If they could, this eager team of volunteers would light up the world for Christmas! For the time being they will have to settle for lighting up the city of Seadrift. You can see their Christmas lights at the city pier and as you come into town on Hwy 185. Our hats off to (as pictured above) Linda and Jimmy Odom, Anthony Mancias, and Richard Slate holding the Odom’s dog Milo. Not pictured is Harley Kolar who contributed his time as well.

It all started when Linda attended the monthly Seadrift city meetings. It dawned on Linda that the two years she and her husband have lived here that she had not seen any Christmas lights that the city of Seadrift had put up. So Linda asked the city if it would sponsor some decorations to be put up this Christmas and the rest is history!

The “Light Team” has decorated seven poles close to the city’s pier, the walkway down to the pier, and eighteen flag poles along the highway. As Linda says it and many will agree: “I love it. The city needs it. We’re proud to be helping our city.”
-Tanya DeForest

Wow, we can’t believe the end of the year is already upon us. So much has happened in 2022, and we look forward to an even better 2023! We want to thank all the participants who joined us for the 2022 Poker Run. We had 31 participants this year. Congratulations to Bland Proctor, who won the highest winning hand with a full house. The lowest winning hand went to Brad Schielack with a pair of twos. Our 50/50 pot was awarded to Cindy Hanson. Next year’s event we will be adding some mystery stops for those poker cards!

The Freeport to Port O’Connor Toy Run was held Saturday, December 3rd. Lots of wonderful toys were brought in for the Angel Tree Program, ensuring children along the Gulf coast will have a wonderful Christmas. This was the 20th year for the Toy Run, traveling 72 miles down the ICW from Freeport to Port O’Connor. Thank you to directors Jason and Wendy Fry, along with their crew, for all the hard work throughout the year in gathering and raising donations for all the toys.

After the presents were unloaded and the sun went down, the boats lined up for the annual Christmas Lighted Boat Parade. Twenty-one boats decorated with lights, Santa and other Christmas décor made their way down the ICW. We really appreciate Charlie and Susan Upshaw for volunteering their home to host the judges for this event. Awards were given to the following: Best Overall – Bucking Santa, Most Spirited – Yellow Fin Yoda, Most Unique – Wolf, Best Commercial – Pilot Boat, Best Large Pleasure – Tails Up, Best Medium Pleasure – Pay Cheque, Best Small Pleasure – Mark Daigle, Distinguished Service Award – Coast Guard.

January will begin our membership drive for the Port O’Connor Chamber. We encourage not only businesses to join, but individual or couple memberships as well. Feel free to go online now and join or renew at https://business.portoconnorchamber.com/member/newmemberapp. We welcome all who want to volunteer and get involved in promoting businesses, enhancing the economy and community development, and serving as a means for improving the overall quality of life in the community of Port O’Connor. Memberships are $100 for a business and $35 for an individual or couple.

Thank you to our new members Charles and Susan Upshaw.
Mark your calendars for the upcoming events in 2023! February 24th will be our Member Appreciation Casino Night for all our Chamber members. April 29th will be the Crawfish Festival, and applications for sponsors, teams and vendors will go out at the end of the year, or early January. The Memorial Day Kids Fishing Tournament and Kite Flying Contest will be May 27th. July 4th Fireworks will be on Saturday, July1st and the Parade will be July 4th. New this year, will be the POC Boating & Fishing Expo on October 6-8th. We will provide more information in the coming months. Trunk or Treat will be October 28th, followed by the Poker Run on November 25th. December’s events will include the Toy Run and Lighted Boat Parade on December 2nd and the Christmas Lighted House contest on December 13th and 14th.

We at the Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May the Holiday Season bring only happiness and joy to you and your family. Wishing everyone peace, health, happiness, and prosperity in the coming New Year.

A Merry Island Christmas To All

Greetings from the island everyone. I hope that all of you are doing well and looking forward to Christmas next week with family and friends. Weather permitting, Corky and I will go across the bay a few days prior for some family time and stay the night, before heading back to our island home.

