Best of Calhoun County

Winners Showcase

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Dowell Pest Control builds statewide business from Port Lavaca

BY CJ VETTER

“My father started doing pest control in Columbus, Texas, and we’ve been a small town pest control company ever since. He started off as Columbus Pest Control, while my grandfather lived here in Port Lavaca. I grew up in Columbus, but I also grew up coming to Port Lavaca to visit my cousins and my grandfather,” Dowell said. “My grandfather passed in 2005, and my dad continued to run the business. In 2015, I retired from the Navy and came back here with my brother to open an LLC. We chose to use the name Dowell, because we were expanding, so we changed the name.”

Despite its small-town charm, Dowell Pest Control has expanded rapidly across the state of Texas, expanding its market reach in the Dallas-Fort Worth area,

as well as down through Rockport and into Corpus Christi. Dowell also does business with the U.S. Military and the Texas Department of Transportation by helping remove pests from facilities. Dowell even has a contract with the University of Texas at San Antonio for a permanent presence.

“Port Lavaca is our hometown and will always be our hometown. I tell people if they’ve ever played the game of Risk, you can win the game by holding Australia. In our approach, Port Lavaca is our Australia. It’s our hometown and we treat it as such,” Dowell said. “Most of our larger work is government contracts, but our home is in Port Lavaca, and we do residential work all the way down to Corpus Christi.”

While not particularly fond of bugs, Dowell said that his passion for growing his business and building coincided well

with his family’s tradition of pest control. But even as his business increases in size and capacity, his number one focus is still on providing his customers with the highest level of service and personalized care.

“Pest control is what my family has done, and you do what you know. I love the challenge of business more than I love pest control. But I tell all our service technicians that we are 80% service oriented and 20% technique orientated. Pest control is not hard. Good service is,” Dowell said. “I think that differentiates us from the larger pest control companies. They like to turn it into a science, and there is a science to it that we know and understand. But we focus on the service side of it. We never want to lose the ability to provide the individualized service that my grandfather and father offered before me.”

