November 7, 2008

Year 13. Issue 323

Around Port A

Art Center for the Islands at 323 N. Alister, Port Aransas will host its First Friday Reception with works of art titled Small Treasures on November 7th from 5-8 p.m. The First Friday Reception will include live music and refreshment will be served. Craig Millard is the sponsor for the November First Friday Reception.

This event will feature art created by member artists. Each piece will be 10” x 10” or under if two dimensional, or 10” x 10” 10” or under if three dimensional. All pieces of art are priced at $99 or less and are great for holiday gifting.

For more information about this event or any other programs of the Art Center, call 361-749-7334 or Email: artcenter@centurytel.net. The Art Center for the Island is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. If you can’t come to the First Friday Reception, come in all month to view these exciting works of art.

Art Center for the Island First Friday Reception, Nov. 7th

Turtle Trails Coming Nov. 8th

Support the ARKGet ready to bid on some beautiful and very

unique art Friday, November 7. Port A Gallery, 345 No. Alister, is hosting the Turtle Trail 2008 grand preview of over 40 magnificent sea turtles in order to raise money for the Animal Rehabilitation Keep (ARK). Award winning artists have put their creative talents to work on cast aluminum models of Ridley sea turtles that will be auctioned off at a dinner and party the following evening at the Port Aransas Civic Center. The ARK, housed at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, takes in wounded turtles and shore birds and nurses them back to health so they can return to a life in the wild. This is a great chance to acquire a unique piece of art and support a fine educational and environmental cause. Reservations for the Great Turtle Release Auction and Dinner can be made by calling 332-6361.

In September 2006, Kris Wimer, owner of an art gallery on North Padre Island, created a fund raiser for the endangered Kemp’s Ridley Turtle called Turtle Trail 2006. Inspired by the Chicago Cows, Bears in Lake Tahoe and Dolphins in Corpus Christi, painted aluminum turtles were the art objects that were sold for the benefit of the Kemp’s Ridley Recovery Program at the Padre Island National Seashore. Forty-seven turtles were auctioned the next April and 100% of the proceeds, over $49,000, went to the Recovery Project.

Turtle Trail 2008 will benefit the Port Aransas Animal Rehabilitation Keep, or more commonly known as The ARK. The ARK is well known for their tireless efforts to save injured sea turtles and seabirds, as well as research for their well

TURTLE cont. page B 4

The Little People of America Regional Conference was held on North Padre Island for the first time with about 98 attendees. This region is composed of Louisiana and Texas and their meetings are held in various cities in those states. The last time there was a meeting in Corpus Christi was five years ago at the Holiday Inn on Emerald Beach. The host this year on the Island was the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort.

The conferences provide workshops on medical, educational and vocational issues and new adaptive devices. Another important aspect of the conferences is parental guidance and sharing of experiences unique to their situation. More than 80% of small people have average sized parents with no history of small stature.

According to Ruth Stratton, President of the San Antonio District, the meetings are not only informational but also fun. “The children enjoyed the beach activities and being with other children of small stature,” she said. The children look forward to seeing their small friends many of whom they only see twice a year. The children also get to see adult role models such as Ruth.

Saturday night’s entertainment was provided by Blue Moon Entertainment in the hotel banquet room. Everyone enjoyed karaoke and dance contests and though they are small they had a huge time.

The organization was founded in 1957 by 3’9”actor Billy Barty who has appeared in more

Little People have a Large Time on our Little Islandstory by Mary Craft, mkay512@aol.com

than 200 films. That year a group of about twenty small actors got together at Reno, Nevada to share their experiences and knowledge. Many of them were munchkin actors such as Jerry Maren, who played the mayor in the Wizard of Oz.

It makes me wonder if the organization would have come to be without the film. Leo Singer was an Austrian entrepreneur who put together a vaudevillian troupe called Singer’s Midgets. He

LITTLE PEOPLE cont. pg B4

Photos by Andre LaVoy

Photo by Mary Craft

Photo by Mary Craft

Good day to be a dog, bad day to be a turkeyIf it is Halloween and it’s Saturday then there

must be a Dog Costume contest at the Back Porch. It was a good day to be a dog as the present canines all were decked out as make believe characters or food products. Then there was the bobbing for halloweenies that left some breeds baffled and other with wet heads and full tummies.

Then on Sunday, the last day the Porch was open until March, it was an early Thanksgiving as Turkey Bowling broke out. A packed house watched as contestants stepped up to the Fowl Line and let fly with a 12-pound frozen bird and tried to keep from rolling a Butterball. Things got a bit hairy there when a fellow slung his frozen avian missile onto the edge of the roof.

But everyone escaped unscathed and now there is no doubt that turkeys can fly no matter what they say on WKRP. We just wish the Porch was still open but they will be back in March.

Falling was never such funThe Fallback Festival at Pelican’s Landing was

also Saturday night and there was plenty of falling backwards going on. A packed house feasted on fare from local restaurants and kept one eye on the Texas/Texas Tech football game.

Revelers got to celebrate the clock change by staying out an additional hour, while the next morning everyone showed up an hour early for church. For photos of the weekend’s events see the photos in this section.

Turtles Trails to YouThe Turtle Trail 200 preview is set for the Port

A Art Gallery on Friday (see the story on this page). Go by and support the project that raises money for the ARK.

Arts for youOne the same day from 5-8 p.m. the Art Center

for the Islands will hold its First Friday Reception with some new art from member artists. It’s a great place to pick up a holiday gift.

Darts for youPolice caught up last week with the yuks

who have been going around The Island shooting birds with dart guns. They were all old enough to know better. We thank Tony Amos over at ARK for answering the call when somebody decides to shoot our feathered friends just because they can. Hopefully now there will be no more dart shooting.

Fun at The FlatsGo by The Flats and wish a happy birthday

to Howie this week. Saturday is the big day and there is sure to be some fun going on. And don’t worry about getting stuck in the men’s room stall anymore, they took the door knob off so the door knob challenged don’t get stuck in there.

Papa’s PilarWe were riding across the ferry last week when

we saw a most unusual boat making way up the channel. It was a beautiful wooden boat about twenty five feet long that looked like it belonged in the 1950’s. Turns out it did. The boat is a replica of Ernest Hemingway’s boat the Pilar. It is in Port A for the filming of a movie. The best we can tell it is a retelling of Islands In the Stream, a coming of age Hemingway work published after his death which was written along with the Old Man and the Sea which was eventually released separately.

There have been several reports of actor Tommy Lee Jones around The Island lately so maybe there’s a connection. We have included a picture of the boat but would like to have one taken locally. If anyone has a photograph of the boat hereabouts please send it along.

That’s all for now. Say hello if you see us Around Port A.

Sarina on right when asked how people tell them apart said that her sister is an inch taller. They are in the fifth grade and Meghan dancing with them below is in seventh.

Ernest Hemingway’s Pilar

Port Aransas Election ResultsA total of 2,028 Port Aransas voters cast ballots

in Precinct 19 in the November 4th election. The precinct is split into three different ballots due to overlapping districts in some races. Some Precinct 19 voters vote in Corpus Christi city elections while most do not.

Republican Senator John McCain garnered the most Port Aransas votes in his race against Democrat and President-Elect Barack Obama by a 63% to 36% margin.

In the other major race Republican Challenger Todd Garcia got 59% of the Precinct 19 votes to Incumbent Democrat Juan Garcia’s 41%.