Greater Port Arthur Magazine 2023 Vol.3

Port Arthur Greater

VOLUME 3, 2023

MIKE ZITO ROCKS

Nederland musician enjoys making music, touring the world and special love...............4

COLLEGE & CAREER BOOST

Southeast Texas Industrial Contractors Golf Tournament nears.......................................10

PAISD ROBOTICS

Port Arthur middle school students show off their engineering skills...........................16

LIGHTENING IN A CAMERA

Jerry Connally’s photography exhibition exhibits at Museum of the Gulf Coast........24

BACKYARD BARBECUE

New recipe creates more options for picky hamburger eaters this summer..................30

ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPIONS

Port Arthur LNG awards more than $60,000 to local grant recipients...............32

ON THE COVER — Joe Tant of the Southeast Texas Educational Development Foundation and Elton Hollis III of Hol-Tech are getting serious about this year’s Southeast Texas Industrial Contractors Golf Tournament. (Front cover photo by Natalie Picazo; design by Candace Hemelt)

P ort A rthur Greater

Publisher: STEPHEN HEMELT

Editor: MONIQUE BATSON

Contributors: MARY MEAUX SIERRA KONDOS CHRISSIE MOUTON

Photography: SIERRA KONDOS CANDACE HEMELT NATALIE PICAZO

Advertising: CANDACE HEMELT NATALIE PICAZO

Designer: STEPHEN HEMELT

Contact Information: PORT ARTHUR NEWSMEDIA, LLC PO BOX 789 PORT ARTHUR, TX 77641

Advertising Inquiries: 409-721-2400

Subscriptions: 409-721-2400

www.panews.com

Copyright 2022 by Port Arthur Newsmedia, LLC

MISSION STATEMENT

Our driving mission is to present a positive image of the most interesting and intriguing aspects of the characters, locations and quirks in the Greater Port Arthur area that make our community so remarkable.

Our success will be measured through the number of coffee tables on which this magazine proudly lives and the number of conversations its pages spark.

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BLESSED BY THE BLUES

Photo by Alison Hasbach

ABOVE: Mike Zito shares his love of music by offering solo guitar lessons in “Blue Americana,” what he describes as his style, a combination of Chicago Blues, Texas Blues, Delta Blues, Swing Blues, Jazz Blues, British Blues, West Coast Blues, Country Blues and Jump Blues (and the list continues) on Truefire’s interactive online guitar lesson platform.

AT RIGHT: Mike Zito sings while touring Belgium and other parts of Europe in 2018. His album, “Make Blues Not War,” debuted on the Billboard Blues Album Chart at No. 1, which resulted in Zito receiving recognition as the 2018 Rock Blues Artist of the Year at the Blues Music Awards.

Acclaimed guitarist

Mike Zito’s road

through Rock & Roll finds love

and purpose in SETX

Long before the days of YouTube and guitar lesson apps like Yousician and Fender Play, Mike Zito was sitting in his St. Louis home, strumming away at his beginner’s electric guitar — a Christmas gift his mother purchased from the JC Penney catalog that year.

“I heard Eddie Van Halen when I was 7 years old and had to have a guitar,” Zito says.

From the sounds of it, Zito was also inspired by his mother’s poetry. He cherishes a book of poems written by her and speaks of doing the same himself as a child, jotting down songs and stories that filled his head.

Zito didn’t have many guitar lessons, so he wrote his own songs. His first guitar teacher (only two lessons) was with Richard Fortus, guitarist for Guns N’ Roses (along with Slash).

Mike Zito will be performing at Madison’s on Dowlen June 22. Call 409-924-9777 to reserve your seat.

What Mike did though, was soak up knowledge wherever and whenever he could, like working at a music store for a decade.

“I got to be around working musicians and watch them play and ask them questions,” he says. “It was like my college.”

Speaking of school, in high school Zito did what most high school musicians did, he joined a band.

“[I] became the singer. We played parties and battle of the bands,” Zito says. “When I turned 19, I got my first gig as a guitarist in a working band that played every weekend.”

It was about that time that Mike fell in love with the blues. Mike’s hometown of St. Louis has long been associated with music and the performing arts, especially it’s association with blues, jazz and ragtime.

“I listened to rock n roll all my life but always liked the bluesy rock n roll,” Zito says. “As I got a little older, I realized a lot of that music was originally recorded by Black blues artists. I started digging into the original music more and found I liked it even better.”

