Galveston County Officials vow to "Bring Back Bolivar"

Anne Willis, Bolivar Peninsula Chamber of Commerce President and Owner of Swedes Real Estate, has lived on the Bolivar for 48 years. She loves the “Jimmy Buffet way of life” so much that she made a living selling and leasing homes on the peninsula to others who wanted their own slice beachfront heaven.

Hurricane Ike, though, turned much of the peninsula and its communities of Crystal Beach, High Island and Gilchrist into a vision of hell. Many worry that the peninsula won’t come back.

From across the nation via the Web, though, thousands are chanting “Bring Back Bolivar.”

Despite rumors that the peninsula would be taken over by the government and turned into a national park, state and local officials have all echoed the mantra that indeed Bolivar Peninsula will return.


He said he understood the frustrations residents have about limited or no access to most of the peninsula. He insists that putting the peninsula on a lock down was necessary to conduct an effective search and recovery effort.

Dozens of residents of the peninsula, where Galveston County and Chambers County meet, have been reported missing. Many of those have since been found safe, but many others have not been heard from since Hurricane Ike struck.

High Island residents have been allowed to come back and, in the coming days, a plan to allow residents to return to other parts of the peninsula will be announced, Yarbrough said.

However, the bridge at Rollover Pass on the peninsula’s east end was almost washed out, the ferry landing that connects Galveston and the peninsula was damaged. Still, residents who fled before the storm or had to be airlifted out are frustrated that they can’t go home.

That’s what prompted Willis, who owns a real estate firm in Crystal Beach, to create a message forum on her Web site. “Our business and home is in Crystal Beach,” posted Bill and Jacquelyn Cook. “Let’s rebuild.”

Willis said she set up the online forum initially to put pressure on officials to rebuild the peninsula. The response has been overwhelming.

“People are very frustrated,” said Willis, who evacuated first to Winnie and is now in Nederland. “Hearing some of the rumors, I wanted to give people (a forum) to express how they feel. I was just surprised (at the response).”

As of Sunday afternoon, 1,360 people had posted comments in the forum. Most recalled fond memories of a vacation or summers on the peninsula.

Others turned their frustration on elected officials and demanded action. After Yarbrough made his comments about a commitment to rebuilding, County Commissioner Pat Doyle, who represents the peninsula, made a similar commitment, Willis said.

State Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson made a similar commitment in a statement released Sunday. Willis, whose business was washed out by the storm, said she and others know the peninsula won’t necessarily come back as it once was. She said she was confident, though, it will be better.

“After seeing what buildings did stand, I think this means we will have to make sure we have better (building) codes, there’s no doubt,” she said. “And something will have to be done about the highway.”

Hundreds of peninsula residents who attempted to flee the day before Ike struck had their escape route, Texas Highway 87, cut off.

“I think the state has to make the highway higher,” Willis said. “I mean, we get 4 feet of water and it floods.”

Yarbrough agreed that any rebuilding plan would have to include improvements to Highway 87 as well as to the Rollover Pass Bridge. He supports better building codes, which would require the state legislature’s approval.

“We are going to form a committee and let our voices be heard,” Willis said, noting that residents of the peninsula tend to be stereotyped. “We are not all knuckleheads and people on a permanent vacation here. We heard that a lot from people on the news, and that is not the case.”

Galveston Daily News staff report