Congratulations to Seadrift School’s 7th Grade Volleyball Team! They were undefeated the entire season, never losing a game or having to play a third set to win a game. The School, and, in fact, the town is extremely proud of the team, managers, and coaches.

7th Grade Lady Pirates Volleyball Team
Mileidy Anzaldua
Rachel Arfele
Abbie Cady
Mirakle Gutierrez
Lillian Hartl
Rhiannon James
BreAnn Kelley
Kaitlyn Lashley
Nevaeda Munoz
Sydney Rasmussen
Kalani Reyes
Morgan Russell
Mia Salazar
Managers:
McKenna Boedeker
Briley Christensen
Brilee Crittenden
Braylyn Galloway
Ariel Henson
Karlye Jordan
Marilyn Mungia
Audrie Wesley
Coaches:
Coach Kelly Lillge
Coach Tanya Cady

On the bright but blustery morning of January 19, 2019, the Friends of the Port O’Connor Library hosted the Grand Opening Celebration of the new Port O’Connor Library Building. It was truly a grand opening, with over 100 citizens and supporters in attendance. The honorable Judge Nancy Pomykal served as master of ceremonies introducing several speakers including Texas Representative Geanie Morrison, County Library Director Noemi Cruz, and former Friends President Virginia Lichac. They all addressed the crowd with words of praise for the community accomplishment and accolades to all who contributed to the library. After Judge Pomykal read her eloquent Prayer for New Library, the ribbon was cut and the crowd filtered into the beautiful new building to celebrate with cake and punch.

Over the past few years many people in the POC community became strong supporters of building a new library. Increased awareness brought people from all walks of life, who love Port O ‘Connor, to make contributions through donations, fundraisers and events. But only a few in our community are aware of the longer road which has been traveled to make this new library building become a reality. A few, like Mary Ann Claiborne, Nancy Childers, Barbara Crouch and Beth Coats, were instrumental in the earliest days of the Port O’Connor Library and saw it through to the opening of this new building.

Below is a chronology, spanning over three decades, which illustrates the enormous effort and dedication of the Friends who not only garnered support for the library but actually gave birth to it, raised it from infancy, then nurtured it into the source of community pride which it is today.

1985 – 1986 Port O’Connor Community Service Club forms a Library Committee and begins planning a volunteer-run Community Library.
May 31, 1986 Grand Opening of the Port O’Connor Library at the Community Center (current Volunteer Fire Department building). More than 40 library cards issued.

June 4, 1986 Summer Reading Program begins at the Community Library for children 3 years to 3rd grade introducing French Fairy Tales, other stories, and the children made crepes.

February 14, 1987 POC Service Club conducts sale of baked goods and fried pies to raise funds for the purchase of library supplies and new books.

March 19, 1987 The Library Committee establishes a building fund. 10% of the Service Club funds to be deposited in a separate savings account. Committee makes plans to visit Seadrift and Port Aransas Libraries to observe and improve library operations.

January 14, 1988 Acting President, Beth Coats meets with attorney Jack Traylor to initiate papers to establish an incorporation. This will make the organization eligible for funding and grants for a new library building.

February 23, 1988 Articles of Incorporation filed with the Secretary of State establishing Port O’Connor Library, Inc.

March 17, 1988 First Membership Meeting of Port O’Connor Library, Inc. Officers and board of directors elected: President Beth Coats, Vice President Nancy Childers, Secretary June Green, Treasurer Beth Coats, Directors Ruth Crandall and Jeffra Ragan.

July 11, 1988 Calhoun County Commissioners Court consider a request by the Port O’Connor Library, Inc. to accept the library as a branch of the County’s library system. A drawing of a proposed new building, produced by architect Pat Riley, is presented and the request for the county to build this new building is also made. Preston Stofer, representing the Stofer-Eiband Estate promises to donate land for the new library building. Estimated cost of the new building $75,000.

July 29, 1988 The Port O’Connor Library is accepted as a branch of the Calhoun County Library System by the commissioner’s court, with the promise to expand the existing building. A new library building can not be afforded at this time.
December 16, 1988 Calhoun County Commissioners Court agreed to seek bids to expand the POC Fire Station to accommodate space for the POC Library.

January 1989 Shirley Gordon hired as Port O’Connor Librarian.

February 15, 1989 The president of the Port O’Connor Library, Inc. contacts the County Clerk in order to Do Business As (DBA) the “Friends of Port O’Connor Library”.
September 25, 1989 Advanced Steel Builders completes the 40-foot addition to the Fire Station Building for the “new” Port O’Connor Library.

