Port A to get backup supply for gas system
A backup natural gas supply is coming to the City of Port Aransas, and the city has plans to build...
Elbow room
City Hall to be expandedAn expansion will add 12,000 square feet to City Hall and the Civic Center and consist of office space and...
Stawar: Respect campaign is working
A campaign to get visitors to behave more respectfully in Port Aransas went well this summer, said Brett Stawar, president...
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The pros and cons of golf carts
My head spins as I sort through arguments for and against driving golf carts on Port Aransas city streets. First, some background: The city started licensing golf carts to travel on our town’s streets 13 years ago. Today, more than 5,500 carts are registered with the city. Renting a cart...
Saving kids from wackos, dirty books
View from the rightThank God for Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana. I wish every major television and radio network in the country had covered what the smart and colorful Republican did in the Senate this week. As part of a hearing looking into the alleged threat to freedom posed by parents who want...
Puppet of the House lacks principles
View from the leftGet your popcorn ready, because a gut-wrenching level of drama has gripped the House of Representatives! To quote Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, “The Republican party is currently in a civil war.” Last week, Speaker Kevin McCarthy slid over to a lectern and called for an impeachment inquiry into President...
Library to host kids’ programs
Kid-specific activities continue at the Williams R. “Bill” Ellis Library in September. Parents are invited to bring the kids to check out books and take part in the planned events. Early Explorers Activities for kids ages 0 to 3 focusing on learning through play are slated every Thursday in September...
Night hike is Friday at preserve
Take a nighttime walk through the Port Aransas Nature Preserve at Charlie’s Pasture on Friday, Sept. 22. Participants should meet at the pavilion, 1200 Port St., by 8 p.m. During the walk, those who attend will experience the surrounding nature while learning about nocturnal animals that might be seen and...
Fall beach cleanup set Saturday
Volunteers are needed to help with the 2023 Fall Adopt-a- Beach cleanup set for Saturday, Sept. 23. The coast-wide beach cleanup is sponsored by the Texas General Land Office (GLO) and Keep Port Aransas Beautiful. It will take place from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers are encouraged to register online...
Parrot Heads plan party with purpose
Sept. 29-30Port Aransas Parrot Heads party each fall with a fundraising event, Wings Over Port A. The event on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 29 and 30, will benefit the Amos Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) and the Moore-McDonald VFW Post 8967 Care and Share Christmas project. Tickets are available to the full-weekend of...
Fishing friends
Austin Alcala, foreground, 9, and Kaleb Gonzalez, 9, both of San Antonio, fish on the south jetty in Port Aransas on a recent day.
Redfish target of Oct. 7 tourney
Hunt for Reds Couples TournamentAnglers are invited to compete for awards and cash pots at the second annual Hunt for Reds October Couples Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 7. In-person registration is set from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6, at the Fred Rhodes Memorial Pavilion at Roberts Point Park. Fees are $200...
Blue marlin catch
Juaquin Menchaca caught a 564-pound blue marlin on a trip aboard the Doulos on Thursday, Sept. 14.
TPWD adopts new snapper catch app
Beginning in September, anglers can voluntarily report red snapper landings on the My Texas Hunt Harvest (MTHH) app as the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) discontinues use of the iSnapper app, according to a news release. Using the MTHH app anglers will be able to report their red snapper...
Mercer Logs reveal 1800s island life
Port Aransas PastWell kids, long before the arrival of the railroad we talked about last time, was the arrival to our island of Robert Ainsworth Mercer. The island had been part of the seasonal rounds of the Karankawa Native American people, but no permanent settlement occurred until Mr. Mercer moved his family...
Port A to get backup supply for gas system
A backup natural gas supply is coming to the City of Port Aransas, and the city has plans to build a second gas pipeline. City officials have been working on...
Elbow room
City Hall to be expandedAn expansion will add 12,000 square feet to City Hall and the Civic Center and consist of office space and breakout meeting rooms, according to a plan by the City...
Stawar: Respect campaign is working
A campaign to get visitors to behave more respectfully in Port Aransas went well this summer, said Brett Stawar, president and CEO of the Port Aransas Tourism Bureau and Chamber...
Rescued
Kay Culpepper, left, and Ada Fish, right, rescue a pelican that had been hit by a car on State Highway 361 on Saturday, Sept. 2. The pelican made its way into a grassy area off the highway after it was hit. Culpepper and Fish are volunteers with the Amos Rehabilitation...
Pup at play
Lyla, a resident of the Port Aransas Animal Shelter since May, enjoys a doggie surfing event with help from Jo Ellyn Krueger, left, and Cliff Strain, right, near Horace Caldwell Pier on Saturday, Sept. 16. Krueger, who volunteers at the shelter, brought Lyla to the event for her first try...
