Give Bill Worsham a sunny, breezy day on Pleasure Island and he’s ready to cruise…  his boat on Lake Sabine.

“There’s no commercial traffic. Winds are 80 percent steady from the Southeast at 10-15 knots,” said Worsham, who is also pretty keen on the island’s birding, fishing and wildlife.

This sailing instructor is partial to Pleasure Island: It’s his home. For those just visiting, Worsham says the average boat draft is 5 feet, there’s fuel in Sabine Pass and it’s a 15-mile, or three hour, sail to the Gulf of Mexico.

Adventure seekers and locals have crossed the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge to fish the waters, go birding or play some disc golf for years, but there’s something new in paradise. Pleasure Island Marina operators have improved 300 slips. The new look includes  250 floating aluminum docks, 50 covered stalls for smaller fishing boats and a 626-foot floating concrete break wall to cut wave action, Jimmy Dike, Pleasure Island Commission director, said.

Lighted pedestals resembling lighthouses, electricity and water at each slip and the long-wearing floating docks, which offer a classic wood look, will be perks mariners can expect. The bath house offers welcome refreshment for sailors returning to shore.

Port Arthur and Pleasure Island’s assets will be featured at the at Reliant Center, June 19-23. Stop by booth 707 for  news of the area’s rich fishing zones. Pleasure Island is also home to Cajun Cabins, RV parks, a driving range, Fun Island Depot playground and areas for birders, crabbers and anglers to set up a family picnic.

The second Pleasure Island Half Marathon, 10K and 2-Miler is set for Nov. 9. Runners will navigate the expansive bridge, coming and going.

Internationally-known photographer Keith Carter calls Southeast Texas home.  Museum of the Gulf Coast will host “Poet of the Ordinary: Photographs by Keith Carter,”  June 16-July 28. The traveling exhibition is on loan from the major Carter archive at the Wittliff Collections, Texas State University-San Marcos, which houses the world’s largest Keith Carter collection with more than 1,200 images.

Recycled glass jewelry, chai latte and a menu that reads like a passport… It must be Kizmet Koffee. Port Arthur visitors can try The Jamaican sandwich with raspberry chipotle chicken or the new Cajun, with boudain, bacon and beef and Vidalia onion sauce. Artists Cindy and Herb Kreutzer support the arts and pina colada smoothies at their shop for “Great Coffee, Unique Jewelry & Gifts.”  Since Herb the Australian married Cindy the local, the pair have been painting, teaching, brewing and cooking. Kizmet Koffee has just moved to 6039 39^th Street in Groves, just down the street from Port Arthur city limits.

Wind chimes, tribal jewelry, leather purses and other delights await. Phone this artsy couple at (409)962-9300.

Art lovers should also stop by Museum of the Gulf Coast and Texas Artists Museum while in Port Arthur.

Sing out loud at the Juneteenth parade, set for 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 19, on Procter Street in downtown Port Arthur. Gail Pellum, president of the African American Cultural Society, is organizing the parade with drill teams, sports cars and motorcycles. Live entertainment will follow at the Procter Street Pavilion. Look for food vendors and dancing. For information, call (409) 332-9105. Other events:   

·         Procession honoring African-American Veterans – June 1, 3 p.m.  – Port Arthur Public Library, 4615 Ninth Avenue

·         Library art display to include Buffalo Soldier work by Stephan Briscoe, Port Arthur stained glass artist.

·         Juneteenth Kids Fest – June 10-11, 5:30- 8 p.m. – event history lesson, Thomas Boulevard Church of Christ, 2848 Thomas Boulevard.

·         Miss Juneteenth Pageant – June 17, 6 p.m., Historic Israel Chapel, AME Church, 948 Freeman Ave.

The 19^th of June, 1865, is when the enslaved of Texas learned the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed long ago, on Jan. 1, 1863. They had not learned they were supposed to be freed. Texans have historically observed this date, and Pellum hopes that in this 150^th year since the signing, that everyone joins in.  One of her goals is to have all cultures learn the words to the “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

For more information on Port Arthur, Texas attractions, including Sea Rim State Park,   Museum of the Gulf Coast and the Great Texas Birding Trail, visit www.visitportarthurtx.com.

Want to see Sea Rim State Park from a new angle? An elevated view from the

West Dune Boardwalk is a showstopper, offering a panorama of  natural beach as the Gulf of Mexico’s foamy waves hit the sand.

Fresh wood and wire make up the brand-new walkway, the latest in a series of  park renovations, Ben Herman, superintendent, said. Two open-air showers are at the high point of the boardwalk, which is designed in advance of  a long-term dune build-up project. As sand and foliage build up on either side of a picket fence, the dunes of up to 20 feet will grow over time, replacing those lost to hurricanes. As the protective dunes build up, the boardwalk will be one of the few ways to access the beach front, Herman said.

