TCBRTC Newsletter July 2014

Tourism Talk
The Quarterly Newsletter for the Texas Coastal Bend Regional Tourism Council
Produced by Real Hometown Media, LLC
Vol. 2, Issue 3
Mission
Statement
The purpose of
the Texas Coastal
Bend Regional
Tourism
Council is to
promote tourism
in the South Texas
Coastal Bend
region.
2014 Officers
President
Nancy Deviney
Lake Corpus Christi,
Executive Director
Texas Tropical Trail
Region
Heritage Tourism
Program
Vice President
Sandy Jumper
Chamber of Commerce
Coastal communities
recognized statewide
W
ord is that some of
the area attractions
experienced recordbreaking attendance
over the Memorial Day Holiday
Weekend; we all hope this trend
continues through the summer
months!
Some of our Coastal Bend
communities have recently been
recognized in print and in social
media as well. Kudos to Goliad
and Rockport for being named by
citiesjournal.com as part of the Top
15 Small Cities in South Texas.
Port Aransas was featured in Texas
Highways magazine in their “Look
What’s Cooking” segment with
an emphasis on the fresh seafood
of this coastal community. Texas
Monthly magazine selected Baffin
Bay (Kleberg County) and Rockport
as sure bets for “13 Summer Weekends”. And, Corpus Christi and
Secretary
Claire Barnhart
Korth
0wner of Barnhart Q5
Ranch & Retreat in
Goliad County
Executive
Director
Ann Neese
Corpus Christi
Contact us at
361-241-7323
Email at info@
txcoastalbend.org
July 2014
In April, members of the TCBRTC
toured the Cinnamon Shore planned
community.
Port Aransas made Texas Highways
list of Texas’ Top 40 Travel Destinations.
Gee, we are so fortunate to live
in such a great part of Texas!
Where we’ve been…
April
In April, new member Cinnamon
Shore planned community on Highway 361 near Port Aransas played
host to our meeting in one of their
beautiful rental properties. Thanks
to Willma Harvey for making this
visit possible.
Some of the Cinnamon Shore
corporate staff happened to be
in town that day and took a few
minutes to speak to our group about
their home sales, vacation rental
properties and amenities.
After their presentation, we were
given a tour of some of their homes
Around The Bend
By Nancy Deviney
that could also double as corporate
retreats and/or meeting spaces.
During our business meeting,
it was approved to be a Trendsetter sponsor at the upcoming May 8
National Travel and Tourism Week
Luncheon presented by the Corpus
Christi CVB.
It was also announced that,
thanks to Toni Nagel Mason of the
King Ranch Visitor Services Program, the historic files and records
of TCBRTC, some dating back to
1988, are now a part of the South
Texas Archives on the campus of
Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
∆
Director of Tourism
and Events
Rockport-Fulton
www.txcoastalbend.org
Nancy, Next Page
Vol. 2, Issue 3
Page 2
July 2014
∆
Nancy, From Page 1
Those who attended the May meeting of the Texas Coastal Bend Regional Tourism Council in Rockport
were treated to a bay tour by Captain Tommy Moore.
May
Rockport-Fulton was the site
of our May meeting with Sandy
Jumper as our host.
Our meeting and educational program was held at the
Rockport-Fulton Chamber of
Commerce with the program
presented by field representatives of the GO TEXAN program, part of the Texas Department of Agriculture.
During the business meeting, Wilfred Korth, chair of
the 2014 TCBRTC Educational
Seminar, asked the membership for suggested topics for
the seminar and announced
that the seminar will be held
in October, date and site to be
announced.
A summary of the National
Travel and Tourism Week
Luncheon was also discussed
ending with an informal recommendation to participate as a
sponsor again next year.
Following lunch at Charlotte Plummer’s Restaurant in
Fulton, a complimentary bay
cruise was offered by Captain
Tommy Moore aboard his craft,
Jason Ott, AgriLife Extension
Agent, gave the program in June.
Skimmer. Several members did
enjoy the cruise.
June
Our June meeting was held
at the Richard Borchard Regional Fairgrounds in Robstown
hosted by Joe Guzman and the
Robstown Area Development
Commission.
Jason Ott, Nueces County
AgriLife Extension Agent,
spoke to the group about the
resources of the Texas A&M
AgriLife program, the agronomics of the Robstown/Nueces County area and the fact that
the AgriLife Extension Service
is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
During the business meeting,
Nicole Perez Morris of Real
Hometown Media reported that
advertising sales and content
development for the 2015
TCBRTC Tourism Guide will
begin soon.