BEST BAKERY

Sweet T’s By Tiara

Mad Batter Cheesecakes

La Estrella

BEST BAR

Drifters Hall

Scully’s Sports Bar & Grill

Omar’s Bar

BEST BARTENDER

Chandia – Drifters Hall

Danyiel Lower – VFW Canteen

Jaimey Morales – Sharkies Bar & Grill

BEST BARBECUE

Pit Devil BBQ & Catering

White’s Bar-B-Cue

BEST BREAKFAST

Lighthouse Café

El Patio Restaurant

Mexico Tipico

BEST BREAKFAST TACO

Mexico Tipico

El Patio Restaurant

La Loncheria Morenita

BEST BUFFET

Lighthouse Café

Bubba’s Cajun Style Seafood

Josie’s Mexican Food & Cantina

BEST BURGERS

Wagon Train Drive Inn

Cathy’s Food Trailer

Lighthouse Café

BEST CATERING

Pit Devil BBQ & Catering

Cathy’s Food Trailer

White’s Bar-B-Cue

BEST CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

Cathy’s Food Trailer

Wagon Train Drive Inn

Louie’s Six Mile

BEST COFFEE

The Sanity Mug

Anchored In Love

Wagon Train Drive Inn

COLDEST BEER

Drifters Hall

Scully’s Sports Bar & Grill

Indianola Fishing Marina

BEST CRAWFISH

Bubba’s Cajun Style Seafood

303 Pub & Grub

Little Dockside

BEST DESSERT

Sweet T’s By Tiara

Mad Batter Cheesecakes

Bella Moo’s Sweet Shop

BEST DONUTS

Donut Palace

H-E-B Grocery

Four Seasons

BEST FAJITAS

La Antigua Mexican Restaurant

La Terraza

TIE: El Patio Restaurant

TIE: Josie’s Mexican Food & Cantina

BEST FAMILY DINING

Bubba’s Cajun Style Seafood

TIE: La Antigua Mexican Restaurant

TIE: Louie’s Six Mile

BEST FOOD TRUCK

Cathy’s Food Trailer

TIE: Little Dockside

TIE: Los Charritos Express #2

BEST FRIED CHICKEN

Bush’s Chicken

Monterrey Café

Bubba’s Cajun Style Seafood

BEST FROZEN DRINK

La Antigua Mexican Restaurant

Rusty Hook Winery

Casa Jalisco

BEST GUMBO

Cathy’s Food Trailer

Bubba’s Cajun Style Seafood

Bayside Seafood

BEST ICE CREAM/YOGURT

Dairy Queen – Austin Street

Dairy Queen – Virginia Street

La Salud Tasty Treats

BEST ICED TEA

Bush’s Chicken

Sonic Drive-In

Buc-ee’s

BEST MARGARITA

La Antigua Mexican Restaurant

Casa Jalisco

La Terreza

BEST MEAL UNDER $10

Bush’s Chicken

El Patio Restaurant

Green Iguana Grill

BEST MENUDO

El Patio Restaurant

La Antigua Mexican Restaurant

La Terraza

Taiyo Sushi Fusion

Bayside Seafood

Magic Asian Cuisine

BEST OVERALL SERVICE

Cathy’s Food Trailer

Bubba’s Cajun Style Seafood

Drifters Hall

BEST OYSTERS

Bubba’s Cajun Style Seafood

Big Bear Shrimp & Seafood

Bayside Seafood

BEST PIZZA

Domino’s Pizza

Marty’s Landing & Mama’s Kitchen Pizza

BEST RESTAURANT SERVICE

Bubba’s Cajun Style Seafood

TIE: El Patio Restaurant

TIE: Green Iguana Grill

BEST SALSA/CHIPS

El Patio Restaurant

La Antigua Mexican Restaurant

La Terraza

BEST SANDWICHES/SUBS

Green Iguana Grill

Subway

Cathy’s Food Trailer

BEST SEAFOOD

Cathy’s Food Trailer

Bubba’s Cajun Style Seafood

Bayside Seafood

BEST SNOW CONE

Snow Cone Zone

Sylvia’s Snow Cones

K’s Snocones

BEST STEAK

Drifters Hall

Louie’s Six mile

5D Steakhouse

BEST TAMALES

Mexico Tipico

Josie’s Mexican Food & Cantina

La Terraza

BEST TORTILLAS

El Patio Restaurant

H-E-B Grocery

La Antigua Mexican Restaurant

BEST WAITER

Fernando at Green Iguana Grill

CJ Morales at La Terreza

Jimmy at La Antigua Mexican Restaurant

BEST WAITRESS

Christina at Lighthouse Café

Hopey at El Patio Restaurant

TIE: Amber at Lighthouse Café

TIE: Gloria at El Patio Restaurant

BEST WINE SELECTION

Rusty Hook Winery

Lavaca Bluff’s Winery

Scully’s Sports Bar & Grill

BEST WINGS

Scully’s Sports Bar & Grill 303 Pub & Grub Drifters Hall

Lighting up lives, one smile at a time

types of treatment. I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands, serving others and pursuing creativeness. Dentistry is a profession that allows me to incorporate all these things,” said O’Donnell. “I’ve known I wanted to pursue dentistry for as long as I can remember and am thankful the dream became a reality for me.”

community members while he was in dental school and shared their excitement in his plans to return to Port Lavaca.

BY SHERRY FICKLEN

Dr. Bryce O’Donnell has a smile that lights up a room and he wants everyone else to have one, too.

A 2015 Calhoun High School graduate, O’Donnell will take care of all your general dental needs at Port Lavaca Dentistry, located at 1606 N. Virginia St. in Port Lavaca.

“I like the versatility of being able to do various

O’Donnell, who has been practicing for one year, said his wife is also from the area and the couple always knew they wanted to move back to Port Lavaca to be close to family.

“When I was deciding where to practice, I knew I wanted to serve the community that has supported me my entire life, he said. “The community has been a tremendous support to me coming home.”

