The West News (West, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 15, 2001 Page: 1 of 12
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The oldest business m West - established in 1889
500
Volume 111, No. 11 - One Section
Thursday, March 15, 2001
West, Texas
News Digest
West ISD Board of Trustees to meet
The West Independent School District Board of Trustees has
scheduled their regular monthly meeting for 6:30 p.m. March
21 in the West ISD Administration Building. The meeting is
open to the public.
Little Dazzler Dance Clinic March 26-29
The West High School Trojan Dazzlers are hosting a dance
clinic March 26-29. The cost of the clinic is $15 and t-shirts can
be purchased for $8. Registration forms are available at West
schools. For more information, call Diane Atlas at 826-3638 or
at school 826-7510.
West garden club to meet Thursday
The West Bluebell Garden Club has scheduled a social and
business meeting at 9:30 a m. today (Thursday) in the West
Public Library. Guests are welcome to attend and an election
of new officers is scheduled.
West church plans Friday dinner
The Bold Springs Baptist Church has scheduled a chicken and
dressing dinner with all the trimmings beginning at 11 a.m.
this Friday. To place orders-to-go, call 826-3225.
Baptist Church plans Hispanic service
The First Baptist Church of West is scheduled to host an
Hispanic worship service at 6:30 p.m. this Saturday. A group
of Baylor University students will lead the service which is to
be entirely in Spanish. For further information, contact Rev.
John Crowder at 826-5165.
Menlow Water Supply group meeting
The Menlow Water Supply Corporation will have its annual
meeting at 7 p.m. March 21 in the Abbott Community Center.
Dinner to honor bingo workers
There will be a Bingo Appreciation Dinner for all former St.
Mary's School Bingo workers from 6-8 p.m. this Friday at St.
Joseph's Hall in West. Those planning to attend are asked to
RSVP to Janice Hutyra at 826-3858 by March 20.
l
Fraternal plans anniversary dinner
West Fraternal Auditorium's 24th Annual Anniversary Din-
ner is planned for 11 a m. March 25 at the auditorium. The
meal is to include fried and baked chicken with sausage and all
the trimmings. There will also be an auction and games.
West ambulance group plans fund-raiser
The West Volunteer Ambulance Association and West EMS
Auxiliary have scheduled a fund-raiser beginning at 11 a.m.
April 1 in the West Ambulance Association Building. The fund-
raiser is to include a Mexican dinner priced at $6 for adult
plates and plates to go and $3 for children's plates. A raffle is
also planned and all proceeds are to go towards the group's
building fund.
KJZT District 10 meeting and social
The Catholic Family Fraternal KJZT District 10 meeting and
social is planned for March 25 at Tours Hall. This meeting and
social is hosted by Society 45 in Tours with registration at 1:30
p.m. with the meeting to follow at 2 p.m. Fifty year pins are to
be awarded and a memorial service for deceased members is to
be conducted. Juniors will have a workshop and program.
Members in this area are invited to attend.
Talent contest planned in West
The West High School Trojan Dazzlers will have their annual
talent contest starting at 7:30 p.m. in the West High School
Auditorium. The first prize is $35 with $25 for second and $15
for third. To enter, contact Diane Atlas at 826-3638 or 826-
7510.
Penelope VFD plans fund-raiser
The Penelope Volunteer Fire Department has scheduled its
14th Annual Spring Fund-raiser for April 1 in the Nativity of
the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church parish hall in Pene-
lope. The fund-raiser is to include a meal with barbecue tips,
sausage and all the trimmings beginning at 11:30 a.m. The
meal is priced at $5.50 for adults and plates-to-go with a child's
plate priced at $3.50. A horseshoe pitching tournament is to
begin at 1:30 p.m. with a Tarock Tourney and 42 Tournament
also planned. There will be raffle prizes, fun and games.
After Prom Party group plans raffle
The West High School After Prom Party 2001 Committee is
currently selling raffle tickets to give away a John Deere 4X2
Gator, two round trip tickets to anywhere in the continental
U.S. and a 25 inch color television. Tickets are three for $25 or
$10 each. Only a limited amount will be sold for the April 1
drawing and for ticket information, call 826-7094.
