House Lighting Contest (Businesses Also)
in Port O’Connor

Call Beverly Clifton at 361-220-1583 tell her you are entering the contest.

Be sure to have your lights on the evenings of December 20 & 21st!

Pictured above, left to right: Naomi Albrecht, Juaniece Madden, Janice Halladay, President of Calhoun County Humane Society, and Clayton Kenne of Golden Crescent Construction.

Calhoun County Humane Society’s long-held dream is about to come true, as they broke ground November 9th for a new and larger facility to be built at 106 Haley Lane in Port Lavaca.

Helping with the ground breaking honors were two ladies of whom Port O’Connor can be particularly proud. Former residents, Naomi Albrecht and Juaniece Madden have a long history here. Both women dated their future husbands, Clarence Albrecht and Lewis Ray Madden, at the South Beach Terrace in Port O’Connor many, many years ago when their husbands ran it. Now, the two widows are the biggest contributors to the new animal shelter for Calhoun County.

OK, BOO!!!-time has come and gone. If you haven’t attended the Trunk or Treat event, you are missing out. So maybe next year you will decide to join in the fun; the givers receive more enjoyment than the receivers. This year’s entries were more than last year.

The winner of the $100.00 for best overall was Mary Ann & Norman Wade from Lorena, Texas, Congratulations!!! And thanks for joining in the fun. Thank you, Mary Francis Bauer, for making this possible.

\Dec. 2nd. is the next Chamber Sponsored Event, “Annual Lighted Boat Parade and the Chamber wants to recognize everyone who works with the Annual Toy Run They give so many children a wonderful Christmas who otherwise might not have a Christmas. This is a wonderful group of people that joined our annual boat parade, Without them this event would not be what they make it. THANKS TO ALL!!! Contact Bill Tigrett for more info–361-983-2671,

Then make sure to leave your Christmas Lights on Dec. 20 & 21st, if you want to be judged for Commercial or House Lighting and contact Beverly Clifton 361-220-1583.
The Christmas Party for the Chamber will be held on Friday Dec. 8th. By having it on Friday instead of on Monday night as in the past, we are  hoping more people will be able to join: 6 p.m.-9 p.m. at the Sanctuary at Costa Grande, Food Delights from — The Taste of Port O’Connor, Joyous songs from The Jerry James Band.

The 2018 election of directors will be held at the Party. Members only may vote, but EVERYONE is invited to be our SPECIAL GUEST. So mark your calendar.

If you are interested in being on the ballot and not a member, you can join by Nov.21st.and be on ballot. If need more info contact 361-983-2898; 361poc@gmail.com
WISHING EVERYONE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!!

Ground breaking for the new Port O’Connor Library.

The New Port O’Connor Library

On the cool and breezy morning of October 27 the Friends of The Port O’Connor Library (FPOCL) celebrated with friends, neighbors, community leaders and invited dignitaries the groundbreaking for the new POC Library. This beautiful community resource will have something for everyone. Not only will it house a large collection of books, e-books, periodicals, media, music and movies, but it will offer children, youth and adult reading areas, commuter lab access and wifi zone, large meeting space and community use room. The beautiful design allows for people of all ages and various needs to have resources and room that have been lacking in our current space. The current library space has been utilized for many years and has no room to grow. The new library building will be adjacent to the current location, with the entrance on Main Street. It will be donated to Calhoun County and remain a part of the Calhoun Library System. It will house displays of our area history, interactive learning centers, space for classes and meetings, safe and dedicated children’s space, and endless potential for personal growth and learning. The building going up on site now is the start.

The ground breaking celebration was exuberant with more than 100 neighbors and friends, several local business owners and many special guests who were instrumental in making the dream of a new library happen including Mr. Jim Stofer who generously donated 2 lots to Calhoun County for the building site through the Stofer-McNeel Trust in honor of Preston-Rose Austin, Buddy Kamin of Kamin Furniture who generously donated furniture for the comfortable reading area, county officials Nancy Pomykal (who served as Mistress of Ceremonies), Commissioner Kenny Finster’s family, County Commissioner David Hall, multiple Chamber of Commerce members and Officers, Friends of the Library Board of Directors past and present, Texas State Representative Geanie Morrison, project supporter Teek Miller plus other individuals involved and invested in the success of the new library.

