Well, our season is kicking off with Spring Break in progress across our area. Our friends are returning to visit our wonderful little community. From the looks of things going on in our area, it’s going to be the biggest year that Port O’Connor has seen in some years.

With all the new residents in the community, it would be great if they could get involved with what makes Port O’Connor so unique and wonderful. It does not just happen without people working together.

The 2019 Chamber applications went out on March 1st.; all the 2018 members received an application. If you did not, please go to portoconnorchamber.com, scroll down to Join Chamber; click and choose Individual or Business application; fill out and pay online. If you had rather receive a paper application, do not hesitate to contact us.

If you have a few hours you could do some volunteer work in any of the free Chamber events please contact us. We’re looking for more help for 7th Annual Crawfish Festival.

King Fisher Beach is looking Fantastic!!! The sandy beach is really getting expanded, twice the size it was last year; the dredging company has worked hard to get to this point.

The Chamber directors are deciding on a project for 2019. Is there anyone out there who knows enough about computer programs to devote some time teaching some free classes for Dummies?

Contact: 361-983-2898
info@portoconnorchamber.com

Check us out on Facebook and Instagram. Our next meeting will be April 8th at 6:30 p.m. at the Port O’Connor Community  Center. We’ll  be waiting for you!

Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce New and Renewed Members

POC Electric LLC Dawn Ragusin LLC
Lone Star Boat Storage First National Bank
John & Francis Hamm Bugman Inc.
Jim Vass Dain & Judy Whitworth
Nervous Water Fishing Virgil & Ursula Price
Capt. Larry Wheeler 5D Steakhouse & Lounge
Full Limit Vacation Rentals Sue Glover
Designworks Don & Lori Graf
Clips & Dips Dog Grooming

Port O’Connor Chamber Fundraising Event

The Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce proudly announces the 7th Annual Crawfish Fest & Cookoff to be held on April 27 at King Fisher Park.  This is the Chamber’s largest fund raising event of the year and the event brings in approximately 3,000 people. We offer all of the following:

• Crawfish Cookoff  • Live music • Dancing
• Horseshoe contest • Crafts • Food Vendors • Raffles • FUN!!

The entry price is $5.00. Gates open at 10:00 am and close at 7:00 pm.  Coupons are sold for beverages and crawfish plates.  The price for crawfish will be $20.00/plate and beer tickets are $4.00.  Please no ice chests or dogs.

Entertainment begins with The Mudbugs Cajun & Zydeco Band. The Chamber is proud to have Bri Bagwell as the feature entertainer this year.  Bri was named Female Vocalist of the Year by the Texas Regional Radio Music Awards in 2013, and she received the honor again in 2014. In 2015, Bagwell released her second full-length album, When a Heart Breaks, including the song “My Boots,” which became a breakout single in Texas.  Her current album is In My Defense. Bri will be starting her set at 5:00 pm and will close out the evening at 7:00 pm.

Port O’Connor’s Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to promote business, enhance economic & community development and serve as a means for improving the overall quality of life in the community.

Please come out and support our mission, eat some crawfish and have some fun!

Vendor and cookoff participants please contact Darla611@aol.com

Naomi Albrecht

Naomi Shults Albrecht, 95, of Port O’Connor, passed away March 10, 2019. She was born April 22, 1923 in Coryell County to Sam and Bessie Brown Shults.

Naomi graduated from Southwest Texas State University, now Texas State University, with a master’s degree and began her teaching career in Port O’Connor in 1947. She married Clarence Albrecht April 12, 1950. She was a teacher and then principal for Port O’Connor from 1947-1979. She was a charter member of Calhoun County Delta Kappa Gamma, officer of PTA at the local and state level and served on the Calhoun County School Board where she also served as president. She was a member of the Port Lavaca Art Guild, Calhoun County Humane Society and gardening club.

She is survived by her daughter, Janice Albrecht Stalder, of Copperas Cove; nephew, George Albrecht and wife, Debbie; nieces: Janet Kutchka and husband, Ray; Carol Curry and husband, Robert, Alberta Thomas and husband, Gary, and Mary Gibbs; cousins: Tommilee Haferkamp, Tommy Shults, Jerry Shults, and Audrey Shults.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence Louis Albrecht; parents; nephew, J.W. Shults; and niece, Claire Barnes. Visitation will be held Friday, March 15, 2019 from 6-8 p.m. at Richardson-Colonial Funeral Home. Funeral services will be Saturday, March 16, 2019 at 10 a.m. at the Port O’Connor Community Center with Nancy Pomykal officiating.

Pallbearers are Patrick Barnes, Jerry Shults, David Randolph, Mike Clifton, Calvin Ragusin, and Adolph Covarrubias. Honorary Pallbearers are George Albrecht, James Gilbs, Ray Kutchka, Scott Fretwell-Shults and Gary Thomas.

Memorial donations may be made to the Calhoun County Humane Society, PO Box 1505, Port Lavaca, TX 77979. Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.richardsoncolonial.com.

We had a wonderful turn-out for the most recent Port O’Connor
Community Service Club meeting, but there is always room for more and ladies of all ages are welcome to join us! The Service Club meets twice monthly at the POC Community Center and new members are always welcome. Meetings are at 10 a.m. on the 1st & 3rd Thursdays each month (except for May through August plus December, when we meet only on the 1st Thursday).

The Service Club is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the Port O’Connor community by providing support and funds for programs and events for the betterment of this community. If you are looking for a way to give back to the Port O’Connor community, come join us!

If you’re doing your spring cleaning and find some things that just aren’t used anymore, we’d love to take them to be put to good use again. To donate gently used and “in good condition” items please contact either Susie DuBoise (818-203-2612) or Donna Vuichard (361-237-0476). Note any furniture donations need to be inspected first, so please contact Susie or Donna to make arrangements.

These garage sales are the Service Club’s primary fund-raising events that make it possible for us to fund many other community projects, as well as a scholarship fund for local students. As always, we appreciate the support received from our local community!

Saturday, April 6 is our semi-annual community-wide Garage & Bake Sale. The sale will run from 8 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and will be closed from 11:30 a.m. to 12 noon when final sales will be handled; then the “BAG SALE” will re-open at noon and run until 1 p.m.

Books, pictures, home decor, clothing for all ages, toys, dishes, pots and pans can always be found at our garage sale. Sometimes, we even have a kitchen sink!

Come on out and search for that treasure. -Donna Vuichard