Category: News

The Shellers’ Jamboree was held this past Memorial Day weekend. As always, the Clearwater club, worked very hard and we had an interesting weekend.

 Beginning on Saturday morning there was a 4 hour flea market where registrants could sell items. While we were getting settled in, there was Shell ID, Shell measuring and the silent Auction.

There were old acquaintances to greet and in our packet two word searches and a word Scramble. A packet of cartoons where we were asked to provide the captions was also included.

The festivities began after lunch with a spoof on shell collectors from different clubs, with our own Bob and Alice Pace donning fishing gear and “fishing” for shells. After that we had lunch.

The first program was Rick Batt speaking about Sand. Different beaches were explored including glass sand. That was followed by Dennis Sargent on “The Discovery and Description of a New Conch Species”.

After the first two programs we had a game called the BEACH Shell Hunt. We had teams based on our name tag colors and had to come up with as many names as possible using only Genus or Common Names. Anne Joffe was captain of a team, consisting of Jose Leal, Bill Lyons, Jim Cordy, Rick Batt and myself. We came up with 67 names for the highest score. Yea TEAM!!!

After the game, Dr. Jose Leal gave his program “Cowries: Natural History, Diversity and Cultural Impact.”

A game was played involving small bottles of sand with 40 items buried in them. We had to see if we could find all 40 items. It was quite interesting as objects would show themselves and then hide again.

Shortly after that the Silent Auction ended and we had a Happy Hour and our dinner buffet.

After dinner Anne Joffe, gave a program “Shelling in Guaymas, Mexico.

At that, our first busy day ended and we all retired to our motel rooms.

Sunday everyone who wanted to entered the Snail Parade, Coastal Creations and Treasures of the Sea. Another Silent Auction began. The first program was Morums A to Z, by Dr. Harry Lee. We then had a verbal auction with any extra monies going to Bailey-Matthews Museum. At 12:30 we had a BBQ lunch.

After lunch, Carole Marshall gave a program “Micro mollusks of South Florida.” That was followed by “Shelling in the Philippines” by Doug Jeffrey.  We then had the show awards given out and the end of the Silent auction.

That evening there was a banquet with a program “Living Shells” by Charles E. Rawlings, who also had his book for sale.  As a table favor we each had a lovely poem at our place setting, and then the Raffle tickets were pulled.

A high point of the banquet was that Linda Sunderland and I both won a raffle prize. Linda won a huge Melo and I won a lovely diorama made by the late Bob Pierson.  That was the end of a very busy Jamboree and an enjoyable reunion with many friends I don’t get to see enough.

I was sorry that not more Broward Shell Club members did not attend.  I hope if there ever is another Jamboree, more of our members will attend.

Carole P. Marshall

According to the tide charts from http://www.saltwatertides.com, there are very low tides Sunday and Monday afternoons, May 6th and 7th. Maybe I’ll see you out there on the sandbars…

Tides for South Port Everglades, ICWW starting with May 4, 2012.
Day High Tide Height Sunrise Moon Time % Moon
/Low Time Feet Sunset Visible

F 4 Low 1:02 AM 0.1 6:41 AM Set 5:13 AM 92
4 High 7:12 AM 3.0 7:54 PM Rise 6:34 PM
4 Low 1:23 PM -0.6
4 High 7:54 PM 3.3
Sa 5 Low 1:54 AM 0.0 6:40 AM Set 6:00 AM 97
5 High 8:04 AM 3.1 7:54 PM Rise 7:43 PM
5 Low 2:14 PM -0.7
5 High 8:46 PM 3.4
Su 6 Low 2:46 AM -0.1 6:39 AM Set 6:53 AM 99
6 High 8:56 AM 3.2 7:55 PM Rise 8:51 PM
6 Low 3:06 PM -0.9
6 High 9:38 PM 3.5
M 7 Low 3:38 AM -0.1 6:39 AM Set 7:51 AM 99
7 High 9:48 AM 3.2 7:55 PM Rise 9:57 PM
7 Low 3:58 PM -0.9
7 High 10:29 PM 3.4

-TOM BALL

 

On Monday, April 16th, 2012, the rock jetty on the North end of John U. Lloyd State Park has been reopened to visitors. They have also opened the northernmost 200 feet of beach, which has been closed to the public for at least 7 years. Maybe some good shelling on untouched beaches? This also means that snorkeling along the South side of the rock jetty is allowed for the first time in years, if there aren’t too many fishermen there. If you have your Salt Water Fishing License, you might be able to collect live shells (as the fishermen are collecting live fish from the park). I heard in the past that Trivia nix (now named Niveria nix) – the little solid-colored Trivia – are found live there. -submitted by Tom Ball

The following article appeared in the Sun-Sentinel

By Mike Clary, Sun Sentinel

1:47 p.m. EDT, April 16, 2012

DANIA BEACH—
For more than seven years, a lack of money and a lot of bureaucratic wrangling left one of Broward County’s best sightseeing spots off-limits to all but crabs and laughing gulls.

