Harry and Carolyn Pond, surrounded by their four children, their children’s spouses, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, celebrated 62 years of marriage at their Port O’Connor home on June 11th.

Harry, who is originally from Iowa, and Carolyn, from Illinois, met at the University of Houston. They were married in Houston on June 12, 1949.

The couple’s children are Harry Jr. of Richmond, Texas; Ritch, from Rosenberg; Randy, who lives in Columbia Lakes, Texas, and Roxanne, of Victoria.

“Radio Hams” from Port Lavaca join in national deployment

Port Lavaca “hams” will join with thousands of Amateur Radio operators who will be showing off their emergency capabilities this weekend. Over the past year, the news has been full of reports of ham radio operators providing critical communications during unexpected emergencies in towns across America including the California wildfires, winter storms, tornadoes and other events worldwide.

During Hurricane Katrina, Amateur Radio – often called “Ham Radio” – was often the ONLY way people could communicate, and hundreds of volunteer “hams” traveled south to save lives and property. When trouble is brewing, Amateur Radio’s people are often the first to provide rescuers with critical information and communications. On the weekend of June 25-26, the public will have a chance to meet and talk with local ham radio operators and see for themselves what the Amateur Radio Service is about. Showing the newest digital and satellite capabilities, voice communications and even historical Morse code, hams from across the USA will be holding public demonstrations of emergency communications abilities.

This annual event, called “Field Day” is the climax of the week long “Amateur Radio Week” sponsored by the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and backyards around the country. Their slogan, “When All Else Fails, Ham Radio Works” is more than just words to the hams as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis. More than 35,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year’s event. “We hope that people will come and see for themselves, this is not your grandfather’s radio anymore,” said Allen Pitts, W1AGP, of the ARRL. “The communications that ham radio people can quickly create have saved many lives when other systems failed or were overloaded. And besides that – it’s fun!”

In the Port Lavaca area, the Port Lavaca Amateur Radio Club will be demonstrating Amateur Radio at the historic Half Moon Reef Lighthouse at the Bauer Center on June 25, 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. and the 26th, 8 a.m. -1 p.m. They invite the public to come and see ham radio’s new capabilities and learn how to get their own FCC radio license before the next disaster strikes.

There are over 685,000 Amateur Radio licensees in the US, and more than 2.5 million around the world. Through the ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Services program, ham volunteers provide both emergency communications for thousands of state and local emergency response agencies and nonemergency community services too, all for free. To learn more about Amateur Radio, go to www.emergency-radio.org. The public is most cordially invited to come, meet and talk with the hams. See what modern Amateur Radio can do. They can even help you get on the air!

The POC Chamber of Commerce was proud to award three Scholarships this year. Recipients were Melissa Albrecht, daughter of Debbie and George Albrecht; Jessi Hernandez, daughter of Sabrina Bell; and Natalie Harper, daughter of Marie and George Harper.

Melissa wants a career in helping animals. She has grown up with many different kinds of pets and animals and has an understanding of them that she believes would help her greatly excel in that type of career. She will be attending Texas A&M in Corpus Christi.

Jessi chose Cosmetology as her field of study. She has always had a fascination for Hair and Styles. She is an exceptional hard working student and very dedicated.

Natalie will be attending San Houston State in Huntsville majoring in Criminal Justice.

Congratulations!

October 5, 1976 – June 25, 2006

We think of you in silence and often speak your name, but all we have are memories and pictures in a frame.

We found the strength to face this and courage to bear the blow, but what it’s meant to lose you, no one will ever know.

They say time heals sorrows and helps one to forget; so far, time has only proven how much we miss you yet.

To some you may be forgotten, to others a part of the past, but to us who loved and lost you, memory will always last.

Your memory is our keepsake, with that we will never part. We love and miss you dearly, until we meet again.

Love: Son, Braeden, Mom, Dad, Calvin Jr., Nick, Nieces, Nephews, and Friends.

You can donate to help a Port O’Connor resident.

The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center’s mobile unit will be at the Port O’Connor Volunteer Fire Department on Thursday, June 30, from 4:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. You are encouraged to participate and to designate your donation, if you so choose, to the account of Nancy Harborth of Port O’Connor.

Anyone 16 years old weighing 120 pounds (with a parental consent form), or at least 17 years old weighing 110 pounds, and in good general health can donate blood. It is recommended to eat iron rich foods before donating and to drink plenty of fluids to keep the body hydrated. Donors must present identification.

South Texas Blood and Tissue Center encourages blood donors to donate every 56 days to help keep our blood supply adequate. During difficult times, like the upcoming summer months, regular blood donors are especially important.

A whole blood donor can donate up to six times per year. If every eligible donor donated at least twice per year, it would greatly strengthen our community blood supply.

To encourage community members to become regular donors, STBTC is offering a quarterly drawing of a stainless steel gas grill to all presenting donors before June 20. Every donation in 2011 also increases your chance to win a 2012 Toyota Tundra Truck. Donate at a mobile drive near you and help keep our blood supply adequate.

Visit www.southtexasblood.org for more information.