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December 13, 2012What happens on The Island leaves on Sunday. Next Publication Date: 12/20/2012 Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper Year 15, Issue 453

Around The IslandBy Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com Moon Mike liked to compare La Posada parties

to seven-layer bean dip; everyone may be on a certain level at the beginning but by the end the crowd is all mixed together in one big happy mash. This year was no exception. The first rule of La Posada parties is that if you heard about one then you’re invited because someone you know was invited. Just show up with a dish of food and whatever you plan to drink and come on in. If the deck is rockin’ don’t bother knockin’. That was pretty much the case last weekend as The Island was alive with people and parties.

If anyone has any doubt about whether Santa Clause is an Islander all we can say is you weren’t paying attention last weekend as Santas of all shapes and sizes, mostly wearing flip-flops, flooded The Island with toys which even as you read this are on their way to the North Pole for worldwide distribution.

The exact number of toys collected this year for Toys For Tots through the hard work of Islanders, and especially the folks at the Padre Island Yacht Club, are included elsewhere in this issue; suffice it to say there was more than a couple of sleighs full. In fact there was a Ryder Truck stuffed to the gunwales on Sunday morning at the Yacht Club as the toys were loaded for delivery to the Marines. There were workers at the Yacht Club until almost midnight on Saturday as boats continued to roll in from stops around the La Posada Lighted Parade route with toys they had collected from deck parties all over The Island.

For the first time in a couple of years the weather on both Friday and Saturday nights cooperated and The Island was in full party mode as decks from Caravel to Cayo Cantiles strained under the weight of hordes of revelers watching what was one of the largest boat parades we’ve had in years as fourteen boats on Friday, and twenty one on Saturday, made the promenade through Island canals tossing candy and collecting toys. We are proud to announce that only one Moon Monkey fell (all the way) into the drink during the parade and managed to escape unscathed except for some waterlogged clothes and dinged up dignity.

There was an overflow crowd at the Yacht Club on Saturday night and cars lined up along the end of Whitecap to watch as the boats made the turn. No records are kept of such things but it looked to be the largest group of spectators ever. All in all this was one of the most successful La Posada Lighted Boat Parades we’ve ever had, including the Kickoff Party on Tuesday at Scuttlebutt’s, and from the looks of things next year should be even better.

We want to send out a hardy Attaboy to the folks at the Island Foundation, Padre Island Yacht Club, and the many Island organizations who worked to make the event such a great success. We can’t wait for next year.

In January we will enter our second year of weekly publication after fifteen years of being a fortnightly. In the meantime say hello if you see us Around The Island.

Inside the Moon...

Fighting CIty Hall A6 Sports A7 La Posada A9, A11Travel A8

Island Area News ● Events ● Entertainment

Concept and Photo by Miles Merwin

It is Official – Duck Hunting Within 1000 Feet of Island Homes is Now Illegal

Decade-long controversy finally settled at City Hall

As we reported last week the Corpus Christi City Council on Tuesday finally weighed in on the enforcement of a ban which prohibits discharging a firearm within 1000 feet of Island homes.

Homeowners near freshwater ponds near the end of Primavera and Sea Pines have complained for years about hunters shooting too near their homes and last year filled the air with a barrage of flack as dry conditions pushed more hunters into areas near homes and Corpus

Christi Police officers found themselves caught between irate homeowners, a handful of hunters ignoring the law, and a city ordinance too full of holes to be enforced.

The problem with enforcement of the 1000-foot provision in the ordinance stemmed from two sources.

One, the City Attorney’s Office for the past two duck seasons has cited a clause in

Island Stocking Stuffer…

101 Reasons You Might Be An

Islander…(or not)

Salty Sue and Island Mike have gone and done it.

They have written a book entitled 101 Reasons You Might Be An Islander (or not). The illustrations are done by Wes Nyle and it is just in time for Christmas and may be the ultimate Island Stocking Stuffer.

There are ten illustrations and 101 reasons; so we’ll run ten reasons and one illustration each issue for the next ten issues. We’re not sure what we’ll do with the one reason that’s left over…so here goes…

You know you’re an Islander when…

You’re too laid back to actually count to see if there are 101 reasons in this book

You know the kitty on the lost cat flyer isn’t going to be found

You have, have had, or know someone who owns a dog named Roxy

You’ve been around long enough to eat second generation pizza and hear second generation music at the local Italian hangout

You take a boat, not a car, to eat the best seafood on The Island

You grill …a lot…just to be outdoors

After years of working OTB, you create a job you can do from your home so you don’t have to go OTB

You’re typo tolerant (we think that one’s a shot at the Moon, but if the shoe fits…)

Your wardrobe includes yard flip flops, town, flip flops, and wedding flip flops

Going OTB (over the bridge) is worse that going OTH (over the hill)

Toys for Tots – An Island Success StoryBy Brent Rourk

Members of the Padre Island Yacht Club (PIYC) appeared with coffee in hand beginning at 7:30 A.M. on Sunday morning. It seemed like only hours earlier they had been organizing and enjoying a boat parade and toy collection as well as storing countless bags of toys donated during the La Posada Boat Parades and the La Posada Kick-off Party at Scuttlebutts.

The bottom floor of the PIYC was full of bags brimming with toys waiting to be transferred to the large yellow truck. Soon over 50 PIYC members formed lines to carry the toys from the building to the parking lot and eventually into the waiting truck. It was like watching precision clockwork as bags went from hand to hand until ultimately they found and filled the truck.

PIYC members, happy with the haul of toys, then celebrated the parades and the hard work

done by hundreds with a fabulous breakfast and an awards ceremony.

Later La Posada organizer Jim Weatherill obtained final toy numbers; 3,903 toys plus enough cash from donations and auctions to purchase an additional 220 toys, making a total of 4,123 toys. Mr. Weatherill added, “It’s all about the kids”. He also wanted to, “thank everybody on the island for their generosity and kindness”.

Countless children in South Texas will have a little happier Christmas thanks to your generosity and the work of the PIYC. There is still time to donate to Toys for Tots. Toys are being accepted through December 19th. You can drop off your toys at CVS, Mail Plus, The German Bakery, and Docs.

A little Island history

World Set to End on Friday, December 21!(or maybe not)

Editor’s note: We’re going to take a time out from our regular series of history stories this time because, well, the next time we will publish is only one day before the End of the World; that is if certain interpreters of the Mayan Calendar who believe the world will end on Friday, December 21 are correct.

Here at the Island Moon we don’t use Mayan Calendars, we mostly use Dog Calendars, or Cat Calendars, or Beach Scene Calendars; and always Free Calendars and so far those have kept on coming in the mail so we don’t buy into the End of the World outlook.

But given that so many people are talking about it we decided this time we’ll take a look at what the fuss is all about. We realize it is not specifically Island History, but hey, if the world ends we won’t have any Winter Texans

arriving in January so let’s go with that..

The only thing we can say for sure is no matter what December 21 will mark the end for people who sell Mayan Calendars …so here goes…

By Dale Rankin

It all started with a story in the journal Science. The story described a small painted room unearthed in 2011 in the Mayan ruins in Xultun, Guatemala. The Mayan civilization lived between 2000 BC and the Spanish conquistadors’ arrival in the 16th century and reached its zenith from 300AD to 900AD.

The Xultun site was first described by archaeologists in 1915 and had been explored and plundered ever since. But the 2011 find

Doomsday continued on A3

Moon Holiday Schedule

The last issue of the Island Moon for 2012 will be on

Thursday, December 20. We will not publish on Thursday, December 27, because – well,

we don’t want to work on Christmas Day and neither

does our printer.So we’ll see you in these pages next Thursday, then again on

the other side of the New Year.

Ducks continued on A5

More La Posada Photos on A9

Winners of Christmas Lights

Home DecorationsPhotos in next issue

Waterside

15808 Punta Espada

15810 Punta Espada

14714 Cuttysark

13533 Peseta

15205 Caraval

15205 Cartegena

13526 Port Royal

13517 King Phillip Ct.

14106 Palo Seco

16121 Cuttysark

14321 Dorsal

14212 Playa Del Rey

Streetside

14321 Dorsal

14212 Playa Del Rey

14222 San FelipeWinners continued on A11

Photo by Miles Merwin

Santa’s Not The Only One Who

Wears Red!

On December 4th, the Island PIPPs Chapter of the Red Hat Society held their

annual Christmas luncheon at Senor Jaime’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina. Gifts were exchanged and a dice game was played which added to the spirited

party. Pictured are the PIPPs in their gala attire.

A 2 Island Moon December 13, 2012

Lift your Holiday spirits with 5 dollar U Call it

Martinis every Thursday only at Scuttlebutt’s.

Dec

25%OFF

DON’T BE A GRINCH!PETS NEED GROOMING

TOO!

MUST PRESENT

COUPON AT DROP-OFF

Mystery Person of the Week

This week’s mystery person is quite the challenge as is her name. Any guesses? Send them to editor@

islandmoon.com for bragging rights because we don’t think anyone is going to get this one.

Private Aircraft Leasing & Management

•Fly from The Island or CC Intl •Perfect for Intrastate Business •All Destinations, Big or Small •3-4 Passenger Capacity Call 830-734-2346 for 2013 Lease Information

“Accomplish Your Texas Business. Get back to the Island for Dinner!”

Photos

1st Photo- Marilyn Cook ,Brundrett Middle School 6th Grade Art

2nd Photo- Some Flour Bluff Winning Students- Left to Right-

Jaylen Pigford 11th grade-BEST OF SHOW

Jared Brandt 11th grade-1st Place

Ethan Herrick 8th grade-1st Place

Breana Ortega-12th grade-1st Place

Bryan Reed 8th grade-Honorable Mention

3rd Photo- Parents & kids Checking out the Student Art Show

Teachers

Brundrett Middle School, Port A– Marilyn Cook

Port Aransas High School- Tom McHenry

Seashore Middle Academy -Aaron Boudreau

Flour Bluff Jr. High - Ryan Williams& Lori Lee

Flour Bluff High School - Charlotte Walker

& Valerie Lichtenberger

Judges

Dianne Berman, Gary Hansen

Judith DeShong Hall

Port Aransas Art Center Photo Contest Winners

Marilyn Cook & PA 6 Grade Art

Student Winners Flour Bluff

(Right) SMA 7th graders take a group photo of the 67-foot-tall Sam Houston

statue.

