The Islander - Clear Lake Shores Civic Club

The Islander 

Clear Lake Shores Civic Club Newsletter 

November 2011 

Nov. 3 

7PM 

Civic Club 

Dec. 2 

Christmas 

Party 

Nov. 12 

11AM 11AM-2PM 11AM 2PM 

Island 

Thanksgiving 

Dinner 

Dec. 1 

7PM 

Civic 

Club

Your Neighbor and Realtor 

FOR SALE/Narcissus 

Shanna McGinty 

Buyer’s Resource Star Realty 

281-772-7716 

shannamcginty@yahoo.com 

Family owned and locally operated business since 1984 

My Featured Listings 

FOR SALE/Narcissus 

FOR SALE/Clear Lake Rd 

FOR SALE or LEASE/Oak 

FOR SALE/Oak 

“Providing that personal resident to resident touch” 

The Islander page 2 November 2011

Presidents Message 

By Dennis Roberson 

Well it’s November and we have a little cool 

down in the temperatures, and got a nice rain. 

October was a busy month, but a good one. 

The last Jammin’ on Jarboe was great, the 

band was good and the dance floor was full. National Night 

Out was a success thanks to everyone who pitched in and 

helped on that and a big thank you to Target for donating the 

food and drinks. The Spaghetti Dinner went off without a 

hitch and the spaghetti was so good. Thank you to all the cooks 

who spent Friday evening and Saturday afternoon getting it all 

ready and the folks who helped serve and clean up afterwards. I 

just can’t say enough thank yous and kudos to the folks who 

volunteer their time to help do things for our little island. 

We have our annual Thanksgiving Dinner coming up on 

Saturday November 12 from 11 till 2 and the cost is $10.00 for 

the adults and $5.00 for the kids. We still need several 

volunteers to help with the turkey pulling Saturday morning and 

a couple of cooks to help get everything cooked up Saturday 

morning. This is the big event of the year so come on out and 

have some great food and bring a friend or relative with you. 

This is the one event that has been going on the longest so come 

on out and enjoy a great meal fixed by your island friends. 

The 2nd Annual Christmas party is Friday December 2nd 

from 8:00 pm till midnight, the band will be Spiny Norman a 

good little dance band, they played at the last Jammin’ on 

Jarboe. The party last year was a great time so plan on coming 

out this year and dancing the night away. There will be 

refreshments for you and the Suds Tub with the Margarita 

Machine will be there too. 

The Civic Club meeting will be Thursday November 3rd so 

bring a covered dish at 7:00 and visit with your friends and 

neighbors and bring your ideas for what the Civic Club can do. 

This is your club and without you giving your input we don’t 

know what you would like. One of the ideas we will be 

discussing is a Casino Night with crap tables, roulette tables, 

Texas Hold’em Poker and Blackjack tables. So come on out 

and put in your ideas. 

Have a great November and very Happy Thanksgiving — 

remember we have a lot to be thankful for living in our little 

slice of Paradise, even with all that has gone on this year. I can 

think of a lot worse places to have been in 2011. 

Editor’s Corner 

By Pam House 

As we prepare for the holiday season, 

maybe it’s time to remember that there is a 

lot of good that comes from coming 

together for community events and 

celebrations. In reviewing the history of Clear Lake Shores as 

reflected in past Islanders and as gleaned from the stories of 

those who have lived here for many years, it is clear that we are 

just like any other small community and have often been torn 

by controversies. Throughout those controversies, the Civic 

Club has been a place where those differences have been set 

aside to embrace our common desires to enjoy this special place 

that we live. This spirit of commitment to community has 

overridden the tempests over policy and personality that 

periodically rock the city’s tranquility. 

Our Islander archives go back to 1978 – older issues were 

apparently lost in one of the island floods many years ago. In 

that oldest surviving October Islander, the Civic Club Annual 

Turkey Dinner is already referred to as several years old. 

How wonderful that some traditions can continue to unite us. 

As we go to press, they’re still seeking a few more good folks 

to help – particularly cooks and ―turkey pullers‖ for Saturday 

morning. If you can help, you can contact Elaine Sokoloff or 

Dennis Roberson (contact information on page 5). 

This month we want to say a special thank you to Al Burns 

for his help in preparing some of the ads. Many of our 

advertisers ask us to compose their advertisements. Helle 

Brown does a wonderful job, but Mike Pons has been so 

successful in luring new advertisers, she was overwhelmed. Al 

Burns took on the job of creating the two most complex ads, 

Jackie's Brickhouse and T-Bone Toms. Thank you, Al. 

Pats and Pans 

A place to sing the praises or bemoan the 

flaws of your fellow islanders. Signed non 

-political submissions are welcome. 

� A huge thanks to all that helped with National Night Out. 

It was great to see the police officers, many residents 

(young and old) and council having fun. I wish I had names 

of those that coordinated this very successful evening, 

but I don't. Go Target! — Suzanne Hubbard 

� Hip..Hip...Hoorah! Three cheers for all of those very 

hardworking folks who made the Spaghetti Dinner so 

delicious and wonderful: including Mike McNamara, 

Allen Cruthirds, Al Burns, Richard Sowrey, Elaine 

Sokoloff, Beverley Emans (who couldn’t actually attend 

but decorated the tables with inspired use of pasta!), Jan 

Finnerty and many others. — Civic Club 

The First Thanksgiving 1621, oil on canvas by Jean Leon 

Gerome Ferris (1863–1930). The painting shows common 

misconceptions about the event that persist to modern 

times: Pilgrims did not wear such outfits, and the 

Wampanoag are dressed in the style of Plains Indians. 



