Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 38, No. 31, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 31, 2008 Page: 1 of 20
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Thursday, July 31, 2008 vol. 38 no. 31 usps 946-202 750
First Friday
Winners of the All-
Member Show at the Art
Center for the Islands will
be featured at the First
Friday artists’ reception
on Aug. 1.
M.-;
Page 2A
Stormy weather
What was Port Aransas
like during Hurricane
Dolly? Let pictures taken
that day tell the story.
Page 1B
Ready? You bet!
City was almost ‘over prepared’
for approach of Hurricane Dolly
By Phil Reynolds
South Jetty reporter
Port Aransas city workers found
themselves, if anything, over-pre-
pared for the fringe of Hurricane
Dolly on Wednesday, July 23.
“There’s always a fear that there may
be a curve to the north,” City Manager
Michael Kovacs explained.
In that case, Dolly would have
come much closer to Port Aransas,
possibly threatening the city with a
direct hit. Dolly packed nowhere near
the punch of a Katrina or a Rita, but
a direct hit on Port Aransas would
have done significant damage - and
city employees were determined to be
prepared for that eventuality.
“As recently as Monday (July 21),
there was some doubt about the actual
landfall,” Kovacs said.
As a consequence, while the city
neither ordered nor advised evacua-
tion, it was prepared to do either.
Workers also stopped short of
boarding up windows in anticipation
of the storm - but again, they were
prepared to do that if it was required,
Kovacs said.
Police Chief Sam Russell said his
officers went to 12-hour shifts and got
portable generators ready in case the
storm moved to the Port Aransas area.
Emergency food supplies are always
on hand at police headquarters, and
the department activated its emer-
gency operations trailer just in case.
“We did quite well,” Russell said.
Kovacs said the city staff hasn’t yet
put together what it calls an “after-
action report” on storm preparations,
but in all, he’s satisfied with what city
workers did.
“It was a very busy Monday,”
Kovacs said.
That lives up to a rating sent to the
city that same Monday, July 21, by
the Texas Division of Emergency Pre-
paredness. That rating showed Port
Aransas had met all the 11 require-
ments for a basic level of emergency
preparedness; the nine requirements
for an intermediate level; and even
the three requirements for advanced
preparedness.
“Advanced” is the highest level
available to government agencies.
While basic emergency accredita-
Please see, ‘CITY,’ Page 3A
Hard at work STAFF FH0T0 BV DAN PARKER
Lashed by wind and rain, Mike Sanchez, left, and Cody Claypool, right, from the City of Port Aransas
Public Works Department, labor to unplug a drainage line on Alister Street near Avenue E while Hurricane
Dolly’s eye moved ashore about 150 miles south on Wednesday, July 23.'
Wiggins lone finalist for Salado ISD chief
r •
By Dan Parker gins. this fall. " About 5,000 people live within the Salado
South Jetty reporter “I truly do love Port Aransas,” Wiggins said. In addition, Wiggins said, “I think their board school district, which lies in and around the
Billy Wiggins is poised to resign soon from “I think Gayla (Wiggins’ wife) and I both share is hungry for student performance.” town of Salado. Salado, classified by the Uni-
his job as superintendent of the Port Aransas a love for PAISD (the Port Aransas Independent Wiggins said family matters also figured into versity Interscholastic League as a 2-A district,
Independent School District. School District).... But this is an opportunity I his decision. His daughter, Ashley Winton, lives has 1,232 students. PAISD, a 1 -A district, has
Wiggins has been named the sole finalist for can’t afford to not take.” in Killeen, which isn’t far from Salado. Ashley, 540 students,
the open job of superintendent of the Salado Salado, which lies about 40 miles north of who has a 3-year-old daughter, Madyson, is Wiggins isn’t the first PAISD employee to
Independent School District. Acting on Friday, Austin, has a “well-respected” school district married to Tyson Winton, a former Port Aransas make the move to Salado. Randy Henderson
July 25, the Salado district’s board of trustees that’s growing, Wiggins said. The district has resident now serving in the U.S. Army at Fort
voted unanimously to offer a contract to Wig- a $15.5 million new high school set to open Hood, which borders Killeen. Please see, ‘WIGGINS,’ Page 4A
Index
Landscaping work is
under way at the Mercer
House next to the
Community Center.
