Port Aransas, TX

PDF of print edition Songwriters showcase their stuff Monday in Tarpon Inn courtyard       Take original music in an historic courtyard under the stars, add a blanket and cooler, throw in a warm spring breeze, and it might be paradise. Or it might be the 25th annual Songwriter's Showcase. The outdoor concert will be in the Tarpon Inn Courtyard, 200 E. Cotter, on Monday, May 19. Music st... More ... Bird on a wire       A grackle perches on barbed wire at the top of a fence near the ferry landing on Harbor Island. More ... Pre-K registration is today       Students may be registered today, Thursday, May 15, for the fall session of pre-kindergarten. Parents should bring all documents required to the H.G. Olsen Elementary School office, 100 Station St., from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. and 1 to 2:30 p.m. More ... Bike safety session is Sunday at PAHS       Bring the whole family, with bikes, to the Port Aransas High School parking lot for a workshop on bike safety this Sunday, May 18, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sgt. Sandy Flores of the Port Aransas Police Department will instruct anyone who would like to attend. Instruction is interactive, so having a bik... More ... Pool admission will be half-price on Memorial Day       The Port Aransas Community Park pool will celebrate Memorial Day by charging half of the regular admission on Monday, May 26. The pool, located at 700 Clark Parkway, will be open for lap swim from noon to 1 p.m., and open swim from 1 to 6 p.m. More ... Spectators invited to witness turtle release       You're invited to a freedom party. The Friends of the ARK (Animal Rehabilitation Keep) and ARK Director Tony Amos will release several sea turtles - at least two of them large loggerhead turtles -- to the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, May 17, at 10 a.m. at Beach Marker 35. More ... Scouts to wash cars Saturday       Port Aransas Boy Scout Troop 29 is holding its last fundraising car wash of the season. Saturday, May 17, from noon until about 3 p.m., at the Family Center IGA parking lot, scouts will wash cars in exchange for donations. More ... Hopefuls       Charlie Zahn's mayoral campaign set up camp (foreground) across Alister Street from the Community Center, the polling place, on election day, Saturday, May 10, in an attempt to gain votes from passersby. School board candidate Michael Garlough also had last-minute headquarters (background) next to... More ... PASTOR'S PEN Godly mothers inspire       We just passed Mother's Day, and like most, I called my mother and sent her something she would like. While in my normal sermon preparation before Mother's Day, I sensed God was leading me to preach a Mother's Day sermon. More ... Audience-interactive mystery dinner theater to be performed       The hungry sleuth crowd will have a great place to go next weekend. Port Aransas Community Theater (PACT) will host a mystery dinner theater on Friday, May 23, and Saturday, May 24, at 7 p.m. Miss K's Catering of Port Aransas will provide a pecan chicken dinner for the audience. More ... City officials warn: Last week's snake-bite may not be last of season       Port Aransas officials warn that a child's being struck by a rattlesnake on Saturday, May 3, may not be the last time a snake strikes this year. The child, who has been released from the hospital and is now back in school, was bitten at 6:10 p.m. in the Village Walk neighborhood. More ... Tourist bureau to extend hours       Summer is approaching. To accommodate all of the extra activity, the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce - Tourist Bureau location at the Port Aransas Community Theater (PACT) is extending its hours of operation. Beginning Tuesday, May 27, new hours will be from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday... More ... Cable company service under fire Councilman Bujan claims lack of customer service BY PHIL REYNOLDS SOUTH JETTY REPORTER       If you're mad about Charter Cable, City Councilman Charles Bujan wants to hear from you. Bujan is so angry with the city's franchised cable service that he's asked for a discussion of Charter Cable to be put on the city council agenda for tonight, Thursday, May 15. The council meets at 5 p.m. in ... More ... Tourism Week is noted by bureau       The celebration of National Tourism Week, "Discover Great American Traditions", which began Saturday, May 10, concludes Sunday, May 18. It is a collective effort to promote the power of travel through customized events in communities nationwide. More ... Up it goes       A load of paper in a trash bin is loaded into a shredder truck by Anthony DeLeon, of Lone Star Shredding and Document Storage, on Friday, May 2, as part of a Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce-Tourist Bureau "free shredding day" for chamber members. More ... City council to reorganize tonight Code enforcement, transportation plan, more on agenda BY PHIL REYNOLDS SOUTH JETTY REPORTER       Besides hearing complaints from Councilman Charles Bujan about cable service in Port Aransas and appointing members of the Parks and Recreation Board and the Board of Adjustments and Review (see related stories), council members this week will welcome one new and two veteran members to the dais. More ... PORT ARANSAS CITY COUNCIL MAY 15, 2008 AGENDA       1. Call to order 2. Pledge and prayer 3. Canvassing of votes and adoption of election results. A resolution declaring results of city election held May 10, 2008. 