Christmas just somehow seems to be a bit of a magical time each and every year, regardless of your age. . even out on the island. I’ve always been a firm believer that Christmas is a holiday meant for happiness, especially for the kids, but also the grownups that are kids at heart. As long as we recognize the true meaning and significance of Christmas. . the smiles, happiness and giddiness that it brings, is a wonderful bonus! And of course a few nice accompanying gifts never hurt either, (size 3XL in nautical T-shirts), along with all of the beautiful displays of decorations and colorful lights.

Spending time with family and friends, sitting down together and sharing a nice meal, seeing the smiles on the kids faces as they tear open their presents from Santa Claus, that’s what Christmas is all about to me. Simple little gifts between close adult friends and family, and being thankful for another year on this earth, and thinking of our loved ones that are now watching us from above and smiling at our happiness. . . that’s what it’s all about.

Here recently, I’m further reminded that what this time of the year also brings is thick fog! Oh my goodness, the fog has been like a lingering wet soupy wall for days at a time out here. The mornings are like a humid-filled rain took place during the night, leaving everything soaking wet and yucky, when the fog is thick like that. If the sun comes out mid-morning, the fog has usually lifted and cleared by noon, otherwise it hangs around most of the day, and begins rolling in again by late evening. Our late Fall and early Winter foggy mornings are just part of living along the coast, and certainly part of living out on a barrier island.

This begins the time of year that very few weekend islanders make the trek across the bay, primarily because of the weather and very low tides. The strong blowing northers can be brutal, and make for a very rough Matagorda Bay. These same northers also drop the tide very low, making it difficult or impossible to navigate thru the narrow lagoon inlets and park the boat. Anchoring out on the shoreline and walking in would be the only way to gain access onto the island, and then your boat is left unprotected out in the shallow bay water.

Well, Corky and I will sign off now; he is giving me that irritated look that I’m ignoring him instead of taking him to run on the beach. Everyone take care and please have a very Merry Christmas with your family and friends!

This dedicated group of Seadrift residents have just completed their 32nd year of performing joyful and reverent Christmas music at nine different venues in our area. Directed each year by Nancy Childress, the group includes:
Mary Kay Belter
Sue Bracher
Frances Brown
Rosa Mary Caddell
Barbara Campbell
Vickie Campbell
June Cantrell
Nancy Childress
Darlene Coates
Carolyn Cowan
Mary Dillion
Rebecca Ellard
Gina Fisher
Tommy Fisher
Terry Gaines
Becky Gray
Raul Gutierrez
William Hahn
Patrick Henley
Terri Humphries
Lynda Hunter
Ethelene Key
Janet Lorfing
Terry Maddux
Patricia Massey
Judy McCormick
Vicky Morgenroth
Lynn Pfeifer
Barbara Reese
Gary Reese
Kathy Riske
Ron Riske
Carrie Sanders
Jeremy Sanders
Kathleen Shott
Barbara Stanfill
Deanna Schmidt
Cindy Timian
Caroline Tumlinson
Glenn Williams

Celebrating Christmas with the kids is a long-standing tradition at Seadrift’s First Assembly of God Church. It’s been twenty-eight years of performances at Christmas time with the children.

For many years Beverly Smith who co-pastors with her husband, Tim Smith, has been the Children’s Christmas program director. This year and last year the Smith’s daughter-in-law, Megan Smith, has been the director. Assisting Megan were Daylan Cady, Tara Beck, Jessica Glover, and Sherry Taylor.

Sunday, December 4th, was the time chosen for this year’s Christmas program. Pictured singing up at the front is Dallas Cady, Jr. with the rest of the children behind him.

Beverly Smith commenting about the program said, “They’re worked really hard. We’re very proud of the children, Megan, and all those who helped her.” Megan reflecting on the program said, “The very same song I sang as a little girl my two girls sang.” I think that’s called tradition!

-Tanya DeForest