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Letters & Opinion
Island Moon Dale,
Thanks for your article outlining Representative Todd Hunter’s view on Casino Gaming in the October 21 issue of the Island Moon.
Aquarius
Mr. Mayor and City Council members;
I am a property owner and full time resident of Padre Island. I have been made aware of your meeting tomorrow in which a decision will be made regarding the awarding of a contract for the newly designed Aquarius Street route. I am against that redesign. We do not need another Park Rd. 22 going through a quiet neighborhood. Please stick with the original design, keeping the speed limit within reasonable means and giving access to emergency vehicles.
I would also like to address Schlitterbaun. The Island PAC does not speak for all residents. I have been to the meetings and, for the most part, I think their interests best serve the Island business community as opposed to the residential community. We, as residents, have long been aware of our role as a “Cash Cow” for the city. We pay more than our fair share of taxes yet wait for years for the improvements that are needed on our Island. Aquarius St. is one very clear example. How long have we been waiting for that to be accomplished? Has it been 7 years? Our infrastructure is in desperate need.
I drive Whitecap every day and see the cone sitting over a big pothole in the road. We have no sidewalks on the streets. We have problems with power and water. Need I go on? You are all well aware of our needs. Or, you should be. What kind of stresses will you be putting on our emergency services with the influx of visitors to a Schlitterbaun park? We have a very small Fire and Police Dept. Will there be an increase in crime? We are already seen as a prime target. What about the increase in trash? We experience that every single holiday. The Schlitterbaun park may police it’s own trash but what about the trash thrown out of cars on the way to and from their property? This is always a major problem for us. The other big issue is traffic. Every holiday we have to “hunker down” till it’s over because the traffic on the Causeway is unbearable. There are people who live on the Island and work various shifts in the city. They go to the hospitals, NAS, CCAD, etc, etc With the water park in operation, it will be a major problem for them every day that it is open. Estimates quoted 300,000 visitors to the city. Over the one access bridge to and from the Island? That 300,000 doesn’t count the employees of the park who would also add to the traffic. Think about that. How long will the Causeway be able to handle the load structurally? How many of you live here and would have to deal with all of this on a daily basis? Yes, great for tourism and the local economy, but again, asking the Island to bite the bullet for everyone.
The Island is a treasure, a very special place. It is a small piece of Paradise in an increasingly commercial world. I doubt that we residents have the power to fight City Hall and Schlitterbaun but you need to think about what you are destroying for the almighty dollar. Once you do that, it is gone. It is gone for our children and grandchildren. Do you want to be a part of destroying their legacy? Respectfully, Capt. Rosanne Milroy, NC, USN (RET)
To the Island PAC Board, Thank you for providing the facts concerning the upcoming vote on November 15th and the e-mail addresses for our Council and Mayor. We are sending a copy of the following e-mail to each individual council member and the mayor, in hopes that our thoughts be heard and considered. Dear Honorable Mayor Adame, We have resided on the island for more than fourteen years and have plans to continue to enjoy our home here for many years to come. During our time here on our island, we have witnessed continued growth and cooperation between the needs of the island residents and the city government. It is our hope that this relationship will continue. We, therefore, urge that you work closely with the members of the Corpus Christi City Council to move forward with the newly designed Aquarius extension. We strongly feel that this new design will provide the safety and efficiency required by all residents as they use this new and vital connection between Aquarius and Commodores. We followed the previous legal arguments and jury decision closely. We do not feel the decision should impede the progress of the construction of this much needed project. We urge that you, together with the council, work to authorize legal funding to provide an efficient and prudent time-line to complete this newly designed Aquarius extension. To delay further puts our residents in further danger. Once the extension is complete, we have every confidence that appropriate traffic surveys will be conducted to determine any need for more Stop Signs, speed reduction or speed deterrents on the new road or for that matter on any of our streets. Thank you for your attention and prudent actions in this vital project. Sincerely, Nancy & Paul Tressa
Editor,
We are new on the island and enjoy reading the Island Moon and look forward to the paper becoming a weekly one. One thing I have noticed is a lot of acronyms without defining them. For example, there is a column titled “News From Your POA.” Your what? The same author starts right out writing about PODs. I don’t have a clue... What is JELM? Where is the JELM library? Do we assume that the address you give for the JELM Office is in Port Aransas; since you don’t say whether it is North Padre Island or Port Aransas. This is in Section B, page 1 of the 11/16/2011, issue. We are Winter Texans and we are interested in the organization.