(Top Left) Isaac Fluhr pauses to look at a display

of homemade prison weapons at the Texas

Prison Museum. The group also saw “Old Sparky” and entered a jail cell replica at the museum.

(Bottom Left) Tour guides at Sam Houston State

University teach the SMA group the “Sic ‘em kats” chant during their tour of

the campus.

Seashore News

(Top Left) Shawn Etheridge, Javier Munoz and Scott

Eggleston at the Toys for Tots benefit at Lug

Nutz in Port A last weekend.

(Top Right) Ray T and the City Crew with Joe Sergina, Juan Jimenez,

Mike Calloway and Ray Tijerina, plus Shawn Etheridge,

Javier Munoz and Scott Eggleston at the Toys for Tots benefit at Lug

Nutz in Port A last weekend.

(Bottom) The Toys for Tots Benefit at Lug Nutz in Port A last weekend.

Port A Toy Drive

Paul and Nola are Winter Texans from Michigan. They walk the seawall and beach almost every morning wearing

matching outfits. They alerted the Moon Monkey’s to an error in the tide charts

but actually the charts are correct we just forgot to change the heading in the last

two issues. Thanks for reading. Photo by Jan Rankin

Kym and Dave at Scuttlebutt’s treated the Flour Bluff Hornet football team to dinner the night before their win

last weekend. Go Hornets!

December 13, 2012 Island Moon A 3

SkywatchA Daily Astrological Timing Guide for All Signs

Research & Analysis by Islander W. Lance Ferguson

Available online at www.skywatchastrology.com

Thursday, December 13. Stick to routine. Caution lights. A New Moon in optimistic Sagittarius became exact at 2:42 AM early this morning. New Moons set up good two week periods of time to plant seeds and initiate new projects. Just don’t be rushing in too quickly as the Moon turns Void of Course a minute later and stays V/C until she enters practical Capricorn at 3:43 PM Thursday afternoon. Green lights come on for the rest of the day and night once the Moon changes signs. Something surprising could bubble up Thursday night as the Moon squares unpredictable Uranus at 11 PM. Stay up later and Mercury trines truthful Uranus at 5:25 AM early Friday morning. As times change.

Friday, December 14. A strange buzz is in the air this morning, but green lights are up. Messenger Mercury lines up a harmonious trine to brilliant Uranus at 5:25 AM which can spark a flash of understanding—you may come up with a new solution/idea even if you wake up groggy. At the same time the Moon meets compulsive Pluto in the heavens and we react from our guts more than logic. Quiet hours follow as the Moon sails out into quiet seas for the rest of the day and night.

THE WEEKEND: The Moon meets assertive Mars at 2:17 AM early Saturday morning and then finds her way into calm waters—green lights are up as you make the coffee. The kiss of the day appears at 3:15 PM when the Moon sextiles/harmonizes with sweet Venus and we all find a way to agree to disagree. Luna then turns Void of Course until she enters Aquarius at 3:53 PM Saturday afternoon. And this is the usual period of time for a V/C cycle. We have much longer ones now due to how the other planets are situated. One more kiss at 11:30 PM finds the Moon in a positive connection with friendly Uranus—speak up.

Sleep in. The Skywatch is spacey Sunday morning. The Moon squares grumpy Saturn at 5:27 AM but travels on to trine easygoing Jupiter at 7:38 AM. Translation: Some campers will be happy at the breakfast table, and some will not. Add one more layer of confusion as Venus squares dreamy Neptune just past noon, at 12:25 PM. This is a sweet and lazy pair who spend money like water and prefer to escape responsibilities and for you to pick up the tab. Afternoon hours are thus much better for important calls and shopping as green lights come on by 1 PM and remain on for the rest of the day and night. As times change.

Monday, December 17. Tackle the hard jobs first thing and get the important stuff done before a welcome Sun Moon sextile at 12:11 PM expires. Because the Moon turns Void of Course a minute later until she enters Pisces at 6:48 PM early this evening turning on the caution lights. Double-check the details today as Mercury lines up opposite Jupiter in the heavens at 1:22 PM encouraging some folks to promise more than they can deliver and increasing the likelihood of errors and inflated numbers to show up. The Moon meets spacey Neptune in the heavens at 8:07 PM this evening. It’s a good hour for a sweet bedtime story. But will probably signal a breakdown in the defense on the football field tonight, along with shots of some blasted fans in the stands who started the party way too early.

A major alignment of three planets forming a “Y” appears in the heavens this week. The

first elements become exact as Jupiter lines up in an inconjunct with Pluto and Saturn on the 20th and 22nd. This formation is called a Yod and typically increases the stress on your job and with health matters. Jupiter’s influence also encourages us to spend too much, gamble too much and to ignore responsibilities. Stay off that train this week, play it safe and conservative in all matters and you are not likely to suffer.

Tuesday, December 18. Hot and cold. Tackle the hard jobs first thing. The Moon trines dependable Saturn at 9:46 AM and then sextiles powerful Pluto at 10:34 AM Tuesday morning encouraging agreement, understanding and good decisions around your home or office. Double-check the details when the Moon squares overconfident Jupiter at 11:16 AM and again when the Moon squares trickster Mercury at 2:10 PM. Moon squares are minor and their energy usually shows up just before the exact alignment and fades quickly thereafter. Clear skies follow on the surface for the rest of the day and night. But in the jet stream, Jupiter is about to form a stressful inconjunct to compulsive Pluto—stay under the speed limit, don’t gamble with anything important this week and pay attention to health issues. As times change.

Wednesday, December 19. A day of Grace. Green lights. As long as you don’t go overboard in expectations or spending, this is an excellent day for important calls, appointments, shopping and business. The main event is sweet Venus lining up in a trine to creative Uranus, exact at 3:39 PM. This can be love at first sight with a person, idea or car. So this is a good day for a beauty treatment and a haircut, Venus ruled —or to buy a car, computer or something high tech—ruled by Uranus. Caution lights come on this evening as the Sun and Moon square at 11:19 PM. Lock up and call it early tonight.

If your birthday is this week (Dec 16–22), all this commotion in the heavens now becomes a part of your Solar Return, the chart of your new year, late Sagittarius and early Capricorn birth signs. The Yod formation promises success after a struggle—it’s actually a positive force but cautions you against going too fast, too far, too quickly. Pace yourself and accept the fact that you will need to adjust matters and reinvent pieces of the plan over and over. You can benefit greatly from the Venus Uranus trine in your new SR, both with love and money. The trine prompts you to use your own original ideas/plans and to look for groups and associations with your interests—that’s where you can find love and support. Friends can turn into lovers; people from the past can show up, too. And hard work pays off in 2013 big time. Get busy. As times change.

Thursday, December 20. Caution lights. The Moon enters fired up Aries early this morning and she meets “crazy legs” Uranus in the heavens at 10:34 AM which is bound to prompt a few smoke bombs to go off in the fifth grade music room. A challenging Jupiter Pluto inconjunct is the big event in the Skywatch today. Exact at 9:36 PM, this minor aspect gets more respect due to Jupiter’s inconjunct to Saturn forming at the same time. Bottom line: stay out of court, stay under the speed limit, don’t force the issue and let others jump into the spotlight today. The best hour for calls appears as the Moon trines sweet Venus at 12:40 PM. Stress levels are bound to rise as the Moon squares Pluto at 6:51 PM in the face of the inconjunct which follows. Play it safe and cool Thursday night. As times change.

All your Packaging needsFedEx, UPS, USPS

P.O. BoxesLocal Artistry

Gelato & CoffeesCards & Gifts (361) 949-9325

14493 S.P.I.D, Ste ACorpus Christi TX 78418

Isle Mail N MorePeewee’s Animal Shelter is located at 1307 Saratoga and has been in operations since May, 1997. Peewee’s presently houses  over 300  animals, including dogs, puppies, cats, kittens as well as, pigs, goats, rabbits and other barn animals. Peewee’s relies on donations only for its operation.

Shelter operations are accomplished strictly by donations. Peewee’s does not get any government, city or federal funding. Peewee’s helps those animals no one else will - the sick and the stray. The volunteers at Peewee’s work tirelessly to rehabilitate poor orphaned pets in the hopes that they will find new, loving homes. The dogs and cats are spayed/neutered, given regular heartworm preventative, and are on flea & tick prevention and medications as needed. Peewee’s does not discriminate due to age or health conditions of the pet. Please visit Peewee’s Pet Adoption World & Sanctuary at 1307 Saratoga Road. You can call them at 361-888-4141 but they do not have staff to answer phones so please leave a message.

Peewee's Animal Shelter

Doomsday continued from A1was something new and different. The room was described in a paper by a team led by archaeologist William Saturno of Boston University; it was built in the early 9th century and appears to have been originally used to depict historical figures and events in Mayan history. The west, north and east walls of the room, as well as the ceiling, were covered with murals, and some of the text associated with the paintings pegs the events as having occurred in the year 814.

But over the years the purpose of the room changed and the east and west walls were plastered over and pressed into service as a kind of 10th century blackboard, onto which astronomical and calendrical calculations could be etched. Multiple layers of plaster were applied, with multiple new columns of numbers and glyphs then getting inscribed on them, sort of like erasing your notes and starting over.

A new system of time

The reworking yielded a precise and detailed system of marking time and reading of the skies. Most of the east wall was given over to tracking lunar cycles and using them to frame relatively short periods in the Mayan calendar. The north wall involved planetary observations, which helped establish what the archaeologists call Long Count dates, usually 3,000 to 4,000 years in length.

The numbers used in the calculations are not numerals as we know them but arrangements of dots and bars, with each dot representing a 1 and each bar representing a 5. With the help of that simple coding, it’s possible to understand some of the Mayan units of time, such as the 360-day tun unit, the 20-day winal unit and the single-day k’in. The monthly cycles of the moon are also assembled into 178-day lunar semesters.

