Inside the Moon Beach Clean-up A2 Business Briefs A3 Fishing for Smiles A5 On the Rocks A11 New Island Restauant A14 Issue 871 The 27° 37' 0.5952'' N | 97° 13' 21.4068'' W Photo by Debbie Noble Island Free The voiceMoon of The Island since 1996 December 24, 2020 Weekly www.islandmoon.com FREE Around The Hornets Island A Very Mazoch Family Christmas Advance to By Dale Rankin The Island Christmas this year is Third Round of a good time to stop and smell the beach. While much of the country UIL Playoffs slogs its way through a winter storm and a pandemic our holiday looks to 4 p.m., Saturday be one for launching the fleet. Last weekend the Intracoastal Waterway December 26 in San looked like the Spanish Armada was rolling in as the weather had Antonio Island boaters out to enjoy a day on The Flour Bluff Hornets will play the water. The Star of Bethlehem the Victoria West Warriors in the was difficult to make out Monday 3rd round of the UIL State Football evening through the Island cloud Playoffs on Saturday, December 26. cover but somehow just knowing it The Hornets advanced to the third was up there was comforting in an round of the playoffs after wins in otherwise tough year. the First Round over the Brownsville As we began putting together our Pace Vikings and the second round Year in Review issue for next week over the Southside Cardinals 31-21 in the Area Round. it quickly became clear that 2020 The Christmas light show by the Mazoch family at the west end of Whitecap Boulevard is an Island was a year like no other on our little tradition and continues to draw crowds each night. The will play in the 3rd Round of sandbar. As much of the state locked the 5A Division 1 Regional Semifinal down the beach became the state’s Playoffs at 4 p.m. at Alamo Stadium backyard as a place to recreate while in San Antonio and tickets can be socially distancing and in the process purchased online. For questions our real estate market got sampling Bob Hall Pier to be Rebuilt! about online tickets, contact Mrs. from a customer base that we would Weaver at (361) 694 – 9276. A Clear likely not have seen. The offshoot Bag Policy and COVID Restrictions has been a robust demand for Island County Commissioners identify funding source will be enforced at the game which housing as large portions of the will be broadcast live on 1230 AM workforce began working from home and 95.1 FM. and what better place to do it than without tax hike Alamo Stadium is located adjacent to here? It looks like 2021 is going to be By Dale Rankin a good year for us. Trinity University on the McAllister Bob Hall Pier will be torn down due Freeway just north of downtown San New City Council to damage from Hurricane Hanna Antonio. but can be rebuilt with savings from The election is over and the new a refinancing of county bond debt Corpus Christi City Council is set after a vote from the Nueces County to take office on Tuesday, January Commissioners Court in a specially 12. The ceremony is set for council called meeting on Friday. chambers but the building is closed to the general public. The ceremony The five-member commission was can be viewed on the city website. presented with the options of using the existing concrete pilings to • The new council members are: rebuild the pier, which consultants Paulette Guajardo – Mayor; Michael from the Jacobs Engineering Group, Hunter - At-Large; John Martinez - Inc. said would cost $9 million and Bob Hall Pier before the storm. At-Large; Mike Pusley - At-Large; extend the life of the pier by about Billy Lerma - District 1; Ben Molina thirty years, or to tear down the - District 2; Roland Barrera - District existing structure and rebuild from 3; Greg Smith - District 4 the ground up at a cost of $19 million. The Swearing In begins at 10:00 The commissioners unanimously a.m. the Swearing At begins at 10:01 chose the second option which could a.m. extend the pier’s life beyond seventy- five years. Water restrictions Funding for the repair or There is also a press conference reconstruction of the pier hit a snag scheduled for 10 a.m., Monday, when officials from the Federal December 28, at the O.N. Steven’s Emergency Management Agency After the storm. Photos by Laurie Lyng. Water Treatment Plant on Leopard (FEMA) told county officials in leaving the question of how to pay That question of where to find local Street. We know that many of our October that the total amount of for the