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| TIKI ISLAND PAPER | AUGUST 2020 | 1 |

TIKI ISLAND PAPERTIKI ISLAND PAPERA U G U S T 2 0 2 0 I S S U E 3 6


Tiki ChapelBy Connie Pratt

“We are now gathering together at the Chapel for Sunday worship at 9:00 a.m. It is so good to be able to gather together again. We are continuing to follow the guidelines set forth by the government surrounding the Covid-19 virus by practicing safe distancing. We are also continu-ing to provide the service via the Zoom video stream for anyone who is not able to attend in person. The Zoom link, along with the song lyrics for the service, is provided through email distribution. Monday Night Bible Study and Wednesday Ladies Fellowship will not resume until the fall.

If you are not currently on the Chapel email distribution list and would like to be, please email Connie at [email protected], and she will add you to the list. Any Chapel news and event updates are sent out via this

Publisher l Liz ComiskeyDirector of Marketing l Pam Castello

Editor l Jesse CastilloGraphics l Bay Area Printing

Please contact us at [email protected]

832.656.4992

Tiki Island Paper

MemosAll Tiki Paper Issues are now available on

the Village of Tiki Island Website.www.tikibulletin.com

The link to the Tiki Paper is at the bottom of the Bulletin Page.

If you do not receive a paper in the mail, please come by and pick one up at:

Comiskey Realty | 401 Tiki Drive

email distribution list. You can also be added to our Prayer Partners email distribution list to be notified of any prayer requests received during the week. Should you have any prayer requests, feel free to email those to Connie also, and they will be included in our prayer time on Sundays.

Please know that the Tiki Chapel leadership is here for you and are available if you have a need. Pastor Steve Hill can be reached at [email protected] or 409-933-9829.”

A Great QuestionBy Rev. Steve Hill – Pastor Tiki Island Chapel

There are many great questions, you probably have a fa-vorite. A new question for you might be, “what does that mean to you”? I recently heard this question used when talking to a person that had a loss in their life. When I know there is a loss, I do not know what meaning this per-son has give to that loss. Rather than assume or say, “how are you?”, I prefer to say, what does this mean to you? It is a good open question that gets away from “fine” which means nothing. I asked my father-in-law how he was, he said, “fine”. He was in an I.C.U. after a heart attack, in my understanding of life, that was not fine.

What does this mean to you? This is an open question that invites the other person to go deeper and share more of themselves with you. But if you really don’t want to know or deal with the answer that will cause you to think and feel more deeply, just say, “How are you?”.

People don’t like pain and will avoid unnecessary pain. I am more vulnerable to you when I tell you what meaning I am giving to a loss in my life. It is easier and safer to re-spond with something vague like, I appreciated that person in my life. Or, what are you discovering about yourself as you are socially and physically more distant from others? The answer will reveal what is important to that person. Such as, I really miss holding my grandchildren or I miss

coming home from work and sitting down at the table for a conversation. Now I have to take off my work clothes and shower before I have any contact with my family. This answer can lead to other questions about how they cope and what values they have by looking at their actions and asking feeling questions. How resilient are they or how resistant to change are they or what do they value or not value? These questions ask another person to be vulnerable and they become open to criticism. Trust is also wrapped into a good or a great question. Can someone trust that I will respectfully seek understanding and not judge them.

In the outer layer of a great question contains inner layers of trust, risk, vulnerability, respect, and even love. The quality of “listening” comes into play too. If I listen to see if you are “like me”, the recipient of a great question may not go deep. If I listen with my whole body with an emphasis on the “heart” there is a much greater chance the response will be connecting rather than distancing. In this time of social distancing it is important to connect through our heart and not with judgment. Asking open questions for which we don’t have an answer will build trust and connection. Let that be our motivation in asking great questions.

Godspeed,Pastor Steve


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AUGUSTT ICACORNER

W H A T D O E S T I C A D O F O R O U RC O M M U N I T Y ? Beautification Efforts Around the Island

Members of the TICA Beautification

Committee have been hard at work in the

month of June and July and have completed

several projects.

The next time your out riding around the

island, go check out the monument located at

the corner of Long Reach and Quayside. It has

been restored and looks great. Also the Palm

trees throughout the island have been cleaned

and trimmed improving the overall

appearance of our community. TICA also put

out the flags that lined Tiki Drive over the July

4th weekend.

