Greetings from the island everyone. Hope all of you are enjoying this Fall-like weather we have been blessed with lately. This past weekend felt so nice, with the cool crisp air and the north breeze blowing across the island.

The days should begin becoming much more bearable now with Fall soon approaching. It sure seems as though the older I get, the less I can tolerate the sweltering south Texas summer days. Between about noon-5p.m., I simply seek the haven of shade, drink some iced tea and read some gardening magazines and seed catalogs, after taking a nice nap of course.

It’s such a nice feeling, actually invigorating, to wake up in the early morning and step outside and be greeted to the coolness in the air, after a long hot summer. Watching the steam rise from that first cup of hot coffee, gazing at the seagulls and pelicans soar overhead, and hearing the rooster crow and the chickens cackle and squawk to be let out of their pen in search of yard bugs and green grass.

Fall and Spring are by far my favorite times of year on the island. Beach combing, fishing and the anticipated start of gardening are my Spring passions, with floundering, cleaning out the melon patch and the arrival of cool weather being my Fall favorites.

Speaking of melons, my cantaloupes and watermelons are about finished, having gotten a late start this year. I had a fair crop of both, with some jumbo cantaloupes, one weighing in at 11.8 pounds. Trying to compensate for the lack of rain, I probably over-watered some of my melons though, as a few of them were full of water and mushy on the inside. My uncle Charlie Ray later informed me that a once a week good soaking is sufficient for melons. Always something to learn in gardening, and asking questions of seasoned gardeners is priceless.

My fishing partner Charles and I landed a mess of trout in the surf last week, and the occasional light northers now should keep the beach water calm and clear to hopefully stock the propane freezer for the winter. Our tried and true pink Corky’s did the trick, enticing the yellow mouthed beauties to strike them.

Well that’s it from the island for now. Everyone take care and enjoy the cooler weather that’s just around the corner.

Clint Bennetsen is the only full time resident on Matagorda Island Peninsula, and writes a monthly column for the Dolphin Talk telling of his island adventures. To ask questions of or comment on his column, contact him at ccbennetsen@yahoo.com or dolphin1@tisd.net.

Phil Ellenberger (left) and County Judge Pfeifer

At the August 23 meeting of the Calhoun County Commissioners Court, the Court, in Conjunction with the Texas Historical Commission, awarded the Calhoun County Historical Commission their 2011 Distinguished Service Award. This award is given to a few of the County Historical Commissions from all of the commissions in the state.

The award is in recognition of that commission’s active and well-balanced preservation program for the history of the county. This is the second consecutive year Calhoun County has received such an award. The award was received from County Judge Michael Pfeifer by Phil Ellenberger the current Chairman of the Calhoun County Historical Commission.

The Judge and the Commissioners applauded Ellenberger and encouraged him to keep up the good work.

In an interview with Ellenberger afterwards, he emphasized that his acceptance was on behalf of the whole Historical Commission. “We have an active Committee that surveys and gets local cemeteries designated as Historical Cemeteries. We have an active Historical Marker committee that researches the stories and locates sources of historical significance,” Ellenberger said. “In 2011, we had the hugely successful event where we had people from all over come back to remember Indianola. 2011 was the 125th anniversary of the hurricane that caused the demise of that prospering town. We had a dedication at the LaSalle Monument recognizing Polish immigrants who came through Indianola. It is a companion to the German one. The event involved ceremonies and entertainment at the Indianola sight. This included participation by descendants of Indianola residents and some live camels. They reminded us of the ‘great Camel Experiment’. In the afternoon we had, at the Bauer Center, historical presentations along with entertainment. Booths of information and artifacts were available along with food.

These are the sorts of activities that caused us to win the award again. If I were asked to name some who contributed, I could only list the Commission members and many other interested parties. It was truly a joint effort of Calhoun Historical Commission and the citizens of the county. It is such a delight to work on preserving history in a county that is so rich in that commodity.”

J. Phillip Ellenberger is a regular contributor to Dolphin Talk. His article “Now and Then” appears in this issue.

Kayaking & Paddling in Port O’Connor

The first cool front has blown into Port O’Connor and with the cooler weather comes more people kayaking and paddling. Seems more and more people are enjoying these sports. I’ve been told nothing can compare to being out on the trails with no noise, not even a motor, just quietness and serenity.

Port O’Connor is fortunate to have several trails totaling more than 25 miles. I am sure after making it through the trails, a good nights rest would be next on the agenda, but because of the distance to Matagorda Island, a round trip in one day is not recommended. If going on trails to the Island, most put in at The Fishing Center. Also a great area to kayak is Boggy Bayou and to access this is located on 3rd. Street and Taylor. There are many websites on Kayaking and Paddling in Port O’Connor. If you would like more information, please contact us at poccc@tisd.net.

www.stxmaps.com is a terrific website with an abundance of info, has great maps along with the GPS for the areas of fishing; just click on Calhoun County; you can then find Port O’Connor.

