Inside the Moon
Yard of the Month A2
Farewell, Duchess A5
Senior Moments A7
The
Issue 681
Island Moon
The voice of The Island since 1996
May 4, 2017
Beauteous Birds A11
Live Music A18
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Photo by Miles Merwin
Around The Island
On the Rocks
Snapper Season Shortened
By Dale Rankin A fellow from way up north was standing next to his RV on the beach when he flagged us down. “Why is everyone camping up in the dunes?” was his query.
By Jay Gardner Three days. That’s all we get. Three lousy days for the federal snapper season. It starts June 1st on a Thursday and ends Saturday night at midnight. Not even a full weekend. Basically one weekend day, and I’m betting five bucks that it will be windy and sloppy and very few boats will go out. This will be the third year in a row that neither myself, nor any of the rest of the crew will make it out. I’m supposed to be out of town that weekend anyway. Blink and you’ll miss the entire season.
“You see that line of seaweed way up there by the dunes, that’s the high tide line. The tide is two feet over normal right now.” “Well, I’ll be gone by the time the tide comes in,” he says, and he wasn’t the only one. We resisted the urge to tell him that salt water is great for washing his car, by the end of the day he was going to have enough problems.
The high tides and changing winds have been a boon for Island surfers in recent days.
The high tides were claiming victims all up and down our beaches this week as unsuspecting tent campers, chair sitters, and fire builders found themselves unexpectedly under water as the tide rolled in.
More than one beach event had to be moved since our flat beaches can’t stand up to a two foot higher than normal tide. Beach driving has been a messy business at high tide so if you are planning trip down PINS check the tide charts in this issue first. We are starting to see some sargassum weed wash up. The city is about to put up signs explaining to visitors that while the stuff may not smell too good it provides habitat for sea life and is part of the natural process. Then again, so are hurricanes, that doesn’t mean we have to like them.
Seawall ownership change About a quarter of the land behind the Michael J. Ellis Seawall changed hands this week with the purchase of the Austin-based Forestar group which owns about 1100 feet of the land along the seawall and until last year owned the Tortuga Dunes development on Zahn Road. The new owners are the Connecticut- based Starwood Capital group who paid $605 million for the company. The deal won’t be finished until the third quarter of 2017 so it’s too early to tell what the effect on the seawall land may be.
Good news for Seashore Charter schools The Texas Senate passed a bill this week that could be good news for Island charter schools if it makes it through the House. Senate Bill 457 would increase the facility funding program for both public schools and charter schools. Currently charter schools get no state funding for buildings. US News & World Report recently ranked the 25 best high schools in Texas and 12 of them are charter schools and which have approximately 250,000 students in Texas and over 141,000 students on wait lists, according to state figures. We will keep an eye on the bill in the House as the session winds down in Austin this month.
Changing Island And finally, we got a call this week from a reader complaining that The Island is changing. “It’s growing too fast and it isn’t like it was when I moved here,” she said. We get that a lot from The Bridgedroppers. “It was different then.” “How long have you lived here? “Almost a year now.” Say hello if you see us Around The Island.
Schlitterbahn Owners Attempt to Push Island Park into Bankruptcy
Mayoral Election on Saturday
A total of 15,029 voters cast early ballots in the race for Corpus Christi Mayor. Early Voting ended Tuesday and Election Day is this Saturday, May 6. There is no way to determine how many Islanders voted since it is not required that they cast ballots in the precinct where they live; in both Early Voting and on Election Day voters can do to any polling location in the city. At the only voting location on The Island 1044 ballots were cast, there are just over 7200 registered voters in the two largest Island precincts. By Dale Rankin A company owned by the Henry family, owners of Schlitterbahn waterparks across the state, filed a petition in bankruptcy court Monday asking a judge to declare Upper Padre Partners, which owns the Schlitterbahn park on The Island, in default of payment of $4,655,046 from the park to ancillary companies owned by the Henry family and to push the company into Chapter 11 (reorganization) bankruptcy. The complicated legal entanglement began at 8 p.m. Monday, just hours before 270 acres of land adjacent to the park and owned by Upper Padre Partners was scheduled to be auctioned off on the steps of the Nueces County Courthouse. The auction did not take place. The plaintiffs in the petition, which was filed in the bankruptcy court in the Western District of Texas in San Antonio, are Schlitterbahn North Padre Water Resort Management and Waterpark Management, Inc. and signed by Gary Henry, one of the principals in the Schlitterbahn parent company. The ironic twist is that the Henry family, aside from owning the companies which filed the petition,
also owns a two-third interest in Upper Padre Partners, the company which is the defendant in the case and which the filing is attempting to push into involuntary bankruptcy. The original agreement between the Henry’s separate interests and UPP called for the park to be completed and turned over to UPP for operation in 2014. Due to cost overruns and an expansion and changes of the original plans for the park a dispute arose between the UPP partners, the Henry family and IslandWalk Development which owns the other third and is managed by developer Paul Schexnailder. That dispute is currently part of a binding arbitration process required in the UPP contract and ownership of the park never passed from the Henry’s companies to UPP and is currently operated by affiliates of the Henry family. Monday’s filing does not mean that the Schlitterbahn park on The Island is in bankruptcy. It is a request by Schlitterbahn North Padre Management, a Henry family company, to force UPP, and therefore the park, into bankruptcy over the claimed $4.6 million debt. The claim
Bankruptcy cont. on A4
A problem arose Wednesday, after Early Voting ended, involving a small group of residents of Mustang Island who are in Precinct 19 which includes Port Aransas, but who live in the Corpus Christi City Limits. They pay school taxes to Port Aransas Independent School District which has a $6 million bond election underway which is not on the ballots in the Corpus Christi mayor’s race meaning that those voters must choose between voting in the mayor’s race or the bond election. Nueces County Clerk Kara Sands said Wednesday said that since PAISD is running the bond election themselves it was inadvertently left off the Corpus Christi ballot. Election Day voting is at the Veranda at Schlitterbahn waterpark from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There are eight candidates in the mayor’s race, in the ballot order they are Jonathan Garison, Ray Madrigal, Nelda Martinez, Joe McComb, Margareta Fratila, James M. Hernandez, Mark A. Di Carlo, and Larry White. Island voters, through the Island United Political Action Committee, endorsed At-Large Councilman Joe McComb in the race.
There was a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday that was quite lengthy. Congressman Blake Farenthold is actually the chair of the subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, and Environment, and did a good job of receiving testimony from a panel of “experts.” There were four people on the panel, one was obviously a shill for NMFS control (as opposed to state control) a commercial fisherman from the northeast (?), the head of Alabama’s Parks and Wildlife, and local Mark Ray, who is the Chairman of CCA-Texas. The questions by the Congresspersons on the panel obviously had pre-meditated answers, however some of the inadequacies of the federal government regulations were exposed. People are outraged, and some Congress representatives let everyone know that their constituents are not having it.
