Calhoun County Life - Summer 2016

A guide for visitors and newcomers

SUMMER 2016

FEATURING

PORT LAVACA POINT COMFORT SEADRIFT PORT O'CONNOR

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4202 N. Navarro St., Victoria, TX 77901

IN PORT LAVACA

361-552-7177

2055 State Highway 35 North Port Lavaca, TX 77979

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Federal Credit Union www.calcomfcu.org

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Bayfront Park & Nautical Landings Marina

Port Lavaca City Parks & Recreation Department

361-552-3347

Serving Beer

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TANIA FRENCH Editor and Publisher Staff Writers:

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1917 W. Austin, Port Lavaca • 552-2317 Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Creative Director: Graphic Designers:

Alamo Heights Baptist Church Alamo Heights Baptist Church is a friendly, family centered Bible believing church. We would love to see you!

Advertising:

Composition Asst.

Special Contributors:

110 Trinity Shores Port Lavaca, TX 77979 (361) 552-2532 Email: officeahbc@tisd.net

Sunday morning: Bible study 9:45 a.m.

Worship at 10:50 a.m.

Sunday night: 6 p.m.

Wednesday night: 6:30 p.m.

God Bless You!

PORT LAVACA WAVE 107 E. Austin Street Port Lavaca, TX 77979 361-552-9788

Sherry Ficklen Kayla Meyer Melony Overton Ross Stapp Jay Workman DD Turner

PortLavacaWave.com

Calhoun County Life Visitor and Newcomers Guide is published semiChristy Aguilar annually. Additional Betty Birdwell copies available by Ashley Kontnier contacting the Port

Lavaca Wave. For Mac Sistrunk advertising information, call 361-552-9788.

Lance Catchings Brush Freeman Bill Harvey Pat Hathcock Phil Thomae Fran Sherman Sushil Dhungana

Visit us online at www.portlavacawave.com or email us at editor@plwave.com.

Copyright 2016

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Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

Crawfish Festival April 30, 2016

4th of July Fireworks July 2, 2016

Memorial Day Kids Fishing Tourney May 28, 2016

Port o’Connor Texas

Christmas Lighting Contests 2nd week of December

Best Kept Secret of the Gulf Coast

Christmas Boat Parade & Toy Run December

Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 701, Port O’Connor, Tx. 77982 (361) 983-2898 portoconnorchamber.org

Come Join Us for Lunch

Leagues

Leagues Available Lanes Available Every Night On A First Come Basis

Pro-Shop Supplies: Bowling balls custom fit Pool Cues Ordered to speck And Other Items

Gaming Supplies & Play: Magic The Gathering Pokémon Yu-Gi-Oh! DC Deck builder Risk And Other Games

361-552-2667

Mon. - Sat.: 11a.m. to midnight; Sun: 1 to 10 p.m.

100 Village Rd.

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

7

MUSIC, FISHING HIGHLIGHTS FOR

two-day Shrimpfest The 2016 Shrimpfest in Seadrift promises to be bigger than ever, with more live music, more contests and more fun.

BY KAYLA MEYER

T

he 36th annual twoday event will take place June 17-18 and is held at A.D. Powers Bayfront Park along Bay Avenue in Seadrift.

“I think it’s a fun, familyoriented event that we’ve been putting on for 36 years. We’ve got lots of activities for the kids, lots of stuff to do around shrimp, which is the whole Shrimpfest’s meaning,” said Kristine Met-

8

calfe, president of the Seadrift Chamber of Commerce.

Gates open at 3 p.m. Friday, June 17. La Soledad will perform from 6-9 p.m. and The Emotions will take the stage afterword until midnight.

Entry Friday costs $5.

The festivities continue Saturday morning at 8 a.m. with a 5K run/walk, a children’s fishing tournament and a gumbo cook off, with winners an-

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

nounced later in the afternoon.

Other events throughout the day include face painting and a bouncy house for children.

Gate entry Saturday is $5 until 6 p.m., after which the cost is $10.

“Co-ed volleyball starts at 9 a.m., horseshoes start at 10 a.m., and then we have a ‘Kidz Korner,’” Metcalfe said.

“We will have the pony rides again this year for the kids,” she said, adding that event

goers can also participate in a hamster ball on water event.

“You actually get into a balloon and you ride it on water in a big pool.”

The newest and biggest addition to this year’s Shrimpfest is a fishing tournament open to all participants. The fishing tournament will start at daybreak Saturday, June 18.

Entrants do not necessarily have to launch their boats in

Seadrift to compete.

“It’s open, meaning it’s open to anywhere in the water you want to go, as long as you launch at a Calhoun County boat ramp. They have to have their fish brought in (at Shrimpfest). We start weigh-in at 2 p.m., everybody has to be in line by 4 p.m.,” Metcalfe said.

The fishing tournament weigh-in will be under a tent at the bayfront park near the city harbor.

“They’ll do the weigh in and once all the calculations are done, they’ll come back to the pavilion and we’ll announce the winners at 5:30 p.m.,” Metcalfe said.

All of the fishing tournament prizes are cash. First prize is $5,400 or 60 percent, second is $2,700 or 30 percent and third is $900 or 10 percent.

“We also have some side pots, for the biggest red, the biggest trout, the most spots on a redfish and heaviest other than redfish,” Metcalfe added.

The largest redfish and trout prizes are $50 each while prizes for the other two side pots are $25 each.

Also new this year is a shrimp eating contest, slated for noon near the pavilion.

Metcalfe said contestants will have to peel and eat as many shrimp as they can in a given time period. Rules for the contest, she added, will be ironed out come event time.

Children and teenagers from Calhoun County will have an opportunity to compete in the Miss Shrimpfest pageant. Winners will receive college scholarships.

“The chamber will give a $500 scholarship to that person who wins when they are entered into that school. The monies are paid directly to the college once they are enrolled.

If a 14-year-old wins it, they’re not going to be in college for another two or three years, but we still keep up, and they still get that money,” Metcalfe said.

Another exciting contest for attendees is a golf cart scavenger hunt. Golf carts are a Seadrift staple, traveling the many roads each day in the city. A scavenger hunt team is comprised of four individuals in search of what is depicted in a packet of photos given to each entrant.

“The packet will show what that item is, and then you go

Becky Haynes, of Victoria, turns away from the smell of fresh shrimp in preparation of a pot of gumbo. This year’s Shrimpfest will host a shrimp eating contest. (Sherry Ficklen/Wave photo)

The 2016 Shrimpfest will feature a variety of events for all ages.

There will be an assortment of activities for children as such as this duck pond game from last year’s event. (Sherry Ficklen/Wave photo)

find that item, and you take a picture with your captain on your phone. Everything that you’ve found and taken pictures, you get points for, and the most points wins,” Metcalfe said. “It could be where you see a picture of some deer in somebody’s front yard, you go find that, then you take a picture.”

Cash prizes will be available for most adult contests, including the horseshoe, washer and volleyball tournaments, and children will receive trophies and plaques.

Many of those amounts are still to be determined.

Numerous food and craft vendors will have booths at the event.

“We’ll start setting up on Thursday, and when the gates open at 3 p.m. (Friday), everybody will be set up. We typically run anywhere from 25 to 35 food and craft vendors.

The food, we are targeting shrimp, of course, but there’s going to be food and an array of different craft vendors,” Metcalfe said.

“In the past, we’ve had the wooden signs where you can get plaques made out of wood.

He does it there on site,” Metcalfe continued. “. We’ve got candle folks, we’ve got kids toys that people sell, hats, Tshirts. There are books about Seadrift sold as well.

As the sun sets and the evening begins to cool off, Todd Dorn and the Sea Drifters will entertain the crowd from 6-9 p.m.

“They are local,” Metcalfe said. “Then Larry Joe Taylor is going to be from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. with an autograph signing until 1 a.m.”

“This year, we have four bands, as opposed to three like last year,” she added.

Shrimpfest has been taking place for as long as many residents can remember.

“Shrimping was just huge.

People would just back the boats up and they would donate. I don’t know if the chamber was always the one putting it on. I think it just started with local people and local shrimpers,” Metcalfe said. “They wanted to come in and have fun.”

For more information about this year’s event, visit www.seadriftchamber.com/ shrimpfest.html.

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

9

SEADRIFT LODGE

offers

YEAR-ROUND FISHING, HUNTING FUN FOR ALL

BY KAYLA MEYER

Bay Flats Lodge is a premier destination in Seadrift that offers fishing and fun in the Calhoun County area.

P

alm trees rustled in the wind and the sky was overcast, the ground wet from the previous night’s rain.

Despite the inclement weather outside, the entrance

10

to Bay Flats Lodge was warm and welcoming. On one side of the room, chairs and tables are already set up, ready for guests later in the evening, and on the other is a kitchen and breakfast bar area, reminiscent of home.

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

“‘I felt like I was family the first time I walked in,’” Chris Martin said, reading a testimonial from a guest who recently stayed at Bay Flats Lodge.

Martin, and his wife, Deb, own Bay Flats Lodge, which sits just

a stone’s throw away from San Antonio Bay. With one phone call or email guests can book a stay at what Martin calls the premier destination on the Texas Gulf Coast.

“We try to make ourselves

Guests have several options when staying at Bay Flats Lodge in Seadrift, and they can expect high quality facilities to meet the needs of all.

Some of the rooms at Bay Flats Lodge were recently remodeled, with the former furniture donated to those in need. The lodge is located in Seadrift.

“When we built this place, we thought we’d never fill it up, and we outgrew it in a year’s time,”

better, from the food, from the experience the customer gets, the surveys,” he said.

The lodge Bay Flats Lodge began in the late 1990s, providing a few beds

for guests in a doublewide trailer.

“It wasn’t even a double wide.

It was more like a single and a half,” Martin said, with a laugh.

“We’ve come a long way.”

In the early days of Bay Flats

Lodge, Martin and his stepson, T.J. Christensen, were the only fishing and hunting guides, catering primarily to families looking to enjoy the waters surrounding Calhoun County.

Martin and Christensen have since moved indoors to run the business-side of Bay Flats.

As the business grew, Bay Flats Lodge upgraded to a small boutique-type fishing lodge, and in 2007, moved into its current location in the Swan Point Landing area just outside the city of Seadrift.

“When we built this place, we thought we’d never fill it up, and we outgrew it in a year’s time,” Christensen said.

“Now we have five acres of accommodations here,” Martin said. “We’re really proud.”

With the growth of business and upgrades to the facilities, more staff members were brought on to serve customers.

Bay Flats Lodge employs 17 staff members and 14 guides for fishing and duck hunting. The most important job a Bay Flats Lodge employee has is taking care of the guests.

“All the staff know how to do everything,” Martin said. “What we need is a warm, friendly smile.”

Occupancy at Bay Flats Lodge varies throughout the week— Fridays through Mondays tend to be busier—and throughout the year, often depending on when the hunting season opens.

Summer fishing is extremely popular, with weekdays at Bay Flats Lodge nearly filling up completely. Another busy time for the lodge is duck season, which, in Calhoun County, typically runs from the end of October into January. Bay Flats currently averages between 700 and 750 guests per week, Martin said. Many guests, he added, re-

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

11

Guests are treated to delicious meals day and night at Bay Flats Lodge in Seadrift. turn year after year to enjoy the comforts of Bay Flats Lodge.

Over the last several months, Martin has made many upgrades at Bay Flats Lodge, adding a walk-in cooler and freezer for the staff, a long lighted walkway between lodge buildings, a small elevator and bedding upgrades.

Not only in the business of taking care of its customer, Bay Flats Lodge often gives back to the community. Part of the recent renovations at Bay Flats Lodge included upgrading the beds to luxury, full and queensized accommodations. The bunk beds that guests previously slept on were donated to an area women’s shelter.

“Since we’ve changed the beds up a little bit, we’re going from 55 to 46. We’d rather give up the numbers and the volume, because we don’t want to really be a conveyer belt operation,” Martin said. “What makes this business is we’re always striving to be better.”

A day at Bay Flats “You’d come in, and we’d greet you,” Martin said, further demonstrating how guests sign in on an iPad. “And then we kind of give you the itinerary here,” he continued, showing a sign that hangs next to the doorway of the main entrance.

Guests usually begin arriving around 4 p.m., and around 5:30 p.m., appetizers are served at the lodge’s outdoor kitchen that sits just outside the main building.

Guests can interact with one

12

another, play horseshoes or washers, enjoy the heat from a fire pit and catch the latest football or baseball game from one of the many televisions that line the kitchen.

“Everybody hangs out out here. We do a lot of the cooking, like some of the steaks and stuff, out here. In the summer-time, we turn on a big fan,” Christensen said. “It’s a little bit of everything. If it’s real hot, we put down the shades. We’ve got shades to keep the sun from coming in in the evenings.”

Dinner is a gourmet event, often with a rib eye steak or double boned pork chop, cooked by the lodge’s grill master, Martin said.

At the end of an evening, guests retire to their rooms, many of which are named for

waterfowl in the area. Accommodations are located on the first and second floors of the main building, a small cottage at the back of the main building and in a two-story blue structure a short walk from the main lodge. The rooms are decorated with the feel of a beach house—bright and comfortable.

“It has a kitchen and couches and stuff like that. It sleeps nine people up and eight people down.

We have one group that’s here almost every week with nine people so we put them up there.

It’s from the same company,” Christensen said.

The night before a day on the water, guests can check the fishing report on the lodge’s website or mobile app.

“Everyday, guests can come over here to get fishing re-

ports and see exactly what the weather’s going to be, the water temperature. It’s updated everyday, and it’s open to the public,” Martin said.

Breakfast begins early the next day, often before the sun rises, then guests head out on the water with one of the many guides.

“We have coffee with them (guests) or breakfast. We try to take turns eating dinner with them. It varies. One of us is here all the time,” Christensen said.

Duck hunting and fishing is unique in Calhoun County, Martin said.

“One thing really impressive about this area, it’s the beginning of the wintering grounds for all duck species.

They migrate every year from Saskatchewan to come here, and this is where they winter, from here south. Plus, the abundance of food, the groceries on the bottom floor with the certain grass and crustaceans they eat,” Martin said, adding that the location to the Gulf of Mexico and the oysters in San Antonio Bay contribute to the productivity of fishing in the area.

Guests usually return to the lodge around 2 p.m. Most of the guests staying at Bay Flats Lodge these days, Martin and Christensen said, are part of corporate events. After a day on the water, guests gather in the outdoor kitchen once again, this time to see photos and results of the day.

“A large part of our business is corporate entertainment, so you have (a business) that will come here with 40-plus people and have a meeting, or they’ll have a fishing tournament, and we can tailor the trip as needed for each guest. Every guest has a different need,” Martin said.

“We might have like five different groups here at one time,” Christensen said. “We don’t mix them in the rooms or on the boats, but there will be five groups out there eating appetizers together, and it’s funny. It’s a small world. One of them will end up knowing another one, and then before long, they’re all hanging out together. It’s pretty cool.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION Chris Martin, owner of Bay Flats Lodge, highlights menu options offered for dinner one evening. The lodge is a premier destination along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

VISIT BAY FLATS LODGE AT

www.bayflatslodge.com or call 361-785-2686 or 1-888-677-4868.

d

”

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Coastal Refrigeration ‘Service Beyond Expectation’

Reliable Service Since 1969

Residential & Commercial Heating & Air Conditioning Sales- Service-Installation

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HAYES

ELECTRIC SERVICE “Since 1965”

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Tues.-Thurs.: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Fri. & Sat.: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Closed Monday

CONTRACTING • SERVICE CALLS • ELECTRIC FIXTURES & SUPPLIES

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PHONE: 552-9538 “We service what we sell!”

