Morris Crumrine

“Navy Gun Tech”

Being aboard the “USS Cochran” was a bittersweet experience for Morris Crumrine. He has fond memories of fellow crew members, but not so good memories of the ship’s food. Morris relates that “the bigger ships got the better food” while his ship got powdered food items. Good food or not didn’t diminish the fact that life on the ship was rigorous and demanding, but overall, it was a good experience. “Not a lot of people got to see what I got to see,” Morris noted.

Ports that Morris’s ship went to include the Philippines, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Mauritius (off the coast of Africa). During the Iran-Iraqi War his ship sat out in the Indian Ocean for 76 days.

Being a “gun tech,” Morris’s official title was a “fire control tech” which meant he monitored and maintained the radar system for the ship’s guns.

The destroyer (the USS Cochran) Morris was on was the smallest war ship during his tour of duty. The ship was 440 ft. long with an average of 330 crew members. In 1980 Morris recounts that “our ship got to rescue and transport Vietnamese war refugees from the China Sea and take them to Singapore. The refugees numbered 142 men, women, and children.”

Originally from New Braunfels Morris grew up in a farming and ranching community. He has lived in Seadrift for six years. Morris described Seadrift as a “quiet little fishing town with nice people and low crime.”

After his tour of the duty with the Navy Morris worked construction and trained horses. Today he enjoys fishing and loves his aquarium.

We salute Morris Crumrine’s service to our country. Without our brave soldiers in the military where would we be today?

“USS Cochran”

The excitement continues to mount as we get closer to the start date of our renovations to the Community Center Pavilion. The plans have been approved, but the work will not begin until after the big POC Chamber of Commerce Boat Show in October. You won’t want to miss that!

Our hard working board of directors are already at work raising money needed to redo the main building in the complex. No one works as hard as our grant writer, Nan Burnett. She is continuously finding new resources for funding, but we continue to hold fundraisers and accept donations. On July 29, David Couch who puts on the Mullet Invitational and Little Mullet Tournaments each year, has invited us to put a table at Sharkey’s during the tournament. He and his family have generously donated to the Facelift Project in the past and continue to support it.

The Community Center is an important part of POC. For almost 25 years, it has been used for weddings, funerals, meetings, tournaments, garage sales, Warrior Weekends, senior luncheons and much more. We are so lucky to have this wonderful complex in our small community. Many, many people worked countless hours to raise money to build it because they saw a need and knew that need would only increase as the years passed. Now, repairs and renovations are needed to keep it going for at least another 25 years. Our community is growing by leaps and bounds and the community center is going to grow and improve with it. Be a part of preserving the past and preparing for the future. Donations can be made at FNB POC or online on PayPal to Port O’Connor Community Center. Get on board and become involved in keeping POC the special place that it is.

-Diane Cooley

Sacking oyster shell in the summer heat is not for the weak or weary but on Thursday, June 29, a dozen Braskem team members as part of their company’s volunteer program.
(https://volunteers.braskem.com/en/AboutTheProgram) came to a county lot in Seadrift to do just that. The oyster shell has been sitting in a heap long enough to have congealed into an almost solid mass. With rakes and sharp-shooters the hard working folks clawed it loose and shoveled it into mesh bags. Each bag, weighing about 30 pounds, was then hauled to a storage pile. The bags of shell are destined for a restoration project.

No doubt area fishermen have noticed that small shell islands throughout Espiritu Santo Bay have been eroding. Many are no longer visible during normal high tide. These islands are important habitat for nesting birds like oystercatchers, terns, and skimmers, and lack of this habitat is threatening those bird populations. That’s why San Antonio Bay Partnership received a CMP grant to help restore some of the islands and the caring folks from Braskem spent a hot summer morning shoveling shell.

The effort is far from over, however. More oyster shell sacking workdays are being planned. Workdays include cold beverages, lunch, and presentations about nesting oystercatchers and the island restoration project. If you would like to participate contact Allan Berger, allanrberger@outlook.com

“Beacon of Light…Anchor of the Community”

Library News:
POC Library Hours: Phone Number: 361-983-4365
Sunday – Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Friday: 10:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Don’t melt in the summer heat. “Drip” or drop by your local library and cool down with a good book. The library has certainly been a busy place with folks donating fruits, vegetables, and eggs for events and a “help yourself” basket. How awesome is it to let your imagination soar by reading a good book, thumbing through the latest magazines, taking home a prize from an event, or taking home a fresh veggie for a meal?

