Ted Gill

Meet Ted Gill

This little article is the first in the Seadrift Legacy series. Each story will feature someone or some family who has made an impact and left a legacy in our community. This first story is about Ted Gill’s involvement with the City and how he left an impact on us all! This article is dedicated to Ted’s beloved wife, Bootsie, who recently passed.

Ted and Bootsie moved to Seadrift in 1960. The same day they came, Ted started to work for Union Carbide. In 1968 Ted became Mayor of Seadrift and was handed the keys to an old grain truck with high sides on it. That truck was the City’s first garbage truck! Durell Gaines and Henry Bennetson were the City’s first solid waste employees.

As mayor, Ted finished the City’s gray water sewer system. Ted went to A&M to learn how to operate the system and taught two employees how to operate it. Ted, also, got the first state water treatment license. Three times Ted went before the Golden Crescent Regional Planning Commission. Each time he won $250,000 grants for the city!

Ted and the City Council introduced the first Seadrift ambulance to the city. It was a Cadillac hearse! Ted ended up serving six years as Seadrift Mayor (starting in 1968), eight years as a Seadrift Council member (’87-’91), and again as City Councilman (2000 – 2007). While Ted was on the City Council the City purchased the current City Hall and civic center. Also, as a City councilman, Ted worked to receive a grant for the Seadrift harbor. Ted, Bootsie, George Miller, and Pat Kennedy traveled to Washington, D.C. to receive the grant from the Department of Health and Human Resources.

On January 1, 1992 Ted Gill retired from Union Carbide after 32 years. Also, Ted is a 51 years Endowed Master Mason at the Seadrift Masonic Lodge.

Ted has this to say to our younger generation: “As you look forward to meeting your goals and your visions, don’t forget your history. Without the knowledge of our heritage, who are we?”

Each year for the past 24 years, except for one, the Port O’Connor First Baptist Church has produced a Valentines evening out for the community to enjoy. The 23rd Sweetheart Banquet has come and gone. If you weren’t there you missed a wonder evening of great food, entertainment and decorations! This year’s theme was “Lavender and Lace”. Many women, young people and men worked hours and hours for several days to make the actual event happen. They set up tables and chairs, decorated, cooked, plated food, served, undecorated and cleaned up so that everyone who came could enjoy that special night.

Every year, the church names a citizen of the year from our community. This year we departed from that and honored the late Doyle Adams. Twenty-four years ago he and his late wife, Bernice, started the tradition of a “Sweetheart Banquet” here. It was much smaller in the beginning and was held in the Fellowship Hall of the POC First Baptist Church. Over the years it has grown into the celebration it is today; sell-out crowds, special menus and beautiful decorations! It was their vision initially and since his wife’s death several years ago, he had directed this event every year until now. All who worked on it this year hope he would have been proud of this year’s extraordinary evening.

The night started with a prayer given by a former pastor, Bro. George Yarbrough. The steak dinner was served by the men of the church, church youth and 4H members. Another former pastor, Bro. Marcus Gholke, told of Doyle’s contributions to the church and the community. Charlotte Fitzgerald was the hit of the evening with her sing-along of some “oldies but goodies” that had everyone tapping their toes!

There are so many who need to be thanked for helping with this event. Too many to name individually, but these groups were instrumental , the POC Community Service Club, 4H Youth and especially our church members. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Next year we hold the banquet on Thursday, February 13, 2020. Mark it on your calendar and make plans to attend.

Mike and Nellie Prather
Married 7 months

James and Helen Hardcastle
Married 68 years

Please join us at the Seniors Luncheon on Tuesday, March 19th at the POC Community Center, and bring a friend!  Lunch is served at 11:30.

We have a short but very important presentation on how to recognize when someone is trying to scam you.  The most common scams are by telephone.  For example, someone calls and tells you that you are in trouble with the IRS, that your bank account has been closed, that you have won a prize, that you are eligible for lower interest rates on your credit cards, that you are in trouble with the law, or that your computer has a virus.  Don’t ever give out your personal information or send money to someone you don’t know, especially over the phone.

Our goal is to help educate and protect our community from being scammed.  Hope to see you there!

Dawn Ragusin
Assistant Vice President
First National Bank

The Dolphin Talk is now into our second month of our 24th year of publication. We are thankful for those of you who have been faithful to read and utilize the information we print. It is an honor to serve our community.
We have come to a point when we realize that we must try to do something to generate more income to compensate for the increasing cost of production. Therefore we must raise our advertising prices and decrease the amount of free advertising we have been giving. The only free advertising we can give from now on will be for fund raisers to support locals who are in need of financial assistance due to health issues or other emergencies.  We consider this our part in helping them.
The advertising rates have remained the same since 2013 and have not kept up with the cost of production. Beginning next month, we will increase our advertising prices by 20%. For instance, a business card size ad will be $30 instead of $25.
We hope you can understand and continue to advertise with us.
Thank you for reading and supporting the Dolphin Talk.
    Joyce Rhyne, Editor