CC MAGAZINE
FEBRUARY 2013
RAD
COLOR ME
GEORGE LOPEZ:
IT'S NOT ME, IT'S YOU.
CC HISTORY:
CAPTAIN MCNELLY'S RANGERS
I will Choose
FREE Will
THE TEXAS TREASURE CONSPIRACY
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mycricket.com Comparison based on AT&T Unlimited Nation Plan plus DataPro Smartphone package as of 10/08/12, and Verizon’s Unlimited Nationwide Plan plus Smartphone Data as of 10/08/12. Rate plan contains a full speed data allowance. Once you reach your full speed data allowance, your speed will be reduced. See mycricket.com/fairuse for details. Coverage details at mycricket.com. Service may be limited or terminated without notice if you no longer reside and have a mailing address in a Cricket-owned network coverage area or if a majority of your voice and/or data usage is on a partner network. Terms, conditions and other restrictions apply. Sales tax not included. The Android Robot is reproduced or modified from work created and shared by Google for use according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License. LG Optimus Regard is a trademark of LG Electronics, Inc. Samsung and Samsung Galaxy S III are the trademarks of Samsung Electronics America, Inc. and/or its related entities. For 4G LTE coverage, please see mycricket.com. ©2012 Cricket Communications, Inc. 10496-11/12
CC
From the Publisher... Scandalous
Kevinah Botello stopped by to see us the other day. Back in 2011, Kevinah held a fashion show at her downtown shop "Infinite Surprises." We covered the show at the time and the event was spectacular. The shop is long gone, but Kevinah had some news- she'll be performing in the upcoming stage play "Scandalous" at the American Bank Center on March 9th.
magazine
JEFF CRAFT Publisher
JCRAFT@CCMAGONLINE.COM
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Samantha Koepp, Dale Rankin, Georgia Griffin, Ronnie Narmour, Aletha Eyerman, Charlz Vinson
PHOTOGRAPHY Miles Merwin, Jeff Dolan, Janette Park-Rankin Dale Rankin, Georgia Griffin, Max Strycharske, Ronnie Narmour, M & J Photography Cover Photo by M&J Photography
CONTACT CC @ 361.443.2137 361.949.7700 505 S Water St Suite 545 Corpus Christi, Tx 78401
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The show tells a story centered around a triangle of love, jealously and deceit that destroys years of friendship and relationships as the truth unfolds of secrets which lie within a small community. Alexis believes that her marriage to Collin is strong. Blinded by her affection for him, it overpowers her mind and takes full control of her life which will never be the same. The lives of the innocent change when one night of lust leads to murder. Gary “Lil G” Jenkins, best known for his role in Madea’s Family Reunion, leads the cast. Several local actors are involved with the production including Larrissa Chapa and Kevinah Botello.
Texas Rangers We keep getting emails and phone calls about how much everyone enjoys the history series, so we're back on the dusty trail with Captain McNelly again, leaving CC for the King Ranch, where the tired old nags the rangers rode in on were upgraded to King's finest. They meet a gentleman who is said to have "left a trail of headless bodies in his wake."
Texas Treasure Conspiracy Was the famous gambling cruise shut down by the Catholic Church? Actually yes. We love hearing your comments, keep them coming!
Jeff Craft
JEFF CRAFT 361.443.2137 JAN RANKIN 361.949.7700
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© Copyright 2013 all rights reserved. CC Publishing, LLC reserves the right to edit, rewrite & refuse editorial materials and assumes no responsibility for accuracy, errors, omissions, or consequence arising from it. CC magazine shall be held harmless indemnified against any third party claims. CC Publishing, LLC accepts no claims made by agents, contributors or photographers. Opinions expressed by contributing writers or columnists are not necessarily those of CC Publishing, LLC or its affiliates. Advertisers appearing in CC magazine present only the viewpoint of the advertisers. CC magazine is printed in the USA. We assume no responsibility for advertising claims made in this publication. All correspondence to this publication becomes the property of CC magazine. Publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without express permission of the publisher and author(s).
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The Ranger & The Border Lord Captain McNelly's Rangers, with new mounts from the King Ranch, head south into bandit country and run up against Juan Nepomuceno Cortina, who had been raiding into Texas since 1859 after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Prior to the treaty, Cortina had been an heir to huge tracts of land in the Nueces Strip. Now he was in the business of removing cattle from Texas for sale to Cuba.
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George Lopez He starred in his own hit sitcom, recorded Grammy-nominated comedy albums, scored a string of Hollywood hits, wrote a best-selling book, and became the first Hispanic American ever to host a late-night talk show. So what’s George Lopez going to do for an encore? Find out on March 15, when Lopez returns with his latest standup tour, Its Not Me, It's You.
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What Really Killed The Texas Treasure The ship died on Mother's Day 2008, I believe the date was May 11, 2008. One month prior to this date, the operators of this "casino on water" were handed a judgment against them for losing a civil case against Spohn hospital.
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Georgia Griffin Atelier International’s very first exhibit at their new location actually features yours truly, local artist and art columnist! Georgia Griffin's artwork will be on exhibit throughout the month of March. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
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Inside the Center
11 Live Music Calendar 13 Art Scene 15 Surviving CPS 16 Dining Guide 19 The Lenz
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Color Me Rad Miles Merwin's Photos of the most colorful event of theyear
CC History
The Ranger and the Border Lord
Editor’s note: This is the second installment of a local history series based on a book by Texas Ranger George Durham. The book called Taming the Nueces Strip is a telling of the story of the troop of Texas Ranger formed in 1875 to remove bandits and raiding Captain Leander H. Indians who had been riding up from the border McNelly and terrorizing towns as far east as Goliad and including Corpus Christi. Durham died in 1940 on a house built for him on the King Ranch but fortunately left behind a big trunk full of yellowed papers that told his story.
The land between the Nueces and Rio Grande rivers at the time was claimed by both the United States and Mexico in spite of the fact that Mexico had – at least according to the United States – ceded the land to the U.S. in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo at the end of the U.S./Mexican War in 1848. Border lord Juan Cortina operated a cattle operation near the Village of Las Cuevas on the Mexican side of the river in the Rio Grande Valley where he bought cattle without asking questions. Many lawless characters found their way to Texas in that era and rustling cattle in the Nueces Strip were a way to make quick and easy money. Located in the heart of the strip was, and is, the legendary King Ranch. The story of the ranch is the story of the Nueces Strip since it was the only mark of civilization between Corpus Christi and Brownsville during the latter part of the 1800’s. In the last issue we told how the troop of Texas Rangers headed by Captain L.H. McNelly had passed through the Corpus Christi and moved on to the King Ranch. They were met at the ranch by Richard King himself. King Ranch, June 1875. Captain Richard King had begun as a riverboat captain working along the mouth of the Rio Grande River. During a trip to Corpus Christi in the 1850’s he passed through the region south of Corpus Christi known then as the Wild Horse Desert. After one hundred miles of hard riding he came upon Santa Gertrudis Creek and realized that if the creek could support the abundant wildlife found there it could support cattle. He started buying land. He and his partner Gideon “Legs” Lewis bought 15,500 acres then known as the Rincon de Santa Gertrudis and the King ranch was born. During the Civil War King’s ranch was known as the “Backdoor of the Confederacy” because Brownville was the only port where Confederate cotton could be exported by going around the Union blockade with the use of Mexican flagged ships. But to get there it had to go across the King Ranch – at a price.
The Yankees left but the bandits stayed Now just over twenty years after the war the enemy was a constant stream of bandits rustling King Ranch cattle and horses. The Rangers job was to find the bandits and kill them. Bringing them in to face courtroom justice was a pipedream in that time
and recent attempts at doing it by Ranger Captain Neal Coldwell had proven that. Coldwell’s tactics had worked well against marauding Indians on the northwest Texas frontier but not against border bandits. He had been recalled and McNelly sent in. To fight the raiders McNelly adopted their tactics. This was to be a fight to the death.