FAX: 552-7443 814 West Main Port Lavaca

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Aransas National Wildlife Refuge Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority Providing stewardship of natural resources for Texans through our retail and wholesale water supply and treatment operations.

Calhoun County Operations: • PORT LAVACA WATER TREATMENT PLANT

• CALHOUN COUNTY RURAL WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM • CALHOUN COUNTY CANAL

SYSTEM

1064 State Hwy. 316

(Magnolia Beach Road)

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(361) 552-9751

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

1 Wildlife Circle Austwell, TX 77950

361-286-3559

www.fws.gov/refuge/aransas

Open Daily 30 Minutes Before Sunrise to 30 Minutes After Sundown Visitor Center Hours Wed.-Sun.: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Bayfront Animal Hospital Small & Large Animal Services

Kenneth A. Motl, DVM P.O. Box 47 Office: Port Lavaca, TX 77979 361-552-2602 Located across from the Calhoun County Fairgrounds

MD

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enter

Services Provided CPR Courses Diagnostic Imaging Dietary Catering Emergency Department Intensive Care Unit Laboratory Memorial Medical Clinic Medical Surgical Unit Obstetrics Specialty Clinics Outpatient Services Rehab Services Memorial Medical Surgery Clinic Program Hope Sleep Studies Infection Prevention Social Services Surgery Respiratory Swing Bed Wound Care

Dr. Paul Bunnell

Internal Medicine - Gastrointestinal problems and screening

815 North Virginia St., Port Lavaca, Texas 77979 361-552-6713

Wednesdays: 9 a.m. to Noon

Laura Price, PT, DPT Physical Therapist

KellyJ M. Cox, OTR/L, MOT Occupational Therapist

From left: Laura Price, PT, DPT; KellyJ M. Cox, OTR/L, MOT; and Christina Zapata-Arroyo, S, CCC-SLP

Courtne Thurlkill Dr. Maia Danielson Family Nurse Practitioner

- Liver Disease including Hepatitis B and C treatment

Memorial Medical Clinic 1016 N. Virginia St. 361-552-0325

REHAB SERVICES Meet Our Therapists

- Colonoscopy and Upper Endoscopy Evaluation

Dr. Richard Arroyo-Diaz

Traci Shefcik

Internal Medicine

Family Nurse Practitioner

Obstetrics & Gynecology

Angela Garcia-Dobbins

Dr. Thao Minh Truong

Dr. Bill Crowley

Physician Assistant

Family Medicine

Family Medicine

Our specialty is YOU!

Extended Hours Monday - Saturday: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

All Major Insurances Accepted • Walk-Ins Welcomed 1016 N. Virginia St., Port Lavaca 361-552-0325 • www.mmcportlavaca.com

Christina Zapata-Arroyo, S, CCC-SLP Speech-Language Pathologist

Peter Rojas, MD, FACS

General & Vascular Surgery Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery Memorial Medical Center Surgery Clinic 361-552-0324

PROCEDURES

• Endocrine Surgery • Breast Surgery • Gastrointestinal Surgery • Liver, Biliary, and Pancreatic Surgery • Hernia Surgery • Vascular & Dialysis Access • Skin & Soft Tissue Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

15

O.K. Pawn & Jewelry Sonya Oubre

• Loans • Jewelry • Guns • Electronics 1414 S. Hwy 35, Port Lavaca, TX

361-552-9005

“Let us show you what coastal living is all about!”

Capt. Cynthia Alford Realtor/Broker

Mallory Galloway Realtor

361-655-9690 or 361-785-3424

cindy@bbcoast.com; www.baybreezerealestate.com

SUNDAYS:

Six Mile Assembly of God Church

open hearts open minds

5 miles north of Port Lavaca on FM 1090

open doors

Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.

Puppets for kids: 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship: 10:30 a.m.

Children’s Church: 11:15 a.m.

Fellowship meal & Birthday celebration First Sunday of each month, immediately after morning worship (Everyone brings something) Sunday Evening Worship: 6:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAYS:

Start with a meal at 7 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

Adult Discipleship training, Praise & Prayer, Youth Service Bible training for Children

Call Johnny or Bonnie Kisiah, Pastor, at 361-552-5714 for more information.

Beck

1504 W. Main St, Port Lavaca, TX 77979

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Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

Complimentary Breakfast Waterfront Free High Speed Internet Pool & Jacuzzi

2629 State Hwy 35 North • Port Lavaca, TX

361-552-5700

If you’re looking for quality care for your family, trust ours.

William McFarland, M.D., has followed in the footsteps of his father, Tim McFarland, M.D., and they both share a passion for providing quality healthcare for all ages. Dr. William McFarland grew up here in Port Lavaca and, along with his father, provides adult and pediatric care that includes wellness visits, immunizations and vaccinations. He accepts most major insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid.

Tim McFarland, M.D. William McFarland, M.D. Family Medicine Family Medicine Members of the Medical Staff of the DeTar Healthcare System

Ask about same-day appointments.

For an appointment, call 361-552-8866.

Se habla español.

701 N. Virginia St., Port Lavaca Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

91039_DETA_McFarland_7_875x5c.indd 1

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4/11/16 3:33 PM

FAMILY TRADITION BREWED ONE BATCH AT A TIME

BY MELONY OVERTON

Padraic and Andrea O’Neil, of Port Lavaca, opened O’Neil and Sons Brewery, located at 502 Half League Road, a year ago. The couple serves four home brews on tap.

(Melony Overton photo)

P

adraic O’Neil, of Port Lavaca, and his brothers Sean and James, have kept the memory of their late father Jim O’Neil alive by brewing spirits or beer using and tweaking family recipes.

O’Neil and his wife Andrea O’Neil opened O’Neil and Sons Brewing Co., located at 502 Half League Road, a year ago as a way to share what he learned from his father with others.

“My dad was a home brewer for a very long time. I started brewing with him 15 years ago. We would do it every once in a

18

while. Once I get my hands on things I kind of take it too far. I started brewing with my dad, and I started doing it more.

“We always joked every time we made some beer we would say, ‘Hey, this is the O’Neil and Sons beer,” O’Neil said of his father who was the former harbormaster for the City of Port Lavaca. “We really wanted to do it. It was like a dream. Once my dad passed away it was like that’s it I’m going to start brewing a lot more.

So I did start brewing a lot more.”

In a small converted warehouse, a bar with a few stools sits not too far away from

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

O’Neil’s brewing instruments: a brew kettle, a conditioning tank and a serving tank.

The O’Neil’s have applied for their brewpub license, with which the couple can sell beer to go in large bottles known as “growlers.”

Andrea believes we all can make a difference in the world, and some changes can begin with a pint of beer.

“It’s been a good experience. We were brewing all the time anyway,” Andrea said of the decision to open a brewery.

“We’ve met a lot of good people along the way. That’s what I enjoy the most. A wide

t . )

Padraic O’Neil is the barkeep and brewer at O’Neil and Sons Brewery, located at 502 Half League Road in Port Lavaca. (MELONY OVERTON/WAVE PHOTO)

variety of people come, and everybody finds a common ground here. Most of the people who come, I would say we are now friends.

It’s been fun.”

At 9 p.m. on a Saturday, patrons mosey on up to the bar and grab a seat after receiving a warm greeting from Padraic and Andrea.

Cher Chism, of Port Lavaca, goes to the brewery/bar once a week.

“I would probably come both Thursday and Saturday when they’re open if I didn’t have to work,” Chism said. “I really love the owners, and I like the beer even though I usually am not a beer drinker.”

Chism particularly enjoys their stout beer.

“It’s a welcoming atmosphere. They’re always nice here,” she said.

Conversation flows freely at the bar on topics ranging from sports to politics.

O’Neil is a quiet barkeep taking patrons’ orders, serving his home brews and cleaning and shelving small beer goblets.

His ingredients are simple: an English malt, hops, yeast and water. O’Neil may brew from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. on a given day.

“I start off usually really cold, but when I start fermenting I raise it to a 75 degree range until it is done fermenting,” he said.

O’Neil brews four beers including stouts and a pale ale with colorful names. O’Neil keeps four home brews on tap at all times.

Pass Cavallo is a 16-ounce English pale ale that has a golden color with a light hop

Padraic O’Neil pours a homebrewed beer for a patron at O’Neil and Sons Brewery, located at 502 Half League Road. (MELONY OVERTON PHOTO) bitterness named after a local fishing spot in Port O’Connor. The 16-ounce D.A.D. is inspired from English and Irish stouts. Made in memory of Jim O’Neil, it is the brewery’s flagship beer. It has roasted flavors and a hop bitterness. GLG 20 is a 12-ounce dark, sweet and thick Russian imperial stout with a high alcohol content. Chingos of Hops is a 12-ounce India pale ale that has a malty, hoppy flavor. The Captain Jim is a 16-ounce combination “black and red” of Chingos of Hops and D.A.D. O’Neil’s is open from 6:30 to 11 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays. When O’Neil opens, he averages a crowd of about 20 people.

O’Neil brews beer to continue the family tradition.

“It’s something my dad taught me how to do. It’s fun to do. I take a recipe and tweak it a little bit. I enjoy working with my family.

This is all I do now,” he said.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.oneilandsons.com

or email padraic@oneilandsons.com

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

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Victoria College Calhoun County Center Industrial Trades Electrical Millwright Pipefitting Welding

Health Careers Medication Aide Nurse Aide Adult Education GED Preparation English as a Second Language (ESL) For more information: Adult Education (361) 573-7323

The Best in Custom Blinds and Window Coverings

Industrial Trades (361) 582-2528 Health Careers (361) 582-2412

VictoriaCollege.edu

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Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

First National Bank

HOMETOWN BANKING AT ITS BEST

Four convenient locations to serve you.

Port Lavaca

Loan officers who can actually make you a loan!

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21

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The Hometown Experts with a World of Experience® 22

Calhoun County Life • Spring 2016

Y A L P O T S E PLAC

y t n u o C n Calhou

ITIES IV T C A R E M M U S N U FF Four-year-old Kyle, who visited Port Lavaca with his parents from OFFERS A VARIETY O southern California, enjoys one of the many slides at a Lighthouse Beach playground in Port Lavaca. (Photo by Kayla Meyer)

Whether you’re looking for fun in the sun or a break from the south Texas heat, there is something to do in Calhoun County for just about everyone.

Residents, visitors and new comers can often be found during the warm summer days at one of the many beaches in Calhoun County catching a few rays and maybe throwing a fishing line or two into the salty water.

There are seemingly countless areas throughout Calhoun County where people can relax by the water. Those areas include Magnolia Beach, Lighthouse Beach and the bayfront park at the end of Main Street in Port Lavaca. Throughout the county there are Kingfisher Beach in Port O’Connor, A.D. Powers Bayfront Park in Seadrift and many others.

At many of these areas, there is something for children as well as adults. All of these parks features areas for families and friends to gather for a picnic on the scenic waters, and at many, there are jungle gyms and playgrounds where children can run and play all day.

Lighthouse Beach and Port Lavaca splash pads “An entire family could go down there and have something for everyone,” said newly retired Port Lavaca City Manager Bob Turner about the beaches and parks in Port Lavaca.

“There are beaches if you just want to lay out and enjoy the sun, or you can go to one of the play areas and play on the playgrounds or splash pads,” he added.

The newest playground addition in the city is what Turner calls the sand playground, where the playground equipment sits right on the beach.

“It has seven different slides and sits right next to our volleyball courts,” Turner said.

“It can accommodate a lot of children.”

One of the many visitors traveling to and through the Calhoun County area

was Lauren, with her husband and son.

The family flew to Texas from southern California to check out the state’s beautiful coast.

Renting a car once in the state to travel the Texas coastline, the family could not resist stopping in Port Lavaca and partaking in the sand playground and other amenities offered at Lighthouse Beach.

“We’re just visiting Texas. It’s just beautiful here,” Lauren said about her stop at Lighthouse Beach. “We wanted to do a coastal drive here. It has been a blast. We saw a dolphin earlier. It’s been so much fun.”

While Lauren enjoyed the breezy, yet warm, sunny day at the beach, her 4-year-old son, Kyle, climbed up, down and through the sand playground, then sliding down one of its slides.

“This is super cool, especially at a camp ground,” Lauren said about the playground that was near the Lighthouse Beach’s RV park.

“Some places and parks we’ve been to seem to run out of things for him to do,” she added about her son. “But this is just great.”

Just a short distance down the beach, Brittany Lopez, Anthony Quiroz and threeyear-old Gabriella Quiroz unraveled the string to their Disney-themed kites.

“Look Gabby,” Quiroz said in excitement.

The three-year-old beamed as their kite lifted off the ground into the air.

Lopez said the family, who is from Victoria, visits the beach about once a month as a way to take a break from work.

When the family was not flying their kites, they were relaxing beneath one of the many beachfront cabanas, enjoying a picnic lunch by the water.

“It has just been so pretty the last few days,” Lopez said. “We come here when we have time, especially on pretty weekends.”

In addition to spending time with their toes in the sand, Lighthouse Beach visitors can walk a paved path to another playground area and the city’s largest and newest splash pad.

“We have a poured path from the sand

playground to the splash pad,” Turner said, adding that the original splash pad can be found at Bay Front Peninsula Park, just a short drive from Lighthouse Beach.

Percilla Perez, of Port Lavaca, often brings her children to the splash pad and playground at Bay Front Peninsula Park to see the smiles on their faces as they climb through the pirate-themed jungle gym.

“I get to enjoy the day with them. I bring snacks and everything they would need.

They go on the splash pads and just have fun,” Perez said.

Corrie Lee watched as her son, Kaidyn Camacho, laughed and ran around the playground with Perez’s. Visiting Bayfront Peninsula Park is an almost-daily activity for the family.

“We come out here as often as we can, especially on days like today where the weather is beautiful,” Lee said. “And we come out here a lot during the summer.”

In addition to the play areas, Bayfront Peninsula Park, along with Lighthouse Beach, both feature piers for fishing and docks for boats entering the water.

“There is something for mom, dad, the children and the little ones. Everyone can come down and enjoy the parks,” Turner said. “We’re really excited about it all.”

Swimming pool fun If the beach is not on the day’s agenda, visitors can also catch a few sunrays at the community swimming pool in Port Lavaca.

Owned by the city and operated by the Calhoun County YMCA, the pool, which has numerous lanes for swimming laps, is on Highway 35 and is within walking distance from Lighthouse Beach.

The pool also has a diving well over 10-feet deep and a shallow end for those not making a big cannon ball splash at the deep end.

Visitors and patrons—both children and adults—can often be found on hot summer days relaxing in or by the swimming pool.

This year, the pool opens to the public near the end of the school year in May and remains open throughout the summer into

Calhoun County Life •Summer 2016

23

September for open swim, family swim night and more. Patrons are encouraged to contact the YMCA for a complete list of hours and events.

In addition to the open swim hours, the pool can also be rented for evening parties. People interested in renting the pool can do so by calling the YMCA at 361-551-2562.

Two children who can often be found splashing in the YMCA pool are Brianna Esquivel, 9, and Keelan Peppers, 5.

Esquivel enjoys spending time with friends while at the pool in the summer.

“I love swimming,” Esquivel said. “Where the diving board, it is deep. I love going on the diving board and doing cannon balls. ” When not in the pool, Esquivel eats one of the many snack from the pool’s snack bar.

“Hot Cheetos are my favorite,” she said with a smile.