Whenever I move to or visit a new area, I am always interested in learning the history. For that reason, I enjoyed the article “The Rangers Stop A Feud” and I look forward to the next series in the story. And the Red Tide is a new phenomenon to us; thanks for the background.
Hey Ginny, First of all thanks for reading. We try to keep folks abreast of what’s going on and sometimes we get wrapped around the old axle and use too much alphabet soup. And of course sometimes we get bored and just make up acronyms to amuse ourselves and see if anyone is paying attention so thanks for keeping us honest. There are probably some we’ll miss but here’s a list of the acronyms we can think of that we use from time to time – some of which we made up.
About the Island Moon The Island Moon is published every other Friday, Dale Rankin, Editor. 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. Mailed subscriptions are available in the US and are $100 per year. Next day home delivered subscriptions are $100 per year on Padre Island and in Flour Bluff. News articles, photos, display ads, classified ads, payments, etc. may be left in the Moon tray at Isle Mail & More, 14493 S P I D. For more information call 361-949-7700 or contact the Moon at 15201 S Padre Island Dr., Suite 250, Corpus Christi, TX 78418 or by e-mail to editor@islandmoon.com.
1. Venetian Macao at 546,000 sq ft - opened in 2007 2. City of Dreams in Macao at 420,000 sq ft - opened in 2009 3. Foxwoods at 340,000 sq ft - opened in 1986 4. Casino Ponte 16 in Macao at 270,000 sq ft -opened in 2009
Therefore, I just wanted to make your readers aware of the growing trend of much larger casinos being built overseas. Wayne Mastalski Editor’s note; Thanks Wayne. We stand corrected.
Make Ronnie Narmour Dance
I love all the ‘Stuff ‘ I read about in the Moon about our neighborhoods, the Art scene, political agenda, crazy pictures of folks having a grand time but my favorite is the back page with Ronnie Lamour. He has such a knowledge of the music scene and where to go to hear the best musicians to dance. And who doesn’t like to dance? From Austin to St.Louis this guy knows music. The coastal bend needs to know our abundant music scene so please keep it up Ronnie!
Island Acronyms
Ginny Valleau
Office Lisa Towns Classifieds Arlene Ritley Design/Layout Jeff Craft Contributing Writers (In no particular order) Devorah Fox Sunny Reed Mary Craft Chris Adler Maybeth Christiansen Dr. Tom Dorrell Kendal Ezell Jay Gardner Diane Halfety Todd Hunter Mike (Murph) Murphy Ronnie Narmour Dr. Donna Shaver Photographers Andre LaVoy Patrick Lewis Miles Merwin Office Security/Spillage Control Riley P. Dog Editor/Publisher/Spillage Control Supervisor Dale Rankin
Manuel Baigorri of Bloomberg Busines Week has written articles on the largest casinos in the world and he states the following are the top 4 casinos in the world today:
Brenda Barnett, Port A
Also, thanks for the info on businesses and business events on the Island. We look forward to future issues of the Island Moon.
Mike Ellis, Founder Distribution Pete Alsop Island Delivery Coldwell Banker Advertising Jan Park Rankin
However, in that article, you stated that the WinStar casino in Oklahoma is the third largest casino in the world. Your source was probably Wikipedia, which states “renamed Winstar World Casino in 2009 and the 519,000 square foot of casino made it Oklahoma’s largest casino and the third largest in the world.” The Wikipedia article should have stated that it may have been the third largest casino at that time. Since the WinStar was completed there have been considerable casino expansion and now Macao is the home of the largest casinos in the world.
Now if we could ever get him on the dance floor that ‘d be even better.
Perhaps you could make your writers aware that not everyone who reads the Island Moon grew up in this area.
