Last glance at 2012




Staff photo by Dan Parker Photographed from within a newly installed drainage culvert on Thursday, May 10, Island Construction worker Jorge Lujan makes adjustments under construction next to State Hwy. 361. Financed by a 2008 bond issue, the culvert was tied into an 11th Street drainage system, also under construction. Island Construction workers were installing hundreds of feet of concrete drainage culverts as part of a $6.4 million bond issue approved by voters in May 2011 to widen 11th Street, install drainage and make other improvements along the thoroughfare. The pictured drainage work tied into the 11th Street improvements.

Staff photo by Dan Parker Photographed from within a newly installed drainage culvert on Thursday, May 10, Island Construction worker Jorge Lujan makes adjustments under construction next to State Hwy. 361. Financed by a 2008 bond issue, the culvert was tied into an 11th Street drainage system, also under construction. Island Construction workers were installing hundreds of feet of concrete drainage culverts as part of a $6.4 million bond issue approved by voters in May 2011 to widen 11th Street, install drainage and make other improvements along the thoroughfare. The pictured drainage work tied into the 11th Street improvements.

Port Aransas is saying goodbye to a year that saw triumph and tragedy, joy and sorrow, advancements and setbacks, but as always, Port Aransans showed resilience and perserverence.

Courtey photo from video by Bert Adams The sportfishing boat Let It Ride burns to the waterline on Saturday, July 15, about 35 miles offshore of Port Aransas in the Gulf of Mexico. All seven on board were rescued by the Hideout, another boat fishing the Deep Sea Roundup.

Courtey photo from video by Bert Adams The sportfishing boat Let It Ride burns to the waterline on Saturday, July 15, about 35 miles offshore of Port Aransas in the Gulf of Mexico. All seven on board were rescued by the Hideout, another boat fishing the Deep Sea Roundup.

Here is a look back at the year in words and photos.

Staff photo by Dan Parker A coyote peers out from between the bars of a cagestyle trap that caught him Sunday, Sept. 16, near the Port Aransas High School track. City animal control officers have been trying to answer complaints of residents concerned about their pets as well as those concerned about the coyotes.

Staff photo by Dan Parker A coyote peers out from between the bars of a cagestyle trap that caught him Sunday, Sept. 16, near the Port Aransas High School track. City animal control officers have been trying to answer complaints of residents concerned about their pets as well as those concerned about the coyotes.

January

Staff photo by Dan Parker State Hwy. 361 between Avenue G and Beach Access Road 1A is seen from the air, looking south, on Saturday, Nov. 17. The Texas Department of Transportation in November announced that a plan to expand that section of the highway, also known as The Island Road, had become fully funded. The project will make the road four lanes wide, with a center turn lane and a hike-and-bike trail also built.

Staff photo by Dan Parker State Hwy. 361 between Avenue G and Beach Access Road 1A is seen from the air, looking south, on Saturday, Nov. 17. The Texas Department of Transportation in November announced that a plan to expand that section of the highway, also known as The Island Road, had become fully funded. The project will make the road four lanes wide, with a center turn lane and a hike-and-bike trail also built.

Restoration work on the Farley Boat Works building was nearly finished, and officials with the Port Aransas Preservation and Historical As soc i at i on ( PAPHA) planned to open the historic Port Aransas structure to the public in the spring. Plans were for visitors to be able to browse marine-oriented historical exhibits and take part in actual boat building, right there on the grounds of the facility on Avenue C, near Cut-off Road.

Top row from left: A new, three-story ferry headquarters building began construction adjacent to the old building next to the ferry landing. The new building is expected to withstand winds up to 130 mph. Glenn Martin, center, was named Citizen of the Year as two former Citizens of the Year, Georgia Neblett, left, and George Horner make the presentation. The pace of construction in 2012 was well above 2011 by mid-year and builders were saying it was an indication of an improving economy. Second row from left: The Port Aransas Education Foundation announced grant awards totalling more than $100,000 at an assembly at Port Aransas High School on Wednesday, April 11. The Port Aransas City Council increased fees for services at Mustang Beach Airport in August. Third row from left: Andy Goldbloom presents Mayor Keith McMullin with the 2012 Outstanding Project Award for Harbors and Marinas at a meeting of the Port Aransas City Council on Thursday, Oct. 18. The City of Port Aransas won the national award for a project the city undertook to build a transient boat dock at Dennis Dreyer Municipal Marina. A Nueces County Appraisal District official said the district was planning to re-evaluate property values all over Port Aransas and around the county. Mariachis serenaded the festivites at Fiesta in October, the major fundraiser of the Port Aransas Education Foundation. Fourth row from left: Winter Texans of the Year, Ann and J.D. Hodges, were honored by the JELM Center in February. Nancy K. D’Herde, United States Postal Service Rio Grande District Human Resources Specialist, LD&D, with her husband Donny, was named 2012 AFEB Specialist of the Year. Folks enjoyed the Kiwanis Meet the Chef Wine Tasting in February held at the Sandcastle Condominiums Conference Center.

Top row from left: A new, three-story ferry headquarters building began construction adjacent to the old building next to the ferry landing. The new building is expected to withstand winds up to 130 mph. Glenn Martin, center, was named Citizen of the Year as two former Citizens of the Year, Georgia Neblett, left, and George Horner make the presentation. The pace of construction in 2012 was well above 2011 by mid-year and builders were saying it was an indication of an improving economy. Second row from left: The Port Aransas Education Foundation announced grant awards totalling more than $100,000 at an assembly at Port Aransas High School on Wednesday, April 11. The Port Aransas City Council increased fees for services at Mustang Beach Airport in August. Third row from left: Andy Goldbloom presents Mayor Keith McMullin with the 2012 Outstanding Project Award for Harbors and Marinas at a meeting of the Port Aransas City Council on Thursday, Oct. 18. The City of Port Aransas won the national award for a project the city undertook to build a transient boat dock at Dennis Dreyer Municipal Marina. A Nueces County Appraisal District official said the district was planning to re-evaluate property values all over Port Aransas and around the county. Mariachis serenaded the festivites at Fiesta in October, the major fundraiser of the Port Aransas Education Foundation. Fourth row from left: Winter Texans of the Year, Ann and J.D. Hodges, were honored by the JELM Center in February. Nancy K. D’Herde, United States Postal Service Rio Grande District Human Resources Specialist, LD&D, with her husband Donny, was named 2012 AFEB Specialist of the Year. Folks enjoyed the Kiwanis Meet the Chef Wine Tasting in February held at the Sandcastle Condominiums Conference Center.

Port Aransas High School teacher Melanie Mayer was named a recipient of the 2011 Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award.

First row from left: The Port Aransas High School varsity cross country teams stop for a photo after the boys placed first in the regional meet in San Antonio on Friday, Nov. 2. The boys moved on to the state meet in Round Rock where they placed second. The girls varsity cross country team was not able to make it to the state meet. The 2012 Port Aransas High School Lady Marlin softball players were district and area champions. Second row: A federal permit issued in April gave city workers more freedom in how they maintain the beach at I.B. Magee Beach Park in Port Aransas. Developer Paul Schexnailder, right, speaks to Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce members during a presentation he made on a Schlitterbahn Waterpark resort proposed for North Padre Island. The Stripes convenience store on Alister at Beach streets replaced its tanks in a three-week operation in the fall. Third row: Former PAISD trustee Dr. Paul Montanga, center, moderated Candidates’ Night. Candidate Lisa Shelton was successful in her bid for Place 1 over Jim Brown. The Port Aransas Art Center launched a fundraising campaign to buy land for a new building in the location where Sportsman Lodge is at Alister Street and Avenue A. Fourth row: Fire heavily damaged a boat, a 43-foot cabin cruiser called Postman, at Island Moorings Marina Friday, Nov. 2. No one was on board, and no one was injured, said Dwight Kirkpatrick, chief of the Port Aransas Volunteer Fire Department. The Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce- Tourist Bureau asked the city for permission to look into the best possible use of the city’s 67 acres adjacent to the Nature Preserve at Charlie’s Pasture. Dr. Addison Lawrence holds up two starfish at the Texas A&M AgriLife Mariculture Laboratory where he heads a project to create economical and sustainable farming of shrimp, starfish and sea urchins. Former Brundrett Middle School eighth-graders posed with the Capitol in the background on their June trip to Washington, D.C. The students were carrying on an eighth-grade tradition of making a trip to the capitol, where they learn history and government. Members of the Port Aransas High School basketball team took second place in the Southern Elite Youth Basketball Labor Day Tournament at Jon Paul High School in Corpus Christi Saturday, Sept. 1. This was after the boys took part earlier in the day in a kayak race at the Paddle for Parkinson’s charity event to raise money for Parkinsons’ victims and research. They did it in honor of Coach Joe Kocurek, who has Parkinson’s. Fifth row from left: One of the many sculptures by master sculptors in the annual Texas SandFest held on the beach. Port Aransas High School students who met academic standards posed outside Fin’s Grill and Icehouse at a banquet on Monday, May 7, to honor them. The Marlin Athletic Booster Club held its annual athletic banquet Monday, May 21.Winning the Millie Wise Sportsmanship Award were Chris Eggleston and Anna Roberson. Roberson and Tyler Pate were named female and male athletes of the year. From left are Port Aransas Independent School District Athletic Director Steve Reaves, Eggleston, Roberson and Pate. A bronze sculpture called ‘Interdependency’ by Kent Ulberg was unveiled outside the University of Texas Marine Science Institute.

First row from left: The Port Aransas High School varsity cross country teams stop for a photo after the boys placed first in the regional meet in San Antonio on Friday, Nov. 2. The boys moved on to the state meet in Round Rock where they placed second. The girls varsity cross country team was not able to make it to the state meet. The 2012 Port Aransas High School Lady Marlin softball players were district and area champions. Second row: A federal permit issued in April gave city workers more freedom in how they maintain the beach at I.B. Magee Beach Park in Port Aransas. Developer Paul Schexnailder, right, speaks to Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce members during a presentation he made on a Schlitterbahn Waterpark resort proposed for North Padre Island. The Stripes convenience store on Alister at Beach streets replaced its tanks in a three-week operation in the fall. Third row: Former PAISD trustee Dr. Paul Montanga, center, moderated Candidates’ Night. Candidate Lisa Shelton was successful in her bid for Place 1 over Jim Brown. The Port Aransas Art Center launched a fundraising campaign to buy land for a new building in the location where Sportsman Lodge is at Alister Street and Avenue A. Fourth row: Fire heavily damaged a boat, a 43-foot cabin cruiser called Postman, at Island Moorings Marina Friday, Nov. 2. No one was on board, and no one was injured, said Dwight Kirkpatrick, chief of the Port Aransas Volunteer Fire Department. The Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce- Tourist Bureau asked the city for permission to look into the best possible use of the city’s 67 acres adjacent to the Nature Preserve at Charlie’s Pasture. Dr. Addison Lawrence holds up two starfish at the Texas A&M AgriLife Mariculture Laboratory where he heads a project to create economical and sustainable farming of shrimp, starfish and sea urchins. Former Brundrett Middle School eighth-graders posed with the Capitol in the background on their June trip to Washington, D.C. The students were carrying on an eighth-grade tradition of making a trip to the capitol, where they learn history and government. Members of the Port Aransas High School basketball team took second place in the Southern Elite Youth Basketball Labor Day Tournament at Jon Paul High School in Corpus Christi Saturday, Sept. 1. This was after the boys took part earlier in the day in a kayak race at the Paddle for Parkinson’s charity event to raise money for Parkinsons’ victims and research. They did it in honor of Coach Joe Kocurek, who has Parkinson’s. Fifth row from left: One of the many sculptures by master sculptors in the annual Texas SandFest held on the beach. Port Aransas High School students who met academic standards posed outside Fin’s Grill and Icehouse at a banquet on Monday, May 7, to honor them. The Marlin Athletic Booster Club held its annual athletic banquet Monday, May 21.Winning the Millie Wise Sportsmanship Award were Chris Eggleston and Anna Roberson. Roberson and Tyler Pate were named female and male athletes of the year. From left are Port Aransas Independent School District Athletic Director Steve Reaves, Eggleston, Roberson and Pate. A bronze sculpture called ‘Interdependency’ by Kent Ulberg was unveiled outside the University of Texas Marine Science Institute.

Top row from left: Santa Claus and his ‘elves’ arrive at Roberts Point Park after the Boat Lighting Parade in December. This photo by Bob Redding of Red Rover Imaging shows the Heerma 851, the largest barge in the world, that was built as part of the Bullwinkle project 22 years ago, when Bullwinkle was the largest oil rig in the world. The barge was to be refitted with a rig and shipped to Israel to work in natural gas production. Second row from left: A $500,000 donation from the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) seeded the startup of the Sportfish Research Center at Texas A& M University-Corpus Christi. The new facility will have a research boat in Port Aransas. Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce-Tourist Bureau President and CEO Ann Bracher Vaughan presents a check to water district Manager Mark Young to fund the restoration of the birding mural at the wastewater treatment plant next to the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center. The chamber raised the funds to have the mural replaced. A Texas Supreme Court property rights decision impacts beaches on the upper Texas coast a lot more than in Port Aransas, but it’s not out of the question that Port Aransas could eventually be affected by the case.The Severance vs. Patterson case was a clarification of an earlier ruling that means stronger property rights for owners of land in areas bordering the beach, but it also could mean weaker rights for public access to the shore after big beach erosion events like hurricanes. Third row from left: Lady Marlins named to the District 31A all-district softball team were, back row from left, Jordan Morris, Maddison Ray, Summer Hernandez and Devan Murray; second row, from left, are Marian Smith, Brenna Martin and Savannah Ortiz; in front are Missy Gilbreath and Kellie Owens. Coach Steve Reaves, not shown, was named co-Coach of the Year. Standing along the sidewalk leading into Port Aransas High School, students give the school’s tennis team a send-off as the players walk to a van that was to take them to regional competition on Tuesday, April 17. Jackson Willoughby of Port Aransas High School took second place in the JV high jump competition at district, earning the right to advance to area. South Jetty staffers Dan Parker and Judy K. Krantz (standing) and Elizabeth Weaver earned awards for their writing and advertising design from the National Newspaper Association. Fourth row: The PAHS golf team ended its season at the regional tournament after a second-place showing at district by both girls’ and boys’ teams. Replicas of the Nina and the Pinta visited Dennis Dreyer Municipal Harbor in Port Aransas for a few hours March 8 on their way to dock in Corpus Christi. The vessels, owned by the Columbus Foundation of the British Virgin Islands, left Corpus Christi again April 4 and passed through Port Aransas without stopping, on their way to parts unknown. Several Port Aransas High School students took honors in state academic competition in Austin on Monday, May 21. That included the school’s computer team, which took first place. Fifth row from left: The University of Texas Marine Science Institute accepted an endowment from the Port Aransas Rod and Reel (PARR) Club for graduate student work in fisheries. Port Aransas High School students show their ribbons after UIL meet in Woodsboro on Wednesday, March 21, and bringing the first-place trophy home from the District 31A Friday, March 23.

