We have had many days of overcast and of fog this colder winter. Yet we got hardly any rain in the past month. It may be a harbinger of dry times which might mean poor crops and grass fires galore. However, the Sun shines more often of late.

The good weather has brought the Pelicans out in our bay. They have been dive bombing for fish pretty regularly this past week or so. So, the summer is coming and it is not long before fishermen add their dive bombing tackle for those same fish. In fact one sees boats or even an occasional wade fisherman along the shores competing with the pelicans even now.

With all those fish being taken one wonders if we will run out. The State of Texas doesn’t want that to happen. Calhoun County doesn’t either; we have almost as much water as land. So we and the state have a hatchery right here in our County. It provides thousands, if not millions of fingerlings to stock the bays up and down our Coastal Bend area.

It is the Perry R. Bass Fisheries over in the far Eastern edge of the County. You may be confused about it being in Calhoun County because it has a Palacios mailing address. However, it is in that part of Calhoun County that is South of Jackson and on the Eastern side of Carancua bay. We actually have several places over in that area with a Palacios mailing addresses.

That came about when Calhoun County was formed from Matagorda, Jackson, and Victoria counties back in 1846. I really don’t know why the county line is the way it is with that little jack leg East of the bay and South of Hwy.35. I guess neither 35 nor 3280 which is the current Eastern border were there, so they just drew a line.. In fact if you turn South on 3280 from 35 to go down to Perry R. Bass Fish place you travel through at least three counties on the way to the hatchery. :You ought to visit it, the hatchery is on the edge of the world or at least the edge of continental land.

There must be something about the water down there because on the Matagorda side of 3280 there is a Commercial Red Fish farm. Perry specializes in Red Drum, and Trout. They have started to grow Flounder. The plan is to keep our bays full of fish. Those who fish or serve the fishing industry thank them for keeping the bays stocked.

Don’t get too excited about getting a fish from the facility. Perry starts with spawn from spawning places like Lake Jackson then grow them to fingerling size. You can get about a million of those in a big bucket. Then they haul them all over, in trailer tanks, and stock the various bays. From there the fish have to grow on their own. Next the Fisherman and Pelicans do their best to take them home.

Graduates of Fisherman’s Bible Institute (L to R) Kim Sonnier, Darren Luna, Vicky Cobb, Joe and Vera Wiatt, Julian Garcia (holding his son, Mason)

People can surely make getting older seem appealing! Folks around the Chapel helped me observe another “29th birthday”, (some of you know that birthdays come around so often it is hard to keep count!) and I enjoyed every gift, card, word of blessing, and the opportunity to share it with some of the greatest Moms in the world! The morning’s activities began with the kids singing to the Moms, followed with a fabulous message from  Pastor Joane, and the Mother’s Day meal with Evangelist Gene Summers to wrap up this year’s version of Mother’s Day – Chapel style!

But, we do not have time to enjoy this very long – the Warriors are coming to town! On Friday, we will be cracking 200 dozen eggs and Saturday we will serve 2,000 breakfast tacos! Allen and Terry Quinn have donated the eggs and tortillas, Bubba’s has donated the 100 pounds of sausage, and many others have donated various things and given generous donations to help us accomplish this ambitious goal. Thank you for your help and thanks to the Committee that has given us the opportunity to serve in this fashion.

Memorial Day weekend will be special at the Chapel because Evangelist Rod Vincent will be with us for both the morning and  evening services. Evangelist Vincent is a Cajun from southern Louisiana and is the Evangelist’s Representative for our South Texas District. He has been to the Chapel several times and also ministered in other churches in this area. You will be greatly blessed to be a part of these services. Sunday Service times are 10:00 a.m. Bible Study; 11:00 a.m. Morning Service, and 6:00 p.m. Evening Service. Everyone is invited to attend!

We have not fully developed the Father’s Day plans, except that every dad present will receive a special gift on Sunday, June 15. In past years not only have the men appreciated their “gifts”, but the women have been “jealously wanting” us to duplicate them for Mother’s Day!

We are planning a special retreat on June 28 and 29. Captain Robert will be leading this activity, where participants will be challenged to “Fish for Men”! It will be a very informative and challenging time. Those interested should call Captain Robert as soon as possible for further information. His number is 361/816-3010.