The Islander is a non-profit, non partisan newsletter, written 

and published by the CLS Civic Club to promote cohesiveness 

and unity in our community. 

The purpose of the newsletter is to inform CLS citizens of 

island news and events, to provide a forum for positive dialogue, 

and to encourage submission of unbiased letters and 

articles, under the guidelines of the Civic Club bylaws and 

policies. Signed articles, announcements, ideas for publication 

must be submitted to the editor by the 15th of each 

month by e-mail, telephone or in the Islander box at the 

City Hall. The Civic Club reserves the right to edit for 

style, policy and space. 

City Web Site: www.clearlakeshores-tx.gov 

Civic Club Website: www.clscivicclub.com 

Webmaster: Brian Hanby 

webmaster@clscivicclub.com 

Civic Club Memberships: 

$20.00 per family - Renewals due July 4 

Contacts 

Civic Club Officers: 

President: Dennis Roberson 979.587.0826 

dr_roberson@yahoo.com 

VP: Samantha Fisher 832.567.1677 

vicepresident@clscivicclub.com 

Secretary: Jan Finnerty secretary@clscivicclub.com 

Treasurer: Elaine Sokoloff 713.805.1200 (cell) 

epsokoloff@gmail.com 

Islander Staff: 

Editor: Pam House 281.334.1174 

editor@clscivicclub.com 

Assistant Editor: Helle Brown 281.334.5104 

hellebrown@msn.com 

Ad Manager: Mike Pons 281.538.7413 

ads@clscivicclub.com 

Proof Reader: Arline Laughter 281.334.7487 

Gardening Tips: Julie Moncur 281.334.1411 

gardening@clscivicclub.com 

Yard of the Month: Judy Young 281.334.2078 

jlycy@comcast.com 

Island People & Places Candace Mann 832.628.6266 

cmannrealtor@yahoo.com 

The Market Report: Carol Trono ctrono@gmail.com 

Island Cooking: Susan Perez 281.508.8592 

perezsusan61@gmail.com 

Wining and Dining Ronnie Richards 281.797.1970 

ronnie@hstr.com 

Playing in the Parks Bud Solmonsson sheldonsolm@earthlink.net 

Pet Liaison: Lezlie Cates Smith: 832.221.1233 

City Services 

City Hall: 281.334.2799 

CLS Police: 281.334.1034 

CLS Dispatch 281.538.0659 #2 

Municipal Court: 281.334.0697 

Utilities 

WCID#12: 281.334.3331 

Reliant Electric: 713.207.7777 

CenterPoint for gas leak: 888.876.5786 

Verizon Telephone 800.837.4966 

AmeriWaste, Inc: 281.331.8400 

Comcast—Cable 800.266.2278 

Emergency Services 

Emergency only 911 

Poison Control 1.800.poison1 

Fire Department (Kemah) 281.538.5727 

Hospitals 

Christus St. John 281.333.5503 

Clear Lake Regional Med. Center 281.332.2511 

Schools 

Stewart Elementary 281.284.4700 

Bayside Intermediate 281.284.3000 

Clear Creek High School 281.284.2300 

Clear Falls High School 218.284.1100 

Community Services 

Helen Hall Library 281.554.1111 

Galveston Mosquito Control 800.842.5622 

Business Ads: Deadline: 15th of each month. All ads must 

be paid in advance. Dec/Jan is a combined issue. 

Classified Ads: $5.00 for 5 lines 

Ad Rates Black & White 

SIZE 3 ISSUES 6 ISSUES YR (11 ISSUES) 

Business card $50 $ 90 $130 

1/4 Page $80 $150 $220 

1/2 Page $110 $215 $330 

Full Page $200 $385 $660 

Color 

SIZE 3 ISSUES 6 ISSUES YR (11 ISSUES) 

Business card $60 $105 $165 

1/4 Page $95 $175 $275 

1/2 Page $130 $240 $380 

Full Page $225 $430 $700 

Inserts $50 per/issue 

Payments may be mailed to: 

Clear Lake Shores Civic Club, The Islander 

931 Cedar St., Clear Lake Shores, Texas 77565 

Or put into the Civic Club mailbox at City Hall 


NEW AD 

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281-334-9017 

800 Bradford 

Kemah, TX 77565 

TequilaMiaRestaurant.com 

Fri & Sat: Live Music 

Sun: Brunch 10:30 –3:00 

Thurs: Mexican Bingo 

Downstairs Bar Open, Serving Beer & Ritas 

The Islander page 6 November 2011 

NEW AD



November 2011 

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 

1 

7PM 

City Council 

6 7 8 

7PM EDC 

13 14 15 

7PM 

City Council 

20 21 22 

2 3 

7PM 


4 5 

9 10 11 12 Island 

16 17 

27 28 29 30 Dec. 1 

7PM 


Civic Club Potluck & Meeting 

Date: Thursday November 3 

Time: Potluck 7pm 

Meeting 7:30pm 

Place: Club House 

A — K Entrees 

L — R Veggies & Salads 

S — Z Desserts 

Island Thanksgiving Dinner — November 12 

Eat In or Carry Out 

11 AM to 2 PM 

Club House 

Island Christmas Party — December 2 

Party In or Party Out (Tents will cover the back deck) 

8-12 PM 


18 19 

23 24 25 26 

Dec. 2 

Christmas 

Party 

Ladies’ Lunch 

See You at the Island Thanksgiving Dinner 

Saturday, November 12 

YOGA at the Club House 

Most Wednesdays at 7 pm 

Most Thursdays (except Civic Club Night) at 6:30 pm 

ZUMBA ® at the Club House 

Most Wednesdays at 6:30 pm 

Please contact beth.atherton@conocophillips.com or Beth at 

713.444.9312 for notice of schedule changes 

$5 / month donation suggested 

Farmers Market at Clear Lake Shores 

9AM — 1PM Every Saturday 

Thanksgiving 

Dinner!! 