Top row from left: Santa Claus and his ‘elves’ arrive at Roberts Point Park after the Boat Lighting Parade in December. This photo by Bob Redding of Red Rover Imaging shows the Heerma 851, the largest barge in the world, that was built as part of the Bullwinkle project 22 years ago, when Bullwinkle was the largest oil rig in the world. The barge was to be refitted with a rig and shipped to Israel to work in natural gas production. Second row from left: A $500,000 donation from the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) seeded the startup of the Sportfish Research Center at Texas A& M University-Corpus Christi. The new facility will have a research boat in Port Aransas. Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce-Tourist Bureau President and CEO Ann Bracher Vaughan presents a check to water district Manager Mark Young to fund the restoration of the birding mural at the wastewater treatment plant next to the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center. The chamber raised the funds to have the mural replaced. A Texas Supreme Court property rights decision impacts beaches on the upper Texas coast a lot more than in Port Aransas, but it’s not out of the question that Port Aransas could eventually be affected by the case.The Severance vs. Patterson case was a clarification of an earlier ruling that means stronger property rights for owners of land in areas bordering the beach, but it also could mean weaker rights for public access to the shore after big beach erosion events like hurricanes. Third row from left: Lady Marlins named to the District 31A all-district softball team were, back row from left, Jordan Morris, Maddison Ray, Summer Hernandez and Devan Murray; second row, from left, are Marian Smith, Brenna Martin and Savannah Ortiz; in front are Missy Gilbreath and Kellie Owens. Coach Steve Reaves, not shown, was named co-Coach of the Year. Standing along the sidewalk leading into Port Aransas High School, students give the school’s tennis team a send-off as the players walk to a van that was to take them to regional competition on Tuesday, April 17. Jackson Willoughby of Port Aransas High School took second place in the JV high jump competition at district, earning the right to advance to area. South Jetty staffers Dan Parker and Judy K. Krantz (standing) and Elizabeth Weaver earned awards for their writing and advertising design from the National Newspaper Association. Fourth row: The PAHS golf team ended its season at the regional tournament after a second-place showing at district by both girls’ and boys’ teams. Replicas of the Nina and the Pinta visited Dennis Dreyer Municipal Harbor in Port Aransas for a few hours March 8 on their way to dock in Corpus Christi. The vessels, owned by the Columbus Foundation of the British Virgin Islands, left Corpus Christi again April 4 and passed through Port Aransas without stopping, on their way to parts unknown. Several Port Aransas High School students took honors in state academic competition in Austin on Monday, May 21. That included the school’s computer team, which took first place. Fifth row from left: The University of Texas Marine Science Institute accepted an endowment from the Port Aransas Rod and Reel (PARR) Club for graduate student work in fisheries. Port Aransas High School students show their ribbons after UIL meet in Woodsboro on Wednesday, March 21, and bringing the first-place trophy home from the District 31A Friday, March 23.

Top row from left: City officials view the aftermath of a collison between a tanker ship and a jack-up offshore production rig off the coast of Port Aransas on May 2. Port Aransas celebrated Independence Day with a fireworks display supported by Charles Butt, owner of the Lydia Ann Lighthouse and H-E-B Food Stores. Hannah Ferguson Johns and Chris Eggleston were named the valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, by Port Aransas High School Prinicpal Sharon McKinney. Second row from left: Dr. Joan Holt was named interim director of The University of Texas Marine Science Institute after the departure of interim director Skip Porter. State Rep. Todd Hunter discusses windstorm insurance rates at a meeting of the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce-Tourist Bureau as chamber board chairman Glenn Martin listens. A Hampton Inn began construction in Port Aransas behind the Snappy’s off State Hwy. 361. Third row from left: Spring Breakers crowded the beach for the annual holiday. Upper photo at right, kids take off in the mist at the Beach Dash. Lower left: Port Aransas police officer Seth Rosebrook hauls part of a weather buoy ashore Sunday afternoon, April 8. A search by officers and U.S. Coast Guard boats (background) resulted in bodies of two men from Lamesa being found. Officers here are Matt Campbell, second from left, Matt Johnson and Carlos del Moral. Finally, a series of accidents involving golf carts had Port Aransas police stepping up enforcement of traffic safety rules as they pertain to golf carts.

Top row from left: City officials view the aftermath of a collison between a tanker ship and a jack-up offshore production rig off the coast of Port Aransas on May 2. Port Aransas celebrated Independence Day with a fireworks display supported by Charles Butt, owner of the Lydia Ann Lighthouse and H-E-B Food Stores. Hannah Ferguson Johns and Chris Eggleston were named the valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, by Port Aransas High School Prinicpal Sharon McKinney. Second row from left: Dr. Joan Holt was named interim director of The University of Texas Marine Science Institute after the departure of interim director Skip Porter. State Rep. Todd Hunter discusses windstorm insurance rates at a meeting of the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce-Tourist Bureau as chamber board chairman Glenn Martin listens. A Hampton Inn began construction in Port Aransas behind the Snappy’s off State Hwy. 361. Third row from left: Spring Breakers crowded the beach for the annual holiday. Upper photo at right, kids take off in the mist at the Beach Dash. Lower left: Port Aransas police officer Seth Rosebrook hauls part of a weather buoy ashore Sunday afternoon, April 8. A search by officers and U.S. Coast Guard boats (background) resulted in bodies of two men from Lamesa being found. Officers here are Matt Campbell, second from left, Matt Johnson and Carlos del Moral. Finally, a series of accidents involving golf carts had Port Aransas police stepping up enforcement of traffic safety rules as they pertain to golf carts.

Top row from left: Cliff Strain of Port Aransas, who teaches at Flour Bluff Intermediate School, was selected as a Presidential Innovation Award for Enviromental Educators winner, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Shorty’s Place, the second longest-owned business by the same family in Port Aransas, was sold by Joy George and her brother Jimmy Gates, to Edwin and Amy Myers of Port Aransas. The city replaced public shower facilities on the beach at Avenue G in the spring. Second row from left: The Winter Old-Lympics, which pairs partners whose ages equal 100 or more, once again offered entertainment and exercise for residents and Winter Texans. Veteran Dr. Bill Lehmann, foreground, Mayor Keith McMullin and others applaude a speaker at the annual Veterans Day program held at Port Aransas High School. Third row from left: Helping Hands Food Pantry board members Dale Christensen, left, and Brent Peterson give Carla Herget a Thanksgiving meal, one of many given by the pantry. Mayor Keith McMullin, left, and historian John Guthrie Ford with a marker commemorating the Mercers, a pioneering Mustang Island family. Mardi Gras means a parade in Port Aransas, and 2012 was no exception. The Lydia Ann Lighthouse had a facelift in the fall, with some of the masonry in the historic structure replaced. Upper photo, water restrictions went into effect in Port Aransas in mid-December. Lower photo, Crew members spray water from fire hoses aboard the Michael W. Behrens ferry boat on Friday, Jan. 6. The crew took the vessel several hundred yards down the ship channel, toward Ingleside, to do drills on how to handle a fire or a situation in which someone goes overboard. One of the new 28-car ferries was taken out on a drill before going into service in time for the Fourth of July holiday. PAHS Principal Sharon McKinney was named Outstanding Principal of the Year in Region 2 of the Coastal Bend. Nearly 3.5 inches of rain fell in Port Aransas on May 10, but it wasn’t enough to lessen the on-going drought.

Top row from left: Cliff Strain of Port Aransas, who teaches at Flour Bluff Intermediate School, was selected as a Presidential Innovation Award for Enviromental Educators winner, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Shorty’s Place, the second longest-owned business by the same family in Port Aransas, was sold by Joy George and her brother Jimmy Gates, to Edwin and Amy Myers of Port Aransas. The city replaced public shower facilities on the beach at Avenue G in the spring. Second row from left: The Winter Old-Lympics, which pairs partners whose ages equal 100 or more, once again offered entertainment and exercise for residents and Winter Texans. Veteran Dr. Bill Lehmann, foreground, Mayor Keith McMullin and others applaude a speaker at the annual Veterans Day program held at Port Aransas High School. Third row from left: Helping Hands Food Pantry board members Dale Christensen, left, and Brent Peterson give Carla Herget a Thanksgiving meal, one of many given by the pantry. Mayor Keith McMullin, left, and historian John Guthrie Ford with a marker commemorating the Mercers, a pioneering Mustang Island family. Mardi Gras means a parade in Port Aransas, and 2012 was no exception. The Lydia Ann Lighthouse had a facelift in the fall, with some of the masonry in the historic structure replaced. Upper photo, water restrictions went into effect in Port Aransas in mid-December. Lower photo, Crew members spray water from fire hoses aboard the Michael W. Behrens ferry boat on Friday, Jan. 6. The crew took the vessel several hundred yards down the ship channel, toward Ingleside, to do drills on how to handle a fire or a situation in which someone goes overboard. One of the new 28-car ferries was taken out on a drill before going into service in time for the Fourth of July holiday. PAHS Principal Sharon McKinney was named Outstanding Principal of the Year in Region 2 of the Coastal Bend. Nearly 3.5 inches of rain fell in Port Aransas on May 10, but it wasn’t enough to lessen the on-going drought.

While 230 Texas teachers were nominated for the honor, Mayer was one of only 13 who got the award.

Top row from left: Anna Roberson is crowned 2012-13 Homecoming Queen by 2012 queen, Rachel Davis.Homecoming duchesses with their escorts. Second: The historic Farley boat, the Tina, is moved into the renovated Farley Boat Works and Museum. A new draft FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map for Port Arnasas showed little change for most of Port Aransas. Third row: PAISD trustees toured facilities to prepare for discussion of a $3 million bond issue that might go before voters in May. Police in Victoria inspect the scene where Bennie Ray Dupnik Jr., who was imprisoned for 32 years for murdering Shorty’s Place bar owner Gladys ‘Shorty’ Fowler, allegedly killed a woman and took his own life on Oct. 27. Sand and Surf Run competitiors run on the beach on Oct. 6. Third row: Bird watchers man their binoculars during the Whooping Crane Festival in February. The Marlin baseball team ended their season at the area level in a season that saw the Marlins ranked as high as fourth in the state in Class 1A. Fourth row: Kendall Owens, 11, of Port Aransas, earned three more state fishing records with a 70.81-pound 46-inch cubera snapper during the Deep Sea Roundup. Former long-time Nueces County Commissoner for Precinct 4, J.P. Luby, second from right, died Saturday, June 23, at the age of 79. The 38’ sportfishing boat Barracuda ran up on the south jetty and minor injuries were sustained by eight passesngers in August.

Top row from left: Anna Roberson is crowned 2012-13 Homecoming Queen by 2012 queen, Rachel Davis.Homecoming duchesses with their escorts. Second: The historic Farley boat, the Tina, is moved into the renovated Farley Boat Works and Museum. A new draft FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map for Port Arnasas showed little change for most of Port Aransas. Third row: PAISD trustees toured facilities to prepare for discussion of a $3 million bond issue that might go before voters in May. Police in Victoria inspect the scene where Bennie Ray Dupnik Jr., who was imprisoned for 32 years for murdering Shorty’s Place bar owner Gladys ‘Shorty’ Fowler, allegedly killed a woman and took his own life on Oct. 27. Sand and Surf Run competitiors run on the beach on Oct. 6. Third row: Bird watchers man their binoculars during the Whooping Crane Festival in February. The Marlin baseball team ended their season at the area level in a season that saw the Marlins ranked as high as fourth in the state in Class 1A. Fourth row: Kendall Owens, 11, of Port Aransas, earned three more state fishing records with a 70.81-pound 46-inch cubera snapper during the Deep Sea Roundup. Former long-time Nueces County Commissoner for Precinct 4, J.P. Luby, second from right, died Saturday, June 23, at the age of 79. The 38’ sportfishing boat Barracuda ran up on the south jetty and minor injuries were sustained by eight passesngers in August.

Top row from left: Long-time EMS Director Yancy Gillespie announced his retirement. Gary Mysorski, director of the Port Aransas Parks and Recreation Department, also announced his retirement after 13 years. Seth Rosebrook, left, was named by Police Chief Scott Burroughs as Officer of the Year. PAHS teacher Melanie Mayer, right, was presented with an Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award by U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold and others on Jan. 2. Second row from left: Supporters of the Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Association gathered for the annual fundraising dinner and auction at the Community Center. City Manager Robert Bradshaw resigned after two years on the job. Ground was broken on a fenced area for Port Aransas Animal Shelter dogs to run. Third row: Winners in the Powder Puff Fishing Tournament for women only show off their catches. Participants in the Relay For Life walk the track. Fourth row: H.G. Olsen Elementary School was the only school in South Texas to recieve a theatre grant from Macy’s. Port Aransas welcomed Trinity-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church vicar Father James Derkits and his family, wife Laura and son Eli in October. Seven Port Aransas High School Lady Marlins have taken district honors for their basketball skills. From left: Samantha Richardson, academic all-district; Madison Ray, co-newcomer of the year and academic all-district; Brenna Martin, first team all-district and academic all-district; Anna Roberson, first team all-district and academic all-district; Savannah Ortiz, first team all-district and academic all-district; Missy Gilbreath, second team all-district; and Devan Murray, second team all-district. Fifth row from left: Mustang owners show their engines at the MustangFest in October. Also in October, oldtimers participating in some storytelling during the Old Town Festival.

Top row from left: Long-time EMS Director Yancy Gillespie announced his retirement. Gary Mysorski, director of the Port Aransas Parks and Recreation Department, also announced his retirement after 13 years. Seth Rosebrook, left, was named by Police Chief Scott Burroughs as Officer of the Year. PAHS teacher Melanie Mayer, right, was presented with an Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award by U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold and others on Jan. 2. Second row from left: Supporters of the Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Association gathered for the annual fundraising dinner and auction at the Community Center. City Manager Robert Bradshaw resigned after two years on the job. Ground was broken on a fenced area for Port Aransas Animal Shelter dogs to run. Third row: Winners in the Powder Puff Fishing Tournament for women only show off their catches. Participants in the Relay For Life walk the track. Fourth row: H.G. Olsen Elementary School was the only school in South Texas to recieve a theatre grant from Macy’s. Port Aransas welcomed Trinity-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church vicar Father James Derkits and his family, wife Laura and son Eli in October. Seven Port Aransas High School Lady Marlins have taken district honors for their basketball skills. From left: Samantha Richardson, academic all-district; Madison Ray, co-newcomer of the year and academic all-district; Brenna Martin, first team all-district and academic all-district; Anna Roberson, first team all-district and academic all-district; Savannah Ortiz, first team all-district and academic all-district; Missy Gilbreath, second team all-district; and Devan Murray, second team all-district. Fifth row from left: Mustang owners show their engines at the MustangFest in October. Also in October, oldtimers participating in some storytelling during the Old Town Festival.

Mayer was presented with the award during a gathering at the Una Farley Library at PAHS on Monday, Jan. 2. The event attracted about 40 folks, including Port Aransas teachers, school administrators and U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, whose congressional district includes Port Aransas.

Humanities Texas presents awards annually to Texas teachers “ who have made exemplar y contributions in teaching, curriculum development and extracurricular programming,” according to a news release issued by the organization.

Marlins senior Andrew Groseclose was named to the pre-season South Texas All- Star baseball team, the only 1A male player so honored. The all-star teams, voted on by South Texas coaches, are divided into large-school (4A and 5A) and small-school and private (1A, 2A and 3A) divisions.

Lady Marlin Savannah Ortiz was named to the South Texas Pre-Season All-Star softball team in the small schools division.

Ortiz, a junior, was the pitcher for the team. She and other all-star players were honored at a banquet on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the Omni Hotel in Corpus Christi.

Port Aransans who had cable TV and wanted to watch Super Bowl XLVI at home, were considering buying VHF antennas for their televisions.

