Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 7, No. 42, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 6, 1978 Page: 2 of 8
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PAGE 2
SOUTH JETTY
APRIL 6, 1978
EDITORIAL
City Needs to Act — Now
Now that the great political duel of the year is over tor our City
officials, it is time for those in office to get to work on some of
the major issues at hand that have been shelved for any number
of good, or bad reasons.
The key issue at hand is one that is not tremendously complex
yet, but is also one of the most emotionally charged to the public.
This is the issue of land use controls for the City.
Numerous plans for local controls that are aimed at orderly
growth in an explosive atmosphere of building and growth have
been discussed by the countil and irate members of the public
through the years. The result is always the same. Some part of
the proposed ordinance is repugnant to a small, but vocal
segment of the population, and the council’s dubious wisdom
leads it to indefinately table the entire matter rather than trying
to delete or alter the items in question in order to accommodate
better the interests they think are represented.
It is time for this foolish approach to end.
There is nearly universal agreement among people in town that
some form of controls are needed, if only to protect property
values, though there are those who still cling to the ridiculous
mouthing, “Zoning is fine for my neighbor, but leave me free to
mess up my own property.” Remember folks, every one of us is
someone’s neighbor.
These same people who put fear into the hearts of councilmen
whenever the issue of land use controls comes up are the ones
who scream “Don’t we have zoning?” every time some new
obscenity is visible from their window.
It is time for the council to develop a comprehensive land use
plan for the City that its members feel can be defended before
the public, and then defend it. This would include, first, a
committment on their part to a planning process, and then some
working sessions that are not turned into premature public hear-
ings that drive the council members back to playing turtle with
the issue.
We have had a steady diet of foot dragging on this critical
issue since 1971, in spite of the fact that the City has represented
itself to the state and federal governments as having an ongoing
planning process. Let’s put an end to this and get down to doing
something about our most urgent issue — before it really is too
late to devise an equitable plan.
Outdoors-n-Things
by L.D. Nuckles
TP&WD Information Officer
There is someone who cares.
When little wild things are beset
by problems there often is
something people can do to help
them and cooperation is many
times the answer. This is the case
in Rockport when least terns and
black skimmers ran into problems
on the Rockport beach.
These birds nest on a stretch of
the beach that has proven
decidedly unhealthy for them.
Their eggs are hard to see in the
little scooped out sand pockets
they call nests and people often
stepped on them. Dogs are
allowed to run free there and
often break the eggs or kill the
babies and cars sometimes are
hot-rodded around in that area.
Not a good place to raise babies.
John Smith, non-game biologist
of the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department and David Blankin-
ship, Audubon Society biologist,
decided to try to do something
about it. They contacted local
people and found that Houston
Oil and Minerals, a Houston-based
company, might be interested in
helping. When contacted, the
company sent people to discuss
the matter and inspect a site the
biologists thought might be im-
proved and turned into a better
nesting site for the birds.
The new site, a spoil island in
the middle of the Rockport Ski
Basin is included in the bounds of
the Connie Hagar Wildlife Sanctu-
ary and was once used by the
terns for nesting. This was when
the island was new and before it
became covered with thick grass.
Buccaneer Days Promises To Be Big Festival For All
Fun and games. Music, music, music everywhere.
Fireworks. A big night parade. A colorful pageant.
That’s Corpus Christi, “Sparking City by the Sea”,
during Buccaneer Days.
Since 1935, a period has been set aside every
springtime in this city on the Texas Gulf Coast for
sports tournaments of many kinds, music competi-
tion's, a “coronation” pageant, parades and a variety
of other events just for the fun of it.
The name “Buccaneer Days” is based on the
history — or legend — of privateers who supposedly
sacked the Texas coast years ago. Symbolically,
pretty young “pirates” will “capture the city”, run
up the sktill and crossbones flag, and dunk the
mayor (at present, Gabe Lozano, Sr., the city’s first
Mexican-American chief office holder) in the bay.
This year the dates are Thursday, April 20, through
Sunday, April 30. At 4 p.m. on that first Thursday,
the carnival opens in the Coliseum area on the
bayfront, to continue right up to the last minute of
April 30. In the perfect setting off the marine section,
there will be spectacular overwater displays of
fireworks, free for the looking, on April 20, 21 and 22
at 8 p.m.
