Beachcombers Feb Editon

Volume 1, Issue 2

January - February 2025

What’s Inside: • Anavey the silversmith

• Kayaker’s dramatic rescue • Dolphins absorb our drugs • Desalination bond proposal • Converting glass back to sand

...and more!

PAGE 1 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

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Phone at 956-455-0987 for pricing, for hours and directions to 1506 TX-100 in Port Isabel, Texas.

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rsmith e silve cue vey th tic res • Ana m dra a drugs aker’s r y u a o K • bsorb sal hins a propo • Dolp bond sand ization to n li k a c s a sb • De g glas more! vertin • Con ...and

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Publisher/ Photographer: Patricia M. McGrath Editor: Catherine “Cat” Donnelly Contributors: Erika Felicetta, Dr. Laurie Coker and Lady Kymera Contact information: beachcombersguide@gmail.com Publication Address: 2216 Padre Blvd., Suite B PMB 353 South Padre Island, Texas 78597 • Phone: (956) 299-9550

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Welcome Friends, Neighbors and Visitors!

If you are reading this, you may have already read issue one of the Beachcomber’s Guide to the Lower Laguna Madre and are now reading the second issue. Thank you! I hope you enjoyed the articles and please take time to visit our wonderful advertisers.

Being a voracious reader as a child, I’ve always been enamored with the printed word. I also learned how to tell stories through photography at a very young age and the importance of documenting how we “survived” hurricane Cecila in Rockport in 1971.

When I was required to sell ads as a high school Journalism student, I realized how much I loved working with advertisers and designing ads that delivered customers to my clients. This is where I also honed my skills as a photographer.

I continued following my passions of photography and journalism in college.

After publishing the SandCastle Days program in October, I was approached by several businesses to begin my own publication to serve the community. The idea was floated by other citizens and businesspeople and the Beachcomber’s Guide was born.

I love discovering the “gems” in the business community much like finding a sand dollar or sea glass when I’m beachcombing. Thus, the meaning behind the name.

Please contact us with suggestions of people, businesses and restaurants you would like to see “discovered.” Letters to the editor are also welcomed. Currently we are monthly, as time moves on and there is a demand we look forward to expanding and serving the community with more frequency.

I hope you come along on the journey with us as we share the business and restaurant gems in Laguna Vista, Port Isabel, South Padre Island and maybe a little beyond. We will also be sharing human “gems” and of course, news in these communities.

Please be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and look for our website which will be up and running very soon.

Patricia M. McGrath Beach Comber’s Guide to the Lower Laguna Madre 956-299-9550 office 210-363-5411 cell

Ask Lady Kymera Dear Lady Kymera, I’m a 29-year-old male who wonders why people my age have so much trouble relating to the opposite sex and building meaningful and lasting relationships. I have had some long-term relationships that I thought had promise, only to end, sometimes very badly.

My last serious girlfriend said that I was “the perfect boyfriend,” but that wasn’t what she wanted. How can I work with that after a three-year relationship where we had already laid out lifelong plans together? I finally gave up.

I recently visited one of my work buddy’s homes and I was overcome with the feeling that he attained what so many of us haven’t (a wife, a home and children to come home to) and he is the lucky one no matter what bachelors brag when with their friends. The visit with that happy family brought it all into focus. What is life without a loving place to come home to? Most of us come home to empty apartments, like me, or still live with our parents.

The most obvious solution is using a dating site. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but my suggestion is that if you are going to use one, make sure it costs money. The free ones have a lot of bots. No ifs, ands, or bots about it— As far as meeting people, I feel like my which is not what you’re looking for. parents navigated the world differently than we do and I have one foot in both worlds. I do Think of all the places that you can meet groups make a point to turn off my phone when I’m of friendly people with whom you might share with someone so that I don’t tune out or get a common interest. Is there an organization distracted. I have a good paying career. I treat that you support? Volunteer. For some people, it’s going to church. You could also take a fun women with respect. class at a school or adult community center I don’t seem to have a problem with getting like cooking or photography, for instance. girlfriends but have problems in the “happily ever after” end goal department. Any advice An often-overlooked activity is taking dance classes. There are always more women than on how to seal the deal, as they say? men. Women love a man who can dance and lead. Trust me, I know of what I speak!

Signed, A Little Bit Lonely Another thing to consider is your approach.

Confidence is SEXY to everyone. Approach with a smile. Be mindful of body language.

Dearest “A Little Bit Lonely,” When you speak, give people open-ended First things first, do you like older curvy women? questions to let them open up about themselves and it will lessen the chance of (Oops, was that out loud?) letting the conversation get awkward. Also, Unfortunately, what you face is not uncommon. a well-placed compliment will win you points It feels like we are all divided in so many ways. if it’s sincere and not about their physical Finding a lasting relationship is not easy. Don’t appearance. Never say, “You’re so pretty,” for ask me how I know. With that said, there are a instance. It’s just weird. few things that you can do to meet someone.

PAGE 4 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

I would like to remind you and my dear readers that just because a relationship doesn’t work out does not mean there is anything wrong with either party. It just means that those two puzzle pieces don’t fit together, but, both pieces are still cool.

So, be true to yourself and be kind to others!

Lady K

With a heart of 10k gold alloy, and the wisdom of an old soul, sitting in the lotus position on the highest peak of a sand dune, Lady Kymera comes with wit, sage advice (at times), and love in her heart to help people seeking assistance with life’s foibles, with a little dollop of levity on the side.

Letters for Lady Kymera can be sent to: editorbeachcombersguide@gmail.com.

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Furnishings, decor, and gifts for everyone 303 Tx 100 Port Isabel (956) 943-2503 • tropicalhomefurnishings.com Tropical Home Too • 121 A W Queen Isabella Blvd # B, Port Isabel PAGE 5 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

Islands magazine features Port Isabel

By Catherine Donnelly

When travel articles are written as if the author hasn’t stepped foot anywhere near its subject, it’s time to correct the inaccuracies. Islands magazine is an international monthly publication that recently featured Port Isabel. We love our home and want it recognized but don’t appreciate misconceptions about our small but important city.

There is a part of Texas that many don’t know exists. The Gulf Coast of Texas spans more than 360 miles from the southern tip at Port Isabel and South Padre Island (SPI) to its northern edge that borders Louisiana.

The cities along this extensive shoreline delight visitors with their charm and beauty, and that is especially true of Port Isabel. It’s one of the country’s best kept secrets.

Once you leave the main highway and drive down 100 towards one of Southern Texas’ oldest cities, you know that you’re in a special place with a strong historically Hispanic vibe. You can see it in the architecture and street and city names as you take in the indescribable but calming aroma of the bay’s sweeping shoreline and the gulf waters beyond the sandbar we call South Padre. Travelers soak in the important past of this fishing town as they pass rows of shrimping boats that aren’t used as much anymore but are still tethered along the docks that line the sparkling waterways.

Port Isabel is a quaint historic place that has several good seafood restaurants and rows of lovely and one-of-a-kind locally owned businesses. It happens to be near some of the best Gulf beaches on SPI with great options for exciting or more leisurely activities, depending on your preference.

For authentic Mexican food, there is Isabel’s, El Papa’s, Mexiquitos and Shark Tank, but there are new gastronomic offerings as well. Be sure to also check out two new family-owned restaurants bringing unique tastes to the area—an Indian restaurant called Leo’s Grill and a new Cajun restaurant called The Grouchy Gringo. And for a special treat, be sure to dine at the Lighthouse Boutique Hotel and have their fresh and delicious gelato for dessert while surrounded by original beach-inspired scenic art pieces that are available for sale. Oh, and their coffee is divine.

Port Isabel is a surprising gem that neighbors the wildlife-filled—and sometimes wild party filled—SPI on the

southernmost tip of Texas. It exudes small town charm yet has unrivaled beach vacation amenities within easy reach, making it the chosen destination for many tourists from Spring Breakers to Winter Texans.

Port Isabel is a more relaxing, familyfriendly and affordable option for those who want to enjoy amazing weather and that beach vacation you can write home about, but don’t want to spend too much to do it. “Port Isabel’s access to sandy beaches, gulf waters, and the freshest seafood redefines what it means to vacation in Texas,” according to the magazine, which most would agree on.

They are also right that “the centerpiece of Port Isabel that offers the best view of this gulf coast retreat is the Port Isabel Lighthouse.” This historic lighthouse was built in the 1850’s for maritime traffic and is the only lighthouse in Texas open to the public. It’s available for tours and you can climb all the way to the top and even go outside on the balcony railing that encircles it.

Once you reach the top of the lighthouse, you’re greeted with a breathtaking panoramic island view that highlights area beaches and waterways as well as parts of neighboring Mexico and the SpaceX Starbase at Boca Chica Beach across the Laguna Madre. From the ground, you’ll hear people hooting and hollering from the top of the lighthouse to celebrate the achievement of climbing up all those stairs! Children frequently roll down the grassy knoll, squealing with delight.

In 2022, the lighthouse had a reproduction of the original 3rd Order Fresnel Lens installed, which was commissioned to replace a single ordinary light bulb that had hung there for years. This new lens is an authentic beacon enjoyed by locals and travelers alike. The experience is completed by a visit to the historical museum.

Port Isabel boasts a vibrant fishing and boating culture, hosting many fishing tournaments. Water activities include fishing charters, boat tours and dolphin watches. Some local restaurants like Joe’s Oyster Bar and Tortuga’s are known to cook your catch for a small plating fee.

Joe’s Oyster Bar is a locally famous family-owned restaurant that brings in customers from around the world. Visitors rave about the freshness and variety of seafood dishes. It also has a seafood deli of fresh caught fish to take home and cook yourself.

Tour the historic lighthouse, visit the boutique hotel and walk the quaint mom-and-pop shops lining Maxan Street at the Lighthouse Square in Port Isabel’s historic district. (Photo by Patricia M. McGrath)

Two short blocks down Maxan Street, Pirate’s Landing is a restaurant with a pirate ship vibe and is mere steps from the pier where you can fish or board a pirate ship tour of the Laguna Madre Bay. While Port Isabel may be chill, it is not devoid of a nightlife. Adult beverages can be enjoyed at any number of places, including Doubleday’s Sports Bar & Grill, Shark Tank, The Rio Grande Distillery, and Hopper House.

The Distillery is the only one in the RGV and it has an array of bar food and everything

from moonshine to whiskey for sampling!

Hopper Haus offers a German Biergarten feel and several menu offerings that give a nod to its German roots including schnitzel, warm German potato salad, and bratwurst on a pretzel bun.

There, we fixed it. We hope you’ll join us in Port Isabel for an unforgettable getaway vacation that won’t break the bank. You have to pass through it to get to the island anyway.

