To the People of Port O’ Connor:
We would like to say THANK YOU.
I would like to personally take this time to say thank you to a small town that well is truly Gods’ heaven on earth.

Most people do not know me in person.  See my career of the last 25 years as a Police Officer and Volunteer firefighter within a community of New Jersey directly across the water from New York City, which in itself is enough said of the fast pace life style and personalities of people here in the big city has often kept me from visiting as much as I should have.

But as I just recently found out after my visit to Port O’ Connor the weekend of March 4th to the 8th, people know me by name.  Kenny Marr of New Jersey.

I am the very proud grandson of the late Ruth Young of Port O’ Connor Texas.

I am sure that most of you know, we just recently lost our beloved Granny Ruth to a very short and courageous battle with cancer on March 15, 2011.

Most recently on our visit to Port O’ Connor to be with “Ms.Ruthie” and our family, my wife and I had an experience that will last with us a life time.

Now I am no stranger to POC.  During my high school years, I spent many a summer with my grandmother  in Port O’ Connor at the Lewis subdivision as we like to call it. During my informative years I had many a lessons from the family (Uncle Howard) on the Lewis subdivision, being a “Yankee” as I am referred to on occasion or reminded of when visiting.   I was also updated on the happenings of POC with my monthly delivery of the Dolphin Talk when Granny was done with them.

She (my wife) was surprised that anywhere we or I went everyone knew who we were.  To the people of the Speedy Stop, The Port O’ Connor Hardware, to good ole Arts BBQ that noticed the red pick up truck and asked “ Hey, you visiting Ms. Ruthie how is she?” Then I guess after listening to me go on about her y’all caught on to my accent and knew right away that I was her grandson from New Jersey.

After spending those early final days with family from Victoria and Houston, friends from Port O’ Connor and all the well wishes out at the Lewis subdivision,  my grandmother is at peace.
I would ask that you continue the prayers, love & support and please keep a watchful eye over my mother Florence Drake and her husband Paul, Uncle Howard & Aunt Evelyn and  all my family out at the Lewis subdivision.

To everyone at the First Baptist Church, POC Community Center, and all the wonderful people of Port O’Connor who in one way or another touched her life in a way that you have know idea.  THANK YOU.
You have truly made a dream of my retirement to Port O’ Connor something that will soon become a reality for my wife and I.

Again from myself, my wife and our three beautiful daughters, whom Roy and Ruth cherished so much THANK YOU.

Sincerely,
Kenny Marr

Thank You
We would like to say, “Thank you and God bless”, to all the people who signed the big birthday card for Ruth, all the other birthday and get well cards. Thanks to the Sunday school class for their butterfly cards. Thanks for all the flowers, phone calls, visits, food, and most of all your prayers. I believe, if she were here, this is what she would say to all:

To Those I Love:
When I am gone, just release me, let me go –
So I can move into God’s afterglow;
You mustn’t tie me down with tears
Be happy with God’s gift to us so many years,
I gave you my love, you can only guess,
How much you gave me in happiness,
I thank you for the love you each have shown,
But now it’s time I traveled on,
So grieve awhile, if grieve you must,
Then turn your grief into “God we trust”.
It’s only for a while that we must part,
So bless the memories within your heart,
And when you must come this way, don’t moan,
I’ll greet you with a smile, and a Welcome Home.
Always Love. Ruth Young

Thanks and God bless,
Ruth Young Family

State of the Union Revisited
I would like to commend the most excellent article by King Tomlinson in the February 11th Dolphin Talk. His position was very well stated and one with which I believe most Texans agree. Mr. Tomlinson’s letter along with the “Declarations” article by Peggy Noonan, provided the stimulus for the following comments.

In “Declarations” by Peggy Noonan (Wall Street Journal January 29-30, 2011), the President’s speech was captioned as “Unserious.”  This article was the most insightful writing by Ms. Noonan since her New York Times bestseller “When Character Was King” regarding President Ronald Reagan.  Ms. Noonan suggested that the current president “wasted a perfectly good analogy—America is in a Sputnik moment” and then missed the mark in that “he went straight for the mush.”  The content and conclusions are quite acceptable, but one must argue that the Sputnik analogy is weak.

