Hear the quiet?

Spring Break is over, and Winter Texans are trickling north (is that possible – to trickle up?).

At any rate, we’re in that limbo between the departure of Winter Texans and Spring Breakers, and the arrival of our summer guests.

If Spring Break is an indication, we may not be able to turn left all summer.

I hear complaints about that, so let’s look at the flip side.

What if you could turn left during Spring Break and all summer long? You might pay more out of pocket for the reconstruction of 11th Street, and you could probably kiss good-bye the on-going street improvement program.

If you work at a restaurant or a retail shop and you could turn left during Spring Break and summer, you probably won’t have a job for much longer.

The point is, Spring Breakers, Winter Texans and summer tourists all contribute to the local economy. A portion of every dime they spend comes back to Port Aransas. We build streets, swimming pools, baseball fields, nature preserves and sponsor programs for adults and kids with that money. Businesses stay open and people have jobs because Spring Breakers, Winter Texans and summer tourists choose to vacation in Port Aransas. of the 1980s. The alternative would be sad, though.

We’ve made some mistakes along the way in terms of failing to envision the growth that was, and is, inevitable. We’ve cleaned up as best we can after those mistakes, and we’ve done some things right.

As long as we fight growth, we won’t be prepared for it, and we’ll be miserable.

Instead, we need to understand that growth is, in fact, inevitable, and a good alternative to its antithesis. The key is in planning for it so it happens in a way that preserves our past and protects our future.

So, let’s bid Spring Breakers and our Winter Texans a fond farewell, and prepare to welcome our summer visitors.

They are what makes the beat go on in Port Aransas.

Mary Henkel Judson is editor and co-publisher of the South Jetty. Contact her at southjetty@centurytel.net, (361) 749-5131 or P.O. Box 1117, Port Aransas, TX 78373.