Your Independent Insurance Agency for Homeowners, Automobile, Motorcycle, Boat and Commercial Insurance

302 E Queen Isabella Blvd.

Port Isabel, Tx 78578

Phone 956-943-6481

PAGE 6 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

SPI City Council Meeting:

LMWD Engineer discusses proposed desalination plant

By Erika Felicetta

The regular South Padre Island (SPI) City Council meeting took place on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 6 p.m. First on the agenda was the proposed Laguna Madre Desalination Facility. A presentation by Charles Ortiz, PE, Laguna Madre Water District engineer, outlined implementation, cost, and effects the facility will have on the lower Rio Grande Valley and a timeline for the project.

Our bay, being fed by the Gulf of Mexico, will be a more adequate resource for the lower Rio Grande’s water needs.

Some additional benefits to building this desalination facility include job growth, stimulating the economy, cleaner drinking water and ensuring a stable water supply via the Gulf of Mexico—even through times of drought.

The desalination project will be on the ballot May 3 and is aiming to start construction in November of 2025. For a more detailed report, refer to the Desalination article below.

The second agenda item was presented

by Randy Smith, South Padre Islands City Manager. This included a brief review highlighting 14 city departments and their accomplishments for November and December 2024. Notable moments being active short term rental licenses at 2,500.

The Fire Dept. is applying for grants to get new fire suppression equipment.

The Police Dept. participated in community service events such as a Salvation Army toy drive and helping Brownsville with the police marathon and partnering with local high schools for students who have an interest in criminal justice to pair up with officers for school credit and shadow them to get some real experience and see what local officers do on a day-to-day basis.

Three officers were trained in active shooter defense training and can now teach other officers what to do in an active shooter scenario. Street repairs continue with manhole cover maintenance and paving of city streets; especially Retama

PowerPoint slide provided by the Laguna Madre Water District regarding their proposal for a desalination plant in Port Isabel with a bond issue to be voted on May 3.

Street, Smith mentioned specifically, will be wrapping up. The Community Center is offering more for winter Texan season an example being Chair Yoga.

There was discussion and possible action to review and designate an area for The Arts and Entertainment District at Stillman’s Landing. This is between Tarpon and Amberjack Street from Laguna to Padre Blvd.

When you get to Padre Blvd. its two lots back towards Gulf Blvd. Motion was approved.

Discussion and possible action to approve a letter of support for the Family Wellness Clinic here on SPI for a grant application to request funding to expand the hours and supply imaging services at the new SPI clinic located at 3401Padre Boulevard was approved.

The meeting was adjourned.

LMWD proposes desalination to cities, Rotarians

By Erika Felicetta Knowing that water is our most precious resource, it’s extremely concerning to know that the Laguna Madre and lower Rio Grande Valley are facing a dire and ongoing scarcity of it. Especially in times of drought, the Amistad and Falcon reservoirs, fed by the Rio Grande River, are not sustainable sources to serve our growing agriculture and municipal needs.

Being saltier than sea water, our ground water quality does not meet the requirements needed to treat it with the existing framework. Groundwater is water that exists underground in saturated zones beneath the Earth’s surface.

So, the Laguna Madre Water District (LMWD) is proposing that we invest in a Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) facility also known as a Seawater Desalination Facility (SDF) through hefty grants and a bond issue for the remainder.

The LMWD upgraded plants #1 and #2 with a new membrane module microfiltration technology necessary for the outdated and failing systems that were originally built in the 1970’s, approximately half a century ago.

“Our newest microfiltration system was installed in Laguna Vista in 2015,” said Charles Ortiz, P.E., from LMWD “That system, however, is not adequate for desalinating our gulf waters, which is where our new sustainable source of water for agriculture and human use will be coming from.”

The SWRO has been the most pressing topic of discussion at the January city council meetings for Laguna Vista, Port Isabel and South Padre Island (SPI), as well as the recent Port Isabel Water District and Rotary Club meetings. Ortiz did the presentations

and took questions from various council people, Rotarians or members of the public at the meetings, thoroughly answering all questions and concerns.

The SWRO will use reverse osmosis to desalinate the water, making it better for drinking. Proposed updates would include a new seawater intake structure and a second diversion from the Port Isabel Turning Basin to existing treatment plant #1.

Additional components include raw water clarification, microfiltration energy recovery devices and a system for managing salt discharge. The salt collected will return to the ocean after undergoing an environmentally friendly process.

Sea water desalination is widely used in 21,000 plants globally. Tampa Bay Florida uses one on their Gulf Coast. The lower Rio Grande Valley would be the first in Texas to employ a water desalination plant.

The proposed facility would be capable of producing 5 million gallons of treated water per day with room for future plant expansion for up to 7.5 million. It will supply the areas of Laguna Heights, Laguna Vista, Long Island (formerly known as Long Island Village), Port Isabel and SPI. The old water tower at 105 Port Road was taken down recently. A new 600,000-gallon water tower is under construction at 248 Woodys Lane in Port Isabel, modeling after the San Benito “Freddy Fender” water tank as far as design. It replaces water storage for both Port Isabel and Laguna Vista.

The projected cost of all phases of this SWRO is $72,750,000. LMWD is in a good position for competitive funding from the Bureau of ReclamationDesalination Construction Projects under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN)

and The State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT).

On January 14, the Bureau of Reclamation informed LMWD that their application for construction is now being considered for award with funding available under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in the amount of $17,501,302 for Port Isabel’s SWRO. UPDATE: On Wednesday, January 29, LMWD received the full funding amount of just over $17.5 million.

“I’m delighted to announce significant funding for the construction of this state-of-the-art desalination treatment facility in Port Isabel,” United States Representative Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, said in a statement. “While we continue to modernize and build new infrastructure to increase in-land water resiliency and work with Mexico to ensure rightfully owed water deliveries, this plant will play a pivotal role in addressing the water demands of our region.”

Here is an overview from the Bureau of Reclamation web page: https://www.usbr.gov/.../WRP-16187...

In a power point presentation, Ortiz indicated LMWD’s authority to use $15,655,000 in bonds for the SWRO from an election that was held on May 14, 2011.

That facility was only 1/5 the size of what they are proposing now due to the nature of the urgency for a more abundant and sustainable water source. It was also going to be located north of The Shores versus today’s Port Isabel site.

In November 2024, $10,000,000 of that debt was authorized and utilized to complete the planning, acquisition, pilot study and design of the new SWRO. The remaining cost to fund construction of this project is $59,000,000. That is the number that will be voted on by the taxpayer May 3 of this year. The project

PAGE 7 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

could be completed by 2027 unless construction delays push it into 2028.

The property owner’s tax rate is estimated to increase approximately $140 dollars annually for the average ($200,000 assessed value) home in the region.

This new facility’s infrastructure can last at least 30 years in operation without a major overhaul.

Maintenance costs are not yet known but estimated to be around $4 million compared to the $2 million that’s in effect now for our current system.

According to David Pettry Jr. with NorrisLeal, LLC, an engineering, construction management and operations firm, his company contracted with Hicks & Company—a small, woman-owned environmental consulting firm—to provide an environmental impact analysis. It will most likely not be finished by the time the SWRO is put on the May 3 ballot.

It is imperative that we acquire a new regenerative water supply that is also kind to the environment.

Using best practices with an environmental impact plan and technology will have minimal impact on the habitat of the marine life related to the intake structures, according to Ortiz.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, stated in a January 26 report that the Laguna Madre Bay will not be harmed by this project. There doesn’t seem to be a significant accumulation of salinity in the model study region, as the flushing action of the tides tends to mix waters adequately. They advise it would be valuable to have long-term salinity monitoring stations in the location to assess channel salinity over a long-term period

Donae creates in silver

By Erika Felicetta A hidden gem lies in the heart of South Padre Island (SPI), not buried in the sandy shores or sparkling water, but in the warm, open spirit of Anavey Donae—a silversmith, artist and chocolate enthusiast whose multi-faceted life is reflected in the creativity and vibrancy of her surroundings. Donae displays captivating joy upon first, second and even third introductions, showing a dynamic soul that radiates beyond her years.

“I’m in love with life and want to create and promote beauty through my work,” Donae shares. She is seated at her artfully messy workstation at The Art Lounge—a contemporary gallery and mixed-use space that offers various art classes and showcases musical and mixed-art events.

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know and work with Anavey. She has a unique way of looking at the world that is a balance of fun, authenticity and kindness,” says Shelly (Hamsa) Losee, steward of the Art Lounge.

Donae is a self-proclaimed desert girl from Arizona who has always considered herself a creator and crafter.

“When doing anything to express myself, whether it’s sewing clothing, macrame, journaling or assembling jewelry, I always feel my most fulfilled when creating in that mental space.”

She found her way to SPI by following a love relationship and quickly fell into the art scene after happening upon an open mic night at The Unruly Cactus in Port Isabel. Donae met some artsy locals, and on a gallery walk one evening, she made her way into the Art Business Incubator of SPI (ABISPI). This organization is the island’s non-profit that works to establish and support local artist entrepreneurs by granting year-long residencies where gallery, workspace and resources are provided. It was there that she met Joel Garza, a resident artist that specializes in jewelry making and silversmithing.

“I just nagged him to help me learn this craft until he finally gave in,” Donae laughs. Garza quickly became a mentor, and she apprenticed with him to hone her craft through helping Garza work on custom pieces of jewelry and teaching classes on the Space X campus.

“He really took me under his wing. I’m so grateful for that,” she said, “I learned so much!” Donae’s happy place resides in creative connection with others.

“An incredible thing about jewelry as an art form is that it is such a personal part of someone’s history,” she says.

“Collaborating with a client is an intimate process because they are going to wear this on their body, hopefully, for years to come. I want to create something they can fall in love with.”

Anavey’s silver jewelry. (Photo courtesy William Abete).

Donae is a curious and empathetic person by nature. She knows there is beauty and pain in life and understands both are necessary to balance each other out. She finds a lot of inspiration in this balancing act, so Donae likes to establish what a client’s intention is for a potential piece of jewelry.

“What sentimentality does this piece reflect? What will it be used for—everyday wear or a special occasion piece? Is it a gift?” she asks. “Intention and sketching a piece out with a client is a huge part of my process. And I hear such beautiful stories.”

Donae’s transition to her studio space at The Art Lounge after working with Garza felt very natural. “I was welcomed with open arms by Shelly after I expressed my love and want for studio space to pursue silversmithing more intensely,” Donae explained.

“Now I’m involved with art openings, First Friday events, classes and any other creative outlet I want to explore.

It’s all here but working with silver had always been my long-term goal.”

