Michael Cloud, Candidate for the 27th Congressional District will speak to the Republican Club on Monday, May 7, 6:15pm, at Grace Episcopal Parish Hall, corner of Guadalupe and Austin St (Hwy 238), Port Lavaca.

The Republican Club has changed from lunch to dinner meetings. Meal is catered by local caterer, Patricia Smith Massey. Enjoy a delicious home cooked meal with dessert. Coffee and tea are included. Cost of meal is $11.00.per person. Dinner from 5pm – 6pm. ONLY BY RESERVATION.

Reservations are required for dinner: Please contact Lisa Peterson, 552-6313, or Connie Hunt, 552-0917, NO LATER THAN April 27 if you plan to have dinner. No meal will be served without a timely reservation. Public is invited. (no charge for coffee or tea)

The last six years or so, I’ve written about Spring in terms of being a time of renewal and re-birth, a time for change and starting over. It’s just a pity that this includes contemplating owning two new brand new smart phones in as many months.

Now don’t get me wrong, I think people today may be getting too attached to their phones and other electronics. It does not mean I do not see how such technological marvels actually can improve life a bit.

In terms of smart phones that means on the spot weather updates, being able to see if a product is worth it’s price in physical retail locations and many other features like a flashlight, camera and even being able to read millions of books on the go.

Problem is the exact same dilemma that has popped up across the computing market even before Apple was even a company and computers themselves, especially of the ‘home computing’ variety did not even have monitors or screens…once you buy any computing device it will soon be made obsolete by the next model. And if you have to buy a ‘budget’ device, you are already halfway behind in the race to stay relevant with your purchase from the time you break the seal on it’s packaging.

In this case it is the phone’s ‘internal memory’ that is the issue. Put plainly, for most of those flashlights, maps, coupons and other electronic Swiss Army Knife functions, that is where they are stored. So as this phone only has a small amount of internal memory, after it updates out of the box there is only enough room for about four of my ‘essential’ twenty or so apps I like to keep handy.

Now let me be fair, this was indeed a budget model phone, being a generous gift from a close friend when I was between jobs after Christmas, but the phone itself cost around ninety dollars with tax and on top of that there was also a twenty-five dollar fee to switch my account from my old phone to this one.

Point is, that is indeed over a hundred dollars, and even though a hundred dollars certainly does not have the buying power it did twenty years ago, it is still a decent amount of money and you would expect the item purchased to be able to perform the functions it was made for.

Being at the very least slightly tech savvy, I realize that part of the reason it may have such little internal memory is to cut costs, but to me this is like a used car lot selling a car the dealer knows won’t last more than a month before it breaks down, but sells it anyway. Most people would call that a crooked deal and it is ironic how the computing industry gets away with it daily, and as it effects so many with smart phones being in the hands of everyone from grandma to the great grand kids, it is surely one of the great consumer swindles of the twenty-first century.

Silver Medal Winner Abygail Gonzales

TNT Elite Gymnasts
Last month, the TNT Elite competitive gymnastics team traveled to World Champions Centre (home of Simone Biles) in Spring, Texas. There was 980 total gymnasts who attended this meet over the past 4 days, some traveled from all over. Teams from Mexico, Dubai, Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi and more were there. Each child met Simone Biles herself, as she was the one who handed out the awards. Our teams competed well, bringing home an 11th, 5th and a 1st place team award. TNT levels competed were levels 1-4 and Xcel.

“We are so proud of our 7 yr. old daughter Abygail Gonzales, a level 3 gymnast at TNT Elite Gymnastics for coming in 2nd place receiving a silver medal on the Beam during the Simone Biles meet. Simone Biles handed out all the All Around Medals to each one of the gymnast.

It is so exciting to have one of our own Port O Connor children to be able to meet her idol. Abygail says, “ meeting Simone Biles makes me want to work even harder to be able to go to the Olympics and win Gold just like her.” This makes us very proud parents that she has dreams and will be working hard to get where she wants to go.