Did you see the beautiful sunrise on Easter morning? The “Sunrise Service” was a grand success with over 500 present at the front beach. The Baptist Choir did an excellent job as did Michelle from the Chapel. Our kids and Debra Holmes sang for the morning service. We were blessed to realize, “He is not here – He has risen!” “He lives within my Heart!”

Our Fisherman’s Bible Institute ended its semester with graduation exercises on Sunday, April 28. Special speaker was the Reverend Debbie Ruddick, who has a special passion for learning God’s Word. We will be starting another class this fall and everyone is welcomed to come and study God’s Word in depth like we do at FBI.

We hosted our first Men’ Retreat as men from LaVernia gathered for fishing, food, and fellowship. We are having a monthly fellowship for all interested men. David is leading the group and our next event is Saturday, 8:30 a.m, May 31. All men are welcomed.

Our ladies are enjoying each others’ company with many special events including the one coming to the Chapel on May 24. It will begin at 9:30 a.m. and there will be food, fun, and a lot of “girl talk”! Kelly is planning the event and encouraging all ladies to attend.

Fisherman’s Chapel is an interdenominational congregation which gathers each Lord’s Day for Bible Study at 10:00 a.m.; the Morning Service at 11:00 a.m.; and the Evening Service at 6:00 p.m. Midweek services are held on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. We also have Friday Night Youth each Friday evening from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m., except on the first Friday of each month. We have special activities for those “serious Bible students (FBI), and special events for both the men and ladies of this community. Everyone will find a warm welcome at the Chapel, and you are urged to, “Come, grow with us”!

“The Way I See It” is an attempt by the guest columnist to enlighten readers on a subject, as he views it,
and does not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.

Death of the Republic

We are living in a de facto Dictatorship. The Constitution has been systematically ignored for 6 years by the Socialist Democrats. The Obama Administration rules by Executive Order or bureaucratic regulation when they can’t get their way by browbeating Congress and lying to the America people, with the eager assistance of the Lag-Dog Media. When Congress tries to address, expose, and control their excesses, the Congressional investigations are ignored and stonewalled. Whether it is gross criminality in the Dept of Justice like “Fast & Furious” , the IRS malfeasance in denying 501(c)4 to conservative or pro-life groups, unconstitutional searches by NSA or others, or the diplomatic and military incompetence of Benghazi, the Obamunist answer is always a cover-up.

The HolderWaffen Dept of Justice declares legal war on any States that try to do anything about illegal immigration or vote-fraud. Even Calhoun County has a vote-fraud case against a prominent Democrat supposedly under investigation by the local District Attorney’s Office, but most folks expect it to be ‘swept under rug’. After all, this is a ‘Democrat’ county, and vote fraud seems to be an established policy of the Socialist Progressives now controlling the “Democrat” Party. Trickle-down corruption. Hopefully, that can’t happen here; but the proof will be in the prosecution.

The Obama Administration is totally corrupt. They lie about Unemployment by putting unemployed but able-bodied workers on SSI Disability, and thereby reducing the “Unemployed” numbers. There is a current effort to make “the lack of English-speaking ability” a qualifying “Disability”. And how do they intend to pay for this vast expansion of their Welfare State? Print more money ($1.2 Trillion annual deficits), cut the military, and dozens of new taxes. They refuse to authorize the Keystone XL pipeline that even most ‘Democrats’ say would have a huge positive economic impact, but are going to enforce Banking regulations starting July 1 that may lead to the US Dollar no longer being the World’s Reserve Currency. EPA and OSHA continue their attacks on private enterprise, plus contrary to the last decade’s measurable weather, they are determined to enact a massive Global Warming bureaucracy and tax package. That, Amnesty, and “Raising the Minimum Wage” are mostly “Red Herrings” to distract from all the scandals, failures, and incompetence currently under investigation, the inevitable coming money inflation, and possible “banking emergencies”.

In their constant efforts to increase their power, the Progressives have encouraged the present administration to “change” the law by selective enforcement. We are no longer a “Nation of Laws” or practice “equality before the law”. Senator Ted Cruz recently released “The Legal Limit Report #4” ( http://www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1218 ) that lists 76 “lawless” Obama Administration actions and abuses of power.

