Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 8, 2007 Page: 3 of 24
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t-
Murray W. Judson
Publisher
Mary Henkel Judson
Editor & Co-Publisher
Port Aransas South Jetty
Opinion
Member:
South Texas Press Association
Texas Gulf Coast Press Association
Texas Press Association
Thursday, November 8,2007 3A
Dave McNeely
Gunfight over
proposed park
Sometimes, lower-level
I statewide elected officials
I want publicity so badly
; they'll do everything but
set themselves on fire.
Sometimes, they set
themselves on fire by ac-
cident, and get publicity
they didn't want.
In 1982, then-Agricul-
ture Commissioner Rea-
gan Brown called report-
ers to a fire ant mound on
the capitol grounds. To insure he got on TV,
he stuck his hand into the mound.
He got on TV, all right. He got 32 fire ant
bites. He also got beat for re-election, by
populist Jim Hightower.
Now comes Land Commissioner Jerry "Top
Gun" Patterson. The Texas A&M graduate and
former Marine Corps pilot, who sponsored
Texas' right-to-carry handgun law as a state
Senator, had wanted to sell the state-owned
Christmas Mountains next to Big Bend Na-
tional Park. He said a private owner could
manage it better than the government.
That flew in the face of the deal former
Land Commissioner Garry Mauro agreed to
when the Conservation Fund and the Richard
King Mellon Foundation gave Texas the land
in 1991.
The tract, which shares a mile of border
with Big Bend Park, could go only to the
National Park Service or the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department without the assent of
the Conservation Fund. But now Patterson
says that permission requirement is unen-
forceable.
That brought a storm of protest from
newspaper editorials around the state, envi-
ronmental groups and private citizens. Even
if it is unenforceable, Texans take pride in
keeping their word. That should include the
state, several of them told the School Land
Board Tuesday.
The Park Service, which had earlier said it
wasn't interested in the land, recently changed
its mind.
Patterson said Monday he would propose
that the three-member School Land Board he
heads postpone final decisions on bids for the
mountain tract for 90 days, to give the Na-
tional Park Service time to make a proposal.
Patterson also had planted what one reporter
called a "poison pill" in the invitation to the
Park Service to bid on the land. That provision
would require that the 9,269-acre tract be open
to the public for hunting. The Park Service
prohibits hunting in national parks.
"Hunting is still a part of this deal," Patter-
son insisted Monday, maintaining that Con-
gress could allow guns in the tract. "Hunting
is allowed in the original gift deed, and will
be a part of any land management plan for
(the) Christmas Mountains."
Luke Metzger, director of Environment
Texas, said the hunting was allowed but not
required, and Patterson was trying to hold the
park service and Texans "hostage to a narrow
ideological agenda."
Patterson said the public needs more hunt-
ing opportunity. But Metzger said Patterson's
action could actually damage opportunities
for hunters.
Some donors convey land to the state as
wildlife management areas where hunting
is allowed, Metzger said. But if Patterson
ignores the provision of the contract that the
state agreed to, it could have a chilling effect
on future land donations - including those that
would provide for hunting, Metzger said.
Patterson and the two other members of
the School Land Board - Todd Barth of
Houston and David Herrmann of San Antonio
-- returned from a brief executive session and
unanimously voted to postpone dealing with
the bids for 90 days, so the park service could
present a proposal.
There was no mention of hunting and guns
in the postponement motion, which may mean
the other board members are saving Patterson
from himself.
"Clearly the other two board members are
not comfortable with (Patterson's approach),"
Metzger said in a press release. "We thank
Todd Barth and David Herrmann for respect-
; ing the strong public opposition to this sale
and for seeking out a better solution.
"We look forward to working with the
School Land Board, the National Park, and
Congress in the coming months to find a final
solution that will keep the Christmas Moun-
tains in public hands and that will maintain
the integrity of Texas' word."
Reach McNeely at dmcneely@austin.rr.com
or (512) 323-0248.
South Jetty
(946-020)
Pays Periodicals Postage at
Port Aransas, Texas
POSTMASTER:
SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO:
South Jetty, P.O. Box 1117,
Port Aransas, TX 78373
E-mail address changes to:
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phone 361-749-5131
7,
"I'll have the Hillary... I mean the waffles."
Editorial
Give island shops a try
The holidays are upon us. Thanksgiving is
only three weeks away, then the merry-go-
round of yuletide festivities begins, with little
time to shop for Christmas.
The good news is your Christmas shopping
can begin and end in Port Aransas. It gets better.
By shopping in Port Aransas you avoid big city
traffic, stress and in many cases you save not
only time, but money as well.
Come on. You've got time. Pick one of your
days off in the next three weeks. Make your
shopping list by age, gender and interest, and
tuck it in your pocket or purse. Then make a list
of Port Aransas shops - include some you've
never been in, and throw in your favorite lunch
spot - or some place you've never tried. Men,
step into some of those "women's" shops
you've never been in before, and women, add
a "manly" store to your list. (Those that ad-
vertise in the South Jetty are, of course, highly
recommended - at least you'll have an idea
of what they have and you'll know they want
your business!)
