CORTEZ – The stone crab harvest season was celebrated under sunny skies at the two-day 11th Annual Cortez Stone Crab and Music Festival.
Held on Nov. 11-12 at the Swordfish Grill and Tiki Bar parking area, the festival typically draws more than 5,000 attendees with more than 2,000 pounds of stone crab consumed.
More than 2,000 pounds of stone crab claws are sold at the Cortez Stone Crab Festival each year. – Leslie Lake | SunThis youngster rode the shark at the Cortez Stone Crab and Music Festival. – Leslie Lake | Sun
Live music, local seafood, crafts and a kid’s zone were featured.
“The festival celebrates the heritage of Cortez and the kickoff to stone crab season,” said Adam Sears, general manager of Swordfish Grill.
This year’s theme was “Crack a Cold One” since stone crab claws are served cracked and cold.
The 11th Annual Cortez Stone Crab Festival theme was “Crack A Cold One.” – Leslie Lake | SunLance Plowman prepares coconuts for the Cortez Curse Rum Nuts drinks. – Leslie Lake | Sun
Stone crab season runs from Oct. 15 to May 1. Stone crabs are harvested for their claws and then returned to the water, where the claws will regenerate.
The festival was the brainchild of John Banyas, a fourth-generation fisherman from Cortez and owner of the Swordfish Grill, Cortez Kitchen, Cortez Bait and Seafood Inc., and N.E. Taylor Boatworks – named for Banyas’ grandfather.
Fresh stone crabs were the stars of the Cortez Stone Crab and Music Festival. – Joe Hendricks | SunJosh Calvert cracked and served the fresh stone crabs, as he’s done at every Cortez Stone Crab Festival since the festival began. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The Cortez Kitchen is closed for renovations and is expected to be open around the end of November, but during the festival, the space was used for festivalgoers to enjoy Rum Nuts coconut-filled rum drinks.
Cortez Kitchen is scheduled to reopen soon. The space was used at the Cortez Stone Crab Festival to serve Cortez Curse Rum Nuts rum coconut drinks. – Leslie Lake | SunJeff and Summer served “Rum Nuts” cocktails inside the renovated Cortez Kitchen. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Saturday’s music lineup on the festival main stage was Mikey Silbaugh of Concrete Edgar, Mushroom Soup, Uncle John’s Band and Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones. On the Swordfish Grill Tiki Deck, the Saturday music line-up was Ted Stevens, the Stockton Brothers and Tim Chandler.
RJ Howson played with Berry Oakley & Friends. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The festival’s main stage music lineup on Sunday was Ted Stevens and the Doo-Shots, Berry Oakley and Friends, Twinkle and Rock Soul Radio and Trever Bystrom’s RX featuring Zion Albert. On Sunday, playing at the Swordfish Grill Tiki Deck were Taylor Opie, the Billy Rice Trio and Steel Vibes.
Folks stood in line Sunday afternoon to get a serving of fresh stone crabs. – Joe Hendricks | SunA large tent provided attendees with a shaded area to eat, drink and listen to the live music. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The festival has a charitable component. All proceeds from draft beer sales will benefit the non-profit Blessing Bags Project. The Bradenton-based organization is dedicated to providing basic critical needs to the homeless and less fortunate. Blessing Bags volunteers manned the draft beer area.
“Big Storm Brewery is graciously donating the beer trailer,” Sears said.
Parking was available at the FISH (Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage) Preserve, adjacent to the festival and was manned by FISH volunteers. Parking proceeds benefited the non-profit FISH.
Shoppers perused the arts and crafts offerings at the Cortez Stone Crab Festival. – Leslie Lake | SunArtist Mike Parrott displays his paintings for sale at the Cortez Stone Crab Festival. – Leslie Lake | Sun
Festival sponsors were Anna Maria Banana Boat Rides, A. Shadow Designs, Big Storm Brewery, Blenker Boat Works and Marina, Cortez Bait and Seafood, Florida Fishing Fleet, Fun Boat Tours, Visit Gulf Islands of Manatee County, N.E. Taylor Boatworks, The Suncoast Post, Sande Caplin and Associates, Swordfish Grill, The Anchor Inn, Wieffenbach and Reinhart Law, Wine Bow, Ameris Bank, Anderson Dock and Seawall, Duncan Real Estate, Junk-it-away, Spectrum Reach and Taylor High Pressure Washing
BRADENTON – Former Swordfish Grill Manager Greg “Grego” Koeper passed away on Feb. 22, at the age of 67.
