The West News (West, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 8, 2001 Page: 1 of 14
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V
The oldest business in West - established in 1889
Volume 111, No. 45 - Two Sections
Thursday, November 8,2001
West, Texas
News Digest
Barbecue to benefit scholarship fund
A fund-raiser, which features the sale of barbecue briskets, is
currently being planned for this Friday. Proceeds from this
event are to go for the Preston Macik Scholarship Fund.
Preston is the 4-year-old son of Mandy Macik, who died Oct. 19.
The briskets are priced at $25 each and orders are currently
being taken until 5 p.m. Wednesday. Anyone interested in
ordering a brisket is asked to contact the West Parkway
Learning Center at 826-3773. The briskets may be picked up
beginning at noon Nov. 9 at the learning center.
Trade Days this weekend
The Old West Trade Days are scheduled for this Saturday and
Sunday at the Lorch Building in West. Three booth spaces are
still available at the cost of $15 per booth. Anyone interested in
a booth is asked to call the West Chamber of Commerce at 826-
3188. Several new vendors are to be at this month's Trade Days
and a variety of items are to be for sale.
Craft, bake sale in Gholson
A craft and bake sale is planned for 9 a.m. this Saturday in the
Gholson Baptist Church Activities Building. Proceeds from the
sale will help send children to camp next summer. Scissors and
knives are to be sharpened for a donation.
West Scouts hosting food drive
West Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are planning a canned food
drive beginning at 2 p.m. this Sunday. The drive is to collect
canned and non-perishable foods for McLennan County food
banks. The Scouts are to be going door-to-door to collect food
and will have a drop-off location at the back parking lot of St.
Mary's Church of the Assumption.
West Rodeo group plans work day
West Fair and Rodeo Association members are asked to partici-
pate in a work day beginning at 8 a.m. this Saturday. Those
planning to come are asked to bring their lawnmowers and
edgers.
Rehearsals for Christmas program
Jack Felts announced this week the rehearsal schedule for the
West Community Chorus in preparation for the annual West
Chamber of Commerce's "Christmas in West" program. The
West Middle School cafeteria is the site for the rehearsals
which are planned for 7 p.m. Nov. 12,19 and 26. The musical,
which is planned for Dec. 7 in the West High School auditorium,
is entitled "Bless That Wonderful Name." Performing groups
are to emphasize all the variety of Christmas carols along with
a narrative drama depicting their meaning as the choir sings
special arrangements of traditional carols. Anyone interested
in joining the community choir or for further information,
contact Jack Felts at 826-3155.
Scouts to plan flag retirement ceremony
West Boy Scout Troop 494 is conducting a U.S. Flag retirement
ceremony at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 on the West City Hall lawn.
Residents with flags, which are ready to be retired, are welcome
to bring them that evening. For further information, call Ron
Sykora at 826-5976 or 826-5314.
Fund-raiser planned for Brian Owen
A fund-raiser is scheduled for Brian Owen on Nov. 25 at Lone
Star Hall in West. Brian was in an Aug. 28 automobile accident
and was in intensive care for eight days. This fund-raiser is to
help defray medical expenses. It will include a barbecue brisket
and sausage dinner from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. priced at $6 for adults
and plates-to-go and $3 for children. An auction is planned for
1 p.m. followed by a raffle. There will be music provided by the
Wayward Sons. Anyone interested in donating items for the
fund-raiser are asked to contact Mike and Annette Owen at
826-4022 or Rose Owen at 829-2165.
Bake Sale to benefit families of attack
The Family Fraternal of Texas (KJZT) Society 11 is sponsoring
a Bake Sale from 10 a.m. - noon Nov. 17 at St. Mary's School
cafeteria. Any baked goods left are to be sold following the 6:30
p.m. Mass on Saturday and again on Sunday until noon.
Proceeds from this fund-raiser are to go to the survivors and
also to the families of those killed during the terrorist attacks
on Sept. 11. Anyone wishing to donate baked goods for this sale
are asked to bring them by St. Mary's Cafeteria that morning
(Nov. 17) by 10 a.m. KJZT members are to be baking fresh
kolaches that morning and they will be ready by 10 a.m. Anyone
wishing to help with making the kolaches is asked to be at the
school cafeteria at 7 a.m. The money raised at the sale is to be
matched (up to $1,000) by the KJZT State Home Office in
Austin.
VFW, Ladies Auxiliary plan meeting
West VFW Post 4819 and its Ladies Auxiliary have scheduled
meetings for Nov. 14 in the West VFW Club. The auxiliary is to
meet at 7 p.m. with the VFW members to meet at 7:30 p.m.
Members are encouraged to attend.
Gholson Club to meet Nov. 13
The Gholson Extension Education Club is scheduled to meet for
an "Eat Out" luncheon on Nov. 13. The meeting place is at 11
a.m. in the Gholson Baptist Church.
Mini-camp twirlers to perform Friday
All girls participating in the West High School Twirler Mini
Camp are invited to perform during halftime of the West -
China Spring football game this Friday at Trojan Field. The
girls are asked to wear their camp shirt and either red or black
shorts to the game. For further information, contact Suzanne
Ferrero at 826-7510 or 826-4011.
Islam class at West church
Dr. Don Ketcham, pastor of the West Brethren Church, will be
offering a class on Islam at the church beginning at 7 p.m. Nov.
