This year for the Chamber of Commerce Christmas party I volunteered to try something a little different for our food items~and also thought it would be a awesome way for our food establishments to showcase some of their foods. Much to my surprise they ALL took this and ran with it!

A HUGE THANK YOU TO: Josies • Jocelynns • Capt.G’s • Art’s BBQ • Cathy’s • Hurricane Junction • Mama’s Pizza • Beacon 44 Seafood Market for the awesome food they donated~~I had SO many awesome compliments on the food ~~Taste of POC was filled with foods such as pizza, seafood, bbq, chicken strips, steak fingers, seafood salads and MUCH more! I am PROUD to say everyone graciously participated and made this event a HUGE success. Thanks so much to each of you!

Mary Jo Walker, Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce

Port Lavaca Art Guild, which was organized in 1962, will begin their 50th year by expanding their classes to include Winter Arts and Crafts Classes. Beginning in January they will have new classes in ceramics and pottery, jewelry making and crochet, in addition to their regularly scheduled painting classes. Winter Texans living in the area are extended an invitation to join the classes, along with year-around residents. Equipment and most tools will be provided for use in the classroom at the Port Lavaca Art Guild Studio at 308 E. Mahan in Port Lavaca. Students will pay for tuition and materials used for their projects.

The ceramic and pottery classes will be taught by Jane and Gill Gilmore who have over 30 years experience teaching a whole range of techniques including pouring ceramic projects, hand building pottery by coiling, slab building and pinching, and how to use a potter’s wheel. Students will learn how to finish projects with stain, glaze or leave them in their natural state.

Making Jewelry on the Go will be taught by Barbara Burkett. Students will learn to make jewelry using a minimum of tools discovering how to use found or re-purposed tools. In January she will teach how to make basic components and coils to use in designing original jewelry. In February and March, students will learn to forge, texture and etch metals to use in their designs. They’ll use inexpensive copper and brass wire and sheet metal. No sawing or soldering will be required.

Janice Blake, who is skilled in crochet, will teach beginner’s basic crochet stitches and how to read and follow instructions to create a project.

Classes taught year-around that students may join for the winter, are oil painting taught by teachers Patty Lowrie, who specializes in portraits, and Tommy Thompson, who is known for his glazing and smooth canvas techniques, and watercolor classes taught by Barbara Burkett.

One-half of enrollment in each class will be reserved for winter residents until seven days before a class begins. A deposit of $25 is required to reserve a place in class.

Brochures about the Winter Classes are available from Port Lavaca Chamber of Commerce or on-line at www.PLArtGuild.com For more information, e-mail plartguild@hotmail.com or phone 361/550-8057 or 552-5835.

AUSTIN, TEXAS – This week, Speaker Joe Straus (R – San Antonio) appointed Rep. Todd Hunter (R – Corpus Christi) to serve on an interim committee that will study ways in which the State of Texas can fight human trafficking. Rep. Hunter raised the issue earlier this year, during the 82nd Legislature, by filing and passing House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 68 to create the interim committee following the legislative session.

“I learned about Human Trafficking when I served as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and was shocked to find out that such a problem exists in Texas,” Rep. Hunter said. “As a father, I want to do whatever I can to ensure that human trafficking in all its forms is shut down in this state.”

According to the U.S. State Department, 800,000 men, women and children are trafficked across international borders every year, and about twenty percent of those people go through the State of Texas.

“It is important for the State of Texas to take a lead role in combating human trafficking due to the state’s large geographical size and busy ports,” Rep. Hunter explained. “I am pleased that Speaker Straus appointed me to this important committee. I am committed to making sure Texas takes a strong stand against the criminals involved in these horrific offenses.”

Human Trafficking is considered to be the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of labor or a commercial sex act through use of force, fraud or coercion. Any commercial sex act, if the person is under 18 years of age, regardless of whether any form of coercion was involved, is considered human trafficking.

House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 68 was authored by Rep. Todd Hunter (R – Corpus Christi), Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D – Houston), Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer (D – San Antonio), Rep. Byron Cook (R – Corsicana) and Rep. Jim Jackson (R – Carrollton) , and co-authored by Rep. Allen Fletcher (R – Houston), Rep. Randy Weber (R – Pearland) and Rep. Bill Zedler (R – Arlington in the Texas House of Representatives. It was sponsored by Senator Leticia Van de Putte (D – San Antonio) and co-sponsored by Senator Dan Patrick (R – Houston) in the Texas Senate.

For related article, see: Human Trafficking: Modern Day Slavery, Dolphin Talk, October 14, 2011 www.thedolphintalk.com

If you are interested in helping rescued victims of human trafficking in the Houston area: www.homeofhopetexas.com

Bunco! Bunco! Bunco!

A spirited gathering of many “Bunco” players found themselves at the home of Grady Jean Clark, who was capably assisted by Kathy Yearwood, for their annual Christmas Party on Tuesday evening, December 6th. Much conversation evolved in this group of players and plans were then made for the January meeting on Tuesday, January 3rd at 7:00 p.m. Play will begin once again in the Meeting Room of the Community Center and Joyce Jordan will act as hostess and will be assisted by Pat Ekstrom and Kelly Cooper. Call Shirley Gordon at the Library for further information, 983-4365.