Who Are the Moon Monkeys
Casino
November 16, 2011
JELM is a volunteer organization that is based in the Community Presbyterian Church located at 1135 Alister in Port Aransas. The letters stand for Joint Effort Leisure Ministry and that pretty describes what they do. They organize activities for Senior Citizens and are the busiest during the months when Winter Texans are in town. They put together trips and lectures and all kinds of things that are either free or very inexpensive. The church also does a food pantry. You can find them on the church’s website or call them at 361 749-5319. They are a great organization for Winter Texans. POA is the Padre Isles Property Owners Association. It’s been around since the 1960’s when The Island was developed as a master-planned community. There are 3080 single-family homes and 2000 residential/commercial sites in the POA boundaries. POA also maintains the seven boat ramps on The Island and the 30-plus miles of concrete bulkheads that keep our houses from sliding into the canals. Maybeth Christensen writes the POA column for the Moon and fields the calls over at the POA office. Most of these are complaints from people about barking dogs, the neighbor’s new deck (too big, too small, painted purple, etc.), cars in the street, cats in the trees, coyotes in the yards (for the record the POA does not control them), sandburs, fish guts in the canals, No Wake violators, trashy vacant lots, calls from people who are unhappy and don’t know why, and occasionally about the rules that say what can and can’t be built out here. As you have probably figured out Maybeth’s job requires the Patience of Job and the Wisdom of Solomon. It’s the job of the POA to enforce the deed covenants and collective rules that keep your neighbor from building the Tower of Babel in his backyard then sitting on top of it all night playing his ukulele and sinking the second verse of Oh How I Want To Go Home over and over. They are the Thin Blue Line (TBL) that separates us from anarchy. POD – Well, this one often means Payable On Death but since it was used in the context of UPS (United Parcel Service) it is either Proof Of Delivery (a UPS term) or the description of a box where parcels bound for Island mailboxes can be stored for later delivery. Think of it as a spider web system and the PODS are the nodes. During Back to School Season (BS) it could also mean Parents On Demerol, or Produce On Demand. But for now let’s go with the dropbox POD. OTB – Over The Bridge. This is a term invented by the now departed Mr. Dick who was the pro over at Padre Isles Country Club who still holds the record for avoiding going OTB at around 435 days. He finally broke down and went OTB to visit his friend in the hospital. This also passes for a Four-Letter word on The Island. It is to be avoided when at all possible. When used in a sentence it is usually followed by a rolling of the eyes, a sigh, or a real four-letter word. As in, “I had to go OTB today dang it. Had to get groceries,” which often prompts another OTB – “Oh, Too Bad.” Some years ago there was a nascent movement to Drop The Bridge (DTB) in an effort to sever the Island’s umbilical cord and stop people in town from coming OTB. It was discarded as impractical because the Laguna Madre is too shallow for ferries. CRS – Can’t Remember… Stuff. This is often seen in our older citizens however, we do see it more and more in younger Islanders when accompanied by bloodshot eyes. Symptoms involve walking into a room and forgetting why you are there, driving away from your house with the strange feeling you forgot something and then discovering it was your pants, or serving cold pasta to your guests because you forgot to turn the oven on. CRS…try to remember it. (Hint: It doesn’t work with the IRS). ISAC – Island Strategic Action Committee. This is the 14 member committee that the Corpus Christi City Council (CCCC) has established to vett issues and projects from The Island before they go to the CCCC. They meet the first Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. (we always have to put the p.m. because we have some early risers) at Padre Isles Country Club. The meetings are open to the public and if you have a question you would like answered go to a meeting with your question and they will put it on the agenda for the next meeting and the City Staff will come back next time with an answer. It’s the best way to keep up with what is happening on The Island.
After years of having our Island projects stuck in purgatory the ISAC has been a great vehicle for us to get things moving. None of the major projects, from the Park Road Bridge to improvements around Packery Channel, would have ever happened without the monthly updates on their progress that goes before the ISAC. We encourage Islanders to attend and speak up.
IUPAC – This is the Island United Political Action Committee. It was formed about three years ago to provide a vehicle for Islanders to endorse candidates for city offices. All registered voters on The Island are eligible to join. In the two city election cycles after its formation nine of ten candidates endorsed by the IUPAC have won. They will become even more crucial as the city elections move from the traditional spring dates to the November ballots beginning next fall. You can contact them on their website.
