Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 16, No. 46, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 13, 1986 Page: 2 of 14
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PACE 2
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13,1986
Editorial
PORT ARANSAS SOUTH JETTY
Spinoff-
Keep up the momentum
—-Bv Mary Henkel Judson
THERE'S A BIT OF EXCITEMENT
in the air — it's a little bit of Christ-
mas. For anyone feeling down-in-
the mouth take 2 look at what's
happening in Port Aransas:
‘This week starts the first annual
Christmas Shopping Extravaganza.
(See ad inside this issue for details.)
‘Saturday, Nov. 15, is the annual
Episcopal Church Christmas ba-
zaar.
L'Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov.
27, and that weekend is the annual
Creative Arts sale.
‘Dec. 6 is the Presbyterian
Church Christmas bazaar and the
E.M.S. Auxiliary Christmas dance.
* Dec. 5, 6 and 7 is the Port Aransas
Sale of Sales (S.O.S.). See the story
on page one for details on that.
’ Dec. 13 is the annual Boat Light-
ing Contest — and by gosh after
tiiai it's almost Christmas.
These are exciting events for Port
Aransas. But it takes more to Keep
the momentum up:
‘We've got to hustle, make our-
selves look good — there's a lot of
competition out there.
‘We've got to offer something of
value — not a free small soft drink
after driving 300 miles to get here.
‘We’ve got to tell the truth —
deceptive advertising claims make
liars out of us and send tourists
packing with a bad taste in their
mouths.
‘We've got to forfeit a little profit
to make a profit. Times are tough
— we’ve got to give people a reason
to come here. After they get nere we
need to give them a reason to come
back. We can have the prettiest
beach and the best fishing in the
world, but if it doesn’t come with a
smile and helping hand, people can
find other places to spend their
vacation dollars.
‘We’ve got to promote ourselves,
and we’re doing it.
It's unfortunate that is takes
hard times to bring people to-
gether, but whatever it takes, it’s
encouraging to see so many of us
pulling together.
Seatlershooting---
Those election night jitters
-By Jack L. Moore
1 he polls have been closed for an
hour or so The young candidate
and his friends are nervously as-
sembled in the spacious home of his
wife's parents for the “victory" cel-
ebration.
While Dan Rathn is already re-
porting that CBS is projecting win-
ners based on exit polls, we wait for
the telephone to ring. Our man is
involved in a district judge race and
it’s unlikely the results will make it
to the T\ screen until much later in
the evening. If ever. So we depend
on a friend.
The first call comes and a cheer
goes up with result We’re ahead, 53
percent to 47 percent, in the early
going. You can feel the room relax-
ing. But not the candidate. He may-
be young, but he's from a political
family and knows that the game
ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings.
Appointed to the bench by the
governor, he's both competent and
popular. In the pre-election poll of
bar association members, his peers
gave him more votes than any other
judicial candidate. He was en-
dorsed by both daily newspapers in
the city and singled out for recom-
mendation by a blue-ribbon, bipar-
tisan Citizens for Judicial Quality
committee.
His candidacy attracted suppor-
ters from both political parties and
he was successful in raising money-
enough for a strong direct mail
campaign along with adequate bill-
board and yard sign coverage.
More important, he likes working
as a judge and he has campaigned
thoroughly and conscientiously.
One plank in his platform is the
belief that district judgeships in
both civil and criminal courts need
to be removed from the political
arena.
This young man spent his high
school days working as a page in
the U.S. Senate and attending the
Tidemarks-
school for pages in Washington,
D.C. He's a graduate of Yale Univer-
sity and Harvard Law School. While
in private practice, he and a friend
founded a free legal clinic in south
Dallas He \va:: tvvic\ h«*itoiedbyine
Dallas County Bar Association as
“Pro Bono” Lawyer of the Year.
Today, based on his early example,
more than 20 free clinics involving
dozens of lawyers are scattered
throughout Dallas County.
In addition, he married an at
torney three years ago anil she won
the Pro Bono award last year. Edi-
tor of Law Review at the University
of Texas Law School, she is now a
member of the faculty of the South-
ern Methodist University Law-
School.
All of which adds up to outstand-
ing and exceptional qualifications
for my candidate. Coupled with an
opponent who is not that well
known and, where he is known, not
much respected, it points to a mis-
match.
The second call from the court-
house comes. Almost half the pre-
cincts have been counted and our
lead is up a thousand votes. But the
split is now 51 percent to 49 per-
cent and a jittery mood invades the
room.