Thank you 

Capt Mike & Bonnie 

for supporting the Islander 


CLS Annual 

Civic Club 2011 

Thanksgiving Dinner 

November 12, 2011 

11:00 AM To 2:00 PM 

The Club House 

$10 per Adult 

$5 per Child 

Dessert $1 Extra 

Thanksgiving Fare Menu 

Roast Turkey 

Civic Club Corn Bread Dressing 

Mashed Potatoes 

Giblet Gravy 

Country Green Beans 

Candied Yams 

Spiced Cranberry Sauce 

Hot Rolls & Butter 

Tea and Coffee 

TEEN JOB CLASSIFIED 

Arielle Zakarian Age 16 — BS, PS, PT, HS 

832.864.3385 

Lindsey Hightower Age 19 — BS, PS, T, HS 

409.392.4129 

Gavin Klusendorf Age 16 — BS, PS, LC, PT 

281.334.3239 or cell 281.235.9826 

Breezy Knight Age 15 — BS, PS, HS, PT 

913.636.6323 

Calyn Hoerner Age 14 — BS, PS, PT 

713.410.8749 Mom cell 281.229.3661 my cell 

Miranda Mills Age 16 — BS, PS, RCS 

918.810.9986 (Miranda) 918.810.5104 (Mom –Jodi) 

Mason Hackett Age 17 — BS, PS, T, LC, PT, HS 

281.957.9730 

Madelyn Cataldo Age 15 -- PS, PT 

281.639.4890 (Mom) or 281.740.9737 (Madelyn) 

Form for Teen Classified 

Free of Charge 

Please circle the appropriate box (es) 

BS– Babysitter PS-Pet Sitter 

T-Tutor LC-Lawn Care 

PT-Plant Tending HS-House Sitting 

RCS-*Red Cross Certified 

Name_________________________________ 

Age_________ Birth date m/y____________ 

Phone_________________________________ 

Put in Civic Club Post Box at City Hall Annex by the 

16th of each month. 

Any changes in teen classified ads such as age or phone 

number? Please email to Pam House at 

editor@clscivicclub.com 

Notice: The Islander is not responsible 

for any services or merchandise 


Island Gardening Tips 

By Julie Moncur 

Finally some rain and spells of cooler 

weather! Now we can get back to a more 

regular schedule of gardening chores 

that we should normally do in fall. 

� Slugs come back with vengeance with cool, wet weather. 

Keep leaves and litter raked up so slugs will have fewer 

places to hide and less vegetation to feed upon. Think of 

composting the leaves or using for mulch in flower and 

garden beds. Pine needles are the best for plants that need 

high nitrogen. 

� Set out pansy and viola transplants. Also set out dianthus, 

stock, candytuft, calendula and alyssum. 

� Most cactus and succulent plants need very little water at 

this time of year. Adjust your watering schedule. 

� Don’t fertilize newly planted trees and shrubs. Wait until 

next spring after plants put on new growth, then lightly 

fertilize with 15-5-10 or a water soluble fertilizer. 

� Before bringing houseplants indoor for the winter check 

them for signs of scale, mealy bugs and spider mites and 

even hitch hiking lizards and other bugs and slugs! 

� Make sure plants are well watered before a freeze and 

prepare covers for tender plants: mulch, news-papers or 

cloth. 

� Time to dig up caladium tubers as the foliage completely 

dies back. Store in open mesh bags in the garage or 

storage area. 

� For areas too shaded for St. Augustine, try star or Asian 

jasmine, ajuga, monkey grass, vinca or Algerian ivy. 

� Fall fertilization of your lawn is very beneficial. If you’ve 

not yet done so, do it soon for the best results. Also, great 

time to spread pre-emergent herbicides to prevent weeds 

in the spring. Check local nurseries for different brands. 

There is even one called Amaze that works to prevent 

grassy weeds in flower bed. 

� Outside bulbs to plant: amaryllis, crocus ,daffodils, 

freesias, leucojum, muscari, zephranthes and sparaxis. 

� Bulbs to plant indoors in pebbles or water: tulips, paperwhite 

narcissus, hyacinths and crocus mid-month. 

� Set out bluebonnet transplants by end of the month for 

plants to be well established before onset of cold weather. 

� Put out seeds of cornflower, larkspur and poppies. 

� This is a very good time to plant trees. It will give them 

plenty of time to develop roots and get well established 

before the onset of next summer’s hot dry weather. If soil 

is mostly clay put sand in bottom f the hole to help with 

drainage. 

� Mid-month is good to prune oaks and other shade trees 

now through the end of January. 

� If your lawn had brown patch fungus this fall, expect it 

next spring and use preventive fungicide treatments. 

Repeat in 30 days from treatment. 

� Don’t remove spent rose blossoms. Leave them on to help 

rose bushes go into winter dormancy. 