The Service Club and its POC History Book Committee are still searching for a picture of the ranch house on the LaSalle Ranch preferably back in the 40’s. If anyone has a photo in their possession or know of someone who does, and will lend it to be copied, please contact either Chairman, Sue Kubecka, 798-0560 or our President, Janet Johnson, 983-4737.

The next meeting of the Sports Association will be Monday, January 16, 2012, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Back Meeting Room of the Community Center. As we are now approaching the Holiday Season in a very rapid manner, this organization decided to suspend meetings until January. Contact either Sylvia Rodriguez, President, 655-3521 or Calvin Ragusin, Vice President, 655-0498 for further information. Membership in this organization is $10.00 per year, and its goals are extremely worthwhile for the benefit of both youngsters and adults of our community.

I‘ve just received information from my contact with the annual Toy Run, the head of Logistics, who stated that there were 30 boats committed to that Saturday’s run with 140 participants. This means that there was an increase of boaters of over 30% from last year, and these wonderful Elves, Santa’s helpers, brought in over $70,000. worth of toys for children in POC and Port Lavaca and nearby areas. Additionally, funds were donated to them of $2900 which pays for lots of batteries! Now that they are back in the Houston area, they will start again their drive for toy donations and money to purchase them. What a super fantastic group of people to bring such happiness to so many children!

Don’t forget that the kids from the School will be singing at the Bank on Friday the 16th! If you were present at the Service Club’s 31st Christmas Luncheon, you would have had the opportunity to hear them sing and they were excellent.

I spoke last week with Mr. Erny McDonough, Pastor of Fishermen’s Chapel, and a Coordinator for the local Benevolence Fund, concerning the need for Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets in this community. He told me that approximately 30+ baskets had been requested for Thanksgiving. And he expected that 25 or more would be needed for Christmas. At a cost of $75 per basket the outlay by the three churches would be over $4,000 this year. Unfortunately, the economic downturn has hit our area hard and the emergence of the Red Tide has forced many men to seek another type of employment, often without success. The Pantry at Fishermen’s Chapel feeds 3 or more families per month, and the Pastor foresees more requests. This is not a plea for a donation but if you happen to have an extra $10 that is burning a hole in your pocket, it could really be used. Talk with Mr. McDonough if you can be of any assistance.

We in Port O’Connor have sustained a loss with the recent death of Bob Irwin. Bob and Pat have been residents here for over ten years, and there was not a happening that Bob missed with his ready smile and capable, helping hands. He leaves a hole here in our community that will be extremely difficult to fill, and he is missed by all that knew him. Despite being ill, he always greeted you with a charming smile and the words “Practically Perfect” when questioned re his health. A memorial service was held on Saturday, December 10th at the Community Center Service Club members helped to provide food and beverages for the attendees.

Both Henry and I wish to all you readers a very Happy and Joyful Christmas and the blessings of the New Year. See you again in 2012!

suekubecka@yahoo.com
361 798-0560

If the reader wishes to add any news at any time to this column, please contact me at the above address or telephone number. And thanks in advance for reading.

Most of us know that Texas has been under six flags during its history and that includes even before it became Texas. What we sometimes don’t think of is that our culture is even more diverse. We probably realize that a lot of that culture came through Pass Cavallo. Some of us may even remember it goes back over 400 years ago, even more if you think about the Karankawas’s. Some of the Spanish influences came here after landing in Central America and Mexico.

Since this is the Christmas season it seems appropriate to look at how that variety of cultures has affected the way we celebrate Christmas. There is an interesting book you can buy at the Calhoun County Museum on just that subject. It describes many cultural influences, Spanish, Frontier, German, English, Czech, Polish, and many more. As one reads through all these one thing that jumps out is the way the Christmas tree has evolved.

Living here in between the woodsy East Texas Piney woods and the West Texas Dry area we find fewer trees. After this summer of heat and no rain maybe we are shifting west or west is moving east, who knows.

When thinking about Christmas trees one of the first questions to ask is where did that tradition start. It isn’t mentioned in the stories about Bethlehem and the Christmas beginnings that was desert and things like that. Christmas trees were established in Europe before the folks started coming here to this land of opportunity.

Its start has many legends. Possibly the most appealing one is the English tradition. Their missionary Saint Boniface stopped a pagan sacrifice in Germany. After stopping it he cut down the Oak tree where the sacrifice was initiated. At that spot a young fir tree appeared. St Boniface told those pagans this was the tree of life and it represented the Christmas birth. Thus are traditions born.

Those who know of Germany and the northeast of Europe know that the fir tree is plentiful in that area. It became the tree of choice as well as the tree of opportunity. Those who know our area know that it is not the tree of opportunity especially in the early times of the immigrants. Nowadays we can get them shipped in from elsewhere if that is the tree we want. So when those Germans headed by Prince Cal Solms-Braunfels arrived in that December they didn’t find fir trees. The Prince had found and secured the services of a Minister the Reverend Louis C Ervenberg.

He conducted a Christmas Eve service in Port Lavaca. Probably didn’t have Port in its name then. But notice this for Irony. It was under an Oak tree decorated with candles. The Prince provided presents for the children. That was probably the first public Christmas tree in Texas. Nowadays it seems every town has a tree for Christmas.

That’s another first for our county. As time went by we added native mistletoe and holly and electric lights.