O’Donnell said he was often approached by

“Since our return, we’ve been welcomed with open arms by family, friends and patients,” he said. “We could not have asked for a better homecoming and are so thankful to have a community that is supporting us professionally and personally.”

O’Donnell credits his family for being a tremendous support in his efforts to become a dentist.

“My parents, Stacy and Tiffany O’Donnell, have allowed me to pursue any passion I’ve had in life. My sisters, Elle and Emme, have always encouraged me and pushed me to become a better version of myself and are both pursuing careers in the medical field,” he added.

O’Donnell said he feels blessed to have most of his family live in Port Lavaca. His grandparents, aunts and uncles came to support him at every event throughout his life, including driving to Houston for his dental school graduation.

O’Donnell and his wife Reagan began dating in high school.

“For the past decade, she has helped mold me into the man and dentist I am today. With the support of my wife, my family and God, I now have the opportunity to serve this community,” he said.

O’Donnell wants to encourage others to believe in theirselves and to follow their dreams.

“Work hard and believe in yourself. Dentistry, and healthcare in general, are not easy or quick fields to pursue. They take time,

diligence and patience,” said O’Donnell. “To anyone pursuing dentistry, I’d recommend getting shadowing hours as early as possible to begin learning as much as you can. I am thankful to the dentists who allowed me to shadow in high school and college to learn more about dentistry and how to run a successful practice.”

O’Donnell is a Texas State University class of 2018 graduate. He went on to attend the University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston, where he was a member of the class of 2022. He is a general dentist and practices on patients of all ages. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, cooking and leatherwork.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 361403-0147.

Dr. Bryce O’Donnell

BEST INVESTMENT BROKER

Edward Jones – Ashley French

Edward Jones – Robbie Williams

BEST LAW FIRM

Roberts Odefey Witte & Wall, LLP, Attorney at Law

Law Office of Jane Lane, PC

Jerry Clark Law Office

BEST LAWN CARE

Marvelous Gardens

TIE: Gardenland Nursery & Floral Design

TIE: McGee’s Lawn Care

BEST LOAN OFFICER

Majlin Bordovsky with Cal-Com

Federal Credit Union

Dawn Ragusin with First National Bank

Megan Longoria with TDECU

BEST LOCAL GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Lester Contracting Inc.

Gonzales Contracting Inc.

RLB Contracting Inc.

BEST MASSAGE THERAPY

Ines Olachia

Sarah Henderson

Beijing Medicine Health Foot Massage

BEST NAIL SALON

Solar Nails Salon

Sarah’s Nails

My Nails by Heike

BEST PROFESSIONAL TRAINER

Ron Reger with Midcoast Fitness & Self Defense

Holly Edwards with Anytime Fitness

Robert Montero with Evolution Tactical Combatives

BEST PET BOARDING

Sit & Stay Sleepovers Pet Sitting with Jennifer Soefje

Happy Paws Zayda Falcon

Calhoun County Animal HospitaL

l

BEST PET GROOMING

TIE: Fluffy Mutt Grooming & Spa

TIE: Missy’s Pet Grooming & Boarding

HM: Axle’s Barking Barbershop

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER

Coastal Creations – Lea Ann’s photography

Your Memories by Jennifer, Jennifer Carlock

Lansyd Photography & Photobooth

BEST PROPANE COMPANY

Tejas Propane

Talbott Propane Enterprise

Airgas Store

BEST ROD & REEL REPAIR

POC Rod & Gun

Jeco’s Marine & Tackle

Ibrom, RN, MSN, FNP-C with Port Lavaca Clinic

Traci Shefcik, FNP-C with Memorial Medical Clinic

BEST NURSE

Bianca Zambrano, LVN with Calhoun Home Health

Karen Williams, LVN with Calhoun Home Health

Emilie Ramirez, LVN with Port Lavaca Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

BEST PHARMACY

Walmart Pharmacy Walgreens

H-E-B Pharmacy

BEST PHYSICAL THERAPY/REHAB

Port Lavaca Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

Memorial Medical Center Rehabilitation

Calhoun Home Health LLC

BEST PHYSICIAN

Dr. Joseph Jenkins with Memorial Medical Clinic

Dr. Leigh Ann Falcon with Port Lavaca Clinic Associates

Dr. Timu Kwi, Port Lavaca Clinic Associates

BEST URGENT CARE

Memorial Medical Center

Twin Fountains Medical Center – Urgent Care

Home Services 2023 Results

BEST CARPET

Joe Leal

BEST CONTRACTOR

Lester Contracting Inc.

