island moon section a 3-28-2013

Most spring breakers and winter Texas have migrated

home. Waters are warming, and it will not be long until Kemp’s ridley females intent on nesting here this year migrate to our local waters. In fact, some may already be here, with their first eggs of the season developing within. Nesting has already begun in Mexico, and we expect it to begin in Texas in the coming days and weeks. The earliest that we have found Kemp’s ridley nests in Texas is the first week in April. As warm as it has been, I would not be surprised if we find nests in early April this year.

This was one of those weeks where if you don’t like the weather just wait a few minutes and it will change. We’ve seen forty-plus mph winds and we’ve seen beautiful calm days and we’ve seen thick fog. About the only thing we haven’t seen is rain, but then we’re used to that.

The water temps are staying low for this time of year which means the southeast breeze still carries some chill after dark, but here’s betting that the current cool snap which dumped a lot of snow in the middle of the country last week on its way down here, will be our last of the season. We don’t know about you guys but when the temperature drops below seventy we Moon Monkeys break out he long underwear. We’re ready for some beach weather.

Fireworks

Before you know it it’ll be the Fourth of July. So now it’s time to get serious about raising the last of the $15,000 needed to put on a Big Bang fireworks show on Padre Island. It is to be the first annual and with the city council approving the permits this week things are ready to go. So now we’re at the Who Brought the Money Stage. We still need about $10,000 so anyone who can help out please contact Jerry Watkins at 331-7273 or e-mail him at [email protected].

This is a great project and we need to make sure it happens, every little bit helps.

Congressman Blake Farenthold

Congressman Blake Farenthold spoke to the Kiwanis Club Wednesday. Here are the highpoints: The Senate has passed a budget that doesn’t balance; the House has passed a budget that balances in ten years. The United States is now 7th in the world in opportunity for individuals to start their own business; Tax reform is drastically needed but “one man’s loophole is another man’s fair tax;” Washington is mired a culture where bureaucrats make decisions based on the “safest answer;” At $4.25 per MCF natural gas from the Eagle Ford Shale is the cheapest in the world; Right before the budgetary sequester the Department of Homeland Security bought new 1000 new uniforms – two pairs of pants, four shirts, one belt – at a cost of $2000 dollars per uniform; They also created a nationwide ammo shortage when they bought 500 rounds per officers for target practice; Bankers are frustrated because under new laws the only criteria they can use to determine whether to give a lone is credit score. A bill is making its way through Congress that would prevent the 22-day furloughs currently planned for CCAD;

Say it ain’t so Andre

Some sad news in the people department this week. Long time Islander and Beach Bum Extraordinaire Andre Lavoy has left the building – or The Island. For the past two decades Andre was a fixture along Packery Channel where his favorite pastime was spray painting seashells gold and salting the beach with them so he could take pictures of kids – of all ages – when they found them.

“Those things are rare,” Andre would say, “you must be lucky.”

Andre packed up and moved to Daytona Beach. He says he’ll be coming back and we hope so. The Island is a better place with you here.

Good news

Now for some good news in the Moon People Department; Islander Mark Pugh who suffered a terrible bike crash some months back is back in the pulpit at Kings Crossing Church of Christ for their Easter service. It was a long and tough road but Mark made it. Congratulations Mark and say hello if you see us Around The Island

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March 28, 2013The only Island in Texas where every day is a little like April Fool’s Day Next Publication Date: 4/4/2013 Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper Year 16, Issue 467

Around The IslandBy Dale Rankin [email protected]

Inside the Moon...

First Friday A2 Street Fees Explained Alley A5

Facebook : The Island Moon Newspaper

Fish Stories A5, A11

Fire in the sky on the Fourth of July

IslandBlast!

A little Island history

The Die is Cast: “We will rather die in these ditches, than give it up to the enemy.”

By Dale Rankin

When it comes to horseshoes, wars, business, politics or pretty much anything else it’s an unalterable fact that while failure may be an orphan success has many fathers.

Such was the case after Jim Bowie and a group less than 100 Texians defeated a company of almost 500 Mexicans at the Conception Mission in late 1835. Stephen F. Austin, in charge of the main Texas Army had completely missed the fight because, against orders, Jim Bowie had failed to send a message giving Bowie’s position so Austin could come up.

The result was that Bowie became a hero and Austin became upset. It didn’t help that Austin’s position as Commander in Chief was also being assailed by Bowie’s

good friend Sam Houston. The result of the rift in command of the Texas Army caused a malaise which effectively stranded the Texans on the outskirts of San Antonio where Mexican troops had fortified the town. Command of the army shifted and swayed with the political breeze leading Bowie to resign from the army not long after he again defeated a Mexican force with 150 pack mules trying to reach San Antonio from the west with provisions.

A rumor went around that the mules were loaded with silver bullion which turned out to be nothing but grass for the horses and the battle was ignominiously named the Grass Fight.

The Texas Revolution had

History continued on A3

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PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY

Photo by Dale Rankin

Live Music A18Sports A14

Statue of Benjamin Milam in Milam Park Downtown

San Antonio

16th Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Billish Park

Island Easter Egg Hunt is This

Saturday!For the

sixteenth year in a row a small army of kids will converge on Billish Park for the Annual Kiwanis Easter Egg hunt this Saturday.

So far the Kiwanis have collected 20,000 eggs, a mountain of potato chips, and a truckload of hotdogs. It all comes together this Saturday, March 30 at 11 a.m. with a Moon jump, bouncy house sponsored by Island Baptist Church, a merry-go-round, train, and face painting for the kids. The Island in the Son Methodist Church is providing hot dogs.

Things kick off at 11 a.m. and the egg hunt starts at noon with categories from babies all the way up to 12 year-olds. There will be 20,000 eggs some of which will have dollar coins donated by First Community Bank.

Billish Park is located at the corner of Gypsy and Fortuna Bay. For questions or to participate as a sponsor call Signa Pappas-Prather at 361 774-0424.

Pothole Trucks, Drones, Street Maintenance, and Fireworks

City Council Roundup from Tuesday, March 26Editor’s note: The following is a summation of

action taken by the Corpus Christi City Council this week taken from the preparation material submitted to the council members. Pothole Trucks. Council approved the lease-purchase of two Bergkamp Flameless Pothole Patchers from Freightliner of Austin, Austin, Texas for a total amount of $277,074.00. Funding is available through the Street Fund.

Drone program. A resolution was approved in support of the application of Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi for Federal designation as a test range for unmanned aircraft system.

On February 14, 2013, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) solicited proposals from state and local governments, eligible

universities and other public entities to develop six unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research and test sites around the country. Through the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, Congress directed the FAA to establish this program to conduct critical research into how best to safely integrate UAS systems into the national airspace over the next several years and what certification and navigation requirements will need to be established. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is working with Governor Rick Perry and other institutions of higher education in Texas to submit an application to be selected as one of the six test sites. Applicants have 80 days to submit their research and test-site proposal to the FAA. The FAA anticipates selection of the six test sites

2nd Annual Padre Island Showcase, Vendor Show, and Home Tour Set for

April 6-7 By Mary Lou White

[email protected]

361-960-9460

The 2nd Annual Padre Island Showcase, Vendor Show and Home Tour is set for Saturday and Sunday, April 6-7 from 1-5 p.m. on both days. The event is presented by the Island Moon.

This is an ideal opportunity for in town friends and out of town guests to view Island homes covering all price ranges and locations. Perhaps you are already a resident, but might be thinking of down-sizing, purchasing or moving into more square footage. Whatever the circumstances, this is a once a year chance to see what is available, without waiting for an appointment. The Bonus Feature of this year’s tour is The Community Garden located in Douden Park along Coba de Bara. Gardeners will be available to tell you about their accomplishments and show you their abundant crops.