Once Zito was of legal age, the sounds coming from the clubs downtown was a revelation.

“I found a whole world of blues and Black blues artists playing at clubs every night in the city — I fell in love,” Zito says. “The music just moves me.”

For more than a decade Zito continued playing in bars and clubs in St. Louis, honing his guitar skills along with his voice.

“Mostly playing cover music,” Zito says. “In 1997

Photo by Scott Lukes Mike Zito jams at the City Winery in Nashville in 2019. Zito got his first professional gig at 19, playing every weekend in the St. Louis area.

I recorded my first album ‘Blue Room.’”

Since then, he’s recorded 22 full-length albums, including 2013’s Gone to Texas, dedicated to the state he says saved his life.

“When I arrived in Texas in 2003, I was a bad drunk and drug abuser,” Zito says. “I just couldn’t stop for very long and always screwed things up. I couldn’t keep a job and was semi-homeless off and on.”

He says his wife, Laura, knew something was wrong and encouraged him to go to recovery meetings.

“I did, reluctantly at first, but over a few months I realized that’s where I needed to be,” he says. “My entire life in Southeast Texas has been built around sobriety and recovery. It’s a beautiful life here.”

Zito says the move to the Lone Star state was integral to him having a successful career.

“Marrying my wife and getting clean and sober changed everything. I began working very seriously in 2004 and since then it’s really taken off,” he says. “I’ve had several record deals, played with many of my heroes and toured the world countless times.”

Mike says he was playing a club in St. Louis in 2000 and Laura, a native of Nederland, was visiting family in the area and came in to celebrate her

birthday. A few years later, she returned, and saw him play again.

“This time I got her phone number,” Mike says. When Mike moved to Dallas in 2003 to work for Fender Guitars, he utilized that number.

“I called her for a date when I was coming through Southeast Texas and the rest is history,” he says.

Today the pair own their own label, Gulf Coast Records, based out of Nederland with a focus on regional roots, blues and Americana genres.

“It’s been quite a ride,” Zito says.

The ride currently includes a tour and collaboration album with fellow musician Albert Castiglia called “Blood Brothers,” which opened at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues charts.

“It’s very fun to be out on the road with good friends making music and bringing joy,” Zito says.

A joy that he says comes from truth — something he deeply wants to convey to his fans through his music.

“I have to have a connection with the song. It’s hard to fake singing,” Zito says. “I want them to know how I feel, and I want to share that feeling with them. Even if the song is simple and silly, if I believe in the song, then I can perform with honesty.”

Writing his own songs has helped him succeed in

Q&A with Mike Zito

Who are your musical heroes?

Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eddie Van Halen, Lyle Lovett, Delbert McClinton, Buddy Guy … so many.

What is your greatest memory playing with one of your heroes?

I have been so fortunate to play with many of my heroes over the years. About two years ago I was performing at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago and Buddy was having a drink at the bar. In the middle of our show, the manager came over and told me that Buddy wants to get up and sing with the band. He got up and sang for a good 20 minutes, and it was amazing.

What is your favorite original song and why?

Well, that’s a tough question. Songs and albums are like children. I like some better than others depending on the day. “Gone to Texas” is probably my favorite. It’s a true story, very honest and always evolving musically after all these years.

What are you most proud of?

Almost 20 years of sobriety and 20 years of marriage to Laura.

What are you most grateful for?

My family. They have stood by my side through it all, encouraging me and my music. It’s not easy when you’re gone all the time on the road, but they see the big picture and believe in my dream.

a world of “guitar slingers.”

“Writing songs is what it’s all about,” Zito says. “If you don’t have great songs, you don’t have much.”

Mike draws strength and inspiration from a list of musical heroes, but his wife is his greatest hero. Laura was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last summer, rocking the couple’s world.

“She was a teacher at C.O. Wilson Middle School in Nederland and had been teaching for 24 years,” Zito says. “She retired at the end of the year to focus on her battle with cancer.”

You can follow Mike and Laura’s journey on his blog bluesmaninrecovery.com.

“The only thing I think about or dream about is my wife winning her battle,” he says. “She is a fighter and my true hero.”

— By Chrissie Mouton

Photo by Savas Mallotides

Mike Zito performing on stage with Albert Castiglia at the Iridium in New York City in March. Zito joined forces with Gulf Coast Records labelmate Castiglia, creating the Blood Brothers Tour to celebrate each of their new albums. Zito is a five-time Blues Music Award winner, and Castiglia is the 2020 BMA winner for Blues Rock Album of the Year.

