Volume Ten | Issue Five | May 2014

ART | MUSI C | FOOD | NE WS

ART | MUSI C | FOOD | NE WS
ART | MUSIC | FOOD | NEWS ART | MUSIC | FOOD | NEWS
6
thebeachsideresident.com M A Y 2 0 1 4
7
Word On Te Street
10
News Of Te Weird
12
Pet Of Te Month
13
Resident Of Te Month
14
Skilled Labor
15
Open For Business
16
Local Scribe
17
Recipe Of Te Month
18
Restaurant Of Te Month
19
Gardening Tips
20
Book Review
21
Local Scribe
22
Music Calendar
24
Music Reviews
26
Surfrider Cocoa Beach
27
Cocoa Beach Surf Museum
28
Costa Rica Surf
29
Inshore Fishing Report
30
Ofshore Fishing Report
31
Jedi Grind Tricks
32
Boardrider Of Te Month
34
Patrick Air Force Base
35
Get Out Of Town
36
Bartender Of Te Month
37
Puzzles
40
Movie Reviews
41
Romeo
42
Horoscopes
Contents
May 2014
Volume Ten : Issue Five
Tis months cover by Mike Cooney
35 thebeachsideresident.com M A Y 2 0 1 4
W
ith the challenging
economy in recent years,
Get Out of Town has been
replaced with Staycation.
Although the fnancial picture
has improved, many people are
still choosing to stick closer to
home rather than spending small
fortunes traveling the world. In
Brevard County, we are fortunate
to live where people do spend
small fortunes to travel to, and
where locals enjoy staying even
when they could travel the world.
Or, put another way, Why
leave paradise?
Tere are many great hotels, mo-
tels and resorts in and around
Cocoa Beach, but few have the
combined charm, proximity to the
beach, and family-friendly appeal
as Beach Island Resort. It also has
a place in history that sets it apart
from nearly every other property
along the coast of Brevard County.
Beach island Resort was built
in the early 1950s, and original-
ly called Te Tides. At the time,
there was virtually no short-term
housing in the area to accommo-
date workers, engineers, scientists,
and astronauts who were part of
the early days of the U.S. space pro-
gram. In fact, it was just about the
only place for visitors to stay be-
tween Patrick Air Force Base and
the Cape. Te list of guests during
the early days reads like a Whos
Who of space program pioneers.
Te housing shortage was so acute
that Dr. Si Ramon, the founder
of several aeronautical engineer-
ing companies, including TRW,
bought Te Tides to ensure he had
a place for his employees to stay.
Not by coincidence, his purchase
coincided with the move of the
U.S. missile development and test
program to the Cape in the 50s.
Apparently, pitching tents on the
beach was not an option for the
early space legends. Once other ac-
commodations were built to meet
the huge demand for housing, Dr.
Ramon sold Te Tides in 1957.
During his brief ownership, he ce-
mented Te Tides place in history.
Almost all of the hotels built in the
1950s and 1960s that boasted the
home of astronauts have been de-
molished.
In the early 1980s Te
Tides became Beach
Island Resort, and
was reinvented as a
timeshare and hotel
combination. People
could buy one or more
weeks or stop in along
busily traveled A1A and
spend the night, week,
or month. To this day,
that is still the case.
Beach Island Resort was
a multi-generational
destination long before
the term was invent-
ed. Tree and four generations of
families have been returning to
Beach Island Resort year afer year
for nearly 35 years. Te same is
true for non-owners who return
each year to the quaint, timeless
property.
What is the appeal of a place that
seems caught in a time warp from
the past? Tere are many reasons,
including nostalgia, its place in
history, and its proximity to the
beach. Both timeshare owners and
stop-in guests say they remember
staying at places like Beach Island
when they traveled in the fami-
ly station wagon during summer
vacations many years ago. Al-
though the resort may not match
everyones defnition of the huge
mega-acre properties around the
world, it still has several amenities,
including a swimming pool, Ja-
cuzzi, and direct access to one
of the most famous beaches in
the world.
Wayne and Fran Henderson have
