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Spread your wings, take up birding
With the Whooping Crane Festival happening in Port Aransas this week, I find myself reflecting on the many reasons to enjoy birding. If you’ve never really checked out the pastime,...
McConnell’s aid enables Trump fiasco
I was blissfully surfing through YouTube the other night when, alas, I chanced upon the face that buzz-killed my bid for escape. Mitch McConnell, whose craven Senate machinations nudged us,...
Elon Musk is American hero
Just how desperate can Trump’s enemies get? Last week, Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren were in full meltdown mode because President Trump and Elon Musk were being so mean to...
Tennis time changes
The time for morning adult tennis matches has changed for the cooler months, according to the Port Aransas Tennis Association....
‘Spamalot’ on stage at PACT
Oddball characters, bizarre challenges, taunting Frenchmen and more will add to the hilarity of the musical comedy now on stage...
Bids on city gas building purchase due by Friday
If you are debating whether to place a bid on the city-owned Gas Department building, you have until this Friday,...
All ages invited to build with Legos
A morning of building with Legos is set at the William R. “Bill” Ellis Memorial Library on Saturday, Feb. 22....
Poise key in playoffs
Editor’s note: The Port Aransas High School Marlins were scheduled to go up against the Freer Buckaroos in the bi-district...
A great season ends
Resilience and determination marked this year’s Port Aransas High School Lady Marlins basketball team. Repeatedly, they clawed their way back...
Softball notches wins in 2025 season start
The Port Aransas High School Lady Marlins softball team started off its season with a bang, whipping Bloomington, 19-0. Following...
Freshman team takes second at Corpus Christi tourney
Port Aransas High School’s freshman tennis team took second place at the Veterans Memorial JV and Freshman Tournament in Corpus...
UIL academic team takes first place in competitions
Port Aransas High School scored multiple first-place spots at a recent UIL academic competition. The competition was held at Flour...
School board votes contracts, property purchase, calendar
A possible property purchase, the calendar for the 2025-26 school year and administrators’ contracts were on the minds of Port...
Lasagna with a Loved One
Dozens of folks feasted at H.G. Olsen Elementary School’s Lasagna with a Loved One lunch on Thursday, Feb. 13. Students...
Port A residents received fall honors from Sam Houston State
Two Port Aransans received honors for their fall academic achievements from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. Elish Brennan, a...
Slingerland to be inducted
The late Penny Slingerland of Port Aransas will be among folks inducted into the Texas Saltwater Fishing Hall of Fame...
Anglers staying on shore due to weather
The cold windy weather kept most anglers from going out this past week, according to the folks at the docks...
Huge grouper
Matt Rodriguez of San Antonio caught this 210-pound Warsaw grouper on Sunday, Feb. 6. He was on a 56-hour trip...
Faith lets us face life with courage
Pastor’s Pen“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only...
The power of reading
Coffee GirlDo you remember those elementary school days when you were issued a blank list and encouraged to fill it up...
Take care of your heart
State of AffairsThe month of February is designated as Heart Month. This month strives to educate the public about the importance of...
Marlins baseball is going to be fun
Education NotesAs the 2025 baseball season approaches, the excitement in Port Aransas is getting real as our team and the community...
Whooper fest starts Thursday
Birders, nature lovers and photographers will flock to Port Aransas for the 28th Whooping Crane Festival hosted by the Port Aransas Tourism Bureau & Chamber of Commerce. The festival will run Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 20 through 23. The four-day event will feature renowned speakers, birding trips, boating trips, nature tours, photography workshops, a trade show and much more. Folks...
Races emerge for May 3 election
Contested races have emerged for seats on the Port Aransas City Council and Port Aransas ISD Board of Trustees. The deadline to file to run in the May 3 election in Port Aransas was Friday, Feb. 14. School board Three positions on the school board are up for election in May. One is Place 4, held by Cherrie Stunz, who...
Pulling people to Port Aransas
Tourism bureau describes successIn 2024, Port Aransas outperformed other beach tourism destinations in Texas due largely to the efforts of the city’s Tourism Bureau and Chamber of Commerce, according to Brett Stawar. Wednesday, Feb. 12, Stawar, president and CEO of the Port Aransas Tourism Bureau and Chamber of Commerce, and his team held their annual Tourism Summit where they presented their annual report....
