Students receiving the Kiwanis Bring Up Grades (BUG) awards at Port O’Connor Elementary School for the 5th six weeks are:

1st grade – Jordan Blevins, Joseph Diaz, Harley Albrecht, Jessie Lashley, Maddie Hawes and Ethan Redding

2nd grade – Collin Branch, Ronnie Carriles, McKaelyn Carriles, Faith Peeler and Logan Hobbs

3rd grade – Javier Ayala, Kaleigh Diaz, Noah Guzman, Trey Hagler, Thomas Hawes, Dillon Hobbs, Riley Hughs, Daniel Ixtepan, Briana Lashley, Clayton Maraggia, Sierra Posey, Jeanette Ramirez, Oscar Resendiz, Carlos Sanchez, Paige Satterfield, Shayleigh Sprague, Sam Thumann, Gavin Vasquez

4th grade – Marshall Arlitt, Mitchell Arlitt, Adriana Carriles, Gavin Gosnell, Cierra Harper, Craig Lopez, Madison Posey, Gillian Vasquez

5th grade – Elsa Garcia, Javier Guzman, Hailey Mang, Justin Munsch, Jaylin Ramirez, and Kevin Resendiz

6th grade – Will Ragusin, Luis Resendiz, and Trevor Williamson.

The third grade class will host the traveling lady bug mascot in their classroom for the next six weeks.

Congratulations to all these students for their efforts to improve their grades.

Cuero Country Opry
sponsored by Cuero Pilot Club
Thurs., May 19 Cuero V.F.W. Hall
Dinner: 5:30-6:45 Show: 7:00 p.m.
Dinner & Show $10.
for more info: 361-275-6334 or 361-275-3009
Cuero Country Opry Every 3rd Thursday of the Month

On Saturday, May 7th at the Library the Children’s Librarian from Port Lavaca was here to show the movie, Gulliver’s Travels for the children of this community. And a good turnout of excited kids were here to watch the movie. The next movie will be shown on Saturday, June 18th beginning at 10:00 a.m. Please check with Ms. Shirley for further information.

As it’s currently “Inventory” time, I get more time to really inspect the books on the shelves; having just finished a portion of the “M” shelf, I marveled at the number of books by Larry McMurty. Known primarily for his westerns, Lonesome Dove possibly being the most famous, he also wrote Terms of Endearment, which is definitely not a western. And there are many other books there to read of various genres. Do come and check them out.

Wicked Craving by G.A. McKevett is one of her latest in the series concerning Detective Savannah Reid. Based in a Californian city, anchored on the Southern Coastline, Ms. Reid soon finds herself completely embroiled in searching for the killer of a “diet doctor’s” wife. I found the characterizations somewhat lightly portrayed and the plot, not really. However, the description of the town, San Carmelita, was skillfully drawn and made me yearn for a visit again to Santa Barbara. Ms. McKevett is really the nom de plume for the author, Sonja Massie, and I don’t really want to learn why she is using a pseudonym. If you have read some of these books and have enjoyed them, try Marcia Muller’s books concerning Sharon McCone, a detective in San Francisco. I found these books to be more carefully plotted and the characters a little more believable. But reading of the various settings in the city made me somewhat homesick.

Turning to other coastal waters, Bahamarama was a very fun book to read. Written by the author Bob Morris, who had been a columnist for several newspapers and writes now for many magazines, the setting is one of the small islands in the Bahama chain. The description of the main island, Harbour Island, and Eleuthera along with the delightful townspeople challenges the reader not to phone for an immediate plane reservation. Zack Chasteen, the main character, has just been released from a two year term in a Federal Prison in Florida and is on his way home in a pre-paid limousine hired by his girlfriend with reservations to meet her on Harbour Island. Suddenly the driver takes off following a necessary stop and leaves Chasteen standing, without his identification and other necessary papers to enter the Bahamas. How he gets there and his involvement with the kidnapping of his girlfriend and an elderly resident English Lord and aided by many townspeople makes for a very interesting tale. There is a short synopsis of Morris’s next book, which sounds even more fun. Do hope we keep his books on the shelf.

The estate of Sidney Sheldon has selected the author, Tilly Bagshawe to continue his work following his death earlier. Ms. Bagshawe seems to have the talent to write as proficiently as Ms. Sheldon as the latest of her books, After the Darkness shows. Proceeding in Sheldon’s style of a somewhat trusting heroine, the book details the ups and downs the heroine encounters and finally overcoming all odds, triumphs in the end. One bit of curiosity: Is Ms. Bagshawe developing the plot and characterizations herself, or is she just continuing with previous ideas of Sidney Sheldon.

“When an old person dies, a Library burns down”
Karin Gillespie

Seadrift Lions and other volunteers moved books on Saturday, April 30.

Without being closed for a single extra day, the Seadrift Branch Library opened at the new location, 4th and Dallas, on Saturday, May 7, 10 a.m. Some materials remain to be unpacked and shelved, so work will continue until all is in order.

Many thanks to the volunteers that helped with the packing, moving, and unpacking projects. We would not have been able to open Saturday without them.

Librarian CJ Garriott had read an article in The Victoria Advocate several years ago about a library in another state that had organized a book brigade, passing books hand-to-hand, for their move to a new library six blocks from the old one, and thought, “We could do that, we’ve only got two and a half blocks!”

With help from the Seadrift Lions Club, a Book Brigade was organized and promoted for Saturday, April 30, 9 a.m. Thirty-five to 40 library patrons, Lions, and friends came to help. That was not enough people to make a line between the libraries, so everyone pitched in and gathered up armfuls of books and made many, many trips. Strollers, wagons, a 3-wheel bike, a golf cart, and a pickup were pressed into service as well. The entire three walls of nonfiction were moved that morning, and about half of it was placed on shelves, in order. The following Monday, several of the volunteers showed up to finish unpacking and shelving.

An unexpected treat for the Saturday volunteers was a pizza lunch provided by Don and Joanne Miller of The Texas Pizza Company, Seadrift. It was much enjoyed by all the tired, hungry workers.

The Friends of the Seadrift Library, in conjunction with Dwana Finster, principal of Seadrift School, had also planned a book brigade of a line of children from old to new library on Monday, May 2. All students of Seadrift School (pre-K to grade 6, 330 children) were bussed to the new library right after lunch, and the older ones were sent to the old library to start the hand-to-hand passing of books.

They moved several shelves of children’s books, and reports came in of a number of youngsters seeing a book they wanted to read. Assistant Librarian Robbie Bess reported universal wows as the children got their first look at the new facility. After tours, the children were provided drinks and snacks by the FOSL, before reloading on the buses and returning to school.

Everyone is invited to stop by Seadrift’s beautiful new library at their earliest opportunity and take a tour. The Dolphin Talk, The Port Lavaca Wave, and The Victoria Advocate are available for reading at a table or in the Reading Room, along with current magazines. Hours are Monday and Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday: 12 noon to 6 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed Friday and Sunday.

Seadrift Students formed a “book line”, passing books from the old library to the new.

-Photos by Bill Tigrett

The Port O’connor Chamber of Commerce thanks First National Bank and employees for their generous donation to 2011 Fireworks Display. Pictured left to right: Debbie Michalik, Dawn Ragusin, and Dale Weathersby.