The question is; will anything come of the testimony? Mark seems to think that the “tide is changing,” although it always takes a lot of time for new ideas to actually be implemented in government. You know how that goes. So we’re stuck with being
Snapper cont. on A4
A little Island history
The Last of the Island Pirates
In May, 1817 the last group of Mexican troops left Galveston Island to fight Royalist Mexican forces elsewhere in Texas and on April 15 of that year the pirate Jean Lafitte moved in and set up a government of his own nominally subject to the Republic of Mexico. He brought with him more than 1000 men and a fleet of warships engaged in smuggling, slave running, and piracy. In New Orleans he had done business with such Texas luminaries as James and Rezin Bowie, J.W. Fannin, and William B. Travis, among others. When he arrived in Texas he began plying the waters of the Texas Coast looking for inlets, bays, and coves where he could hide when necessary and soon set up a base on what was
known as Culebra Island composed of Matagorda and St. Joseph’s islands. The two Islands were separated by Cedar Bayou which could be navigated by a good sized bark coming from the Gulf of Mexico and could enter an inlet from which either St. Charles or San Antonio bay could be reached. The mouths of the rivers feeding these bays, as well as Aransas and Copano bays, made good concealing landing places for smuggled goods. Smuggler’s Creek located in Calhoun County was a favorite haunt, as well as Barkantine Creek and Copano Creek in presentday Refugio County. First Spanish and then Mexican governments responded to Lafitte’s presence with a fort at Aranzazu on Live Oak Point. Lafitte in turn
responded with a fort of his own on the southwest part of St. Joseph’s Island. The village of Aransas was later laid out near the site of the pirate fort.
The days of piracy are over The last recorded sighting of Lafitte was in 1921 and comes down to us from a lady named Madam Frank, known by most as Grandma Frank, who lived and died at False Live Oak Point in the original Refugio County near the mouth of the Guadalupe River in a house overlooking Espiritu Santo Bay where she was living when Lafitte broke up his pirate band. Frank claimed to be a witness to the group’s last meeting at the approximate location of what is now Aransas Pass. Her account is as follows:
Jean Lafitte History cont. on A4
A2
May 4, 2017
Island Moon
Seashore Second Grader Wins Adopt-ABeach Children’s Art Contest
Gardening Island Style
More than 3,200 kids submitted entries statewide
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Yard of the Month The Island Gardeners awarded the May yard of the month to Richard and Jane Wagner who reside at 15517 Dyna. The Wagners have a very nice front yard with many blooming tropicals with a variety of colors. Most of their shrubs are bee and butterfly attractors. The back yard has many fruit trees, vegetables, strawberries and grapevines along the fence. What is unique about the Wagners' is in their side yard. Richard has created a hydroponic garden with some Dutch buckets, PVC pipes, some fittings, a trash can and two small pumps. What is a hydroponic garden you ask...the answer is growing plants in a water based environment using mineral nutrient solutions to feed the plants. This type of gardening saves space, saves water, no weeds, less pests and disease and plants grow twice as fast as in soil. Richard is more than happy to share his expertise with anyone interested in hydroponic gardening. Call him at 361774-6784. As always call Dianne Gimpel with yard of the month suggestions. 361-563-0951
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May 4, 2017
A3
Island Moon
Moon Monkeys Mike Ellis, Founder
Letters to the Editor
Distribution Pete Alsop Island Delivery
Great Service on the Island!
Coldwell Banker Advertising Jan Park Rankin Classifieds
Attn: Letters to the Editor
Arlene Ritley Production Manager Abigail Bair Contributing Writers Joey Farah Andy Purvis Mary Craft MayBeth Christiansen Jay Gardner Todd Hunter Dotson Lewis Ronnie Narmour Brent Rourk Photographers Miles Merwin Debbie Noble Mary Craft Ronnie Narmour Office Security/Spillage Control (Emeritus) Riley P. Dog
One does not need to go OTB to find great customer service. It is right here on the Island. Last Friday I departed the house for Scuttlebutts to get a beer at around 11ish. Just before I made the turn into the parking lot, I heard a piece of metal hit underneath my car. After parking, I inspected outside the car and did not see any damage. So went in to have my beer. After about 15 minutes, I heard a woman ask if someone owned a silver Honda outside as there was air escaping from a tire. I went outside and was soon followed by one of the owners (Dave). The front passenger tire was about 80% deflated! I weighed my options and did not like the fact that I only had a donut tire in the trunk. At that moment, Dave said, whenever you want to leave, I will have my maintenance person pump up your tire with a compressor! The maintenance person did that and I was on my way to Island Tire and Auto. I drove into one of their bays, they repaired the tire. $12 and 15 minutes later, I was on my way! So-- kudos to the owners of Scuttlebutts (Dave & Kim) along with the great team of Island Tire & Auto (Ben, Brittney, Bill, Bob, Pat and Toni)! Customer service just not get any better, why go OTB!
residents of the island could take advantage of the Citizen Police Academy, which is offered twice a year. This free program is amazing. Our police department takes you behind the scenes of police work: dive team, bomb squad, SWAT, patrol, gang and narc units, K-9s, etc. It is an exciting and informative program that the PD does for our community. After graduation, folks join the alumni group where they can then do volunteer projects inside the PD or perhaps join our new Security Patrol. Through neighbor to neighbor programs, we the property owners have the power to solve a lot of issues. Keep an eye out for the new IslandSquad programs. Meanwhile, I will keep everyone informed as to our progress with the Security Patrol. There are no guarantees, but the program, so far, seems very doable, and it would increase our safety at no cost. We know that we don't have enough officers to go around, this just might be one good option. Your voice matters. In the process of our last election, I talked with hundreds of property owners and one of the most important things on their minds was safety and the security of their property. I heard you. It is for that reason that I am still working to do good things for our community. Together we can make our neighborhoods safe. Best wishes, Marta Sprout
Where are the Chairs Can you identify where these Island chair are located? Send your answers to editor@ islandmoon.com. Thanks for the pics, Bubba!
Charles R. Cox Jr.
Island Squad Publisher Dale Rankin About the Island Moon The Island Moon is published every Thursday, Dale Rankin, Editor / Publisher. Total circulation is 10,000 copies. Distribution includes delivery to 4,000 Island homes, free distribution of 3,000 copies in over 50 Padre Island businesses and condos, as well as 600 copies distributed in Flour Bluff, 1,400 copies on Mustang Island and Port Aransas businesses. News articles, photos, display ads, classified ads, payments, etc. may be left at the Moon Office.
The Island Moon Newspaper 14646 Compass, Suite 3 Corpus Christi, TX 78418 361-949-7700 editor@islandmoon.com Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper
Where to Find The Island Moon Port Aransas
Sand Piper Condos Sea Gull Condos Gulf Breeze RV Pioneer RV La Palmilla Golf Club Stripes (1A) Kody’s Restaurant
Trinity By the Sea Episcopal
North Padre All Stripes Stores Black Sheep/ Barrel CVS Whataburger
Amano
Doc’s Restaurant
WB Liquor
Snoopy’s Pier
361 Bar
Isle Mail N More
Moby Dicks
Island Italian
Spanky’s Liquor
Brooklyn Pie Co.
IGA Grocery Store
Ace Hardware
Port A Glass Studio
Holiday Inn
San Juan’s Mexican Restaurant
Texas Star (Shell)
Wash Board Laundry Mat Drop Anchor Bar & Grill
Jesse’s Liquor Scuttlebutt’s Restaurant Subway
Port A Parks & Rec
Island Tire
Public Library
Padre Pizzeria
Chamber of Commerce/ Visitor’s Center
And all Moon retail advertisers
Woody’s Sports Center
WB Liquor
Back Porch
Flour Bluff
Shorty’s Place
H.E.B.
