Thousands of Adopt-A-Beach volunteers remove an average of 500 tons of trash each year from Texas beaches. Through two large scale cleanups, and a number of smaller ones, Texans arrive by the thousands to show their dedication to keeping Texas beaches clean.

Since 1986, more than 446,000 volunteers have removed 8,500 tons (more than 17 million pounds) of trash from Texas beaches and estuaries.

Help us clean up our shores today!

You can just show up on the day of the cleanup between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. at any site location.

Dress comfortably – wear closed-toe shoes. Bring sunscreen, a hat and bug repellent. Items needed for the cleanup will be furnished.

Local Cleanup Up Sites:

MagnoliaBeach/Indianola

Check-in: Crabbin’ Bridge

Contact: Rhonda Cummins,

361-552-9747

King Fisher Beach,
Port O’Connor

Check-in: Pavilion at King Fisher Beach

Contact: Debbie Gayle,

361-649-3261

Austwell Pier

Check-in: Austwell Pier

Contact: Dwight Mutschler,

361-286-3762,

361-250-5484 (cell)

“I can’t imagine a situation in which they could talk me into voting for it,” was the answer given by Congressman Blake Farenthold when asked how he would vote on action against Syria. As he spoke on September 3 at the Calhoun County Republican Club, he had not yet received an official briefing on the Syrian situation. “I will listen skeptically to the Committee,” he said, “but I am against it.”

Intervention in Syria was the topic of most concern to Club members present. One person asked, “What is our interest in Syria?” Congressman Farenthold responded that the main argument is the agreement that ‘weapons of mass destruction will not be tolerated’, but he pointed out there should be UN involvement, not just the United States. “We can no longer afford to be the world’s policeman,” he said.

“The Middle East has never been more unstable than it is under Obama. It’s almost like we’re a force for chaos there rather than a force for good,” he added.

When asked why we are still providing aide to all our enemies, the congressman attempted to explain how difficult it is to make changes in appropriation bills and get them past the Senate. “You have career diplomats who lobby Congress to ‘buy our friends’. We need to pull power back from bureaucrats to elected officials who are responsible to the voters,” said Farenthold. In his opinion, the only worthwhile foreign aid we are giving is in support of Israel and to training the National Police in Mexico in their fight against the drug cartels.

Also present at the meeting was State Representative Geanie Morrison, who reported on the accomplishments of the past regular and special sessions of the Texas Congress. She stressed the importance of Proposition 6 in the November Constitutional Amendment Election, saying it is critical that we act on the water issue. (Prop. 6: …providing for the creation of the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas and the State Water Implementation Revenue Fund for Texas to assist in the financing of priority projects in the state water plan to ensure the availability of adequate water resources.)

Representative Morrison has offered an amendment concerning the Texas Navigator Program, which is part of the Obamacare initiative. Her amendment is to prohibit the Navigators from engaging in political advocacy while they are signing up people for Obamacare.

One club member expressed his concerns over voter fraud, and Rep. Morrison responded, “We know there is voter fraud. Having passed the Voter ID Law, we are up against the President and Eric Holder, who are trying to stifle Republican votes,” she said, “but as of now, and as in many other states, you must present identification to vote in Texas.”

Congressman Farenthold pointed out that there is a massive push to ‘turn Texas blue’ and Republicans are being out-organized and out-worked. “If Texas becomes a ‘blue state’, “ he said, “there will not be another Republican President in our lifetime.” He commended the Republican Club for organizing and encouraged them to work to ‘keep Texas red’.

Following the talks with Representative Morrison and Congressman Farenthold, the Club held a short business meeting and announced that Rachel Huertevant has accepted the position of Club Vice President.

The next meeting of the Republican Club will be held Monday, October 7 at Grace Episcopal Church Community Room. Sonja Harris, who initiated Conservatives in Action, will be the featured speaker. Also speaking will be Calhoun County Elections Administrator Dora Garcia, who will explain what documents will be acceptable as Voter ID for the November 5th election.

The meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. Dinner ($5) will be served from 5:00 until 6:00 p.m. Please call 552-0917 a week in advance for dinner reservations.

