One Man Town

Bayshore, Texas - an imaginary place on the outskirts of denial.
After World War 2 ended, there were reports for many years of Japanese soldiers who continued to fight, unaware that the war had ended. After the Civil War, unreconstructed southerners still called Jeff Davis "Mr. President". There always seem to be those who fight on, seemingly in denial, after everyone else has gone on with their lives.
A Community Divided:
Over three years ago in the bayside area, between Kemah and Texas City, a referendum was held to decide whether the unincorporated towns of Bacliff and San Leon should incorporate into a new city to be named "Bayshore" Texas. It turned into the most divisive and bitter contest the area had ever seen. Emotions ran high on both sides.
The supporters of incorporation included the Chamber of Commerce and several prominent local business owners, among them Elmo Cruse, publisher of a local newspaper called the Eagle Point Press. Cruse had supported a previous incorporation effort a few years earlier which had been rejected by an absolute landslide. This time around, Cruse and his backers orchestrated a campaign that included picnics, community meetings, telephone calls, posters, and editorials. The focus was to generate fear that the towns would be annexed by neighboring municipalities. The new city would be named "Bayshore".
Just in time for this election, a competing newspaper (the Bayside News) sprang up, and took the side of the anti-incorporation movement. A grass-roots effort to prevent incorporation was launched as the newspapers went to war with one another. Scurrilous charges emanated from both sides. The contest turned ugly. People who had been friends for years became bitter enemies. Even after years have passed, the bitterness caused by the contest still exists. In addition to backing the incorporation effort, editor Cruse found himself dealing with a competitor trying to muscle in on advertising revenues. The battle between the two papers over the incorporation was as venomous and heated as the referendum itself.
By the time the election arrived, the towns were in a frenzy. Both sides predicted the vote would be decided by a narrow margin. Both mustered their troops for the voting. When the tallies were complete, the voters had overwhelmingly rejected incorporation for the second time. It wasn't even close. Over 80% of the voters had not been frightened by the rhetoric.
Biker News reporter "Nuke & Pave" Dave Collins, was an official observer that day at the polling location in Bacliff. He reported the chagrin of pro-incorporation backers as returns were counted. The consensus was that voters had made a tragic mistake, and the two communities would soon be swallowed up. Incidentally, three years later it hasn't happened.
Welcome To Bayshore, Population 1:
After this bitter contest over Bayshore ended, the folks who had supported incorporation went back to their lives. Joe Sullivan, a major backer of the effort, went back to work in his pharmacy and made plans to expand. Fred Lyttle of Noah's Ark did likewise. So did Mike Maples, Junior Green, Chuck Jardina, and a host of other influential businessmen who had supported the effort. But not everyone. Not Elmo Cruse and his son Eddie, of the Eagle Point Press. To this day, three years later, the Eagle Point Press uses the name "Bayshore"  to refer to the towns of San Leon and Bacliff. They capitalize it, as if it were a real place. In their recent Halloween issue, they ran a photo feature called "Bayshore Celebrates Halloween". This is in spite of the fact that the name "Bayshore, Texas" does not appear on any map. There is no such place in the real world. But like that Japanese soldier I referred to at the beginning, Eddie Cruse and his paper are still fighting a battle that has been over and done with for years. Now that his father has retired, Eddie has become the sole occupant of Bayshore, Texas, population one.
Like Father, Like Son:
Elmo "Bubba" Cruse did some pretty wacky things over the years. One business owner related to me how "Bubba" had raged that he could kill him and get away with it, because Cruse receives VA benefits for some type of mental illness. Cruse raged against topless clubs in a 1999 editorial, accusing them of being drug and prostitution fronts - then suddenly clammed up when the truth came out: that he himself patronized such establishments. He used the occasion of the death of JFK Jr. in that same year to publish venomous attacks on the deceased President Kennedy.
Some businesses found that Cruse had a "no cancellation clause" for his advertisers. When Lou's Grocery cancelled their advertising with him, Cruse went on a rant about foreign business owners. He announced plans to start an "internet grocery store", and told anyone who would listen that he was going to put Lou's Grocery out of business. The whole incident made him look like a crybaby. No internet grocery ever materialized. Lou's is still in business.
He didn't seem to believe in the First Amendment, attacking new publications like a playground bully. One upstart publisher discovered that the Chamber of Commerce was conducting planning sessions to put him out of business, at the behest of Cruse. A group of people organized at a Chamber meeting conducted a telephone campaign directed at the publisher's clients, encouraging them not to advertise in his publication, and threatening a boycott. Another competitor, Stuart Harrop of the Bayside News, was kicked out of the Chamber in a secret meeting that was held in defiance of the Texas Open Records Act.
