Island Notes

Island Notes for September 24 2010

Goat Island Weather

Surf: Knee, Smooth

Forecast: 90 & Sunny

Wind Forecast: 10-15MPH, SE

Low Tide: 1:11PM

High Tide: 8:47PM

Water Temp: 84.4

Surface Condition:

Sunset: 7:12PM

Sunrise: 7:06AM

Goat Island’s Best Happy Hours

Friday – The Boiled Crab, $2 Well Drinks, 4-7PM

Saturday – The Coughing Dog Saloon, 2 for 1 drinks, 4-7PM. (Excludes specialty drinks.)

Sunday – The Smoking Drummer Grill, $2 Mimosas and Bloody Marys, 9AM-1PM

Goat Island’s Best Live Music

Friday – Jeff Sawicki @ El Jefe's Cantina, 7-11PM.

Saturday – Fence Line @ The Scared Mongoose, 8PM-12AM

Sunday – Richie Abeta @ The One Eyed Lizard, 7-10PM

Thursday Headlines from the Goat Island Signal

The GITX High School Kids lost to Kiowa Bay 34-35 on Friday night. Quarterback Josh Farmer (212 yards passing, 2 TD) gave Goat Island a 6 point lead when he scored on a 9 yard run with 3:03 remaining. The Warriors nearly turned the ball over on the very next play, but John Treat dropped what would have been a game sealing interception. Kiowa Bay then marched down the field and scored the game winning touchdown with 22 seconds remaining. The loss dropped The Kids record to 1-2 for the season, including 0-1 in Coastal Bend League play. It was also the 17th consecutive road loss for Goat Island. The Kids will return home on Friday night when they host St. Marks at Rogers Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00PM

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A group of Goat Island merchants and property owners have formed an exploratory committee to explore the possibility of building a bridge/causeway between the Island and the mainland. Similar attempts have been made in the past, but have never gained much support from local citizens and business owners. Richard Worton is the owner of the Green Mermaid Inn and chairman of the exploratory committee. “This island still has plenty of potential for economic growth. But that potential can’t be tapped into if we continue to make it hard for people to get here.” The committee will hold and question and answer session on Monday night in the Green Mermaids main ballroom. All are invited to attend.

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The Goat Island Signal is published each Thursday by Coastal Media, LLC, which also owns and operates KGTX 108.1.

Around The Island

Around the island is a ongoing feature that profiles a bar, restaurant, or other establishment on Goat Island.

Place – The Poppy Pelican

Address –501 Rogers

Type of Establishment - Bar & Restaurant

History – The Poppy Pelican opened in 1941, occupying the site of on old marine tackle shop. It’s gone through three owners since then, but it’s basic traditions have remained the same. Cheap food and drinks, 24 hour service, and a complete disregard for outsiders accompanied by a dingy appearance. It’s loved by locals and avoided by all but the drunkest of tourists.

Happy Hour – In comparison to it’s regular prices, the Pelican may have the worst Happy Hour on Goat Island, but that’s only because its regular prices are so low. “Besides,” said Manager Art Hayes“Good Happy Hours attract people. We’re trying to keep the tourists out.”

About – The Poppy Pelican is one of two Goat Island establishments that stay open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In addition to having the cheapest drinks on the island, it also boasts a great menu, all of it freshly prepared on the ancient griddle. The Pelican is also a tourist free zone. Outsiders who stumble into the bar are usually ignored until they leave, but its not uncommon for taunts and even threats to be received by tourist's who don’t leave quickly.

Island Notes

Island Notes for September 21 2010

Goat Island Weather

Surf: Knee, Bumpy

Forecast: 85, Partly Cloud, 50% chance of rain.