The Super Bowl was to air on NBC, and Time Warner Cable – the only cable service available in Port Aransas – was not carrying the network’s local affiliate, KRIS-TV. And there was no guarantee that it would, come Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5.

Time Warner dropped KRIS on Dec. 12, when the cable company and KRIS owner Cordillera Communications failed to reach a retransmission agreement.

Port Aransas EMS Director Yancy Gillespie was hoping community members would make donations to fund training that would make his ambulance workers better able to care for folks in emergencies.

Gillespie wanted to obtain training for three of his emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to make them paramedics. But money in his budget for that kind of training was scarce.

So, an effort to bring in private donations was spearheaded by Gillespie, the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce- Tourist Bureau, EMS Auxiliary as well as private efforts led by community volunteer Betty Crawford.

Port Aransan Robert Heisterman was named the Veteran of the Day at Disney World in Orlando, Fla., flag-lowering ceremony on Dec. 13, Heisterman’s 70th birthday.

Long-time Port Aransas fishing and duck hunting guide Gary Linn Einkauf died on Tuesday, Jan. 17, after a battle with cancer. He had been a resident of Port Aransas since 1972.

Port Aransas City Council members decided to sell all $6.4 million in voter approved bonds for planned 11th Street road work even though a construction firm’s winning bid on the project was about $1.1 million less than that.

Plans were to use the extra money to pay for additional road and drainage projects around town and possibly for “change orders” – additional needs that unexpectedly might crop up as part of the extensive 11th Street reconstruction work.

The council voted 5-2 to take this route. Voting yes were council members Glenda Balentine, Charles Bujan, Keith Donley, John Price and Steve Lanoux. Voting no were Councilman Edwin Myers and Mayor Keith McMullin.

The Art Center for the Islands changed its name to the Port Aransas Art Center and launched a contest for a new logo.

Over two objections, Port Aransas school board members on Thursday, Jan. 19, voted superintendent Dr. Sharon Doughty a one-time $500 stipend and extended her contract for two years.

Trustees voted unanimously to give Doughty the stipend, with board member Ann Appling absent. Members Jay Jones and Kelly Owens voted against extending the contract, which made the final vote 4-2.

Glenn Martin became the 22nd citizen of Port Aransas to be presented the Citizen of the Year award since its inception in 1991 on Thursday, Jan. 26. The award is sponsored by the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce-Tourist Bureau, and is presented each year at the chamber’s annual banquet.

Martin was selected on the merits of his service to the city, the school district, the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority, chamber of commerce, and a variety of local, state and federal committees.

February

The Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Association (PAPHA) opened its freshly restored Farley Boat Works building to the public on Tuesday, Feb. 7. Boat building lessons for the general public commenced the same day in the structure on Avenue C near Cut-off Road.

Farley Boat Works operated at a number of locations around town from 1916 to 1970. It was the longest-lasting major boat building business in Port Aransas history.

The wood-frame building on Avenue C is about 60 years old and was run by Farley Boat Works from the 1950s to 1970, Pratt said.

PAPHA bought the structure in early 2011 for $200,000 in order to preserve Port Aransas maritime heritage.

Work began on the multimillion dollar 11th Street project, the biggest single chunk of street and utilities improvements tackled in years in Port Aransas on Friday, Feb. 3. Heavy equipment started clearing vegetation from the edges of Beach Access Road 1A between State Hwy. 361 and 11th Street, where new utility lines were to be buried as part of the project.

Community members donated enough money to get the training needed to bring three Port Aransas ambulance workers up to paramedic status, according to Darla Honea, the city’s finance director.

The city’s three EMTs expressed an interest in getting the training needed to be paramedics, but money for that kind of thing in the city budget was scarce.

A South Jetty story quoting Gillespie on the need for funds ran on Jan. 19. In addition, Port Aransan Betty Crawford led a push for donations. The EMTs each agreed to kick in $500 toward the cost of getting the online training they need to become paramedics, EMS Director Yancy Gillespie said.

In addition, the city received $13,610 in private donations, according to Honea. The total taken in from the EMTs and the public was enough to cover the $13,000 cost of training, and probably testing too, she said.

A study was started to determine the feasibility of starting a ferry service that would shuttle pedestrians back and forth between the Corpus Christi and Port Aransas waterfronts.

A private firm, HMS Global Maritime, was conducting the investigation for the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). The study was supposed to come up with answers to the questions of how trips to and from Port Aransas would be timed, what the costs might be, where riders might park and what kinds of water conditions a ferry might encounter.

The University Interscholastic League, the governing body for high school competition in Texas, realigned basketball districts for the 2012-14 seasons, leaving the Marlins with only one of the four opponents they faced in the 2011-2012 season.

Instead of foes northwest of here – Falls City, Kenedy and Pettus – players will look to the southwest, where the new district includes Agua Dulce, Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco, Benavides and Premont.

Woodsboro, also in the revamped District 31A, is the only district opponent Port Aransas had during the 2011- 12 season.

A select group of 28 local men will be among the first to get back into town after a hurricane.

City hall already drafted the volunteers to be ready to swoop back into Port Aransas and immediately fan out across town to do damage assessments of homes, businesses, public buildings and infrastructure.

The assessments will help the federal government determine how much aid Port Aransas needs, according to the city’s building official, John Speights.

The assessments also will help the city decide which buildings are so heavily damaged that they should be posted with signs warning that they’re too dangerous to enter, Speights said.

A 67-29 win over Agua Dulce on Monday, Feb. 13, propelled the Lady Marlins into the second round of the playoffs. The win gave the Lady Marlins a 23-8 season record. They finished district at 6-2, and were set to face Sabinal for the area title on Feb. 16.

The Port Aransas Kiwanis Club’s sold out of tickets for their first “Meet the Chefs Wine and Food Extravaganza” held Feb. 20. The chefs prepared a variety of culinary delights that they paired with select wines.

A Schlitterbahn entertainment development on North Padre Island, which was being proposed, likely would be good for business in Port Aransas, according to folks in the business community here. The development would lie entirely within the city limits of Corpus Christi. A Schlitterbahn official was expected to come to Port Aransas for a chamber function possibly in early March so the Schlitterbahn representative could describe the project to the business community.

Two episodes of a nationally broadcast outdoors-oriented television show focusing on a friendship between two Port Aransas boys was scheduled to air part one of two-part on Feb. 15, on NBC Sports, according to Bill Blodgett, executive producer of the Majesty Outdoors. Part two was scheduled to be aired Feb. 20, on the same network, Blodgett said.

The show featured Kyle Jones, 13, son of Jay and Karen Jones, and Jesse Marraro, 15, son of Sheila Marraro.

Representatives for the Hampton Inn chain submitted a set of preliminary construction plans to the city’s building department on Wednesday, Feb. 15, according to Deputy City Manager Dave Parsons.

The plans call for the hotel to be built at 2208 State Hwy. 361, directly behind the Snappy’s convenience store, Parsons said.

The hotel is expected to be four stories high. The 51,000-square-foot building will contain 78 guest rooms and a 1,300- square- foot meeting room, Parsons said.

A Hampton representative said the chain hopes to start building within the next two months and finish construction in eight to nine months later, according to Parsons.

The non-profit Port Aransas Preservation and Historical As soc i at i on ( PAPHA) published selections from the Mercer Logs – a family’s journal of life on the island in the late 1800s. The logs are the earliest known record of the pioneer days in what now is known as Port Aransas.

The book, called “ The Mercer Logs – Pioneer Times on Mustang Island, Texas” – was to make its public debut at the Boats, Boots and Bow Ties benefit dinner that PAPHA was to hold at the Community Center on Saturday, March 3.

Port Aransas city government revamped and expanded its recycling program, and officials were looking at making the program even bigger.

The city council voted unanimously on Thursday, Feb. 16, to have city staff look into the possibility of setting up recycling bins on the beach. The program was proposed by Councilman Steve Lanoux.

The Winter Texans of the year, chosen by the JELM Center, were Ann and J.D. Hodges.

The Hodges are fulltime RV’ers, hailing from Virginia. “They tirelessly teach line dancing at the JELM,” said a spokesperson for JELM. They were honored at a volunteer appreciation luncheon on Feb. 24.

The Port Aransas High School Marlin basketball team came out on the good side of the 59-43 score against Johnson City. The two teams faced off in an area playoff game in Pleasanton on Friday, Feb. 24, leaving the Marlins ready for a tip-off on Tuesday, Feb. 28, in Floresville against Medina in the regional quarterfinal game.

The eighth annual Port Aransas Kiwanis Club Beach Dash got off to a cold and rainy start on Saturday, Feb. 25.

According to Jana Snow, event organizer, it was approximately 46 degrees and raining when runners began showing up. Of the 440 people that originally signed up, there were about 200 die-hard runners who still participated despite the weather.

Port Aransas city staff was researching the possibility of building a dirt bicycle course suitable for BMX enthusiasts at Port Aransas Community Park.

Deputy City Manager Dave Parsons said city staff was researching the bike course idea.

Gary Mysorski, director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, said cost, design, insurance issues, maintenance and other issues would have to be considered

Lady Marlins Samantha Richardson, Anna Roberson, Brenna Martin, Savannah Ortiz and Madison Ray all made the Academic All- District basketball team.

Members of the squad were named to the District 31A All-District team, also.

Roberson, Ortiz and Martin were named to the All-District first team; Devan Murray and Missy Gilbreath made the second team.

In addition, Ray was named co-newcomer of the year.

Closure of the mai l processing center in Corpus Christi and moving it to San Antonio may not have a significant impact on Port Aransas postal patrons, according to Port Aransas postmaster Tami Williams. The closure was announced in late February.

However, any change that may occur will not happen until May. Congress has placed a moratorium on closings until then.

Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce-Tourist Bureau President and CEO Ann Bracher Vaughan said the 16th annual Whooping Crane Festival, headquartered at the Civic Center from Thursday, Feb. 23 through Sunday, Feb. 26, had a record registration. The doors to the Civic Center opened more than 4,000 times in the four days of the festival, and Vaughan said 723 people registered for the event – a clear record. The previous record was set last year, with 611 birders. And that in spite of gale force winds one day and rain on the Saturday morning of the festival.

Port Aransas Mayor Keith McMullin said he felt “very good” about the trip he took to Washington D.C. Feb. 27-29 to lobby for federal money to benefit a variety of initiatives on Mustang Island.

McMullin campaigned for funds for improvements to the ferry landings, Mustang Beach Airport and State Hwy. 361 south of Avenue G, plus other matters. Asked how confident he felt that Port Aransas would end up getting that money anytime soon, he said it was hard to say.

“That’s a difficult one to ascertain at this point, largely because Washington is so dysfunctional. I think just about everyone would tell you something to that effect,” McMullin said.

This was the fourth year McMullin made a lobbying trip to Washington. Previous Port Aransas mayors also have made such trips.

March

When filing ended on March 5, Port Aransas voters were looking at one contested race for school board, a charter amendment election and a referendum to vote on Election Day, Saturday, May 12.

Jim Brown and Lisa Shelton filed to replace Margaret Price, who was retiring, in Place 1 on the Port Aransas ISD board of trustees.

The Port Aransas Police Department honored some of its top officers and others in the community at a banquet that the department held on Friday, March 2.

Seth Rosebrook was named officer of the year. Sherri West, the department’s records and communications supervisor, was named civilian employee of the year, and Officer Matt Campbell was named rookie of the year.

In what coach Joe Kocurek called “the most exciting game of the tournament,” the Marlins saw the regional semi-finals game slip from their grasp, 53-62, on Friday, March 2, against a tall, strong and solid Milano team.

Kristen Hicks was named coastal training program coordinator at the Mission- Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR). She is based at the NERR headquarters at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas.

Port Aransas police were looking for two men interrupted in the act of apparently trying to steal animals from the Animal Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) Saturday night, March 10. The vandals also broke into the UTMSI Pier Lab and damaged some instruments.

Developer Paul Schexnailder told members of the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce-Tourist Bureau on March 7 that he was optimistic that ground would be broken on a Schlitterbahn Waterpark on North Padre Island about June 1, but he added that hurdles exist.

To break ground by June 1 and open by summer 2013, three things needed to happen, Schexnailder said:

• A final design for the park must be finished;

• financing for the project must be put together; and

• a “deal” must be reached with Corpus Christi city government.

Rainy, foggy weather over the first weekend of Spring Break made for a slow start to the annual holiday that brings thousands to Port Aransas.

After the rainy weekend, mornings were foggy and drizzly, but the afternoons dried out and the sun made an appearance.

An Aransas Pass man charged with aggravated assault on March 19 during Spring Break with a deadly weapon after beachgoers complained he had been firing a gun on the beach.

City officials agreed that building a dirt bike trail was an idea that’s worth considering, but to become a reality, it will have to wait until after funding becomes available.

The Port Aransas High School entry in the UIL one-act play competition advanced to the district level for the first time in years.

The play, Cinderella Waltz, garnered All Star Cast medals for Aaron Kenigsberg, Shelby Stephenson, Emma Shannon, Corban Marcantel and Mamta Patel.

Honorable Mention medals went to Jenna Ward and Michelle Arnold.

The Texas Department of Transportation completed surveying work to prepare for widening part of State Hwy. 361, also known as the Island Road, inside the Port Aransas city limits.

The planned project remained only partially funded, and even if enough money was located, construction wasn’t expected to begin until late 2013, at the earliest, according to the highway department.

Animal Friends of Port Aransas, a non-profit group that assists at the city’s animal shelter, purchased tattooing equipment that will permanently mark animals as being fixed after being neutered or spayed while staying at the shelter.

Spring Break 2012 was a profitable holiday for local businesses, and it was a busy one for law enforcement, with scores of arrests for alcohol-related incidents and shoplifting, but no arrests for major crimes or severe injuries in accidents.

Officers from a variety of law enforcement agencies made a total of 280 arrests over a nine-day period, including 68 for public intoxication and 91 for driving under the influence, according to statistics provided by PAPD. A relative few of the drunken driving arrests took place just outside the Port Aransas city limits, but the rest were in Port Aransas, PAPD reported.

At least one Port Aransas man wasn’t happy with police activity during Spring Break. Dustin McCaskill, 30, said two officers roughed him up during an incident in a condominium parking lot on 11th Street. Port Aransas Police Chief Scott Burroughs said his department was investigating McCaskill’s allegations.

Port Aransas scholars once again brought the first-place trophy home from the District 31A UIL meet, trouncing second-place Woodsboro at the district competition in Woodsboro on Wednesday, March 21, and Friday, March 23.

The Marlins racked up 602 points to win first. Second place totaled 286 points.

Of the 37 Port Aransas students who went to the district meet, 21 qualified to advance to the regional competition in Brenham on Friday, April 20. To qualify for that, they had to place in the top three individually or be members of a first-place team.

Walter Augustus Mayer, also known as “Wally” or “Captain Redfish,” died at his home in Aransas Pass after a battle with cancer on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.

Mayer was “Coach Mayer” to hundreds of students. He taught math and coached volleyball, basketball, and track; the longest stints were at Austwell Tivoli High School and Port Aransas High School.

April

The Port Aransas Art Center announced plans to purchase the Spanish Village cottages on Alister Street and build a new art center headquarters building there.

If it happens, the move will assign a new identity to a piece of property that served as tourist lodging for more than half a century and more recently served as rental homes, smack in the middle of part of old-town Port Aransas.

The art center approached the owners, Chuck Pearson and his sister, June Pearson, and they agreed to sell the property for the purposes of establishing a headquarters for the art center.