Captain Richard King The Richard King who met the Rangers at the ranch that day in the early summer of 1875 was 51 years old. He weighed no more than 135 pounds and stood five and a half feet tall with brown hair and beard. The town of Santa Gertrudis was home to about one hundred people and consisted mostly of cattle pens built of lumber Captain Richard King that King had traded for a boat load of steers during the California Gold Rush when Brownsville was a popular starting point for prospectors heading west. The pens held a mix of cattle and included thousands of Longhorns that roamed the Nueces Strip in the years after the Civil War. They were branded with the now iconic Running W Brand of the King Ranch whose shape looked like a rattlesnake making its way across the prairie. The house at Santa Gertrudis was more like a fort than a house. Inside the main room eighty stands of Henry repeating rifles were kept – these were the first practical lever action repeating rifles ever made and fired a .44 caliber rimfire cartridge. They made their reputation in the Battle of Altoona Pass in the Civil War after which a Confederate officer said of them “It’s a rifle that you could load on Sunday and shoot all week long.” They were the state of the art in personal weaponry at the time and the fact that the King Ranch kept such a large number of them was a testament to the troubled times and area they lived in. Two men stood lookout day and night on the seventy-foot tall lookout tower and scanned the plains for intruders. The bandit raiders knew this but came on anyway as these were desperate times in the Nueces Strip.
Meeting the Captain The first words Captain King spoke to the Rangers were, “How in the world did you get here on those nags?” The King Ranch was and is home to some of the best horses in the world and that is why the Rangers had come. The Rangers were shown to the grub shanty -only according to Durham it wasn’t a shanty at all. It included four long tables with seating for a hundred people. The next morning the Rangers were lead to a pen where they were told to pick out a horse and drop their lariat around his neck. Durham was a farm boy who had never seen a lariat before he came to Texas and Captain King himself picked out a sorrel gelding and personally gave it to Durham along with 06
a new saddle and scabbard for his .50 caliber Sharps Rifle. “Wherever Captain McNelly sends you that horse will take you,” Captain King told him. “He’s a good solid animal. Plenty of stay, and enough speed.” Captain McNelly was eyeing a big bay horse named Segal. “You want him?” King asked. “That’s a five hundred dollar horse Captain,” McNelly said. “I couldn’t ask you for him and Texas would never pay you for him.” “I’d rather give him to you than have those bandits come and take him,” King said. “Most of those rascals are mounted on my stock and I at least want to do as good by you.” They now had good mounts and saddles, good pistols, and a leader who knew how to hunt and kill bandits. They were ready to go looking for them but where?
Riding into bandit country They set out south at a brisk canter in single file five paces apart with a patrol out front and flank riders in the brush to guard against ambush. They were in bandit country and had traveled just over half a day when they smelled smoke. They found the charred remains of what had been buildings on Rancho la Parra. The buildings had been torched within the last twenty four hours. Suddenly Sergeant Armstrong galloped back from the lead patrol and made a circle with his right arm twice and then let his hand fall to the south. He had sighted someone. The troop moved out of single file and into the half moon shaped line that was their battle formation when fighting on horseback in open country. They all checked their pistols as a group of men road up. It was a one-hundred man posse out of Corpus Christi chasing bandits that had recently raided the town. McNelly was not fond of civilian posses as they tended to get in the way. They had chased the raiders across the river but were not able to catch or engage them. “Tell these men to return to their homes,” McNelly said. “They won’t do that,” the posses leader Martin Culver said. “You have ten minutes and if you don’t lay down your arms my men will move on you and lay them down for you. After ten minutes you’ll be in violation of the Law of Texas and that makes you outlaws and we’ve been sent to kill them,” McNelly said. There were one hundred men in the posse and only forty Rangers – but they were Rangers. One of the posse rode up to McNelly and handed him his pistol butt first. “You may keep it but only use it to defend your home,” McNelly told him. The remainder of the posse followed suit. McNelly takes over the Nueces Strip McNelly had taken over the Nueces Strip. There were those later who said he was bluffing that day but not one Ranger in the troop ever believed it. McNelly didn’t bluff. When he gave an order he
was ready to enforce it. The Nueces Strip was full of men with whom parleying was deadly. It was a straightforward time. State your business and then be ready to back it up with firepower. As the Rangers moved south they stayed in their battle ready formation. The bandits weren’t far away. That night they made a cold camp - no fires - in a mott of trees known as Mota Tablo located nine miles above the present city of Raymondville. They put out double guards in three shifts all night. The men slept on their saddles behind their horses.
The Law of the Strip “We’re now in outlaw country,” the Captain told them. “You’ll be ordered out in the scouting patrols in twos and threes. There are only two kinds of people for us – outlaws and law-abiding. Treat these law-abiding folks with all respect regardless of color or size. Don’t enter a house unless a man invites you in. Don’t take a roasting ear or melon unless he tells you to. If his dog barks at you, get away from him. Don’t shoot it. As for the other type of men; place them under arrest and bring into camp. Until further orders all prisoners will be put under the old Spanish law – la ley de fuga – which means the prisoner is killed on the spot if rescue is attempted.” Such were the rules of engagement for Texas Rangers in the Nueces Strip in 1875.
The Rangers Meet The Devil July 1875 in the Nueces Strip near Raymondville. Captain McNelly estimated that more than 2,000 ranchers and other citizens had been killed and more than 900,000 head of stock stolen in the Nueces Strip since the end of the Civil War. Yet there was no record of any raider ever paying a penalty for his crime through regular court procedures. The Rangers and the military had arrested them in droves only to see them released within a day to continue their banditry. McNelly was out to change that, or make them pay in another way, but all he had been given by the State of Texas was a commission from the governor; no money, no supplies, and no hope of getting either except by his own gathering. He had done that. His men now had good mounts provided by Captain Richard King from the King Ranch and .50 caliber Sharps rifles donated by Sol Lichtenstein whose store in downtown Corpus Christi had been raided in the spring.
The Border Lord Most of the trouble was coming from border lord Juan Nepomuceno Cortina who had been raiding into Texas since 1859 after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Prior to the treaty, Cortina had been an heir to huge tracts of land in the Nueces Strip but now was operating out "Border Lord" Juan of the village of Las Cueves Nepomuceno Cortina south of the river where he maintained cattle pens which he used to gather cattle (mostly stolen in Texas) for sale to Cuba. To Texans, Cortina was a bandit. To the Mexican people in the borderland he was a folk hero who first ran afoul of the law when he saw the City Marshal in Brownsville brutally beat a Mexican prisoner who had once worked for Cortina. Cortina shot the marshal and rode out of town with the prisoner.
Then in September he rode back into Brownsville at the head of sixty men and seized control of the town. Five men, including the jailer, were shot and killed as Cortina’s men rode through town with shouts of “Death to the Americans” and “Viva Mexico.” That was the First Cortina Border War but not the last. By the time McNelly rode into the Nueces Strip in 1875, Cortina had already fought off troops of Rangers under Captains William Tobin and Rip Ford and had for a time been Governor of Tamaulipas. He was said to have 400 men in his command and had spies all over the Nueces Strip. Cortina was aware that the previous troop of Rangers under Captain Neal Coldwell had been recalled from the Strip, what he didn’t know was that McNelly’s troop had already arrived to replace them. McNelly had the advantage of surprise.
The Devil rides out of the brush For three days McNelly kept his troop hidden in a huge oak mott all day as he began to scout about to try and locate the raiding bandits to spring a trap. Local scouts who McNelly knew began to show up at the Ranger camp. First was J.S. Rock and later a fierce looking man named Jesus – but when the Texans tried to work their tongues around his name it came out Casoose. Casoose wore a straggly red beard flecked with white and red hair dropping almost to his shoulders. His skin was dry and parched “and his light blue eyes seemed to throw off sparks.” The Rangers to a man thought he looked spooky and were glad he was on their side. He looked like the devil. He had not slept in a house for more than ten years because the bandits threatened to shoot him on sight in revenge for his hanging of four bandits in a single tree. His full name was Jesus Sandoval. He lived out in the brush. He had lost his wife and daughter to bandits and he lived for the sole purpose of killing them. Word of his exploits was common fodder around bandit campfires. He was not a man any bandit wanted to meet on the open prairie. He became the troop’s jailer and it was said of him he never lost a single prisoner turned over to him. What he did with them was another matter. More on that later. Both Casoose and Rock knew every cow trail and every river crossing south of Corpus Christi. That night McNelly rounded up his Rangers in camp and this is what he said. “We’ve had two good men join up with us and they’ll take us to where the shooting is good. If two or more of you flush out some bandits, whether they’re running or forted and holed up, put yourselves at five-pace intervals and shoot only at the target right in front of you. Don’t shoot to the left or the right. Shoot straight ahead. And don’t shoot till you’ve got your target good in your sights.” “Don’t walk up on a wounded man. Pay no attention to a white flag. That’s a mean trick bandits use on green hands. Don’t touch a dead man except to identify him.”