“Although Anavey is relatively new Anavey Donae, silversmith at The Art Lounge at making jewelry, she shows great on SPI. (Photo courtesy William Abete). talent. Her design and craftmanship responsibility to the land for the next are so good, I can’t wait to see what generation.” she is creating a year from now!” Losee exclaims.

Innovation and expansion has to be Aside from jewelry making, Donae balanced with a deep respect for the Earth. is passionate about environmental Donae learned this lesson young. When education for children. She devotes time she was fifteen years old, she attended a with a small non-profit in the area called two-month wilderness therapy program Gulf Guardians. This program is run by which was a big influence that helped her Aarin Hartwell, owner and operator of evolve into the person she is today.

SPI Sessions. Gulf Guardians works with homeschooled girls educating them on “I know this appreciation for the land, getting to know and respect their local instilled young, can save a life or at least put a child on a new path, as it did for me ecosystem. years ago,” she shares.

“We help them build land-based curiosity and how to develop a As Donae talks about the earth and balanced relationship with the world realizing your place in it, you get the feeling around them,” Donae explains. “The she has crafted many love letters or journal best thing we can do moving forward entries to it before. If nature is her first love, is to protect our precious environment Donae conveys that it is not her only love. by providing this knowledge and Another savory morsel about Donae is that instilling a sense of relationship and her love language is food!

Continued on next page

PAGE 8 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

PI-ISD NEWS BRIEF: Thirty-three Port Isabel Early College High School (PIECHS) students received handson training for their certification through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, a collaborative effort between Point Isabel ISD and United Way of Southern Cameron County. With support from the Afterschool Centers on Education (ACE) and the College & Career Readiness Department, students completed a comprehensive basic course to prepare

them to provide free tax prep services to the community.

Special recognition goes to Mr. Victor Barrera, CTE Hospitality and Tourism instructor, and Ms. Hilda Zermeño, ACE High School Coordinator, for their leadership as site coordinators and to Pam Ochoa, United Way VITA Free Tax Assistance Site Coordinator, for her invaluable support, according to Port Isabel ISD.

View Launches and Dry Camp On the Rio Grande behind the Rockets

Unforgettable Moments Await!

Secure your spot behind the soft checkpoint for unobstructed views of SpaceX testing and launches.

Buy tickets:

Anavey’s hands making silver jewelry at the Art Lounge. (Photo courtesy William Abete).

“My parents are both chefs and met in culinary school,” she says with her infectious grin. “There’s nothing more tender or caring that you could do for a person than to make them food straight from the heart,” she adds.

This sentiment led to a sweet transition in her life. Another part-time pleasure she enjoys is curating chocolate confection tastings for people. Donae developed an appreciation and knowledge of cacao by studying right alongside her mother who became a chocolate sommelier during the pandemic.

“I would accompany her to tasting events and listened to how she explained each flavor. It was so fun and a great way to bond!” she exclaimed. The pair was associated with Curating Taste, based out of Gilbert, Arizona, which brings gourmet chocolate to the masses by curated tastings of chocolates from around the world.

Donae’s main focus is setting down roots and honing her skills in jewelry making.

Donae’s presence leaves an impression as lasting as the jewelry she creates.

She’s a reminder that true artistry is about more than what we make—it’s about how we live.

To work with Donae on a custom piece of jewelry, contact The Art Lounge at (956) 433-5307 or email: info@ theartloungespi.com. Donae will also be hosting chocolate tastings every First Friday, from 6-9 p.m., at 33256 State Park Road 100 (Padre Blvd.) on South Padre Island, where she will have the chocolate for sale.

Erika Felicetta has a B.A. in Media Communications and has written for The Buffalo News and an arts and culture newspaper Artvoice. She practices massage therapy out of Laguna Madre Yoga and Wellness Center on South Padre. Erika is also pursuing her certification to become a wine Sommelier and spends time in both Buffalo and on SPI with her wife Jen.

PAGE 9 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

Kayaker rescued from Goose Island, San Martin Lake

By Catherine Donnelly In a dramatic multi-agency collaboration, Brownville Fire Department (BFD), Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) successfully rescued a 74-year-old man from Goose Island at about 9:45 p.m. on Sunday evening, January 12. According to TPW, his wife called the Coast Guard at about 5:20 p.m. saying her husband had not contacted her all day after going fishing on his kayak in that area.

The kayaker, whose name has not been released yet, wound up being stranded for almost five hours in San Martin Lake, which is about halfway between Brownsville and Port Isabel, on the opposite side of Highway 48 as the Brownsville ship channel. When the man set out, it was sunny and in the mid 70’s with winds of seven miles per hour. As the day wore on, it fell into the low 60’s and then the low 50’s after the sun went down, which is common this time of year.

The gentleman had gotten carried into the weeds of a small channel on Goose Island from the force of the incoming tide. The tide kept pushing the man further into the weeds and he was unable to fight it and get himself back out. His kayak became stuck in the mud, according to Chief Cardenas of BFD. He was hidden in the vegetation and hard to detect.

The kayaker couldn’t get himself back to safety and couldn’t see much as the sun went down, which was disorienting. At some point he fell off his kayak into the

chilly waters and was getting distraught. As time wore on, he became weakened and in danger of hypothermia. He reportedly went to use his phone, and the battery had gone dead.

The rescue agencies were staged at Puente Los Lobos (translates as Wolf Bridge) at the boat ramp. Unbeknownst to them, the stranded man was northwest of where they were looking, and they were becoming increasingly concerned for his safety if he was not found quickly.

In the meantime, the Coast Guard deployed their helicopter, and the man saw them overhead, searching for him. He remembered that he had a flashlight, so he fished it out, put it together and signaled up to the rescuers, who saw it and radioed back to base as they dropped a man down to be with him. TPW game wardens set out in their air boat with two personnel from Brownsville’s Fire Station 8 on board.

Though they finally knew where he was, the urgency of the rescue was not over.

He was in an area that the boat couldn’t enter because of the oyster beds beneath the water. When they arrived close to his location, the fire personnel had to get off the boat and walk in and carry the victim out through thick clay mud, which adds time to the operation.

“We can get our legs torn up from those oyster beds,” said Chief Cardenas. “From above, you cannot see what is beneath the surface of the water and you’re just focused on rescuing the victim and getting them to

Emergency crews from several agencies cooperated to rescue a 78-year old Brownsville man from Goose Island on San Martin Lake, between Port Isabel and Brownsville, near Puente Los Lobos boat ramp. (Photo courtesy Brownville Fire Department)

safety as quickly as possible.”

Rescue personnel treated the weakened kayaker on the boat and kept treating him until they carried him up to the ambulance. While he showed no apparent outward injuries, he was taken to Valley Regional Hospital where he was checked for hypothermia among other concerns, according to Cardenas. EMS said he was reunited with his family at the hospital. After being checked, he was quickly released to go home.

“This was not my first rescue of this nature,” said Cardenas. “It seems like whenever we get hit with that Northern wind and the temperature drops, area kayakers feel confident going out fishing but are tired coming back and that’s when things can happen.”

Advice that can help keep kayakers, boaters and fishermen safer on the water is to consult the weather forecast for the day, leave as early as possible and travel

in pairs. They should always carry a flotation device, consider having a waterproof case for the phone in case of trouble and having waterproof flashlights—which may have been the deciding factor in finding the kayaker in this case—and perhaps a compass. Neon clothing and brightly colored kayaks would also help authorities with spotting stranded people, especially in less than ideal conditions. Planning ahead and proper preparation can help enthusiasts avoid traumatic outcomes.

Catherine Donnelly attained a B.A. in English/Creative Writing from the University of Arkansas, taking post graduate classes in Communication and Journalism. She has written for five different newspapers, including the NW Arkansas Times. Catherine, a.k.a. “Karaoke Cat,” now lives in the old stomping grounds of Frank and Jesse James with her husband Steve, cat Tombstone and Princess Fiona the neurotic pug.

Texas A&M study reveals drugs in Gulf’s dolphins

By Catherine Donnelly CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas –Researchers at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC), partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Precision Toxicological Consultancy, detected human pharmaceuticals in the blubber of live, free-swimming common bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Texas A&M Corpus Christi webpage.

Since dolphins consume fish and shrimp, the study “Pharmaceuticals in the Blubber of Live Free-Swimming Common Bottlenose Dolphins,” suggests potential harmful impacts on human health. The dolphins in

the study were from three sites around the Gulf of Mexico, including Redfish Bay and the Laguna Madre in Texas, along with 12 historic dolphin tissue samples from the Mississippi Sound collected in 2013.

“Improper use of pharmaceuticals can cause harmful effects including antibiotic resistance [and] pharmaceuticals have become emerging micropollutants and are a growing global concern as their presence has been reported in freshwater ecosystems, rivers, and oceans worldwide,” stated principal investigator Dr. Dara Orbach, Assistant Professor of Marine Biology at TAMU-CC. The study analyzed 89 dolphin blubber samples from living and deceased

dolphins. Pharmaceuticals were found in 30 of the dolphins, about 1/3 of the study.

Fentanyl, an opioid that is 100 times more potent than morphine, was found in 18 of the biopsies and in 100% of the postmortem dolphins studied.

The dolphin study was funded by Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Frazier Family Foundation, Inc., and was recently accepted by the journal iScience. For information on the proper disposal of pharmaceuticals: https://www.fda.gov/ drugs/safe-disposal-medicines/disposalunused-medicines-what-you-shouldknow

PAGE 10 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Study Reveals Drugs in Gulf’s Dolphins:

PI-ISD collecting coins for California

Service Since the 1940s

By Catherine Donnelly

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All the money collected will be given to The American Red Cross for immediate disaster relief of food, clothing and shelter and will continue with what is needed in the aftermath.

Collections will continue until Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.

Go here if you would like to donate to the American Red Cross. [ https://www. redcross.org/donate/cm/abc.html/]

AUTO REPAIR & TOWING

By Catherine Donnelly Senate Bill 3 in 2025 would ban all forms of THC in Texas. “These stores not only sold to adults, but they targeted Texas children and exposed them to dangerous levels of THC.” A complete ban of THC has been shown to have harmful or even deadly consequences for those seeking doctor-prescribed relief for pain, but also relief from nausea during chemo and other maladies like Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD). Buying laboratory-tested marijuana from trusted, regulated dispensaries is safer than scoring weed on the street. THC products are a safer alternative than opioids, which can cause addiction.

For more information, refer to: https:// texascannabis.org/ or call (512) 488-0895.