4. Swearing in of newly elected city council members 5. More ... Turtle Trail to benefit the ARK       Friends of the ARK (Animal Rehabilitation Keep) in Port Aransas will hold a "turtle hatching" on Friday, May 23, at Gulf Shores condominiums, 6021 State Hwy. 361. The hatchings of cast-aluminum turtles are planned as part of a "turtle trail" intended to raise funds for the ARK, which tries to sav... More ... Big gator, lucky nutria       Fortunately this alligator had just finished lunching on pelican when the nutria arrived. Fran and David Olson of Villisca, Iowa, shot this picture at the Leonabelle Turner Birding Center. More ... Beach finds - intriguing and not TONY AMOS       I immediately recognized the big yellow ball that washed ashore at Marker 45 on Mustang Island Gulf beach last week. It was a 17-inch diameter glass sphere protected from protected from getting dinged by a plastic housing that resembles a giant hardhat, which oddly enough is known in the industry... More ... Treasures of beach focus of free walk       The public is invited to learn about all that washes onto the beaches of Mustang Island. A guided beach walk, sponsored by the Port Aransas Parks and Recreation Department, will examine the beach sampling on Friday, May 23. The free walk, led by self-taught naturalist Steve Zarych, will start at... More ... Blessing       Anglers and boat owners, including at least one rower, gathered on Saturday, May 10, for the annual blessing of the fleet ceremony at Dennis Dreyer Municipal Harbor. The ceremony, which originated in Mediterranean nations, is intended to guarantee a safe and profitable year of fishing. Organizers ... More ... Swartz earns PhD in Pennsylvania       Former Port Aransas resident Stephen Mark Swartz graduated Saturday, May 10, with a doctorate in English composition and English-as-a-second language from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Penn. His dissertation was on literacy and identity. More ... FOR THE BIRDS Birding with a capital 'B'       How in the world do I start talking about this week's birding? Actually I'm talking about BIRDING with capitals, not birding with the "little letters" or anything else having to do with little, but big. I'm thinking big, kind of like YES, WOW, FANTASTIC, WONDERFUL BIRDING! More ... Fish on! Those words are music to an angler's ear, and summer fishing tournaments offer plenty of opportunites to listen to screaming reels.       Port Aransas is about fishing, and during the summer, anglers can find a tournament just about every weekend. The fishing competitions cater to adults, kids and women anglers. Tournaments range from longstanding local fundraising tournaments, as well as fundraisers for off-island causes and boat ... More ... Thanking volunteers       H.G. Olsen Elementary School volunteer Sarah Maxham is handed a certificate of appreciation and a gift of a book ("Chicken Soup for the Volunteer's Soul") at the Volunteers' Tea, an event held by school officials on Friday, May 9, to recognize community members who donate their time to help out at... More ... Mercer house plans to be shown at PAPHA meeting       Dr. David Murrah will present remodeling plans for the new Port Aransas Museum at the next meeting of the Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Society (PAPHA). The meeting will be held Tuesday, May 20, at the Port Aransas Civic Center, 710 W. Ave. A. More ... Job fair is for employers and employees       Individuals looking for jobs and employers looking for employees in the North Bay area are invited to a job fair called "Working in Paradise" on Wednesday, May 28. The Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce-Tourist Bureau is partnering with five other chambers of commerce in the North Bay area and Work... More ... City advisory board vacancies will be filled at meeting tonight       City council members will look at filling vacancies on two city boards when they meet today, Thursday, May 15, in the council chamber at 710 W. Ave. A. Vacant are three positions on the Parks and Recreation Board and four seats on the Board of Adjustments and Appeals. More ... PAHS grad Johns earns master's at Dallas university       Former Port Aransas resident Monica Johns graduates from Dallas Baptist University today, Thursday, May 15. She will receive a master's degree in reading education and English as-a-second language. More ... Yoga event to benefit cancer society       Yoga Friends United is holding a yoga class on the beach to benefit the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer. The yoga class for all fitness levels will be at 9 a.m. on Sunday, May 25, at Horace Caldwell Pier. Registration begins at 8 a.m. More ... POLICE BLOTTER CITY OF PORT ARANSAS POLICE DEPARTMENT       WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 • 10:49 a.m. Emergency Medical Service (EMS) workers took an injured person from the 200 block of West Cotter Avenue to a Corpus Christi hospital. THURSDAY, MAY 8 • 8:12 a.m. A burglary of a building was reported in the 700 block of Clark Parkway (see related st... More ... Police honor officers       Port Aransas police officers are joining other officers across the state and the nation in wearing black bands across their badges this week in observance of National Police Week. More ... Texas Treasure to close for biennial repair work BY DAN PARKER SOUTH JETTY REPORTER       The Texas Treasure casino ship soon will be dry-docked for repairs expected to last about 30 days, according to an attorney for the business. Interviewed on Tuesday, May 13, the lawyer, Pat Beam, said the ship would go into dry dock "in the next couple of days. More ... CONSTABLE'S BEAT NUECES COUNTY, PRECINCT 4      SUNDAY, MAY 4 • 3:15 p.m. A deputy issued a citation on the beach for expired vehicle registration. • 4:05 p.m. A motorist was cited on State Hwy. 361 for expired registration, no driver's license, expired vehicle inspection and defective tail lamp. More ... Two youths charged in concession burglaries       Port Aransas police say they've solved the mystery of the concession stand break-ins at the Little League ball fields at Community Park - at least, partially. Detective Lt. More ... Seven are hurt in two wrecks      Seven people were hospitalized as the result of two separate vehicle accidents that happened on State Hwy. 361 on Saturday, May 10, and Monday, May 12. Police reports show that at 5:10 p.m. a southbound 2005 Dodge pickup truck driven by Aubrie Grant, 22, of Houston, attempted to make a U-turn in th... More ... Shrimp season closes today       Commercial shrimp season in the Gulf of Mexico for state and federal waters will close 30 minutes after sunset tonight, Thursday, May 15. It is expected to remain closed until sometime in July. More ... Ling bling       Barbara Manger of Houston caught this 29-pound ling on a 12-hour deep sea trip out of Dolphin Dock. She fished aboard the Dolphin Express on Saturday, May 10. More ... Grouper, kings and snapper       Casey Clark and Megan Moran, both of Sanger, went fishing with Capt. Donnie Lueck out of Fisherman's Wharf on Monday, May 12. They caught this red grouper, along with the kingfish and vermilion snapper. More ...