February 28, 2020 | Issue

Inside the Moon Barefoot Mardi Gras A2 Business Briefs A3 Cinnamon Shores A4 Birds A7 Fat Tuesday in Port A. A16 Issue 828 The 27° 37' 0.5952'' N | 97° 13' 21.4068'' W Photo by Debbie Noble Island Free The voiceMoon of The Island since 1996 February 27, 2020 Weekly www.islandmoon.com FREE Artists on Four- Around Year Journey The Island By Dale Rankin Stop On the Sometimes even the rattlesnakes get Island it wrong. Local knowledge holds that we have our own version of Punxsutawney Phil here in South Texas and it’s not a cute and cuddly furry little fellow but rather the biggest male rattlesnakes out there who are the first critters out of the ground in the Wild Horse Prairie announcing the arrival of spring each year. It’s not their shadow they are looking for but the love of a good female rattlesnake. There’s probably an app for that but Cora Rose and José Luis Vílchez cell service is spotty once you get out passed through The Island this week of town. on part of a four-year journey that is taking them from Chicago to Alaska, Local ranchers reported last week Crowds gathered last Saturday for the Island's annual Barefoot Mardis Gras parade last Saturday. and eventually Argentina aboard that the first of the big rattlers More photos by Debbie Noble and winners on page A2. their customized and brightly painted had made their entrance…just in school bus. time for Tuesday’s cold front. But not to worry, we have weathered Both are artists and the journey is the Relatively Mild Winter of our $110 Million City Bond Package City Council part of their project Art We There Discontent and are barreling right Yet. The bus has been converted into down on the (historically at least) Likely on November Ballot Pushes on a professional recording studio and one last cold front to send a big art studio, the pair is traveling to 23 chill through the Spring Breakers By Dale Rankin would not require a tax increase due Water Exchange countries across North, Central, and to the retirement of previous bonds, South America. that start arriving next week. That's The Corpus Christi City Council took according to city staff on Tuesday. right folks, Spring Break 2020 kicks steps this week to put a $110 million Project Vílchez is a fine art painter and However, a tax hike of two cents off next weekend as the first of the bond issue before voters in November By Dale Rankin professional photographer from per $100 of property value which revelers will come rolling in from with $70 million tentatively planned Nicaragua, whose work has been was approved by voters in 2018 and The Corpus Christi City Council OTB on the weekend of March 5. for street improvements and $40 shown in galleries throughout the earmarked for street improvements on Tuesday took steps to push Now if we can just get them together million for Parks and Recreation. world. He is a graduate of the School with the amorous rattlesnakes, well, will put the city above the 3.5 percent forward with the Park Road 22 Water Exchange Bridge and the canal now, that would be a Spring Break to City staff told the council members increase that requires a vote by Artists cont. on A4 remember! at their weekly meeting Tuesday that taxpayers under a move approved leading to it from the west side of they will appoint committees around by the Texas Legislature in its the roadway. The details and tone of A chance to make a difference the city to advise the council on 2019 session. It was not clear from the discussion are unknown since the By the numbers agenda item was part of the council’s In this issue we include the vote potential bond projects in their area. Tuesday's council discussion whether Executive Session. taken ten years ago by the Corpus Appointments to the committees will voter approval for a tax hike above Early Voting be made by March 17 with meetings the 3.5 percent level could be put on Christi City Council to form the Bridge cont. on A4 Early Voting for the March held through the months of April and the November ballot with the actual Island Strategic Action Committee 3 Primary Election continues June with final recommendations bond vote, or whether a Special which has become our vehicle for through Friday, February 28. for projects going to the council on Election would be required prior to Annual Padre talking to the council from The Here are the Early Voting totals July 21. The staff was not specific on that at a cost of about $200,000. The Island. Each March some members through Tuesday, February 25 whether a bond advisory committee November date comes after the late Isles Property term out and new members are as provided by Nueces County would be appointed on Padre Island September deadline for cities across selected by the council from a list District Clerk Kara Sands in of applicants to take their place. or whether the council appointed the state to set their Tax Rate. Owners Island Strategic Action Committee descending order by the number So coming up in one of the March The 2018 bonds resulted in a 2 cent will serve in that capacity. Association of votes cast per voting location. council meetings new members will increases per $100 valuation or $26 Note that voters are not required be chosen and now is the time to Tuesday's announcement comes more per year for a home valued at to vote in their registered precinct apply if you are interested in serving. as the only project located on Padre $130,000 and about $34 more per Meeting so these numbers do not reflect The meetings are the first Tuesday Island from the last bond issue for year on utilities. the number of registered voters of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the $96 million in 2018 yet to get through Saturday, March Mayor Joe McComb said Tuesday from each area of the city who Holiday Inn Express on Windward the design phase. That project calls that the renegotiation of the Collective have voted, but rather the number Drive. This is an important part of for $1.5 million in improvements in 14 Bargaining Agreement with Corpus of voters who cast ballots at these helping plan the Island’s future and the area at the base of the JFK Bridge The annual PIPOA meeting will Christi Firefighters Professional locations but could be registered as such requires some work away but the specific nature of the work has be held on Saturday, March 14 at Firefighters Association that will elsewhere. from the meetings but is going to not been decided. Seashore Gym on Encantada. become even more important as The take place in 2020 will likely result Nueces County Under current property values in The doors will open at 9 a.m. and Island develops. It’s a chance to make in the necessity of an increase in the the City of Corpus Christi - totaling the meeting will begin at 10 a.m. 203,947 Total Registered voters a difference. To apply simply go on city's Management and Operations $26 billion - The Island's share of the Ballots for two open seats on the the city website and fill out the form. budget and a subsequent property tax 10,583 (5.19 percent) Total Early $110 million 2020 bonds -with $2.5 seven-member board have been If you have questions call us here increase that, along with two-cent Votes as of Tuesday, March 25 billion in property value - would be in mailed to members, according to at the Moon and we will help you increase in the street maintenance excess of $10 million. PIPOA Director Jim Smock. For the 3,600 Total Democrat votes through the process. fees, would push the city over the first time management of the election The $110 amount would max out 3.5 percent limit and would require a 4,783 Total Republican votes No update in Kleberg Beach vote by taxpayers. has been outsourced to a private the city's current debt capacity but Voting locations by votes cast double murder Meeting cont. on A4 1946 Deaf & Hard of Hearing The Kleberg County District Center (5151 McArdle Rd.) Attorney’s Office this week said there is “no update” in the double A little Island history 1252 Nueces County Courthouse murder case of James and Michelle 1105 Del Mar College Butler who were found dead on How San Jose Island Helped Lyndon Johnson the beach just south of the bowl in 878 Ethel Eyerly Senior Center Kleberg County in October. Two Get His Start (Flour Bluff) potential suspects in the case, Adam 758 Padre Island Baptist Church Curtis Williams and his girlfriend and fellow possible suspect in the Conversations led to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi 753 Veterans Memorial High School (Southside) murders, Amanda Noverr, remain In May, 1937 after President jailed on related charges but have Franklin Delano Roosevelt had 563 Hilltop Community Center not been charged in the murders. The visited first San Jose Island and (11425 Leopard St.) Nueces County Medical Examiner’s then lunched with its owner Office who conducted the autopsies 444 Ellis Memorial Library Sid Richardson and his friend (Port Aransas) in the two deaths ruled both as and fellow oil tycoon Clint murders but the autopsy report has Murchison at Murchison’s house 311 Johnny S.

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