A&M University Corpus Christi A&M University Lamar University Beaumont Texas Tech University Texas State University Stephen F. Austin University University of Houston The University of Texas at Austin University of Texas Arlington University of Texas El Paso University of Texas – San Antonio Trinity University San Antonio St. Mary’s University – San Antonio Sul Ross University University of Incarnate Word – San Antonio University of Houston-Main Campus University of North Texas University of Wisconsin-Green Bay University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee University of Wisconsin-River Falls University of Wisconsin-Stout University of Wisconsin-Superior
Week beginning March 19 University of Arkansas United States Air Force Academy University of Colorado at Boulder University of Colorado at Denver College of DuPage DePaul University Harper College Illinois State University Northeastern Illinois University Northwestern University Prairie State College University of Illinois at Chicago University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign
University of Denver
DePauw University
University of Northern Colorado
Kansas State University
University of Southern Colorado
Oakland University
Drake University
St. Olaf College
Iowa State University
Northwest Missouri State University
St. Ambrose University
University of Central Missouri
The University of Iowa
University of Missouri-Rolla
University of Northern Iowa
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Bradley University
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Eastern Illinois University
Kent State University
Illinois Institute of Technology
Miami University-Oxford
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Oberlin College
Southwestern Illinois College
University of Cincinnati
Western Illinois University
University of Dayton
Anderson University
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Indiana State University
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Indiana University Bloomington
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Indiana University Northwest
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Indiana University-South Bend
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Indiana U–Purdue U Indianapolis
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Purdue University
Beginning week of March 26
University of Indianapolis
Augustana College
Emporia State University
Franklin College of Indiana
Fort Hays State University
Eastern Michigan University
Pittsburg State University
University of Missouri-Columbia
University of Kansas
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Washburn University
University of Missouri-St. Louis
Calvin College
A6
February 18, 2016
Island Moon
Moon Phases, February 2016 Sun
Mon
Wed
Tue
Thu
Stuff I Heard on the Island Fri
Sat
By Dale Rankin “What are all the kids doing in the street!? We were driving down an Island street Monday and we were dodging kids on bicycles and kids with dogs and kids with parents. “They’re out of school and they can’t play in the parks,” someone said, “The stickers will eat them up.” I live down the street from Aquarius Park and I can count on one hand the number of people and dogs I have seen using it, other than the basketball court, on one hand. We have abundant and handy parkland on our Island but for the most part it is all unusual. You can tell the Island kids because they are the only ones that take off their shoes to play in the street and put them on to play in the park.
Tides of the Week Tides for Bob Hall Pier February 18 - 25 2016
Th F Sa Su M Tu 23 W Th
Day
High /Low
Tide Time
18 18 19 19 20 20 20 21 21 21 21 22 22 22 22 23 23 High 23 24 24 24 24 25 25 25 25
Low 5:40 AM High 2:51 PM Low 6:38 AM High 3:26 PM Low 7:29 AM High 3:52 PM Low 9:16 PM High 12:03 AM Low 8:15 AM High 4:08 PM Low 9:35 PM High 1:09 AM Low 8:56 AM High 4:17 PM Low 9:56 PM High 2:09 AM Low 9:33 AM 4:25 PM 1.0 Low 10:17 PM High 3:06 AM Low 10:08 AM High 4:35 PM Low 10:38 PM High 4:04 AM Low 10:40 AM High 4:47 PM Low 11:01 PM
Height in Feet
Sunrise Moon Time Sunset
-0.5 1.4 -0.5 1.3 -0.5 1.2 0.9 1.0 -0.3 1.2 0.8 1.0 -0.2 1.1 0.7 1.0 -0.1
7:04 AM Set 3:50 AM 6:22 PM Rise 2:57 PM 7:03 AM Set 4:41 AM 6:23 PM Rise 3:52 PM 7:02 AM Set 5:27 AM 6:23 PM Rise 4:47 PM
76
7:01 AM Set 6:10 AM 6:24 PM Rise 5:42 PM
96
7:00 AM Set 6:49 AM 6:25 PM Rise 6:35 PM
99
0.6 1.0 0.1 1.0 0.5 1.0 0.3 0.9 0.4
Moon Visible
84 91
6:59 AM Set 7:26 AM 99 6:25 PM Rise 7:28 PM
6:58 AM Set 8:01 AM 6:26 PM Rise 8:19 PM
98
6:57 AM Set 8:36 AM 6:27 PM Rise 9:10 PM
96
