Hope High School Environmental Club took part in the Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off. The club is part of the Adopt-A-Highway program and has adopted Alcoa Drive in Port Lavaca as their project. Three bags of garbage were collected with the most unusual item that was found were lottery tickets (no winners). Left to right: Chris Flores, Leo Maldonado,Merissa Hisquierdo, Bobby Fenner, Haley Thompson, Brittany Danysh, KaTrina Webb, Blanca Reyna

Club sponsor- Laurie Weaver

Dogs in POC

Remember Eddie Chiles? Well, I’m mad too Eddie. I’m mad because I can’t take my leashed dog for a walk without being attacked by unrestrained dogs. They are not strays but are allowed to run loose around Port O Connor because some of our neighbors believe that no leash law means no responsibility.

Saturday (4/2/11) the small brown dog who lives with the two small white dogs at the corner of 13th and Van Buren, bit one of our visitors. I advised them to sue the owner but they declined. Sunday a gentleman on the beach advised me that POC didn’t have a leash law when I asked if his two non-restrained dogs could be trusted. I advised him that he was responsible for his dogs regardless of any leash law. Note too that he was not carrying bags to clean up after his dogs.

I’m not going to take it anymore. I love dogs and as an owner, I believe I have a responsibility to restrain my dog and clean up after it. A very large number of Port O Connor residents don’t recognize these responsibilities to their fellow citizens – this neglect makes them libel for their dog’s actions.

We’ll never have a leash law, animal control won’t come down here, shooting them seems a bit harsh (although I do carry a small caliber weapon suitable for killing dogs who attack me), so what action(s) can we take? I suggest we all restrain our pets and keep them on a leash in public areas.

Respectfully,

Jim Hicks

PS: Visitors I have talked to complain about two things in POC – litter and stray dogs. They ain’t strays folks, you own them and I will continue to point out those who don’t respect their neighbors rights to walk the streets without fear.

More Dogs in POC…

To All Pet Owners:

Please clean up after your pets. I am sure you clean up after them at your home.

Connie

Most Important Organizations

Port O’Connor has really grown in the last 10 years. New people have moved in, “Great”! A lot of them have joined our organizations, but it seems as if they have forgotten three of the most important organizations of all, our three churches:

First Baptist Church

St. Joseph Catholic Church

Fisherman’s Chapel

Would love to have you come visit us; any and all will be welcome.

First Baptist Services:

Sunday School – 9:45; Church 11:00; Sunday night – 6:00 p.m.; Wednesday night – 6:00 p.m.

Catholic Church:

Saturday night – 7:00 p.m.; Tuesday night – 7:00 p.m.

Fisherman’s Chapel:

Sunday School – 10:00; Church – 11:00; Sunday night – 6:00 p.m.; Wednesday night – 7:00 p.m.

Thank you,

Evelyn Lewis

See you Sunday!

To the Editor:

It is time for the citizens of Texas to become involved in what is happening in Austin. We must let the Texas Legislature know how unfair it is to balance the budget by cutting benefits and jobs of school teachers, hospital nurses, and firefighters – people who are the backbone of our middle class.

Please, do not show indifference or say that there is nothing we can do. The governor and the legislature knew the deficit was growing as a result of their policies, yet they did nothing to prevent this problem. Now is the time for the people of Texas to speak up.

The worst possible solution is to balance the budget by making huge cuts to the education of our children. For the present, we need to use the “rainy day fund” to survive the flood our legislators ignored for too long. Let me add, however, that we must insist that our representatives in Austin get busy and find a long-term solution to the problem that they helped to create. We must find reasonable long-term solutions, solutions that may need to include raising taxes. (We tend to forget that numerous studies show that Texas has very low taxes for upper-income earners.)

In Texas the kids are not “all right.” Our high school graduation rate is 43rd out of the 50 states. We lead the nation in child poverty, and poor children need all the help our already over-burdened schools can provide. Cutting state funding for schools now puts a greater burden on local taxpayers and hurts our most vulnerable citizens.

Sincerely,

Naomi Albrecht

Help us rebuild Zion Hill Baptist Church (Est. 7/10/1873) in Goliad, Texas.
First of all to rebuild the kingdom we need people. We need people to pledge themselves to attend the church. If there is a church building with no ‘people, there is no church. Once I have a pledge of people that will attend, the next step will follow.

Everyone who reads this message, I want you to sow what ever your heart desires. Feel free to text, email, write, or call. Any seed sowed can be deposited to (the Building Fund) at American Bank in Goliad, P.O. Box 29, Goliad, Texas 77963, or American Bank, in Victoria 4304 North Navarro Street, Victoria, Texas 77901.

My contact number (Laura L.J. West) is 361 655- 7075. Maerene Johnson Ellis contact number (361 575-0921); feel free to leave a message. Email us at zhbcgoliad@yahoo.com, or write to Zion Hill Baptist Church, 165 Horseshoe Bend Road, Goliad, Texas 77963.