A former graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) published a paper that answers questions some scientists say they’ve been asking for years – how do tiny marine creatures escape becoming something’s lunch?

Brad Gemmel l, who received his doctorate under UTMSI faculty member Ed Buskey, showed it’s because they jump out of the water – sometimes as far as 40 times their own length.

Gemmell and two other researchers, as well as Buskey, published the findings in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a United Kingdom scientific journal.

Congressman Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, spoke to the Port Aransas Rotary Club on April 5. He addressed the impact of Washington, D.C. on Port Aransas and asked Rotarians’ opinions of that impact.

It was the first time a U.S. congressman had spoken to the Port Aransas Rotary Club, Rotarian Bill Lehmann said.

Port Aransas High School sent three doubles teams and one singles player to the Region 4 Class 1A tennis tournament at College Station after they won at the district tournament.

Jessica Borden took first place in girls’ singles and Nazmi Sayed and Shelby Stephenson won girls’ doubles to advance from district to regional.

Connor Collins and Savannah Guillot won the mixed doubles division, and teammates Fallon Zollars and Chris Wright took second. Both teams earned the right to advance to regional.

Both the girls and boys Marlins golf teams advanced to regional competition after posting second-place finishes at the district golf tourney at the Alice Golf Club on April 9.

Ten Marlins advanced to the area track meet April 13 at Sinton High School. The top four finishers in their respective events at the district meet held at Ben Bolt advance to the area meet.

Going to area were Matt Fries, Corban Marcantel, Randy Borden, Austin Henderson, Chase Gustafson, Tyler Pate, Anna Roberson, Brenna Martin, Meagan Hardegree and Madison Ray.

Two Lamesa brothers, Peter Schmitt, 20, and his brother, Herman Schmitt, 18, drowned while swimming in the surf about three miles south of the south jetty.

The body of Herman Schmitt was pulled from the water Sunday afternoon, April 8, near Pole 32. He was given CPR and medical treatment, but died, according to police. Peter Schmitt’s body was found at 10:18 a.m. Tuesday, April 10, near Pole 40 on the Mustang Island beach.

A San Antonio man was indicted on manslaughter charges in connection with the deaths of two children involved in a one-vehicle accident on State Hwy. 361 (the Island Road) in Port Aransas last year.

Ruben Renteria, 34, was indicted on the second-degree felony counts by a Nueces County Grand Jury on April 5.

Jacob Ricarte, 8, and Jelena Robles, 2, who were passengers in an SUV that Renteria was driving at the time of the accident, died as a result of the injuries they sustained in the accident.

Police believe the accident happened because Renteria fell asleep, said Detective Mike Hannon of the Port Aransas Police Department. Tests found no alcohol or drugs in Renteria’s system, Hannon said.

Eight Port Aransas High School athletes qualified to advance to the Class 1A regional track meet.

The top four finishers at area, held April 13 and 14 in Kenedy, went on to the regional meet April 27 and 28 at San Antonio’s Judson High School, according to Port Aransas High School track coach Stephanie Cowen.

Advancing was Matt Fries, Corban Marcantel, Tyler Pate, Chase Gustafson, Austin Henderson, Anna Roberson, Madison Ray, Meagan Hardegree and Brenna Martin.

Grants from the Port Aransas Education Foundation this year topped a total of $100,000 for the first time, with $101,186.85 altogether going to students, teachers, administrators and schools.

The grants were awarded at an all-campuses assembly on Wednesday, April 11, at Port Aransas High School.

The big winners were Port Aransas students, who will benefit from a $10,000 grant to buy fresh fruits and vegetables for all three school cafeterias. The grant application was submitted by Port Aransas ISD nurse Melissa Ramsden. Altogether, PAEF made 45 grant awards.

Three Marlin athletes have been honored with Academic All-State team memberships.

Lady Marlin Samantha Richardson and Marlins Connor Collins and Chris Eggleston all made the Texas 1A team. All were named by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.

Cody Collins, a former Port Aransas High School graduate and a student at Texas A&M University College Station, earned honors in the FLW Collegiate Nationals Friday- Sunday, April 13-15. Collins and his partner, Kyle Bates of Missouri City, placed 12th.

In addition, Collins was named Angler of the Year, Heavy Weight of the Year and ESPN Qualifier of the Year through the Aggie Anglers Fishing Club.

Collins is the son of Karen and Mike Collins of Port Aransas.

Port Aransas High School’s two mixed doubles teams and its girls’ singles entry made it to the second round at the region 4 tournament in Brenham. The PAHS entry in girls’ doubles was ousted in the first round.

Jessica Borden was stopped in round two by the eventual winner of the tournament.

The doubles team of Christopher Wright and Fallon Zollars and the mixed doubles team of Connor Collins and Savanah Guillot both made it to round two before bowing out.

The PAHS girls’ doubles entry, Shelby Stephenson and Nazmi Sayed fell in the opening round.

The Port Aransas golf season ended at Brenham Country Club on Tuesday, April 17, at the regional level, but golf coach Kris Jones called it “an amazing year with both (boys and girls).”

The boys finished third at the regional level; the girls finished fourth. Neither place advances to state.

The Lady Marlins claimed the district championship for the second consecutive year after defeating La Villa, 9-2, on Saturday, April 21.

Ten Port Aransas High School students earned the right to advance to state-level UIL academic competition.

They include:

• First-place computer science team — Paul Voyles (first), Ty Morris (second), Jason Morris (sixth) and Chris Wright

• First- place literary criticism team – Shea Rogers (third), Samantha Falconer (fourth), Fallon Zollars, Mary McCann

• Second-place science team – Hannah Ferguson Johns (fourth; first in chemistry), Jenna Ward (sixth; first in physics).

A record number of golfers participated in Trinityby the-Sea Episcopal Day School’s 2012 Charity Golf Tournament on Saturday, April 28.

According to Nana Ward, director of the school, $14,000 was raised.

Two Port Aransas track athletes earned berths at the state meet in Austin on Friday and Saturday, May 11-12, after placing in the top two in their events at the regional level.

Tyler Pate brought home a second-place ribbon with a high jump of 6’ 2” at the meet in San Antonio on Friday, April 27; Matt Fries was second in both the 3200-meter run and the 1600-meter run. He posted a time of 10:35.93 for 3200 meters and 4:42.13 for 1600 meters on Saturday, April 28.

The top two spots in each event advance to the state meet.

Volunteers at the Adopt-ABeach clean-up on Saturday, April 28, cleaned 5.3 total miles of beach on the Port Aransas beach and San Jose Island.

Trash was collected by 192 volunteers, who collected 6,925 pounds of trash along both beaches.

May

The Marlins advanced to area baseball playoffs after consecutive shut-outs on Friday, May 4, and Saturday, May 5, against La Villa in the bi-district playoffs. They were to take on D’Hanis on May 11 and 12.

A tanker ship that collided with a jack-up production rig remained moored off Port Aransas for several days.

The 750-foot tanker vessel, FR8 Pride, lost propulsion power and drifted for a time before smashing into the rig, the Rowan EXL-1, near buoy 3 in the Aransas Pass channel on Wednesday, May 2, according to the Coast Guard.

The rig was being towed at the time of the collision. Workers then stabilized it by lowering its legs to the bottom. It spent several days about two miles off the end of the south jetty before being towed up the Corpus Christi Ship Channel on Sunday, May 6.

The Lady Marlins figuratively spit on their hands, stepped up to the plate and delivered an area championship in the third game of the playoff series on May 5.

The next trip was to George West for the regional quarterfinal level on May 11, in a one-game battle against Charlotte, the fifth-ranked girls 1A team in Texas, with a 20-5 record.

Gustavo Rivara was 38 years old, and had never driven a car when he arrived in Port Aransas in early May.

Without a driver’s license, he had gotten around more than most people. Over the past 19 years of nearconstant travel, he pedaled bicycles thousands of miles, all over North, Central and South America, and he sailed thousands more miles in his sailboat.

A year after Port Aransas voters approved a $6.4 million bond measure to widen 11th Street and do other work on the thoroughfare, workers have installed thousands of feet of new concrete drainage culverts, gas lines and water lines underground along the south end of 11th Street and along Beach Access Road 1A as part of the same project. Work was proceeding on schedule in mid-May.

Brundrett Middle School seventh- and eighth-grade tennis teams played in one tournament this season, district. And they swept it.

The Port Aransas youngsters hosted teams from the London and Woodsboro ISDs on Monday and Tuesday, May 7 and 8, and brought home first places for the girls and boys seventh- and eighthgrade teams.

The Marlins took it down to the wire – the third game in a best-two-out-of-three series in Shiner – but lost finally to D’Hanis in the area baseball playoffs on Saturday, May 12.

The Lady Marlins put everything on one roll of the dice on Saturday, May 12, but the fifth-ranked Lady Trojans of Charlotte High School ended the Port Aransas softball season, 2-1, at the regional quarter-finals level.

Two Port Aransas High School athletes placed in the top 10 in their respective events at the state track meet in Austin on Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12.

Senior Matt Fries took s e venth pl ac e in the 3200-meter run with a time of 10:34.85. He placed eighth in the 1600-meter run, doing the course in 4:47.45.

Teammate junior Tyler Pate jumped 6’ in the high jump to take eighth place in that event.

The Port Aransas Computer Club warned that the computer center might close during the summer unless residents step up to fill volunteer vacancies left by Winter Texans.

Marlin senior Storm Bales, a wing on the 2011-2012 Port Aransas basketball team, was named to play in the Coastal Bend Coaches Association All-Star basketball game on Saturday, May 19. Joe Kocurek, the Port Aransas head basketball coach, and assistant Kris Jones coached the East All-Stars in the game.

Betty Crawford was elected president of the Port Aransas Community Theatre board of directors, Patsy Balcom was elected vice president, Elizabeth Waters was reelected secretary and Ann Appling was re- elected treasurer. David Beane also was elected to the board in balloting by the membership.

In a campaign called “Paving the Future,” Port Aransas High School will offer brick pavers for donors who can choose inscriptions for them. The pavers will be installed at the front entrance to the school, known as the “Port Aransas High School Walk of Fame.”

Funds raised will be used to buy iPads, laptop computers and similar equipment for student use.

At just more than 23 percent of registered voters in Port Aransas casting ballots, voter turn-out in elections Saturday, May 12, rated well for an election with so few contested races.

In fact, only one race was contested. It was for Place 1 on the Port Aransas ISD board of trustees between Lisa Shelton and Jim Brown. Shelton won, 402 (13 percent) to 276 (.08 percent) for Brown.

Of the 3,108 registered voters in Port Aransas, 724 exercised their right to vote, and most of them – 379 – did so during early voting. The remaining 345 cast their ballots on Election Day, Saturday, May 12.

Judging by the numbers, a referendum on allowing vendors on the beach is what brought voters to the ballot box .

Voters gave a resounding “yes,” which means “no,” to beach vending, 534 (17 percent) to 172 (0.05 percent).

All five proposed city charter amendments were approved.

Tyler Pate and Anna Roberson were named athletes of the year for Port Aransas ISD at the annual Port Aransas Athletic Booster Club’s athletic banquet on Monday, May 21.

Roberson also shared the Millie Wise Sportsmanship Award with Chris Eggleston. The award honors the late Millie Wise, an ardent Marlins and Lady Marlins supporter.

The South Jetty won awards for writing and photography in the Texas Gulf Coast Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest for work published during 2011.

Awards were presented Friday, May 18, during the association’s 74th annual conference, which was held May 17-19 in Port Aransas.

First places were earned in editorial writing, serious columns and humorous columns. Second places were won for news writing and headline writing. Third places were won for general excellence, feature photos and feature writing, and honorable mention was won in news photos.

The city council on May 17 voted to appropriate $8,000 as the city’s share to help pay for engineering and other preparatory work in advance of various improvement projects at Mustang Beach Airport. The Texas Department of Transportation’s aviation wing will pay an additional $71,000 for the work.

With hurricane season right around the corner, Port Aransas city government was reasonably well prepared, according to Police Chief Scott Burroughs, the city’s designated emergency manager.

Hiring an experienced emergency response consultant last year had been especially helpful in getting Port Aransas ready, Burroughs said.

“We’re pretty well-prepared, on paper,” the chief said. “But none of the stuff we’ve got in place has ever been tested in the real world. … We don’t know what we don’t know. The curve balls that get thrown along the way, we may or may not be prepared for.”

School board members, faced with vacancies in the president’s and vice-president’s chairs, elected three relative newcomers as officers on Thursday, May 17.

President Margaret Price and vice- president Ann Appling didn’t run for reelection to the board. Janice Roberts, appointed to fill a vacancy when Chuck Borders resigned, won her seat at Place 2 without opposition, and Dave Parsons, who ran unopposed, was sworn in at Place 7. Lisa Shelton, who won the opposed race for Place 1, also was sworn in on May 17.

That left the board with no president or vice-president; board secretary Michele Lorette presided instead, and was elected the new president. Roberts became the board’s vice-president and trustee Jay Jones was elected secretary.

The election was held after the board agreed to remove discussion of board officers’ duties from a proposed executive session.

A federal appeals court decided that the state shouldn’t have tried to seize a home on Galveston Island after Hurricane Rita’s tides moved the dune vegetation line behind the house.

The ruling was expected to be more likely to affect beaches along the state’s north coast more than the ones in Port Aransas.

In a 2-1 decision, the fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on May 21 that the action was a violation of the Fourth Amendment, protection against unreasonable search and seizure.

Sunny, a well-known Port Aransas toy poodle who greeted customers for the past several years at the Inside- Out shop on State Hwy. 361, on May 21 was snatched by a coyote and was presumed dead, his owner said.

Sunny achieved local fame in South Jetty stories about the friendly little reddish poodle that appeared in a photo feature in 2007 about dogs that hung out in their owners’ places of business each day. In 2008, Sunny made the paper again after she was kidnapped from Inside-Out and then was anonymously returned more than 10 weeks later.

Owner Scott Tanzer said he witnessed the attack that led to his 11-year-old poodle’s disappearance. It happened just outside Costa del Rey, the one-story condominium where he lives in the 1700 block of South 11th Street. Tanzer had taken Sunny and another dog, Bo, out for their evening “constitutional” when a coyote chasing a cat was distracted by Sunny and went after him.

Cliff Strain, who teaches at Flour Bluff Intermediate School, was selected as a Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators winner, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The award recognizes outstanding kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers who employ innovative approaches to environmental education and use the environment as a context for learning for their students.

Strain was to receive a commemorative plaque and an award of $2,000 to be used to further his professional development in environmental education. In addition, his school was to receive an award of $ 2,000 to fund environmental educational activities and Strain’s programs.

Strain teaches fifth- and sixth-grade oceanography at Flour Bluff intermediate School in Corpus Christi. He has been a teacher with the Flour Bluff Independent School District for 22 years. He wrote the entire curriculum for the marine science program at the intermediate school.

Port Aransas High School students Chris Wright, Paul Voyles, Ty Morris and Ty’s brother, Jason, won first place, as a team, in state University Interscholastic League (UIL) computer science competition for 1A schools. They beat five other schools to get the win.

Two other PAHS students took honors in state UIL academic competition. Senior Hannah Ferguson Johns scored second place in chemistry and fourth place in science. Jenna Ward, a junior, won second place in physics.

Ty took third place in computer science, individually.

The PAHS computer science team also took first place in state last year. Ty and Voyles were part of that team. Jason was an alternate.

