By STEVE HATHCOCK
Moments in Time is a collection of recovered newspaper briefs and other publications, compiled by local historian, Steve Hathcock, offering a look back at the history of the Rio Grande Valley. Steve Hathcock is a local historian and a regular columnist for the Port Isabel South Padre Press. He has spent many years collecting and sharing the history of the Rio Grande Valley, as well as treasure hunting and formerly owning an Island-based bookstore.
She Rescues Turtles
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TEXAS—Knock on Ila Loetscher’s front door and prepare for a cultural shock. Ten-to-one, the hostess with the “moistest” turtles on Padre Island will meet her guests in the company of W. K. Tar Ball, an Atlantic green turtle festively attired in a dainty pink dress and auburn wig perch rakishly over her beady little eyes.
And ten-to one, senior citizen Ila will be festively attired in a wetsuit and Wellingtons. “Come on in, don’t be shy,” she invites wary beach strollers, inclined to back off from what seems a thoroughly daffy situation.
“Come in and have a nice drink of thirsty turtle cider. Just made a fresh batch this morning.” Those who do venture into the lecture domain soon discover neither Ila nor her oceanfront household are as daffy as they appear at first sight. The little gray-haired turtle lady of South Padre Island is a serious conservationist and founder of Sea Turtle, Inc., a group of volunteers who help endangered sea turtles find suitable nesting spots and establish new rookeries on the Texas coast. (Medicine Hat News, Apr 2, 1982, Medicine Hat, Alberta)
Editor’s note: Tar Ball was an exceptionally distressed sea turtle when he was fortunate enough to come under Ila’s care in 1979. Having swum through an oil spill, the poor creature looked like a big ball of tar, hence, his name. Two boys had brought him to Ila, and it took six hours to clean the tar off of him. His eyes were burned, and he had swallowed tar, but Ila knew what to do. Feeding him a diet of lettuce to flush his system clean, she brought him back to health. As Ila remarked afterward, “He recovered, but he just won’t eat lettuce anymore.”
New South Padre Island Condominium Due With 185 Units
The Breakers, a condominium with 185 luxury apartments designed for permanent residents, has just been announced for South Padre Island by John Canfield, developer. Construction of this $12M project should begin this summer.
The project architects are Swanson, Heister, Wilson, and Claycomb Inc. of Dallas and Brownsville. Project sales will be handled by Bud, Franke and Sons Inc. on South Padre Island. The general contractor is yet to be selected.
Located just north of the new causeway, the project features large gulf-front apartments in the combination of low-rise and high-rise structures within indoor parking, indoor-outdoor pools, saunas, restaurants, club, and other facilities for the resident needs.
This new landmark for South Padre Island is to be built on 300 feet of Gulf frontage with 32 two, and three-bedroom apartments in a low-rise structure. These apartments range in size from 1250 square feet to 1650 square feet. Long-range plans call for an additional 154 one, two, and three-bedroom apartments in a 14-story tower. These will range from 900 square feet to 1760 square feet. The first three floors will house garages, and the 11 residential floors will feature an enclosed mall atrium. (San Benito News, April 25, 1973).
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