Marine Agent Rhonda Cummins and Republican Club President Russell Cain
Rhonda Cummins was the guest speaker at the June 5th meeting of the Calhoun County Republican Club.
Rhonda has been our County Marine Agent for over nine years. She holds a Master’s Degree in Marine Resource Management from Texas A&M. As Marine Agent, her responsibilities generally fall into the main focus areas as defined by the Sea Grant program, including Healthy Coastal Ecosystems, Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Environmental Literacy. Rhonda is involved with our local fishermen, oystermen and shrimpers concerned with fishing and oystering issues; with the local kayaking trails; semi-annual beach clean ups and has for the last several years hosted a successful series of cooking demonstrations to promote local seafood, She also manages a low-powered radio station at Magnolia Beach and teaches local middle school how to build and sail small boats.
Rhonda is one of four extension agents in the Calhoun County Extension Office. They include: 4-H Agent; Agricultural Agent; and Family Consumer Science Agent. “We are all here to answer people’s questions and help them solve their problems,” Rhonda said. County residents are always welcome to come by the office at the Fairgrounds.
The Calhoun County Extension Office is one of 250 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Offices across the state. AgriLife is a partnership between the Texas A&M University System, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts.
Texas has 18 coastal counties, of which seven are served by a Coastal and Marine Resource Agent (a.k.a Marine Agent). This person not only works for AgriLife but also for the Texas Sea Grant College Program with is a federal program under the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Reflecting Rhonda’s commitment to the County, she was named Texas Sea Grant’s Woman of the Year for 2015.
Other business conducted at the Republican Club meeting included the announcement by Chairman Jim Faulkner of the two $500 scholarship winners this year: Andrie Castillo, who will attend the U of H Victoria, and Colto Blink, who will attend the University of Texas at Austin.
The Heritage Center:
There was also a discussion of the funding problems currently facing our local Heritage Center. Some months ago transportation contracts were let to private companies. Funds from transportation were the main source of income for the Center. If transportation funds are not returned to our local center, it will soon have to close its doors. That means, in addition to seniors having no place to gather, there will be no meal deliveries to shut ins in our area.
Please contact our State Representatives to voice your concern: Rep. Geanie Morrison, (512) 463-0456; Senator Lois W. Kolkhorst (512) 463-0118.