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PAGE 11 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

Mention this ad for $20 off any tattoo or antique purchase over $50

Weed illegal in TX: new bill aims for in-home use While Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Republican legislators vow to outlaw all forms of THC in the Lone Star State next year, a state representative wants to legalize marijuana for in-home only recreational use. Texas Representative Jessica Gonzalez (D-Dallas) filed a bill on November 12 that would allow citizens to transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana or 15 grams of cannabis concentrate. The proposed law would allow storage of up to 10 ounces of marijuana at home if any amount over 2.5 ounces is kept in a locked container.

A legislative oversight legalized THC compounds in Texas several years ago when bill writers banned Delta-9 but failed to mention any other forms of marijuanaderived compounds. Patrick intends to try to correct that gaffe this year.

“Dangerously, retailers exploited the agriculture law to sell life-threatening, unregulated forms of THC to the public and made them easily accessible,” Patrick said in a statement, noting that if passed,

Monday – Friday: 8am – 4pm

PI-ISD collecting coins for California to help those affected by the recent wildfires. (Photo courtesy PI-ISD)

Mention this ad for $20 off any tattoo or antique purchase over $50

The Point Isabel Independent School District (PI-ISD) is collecting donations from the community to help those affected by the wildfires in California. One of the high school’s faculty members, welding instructor Jeremy Foreman, has family living in California, some of which lost their homes.

“It hits real close to home,” Foreman said.

“My cousins took everything they could as they were forced to evacuate.”

PI-ISD superintendent Teri Capistran said other staff members also have family members who have been affected by the Los Angeles fires.

“Our district has definite connections in California, but watching what’s happening every day in the news, it’s a good feeling to be able to contribute in some way,” said Capistran. “It’s the reason why we’re all participating in Coins for California.”

Capistran said she got the idea for the fundraiser from Los Fresnos CISD. Coins for California jars have been placed in the district’s classrooms for students and staff to put in whatever amount of money they can. Capistran wants students to know everything counts and that no donation is too small. The project dovetails into the community engagement part of the district’s Mission Statement.

“Glass Half Full” reimagines recycling programs

By Catherine Donnelly

The team provides a sustainable alternative by turning glass back into sand and gravel. Then they use the sand to restore Louisianna’s eroding coastline, to create new glass items, and more! Their end-product is used for disaster relief and prevention, coastal restoration, and ecoconstruction.

When the planet is facing a global sand shortage, the sand they create helps provide a sustainable alternative to damaging sand extraction techniques.

Dredging and mining for sand disrupts local ecosystems, contributes to the coastal erosion crisis, and costs millions of dollars each year. The recycled glass sand from Glass Half Full can rebuild entire coastlines at a fraction of the normal cost.

The primary goal of the company is to use their recycled sand to help restore Louisiana’s eroding shoreline, according to their website. Louisiana has lost a quarter of its wetlands since the 1930s. Man-made structures, while well-intentioned, prevent

Just like in the Lower Laguna Madre, sand is crucial for rebuilding the barrier islands and sandbars that protect the coast from tropical storms and hurricanes. Adding sediment to wetlands combats erosion and encourages the survival of native foliage and wildlife. Dunes, beaches, and the Gulf’s seafloor can also benefit from sand deposits.

New Orleans is especially vulnerable to flooding from tropical storms that come into the Gulf of Mexico because the city lies below Glass Half Full founders, Franziska Trautmann and Max Steitz. They met as engineering students at sea level and is losing its protective Tulane University and reimagined the problem of coast. Glass Half Full uses their glass recycling over a bottle of wine. recycled sand to fill sandbags to (Photo courtesy of Glass Half Full) protect vulnerable areas.

Sandbags are also vital for levee for residents, businesses, and events maintenance when used for structural spanning several parishes, according to fortification and can also be used to their website. prevent overflow, manipulate the direction of water flow, and absorb seepage. Their After they collect the glass, they sort it by color and remove all plastic, cork and metal components. Then they pulverize it with hammer-mill crushers. They sift the crushed product to remove labels and sort it by size. At that point, they are left with sand products ranging from super soft, beach-like powder to chunky glass gravel.

Once the sand is separated, it’s allocated for different applications like coastal restoration and disaster relief to flooring and new glass products. They try to creatively integrate the recycled materials into everyday applications.

Because the mission is Louisiana-centric and adheres to the mantra of sustainability, nothing is ever shipped out of the state or overseas for processing.

Their mission is to protect and restore the Louisianna coast while supporting Bins for Recycling pickup. (Photo courtesy Glass Half Full) the economies of coastal communities through multi-disciplinary research and collaboration between community sediment from being deposited into sand is donated or sold locally to those in members, government, scientists, and barrier islands and wetland areas by the need of this critical resource.

Mississippi River’s springtime floods. The Before Glass Half Full was created, there engineers. The residential and commercial disruption of this natural process causes were no glass recycling facilities in New pickup programs help fund their initiatives. land to disappear much faster than it can Orleans. In addition to free drop-off hubs In GHF’s January newsletter, they made

NEW ORLEANS, LA—Because a single glass bottle placed in a city recycling bin will cause the entire load to be sent to the landfill, New Orleans wastes millions of tax dollars each year dumping recyclables in landfills. The city also imports millions of pounds of sand for coastal remediation.

Two young engineers figured out how to help solve both problems and the company Glass Half Full was born.

Like most good things, it started with a bottle of wine…

As seniors at Tulane University, founders Franziska Trautmann and Max Steitz were disappointed and frustrated with the lack of glass recycling in New Orleans. One night, over a bottle of wine, they came up with a plan. They specifically wanted a system that recycled glass into something functional. Instead of trying to fight with the current recycling system, they decided to reimagine and implement their own grassroots glass recycling program.

“In February of 2020, we raised $18,000 via GoFundMe and operated out of our backyard for 5 months. In October of 2020, we launched another GoFundMe campaign and raised around $150,000 to invest in the proper machinery and move into a larger facility. In total, we raised around $168,000 to start Glass Half Full and were very scrappy along the way,” according to their website.

Within a few years, their program diverted millions of pounds of glass from landfills and converted it into sand and gravel for a myriad of applications. They began by collecting and hand-crushing their friends’ glass, but as word spread, participation and support grew.

Soon they were able to expand into a larger processing facility to enable them to scale up their operations and accept more glass. They are now backed by a growing team of staff, volunteers, and community members who pitch in daily to divert tens of thousands of pounds of glass each week from landfills across the Gulf South, according to their website. regenerate itself.

across the city, they offer collection services

PAGE 12 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

Continues on the next page

an announcement that they’re starting a friendly bar war to encourage recycling through competition. “Mardi Bar Wars” pits the local bars against each other to see who can recycle the most glass. Who said recycling can’t be fun?

Glass Half Full hopes to eventually expand to areas with inefficient or nonexistent recycling programs. Their current priority is to divert glass from their state’s landfills since Louisiana is one of the worst-rated states for recycling in the nation. While Texas is not the worst, it’s worse than the median. Since we do have a problem with so many plastics polluting our waterways, it would still be wise to strive to do better.

GHF sources their equipment from Andela, which offers a wide range of equipment.

The Glass Half Full website encourages interested parties to reach out directly to Andela for quotes and more information.

To reach Glass Half Full, consult https:// glasshalffull.co/ .

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the total amount of combusted glass in U.S. landfills in 2018 was an astounding 1.6 million tons, out of which 7,550,000 tons were buried

in landfills. About 23% of glass is recycled in the United States. It took two students to create a solution to the problem over a bottle of wine. Maybe their example will inspire others to do the same.

The solution seems to be in the reimagining of the recycling program. For instance, on Blue Planet Live/BBC Earth, they profile a diver by the name of Rob Thompson who wanted to clean the ocean of plastics and developed a way to recycle old fishing nets into new kayaks made from 100% recycled materials. The magic seems to be in the making of products that people want or need which is a more sustainable paradigm than shipping recycled materials to a different location to be bought and processed in some way. Keeping it local and closing that loop is a better answer.

There is no reason why a local municipality with land in an industrial zone couldn’t build a local recycling program that wound up more than paying for itself by creating products to sell to customers, creating meaningful jobs in the process. These are just two solutions dealing with glass and plastic. The possibilities are endless.

Pulverized glass will revert back to the original sand which can be used for repairing coastlines and filling sand bags. It also saves money and is better than mining for the sand needed for these purposes.

(Photo courtesy of Glass Half Full)

Island Market Not your ordinary corner store

• Carefully curated wine and beer selection, grocery and more.

• Fishing and beach supplies for kids and adults • Frozen or Live bait and fishing licenses, beach rod holders • Fire wood and propane

Free ice w/ $20 purchase

$1 any size fountain drink

Open Daily 6 a.m. - Midnight 5312 Padre Blvd. (956) 772-7082 PAGE 13 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

GASTRONOMIC ADVENTURES Gabriella’s, a home away from home

“Winter Texans, in particular, really love dish for someone who likes a lighter

By Catherine Donnelly With your first step into Gabriella’s, you’re greeted with the ambiance of Italy. You see the old-world decor, breathe in the aromas of fresh baked breads, woodburning brick oven pizzas, Italian spices, and pastas—and embrace the warm welcome from staff—making you feel like family. At this point, you’ve left the outside world behind and you’re in your home away from home.

After being seated, we started out with a house salad and a Caprese as well.

I have not seen such a luscious house salad in any restaurant since I was a child! When so many restaurants have cut way back on the salads, Gabriella’s served a bed of fresh deep green lettuce topped with plenty of red onion, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber all maintaining its crisp texture as a harbinger of the meal to come. The Caprese was equally fresh and delicious with its sliced

The Roma with a blend of smoked gouda and mozzarella cheeses topped with Italian sausage, onions, fresh basil and fire roasted red peppers.

The pièce de résistance is that it’s drizzled with a red pepper cream sauce.

Gabriella’s offers many us,” said Diaz. “They’re always saying pizza that isn’t bogged down or soggy topping choices on their pizza.

that we’re almost like family. They come tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil for all the special celebrations like leaves topped with a generous drizzle birthdays and anniversaries, but I even of sweet and tangy balsamic vinaigrette. have customers that will come every day No time passes when we were checked while they’re down here because of our on by the General Manager, Luis vast menu choices.”

Diaz. Diaz has worked 38 years in the And as if on cue, there is a birthday song restaurant business, 23 years as a being sung at a nearby table just as the general manager. He is making his waitress brings me a bowl of Tomato Basil Bisque soup and a delicious plate of mozzarella sticks, clears our salad plates, and places the pizza racks on the table.

The soup is rich and tasty, topped with scallions. I’m impressed with the choices offered, though, with an Italian Sausage Zuppa soup, a Minestrone and the Italian Onion which is slowcooked, caramelized onions in a rich The Milano Neapolitan Pizza (white pie) with broth topped with Italian toast and mushrooms, caramelized onions, Italian sausage, a blend of fontina, Parmesan and provolone. Mental note to return for the mozzarella with a dusting of Italian herbs on a full experience of everything Gabriella’s cauliflower crust. has to offer!