� Ryegrass can still be planted to green up St. Augustine 

lawns or to reduce erosion. Either perennial or annual rye 

will do. 

� Most houseplants are tropicals. Bring tender types indoors 

when temperatures drop to the low 60’s. 

� Hardy hibiscus return from roots in the spring. So don’t 

chuck the dead looking sticks-they will likely come back! 

� Feed pansies bone meal and blood meal. Keep 2 inch vases 

for fresh blooms or float them in a shallow dish. Press your 

favorites or fill a picture frame with them. 

� MULCH, MULCH, MULCH!!!!!!!!! 

HAPPY ISLAND GARDENING! 

Helen Hall Library in League City hosts 

Antiques Roundtable, 

a group of antique enthusiasts who meet 

on the first Monday of the month at 1:00 PM. 

On Monday, November 7 

from 1:00 – 2:00 PM, 

Chuck Rosen will speak about 

Photography: Old Cameras and Old Photos. 

Call Helen Hall Library’s Adult Services desk at 

281.554.1101 for more information. 

Visit online at www.leaguecitylibrary.org. 

Ah Spaghetti! 

By Allen Cruthirds 

The Civic Club was at it again on Saturday 

October 15 as Big Mike McNamara stirred up a 

huge pot of Italian meat sauce that was meant for a 

King and his court, and the tables were filled with 

his willing subjects. Using her artistic abilities an English lady 

had set the tables in a most fashionable and clever way. 

The delicious sauce served on a generous helping of spaghetti 

along with a tasty salad and garlic bread caused juices to run 

down the sides of the mouths as those gathered for the feast 

shoveled in more. A napkin was needed here and there, but 

who cared? They just could not help themselves, and there was 

no one to point a finger of blame for they were all as guilty 

as…. sin. 

Oh what a web Mike wove as he had them right where he 

wanted, and his willing accomplices all smiled amongst 

themselves, and patted each other on the back for they too were 

a necessary part of this 

festive occasion. Candles 

were glowing while red 

wine flowed and some 

white too. Dean Martin, 

Frank Sinatra, and Andrea 

Bocelli serenaded them all, and Miss Val even danced for a 

moment with a persuasive passerby. 

So went Spaghetti Night. Maybe this little evening affair will 

cause a sort of Renaissance of healing for our Little Slice of 

Paradise. If you missed it there is always next time, but for 

those in attendance the cheerful cry was….let’s do it again. 

Amore! 


Saturday 

Oct 15th, 2011 

6-8 pm 



National 

Night 

Out 

Oct 4th 

2011 

Check out more photos by Rick Fisher on www.clscivicclub.com 


Remembering Veterans Day 

World War I – known at the time as ―The Great War‖ - 

officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on 

June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of 

Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months 

earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, 

between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the 

eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For 

that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the 

end of ―the war to end 

all wars.‖ 

In November 1919, 

President Wilson 

proclaimed November 

11 as the first 

commemoration of 

Armistice Day with 

the following words: 

"To us in America, the 

r e f l e c t i o n s o f 

Armistice Day will be 

filled with solemn 

pride in the heroism of 

those who died in the 

country’s service and 

with gratitude for the 

victory, both because 

of the thing from 

which it has freed us 

and because of the 

opportunity it has 

given America to 

show her sympathy 

with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…" 

The original concept for the celebration was for a day 

observed with parades and public meetings and a brief 

suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m. 

An Act of Congress approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th 

of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be 

dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter 

celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was 

How Well Do You Know 

Your Island? 

Check Page 22 -- for the location. 

primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but 

in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest 

mobilization of soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen in the 

nation’s history; after American forces had fought in Korea, the 

83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans’ service 

organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the 

word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word 

"Veterans." With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 

1954, November 11th became a day to honor American 

veterans of all wars. 

Later that same year, on October 8th, President Dwight D. 

Eisenhower issued the first "Veterans Day Proclamation" which 

stated: "In order to insure proper and widespread observance of 

this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and 

the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common 

purpose.‖ 

The Uniform Holiday Act was signed on June 28, 1968, and 

was intended to ensure three-day weekends for federal 

employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: 

Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and 

Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends 

would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and 

stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. 

The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with 

much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that 

the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and 

patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so 

on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed the 

law which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to 

its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This 

action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of 

state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and 

the American people. 

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, 

regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The 

restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 

not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but 

helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: 

A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, 

love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the 

common good. 

Source: Dept. of Veterans Affairs Web Site: www.va.gov 


281-557-5551 

butlerscourtyard.com 

122 Michigan Ave 

League City, TX 77573 

Cell: 713-857-2557 


Getting to Know You 

Say hello to Clear Lake Shores Police Officer Nicholas Yeley 

(pronounced Eely). Officer Yeley was brought up in the land of 

freezing winters: Bozeman, Montana. 

After serving in the Navy (Master at Arms, Second Class) 

Yeley moved to the great state of Texas—his wife is from 

here—and began to thaw out. After graduating from the 

College of the Mainland, he came to work for our city on July 

20, 2010. 

Be sure to give that friendly Texas wave when you see him 

patrolling our city streets. Nick, we are glad to have you here. 

Town Center Update from EDC President 

The Town Center project continues to make measured 

progress. If you would like to review the approved landscape 

and hardscape design concept visit the City web site and click 

on the Town Center section. The revised architect’s 

presentation is available along with the public comments from 

the Design Review Workshop and responses to those 

comments. 

