West-Isle Little League here on Galveston Island is proud to announce its 13-14 year old Junior League All-Star team has won the Texas East State Championship. The team started with the District 14 Title and continued with the Section 3 Championship before beating Sinton to win the Texas East State Championship. Travel plans to the Southwest Regional Junior League Baseball Tournament in Midland are now being made.
West-Isle will now compete against other state champions from West Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. In order to make the August 6-12 tournament, the team is accepting help in any way possible.
If you'd like to make a donation, make checks payable to: West-Isle Little League c/o Geri Gillard; 3211 80th Street; Galveston, TX 77551.
To be honest, I'm not really a big fan of the beach in general. I don't surf, don't boat, and get physically ill at the whole process of "fishing." Besides, I've seen enough things jammed into people's feet over the years in the ER to keep my own away from the mysteries of that murky water. Yet strangely that very beach is, in more than just a metaphorical sense, what's bringing me back to Galveston after the utter chaos Hurricane Ike brought to the city and our lives last September.
I came to Galveston to train in Pediatrics at UTMB in 1993. My primary reason for choosing Galveston was to live and work somewhere that was the exact opposite of the Cleveland Ohio area, where I had lived my entire life up to that point. Cleveland was a sprawling urban wasteland with a huge impersonal medical center and endless traffic jams; Galveston was a self-contained small town with a friendly mid-sized pediatrics program and a 5 minute drive to work along the Seawall. More simply put, in more ways than one: Cleveland was cold and Galveston was warm.
After marrying my wife Amy, a Galveston native (careful...don't call her a BOI), the sensible and easy path was to remain at UTMB after residency, buy a classic old Galveston house, and enjoy the small town Island life. I would often half-jokingly call my off-Island dwelling colleagues "sellouts" for choosing to live in and commute from League City or Friendswood instead of being part of the Galveston community where they worked. But as our three kids grew older, the usual issues about good schools, safe neighborhoods, saving for the future loomed larger as each day passed. For the past several years I had been pushing to become one of the "sellouts," trying to convince Amy that we should move up the road...maybe even very far up the road, like to the suburbs of north Dallas where I had interviewed for a terrific job. But we always came to an impasse. For every benefit I could rattle off about leaving - greater housing value, better schools, lower taxes, utilities, and insurance, safer neighborhoods and so on, Amy would counter with a very intangible but heartfelt and convincing "But Galveston is home..."
Following Ike we thankfully found that our house had escaped much serious damage, but nonetheless for several weeks it was unclear if or when Galveston would be habitable again, or what long term damage its infrastructure had really sustained. At my insistence we snapped up a year lease on a house in an established part of the South Shore area of League City, enrolled the kids in school in CCISD, with plans to sell the Galveston house and make the move permanent. Ike was the last straw for me...what possible value was there in going back to Galveston after this disaster? All the same old Island problems would be largely exacerbated. It was time to start the good life in the suburbs with exemplary schools, fewer expenses, little fear of hurricanes, and a brand new house in a cozy safe neighborhood.
We have indeed experienced many of those perks over the past year. We were pleased as could be with the way the teachers and principals at Hyde and LCIS welcomed and made made our kids part of their school families, and the kids made great new friends and enjoyed all the trappings of a prosperous school district. We immediately came to appreciate our quiet cul-de-sac neighborhood where the kids could play in the street without junkies wandering by, and could leave their bikes on the treelawn and find them still there the next morning. We made good friends with wonderful people in our new neighborhood, and didn't worry so much about locking up and closing the garage door all the time. We looked at homes for sale and new construction in the same vicinity and were often amazed at what kind of home we could get for the money in new subdivisions with names like Victory Lakes, Tuscan Lakes, and Harbour Pointe. The prospect of hundreds rather than thousands of dollars of windstorm and flood premiums was very appealing. Seemed like the sensible and easy path was to find just the right home to buy and stay there - even Amy started to agree.