Clare Frost, a Dania Beach native, felt the loss of the 1,000-foot rock jetty at John U. Lloyd Beach State Park. “Standing out there is as close to going to sea as you can get without having a boat,” said Frost, 54.

At 2 p.m. Monday, it opened once more, fresh from a $700,000 makeover that includes a new paved walkway on top, stainless steel railings and six designated fishing spots for the disabled.

Video: Mugging of elderly sisters caught on bus video camera

The reopening comes just in time for the 23rd annual Fleet Week, which begins April 25, and the Air & Sea Show, which returns April 28 after a 5-year hiatus.

“Being able to stand 50 feet or so from a moving ship, a warship or one of the largest cruise ships in the world, like the Oasis of the Seas, is pretty awesome,” said Carmelo Duesler, a park ranger for 28 years.

The jetty, jutting into the Atlantic Ocean to form the south side of the Port Everglades Inlet, was deemed unsafe and closed in October 2004. Repeated bashings from storms, including hurricanes Frances and Jeanne, had caused some of the underwater rocks to shift and the blacktop walkway to crack.

Although it lies within a state park, the jetty is owned by theU.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the number of state, federal and local agencies with an interest in the rock pile made deciding how to fix it, and who should pay, a nightmare to figure out.

“It was very frustrating to tell people the jetty was closed and that there was no money to fix it,” Duesler said. “They would get angry. I just tried to explain that we had to do whatever we could to keep it safe.”

After years of inaction, Jeff Raley, coastal project manager for the state’s Department of Environmental Protection, led the push to break through what he called “the quagmire of having so many parties involved.”

He helped find a $350,000 grant from the Florida Inland Navigation District, $200,000 from Broward County’s Department of Environmental Protection & Growth Management and Port Everglades, and $150,000 from his own agency.

The work was done in less than four months. Pac Comm Inc., a Miami marine contractor, packed the underlying rocks with sand, hauled in granite fill from Tennesseee and Georgia to plug leaks, and then capped the structure with a smooth concrete walkway.

The contractor also built two groins south of the jetty to slow beach erosion.

“This is a flagship project for us,” said David Juelle, Pac Comm’s director of operations.

The jetty’s importance to the park was plain to see in attendance figures. Visitors dropped by more than 100,000 a year after its closure, said Duesler. The reopening now will mean up to 150,000 more park visitors, with an annual economic impact of $5.9 million, according to state estimates.

Frost, her husband Clive Taylor, 69, and other local residents plan to join a host of public officials Monday for the ceremonial ribbon-cutting.

“When we were kids, there was no walkway on top,” said Frost. “You had to jump from rock to rock and you always got wet. Now the jetty is perfect for families, for children, picnics and fishing. And when the big ships come by, it’s great enterTainment.”

The club recently lost two long-time members.

Polly Fletcher and her husband, John were VERY helpful to me years ago when we had an enormous mailing list and it was assistance I had always appreciated.  Polly was quite active in much more than just the Shell Club, belonging to more than one of the local orchid societies and “who-knows” how many other organizations.  Her orchid collection was phenomenal.  She was not only remembered by our club at the April meeting, but also praised and fondly remembered at other venues such as the Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society (for which I was present).  We had not seen Polly for some time although she had made it to our last shell show.  Polly succumbed to cancer just before the April meeting.

The other member is one MOST of you would not remember and it will come as a shock to those who do!  Pat Armes had gone to hospital last month for some tests….but never came out.  Her husband Rod called me this weekend to inform me of this and said she succumbed to “organ failure”.  Pat was a Florida native hailing from St. Petersburg and she married Rod when he was with the Royal Air Force.  After working for many years in the Ft. Lauderdale area they moved to a small village near Lincoln, England for retirement.  Between the two of them they had an incredible shell collection, which “caught” the attention of the British Museum in London.  The museum negotiated with the Armes…..sent down several lorries (trucks – to us Yanks) to pack up the collection, which the Armes subsequently donated to the museum.  As we speak their collection resides in a special display room entitled “The Rod & Pat Armes Collection”.  A fitting tribute to a special lady and avid collector.