Educational Seminar Chair
Wilfred Korth announced that
Sandy Jumper has agreed to
work with him on the planning and coordination for the
Refugio County was well represented at the June meeting, which was
hosted by the Robstown Area Development Commission.
seminar which is set to be held
in the Rockport-Fulton area in
October.
Where we’re headed…
We hope you’ll join us for
the July 22 meeting to be held
at the Barnhart Q5 Ranch &
Nature Retreat near Berclair
in Goliad County hosted by
Wilfred Korth and Claire
Barnhart Korth, the August 26
meeting to be held in Alice and
hosted by the Alice Chamber
of Commerce or the September
23 meeting held in Port Aransas
and hosted by the Port Aransas
Chamber of Commerce.
I look forward to seeing you
“around the Bend”….
Nancy
Vol. 2, Issue 3
Page 3
July 2014
National Tourism Week Luncheon
National Tourism Week Luncheon
- American Bank Center and Selena
Auditorium in Corpus Christi.
Presented by the Corpus Christi CVB
L-R (TCBRTC table) - Marlett Bahn
(King Ranch), Tony Morris (Real
Hometown Media, Alice), Ann Neese
(TCBRTC), Richard Bullock (Council
of Governments), Juanita Freudiger
(Refugio Co Community Development Foundation), Irene Muguerza
(Refugio County Chamber of Commerce) and Victor Garza (Refugio
County Community Development
Foundation) Texas Tropical Trail Partner Events
By Nancy Deviney,
Executive Director
T
he monthly Partner
Events continue to be
a major focus of the
Texas Tropical Trail
Region heritage tourism organization. These events move
around the 20-county Region
each month exploring the attractions and history of each
county and town.
Thirty to forty friends and
partners travel with us for a full
day of educational fun, tours
and lunch.
In April, we visited Port
Isabel for a tour of a working
shrimp boat (complete with
a complimentary shrimp boil
brunch), a stop at the Sea Life
Center (where we learned about
the local dolphin tribe) and then
enjoyed Champagne Mimosas
for lunch at Marcello’s Italian
Restaurant. We also learned
how one local shrimping company is making the transition
from the shrimping industry to
shrimping and tourism.
Kingsville was our destination in May beginning with a
visit to the downtown 1904
Train Depot Museum followed
by a tour of the 1909 HM King
High School that is currently
being renovated to serve as the
Kingsville City Hall. After
lunch, we spent the remainder
of our day in Kingsville at the
King Ranch Museum/Henrietta
Memorial Center. Our educational programs were varied
– “King Ranch and South Texas
during the Civil War”, “An
Overview of NAS Kingsville”
and “Moving/Relocating Historic Buildings”.
Our June event was held in
Rockport-Fulton and included
tours of the Texas Maritime
Museum and the new History
Center of Aransas County.
After lunch at eclectic
Eleanor’s General Store in
Fulton, we moved on to the
Fulton Mansion State Historic
Site Education and History
Center for our educational
programs.
Marsha Hendrix, Site Manager for the Fulton Mansion,
gave us an update on the renovations/restorations currently
underway at the Mansion,
and Diane Probst, CEO of the
Rockport-Fulton Chamber of
Commerce, reviewed her new
book, “Chamberology”, a guide
to the art of running a Chamber
of Commerce.
In July, we will visit Raymondville and Lyford in Willacy County.
Vol. 2, Issue 3
Page 4
8545 S. Staples Street
Corpus Christi, Texas 78413
July 2014
361-852-2100
F 361-852-7875
www.stxbot.org
April 24, 2014
MEDIA RELEASE
Contact MaryJane Crull, Communicatons/Marketing Director
Dr. Michael Womack, Executive Director
361-852-2100 mjc@stxbot.org
Botanical Gardens &
Nature Center offers six
kids half-day Summer Nature Camp sessions;
with SCRAPDADDY exhibit on-site!
Camps underwritten by NavyArmy COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION
CORPUS CHRISTI— The Botanical Gardens encompasses a unique mix of flower gardens, floral exhibits and
plant collections; plus vast acreage of native habitat and natural wetlands, which children love to learn about
and explore. This summer, let the South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center Kids Summer Nature
Camps, for ages five through 10, gift your child with a visual love of nature; understanding of our natural
resources; conservation of our fragile environment; plus positive insights into stewardship of native habitats,
bird and wildlife, and natural wetlands of this unique South Texas ecosystem.
This year, campers learn from the Botanical Gardens summer-long art exhibit, ‘Scrapdaddy—METAL
IN MOTION 2, a mega-collection of magnificently mind-blowing, ingenious scrap metal creations by
internationally-known Mark ‘Scrapdaddy’ Bradford. Two of the camp sessions have a recycling theme and
projects. Kids Summer Nature Camps are sponsored by NavyArmy Community Credit Union.