But after a few months, things seemed...well, not quite right. Although we lived "close to everything", as my experienced suburban colleagues would always tell me, it took forever to get anywhere. For example, Cinemark 18 is six miles away but would sometimes be a 25 minute trip after twisting out of our windy subdivision and negotiating the 518-270-Nasa Road nightmare. And what is "everything" really? The mall? Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Half-Price Books? A thousand restaurants we'll never eat at that aren't really all that kid friendly? When it comes down to it, 99% of the time all a family like mine needs to be "near" is Target, Kroger, Home Depot, and iHOP. The other side of the suburban sprawl coin is the absolute absence of anywhere to go or anything to do that doesn't involve planning ahead and piling into the car. There's no spontaneous "let's walk up to the Seawall, get a slushy at Murdoch's, and build a sandcastle" or "let's ride bikes to the Spot then go bowling or the skate park". You can't walk or ride bikes to anyplace, and there's no real thrill in the ongoing exploration of a "master planned community" as opposed to the never-ending nooks and crannies of Galveston. Sure we could go on a bike-ride on the beautifully landscaped trails around one of the man-made "Tuscan Lakes" and admire the backs of the many homes and their "waterfront" lots...there's just no "there" there. This became especially apparent during the stir-crazy days of summer when keeping the kids entertained turned into a series of artificial and expensive adventures at Chuck-E-Cheese, Max Jumpin, Kemah Boardwalk, and Main Event...or trips to Galveston...
We attended League City events analogous to our favorite activities in Galveston: Movies in the Park, Evening Band Concerts, Carnivals and Parades. None of them had the same feeling of community that such events have in Galveston. Surely part of that was because we were "new in town" and didn't know as many people, but I had the distinct sense that I could attend these sorts of events for the next 10 years and always feel detached from the kind of genuine camaraderie I was used to in Galveston. It was as if the attendees converged from all over the sprawl of League City, absorbed their compulsory family-sized dose of fun and enjoyment, then packed into the SUV right on schedule and headed back to the subdivision for the night. Felt a little Bizarro-world. I also came to appreciate the pure honesty of "customer service" employees in Galveston who roll their eyes and with a heavy sigh ask "Whatchyou want?" rather than the Stepfordesque friendliness of kids at the counter in LC who politely stifle their sighs and eyerolls, but are undoubtedly just as disgusted with you and probably spit in your food anyhow.
And about those subdivisions and houses...which I began to cynically refer to as McMansions. Yes, they seem on the surface to be a great value for the money. But the pre-owned and newly-built-in-a-minute Perry homes and their like all felt very "hollow", or to borrow a phrase from a friend of a facebook friend, "dead inside." Not to mention that the "newer" home we rented had more issues to address in one year (thankfully by the landlord) than our Galveston house has had in 12. Our one-of-a-kind 96 year-old house in Galveston, with all its creaks and leaks even as it presently stands empty, seems very much alive...as does our neighborhood and even the city itself. I started thinking of Galveston like a coral reef, each family, each home, alive and vibrant with history, each contributing to a living community. Like a reef there are parts that are healthy and parts that are dying, there are threats from the inside and out. Galveston is both beautiful and ugly, it's cozy and a little scary, it's thriving and struggling. No offense to the many wonderful people we've befriended up here, but the suburban "coral reef" is more like what you find inside the Moody Gardens Aquarium...everyone in their own separate tanks with their own beautifully created habitats, the inhabitants are blissfully happy, safe and sound swimming about in their windexed and algae-free containers, but disconnected from each other and at some level missing the value of what a little dirt and grit...and sand...can add to their lives. The Island life, embodied by the Seawall, sand, and water, as well as a good dose of history, eclecticism, and grime, is undeniably real.
Galveston legend Jack Johnson won over 70 fights during his professional boxing career. His most recent fight, one only his admirers and fans have been able to carry out, may be his biggest.
In 1912, Johnson violated the Mann Act, which was against the "transporting of women across state lines for immoral purposes." In Johnson's case, it basically boiled down to the fact that he was involved with a white woman. He was eventually found guilty, but he skipped bail and fled the country. Johnson lived out of the country with his wife (who was one of the women he illegally "transported") for seven years before he finally turned himself in and served his sentence. For some time now, several attempts have been made in order to posthumously pardon Johnson of his conviction.
Finally, this week, Congress passed a resolution asking for a Presidential pardon for Johnson. This means all that is needed i
s President Obama's approval.
