First Row: Nicholas Ragusin, Kyndra Carriles, Alex Lopez
Back Row: Skyler Pessall, Riley Pagel, Emma Sanchez, Mrs. Wehmeyer

The Port O’Connor Dolphins kick off bully prevention month by shouting “STOP”!!!  In choosing the hand print as the core symbol of our campaign, the significance from interviews with our precious youth is tremendous:  not only does it unify marked differences in all of us, down to the lines in our prints, and the trials in our paths, it is also a Dolphin approved alternative to strategies that do not always work, such as walking away or ignoring the bully.  Together, the Dolphins stand, and Shout stop while showing your hand, Take a step back, Offer support (if you are a bystander), Persist (be persistent until the bully behavior is stopped for good!).  Also, if someone is telling me to stop, I can recognize the cue and acknowledge I am doing or saying something they do not like! And that is my notice to correct the behavior!

Sat., Oct. 20    San Antonio Bay Day Floating Classroom 10 am & 1pm    Seadrift Marina, 850 E. Pine St.
Sat., Oct. 20    Hooper’s Chili & Gumbo Cookoff starts 1:00 pm    Hooper’s Bar & Grill, Port O/Connor
Fri., Oct. 26    Dinner & Music Fundraiser 6:00-8:30 pm    The Heritage Center, PL 361-552-3350
Sat., Oct. 27    Seadrift Halloween Parade & Contest 4:00 pm    Seadrift City Hall
Sat., Oct. 27    Port O’Connor Halloween Carnival 4:30-7:00 pm    Port O’Connor Elementary
Sat., Oct. 27     Trunk or Treat 6:30-8:00 pm    King Fisher Beach
Sun., Oct. 28    St. Patrick’s Fall Festival 10:30 am until    St. Patrick Catholic Church, Seadrift
Thurs., Nov. 1    Port O’Connor Service Club 10:00 am    POC Community Center
Sat., Nov. 3    Men’s Community Breakfast 9:00 am    Seadrift United Methodist Fellowship Hall
Sun., Nov. 4    Daylight Saving Time Ends 2:00 am    Turn you clocks back one hour
Mon., Nov. 5    Calhoun County Republican Club 6:00 pm    Episcopal Church Parish Hall, Austin St., PL
Mon., Nov. 5    Intercoastal 4H Club meeting 6:30 pm    Port O’Connor School Library
Tues., Nov. 6    Election Day
Tues., Nov. 6    Seadrift City Council 7:00 pm    Seadrift City Hall
Tues., Nov. 6    Bunco 7:00 pm    Port O’Connor Community Center
Wed. Nov. 7    Veterans Day Program 9:00 am    Seadrift School
Fri., Nov. 9    Veterans Day Celebration 11:00-1:00    VFW Post, 16 Konrad Rd., Port Lavaca
Sun., Nov. 11    Veteran’s Day
Sun., Nov. 11    Community Thanksgiving Service 6:00 pm    Fisherman’s Chapel, Port O’Connor
Sun., Nov. 11    Warrior’s Weekend Volunteer Meeting 6:30 pm    Cathy’s Restaurant, POC
Mon., Nov. 12    Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce 6:30 pm    POC Community Center
Sat. Nov. 17    Seadrift Thanks Dinner 11:00-2:00    Seadrift Community Center
Sat., Nov. 17    Benefit for Tony Pool 9:00 until    Port O’Connor Community Center

Citizens of the Week at Port O’Connor School
Week ending September 21: PreK- Samantha Garcia; K- Charlie O’Shields; 1st- Kolt Leiker; 2nd- Riley Pagel; 3rd- Kaleb Kendrick; 4th- Nicholas Ragusin; 5th- Lyric Lopez
Week ending October 5: PreK- Kolton Kendrick; K- Amara Brown; 1st- Reid Thomas; 2nd- Haiden Dean; 3rd- Laela Aranda; 4th- Gracie O’Shields; 5th- Derek Tausch
Week ending October 12: PreK- Tegan Osborn; K- Paxon Crone; 1st- Rylee Coan; 2nd- Jeremiah Thomas; 3rd- Pryncess Few; 4th- Leland Carriles; 5th- Kitty Mexxell