Fisherman’s Wharf
Whataburger on Waldron
Giggity’s Tarpon Inn Gratitude’s The Gaff Wild Horse Treasure Island
Ethyl Everly Senior Center Fire Station Police Station Stripes on Flour Bluff & SPID
About a month ago a group of residents got together via NextDoor to help out a homeowner in need. This resident had received several compliance violation letters from the POA and was unable to quickly comply due to hardship. The group showed up on a Saturday morning, pulled weeds, raked gravel, swept gutters and showed this homeowner a true community spirit. While I did not join in, I was moved by the generosity of our community. And since then I have heard other stories of similar hardships. And I thought, why don’t we help them as well? The answer is, we will. So, myself and Marta Sprout with the support of @IslandIssues are announcing the formation of the IslandSquad. The IslandSquad will be a volunteer group of Island residents who want to help in their community. Long term the goal is many volunteers working on many projects (like Marta’s community patrol), but the first project we will focus on is helping out with yard cleanups. To do this we need two things: 1) Volunteers – if you are interested in helping out, please email us at issues@IslandIssues. net We will make sure you are notified when a cleanup is occurring and how to help. 2) Yards – if you know of a homeowner with a hardship, especially ones who have received violation letters from the POA, let us know. Same email, issues@IslandIssues.net We will not publicly publish any information about submitted homes. We will arrange to meet on a Litter Critter Saturday with clipper in hand and a trailer behind the SUV. We might not be able to fix everything but I am absolutely sure we can make a difference. We will even let the POA know that the IslandSquad is on it. I know it is short notice, but we do have an upcoming Litter Critter on May 13th. I would love to hold a cleanup that Saturday morning. Then the goal being additional cleanups as needed on future Litter Critter Saturdays. So again, if you are interested in helping or know of someone who needs some help, contact us. We can get this started and we can do this. issues@IslandIssues.net Jim and Kelly McFadden Everyone on this island should feel safe in their homes, but as of late, we have seen: cars egged, pottery taken from front yards, furniture stolen, coolers snatched from garages, suspicious characters lurking about, and one of our neighbors came back from walking her dog to find two thieves exiting her front door! So what do we do? First, ignore those who would blame the victims of these crimes, and we keep an eye out for each other. But, I have an idea that might be helpful.
It Was a Bad Week for Island Fences
Did Ya Hear?
By Mary Craft mkay512@aol.com
New Advertisers The 12th Annual Art Fest in Port A will be held Saturday, May 13th 10 am – 5 pm and Sunday, May 14th 10 am – 4 pm at Roberts Point Park. There will be artist’s booths with original fine art and fine crafts for sale in all mediums. There will be music to enjoy while you stroll and bring your appetite because there will be food available on site as well.
Business Briefs Island Joes Coffee & Gallery will be moving into a building that will be constructed at the corner lot next to Michelle’s Salon on SPID. In the meantime, you can still enjoy their menu and artwork at their present location. The Island Bar & Grill at the Holiday Inn has started work on their outdoor dining area which will be along the seawall where the grassy area was.
Bark at the Park presented by the Animal Hospital of Padre Island will be held Sunday, May 7th at Whataburger Field. Dogs welcome at the Hooks game so it will be like a doggie mixer until the game starts. Gates open at 5:30 pm and the game starts at 7 pm. Dr. Christi Kresser will be throwing out the first pitch. The 2nd Annual Dine Island will take place May 1- 24. Participating restaurants will offer special fixed price menus with proceeds going to help the Corpus Christi Food Bank. The restaurants are Dragonfly, Costa Sur, Padre Pizza, Holiday Inn, Veranda, Surfside Sandwich, Angry Marlin, Mikel May’s, A La Mode Gelateria, Island Time Sushi and Island Joes Coffee. The Black Sheep Bistro/Barrel will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with $2 Mexican beer, $4 margaritas and complimentary nacho bar. The regular menu will be available all night. John Eric will be playing on the patio. Reservations are recommended. Mikel May’s Beachside Bar & Grill at the pier is celebrating Cinco de Mayo with drink specials including $3.50 margaritas and taco specials. DJ Kermit will be on hand 6 – 10 pm. A La Mode Gelateria Chef Vita Jarrin who writes the Moon on a Spoon column is available at her restaurant to discuss her recipes and food ideas while you enjoy her cuisine. Hours are Wednesday and Thursday noon – 8 pm, Fridays and Sundays noon – 9 pm and Saturdays noon – 10 pm. Dale’s Island Report on KIII has been moved to Wednesdays at 10 pm. Don’t forget to make your Mother’s Day reservations for May 14th. Brunch is being served at the Holiday Inn Island Bar & Grill, Black Sheep Bistro and The Veranda at Schlitterbahn.
Send letters and photos to editor@islandmoon.com Follow us on Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper
I am the president of the Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association. This is an organization that does a lot more than Shoe Drives. We are liaisons between the community and our police. Currently I am working with our Police Department to development a volunteer citizen Security Patrol on the island. My group would provide the volunteers. The police department’s VIPs unit would do the background checks and provide training. Because of staffing issues, there are a limited number of officers deployed to the island. To augment police presence, this Security Patrol's mission would be to put more eyes and ears on task to protect your property. They couldn't arrest anyone. They wouldn't carry weapons. They would simply drive through our neighborhoods and report suspicious activity. If they saw someone egging your car or stealing things out of your yard, etc. they would call for help. This is not the "plant police" snooping on you. Rather it would be guardians who have your back and are only interested in looking out for your property. Their presence might go a long way to deter crime and help keep squatters out of vacant residences. This would even help owners who are out of town. In time,
Two fences were destroyed this week on Quarterdeck (pictured top left) and on Whitecap (above) after drivers lost control of their vehicles. No humans were harmed during the destruction of these fences.
May 4, 2017
A4
Island Moon
History cont. from A1
Lafitte's Ship After Lafitte was ousted from Galveston Island by the United States Navy in 1921, he decided that the day of the pirate was over, and that he would disband his organization. All of the booty and loot accumulated over a long period of years was loaded into several vessels, which sailed down the coast. Whether or not any further piratical operations were indulged in, it appears that prior to the time he arrived in Refugio County water, Lafitte had aroused the opposition not only of the American Navy, but the British was well. The combined naval units chased Lafitte down the coast, and were pressing him hard, when he arrived off Paso Caballo. At the time the pirate reached this historic point he was beset by no less than five British frigates, besides such Untied States vessels were in the pursuit, and the position of Lafitte was desperate. To add to his troubles a dreadful storm was raging at the pass, which made it almost suicidal to attempt to go over the bar. Lafitte, however, was hard pressed, and ordered his ships to run the bar, which sent shivers down the spines of his hardened seamen. Some of these pirates afterwards said when they saw a bad storm brewing that it reminded them of the night Lafitte made them cross the Matagorda bar, and that all of them had been scared to death that night.
large that it took three nights to bury it. Madam Frank, who fraternized with the men, watched the bearers go into the woods with the chests and boxes. During the progress Lafitte came to her house and took refreshments. Once he exclaimed, “There is enough treasure in those woods to ransom a nation.” When the last trip was made into the woods, Mrs. Frank noted that the bearers did not return. Lafitte desired to be the sole repository of his secret, and dead men tell no tales. After all this business had been accomplished, the pirates took to their boats and headed toward the sea. Lafitte had been informed that the British and American vessels were blockading the passes at Caballo and Aransas, thereby bottling him up in the inlets. He decided to get to the Gulf through Cedar Bayou, and in order to lighten the draught, as that channel was shallow, he had all excess cannon and baggage thrown overboard into Espiritu Santo Bay. All of the pirate vessels got through Cedar Bayou but the last, which got stuck and was wrecked. Mrs. Frank heard a cannonading in the direction of Cedar Bayou which lasted for three days and three nights, then ceased. She was always confident that Lafitte beat the British and American fleet, as she never saw him again.