In the early 2000s, Koeper was the owner/operator of Grego’s Almost to the Beach Tavern on Palma Sola Boulevard and that’s where his infamous NASCRAB (National Association for Safe Crab Racing at Bars) hermit crab races began.
Koeper is survived by his wife, Kathy Houck; stepdaughter, Aspen Houck; daughter, Kristin; son, Clyde; granddaughter, Cecilia (C.C.); mother, Yvonne; sister, Jan; and brothers, Chris, John and Bill. Koeper’s life and legacy will be celebrated with “Greg’s Last Dance” at the Swordfish Grill in Cortez on Saturday, March 18 from 1-5 p.m.
Koeper retired from the Swordfish Grill when he was 65 and last May he was diagnosed with melanoma, which would eventually take his life.
Houck and Koeper married on Aug. 21, 2022. March 17 would have marked their 23rd anniversary as a couple.
“We met at the Seahorse, where Slicker’s Eatery is now. Our friends Dawn Marie and Gloria decided he and I needed to meet,” Houck said.
“He died too young. He was my best friend. He lived his life to the fullest. He was happy-go-lucky and always smiling. He was caring and giving. He was good at making people feel comfortable, wanted and loved. He never met someone that didn’t leave as a friend,” Houck said.
When asked what she’ll miss the most, Houck said, “His friendship, his companionship and his smile. The whole person.”
Koeper’s daughter and son live out of state but were able to visit before his passing.
“Clyde brought C.C., so we got to spend time with them. The whole family was here in the house with us and that was nice,” Houck said.
PITTSBURGH ROOTS
Koeper was born and raised in Pittsburgh. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard and then worked at Houlihan’s restaurant in Station Square, where he was named Pittsburgh’s #1 bartender in 1986. Koeper moved to Bradenton from New York, when his first wife was transferred to Manatee Memorial Hospital.
“He was an unbelievable human being. Everybody loved the guy,” his youngest brother, Chris Koeper, said. “We’ve lived here since 1990 and I’ve never heard one bad word about him. He was the best man I ever met. He was the most selfless human being on this planet. Before he died, he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, ‘I’m just glad this is me and not someone else I love.’”
WORKING MAN
During his time in the greater Bradenton area, Koeper explored many professions.
“He tried all kinds of different things. He used to work at an English pub on Cortez Road. Every Friday he’d dress up in a different costume and people came in to see what he was wearing,” Houck said.
Greg Koeper used to wear a different costume to work each Friday. – Kathy Houck | Submitted
At various times, Koeper worked as a maintenance man on Longboat Key and also tried his hand as a golf caddy. He also worked at Annie’s Bait & Tackle, Ace’s Lounge and the Palm Aire Country Club.
As for how the NASCRAB races began, Houck said, “He saw it at a bar in Illinois and thought it would be a good gimmick so he brought it to Grego’s Almost to the Beach Tavern. It was such a big hit. It was absolutely crazy how everybody reacted to it. It got to a point where we had to give out tickets to get a crab because people were sitting there all afternoon waiting to get one.”
Grego’s NASCRAB races became a popular attraction at the Swordfish Grill. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
After Koeper’s passing, many of his friends shared Facebook comments that referenced turn signals.
“When the tourists would come down, everyone would complain because they wouldn’t use their turn signals. Greg would end the crab races by saying peace, love and happiness. That catchphrase turned into peace, love and use your turn signals. He was trying to put that thought in their heads before they drove home,” Houck said.
The NASCRAB races later resumed at the Swordfish Grill.
Greg Koeper was the master of ceremonies for the Swordfish Grill’s NASCRAB races. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“He loved working with everybody at the Swordfish Grill. He and Bob Slicker put together such a great team that’s carrying on that legacy. They’re doing what they watched Greg and Bob do. Greg was so proud of the kids who started working there and are now grown up,” Houck said.