June

Hannah Ferguson Johns, valedictorian, and Chris Eggleston, salutatorian, led their classmates across the stage during commencement exercises on Friday, June 1. Teacher Melanie Mayer gave the commencement address.

Five Port Aransas Marlin baseball players were named to the District 31A alldistrict first team, two made the second team and one was an honorable mention for 2012. They were Tyler Pate, Blue Shodrock, Caleb Rogers, Jake Roberts and Andrew Follett on the first team. Second team all-district were John Amundsen and Alex Groseclose. Andrew Groseclose was on the honorable mention all-district team.

Port Aransas High School students Chris Lancaster and Sophia Chapman were winners of an art contest sponsored by Port Aransas Boatmen, Inc.

The students’ creations were to be emblazoned on promotional materials connected with the 77th annual Deep Sea Roundup fishing tournament scheduled for July 12-15.

The Port Aransas ISD was chosen to receive a regional award from the Coastal Bend Partners for Educational Excellence, based on an innovative program that ties teachers together across grade levels.

The program is called “vertical teams,” and it’s designed to link teachers so they’re aware of what their students studied in a particular subject in previous years, as well as what they’ll study in subsequent grades. The award carries with it a $750 grant.

The Lady Marlins capped a softball season that saw them get to the regional quarterfinals this year by having 10 players named to all-district teams. Coach Steve Reaves was named co-Coach of the Year.

In District 32A, Savannah Ortiz, who shouldered most of the pitching tasks for the Lady Marlins, was named most valuable player. Jordan Morris was the offensive MVP and Madison Ray was newcomer of the year.

Brenna Martin, Missy Gilbreath and Devan Murray were all named to the alldistrict first team.

Bakar Sackschewsky, Kellie Owens and Marian Smith all made the all-district second team, with Summer Hernandez drawing an honorable mention.

A group of novice surfers charged the waves near Horace Caldwell Pier on Sunday, June 10, but adding to the struggle of the surf, they conquered the waves without the use of their legs.

They Will Surf Again (TWSA), an adaptive surf event series throughout the country, made a stop in Port Aransas in 2012. The event attracted paraplegic and quadriplegic surfers from all over Texas making the drive for the all-day event.

Port Aransas was named the 2012 ‘America’s Birdiest City’ in the Small Coastal City division for the third year in a row.

During the peak of migrat i on from Apr i l 28 through April 30, Port Aransas birders counted 142 different species of birds during the 72-hour window for the competition.

Police reacted to the recent spike in golf cart accidents by stepping up enforcement of seat belt and other laws affecting the carts, Police Chief Scott Burroughs said on Monday, June 11. While the carts must be licensed to be driven on the street, Burroughs said officers hadn’t previously been very strict in enforcing seat belt laws on them.

That was going to change. Officers had written nearly a dozen citations for golf cart seat belt violations in just a few days in mid-June, Burroughs said.

Agnes and Robert Mercer and their descendants – among the first settlers in what is now Port Aransas – were honored with a historical marker that was unveiled on Saturday, June 16, at the Port Aransas Museum at Brundrett and Alister streets.

An internal police investigation found no merit to the most serious claims made by a former Port Aransas resident that police violated the law and department policy when they arrested him on March 16.

The investigation found that some of the man’s allegations of relatively minor police misconduct were true.

The man who made the claim, Dustin McCaskill, said police arrested him for no good reason, used unreasonable force and committed other wrongdoings against him. He said he was disappointed in the investigation’s outcome.

Two Marlins have gone beyond the 2012 baseball season and have been named to all-state honors.

Tyler Pate was voted to the first team as an outfielder, and Çaleb Rogers made the second team as a pitcher. All-state players are voted on by members of the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association.

The city opened a floating pavilion where folks can have a cozy private dinner, right on the water, with up-close views of boats cruising in and out of the Dennis Dreyer Municipal Marina harbor mouth.

The 12-by-16-foot wooden structure floats off Dock No. 1, located at the easternmost end of the marina, a seashell’s throw from the harbor entrance.

The city will rent the pavilion for $35 per event – perhaps a lunch or maybe a dinner or just drinks during the evening. For that price, folks can reserve the pavilion (it’s available by reservation only), and marina workers will provide a table and chairs.

Renters must furnish their own food and drinks. Alcohol is allowed, but no cooking will be permitted, to avoid fire hazards. That means people will have to bring alreadycooked meals.

Marilyn Cook, a reading instructor and the district dyslexia specialist for the Port Aransas Independent School District, was awarded the new Master Teacher of Honor from the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education.

To earn the Master Teacher of Honor designation, an educator must have more than 15 years of classroom teaching experience, submit evidence of professional development, leadership, community service and exceptional contributions to the education profession. They must demonstrate a commitment to integrity and high standards in the classroom. The award recognizes teachers of all levels, from early childhood instructors to university faculty members.

Port Aransas High School assistant band director Sam Marks was featured as a local composer on Sunday, June 24, when the Corpus Christi Municipal Band played one of Marks’s works, Hola!

It will be featured as part of the Corpus Christi band’s concentration on area composers during its summer concerts.

Charges of voluntary manslaughter against Jeremiah Pena, 33, of San Antonio, were dismissed by District Court Judge Bobby Galvan in Corpus Christi.

Pena was charged with killing Maxi Granados Jr., 60, of Red Oak, by hitting him with a vehicle. Pena, Granados and Ambrosio Obregon, then 52, and his brother, Joseph Obregon, then 38, were camped together at I.B. Magee Beach Park before Granados’ body was found next to the entrance to The Moorings, off Island Moorings Parkway, the morning of Oct. 12, 2009.

Nueces County Water Control and Improvement District No. 4 called on Port Aransas residents to voluntarily take measures to conserve water.

The water provider’s move came as Corpus Christi city officials asked their residents to do the same thing after the lakes that supply Corpus Christi’s drinking water dipped to below 50 percent capacity.

Former Nueces County commissioner and sheriff James Patrick (“J.P.”) Luby Jr., who fought for Gulf beaches for years, died Saturday, June 23, at the age of 79.

Luby was commissioner of Nueces County Precinct 4, which includes North Padre Island and Mustang Island, from 1976 to 1991. After his defeat for a fifth term as commissioner, Luby was elected Nueces County Sheriff in 1992. He served as sheriff until 1996.

The J.P. Luby Fishing Pier at Port Aransas’ Roberts Point Park commemorates him, as does the J.P. Luby Beach Park, on North Padre Island.

Several Port Aransans organized a group to promote the cause of establishing a recreation center that could include everything from basketball courts to new offices for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.

After only a few months, the group already had drawn up a preliminary plan that showed the proposed building as a two-story structure with two basketball courts and smaller rooms that could serve a variety of purposes, said Marnie Pate, a member of the group. Organizers said nothing was set in stone yet, though.

Tracy Waight, who was leading the campaign, said she believes many folks in Port Aransas want the facility, and it should serve a wide assortment of interests.

“It will truly be all-inclusive,” Waight said. “We are looking at it from the perspective of older people to younger to middle-age. Winter Texans, too. I think it really is going to be amazing.”

About a dozen core supporters had attended the meetings of the group devoted to getting a recreation center built.

The question of how construction might be funded remained an open one. It could be paid for privately, at least partially, through fundraisers, or the city council could be asked to call a bond election, Pate said. Or it could be a cooperative venture between the city and the private organization, which likely will obtain official non-profit status, she said.

Mayor Keith McMullin said he had told the group that he’d like to see a presentation eventually come before the city’s parks board and the city council.

“That way,” McMullin said, “the council can put it on the table, along with everything else we have going on, so we can see where it stacks up in our list of priorities.”

Gary Mysorski, director of the Port Aransas Parks and Recreation Department, said the concept of a recreation center has been a topic of discussion, from time to time, since he started in his position about 13 years ago.

A “multi-purpose center” ranked sixth on a wish list produced by a recreation survey of Port Aransans not long ago, Mysorski said. Additional hike and bike trails were ranked No. 1. The survey was done as part of the creation of a 10-year master plan for Port Aransas parks and recreation needs.

The South Jetty took fourth place in Sweepstakes in the Texas Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.

Awards were presented on Saturday, June 23, at the conclusion of the TPA Executives’ Retreat in San Antonio June 21-23.

The South Jetty competed against 20 other newspapers in the category for weekly newspapers with the largest circulation. Smaller circulation weeklies competed in medium-large, medium, small-medium and small circulation categories.

Work submitted was published during the 2011 calendar year.

Judging was by members of the Tennessee Press Association.

Sweepstakes is based on a points system awarded for first through fourth place. The newspaper with the greatest number of points wins Sweepstakes. In the largest weekly newspaper division, The River Cities Sunday Tribune in Marble Falls was first, the Rockdale Reporter was second, the Park Cities People in Dallas was third and the South Jetty was fourth.

The South Jetty won second places in general excellence and headline writing; third place in editorials, and fourth places in feature photos and news photos. For most categories, one submission had to be selected from the months of May or November, and the other from any month of the newspaper’s choice.

No burn ban was imposed within the city of Port Aransas, despite the fact that Nueces County officials imposed a ban in unincorporated parts of the county, according to city and county officials.

Nueces County commissioners started the ban on outdoor burning on Wednesday, June 27, because conditions had become so hot and dry that accidental wildfires could erupt.

July

Nancy K. D’Herde has been selected the Alamo Federal Executive Board’s (AFEB) Specialist of the Year.

D’Herde is a former resident of Port Aransas, and her husband Donny, and son, Randy, operate Bilmore & Son Hardware in Port Aransas.

With a quest for excellence to be among the best of San Antonio’s 86 federal agencies, made up of 90,000 federal employees, D’Herde surpassed specialists from the Air Force Medical Operations Agency, the Air Force Services Agency, as well as many nominees from the surrounding Federal community.

Some Port Aransans made an appeal for donations to serve as gifts in a “friendship package” they were putting together for children in a remote Alaskan village.

Susan Linn and Julie Findley were to travel to Kaktovik in August and provide the kids there with science lessons as part of an outreach program funded by federal grant money. Delivery of the friendship package was to be part of that effort.

The science lessons were part of an outreach program funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Some 25 to 30 children – pretty much every middle-schoolage kid in the village – received six days of field-intensive instruction, free.

Linn is a graduate student at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas. Findley is a retired H.G. Olsen Elementary School teacher.

Port Aransas students’ preliminary scores on the new State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests taken by ninth-graders and the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) tests still taken this year by juniors and seniors indicate the Port Aransas students did all right.

PAHS students failed to surpass state averages in only one of 10 subjects tested. That test was world geography, where 100 percent of the students both statewide and in Port Aransas met the passing requirement.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued three people off San José Island after their 19-foot boat capsized while they were fishing on Sunday, July 15.

The Coast Guard was notified about 10:45 a.m. that a boat had capsized about seven miles north of the Port Aransas jetties, according to a Coast Guard news release. A fisherman reported he had seen three people swim safely ashore from the sinking vessel.

A rescue helicopter was sent from the Coast Guard Air Station in Corpus Christi because San José Island has no vehicular access to the mainland and the men were stranded.

The aircraft landed on the island, rescued the three people and took them to the air station with no reported injuries.

The drilling takes place miles away, but the economic impact of Eagle Ford Shale flows into Port Aransas, with millions of dollars spent here as a result of the hot inland belt of oil and gas production in Texas.

The drilling has produced more vacationers in Port Aransas, more people buying second homes here, and other influences in town, according to real estate agents and others involved in business on Mustang Island.

Becky Corder, owner of Port Aransas Realty, said she had seen Eagle Ford Shale wealth move into Port Aransas.

“We can’t point to an exact percentage, but I know the (Port Aransas) rental people have certainly enjoyed more business from that part of the country, and we have had some customers who definitely have come and bought as a result of money they got from Eagle Ford Shale,” said Corder, who also is chairman of the town’s planning and zoning commission.

Corder said Port Aransas real estate businesses are having their best year since 2008.

“How much of that is attributable to Eagle Ford Shale, we don’t know for sure, but it certainly has changed the economy in Texas, and most of our new buyers are from Texas, so we would tend to believe it is definitely having an effect on us,” Corder said.

The 77th Deep Sea Roundup was a tournament to remember, with the burning of one boat and the rescue by another, large crowds of spectators, nice fish and another youngster taking the offshore grand championship.

One of the tournament boats, the Let It Ride, was completely destroyed by fire about 35 miles offshore on the second day of fishing, Saturday, July 14. Its passengers were all rescued unharmed by another tournament boat, the Hideout.

A full house watched under the shade of the Fred Rhodes Memorial Pavilion at Roberts Point Park as 8-year-old Max Barberito of Covington, La., and Port Aransas, brought in a first place yellowfin tuna and caught and released a sailfish for second place in that division to become one of the youngest offshore grand champions in tournament history. He was fishing aboard the Francesca. In 2009, 8-yearold Kendall Owens of Port Aransas became the youngest ever Deep Sea Roundup offshore champion.

Hometown angler Reñe Lopez scored as bay/surf grand champion for his first title. He fished with his buddy, last year’s bay/surf grand champion Josh Garcia.

Lopez’s first place redfish, first place flounder, a speckled trout, a black drum and a gafftop gave him a total weight of 22.75 pounds to take the title.

Runner-up was another hometown angler, Camron Collins. He brought in a 17.35-pound stringer that included a redfish, speckled trout, flounder and a black drum to take the bay/surf runner-up trophy.

A highlight of the weighin on Friday, July 13, was a cubera snapper weighed in by the 2009 offshore grand champion Kendall Owens, who was 8 years old when she won the title in 2009. The fish is not one of the eligible species in the tournament, but it may be a state record at 70.5 pounds.

Sales tax rebates to Port Aransas for June were up again from the same period last year and from the same month in June 2011.

For sales taxes collected in May and sent to the Texas Comptroller’s Office in June, Port Aransas received $145,830.83, compared with $136,063.77 in June of last year, the comptroller’s figures show. That’s an increase of 7.17 percent over last June.

For the year to date, the city has seen $730,710.77 rebated, a 9.91 percent increase over the $664,769.10 returned in the first six months of 2011.

More swimmers on the Port Aransas Swim Team qualified to go to the state meet at regionals than have ever gone in years past, according to coach Nana Ward. They were to take 24 swimmers to the state meet the weekend of July 26-29 in Corpus Christi.

A group of moms also formed a team and were going to the state meet as well.

State Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, announced the creation of a task force to develop proposals for windstorm insurance and programs for coastal areas of Texas.

The organization was called the Coastal Windstorm Task Force.

Longtime Port Aransas resident Charlie Zahn was asked to chair the task force. He is an attorney and a commissioner at the Port Authority of Corpus Christi.

Also on the task force are Port Aransas Mayor Keith McMullin and Ann Bracher Vaughan, president and CEO of the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce- Tourist Bureau.

Odds are favorable that a group of Port Aransas people will be productive in their efforts to find a way to bring a full-service hotel with a conference center to Port Aransas, according to one of the folks involved.

That same group – the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee – also is optimistic about its chances as it renews a search for possible uses for a piece of undeveloped city property known as “the 67 acres,” said Glenn Martin, co-chair of the committee.

The Port Aransas City Council voted 6-0 (with Glenda Balentine absent) on Thursday, July 19, to authorize the chamber to move forward with the work.

The 67 acres lies on the west side of town, off Port Street, just north of the Port Aransas Nature Preserve at Charlie’s Pasture. The city bought the land from American Bank in the early 1990s and has held a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit to build a marina there since then. The permit was renewed in 1996, 2001 and 2006.

