The world of today is one of turmoil. One may sometimes feel as though he awakens each morning to a life filled with too many responsibilities and too little time; more jolts than joys; too many troubles and too few triumphs; and all with frayed nerves and frazzled emotions for his efforts. He might even feel like taking Marshall Dillon up on his oft-spoken theatrical directive to, “Get out of Dodge,” and go somewhere, anywhere, away from the pressures of life. May I say for the record, there is no such place in this world. Though one may sometimes feel otherwise, it’s never a good idea to give up and quit. This is especially true of one’s relationship with God.

Should you be one of those folks who can’t relate to what I’ve described above, I salute you. Perhaps you’re an individual who’s learned to face life and its difficulties with a positive outlook, and a consistent faith toward God. We would all do well to live by the truth of God’s Word, which says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13). The Apostle Paul taught that the saints were to be “…steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). God’s people need to develop and maintain the attitude and practice of spiritual sticktuitiveness. Let me illustrate my point with the following true story:

In 1972, NASA launched the exploratory space probe Pioneer 10. According to Leo Jaroff in Time, the satellite’s primary mission was to reach Jupiter, photograph the planet and its moons, and beam data to Earth about Jupiter’s magnetic field, radiation belts, and atmosphere. Scientist regarded this as a bold plan, for at that time no earth satellite had ever gone beyond Mars, and they feared the asteroid belt would destroy the satellite before it could reach its target.

But Pioneer 10 accomplished its mission and much, much more. Swinging past the giant planet in November 1973, Jupiter’s immense gravity hurled Pioneer 10 at a higher rate of speed toward the edge of the solar system. At one billion miles from the sun, Pioneer 10 passed Saturn. At some two billion miles, it hurtled past Uranus; Neptune at nearly three billion miles; Pluto at almost four billion miles. By 1997, twenty-five years after its launch, Pioneer 10 was more than six billion miles from the sun. And despite that immense distance, Pioneer 10 continued to beam back radio signals to scientists on Earth. “Perhaps most remarkable,” writes Jaroff, “those signals emanate from an 8-watt transmitter, which radiates about as much power as a bedroom night light, and takes more than nine hours to reach Earth.”

The Little Satellite That Could was not qualified to do what it did. Engineers designed Pioneer 10 with a useful life of just three years. But it kept going and going. By simple longevity, its tiny 8-watt transmitter radio accomplished more than anyone thought possible.

So it is when we offer ourselves to serve the Lord. God can work even through someone with 8-watt abilities. God cannot work, however, through someone who quits.1

Dear child of God, there is no doubt that life is fraught with difficulties and hardships, and sometimes we feel wounded and weary. But God is still on the throne, and His Word says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” (1 Cor. 9:8). CHRISTIAN, DON’T QUIT!

1Craig Brian Larson, Pastoral Grit: The Strength to Stand and to Stay, Bethany.

T-Shirt Sales Will Assist Locals

POC Grand Slam T-Shirts are a staple around Port O’ Connor; you see someone wearing one basically every day. This year we have chosen special colors PINK (breast cancer awareness), WHITE (lung cancer), ORANGE (leukemia), and PURPLE (all cancers in general). Each shirt will have the cancer awareness ribbon on them.

Cancer has taken over our small community, and touched so many of our family members. The Grand Slam, along with it’s usual donations, plan to donate to the families struggling with the every day battles due to this awful disease. If you would like more information please contact Amy Gosnell at 361-935-8745 or Sylvia Rodriguez at 361-655-3521.

T-Shirts will also be on sale at the Annual Chris Ragusin Memorial Grand Slam, October 3-4, to which everyone is invited.

The POC Grand Slam Team

Embracing History

Dear Editor,

I enjoyed reading “Reflections” by Phil Ellenberger and “Embracing History” by Jasmine Gordon in the August 15, 2014, edition. If your readers are visiting Austin, Texas, they may wish to view the beautiful Angelina Eberly statue at the entrance to the General Land Office Building adjacent to the Capitol grounds.

Calhoun County Historical Commission researched and dedicated the Angelina Eberly Historical Marker which is located at the crossroads of FM Road 316 and Zimmerman Road, Indianola, Texas. At Old Town Cemetery on Zimmerman Road, the Angelina Eberly tombstone can be found with the Republic of Texas Defender Medal attached which was presented by The Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

Thanks to your authors for spreading historical Calhoun County events.

Mary Belle Meitzen
Calhoun County Historical Commission Chair

Thank You For Your Support

Freda Ragusin Howard

On behalf of the Ragusin and Rubio Family and Freda and Vaughn Howard we would like to thank everyone that came out on Saturday and supported Freda and her fight against Lung Cancer. We could not have asked for a better day! A day for friends and family to come together to have a great time visiting and enjoying each others company. The list of individuals to thank is too long to even begin, plus I would not want to exclude anyone either.

It is great that our community here in Port O’Connor is so wonderful and also that family and friends that traveled here to celebrate are so great. I always tell Freda, GOD IS GREAT! And He is and I have faith that he will look over her and guide her way. Again a huge THANK YOU to all that came out.

Also, I’d like to thank all who bought raffle tickets, and congratulate Jamie Horn from Corpus Christi who won the Benelli Super Black Eagle 2 shotgun in the raffle.

Veronica Ragusin

A Year in Review

Looking back over the past year in the operations of our Improvement District. November of 2013 we voted down a 20 million dollar bond. May of 2014 we also voted down an 11 million dollar bond.

At the August board meeting all those that showed up were given a pamphlet in titled Procedures for Public Comments at Open Meetings,,,,, Item B —- Keep all comments to less than 3 minutes Item D —- Questions or comments will not be addressed by the board. Then at the end there was a list of Texas Penal Codes should you in any way hinder the proceedings. So much for the kinder more concerned, ask us anything board.