Approximately half the daily sessions are held outside, with interactive class time and projects in new,
air-conditioned Education Station on Botanical Gardens grounds at 8545 S. Staples St. Besides their ‘walk on
the wild side,’ campers take home hands-on projects and Nature Camp t-shirt. Campers will need comfortable,
cool clothing and shoes; hats, sunglasses and sunscreen each day. Maximum class size is 20.
DATES
June 9-13
AGE
5-7
HOURS
9-Noon
June 23-27
5-7
9-Noon
July 14-18
5-7
9-Noon
June 16-20
8-10
9-Noon
July 7-11
8-10
9-Noon
July 21-25
8-10
9-Noon
(recycling theme/projects)
(recycling theme/projects)
Hours for all sessions are 9 am to noon, Monday through Friday. Tuition for each camper each session is $75
members; $90 non-members. Full payment and parent/guardian signature is required to register campers.
Visitors Center hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Nature Camp and Membership applications may be
downloaded at www.stxbot.org. For more information, call the Gardens & Nature Center, 361/852-2100.
Vol. 2, Issue 3
Page 5
July 2014
Metal in motion 2 by Mark ‘Scrapdaddy’ Bradford
May 9-Labor Day
South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
MEDIA ADVISORY June 25, 2014
CONTACTS
BOTANICAL GARDENS
MaryJane Crull
mjc@stxbot.org
Michael Womack wmwomack@stxbot.org
361.852.2100
SCRAPDADDY
Mark Bradford
985.969.7071
scrapdaddy@me.com
Scrapdaddy’s METAL IN MOTION 2 at Botanical Gardens through Labor Day!
‘Recycled’ is just too small a word …
CORPUS CHRISTI—The South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center METAL IN MOTION 2, a mega collection of 60-plus
magnificently mind-blowing, ingenious, over-the-top scrap metal creations by internationally-known Houston artist Mark Scrapdaddy
Bradford, continues at the South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center through Labor Day. The exhibit includes art cars Eele,
Amblin’, Mr. Green, La Rancha and Tompson, the latter of which appeared and won a trophy in the Buc Days Illuminated Night Parade
May 3!
Bradford is best-known for his large, robotic, recycled metal creatures which often move by pneumatics and hydraulics, some
breathing fire and opening their jaws! Two of his art cars are covered by wings and scales made from spoons which became scrap
when an airline changed out its flatware, discovered by Bradford at the Houston Ship Channel one day before scheduled shipment to
China. He took a few college art classes, but is mostly self-taught, crediting his inventor great-grandfather for his love of this creative
art form. “I always wanted to be like my great grandfather and invent cool contraptions,” says Bradford with a smile.
Bradford’s work has been shown live and on television throughout North and South America, and Europe. He and his
“contraptions” have appeared in the Houston Art Car Parade 24 years, on Junkyard Wars—TLC England, Guiness Primetime Live-FOX, Battle Bots—Comedy Central, Scrapyard Scavengers--History Channel, Competition—A&E, This is how We Roll—Japan TV,
Sled Racing by Invention--ESPN, at the Essen Motor Show—Germany, and in Smithsonian Magazine.
Scrapdaddy in Corpus Christi—first time at a botanical garden!
The South Texas Botanical Gardens Scrapdaddy adventure, which May 9 continuing through Labor Day, showcases nearly 70
medium to giant-size Scrapdaddy pieces including Bradford art cars, robotic works, and outdoor-scale artistic sculptures. The Art
Museum of South Texas’ gallery full of delightfully whimsical, lighter-scale Scrapdaddy sculptures closed June 22.
Other stars among Corpus Christi’s grand “daddy” of all recycling events include names like Giddy-Up, Puffer Fish, Free Bird,
Tally Ho, Manta, Cable Couple, Constant Gardener, Propellor Head, Steer, Bits, and What Did I Do. Just before shipment to Corpus
Christi, Bradford completed four new sculptures created especially for the South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center—the first
botanical garden exhibit of his career.
Vol. 2, Issue 3
Page 6
July 2014
Botanical Gardens - Upcoming Events
NEW PLUMERIA
PASSIONS
Saturday, July 12, 10-noon.
Plumeria Society president
Frank Eicholz will discuss tips
on purchasing and raising these
exotic, tropical beauties, lead
a tour of the Gardens & Nature
Center 100-plant Plumeria
Garden & Willoughby Viewing
Platform. Winter hibernation
also is covered. Limited plants
may be for sale. This seminar
will give newer plumeria growers basic knowledge before the
Plumeria Society’s annual sale
10 am to 2 pm, Saturday, July
19, at the Garden Senior Center,
5325 Greely. Seminar FREE
for members! Non-members
free with General Admission. BLACKLOCK’S
INTRODUCTION TO THE
FASCINATION WORLD OF
BIRDS Short Course:
BASIC BLACKLOCK SHORT
COURSE
Class Session: Friday,
September 12, 6:15-9:15 p.m;
Fieldtrip: Saturday, September
13, 7 a.m.-1 p.m.