The YMCA also offers swimming lessons throughout the summer. Peppers added he cannot wait to take swimming lesson.

“When I’m 6 years old, I’m going to learn to swim,” he said.

For more information about the YMCA, visit their website at www.ymcavictoria.org/index.php/calhoun.

Beating the heat indoors Some days, when the sun and heat get to be too much, visitors often head indoors to cool off in the air condition. One place people like to find respite from the hot summer sun in Port Lavaca is at Beau’s Billiards, Bowling and Arcade.

Beau’s, located at 100 Village Rd, opens around lunchtime, and the afternoon gets busy shortly after. Many patrons roll a ball down a bowling lane or take in a game of billiards as a way to get out of the heat for a while, said Beau’s operator Willet Parker.

Barbara Klyne and her son, Andrew Lynch, are frequent bowlers at Beau’s. While the pair have called Port Lavaca home for the last decade, Klyne is originally from London and Lynch has lived in numerous cities in Texas.

“We come bowl every Wednesday, sometimes more often,” Klyne said, just before bowling a strike on warm Wednesday afternoon.

“Tuesdays and Wednesdays are my days off,” Lynch said.

“It’s a lot of fun. I have some good days where I win, and some days she is the better bowler,” Lynch added with a laugh, getting his own strike a few turns later.

With disco and black light bowling, evenings and weekends are also busy for Beau’s. No matter what time or day it is, Parker said the atmosphere at Beau’s is fun and family oriented.

“The majority of the people are just nice families. They come in and they want to do something that they can take their kids to go do,” Parker said. “They’ll spend an hour in here playing and bowling, and then we’ll see them again in two or three days or a week. They’re really loyal and really consistent. We’re glad they came to see us.”

Lynch said he has a good game when he bowls around 180, but typically bowls near 100. On that afternoon, Lynch bested his mother by only a few points. Both were happy to have a place to enjoy a fun game for a bit.

“It’s just good fun and a way to stay cool during the summer, or when it’s raining, you can have fun then inside, too,” Klyne said.

For more information regarding Beau’s, contact them at 361552-2667.

For those looking to escape the summer heat, the Twin Dolphins Cinemas offers summertime matinees and evening showings. For a current list of movies and show times, Twin Dolphins can be contacted at 361-552-6764.

Whether a person chooses to spend their summer indoors, outside or a combination of both, Calhoun County is a place on the Texas Gulf Coast for fun in the sun, and the shade.

24

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

CALHOUN COUNTY: 1. Alsatian Immigration through Lavaca Bay 300 block Commerce Street, on bay front, Port Lavaca 2. Beach Hotel Main & Commerce Sts., Port Lavaca 3. Beaumont, Jefferson Port Lavaca Cemetery, south end of S. Nueces St., Port Lavaca 4. Calhoun County Ann & Leona Sts., Port Lavaca 5. Calhoun County Hurricanes Calhoun County Courthouse grounds 211 S. Ann St. 6. Calhoun County Jail 301 S. Ann St., Port Lavaca 7. Civil War Bombardment of Port Lavaca 200 Block of Commerce Street, Port Lavaca 8. Civil War Torpedo Works Live Oak and Commerce Streets, Port Lavaca 9. Clark Cemetery From Hwy. 35, take US 87 north 3.6 miles. Turn left on FM 2433 and then immediately turn right on FM 1679. After 0.9 miles, turn left on Sanders Rd. Go another 0.9 miles to private road on the left. The cemetery is about 0.4 miles down the road on private property.

10. Cox’s Point Northeast end of causeway, on SH 35, near western city limit, Point Comfort 11. Eberly, Mrs. Angelina Bell Peyton From Port Lavaca, take FM 238 three miles southwest to FM 316; follow FM 316 south about 8.75 miles 12. First Baptist Church of Port Lavaca 902 Calhoun, Port Lavaca 13. First Presbyterian Church of Port Lavaca 1111 N. Virginia 14. First United Methodist Church of Port Lavaca 814 N. San Antonio Street, Port Lavaca 15. George, Wiley S. Nueces at Cypress St., at entrance to Port Lavaca Cemetery 16. Grace Episcopal Church (2 markers) 213 E. Austin Street,

Port Lavaca 17. Green Lake 12 miles southwest of Port Lavaca on SH 35 right-of-way 18. Half Moon Reef Lighthouse Bay Front Park, west end of causeway on SH 35, Port Lavaca 19. Hatch Cemetery From Port Lavaca, take US 35 about six miles south. Then go west about one mile on Meadow View Ln. to golf course.

20. Hatch, Sylvanus From Port Lavaca, take US 35 about six miles south. Then go west about one mile on Meadow View Ln. to golf course.

Marker is about in the middle of the bridge on the south side of path.

21. Indianola SH 316 terminus at beach, Indianola 22. Indianola Cemetery From Port Lavaca, take FM 238 south southwest three miles to FM 316. Follow FM 316 about 8.75 miles to Brighton Rd. in Indianola. Follow Brighton Rd northwest about one mile and then go west on Comal Rd onehalf mile and then right on Orleans St. one quarter mile to cemetery.

23. Indianola, Site of the Town of SH 316 South to Ocean Dr one mile to Indianola 24. Johnson, Moses, M.D. Six miles northwest of Port Lavaca on US 87 25. Johnson, Moses, M.D. Private, 6.25 mile north of Port Lavaca off US 87 26. La Salle, Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de Beach Rd at SH 316 terminus at Indianola 27. Lavaca Lodge No. 36, A. F. & A. M. From Port Lavaca, take FM 1090 north about two miles 28. Linnville, Site of the Town of From SH 35 in Port Lavaca, take FM 1090 north about two miles and turn east onto E. Maxwell Ditch Rd. for about 0.8 miles to Bay Meadow Dr. Go south on Bay Meadow Rd. about 1.3 miles to Meadow Lark Rd. Go east on Meadow Lark to end. Take the private road south at water front.

Walk south along shore at field

:

AN ODYSSEY OF HISTORICAL MARKERS area. Marker falls in water.

29. Matagorda Island Lighthouse* Located approx. 7.5 miles south of Port O’Connor at 28° 20’ 16.44”, -96° 25’ 26.62”

on Matagorda Island, lighthouse is accessible only by private boat or airplane plus a hike to the site.

30. Mt. Sinai Baptist Church 419 Center St., Port Lavaca 31. Olivia SH 172 at city limits 32. Olivia Cemetery SH 172 & County Road 317 on County Road 317, Olivia 33. Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church 415 W. Austin 34. Port Lavaca SH 35 between SH 238 & Half Moon Dr., at Bauer Community Center, Port Lavaca 35. Port Lavaca Cemetery End of S. Nueces St., Port Lavaca 36. Port Lavaca Chapter No. 373, Order of The Eastern Star FM 1090, two miles north of Port Lavaca 37. Port O’Connor E. Monroe Ave. at S. Park Ave., at King Fisher Beach 38. Ranger Cemetery (2 Markers) Harbor St., Port Lavaca 39. Rasmussen, Andrew A. Main & 15th St., Port O’Connor 40. Salem Lutheran Church 2101 FM 1090 41. San Antonio and Mexican Gulf Railroad 110 N. Virginia, Port Lavaca 42. Seadrift SH 185, Seadrift 43. Seadrift Cemetery 1273 Cemetery Road; Located 1.273 miles from Hwy 185 on Cemetery Road.

44. Six Mile Cemetery Go 4.5 miles northwest of Port Lavaca on FM 1090 to Royal Rd. Turn west on Royal and go about 0.4 miles.

Cemetery is behind Six Mile Presbyterian Church.

45. Six Mile Presbyterian Church o 4.5 miles northwest of Port Lavaca on FM 1090 to Royal Rd. Turn west on Royal and go about 0.4 miles.

46. Six Mile-Royal Community

Go 4.1 miles northwest of SH 35 on FM 1090 Lavaca Bay

46

44 45

28

35

1593

10

172

Point Comfort

2143

1090

87

4

3084

24 25 9

2433

Port Lavaca

238

87

1090

Lavaca Bay

1679

185

32

31

35

27 36

19 20 2541

17

48

35

11

2235

238

Matagorda Bay

21 26

50

23

1289

22

35 185

37

Port O’Connor

43

185

Seadrift

185

39

42 San Antonio Bay

29

1090

35

40

12

3084

18 34

238

38

13

41

2

14

1

35

5 7

6

87

16

33 35

47 49

30 3

47. St. Joseph Baptist Church 811 S. Virginia St., Port Lavaca 48. Town Cemetery, Old From Port Lavaca, take FM 238 south southwest about three miles. Then follow FM 316 south about 8.5 miles. Go north one mile on county road to Old Town Cemetery.

49. Wilkins, Alice O., School Ann and Alice Wilkins streets, Port Lavaca 50. Zimmerman Cemetery From Port Lavaca, take FM 238 about 3 miles to FM 316.

Go south 7.25 miles to roadside area.

8

15 35

1090

* National Registry listing; no historical marker.

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

25

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26

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

Museum EXHIBIT TO FEATURE KARANKAWA FAMILY

BY MELONY OVERTON

Artifacts from the “The La Salle Odyssey” are part of an exhibit at the Calhoun County Museum, located at 301 S. Ann St. (MELONY OVERTON PHOTO)

T

he Calhoun County Museum, located at 301 S. Ann St., in Port Lavaca, will have exhibits this spring and summer, which will feature a Karankawan family and vintage and antique Christmas toys.

Life-size, fiberglass figures of a Karankawan mother, father and daughter are the newest additions to the county museum on permanent loan from the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin.

The father stands at six-feet, while the mother holds a bag of shrimp and the daughter a basket of fish.

“The museum called us and asked if we’d like to have them because we are part of the La Salle Odyssey. Before she had it out of her mouth, I said yes. We went and picked them up,” said George Anne Cormier, museum director. “We wanted the figures because they’re our local Native American group. They are what La Salle might have seen when he first came here. I think it will be a wonderful exhibit.”

Port Lavaca artist Lola Chaka’s large mural of a seascape as the backdrop for the exhibit is complete.

“We will try to make the exhibit as realistic as possible with grasses, plants and sand,”

Cormier said. “It will give people an idea of how they lived, what they ate and what kind of family units they had. The Karankawas loved children. Whenever their children died, they would mourn for a year. We do have a little girl with this.”

The father Karankawan came to the museum with a damaged leg to where it cannot stand.

Cormier has found someone who can repair it.

“Hopefully that exhibit will be opening up soon,” she said. “The diorama is complete, and the stage is all set, so we should be able to put it up quickly.”

Arrow points donated by local resident Curtis Foester will also be displayed soon, Cormier said.

“Those will be going in within the next couple of months. I have someone who is identifying them all for me, so we can make labels for them. It is like 97 points,” she said.

Extra artifacts including pictures and drawings belonging to former Calhoun County Judge Howard G. Hartzog Sr., which were donated to the museum by relatives, are part of another permanent display.

The exhibit includes his 1911 desk that was restored by the Junior Service League in 1967, a

telephone from the courthouse tax office and an adding machine from the courthouse clerk’s office, both used from 1910-59, and a cabinet from the old courthouse in Port Lavaca. Much of the Calhoun County Museum collection deals with the history of Indianola.

Indianola was one of the busiest ports along the Gulf Coast until it was hit by hurricanes in 1875 and 1886. The hurricanes largely destroyed the town.

A large diorama of Indianola has the locations of a number of the homes and businesses before the 1875 hurricane and a number of artifacts from the town after the hurricane. Along with the displays of the town, including a recreation of what the area looked like at the time, are items that have been found on the beaches.

The museum also has several displays entitled “The La Salle Odyssey” with items found on the La Belle, a ship used by explorer Robert de la Salle. The ship was found in Matagorda Bay in 1995. The ship sank in 1686.

Several items from the ship can be found at the museum.

The exhibit also includes tallow made from beef or bison fat kept in a barrel on the ship used

for cooking, tanning leather, soap and candle making and as a wood sealant. Other La Belle items include Atlantic cod and goose bones. A handmade reproduction of a musket from the 1680s, like that used by La Salle and his crew, round out the items on display.

One of the most popular items is the Third-Order Fresnel lens from the Matagorda Island Lighthouse.

A buffalo head, donated by the Floyd Paige estate, is another prominent feature of the museum. Paige, who was a Houstonian, also donated a rifle and powder horns to the museum.

Other items in the museum are unique to Calhoun County, including hand-crafted bedding and furniture that are over a

century old.

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

27

2

3

4*

5

1

A

6

B

7

8

C

D

9 10

D

28

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

Getting to the Beach A. Lighthouse Beach Lighthouse Beach is part of the Lighthouse Beach Park located adjacent the TX Hwy. 35 North causeway bridge. Entrance to the park is from Broadway St. (TX Hwy 238) just south of the Hwy. 35 and Hwy 238 intersection across from the Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse and Bauer Community Center. There is a modest per vehicle fee to enter the park.

B. Magnolia Beach Go west on TX Hwy. 238 from Port Lavaca as it exits town. Continue straight on TX 238, which eventually becomes TX Hwy. 316.

Continue on Hwy. 316 for approximately 5.5 miles before turning left when you reach Farm to Market Road 2760. Once on FM 2760, travel approximately one mile, then turn right on Vivian Stevens Rd. Make an immediate left around the curve once on Vivian Stevens, and then an immediate right around the curve. The beach will be on your left in a few feet.

C. Indianola Beach Go west on TX Hwy. 238 from Port Lavaca as it exits town.

Continue straight on TX 238, which eventually becomes TX Hwy. 316. Continue on Hwy. 316 for approximately eight miles, then turn right on Brighton Avenue. Stay on Brighton Avenue for about a mile, and the beach will be on your left.

D. King Fisher Beach at Port O’Connor From Port Lavaca, head west on TX Hwy. 238 out of town. Follow Hwy. 238 and when you reach the flashing yellow lights at the intersection of TX Hwy 316, turn right, which will still be Hwy. 238. Follow Hwy. 238 for about one mile, then turn left on Farm to Market Road 1289. Continue on FM 1289 for just over 11 miles until it ends. From there, turn left on TX Hwy. 185. Continue on Hwy. 185 through Port O’Connor until it ends. Once it ends, turn left on Park Street. The beach will be on your right.

E. Seadrift Bayfront Park From Port Lavaca, head west on TX Hwy. 238 out of town. Follow Hwy. 238 and when you reach the flashing yellow lights at the intersection of TX Hwy 316, turn right, which will still be Hwy. 238.

Follow Hwy. 238 for approximately 10 miles, where it will “T” with TX Hwy. 185. Take a left on Hwy. 185 and you will reach Seadrift in approximately one mile. Continue on Hwy. 185 until you reach Main Street, and turn right. Follow Main Street until it intersects with Bay Street. Turn right on Bay Street, and the beach will be on your left.

Public Boat Ramps 1. Olivia 2. Point Comfort 3. Six Mile 4.* Lighthouse Beach 5. Bayfront Peninsula 6. Harbor of Refuge 7. Chocolate Bayou 8. Magnolia Beach 9. Port O’Connor 10. Seadrift Bayfront Park *A modest per vehicle fee is required for entrance to the Lighthouse Beach Park.

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

29

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Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

WARRIOR'S WEEKEND TO HOST 900 PLUS SOLDIERS IN ITS

BY MELONY OVERTON

B

10TH YEAR

oats will fill the intracoastal canal at Froggie’s in Port O’Connor each May as captains wait for busloads of wounded warriors to arrive for a day of fishing during the annual War-

rior's Weekend.

