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[The Trash Heap]

Be sure to read today's article by Denise Malan about the scenarios dependent on the outcome of the election Tuesday. Also be sure you click only on the three "Related Links" to see the timeline and comparative summaries; clicking on "Related Stories," instead, automatically puts a Beach Blocker ad in your face.

The Political Pulse section also has a couple of pertinent items, including one that should have been in the headlines about not needing a vehicle ban to attract a huge island development. Does anyone know if Shex or the City has applied to the County for and gotten the requisite dune permits for the North Padre Island development we're voting to assist by closing 7200 feet of beach to vehicles? From what we've seen in the paper, the associated proposed tram and pedestrian access routes run through the dunes.

Beach Blocker John Trice, no Spring chicken himself, takes a swing at older BAC surfers for supporting beach access for all surfers.

Evelyn Nemec's attitude in her LTTE is that this generation should pass down its beach experiences to future ones.

The Donnelly's LTTE demonstrates how hard it is for outsiders to understand the lay of the land, and to appreciate the loss of something they've never experienced. Obviously, they don't realize the beach and the beachfront areas north and south of the seawall are public and were, dating from before the Packery TIF election, either part of (remember J.P. Luby Surf park?) or proposed to become public parks, nor that all the land between the south end of the proposed closure and Bob Hall Pier already IS a county park. Yes, there is a crossroads here at this election, but, unless Charter Amendment No. 1 is defeated, some of the public beach and Packery South Jetty Park may become just another piece of private Anywhere, USA.
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Beach outcomes article link: http://www.caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_5120514,00.html

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URL: http://www.caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_5120505,00.html
Political Pulse: 11.05.06
November 5, 2006

One beach after another, commissioner fears

The Nueces County Commissioners Court considered a dune permit Wednesday for a residential tower that will be up to 35 stories with 500 condo units on Mustang Island. Commissioner Chuck Cazalas, whose precinct includes the island, wanted to make sure the county wasn't getting into a sticky political situation.

"Do we have a request to (take cars off) the beach?" he asked, referring to the beach access debate revolving around the City Council's proposal to ban cars on 7,200 feet of Padre Island beach to attract a resort.

The developers for the residential tower were not asking for a vehicle ban, but they do want to use wooden posts to separate pedestrians from vehicles.

Both beach groups find surfers on their side

Banker John Trice this week defended the It's About Time Corpus Christi commercial featuring surfers who say they support Charter Amendment No. 1, which would authorize a vehicle ban on 7,200 feet of Padre Island beach. He shot back at the Beach Access Coalition, which is fighting the amendment and said the ad is misleading.

"It's a very small group," Trice said. "It's an older group, guys who really don't surf. It probably bothers them to see these young guys in their 20s, 30s and 40s who support this. I have always wondered about when people criticize other people - they must be scared. I'm certainly not criticizing them."

Political Pulse is compiled and written by Caller-Times politics reporter Jaime Powell. This week's contributors include Powell, Denise Malan, Fanny Chirinos, Beth Wilson and Mike Baird. Have a tip or an upcoming political event? Contact Powell at 886-3716 or powellj@ caller.com

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URL: http://www.caller.com/ccct/letters_to_the_editor/article/0,1641,CCCT_841_5120524,00.html
Letters to the Editor: 11.05.06

November 5, 2006

For next generation

Our city officials want us to give up one and one-third miles of our beach for the benefit of a resort builder. This is the first of many resorts that will come and ask for a closed beach if we open the gates to this first request. Then, after all our beaches are developed, how will it affect our children and their children? Where will they go with limited access to their beach?

Our beaches on Padre Island have been a great resource for area youths in the past 50-plus years for picnics, surfing, and fishing. Young families have been able to go for simple excursions, perhaps only a few hours, to enjoy family time at the beach, and they have not had to take a shuttle to get to the beach. Do you want our youth to have to resort to activities like cruising city streets looking for some place to hang out? Saturdays and Sundays are the days they really need to have a place to go. Vote No on Amendment 1, and vote Yes on Amendment 2. Save our beaches for the next generations.

Evelyn Nemec

Crossroads

We have plans to relocate to your area when our daughter graduates from high school. As long-time residents of Colorado, we have experienced the pressures and effects of development first-hand. Our present state found out that development cannot be stopped. Governments can either manage development responsibly or simply stand aside and let it happen. The result of the first approach can be attractive communities with open spaces, parks and interesting architecture. The result of the latter is inevitably strip malls, neon and sprawl.

IntraWest is one of the better developers we have seen in Colorado. At Copper Mountain, Colo., it constructed an attractive, viable ski community almost from scratch. It was so successful that the city of Denver selected IntraWest among a raft of competitors to partner with it in order to develop Denver's ski area in Winter Park. We do not have any ownership in IntraWest; we are merely impressed with its record in our present area. We see Corpus Christi at a crossroads. It can either develop the Bob Hall to Packery Channel section of the beach as a really cool project, or it can allow it to become Anywhere, U.S.A. by the water.

Jim and Pam Donnelly

(Greenwood Village, Colo.)
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The Trash Heap Has Spoken!
NNYYAAAHH!!!

[rabbit]

They didnt tell you that the people who work for the resorts cant afford to live in those towns because they dont get paid enough. Most have to commute from towns outside of the resort area.
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Fishing and Kayaking its a rough life but somebody has to do it.