Look for banners to appear on Friday April 5th, 2013. They are meant to guide visitors and locals to the Seashore Learning Center Gym on Encantada. We will have exhibitors from both sides of the Bridge,available to meet and discuss their services and products. For those who live on the Island, it is a golden opportunity to discuss your remodel, upgrade plans, or refinance needs with a real person, as opposed

Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Nesting Season Almost Here

By Donna J. Shaver, Ph.D.

National Park Service, Padre Island National Seashore

E-mail: [email protected]

Nesting and egg protection

Kemp’s ridleys nest in Texas from April through mid-July. Females nest one to four times during the nesting season, at intervals of 14 to 28 days, laying an average of 100 eggs in each nest. Females provide no maternal care for their eggs, which face many human related and natural threats if left unprotected on the beach. Eggs from most nests found on North Padre Island and northward on the Texas coast are transferred to the Padre Island National Seashore incubation facility for protected care. Eggs found in some nests from the southern end of the National Seashore and all nests on South

Padre and Boca Chica beaches are brought to “corrals” (large screen enclosures) for protected incubation. Moving the eggs to the incubation facility and corrals allows us not only to protect the eggs, but also to protect the resulting hatchlings as we release them on the beach and allow them to crawl into the Gulf of Mexico.

March training

Padre Island National Seashore staff members have been busy preparing

Turtles continued on A4

2012 was a Record Year for Area

VisitorsThe figures for tourism in the Coast Bend for

2012 have been released and show that 7.4 million people visited Corpus Christi during the year and spent $1.1 billion, making it the largest visitor attendance on record.

Attractions attendance on average increased 12-15% year over year, including record attendance for the Texas State Aquarium, a 53% increase in Harbor Ferry ridership and a 15% increase in Beach Parking Permits sold.

The Hotel Occupancy Tax collected $9,327,911 for an increase of 12% year over 2011 and the month of July netted the highest ever recorded monthly total.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau recorded 106,000 convention room nights booked, an increase of 17% over 2011.

Showcase continued on A17

P.I.E. Members are Informed of the Future

Economic Development of Corpus Christi

On March 8th the P.I.E. members held their monthly luncheon at the Island’s Holiday Inn Beach Hotel. The program was speaker John Plotnik who is the Executive Vice President of the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation. He informed the members of the future economic development of Corpus Christi. It was an inspiring look into the future of Corpus Christi.

On April 12th the program will be speaker Diane Klutz author of the book “Round Eyes-An American Nurse in Vietnam”.Make your reservations by noon on Wednesday, April 10th to [email protected]. For more information call Sheila at 949-2072.

Pictured left to right: Cheryl Henry (P.I.E. President), John Plotnik (Speaker) and Regina Plotnik (Wife & Member).

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Seashore Students

“Her Senior Year” Wins Third at UIL

SMA drama students earned 3rd place overall at UIL One-Act Play competition at Gregory-Portland on March 23 for their performance of “Her Senior Year.” Ashton Bidwell earned All-Star Cast, while Hannah Curry and Leighea Kraemer won Honorable Mention. The tech team of Kelsey Morris, Julia Delgado, and Shelby Reed won the Best Tech Award. Congratulations!

SMA cast and crew of “Her Senior Year” includes: (back) Kelsey Morris, Ashton Bidwell, Skylar Powell Shelby Reed, Hannah Curry, Hannah Miller, Robin Delgado, Haley Morgan, Julia Delgado, (front) Jack Gibbs, and Leighea Kraemer. Not pictured: C.J. Evaristo and Chase Dial. Director: Ashley Knotts.

First Friday April Reception at the Port Aransas Art Center Features Work by the

Beach Babes

The First Friday Reception at the Port Aransas Art Center will feature refreshments, live music, and art by four local female artists.

The event is at the Art Center, 323 N. Alister Street in Port Aranas, on Friday April 5th. It runs from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and the public is invited. The April Sponsor is AMano.

The show will feature new work by artists Betsy Bowen, Janelle Cox, Pat Donohue, and Rita Reed, the works will remain on display through April 26.

For questions call the center at 361-749-7334.

Mr. Mo jams it up with a GREAT fiddler who happened to be on the Back Porch.

Travelling Moon

Betsy Bowen takes the Moon to the Tom Russell show at the Tractor in Seattle,

Washington and reports that Russell was nothing short of brilliant. Thanks Betsy!

We miss you.

March 28, 2013 Island Moon A 3

Member Padre Island

Business Association

Member Padre Island Rotary Club

stalled at the gates of San Antonio even as Houston issued orders for Bowie to take command of the army and move it to Copano Bay. Austin was dispatched to Washington and the command structure of the fledging Texas Army was akimbo.

Old Ben Milam

Into the beach stepped that most beloved of all the men in the Texas cause Ben Milam who, tired of the bickering and indecision on the part of the Texians leaders stood in front of the troops and uttered the words that still ring down through the colorful and glorious history of our state, ““Who will go with old Ben Milam into Bexar?”

In spite of the legend that it was William B. Travis who used his sword to draw a line in the sand and ask men to step across it, it is more likely it was Milam who did so at this point. The legend has overridden the fact but what is known is that 300 of the 700 Texans present went with old Ben Milam into Bexar.

The three hundred volunteers stormed Bexar at dawn on December 5, 1835 and began the events that led to the state of Texas as we know it today. The 300 men, with Milam loosely in charge, entered the town while the remainder of the Texian Army – about 400 men – skirted the outskirts of the town forcing Mexican General Martin Perfecto de Cos do divide his forces between the town of Bexar and the Alamo Mission just across the river. The storming of Bexar took four days of house to house fighting that saw the Texians roust the Mexicans block by block by busting holes in the walls and fighting hand to hand.

On December 7 Milam was standing in the Veramendi House that Bowie had until recently called home studying the bell tower in San Fernando church through a field telescope given to him by Stephen Austin when he was shot in the head by a Mexican sniper. He fell dead into the arms of Samuel Maverick. Two days later Cos surrendered removing the last of the Mexican soldiers then garrisoned in Texas.

Most of the Texans returned home, convinced that that the War for Texas Independence was over. In fact it had just begun.

Bowie had missed the storming of Bexar and now Houston ordered him to take command of the Texan Army in Goliad and lead it south to Copano Bay in preparation for the taking of the port at Matamoros which collected $100,000 each month in tariffs.

But Bowie grew tired of the political infighting; the action was in San Antonio and that’s where he headed. He covered eighty miles in a single day and arrived in the only Texas hometown he had ever known to find an army in chaos.

But Cos had left behind twenty bronze and iron cannons from two to twelve pounders and perhaps two of larger bores. (Rumor persists of

Cos dumping several bronze cannons “at a bend in the river” but in spite of numerous digs that continue to this day none have been found).

There were also powder, solid shot, and canister totaling 1200 rounds, along with four hundred brown Bess muskets with 16,000 rounds of ammunition. The Texan forces were split between the town itself and the Alamo but of the 114 men in the command only 80 were fit for duty with the rest sick or wounded, along with 50 wounded Mexicans left behind by Cos.

“We will die in these ditches”

But the Texans were steeled in their discipline by the rumor that more than a thousand Mexicans were on their way to Bexar, a rumor that turned out to be true but with well more than 1000 men. Houston wanted to abandon the Alamo and concentrate his army along Copano Bay where he expected Cos to arrive by ship with

his new army. But Bowie was of the opinion that if Cos had been willing to occupy the old mission for a full month in the face of a siege that it was worth holding. He and others set about posting the cannons on the Alamo walls. The previous Texas commander had taken all the horses in Bexar leaving the Texans afoot but holding the largest collection of cannons west of the Mississippi.

