Inside the Moon
Moon on a Spoon A4
Botanical Gardens A6
The
Issue 624
Island Moon
The voice of The Island since 1996
March 31, 2016
Around The Island By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com When the captain hit Reverse not much happened. It was Tuesday afternoon when the crowd at the Back Porch in Port Aransas saw a large private fishing boat come steaming into the dock, and it did indeed steam right into the dock. The boat hit the back of the Mustang which was tied up with a sickening sound of grinding fiberglass.
It turned out to be only a fenderbender but it made for good conversation at the Back Porch. Other than that things have been pretty sedate here on our little sandbar. It’s now safe to wear Seersucker and white pants in public – at least as safe as it ever is to wear Seersucker around here. As our friend and fashionista Crabby Jim says, “The next time someone tells me to stop wearing overalls I’m kicking them right in the skinny jeans.” The Lobster Tan Season is upon us as locals break out the translucent winter skin and tourists try to get a whole season worth of tanning done in two days. Monday morning was good hunting along Kleberg Beach for tents, ice chests, and beach chairs left behind by flatlanders in a hurry to beat traffic OTB. The water off our beaches was a nice deep blue on Sunday which is unusual for this early in the season. Fisherpersons report that the fish are biting in the passes. Beach driving is good, the weather is not too hot, and the Spurs are headed to the playoffs. It’s a good time to be on our Island.
Fishing A11
Sports A8
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Photo by Brent Rourk
Work Continues Around Lake Padre
Easter Egg Hunt Draws Over 1200 Annual Family Festivities Marked by Successful Egg Scramble By Brent Rourk
Excavation work continues around Lake Padre as crews last week began digging at the location of the main marina planned for the area. About 30,000 cubic yards of earth will be moved to create the canal that will connect to the site of the proposed water exchange bridge on SPID/ Park Road 22, all together the current phase of the work at the site will see the moving of 500,000 cubic yards
of earth. When the entire project is finished 1 million cubic yards of earth will be moved and used to raise the elevation of land around the lake to nine feet above sea level. Developer Paul Schexnailder said this week the current excavation phase of the project, including the canal and the marina site should be done within ninety days and work can begin on bulkheads for the canal.
Dog Park Meeting Set for Saturday By Sara Russell Supporters of the proposed Riley P. Dog park on the south end of Padre Island are holding a public meeting Saturday, April 2 from 10-12 a.m. at the Seashore Learning Center gymnasium on Encantada to discuss the future of the park. The park has been in the planning
stages for more than two years and backers are looking for ways to move the project forward. Organizer Sara Russell said the meeting will cover several topics including: updates on progress, design options, and the next steps in the process. The public is invited to attend.
Rubber Duck Race
Clown Attacks! We got tragic news from the Island Moon Mexico City Bureau this week that a wave of violence against clowns has broken out in our neighbor to the south. On Monday the Mexican Clown Guild (who knew?!) held a press conference to seek justice for clown Tony Tambor who was attacked in Sonora at a child’s birthday party. The clown beatdown occurred after a child lost a game during the party and sent Tony Tambor to the hospital.
Island Strategic Action Committee Meeting Rescheduled
“I must go forward, I’m alive and I have a mission in life, I am sure and convinced that it is to show my art, because being a clown is serious,” said Tony Tambor as he searched
Around continued on A3
The countdown to the Easter Egg Hunt at Don and Sandy Billish Park last Saturday drew near, but alas at the encouragement of a few folks behind the eager children, kids in the 7-9 year old corner broke free and ‘scrambled’ after 10,000 eggs and prizes. Once they broke the line, others followed and the hunt was on. In one minute the hunt was over in most age sections, and all of the eggs and prizes were ‘found’ and ‘bucketed’. It was as if a scourge of locusts had descended on a ripe crop, leveling it to the ground.
Activities and Events The weather was perfect (no poaching in the sun) for a family fun event that in addition to the Easter Egg Hunt included several children’s rides, inflatable slides and trampolines, a train ride, cotton candy, hot dogs, chips, and ice cold water, the Rotary Duck Race, face painting by the Seashore Middle Academy Builders’ Club, and photographs with the Easter Bunny who made his annual appearance just for this festive day. It was also a fantastic opportunity to meet neighbors and old friends; a time to
The April meeting of the Island Strategic Action Committee has been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 12 at the Holiday Inn on Windward Drive. The meeting of the advisory committee to the Corpus Christi City Council which is held the first Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at either the Holiday Inn or Comfort Suites was reset due to lack of meeting space for April 5. On the agenda for this month is discussion about the proposed Water Exchange Bridge for The Island, beach maintenance practices, the Island Area Development Plan, and traffic concerns. The ISAC meetings are open to the public and people can address the committee directly during the public speaking agenda.
take a quick break and catch up with others if only for a few minutes. The children’s ride area was popular with the tykes who patiently waited for their chance to enjoy the tame rides. The carousel was popular with the small children who enjoyed sitting high on a regally painted horse and traveling the eight foot diameter treacherous trek. The bunny ride moved faster around a larger field, instantly plastering smiles on riders’ races. Helping event sponsors Keller Williams Realty and the Kiwanis of Padre Island, several other local businesses also contributed, making the day a huge hit for children, adults, and families.
The annual running of the ducks took place at the canal across from Billish Park last Saturday as part of the Easter egg hunt.
Tuesday, April 12
The six-year old attacker’s mother says her son doesn’t actually hate clowns but suffers from hyperactivity; however eyewitnesses said the clown attack was ordered by bystanders after the clown called the boy names.
Live Music A16
Easter continued on A2
A little Island history
Rockport’s Key Allegro
Editor’s note: When the Key Allegro development in Rockport was begun in 1962. What follows is a history of the project taken from the book “Aransas. The life of a Texas Coastal County” by William Allen and Sue Hastings Taylor. By William Allen and Sue Hastings Taylor The era of the “Winter Texans” came into its own in the 1950s. It had begun earlier than that, with the first men who came to the hunting clubs. It grew as the use of the automobile grew, and as the roads improved. Praise for the climate of Aransas spread even during the Depression and through the War. Then many retirees from the cold north began to enjoy warm winters in Aransas. Toddie Lee Wynne built the SeaGun resort, enveloping Mills Wharf. It was a complete complex, offering boat trips to the whooping cranes’ winter home, goose leases in the Tivoli area, daily fishing trips, swimming pools, activities for children and families.
The original bridge to Key Allegro Soon a more revolutionary change in the Aransas landscape was underway.
birders and shell collectors, young couples seeking a bit of privacy.
The Canals of Key Allegro
By 1953, the Aransas County Navigation District had become aware that the Texas General Land Office was required, by law, to sell submerged land to any navigation district that asked for ti – at the bargain rate of $1 an acre. The Aransas Navigation District bought 604 acres in Little Bay.
The hurricane of 1919 had swept Frandolig Point clean. From that time on, more than thirty-five years, the island served as an ideal habitat for wildlife. A few people crossed a rickety bridge, or waded through the shallow pass. To reach it – anglers headed for favorite fishing spots,
History continued on A7