D Vasquez Construction in Port O’Connor

BEST DAY CARE

Gingerbread School

BEST ELECTRICAL

BEST FENCING

BEST FLOORING

Grace

BEST GLASS COMPANY

BEST HOMEBUILDER

Roland Cantu Custom Homes

BEST HOUSE CLEANING

Audie Vasquez & Tristan Upchurch Pink Flamingo – Michelle Cruz

BEST PEST CONTROL

BEST HEATING & AIR

BEST PLUMBING

Young

Frankie’s Paint & Body brings cars back to life

BY DD TURNER

They come in tattered down to the bones but they drive away from Frankie’s Paint & Body Shop resplendent, as if they were just on the showroom floor.

Franklin Machicek opened Frankie’s Paint & Body Shop in Point Comfort in 1980.

In 2002, he opened Port Lavaca Collision, which is run by his son Clint Machicek, accomplishing his goal of opening a shop in the city.

“Clint learned everything from me,” he said with a smile.

In the Best in Calhoun County voting, Port Lavaca Collision was runner up in Best Paint & Body Shop and Frankie’s was an honorable mention. Frankie’s was also an honorable mention in Best Service and Repair.

“I think it’s amazing that they did that (voted for him). I can’t actually put it in words but I know we try to do a good job on basically everything we do. We

don’t want to knock anybody because everybody is trying to do the best they can,” said Machicek.

The time of the shadetree mechanic is drawing to a close as electronics have taken over cars.

“Electronics are always changing,” Machicek said. “Every year something new is coming out. It’s all electrical now and all that stuff makes it harder to work. We have an issue and we’ve fixed it but the computer needs to be reset and we have to take it back to the dealer to do that. It just makes things a little more complicated.”

Supply chain issues following the COVID-19 pandemic have gotten better, according to Machicek.

“We did have problems a year and a half ago but now, we pretty well get what we need,” he said.

It generally takes seven to eight days on the average job, depending on the extent of the damage, explained Machicek.

“I like the collision repair – getting it

Dana and Franklin Machicek stand in front of the sign for Frankie’s Paint & Body Shop in Point Comfort. Dana Machicek said Franklin made the sign himself for the shop.

back to what it was,” he said.

The shop has four employees including Machicek and his wife of 25 years, Dana Machicek, who helps out in the office.

“When we started dating they tried to teach me how to paint and they told me, ‘you just don’t have the knack for it.’ So, I’m the secretary. That was just too hard for me,” she said.

RESTORING CARS

Machicek enjoys cars and bringing the old ones back to life. The field of auto restoration is changing and he said it is harder to find people who want to spend the time it takes to restore a car.

“It takes a heck of a lot longer and most guys don’t like to do it and you have to like to do it,” he said.

The restoration part of the business has tapered off to about one a year, he said. But he has won several car shows with his restorations, especially with a 1950 pickup resplendent in silver.

“We had the truck, a 1950, that we restored from the ground up. It was a really good truck,” he said.

“We took it to our first car show and won,” said Dana Machicek. “Then we won at the Kolache Fest too.”

The truck was “probably the best of all. Everything was done to detail from the rubber to the nuts and bolts. It was pretty well like it was originally,” he said.

The oldest car he has restored was a

1929 Ford Model A. He also has a 1931 yellow Chevy two-door sedan and a 1957 two-door hardtop.

For Frankie Machicek, the quality of the finish is the best part of working on

a car.

“Once you’ve finished and see what it has turned into from what it looked like, it makes you feel, ‘looky here it’s back to where it was originally,” he said.

Franklin Machicek still has the 1931 yellow Chevy two-door sedan he restored.