PLAYING in the ROUGH

Golf tournament creates opportunities for local students to find success in college, beyond

The upcoming Southeast Texas Industrial Contractors Golf Tournament has a lot to offer, from a good time on the course, friendly competition, food and a chance to help a college student further his or her education.

The golf tournament is set for Oct. 6 at the Babe Zaharias Golf Course, 3500 Jimmy Johnson Blvd. in Port Arthur. Registration starts at 6:30 a.m., and a shotgun start is at 7:30 a.m.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT

Imagine being a college freshman facing your sophomore year and realizing you need to buy expensive welding gear or pay for a costly test in order to go forward with your education.

There is a local organization ready to help these students who hail from Lamar State College Port Arthur, Lamar State College Orange, Lamar University and Lamar Institute of Technology. It’s called the Southeast Texas Educational Development Foundation. It was formed by Joe Tant after the loss of his son at 32 weeks as a way to continue his memory and help others.

The foundation has partnered with Southeast Texas Business Referral Group with Breanne Miller as the owner. Another partner is Hol-Tech run by local businessman Elton Hollis III.

Also included is Small Business Friday, a podcast by Tant and Hollis that aims to help small businesses.

“A lot of folks are helping by partnering with this,” Tant said.

Tant said this would be their second golf tournament to raise funds for the foundation. Last year they raised

$60,000, which was given to students at LSCPA, LSCO, LU and LIT.

HOW IT WORKS

Students apply for the funds, and the foundation looks into the students’ needs, such as speaking with LSCPA President Dr. Betty Reynard, for example. From there the application is put before the board, he said.

“For example, we had a young lady that was absolutely homeless and we got her into a dorm in LSCPA in December. We paid for her dorm for six months and now

she’s going into the Coast Guard in two weeks,” Tant said. “Had we not done that, I don’t know where that student would be.”

The great thing about the golf tournament is the students receiving assistance are out there, and golfers and sponsors get to see the people they support.

A lot of meeting and greeting goes on during the tournament when the students are there.

“It’s like, ‘have you met Becky? You paid for her books and helped with her tuition. You just gave $2,500 to this young lady to get into dental school and help pay for

Natalie Picazo/Greater Port Arthur The Magazine

Southeast Texas Industrial Contractors Golf Tournament supporters Elton Hollis III, from left, and Joe Tant are joined by pro Mitch Duncan at Babe Zaharias Golf Course in Port Arthur. Last year they raised $60,000 for students at several area colleges.

her summer courses because she’s going to do online and in person and hold down a full time job,’” he said.

Elton Hollis also provided an example of how the program works.

“Probably the biggest, shining example that I can think of is that most scholarships just pay for certain items related to books, typical schooling tools for the student. The scholarships we give out could be for a welder. That student can use it for a welding hood, gloves, welding rod, whatever is needed for ancillary items that go with the cost of college,” Hollis said.

When a student learns he or she is the recipient of a scholarship, the first reaction is obviously shock since this is a different kind of scholarship.

Hollis said there are people who ask if they are concerned about students using the money for something other than college.

He and Tant thought it over and came to the conclusion it is not their job to manage money for a college student. What they use their opportunity for is their choice, Hollis said.

WHY HELP?

Hollis, whose background is in construction, worked hard to become the businessman he is today.

He said there is a direct correlation between college students and the need for workers.

“We do not have enough workers in our area to fill the jobs we have because of the economic growth,” Hollis said.

He said they

Natalie Picazo/Greater Port Arthur The Magazine Joe Tant and Elton Hollis III stand inside the pro shop at Babe Zaharias Golf Course.

are doing a small part by helping put more people in the industry pool for the local area.

TOURNAMENT & SPONSORSHIP

When it comes to playing golf, Hollis said with a laugh he is a shining example of an amateur.

It’s the camaraderie of golf that he enjoys.

“It’s a sport where people will take the time to help others with their swing and later sit around a table and chat,” he said.

The tournament is a four-person scramble, and there are prizes for the winning golf team as well as for a cooking team.

Last year there were three to four tents holding nine to 10 cooking teams. Club pro Mitch Duncan will be a judge, and there’s the Travis Woods Good Eatin’ Award in addition to the Small Business Friday Community Award, where a bunch of people come together and taste.

