San Antonio, TX – Calhoun County resident, Stetson Dierlam of Port Lavaca, participated in the Texas Brigades summer leadership camps in June and July. He was among one hundred sixty-five high school students that took part in this award-winning leadership development program.

The Texas Brigades’ mission is to educate and empower youths with leadership skills and knowledge in wildlife, fisheries, and land stewardship to become conservation ambassadors for a sustained natural resource legacy.

There are seven Brigade camps each summer; two Buckskin Brigades, two Bobwhite Brigades, Bass Brigade, Waterfowl Brigade, and the newest addition, Ranch Brigade. They are held on private ranches in various locations across Texas. Participants must be between 13 to 17 years of age, and submit a complete application for consideration. Dates for 2015 will be available no later than January 1st.
Brigade graduates are available to give presentations to schools and civic groups.

For more information, www.texasbrigades.org, or contact Helen Holdsworth, Executive Director, at 855-TXBRIGS, or via email at hholdsworth@texas-wildlife.org.

The Church was filled with members and visitors this past Sunday Morning. It was a pleasure greeting the family of Judy and Henry Anderson and Grady Jean and Kenneth Clark. Bro. Donnie Martin’s sermon was outstanding and you could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Children’s Sermon by Bro. Raymond Grant was very good for the Adults as well as for the children. It was a story of showing love and respect for your friends and family.

The Church a cappella Choir sang the beautiful Hymn “We Bow Down”, which was appreciated by everyone.

The “Reach Texas” State Mission Offering is now underway. All donated funds will go to Texas Missionary causes, which are being really drained by providing food and housing for the children coming across the Mexican Border.

Several of our Senior Adults are preparing for the Fall Senior Retreat at Camp Zephyr on The Banks of Lake Corpus Christi. The count now stands at ten who will be making the trip, Monday, September 22 through Thursday, September 25.

During the Morning Service on Sunday, September 28 at 11:00 AM, the Church will celebrate the Ordinance of the Lord’s Supper. Every baptized believer is invited to participate and partake of the Lord’s Supper with our Church members and guests.

The Church Quarterly “Birthday Bash”, celebrating with all those having Birthdays in July, August and September, will be Sunday Evening, September28 at 6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. This “Big Bash” will be a “Homemade Ice Cream Party”. After a Devotion by Pastor Donnie Martin and singing “Happy Birthday” to the Celebrants, everyone will enjoy a feast of Ice Cream and Cake. A Happy Time of Fellowship will follow. Everyone is invited to attend.

See You In Church Sunday!

Attention Port O’connor water and sewer customers, it’s trash day October 11, 2014

A 30 cubic yard roll off bin will be located at 16th. And Harrison for customers of the Improvement District. The bin will be available on Saturday, October 11, 2014 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Customers only may deposit large items such as carpet, mattress, stove, furniture, etc. Customers sign in with their name and physical address. No commercial waste; this is for residential waste only. No paint, gas cans, tires, or unacceptable waste in the bin.

The 6th Annual Gumbo and Chili Cookoff as staged by Jim Hooper of Hurricane Junction is set for Saturday, October 25, 2014 at the Hurricane, located on 15th and Maple Streets.   Contestants with their superlative and authentic family recipes of gumbo are urged to contact Hoop for more information concerning this exciting happening.  And those Texan cooks who excel in the preparation of chili should also get in line quickly.  Besides, Guys, a team of females from Austin took 1st Place last year with their Chili!

As there will be a number of entries from teams composed of just plain cooks as well as those being sponsored by an organization or business, that Saturday will become a lively affair in the area outside the Hurricane.  Requirements for each entry consist of preparing and cooking your special dish on a propane-butane stove that you bring with you.  There will be electrical capacities set for the usage of fans etc., but ALL COOKING MUST BE DONE IN YOUR AREA ON GROUNDS OF THE HURRICANE.  Other requirements are that there will be NO beans in the chili and NO rice in the gumbo.  A minimum entry fee with a maximum of 4 persons per team will be charged with your entry form.  However, only 1 chili or 1 gumbo per entry is allowed per team.

A panel of judges will be there to do a blind taste test of each entry, (aren’t all judges supposed to be blind?), and we will be honored to have an incredible group of mostly sighted people to perform that illustrious task.  As Hoop will be the Person In Charge, there will be no favoritism or special gifts sent to the judges by any entrant allowed prior to the judging.

The public is definitely welcome to come by and see their favorite team of cooks in action and give moral support to each.  Additionally, bowls to sample the many entries will be available for a minimal charge.   Setting up the individual cooking areas will start at 9:00 a.m.; and the judging should commence about 4:30 p.m. inside the Hurricane.  Following the judging the final bidding on the silent auction will commence.  And if those items for the auction are anything similar to last year’s, the winning purchaser will definitely go home happy.

So, guys and gals, get your favorite organization or business to sponsor a team of cooks for this Event.  Hoop says he has at least 20  spots for teams to set up their places   and strut their stuff!

And once again, Hoop will donate the funds from this event to our Library’s Building Fund.  So, we invite anyone with a yearning to compete in a cookoff, to contact Hoop for entry forms, and we also invite all interested persons that Saturday to come and see what a cookoff entails.  Besides, the aromas from the various entries will certainly be more than enough to inspire you to stop and check out this event.  And when you check out some of the prizes available on the Silent Auction, you will definitely be tempted to stay and put in your bids.

If anyone is unable to be present on that Saturday, please remember that all donations can be delivered to Hoop personally at the Hurricane or to Shirley Gordon, our Librarian, at our Library on 6th & Adams Street.  And Hoop, being the sponsor of this event, has made a very emphatic statement that all monies received will return to our community.

Lion President Rachel Enax, Seadrift Principal Dwana Finster, and several teachers of Kindergarten, First, and Second grades

On Friday and Saturday, August 8 and 9, the Seadrift Lions hosted their second annual school supply drive at Dick’s Food Store in Seadrift to benefit the students of the Seadrift Elementary and Middle Schools. Thanks to the generosity of residents and weekend visitors, we collected $254.10 in cash donations and numerous bags and boxes of school supplies. Additional supplies will be purchased at mid-term using some of the donations collected based upon the needs of the school at that time.

We would like to especially thank Dick’s Food Store for supporting the Lions Club and allowing us to use their parking lot, not just for this event but also our blood drives and other fundraising events.

Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization with nearly 1.4 million members in approximately 45,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world. Since 1917, Lions clubs have aided the blind and visually impaired and made a strong commitment to community service and serving youth throughout the world. For more information about Lions Clubs International, visit the Web site at www.lionsclubs.org.