By Forest Riggs With Christmas just days behind, December 31 at midnight was quite the celebration. From one end of the island to the other, church bells rang, fireworks exploded in the dark night sky, horns blew and an occasional series of gunshot blasts were heard coming from sparsely populated areas. New Year’s Eve is

By Forest Riggs The last of the Thanksgiving feast items have been devoured and the fall-colored table settings of orange and brown have now turned to red and green. Yes, it is finally December, and the days count down, one by one, until Christmas. Though marketing strategies and tremendous commercialization tactics had shoppers seeing Christmas

By Forest Riggs Reader, be warned! This is perhaps my “soap box†column for this month, especially as we approach Thanksgiving.  The Thanksgiving holiday is historically very popular and one that most folks eagerly await. The food, the family, gathering of friends and the joy that a celebration can bring all make for an exciting

The morning of Saturday, September 8, 1900 began like most others. Beautiful little Galveston Island, dubbed the “Oleander City†was waking to barking dogs, ice and milk wagons wandering up and down the oak-lined streets, children venturing outside to play after a hearty breakfast with the family and others preparing to go downtown.   This Saturday

By Forest Riggs For years now, Galveston residents have been dealing with a unique problem. It seems that with all the construction, new developments into previously untouched green spaces, road work and removal of densely wooded thickets, coyotes have made their way into the quaint neighborhoods of the island.   From the historic East End to

| NO RICE-A-RONI NEEDED   By Forest Riggs  Unlike New Orleans or San Francisco, in Galveston, you won’t find any streetcar named “Desire†or hear the clanging bells of vintage cars laboring to get up and down steep hills. What you will find, however, is a great Island adventure — one that is inexpensive, fun

Be prepared for the ’23 hurricane season By Forest Riggs It’s that time of year again. June has arrived and with it comes another dreaded Hurricane season and all the fear and anxiety that return with the summer months. The Texas Gulf Coast, no stranger to major weather disturbances, is preparing for yet another several

By Forest Riggs As the song says, “April Showers bring the flowers that bloom in May.†Though April brought very few showers, Galveston Island is ready for the flowers to bloom. May is a big month on the island as tourism really kicks off and several annual events welcome visitors and locals alike.   A drive

By Forest Riggs  Did you ever know a person whom everybody knows and loves — a good friend to one and all?   Galveston is full of characters, and they come in all ages, sizes, colors and a variety of lifestyles. This diversity is what makes the island so charming and welcoming. One does not have

By Forest Riggs I have always enjoyed telling stories and tales. Many a time, while telling a good one, I will say, “…to make a long story short….†Some long-winded, rambling reminiscence or a re-telling of some adventure or story about something I experienced usually followed this catchphrase.  Storytelling is as old as humankind and