A short course and basic introduction designed especially
for beginning birders. Study
some of the more than 450
known bird species in South
Texas, with acclaimed birder
and naturalist Gene Blacklock.
The Botanical Gardens & Nature Center is a Texas Coastal
Birding Trail site. Class session
held in Botanical Gardens new
Education Station. $45 members; $60 non-members.
Class maximum 30, minimum 12. Prepaid registration
fee required by September
5. Curriculum questions
361.558.1829. BLACKLOCK’S HAWKS
IN FLIGHT,
IDENTIFICATION
Short Course
Class: Friday, September
26, 6:15-9:15 p.m.; Field Trip: Saturday, September 27, 9:30
a.m.-1p.m.
Just in time for fall migration and Corpus Christi Hawk
Watch, local naturalist Gene
Blacklock discusses the common ‘birds of prey’ in an evening class; and leads a Saturday
field trip. Class session held in
Botanical Gardens Education
Station. $45 members; $60 nonmembers. Class maximum 30,
minimum 12. Prepaid registration fee required by September
19. Curriculum questions
361.558.1829. BLACKLOCK’S BEGINNING
BIRD ID 101 SERIES—10
CLASSES & 3 FIELD TRIPS
Begins Monday, September
22, running through December
6; Classes: Mondays, 6:159:15 p.m.; Sept 22, Sept 29, Oct
6, 13, 20, 27; Nov 3, 10, 17;
Dec 1.
Field Trips: Saturdays, Oct 18,
Nov 15, Dec 6.
With award-winning &
entertaining birder/naturalist,
Gene Blacklock, co-author of
Birds of Texas-a Field Guide
& Birds of the Texas Coastal
Bend; former environmental
educator for Welder Wildlife
Foundation; Coastal Bend Bays
& Estuaries Program; and Texas
Parks & Wildlife field biologist
in colonial water bird management.
This series is designed for
people who wish to know more
about bird identification but
have little or no experience in
the sport of field identification. Class sessions held in Botanical
Gardens new Education Station. The Botanical Gardens
& Nature Center is a Great
Texas Coastal Birding Trail
site. Class maximum is 18,
minimum 12. $165 members,
$200 non-members, including
all Botanical Gardens general
admissions. (Non-member fee
includes one-year Botanical
Gardens individual membership.)
Prepaid registration required
by September 22. For curriculum questions, call Blacklock,
361.558.1829.
Texas State Aquarium Announces Monumental Expansion
H-E-B contribution of $3
million leads way in effort
for Caribbean Journey to More
Than Double Size of Aquarium
he Texas State
Aquarium is excited
to announce the largest expansion in its
24 year history. Bringing the
sights, sounds, and vibrant
wildlife of the Western Caribbean to the shores of Corpus
Christi, this $50,000,000 Caribbean Journey addition – which
completes the final two phases
of the Aquarium’s original
T
master plan – will transform
the Texas State Aquarium from
a leading regional aquarium to
one of the one of the top aquariums in the nation. In late 2012, the Texas
State Aquarium launched the
leadership phase of Campaign
Caribbean, a capital campaign
to raise the necessary funds for
construction of the Caribbean
Journey wing. The Continued
partner H-E-B announced a
lead gift of $3 million to Campaign Caribbean, which has
now reached the crucial midway point of the $50 million
goal, enabling the Aquarium to
commission final construction
documents and move forward
with groundbreaking scheduled
for late this year. Rob Hall,
Group Vice President of H-E-B
Gulf Coast Region stated, “The
Texas State Aquarium is one of
the most significant educational
resources in our state. H-E-B is pleased to continue our partnership with the
aquarium because we believe
this investment represents our
passion for education and our
commitment to the communities we serve.”
At 65,000 square feet, the
new Caribbean Journey wing
will be significantly larger than
the original Gulf of Mexico
exhibit building. “The new
wing will be 50 percent larger,
however, in terms of indoor
exhibit space, it will more
than double what we currently
have,” said Aquarium President
& CEO Tom Schmid. “This
is going to be a multi-level,
highly immersive, state-of-theart experience.”
Visit texasstateaquarium.
org/caribbean to take the Caribbean Journey.