Wind Forecast: 10-15MPH, SE

Low Tide: 9:31PM

High Tide: 2:14PM

Water Temp: 83.2

Surface Condition Gulf: Changing

Sunset: 7:20

Sunrise: 7:04

Goat Island’s Best Happy Hours

Tuesday – El Jefe’s Cantina, $2 Margaritas, 5-9PM

Wednesday – The One Eyed Lizard, $1 Natural Light Cans, 4-7PM

Thursday – The Scared Mongoose, $10 Domestic Buckets, 4-7PM

Goat Island’s Best Live Music

Tuesday – Bar Tab @ The Coughing Dog Saloon, 8PM-12AM

Wednesday – Richie Abeta @ The Boiled Crab, 8-11PM

Thursday –Billy & The Jets @ The Smoking Drummer Grill 7-10PM

Evacuation Plan for Tropical Weather

After last weeks brush with Tropical Storm Hermine GITX officials would like to remind the public about the islands strict polices for dealing with tropical weather. Goat Island has a two tiered system for safely evacuating all non-residents, along with any citizens who wish to leave in advance of storms. The tiers are as follows.

Tropical Storm Watch – Non-residents are no allowed access to the Island. Non-residents who are on Goat Island at the time a watch is issued should make preparations to leave in case a Warning is issued. They are also encouraged to vacate the island voluntarily. Both residents and non residents are free to leave GITX at anytime, although ferry operations may be stopped at any time due to rough seas. 

Tropical Storm Warning – All Non-residents are required to leave the Island within 8 hours of a Tropical Storm Warning being issued. All ferry operations will cease 16 hours after a TS Warning is issued, if not earlier. Residents who wish to evacuate should be prepared to leave the ASAP once a warning is issued. 

Officials also want to remind the public that they are not responsible for the safety of anyone who chooses to stay on Goat Island during tropical storm or hurricane like conditions. Rescue attempts will not be made if someone chooses to stay on the island and finds themselves in harms way. 

In short everyone on Goat Island should keep an eye on all tropical systems, and be prepared to react to them on short notice. We are all on an island that is connected to the mainland by a ferry. Even a glancing blow by a weak tropical storm can cut GITX off from the rest of Texas for an extended period of time.

Questions or concerns should be directed to Goat Island Sheriffs Department at City Hall. 

Island Notes

Island Notes for September 14 2010

Goat Island Weather

Surf: Flat

Forecast:91/Sunny with a chance of afternoon thunder showers

Wind Forecast:12-15MPH, SSE

Low Tide: 2:21PM

High Tide: 11:02PM

Water Temp:86.9

Surface Condition Gulf:Slight Chop

Sunset:7:28PM

Sunrise:7:01AM

Goat Island’s Best Happy Hours

Tuesday – Scared Mongoose, All you can drink for $10, 5-8PM

Wednesday – The One Eyed Lizard, $2 domestic drafts, 4-7PM

Thursday – The Brass Parrot, $10 domestic buckets, 4-7PM

Goat Island’s Best Live Music

Tuesday – Richie Abeta @ El Jefe’s Cantina, 7-11PM

Wednesday – Bar Tab @ The Coughing Dog Saloon, 8PM-12AM

Thursday – Fence Line @ The Smoking Drummer Grill 7-10PM

GITX Spotlight

(GITX Spotlight is an ongoing series that features a different Goat Island musician, band, or entertainer in each edition.)

Name – Bar Tab

Members – Keith Cussler (Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar), Max Browning (Keyboard, Vocals), Bennie Weinberg (Acoustic Guitar, Vocals)

About - Bar Tab is the long standing house band at the Coughing Dog Saloon. Known for their wide ranging catalog of material they are a GITX institution that has gone on for more than 20 years and has endured numerous personal changes. They play 5 nights a week in the summer and 4 nights a week during the winter months.

Biography – Bar Tab was founded in 1987 by Coughing Dog owner Sheldon Jackson and local musician Joe Torres. Jackson was looking for a house band and Torres was looking for a steady gig. They rounded up a couple of other players and the rest is history. Torres fronted the band until his retirement in 2004, although he still sits in on occasion. Keith Cussler has served as Bar Tab’s lead singer and band leader since then. 11 musicians have spent significant time with band over its 23 year history, and more than 100 different performers have set in with the band.

The current lineup claims to know over 1,000 songs on demand, with another 500 readily available with the help of a overstuffed song book. They constantly work the crowd for tips and have been known to challenge patrons to drinking contests. With a catalog that covers Rock, Country, and numerous other genres they are sure to play something for everybody.