The smallest timescales on the longer-range north wall are 117-day cycles, which coincide with the synodic period of Mercury -- or the amount of time it takes for Earth and Mercury, when they are in a given position relative to each other, to return to that precise position as they move through their orbits. Other larger and more complex calculations suggest that the Mayans were trying to develop formulas to synchronize cycles of the moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars. These would then be assigned relevance in the Mayans’ spiritual practices. One goal of the Maya calendar keepers was to seek harmony between sky events and sacred rituals.

The calculations in the Xultun room were precursors to what’s known as the Dresden Codex, a much more sophisticated series of Mayan formulas recorded on bark-paper books in the 15th century. The two discoveries taken together allowed scientists to interpret a reference on a 1,300-year-old stone tablet discovered in the 1960s at the archaeological site of Tortuguero in the Mexican state of Tabasco These finds, when combined and unleashed on the Internet led to the End of Days scenario which took on a life of its own.

End of Days

The Mayas had an extremely complicated method of keeping track of time, based on three separate calendars. The most important, most encompassing of these calendars holds the `Long Count’ calendar - which began in 3114 BC. – and marks the period from its beginning until the end of time. On December 21st 2012, the Long Count expires. It will be point zero. To the believers this signals the end of days.

This took on new meaning when combined with a prophesy found in an ancient Mayan monument in Tortuguero, Mexico believed to have been left by a Mayan ruler. The Mayan leader, fresh from defeat on the battlefield, declared that the military setback was but one event in a larger cycle of time that would end in 2012.

Roll all of those pieces together, spin it out on the Internet to be expounded upon by various mystics and conspiracy buffs and you got yourself an End of the World Scenario.

In Mexico, one of five countries preparing to observe the date marking the end of a more than 5,000-year era, Mayan scholars say the prophesy was misinterpreted and was not meant to suggest the end of all time at all, but simply the end of the old Mayan calendar and the beginning of a new one. They point out that the Mayans had a cyclical concept of time, not one that ever focused on the end of the world. Their conclusions are based on studies of the carved stone known as the Tortuguero Monument, which now is broken into six pieces divided between Mexico and the United States, including one piece which is housed in a museum in New York.

But then there is this…

But Doomsday Scenario aside there are some intriguing facts about December 21, 2012. On that day an extraordinary and incredibly rare event will take place. The Sun will move to a unique spot in the sky -- and hold still for a while, since it is solstice day. It will sit precisely on the heavenly crossroads between the Milky Way and the galactic equinox, forming a perfect alignment with the center of the galaxy.

What does that mean? The night time sky is crossed by several mathematical lines. One is the axis of the Milky Way; another important line is the cosmological ecliptic - the axis along which the constellations travel, the line that defines coordinates in space. One thing for certain is that the Mayan spent a lot of time studying the heavens and knew a lot about what goes on up there. They calculated the exact duration of a year to a thousandth of a decimal point, much more precisely than the Greeks

They were able to predict every solar and lunar eclipse until this day. They knew where the galactic equinox and the exact middle of the Milky Way lay: they called this crossing `the Sacred Tree’. The Sun passes the Tree every 25,800 years. But since the Earth is 4.5 billion years old it has survived the `divine event’ more than 150,000 times already and we’re still here.

The Mayans even predicted in what year their civilization would be overrun by foreigners coming from over the seas. Some people even believe they predicted the world wars. So if the Mayan say the world will end on a precise day you might want to give it some thought. However, the Mayas never predicted anything concrete about 2012, at least not that we know of. When the Spanish showed up they burned every Mayan writing they could find and in the manuscripts that survive there is nary a word about what happens when their calendar ends. It is that lack of knowledge which opens the door for speculation.

Aliens and the Spaceship Garage

Into this gap of knowledge many have stepped. The New Age philosophers say December 21, 2012 will be the day on which the inner cosmos is reconnected to the divine outer cosmos. The Sun will mount its unique position to form a `gateway’ between the Universe and the souls of every living creature on Earth. Our linear conception of time will crumble, and with it, fear and hatred will vanish. It will be purification at it’s very best, when everyone is soaked in cosmic understanding and divine love. Democrats and Republicans will form a prayer circle around the Washington Monument, sing Kumbaya and the Doomsday Budget Crisis will be averted.

In the Russian city of Tomsk a company is selling an “Apocalypse kit” that includes food and medicine with a bottle of vodka -- or tequila if the customer prefers. Believers are flocking to two small villages - Bugarach a farming village in the south of France and Sirince, Turkey - in a bid to escape impending doom.

Internet searches for flights to the south of France have increased by 41 per cent in the week around December 21 compared to the week before. Some believe that aliens will emerge from their ‘spaceship garage’ in the town’s Pic de Bugarach mountain and take people to safety. UFO watchers have been banned from the peak and French authorities have temporarily closed access to the mountain to avoid throngs of people fleeing from the apocalypse.

Sirince, in the Turkish province of Izmir, has similarly seen a hike of 30 per cent in one-way flight searches. Sirince is near the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, and is believed by some to be near where the Virgin Mary ascended to heaven. As a result, it is understood that the location is seen to have a positive energy which they think could save them from catastrophe. More than 60,000 visitors are expected to descend on the community of 600. One businessman there figures to take it with him after the End of Days and is producing a special ‘wine of the Apocalypse’. But the village has also seen a surge in flight reservations leaving town the following day so even the believers are hedging their bets.

So there you go. The Maya’s had a highly developed philosophy of the cosmos. They saw the cosmos as the true mother of things and so believed the cosmos is all around us, and within us. Every plant, every animal, every man is sheer Cosmos. And at the end of the day, or the world, that doesn’t seem like such a bad worldview after all.

So we’ll see you on the Other Side… wherever that may be.

A 4 Island Moon December 13, 2012

America Honors and Remembers

VETERANS WANTED!!!

Port Aransas is still working on honoring and remembering armed service members on a Christmas tree within the Enchanted Holiday Forest displayed in the Civic Center.

The tree is part of America Honors and Remembers 2012 to show love and support for our soldiers and Veterans.

America Honors and Remembers Patriotic Trees Across America Annual Project shows support for our armed forces by sponsoring a Patriotic Tree in communities across the nation.

Don’t let your loved ones be left off!

Ribbons and stars for service members will be designates as follows: Yellow ribbon for those deployed, blue star for U.S.- based troops, gold star for fallen soldiers, silver star for those who were wounded, red star for our veterans, white star for those missing in action and purple star for those who received the honor.

Last year was the first year Port Aransas participated, and the community got involved. Parks and Recreation Community Program Coordinator Pam Greene made a template for the stars and ribbons, adding names and laminating them before putting them on the tree. She still has the ornaments from last year, but wants to personalize them, making them better.

Contact her at 361-749-4158 or pamg@cityofportaransas.org to get your ornament on the tree.

2012 Enchanted Holiday Forest

There is still time to participate in the 2012 Enchanted Holiday Forest. Get friends, family, coworkers or club members and get going. If you can’t do a tree, make sure you visit the forest anyway.

Each year, City of Port Aransas Facilities Coordinator Sylvia Cortez and her crew create a winter wonderland in the Civic Center where individuals, families, civic organizations and businesses may set up and decorate a tree in their interpretation of the annual theme. The 2012 theme will be “Christmas Melodies.”

Set up time this year is 1-4 p.m., on Sunday, Dec. 16. The forest will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Dec. 17 through 21. Take down will be after Christmas.

No charge is set to participate, but non-perishable foods will be accepted for the Helping Hands Food Pantry. Register your tree now with Parks and Recreation Community Program Coordinator Pam Greene, 749-4158, or by e-mail to pamg@cityofportaransas.org.

Don’t forget the forest will be open if you want to bring friends and a lunch any day that week. It will be easy to get in the spirit with Marion Fersing playing Christmas songs on the piano, 11 am to 1 pm each day.

Pepper Trees Eradication

A little cold snap won’t stop the work on the eradication of Brazilian Pepper trees.

This month the work is set for Thursday, Dec. 13, and the group will be working on pepper trees located in the Port Aransas Nature Preserve in the area behind the ball field and skate park.

Meet in the Community Park Pool parking lot at 700 Clark Pkwy, off Ross Avenue, at 9 a.m. to help. This on-going project is scheduled for the second Thursday of each month.

Anyone wanting to help may join the City of Port Aransas Parks and Recreation Department crew and volunteers each month or any month they have the time.

Wear appropriate clothing and footwear for walking in the Nature Preserve grassy areas where the trees are located. Bring gloves, water, bug spray, and wear sunscreen.

The crew will be working in several areas as the month’s progress, and any help will be greatly appreciated.

Winter Walking Tour

Take part in a guided nature walk tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 14, at 9 am.

Mission-Aransas Reserve, with the blessing of the Parks and Recreation Department, will host a one-hour nature walk in the Nature Preserve

Port A Happenings

Activities at the Ethyl Eyerly Senior

Center654 Graham Road in Flour Bluff

(361) 937-3218

Nutritious meals served for persons age 60 and over at 11:30 a.m.

($1.50 Suggested meal donation)

Monday

Silver haired fitness 10-11a.M.

($7.00/Mo – ladies only)

Computer interest group 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 P.M.

Wii bowling –12:30 p.M.

Tuesday

Bingo 10:00am–11:00 am ($.50 Cards)

Zumba gold (co-ed.) 10:30 A.M.

($20.00/Mo, or $3.00/Session)

Table tennis and table games – 12:00 p.M.

3rd tuesday of the month - bunco – 1:00 pm

Wednesday

Silver haired fitness 10-11 a.m.

($7.00/Mo – ladies only)

Art class 1-3 pm

Aarp #4181 @ 1 p.m.

2Nd and 4th wednesday

Thursday

Zumba gold (co-ed.) 10:30 A.M.

($20.00/Mo, or $3.00/Session)

Wii bowling and chair volleyball - 12:30pm

* Quilting 2nd thursday of the month *

Friday

Silver haired fitness 10 – 11 a.m.

($7.00/Mo – ladies only)

Table tennis – 11:00 a.m.

Bingo – 12:30 p.m. ($.50 Cards)

at Charlie’s Pasture the second Friday of each month, December through March. It is free and open to the public.

Focusing on the importance of coastal wetlands, they will start at the pavilion near the ship channel and walk towards the birding tower. Texas Master Naturalist and bird enthusiast Judy Perkins will lead.

P.A. Movie Time

Come laugh with us at Milton Berle on Friday, Dec. 14.

