The Islander Magazine

Island Hotspot- Coastal Creations

When my husband and I became homeowners on Galveston Island, we purchased a 900-square-foot town home on the West End. It was a great investment and an even better weekend getaway. After purchasing our place, one of the first priorities was to decorate. Actually, my first priority was to decorate. My husband’s first priority was to make sure our boat fit in the garage. Read More

The Landes-McDonough House

On a breezy morning in April, I found myself sitting on one of the most amazing balconies in the east end of Galveston. While I took refuge in a shady area of the balcony, homeowner Marylee Kott situated herself on a porch swing bathed in the warm sunlight. Anxious to talk about her “baby” as she lovingly refers to her Galveston home away from home, Marylee is all smiles while recounting how she, along with her husband Edward, came to be the proud owners of the Landes-McDonough house at the corner of 16th and Postoffice Street. Read More

Fish Camps

A look at fishing camps, small houses built as second home getaways to enjoy good hunting and fishing on Sportsman Road

This bayside camp (right) formerly owned by the Jakovich family bought by the Niland family
in 1962. Courtesy of T.K. Niland family Good hunting, good fishing and the appeal of getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city was the lure for many to the isolated area known as Anderson Ways: a quiet bay front community that was only a short distance from town at the time. The deer, rabbits, ducks, fish, crabs and oysters were plentiful – all a hunter or fisherman ever wanted. Read More

Galveston Trivia

Jack Johnson - In 1908, Jack Johnson, aka the "Galveston Giant," became the first black heavyweight world champion when he bested Canadian white guy, Tommy Burns. Police stopped the fight, which took place in Sydney, Australia, after 14 rounds, and judges awarded a TKO decision to Johnson, who had beaten Burns to a meatless pulp. Known for his unstoppable pride, a weakness for Caucasian women, and a habit of wickedly punishing hopelessly overmatched opponents, Johnson once said, "I made a lot of mistakes out of the ring, but I never made any in it." He perished in a car wreck in 1946 after a 13-year reign as the most famous black man on Earth.

King Vidor - A Great Galveston 1900 Hurricane survivor, King Vidor took over a slot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the film director with the longest career. Vidor worked for 67 odd years, starting in 1913 with Hurricane in Galveston and closing out in 1980 with The Metaphor, a petite documentary about an art piece. He won an honorary Oscar in 1979.

Barry White - Ocean trench-voiced soul singer, Barry White, was born in Galveston in 1944. Also known as the "Walrus of Love," White was indispensable as the suave, rumbling moodmaker for countless romantic rendezvous. Perhaps best remembered for the hits "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" and "Your Sweetness is My Weakness," he perished from kidney failure in 2003 at the age of 58.

Firsts - In 1836, Galveston opened the first post office in Texas. Other city firsts for the state include electric lights, telephone service, an opera house, naval base, orphanage, insurance company, and medical college, which became the University of Texas Medical Branch.

Cabeza de Vaca - Many Texas historians believe Galveston Island was where the Spanish explorer, Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, shipwrecked in 1528. Reduced to a scraggly castaway, Cabeza de Vaca, whose name means "cow's head," was one of the first Europeans to set foot on Texas soil.

Jose de Evia -

Ever wonder who came up with the name "Galveston"?

In 1785, José de Evia, a noted Spanish explorer, named a bay on the Texas coast to honor Bernardo de Gálvez, the viceroy of Mexico. Home to this city, the famous island in the bay was once called Malvado, which is Spanish for "evil destiny," but early mapmakers saw a brighter future and changed the name to Galveston.

Elissa - An iron-hulled, three-masted barque, the Elissa docks at the Texas Seaport Museum in Galveston when she's not on a sail. Built in Aberdeen, Scotland, around 1877, the Elissa is one of the oldest tall ships still plying the high seas. Texas selected the vessel as the official state tall ship in 2005.

Katherine Helmond - Known as "Mrs. Ogre" in the 1981 Terry Gilliam comedy, Time Bandits, and "Jessica Tate" in the ABC primetime parody, Soap, long-standing actress Katherine Helmond was born in Galveston in 1928.

Avenue B - Also called Avenue B, the Strand in Galveston once thrived as the "Wall Street of the Southwest" due to a profusion of massive banks, various wholesalers, merchants, cotton brokers, and, of course, lawyers. Today, the Strand, which covers six historically important blocks and might have been named after the famous street in London, brims with shops, nightclubs, museums, art galleries, and restaurants. Horse and carriage rides, trolley rides, gas streetlamps, and a giant chess board with foot-tall pieces contribute to the Old World ambience.

Balinese Room - Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Balinese Room in Galveston was once operated by Sicilian bootleggers. During the 1940s and 50s, the private club featured peak entertainers such as Frank Sinatra, George Burns, and Bob Hope. The club's prosperous casino attracted underworld characters and eventually Texas Rangers, who hung out at the tables, scaring away customers until the Balinese Room was forced to close in 1957. The club reopened in 2001 without a gambling den, but with a song by ZZ Top, the Ft. Worth rock band, that itemized its various bygone charms.

