The goal in submitting this information is to help our Port O’Connor Volunteer Fire Department (POC VFD) share what it is they do and why it is so very important that our community becomes more involved and aware of their needs. The VFD mainly focuses on fire and rescue…Most people may not realize, but that covers a lot in our small community.

In recent fundraisers, money was being saved to purchase a new fire engine (about $67,000 to date) as well as trying to keep equipment and gear updated. However, since Formosa made a large donation to the county, the county was able to designate funds to purchase an engine. So now the VFD has decided to concentrate on purchasing a very much needed rescue truck. This cost is $175,000. Most of the $67K will go towards this new goal.

WHAT IS A RESCUE TRUCK? It is the truck that will carry our first responders to an emergency situation where they provide the necessary care to stabilize a person(s) before the county EMS arrives.

Forty one calls were actually taken this year….here are some common examples of calls in our area:

A fisherman has injured himself at the end of the little jetties…His fishing buddy calls 911 and the first responders are able to transport the fisherman to the rescue truck where they are able to stabilize him….An elderly woman has fallen and possibly broken her hip….A child slips & falls off the dock…A car driving to school in the morning collides with a car that runs a stop sign at an intersection…at 3 am a call goes out that there is a structure fire…A man is having trouble breathing and cannot stand up…Another man is having a seizure…A child has climbed a dresser and it has fallen on him….A woman frying fish sets her kitchen on fire…A boater has fallen off his boat and his leg was sliced by the propeller…An elevator gets stuck with people inside…A man is having a heart attack in his back yard… A young person has fallen off a golf cart… Calls for assistance with brush and/or structure fires in our area… Our rescue truck and/or fire engine truck would very soon be on scene. They are also available to be on standby at certain events.

These men and women are volunteers that graciously donate their time and skill for the safety of our people and our properties. Let’s help ensure they are properly equipped in doing their jobs. Fundraisers are held throughout the year, but donations are accepted anytime. If you are unable to attend a fundraiser, please consider mailing a donation anytime of the year. The Port O’Connor Volunteer Fire Department is a non-profit organization and your donation is tax deductible.

PLEASE MAIL MONETARY DONATIONS TO:
POC VFD P.O. BOX 732 PORT O’CONNOR, TX 77982

As an avid POC VFD supporter myself, I encourage all to help support this absolute necessity of our community.
Thank You, Dawn Ragusin

The busy season has kicked off. If you haven’t been down to King Fisher Beach, you have a surprise. The cutter suction dredger “Jonathon King” was dredging and pumping the sand to give us an updated beach when an accident occurred, hitting a pipeline – so glad no one was injured. ‘THANKS” to owner and employees for this great improvement. Also we appreciate what our Commissioner Finster, helps us accomplish. The beach is fantastic; it was in good shape for the Festival and enjoyed by many. WOW!!! What a turnout for the Festival this year!

Sign Works is acknowledged for their of $86.00 donation they received from fans they furnished for children to color. The kids had a great time.

Remember Memorial Day Kids Fishing Tournament & Kite Contest on May 26th. For more information call 361-983-2898.

Let me know if I missed someone on the members list. Check us out on Facebook and Instagram.

New & Renewed Members:
Dale’s Guide Service
Hooper’s Bar & Grille
Sylvia’s Hair Salon
Cathy’s Restaurant
J & H Shrimp Store
Jack’s Car Wash
Tigrett Real Estate
Dolphin of the Bay RV Park
Port O’Connor Rod & Gun
Captain Tom Horbey
P O C Hardware & Supply
S & J R V Park & Storage Lot
John’s Fireworks Super Store
La June Pitonyak
Craig & Suzanne Williams
Marg Braudaway
Lone Star Boat Storage
All Season’s Guide Service
Family Affair Creations/
Butlers Landing
Siegeler Insurance Agency, Inc.
Captain Larry Wheeler
Inn at Clark’s/ Clark’s Docking

DEADLINE for Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce Membership Renewal

The applications for 2018 renewal applications were mailed March 1st.

I know everyone is extremely busy, but come June 1st., if membership dues have not been received, your listing on portoconnorchamber.com will be removed and your information will not be given when calls to the Chamber could be referred to you
The Chamber appreciates every member. If you need another application, just call 361-983-2898——email-361poc@gmail or go online click on join fill out application and pay online.

Thank you.
LaJune Pitonyak, Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce

Best Boiled Crawfish

The 6th Annual POC Crawfish Fest & Cookoff has come and gone, and what a HUGE event it turned out to be despite the limitations we had to work with! Being in the midst of a huge facelift, the boundaries of King Fisher Beach limited our space. However, that did not stop the large turnout. The beautiful weather contributed to the spectacular day of crawfish, beer, vendors, music, and dancing. Splindeferous and Jarrod Birmingham both put on awesome shows!! Everyone had a great time and from what we hear, can’t wait to come back next year!!!

