May is blood pressure awareness month and what better way to monitor your blood pressure than by saving some lives. As a reminder, before every blood donation all donors will receive a mini physical that includes a blood pressure screening.

Donors will also receive an iron and temperature check making sure you will have a smooth donation.

All blood types are always welcome but type O negative donors are especially encouraged to come out.

Calhoun High School
Tuesday, May 20;
9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
201 Sandcrab Blvd.

May 17        Warrior’s Weekend

Sat., May 17    DU Sportsman’s Night Out
6:00 pm        Bauer Center in Port Lavaca

Mon. May 19    Cooking with Seafood
6:00 pm        Bauer Exhibit Bldg., County Fairgrounds

Tues., May 20    Blood Drive
9:00-3:30    Calhoun High School

Sat., May 24    Kids Fishing Tournament
9:00-11:00    King Fisher Beach Port O’Connor

Sat., May 24    Kite Flying Contest
1:00 pm        King Fisher Beach, Port O’Connor

Sat., May 24    POCSA BBQ Cook Off

Mon., May 26    Memorial Day

Tues., May 27    Runoff Elections

Mon., June 2    Republican Club
6:00 pm        Grace Episcopal Church, Port Lavaca

Tues., June 3    Seadrift City Council
7:00 pm        Seadrift City Hall

Tues., June 3    Bunco
7:00 pm        Port O’Connor Community Center

June 3-July 12    Summer Reading Program
at Calhoun County Libraries

Sun., June 8    Paddle to the Pass
8:00 am        King Fisher Park sabaypartnership.org

June 9-12    POC Baptist, Vacation Bible School
9:00-12:00    Phone: 983-2727

Mon., June 9    Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce
6:30 pm        Port O’Connor Community Center

June 13-14    Seadrift Shrimpfest

Mon., June 16    Cooking with Seafood
6:00 pm        Bauer Exhibit Bldg., County Fairgrounds

Tues., June 17    Summer Reading Program Demonstration
10:30-11:30    Port O’Connor Library

Tues., June 17    Blood Drive
5:00-7:30 pm    Dick’s Food Store, Seadrift

Fri., June 20    Girl Scouts Night Out
6:00-9:00    Alamo Heights Baptist Church, Port Lavaca

Sat., June 28    Friends of Port O’Connor Library Annual Meeting
2:00 pm        Port O’Connor School Auditorium

AA meets each Saturday night at 7 p.m. at First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall in Port O’Connor.

POC Lions Club meets the second Wednesday of each month, 4:00 p.m. at Port O’Connor First National Bank

Seadrift Chamber of Commerce meets the third Thursday of each month, 6:00 p.m. at First National Bank meeting room, Seadrift

Commissioner’s Court meets the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month at 10 a.m., 1st Floor of the Court House, Port Lavaca.

Crossroads Astronomy Club meets at 7:00 p.m., third Mondays, at U of H, Victoria, Room 223 info: wes81461@yahoo.com 935-2016

Calhoun County Quilt Guild meets the first Wednesday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at the Fairgrounds Exhibit Building.

Calhoun County Republican Club meets first Monday of each month 6:00 p.m. at the Episcopal Church Community Room, 213 E. Austin, Port Lavaca.

CASA (Christians Against Substance Abuse) meets each Thursday from 7-8 p.m. Call 361-652-7451 for meeting place.

Friday Night Youth every Friday except the first Friday of each month, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Fisherman’s Chapel, Port O’Connor

First Baptist Youth Group (Port O’Connor) meets every Wednesday night from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Grades 6th – 12th; Team Kids Grades 1-5

Port O’Connor Cemetery Association meets 3rd Thursday of each month at POC Community Center

Ladies Bible & Book Study is held every Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall in Port O’Connor

VFW Post 4403 meets first Tuesday of each month. 552-3886

It can be difficult to know what to say when someone passes away. Death is often an uncomfortable topic, making it hard to express your feelings of condolence and sympathy to the survivor. Here are some effective ways you can express your condolences based on what is appropriate and what you feel the most comfortable with.

A Letter of Condolence

Back before technology made instant communication the norm, letters were the traditional way of expressing condolences. Even with the other options available, they are still a good way to show your support and concern. The main benefit with letters of condolences is that they can be read when it is convenient and re-read as often as needed. They can be shared with others to help with the grieving process.