I will personally miss you, Pat!   You were a good and long-time friend. – Richard Sedlak.

SHELL SHOW AWARDS – SCIENTIFIC

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY – Sheila L. Nugent – Gulf of Maine / Bay of Fundy EcoRegion

CONCHOLOGISTS OF AMERICA – Norman Terry –  It’s A Small Small World

THE DuPONT TROPHY – Harry Berryman – Family Costellariidae

BEST FLORIDA / CARIBBEAN EXHIBIT – Bob Pace –  29 Species of Marine & Land Shells Found In About 45 Minutes

NEIL HEPLER MEMORIAL TROPHY FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE – Carole Marshall – Gods, Goddesses, Shells and Money

BETTY HAMANN FOSSIL AWARD – Valentino Leidi – South Florida Fossils

LEN HILL MEMORIAL AWARD FOR MOST BEAUTIFUL EXHIBIT – Norman Terry – It’s A Small, Small World

“BEST OF THE BEST” – Gene Everson – Seashells of the New Millennium 2000-2009 – self-collected

SHELL OF SHOW – Self Collected – Bob Pace – Bursa grayana

SHELL OF SHOW – Any Manner – Sonny Ogden – Tridacna gigas

BEST STUDENT EXHIBITOR – Valentino Leidi – South Florida Fossils

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD – SCIENTIFIC Jonathan Galka – Fossil Mollusks of South Florida

BEST BEGINNING EXHIBITOR – SCIENTIFIC – Sonny Ogden – Tridacna gigas

STUDENT: Grades K through 6 – Any Manner – Blue – Katherine Albert / Fossilized Turban Shell

STUDENT: Grades 7 through 12 – Any Manner – Blue – Valentino Leidi – South Florida Fossils

ONE REGION – Self-collected – Blue – Bob Pace – 29 Species of Marine & Land Shells Found In About 45 Minutes

ONE REGION – Any Manner – Blue – Sheila L. Nugent – Gulf of Maine / Bay of Fundy EcoRegion

ONE FAMILY – MAJOR – Any Manner – Blue – Kenneth Brown – Sampling of Family Cypraeidae

ONE FAMILY – MINOR – Any Manner – Blue – Harry Berryman – Family Costellariidae

ONE SPECIES – Any Manner – Blue – Sheila L. Nugent – Nocella lappilus

Red – Ken Curry, Sr. – See the many faces of Scaphella junonia

SINGLE SHELL WORLDWIDE – Self-collected – Blue – Sonny Ogden – Tridacna gigas

Red – Conus gauguini – Gene Everson

SINGLE SHELL WORLDWIDE – Any Manner – Blue – Gene Everson – Eupleura volkesorum

Red – James Cordy – Nodipecten

SINGLE SHELL – FLORIDA CARIBBEAN – Self-collected – Blue – James Cordy

Red – Bob Pace – Bursa grayana

White – Amy Tripp – Arcinella cornuta

Judge’s Special Merit Ribbon & White –

Hugh Andison – Albino Horse Conch

FOSSILS – Any Manner – Blue – Harry Berryman – Placanticersa placenta (Fossil Ammonoid)

Red – Jonathan Galka – Fossil Mollusks of South Florida

LAND or FRESH WATER SHELLS – Any Manner – Judge’s Special Merit Ribbon & Blue – Harry G. Lee – Terrestrial Pulmonates

EDUCATIONAL – Blue – Carole Marshall – Gods, Goddesses, Shells & Money

2010 BSC SHELL SHOW AWARDS – ARTISTIC DIVISION

BEST BEGINNING EXHIBITOR ARTISTIC – Jo-Ann Connolly – Mirror Wreath

BEST STUDENT EXHIBITOR – ARTISTIC (made by exhibitor) – Katherine Albert – Simply Paradise

BEST IN SHOW – HOBBYIST (made by exhibitor) – Bob Pace – Novelties category – Animal Caricatures

BEST IN SHOW – PROFESSIONAL (made by exhibitor) – Jae Kellogg – Flower arrangement on driftwood

BEST IN SHOW – SAILOR’S VALENTINE (any manner) Brandy Llewellyn

FAY MUCHA MEMORIAL TROPHY BEST COLLECTIBLES – (any manner) – Linda Zylman Holzinger – Hand Carved Antique Pearl Oyster in Olivewood Frame from Jerusalem