2nd place Boiled Crawfish

3rd place Boiled Crawfish

Out of 3 teams, our winners for Best Boiled Crawfish were team Heads or Tails, Second Place Boiled Crawfish went to Wiki’s Wicked Tails, and Third Place Boiled Crawfish winner was Krew Da Cooyan. For Best Side Dish, the winner was La Famille De Ecrevisse, for the Cheesy Crawfish Etouffee. Winner of the Bloody Mary Contest also went to La Famille De Ecrevisse, and this is the 3rd time for this team winning this category, People’s Choice was awarded to Toasted Cookers, also their 4th year to win and donate their winnings to Warrior’s Weekend. Best Decorated Booth was won by the Certified Tail Pinchers. Along with the cooking contests, we also had a Crawfish Eating Contest, sponsored by POC Rod & Gun. Winners were 1st Place, Jeremy McClelland, 2nd Place Brandon Jaster, and 3rd Place Chuck Batten. From what we hear, they were some SPICY crawfish there at the end!!! A enhearten thank you to all our Judges: Doug Walker, Sonny Cook, Danny Bourg, Susan Spoor, Johanna Terry, Jeanne Eure, Robert Fudge, Anita Burdick, Dazja Upton, Jamie Diaz, Kris Gonzalez, Sharilyn Carroll, Jeanna Cates, Weselyn Gaetjen, Becky Thompson, Thomas Halliwell, Malcolm Hein, Ashley Delosantos, Lori Graf, Chuy Espinosa, and Mary Smith.

Best Side Dish

Best Bloody Mary

2nd place Crawfish Easting

3rd place Crawfish Eating

Best Decorated Booth

People’s Choice Award

During the May 1 City Meeting in Seadrift Mike Mueller was recognized for his service with the Calhoun County Independent School District. He has served ten years as a trustee. During that time he also served as president and secretary. May 13 was his last day to serve on the school board.

Mike is a long-time resident of Seadrift having lived in the area for 32 years. Along with his wife Joann, Mike enjoys spending time with family. He also loves fishing, gardening, and travel. Best wishes to you and yours, Mike!

Appreciating Mom and Dryer Sheets

Greetings from the island everyone.  I hope all of you are doing well and enjoyed a wonderful Mother’s Day with your mom this past Sunday.  Whether visiting with her in a heavenly way, or blessed to still have her in person, our moms deserve and have earned all the love and appreciation that we can give them on their special day.  I was blessed to be able to attend church and visit and have lunch with my mom, Leona, and family, and I thank God for every opportunity to be with her.  I love you, Mom.

I attended the dedication of the new POC Library a few weeks ago, and this is going to be a beautiful building and great library to enjoy.  The project is not yet completed, but everyone attending was given a walk-thru, and it’s gonna be nice.  Please support your new POC Library by purchasing a permanently laid  paver with your name inscribed. .  this is a great cause.  Contact Friends of the POC Library, 512-567-1464, for info.

I walked outside on the porch a few weeks ago, right at dark, and saw a huge fire in the middle of the bay near POC.  The flames were very high and lit up the sky.  I called my friends, Britton and Susan, and they drove down to Front Beach to determine what happened,  and they could see the sky glowing from the flames well before getting there.  The source of the fire was a dredging barge that had caught fire after rupturing an abandoned underwater natural gas pipeline during their dredging, about one mile off Front Beach.  Thankfully the crewmen were able to escape the barge and no one was injured.

On a very positive note about the dredging, the spoils from that channel project have been used to create a beautiful wide beach area for POC Front Beach.  There is now an amazing and relaxing expanded beach area for everyone, especially kids, to play and enjoy.  I walked the entire new beach area recently, and was very impressed.  This is a great addition for POC.  Thank you to everyone responsible.

I attended the Crawfish Festival this month and had a great time.  I was told that 5,000 people paid at the front gate, not counting vendors, cookers and volunteers, so there were a lot of people there.  The arrangement and setup of the festival was perfect, and the bands played great music.  Thank you to the POC Chamber of Commerce for organizing a very successful Crawfish Festival.

I ventured across to the mainland and spent a few days house/dog sitting for good friends, Karen and Leroy, earlier this month.  Corky enjoyed playing with their Rottweiler, Zoe, who I leave him to play with on some of my mainland trips.  I had forgotten how nice it was to have a clothes dryer and use those little scented sheets, making laundry smell very nice.  Those things are great!  On the island I only have  a solar powered dryer (clothes line), which works great, but doesn’t add that nice scent.
I recently submitted the paperwork to do some volunteer work at the POC Elementary School.  I had read that a gardening area project had been established for the students, and I am excited about helping out and donating seed grown island tomato plants for the kids to grow.  The idea of kids learning to be self-sufficient in this way is a wonderful thing, and a positive testament to POC Elementary’s desire to teach.  Speaking of gardening, my tomato plants are doing pretty well, I just wish that the skies would open up and deliver a few inches of much needed rain.  The watermelon and cantaloupe plants have kicked in and are doing good as well.

As with anything mechanical out here in this corrosive island environment, I’ve been having issues with my old truck.  Over time, the evil foe we islanders call rust, takes its toll on all metal parts, it is simply part of island life.

I continue to be humbled by the kind words of strangers that I meet in town, that enjoy the Island Life articles.  Thank you, Lauren Martin from Richmond, Tx.  for your appreciation of the articles.  I’ll continue to write them as long as they are enjoyed.

Well that’s it from the island for now, everyone take care and have a great day.