FATHER FIGURE
Kathy Houck’s daughter, Aspen Houck, was 19 when she met Koeper.
“He loved golf. We played golf every Saturday at Pinebrook and then everybody would go to Grego’s,” Kathy Houck said.
Aspen Houck, Greg Koeper and Kathy Houck shared many memorable moments together. – Aspen Houck | Submitted
Now 43, Aspen Houck said, “Growing up, my mom and I golfed with my real dad. My dad said women don’t use the drivers and the woods. He said women can only use irons. Then Greg comes along and asks why we didn’t use our woods and drivers. He forced us to start using our drivers and woods. It turns out my mom and I are really good golfers when we can use all the clubs in our bag.
“When I was young and moving from apartment to apartment, Greg and Mom would keep my clubs at their house and Greg would carry them to the golf course from me. That became an ongoing joke. I called him ‘Dad’ and I always said, ‘Hey Dad, thanks for carrying my s—’ (expletive). That’s what I said to him the night he passed: First, I said, ‘Thanks for always being my dad when you didn’t have to be’ and ‘Thanks for always carrying my s—,’ ” Aspen Houck said.
“One of his sayings was, ‘Fun is key.’ He taught me not to jump to conclusions and to always try to be a better person,” she added.
A TRUE FRIEND
Slicker owns and operates Slicker’s Eatery in Cortez. Before that, he was the general manager of the Swordfish Grill. He knew Koeper for 30 years.
“Greg and Kathy have been to every major event in my daughter Molly’s life – her wedding and every dance recital, baseball game and basketball game. She looks at them as Uncle Greg and Aunt Kathy,” Slicker said.
Greg “Grego” Koeper and Bob Slicker were friends for 30 years. – Submitted
“I cooked for Greg at Grego’s. I brought Greg to the Swordfish Grill in 2012 or 2013. He was the first person I hired. I hired him to do the crab races once a week and he ended up being a manager and working there full-time.
“Greg had a way of making people feel special. He was all-in on every conversation and every moment of life. He gave love and never passed judgment. Greg didn’t hold grudges and he realized the value of every day. He always said, ‘Kindness is key.’ He taught me to always be kind and he taught me by example. He also taught me how to get on stage with a microphone. He taught me that it’s okay to make fun of yourself, but it’s not okay to make fun of other people,” Slicker said.
Dressed as an elf, Greg Koeper assisted Santa during the Swordfish Grill Christmas parties that benefited underprivileged youngsters. – Submitted
Current Swordfish Grill General Manager Adam Sears worked with Koeper for many years.
“He was selfless. He was a very humble guy and he never wanted any recognition for what he did. He was always willing to help with the Blessing Bags Project charity events, the kids’ Christmas parties and the Nancy Franklin golf tournaments. He had a carefree attitude and he was always in a good mood. He used to say ‘groovy’ all the time and he was the grooviest dude I ever met,” Sears said.
CORTEZ – Swordfish Grill managers Tom Polch, Adam Sears and Bob Slicker delivered a U-Haul trailer filled with donated hurricane relief supplies to the Water’s Edge Gathering church in Lake Charles, Louisiana last Wednesday morning.
Donated by community members and business owners, the donated supplies were collected at the Swordfish Grill in Cortez and The Blessing Bags Project headquarters in Bradenton.
In Polch’s 2006 Ford 150 diesel pickup, the trio departed from the Swordfish Grill shortly after 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8 with a cooler full of energy drinks and water and more than enough snacks to make it to west Louisiana. A reporter from The Sun accompanied them on the 53-hour road trip that covered more than 1,700 miles and concluded in Cortez shortly after 9 p.m. on Thursday evening.
Tom Polch and Bob Slicker made their final preparations before departing for Lake Charles. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Polch and Sears shared the driving duties, and when not driving, Sears helped navigate using the Waze phone app that provides directions and real-time traffic information. Riding shotgun most of the time, Slicker – the Swordfish Grill’s general manager – served as mission leader, co-navigator and travelogue commentator.
At 7:19 p.m. Tuesday evening, Sears proclaimed, “This is going to be a very uneventful trip. We’re in and we’re out.”