Port Aransas enjoys a beautiful city complex of ball fields, parks, and a dog park but inside the Corpus Christi City Limits such amities are rarities and that doesn’t look to change anytime soon. But complaining that “somebody” ought to do something isn’t going to help us much. Our city
has been very honest in saying that taxpayers don’t have the money for improvement the parks; Billish Park is the lone exception assuming that the bond money earmarked for improvements there happens. In fact the funds to maintain city parks are so low that in the last bond election was an item to sell nineteen city parks around town due to lack of funding for their upkeep. If Island parks are going to get improved it will be because we Islanders organized and got it done ourselves; otherwise if we keep doing what we are doing we are going to keep getting what we are getting. When the developers built out The Island they were required to set aside the parkland that we have, making it unlikely it will ever be sold like parks in other parts of town. But as long as the parks are in their current condition it doesn’t make much difference whether they are there or not because no one can use them. The city does have a protocol for neighborhoods to adopt their parks and that looks to be the only way the kids will ever be able to use them without their shoes on.
BBB launches site to help new businesses in Texas BBB offers help for small businesses with Small Business Help Center By Kelly Trevino, Regional Director, Coastal Bend Better Business Bureau Starting a new business can be a daunting prospect, but BBB is here to help with tips, resources and advice on navigating the complex process. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses employ about 56 million of the nation’s private workforce, and account for more than half of all U.S. sales. In the State of Texas, a total of 165,026 businesses were formed last year, an almost 5 percent increase from 2014, according to the Texas Secretary of State. In order to run a successful small business, you need to learn about your customers, competitors and the economic conditions in your industry. The SBA offers data and information on businesses, including economic indicators, employment statistics and income and earnings of your customers and competitors. Better Business Bureau serving Central, Coastal, Southwest Texas and the Permian Basin launched BBB Small Business Help Center, a website that includes tips and resources for new and established small businesses. Included on the site is information needed to get your business started, such as the financing and licenses needed. BBB also includes resources needed for finding a location for your business, as well as tips to help you market your business. One of the first decisions to make when starting a business is to decide on a business structure. To start a business in Texas, you will need a Federal Identification Number (FIN) – unless you are a sole proprietorship – so you must file Form SS-4 with the IRS. You may be required to register your business with the Texas Secretary of State, and some types of businesses or industries require a license, permit or certification.
Once you have taken all the steps to register your business with the state, you will want to learn how to market your business to your customers. Marketing your business includes establishing your unique brand in the marketplace, which should separate you from the competition. BBB’s Small Business Help Center includes tips for marketing your business, including social media best practices and creating a website. As your business grows, developing and implementing a marketing plan will help you understand your target market, maintain a budget and stay on track throughout the year. One great way to market your business is by networking and meeting other business owners in your industry or field of expertise. BBB also offers resources for educational and training opportunities available to small business owners and employees. For more information about starting a business and state requirements, go to bbb.org/centraltexas or Texas.gov. For the latest news and information, follow us on watchyourbuck.com, Facebook and Twitter. To check out a company and find trustworthy businesses, visit bbb.org. Find other news story topics by visiting our Press Release News Center. ABOUT BBB®: For more than 100 years, Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2014, people turned to BBB more than 165 million times for BBB Business Reviews on more than 4.7 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at bbb.org. BBB serving Central, Coastal, Southwest Texas and the Permian Basin, which serves 79 counties in Texas, is one of 113 local, independent BBBs across North America.
