My neighbors Parker and Patty are always telling me how proud they are to be a part of Port O Connor, Texas. They say it is a great community and so friendly. Recently, like most of POC, they have had lots of company. Vacationing family, fishing friends and Fourth of July guests have kept them hopping. They found themselves with lots of work to get ready and stay ready for all the visitors. Mowing lawns, weeding flowerbeds, prepping guest beds and cooking were tasks that took time and the rainy time made it tough.

One week they had more jobs than time. Parker and Patty needed to be at a church function the same time they needed to start a promised shrimp boil for visiting family. Their young neighbor, a single dad with lots of ‘jobs’ of his own, volunteered to help out. He helped mow the lawn and tend the flower beds the day before the cookout. Then he came to their house the night of the cookout and helped again. He graciously started the fire, seasoned and tended the boiling pot, even started the veggies so that Patty and Parker could arrive home at the last minute to cook shrimp and serve their guests. He asked for no compensation, was a perfect gentleman, and made their job so much easier just by lending a hand.

Neighbors are one of the things that make our small community so special and unique. Lending a helping hand, sharing a cup of sugar or needed egg, looking out for them, looking in on them when they need it…these are just some of the ways we can be neighborly. If you haven’t had a chance to reach out to your neighbors, be they full time or weekenders, make time to be friendly. There are lots of places where you can be anonymous, faceless and know no one. This is not one of them. It is the best of small community America.

With all that is going on in our country, being friendly, treating those around us like neighbors, is more important than ever. We all need to find a way to reach out and get in touch with those around us. It makes a house a home and a town a community, and it just might make a stranger a neighbor and a neighbor a friend. Try it! You will be glad you did!

Calhoun County Republican Headquarters is located on Hwy 35 in Port Lavaca (Russell Cain Real Estate).
The headquarters has just sold out of Trump caps, but has buttons, bumper stickers and yard signs for sale. Proceeds will be applied to local GOP candidates’ campaigns.

You are encouraged to stop buy and support the Republican candidates.

Republican Club To Meet

The Calhoun County Republican Club will meet on Monday, August 1st at Beijing Buffet on Highway 35 in Port O’Connor at 11:30 a.m. If you wish to eat lunch, come a little early so you can get your meal before the meeting starts.

All interested persons are welcome to attend.

Family Says Thank You
Words cannot express our gratitude for all of the food, flowers, kind words, and prayers that were sent during our loss!

Thank you Jim and Mary Frances Bauer for the 10th Street Lodge where our  family from Alabama stayed and felt so very welcome!

Thank you to the FBC church family  who worked behind the scenes, either at the church preparing the church for the funeral, those  who readied the food after the services for everyone, and cleaned up.

Thank you to those who set up and cleaned up at the cemetery both days!

Thank you all so very much! Your kindness and support make POC the great place Tommy loved so much!

Brenda, Renee, and family

Warrior’s Weekend

Another successful Warriors Weekend has come and gone and sharing so many good stories about many good things that happened that weekend are so fun to hear!!! I’m so proud of the community that my husband and I live in and how so many rallied to make a special weekend for so many.

I wanted to share a story about one of our local business owner’s, Donnie Kloesel, who owns POC Rod and Gun. I took a warrior named Lilly, (who could not fish at the last moment because of back issues) into his store as she wanted a Yetti cup like the one I was using. Donnie was so very kind and generous to her and really went out of his way to make her feel special. He is truly a kind man and I wanted to publicly thank him for what he did for Lilly and probably other warriors as well that had the pleasure of meeting him.

Cindy Hanson

New Historical Fiction About Indianola

My latest historic fiction, The Doctor’s Wife, is now available. It is the story of Amelia Anton, a teacher who leaves Germany in 1845 on an immigrant ship bound for Texas. After the death at sea of the child she is hired to tutor, her employer abandons her. Amelia quickly accepts the marriage proposal of the much-respected shipboard physician, Joseph Stein, only to discover that he is not the husband she expected.