Future projects include cleaning up the

medians located around Tiki Island and

working with the city to donate a new net for

the tennis court.

N O T I C E O F A N N U A L M E E T I N G A N DE L E C T I O N 2 0 2 0 P O S T P O N E DUntil October 2020

Due to ongoing concerns with COVID19, the

annual meeting and election of the Tiki Island

Civic Association will be rescheduled for

October. Date and time TBD.

Tiki Island Chapel gives a donation tothe Tiki Fire and Police departments.

This money was donated to Tikichapel from the proceeds raised at

the Memorial day boat parade.Thanks to everyone that made this

happen and thank you to ourFirefighters and Police officers fortheir services. From left to right -

Police officer Steven Broussard, PamCastello and Firefighter John Lee


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One of my favorite things about Tiki Island is that I can always decide “Its close enough to 5 o’clock!,” and I can make a drink and find a thirsty neighbor who is ready for conversation. One of my neighbors is Nini Miles, and I have been wanting to write about her father since I’ve learned bits about his accomplishments. I told my editor, “I could write a book about this guy!” He was a son of immigrants, a war hero, an entrepreneur, and an inventor who fell in love with a flamenco dancer and who encom-passed the idea of the American Dream.

George Ballas was born in Ruston, Louisiana in 1925. His parents were Greek im-migrants who started sever-al small businesses, includ-ing their own restaurant, the Ballas Cafe. At age 17, George joined the Air Force and served in WWII and in the Korean War as a bombar-dier. After the Korean War ended, George stayed in the Air Force, and was stationed in San Antonio. He and his

fellow airmen were invited to a greeting party in Laredo at their yearly celebration of George Washington’s birth-day. A group of dancers performed for the airmen, and George met one flamenco dancer in particular, Maria, who he continued to travel back to Laredo to visit and to take dance lessons from. His strategy worked, and they were married. Nini described her mother to me: “She was the person you wanted to look at when she walked into the room. She was that girl.” George left the service and he and Maria had 3 girls and 2 boys who were raised in San Antonio and later in Houston. His parents had instilled him with their entrepreneurial spirit, and George opened over 100 businesses in his life-time. Initially, he got into the dance business when he left the service, and became involved with Author Murray, a ballroom dancer and businessman. George ended up owning the Arthur Murray Dance Schools. In 1964, he opened the Fred Astaire Dance Studio at Richmond and 610. This was the largest dance studio at the time and interestingly, the grand opening was the same day that Nini was born, and she and her mother did not make it to the opening!George had a passion for opening up new businesses and developing them. He would say, “There’s no fun like

work.” When he wasn’t working, he was dedicated to his family. Nini described him as “a good ole guy from that generation. Honorable, hard-working, he put family first, and didn’t whine.” George loved to cook. He formulat-ed recipes, started pilot restaurants, and developed a test kitchen. He cooked everything and loved baking too. In addition to the aforementioned dance studios, George opened Dance City USA along with many restaurants, and began acquiring real estate and hotels. In the 1970’s George purchased about 40 lots on Tiki Island. “He knew Tiki would evolve,” Nini said. “He knew that waterfront property would evolve into something big one day, and that it was a great investment.” If all of this is not impressive enough, George was also an inventor. He had a home on a 4-acre property and liked a manicured lawn. He was bothered though by the time it took, and complained that by the time the lawn was completed, the grass had grown back. An idea came to him inside of a drive-through car wash while watch-ing the nylon brushes rotate. George took a tin popcorn can, fishing line, and a motor and created the first string

trimmer. He took his idea to several tool makers, but it was rejected again and again. He went on to develop

and market his gardening tool himself and creat-ed Weed Eater Inc. “He was a visionary,” stated Nini. “He had a good insight into what would become a thing.” George Ballas passed away in June 2011, leaving a legacy that cannot be matched by many. He is survived by his 5 children and 7 grandchildren.

George Charles Ballas, Sr. (June 28, 1925-June 25, 2011)By Krissy Reida


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A Minute with Max – Socially Unite (Virtually)By Max McDulin

August Fishing ReportBy Max McDulin

We’ve all been challenged re-cently to reevaluate certain aspects and moments of our daily life. Only months ago, although at this point it feels like years, we used to congre-gate with thousands at sporting events, hundreds at schools and churches, and tens of people at work.