Meet in the City Council Chambers [in Civic Center/City Hall building, 710 W. Ave. A, door closest to Cut Off Road].

Doors open at 6:30, with Marion Fersing entertaining on the piano; movie begins at 6:55 pm.

Known as “Mr. Television, he was one of the first TV stars. His great comic style comes through in 90 minutes of his shows.

The Movie Time features public domain movies and TV shows including mystery, westerns, horror, comedy, and sci-fi, monthly from November through March. Free popcorn will be served. Participants may bring a non-alcoholic beverage of their choosing.

It is FREE, and everyone is welcome!

We’re Having Fun

Snowflakes to eat, snowflakes to decorate with, and flakes to give as gifts; that is what is on the menu for the next We’re Having Fun activity.

It will be Tuesday, Dec. 18, at 2 p.m., in the Girl Scout hut located in the Parks and Recreation building, 739 W. Ave. A. The activities vary, but include crafts, cooking, arts, socializing and more. There is no charge and everyone is welcome. The series will continue in January, every week starting Jan. 8.

Come socialize and learn how to or not to make or do something. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but we always have fun!

Children’s Christmas Party

Kids from Port Aransas will be treated to a party with gifts, fruit, and Santa Claus on Wednesday, Dec. 19.

Sponsored by the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce- Tourist Bureau, Port Aransas Rotary Club and the Port Aransas Boatmen Association, it will be held in the Enchanted Holiday Forest created by the City of Port Aransas. Come to the forest in the Civic Center, 710 W. Ave. A, at 5pm. Punch and cookies and free Santa photos are included. The kids will vote on their favorite tree in the forest.

Walk and Talk

De-stress from the hectic holiday season by participating in the next Walk and Talk.

The next one is Thursday, Dec. 20. We will meet at 9 a.m., at the pavilion in the Port Aransas Nature Preserve at Charlie’s Pasture at the end of Port Street.

Walk and Talk is not a nature tour, just an “out in the wild” casual walk. If we see nature that anyone attending can impart knowledge on, great. Otherwise, it is just a time to meet new people, get some exercise, socialize and get to know the preserve. You never know what you might see.

Wear a hat or visor, use sunscreen and mosquito spray; bring some water … all the usual rules.

It is free and open to all ages. You can walk as far or as little as you choose.

Community Carol Fest!Presbyterian Church December 16

Island Presbyterian will hold its Community Carol Fest on December 16, starting at 4 p.m. in the Courtyard at Island Presbyterian Church, 14030 Fortuna Bay Drive.

Sing-a-long carols and special music around the fire. And you don’t want to miss the Frog Percussion Band!

Bring your friends, hot cider, cocoa and Holiday treats.

New AdvertisersRoosevelt’s at the Tarpon Inn has take home

holiday feasts for 10 – 12 people. Choose from smoked prime rib for $199.95, herb-encrusted roast pork loin for $149.95 or seasoned roasted whole turkey for $149.95. Turkey breast dinner for four is $99.95. Pick up is Christmas Eve noon – 4 pm. Call 876-0809 or 749-1540.

Vehicles for Sale in the classifieds include a 2009 Corvette coupe for $40,000 with 6,000 miles. To find out more about this vette call 533-0795. There is also a 2005 Jeep Liberty with towing package and 66,000 for $9200. Call Bob Collier at 949-8316.

Skyview Aviation Leasing & Management can get you to accomplish your business and be back to the island for dinner. They fly from Corpus Christi International or Port A airport to all destinations big or small. The aircraft has a 3-4 passenger capacity. Call 830-734-2346 for more info.

Business Briefs AshVill Construction is owned and run

by Port A resident Ashley Villarreal who describes herself as a “Quality builder.” She handles new construction start to finish for commercial, multi-family and residential projects. Contact Ashley at 210-387-2993 or ashvilleconstruction@gmail.com and support a local business.

Johnny D’s Restaurant has Christmas dinner packages available for two or a 14 pound turkey package that serves 6 – 8 people. The package includes three sides and a pie. Orders must be placed by noon December 20th and pick up is Sunday the 23rd. Call 949-

The Moon holiday schedule will have the last issue of the year on Thursday, De cember 20th. The following issue will be Thursday, January 3rd.

Children’s Christmas Party will be held at Port A Civic Center on Wednesday, December 19th at 5 pm. There will be punch, cookies and free pictures with Santa.

The Island Presbyterian Church will hold its Community Carol Fest on Sunday, Decmber 16thstarting at 4 pm. Sing-along carols and special music around the fire and you don’t want to miss the Frog Percussion Band.

The Nature Preserve at Charlie’s Pasture in Port A is offering a guided walking nature tour on Friday, December 14th at 9 am. It takes about an hour to make the two mile walk. The preserve encompasses more than 1200 acres.

The Christmas Bird Count will be held in Flour Bluff Sunday, December 16th and will cover the Flour Bluff peninsula, part of the King Ranch, North Padre, the southern part of Mustang Island and several miles of the Laguna Madre. Contact Larry Jorday at lm6464@aim.com to participate. The bird count will be at Port Aransas on the following day.

Did Ya Hear?By Mary Craft Send your business news to: mkay512@aol.com

North Padre Island 14302 Nemo Court

Corpus Christi, TX 78418www.newstridept.com

30% OFFa Single Pilates

or Massage Session(Offer expires January 31, 2013)

Gift certificates available

Call 949-9898to schedule your session

from Newstride Physical Therapy

Happy Holidays

10650 Highway 361, Corpus Christi, Texas 361-749-0884 www.islandintheson.org

Sunday Worship at 10 AM

Loretta Leonard (seated) and her sister Kristy Kosub hope to open Two Sister Vintage next week on the Island. The

sisters are from San Antonio and Loretta now lives on the Island. The store items were mostly collected from estate sales.

Photo by Mary Craft.

December 13, 2012 Island Moon A 5

Moon MonkeysMike Ellis, Founder

Distribution

Pete Alsop

Island Delivery

Coldwell Banker

Advertising

Jan Park Rankin

Raeanne Reed

Office

Lisa Towns

Classifieds

Arlene Ritley

Design/Layout

Jeff Craft

Contributing Writers

Joey Farah

Devorah Fox

Mary Craft

Maybeth Christiansen

Jay Gardner

Todd Hunter

Danniece Bobeché

Ronnie Narmour

Daphne Fine

Dr. Donna Shaver

Photographers

Miles Merwin

Jeff Dolan

Mary Craft

Office Security/Spillage Control

Riley P. Dog

Editor/Publisher/Spillage Control Supervisor

Dale RankinAbout 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

15201 S. Padre Island Drive, Suite 250

Corpus Christi, TX 78418

361-949-7700

editor@islandmoon.com

Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper

Port Aransas

All Stripes Stores

(Except the one next to the VFW where they throw them

away)

Sandpiper Condos

Port Royal Condos

Lisabellas Restaurant

Pioneer RV Park

Snappy’s Convenient Store

Kody’s Restaurant

Beach Lodge

Amano’s

Miss K’s Catering & Bistro

Felder Gallery

Island Woman Boutique

Neptune’s Retreat

Stripes (361 & IA)

Moby Dick’s Restaurant

IGA Food Store

Carter Pharmacy

San Juan’s Restaurant

Wash Board Washateria

Port A Parks and Rec

Port Chamber of Commerce

Duckworth’s Antiques

Woody’s Sports Center

Port A Outfitters

Back Porch Bar

The Flats Lounge

Stripes (Cotter & Station)

Where to Find The Island Moon

Gratitude Boutique

The Gaff Bar

Port A Glass Studio

The Wild Horse Bar & Grill

The Tarpon Ice House

North Padre

All Stripes Stores

CVS

Whataburger

Doc’s Restaurant

Snoopy’s Pier

Isle Mail N More

Island Italian

Ace Hardware

Holiday Inn

Texas Star (Shell)

Jesse’s Liquor

Padre Isles Country Club

Scuttlebutt’s Restaurant

Subway

Island Tire

And all Moon retail advertisers

Flour BluffH.E.B.Liquid Town

Whataburger on Waldron

Ethyl Everly Senior Center

Fire Station

Police Station

Stripes on Flour Bluff & SPID

Floyd’s

                                   

                                          Michelle Matthews   

 

Hair Cuts & Color, Waxing, Hair Extensions, Special Occasion Hair, Airbrush Make Up, Feather Extensions 

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Walk‐Ins Welcome * Late Appointments Available  

14813 S.P.I.D. Corpus Christi, TX 78418 

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www.michellessalon.com 

GIFTS CERTIFICATES AVALIABLE

ISLAND MOON MARKET

Make a day at the beach even better!

Sun, Fun & Shopping! Join us at the Island Moon Market!

Monthly, every 4th Saturday! 8:00am to 5:00pm

On the Sea Wall at The Windward Parking Lot North Padre Island!

Sponsored by Island Moon Newspaper, Budweiser

& The City of Corpus Christi Parks & Recreation

Fun for the whole family! We’ve gathered the best of Texas!

Craft vendors, One-of-a-Kind Gifts, & Unique eats!

Parking is free and there is plenty of it!

For more information: www.islandmoonmarket.com

islandmoonmarket@gmail.com 361-403-4032

La Posada EventDear Dale and Jan,

Thank you so very much for the support and encouragement you provided for the Padre Island Yacht Club/Scuttlebutt’s/ U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Pre LaPosada Party at Scuttlebutts. Dale, you may recall last year this idea came to life with us sitting in your office brainstorming more events on the Island. Today this seed of an idea not only lives but has grown into a significant Island happening for only its second year.

The event, this year, was a huge success well beyond our expectations. Our success was due, in a very large way, to the Moon’s major support of the project and Scuttlebutt’s incredible efforts.

The Moon’s “above and beyond” efforts in securing for us the very first Schlitterbaun tickets was a real coup. The bidding went wild for them. Thank you so much!

We were very pleased to see Jan won one of the “live” auction prizes.

