Saturday, June 11 – 11:00 – 3:00
Plates: $5.00 & $7.00
302 W. Dallas Ave.

The Port O’ Connor Sports Association would like to thank each team for their participation in the 4th Annual BBQ Cook Off. We would also like to thank our judges and everyone who came out to support us!!! We look forward to hosting the bbq each year!!

POCSA Cook-Off Winners The Band Aid Crew took top honors at the May 28th annual cook-off on King Fisher Beach in Port O’Connor. They took first place in chicken, chili, and beans, and third in gumbo.

Smokin’ Nuts
1st Place Brisket

2nd Place: Tipp n’T’s Cookers
3rd Place: It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere

Grand Slam Cookers
1st Place Ribs

2nd Place: It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere
3rd Place: Granny C’s Kiddos

Chicken: 1st Place: Band Aid Crew
2nd Place: It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere
3rd Place: POC VFD

Beans: 1st Place: Band Aid Crew
2nd Place: POC VFD
3rd Place: Salty Dog Outfitters

Chili: 1st Place: Band Aid Crew
2nd Place: OG Smokers
3rd Place: Granny C’s Kiddos

Gumbo: 1st Place: Salty Dog Outfitters
2nd Place: Granny C’s Kiddos
3rd Place: Band Aid Crew

POCSA’s Calvin Ragusin serves up barbecue sandwiches at the annual cook-off.

The Camels are coming, the camels are coming. That might have been the gossip in 1856 at Indianola. One of the many unique aspects of Calhoun County is that among the shipments that came here were camels. They were not for a zoo. The Camels arrived at Decrows Point, by ship, on April 29, 1859, however, because of weather and swells they couldn’t actually come ashore until May 13th at Indianola.

That date was several months after Jefferson Davis, who was the Secretary of War in President Franklin Pierce’s administration, had convinced congress to appropriate $30,000 dollars for “a great Camel experiment”. That $30,000 would equate to $5.5 million dollars now. The idea was to use their ability to carry great loads, as much as 3/4 of a ton per camel, to transport supplies to the Army’s western forts. Many of those supplies were coming through Pass Cavallo and docking at the thriving port of Indianola.

At that time we didn’t have railroads. Indianola was the “gateway to the west”. There were many army forts to the west that needed the supplies hauled west from that gateway. Had the experiment been an unqualified success the railroads would probably still have been the eventual winner for the hauling contract. The Camels only traveled about eleven miles per day. That is almost as slow as rush hour in Houston.

Be all that as it may, we still know about “the great camel experiment” It is one of those things that many think and talk about as they reminisce about Indianola. This year the Calhoun County Historical Commission is starting an Event to Remember Indianola.

We need to celebrate and preserve that exciting period on a regular basis.

It just so happens that this year is 125 years since that Queen City of the West was dethroned by a second Hurricane. That Hurricane marked the end of the battle of ports between Galveston and Indianola. That doesn’t mean we should forget our historical precedent.

So once again we here in the County can chant, “the camels are coming, the camels are coming.” As a part of that August 20th 2011 (125th anniversary) we have invited the camels to share in the fun. Doug Baum, Texas Camel Corps owner, will be at the celebration. He has preserved the tradition of Camels in Texas and will help us celebrate that unique and historical era when Indianola thrived. I don’t know that any of these camels are direct descendants of those first ones. I do know the area has many folks who are descendants of either the camel herders or whose family stories contain some camel content.

So you should mark August 20, it is a Saturday, on your Calendar and come help us celebrate. There will be ceremonies at Magnolia Beach in the morning. Then there will be opportunity to tour the Indianola Cemeteries and we will have many festivities at the Bauer community center including an opportunity to purchase German food and other items of interest in the air conditioned comfort.

Photo from Doug Baum’s Texas Camel Corps website

Greetings from the island everyone. Hope all of you are doing well and enjoyed your Memorial Day weekend, and Wounded Warriors Tribute. I’ve seen the WW Tribute grow so much the past five years and it will only get larger and more involved as time goes on.