Vol. 2, Issue 3
Page 7
July 2014
Memorial Day Rains Bring Rise to Coleto Creek
Coleto Creek — A 3-foot
rise to Coleto Creek Reservoir
caused by Memorial Day rains
may be cause for increased activity at the park and reservoir. Coleto Creek Park received
about 2 inches of rain during
that time.
“This increase in reservoir
level is a welcome sight as the
reservoir approaches its busiest time of the year with many
families bringing their watercraft out to enjoy the reservoir,”
Wilfred Korth, GBRA chief
ranger said.
Prior to May 30, the reservoir was approximately 4 feet
below normal. The reservoir is
full at 98 feet mean sea level
(msl) and it has been at or below that level since 2010.
However, with the recent
rainfall, the reservoir is within
0.75 inches of full capacity. This substantial increase
will allow boaters to use the
reservoir’s boat ramps easier
and fishing conditions should
improve significantly.
For more information,
contact the Coleto Creek Park
Office at 361-575-6366 or visit
the Coleto Creek’s website at
www.coletocreekpark.com.
Oberle Earns “Best” in Coleto’s Photo Contest
4th will be $10 per vehicle. For those who have not
visited the Park before, it offers a large picnic area with
tables and bbq grills, a marked
swimming area, sand volleyball
courts, playgrounds, hike and
bike trials, group use pavilions, a lighted fishing pier, and
overnight camping facilities;
plus the only public access to
the 3,100 acre Coleto Creek
Reservoir. For more information contact the park office at
361-575-6366; visit the park’s
website at www.coletocreekpark; or email coleto@gbra.
org.
Front Row L to R: Abie Fagg, Goliad; Gaje Majefski, Victoria; Samantha Ramirez, Adkins; Darrell Gibson, La Vernia; Hunter Ruffin, Victoria; Anthony Pressley, McFaddin;
Kylee Kenney, Victoria; Haylee Haug, Victoria; and Maylee Howard, Victoria. Second
Row L to R:Hays Henke, Hallettsville; Jacob Hahn, Victoria; Blane Tupa, Victoria;
Frank Rucio, Victoria; and Alyssa Blain, Cuero.
Results of 21st Annual
Coleto Creek Kid’s
O
Fishing Tournament
n Saturday, June 7,
approximately 160
kids tested their
fishing skills at the
GBRA/TPWD Coleto Creek
Parks’ 21ST Annual Kid’s
Fishing Tournament, located
between Victoria and Goliad
on Highway 59. Fishermen
ranged in age from 2 to 16,
and came from as far away as
Spring Branch; Kyle; Scott,
LA; and Austin with kids
from 21 different communities.
The overall heaviest stringer
weighed in was caught by
Blane Tupa of Victoria, which
weighed 10.64 pounds. The
first place winners in the three
other age groups for heaviest
stringers were Hunter Ruffin of
Victoria in the 2 to 6 age group
with a stringer weight of 5.71
pounds; Trinity Harrisom of
Victoria in the 7-9 age group
with a stringer weight of 6.39
pounds; and Gage Majefski
of Victoria in the 10 - 12 age
group with a stringer weight
of 5.28 pounds. Gage also
weighed in the largest catfish which weighed in at 2.78
pounds. Other winners included Frank Rucio of Victoria
who weighed in the largest fish
and largest bass which weighed
∆
COLETO CREEK – While the quality of so many excellent
photographs this year made selecting winners for Coleto Creek
Park’s Annual Photo Contest difficult, Mark Oberle of Victoria
earned “Best of Show” for his shot of one of Coleto Creek’s resident pelicans. Oberle also collected “First Place” for his photos
in the Birds/Insects, Creative, People/Recreation Activities, and
Landscape/Wildflowers categories. He placed second in Reptiles/
Amphibians and People/Recreation Activities; and third in Creative and People/Recreation Activities categories.
Fain Zimmerman of Victoria took home “First Place” honors in
the Animals/Fauna and and “Second Place” and “Third Place” in
the Birds/Insects categories.
Dave Van Leeuwen, of Victoria, claimed “First Place” in the
Reptiles/Amphibians; and “Second Place” in the Creative categories. Roger Zimmerman, of Victoria, won “Second Place” and
“Third Place” in the Animal/Fauna, “Second Place” in the Landscape/Wildflowers, and “Third Place” in the Reptiles/Amphibians
categories. Kaysi Neuvar of Victoria placed “Third Place” in
the Landscape/Wildflowers Category. Valerie Vazquez of Cuero
earned top honors in the Student category.
This year’s contest judges were members of the Victoria Photography Club and all photos submitted were in a digital format.
All winning photos will be on display at the Coleto Creek Park
office. The Coleto Creek Park uses submitted photos to help promote the many different activities, animals, and natural habitat that
make the park unique.