Sidney Sherman - Lt. Col. Sidney Sherman, who fought in the Texas Revolution with his money, his might, and his mouth, came up with the unforgettable war cry: "Remember the Alamo!" He died quietly at his daughter's home in Galveston in 1873.

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Downtown Focus

The Mediterranean Chef has been serving authentic Mediterranean cuisine on the Island since 1991. Located on the corner of 24th and Strand Street, the restaurant was recently closed in February and early March to undergo a complete remodeling.

In only 26 days this popular eatery more than doubled in size and it looks great! Walls were taken down and space from the empty shop next door was incorporated into the dining areas.

With all new contemporary furniture and fixtures, the new look is fresh, inviting and complements the cuisine, which has always been exotic, often rustic, yet fresh and simple. A beautiful bar was also added to the restaurant with plenty of seating; all in view of a huge flat screen TV.

Design Trends Creating Comforatable Design Gay Fly		Air Conditioning Tips Chris Crews
Elisabeth Lanier Freshen Up		By Alice Melott
Challenges of Coastal Construction Choices Carolin Santangelo

A History of an Island Family Business

In 1938, Franklin D. Roosevelt founded the March of Dimes, oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia, Orson Welles’ The War of the Worlds was broadcast over America’s radio waves and the New England Hurricane killed 688 people in the North East.

That same year, in Galveston, Acme Roofing and Manufacturing started its roofing and sheet metal business.

Renamed Aramco Outside Blinds after Earl Milan returned from serving in World War II in 1941, it has remained a viable business on the Island.

Founded by Earl’s father, Julius B. “J.B.” Milan, Aramco has seen three generations of Milans lead the company into the 21st Century.

New On The Island

Knicks & Knacks on the Island,
Services and Clothing
READ WHO'S NEW

Galveston Galleries

René Wiley’s “Points of View” continues at DesignWorks

Continuing at DesignWorks, 2119A Postoffice Street, in the heart of Galveston’s Arts & Entertainment District, is “Points of View,” an exhibition of oil paintings of Galveston’s alleys and back houses by René Wiley (Galveston Island, TX).

In this exhibition, which features recent, larger scale paintings, Wiley captures Galveston as never before – intimate details of our town’s alleys and by-ways set against the backdrop of our ever-changing, ever-dramatic skies. These paintings are saturated with light, which Wiley captures so deftly. Whether the brilliant, sun-drenched light of high summer or the soft, diffused, nearly palpable light when our sea fog rolls in, Wiley’s canvases fairly radiate.
READ MORE

4 Years Of Changes

Galveston in 2004
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The Stained Glass Story

Trinity Episcopal Church is not just a Galveston historic landmark. For more than a century, it has also been home to one of America’s national treasures.

Built in 1857, it has stood strong, holding the community together through Galveston’s most prosperous times. Miraculously, it survived the Great Storm of 1900 and was able to continue providing strength and aid to Galveston’s storm survivors. Its spectacular stained glass windows have been a beacon for over a century.

The church’s extraordinary 15-foot wide, 30-foot long stained glass windows, which were commissioned in memory of George Sealy by his wife, Magnolia, are among the rarest of their kind because of their sheer immensity and intricate design by famed artist Louis Tiffany.
READ MORE

Movie Nite On The Strand

"Movie Nite On The Strand" at Saengerfest Park, 23rd & Strand. Movie-goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, a blanket and plan a date or night out with friends and relax in this unique outdoor venue.

JUNE 7, 8:30 PM

NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION

Galveston Gardening

GREAT GALVESTON GARDENS
by Jan Brick, Master Gardener

Clean Galveston’s Back-Garden Tour on the first weekend in June is one of the most eagerly anticipated tours of Galveston Island’s summer season. Each year, owners of estate-sized gardens, mini-sized gardens and gardens tucked along side and back fences open their gates to the public for two days and proudly display the results of endless hours of effort.

This tour has a scope as diversified as the gardeners for whom these gardens are a labor of love. Those who have graciously agreed to share their gardens with us this year are busily preparing for our visits. There will be ample inspiration for us to carry home to our own gardens!
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Travel

By Susan Antonelli
I just finished reading an article in the January issue of Travel and Leisure about comfort innovations in travel. They even had a time-line of inventions from the first hotel with private bathrooms to lay-flat beds on airplanes. It made me think about what I really want a trip to be. What makes me happy about traveling, and how can I seek out those hidden qualities and add them in to my next trip?

I realize no two people look at an upcoming trip the same way. Some people are just natural planners, and others like to take the next plane on a whim. But no matter what kind of person you are there are a few things we all usually have in common.

May Wine Selections

Welcome to the beginning of summer. This year it seems to have arrived even quicker than usual. This month I am featuring three wines that we carry at Economy Liquor including one white wine perfect for the heat, and two reds that are big and juicy - ready for any food pairing