Our daily lives have been interrupted, and continue to be, by an uncomfortable lifestyle. None of us enjoy breathing through a mask or waving at friends and family instead of hugging them, but we know that today is only a chapter in our lives and history.Again, although time is moving slower, we at least are to-gether with many we love, although sometimes the ever-lasting presence of those we are quarantined with can also feel like a burden. Let us remember that every time we are irritated with our mother, father, son, or daughter, that their presence is a gift.While we lived for a moment in a predictable world, today we live in an unbelievably unpredictable one. Things felt good on the inside and out, but I ironically question you with this, the term “socially distanced.” Didn’t you feel we were already socially distanced? So many Americans

live in different cities than their best friends, than their family, than those that matter the most. And we accepted this distancing as normal.Today, I question you all, have you taken the opportunity of being socially distanced to become more socially unit-ed? Have you reached out to your old friend in another state and city? Have you reached out to that family mem-ber you had a falling out with? Have you made an effort to be closer with those that matter, instead of pushing your ways and lives further apart?If you haven’t taken this moment and pause in our world to become closer to others, then I urge you to pick up the phone, or to schedule a virtual happy hour. Socially unite, don’t socially distance. Now I still urge you, do it safely, we are lucky to live in a world where we can stay connected while being disconnected. I write this as I lis-ten to my grandfather sharing old stories with the family, and I’m ready to hop up from my laptop to join in the listening.I urge you in a divided political time, in a physically sep-arated time, listen closely to those who have a story to tell, and maybe you’ll find you have a story to share too. Or maybe you’re just a listening ear, but our presence for others is more significant than can ever be put into words. Be there for others, and others will continue to be there for you.

For this month’s fishing report, I’m going to break a bit away from the normal overall advice. All of the important regional aspects fishing wise still apply locally that were published in the last edition of the paper, but I’m going to give you some more specific advice on techniques that have been successful for myself, family, and friends.If you’re fishing in the surf, there are two strategies I’ve found to be extremely successful over the years during this time of year. The first is for daybreak, when that first light is creeping up over the horizon and you can just get into the water. The surf should be soft and flat, allowing you to use topwaters. A little morning activity along the top is a great way to start the day, but even if that is successful for the first hour, once the sun starts to break through I like to shift to a bait that breaks more into the water.That preferred secondary bait is a silver spoon with a tre-ble hook. I prefer to fish mostly with hardware, but if you want a little extra chance at landing some morning life then you can also throw on a piece of squid as you pull that spoon through the surf.As far as actual bay fishing goes, there are two approaches I like to take. Wade fishing along the shores, such as over at Hanna’s, and throwing plastics, spoons, and topwaters. Obviously it depends partially on what you’re fishing for

on any given day, if you’re trying to get flounder then it’s good to get away from the hardware and use a Texas Rig with shrimp or croaker, and you just skirt that along the bottom. If you’re looking for trout and red fish, then a good approach is a popping cork with crab or shrimp.Again, plastics can still get the job done, but less so in my experience when trying to gel flounder. When coming back in from bay fishing, hit the birds. If they’re already sitting on the water, it’s too late, but if they’re feeding you’ve got a great opportunity for some speckled trout. Toss your favorite plastics, live bait chum, or even a bucket, and when you hit the right patch you will put fish in the box.Fishing these bird feedings can be some of the most fun fishing you have, as you see the bait splashing and fish thrashing. To me, it is second only to finding mahi mahi on a weed line deeper out in the gulf. When you hit those weedlines and bird feedings you are truly fishing for sport!Thank you Lord, thank you fish, hook ‘em hard and real ‘em fast. Good luck on the water!


While on 4th of July vacation, Max took a step away from the Galveston and Tiki area waters and went inland. It was a good day on a friend’s pond, netting 11 bass on a crappie designed plastic and jig head. Sometimes a bait meant for one fish, works even better for another.

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My MomBy Jesse Castillo

As many of you know, my mom passed-away in June. We thank all of you for your kind words in your Facebook entries, E-mails, and cards you sent to me. That really meant a lot to me and my family.

I have been fortunate in my life to have known and worked with some brilliant minds in various scientific think tanks and of course, the NASA and Russian Astronaut / Cosmonaut Corps.

These people had a huge influence on my life, but it took me a few decades to evolve and realize that the most influential person in my life besides Jesus Christ has been and will always be my Mom. Afterall, she introduced me to Christ in a way that no-one has ever achieved. The absolute strength and simplicity of her faith was and is an inspiration to me and everyone who knew my Mom.