Ann Bracher Vaughan, the chamber’s president and CEO, has said Port Aransas badly needs a hotel and conference center.

For the first time in the organization’s history, several adults are members of the Port Aransas Swim Team, and they’re going to swim in state competition in Corpus Christi.

The Texas Amateur Athletic Federation’s Summer Games of Texas will be at the Corpus Christi Natatorium today, Thursday, July 26, to Sunday, July 29.

Going into the state meet, one of the adults on the Port Aransas team, Gretchen Baughman, was ranked No. 1 in the state in the 50-yard breaststroke competition for women more than 40 years old .

Baughman was ranked second in the 100- yard individual medley event for women 40 and over. And she is ranked third in the 50-yard backstroke for women 40 and over.

The other adults swim team members were Danna Alcorn, 41, Andrea Ford, 34, Christine Kreutziger, 44, and Michelle Parker, 41. They and Baughman are mothers of children on the swim team.

A bronze s culpture by Kent Ulberg cal led “ Interdependency” was unveiled outside the University of Texas Marine Science Institute on Saturday, July 21. The sculpture is dominated by a 10-foot tall tarpon. Fifty-one creatures, everything from tiny plankton to a dolphin, are nestled against the tarpon. The sculpture was privately funded by Jack and Valerie Guenther through their foundation. They are San Antonio residents who have a second home in Port Aransas. Valerie Guenther is a member of the institute’s advisory council.

Two Port Aransas High School baseball players were chosen for multiple positions on all-state 1A teams by the Texas Sports Writers Association.

Tyler Pate, a junior last year, made first team as an outfielder as well as pulling down an honorable mention slot as third-team pitcher.

Caleb Rogers, also a junior in 2011-12, made third team as a utility player based on his pitching and outfielding and garnered an honorable mention as both a third-team pitcher and outfielder.

Workers expected to have Port Aransas ISD’s new wireless computer system up and running by the end of the month, bringing the district back into the forefront of area schools’ technology, according to Lief Johnson, the district’s technology director.

Johnson said the new system was “very robust and top of the line.”

“It will keep the kids up to date. It will keep the staff up to date,” Johnson said.

Johnson and Michael Kleypas of Insight Networking, the Corpus Christi company that won the $172,560.90 contract for the job, switched over from the old system starting in June, after school was out for the summer. The task involved installing new wireless equipment and hundreds of feet of cable to get new connectivity.

Winners of the 16th Annual Great Texas Birding Classic held in the spring were announced in late July. Port Aransas had two teams in the mix.

The Team “Uncommon Terns,” made up of Hank Brennan, Kyle Jones, Charlotte Ramsden, Eric Anderson and Traver Truax, took third place in the Roughwings Tournament for youth held Saturday, April 28. Their team mentor was local bird enthusiast Joan Holt.

Winning the Big Sit tournament we re the Port Aransas Spoonbills, sponsored by the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce -Tourist Bureau. Members of that team were Tony Amos, Joan and Scott Holt, Bobby Sherwood and Ann Bracher Vaughan.

Two men accused of breaking into a Port Aransas vacation home and assaulting and robbing the couple who were there were judged guilty on Friday, July 27, by a 347th District Court jury in Corpus Christi.

Judge Missy Medary then sentenced Christopher Shaw, 29, of Port Aransas, to 40 years in prison and James Mason, 32, of Ingleside, to 22 years in prison.

The two were charged with breaking into Mala and Freddy Hudson’s vacation home in the 100 block of White Street early in the morning of Jan. 24 and hitting them while demanding money.

The Port Aransas Swim Team brought home several gold, silver and bronze medals from the TAAF State Games of Texas held at the natatorium in Corpus Christi from Thursday, July 26, through Sunday, July 29. They took 24 swimmers to the competition, which hosted swimmers from all over the state.

The Port Aransas City Council voted to enter into a settlement in a lawsuit that the city filed against a man over a setback on a piece of Port Aransas property he owns.

The council voted 7-0 after a closed session in a special meeting Wednesday, July 25, to settle with Jeffrey Pearce of Corpus Christi. The session was closed to the public so the council could consult with its attorney, which is permitted under state open meetings laws.

Pearce said he had agreed to terms of the settlement.

Pearce wanted to build a garage 24 feet wide and 30 feet deep on property where he owns a duplex at 523 W. Ave. D. The design had the garage protruding about six and a half feet into the 15-foot setback that the city normally imposes in that part of such a construction project.

The city’s building official, John Speights, denied Pearce a building permit based on the setback issue.

Pearce then appealed to the Board of Adjustments for a variance that would allow him to build according to his original plan. The board’s members, who are appointed by the city council, voted 5-0 on March 23 last year to grant Pearce’s request.

Three Port Aransas South Jetty staff members have won awards in the National Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper and Better Newspaper Advertising contests for work published in 2011.

Reporter Dan Parker won a first place for a breaking news story, and an advertising award was shared by advertising production chief/graphic artist Elizabeth Weaver and classified advertising manager/graphic artist Judy K. Krantz.

Weaver and Krantz teamed up for a third place win in the Best Series Ad Idea, color, in the daily and non-daily division for newspapers with circulations less than 10,000. The series was for Zarsky Lumber in Port Aransas.

Parker won first place in the Best Breaking News Story, non-daily division, circulation 3,000 to 5,999. The story was about Spring Break when Parker rode along with Port Aransas police to get a first-hand look at what Spring Break is like on the beach, mostly after dark.

August

Workers largely had wrapped up utility upgrades, installation of drainage culverts and construction of sidewalks in Phase One of the 11th Street construction project.

They were hoping to start putting pavement down during the week of Aug. 19- 25 or soon after that, said Rick Snyder, a supervisor with Island Construction, the firm under contract with the city to do the work.

Phase One work stretches from Beach Access Road 1A to Royal Palm Drive.

Port Aransas voter s approved a $ 6.4 million bond issue last year to widen 11th Street and make related improvements along the roadway.

A $1.7 million federal grant to provide money for additional dock facilities at the Port Aransas ferry landings was announced Thursday, Aug. 2. It will fund installation of additional clusters of pilings at all of the ramps on both sides of the ship channel.

“The new lead clusters will provide additional protection for the larger ferries we recently added,” said Aaron Ames, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the agency that runs the ferry system.

The City of Port Aransas was about to get a new Parks and Recreation Department director.

David Hyde was employed to replace Gary Mysorski, who was one of three department heads who were resigning from Port Aransas city government.

Longtime EMS Director Yancy Gillespie was planning to retire Sept. 30. John Speights, who had been the city’s building official since March 2010, was to leave Aug. 17 to take a job as the City of Corpus Christi’s building official, supervising about 70 employees.

Hyde, 50, of Seabrook, in Harris County, is former director of that city’s parks and recreation department.

Port Aransas ISD is among only 10 school districts in Education Service Center Region 2 ( ESC2) whose schools all met federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards – and of those 10 districts, five have only one school.

AYP, part of the federal “No Child Left Behind” project, attempts to ensure that all schools make enough progress from year to year to guarantee that all students eventually can pass all subjects.

A TEA news release said only 44 percent of Texas campuses met AYP guidelines this year. That may partially be because requirements increased “substantially” in 2012, the news release said.

A Port Aransas man who reportedly was missing for several days was found, apparently unharmed, police said.

Vickie Myers contacted Port Aransas police and reported her boyfriend, Chester Ruder, 41, missing on Monday, Aug. 6. She said Ruder hadn’t been seen since the previous day.

On Friday, Aug. 10, Ruder unexpectedly walked into Myers’ home while she was on the phone with police.

The University of Texas Marine Science Institute’s Fisheries and Mariculture Lab (FAML), donated two snook to the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi and eight of them to Sea World in San Antonio on Thursday, Aug. 9.

The fish were caught alive, by hook and line, in the Gulf of Mexico off South Padre Island about five years ago, and FAML used them ever since for trying to develop technologies for having fish spawn in captivity.

The faci l ity decided in August to donate them because, while the lab had some success with getting the males to mature, they hadn’t been able to get the females to produce eggs, said Lee Fuiman, director of FAML.

The Port Aransas City Councilvoted7- 0on Thursday, Aug. 16, to change fees at Mustang Beach Airport.

Vehicle parking went from $40 a year to $100. Reserved parking for aircraft was $306 and was increased $408, depending on the size of the plane. The new fee is $600 a year.

The city didn’t charge anything for aircraft tie-downs at the time, but the council voted to start a fee of $5 per night.

The city changed the fee of $50 a day for people operating commercial ventures at the airport to $100 a month for businesses that operate out of the airport and to waive the fee completely if the business purchases fuel at the airport. The city receives income from fuel purchases.

Port Aransas city staff was instructed to put up additional signs warning beachgoers that they must buy beach parking permits to park on the town’s beach.

The city council approved the measure Thursday, Aug. 16, after Councilman Charles Bujan said too many people were getting away with parking on the beach without permits.

The city receives revenue from sales of the permits, which cost $12 each and are good for a calendar year. The revenue is used for beach maintenance.

Seven months into 2012, construction in Port Aransas was way up over 2011, according to city government records and several island builders.

The city issued 1,064 permits for work valued at S29.7 million from January through July, according to records examined by the South Jetty. The permits were for all varieties of work, from plumbing jobs to construction of whole new homes.

That’s a lot more than the 765 permits for work valued at $15.5 million, issued during the same period last year, records indicated.

Abel Carrillo, who said he most recently worked for the City of Pearland as a building inspector, was scheduled to start as the new building official in Port Aransas in late August.

Before taking a job in Pearland in July, Carrillo was Kingsville’s building official from May 2007 to June this year, according to his resume. He was building official with the City of Manor from June 2004 to May 2007.

Animal Friends of Port Aransas President Connie Beane said city officials’ directives wouldn’t allow her organization to build a large enough outdoor enclosure for city animal shelter dogs to get exercise.

Deputy City Manager Dave Parsons said the approximate dimensions dictated by the city would mean plenty of room for the dogs to get exercise.

In late August, plans to build the fenced-in area were on hold. Parsons said the city was waiting for Animal Friends to display specific construction plans that fall within city requirements. Once that happens, Parsons said, construction could begin.

Beane sent an e-mail to members of the Port Aransas city council and city staff, asking them to reconsider and go back to the original dimensions. She was waiting for responses to the e-mail before proceeding.

Port Aransas made Yahoo.com Travel’s top 10 list for great places for a late summer getaway.

Also in the top 10 list (Port Aransas was eighth on the list) were Pismo Beach, Calif; Kelley’s Island, Ohio; Fire Island, N.Y.; Telluride, Colo.; The Everglades, Marco Island and Naples, Fla.; Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.; Hill City, S.D.; Whitefish, Mont.; and Isle Royale, Mich.

The site boasted that Port Aransas is one of the only beaches in North America where vehicular access is allowed. Deep sea fishing, parasailing, kite boarding, eating out, a trip to San Jose Island and getting around in golf carts were among highlights in the listing.

The Barracuda, a 38-foot sport fishing boat based in Port Aransas, ran aground on the south jetty early Saturday, Aug. 25, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

A passenger, Spencer Kalotek, of Austin, said he and all five other passengers on board sustained minor injuries from being thrown on the boat and from crawling up barnacle covered jetty rocks in the pre-dawn darkness.

Eight people were on the boat when it got hung up on the rocks, including the captain and a mate. Someone on the vessel called the Coast Guard from a marine radio at 4:55 a.m. and reported the boat was on the jetty, said Coast Guard Lt. J.G. Terri Parris. James Cacy was the boat’s operator, Parris said.

It was announced in late August that effective in September, Port Aransas couple Jim McClelland and Deana Erdner were to officially become tenured associate professors at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI).

It was the first time anyone at UTMSI has been granted tenure since 2005, according to the institute’s administrative office.

The University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) announced that a new interim director would take over on Sept. 1.

Dr. Joan Holt replaced Dr. W. Arthur “Skip” Porter, a University of Oklahoma professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering who became acting director of the institute Sept. 1, 2011. He also was named acting chair of the university’s Department of Marine Science.

UTMSI faculty member Ed Buskey was named interim chair of the Department of Marine Science.

Nueces County officials advised county residents, including Port Aransans, to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites to prevent infection by the West Nile virus.

More cases of the mosquito born virus were found in the United States this year, more than any other year, according to news reports.

The virus had killed 36 Texans so far this year, including one person in Nueces County, according to reports as of the end of August. Texas had more West Nile cases than the rest of the nation. The virus hit the Dallas-Fort Worth area hardest.

Three people had been confirmed in Corpus Christi to had been infected with the virus as of late August.

Corpus Christi City-Nueces Public Health District’s public information officer, Noelia Rodriguez, said she knew of no cases of West Nile virus being found in Port Aransas.

With just one catch, 11-year-old Kendall Owens of Port Aransas hooked three more state fishing records in addition to the records she already had under her belt.

Kendall, daughter of Kelly and Beth Owens, hooked a 70.81-pound, 46-inch cubera snapper while fishing off Port Aransas on July 13.

It was during the Deep Sea Roundup, but the fish didn’t fit any of the tournament’s categories. In August, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department certified that the big, rust-colored fish was a junior state record for the species throughout the Gulf of Mexico, according to Ron Smith, director of the department’s angler recognition program.

In addition, the snapper also was a record for juniors (under the age of 17) for all Texas saltwater bodies, including the state’s coastal bays. And it was a Gulf record for all ages.

Texas SandFest announced a new slate of officers and directors.

Officers are Arnold Govella, president; Bobby Martin, vice-president; Denny Larkin, secretary; and Scott Tanzer, treasurer.

Board members are Jayme Jeffries, Mark Smalling, Betty Crawford, Marsha Starkey, Catherine Hodge and Shawn Ethridge.

September

John Miller of Port Aransas said a coyote snatched his dog, Lola, from Miller’s front yard on Sandpiper Circle. Animal control officers who work for the Port Aransas Police Department had been trapping coyotes in cages since late 2009, and the program was about to expand slightly, according to Police Chief Scott Burroughs. The police department currently had four traps, and it was ordering two more, he said.

Port Aransas High School employees and students took part in the Paddle for Parkinson’s race at Billish Park on North Padre Island Saturday, Sept. 1. The event was held to raise money to help victims of Parkinson’s Disease and raise money for research. Port Aransas students and school workers raised more than $2,000 in honor of Coach Joe Kocurek, who has the disease

The Kiwanis Club installed a new Key Club advisor and officers for the 2012-2013 school year at Port Aransas High School. Mary McCann was chosen for president; Michelle Arnold was chosen as vice president; Shelby Stephenson was chosen secretary; Paul Voyles was installed as treasurer and Jocelyn Flood was the new sergeant at arms. Pete Barello was chosen as advisor.

Port Aransas school trustees approved a deficit budget in a 4-3 vote on Thursday, Aug. 30, along the same lines as they approved a pay raise for all district employees in an earlier meeting. That also came over the protest of a citizen who spoke against the pay raise that trustees approved on Wednesday, Aug. 8.

Rick Adams, David Parsons, Lisa Shelton and Janice Roberts voted for the $18,459,306 budget for the 2012-2013 school year. Trustees Jay Jones and Kelly Owens and board President Michele Lorette voted against it.

The budget was $190,059 less than Carol Sue Hipp, the district’s executive director of business and operations, figured the district would spend during the coming year, even with the tax increase.

The increase meant the owner of a $250,000 home in the Port Aransas ISD would pay around $2,701.39 a year in property taxes.

