Attention Port O’Connor Water & Sewer Customers: It’s Trash Day Saturday, October 3 2015.

A 30 cubic yard roll-off bin will be located behind the fence on 16th & Harrison for POCID customers’ bulky waste to be hauled off. The bin will be there for one day, on Saturday, October 3, 2015. The bin will be used from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. POCID customers only may deposit large items like carpet, furniture, matress, stove, etc. Auto batteries may be left outside the bin.
POCID Customers must sign in with their name and POC physical address.

NO COMMERCIAL WASTE, this is for residential waste only. NO PAINT, TIRES, GAS CANS OR ANY UNACCEPTABLE WASTE IN THE BIN.

My neighbors Parker and Patty are always telling me how proud they are to be a part of Port’OConnor, Texas. They say it is a great community and so friendly.

The kids were here recently and the whole family went down to the Rod and Gun Shop to renew their hunting and fishing licenses. They love to hunt almost as much as they love to fish, and the season opens real soon. Patty’s dad taught all of his grandchildren, both boys and girls, to hunt at the family farm when they were young. The kids got to talking about hunting with Grandee, their granddad. He was a good teacher, but Patty’s son had a funny story about his first hunt with Grandee.

One morning, they got up early and drove to the deer blind hoping to get a young deer for the freezer. Grandee began telling Perry, his grandson to ‘watch yonder, keep an eye out yonder, aim yonder, deer bed down yonder…” Perry really tried hard to focus, and watch and be ready. Once or twice, Perry tried to ask Grandee a question but was quickly silenced and told to ‘keep tabs on yonder’ for the big deer they wanted. They sat silent and excited, but at only 9 years old, it was a long morning for Perry. Eventually, Perry shot his first deer that morning, and Grandee was so happy and proud, but it took a long time and they were tired and hungry when they got home. Patty met them at the door to hear about the hunt. Perry looked down, looked away, sheepishly looked around and finally said, ‘Mom, it was really hard. It took me most of the morning just to figure out where yonder was. I didn’t know where Grandee’s ‘yonder’ was located. I never heard of ‘yonder.’ Grandee and Patty both laughed and reassured young Perry that he did fine and yonder was wherever Grandee said.

As they recounted the story, the other kids all chimed in quickly. They all had to learn about what they lovingly called ‘grandeeisms.’ His words for things were not always familiar. Yonder was just one of them. He had lots! He used to tell them they could get glad in the same britches they got mad. He said things like ‘good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise; straighten up and fly right; fish or cut bait; jerk a knot it your tail; mess up a one car parade; go round and round and you, and you buttoned up the wrong pile’ when correcting his grands.

He described things with sayings that they did not know when offering advice. Sayings like ‘not hit with an ugly stick but struck with the whole tree; busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest or one armed paper hanger; do one legged ducks swim in circles; whose herding this mule; that dog won’t hunt; stink a dog off of a gut wagon; clear as mud and nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers’ were just some of the mysteries of Grandee’s wisdom and wit. A few were clearer, and no one questioned him. He’d say ‘poor folks got poor ways, and wonder what poor folks are doing tonight,’ but was not referring to money usually. He would tell them the dinner was larrupin’ when it was great, and tell them something whispered was ‘just between you, me and the fencepost or the good Lord’ depending on the content. The grands all agreed they were grown and on their own before they quit believing him when he would say ‘be quiet kids, you’ll scare away every fish in the water’. They were not sure where he learned his many sayings, but several of his 8 brothers and sisters also had more sayings than you could shake a stick at. It must have run in the family. They sheepishly admit it still does. Some are still in use when they all get together. They just laughed, and then cried a little remembering their granddad and all he had taught them. They all agreed it sure would be good to see him again…‘over yonder.’

I’ve just had the pleasure of reading many of Vince Flynn’s books although not in any kind of order, and all starring Mitch Rapp, a trained assassin of the CIA. Each of Flynn’s stories have a plot that is totally current; characters so alive they seem to be drawn with a fine lead pencil; his research is impeccable on countries and rulers, their laws and geography that gives an ability to write of men and women of Saudi or France or even Switzerland or Bosnia. These books are just overall winners that do appeal to either a masculine or feminine reader that like a strong plot and character.

Sadly Flynn has succumbed to cancer at a very early age; this bright and talented man is gone, and now there will be no more exciting books unless another writer, such as has been done with Robert Parker, pick up that heavy pen. Hopefully that may happen; to lose Mitch Flynn now would be tragic.

Another writer on a totally different scale is Dorothea Benton Frank who writes of the country she has lived and continues to live in. Charleston, South Carolina is a very unusual area, full of history and beautiful homes and extraordinarily friendly residents who spot you walking down the street and stop to speak to you and tell you of another area you must see. Ms. Frank writes of not just the City of Charleston but many of the outlying islands as well. Her books are a delight to read that give you the insight of the islands and its residents, but the delight of seeing these stunning places as a “tourist”. Additionally, somehow Ms. Frank has the ability to infuse the reader with the impression that she is sitting in an adjoining rocking chair on that welcoming South Carolinian porch and relating to you these stories. I highly recommend to our residents to try some of her books; they are a total delight, and especially, one that is dedicated to Christmas with an incredible menu and also those very special recipes.

