Cell Phone on a Kite Aerial Photos by Steve Coons
Issue 552
The voice of The Island since 1996
Free
The Island Moon
November 13, 2014 Around The Island By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com
They are starting to show up. Texas Snowflakes. They form clouds pushed south by low pressure systems spun off of the Polar Vortex as it blasts out of the frozen Artic and sweeps across the square states with nothing to stop it but barbed wire fences. They start arriving in mid-autumn and by Thanksgiving they dot the landscape. They often land near the beach, and surround the belt sander track at The Gaff, and pile up at Island Italian on Sunday nights. No, they aren’t really Texas Snowflakes they just follow the same weather patterns. This week marked the sightings of the first caravans of Winnebagos pulling cars and with little yappy dogs in the windows as the latest Artic Blast swept down from the Great White North dropping temperatures as far south as Oklahoma City by 34 between Monday and Tuesday. Their arrival marks the beginning of the third and last season on the Island calendar – the Winter Texan Season (Nov-March –Spring Break), which follows Turtle Season (AprilJuly) , which follows Tourist Season (Memorial Day-Labor Day with an Indian Summer at Spring Break). You know The Gaff; the place where there, on a ceiling tile, a Winter Texan scrawled the immortal words: To those whose love us May God never turn your heart And to those who dislike us May God turn your ankle So that we may know you by your limp Welcome home Winter Texans.
Our friend Dan We lost a great Islander and true gentleman last week with the passing of long-time Islander Dan Winship. His imprint on The Island was evidenced by the standing-roomonly-out-the-door crowd at Island Presbyterian Church on Saturday. Those of us who knew Dan knew that Dan was a graduate of Texas A&M University where he and Nueces County Judge Lloyd Neal were members of the Corps of Cadets. The program for Dan’s funeral contained the words to the Aggie War Hymn and Judge Neal read aloud The Last Corps Trip written by P.H. DuVal, Jr. Class of ’51 which is the traditional sendoff for the Aggie faithful and read each year at the Aggie Bonfire. Referring to entering the Pearly Gates it ends with the words, “And the colonel of the Cadet Corps said as he stiffly took the stand, ‘It’s just another Corps Trip, boys, We’ll march in behind the band.” Then about an hour later the Aggie football team kicked off in Alabama against #3 Auburn. The Aggies had been in a bit of a tailspin of late, losing three of their last four and barely getting by the juggernaut Warhawks from the University of Louisiana Monroe the week before by a 2116 score. They were starting a true freshman at quarterback on the road; there was little joy in Aggieland. But miraculously Auburn fumbled on two of their last four plays from scrimmage, the first on the Aggie two-yard line as they drove for the winning score and the second astoundingly on the snap from center as they entered field goal range, with the Aggies recovering both securing the three-point upset and sending delirium throughout the Aggie Nation. Now we’re not saying that proves anything about divine Aggie allegiance, but is does make you think. Maybe someone up there said this one is for our friend Dan. Dan and Karen have been the driving force behind the building of the new Port Aransas Art Center. Maybe Saturday’s message is that we need to get that thing built, and maybe we can put Dan and Karen’s name on the sign. Because, after all, even if it wasn’t divine Aggie intervention there in Auburn on Saturday, why take any chances? We’re just saying… So long Dan, you are missed. Say hello if you see us Around The Island.
The Island where good things come to those who bait
FREE
Weekly
$30 Million Development Planned Along Packery Channel
Update on Island projects
Water Exchange Bridge and New Island Canals
Traffic light at SPID/Aquarius Intersection necessary to attract new hotel
By Dale Rankin The public comment period for permits to cut new canals on The Island, including the one which will run under the Water Exchange Bridge on SPID, ended last week with nine queries from the public filed.
Projects continued on A3
La Posada!
th
40
Annual
The kickoff party for the 40th edition of the La LA POSADA Posada Lighted Lighted Boat Parade Boat Parade is less than three weeks away. The organizers at the Padre Island Yacht Club are still looking for live auction items and door prizes. The party that starts it all runs from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Scuttlebutt’s Restaurant on Tuesday, December 2. Bring a toy for Toys for Tots. For complete La Posada information see page A5 is this issue.