We are in a Titanic Moment, but unlike Captain Edward Smith, those at the helm as well as nearly all on board are acutely aware of the monstrous iceberg of national debt, debt service, deficit, and massive unfunded liabilities directly in front of us.  A few in Congress with the responsibility of steering our nation (and some state governors) now appear to have firm convictions and are aware of the fragile financial stability of these United States.  Meanwhile, the President and his administration remain in an unbelievable state of denial, and focus on ever expanding promises for which there are no funds.

National security is at risk when a nation is in a sea of debt, lacks a cohesive and practical energy policy, and projects weakness to the international community.  The moment is Titanic.
John M. Long, M.D.
Tivoli, Texas

Letter to the Editor
All of us in Port O’Connor are very interested in keeping Port O’Connor clean and neat and improvement is noted on most streets. I am wondering why VERIZON is leaving their old telephone lines dangling from the poles in a very unsightly manner on Highway 185 between 14th and 11th Streets. It has been that way for over a month and looks terrible.
Doyle Adams

Thank You
What a beautiful community that has more than once come to our needs. We will cherish and remember your compassion and support during our loss. Your prayers, cards, visits, phone calls, food, and flowers were all appreciated more than you will ever know. Thanks to all that came to the rosary and funeral.

We thank all that came and spoke of how Sandy had affected their lives. Your kindness and words of condolence will remain with us always. Thank you for caring; it means much more than words can say.

Thank you,
The family of
Sandra Paulk Stephens

Letter to the Editor:
It seems to me that contemporary right wing discourse always references the intent of the “Nations Founders” or “Framers of the Constitution”, etc. to make their points.  Most often the intents ascribed to our forefathers are conveniently just plain wrong.  Mr. Brayshaw’s statement, “(t)hat America was founded as a Christian nation . . .”, is not accurate.  That may be what the right wants it to be, but that is not correct.

It is not an accident that the First Amendment uses the broad term “religion” in specifying the right to worship a supreme being or power.  The father of the Constitution, James Madison, in his “Memorial and Remonstrance” of 1786 said in part:

Because we hold it for a fundamental and undeniable truth, “that Religion or the duty which we owe to our Creator and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence.”  The Religion of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man; and it is the right of every man to exercise it as these may dictate.  This right is in its nature an unalienable right.  It is unalienable, because the opinions of men, depending only on the evidence contemplated by their own minds cannot follow the dictates of other men:  It is unalienable also, because what is here a right towards men, is a duty towards the Creator.  It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage and such only as he believes to be acceptable to him…
He does not constrain his writing to Christianity.  He uses the word “Creator” versus the more limiting word “God”  because he believes that every man must define his religious beliefs according to his own conviction and conscience.

And, it was not just Madison who held that freedom of religion encompassed more than just Christianity.  Thomas Jefferson was likeminded.  Jefferson believed religion to be a personal matter between an individual and his God, and therefore beyond the reach of the civil government.  He did not limit this freedom to Protestant sects, or even to Christians, but to all groups, and he considered the freedom not to be the gift of a legislative session,  but one of the “natural rights of mankind.”

In truth, both Madison and Jefferson were ahead of the general public in their thinking but they certainly cannot be said to have been intending to establish America as a Christian nation exclusively.  To their credit and our benefit they defined religion more broadly than just Christianity.
Jim Hummel

Dear Editor,
The Boy Scouts of Seadrift want to thank the Lions Club of Seadrift for all their help at the barbecue last Saturday, March 5.  The Lions were everywhere– cutting meat, hauling meat from the scout hall to the school cafeteria, helping with setting up food on the service line, serving barbecue, and cleaning up afterward.  The Scout Barbecue would not have been near as successful without their generous help.  Our Scouts have benefited greatly from their generous help.

Sincerely,
Mary Kay Belter

Send your letters via email to Joyce Rhyne:  dolphin1@tisd.net

The Dolphin welcomes letters from our readers on any subject that is of general interest to our audience.  Letters should be 300 words or less (with exceptions at the Dolphin’s discretion).  Letters reflect the opinion of the writer, and not that of Dolphin Talk staff, and we retain the right to determine suitability for publication.  It is the policy of this newspaper to promote area interests: therefore, complaints against local businesses should be directed elsewhere.  Letters must be signed and include day and evening phone numbers, which will not be published.  Your name will be withheld upon request, but anonymous material will not be considered for publication.