“Beacon of Light…Anchor of the Community”

Library News:
POC Library Hours:           Phone Number: 361-983-4365
Sunday – Monday:           Closed
Tuesday – Friday:            10:30 AM  – 5:00 PM
Saturday:                     9:00 AM  – 1:00 PM

April is full of celebrations about libraries. National Library Week is April 7-13 and National Librarian Day on April 16. Both are chances to be thankful for all the knowledge available to us through libraries and the skills and knowledge librarians possess. Celebrate both with a visit to Port O’Connor’s Library Branch and express thanks to Librarian Michelle Marlin and Assistant Librarian Margaret Claiborne, the awesome ones that are always on hand to help. They are truly your “tour guides” to knowledge and information.

THANK YOU to Our April Donors
Many thanks Traci Manley of Clover Ink Services for generously donating prizes for Loteria & Linda Emery for providing the Easter themed door prize. We appreciate you!

Weekly Events: All events are free & ALL are welcome!

Wednesdays:  8:00-9:00 AM – Coffee & Conversation –
Join us for a “grande” time where every coffee break brews camaraderie!
9:30–10:30 AM – Bingo – The fun follows the 8 AM coffee event every Wednesday!  Special thanks to the generosity of the noted sponsors:
April 3rd:   sponsored by Trinity Shores
April 10th:  sponsored by Bethany Senior Living
April 17th:  sponsored by Harbor Hospice
April 24th:  sponsored by Victoria Hospice
Note: LOTERIA (Mexican Bingo) to follow bingo.

1:00-3:30 PM – Mah Jongg – Fun Fact: Mah Jongg Etiquette states when throwing tiles into the central pool, do not aggressively toss it. Some players might take offense to it.

Thursdays: 1:00-3:30 PM – Bridge – Get ready to deal with aces of spades and bridges of puns – it’s time for a card party!

Friends of the POC Library:

Our programs offer the community an informational, entertaining, or cultural experience, and they reflect the broad range of community interests.  All Library programs are free and open to the public. Please join us!
Mark your calendar for Saturday, June 29th!  The Capital Campaign Kick Off and Friends of Port O’Connor Library Branch will have the annual meeting. More details to come at a later date.

The Friends hosted an amazing, memorable Children’s Program on April 6th! The combination of creating edible flower pots, crafting, and planting real flowers was such an educational, fun and enriching experience for the kids. And to top it off, they were able to take home their own plants. What a wonderful, interactive way to encourage a love for nature and gardening! Holistic programs like this are so engaging with hands-on activities for children, and will, hopefully, inspire a lifelong appreciation for plants and the environment in the young participants.

Super Saturday Children’s Program
• May 11, End of the Year Party, 10:00 – 11:30

Tori Haynes provided a thorough overview of the Powderhorn Wildlife Management Area and discussed the diverse habitats in the significant span of acreage. So many folks were definitely interested in next month’s tours.

Adult Programs:

April 20 & 21, Saturday and Sunday – Behind the Gates of Powderhorn (Important Note: The Powderhorn tour is a continuation of the March meeting. The Only participants will be those who have already signed up and attended the March Adult Program)

Submitted by Darla Miles
Friends of the Port O’ Connor Library, Publicity Committee/Historian
www.friendsofportoconnorlibrary.org
Facebook Page: Friends of the Port O’Connor Library, Inc.

March’s book club meeting proved to be as entertaining as its book was suspenseful. Twenty-one ladies showed up to discuss Lee Child’s Killing Floor and many agreed that it was an enjoyable read.
Many thanks to the month’s hostesses: Kim Ballard, Amber Gustainis, Melanie Martinez, Kathleeen Simmons and Beth Smith. All certainly enjoyed the diner fare represented in the book: chicken and waffles with maple syrup, deviled eggs, BLT sandwiches, apple pie with ice cream, and a multitude of beverages.

April’s Hooked on Books meeting took members back in time to Oklahoma during the 1920s. Hostesses Darla Miles, Cindy Fitzgerald, Kristina Lewis, Rebecca Allen, and Cindy Boone welcomed guests into a home decorated like a crime scene which set the tone to evaluate David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. Indeed, the hostesses created a unique and thought-provoking setting to effectively delve into the harrowing true story of the Osage Indian murders and the newly-formed FBI, making the “crime scene” fitting.