Some eight or nine thousand young people from
statewide and regional high schools and colleges will
compete in the 27th annual Buccaneer Music
Festival. Coming late in the school year, this event is
a climax for all the schools who wish to participate —
and the musicians play or sing with youthful vigor to
win a high rating and perhaps to march in the Buc
Days parade.
They are a cheerful and bright sight as they stroll
around the city in their brilliant uniforms — or as
they get the first chance of the year to sunbathe or
swim at the beaches in the area.
The musical events are held in conjunction with Del
Mar College, either at the auditorium there or at
three high schools that have suitable halls. Marching
bands will be heard April 20-22. Orchestras, April 22;
stage bands, April 22 and choirs, April 28-29. Only
Gass AAAA or Gass AAA groups participate, so
listening, to which visitors are invited, is a real treat.
As for sports competitions: take your pick. Meet or
match, race or game. Tennis (including the Southwest
Conference Tennis Championship) will lead the way
the first three days of the festival at the famous H.E.
Butt Tennis Center. If that game isn’t fast enough for
you, this year a racquetball tournament has been
added, on the 28th to 30th.
Then there’s golf to be played for prizes April
29 30 at the C.C. Golf Center, an open sailboat
regatta, a frisbee fly-in, handball and archery
contests, a model airplane contest, a chess
tournament and stock car races. Something going on
all the time. There’s even a chili cook-off. These
events take place all over the beautiful city.
The two parades draw the largest crowds. The
Junior Parade begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 22,
at the Chamber of Commerce building on North
Shoreline Drive. Thousands of happy kids, done up in
imaginative costumes, march along between elaborate
floats carrying more youngsters, with music provided
by several bands of young musicians, proceed up the
bayfront to the Coliseum — which, despite its huge
size, is not big enough to hold all of them. There
King Fantasy and Queen Fantasia are crowned.
The big show of the season is the illuminated night
parade which starts with a pre-parade show at
Buccaneer Stadium at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 29.
At eight o’clock thousands of marchers and dozens of
superbly decorated and lighted floats wind their way
down Leopard Street to the Bluff, then down the one
street (William) where that is possible, to the
bayfront to continue their way along the waterfront to
their destination at the Coliseum area. The moon and
stars are this time outdone by the parade lights.
South Bluff Park is again the scene of the Art
Jamboree, the annual given for the benefit of the Art
Museum of South Texas, co-sponsored by the
Museum’s Auxiliary and the Delta Delta Delta
Alumni. This truly big and unique event shows works
in all media, by creators from near and far, at all
prices, in the “family picnic” style day-long party. It
begins at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 23. Places to sit in
the shade, booths to provide cold drinks and fun-style
foods and a set-apart area for young children makes
the Art Jamboree a full day’s adventure.
This will be the twenty-fifth coronation of King
Alonso and his Queen so it’s appropriately called
“Court of Silver Jubilee”. It’s the social event of the
season — and the young ladies who vie for the title
get to ride in their elaborate gowns in the big parade
two nights later.
King Alonso is named for Alonso de Pineda, a
Spanish explorer who “discovered” Corpus Christi
Bay in 1519 — and who cares if the legend isn’t
supported by actual history?
Buccaneer Days in Corpus Christi is the time for
enjoying the many pleasures offered, mostly free,
with the joy and wonder of a child — but
chronological age does not matter at all. It’s a fun
time for the kiddies in their own parade or
great-grandpas playing chess.
For full details of dates and times, write the
Buccaneer Commission, P.O. Box 1200, or the Tourist
Bureau, P.O. Box 1147, both Corpus christi, Texas
78403.
A TINY COASTAL BIRD is the focus of some remarkable teamwork to
help Its nesting efforts on Aransas Bay. The least terns in the area
abandoned their nesting ground on a small offshore island when it
became overvegetated, but attempts to nest on the mainland were beset
by hazards of civilization. State, conservation and business groups
combined to spread shell on the island to lure the declining birds back to
their former breeding site.
The grass ruined it as a nesting
site for the little birds.
HO&M personnel approved the
project and offered to furnish a
barge and tug to move shell to the
island, a tractor to spread it and a
boat to move the barge into the
ski basin where the tug couldn’t
go. An area about 60’ x 120’ was
to be covered with about 240
yards of fine shell.
