< Previous30 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2023 FEATURE Because EATcetera is independently owned and not a large chain or fran- chise, Pyles and Newsome are able to make those sustainability decisions quickly and effectively, they said. Since re-opening in 2018 under Pyles, EATcetera has included sustainability as part of its core culture. In-house diners use only reusable linens, plates, cutlery, cups or glasses. For takeout orders, the restaurant uses biodegrad- able paper boxes and bags that are dye-free. The only single-use contain- ers provided at the restaurant are for cake slices, but they’re recyclable. For those items that aren’t bio- degradable, EATcetera recycles and has a service that picks up recycling weekly. When demand rises in the summer, pickup cycles increase. Pyles and Newsome strive to support and encourage the reduce-reuse-recycle framework within the restaurant and with customers, they said. The restaurant has been a partici- pant in the Final Straw program since its inception and only provides paper straws on request. In March, Perpetual and Turtle Is- land Restoration Network held a series of targeted workshops for Galveston restaurant and foodservice businesses, community organizations and gov- ernment representatives at Rosenberg Library and Moody Gardens. Galves- ton was one of four cities chosen by Perpetual, which also is exploring po- tential for community-based reusable foodware systems in other small U.S. cities, including Ann Arbor, Michigan; Hilo, Hawaii; and Savannah, Georgia. In reusable foodware programs, restaurants pay a per-use fee for a reusable item, comparable to buying a disposable item. Customers can take their food or beverage to go in a reusable cup or container and then return the item to one of many return stations that will be placed around town. A reuse service provider then picks up the used items, takes them to a washing facility to be cleaned, sanitized and inspected, and then redistributes them to local restaurants to be used again. When designed well, the system is economically self-supporting, environ- mentally sustainable, healthy and safe, and equitably serves all members of the community, Moss said. The island’s size, diversity, commu- nity engagement and geography make it a strong candidate to implement Perpetual’s program, Moss said. “Galveston has a unique local charm and a history of outsized The demand for single-use plastics, including disposable food packaging, increased during the COVID-19 pandemic as restaurants shifted to takeout and delivery services. FILE PHOTO: JENNIFER REYNOLDS COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2023 31 G aido R eal e state G Roup Carolyn T. Gaido REALTOR ® CLHMS, CRS, RSPS, SRS 713.851.3377 CarolynGaido@SandNSea.com CarolynGaido.com Sand `N Sea Properties, LLC Top Agent Since 1999 Michael J. Gaido, III REALTOR ® 409.457.4900 MichaelGaido.com Kimberly A. Gaido REALTOR®, SRS 713.498.2020 sandnsea.com A trusted name with over 50 years of real estate experience 4116 AVENUE T $649,000 4203 PELICAN $719,000 21019 W. SUNSET BAY DR. $245,000 $1,225,000 2 WESTWIND RD - EVIA $399,000 3823 PERIWINKLE $1,229,000 leadership, it brings an active, diverse community and, as a coastal com- munity, it has a lived experience of the real costs of plastic pollution,” she said. “Galveston has a robust local restaurant community as well as regional and national chains, which allows us to ensure that a system that is developed here can work for large and small restaurant businesses alike.” Restaurants can reap financial bene- fits from such programs, Moss said. “We believe a reusable foodware system in Galveston could reflect the unique character of the local commu- nity, delight users with a better eating and drinking experience, and help businesses manage price spikes and shortages for disposable items due to supply-chain disruptions,” Moss said. “Reusable foodware systems reduce the amount of waste created, which means less trash entering the environ- ment and a cleaner Galveston.” Businesses won’t need to purchase the reusable cups or containers — they just pay a small fee of 10 cents per item, Moss said, describing it as a “cup as a service model,” a low-risk way for restaurants to try. The system will be free to customers as long as they return the reusable items, Moss said. Collection bins will be provided to make it easy to return items all around the island. A service operator — not Perpetual — will run the system, collecting items, getting them washed and sanitized, and restocking them with restaurants. “We are excited to create a program that gives restaurants the opportuni- ty to easily offer their customers the choice to borrow reusable cups and containers,” Moss said. “Our goal is to design this program so that it reduc- es risk and cost for businesses and enhances the consumer’s experience, and is accessible to all members of the Galveston community.” www.perpetualuse.org32 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2023 FEATURE SOMETHING BORROWED A skipped day and found board lead to an island life of surfing story by SHANNON CALDWELL photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS T wenty-five years ago, Brian Kuhn tried to catch a wave on a borrowed surfboard. Little did he know it would grow into a deep commitment to the sport and a love of Galveston Island life. “There’s something special about being able to walk to the beach to go surfing,” Kuhn said. “It’s one of the reasons I live here.” Passionate about the sport, Kuhn is involved with beach protection activist group Surfrider Foundation and documents the local surfing scene on his Insta- gram account — The Galveston Surf Collective. He’s the founder of Galveston’s La Izquierda Surf and Mu- sic Festival, which he created in 2019 with his brother Robert, also an avid surfer and professional musician. “When we got 50 entries in that first year, we realized we were on to something,” Kuhn said. “That’s about all you can accommodate for a one-day surf competition, but of course, there’s always new things you can do. In the past two years, we’ve been trying to attract more women surfers to the competition. I’m proud we are in our fourth year, and I hope we are still going in 10 years’ time.” Although the surf competition is capped at 50, the music festival keeps growing. Held at Beach Central May 5-7, this year’s eclectic lineup includes more than 20 reggae, hip hop, folk