By Paulette Layfield | Published Thursday, October 29, 2009
We own property on the Bolivar Peninsula in what used to be Gilchrist. Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson made a comment, after Hurricane Ike, about Gilchrist, that just flew all over me. I fired off a letter to a bunch of newspapers admonishing the commissioner for his lack of regard for the people of Gilchrist.
Since that time, however, Commissioner Patterson has done some good things. One involves his efforts to close Rollover Pass (located on the Bolivar Peninsula) which many believe will infinitely reduce beach erosion. Another, Texas will begin coastal protection projects from Padre Island to the Bolivar peninsula. The $135.4 million list of projects was made possible by state and federal funding and includes $25 million the 81st Legislature appropriated to the state's Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act.
Now, Commissioner Patterson is asking for your help to keep Texas beaches open to the public by voting "yes" on Proposition 9. Texas beaches are unique in that, unlike other coastal states where some beaches are private property, all beaches are open to everyone, and I, for one, want to keep it that way. In Patterson's words, "vote yes on Proposition 9 on Nov. 3 and enshrine our right to our beaches in the Texas Constitution. With your help, we can forever recognize and protect Texans' right to access their beach and add it to our Texas Bill of Rights so that it cannot be taken away."
And just so you know, there is a certain area of beach on the Bolivar Peninsula that will become open and public, and that's the land where our home used to be. It's hard, but we gladly let it go to preserve the rights of Texans to enjoy all the beaches all the time. Vote "yes" on Proposition 9.
