(This story was published in the Port Aransas South Jetty Newspaper on May 16.)
By Jim Dubois
Reporter
Marcel AlthauserPort Aransas is well known for being a town that attracts tourists from all over the country. They mingle and enjoy the town for a few weeks—or in some cases—a few months.
And sometimes, tourists love it so much they decide to stay here forever. But it is not only Americans that catch Port Aransas fever.
Indeed, many Europeans and other immigrants have taken up residency in Port Aransas, and no matter the reason, they don’t hesitate to call Port Aransas home now.
Yves Coeckelenberg was born in Brussels, Belgium. He said it was the opportunities offered that brought him here.
“Life is made up of opportunities, and I travelled a lot because of them,” he explained.
The first time he set foot in Port Aransas was in 1969.
“I was an anchor for a Belgium television station,” Coeckelenberg said. “I was here to cover the moon landing. I spent a few days in Port Aransas before leaving for Houston.”
However, the town did not work its magic on Coeckelenberg until years later.
“When I first came here, I liked it, but I didn’t think of moving here.”
Coeckelenberg met the woman who would eventually become his wife in ’69, and they kept in touch despite the distance. They finally got married in 1973 when Coeckelenberg came back to the United States. (Patt is the Brundrett Middle School librarian. They have four children together).
When asked what brought Coecklenberg back to the United States he said: “I got the opportunity to do an interesting Ph.D.”
In 1976, Coeckelenberg graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He and Patt then moved to San Francisco, where Coecklenberg took up his work as a research scientist for NASA until ‘78.
Coeckelenberg finally returned to Port Aransas in 2000.
“We bought a condo here, and we would come from time to time,” Coeckelenberg said. “At the time, though, we were living in Austin and I was travelling to Europe to work for the Council Parliament of Europe in Strasbourg, France.“
Despite visiting for a mere few weeks at a time, Coeckelenberg found a way to contribute his time and talents to the community.
“I became a volunteer firefighter in 2001,” he said. “It was a way to discover the place and meet people.”
In 2003, the Coeckelenbergs moved to Port Aransas permanently. Yves is now a chemistry professor at Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
Coeckelenberg became an American citizen in 2010, and he said he sees himself as a local.
“Port Aransas is my home,” he said. “It’s a place where I feel good. I enjoy taking my sailboat out and riding my bike all around the city. I have been to many places with beaches and this one is the best. This place is the only reason why we stay in the U.S.”
Yves isn’t the only person who came to America and found love.
Sarah Durand was born in Paris, France. The 30-year-old works for the University of Texas Marine Science Institute as a fiscal office manager. She has lived in Port Aransas since October 2012.
“This town is great,” she said. “It’s a friendly, small community, and you feel that people love to live here.”
Durand began her path to Port Aransas when she started an internship for Texas Instruments several years ago.
“At the time, my entire family was living in Austin, and my dad was working for the company,” she explained. “I was studying in France, and he got me an internship there. When I arrived, I had trouble with my computer, so I went to the IT department and that’s where I met Ken, my fiancé.” (Ken Jones is captain at Kenjofly Charters in Port Aransas.)
A year later, Durand graduated with a bachelors degree in Business Administration, and she decided to move to the U.S. to be with her fiancé.
The couple moved to New York in 2006, where they stayed for five years.
Durand ended up in Port Aransas when she and her fiancé decided they needed a change.
“We wanted a place that was warmer than New York, and we already knew Texas because we met in Austin, and my fiancé lived here for most of his life.”
They looked at Corpus Christi and North Padre Island but didn’t really like either of them, according to Durand.
“Finally, we saw Port Aransas and that was it,” she said. “We are over 30 now, and we are thinking about having a family. I believe this town is a great place to raise kids. The community, the schools, and the people are all great.”
The couple bought land shortly after they moved to Port Aransas.
“We plan on staying here for a while.”
Durand became an American citizen in 2008.
Sarah needn’t feel lonely for French company in this small Texas town, however, because she isn’t alone. Marie Smallwood, 23, also born in Paris, discovered Port Aransas during the summer of 2010.