At 1:50 a.m. Wednesday, Sears said, “I think today is our lucky day.”
Those predictions held true during the westward leg of the trip but would be tested during the return trip from Lake Charles.
After driving all night, the group stopped for breakfast just before daybreak Wednesday morning at a Waffle House in Lafayette. The goal was to pull into the uncertain conditions awaiting in Lake Charles after the sun came up.
Twenty-two miles outside of Lake Charles, the first visible signs of hurricane damage appeared along I-10 in the form of tattered and twisted billboards and small trees bent over or snapped off completely by Hurricane Laura’s devastating winds on Thursday, Aug. 27.
This billboard along I-10 was a sign of the hurricane damage to come. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
As Lake Charles drew closer, the damage got worse and included tipped over trailers, damaged or destroyed structures, larger fallen trees and toppled power lines.
Supplies delivered
Shortly after 8 a.m., Polch pulled the truck and trailer into the Water’s Edge Gathering church parking lot. The large metal building was still standing and mostly intact despite roof damage, water damage and the loss of electricity.
Tom Polch stretched his legs after arriving at the Water’s Edge Gathering church in Lake Charles. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Church volunteer Katy Rozas arrived a short time later, accompanied by her boyfriend and fellow volunteer Jonathan Wilson. The supplies were unloaded and carried into the darkened church auditorium now serving as a makeshift warehouse and staging area.
The Water’s Edge Gathering church in Lake Charles, La. is still standing but sustained roof and water damage. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The donated supplies from Cortez included coolers filled with cleaning supplies, personal hygiene products, lighter fluid, several bags of charcoal, tents, tarps, flashlights, gloves, a used chainsaw, a used hedge trimmer, stuffed animals, pillows, three large plastic barrels that could be used as rain barrels and more.
Slicker also delivered more than $1,500 in donated Walmart gift cards to be used at the nearby Walmart on I-10 that has power and remains operational.
These were some of the supplies that helped fill the church auditorium that served as a makeshift warehouse. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Wednesday’s delivery was preceded by a truckload of donated supplies collected by the Swordfish Grill and The Blessings Bags Project that were delivered to the church Sunday afternoon by Joe Cadmus. The bed of Cadmus’ flatbed truck was filled with charcoal grills, tents, tarps, cleaning supplies and more.
Water’s Edge received additional supplies from other donors in Florida, Texas, Wisconsin and beyond.
While giving a tour of the church, Rozas noted normal church activities include a homeless ministry and a food pantry.
“This is probably the only time this has been empty,” she said of the dark and damp food pantry that was still drying out.
Rozas and Wilson rode out the storm in Lake Charles.
“The sound was terrifying. We lost some shingles, some awning, an entire fence, some shutters, some gutters and my garage door, but we lived. I still have a sound structure. I have three rental properties. One of them had three trees on it. One had the neighbor’s roof on it and the third had a larger tree on it. My house and my structures are OK and we’re working to make sure our tenants have a safe place to come home to when we get power back. We’re still in a mandatory evacuation, so people are not supposed to be here. They’re asked to come secure their stuff and leave, but we’re a bunch of Cajuns,” Rozas said.
“We had power tools and the first thing we did was cut our way out. We walked the block and saw total losses. It’s just mass devastation,” she said.
Katy Rozas knows she belongs at the Water’s Edge Gathering church. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Rozas said the Water’s Edge buildings fared better than some of the other churches in the area, including some that were severely damaged or destroyed.
“We are blessed,” she said. “Our community relies on us. When people ask where they can get tarps, they’re told to come to Water’s Edge. The people trust us to have some answers – and if not, some hugs. We can use everything you gave us and pour it into our community.”
The secondary building still under construction behind the main church building has a large hole in its roof. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Church volunteer Jennifer Hawkes looked at the donated supplies and said, “This is just amazing. We’ve got a lot from Florida and I have another shipment coming. I had a group of guys from Wisconsin drive down yesterday in their pickup. We’re getting donations from all over. We’re disbursing it to our community and we’re sending it out to the communities and small towns that aren’t getting the media attention Lake Charles is getting.”
