Holly and William Orr

Winning special recognition for 9th place in the Texas Water Safari, 1st place in the male/female mixed class, and 1st place in the adult/child class are Holly and William Orr.

Their time in completing the race was 64 hours and 13 minutes. The obstacles they had to overcome to win were the overbearing heat, low water levels along the route, and making it across the choppy San Antonio Bay to the finish line without capsizing.

Moreover, a tragedy had struck the Orr family in March when a tornado damaged their home and business. Holly, a single mom of three children, found herself needing to relocate and a temporary home was found. Holly plans to rebuild on her land. She is grateful for all the help from the Water Safari community and her family’s home church. Her property is in Kingsbury, Texas outside of San Marcos.

Holly’s oldest son, William, wanted to enter the 2022 Water Safari which is held the 2nd weekend in June. Holly couldn’t say no to her son’s request. The rest is history! This was William’s first race. He is thirteen years old. (Way to go, William!)

Pastor Ron Shott and his wife Kathleen
Seadrift First United Methodist Church

“Hey, how are you? Sitting, staring at a computer keyboard and monitor, I barely know how to start this. You see, I’ve learned when people haven’t met you, they tend to smile politely and say something like, “it’s good to meet you, but I’m really on a tight schedule today, so I have to run now.” I don’t take offense, primarily because it takes most of us awhile to figure someone out; who you are, or maybe even “what” you are. I understand, being one who reads or listens to “breaking news” presentations from a variety of sources each day.

Now, I’m probably about to give you a reason to tune me out and find something better to do with your time. What’s that? Well, after twenty years of pastoral ministry, my wife and I stumbled upon a Bay House that overlooks San Antonio Bay; officially not “in” Seadrift, but very near. So, more than seven years living quietly nearby doesn’t quite constitute me even beginning to be called a “local.” I understand – I really do.

And, there’s something else. After those years as a pastor in a number of United Methodist Churches, in a number of places in Texas, I recently “flunked retirement” and was asked to be the pastor of the Seadrift United Methodist Church as an “Interim Pastor” for one year. It seems that our Conference is experiencing “pastoral supply chain issues” on top of so many other “supply chain issues” that are affecting our lives.

But, our Bishop gave us a gift we could share with everyone we meet. His delivery was as important as his message. Come Holy Spirit, kindle in us the fire of your love to enable us to give them the “gift” of a lower anxiety level than they are currently experiencing. Amen.

I’ll be looking for you!”

Pastor Ron Shott
Seadrift First United Methodist Church
979 232-0205

Despite the summer’s stifling heat, the Ladies of the POC Service Club are pressing on, and are as busy as ever! Speaking of the heat, the Club would like to graciously thank the extremely generous donors who provided the funding, installation, and electrical services for the new central air conditioning unit for the Service Club’s Donation Center: Mike and Riki Daley, Wehmeyer Services, and Bourg Electric! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for your generous donation, kindness, and support! We are eternally grateful!

Meetings: The Service Club’s next meetings are Thursday, August 4, 2022, September 1, 2022, and September 15, 2022; all at 10:00 a.m. at the POC Community Center. If you are interested in joining this hardworking, fun-loving group, please feel free to contact one of the ladies listed below, or visit one of our meetings and check us out! All ladies are welcome!

Community Center Sign: The POC Service Club is ecstatic to announce that, if all goes as planned, the new and much anticipated “Community Center Sign” will be installed and ready for business by the time you read this article! As you know, the previous sign was destroyed by Hurricane Nicholas in September of 2021, and all of us have greatly missed it! In the aftermath, the ladies of the POC Service Club rolled up their sleeves, got busy raising money to replace it, and, with the generous support of the POC Community at their fundraising events, have been able to do so in record time!! The Club worked closely with the Community Center Board, Calhoun County Officials, Sign Works of Victoria, and Bourg Electric in the design, approval, and installation of the new sign, then purchased it. As our ongoing goal of giving back to the POC Community through our many service and improvement projects, the POC Service Club is now extremely happy to give the “Community Center Sign” back to the citizens of Port O’ Connor! Please enjoy!

Cookbooks: Back by popular demand, the Service Club is now selling all 3 editions of our famous Cookbooks, all available at our booth at each Farmer’s Market!!! The cookbooks are $12.00 each, or sets of three editions for $30.00. They make great gifts for all occasions, and are selling like hot cakes! Get yours before we sell out!!

