Inside the Moon
Beach Babe A4
Fishing A7
Moon over Mumansk A11
The
Issue 586
Island Moon
Around The Island By Dale Rankin
Photo by Miles Merwin
Free
Weekly
The voice of The Island since 1996
July 9, 2015
FREE
Photo by Mary Craft
Island Blast Fireworks Show Plays to Record Crowd
editor@islandmoon.com
By mid-morning Sunday outbound traffic was backed up on State Highway 361 past Port Royal at the Port Aransas City Limits. We include a number of beach shots in this issue as well as traffic counts from the counters which were placed at strategic spots on Island roads over the holiday weekend. It somehow reminds us of the admonition from an old postcard The Weather is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful…or something like that.
No Le Icey For the third week in a row we had an acute ice shortage on The Island. The ice supply at the Stripes stores draws tourists like bees to honey and by early afternoon the sweltering island is iceless. Things start to get desperate as beachgoers with rodeo cool twelvepacks go into overdrive from store to store searching for the ice nectar. The alternative is to drive back OTB but the traffic is an hour wait. It’s a dilemma not for the faint of heart. Warm beer or traffic… it’s the stuff folk songs are made of friends. One hint; try Sonic.
Death by cellphone The fellow at the WB Liquor store said he didn’t see a local all weekend. When the locals stop turning up at the liquor stores you know something is afoot. We all have our ways of dealing with the Big Tourist Weekends on our little sandbar. The best way to judge how long it is going to take you to get a taco on busy Island weekends is to try and get online with your cellphone. If it takes more than thirty seconds you probably only have one band of connectivity which means a taco line of somewhere between fifteen and twenty minutes. If you can’t get online with your phone forget about it; go tacoless. Take the backway across Aquarius to CVS and get some cold cuts and head for the Ski Basin. It’s just one tool in the Island Survival Kit. If you find the present tense, read the Moon and relax everybody; and say hello if you see us Around The Island.
55,000 Vehicles in one day!
Island Roads Staggered by Holiday Traffic
By Dale Rankin
Islanders – it is now safe to come out of your homes. Never was there ever a more resounding example of the old Island truism What Happens on The Island leaves on Sunday than 4th of July, 2015 as the Island diaspora headed OTB en masse. The consensus of folks who have lived on The Island for decades is that last weekend was by far the most crowded our beaches have ever been. From the sticks at the north end of PINS to the South Jetty in Port Aransas it would have been might near impossible to shoehorn another car onto our beaches. A flyover of Port Aransas and a shot from the top of the Holiday Inn on Padre show last weekend's crowd to be the largest ever. By early Friday afternoon traffic was at a crawl from the SPID/ Commodores intersection to Port Aransas and by Saturday afternoon it was backed up over the top of the JFK Causeway and from midafternoon Friday through Sunday noon the beaches were door to door and shoulder to shoulder. Even the beaches at the far southern reaches of Kleberg County and to the beach just north of Fish Pass (which is accessible only from the north side and usually sparsely populated) were full. Maybe it was due to pent up demand for beach time due to the rainy spring, or maybe it’s just the new normal hereabouts due to growth in the feeder markets; either way our roads and beaches were jammed in a way we haven’t seen before.
Live Music A18
More than 55,000 vehicles crossed the JFK Causeway last Saturday, July 4, according to a traffic count done by the local district office of the Texas Department of Transportation. The JFK Causeway is the primary gateway to 100 miles of public beach from the southern end of Padre Island National Seashore, north to Port Aransas; one of the longest stretches of public beach in the United States accessed by only a single, twolane bridge. In contrast the three lane Harbor Bridge over the Corpus Christi Ship Channel has an average traffic flow of 50,000 vehicles per day.
The third edition of the Island Blast 4th of July fireworks show took the skies Saturday and lasted for just over half an hour as thousands of spectators took to their decks, lined Whitecap Boulevard, and beached their boats along the main canal creating the largest crowd ever to watch. The show is the creation of Islanders Sharon and Jerry Watkins who three years ago conceived the idea and began collecting donations to fund the $15,000 necessary to put on the show. “We want to thank the Islanders who for the past three years have donated the money it takes to put this show on,” Jerry Watkins said, “Every dollar
we collect goes to the show and we are already beginning to collect for next year.” Donations can be dropped off at the Padre Isles Property Owners Association office. Watkins said next year he is looking at expanding the event to include an Island event on July 4 before the fireworks show. “We’re looking to do an even bigger event next year, we would like to have some sort of an event leading up to the fireworks and are looking for a location that will allow us to do that, whether it is at the current location or somewhere else on The Island. We want to grow this event into something great for The Island.”
Update on Island Projects
Water Exchange Bridge to be Ready for Bids in 90 Days
By Dale Rankin City staffers told the Island Strategic Action Committee Tuesday they expect to hold a public hearing to review plans for the planned Park Road 22/SPID Water Exchange Bridge in September and put the project out for bids within 90 days. The bridge, with a current estimated cost of $8 million, will connect Lake Padre on the east to the existing Island canal system on the west through a 40-foot wide channel under the SPID/Park Road 22 roadway and,
according to current plans, would include two 40-foot wide pedestrian/ cart paths, one on each side of the water channel. The city is awaiting a final Environmental Assessment clearance from the Army Corps of Engineers which, they said is expected in the next few weeks, before scheduling the public hearing which is required by Texas Department of Transportation rules before the project can to bids,
Projects continued on A6
A little Island History
Even in 1776 Freedom Had a Cost Editor’s note: This item is a week late since it relates to United States independence. Since it happened 239 years ago we figured one week would make any difference. We thank readers John and Mary Anne Tucker and Micki Walls for sending it along.
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the
JFK Causeway / SPID Holiday Traffic Counts July 4
The Island count shows that holiday traffic began early, between 7-8 a.m. when 1,025 vehicles traveled along the SPID corridor, and continued throughout the day with 7334 vehicles at the peak hours between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. more than 3000 vehicles per hour transited the JFK Causeway, with the peak being the seven hours between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. when 26,018 vehicles traveled along SPID between the base of the JFK Causeway and the Commodores/ SPID intersection. The counters along the SPID corridor are placed by TxDot, while the counters on other Island streets are placed and maintained by the City of Corpus Christi’s Traffic Engineering Division. Those counters show that the peak traffic through the Commodores/SPID/SH 361 intersection was on Friday, July 3 when 11,823 vehicles passed through the intersection, with at total of 9990 on Saturday, with the count of east/ west bound traffic being about equal in both cases. The average weekly traffic leading up and including the weekend was 10,732 vehicles. Further south at the Whitecap intersection the counters found an average westbound traffic count of 6587 vehicles per day and 7467 eastbound.
Traffic continued on A16 For the complete traffic count for the week leading up and including the July 4 holiday see the graphics on page A16
The Guns of Port Aransas
Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.
1776 continued on A6
Editor’s note: We had a question from a reader recently about guns mounted in Port Aransas during World War II. Here is some background. The fear of German submarines off the Texas Coast during World War II led to the placing of Battery 155 in Port Aransas from 1942-1944. Two 155mm M1918 rapid fire guns were mounted on M1917 Mobile Carriages emplaced on circular Panama mounts in the dunes near what is now the Nueces County Park
to protect the pass from enemy craft. Construction on the battery began on November, 26 1942 and was completed on December 13, 1942 and guns were transferred to the Coast Artillery for use on November 11, 1943 at a cost of $ 24,726.42. Originally built as a temporary World War II coastal gun battery the guns were stabilized with gunite. The mounds raised the gun trunion
Guns continued on A6
A2
July 9, 2015
Island Moon
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Boats shored up to watch the show from the canal.
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L O C AT E D I N PA L M I L L A B E A C H R E S O R T & G O L F C L U B
July 9, 2015
Island Moon
Did Ya Hear?
Letters to the Editor
Moon Monkeys Mike Ellis, Founder
Bollards Hey DaleWhat’s with the bollards to stop vehicular traffic north of the Island House and south of the Holiday Inn? Years ago the effort to build a billion dollars worth of resort was voted down because the concept of closing the beach to vehicular traffic was unacceptable. Now I see the beach is closed for a section to vehicles, there is no resort development and it seems it as backwards as ever!