Quotable – “We’ll play just about anything if somebody is willing to tip us for it.” – Keith Cussler.

“I never imagined this little band we formed to play the Saloon would become so famous. People come to see them like their Bruce Springsteen or Willy Nelson. Best business decision I ever made.” – Sheldon Jackson.

Kids Fall to Defending State Champs

Turnovers on 3 of their first 4 possessions put the Goat Island in an early 21-0 hole on Friday night against the Nashville Bearcats. The Kid miscues allowed the defending state champion Bearcats to jump out to an early lead, and Goat Island never challenged them afterward.

Sophomore Running Back Vic Juarez (20 rushes for 70 yards and a touchdown) fumbled on the games second play to setup the Bearcats first touchdown. The pattern repeated itself on the next possession as Quarterback Josh Farmer’s pass was intercepted on second down. It only took the Bearcats 5 plays to score again, making the score 14-0.

The two teams traded punts before Farmer threw another interception. This one gave the Bearcats the ball at the Kid 48 yard line. Nashville ran 8 straight running plays before scoring to extend their lead to 21-0. Farmer led the Kid offense to a pair of scoring drives in the second quarter, but the damage had already been done as the Bearcats took a 35-14 lead to the locker room.

“Those guys are defending state champs for a reason, and they showed it tonight. Said coach Andy Rice after the game. "I think it’s been 7 years or something like that since they’ve lost a regular season game. You can’t turn the ballover against a team like that, but that’s exactly what we did.”

The Kid offense added another score in the third quarter on a 9 yard pass from Farmer to Tight End Paul Luther, but Nashville scored three more touchdowns in the quarter to build a 56-20 lead after the third period.

“The defense needs plenty of work. We really showed our youth on that side of the ball tonight” added Rice.

Farmer lead the kids with 178 yards passing and two touchdowns to go along with the pair of interceptions. He also added 36 rushing yards on 8 carries, while Luther caught 4 passes for 46 yards. Goat Island finished the game with 290 yards of total offense while Nashville rolled up 436 yards, including 390 on the ground. The loss dropped the Kids to 1-1 for the season. Goat Island will continue their longest road trip of the season on Friday night when they travel to Kiowa Bay to begin Coastal Bend League play. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00PM, and the game will be aired on 108.1 across Goat Island.

Island Notes

Island Notes for September 10 2010

Goat Island Weather

Surf: Knee high, bumpy

Forecast: 88/Sunny with scattered clouds

Wind Forecast: 10MPH, SW

Low Tide: 10:40AM

High Tide: 5:22PM

Water Temp: 85.8

Surface: Choppy

Sunset: 7:33PM

Sunrise: 7:03AM

Goat Island’s Best Happy Hours

Friday – The Coughing Dog Saloon, $2 Draft Beers, 4-7PM

Saturday– The Scared Mongoose, $2 well drinks, 4-7PM

Sunday– One Eyed Lizard, $2 Bloody Marys, 11AM-2PM

Goat Island’s Best Live Music

Friday -  Billy & The Jets @ The Scared Mongoose, 9PM-1AM

Saturday–Fence Line @ The Smoking Drummer Grill, 7-10PM

Sunday–Richie Abeta @ The Boiled Crab, 3-7PM

Thursday Headlines from the Goat Island Signal

Tropical Storm Hermine graced Goat Island with her presence early Monday morning. Hermine rapidly developed in the Bay of Campeche and moved NNW before landfalling near Tampico, Mexico. The weather pattern continued to steer the remnants of Hermine ahead of a frontal boundary and into the Central US. 

Weather reports from Goat Island suggested that Hermine side swiped the island. Her bands came ashore with sustained winds of 45mph, gusting to 55mph. Officals were forced to close Ferry for nearly 9 hours as waves reached 5-8ft. Unfortunately, Hermine’s landfall occurred at high tide causing some low-lying flooding on the island, mostly in Old Town and along the West Shore hotels. The latest report from the Third Coast Weather Service stated that minor damage occurred on Goat Island. Many neighborhoods reported vegetation damage and branches lying in the streets, while Port Services reported that a shrimp boat came off its moorings and drifted out into Rogers Bay. 