Wednesday: 8:00-9:00 a.m. – Coffee & Conversation – Sometimes we discuss colors at this meeting. What are our favorites? Red, white and BREW! All are welcome to come and share a cup of coffee with neighbors and friends.
9:30-10:30 a.m. – Bingo –Join us for this fun event that follows the 8:00 am coffee event on the 2nd and 3rd Wednesday of each month. Special thanks to the generosity of the noted sponsors. (Fun fact: This great game started around 1530 in Italy. Yes, it is older than pizza.)
• July 12th: Sponsored by Bethany Senior Living
• July 19th: Sponsored by Calhoun County Home Health
1:00-3:30 p.m. – Mah Jongg – Fun Fact: The game is known by many different names and spellings, including Majong, Mah Jong, Mah Jongg, Mahjong, Ma Cheung, the Game of Sparrows, and the Game of One Thousand Intelligences, to name just a few!
Thursdays: 1:00-3:30 p.m. – Bridge – Fun Fact: What US President and former five-star general of the US Army liked to play contract bridge in his spare time? Dwight Eisenhower

Friends of the POC Library:

The Friends of the POC library, a support group, welcomes ALL who would like to join, contribute, or attend a FREE, sponsored event. The annual membership drive ended in June, but the Friends warmly welcome new members at any time. Programs are for the enrichment of our community and residents of ALL AGES. Please feel welcome to attend events, programs and visit our lovely library.

On June 10th, Game Warden Jessica Pelzel instructed a Water Safety Program, “I Got Caught,” for the community children. Under her guidance, numerous “Friends” and other adult volunteers assisted with properly fitting life vests, boarding the airboat and serving a delicious meal to youngsters.

On June 19th, folks gathered for the Annual Membership Meeting of the Friends of the Port O’Connor Library. During the pre-meeting social time, a delicious Taco Bar was enjoyed and followed by dessert.

Librarian Michelle Marlin and Assistant Librarian Margaret Claiborne gave special thanks to community members for their dedication to the “Friends” cause. Calhoun County Library Director Dina Sanchez was also present to attest to the well-deserved recognition of numerous people. Sandra Lane, one of the founding members of the Friends of the Port O’Connor Library, was applauded for her vision. Joyce Rhyne was commended for her ongoing support in publishing library and Friends news in the Dolphin Talk each month. Additionally, Mary Ann Claiborne was honored for her dedication to volunteering and unwavering commitment.

Submitted by Darla Miles
Friends of the Port O’ Connor Library, Publicity Committee
http://www.friendsofportoconnorlibrary.org
Facebook Page: Friends of the Port O’Connor Library, Inc.

Kids at the library learn about water safety.

Wow! Wow! Wow!!! The fourth of July firework celebration was amazing. It is such a nostalgic feeling to see groups of families lined up on the beach to celebrate our country’s birthday. This is a huge undertaking, and we are so appreciative to all the volunteers and sponsors who make this happen each year.

The celebration continued the morning of July 4th as we held our second annual Fourth of July Parade. We started out on Old Main in front of the library and headed toward front beach led by the red fire engines. The parade stretched out as golf cart after golf cart followed behind. The decorations were so patriotic and made all of us glad to be Americans.

Mark your calendars for our first Port O’Connor Boat and Fishing Expo to be held on October 6-8 at the Community Center and Pavilion.  We are accepting sponsorships and vendor applications. The boat and fishing expo will showcase boat manufactures, retail goods, fishing tackle, guide services, food demonstrations and much more. If you would like to be a vendor or a sponsor you can get an application on our website at under events, boat and fishing expo.

Our project at the end of Main Street and Park is near completion. The new concrete cap has been poured and the landing with steps and a kayak ramp are ready for use. We will be adding a couple of benches and the county will be putting in a parking area. Hopefully everything will be completed in the next couple of weeks.

Remember the Port O’Connor Farmers Market is the second Saturday of each month. We have 20 to 30 vendors each month with fresh produce, artwork, jellies and jams, fresh eggs, salsas, and other unique items. Come out and support your neighbors.

We welcome our new and renewing members, Pittman Construction provides carpentry, plumbing, and electrical services. Vantage Marine has been providing sales and services for bay boats and motors since 1978. Crawfish Cajun Catering is a food truck serving some of the best Cajun food and crawfish boils in the area. Fishing Center Operations includes a boat launch, fish cleaning tables, live and dead bait, as well as inshore and offshore tackle, and on the water fueling.

To see more information on these members and all our chamber members please visit our website at  www.portoconnorchamber.com.