The Port O’Connor Community Cemetery Association will hold a Town Meeting on Thursday, August 15 and requests the presence of all who have, or plan to have, plots in the Port O’Connor Cemetery. The meeting will be held at the Port O’Connor Community Center at 7:00 p.m.

Members of the Association have been staking out plots of uniform size at the Cemetery and have plans to replace the wooden stakes with cement blocks, making maintenance of the grounds easier. Plots which have been staked out by families may have to be re-sized, and will need cement blocks to replace existing pipe markers. A map of the cemetery will be made showing which plots are open for future use.

Port O’Connor Cemetery has always been available at no charge for the internment of persons who have resided in Port O’Connor. The Association has no intention of changing that policy.

There will be fund raising efforts made to provide monies needed for cemetery maintenance and improvements (such as the cement blocks). Mowing and clean-up have always been done by volunteer individuals and organizations. (More volunteers are needed.)

Currently, a raffle is being held to raise the needed funds. Raffle tickets may be purchased at POC Hardware for $1 each or six for $5. Winners will be drawn at the August 15 Town Meeting. Raffle Items (22):

$25 Gift Certificate from Cathy’s
Movie Basket from Gayle Family
Microwave Oven from Grand Slam
$25 Gift Certificate from Capt. G’s
Keurig Coffee Maker from Robbie Hawes Family
$25 Gift Certificate to Cathy’s from Bob Allen
Texas Star from POC Hardware
Book Basket from Gayle Family
$15 i-Tunes from Hastings
Sterling Silver Necklace from the Gonzales Brothers
Set of Pots & Pans from the POC Sports Association
$25 Gift Certificate from Cathy’s
Movie Basket from Gayle Family
$25 Gift Certificate from Olive Garden
Marine Battery from POC Fishing Center
Set of Jewelry from Scott Gayle
Salty Dog Outfitters 1/2 Day Fishing Trip with Bait
from Boathouse Bait
$25 Gift Certificate to Cathy’s from Bob Allen
Salty Dog Outfitter Shadow Box
$25 Gift Certificate from Chili’s
LED Security Light from Boathouse Bait
Jewelry Set from Scott Gayle

Buy your tickets today! Support the POC Cemetery and Attend the Meeting on August 15!

Photos by Mike Hessong

Now here’s a guy who really enjoys a fireworks show! Standing in ankle deep water watching the POC fireworks show, this guy shows his approval of the bright explosions near the end of the show. If it weren’t for the loud booms of the explosions, I bet you could hear him hollering, “Oh Yeah!” -Mike Hessong

Fireworks Chairman Don Haynes and his wife, Sheryl, with the crew who set up the spectacular fireworks for this year’s Port O’Connor 4th of July Fireworks Celebration.

This is what the fireworks look like before they are set off.

Visitors to Port O’Connor found perfect weather for sun and fun over the 4th of July weekend:

Have some great summer photos? Kids having fun on the beach? Family reunions? Pets or people trying to stay cool? Or maybe a great catch of fish?

The Dolphin welcomes your photo submissions and will print as space permits. Email to dolphin1@tisd.net, preferably in jpg, highest possible resolution.

As always, we welcome your family/organization news and notice and reports of special events. Help us keep our readers up-to-date on what’s happening in the Port O’Connor/Seadrift area.

Deadline for the August issue is Friday, August 9th.

Port O’Connor Rod & Gun

After three years in business as POC Rods, and the addition of the Guns and Ammo, the new store addition now is 2900 square feet. They want to say thanks to all the customers, new and current, for making the opening a great success. They are open 7 days a week and now sell Guns and Ammo along with the tackle and apparel.

Family Dollar

Family Dollar in Seadrift is open 7 days a week from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Kristie Villarreal, manager, and Lois Plazinich, an assistant manger, cut the Grand Opening Ribbon held by JoAnn and Mike Mueller of Seadrift Chamber of Commerce.