State Representative Geanie Morrison and United States Congressman Blake Farenthold at the meeting of the Calhoun County Republican Club

My neighbors Parker and Patty are always telling me how proud they are to be a part of Port O Connor, Texas. They say it is a great community and so friendly. They always say you may not have malls and movies in our small town, but there is something even better. They have a village of caring and connected people. They were reminded of that recently. As anyone in POC knows, the post office is a gathering place for many an unplanned howdy. Parker recently picked up the mail on a sunny Tuesday morning and stopped to talk to an old friend. He got distracted and laid down the mail on the table just inside the door. The friend said lets grab coffee, so he picked up ‘some’ of the mail and crossed the street to share a cup. After a good long chat he picked up ‘some’ of the mail and headed to his truck to drive home. He put the mail on the passenger seat and ‘some’ mail fell to the floor. Arriving home he opened the door and took ‘some’ mail inside. ‘Some’ mail was left in the truck and blew out the door when he opened it later in the day. So now he had ‘some’ on the desk at home and ‘some’mail all over town, but he was ‘somewhat’unaware he had ‘some’ mail problems. Patty was blissfully ignorant of all of this, so did not question her two lonely pieces of mail until much much later. On Thursday, she was given two bills by a friend who found them at the post office. On Friday, she got a call from Cookie saying ‘some’of her letters were found on the table. On Sunday, a friend brought a birthday card to church with mud and grass stains all over it, and said they found it in their yard. Patty thought ‘something is wrong’ and began to question Parker. After a bit of questioning, he admitted he might have made ‘some’ stops after picking up the mail one morning. In a bit of a huff, Patty proclaimed that they were ‘some’ kind of blessed to live in a community where ‘some’ mail is no problem.

Adelard Joseph (Dell the Barber) Girard went to join his wife in Heaven Thursday, September 12, 2013 at the age of 94.  He was born March 5, 1919 in Berlin, New Hampshire.

As a young boy is Berlin, Dell or “AJ” as he was sometimes called, spoke only French and played on a hockey team.  Dell joined the Army in his teens and served in World War II.  While in training at Camp Hulen near Palacios, Texas he met and married his wife Ray Elizabeth Stapp. They were married October 18, 1941. Dell and Ray had three children and after leaving the military, they lived in Port O’Connor.

Dell was a well liked member of the community.  You could always count on a smile and a handshake or even a hug from him.  He loved telling fishing and hunting stories as he worked as the town’s barber for 67 years before retiring at age 92.  He attended Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church faithfully and was a prayerful man.

In his life Dell enjoyed his family, growing a robust garden, fishing, hunting and laughing.  He also was a great artist, drawing quick cartoon sketches for his grandchildren.  He kept those around him entertained with his humorous stories and pranks. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Dell is preceded in death by his wife Ray Elizabeth Mars (Stapp), by his son Rene J. Girard, by his parents, Joseph A. Girard and Ernestine (Glaude) Girard, by his brothers: Henry, Bob, Roger and Rene Girard and by his sisters: Sadie Pelletier, Lena Ouelette and Clara Glaude.

Dell is survived by his daughters: Betty Dell (Girard) and her husband Jimmy Causey and Mary Elizabeth (Girard) and her husband Michael Hawes and by his grandchildren: Tamara (Causey) and husband Mark Talarico, Holly (Causey) and husband Darrell Prather, Penny (Causey) and husband Rocky Clark, Sgt. Dana Girard, Meredith (Hawes) and husband David Steves, Hugh and wife Lindsay (Boyd) Hawes and by his great-grandchildren: James Talarico, Madeleine Talarico, Clayland Prather, Joey Prather, Julia Prather, Jake Clark, Nicholas Clark, Delaney Steves, Mirielle Steves, Mitchell Steves, Addison Hawes, Eden Hawes and Baby Hawes (on the way).

The family would like to extend our deepest gratitude to his many friends, to the caring nurses and staff at Citizens Medical Center Hospital, to Drs. Leggett, White and Meyer, to the Palliative Care Team, to Hospice of South Texas, to Twin Pines Nursing Home, and to Richardson-Colonial Funeral Home.

Services were held at two o’clock in the afternoon Monday, the 16th of September, at Saint Joseph Catholic Church, in Port O’Connor, with Father Dan Morales officiating, with a reception held at Saint Joseph Catholic Church Hall following the services.  His body was laid to rest in Port O’Connor Cemetery. Memorials can be made to the Port O’Connor Volunteer Fire Department and EMS.