Thank you again for your support of the LaPosada events and all you do for our Island community. With our deepest and sincere Thank You,

Fred Elder, Padre Island Yacht Club

Letters to the Editor

applicable state law (which we printed in The Moon a few issues back) which forbids cities from regulating hunting in areas annexed into the city after September 1, 1981. City Attorney Carlos Valdez told the Island Strategic Action Committee in its September meeting that a change in state law would be required before the ordinance with its 1000-foot prohibition could be enforced. However, in the ISAC’s last meeting in December, he said the problem could be fixed by simply amending the current city ordinance which would render the clause in the state law inapplicable.

That amendment to the city ordinance was approved on first reading by the City Council on Tuesday.

The second obstacle to enforcement has been lack of clarity of about where the 1000-foot barrier is located. To correct this problem the city, at the request of the ISAC, will erect signs delineating the 1000-foot line.

In the meantime, many duck hunters have used GPS to locate their blinds in areas which are outside the prohibited 1000-feet. As a result of this effort, along with increased attention from CCPD, and barriers to prevent trespassing from the land side of the Laguna Madre, complaints about duck hunting during the recent season have been cut down considerably.

The current duck season opened November 3, closed Nov. 25 and reopened Saturday.

Dale Rankin

Ducks continued from A1

By Maybeth Christensen

News From Your

I hope everyone had a great time at the LaPosada events. The boats were beautiful and the

amount of toys contributed to Toys for Tots set another record. Great job!

One of our residents sent me a notice from another association in a different state where our residents also own property. Believe it or not, they have the same problem – owners who do not pick up after their dogs! We even had dog droppings in the garden plot area last week.

Folks let’s get serious. Pick up after your dog!! It not only creates a mess, but it is a health hazard. The Litter Critter will be in the POA parking lot starting at 9 AM on Saturday, December 29.

The City has changed the setout length of time for next year. Setout time will only be for 1 week. So, we really need to pay attention and not set the trimmings out too early. The City will be issuing fines for early setouts. Putting the stuff on a vacant lot early is not an option. So, plan to use the Litter Critter, or if you hire a contractor to do your trimming, make sure they are hauling the trimmings to the City landfill.

May your Holidays be filled with joy and blessings.

Draft Legislation to Form an

Island Municipal Management

District is Available for Viewing on

the Island Moon’s Facebook Page

The Padre Island Property Owners Association is currently working on legislation to create a Municipal Management District on The Island. The purpose is to allow the POA to pursue grants and other funds to repair the Island’s canal system in case of a catastrophic storm.

For the plan to take effect it will have to be approved by the Corpus Christi City Council and the Texas Legislature.

The draft of the bill is 29 pages long and too lengthy for us to print in these pages. To see a copy of the draft bill in its entirety go to the Moon’s Facebook page – theislandmoonnewspaper .

Felder Gallery Exhibit on Wednesday

The Felder Gallery in Port Aransas will welcome new works from its works from namesake Larry Felder at a wine reception on Wednesday, December 12, from 5-7 p.m.

The reception will also feature twelve new works by Mary Hunter.

Larry Felder’s seascapes are dazzling in the detail they capture of seascapes from the Texas Gulf Coast.

The Felder Gallery is located at 1726 Hwy 361, Suite F, in the Tower Center, Port Aransas, on the left of SH 361 near A Mano as you enter Port Aransas from the south.

Skip The Plastic recognizes Ice Rays’ Ryan Chiasson as ‘Bag Hero’

The Bag Hero Program is a campaign to educate and encourage the use of reusable bags in the Coastal Bend. We recognize exceptional community members who set a positive example by bringing reusable bags when shopping for groceries or other goods.

December’s Bag Hero is Ryan Chiasson, Defenseman for the Corpus Christi Ice Rays. Originally from Ontario, Canada, Ryan enjoys Corpus Christi’s warm weather. When not playing or practicing, he likes to fish and relax at our local beaches.

Each month, Bag Heroes are profiled while shopping at stores that make reusable bags available to customers, and asked why reusable bags are important.

A quick word about the store showcased this month: Target gives a 5-cent discount to their customers for every reusable bag they use and gives away free reusable bags on Earth Day

For more information visit http://skiptheplastic.org or call 361-765-4445.

A 6 Island Moon December 13, 2012

Stuff I Heard on the Islandby Dale RankinSo about three weeks

ago this dude drives up at our office pulling a trailer full of garbage cans.

“Are you in Suite 250?” he asks.

“Yea, that’s us.”

“Okay where do you want your garbage cans?” he says.

Our office is in the Palm Bay Center.

“Garbage cans? We don’t have any garbage cans,” we say. “We’re not allowed to. We have dumpsters.” Which I point out.

“I got a work order here says the people in Suite 250 ordered garbage cans and I got to drop them somewhere.”

“Let me see the work order,” I say.

“Well, I don’t actually have a Work Order, I just have a Delivery Order; but if there’s a Delivery Order that means there had to be a Work Order, otherwise they never would have issued a Delivery Order.”

Circular logic is impossible to defeat for there are no gaps which can be used to start chipping away at it with cognitive reasoning. It is impregnable; a dry and dusty place where the seed of the dialectic can find no purchase.

“Did someone sign a request for trash cans to be delivered here?” I knew better than to ask but why not?

“They must have, otherwise there wouldn’t have been a Work Order and without a Work Order…”

“I know, I know…there wouldn’t have been a Delivery Order…” This was going nowhere.

Back where you got ‘em

“Take ‘em back where you got ‘em,” I say; it was worth a try.

“I can’t do that. Once they’re signed for they can’t go back to the yard,” he says.

“Well, who signed for them? I ask.

“I did,” they guys says, “There was a Work Order and so to get a Delivery Order I had to sign them out.”

“Are we going to have to pay for them? Jan asks.

“I just deliver ‘em lady, I don’t know anything about fees.”

“Who does?” she asks.

“The Fee Department,” he replies.

“Well of course they do,” I say, “I bet that’s why they call them the Fee Department. But we’re not asking how much, just if there is a fee?”

“I don’t know, I work in the …”

“I know, I know, you’re in the Delivery Department.”

So he can’t take them back, he doesn’t know who asked for them, and he doesn’t know if/how much they are going to cost us. But he’s got a Delivery Order and come hell or high water he’s gonna deliver ‘em!

“What if we just throw them in the dumpster over there and act like this never happened?” I say.

“Well, I don’t think I’m allowed to do that,” he says, and looks at me like I’m crazy. “But once they’re delivered and I’m gone you can do whatever you want to with them. Now where do you want me to put them?”

One place in particular crossed my mind but he seemed like a nice enough fellow, so I just said, “We’ll not out here on the front porch, they’re ugly and we’ll probably get fined by the landlord. I guess you can leave them around back until I find out who may have ordered them.”

“This is going to cost us money,” Jan says, “Nothing the city does for anybody on The Island doesn’t end up costing them money.”

Then comes the bill

So the Delivery Guy drops off a regular green trash can and a blue recycle can. A few weeks go by and every morning I see those things setting out there and I keep meaning to call somebody at City Hall to see if they will come get them before a raccoon family moves in. But I know it’s going to take me an hour on the phone with them and at the end of the hour one of two things is going to happen; they not going to come get them and charge me a fee for having them, or if they do come get them they’re going to charge me a fee for picking them up. For the moment they are merely an eyesore and not a revenue sucker so I keep putting off the hour of city phone torture and hoping for spontaneous satisfaction.

Then comes the coup de grace.

Comes the end of the month and sure enough, a bill from the city comes in the mail: Water $13.44, Wastewater $32.55, Solid Waste (trash can charge) $39.37! Holy Crap! $39.37 – for having cans I don’t want and can’t use! Dang!

Here’s the breakdown.

RECYLE SURCHARGE .23

STATE FEE .19 (If the city’s going to make money then by gum the state’s going to pile on.)

MSWS SERVICE CHARGE $3.89 (Best we can tell this means More $tuff With unwanted Service)

TRASH PICKUP $31.57 (I’m guessing they are emptying the empty trash cans once a week whether they need it or not. But I think they might be fibbing because the last time I looked in there the flyer that was in there when they dropped them off is still in the bottom….maybe I can get a refund.)

RECYCLE BANK $1.31 (For recycling the stuff they never picked up)

RECYCLE CART $1.93 (Well, of course)

RECYCLE SURCHARGE .25 (Got to have a Surcharge Baby! You can’t have a decent city charge without a surcharge!)

SUBTOTAL SOLID WASTE $39.37

TOTAL CURRENT CHARGES $85.36

You’re not calling them

“You’re not calling them,” Jan said. “You’ll end up yelling at them and they’ll charge us a Yelling Surcharge and those are not refundable.”

So she called City Hall to speak to somebody who would straighten things out; shouldn’t be that hard. Talk to somebody in the Garbage Can Delivery Department or better yet, way up the totem pole in the Request for Garbage Can Delivery Department. Her call was important to them, she knew that because the recorded voice told her so; then she was put in the queue at number nineteen to speak to a living person.

She listened to Muzak for a while (she didn’t know the way to San Jose but I caught her tapping her foot once) and finally she got a nice lady who listened to her story about the guy from the Garbage Can Delivery Department showing up unannounced with his trailer full of garbage cans.

“But there must have been a Request for Delivery,” the nice lady said. “Otherwise there wouldn’t have been a Work Order and without a Work Order…”

“I know, I know, there wouldn’t have been a Delivery Order. Can I speak to a supervisor?”

After a while another nice lady came on the phone and Jan explained again about how we came to be the owners of two trash cans that we didn’t order and we’re not allowed to have because we’re in a strip center office building that has dumpsters that we already pay a fee for and we’re going to get into trouble with the landlord if we don’t get rid of those trash cans before a family of raccoons moves in.

“Well, you’re going to have to send us a copy of your contract with the dumpster company,” the nice lady at the city says.

I’m not making this up.

“Why don’t you send me a copy of the Request for Delivery,” Jan says.

“We can’t do that,” the lady says.

“I know you can’t because there isn’t one!” Jan says, not yelling yet. “The first time we knew we were getting trash cans was when the Garbage Can Delivery Guy showed up with a trailer full of trash cans. We never asked for them and we certainly never signed anything asking for them because we’re not allowed to have them.”

The lady was very nice as she explained that somewhere there must be a Request for Delivery because without a Request for Delivery there would never have been a Work Order, and without a Work Order there wouldn’t have been a …”

“Look, we’re a small business,” Jan says. “We don’t have a staff of people to go hunt down a contract –especially one we don’t have. We don’t have a contract with a dumpster company, our landlord does. We pay for it as part of our rent, there is no contract between us and a dumpster company.”

