Due to the success of the Port O’Connor Chamber,s fundraising efforts and a possible grant, the Board of Directors is busy working on several community enhancement projects. There are three main projects we are working on in conjunction with the Parks Board and Commissioner Gary Reese.

The first project will be to improve handicap accessibility at the Kingfisher pavilion and the beach. The current plan is to raise the sidewalk in front of the pavilion due to standing water issues when it rains. A new sidewalk will be added off the beach side of the pavilion and will extend to the old bulkhead. Where the sidewalk ends, we will install a portable roll-up beach mobility mat approximately six feet wide which will run down to the water. This will allow wheelchairs to easily cross over the sand and get to the water. The picnic table next to the pavilion will also be refitted for wheelchair accessibility. A special thanks to the Red Snapper Roundup who specifically donated funds to make our beach more accessible for persons with disabilities!!!

Secondly, we will have a new set of steps built off the county’s property into the water at the corner of Main and Park Street. The current concrete steps are dilapidated and unsafe. The new steps will provide a great entry location for waders and kayakers. There is also parking at this location.

Lastly and the most challenging is to improve the entry on to the little jetties. This area is widely used by people fishing off the jetty or waders and kayakers entering the water. As popularity has increased, in this area, adequate parking has also become an issue. All the details are still in the planning stages, but we hope to begin work this winter and hopefully complete by next spring.

We are hopeful that these enhancements will benefit our residents and continue to attract visitors.

The chamber is now excited to announce that we have a physical office location. Our address is 36 Cemetery Road.

Don’t forget we have several upcoming fall events: October 30 Trunk or Treat including a dog costume contest; November 27 a golf cart poker run; and December 4 the Toy Run and Boat Parade. To stay updated on our events remember to refer to our webpage www.portoconnorchamber.com.

Cody Logan is driven. He is driven by a faith in God that has been formed and developed because of a series of events, his parents, a mentor, and a college campus organization. Initially, Cody had a rocky road of circumstances to forge through: a small-town church that left him with a bitter taste because of the divisiveness he saw among its congregants. Disillusioned, he entered college with unmet expectations of what life was all about.

Cody had a dad who taught him to read using the Bible. His dad gave him a desire to learn and encouraged Cody to pursue what was right. His mom, unmoved by Cody’s disillusionment, spurred him on with “Don’t give up on your faith. Try the Wesley Foundation (a campus organization).”

Cody went back and forth while in college between Eastern religions, atheism, and Christianity. Cody says, “The Wesley Foundation loved me into a conversion to Christ.” The College Campus Pastor mentored Cody, encouraging him to always remember the significant presence of God in his life.

In June 2018 Cody became the pastor of Seadrift’s United Methodist Church. Cody says the focus is “moving outside the walls of the local church.” The church partners with community functions such as the Chamber, the City of Seadrift, and the Seadrift School. Also included is involvement with prison ministry. Covid put things on hold for a year, but in 2021 Cody says, “The church took off to a fresh start.”

In retrospect Cody reflects, “I couldn’t ask for a better church appointment than Seadrift. I had some challenges to navigate and I’ve had a solid support system both in the church and in the community. I look forward to seeing how God is restoring the Kingdom of Heaven for Seadrift.”

Cody resides in Seadrift with his dog “Samoa” and enjoys music and wood-working.

The POC Service Club would like to thank all who came out to our “Fall Mega Garage and Bake Sale” on Saturday, October 2, 2021!! We also appreciate your generous support at our monthly Booths at the Farmer’s Market!! Your generous donations, and unwavering support, are very much appreciated!!! All proceeds from our fund raising efforts, go toward the beautification, improvement, and enhancement of POC, and to support the many charitable activities and programs of the POC Community!!! Without your continuous support, none of this would be possible!!

At our October 9th Farmer’s Market Booth, our ladies gave away pumpkins for a “Pumpkin Decorating Contest”. Cash Prizes were awarded to the winners!
The Club continues to accept your generous donations of gently used household, decorative, and kitchen items, small appliances, clothing, shoes, toys, children’s and baby items, furniture; etc. We cannot accept computers, electronics, mattresses, or microwaves. For your convenience, we now have a “Donation Drop Box” located at the front of our new Donation Center. If you would like to donate furniture, please call one of the ladies listed below, so that arrangements can be made. If you are dropping off items at the Donation Center, please notify one of these ladies so that we can go out and secure your donations:

Alane Haardt- 281-416-6028
Diane Cooley- 903-467-6335
Nancy Ladshaw-830-832-0510
Marie Hawes- 361-920-2322

The Club’s November meetings are on Thursday, November 4, and November 18, 2021 at 10:00 AM at the POC Community Center. We work hard, but have a lot of fun, and welcome all service-minded ladies who are interested in joining us!!

Did you know that Calhoun County has its own life-saving station, especially equipped to save the unborn? It also saves families from the grief of losing one of its own valuable members who are the most innocent and the most vulnerable of all.

Located at 615 North Virginia Street in Port Lavaca, the Pregnancy Help Center has a new facility which is tastefully remodeled and lovingly equipped. Just recently there was an open house which was very well attended by the public.

The Center is a 501-C3 Non-profit and is funded through the support of generous donors. It started as a vision of the pastor and congregation of Hope Reformed Baptist Church here in Port Lavaca. Meanwhile the Board of Directors of a crisis pregnancy center in Lake Jackson were praying for another center to be located in the area. In walks Pastor Brady and his wife Michelle from the Hope Reformed Baptist Church and things took off from there! In two years time it all came together and the Pregnancy Help Center here in Calhoun County was born.

The Center has two full-time ladies, Heather Jones and Miranda Waechter, to oversee its operation. Heather is the executive director and Miranda is in charge of the educational program. Tracy Dunwoody is the nurse who is available to provide ultrasounds. Dr. Tim McFarland and Dr. Frank Hinds volunteer their time at the Center as well.

Heather Jones has a favorite saying: “When God says go, you go. When God says do, you do.”

On behalf of all who love life, thank you staff and volunteers at the Pregnancy Help Center!