The Chamber is encouraging everyone to get more involved in the community. If you have an upcoming event and you would like to get the word out just email info. If you have pictures and info of your fishing trips or other activities, please email us and it will be put on our Facebook and also portoconnorchamber.org and if needed also can be sent to all on our emailing list – whatever we can do to get the news out. It may seem early to bring this up, but the Annual Lighted Boat Parade will be held on December 1st, so start thinking about decorating and making 2012 the best parade of all. After all that’s only 2 1/2 months away.

The Chamber meets the 2nd Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Port O’Connor Community Center. Looking forward to seeing you.

New Members

Johnny Holland

Jocelynn’s

Shane & Katherine Simon

Russell Cain, a Delegate to the Republican National Convention

For those of us who watched on television the recent Presidential Nominating Conventions, we consider them to be just a giant pep rally, because, after all, the nominee of each party was a foregone conclusion. But, according to Realtor Russell Cain of Port Lavaca, one of our District 27 delegates to the Republican Convention, it was not a party; it was a lot of work.

They met with Senators and Congressmen each morning at 9:00 a.m., and participated in various meetings most of the day, then took a bus for the 20-mile trip to the convention center for the evening’s business. The day did not end until 2:00 or 3:00 a.m.

The Texas delegation was accompanied the entire time by Governor Perry, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot, with Gov. Perry providing breakfast one morning. Russell was also privileged to have dinner twice with Senate candidate Ted Cruz and his father.

District 27 Delegates in addition to Russell were Mrs. June Gildersleeve of Corpus Christi and Mr. Gilbert Hernandez of Corpus Christi. Alternate Delegates were Mrs. Drusilla Knight-Villarreal of Corpus Christi, Ms. Rebecca Lynn Berger of Schulenburg, and Mrs. Jackie McCormick Gloor of Victoria, who all traveled to the convention and stayed at their own expense. They were provided special shirts and hats to wear during the convention.

“I was fascinated at how foreign governments are interested in our political process,” Russell said. “I got interviewed by 11 different types of media. In addition to Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Tampa, Los Angeles papers and the New York Times, I was interviewed by several German reporters, one from Brazil, and one from the London Times.”

He was quoted in USA Today: “Russell Cain, 64, a delegate from Port Lavaca, Texas, was energized by the entire convention. ‘I feel great,’ he said. ‘I am excited that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are going to be our candidates, and they are going to bring America back to what it used to be.’”

Russell reported that security at the convention was tight, and Thursday night before Romney was to speak, all those in attendance had their credentials checked again. Most of the attendees around him were regular delegates like Russell, but he was a bit enthused to be able to see Herman Cain and to sit near Michelle Bachman.

Before there were conventions, members of Congress selected the nominees in congressional, or legislative, caucuses. The process was considered elitist and not representative of the entire party.

The first national convention in our country was held in 1831 by the Anti-Mason Party. The Democrats held their first convention in 1832, when they nominated Andrew Jackson with Martin Van Buren as his running mate.

The Republican Party held their first convention in 1856, and nominated John Fremont, an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. He lost the 1856 presidential election to Democrat James Buchanan when Democrats warned his election would lead to civil war.

Russell called his opportunity to participate in the political process “the experience of a lifetime”. He expressed hope that citizens will inform themselves and exercise their right to vote. “Americans have a right to a balanced budget, to cut spending. Americans have a right to know the truth. Mitt Romney has a plan to create new jobs. He will fight for the hard working taxpayer.”

Russell Cain at the Republican Convention

Voter Registration Deadline Nears

The November general election will take place on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. Voters did not have to vote in the May 29, 2012 primary election in order to qualify to vote in the general election on November 6, 2012. Whether you voted or not in the primary, you may vote for whomever you choose in November. Eligible Texans who are not registered to vote must register by October 9, 2012 to vote in the November 6, 2012 election.

The deadline to register and be eligible to vote in the November 6, 2012 General Election is October 9, 2012. This can be either the postmark date or the date the application is received in the office of the voter registrar. You may, of course, register at any time before that date to ensure that your registration is effective for voting in November. You can obtain a voter registration application from your voter registrar’s office, libraries, most post offices, high schools, or from www.votetexas.gov.

In Calhoun County register with: Elections Administrator Dora Garcia; 211 S. Ann St. Port Lavaca 77979 ; (361) 553-4440 Phone.