THANK YOU!! The community of Port O’Connor has once again rallied around a very good cause – The Jerry Nutt Benefit, to help out a fellow citizen, Jan Nutt. This was held at the Port O’Connor Community Center on Saturday, March 3rd. It is great when a whole community comes together and this has truly been a community-wide event and then some. It is very touching to see this unfold.

“Thank you” seems totally inadequate for all the hard work of the volunteers, the donations from all the companies and individuals, and those who baked all the great desserts along with those who supplied and cooked different parts of the dinner and then served it. Between the ladies of Jan’s church – Fisherman’s Chapel and the ladies of the Port O’Connor Service Club, who had already held one bake sale in February and again at this event, there was excellent help and everybody knew just what to do. Even the husbands pitched in automatically. See, I didn’t forget the guys who worked hard also. Billy Hemphill worked many hours in securing some of the great auction items. I had no idea of the number of talented artists in Port O’Connor and they graciously donated their work. There are a lot of talented people here in many different fields.

To make the occasion even better, there were also donors and participants from many surrounding towns besides those in Port O’ Connor. There are too many individuals and companies to list, so we will simply say that – We can’t say “thank you” enough! Thank You!

Donnie Haynes, chairman of the event, and his crew – The Smokin’ Nuts did a superb job! After cooking on Friday and into the night, they were there working bright and early on Saturday morning. The barbecue brisket was delicious! What a team! They were on hand running errands and just doing what needed to be done. If you missed the benefit, you really missed something. Not only did our citizens come together, but they helped set up on Friday and were around to clean up late Saturday afternoon. Our volunteers didn’t leave until all the work had been done.

Our own Justice of the Peace, Nancy Pomykal, touched our hearts with a reading that was just perfect for the occasion. I’ve asked for a copy. The silent and live auctions went very well with Calvin Ragusin officiating as he does so well. The auction spotters did an excellent job and didn’t even drop anything. I also had an opportunity to join in with describing the items, of which we had quite a few. That was also fun. The winner of the 50/50 drawing was Kim Sonnier who graciously and generously donated her winnings to Jan.

To top the occasion off and truly make it more wonderful, we had an excellent performing Band – Hi Way 316, of which we are very appreciative!! The Band under the leadership of Rick Smith volunteered their time and talent to this event. Not only did the adults enjoy the music, but there were small “Band Groupies” attracted to the band. It was good to see so many small children just enthralled. They toe tapped to the beat and on occasion just sat and listened from a couple of feet from the band. It was as if they were magnetized to the band. Once in a while one of them would sort of check to see if their parents were still in the area. We apparently will have some great band students coming up in Port O’Connor who appreciate good music.

Jan Nutt was overwhelmed with heartfelt thanks in the response and very appreciative of everyone and their concern and help. She said there were so many people who really liked Jerry, but at the same time, Jan – we all love you, too.

Joys and Dangers of Island Spring Time

Greetings from the island everyone. Hope all of you are doing well and enjoying some of this recent Spring-like weather. Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour Saturday night before going to bed. It will be nice having some extra gardening and beach time, and I look forward to the first day of Spring in a few weeks.

March begins a very enjoyable several months of weather here on the island, with things seeming to spring to life around me. The grasses are starting to turn green, including the wild pea bushes that I like to use for compost, an excellent source of organic nitrogen. Patches of flowers bring a little color throughout the salt grass, and the beautiful migrating birds, including Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Painted Buntings and Baltimore Orioles, make their short stop-over before continuing south.

The newborn calves have also started being born on the island, including a set of twins a few weeks ago, the first pair I’ve seen born out here. I love watching the young calves scamper about and play with each other during the evening, a refreshing display of innocence. I’m sure that the coyotes have snuffed out some of that innocence, but suffice to say that I’m gaining ground on that problem.

The sea grass also begins washing ashore on the beach during the Spring months, bringing in with it an assortment of seashells and sea-beans. All sorts of little sea creatures and miscellaneous items get entangled in the sorghasm grass as it floats across the gulf before landing on the beach. I benefit from the beach grass by gathering it by the baskets, rinsing it with fresh water, and composting it down to a soil consistency before using it in my raised bed gardens. Organic kelp (seaweed) fertilizer is an excellent, and expensive, soil supplement, and I pick it up by the hundreds of pounds for free on the beach. Gotta love that.

The fishing also starts picking up around the island this time of year. The Capalety crew and myself pulled in a nice mess of black drum and a few reds this past weekend, simply fishing on bottom using dead shrimp. Sitting in a lawn chair, drinking a foo-foo and catching fish. . . life doesn’t get much better.