The fame of our Library is spreading to a very small town in Louisiana. Grand Chenier had been hit several times with debilitating storms, and some of those did a great deal of damage to their small library. A neighbor of ours is one who works off shore on a boat; I send with him sacks of our donated books; and when he and his crew-mates have read them, they are then turned to the Library in Grand Chenier. This is the truest sense of neighbor helping neighbor and it will continue as long as books are available.

I know I’ve used the following quote for several years, but it really makes sense: Just think about it!

“WHEN AN OLD PERSON DIES, A LIBRARY BURNS DOWN!”
Karen Gillespie

And we certainly don’t want our Library to burn down!

Sept. 18: John Tyson; Evelyn Lewis; Everado Castro
Sept. 19: Joyce Rhyne; Brenda Lovett; Britt Cleveland; Gary Thompson; Leafy Ann Johnson
Sept. 20: Dan Fielder; Pauline Cleveland; Rudy Morales; Natalie Harper; Jerry Dorgan
Sept. 21: Jayne Lenard
Sept. 22: Kim Covarrubias; Neil Pesek; Robert Carriles
Sept. 23: Chelsea Malacord; Deborah Hall; Candy Rodriguez; Catherine Willis
Sept. 24: Melissa Richerson; Noah Rodriguez
Sept. 25: Robbie Gregory; Kenneth Clark; Donna Caughman; Kim Hawkins
Sept. 26: Shelly Leftwich
Sept. 28: Amber Bricker; Andrew Arispe
Sept. 30: Haynes Hart; Cheryl Smith; Don Lightner; Shayna Downum; Virgil Redding
October 1: Laithen Crow; Evelyn Lucey Sherrell
Oct. 2: Tabitha Davenport; Jane Pongratz; Jerry Adams; Alex Clifton
Oct. 3: Annie Morris; Alice Johnson; Marty Villarreal
Oct. 4: Brent Vossler; Andrea Kilar; Joyce Jordan; Ann Stryker; April Bourg Buzzell
Oct. 5: Kelly Micijenka
Oct. 6: Martin Guzman; Adam Bourg; Jocelin Russo; Alberta Carriless; George E. Ureste
Oct. 7: Michelle Adams
Oct. 9: Harley Kolar; Lorene Webb; Madison Stringo
Oct. 10: Brittany Euton; Ralph Weathersby
Oct. 11: Jordan Vasquez; Marty Medford; Zane Rodriguez
Oct. 12: Devon Vasquez Gildon; Chantal Hawes; Doyle Adams; Don Haynes
Oct. 13: Christopher Pitt; Autumn Anderson; JoAnn Estes
Oct. 14: Aaron Wood; Kevin Amason; Devin Spencer
Oct. 15: Forrest Pomykal; Chris Mapp Oct.
16: Henry Kubecka

Happy Anniversary!
Howard & Evelyn Lewis
September 22, 1946

Sat., Sept. 19    Dinner with Texas Authors 6:00-9:00    The Sanctuary; tickets at POC Bank & Treasure Chest

Sat., Sept. 26    Adopt-A-Beach Fall Cleanup 8:30 am    -Noon   www.texasadoptabeach.org

Thurs., Oct. 1    POC Service Club 10:00 am    POC Community Center Meeting Room

Sat., Oct. 3    Roll-Off Bin in Port O’Connor 8:00-2:00    16th & Harrison

Sat., Oct. 3    Port Lavaca Market Day 8:00-3:00    Bauer Community Center Parking Lot

Tues., Oct. 6    Seadrift City Council 7:00 pm Seadrift City Hall

Tues., Oct. 6    Bunco 7:00 pm POC Community Center Meeting Room

Sat., Oct. 10    Service Club Garage Sale 8:00-2:00 Port O’Connor Community Center

Sat., Oct. 10    County Fair Parade – Port Lavaca

Sat., Oct. 10    Floating Classroom at Seadrift Marina www.sabaypartnership.org

Mon., Oct. 12    Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce 6:30 pm POC Community Center Meeting Room

Oct. 13-17    Calhoun County Fair Fairgrounds, Port Lavaca

Oct. 16 & 17    Fall Fund Raiser Rummage Sale 8:00-4:00 St. Patrick Church, 311 W. Cleveland, Seadrift

Sat., Oct. 17    Floating Classroom at POC TPWD Dock www.sabaypartnership.org

AA meets each Saturday night at 7 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Port O’Connor.
POC Lions Club meets the second Wednesday of each month, 4:00 p.m. at Port O’Connor First National Bank
Seadrift Chamber of Commerce meets the third Thursday of each month, 6:00 p.m. at First National Bank meeting room, Seadrift
Commissioner’s Court meets the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month at 10 a.m., 1st Floor of the Court House, Port Lavaca.
Crossroads Astronomy Club meets at 7:00 p.m., third Mondays, at U of H, Victoria, Room 223 info: wes81461@yahoo.com 935-2016
Calhoun County Quilt Guild meets the first Wednesday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at the Fairgrounds Exhibit Building.
Calhoun County Democratic Club meets the last Thursday of the month at CASA (Christians Against Substance Abuse) meets each Thursday from 7-8 p.m. Call 361-652-7451 for meeting place.
First Baptist Youth Group (Port O’Connor) meets every Wednesday night from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Grades 6th – 12th; Team Kids Grades 1-5
Port O’Connor Cemetery Association meets 3rd Thursday of each month at POC Community Center
Ladies Bible & Book Study is held every Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall in Port O’Connor
VFW Post 4403 meets first Tuesday of each month. 552-3886
Open Mon-Friday; Closed Weekends R. Guitierrez 210-872-1198