1990’s The Friends of the Port O’Connor Library raise funds through used book sales, raffles, solicitations and newsletters for the purchase of a copier, desk, computer, tape recorders, Christmas decorations, children’s furniture, book cart and new books. 10 % of funds are still set aside for a new library building.

2000’s The Friends, the Port O’Connor Service Club, and Precinct 4 County Commissioner Kenny Finster worked throughout the decade to acquire a historic cannon, which was salvaged from Pass Cavallo, to put on display in the library. Requirements set by the Texas Historical Commission to protect the early 1800’s English-made cannon included building a carriage for it to sit upon, enclosing it in a display case and installing a security system. The cannon was finally installed in the library on August 19, 2009.

January 2010 The POC Fire Department announces a need for expansion to the library area. Plans to move forward on construction of a new building for the library include applying for 501(c)3 status so donations received will be tax deductible. The building fund is in excess of $10,000.

June 26, 2013 Restated Certificate of Formation is signed by Secretary of State for the official nonprofit status of the Friends of the Port O’Connor Library, Inc.

January 2014 The Friends discussed long-ago promise of land for a new library with Jim Stofer.
2015 – 2017 The Friends make hard efforts to raise funds for the new library building. Many grants are applied for and received. Fund-raisers are conducted including Hooper’s Annual Chili & Gumbo Cookoff, Authors Dinners and collaborative events with POC Service Club, Chamber of Commerce, San Antonio Bay Partnership and Josie’s Mexican Food & Cantina. Many in-kind donations are received from local and regional businesses.

March 20, 2017 Richard Morgas is hired as the architect to design the new library building.

May 8, 2017 Advanced Steel Builders is hired to construct the new building (same company which built the addition to the fire station 25 years prior).

June 2017 The Friends board approves the purchase of two additional lots so the Justice of the Peace office would not need to be moved.

October 2017 Despite the impact of Hurricane Harvey to the surrounding area, the Groundbreaking Ceremony at 506 W. Main Street takes place and construction begins.

August 1, 2018 The building is complete and accepted by Commissioners Court with a value of $750,000, which includes the interior furnishings which have yet to be completed.

November 29, 2018 After nearly 30 years working in the library building at 101 S. 6th Street, Shirley Gordon spends her last day before retiring working at the new Port O’Connor Library building at 506 W. Main.

December 4, 2018 Jana Gregory becomes the new Port O’Connor Librarian. The new library is open to the public while finishing touches are still being made.

January 19, 2019 Grand Opening Celebration of the new Port O’Connor Library.

 

From the Dolphin Talk archives, February 12, 2010…

“For Evelyn: When I saw you for the first time, you were coming toward me wearing a white blouse and red slacks. You were a beautiful vision that walked across my eyes and straight into my heart… The doctors say I have had only a half a heart since birth, but whatever part of a heart I have still beating in my chest, it all belongs to you. All my love, all my life, Howard”

These were the sentiments expressed by Howard Lewis to his wife Evelyn on the occasion of their 63rd wedding anniversary last September 18th. Howard first saw Evelyn when he was 13 years old and she was eleven. It was summertime and Evelyn, who lived in Weslaco, was visiting her grandparents, Dierilla and Capt. Edwards. She was on her way to the shrimp house to see her friend Hootie Clark.

By the time summer was over, Evelyn and Howard had become good friends – maybe even “sweethearts” at that young age. While she was back in Weslaco, she and Howard corresponded by mail regularly. Once the school year ended, Evelyn was back in Port O’Connor, working at her grandparents’ store and spending her free time with Howard.

In 1943, Howard joined the Navy, serving on one of two experimental ships as a diesel mechanic. While he was away, he and Evelyn wrote letters to each other almost daily. In 1946, he completed his service and was flown to Charleston, South Carolina. His primary goal after setting foot on U.S. soil was to get home in time for Evelyn’s high school graduation ceremony. It couldn’t be done by waiting for a flight, so he decided to hitchhike. He still gets choked up telling how he tried so hard to be there for Evelyn but only made it as far as Victoria.

But once he made it home, it wasn’t long before the two were married. The ceremony took place at Momma and Poppa Lewis’ house. Howard had lived in Port O’Connor all his life, having been born in the old O’Connor ranch house. He decided it was time to relocate, and in 1947, he and Evelyn moved to Aransas Pass. Their son, Velvet DeWayne, was born in 1948, and son Vonnie in 1951. That winter they moved back to Port O’Connor. That was the year of the big freeze, with the canal and Boggie frozen over, killing all the fish. Howard remembers that for two years afterward there was no commercial fishing.

