Plan CC 2035 emerges The city’s 20-year development plan has finalized
photo by Amber Quaid
Open Mic Spotlights Local Talent by JESSE DE LEON graduate adviser
L
photo courtesy of Plan CC
Mayor Nelda Martinez looks over the plans for the area affected by Plan CC 2035.
by AMBER QUAID managing editor
C
orpus Christi is about to have a 20-year plan that changes the way downtown looks, feels and incorporates living space. The plan called Plan CC 2035 has detailed the improvements and changes that will take place in the downtown area for the public to review. June 15 was the last day to review and submit comments on the plan to have an answer given to the community before it was finalized. Throughout this year the city planning committee has held several open houses and public meetings to discuss the plan in detail, to have a Q&A session and to answer any questions that
they were unable to be answered in the previous meeting. “Does ‘growth’ in Plan CC mean development on vacant and agricultural land—also known as ‘greenfield development’--or redevelopment of vacant or underutilized sites in the older parts of the city?” Annika Gunning, city project manager, responded “Plan CC provides for balanced growth over 20 years through infill and redevelopment, greenfield development within the current city limits, and through planned development of selected areas for annexation. Plan CC envisions both the development of walkable, urban villages with diverse housing types and conventional single family subdivisions.” This question had numerous inqui-
ries and many Corpus Christi residents wanted to know about the green impact of the plan. There were also many questions as to how this would affect the college community and the youth of the city. “Do you think that there will be a youth voice for the next generation in raising the bar for education and developing the city?” “There are groups like the Young Professionals of the Coastal Bend that are already working to improve Corpus Christi,” Gunning said. “But it would be wonderful to see more young people active in efforts to improve educational achievement and create a more vibrant city.” see PLAN CC on page 3
Soccer camp in full swing for summer
ong before there were glitzy television showcases like American Idol and The Voice, there were the more down-to-earth gatherings held at countless coffee houses and live music venues across the country which were commonly known as “open mic nights.” These rather unassuming and more accessible opportunities to grab the spotlight were designed to give local singers, musicians and performers an opportunity to experience what it was like to face a live audience while getting more than a little attention. It is a longstanding tradition that is still practiced today at local venues like Corpus Christi’s House of Rock. The popular downtown venue enthusiastically welcomes fledgling singers and up-and-coming songwriters, as well as a wide variety of performance artists when it hosts its highly popular Open Mic Night every Tuesday evening. “We try to keep the local music scene alive and this is a great way to get everyone together,” said Stephanie Garcia, one of House of Rock’s managers, who also serves as the venue’s marketing and public relations representative. see MIC on page 5
Community, kids brought together through skills, hardwork by GERI LEMMONS feature Reporter
T
his summer soccer is having a soccer camp for boys and girls ages 5-16 and 13-18 at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi at the Dr. Jack Dugan Family Soccer and Track Stadium. One of these camps will be held in June while another one will be held in July. The first camp will be June 9-12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The second
INDEX OPINION 2 | NEWS 3
camp will be July 13-16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is the third summer that the Islander soccer team will be hosting these camps along with some clinics that provide help for prospective athletes who want to gain more skills in regards to soccer. Anne Houliston, the assistant women’s soccer coach, said that their camps provide a fun and safe environment where kids can learn and develop their soccer skills. It gives
CAMPUS 4
kids “the opportunity to interact and learn how to work within a team.” Using their players as coaches provides each child with a role model that they can aspire to be like. “It provides us the opportunity to work closely with kids in the community,” Houliston said. “It allows us to show off our beautiful campus and facilities to parents/participants. As we are growing as a program it is
ENTERTAINMENT 5 | SPORTS 7-8 |
see Soccer on page 7
VOLUME 26, ISSUE 17