Cattle stealing season They broke camp and by that night had reached Rancho las Rucias near the present city of Edinburg. It had once been the hacienda of a wealthy Spaniard but now seemed to belong to anyone tough enough to keep it. It was ten miles from the river. 07
It was cattle thieving season in the Nueces Strip. The weather had been dry and the Rio Grande was lazy and shallow. Cattle could be crossed in dozens of places. It turned out that Rock had managed to plant an agent in Cortina’s organization near Matamoros. Through him he heard that Cortina was shipping more than five thousand cattle to Cuba every month. He had succeeded in systemizing predatory war by licensing bandits and charged them a four-bit fee for crossing the river and then he took his “royal fifth” of the herd and paid between two to ten dollars cash money per head for the remainder. Just after midnight a guard brought a rider into camp. The troop was saddled and would be riding out in minutes headed for the river which was shrouded in fog. “If shooting starts stop in your tracks and wait for orders,” their Sergeant told them. “Don’t advance. Don’t shoot till ordered.” At sunup the fog cleared enough for the Rangers to see the last of the herd shaking the Rio Grande water from their bellies on the far side. A group of more than fifty bandits had moved the herd fifteen miles during the night and Rangers had missed them by half an hour. Chasing them across the river was out of the question. Contina’s scouts had known what the Rangers were up to.
It was said that the South Texas prairie was dotted with bodiless heads tied to trees marking Casoose’s trail. Bad day to be a bandit Three days later Casoose rode into camp at noon, his horse lathered and gaunt after a hard ride. Sixteen Rangers and the captain rode out toward Los Indios along the river. After sundown scouts brought in a captive riding one of the eighteen Dick Heye saddles stolen from Sol Lichtenstein’s store in Corpus a few weeks back. The man said he was a gambler and had won the saddle in a poker game. “Maybe he talk for me,” Casoose said. In an instant he had the man on the end of a rope dangling from a cottonwood. After a few bounces at the end of the rope the man said he was a scout for a raiding party of about fifty men who had stolen three hundred cattle up the river. The men were coming south hugging the Laguna Madre. They would cross the Arroyo Colorado that night near Harlingen and cross the river in nine hours. The prisoner was turned over to Casoose with his hands lashed behind him and led away. The Rangers found out later Casoose’s means of dispatching bandits was to tie the prisoner's neck to a tree with a leather strap a throw a lariat around his feet, then tie the lariat to his saddle and spur his horse. It was said that the South Texas prairie was dotted with bodiless heads tied to trees marking Casoose’s trail. Such was the law in the Nueces Strip. Before daylight they were in skirmish formation with flank riders and an advanced guard out front. Except for the salt flats it was hardpan country with salt cedars, marsh grass, and scrub-oak motts. As they reached the Laguna they crossed the trail of the stolen herd. The Fight at Palo Alto was about to begin.
Next time: The Fight at Palo Alto
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It's Not Me, Its You
He starred in his own hit sitcom, recorded Grammy-nominated comedy albums, scored a string of Hollywood hits, wrote a best-selling book, and became the first Hispanic American ever to host a late-night talk show. So what’s George Lopez going to do for an encore? Find out, when Lopez returns with his latest standup tour, Its Not Me, It's You. March 15, 8pm at American Bank Center. George Lopez is one of the hardest-working comedians in the business today. After two decades in the pubic eye, he's built a relationship with American audiences, and his ground breaking sitcom, George Lopez, showed the television industry just how popular a Latino-oriented sitcom could be. Lopez was instrumental in changing the face of mainstream American television. Now, Hot off the heels of his third solo stand up special on HBO, George Lopez is ready to tell you the harsh reality... It's You. The Lopez Foundation, founded by George, was established to create positive, permanent change for underprivileged children and adults confronting challenges in education and health, as well as increasing community awareness about kidney disease, organ donation, and the military.
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Lopez has received the Manny Mota Foundation Community Spirit Award and was named Honorary Mayor of Los Angeles for his extensive fundraising efforts benefiting earthquake victims in El Salvador and Guatemala. Other honors include an Imagen Vision Award, the Latino Spirit Award and the National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Award. 08
C 2 T s
Center INSIDE THE
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By Samantha Koepp
Fill your appetite for excitement with these upcoming events:
February 19, 28 & March 2 TAMUCC Islanders Men & Women’s Basketball Support your local NCAA basketball teams as they play against Northwestern State, Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State.
A Full Serving of Events is On the Menu This Month at American Bank Center! March 2 CC Concert Ballet presents Alice in Wonderland & Other Works @ 7:30pm - Discover the beauty of this childhood story as the Corpus Christi Concert Ballet performs along to musical selections by Beethoveen, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Strauss and more.
March 22-24 Corpus Christi Navy Marathon & Half Marathon In addition to the marathons, there is a Health & Fitness Expo, 1 mile and 5k runs, relays and run challenges. Proceeds benefit Wounded Warriors Project.
March 5-6 Sesame Street Live: Can’t Stop Singing - Elmo uses Abby Cadabby’s magic wand to put his Sesame Street friends in a musical trance that you won’t be able to stop singing along to. Ticket purchasers get to experience the Play Zone and become apart of Sesame Street an hour before the show!
February 21 Tejano All Star Invasion @ 6:00pm - An evening of Tejano favorites with performance by Duelo, Siggno, Elida Reyna, and Solido.
March 22-24 North American Jewelry & Gift Show - Find the hottest trends in jewelry, fashion accessories and apparel at wholesale prices. Pre-Register at NAshows. com for free admission. Tickets are available at the American Bank Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets including select H-E-B's, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Additional fees may apply.
March 9 Scandalous @7:00pm - Gary “Lil G” Jenkins stars in this stage production of a love triangle that results in destroyed relationships, pushing someone to the limit of no return.
February 25 Elvis Lives! @ 7:30pm - Originally scheduled for February 17 at 7:00pm. See the world’s best Elvis impersonators as they bring the music of the King of Rock & Roll to the stage. February 26, 27 & March 8, 9, 22, 23, 29,30 Corpus Christi IceRays - Frosty Fridays are half off 20oz beer and 24oz soda and Saturday’s are Caller Times Family Four Pack Night; 4 tickets, 4 hotdogs, 4 sodas for $44!
March 15 George Lopez “It’s Not Me, It’s You” Tour @ 8:00pm - Hot off the heels of his third solo stand up special on HBO, George Lopez is ready to tell you the harsh reality. March 17, 24 Corpus Christi Fury - Arena football returns with the debut of the Corpus Christi Fury, playing in the Ultimate Indoor Football League. 09
Food and beverage in an event center can be just as important as the entertainment. Catering and retail food services at SMG managed American Bank Center is now overseen by food and beverage provider SAVOR. SAVOR is a segment of venue management company SMG, providing in-house catering services for over 75 arenas, stadiums, convention centers and theaters worldwide. Known for using fresh, local ingredients to embrace regional cuisines, SAVOR provides world class dining from concession stands to catered events. Chef Michael Stephans will lead the culinary team in delivering a menu that entices every palate with impeccable and innovative selections. In addition to the exceptional quality and service that patrons and clients can expect, SAVOR implements green practices with the products they use and their processes to eliminate waste. SMG managed American Bank Center is Corpus Christi’s premier event center providing unprecedented guest experiences. Follow us online at www.Americanbankcenter.com, facebook. com/AmericanBankCenter, or twitter.com/ AmericanBankCtr.