GBRA’s Coleto Creek Park
to Host Fireworks Display
On July 4th
On Friday, July 4, GBRA’s
Coleto Creek Park, located on
the shores of the Coleto Creek
Reservoir between Goliad and
Victoria, will hold a low altitude fireworks display over the
reservoir starting at approximately 9 p.m. The Park is able to offer
this year’s Fireworks Display
through a generous sponsorship
by GDF Suez - Coleto Creek
Power. The Park entry fee on July
kids, Next Page
Vol. 2, Issue 3
Page 8
July 2014
Coleto’s Bow Hunts Rapidly Approaching
Annual Drawing
Deadline August 22
Fannin – Rangers at GBRA’s
Coleto Creek are making plans
for another successful bow
hunting season. The deadline
for submitting entries for this
year’s bow hunts is noon on
August 22, 2014. The 17th
Annual Bow hunt for white-tail
deer and feral hogs will take
place from the end of September to the beginning of January.
The bow hunts are restricted
to the use of archery equipment
and will be held on 15 consecutive weekends beginning on the
weekend of September 26, 2014
and ending on the weekend
of January 2-4, 2015. On the
first weekend of archery season
legal hunting is only allowed on
Saturday and Sunday. For the
remaining weekends, hunters
selected by random drawing
will be allowed to pre-scout
and begin hunting assigned
areas on Friday of their hunting
weekend, and continue through
Sunday.
“These yearly hunts began in 1999 to help reduce
the size of the deer herd that
has continued to grow beyond
the carrying capacity of the
reservoir’s lands, and to reduce
the numbers of feral hogs that
continue to increase in numbers
and damage reservoir property. Each year the drawn hunters
see a lot of deer,” said GBRA
Reservoir Ranger and Hunt
Coordinator, Curtis Seiler.
The annual hunt takes
place on more than 1,400 acres
managed by GBRA around the
reservoir, but not a part of the
Coleto Creek Park. Hunters
will be allowed to harvest two
antlerless deer and an unlimited
number of feral hogs. Hunters may apply for the
hunts individually or as a group
of 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 per party. Each individual or group will
be assigned a specific hunt area
dependent on the size of the
group. The fee to hunt per weekend
will be $150.00 per hunter.
To enter the random drawing for the hunts, send a 3.5”
X 5.5” postcard that includes a
name, address, daytime phone
number, email address, and all
names of those in the hunting
party. Each hunter may submit a postcard in his/her own
name. Please note preferred
hunting date(s) or if you will
take any weekend; and send to
GBRA-Bow hunt, Coleto Creek
Park, P.O. Box 68, Fannin, TX.
77960 or drop off at the Coleto
Creek Park office at 365 Coleto
Park Rd, Victoria, TX. Each
individual is limited to only
one postcard entry. No email
entries will be accepted. Only
those applicants drawn will be
notified of the results of the
annual draw. For more information, contact Wilfred Korth,
Chief Ranger, at the Coleto
Creek Office at 361-575-6366,
or email to coleto@gbra.org.
Guadalupe-Blanco River
Authority’s Coleto Creek
Park and Reservoir is located
between Victoria and Goliad,
Texas off of Highway 59.
GBRA Coleto Creek Offers Kids Fishing
Class will be July 19
Fannin— A children’s fishing class will be offered on
July 19 from noon until 2 p.m.
at GBRA’s Coleto Creek Park,
located between Goliad and Victoria off of Highway 59.
GBRA’s Coleto Creek Park,
which is a participating partner
in the “Nature Rocks - South
Texas” network, a part of the
“Texas Children in Nature”
initiative, is offering classes
to help encourage families to
spend more time outdoors this
summer.
The class will be open to
children ages 8-14. ∆
kids, From Page 7
in at 6.37 pounds; Anthony
Pressley of McFaddin in the
7 – 9 age group who caught the
smallest perch in his age group,
and Haylee Haug of Victoria
in the 6 and under age group
who caught the smallest perch
in her age group. Everyone
went away a winner from this
annual family oriented tournament Presented By The Guadalupe Blanco River Authority,
and Texas Parks and Wildlife
Game Warden Association, and
Sponsored By Academy Sports
& Outdoors. Plans are already
underway for the 22nd Annual
Tournament to be held Saturday, June 6, 2015. If you would
like to help support this annual
event for kids please contact the
Coleto Creek Park at 361-5756366 or email wkorth@gbra.
org.
There is no charge for the
class but pre-registration is
required to ensure enough materials for all participants.
The class is limited to a total
of 10 participants. A certified Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department instructor
will teach the basics of fishing. All equipment will be
provided, but participants
are strongly advised to bring
drinking water and sun protection.
This class will be held outdoors.