Dan Rather is interviewing elec-
tion analysts who are being «■«;•
prised by the Senatorial inroads of
the Democrats.
Did I mention? My candidate is a
Democrat And the race is in Dallas
County. His little-known opponent
is Republican.
The evening wears on. CBS
awards the Texas governor’s race
to Clements and the Republicans
there is an audible sigh from the
more knowledgeable campaigners
in town.
Then comes the third call. And
the bursting of a bubble. With 80
percent of the precincts reporting,
the tide has turned and our oppo-
nent has moved out in front with a
53 percent to 47 percent lead.
While some of the subdued cele-
brants began drifting away not long
after that grim news, it was mid-
night before the rest of us heard the
fat lady yodeling to turn out the
lights, the party’s over.’
My young friend made a last
ditch comeback — something like
the Cowboys against the Giants —
and the final, official tally showed
that he lost by a margin of 50.6 per
cent to 49.4 percent. In the same
precincts, the Republican candi-
date for governor outpolled his op-
ponent 57 percent to 42 percent
with 1 percent opting for the
Libertarians.
You may, or may not, find a moral
in this tale.
For me, it was being reminded
that — in politics, in football, in
war, and various and sundry other
ventures — losing is not my favorite
thing. That the size of the stakes
have not much to do with the pain
of the defeat. That the next time
out I’m gonna bribe the fat lady to
come on a lot eariler!
Election news heats network blues
Cactus Pryor
“Lt. Governor Hobby, now that
you’ve been reelected, I would like
your opinion on what effect it will
have on Texas to have a Republican
governor running the state?”
“Governor? Running the state? Gov-
ernor...hummm. Oh! You mean that
person who lives in the Governor’s
Mansion. I think Texas will con-
tinue as usual.”
• * 0
“Jeeves, the President wants you
to come get his coats and take them
to the tailor. The coattails need
considerable repair."
“Rita, call my barber and tell him
I’m coming in for a haircut.”
“Going to start there, eh Bill?"
* • »
“Ma, the paper says that its good
news that the Saudis are raising the
price of oil."
“Why is that good news, Pa?"
“Because the higher price of oil
means that the economy will im-
prove to the extent that we will
have more money with which to
pay higher prices for oil and gas."
“Huh?"
“We here at SMU must strive to be
recognized as the fine academic
school that we are and erase this
image of being a party school.’"
"Well, lets throw a party and
invite the press and so inform
them.”
South Africa has expelled the
Red Cross. Next they’ll be digging
trenches to defend themselves
from the Salvation Army.
Attorney General Ed Meese says
that employers should consider
“surveilance"to check up on-employ-
ees drug use in such places as
locker rooms, parking lots and
nearby bars. Meeseketeers!
COMMENCING THIS COLUMN
on the day after the election there
has been no time to assess results
other than to observe that the tur-
nout at the polls was generally bet-
ter than expected. Politics, even
dull politics, affect me like eating
peanuts and as a consequence (as
usual) I stayed by the boob tube
until reports went off the air an
hour past midnight. I suppose peo-
ple who watch soap operas will
understand this.
Most of the evening, instead of
really concerning myself with the
results, I pondered why instead of
voting for neither candidate for
governor of Texas I decided to vote
instead for the eventual winner
only during the few moments my
voter registration was being
checked. I am still wondering. Per-
haps because I figured a Republi-
From the mailbox
Letters
Police problem?
I just can’t help but be amused at
some of your Letters to the Editor.
In particular, the series on the Port
Aransas Police. They have been criti-
cized for anything from enforcing
the indecent exposure law (urinat-
ing in public) to a most recent one
which has to be a classic
Suzanne Feather of San Antonio
wrote that after she “spent a lovely
afternoon ON the beach”she decided
to return to her room. While driving
ont he beach, she was overcome by
the stench of the cleanup from the
Red Tide. In order to get through
this smell, she decided to go twice
the speed limit, only to get caught
by an alert officer. Further, it took
all of 10 minutes for him to write
the ticket while she was left “sitting
near dead fish, a garbage can and
restroom."
I don’t want to miss the Letter to
the Editor blaming the Port Aran-
sas Police FOR the Red Tide.
Jim Anderson
Port Aransas
Proud city
We travel to Port Aransas every
October for an anticipated relaxing
week. This time of year is excellent
for us since the majority of vaca-
tioners visit in the spring and
summer, and by the middle of
October we can count on having the
beach mostly to ourselves.