When writing a letter of sympathy and condolence, you should always think about the person to whom you are writing as well as the deceased. Your letter should reflect the relationship you have or had with each person. Stay true to your personality. If you are a more formal person, then it is appropriate that your letter also sound more formal. On the other hand, if you are more laid-back and casual, your letter can also demonstrate that. Don’t be concerned that there is a right or wrong way to sound in a letter.

Messages of Condolence

Thanks to the internet, you can now send messages of support as soon as you hear the sad news of someone’s death. This allows you to offer support immediately, often when it is most needed. A quick text message or email can let the person know you heard the news and are offering your condolences without going into great detail. This is also a good method for those people that prefer short messages.

When writing a message, remember that you can keep it short and sweet. The person reading the message may be busy so it is acceptable to get right to the point. If you feel that you need to say more, you can follow up with a letter or phone call at a later time.

Flowers

If you do not know the family or didn’t know the deceased very well but want to express your condolences, it is perfectly acceptable to just send flowers or a financial donation to the organization of the family’s choice.

A simple card with a single message can convey your sympathies without requiring you to compose an entire message. This option is appropriate for many situations, including when the person is a co-worker that you only knew by name or someone you knew in passing in the community. Just make sure you include your full name so the person knows who the card came from.

A Phone Call or In-Person Visit

A phone call or personal visit is often the appropriate method of conveying your condolences when it is someone you knew very well or were related to. However, many people are not sure what to say and avoid the one-on-one interaction. The important thing to remember is that it is the fact that you called that the bereaved will remember more than what you say. In fact, don’t feel like you have to say a great deal besides “I’m sorry for your loss” or some other version.

If you are comfortable talking about the deceased, you can communicate your feelings to the person. It is appropriate to reminisce about special memories or occasions. You can even tell a funny story about the deceased person without feeling guilty. In fact, it may be just what the other person needed to hear after all of the somber moments and sadness they have been feeling.

Timing

The timing of when to express your condolences through the various methods can vary. There is no hard and fast rule. For instance, if you just heard about someone’s death even though it was six months ago, you can send a letter or email stating that you just learned of the news. You never know when your message could come at a good time to cheer them up. Grief extends long past the funeral or memorial service.

You can also prepare the way for a phone call or visit through a letter or message by saying that you will talk with them next week or in a couple of weeks.

Your Choice

Any of these methods are acceptable ways of expressing your condolences for a loved one. The choice is up to you based on the situation and what you feel most comfortable with. After all, it is more important that the bereaved feel your support than in how you choose to show it.

Suzie Kolber is a writer at http://obituarieshelp.org/words_of_condolences_hub.html . The site is a complete guide for someone seeking help for writing words of condolences, sympathy messages, condolence letters and funeral planning resources.

Citizens of the Week at Port O’Connor School

Week ending April 11: PreK- Brayson Thumann; K- Lyric Lopez; 1st- Robbie Lynn Mayo; 2nd- Cody Branch; 3rd- Elizabeth Carriles; 4th- Tarah Munsch; 5th- Esmeralda Garcia

Week ending April 25: PreK- Kyndra Carriles; K- Lauren Authement; 1st- Kayla Resendiz; 2nd- Melany Romo; 3rd- Blake Bundrick; 4th- Madison Stringo; 5th- Dalton Alford

Week ending May 2: PreK- Leland Carriles; K- Tanner Pittman; 1st- Keegan Short; 2nd- Sergio Sanchez; 3rd- Kayley Roberts; 4th- Keven Salinas; 5th- Evan Clifton

Week ending May 9: PreK- Caylin Compian; K- Blake Bowman; 1st- Hagen Rhoads; 2nd- Alyssa Rhoads; 3rd- Bella Nazay; 4th- Jessie Lashley; 5th- Brooklyn Redmond

Students of the Week at Seadrift School

Week ending April 17: PreK- Aurelio Munoz; K- Emma Lancaster & Keith Hicks; 1st- John Jacobs & Ethan Saenz; 2nd- Annabelle Thurman & Sydney Rasmussen; 3rd- Natalie Sanders & Tim Pham; 4th- Ivin Vazquez & Austin Cameron; 5th- Karime Castillo & Franklin Rivera Junior High: Henderson- Dylan Beaver; Cady- Shelby Koliba; Parnell- Kayla Williamson; Anderson- Anna Sachtleben; Sternadel- Damien Cardiel; Charnetski- Torri Mikolas; Smith- Victoria Gilliland; Lillge- Shelby DeForest; Mr. Anderson- Mrs. Guice