Now for the good stuff. Even though we voted down the bonds, the board is doing an end run.They have made application to the Texas Water Development Board ( TWDB ) to acquire a Revenue Bond. This will not be voted on by the residents of Port O’Connor.
If you are not sure what a revenue bond is here is a short description of how it works.

1. TWDB sells the bonds to individual investors and in exchange receives their money. 2. They then loan the money to communities for water and sewer projects.3. The communities charge the residents taxes and fees for their water and sewer. 4. The taxes and fees are used to the loan back to TWDB. 5. Then TWDB uses the loan repayments to pay individual investors back.
The TWDB charges 0.40 percent for their part in helping acquire these bonds.

I have been told the application has been made, what I can’t find out is, the amount of the bond or what the interest and duration will be.

I can hardly wait to see what the next rate increase will be.

Marshall Bradford

H2o

I am writing this because of the recent meeting and ongoing practices of the MUD board. For all concerned-almost 70% of the revenue generated into the MUD comes from “non-residents” . I was unsure of the resident/nonresident ratio until this last meeting. I have no issue with being an “outsider”, but I am contributing as much as the residents and have no input what so ever on how the dollars are spent- first alarm was the flagrant garbage fee (like most outsiders, I haul my trash home with me), second alarm was the unjustified , random rate increase just recently imposed. After looking at other coastal communities-POC is way over priced-(I have a house in Sinton) and have called other cities along the coast to compare.

As the “board” is so proud to enforce, the non residents have NO input in the decision making process. The intentional calling of meetings on odd week nights is a classic sign that the board wants no input from anyone. The lack of proper updating over the years has put the MUD in default with the state , therefore kneejerk responses from the board are what we are faced with-and it will be expensive. The arrogance and ignorance of this board is coming to a costly expense for all.

James Marshall
San Antonio

Tax Increase…Here it Comes

I am writing this letter to the editor as a neighbor, concerned voter, resident and ratepayer so that most of its readers will know the position of the Board of Directors of the Port O’Connor Improvement District.

I do not want to name the Directors by name because we as informed ratepayers of our water and sewer district, should know who is representing us in our community, and who are making decisions that impact us financially.

I attended and videotaped the Districts meeting on September 11, 2014. On the Agenda there was ten (10) items for consideration for the Board of Directors to Vote on.

Item number four (4) of the agenda was “Discuss 2014 Tax Rate, set public hearing date, and authorize notice of public hearing regarding adoption of TAX RATE.”

This is interesting, there will be a “public hearing” in the near future, however, the TAX RATE and amount of Tax Rate has already been approved and Voted on. All of the Directors Voted yes for the tax rate increase.

They agreed and voted yes to raise the rates as high as they can legally do so and just low enough not to cause for a recall.

It has only been nine months that the Board of Directors voted to raise rates for our water and sewer, and now, the Board of Directors will raise our tax rate.

I hope this letter keeps you informed.

Leon Brown

Re-elect

I am asking for the support to reelect John “Red” Childers and Wanda Redding to the board of directors of the Port O’Connor Improvement District. Red Childers has worked for 29 years getting water and sewer for Port O’Connor. It has taken a lot of time and hard work to get and maintain safe water and sewer supply in town, not just a a couple of hours a month like some people think. Wanda Redding has dedicated a lot of her time to the different organizations in town to help the people here. She has worked with the fire dept., ladies club, angel program, relay for life and also the district. You will not find two people more committed to the betterment of Port O’Connor. This is a thankless job that no one wanted until now. I ask that before you vote that you know the person you vote for and the reason they want the job.

Thank you for taking time to read this.

Teddy Hawes

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

Bernice Weaver Cook, 94, of Port Lavaca passed away September 4, 2014. She was born December 25, 1919 in Seadrift to the late George Marshall Weaver and Verdie Mae Buffington Weaver. She was a member of the Methodist Church in Seadrift and then in Port Lavaca and taught Sunday School for many years at both. Mrs. Cook operated the Cooks Auto and Machine Service and Auto Parts Store in Seadrift with her husband.

She is survived by her nieces, Freda Estes Elliott, Bertha Estes, Martha Estes; nephew, Ronnie McCown; great-niece, Candy Hahn and numerous other great-nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, J.L. “Jimmy” Cook; parents and sister, Emily Weaver Estes.

Funeral services were held September 6, 2014, at First United Methodist Church, with Pastor Mark Porterfield officiating. Burial followed in Seadrift Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to the Methodist Church in Port Lavaca or Seadrift.

The family extends their gratitude to Dr. Bunnell, Memorial Medical Center, Port Lavaca Nursing Home and Trinity Shores.

Abel Carriles, age 65, of Port O’Connor, passed away on Friday, August 29, 2014. He was born on November 17, 1948 in Port O’Connor, Texas, to the late Manuel and Guadalupe Ramos Carrilles.

He is survived by three daughters, one son, three sisters, two brothers, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral Mass was held September 2, 2014 at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Burial followed at Port O’Connor Cemetery.

Joyce Laverne Youngblood, 78, passed away Sunday, August 31, 2014. She was born December 4, 1935, in Refugio to the late William J. and Maggie Mae Ricks Brown. She loved to play canasta and bowl. She went to the National Finals Bowling Tournament in Las Vegas. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the light of her life, as well as her friends, Cookie and Dorothy.

Joyce is survived by her daughters, Lisa Blackmon of Seadrift and Amy Youngblood of Austin; sons, David (Celina) Blackmon of Brownsville, and Scott (Jodi) Griffin of Hill Country; eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two sisters and one brother.

Services were held Saturday, September 6, 2014 at the Seadrift Cemetery.