The streets and drainage work in the area should be 

completed by the time you receive this newsletter. This 

significant improvement in infrastructure has already started 

things moving in the right direction. First it has sparked interest 

by a current significant property owner in developing a new 

restaurant concept that will enhance the lifestyle of our 

residents while putting more sales tax dollars in the city’s bank 

account. In addition when we had the recent six-inch rain, 

drainage was significantly improved in the area and the roads 

didn’t look like a hog-wallow. And last but not least, Skipper’s 

has removed the entire back section of the junkyard style 

corrugated sheet metal fencing to open up the area and 

eliminate an eyesore. 

The next step in the Town Center development involves the 

architects and engineers providing an estimate for the 

construction design package. Once this is approved they will 

provide a more detailed design for review. The next regularly 

scheduled EDC board meeting is November 8th at 7pm. Hope 

to see you there. 

Ronnie Richards — President, EDC 

Island People and Places 

By Candace Mann 

Comings and Goings 

Welcome home Greg Stanfield to your personal 

paradise! Greg is a 46 yr old, single guy 

who loves to do the cooking!! (Allan and Glen will be happy to 

hear that). He is moving here from Atascocita but is no 

stranger to the island. He now lives in the new home on Dogwood. 

Greg is in the offshore catering business. He and his two 

children, Clayton (13) and Madison (11) love our island lifestyle. 

He's a fun guy and if you’re not careful, you might come 

by for the BBQ but stay for the bourbon ;). 

Joe and Deanna Luprete moved into a house on Queen; they 

moved here from Pasadena. Joe works as a territory manager 

for U.S. Food servicing restaurants in the Bay Area. Additionally, 

he is a musician\drummer; he currently plays with a classic 

rock band called Trial by Fire. Look for them at T-Bone 

Tom's on Nov 4th. 

Deanna attends The College of Biblical Studies working on a 

degree in theology with a minor in organizational leadership. 

She is on staff at Canvas Church in Montrose as Minister of 

Evangelism. They have three adult children: their daughter 

Kristen lives at home and their two sons live in the Bay Area in 

Northern California. They lived in Jamaica Beach pre-Ike. 

Deanna is from Venice Beach, California, and Clear Lake 

Shores makes her feel at home. They love it here! 

Local Real Estate News 

Houston temperatures finally cooled a bit in September, but 

home sales remained hot! Sales of single-family homes climbed 

nearly 17 percent when compared to one year earlier and accounted 

for the fourth consecutive month of increased sales 

volume. The prices of those homes achieved all-time highs for 

September. 

On our island for the past 3 months we’ve had: 

SOLD: 4 Homes 

1 Rental 

PENDING: 5 Homes 

9 Rentals 

1 Lot 

ACTIVE: 20 Homes 

3 Rentals 

15 Lots 

Fall is the perfect time to take care of little things that can 

make a big difference for you and your home. Deep clean now 

to take advantage of the good weather, and face the coming of 

winter and the approaching holidays with a clean and comfortable 

home! 

Lovin’ this Texas weather! 


Yard of the Month 

By Judy Young 

Standing in front of Judy Boh and 

Jacinda Blossman’s yard at 311 Oak, 

words like jungle, natural, or non sculpted 

might possibly flow through your mind. 

However, if you get a feeling that beyond the part facing the 

street are many lovely surprises, you’d be right. 

Upon a tour of the entire yard, your mind will transform those 

words to new ones like relaxed design, and artistically unique 

which is not surprising since Judy and her daughter, Jacinda, 

are both extremely talented sculpture artists. And, of course, a 

number of Judy’s sculptures are intermingled throughout with 

the plants. Before we move on to the plants, for those on the 

Island who don’t already know, every year an art sale is held at 

their place. It will be the week-end after Thanksgiving plus the 

following Saturday. They have a wonderful studio located right 

there in the garden where they create some really lovely pieces. 

As for the plants, there is no possible way they can all be 

named in this column. I can truthfully say of all the yards I’ve 

written about, this one has by far the largest variety of different 

plants. So we’ll just cover a few of the most unusual. Plus, 

Jacinda seems to share the same philosophy as many of our 

CLS gardeners, including me … if you like it, if it looks good, 

if it grows here, plant it and enjoy it. Remembering the name is 

not of primary importance unless you plan to eat it. 

Starting from the front center, the relatively draught tolerant 

yard is planted with foxtail and yarrow ferns, yellow bulbine, 

pride of Barbados, a row of Barbados cherry, a bay tree, 

jasmine around the mailbox, purslane, vitex, both pink and 

white salvia, butterfly bush, ginger, cuphea (flowers look like 

candy corn), plus a few unknowns including the pretty 

flowering vine growing up the light pole right in front which 

Jacinda designates as simply ―a nice vine‖. Okay… that’s what 

you can see from the street. 

On the right side is what Jacinda calls the sedum/succulent 

section which, along with other various succulents, includes per 

Jacinda some ―funky‖ yuccas with sharp points. Then there’s a 

dwarf magnolia and a livestock watering troth filled with reeds. 

All of this is bordered by a wood fence Jacinda built herself 

which is covered with jasmine, Hawaiian bridal flower vine, 

Rangoon creeper and fronted by two eucalyptus trees. 

