Still attempting to recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey, the City of Seadrift was hit with another major blow on March 29th. In the early morning hour, a tornado touched down, destroying 10 structures and damaging twenty-four.

A Helping Hand

Pictured above (left to right): Kathy Wilson (Rockport United Methodist Church), Leslie Machiavelli (Mayor of Point Comfort), Signy Sizer (Port Lavaca United Methodist Church).

In the wake of the tornado, Leslie Machicek, the Mayor of Point Comfort, brought three men from Point Comfort’s City Crew to
help the Seadrift City Crew and the Solid Waste Crew with recovery efforts. Kathy Wilson and her husband from Rockport United Methodist Church provided Wal-Mart gift cards for anyone in need. Signy Sizer from Port Lavaca United Methodist Church came with food for First Responders and those affected by the storm.

Well, it is just my opinion, but I think the dredging is a great thing. I was down at the beach this week and walked the whole distance from retaining wall to jetty and took lots of pictures. I stopped and talked to the foreman on the work team from RLB Construction in Port Lavaca and he was so friendly and full of information.

So, in the simplest terms, here is what I know. The Army Corp of Engineers, a US government agency dedicated to environmental sustainability, was awarded a contract to dredge the POC near-side of the channel known as the Intracoastal Waterway or ICW.

They have contracts all over, and several after our storm and hurricane season. Here, they only have a contract for the near or Port O’Connor side only at this date.
Large dredging equipment much like a huge vacuum on the big barge anchored out in the water vacuums up sludgy sand from the floor of the channel near the edge to maintain the channel depth and keep silt and scrap from washing into the channel during weather and tide changes.

This sandy mixture is pumped through large metal pipes to the POC beachfront where the contracted team from RLB moves and spreads the sandy mixture across the beach area expanding the sandy beach area and improving the existing beach front. These teams of workers are on rotating continuous shifts for at least a month and likely a bit more to complete this large project. The pumped up sand will be spread from the jetties up past the pier to in front of the retaining wall. Additional sandy beach area will result from their efforts.

The force of the sand being pumped to the beach from out in the channel can be high, so they have fenced off the area for protection. You can still safely use parts of the beach front and the park area during this work, and it is very interesting to see their progress. The only moving or mechanical equipment involved is the vacuum tubing which is monitored by two boats working in conjunction with the large barge housing the equipment.

It would be unusual for marine life to be harmed during this process. The sand may contain plant and animal life normal to the ocean bottom and may be pumped up on the beach and could cause a briny smell temporarily. Small crabs and other critters will soon adapt or relocate if they get caught in the move.

I will say that it was quite windy one day I was there and warm and calm the other; and neither day was there a bad or bothersome odor at the beach. It smelled like the ocean.

If, when the near side is done, the channel needs dredged on the far or opposite side, an additional contract will be negotiated. The noise, the orange fencing, the crew parking and buildings are all temporary and part of the process.

I found the guys working hard to finish in a timely manner and very interested in doing a great job for POC. They were very aware of our upcoming Crawfish Festival and had plans to limit their intrusion on beach use and activities in POC.

So, go by to have a look at what they are doing and get yourself a new sand pail for castle building because very soon we will have the new and improved Kingfisher Beach in Port O’Connor, Texas.

DREDGING UPDATE:

-Photo by Susan Braudaway

As this paper was about to go to press, the dredge barge struck a gas line and ignited (Tuesday night). There were no injuries and the gas line has been secured. We do not know how this will affect the completion of the dredging operation.

They Were There For You…

Will You Be There For Them?
Port O’Connor is proud to host Warrior’s Weekend, providing a time of relaxation and fellowship to hundreds of servicemen/women who fought for us in the War Against Terror. There are not enough motel rooms to accommodate them all, so we are asking YOU: Can you provide housing for some of these wounded heroes and their families? Almost any type of space is welcomed: entire house, bunk house, upstairs or downstairs  arrangement, guest room, etc.
Warrior’s Weekend in Port O’Connor is May 18-20
Contact the folks at Tigrett Real Estate for more information.
Time is short. Can you be there for them?
361-983-2671    bill@tigrett.com

Windy Days On The Island

Greetings from the island everyone. I hope all of you are doing well and not getting blown away in these strong south winds we have been having lately. And then Mother Nature reminds us that Spring is not officially here yet, by blowing in a few strong northers lately, with winds 25-35 mph. These winds make for a very rough bay, and I’ve gotta use caution when I need to go across to the mainland.

The winds and weather cooperated a few weeks ago, and I was blessed with an island visit from some of the family. My younger sister and nephew from California, Darla and Stevie, and my Seadrift sister, Sherry, along with family friend, Eddie Ray, ventured out for a day trip. It was nice to visit with them and show them around the island house to see the recent changes and improvements that have been made. I hope they will come back soon, and bring Mom and Dad with them.

The tomato plants are all in the ground, 18 total and 5 different varieties, and they are doing very well. I’m having to keep them covered on some of these very windy days until they get stronger.

I’m very glad I had all of them covered two weeks ago when a really bad storm blew across the island at 2:00 am, with west winds easily 60-70 mph. Several places out here suffered roof damage and debris was blown everywhere. It was one of those unexpected severe Spring storms that occasionally happen.

The chickens are continuing to lay very well, averaging 12-14 eggs from the sixteen hens I have. I’ve also started getting 2-3 guinea eggs per day recently, a nice addition to the egg supply. Most people aren’t familiar with guinea eggs, and my Sunday morning breakfast group scoffed at trying them, so I gave a dozen to my friend, Earl, who loved them. He sent me a message a few days later asking to borrow a sledge hammer to break them open though, because guinea eggs are very tough shelled and require a stern whack to break them open.

I went across the bay just before sunup on April 1 to attend the Sunrise Service on Front Beach. It was a beautiful morning as I sat with friends Britton and Susan and enjoyed the amazing sunrise and inspiring service. It was a great turnout and I plan on making it a yearly tradition to attend.

My first hummingbird showed up at the island house a few weeks ago, feeding on the nectar from pretty Lantana flowers. I now have several hummers feeding on the flowers and at a feeder hanging by the porch. This beautiful Lantana bush started growing on its own without me planting it, I’m guessing the result of a bird “depositing” seeds in that spot one day last year. I’m happy to have it growing.

I want to say thank you to Ms. Donnelley from Sugar Land, TX., whom I met in Cathy’s restaurant, for her kind words and enthusiasm about the Island Life monthly articles. The primary reason that I continue to write these articles and share my island experiences, as boring as they often may be, is because of the continued appreciation of the Dolphin Talk readers in reading them. Thank you.

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