To register for the class, or
for more information, contact
the park office at 361-575-6366
or visit www.coletocreekpark.
com. To find out more about the
“Nature Rocks – South Texas”
network, visit “www.naturerockssouthtexas.org”. Vol. 2, Issue 3
PASSPORT TO PALACIOS - Palacios hosted an event this
past Saturday the 21st called Passport to Palacios in which employees newly hired at local companies in the county we invited
and we showcased Palacios for the evening.
The event was a great success with the help of all the volunteersshowcasing our beautiful town with the driving tours, walking
tours, booths with: Palacios ISD, local Churches, Realtors, Home
Builders, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Palacios Community Medical
Center, Fishing, Birding, Palacios Yacht Club and Beach Side Subdivision with lots ready to build. STP, Tenaris, Oxea and Matagorda
Regional Medical Center had some of their newly hired employees
in attendance.
Page 9
July 2014
Vol. 2, Issue 3
News from ‘Port A’
Texas SandFest (April 11-13)
This family event offered
attendees a weekend of fun
on the beach while viewing
magnificent works of sand
art. SandFest is known as the
largest Master Sand Sculpting Competition in the U.S. Unique “island-style” jewelry,
art, crafts, food and music will
be available.
Sunset Sounds
(through October)
Musical performances by
local artists will be held on the
second Friday of each month at
7:00 p.m. This event is free and
open to the public at Robert’s
Point Park. For more informa-
Page 10
tion, call the Port Aransas Parks
& Recreation Department, 361749-4158.
Adopt A Beach (April 26)
The statewide event is held
twice a year, in the spring and
fall. Participants gathered and
documented debris from area
beaches. Call 800-45-COAST
for more information or visit
our website at www.portaransas.org
Spring through Fall – Fishing tournaments almost every
weekend – there’s sure to be
one to lure you to Port A! Visitwww.portaransas.org for more
information.
Art Fiesta de Mayo Weekend
(May 16-18)
The Port Aransas Art Center
held its annual Fiesta de Mayo
weekend beginning with a dinner and entertainment. A fine
array of arts and crafts were
for sale, wrapping up with the
Songwriters’ Showcase. Whooping Crane Festival Dubbed the most successful festival ever, bird enthusiasts learned about the entire
conservation and reintroduction efforts directed toward
the Whooping Cranes during
the annual Whooping Crane
Festival in February. Visitors
from more than 30 states and
two countries participated in
this unique celebration, touring
by van, boat and afoot. Many
workshops, field trips, guest
July 2014
speakers and a nature related
trade show rounded out the
event. The festival is always
held during the last full weekend in February. Mark your
calendar for February 19-22,
2015!
Spring Break
Despite the Coastal Bend’s
inclement weather, the beach,
restaurants and shops were all
very popular destinations for
thousands of spring breakers in
Port Aransas.
USA TODAY named Port
Aransas a top 10 Spring Break
destination. Port Aransas
ranked as the #5 beach destination for college spring breakers,
according to Facebook checkins last year. Vol. 2, Issue 3
Page 11
July 2014
Vol. 2, Issue 3
Page 12
July 2014
Coming up in Rockport-Fulton
Warriors Weekend
Heroes Cup
Rockport-Fulton will
host the Warriors Weekend Heroes Cup Sept. 3-5.
2014. The event is a fishing
tournament for wounded
soldiers still active in the
military. Visit www.warriorsweekend.org
AquaFest Labor Day
weekend event
3rd Annual Aquafest will
be held Aug. 30-31, 2014
will benefit the Aquarium
of Rockport Harbor games
for all ages, food, music,
drinks, vendors, more fun
activities. 361-727-0016. Go
to www.rockportaquarium.
com for more information.
HummerBird
Celebration
Rockport celebrates the
tiny winged ones Sept. 1821 2014 with workshops,
bus tours, and lectures presented by world-renowned
experts. 361-729-6445. Go
towww.rockporthummingbird.com for more information.
HummerBird Celebration.
www.rockporthummingbird.com
Join us for the celebration!
September 18 - 21, 2014
@ visitrockportfulton
1-800-242-0071
Photography by Juan Bahamon
45th Annual Rockport Art
Festival
July 5 - 6, 2014
Since 1969, the Rockport
Art Festival is the best place
to be on every July 4th holiday weekend! The event
– hosted by the Rockport
Center for the Arts - is located on Aransas Bay where
more than 120 exhibiting
juried artists from Texas
and around the nation have
been selected to showcase
their work. The quality of
artists creating painting, ceramics, jewelry, woodwork,
glasswork, metal sculptures,
furniture, and more has
become synonymous with
the festival, one of the most
prestigious and fun art
shows in the southern U.S. Vol. 2, Issue 3
Page 13
Big Fish...Big Fun...