Distribution Pete Alsop Island Delivery Coldwell Banker Advertising Jan Park Rankin Classifieds Arlene Ritley Production Manager Jeff Craft Contributing Writers Joey Farah Andy Purvis
I was confronted by a gentleman (who was wearing a badge to go with his beach shorts) when I took my golf cart into this restricted area who threatened to arrest me if I didn’t leave but the sign only said “No thru traffic” and I wasn’t going thru. I was simply stopped in this apparent no vehicle area and enjoying the day. I see there is a no thru traffic at the El Constante entrance to the beach, going south as well but it is not enforced. I’m hoping you can shed some light on this. I’m a weekend resident / property owner who is confused. Any big ideas what is going on?
Devorah Fox Mary Craft
Thanks-
Maybeth Christiansen
Mike Reichek
Jay Gardner Chad Peters
Editor’s note: Well Mike, we can’t say for sure who the guy was with the badge and beach shorts but it is very Islandy, maybe it will catch on.
Todd Hunter Dotson Lewis Ronnie Narmour
As for the bollards here’s what we know. They were placed there several months ago because the beach there got narrow enough to meet the requirements of the Texas General Land Office which allows the removal of traffic for safety reasons when the beach gets narrow.
Brent Rourk Dr. Donna Shaver Photographers Miles Merwin Jeff Dolan Mary Craft Ronnie Narmour Office Security/Spillage Control (Emeritus)
Until the opening of Packery Channel about ten years ago the beach in front of the seawall was extremely narrow; so narrow that vehicles could have been removed under the GLO rules. Instead, a different path was chosen which called for the property owners along the
by Mary Craft mkay512@aol.com or @padreeyelander on twitter
seawall to agree to a special assessment which raised $440,000 to purchase the land where the parking lot in now located. The agreement with the city was that once the lot was built the vehicles would come off the beach. But in ensuing years we had the very nasty vote on banning vehicles to which you allude and the subject was so toxic that no politician in their right mind would touch it. As a result the parking lot is open for cars and so is the beach; lo these eleven years after the agreement was made. An attempt last year to ban vehicles from the entire seawall beach met an ignominious end due to overlapping and onerous regulations from several directions. There were some problems in the scrum that developed at the south end of the seawall where vehicles and pedestrians competed for space. The installation of the bollards to which you refer was the result/ compromise. But alas, it doesn’t end there; now a dredging project in Packery Channel – see Island Projects – may place dredge sand on that part of the beach meaning it will be too wide to fit the “narrow” restrictions of the GLO; in which case it will presumably be reopened to Thru Traffic. As for the “No Thru Traffic” signs; they are a bit misworded. Technically no thru traffic – aside from the misspelling – would allow for “non-thru traffic” meaning you are only in violation when you exit the bollards on the opposite side from where you entered. But Mike, the last thing any of us want to do is get crosswise with a guy with a badge and beach shorts. We suggest parking the car next to the bollards and walking in; after all, the non-pedestrian beach is usually the least crowded piece of beach from Port A to PINS – why walk when you can drive right? We hope that helps Mike, and watch out for guys with a badge, beach shorts, and a gun!
City Seeks Public Comment on Second Draft of Plan CC Comprehensive Plans 2035
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 361-949-7700 editor@islandmoon.com Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper
Where to Find The Island Moon Port Aransas Lisabella’s Restaurant Pioneer RV Park
Sandpiper Condos WB Liquors
Public hearings on the second draft of Plan CC are anticipated to be held at the Planning Commission meeting on August 12 and at the City Council meeting on October 13. The Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the City Council on
Bowl
North Padre All Stripes Stores
A Mano
CVS
Coffee Waves
Whataburger
Moby Dicks
Doc’s Restaurant
Spanky’sLiquor
Snoopy’s Pier
IGA Grocery Store
Isle Mail N More Island Italian
Carter Pharmacy
Brooklyn Pie Co.
San Juan’s Taqueria
Ace Hardware
Wash Board Laundry Mat
Texas Star (Shell)
Holiday Inn Jesse’s Liquor
Public Library
Scuttlebutt’s Restaurant
Chamber of Commerce
Island Tire
Duckworth Antiques
And all Moon retail advertisers
Back Porch
WB Liquor
Woody’s Sports Center
The first draft of Plan CC was made available for review and comment on the project website and in public libraries between May 9 and June 19. A document containing all public comments on the first draft is available on the project website. In addition, a summary of this first round of public comments related only to the goals and policies has also been posted to the project website. Comments on the second draft of Plan CC received by July 20 will be similarly documented.
Port A Arts
Stripes @ Beach Access Rd. 1A
Port A Parks and Rec
The City of Corpus Christi invites the public to review and comment between July 6 and July 20 on a second draft of Plan CC, the City’s new 20-year comprehensive plan. The document can be found on the Plan CC website, www. plancc2035.com, and in public libraries. As a result of public comments received in May and June on the first draft, the City revised the draft plan for adoption to focus the plan’s content on the broader vision, goals and policies contained within the first draft. The second draft plan also continues to include a Future Land Use Map for each area of the City. As the City’s comprehensive plan, Plan CC is intended to guide growth and development over the next 20 years and was developed during more than a year of analysis, special studies, meetings, and public participation.
This was taken Wednesday morning just north of the Bowl. Great job to our locals keeping it clean!! The area near the Kleberg sign wasn't anything like this. It was a mess! I am very proud of our locals for doing such a great job keeping the Bowl clean! Patrick Brown Photo by Randy Scott
Where Guys Go For Haircuts!
H.E.B.
Stripes @ Cotter & Station
Liquid Town
Go right now to BarberJoeSexton.com, click the big yellow “Appointments” bu9on (or the yellow bar on your smart phone) and choose a haircut and an open slot in my schedule. Online appointment se@ng is that easy. I’m INSIDE Padre Island Mail, 15037 Park Rd 22. 8-‐5, Tue-‐Sat. Call or text 361-‐500-‐8955.
Port A Glass Studio The Gaff
Fire Station Police Station Stripes on Flour Bluff & SPID
Submit a comment on the MindMixer site at www.corpuschristi.mindmixer.com Comment sheets at libraries Phone, fax or letter to Annika Gunning, Development Services, 2406 Leopard Street, 78408, tel: 361-826-3008; fax: 361-8264375. Comments will be accepted in person at public hearings on the plan, which are anticipated to be held during the Planning Commission’s regular meeting on August 12th and at the City Council’s regular meeting on October 13th. Editor’s note: Last week we submitted a series of questions regarding Plan CC 2035 and how it will affect The Island to the five members of the Corpus Christi City Council who were endorsed by the Island United Political Action Committee in the last city elections. District 4 Councilwoman Colleen McIntyre and Mayor Nelda Martinez are the only ones who have responded. We included her response in the last issue and will print the response from the others if/when we receive them. Mayor Nelda Martinez's response is printed on page A6 of this issue.
You are invited
We hope you'll join us for our July monthly meeting of the Coastal Bend Republican Liberty Caucus meeting. Our guest speaker will be Joseph Wade Miller. He is the South Central Regional Coordinator for Heritage Action. He served in the United States Marine Corps and is an infantry combat veteran with multiple deployments including Iraq and the Horn of Africa. After completing his military service, Wade enrolled at The University of Texas at Dallas and majored in Political Science. While attending university, Wade served as a Bill Archer Fellow and as an intern for the President of The Heritage Foundation, Dr. Edwin J. Feulner. After completing his Heritage Foundation internship, Wade went on to the American Enterprise Institute Summer Institute.
We look forward to seeing you!
Giggity’s
Keepers Pier House
Email: info@plancc2035.com or AnnikaG@ cctexas.com
7426 S. Staples
Need a New Look?
Ethyl Everly Senior Center
Comments will be accepted online or by email, fax, phone, and letter through Monday, July 20, for inclusion in a matrix of comments and responses that will be posted on the website and submitted to the Planning Commission and the City Council.
Nolan's Restaurant
Flour Bluff
Gratitude Gift Shop
The City encourages everyone to comment on the second draft of Plan CC by July 20th. The public may submit comments in several ways:
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Shorty’s Place
Whataburger on Waldron
adoption of the plan, and may suggest changes. In its deliberations on the plan, the City Council may accept or reject any changes proposed by the Planning Commission and propose its own changes when voting on adoption of the plan.