Like Nixon, a president he once praised in print, Elmo Cruse seemed to keep an "enemies list". Businesses who cancelled advertising and competing papers were at the top of his list. Other businesses and individuals were not exempt, however. Cruse would reportedly instigate a telephone campaign to complain to the health department, the TABC, the police, and anyone else he could call to harass and intimidate any person who got on his bad side.
One such case was comical. This person had some hogs on his property in San Leon that Cruse said were being mistreated. An article with photos was published in the Eagle Point Press that made it seem as if Cruse was simply concerned for the fate of the animals, who he said were being mistreated. The Health Department investigated and found no violations. A witness said that the hogs were indeed living in squalid conditions - which is a natural and sanguine state for hogs.
So, when "Bubba" retired last year and his son Eddie took over, a lot of people hoped that a more sane and agreeable publication would be the result. Maybe the bitterness of the incorporation issue could be forgotten, and the communities could move forward. Perhaps the Chamber could grow with the rest of the community. Maybe the paper would get in touch with the public and start covering the local news. Instead, since Eddie Cruse has taken the helm, things have become more bizarre than even Bubba, in his most illucid moments, could imagine.
A Divide And Conquer Strategy:
Perhaps the constant repeating of the name Bayshore is some kind of subliminal indoctrination technique. Maybe Cruse hopes it will "catch on", and people will finally agree with him and his father at the ballot box. The talk of incorporation is once again being heard in the beer joints and bait houses of San Leon and Bacliff. Once again the communities may soon face the rancorous division and bitterness of an incorporation referendum. It will be no surprise to see Eddie Cruse spearhead the effort - he is already planting the seeds. What he expects to gain personally from incorporation can only be guessed at, but his Bayshore obsession seems to be hereditary. The same fear tactics seem to be already being let loose.
The only example in recent memory in which the community was not divided was on September 11th, when nearly 1,000 locals gathered at the VFW Hall in San Leon. The occasion was a community meeting to kick drug dealers out of the area. Every law enforcement agency in the county was present, along with prosecutors, state representatives, senators, judges, and other officials. Citizens demanded authorities take measures to eliminate drug activity, and were promised results. Eddie Cruse was the only local editor who did not attend. The meeting had been called by Steve Hoyland Sr., an affable man who spends most of his time fishing. Hoyland first made the "enemies list" when he opposed incorporation in 2000. He received an asterik when he started a competing newspaper, the Seabreeze. This partially blind senior citizen is someone we know well as a client. We are paid to do his typesetting in our "type & gripe factory" in San Leon.
In his next issue, Cruse made light of the community meeting, saying that drugs have always been a problem, and always will be. He predicted the drug issue would soon "blow over". In his rush to attack a competitor, Cruse found himself on the same side as the drug dealers. This upset many in the community who felt his paper was taking the wrong position.
In spite of Cruse' predictions, Neighborhood Watch groups were formed, a hotline was established, and arrests were made. The drug activity soon started moving out of town. When he saw that the citizens were determined to get rid of the dealers, Cruse changed tactics. He reportedly accused the man who had called the initial meeting of being in the drug business himself! Witnesses say Eddie Cruse has been telling people in the community that the editor of the Seabreeze started the anti-drug campaign in order to eliminate competitors. He has reportedly accused the editor's son of selling drugs and laundering drug profits through his businesses.  The son is a respected family man who is incredulous at this attack, since he has never even met Cruse. The son was, however, a vocal opponent of the incorporation effort in 2000.
A few days ago Cruse discovered that a candidate for office had also placed an ad in Hoyland's paper. He asked the lawman why he did so, and told him that any money he paid Hoyland would be used to purchase drugs (wait a minute - is he buying or selling?). The candidate reported Cruse seemed irrational and angry.
The senior Hoyland has declined to comment for this story, stating "The Seabreeze isn't going to say anything negative. We think it's a great place to live, catch fish, and do business. We're good neighbors with everyone."
I politely asked Eddie Cruse in person for an interview, hoping to get some answers and mitigating information - in order to give this story more balance. I even thought once I heard his side of the story, maybe it all wouldn't be worth writing about - that he couldn't be as bad as people had been telling me (I had never met him before). I did so in front of witnesses, and I was very polite about it. He acted physically threatening, and told me I had better leave town (Bayshore?). He seemed to be foaming at the mouth. A young man there summed it up succintly: "Just ignore him - he's a hater".