Our shopping choices have increased with the Grand Openings on July 6th of “POC Rod and Gun” in Port O’Connor, and “Family Dollar” in Seadrift.

The Dolphin welcomes the expansion of goods and services offered by POC Rod and Gun and the great variety of goods offered by the Family Dollar store. We wish them well, and say thanks for giving us more access to what we need without having to drive so far.

Find The Shade – Survive The Island

Greetings from the island everyone. Hope all of you are doing well and enjoyed your Fourth of July weekend, wherever you may have been. As with all summer holiday weekends, Barnacle and I stayed on the island and enjoyed watching the annual POC fireworks show across the bay. This year’s show was especially good, with non-stop huge displays of bright vibrant colors. Kudos to those in charge of the POC fireworks.

Also, as is the norm on summer holiday weekend,. there were more part-time islanders spending time with family and friends out here. The beach is not in the prettiest of conditions right now, as the sea grass continues to wash ashore and pile up, but everyone still enjoyed fishing and walking in the cool Gulf waters.

Speaking of cool, that word has been rarely used in regards to the weather lately. Between noon-5:00 p.m., three words are a must during island summers. . . shade, shade, shade, and a continuous supply of sweet iced tea. I know one thing, the older I become, the less tolerable I am to the sweltering heat. And the fact that I do not use an air conditioner at night or during the heat of the day, pretty much compounds the heat issue. Yes, it’s nice when I go to the mainland and can enjoy cold AC somewhere, but it’s not required to survive (even though Barnacle might disagree with that, as he immediately covers the AC vent with his big body when he gets to Mom’s every visit).

The bottom line is, to lead a tolerable summer island existence, you just gotta find shade, hope for a little breeze and have plenty of cold iced tea at the ready. Having lived out here full time for over seven years, I’ve pretty much acclimated to the weather, now if I could condition Mr. Dog to do the same.

Well, given the fact that the island has not seen any measurable good rain in about two months, and it has been so hot, I’ve pulled all but two tomato plants from the ground. I easily plucked 500 cherry variety tomatoes from the nine plants I had, and probably another 100 lbs of larger tomatoes from those plants. With no rain, I was watering them every two days, about three gallons per plant. I gave away or traded LOTS of tomatoes this season, but kept my larger beefsteak varieties for myself, as these are wonderful on a sandwich.

You would be hard pressed to find a better Texas summer lunch, than a delicious homegrown tomato BLT sandwich with a cold glass of sweet iced tea. Toasted bread, Helmann’s mayo, homegrown beefsteak tomato, crisp cold lettuce and thick sliced fried bacon. . . are you kidding me?? This should be the state summer sandwich of Texas! I believe that eating a BLT, with a homegrown tomato, will make you a smarter and happier person. Well, happier anyway.

My cantaloupe and watermelon plants are doing very well right now, probably because they are much more tolerant to dry conditions, even though I water them every three days. But the RATS are chewing the new growth vines and eating on the developing melons. I hate rats! I’m sure they are coming from the fields in search of water and fresh green growth, but I ain’t gonna provide it. I’m slowly trapping and baiting them, keeping Barnacle away from the melon patch, but I know it’s gonna be a war against the rodents. To the victor go the spoils!

Another enemy emerging from the fields lately has been the rattlesnakes. After finding one three inches from being inside my front door, that’s way too close for comfort. If I could at least get the snakes to eat all the rats, I’d be a little happier. I’ve scattered mothballs around the outside of the house in hopes that this will repel the viper demons, but we’ll see.

Well that’s it from the island for now, everyone take care, stay cool and have a great day.

There was something for everyone at the annual Seadrift Shrimpfest - music, contests, and good food.