July 14th
Subway
A3
Beautify Port A I would like to hold a mid-summer trip to San Jose Island to enjoy the beach and pick up a little (!) trash. I am thinking of a Monday or Tuesday morning in the second half of July. If you are interested in going, please reply and let me know the best day for you. It would be an informal trip, and I would bring an ice chest with some soft drinks and possibly KPAB's shade tent. Stay cool this summer, and we'll see you in September! Yours, Julie Findley Keep Port Aransas Beautiful
New Advertisers The 80th Annual Deep Sea Roundup in Port A will be held July 9th – 12th. The tournament includes Offshore, Bay Surf, Fly Fishing and Junior Division plus a free Piggy Perch contest for the little guys and gals.Your registration entitles you to an open bar on all three nights plus a shrimp dump on registration night and full meals on Friday and Saturday nights. Register online at deepsearoundup.com and is $120 for adults and $100 for juniors. Spectators can watch the weigh in at Roberts Point Park Pavilion at about 5:30 pm on Saturday. Gulf Coast Gun Show will be held at Aransas Pass Civic Center on Saturday, July 18th 9 – 5 and Sunday 9 – 4. They will have guns, knives, jewelry, coins and ammo. Realtor Al Benavides has a listing on a fingertip lot on Cayo Gorda with a gorgeous unobstructed panoramic sunset view. It is a 2679 sq ft home with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and a boat dock. You can view the video on youtube at tWHDfH0DRX8 Call Al at 2909004 or email him at albhomes@gmail.com. A Raffle Benefiting Waves of Impact can win you a Midget Smith surf board, a $50 Dockside Surf Shop gift certificate, 2 kayak rentals from Wind & Wave and one free week of surf camp from Padre Island Surf Camps. Waves of Impact provide free surf camp for kids with special challenges and military men and women who were injured serving our country. The $ raffle tickets are available at Surfside Sandwich, Scuttlebutt’s, Dockside and Wind & Wave.
Business Briefs Port Aransas Community Pool has Splash Camp every Wednesday 11:30 am – 1 pm for ages 6 – 10. Drop off the kids at the pool with a sack lunch and a dollar and enjoy some me time. The Animal Hospital of Padre Island is currently offering a $50 Trifexis rebate on a 12 month supply and $20 off from Dr. Kresser for a total savings of $70, just mention their ad. Sunset Sounds Concert Unrehearsed & Unashamed featuring Ken Yarbrough and Mike Jones at Patsy Jones Amphitheater in Roberts Point Park in Port A Friday, July 10th. Bring a chair and refreshments for this free concert.
Port Aransas Happenings… 7/10, Friday, 7-9pm, Sunset Sounds Concert: Unrehearsed & Unashamed featuring Ken Yarbrough and Mike Jones playing a wide variety of music at Patsy Jones Amphitheater in Roberts Point Park. Bring chair or blanket, any food or drink you want. FREE 7/11, Saturday, 8am, Yoga on the Beach with Nancy Myers. All welcome. Bring mat/towel. At Pier. FREE 7/14, Tuesday, 2-4pm, Chillin’ It: Paint Chip Mobiles, Girl Scout hut, $2 7/15, Wednesday, 11:30am-1pm, Splash Camp: Ages 6-10, Drop kids at pool & enjoy time off. Send sack lunch, $1 7/15, Wednesday, 8:30ishpm, Movie Under the Stars: Relax outdoors & view a family friendly movie. FREE admission, lemonade and popcorn! at Jerry McDonald field across from American Bank on Alister St. Bring chairs. Golf Carts can drive up 7/16, Thursday, 1:30pm, Island Fishing Workshop: FREE Island Fishing Workshops by Bill Hoffman each third Thursday of the month. Locations & topics vary. Contact Pam, 749-4158 or pamg@cityofportaransas.org. 7/16, Thursday, 2-4pm, Chillin’ It: Fish Prints: Girl Scout hut, $2 7/18, Saturday, Movie Night at Pool: 6:30pm Open Swim until movie at 8:30pm, Watch movie from pool. Bring floats. Regular fee
Turtle Count for 2015 Nesting Season Kemp’s Ridley 5 Bolivar Peninsula 3 Galveston Island 1 Brazoria County, N. of Surfside 1 Surfside Beach 1 Quintana Beach 2 Bryan Beach 0 Brazoria County, N. of Sargent Beach 0 Sargent Beach 3 Matagorda Peninsula 0 Matagorda Island 0 San Jose Island 3 Mustang Island 105 North Padre Island, including 100 at Padre Island National Seashore 33 South Padre Island 0 Boca Chica Beach
Green Sea Turtle 2 North Padre Island, including 2 at Padre Island National Seashore
Loggerhead Turtles So far this year, 5 nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast including (north to south in state): 3 North Padre Island, including 3 at Padre Island National Seashore 2 South Padre Island
A4
July 9, 2015
Island Moon
Holiday Beach People
Cyndee Easter shows off a nice set of nails for the 4th of July. Photo by Mary Craft
Locals Ron and Pam Maxwell celebrated their Golden 50th Wedding Anniversary July 3rd, 2015 in Kona, Hawaii. Family and friends join them in celebrating how God has blessed them over the many years. Marriage, family and love are rare treasures in todays world! Mom & Dad I love you, thanks for staying together forever! XOXO Chris & Angie Reeves (Your Youngest on the Island)
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Toni and Chris celebrated the 4th on the Michael J. Ellis beach named after their uncle.
Stewart Mann and the Statesboro Revue played the 4th of July Deck Party at Ann and Harald's
Brud Jones and Family
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Doing Everything a Home or Business Needs
July 9, 2015
A5
Island Moon
New, Young Directors Take Reigns at PACT
City Accepting Applications for Beach and Park Vendors
Youth to Demonstrate Talents During Upcoming Musicals
Six-Month Operation Period is September 2015 to February 2016.
By Brent Rourk Locals have been ‘Wowed’ for years because of the quality of big time plays and musicals performed at the Port Aransas Community Theatre (PACT) and they will continue to be highly pleased as PACT prepares to provide two incredibly entertaining musicals in July and August; You’re a Good Many Charlie Brown and Alice in Wonderland Jr. What makes the musicals even more special is the fact that a trio of new, young locals (experienced and talented actors) will now be directing the musicals.
Application deadline is July 31
New, Young Directors The PACT Board is confident that these new directors will shine as they lead local casts in these two entertaining musicals. So are the new directors; Savannah Stirling and Morgan Milligan (co-directing of Alice in Wonderland Jr) and Jordan Bruster (directing You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown). Do not let their youth mislead you into thinking that they are not up to par for the job. On the contrary. They are all ‘theatre junkies’ with extensive experience in acting, singing, doing the tech, playing music, and virtually every other aspect of theatre work one can conceive.
Jordan Bruster – Musical Junkie
Counting on his extensive acting and stage background young director Jordan Bruster offers passion, as well as energy and vision to his directing. photos by Brent Rourk
Jordan Bruster is a young 22 year old with over 40 musicals to his credit as an actor. Currently majoring in drama at Del Mar Community College, Jordan explained, “My strengths are acting, singing, dancing, and presenting a good imagination. I would describe myself as a musical junkie. The cards fell where they needed to. We needed to have an adult play, so I stepped into those shoes. I am enjoying it.”
Continuing, Bruster claimed, “That’s all I know really. I have a passion for it [theatre]; anything to do with the stage. I enjoy letting my vision come through but also we are definitely sharing different visions collaboratively.” The biggest challenge so far for Bruster is, “letting other people take the reigns when they need to [not an uncommon dilemma for directors of any age and experience].” He sees himself attending Rockford University in Chicago to continue his theatre career and after that more theatre. He confided, “My dream is to do theatre – getting paid to do what I love to do.” Some of his past musical acting jobs came in Grease, Hairspray, Footloose, High School Musical, Sweeney Todd, Spamalot, Little Shop of Horrors, among dozens more. He was first cast in a musical in 4th grade and he has acted in plays and musicals at his high school, PACT, Del Mar, and Harbor Playhouse. Regarding You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown Bruster stated, “It is a fun play with a cast of 7 adults. It is a light-hearted comedy, fun and heartwarming appealing to both kids and adults.” Not to be overwhelmed with too much work, Bruster will also be assuming the role of Snoopy in the play he will be directing. Bruster is also an accomplished musician, playing piano (since 2nd grade), French Horn (considered one of the most challenging instruments to play), and recently saxophone (because he always wanted to). The combination of his talents, passion, and energy will surely come through in this musical. Bruster is vastly talented and committed to the theatre and to musicals. It would not be surprising to see him one day on stage on Broadway doing what he loves – and getting paid.