Get an early start - say lOish (we are, after
all, on "island time"), and leisurely work your
way through your list and a pleasant lunch,
then start again. You'll find everything from
shoes to clothes, purses, jewelry, housewares,
decor, fishing equipment and apparel, fine art,
books of every description, bath towels, bed-
ding, collectibles, cookware, tools, toys (for
"kids" of all ages), gourmet food and gadgets,,
and, of course, gift certificates for everything
from dinner to a guided fishing trip and even
a lawn mower.
Okay, you can't buy a new refrigerator in
Mary Henkel Judson
Shine the light on our future
Having a mother who "came of age" during
the Great Depression left me with a message:
Waste not, want not.
I challenge anyone to squeeze more out of
a tube of toothpaste than I can. Plastic, seal-
able bags are never used just once, and the
plastic sleeve the morning newspaper arrives
in doubles as a travel bag for shoes.
It should come as no surprise, then, that the
Nueces County Commissioners' challenge to
residents to switch from incandescent bulbs to
CFL (compact florescent lighting) bulbs this
month has my full endorsement. We've been
transitioning to CFLs for some time. I'm not
going so far as to throw all my old incandescent
bulbs in the trash, but when they burn out,
they're replaced with CFLs. It makes sense and
cents. It also saves time. Why change a bulb
every couple of months if you have a choice
of using a bulb that will last years?
The NBC television network is also go-
ing green - at least temporarily. Among
other things, the sports
desk turned off the studio
lights Sunday night during
the Cowboys vs. Eagles
game. Considering the
audience that game had,
let's hope some good was
done.
NBC Nightly News and
its morning counterpart,
The Today Show, have
been doing a series this week, "From the Ends
of the Earth", about various energy sources, the
effects of global warming and "going green".
The attention that "going green" is getting,
from a national network to our own county
commissioners, is an indication that the public
at large is becoming aware that we all need
to participate in conserving our resources
and protecting this fragile planet. We can't
continue to plunder it and expect what's left
to afford our grandchildren any measurable
Cactus Pryor
quality of life. We have to take action to pre-
serve and protect it.
We can start by doing the "little things" like
changing to CFL bulbs, or buying Energy Star
rated appliances that use less energy. We can
think about using "green'Vsustainable materi-
als when we build or remodel. We can think
about using semi-permeable materials when
we pave a parking lot or build a walkway or
driveway.
If we all do a little, we will save a lot; and
we can leave this world with the knowledge
that we. haven't left our grandchildren what
will be, in effect, a garbage dump.
So start small and save big: Switch to CFL
bulbs this month. They're available at several
retailers in Port Aransas. Don't be put off by
the price. You won't be buying or changing
another light bulb for years.
Mary Henkel Judson is editor and co-
publisher of the South Jetty. Contact her at
southjetty@centurytel.net.
I bring the wind whenever I come to Port
Aransas, and I apologize for that. But Austin is
so full of wind, especially when the legislature
is in session, that when we leave town, we have
to take a bit of wind with us. The other day I
outdid myself.
I went out on the nice pier, just a two minute
walk from our place. I was testing my old rod
and reel to see if it could still function. I was not
fishing, just testing, and watching only six fish-
ermen. One guy caught a small shark, but that
was the catch of that very windy day, so far.
At the other end of the pier was a young man
not over 15 or 16 years. He didn't watch the
other fishermen. He was at work for himself.
Angling as art
He had four rods and
reels, all designed for a
serious fisherman. His rods
were leaning on the railing
facing the sea. His bait was
obviously caught by him-
self. There were only three
feet between each rod and
reel. His casts were pure
artistry.
He'd bait his hook, walk to the railing on
the shore side of the pier, then, in almost one
choreographed movement, he sent the enticing
attraction toward the seekers of delicious sea
dining.
That was his first dining attraction. Then to
the next potential customer, another repetition
of hunger enticement, and then a fourth poten-
tial hunger sucker.
I walked toward him and noticed a large catch
in his fish bucket.
I spoke to him and asked a few questions,
but a soft voice spoken to an elderly person
minus his hearing aid in a strong wind - uh-uh.
I shook the hand of the forthcoming fisherman
of this here century, and then walked to the
store and bought enough shrimp to feed my
wife and me.
Cactus Pryor is an Austin humorist, radio
personality and author.
Public works may replace operations
Continued from Page 1a
Hall noted that any organization needs to be
evaluated from time to time, simply to keep up
with changes. "I expect that we have some op-
portunities for improvement (in the operations
division), as this process has not been done to
this degree in a very long time. I think Michael
is right on to have this process going and has
my support," he wrote.
"This plan is modeled after the police reorga-
nization, which is working well and evolving,"
Councilman Rick Pratt said.
Both councilmen Keith McMullin and
Charles Bujan said they wanted more time to
review Kovacs' proposal. McMullin said he
would look at the document in depth over the
weekend (Nov. 3-4); Bujan said he didn't want
to talk about his reaction until he had discussed
it with other council members.
