One Square Mile Texas

Music

I see it calling. You see that? Are you ready for an adventure? Are you ready to hand over your treasure?

Music

One Square Mile Texas is brought to you by Best Maid pickles makers of the best made and Del Dixie pickle brands. Best Maid has been family owned and operated since 1926 and is a Texas tradition. Available at your neighborhood grocery or online at besmaidproducts.com. Southwest Airlines flying the Texas skies since 1971 and community partners in square miles from coast to coast.

Southwest Airlines is proud to support One Square Mile Texas more information at southwest.com. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema founded in Austin in 1997. The Alamo Drafthouse now serves Texans across the state with a one of a kind dine and cinema experience featuring current releases and classics more information at Drafthouse.com. Texas photo montage featuring the cultural images of Texas available online at texasmontage.com.

Woats Oatsnack humble oats with ambition available online at woats.com. Texas is an interesting place and I think I identify most with Dallas. --I don't think I found my tribe until I got here. --We're 7 miles from the border so you get a little bit of everything.

--You'd be surprised what goes on in a little town. When you in Nac they all make sure that you're all ok and safe. If you go to a restaurant, plan on a 2-hour wait. --I'm living in a city were things are vibrant.

--When I'm here I just feel like I'm in the right spot. --We're in a cultural explosion, influenced by this community.

Music

I was nothing when I started you know. But this business made me. We use nothing but fresh seafood. All our seafood is breaded here and of course we do a lot of grill.

We get a lot of flounder. We serve a lot of snapper we also server grouper. People that are in the shrimping industry everybody knows me and when the boats come in they will just call me. We just order on the phone and they just deliver it.

I like Port Isabel born and raised here. I come from a family of 14 kids. My dad was from Mexico. My mom was from Port Isabel.

We were very poor and you know with 14 kids it's real hard, so I had to quit school on the 10th grade to help support the family because they were budget. I was trying to get in the shrimping business and I was trying to borrow some money to buy a shrimp boat. And then I decided to do this. I started here in early 83.

It's a seafood market, fresh seafood. I worked 7 days a week when I started from 7 in the morning to 9 in the evening every day. And then I decided to do something different and we added the Joe's Oyster Bar Restaurant. We've been here 31 years.

We have a lot of locals and of course we have a lot of winter Texan's and we have a lot of vacationers coming. We've been growing our business from between 30 and 35 --40,000 a month. We're doing fine financially we're strong. To be honest with you today I can retire tomorrow.

This business will take care of me for the rest of my life.

Music

I think this place is a gold mine and I'm proud of myself. I'm really proud of myself.

Music

I love this industry, been doing this since I was in diapers. I'm pretty blessed and fortunate to be part of something like this. I mean not a lot of kids can say that. And I know a lot of things but I know shrimping.

Music

All these people working the boat are getting the boat ready to go out shrimping for another 30, 45 days. Each boat has to have its name. You know I just started drawing away, get the name marked up. Start painting.

It's not like you're drawing on a flat surface. I mean so you're drawing on the side of a boat. My grandfather's daughter, my Aunt, she was diagnoses with breast cancer some years ago and she fought it for a long time and she passed. So in her memory cause the boats named after her Ms.

Marines I got this idea that you know I paint ribbons like in her honor so that's what it means to me. You know I've always enjoyed drawing you know designs stuff like that. I've always had a strong interest in shrimp boats growing up as a kid. You know it's like I learned how to draw shrimp boat before I could write my own name.

There used to be a lot more boats. I mean all this all over there was filled with shrimp boats. There's not a lot of shrimp boats anymore. It's I guess a lingering industry.

But I mean there's still people that have a lot of faith and it's hard but we're doing it. Right now my dads a captain, one of my grandpa's boats and grandma and grandpa run the business. They've never let me gone out. I only asked my grandfather once and he said no and I haven't asked him ever since.

I mean I'm nobody to say anything. I mean I don't know who or what my grandpas plans are in the future but if he did give me that opportunity I don't think I'll ever be able to fill his shoes. But I mean I can try. I always make this analogy like a shrimp boat you know.

It's gonna keep dragging. I'm just gonna keep going. I know I'm gonna tear nets on the way whatever. That's cool just pick them up, put new ones on.

Keep dragging. That's it you know. You know everything's laid out for us and it's a question whether you're motivated to get that.

Music

You know but I think everybody can do anything they want. You know if you want something so bad you're gonna get it no matter what. But I think if I had a choice I'd be on a boat. But it's not like that I'm at school studying architecture.

Music

Remember a big mouth? Yes? So this is your mouth right? And the sides of the tongue when you say the r they should be touching your what?

My name's Miles and I'm at Garriga Elementary. Yes that sounded good. That was a good try right? People used to never knew what I was talking.

I always have to say it over and over. And it never comes out right. So people never know what I'm saying. I used to keep paper in my pocket.

So people don't understand me. I just write it on a piece of paper. I start to take speech therapy. Again eeeeeee.

