Memorial Day, May 29, is set aside to honor all those who have lost their lives in service to our county. But, we also should remember the sacrifices of those now serving, or who have served in defense of our nation.

There are many in our community who have answered the call to serve. Here are three we are featuring, but we wish to honor them all.

Jim Hicks and Honey

Jim Hicks
Hometown Hero

Jim Hicks was honored as the Hometown Hero at Port Lavaca Chamber of Commerce’s 56th annual award banquet. This well deserved accolade was in appreciation of Jim’s many years of service to Calhoun County’s senior citizens.

For more than 15 years, Jim has brought hot lunches to Calhoun County shut-ins three days a week. Even when he was traveling to and from Victoria undergoing chemotheraphy, he still faithfully kept up with his route.

A veteran with 22 1/2 years in the service, he retired in 1984 with the rank of Major. He has made Port O’Connor his home for the past 19 years.

Jim’s constant companion is his little dog, Honey. He adopted Honey from the Humane Society 12 years ago. If you’ve been around Port O’Connor any time at all, you’ve probably seen Honey perched in a plastic milk carton on the back of Jim’s motor scooter.

Ray McDaniel and Lila Jane

Ray McDaniel
A Man of Many Hats

Ray McDaniel is a man that has worn many hats… a husband, a father, a business owner, a taxidermist, a hunting guide, a career in the shoe industry, and most notable was the wearing of the uniform in the United States Navy!

Ray is a newcomer to Port O’Connor. He was born and raised in Houston. He was married to his high school sweetheart named Sue for 62 years. Together they had two sons, a daughter, seven grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.

It was in 1958 when Ray joined the Navy. He became a radarman and served on the USS McDermut which was a destroyer where he worked in its Combat Information Center (CIC). At the CIC was where all the radar equipment was located down below on the ship. Commenting about his service in the Navy Ray had this to say, “I think the military can be extremely educational due to the travel that enables you to see how people live and at the same time you are serving your country.” While on the USS McDermut Ray traveled to all the major islands in the South Pacific.

About living in Port O’Connor Ray said, “I came here initially to spend three months fishing and within three weeks I decided that I would stay here forever. I just love the people here. It’s just like Will Rodgers once said, “I never met a man I didn’t like.” And that’s the same way I feel about the people of POC. And my diabetic service dog, Lila Jane, loves everyone as well, particularly the mullets at the front beach.”

USS McDermut
USS McDermut (DD-677) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, the second Navy ship named for Lieutenant Commander David A. McDermut. McDermut was laid down 14 June 1943 by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey; launched 17 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, widow of the 28th President; and commissioned 19 November 1943.

Butch Bothwell
“Always a Hero”

Butch Bothwell will always be a hero. President Truman once said, “Our debt to the heroic men and women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.”

Born and raised in Tampa, Florida Butch Bothwell came to Texas in 2003. Over the years he worked in all kinds of construction. He settled in Port O’Connor a few years ago because of his love of fishing and hunting. On Tuesdays you could find Butch at the POC Community Center for their luncheon and games.

He served in the Army during the Vietnam War as a munitions technician and was an officer’s chauffeur.

Butch has two daughters, two grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. His younger daughter, Charlie, had this to say about her dad, “He always had a heart of gold and helped anyone who ever needed it.”

Currently Butch is at the Port Lavaca Nursing Home and enjoys the company of family and friends. Jay Flemming, pastor of Goliad’s First Baptist Church, is one of Butch’s supporters who comes to visit and check on him. Butch and his daughter, Charlie, consider Pastor Flemming’s church their home church. Charlie, commenting about their church said, “Our home church is amazing.” She, also, wanted everyone to know that her dad hasn’t lost his sense of humor.

Seadrift is entering a new phase where several long-awaited projects are beginning.

The new wastewater treatment plant is going out for bids and this new wastewater treatment plant will replace and expand the existing wastewater treatment plant that was built in the early 1960’s. This project was envisioned in 2015 and 2016 because the old plant was having trouble meeting capacity and codes. The new wastewater treatment plant should be beginning operation in the fall of 2024.

The largest project is the new seawall which will replace the old seawall entirely and expand it some. The contractor is currently setting up with construction to start no later than the end of May. Completion is estimated to be by the summer of 2024.

Another big project is the Harbor Economic Development Project. Bidding for the Harbor Project should be authorized in June or July. This project contains things such as bulkheading of unbulkheaded areas, adding an additional breakwater on the west side, dredging of the harbor, and dredging of the channel from the harbor out to the Navigation District’s channel. If this project stays on estimated schedule this could be completed by summer 2024.

Other projects nearing engineering completion within the next six months are the city’s MIT Drainage Project which will affect many areas of the city and the start date could be sometime middle to late 2024. An additional water tank to replace an old leaking water tank is another project.