Gala fun
Folks enjoyed art, food, drinks, live music and more at the Port Aransas Art Center’s Jazz Gala for Scholarships on the evening of Saturday, Feb. 15. Held to raise money for scholarships for Port Aransas High School seniors, the event reportedly hauled in $20,000.
Results are in for Old-Lympics tourney
Players came from near and far to compete in the 31st Winter Old-Lympics Tennis Tournament on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 15 and 16. Sponsored by the Port Aransas Tennis Association, the tournament fields men’s, women’s and mixed doubles. Partners’ ages must add up to 100 or more. Mixed doubles were played Saturday, and thanks to odd numbers of players for...
Lots of lectures
The Patton Center for Marine Science at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute has been the place to go lately for public lectures on everything from oyster reefs to shipwrecks. Some have been sponsored by UTMSI, while others have come about courtesy of the Port Aransas Museum.
Crab trap cleanup project set to begin
Volunteers who would like to help with the annual effort to remove abandoned crab traps in an upcoming cleanup should make note that the 10-day event will begin on Friday, Feb. 21. During the annual Texas Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program, crabbing season using wire mesh crab traps will be closed through Sunday, March 2, according to a news release...
Parrot Head fun
Deno Fabre, left, chats with Peggy Thomey while others dance to live music at the Spring Phling, put on by the Parrot Heads of Port Aransas at the Civic Center on Saturday, Feb. 8.
Grosse estate awards grant
The Mark Grosse estate recently issued a matching grant for up to $100,000 to the Seaquist House Foundation, according to a news release from the organization. Grosse was a longtime Port Aransas resident who died in January 2024. The Seaquist House Foundation was formed to preserve and restore the Seaquist House, a landmark building in the Hill Country town of...
Library offers survey
If you think you know how the public library in Port Aransas can better serve the public, here’s your chance to make some suggestions. The folks at the William R. “Bill” Ellis Memorial Library are asking residents and visitors to take part in a survey to help guide the library’s future efforts to serve the community. Folks can find the...
Party time
Among those at the Second Saturday at Farley Boat Works on Feb. 8 were, from left, Tammy, Mason and Angie Leyva, all of San Antonio; Dave and Pat Kelsey, both of Indianapolis and Port Aransas; and Ann and Ray Isaia, both of San Antonio. Everyone enjoyed a ‘Souper Bowl’ party that night as folks made a variety of soups, and...
Hunter gets leadership role
State Rep. Todd Hunter, whose district includes Port Aransas, will play a key leadership role during the current legislative session as chairman of the House Committee on Calendars. House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced on Thursday, Feb. 13, that Hunter will lead the Calendars Committee, which considers most bills before they reach the full House of Representatives for a vote. Hunter...
Port A sales tax revenue leaps
The sales tax allocation for sales made in December 2024 in Port Aransas jumped more than 25 percent compared to the same period in 2023, according to the latest information released by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The increase netted a payment for the reporting period of $268,049.54, compared to the December 2023 payment of $213,621.39. The allocations are...
Flags up
Bailey Martin, a groundskeeper for the Parks and Recreation Department, installs a flag down Alister Street Friday, Feb. 14. The department placed flags all over town in celebration of President’s Day Monday Feb. 17.
Former Port Aransas students seek funding to produce short film
Two college students who grew up in Port Aransas are seeking the public’s help with funding for a short film they’re making . Zach Parker and Paul Snow are radio-television film majors who are set to graduate this spring from the University of Texas at Austin. The film they’re making is required work for a course they’re taking called Undergraduate...
Shoppers find bargains at Citywide Garage Sale
Bargain hunters hit the streets early on Saturday, Feb. 15, for the annual Citywide Garage Sale. Folks looking for household items, clothing, tools, décor, fishing equipment and more shopped at residences and businesses looking for deals. Shoppers also visited the Community Center where folks had set up tables holding sales inside.
Trolley on tour
During its Oct. 28, 1996 meeting, the Coastal Bend Regional Tourism Council took an unusual lunch break. After a morning of meetings at the Pelican Condominium in Port Aransas, they boarded the RTA trolley with their sack lunches and let Jessie Trevino do the driving as they enjoyed the sights of Port Aransas. Shown here, barely visible from the windows,...