Bowie sent outriders as far as the Rio Frio River fifty miles to the southwest to watch for the approach of General Santa Anna now believed to be marching on Bexar with as many as 7000 men.

But Bowie had decided to stay; he sent messages asking for reinforcements, or at least orders.

“We will rather die in these ditches, than give it up to the enemy. Public safety demands our lives rather than evacuate this post to the enemy,” he wrote.

The events leading to the fight over the little mission on the banks of the San Antonio River were winding inexorably down to a bloody conclusion.

Next time: The Battle of the Alamo

History continued from A1 Stuff I Heard on the Islandby Dale Rankin

The mail bag has been getting a bit full around the Word Factory for a while, so this week we’ll take some

scattershots – in no particular order here goes.

Why has worked stopped at Schlitterbahn?

We get this one a lot because people don’t see the heavy machinery moving around much. The fact is that work is going on it just doesn’t involve earth moving equipment. Instead it involves ongoing design and permitting work.

Developer Paul Schexnailder told the Island Strategic Action Committee early this month that his permitting for the BeachWalk canal is nearing completion and fill from that project will be used to elevate portions of the water park.

We’re told crews will arrive in June with parts of the waterpark which are currently being pre-fabricated in New Braunfels where Schlitterbahn is headquartered. The heavy lifting is slated to begin in August, plenty of time for completion by next spring.

If the National Seashore takes over the beach in Kleberg County will we still be

able to drive on it?

We get this one a lot too as word of the purchase – first reported in these pages – has spread. For those unfamiliar with the background, the Texas Nature Conservancy is in the process of purchasing 3800 acres of land located between the finger of the Corpus Christi City Limits which extends just over a mile down the beach south of Bob Hall Pier and the current northern boundary of Padre Island National Seashore. The land was purchased over a decade ago for $15 million by the Texas General Land Office. Once the purchase from the GLO is complete the land will then be donated to PINS to be included in the park.

There has been no definitive word from PINS on what would happen to the approximately four miles of beach that would become part of the park if the purchase is completed. It is difficult to say based on the current configuration on that stretch of beach. There are currently a line of wooden bollards running perpendicular across the beach at the north end of the park which are apparently intended to block traffic at that point and force drivers to retrace their steps back north to the access road, back to Park Road 22, and then south into the park through the main entrance in order to access the portion of the beach south of the bollards and inside the park.

However, for as long as anyone can remember one of those bollards has been removed allowing drivers to continue southward on the beach all the way south to the pedestrian beach inside the park.

So the answer to the question is that we don’t know yet what the driving conditions will be if the 3800 acres become part of the park. But based on the closer of a portion of the beach inside PINS to traffic we can assume they do have the right to close it to vehicles if they choose to.

If the purchase is done there will be a series of public meetings explaining what is going to happen. We’ll get definitive answers then.

Is it safe to go to the Border?

I haven’t been in a while but I did speak to a

lot of Winter Texans who went and judging by the large number of octogenarians who went to Progreso and returned safely I’d say the answer is yes. The Mexican Navy – actually the Marines – who had been manning roadblocks outside the city have left; a sign that things have calmed down.

So if you need cheap meds, booze, a switchblade knife, a purse made of gum wrapper, a beach blanket, a genuine Rollax watch, or a little puppet on a string wearing a sombrero hop on down for some cultural exchange.

It seems there are a lot more people from OTB on The Island these days. What’s

going on?

This is a tricky one because it’s hard to tell by looking when an Islandloper is from in town or from up country. They don’t wear tags. My personal opinion is that some of it is just a function of population increases in the cities to the north of us. The area around San Antonio and Austin – now becoming known as the Mexoplex because of the number of Mexican nationals moving there to escape the troubles down south – grew by almost two million people in the last census. In spite of the Coastal Bend’s well earned reputation for running off progress the sheer number of people in the state– nine million within a four hour drive of The Island – means we’re going to see more and more people come here to visit and to live.

I also think the attention brought to us by the Schlitterbahn project is bringing people our way. I think the increased number of Islandlopers is now the new normal.

Can you find fresh water by digging a hole behind the dunes?

Yes and no. You can find water that will support cattle and very thirsty people by digging down about four feet. I know this because I once settled a bet between a couple of beach bums and a know-it-all from OTB by watching them dig a hole behind the dunes and then I tasted the water. Was it drinkable? Yes…but; do you remember when you were a kid and your mother forgot to change the water in your thermos, for about two weeks, and then you drank it and it tasted like maybe it had been strained through a dirty sock; think of Island water that has been curing in a dead end water main for about four months. That’s what it tastes like.

When The Island was a ranch the ranchers didn’t need fences - cows won’t swim unless they have to – and they didn’t have to worry about water. They just dug holes and lined them with wood and they had a tank.

If only the Spaniards beached here in the 1500s had known this they would have had a much better time of it.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

This is one I don’t think about a lot. From where I sit the lottery is not a retirement plan. I once interviewed a fellow in San Antonio who had won just over $15 million. He had a lot of friends there that day, and two days later he was dead of a heroin overdose. Winning the lottery is not what it’s cracked up to be.

The answer is I probably won’t win the lottery because I don’t play the lottery and I never met a winner that didn’t bet.

If you have any questions send them in and if they don’t get lost in our computer system we’ll

W i l l i a m a. T h a u i i i , P.C .“Former U.S. Navy Lawyer”

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Former President of the Corpus Christi Family Law Association (1999-2000)Selected as a Texas “Super Lawyer” in November 2003, October 2004 and October 2005 Issues of Texas Monthly

The Alamo during the seige

Ben Milam


After great demand we now offer “Take and Bake Gourmet Pizzas”

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Easter Sunday Brunch Menu

Served 11:00am-2:00pm

We love our Winter Texans

If you don’t believe us read our article

Join us for our Sunday Brunch Party

Meet our regulars, drink champagne, enjoy a great

meal and even dance

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ALOHA WA Inside the Holiday Inn North Padre Island

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT (361) 949-8041

alohawatx@gmail

3 Early Bird Specials $8.99

We are brining back: Lunch hours

$6.99 Soup, Salad & Potato Bar Friday night seafood buffet

“Beat the Clock” Breakfast Specials

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andThe type of hospitality Hawaiian’s are known for

Aloha Wa means “good times”. It is our hope that you will always

feel your time with us is remembered as a “good time”.





meal and even dance

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meal and even dance

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meal and even dance

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Sit back, relax, and enjoy a full view of the ocean

Try out our new seafood menu or join us for Friday Night Seafood Buffet

7 to 11 Breakfast specials 1-1-1 $3.95, 2-2-2 $5.95

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Weekend Breakfast Buffet $8.99

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Full seafood menu

Friday Night Seafood Buffet $17.95

Add a dozen oysters on the half shell for $8

Next Luau Saturday April 6

Show starts promptly at 5:15 pm





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News From Your

By Maybeth Christensen

There will be a great deal of activity around the POA office this weekend.

The Litter Critter will be in the POA parking lot starting at 9 AM Saturday morning, March 30. Since brush set out starts Saturday, we encourage folks to NOT bring their brush clippings to the Critter. Brush fills those bins very quickly and since the City is going to be picking up on April 8, save yourself the work of loading it up and hauling it over to the office.

Easter Egg Hunt

The 16th Annual Easter Egg Hunt will be in Billish Park Saturday, March 30. The fun starts at 11 AM. The hunt starts at NOON. Areas will be divided by age groups with babies and 2 year olds hunting for Easter baskets. Activities include a moon jump, inflatable fun house, helium balloons, games, face painting, hot dogs, snow cones and pictures with the Easter Bunny.

Dog Park

For those of you who attended the annual meeting, you heard a presentation from the Dog Park Committee. There will be a public forum to learn more about the Dog Park on April 25 at 6 PM at Seashore Learning Center Gym on Encantada. Michael Morris, Director of

Parks for Corpus Christi will lead the meeting. Come and learn about the proposed park, get questions answered and find out how you can help make it a reality. They have a website – padreislanddogpark.com.

