Hope High School Environmental Club members took part in its monthly highway cleanup. The club is part of the Adopt-A-Highway program and keeps Alcoa Drive trash-free for much of the year. Two bags of trash were collected in this cleanup.

Club members, back row (left): Login Athey, Brendan Hall, Mark Aviles, Brandon DeLaGarza; front row: Keelin Stringo, Verranda Arellano, Victoria Canelo, Maria Martinez, Julio Flores

Just stopping by to say hey to this great community I feel so blessed to call home. Today let’s take a moment to recognize Sue Kubecka for her years of service as the POC Service Club Reporter. She is not just a writer, but a skilled wordsmith who gave us so much in her stellar submission of all the news worth sharing and her adept insights. Sue has decided to retire from her reporting position and find more time for other pursuits. We wish you well Sue, and say Thank You so much for sharing your many gifts with us.

The POC Service Club held their meeting on Thursday, February 7, 2013 after canceling the last one due to illness among our members. This group is busy with so many good things. We are actively gathering clothes, furniture, household goods and other treasures for our next garage sale to be held at the POC Community Center on Saturday, April 13th. If you have unique treasures you would like to donate, please call Lydia Strakos (983-2003) or Susie Onishi (983-0202); or drop them off at the county barn behind the JP offices. Our proceeds help us award annual scholarships to deserving grads in our community.

If you have not had a nutty enough holiday season, we still have a few pecans and walnuts left to sell with all proceeds to benefit the service club projects. If you want to buy some nuts, contact Sally Jones (983-2076).

We have some important community happenings and great projects to choose from this spring and summer. Find a group that fits you and help out. Choices like the Boy Scout Fundraiser on February 28th, our Lion’s Club Art Fair March 16th, and POC Service Club Garage Sale April 16th, planning meetings for the community Sports Association, and the upcoming Warriors Weekend scheduled for May 17-19 means there is a spot for everyone. Find yours today and lend a hand.

As always, we invite all interested ladies to join us for the next meeting of the Port O Connor Service Club held on each 2nd and 4th Thursday, 10:00 a.m. or contact our president Janet Johnson at 983-4737 for more information. You will make great new friends, have a ton of fun and feel good about giving a little of yourself to others to make a difference in your community.

So, until next time, be safe, live simply, love openly, forgive generously and remember what the great philosopher Voltaire says “Every man is guilty of all the good he didn’t do.”

Emma Raby and David Hawes of Port O’Connor are pleased to announce their plans to be married. The couple have known each other since they were children and have shared times of joy and times of sorrow.

In recent years, they completed a circle in their life and the circle lead them back to each other. They enjoy the same activities and both love spending time in the great outdoors.

The wedding will take place later in the summer.

Emma has lived in Port O’Connor since 1959 and is employed for C.L. Thomas at Speedy Stop number 84 in Port O’Connor. David’s ancestors originally settled on Matagorda Island to later locate to Port O’Connor.

“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.

On Racism

For five years we have heard the cry “Racism!” from the Left/Lib Media whenever anyone criticizes or even questions any of Obama’s policies or decisions. We have grown so accustomed to this charge from the Democrat/ Socialists Caucus, the Black Caucus, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and the other professional poverty pimps, welfare con-persons, and constant finger-pointing whiners that the word has lost its sting and even its meaning.

Is it Racist to point out that welfare and other entitlements are a major contributor to our $1.5 trillion per year increase in the Federal Debt? Many of the talking heads on the TV news regularly say or try to imply that. Why is that “Racist!”? But it is not Racist for Team Obama to use the force of Government to take money from the productive people in taxes and then use it to buy votes with ObamaPhones, funnel funds to ACORN and others active in vote fraud, and fly around the country preaching class-envy and thinly disguised hatred, solely to stir up their minorities in their base?

Is it Racist to question why Obama and his lawyer refuse to release basic records anyone would have to show for a job interview for a managerial position? To spend over $4.5 million for lawyers to keep these records sealed and prevent any decision on the Natural Born Citizen of the Constitution to be made by jury trial in any court at any level? Is it Racist to question ObamaCare, a plan that the costs have tripled in two years and it hasn’t even gone into effect. It was “Racist!” to question it when it was before Congress, Nancy Pelosi said, “We must pass it to see what is in it.” We are starting to see – it is more expensive, less service, dangerously intrusive, and a huge increase in government bureaucracies. Paul Krugman just announced the “Death Panels” are necessary. All as many of the accused “Racists” feared and tried to warn the People.

Why is it that whenever Obama makes a mistake, or his policies fail, it is Racism that is always the motive for anyone calling attention to or trying to correct his mistakes? Is it Racism that causes Chevy Volts to catch on fire? Or the constant bankruptcies of government financed solar-energy companies? Is it Racism to question the failure of his middle-eastern policy and the deaths in Benghazi? Of course, not. But the democrat propagandists continue to say it is so. If he was white, or any flavor Republican, the Media would be on him 24/7.

