Inside the Moon Photos from Around A2 Featured artist A2 Business Briefs A7 Fishing A11 Live Music A16 Issue 901 The 27° 37' 0.5952'' N | 97° 13' 21.4068'' W Photo by Don Rymer Island Free The voiceMoon of The Island since 1996 July 22, 2021 Weekly www.islandmoon.com FREE Public Kemp’s Ridley Hatching Releases Begin This Week By Dale Rankin By Donna J. Shaver, Ph.D. We are halfway through the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Dog Days of Summer and things Recovery | National Park Service are heating up here on our little Padre Island National Seashore sandbar. This week rainfall is down, The first public release of Kemp’s temperatures trending up, tourist ridley sea turtle hatchings will be held hoard holding steady. at Padre Island National Seashore One of our functions here at the at 6:45 a.m. on Friday July 23 and Word Factory is the Island Complaint Saturday July 24. Public releases Department. In recent weeks this has are currently scheduled to be held included problems with flooding of in front of the Padre Island National Island yards due to new construction Seashore Visitor Center. Releases which we address in this issue. are dependent on COVID levels Then comes the news from the and NPS approval of our releases, National Oceanic and Atmospheric hatchings being ready for release on Administration (NOAA) that the predicted release schedule, and beginning in the mid-2030s a wobble no thunderstorms or tropical storms in the orbit of the Moon (the planet occurring during the release times. not the newspaper) which will last Nests found this year 18.6 years means we will see floods that will sometimes occur in clusters For more than 40 years, the National lasting a month or longer, depending Park Service has worked with other on the positions of the Moon, Earth, agencies in the U.S. and Mexico and the Sun, which will include flood Demolition of the main building at Waves began this week. to help recover the Kemp’s ridley events every two to three days. We population and form a secondary may need amphibious vehicles to nesting colony of this native species take beach drives. at the National Seashore. Padre Island National Seashore is the most Port Aransas to drop out of Draining The Island important Kemp’s ridley nesting Beach Access Permits beach in the U.S. for this endangered Higher required elevations for new Island homes causing species, with more Kemp’s ridley As we went to press Wednesday nests documented at the National Nueces County Coastal Parks flooding for neighbors Seashore than at any other location in Director Scott Cross told the Nueces the U.S. County Commissioners that the City By Dale Rankin of Port Aransas has notified him Short term cont. on A5 When heavy rains first hit The Island City of Corpus Christi raised the base they plan to drop out of participating in late May Todd Dwyer got a big flood elevation (BFE) for new homes with Nueces County and the City surprise at his house in the 14000 from the previous level of nine feet By the numbers of Corpus Christi in the Beach block of Lighthouse. above sea level to eleven feet in order Access Parking Permits program. to reduce flood insurance costs. For decades the cities of Corpus “My wife looked out the back door Rainfall Totals Christi and Port Aransas along with and screamed,” Dwyer said. “When I The new rules adopted unanimously Nueces County have shared revenue looked out all I saw was a lake where by the Corpus Christi City Council on the Island from the sale of Beach Parking my backyard was supposed to be.” on April 9, 2019, stated the reason for the higher required elevation to be: Padre: Dyna St. Permits and one annual $12 permit The Dwyers had lived in the same July 15-21 0.79” is good from beaches from Kleberg house for more than a decade and “The city is a voluntary participant County to the ship channel in Port never had a drainage or flooding in the National Flood Insurance Padre: Aquarius St. Aransas. But Cross said the City of problem until construction began Program’s Community Ratings Port Aransas has now decided to go on a house next door to them a few System. This program provides July 15-21 0.03” it alone and issue their own permit. months before. Now the Dwyers find points for going above and beyond the Mustang: Beachwalk Lane Cross said Port Aransas now pays themselves in a situation that more minimum standards of a participating its lifeguards $18 per hour which July 15-21 0.06” than a dozen Island homeowners community. The points offer different