Big Time Summer Fishing

Greetings from the island everyone.  I hope everyone is doing well and getting those kiddos ready for their new school year.  THANK YOU  to all of our wonderful teachers for the great job that you do in educating these children. . . please know that you are very much appreciated.

The summer months mean big time fishing tournaments in our little POC town, and this summer has not disappointed.  I always enjoy going down to the Big Jetties on the island, and watching the beautiful deep water fishing boats headed out during the Poco Bueno tournament.  On July 19, I settled in at my favorite watching spot and enjoyed seeing over 40 big Poco boats headed out into the Gulf of Mexico to start their fishing journey.  The beautiful fishing vessel Smooth Move was the big winner in Poco, bringing in an amazing 720 pound blue marlin.  Congratulations guys!

The following week I went back to the Big Jetties and again had a wonderful view to watch over 40 beautiful boats heading out to fish The Lone Star Shootout offshore tournament.  The overall winning boat was POC’s own Mechanical Man, and the blue marlin winner was Notorious with a nice 615 pounder.  It was fun and exciting watching the weigh-ins of both of these tournaments, and to know that all of the fish that were caught were donated to various food relief organizations, including the Fisherman’s Chapel in POC.

I was also fortunate last week to be at the weigh-in for the POC Shark Hunters Sharp Tooth Shootout, and saw in person, a huge 693 pound, 12 foot Tiger shark brought in by “Team Slick Line”, that easily won this shark tournament.  This shark, as well as the others caught, was also donated to various food group organizations, including the Fisherman’s Chapel in POC.

And contrary to rampant rumors that the Tiger shark was caught in 6 feet of water at Sunday Beach Pass, in reality anglers Kerry Henry and Mike Blaha caught the giant shark in 40 feet of water, 1.8 miles out into the Gulf from the beach shoreline near the Big Jetties.   It took two hours to land the tiger and stingray was used for bait.

I spent an unplanned extra day on the mainland a few weeks ago when the fuel pump went out in my truck, leaving me stranded in Port Lavaca.  Luckily I had the phone number to a mobile mechanic service, A-Tech Mobile Auto Repair, 361-482-9546, and Rich came out and dropped the fuel tank and put in a new fuel pump for me.  Rich has done two other truck repairs for me since then.  Never ending repairs with older vehicles. This guy does great work and is very reasonable.

I want to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers for my mom.  She is doing better and we are hopeful that she will be returning home in the near future.

That’s it from the island for now, everyone take care and please watch out for those kids heading back to school.

Hard to believe summer time in Port O’Connor is coming to a close. It’s been a record breaking 2018, with our new beach, every week it’s been packed full of families. Port O’Connor is so proud to have people and families come to our community and enjoy our beautiful new beach area.

With the growth of our community comes the need of updates, not sure how many people view the website portoconnorchamber.com, This year has been all about a new updated website, which we hope will be up and running soon – will keep you updated.
Last month the Chamber answered 87 phone calls. If you are a business and not a member of Chamber, you are missing out on all the advertising and information that is passed on, to our newcomers.

It has been decided that improvement in the area of the Little Jetties will be our next project, due to more and more people using that area.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Next meeting will be September 10th. You are invited to come out and join us at 6:30 pm in the Port O’Connor Community Center.

New & Renewed Members:

Josie’s Restaurant & Cantina
Sew Much More
Branding Works, LLC
Mitch & Ann Brownlee
The Two RV Park
Marvelous Garden, Inc.
Maxey Parrish
Marty’s Landing & Mama’s Kitchen

portoconnorchambercom     361poc@gmail.com  361-983-2898

When exactly did manners become a thing of the past for the most part? Was it the rise of the smart phones, a generation not as strictly raised in the art of social graces, or is it the inevitable outcome of our modern society, perhaps more concerned with ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ online than experiencing the real outside world.

Perhaps it is as simple as a matter of time. Although I am not ‘old’ yet by any stretch of the imagination, I do find it possible to consider the fact I may be paying more attention to the manners and friendliness around me a lot more than when I was in my twenties and thirties.

I mean, everyone has an off day, a day when they might much rather be boiled in oil than deal with people, at least on a temporary basis. Additionally, many life events all of us will go through or observe in one manner or another, like the passing of someone close to them, illness both physical and mental and of course the build up of daily annoyances, like traffic jams, long lines, and those annoying telemarketing phone calls:

“Hello, how are you today? I am trying to sell you something.”

The latter example uses manners and kindness, but only for the purpose of making a sale, which makes it a very dubious use of manners indeed.

Thing is, more importantly than where most of our manners went, but also how do we get them back? I suppose it will not be as simple as checking behind the sofa or under the bed, but will take people considering the other people around them more frequently and exercising restraint not to take out the problems in their own head out on the world.

Easier said then done, when I see groups of people sitting around a table out in public, all staring at their phones as if they have control over them somehow, like some cheap horror film from decades past.

Not impossible though, it would just take everyone being a little kinder to others as well as themselves and also being able to not let all the pressures of daily modern life make them forget that everyone is Human, no one is perfect and most people deserve our respect and kindness.