Savannah Stirling – Techie Extraordinaire Savannah Stirling, a seasoned theatre veteran at 16 years old, has been a ‘Techie” for as long as she can remember also going back to 4th grade. She acted in a play at PACT in 5th grade and after that gravitated to the technical side of theatre; sound, lights, props, stage hand, and all of the rest of those non-actor roles that help make a musical happen. Stirling has effectively performed tech responsibilities for over 30 plays and musicals and is fully immersed in theatre lexicon.
Morgan and part of the large Alice in Wonderland Jr cast pose on the partially completed set with their unpainted faces
The Corpus Christi Parks & Recreation Department (PARD) is accepting applications for vendors to sell food or goods at City gulf beaches and parks. These vendor services are designed to enhance the experience of our park and beach visitors.
majoring in English and minoring in Theatre Morgan is confident that her choreography experience and her love of youth will be valuable director’s tools. Not wasting time during her ‘time off’ during the summer, Morgan is spending lots of time helping make this musical a grand success.
Vending Permits will be issued for a six-month block period from September 2015 to February 2016. Current vendors approved through September will stay in effect.
“I studied engineering and math and performed well but I loved English and the Theatre so I made them my major and minor” acknowledged Milligan.
The Department will be accepting applications now through July 31, 2015 from vendors seeking permits to operate in City parks or gulf beaches from September 2015 to February 2016. Applications will be reviewed and, if necessary, a drawing will be held to determine vendor locations. Permits will be issued no later than 30 days prior to beginning of the permit period. Vendors selected to receive permits may be required to undergo and pass backgrounds checks prior to issuing permits.
Theatre has also run deep in her blood beginning in middle school when she acted in Godspell. Prior to that she was a prop master for Grease Jr. in elementary school. At 15 she joined the Theatre at Port Aransas High School. Since that time she has acted in many plays and musicals including Annie, Shrek, Beauty and the Beast, and Godspell.
The application is available on the City of Corpus Christi website at http://www.cctexas.com/customer-service-center/onlineservices/city-permit-forms/index. Completed applications and required documentation for vending permits must be submitted to staff in person or by email at any of the following locations:
Other entertainment and music experience includes high school band and theatre, singing, dancing, and choreography, something she is very fond of. When discussing where her thoughts about directing originated, Milligan quickly admitted, “Savannah and I have been friends for a long time and when we heard that Ken would not going to be directing this summer, we talked about how great it would be to co-direct a play or musical.”
• PARD Special Events Office: Galvan House at Heritage Park, 1581 N. Chaparral St., Corpus Christi, Texas 78401; 361-8263417; Laura@cctexas.com • Gulf Beach Operations Office: 8185 HWY-361, Corpus Christi, Texas 78418; 361-826-3469; MarthaL@cctexas.com
Milligan continued, “The most fun I am having so far is getting to know the kids. They are so talented. I love them and enjoy so much getting to help them act and sing.” [At this point in the interview Mr. Ken Yarbrough, an actor in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, walked into the side room and hijacked the interview with Milligan declaring, “Morgan is the most brilliant young director I have ever had.” Not a bad epithet coming from such an experienced and well-known local actor and director in his own right.]
• City Hall, 3rd Floor, Parks & Recreation Office: 1201 Leopard St., Corpus Christi, Texas 78401; 361-826PLAY(7529) Interested vendors may contact Laura Jasso for parks at 361826-3417 or Laura@cctexas.com, or Martha Lawhon for gulf beaches at 361-826-3469 or MarthaL@cctexas.com for more information about the permitting process or to obtain a copy of the application.
Morgan summed up her philosophy about theatre and life when she declared, “I want to have a positive impact on people’s lives.” Indeed she has and will continue to positively influence people. After the interview, Morgan cheerfully returned to the stage to help the young cast with their acting, singing, and dancing.
The Musicals These three incredibly talented and young directors are undeniably busy with rehearsals now, reviewing and teaching the details while steadfastly holding the visions of these distinguished musicals in their minds. These young directors are remarkably hard-working, confident, theatre-wise, and positive. Their energy and enthusiasm is contagious to their casts and to anybody else who meets them. It is impressive that the ‘directing baton’ is now being passed to these young theatre devotees. We wish them a long and productive career in theatre and we hope that they have fond memories of PACT as they pursue their dreams.
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During times when youth are frequently bashed as lazy, uninterested, ‘checked out’, ‘acting entitled’, and not being leaders, it is refreshing to see local youth with passions and goals who are committed to their continued education and to giving to society, instead of taking. Hats off to these three.
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I will definitely see these two musicals and hope that you see them too – for being fantastic musicals in their own right and for being directed by passionate, theatre loving youth. Hats off to these three young directors and to the PACT Board for believing in them and for giving them the chance to follow their dreams. These musicals will undoubtedly follow in the line of fabulous musicals that are a trademark of PACT. Both musicals, aimed at adults and children alike, promise to be exceptionally entertaining and heartwarming.
949-0794
Alice in Wonderland Jr. is based on the 1952 Walt Disney Film Alice in Wonderland. It opens July 17 at 7:30 on stage at the Port Aransas Community Theatre. It runs Fridays and Saturdays July 17, 18, 24, 25, and 31 & Aug 1 at 7:30 PM. It also runs on Sundays July 19, 26 and Aug 2 at 2:30 PM. All seats are $15.00. Sponsorship for this play is by Coldwell Banker, Island Realtors, located at 1900 St. Hwy 361 in Port Aransas. Contact them at 361 749 6000 or www.cbporta.com or www. marniepate.com.
“As a co-director of Alice in Wonderland Jr. I bring 9 years of tech experience, I have taken classes and workshops on tech and I have done the sound and lighting at Flour Bluff High School, church, and PACT.” declared Stirling, the Technical Director for the musical. Stirling and Stage Director Morgan Milligan proposed to With many years of tech experience Young the PACT Board over a year Technical Director Savannah Stirling ago the idea of co-directing discusses props with one of the techies Alice in Wonderland Jr. The Board respectfully listened to the presentation and was very impressed, quickly offering the girls the opportunity. Stirling thought the Board approved their proposal because they wanted to get young people involved at PACT, they wanted to get some younger people working in the theatre in different roles, and that young children actors can relate to young directors.
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You’re a Good Many Charlie Brown – Performance Dates: Fridays and Saturdays, August 14, 15, 21, and 22 at 7:30 PM Sundays August 16 and 23 at 2:30 PM. All seats are $15.00 Contact PACT at 361-749-6036 for reservations and ticket information.
It seems that their unparalleled experience in theatre, their unyielding passion, and their undying confidence also had something to do with it. Additionally, these three young directors possess amazing vision, theatre experience, and artistic talent beyond their years. In discussing the musical, Stirling assured, “The set will be beautiful and the musical is going to be fabulous. It is the largest cast ever assembled on stage according to local theatre people.” Certainly, that alone should reflect the confidence that the Board has in these brilliant and young directors. Stirling’s future plans include theatre as she intends to minor in theatre in college. Along with her passion in theatre she is smitten with becoming a forensic anthropologist. She readily admits to watching a number of Bones and CSI episodes that have definitely fueled her desire to pursue forensic anthropology. Lacking nervousness now that she is one year removed from presenting the musical proposal to the PACT Board, Stirling has gained confidence. “I am pretty dang confident because I know what I am doing, and if I mess up, it is OK” affirmed Stirling. [Writer’s note: I had the honor of being Savannah’s teacher for 3 years and she showed incredible work ethic, attitude, dedication, and confidence.]
