Candidates for the Port O’Connor Improvement District Board were recently interviewed by Sue Kubecka, asking the same questions of each: their biographies and how they think their lives would interpose with service on the POCID Board; why did you decide to become a member of the Board; what you feel you’ve accomplished as a member (incumbents); and finally, what you want to accomplish in the future if elected.
Joe Newsome
Joe Newsome
by Sue Kubecka
The first interview was held with Joe Newsome, a current appointed member of the POCID Board. He graciously met with me at his place of business, The Cantina, adjacent to Josie’s Restaurant, which is owned by Joe and his wife, Eloisa Arriving at The Cantina, I was welcomed with an enormous smile from Joe, and we proceeded to talk. He had just finished work that afternoon at his electrical shop in Seadrift. Joe is classified as a Master Electrician, and has spent many years in that type of work, both commercial and residential.
Joe considers himself to be a sportsman, spending off time fishing and hunting. Born in Alabama, he moved to Houston at the age of 18, and started working as an electrician-apprentice. But the constant daily pressure of work in active Houston made him seek out another outlet, and he found himself driving to Port O’Connor every weekend to hunt and fish, often finding himself helping other weekenders to locate that special fish. He speaks of the multitudes of both fish and ducks at that time, a time that has somewhat vanished.
During one of these trips he met his future wife at the Beachcomber Inn, where she worked and then, he found himself courting her with marriage to follow. Twenty years ago the two of them purchased Josie’s from her parents and have run it ever since. The newest addition to their business line has been the establishment of The Cantina, open on weekends only with occasional entertainment. And both Joe and Eloisa sponsor the annual turkey cookoff in their parking lot with many of the cooked turkeys going to stock the Thanksgiving Baskets that are filled by our local churches.
When asked why he decided to become a member of the POCID Board: After learning of a vacancy, and being asked by others to become a member, he agreed, citing his invaluable business sense by having his own business for a number of years, and his mechanical experience.
When asked what he feels he’s accomplished as a member of the Board, he mentions that meetings of the Board have become more conducive to inviting the public to attend. Our water and sewage operations had incurred various violations from Texan policing agencies; now that some needed engineering and improvements have been completed, the violations have been corrected. However, he is another Board member who has instigated reverse osmosis in his home in the Seaport Lakes area, but wants to provide safer drinking water for all in Port O’Connor.
Joyce Jordan
Joyce Jordan
By Sue Kubecka
Speaking with Joyce Jordan has always been a delight; she is that semi-smaller in stature, lively gal with a deeply concerned expression on her face as she listens.
Joyce has had many community activities with Port O’Connor, being a real estate broker; the past President of POC Lions Club; past Director of the POC Chamber of Commerce. Current involvement in the community has maintained membership with the POC Service Club and Vice Chairman of Calhoun County Crime Stoppers. In addition, Joyce has and is serving on various committees with her church in Port Lavaca; her past endeavors have been setting up the playground for the children attending the Summer Bible School activities as well as always being the one who stops the holes wherever.
For many years, Joyce and her sister-in-law operated the Sandcastle Gift Shop near the end of Adams Street; this shop was able to create a strong sense of our special community with many unique decorative items one found when entering. Sadly, it closed when the other owner moved. When the local Lions Club brought to POC the Arts & Crafts Festival each year, Joyce was in charge of running it; securing space and vendors; and making certain that everyone had a good and safe time. Additionally, she served on the POC Chamber of Commerce Centennial Committee with the go-to planning and performance of all concerned.
Joyce is one of our people who came to POC from other areas; she was born in Charleston, South Carolina, Working in Houston for many years, she and her husband both decided to seek a quieter frame of life, and purchased their home here. But Joyce, like many women who either retire from a business-like life or are no longer the “lady of the house”, seek a more active involvement in their community. And this Joyce has done, as she would bring to her role on the POCID Board her past business and financial experience and her ability to deal successfully with the public in all instances.
Education wise, Joyce and the community in general has benefitted from her many original and sustaining real estate classes in order to become a salesman and then achieve her broker designation. Prior to this, Joyce had obtained an A.B. Degree in Business with a specialized degree in Risk Management Insurance and specialty and practice in Marine and Commercial Insurance for over 20 years. Joyce was honored by being one of five insurance service representatives in the United States to become recognized nationally for their work.
After being one of several residents who have attended Board meetings at various times, she has decided to become involved with the POCID as a Director to affect a difference in its current operations. Joyce’s aims are to work to provide clean and fully drinkable water to our residents; to stop wasteful spending; and to better represent the interests of our local rate-payers by using education and common sense through full transparency at all times.
Nathan O’Neill
Nathan O’Neill
By Sue Kubecka
I had the opportunity to meet with Nathan O’Neill one evening at the Fire Station. Speaking with one of the participants prior to their planned meeting, I was told that Nathan was not only a certified EMT but also the local Fire Chief. Meeting him shortly after this conversation, I immediately discovered his energetic demeanor, as shown by his participation in those volunteer activities that best serve our community. It’s not just his work in the Fire Department and EMT, somehow this young man finds the time to donate to other community activities; the latest being his work on the playground at the Elementary School. This is an area that his close to his heart as his charming wife, Jenny, has been an elementary school teacher there for many years; one who is dearly loved by her students.