Locally, Johnson had an abstract statue in M
enard Park, but it has since been torn down due to damage. There are plans to push for a new statue to be placed on the Seawall. Johnson does have a street named after him.
So. Here's to Jack Johnson. BOI. Boxing legend by choice.
A few years ago (ok, more than a few) I found myself in New Braunfels visiting friends at the River Road Ice House. It was a typical hot Hill Country summer and the refuge found in the air conditioning that afternoon was a welcome break.
As luck would have it - a friend of mine was playing acoustic that afternoon there and on stage with him was Drew Kennedy. I'd not gotten the chance to hear Drew before and was looking forward to hearing a new artist.
I walked away that afternoon with, what is still to this day, one of my all time favorite songs - "Cincinnati". I've had the opportunity to stay in touch with Drew over the years and was so happy to hear that he'd be playing in Galveston. As my luck would have it though, I'm out of town with work for the next 10 days and have to miss his show.
This is where you all come in.
I've spoken before of my love of the Old Quarter and of the importance of live music and supporting those that make it. Drew will be joined on stage tonight by Rodney Hayden, another fantastic Texas musician. I'd encourage each of you to take some time and go give them a listen. Aside from being a music nut, I'm excited to see artists returning to Galveston to apply their trade, be it on canvas or via guitar. Support for it is so important for our little corner of the world.
Before the show, swing by Molly's Irish Pub and say hi to my new roomie Kristi - an Austin transplant to the island and then after the show (Old Quarter shows end around midnight), head on over to Yaga's to check out another friends band Honeybrowne.
See - I've got your Friday night already planned. Just send me pictures please.
Although I couldnt find a version of Cincinnatti online, here's a clip of another of his songs.
This should prove to be a...hot...subject. Pun obviously intended.
As most of us know by now, the smoking ban has passed in Galveston for a January 1, 2010 debut. We IBC'ers are a good mix of smokers and non, in fact I think the non-smokers are the minority (not to point towards the 3 smokers in our lovely group of course). In various reports and word of mouth it looks like this is a very comprehensive ban and I wonder if it might be a little too comprehensive. I've read where it applies to patios connected to restaurants which seems really heavy handed to me. I can understand the need for people who do smoke to still want to be part of the social interaction.
I've never smoked. Growing up with a dad dealing with lung cancer scared the hell out of me to ever try them (side note - dad's great and had a full recovery). But it's never bothered me that others do. I might not agree with it but it's their business to smoke if they want. As a business owner though I've mulled over the personal / professional reasons for supporting or not supporting a ban. Ultimately, I believe it's the business owners right to decide what is in their best interests. Selfishly though, I couldn't be more ok with the ban. I don't know if it's so much for health reasons as it is for general comfort and enjoying not smelling like a cigarette when I go home.
I've not spoken with the other IBC'ers on this and look forward to their contributions to this conversation, as well as our readers. So all that being said - what do you all think about the ban?
Way back in the previous millennium (May, 2000), I bought a property at 621 23rd St. that was to become Nautical Antiques and Decor. Upon buying this property that was formerly Fred Moore Auto Parts, Fred Moore gave me the following advice as he could apparently tell that i had no clue what i was getting into as an out of towner opening a new business in the Galveston that he cut his teeth on:
"Get to know as many of the locals that are worth a damn as you can."
"Always and only donate money to the campaigns of the person that's going to win the damn thing or else you're wasting your money."
"Keep your banking and your insurance through a local outlet because they are the only people who have a clue as to what the hell is going on around here."
Well if I was judged on how I followed Freddie's advice from 2000.... I don't think I would be too excited with my score.
Since ike and especially through Adrienne, I have met a lot of people in Galveston. Although I consider most people "worth a damn", I know what Fred meant and I have to say that until about 2 years ago i was doing pretty poorly in category 1.
As far as campaign contributions go, I would receive a big fat zero for contributions in general much less to any winner. It's possible that I would consider it in the future but it would have to be a candidate that Adrienne and I are really excited about.
The place where I redeemed myself was in the 3rd piece of advice. I knew I would have to have a bank and insurance so it was easy for me to ask Mr. Moore who he would suggest as far as banking and insurance go. He told me to go see Gary Gilliland at Hometown Bank and to get my insurance through Galveston Insurance Associates because "when it comes to insuring the special situations of Galveston, no national companies know what they are talking about."