But along with the joys and positives of Spring weather on the island, also comes the danger of rattlesnakes coming out of hiding and beginning their mating season. Almost like clock work, I’ll start seeing them the first week of March and will continue seeing them periodically until the end of June.

Last week was no exception, as I took out a 49” one near the house. I tell everyone that will listen, you simply have to be aware that the danger of one being where you step next is ALWAYS present in the Spring. Barnacle gets a snake vaccine shot every year, but even still, that is no guarantee that he wouldn’t be taken if a big enough rattler bit him in the right spot.

Nonetheless, for $27 a year I’ll get him that vaccine shot without giving it a second thought. On occasion, some idiot will make mention to me that the rattlesnakes should be left alone to prosper and multiply, whereupon I tell them they are welcome to venture out here and catch them and release them in their own yard on the mainland if they wish. . . but until that happens, I’ll take another box of .38 caliber snakeshot please.

The tomato plants started from seed are five weeks old now and doing great. In about three weeks I’ll plant thirty of them, to go along with the onions and potatoes already in the ground.

Well that’s it from the island for now, everyone take care and have a great day.

Dell Girard celebrated his birthday on March 5th. Although he was born Adelard Joseph Girard in Berlin, New Hampshire, he’s called “Dell the Barber” here in Port O’Connor, where he has lived most of his 93 years.

When he enlisted in the U.S. Army, Dell was sent to Camp Hulen, near Palacios, for his basic training. It was there that he fell in love with Ray Elizabeth Stapp of Palacios. They were married in October of 1941. Soon afterwards, Dell was shipped overseas.

While in the jungles of New Guinea, having the need for a haircut, Dell traded haircuts with a buddy. His talent as a barber was evident, and other GI’s started asking him to cut their hair. He used his artistic talent to draw cartoons of people’s heads, which made it easier to see how the hair should be cut.

One day his commander told him he should start charging for haircuts. RayBeth sent Dell a pair of hand operated clippers. (He still has them.) “After that, I always had money in my pocket,” Dell said.

In 1944, upon being discharged from the Army, Dell and RayBeth settled in Port O’Connor. Dell worked as a deckhand on his brother-in-law’s shrimp boat. After a few years, he started driving the school bus from Port O’Connor to Port Lavaca, working at a Port Lavaca ship yard refurbishing yachts while the students were in school.

In 1949, Dell decided to go to barber college in Houston and become a licensed barber. While doing his apprenticeship in a Port Lavaca barber shop, he also went back to driving the school bus. “I drove the band and football team everywhere for all their games and contests,” Dell recalled fondly.

In 1954, he built his little one-chair shop in his back yard. He also traveled to Matagorda Island Air Force Base two days a week to cut the servicemen’s hair. He would drive his own boat most of the time so that he could fish on the way over and back. On Sundays, he and his fishing buddies would fish and pick up some oysters.

After Hurricane Carla destroyed his barber shop, Dell built the little shop that still stands at Third Street, between Adams and Main. There are several deer racks on the wall of the shop, and Dell has many photos of past deer hunts, a pastime he greatly enjoyed. He utilized everything he shot, making deer sausage –link, pan and dried. He left some as ground meat to make “meat pies” like his Mom had made when he was a young boy.

Dell also loved gardening, and his efforts put fresh vegetables on his family’s table year-around. His well-tended citrus trees produced large and tasty lemons, oranges, limes and grapefruit.

Dell and RayBeth had three children: a daughter, Betty Causey, living in the Austin area; a son, Joe Girard, who passed away in 2008; and another daughter, Mary Hawes, living in Port O’Connor. They have six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, ranging in age from 4 weeks to 22 years. After being married for 69 years, Dell’s beloved wife, Ray Elizabeth, passed away in 2010.

In the early 1970’s, about the same time as the Air Force Base shut down, men and boys started wearing their hair longer. Since that meant fewer trips to the barber shop, or maybe even switching to a “hair stylist”, Dell decided he’d better do something to supplement his barbering income. Since he loved fishing, and knew all the “hot spots”, he got his fishing guide license and started taking fishing charters.

Dell’s Barber Shop was open two days per week, serving mostly repeat customers with whom he developed a friendly relationship over the years. As time went by, many of the old-timers moved away or passed on. At the end of 2011, Dell decided to hang up his clippers and retire.

Since then, Dell has given up his garden and his hunting and fishing, but he still has one hair cutting customer, his son-in-law Mike Hawes. “I miss doing all the things I used to do,” Dell said, “but I really appreciate friends and family who bring me fresh veggies from their gardens and fish, ducks and deer.”