Everything He Had
Camina. The only thing we had in common was our love for football, but that was enough. Two guys from different places became instant friends. Shane had a weekly sports talk radio show at the time and had guest hosts like local sportscaster Dan McReynolds and Camina. Eventually he asked me to join him and excited, I said “Yes.” This was my chance to live my childhood dreams through his experiences. “Shane & Andy’s Insider Sports” debuted in January of 1993. Along the way we took our show out into the public with the help of local businesses like Andrews Distributing, Pizza Hut, Special Olympics, and United Way. We were also able to bring some of the best of the best from the sports world to the Corpus Christi air waves.
Shane Nelson's Journey from Mathis to the NFL f success turns your head, then you were facing the wrong direction. Not this guy; he always knew where he was going. He was listed at 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighed around 233 pounds, but those stats didn’t measure his heart. His ticker weighed a ton. He was a good-looking guy, a big dreamer from a small Texas town and pure as the driven snow. He was smart, tough and some said so fast he could catch a shooting star. His mom Nancy was a saint and his dad Austin was a fan of westerns and sports movies. The story goes that Shane’s dad named him after the famous western movie entitled “Shane” starring Alan Ladd as the good guy and Jack Palance as the ultimate bad guy. His older brother was called “Gipper” and I will let you figure that out all by yourself, but here’s a hint: Knute Rockne. Every spring, thousands of wide-eyed kids tried out for their local high school football team. In case you haven’t heard, football is king in Texas. It was no different in Mathis, Texas, a place where everybody in town had the same thing, nothing. Shane Nelson not only lettered all three years as a fullback and defensive end for the Pirates, but he also excelled as a catcher on the baseball team and was a basketball forward as well. A 12-1 record his senior year, where he once scored six touchdowns in a single game against Woodsboro, propelled him to be chosen All-South Texas Fullback. He was also named to the All-Defensive and All-Offensive Teams and was presented the 1973 Mathis High School Athlete-ofthe-Year Award. The next stop for Shane was Brenham, Texas, home of Blinn Junior College. Sure, some of the bigger schools had called. He was told he would sign a scholarship with Texas Tech, but that never materialized. Maybe his size had steered them away. Still he played and the longer he played, the more folks noticed. Shane earned a spot on the Southwest Junior College All-Conference Team at the linebacker position. By 1975, Baylor Head Coach Grant Teaff had successfully recruited Nelson for the Bears. Nelson hit the weight room, got stronger, and fell asleep each night in front of a projector watching film as his dreams got bigger in Waco, Texas. It’s hard to measure desire. Great athletes have the ability to put their bodies and minds in a place where most people refuse to go. “It’s like your eyes come together as one,” said Nelson. Your focus on success exceeds your desire for safety. You must be willing to give up your body to play this game. You don’t end up being a linebacker by mistake. It was only a matter of time before Shane became Captain of the Bears and later a member of Baylor’s All-70’s Decade Team. Shane was given one other job. “Coach Teaff wanted me to recruit Mike Singleterry to come to Baylor,” said Nelson. “He knew one of his team captains and dominant players could help influence Mike to sign with the Baylor Bears.” The rest is history. Two years later, Shane was invited to an open tryout camp for the Dallas Cowboys. Eighteen hundred athletes showed up but only one was offered a contract by Gil Brandt of the Cowboys, Shane Nelson. Nelson had run a 4.52 in the 40-yard dash, but
incredibly, he said “No thanks.” Baylor assistant coach and former Raider’s quarterback, Cotton Davidson, convinced Shane to tell the Cowboys he would think about it overnight. Davidson knew that Dallas had drafted a kid named Randy White that they wanted to convert to linebacker, and Cotton felt Shane would not get a fair shake. In 1977, Nelson signed with the Buffalo Bills, as a rookie free agent. In his first season, #59 led the Bills in tackles by setting a team record with 168 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery, in a 14-game season. The Bills’ players and coaches voted Nelson defensive MVP as a rookie. “That was an award I won three times in my six years at Buffalo (77, 79, 81),” said Nelson. He was also voted to the 1977 NFL’s All-Rookie Team. By 1979, the NFL draft would bring nose tackle Fred Smerlas and linebacker Jim Haslet to the Bills. These two along with Nelson would form the famed “Bermuda Triangle,” a place where running backs entered but never left. With the unique qualities of each of the three individuals, they were able to dominate the inside of the Bills’ 3-4 defense. In 1980, the Buffalo defense was ranked No. 1 in the NFL. He was always very competitive and set high standards for himself. Nelson could hit you like Mike Tyson hits a chin. Just ask Franco Harris, Larry Csonka, Walter Payton, or Earl Campbell. His goal was to bruise your spleen, ruin your knee, and then stop the run. Giving this guy a helmet was like giving Billy the Kid a handgun, Tiger Woods a putter, or Calvin Borel a whip; something incredible was about to happen. After six full seasons in the NFL, Shane Nelson retired when injuries began to catch up. At a time when the medicine was not as good, a ruptured Achilles tendon coupled with major knee surgery ended his career. “I gave everything I had,” said Nelson. “My heart still wanted to play, but my body couldn’t write the check to play at the standards I expected for myself. The pride in playing the game and excelling on the field was my love and passion for the game. I didn’t play for a paycheck, so when I couldn’t perform at my standards, it was time to walk away.” Nelson moved back to South Texas after football and created Huddle for Success, a company that specializes in helping large companies set up strategic plans on how to accomplish their goals, both personal and business. There is no doubt that God moves people in and out of our lives. I met Shane through a friend named Mondo 10
One October, I followed Shane and his family back to Blinn. He was being inducted into the Junior College Football Hall of Fame. I was proud to sit with his parents and his wife Shannon and kids. My dad used to tell me that the most important number in our life is not how many years you have lived but how many true friends you have acquired. Shane Nelson is my friend. He gave me my start in radio and expanded my horizons in regards to writing. He was there at my request at business meetings to inspire my employees and never asked for a penny. He signed autographs at both of my book-signing events. We have laughed until we cried and shared our sorrow for friends and family we have lost. The award-winning NFL Films became part of Americana under the leadership of the late Steve Sabol. Through Sabol’s vision, and his love for music, film, and football, he created the lasting images of this great game. He also used “The Voice” of NFL Films, John Facenda to narrate these specials. That’s how Shane got the nickname “Dr. No.” Facenda stated with Nelson at linebacker there was “No hole, no gain.” He may be the NFL’s Dr. No but to me and every other person, he has always said “Yes.” Andy Purvis is a local author. His books "In the Company of Greatness" and "Remembered Greatness" are on the shelves at the local Barnes and Noble, at Beamer's Sports Grill 5922 S Staples, and online at many different sites including Amazon, bn.com, booksamillion, Goggle Books, etc. They are also available in e-reader format. Contact him at www.purvisbooks.com, or andy.purvis@grandecom.net.