Parker Brothers, a dredging
company, had a dredge working
in San Antonio Bay and they
agreed to furnish the shell.
Vermillion Construction Company
of Rockport furnished a dragline
and labor to unload the barge and
Clark construction Company,
another Rockport firm, volunteered
to furnish a tractor but at the last
minute it wasn’t needed.
Permission to do the job had to
be obtained from the Aransas
Navigation District, Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
before the project could go ahead.
Now that the new nesting site is
fixed up, the biologists must
convince the terns and skimmers
that they should use it. When the
Obituary
Dovie Dee Hutchins, 74, died
Thursday in a local hospital.
She was a resident of Port
Aransas since 1928. She was a
member of the Assembly of God
Church in Port Aransas.
Survivors include one daughter,
Mrs. Dovie Mae Aldridge, Port
Aransas; three sons, E.R. Hutch-
ins, Port Aransas, Gene Dee
birds start looking for a place to
nest, Smith and Blankinship hope
they will spot the new area and
utilize it. If they try to set up
housekeeping on the old site, the
biologists will just have to harass
them until they leave and go
looking for another place, hopefully
the new site.
This is the first time such a
technique has been tried in Texas
although it has been used success-
fully in Florida, according to
Smith.
It is most heartening to see this
kind of cooperation between
biologists, governmental agencies
and industry — all for the benefit
of some little bitty birds.
VFW Post
To Meet
The Port Aransas VFW Post
will meet Monday evening, April
10, at 7:00 p.m. in the Community
Building. All members, visitors,
and anyone interested in joining
this newly chartered post are
invited to attend.
Hutchins, Rockport, Thomas C.
Hutchins, Port Aransas; one
sister, Mrs. J.W. Dewitt, Chand-
ler, Oklahoma; seven grandchil-
dren and one great-grandchild.
Funeral services were conducted
Saturday at the Assembly of God
Church in Port Aransas with Rev.
David Stanley officiating. Inter-
ment followed in the Port Aransas
Cemetery.
«ag«nr»
Obituary
James E. Barr, 85, died at 6:15
a.m. Wednesday in an Aransas
Pass hospital.
He had been a resident of Port
Aransas for the past ten years,
prior to that he was a resident of
Fort Worth for his entire life. He
was a member of the Community
Presbyterian Church and was a 50
Years Member of the Panther City
Masonic Lodge No. 1183, Fort
Worth. He was a member of the
Moslah Temple of Fort Worth and
was past patron of the Tarrant
County Eastern Star. He ws a
member of the Fort Worth
Commandry No. 19 and a member
of the Port Aransas Lion’s Club.
Survivors include his wife,
Gladys, Port Aransas; one son,
James C. Barr, Port Aransas; two
grandchildren; seven great-grand-
children.
Funeral services were conducted
at 4:00 p.m. last Thursday at
Community Presbyterian Church
with Dr. Jack Moore, Pastor,
officiating. Graveside services
were conducted at 10:00 a.m.
Saturday at Mount Olivet Ceme-
tery in Fort Worth with the
Panther City Masonic Lodge No.
1183 of Fort Worth, officiating.
TEXAS PRESS
flgj MEMaf" 1978 ASSOCIATION
Owner - Editor: Steve Frishman
SOUTH JETTY is published
every Thursday by the South Jetty
Publishing Co., Port Aransas,
Texas. Subscription rate is $10.00
per year. 15 cents by the single
copy.
Subscription and Office Manag-
er: Mary Lou Hursh.
Address all correspondence to:
South Jetty Publishing Co.
P.O. Box 1116
Port Aransas, Texas 78373.
Office: 201 E. Cotter Avenue,
Port Aransas, Texas, Phone 749-
6377.
Display advertising deadline,
Monday, 12 noon, the week of
publication.
The publisher will gladly correct
any erroneous statement regard-
ing corporations, firms, or individ-
uals, when called to his attention.
Second Class Postage is paid at
Port Aransas, Texas.
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Frishman, Steve. Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 7, No. 42, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 6, 1978, newspaper, April 6, 1978; Port Aransas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth623856/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Ellis Memorial Library.