Dr. Stein takes Amelia to the temporary settlement on Matagorda Bay where hundreds of disease-ridden Germans huddle in tents—stranded during the Mexican-American War—waiting for wagons to transport them inland. This story of heartache, betrayal, and business success of Amelia and Dr. Stein is woven into the struggle of the Germans who choose to remain on that barren shell beach and create the burgeoning seaport of Indianola. The village flourishes as the jumping off place for dreamers heading to the California gold fields. The U.S. Army, destined for military posts as far west as El Paso, land personnel and equipment at the piers stretching into the shallow bay. Hundreds of freighters from the mines in Chihuahua, Mexico, haul silver to the port for shipment to the mint in New Orleans.

The Doctor’s Wife is a prequel to Stein House, my award-winning historic fiction that continues the story of Amelia and Dr. Stein as they welcome Amelia’s sister Helga and her family to Indianola in 1853. The family saga–tragedy of slavery and yellow fever, alcoholism and murder, and the choices presented by the Civil War and Reconstruction–continues until the final storm turns Indianola into a ghost town.

The Doctor’s Wife is ready on Amazon for pre-orders in softcover and e-book. If you prefer a signed copy, I expect a shipment next Thursday. I hope you will write a review of The Doctor’s Wife on Amazon and/or Goodreads.

Myra McIlvain

Editor’s Note: Ms. McIlvain will be at the Sept. 17 Authors’ Dinner sponsored by Friends of the Port O’Connor Library.

Feedback Wanted

I noticed this article in the Dallas Morning News. It has a big impact on homeowners in Calhoun County.

In exchange for a 10-25% discount (depending on the county) a policy holder gives up all rights to sue their insurer.

While insurers say there would be a choice of coverage, there is also wording that in certain counties, this might be the only policy available.
The Texas Department of Insurance wants feedback. You can access their link on the Dolphin’s web site: http://www.dallasnews.com/investigations/watchdog/20160610-watchdogwould-you-give-up-your-rights-for-an-insurance-discount.ece

Amy Severson

Shrimpfest Thank You
On behalf of the Seadrift Chamber of Commerce Officer’s, we would like to “Thank” all our 2016 Shrimpfest sponsors, folks that donated to fishing raffle, and volunteers! With your partnership & support, our 2016 Shrimpfest was a success and an annual event to promote bay living for Seadrift and the Gulf Coast community. We did this as a team!

Sponsors:
American Classifieds
Barefoot Guide Service
Bay Flats Lodge
Bayside Express
Beacon 7 RV Park
Charlie’s Bait Camp
Chunky Monkey’s Seafood
City Of Seadrift
Coastline Trailer Mfg. Co.
Del Papa Distributing
Dick’s Food Store
Dow
First National Bank – Seadrift
First United Methodist
Church
GBRA
Haynie Custom Bay Boats/
JC Custom Boats Inc.
HEB
Kyle & Debi Holz
Leo Anger Inc.
Port Lavaca Auto Group
Precision Accessory
Seadrift Coke L.P.
Shoalwater Boats
Taurus Services LLC
TechStar
Testengeer Inc.
Transport Boats
Victoria Web Design
Wavenet Wireless
Donated Items to Fishing Tournament Raffle:
B&B Charcoal
Benji Ondreas
Bubbas Restaurant
Eichhorn, Gonzales, & Miller Jewelry
Froggie’s
Gray’s Guide Service
La Antigua Mexican Restaurant
La Terraza Mexican Grill
Lawless Group/Weatherguard
Manny Villarreal- Atzenhoffer
N@M Sportsman Adventures
Ondreas Custom Jewelry
Poco Loco Lodge
Port O Connor Rod and Gun
Precision Accessory
Pumphouse Restaurant
Rohe Builders
Shellfish
ShrimpShack
Sonic Drive-In
Testengeer/Taurus
Toyota of Victoria
Transport Boats
VCS/Rocket Oilfield
Victoria All Sports
Waterloo Rods

