As Winter wanes and Spring approaches, the Ladies of the POC Service Club are as busy as bees doing what they do best- working hard and giving back to the POC Community! Please mark your calendars for the Club’s upcoming activities and events!

Garage Sale: Our “Spring Mega Garage Sale” will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2023 from 8:00 AM-2:00 PM! As always, we appreciate your generous donations of gently used household, decorative and kitchen items; small appliances (in good condition and working order); clothes; shoes; toys; children’s and baby items, etc. (Please note that we cannot accept computers, electronics, mattresses, or microwaves.) For your convenience, we have a “Donation Drop Box” located at the front of our Donation Center. If you have questions or need further information, please contact one of the Service Club Members below. Thank you for your continued support!

Farmers Market: Please visit the Service Club’s Booth at POC’s Farmers Market, held the 2nd Saturday of every month, next one is Saturday, March 11, 2023 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. We’ll have a variety of homemade breads and sweets, plants, hand crafted items, and, of course, our highly acclaimed “Service Club Cookbooks“ and “POC- End of The Road” License Plate Covers, which are selling like hotcakes! We’ll also be selling raffle tickets of $5.00 for a beautiful handmade quilt donated by Club Member, Carol Haverfield! There is something for everyone, so please stop by.

Meetings: The Service Club’s meetings will be March 2, 2023 and March 16, 2023 10:00 a.m. at the POC Community Center. All Ladies are welcome- please come on out and join us!

Alane Haardt- 281-416-6028
Marie Hawes- 361-920-2322
Nan Burnett- 832-276-5948
Nancy Ladshaw- 830-832-0510

That’s quite a title for an after-school program, but someone’s expectations are BIG, to say the least! I’m sure if you were to visit with the people who help run the program, they would agree as well…
HJM, Travis, JR, and the Seadrift School have a new after- school program which started this school year, and it was all because of a grant. The Seadrift School currently has enrolled up to twenty-eight students. The program is in the afternoons from 3:30 to 6:30 Tuesday through Thursday. The same cafeteria staff fixes a hot meal for the “after-school campers.” The schedule is: meal, “homework help”, recess, on-line programs, snack, and extra-curricular activities such as gardening, fitness, art, and student-based interests.
According to the Seadrift School’s assistant principal, Fjola Briscoe, “the school’s mission is to build a program that the community can be proud of. Any community member or entity can apply to volunteer and participate in our enrichments (extra-curricular). Students can participate at any of the schools in Calhoun County that have the after-school program.” -Tanya DeForest

In case you ever wondered how this little publication came about: In the fall of 1995, Margaret Jennings, a retired English teacher, and Charlotte Graham, a real estate agent, began to discuss how this community had no way, other than posting signs at Alvin’s and Shamrock, and by word of mouth, to spread the word about fund raisers, club activities, and other happenings. They agreed it would be a good idea for Port O‘Connor to have its own paper.

I just happened to overhear Margaret asking a business person if she would advertise in a local publication if we had one. I had lived in Port O’Connor about a year, had lots of free time on my hands, and my work experience was in print shops, newspapers and magazines. So, naturally, I interjected myself into the conversation, volunteering to be the proof-reader for the paper when, and if, one was started.

I didn’t hear any more about it until about February 1, 1996, when Margaret called and said if I was still interested in helping with a paper, I should come to Charlotte’s house that afternoon. In addition to Margaret, Charlotte, and me, a young lady named Debra Tomas was there. After some discussion, we decided we would give it a try. Margaret said I was to cover the churches, the Scouts, and fishing. And, we were going to have our first issue out in one week!

We received permission from the Chamber of Commerce to use their postal permit, got the issue together, and mailed out on time. We felt it was quite an accomplishment, even if it was only four pages. I remember a lady (Pat Stubbs) at church the next Sunday, telling me how she read and enjoyed every word, “even the commercials”.

Early on, Debra moved from the area. After several years as typesetter, plus handling the advertising, billing and some reporting, Charlotte also moved away. Margaret was always the editor and principal writer. She really knew what she was doing, and worked tirelessly even after becoming housebound due to poor health. She passed away in 2002.

There have been many who have helped put this paper together over the years, some you know by their bylines above the articles. And, I must recognize my faithful proofreader, Ann Pesek. And I do thank everyone who gives us news to put in the paper,—birthdays, weddings, special occasions, fishing photos, etc. We need your news! Your input is what makes this a community paper.
I certainly can’t forget to thank our advertisers. I hope (and have heard affirmatively) that advertising with Dolphin Talk has been beneficial to you. Our only source of revenue is our advertisers. Without advertisers there would be no Dolphin Talk. So, double thanks to all of you!
It has been more than a pleasure for me to be a part of this publication for the past 27 years. I hope Dolphin Talk can continue to serve our community for years to come.

Joyce Rhyne, Editor

Fueled by a desire to make a difference and inspired by a pastor who used flags to pray for missionaries overseas, Assistant Pastor Beverly Smith along with her husband Pastor Tim Smith is leading the way in a community prayer effort.

Instead of using flags to pray for Seadrift the Assembly of God church created a banner. Pictured is Assistant Pastor Beverly Smith with the banner that entails most of the Seadrift area that you would find on a map. People are welcome to use the banner as a point of contact when they pray over the city. Assistant Pastor Beverly Smith said that included in the prayers for Seadrift are the city mayor, the city council, the city crew, and local businesses.

There are a variety of flags at the church that are posted by the Seadrift banner that are used to pray for missionaries on the foreign field.

The public is invited to attend the prayer effort at the Assembly of God church at 501 S. 2nd Street in Seadrift. It is held on Monday nights at 6:00 p.m. and usually lasts thirty minutes.