Tony Amos continued from A1
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world’s oceans and many of its seas, including 35 cruises to the Antarctic and five to the Artic. He is a holder of the US Antarctic Service Metal. In Texas, Amos has studied several aspects of near-shore and bay estuarine processes (circulation, currents, hydrography, and tides) and has conducted a long-term study of the barrier island beaches which is now in its 31st year. To date, 4,200 separate surveys have been conducted on Mustang Island and 520 on San Jose Island. In addition, over 500 separate surveys have been made specifically to assess the marine debris problem. Amos has served on the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council Marine Board Committees on Marine Debris in 1993 and 2008, and various EPA, MMS and other committees on the marine debris problem.
He is a member of the New York Academy of Science, the American Geophysical Union, the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network, and a Honorary Lifetime Member of the Texas Marine Educators Association. In 1996, Amos was selected as one of the “Texas Twenty” by Texas Monthly Magazine for his work on the environment. The dedication on Saturday was attended by many members of the community including Mayor Keith McMullen, City Manager Dave Parsons and many of the current volunteers at the ARK. Tony’s wife Lynn was also in attendance, in which Amos exclaimed, “I couldn’t have done it without her.” Tony still walks the beach, the difference now is that to get there he will pass a sign with his name on it.
361-949-1900
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February 18, 2016
A7
Island Moon
Seashore Kids Star at UIL Competition Seashore Learning Center had twenty-two students compete in the University Interscholastic League Competition in Kingsville on Saturday, February 13th. They brought home fourteen awards placing in Ready Writing, Creative Writing, Number Sense, Chess Puzzles, and Spelling. We are proud of our students that participated in this event! They are: Elizabeth Colton, Elly Denton, Dane Munoz, Shane Ciardelli, Alex Wettach, Alex Smith, Cedric Vial-Nadeau, Jack Warbiany, Rylie Hernandez, Morgan Owen, Lillianna Garcia, Aislinn Navarro, Erin Harl, Leah Thomas, Berlin Swain, Ainsley Rhea, Anna Loria, Isabella Skinner, Charlotte Welker, Elizabeth Banda, Ocean Williams, and Ruth Welker.
Police Blotter Homicide in Port Aransas
Scammin’ Time of Year
Port Aransas resident Clyde Leonard, 44, was stabbed to death inside the Flats bar at 801 Tarpon St. in Port Aransas just after 10 p.m. Sunday night. Witnesses gave a description of the car the two suspect fled in and they were arrested while crossing the ferry.
As tax time approaches, the Corpus Christi Police Dept. is warning taxpayers of an IRS phone scam that circulates during filing season. CCPD regularly receives reports from people who allege they have received calls from scammers impersonating IRS agents.
The men Xavier Torres and Dimalier Rosado, were both charged with murder and had their bond set at half a million dollars each. At the hearing Torres spoke through an interpreter and told the judge he needs to communicate with his family in Puerto Rico in order to get an attorney..Rosado, who also needed an interpreter, told the judge he had money for an attorney.
Although this scam isn’t new CCPD is again warning about this phone scam, stating the agency has seen a surge in reports of threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents. IRS impersonators make threats of arrest, deportation and license revocation if they don’t receive immediate payment. The scammers then instruct the taxpayer to put money on a prepaid debit card or send payment via wire transfer. The IRS scam is currently trending on the BBB Scam Tracker, an online service that allows consumers to see types of scams being reported throughout the U.S. and read details of the scam. Consumers can view scams by state, by type of scam and dollar amount lost. Consumers can also use BBB Scam Tracker to report scam calls and offers they receive.
Around continued from A1 leave behind the evidence of their passing by writing their city of origin on the totem pole. Even if you are not a windsurfer it’s a great place to get out and enjoy the water.
CVS and Kleberg County
CCPD offers this advice to avoid getting scammed:
We got a visit from our friend Sandy Bill this week who informed us that contrary to popular belief the CVS in CVS Pharmacy this week does not stand for Consumer Value Stores as advertised but Cheap Valentine Stuff. “I spent three dollars and bought enough chocolate to put pimples on Tony Bennet,” Sandy Bill said.