We arrived in Port Aransas this
year on Wednesday, Oct. 22, and
were devastated when we saw the
effects of the Red Tide — the hordes
of dead fish, not to mention the
physical effects of coughing and red
teary eyes We felt saddened for t he
loss of sea life and the damage to
the beach; however, we decided to
stay for a few days, and by Friday
we saw a complete metamorphosis.
By that time, the beach was almost
back to normal and we were able to
spend many pleasurable hours walk-
ing and shelling along the beach on
both Friday and Saturday.
This letter is to personally thank
the city employees who spent long
and difficult hours cleaning up the
effects of the Red Tide. Because of
their dedication and city pride, the
enects of the Red Tide were virtu-
ally eliminated. The City of Port
Aransas should be proud of all who
helped restore the beach to its
beautiful condition.
Thanks again for a job well done!
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Atkinson Jr.
Arlington
Ferry name
1 think we should name one of the
new ferryboats the Dewey Dreyer.
He was a very good man. He was so
nice to the kids. He even gave kids
bubblegum. Take it from me, I'm a
kid. He would push us on the swings
at school. He went to church every
Sunday. He used to meet people at
the door, and he liked to ring the
church bell.
For many years Dewey was a
ferryboat captain. He was born and
died in Port Aransas. You could call
him a real islander. He felt like a
grandfather to all of us. We all miss
him.
Jill Thompson
Port Aransas
Cookoff credit
On behalf of the Emergency Med-
ical Service Auxiliary, we wish to
thank each and every one for the
extraordinary cooperation and part-
icipation in the “All Time Great"
Sixth Annual Chili Cookoff, held
Nov. 1 at Roberts Point Park.
Community fun was the order of
the day and you can believe we had
an abundance of that.
Our sincere appreciation goes to
our gift and trophy sponsors, other
contributing merchants, the City of
Port Aransas, the harbormaster,
the non-profit organizations, the
Chamber of Commerce, the new«
media, the fire department, police
departments. Coast Guard, the EMS
s£i vice, ihe entertainers, midway
booths and all co-workers.
Also to E.W. Frank, master of
ceremonies; Judy Fuhrman, parade
chairman; Jesse Bishop, entertain-
ment chairman; and Shirley Barr,
games chairman.
Also, the chili judge chairman,
the showmanship committee, the
preliminaryjudges and final judges.
To every chili team who put forth
so much effort and time to make
the cookoff such a great event, “Our
hats are off to you." No finer show-
manship can be found anywhere in
the State of Texas than in our
hometown of Port Aransas, and we
are in great debt to you. We will be
looking forward to see what you
have in store for 1987.
The EMS Auxiliary funds raised
at the chili cookoff will be expended
on projects of support to the City of
Port Aransas Emergency Medical
Service to maintain the full life
support system we now enjoy and
offer to our residents and visitors.
Anita Williams,
1986 Chili Cookoff Chairman
EMS Auxiliary,
Port Aransas
Do it right
Editor's note: The following letter
was addressed to the mayor and
city council members of Port
Aransas.
We would like to make the City
Council aware of the fac* that our
company operates a rental service
—«-to the editor
in the city NOW, and we have just
recently acquired back the “Island
Rentals” name and bought the surf-
boards and other beach-related
items he rented. Island Rentals was
originated by us and has operated
contin ually for several years in Port
Aransas. Putting this together with
our boat rental and fishing tackle
rental, we now operate a full service
rental company in Port Aransas
now. We NOW rent: surfboards,
umbrellas, boats, motors, fishing
tackle, tubes and floats.
Our family owns a home here, our
daughter graduated from high
school here, we employ Port Aran-
sas citizens, we pay our school tax,
city tax, county tax and water tax.
We collect and pay a large sales tax
on rentals, of which a portion
returns to Port Aransas.
We are in business in Port Aran
sas 12 months a year, year after
year.
In short, we own our home HERE,
we operate business HERE. We make
our money in Port Aransas, we
spend our money in Port Aransas,
and we hurt in the winter like every-
one here, but we are still here living
in and supporting Port Aransas.
We’ve invested our money, our
family and our life in Port Aransas.
Let’s remember that when it comes
time to award a Beach Vending
Permit. We do intend to ask for the
Beach Permit and will make a
proposal for the same, but what-
ever you do — remember the citi-
zens live here year 'round. We are
not just a four-month city, this is
our home and your home — Let's
keep our business at home. Whoever
you award the permit to, I feel the
Council will act with good judg-
ment.