Snapper cont. from A1 punished for not only our 365 day state water season (NMFS deducts their estimates of what we caught off the top), but also being punished for the other states non-compliance around the Gulf. If you can see the picture with the article, you’ll notice that a majority of both the adult snapper and the snapper larvae occur over on this side of the Gulf, with the lions share off the coast of Texas. One-size does NOT fit all when it comes to management, because most of the snapper are right here. We’re getting closer and closer to dumping the tea into the harbor, despite NMFS assurances that they have our best interests in mind. Baloney. To that end, CCA is helping do what we can do in the mean time before the Feds’ get their act together and actually manage the awesome resources we have. Efforts are aimed at putting down as much reefing material that we can in state waters. The feds can take a long walk off a short dock. Down south, the folks with the Rio Grande Valley Reef initiative are about to place some more material in the big site they have permitted down there. I also saw that the Port O’Conner reef was being placed. We’re getting closer! This coming season will see a bunch of material get reefed. I can’t wait.
The pirates by great good fortune crossed the bar safely, but the British frigates, which attempted to follow, had hard luck. Two of them were lost, and other went aground. Lafitte’s ships scattered through the inlets and hid in the mouths of the rivers. The vessel on which Lafitte was, sought refuge in Garcitas Creek, at a place formerly known as Center Board Reef (but later known as Chicken Reef). The name Center Board Reef originated due to the fact that a dowel pin on Lafitte’s vessel became loose, and the center board slipped and stuck in the mud.
Lafitte sails away When it was deemed safe to do so, the pirate ships emerged from their hiding places, and assembled in Espiritu Santo Bay, off False Live Oak Point. There for three days and three nights the pirates labored to unload their accumulated booty. There was held an executive meeting of the freebooters. Lafitte told them that they were through, that the days of profitable piracy were over; that he intended to go to Campeche and live a retired life, and that his men were released from any further obligation to him. He advised his men to settle in Texas, as that land belonged to no one, but that those who cared to accompany him in his retreat were welcome to do so. He further stated that the accumulated profits of their long association would be now equitably divided among them. Most of the men were married men, and practically all agreed that it was time to disband and settle down to peaceful lives. Most of the men stated they would take the chief’s advice and settle in Texas. Some few stated they would remain with the chief to the last. All were to see that the ships were brought into the port or Lafitte’s selection, whereupon the combination would be disbanded, and the members could go to wherever they chose. Having reached this understanding, the booty was divided to the entire satisfaction of all. Lafitte, being the captain and underwriter, received a share far in excess of the share of any one individual. He decided to cache most of it at False Live Oak Point, and it was so
Berry French Toast Casserole/ Bread Pudding By Chef Vita Jarrin As Mother’s Day approaches, as well as summer, fresh berries come to mind when thinking about incorporating fresh seasonal fruit into our daily diet as well as our favorite recipes. Mother’s Day is a great time to enjoy a sit down family meal, especially mid-day, such as brunch for example. One of my favorite brunch foods to eat is French toast. It satisfies my sweet tooth as well as my love for bread. We are allowed to cheat a little on Sunday’s right? I’ve noticed however, that having played with bread pudding over the last few years that the two are extremely similar. They both include bread and custard. They are both baked and both are extremely delicious. The nice thing is that you can serve them for brunch or dessert and top them with syrup or caramel sauce and even a delicious dollop of gelato. ;) My favorite part of this dish, besides the amazing flavor, is that it’s super easy to make and serve. You can mix this recipe in a bowl and bake for a family meal or you can make individual ramekins, big or small and create individual servings based on when you’ll serve them. Try this for this Mother’s Day or one of your brunches, and I bet you will be asked to make this dish again and again.
Recipe: 1 Loaf of Vienna Italian Bread or something similar 1 Pint half & half 1 C Sugar
Cooking spray for bottom of casserole Serve with Syrup, caramel or chocolate drizzle, with a dollop of whipped cream, depending on if your serving this as a dessert or breakfast dish.
Directions: Heat Oven to 375 Grab 2 bowls. One is for cubed bread and one is for custard mixture for French Toast. On a cutting board, with a serrated knife, cut thick slices of bread and then cut the slices in strips and then cube it up. Place in one of the bowls. In the other bowl, pour the half and half and remaining ingredients, minus the butter and cooking spray. Beat with a whisk. Pour over the bread. Cut the stems off of strawberries and roughly chop. Add all the berries and mix together with a large spoon or if you’re like me… I use my hand to gently coat all of the bread evenly. Although the liquid may seem too much, keep in mind the bread will absorb it and continue to absorb it during the baking process. Spray a casserole dish (8” x 6” x 2”) or something similar with cooking spray and add slices of butter to the bottom of casserole. This will add a little bit more butter flavor once you slice and serve the French toast. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar on top of casserole and bake at 375 for about 45 min, or until the top is golden, crispy and the center is firm. Serve with topping of choice as listed above.
Tip of the week!
5 whole eggs
For this dish you can swap the berries for other fruit, such as bananas, and add nuts. You can make this dish in individual ramekins if you prefer. You can use various types of breads or even unglazed old fashion donuts.
1 Tbs. Cinnamon ½ Tsp Salt 12 Strawberries roughly chopped 6 oz package fresh blueberries
The important thing is to Have Fun! Try New Things! Happy Eats… Enjoy!
6 oz package fresh raspberries ½ stick butter for bottom of casserole
Bankruptcy cont from A1 is that UPP has $2,797,922.90 in “unpaid operating expenses incurred under (the) Management Agreement” and $1,857,053.70 in “Unpaid loan for Real Property Taxes and payments made on behalf of Debtor to other Lenders.” The park continues to operate under a temporary Certificate of Occupancy and Schexnailder has stated that the ongoing binding arbitration, which has been underway for over a year, is to determine whether Henry Brothers Construction delivered the park as agreed and on time and on budget. San Antonio attorney Thomas Rice who filed the Monday petition on behalf of Gary Henry said Wednesday that had the auction of the 270 acres of land gone forward control of it would have passed to AXYS Capital Credit Fund which holds the first lean on the property. In a claim filed April 6 AXYS Capital sought to have the land auctioned.
Let There Be Light! The Nueces County Coastal Parks Board has completed work on new lighting for both Bob Hall and Horace Caldwell piers. Funds to complete the project were secured by Commissioner Chesney with the help of Judge Lloyd Neal and approval of the Nueces County Commissioners Court the total cost to light both piers was just short of $200,000. Pictured above: Jim Needham, Parks Board chair, Brent Chesney County Commissioner, Tyler Thorsen, John White Board members, Scott Cross, County Judge Loyd Neal and Parks Board Vice Chair Troy Adler.
Monday’s petition in the bankruptcy court “kept the land assets under the control of Upper Padre Partners,” Rice said. The case has been set before federal Bankruptcy Judge Craig Gargotta in San Antonio where it was filed. Court rules call for a hearing no later than thirty days from the filing. No date has so far been set. “If our request is granted the park will likely be a Debtor in Possession,” Rice said, “and at that point Upper Padre Partners will have to make a deal with AXYS which holds the first lean on the land.” He said the filing should not impact the operation of the park which will continue to operate as usual while the case is being heard.
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May 4, 2017
A5
Island Moon
Stuff I Heard on the Island By Dale Rankin 2017 has been a tough year. It’s not even half over and already we have lost a long list of friends and family. The latest is long-time Islander and dear friend Gladys Choyke. When Jan and I first moved to The Island in 2000 Gladys was one of the first people Mike Ellis introduced us to at the Island Moon.