Seadrift School Pirates of the Week
Week ending September 21: Pre-K- Evan Flores; K- Kole Goode & Gianna Adame; 1st- Alie Villarreal & Nadia Flores; 2nd- Victoria Spencer; 3rd- Kiley Sexton-Mohon & Lexi Mendoza; 4th- Jai’Lynn Boots & Ashton Sternadel; 5th- Christina Ragusin & Jada Dean  Junior High: Henderson- Lillian Hartl; Cady- Ryan Wesley; Sternadel- Rachel Arfele; Coach Anderson- Maddix Delgado; Coach Sternadel- David Cano; Franck- Isaiah Hess; Coach Lillge- Lillian Hartl; Hahn- Keaton Cady
Week ending September 27: PreK- Easton Lancaster; K- Gabriel Longoria & Addyson Schroeder; 1st- Randy Thompson & Jacob Boots; 2nd- Janice Pendergrass; 3rd- Tatum Semmler & Christopher Adame; 4th- Hunter McGill; 5th- Wesley Blevins & Yuliana Hernandez Junior High: Henderson- Mileidy Anzaldua; Cady- Ryan Cain; Sternadel- McKenna Boedecker; Coach Anderson- Justice Epley; Coach Sternadel- Savana Arfele; Franck- Briley Christensen; Coach Lillge- Mia Salazar; Hahn- Hector Perez
Week ending October 4: PreK- Karlee Shannon; K- Anabel Longoria & Izaiah Velazquez; 1st- Symone Smith & Brileigh Phillips; 2nd- Paige Lewis; 3rd- Saige Carter & Olivia Hunt; 4th- Gavin Reyes & Alaina Morgan; 5th- Gunner Evans & Kylee Gray Junior High: Henderson- Mia Salazar; Cady- Denver Grissett; Sternadel- Ethan Metcalf; Coach Anderson- Hannah Freeman; Coach Sternadel- BreAnn Kelley; Franck- Natalie Hunt; Coach Lillge- Brylier Penney; Hahn- Tim Pham
Week ending October 12: PreK- Alice Wooldridge; K- Naomi Aguilar & Dawn Lewis; 1st- Cristian Cano & Tanner Cheatham; 2nd- Peyton Ruiz; 3rd- Jeffrey Allred & Christopher Barcenas; 4th- Audrina Tate & Brice Petrisky; 5th- Hailey Freeman & Owen Gaitan  Junior High Henderson- Jonathan Nguyen; Cady- Alexiz Gutierrez; Sternadel- Nathaniel Hollinger; Coach Anderson- Ariel Henson; Coach Sternadel- Ethan Metcalf; Franck- Rylie Ragusin; Coach Lillge- Jaedyn Mungia; Hahn- Tim Pham

In a chance meeting at the post office, I had a very nice chat with Dan Walker, TPWD Project Leader for the Coastal Bend Wetlands Ecosystem Project (Powderhorn WMA, Guadalupe Delta WMA, Matagorda Island WMA, Welder Flats WMA, Redhead Pond WMA). Dan was excited to share that the Wildlife Management Area portion of the ranch will officially become state property on October 1st. Dan was especially thrilled to report that he will be joined on the ranch by three new staff members. Jeremy Helms and Andy Gosnell have been hired as Technicians and Tori Haynes from Texas A&M Kingsville will be starting as the Wildlife Biologist.

You may recall that the Powderhorn was a working ranch for over 175 years. Starting in 2014, with settlement money from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funded a significant portion of the $38.8 million for acquisition of the property in partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, The Nature Conservancy, and The Conservation Fund and grants from private foundations. The 17,351 acres property has since been managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation with plans to donate the property to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (the State) where 15,000 acres will be a wildlife management area (WMA) and the remaining ~3,000 acres a state park. I like to explain the difference between WMA and State Park as WMAs are managed for wildlife and State Parks are managed for people. It’ll be a while yet before the park portion opens but it’s significant progress that the Powderhorn WMA will be opening.

The Powderhorn WMA has five public hunts scheduled for this season: two youth deer hunts, 2 adult deer hunts, and one exotic hunt. Unfortunately, registration deadlines have already passed but be sure to go to the TPWD Public Hunts website next year to sign up. tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public Dan also expressed an interest in hosting some birding field trips on the WMA. The Powderhorn Ranch is an outstanding place to see wintering species and spring migrants. Look for more information on that soon.             -Brigid Berger, Texas Master Naturalist