Letters to the Dolphin

Archived in the category: General Info, Letters to the Dolphin
Posted by Joyce Rhyne on 07 Jun 12 - 0 Comments

Support Volunteer Fire Department

There are many things we take for granted in this world: personal health, general happiness, a supportive family and long-lasting friendships, to name only a few. Let’s not add to the list the devotion and dedication of time freely given to our town by our “all volunteer” fire department. Unlike many towns, Port O’Connor does not have to endure the hardship of increased tax dollars necessary to support a “career”, or paid, fire department.

Over the last couple of years we have been able to purchase a new tanker and supply it with the necessary equipment. We want to continue to update our equipment and ensure that we are able to be there for you.

However, none of this would be possible if it weren’t for the generosity of those who have contributed in the past and those who continue to contribute. We hope to see you at the Port O’Connor Volunteer Fire Department Annual Fundraiser. This will be held July 7, 2012 at the Fire Station. We will be serving brisket with all the trimmings.

If you are not able to make our annual fundraiser and would still like to make a contribution to the Port O’Connor Volunteer Fire Department, you many send it to the following address:

Port O’Connor Volunteer Fire Department
P.O. Box 732
Port O’Connor, TX 77982

Respectfully yours,
Carl Collins Jr.
Assistant Fire Chief, POCVFD


My Two Cents Worth

My long time friend and fishing buddy used to say” It’s better to be a has been than a never was.”

I miss Andy. We spent a many hour fishing west Galveston Bay, Port Mansfield, and Port O’ Connor. He is the reason my wife and I retired to Port O’Connor. He and I brought a many of stringers full of trout and reds to the cleaning table at Froggies while wade fishing the flats around the Dewberry and Pringle shore lines. Most of the time we went out in his old metal boat we called old blue.,which was finally retired last year.

That’s all I have to say now.

G.B.


To Calhoun County Commissioners:

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is a not-for-profit membership organization that represents the general aviation interests of over 400,000 members nationwide. On behalf of the more than 30,000 members in Texas, I wanted to share with you as a County Commissioner our appreciation to the Calhoun County Airport and Calhoun Air Center for the organization of the latest Kid’s Aviation Day and support for general aviation.

I read that the Calhoun County Airport and Calhoun Air Center hosted a highly successful Kid’s Aviation Day event with more than 315 students from area schools. Local volunteer pilots taught the students about several topics, such as weather and principles of flight, as they rotated through 16 different stations, including sitting in aircraft.

It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to organize such an event and I want to commend Calhoun County for the initiative and accomplishment.

The pilot population is declining, even as the general population is increasing. We have seen a decline in the number of active pilots; however, even more alarming is that the numbers of incoming student pilots has seen a drop from 200,000 in 1980 to 73,000 in 2009. It is with events like this that we hope to encourage more people to experience the great joy of flying and learn what general aviation has to offer in addition to learning Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) applications. Some of these participants might even go on to earn a pilot’s certificate or pursue a career in aviation.

Again, please accept our sincere gratitude for your County’s dedication to general aviation and aviation education. Should you, at any point, require any assistance, please view AOPA and its expertise as a resource. You can contact me at 301-695-2096 or yasmina.platt@aopa.org.

Very truly yours,
Yasmina Platt
Central Southwest Regional
Manager, AOPA


CORRECTION:

In our May 25 issue, Dolphin Talk mistakenly reported incorrect voting numbers for the Seadrift City Council Election. We apologize for not being more diligent in checking our numbers.

The correct numbers for those elected are:

Elmer DeForest, Mayor 82 votes

Ranier Brigham, Council 52 votes

Robert Chatham, Council 49 votes

The Dolphin welcomes letters from our readers on any subject that is of general interest to our audience. Letters should be 300 words or less (with exceptions at the Dolphin’s discretion). Letters reflect the opinion of the writer, and not that of Dolphin Talk staff, and we retain the right to determine suitability for publication. It is the policy of this newspaper to promote area interests: therefore, complaints against local businesses should be directed elsewhere. Letters must be signed and include day and evening phone numbers, which will not be published. Your name will be withheld upon request, but anonymous material will not be considered for publication.

