Remember to check out the Harbor Oaks Rockport website! We are still looking for submissions for the monthly newsletter and the website! We'd love to see some great fishing pictures and we especially need recipe submissions!
Villa, Hattman sworn in; mayor selection coming in November
Rockport Mayor Pat Rios, at the Rockport City Council’s regular meeting Tuesday, May 26, presented Certificates of Election to Ward 2 Councilman J.D. Villa and Ward 4 Councilwoman Andrea Hattman.
Villa ran unopposed in the May 2 General Election. Hattman also ran unopposed, and fills the seat vacated by Barbara Gurtner. Gurtner did not seek reelection.
Rios then administered the Oath of Office to the two council members.
The council then unanimously approved the re-election of Villa to the Mayor Pro-tem post.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the May 2 election was postponed to the Nov. 3 uniform election date. Villa and Hattman ran unopposed, and were thus declared elected.
Rios will face challenger Keith W. Allen in the Nov. 3 election for the mayor’s post.
Source: The Rockport Pilot
Wendell Family Fireworks seeks donations to support the show!
If you’ve ever been in Aransas County on the Fourth of July, chances are very good you have watched in awe the Wendell Family Fireworks show. It is a tradition started by the late Jerry and Jan Wendell back in 1965. Jerry passed away in January 2001. When Jan died in May 2011, the Wendell family went to work behind the scenes to ensure the future of the annual fireworks display.
In May 2012 the Wendell Family Fireworks Fund was incorporated under Texas State Law as a nonprofit corporation, under the new name Wendell Family Fund. The IRS approved its 501(c)3 designation in July 2013.
Excess funds collected by the Wendell Family Fund (above that which is deemed necessary as carryover for the following year) can be distributed to other non-profit organizations.
The first Wendell fireworks were shot off on July 4, 1965 when Jerry and Jan were entertaining a group of family and friends at their new home on East Linden.
The next year they did it again, but on a larger scale. So large, in fact, the display attracted onlookers who parked along the road to watch them. The Wendells then made the decision to secure a place in Rockport to shoot off the fireworks so the entire community could view them.
The first public display was based on a vacant lot on Key Allegro. That lot, owned by the late Ed Harper and Bill Christian, faced Little Bay. It drew a large crowd of people lining the roads to watch.
It became apparent the event was something the residents of Rockport appreciated.
Jerry’s next move was to get pyrotechnic certification and to begin using professional-grade fireworks to make the show much more spectacular. When his sons Wayde and Shawn were old enough, they too became certified pyrotechnicians and participated in the launching of the fireworks. The display grew more and more sophisticated, using larger mortars and more spectacular fireworks.
The fireworks display began to draw such large crowds Jerry approached the late Bobby Landrum of the Aransas County Navigation District, requesting permission to launch the fireworks from Rockport Beach Park, over little Bay. That action also had to be approved by the City of Rockport, as well as the State of Texas.
Once the location change was made, the show began to generate even larger crowds. Jerry and his sons started to increase the size and quality of the fireworks.
In the 1970s, Key Allegro developer Carl Krueger asked Jerry’s permission to send letters to the residents of Key Allegro, and to local businesses, soliciting donations to help defer expenses. Jerry was reluctant at first, but after much persistence by Krueger, he relented.
The response was overwhelming. The generous support for residents, the business community, and visitors allowed the Wendell fireworks tradition to evolve into an outstanding display, celebrating our most treasured American holiday – the Fourth of July.
With the formation of the nonprofit Wendell Family Fund, and the continued financial support of the community, the annual Wendell family fireworks display will continue to create memories for residents and visitors.
Wayde, Shawn, Jill and extended family member George (Jorge) More are continuing the Wendell Family Fireworks tradition, generation after generation in honor of their parents Jerry & Jan Wendell who started this tradition in 1965. With gratitude to the community and donors from around the State and beyond for their generous support which has allowed this show to continue in celebration of Independence Day.
Over the years, the show has grown tremendously as a privately funded event due to your continued support. We hope that you will again consider being one of our donors. We would also like to remind you that we are a 501 ( c ) 3 public charity and your donation is fully tax deductible.
Fishing Report From Captain Robert Hamilton with Aransas Bay Fishing Charters
Captain Robert Hamilton has been fishing Texas coastal waters for 40 years, and has been a Coast Guard licensed guide in Rockport, TX since 1987. He primarily fishes in the Rockport area in Aransas, Carlos, Redfish, Copano, Corpus Christi, Nueces, Mesquite, and San Antonio Bay’s. Guess what? He's also a long-time Harbor Oaks Resident! He will provide some fishing tips and reports for our monthly newsletter and blog!
This month Robert provides us with a fish recipe!
1.25 pounds fresh fish (redfish, trout, flounder, etc...)
juice of half a lime
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon smoked sea salt, such as Maldon (optional)
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
¼ cup pepitas (salted, roasted pumpkin seeds), roughly chopped
Method
Heat oven to 385 degrees.
Wash and pat fish dry and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Squeeze juice of half a lime and drizzle melted butter over the fish. Mix the remaining (7) dry ingredients, including nuts, together in a bowl until well combined. Spread the mixture evenly over the fish and press to form a crust.
Cook on 385 degrees for 15 minutes, then heat to a broil and cook 2 more minutes, watching carefully so the nuts don't burn.
The state issued a directive opening all beaches on Friday, May 1 with social distancing recommendations. This includes Rockport Beach, boat ramps and launch areas which were previously closed as part of our community's response to COVID-19. Gov. Abbott has urged Texans to continue following health guidance from the CDC and the state, including maintaining social distancing, avoiding crowds, limiting physical contact and using face coverings in public to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Restaurants and shops are open with restrictions, see the links below for more information!
* Stay at least 6 ft. (about 2 arm's length) from other people
* Do not gather in large groups. Stay out of crowded places
* Bring hand sanitizers. Use upon entering and exiting any facility
* Face coverings are recommended
The City and the Chamber of Commerce have additional information on their respective websites:
There is a list of 51 things to do in Rockport-Fulton, we will feature one item right here in each email. Not every place on the list is open, but watching the sunset certainly is!
Rockport Sunset
Copano Bay is an excellent place to catch a world-class Rockport Sunset. The image above was taken on private land, but the shore along Copano Bay across from the airport is a great public place to park and watch the stunning Rockport sunset! Click here to find the sunset time.
The Harbor Oaks Community Newsletter is only as good as its contributions, if you'd like to contribute a recipe, a tip, or a photo of that huge redfish you caught send it to hopoa@harboroaksrockport.com.