Ron Kocian, founder and organizer for the events in Victoria and Port O’Connor, never thought Wounded Warriors would reach the decade mark.

“Never in a million years did

I think we would go 10 years.

We never had any idea that it would mean as much to them as it does, to the warriors,” Kocian said.

The first Wounded Warriors hosted 55 soldiers. Kocian,

who is expecting more than 900 soldiers, their families and 39 service dogs this year, had to suspend registration due to the overwhelming participation.

“They are pleading to come,” he said.

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

31

In 2015, Gloria Fric, known as the “Dragon Lady,” of Victoria, poses next to the main Warrior’s Weekend sand sculpture at the Port O’Connor Community Center. Warrior’s Weekend is held each May in Port O’Connor. (MELONY OVERTON/WAVE PHOTO) What has stayed with Kocian these 10 years are the stories of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury he hears from wounded soldiers.

“One man is coming from Indianapolis. He was shot in the face, and he has a bullet still in him. His wife left him. The divorce rate for the wounded warriors is over 90 percent,” Kocian said.

“Early on when we began this, a colonel told me, ‘Ron, these soldiers fight a war in two places: over there and here.’ I hear these stories over and over again, and it lets you know why you are doing this,” he said.

The event includes activities in Victoria with a dinner, concert and a visit to the Field of Honor at Parkway Church for the 600 soldiers who flew in before a fish fry at the Port O’Connor Community Center that Friday and fishing begins that Saturday.

“When ‘Taps’ is played at

32

“These soldiers come walking up and they are so thankful. They are thanking us. I say, ‘No we are thanking you.’ They are so well mannered and appreciative. It makes me proud that it’s them who represent us in this War of Terror.” Gloria Fric, of Victoria, who is also known as the “Dragon Lady,” is in charge of the Warrior’s Weekend sand sculpture.

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

the Field of Honor, having 600 soldiers saluting at once will be a sight to see,” Kocian said.

Other activities such as a military-themed sand sculpture and a Field of Tribute are slated for Saturday at the community center.

Kocian said he is in need of boat captains to take the soldiers fishing.

“We usually end up with them, but we need them to sign up, too,” he said.

Volunteer opportunities abound for anyone who wants to get involved with Warrior's Weekend.

Putting on the event at two different locations takes about 140 volunteers, said Janice Driver, volunteer coordinator.

“Warrior's Weekend is a big event. Volunteers work in different areas during the event with food, at the dock, and cleaning fish, but the main thing for the volunteers is to be there when the buses come in, to be there at every meal serving, to give them

love and support and to cheer them on,” Driver said. “We want to let them know how much we love them and appreciate what they do.”

Volunteers put up the flags at the Field of Honor and Field of Tribute.

“The community is a volunteer because it opens up its doors to house them. There’s so many tiny things done to display our appreciation,” she said. “Our volunteers are as vital to how they proceed as our board is. We make the first impression. If they need something, we are there.”

Fishing for healing U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Smith participated in his first Warrior's Weekend last year.

“I had no idea it would be this big,” Smith said once the boat stopped at the first fishing hole. “This is a great thing I stumbled upon. I’m amazed how these guys volunteer their time and take you out here.”

Thank You Calhoun CounTY! Sherry Housley, of Port O’Connor, with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 710, out of Victoria, plucked sprouts from a newly smoothed sand wall at the Port O’Connor Community Center in preparation for 2015 Warrior’s Weekend.

(MELONY OVERTON/WAVE PHOTO)

“I loved it and I wanted to come back. Going outdoors is what brings me peace. I stay inside.

I don’t like being around people, civilians because of my PTSD. But going fishing, I can relate to the other fishermen.

I feel comfortable with them. I can let my guard down.

Otherwise, I am paranoid and I feel trapped in my house.

These events are very therapeutic. I would come every year if I could.” U.S. Army Master Sgt. Roger Hunceker, 39, stationed at Fort Hood, about Warriors Weekend.

It was U.S. Army Master Sgt. Roger Hunceker’s second Warrior's Weekend. Both Smith and Hunceker were stationed at Fort Hood.

“I put out the information to my formation. I told them that if they said they were going

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to come to Warriors Weekend they better show up because these people donate their time, money, boat and hotel rooms all for us,” Hunceker said.

“I enjoy the food, fishing and the generosity of the people.

I get to experience the whole Texas pride in its veterans,” said Hunceker.

“We show up in these little towns and see the people who showed up for us. It brings a tear to my eye. You feel so proud,” he said.

Smith, who has served 19 years in the military, was overwhelmed by the show of public support.

“I’ve often felt unappreciated for a lot of those years because we put a lot into it. I have seven children, and I’ve missed a lot of things. But I want to thank the people of Port O’Connor for welcoming us,” he said.

Hunceker, who avoids the public because of PTSD, said Warrior's Weekend is a way for him to relax outdoors.

“I loved it, and I wanted to come back. Going outdoors is what brings me peace. I stay inside. I don’t like being around people, civilians because of my PTSD,” he said.

“But going fishing, I can relate to the other fishermen. I feel comfortable with them. I can let my guard down. Otherwise, I am paranoid, and I feel trapped in my house. These events are very therapeutic. I would come every year if I could.”

See page 37

Russell Cain 361-920-6313

Cherre Cain 361-935-2222

Gonda Moncada

Josh Daniels 361-920-0295

361-935-2661 Debbie Mauldin Office Manager

Jan Regan 361-648-4384

Hunter Hammond 361-676-4096

Brenda Carter 361-920-2005

Marty Shofner 713-956-0011

‘We Couldn’t Do It Without You !!!’

phone: 552-6313

fax: 552-1919

2025 N. Hwy 35, Port Lavaca, TX 77979

Find us on: Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

33

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Family Owned & Operated Personal Service Lawn & Garden, Pet & Hardware Supplies

111 N. Ann • 361-552-5441

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P.O. Box 339, Port O’ Connor TX 77982 Office: (361) 983-2010 Fax: (361) 983-2011 Giddings office 800-283-4086 thardegree@siegins.com

TUXEDO RENTALS

SalTWaTeR FiShing RegulaTionS daIly INCH lENgTH bag (MIN - MaX) Amberjack, Greater ................................................................ 1 ..........34 ..... -N/L** Bass: striped, its hybrids and subspecies .................................. 5* ..........18 .... - N/L** Catfish: channel and blue catfish, hybrids and subspecies ....... 25* ..........12 .... - N/L** Catfish, flathead ...................................................................... 5 ..........18 ... - N/L** Catfish, gafftopsail ........................................................... N/L** ..........14 .... - N/L** Cobia .................................................................................... 2 ..........37 .... - N/L** Drum, black ............................................................................ 5 ..........14 ........ - 301 Drum, red ............................................................................... 3 ..........20 ........ - 281 Flounder: all species, their hybrids and subspecies2............... 5/22 ..........14 .... - N/L** Gar (alligator)......................................................................... 1 ................... - N/L** Grouper, gag .......................................................................... 2 ..........22 ... - N/L** Grouper, goliath (formerly called Jewfish) ................................. 0 ....................C&R*** Mackerel, king ................................................................... 2 27 ................... - N/L** Mackerel, Spanish ................................................................. 15 ..........14 ... - N/L** Marlin, blue .................................................................... N/L** ........131 .... - N/L** Marlin, white ................................................................... N/L** ......... 86 .... - N/L** Mullet: all species, their hybrids and subspecies1................. N/L** .....N/L** .......... -12 Sailfish ............................................................................ N/L** ..........84 .... - N/L** Seatrout, spotted1 (N of FM457 Matagorda County) ................ 10 ..........15 ......... - 25 Seatrout, spotted1 (S of FM457) ................................................ 5 ..........15 ......... - 25 Shark: allowable species1 ........................................................ 1 ..........64 .... - N/L** Shark: prohibited species ......................................................... 0 ..................C & R*** Sheepshead ............................................................................ 5 ..........15 .... - N/L** Snapper, lane .................................................................. N/L** ............8 .... - N/L** Snapper, red (pole & line - circle hook only) .............................. 4 ..........15 .... - N/L** Snapper, vermilion ........................................................... N/L** ..........10 .... - N/L** Snook..................................................................................... 1 ..........24 ......... -28 Tarpon.................................................................................... 1 ..........85 .... - N/L** Triggerfish, gray .................................................................... 20 ..........16 .... - N/L** Tripletail ................................................................................. 3 ..........17 .... - N/L** SPECIES

Refer to Texas Parks & Wildlife site for more detail

1

www.tpwd.state.tx.us/regulations/outdoor-annual/fishing/ saltwater-fishing/saltwater-bag-and-length-limits * - In any combination N/L** - No Limit C&R*** - Catch & Release ONLY 2 Nov. 1-30 limit is 2; may be taken only by pole and line.

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36

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

Transportation before and after school (Federal Regulation Bus)

State Licensed - Aged Grouping • Child Staff Ratio

2202 Half League • Port Lavaca • 552-5757

Dana Wright, known as “Sandana,” of Placedo, worked on the “Thanks, Port O’Connor” sand sculpture at the Port O’Connor Community Center in preparation for the 2015 Warrior’s Weekend. (MELONY OVERTON/WAVE PHOTO)

WHERE’S THE BAIT?

If you are out to catch big fish, then you need to know where to get the best bait. Don’t get caught without the supplies needed to catch redfish, flounder, gafftop, trout, tarpon, snapper or shark.

PORT LAVACA

Big Bear Shrimp, 2241 N. Hwy. 35, 553-8091 Evelyn’s Fish Market, 732 Broadway, 552-2882 Indianola Fishing Marina, 8 Bell St., 552-5350 J&J Bait & Tackle, 1374 N. Ocean Dr., 552-2724 Miller’s Seafood, 515 Fulton, 552-6423 Poor Boys Bait Stand, 400 E. Live Oak, 552-1504

SEADRIFT Charlie’s Bait Camp, 785-3023 Chunky Monkey’s, 621 Main St., 785-2138 Dockside Bait Shop, 806 S. Main, 785-3344

PORT O’CONNOR Beacon 44 Seafood Market, 1982 W. Harrison, 983-4247 Fishing Center (The), Intracoastal Canal, 983-4440 Froggie’s Bait Dock, 2649 Stella St., 983-4466 Marty’s Landing and Mama’s, Kitchen, 983-3474

From page 33 – Smith did not know what to expect from Warriors Weekend.

“Events like this help immensely. We get to go out and do something different. We see that some people actually welcome heroes. I first saw it when we hit Gonzales. You can feel the patriotism. I think I’ll come back for another one,” he said.

Comments like those made

by Smith and Hunceker are the type of feedback Kocian hopes to hear from the wounded warriors.

“I have asked them, ‘Why

do you love these so much?’

They say, ‘Ron, we don’t get this anywhere else. People have forgotten about us, but you have not,’” Kocian said.

“People are still dying over there. People don’t know that.

People have put this war aside, but troops are deployed every day. This country has forgotten about them, but we have not forgotten about them.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.warrriorsweekend.org

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

37

BEACH COMBING TREASURES

Become Art

BY MELONY OVERTON

T “I try to use it as my own decoration so I can see it, and it can inspire me.”

38

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

hose who beachcomb and collect all sorts of treasures from shells to broken glass worn smooth by waves to other items like toys, buoys and lures will find the same and more along Calhoun County’s more than 500 miles of shoreline.

Collectors can find an array of nautical treasures like shells, driftwood, sea glass, pods and exotic drift seeds on Calhoun’s many miles of beaches in Port O’Connor, Indianola, Matagorda Island and points inbetween.

Krista Lynn D’Vincent, of Magnolia Beach, makes mosaics and sculptures from sea glass she finds on Calhoun’s beaches from beachcombing four to five times a week.

“I find it wherever I have been. I don’t look for anything.

I go along enjoying the beach, the day and walking, and all of sudden, I say, ‘Oh, Wow. There is something that strikes my eye,’” D’Vincent said.

D’Vincent has been collecting beach glass beginning with her childhood spent walking the beaches in La Jolla, Calif.

She finds the glass, washes it and separates it into colors green, blue, white, brown, orange and red.

“There’s all these various shades of greens, browns and oranges,” she said.

D’Vincent keeps the glass divided by color in jars in her living room.

“I try to use it as my own decoration, so I can see it and it can inspire me. It looks beautiful the way it is,” she said. “I have enough glass for a lifetime. I could probably stop now, but I have the hunter/gatherer instinct. I am not out in the stores buying the stuff.”

The most common glass D’Vincent finds is brown from beer bottles. The most difficult colors to find are the orange, yellow and red, she said.

“I love the feel of the history of the glass and the glow it has. You can tell if someone put it through a rock polisher, but there is no way the glow can be reproduced to look like what the sea does to it,” she said.

From sea glass, D’Vincent has made a backsplash for her kitchen, a butterfly mosaic and sculptural lilies.

She arranges and mounts the pieces on a glass pane with clear outdoor caulk, which does not yellow with sun exposure like the E6000 glue she was using.

D’Vincent recently did a commissioned piece of abstract water lilies with a rainbow of colors that took her six months to complete.

She has been working on a mosaic of a brightly colored macaw made with discarded stained glass.

KRISTA LYNN DÕVINCENT, OF MAGNOLIA BEACH, MAKES A MOSAIC OF A MACAW USING COLORED PLEXIGLASS. DÕVINCENT ALSO MAKES FLOWER SCULPTURES AND OTHER MOSAICS USING SEA GLASS FOUND DURING BEACH COMBING CALHOUN COUNTYÕS BEACHES. (MELONY OVERTON/WAVE PHOTO)

“I want to do fish and jellyfish. I will start using plexiglass for the canvas because it is lighter weight. The glass gets heavy,” she said.

Art is healing for D’Vincent.

“It brings me a lot of peace. Something about the way it comes from the head, heart and hands. It‘s like a flow,” she said.

Donna Hall, of Port Lavaca, grew up roaming Magnolia Beach collecting coral and shells as a child.

Hall’s favorite shelling spot within the county is Sunday Beach in Port O’Connor where she finds angel wings, jingle shells, clamshells and sea beans.

“I enjoy the time by myself out with nature, and all of the things God has placed in front of us. I like that Sunday Beach is secluded, and it has a variety of shells,” Hall said. “Color catches my eye. I look for size and oddities.”

Hall began making necklaces, earrings, bracelets and anklets from her beach finds two years ago starting Sea Glass Treasures

by Donna, with a Facebook page.

“I had always wanted to do it, but I didn’t know how or how to get started,” said Hall, who gets ideas from Pinterest and YouTube videos.

“Some of the shells are easy to work with. I have to drill into some of them to make a hole, and other sea creatures have already drilled a hole for me,” she said.

Hall makes stand-alone pieces from sea glass and large shells, earrings from jingle shells accentuating the pieces with beadwork, dangles and wire. A single sea bean can be the focal point of a necklace.

Hall sells her pieces at A Nourishing Journey, located at 509 S. Commerce St., in Port Lavaca.

“I like doing things with my hands and seeing the outcome of what an ordinary shell can turn into,” she said.

Beachcombers can find the lightening whelk, the state shell, and other big shells at the base of the big jetties in Port O’Connor. Several prime spots for shelling within the county include the former site of Indianola, the jetties along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in and around Port O’Connor and the Gulf beaches adjoining Pass Cavallo.

Sand dollars, horse conch, sundials, cowrie shells, tent olives, oyster and scallop shells, to the rare Scotch Bonnet as well as fossils can be found on Calhoun’s beaches.

