John and Paula Price with their Hannigan TriCar Goldwing Conversion

How far would you go to honor our wounded warriors? Is a thousand miles too far? Not according to John Price, who for five out of the past seven years has made the 1,100 mile trip from his home in Colterville, Illlinois to escort the Warrior’s Weekend soldiers from Victoria to Port O’Connor.
John is a member of the Patriot Guard Riders (Missouri/Illinois Branch). Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse amalgamation of riders from across the nation who have one thing in common besides motorcycles. They have an unwavering respect for those who risk their lives for America’s freedom and security.
John is a disabled Vietnam Veteran, but he stresses that one need not be military, or even own a motorcycle to be a member of the Patriot Guard Riders. Many in the organization serve by driving support vehicles, putting up “flag lines”, and in various other ways. Members only have to meet one requirement: Respect.
The main mission of the Patriot Guard Riders is to attend the funeral services of fallen American heroes as invited guests of the family. Each mission they undertake has two basic objectives:
1. Show sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families and their communities.

2. Shield the mourning family and their friends from interruptions caused by any protestor or group of protestors (strictly by legal and non-violent means).

Residing near Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, John attends many funerals, sometimes up to three per day. He enjoyed a different sort of mission a few weeks ago for the dedication of the Stalag 17B Survivors Museum at the Jefferson Barracks Memorial Site. He had the privilege of transporting to the ceremony, in his side-car, an 88-year-old female veteran. John said she really enjoyed the ride.

John and his wife Paula have assisted in many ways during Warrior’s Weekend, but the past couple of years there have been so many volunteers and things we so well organized, they felt their services were not needed. “My sole purpose was to ride escort,” John said. On Friday, May 17, John met up with Jesse Cortez and the Patriot Guards of Seadrift and rode to Praseks at Hilje, then joined the rest of the Texas Patriot Guard Riders to escort the Warrior’s Weekend caravan to the Field of Honor in Victoria and then on to Port O’Connor. There were more than 450 motorcyclists escorting the troops for Warrior’s Weekend. Some were well-known groups, some unaffiliated, but all were there to honor our soldiers.

Following his trip to Warrior’s Weekend, John and Paula plan to ride around the country for a while. They’ll go to California, Florida, and places in between. And should John hear of a Patriot Guard group nearby invited to escort a fallen soldier, he’ll be there to participate.

While in Port O’Connor, the Prices visited with Clyde and Connie Rowney. Clyde (a Navy Veteran)  is Paula’s brother. Port O’Connor “old-timers” will remember their mother Totsie, Aunt Polly, and Grandma Purdy.

This beautiful Roseate Spoonbill was captured by Diane Nunley, Chester Island volunteer, as the bird flew over with nesting materials. This bird is in full breading plumage. Photo by Diane D. Nunley

On May 24, 2013, Warden Tim Wilkinson headed out with two boats and fourteen volunteers to count the nesting birds on Chester Island (previously known as Sundown Island). Chester Island is one of thirty-three coastal sanctuaries supported by Texas Audubon. These island sanctuaries are home to twenty-plus species of waterbirds that nest along the coast.

The Chester Island count this year was remarkable! Except for the haunting erosion issues, the island was in really good shape this year because the Port O’Connor area received drought-quenching rain. Brown Pelican nesting pairs nearly doubled in 2013 (3,375) from last year’s count (1,702). It was a banner year for the Brown Pelican. They were just everywhere—in the trees, on the ground, and in the center, and along the edges of the island.

On the day of the count there were pelican chicks of all ages from just hatched to fledglings. Most of the pelican nests observed had two or three chicks. While Reddish Egret and Black Skimmer species’ numbers dropped, the Roseate Spoonbill, White Ibis, and Snowy Egret breeding pairs increased dramatically. Overall, the grand total for all species exceeded last year’s count by more than three thousand nesting pair.

Even though census counters try to count species at the same time of year, dramatic differences in the numbers may occur. These changes may be caused by timing differences when species begin nesting, predators, available food, weather (here and elsewhere if the species is migratory), or species site selection preference. The results from year-to-year may not be as significant as the changes over a longer period of time. A list of the census results can be viewed at chesterisland.org.

The wardens of the Texas coastal sanctuaries must rely on help from support organizations and volunteers to complete the census. Tim Wilkinson, Warden of Chester Island and the following volunteers completed the 2013 census: Amanda Hackney (Texas Audubon), Brent Ortego (Texas Parks & Wildlife), Donna Anderson (US Fish & Wildlife Services), Bill Ward (The Nature Conservancy), Owen Fitzsimmons (Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program), and volunteers, Dora Ann Baass, Diane Nunley, Marcy Spears, Ruth Dederich, and Brown Pelican Tracking Project members: Juliet Lamb, Dgsaivre Stève, Elizabeth Ford, and Yvan Satge. The group divided the island into six sections to make the count easier and quicker.

Visit the Chester Island website (chesterisland.org) to view more results and photos of the birds! If you would like to volunteer, contact Warden Tim Wilkinson at twsword1@gmail.com. For more information about the Coastal Stewardship Program go to: tx.audubon.org/coastal-stewardship-program.