We ordered a variety of pizzas, including rounds to speak to the patrons.

“I confess that I’d much rather be cauliflower-crusted ones to get a taste speaking to my customers than stuck of the offerings. All the pizzas are made in my office,” said Diaz. “I speak to the with fresh handmade dough except for people in the dining room, at the bar the cauliflower crusts (which were very and my workers in the kitchen just to tasty). The pepperoni pizza is by far the most popular one ordered, but we went keep aware of how things are going.”

Diaz explains how he used to work for with the more interesting ones to our a company that fixed failing restaurants. palates.

Diaz, as a GM, would rather be involved We ordered the Mediterranean (white in consistent good service up front pie) made with a blend of feta and to avoid going down the path of a mozzarella cheeses, fresh spinach, sunrestaurant that needs an intervention. dried tomatoes, garlic and oregano, and then drizzled with truffle oil. It is a perfect Attention to detail is key.

PAGE 14 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

with heavy sauces.

The same could be said for the Milano Neapolitan (white pie) with mushrooms, caramelized onions, Italian sausage, a blend of fontina, Parmesan and mozzarella with a dusting of Italian herbs. The white pies are not served with sauce so that the attention is given to the blend of delectable cheeses and the carefully curated toppings.

The Roma was a more traditional offering with a blend of smoked gouda and mozzarella cheeses topped with Italian sausage, onions, fresh basil and fire roasted red peppers. The pièce de résistance is that it’s drizzled with a red pepper cream sauce. The result is a unique and flavorful burst of goodness in every bite.

And last, but certainly not least, is the hearty Soprano with a blend of

The Mediterranean White Pizza made with a blend of feta and mozzarella cheeses, fresh spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and oregano, and then drizzled with truffle oil on a cauliflower crust.

smoked provolone and mozzarella cheeses, pepperoni, Italian sausage, bell peppers, onions, garlic, mushrooms and olives. As you would expect, this is the pizza to order if you want everything or you understandably can’t make up your mind because there are so many choices. Or maybe you want something really filling because you’re starving.

No matter what the reason, this is the ultimate choice. It checks all the boxes.

While we were getting too full to go on, we did order a dish of the ravioli dinner with a side of meatballs. The ravioli is made in-house, served smothered in marinara, which we had, but you have the option of ordering it toasted and drizzled with butter and Parmesan cheese. It’s as fresh as you can imagine, warm and delicious with every bite.

Since I neglected to order any of the other enticing items available, I have to mention that Gabriella’s has a very vast array of things to choose from, even for the picky eater who might not like Italian food, if there is such a person. They have Fettuccine Alfredo; a Pasta Pomodoro linguine dish; Pasta Carbonara; Pasta a la Tonno with yellowfin tuna; Chicken Pesto; Sausage and Peppers; Calzones; Roasted Garlic Tortellini; Linguini and Clams; Shrimp Scampi; Lasagna (traditional or chicken); Manicotti; your choice of Chicken or Veal Piccata, Parmigiana, Saltimbocca or Marsala; Artichoke Chicken; Venetian or Fried Shrimp; Jalapeño Garlic Tilapia; Grilled Tuna; Mahi Mahi; Shrimp fra Diavolo; Bourbon Street Steak; Rib Eye; Creamy Tuscan Salmon; Filet Mignon, among others. There’s even a

Tour of Italy to share with your group, served family style. Gabriella’s also features a kid’s menu and a catering menu as well. The menu is full of vegetarian options. With this variety, you could eat here every day!

Do you have room for dessert? Is that even a question? Out of the New York style Cheesecake, carrot cake, Tiramisu, Cannoli, Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Torte, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake, Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake, S’mores Pizza, PB&J Nutella Pizza, Pistachio Cheesecake, Key Lime Pie and Banana Cream Cheesecake, it was a very tough choice.

This Brooklyn girl went with the triedand-true N.Y. Cheesecake, and it did not disappoint. It was nice and firm and dressed with a drizzle of handmade strawberry sauce, and by then, I was so happily satiated that it brought back memories of the many dinners I had with my Aunt Clara in my college days. I did, however, have to bring home a piece of the carrot cake because I couldn’t forsake my other all-time favorite dessert. It was just like my mom used to make—and my mom is a really good baker.

Gabriella’s is at 700 Padre Blvd on South Padre Island, that boasts an average rating of 4.3 stars. Don’t want to dine in?

Call for pick-up or delivery. Six or seven delivery drivers use a fleet of electric bikes in the SPI bike lanes for your convenience.

Gabriella’s was established in 2003

Gabriella’s delicious and most popular Pepperoni Pizza. (Photo courtesy of Gabriella’s). and has become an island favorite for lunches and dinners. In the past few years, they’ve expanded to add Pizzeria Express by Gabriella’s on Padre Boulevard and Amberjack. It’s a great place to pick up a pizza to go without compromising on quality. To order your pizza, call (956)707-7111 between 3 p.m.-9 p.m. daily.

Whether you have a small party or are celebrating with a group, call ahead and reserve your table at the main restaurant (956) 761-6111.

HOURS: Sunday – Thursday: 12:00 PM - 9:00 PM Friday & Saturday: 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Gabriella’s mouthwatering and hearty Soprano with a melody of smoked provolone and mozzarella cheeses, pepperoni, Italian sausage, bell peppers, onions, garlic, mushrooms and olives.

(Photo courtesy of Gabriella’s).

PAGE 15 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

Avian influenza spreads in Texas Special to the Beachcomber The National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) confirmed the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is spreading in multiple locations throughout the Lone Star State.

HPAI is circulating among wild birds in Texas as waterbirds and waterfowl are on their wintering grounds or passing through on their way to warmer climates, according to disease experts.

HPAI is a highly contagious virus that transmits easily among wild and domestic birds. The virus can spread directly between animals and indirectly through environmental contamination. It has been detected in every contiguous state.

Because of the ease of transmission, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) recommends wildlife rehabilitators remain cautious when intaking wild animals with clinical signs consistent with HPAI. It’s recommended to quarantine animals to

limit the potential spread of the fast-moving disease.

The public can assist by limiting all unnecessary contact with wild birds. Bird feeders and water sources should be cleaned at least every two weeks with a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water. Change water in birdbaths every few days and regularly remove wet feed and seed from feed and water sources.

Hunters of game bird should use precautions such as: avoiding consumption or processing of any outwardly sick bird, disposing of carcasses properly, wearing gloves when processing, cleaning and disinfecting tools between carcasses and cooking meat to proper temperatures.

The transmission risk of avian influenza from infected birds to people remains low, but the public should take basic protective measures when handling wild animals. The public and healthcare professionals can find more information about HPAI in humans from the Texas Department of State Health Services.

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Mild signs and symptoms of bird flu in people may include: eye redness and irritation (conjunctivitis); feeling feverish or mild fever of 100ºF or greater; cough; sore throat; stuffy or runny nose; muscle or body aches; headaches; fatigue. Fever may not always be present.

Complications of bird flu can include but are not limited to: pneumonia; respiratory failure; acute respiratory distress syndrome; acute kidney injury; multi-organ failure (respiratory and kidney failure); sepsis; septic shock and inflammation of the brain (meningoencephalitis).

Less common symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. Signs and symptoms of moderate to severe disease from bird flu in people may include high fever or more intense symptoms from the list above that limit or prevent usual activity; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; altered consciousness or seizures.

If you suspect that you had contact with an HPAI-positive animal and develop signs of illness, immediately contact your healthcare provider and let them know about the exposure. If you encounter a wild animal with signs consistent with HPAI, contact your local TPWD wildlife biologist at (956) 546-1952.

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110A N Garcia St, Port Isabel • (956) 408-9453 • riograndedistilleryllc.com Hours: Mon-Thurs 11 am-10 pm, Fri. and Sat 11 am-midnight Sunday Noon to 10 pm PAGE 16 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

Honors keep rolling in for SPI:

Named “Cancun of the U.S.” / “Official Island Escape” of Austin FC Special to the Beachcomber At a January press conference, South Padre Island (SPI) announced they entered into a three-year partnership with the Austin Football Club (Austin FC). As a result, the island will get their branding displayed in the stadium at different times during Austin’s games starting the 2025 season which begins in August.

The purpose of the deal is to drive more tourism to the island from one of the fastest growing cities in Texas.

“We are their only destination partner,” Visit SPI Director of Marketing Cindy Trevino said. “We’re excited to say we’re also going to have two massive beach chairs in the entrance of Q2 stadium where kids and family can take pictures: it’s a photo-op.”

In other news, TheTravel, a digital publication known for highlighting vacation destinations and hidden gems, rated SPI fourth on their list of beaches that deliver “Cancun-like weather” during the winter months. The island was the only beach located in Texas of the seven listed in the article that came out in December.

The list also included warm locales such as Laguna Beach, California in seventh place, Maui, Hawaii in sixth place, and Key West, Florida in 5th place. Rounding out the list is Gulf Shores, Alabama in third place and Destin, and Miami Beach, Florida in second and first respectively”.

“Famous for its pristine beaches and endless water activities, [SPI] is perfect for winter travelers seeking sun and fun,” the article states.

The report remarks how winter does not lessen the excitement on SPI, calling it a “Gulf Coast gem” that channels Cancun’s lively beach scene. It cites the ample entertainment available for all ages, making it a perfect destination for families.

Sea Turtle, Inc. is mentioned as educating visitors about the conservation of endangered sea turtles where the public can see rescued turtles in person. It’s described as a “family-friendly facility with interactive exhibits and educational programs to inspire and inform children about marine life and conservation.”

Isla Blanca Park is passingly lists a few amenities but doesn’t mention the

numerous recent upgrades or even what’s on the website for the crown jewel of Cameron County’s parks system. Within the park, there is more than a mile of pristine beach along the Gulf of Mexico, and it offers abundant water-front recreational facilities.

“Our beachfront facilities make the clear gulf waters accessible to all. Isla Blanca Park offers two large beachfront pavilions with onsite food and beach rental concessions, ample parking, a walking trail, jetties and surf fishing, a jetties bait stand, over 600 full hook-up R.V. sites, cabana rentals, tent sites, boat ramp, numerous restroom/ shower facilities and shaded picnic areas,” according to the website.

The park also offers a number of concessions that provide an array of recreational amenities. Some of these amenities include bay and offshore fishing trips, water sports (snorkeling, diving, jet skis, parasailing, etc.), and a full-service marina.