Page 2B
Taking shape
Church_
Church directory..............4A
Obituaries.........................4A
•Capt. Bob Wigal
•Ethel C. Strode Brothers
Island Life__
Columnists
• Tony Amos.......................6B
• For the brods.................7B
Island agenda....................2A
Law enforcement..............9A
Youth_
Kids’ Calendar...................8A
Opinion___
Dave Me Neely...................3A
STEyEMARTAINDALE.............3A
Mary Henkel Judson..........3A
Editorial..........;.................3A
Letters to the editor.........3A
Outdoors_
Fishing report.................10A
Tides ...............................10A
Weather..........................10A
Classified _____
Classified ads..;..............5-8B
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Port Aransas is refuge
in South Padre storm
By Mary Henkel Judson
South Jetty editor
Many vacationers who were turned
away from South Padre Island last
week after Hurricane Dolly left that
resort community without power have
come to Port Aransas.
The Port Aransas Chamber of
Commerce-Tourist Bureau, as well
as motels and condominiums, have
been inundated with calls from people
looking for lodging to replace reserva-
tions they had at South Padre Island.
Ann Bracher Vaughan, executive
director of the chamber, said one
call was in behalf of a youth group
that needed accommodations and a
gathering place for meals for their
group of 250.
“We couldn’t accommodate them
because we don’t have the facilities
available. With our weekends as busy
as they are, there’s no excess place to
put them,” Vaughan said.
Last week the chamber fielded
100 to 150 direct telephone inquiries
from people who were going to South
Padre Island, but had to change plans
because of the hurricane, Vaughn
said.
“We’ve had a lot of new people in
the lobby who have never been to Port
Aransas who were trying to get their
bearings,” she added.
Hurricane Dolly was partially re-
sponsible for a full house at Harbor
Inn and Suites.
Suzy Roberts, assistant desk clerk,
said their guests included at least two
couples who came to Port Aransas
instead of South Padre Island as a
result of the storm.
The motel lost 10 reservations prior
to the storm because guests did not
know where the storm was going, but
those reservations were quickly filled
and Harbor Inn and Suites was totally
booked for the weekend.
One guest at Best Western Ocean
Villas was here instead of South Padre
because of Dolly.
Owner Vince Vanorman said that
guest was from Fort Worth and “had
a great time”
Vanorman booked another guest
Monday, July 28, because of a change
of plans forced by the hurricane.
Best Western was at capacity last
weekend and is booked for this week-
end, according to Vanorman.
“We had tons of calls from people
who had reservations at South Padre.
The minute we had a vacancy, it was
filled,” said Teresa Thrash, manager
at the Aransas Princess Condomini-
ums.
The minute
we had a vacancy,
it was filled.
Teresa Thrash
MANAGER, ARANSAS PRINCESS
5
The condominiums were booked
last weekend and they are booked
through this week and next week-
end.
“They wanted anything - weekends
or midweek. They filled all the gaps,”
Thrash said.
Holiday Inn Express general man-
ager Julie Moore said, “I hate to say
this, but it has been wonderful for
us. It’s bad news for them, but good
news for us.”
Moore said their August bookings
are looking almost as good as their
July bookings, usually their best
month of the summer.
Some callers want to know “if we
were still here, and once they find out
it (Dolly) didn’t go here, they book
with us,” Moore said.
Please see, ‘DOLLY’ Page 3A
Sunset sushi STAFF PH0T0 " DAN PARKER
A great blue heron snacks on a bait fish left on a bulkhead by an
angler at the Port Aransas Nature Preserve as the sun sets.
Online edition: www.portasouthjetty.com
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I HIGHLIGHTS
Park meeting
A Christmas decoration
meeting will be held at 1 p.m. X
today, Thursday, July 31, at
Roberts Point Park. Last week’s
meeting was rescheduled due
to Hurricane Dolly.
Sprucing up Roberts Point
Park during the Christmas
season is the goal of the
Port Aransas Chamber of
Commerce - Tourist Bureau.
Page 2A
Got racket?
If tennis is your game, head
for the school courts on Station
Street on Saturday morning,
Aug. 2, for a round robin mixed
doubles tennis tournament.
Page 11A
Cruise tickets
Tickets for the Port Aransas
Rotary Club Champagne Cruise
and Mini-Taste of Port Aransas
go on sale Monday, Aug. 4.
The benefit is set for Friday,
Sept. 5, aboard the Scat Cat out
of Fisherman’s Wharf.
Page2A
www.portasouthjetty.com
• Hurricane Dollly
• Blue Wave tourney
• Outboard Fishing
Tournament
• 73rd Deep Sea Roundup
•Grass fire
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Judson, Mary Henkel. Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 38, No. 31, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 31, 2008, newspaper, July 31, 2008; Port Aransas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth496571/m1/1/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Ellis Memorial Library.