Census Counters on Chester Island From top to bottom and left to right: Yvan Satge, Adaman, (the Labradoodle) and Diane Nunley; Amanda Hackney, Donna Anderson; Dgsaivre Stève, Elizabeth Ford, Owen Fitzsimmons, Brent Ortego, Dora Ann Baass, Bill Ward, Ruth Dederich Juliet Lamb; left of stairway: Marcy Spears, Warden Tim Wilkinson holding Luci, the Labradoodle. Photo credit: Peggy Wilkinson

Pat Ragusin

He was looking for the “spirit of the tree” says Pat Ragusin, a Port O’Connor fishing/hunting guide, when he cut into the charred black, 75+ foot tall, old Loblolly pine trunk. He salvaged the old tree from a once heavily wooded Loblolly pine and oak forest that burned in the Sept.2011 fires in Pine Gap, a group of ranches near Delhi in southeast Caldwell County, about 3 miles from the Bastrop County line. The Pine Gap fire occurred simultaneously with the more widely publicized Bastrop County fires that burned an even larger area, devastated Bastrop State Park and burned several thousand homes.

The sculpture was a first of its type for Ragusin, sometimes referred to as “Captain Pic” of Salty Dog Outfitters in Port O’Connor. His usual work day is spent out in the bay on his fishing boat guiding tourist and guests to some of the best fishing spots in Matagorda Bay or hunting for ducks and geese in the marshy fields of Calhoun County. He was on a weekend visit to the ranch of Troy M. Hart, whose home was one of those burned in the 2011 fire when he carved the wood sculpture. It was the sight of those thousands of tall, bare- limbed and charred black skeletal timbers and broken tree trunks that inspired him to try his hand at carving the “wood spirit”. His choice of trees was based on sentiment because it had once held a long rope swing that Ragusins’ wife, April, had swung on as a child.

The old pine had caught fire at the base of the tree. When it fell it left a 4 ft wide crater like hole several feet deep into the soil. Ragusin said the normally soft wood had apparently been hardened by the heat from the fire. He pounded a hammer down on the wood that rang like a rock to prove his point and it didn’t leave a dent.

Although recovery of the forests and land around Pine Gap will take many years, some residents have begun rebuilding their homes. One land owner said the “Wood Spirit” represents past memories and the spirit of the people in Delhi who have been through the fire and are stronger for it.

April 3: Seadrift Volunteer Fire Dept. dispatched to assist Port O’Connor VFD with a fire alarm in Port O’Connor, cancelled while en-route.

April 6: Seadrift VFD and Port Lavaca FD responded to a grass fire off of Hwy 35 South near the Victoria Barge Canal.

April 17: Seadrift VFD responded to East Austin Street in Seadrift for an electrical fire.

April 20: Seadrift VFD and Port Lavaca FD responded to a grass fire off of the Old Seadrift Hwy.

April 24: Seadrift VFD responded to a fire in a carport off of St. Louis Ave. in Seadrift.

April 28: Seadrift VFD responded to a power pole fire off of Sgt Rodney Taylor Ave.

May 7: Seadrift VFD and Port Lavaca FD responded to a two-vehicle accident at the Hwy 185 and Hwy 35 intersection.

May 9: Seadrift VFD & Port O’Connor VFD responded to a RV on fire off of Hwy 185 in Seadrift, Port Lavaca FD also responded.

May 9: Seadrift VFD and Port Lavaca FD responded to a one-vehicle accident on Hwy 185 north of Ineos Nitriles.

May 10: Seadrift VFD and Port Lavaca FD responded to a one-vehicle accident on Hwy 185 near Ineos Nitriles.

May 28: Seadrift VFD and Port Lavaca FD responded to a fire alarm in a residence off of Roemerville Road.

May 29: Seadrift VFD responded to a smoke alarm in a residence at Swan Point.

May 30:Seadrift VFD and Port Lavaca FD responded to a two-vehicle accident on Hwy 238 near the Old Seadrift Hwy.

Benefiting The Port O’Connor Volunteer Fire Department

On Saturday, July 6, The Firemans 4 Race, benefiting the POC Volunteer Fire Department will be held at the Sanctuary Marina.

“Why Port O’Connor ?,” you might ask.

There are many reasons that the Port O’Connor VFD was chosen for this benefit.

First, only one VFD services Port O’Connor, while assisting Seadrift, and everything in between. For example, last summer the department worked hard battling massive grass and brush fires spread by gulf winds all throughout the area.

However, the department isn’t only busy battling natural disasters. They also work hard every single weekend when Port O’Connor’s weekday population of 1,200 quadruples as bay and offshore fishermen, duck hunters, beach goers, and recreation enthusiasts all make their way into the area. As you can imagine, the number of calls to the VFD increases immensely on weekends, be it fires, auto accidents or providing physical aid, these same farmers, fishing guides, welders, cooks, waiters, teachers and parents who have already been working all week now answer these calls. They do their best to help the Port O’Connor community and deserve to have the most effective equipment and supplies. The goal of this benefit is a way to give some support back to those residents who are helping ensure the safety and well being of the Port O’Connor community.

The race will consist of a four mile course for runners as well as a two mile course for walkers. The event is open to all ages. There will be BBQ for all participants. Awards will be given to runners Male and Female, 1st through 3rd Place in 10 year age groups and to the person dressed Most Patriotic, so wear your RED, WHITE and BLUE! Come out and support those who support you!

You can register online at www.active.com or registration forms are available at www.firemans4race.com, the POC VFD and DeTar Health Center in Victoria, Texas. For additional information or ways to be part of the event you can email, info@firemans4race.com.

– Allison Wiatrek