In 1956, daughter Judy was born in her grandparents’ house on Lewis Street with all the family and Justice of the Peace Louise Sharp (whom they called “Aunt Weezie”) present.

In those years, the couple operated bait stands and commercially fished and shrimped. Howard was also a fishing and hunting guide. He also built boats: 36 to 48 foot shrimp boats, 27 net skiffs, and eight air boats (from scratch). Whatever project he undertook, Evelyn was there, working right beside him.

Howard and Evelyn have always exchanged cards and gifts on all special occasions, but ten years ago Howard started making a really big effort to demonstrate his devotion on Valentine’s Day. The first year he painted a huge heart on the lawn with a red rose on each side of it. Inside the heart was the inscription “HL loves EL”. The next year when she came home from shopping, Evelyn was greeted by 365 hearts hanging in the living room. Each heart said, “I love you,” and the final one said, “In case I forgot to tell you – I love you”.

If you look closely, you can still see the faded sign painted several years ago on the side of Howard’s shop: a heart labeled “HL” and a heart labeled “EL” with “She’s Mine” written in between. Twice he has erected “Burma Shave” type signs down Lewis Street, with a large sign at the end of the street saying, “Be My Valentine”. And last year, Howard took out a full page ad in Dolphin Talk declaring his love. He also had an essay printed in the Victoria Advocate. The ending lines, almost every wife would love to hear: “We have known heartache, sorrow, but never despair. Our love has remained constant throughout the years. We have been each other’s only Valentine. I write this as a tribute to my wife, the love of my life.”

Harvey Help
On January 24th of this year Andrea Kolar (known as Andy) was given the keys to a brand-new mobile home in Seadrift. Included with the keys were a beautiful Bible and a “Paid in Full” certificate. All of the above was generously provided by Samaritan’s Purse, a nonprofit disaster relief organization headed by Franklin Graham. Andrea response was “It’s exciting to be in a place that doesn’t leak and has central heat and air.” She says this because she had lived in her damaged mobile home for a year after Hurricane Harvey. Andrea, we the community of Seadrift are excited for you! Thank you, Samaritan’s Purse!                -Tanya DeForest

Samaritan’s Purse is still on the ground providing physical and spiritual aid to affected families one year after Hurricane Harvey destroyed more than 12,000 homes in southeast Texas. Today, January 24, 2019, we celebrate Andrea Kolar returning home after Samaritan’s Purse helped her recover.

INITIAL RESPONSE:

Samaritan’s Purse deployed its entire fleet of Disaster Relief Units to Texas in response to Hurricane Harvey’s landfall—five response locations were established to help Texas families recover from the storm.

In the initial response, Samaritan’s Purse mobilized more than 11,000 volunteers from all over the country to help some 3,000 families with emergency repairs, debris removal, and mud-outs of homes with severe flood damage.

SECOND PHASE:

Samaritan’s Purse continues to help Texas families recover from Hurricane Harvey with home rebuild and repair teams based in Rockport and Pearland.

Over the course of 2-3 years, Samaritan’s Purse, working alongside partner organizations, will rebuild or repair more than 450 homes for families who are unable to do the work on their own—widows, elderly, uninsured, and others with special needs.

Our goal is to see up to 1,000 families get back into their homes. This will be accomplished through physical assistance (rebuild and repair), providing building materials and a manufactured home replacement.

Samaritan’s Purse is also working to help more than 150 churches with needed repairs.

THE HOMEOWNER:

Andrea Kolar is a 56-year-old who has been a large part of the Seadrift community for 33 years—serving as a custodian at the local post office. During her time there, she befriended an elderly gentleman and would frequently drive him to appointments and assist him with general tasks. Over the subsequent years, Andrea would become more and more of a caregiver for this man who had been predeceased by his wife and children.
When he passed away, Andrea discovered that he had left his Estate to her—including five lots in town, the manufactured home and a few personal belongings. Andrea has lived in the manufactured home for ten years and for the past four years has also taken in a young single mother and her three children.

Hurricane Harvey’s strong winds  ripped the roof off of Andrea’s home and filled the interior with water. With nowhere else to go, Andrea has still been living in the home despite the presence of mold and several pieces of the roof still missing.

Because of our generous donors, Samaritan’s Purse is able to provide a new replacement mobile home for Andrea, along with an initial furniture package, to assist in her recovery.