There’s no set menu, Tant said. It could be barbecue alligator brisket.

“We tell them to just come out and cook your best,” he said.

In addition there will be a Port Neches-Groves student who is a bit of a long drive expert. He will be on hand to launch a ball out for a fee.

“He’s the move up guy, a long drive expert. He can tee off the ball a long way. We will be helping him with a scholarship for summer courses,” Tant said. There are a number of sponsorship opportunities. They include:

• Event partner, $8,000

• Shirt sponsor, $5,000

• Hospitality sponsor, $2,500

• Golf ball sponsor, $1,500

• Scholarship sponsor, $1.000

• Photo sponsor, $1,000

• Golf towel sponsor, $1,000

• Golf team $600

• Beer sponsor, $500

• Swag bag sponsor, $500

• Drink cart sponsor, $500

• Golf tee sponsor, $500

• Closet to pin, $300

• Longest drive, $300

• Hole + tent sponsor, $300

• Cooking team, $300

For more information on signing up or sponsorships, call 409-926-1397 or email setxbrg@gmail. com.

— By Mary Meaux

“This triumph will inspire other students to see opportunities

Innovative Port Arthur students

Port Arthur Independent School District’s Robotics Team members were walking tall and proud at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.

Earning a bunch of awards at the GEAR 2023 Competition has a way of doing that for young competitors.

“I was honestly quite shocked about us winning the Gear competition, because it was our first time being in something like this,” says Ezer Hipolito, eighth grader at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Port Arthur.

“Winning that place has inspired me to use my brain a bit more in this kind of stuff and put more effort into the competition.”

Seventh grader and fellow teammate Jose Moreno says the team didn’t go into the competition

thinking they’d do as well as they did.

“We did not think that we were going to place more than the top ten out of the 64 experienced teams, so it was a surprise to us all

when we did,” he says.

GEAR, which stands for Get Excited About Robotics, provides hands-on LEGO robotics challenges to elementary and middle school students at no participation fee, ac-

Courtesy of Port Arthur ISD EV3 Team members Isabella Roy, Christianna Moseley, Alex Nguyen and Jamor Ragan brainstorm and collaborate on how to program and execute each GEAR task during one of their after-school training sessions.

opportunities and inspiration.” — Robotics coach Asther Reyes

power award-winning robotics

cording to the Texas Tech University website that sponsors the event.

During the competition at Lubbock High School, Team 1 from Lincoln Middle School in Port Arthur placed first in Robotics

Performance, Team 4 from Thomas Jefferson Middle placed first in the Young Engineers Video Award, while Team 3 from Thomas Jefferson Middle earned fourth place in Robotics Performance and Team 2

from Lincoln Middle earned sixth place in Robotics Performance.

“It is a legendary feat to make it through the competition as a novice in the field of robotics,” says robotics coach Asther Reyes. “This triumph will inspire other students to see opportunities and inspiration.”

According to the district, it’s the first time they have had a robotics team at the middle school level, which currently has 14 members.

“This team is an outgrowth of the Brilliance Academy training last summer 2022, which is a STEM Academy that seeks STEM enthusiasts in the field of robotics, drones, engineering and other STEM related endeavors,” Reyes said.

Robotics teams work together to design, build, code and drive com-

Courtesy of Port Arthur ISD ALMS EV3 Team members are seen during game day. They are Alex Nguyen, Christianna Moseley, Isabella Roy, and Jamor Ragan performing the tasks during the March 25 GEAR competition at Lubbock.

Courtesy of Port Arthur ISD ALMS Spike Team members William Reyes, Kenroc Miles, Lucia Acosta and Brianna Herring performs their tasks during the GEAR 2023 Championship at Texas Tech University.

petition robots.

“The purpose of the robotics teams is to provide opportunities for students to explore and be involved in STEAM,” says Cynthia Quejado, robotics coach. “Being on a robotics team allowed them to plan and build robots according to the needed tasks, think critically via programming, troubleshooting when tasks go wrong and work with calculations to accurately program the robot to perfect a task.”

The Gear competition, according to Reyes, is an annual robotics challenge designed around a story that motivates the need for autonomous robots.

“That is a robot operating in Antarctica, constructing a moon post, or performing surgery,” Reyes says. “To solve the challenge, students learn engineering skills through a teaming exercise in designing, building, programming, testing and troubleshooting their wheeled LEGO robots.”