Thank you and may God bless each and everyone who reads, responds, prays and helps out in some manner of this mission. I will be posting pictures and some history about the Zion Hill Baptist Church on Facebook and where- ever else God leads us.

Our initial goal was to get this information out during the month of February. But building God’s Kingdom is celebrated continually.

We will be posting our up coming church service dates.

Thank You

Zion Hill Baptist Church

Sis. Laura J. West (Secretary)

Sis. Maerene Ellis

The Dolphin welcomes letters from our readers on any subject that is of general interest to our audience. Letters should be 300 words or less (with exceptions at the Dolphin’s discretion). Letters reflect the opinion of the writer, and not that of Dolphin Talk staff, and we retain the right to determine suitability for publication. It is the policy of this newspaper to promote area interests: therefore, complaints against local businesses should be directed elsewhere. Letters must be signed and include day and evening phone numbers, which will not be published. Your name will be withheld upon request, but anonymous material will not be considered for publication.

Letters to the Dolphin:

Dolphin Talk

P.O. Box 777

Port O’Connor, TX 77982

dolphin1@tisd.net

Arrangements have been made for the speaker from Medevac to appear on Tuesday, April 12th at 1:00 p.m. following the weekly Seniors’ Luncheon and Bingo at Port O’Connor Community Center.

All residents are invited to attend this meeting to learn what is involved with the Medevac program of airlifting potential patients to the hospital and the annual costs per family.

After months of fund raising efforts, participants in the 2011 Calhoun County Relay for Life completed their commitment to doing their part to find a cure for cancer with a twelve-hour walk on the grounds of the Calhoun County Fairgrounds. Thirty-one teams from around the County, a total of 438 participants, walked the night of April 1 until 6:00 a.m. April 2, their path lit by luminarias commemorating cancer survivors and remembering those who lost the battle to this terrible disease. Their efforts raised more than $10,000 for the American Cancer Society to use in research, treatment and support of cancer victims.

Photos by Bill Tigrett

Port O’ Connor Rods may be new in town but the faces of the owners, Donnie and Julia Klesel are familiar to many people. Donnie and Julia have been fishing and vacationing here since they met in 1978. Now, being married for 28 years and moving to Port O’ Connor last May, they are enjoying their residency here in their favorite place on earth.

Julia will be the first to tell you that she has family ties here from the 50’s and 60’s. Julia’s great uncle Lupe Santa Maria lived here and worked here as a brick layer and shrimper. Julia’s dad would come to help Uncle Lupe in Port O’ Connor. Julia says, “I came here as a child many times with my dad to visit Uncle Lupe and watch my dad pull shrimp heads”.

Donnie Klesel with some of the tackle available at POC Rods.

Donnie, having a 32 year background in construction and inspections, has also had a long time talent and passion for fixing and repairing his family and friends’ fishing equipment. Now with his talents and experience with crafting rods and repairing many brands of reels, he looks forward to a long time quality and personable business here in Port O’ Connor. Cleaning and repairing reels is a big part of his day in the rod shop and when you ask him, “Where did you learn all this” he has no problem giving the credit to his very close friend in Port Lavaca. Donnie says, “He is a retired 35 year reel repairman that has many talents and gives me the confidence to become a great reel shop. The technology of the reel business is ever changing and my goal is to be the best place on the coast to bring your reels in for service. Every reel goes in my hands and is cleaned, repaired, and rebuilt in my shop.”

At POC Rods their goal is to provide customers with a high quality product that’s custom made with the latest state of the art rod building materials and components.

Donnie says, “Here at Port O Connor Rods we are always searching the market for high quality rod components so we can offer performance and value to our customers. With all the best rod building components at our finger tips we can build with confidence and value while still being able to use products with great warranties. Many rod blank companies have a great line up for all the different actions for the angler’s specific tastes. Blanks from, ultra light, to extra heavy, can be offered in many different values and performance so any angler can enjoy a true, one of a kind custom rod.

POC Rods offers high quality custom rods, fishing supplies, reel repairs, rod repairs, and all brands of new reels, re-spooling reels, and some apparel. Shimano, Kelly Wigglers, Abu Garcia, Flounder Pounder, Penn, Stunt Grunt, Okuma, and Texas Tackle Factory are just a few of the brands they carry in stock. If you need your equipment to stay in tip top shape, then Port O’Connor Rods is the place to bring it to. They offer a fast turnaround and in-house repairs on your equipment. They also carry the tackle you are looking for; just tell them what you use and they should have it on the shelf or can get it for your next trip. You can buy all your Shimano products at POC Rods, as they are now a Shimano Top Shelf Dealer, right here in POC. This gives all the customers a great place to bring any Shimano product in for warranty returns, parts and service repair.

Donnie Klesel repairs a reel at his Port O’Connor Rods shop.

The shop is conveniently located just down the street from the public boat ramp at 82 North Byers. The shop hours for now are, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., 7 days a week, unless they are fishing. Be sure to visit Donnie and Julia at their location for some friendly fishing conversation and some awesome fishing gear.

Also check them out on the web at www.pocrods.com