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Live Music Tonight
The Coastal Bend's Most Complete Live Music Calendar
Compiled by Ronnie Narmour
Thursday, Feb. 14 Free Beer Band @ Tarpon Ice House Carolyn Wonderland @ Rialto Theater John Eric @ Island Italian Antone & the All Stars @ Dr. Rockits Uel Jackson (4-7) @ Sugar Shack- Rockport Reckless Kelly, Rankin Twins @ Brewster Street Ice House Blake Sparx @ Scuttlebutt’s Friday, Feb. 15 Mike Williams (5-7) @ Tarpon Ice House Ray T & the City Crew @ Flats Lounge Trysum @ Executive Surf Club We Came as Romans, Crown the Empire, Shattered Sun @ House of Rock Chris Saenz @ Scuttlebutt’s Medicare Band @ Sharkey’s Double R Nothing @ Brewster Street Jobe Wilson @ South Texas Ice House Saturday, Feb. 16 Claude Butch Morgan @ Tarpon Ice House Bluegrass Festival @ The Gaff Stevie Start @ Coast Club Keith Sykes @ Third Coast Theater Mike Williams @ Hemingways Rockport After Dark Revue @ House of Rock Metal Shop @ Brewster Street Ice House David Martinez Band, Claire Stevens @ Executive Surf Club Blues Crawlers @ Dr. Rockits Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Orchestra @ UTAMCC Performing Arts Center Fabian Rivera @ Scuttlebutt’s Stuart Burns @ Coffee Waves Five Card Draw @ South Texas Ice House Sharkey’s Mardi Gras Party w/ Swamp Fever @ Sharkey’s Sunday, Feb. 17 Open Jam w/ Uel Jackson @ Tarpon Ice House Tumble Dry Low @ Bernie’s Beach House Open Jam @ Neptune’s Henry & the Invisibles @ Dr. Rockits Elvis Lives @ American Bank Center Collin Roche @ Scuttlebutt’s Jason Randall Band @ Sharkey’s John Eric open mic @ South Texas Ice House Monday, Feb. 18 Mike Williams @ Tarpon Ice House Open Jam w/ Antone Perez @ Doctor Rockits John Eric @ Scuttlebutt’s Tuesday, Feb. 19 Open Mic @ House of Rock Party of Three @ Dr. Rockits Kevin Hill @ Scuttlebutt’s Wednesday, Feb. 20 PA Rockers @ Bernie’s Beach House Neil Edwards Band @ Dr. Rockits Flatbroke @ House of Rock Rich Lockhart @ Scuttlebutt’s Thursday, Feb. 21 Free Beer Band @ Tarpon Ice House John Eric @ Island Italian Antone & the All Stars @ Dr. Rockits Local Licks @ House of Rock Uel Jackson (4-7) @ Sugar Shack- Rockport Roger Creager’s Texas Fiesta @ Brewster Street Ice House Blake Sparx @ Scuttlebutt’s Friday, Feb. 22 Carol Elliott (5-7) @ Tarpon Ice House Ray T & the City Crew @ Flats Lounge Friends and Lovers Art Show @ House of Rock Justin Estes @ Dr. Rockits Stevie Start @ Scuttlebutt’s Medicare Band @ Sharkey’s Reno Perez @ South Texas Ice House
Saturday, Feb. 23 Stevie Start @ Coast Club Open Mic with Reverend Toad @ Tango Tea Room John Cortez @ Flat’s Lounge Mike Williams @ Hemingways Rockport Jason Boland & the Stragglers @ Brewster Street Ice House Lovers & Fighters @ Executive Surf Club Palacios Brothers @ Dr. Rockits Chris Saenz @ Scuttlebutt’s Zack Walthers @ South Texas Ice House Sunday, Feb. 24 Rebelution with JBoog, Hot Rain @ House of Rock Open Jam w/ Uel Jackson@ Tarpon Ice House Tumble Dry Low @ Bernie’s Beach House Open Jam @ Neptune’s Rebelution, J Boog, Hot Rain @ House of Rock John Eric @ Scuttlebutt’s Open Mic @ South Texas Ice House Monday, Feb. 25 Mike Williams @ Tarpon Ice House Open Jam w/ Antone Perez @ Doctor Rockits John Eric @ Scuttlebutt’s Tuesday, Feb. 26 Open Mic, HOBO @ House of Rock Party of Three @ Dr. Rockits Collin Roche @ Scuttlebutt’s Wednesday, Feb. 27 PA Rockers @ Bernie’s Beach House Party of Three @ Dr. Rockits Uel Jackson @ Scuttlebutt’s Thursday, Feb. 28 Free Beer Band @ Tarpon Ice House John Eric @ Island Italian Antone & the All Stars @ Dr. Rockits Hilda Lamas CD Release @ House of Rock Brandon Rhyder @ Brewster Street Ice House Uel Jackson (4-7) @ Sugar Shack- Rockport Rich Lockhart @ Scuttlebutt’s Friday, March 1 Mike Williams (5-7) @ Tarpon Ice House Ray T & the City Crew @ Flats Lounge Another Level @ Executive Surf Club Medicare Band @ Sharkey’s Gary Moeller @ Coffee Waves Saturday, March 2 Mike Williams @ Hemingways Rockport 90 Proof @ Executive Surf Club South Texas Honor Band Orchestra @ UTAMCC Performing Arts Center Stuart Burns @ Coffee Waves Sunday, March 3 Open Jam w/ Uel Jackson @ Tarpon Ice House Tumble Dry Low @ Bernie’s Beach House Open Jam @ Neptune’s Ricky Nelson Remembered Orchestra @ UTAMCC Performing Arts Center Monday, March 4 Mike Williams @ Tarpon Ice House Open Jam w/ Antone Perez @ Doctor Rockits Tuesday, March 5 Open Mic @ House of Rock As I Lay Dying, Devil Wears Prada, For Today, Color Morale @ Concrete Street Amphitheater Wednesday, March 6 PA Rockers @ Bernie’s Beach House Thursday, March 7 Antone & the All Stars @ Dr. Rockits Free Beer Band @ Tarpon Ice House John Eric @ Island Italia Uel Jackson (4-7) @ Sugar Shack- Rockport Friday, March 8 Carol Elliott (5-7) @ Tarpon Ice House Ray T & the City Crew @ Flats Lounge Hamilton Loomis @ Executive Surf Club David & Barbara Brown @ Coffee Waves
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Regular Open Mic Events in the 361: Sunday Open Mic w/ Billy Snipes & Uel Jackson @ Tarpon Ice House Acoustic Open Mic @ Neptune’s Retreat Monday Open Jam w/ Antone Perez @ Doctor Rockits Tuesday Open Mic w/ Rev. Matt Martinez @ House of Rock Wednesday Open Jam w/ Jered “Wolfjaw” Clark @ Flats Lounge Saturday
Open mic with Rev. Toad @ Tango Tea Room 2nd & 4th Saturday Saturday, March 9 Open Mic with Reverend Toad @ Tango Tea Room Mike Williams @ Hemingways Rockport Max Stalling @ Executive Surf Club Ken Barnett @ Coffee Waves Sunday, March 10 AWOLNATION, Blondfire, Mother Mother @ Brewster Street Ice House Natural Vibrations @ Executive Surf Club Open Jam w/ Uel Jackson @ Tarpon Ice House Tumble Dry Low @ Bernie’s Beach House Open Jam @ Neptune’s CC Symphony Orchestra Orchestra @ UTAMCC Performing Arts Center Monday, March 11 Mike Williams @ Tarpon Ice House Open Jam w/ Antone Perez @ Doctor Rockits Tuesday, March 12 Open Mic @ House of Rock Wednesday, March 13 Turnpike Troubadours @ Brewster Street Ice House PA Rockers @ Bernie’s Beach House Thursday, March 14 Antone & the All Stars @ Dr. Rockits Free Beer Band @ Tarpon Ice House John Eric @ Island Italian Uel Jackson (4-7) @ Sugar Shack- Rockport Friday, March 15 Mike Williams (5-7) @ Tarpon Ice House Ray T & the City Crew @ Flats Lounge Scarecrow People @ Executive Surf Club Spark in the Dark @ Coffee Waves Saturday, March 16 Mike Williams @ Hemingways Rockport Matt Hole @ Executive Surf Club Andrew Foster @ Coffee Waves
By Charlz L. Vinson Cvinson@ccmagonline.com
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Rumors & Lies Gambling Cruises and Rotten Cookies
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"It's like a death...a death in the family." -Peter Steele, Type O Negative
heard a rumor that he wrote that song due to the grief he felt when his dog died. I believe it, since I heard another rumor that Peter Steele did not have a good relationship with his family. Hence, he probably had a better time with his dog than with any of his sisters.
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If only death was that easy. Many of us suffer through life with such agonizing pain that we wish we were dead already. Some humans get trapped into a vegetative state, forced to live out their lives in an assisted living home. In this month's article I will tell you the story of one person whose horrible chain-ofevents cost one coastal community an entire industry. Port Aransas, Texas, 2002. In 2000, a ship named Texas Treasure came to our coastline to offer short cruises into the Gulf of Mexico and back. What a concept! Let's go for a cruise! Oh, did I mention that while we're out there we can play some slots or craps or blackjack? The attraction was a hit, bringing year-round tourists to Port Aransas, Aransas Pass, Ingleside, Rockport, Portland, and Corpus Christi. Before 2000, the biggest thing to hit Port Aransas was Beachwalk. Beachwalk was a copycat of a South Florida beach-home facility. All the way to the pastel colors required of each building inside it's perimeter. Beachwalk was such a success it spawned Beachwalk 2. Now every beach home community on highway 361 copies Beachwalk and paints their houses like Easter eggs.