FOR THE INEXPERIENCED BEACHCOMBER FROM VETERAN SHELLERS Wear appropriate seasonal clothing Protect yourself from the sun by wearing sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen and possibly long sleeves Wear old canvas shoes to protect your feet Wear clothes with pockets Carry a lightweight plastic bucket, and a separate container for more delicate finds like sand dollars Plastic bags for driftwood or carrying messy material Fill bottles for small specimens Trowel or other digging tool Tweezers or toothpicks (wet the end) to pick up tiny shells Waders, rubber boots and possibly thermal underwear during winter A note pad and waterproof pen for keeping location data A friend, especially when combing isolated areas like Sunday Beach on Matagorda Island Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

39

who’s who AROUND TOWN A GUIDE TO NEWCOMER INFORMATION

ELECTRICITY AEP (877) 373-4858 Reliant Energy: (866) 222-7100 TXU: (800) 818-6132 Victoria Electric Co-op: (361) 573-2428 NATURAL GAS CenterPoint Energy centerpointenergy.com or (800) 427-7142 TELEPHONE Verizon Residential: (800) 483-4400 AT&T Residential: (800) 222-0300 Commercial: (800) 222-0400

WATER AND SEWER Port Lavaca Service Billing and Connects, 202 N. Virginia (361) 552-9793,ext. 236 Port Lavaca Maintenance and Repair, 800 N. Commerce (361) 552-3347 Seadrift Service (361) 785-2251 Point Comfort Service (361) 987-2661

GARBAGE COLLECTION Republic Services (800) 640-2014 RECYCLING Calhoun County Recycling Center (361) 552-7791 VEHICLE REGISTRATION Tax Assessor and Collector Office 211 S. Ann; (361) 553-4433

DRIVER’S LICENSE Calhoun County Courthouse Annex 201 W. Austin (361) 552-5046 VOTER REGISTRATION Calhoun County, Elections Office 211 S. Ann, (361) 553-4440

EMERGENCY - 911

TELEVISION CableOne of Port Lavaca (361) 552-9621 Direct TV: (888) 777-2454 Dish Network: (866) 271-3005

Calhoun County EMS (361) 552-1140

Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office 333 S. Benavides, (361) 553-4646 Port Lavaca Fire Department Station #1, 800 N. Hwy. 35, (361) 552-4620 Station #2, 1501 W. Austin Street, (361) 552-3241 Port Lavaca Police Department 201 N. Colorado; (361) 552-3788

INTERNET CableOne of Port Lavaca (361) 552-9621 TISD.NET: (361) 552-2000 Time-Warner: (877) 646-8994

40

Point Comfort Police Department, Point Comfort (361) 987-2345 Seadrift Police Department, Seadrift (361) 785-2069

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

SCHOOL ENROLLMENT PORT LAVACA Calhoun High School, (361) 552-3775 Hope High School (361) 552-7084 HJM Elementary Complexes (361) 552-5253

Jackson-Roosevelt Elementary, (361) 552-3317

PORT O’CONNOR Port O’Connor School (361) 983-2341

Travis Middle School, (361) 552-3784

SEADRIFT Seadrift School (361) 785-3511

Victoria College, Calhoun, County Center, (361) 553-4316

EMERGENCY NUMBERS All emergencies should be reported by using 9-1-1. However if a particular department is needed not regarding an emergency use the numbers on this page. The county has the Enhanced 911 system. This allows dispatchers to see the location and phone number of the person placing the call. You must still give them this information when you call.

WHERE TO DINE PORT LAVACA

Taqueria La Finca

Bayside Seafood Restaurant 2055 N. Hwy. 35 361-552-7177 Sun. – Thurs. 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Fri. – Sat. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Seafood, steaks, burgers.

(See ad on page 3)

Beijing Grand China Buffet

339 Calhoun Plaza 361-553-6862 Mon. – Thurs. 10:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Fri. and Sat. 10:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Sun. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Chinese buffet.

(See ad on page 40)

Pantry (The)

2640 W. Main St. 361-552-6515 Sun. - Thurs. 5 a.m. - 9 p.m., Fri. and Sat 5 a.m-10 p.m.

Specials everyday. Breakfast, lunch dinner, drive-through (See ad on page 47)

Texas Traditions Cafe & Bakery 234 E. Main St. 361-553-5555 Mon. – Wed. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. & 5 – 8:30 p.m. Thurs. – Fri. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. & 5 – 9 p.m.

Sat. 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Steaks, seafood, chicken and dumplings, chicken fried steak, salad bar, pies (See ad on page 53)

702 N. Virginia 361-552-1679 Tues. – Fri. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Lunch specials, catering, party trays, Wagon Train take-out 145 N. Hwy. 35 (See ad on page 47) 361-552-3056 Mon. – Fri. 6 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Saturday 6 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Shellfish Sports Bar & Grille (See ad on page 21) 2615 N. Hwy. 35 361-552-5300 Mon. - Thurs. open until 9 p.m. Friday open until 10. Bar open until midnight.

Saturday open until 10,. Bar open until 1 a.m.

SEADRIFT Barkett’s Restaurant 321 Broadway Avenue 361-785-2441

Tues.–Thurs.. 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Fri. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Sun. 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Closed Mondays Specializing in seafood and steaks.

(See ad on page 14)

Bubba’s Cajun Style Seafood 1142 Hwy. 185 E 361-785-2645 Tues.–Sun. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Closed Mondays Seafood, steaks, catering (See ad on page 58)

Visit us online at plwave.com

(See ad on page 65)

Quality Control Testing 'Providing Quality Testing at Affordable Prices'

• • • • •

DATIA Accredited Drug & Alcohol Testing Travel 24/7 Call DNA Testing Out! Paternity Testing Occupational Health Physicals

361-553-7080 361-553-7025 qct@cableone.net

• TWIC Cards • MIP Training (Monthly) • Supervisor Training • Collector (Drugs)/ BAT (Breathalyzer)

709 Hwy. 35 S. - Ste. C (behind McDonald’s and next to TSC)

709 C. Hwy. 35 S., P.O. Box 194, Port Lavaca, TX 77979

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

41

of cB

A LITTLE PIECE LIES JUST ACROSS THE BAY

P

oint Comfort is a small community located just across the causeway from Port Lavaca.

Originally built by Aluminum Company of America, now ALCOA, Inc., in 1948 and incorporated in 1953. Point Comfort is home to industrial plants, an international port and many families and retirees that seek a quiet lifestyle in a close knit community.

Point Comfort is also home to the Port of Port Lavaca, which is one of the busiest ports in the state of Texas. The Calhoun Port Authority operates the port. The Matagorda Ship Channel and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway serve the busy port.

Recreation is a large part of the community. On either side of the boat ramp, located on La-

42

mar Street, there are two lighted piers. The piers are open to the public free of charge 24 hours a day. One of the piers is handicap accessible and the other has its own fish cleaning station. The causeway bridge is also a popular spot for fisherman. People line the bridge day and night to take advantage of the hot spot.

Redfish, trout and flounder are caught there regularly. Fishing is a major draw to the community as in Calhoun County where there is fishing protected from open surf which draws tourists all year long.

Point Comfort also boasts an outstanding city park with 10 cabanas, each with its own picnic table and barbecue pit and a larger center gazebo in the middle. The park features walking/running trails and a

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

playground for children.

The Point Comfort city pool is another attraction that brings in people from all over the Calhoun County area. The pool is projected to open in the first week of May on Saturdays and Sundays and when school is out the pool will be open every day for the summer.

Point Comfort also hosts a large July 4 celebration at its community park where all are invited to attend. There are vendors and locals in attendance and all activities are family friendly. At the conclusion of the event there is a major fireworks display over the water for all to enjoy.

The town community center is named in honor of former Police Chief Rick Brush who died in the line of duty.

The Point Comfort Branch of the Calhoun County Library is located in the Lamar Shopping Center. The library is open five days a week and a form of it has existed since 1955. Also, located on the corner of Lamar and Texas Highway 35 are two staples to the Point Comfort community and the plant workers. Village Grocery is a hot spot at lunchtime for the plant workers because of the convenience and hot food. Rolling Joes, just across Village Grocery, on the other corner of Lamar and Texas Highway 35, serves the Point Comfort community and plant workers with Mexican food.

Churches of all denominations line the town with services offered by the Assembly of God, Baptists, Catholics, Church of Christ, Lutherans and Methodists.

Lubbock 530 Miles

Austin 150 Miles

El Paso 695 Miles

Houston 130 Miles

Port Lavaca Calhoun County Midland 475 Miles

San Antonio 145 Miles

Dallas 325 Miles

Corpus Christi 80 Miles

Port Lavaca, the seat of Calhoun County, is not too far from wherever you are in Texas. Located right in the middle of the Texas Gulf Coast, Calhoun County is under a three hour drive from five international airports and easily accessible from all major cities in the state.

Whether you are planning a short vacation or a long one, Calhoun County with its rich place in Texas history offers a laid back climate for the best in bay and offshore fishing, birding, eating, resting and relaxing. Come to Port Lavaca to find out why “It’s a State of Mind.”

VisitPortLavaca.com 361•552•2959

A RACE TO THE FINISH CALHOUN COUNTY END OF THE LINE FOR

TWO TEXAS BOAT RACES

BY KAYLA MEYER

The Texas coast is home to two boat races with finish lines in Calhoun County, the Texas 200 and the Texas Water Safari.

Jake Ondreas, left, and Casey Blinka complete in the Texas Water Safari, which is considered the world's fastest canoe race.

E TEXAS 200

ach year, both races bring visitors from Texas, the United States and around the world to compete in each event.

Taking place over five days, the Texas 200’s ninth annual summer event is a sailboat race where sailors travel 200 miles north along the Texas Gulf Coast. This year’s event starts in Port Isabel beginning June 13.

Jack LaBarge, commodore of the Seadrift Sailing and Yacht Club, has participated in years past. Each day, sailors make their way

to different stopping points.

“It is people traversing 200 miles up the coast of Texas ending at Magnolia Beach,” LaBarge said. “We boat and camp. There are destinations every night. It’s a (20) to 45 mile trip per day, and you average 5-6 knots or about 5 miles per hour. It’s a pretty good day on the water.”

LaBarge added that any day on the water is a good one.

“I don’t think there is such a thing as a typical day,” LaBarge said. “Everyday of sailing is a good day. Some days are very calm all day long. Some days are calm in the morning and then howls at night or in

A group of supporters cheer on paddlers as they finish the Texas Water Safari, considered the world's toughest canoe race.

44

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

the afternoon. I’ve seen it where it’s almost dead calm at 7 a.m. and then 35 knots of wind at 10 a.m. It is a variety of conditions all the time.”

The first day, sailors are slated to make their way north from the starting line in Port Isabel to the Port Mansfield Jetties.

The second campsite is approximately 33 nautical miles from the first, located Hap’s Cut. It has been four years since Texas 200 sailors have stopped at this site. Continuing on in their journey, sailors will stop at North Padre Island, which is about 22 nautical miles north of the second campsite.

The fourth campsite is at Quarantine

A group of people gather to congratulate Calhoun County natives Jake Ondreas and Casey Blinka, not pictured, on their completion of the Texas Water Safari.

Shore, about 36 nautical miles up the coast with the fifth campsite located at Hidden Pass, a first for Texas 200 sailors.

Sailors will make the final leg of the trip 26 nautical miles to Magnolia Beach in Calhoun County. Landfall at the final stop is June 18.

At the final stopping point, sailors will be treated to a shrimp dinner and refreshments from Shiner.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE 2016 TEXAS 200 www.texas200.com

TEXAS WATER SAFARI Deemed the world’s toughest canoe race,

the Texas Water Safari is a 260-mile trek down the San Marcos and Guadalupe rivers starting at Aquarena Springs in San Marcos and ending in Seadrift.

The 2016 Texas Water Safari is slated to begin June 11, with a check in date of June 10 and the registration deadline set for Friday, May 27.

This is the 54th annual safari.

Among numerous rules, the primary requirement is that each boat be only powered by human force. Race entrants are given 100 hours to reach the finish line.

Seadrift resident Robert Chatham, who won the event and broke the record in 1976 with a time of 37 hours and 18 minutes, the safari is one that takes preparation.

“We did a lot of running, a lot of sit ups and we practiced

on the weekends. We had to go to get in there and do the best we can,” Chatham said. “We would row from 10 to 14 hours a day and camp at night, and the next morning we would take off for another six to eight hours.

“We loaded our boat down to practice with the weight because we carried everything with us. People were allowed to give us fresh water, but we carried all our supplies and food,” Chatham added.

Chatham is not the only Calhoun County resident to have participated in the Texas Water Safari.

Casey Blinka and Jake Ondreas, who rowed under the team name The Port Lavaca Boys, participated in the event in 2012. They agreed that the race lived up to being tough. They completed the event in 83 hours.

“Nights were the hardest for me,” Blinka said following the race.

“Jake was really good though. He helped me get my head on straight and let me rest for an hour or two.”

“The log jams were

A supporter holds a sign up for Jake Ondreas and Casey Blinka, not pictured, who completed the Texas Water Safari, a boat race that ends in Seadrift. tough,” Ondreas added. “We had to carry the canoe like a mile through the brush, up on these trails, just to put back in the river to get past all of the log jams. That sucked. I even said a prayer then.”

People from all over the world participate in the event. Chatham said he met people from throughout Texas as well as the United States.

“The year that I won we had people from London, Louisiana, Canada, Mexico, a couple teams from the North East, and we had a lot of people from Texas. We even had a couple of professional football players come down and try their luck,” Chatham said.

Once the race is complete, dinner and an award ceremony is held. Ondreas and Blinka also had their own dinner following the race.

“It was awesome having all of our friends and family there waiting for us when we finished,” Blinka said.

“We went to Skillet’s after that with everyone. I had chicken fried steak and Jake had breakfast food.”

Blinka and Ondreas said hope to compete in the race again some day, and although Chatham no longer races, he said he still participates in the race by helping others.

“Since we did the race, I’ve had a rescue boat for the bay with other people. We set up day or night, and we go up the river and find out where they are, like if there’s an emergency. That’s what we do to support Texas Water Safari,” Chatham said. “It was exciting. I really enjoyed it.”

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

45

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PORT O’CONNOR

2 RV Park 1402 Harrison, (361) 983-4688

Breezy Palm Cottages and RV Park 101 E. Bay St., 361-550-6069 Dolphins of the Bay RV Park 112 S. 16th Street (361) 983-4802 Fishing Center (The) Intracoastal Canal (361) 983-4440 LaSalle’s Landing RV Park 2699 West Adams Ave. (361) 983-4854

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2-6 Thursdays; 10-6 Fridays and Saturday; 2-6 Sundays Also by appointment: 361-874-4663 (GOOD) 172 Private Road 4261, Frels Landing, Lolita lavacabluffs.com, Like us on Facebook 46

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

For information on having your park included in a future publication, email us at rvlisting@plwave.com.

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47

Shellfish MENU

IS A MIX OF

CULTURES

General Manager and Executive Chef David Krumpin poses at the full bar at Shellfish Sports Bar & Grille, located at 2615 State Hwy 35 North in Port Lavaca. The bar features signature martinis and mixed drinks, a wine list and 60 craft beers with 10 beers on tap.

(MELONY OVERTON PHOTO)

BY MELONY OVERTON

L

aidback elegance is the first impression one gets upon entering the chic foyer of Shellfish Sports Bar & Grille, located at 2615 State Hwy 35 North in Port Lavaca.

And that is exactly how General Manager and Executive Chef David Krumpin wants the restaurant to feel for regulars and new patrons alike.