Mommy and Daddy love you so much.”
Kimberley & Tim Gonzales

Congratulations to Mckaelyn Carriles and Team Southern Swing 15 on winning 1st place in the Southern Swing Classic #4 tournament on 3/3/18.

Congratulations, Kyndra and team Anna on winning 1st place Southern Swing Spring League Tournament on 3/6/18.

Ahhhh! The warm, windy season of Summer on the coast is just around the corner! Although we all love the sunny, breezy days, we will be looking for shady places where we can escape the heat and burn from over exposure.

Awnings on our RV’s are a great addition to provide shade from too much sun!

Awnings, by definition: A roof like cover extending over a window, door or deck to provide shelter from the sun or rain.! Note, it Does Not include Wind in this definition!

Wind is definitely high on the “enemy” list for awnings! Rain is actually a bit of a stretch, as gusting winds often accompany the rain!

“Do’s and Don’ts” for Awning use and care:

Never, Never leave your RV with an awning extended!
If you make a dash to the market, retract it!
If you go to the neighbors for a cook out, retract it!
If you are heading to bed, retract it!

Take that 2-3 minutes and retract it Every Time. We are on the coast, thunderstorms and wind speeds can pop up in a matter of minutes and by the time it wakes you up, your awning may be on top of your RV, ripped down or draped over your neighbors RV. It only takes a a 10-12 mph wind a few seconds to totally destroy an awning! Those few minutes you take to protect your awning can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars to replace it, depending on the type of awning you have. When you extend your awning, let one outside corner droop slightly. If you should get caught in a rain shower, this canted corner will allow water to run off and not collapse the supports or rip the awning cover. Some awnings cannot be canted, making it more important to retract them quickly if wind or rainstorm approaches.

There are all manner of tie downs, straps, stakes and de-flapper clamps on the market. These items may help to stabilize and reduce awning noise. They will not protect it from gusty high winds.

Tie downs should Not Be Used on electric or scissor frame supported awnings!

Care of your awning will extend it’s life. Keep moving parts clean and lubricated. Check awning supports for any bends or cracks. Make sure it is secured correctly before travel. Keep it clean by washing it with a soft brush and a low suds cleaner designed for the awning fabric. Rinse it thoroughly. Check the labels when shopping for a cleaner!! Some, not all cleaners have a UV protective additive to help prevent sun damage. Allow it to dry before retracting for storage.

If you have questions or need additional information, please call 361-524-8707 or stop by T&A RV, 1660 Lane Road, Tuesday through Saturday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
T&A RV, Home of Timeless RVs by T&A, 361-524-8707

The Recycle Bin is back in Port O’Connor, located at the Precinct 4 barn across from the bank.

ACCEPTABLE ITEMS:
Plastics – #1-5 & 7 — Rinsed and lids removed (lids can be recycled but leave them OFF the bottles)
Paper – White, colored, magazines, catalogs, newspapers, junk mail, and food/drink boxes. NOTE: NO SHREDDED PAPER ALLOWED.
Corrugated Cardboard – MUST be cut to 2’ x 2’ size. PLEASE DO NOT STUFF LARGE PIECES OF CARDBOARD.
Metal — Tin and Aluminum cans ONLY – RINSED
UNACCEPTABLE ITEMS:
Liquids
Garbage/Household garbage
Glass
Styrofoam (No cups or plates, NO SONIC, WHATABURGER, etc or SOLO cups)
Plastic Shopping/Trash Bags (NO BAGS OF ANY KIND)
Toys
Shredded Paper
Light Bulbs
Motor Oil/Herbicide/Insecticide containers
Food Contaminates (No pizza boxes or To-Go food boxes)
Hard Back Books
Tools
Clothing
Shoes
Clothes Hangers (metal or plastic)
Other metals
Electronics, Appliances, or Parts
PVC Pipe, Wood, and Window Blinds