Farmers Market: Please continue to support the Service Club’s Booth at the Farmers Market, held the second Saturday of every month, next one being Saturday, August 13, 2022! We have a variety of homemade breads and sweets, plants, hand crafted items, and, of course, our “Service Club Cookbooks”! There’s something for everyone, so please stop by!

Clay Shoot: Come One, Come All! The POC Service Club is proud to announce that it will be hosting POC’s First Ever “Clay Shoot” on Saturday, October 8, 2022 on the grounds of the POC Community Center! All “Clay Shoot” enthusiasts and spectators who love watching them are invited to attend this inaugural event! All proceeds will go to the “Port O’ Connor Community Center Beautification Project” to provide funding for improvement projects for the POC Community Center and Pavilion. You don’t want to miss it!!

Fall Mega Garage Sale: The Club is busily preparing for our Fall Mega Garage Sale, which is set for Saturday, November 5, 2022. Please mark your calendars, and “Save The Date”! We continue to accept your generous donations of gently used household, decorative, and kitchen items; small appliances (in good condition and working order}; clothing; shoes; toys; children’s and baby items. For your convenience, we have a “Donation Drop Box” located at the front of our Donation Center, which is the building immediately behind the Community Center Pavilion. As always, we greatly appreciate your continued support so that we can keep doing great things for the POC Community! (Please note that we cannot accept computers, electronics, mattresses, microwaves, or furniture.)

To donate, please contact one of the following Service Club Members: Alane Haardt- 281-416-6028; Nancy Ladshaw- 830-832-0510; Marie Hawes- 361-676-3093;
Nan Burnett- 832-276-5948.

Calvin & Sally Ragusin

Congratulations on 50 wonderful years built around a marriage focused on commitment to family and community. The both of you are a blessing to everyone who crosses your path. Your example of perseverance through the good times and the bad, through sickness and in health have proven to be a great example of marriage. We can’t thank you enough for all you have done and love you unconditionally. Love, Calvin Jr., Aubrey, Tarah Sublett & Family, Nick & Lea Ann, Rylie, & Nicholas, Ray & Ann Dudley.

A lot of these columns over the last couple of years or so seem to be on subjects such as change and loss.

Perhaps it’s not so surprising, from 2020 on we’ve all dealt with tons of new ideas, new challenges, and new paths that have altered the world around us.
Regardless of the ‘whys’ of the matter, no one can deny this is not the same world we were living in when the current year did not end with a twenty on the end of it.

Our economic system for one seems to have been one thing that changed drastically, something you see every time you go out and purchase well…anything. Be it an item as everyday and casual as milk or or a larger ‘purchase’ such as the cost of housing, you can be sure the price went up in the last two years, more likely is it went up multiple times and is significant.

This and other factors over the last couple years has led to the more rapid demise of many small businesses and those that benefit from their operation.
Sadly I have a first row seat at a family run convenience store that I worked at years ago and I find myself employed at again, and the business seems to be in dire straits.

Shelves are empty, where they were only somewhat empty last time I was here, some of the customer base was older in age before and sadly, they too seem like empty spaces on a once full shelf, no longer seen.

Vendors no longer come, items are overpriced, mostly because you cannot compete today in the age of WalMart and Amazon, and maintenance on store property is not done because the profit margin will not allow it.

What’s most sad is all the little stories, all the lives the store touched, all the memories that family have made running the store for over two decades, they cannot be taken but neither can they be made real again.

I suppose I should find some kind of spiritual or philosophical ‘nugget’ out of all this, some lesson or catchy mantra that takes all that misery and turns it on its head like: “It is always darkest before the dawn.”

Perhaps it is better this way, where the horror at the ever changing path of life and the fear of not being able to adapt are the most real and raw.

Like a nature film where you know every animal might not survive the daily battles depicted on screen, but you know that the battles are just and fair nonetheless.
That in itself could be that ‘nugget’ I mentioned before, that the fight is fair as can be when it culls out the unprepared and those lost in a time warp.

Even when you’re at that last logical step, the thing that no one ever wants to happen to love affairs, business deals, periods in personal history, and any other time your back is against the wall, and you feel threatened from potentially losing aspects of our lives.

Sometimes it’s better to trust the path put in front of you again, even if the path itself becomes painful to walk on.