Krumpin, who has been in the restaurant industry 27 years, was executive chef at Shellfish for two years before he was promoted to general manager in December 2015.

As executive chef, Krumpin completely rewrote the menu switching from classical French, high-dining cuisine to dishes with a regional flare.

“I wanted to do something for the community, give it more than anyone else had done before,” Krumpin said. “I am from an industrial community also. I know that affordable,

48

healthy, quality, homecooked food is what everybody wants.

We are not looking for upscale, but for downhome, but still nice. Your neighborhood bar.”

Krumpin knows for sure that what he wants to do on a daily basis is make Shellfish a better place for dining and entertainment fusing together tastes that appeal to different palates.

“We strive to give good guest service, consistency, quality and regional (cuisine). The dynamic we have here is Taiwanese, Mexican and Texan, plus we have the people who are snowbirds (winter Texans). We have a diverse guest base. I’m

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

trying to come up with something that pleases everybody by offering a wide variety that is still small enough so we can teach the cooks to make it. That is very important,” he said.

Krumpin said these different cultures use many of the same ingredients in their cuisine including chili powder, cilantro and lime. Shellfish entrees contain these same ingredients to where the diner, no matter what his/her background is, finds something familiar on the plate.

“We are still American, but we’re able to offer some different things. We do that on our

daily specials,” he said.

Seafood dominates the menu and is featured in Shellfish appetizers to soups and sandwiches to king crab legs and oysters prepared in a variety of ways to salmon, Mahi Mahi, swordfish, halibut and red snapper made the way the guest likes it, either grilled, blackened, baked or broiled.

Diners are local to those coming from Victoria and as far away as Wisconsin and Minnesota for signature dishes like Shellfish’s shrimp platter, crab cakes and Gulf oysters served on the half shell, fried, or broiled.

Krumpin likes to emphasize the fact that what is served is made in-house.

“All of our salad dressings, and our Alfredo and marinara sauces are handmade. We cut our own steaks. Our banana bread dessert and our whipped cream are homemade. We hand batter every one of our fried

e y d .

)

General Manager and Executive Chef David Krumpin greets guests at Shellfish Sports Bar & Grille, located at 2615 State Hwy 35 North in Port Lavaca. Shellfish is open from 11 a.m. to midnight seven days a week.

(MELONY OVERTON PHOTO)

pickles. Our fried shrimp is home-battered. We cut our own mozzarella sticks and batter them,” he said.

“Then you know what’s in it.

It’s healthier. It’s better. It costs a little more, but it is worth it to me. I would much rather have fresh than frozen. Localsourced, fresh food is good.”

What sets Shellfish apart from other eating establishments within Calhoun County is it offers a full menu and a full bar with a wine list, that includes those from Lavaca Bluffs Winery in Lolita, and more than 60 craft beers, with 10 beers on draft. Signature martinis and drinks have names like Double Chocolate to Tiffany Blue to Mary Jane and Adios.

Entertainment is essential to the Shellfish experience. On Wednesdays Shellfish hosts Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments.

Thursdays are for live music.

Sundays are for televised football games displayed on one or more of the restaurant’s 17 TVs. “On Tuesdays we’ll have open mic night and karaoke. I am trying to offer something to do every day of the week.

It all starts at 7:30 p.m. so we are consistent,” Krumpin said.

“We are also the only restaurant in Port Lavaca open until midnight.”

Krumpin’s immediate plans for the restaurant include installing an outside patio that seats 100 patrons. Shellfish can host private parties for 80 people in its other dining room.

Krumpin visits each table in an effort to offer the best possible guest-service.

“I want to be the neighborhood bar where people are happy to come here, where they are excited to come here because they know they will get quality service and get value for their money, and have a relaxing enjoyable time,” he said.

“I want it to be familyoriented. We want everyone to feel welcome here. We want to build relationships with our guests and not just serve them,” he said.

Shellfish is open from 11 a.m. to midnight seven days a week.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 361-552-5300 Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

49

A helpful checklist for birders COMPILED BY BRUSH FREEMAN

PHOTO BY BILL HARVEY

KEY R=Rare P=Pelagic/Offshore H=Hypothetical

E=Extirpated/Extinct I=Introduced or Exotic

___ Black-bellied Whistling-Duck ___ Fulvous Whistling-Duck ___ Greater White-fronted Goose ___ Snow Goose ___ Ross’s Goose ___ Cackling Goose ___ Canada Goose ___ Trumpeter Swan (E) ___ Tundra Swan (R) ___ Wood Duck ___ Gadwall ___ Mallard ___ Mottled Duck ___ American Black Duck (R) ___ Blue-winged Teal ___ Cinnamon Teal ___ Northern Shoveler ___ Northern Pintail ___ Green-winged Teal ___ Canvasback ___ Redhead ___ Ring-necked Duck ___ Greater Scaup ___ Lesser Scaup ___ Surf Scoter ___ White-winged Scoter (R) ___ Black Scoter ___ Harlequin Duck (R) Jan. 29, 1945; Aransas NWR (likely mislabeled to Aransas Co.) ___ Long-tailed Duck (R) ___ Bufflehead ___ Common Goldeneye ___ Hooded Merganser ___ Common Merganser (R) Dec. 23, 1992 ___ Red-breasted Merganser ___ Masked Duck (R) ___ Ruddy Duck ___ Northern Bobwhite ___ Greater Prairie-Chicken (E) ___ Ring-necked Pheasant (RI) ___ Wild Turkey ___ Red-throated Loon (R) Dec. 19, 2004; Port O’Connor ___ Pacific Loon ___ Common Loon ___ Least Grebe ___ Pied-billed Grebe ___ Horned Grebe ___ Red-necked Grebe (R) ___ Eared Grebe ___ Western Grebe (R)

50

Just as Calhoun County attracts visitors from all over, it also hosts a variety of avian species. The bird watching opportunities are sure to please even the most experienced wildlife seekers.

There are several options for those interested in watching the wildlife. Visit the Port Lavaca Lighthouse Beach and Bird Sanctuary, Magnolia Beach or even Matagorda Island State Park.

According to Brush Freeman, coauthor of The Texas Ornithological Society Handbook of Texas Birds, 429 species have been recorded in the county or

___ American Flamingo (R) ___ Black-capped Petrel (PR) ___ Cory’s Shearwater (P) ___ Great Shearwater (PR) ___ Sooty Shearwater (PR) ___ Audubon’s Shearwater (P) ___ Leach’s Storm-Petrel (P) ___ Band-rumped Storm-Petrel (P) ___ Red-billed Tropicbird (PR) ___ White-tailed Tropicbird (HP) Aug. 6-7,1937; Matagorda Island ___ Wood Stork ___ Magnificent Frigatebird ___ Masked Booby (R) 1st county record June 8,1885; Matagorda Bay ___ Northern Gannet (P) ___ Neotropic Cormorant ___ Double-crested Cormorant ___ Anhinga ___ American White Pelican ___ Brown Pelican ___ American Bittern ___ Least Bittern ___“Great White Heron” (R) A pure white phase of Great Blue Heron ___ Great Blue Heron ___ Great Egret ___ Snowy Egret ___ Little Blue Heron ___ Tricolored Heron ___ Reddish Egret ___ Cattle Egret ___ Green Heron ___ Black-crowned Night-Heron ___ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron ___ White Ibis ___ Glossy Ibis ___ White-faced Ibis ___ Roseate Spoonbill ___ Black Vulture ___ Turkey Vulture ___ Osprey ___ Swallow-tailed Kite ___ White-tailed Kite ___ Mississippi Kite ___ Bald Eagle ___ Northern Harrier ___ Sharp-shinned Hawk ___ Cooper’s Hawk ___ Northern Goshawk (R) Pre-1978 record; one in Port O’Connor 2009 reported

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

the counties’ offshore waters, although many of those were single occurrences, or once in a lifetime finds, that will likely not be repeated any time soon.

Some of the more popular birds in the area include roseate Spoonbills, reddish egrets, white-tailed hawks and whooping cranes. Use the list below to see what species you can find during your stay in Calhoun County. Special thanks to Brush Freeman for his help with the following listing of bird species that have been previously spotted in Calhoun County.

___ Harris’s Hawk ___ Red-shouldered Hawk ___ Broad-winged Hawk ___ Swainson’s Hawk ___ White-tailed Hawk ___ Zone-tailed Hawk (R) ___ Red-tailed Hawk ___ Ferruginous Hawk (R) ___ Rough-legged Hawk (R) ___ Golden Eagle (R) Jan. 16, 1993; Mar. 3, 2000 ___ Crested Caracara ___ American Kestrel ___ Merlin ___ Aplomado Falcon (I) ___ Peregrine Falcon ___ Prairie Falcon ___ Yellow Rail ___ Black Rail ___ Clapper Rail ___ King Rail ___ Virginia Rail ___ Sora ___ Purple Gallinule ___ Common Gallinule ___ American Coot ___ Sandhill Crane ___ Whooping Crane ___ Black-bellied Plover ___ American Golden-Plover ___ Pacific Golden-Plover (H) ___ Snowy Plover ___ Wilson’s Plover ___ Semipalmated Plover ___ Piping Plover ___ Killdeer ___ Mountain Plover (R) ___ American Oystercatcher ___ Black-necked Stilt ___ American Avocet ___ Northern Jacana (R) Dec. 10, 1992-April 22, 1993 ___ Spotted Sandpiper ___ Solitary Sandpiper ___ Greater Yellowlegs ___ Willet ___ Lesser Yellowlegs ___ Upland Sandpiper ___ Eskimo Curlew (E) ___ Whimbrel ___ Long-billed Curlew ___ Hudsonian Godwit ___ Marbled Godwit

___ Ruddy Turnstone ___ Red Knot ___ Sanderling ___ Semipalmated Sandpiper ___ Western Sandpiper ___ Least Sandpiper ___ White-rumped Sandpiper ___ Baird’s Sandpiper ___ Pectoral Sandpiper ___ Purple Sandpiper (R) ___ Dunlin ___ Stilt Sandpiper ___ Buff-breasted Sandpiper ___ Ruff (R) ___ Short-billed Dowitcher ___ Long-billed Dowitcher ___ Wilson’s Snipe ___ American Woodcock ___ Wilson’s Phalarope ___ Red-necked Phalarope (R) ___ Black-legged Kittiwake (R) ___ Sabine’s Gull (R) ___ Bonaparte’s Gull ___ Laughing Gull ___ Franklin’s Gull ___ Mew Gull (R) Mar. 4, 2005; Magnolia Beach ___ Ring-billed Gull ___ California Gull (R) ___ Herring Gull ___ Thayer’s Gull (R) ___ Lesser Black-backed Gull ___ Glaucous Gull (R) ___ Great Black-backed Gull (R) ___ Sooty Tern (R) ___ Bridled Tern (P) ___ Least Tern (P) ___ Gull-billed Tern ___ Caspian Tern ___ Black Tern ___ Common Tern ___ Arctic Tern (PR) Sept. 21, 1996 ___ Roseate Tern (R) Mar. 15, 1998 ___ Forster’s Tern ___ Royal Tern ___ Sandwich Tern ___ Black Skimmer ___ Pomarine Jaeger (P) ___ Parasitic Jaeger (P) ___ Long-tailed Jaeger (PR) ___ Rock Pigeon ___ Eurasian Collared-Dove ___ White-winged Dove ___ Mourning Dove ___ Passenger Pigeon (?E) ___ Inca Dove ___ Common Ground-Dove ___ White-tipped Dove (R) ___ Monk Parakeet (RI) ___ Yellow-billed Cuckoo ___ Mangrove Cuckoo (R) ___ Black-billed Cuckoo ___ Greater Roadrunner ___ Groove-billed Ani ___ Barn Owl ___ Flammulated Owl (R) ___ Eastern Screech-Owl ___ Great Horned Owl ___ Burrowing Owl ___ Barred Owl ___ Long-eared Owl (R) ___ Short-eared Owl ___ Lesser Nighthawk ___ Common Nighthawk ___ Common Pauraque

___ Common Poorwill (R) ___ Chuck-will’s-widow ___ Eastern Whip-poor-will ___ White-collared Swift (R) ___ Chimney Swift ___ Vaux’s Swift (R) Dec. 20, 2010; Port O’Connor ___ Black Swift (R) Apr. 11, 2006; Port O’Connor ___ Broad-billed Hummingbird (R) Dec. 5, 2010; Six Mile ___ Buff-bellied Hummingbird ___ Blue-throated Hummingbird (R) near Seadrift ___ Ruby-throated Hummingbird ___ Black-chinned Hummingbird ___ Anna’s Hummingbird ___ Costa’s Hummingbird (R) ___ Calliope Hummingbird (R) ___ Broad-tailed Hummingbird ___ Rufous Hummingbird ___ Allen’s Hummingbird (R) ___ Ringed Kingfisher (R) ___ Belted Kingfisher ___ Green Kingfisher ___ Red-headed Woodpecker (R) ___ Acorn Woodpecker (R) ___ Golden-fronted Woodpecker (R) ___ Red-bellied Woodpecker ___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ___ Red-naped Sapsucker (R) ___ Ladder-backed Woodpecker ___ Downy Woodpecker ___ Northern Flicker ___ Pileated Woodpecker ___ Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (R) ___ Olive-sided Flycatcher ___ Eastern Wood-Pewee ___ Western Wood-Pewee (R) Sept. 24, 2000; offshore oil rig ___ Yellow-bellied Flycatcher ___ Acadian Flycatcher ___ Alder Flycatcher ___ Willow Flycatcher ___ Least Flycatcher ___ Cordilleran Flycatcher (R) ___ Black Phoebe (R) ___ Eastern Phoebe ___ Say’s Phoebe ___ Vermilion Flycatcher ___ Ash-throated Flycatcher ___ Great Crested Flycatcher ___ Brown-crested Flycatcher ___ Great Kiskadee ___ Couch’s Kingbird ___ Western Kingbird ___ Eastern Kingbird ___ Gray Kingbird (R) ___ Scissor-tailed Flycatcher ___ Loggerhead Shrike ___ White-eyed Vireo ___ Bell’s Vireo ___ Yellow-throated Vireo ___ Plumbeous Vireo (R) ___ Cassin’s Vireo (R) ___ Blue-headed Vireo ___ Warbling Vireo ___ Philadelphia Vireo ___ Red-eyed Vireo ___ Yellow-green Vireo (R) ___ Green Jay ___ Blue Jay ___ American Crow ___ Chihuahuan Raven (R) ___ Horned Lark ___ Purple Martin