Week ending April 25: PreK- Ashton Sternadel; K- Sharinna Rebollar & Angelenia Chatham; 1st- Natalie Hunt & Layton Davenport; 2nd- Jonathan Nguyen & BreAnn Kelley; 3rd- Tyler Henson & Zayda Estrada; 4th- Julissa Banda & Noah Estrada; 5th- Matthan Morgan & KinleyLowery Junior High: Henderson- Amy Venecia; Cady- Rayne Lamphier; Parnell- Dustin Nguyen; Anderson- Kellie Blevins; Sternadel- Raquel Clinton; Charnetski- Torri Mikolas; Smith- Kelsey Vannoy; Lillge- Francis Phong; Mr. Anderson- Abbigayle Luna

Week ending May 2: PreK- Marisol Banda; K- Matthew Morgan & Cody Castillo; 1st- Mackenzie Moncrief & Kyle Koliba; 2nd- Natalia Zarate & Nevaeda Munoz; 3rd- Tres Canales & Nate Saenz; 4th- Luis Casas Munoz & Nick Guerra; 5th- Donald Morales & Christopher Salinas Junior High: Henderson- Aubrey Moore; Cady- Morgan Sanders; Parnell- Abigail Morgan; Anderson- Jairo Castillo; Sternadel- Krislyn Key; Charnetski- Carlos Pena; Smith- Ethan Wooldridge; Lillge- McKenzie Bierschwale; Anderson- Dylan Cameron

Week ending May 9: PreK- Briley Clark; K- Jaxson Key & Mrs. R. Cady; 1st- Trevon Ragusin; 2nd- Aaron Rios & Trinity Morgan; 3rd- McKenzie Bierschwale & Angelica Cleary; 4th- Alex Chavez & Landen Rasmussen; 5th- Ireland Williams & Scott Esch Junior High: Henderson- Brianna Lashley; Parnell- Mrs. Henderson; Anderson- Brianna Cruz; Sternadel- Canion Epley & Anna Sachtleben; Charnetski- Savanah Marek; Smith- Abigail Morgan; Lillge- Mrs. Finster; Anderson- Mrs. R. Cady

May 16: Sean Hardegree; John Causey; William Storenski
May 17: Jack Miller, Mike Raby
May 18: Sherry Gregory; Paul Pitonyak Jr.; Whitney Fisher
May 19: Crystal Moncrief; Joey Lane; Sheila Mayes
May 20: Kathy Yearwood; Lorrie Gonzales
May 21: Roy Clark
May 22: Caleb Esneault; Chris Poth; Holly Dyes
May 24: John Yearwood
May 25: Russell Bourg; Christopher Gretchen; Chelsea Longoria; Amber Salvatico
May 26: E.V. Galicia; Savanna Bowman; Stephanie Smolik; James Santoff
May 27: Michelle Finster; Freddie Hawes; Bill Yost; Brandon Smolik
May 29: Juilea Carriles; Amy Pfeiffer; Eugene Scott Jr.; Leah Richter-Griffin; Krislyn Joy Key
May 31: Adam Price
June 3: Leigha Lopez; Stephanie Villarreal; Candice Stryker; Shayla Teel
June 4: Hong T. Nguyen; Charles DeLoach Jr.; Clay Sparks
June 5: Charles R. Carter, Jr. (Chase); Dakota Novak; Leanne Patillo; Tucker Sonnier; Arnold Martinez; Stephen Bowman; Pat Turk; Waddie Stringo
June 6: Justin Osborn; Randall Goode; Andrea Neill; Connie Rowney
June 7: Sarah Williams; Crystal Bullock; Bertice Wiggin; Mike Gonzales
June 8: Homer DeLoach
June 9: Robert L. Gregory III; Jose N. Liguez; Nguyen Ni Vu; Ken Finster
June 10: Valerie Adams
June 11: Doug Henderson
June 12: Rosa William; Lynn Rhodes; Cameron Klein; Michelle Rodriguez
June 13: Rachal Reed; Jeanine Bricker; Amanda Whitehead
June 14: Cortney Johnson; Harlen Terry; Ed Mouser
June 15: Tracy Sears; Carrie Reed; Lydia Rodriguez
June 16: Stanley Christy; Steve Rhyne
June 17: Jaime Soliz Jr.; Dorothy Fairchild; Brianna Weathersby
June 18: Bob Byers; Joyce Raby; Jordan Briann Goldman
June 19: Gary McCauley; Irene Sorrow; Logan Ross Hobbs
June 20: Brian Gonzales