Fatal Accident on Park Road 22
He also made a swing through the wilds of Kleberg County where he swears he went to an ice house that had a sign that said Not Smoking Not Allowed!
One person died from injuries Sunday after a head-on collision Saturday near Padre Island National Seashore, Department of Public Safety officials said.
“I want to be buried in Kleberg County so I can remain active in politics,” he said. Sometimes we think when Sandy Bill was a wee lad someone threw him up in the air and forgot to catch him.
About 1:25 p.m. Saturday a man drove a Dodge Ram pickup south on Park Road 22, Trooper Nathan Brandley said. The pickup was traveling in the northbound lane and hit a Nissan Sentra head-on.
We are only a few weeks from Spring Break 2016 so it’s time to stock up on charcoal, beverages, and Howlin’ Wolf records. Get ready everybody because it won’t be long before they come OTB like a hoard of hotdog-seeking zombies looking for a Lobster Tan; we’ll see you at the Ski Basin. In the meantime say hello if you see us Around The Island.
Send photos and letters to editor@islandmoon.com
* Look out for “spoofing”. Part of scammers tactics include spoofing, which happens when the caller masks their own number and causes the number of a well-known service, like the IRS, to appear on caller ID. Also, the caller might give a badge number and know the last four digits of your Social Security number. * Write down details. If you do get a call and are unsure, write down the phone number and name of the caller. * Protect your personal information. Don’t provide any account number or other financial information over the phone. * Know your rights. The IRS doesn’t request for prepaid debit cards or wire transfer payments, and will not ask for a credit card number over the phone. The IRS contacts taxpayers by mail.
Brandley said two people were in the Nissan Sentra. The driver of the pickup and the people in the Nissan Sentra were taken to Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial in critical condition Saturday.
* Don’t be bullied. Never trust callers who use threats and hostility to push you into doing what they want. Be skeptical of what a caller claims he or she can do if you refuse to meet their demand.
One of the people in the Nissan Sentra died Sunday, Brandley said. Brandley did not have immediate information on the people’s ages or what may have caused the driver of the pickup to drive the wrong way on the road. The driver of the pickup and the other person in the Nissan Sentra remained at the hospital Sunday and their condition is unknown, Brandley said.
* Hang up and report it. If you’re unsure if the call is real, contact the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040 or go to irs. gov. You can also file a complaint with your local BBB, or CCPD
Stolen Credit Card Used on The Island
Fatal Accident in Flour Bluff February 12 2:40 a.m. 10000 State Highway 358 West Fatal Crash
The Island's
A 23 year old Robstown man was killed in a single car crash on South Padre Island Drive near Stone Street.
Edge Salon
Officers arrived and found the 2014 Dodge Charger wedged where the underside of the ramp from Naval Air Station Drive and the westbound freeway lanes of State Highway 358 connect. A crash investigation by traffic officers determined that the driver of the vehicle was traveling westbound at a high rate of speed when he lost control, and veered off of the roadway and crashed. The Nueces County Medical Examiner responded to the scene and pronounced the driver dead.
949-0794
Investigating Officers do believe alcohol was a factor in this fatal crash.
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Police Calls
Above is the image of a person used a credit card that was reported stolen in a burglary. The burglary occurred on 02/09/2016 and the credit card was used a short time later at an Island convenience store.
The Corpus Christi Police Department responded to 868 calls for service and generated 212 reports for formal criminal complaints from 7:00 a.m. February 11 to 7:00 a.m. on February 12, 2016.
If you recognize this person or if you have information about this case please call the Corpus Christi Police Criminal Investigations Division at 886-2840. Anyone who would like to keep their identity secret and provide information to the Detectives should call Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS (8477) or submit the tip online at http://www.888TIPS.com. Information provided to Crime Stoppers which results in an arrest may earn the caller a cash reward.