___ Tree Swallow ___ Violet-green Swallow (RH) ___ Northern Rough-winged Swallow ___ Bank Swallow ___ Cliff Swallow ___ Cave Swallow ___ Barn Swallow ___ Carolina Chickadee ___ Tufted Titmouse ___ Black-crested Titmouse (R) ___ Verdin (R) ___ Red-breasted Nuthatch ___ Brown Creeper ___ Cactus Wren (R) May 11, 2004; Port O’Connor ___ Rock Wren (R) ___ Carolina Wren ___ Bewick’s Wren ___ House Wren ___ Winter Wren ___ Sedge Wren ___ Marsh Wren ___ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ___ Golden-crowned Kinglet ___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet ___ Eastern Bluebird ___ Mountain Bluebird (R) ___ Veery ___ Gray-cheeked Thrush ___ Swainson’s Thrush ___ Hermit Thrush ___ Wood Thrush ___ American Robin ___ Gray Catbird ___ Northern Mockingbird ___ Brown Thrasher ___ Long-billed Thrasher ___ Curve-billed Thrasher ___ European Starling (I) ___ American Pipit ___ Sprague’s Pipit ___ Cedar Waxwing ___ Lapland Longspur (R) ___ Chestnut-collared Longspur ___ Smith’s Longspur (R) ___ McCown’s Longspur (R) ___ Ovenbird ___ Worm-eating Warbler ___ Louisiana Waterthrush ___ Northern Waterthrush ___ Golden-winged Warbler ___ Blue-winged Warbler ___ Black-and-white Warbler ___ Prothonotary Warbler ___ Swainson’s Warbler ___ Tennessee Warbler ___ Orange-crowned Warbler ___ Nashville Warbler ___ Virginia’s Warbler (R) Oct. 10, 1999 ___ MacGillivray’s Warbler (R) May 11, 2006; Port O’Connor ___ Mourning Warbler ___ Kentucky Warbler ___ Common Yellowthroat ___ Hooded Warbler ___ American Redstart ___ Cape May Warbler (R) ___ Cerulean Warbler ___ Northern Parula ___ Tropical Parula (R) ___ Magnolia Warbler ___ Bay-breasted Warbler ___ Blackburnian Warbler ___ Yellow Warbler ___ Chestnut-sided Warbler ___ Blackpoll Warbler

___ Black-throated Blue Warbler (R) ___ Palm Warbler ___ Pine Warbler ___ Yellow-rumped Warbler ___ Yellow-throated Warbler ___ Prairie Warbler ___ Black-throated Gray Warbler (R) ___ Townsend’s Warbler (R) ___ Black-throated Green Warbler ___ Canada Warbler ___ Wilson’s Warbler ___ Red-faced Warbler (R) ___ Yellow-breasted Chat ___ White-collared Seedeater (R) ___ Olive Sparrow ___ Green-tailed Towhee (R) ___ Spotted Towhee ___ Eastern Towhee ___ Cassin’s Sparrow ___ Chipping Sparrow ___ Brewer’s Sparrow (R) ___ Clay-colored Sparrow ___ Field Sparrow ___ Vesper Sparrow ___ Lark Sparrow ___ Black-throated Sparrow (R) ___ Lark Bunting (R) ___ Savannah Sparrow ___ Grasshopper Sparrow ___ Henslow’s Sparrow (R) ___ Le Conte’s Sparrow ___ Nelson’s Sparrow ___ Seaside Sparrow ___ Fox Sparrow (R) ___ Song Sparrow ___ Lincoln’s Sparrow ___ Swamp Sparrow ___ White-throated Sparrow ___ Harris’s Sparrow ___ White-crowned Sparrow ___ Dark-eyed Junco ___ Summer Tanager ___ Scarlet Tanager ___ Western Tanager ___ Northern Cardinal ___ Pyrrhuloxia ___ Rose-breasted Grosbeak ___ Black-headed Grosbeak (R) ___ Blue Grosbeak ___ Lazuli Bunting (R) ___ Indigo Bunting ___ Varied Bunting (R) Apr. 27, 1999; Port O’Connor ___ Painted Bunting ___ Dickcissel ___ Bobolink ___ Red-winged Blackbird ___ Eastern Meadowlark ___ Western Meadowlark ___ Yellow-headed Blackbird ___ Rusty Blackbird (R) ___ Brewer’s Blackbird ___ Common Grackle ___ Boat-tailed Grackle ___ Great-tailed Grackle ___ Shiny Cowbird (R) ___ Bronzed Cowbird ___ Brown-headed Cowbird ___ Orchard Oriole ___ Hooded Oriole (R) ___ Bullock’s Oriole ___ Baltimore Oriole ___ House Finch ___ Pine Siskin ___ Lesser Goldfinch ___ American Goldfinch ___ House Sparrow (I) ___ Nutmeg Mannikin (I)

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

51

Where Caring Is Our Calling!

ATTENTION

Medicare Card Holders

� Have you been released from a hospital in the last 30 days? � Was your hospital stay at least three midnights? � You may be entitled to receive Therapy & Rehabilitation under your Medicare Benefits.

If you qualify*, the first 20 days of your stay with us are

COVERED 100%

POJO’S LIQUOR Hwy 35 & Travis, Port Lavaca

361-552-0032

BEER-GIFTS-WINE

Island Liquor & Gifts 11th & Adams (Hwy. 185) in Port O’Connor • 361-983-2747

BAKER’S LIQUOR 1300 W. Main Port Lavaca 361-552-2866

UNDER MEDICARE PART A.

*Resident Must Meet Medicare Part A Eligibility Guidelines.

Our main goal is to assist in achieving the highest level of functioning, while providing a comfortable environment in which to recover from illness, injury or infections

Roberts, Roberts, Odefey & Witte, LLP Attorneys at Law

WE OFFER:

• Physical Therapy • Occupational Therapy • Speech Therapy • Palliative Care

• Respite Care • IV Therapy • Wound Care • Secured Unit

We accept Medicare, Medicaid, Private Pay, Private Insurance, and V.A.

Stop by for a tour!

Contact Business Development Coordinator Samantha Bell at 361-649-5400 or sbell@regencyhealthcare.com.

www.regencyhealthcare.com

524 Village Road, Port Lavaca, TX 77979

361-552-3741

52

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

Wanda Roberts – David Roberts – Sandra Witte Anne Marie Odefey – Carly Wall 2206 State Highway 35 N Post Office Box 9, Port Lavaca, Texas 77979 361-552-2971 • www.portlavacalaw.com

TWIN DOLPHINS Cinemas

152 N. Hwy. 35, Port Lavaca • 361-552-6764

NOW PLAYING REAL D 3-D MOVIES! ALL DIGITAL CINEMA SHOWTIMES:

FRIDAY, 7 PM & 9 PM • SUNDAY, 2 PM & 7 PM SATURDAY, 2 PM, 7 PM & 9PM • MONDAY – THURSDAY, 7 PM ADDITIONAL SUMMER MATINEE TIMES MONDAY – FRIDAY, 2 PM

HOMECOOKING ✓ Restaurant ✓ Restaurant Service ✓ Family Dining ✓ Steak ✓ Dessert ✓ Over-All Service

Leslie Pfeil Insurance Agency, Inc. pfeilinsurance@gmail.com www.pfeilinsurance.com

Home • Health • Auto • Cycle • Boat • Travel Trailers • Life 152 N. Hwy 35 • Port Lavaca (located inside Twin Dolphins Movie Theater building)

Office Hours Mon.-Fri. 9-4 552-9403

• Ding Dongs • Steaks • Salad Bar • Seafood • Chicken & Dumplings www.txtraditions.com

234 E. Main •Port Lavaca, Tx 361-553-5555 Mon-Wed: 11-2 & 5-8:30 • Thurs-Fri: 11-2 & 5-9 Sat: 11-9 & Sun: Closed

Lavaca Bay R.V. Park For Your Convenience We Offer:

e m o c l We to

h Large Pull Thru Spaces h Laundry Room h Lighted Park h Walk to Fishing Pier, Playground & Public Pool h Overlooking the Alcoa Bird Sanctuary h Free High Speed Wireless Internet h Full Hook Ups

h Recreation Room h Showers, Hot & Cold h Flush Toilets h Boat Ramp Nearby & Bait Stand h Pets on Leash h Open Year Round h A Bay View

www.LavacaBayRVPark.com

We accept credit cards

361-552-4814

1818 Broadway Port Lavaca, Texas 77979 Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

53

VETERANS MEMORIAL HONORS ALL MILITARY BRANCHES

BY MELONY OVERTON

T

he Bayfront Marina Veterans Memorial has been a labor of love for Calhoun County Veterans Council chairman Greg Falcon as well as other local veteran organizations.

The memorial consists of a six-point star, called the Star of Heroes, representing each branch of the military. The star is 36 feet in diameter, and includes 4-inch by 8-inch brick pavers, with a family circle in the center of the star.

The memorial star points are filled in with name pavers. The memorial also includes a donors’ walk. Flags representing the different branches are raised around the U.S. flag in the center. Floodlights shine on the flags at night.

Falcon said 7,200 brick pavers, some of which feature veterans’ names, military branches and dates in the military, fill in the memorial. Pavers are available for purchase at the cost of $80.

“We are steadily working, not giving up on the hope people will donate. They see the progress and the process, and we hope they will be more willing to donate as they see the memorial taking shape,” he said.

Area veterans’ organizations

54

have taken notice of the memorial, Falcon said.

“Other counties are coming in to look at it. The American Legion District 9 commander came in to look at it. District 9 has 54 counties and covers most of the East coast of Texas. He loved it,” he said. “The Victoria County Veterans’ Council made a donation. People have asked how do we get started. They want to know the process. We are willing to talk to anyone who wants to know about our memorial. I feel it is a big blessing.”

“I never thought it would inspire others to have a veterans memorial,” Falcon said.

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

Individuals can make donations in the amount of $250, $500, $1,000 and $2,000. Total cost for the memorial is expected to be $125,000 to $130,000 funded by donations and possibly grants.

In addition to funding the materials, the funds go toward the perpetual care of the memorial.

“Every little bit helps. The city has put on the Flip Flop Festival, and we do work for them, and they donate money to the memorial. The best part of this is it is on public lands in a public park. Any donation that comes to the memorial can be tax-deductible,” Falcon said.

Falcon said what sets this

memorial apart from other veteran’s memorials is that is represents all branches of the military and all veterans.

“It represents past, present and future veterans. We have a place for a future veteran, kids who graduate and join the military and serve the country, there is a place for them there and they will be there forever,” he said.

“We remember all of our service members whether they go abroad or not, anyone who serves their country needs to be recognized, and it is an honor for us to do this.”

Paver forms are available online at www.portlavaca.org or at City Hall.

Phase two of the memorial may include a pavilion, Falcon said.

“Our biggest goal is to have a veteran’s funeral come through there and do the services at the memorial and go to the burial ground. It would be very fitting for that,” he said.

Falcon goes to the memorial often. He is not the only one.

“I go by there as often as I can. It’s very special to me.

During the week you would be surprised to see the number of people who stop to walk around it, and to visit,” he said.

WHERE TO WORSHIP POINT COMFORT

PORT LAVACA

Point Comfort United Methodist

Alamo Heights Baptist Church

92 Wood St. 361-987-2812

110 Trinity Shores Dr. 361-552-2532 www.ahbcportlavaca.org

Services: Sunday School - 9:45 a.m.

Sunday Worship – 11 a.m.

Pastor: Rev. Danielle Knapp St. Ann Catholic Church 700 Lamar Street 361-552-6140 Mass: Sunday – 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday – 9 a.m.

Pastor: Rev. Tommy Chen Assoc. Pastor: Rev. Antonio Perez St. Mark’s Lutheran Church 83 Milam St. 361-893-5424 Services: Sunday Worship

– 8:30 a.m.

Pastor: Jim Gicklhorn

INDIANOLA AREA First Baptist Church of Indianola 617 FM 2760 361-553-7700

Services: Sunday School - 9:45 a.m.

Sunday Worship – 10:50 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Wednesday – 6:30 p.m.

Pastor: Bro. J. V. Helms (Interim) (See ad on page 6) Christ Community Church 1101 Calhoun St. 361-553-6652 Services: Sunday –10 a.m.

Wednesday - 7 p.m.

Sr. Pastor: Dean Holford

First United Methodist Church 814 N. San Antonio 361-552-7434 www.plfumc.org 361-552-2805 Services: Sunday worship 8:30 a.m., 9:39 a.m., 10:50 a.m.

(See ad on page 16) Grace Episcopal Church 213 E. Austin St. 361-552-2805 Services: Sunday –11 a.m.

Wednesday - 6 p.m.

Hope Reformed Baptist Church 210 E. Main Street 361-552-5317 Services: Sunday School – 9:30 a.m.

Sun. Worship – 10:30 a.m.

Six Mile Assembly of God 5 mi. north of Port Lavaca on FM 1090 361-552-5714 Services: Sunday School –9:30 a.m., Worship 10:30 a.m., Children’s Church 11:15 a.m.

Sunday evening 6 p.m., Wednesday Meal at 7 p.m., Discipleship 7:30 p.m.

Pastors: Johnny & Bonnie Kisiah (See ad on page 16)

PORT O’CONNOR St. Joseph Catholic Church 101 N. Washington 361-552-6140 Mass: Saturday – 7 p.m.

Tuesday – 5:30 p.m.

Pastor: Rev. Tommy Chen Assoc. Pastor: Rev. Antonio Perez

SEADRIFT

First Baptist Church (Port Lavaca)

Pastor: Brady Owens

902 Calhoun St. 361-552-2931

Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church

St. Patrick Catholic Church

415 West Austin Street 361-552-6140

310 West Cleveland Street 361-552-6140

Mass: Mon. - Fri. 8:05 a.m.

Saturday – 5:30 p.m.

Sunday – 8 and 10 a.m.,

Sunday – noon (Spanish) Pastor: Rev. Tommy Chen Assoc. Pastor: Rev. Antonio Perez

Mass: Sunday – 8:30 a.m.

Thursday – 9 a.m.

Sat. – 7 p.m. (Vietnamese)

Services: Sunday – 10:15 a.m.

and 6 pm.

Bible study for all ages – Sunday

9 a.m., Wed. 6:30 p.m.

(See ad on page 21)

Pastor: Rev. Tommy Chen Assoc. Pastor: Rev. Antonio Perez

AT MY H-E-B

★ Bakery ★ Bank ★ Business Center ★ Deli 101 Calhoun Plaza • Port Lavaca ★ Floral ★ Main: 361-552-7523 ★ Pharmacy: 361-552-4563 ★ Fuel Store Hours ★ National & Store Brands Pharmacy Hours: Daily Monday - Friday: 8 a.m - 7 p.m. ★ Pharmacy Saturday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

6 a.m - 11 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. ★ Pharmacy Drive Thru Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

55

the National Parks Service announced two years ago that Calhoun County would receive funds for the Green Lake project. Green Lake I'd located in along State Highway 35 south near the Guadalupe River.

NEW PARKS ON THE HORIZON FOR CALHOUN COUNTY Visitors to Calhoun County will have two parks to look forward to in the upcoming years.

BY KAYLA MEYER

I

n May 2014, the National Park Service (NPS) announced that Calhoun County was selected to receive assistance from the NPS Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program for the Green Lake project.

With the help of NPS, the county plans to create a park with the purpose to conserve the wildlife habitat and provide recreational activities to the public. The lake itself is comprised of approximately 5,000 acres while the entire property that the county purchased is about 6,000 acres.

Kenny Finster, precinct 4 county commissioner, said he is excited about the possibility of a county-owned park.

“I am very excited about the reality of a

56

county-owned park through which we can preserve an irreplaceable and unique natural area,” Finster said. “As Texas grows, we are losing access to open spaces in Texas.

“In addition to maintaining Green Lake’s inherent natural resources, I believe this area will be a critical element in the overall scheme of maintaining our local estuary and bay systems.”

Finster envisions many different uses for the property.

“Right now we’re trying to establish the best use of the land,” Finster said. “You could go birding or hiking or fishing.”

“The NPS will engage residents, visitors and key stakeholders to develop a vision for a future park that includes public access

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

and resource protection,” Finster added.

Many different species of plants and animals call Green Lake and the surrounding area home. Bald Eagles, Roseate Spoonbills, Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons along with a variety of ducks, fish, alligators, squirrels and feral hogs are often spotted on the land.

Finster said the property consists of three main parts, the high ground, the marsh area and the lake itself.

“It is an unusual property,” Finster said.