Well that was 9 and a half years ago and, especially since ike, I have to thank Fred Moore for his advice. Galveston Insurance Associates (GIA) has a very intelligent, professional, and responsive team of agents. Many things unique to Galveston like WEA-1's and WPI-8's and Flood insurance in general which national agents might not have a clue about, are all old hat to the folks at GIA.
So when IBC needed an insurance outlet for the Galveston Beach Revue, there was no hesitation. We went directly to GIA. And not only did we get an insurance partner and a great insurance plan, GIA wanted to sponsor the event at the top level. Happy IBC's all around.
For any of your insurance questions or needs, give GIA a call at 409.740.1251 or check out their website at www.gia-tx.com.
I was walking home from a GHF meeting this afternoon through the East End and noticed that the convenience store at 16th and Winnie is open again! (Neisha, this of course made me think of you - we miss you!)
I stopped in to say hello and it seems they're open until 9pm, so check 'em out if you run out of something and want to save some gas.
Corner stores played a pretty decent sized role in Galveston's history and development of neighborhoods. Often referred to as "bookends of the block", (not to be confused with "Boo
kends" the pre-gaming location for foosball, spirits and the occasional dance party which also serves as Willthing's residence when he's not galivanting off to exotic places like "Oklahoma" or "Amarillo"...) corner stores used to provide services (often much more than a 40 of O.E., pack of smokes or bag of chips that we tend to see them as today) to many people within walking distance of their homes. Many were owned and operated by local families who often lived on the 2nd floors of the stores. I'm told these were also places to sit and socialize - a bit different than the "quicky mart" types we frequent today.
According to GHF, many of Galveston's corner stores are in need of restoration and re-use. There's something very appealing about the idea of living above where you work - probably because we did it at one time before moving into our house here in the East End and man did it have its benefits - there's no commute, you can't be late for work if you try, and you've gotta keep track of only 1 set of keys!
There are some pretty cool corner stores in use that I know of here on the Island - J.Bangle Gallery is at the corner of Ave L and 25th Street, Sunflower Bakery & Cafe is at the corner of 14th and Postoffice,
Mosquito Cafe is at the corner of 14th and Winnie, then of course you've got the Star Drug store at the alley corner of 23rd Street between Postoffice and Church. And Sonny's at the corner of 19th and L.
What else am I missing? Is there a corner store in your neighborhood that you could clue us into?
Willthing, hope I'm not busting in on your blog post, but I have a great pic of Float in use right after the Beach Revue - pictured in foreground are our very own Matt and Eddie!
Well here's a way to actually SAVE A TREE. A whole tree. In Galveston. It's late so I'm gonna just cut and paste this info here, but please share with anyone who needs it. Wish I had my camera with me this afternoon b/c on 16th and Market Street I drove by a sign that made me stop and look. It was very large, crooked up into where the big branches start out of the main trunk of a huge live oak, about 5' off the ground... It said something to the effect of "Save this tree - it is alive" and then at the bottom: "REDRUM". creepy. but true! (i'll try and snap a pic tomorrow to post)
<<UPDATE: The GDN beat me to it and featured this pic on the front page of today's (Tuesday) paper... Can't seem to find it at the moment online tho...>>
July 25, 2009: Late this week, FEMA granted the City of Galveston a six month extension for debris removal work, including the removal of trees killed by Ike's salty storm surge. The City now has until March 13, 2010, to complete these activities. City officials have adjusted the tree removal program and appeals process in light of the new deadline.
Residents can now request additional recovery time for a tree located in the City's right-of-way (ROW) by making a formal appeal. A special placard, designed to identify trees under consideration, will be given to the resident to hang on the tree at the time the request is made. The tree will be evaluated again, and if it is determined to be a candidate for recovery, the tree will be left in place. Officials will revisit these trees for a final examination beginning November 1st. At that time, all trees that meet the criteria for survival will be permanently deleted from the City's tree removal list.
How to Request an Appeal for a Tree:
To request additional recovery time for trees located in the (ROW) please call (409) 974-4401 or visit the Beck Disaster Recovery Office, 4605-B Fort Crockett Blvd., open seven days a week, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The last day to request a tree appeal is Saturday, August 15th.