A path constructed by Judy and Jacinda of alternating wooden 

walk, paving stones and small wooden decks bordered by large 

decorative stones which serve both as decoration and water 

conservation takes you through the planted areas from the front, 

around the back and returns to the front. There is no grass to 

mow. The entire yard is garden. Growing behind the house in 

the back are crepe myrtle, something Jacinda calls a ―fern shrub 

with thorns‖, fig ivy, ornamental pear, a large leaf palm, tiny 

maple tree, more ginger, Mexican flame vine, philodendron, 

beauty berry, weeping willow, rosemary, red Turks cap, plus a 

plant Jacinda seems particularly fond of since she actually knew 

the name and how to spell it as well – a Lingularia bearing 

very large leaves which blooms yellow flowers in the fall. And 

then there were the two tall Norfolk pine trunks. The pines 

froze but Jacinda likes the trunk bark so only the limbs were 

removed and the trunks remain as garden decorations. 

Coming back around to the front left side there is a small 

vegetable plot with an okra plant bearing very large okra. Since 

waste nothing creative artist Jacinda doesn’t eat okra, she plans 

to dry all it bears and make Christmas ornaments. 

The last plant Jacinda shows me is one she says is a bat faced 

cuphea. The small flowers look like a dark purple face with a 

little white nose and red ears. They actually look pretty much 

like tiny bats. 

ADULT 

CHRISTMAS PARTY 

DATE: Friday 

December 2 

TIME: 8 PM — Midnight 

PLACE: Club House 

LIVE MUSIC PROVIDED BY: 

Spiny Norman 

Tickets: $10.00 Single 

$15.00 Couple 

Dress in Festive Casual Wear 

Bring Your Favorite Finger Food! 

INVITE ALL YOUR FRIENDS 

FOR A NIGHT OF LIVE MUSIC, 

DANCING AND FUN!! 

The Suds Tub with 

Keg & Margarita Machine 

Will be on hand 

Extra Seating on the Deck! 


October 2011 WINNER 

311 OAK 

Jammin’ on Jarboe - Oct 1st— spiny norman band 


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NEW AD 

Did You Know 

Where This 

Was? 

Thank you DC for pointing out this unique piece of 

art in concrete at Shell Bottom Park. 

Introducing our advertising manager/ Islander delivery’s 

newest assistant Zigggareaux, a two month old yellow 

lab whose mother resides in Lazy Bend. 

The SW quadrant of the city may experience slower 

deliveries for the next few months due to the assistant’s 

numerous food, relief, and nap breaks not to mention 

the friendly personal greetings that he feels his cus- 


NEW AD

Island Wining & Dining 

By Ronnie Richards 

Looking for a wonderful lunch or dinner just 

2.5 miles from our Island Paradise? Tuscany 

Bistro should be in your plans. Snuggled in the 

Randall’s strip shopping center, their menu offers sandwiches, 

soups, salads, fresh breads and decadent deserts as well as a 

select wine list. 

Everything served at Tuscany is made fresh daily. My 

favorite is the Salmon Salad at $12.50. It’s a very filling meal 

and healthy. This dish includes a large serving of grilled salmon 

served on a bed of mixed greens with tomatoes, melons and 

strawberries. 

Another lunch favorite of mine is one of their Signature 

Sandwiches called the Mediterranean Melt and featured at 

$11.95. This is a meatless sandwich made with artichoke hearts, 

tomatoes, fresh basil and melted Havarti cheese, served open 

face and warm. It’s the only meatless sandwich I’ll eat but with 

all these great ingredients who needs meat? 

Not that hungry and want to pay a little less without 

sacrificing quality? All of the Deli Sandwiches are excellent. 

Try the Chicken Salad (best seller), Tuna Salad, Egg Salad, 

Turkey Breast, or Smoked Ham. The Large Deli Sandwich on 

made-from-scratch bread is only $7.99 and comes with chips or 

carrot and celery sticks and a pickle. A Small Deli Style 

Sandwich is $7.99 with choice of soup or Little Rabbit salad. A 

Small Deli Sandwich with no sides is only $5.99. 

Honestly I’ve never eaten dinner at Tuscany but it’s high on 

my dining bucket list. The dishes described on the dinner menu 

look delicious. The features include Italian style dishes with 

beef, chicken and salmon to select from. 

They are open for lunch and dinner Mon-Thu 11am to 9pm 

and Friday and Saturday 11am to 10pm. Closed Sundays. 

Tuscany is available for private events and offers custom 

catering services. Visit them online at www.tuscany-bistro.com. 

Don’t forget that the Civic Club has it’s 

own web site: clsciviclub.com where 

you can find copies of current and past 

Islanders 

NEW — the Civic Club now has a 

Facebook page: 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ 

Clear-Lake-Shores-Civic- 

Club/231236073603606 

Some Upcoming Local Holiday Bazaars 

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 2 

The Houston Yacht Club Ladies Association’s 

Holiday Market on the Bay is from 10 a.m. to 3 

p.m. at the Yacht Club, 3620 Miramar Drive in 

Shoreacres. 

FRIDAY, NOV. 4 

The 31st annual Nutcracker Shoppe will be 

from 9 to 5 Friday and 9 to 3 Saturday at Taylor 

Lake Christian Church, 1730 Old Kirby Road, 

Taylor Lake Village. 

The 37th annual Brooks Bazaar will be open 

from 8:30 to 8:30 Friday and 8:30 to 4 Saturday 

in Clear Lake Presbyterian Church’s Celebration 

Hall, 1511 El Dorado. 

Bay Area Houston Fine Arts & Crafts Festival 

from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Arts Alliance Center 

at Clear Lake, 2000 NASA Parkway, in Nassau Bay. 