13. The class is to run for four weeks with each session lasting
approximately one hour. Specific topics are to include: origins
of Islam, basic belief of Islam, the spread of Islam and the
divisions of contemporary Islam. The public is invited to attend.
For more information, call 826-4567.
Vets honored...
Area war veterans were honored
last Thursday during the West
Middle School's pep rally in the
middle school gym. The veterans
served as guests for this event
which revolved around a patri-
otic theme. Many of the veterans
addressed the school's students
and staff as they gave brief mes-
sages during the pep rally. Mere
the veterans salute the flag dur-
ing a playing of the National An-
them.
Veterans Day events set for Nov. 12 in West
Patriotism will be on display
in West Nov. 12 as area resi-
dents are invited to gather for
the city's Veterans Day parade
and ceremony that afternoon.
War veterans along with
former prisoners of war are to be
honored at this event which fea-
tures a 1:30 p.m. parade and a
ceremony to follow at the Gazebo
on the West City Hall lawn.
Numerous clubs and organi-
zations are to participate in the
parade with Milton 'Poone' Mor-
gan, a coordinator for the event
along with Frank Podsednik and
Kenneth Popp, asking for par-
ticipants to meet at the corner of
Columbus and Washington
streets near the West Katy De-
pot at 1 p.m. to get in line for the
parade. Robby Payne and Tommy
Muska are to aid in lining every-
one up for the parade.
The theme for this year's event
is "Patriotism - The Spirit of
America" and those already
scheduled to participate in the
parade include: the West Trojan
Band, WHS varsity and JV cheer-
leaders, WHS Key Club, Trojan
Dazzler dance team, West High
School Junior Historian danc-
ers, Miss Westfest and Miss
West, West Middle School cheer-
leaders, West Boy Scouts, West
Girl Scouts, Camp Fire mem-
bers, SPJST Lodge 6, La Vega
High School Navy ROTC Unit,
Midway High School Marine
ROTC Color Guard, Gholson
School, A.J. Moore Academy
Army ROTC, St. Mary's School,
West Intermediate School, West
Middle School, Penelope High
School, West EMS Emergency
Response trailer and the West
Chamber of Commerce. Several
Central Texas fire departments
(West, Ross, Leroy, Gholson, Elm
Mott and Lacy Lakeview) along
with area antique car owners
are invited to participate.
Area Korean War veterans are
scheduled to serve as Parade
Marshals for the event. This year
is the 50th Anniversary of the
Korean War.
Veterans from World Wars I
and II, Korean War, Vietnam
War and Desert Storm are in-
vited to participate in the parade
and attend the ceremony. Cars
are to be available for veterans
to ride while others will have the
opportunity to walk or ride in
trailers.
"Any group or organization
wanting to participate in the
parade simply needs to show up
at 1 p.m. and get in line," Morgan
said. He added that those plan-
ning to attend the ceremony are
asked to bring their lawn chairs.
The parade is scheduled to
begin at the corner of Washing-
ton and Columbus and proceed
on Washington to Main Street.
There it will turn right on Main
until it turns right again on
Spruce Street. The parade then
continues on Spruce until it turns
right again on Washington Street
and then left on Oak Street where
it will proceed to City Hall.
Precinct 3 J ustice of the Peace
David Pareya is to serve as mas-
ter of ceremonies for the event at
the Gazebo. The ceremony is to
include the Welcome by West
Mayor Russ Willsey and an invo-
cation with the Rev. Ed Karasek,
pastor of St. Mary's Catholic
Church of the Assumption in
West.
The West Trojan Band, under
the direction of Steve Hart, is
also to play the National An-
them as members from the West
VFW Post, American Legion and
Military Order of the Purple
Heart are to raise the U.S. Flag.
Please turn to page two for more
on Vets Day in West.
A survivor
Buck W. Gibson as he looked when he served as a Gunners Mate 3rd Class on
the U.S.S. Indianapolis during World War II.
U.S.S. Indianapolis survivor
recalls days waiting for rescue
By Larry Knapck
I t happened over 56 years
J ago, but for one West VFW
A Post 4819 member the
memories of what has been de-
scribed as America's worst naval
disaster seem like only yester-
day.
Time seems to stand still for
Wacoan Buck Warren Gibson as
he describes July 30, 1945 and
the following five, nightmarish
days which left an indelible mark
on him and those touched by the
disaster. "I'll never get over it, I
just have to live with it."
Gibson, who was reared in the
tiny community of Otto near
Mart and attended school at Ben
Hur, served as a Gunners Mate
3rd Class on the U.S.S. India-
napolis. He joined the Navy in
1942 and later that year joined
the U.S.S Indianapolis crew
which compiled an impressive
combat record during victorious
forays across the battle-torn
reaches of the Pacific Ocean.
He remembers back to the
ship's last voyage as it delivered
secret, crucial atomic bomb com-
ponents to the island of Tinian.
This proved critical in the drop-
ping of the first atomic bomb at
Hiroshima.
After this mission, the India-
napolis embarked for Guam and
later headed to the Leyte Gulf
where she was to join with the
fleet assembling for the invasion
Please turn to page two for
more on Buck Gibson.
Buck Gibson shows the medals he received during his service in the Navy during
World Warll.
staff photo - Larry Knapek
V
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Knapek, Larry. The West News (West, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 8, 2001, newspaper, November 8, 2001; West, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth715806/m1/1/?q=waco+tornado: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting West Public Library.