Inside the Moon Fat Friday A2 PINS Cabins A5 Fishing A11 Three Chords and the Truth A18 Issue 826 The 27° 37' 0.5952'' N | 97° 13' 21.4068'' W Photo by Riekie Roncinske Island Free The voiceMoon of The Island since 1996 February 13, 2020 Weekly www.islandmoon.com FREE Around Early Voting The Island Begins Tuesday By Dale Rankin Island’s 7786 Voters There is a lot going on Around The should make up Island this week so let’s get to it. Riley P. Dog Park four to five percent Work has begun on the Riley P. Dog of Nueces County Park at the west end of Whitecap. The brush has been knocked down and is Voters in 2020 in the process of being removed, the water meter is in and gate is next. The 18,399 newly work has been slowed by some red tape here and there and a contractor No it's not Mars, it's PINS! See the full story on page A5 registered voters is going to show up at the site in mid- By Dale Rankin March to begin repair work on the bulkheads around the site but things 11th Annual The Presidential Primary season are moving. The goal is to have the Harvie Celebrates 105! swings in Texas and Nueces County dog park open by this summer. Barefoot Mardi with Early Voting beginning on Tuesday February 18. Of ORVs and VRBOs Island resident Harvie Chisholm Gras February Voters on Padre Island take note The city staff this week is still celebrated her 105th birthday that the Early Voting location has working on a citywide policy for 22 changed and is now at Padre Island Vacation Rentals by Owner. The at the Pelican Lounge on Baptist Church 14253 S. Padre Island city recently began tracking VRBO Saturday. Harvie is seen here Drive. It is the site for both Democrat rentals across the city but currently and Republican primary voters. has no way to collect the Hotel posing inside the zero of her Registered voters are not required Occupancy Tax nor any existing 105 balloon. For more photos to vote at their own precinct polling regulations regarding where in the place and can vote at any location in city they are and are not allowed. see page A7. Padre Island will bring the 11th Nueces County. The ordinance has been a work in Annual Barefoot Mardi Gras Parade progress since last fall. According to records from the and Festival on Saturday, February Nueces County Clerk’s office The same is true for Off Road 22, 2020. Barefoot Mardi Gras 18,399 new voters registered in Vehicles – upgraded golf carts – captures the great spirit of Island Nueces County in 2019. Since Texas which were made legal under state IGA Grocery Store on Schedule life and gives everyone in the family voters do not register by party it is law on city streets with a speed limit something wonderful to experience impossible to know which side of of 35 miles per hour or less last year. The interior walls for the 20,000 during this most lively time of the the political isle the new voters who The old ordinance only allowed for square-foot IGA grocery store going year. registered fall on. golf carts because the ORVs were up on SPID between Whitecap and The Barefoot Mardi Gras festivities Voting patterns since 1992 show that excluded by state law. The new state Encantada will start going up next will kick off with the Parade at 11:00 law allows for them and the city week and the equipment for the slightly more than 100,000 Nueces a.m. at Whitecap Beach and continues County voters turnout for Presidential code has been upgraded to reflect grocery store will be delivered in the through Padre Balli Park. Over sixty the change, however, the ORVs are second week of March, according to elections – 107,140 in 2016 - but that floats will stroll on along the beach, number could rise in 2020 as the required to register with the state to developer Moshin Rasheed this week. all decorated in traditional Mardi be street legal and as of this week the number of registered voters across the Gras theme and complete with the county has increased from 199,057 in state has not written rules for doing tossing of necklaces, galleons, and that. As of now Corpus Christi Police 2016 to the current 201,714. In 2018 The $1 million, 24-inch sewer line candy to the spectators. The Barefoot that number dropped to 183,315 in are not writing tickets for ORVs and Mardi Gras Festival begins at 11:00 operators have been driving them on required by city regulations that runs 2018 before surging in 2019. If the along the back of the property is now a.m. and goes through 5:00 p.m. new voters turnout in large numbers Island streets since the new state law with an admission fee of $5. It will and revised city code took effect last in place and work will begin on the for the November, 2020 election the eight-inch line connecting it to the features food trucks, live jazz and Nueces County tally could surge to year. We will keep you updated on Cajun music, exhibitors, an art show both fronts as things develop. Balli Center where the grocery store around 125,000 which would be the is located next week. The store is on and FREE children’s activities. The largest turnout on record. Peckerwoods lookout! schedule to be open by this summer festival will be located at the Briscoe and leases have been signed on the King Pavilion in Padre Balli Park. For sample ballots and voting For all of you citizens who have two 2500-square foot spaces on each information see Page A15 in this outstanding warrants it’s time to pay The 2020 King and Queen Ball will side of the grocery store, Rasheed issue. up or head for the border. The City of take place on Fat Tuesday, February said. He said a HardKnocks Sports Corpus Christi Municipal Court and 25 with a New Orleans style event Bar & Grill will be on one side and a By the Numbers area law enforcement representatives with Cajun food, live music, and Domino’s Pizza on the other. are kicking off the 2020 Great Texas different fun activities at Waves Warrant Roundup. You got until By this summer Islanders will no Resort from 6:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Major Election Friday, February 28 to get your mind longer have to fight summertime At 9:00 p.m. the new Barefoot King right. A 12-day amnesty period starts traffic to go OTB for groceries. It’s and Queen will be crowned during a Voting on Monday, February 17 and ends been a long time coming but it’s traditional New Orleans Processional on Friday, February 28 and after that almost here. in between the festival. Tickets for 1992-2019 it’s three hots and a cot at Sheriff Dale Rankin Mardi Gras cont. on A4 As early voting kicks off across Hooper’s Hotel. Texas and The Padre Island this week we take a look back at how Padre Rip current alerts A little Island history Islanders and Port Aransas voters When Spring Break 2020 rolls have voted over the past twenty eight around in a few weeks beach visitors years. will see a much more aggressive 1992 General Election - effort on the part of city and county The Biggest Bull That Ever officials to warn people of the dangers November of rip currents along our beaches. 144,844 registered Nueces county The move is being spearheaded by Went Down That Chute voters the family of 18-year-old Je’sani Editor’s note: The six barges and [after] a little over Smith who drowned last year while left on San Jose Island are still 100,791 votes cast in county three years … sold out swimming near Bob Hall Pier. This continuing their March to the Sea 46 percent Clinton Gore … for about five million year digital signs will be placed at so this week we take a look back dollars.” Of Richardson, 37 percent George Bush the base of the JFK Causeway as at how the island played a role ““in debt and borrows visitors enter Padre Island and at the in helping the United States win 2,384 Registered Padre Island money to develop leases.” ferry landing in Port Aransas warning World War II and Franklin Delano voters But in Winkler County, visitors to be aware of the dangers, Roosevelt take a photograph that near the New Mexico 88 percent Padre Island voter flags announcing the level of threat still makes the rounds today. border, Richardson turnout for a given day will be placed in more By Dale Rankin had recently found the locations on city beaches, volunteers 1,933 Registered voters in Port Keystone Field which will be at sites on the beach where When oilmen Clint W. Murchison Aransas would bring in 80 wells. beach permits are sold, and Nueces and Sid Richardson decided to So when FDR decided 1484 (77 percent) Votes cast in Port County Coastal Parks officials said buy land on Matagorda and San to visit Matagorda Island Aransas this month additional signage will Jose islands they were still mostly he had a specific agenda go up around Bob Hall Pier where a unknown to the American public The barges began their march to the sea this 1996 General Election - November in mind – a combination deep trench cut by currents under the at large but not to politicians.