The Corpus Christi Police Department responded to 979 calls for service and generated 213 reports for formal criminal complaints from 7:00 a.m. February 14 to 7:00 a.m. on February 15, 2016. 14500 block SPID 1:03 a.m. February 15 Driving While Intoxicated 2nd Offense 14500 block SPID 4:55 a.m. February 9 Credit Card Abuse
Don’t Do This February 12
Keep Port Aransas Beautiful and The City of Port Aransas Parks and Recreation Dept. present
Dr. Liz Smith
of the International Crane Foundation
Why Our Communities Care about Whooping Cranes
Tuesday, February 23, 2016 Community Center 7:00 pm
15300 block Mutiny Court 8 p.m. February 8 Burglary of a Motor Vehicle
1:40 a.m. 4800 Ayers Street Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle
15300 block Mutiny Court 5:13 p.m. February 9 Burglary of a Motor Vehicle
A 30 year old man had his car stolen when he left it running to go inside a convenience store located at 4817 Ayers Street. Officers arrived and were told by the man that he left his 1984 Cadillac Eldorado running with the keys in the ignition while he went inside the gas station. The vehicle was parked unattended at one of the gas pumps.
15200 block Cruiser 2:42 a.m. February 9 Assault with injury 15300 block SPID 10 a.m. February 10 Assault with Injury 15200 block Windward 3:38 a.m. February 9 Assault with injury
After entering the store the man saw a male suspect wearing a beanie get into his vehicle and drive off.A short time later Officers found the vehicle abandoned in the 3100 block of Sacky Drive.The car was returned to the owner and at this time Officers continue to investigate as to who may have taken the car.
Beach Marker 197 8 p.m. February 15 Assault with injury 15200 block Windward 10:55 p.m. February 15 Burglary of a coin operated machine
Conserving Whooping Crane Habitat
DR. LIZ SMITH, WHOOPING CRANE CONSERVATION BIOLOGIST Liz recently joined the International Crane Foundation (ICF) as the Whooping Crane Conservation Biologist in Texas. Liz’s research includes sea-level rise and storm surge effects on coastal habitat change, and promoting community advocacy for conservation planning and coastal protection. These efforts are being undertaken with the specific goal of ensuring quality wintering habitat for the Whooping Crane as its populations continue to increase.
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February 18, 2016
Island Moon
SPORTS History continued from A1
Sports Talk
February 9th Was the Birthday of The Best Team Game Ever. By Dotson Lewis Special to the Island Moon Dotson’s Note: In my opinion, Volleyball is by far the best team sport that has ever been invented. The game was first played, February 9, 1895. My dad was almost two years old (DOB February 18, 1893) when the first game of Volleyball (originally called Mintonette) was played in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The game was created by William G. Morgan. Here are some facts regarding the best game in town (or any place). Wikipedia provided many of the facts in this article, and thanks to the information super-highway, the Internet.
the 1996 Summer Olympics. Volleyball is also a sport at the Paralympics managed by the World Organization Volleyball for Disabled. Nudists were early adopters of the game with regular organized play in clubs as early as the late 1920s. By the 1960s, a volleyball court had become standard in almost all nudist/naturist clubs.
Volleyball in the Olympics The history of Olympic volleyball traces back to the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, where volleyball was played as part of an American sports demonstration event. After the foundation of FIVB and some continental confederations, it began to be considered for official inclusion. In 1957, a special tournament was held at the 53rd IOC session in Sofia, Bulgaria to support such request. The competition was a success, and the sport was officially included in the program for the 1964 Summer Olympics. The Olympic volleyball tournament was originally a simple competition: all teams played against each other team and then were ranked by wins, set average, and point average. One disadvantage of this round-robin system is that medal winners could be determined before the end of the games, making the audience lose interest in the outcome of the remaining matches. To cope with this situation, the competition was split into two phases with the addition of a "final round" elimination tournament consisting of quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals matches in 1972. The number of teams involved in the Olympic tournament has grown steadily since 1964. Since 1996, both men's and women's events count twelve participant nations. Each
William G. Morgan Volleyball On February 9, 1895, in Holyoke, Massachusetts (USA), William G. Morgan, a YMCA physical education director, created a new game called Mintonette as a pastime to be played (preferably) indoors and by any number of players. The game took some of its characteristics from tennis and handball. Another indoor sport, basketball, was catching on in the area, having been invented just ten miles (sixteen kilometers) away in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, only four years before. Mintonette was designed to be an indoor sport, less rough than basketball, for older members of the YMCA, while still requiring a bit of athletic effort.