Her pleas fell on deaf ears.

Time for guerilla tactics

So as of right now we got two empty trash cans on our back porch just waiting for a nice raccoon family to move in. I would throw them in the dumpster but somehow I know the city would find out and then for the rest of my life I would have to pay the Garbage Can Fee and a Dumpster Surcharge too until I returned them!

So here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to wait about a week while things cool off then I’m going to load these two trash cans into my beat up old delivery truck and drive them down to City Hall during a council meeting. I’m going to leave them on the steps of City Hall with the bill from the city attached to them and a note:

TO WHOM IT MAY OR MAY NOT CONCERN: HERE ARE YOUR %$^&*(** TRASH CANS! I AM CHARGING YOU A DELIVERY FEE, TWO RECYCLING FEES RANDOMLY MULTIPLIED BY PI TO THE THIRD POWER, A RACOON CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY FEE, SOME OTHER SPURIOUS AND BASELESS FEES I MAY THINK OF LATER, AND A HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SURCHARGE!

TOTAL $39.37 WITH ADDITIONAL UNEXPLAINED AND SUPERFLUOUS SURCHAGES OF UNDETERMINED AMOUNT TO BE COMPOUNDED SEMI-MINUTELY.

I AM SURE YOU REQUESTED DELIVERY OF THESE GARBAGE CANS BECAUSE I ISSUED A DELIVERY ORDER AND I NEVER ISSUE A DELIVERY ORDER WITHOUT A WORK ORDER AND I NEVER ISSUE A WORK ORDER WITHOUT A REQUEST FOR DELIVERY.

FURTHER, IF YOU ARE GOING TO DELIVER GARBAGE CANS RANDOMLY TO WHATEVER LOCATION YOU PICK OUT OF THIN AIR AT LEAST HAVE THE GOOD SENSE NOT TO PICK A NEWSPAPER OFFICE!

Is anybody with me?

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Police Blotter

Man Arrested on SPID Wrestling Manhole Cover

Man Wrecks Stolen Truck, Charged with

2nd DWI

Dec. 11 12:25am Driving While Intoxicated 15000 block of S.P.I.D. –

near Nemo Court

Senior Officers C. Williams and M. Garanzuay were called to the 15000 block of S. Padre Island Drive for a traffic accident involving a drunk driver. Upon their arrival, they found the driver who was attempting to move a manhole cover from the road way.

Further investigation revealed the driver was traveling eastbound when he lost control of silver Ford F150 lost control and left the roadway, striking a manhole. The impact deployed the truck’s airbags and caused the manhole cover to come off and land on the North side of the street.

Branden Siegfried (07/18/71) appeared to be intoxicated as he staggered back to his truck. Siegfried became combative when Officers attempted to stop from walking onto the roadway. A struggle ensued in which Siegfried was pepper sprayed. The pepper spray had little effect on him and Siefried continued to be combative. Off-duty Corpus Christi Police Officer E. Garza who was passing by rushed over to help the Officers. Officers were able to handcuff and detain Siegfried.

While Officers were conducting their investigation the owner of the truck arrived at the accident site. He was visibly upset and told Officers that Siegfried who was an employee had stolen the company truck. The truck was released to the victim.

Siegfried was taken to a local hospital where he was medically cleared. A blood warrant was also obtained for a blood draw. He was arrested and booked at the City Detention Center. Siegfried was charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Driving While Intoxicated~2nd Offense, and Resisting Arrest.

Police Officer Rescues Dog On Lunch Break

At Cole Park Wednesday, December 5 12:30pm,

1500 Ocean Drive at Cole Park

Senior Officer Jason Lee pulls the dog to safety

A dog was rescued from the water by a Corpus Christi Police Officer on his lunch break at Cole Park Wednesday afternoon. Corpus Christi Police Senior Officer Jason Lee took his lunch break at the 1500 block of Ocean Drive at Cole Park at about 12:30 in the afternoon. A woman attracted Officer Lee’s attention and said her dog fell into the water and was unable to get out of the water.

Officer Lee saw a Doberman splash in the water and become fatigued and unable to get out of the water because of a vertical cliff next to the water. The dog had fallen off of the cliff into the water and was unable to get out. Officer Lee reached over the ledge and pulled the dog to safety.

Police Calls

Padre Island13900 block SPID 3:35 p.m. Dec. 12

Theft over $1500

14200 block Jackfish 8:30 a.m. Dec. 12 Theft over $50

13900 block Primavera 5 p.m. Dec. 8 Theft over $500

14400 block SH 361 9:34 p.m. Dec. 8 Public intoxication

14500 block SPID 1:45 p.m. Dec. 12 Gasoline theft

14600 block SPID 11:22 a.m. Dec. 12 Harassment

14900 block Dasmarinas 10 a.m. Dec. 4 Criminal mischief

13500 block Port Royal 10 p.m. Dec. 4 Burglary of vehicle

13900 block Mainsail 8:58 p.m. Dec. 8 Assault with injury

15200 block Isla Pinta 5 p.m. Dec. 6 Assault

15400 block Grass Cay Midnight Dec. 5 Credit Card abuse

15400 block Cruiser 10:30 a.m. Dec. 5 Theft over $50

15000 block SPID 12:25 a.m. Dec. 11 Resisting arrest

14200 block Natal Plum 12:25 a.m. Dec. 11 Unauthorized use of motor vehicle

13900 block Dasmarinas 11:31 a.m. Dec. 5 Theft over $500

13900 block Dasmarinas 12:44 a.m. Dec 5 Assault with injury

Flour Bluff3400 block Meadow Ridge 12:19 a.m. Dec.

8 Assault with injury

2000 block Yorktown 11:10 p.m. Dec. 7 Aggravated assault with serious injury

2900 block Waldron 5:56 p.m. Dec. 10 Assault with a weapon

2600 block Waldron 1:10 p.m. Dec. 1 Disruption of classes

600 block Don Patricio 8:30 p.m. Dec. 9 Dead on Arrival

1300 block Waldron 9:16 a.m. Dec. 5

Dead on Arrival

1300 block Waldron 7:25 a.m. Dec. 8 Assault with deadly weapon

900 block Recreation 1:56 a.m. Dec. 5 Assault with injury

1200 block Waldron 10:49 p.m. Dec. 6 Possession of marijuana

9300 block SPID Midnight Dec, 8 Burglary from vehicle

900 block Stone 6 p.m. Dec. 9 Burglary of habitation

1000 block Flour Bluff Dr. 3:25 p.m. Dec. 8 Burglary of habitation

10300 block SPID 2:06 p.m. Dec. 8 Gasoline theft

1400 block Waldron 1:35 p.m. Dec. 9 Found property

1100 block Barton St. 7:33 a.m. Dec. 8 Dead on arrival

Mikey is a purebred Pekingese, male, 11 pounds between 1-2 yrs old. Mikey was born with only one eye with vision. Then on Feb 13th, 2012 his good eye was knocked out of the socket. His owner took him to the kill shelter in SA TX and asked to have him euthanized.

Well we could not see him put to sleep for just being blind so we rescued him. We helped him through the adjustment period of being 100% blind. Then he got very very sick after his hernia repair and neuter surgeries so we nursed him through this hard period as well.

Now Mikey is ready to find his loving forever home with someone who knows Pekes! If this is you please contact Terrilyn Cesta with HummingforaLovingForeverHome@aol.com or call 210 886 8367. Thank you for choosing to adopt rather than shop!

Mikey

December 13, 2012 Island Moon A 7

Sports TalkHornets Lose!

By Dotson Lewis

dlewis1@stx.rr.com

The Hornets finished with a record of 13-1. They lost to Leander Rouse 34-0 in the Conference 4A Division 1 Quarterfinals last Saturday, in San Marcos.

After the game Darrell Andrus, Flour Bluff High School Head Coach, met with his seniors telling them to be proud of what they accomplished during the 2012 season.

SAN MARCOS —Flour Bluff’s successful season came to an end Saturday night at Bobcat Stadium.

Leander Rouse’s Justin Pelt and Billy Ray McCrary and a defense that bottled up Bluff quarterback Kolton Mims and negated the Hornets’ speed and play-making eliminated the Hornets from the Class 4A Division I playoffs.

“It’s not much of a surprise. It’s a fourth-round game. I mean, everyone’s going to come out with everything in them and give their all and everything,” said Mims, who was limited to 13 rushing yards on 16 carries and 108 passing yards. “They just came out and shut us down. It’s not really a surprise. We expected them to come out and play. We just expected to come out and play a little better than we did.”

“I’m a little surprised. Coming into this game I was really confident getting that win last week over Leander,” Bluff senior linebacker Cameron Schaefer said. “But they beat us off the ball. They fired off the ball every snap. They played with heart, they ran the ball up our butts every time. We tried to realign to it. We did our best.”

“They’re good for a reason. They’re patient,” Bluff coach Darrell Andrus said. “They zone you off, wall you off, find a crease and get it. If you start rolling an extra one in the box, they get you over the top. I tell you what, their quarterback put one or two of them — beautiful, right in stride. You’re praying for him to overthrow it or something.”

“They came out with a game plan and they executed very well,” Bluff senior safety Jamal Pradia said, “and unfortunately, we weren’t able to respond to it.”

The Hornets had 126 yards of offense in the first half, with 33 of it coming on their first

play from scrimmage, on an end-around run by Tommy Martin.

“We just couldn’t convert all night, it seemed,” Bluff coach Darrell Andrus said. “I credit their defense and coaching staff, but at the same time I just felt like we never got into any rhythm offensively. That hasn’t been our way this year. I credit them, but at the same time I wish we had gotten in a little bit better of a rhythm offensively because our defense feeds off that.”

“We knew the quarterback (Kolton Mims) was the best we’ve seen this year,” said Rouse safety Jordan Vise, who had a pair of pass breakups and an interception. “Our objective was to take him down and limit his ability. We just played our containment. Our defensive ends and defensive line put so much pressure on him, and that helped the secondary.”