THE KISS OF DEATH:
The political endorsement of the Eagle Point Press may be the harbinger of defeat. The EPP vigorously opposed Sheriff Gean Leonard and endorsed Mike Herbst. Leonard won. They supported the failed incorporation attempts. They endorsed Jody Pryor for constable (he lost). In fact, we cannot find any candidate they ever supported who has won. This might be bad news for John Ford, a candidate for County Commissioner; Craig Jefferson, who is running for Constable; and Mike Campbell, who will oppose Leonard for Sheriff.

Burning The Bridges Of Galveston County:
?A reliable witness says Eddie Cruse told several people he was going to "put Gilhooley's out of business". It's likely he was upset because the popular local seafood restaurant opposed incorporation and won't advertise in his paper. He attempted to recruit one of Gilhooley's employees in order to "get some dirt" on the establishment.
?Other business owners say Cruse has threatened to "ruin" them as well. One business owner says Cruse's paper instigated a systematic campaign of harassment against him which included calling government agencies with complaints, threatening his clients, and circulating falsehoods about him in the community.
?Cruse has written veiled statements in his paper about an upcoming "exposé" about someone who was "blacklisting" local businesses. Strange references to "barn burning" were seen, and a full story was promised No story ever materialized, no names were named, and no facts disclosed.
?An elderly woman in San Leon wrote to the Seabreeze newspaper last month to express her appreciation to a group of men in the community who had volunteered to put a carport on her house for free. One of the volunteers was the Seabreeze editor. A friend of the woman says Eddie Cruse loudly and angrily confronted this lady, and scared her half to death. He wanted to know why she never wrote a letter thanking the Eagle Point Press when Eddie repaired her car a year earlier (he was formerly employed as a "mobile mechanic"). She explained that he had charged her for the repair, and she wasn't in the habit of publicly thanking people who charged her for their services.
?In a recent issue, Cruse said that the Senior Citizens Center in Bacliff, and the Bayshore Park in San Leon would both be relocated to Dickinson.  This created a firestorm of anger against the County by senior citizens. In actuality, the County has no plans to close or move the facilities.
Wandering around the loco patch:
Cruse' delusional conspiracy talk may be something he inherited. His father, Elmo, has reportedly been granted disability benefits by the VA for a mental condition. One good source says he even held classes to teach other vets how to get "certified", so they could draw a check too. Eddie's brother Michael was a mental patient who once made Live at Five by climbing the Transco Tower with a gun. He later killed himself. Maybe Eddie inherited the family affliction. Before discounting the theory, here are a couple more things to consider:
?On Sunday, November 30th, Eddie Cruse, reportedly in an intoxicated state, arrived at a home in San Leon and obviously in ill temper. He was angered because his girlfriend's brother had placed a lost billy goat in their yard. The brother said: "The little goat was out in the road, and cars were going by, I thought it might get hit. My sister lives close by, she has a fence, and she also knows people who help homeless animals. Eddie and Dee weren't home, so I put it in the yard. I had no idea he was going to flip out."
Another eyewitness said "We were all enjoying the ball game when he came up. All he had to say was 'what's the score and where's the beer?' - everyone was very polite to him. He was out of contol about a billy goat. It was the stupidest thing I ever saw." A family get-together was being held, and there were several family members around, including children. One of the teenagers said "He was all bowed up, saying 'I'm a combat trained US Marine, I can take all y'all out' and just acting scary'"
Witnesses say that Cruse verbally confronted the gathering, then shoved his brother-in-law (who didn't even know he was a brother-in-law at the time - Cruse had recently married the man's sister secretly). A scuffle ensued that resulted in Cruse fleeing the scene. Cruse reportedly hit one bystander with his car and ran over another person's foot. Witnesses insist it was intentional. Cruse said it was an accident. Deputies charged Cruse with assault, and the victims say they will likely file additional charges against him.
?Eddie is fond of wearing camoflouge clothing and seems to have a military fetish. Incidentally, while all of this has been going on, Bubba Cruse has mellowed out and devoted time to writing about military history. A family member says Bubba and Eddie aren't getting along well lately.
Reality check:
People are saying Eddie Cruse is "out to lunch". His father struggled for years to build a little newspaper, passed it on to the son, and now he is failing. How will he explain this to his authoritarian father? They say he is giving away free ads, viciously attacking his enemies,  and doing everything he can to make a go of it - except two essential elements: Covering the news and telling the truth.
Someone who cares about this man needs to go to the fictitious town of Bayshore, Texas, and gently lead him back to the real world before he truly flips out. We live in a forgiving community, and he will be welcome in the real, unincorporated towns of Bacliff and San Leon.
GATOR