“Of all the troubling aspects of the Obama presidency, none is more dangerous than the President’s persistent pattern of lawlessness, his willingness to disregard the written law and instead enforce his own policies via executive fiat,” Cruz stated in the report’s introductory remarks.

“President Obama has openly defied [rule of law] by repeatedly suspending, delaying, and waiving portions of the laws that he is charged to enforce. When President Obama disagreed with federal immigration laws, he instructed the Justice Department to cease enforcing the laws. He did the same thing with federal welfare law, drug laws, and the federal Defense of Marriage Act,” Cruz wrote. “In the more than two centuries of our nation’s history, there is simply no precedent for the White House wantonly ignoring federal law and asking others to do the same.”

The Constitutional duty of the President and the Executive Branch is to enforce the laws passed by Congress, not pick and choose which ones fit their “Agenda”. He is openly supported in his unconstitutional usurpation by the new “Socialist Democrat” Party leadership and their Progressive Media. These are the actions of a dictator, not a President. Obama promised to “fundamentally change America”, and he has. I don’t think our dollar or our Constitutional Republic can survive much more of this.

Calhoun County Republican Club President Rita Poimbeauf and Russell Cain present scholarships to Calhoun High School students Hannah Krause, Kingsley Scott and Rebecca Ann Vaughn. Each read their essays entitled, “What Being a Republican Means to Me,” at the regular meeting.

Republican Club June Meeting:

Special guest speaker Agent George Torres will speak on the work of the Texas Border Patrol at the next meeting scheduled for Monday, June 2, 2014, at the Grace Episcopal Church on Austin Street in Port Lavaca. Dinner at a cost of $7.00 will be served at 5:00 pm and reservations are encouraged. Please call (361) 552-6080 for more information. The meeting will begin at 6:00 pm.

Excitement and anticipation was running high at Port O Connor Elementary this week when Lizzie Sider, a rising country music artist and high school junior from Boca Raton Florida, danced jumped and sang her way into the hearts and lives of the students and staff. Her visit brought with it a very important message: No matter the reason, bullying hurts!
The students had studied her theme of ‘no bullying, no teasing,’ and they had completed many assignments and learning activities linking Lizzie’s trademark butterfly with the message and music. The auditorium walls were covered with writing projects, science assignments, art and other work students had completed and proudly displayed. A giant fluttering butterfly created by students for the special day hovered just right of the stage where all the action took place. The young guest artist loved the work Port O Connor students had done in preparation for her visit.

Lizzie is on a yearlong tour of schools across the country sharing her anti-bullying message. Lizzie recounted her story of being bullied and teased in grade school and asked the students and staff how many had also been hurt in that way. Surprisingly, almost every hand in the crowd was raised, both adults and students.

Lizzie told how her dad helped her deal with the hurt and taught her to believe in herself. His message was ‘nobody has the power to ruin your day,’ and Lizzie took it to heart.  Now Lizzie is proclaiming that message to others in her TBK- To Be Kind movement of outreach and education. Her passion is infectious and her ability to connect with students impressive.
At only 15, she began her 250 school tour without even a driver’s license because ‘she wants to make a real difference, and wants to do something bigger with her life.’ Her parents traveling with her serve as her chauffer, instrument and prop managers and her biggest fans.

Students proudly wore their power band bracelets in bright colors bearing the message of Lizzie’s visit. Every student sang along and joined in as Lizzie sang her original song ‘Butterfly’ and it was clear they each believed that they could fly above bullying and teasing and be a part of the solution. Students and staff played instruments, clapped and sang as Lizzie encouraged, challenged and dared students to stand up against others who would bully or tease.

Despite chart topping releases, country music awards and national recognition, this charming young lady with poise and charm well beyond her years took time and made the effort to connect with each student in attendance. Audience participation, crowd contact, careful attention to little questions with big answers and small gestures so genuinely offered made Lizzie’s assembly feel like a personal visit. She took time to pose for one on one pictures and sign autographs before heading down the road for San Antonio area schools and more stops on her path to reaching out and touching more than 100,000 students with her sweet smile, delightful music and empowering message that just like a caterpillar all of us will come out to fly with colorful wings just like a beautiful butterfly. This impressive young lady was a bright spot in the day and a great role model and mentor for Port O Connor students.