Students are learning many valuable skills while collaborating to complete the task at hand.

“Personally, I’ve learned how to work in a team since I prefer to work alone in most

of my projects,” said Hipolito. “I have also learned a little more about coding and designing pieces from scratch and memory.”

The experiences will take these students well beyond the classroom.

“I can learn valuable skills that I will need for my life and career in the future that involve a clear and promising path,” Moreno said. “I also learned to work with people I may disagree with or argue with, as well as experience working in a rushed and tense environment.”

Coaches hope the awards inspires every student in the district to pursue careers related to STEAM.

“The competition was a clear manifestation that the students of Port Arthur ISD have the potential to become engineers, scientists, programmers and be part of the futuristic AI world,” robotics coach Rizza Catbagan said.

Additional coaches for the robotics team sponsored by Chevron Phillips include Meliton Reyes Jr., Jundelyn Villareal and Sarge Charon.

— By Chrissie Mouton

Courtesy of Port Arthur ISD

PAISD Middle School Robotics Team 2023 members include, top, Lucia Acosta, Brianna Herring, Eli Chavez, Ezer Hipolito, Mason Dixon, William Reyes, Christianna Moseley, Isabella Roy, Jamor Ragan, bottom, Kenroc Miles, Danny Nguyen, Jose Moreno and Alex Nguyen.

Q&A with the PAISD robotics team

What did it felt like winning the Gear Competition?

• It was definitely unexpected due to it being our first time doing something like this. It was an unreal feeling knowing that we had scored better than most of the other teams who have been doing this for years, because we weren’t expecting to do so well. ——– Huy Nguyen, 8th grade, TJMS

• For teams of Port Arthur, I can comfortably say that winning isn’t just a sense of victory. It’s a challenge and a test to see which of the teams is qualified to do these kinds of obstacles. We could’ve encountered problems such as our code for our EV3 or any bugs and glitches that may have happened. Overall, I am proud of partaking in this competition, as well as having different teams traveling to Lubbock to partake in this event. – Danny Nguyen, 7th grade, TJMS

What do you like about participating in robotics?

• What I like about the ro-

botics team is the creativity we had for building and programming the robots – William Reyes, 8th grade, ALMS

• The robotics team gives me a sense of enjoyment and relief. I can work on what I love and have teammates that listen to what I have to say – Is-

abella Roy, 7th grade ALMS

• The reason why I like the robotics team is because something about technology has always interested me. As a child, I have dismantled toy cars and even TVs. Everyone on the team is nice and there are many opportu-

Courtesy of Port Arthur ISD

TJMS EV3 and Spike Team members Jose Moreno, Huy Nguyen, Mason Dixon, Ezer Hipolito, Eli Chavez and Danny Nguyen perform a last-minute practice before their match begins during the GEAR Competition Lubbock League March 25.

nities to be friends with them. – Ezer Hipolito, 8th grade, TJMS

• I like robotics because I’m able to work together with my teammates and work with robots. –Kenroc Miles, 8th grade ALMS

• How fun and nice the coaches are. – Christianna Moseley, 8th grade, ALMS

• During my time with my team in the making of our robot as well as programming, I had quite a fun time. It was also a great opportunity for me to get an idea of designing the robot, building it. and coding it. I enjoyed my experience a lot and would recommend other kids to join robotics as well.

What I like about the robotics team is the creativity we had for building and programming the robots. – William Reyes, 8th grade, ALMS

• I like being on the robotics team because I like to work as a team, and it’s also fun to work with the team and travel. – Lucia Acosta, 6th grade, TJMS

• I like being in the robotics team because it is fun and a really good experience we have. – Alex Nguyen, 8th grade ALMS.

What is difficult about being on the team?

• Being on the team is easy but programming and working on the robot are the only hard stuff. –Kenroc Miles, 8th grade, ALMS

The only hard part of being on a team was choosing who does what. – William Reyes, 8th grade, ALMS

• As a team member, I can say that not all the times we agreed on a certain way of doing things or going about things in a certain way. However, it can be overcome by working it out and listening to each other’s opinions.

– Jose Moreno, 7th grade, TJMS

• It’s not difficult if you have good grades and attend all training sessions. – Jamor Ragan. 8th grade, ALMS.