When I was a kid, I had absolutely no direction or ambition in life, yet my mom always encour-aged me to better my-self. My mom grew up on a farm with her elev-en siblings who worked as sharecroppers who picked cotton. She had a fourth-grade education but every night, when I was a kid, she always helped me with my spell-ing homework. She was always positive, fun, and encouraging. She was also one of the wisest per-sons I have ever known.

I did not really get to know my Mom beyond her being my Mon until I hit my late 30s, early 40’s when I started to get to know her as a person and I Loved her as a person. After her divorce from my Dad and the death of her second husband, she blossomed into her own person with such wonderful

grace. She told me once, “Jess, for the first time in my life, I don’t have to worry or take care of anyone, I can just decorate my apartment the way I like and be with my new friends.”

I never knew she had an interest in politics, she voted for Obama! I have never seen her in a Halloween costume, she made a great Witch from the Wizard of Oz. She joined charities and was always an open ear to people with troubles.

Throughout our entire lives, she always prayed for all of us, my brother and 2 sisters. We would go to church together, have breakfast and lunch at Star Drug Store in Galveston and the first time I took her to Starbucks, she lost her mind when she heard of a 4-dollar cup of coffee. We always drove up and down the seawall with the top down on my

B-Mer. Although she still could not get over the price of a cup of Joe, the next time we went out, I asked her where she wanted to go for cof-fee – she said, Starbucks!

The service at the funer-al home was so weird. Only a dozen people were allowed, we were all wearing masks, keeping our distance from each other and we could not even hug close relatives or shake hands. It was so tense that I had to stand up and say, “You all look like a bunch of bandits with your masks on like you’re getting ready to rob the joint!” Everyone laughed and the stories about Mom started from across the room.

My sister Teresa said, “Mom and I once went to a funeral in the middle of summer and we were crazy sweating….when we left, I asked Mom, “Mom, when you die can you please die when it is nice and cool weath-er?” My mom laughed and said, “Honey, I will

do the best I can.” Some of the greatest gifts she has given me is her love, friendship, patience, compassion, and her wonderful sense of humor.

ObituaryDella Serrato Marquez departed this earth and began her Heavenly journey on June 3, 2020. She was born in Lockhart, Texas on August 29, 1921 to Miguel and Adela F. Serrato. She was a beloved mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grand-mother, aunt, cousin, friend, and spiritu-al leader. She had a deep faith in the Lord and Blessed Mother that she shared with and passed on to her family.

She is preceded in death by her husband Miguel Marquez Sr. of Galveston, TX and her siblings, Daniel (Antonia) Serrato, Anestacita Serrato, Martha (Joe) Valdez, Isidra (Tomas) Valdez, Adela Serrato, Miguel Serrato, Elida (Severo) Carrasco, Miguel (Maria) Serrato and Maria Serrato all from Texas. She is also preceded in death by her dear niece Emma Serrato Barrientos, nephew Raymond Flores and friend Mary Bohn. Della is survived by and will be incredibly missed by her children, Joe Castillo (Judy) of Homestead, FL, Jessie Castillo (Pam) of Tiki Island, TX, Teresita Castillo of Galveston, TX and Mary C. McFather (Jon) of League City, TX; Grandchildren, Kyle Castillo (Jennifer), Natalia Madrigal (David), Emmitt McFather, Luke McFather; Great grandchildren: Robert J. Peebles (Sally); Savannah Sizemore; Colton Castillo. Great-great grandchildren: Nathan Peebles, Desire Peebles, Adrian Peebles all of Florida. She also leaves behind several nieces and nephews, all of whom she held dear to her heart. Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, we will gather more safely with family and friends to celebrate her life with a rosary and Mass on the one-year anniversary of her passing.