THURSDAY, NOV. 10 

The three-day Velvet Stocking will be held at 

the Webster Civic Center, 311 Pennsylvania in 

Webster, from 9 to 7 Thursday and 9 to 5 Friday 

and Saturday. 

FRIDAY, NOV. 11 

The three-day Norwegian Christmas Bazaar, 

which brings a bit of Norway to Houston, will 

welcome visitors to its Christmas Market at 4309 

Young St., in Pasadena from 11 to 5 Friday, 10 to 4 

Saturday and noon to 4 Sunday. 

SATURDAY, NOV. 12 

Santa’s Shopping Mall hosted by the United 

Methodist Women at Clear Lake United Methodist 

Church will be open at 16335 El Camino Real in 

Clear Lake from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

SUNDAY, NOV. 13 

St. Mary’s Catholic Church at 816 Park Drive in 

La Porte will host its 60th Anniversary Fall 

Bazaar from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

SATURDAY, NOV. 19 

The Salt Grass Potters will have some 20 artists 

featuring their handmade pottery and sculpture at 

the Holiday Sale in Clear Lake Park from 10 to 5 

Saturday and Sunday. 


Island Cooking 

By Susan Perez 

I love this cooking web site. This is from 

Terri Thompson who is chef and creator of 

this site. All of the recipes and info are from 

the great state of Texas. So check her out and 

see what she has! The Texas Food and Wine Gourmet.com. 

Citrus Salad with Green Chili and Honey Dressing 

The Texas Rio Grande Valley, on the border with Mexico, is 

a major citrus-producing region. The industry is located 

Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy counties. Two varieties of 

grapefruit were developed by Texas A&M University for 

production in the semi-tropical region with fertile soil and 

sunny weather. The Ruby-Sweet and Rio-Star are incredibly 

sweet, red-meat grapefruit varieties. 

The grapefruit got its name from the way it grows in grapelike 

clusters on the trees. It is notoriously good for you, loaded 

with Vitamins C and A. It also contains a phytochemical called 

lycopene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of certain 

cancers. To gild the lily, it is also an excellent source of dietary 

fiber and contains no fat, sodium, or cholesterol! 

When it’s in season during the dreary winter months, I eat it 

ravenously. The grapefruit’s luscious taste conjures up images 

of warm, balmy days. I created this salad, which is a palatestimulating 

combination of citrus and chili, in the fruit’s honor. 

Serves 4 to 6. 

Dressing: (Makes about 2-1/2 cups.) 

1 cup sour ream 

¼ cup honey 

2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard 

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 

Zest and juice of 1 large lemon 

¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley 

6 fresh jalapeño chiles, seeds and veins 

removed, minced 

¼ cup finely chopped onion 

1 teaspoon salt 

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Salad: 

½ head romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn 

into bite-sized pieces 

½ head escarole, torn into bite-sized pieces 

¼ cup mint leaves 

¼ cup cilantro leaves 

1 large ruby-Sweet or Rio-Star grapefruit 

2 medium navel oranges 

1 large ripe Haas avocado, peeled, pitted and 

sliced 

Slivered red onion 

Prepare the dressing at least 8 hours before serving to allow 

time for the flavor to meld together. Combine all ingredients in 

work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Process 

until smooth. Refrigerate. 

When you’re ready to put the salad together, segment the 

grapefruit by slicing off the rind and all the white pith. Then 

cut out the segments of fruit from between the 

membranes. Segment the oranges in the same way. 

Toss the torn romaine and escarole with the mint and cilantro 

leaves. Arrange a bed of the lettuce mix on individual chilled 

serving plates. Drizzle desired portion of the dressing over the 

greens. Arrange some of the grapefruit and orange segments, 

the avocado slices, and slivered onions on each salad. 

Playing in the Parks . . . 

Island Style 

By Bud Solmonsson 

Good afternoon fellow Islanders and what a 

great afternoon it is! Can you believe this 

weather finally? Well, this is our pay back for all 

of those scorching days we had this summer. So now there is no 

excuse or reason for not utilizing our parks. Get out there and 

take a few moments for yourself and enjoy the Island! 

We had our last Parks Committee meeting a few weeks ago 

and discussed several items on the agenda. First, we discussed 

the survey and decided that we need to take some time and 

consolidate the questions which seemed most important and 

address them by reporting our findings to the City Council. 

Next we talked about and motioned to request to the City 

Council that we put signs in every park identifying each park 

and that they all be consistent with each other. We are hoping 

we can come up with an attractive sign for each park which will 

be inviting and look nice. 

We then talked about decorating the bridge again for 

Christmas and decided to ask the City for some additional 

funding to upgrade what we did last year. The City DID give us 

some money last year, but we also used hundreds of dollars of 

our own money and donations from residents. We could use 

volunteers on the day we decorate if any of you out there are 

interested. 

Lastly, we lost one of Committee member (Mike Linbeck) 

due to his work conflict (Thank you Mike for all of your 

support on the Committee) and will be looking for a new 

Committee Member if any of you out there might be interested. 

If you are, just contact me via email or phone at 

sheldonsolm@earthlink.net or 409.789.7310. 

Now with all that said……get out those fishing poles, kayaks, 

boats, and toys and start enjoying the Island and all it has to 

offer. 

Happy Trails! 