Also at that meeting, Jim Brown, who ran unsuccessfully as a school board candidate in May, told the board he believes the vote on the teacher pay raise is not proper.

Brown pointed out that both Rick Adams, who proposed the raise, and David Parsons, who voted for it, have wives who are teachers in Port Aransas ISD.

Hotel-motel tax revenues from June through August 2012 totaled $1,620,793.58, according to figures provided by the city. That represents an increase of $143,964.15 over the same period in 2011, a rise of 10 percent. A South Jetty story that ran on Sept. 13 quoted Mike Hall, owner of Family Center IGA, as saying, “There was no hurricane really threatening, no really bad rainout weekends, no tar on the beach.”

“That meant nothing that would cause you interruptions in business. So, we can say [2011] was almost a perfect summer for us. When you have a summer like that, it’s hard not to do well.”

Randy Pawelek, of Port Aransas since 2000, released an album began in 1978 with his college friend, Jaiy Braulick, after 34 years.

City manager Robert Bradshaw applied for the city manager’s position in Fort Pierce, Fla., and city commissioners there voted 3-2 on Tuesday, Sept. 4, to name him their No. 1 candidate out of four finalists. In an email written to he South Jetty Monday, Sept. 10, Bradshaw wrote, “Anticipate completing/ finalizing employment agreement this week.”

A Port Aransas man pleaded guilty to charges that he abandoned puppies in a dumpster, leaving them to die.

In a plea bargain, Ricky Dale Lewis, 54, pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty Sept. 11 and was sentenced to 55 days in jail, according to Clarissa Fernandez, a prosecutor with the Nueces County District Attorney’s Office.

Lewis was released from Nueces County Jail the next day because he already had served 55 days while being held to answer to the charges, the officials said.

Lewis wasn’t fined, but he was ordered to pay $232 in court costs.

Saturday, Sept. 15, marked the one-year anniversary of the discovery of Chris Tiensch’s body after the mysterious disappearance of the West Lake Hills man who was vacationing in Port Aransas. No arrests had been made as of September, but Police Chief Scott Burroughs said his department continued to investigate the case.

Police found Tiensch’s body, shot, on the beach on San Jose Island in September 2011.

The Animal Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) held a Birthday Bash to celebrate its 30th birthday on Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Civic Center.

Live music was provided by Brian Winfrey, and guests were treated to a “Texas luau” by Coastal Catering. ARK director Tony Amos gave a special presentation as well.

Construction workers reached a milestone in a $6.4 million effort to rebuild and widen 11th Street.

With paving nearly finished on Monday, Sept. 17, between Beach Access Road 1A and Royal Palm Drive, Phase One of the 11th Street project, a distance of more than half a mile, was substantially wrapped up.

Preliminary figures showed a drop in enrollment at Port Aransas ISD of 6.8 percent from the same time in 2011, but Superintendent Dr. Sharon Doughty said that’s because enrollment figures in the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school years were high, not because this year’s numbers are low.

After an atypical slump in August, Port Aransas’ sales tax receipts continued to climb in September, posting a 10.47 percent increase over the same month last year and a 4.70 increase over the year-to-date in 2011.

When leaders began their search for a new Port Aransas city manager, they were looking for someone with a wide variety of talents, city council members said.

In varying combinations, council members said they’re hoping to find someone who not only does a good job of running city hall but also networks well with other government agencies, gets out and mixes with fellow Port Aransans and works to promote a strong a tourism trade here in town.

Port Aransas expected to find itself without a city manager because Fort Pierce, Fla., city commissioners named Port Aransas City Manager Robert Bradshaw their top choice to fill their empty city manager’s post. Fort Pierce city commissioners voted 5-0 on Monday, Sept. 24, to approve the terms of a contract with Bradshaw, said Anne Satterlee, a spokesman for Fort Pierce city government.

At a meeting on Thursday, Sept. 20, the Port Aransas City Council decided to take several new actions geared toward better controlling the coyote population in town.

The council voted 7-0 to have city staff:

• Continue with increased coyote trapping efforts;

• Work, possibly with the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce-Tourist Bureau, to conduct public education efforts on how to prevent coyotes from being a problem (such as by not leaving out garbage or pet food that could be eaten by coyotes);

• Have city staff look into how garbage cans might be better secured on the beach in order to prevent garbage from being food for coyotes;

• Conduct a study on the Port Aransas environment, coyote-wise, and determine other possible solutions to coyote problems. At the request of Councilman Charles Bujan, one option to be addressed in the study was the possibility of hiring a professional hunter to shoot coyotes dead, according to City Manager Robert Bradshaw.

The South Jetty reported that the Nueces County Appraisal District was planning to adjust property appraisals in Port Aransas, where some appraisals have been too low and others have been too high in the recent past, a district official said.

Robert Cenci, assistant chief appraiser at the appraisal district, said appraisals weren’t any more inaccurate in Port Aransas than in other parts of the county. The district, he said, was planning to reappraise properties all over the county.

A Port Aransas man was sentenced to life in prison for the 2010 slaying of his girlfriend, Lanae Wesner, 35, also of Port Aransas.

A jury found Jose Francisco “Frank” Guillen, 36, guilty of first-degree murder on Thursday, Sept. 27, in state district court in Corpus Christi. The jury sentenced him the same day.

Guillen shot Wesner and four other people at a small gathering at Fin and Feather RV Park, off State Hwy. 361 on a part of Harbor Island that lies inside the Aransas Pass city limits. The incident occurred on March 31, 2010.

October

Hundreds of Port Aransans found their activities hobbled for hours after workers on State Hwy. 361 accidentally severed a fiber optic cable used for communications.

Emergency 911 call services had to be rerouted. Parents wondered why their emails to Port Aransas schools went unanswered. Businesses were hit especially hard, many unable to process credit cards or provide a variety of other services that depend on access to the Internet.

Contract workers were digging in the area of Mustang Towers when they cut the cable late in the morning on Monday, Oct. 2, said Steve Hanik, a spokesman for CenturyLink.

A CenturyLink crew went out to repair the line. Service gradually was restored between 3:30 and 4:20 p.m., Hanik said.

Deputy City Manager Dave Parsons on Oct. 4 was named the town’s interim city manager while Port Aransas officials search for a new city manager.

The city commission of Fort Pierce, Fla., hired Port Aransas City Manager Robert Bradshaw to the same post in Fort Pierce. Bradshaw’s last day on the job in Port Aransas was Oct. 19.

Port Aransas police seized about three- and- a- half pounds of marijuana and arrested two men after raiding a building on Avenue G Friday, Oct. 5, officers said.

It was one of the largest drug seizures in Port Aransas in recent memory, according to police department veterans.

Police arrested 30-year-old J.B. Atkinson of Port Aransas on a charge of possession of marijuana in connection with the confiscation, said Port Aransas Police Department detective Mike Hannon.

Possessing 3.5 pounds of marijuana is a state jail felony, according to Executive Lt. Darryl Johnson.

James Derkits was appointed vicar at Trinity-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. He and his wife, Laura, and their 2-year-old son, Eli have made Port Aransas their home. He replaces Father Doug Schwert.

The Port Aransas Independent School District’s school board was contemplating plans to create a committee to recommend and prioritize capital improvements that could be financed with a $3 million bond issue that might go before voters in May.

The committee would be comprised of three school board trustees and about seven other community members who were expected to be appointed by the school board during discussions in November. Although the committee will give recommendations, the board of trustees can accept or reject the proposed order of improvements.

The bond would be available for use beginning in July 2013, with more than twothirds of the bond amount scheduled for use in the next two school years, including 2012, according to district records.

The Big Summer of 2012 just kept producing rewards for the Port Aransas economy.

Figures provided by city government showed a continuing surge in hotel-motel tax revenue. As of Sept. 30, Port Aransas so far this year had taken in $3,159,991.37 in hotel-motel tax revenue, also known as the occupancy tax, according to figures provided by the city’s finance department. That’s $409,878.89 – 15 percent – more than the $2,750,112.48 that the city had accumulated during the same period last year, the finance department reported.

Travel through 11 Coastal Bend counties, and you wouldn’t find a better high school principal than Port Aransas High School’s Sharon McKinney, according to the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP).

TASSP recognized McKinney as Outstanding Principal of the Year in the organization’s Region 2, the coastal area of South Texas. The accolade also made her eligible to win the state’s Outstanding Principal of the Year next summer.

TASSP names one middle school and one high school principal every year from nominations of principals and peers within each region of Texas.

Tricia Tedrow, pastor of Community Presbyterian Church in Port Aransas, announced she would take a permanent position at First Presbyterian Church in Port Lavaca. Her last Sunday as pastor in Port Aransas was Oct. 28.

Tedrow served as interim pastor of Community Presbyterian Church since January 2011, replacing the Rev. Richard Safford, who left the position to lead a church in Angel Fire, N.M. Safford had been pastor in Port Aransas for 23 years.

Community Presbyterian Church has a pastor search committee that will check out candidates for a permanent pastor, Tedrow said.

The Port Aransas City Council agreed to be more involved in the process of recruiting a new city manager than the last time the city hired one.

The hiring process was discussed during a meeting on Thursday, Oct. 18.

Robert Bradshaw’s last day as city manager was Friday, Oct. 19. He took a job as city manager of Fort Pierce, Fla.

A committee made up of city staff – Deputy City Manager Dave Parsons, Finance Director Darla Honea, Parks and Recreation Department Director David Hyde and City Secretary Esther Arzola – were tasked with trimming the candidate list to about 20. Any council member would look at resumes before the top 20 was determined. If a council member liked a candidate who wasn’t among the top 20, that candidate still would move on to the next elimination round.

After the top 20-or-so candidates are selected, the committee of city staff could be joined by three council members – Charles Bujan, McMullin and Price – and get the list down to about five candidates.

The committee then would do interviews, narrow the list to three, invite the candidates and their spouses to town and do further interviews. The council would then will rank favorite candidates in order and start the contract negotiation process.

The Port Aransas High School cross country team won the district championship in every division: Boys’ varsity, girls’ varsity, boys’ JV and girls’ JV at the district meet, hosted by Port Aransas, at West Guth Park in Corpus Christi Monday, Oct. 22.

The Port Aransas eighth grade boys’ and girls’ cross country teams also won their district meets.

Coastal Bend officials were hoping to bring cruise ships to the area, and Port Aransas is one of the cities where such a vessel could dock, according to State Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi.

Hunter, whose district includes Port Aransas, and State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa were appointing members to a task force that was to determine what needs to be done to lure cruise ships to South Texas. Hunter said he expected the task force to include Mayor Keith McMullin and Ann Bracher Vaughan, president and CEO of the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce Tourist Bureau.

The States Organization for Boating Access gave Port Aransas its 2012 Outstanding Project Award for Harbors and Marinas, according to Andy Goldbloom, a member of the group’s board of directors.

Port Aransas beat out much larger cities including Baltimore, Md., to get the award, Goldbloom said.

The Christmas musical, “Yes, Virginia The Musical,” which was presented by H.G. Olsen Elementary School, was made possible by a $1,000 grant awarded to the school by Macy’s.

The elementary school was just one of 100 schools to receive this grant throughout the country and the only one in South Texas.

After 17 years, there was not a Fall Back Festival this year.

The festival’s primary activity was a wine tasting. It expanded to include live music, samples of food from Port Aransas restaurants, a Chinese auction and a costume contest. It was a celebration of the ending of Daylight Saving Time and the beginning of fall.

The event, the only fundraiser for the Port Aransas Community Theatre, was without a sponsor or a location, according to PACT president Betty Crawford.

A restaurant sponsor is needed that “serves quite a bit of wine” for a distributor to donate wines to the event, Crawford said.

In terms of location, parking for at least 100 cars and the ability to accommodate 250 or more people is necessary, she said.

Restaurants or venues interested in helping revive the festival were asked to call Crawford at (361) 749-6674.

Police identified the victim of a fatal stabbing in Port Aransas Saturday, Oct. 20.

Port Aransas Police Detective Mike Hannon identified him as Justin Camp, 31, of Boerne.

Police Chief Scott Burroughs said Neil Eugene Eyman, 37, was arrested in connection with the slaying. He was booked at Nueces County Jail on a murder charge and was being held there Monday, Oct. 22, in lieu of $300,000 bond, according to jail administration.

Hannon said Eyman was visiting Port Aransas from San Antonio.

Responding to a report of a stabbing, Port Aransas ambulance workers and police were sent to a parking lot in the 900 block of State Hwy. 361 at 10:35 p.m. Saturday, Burroughs said.

The victim had been stabbed at least once in or near his neck and was taken to Care Regional Medical Center in Aransas Pass, where he was pronounced dead, Burroughs said.

Eyman was arrested after law enforcement officers got descriptions of a suspect from witnesses, Hannon said.

Months of surging beach parking permit sales provided evidence that 2012 was a booming year for the Port Aransas economy.

As of Sept. 30, some 68,357 beach parking permits had been sold in Port Aransas this year, according to figures provided by the city’s finance department in October.

That’s far more than were sold during the same period for each of the previous four years. Total sales for that period last year were 56,650, the finance department reported. That means sales were up 20.6 percent so far this year.

July was an especially hot month for beach parking permit sales. The city sold 20,282 permits that month, according to city records. That’s nearly twice as many as in July 2011, when 11,694 were sold.

Parolee Bennie Ray Dupnik Jr., who was imprisoned for 32 years for murdering Shorty’s Place bar owner Gladys “Shorty” Fowler, apparently killed a Victoria woman and then took his own life Saturday, Oct. 27, police said.

The bodies of Dupnik, 51, and Sandra Rivera, 44, were found in an apartment they shared in Victoria, according to Sgt. Eline Moya, a public information officer with the Victoria Police Department.

A preliminary investigation has indicated that Dupnik killed Rivera and himself in their one-story residence in the 300 block of Grant Street, Moya said. Both bodies had stab wounds, she said.

Fowler established Shorty’s Place in 1946 and ran it until her death at the age of 72. The bar remains in operation today at 823 Tarpon St., one of the oldest businesses in Port Aransas. It was run by Fowler’s granddaughter, Joy George.

George said she was relieved to hear Dupnik is gone for good.

“I’m sorry for the girl, and I’m sorry for the family,” George said. “But now I don’t have to worry about him showing up here,” she added.

Tom Wilson replaced Mark and Vicki Kennedy, who recently moved on after serving for about two years at Grace Community Church, 1801 S. 11th St.

Wilson said he was part of a number of Pentecostal Church of God ministers from around South Texas who helped with construction of the church building about seven years ago. At the time, he was ministering in Edinburg.

Wilson said he has been a pastor for more than 30 years at three different churches. Since leaving Edinburg five years ago, he has filled in at various churches, “here and there,” he said.

November

The Port Aransas High School boys’ varsity cross country team was heading to the state meet again this year after a first place finish at the regional meet Friday, Nov. 2.

It was the Marlins’ first time to win the regional meet and was the their fourth straight state appearance, said Coach Steve Reaves.

Varsity runners Randy Borden, Austin Henderson and Collin Barr all finished in the top 10 runners overall, and Jesse Marraro finished in 11th place.

The girls’ varsity team failed to advance to the state meet and ended their season at regional.

A family tradition in Port Aransas came to an end, but the tradition of the “island’s oldest and f riendliest” watering hole looked like it

Shorty’s Place, 823 Tarpon St., has been in the same place and owned by the same family since it opened in 1946. It was the second oldest business in Port Aransas continuously owned by the same family. The oldest is Gibbs Cottages, owned by brother and sister Ann and Gilbert Gibbs.

