The Ladies of the POC Service Club had a very busy November and December with their successful Turkey Cook Off, Annual Senior Citizens Christmas Luncheon, and Farmers Markets!!! Our hats are off to all who have made the Club’s activities so successful, and we thank you for supporting us as we give back to the POC Community!! Please mark your calendars for our upcoming events!!

2nd Saturday of every month!! 8AM-Noon Farmer’s Market- Front Beach Pavilion. The Club will be selling their goods at their Booth at the Farmer’s Market, and appreciate your generous support!!

January 6, 2022: 10:00 AM Service Club Meeting POC Community Center
January 20, 2022: 10:00 AM Service Club Meeting POC Community Center

April 2, 2022: Spring Mega Garage Sale!! The Club continues to accept your generous donations of used household, decorative, and kitchen items; small appliances; clothing; shoes; toys; children’s and baby items; furniture; etc. For your convenience, we now have a “Donation Drop Box” located at the front of our Donation Center. If you would like to donate furniture, please call one of the ladies listed below, so that arrangements can be made. We cannot accept computers, electronics, mattresses, or microwaves!!!

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

If you are interested in joining the Service Club, please visit us by attending one of our meetings. All community minded ladies are welcome!!
Submitted by Alane Haardt

A  couple years back I wrote about my personal favorite films set during Christmas so for some holiday cheer and a break from the usual more reflective or serious fare I thought I would do the same for the sounds of the season and write a short list of my favorite Christmas songs.
I will make a point to note before I begin that these songs are in no particular rank or order.

1. Jingle Bell Rock- I will easily admit it, I am a ‘rock’ guy, one who feels every band should have two guitars, bass, drums, and vocals and should be played loud.
Enjoying everything from that genre from Buddy Holly to Metal means it is easy to appreciate Jingle Bell Rock fist sang by Bobby Helms in 1957 and has that spirit of the original Rock N’ Roll of the fifties with a holiday twist and is now a timeless classic.

The same cannot be said of the songs original b-side, ‘Captain Santa Claus (And His Reindeer Space Patrol).

2. Mele Kalikimaka- If you have never heard of this one you might think I just fell on my keyboard and made the worlds worst typo in history, but in actuality this 1955 song was one of many songs off of Bing Crosby’s Merry Christmas album that reminds me of being a child at Christmastime as my dad would play it all the time in the car when I was a kid.

Most of the songs, although brilliantly sung and preformed (as well as being burned into my head permanently) are the usual Christmas staples but Mele Kalikimaka sticks out as something different with its Hawaiian influence and history lesson makes it stand out as one of the more unique holiday tunes out there.

3. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)- Perhaps a controversial choice for some, as former Beatle John Lennon’s song is one that was part of a huge social and cultural shift in the late sixties and a direct follow up to many months of Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono trying to bring attention to world peace and bring the end to then still very much alive Vietnam War.

I think if we can look past the political statement and the chaotic times it was created in, we will see that the song’s lyrics are really what Christmas is about in spiritual terms because although the perspective Lennon wishes the listener to reflect on the past year and what he or she ‘has done,’ might seem a bit accusing or abrasive, it is the same sort of standard that Jesus Christ himself would adopt to a degree, pushing love and peace and being able to look back at the year about to come to a close and be able to say we helped our fellow man instead of hindering him, we contributed rather than blindly took, we loved instead of hating, and we took the time to be grateful and aware of the good things we had, even if all else seemed dire.

In some ways it is a perfect song for the closing of the calendar year as a whole and perhaps this article as well…what is your favorite Christmas song?

The Calhoun County Republican Club met on December 6, in the VFW’s Banquet Room, for an enchilada casserole, rice, and bean dinner with cake (can’t forget the cake! It was yummy. Thank you, Mr. Russell Cain!), followed by a talk from State Representative J.M. Lozano.

Calhoun County became part of Congressional District 43, Lozano’s district, in October when the Texas Legislature approved reapportionment of the state’s congressional districts. According to Representative Lozano, who has held his position as state representative since 2011, his main goals as State Representative are to keep Texas “red” and to be a public servant for his constituents by helping them solve problems they are unable to solve on their own.

A member of Congressman Michael Cloud’s staff was present and he updated the crowd on projects the Congressman is involved with. The Honorable Nancy Pomykal, Calhoun County Precinct 5 Justice of the Peace, shared the news that, as of December 15, she will have dedicated 31 years of her life in service to Precinct 5 residents as Justice of the Peace. Judge Pomykal will hold the distinction of holding office longer than any other elected county official to date. Let’s all remember to congratulate her and thank her for her years of service to this community.

The Calhoun County Republican Club meets the first Monday each month at the VFW hall in Port Lavaca, unless stated otherwise. For information, contact Connie Hunt at chunt36@yahoo.com.
-Karolyn Kinsel