By Jesse Castillo

August 1, 1944 - Anne Frank was one of the most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. She gained fame posthu-mously with the publication of, Diary of a Young Girl. She documents her life in hiding from 1942 to 1944, during the German occupation of the Netherlands in WW II. It is one of the world’s best-known books and has been the basis for several plays and films. On this date, she penned her last entry into her diary. “I’ll keep on trying to find a way of becoming what I would like to be, and what I could be, if…there weren’t any other people living in the World.” Three days later, Anne and her family were arrested and sent to Nazi concentration camps. Anne died at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp on March 15, 1945, at the age of 15.August 2, 1776 - In Philadelphia, most of the 55 members of the Continental Congress signed the parchment copy of the, Declaration of Independence.August 6, 1945 – The first Atomic Bomb was dropped over Hiroshima at 0815 by the American bomber, Enola Gay. Over 105,000 persons were killed, and the city was de-stroyed. It is estimated that an additional 100,000 persons later died as a result of radiation effects. August 6, 1965 – President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law The Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Act suspended tests of literacy, knowledge and character that were designed to keep African Americans from voting in the South. The Act also barred discriminatory poll taxes and authorized the appointment of Federal voting examiners. The Act was re-newed by Congress in 1975, 1984 and 1991.August 9, 1945 - The second Atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. The bomb detonated killing an estimated 80,000 persons and destroying half the city. August 9, 1974 – As a result of the Watergate scandal, Richard M. Nixon resigned the presidency. Facing possible impeachment by Congress, he became to only U.S. presi-dent ever to resign.August 13, 1961 - The Berlin Wall was built after the East German government closed the border between east and west sectors of Berlin. At that time, the wall was barbed wire to discourage emigration to the West. This was re-placed by a 12-foot-high concrete wall that eventually ex-tended 103 miles around the perimeter of West Berlin. The wall included guard posts, fortifications, and electrified fences. The wall became a symbol of the Cold War. It was finally opened by an East German government decree in November 1989 and torn down by the end of 1990.August 14, 1935 - President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act establishing the system which guarantees pen-sions to those who retire at age 65. The Social Security sys-tem also helps states by providing financial aid to the blind, children and others as well as administering a system of un-employment insurance.

August 14, 1945 – Just days following the two Atomic Bomb drops, Emperor Hirohito’s delegates believed that the continuation of the war would result in further extreme loss of Japanese lives. The delegates accepted the Allied sur-render terms originally issued at Potsdam on July 26, 1945. One exception to the terms was that the Japanese Emperor Hirohito’s sovereignty would be maintained. Hirohito was actually considered to be a Deity to the Japanese people. Emperor Hirohito, who had never spoken on radio, then recorded an announcement admitting Japan’s surrender, without actually using the word. The next day at noon, the announcement was broadcast via radio to the Japanese people. The formal surrender ceremony occurred later, on September 2, 1945, on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. August 14, 1945 - V-J Day, commemorating President Truman’s announcement that Japan had surrendered to the Allies.August 15, 1969 – In a field near Yasgur’s Farm at Bethel, New York, the three-day Woodstock concert featuring 24 rock bands began in front of a crowd of more than 300,000 young people. The event came to symbolize the count-er-culture movement of the 1960’s. August 18, 1920 - The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting women the right to vote.August 21, 1959 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a proclamation admitting Hawaii to the Union as the 50th state.August 24-25, 1814 - During the War of 1812, Washington, D.C., was invaded by British forces that burned down the Capitol, the White House, and most other public build-ings along with a number of private homes. The burning was in retaliation for the earlier American burning of York (Toronto).August 26, 1883 - One of the most catastrophic volcanic eruptions in recorded history occurred on the Indonesian island of Krakatoa. Explosions were heard 2,000 miles away. Tidal waves 120 feet high killed 36,000 persons on nearby islands. Five cubic miles of earth were blasted into the air up to a height of 50 miles. August 28, 1963 - The March on Washington occurred as over 250,000 persons attended a Civil Rights rally in Washington, D.C., at which Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his now-famous, I Have a Dream speech.August 29, 1991 - Following the unsuccessful coup of August 19-21, the Soviet Communist Party was suspend-ed, thus ending the institution that ruled Soviet Russia for nearly 75 years.

Historical Events in the Month of August


[email protected]

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Tiki Fabric & Fiber by Pat Forke

“Happy Summer Tiki”

Jagger, yes, I’m named after some guynamed Mick. I don’t know who he is, but my

mom loves his music and seems to think Ihave some of his dance moves. I am 1-yearold and very cutely feisty! Bitsy Bug is the

older sister and is 14 years old! Wow, that ispretty old, but she still looks good and canstill kick our Tiki Tails, so we are alwaysnice to her. Beau is 5 months old. He may

look sleepy, but he doesn’t miss much. Weare all a very happy family and we

absolutely love living on Tiki, it’s thegreatest Island ever!.

Tiki Tails

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