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Photo of the Day: Coney Island Boardwalk Kittens

Posted in Animals, Photo of the Day, Photography, tagged cat, Coney Island, feral cat, kitten, New York City Feral Cat Initiative on September 30, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Coney Island Boardwalk Kitty, September 28, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita

This Coney Island kitten was sunning herself on the Boardwalk over the weekend. Donate to the New York City Feral Cat Initiative. $100 provides a winter shelter and straw insulation for 3 feral cats. $50 sends a TNR coach to provide hands-on assistance to a volunteer who is completing a Trap-Neuter-Return project for the first time.

Coney Island Boardwalk Kittens, September 28, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita

Traveler: New Big Tex Debuts at State Fair of Texas

Posted in News, Photo of the Day, Travel, tagged Big Tex, Dallas, roadside architecture, state fair, State Fair of Texas, Texas on September 27, 2013| Leave a Comment »

The New “Big Tex” Was Unveiled at the State Fair of Texas on September 26. Photo via State Fair of Texas

The State of Fair of Texas opens on Friday with a new “Big Tex” who looks different from the old Big Tex ready to say “Howdy, folks!” with his new voice. The now 55-foot-tall figure stands in huge size 70 Lucchese boots featuring symbols of Texas such as the state flower and bird and Capitol building, as well as the State and U.S. flags. The welcome home ceremony will be streamed live at 2pm.

Last October, the original 60-year-old Big Tex was destroyed by flames from an electrical fire on the last weekend of the fair. The icon was rebuilt with the help of many donors, from Tall Texans ($1,000) and Big Tex – Reboot ($500) to Tex’s Friends ($25).

The new Big Tex’s big eyes, darker complexion and the configuration of his arms and hands are different than the old cowboy. On the Big Tex Grief Support Group page on Facebook, which was formed after the fire, reactions to the new Big Tex ranged from “Nothing like the old Big Tex!!!!!!” and “He looks great! – Just like a real Texan / Tejano! Love him!” to “He kind of looks like Howdy Doody!” and “Fail!” Here’s a slide show from KERA of North Texas showing how Big Tex has looked through the years.

Real Photo Post Card of The Worlds Largest Santa Clause Kerens, Texas 1949 Taylor Studio . From the Collection of Ed Williams

Real Photo Post Card of The Worlds Largest Santa Claus. Kerens, Texas 1949. Taylor Studio. Ed Williams Collection

Big Tex was originally a roadside “World’s Largest Santa Claus” built by the Chamber of Commerce in Kerens, Texas, according to The Great State Fair of Texas by Nancy Wiley. The 49-foot figure was constructed from iron-pipe drill casing and papier mache. The State Fair’s president bought the Santa in 1951 and hired Dallas artist Jack Bridges to transform him into a giant cowboy.

We’ve been fond of Big Tex since childhood. He was a familiar figure on vintage postcards in Mom’s shoebox of postcards from the road. ATZ met the big guy in 2006, the first time we visited the State Fair of Texas, which is worth a trip from anywhere. In 2012, the Dallas fair was once again no. 1 on Carnival Warehouse’s list of North America’s Top 50 Fairs, with an attendance of 2.56 million. The 2013 State Fair of Texas runs September 27 – October 20.

Photo of the Day: Coastal Research Amphibious Buggy (CRAB) in Coney Island

Posted in Photo of the Day, Photography, tagged beach, Beach replenishment, Beach restoration, Coney Island, Coney Island Beach, Hurricane Sandy, post-Sandy, sand, Sandy, US Army Corps of Engineers, USACE on September 23, 2013| Leave a Comment »

It was a gorgeous Sunday for walking on the Coney Island Boardwalk but what in the world was that tripod-like vehicle on the beach? We knew it had something to do with the US Army Corps of Engineers Post-Sandy Beach Replenishment Project currently underway, so we phoned their Public Affairs Department. Press Officer Chris Gardner says it is a CRAB aka Coastal Research Amphibious Buggy. This unique 18,000 lb. vehicle has a top speed of 2 mph on land and somewhat less in the water. Power is supplied by a 53-hp Volkswagen engine on the deck which drives a hydraulic pump. In the photo below that Gardner took on Friday, the CRAB is surveying a profile of the beach. You can see more photos from the set here.

A Coastal Research Amphibious Buggy (CRAB) heads into the water by the Steeplechase Pier at Coney Island to gather data on the beach profile. September 20, 2013. Photo by Chris Gardener via New York District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

As ATZ reported earlier this month, the $7.2 million project to pump 600,000 cubic yards of sand along Coney Island’s shore began the weekend after Labor Day. Approximately 272,000 cubic yards of sand is replacing sand lost during Hurricane Sandy and the remaining amount of sand is to restore the project area to its original design after 20 years of erosion. According to the USACE, the engineered beach is designed to act as a buffer and reduce risks to homes and businesses from coastal storms like Hurricane Sandy. The crews will be working non-stop for another 2 to 3 weeks in order to be finished before the hurricane season.