This high ranking from TheTravel precedes SPI sweeping three Texas Travel Awards last February, including for the best views, a highlighted food festival and an outdoor activity. Our sand bar was also listed as one of World Atlas’ 7 Most Charming Towns on the Gulf Coast last August. More recently, Reader’s Digest named SPI the Best Texas Winter Destination. For more information about vacationing on South Padre, go to VisitSPI.com.

A sunset on the bay, and the end of another perfect day on SPI. (Photo by Patricia M. McGrath)

PAGE 17 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

2024 was hottest year on record, scientists announce: Texas start-up might be part of the solution

By Catherine Donnelly What do the severe drought that contributed to the ferocity of the recent firestorm in Los Angeles and Hurricane Helene’s path of devastation in western North Carolina last year have in common? Scientists cite them both as resulting from the world’s warming trend.

The state of Maine had a year that started with back-to-back storms and flooding and ended in an extended summer heatwave that caused the driest autumn on record, resulting in drought conditions. Last year was recordbreaking in all the wrong ways.

Scientists announced that 2024 was the globe’s and our nation’s hottest year since recordkeeping began. Following a sixty-year trend, we also exceeded a threshold set by the 2015 World Climate Treaty. This means we could see the worst weather effects of temperature increases, the Copernicus Climate Change Service announced on January 10.

Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) also found that the upper layer of the ocean hit record high temperatures, a condition that reportedly increases storm activity and algae blooms, and affects ocean currents. Federal agencies reported our average annual temperature as 3.3 degrees above average.

The alarming announcements came from a mix of governmental agencies and private organizations. Regardless of their methods, the results are the same, according to Gavin Schmidt, from NASA. The trends prompted renewed pleas for reigning in the greenhouse gas emissions that accelerate warming around the globe.

Concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere reached record levels in 2024, according to Copernicus. This increase is universally attributed as the main cause of our current climate woes. Burning fossil fuels causes about 100 times more CO2 emissions than what naturally occurs, according to University of Oxford geochemist Robert Hilton.

Back in 2016, the U.S. and 195 other parties signed the Paris Climate Accords, a treaty focused on reducing manmade emissions to avoid the worst weather events resulting from global warming. They pledged to try to keep the global average temperature increase below 2.7 degrees. The U.S. just pulled out of the Paris Agreement in late January.

It seems like a small number, but 2.7 degrees can be the difference between a hockey rink and a swimming pool. With Earth being 2.9 degrees hotter on average than it was in the

late 1800s, it helps explain how a small shift in climate can cause such dramatic results.

NOAA announced that 2024 was the third wettest year on record in the U.S. since 1895 and spawned the second highest number of tornadoes on record. Hurricane Helene’s damage topped a list of 27 separate billiondollar weather disasters. Sea ice in Antarctica reached near-record low values, ranking the second lowest year on record, Copernicus reported. These things are not a coincidence.

“The abrupt new records…. join other evidence that recent global warming appears to be moving faster than expected,” said Berkeley Earth’s lead scientist Robert Rohde.

“The oceans, which absorb most of this heat, are bearing the brunt of this crisis, putting marine life and coastal economies at serious risk,” said Kathryn Matthews, chief scientist for Oceana, an ocean conservation organization.

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Human activities have been scientifically proven to be the main driver or accelerant of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.

A 2022 United Nations report looked into rising sea levels and increased devastation to coastal communities by storms and flooding. It found that it’s very costly to move infrastructure inland to higher ground as well as the mitigation work of shoring up sea walls against rising waters.

It’s far cheaper to mitigate emissions instead, which is what scientists across the globe are calling for.

An unexpected ray of hope comes from a recent start-up company from Texas called Colossal Biosciences. The belief is that bringing back the Woolly Mammoth and other extinct species will help fight climate change since the loss of certain species can cause lands to turn into arid deserts even if they were once the planet’s fertile crescent.

Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences, discusses how Colossal is using Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and other gene-editing technologies to “de-extinct” species that have been wiped from the earth. The Asian Elephant is 99.6 genetically identical to the Woolly Mammoth, which hasn’t roamed the earth in 4,000 years. The plan sounds a lot like Jurassic

to present more exciting possibilities for the field. It’s of course also raised questions about what kinds of changes scientists and healthcare providers could or even should ethically pursue, according to Cleveland Clinic.

It is currently illegal to experiment thusly on humans, even though the implications in curing disease are enormous. Many other countries are not restricted in this way, but for now, Colossal will concentrate on only reviving crucial extinct animals to repair ecosystems.

Some other future possibilities include making foods allergy-free, crops drought-resistant, eliminating invasive species (goodbye kudzu!), protecting against infectious diseases, saving the honeybee and other crop pollinators, removing or repairing mutations that cause debilitating inherited conditions, or creating custom immunotherapies to treat a patient’s disease.

But, getting back to Colossal Biosciences’ goals, experts are putting careful thought into the rewilding process once a species is reestablished. They’re working with indigenous groups in N. Dakota, Alaska, and other places as well as foreign governments.

These newer versions of extinct animals will be introduced in a way that they will help the environment, lower ground carbon and jumpstart ecosystems again. It’s thought that the reintroduction of nine key species can produce carbon offsets that exceed the carbon produced by all human’s emissions.

During the Eocene era—the dawn of recent or modern life—the Tasmanian Tiger was hunted to extinction in Australia, which left a void in their ecosystem. Whenever man has tried to eradicate an apex predator like the wolves in Yellowstone National Park, it has wielded unintended consequences. Since predators Extreme weather is becoming stronger and more frequent as world climate rises, according to scientists. The record high for 2024 is the threshold scientists hoped wouldn’t happen. go for the slow, sick and weak prey, they help eradicate animal disease. They also keep The Arctic is warming four times faster than the Park, and it leaves one wondering what could herbivore herds in check so that they don’t rest of the world and Arctic Sea ice is shrinking, possibly go wrong, but it is a very serious and wipe out all the flora in the area and turn it into especially near the Barents Sea in Scandinavia, thoughtful pursuit that has far-reaching positive a dust bowl. releasing more heat into the atmosphere. implications.

Colossal Biosciences announced it had Frigid air that normally stays trapped in the The company plans to try editing the genes reached a $10 billion valuation, putting it in very Arctic has plunged deep into the U. S. for an of an Asian Elephant, the surrogate, and rare company among Texas startups. It’s clear extended period, according to the Associated through a cloning process, reintroduce 50 that entities are willing to help establish this Press (AP), which is called a polar vortex important traits that the Woolly Mammoth had. new technology because of all the far-reaching event. Scientists say these weather events are Scientists asked what were the main traits implications for humans and the planet we all happening more frequently. that made an animal a Woolly Mammoth? live on.

A 2018 study from the National Academy How did they breathe at -40 and survive such “This funding will grow our team, support new of Sciences (NAS) report on food production harsh conditions? Luckily, there are similar technology development, expand our definds that for every 1-degree Celcius rise genes in other species like the polar bear that extinction species list, while continuing to allow in temperature, there is a corresponding helps them with cold tolerance, which can be us to carry forth our mission to make extinction 5–15% decrease in overall crop production. spliced onto the Asian elephant’s genome. a thing of the past,” Colossal CEO Ben Lamm The increased need for agricultural water Paradoxically, they would have to turn some said in a statement. Of all the crazy things, this during warm weather puts additional stress existing elephant genes down or off. might be one of the key answers to the climate on an already strained system with drought The experiments spawned from CRISPR’s problems that scientists have monitored and conditions across the country. method of genome synthesis has continued been worried about for decades.

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PAGE 19 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

From the Best Seat in the House:

A Heartfelt Tribute to Yogi Berra in Nobody Don’t Like Yogi

By Dr. Laurie Coker

In January,, the El Paseo Arts Foundation hosted Nobody Don’t Like Yogi, a oneman play celebrating the life and legacy of baseball legend Yogi Berra. Written by Tom Lysaght and directed by Joann Evans, the production focused on the day Berra returned to Yankee Stadium after a 14-year absence.

It weaved humor, nostalgia, and poignant moments into a story that resonated with the audience. While the show had its share of challenges, it ultimately succeeded in paying tribute to an American icon.

Actor Dave Boughter determinedly stepped into Yogi’s shoes, tackling the difficult task of performing solo for 75 minutes. At times, Boughter stumbled over lines, and his nervous energy was apparent, particularly on opening night. However, he captured the essence of Yogi Berra—the warmth, humor, and famous malapropisms that made the catcher such a beloved figure. Despite the occasional lapse in lines, Boughter brought an earnestness to the role that came across as genuine and heartfelt.

The production’s set design was simple yet effective, transforming the stage into a convincing recreation of Yankee Stadium’s clubhouse. It provided a nostalgic setting for Yogi’s reflections on his life and career.

Evans’s direction balanced these reflective moments with lighter anecdotes, ensuring that the play captured Berra’s legendary and human sides.

Technical sound issues, including inconsistent volume levels, detracted slightly from the overall experience, but Boughter maintained his composure and pressed on. Performing a solo play without another actor to share the stage is no small feat, and Boughter’s ability to embody Yogi’s spirit shone through, even during these moments.

Nobody Don’t Like Yogi was a heartfelt tribute to one of baseball’s most cherished figures.

The production’s charm lay in its ability to remind audiences of Yogi Berra’s wit and wisdom while celebrating his lasting impact on the sport and American culture. For those who attended, it was a touching evening filled with humor, nostalgia, and a deep appreciation for one of baseball’s greatest

Beleaguered Kemp’s Ridley found ailing, rescued on SPI

By Catherine Donnelly In late January, local resident Gail Nunez was taking her early morning stroll along Isla Blanca Beach on South Padre Island when she came upon a dark mound in the sand and went to investigate. That mound was actually a very sick female juvenile Kemp’s Ridley—the most critically endangered sea turtle species in the world—looking as if it had washed upon shore and died.

Since the turtle wasn’t moving, Nunez reported the Kemp’s Ridley to rescue organization Sea Turtle, Inc., and continued on her walk. In the meantime, other passersby stopped to see what was happening and called it in as well.

Another early walker, winter Texan Karen Knowles from Michigan, was one of those people.

“I saw a lump out on the beach, and I thought that can’t possibly be a sea turtle,” Knowles said, according to Chron, an online news outlet.

“She looked dead to me.”

When Knowles called Sea Turtle, Inc., for help, animal care specialist Kelly Armstrong asked her to stay with the sea turtle until she arrived.

Nunez also returned and helped watch over the creature. Others reportedly showed up as well.

During one of the calls, the person told Armstrong that they saw the turtle take a breath and it was not dead after all! Armstrong dropped everything to get to the turtle as quickly as possible because she sounded in very rough shape.

