The meeting of the POC Service Club was called to order on Thursday, January 20, 2011, by President, Janet Johnson.

Committee Chairman, Sally Ragusin announced that all arrangements had been confirmed for the Valentine’s Bake Sale.  It will be held on Saturday, February 12th beginning at 8:00 am and located in front of Speedy Stop.  Checking the latest weather forecast, that Saturday should be a sunny day.  And knowing the prowess and baking skills of the Club members, we anticipate that all those extremely tasty cakes and pies will fly off the tables!

Next Shirley Gordon, Membership Chairman, announced that the new membership list and Club Calendar will be ready at the next meeting for all members.

Membership in the POC Service Club has become – in a way – an honor, as the many outreaches of the Club have been recognized by so many residents of Port O’Connor.  We do work hard so your membership is not a free ride, but when the opportunity comes, we play too.

Some of the many activities that the entire membership participates in are the annual Christmas Luncheon for our Senior Citizen residents and our bake sales held throughout the year.  Members do work in such other events as time and interest allows; some of these projects are the semi-annual garage sales, the weekly luncheons for the senior citizens of our community, decorating the tree and hall for Christmas, and working with the Halloween Carnival at the local school in various capacities.  And still other members volunteer their time at the school in tutoring, help to wrap Christmas gifts for students, and work at the Library.  This unique organization has the ability to offer to each member participation in a service project that could be “tailored” specifically to a member’s wants and needs.

So, ladies, if you find yourself sort of bored with life and need a good activity, plan to attend the next meeting of the Service Club: Thursday, February 3rd at 10:00 am. In the back room of the Community Center.   If you need further information concerning the Club, please call either Janet Johnson, President, 983-4733/983-4737 or Shirley Gordon, Membership Chairman, 983-4765.  We look forward to meeting you.

BUNCO! BUNCO!            BUNCO! BUNCO!

Please Note:   The Bunco group of fun-loving ladies will now be meeting in the back room of the Community Center, and our next evening of spectacular playing will be Tuesday, February 1st at 7:00 p.m.  Our superb hostesses for the evening will be Ms. Biddie Hileman and Ms. Sally Jones. Remembering their previous stints as hostesses, all those present can look forward to delicious snacks with appropriate decorations.  Requirements for participating: $5.00 gets you into the door and the ability to count the spots on a pair of dice.  Also, being able to talk while playing helps.  Contact Shirley Gordon at the Library, 983-4365 or Joyce Jordan, 655-7999 for further information.  And if you decide to come, bring a friend too!

January can be compared extensively to the Lenten Season as Diets and Budgets seem to be the constant topic of conversation.  At least in February we can think of chocolates!
Did you notice how weird the Christmas weather was: from a high of 80 to 50 degrees or less IN ONE DAY?!  Really kept you busy changing clothes all the time!

Sadly, we lost another business here in POC; Concierge has closed, but another business has opened in its place in the pink building on the highway.  Treasure Chest has opened another store there with hours on Thursday through Saturday of 10 to 5.  More later.

Speaking of treasures — for just the cost of 2 hours a week, you can enrich your life immeasurably.  See Lydia Strakos, Principal of the Elementary School, if you can volunteer to help a student.
As for January and Diets, plaudits to Alice Reed, our happy Postal person.  She even lost a few pounds over the Holidays.  Her secret?

Remember Jeco’s and their incredible fried chicken?  Henry and I would stop there and pick up an order and then spend the night on the boat, anchored somewhere.  After they closed, the building remained vacant for some time until it became Art’s BBQ.  Now the building has been leveled and the artistic murals on the exterior by the front door are gone.

And speaking of fried chicken, does anyone remember the concrete block building on Maple and the hill(?) at Dolphin Point?  And who owned it?  Their fried chicken was good too.
Have you seen the latest “Hoopism”?  “Having a wonderful wine … wish you were beer!”  And speaking of Hurricane Junction, did you know that Hoop now has oysters on the half shell? The fun is watching him shuck them!

Walking the newest member of our family last Wednesday morning, somehow I landed in a hole and fractured my ankle in several places.  Well, that ends my career of dancing with the stars!  Temporarily, at least.

If you haven’t checked out Shane’s Meat Market in Seadrift, now might be the time to do it.  He’s got country ribs and boneless, skinless chicken breasts on special this week.  Even with semi-cold weather, ribs and macaroni salad sound great.  And then over Valentine’s Day Weekend, he will have choice Angus rib eyes on sale.  And that meat is really choice — extremely tender.

Don’t miss the Service Club’s Bake Sale on Saturday, February 12th.  Starting at 8:00 am. in front of Speedy Stop, these incomparable bakers will have cakes and cookies, brownies and maybe even a pie for sale.  And, men, if you forget the box of chocolates for your special Valentine, you might get out of the dog house with one of these gorgeous cakes!

suekubecka@yahoo.com
361 798-0560
If the reader wishes to add any news at any time to this column, please contact me at the above address or phone number.