Moon and I found myself in the rather awkward position of interviewing her for Jerry’s obituary just a few days after his passing. We got through it and when I finished I read it to her and then saved it in the computer. But when Gladys went to copy it into the final edition of the paper she erased it. It was gone and there was no way to get it back. I was aghast and not sure how to react. “I don’t think Jerry liked it,” she said. “We better re-write it.” And we did. For years she and Jerry had bought spots in the biggest and best Island football pool for their kids but none of them – including her and Jerry – had ever won a dime. Then a few months after Jerry’s passing came the miracle ending in the Giants’ win over New England with a late and improbable score which made the final score land on their son’s square. It seemed miraculous. “That one was from Jerry,” Gladys said, and I think she was right. She got through it and went on with her life meeting and marrying her second Jerry – Kaczmarek - on The Island and they had some good years until cancer took her this week. She was diagnosed barely a month ago, a stark reminder that we are all on borrowed time. She and Jerry moved to Shreveport about two years ago to be near her sister and jumped into the Mardi Gras event there becoming the Duke and Duchess of Fun. I’ve never been one for
Tides of the Week Tides for Bob Hall Pier May 4 - May 11
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The Duchess of Fun “She puts the dots in the pictures,” Mike said. I never knew that pictures needed dots but I could tell from Mike’s earnestness that it was an important job. When Mike passed away and we took over the Island Moon Gladys and Mindy Niles were the two people that helped us keep it going. They are both now gone. Gladys was part of the old Island crowd that Mike ran in. They would gather at the Ballyhoo in Port Aransas on Sunday and Patsy Jones would sing, “That’s My Island” as Mike would stand on the stage and act out the words. They would bet the over/under on how long it would take for the next drop of honey to drop out of the beehive in the ceiling onto a paper plate. They
titles but if my obituary lists me as the Duke of Fun I’d be pretty okay with that.
Gladys and Jerry the Duke and Duchess of Fun
Gladys’ passing is one that I find hard to process. For one thing it happened so quickly, but also she had one of those spirits that you just thought would outlive us all. The thought of her not being around is hard to accept. When we lost Mike it was Gladys who got busy and organized a memorial. I know that sooner or later time gets us all, but it somehow seems that losing Gladys is losing a part of The Island the way it was. The old Island crowd had to entertain themselves because in the early years there was nowhere but Island Italian to hang out and the group of Islanders who were here during that time had a bond that was palpable. There were so few of them they did most everything together and knew each other in a way that maybe our island has outgrown. Most of them are gone now; either passed away or scattered for various reasons – often, like Gladys, to be near relatives later in their lives. Maybe we’re all part of the new group and will come to recognize it only over time. But our Island is growing up and the loss of people like Gladys reminds us how quickly that is happening.
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played cards at Mindy’s house on Monday, they played shuffleboard at 2 Seas on Tuesday, and they went to the dog track on Wednesdays, Sunday was for brunch at the Holiday Inn with the afternoon at the Sand Bar. At Christmas they hired a limousine and took a tour of holiday lights. There wasn’t a lot to do out here then so they made their own fun. Gladys was one of the founding members of the Padre Island Business Association where she was the first Executive Director and she started Island Mail & More. She was active in just about every Island organization from the Kiwanis to Barefoot Mardi Gras to the Presbyterian Church. She helped start and support Breakfast with Santa and the Easter Egg Hunt at Billish Park, she was a driving force in the La Posada Lighted Boat Parade for over a decade. She was on the committee that wrote the first Island Area Development Plan in 2004. The list goes on. She and her husband Jerry Choyke moved around the country following Jerry’s job with Philip Morris before retiring and settling on The Island in the 1990s. Jerry said he met Gladys while they were both living in California when he saw her at the swimming pool one day and introduced himself. When Jerry passed away in 2008 she and I were putting out the next
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The Commish Maybe the most important of Gladys’ Island jobs was that of Commissioner of the longest running fantasy football pool on The Island. I believe it is now in its twenty-second year and for the first twenty Gladys was known as The Commish. As in...”Well, you can try that but I don’t think you will ever get it past The Commish.” And they seldom did. Pity the poor fellow who failed to fill out the weekly lineup right or worse, forgot to pay his entry fee only to get a late-night call from The Commish. I once heard her tell a former NFL player who inquired about joining that he would lose his shirt because he knew too much about football…and she was right. She also was the keeper of the biggest and best football pool on The Island. She was chosen because she was the one person everyone trusted to keep things on the straight and narrow, and of course she was the most organized of an organizationally challenged group.
So long Gladys, you left a long string of friends and you made a difference here. I encourage everyone to take the time to spend a little quality time with those close to you this week. I think Gladys would approve. Otherwise you might get a call from The Commish.
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A6
May 4, 2017
Island Moon
Senior Moments
Remembering World War II
Anecdotingly
Weed Whacked
By Abigail Bair By Dotson Lewis Special to the Island Moon historian Ian Kershaw described how Hitler himself fell victim to a mustard gas attack near Ypres on the night of October 13-14, 1918: “He and several comrades, retreating from their dugout during a gas attack, were partially blinded by the gas and found their way to safety only by clinging to on to each other and following a comrade who was slightly less badly afflicted.” After the attack, Hitler was transported from Flanders to a military hospital in Pomerania, where he would learn the devastating news of Germany’s surrender.
Dotson’s Note: While thinking about my Senior Moments article for the week I vaguely remembered that there were two major events that occurred during the month of April that for some reason were ignored by those on whom we depend for keeping us updated. The events were the suicide of Adolf Hitler (April 30, 1945) and the opening of the WW II monument (April 29, 2004) in Washington. I believe that we should pause every April to remember these two events and their importance to us as free Americans. My thanks to Historians Ian Kershaw and Richard Langworth for their contributions to the Hitler article.
World War II Monument Opened In Washington, D.C.
Monument Was Formally Dedicated By President George W. Bush On April 29, 2004, the National World War II Memorial opened in Washington, D.C., to thousands of visitors, providing overdue recognition for the 16 million U.S. men and women who served in the war. The memorial is located on 7.4 acres on the former site of the Rainbow Pool at the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The Capitol building the east, and Arlington Cemetery is just across the Potomac River to the west. The granite and bronze monument features fountains between arches symbolizing hostilities in Europe and the Far East. The arches are flanked by semicircles of pillars, one each for the states, territories and the District of Columbia. Beyond the pool is a curved wall of 4,000 gold stars, one for every 100 Americans killed in the war. An Announcement Stone proclaims that the memorial honors those “Americans who took up the struggle during the Second World War and made the sacrifices to perpetuate the gift our forefathers entrusted to us: A nation conceived in liberty and justice.” Though the federal government donated $16 million to the memorial fund, it took more than $164 million in private donations to get it built. Former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole, who was severely wounded in the war, and actor Tom Hanks were among its most vocal supporters. Only a fraction of the 16 million Americans who served in the war would ever see it. Four million World War II veterans were living at the time, with more than 1,100 dying every day, according to government records. The memorial was inspired by Roger Durbin of Berkey, Ohio, who served under Gen. George S. Patton. At a fish fry near Toledo in February 1987, he asked U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur why there was no memorial on the Mall to honor World War II veterans. Kaptur, a Democrat from Ohio, soon introduced legislation to build one, starting a process that would stumble along through 17 years of legislative, legal and artistic entanglements. Durbin died of pancreatic cancer in 2000.
