CC MAGAZINE
JEFF CRAFT Publisher
JCRAFT@CCMAGONLINE.COM
DALE RANKIN
Editor in Chief / Co-publisher EDITOR@CCMAGONLINE.COM
JAN PARK-RANKIN
Advertising Director/ Co-publisher ADS@CCMAGONLINE.COM
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Samantha Koepp, Dale Rankin, Georgia Griffin, Ronnie Narmour, Aletha Eyerman-Craft
PHOTOGRAPHY Lenz Photos Courtesy of Tony Martinez & thecrushgirls.com. Miles Merwin, Jan Rankin, Dale Rankin, Ronnie Narmour, Georgia Griffin, Some Photos Courtesy of The Island Moon Newspaper
From the Publisher... 2011 is just about over and we’re looking forward to a lot of big changes in 2012. By this time next year, we’ll have two new waterparks and Destination Bayfront will be helping drive business downtown. Several new large scale industrial businesses are breaking ground around the bay area, and our local economy should be running strong in a year. As long as I’ve been in Corpus Christi, I’ve felt like we’re just on the edge of really taking off as an economic region, but never more than now. There’s a lot to look forward to, and a few hiccups should be expected, but I’m positive that the CC region is going to really take off next year.
Big Mess We need to address some real quality of life issues, and do it now, so we can attract the workforce needed to build up our economy. In this issue, Mr. Smarty Pants suggests we ban those one time use plastic bags we see roosting in trees and on our beaches. That’s a good place to start. I know a lot of people who spend a lot of time cleaning up litter from our streets and beaches, and right now, they’re losing the battle. Cleaning up is good, but avoiding the mess altogether is better.
It’s Not Them It’s Us Corpus Christi is poised for growth, but it’s been poised for growth for a while now, so let’s not kid ourselves. Maybe it’s us. If Corpus Christi wants to attract the kind of 21st century industry to our area that will really boost our economy and improve the lives of our citizens, we have to ask ourselves and honestly answer, “What do we have to offer?” Over the years we have seen one company after another either turn us down or leave for greener pastures, and we just might be in denial about the reasons. If we want a highly paid workforce, we have to provide an environment that is attractive to educated and creative people. A lot of people are trying to do just that for our city and we need to support them however we can, even if that means turning off the television and showing up at a public meeting once in a while. We have a great opportunity to look at what other cities have done in our position, and choose our path instead of just letting it happen to us.
Big Ideas We’re going to have to make decisions as a city in the next year that will effect how we grow over the next decade, we need to decide what kinds of industry to encourage, and we’re going to have to all become a little more involved in the decision making process if we’re going to succeed. When I first moved to Corpus Christi, I was blown away by the idea that a city could create a free wifi network for everybody. Yes, it was spotty in places, but the idea that there were big ideas being tried had a big role in my decision to live here. We have a lot going for us, and we can build on what we’ve done before. Right now there’s no shortage of big ideas, and a lot of talented people are doing everything they can to make them happen. Happy Holidays from all of us at CC Magazine, and may we all have a prosperous 2012.
Jeff Craft © Copyright 2011 all rights reserved. CC Publishing, LLC reserves the right to edit, rewrite & refuse editorial materials and assumes no responsibility for accuracy, errors, omissions, or consequence arising from it. CC magazine shall be held harmless indemnified against any third party claims. CC Publishing, LLC accepts no claims made by agents, contributors or photographers. Opinions expressed by contributing writers or columnists are not necessarily those of CC Publishing, LLC or its affiliates. Advertisers appearing in CC magazine present only the viewpoint of the advertisers. CC magazine is printed in the USA. We assume no responsibility for advertising claims made in this publication. All correspondence to this publication becomes the property of CC magazine. Publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without express permission of the publisher and author(s).