O
n Saturday, May
17, Aransas Bay
was filled with
women! The
event was the annual Jim
Ehman Memorial “Babes
on the Bay” fishing tournament. The tournament is
the largest one day unrestricted fishing tournament
in the United States. The
ladies who fish the tournament range from elementary school students to greatgrandmothers. Along with
the fishing tournament, the
event also features a Food
Vendors Court and a Babes
Shopping Mall where vendors sell everything from
fishing rods to jewelry. Fulton Harbor came to
life on June 13 and 14 when
the Texas Game Warden
Association brought their
well-known tournament
to Fulton, Texas. Along
with the tournament was
a two-day “Musicfest”
featuring Brandon Key
Band, Cory Morrow, Jason
Boland and the Stragglers,
GRAND OPENING - The Grand Opening of the History
Center for Aransas County was held on Saturday, May
17, 2014, 10 a.m. until noon. Visitors are able to view the
exhibits focusing on the three men who once owned this
home. The History Center’s future exhibits will emphasize
the history of Aransas County and the local region along
with information about the people inhabiting this area. It
is located at 801 E. Cedar Street. The home will be open for
visitors from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The home and gardens will also be available for private
special events e.g. receptions, weddings, and meetings. For
additional information, visit www.aransashistorycenter.org.
July 2014
and Turnpike Troubadours. Big Fish Tales will be told
when the John Uhr Memorial Billfish tournament
comes to the Rockport-Fulton area on July 9-12. The
kick-off on July 9 will have
entertainment provided
by The Pictures, July 10.
July 11th is the Luau. Scott
Taylor band will provide
entertainment on the 11th
and Charlie Robison on the
12th.
Photo by: Larry Bozca
CHAMBEROLOGY - Diane Probst, President and
CEO of the Rockport-Fulton
Chamber has just published
a book. In her 25th year
at the Chamber, Diane hit
another milestone, kicking off the sale of her new
book “Chamberology” at the
TCCE convention in College
Station.
“It sort of makes it full
circle ... born and raised
in Bryan/College Station!
Ironically, the year she was
president of TCCE, the
convention was held in New
Braunfels.” says her husband, Mike. Everyone at the
Rockport-Fulton Chamber is proud of her accomplishment on this project. The book details Diane’s life and her ambition to rise
to the top in her field. She uses her own experiences to
offer advice to others with similar situations.The book answers questions that arise in the daily running or working
within a Chamber or Visitor Center. In her book, Diane
helps the reader learn how to get beyond difficult circumstances. She emphasizes the steps that will enable someone to get their arms around a situation and take it to the
next level!
Vol. 2, Issue 3
Page 14
July 2014
RADC Celebrates With Awards Banquet
T
he Robstown Area
Development Commission (RADC) held
their annual Installation of Officers and Awards
Banquet on Thursday, June
12th. Keynote speaker was
Port Commissioner Ms Barbara
Canales.
After a great presentation on
the Port’s initiatives in the area
and the impact Eagleford Shale
is having in our area, RADC
President County Commissioner Oscar Ortiz and RADC
Executive Director presented
the following awards:
SPECIAL
RECOGNITION AWARD
Coach Steve Castro for
being inducted into the Texas
High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in January
of 2014 and in appreciation for
35 plus years of coaching our
Robstown CottonPickers baseball team to five state tournament appearances and two back
to back state titles. During his
tenure the CottonPickers won
705 baseball games.
• Victoria Longoria for being
selected as Valedictorian of
Robstown High School
• Alyssa Tobias for being selected as Salutatorian of Robstown High School
EDUCATION AWARD
• Robstown ISD Superintendent and Board of Trustees and
school staff in recognition for
their “forward thinking” in establishing educational programs
and events to enhance their
student’s knowledge and skills
to help them in their career
development
• Coastal Compass Education & Career Resource Center
for promoting economic growth
to the Coastal Bend by providing residents with education
and training information to
prepare them for in-demand
jobs in the area and eliminating barriers to education and
employment
• Justice of the Peace Bobby
Gonzalez in recognition for
promoting education in Nueces
County by helping students obtain their high school diplomas
by court ordered GED classes
and through career centers such
as Coastal Compass Education
and Career Resource Center
TOURISM AWARD
• Rev. Ines Ramon in appreciation for the founding and
many years of dedicated service
to the Robstown Historical
Museum
• Jo Ann Pattillo in appreciation for the founding and many
years of dedicated service to the
Robstown Historical Museum
Approximately 300 people
attended the event and enjoyed
a Chicken Cordon Bleu dinner
and few hours of networking.