Morgan Milligan – Actress and Choreographer The last in the trio of new, young directors is Morgan Milligan, Stage Director for Alice in Wonderland Jr. At the ripe old age of 19 this talented actress and singer is poised to co-direct her first play. Currently a sophomore at the University of Houston
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A6
July 9, 2015
Island Moon
Plan CC 2035: Answers from Mayor Nelda Re-enactment of Historic Landing Planned Martinez for July 26 in Port Aransas
Editor’s note: Last week we submitted a list of commonly asked questions concerning the draft of Plan CC 2035, the second draft of which is now available on the city’s website. Of particular intrest to our readers was the section dealing with Island development. Last week we printed the response from District 4 Councilwoman Colleen McIntyre, this week we print the resposnse from Mayor Nelda Martinez. We have not received responses from council members Lillian Riojas, Chad Magill, or Mark Scott. Dear Dale, thank you so much for your questions. Many of the questions are related to the detailed strategies and background information found in the first draft of Plan CC. As a result of public comments received on the first draft, the City created a second draft of Plan CC that focuses on the broader goals and policies. The second draft is currently available for review and comment and does not include the specific implementation strategies or background information. Please see link below. Once we adopt the second draft of Plan CC, agreeing on our city’s goals for 2035, we will move forward with reviewing and adopting the strategies needed to implement the goals and policies. LINK: http://www.plancc2035.com/#!plan-ccsecond-draft/c1w41 ISLAND MOON: The Plan CC 2035 calls for stricter permitting for future development due to vulnerability due to storms. Specifically what type of permitting is involved? Plan CC 2035 also makes a point of stating, "The Padre/ Mustang Planning District is very important to the tourism economy in Corpus Christi, but it is also vulnerable to rising sea level and the impacts of extreme weather events, such as storm surge and hurricanes." This makes it sound as if development on The Island is not to be encouraged due to storm threats. What is the intent of this language? In your opinion does it mean because of storm threats development on the Island should be limited; and if so, to what? RESPONSE: Our beautiful beaches are a huge part of what makes Corpus Christi so unique and proper development of Padre/Mustang Island Area is vital to our future. Plan CC calls for “planned development” in strategic areas of Padre/Mustang Island Area, as indicated in the Future Land Use Map. Additionally, the City currently enforces the flood protection code and the City/County Joint Erosion Response Plan during construction permitting. These adopted regulations are intended to protect the barrier beaches and dunes from erosion and protect structures in flood-prone areas from flood damage. Plan CC calls for continued implementation of these regulations. The statement referenced in your question was included on the Future Land Use Map in the first draft of Plan CC however; these details have been removed from the second draft as to focus on the broader goals and policies.
Drive Intersection it calls for "Redevelopment of commercial uses now at this intersection, plus development of adjacent property, in the long term could provide an opportunity for an Urban Village, especially with the proximity of the Schlitterbahn development." Will this be done by zoning changes, and what is meant by "redevelopment" of commercial uses? RESPONSE: Yes, this would be accomplished through zoning changes to a mixed-use district that supports an urban village design. The idea is to develop this area in a way that makes it easier to walk, bike or boat to and from your home and retail like shopping and dining or between commercial services. An urban village concept could also be supported by creating incentives for private investment and redevelopment in a strategic area. ISLAND MOON: Plan CC 2035, while establishing committees to draw up development plans for the Downtown and Southside areas, did not include a planning committee for Padre/ Mustang Island. Why? RESPONSE: Plan CC has nine planning districts, and each will have its own more detailed Area Development Plan separate from the Plan CC project. During the process to create/update an Area Development Plan, an Advisory Committee will be formed for each planning district. The City has determined that the first of the nine planning districts to have its Area Development Plan updated will be the Downtown Area. Nationally, a best practice on a city’s master comprehensive plan is growing from the city center out. The second district will be the Southside Area because the majority of the Southside was not developed when the City’s current comprehensive plan was developed in 1989. The remaining districts will follow the same process. ISLAND MOON: As public comment on the first draft of Plan CC 2035 closes, as the council members supported by Island voters, what will you do to ensure that an adequate development plan for The Island is included the final draft of Plan CC 2035, and what will the mechanism for drawing up that plan RESPONSE: The second draft of Plan CC focuses on broad goals and policies and does not focus on the details of any particular area of the city. However, when the strategies for implementing Plan CC are reviewed, the City will discuss the need for additional planning in specific areas of the city such as Padre/Mustang Island. The Padre/Mustang Island Area Development Plan will be updated as will the Area Development Plans for each of the other nine planning districts.
Waterline
ISLAND MOON: At the SPID/Commodores
1776 continued from A1 He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
The USS Alabama arrived at the beach with the Third United States infantry which was the vanguard of the U.S. Army of Occupation from New Orleans in anticipation with a war with Mexico over the Nueces Strip, the land between the mouth of the Nueces and the Rio Grande rivers where the city of Corpus Christi is now located. On board were a group of officers, mostly West Pointers, who would later fill the pages of the history of the Civil War: twenty-four year-old 2nd Lt. Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, William Tecumseh Sherman, future Confederate President Jefferson Davis, future Confederate General Braxton Bragg, future U.S. General Phil Sheridan, Stonewall Jackson, future Brigadier General Joe Hooker, and the future 14th President of the United States Franklin Pierce.
Just a few weeks prior to the landing, on June 26, the Ninth Texian Congress had consented to the annexation of the Republic of Texas into the United States of America. But in the mind of the Mexican government, who still wasn’t completely convinced any of Texas was not part of Mexico, the Nueces Strip, was still part of Mexico and the matter would be settled by a contest of arms. Troops scrambled from the ship to the shore and a Lt. Chandler climbed to the highest dune on San Jose Island and planted the flag of the United States with its twenty-seven stars in the sand. Capt. W.S Henry reported, “It floats over a rich acquisition, the most precious Uncle Sam has yet added to his crown.” With the planting of this, the first United States flag to be planted in the state of Texas the U.S. Mexico War had, for all intents and purposes begun.
New Online Course for Boaters: All About Marine Radio If you put 10 boaters in a room with a working marine VHF radio, how many could call for help, call a friend, or share a navigational hazard with nearby boaters? Chances are the most important piece of safety gear aboard a boat is the least understood. A partnership with the US Power Squadrons and BoatUS Foundation aims to improve boaters’ knowledge with the new online course, All About Marine Radio, offered at BoatUS.org/courses. The course shows how to use standard VHF radios as well as newer Digital Selective Calling (DSC) VHF radios and is great for novices and experienced boaters. Taken from the comfort of home, the course is $24.95. “From calling a mayday to requesting a marina slip, it’s the boater’s VHF radio that is the most reliable way to communicate and it is the only piece of equipment that can get those closest to a boat in distress to respond quickly,” said BoatUS Foundation Director of Education Amanda Suttles Pérez. All About Marine Radio teaches how to choose the best radio for your boating lifestyle and how to get the most use out of it. The online course will show some simple rules to follow when you’re using a marine VHF radio plus how to: • Determine which features you want in a marine radio for your type of boating
with a current projected construction start up in “early 2016.”
Work crews are setting up begin work on the extension of the new water main from the current terminus near the JFK Bridge to the SPID/Aquarius intersection. The project is part of the ongoing effort to bring a second waterline to The Island across the Laguna Madre. In two unrelated but adjacent projects, city staff said Tuesday they will solicit bids this week for improvements to the roadway behind Doc’s Restaurant and Snoopy’s Pier. That work is currently schedule to begin in September. Staff members also said Tuesday they expect a plan to place a traffic light at the SPID/Aquarius intersection to go before the Corpus Christi City Council for a vote on July 28.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
The final step in the process is for Developer Paul Schexnailder who owns the land on both sides of the roadway to get a Corps permit to dig the channel under the bridge. That permit is currently applied for and pending. The permit for the canal was in the hands of the city until last year when it was transferred to Schexnailder at the request of the Corps.
Packery Channel Dr. Deidre Williams from the Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying & Science which monitors Packery Channel for the City of Corpus Christi told the ISAC that between October 2014 and April 2015 in excess of 34,000 cubic yards of sand washed out through the channel due to normal winter wind conditions, a northwest wind blows sand out of the channel, and heavy spring rains. “For the first time since Hurricane Ike the water depth in the channel is now back to the levels we saw in 2007 immediately after the last major dredging,” Williams said. “There are currently no navigation hazards in the channel due to shoaling.” Boaters in recent week have reported about ten feet of water at the mouth of the channel.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
“We did not have to dredge the channel for five years after the initial dredging was complete in 2007,” she said, “and right now it looks like we may not have to dredge it for another five years.”