How The Texas Treasure was shut down by one hospital bill: tinyurl.com/ccmag0213 (About halfway down the page) The abandoned oil rig creates an artificial coral reef in the seawater where fish find food and shelter, making it easier for them to “be fruitful and multiply.” Nowadays folks who like to gamble have to go to one of the 8-liner rooms in Gregory. It’s a poor substitute for real casino table games. Presumably the city of Gregory looks the other way due to the high costs associated with registering the machines, which is rumored to be in the thousands of dollars per machine.
So, back to the Texas Treasure… The staff was mainly Filipino. Of about 300 on-board staff, 3% were American, 45% were Filipino, and the remaining 52% were of other countries besides the USA or the Philippines. Some of those other countries included India, England, Ukraine, Peru, Hungary, New Zealand, Russia, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, China, Australia, Indonesia, the list goes on and on. But you get my point, lots of different people in one environment. This ship acted like a microcosm of planet Earth. We are all diverse, sharing one atmosphere, one water, and one land.
Conspiracy Evidence of the Month: Christus Spohn is a Catholic hospital, and the Catholic church is one of the major opponents of any form of legalized gambling, is it just a coincidence that the hospital bill that bankrupted the Texas Treasure was calculated by Christus Spohn?
The Quickbooks Guru Presents
What killed the Texas Treasure? The ship died on Mother's Day 2008, I believe the date was May 11, 2008. One month prior to this date, the operators of this "casino on water" were handed a judgment against them for losing a civil case against Spohn hospital.
7 Hours to Mastery of Quickbooks Fundamentals
The judgment was for over $1 million. In short, one crew member grew sick and was transported to one hospital, then another, then something lead to other somethings and sadly, she is now paralyzed. The cost of her medical care was expensive and someone had to pay. In fact, we all paid, because by driving the Texas Treasure out of business, we removed uncountable millions from our local economy. There's something to ponder the next time you hear a rant about "socialism." We're already paying for other people's health care, its just not always obvious.
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The Texas Treasure pulled anchor and went back to the Bahamas, where she was sold to the highest bidder who in turn sold her to India. India took her and chopped her up into little pieces and melted her down into the cheap, poorly made items that you buy at walmart. You know that bottle opener that actually broke in half? That used to bring money to your town. Now look at it.
Now Only $145.00 Howard Johnson Hotel
For those of us who remember her, we rarely had a bad thing to say about the experience. She had a buffet, free drinks, entertainment, beautiful Russian women to practice English with, and Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, Three Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, Triple Shot, Roulette, Texas Hold 'em Poker, Craps (Dice), Black Jack, Casino war, sometimes Mini-Pai Gow, slot machines, poker tournaments, and a 50/50 drawing. All for about 20 bucks, plus gambling and tipping cash. And FREE PARKING! Another boost to the local economy... its rumored that more than a few babies resulted from cruises on the Treasure. Let's just say some called it "the LOVE boat."
6301 IH 37, Exit 5
AM Bookkeeping
Why don't they bring another gambling boat to Port A? That's like asking, "Why won't MTV play music videos anymore?" You're living in the past. The future is where you need to focus. How about converting one of the over 4000 abandoned oil rigs in the gulf into a luxury casino resort? Then all you need to do is make two round trips a day. Sport fishermen would also be drawn to the resort.
Bookkeeping & Tax Professionals 12
Attendance is Limited!
Enroll Today 361-884-8180 www.ambookkeeping.us
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Art Scene A Few Items Of Note For January
K Space Contemporary 415 D Starr Street Corpus Christi, TX 78401 361.887.6834 KSpaceContemporary.org Hours: Wed-Sat 11a – 5p Free Admission First Friday ArtWALK 5:30pm to 9pm
Watercolor Society of South Texas’ 44th Annual Exhibition Ken Hosmer, Juror
Contemporary Studio Glass from the Collection of the Mobile Museum of Art Exhibit through May 5th, 2013
Reception & Awards First Friday, March 1st, 5-7pm Original works of art by the members of the Watercolor Society of South Texas. Exhibition will hang from February 20th through March 19th.
©Debbie Cannatella
Main Gallery - Prophecy: Peña & Wheeler This exhibit was born out of the thought that according to the Mayans, the year 2012 is predicted to be the end of the world. An important contemporary exhibit; so many in our population are visual learners. This is a fresh approach for this area in addressing these concerns. With an island of plastic the size of Texas floating in the Pacific, animal injuries, fish kills, and overflowing landfills, man is leaving a negative footprint. This project is made possible through funding provided by Texas Commission on the Arts, Joe Aker, and other loyal contributors. Exhibit runs through February 22nd.
Bay Area Art League Annual Affiliated Group Show
February Art Star Gallery: Amy Bowers
TreehouseArtCC.com
Reception February 1st, 5-7pm
The Mobile Museum of Art in Mobile, Alabama, owns one of the most important collections of International Studio Glass in the country, the bulk of which were donated to the Museum’s Permanent Collection by Elice Haverty and Dr Rhodes Haverty. The Collection works from Australia, Britain, Canada, Germany, Sweden, New Zealand and the United States, among the countries. The 65 works of glass in this exhibition are one-of-a-kind pieces, featuring a wide range of subjects and techniques. Check the museum’s website event calendar for other events throughout the month.
Rockport Center for the Arts
June Ainsworth
902 Navigation Circle
Hours: Tues – Sat, 10a – 4p
Reception February 1st, 5-7pm
Rockport, Texas 78382
Sundays, 1p – 4p
Tel: 361.729.5519
Closed Mondays
Fax: 361.729.3551
Always Free Admission
Treehouse Art Collective LLC
RockportArtCenter.com
309 North Water Street, Suite D
2013 Tour of Homes April 13-14, 2013
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
The annual Tour of Homes features the best in Texas Coastal Living, providing a self-guided tour through private homes in Rockport.
361.882.4822
First Friday ArtWALK
Tue-Sat
11a – 8p
March 1st, 5:30pm to 9pm
Sunday
Noon to 6p
Main Gallery: CC Contemporary Art Month – Local Artists
Free Admission
The World through our Artist Eyes
Festival of the Arts
March Art Star Gallery: Shelly Renfrow Porter
A collective of 6 core artists, and a varying group of associate artists, who exhibit and sell their artwork in all manner of media.
The Merriman-Bobys House
Hot Spot Gallery: Located on the third floor of the building inside K Space Art Studios. The gallery features the works of regional artists, youth and K Space Studio Artists. Shows change monthly and open with First Friday ArtWalks.
in Heritage Park
CCFestivalArts.org
1521 North Chaparral Street
By Appointment Only
Corpus Christi, Texas 78401
Always Free Admission
First Friday, ArtWALK March 1st, 6p – 9p
A different featured artist every month, and guest lectures quarterly.
Art Center of Corpus Christi
First Saturday and Sunday
100 Shoreline Blvd Corpus Christi, TX 78401
First Friday ArtWALK
Tel: 361.884.6406
February 1st, 5:30 – 9pm
March 1st & 2nd,
Fax: 361.884.8836
Featured Artist: Paul Padilla, Metal Artist
10a – 4p
ArtCenterCC.org Hours: 10a – 4p Everyday except Monday Monday CLOSED Admission is always FREE
First Friday ArtWALK February & March 1st, 5:30-9pm
Ladies Night Out at Water Street Market Thursday, February 21st, 5:30 – 8pm Ladies, on the third Thursday of each month, grab your friend and join us for an evening of shopping, prize drawings and tasty refreshments!
Tables of artists and artisan vendors in and around the Courtyard! Check out the new dining hot spot, Citrus Bayfront Bistro! Now open Monday through Friday for LUNCH, 11a-2p (Soups, Sandwiches, Salads and Delicious Daily Specials) and TEA TIME, 2-5pm (Cakes, Pies , Coffee, and Tea).