KARAOKE: Youth – lst Place – Chloe White
2nd Place – Amber Rodriguez
Adult – lst Place – Michelle Olsovsky
2nd Place – Shannon McNutt

5-K FUN RUN:

Age 70 + Male lst Reese Stalcup 41:46
Female lst Muriel Costello 43:00
2nd Reese Vaughn 51:19

60-69 Male None
Female 1st Shirley Harkey 32.24
2nd Alice Stalcup 47:20
3rd Joanne Mueller 50:19

50-59 Male 1st Javier Martinez 27:45
Female 1st Karen Harvey 65:00

40-49 Male 1st Nacho Trevino 21:12
2nd Jason Manygoats 25:16
3rd Troy Stalcup 35:47
Female 1st Monica Morales 33.23
2nd Sabrena S. Harris 35:29
3rd Linda Ybarbo 42:26

30-39 Male 1st John Claunch 24:06
2nd William Reagan 31:41
3rd Joey Caruso 40:19
Female 1st Klara White 35:31
2nd Adriene Vavra 41:05
3rd Mandy Stalcup 41:16

20-29 Male 1st Andy Brown 23:00
2nd Kellen Hood 26:13
3rd Marcos Garcia 27:15
Female 1st Laura Hood 26:13
Female 2nd Jessica Ward 30:27

15-19 Male 1st Daniel Resendez 20:17
2nd Quentin Alkek 20:32
3rd Xavier Resendez 20:53
Female 1st Shanna Stalcup 65:00

10-14 Male 1st Benny Stalcup 39:28
2nd Kammeron Caruso 54:26
Female 1st McKayla Cortez 24:03
2nd Cailyn Padilla 31:11

9 and Under Male 1st Wheeler Caruso 42:22
Female None

KIDS FISHING TOURNAMENT

Age 2-5 Biggest Fish Saige Carter
Smallest Fish Cash Shirhall

Age 6-9 Biggest Fish Layton Davenport
Smallest Fish Scott Esch

Age 10-12 Biggest Fish (Tie) – Jayden Davis
Matthew Morgan

Smallest Fish Nathan Edwards

Hard Luck Fisherman: John Jacobs

Special thanks to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for sending Officer Mike Hoffman to assist in the tournament and to Chunky Monkey and Ben Nyugen for providing the bait.

HORSESHOE TOURNAMENT

1ST Missy Chatham & Rhonda Braun
2nd Chris Cady & Benny Vasquez
3rd Walter Loose & Kyle Loose

WASHER TOURNAMENT

1ST Benny Plumme & Ronnie Gooden
2nd Diana & Michelle Rippee
3rd Tristan Henderson & Kolten Braun

Shrimpfest Pageant Winners

Pretty Baby Girl
Braylee Wooldridge
1st Runner Up- Aaliyan Padierna
2nd Runner Up- Annabel Longoria
Photogenic – Braylee Wooldridge

Pretty Baby Boy
Cole Sparks
1st Runner Up- Leray Austin
Photogenic- Cole Sparks

Beach Baby
Ryan Gohlke
1st Runner Up- Alie Villarreal
2nd Runner Up- Victoria Rodriguez
Photogenic- Madisyn Cossey

Beach Boy
Gavin Josiah Gonzalez
Photogenic- Gavin Josiah Gonzalez

Little Miss
Cadynce Avery Gonzalez
1st Runner up – Bailey Pompa
2nd Runner Up- Kendall Bargas
Photogenic- Kendall Bargas

Little Master
Cash Shirhall
Photogenic- Cash Shirhall

Miss Pre-teen
Meghan Sparks
1st Runner Up – Destiny Garza
Photogenic- Meghan Sparks

Jr. Miss
Chloe White
1st Runner Up- Gillian Vasquez
2nd Runner Up- Amber Rodriguez
Photogenic- Gillian Vasquez

Miss Shrimpfest
Callie Wright
Photogenic- Callie Wright

There was plenty of tasty shrimp and other good food and drink at Shrimpfest.

“Boogie Woogie” Lots of great live music was presented at this year’s Shrimpfest.