Nathan is a young man in his mid-thirties, who is originally from Yoakum. He grew up working with his grandfather who was a local plumber there. This is where he learned the trade of pipefitting. Taking this trade a step further, Nathan became a TCEQ licensed irrigator and a TCEQ Backflow Assembly Tester. Nathan met his soon-to-be wife in the Huntsville community as she was finishing college. After working in the Montgomery area for a few years, they decided to sell their business and, return to her native home of Port O’Connor. Thus Nathan was able to bring his prior work experience to use here in POC.
Nathan has spent two years working at our local POCID as a crew leader. He currently holds five licenses from TCEQ in the water and wastewater industry. During his employment with POCID, he received specialized training in Indiana from Air-Vac, the makers of our sewer system that we use here locally. With these specialized trainings and licenses he wants to ensure that we have clean drinking water and an efficient operating sewer system.
Nathan currently operates his own business, O’Neill Services, a landscaping and irrigation company. He has been in business in POC for 10 years and would bring his own business knowledge, work ethics, and experience to the Board.
If elected to the POCID Board, Nathan hopes to accomplish several goals. He hopes to cut wasteful spending, lower rates for the consumer, improve customer service, and most of all, ensure quality drinking water. Additionally, he wants to ensure that Port O’Connor has an efficient sewer and water system that will meet the needs of our growing community and the requirements from TCEQ.
Allen Junek
Allen Junek
By Allen Junek
I am currently the President of the Board of POCID, and have served in that manner since I was appointed to the Board approximately 18 months ago following the sudden resignation of three of its members.
I first came to the Port O’Connor area to hunt and fish with my family in the late 1960s from my home in San Antonio. In 1972, I moved to “Bob and Leonard’s Texas”, between Port O’Connor and Seadrift with my parents who had retired. I decided early on to take up carpentry as a trade and worked for several contractors in Port O’Connor as a helper, then carpenter, before going on my own in the late 1970s.
In 1986, along with my construction business, I opened Junek Marine. This was a full line boat shop that was open seven days a week to help accommodate the needs of our local and weekend fishermen. The business of Junek Marine was sold around the year 2000.
Another chapter of my life began in the mid to late 2000s when the property values in Port O’Connor made a rapid jump. This increase could have resulted in local families having to relocate due to the taxes being too high to afford it. If our families moved with their children, there would be a good chance of our school closing. This was not an option for me. I spent much time and effort to determine how the property tax system worked. After finding issues that needed attention, I requested help from the POC MUD to help fight the increase. The MUD assisted as a taxing entity suggesting that if the valuations are incorrect, then the taxes levied on those values are not correct either. The issues were addressed and the valuations adjusted.
I decided to submit my name for appointment to the Board in an attempt to find out why our rates were high and how to lower them. With my background in construction and the property tax system, I am able to relate to the District workings as a whole.
During my time on the Board, we have accomplished many things; the lowering of rates was the most important. I feel that the Board has satisfied most of the community’s initial concerns. We have lowered our rates, protected our assets by hiring USW to operate our system, and we have provided transparent, fact-based communications to the public by retaining Imagination Monkey. We have come a long way in a short amount of time.
As to my goal for accomplishment in the future – if elected, one immediate goal would be to work towards bringing more civility to the Board room. I feel that too much time and money has been wasted looking backward instead of going forward.
Brian Redding
Brian Redding
By Sue Kubecka
Meeting with Brian Redding, I was struck by his appearance of capability and also his very charming smile along with his strong laugh. This made the interview more pleasant, and unlike the grilling of questions by one person.
Brian was born in 1953 in Port O’Connor. He joyfully maintains his ties with this community as he has never lived elsewhere. And he attended POC schools, graduating from high school in Port Lavaca.
His work experience includes 17 years with the local Volunteer Fire Department, achieving the position of Assistant Chief prior to his leaving. He spent approximately 12 years working for the Sheriff’s Department in Port Lavaca, beginning as a jailor and ending as the Deputy Officer. And the very applicable job experience obtained was working with Severn Trent of Katy, Texas for approximately seven years. Severn Trent was the firm hired to manage personnel and the day-to-day operations of the old MUD, now the POCID. Mr. Redding started primarily in the field with Severn Trent, handling the water taps and sewer taps; then went into operations and then management. Now he is a certified crane operator and foreman with the dredging operations of Orion Marine Group, the company that is handling the current dredging of the Intercoastal Canal in our area.
When asked why he decided to become a member of the POCID Board; his main concern was the fact that the water and sewer rates several years ago were extremely high, and considered a hardship to much of our retired population on fixed incomes. Additionally, he was aware of the many violations incurred by our District and named by the TCEQ for immediate correction.
He cites several personal attributes that would answer specific qualifications to be a Board member: his work experience of 7 years with Severn Trent; the certification he has obtained in the Air Vacuum system; and his constant desire to help his community.
When posed the question of what do you feel you’ve accomplished as a member of the Board, he cites the lowering of base rates by 50% for water and sewage operations; and the increased civility among members. He doesn’t care for arguing among the Board members, but he is inclined to remember that there are always two sides to every question; and all must be heard.
Looking to the future in POC if elected to the POCID Board, his main goal would be to provide safe and an adequate amount of drinking water for all rate payers.
Port O’Connor Improvement District Directors Election
Election Day: Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Polls open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m.
Polling Location: Port O’Connor Volunteer Fire Department, 101 South 6th
Early Voting at Same Location: Oct. 24-Oct. 28 & Oct. 31-Nov. 4 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