repair of the pier unknown. funds in lieu of the FEMA money was readers will be disappointed that the damage from Hurricane Hanna in Island artist Jennifer Seymour FEMA funding is approved would answered at the Friday meeting when public will not be allowed to attend fourteen Texas counties that border (pictured center with son Pace) pay for 75 percent of the repair cost financial consultant Noe Hinojosa since it will mean they will miss the the Gulf of Mexico did not meet the created her annual beach with the remaining 25% coming from chance to see the water treatment $38 million minimum funding level snowman sculpture this week. local sources. plant first hand. But generally to qualify for hurricane relief funding Bob Hall cont. on A5 speaking when a press conference is called at a Water Treatment Plant the news is not going to be good and A little Island history this is not likely to be an exception. It was announced at the city council meeting last week that the capacity of 2004: The Year We Had a White Christmas on The Island the city’s water supply was teetering on the brink of the level where rationing kicks in and the message at By Dale Rankin the Monday gathering is likely to be This week we continue our that we are entering Stage 1 Drought photo essay of the Island’s White Restrictions. It may be a long dry Christmas. The year was 2004 and summer folks. was a Christmas to remember. Dog Park It started when snow first began falling on cue on Christmas Eve when awoke from a long winter’s nap on Christmas morning we looked out on a beautiful blanket of three inches of white covering their Island. The last time Corpus Christi or the Coastal Bend received similar 24 hour snowfall totals was in February 1895 when a snow Work on the Riley P. Dog Park is event the snow totals were nearly moving forward. The fill dirt has double (10-20 inches) those of the arrived and the fence is next. So as we 2004; but it was not on Christmas ramp up for a spring 2021 opening we Eve. are preparing our readers with some pointers. While it's unlikely we will The pictures tell the story. have snow in the dog park this year – or any year for that matter- just in case be sure to follow the rule stated here. It’s just good public policy. Have a great Christmas everybody and get ready for a great 2021. In the meantime say hello if you see us Snow blankets the Marlin sculpture. More photos on page A4. Around The Island. December 24, 2020 Island Moon A 2 Seashore Happenings Sip-n-Shop Deborah Nichols of the Padre Island Art Gallery hosted a Holiday Sip & Shop on Friday, December 18th. The event featured many Island artists creating their work on site as well as complimentary wine and snacks. The gallery is located at 14617 S.P.I.D. Photos by Debbie Noble. Santa Cleans Up Padre Island residents took their love for the Island and their Christmas spirit to the beach this past weekend to rid the beach of as much garbage as they could. Photos by Debbie Noble TRY OUR New To-Go Stati Free Delivery on Padre Island or in Flour Bluff Alcohol to-go also available Call to order (361) 949-6744 Doc’s gift cards are now on sale. They make great Christmas gifts for family Seashore students had fun dressing up for Pajama Day, Holiday Headwear Day, and or staff ! Sweater Day. December 24, 2020 Island Moon A 3 Moon Monkeys Bob Hall Pier Mike Ellis, Founder It was always my Understanding that Bob Hall pier was designed to be taken apart partially Did Ya Hear? before a storm. There is a tool and a forklift that three men can take apart the floor and stack By Mary Craft it up at the end of the pier, that wasn't done, that's why the pier was destroyed. Why is this never mention or is it just a failure of the parks Business Briefs department and no one wants to talk about it. A Sherwin Williams store is being built where the Hunan Restaurant was in the Now it's gonna cost the taxpayers millions of Bluff at Waldron Road. dollars. Guajillo’s - Shortcut to Mexico Restaurant will be opening in the Padre Mail Plus Scott Nichols possibly in January. Carlos Barajas and his brother opened their restaurant in San Antonio 22 years ago. Carlos says he has no competition in this area since there are Editor’s note: The walking surface of the pier is no authentic Mexican restaurants. He describes the difference “We cook with water, Distribution designed with cement rectangles that fit on top Pete Alsop vegetables and spices.