The Nazis Developed Sarin Gas during WWII. Hitler Was Afraid to Use It White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer earned widespread condemnation this week for comparing Adolf Hitler (favorably) with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying Hitler “didn’t even sink to using chemical weapons” as Assad’s forces did in northern Syria on April 4. The horrific truth, of course, is that Hitler gassed some 6 million Jews, among others, in the death camps of the Holocaust. Spicer later apologized for his remarks, but the controversy revived a lingering mystery: despite the fact that Nazi Germany stockpiled tons of sarin gas during World War II, Hitler chose not to employ it against the Allies, for reasons that remain unclear. Hitler certainly had the opportunity to use sarin in World War II. The Nazis were actually the ones to develop the deadly nerve agent— accidentally. In late 1938, the German scientist Gerhard Schrader was tasked with inventing a cheaper pesticide to kill the weevils that were damaging German fields and orchards. By mixing phosphorus with cyanide, he came up with a substance that was way too toxic to use for agriculture purposes. After Schrader’s employer, drug conglomerate I.G. Farben, informed the German army of his discovery, some impressed army scientists dubbed the liquid “tabun,” after the German word for taboo. Back in the lab, Schrader tinkered some more and came up with something even more toxic. He called the new substance sarin, an acronym for the names of the four scientists who developed it. By the end of World War II, Nazi Germany had produced some 12,000 tons of the deadly chemical compound, enough to kill millions of people. From early in the conflict, highlevel military officers pressed Hitler to use sarin against their adversaries. But despite such pressure, Hitler declined to employ it as a chemical weapon against the Allied Powers. As reported in the Washington Post, some historians have traced this reluctance to Hitler’s own experience as a soldier during World War I. Though Germany was the first to unleash chlorine gas on French troops during the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915, Britain and France would also employ chlorine and mustard gas during the Great War, generating widespread outrage over the new horrors of chemical warfare. In his biography of the Nazi leader, the
The idea that Hitler would have objected to using poison gas on the battlefield on ethical grounds seems unbelievable, or at least blatantly inconsistent —given that the Nazis were systematically using Zyklon B and other chemical agents to exterminate millions of people in the gas chambers. But even setting this aside, there’s little to no solid historical evidence linking Hitler’s wartime experience to his reluctance to use sarin against the Allies 20 years later. Other factors may have been involved. Germany’s Blitzkrieg military strategy, which had so far been successful, involved sudden attacks by tanks and bombers followed swiftly by invading foot soldiers. If those bombers used sarin or another chemical weapon, they would have contaminated the same area their troops would then have had to march into. More importantly, perhaps, Hitler must have known that if he used chemical weapons, his adversaries would retaliate in kind. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, for one, had long argued in favor of the use of such weapons to shorten military conflicts. “I cannot understand this squeamishness about the use of gas,” he wrote in a memo in 1919, when he was
This week, the G.P. headed back to the ol’ Kansas homestead to visit his dying friend, leaving me and the Rev to fend for ourselves in the wilds of Corpus Christi. Normally, Dad’s travels are a good thing. In his absence, we tend to finish big projects. This week, however, the major task was mowing my ½ acre yard. It was definitely time. The barely sentient Yard Sharks now circled my block, focused on my uncut grass like a bucket of chum. Bravely they pinned handwritten notes on my mailbox: “We do gud werk. Cheep.” Soon they’d be ringing the doorbell, demanding work and arguing when I said, “NO!” My front doormat boasts a cat flipping the bird and says, “Go away,” but that doesn’t deter the Yard Sharks. For sharks you need something bigger, and probably electrified.
Britain’s secretary of war. “It is not necessary to use only the most deadly gasses: gasses can be used which cause great inconvenience and would spread a lively terror and yet would leave no serious permanent effects on most of those affected.” Historian Richard Langworth has emphasized that Churchill believed using (non-lethal) chemical weapons could actually be a more humane way of doing battle. In another memo written around the same time, Churchill argued: “Gas is a more merciful weapon than high explosive shell, and compels an enemy to accept a decision with less loss of life than any other agency of war.” During World War II, Churchill was always prepared to use chemical weapons, but only if the enemy unleashed them first. In February 1943, when London learned the Germans might use gas against the Russians in the Donets Basin, Churchill wrote to his Chiefs of Staffs Committee: “In the event of the Germans using gas on the Russians…We shall retaliate by drenching the German cities with gas on the largest possible scale.” But for whatever reason, Hitler chose not to take that step—even as Nazi factories secretly stockpiled munitions packed with the deadly nerve agent, and even as the tide of the war turned increasingly against Germany. Dotson’s Other Note: What do you think was the reason(s) the Hitler did not use sarin gas during World War II? I am sure all of you who were in the Service (1941-1956) remember well, that we were never far from our gas masks, and the weekly training with real gas (tear), to which we were subjected. Your thoughts regarding this or any articles appearing in The Island Moon are greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading and commenting on Senior Moments. I can be reached at: dlewis1@stx.rr.com and/or Land Line: 361-949-7681 Cell: 530-748-8475.
I got the vile creature started, and trimmed the entire front yard. Breathing through your mouth while decapitated weeds are whirling through the air isn’t ideal. I briefly considered adding an actual snorkel to my get up. Finished, I gratefully divested myself of my gear and dumped my clothing into the washing machine. I streaked through my house and took a cool shower as a reward for a job well done.
Death waits for no Dad, so he left in a hurry. Over the last few months, I’ve begged him to confer upon me the gauntlet of lawn care, with only an occasional snort in response. The G.P. (Great Provider), owns the tools. Why buy my own when I can steal whatever I need, from my parents’ house three blocks away? When I want to check out a tool, the stern Guardian of the Shop demands to know exactly what I’m doing, and if he thinks the idea is 1) dangerous or 2) super dumb, my request is denied and I get a lecture on “Why Your Idea is the Stupidest Idea Since So and So Put the Trailer Toilet on Linoleum With No Support Underneath and the Toilet Fell Through on Christmas, Trapping Fat Grandma,” or some such other cautionary tale of epic idiocy. The timing seemed perfect for me to take over the Duties of Yard. The night before the G.P. left, I stopped by my folks’ house to make my case. “I guess I’ll do the yard then, right Dad?” “I forgot about that,” he replied, obviously forlorn. “I can do it Dad! What are you afraid of?” I screeched, desperate to be taken seriously, but unable to moderate my register.
Hitler in his WWI uniform
from the utility workers across the street. Probably because it sounded more like, “BIT BE BEHIMB BE BATAB.”
“I’m pretty sure you'll turn the mower over on yourself and cut your leg off, but good luck,” he said kindly. The king had made me a Squire of the Yard, my steed a riding mower procured from the land of Sears, my sword a 20lb gas powered weed whacker. I felt like the Highlander and almost yelled, “THERE CAN BE ONLY LAWN.” I didn’t, though. I would’ve been demoted. First, I tackled the mowing. The mower featured a cup holder, so I put a beer in it and backed out of the garage. The controls really suited me. All vehicles should feature speeds that go from turtle to rabbit. I stayed safely in turtle. I knew that if I suffered amputation the first time out, I wouldn’t have a leg to stand on in future arguments with my father. The Yard Sharks circled as I worked, angry predators watching me for any signs of distress – waiting to lunge in for the kill should I tire. Not me! It was easy. I forgot about my beer until I had finished the job. I reached down and grabbed the still-cold can and raised it to my lips for a triumphal sip. It was full of grass. I spluttered, cursing Hank Hill and his televised lies.
Not my finest hour. I think I look like Vern from the old 'Ernest' movies. "Ain't that right?" As I stepped out of my tub with a towel wrapped around me, my doorbell rang and Stadler started barking up a storm. “They’ll go away,” I thought nakedly. The bell hollered again. I stuffed myself into some shorts and a tank top, enraged, and charged to the door like a bull, throwing it open without even bothering to look through the peephole. “WHAT?!?” I bellowed at the small man standing there oozing obsequiousness. “Would you like me to mow your yard for you??” he asked. “No,” I replied, slamming my door. Evidently, the Squire of the Yard has a long way to go before she’s knighted. Methinks His Highness will understand. He once accidentally murdered the Rev’s prize plum tree with a string trimmer. She’s still mad about it.