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
Guns continued from A1
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.
•
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She said, however, that historical data indicates that in “2-3 years” there may be 250,000 cubic yards of sand suitable available for beach renourishment due to windblown sand entering the channel. She said the city, at the request of the Texas General Land Office, has applied for a $1.7 million grant to do the dredging and place the sand on the beach at the south end of the Michael J. Ellis Seawall which is currently closed to vehicles due to the narrowness of the beach. If the re-nourishment is done it would widen the beach to the point where the vehicle ban would be lifted. Williams also said problems have arisen with the beaches on both sides of the channel where water is collected and trapped after high tides or rainfall. “We think these problems may be caused by poor management practices,” she said. She said that since the dredging of Packery Channel, and the subsequent placing of the dredge sand on the beach along the seawall, the beach has widened but she said keeping the beach as wide as possible, the official purpose of digging the channel, is an ongoing and dynamic process. “ A section of the beach dynamic has been disturbed and natural elements keep trying to make the beach more narrow. The seawall was built without permits and naturally makes the beach narrower,” she said. “We can put Band Aids on the process but the process will continue.”
Lake Padre and Island Canal System
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She said there is currently between 26,000 and 70,000 cubic yards of sand collecting in the southernmost area of the catch basin near the point where the channel and the entrance to Lake Padre is located but that sand is not suitable for use as beach re-nourishment sand due to high levels of organic materials. The basin has been dredged only once since the original dredging of the channel.
This year Williams added the Island canal system to her scope of studies to develop baseline data in anticipation of the opening of the Water Exchange Canal.
So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
Water Access Laguna Madre
The historic landing will be re-created with period costumes and weapons on Sunday, July 26 at the county parks office near Horace Caldwell Pier in Port Aransas by the Palo Alto Historical Society. The public is invited to attend.
Projects continued from A1
ISLAND MOON: On Mustang Island it calls for zoning changes "that will trigger greater scrutiny of development impacts on each property." What does that mean? RESPONSE: After receiving feedback on the first draft of Plan CC, several changes were made and City staff has published the second draft of Plan CC. This statement is not part of the second draft. Any change of zoning on a property will continue to go through a public hearing process. Changes of zoning must be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan (Plan CC), the Area Development Plans, Future Land Use Maps, and other related City planning documents. How a proposed development will promote or hinder the implementation of the City’s various plans is reviewed and considered during the zoning change process.
History will come to life on Sunday, July 26 in Port Aransas. Troops in period costumes will reenact the events of the morning of July 26, 1845 when the first United States flag in Texas was planted on St. Jose Island.
361-949-1900
“Packery Channel will impact the new canal more than the new canal will impact Packery,” she said.
The guns site today. Photo by Steve Coons. elevation to 37' 6" and provided a range of about two miles. Both of the Panama mounts were of the 360 degree variety and ramps were provided to allow positioning of the guns on the mounts. Five splinter proof magazines were provided along with a 23' by 17' plotting room. The order calling for the placement of the guns, Temporary Harbor Defense of Aransas Pass, was deactivated on July 1, 1944 and on July 3, 1944 the guns were removed. The troops who manned them departed on July 4, 1944. The location of the guns is now marked by the remnants of the placements. All in all, for those of the Greatest Generation who marched off to war in World War II, manning the guns in Port Aransas wasn’t the worst assignment you could draw.
She has also been conducting studies of currents in Lake Padre where she says the windblown currents are surprisingly strong for a “dead end pond.” She said she is unsure of the effects on Lake Padre when the new canal connects Packery, the lake, and the Island canal system.
July 9, 2015
A7
Island Moon
Backwater Adventures On the Rocks
Aloha Spirit By Joey Farah Farah’s Fishing Adventures
Many miles from our Island home our travels have taken us. Me Joey and Coryne are traveling the west coast of California surfing and visiting family. The water is emerald blue and the waves crash like drums from the distant Pacific islands the swells originate from. Tall cliffs give us a peak down to the beach before and after each session, like saying hello and goodbye to a familiar friend. The day we leave we will be planning our return.
sand, when I get home I'm sure it will bring a tear to my eyes. My first two waves I just stared into the water as heads of rocks and reef passed below me. Waves of sea grass drifted back and forth with the swell under my feet. I gazed into the water and could see bright orange fish swimming among the kelp, and schools of anchovies scattering atop the surface. One wave I took all the way to the beach and below my board
By Jay Gardner Six years. Can you believe it? Someone asked the other day, and I had to go back and look. I’ve been writing these gripping novellas for six year now. Geez Louise time flies! Reminds me of Moon Mike, sharing stories and suds with him at Irma and Moe’s. By-gone times. Now Two Seas is a restaurant. I’ll have to get by there and try it some time. Things are flying along a little too fast here OTB at the office. I’m not sure why business is going crazy, but it sure is. Wish I could spend more of my waking hours out on the rocks. Y’all get out there and live it up for me, will ya? And send your pictures to the Island Moon.
The water in the Laguna is headed towards the typical summer-time low, although a peak at the old TCOON data shows that we’re a few weeks early of the low-low. By next month we might not have any water left, ha! The low levels and high water temperatures are causing the seagrass to slough off their leaves in typical summer fashion, which is making some huge rafts of floating dead stuff in the Laguna. This makes it very difficult to get a lure through the water without picking up half the salad bar on the way back to the boat. In addition, the rafts that are washing up along the shorelines will start to smell nice and pretty over the next couple of months.
Schools of big reds will be found now out in the open flats of Emmortt's Hole. Cast big gold weed less spoons over that thick grass to bring them up. One thing that takes you back right away here on the beach is the freedom and respect for others these people have here. Lost items are hung up in plain view for you to find, everyone picks up their trash as well as others. In the water and on land there is a respect for others you see everywhere. The Aloha Spirit comes from the Hawaiian Islands but is definitely alive here as well. The life guards here are AWESOME; they actually watch the water and swimmers. I never see them staring down at their cell phones. The county parks actually have a summer junior lifeguard camp run by the lifeguards. I wish our beach sticker money would go to positive things like that. I think being proud of your community is where it starts. With so many people traveling from far away just to visit out little Island, we should all strive to impress them with a little bit of Aloha Spirit from the friendly hello to the absence of beach trash. One morning walk on the beach at home will show you how much respect for others many people have along the Coastal Bend; burnt wood, nails, broken glass everywhere in the
No one likes driving North Land cut adventure with the Dunn family before we left. Lots of trout and flounder along the bank down there. I could see a four foot barracuda jet out before me. Sounds like heaven except that we have been going to bed every night watching shark week, on top of getting run out if the water by a 10-foot shark at San Clemente! Other than that we are having the best time ever together, and look forward to bringing home some of that Aloha Spirit to OUR ISLAND.
Fishing good The fishing back home is still very good I've seen all my friends bringing in good numbers as well as some bigger trout this week. The start of the live piggy perch season is beginning and that will give live bait anglers a choice of croakers and piggies. Take the croakers when you go to Baffin and use the piggies in open sand pockets in the lagoon. Steady tides will bring lots of redfish into the extreme shallows. The shrimp have fallen out of the back bays so their diet will move more towards baitfish now making them hunt the shorelines and flats.
Although, the past 4th of July weekend was a really big one. Shout out to Jerry Watkins and all the supporters of the Island Blast fireworks show that is turning into quite a big deal. Evidently word has gotten out, and folks are coming from all over to partake in our show. Whitecap was pretty much a parking lot on Saturday afternoon into the evening, and lots of other folks are discovering that they can attend via boat. I saw a bunch of them taking off back across the Laguna and points north after the show. A good, clean, patriotic event! Even if Randy was blaring Jimi Hendrix’ version of the Star Spangled Banner on 11. The upwelling continues to spew the nepheloid layer all over the beaches, and it contains bits and pieces of tar with it. A quick check of the surf cam on the Padre Island National Seashore (http://www.nps.gov/pais/index.htm) shows that while that stuff is still around, the green water is on the horizon. Surf fishers are starting to get antsy (including this one) in anticipation of the blue water pushing all this dirty stuff out of the way. I took a look at ripcharts, and the better looking water is only 18 miles out down south in Mexico. At the rate it’s been going, it will be another week before the passes slow down spewing the dirty water, the nepheloid layer calms down, and some pretty water trains onto the beach. Time to go through the beach gear and make sure it’s all on the up-and-up before it’s time to go hit it.