“At some point every game, we found a little rhythm,” Andrus said. “We’d have a play and then — boom — they throw us for a loss or something like that.”

“We just didn’t convert the whole game,” Mims said. “We didn’t have any big plays like we normally have, and it didn’t work out in our favor. We just weren’t us.”

“All week we prepared to play a fourth-quarter team. You can watch the film and we gave every ounce of heart that we had,” Will Mendiola said, pounding his chest. “It just didn’t work out for us. That’s football. That’s the game of life. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”

Congratualtions hornets, it was a great season; we can’t wait until next year!

SPORTSBefore They Became Stars

Promised LandBy Andy Purvis Special to the Moon

British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli once wrote,” The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your own riches, but to reveal to him his own.” Mission accomplished. Born in the Bronx, he was wise, but not a wise guy. Short and thin with the look of your paperboy, this fellow was not an athlete. He never hit a line drive, never stole home and never put the bunt sign on. He never pulled on a uniform or laced up a pair of spikes. He was a labor economist and negotiator. Unions were his game and arbitration bought him fame.

He was smart, quiet, mild; nothing about him said “I’m in charge.” He rarely spoke, but was constantly taking notes. He was Moses with a mustache, a modern day Robin Hood who stole from the rich owners and gave to the poor players. He led the players’ union; he created a work place filled with freedom, riches, and the promise of immortality. We live in a world that’s too opinionated. It’s black or white, good or bad, up or down, or rich or poor. We yearn for the ability and wisdom to see both sides; baseball is a game that sees both sides, thanks to him. For the next 16 years, the economics of baseball would change drastically. He would show the players and, in fact the owners, the road to the promised land of milk and money. You heard me right, I said “Money.” “You count everything in baseball,” said Marvin Miller, “Including the money.”

Marvin Julian Miller was born April 14, 1917. Marvin grew up in Flatbush, a Dodger fan, while walking a picket line in a union-organizing drive, as a kid. His father, Alexander, sold clothing for a company located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. His mother, Gertrude, taught elementary school and of course was a member of the New York City Teachers Union. Labor unions were in his blood. He graduated from New York University in 1938 with a degree in economics. During WWII, Marvin helped resolve a labor-management dispute for the National War Labor Board. Later he worked for the International Association of Machinists and the United Auto Workers. By 1950, he had joined the United Steelworkers Union and was negotiating labor contracts.

The players of Major League baseball started a union of sorts in 1954, but the association had little money, no full-time employees and did not engage in collective bargaining. They had also never challenged the reserve clause. Consequently, the players were unhappy with a system where the players were bound to the owners for as long as they wanted them and all player grievances were heard and ruled on by the commissioner, who was hired by and worked for the owners. Also, the pension plan was almost nonexistent. They desperately needed a leader. The minimum salary in the game was $6,000 and had stayed there for almost 20 years. The average salary in baseball at that time was $19,000 a year.

Baseball stars like Harvey Kuenn, Robin Roberts and Jim Bunning joined together to seek out someone to help them get a better pension plan. Marvin Miller was recommended by George Taylor, who ran the War Labor Board when Miller was employed there. They even spoke with Richard Nixon, who said he had other plans; he became President two years later. In the spring of 1966, Miller visited all the camps to speak to the players in person. Miller was hesitant at first and concerned that so many of the players were uneducated about the power and value of a union. Owners had convinced the majority that they should feel lucky to play a little boys’ game and get paid at the same time. It was voting time. That same year, Miller was named the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).

By 1968, the players’ union, with Miller at the head, negotiated the first collective bargaining agreement in pro sports history. In 1970, players were granted the right to have their issues heard by an impartial arbitrator. In 1973, salary demands became part of the arbitration process. There is no doubt he could be tough-minded when needed. He could be condescending at times and talked down to the media and therefore the fans. He had his share of fights as Miller led the players through three strikes and two lockouts in his first ten years. Fighting for nickels and dimes, Marvin Miller

may have recorded more wins than Cy Young (511).

For all the accolades written above, Marvin Miller still remains outside of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He has been denied five times. I believe I know the reason. The old saying goes, “The first guy through the wall always get bloodied.” The owners despised what Miller

stood for, “Unions.” He cost them money, or so they thought. It wasn’t until years later that the owners began to understand that by giving a little, they too would get back a lot. Not only did player salaries and pension plans increase, but the value of the baseball clubs themselves would skyrocket. Why? Because Marvin Miller knew a secret, that the fans would foot the bill. Remember, in 1966 there was no Super Bowl; the NBA was just getting off the ground with only ten teams in place. Baseball was America’s Pastime. Yes, Miller had become the master of the illusion. The illusion was owners versus players, when in fact they were both pitted against the fans. Yes, the fans would pay for almost anything to be distracted three or four hours a day in a world spinning out of control. The illusion worked as fans paid more to park their cars, as team merchandise, ballpark food, programs, and seat prices increased. Fans even paid additional taxes to build magnificent stadiums and they paid for personal seat licenses to insure a good seat at the ballgames. Where will it stop? You tell me.

By the time Miller retired in 1982 as union chief, the average player’s salary was $326,000 a year. That figure exceeded 3.4 million in 2012, and the Los Angeles Dodgers were just sold for an unheard-of 2 billion dollars. The illusion worked and is still working. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig believes that Miller should be in the Hall of Fame based on the impact he made on the sport. Marvin knew the reason he had not been inducted. “I’ve never prepared an acceptance speech,” laughed Miller. If fans had a vote for the Baseball Hall of Fame, Miller’s name may have been removed years ago. In 1992, legendary announcer Red Barber said, “Marvin Miller, along with Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson, is one of the two or three most important men in baseball history.” He could be correct but, in my opinion, not for the right reasons.

Marvin Miller died of liver cancer on Tuesday, November 27, 2012, at the ripe old age of 95, in his home in Manhattan, New York. I guess he had waited long enough. For Marvin Miller, the worst feeling was being forgotten by the players. Speaking with the New York Times newspaper in 1999, Miller said, “I do feel a little irked and chagrined when I realize that the players have no idea that it was the union that changed everything. What’s taken for granted are the salaries, the perks, free-agency rights, salary-arbitration rights, all of which were tremendous struggles.” In 1997, the MLB Players’ Association created the Marvin Miller Man-of-the-Year Award and on April 26, 2009, he was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Hall-of-Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax once said, “Baseball hasn’t changed; only the money has.” Well said, Sandy; well said. As for the fans and their wallets, the change has been undeniable.

Andy Purvis is a local author. His books “In the Company of Greatness” and “Remembered Greatness” are on the shelves at the local Barnes and Noble, at Beamer’s Sports Grill 5922 S Staples, and online at many different sites including Amazon, bn.com, booksamillion, Goggle Books, etc. They are also available in e-reader format. Contact him at www.purvisbooks.com, or andy.purvis@grandecom.net.

Get yours for only $19.95 plus $5.05 shipping and handling. Or you can purchase them at The Island Moon Markets held the fourth Saturday of every month. Shirts come in grey or white short sleeve T-Shirts sizes L. XL and XXL. Tank Tops come in Aqua and White in sizes Med and Large.

To order by mail please send your checks made payable to J. Park to The Island Moon, 14493 S.P.I.D., PMB 220, C.C., Tx 78418.

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A 8 land Moon December 13, 2012

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By Brent Rourk

If you can trace any of your ancestors back to Ireland, and even if you can’t, a trip to Ireland is bound to open your eyes to a land of monumental beauty, friendly folks, fabulous beer and laughter. Ireland is called the emerald isle for a good reason and the ever-present greens (deep, rich, electric, and neon) that paint the landscape are yours for the price of an inexpensive airline ticket. Combine those mesmerizing greens with joyful music, intriguing castles, stout beers, comforting pub food, and unblemished scenery and you have the recipe for an unforgettable adventure. Did I mention stout beers? There is no better way to experience Ireland initially than to tour it from one end to the other, ensuring that you have the opportunity to visit the historic cities, soothing pastoral country sides and famous coastal drives.

Green and I Mean Green

I mistakenly thought that I had seen virtually every shade of green, certainly those beautiful shades of green that nature gives us. Green crops in The United States. Moroccan and Italian country sides provided a profusion of greens. Forests in Panama, Peru, Ecuador, and Costa Rica offered hues of tropical greens that radiated beauty. Pine forests in Norway, Finland, and Colorado reflected darker, handsome greens. But it was not until we drove throughout Ireland did I really see landscapes of stunning green that topped them all. That alone is worth a vacation to Ireland. But there is so much more.

The Cities

Dublin and Belfast are rocking places, blending some broad strokes of modern culture (food, music, technology, architecture, and fashion) with hues of traditional Ireland. Though invisible lines and a nasty recent history of conflict (referred to as The Troubles) separate Northern Ireland from Ireland, people from both countries probably share a lot more in common than not. Pockets of deep-seeded hatred for each other still exist, however, younger generations are trying valiantly to bring about understanding and peaceful coexistence with significant recent success. Each large city provides the traveler with a buffet of must see sites.

Dublin boasts St. Patrick’s Cathedral and several other stout, old churches. The statues on O’Connell Street are worth meeting and photographing. Other attractions include the House of Kells, Natural History Museum, Walking Tour of Dublin, and any pub within ten feet. The pubs in Ireland offer incredible home-made cuisine, including meats, potatoes, and vegetables. The wafts of freshly cooked foods flood the sidewalks, luring any passerby inside. It’s completely impossible to keep walking. As if in a trance, people walk into the pubs, order a healthy stout and get a plate full of hot food. No chips, peanuts, and jerky here. You get fed mama’s best. Pubs in Ireland take pride in their fare and realize that they must provide tasty meals, in expanding portions, to help pace beer drinking, laughter and warm conversation. If ye miss the pubs, ye hath missed Ireland.

Belfast is a bustling port city in North Ireland with a large population. Once serving as a linen, tobacco, and ship building hub, it remains a shipbuilding center. The Botanic Gardens, Belfast Zoo, Cathedral Quarters, The Waterfront Hall, The Belfast City Hall, and the ship yards are all worthy stops.