of the five continental volleyball confederations has at least one affiliated national federation involved in the Olympic Games. The U.S.S.R. won men's gold in both 1964 and 1968. After taking bronze in 1964 and silver in 1968, Japan finally won the gold for men's volleyball in 1972. Women's gold went to Japan in 1964 and again in 1976. That year, the introduction of a new offensive skill, the
The first rules, written down by William G Morgan, called for a net 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) high, a 25 ft × 50 ft (7.6 m × 15.2 m) court, and any number of players. A match was composed of nine innings with three serves for each team in each inning, and no limit to the number of ball contacts for each team before sending the ball to the opponents' court. In case of a serving error, a second try was allowed. Hitting the ball into the net was considered a foul (with loss of the point or a side-out)—except in the case of the first-try serve. After an observer, Alfred Halstead, noticed the volleying nature of the game at its first exhibition match in 1896, played at the International YMCA Training School (now called Springfield College), the game quickly became known as volleyball (it was originally spelled as two words: "volley ball"). Volleyball rules were slightly modified by the International YMCA Training School and the game spread around the country to various YMCAs
Refinements and Later Developments Pictured above Japanese-American women are playing volleyball, in the Manzanar internment camp in California in 1943. Twenty-one years later, in 1964, the Japanese women’s Volleyball team won the first women’s Olympic volleyball championship. The first official ball used in volleyball is disputed; some sources say that Spalding created the first official ball in 1896, while others claim it was created in 1900. The rules evolved over time: in the Philippines by 1916, the skill and power of the set and spike had been introduced, and four years later a "three hits" rule and a rule against hitting from the back row were established. In 1917, the game was changed from 21 to 15 points. In 1919, about 16,000 volleyballs were distributed by the American Expeditionary Forces to their troops and allies, which sparked the growth of volleyball in new countries. The first country outside the United States to adopt volleyball was Canada in 1900. An international federation, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), was founded in 1947, and the first World Championships were held in 1949 for men and 1952 for women. The sport is now popular in Brazil, in Europe (where especially Italy, the Netherlands, and countries from Eastern Europe have been major forces since the late 1980s), in Russia, and in other countries including China and the rest of Asia, as well as in the United States. Beach volleyball, a variation of the game played on sand and with only two players per team, became a FIVB-endorsed variation in 1987 and was added to the Olympic program at
through the endless noise of a racetrack, without his having to yell. For him, every race was like reading a bedtime story to NASCAR nation. “I learned a long time ago, listen to the fans,” said NASCAR Hall of Fame broadcaster, Barney Hall. “If you do what makes them happy, you’re pretty much okay. If not, ain’t nobody happy.” I found it very interesting that Barney Hall credited his ticket to success to listening to the fans when millions of them, who would never see a live race, listened to him every week during the NASCAR season.
Moonshine beginnings Barney Hall was born in Elkins, North Carolina, on June 24, 1932. Elkins, a small town of about 4,000, is located smack-dab in the hills of Wilkes County, where the moonshiners drove the cars that birthed the sport of stock car racing. These men worked their farms and made white lightning during the day and built their cars in the sheds at night. Thunder Road was for real, and their ability to run moonshine out of the hills of North Carolina into the eastern part of the state made it possible for them to survive. Barney got his radio training while serving four years in the United States Navy. After he was dismissed from the service, Hall took a job in his hometown of Elkin working as a disc jockey for WIFM-FM radio for the next 13 years. In 1970, Barney became a part of the first group of announcers to help create the Motor Racing Network, (MRN). His first assignment was as a turn announcer, before he eventually moved into the broadcast booth for good. Barney Hall broadcast his first Daytona 500 in 1960, and he became the first public address announcer at Bristol Motor Speedway, in 1961. Hall was behind the microphone for many thrilling moments in Daytona 500 history. The race was created in a hotel room in Daytona, Florida, 57 years ago. After 200 laps, the inaugural race of 1959 ended with a win by Lee Petty (father of Richard), as he outraced Johnny Beauchamp to the finish line. In 1960, “Junior” Johnson made use of what is now referred to as “drafting,” to win the race in a slower car. The field that day counted 68 cars in the race, the most ever in Daytona 500 history.