Letters to the Dolphin:
Dolphin Talk, P.O. Box 777, Port O’Connor, TX 77982
dolphin1@tisd.net

What’s Rockin’ at the Port O’Connor Library? by Shirley & Sue

Archived in the category: General Info, Organizations
Posted by Joyce Rhyne on 07 Jun 12 - 0 Comments

Attention:   Mothers Of POC Children!
The Reading Program at our Library will be beginning shortly with enrollment available for your child as of Friday, June 8th.   Children up to the age of 12 can participate in this program that will provide hours of enjoyment for each child.  Their reading logs detailing the hours spent reading and authorized by a parent must be returned as of July 14th.    Special prizes will be given at the Awards Ceremony on July 24th  when the number of hours spent reading is summarized.

 

Beginning Tuesday, June 19th and every Tuesday following until July 17th, there will be guest speakers to further encourage each child in reading a book.  The first speaker is the renowned story teller, Lee Ann Bell, who has the talent to not only portray the story, but to put each child in the plot.  Following will be a member of the Coast Guard Station, who will be able to relay to each child his duties and life in the Service.  Additional speakers will be Doctor Freeze, a member of the Port Lavaca Police Department, and the last speaker will be a Park Ranger from the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.

Movies have returned to POC!  On Saturday, June 16th beginning at 10:00 a.m., the film TinTin will be shown.  And, of course, popcorn and a drink are available for each child.  The movie should last until 11:45 a.m., but do check with our Librarian for further information.

Then on Saturday, July 14th also at 10:00 a.m., the film Journey 2 will be shown with popcorn and a drink too.

So, see our Library for a Summer of Fun!

Just a quickie: we have an unbelievable array of books for purchase at our Library, both hard cover and soft cover, of all types of fiction and even nonfiction.  Come see us before you take your trip!  And we welcome all you summer visitors to our Library; we may be small but we have a lot of good books and DVDs!  Just takes a Library Card!

And remember:  Our Library is open on Monday & Tuesday from 9-1 & 2-6; on Wednesday, we open at 1:00 p.m. till 6:00 p.m.; Thursday from 12:00 Noon till 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. till 1:00 p.m.

“When an old person dies, a Library burns down.”
Karin Gillespie

What’s Up?

Archived in the category: What's Up
Posted by Joyce Rhyne on 07 Jun 12 - 0 Comments

AA meets each Saturday night at 7 p.m. at First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall in Port O’Connor.

AA Meetings are held each Monday at 7:30 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 4th & Cleveland, in Seadrift. Fellowship begins at 7:00.

POC Lions Club meets the second Wednesday of each month, 12 Noon, at Cathy’s Restaurant

Commissioner’s Court meets the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month at 10 a.m., 1st Floor of the Court House, Port Lavaca.

Crossroads Astronomy Club meets at 7:00 p.m., third Mondays, at U of H, Victoria, Room 223 info: wes81461@yahoo.com 935-2016

Calhoun County Quilt Guild meets the first Wednesday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at the Fairgrounds Exhibit Building.

Open Arms (Families Surviving Infant Loss) meets every third Tuesday at Central Church of Christ, 801 E. Airline, Victoria, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Calhoun County Democratic Club meets the last Thursday of the month at IBC Bank, Port Lavaca, at 5:30 p.m.

Calhoun County Conservative Club meets 2nd Tuesday each month, 11:00 a.m. at the Heritage Center in Port Lavaca

Friday Night Youth every Friday except the first Friday of each month, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Fisherman’s Chapel, Port O’Connor

POC Sports Association meets the third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at POC Community Center.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (N.A.M.I.) meets 3rd Monday each month from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Parkway Church, Victoria.
Support group meets at Laurent Towers fountain from 6-8 p.m., 2nd and 4th Tuesdays each month.

June 8 & 9 Shrimpfest on Seadrift Bay Front

Fri., June 8 Enrollment for POC Library Summer Reading

Sat., June 9 Indianola Cemetery Dedication
10:00-11:30 Hwy 316, Indianola

Mon., June 11 Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce
6:30 p.m. Back Room of POC Community Center

June 11-14 Vacation Bible School
9:00-Noon First Baptist Church, Port O’Connor

Tues., June 12 Blood Drive
8:00 – 12:30 Calhoun County Offices, Live Oak St., Port Lavaca

Tues., June 12 Conservative Club
11:15 a.m. The Heritage Center

Wed., June 13 Blood Drive
2:00-6:30 Memorial Medical Center, 815 N. Virginia, PL

Thurs., June 14 Flag Day
Sat., June 16 Movie “TinTin” at POC Library
10:00 a.m.