ARK needs event sponsors
Sponsors are sought for the annual Fall for the ARK event, a fundraiser hosted by Friends of the ARK to benefit the Amos Rehabilitation Keep. The event, set for Saturday, Oct. 7, will celebrate the 41st anniversary of the ARK. The ARK, at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute,...
Pitching in
Volunteers gathered to weed and organize plants at the Port Aransas Nature Preserve greenhouse on Thursday, Sept. 14. Hard at work are Leslie Hoekstra, center, and Ray Dillahunty, right, both of Port Aransas. They joined nature preserve employee Justin Quintanilla.
$1 million lottery ticket bought here
A $1 million lottery ticket was bought at a gas station in Port Aransas. The Stripes on State Highway 361 sold a $20 scratch off lottery ticket that had winnings of $1 million on Sept. 1, according to a manager. The Stripes manager declined to offer any more information. A...
Racers arrive
Dozens of competitors taking part in the Conquer the Coast cycling race exit a ferry arriving at a landing on Mustang Island on Saturday, Sept. 16. Cyclists raced from Corpus Christi to Port Aransas and back.
Volunteers sought for installation of storm drain markers
Help is needed installing storm drain markers on Saturday, Sept. 30 as part of a storm water improvement project Those who volunteer will install 700 markers along sidewalks in Port Aransas from 9 a.m. to noon. Meet at the small pavilion at Roberts Point Park to receive instructions, learn how...
Playtime
One-and-a-half-year-old MJ Trevino, left, of San Antonio and one-and-a-half-year-old Nolan Kinsella, center left, insert discs into slots on a box. Sheryl Chand, center right, of Ingleside hands a disk to 1-year-old Liv Mustian of Port Aransas. Chand is Liv’s nanny. They were taking part in the Early Explorers program put...
City seeks volunteers for Halloween events
Halloween celebrations are a big deal in Port Aransas. The City of Port Aransas hosts a number of Halloween events during the week leading up to the annual holiday. Volunteers are needed to help with the annual Trunk or Treat events set for Thursday, Oct. 26, at Roberts Point Park....
Going to the Gulf
At the beach near Marker 34, a loggerhead sea turtle is carried toward the surf for release into the wild on Saturday, Sept. 2. In front are Roger Brodnax, left, and his wife, Jill Brodnax. In back are Isabel Arsispe, left, and Tamara Rivera. All four are volunteers with the...
Waves of competition
Event attracts human and canine surfersCompetitors rode small but fun waves at Port A Surf Fest, held on Saturday, Sept. 16. The contest was organized by the Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Association. Yates Harri, 10, won first place, Taj Smith, 11, took second and...
Going to school
A bus with students aboard heads down Station Street toward H.G. Olsen Elementary School on a recent morning.
PAISD students outscore region, state on STAAR
Port Aransas ISD students scored in many cases from 10 to as much as 30 points higher than their counterparts in the region and the state on the state standardized STAAR test, Superintendent Sharon McKinney told the board of trustees. McKinney reported the results of the tests at a regular...
PAISD to advocate for schools’ full funding
Administrators and trustees at the Port Aransas ISD are picking up their megaphones and poms- poms and they want voters in Port Aransas and throughout the state to do the same. The purpose is to “advocate for full funding for the 5.5 million students who attend Texas public schools before...
Applications now available for Texas Match the Promise awards
Applications are now being accepted for the 2023-2024 Texas Match the Promise Foundation awards, said a news release from the Texas Comptroller’s office. “The foundation, in cooperation with the comptroller’s office, encourages Texas families to save for college by offering awards to third through ninth graders who are beneficiaries of...
Food focus on scratch cooking
Education NotesAs we returned for the 2023 - 2024 school year, the Food Service Department of Port Aransas Independent School District (PAISD) was beginning its transformation. When I started in May, I was given the opportunity to spend time with the seasoned food service director, who had retired at the end...
Mandatory training date set for substitute teachers, volunteers
All new prospective substitute teachers and volunteers must attend a mandatory substitute training session sponsored by the Port Aransas ISD on Wednesday, Sept. 27. The class will be from 8 a.m. to noon in the boardroom at the school district’s administration building, 100 S. Station St. Attendees should bring state-issued...
Process of naming new buildings, other topics addressed by trustees
A process for naming buildings, an update on tax collections, cafeteria services and enrollment were topics covered at a meeting of Port Aransas ISD trustees on Wednesday, Sept. 13. Superintendent Sharon McKinny said her research uncovered no method used in the past for naming buildings and facilities, such as the...
Full house, full plates
The return of the famous Port Aransas Fish and Game Dinner held Saturday, Feb. 25, 1995, drew a full house to the Civic Center. The dinner was newly sponsored by the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce-Tourist Bureau which picked it up from the Lions Club which had sponsored it for the previous 30 years. After an absence of two years,the...