First live race broadcast ended with a brawl in Turn 3 The 1979 race was broadcast live on CBS, for the first time on national television. This telecast introduced in-car and low-level trackside cameras. A final lap crash and fight between leaders Cale Yarborough and brothers, Donnie and Bobby Allison, brought national attention to NASCAR. Donnie Allison was leading the race on the final lap with Yarborough drafting him. As Yarborough attempted to slingshot past him at the end of the backstretch, Allison attempted to block him down low. Yarborough refused to give ground and as he pulled alongside Allison, his left-side tires left the pavement and went into the wet and muddy infield grass. Yarborough lost control of his car and slammed into Allison’s car halfway down the backstretch. Both drivers tried to regain control. Their cars made contact several more times before locking together and crashing into the outside wall, at turn three. Donnie and Cale
got out and began to argue, when Bobby Allison pulled over to protect his brother. A fight broke out as Richard Petty, who was over a half lap behind at the time, went on to win the race, while the brawl continued in turn three. And in 1998, Dale Earnhardt finally won the Daytona 500, after 20 years of mechanical problems, crashes and other misfortunes had prevented him from winning the race. After his victory, an excited Earnhardt drove slowly down pit road as members of the other racing teams lined up to give him handshakes and high-fives. It was quite a sight. Barney Hall’s final broadcast occurred on July 5, 2014, at the Daytona International Speedway, where he called the Coke Zero 400. Hall worked all but three Daytona 500s in his 54-year career. No matter where your car was parked in the garage, you got a fair shake from Barney Hall. Legendary race car driver, Richard Petty, said, “He was our voice and our friend. He will be missed.”
Texas Motor Speedway In April, 1997, I traveled to Fort Worth as a guest with several employees of Andrews Distributing, the local Corpus Christi, Texas, Miller Brewing Company franchise. We attended the very first running of the Texas Motor Speedway. We had seats in a suite and as was his custom, Barney Hall came by to greet everyone. It was here that I shook the man’s hand. I had no idea how important he would become to NASCAR. We all pulled for Rusty Wallace in the #2 Miller Lite car, but Jeff Burton won that day. I also discovered scanners. These are headphones that you can rent that allow you to hear the conversations between the crew chiefs to the drivers and spotters. It puts you right in the car. In 2007, Hall was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame and also received the Bill France Award of Excellence. In 2012, Hall and Ken Squier (television broadcaster) became the first to receive the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. Hall was also inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame that same year. The 58th running of the Daytona 500 starts on Sunday, February 21, 2016, at the Daytona International Speedway. This race will be missing three well-known personalities: Tony Stewart, who lies in a hospital bed suffering from a spine injury, will be replaced by Brian Vickers in the #14 car; Jeff Gordon who decided last year to retire, will be on hand in the broadcast booth; and the voice of The Great American Race, Barney Hall, who left us Tuesday, February 26, 2014, for that big race track in the sky. They will be missed. Barney Hall suffered from several medical issues in his later years. Hall died at the age of 83, of complications from surgery. He was survived by his wife of 35 years, Karen Carrier. 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.