Sun., June 17 Father’s Day

Mon., June 18 Blood Drive
1:30-4:30 Port O’Connor Fire Department

Tues., June 19 Air Race Classic Begins

Wed., June 20 Summer Solstice

Saying “Thank You” to Our Wounded Warriors

Archived in the category: General Info
Posted by Joyce Rhyne on 24 May 12 - 2 Comments

The photo above was taken as our honored guests, wounded soldiers from all over the country, arrived at Froggie’s Bait Dock for the annual Warrior’s Weekend fishing trip. In the background you can see the large group of motorcycle honor guards accompanying them. The photo was taken by Jasmine Gordon, courtesy of Calhoun Air Center.

Welcoming the Troops Friday Evening Photo by Bret Williams

Volunteers set up the field of flags. Photo by Bret Williams

Reflections of Tragedy & Loss The Field of Tribute Photo by Houston Holmes Photography

Thank You for your Service! Nancy Pomykal and Jim Butler greet the Warriors -Photo by Patricia Mayhall

Welcome! -photo by Bret Williams

Mother and Son Reunion! Photo by Houston Holmes Photography

Happy to be here; Happy to have you here! Photo by Bret Williams

Photo by Jasmine Gordon/Calhoun Air Center

Photo by Jasmine Gordon/Calhoun Air Center

Boats waiting to take the Warriors fishing.

Photo by Bret Williams

Pat Hatcher and her nephew Trey Ramos reunited. Trey has done 4 tours in Iraq and going back. Photo by Houston Holmes Photography

Vietnam Vet recovery/healing. Welcome Home to them both! Photo by Houston Holmes Photography

Thank you for your service! Photo by Houston Holmes Photography Courtesy of Derrick Smith, Veracity Aviation

Warriors at the Community Center Photo by Houston Holmes Photography

Warriors take off for a day of fishing; waving at photographer Jasmine Gordon and Calhoun Air Center pilot Toni McCarthy in the Robinson R44 helicopter.

Warrior’s Weekend – “A Healing Experience” by Joyce Rhyne

Archived in the category: General Info
Posted by Joyce Rhyne on 24 May 12 - 0 Comments

The Aguayo Family from Port Lavaca Angel, Joshua, Raymond, Justin, Angie, Amira, and “Tootsie”

This weekend has been a real healing experience for our sons,” said Raymond Aguayo, as he took a short rest between the bay fishing trip and the awards dinner on Saturday of Warrior’s Weekend.

Although he and his two sons were kept busy throughout the weekend, they still found it a restful and uplifting experience, even meeting up with some old buddies who had served with his sons.

The Aguayo family is from Port Lavaca. Raymond is a 20-year veteran of the Marines, who says he never saw any “action”. His two sons, following in the military tradition, joined the Army, where both were injured in the War on Terror.

Elder son, Justin served in Iraq and his brother Joshua served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Josuha is a recipient of three Purple Hearts.

Both sons are professional musicians, with Josuha having his own band, “Annabell Leigh”.

Joshua and his wife, Angel, live in North Carolina. They are expecting a child soon. Accompanying him and his wife was his cute-as-a-button 4 1/2-year-old daughter, Amira.

Justin has family in Canada and had plans to relocate to Seattle right after the weekend to be near them.

Their mother, Angie, spent Saturday afternoon with her daughter-in-law and granddaughter relaxing at Saltwater Lodge, which was one of many private lodging places graciously furnished by local individuals and businesses to the soldiers and their families.

Angie repeatedly expressed her thankfulness for Warrior’s Weekend and the respite it had given her whole family. “We could see and feel an overwhelming love,” she said.

Brandon Lloyd, a Bronze Star with Valor recipient, Natalie, Avery, Lucy and four-month old baby, with Ron and Sherry Kocian enjoyed staying in Dr. Neumann’s house for the week of Warrior’s Weekend. -Photo by Bill Tigrett

Charles and Joy Fryou enjoyed a day of fun on the island with Warrior’s wives and children. Two of the wives had lost their husbands in Afghanistan. One of the wives, Nicki Lowry, is the founder of Wounded Warrior Wives in Victoria. Her husband, Nick, received three Purple Hearts.

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