It helps me gain focus and like when I talk and so people can understand me clearly again. So just point to the picture that I'm saying. I just get to know more people who are different. Talking to them is getting me less shy.

My dad used to play music and he wanted me to play. So I started playing and it started to turn out really good. Like music like expresses myself.

Piano playing

I was the heart of the district for 47 years. I was a schoolteacher. I just thought I was going to enjoy retirement and I just stayed home in the summer came back in September and started substituting and then tutoring. I felt I have a few more years to give to the district and to the kids.

Here at Garriga we always feel like it's the pre-k kids. Why are we come to school to learn? And what else and get ready to go to college. If they're Spanish dominant we start with the Spanish and gradually you start giving them English.

Some of the parents that are migrants. They're children have to struggle to go to college. And some of them don't go to college. They stay around and work on the Island here at Port Isabel.

Smart students but sometimes they don't have the opportunity to go to college and it's sad. I came from a big family. We were 7 and I never thought I would go to college. When I graduated I got a scholarship to go to Mary Hard in Baylor.

But because of the needs in the family I had to go to work. Then later on in 65 that's when I started thinking about going back. I got my Associates and then I went and got my BS and then I got my Masters in Bilingual. My mother always said that we should always help each other and you saw somebody in need you went to help them.

So I guess I'm following in mom's footsteps. I haven't fulfilled all my dreams yet. I would like to see more of our local kids go to college. My name is Ruby the Pirate Queen welcome to Pirates landing and the Black Dragon.

Applause

Every one in Port Isabel knows me as Ruby the Pirate Queen whether I'm in pirate clothes or not. And I think that the main give away is when I laugh. When I laugh everyone in town can hear me.

Laughing

Now he's all-quiet. Nice to meet you Caden. I walk into every room as if I own it and I'm supposed to be there you know.

Laughing

Aarg ha ha ha. Gotcha. How ya doin? What's your name dear?

We are the only pirate ship cruise in Texas as of now. We start out by entertaining everyone on the dockside for about a half an hour with a fire show or a magic show or a juggling show. And then after that we fire a nine-pound cannon. And we jump on board the pirate ship for 2 hours of fun.

The greatest part about the pirate ship is it's an opportunity to suspend your disbelief and to really be a kid again. Stay away from my sister. We'll be back. Adults just see that it's fun cause we make it look easy.

We've been doing it so long that we make it look really easy and a lot of fun. And people forget that even with the fun there's work involved. You can't just open the box. We just stole it.

Yeah. Summertime it's 6 days a week all day long. We do 3 trips a day. It's physically and mentally taxing definitely because you, you're on stage, you're in character, you're on, you're on.

You're in a boat. You're in a fish bowl. There's nowhere to hide. You can't get out of character and go ok I'm done I'm gonna go take my 5 minute break see ya later.

That ain't gonna happen. Shark pick ya? Oh you're right. You know what every pirate should have their own star.

I have an incredible crew. I mean not only are they great with the boat but they're good with the people. And that's what this job takes it takes a lot of improvisation, thinking quick on your feet and also keeping a third eye looking out for safety issues. Yeah.

I worked as a circus clown and other things but fits right into what I enjoy doing which is helping others have a fun time. When I left the circus I had been there for about 5 years landed in Florida. All my friends and family were still in Texas so it was difficult for me. Finding this job really helped.

It helped bring me back to my performance level and where I wanted to be. I've spent 6 years practically living on this boat. And I can see where you truly start to love a boat because it has it's own personality and I feel comfortable when I'm here so I truly love this boat. It's not just a job.

It's a love. People tell me all the time oh you must have the best job in the world. I'm like yep. I do.

Music

I grew up on the Island. You know for a town our size I mean we're probably pretty normal. Si Engles right? Si.

Cause I said you can't

Spanish

102 Port Isabel could a copy? You know you see a lot more people having a hard time getting by. You know then what they had then. I think the housing market did a lot.

You had a bunch of people that bought condos and beach houses and stuff as a investment. And that just didn't pan out.

Music

You know we're I guess 7 miles from the border as the crow fly's so. You know we have a lot of illegal aliens and you know like everywhere else your drug problems stuff like that. How you doin guys? Great place to be I mean hey you enjoy sun and sand you know the water it's you know this is it.

Good place to raise your family. You know I'm raising mine here. Personally I'm a water person. I enjoy being on the water.

The marine division you know it's more interdiction motor safety just trying to make sure everybody has a good time and enjoy themselves while they're here. How ya doin? Want to make a difference you know. I mean isn't that what we all want?

You know I know it sound clich but you know we all want to have an impact on you know somebody else's live. And you know try to help people out. Y'all have a nice day. Thanks for stopping for us.

I don't think it's for everybody. Would any of y'all be willing to put your life on the line for somebody else that you don't even know? Which one of y'all want to sign up for that? Nobody.

So you know we're here. And we're here to do it. So y'all drove out here just for lunch? Well that's awful nice of you.

We can always use the business. I mean it's the same they made cops and firefighters somebody to look up to.