We now have Gluten Free Pizza! backrow attack, allowed Poland to win the men's competition over the Soviets in a very tight five-set match. Since the strongest teams in men's volleyball at the time belonged to the Eastern Bloc, the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics did not have as great an effect on these events as it had on the women's. The U.S.S.R. collected their third Olympic Gold Medal in men's volleyball with a 3–1 victory over Bulgaria (the Soviet women won that year as well, their third gold as well). With the U.S.S.R. boycotting the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the U.S. was able to sweep Brazil in the finals to win the men's gold medal. Italy won its first medal (bronze in the men's competition) in 1984, foreshadowing a rise in prominence for their volleyball teams. The 1984 women's tournament was also won by a rising force, China. At the 1988 Games, Karch Kiraly and Steve Timmons led the U.S. men's team to a second straight gold medal, and the Soviets won the fourth gold in the women's tournament... In the 2008 Games, the USA beat Brazil in the men's volleyball final. In both the 2008 and 2012 games Brazil's women team beat the United States for the gold medal. Dotson’s Other Note: I was an avid competitive volleyball player for more than 30 years. To toot my own horn: In 1968 a sports column in the European edition of The Stars & Stripes (the Armed Forces newspaper) stated in part “when he came to the 3rd Infantry Division in 1965, Dotson (Red) Lewis was ranked as one of the best volleyball players in the country.” That was a very flattering statement, I could play the game, but I don’t believe that I was never ranked that high as a player. I was very fortunate to coach the All-Army team which had a number of “All-American” players on the team and a least one player (not I) who in the 1960’s was ranked “All-World.” I believe that if more people understood the finer points of the game it would be a top ranked spectator sport. The game is ideally suited for television. If you would like to witness some thrilling matches, attend some of the local high school and/or college contests. These days many of my friends (males for the most part) are addicted to watching beach volleyball. For your information, it is coming to the Island University next season. Your comments, suggestions, questions and concerns regarding Sports Talk articles are greatly appreciated, please call the Benchwarmers at 361-560-5397 weekdays, Mondays thru Fridays, 5-8 p.m. or contact me. Phone: 361-949-7681 Cell: 530748-8475 Email: dlewis1@stx.rr.com
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February 18, 2016
Go Fly a Kite on Kite Day 2016 at Padre Island National Seashore!
Island Moon
Winter Texans' Big Catch
A9
The skies over Padre Island National Seashore will be full of kites on Saturday, February 20th on Go Fly A Kite Day. The event takes to the skies at 10 a.m. and comes back to earth at 3 p.m. at the Malaquite Beach Visitor’s Center at Padre Island National Seashore. Join in on the fun and help us celebrate 100 years of the National Park Service. The first 200 kids can make their own specialedition NPS Centennial kite for free. Please note that there will be an entrance fee to the park with these options: • $10.00 entrance fee per car load (good for 7 days) • $20.00 annual fee per car load
• Free Annual 4th Grade Pass – available to U.S. 4th graders (including home-schooled) with a valid Every Kid in a Park paper pass • Free Annual Pass for active U.S. Military members and dependents • Senior Pass - $10 Lifetime Pass –U.S. citizens age 62 or over
Dear Editor: We had the pleasure of having some of our family come visit with us this past week. Great grandpa, Grandpa, Grandson, and Great Grandson went fishing with our guide, Capt. Cameron Czar. We caught many drum, speckled trout, and whiting. Highlight was when great grandson caught a 39 inch black drum that weighed 40 lbs.
Fishing party: Great Grandpa LeRoy Esau, Hutchinson, Ks Grandpa
Mike Esau, Hutchinson Ks.
Grandson
Matt Esau, Rochester, Mn.
Great Grandson Harrison Esau, Rochester, Mn
Beach Cleaning
Islander and chocolate lover Harvey Chisholm celebrated her 101st birthday surrounded by many friends. Happy birthday Harvey.
Photo by Steve Coons
The Friday Fish Fry at St. Andrew by the Sea Catholic Church hosted a full house last week. The event continues this Friday.
Work on the road leading to Doc’s and Snoopy’s is underway and scheduled to be finished by Spring Break (2016).
Deano Fabrie and volunteers for the annual beach cleanup in Port A
Randy Thompson Benefit Hundreds of folks turned out this past Saturday at a benefit for Randy Thompson at Norma and Roland Hyatt’s home on Rodd Field. Roland is undergoing cancer treatments. His friends turned out quite a crowd for spaghetti plates and a silent auction benefitting Randy. Best of Luck to Randy as his battle continues. Photo by Miles Merwin.
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Island Moon
February 18, 2016