and indie bands and is head- lined by Houston icon Bun B. Attracting such a huge star can be attributed to sup- port of local sponsors and donors, Kuhn said. Kuhn first got bitten by the surfing bug as a high school student in Houston who snuck away from school with some buddies. Looking for something to do, they tried surfing. A friend found an abandoned surfboard and the three of them would take turns with the shared board on regular trips to the island. “Back then, it was just about being able to catch a wave,” Kuhn said. “Then, it was about riding waves and setting different challenges. As you get more experienced, you want to hone certain skills. Now COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2023 33 Brian Kuhn and his daughter, Finley, head into the water on the beach near 91st Street in Galveston.34 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2023 FEATURE I’m older, it’s a great sport for physical and mental fitness and I find myself spending time in CrossFit and yoga so I have the strength and flexibility to keep surfing.” There’s no more shared boards. Kuhn concedes to having 15 surf boards in his garage. “They are all for different condi- tions,” he said. “You usually buy and sell them as you go. I guess mine have stacked up a little.” Galveston isn’t known for the huge waves that make surfing a spectacu- lar spectator sport at other beaches around the world. But small can be beautiful, he said. “It takes more skill to surf smaller waves, and when you look at the world circuit, there are plenty of surfers turning heads who grew up surfing smaller waves,” he said. Kuhn cites 11-time World Surf League champion Kelly Slater as a prime example. Slater is from Flori- da, which also is known for small- wave beaches. Surfers congregate around a few good spots in Galveston to get the best waves, usually around piers and jetties. Although there can be some jockeying for space, Kuhn tries to be welcoming to new surfers, he said. When he was learning to surf, he looked up to and appreciated being around older Galveston surf- ers, including Brett Hopkins, Albert Shannon, Claude Stephens and Jeff Seinsheimer. The next generation might include his own children. Kuhn, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker TGRE, is married to Galveston architect Cate Black. They have two children: Finley, 5, and Jack, 18 months. “They are both a little young right now, but Finley found an abandoned boogie board in an alley and she has claimed it,” he said. “I have plenty of boards she could ride, but she wanted her own. It has mermaids and dol- phins on it, and she wants to try it out in the water.” Brian Kuhn cheers as his daughter, Finley, catches a wave on her boogie board in Galveston. “There’s something special about being able to walk to the beach to go surfing. It’s one of the reasons I live here.” BRIAN KUHNPHOTO: STUART VILLANUEVA Tim Culp, president of the Texas City- La Marque Chamber of Commerce, stands on the rocks at the Texas City Dike. Culp, who used to fish on the dike as a child, wants to grow tourism on the local hot spot. (Opposite) Anglers fish from a pier at the Texas City Dike. Stretching up to 5.3 miles into Galveston Bay, the dike is the longest man-made fishing pier in the world and a popular spot for boat launches and fishing. COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2023 37 FEATURE A TEXAS CITY TREASURE Community leaders see tourism potential in a local hot spot story by SARAH GRUNAU G alveston has the Gulf beaches. But then so do com- munities all along the 370 or so miles of Texas coast. What Texas City has for saltwater recre- ation is pretty close to one of a kind. The Texas City Dike juts a little more than 5 miles into Galveston Bay, offering anglers, kite-boarders and many others an actual road deep into the heart of Galveston Bay. The dike is parallel to the Texas City ship channel, a 50-foot-deep, 600-foot-wide route open for shipping boat traffic, according to the Moore Memorial Public Library. Now, Tim Culp, the new Texas City- La Marque Chamber of Commerce president, intends to grow tourism on the public amenity. “We want to build on the tourism side of this city,” Culp said. “The piece that gets missed a lot is the historical tourism part of this dike.” Culp stepped in as president just more than three months ago, but he holds his memories of the dike close to his heart, he said. FILE PHOTO: STUART VILLANUEVA“I used to love coming to the dike to fish out here as a child,” Culp said, balancing on one of the structural dike boulders and look- ing out at the bay. The Texas City Dike’s history is rich, but one that often is disregarded, locals say. Dredging for the dike began in 1914, but official construction actually started in 1935, Texas City Museum Curator Amanda Vance said. “It was in the 1930s that influential citizen Helen Moore was serving in the Texas House of Representatives, and she is the one responsible for the legislation that gave Texas City ownership of the dike,” she said. The 1960s ushered in another lengthy period of construction for the dike, and, 38 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2023 FEATURE FILE PHOTO: STUART VILLANUEVA COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2023 39 most recently, it was closed for about two years for repairs after Hurricane Ike struck in 2008, Vance said. “Hurricane Ike caused substantial dam- age,” Vance said. Making landfall on Galveston Island, Hurricane Ike’s 110-mph winds and 25- foot storm surge washed away most of the roadways and shoulders of the dike, leaving some of the pilings still in place. The dike reopened two years later, on Sept. 11 in 2010, with an entry fee, costs of which goes toward the maintenance and upkeep of repairs, city officials said. Today, the dike is a hot spot for locals and visitors and is a place where fishing, kite- boarding, kite flying, swimming and boating is enjoyed, Vance said. (Clockwise from left) A kiteboarder catches air while boarding Galveston Bay near the Texas City Dike levee. The area is a favorite among kiteboarders because of its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. The southeasterly winds are smooth and conducive for good rides; a temporary railway is used to move stone and rocks to build the Texas City Dike in 1935; cars parked along the Texas City Dike in the 1950s. PHOTO: COURTESY TEXAS CITY MUSEUM/ DONATED By BOB JOHNSON PHOTO: COURTESY JOHNNY MITCHELLNext >