The park has also made improvements to the Gambusia Nature Trail through the beach-side marsh. Gators, who have been peeking from the trail’s waters, seem to approve. Improved camping provisions and roadways are next on the list of additions.  Regular park admission is $3 a person. The nearby Marsh Unit has a new paddling trail.

The park entrance is on Texas 87 South, 10 miles west of Sabine Pass. For details, call Herman at (409) 971-2559.

For more information on visiting Port Arthur, Texas, including fishing guides, Museum of the Gulf Coast, and the Great Texas Birding Trail, visit www.visitportarthurtx.com.

Pack your kyak for a new paddle trail by Sea Rim State Park. Sure the surf

Paddle Sea Rim’s Marsh Unit

and sand is a lure, but right across the road, the Sea Rim Marsh Unit offers a quieter commune with nature.

Ben Herman, park superintendent, said new paddle trails are being marked for beginners, who may bring canoes or flat-bottomed boats for a two-mile route through the bird-filled marsh. The intermediate trail is a little longer and the advanced trek is about nine miles. Herman reminds nature lovers that once in the state park legally, guests can fish or crab without an additional license. Spoonbills and teal ducks are frequent visitors, he said.

Sea Rim is a huge day-use park and improvements, such as the new West Dune boardwalk and two open-air showers, are part of ongoing plans to appeal to overnighters.

“This park has more snow birds than any park I’ve been in,” he said, referring to northern travelers drawn to the Gulf Coast’s long sunny season.

Regular park admission is $3 a person for the beach area and another $3 a person for the marsh area. The beach side also offers the Gambusia Nature Trail, where visitors can look for gators and shore birds that make this marshy area home. A few feet from the trail is five miles of natural beach where families can play in the sand, swim and fish.

For more information on visiting Port Arthur, Texas, including fishing guides, Museum of the Gulf Coast, and the Great Texas Birding Trail, visit www.visitportarthurtx.com.

Thursday, May 2nd:

7 p.m. – Sabine River Band

9:30 p.m. – Wayne Toups

Friday, May 3rd:

7 p.m. – Chris Latiolais

8:30 p.m. –Wade Bowen

10:30 p.m. – Randy Rogers Band

Saturday, May 4th:

7 p.m. – Twangster Union

9 p.m. – Fireworks

9:30 p.m. – Champagne Room

For more information on Port Arthur, Texas attractions, including Sea Rim State Park, Museum of the Gulf Coast and the Great Texas Birding Trail, visit www.visitportarthurtx.com.

Tie a yellow ribbon with Tony Orlando at the 10^th annual Gulf Coast Gala. The dashing, dark-haired ‘70s icon performed “Tie A Yellow Ribbon ‘Round The Ole Oak Tree,” “Candida” and “Knock Three Times.” 

At Lamar State College-Port Arthur on April 27, he will celebrate the 40^th anniversary of “Yellow Ribbon,” which became an enduring anthem for POWs and other military veterans returning home from duty.

The formal event will include dinner and entertainment, beginning with a 6 p.m. reception at the Carl A. Multipurpose Center. Dinner will follow at 7 p.m.  Individual tickets are $125. For information, call Donna Schion at 984-6101.

Lamar State’s first gala in 2004  benefitted cultural and visual arts at Museum of the Gulf Coast and  provided support for the college’s “Discovery” youth program, Alumni Fund, athletic scholarships, musical and theatrical productions and a variety of special projects, such as Lamar State’s July 4 celebration and the Regional Citizen Bee. 

            LSC-PA president Dr. Sam Monroe said the event, which is co-sponsored by the Port Arthur Higher Education Foundation, provides support for many programs that “enhance career potential, broaden intellectual horizons and enrich the quality of life for people in the area.”

Orlando, born and raised in New York City, began hitting the national charts at the age of 16 with “Halfway to Paradise” and “Bless You” as the first vocal artist to sign with Epic Records. He later routed his musical career to the nonperformance side and became one of the youngest vice-presidents for CBS Records, heading their April-Blackwood music label.

Through no plans of his own, Tony was coaxed into putting his voice on a demo record for a song titled “Candida” for his friends Hank Medress and Dave Appell at Bell Records. The record was released under the name of the record promotion director’s daughter, Dawn.

“I think it is really the rule of show business that every big break you get, you back into it without knowing it at the time,” Orlando said. “A few weeks after recording ‘Candida’, I had forgotten all about it and then Hank Medress calls me and says, ‘Hey man, we’ve got a hit.’ The crazy thing was, the song kept climbing the charts until it hit number one.”

Hoping lightning would strike again, Medress had Orlando record “Knock Three Times.” It hit No. 1 and was the top song of 1971, selling more than six million copies worldwide. The immense popularity of the song is still evident today. Tony’s recording of the song was featured in the hit movie “Now and Then.”