Butterfly Garden

On Saturday, April 6 at 9 AM, there will be a dedication of a vastly improved butterfly garden at Douden Park. The garden club and the Beautification Trust have been working hard to make the area by the community gardens very inviting and beautiful. We now have 60 garden plots where a variety of vegetables, herbs and flowers are growing.

No Wake!

Just a reminder – all of our canals are a NO WAKE area. We continue to get reports of boats going too fast in the canals and causing a wake. Please slow down. Also, do not tow children behind your boat in the canals. Some of us remember a young girl being killed by a jetski not seeing her. It is also a good idea to have the children wear the personal flotation devices. I know they are cumbersome, but, trust me, the children will get quite accustomed to wearing them.

for the upcoming nesting season. We have traveled up and down the coast, from Galveston to South Padre Island, to provide training to staff members, students, and volunteers that will participate in patrols find, document, and protect nesting Kemp’s ridley turtles and their eggs.in Texas this year. We also provided training to beach maintenance crews, law enforcement officials, and others that will work on the beach during the nesting season that might be the first on the scene of a nester. After receiving our training, leaders of the other turtle programs in the state are providing training to more patrol participants and beach workers. By the time that training is complete at the end of March, nearly 1,000 people will be trained to help in Texas.

Among those receiving training were about 100 volunteers that will participate in our Kemp’s ridley program at Padre Island National Seashore. This year, we will start our patrols of North Padre Island on April 3. We will use UTVs (utility transport vehicles) to patrol from Bob Hall Pier to the Mansfield Channel, and our volunteers will patrol on foot from Packery Channel to Bob Hall Pier. We are grateful that the county and city will also have personnel watching for nesting in the developed areas on North Padre and Mustang Island.

Other nesting season preparations

Most of the National Seashore volunteers will participate in our turtle patrols that will be conducted daily, during daylight hours, from April through mid-July. However, volunteers will also help with radio dispatch, egg transport, hatchling release, and several other activities that are integral to the project.

Some of our volunteers help us year-round with our sea turtle conservation and research efforts. One of those volunteers is Jenny

Krouse. I thank Jenny for her hundreds of hours of volunteering since the 2012 nesting and incubation season. Jenny has helped with many things. One noteworthy contribution has been helping Biological Technician Phil Magasich wire the new addition to our incubation facility for egg temperature monitoring. She helped Phil methodically run thousands of feet of wire from our data acquisition system to more than 200 positions on shelves that will hold the egg incubation boxes. Each position had to be wired and labeled precisely so that the temperatures of each incubation box can be monitored accurately. We aim to maintain egg temperatures within a specific range that produces a predominance of females and is conducive to high hatching success. Temperatures during the middle third of the incubation period determine the sex of the hatchlings, with warmer temperatures producing females. Females predominate in the population and we try to emulate the natural sex ratio.

Back to writing

I took a few months off from writing for the Island Moon to take care of other writing obligations, but am back to writing for the Moon. In upcoming columns, I will give you tips about what you should do if you see a nesting Kemp’s ridley turtle. I will also provide updates about how many nests have been found and when hatchling releases will be held.

Turtles continued from A1

March 28, 2013 Island Moon

Peace of Mind for You & your Loved OnesIn Home Medication Organization, Monitoring and Management

Providing coordination with Pharmacy & DoctorsPharmacy pick up and delivery

Full Vital Signs monitored

Kelly CareKelly Byrom LVN 361-244-6081

Private Duty Care Available by Licensed Nurse

Call for a Free initial Consultation

Now Open• Livestock Feed• Pet Food, Animal Health Supplies• Lawn & Garden Supplies, Plants, Soil, Mulch• Cattle / Horse / Poultry Supplies• Pool Supplies• Organic Chicken Feed & Gardening Supplies

9825 S Padre Island Dr Corpus Christi, TX • 361-657-0531 • [email protected] • www.bertsfeed.com

C a u s e w a y

No loNG lease aGreemeNt!Climate CoNtroloN site maNaGeropeN 7 Days eleCtroNiC Gate aCCessViDeo surVeillaNCeHouseHolD & CommerCialmoViNG supplies aVailable

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Xenia Maria, CCA Corpus Christi Chapter shows off her personal best Sow Trout caught in the Upper Laguna Madre.

Trout was 30. One of the good things about our CCA Girls they can fish!

Tucker Teutsch from Granada, Nicaragua and his friend James came to visit

Lighthouse Rick Reichenbach and Ronnie Narmour.

Proposed City Street Maintanance Fee ExplainedBy Colleen McIntyre

City Council District 4

Street maintenance has been a hot topic across the city these days with much information,

many questions, and a target that appears to change daily....or at least every Tuesday. I thought since we have no meeting on the 2nd, this information will be good through April 9, so I can get a longer run with it.

Where we stand

Where do we stand today: on March 19, council, with an 8-1 vote, passed the first reading of an ordinance setting the parameters of a street fee to support street maintenance. All components of the fee were based upon the Institute of Traffic Engineer traffic generation studies. The ordinance requires the revenue to be deposited in and appropriated from a separate street fund. These funds can only be used to repair and maintain existing roads. Street maintenance will be completed on all residential, collector, and arterial roads in fair or good condition.

The ordinance, as presented and approved, set a single family home residential rate of $7.00 per month, regardless of home size and a commercial-residential (apartments, town homes, etc) of $3.36 per unit. The appearance of a “discount” for multi-family is created by the trip generation factor mentioned above.

Formula needed

The ordinance further creates a formula to generate a non-residential fee. This has been the primary sticking point over the last several weeks.

The original ordinance, in an effort to Keep It Simple. used the median trip generation factor for all commercial properties (supermarket, mini-storage, church, office building, restaurant...) assigning each to be 4.6. Because it was obvious that office buildings, warehouses, churches and such have larger footprints, but drive less traffic, the size of a building was capped at 30,000 sq ft in an effort to balance the inequity while still keeping it simple.

Unfortunately, this merely shifted the inequity, as a 150,000 sq ft supermarket would pay the same fee as a 30,000 sq ft office. It was equally apparent that businesses that would rightfully have had a trip factor of .28 were being dragged up to the median and would be paying over 15 times what they should.

Adjustments

Council asked staff to make some adjustments. First, we asked for the cap on square footage to be raised, or eliminated completely. Second, we asked that all trip factors below the median be used. These changes were reflected in the first reading of the ordinance that we passed. We asked that between now and the second reading, the appeals policy be developed and that some

of the trip factors that had been calculated be examined more closely. Finally, in order to use more specific trip factors, staff would need to know what each business is, so we asked staff to begin the process to conduct a survey to identify more appropriate trip factors for our non-residential accounts.

On March 26, staff brought forth a $225,000 contract for services to conduct the survey to assign the factors. At the same time, members of a subcommittee from the Chamber of Commerce asked for time to work on a plan that would generate the street maintenance revenue that the business community would support. The survey contract failed 4-4, and we look forward to the Chamber’s statement.

What you will pay

City staff has put together a web page for the street fee on which you can find answers to most questions, and even see what fee you would pay under the existing proposal at www.CCTexas.com. This website also answers the two most common questions: why not a gas tax and why not a vehicle registration fee? The answers to both are quite simply, the State will not allow us to do so. We are lobbying to have this authority, and if granted, the street fee will be reduced or eliminated.

As always, I am happy to answer any questions or concerns, and consider any suggestions. Feel free to email me [email protected] or text/call 361-549-8341.