“We still don’t have power at my home. I live maybe 15 to 20 miles from here and I’m still running off a generator. I have water, but no power. We’re under a curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. It’s dark at night and there’s been some looting, but the patrol officers have been great. Our mayor is awesome and he’s out in the community daily. Our community has pulled together, but it’s going to take months,” Hawkes said.
Swordfish Grill General Manager Bob Slicker shows Water’s Edge volunteer Jennifer Hawkes the supplies delivered from Cortez. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
As 10 a.m. approached, the heat and humidity of the looming day could already be felt. Wilson said local officials estimate it will be at least another two or three weeks before power is restored in some areas.
Post-delivery sentiments
Water’s Edge volunteers Luke Cooper and Brittany Straub arrived and gave Slicker and The Sun a tour of the surrounding damage while Polch and Sears briefly napped in the truck.
At about 11 a.m., the Cortez contingency pulled out of the church parking lot and headed toward D’Iberville, Mississippi to spend the night at the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort using previously accumulated credit card points.
Polch, Sears and Slicker were asked how they felt about their completed delivery.
“You feel OK, but you don’t feel jubilated. You wish you could do more. They seemed like great people,” Polch said.
“I hope what we’re doing gives those people hope to carry on the good work they’re doing to help others,” Sears said.
“We didn’t bring them a trailer full of stuff, we brought them hope – at least for one day. It’s a bit bittersweet. I feel blessed and grateful to be able to do it, but then in the same breath I feel like I’m letting them down by not staying and helping more,” Slicker said.
These coolers from Cortez were distributed to Lake Charles residents on Friday. – Brittany Straub | Submitted
In 2018, the Swordfish Grill collected and delivered relief supplies for Hurricane Michael victims in Port St. Joe in the Florida panhandle. In 2017, the Swordfish Grill collected and delivered relief supplies to Hurricane Harvey victims in Texas.
“When we’re gathering supplies the first thing I think about is, ‘How can we help’? The second thing is to figure out how to get it there,” Slicker said. “I tell people that being a small part of something like this becomes part of a much bigger thing – and when you see a trailer load of supplies delivered you see that it does make a difference. It’s already getting hot and those people are going to be out there all day with nowhere to cool off, and nowhere to cool off tonight. We get to go to air-conditioned hotel rooms and eat a hot meal.”
Road trip tribulations
West of Baton Rouge, Polch’s truck developed a tire vibration that became a source of growing concern and was initially thought to be caused by towing an empty trailer. The group decided to stop for lunch and reassess the situation at Parrain’s seafood restaurant in downtown Baton Rouge.
During lunch, Sears called the U-Haul office in Bradenton and inquired about dropping the trailer off in Baton Rouge instead of returning it to Bradenton. After several more phone calls, a local drop-off was arranged, but the uncured tire vibration remained.
Before departing Baton Rouge, more phone calls were made in search of a tire store that could remedy the issue. At approximately 3 p.m., a Plantation Tire Pros representative said they could look at the truck and try to make the needed repairs, but they closed at 5 p.m. sharp.
The prognosis was that the inner structure of one of front tires broke and was coming apart internally. The recommended cure was two new front tires. The employee dispatched to retrieve the new tires was initially given the wrong-sized tires and had to make a second trip to the local supplier. At approximately 6 p.m., Polch’s truck was back on the highway and riding smoothly again.
Tom Polch’s truck received two new tires at Plantation Tire Pros in Baton Rouge. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The group arrived at the Scarlet Pearl shortly after 8 p.m. Showers were quickly taken and Tampa Bay Lightning attire was donned before the group headed down to the casino to watch the playoff game won by the Lightning on a last-second goal. After a late and delicious dinner at Scarlet’s Steak and Seafood, the weary travelers called it a night.
Thursday’s trip home was uneventful and highlighted by an early dinner at the taxidermy-filled Big Wood BBQ and Grill in Live Oak, Florida.
Supplies disbursed
On Friday, all the supplies donated to the Water’s Edge church were disbursed to those in need.
At 12:27 p.m., Straub sent a text message that said, “We took on way more damage in the church than we originally thought and we’re having to empty the entire church as people are getting their things.”