Thanks Again,
Kristine Metcalfe, President of Seadrift Chamber of Commerce

The Dolphin welcomes letters from our readers on any subject that is of general interest to our audience. Letters should be 300 words or less (with exceptions at the Dolphin’s discretion). Letters reflect the opinion of the writer, and not that of Dolphin Talk staff, and we retain the right to determine suitability for publication. It is the policy of this newspaper to promote area interests: therefore, complaints against local businesses should be directed elsewhere. Letters must be signed and include day and evening phone numbers, which will not be published. Your name will be withheld upon request, but anonymous material will not be considered for publication.

Letters to the Dolphin
P.O. Box 777 Port O’Connor, TX 77982 dolphin1@tisd.net

Friends of the Port O’Connor Library Officers
L to R: Paula McCauley, Secretary; Barbara Crouch, Treasurer;
Judy Whitworth, President; Joanie Morgan, Vice-President

Submitted by Virginia Dell Lichac

The annual meeting on Saturday, June 25 went well with 22 library lovers in attendance.  Our County Commissioner, Kenny Finster, gave “Friends” a “thumbs up” on our progress so far.  Judy Whitworth, Joanie Morgan, Paula McCauley, and Barbara Crouch were reelected as President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer in that order.  Judy gave a thorough update on what has happened in the last year and what we have planned for 2016-2017.

The second annual dinner with Texas Authors is scheduled at the Sanctuary at Costa Grande Saturday, September 17 from 6-9 pm.  Tickets are available online at www.friendsofportoconnorlibrary.org or by calling Joanie at 979.249.7223.  Hooper’s Bar and Grill will again sponsor the Chili/Gumbo Cook-off to benefit the library on Saturday, October 22.  An exciting fundraising event for “Friends” will happen on Saturday, November 12 which will have a Veteran’s Day theme.   This is being organized by the Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce and the Community Service Club and will be held at the Community Center Pavilion.  There will be a silent auction at all three of these events and we welcome donations from the community.  Our first Poinsettia sale was such a hit and successful fundraiser in 2015 that we will again have lots of these lovely flowers for sale late November to decorate POC homes for Christmas.

So “Friends” wishes everyone a safe and happy summer and be sure to look for more news as we move into another year of planning a bigger and better Library for our community!

Tickets Available Now for the Friends of the Port O’Connor Library
Annual Dinner with Texas Authors
September 17, 2016
The Sanctuary at Costa Grande
Casual Coastal Attire – Adults Only – Tickets $40.00
By Online www.friendsofportoconnorlibrary.org
Or Call Joanie Morgan 979-249-7223

You are invited to enjoy a Seadrift Family Fun Day on Saturday, July 23, from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. in the Seadrift Civic Center on Main Street, Seadrift. This is a time give the community an opportunity to socialize in an air conditioned space to beat the heat!!

Local businesses are also encouraged to participate. There will be a variety of vendors as well as the Seadrift Police Department hosting a child safety fingerprinting program. Visit the facebook event page for updates as more is added in the upcoming weeks: https://www.facebook.com/events/529032297279987/

FREE ADMISSION! Free WIFI at the event sponsored by TISD.NET.

There are still opportunities to host a Vendor space – $50 to advertise your business and interact with families as they attend the event in person from 10am -3pm. Event sponsorship – $100 will have your business name/logo added to the event page as an event sponsor and your business flyers /banner handed out or displayed at the event by the event host. This does not require a business representative; your business is represented without your presence required – a great way to advertise your business!

Contact Lisa Harris-Mclean at Lmclean1967@yahoo.com or call 361-648-6782. This is event is hosted by D.I.V.A. /Lisa Harris-Mclean – Program teaching Women & Teen/Tween girls to be D.I.V.A.s = Dream-Inspire-Volunteer-Achieve. www.teencoachdiva.com