Moon MonkeysMike Ellis, Founder

Distribution

Pete Alsop

Island Delivery

Coldwell Banker

Advertising

Jan Park Rankin

Office

Lisa Towns

Classifieds

Arlene Ritley

Design/Layout

Jeff Craft

Contributing Writers

Joey Farah

Devorah Fox

Mary Craft

Maybeth Christiansen

Jay Gardner

Todd Hunter

Danniece Bobeché

Ronnie Narmour

Brent Rourk

Dr. Donna Shaver

Photographers

Miles Merwin

Jeff Dolan

Mary Craft

Office Security/Spillage Control

Riley P. Dog

Editor/Publisher/Spillage Control Supervisor

Dale RankinAbout 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

15201 S. Padre Island Drive, Suite 250

Corpus Christi, TX 78418

361-949-7700

[email protected]

Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper

Port Aransas

Lisabella’s Restaurant

Pioneer RV Park

Stripes @ Beach Access Rd. 1A

Miss K’s Catering & Bistro

Amano

Felder Gallery

Island Woman Boutique

Coast Club

Coffee Waves

Moby Dicks

Party Supply Liquor Store

IGA Grocery Store

Port A Business Center

Carter Pharmacy

San Juan’s Taqueria

Wash Board Laundry Mat

Port A Parks and Rec

Public Library

Chamber of Commerce

Duckworth Antiques

Back Porch

Woody’s Sports Center

Shorty’s Place

The Flat’s Lounge

Giggity’s

Stripes @ Cotter & Station

Gratitude Gift Shop

Keepers Pier House

Where to Find The Island Moon

Port A Glass Studio

The Gaff

Wild Horse Saloon

Tarpon Ice House

North Padre

All Stripes Stores

CVS

Whataburger

Doc’s Restaurant

Snoopy’s Pier

Isle Mail N More

Island Italian

Ace Hardware

Holiday Inn

Texas Star (Shell)

Jesse’s Liquor

Padre Isles Country Club

Scuttlebutt’s Restaurant

Subway

Island Tire

And all Moon retail advertisers

Flour BluffH.E.B.Liquid Town

Whataburger on Waldron

Ethyl Everly Senior Center

Fire Station

Police Station

Stripes on Flour Bluff & SPID

Floyd’s

Letters to the Editor

Gulf Coast

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Brush Set - Out TimesHeavy brush or bulky items

Set out starts March 30 - pickup April 8

Clean light brush

Set out starts June 15 – Pickup June 24

Heavy brush and bulky items

Set out starts August 31 – pickup September 9

Clean light brush

Set out starts November 16 pickup November 25

The big change this year is that setout time has been shortened to 8 days from the previous 2 weeks

Clean brush means it can be used for mulch – which comes back to the Island in many loads

Which are available at Billish and Douden parks

Padre Island Dog ParkOur Mission Statement

To establish a fenced-in, off-leash dog park where well-behaved canines and citizens can exercise and socialize in a clean safe environment without endangering or annoying people, property or wildlife; to develop a beautiful, well-maintained space, open to all dog lovers and friends who are willing to uphold the park’s rules and restrictions; to view this park as a community project, in partnership with the city of Corpus Christi, designed to satisfy the neeeds of dog-owners and non-dog owners alike.

While our immediate goal is to raise funds to create, maintain and improve a spacious off-leash dog park on Padre Island, we also hope to make this park more than just a fenced off field.

We are committed to working with the public and local officials to ensure that the park is a benefit to everyone and to educate them about

dog-related issues and the value of off-leash recreation.

We seek respectful, enlightened co-existence with other park users through properly supervising and maintaining appropriate conduct of dogs off-leash.

We do not see our function ending with the implementation of an off-leash dog park for our community; we intend to participate in monitoring the facility for cleanliness and safety, hosting events to educate the general public on a variety of dog related topics from dog park etiquette to behavioral issues, and managing ongoing maintenance through regular volunteer efforts as well as professional services.

Sara Russell

Editor’s note: There will be a public forum on the project on April 25th @ 6:30 pm at the Seashore Learning Center Gym.

Least Sexy CityHi Dale,

I wanted to share the results of a new travel-dating study that names Corpus Christi among the least sexy cities in America. Based on a study of member habits, travel dating website MissTravel.com found the least desirable cities for destination dating in America. Two Texas cities made the list with Fort Worth coming in at number 3 with a 94% trip rejection rate, and Corpus Christi at number 9 with an 84% trip rejection rate.

The Least Sexy Cities in America Based on Percentage of Rejected Trip Offers:

1. Greensboro, NC 100% 170/170

2. Richmond, VA 98% 100/103

3. Fort Worth, TX 94% 155/165

4. Beverly Hills, CA 92% 1058/1150

5. Chattanooga, TN 90% 178/198

6. Atlantic City, NJ 89% 345/388

7. Atlanta, GA 86% 1238/1440

8. Jacksonville, FL 85% 272/320

9. Corpus Christi, TX 84% 143/170

10. Minneapolis, MN 83% 168/202

Best,

Jennifer Gwynn

Public Relations Manager

MissTravel.com

Neighborhood Watch Program

After a string of burglaries of Island homes Island resident Michelle Gouin decided to start a neighborhood watch program partnered with the CCPD. Anyone can get involved by calling Brenda Rodriquez at 834-4541 or send her an email at [email protected]. You can also email Michelle at [email protected]

RadarHello South Texas Emergency Managers,

Media Partners and Spotters,

...NWS Corpus Christi Doppler Radar upgrade delayed until this Friday March 29th-April 6th...

The National Weather Service Doppler Radar in Corpus Christi will be turned off from March 29 through April 6 for a major upgrade. However backup coverage will be provided by radars in Brownsville, Del Rio, New Braunfels, and Houston.

About the Upgrade

The most significant upgrade to the National Weather Service (NWS) network of Doppler radars [WSR-88D] is in the latter stages of completion. Over 120 of the 155 Doppler radars nationwide have already been upgraded, and Corpus Christi’s upgrade is up next! This upgrade incorporates a new technology called dual-polarization, or dual-pol. The upgrade for the Corpus Christi Doppler radar is scheduled to occur during the last week of March into the first week of April 2013 at the Corpus Christi International Airport. This new technology will result in 14 new radar products to the suite of radar data already available to NWS forecasters. These tools will assist forecasters in the warning and forecast process. This new technology and data primarily will help forecasters improve rainfall estimates along with identifying the type of precipitation that is falling.

Please see our webpage for more information on the NWS Corpus Christi Doppler RadarDual-Polarization Upgrade and available training.

Most Respectfully,

John- Metz

Warning Coordination Meteorologist

National Weather Service

Resolution Backs Comptroller Combs’ Fight

for Transparency of Tax Debt

The Nueces County Republican Party unanimously approved a Resolution supporting Texas Comptroller Susan Comb’s efforts to require all taxing entities, such as cities, counties, school districts, community college districts, universities and special districts that levy taxes or issue debt to provide more financial transparency in a timely manner to the public.

According to Combs, “since 1993, the number of Texas special districts levying sales tax has increased by more than 1,900 percent. The number levying property tax has risen by 45 percent. Additionally, taxpayers are asked to approve billions in debt without sufficient context - often with no idea of current debt load or annual debt service payments, and most Texans have no idea of how much debt they, as taxpayers, actually owe.”

The proposed legislation is designed to ensure that voters will be more informed when they vote on new debt and limits the government’s ability to issue more debt without voter approval.

The Resolution was submitted, discussed, and passed at the Nueces County Republican Party Executive Committee meeting Thursday, March 21, 2013.