So I was stopped at a red light by a lady the other day while driving home. A truck pulled up next to me and asked me to roll my window down. I did. She must have noticed my IBC stickers and the rather large and unmissable magnet on my tailgate. She asked me if I was in IBC. I said yes. She then asked me how she could "join." She said she'd been wanting to "join" really badly, but she couldn't figure out how. Because the light turned green on our conversation I didn't have the chance to tell her that IBC is not something someone "joins." Instead I just blurted out the website address, and we drove on.
I figured I'd clear up any confusion she (or anyone else for that matter) has about "joining" IBC. Islander By Choice (IBC) is a business. And as you can read in the "About" section of the website, IBC is all about supporting local and anything Galveston Island. Therefore, someone can't really "join" IBC. Instead, someone can purchase IBC merchandise and/or attend IBC functions.
I found myself a little flattered that people around town may view IBC as something they can "join," but at the same time, I felt uncomfortable that IBC might be misunderstood. Hence the post.
Now. Repeat after me. Islander By Choice (IBC) is not a group/organization/political faction of any kind. It is a business reflecting on the way of life Islanders choose to live, albeit designed to (perhaps one day) make money.
Summertime on the island brings with it such a wide range of activities and fun - both of which can be found at Float Pool & Patio Bar. For those that joined us at the official after party for the '09 Beach Revue, hopefully you got a little taste of the place and have gotten an opportunity to return since.
For those that haven't, be sure to swing by in your swimwear and take advantage of the outdoor pool (complete with swim up bar), great view of the Gulf of Mexico and come hungry as they've added a great range of food items to keep you happy and satisfied during your stay.
Our official recommendations for summer 2009 are the Rum Runner (after a few hours last Sunday taste testing) and one of their great burritos (you build it how you want it and it's huge). Bring some sun screen, bring your friends and let us know when you go. We'd love to have another opportunity to visit the place!
(ssssh.) This afternoon Michael and I heard from a somewhat reliable source that this coming FRIDAY LaKing's Confectionery (24th and Strand) will be OPENING!!!! Okay, no need to "ssh" - in fact, tell lots of people (unless this proves to be inaccurate and in that case, forgive me - I'll be sure to fire my source!) - and go out there and get some ice cream! (or taffy, or homemade candy, or a milkshake... you get the idea!)
You just never know what you're going to get. Take a random Saturday evening after watching the Brandon McDermott Band at the fabulous Yaga's. I go outside to order a frosty beverage from the outdoor service area and what do I see...
A snake. On a chic's finger. In line - for a drink. (I'm guessing she wasn't ordering a snake bite)...
A bit earlier in the evening we also got to see The Crane, courtesy of Wolverine (whoa - IBC shirt sighting!). For those of you who didn't grow up in the awesome 80s, here's a reference.
So Mrs. Mondo and I just received our final insurance payout from our mortgage company who'd been holding it hostage. Although it was a minor fraction of our entire payout, it still feels good to finally have it all behind us. It got me thinking. I wonder how many folks (now that we're just about 10 months post-Ike) are still battling with insurance companies? Our house's damage truly turned out to be very, very small marbles compared to some of our close friends' damages. And it took us this long to get our final payment. Whew.
I try not to meddle in my friends' business too much, so I never ask people how their insurance woes stand at the moment. It's almost like asking, "how's your sex life?" It's really not my business. Neither one. But. I got to thinking that if the Mrs. and I just received our final insured gesture of good faith (and again with the fact that our damage was minimal), then other folks with more extensive damage must be still waiting on funds. Bleh.
I remember before the storm I thought the insurance game worked like this: I have damage. They inspect it. They give me a check for what it'll cost me to repair the damages. All's beuno (that's Spanish for good/well). Wrong.
Instead it operates like this: I have damage. They inspect it (at their leisure it seems). They determine what they think it'll cost me to repair what I lost (all precisley calculated using the "oh-so-lovely" depreciation factor). They give me a check made out to me and the mortgage company. I endorse the check. Check goes to mortgage company. It's like a game of hot potato until the mortgage company gets a hold of my money. Then the money's given out like a weekly allowance to a five year old. So forth. So on and on. I'll spare you the rest of the details as I'm sure you've all been there. Welcome to the suck.