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South Shore Harbour 

When you walk into Tuscany Bistro for the first time, you feel as though 

you’ve stepped into a local bistro during a Mediterranean vacation...the 

ambience is Old World, warm and welcoming. Upon taking a peek at their 

menu, you’ll find it to be as interesting and eclectic as the two owners 

themselves, Sandra Howren and Pili Arnao. Together they came up with 

the idea of creating a restaurant that serves fresh, healthy food to their 

friends and guests at Tuscany Bistro. Everything they serve is homemade, 

made from scratch—-they even bake their own bread every morning! 

For a relaxing lunch break, please stop by and enjoy a hearty soup and 

healthy salad and/or one of their delicious Signature Sandwiches such as 

Italian Sub or Tuscany Mango Grilled chicken. And you must sample one 

of their dessert squares—-they are amazing. 

Every day Tuscany Bistro offers an eclectic Daily Special—-it’s always a 

wonderful surprise for everyone! Their mouthwatering Dinner entrees 

include items such as blue Cheese Citrus Chicken, Potato-Crusted Tilapia, 

Salmon Piccatta and Five Star Lasagna. Afterwards, complete your dinner 

with one of their fabulous homemade desserts—-the Tres Leches Cake is 

one of Pili’s specialties! Also available is an extensive wine list to add to 

your dining pleasure. 

Open for Lunch & Dinner 

Monday—Thursday 11 AM—9 PM; Friday-Saturday 11AM-10PM 

Please check out our menu at www.tuscany-bistro.com 

Phone 281.538.8103 

Located at 2951 Marina Bay Drive, Suite 220, League City, TX 77573 

(Randall’s shopping center) Available for Custom Catering & Private Events! 

Live Music Friday Nights 



The Market Report 

By Carol Trono 

We’re having a Halloween Spooktacular on 

October 29th , featuring pumpkins and face 

painting at the Kid's Activity Tent sponsored 

by Regatta Bay Apartments and a doggie 

costume contest sponsored by Bark N Biskit. Prizes will be 

awarded at 11 am for the dog with the best costume, while all 

dogs who are masquerading will get a pumpkin flavored doggie 

treat. 

Also during the Spooktacular, anyone who comes by the 

Market Steering Committee booth and mentions getting our 

weekly email blast or reading about us in The Islander or 

visiting our website will get a 5.00 voucher to be used at any of 

our vendors that day. SPOOKY FANTASTIC, RIGHT? We 

also want to keep reminding Shores and Lazy Bend residents 

that free booth space is always open to them to sell fruits and 

vegetables from their yards and gardens. Just contact Market 

Manager Charlie Hester at charlie@charliehester.com a few 

days before. Residents can have a space and tables under the 

canopy. Thanks! 

Fall/Winter Hours 

The Market will switch to its fall/winter hours on November 

5. Through February; the Market will be open every Saturday 

from 9 am to 1 pm. 

Crafters Return 

Artisans and craft vendors will be at the Market each 

Saturday in November and the first three Saturdays in 

December offering high quality handmade wares such as 

custom screen printed pillows and lampshades, pottery, jewelry, 

and other gift items and home accessories. 

Throughout the fall, our regular vendors are featuring 

pumpkin themed eats and treats, seasonal produce and 

homemade foods. They are also taking special orders for the 

holidays. For more information visit the Market’s website at 

www.farmersmarketatcls.com or visit us on Facebook! 

Salon Imagio Harvests Enough Ponytails for a Market Wig 

October 8, the Market hosted a promotion for Locks of Love. 

Salon Imagio of League City sponsored the Kids’ Activity 

Tent and cut off ponytails and gave free haircuts to volunteer 

donors. Eight ponytails were donated by four ladies – enough to 

make one wig. 

Missy, a cancer survivor herself, donated her newly grown 

hair to this great cause. Imagio Salon stylist Roy Fronsee gave 

her a new style in exchange for the locks. 

Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that provides 

hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from 

long-term medical hair loss. It meets a unique need for children 

by using donated hair to create the highest quality hair 

prosthetics. 

November Music Lineup 

Come out to the Market November 

5 to enjoy the island music of Cap’n 

Rick. Other performers in November 

are JT on the 12th, Michael Orta on 

the 19th, and Ben Reyna on 

November 26. 

Clear Lake Shores 

September Police Blotter 

911 Calls 2 

Accidents 0 

Alarms 10 

Ambulance 4 

Animal / Humane 9 

Arrests 8 

Assaults 0 

Assist Motorist / Citizens 12 

Assist Other Agency 4 

Burglary / BMV 1 

Business / Residential Checks 154 

City Ordinance Violations 3 

Civil Process 1 

Criminal Trespass 2 

Disturbances 10 

Fire Department 0 

Follow-Up / Special Assignment 7 

Forgery / Fraud 2 

Harassment 0 

Juvenile / CPS / Referrals 1 

Missing / Found / Recovered Property 0 

Suspicious Persons / Circumstances 18 

Thefts 9 

Unauthorized Use of Motor Vehicles 3 

Total Calls For Service 257 

Please help us in welcoming our newest addition to the Clear 

Lake Shores Police Department, Officer Simon Torres. 

Officer Torres is new to law enforcement and previously has 

been working in the Medical field, particularly, sports 

medicine. 

He will begin in the month of November. Welcome, Officer 

Simon Torres! 

We also would like to remind everyone that after hours and 

on the weekends our police phone lines roll over to the 

Galveston County Sheriff's Department. Once the automated 

system answers, Press 2, and you will be routed to the 

dispatcher. Please remember, if it is an EMERGENCY, dial 

911.

The Islander - Clear Lake Shores Civic Club

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