–

Huy Nguyen, 8th grade, TJMS

• I think the only thing that was hard was learning how each coding works and how they each work differently. – Huy Nguyen, 8th grade, TJMS

Courtesy of Port Arthur ISD

TJMS EV3 and Spike Team members Jose Moreno, Huy Nguyen, Mason Dixon, Ezer Hipolito, Eli Chavez and Danny Nguyen perform a last-minute practice before their match begins during the GEAR Competition Lubbock League March 25.

LIGHTNING STRIKES

Jerry Connally’s photo exhibit creates

emotional responses at Museum of the Gulf Coast

Jerry Connally’s nature photography exhibition, “Lightening in a Camera,” is running through July 29 at the Museum of the Gulf Coast.

The exhibit is free and open to the public. The art is available for purchase online or at the museum.

“The exhibit is a combination of black-and-white or colored photos that were chosen out of thousands of my images,” Jerry Connally said. “The curator, Robert Fong, decided which photos were my strongest and most unique, and I am very happy with the selection.”

At the beginning of the reception, Fong revealed the images were taken during Connally’s, “long way home” excursions after he got off from work.

“Well, I’m a service station technician,” Connally said. “Sometimes I must work in Louisiana, and I always look at the map to see what

kind of traffic there is on the way back because of all the construction. If it looks like the traffic is backed up, then I’ll take Highway 27 South to Holly Beach and photograph a sunset, birds or water creatures.”

“Harvey’s Approach,” a blackand-white image of the Martin Luther King bridge exiting Pleasure Island depicts ominous, approaching storm clouds and was taken before the hurricane made landfall.

“This picture summons a lot of emotion for a lot of people when they realize that it was Hurricane Harvey,” Connally said. “The intensity of the clouds invokes memories of fear of the unknown. Many people were being rescued by boats, their homes were destroyed, they didn’t know what was going to happen to them.”

Connally said he and his wife were tired of sitting in the house and drove to the beach to break

Harvey’s Approach Lightning on the Ship Channel

Sierra Kondos/ Greater Port Arthur The Magazine Jerry Connally poses in front of “Wolf Moon” with Gabriel Kondos, 13, at Connally’s photography exhibit “Lightening in a Camera,” on May 6 at the Museum of the Gulf Coast.

the monotony of the approaching storm.

“While we were watching the radar, I said the storm was approaching, so we might go ahead and go home,” he remembers. “I saw that picture from my rearview mirror and told her, immediately, I was going to be turning around at the base of the bridge, wherever I could. She would drive, and I was going to take a picture.”

Another special picture featured is “Lightening on the Ship Channel,” a vibrant colored image of a stormy sunset emerges over the Port Neches Wheelhouse restaurant as rain pours from the dark blue and fire orange clouds.

Hope Scott, Port Arthur teacher, said she is a member of the museum but this was the first photography exhibit she attended.

She was drawn to “Lightening on the Ship Channel” and “Purple Rain.”

“The first photo was the reason I attended the show,” she said. “As a new photographer, I wanted to know how he captured the lightening. He gave me his undivided attention and was gracious in answering my questions and giving me tips.”

The brilliance and attention to

Wolf Moon Jerry Connally

Sierra Kondos/Greater Port Arthur The Magazine Travis Connally of Silsbee, poses with this favorite photo, “Single Strike,” at Jerry Connally’s photography exhibit “Lightening in a Camera,” on May 6 at the Museum of the Gulf Coast.

detail of the same work, captivated Ruth Houston, a retired choir teacher and Port Arthur Historical Society member.

“The clouds looked like they were painted,” she said.

“From black, blue and purple to pink and neon orange, I felt drawn to the photograph. The photo was so unusual because during storms, I don’t recall seeing colors that are so vibrant.”

“Single Strike,” a black, white and gray image of a storm over the ocean depicts a lit-up lightning bolt.

“I love the simplicity of the photo,” said Travis Connally, a Silsbee native. “The contrast of the monotone gray against the lightening itself captivated me. I spoke to my uncle after the show, and he gave me the back story.”

It was during a “long way home” excursion from Port Neches to Sea Rim State Park that he captured the storm.

“He chased the storm until it was clear of buildings, and this was the only shot he could take,” he said.

“There was a life lesson that I took from his story. Chase an opportunity even if there is only one shot left. The result will be rewarding.”

The opening night reception brought in more than 100 people to celebrate Connally’s exhibit.

To purchase Connally’s art visit fineartamerica. com/profiles/jerry-connally.