Councilman Keith Donley wrote that he
wanted more details before reacting to the
proposal. "However," he added, "I do believe
that a reorganization and more accountability
are long overdue."
Kovacs is due to go over the report with the
council in detail at a workshop scheduled for
Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 5 p.m. in the city council
chamber, 710 W. Ave. A.
Port Aransas, but not too many people are
looking forward to finding a refrigerator, or
for that matter a lawn mower, under their
Christmas trees.
End your day with a sunset cocktail and enjoy
checking off your Christmas list before dinner.
Try this once and you'll be hooked. You may
not find something for everyone on your list,
but you'll be surprised at how much shopping
you can get done at home. And the local share
of that sales tax you're paying will stay at home
and go to work on Port Aransas projects!
Besides that, think of all the fishing and fun
you can have in the time you saved by shop-
ping at home. ,v ; > i. :
Good shopping at home to you, and happy
holidays!
-mhj
Steve Martaindale
When to decide
against distress
This is a story about deal-
ing with things that upset
us.
"Look on the bright side,"
she said. "It's a beautiful
night; tomorrow, it's sup-
posed to be cold."
This is a story of choosing
to not be distressed.
"I'm so lucky you hap-
pened to be driving behind
me today."
This is about finding those little bits of good
in the worst moments.
"At least the flat is on the right side, so we're
away from the traffic."
This is about seeking the sunshine in life.
"The good news is, now we know more about
changing flat tires."
I was on the phone with Leah, my wife,
Monday evening, right about sunset. She was
heading home from school, where she and our
daughter both work. She was behind Erin and
our grandson, Leah told me, and they were
planning a stop on the way home.
"Uh-oh," Leah said. "Erin's pulling off the
road. This is a terrible place to stop."
I know that road. It's a U.S. highway by
designation and volume of traffic but more like
a high-end farm-to-market road by design, an
undivided two lanes with shoulders. I don't
know of any good places to stop on that stretch
of highway.
"She's looking at her tire," Leah said, sitting
in the pickup with its flashers engaged. "I hope
she doesn't have a flat."
Erin came back to report to her mother.
"She has a flat," I was told. "How flat is it?
Can you get on down the road?"
"She says it's flat-flat."
I was some three hours away and totally
useless to them, but I have drilled them both
on tire-changing. Even though my goal has al-
ways been that Leah would not have to change
a tire in a situation like this, I believe she has
at least once.
"I'll call you when we're done," my wife
said.
Meanwhile, total darkness settled in and I
waited without hearing anything. Thirty min-
utes passed and I was tempted to call, but they
probably had their hands full and I would just
be an interruption.
Thirty-five minutes and my imagination is
kicking into gear. The old adage, "No news is
good news," is less applicable in today's world
of instant communication. I was expecting a
call with good news, so not getting that call
could indicate bad news.
After 45 minutes, I called my wife's phone.
"Hello, Daddy," Erin answered, with the
sound of traffic in the background. They are
putting the spare on now, she said.
"It says to tighten the nuts by hand. I guess
you're just supposed to get them as tight as you
can before you use the thing to tighten them.
Right, Daddy?"
Yes, they were reading step-by-step instruc-
tions on changing a tire from the owner's
manual. OK, it has been a long time since I
drilled them on changing tires.
Leah called back once they were on the road
again, Erin driving on one of those infernal
doughnut tires. It wasn't just the fact that they
had to read instructions that slowed the process.
First of all, Erin's trunk was full of stuff and they
had to dig out the spare. They finally got the car
jacked up and had trouble getting the nuts off.
"I'm glad I had that hammer in the truck to
help get them loose," Leah said.
Hold it, I protested, didn't the instructions
tell you to do that before jacking it up?
"I think Erin skipped a line," she said, "and
I wasn't going to lower the car just to loosen
the nuts."
Bottom line is that they got it changed and
Erin's upbeat spirit never wavered. While she
was in college, her running mates gave her
the nickname of Sunshine. Even they might
not have expected a nighttime tire-changing
experience with a bored and hungry baby to
come short of denting Sunshine.
She was absolutely right, however. Things
could have been much worse.
Steve Martaindale is a self-syndicated colum-
nist. Write him at penmanmail-steve@yahoo.
com.
Letters to the Editor
Deadline: Monday,
10 A.M.
Letters to the editor should be limited to about
300 words • contain a valid signature and mailing
address, day and evening telephone numbers
where the writer may be reached • names of persons
writing letters will not be withheld from publication •
unsigned letters will not be published -only one letter
per person per 30 days period • letters endorsing or
opposing political candidates are political advertising
and should be taken to the advertising department •
all letters are subject to editing • letters of complaint
about private businesses will be forwarded to the
business and will not be published • "thank you" let-
ters are classified advertising and should go to the
classified ad department
Letters may be mailed to
P.O. Box 1117 Port Aransas, TX 78373
or e-mailed to:
southjetty@centurytel.net
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Judson, Mary Henkel. Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 8, 2007, newspaper, November 8, 2007; Port Aransas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth409972/m1/3/?q=mineral+wells: accessed June 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Ellis Memorial Library.