When Armstrong arrived, she quickly assessed that she had a good-sized chunk missing from her shell and one of her flippers, but they looked healed up. She was also covered in moss which is evidence that she was probably weakened by some unknown illness that left her drifting on top of the water and was pushed on shore by the incoming tide.

Armstrong took the turtle to Sea Turtle, Inc., for treatment and she was named Gale Force

by Nunez, her first rescuer. Gale Force started to respond to treatment almost immediately.

Subsequent updates indicate that she is recovering nicely and swimming around in her pool. As she’s feeling better, they hope that she will start eating again. It’s common for them to be off-feed while sick, so it’s not a big concern.

They determined that her old injuries were probably caused by an attack by some bigger creature, but some kind of infection caused Gale Force’s illness and weakened state which

legends.

Next in the line-up for El Paseo’s 20th season is Flashes of Magic – Zak Mirz. When Mirz was only one year old, his father was murdered.

Growing up in Texas, he turned to magic as an escape from reality, and he found it was something that he could share with others.

Join El Paseo Arts when Mirz uses storytelling and the art of magic to delight his audience!

February 21-23.

Don’t miss the “Axiom String Quartet’s Screen to Stage: An Evening of Movie Music.” From Monteverdi to Michael Jackson, the Axiom Quartet is a dynamic, professional, string quartet based in Houston. The group is known for presenting programs fusing classical string quartet, repertoire and pop genres in a single concert experience. Run dates April 21 & 22.

Lastly, a perfect endcap to the season is the play “I Love You. You’re Perfect. Now Change.” It’s a musical revue celebrating the mating game! This crowd-pleasing comedy takes on the truths and myths behind that contemporary conundrum known as “the relationship.” Run dates May 8-10.

was why she was floating for a while, according to Wendy Knight, Sea Turtle, Inc.’s CEO, in a public video.

Sea Turtle, Inc.’s facility is as a rehabilitation center for sick and injured sea turtles. They have sometimes rehabilitated hundreds of sea turtles in a year, especially if there are cold stunning events, with the aim of returning them to the wild as quickly as possible.

When temperatures drop dramatically, sea turtles are more likely to cold-stun (go into hypothermic shock) due to the cold water. They lose the ability to swim and tend to be blown towards the shore by wind.

Turtles are treated for a wide variety of injuries, including predator attacks, line & net entanglements, boat strikes, as well as cold stunning, infections, or life-threatening bowel obstructions from balloons or plastic bags. It is also open to the public and a great place to visit and learn more about sea turtles and their plight and to see some up close.

If you find a sea turtle on the shore, do not touch it and call Sea Turtle, Inc. at 956-243-4361.

Wait until they arrive to help them find it. Do not try to return the turtle to the water. They are there for a reason. For more information, go to seaturtleinc.org.

PAGE 20 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

Dr. Coker, an active member of the Austin Film Critics Association, has her many film reviews posted on True View Reviews online and has also had them in print in local newspapers.

As a lover of plays, she frequently previews and reviews plays for El Paseo Arts on South Padre Island.

Kelly Armstrong of Sea Turtle, Inc., takes Gale Force in to be rehabilitated. (Photo courtesy Sea Turtle, Inc.)

Gale Force, a juvenile Kemp’s Ridley—one of the most endangered turtle species in the world— rehabilitating with Sea Turtle, Inc. thanks to quick action by citizens. (Photo courtesy Sea Turtle, Inc.)

Rare butterfly makes first visit to SPI The tropical brushfoot was found eating overripe bananas.

By Catherine Donnelly There has been a significant steady decline in butterfly populations caused by habitat loss, climate change, disease, pesticide use, and invasive plants, according to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

So, when the staff at the South Padre Island Birding Nature & Alligator Sanctuary spotted a rare and imperiled Florida Purplewing in early January, it was a very big deal.

Tropical brushfoot (in the butterfly family Nymphalidae) made its inaugural visit to the animal sanctuary. The park cited the unseasonably warm winter weather and recent heavy rains having helped more flowers to bloom and attract the rare tropical visitor to south Texas.

While the imperiled butterfly species sometimes strays to Texas, its range extends from Argentina to southern Florida, but is also found in Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies, according to the Butterflies and Moths of North America organization, an online resource.

This butterfly has brown wings with purple iridescence and white spots and likes to

feed on rotten fruit. The park started placing overripe bananas out on the bird feeders, and were happy to find that “a Florida Purplewing was attracted to the bait!” the Nature Sanctuary wrote on Facebook.

The sanctuary reports that a Guatemalan Cracker (scientific name: Hamadryas guatemalena)—a beautiful iridescent butterfly which has a usual range from Central America, Mexico, and Costa Rica, north through Guatemala and Peru—is still hanging out in the park’s gardens as well.

In December, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the iconic monarch butterfly as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Texas is a key state in monarch migration because of its location between their breeding ground to the north and their overwintering area to the south of us in Mexico. Butterflies play a crucial role in pollination, so scientists are concerned about the severe decline in their populations overall, plunging many species into being imperiled of going extinct.

Ways to help include growing a butterfly garden in a sunny spot in your yard. It will have two main components: nectar plants for adult butterflies and host plants for caterpillars.

Top choices are butterfly bush, lantana, echinacea (coneflower), milkweed and verbena.

Milkweed is the only host plant for monarch butterflies and so is an essential plant to help with their survival, according to Animals Around the Globe. Many aromatic herbs are also used for other species. Of note, it’s helpful to have flat stones around the garden to help them warm themselves and to also provide a water source like a shallow dish with stones in it. Many butterfly-attracting plants are medicinal, herbal or very attractive floral additions and who doesn’t delight in seeing a few more butterflies in their garden?

Another way to support butterfly conservation efforts is to support the Association for Butterflies (AFB). This organization was established to support butterfly farmers and hobbyists through education, mentoring, and research by promoting butterfly habitats and gardening, and to provide resources that ensure quality raising practices for healthy butterflies, according to their website.

AFB has begun a fundraising endeavor

PAGE 21 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

Florida Purplewing, Eunica tatila. Photo courtesy www. butterfliesandmoths.org

to promote the conservation of butterflies and their habitat. Winning projects must be conservation-minded and benefit butterflies and/or habitat and may be part of a community, school, park, non-profit conservation group or any group interested in Lepidoptera.

Possible projects may include but are not limited to: planting a Monarch Waystation or pollinator friendly garden, or establishing a butterfly education area or native plant area.

The mini-grant is a matching fund grant.

AFB will match dollar-for-dollar what an organization raises up to the amount of the grant. Applications may be submitted from January 2 to February 28 annually. For more information, consult afbeducation.org/ butterfly-conservation/butterfly-mini-grant/

Non-profit “RGV Reef” sinks Defiance, RR ties

By Catherine Donnelly

years, according to their Facebook post. To RGV Reef was founded by Gary Glick, Bob Reef would not have been possible without the thank her, they named the new artificial reef Glick and Curtis Hayungs. According to Black, vision of the late Gary Glick. We are all blessed The local environmental non-profit “RGV in her honor. the group fished the waters from a young age to have known him. He will be forever in our Reef” is in the process of building the largest “Your commitment to conservation and the and wanted to give back to the environment hearts.” industrial scale reef in the Gulf, and possibly future of our oceans is truly inspiring, and that brought them so many great experiences. Black is planning future projects in line with the world. In October, the organization added we are beyond grateful for everything you’ve They saw the local fish population dwindling Gary Glick’s vision. The group is going to a retired shrimp boat named “Defiance.” This done to help make the Gulf of Mexico thrive,” and decided to do something about it. deploy an additional 15,000 tons of concrete retired boat had the run of the Gulf of Mexico read a statement from Friends of RGV Reef on Unfortunately, Gary Glick recently passed railroad ties in the reef in 2025 which they for more than 50 years providing seafood and Facebook. away from an ongoing battle with cancer. The were working on this week. Their mission is jobs for families along the gulf and beyond.

The boats used for the reef are chosen for their sinking of Defiance was the first official event the to repurpose railroad ties in addition to the The ship was christened with the name specific size organization steel vessels—materials that have supported Defiance by Cameron County Commissioner, and are has done industries and transportation and provided Sofia C. Benavides. Defiance embarked on its usually out of after his seafood for generations—in a commitment to final voyage—not to a scrapyard—but to give commission. passing. sustainability, conservation, and the future of back to the ocean that sustained it for so many They clean “There were a the Gulf Coast. years. It was sunk into the Gulf of Mexico to the boat of lot of feelings RGV Reef is raising funds for transport ships to transition into a sustainable marine habitat, contaminants of frustration move their materials. The public can donate to protect and nurture sea life and our ocean then cut and grief… via the official RGV Reef website below. They ecosystems at a time when rising ocean square holes doing this are also looking for corporate sponsors to temperatures and pollution is harming coral into the ship’s activity has support the cause. beds around the globe. hull to help allowed sort “The RGV Reef is dedicated to increasing the Area politicians, businesses and volunteers it sink faster. of a closing capacity of fish to support the industry here, supported the creation of these artificial reefs, A dive team on the grief to support recreation, and to give a place starting with Senator Eddie Lucio passing the marks off the and renewed to young children to fish and fall in love with RGV Reef sinks concrete RR ties to add to the artificial reef, expanding artificial reef act more than 30 years ago. location with excitement for fishing in this area just as [the founders] did,” fish habitats and protecting them from prey.

Playing Hooky Charters volunteered their boat a buoy and being able to said Black. to support the divers during the deployment of the boat is set, according to Ryan Black, Project just get to work again,” said Black.

Defiance.

Director for Friends of RGV Reef. So far, the project “I am humbled to have this special vessel For more information on RGV Reef, visit the Cameron County Commissioner Sofia C. has sunk eight ships into a colossal reef which christened in my honor to live in the vibrancy official website at rgvreef.org or call Benavides has offered her continuous support takes up 1,650 acres, about the same size as the of this artificial reef that will help build on or (512) 923-1904. of the RGV Reef’s projects over the past seven developed parts of South Padre Island. below the water,” stated Benavides. “The RGV

FOOL’S RUN 5K/10K returns to SPI Fraud causes seafood scandal: Most Galveston restaurants’ “local shrimp” is imported

By Catherine Donnelly

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Set against the picturesque beachfront in Race courses start and end on the beach at front of the Margaritaville Beach Resort South Margaritaville Beach Resort on SPI. Hydration Padre Island, The Fool’s Run is a unique race stations will be provided. Sign up now to catch that’s all about fun, fitness, and community. early bird rates by February 28 to be part of Mark your calendars. The third annual the most fun run on the island! Registration 5K/10K is a two-day event—April 4 and 5, and further information is live (room blocks 2025. Every stride supports Friends of South available!): https://runsignup.com/Race/TX/ Padre Walk for Women and their mission to SouthPadreIsland/TheFoolsRun5K10K help women battling breast cancer in the Event Dates: RGV. Friday, April 4: Packet pickup, late registration, Whether you’re a seasoned runner or just wellness fair, live music, hors d’oeuvres and looking to be more active, The Fool’s Run complimentary margarita voucher (for 21+) welcomes everyone! This family-friendly Saturday April 5: Race Day event encourages movement, laughter, and Race contact: Sommer-Jess Gutierrez, (956) making memories, so gather your friends, 755-9155 or sommerjess.gtz@gmail.com.