I honestly do not believe that it will ever rain again. Since January 1 I have gotten a mere 1.9 inches of rain out here on the island. Are you kidding me?! For two months now my rain tanks, which supply all my water needs inside the house, have been dry and I’ve had to pump well water into them. I simply run a hose from a well faucet to the rain tanks and slowly pump about 100 gallons at a time into them. Being in ultra conservative mode, this will last me about one week, and then I do the same thing again. I don’t fill them completely because I’m hoping that it will eventually rain and at least partially fill them.

The well water works okay for inside use, but does not compare in quality to fresh clean rain water. I’m hauling water from the mainland each trip to use for coffee, drinking, ice trays, etc., when I would normally use my rain water. I should give thanks, and I do, that my underground well water supply has held up and not gone dry, otherwise I would really be in a bad way. It seems as though when other areas have gotten measurable amounts of rain, I have not gotten any. Okay Lord, I’m ready for some rain now.

If it wasn’t for the well water, my garden, consisting primarily of my passion for growing tomato plants from seed, would have dried up long ago. But my tomatoes have actually done quite well. I have had a problem with blossom end rot this season, which in all probability is due to the extended drought conditions. It doesn’t appear that I’ll grow my goal tomato of three pounds during the Spring tomato season, but I’ll keep trying. I’ve grown nearly a dozen that easily topped one pound though, so I’m happy with that, especially given the very dry conditions.

This begins the time of year that the summer heat, which doesn’t officially arrive for two more weeks, is a big factor here on the island. The early mornings and late evenings are bearable, but from about 11am-5 pm you simply need to find some shade and a cool beverage. Other than something you’ve built yourself, there is nothing to take refuge under out here to escape the blazing sun and heat. I always tell newcomers to the island that fresh water and shade are by far the two most important items required for extended island stays. Period. Some listen and some don’t, the latter of which never return. Mission accomplished.

I was able to gig a few flounder to eat the past month, and caught a few redfish along the way too, using live finger mullet. Always nice to have fresh fish whenever I want it. I’m waiting for the surf to calm and turn its beautiful emerald green so I can go after the trout with my pink Corky.

I want to say farewell to Walter Minatrea Sr., the father of my dear childhood friend, Tommy Minatrea. I would have preferred different circumstances, but it was wonderful to reunite with Tommy and Ben Plummer, the three of us being inseparable during our childhood Seadrift days. You will be missed Walter Sr.

Well that’s it from the island for now. Everyone take care and stay cool during the next few south Texas summer months.

What A Catch! Kylie Pair caught the smallest fish in the 3-5 year old category at the annual POC Kids Fishing Tournament. - Photo by LaJune Pitonyak

What a great tournament this year. Fun was had by all 40 contestants. It was just a wonderful day, with parents, grandparents and relatives getting involved with the youngsters. The Chamber says “hats off to you” for being supportive for this event and the children.

There were lots of smiles on their faces. In all there was 87 fish measured. Last year the catch of the day was angelfish, and this year it was red fish. As always, just never know what’s biting.

The children who did not have good luck fishing did not go home empty handed. Each was given a Port O’Connor Chamber Frisbee and a nylon back pack.

We want to let Mary Jo Walker know that the Chamber appreciates her donating her time for this event, as she has been doing for us in the past years, and Beacon 44 Seafood for furnishing the bait for the tournament.

If you would like a picture of winners or your child email to —361poc@gmail.com- and I will be glad to email you one.

Kids Fishing Tournament Winners

3-5 years- winners: Smallest Fish- Kylie Pair; Most Fish- Kacen Pair; Largest Fish (Tie)- Mc Kenna Guevara and Justin Garcia

6-9 years- winners: Smallest Fish- Skylar Rodriguez; Most Fish (Tie)- Emma Carswell and Reed Kallus; Largest Fish- Waylon Shell

10 years-12- winners: Smallest- James De Bord; Most Fish- Zack Guhlin; Largest Fish- Justin Munsch

-Photos by LaJune Pitonyak

Here we go! Becky Haynes and granddaughters Jayla and Jeannette head down the pier to catch a big one at the Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Kids Fishing Tournament.