— By Sierra Kondos

Sierra Kondos/Greater Port Arthur The Magazine Hope Scott and Ruth Houston pose with their favorite photo, “Lightening on the Ship Channel,” at Jerry Connally’s photography exhibit “Lightning in a Camera,” on May 6 at the Museum of the Gulf Coast.

Sierra Kondos/Greater Port Arthur The Magazine

ABOVE: Priss Meyer and Fritz Meyer pose with their favorite photo, “Stormy Sunset,” at Jerry Connally’s photography exhibit “Lightning in a Camera,” on May 6 at the Museum of the Gulf Coast.

AT RIGHT: Ann Murphy of Nederland and Put Oakley of Port Arthur, pose with their favorite photo, “Devil Bird.”

With more than 20,000 square feet of divisible space and over 1,200 square feet of smaller meeting rooms, the Robert A. “Bob” Bowers Civic Center brings it all together for you. Our centrally located facility o ers quality service, free parking and a professional sta to help make your event a success – all this in a clean and bright atmosphere at a ordable rates.

If you’re looking for a smaller venue, the Museum of the Gulf Coast, Pompeiian Villa or a newly refreshed, upscale restaurant like The Pompano are great options for an intimate group to enjoy fellowship, food and live music.

Port Arthur continues to bring business to SETX. Whether your event is related to sports, social, the military, family or class reunions, religious, corporate or associations, our o ce can help you strategically plan and promote your event in order to increase success and attendance. Our free personalized servicing plan is sure to add a little lagniappe to any event!

TIME HAS COME

Darragh Castillo Destination Manager darragh@portarthurtexas.com

Tammy Kotzur Executive Director tammy@portarthurtexas.com

Callie Summerlin Marketing Director callie@portarthurtexas.com

Special twist on a classic for this year’s July Fourth barbecue

The Fourth of July may not be governed by official rules mandating celebrants attend a backyard barbecue before being awed by a nighttime fireworks display, but each of those things features prominently in many Independence Day celebrations.

Fireworks are best left to the professionals, but anyone can master the art of grilling delicious burgers and hot dogs.

Traditional burgers are made with ground beef. However, curious grillmasters can explore the many ways to experiment with burgers without sacrificing flavor.

This recipe for “Venison Burgers” from “Texas Favorites” (Gibbs Smith) by Jon Bonnell utilizes venison and pork in lieu of beef. The result is a mouthwatering burger worthy of inclusion in any Fourth of July festivities.

Venison Burgers

2 pounds venison meat

1⁄2 pound pork shoulder

1⁄2 pound slab bacon

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons hot sauce

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Optional toppings

Bacon

Cheddar cheese

Guacamole

Clean the venison well and remove any fat or connective tissue.

Cut the venison, pork shoulder and bacon into large chunks.

Combine all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and let marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Grind everything together using the small plate on your grinder.

Form into burger patties by hand, and grill or pan-sear.

Cook to medium (135 F internal temperature), then remove from the grill and top with your favorite cheese or burger toppings.

Greater THE SCENE Port Arthur

EnvironmEntal Champions

The second annual Port Arthur News Environmental Champions Initiative sponsored by Port Arthur LNG awarded more than $60,000 to local grant recipients April 11 in Port Arthur.

Special thanks goes to Port Arthur Newsmedia editor Monique Batson for helping lead a selection committee of five community-minded individuals who worked through more than 40 applications from those seeking assistance through this effort.

Port Arthur Newsmedia marketing director Candace Hemelt spearheaded the online application process and advertising of the opportunity, which created record participation.

This effort began almost on the fly early in 2022 and has now grown to significant impacts across Port Arthur and beyond.

Sempra Infrastructure External Affairs Director Kelly Prasser and Community Outreach & Events Advisor Iman Garrett-Price have been more than great partners with The Port Arthur News, they are true champions of our community.

1. Iman Garrett-Price and Kelly Prasser

2. Kay DeCuir and Karen Do

3. Ed Kestler and Cole Michalk

1. Amanda Sonnier, Kaitlyn Moore, Karen Moore

2. Ta’Shara Brantley, Diane Thompson, John Stanford, Dr. Kristi Lewis, Lilly Flugence

3. Stephen Hemelt, Jimmy Harrison, Kelsey Borza, Kay DeCuir and Kelly Prasser

4. Deborah Drago, Sarah Wells