Well folks, sorry to cut this one short; I’m behind the eight-ball here on this deadline and trying to walk out of the door. I’m flying out early and headed towards Tampa for a few days of scalloping and fishing, and try to forget about deadlines for a few days. But, luckily, I made this one. Y’all drop me a line at jaygardner@ scientist.com and I’ll see you in the funny papers next week.
Dangerously High Bacteria Levels Found on J. P. Luby Beach High bacteria levels have turned up at J.P. Luby Gulf Beach just north of Packery Channel, according to city officials. A high level of enterococcus bacteria, the bacteria commonly found in feces, was detected Wednesday, The city says they won't close the beach to the public, but instead, they encourage beachgoers to use caution and common sense. "I would just be cautious," said Interim Superintendent Gulf Beach Operations Reba George. "I wouldn't allow my children to go in if they had wounds, or scrapes or anything." The city expects the levels to go back to normal within the next couple of days. You can check those levels for yourself on texasbeachwatch.com.
Moon Phases
Tides of the Week Tides for Corpus Christi (Bob Hall Pier) July 9 - 15, 2015
Day
High /Low
Tide Time
Height in Feet
Sunrise Moon Time Sunset
Th
9
Low
3:41 AM
0.8
6:40 AM Rise 1:31 AM
9
High
8:59 AM
1.1
8:28 PM Set 2:32 PM
9
Low
4:49 PM
0.0
F
10
High
12:58 AM
1.1
6:41 AM Rise 2:15 AM
10
Low
5:57 AM
1.0
8:28 PM Set 3:33 PM
10
High
9:12 AM
1.1
10
Low
5:38 PM
-0.3
Sa
11
High
2:42 AM
1.4
6:41 AM Rise 3:00 AM
11
Low
6:29 PM
-0.4
8:27 PM Set 4:33 PM
Su
12
High
3:44 AM
1.5
6:42 AM Rise 3:48 AM
12
Low
7:18 PM
-0.6
8:27 PM Set 5:31 PM
M
13
High
4:34 AM
1.6
6:42 AM Rise 4:39 AM
13
Low
8:06 PM
-0.6
8:27 PM Set 6:27 PM
Tu
14
High
5:15 AM
1.6
6:43 AM Rise 5:31 AM
14
Low
8:51 PM
-0.6
8:27 PM Set 7:19 PM
W
15
High
5:50 AM
1.6
6:43 AM Rise 6:25 AM
15
Low
9:32 PM
-0.5
8:26 PM Set 8:07 PM
Moon Visible
50
39
28
19
11
5
1
A8
July 9, 2015
Island Moon
SPORTS Sports Talk
Major League Baseball’s first All-Star Game
By Andy Purvis Special to the Island Moon
By Dotson Lewis Special to the Island Moon Dotson’s Note: As far back as I can remember, I have been an avid fan of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game. This year’s game will be played on Tuesday July 14th in Cincinnati starting at 6 PM, CDT. The first All-Star game I remember (I listened to it on the radio), was the 1937 game…what a line up! There have always been complaints about how the players are selected. It appears that ESPN’s Senior Writer Jim Caple may have come up with the ultimate solution. My thanks to him for his ideas contained in the 2nd article below: “How to fix the All-Star vote, make it presidential!” Between 1930 and 1933, attendance at major league baseball games, which had skyrocketed during the 1920s, plummeted 40 percent, while the average player’s salary fell by 25 percent. Fans who could still afford tickets migrated from the more expensive box seats to the bleachers, which cost 50 cents. Owners of baseball teams across the country economized by shrinking their rosters, firing their coaches and slashing wages. Many teams also experimented with discounts and other innovations designed to woo back fans, including free admission for women, grocery giveaways and the first night games in baseball history.
Early campaigning: How are we supposed to really know whether a player is deserving of All-Star status unless we have time to fully study his credentials? That’s why players must put themselves on the national radar earlier. Just as Ted Cruz announced his candidacy for president nearly 600 days before the 2016 election, Dansby Swanson should have declared himself a candidate for the 2017 All-Star Game immediately after the Diamondbacks made him the first pick in the draft. And if A-Rod really wanted to make the All-Star team, he should have started actively campaigning right after the league suspended him in 2013. Primaries: The presidential primary season helps voters sort out candidates who are not qualified to be president. The same process would help us weed out undeserving All-Star candidates. Start voting well before the All-Star Game. Despite homering in the first game of the season and winning the Iowa Caucus, Dustin Ackley finished last in all the Super Tuesday primaries, is hitting under the Mendoza Line and has dropped out of the All-Star race. Negative campaigns: Each team promotes voting for its players, which is fine. But that means we only see the good things about a player -- “Omar Infante batted .318 with a home run and five RBIs in last year’s World Series’’ -- and not the full picture. Smear campaigns would rectify that by pointing out their foibles as well.
Jose Altuve-Houston Astros
Surprisingly, the most enduring promotional event to emerge during this period—the midseason All-Star Game between the American and National Leagues—was the brainchild of several people with no direct connection to baseball. In 1933, Chicago hosted a World’s Fair known as the Century of Progress International Exposition, an event devised to celebrate the city’s centennial while cultivating a sense of optimism during the depths of the Depression. Mayor Edward Kelly, newly elected and intent on making the fair a success, approached Colonel Robert McCormick, the powerful publisher of the Chicago Tribune, with the idea of holding a major athletic event in conjunction with it.
For example: “Kansas City second baseman Omar Infante is hitting .230/.236/.310 with no home runs. He has struck out 40 times and walked only three times. He has a negative WAR rating. Teams have valued him so little that he has been traded away four times. Is this the man you want playing for the American League when 'This time it matters'? Don’t vote for Omar Infante. Vote for the second baseman who fully deserves the honor. Vote for 2014 batting champ and American League stolen base leader Jose Altuve, who's batting .298 this season." (This ad paid for by Citizens to Restore the Stars to the All-Star Game). Stiffer voting requirements: As it stands, fans can legally vote 35 times (from an Email address) for the All-Star team. Many people
McCormick turned the matter over to his sports editor, Arch Ward, who proposed a one-time “Game of the Century” that would pit the finest players of the American and National Leagues against each other at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. As an added twist, fans would have the opportunity to vote on the lineup. Ward was so certain the game would be a hit that he told McCormick to take any losses out of Ward’s own Babe Ruth blasted the first home run in All-Star paycheck. With his boss on board, Ward Game history made his case to the presidents of both leagues and the various team owners, assuring are manipulating the system to vote even more the skeptics among them that the event would often. Counting each vote for each player, there help pull baseball out of its slump. By donating have been more than 200 million votes cast. all proceeds to a charity for retired players, Everyone should get one vote and only one he argued, they could show the country that vote. And you should have to prove you are Major League Baseball was not, as some had qualified to vote. Not with a voter registration suggested, embracing a culture of “decadence” card but with a Topps baseball card of at least while ordinary Americans suffered financial one of the players on your ballot. ruin. Eventually, the persuasive editor’s Electoral College: To prevent too many players lobbying won over the baseball commissioner, from being elected from one team, require Kenesaw Mountain Landis, and the game was that All-Stars carry a certain number of states set for July 6, 1933. in the vote tallies. This way, all those players Arch Ward’s All-Star Game proved so popular from Missouri will only get elected starters that its organizers held another “midsummer if sufficient voters from California, Florida, classic” the following year. Since then, it has Texas, New York, etc., agree with that choice. become an annual fixture of the baseball season, Supreme Court: And in the case that none bringing together the sport’s most talented and of that works, leave the final decision not to beloved players every year with the exception of 1945, when it was cancelled due to wartime the voters, the players, the managers or the travel restrictions. This is a web site to find out everything about the 2015 Baseball All-Star game: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/ y2015/index.jsp
How to Fix the All-Star Vote, Make it Presidential There has been a lot of concern about this season's All-Star voting process, which briefly looked as if it could yield eight Kansas City Royals to the starting lineup. The best way to change that process? Easy. Make it identical to the world’s most important and closely watched voting system: the United States presidential election. This election as almost everyone agrees, is always flawlessly run.