A Resolution on Transparency Legislation

Whereas, according to the Texas State Comptroller’s “Texas, It’s Your Money” report series that: In the last decade, local governments more than doubled their debt load to more than $7,500 for every man, woman and child in the state, and

Whereas, Since 1993, the number of Texas special districts levying sales tax has increased by more than 1,900 percent. The number levying property tax has risen by 45 percent, and

Whereas, Taxpayers have been asked to approve billions in debt without sufficient context - often with no idea of current debt load or annual debt service payments, and

Whereas, In 40 Comptroller town halls across

the state, not one person knew how much local debt they owed when asked.

Be it resolved that the Nueces County Republican Party supports the passage of House Bill 14/Senate Bill 14 - Transparency for Texas requiring cities, counties, school districts, community college districts, universities and special districts that levy taxes or issue debt to provide more financial transparency in a timely manner to the public. Ensure that voters will be more informed when they vote on new debt and limits the ability governments to issue debt without voter approval, and further ensure that special-purpose taxing entities demonstrate they serve the purposes for which they were created.

Be it further resolved that the purpose of our support is to make available to the voters more details of proposed new debt such as:

• Current amount of outstanding debt;

• Existing debt service cost;

• Estimated additional debt service cost for the proposed new debt; and

• How long the proposed debt will take to pay off.

Thereby limiting debt issued without taxpayer approval or issuing Certificate of Obligations without public notice.

This resolution was passed by the Nueces County Republican Party Executive Committee on March 21, 2013.

Nueces County Republicans Support House Bill14/Senate Bill 14

TurtleMoon,

My pup and I found this poor turtle on Whitecap beach this morning. :( So beautiful.. it made me sad.

Editor’s note: It appears the turtle may have been hit by a boat propeller.

Custom Built Furniture, Remodeling, Cabinets, Doors, Custom Pull-Out Shelves,

Dry-Wall, Tile, Quality Carpentry, Exterior Mold Removal, Power Washing,

Faucets-Disposals

http://www.nrdc.org/water/

http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/pollution.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QxLghTmwiw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPgbtr8Prw8

http://www.allthewaytotheocean.com/about.sd.html

http://www.allthewaytotheocean.com/about.do.html

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/facts-about-water-pollution.html

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/water/wwap/facts-and-figures/all-facts-wwdr3/fact-15-water-pollution/


Mary Ann McShane, Realtor, GRI, SRESe-mail: [email protected]

Corpus Christi Realty GroupConsidering a move to the Island?

Let me help you find your piece of Paradise - waterfront or interior homes, condos, townhouses, lots

Considering selling your Island Property?

Call me for a free consultation to obtain the current market value along with tips to make your property the one buyers will put on their “must see” list

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Selling a home? Want results?

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Duane Ebert Cell: (361) 658-2459 Bus: (361) 949-0661

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Padre IslandBusiness Assoc.

Season’s Greetings & Happy HolidaysSeason’s Greetings & Happy Holidays

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28 Years Experience l Commercial & Residential

On The Island

Duane Ebert Cell: (361) 658-2459 Bus: (361) 949-0661

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Padre IslandBusiness Assoc.

Season’s Greetings & Happy HolidaysSeason’s Greetings & Happy Holidays

High Quality Work at Competitive Pricing!

27 Years Experience ● Commercial & Residential

On Padre Island Duane Ebert

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Member Padre Island Business Association

Restaurant

& Wine Bar

-SUNDAY -BUBBLY BUBBLY ALL HALF PRICE!Including: Mimosas, Champagne Cocktails and House Specialty Champagne Martinis

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-MONDAY-ALL WINES 1/2 PRICEby the glass or by the bottle

-THURSDAY-MARTINI MADNESS!$6 executive martinis

361-749-22123500 Island Moorings Parkway at The Island Moorings Yacht

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HOURS Monday, Thursday, Friday

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Closed Tuesday & Wednesday

Wine FlightsEvery Day$6

Sunday 11 am - 10 pm

Island Clean-up A Big SuccessBy Brent Rourk

The “refuse ring” that was becoming an eyesore on the islands from the ICW, through Padre Isles and the ski basin, and further east has disappeared thanks largely to the partnership between the Padre Island Yacht Club (PIYC) and the Padre Island Beautification Trust and the sweat equity from countless volunteers on Saturday, March 23rd.

Many private boats and 2 boats from the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary ferried volunteers to the islands to pick up trash, bag it and take it back to the PIYC where dumpsters were waiting to cart it off. Both Vic Schreck (PIYC) and John White (PI Beautification Trust) recruited volunteers, boats, food, and prizes to make it a very satisfying day. Volunteers energetically worked for three to four hours conscientiously cleansing the coastline. Later many of the volunteers enjoyed lunch while Vic handed out prizes donated by Scuttlebutts, The Sandwich Shop, and Island Italian. By 1:00 P.M. the ring of trash, the volunteers and the leftovers vanished.

Vic Schreck shared, “We do this every year, cleaning the island and making sure that it is a beautiful place to live. This year was more successful than the last two years.” John White added, “This project has been in operation for 20 years and was started by the Brickels. Today’s turnout was great and the volunteers also enjoyed the lunch and prizes.”

Volunteers cheerfully trudged through mud and 68 degree water to retrieve all kinds of trash, including plastic bags, lighters, plastic containers, styrofoam, wood, fishing bobbers and line, bottles, parts to a grill, countless shoes, an intact deck ladder, a bag of grass clippings, a bag of Halloween party costumes, tennis balls, cans and lots of unidentified plastic. Jim and John, who were assistants at PIYC headquarters, helped everything run smoothly,

including cooking some awesome burgers.

All of the volunteers seemed very pleased to be a part of this project and delighted to observe the difference in the shoreline appearance after they completed their efforts.

Linda Steinford said of the clean-up effort, “I enjoy the fun things on the island and thought that I should ‘man-up’ and do my part in keeping it looking great.”

Gladys Choyke chimed, “I am wet but the water was warmer than I thought. Styrofoam should be outlawed. I like to look at a clean island.”

Bev Hoffman mentioned, “It is worthwhile! I have done this for ten years.”

When asked why he volunteered, Lee Tallas of the Coast Guard Auxiliary replied, “I volunteered because it is the right thing to do.”

Colleen McIntyre readily admitted, “I enjoyed policing the area and keeping our islands beautiful.”

Conrad Kimes, another island resident, offered, “The island gives us so much, it felt good to give something back.” Conrad’s group also collected lots of plastic, rope, bobbers and fishing line.

By 10:00 A.M. many boats were docked on the islands while volunteers scattered and cleaned the shores. By noon there was a noticeable and

appreciable difference in the appearance of almost two miles of shoreline. Not only are our shorelines cleaner today, but they are also safer for birds, other animals and humans using the islands.

The tremendous amount of trash, debris, waste, litter, junk or whatever you want to label it is a global phenomenon that does not easily go away. Increased populations, poor or non-existent recycling programs, uneducated populations, lack of proper waste disposal, and more all contribute to make our global waterways conduits for trash. Currents readily sweep debris from one location to another. Coastlines worldwide including isolated islands are continually finding more trash washed ashore. The damage and decimation to wildlife is sadly staggering. The local littering

coupled with waste floating from other places makes clean-up a regular necessity. We need to continue to be good stewards of our island. On Saturday many fine stewards did an outstanding job.

This project was another one of those terrific partnerships on the island that help make it

the amazing place it is. Private businesses and volunteers again showed that when they combine their efforts, energies, and donations, they can accomplish almost anything. A huge thanks to every person who participated in this project.

Check out the following internet links about global water pollution that impacts everybody:


Accounting ServicesMonthly bookkeeping

Financial statements preparation

Payroll check and tax deposit calculations

EFTPS payroll tax payments

Payroll quarterly reports preparation and electronic filing

Federal business and individual tax prep and electronic filing, including Corporations,

Partnerships, LLC’s and LLP’s

State margin (franchise) and sales tax prep and electronic filing

Business and individual bill pay

The WRIGHT WAY Accounting Services

Mindy Wright, BBA(361) 937-5072 Office & [email protected]

Senior Moments

By Dotson [email protected]

Seniors’ Moments In A Digital World

Question of the day: How do I find my way around Windows 8?