Book club members are always delighted to see one another each month and look for decorations and food that can be correlated to the book. The hostesses did not disappoint! Attention to detail in the decorations reflected a deep engagement with the themes and subject matter of the book. Skull and crossbones markers surrounding food gave us pause. The decorative napkins resembling one-hundred dollar bills served as a stark reminder of the greed and exploitation that drove the atrocities committed against the Osage Indians. The tablecloth adorned with bloody handprints served as a poignant symbol of the violence and guilt associated with atrocious acts. The crime scene tape trimming the room signaled a commitment to addressing difficult questions and exploring the historical context of the crimes against the Osage Indians.

Overall, the stage was set for a powerful, thought-provoking and impactful discussion. Evidently, our book club has some true crime fans who were deeply engaged in the implications and details of the book. All attendees had the opportunity to contribute their thoughts and insights. We agreed it was a compelling tale that explores not only the murders themselves, but also greed, wealth, conspiracy, racism, and the early days of the FBI.

The next Hooked on Books meeting will be held on May 14th at 2:00 p.m. and our designated book is Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Check your email for location details. If you would like to join “Hooked On Books,” please email your contact information to alanehaardt@yahoo.com. All are welcome!

April’s Book Club Attendees

Weekly Events:
Wednesdays: 8:00 am-9:00 am Coffee & Conversation at POC Library
Wednesdays: 9:30-10:30 am Bingo followed by Loteria
Wednesdays: 4:30 pm Boy Scouts meet at Scout Hall in Seadrift
Wednesdays: 1:00-3:30 Mah Jongg, POC Library
Thursdays: POC Bridge at Library 1:00-3:00 pm
Saturdays: 7:00 pm Friends of Bill W at First Baptist Church POC
Monthly Meetings:
2nd Monday Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce
6:00 pm Port O’Connor Library
3rd Wednesday Seadrift Chamber of Commerce
6:00 pm Seadrift Train Depot
3rd Thursday POC Water Board Meeting
1:00 pm 39 Denman Drive
1st Saturday Roll Off Bin
8-2 or until full Behind the POCID office

Sat., April 27 Crawfish Festival King Fisher Beach, POC
Sat., April 27 Bay Praise -Seadrift
6:00 pm Pavilion near the harbor boat launch
Tues., April 30 TPWD Public use of Powderhorn State Park info
6:00 -7:30 pm Port O’Connor Library
Sat., May 4 School Board Election
7 am-7 pm Seadrift City Hall
Sat., May 4 Seadrift Council Election
7 am-7 pm Seadrift City Hall
Mon., May 6 Republican Club 6:00 pm Drifters Hall, Port Lavaca
Tues. May 7 Bunco 6:30 pm POC Community Center
Tues., May 7 Democratic Club 6:00 pm Port Lavaca Library
Thurs., May 9 Meet Purple Heart Warriors Late Afternoon 5D Restaurant in POC
Sat., May 11 Farmers Market 8:00-Noon King Fisher Beach Pavilion
Sat., May 11 Childrens’s End of the Year Party 10:00-11:30 Port O’Connor Library
Tues., May 14 Hooked on Books Club
2:00 pm alanehaardt@yahoo.com

Sunrise Service
March 31, 2024
EASTER SUNDAY
King Fisher Beach
Port O’Connor
7:00 a.m.

Zae Graves is a queen… a beauty queen! She doesn’t live in a castle, but she does live with her parents Sam and Heather along with her brother Hudsen and numerous pets. She is fourteen years old, is home-schooled, and lives in the Seadrift area. Home-schooling appears to be a family tradition as Zae’s dad Sam was home-schooled and her brother is as well.

On February 10th Zae won the title of “Junior Teen Texas.” Zae had several perfect scores when the judges interviewed her. At the end of July Zae will go to Florida to compete in the Regency International Pageant. She will be representing Texas and competing with girls from all over the world!

Because Zae holds the title of “Junior Teen Texas” she wants to use it as a platform to help the community. Zae and her dad are building “Blessing Boxes” which are wooden boxes that hold food items, toiletries, baby, and pet items that are free to those that need them. The boxes are located at places which are easily accessible to the public. They are constructed with lots of love! It’s as Zae says, “I do the “Blessing Box” because it’s good for the community and it makes me feel good to be able to help people out.”

Zae has been involved with other community events starting with toy drives, serving food at Wounded Warrior Weekends, and handing out candy at Seadrift’s Trunk or Treat Halloween event.

This past year Zae and her family took it upon themselves to hand out at the beginning of the school year eighteen backpacks with all the supplies in them. At Thanksgiving last year, they gave away food boxes to five families. In conclusion Zae had this to say, “I would like to thank the community for all their help and encouragement in helping me get to where I am now.” -Tanya DeForest

A Blessing Box