He still has a full life visiting with family and friends and attending his Church.

“I do miss my customer friends, though,” Dell said. “And I want to thank them for their patronage all these years.”

Banking on Jones

I still remember the first Seadrift Chamber of Commerce meeting which I attended at the First National Bank community room in Seadrift back in 2009. The group quickly welcomed me into the activities and one of those people was Jason Jones. Three years later, here we are… and it’s truly an understatement when I say time has gone by so fast.

Jason was born in 1980 in San Antonio, Texas. He was adopted by William (Bill) and Mary Zamykal Jones who lived in Port Lavaca, so he grew up in Calhoun County, graduated from Calhoun High School in 1998 and Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi in 2002. He married Lesley Mayne in November of 2002 and began working at First National Bank (FNB) in December of the same year in their management trainee program. Jason began learning their style of banking from the ground up and became a lender in Port Lavaca; he was then promoted to Branch Manager in Seadrift. Eight months shy of his 10 year anniversary at FNB, Jason announced in late February that he would be leaving the branch. Waves of shock rocked the community as news spread quickly.

Jones will pursue a career advancement in Woodsboro with The First National Bank of Woodsboro which is a small locally owned bank serving Woodsboro and Refugio. “I believe the bank has a bright future and lots of room for growth, located in an area vital to the booming oil and gas industry with its access to rail and proximity to the ports Refugio county which is sure to see growth,” he said.

Jason’s list of volunteer work with multiple non-organizations is extensive. He has been deeply rooted in our county and held numerous leadership positions: Port Lavaca Evening Lions Club, Vice President, President; 2010 District 2S4 Lion of the Year; Seadrift Lions Club, Guiding Lion/ New Club Sponsor; The Harbor, Event Volunteer; Habitat For Humanity, Volunteer; Port Lavaca Chamber of Commerce, Ambassador; Partners In Education, Volunteer, Science Fair Judge, Spelling Bee Judge; Dow Chemicals Community Advisory Panel 2006 -2011; and lastly, Seadrift Chamber of Commerce, Vice President and President.

He has also assisted via the Seadrift Chamber or Lions in the following: Texas Water Safari, Texas200 Sailboat Race, Seadrift Boy Scouts Troop 106 and an abundance of benefits such as bbqs, and fish frys.

His dedicated commitment to our community has not gone without notice. Jason was voted “Top 20 under 40” in June of 2011 by the Victoria Advocate. When asked what success was like to him, he answered, “To me, success is when you don’t really think you’ve done anything great or special, but other people see it in you.”

Jason looks forward to spending more time with his wife, Lesley, and children, Kendall and Mackenzie. especially being more involved with their school activities. Plus probably a little less volunteer work. Jason said, “This job will give me this opportunity as well as put in a place in my career that I want to be, with greater responsibility in upper management.”

It will be strange to not have Jason by our side implementing new projects. I will miss posting up the new Shrimpfest banners, carrying bags of ice cold beer into the beer booth or simply choosing (debating) the new color(s) of shirts for Shrimpfest sans Jones. He leaves his stamp of dedication amongst us all. Since announcing his new career path, I’m sure I speak for more than myself when I say – Jason, we all wish you well in all of your future endeavors. Without a doubt, you will be missed and we know you will swiftly advance in the new environment. Don’t be a stranger! Till next time.

I was pleasantly surprised last week by a visit from H.B. and Dian Thommason of Alvin. It was their first visit to Port O’Connor in four or five years. They really haven’t changed a bit – in looks or in demeanor. As some of you know, H.B. is the brother of Dolphin Talk founder Margaret Jennings and was instrumental in keeping this publication alive after Margaret’s passing. The Thommason’s drove down from Alvin to bring my husband Johnny a couple of chairs for his used furniture shop. They stayed at the American Inn (formerly the Tarpon) and were very impressed with the top-quality renovations that have been made there. It was great to see you, H.B. and Dian!

This past Saturday, I was pleased to participate in the benefit for the Jerry Nutt Estate. Lots of folks worked very hard to make this a successful event, and I believe Joyce Jordan deserves much of the credit. She worked tirelessly to put it all together and even managed to give us a report in time for this issue. I really enjoyed the auction; Calvin Ragusin did a great job as auctioneer. I am so proud to live in a community where people care so much about their neighbors and are always willing to lend a hand.

Thank you for reading Dolphin Talk.

Joyce Rhyne, Editor