Ursula Price, FPOCL President, Marie Hawes, POC Service Club, Vera Wiatt FPOCL Board, Darla Parker Chamber President, Lynn Luster, FPOCL Capital Campaign Chair, Nancy Childers who was part of the original dreamers who incorporated the FPOCL in 1988 and others led the shovel brigade as Golden (painted) shovels adorned with bows in the signature logo blue and white were enthusiastically used to toss the ceremonial shovels of dirt up symbolizing the first phase of building the new library. With a goal of a completed exterior by December 1, the work is moving forward rapidly.

While there are still some funds and gifts needed to complete the project, the progress has been amazing and the community support invaluable. Opportunities to be a part Phase 2, which will complete the new POC Library, abound. Sale of Christmas Poinsettias begins now and will be delivered Dec 1 & 2 for holiday enjoyment. Brick pavers for the entrance are available for purchase by businesses or individuals make great gifts, honorariums or memorials. The online website for ordering either of these offers a large array of options for personalizing and making the most out of your paver purchase and provides detailed information about donating. Your help is tax deductible and benefits our community. After the holidays, the FPOCL Board of Directors and community supporters will push forward to raise the remaining money and gifts needed to bring the dream into reality by Spring of 2018. Thanks to the more than 500 donors who have responded to previous fundraising with donations and in-kind donations of services such as plumbing and HVAC and landscaping. Without your generous support, the library would not be growing. If you would like to know more, please visit the website at www.friendsofportoconnorlibrary.org/donate

Be sure to go by 506 Main and see the progress often. It is our library, so don’t miss seeing it grow.

There is always a lot of talk about the ‘War on Christmas’ and let me express, I think there is one, but it does not come from the lone voices who prefer to say ‘Happy Holidays’ over ‘Merry Christmas;’ it is the corporate greed that keeps many families from enjoying the holidays with all of their loved ones.

More stores are either open on the holiday itself or they open so early after the holiday that none of those people working at the retail location can even sniff the turkey or unwrap a present before rushing out to barter with people who might knock you out over a toaster or trample you as they rush to get these one-of-a-kind bargains, that have actually caused injury and/or loss of life.

All you have to do is type ‘Black Friday’ into Google or YouTube and you will be assaulted by numerous articles and videos that describe scenes that seem straight out of a post apocalyptic film where all the food and water have run out.

The basis of the holidays, without getting into a debate about history or religion, is to love your fellow human beings and foster a brotherhood of kindness, not trample over people as if your life depended on worthless baubles that are usually no lower priced then most days the store is operating, bar those two or three ridiculously low priced wares that they have a very limited supply of to draw you in.

In October I turned forty years of age and it seems that at certain points, regardless of how young at heart you are or how progressively you think, the world seems to take on a different hue at that point, as if the world has shifted just enough to make the changes stand out.

We always recall a simpler time, which, although it was never as simple as it seemed, and the properties of childhood and youth play a part, there is an undeniable feeling that the greed at this time of year is moving upwards, while the specialness of the holidays seems to be washed away in consumerism.

Personally, for the last five years I have been alone every holiday or birthday, which may sound depressing but I stated it to make a point: How can someone who does not even get all the baubles and roast beast dinners grasp the concept of the season better than those who have the trappings of the holidays in abundance?

In my opinion, it is the fact that the very message of Christ, regardless of personal belief, was all about being humble and loving all around you. Thing is, even Jesus understood the dangers of greed and the money changers being in the temple.

So I have a strong desire to flip those tables over when I see things like one video, where a woman almost knocks over a toddler age child while attempting to pry whatever rare [sic] commodity the child had in her hands.

So there is indeed a war on for the values of the holiday season that we have come to know in the West, but I think most people might be fighting on the wrong fronts. Time to recall the true meaning and not just while watching Dickens’ A Christmas Carole.