There are additional projects that are being contemplated with grants. -Tanya DeForest

MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCE
DATE: SATURDAY, MAY 27TH
TIME: 10:00 AM
VETERAN’S MEMORIAL & PAVILLION
at BAYFRONT PARK

HOSTED BY: CALHOUN COUNTY AMERICAN LEGION POST 167
1. AMERICAN FLAG RETIREMENT CEREMONY
2. ROLL CALL OF CALHOUN COUNTY’S HONORED DEAD
3. HOT DOGS AND SOFT DRINKS SERVED AT
THE PAVILLION BY PORT LAVACA FIRE DEPARTMENT

Come support America.
There is no charge.

Spring Gardening, Mosquitoes and Seaweed

Greetings from the island everyone. I hope that this month’s article finds you doing very well, and I also hope that you enjoyed a wonderful Mothers Day with your beautiful moms this past Sunday. Whether still on this earth or in heaven, a belated very Happy Mothers Day to all the great moms!

I know that not only has the island been receiving a lot of rain lately, but judging by looking at the radar during these little storms, everyone else has also been getting inches of rainfall. It’s great having the rain and we all need it, especially for our Spring vegetable gardens, but I sure could do without the mosquitoes that are always soon to follow.

The island soil drains fairly quickly out here, not leaving standing water for more than a few days at a time, unless the ground is already saturated. Unfortunately, it is these standing water days that hatch out the dreaded mosquitoes that love to dine on our bodies. I have found that those Pic mosquito coils, like the ones we old timers used at the drive-in movies, work very well keeping the mosquitoes away. If the winged demons are really bad, I’ll even light one on the nightstand by my bed at night, and it does a great job. Yes, the coils emit an undesirable aroma, but I’ll take that anytime versus the mosquitoes. Of course dealing with these things are a part of living in south Texas, we just have to pretty much grin and bear it, and keep swatting those pesky little flying demons.

Speaking of Spring gardens, my tomato plants, which basically are the only things that comprise my garden, are doing very well, for the most part. There are a few of them that have became stunted, after originally looking very good, and developed a peculiar extreme leaf curl, but not the normal heat of the day curl. It’s similar to what a weed killer spray would do, which these have not been exposed to at all. I’m hoping the cause is not leftover remnants of tainted horse manure I used in the soil over five years ago, but the only problem plants are exactly where that soil was used. I’ll definitely keep an eye on them and hope for the best.

The beach sargassum seaweed is starting to trickle in, a normal occurrence during that latter part of Spring every year. Some years it comes in much thicker than others, but the past 6-8 years the sargassum has been very light in volume. I read somewhere recently that a very large amount of seaweed is being tracked across the Caribbean, and will eventually make its way into the Gulf of Mexico and onto the Gulf Coast beaches. In listening to these idiots write and talk about it, they make it sound like something straight out of a horror movie, like “The Fog” or “The Blob”, is creeping it’s way towards us with a gruesome health hazard outcome. No! No! No! All beaches need the accumulation of seaweed to help with erosion and beef up our beach dunes.

I’ve seen years out here where the seaweed was 3 feet deep along the ENTIRE four mile stretch of beach, and I spent hours walking through it and searching in it for cool beach finds that become entrapped in it during its journey. And look. . . I didn’t die!! And neither did dozens of other islanders that did the same thing. Yes, it becomes smelly for a time before it sifts into the beach sand and completely disappears, welcome to the antics of Mother Nature. So all those liberal attention seeker types can go get your feelings hurt elsewhere, and bring on the seaweed!!

Well that’s it from the island for now, everyone take care and have a wonderful day.

More wonderful news for the Community Center Facelift Project! The Lewis R. and Juaniece Madden Foundation has awarded a grant in the amount of $85,0000.00, to the Community Center. Thank you to them for seeing the importance of our Community Center to the people of POC and making this amazing donation to our project. A big thank you is also due to Nan Burnett for all her amazing work as our grant writer. This amount completes the monies needed for Phase I. As soon as we can finalize plans with the contractor for the work to be done, we can begin to see the results of all our hard work. Phase I deals with the Pavilion and many updates and improvements are coming. The two biggest changes will be adding more facilities to both restrooms and adding a prep kitchen area and extra storage. The tables and chairs are being replaced and lots of painting will be done. Keep watching as we progress with this phase.

Work has not stopped on fundraising for PHASE II. This will comprise all the improvements to be done on the main building. This includes upgrades to the kitchen, new flooring throughout, paint, new tables and chairs and landscaping . We have several fundraisers planned for the summer and fall and even into next year. Stay tuned for more updates and details as they become available.

The Board of Directors of the Community Center wants extend their appreciation to the POC Community Service Club and the POC Chamber of Commerce for their continued support and donations to this project. Without this continued commitment, our board alone would have not been able to come so far in this project so quickly. We greatly appreciate all the hours spent helping with our fundraising and hope to continue to have their help with Phase II.

If you would like to be a part of the community effort to give our Community Center a facelift and preserve it for the next 25 years+, you may make donations at First National Bank POC. THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed already and to each one who will make donations in the future. -Diane Cooley