Lake Charles residents lined up Friday afternoon to receive donated relief supplies. Brittany Straub | Submitted
At 3:07 p.m. Straub sent another text that said, “Forty-seven minutes after we opened it was all gone. That was incredible.”
The hurricane relief supplies donated from around the country were distributed in 47 minutes Friday afternoon. – Brittany Straub | Submitted
Straub said the folks in Lake Charles were keeping an eye on Tropical Depression 19 – which on Saturday was upgraded to Tropical Storm Sally as it headed toward Louisiana and Mississippi with the possibility of developing into a hurricane.
CORTEZ – The Blessing Bags Project, the Swordfish Grill and the Cortez and Bradenton communities have teamed up to assist with the hurricane recovery efforts taking place in Lake Charles, La.
Hurricane Laura made landfall in Louisiana on Aug. 27 and did significant damage to many Lake Charles homes and businesses. Residents are also dealing with the loss of electricity and water as well as supply shortages.
The supplies gathered by The Blessing Bags Project and the Swordfish Grill will be delivered Wednesday morning to the Waters Edge Gathering church in Lake Charles.
On Tuesday afternoon, Swordfish General Manager Bob Slicker and Managers Adam Sears and Tom Polch are leaving for Lake Charles towing a 6 x 12 trailer filled with donated supplies. The bed of Polch’s diesel pickup truck will also be filled with donated supplies.
The donated supplies include charcoal grills, charcoal, coolers, tents, hammers, tarps, flashlights, work gloves, toilet paper and paper towels, personal hygiene products, cleaning supplies and more.
Community members began dropping off donated supplies at the Swordfish Grill on Wednesday and those efforts concluded Saturday, with a few more supplies donated on Sunday.
“A bunch of people helped and the whole community stepped up with supplies,” Slicker said Sunday evening.
The Blessing Bags Project conducted an ongoing online fundraiser that has thus far raised approximately $1,700. Blessing Bags Project President Betsy Plante said that money was used to purchase grills, coolers, flashlights, personal hygiene products and other supplies that were later delivered to the Swordfish Grill.
Plante received $1,500 in additional cash donations from local churches and individuals. That money was used to purchase $50 Walmart gift cards to be delivered by Slicker, Sears and Polch.
The Blessing Bags Project also filled 250 backpacks with personal hygiene products and also boxed up school supplies to be delivered by the Swordfish Grill trio.
According to Slicker, Cortez Bait & Seafood Market Manager James “Wyre” Lee secured a pallet full of supplies donated by John Hargreaves, president of the Maintenance Too Paper Company in Bradenton that supplies paper products to the fish market.
Some of the weatherproof and waterproof supplies received from Hargreaves and others were then reorganized and placed on pallets that were loaded onto local resident Joe Cadmus’ flatbed truck. According to Plante, Cadmus delivered those supplies to the Waters Edge Gathering church at 2:45 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
“That was a Godsend for us, because we were able to put the heavier stuff on Joe’s truck. When he called, his was perfect because we were just trying to figure out what we were going to do about a bigger truck,” Slicker said.
These were among the first relief supplies delivered from Cortez to Lake Charles on Sunday. – Betsy Plante | Submitted
Slicker said he spoke with Cadmus Sunday evening.
“He said they don’t expect power for three weeks and most all the streets are closed with downed power lines. There’s no phone service. He said a block from the church it’s just foundations of houses and buildings. He said the people there feel left out because no one is talking about them. The average income for the people that live there is about $22,000 and they need help,” Slicker said.
Mr. Hannon, a Lake Charles resident and military veteran, sustained significant hurricane damage to his home. – Josh Quayhagen | Submitted
“If people go to The Blessing Bags Project website and give money we will continue to send gift cards to the church. There’s a Walmart close to town that’s still open. People are living in tents and the gift cards will help a lot,” Slicker said.
When asked why they’re doing this, Plante said, “This all started because a woman I know on Facebook, Kelli Stawecki, lives in Lake Charles and has a homeless ministry there – and now she’s homeless too because of the hurricane. The people there need help. They have no water, no electricity and they’re homeless.”