It was time to trim the edges. I headed over to Dad’s to get the bulky weed whacker. As I crammed the mechanical evil inside my car, I realized I’d forgotten safety goggles. The G.P. insisted that if I attempted to use the trimmer sans goggles I would “put your eye out for sure.” After searching 20 minutes to locate any kind of eye protection (Dad owns about 3,000 pairs of safety glasses), I found nary a one. What I did find was a snorkeling mask. “This’ll do,” thought I, partially sure that I saw my father wear one while using a circular saw at least once. Snorkeling masks don’t work well for yard care: they’re extremely hot; if you accidentally exhale through your nose, they fog up; and if you try to inhale through your nose you nearly faint. They make screamed profanity generated by the difficulty of starting a cold weed whacker sound somewhat less than threatening. When I yelled, “GET THEE BEHIND ME SATAN” at the devil device, I got a lot of weird looks
Please Note: The next Veterans Round Table Meeting will be Tuesday, May 9, 2017, 9-11 AM, 3209 S. Staples. All Veterans, their families and anyone interested in Veterans affairs, are invited. Coffee & doughnuts are provided. Hope to see you there. Also our Veterans Radio Round Table is on the air on KEYS AM 1440, 8 – 9 AM, Saturdays. The next will air May 6, 2017. Please listen and call in. The listener/text line is: 361-560-5397…It’s your show. Hang in there/Have fun!
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May 4, 2017
A7
Island Moon
First Friday at the Art Center May 5
The First Friday Reception at the Port Aransas Art Center will be May 5th 5:30-7:30 p.m. Come on out for refreshments, live music, great art and artists.
The Art’e de Mayo Group Show will include work by Beth Alexander, Diann Baggett, Betsy Bowen, Jan Edmonson, and Brenda Staresnick. Beth paints mainly in oils and lives in Fulton and Wimberley; Diann paints in Acrylics and she is from Robstown; Betsy produces wood cuts and is from Grand Marais, MN with family here so she vacations in Port A; Jan Edmonson paints in acrylics and watercolor, she is from Lake Travis and spends as much time as she can in Port A; Brenda Staresnick has painted in watercolor, acrylics and oils and is from Rockport. She has taught sketchbook journaling at the Port A Art Center. The show will be up for the month of May. The Port Aransas Art Center is located at 323 N. Alister, for questions call 361-749-7334.
Betsy Bowen Whooping Crane
Brenda Staresnick "Little Yellow Boat"
By artist Jan May
2016 PADRE ISLAND BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
BETHENY BELL
CHERI SPERLING
TINA CANARY
MICHAEL LAMBERT
VICTORIA ROGERS
TARA GALLASPY
WHITNEY NOBLE
MEAGAN FUREY
ROBBIE O’QUINN
STACEY OLIVER
MARY SCRUTON
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A8
May 4, 2017
Island Moon
SPORTS Sports Talk Special to The Island Moon
NBA Play-Offs-Harden vs Kawhi Headlines Battle of Heavyweights By Dotson Lewis Special to the Island Moon Dotson’s Note: From the many conversations which I have had lately regarding the NBA Play-Offs, there seems to be more interest in the play-offs than usual. So far, the games have been very interesting and in my opinion the players are among the most accomplished athletes in the world. Need I remind you Moon Monkeys that it is a great sport to watch, but it is basketball in the true sense of the word? CBS writer Matt Moore, who is, in my opinion, head and shoulders above all other NBA reporters, contributed to this report.
The Marquee Matchup The first-round matchup between Harden and Russell Westbrook stole headlines, but they were fundamentally nearly the same player, offensive maestros conducting almost all the parts themselves. Leonard, however, is a different beast. A scoring machine drenched
an easier time against San Antonio. LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol are too slow to hang with him on the lob, and Dewayne Dedmon is too short. Capela could quickly wind up in foul trouble when the Spurs isolate him vs. Aldridge. Tony Parker had a brilliant series against Memphis, and it'll be fascinating to see what happens in this series. Parker hit the wall, hard, in the second round last year against the Thunder. He's no spring chicken, and while fighting over screens vs. Patrick Beverley will be tiresome enough, Trevor Ariza and Eric Gordon are better wing defenders than what Memphis brought to the table in pick and roll. Green should have a huge offensive series after a dismal start vs. Memphis, the same for Manu Ginobili. The Rockets' defense will be like a breath of fresh air compared to Memphis'. The Rockets are underrated on the defensive end. LaMarcus Aldridge had a rough time against the Grizzlies' physicality, but don't think it'll be that easy. Nene is having a renaissance year and he's got the old-man strength to hang.
Behind the Mask By Andy Purvis Special to the Island Moon “We were always the visitors,” he said. “No such thing as a home game; every three days we were in a different city. We would go from our car to a small dressing room, to the field. Then afterwards we go back to the dressing room and then our car. Then we would do it all over again tomorrow.” His business was about getting it right, and every move he made was noticed. Players, broadcasters, and fans all love to complain about the umpiring. They were always accused of baiting managers and players into arguments or trying to be part of the show. In the heat of the moment when a call goes against our team or our favorite player, it’s easy to forget that these guys loved the game. There were only forty umpires when he started. They devoted their lives to the game of baseball, yet no one rooted for them. This guy was witty, but not flamboyant; he never shied away when it came to confrontation. He twice led the league in ejections. For twenty-five years he was a distinguished speaker, mentor to many younger umpires, and a terrific storyteller. It’s an interesting job. You want to be good at it, but you don’t want anybody to know what you do for a living. You can’t go into a sports bar and say “I’m ‘so and so,’ the Major League umpire.” The next thing you know, you’re dancing across the floor with a disgruntled fan. The old adage has always been that the best umpires go unnoticed. He once responded to a question about the difficulty of calling balls and strikes this way. “The pitch is coming at you 100 miles per hour,
Leonard in efficiency, Leonard is the perfect counter to Harden, right down to his silent demeanor and emphasis on defense. If Westbrook-Harden was tinged as a philosophical basketball debate between individual accomplishment and contribution to winning, then Harden-Leonard is tapped as individual excellence and star power vs. efficiency supremacy and team success. Leonard is the player who brings more wins to the table, and it's Harden's individual contributions that are held up. It should be noted that Leonard is having the superior playoffs by a healthy margin. Harden has more rebounds and assists, on account of his role and the pace of the Thunder-Rockets series, but Leonard's efficiency has been leaps and bounds better, both on an individual and team level. Harden shot just 41 percent from the field and 24 percent from 3-point range against the Thunder, and the Rockets were outscored when Harden and Westbrook shared the floor. But Houston simply destroyed the OKC reserves with its depth and versatility. Other players stepped up, as they will in this series. Leonard, on the other hand, is dancing with that rare status that hasn’t been seen outside of Stephen Curry and prime Kobe Bryant that reminds you of Jordan, where every shot he takes you're certain is going down at this point. His efficiency is out of this world. Again, all the things made to build up Harden over Westbrook, Leonard has been better at, just not as much of a playmaker. This comes with the knowledge that the regular
Houston won the Thunder series without shooting well from deep. That's a testament to how the Rockets can attack the rim, but it's also something they have to fix going into this series. They have to make these games into a shootout. They can't win a slugfest with the Spurs. The Rockets won't hide Harden. His on-ball defense is better than he's given credit for, and putting him on Parker might be the best option, unless San Antonio runs him off a hundred screens, which would be just as tiring for Parker as for Harden. When San Antonio goes to put Danny Green on Harden, that means Tony Parker is going to have to guard Patrick Beverley or Eric Gordon. The Rockets need to attack whoever Parker is guarding. If they switch Leonard onto the other guard and put Parker on Ariza, that's where things get difficult. It's why a three-guard, two-big lineup might be crucial in this series. They have to find ways to exploit Parker. Patty Mills vs. Patrick Beverley is going to be a very interesting matchup. Ryan Anderson could wind up unplayable in this series. He's not big enough to check either of the Spurs' big men, and if San Antonio goes small, that means putting Anderson on a guard since he can't check Leonard. Meanwhile, the Spurs would be comfortable with making him into a scorer. Unless he can absolutely blister in the pick and pop, that's going to be a tough equation for the Rockets to come out on top of. Anderson shot 50 percent from 3-point range and was a plus-7 with Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge on the floor.