Felix
Felix is a terrier/Papillon mix about 2 years old. Those ears and that tail make him gorgeous and he knows it! A small dog with a BIG personality, Felix is very active but always finds time to stop and ask for lots of petting and “mushy love words” telling him just how adorable he is.

Tyson
Tyson is an 11 month old Peekapoo, a “blend” of Pekingese and poodle. A lovely long coat of creme and tan and adorable face with black nose make Tyson a regal companion in a pint sized version. Curled up in your lap, you and he will look like royalty! Come see Tyson, Felix,  and all the other animals at the Port Lavaca Animal Shelter, 201 Stringham Drive (across from the rodeo arena), Monday through Saturday, 10 to 2, or call the Calhoun County Humane Society, 553-8916. You can also view him and other animals ready for adoption on line at www.calhouncountyhumanesociety.org
Thanks and we’ll be waiting for you!

“Hi, I am Ruby,
I’m diagnosed with esophageal cancer, because it went unnoticed I had to undergo laryngectomy. I have decided to donate my money to you. I am also donating my body after i am gone for research. I want this last act of mine to be an offering to GOD and humanity. Send a note back with this ref. SvaSo so i know you got this. I know I don’t know you. God bless you abundantly, Hotarubi”

The above is the text of an e-mail that arrived in the Dolphin’s in-box a few days ago. What was the first thought that flew into my head? “Someone wants to send me money!” After half a second, I realized that if poor “Ruby” is in such an awful condition, she has probably already spent all her money on doctors, hospitals, and medications. And, besides that, why would she give me anything – a person she freely admits she has never met? Quickly my common-sense self overcame my greedy self, and I realized “Ruby” was trying to scam me.

On Internet Explorer, I searched for “reporting e-mail scams” and found the FBI web site. I easily found how to report if you’ve been a victim of a scam, but since I was busily putting this issue together, I didn’t take the time to figure out how to report that someone was most likely attempting to scam me. We should all know this, so if one of you readers can tell us how, I’d be grateful.

I did find these tips from the FBI that anyone can use to avoid becoming a victim of cyber fraud. But really, if you just quash any “something for nothing” attitudes that may raise their ugly heads in your soul, and use a little common sense, you can, most likely, avoid ever being a victim of a scam.

-Joyce Rhyne

• Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.
• Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
• Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Scan the attachments for viruses if possible.
• Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information.
• Always compare the link in the e-mail with the link to which you are directed and determine if they match and will lead you to a legitimate site.
• Log directly onto the official website for the business identified in the e-mail, instead of “linking” to it from an unsolicited e-mail. If the e-mail appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence from the business will provide the proper contact information.
• Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the e-mail to verify if the e-mail is genuine.
• If you are asked to act quickly, or there is an emergency, it may be a scam. Fraudsters create a sense of urgency to get you to act quickly.
• Verify any requests for personal information from any business or financial institution by contacting them using the main contact information.
• Remember if it looks too good to be true, it probably is not true.

Friday Night Youth is in full swing again with a good group of community youth coming to the Chapel for an evening of fun, food, and fellowship. This past week, corn dogs were on the menu and we helped Skyler Luker celebrate his seventh birthday with a delicious chocolate cake. On the top of the cake was a transformer and bags of candy were provided for all in attendance. It was a fun evening – so plan to be part of the next one this Friday night from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. We not only saw many of our old friends this past week, but also several new ones. Come and bring a friend!

The Sea Academy will begin classes at the Chapel this Friday, Janaury 28. For information, please come by the Chapel, or call Captain Robert at 361/816-3010, or the Sea Academy at 888/649-6184. It is a sure thing that you will learn many things in this Coast Guard Approved course, some of which may save your life!

Fisherman’s Bible Institute is going strong with students preparing their workbooks each week; bringing them to class (Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.), and enjoying learning more about God’s Word from such a fabulously talented teacher, Joane McDonough. Joane not only brings great insight from God’s Word, but with her Masters Degree in Counseling, her wisdom is practical for everyday living. If you are not a part of FBI, please call Joane (983-4240) and get involved.

Our Sunday Bible Class, which begins at 10:00 a.m., is a verse-by-verse study of the Book of Acts. We have just completed the twelfth chapter, so come prepared and help us investigate God’s Word together.

For about a year, in our regular services, we have been walking through the Gospel of Mark. We hope to soon have these studies on our web page:  www.fishermanschapel.org

Fisherman’s Chapel is an interdenominational congregation that strives to serve the Lord seven days a week. You will find a warm welcome here and are urged to, “Come, grow with us!”