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The Goat Island High School Kid football team opened their 2010 campaign on Friday night with a 30-14 win over visiting Riverside. Junior Quarterback Josh Farmer lead the way offensively with 134 yards passing to go along with 46 yards on the ground. Sophomore Running Back Vic Juarez added 90 yards on the ground to go along with a 6 yard scoring run, while also scoring a pair of two point conversions. 

The Kid defense also had a strong start to their season, limiting the Bobcats to 170 total yards while forcing a pair of turnovers. Senior Ty Owens recorded a sack and forced a fumble to lead the way, while cornerback JJ Hollaway intercepted a pass to setup the Kids for touchdown.

GITX will continue their season tomorrow night (Friday) when they travel to Nashville and face the defending state champion Bearcats. The game will be broadcast live on 108.1, starting at 6:30PM.

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The Goat Island Signal is published each Thursday by Coastal Media, LLC, which also owns and operates KGTX 108.1.

Around The Island

Around the island is a ongoing feature that profiles a bar, restaurant, or other establishment on Goat Island.

Place – El Jefe’s Cantina 

Address – 203 Travis 

Type of Establishment – Restaurant/ Patio Bar

History – Opened in 1987 and quickly established a reputation for having the best Tex-Mex on Goat Island. El Jefe’s opened their rooftop patio in 1998, and expanded it’s dining area in 2003. Today the establishment enjoys one of the most loyal customer base on the Texas coast.

Happy Hour – El Jefe’s has one of the most popular Happy Hours on Goat Island. Its cheap ($2 margaritas and Mexican beers), long (5-9PM), and produces one of the most crowded bars in Old Town. 

About – In addition to their well known food and drinks, El Jefe’s is home to one of the most popular outdoor bars on the island. Friendly bartenders and a fine view of the Gulf of Mexico draws tourists and locals alike. The rooftop  patio hosts live music every Thursday night year round and three times weekly during the summer.The bar also throws extensive parties for St. Patrick's Day, Cinco De Mayo, 4th of July, and Halloween holidays.

Island Notes

Island Notes for September 7 2010

Goat Island Weather

Surf: Head, Very Choppy

Forecast: 86/Heavy rain

Wind Forecast: 30MPH, SE with higher gusts

Low Tide: Above Normal

High Tide: Above Normal

Water Temp: 86.0

Surface Condition Gulf: Very Choppy

Sunset: 7:35

Sunrise: 6:59

Goat Island’s Best Happy Hours

Tuesday – Scared Mongoose, All you can drink for $10, 5-8PM

Wednesday –  El Jefe’s Cantina, $2 Margaritas, 5 -9PM

Thursday – The One Eyed Lizard, $1 Natural Light Cans, 4-7PM

Goat Island’s Best Live Music

Tuesday –Fence Line @ The One Eyed Lizard 8PM-12AM

Wednesday –  Bar Tab @ The Coughing Dog Saloon, 8PM -12AM

Thursday –Billy & The Jets @ The Smoking Drummer Grill, 7-10PM

GITX Football - 2010 Season Preview

Last Year

The 2009 edition of Kid Football picked up where the 2008 team left off, with another 5-5 record. It was the 7th time in 8 years that Andy Rice’s team finished with a 5-5 record. Rice enters the season with a 33-31 record in conference games and a 41-39 record overall. His tenure at Goat Island has been similar to that of his predecessors - lots of wins at home, and almost none on the road. The Kids have only lost 3 home games under Rice, but have only won 4 away from Rogers Stadium.

Outlook

Coach’s in the Coastal Bend League expect Goat Island to repeat their 2009 performance, picking them to finish in 5th place with a 4-4 conference record. Depth should be less of a concern this season, with the roster standing at 31 players, 7 more than last year. The depth will held the Kids, but a young defense will have a hard time backing up a talented offense.