The Real Johnny Football
commissioner, but to the nation’s ultimate decision-makers, the U.S. Supreme Court. Those nine wise justices effectively ended the 1994-95 strike and curtailed replacement players in spring training. A ruling by the highest court in the land could read: “By a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Jose Altuve should start at second base over Omar Infante. In the dissenting opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that the starting second baseman should be Rogers Hornsby.’’ All Astro fans would enthusiastically support this decision while Royals fans would claim biased Presidential appointments and vote for the other party in the next Presidential Election. Dotson’s Other Note: Pictured above are seven of the 1937 American League All-Star players, from left to right Lou Gehrig, Joe Cronin, Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Charlie Gehringer, Jimmie Foxx, and Hank Greenberg. All seven would eventually be elected to the Hall of Fame. I have two questions for you: 1) How do you think All-Star Game players should be selected? 2) Who would be your all-time starting line-ups for the National & American Leagues? I am now working on mine. 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.
The legendary Sam Houston once said, “Do right and risk the consequences.” He could have easily been talking about this guy. Unpolished to say the least; this guy was quite. He drove a truck, wore jeans and ate hamburgers from the local drive-in. Vanilla was his favorite color and all he knew how to do was win. Standing 6’ 2” tall and weighing 220 pounds, he was a big boy for his time. He was a bare-knuckles kind of a guy. His bruising running style was propelled by powerful thighs and a no-nonsense approach. He had all the physical riches: speed, power, vision, energy and size. It was like trying to tackle a Volkswagen. It was a muscle game that they played in the fifties, the “heyday” of the big running backs. Some said he was so strong he could slam a revolving door. He played during a time when you were not allowed to have a bad game. Handing this guy a football was like giving the Texas Rangers an assignment; he gave you a feeling of hope. He was as tough as an advanced course in algebra. Even while injured, he ran for 1,465 yards and scored 14 rushing touchdowns, while catching four more touchdowns, in his three-year career at Texas A&M University. He also intercepted five passes, while playing on defense. As the old saying goes, “The pain stops when the applause begins.” Some players are born with championship blood, the kind you can’t get at the blood bank. This just in: John David Crow was the “real” Johnny Football. John David Crow was born in Marion, Louisiana, on July 8, 1935. His mom, Velma, experienced some difficulty during birth that left John David with some nerve damage on the left side of his face. Then he suffered from pneumonia at the age of two and almost died. His father, Harry Crow, worked at a paper mill, while John David just tried to survive. Survive he did, as John David would grow to 6’ 2” tall and weigh 220 pounds. He was raised in Springhill, Louisiana, and graduated from Springhill High School in 1954. His older brother, Raymond Crow, played football at Southern State, for Head Coach, Elmer Smith. Southern State was an Arkansas College located 26 miles north of Springhill, Louisiana. In 1954, when legendary football coach, Paul “Bear” Bryant, took the job at Texas A&M, he hired Elmer Smith as an assistant. John David later said he had never heard of Bear Bryant. John David chose Texas A&M over Oklahoma, Arkansas and LSU. Seems that Coach Smith convinced the Crows that he would take care of John David and make sure he got his degree. In 1954, freshmen were not eligible to play on the varsity club, so John David missed out on the intolerable training camp that gave its name to “The Junction Boys.” Coach Bear Bryant liked to say “Coach ’em hard and hug ’em later.” In 1956, John David played an integral part for the first Texas Aggie team to beat the University of Texas at the Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. John David Crow became only the third football player from a school in Texas to win the prestigious Heisman Trophy. First was Davey O’Brian, a quarterback from TCU, in 1938. Second was Doak Walker, a running back from SMU, in 1948. When John David was told he was a candidate for the Heisman in 1957, he confessed he had never heard of the award. The good news was that the Bear had. Bryant started his own campaign for Crow. In 1957, Crow played in only seven games. He carried the ball 129 times for 562 yards, while injured, and scored six touchdowns during his senior season. He passed for five more touchdowns and intercepted five passes while on defense. His Aggie team won their first eight games of the season and was ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll. Unfortunately, they lost their last three games and finished 8-3 in the Southwest Conference. Crow was named a scholastic All-American and was named to Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. “Don’t count the yards,” exclaimed Bryant, “Count the people he’s run over.” Bryant continued, “If he doesn’t win the Heisman, they ought to stop giving it.” John David Crow almost doubled his closest competitor, Alex Karras, a defensive tackle from the University of Iowa. Crow won the Heisman Trophy on December 3, 1957. Interestingly, Crow would be the only player to ever win the Heisman Trophy, while playing for the Bear. The other Heisman winners from a school located in Texas include Earl Campbell, Andre Ware, Ricky Williams, Robert Griffin and Johnny Manziel. Ty Detmer, Tim Brown and Billy Simms are Texas natives who won the Heisman trophy at universities outside of Texas. John David Crow was chosen with the second pick of the 1958 NFL draft by the Chicago Cardinals. There he would play with the likes of Dick “Night Train” Lane, Charlie Johnson, Bobby Joe Conrad and Larry Wilson. This team later moved to St. Louis as the Cardinals. Crow played with the Cardinals from 1958 to 1964, and then ended his 11-year career with the San Francisco 49ers (1965-1968). He
played in 125 games, carried the ball 1,157 times, and piled up 4,963 rushing yards, while scoring 38 touchdowns. He also recorded 3,699 yards in receptions by catching 258 passes for an additional 35 touchdowns. If that wasn’t enough, he threw for 759 yards and five more touchdowns from the halfback position. John David Crow led the NFL in 1960 with 5.9 yards per carry. With his eyes like the headlights of an oncoming train, Crow rushed for 1,071 yards and caught passes for an additional 462 yards. It was easily his finest year in professional football. He was elected to the NFL 1960’s All-Decade team and played in four Pro Bowls: 1959, 1960, 1962 and 1965. John David Crow completed more passes than any other non-quarterback in NFL history with 33 completions for five touchdowns. In 1969, John David left the NFL for the University of Alabama to be their offensive backfield coach. He remained there until 1971. You could find John David in Cleveland as their offensive backfield coach during the 1972 and 1973 seasons. And he served as the San Diego
John David Crow Chargers’ offensive coordinator in 1974. From 1976 to 1980, Crow served as the sixth head football coach at Northeast Louisiana College, now known as the University of LouisianaMonroe. His win-loss record stands at 20-34-1. Crow remained there until 1981 as their athletic director. In 1983, Crow became the assistant athletic director at Texas A&M University under Jackie Sherrill, and he was promoted to Athletic Director at the end of the 1988 football season, after Sherrill resigned under suspicion of scandal. R.C. Slocum would become the new football head coach. John David Crow, a fine gentleman, was surrounded by his family when he left us. The date will read, Wednesday June 17, 2015. He was three weeks shy of his 80th birthday and living with his family in College Station, Texas, where he had finally retired in 2001. He and his wife Carolyn (his high school sweetheart) had three children (one now deceased), seven grandchildren, and five great granddaughters. Crow has been elected to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1976. Crow also has a street named after him on the Texas A&M campus. In 2004, he was awarded the Price-Waterhouse-Cooper “Doak Walker Legends” Award for excellence in athletics and administration. Crow was preceded in death by his son, John David Jr., who died in a car crash in 1994. Jr. had been born while John David was playing at A&M and later played his college football for Bear Bryant at Alabama. Fifty-five years after John David, another Johnny rose to prominence at Texas A&M University and won the 2012 Heisman Trophy. His name was Johnny Manziel. Although Manziel was exciting to watch on the field of play, he has yet to be able to take the next step at the professional level. In keeping with the times, Manziel has been referred to as “Johnny Football.” But we all know that the “real” Johnny Football’s last name was Crow. 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.com. Also listen to Sports talk radio on Dennis & Andy’s Q & A Session every Thursday 6-8 PM on ESPN 1440 KEYS.
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Between reading stories in the Island Moon Islander Bryan Gulley bagged this hippo on the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe.
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