The change in Shorty’s ownership went into effect at midnight Wednesday, Oct. 31.

Until then, it had been owned first by Gladys “Shorty” Fowler, then by her daughter, “Miss Rose” Smithey, and until last week, Miss Rose’s daughter and son, Joy George and Jim Gates.

Now, another family, Amy and Edwin Myers, own Shorty’s.

On the heels of the news that Shorty’s Place sold, it was reported that more big changes were in store for Port Aransas.

Jay and Stephanie Kenigsberg were in the process of selling the 710 S. Alister St. property where they have operated their restaurant, Jay’s Seafood and Spaghetti Works, for the past 33 years or so, Jay Kenigsberg said .

While Kenig™sberg confirmed that he was selling the property, he wouldn’t identify the buyer until after the sale closes in April. He said he was bound by an agreement to keep the information confidential for the next several months. It was the buyer who requested the confidentiality, he said.

Abundant talk on the streets of Port Aransas was that a CVS pharmacy would locate on the property, but that couldn’t be confirmed. Asked for comment, the company declined to confirm rumors that it was bringing a store to Port Aransas.

The Clark family of Port Aransas closed the 39-yearold Souvenir City in June, and were about to rent space at the shop’s old location at Alister and White streets, according to Georgia Creighton, longtime manager of Clark family business finances.

Creigthton said the Clarks were renting the building to Erin Anglin, who planned to relocate her business, Desserted Island Ice Cream, there. The ice cream shop previously was located at 407 S. Alister St., across the street from the Family Center IGA.

Also expected to operate in the building was Shapes for Women, a gym owned by Dean Lucas, who bought it from Sandy and Jim Anderson.

The Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Association (PAPHA) Board of Directors voted to dub part of the Farley Boat Works building the “Rick Pratt School of Wooden Boat Building.”

It’s named after the man who established the reconstituted Farley Boat Works operation and currently runs it. Pratt also is director of the Port Aransas Museum.

The board decided to name the facility after Pratt because of his “spark of enthusiasm, his energizing attitude and his vision,” said Nancy Phillips, president of the board.

The board’s decision was made Monday, Nov. 5.

Voters cast their ballots, for the most part, for Republican candidates in the general election Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Bucking the national trend, Port Aransas voters would have put former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the White House.

Romney and vice presidential running mate Paul Ryan drew 1,345 votes, or 68.55 percent of Port Aransas voters.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden scored 580 votes, or 29.56 percent of the Port Aransas vote.

Closer to home, Precinct 4 Constable Bobby Sherwood and District 32 State Rep. Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi) were re- elected with 100 percent of the Port Aransas vote in their respective races. Neither was opposed. Sherwood banked 1,616 votes, while Hunter racked up 1,498 votes.

At an emotionally charged city council meeting, Port Aransas City Engineer Jim Urban promised to seek solutions after hearing complaints that some of the newly paved portions of 11th Street are bumpy.

Councilman Keith Donley was visibly angry as he addressed Urban about the project that’s been in progress for several months and was financed by a $6.4 million bond issue approved by Port Aransas voters in 2011.

Residents who have driven the new road feel that “we paid for a first-class job, and we got crap,” Donley said at the council meeting Thursday, Nov. 15.

Island Construction is the main contractor on the project. The company’s owner, Melvin Littleton, stood at the lectern in the council chambers and defended his firm’s work.

“I don’t appreciate you saying that what we’ve done is trash. … We are doing the best we possibly can,” Littleton said.

Littleton, whose firm has paved dozens of streets all over Port Aransas over the years, said he expects the finished product to be nicely done.

“You are getting a first-class job,” he said.

Broker Becky Corder of Port Aransas Realty announced that Suzette Freeman and Keith McMullin would join with her as owners and management partners.

The Marlins placed second in the Marlin Classic Tournament after losing 65-63 in the championship game against Texas Military Academy on Saturday, Nov. 17.

The Marlins came into the game undefeated after beating San Marcos Home School, Ingleside High School and St. Andrews Episcopal School.

The Lady Marlins went undefeated to win the Marlin Classic Tournament with four wins between Thursday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 17.

Longtime Port Aransan Don Roy Farley, a retired hunting and fishing guide who managed the town’s water department for 12 years, died at the age of 82.

Farley died of natural causes at his Port Aransas home on Wednesday, Nov. 14, his family said.

In addition to working as a fishing and hunting guide for more than 30 years, Farley served as a city councilman, school board member and as a member of the board of directors of Nueces County Water Control and Improvement District No. 4.

Part of a pioneering Port Aransas family, Farley lived his entire life on Mustang Island except for four years he spent in the U.S. Navy.

State officials made moves to fully fund a planned project to widen a portion of State Hwy. 361, The Island Road, in Port Aransas, Mayor Keith McMullin announced at a city council meeting Thursday, Nov. 15.

The project, which will cost about $12.5 million, will widen The Island Road to four lanes from Avenue G to Beach Access Road 1, a distance of 2.8 miles, said Rickey Dailey, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

Construction will likely begin in October or November of 2013, and last probably 18 months to two years, Dailey said.

S ome of t he mo s t monumental advances in human civilization are awaiting their breakthrough: solving world hunger, clean and safe ocean waters, even human cell regeneration.

While many scientists devote their lives to these types of research, they may be getting some help from three small sea creatures growing in a laboratory in Port Aransas.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Mariculture Laboratory is involved in a process to achieve scientific breakthroughs. The lab focuses on something even smaller than the creatures themselves–it focuses on their feed.

The lab conducts marine life farming research and develops nutrition for sea urchin, starfish and shrimp. Though shrimp have obvious advantages to farming, the lesser known urchin and starfish have equally important roles as emerging food sources and in medical research.

According to the project leader and professor Dr. Addison Lawrence, the sea urchin have three separate are as of impor t anc e : medical research, seawater purity research and human consumption.

Lawrence said food supply and medical research from using these methods of sea life production could potentially have a large impact on society.

The ability to grow a highprotein food, like shrimp or urchin, anywhere in the world and in any climate could be a first step to solving global food problems, Lawrence said.

Cutting the time and cost to create a consistent model population of sea life for science to experiment with would be another potentially large impact.

As of now, the impact cannot be known. But future generations might find that they owe a debt to the production of three little sea creatures in a lab in Port Aransas.

Port Aransas police were considering filing charges on 18-year-old Port Aransas resident related to his alleged involvement in a hit and run accident on Wednesday, Nov. 21, according to Port Aransas Police Department’s Executive Lt. Darryl Johnson.

The charge is a third degree felony, which according to Texas Penal Code is punishable by a sentence of two to 10 years and a fine not to exceed $10,000.

Jake Dubose, a 17-year-old Port Aransas resident, was the victim of the hit and run near the corners of Avenue J and Station streets.

No leakage had occurred where two 32- year- old underground gasoline storage tanks were being replaced at a Port Aransas convenience store, according to a store spokesman.

The aging tanks were being replaced as a precautionary measure to make sure no leaks occur in the future at the Stripes store on Alister at Beach streets, said Craig Scotton, a spokesman for the company that owns Stripes stores in South Texas and beyond.

Dozens of tractor-trailer rigs chugged into Port Aransas Monday, Nov. 26, to haul away tons of dirt that surrounded the tanks. A driver said a total of 40 trucks would visit the site.

After a long search, Russell Simons’ family finally found him – more than five years after he drowned at the beach in Port Aransas.

Not long after his death at the age of 55 in 2007, Simons, who was homeless, was given a pauper’s burial in a Corpus Christi cemetery. It happened because neither police nor officials with the Nueces County Medical Examiner’s Office found next of kin so they could be notified of the death and claim the body, according Ric Ortiz, chief investigator with the medical examiner’s office.

Simons’ relatives didn’t know he was dead until they did some investigating and learned in late November that he had died and been buried without any of them being notified.

The medical examiner’s office is unable to find next of kin several times each year, Ortiz said. That can happen when the person who died doesn’t have any living relatives. But it also can happen when the deceased person kept poor records and became so estranged from family over such a long period of time that the task of finding next of kin becomes timeconsuming detective work for authorities. Simons was found dead in the surf near Horace Caldwell Pier on July 31, 2007.

The Veterans’ Administration came up with an emergency contact: Cindy Simons. The VA had an address for her in Canyon Lake, Ortiz said.

Law enforcement officers were sent to the residence, but no one there knew her, Ortiz said. The search ended there, he said.

Family members always had simply entered his first and last names on search engines and, for a long time, they found no indication that he’d died.

Then, on Tuesday, Nov. 27, Dyal included her father’s middle name in a search and found an Aug. 2, 2007 South Jetty news story about his death. That led them to contact the medical examiner’s office and learn that he’d been buried at Duncan Cemetery in the Flour Bluff area of Corpus Christi.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), which runs the ferry system, eliminated free Wi-Fi for travelers waiting in ferry lines as a cost savings measure, said Rickey Dailey, a spokesman for the department.

S omeone, somehow, painted at least two laughing gulls a crimson color. One was being cared for at the Animal Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, said Tony Amos, director of the ARK.

Another was seen here and there in Port Aransas. Reports indicate that a third bird victim, painted an orangeyellow, also was flying around.

“It’s cruel, and it’s just a ridiculous thing to do,” Amos said.

December

Port Aransas artist and musician Tiddle Caylor died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012, at his home after a battle with cancer. He was 72.

Caylor was known for his bold and colorful depictions of the landscape that surrounded him in his hometown of nearly 60 years. He was a regular at First Friday receptions at the Port Aransas Art Center, playing drums with a rotating band of musicians.

His artwork is displayed at the Port Aransas Art Center, and was displayed at the Art Center of Corpus Christi, the Port Aransas Art Gallery before it closed, as well as at his daughter’s former shop, Bam Bam Artwares in Port Aransas. His work also is included in numerous private art collections.

Caylor dabbled in commercial graphics as well, designing the logo still in use by Island Construction, a wine label once offered by Pelican’s Landing Restaurant, and T-shirts worn for the annual Pig Party at Shorty’s Place. He designed the framework for an ad Port Aransas attorney Jim Atwill placed in the South Jetty’s special edition commemorating the city’s 100th anniversary in October 2010.

In addition, Caylor also produced commercial graphics for The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute here, and for Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi.

A memorial service was planned for after the Christmas holidays.

Mandatory water use restrictions were likely to be instituted in Coastal Bend cities including Port Aransas the first week of December as a result of the continuing drought, according to a water system official.

On Thursday, Dec. 6, the restrictions began, and Nueces County Water Control and Improvement District (WCID) No. 4, Mark Young, manager of the district, announced.

Three longtime Port Aransas city employees announced plans to retire in the new year.

They were City Secretary Esther Arzola, Deputy City Secretary Pam Hatzenbuehler and Enrique Rangel, an employee in the city’s Public Works Department.

Longtime Port Aransan Mike Roberson doesn’t let a crippling disease prevent him from working and providing for his family.

Roberson, 49, labored for 27 years as a lineman and engineer for AEP (earlier known as CPL), the electrical utility, and also has run his own businesses, Roberson Marine Services and TowBoat U.S.

Two years ago, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

ALS forced Roberson to rely on a scooter-style wheelchair to get around, and the disease made it difficult for him to speak.

He sold TowBoat U. S. earlier in 2012 when he could no longer do the physically demanding work involved in motoring out to damaged or sunken boats and salvaging them, sometimes in high seas.

“Even though I’m very sick, I still have to provide for my family,” he said in an interview with the South Jetty.

His turned his work efforts to produce several one-ofa kind creations that are offshoots from his career in marine salvage.

Over several months, Roberson turned several buoys – massive hunks of metal about 10 feet high – into extra-large fire pits and sold them to high-end clientele. He obtained the buoys in salvage operations.

While much of the handson welding and fabricating work to create the fire pits was done by friend and former employee Miles Chance of Port Aransas, the projects are Roberson’s brainchild, and he directed Chance throughout the work.

It was announced in mid- December that Port Aransas will be the home of a boat that will help carry out work for a new facility dedicated to research designed to help sustain recreational fisheries.

The Sportfish Research Center is located at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

The boat will be housed at Island Moorings Marina, said Dr. Greg Stunz, who will be the director of the new center. A Port Aransas resident, Stunz is a marine biology professor who holds the endowed chair for fisheries and ocean health at the Harte Research Institute.

Three Port Ar ans as residents were officially named to Rep. Todd Hunter’s Education Workforce Task Force Thursday, Dec. 6.

Port Aransas Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Sharon Doughty, Interim Director of University of Texas Marine Science Institute Dr. Joan Holt and Director of Development at UTMSI Georgia Neblett join 20 others throughout the Coastal Bend to make up the task force.

The task force is the brainchild of Hunter, and focuses on education and skill training to meet the job demand in the Coastal Bend.

New water use rules put in place by the City of Corpus Christi and surrounding towns including Port Aransas mean restrictions on lawn irrigation, but there was a loophole.

Folks were prohibited from watering their lawns between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day unless (here’s the loophole) they did it by hand – with a hose or bucket, according to a news release issued by the City of Corpus Christi.

The provider of water to Port Aransas is Nueces County Water Cont rol and Improvement District (WCID) No. 4. The district, which gets all of its water either directly or indirectly from the City of Corpus Christi, observes drought contingency plans that are the same as those set forth by the city.

The Port Aransas Independent School District’s board of trustees recognized Athletic Director Steve Reave’s achievements at its meeting Thursday, Dec. 13, and offered him an extended contract for the next two years.

Reaves has been PAISD’s athletic director for the past 10 years, and has reshaped the program in the process.

“ I think it’s a nice recognition for the 10 years that I have worked here,” said Reaves. “It shows a lot of support from the school board and administrators for what we are doing here.”

Reave’s list of the athletic department’s accomplishments spanned three pages—and that was only for last year.

Only a few qualified candidates had applied for the job of Port Aransas city manager, despite several weeks of advertising for applicants, according to Interim City Manager Dave Parsons.

The city council might decide to start a new round of advertising or hire a headhunting firm to ferret out additional candidates, Parsons said. If the council goes with one of those options, he said, the decision likely won’t happen until the regular meeting on Jan. 17.

Port Aransas High School cross country star Randy Borden was named to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times All-South Texas team Sunday, Dec. 16.

Borden ha d st rong performances for his entire cross country career, and helped the Marlins make it to the state tournament all three years he has been on the team. For the past three years, the Marlins have placed second in the state meet, and in the latest one Borden placed in 13th overall.

The Port Aransas Independent School District Board of Trus tees on Thursday, Dec. 13, named Linda Langford to replace retiring special education director Dr. Linda Jameson who plans to retire in January.

If you’re reading this, it means the world didn’t end Dec. 21, as some earlier suspected it might.

Some people believed the world would come to an end that day – on 12-21- 12 – because that is when a significant phase in the ancient Mayan calendar ends.

But all this talk of the potential for an apocalypse raises an interesting question: What would you do if you felt certain that the world would really come to an end soon?

The South Jetty posed this question to about a dozen Port Aransans. In true island style, most addressed this most sobering of scenarios with humor.

On the job for about four months , n ewi sh Parks and Re c re at i on Department Director David Hyde announced he was implementing some new initiatives, including:

• Enrolling the city in the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation (TAAF), so folks any age can represent Port Aransas in everything from track and field to skateboard competitions around the state.

• Making plans for a triathlon in Port Aransas, possibly to be held in September 2013.

• Refurbishing facilities at Port Aransas Community Park and Roberts Point Park.


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