At a time when the Gulf’s shrimping industry is in extreme crisis, a new study found widespread “shrimp fraud” in Galveston as 59% of the 44 restaurants tested served imported shrimp while claiming it was caught locally. Customers have a right to know if they are eating shrimp farmed with antibiotics and from countries associated with bad labor practices and substandard farming procedures.

SeaD Consulting, a food safety firm, tested the shrimp from restaurants that claimed to be serving Gulf shrimp. The shrimp served to unwitting customers were imported from farms in Ecuador, India, and Vietnam. Results only take two hours to identify litopenaeus vannemei, or farm-raised white shrimp, a species that isn’t present in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Galveston County Daily News.

It is far cheaper to produce farm-raised shrimp rather than staffing a shrimping trawler and going out to sea for a month with a crew.

The cost is reflected in the price, so it’s very tempting to say the shrimp is the preferred fresher and delectable Gulf shrimp when it’s not even close. It also adds more allure to the

PAGE 22 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

menu description, but customers shouldn’t pay Gulf shrimp prices if they’re getting an inferior product.

The Galveston restaurants are going to be given a warning and a list of reputable sources for local shrimp. They will be retested to give them a chance to change their ways, according to SeaD media liaison Glenda Beasley.

About 90% of shrimp eaten in the United States is imported, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the report, more than half of the Galveston restaurants it tested served imported shrimp while claiming it was caught locally, consistent with results from other locales.

Louisiana just passed a law requiring restaurants to disclose the country of origin of imported shrimp right on the menu. A similar law was passed in Alabama last year. To protect the shrimp industry in the Lone Star State, Texas needs to do the same.

In the meantime, if you are dining at a restaurant that claims to serve Texas Gulf Coast caught shrimp, ask them to see the packaging it came in. If they won’t comply, you can take your business elsewhere.

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RGV’s citrus industry teeters on disaster.

By Catherine Donnelly

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While a decades-old celebration of citrus growers—the 93rd Annual Texas Citrus Fiesta Parade of Oranges—was being held on January 25 in Mission, the million-dollar industry itself has been battling for its continued existence, mostly due to loss of irrigation. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is where Texas’ entire citrus industry is based.

After the devastation of Hurricane Laura in 2020, Winter Storm Uri in 2021, the ongoing drought, this recent January freeze, and an uptick in ICE raids across the country, the citrus industry and regional leaders have become increasingly concerned. It’s too soon to tell what the recent freeze wrought on these citrus farms, but it didn’t help the already beleaguered crop. Freezing temperatures of 27 degrees or less can damage two seasons’ worth of crops––the crop that was on the tree and the citrus flowers starting to bloom. Production levels have not fully recovered from the freeze four years ago. With the ongoing drought, the most vital nutrient necessary for their recovery has been in very short supply. Lack of water means that farmers aren’t even able to plant new crops, leaving the future of citrus production in question and causing job layoffs.

RGV farmers get most of their irrigation water from the Rio Grande. A typical annual rainfall is about half of the water needed. And when it pours, any water not utilized or captured will wind up in the Gulf of Mexico. Without aggressive water conservation, capture and irrigation, citrus production could not exist in the RGV, especially now.

Mexico has fallen behind delivering water that it owes the United States under a 1944 treaty, due to its own drought and survival concerns.

Mexico reportedly still owes the U.S. more than 1.3 million-acre feet of water from the Rio Grande.

Local growers are dismayed that people don’t seem to be particularly concerned about the matter because when they turn on their tap, water still flows as usual. Looking around, there are water intense companies like car washes being built. This water could be better served irrigating our local crops and reviving the citrus industry.

The International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), the federal agency that manages the treaty, is working with the State Department, Texas officials, and the Mexican government to try to resolve the water sharing issue with Mexico. While a proposal from United States Representative Monica De La Cruz could provide emergency financial assistance to farmers for their economic losses, it isn’t a longterm solution to the problem.

The IBWC has stressed the importance of finding other sources of water. For example, the North

Harlingen, TX

PAGE 24 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

Alamo Water Supply Corporation and the Brownsville Public Utilities Board are pivoting towards desalinated groundwater, as are other water districts in the RGV. Citrus growers are also doing what they can to conserve the water they have. Many farmers are switching to drip irrigation, which delivers water directly to the plant even though it is costly to implement. Some are also using a staggered planting style that places some of its plants on raised beds that allow space for more trees within less space.

As the incoming queen of this year’s competition to represent different products at the annual Citrus parade in Mission, young Elle Holbrook—whose family owns an organic citrus farm—will advocate for the citrus industry by social media and raising the profile of the products she represents with children at elementary schools. The community of citrus growers are not willing to give up without a fight.

It’s clear that everyone can do their part to conserve water during this time of drought.

Outdoors, citizens can use drip irrigation and soaker hoses and monitor watering to turn off the flow once the plants get enough, avoiding costly run-off. Rainwater can be harvested for plants and other uses, like washing the car to avoid reliance solely on municipal water supplies.

Applying mulch around trees, plants, and shrubs and not watering during the heat of the day helps reduce evaporation and allow for less frequent watering. If your family loves citrus fruits, consider planting a few small citrus trees on your property when landscaping which can be easily protected during freezes so that damage is minimal during these short but devastating episodes.

Indoors, low-flow showerheads and aerators on faucets reduce water consumption.

Running washing machines and dishwashers only at full capacity reduces the number of gallons used during household chores.

Instituting any of these suggested water saving measures will help reduce one’s water bill while simultaneously help the environment—a win-win for everyone.

FROM OUR KITCHENS Cheesy Crustless Quiche 1 hr 20 min

By Catherine Donnelly I set out to make an easy but tasty quiche for guests.

Since I don’t always have all the add-in ingredients on hand, I wrote it up to be a basic quiche that you can make choices on what you want to add in. Also, because I used non-gluten flour, my quiches came out a little flatter as you’ll see in the picture, but if you can

Pre-Prep:

tolerate gluten, feel free to use regular flour instead. I made 2 quiches with this recipe.

If you have a favorite recipe that you’d like to share, feel free to send it in with pictures and we’ll consider it for publication! We’re looking to create a community cookbook fundraiser each year for some of our area charities. Send recipes for consideration to: editorbeachcombersguide.com.

1. Set out ½ block of cream cheese to soften, turn oven on to Bake at 400 degrees. If using sundried tomato, place them in a bowl of water to replump.

INGREDIENTS:

6 large eggs 1/4 cup olive oil 3/4 cup milk (I used coconut milk) 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard (make sure it disperses well) 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp garlic powder or ½ tsp fresh minced garlic 1/2 tsp summer savory (or ¼ tsp pepper) 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (regular or non-gluten) 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)

3 ounces Swiss or gruyere cheese (shredded) 3 ounces sharp cheddar or provolone (shredded) 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese (grated)

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS:

1/4 cup scallions (chopped), or onion, sautéed 5-6 slices bacon (cooked, crumbled) 3/4 cup chopped or sliced ham or Canadian bacon 8 cherry tomatoes (cut in half) or ½ cup sundried toms (replumped, then sliced and diced small) 1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen spinach 1 cup mushrooms of choice, sliced

Instructions:

3. Whisk in dry ingredients, one at a time.

4. Cut or grate cream cheese into smaller bits and then whisk into mixture well 5. Pour mixture into a buttered pie dish 6. Mix other cheeses together and add to mixture, mixing into batter with fork 7. Add in your choice of optional ingredients, distributing evenly 8. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, in a 400°F oven.

9. Remove when middle no longer wiggles and when an inserted fork comes out clean.

10. Set out for 15 minutes to cool, then serve.

Easy side dishes can include soup or salad.

1. Measure, assemble ingredients 2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs then whisk in the other wet ingredients, one at a time.

grouchy 1/2 expires February 28, 2025

Not valid with other discounts/coupons

PAGE 25 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

Weekly Food Specials

Weekly Drink Specials

MON-NACHO LIBRE NACHOS

mon-alien attack $4.50

coconut rum. melon liqueur, pineapple juice

$8.50 / $10.50 W/ BEEF OR CHICKEN

TUES-margaritas $4.50

TUES-$2 TACO TUESDAY

classic on the rocks margarita

SHRIMP, MAHI, FAJITA, CHICKEN, BEEF, VEGGIE

WED-elondo $4.50

WED-WURSTFEST WEDNESDAY

vodka, fresca, soda water

BRAT N BEER $11 - BRAT $6.50 - PRETZEL $6.50

THURS-cosmos $4.50

THURS-HOPPER N SIDE $11

vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice

1/2 LB ANGUS BEEF BURGER N SIDE

fRI-jolly space rancher $4.50

fRI-FISH N CHIPS $14.95 SAT & SUN-SCHNITZEL N SIDE $11.95

vodka, melon liqueur, cranberry

SUN-bloody benji $5 classic bloody mary happy hour everyday everyday $2 brownbag beer $4 crow shot 2-5pm

HANDBREADED PORK SCHNITZEL AND SIDE $11.95

SAT & SUN BRUNCH 11AM-1PM

Hopper Haus PORT ISABEL TX

956-299-4600

PAGE 26 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

The Dos Rios wines have all received silver medals—with the 2019 Blanc Du Bois Semi Sweet receiving Best in Category and Gold Medal in the

2024 Lone Star International Wine Competition by the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association!

The Trolly Tour Sip n See with RGC Bessie III is scheduled for February 14 & 28.

Bessie III leaves its station in downtown Rio Grande City and provides a quick tour to be followed by a visit to the winery. Contact the Dos Rio Winery by email at nrgarza1971@yahoo.com if you would like to make reservations, or text/call (956) 645-4793.

Ask about our wine tasting at Dinner in the Dark on February 12, a fundraiser by the Disability Chamber of Commerce. The Santa Fe Steakhouse will cater the $150 dinner at the University Drafthouse in McAllen, Texas.

956-645-4793 • 1905 W US 83 Rio Grande City, TX dosrioswinery.com Delfino Garza, Jr. and wife, Nora Garza, proprietors Paid Advertisement.

PAGE 27 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

PAGE 28 • BEACHCOMBERS GUIDE • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2