Windows 8 Start Screen

“This new Microsoft Operating System (Windows 8) is driving me up a wall!”

I hear this at least ten times every day. In second place is: “I didn’t want Windows 8 on my new computer, but I was told Windows 7 was not available.”

It is very frustrating, but it shouldn’t be. The “old fashioned desk top,” with Windows 7 is hidden under the Windows 8 start screen, which is shown above. Here is my take on Bill Gates’ latest endeavor:

Windows 8 represents the biggest change to Microsoft’s operating system since the launch of Windows 95. Here is my take on Windows 8. . I believe it’s the only Windows 8 review you are going to need. If you need further information, feel free to call, Email or come see us Mondays 12:30-2 pm at the Garden Senior Center.

Microsoft has finally released its game-changing operating system, Windows 8. This is the biggest change to the Windows OS since the launch of Windows 95. I have already spent a lot of time using Windows 8, so keep reading to find out what I think of Microsoft’s latest operating system in this Windows 8 review.

Windows 8 launched on the 26th of October and, as usual with Microsoft operating systems - apart from a few exceptions - will be the operating system on all new PCs and laptops. It’s also available on tablets, starting with Microsoft’s own Surface and, Windows Phone 8 is now available smartphones.

If you are looking for the desktop (that’s what you saw when you booted your Windows 7 and older operating systems) there is an icon on the Windows 8 start screen and “low & behold,” there it is. This icon on the Windows 8 start screen has, what to me, looks like the picture of a sunflower with “Desktop” in small fonts (letters) just below the picture.

Now you are good to go just like Vista, XP & etc.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

It’s Not Too Late To Sign Up For A Computer Class This Spring

The Del Mar Senior Computer Program is offering the following classes during April and May. You can sign up for a class by calling 361-698-1328. If you have any questions about the program, please call Dotson Lewis at 361-949-7681.

The tuition for one 20 hour class is a whopping four bucks.

You are eligible to take any or all of these classes if you have been around 50 or more years. The state of the art class rooms are located on the South Campus of Del Mar College, 3209 South Staples. That is just across Staples from Ray High School.

Here is the April & May 2013 class schedule. Please register soon to insure a seat in the classroom.

• Beginning Computers (For Computer Beginners-“Starting with Start”)

• April 1-15, 2013

• Instructor: Dotson Lewis

• Monday-Wednesday-Friday; 8:30-11:30 am;

• Windows 7 Basics

• April 6 - May 18, 2013

• Saturdays; 8:30-11:30 am


• Windows 7 Basics

• April 22 - May 6, 2013

• Monday-Wednesday-Friday; 8:30-11:30 am:


• Introduction to the Internet (Emailing & Surfing the Net)

• May 13 - May 27, 2013

• Monday-Wednesday-Friday; 8:30-11: 30 am


We could also use your help as a volunteer instructor (all of our instructors are volunteers).

Dotson’s note: Shown below are the relocation sites for the activities that were being held at the Ethel Eyerly Senior Center. We will keep you posted as to new changes. Call 361-937-3218 for update information.

Relocation SitesEthel Eyerly Senior

Center ActivitiesFor Persons Age 50 and Over

DAILY ACTIVITIES

NUTRITIOUS MEALS SERVED

For Persons Age 60 and Over

AT 11:30 p.m.

($1.50 SUGGESTED MEAL DONATION)

Waldron Baptist Church, 2042 Waldron Rd. (Flour Bluff)

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY

Silver Haired Fitness-10-11 a.m.

Caribbean Baptist Church-3125 Waldron Rd (Flour Bluff)

MONDAY

Computer Interest Group 12:30-2:00 p.m.

Garden Senior Center, 5325 Greely (Near Cullen Middle School)

Chair Volleyball –12:30 p.m.

Waldron Baptist Church 2042 Waldron Rd. (Flour Bluff)

TUESDAY

Table Games-12-1:30 p.m.


Zumba Gold (Co-Ed.) 10:30 a.m.

($20.00/mo, or $3.00/session)

St. Paul the Apostle Church 2233 Waldron Rd. (Flour Bluff)

Table Tennis– 12:00 p.m.

Garden Senior Center, 5325 Greely Road Dr. (Near Cullen Middle School)

WEDNESDAY

Art Class 1-3 p.m. (TBA)

AARP #4181 @ 1 p.m.

2nd Wednesday @ St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2233 Waldron Rd. (Flour Bluff)

Next Meeting Wednesday, April 10th

THURSDAY

Wii Bowling-12:30 pm -1:30 pm


Table Games- 12-4 pm


FRIDAY

Table Tennis– 12:00 p.m.

Bingo-12:30-1:30 p.m.


Michelle Matthews

Hair Cuts & Color, Waxing, Hair Extensions, Special Occasion Hair, Airbrush Make Up, Feather Extensions

Are you tired of wearing mascara? Do you suffer from black circles of smudged mascara? Do you want to have long beautiful lashes 24/7, even when you swim? Do you want longer fuller eyelashes? If you answered YES to any of these questions, we have the answer..........

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Michelle is a Master Hair Stylist having learned from the best and having trained top stylists herself. She is an expert Colorist and Make Up Artist, and was the former Stylist and Make Up Artist for Miss Oklahoma.

HoursTuesday‐Friday 10am‐6pm Saturday 9am‐2pm

Walk‐Ins Welcome * Late Appointments Available

14813 S.P.I.D. Corpus Christi, TX 78418

(Next Door to Island Wash) Salon: 361‐949‐4890

www.michellessalon.com

GIFTS CERTIFICATES AVALIABLE

By Riley P. Dog

Last weekend was a big day for Island dogs

because a lot of our humans took advantage of the good weather to go boat riding and they took us along. I went on the Spoil Island Cleanup but my humans didn’t pick up any trash; they went fishing and didn’t even get a bite. They should have been picking up trash.

The owl that tried to fly away with one of my kitties and instead ended up in the water is going to be released soon. The Guy that picked him up named him Dale and he says he wasn’t hurt he was just wet. He has real fluffy feathers so you can’t hear him when he flies but when they get wet they soak up a lot of water and he can’t fly. That’s how he ended up in our canal last week.

The Guy says that owl had broken his wing twice before and it had healed by itself but this time he wasn’t’ hurt just wet. One of my humans told that Guy she was going to let the air out of his tires if he let that owl go around our house so instead the owl is going out to the country to live where there aren’t any kitties.

One of my humans says he’s going to take me to the country to live if I keep eating catfood but I don’t believe him. It doesn’t matter anyway

Sea Dogs

since my catfood eating opportunities have been limited since I went on my diet. Dr. Christi says it will take me a year to lose the 50 pounds I need to lose to get to the regular weight for my kind. I’m hoping sometime soon I get to the part of the diet where I can eat hotdogs and catfood. So far I haven’t made it that far.

I heard this week there are some nice people on the island who are working to build a dog park. I hope they can do it so maybe that park won’t have stickers and I can go there. All the parks on the island have so many stickers I have to pick them out of my feet with my teeth and leave them on the floor where my humans step on them and yell. I blame the cats but they never go outside so that mostly doesn’t work.

Anyway, I hope the wind dies down because if I lose any more weight I’m going to get blown into the canal at my house. But at least I’ll be able to catch that owl if he comes back.

I’m feeling pretty spry these days after losing four pounds and now I go walking with my humans in the morning. I channel my Inner Puppy but I still miss those hotdogs.

Maybe I’ll see you at the dogpark.