If you do decide to award a Beach
Permit — DO IT RIGHT. It must go
to a first-class operation that re-
flects our city and the way we want
See “LETTERS," page 13
can in the mansion would benefit
the state more on a national hasis?
Which of course might be right, or
the reverse. There is only one cer-
tainty. It is going to take a long time
before we know whether anyone
other than the television stations
benefited from the show, a show
that was pathetically far from being
good theatre, even though it may
have been a few cuts above the
usual network offerings.
I FOUND IT AMUSING WHEN I
first heard retiring Speaker Tip
O’Neill being referred to as a tradi-
tional Democrat. Not so, never was.
Tip, it is true, is a protege of the late
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and so
scarcely an adherent of Thomas
Jefferson, historically the father of
the party. The misunderstanding is
comprehensible in an age when so
few bother about history, or for
that matter give a tinker’s damn
about it. However, until FDR, the
south was the birthplace and tradi-
tional bastion of the Democratic
Party. It is therefore both natural
and understandable that it has
taken southerners so long to recog-
nize tiiai FDR not onlycaptured the
party but also removed it to that
region of the northeast which has
come to be known as the Eastern
Establishment. Here, to the credit
of FDR, it must be said that the
party of today is a far cry to the left
of the legacy he had hoped to leave.
Soendeth the history lesson for this
day.
ALL OF US WHO ARE CON-
cerned and wishful for the release
of hostages held in Lebanon should
also wish that all speculation, rum-
ors and commentary be dropped
from the news, at least until they
have all been released, an eventual-
ity which is far from being a cer-
tainty. And even should they be
released, it might be unwise to
press for details as to how it came
about. This is admittedly contrary
to news gathering traditions of a
free press. Here let me say that I am
one with high regard and respect
for traditions, but we live in times
when they must sometimes be ig-
By C. M. Henkel Jr.
nored if not forgotten. Perhaps I am
one who has become chary of any
thing that becomes cast in iron,
that cannot face the realities of the
times and circumstances. In the
instance of the hostages, traditions
of the press, when abused, may
further jeopardize the lives of inno-
cent men. The activities of Terry
Waite, Church of England envoy,
stands as a case in point. Evidently
he has played a major role in the
release of those who have been
freed. What has that role been? No
one knows precisely and Waite him-
self says little. Suffice that he, fol-
lowed by President Reagan and re-
cently released hostage David
Jacobson, has made pleas for res-
traint. Presently I have a feeling
that the press corps of the world
may be inclined to ostracize its
members who may still be bent on
securing hostage scoops. And for
good reason. Condemnation of hos-
tage holders, no matter how evil
one may think them to be, can only
excite them to more drastic ac-
tions.
BACK AGAIN TO THE NOV. «
elections. Partly responsible for so
much campaign vitribution is the
circumstance of there being no big
issues, or so we were repeatedly
told. How absurdly innocent must
we be? Crass politicians in many
instancesjumped on the anti-dope
wagon, even though public concern
for that issue has become half-
hearted at best. However critical
the ndtinnaj economy may be, it
remains as something the public
can’t or won’t sink its teeth into.
Rather it says to those it has
elected: “We sent you to Washing-
ton; now straighten it out,” and
leave it at that. We are an artless
nation and even living in a world
where the most distant places are
only hours distant we still think in
the terms of yesterday when a trip
to London was by way of being an
Odyssey. And so we concern our-
selves only superficially, if at all,
with the turmoil in Central Amer-
ica, the Middle East, or wherever
else. For how long shall we as a
nation continue to blunder
through? Worst of all, we either
bicker or ignore the most poten-
tially disastrous situation that has
ever faced mankind, world over-
population that slowly but cer-
tainly out-paces our need for pure
air and water. Sadly fanciful fanat-
ics motivated by ignorance and big
otry pretend that the problem does
not exist.
Southern Publishing, Inc.
749-5131
P.O. Box 1116, Port Aransas, TX 78373
141 W. Cotter
Second Class Postage is paid at Port Aransas. Tx 78173*
Publication Number 946:020
Co-Publishers
Murray ludson Mary judson
Advertising Manager Managing Editor
Murray ludson Ed,(of Mary Judson
Paul Cline |r.
Composing Classified Ads
judy Weeks_ lodene Conklin
I
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Judson, Mary. Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 16, No. 46, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 13, 1986, newspaper, November 13, 1986; Port Aransas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth662943/m1/2/: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Ellis Memorial Library.