Who To Watch

The Kid offense is expected to be more explosive than years past. The starting Quarterback will be Josh Farmer, who appeared in 6 games last year as a sophomore, throwing for 230 yards and 2 touchdowns. He will be joined in the backfield by sophomore running back Vic Juarez, who rushed for 1300 yards and 19 touchdowns last year for the Jr. High team. The offensive line will be anchored by Senior guard Gary Steelman, who earned all conference honors in 2009.

Defensively the Kids will be lead by Senior free safety John Treat, who finished with 4 interceptions and 63 tackles last year. Fellow senior Ty Owens (5 sacks, 20 QB hurries) will headline a young defensive line. The defensive unit was the Kids weak point last year, with their 5 losses coming by a total of 136 points. 

Quoting Coach Andy Rice.

“The offense should be the most explosive we’ve ever had here. Josh has a stronger arm than any kid I’ve ever coached. The young running back (Juarez) has the ability to break a big run on any given play. We’re going to have a big play offense, and we’re going to put some points on the board. “

“The defense, on the other hand, really needs to step things up. Outside of 3 or 4 guys it’s a very inexperienced bunch. Those kids are going to have to get tough, and do it fast.”

“Personnel issues aside, this season is going to be like any other here on Goat Island. We have to find ways to win a couple ballgames on the mainland. It’s been our Achilles heel the whole time I’ve been here, and really since this program was started. We have great fans and atmosphere at Rogers Stadium, but we have to find a way to take that mentality on the road with us.”

2010 Schedule

Sept. 3 Rivertown

Sept. 10 @Nashville

Sept. 17 @Kiowa Bay*

Sept. 24 St. Marks*

Oct. 1 @Appletown*

Oct. 8 Folly Beach*

Oct. 15 @Cotter*

Oct. 22 CC Christian*

Oct. 29 @Hemingway*

Nov. 5 Ferry Pass*

*Coastal Bend League Game. 

You can find updates on every GITX football game on our facebook page, where the score will be updated at the end of each quarter. 

Island Notes

Island Notes for September 2 2010

Goat Island Weather

Surf: Waist, Disorganized.

Forecast: 89/Partly Cloud

Wind Forecast: 10-15 MPH, NE

Low Tide: 4:41PM

High Tide: 12:22PM

Water Temp: 86.4

Surface: Choppy

Sunset: 7:37PM

Sunrise: 6:45AM

Goat Island’s Best Happy Hours

Friday –The Boiled Crab, $3 Call Drinks, 4-7PM

Saturday– $12 Domestic Buckets, The Brass Parrot, 5-8PM

Sunday– The Smoking Drummer Grill, $2 Mimosas and Screwdrivers, 9AM-1PM

Goat Island’s Best Live Music

Friday -  Billy & The Jets @ The Scared Mongoose, 9PM-1AM

Saturday– Chezebergs Tast Gud @ Old Town Amphitheater, 7:30-9:30PM

Sunday– Bar Tab @ The Coughing Dog Saloon, 9PM-1AM

Thursday Headlines from the Goat Island Signal

Pedro, the local bandit whose last name remains unknown is being blamed for a series of petty crimes committed last weekend. Crimes attributed to Pedro include the theft of an ice chest, beach towels and lawn chairs on the beach in front of the Boiled Crab; spoiled eggs being thrown at the front doors of the Green Mermaid Motel; and the disappearance of a stack of pallets from behind Red River groceries. Pedro has not been seen in over a month, and officials thought he may have left GITX, but now believe he’s still around. If you have information on his whereabouts please contact the GITX Sheriff’s office.

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Hurricane Earl is currently threatening the East Coast, prompting local officials to remind GITX residents and visitors about the island's strict evacuation policy. Goat Island hasn’t been threatened by a Tropical Storm in nearly two years, but everyone is should remain watchful of the tropcis during Hurricane Season.

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The Goat Island Summer Concert Series will draw to a close on Saturday night when Chezebergs Tast Gud perform at the Old Town Amphitheater. The free show starts at 7:30PM. Chezebergs, an island mainstay during the summer, will leave the next day to begin their annual mainland tour, starting with several casino dates in Reno, NV.

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The Goat Island Signal is published each Thursday by Coastal Media, LLC, which also owns and operates KGTX 108.1.