“People are not supposed to live on a sandbar, and the fact that they choose to live on this one tells you something about the collective psyche. These are people who like to be different, who see themselves as select, and maybe even a little invincible.”
–Gary Cartwright, Galveston: A History of the Island
Well, I don’t know about that, but then again, it’s said that it’s hard to see one’s self clearly
In 1528, Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca, shipwrecked and starving, with some of his men carving each other up for dinner, hit upon a name for the unforgiving sandbar on which they had landed. “We called it Malhado, the Island of Doom,” De Vaca wrote in La Relación, his extraordinary travelogue.
Cabeza de Vaca. I've always loved that name in Galveston's history, and I've always wondered what a guy named "Head of Cow" looked like.
The Texas Observer article talks about the pricey new homes going up on the west end of the island, and the fact that the sea is reclaiming our beloved sandbar rapidly inch by inch (“up to 10 feet a year on some beaches and as high as 15 feet a year along stretches of the bay [...] The shoreline has moved landward 500 feet since the 1960s.”)
Developers are building homes and hotels on beaches expected to erode within decades. In some cases, geologists say, the builders are disrupting the very integrity of the island, carving away the land for canals, marinas, and ponds. Such excavation could enhance the potential for breaches of the island during storms by creating pathways for water. In an extreme case, Galveston could even be split into multiple pieces, the geologists warn.
That's what bridges are for.
Yes, and recently, I heard of a lawsuit to prevent further development in a wetlands area on the west end, claiming it for a protected area for endangered flora and fauna. Interestingly enough, the lawyer filing the suit just happened to have already built his home there.
But the worst part is what’s happening to the east end and central areas of Galveston. While the rich are building on the west end, poverty and crime increase in the rest. I wonder whether the wealthy new homeowners will take an interest and a stake in downtown Galveston, or whether they’ll just bypass it. By the visible evidence, it seems even the old money in Glaveston has little interest in civic improvements.
You can donate to a fund to purchase this west end home for me (snapped on a beach stroll recently). It should be good for another five years or so.
No limit to the contribution. (I'll need more landscaping.)
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are moderated. There may be some delay before your comment is published. It all depends on how much time M has in the day. But please comment!