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Police Blotter

Police Arrest Drunk Driver In Active School

Zone On Encatada Avenue A 39-year-old woman was arrested

Wednesday afternoon, March 21, for Driving While Intoxicated in an active school zone on the 14200 block of Encantada Avenue.

A Corpus Christi Police Officer conducted speed enforcement at 2:30 in the afternoon on Wednesday and saw a black 2008 Chevy Equinox travel 25 miles per hour in the 15 mile per hour active school zone. The officer conducted a traffic stop and discovered the operator of the Equinox, a 39-year-old woman was intoxicated.

She was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated and the Equinox was taken to the city impound lot. She was charged with Driving While Intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration over .15 which is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and up to a $4,000 fine.

Spring Break FinalLast issue we ran an incomplete list of

Spring Break arrests made in Port Aransas. Here is the complete total.

All Agencies Spring Break 2013

alcohol

PI 85

DWI 185

DWI+ 18

Other 2 (DUI)

drugs

Para 7

Felony 1

Misd 51

Warrants

M/C 13

Misd 10

Felony 2

Unk 7

Traffic

Ord

Other 5

Assault

Felony 3

Misd 3

Property

Felony 1

Misd 5

Other Crimes

Felony 2

Misd 15

411 arrests / 426 charges

Did Ya’ Hear?By Mary Craft Send your business news to [email protected]

New AdvertisersThe CC Chamber Music

Society presents “The Winner’s Concert” on Saturday, March 30th at 7:30 pm in the newly remodeled Wolfe Recital Hall at Del Mar College. Violinist Jung-Min Lee and pianist Zhegyu Chen will each perform solos and aollaborate. Tickets are $25 at the door.

South Texas Marine Center in Alice has the 4x4 Sand Reeper that you can take from the street to the beach. Get this 40 mpg fun mobile today for only $13,995. Call 664-6193.

R&D Construction offers complete remodeling or new construction and has been locally owned for more than 25 years. They do flooring, decks, fencing , painting, outdoor showers and more. Call 230-4154 for more info.

Estate Sale at Spinnaker Condos 14434 Cabana East #112 on Saturday, March 30th starting at 9 am. There will be for sale bedroom, dining and living room furniture and all other contents must go!

Business BriefsThe Back Porch in Port A will celebrate

Susan’s retirement on Thursday, April 4th with entertainment by Mingo Fishtrap Band. Susan sold her half of the bar to her partner former Port A Mayor Glenn Martin.

Aloha Wa Restaurant inside the Holiday Inn will have two seatings for Easter at 11 am and 1 pm. They will be serving prime rib, ham, seafood, chicken and lamb with unlimited mimosas or champagne. There will be a homemade dessert table and candy Easter eggs. Call 949-8041 for reservations.

Scuttlebutt’s Bar & Grill will be closed Easter Sunday.

Bay Area Rental Management can professionally handle all aspects of your rental property. They coordinate maintenance and repairs, find qualifying tenants, collect rent and market your property. If you are looking for rental properties they currently have a 1 bedroom at Beach Club for $850/month, a 2 bedroom/2 bath on Fortuna Bay for $1250 and a 3 bedroom/ 2 bath with garage on El Socorro for $2300 amongst their many listings. Call 949-2131.

Island Presbyterian Church will have Easter Service at 10 am with choir, brass and bells and sunrise service at 7 am on the beach at the end of Whitecap along with Island in the Son.

Bay Area Fellowship will have Easter services on Saturday at 6 pm and Sunday at 8:30 am, 10:00 and noon. Go to bayareafellowship.com for more info.

The Sandy Bottom String Band will play at the Easter Sunday Service at 7:15 am at Robert’s Point Park in Port A. This 10 piece ensemble has a banjo, fiddle, two mandolins, guitars, auto harp and stand-up bass. We’ll see if Ronnie gets up early enough for this one.


is Looking Forward to the Future!

Island Growth

Schli�erbahn

$40+ Million First Phase Water Park due

to open: March 2014

Phase 1 to cover 65 acres

including Padre Isles Coun

try Club

Overall comple�on in future years to e

ncompass over 500 acres and co

st

over $500 Million

Padre Balli Park Expansio

n

Phase 1:

51 RV spaces with 3,000 s

q. �. bathroom and laundry

facility

Briscoe King Pavilion Reno

va�on

Remodeled air‐condi�oned an

d covered deck restaurant

on Bob Hall Pier

New tent camping area

Extended wetland area fo

r viewing

Nemo Cay New 44 unit

Townhome Project to begin construc

�on soon

14945 S. Padre Island Dr. Corpus Chris�, Tx 78418 361‐949‐7077 800‐580‐7077 toll free www.cbir.com

Retail Growth & Entertainment Shops at La Palmera 200,000 square foot center, located across Staples from JC Penney Dick’s Spor�ng Goods set to open Fall 2013 Corner Bakery Café set to open May 2013

Sam’s Club Reloca�on to corner of S. Padre Island Dr. and Everhart Road Building permit issued for 139,000 square foot store with over $7 Million

project cost

Parkdale Plaza Developer Jerry Quick purchased in 2005, shopping area originally

opened in 1957 New stores next to new Walmart are expected to open soon adding to Corpus Chris� sales tax revenue

USS Lexington Annual budget over $60 million Direct payroll budget over $20 million 6 million visitors and coun�ng Totally self sufficient funding

Texas State Aquarium Over 560,000 guests in 2012 and over 61,000 student visits

Industrial Growth Port of Corpus Chris� $48 Million in Rail Yard improvements 12 miles of track to be added in 18‐24 months Port facili�es have access to Three Class One Railroads: ‐ Union Pacic ‐ Burlington Northern Santa Fe ‐ Kansas City Southern Port of Corpus Chris� has unique Free Trade Zone #122 Includes reneries and Jet Fuel pipeline to DFW Interna�onal Airport Allows duty free transshipment to foreign users

Cheniere Liquefac�on Natural Gas Export Terminal $10 Billion to be spent on a 4 year construc�on period—beginning

October 2013 1,800 construc�on jobs per year Liquefac�on Project in service by December 2017 160 permanent jobs expected

Tianjin Pipe Company from China $1 Billion Pipe plant/1.6 million square foot facility 2,000 construc�on jobs es�mated 300‐600 permanent jobs created with training provided by Del Mar

M&G Group $1 Billion investment in 2 resin manufacturing plants on the northern side

of the Viola Channel at Port of Corpus Chris� 3,000 construc�on jobs during 36 month es�mated construc�on phase Predicted 250 permanent jobs and 700 indirect posi�ons needed to

support the two plants

Regional Growth

Baker Hughes

New $20 Million/30 acre site/140,00

0 square foot facility

Plan to relocate 40 employees and

add 75 jobs

L&F Distributors

New 150,000 square foot

facility on State Hwy 44

between

Clarkwood and Bockholt

Supports about 165 employees and

expects future expansion

U.S. Border Patrol Headq

uarters &

U.S. Customs Office/Field Ope

ra�ons

30 acre site for new $24

Million combined complex

50 agent will share: 35,0

00 square feet

Corpus Chris� Interna�o

nal Airport

FAA Grant for $16.3 Million

Phases 1&2: Design and

construct improvements to runw

ays

CCIA will meet the latest standards f

or safe and efficient use by

:

Commercial‐Military‐General Avia�on T

raffic

U.S. Coast Guard

Moving to Corpus Chris� In

terna�onal Airport from Naval Sta�o

n

Corpus Chris� provides b

oth the Coastal Guard an

d the Naval Air

Sta�on room to expand.

DID YOU KNOW? 50% of Texas’ population is within a

5 hour drive of Corpus Christi!

island moon section a 3-28-2013

Documents

time of year

week things

long time islander

new uniforms

new laws

winter texas

kemps ridley nests

beach weather