Gorgeous Coastlines

The coastline is incredibly beautiful, more than postcard beautiful. Green hills emptying into the sea, deep shades of ocean blue laced with rows of white choppy waves, grey and blue skies, morning blankets of fog and mist, white rays filtering through clouds, colorful blossoms sprouting wherever they can live to catch rain and rays, and smog free skies all give the coastline a unique and memorable appearance. Certainly, a photographer’s dream. Small villages with smart, modest houses, each with a noticeable chimney, appear out of nowhere and just as suddenly disappear. The smell of grass and

Ireland – A Wee Bit Green and Stoutfield flowers after a mist or rain treats the nose to the sweetness of mother earth. The solitude and peace is only occasionally punctuated by the sound of a hummingbird’s whir, a territorial or mate-seeking bird or a lost lamb. From late spring until early fall, the landscapes magically come alive and the temperature permits as little as a long sleeve shirt or sweater. The winters

are another story. You must drive The Ring of Kerry, a spectacular coastline drive along the southwest corner of Ireland for spectacular scenery, however, you should include also on your Ireland tour trips to see the awe-inspiring Cliffs of Moher near Galway and The Giant’s Causeway near the town of Bushmills.

What you will quickly find in Ireland is an irrepressibly proud group of people who love to laugh, share stories, and play music. Most of the Irish warm up instantly to strangers or visitors. For others it takes a little longer, but once you become a trusted acquaintance, then you are in. You are part of the group. A large Irish family of musicians, over twenty of them, took their yearly musical voyage to a hotel in Killarney

for several days. It was the same hotel that I stayed for an evening. They took me in as if I were family in minutes. The Irish can be that kind of friendly.

Finding Ancestors and

Surprises

Another reason for going to Ireland is that I wanted to see where my father’s ancestors came from. As a genealogist, I have researched my family history and became lost on my father’s side somewhere in North Carolina in the early 1700s. I have been unable to find the link to

Ireland… yet. After researching general areas where the Rourks might have roamed and studying a bit of Irish history and culture, I was still left without a visual of the country. The trip to Ireland helped me put my family history in a historical and cultural context, part of which I could see. I was in for a couple of surprises.

The first surprise occurred on the large ferry from Wales to Dublin. I strategically situated myself at the bow of the 9th deck, inside the ship. I chatted with a few of my fellow travelers and took some photos. I noticed an older teenager and his mother near me. They were friendly and chatted freely. Soon we were locked in conversation sharing destinations, originations, and the general biographical data that travelers might share. I shared my interest in finding where my father came from. They asked me my last name. I replied ‘Rourk’. They immediately looked at each other and smiled. The boy informed me that his last name was Rourk and his father was a Rourk. He then proceeded to write some information down about the Rourks and gave me some links and sites to pursue. He mentioned that I should go to Sligo, a small city on the coast of Northeast

Ireland, to pursue more Rourk family history. I was stunned. Not even off the boat and the first Irish lad I speak to is a Rourk. Go figure! What fortune.

The second surprise came in a pub in Sligo. Our tour guide had arranged a visit to a pub there to chat with some locals and to hear a local guitarist pluck some modern and not so modern Irish songs. Prior to listening to the music I became fast friends with the 3rd generation owner of the pub. He asked me if I wanted a Guinness. What a foolish question. In Ireland Guinness is one of the most revered ‘food groups’. He told me that pouring or drawing a Guinness was an art form and asked if I would like to try my hand. Clearly a challenge. I did not share with him that a jolly pub owner in Galway, Ireland had given me expert Guinness drawing lessons and gave me a grade of A+. So I was up to the challenge. After deftly drawing three Guinness drafts under the very watchful eye of the owner and bartender, I was given a hearty ‘OK’ and proceeded to chat and then tend to the music. In the middle of the guitar solo presentation the owner, who by the way towered 6 foot and 9 inches and packed a modest 370 pounds, bellowed out in that lovely Irish accent, “Brent, come to the bar to draw another Guinness.” So off I went to draw three beers; two for a couple of well-dressed local men in their 80s who were casually chatting and

would be in need of their next beer and then another Guinness for me. Again, these friendly old gents watched me carefully as I drew the beer, let it breathe for several minutes, and then topped it off. It decidedly met with their approval. So we continued our chatting and sipping (ya simply don’t chug a Guinness). We soon became best friends, a welcome Irish trait. They asked my last name and then I chuckled and proceeded first to tell them the story of coming over on the ship from Wales. When I got to the part where I revealed my last name, these two gentlemen looked at one another and smiled. I finished the story quickly to get to the root of their smiles and head nods up and down. They told me they knew well of the Rourks and exactly where they came from. They filled me in on some Rourk history in Ireland and then suggested where I should go when I return to Ireland someday to pursue more family roots.

Several tour companies offer terrific deals to Ireland, including airfare, hotels, many meals, bus transportation and entrance to a variety of places of interest. Ireland is easy to get around if you wish to do your own trip planning, however, lots of detailed research and knowing exactly what you want to see in advance will make your trip more enjoyable. Leave time for leisure and spontaneous side trips. Gate 1 Tours, Affordable Tours, Smart Tours, and Go Ahead Tours all offer a few reasonable tours for the avid traveler to Ireland.

I definitely plan to return to Ireland one day. It is there where I will dig deeper into my family history and hopefully make a few incredible discoveries that trace my ancestry to an old Irish settlement, Europe, Mongolia, Africa, or a tree somewhere. While in Ireland you can bet that I will stroll the streets of Dublin, slowly meander the coastline for a few days, let my eyes delight in the emerald countryside, let my taste buds feast on fabulous pub grub, and savor the flavor of one or two more Guinness – at my favorite pub in Sligo.

Mary Ann McShane, Realtor, GRI, SRESe-mail: malm335@sbcglobal.net

Corpus Christi Realty GroupConsidering a move to the Island?

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For the Birder or Surfer!

December 13, 2012 Island Moon A 9

Island CreatIons

Doing Everything a Home or Business Needs

960-0327Owned & Operated by

Island Residents David & Katherine PierceReferences Available Upon Request

Commercial & Residential

Insured Member, Padre Island Business Association

Member, Builders Association, Corpus Christi

RemodelingTotal Renovation & Remodels, Outdoor Kitchens & Spas, Additions, Kitchen & Bathroom Upgrades, Sunporches, Replacement of Windows and Doors, Roofing, Painting & Stucco

LandscapingDesign work, Yard Maintenance, Decks, Pergolas, Installation of Rock, Grass, Plants, Trees, Walkways, Paths, Tree Trimming, Container Planting, Vacant Lot Mowing & Shade Covers. All Kinds of Fencing, Pressure Washing & Deck Staining & Sealing

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?th Annual La Posada Lighted Boat ParadeLa Posada Lighted

Boat Parade Winners

Fleet Award

Tenacious

Mike Taulbert

Most Traditional

First Miss-B-Haven

Venus Killian

Second Sandollar

Doug Hooker

Most Joyful

First Group Therapy

Chester and Judy Stucky

Second Cuz We Can

Bill Rouse

Island Spirit

First Sea Casa

Jim and Marie Tipton

Second Merlin

Rick Dorsey

Most Patriotic

First Last Call

Roy Coons

Second O-Fish-Al Business

Mike St. Amand

Toys for Tots Numbers

Islanders this year donated 4,123 toys to Toys for Tots. Last year the count was 3700.

The Marines say that the Padre Island Yacht Club La Posada events have generated more toys than any other program in the Corpus Christi Area this year. Some of the toys were donated, others purchased with money raised for the event. All money raised during La Posada goes directly to purchasing toys for the toy drive.

A 10 Island Moon December 13, 2012

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Enjoy the Good Life. This two bedroom, 2.5 bath at El Constante comes fully furnished. Awesome views of the Gulf of Mexico. Call Terry 549-7703.

121 Gulfstream $209,900 Beautiful 1st floor unit, ss appli-ances/granite countertop. Updated furnishings. Easy pool/beach ac-cess. Call Shonna 510-3445.

Mediterranean Beauty—Waterfront, new construction by Seaquist. 3-2.5-2. Huge game room. Master down. High impact windows. Still time to choose colors. Cheryl.

722 St. Lucy $154,900 3/2.5/1. 1624 sq.ft of living area. 2 living areas. All bedrooms up. Nice land-scaping. Above ground pool. Charlie 361-443-2499.

Reduced Price 15713 Cuttysark 3/2.5/1 lovely Island home. Large yard with room for a pool. Call Laura Wallace (361) 815-2116.

Investment opportunity! 4/2.5/2 waterfront with extra parking. Vaulted ceilings, fire-place and wet bar. $259,900. 13541 Royal Fifth. Call Shonna 510-3445.

Beautiful Golf Course Home! 4/2.5/2, two living, covered patio, crown molding, granite counter-tops! 14006 Rudder Ct. $315,000. Call Shonna today 510-3445 to see.

13969 Mainsail 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath upscale Energy Star compli-ant home with inground pool, hot tub, outdoor kitchen and much more. $279,900. Call Cindy 549-5557.

New construction by Seaquist Homes. 4-2-2 on Punta Espada. Open floor plan, split bedrooms, landscaped front yard, builder’s warranty. Call Cheryl 563-0444.

Looking for Long Term Rental Property? Below are some of our available rentals:

Looking for Professional Long Term Property Management Services? Our services include: Tenant Qualifying Collec�ons of Rents

Coordina�ng Repairs & Maintenance Professional Itemized Monthly Statements

Marke�ng/Adver�sing

Beach Club #394 Efficiency—1 $750

15542 Cu�ysark 3/2/2 $1700

Lakeshore Villas #24 2/2 $1150

Portono #705 2/2 $1800 furnished

15838 Punta Espada 3/2.5/2 $2200

Seascape Villa #A‐5 1/1 $900

Leeward Isles #5204 2/2 $1200

3834 Priscilla 4/3/2 $2500

13765 Eaglesnest 3/2/2 $2300 pool

Superior Service, Outstanding Reputa�on since 1999

14945 S. Padre Island Dr. Corpus Chris�, TX 78418

(361) 949‐2131 (877) 269‐2131

www.rentpadreisland.com

www.coldwellbanker.com

Sale Pending!

Sale Pending!

Sale Pending!

2201 Oak Crest $139,900. 2 bedrooms, 2 baths plus an 2 addi-tional rooms. Pool on the grounds. Call Charlie 361-443-2499.