Can you believe it’s already time for our students to go back to school? Summer went by so fast. Life is like that. Just when you get used to one thing, it changes. Well, change can be a great thing. POC Community Service Club has been making a few changes too. We approved some newly updated bylaws in July, set a revised schedule for our officers and board members to take over tasks and duties to hopefully make their jobs easier. We have been serving in this community a long time and plan to continue to do so, but we needed a little tune-up. So, thanks to all the members who worked so hard to make our new plans happen. You did really great work!

If you have been following Service Club, you know we love POC and are all about the youth in our community. Well, we are really excited about the All-American Family Fun Day scheduled for September 15th from 10-2 at Kingfisher Beach and Pavilion. Families will find games and fun, prizes and activities for all ages. This ‘bring your own lunch’ event needs some volunteers to help out. If you can work with a club member to run a game or activity or you want to volunteer to be the ‘grown up’ on some child’s team who might not have anyone able to participate with them, please call Jacque Bechard at 361-655-2408. Friends of the Port O’Connor Library will be offering a Book Nook for reading time at this event and the Chamber of Commerce will be assisting with activities. Isn’t is great how different groups cooperate and work together in our community? You can find a way to help too. Just give Jacque a call!

The POC Service Club is still taking donations of gently used clothing, household goods, décor and other items for our October Garage Sale. Saturday, October 6th, the Community Center Pavilion will be filled with undiscovered treasures and homemade baked goods. Come buy something you always wanted and help us with the POC Community Service Club Scholarship fund and other community projects. If you need assistance donating goods, please call Donna Vuichard at 361-237-0476. We know we could never succeed without all of you supporting our efforts. Thanks!

September brings a brand-new life to our meeting schedule. We elect new officers for the coming year, pay our annual dues and begin working on our calendar of events. We also return to our twice monthly schedule of meetings. Join us the 1st and 3rd Thursdays at 10:00 AM at the POC Community Center. We welcome women of all ages and stages to be a part when and where they can. There’s a job for everybody and no special skills are required to join us in making a difference in this community. Come visit a meeting and find your spot to help.

So, until next time, be safe, live simply, love openly, forgive generously and remember this quote from musical funny lady and motivational speaker Jana Stanfield who said “I cannot do all the good that the world needs. But the world needs all the good that I can do.” Join us to see what good your good can do.

One of the Port O’Connor Service Club’s projects: Shown here are a few of the many members who helped at an August 11th event to help with medical expenses for a Port O’Connor citizen.

We are in the Dog Days of Summer!  Ever wonder why July and August are called Dog Days?  In addition to being sultry, hot days, the star Sirius, in the constellation Canis Major (large dog), is very visible. Star Sirius rises in the East, at dawn, just as the sun begins to brighten the sky.

Although it is  hot and sultry, your R.V. still needs your attention.  The exterior skin requires care to stay in good condition. Let’s start with the top.  The roof may be made of a rubber type covering, metal or a polymer fiber material.  Industry terms are EDPM, TPO and Metal.

If of the rubber variety, it should be washed and treated, yearly at minimum ,(on the coast every 6 months is recommended) with a product that maintains its pliability. Untreated, it will dry, shrink, crack and leak. We have found Best, Cleaner and Protectant does a good job, at a reasonable price.

Once a rubber roof has deteriorated to the point of brittle cracking, replacement is the only way to “fix” it. This is one of the most expensive repairs on an R.V., so, regular care is a money saver.

Sometimes, life of a rubber roof  can be temporarily extended by a applying a thick polymer coating. This does not restore it, and the product can never be removed from the original rubber roof.

Metal roofs also need attention. Regular wash and wax will protect the paint from UV damage, help to  shed water and small debris. Check for rust, puncture holes, paint scrapes and seam separation due to loss of rivets and screws. Repair any damage to prevent further infiltration prior to washing.

All roofs should be checked regularly for separation away from vent pipes, roof vents, antennas, refrigerator vents, any opening in the roof.  Timely repairs will save the interior from costly damage!  An undectected intrusion can quickly damage roof, wall, and floor substructures.

Just an FYI here, some Extended Warranty contracts do not cover roof repairs or replacements.

The exterior wall skin needs to be washed and waxed at minimum, yearly.  In our beautiful, but salty, sandy coastal area, twice a year, if your RV lives here full time.  A mild automotive cleaner applied with water and soft brush will clean the surface.  A good rinse,and wax with UV protection will provide protection.  When washing, be sure to include the underneath!  Check slide rails, all rubber gaskets, dump valves, all hose connections, battery cables, and hinges. While you have tire covers removed, check tire tread and sidewalls for age cracking, and air pressure.

Do you store your  RV without power? Remove the Negative cable from the battery post, clean A/C filters, defrost and clean the refrigerator, (409 or Mean Green are acceptable non bleach products), let it dry totally, shut the door. Do not put an object between door and seal to keep it open. This compresses the seal, making it leak. Close all roof vents, cover the refrigerator, water heater, oven and furnace vents to prevent insects.  Close blinds and curtains. Turn off LP at tank.

Whew! Are you hot and tired now? Grab a cool drink, head for the patio, or A/C and the easy chair!

Need Supplies? Have Questions? Need Service?
Call or stop by T&A RV, 660 Lane Road, Seadrift, TX.
361-524-8707
Tues thru Sat: 8am to 5pm
We  Appreciate ALL of our customer support!!!!