1902 N. Shoreline Blvd
All Membership Show
Tues - Sat 10a to 5p
$8
Seniors (60 and older) $6
Corpus Christi, TX 78401 Tel: 361.825.3500 Fax: 361.825.3520
TangoFandango.com
Mon - Thurs 10a - 7p Fri & Sat
10a - 9p
Sunday
Noon - 6p
First Friday ArtWALK March 1st, 5:30 – 9pm
Students (13+) $4
Art, music and fabulous food - A little slice of Austin hiding in downtown CC. Featuring new artists every month
- All members
Hours:
361.883.9123
Hours:
Active Military $6 Free:
STIA.org
505 S Water Street, Suite 545 Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Art Museum of South Texas Adults
Tango Tea Room
- Children 12 and under
Lisa Baer, Juror
Sundays 1p to 5p
- Texas A&M University-CC students
Reception & Awards First Friday, February 1st, 5-7pm
Closed Mondays & Holidays
Free Admission every First Friday in honor of ArtWALK!
Original works of art by the members of the Art Center of Corpus “Ocean Wave” Christi. Exhibition © Pavel Hlava will hang from 2000 January 22nd through February 17th.
Atelier International Art Gallery 528 Gordon Street (at South Alameda) Hours: Corpus Christi, TX 78401 Mon - Thu 12p to 6p 956.605-1221 Fri + Sat 12p to 2p AIArtGallery.com Sunday By Appointment
Opening Reception March 8th 2013, 6-9pm Exhibit runs through March 30th, 2013
Georgia Griffin Art exhibition based on one artist’s varying perception of birds. 13
© Georgia Griffin
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Every WEDNESDAY 5 to 7 pm 00
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505 South Water Street
At The Vil age Shopping Center ( Tango Tea Room)
Market Manager Aislynn Campbell
(361) 548-3373
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Surviving the Legal System
Child Protective Services:
By Kyle Hoelscher
The Dangers, and How To Protect Yourself and Your Children From Unwarranted Government "Protection"
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his article may not apply directly to your life but, the problem with government intrusion into your liberty is that you don’t know when and how to protect yourself until it’s too late and the government is at your door. d oor. If you have children, Texas Child Protective Services could come knocking at your door any moment. You may think that CPS only goes after abusive or negligent parents, but it’s amazing how often CPS just noses its way into the family lives of regular citizens. Worse yet, they nose in by using lies and circumventing constitutional rights. You need to know how to protect yourself and you need to know the tricks they use to make you give up your rights, which could lead to having children removed from your home.
CPS exists to help the weakest in our society, to save children from abusive or neglectful parents. CPS seems to have lost sight of the real danger to Texas children and is wasting its resources "investigating" reports that are obviously not cases of abuse. Don't allow yourself to be drawn into the CPS dragnet Learn to protect your family. check the box, “possible drug use by parent.” If they really want to harass an unsuspecting parent, they will try to get them to sign a “voluntary safety plan.” I will not go into it, but I suggest you Google this term. It’s a way for CPS to get you to give up your child without due process. Once the child is out of your house and you’ve signed this agreement, you are stuck with CPS.
Let’s start with how CPS opens an investigation. Typically an investigation starts with a tip, usually an anonymous one. CPS takes these unverified, anonymous tips that have no indicia of reliability and they run with it. They don’t wait for a serious tip, such as a child living in a drug house, or reports of real abuse. They will follow up on nearly all tips, ranging from the child not taking a bath, having beer in the fridge or smoking inside the house with a child. Granted these may be problems, but not severe enough to warrant government intervention. Additionally, CPS makes no effort to verify these calls. They do not call back, trace the number, ask for names, CPS will follow up on nearly all of or ask for other proof which could corroborate the the anonymous tips they receive, including the ridiculous, like reports information. They don’t check if the person calling is that the child didn't take a bath, or a spurned lover or a parent the presence of beer in the fridge. trying to improve their case for child custody. They simply open a case and send a worker out to investigate.
CPS is a product of our government’s obsession to get into every intimate facet of citizens’ lives. Luckily for us, the Constitution still applies to them, as government agents. And there is good news on that front, because it is far easier to protect yourself from CPS than it is to protect yourself from the police, since the police have actual authority. How do you protect yourself from CPS? Do not answer the door. If you do answer the door, just tell them to leave and close it. End of story, end of investigation, and you can go on with your life without being harassed by this agency. If you are stuck in their web, stop answering their phone calls, stop complying with their requests. If you can afford it, call your attorney immediately.
Over 200 Texas children die every year from abuse. Now is the time where you say, “What about real neglect, real abuse situations?” The truth is that CPS has the power to affect these situations. They can gather evidence and go get a court order to stop abuse or neglect that may not have risen to the level of criminal. CPS was originally designed to help the weakest in our society, but that design was intended only to save children from parents with drug problems, and abusive or neglectful parents. At some point, CPS realized that it’s hard to do that job, and they began to creep their way into an easier job, that is, telling people how the state of Texas thinks their children should be raised. Since our legislature has no intention of restraining their own arm, it’s up to citizens to know when they can say no to the government. This is one of those times. It may not be you who is affected by this, but its easy to imagine someone you know with children getting wrapped up in CPS’s web and not being able to free themselves.
A CPS worker will then go to your child’s school and pull them from class for a coercive interview. Unfortunately, our concept of rights is so upside down in this nation that CPS can do this without notifying the parent at all. You actually have to give a letter to the school affirmatively telling them not to allow your child to be interrogated unless they call you first. If anyone out there needs one of these, please email me.
You may think that CPS only goes after abusive or negligent parents, but it’s amazing how often CPS just noses its way into the family lives of regular citizens. Worse yet, they nose in by using lies and circumventing constitutional rights. This leads to step two: the home visit. So, they send a pantsuit clad, professional looking, usually young woman over to the home. They generally catch you at random, rarely calling ahead of time. And there is a very simple reason for doing this; they want to catch you at your worst so that their case will become justified as quickly as possible. To those readers with kids, think of how your how looks on a normal day. Not when guests are coming, not when mom is going to stop by, but just any old day. Not pretty, huh? This is how the CPS worker wants to catch your house, so they can check off the “dirty home” box. Once at your door, they will announce themselves and immediately invite themselves in. Once inside, they ask for a glass of water, this way they can look at your kitchen, your trash, and perhaps look inside your fridge to see if you keep any alcohol in the house. These things warrant new checks in new boxes: “dishes unwashed in sink,” “trash full,” “Alcohol, easily accessible to children”. You see how quickly their case is building, just by a home visit. CPS also is very careful to go after poor and uneducated citizens. If they get a whiff that you know your rights, they typically will not follow up (unless there are real signs of abuse). CPS will use legalese to confuse people about their rights. CPS will tell people that they can do a hundred things. Sometimes they will say they can come in your house no matter what, sometimes they will tell you that they could summon the police and get into your house and they will almost always tell you that no lawyers need to be involved in the CPS process. These are blatant lies. CPS has almost no authority in these matters. As you let them in your life, as they check off boxes, and as they keep having home visits, they might start pressing for a voluntary drug test. When you refuse (as you should), they
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services commissioner Howard Baldwin resigned in November just weeks after detectives seized files from an Abilene Child Protective Services workers as part of a criminal investigation into possible evidence tampering and cover-ups.
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Four top CPS officials in Abilene, suspects in the probe, already are on forced leave while the criminal investigation is ongoing. No charges have been filed.
Dining Guide
Taste The Difference! The Gourmet Pizza Our famous Padre Pizza dough is handmade daily. Our sauces are created from the freshest tomatoes and seasoned with our own Chef’s blend of natural herbs and spices. Our lasagna made from scratch daily is the most tasty and delicious you will ever try, and our salad selections are prepared to order using the freshest produce available. 14993 SPID On the Island 949-0787
Snoopy’s and Scoopy’s
949-7737 15370 SPID- On the Island
Snoopy’s Pier was literally a product of the Redfish Wars, a battle over commercial fishing rights in Texas. Ernie Buttler realized the Redfish Wars signaled the beginning of the end of the commercial fishing industry in Texas. So Ernie decided to give up trying to catch fish and shrimp and start cooking them instead. In August 1980 Ernie and his wife, Corliss, purchased a small bait stand and burger joint with a fishing pier on the Intracoastal Waterway. Over time, the place was transformed with a lot of hard work and patience into a family-friendly seafood restaurant. Special attention is given to providing local harvested quality seafood at affordable prices.