The Dwyer’s house on is more than the other two entities. have faced over the past year after the Revenue from the permits is split Flooding cont. on A4 Lighthouse after a recent rain. Padre: Elbow St. according to the amount of beach in 2021 year to date 39.23” each jurisdiction. Commissioners on Wednesday discussed placing the Plans for Beach Maintenance Building 2020 year to date 13.83” lifeguard program for Nueces County The City of Corpus Christi this week Padre: Scallop St. and the City of Corpus Christi released updated drawings for the under management of Emergency 2021 year to date 39.14” proposed beach maintenance building Management District #2 located in to be located at Commodores Park 2020 year to date 16.18” Flour Bluff. Funding for the new adjacent to Fire Station #15. plan, estimated at $440,000 per years, Padre: Cayo Cantiles was discussed but not voted on. Padre The city’s beach maintenance 2021 year to date 38.72” Island pays property tax to support equipment is currently stored in the the Emergency Management District. open in the parking lot of the Michael 2020 year to date 13.35” J. Ellis Seawall, a practice which Whitecap wreck Port Aransas volunteer observer Assistant City Manager Neiman wanted: See www.cocorahs.org Young told ISAC members has cost to join a nonprofit, community- the city $123,000 in repairs in the based network that measures and past three years due to deterioration maps precipitation in the Northern and cuts the lifespan of the equipment Hemisphere. Building cont. on A5 Updated plans for beach maintenance building A little Island history Islander Fred Edler was returning The Middle Dollar Inn’s Heyday: 1967-1972 from a few days OTB on Tuesday afternoon when he got a unwelcome By Mary Craft welcome home surprise while he was driving along Whitecap. The Million Dollar Inn opened enjoy the beach plus nightlife with its doors in 1967 on the beach live music and a dance floor. “All I saw was a blue flash,” Fred between the Holiday Inn The few homes that were here at the said. The blue flash turned out to be (originally built as a Red Carpet time were located near the Packery a speeding car which hit Fred and Inn) and the Island House Condos. Channel. There was a Dairy Queen at another can before crashing into this It was part of a plan to bring South Encantada where the school is now, house. It was a street circus along Florida, Fort Lauderdale style Seven Seas Souvenir Shop next to Whitecap for a while until things development to the Island. cleared out. it, Jito’s Surf/Snack Shop where the The hotel was used to house Country Store was, In & Out drive Christmas in July potential land buyers who came thru burger place where the Berkshire to the Island from as far away Hathaway Real Estate building is, The La Posada as Europe, Canada and South Frenchy’s Bar near where American Foundation presents America who hoped (literally) to Bank is, Loma Alta kitchenette Christmas in July this get in on the ground level of Island motel where Scuttlebutt’s is and the Sunday, July 25, at the development, It was also a Mecca Western Motel in the building next to Boathouse Patio. The for tourists who just wanted to Island Italian. Around cont. on A4 History cont. on A4 The pool at the Million Dollar Inn July 22, 2021 Island Moon A 2 Photos From Around the Islands Featured Artist Leah Martin Beautifies Island Dolphin photo by Britt Thompson Martin's mural on Dyna Street Mural on Catamaran. Rosete Spoonbill by Anthony Clements Pelicans, Photo by Riekie Roncinske. Above: Artist Leah Martin with her AT&T fiber optics box RICH White Ibis by Riekie Roncinske. painting on Aquarius and Whitecap. LOCKHART Artist Leah Martin was commissioned by Hardknocks owner Rod Lewis to paint the LIVE AT SUNSET fiber optics AT&T box on the corner of Aquarius and Whitecap where he lives. What a ISLAND MARKER 37 great idea to have artwork at a stop sign for you to enjoy. Some of her other work on the 13317 SPID Island is a mural on a home on Dyna and Catamaran. She also has art displayed at the FRIDAY JULY 23 Padre Island Art Gallery that is a great place for visitors to take a piece of the Island 7:00PM back home. You can text or call her at 453-9120 Story and photos by Mary Craft. Photo by Evelyn Pless-Schuberth The Island Gold We Buy & Sell Gold - Silver - Platnium Slip Bullion Jewelry - Repairs OPEN 2 P.M. TO 2 A.M. Diamonds & More EVERY DAY! www.islandgoldbuyer.com HAPPyHOUR 361-589-4320 15217 SPID #214 MONDAY - FRIDAY Corpus Christi, TX 78418 2 P.M.