Racism does exist, unfortunately, but White racism hit a low four years ago. It may be coming back because people are tired of being labeled Racists for asking common-sense questions. The Liberal/Socialists are so busy using any smears to attack anyone that questions their policies and agenda that they do not take time to look for ‘Unintended Consequences’. The worst has been the rise of Black-racism, particularly among Black youth. Violent attacks, for no reason, against whites by black youth are becoming commonplace, especially in mixed neighborhoods in northern cities. Eric Holder has refused to prosecute the New Black Panther Party for voter intimidation and openly calling for the murder of “Crackers”. The refusal of the Dept. of Justice to prosecute real ‘hate-crimes’, has sent a dangerous message to disgruntled black youth. It also encourages the hate-mongers to increase their boldness and threats. And even encourages some individuals to act out their hate.

The class-envy, race-based, liberal-socialist, and now anti-gun campaigning of Team Obama has brought many of the “crazies” out, not just foolish youth. Just in today’s news, Floyd Lee Corkins II, plead guilty to shooting a security guard at the Family Research Council offices. He stated he intended to “kill as many as possible and smear Chick-Fil-A sandwiches in the victim’s faces.” Corkins had chosen the FRC as his target from the far-left liberal Southern Poverty Law Center. FRC President Tony Perkins stated, “The day after Floyd Corkins came into the FRC headquarter and opened fire wounding one of our team members, I stated that while Corkins was responsible for the shooting, he had been given a license to perpetrate this act of violence by groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center which has systematically and recklessly labeled every organization with which they disagree as a “hate group.” It appears now that anyone who opposes Obama’s government supplied abortion on demand is a “hate group”.”

There is a massive manhunt in California for Christopher Dorner, a former police officer fired for making false statements, who has killed several police officers. He has left a “Manifesto” that indicates he is leftist Liberal/Progressives and an adamant Obama supporter. He seems furiously anti-gun, citing many mass shootings (perpetrated by leftist liberals with mental health and drug issues ??), but has no problem with gunning down fellow police from ambush. There is something seriously wrong here, the Liberal/Progressives are convincing their brainwashed followers that it is “right” for them to kill anyone that disagrees with their Agenda- ??

The Liberal/Progressives and their Media attack Christians, Constitutionalists, fiscal conservatives, gun owners, oil, farmers, fishermen, and anyone that is trying to make a profit. They try to demonize anyone that disagrees or even questions their agenda. Now it seems that they are encouraging their more radical followers to murder. And their “solution” to crime is to disarm honest Citizens. This is a war on civilization, not just a political disagreement.

Is it Racist to stand for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights? To believe in the Rule of Law and Equality Before the Law?? Not selective enforcement and special programs. Is it Racist to object to the Federal Government extorting money, literally at gun-point, in the form of taxes from productive people to give to unproductive people to buy their votes and political activism? Or when they create huge deficits and federal debt for these programs that only produce more welfare dependency, and a steady block-vote for more socialism? Is it Extremist to object to the Government forcing moral Christian people to pay for abortion on demand, even for school-girls, when they believe it is a sin, even murder? Is it Extremist to object when the Federal Government can not, or will not, produce a budget, or fulfill their Constitutional Duty to secure the borders. Is it Racist to question the Fast and Furious gun smuggling scam that was intentionally devised to create anti-gun propaganda? Is it Racist to question blanket amnesty for illegal aliens, full rights to welfare, medical care, and higher education, even citizenship? Is it Racist to oppose immigration when so many Americans, especially young people can’t find good jobs?

If these are the new Politically Correct definitions of “Racist” and “Extremist”, then I’ll have to claim them. And be proud of it. We are on the brink of financial and social disaster and our Media only sees the promised Utopia of the Progressive/Socialists, not the “Unintended Consequences” of the inevitable failure of Marxist/socialist theories. But some of the hard-core Marxists have openly called for collapse, destruction of the dollar and financial chaos, race-war, class-war, and violent revolution to “fundamentally change” America.

Port O’Connor native, Randall Goode, has been chosen from 500 applicants as one of 25 contestants in HEB’s statewide “Slim Down Showdown”.

As a proud father and grandfather, Randall knows it is time to make a lifestyle change to better his health for the sake of his family. At 5’10 and 250 pounds (at the competition start Jan. 12), Randall wants to get back to being the active Boy Scout Leader he once was. “I really want to be around to see my grand children grow up and be physically capable to take them camping and fishing like I did for my children,” he said. Randall, who suffers from diabetes, is ready to learn how to make long-term lifestyle changes from Slim Down Showdown to ensure a long and prosperous life. “I’m ready to get off as much of my medications as I possibly can and get on with my life,” he said.

Part of the competition requires Randall to receive community response as he documents his weight-loss journey on his blog:
http://sdsd.heb.com/author/randallsdsd/

You can help Randall win this competition by reading his blog entries, clicking the “like” icon, leaving a comment, and, if you like, “sharing” the blog. These three actions will give Randall much needed points to win the contest. And Randall promises to keeping working out and eating right in order to do his part. “It was pretty rough for me to decide to put myself ‘out there’ for public scrutiny. But I knew that would force accountability on me… I can’t just quit because I know folks are backing me and counting on me to succeed,” he said.

To find out more about the Slim Down Show Down, go to the HEB website, or directly to: www.sdsd.heb.com . You will find a lot of interesting and useful information on the website.