Good job

I want to commend the South Jetty on its new look. Fabulous!

This community newspaper has always done a super job of informing the public about what is going on and what went on while constantly striving to be newer, better and in my opinion, the best!

The South Jetty reports with a flair, and the layout entices readers to find out more.

As an island resident involved in many organizations, I can say for a fact that this paper is a huge reason for the success of island events, and I thank all the staff who work so hard.

Great job! Keep it up!

Pam Greene

[Editor's note: In the interest of full disclosure, Greene worked for the South Jetty for about 20 years, and only recently went to work for the city's Parks and Recreation Department.]

Resign or recall

I have lived in Port Aransas for over 32 years and have witnessed a lot of mayors come and go. Some represented the city in a professional manner and some have not.

Mayor Claude Brown has me concerned about some of the things he is trying to do. One of the first things he tried to do was have the city building inspector terminated. Brown next put down the police department with all sorts of allegations. Some of the allegations and complaints against the police department may be coming from Brown going around town recruiting and chorusing Port Aransas citizens to file allegations against police officers and the police department.

Next Police Chief Sam Russell resigned because of all the political garbage from Brown. With Brown out of control, it is going to be difficult to find a new police chief in this political environment.

Brown would also like to go after barking dogs and restrict parking on streets of his choosing.

The mayor next makes a proposal to build a concrete slab in the haul out area of the city marina. The slab started out at 50 feet by 30 feet, but that would not fit the mayor's needs, so he made the request for the slab to be 50 feet by 50 feet at a cost of $70,000. Maybe the mayor would like to leave his crane on the slab that is city property for his monetary gains. The city should ask Brown for proof of liability insurance on his equipment. What happens if someone gets hurt or personal property gets destroyed?

The city also paid about $780 for a bulletproof vest for the mayor. I guess it must be getting dangerous at city hall.

Just recently the mayor requested a larger lens for the city camera. What for? Would it be to take pictures of city employees at work from long distance? Now the mayor refuses to do his job and work with the city council on up-coming projects.

It might be best for Port Aransas if Brown resigns as mayor or maybe a recall may be in order. It only takes 20 percent of the voters who voted in the election for a recall.

Don Murphy

Port Aransas

[Editor's note: The slab at the marina was originally scheduled to be 50-by-50 feet but was scaled back to 50-by-30 feet as an economy move. Brown pointed out to the council that a 50-by-30-foot slab did not provide enough working space for a crane. The body armor Brown requested for police "ride-alongs" during Spring Break cost $749.98, according to police department records. He is not on record as having used the vest during Spring Break 2008. The camera he uses was issued to him as mayor instead of the laptop computer that other council members received. He said he uses it to photograph points he wants to illustrate to other council members.]