So for what it's worth. How's your great insurance battle of '09 going?
The tree replacement team certainly has their work cut out for them (did anyone ever win the naming contest for that committee??). In the meantime, crews have begun the removal of thousands of the Island's trees left dead or dying (paging Dr. Kevorkian) in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Officials have estimated that nearly 11,000 trees located on the City's right-of-ways, property owned by the city and in/around city parks will be removed. Some streets or parks might be closed temporarily for safety reasons while the trees are cut and removed, so here's a list of those areas in case you run into a detour, that's probably what's up:
Lindale Park - 4th Street and Marine
Adoue Park - 12th Street and Ball Street
San Jacinto Park - 19th and Avenue K
Shield Park - 33rd Street and Church Street
Lasker Park - 42nd Street and Avenue P
The grounds of the Wright Cuney Recreation Center - 718 41st Street
Alamo Park - 51st Street and Avenue N
Jones Park - Jones Drive and 71st Street
Schrieber Park and adjacent ball fields - 83rd Street area near Scholes Airport
Sandhill Crane Park and soccer complex - Stewart Road and 7 Mile Road
Good news? Okay, I have some. The cost of the tree removal IS 100% reimbursable from the federal govt under the current emergency declaration until September 12th. AND, we WILL get new trees - who knows what type, but the City will probably have to foot the bill for those. I believe the timeline for replanting is not until next fall, though.
Check out the City's website for more info about the tree program at www.CityofGalveston.org or you can call the Parks&Rec Dept at (409) 621-3177. You can also email trees@cityofgalveston.org. My guess is the trees themselves will not be the ACTUAL ones responding to your emails, but what do I know?
One last piece of good news for Galvestonians. If you have a dead/dying tree due to Ike on your private property, you may be eligible for free removal through the City's program. Call Beck Disaster Services at (409) 974-4243 to pre-register and get on the list. Surprise! You will have to meet FEMA's assessment/eligibility requirements to qualify for the free tree removal but give it a shot anyway, folks - don't take a chance and risk your property to a potentially dangerous falling tree.
Be safe out there. Stay out of the heat - go shopping downtown! :)
PS. A friendly reminder from our fantastic PIO Alicia that "bonafide" tree removal techs will not ask you to sign anything or to pay any money to remove trees if they are in front of your house. You WILL however need to move your vehicles to avoid getting towed while the removal is happening. Beware of fake tree people and don't park in front of an orange-spotted tree!
Willthing (IBC graphic & web designer) has been hard at work getting the 2009 Beach Revue pictures up and the day is here!!! Please check out the "merchandise" link at the top of this page and take a gander!
FYI, the black & white Beach Revue panoramic (about 33" long/wide - as panoramics go) is available for purchase at the IBC store inside the Nautical Antiques & Decor shop on 22nd and Mechanic Street in downtown historic Galveston (just in case you'd rather swing by than have it shipped).
Looking through these photos reminds me of how much fun we had being a part of this event. Thanks again to all of our fabulous contestants - the outfits were great, the ladies and gents were even better, and the crowd was awesome. Many thanks to all of our sponsors (check 'em out on the sponsor page at www.GalvestonBeachRevue.com) as we couldn't have done it without you!
First off, we'd like to wish everyone a very safe and happy Independence Day.
Second, thanks to Mondo for addressing the 2nd birthday of IBC below - I needed another number to make my title work. (Speaking of titles that don't work... Will, were you really eating sweet potatoes or is that a song???)
Lastly, but really I mean "FIRSTLY", whoooraaaa and congratulations to Islander By Choice and the 2009 Galveston Island Beach Revue: Bathing Beauties Contest ladies (and gent, thank you David!) for winning FIRST PLACE in the Galveston Island July 4th Parade for "Most Patriotically Decorated Group"!!!! All of the bathing beauties in the parade wore their vintage or "vintage-inspired" swimwear that they competed in during the Beach Revue on May 16th, 2009 on Galveston Island.
Thanks to ALL of our '09 Beach Revue winner's circle and our FANTASTIC contestants that, truly all absolutely ROCK for coming out and adding to the fun!