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD: ARTISTIC DIVISION – (As voted by the attendance) – Brandy Llewelyn – Sailor’s Valentine

Hobbyist Categories

H2. STUDENT – Grades K – 6 – Katherine Albert – Blue – Simply Paradise

H12. MIRROR – Blue – Jo-Ann Connolly

Red – Jo-Ann Connolly

H14. DÉCOR – TABLETOP ONLY – Red – Shell Encrusted Head

H16. PHOTOGRAPHY – Judge’s Special Merit Ribbon & Blue – Kevan Sunderland – Willet with Melongena

Red – Sheila L. Nugent

White – Anne DuPont

H18. JEWELRY and PERSONAL ACCESSORIES – Blue – Sue Burns & Mario Piras

Blue – Elaine Alvo

H19. NOVELTIES – Blue Bob Pace – Animal Caricatures

Red – Elaine Alvo- The Collector

H22. SPECIAL – Blue – Sue Burns & Mario Piras

Professional Categories

P2. FLOWER ARRANGEMENT 6″ or less (Tabletop) – Blue -Brandy Llewellyn

P4. FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS Greater than 6″ (Tabletop) – Judge’s Special Merit Ribbon & Blue

P5. SAILOR’S VALENTINE – Single (Tabletop) – Blue – Brandy Llewellyn

P9. MIRROR (Wall hung) – Heather Strawbridge

P10. SHELL TABLES or TRAYS – Jon Ogden

P11. DÉCOR – (Wall hung) – Red -Heather Strawbridge

P12. DÉCOR – Tabletop) – Blue – Heather Strawbridge

Collectibles – Category C-1

Blue – Linda Zylman – Hand Carved Antique Pearl Oyster in Olivewood Frame from Jerusalem

Red – Heather Strawbridge – Princess Charming Purse Collection

Red – Richard Sedlak & Michael Hickman – Nautilus representations

A QUICK THANK YOU FOR NOW

Nancy Galdo wants to thank everyone who helped make this show the record success that it was.  A more detailed article about the show will appear next month but in the meantime she wanted to express her extreme gratitude, and a complete list of those who went beyond the call of duty will appear in the March issue.  What we can say is that the Raffle Table, Club Shell Table and the Craft Sales Table went way beyond last years’ sales AND the dealers were more than delighted!  You will also note another record….the following new members listing…….

 

Katherine “Bobbi” Cordy passed away Wednesday morning, February 2^nd, after a several month illness.  She was the show chairperson for the Astronaut Trail Shell Club
for the entire time of their shell shows, Secretary for the COA, and co-chair of the COA conventions in 2001 and 2011.

I visited Jim Cordy and his daughter Denise (from Houston) and there will be a memorial service for Bobbi but plans have not been completed.

Bobbi was truly a larger than life person, a passionate advocate for the hobby and science of shelling and a person of extraordinary energy.  With her husband Jim, she led trips to many Bahamas locations over the past twenty years.  We are so pleased that she got to participate in the opening of the Johnson-Cordy Museum of Shells of the Brevard Natural History Museum last November, a lasting memorial to Bobbi and Jim for their extraordinary knowledge and passion for shells.

The Astronaut Trail Shell Club is fortunate for her hard work which is a legacy in place for the COA convention this July and also for continuing our annual shell shows which already is scheduled for January 14-15, 2012.

 

The shell world is devastated by the loss of Peter Clarkson.  February 15 he passed away in horror after a brutal attack by two great whites!  Clarkson was the co author of the for all of us famous book Australia’s Spectacular Cowries. He was a very renowned Zoila diver and instrumental in the knowledge in Australian cowries we have today.

I hope all of us will not take it for granted anymore to be able to buy nice Zoila just like that. They sometimes come with a price. A very high price! The life of a good man! Let us all take a minute to pray for the family, close friends and admirers he is leaving behind.

I have never had the pleasure and honor of meeting Peter Clarkson in person. I’d wish I had. But one of my close friends has known him very well and said it was a privilege to have known such an honest, straight forward and great person. “There are very few of his kind,” he told me.

Peter Clarkson died while doing what he loved the most: diving for shells and being in the ocean. Let us remember him every time we look at his wonderful book or at one of our Zoila!

Submitted by Willy Van Damme of Belgium, a leading seller of rare cypraea.

Additional information: The Australian press stated, “It has been reported that the diver was returning to the surface … when two sharks, believed to be great whites, have grabbed him.” The shark attack occurred, near Perforated Island, about 25km from Coffin Bay. Clarkson was a commercial abalone diver.