“I came here through a European program that gave me the opportunity to work and have some holidays at the same time,” Smallwood explained. “I worked for one of the tourist shops in town.”
That could have been it for Marie’s time in Port Aransas, but love decided to work its magic, as it always does.
“I fell in love with someone while I was working here,” she said. “Love brought me back.”
Tim Smallwood, a ship captain who was raised in Port Aransas, was the man who brought her back to Port Aransas. The couple got married in 2011 and now live in Port Aransas.
“I love this town,” Smallwood said. “I love the outdoors and the nautical activities; this place is so relaxing. It’s a great place to live.”
Both Sarah and Marie confess that they do miss things about their home country— particularly the wines and cheeses that France is so known for.
But true European cuisine is not lacking in Port Aransas.
Marcel Althauser is well known in Port Aransas, although he was born in Lahr, Germany. Owner and chef of
Marcel’s Restaurant, Althauser arrived in Port Aransas in June 1990 with only one idea in mind.
“I came here to open a restaurant,” Althauser said. “Now, I feel like this is home.”
Althauser said he liked that Port Aransas is not as crowded and hectic as Germany.
“This is a small town, very charming and laid back,” he explained. “I love that the beach is right in front of my doorstep and also that there is a bigger city, Corpus Christi, close by.”
However, Althauser misses a few things from his native Germany.
“I miss welcoming spring with all the fruit trees blooming, hunting for those small, wild strawberries in the forest and hiking under a canopy of pine, oak and elm trees.”
Asked if he thinks about staying here forever, Althauser explained that he has not really considered his future yet.
Althauser is not the only European cook in town. Coming straight from Latisana, Italia, Linda Halioua gives Port Aransans the opportunity to discover the Italian culture through her food. Owner and general manager of Venetian Hot Plate, Halioua was born to work in the business.
“My parents had restaurants, bars and also a fruit and wine retail store,” she explained.
Just l ike Althauser, Halioua came to Port Aransas to open a restaurant.
“I moved here in 1995 with my late husband Maurizio,” she said. “We were living in Philadelphia but I wanted to be in a place with better weather.”
However, her first impression of the place was the one of a gypsy camp.
“Forgive me, but some areas had run down proprieties, outdoor refrigerators, abandoned cars and so on. It reminded me of those camps outside of big Italian cities.”
That first impression quickly faded away.
“Within a couple of days, I understood the beauty of this place, the funkiness, the magic of a small town community with a philosophy of live and let live,” Halioua said.
Like others, Halioua fell in love with the town.
“I love the beauty of totally different people from different walks of life united by the love for nature and the privilege to be part of a unique island by geography and history,” Halioua said. “This place is a jewel.”
Halioua said that she is proud to have chosen a place like Port Aransas.
“This is a place where I can belong and let’s admit it, one has to be a bit ‘out there’ to fully immerse here,” she said with a smile.
Halioua did not know if she would spend the rest of her life here but she said she would try.
“After 18 years, I do consider myself very much integrated,” she explained. “However, my accent still reminds me that I am an immigrant.”
From her native country, Halioua said she misses the aperitif at bars with friends before lunch and dinner, strolling the old squares while enjoying an ice cream and bumping into friends.
No matter what brought them to Port Aransas, they all agree that the town is a friendly community where everyone is accepted and integrated.
“But it sure helps if you fish,” Durand added.
HannumPort Aransas Independent School District Board of Trustees hired Michael Hannum to replace H.G Olsen Elementary School Principal Patricia Nelson, who will retire at the end of the year, during its regular meeting on Wednesday, March 20.
Michael Hannum, who poses here in the Brundrett Middle School library on Friday, March 22, will be the new Brundrett Middle School principal for the next school year. Port Aransas Independent School District Board of Trustees hired Hannum under PAISD superintendent Dr. Sharon Doughty’s recommendation during its regular meeting on Wednesday, March 20. Staf photo by Jim DuboisDoughty recommended Hannum to the board after a committee composed of all PAISD principals and four teachers interviewed four different applicants and gave their opinions.