Junior Maroon Hornets One Win Away From Super Bowl!
On Saturday the FBYFL Junior Maroon Hornets will face the Oso Bears, and the winner will earn a spot in the South Texas Youth Football League Super Bowl. The team, composed of 9 and 10-year olds, won last Saturday, beating the Warcats 12-6 in double overtime. Photos by Shannon Trial
By Dale Rankin A $30 million development including a 101 room hotel and retail sites at the intersection of SPID and Aquarius at the base of the JFK Causeway is moving through the planning process and will be presented to the Island Strategic Action Committee at its next meeting on Tuesday December 2. Walter Busby, Managing Partner with Turner Busby Development in San Antonio, is the developer of the project, which is called Packery Pointe Subdivision. “We have been working on this project for about a year,” Busby said, “Before that we couldn’t see the reason for being there, but with the development, such as Schlitterbahn, which is now coming in it makes sense.” Turner
Busby
Development
developed the 3500-acre Alamo Ranch subdivision in San Antonio, several hotel projects, and Eagle Ford Landing which is a $31 million, 378-unit apartment community on the southeast side of San Antonio. Busby’s partner in the company is Tom O. Turner whose grandfather was the founder of Sigmor and the developer of Sonterra Country Club in San Antonio. Aside from the hotel, Busby said a Starbucks coffee house and other retail developments are planned, along with a small bar/restaurant operation which would be located on the portion of the site which fronts Packery Channel on the east. He said in order for the hotel to be included in the development a traffic light is needed at the intersection of SPID and Aquarius.
“It will stay green most of the time, but it needs to be there for safety.” The company hired Urban Engineering to conduct a warrant
Development continued on A4
Inside the Moon
Airtales A4
“We need to have something to slow down traffic in that area,” Busby said.
SH 361 Widening In Port Aransas Set To Begin Week Of Nov. 17 Initial work will include single lane closures, one-way traffic during the day
SH 361 Improvement Project – Port Aransas, Texas
Hornet quarterback Nash Villegas looks to pass down field to receiver Ryan McMinn as linebacker Chase Welp holds off a defender. Villegas completed several long passes and ran the ball well, including a touchdown run during regulation. more photos on page A2
The project to widen SH 361 from Avenue G to Access Road 1A in Port Aransas is set to begin the week of Nov. 17, weather permitting. Initial activity will include asphalt milling and repaving of existing sections of roadway. This will require single lane closures and one-way traffic where the work is taking place. One-way traffic will be controlled by flaggers. The lane closures will only take place during daytime hours.
Motorists should expect delays. The $13 million project will add a travel lane in each direction, 1.3 miles of center, left-turn lane, a 5-footwide sidewalk on the west side of the road, a 10-foot-wide sidewalk on the east side of the road and a curb and gutter drainage system. Construction is estimated to be completed by the end of 2016.
A Little Island History
The hotel was used to house potential land buyers who came to the Island from as far away as Europe, Canada and South America who hoped (literally) to get in on the ground level of Island development, It was also a Mecca for tourists who just wanted to enjoy the beach plus nightlife with live music and a dance floor. The few homes that were here at the time were located near the Packery Channel. There was a Dairy Queen at Encantada where
On the Rocks A7
Hornets in the Playoffs A8
The Million Dollar Inn’s Heyday Years 1967 - 1972 By Mary Craft The Million Dollar Inn Opened its doors in 1967 on the beach between the Holiday Inn (formerly Red Carpet Inn) and the Island House Condos. It was part of a plan to bring South Florida, Fort Lauderdale style development to the Island.
Fishing with Farah A7
October 2014
Cold-Weather Gardening A9
the school is now, Seven Seas Souvenir Shop next to it, Jito’s Surf/ Snack Shop where the Country Store was, In & Out drive thru burger place where Prudential Real Estate building is, Frenchy’s Bar where American
Bank is, Loma Alta kitchenette motel where Scuttlebutt’s is and the Western Motel in the building next to Island Italian.
History continued on A6
Live Music A16