Located on Padre Island, Island Italian has been serving the community since 1987. A family friendly restaurant, Island Italian also serves beer and wine and is available for private parties of up to 53 people. Flat screen TV and DVD / VHS for meetings. Delivery on Padre Island after 5pm. Daily Lunch and Dinner Specials. Hours of Operation: Monday - Thursday 11am to 9:30pm Saturday 10am to 10pm Sunday 5pm to 9:30pm
Scoopy’s was opened by Ernie’s wife and features home made soups, salads and sandwiches using only Texas products. Scoopy’s is proud of their shrimp salad, known by locals as the best in town. They also have great house made desserts and ice cream by the scoop. 13313 S.P.I.D. · Corpus Christi (361) 949-8815 · snoopyspier.com
Great Seafood s r e g r u B d n a Libations Amusements 18 Holes of Miniature Golf
Wednesdays All you can Eat Fried Shrimp Thursdays Prime RIb Open 11 am - 2 am With Twice Baked Potato Kitchen Closes @ 1 am 2034 State Highway 361
One Bite & You’re Hooked
361 749- Taco (8226)
Libations Amusements 18 holes of miniature golf Open 11 am - 2 am Kitchen Closes @ 1 am 2034 State Highway 361 361 749- Taco (8226)
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Dining Guide
Town & Country Cafe has great breakfast and lunch specials every day, offering great food at a fair price. Town & Country Cafe is a great location for business meetings and client luncheons and there is no charge for the use of the meeting room.
4228 South Alameda
Corpus Christi, TX 78412
(361) 992-0360
Locally Owned and Operated
Tango Tea Room The Tango Tea Room brings a taste of Austin to Downtown Corpus. Tango serves a variety of Mediterranean and world cuisine, including some of the best vegetarian and vegan fare you can find in Corpus. We also specialize in vegan and gluten-free desserts, cupcakes and muffins. Come on down and get your hippie on! 505 S. Water Street in downtown Corpus Christi. 361-883-9123 Tangofandango.com
Hours:
10-7 Monday through Thursday 10-9 Friday & Saturday 12-6 Sunday Farmers Market every Wednesday 5pm
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A Taste of Austin In Downtown Corpus Christi
Tango Tea Room 505 South Water Street 361-883-9123
Huge Vegetarian, Vegan & Gluten-Free Friendly Menu Yummy Non-veg stuff too. Free WiFi Farmers market Every Wednesday 5pm Open Mic Night every 2nd & 4th Saturday Bizarre Bazaar Every 3rd Saturday
THE
Lenz
KEDT Food & Wine Classic @ Museum of Science and Industry
Photos courtesy of
y
Executive Women International Casino Night,� @ Katz 21- Steaks and Spirits
Discover More at METROSCHOOLS.NET
Color Me Rad 5k @ Whataburger Field
THE
Lenz
Photos by Miles Merwin
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Canvas Exposing Local Artists…
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pring is a time for new beginnings! Atelier International Art Gallery & Café is putting action to those words. Co-Owner & Curator, Rey Santiago, shared an apt quote by Dietrich FischerDieskau: “With creative people, truly new horizons open up.” “Yes,” says Rey, “we are expanding our horizons. In the beginning of 2013 we are working in partnering with a café, and will be operating as separate businesses under one roof to offer the local community an atmosphere of international and local art, as well as food. The gallery's future location will cater to a community based family oriented area in the heart of a developing cultural setting in Corpus Christi.” “During 2012 we had discussed the possibility of applying strategies that would encourage people to appreciate artworks, who otherwise would not have the time to view art in a traditional gallery setting. The welcoming view of the new location with plenty of parking spaces is also an attribute that will render our services more accessible to guests and art enthusiasts.” The works exhibited in the gallery and the café area will continue to include international artists as well as local artists. The adjacent Atelier (or studio) will house the AI Frameshop and a general workshop area for art classes given by resident artists Elizabeth Figueroa, Amarilis Rodríguez, and Reynaldo Santiago. Initially, the possible courses to be offered in 2013 include: Acrylic Painting, Painting with Phosphorescent Paints, Watercolor, Portrait Painting, Nature by the Sea Drawing & Painting Techniques, Printmaking (Relief, Lithography, Collagraphy, Intaglio, Serigraphy, Mixtography), All Level Drawing, Digital Photography, and Paper Making, among other traditional and contemporary
Fly into Spring!
By Georgia Griffin
mediums. Other services included are commissioned works for murals on canvas or ceramic tiles and family or individual portrait paintings. Atelier International - Art Gallery & Café 528 Gordon St Corpus Christi, TX 78404 www.aiartgallery.com aiartgallery@hotmail.com 956-605-1221 Hours: 12-6p Monday thru Thursday, and 12-2p Friday & Saturday Atelier International’s very first exhibit at their new location actually features yours truly, local artist and art columnist! My artwork will be on exhibit throughout the month of March. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Normally I profile other artists, but long before I became the author of this column I was actually an interviewee, in the October 2009 profile written by the ever delightful Aletha Eyerman-Craft, author and gluten-free guru at Tango Tea Room. In case you missed that interview, I wanted to give you an idea of my work and what to expect in Atelier International’s inaugural exhibit, so I’ve written up a little background information…
As I Take Wing: Georgia Griffin, A Solo Show I am a self-taught artist currently living in the Coastal Bend of South Texas. The central core of my work has related to the many issues that impact women. These issues course through the trials of girlhood, motherhood and care giving, touching on illness and loss/mourning, through concern for the environment and its creatures, to historical and political gender issues. In all my work I hope to bring not only some expression to my own views and experiences, even if only in some subtle fashion, but to also open people’s minds to reflect and touch upon those topics within their own lives, perhaps in new ways. Concepts and themes come to me from all directions: a chance phrase, a news story, 22
a memory, a photograph of a friend, a bird flying overhead, a commission request… thus my brain is my favorite tool – it makes everything possible. Since taking up the mantle of ‘artist’ several years ago I have been invited to participate in an annual breast cancer fund raiser wherein “bird houses” decorated or created by artists and others are auctioned off to benefit a medical facility that has helped thousands of women. I’ve created both literal and conceptual works on the theme, and I happen to think they’re some of my very best work.
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At the moment I am working on a couple different projects. I have two paintings in progress as I continue to work on mastering figure painting in acrylic – I am more comfortable with oils but environmentally I’m trying to move away from relying on that media so heavily. Figure work is one of my greatest joys and challenges. These two pieces are intended for an upcoming traveling exhibition organized by the South Texas Women Artists Group. Elizabeth Figueroa, Co-Owner & Art Director of Atelier International, happens to be one of STWA’s Co-Founders, along with McAllen artist Raquel Hinojosa. The submitted artworks will be juried by well known artist Joseph Bravo, Executive Director of the International Museum of Art and Science in McAllen, TX. Those works that are selected will travel to various art venues and museums throughout the state (and beyond?) in an exhibit called “Lives of South Texas Women.”
In addition to those two pieces, I am hard at work preparing for this solo exhibition at Atelier International. I am producing a large collection of bird related works, both in acrylic on canvas, and in various assemblage and sculptural pieces. The concept for this show came quite naturally. As a child, birds were a part of our family lexicon – a griffin is a mythological beast whose back half is a lion and front half is an eagle, complete with wings and talons. Nicknames and personal cartoon characters were a part of my family. I think my mother is right when she says birds are a part of my personal programming from birth. As I examined my past works it gradually dawned on me that in some manner or another birds frequently seemed to be involved. Whether the direct subject or merely a bit player within a composition, birds were turning up everywhere. This is the first time since my Barbie series that I have put a deliberate focus on carrying a single theme across multiple media and genre in such a large scale, and it has been fun to delve into the topic so completely. My work is truly taking wing. "As I Take Wing: Georgia Griffin, A Solo Show” opens at the Atelier International Art Gallery & Café at the start of the month, with a reception on March 8, 2013 from 6 to 9 PM. Please come, bring a friend or bring the family – I hope to see you there!