ICW – IntraCoastal Waterway canal – also known as The Ditch. This is the canal that goes under the high portion of the JFK Bridge over by Doc’s Restaurant. It was originally dug during World War II to allow ships to move around the country without going into open water where German U-Boats lurked. It goes from Brownsville to Carrabelle, Florida, then up the east coast to Norfolk for a total of about 3000 miles. It also connects to the mouth of the Mississippi River where you can head north all the way to the country’s most inland port at Catoosa, Oklahoma, almost all the way to Tulsa. See what kind of reaction you get when you tell your friends you are going to sail to Tulsa.
Along our Island it is dredged to around twelve feet and is wide enough for barge traffic. It is popular with sailors traveling both near and far.
Notice it is InTRAcoastal rather than InTERcoastal. Intercoastal is used when you are talking about two different coasts, Intracoastal is used when you are referring something within that coast itself. So there you go. See, we all learned something today now if we can just avoid our CRS kicking in we will be able to impress our friends and scare our enemies.
BSR – Belt Sander Races. These are a local phenomenon which recently made the History Channel. They are held on sporadic Saturdays at The Gaff on Beach Street in Port Aransas. The Gaff is the closest thing we have to a pirate bar and the belt sander track is out back. As the name implies racers bring their belt sander over and race it down the track. This is wildly popular with Winter Texans since the beer is cheap, BYOB is allowed, and the graffiti on the walls is way above average. Our personal favorite: To those who wish us ill – may God turn their hearts If not – may He at least turn their ankles so that we may know them by their limp A pirate bar indeed.
OBB – Odessa By the Bay. This is a term often used in disgust to describe The Sparkling City By The Sea after an Islander has been forced to go OTB. As in, “I see why they call this town OBB after I had to go OTB today and when I got there my CRS kicked in and I just turned around and came back OTB.” Anyone who has ever been to Odessa understands this.
NMS – Naked Man Syndrome. This is the term used after someone has driven down Kleberg Beach and had to witness the naked men who run around down there in the altogether. As in, “I had NMS today and had to go looking for my Buck Knife to poke out my one good eye.” Avoid NMS if you can.
BIB – Bird Island Basin. This is a world class windsurfing spot where our friend Don Jackson operates Worldwinds for windsurfing and Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP). It’s a short drive down toward PINS and if you’ve never been it’s a great way to spend an afternoon either out on the water or just sitting and watching. They have all the gear you need and the water is shallow so if you fall off you can get right back on.
During certain times of the year, like the Fall, visitors come from literally all over the world to windsurf there due to the great conditions. But be aware that if you go you may fall victim to TMF, (Too Much Fun). PINS – Padre Island National Seashore. We all know what that is. PICC – Padre Isles Country Club. The Island’s golf course.
PIBA – Padre Island Business Association. The organization that represents Island businesses. It’s like our version of the Chamber of Commerce. They sponsor the PIBA luncheon at the PICC and the PIBA mixer each month at VL (various locations).
BHP – Bob Hall Pier. Go check out the new addition. It’s a great place for people watching.
TIF or TIRZ – The Island’s Tax Increment Financing Zone. This is the area which stretches roughly from Packery Channel, to Whitecap and to the base of the JFK Bridge. Part of the tax revenue raised from it is set aside to pay for Island improvements. It raised between $3 million and $7 million per year depending on how the economy is doing. The money is controlled by the City Council with substantial input from the ISAC.
IOD – Island Overlay District. This zone covers all the commercial zoning areas of The Island. It was established in 2004 after the giant shark was built at the souvenir shop at the corner of South Padre Island Drive (SPID) and Commodores to prevent, well, the building of any more Giant Sharks.
It covers everything from what color a business’ building can be to what kind of sign they can have, to how many parking places they need. To prevent another giant shark it says that a sign must be “at least one foot smaller than the object it depicts.” So if you painted a Giant Shark black and white and called it a killer what it would be fine; come to think of it that ordinance might need some work. What is someone decides to build the Titanic Raspa Factory?