Marty Springstead and you don’t know what’s coming or where it’s moving. I’m not trying to be smart; it ain’t that easy to see,” said Marty Springstead. Martin John “Marty” Springstead was born on July 9, 1937, in Nyack, New York. His mother was a nurse and his dad, a New York City police officer. Marty played baseball, basketball and ran for the track team, while attending Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx. After graduating, Marty enrolled at Farleigh Dickerson University located in Teaneck, New Jersey. He attempted to major in advertising. Marty also had a brief career as a catcher on several semi-pro baseball teams, before deciding to attend the Al Somers Umpire School in Ormond Beach, Florida. Marty also served in the U.S. Army’s 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas, in the early sixties. While he worked as a Minor League umpire, Marty umpired Army baseball games and lectured on umpiring to U.S. Air Force troops in Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain. By 1963, he was working in the Class-C Southern, Northern and South-Atlantic Leagues before joining the American League in 1966. He also taught the art of umpiring in Canada.
Up to 1974, American League umpires were required to wear an outside chest protector. He eventually switched to the inside chest protector before the 1983 season. Marty Springstead was an American League umpire from 1966 to 1985 and a crew chief for eleven years. Springstead, who in 1980 was given the #4, was also part of the All-Star Game officiating crews in 1969, 1975 and 1982. At the age of 36 in 1973, Marty Springstead became the youngest crew chief in World Series history. He also worked with two other World Series crews in 1978 and 1983. He served as crew chief again during that 1983 World Series. He also served on the umpiring crews in five American League Championship Series. At the end of the 1985 season, Marty left the field to become the Executive Director of Umpiring for the American League. Before the 2000 season, umpiring staffs from both leagues were consolidated, and he ended up on the Major League staff of supervisors. As an executive, Marty was known for backing his umpires on the field. Marty also reminded them that in 1975, he was working second base in Anaheim, California, the day his son was born. His message was clear: Look after your lives away from baseball. Marty was embarrassed to learn about the birth of his son from a message on the stadium scoreboard. On August 26, 1972, at Yankee Stadium, the Royals were leading 2-1 in the third inning. There were two outs with two men on, and Yankees pitcher Rob Gardner had a 1-2 count on Kansas City slugger, John Mayberry. Gardner’s next pitch appeared to be right down the middle of the plate, yet Springstead called the pitch low for ball two. Yank Skipper Ralph Houk was astounded with the call and began chirping from the dugout. On Gardner’s next pitch, Mayberry hit a three-run home run into the right field seats, pushing the score to 6-1 in favor of Kansas City. Houk came out to the mound to replace Gardner, and Yankee catcher Thurman Munson joined them. As Springstead approached the mound to break up the meeting, Houk began calling into question Springstead’s eyesight with some unprintable expressions. Marty immediately thumbed Houk out of the game. Houk went into a rage. He threw his cap down and started kicking dirt on Springstead’s shoes and pants while still yelling at the top of his lungs. Springstead just stood there, all 6 feet 180 pounds of him, calm, cool, and collected. As Houk finally exited the field, Marty cleaned off his pants and shoes as best he could and returned behind the plate. It was just another day in the life of a Major League umpire. There is a wonderful Japanese proverb that would sum up Marty Springstead’s contributions to the game of baseball: “Better than a thousand days of diligent study, is one day with a great teacher.” So long Marty. Andy Purvis is a local author and radio personality. Please visit www.purvisbooks. com for all the latest info on his books or to listen to the new radio podcast. Andy’s books are available online and can be found in the local Barnes & Noble bookstore. Andy can be contacted at purvis.andy@mygrande.net. Also listen to sports talk radio on Dennis & Andy’s Q & A Session from 6-8 PM on Sportsradiocc.com 1230 AM, 96.1 FM and 103.3 FM. The home of the Houston Astros.
Harden season often doesn't translate to playoff results. The surface-level analysis tips Leonard. He's an excellent matchup against Harden in clutch time, and if he gets in foul trouble or needs a defensive breather, he can hand off the reins to Danny Green, who had an amazing defensive series against Memphis. At the end, this matchup is more important for Houston than San Antonio. The Spurs can win if Leonard's not the best player in the series. The Rockets cannot win if Harden isn't the best player on the floor. Harden struggled against the Thunder and Andre Roberson's defense, and now he's facing a Roberson type with a miniature-LeBron body and who is currently the most efficient shooter on the planet. Harden has had series where he's vanished: in 2014 vs. the Blazers, and 2015 vs. the Clippers, a comeback that was led by the end of the bench. If the Rockets are going to pull off this upset, Harden has to have one for the ages, against his toughest matchup.
Key Matchups If the Spurs do put Leonard on someone other than Harden, the Rockets need to put him in Kawhisolation . They can attack the rest of the Spurs' defense, especially Tony Parker and Pau Gasol, but they have to quarantine Leonard in the corner if he's guarding Ariza. The Rockets' shooters are too good for him to abandon and help off of. Clint Capela will be a huge deal in this series. He struggled against the Thunder, but could have
Turnovers are a big deal. The Spurs got 20 points per 100 possessions off turnovers vs. Houston this season, and it's an implicit Achilles heel with any D'Antoni team. Their fast-break points weren't significantly higher, but they punished Houston for those mistakes. Dotson’s Other Note: As you have learned from the foregoing, Matt Moore knows what he is talking about. Your comments, suggestions, questions and concerns regarding Sports Talk articles are greatly appreciated, please call the Benchwarmers at 361-560-5397 weekdays, Mondays thru Fridays, 5-7 PM, or contact me. Phone: 361-949-7681 Cell: 530-748-8475 Email: dlewis1@stx.rr.com Have fun -30-
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Cinco de Mayo Pro The last few years the Cinco de Mayo Pro beach celebration has become the starter party for the summer season. This is a beach and WATERSPORTS super celebration that has a golden message to honor friends and family past. The James Greer Foundation collects the BIGGEST LONGBOARD SURFING CONTEST ON THE COAST, THE BIGGEST VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT, and the LARGEST HORSESHOE COMPETITION AROUND. PADDLE BOARD RACES AND SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS. Grab a look at the full schedule on line or on Facebook at CINCO DE MAYO PRO. There are four days of celebration and game starting Thursday. I'll see you on the beach! Joey Farah
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May 4, 2017
Island Moon
The Traveling Moon Gets Around
Nelida and Fernando Ortiz took The Island Moon up to the Great Wall of China.
Karen Silva and Tom Cullinan attended the Charitable Estate Planning Institute in Nashville last week. There was also time for the father/daughter team to see several terrific songwriters performing at the Listening Room.
Port Aransas resident Lisa Stevens, her sister Kathy Guerra, and nieces Ava and Isabella took the Island Moon to Ronda, Southern Spain.
Port Aransas resident Mark Grosse took the Island Moon along on a trip to Saipan where his father flew mission during World War II from 1944-1945 as a B29 bomber pilot. There is a US tank in the water behind him.
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