Shipmates Inc San Antonio

Coastal Bend military notes: 09.10.11

Spc. Nadia Porter re-enlisted in the Missouri National Guard.

Porter is a 2003 graduate of Aransas Pass High School and is the daughter of Robert and Greta Castillo of Aransas Pass and the granddaughter of Marcelina Castillo, also of Aransas Pass.

Her brother, Robert Castillo, is a sergeant in the Army Reserves in Corpus Christi.

NAVY

Chief Petty Officer Tom Taylor finished his active duty Navy career with an Aug. 26 retirement ceremony at the Naval Air Station Kingsville Captain's Club. Taylor, chief gunner's mate, enlisted in the Navy Reserve in 1984, after graduating from high school in Big Spring.

Taylor reported to NAS Kingsville in August 2008. He was initially assigned to the Public Works Department to manage the command's recycling program, but also served as the command's Armory supervisor. Taylor and his family live in Kingsville.

The Kingsville Chapter of the U.S. Navy League paid tribute on Aug. 4 to Naval Air Station Kingsville's top Sailors of the Quarter. The sailors, all enlisted members from the command, were recognized for superior performance, leadership, community involvement and professionalism.

Navy League President Bud Malcik presented the sailors letters of appreciation for their service to their country and gift certificates noting their achievement.

Senior Sailor of the Quarter is Petty Officer 1st Class (Surface Warfare) Bernardino Martinez, who is assistant leading petty officer for the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department. Martinez, an interior communications electrician and native of Fort Worth, is a veteran of seven years and has been on base for more than a year.

The Junior Sailor of the Quarter is Petty Officer 2nd Class (Surface Warfare) Jason Sigler. He is the Air Operations supply clerk. A logistics specialist and native of Yokohama, Japan, Sigler reported to base in October 2008.

The Bluejacket of the Quarter is Petty Officer 3rd Class Shauna Johnson of the Air Operations Department. A native of Orlando, Fla., Johnson reported to base in July 2009 and is an air traffic controller.

Thrift Store Success Stories - Sports Collectors Digest -

I really enjoy hitting up the thrift store circuit during the week. I’m constantly on the hunt for sports memorabilia, autographs, signed books, jerseys and frames that I can later use to custom frame my own pieces. I’ve had great luck through the years, but things have been kind of slow in the last year or two. But every once in a while I hit a huge score and it’s a great rush hustling up to the register to pay a few dollars for something you know is worth much more, both sentimentally and financially. I recently had one of those days. I was on my first stop of the day – the Goodwill store about a mile from where I work. I have the place mapped out by this time and always peruse the bookshelves the minute I step in. The books are in no particular order, but I can always spot a store-bought autobiography or sports book that may have been signed. I usually pop open half a dozen books, hoping that a signed book was donated. It amazes me how many autographed copies are actually sitting on thrift store shelves for the princely sum of a few dollars. As I turned the cover page over, I could tell that it had a book plate attached to the paper and there in bold pen was Franks’ autograph. There was an envelope stuck inside the book and hoping for some forgotten birthday card stuffed with $50 bills, I instead found a formal invitation for the event that Franks spoke at. The dinner was held for a charity event here in Rochester in 1994. Franks was the keynote speaker, and the cheapest seat in the house was $350. My shopping trip was not over yet, and I continued on to the frame section. Over the years, I have picked up many frames to remove the contents and reframe my own items using a mat cutter that I bought at a craft store. If you have been to a frame store recently, you know that it is not cheap to get your photos matted and framed. I will continually pick up frames for a few dollars that easily cost $100-$200 when they were originally purchased.

Inc. Yourself, How to Profit by Setting Up Your Own Corporation

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The Wordy Shipmates

Organic, Inc., Natural Foods and How They Grew

Enchanted, Inc, a novel