“Most people know about the lake and its use, but there are many possibilities.”

Something Finster said he would like to see on the property is an observation deck in one area.

Green Lake and Powderhorn Ranch in Calhoun County were chosen to receive grant funds for the building of parks.

“You can see lots of game track,” Finster said in one area of the land, while pointing out a Bald Eagles’ nest in another area.

Although the plans for Green Lake may take several years, Finster said the county is working to see them through.

“We want to preserve this land,” Finster said. “We want to do it right and take time to do it.”

Green Lake, located near the Victoria Barge Canal adjacent to Hwy. 35 South, was purchased by the county in December 2012 from Indianola Liquidating Trust, a group of investors from Texas, California and New York.

Funds for the property were obtained through a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant with the purpose “to protect and conserve environmentally sensitive land including wetlands,” as well as from offshore oil royalty funds controlled by the Texas General Land Office to make the $3.5 million deal.

A roseate spoonbill enjoys a dip in Green Lake on a sunny afternoon.

Green Lake sits just off of State Highway 35 south near the Guadalupe River in Calhoun County.

Later in 2014, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced the purchase of Powderhorn Ranch with plans to convert the ranch into a state park in the coming years.

At $37.7 million, the 17,351-acre Powderhorn Ranch purchase was the largest conservation investment in Texas history. The property is located in part

by Powderhorn Lake, FM 1289, Texas Hwy. 185 and 11 miles of Matagorda Bay from Indianola to a point north of Port O’Connor.

“This transformational project will conserve irreplaceable wildlife habitat and will bring the people of Texas an exciting new recreational opportunity,” said Dan Friedkin, Chairman Emeritus of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.

In addition to turning Powderhorn Ranch into a state park, TPWD also plans to have a wildlife management area. The property is home to many hundreds of

species of birds and animals and includes more than eleven miles of tidal bay front on Matagorda Bay and thousands of acres of freshwater wetlands and salt marshes.

“The acquisition will protect in perpetuity unspoiled coastal land with forests of coastal live oak and intact wetlands. This range of habitats is perfect for public hunting, fishing, hiking, paddling and bird watching,” a TPWD news release stated.

The land was purchased from Cumberland & Western Resources, a Kentucky investment company, and the entire project, which is estimated to cost $50 million and includes the land purchase, is being funded jointly between several public and private organizations, including the Conservation Fund, the Nature Conservancy, TPWD, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, which has raised $43 million toward the total project.

Wild hogs wind their way through the grasses at Green Lake on sunny afternoon.

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

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Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

59

Calhoun’s

two lighthouses passports into the past

BY MELONY OVERTON

60

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

O “The Half Moon Reef Lighthouse is a wonderful little building. When you think that a family of seven lived on there, all of the time, and at times they had both sets of grandparents living on there, it must have been very crowded.”

f the six remaining lighthouses along the Texas coast, two are located in Calhoun County—the Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse and the Matagorda Island Lighthouse.

George Anne Cormier, director of the Calhoun County Museum, said lighthouse enthusiasts from all over the world come to Calhoun to see the lighthouses.

“We receive a lot of calls from potential visitors, who especially ask about the lens,” Cormier said.

The Third Order Fresnel lens from the Matagorda Island Lighthouse is currently displayed at the museum, located at 301 S. Ann St. in Port Lavaca.

The original lighthouse was built in 1852, the only cast iron lighthouse on the Texas coast. It towers above the shoreline at 92 feet. In 1873, it was moved two miles inland to the current site. Use of the lighthouse was discontinued in 1995. There is a cemetery next to the lighthouse where lighthouse keepers and their families are buried.

No ferry is available to take visitors to see the Matagorda Island Lighthouse. Visitors must use their own boat to get to the island.

Visitors do not need a boat to visit the Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse.

Known as the oldest surviving wooden lighthouse structure in Texas, the lighthouse, located at the Bauer Community Center at 2300 State Highway 35 N., still welcomes visitors to Port Lavaca.

The lighthouse is open to visitors seven days a week.

Upon entering the lighthouse, a visitor will see a small room with old pictures of how the lighthouse looked while still on the water. One picture in particular includes the light keeper’s family, grouped together on the wrap-around porch. In another picture, laundry hangs on the line to dry in the salty sea breeze.

“The Half Moon Reef Lighthouse is a wonderful little building. When you think that a family of seven lived on there, all of the time, and at times they had both sets of grandparents living on there, it must have been very crowded,” Cormier said.

Going clockwise, a visitor will enter the second room that has two windows.

The third and final room contains pictures of the Matagorda Island Lighthouse.

After the Matagorda Island Lighthouse began guiding traffic into Matagorda Bay, requests were made for additional lights to mark channels and obstacles in the bay. The Lighthouse board petitioned Congress in 1854 for funds to construct a light on the southern tip of Halfmoon Reef, a shoal on the eastern side of Matagorda Bay. The lighthouse would consist of a wooden, hexagonal structure, 16 feet on a side, surmounted by a lantern room and supported by seven 25-foot iron piles. The lighthouse was completed by July 1, 1858. A sixth-order Fresnel lens shown from the lantern room.

The station’s light was extinguished during the Civil War, but unlike other Texas lighthouses, the Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse was not dismantled or damaged during the conflict. Although the war ended in 1865, the lighthouse did not return to service until Feb. 20,1868.

Its light kept shining until 1942, when a hurricane tore the walkway from the lighthouse and left it sagging on its pilings. The U.S. Coast Guard decided to sell the structure rather than repair it. Bill Bauer and Henry Smith purchased the lighthouse.

Aboard a 124-foot barge with a lifting crane and 34-foot steel beams, Smith and a work crew set out to retrieve the lighthouse. Military personnel arrived in a motorboat and ordered them to leave the area before the planned bombing practice set to begin in half an hour. But the movers would not leave the lighthouse, and the bombing had to be delayed while the structure was salvaged.

In 1978, Bauer donated it to the Calhoun County Historical Commission for use as a museum.

Members of The U.S. Lighthouse Society visit Port Lavaca often to get stamps for their membership “passport” book.

“We have the Matagorda Island stamp here. The Chamber of Commerce has the Half Moon Reef Lighthouse stamp at the Bauer Community Center. It was agreed we could have it here even though people couldn’t make it out to the island, but since we have the lens they allowed us to do the stamp. Generally it is a one-dollar donation when you get the stamp,” Cormier said.

“We have a lot of people who come in just for the stamp or who come in because they know we have the lens. They come from all over. People will come in, and they will have these books just packed full of stamps, so you know they go everywhere to see lighthouses,” she said.

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

61

Christian/Country-Style Gift Shop

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GPS, Radar, VHF, Auto-Pilots, Depth Finders, Stereo Systems

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Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

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Live the good life in Port O’Connor. Whether you’re fishing in a tournament, enjoying a week with the family, or meeting buddies for a duck hunt, we have the right house or condo to make your trip a memory-filled getaway.

Call our vacation specialists at 866-TIGRETT today or book online at TigrettVacationRentals.com.

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Office: 361-785-3424 • Cell: 361-655-9690 Fax: 210-892-4941 Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

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COME VISIT US AT OUR NEW LOCATION Calhoun County YMCA 713 Hwy. 35 South Port Lavaca, Texas, 77979 Phone: 361-551-2562

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BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN! •Automotive & Heavy Duty Truck Parts CUSTOM •Batteries - Oil - Tires •Welding Supplies •Lawn Mower Accessories: Belts, tires, tubes •Marine Accessories: For your boat & trailer •Mechanic Garage State & DOT Inspections Hydraulic Hoses & •24 hour Towing Service •Unlocking Vehicles Assemblies Available

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The fishing is good around here.

It always is on Matagorda Bay and Lavaca Bay which also just happen to be the destination for hundreds of ships and barges moving valuable cargo through the Port of Port Lavaca-Point Comfort. The Calhoun Port Authority has long been committed to promoting responsible, sustainable development that’s in the best interest of the community, the environment and the economy. We strive for continuous improvement in our environmental performance and pollution prevention measures. That makes the fishing better for everybody.

CALHOUN Port Authority

64

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

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Bob Bonar, Agent 401 N Highway 35 Bypass Port Lavaca, TX 77979 Bus: 361-552-4689 Fax: 361-552-6296 bob@bobbonar.com 1211007

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65

Things to do in Calhoun County Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse This historical landmark has been around since 1857 and was placed at the southern tip on the Half Moon Reef in Matagorda Bay. It served as an aid to ships trading in Port Lavaca and Indianola. It still stands and is now located at the Bauer Community Center.

Matagorda Lighthouse This lighthouse, located on Matagorda Island, was first constructed in 1852, standing 92 feet tall, made entirely of cast iron with no masonry support and was originally painted with horizontal red, white and black stripes.

La Salle Monument This granite monument dedicated to the French explorer La Salle is located on the western shore of Matagorda Bay, between Indian Point and Indianola.

Indianola “The ghost town” It has been written, “Of the many ghost towns in Texas, none died as tragic a death as Indianola.” Founded

by German immigrants in 1844, the town was second only to Galveston as a Texas port city at one time.

Historical Marker Tour There are over 50 historical markers and places to see in Calhoun County.

See marker guide on pages 22 and 23.

Lighthouse Beach Fishing Pier Some people pick this beautiful campground in order to be close to Port Lavaca State Fishing Pier. Port Lavaca State Fishing Pier is a good location to visit on a delightful day; since you might be in a lake visiting mood you can always stop at close by Mud Lake.

Calhoun County Port Port Lavaca was an active fishing port in the first half of the 20th Century. The Gulf Intracoastal waterway reached Matagorda Bay in 1942, connecting Calhoun County to the thousands of miles of channels in the nation’s inland waterway system. The port is located in Point Comfort.

Magnolia Beach Magnolia Beach and Indianola Beach are “all in one.” Indianola is steeped in Texas history once being an inland seaport that rivaled Galveston in size.

Many German immigrants landed at Indianola eventually settling in New Braunfels and Fredericksburg. Driving along Ocean Drive you will see about 50 blue signs that tell the story about how Texas was settled from this once huge seaport. There is a large granite marker where the town of Indianola once stood and a statue of the explorer LaSalle.

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Formosa Bird Sanctuary The 245-acre Formosa-Tejano Wetlands, located off Hwy, 172 near CR 482, habitat was dedicated during a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by the chairman of the Wildlife Habitat Council on Nov. 17, 1999. Located halfway between Houston and Corpus Christi on land owned by Formosa Plastics Corporation, the site provides a “wildlife sanctuary for indigenous wetland species, opportunities for wildlife education, and viewing access for birders and other enthusiasts,” reports Formosa Plastics.

Crabbing Magnolia Beach is the place to be for crabbing and has its own crabbing bridge. It is a very popular place for all ages to enjoy. There are several other places along the waterfront to crab but be sure to visit the bridge.

Wildflowers A drive down Texas Hwy. 238 towards Magnolia beach is a wonderful sight to enjoy some Texas wildflowers and take some pictures to add to your memory book or scrapbooking pages. At the right time of year, this stretch of highway is flush with Bluebonnets, Indian Blankets and so many more.

Port Lavaca Art Guild The Port Lavaca Art Guild features great local talent. They have art classes, art shows and much more. These walls are climbing with works of art.

Port Lavaca Bayfront Peninsula A large area great for fishing, picnicking, sightseeing, bird watching and enjoying the harbor area, this area is located at the end of Hwy 87 and known for its great view.

Fishing in Port Lavaca Matagorda Bay, Espiritu Santo Bay, San Antonio Bay, Lavaca Bay and Caranchua Bay are full of redfish, shark, trout, flounder, pompano, gafftops, whiting, croakers, sheepheads, drum, jack crevalle, Spanish mackerel and the silver king of game fish, tarpon. Calhoun County also offers the best natural passes or entries to the Gulf on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Six Mile Where Six Mile creek empties into the bay is a prime fishing area as well as a hundred yards either side. This area also has a wadeable bottom and is a good place to find flounder bedded up at night. If fishing at night for trout,

Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

throw worm jigs, live bait under popping corks or plastic baits, with or without a popping cork. If reds or drum are your target, dead shrimp or cut bait (mullet, croaker, squid, crab) is good fished on bottom. Live mullet, croaker, perch, fished on bottom are also good for reds and drum, and possibly an occasional trout. If you bring a cast net, the boat slip is a good place to pick up live bait as well the shorelines are also a good spot. A prime spot is on either side of the road over the little creek seen just as you enter the park area.

The Harbor A harbor of refuge was also created at Port Lavaca for the protection of boats during storms. In 1963, the Port of Port Lavaca-Point Comfort was designated a United States customs port of entry.

Calhoun County Museum The Calhoun County Museum was established in 1964 by the Calhoun County Commissioners’ Court. Originally housed in the 1896 Jail building it eventually moved to the Courthouse Annex Building and then to its present location. The museum is located at 301 S. Ann St. in Port Lavaca, Live Theatre Port Lavaca Main Street Theatre is a great showcase for local talent.

A small group of passionate and dedicated people keep live theatre available in Port Lavaca. Several plays are performed throughout the year, including a children’s production during June.

Main Street Port Lavaca Main Street, Inc. is a nonprofit organization formed in September of 1989 to revitalize and preserve the historic downtown area of Port Lavaca. Due to the efforts of the Main Street Committee, the downtown area is once again beginning to thrive.

The area hosts a variety of businesses and is home to the oldest business in Port Lavaca, Melcher’s Hardware, which has been serving customers since 1917 and has been proclaimed a historic landmark.

Walking Track Lighthouse Beach Park has a mile long walking track. This track is along the water and boardwalk with a great birding view.

Beachcombing Many locals and tourists love to just roll up their pants and walk along the beach. There are many finds along the beach. The fun will never end in the many things and stories people tell of their beachcombing adventure.

Sunrises and sunsets on the beach This is an experience in itself. Looking out over the waters of Calhoun County, it seems the water touches the sun.

No buildings, no cars, nothing for miles and miles, just you and serenity.

Golf The 9-hole course at the Hatch Bend Country Club facility in Port Lavaca features 3,054 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 36. Hatch Bend golf course opened in 1957.

Aransas Wildlife Refuge The Refuge Complex is comprised of over 115,000 acres including the Blackjack Peninsula (Aransas proper), Matagorda Island, Myrtle Foester Whitmire, Tatton and Lamar units.

These areas provide vital resting, feeding, wintering and nesting grounds for migratory birds and native Texas wildlife. The refuge is world renowned for hosting the largest wild flock of endangered whooping cranes each winter. Other native species you can see on the Refuge include the American alligator, javelina, roseate spoonbill, white-tailed deer, armadillo and spectacular wildflowers.

Main Street Gallery This gallery features so many pictures of the true history of Calhoun County, there are walls and walls of pictures featuring all you want to know about the area.

Calhoun Air Center The airport was recently named the state's most improved by the Texas Aviation Conference. It has been completely renovated and is up and running, stop in and check it out.

Indianola Fishing Marina Tucked away at the very end of Highway 316 is a fisherman’s paradise.

The marina sits between Powderhorn Lake and Matagorda Bay and is a prime spot for trout, redfish, flounder and even duck hunting. The lighted pier and covered patio are open 24 hours a day for anyone wishing to fish in the wee hours of the morning or even during a rainstorm.

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Calhoun County Life • Summer 2016

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Melissa Sterling — Manager

LaVon Garcia Wendy Marvin Debbie Baldera Allyson Briscoe Kingslee Deckard 2121 Sailboat • Port Lavaca, TX Phone: (361) 551-2300  Fax: (361) 551-2312