Music

I'm Hilan Gonzales. I go to high school in Port Isabel, Texas. Port Isabel is like really nice. It's like the nicest place cause you got the beach.

It's really cool. She's a hard worker for sure cause she is a single mom. She does everything she can for me. She built a whole entire house by herself.

Nobody else and the house is like nice. It's got a patio and everything. It shows me you gotta work hard. You always got to focus on what you're doing.

I had a lot of reading problems when I was small. I had dyslexia I still have it but I had to overcome. It's been hard but I do it. Even though you struggle with reading or sports or something you just try hard and keep going at it.

You'll get it down eventually. There's always something in life you gotta overcome. All my friends were all dyslexic like we all have that in common. We all play sports.

I'm pretty shy I guess. But when it comes to like sports I'm ready to go. We'll come and play football at the church parking lot. Always trying to stay active.

I have ADHD and I like get really hyper so I need to be doing something to make me fall asleep at night. I need to be tired like really tired. Football here is really big. This is like the place like I represent when I play football.

We protect this area. That's what I like about it. Learning the plays and like all the x's and o's you can't mix that up like your left and your right. One mistake and it's gone.

Just the same thing like reading you mess up a letter and then you don't know the word. I don't want to do a desk job. Desk jobs don't look good to me. I want to go to the Coast Guard.

I want to do something like athletic and you get to go to the beaches. I've grown up around the beaches. Definitely my number one is take care of my mom for sure.

Music

The valley it's almost like a different world. We have a very large Hispanic population and you learn more about their culture living here among them, which I did not you know, know much about. Food pantry is a very important ministry of this church. We have quite a few people in this community that need this extra help.

We have help from other churches in the community and it's a very strong ministry. We serve 500 families a month. They get fairly well balanced food I think from the canned goods and some fresh food also. I care about people.

I love this church because it cares about people. It is good to give thanks to the Lord. We sing praises to your name oh most high. I am a religious person and I know some people look at that as being a little phony or some people don't want to be referred to as that because they think people think they are showing off or boasting about it.

I just think by the way we lead our life and live our life that shows what kind of person we are. We are a church of grandparents. We have no children in our congregation at this time. So it is a congregation made up of older retired people.

We have around probably average of 50 in the summer months. Of course our attendance is probably doubled in the wintertime when we have our winter Texan's here. We're small but we're mighty in all that we do. You know when you live in a community that when hurricane season begins you have to have that faith and hope that you can survive or be able to make it through.

And I see that in this community as a strong community of faith.

Music

I'm well known for my fish. It's been a love of mine for a long time. What really turns me on is telling a story on what has happened to these fish. I enjoy creating things.

When people understand the process to realize ok it goes from this step to this step to this step. Only one of those steps is pretty nasty. There's a tissue that separates the meat from the skin. And so I use a tissue separator and I separate that tissue.

I cut the bones from the inside of the skin. And I take out the carcass all at one time. I kind of put my mind on autopilot really. My hands know what to do.

It's peaceful. It didn't start off this way. When I first started skinning fish it took me all day to skin one fish. 22 years later I do it in about 15, 20 minutes.

I tan the skin. I take urethane block and then I'll take that skin and I'll stretch it over my carving. After that I seal it. And once that dries I airbrush them.

After I get the colors all layered then I come back with a gloss. I've been a taxidermist here for the last 22 years. My father started the business in 1945. I have 2 older brothers.

Our dad taught us all. When we were little we played in the shop and at 8 years old I was mounting things, bullfrogs and jackalopes. We were very blessed to have a father who took the time to spend with us and teach us who planted a seed in me at a very young age that has grown. And my kids being here means a lot to me.

I started teaching about 10 years ago when I first started teaching my father had a fit. You can't show them this. Taxidermy especially skin mounts; fish taxidermy is almost becoming a lost art. And if we don't share it it will be lost.

For my 25th birthday my father called me, I was in Montana, said for my birthday he wanted to take me fishing. And he had just moved down here. We went out on the water and I truly loved it. I could just feel that I was where I was supposed to be.

I'm a person who didn't see myself doing this and didn't see myself as being able to be successful at this. We're very, very, very blessed to have stumbled upon this piece of heaven.

Music

To find out more about this One Square mile and others visit our website at OSMTX.com. One Square Mile Texas is brought to you by Best Maid pickles makers of the best made and Del Dixie pickle brands. Best Maid has been family owned and operated since 1926 and is a Texas tradition. Available at your neighborhood grocery or online at besmaidproducts.com.

Southwest Airlines flying the Texas skies since 1971 and community partners in square miles from coast to coast. Southwest Airlines is proud to support One Square Mile Texas more information at southwest.com. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema founded in Austin in 1997. The Alamo Drafthouse now serves Texans across the state with a one of a kind dine and cinema experience featuring current releases and classics more information at Drafthouse.com.

Texas photo montage featuring the cultural images of Texas available online at texasmontage.com. Woats Oatsnack humble oats with ambition available online at woats.com.