Thanks also to Kathy Modzelewski for coordinating and putting on the entire parade event - you did a fantastic job!!! And thanks to Parade Marshall Frank Billingsly for your continued support of Galveston Island.
Happy 4th, people!
So, folks in the pics, from top to bottom are: (Caddy pic) Claire, Willthing, Brad, Neil, and Zac lead the IBC float in Will's 1959 Caddillac named "St. Valentine". (Float pic #1 from left to right) Cindy, David, Dana (1st runner up modern and vintage bathing beauty), Secelia (2nd runner up vintage bathing beauty), Carly, Chandler (winner modern bathing beauty), Klayre, Katrina and Melozi (winner vintage bathing beauty) wave to the crowd at 23rd and Strand in historic downtown Galveston along the parade route.
(Float pic #2, left to right) Cindy, David, Dana, Secelia, Carly, Chandler, Klayre and Katrina throw beads to the crowd along Postoffice Street. (Above left pic) Klayre waves to the crowd in her 1940s vintage suit. (Above right pic) Matt and Ed do not appear to like the fact that, once they turned north on 21st Street, their shade went away - luckily Mondo carries an extra beach umbrella in the bed of the truck for such a situation. (Below pic) This year Mondo gave up his bullhorn so he could pull the float - none of the bathing beauties fell out so job well done, Mondo!
Tomorrow, July 4th, will be the first birthday for Islander By Choice. That's right. IBC officially launched last year at the 4th of July parade, and we've been going strong since then.
It has been an eventful year for IBC. One filled with T-shirt parties, hurricane recovery cookouts, and bathing beauties. So here's a great big "thank you" to all our customers, friends, blog followers, sponsors for the Beach Revue, and most of all to Galveston Island for providing the inspiration.
I would also like to thank my fellow partners in Islander By Choice for pulling off one hell of a year. And here's to many, many more.
For those that got to hear our second installment of the IBC Radio Hour on KGBC today, I was again asked to put together a few songs for the show. A task I always enjoy doing for anyone willing to put up with my music addiction. We didn't get the opportunity to talk about the songs this time though and part of the joy for me when we do this is finding music that is somehow tied to the island.
So for a little more "behind the scenes" info on the songs I selected...read on.
Gordon Calcotte & Don Lee - "Galveston
I know absolutely nothing about these two (that's a hell of a way to start this Will...) but feel that their version of this song is among the better recorded (and I'd dare say better than Campbell's). The song was actually written by Jimmy Webb who would write some of Campbell's top songs. This version is just a little more warbly and raw. Not quite as polished up as the Rhinestone Cowboy's.
My first trip to the Old Quarter was 5 years or so. I was on a trip to Crystal Beach and was taken into town to see the Acoustic Cafe. Hayes was playing that night but at the time was just getting going. A year later he played the Golden Light in Amarillo in support of his debut album and I was hooked. From his time living in Crystal Beach to his current status of being one of the leading songwriters going, he's never distanced himself from the Gulf Coast and especially Galveston and Bolivar.
John Evans - "Ride Away"
I'm admittedly a little new to John's music. We have very close mutual friends however I've not had the opportunity to see him perform until this past week with their show at the Old Quarter. I'm a huge fan of that place but every once in a while do enjoy seeing a bit more of a rock and roll show than acoustic / folk. John did a tremendous job of playing a very lively fun electric show in such a hallowed cafe. He's going to be back here in a few weeks playing at Woody's. I hope to see you all there.
Blaze Foley - Election Day
I first ran across this song on Lyle Lovett's "My Baby Don't Tolerate" album. It's wonderfully creepy and mysterious and I had no idea it was a cover. Blaze Foley's story is a big one and you internet sleuths will be able to find out plenty on him. Of note for me though is that John Prine, Merle Haggard and Lovett have covered his music and that is big stuff for a pretty unheard of songwriter. The man was exceptionally talented.
He also had a love affair with duct tape. It's worth researching to get the rest of that story.
What songs come to mind when you think of Galveston Island? For me the Grand Opera, Old Quarter, Yaga's are all big impacts of my musical experiences here. I'd love to know what music gets you all through the day.
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