been the Resident Managers at
Beach Island Resort for 22 years,
and recently retired. Tey have
watched generations come and go
throughout the years, and helped
create the family-friendly atmo-
sphere Beach Island is known
for. Everyone loves the funky and
quirky decorations Fran has lov-
ingly placed around the property.
Beach Island is home to non-native
curly-tailed lizards that arrived to
the area years ago on banana
boats, and a few oth-
er critters like marsh
rabbits. What more
could you ask for?
In early April 2014,
Mike and Catrell
Cooney became the
new Resident Man-
gers. Teyve lived
in Cape Canaver-
al since 09 afer
returning from an
around-the-world
trek with their three
(then) teenage sons.
In addition, they
own a travel agency,
so managing Beach Island Resort
is a natural extension of their love
of travel and meeting people from
throughout the U.S. and around
the world.
Mike and Catrell have big plans
for Beach Island, including more
weddings on property, develop-
ing many onsite activities such as
Get Out of Town
Beach Island Resort
Past, Present and Future
continued on page 39
39
thebeachsideresident.com M A Y 2 0 1 4
Local Scribes
High Crimes And Toy Guns
Continued from page 21
example, that was a radio, a
camera, and a submachine
gun. Too bad there was no
room to put your briefs in.
All the toy guns that passed
through my hands in those
days had the same fate:
somehow, sometime, they
disappeared. I dont remem-
ber giving any of them away.
I didnt sell them. I didnt
throw them in the garbage.
I treasured those objects. Its
odd I didnt keep track of
them. Tey just disappeared.
Sort of
Recently, at a local court-
house, a very pathetic scene
unfolded. A man waving a
toy gun was shot dead by law
enforcement. He waved an
Airsof gun, with the orange
thingy removed. Airsof, for
those who dont know, are
low-pressure air guns that
shoot a plastic BB. Some are
very realistic-looking. It was
obvious the deceased had a
death wish. Its too bad he
had to intrude upon some-
one else to do it for him.
So here I am, once again,
holding my breath anticipat-
ing an Airsof ban. To tell
you the truth, that wouldnt
bother me one bit. I never
liked Airsof. At close range,
they hurt. And the dang BBs
never go away. Tey dont
rust, they dont dissolve...
Im still fnding them in my
yard ten years afer my own
sons battles. I also thought
they encouraged bad
gun-handling habits. Te
same with Paintball
Back in 1992, I went back
to my hometown to attend
my 20th high school class
reunion. I made a weekend
of it, traveled solo, and spent
the frst night partying with
old friends. Te reunion was
the following evening, and
I had hours to kill that af-
ternoon. I decided to take a
stroll in the old woods.
I followed an old logging
road into the thickest part
of the forest, a place where
we used to smoke cigarettes
as teenagers. Mosquitos
were thick and there were
deerfies in my hair (I for-
got about those). I turned
around and found myself
in a clearing with a small
sandpit in the center. I rec-
ognized this place. We used
to play cowboys and Indians
there. Wed put sticks in the
sand and step on them to
make explosions, like bullets
hitting. I found a stick and
stuck it in. Clunk. Huh? I
dug a bit. Soon, it was re-
vealed. A crumbling rusty
pop gun. A Daisy. Barely
recognizable, but obvious.
A Winchester

ftness and wellness classes,
and promoting local com-
panies that ofer a variety of
services, like eco-tours, stand
up paddleboarding, surf
lessons, and kayaking. Tey
will also be promoting the
resort heavily through social
media and networking in
the community.
Beach Island Resort is locat-
ed between 11th and 12th
Street South on northbound
A1A in Cocoa Beach. Stop
by and say hello to Mike and
Catrell the next time youre
driving by. Who knows? You
may want to have a stayca-
tion yourself or recommend
it to visiting family and
friends. Either way, Its al-
ways a beautiful day at Beach
Island Resort.
Get Out of Town
Beach Island Resort
Continued from page 35