Ag Boosters schedule raffle
The West Area Ag Boosters are currently selling raffle tickets
to give away a 16 ft. utility trailer, $500 travel gift certificate
from Sandy's Getaway Travel, 10 ft. by 5 ft. utility trailer and
a $200 gift certificate. Winners are to be announced on April 19.
For ticket information, call 826-4685, 826-4209 or 826-3296.
The Ag Boosters appreciate everyone's support.
CDA District meeting Saturday
Catholic Daughters of America Court Sacred Heart 829 in
West is hosting a district meeting this Saturday at St. Joseph's
Hall in West. The program is the Leadership Workshop - Phase
III. CDA Second Vice Regent Olga Samaniego will conduct the
workshop. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. with the program
starting at 10 a.m. Lunch is to be provided and members are
asked to bring a salad or dessert. All members are urged to
attend to learn more about the Catholic Daughters of America.
Dance to kickoff activities Friday night.
Barbecue cookoff set for this Saturday
West Volunteer Fire Depart
ment members are preparing for
a possible record number el en-
tries for their eighth annual Bar
becue Cookoff this Friday and
Saturday at the West Fair and
Rodeo and Westfest grounds.
Cookoffdirectors George Nors
and James Miller reported that
110 teams had pre-registered for
thecookoffwith possibly as many
as 150 expected to compete in
Saturday's event. "Everything
looks good. It looks like it will be
a good cookoff," they said.
Last year, there wen 137
teams entered, which was the
highest in the event's history. "It
looks like we will probably break
the record," Nors and Miller
agreed Tuesday.
Barbecue cookers from al I ov r
the state are expected to con-
verge on West lor this event wit h
some traveling from as far as
Arkansas and Louisiana to com-
pete this Saturday. It was also
reported that over 30 area tea ms
are entered in the cookoff
"The parking area and the
grounds are in good shape," the
two directors said about the event
which is to conti nue rai n or shine.
Teams still wishing to enter
may find forms available at the
Czech Stop. West City Hall and
Tiger Stop. The entry fee is $ 100
per team and this pays for entry
into all four cookoff categories
(brisket, ribs, chicken and pork
butt), along with the electricity
and site.
The fire department will be
selling barbecue-to-go both Fri-
day and Saturday during the
cookoff. They will be selling from
two locations. Barbecue will be
sold at the fire department's con-
cession stand on the grounds on
both Friday and Saturday and
also at the West Community
Center on Saturday beginning
at 10 a.m. and continuing until
everything is sold. Plans are to
have 1,100 pounds of barbecue
brisket available for sale at a
price of $5.50 per pound.
In addition to the barbecue,
the fire department plans to sell
nachos, frito pies, hot dogs, sau-
sage wraps, barbecue sand-
wiches, hamburgers, kolaches
and soft drinks at their conces-
sion stand while the West Fair
and Rodeo Association will sell
beer. Souvenir barbecue cookoff
t-shirts are also to be available.
The actual cookoff is planned
for Saturday and there is no ad-
mission charge for those wishing
to come and see the event. A
dance is planned for Friday at
the fairgrounds beginningat 7:30
p.m. at the East pavilion. The
band, 3DC, is to provide the dance
music and the admission charge
is $5 per person. Those planning
to attend are asked to enter the
grounds through the Westfest
entrance.
On Saturday, the cookers
meeting is planned for 9 a.m. in
the East Pavilion with judgingto
begin at approximately 10 a.m.
in the West Longhorn clubhouse
on the grounds. "All head cooks
need to attend the 9 a.m. meet-
ing," Miller and Nors stressed.
Volunteers are needed to help
in judging the various rounds
a nd categories during the cookoff.
Anyone wishing tojudge is asked
to report to the West Longhorn
clubhouse and check on the vari-
ous judging times. The two
cookoff officials said no experi-
ence in j udging is necessary while
adding the barbecue is judged on
appearance, taste and smell.
Cookoff officials invite every-
one to attend the event. "They
will see a lot of fancy, expensive
(barbecue) pits. They can see any
kind, any size, shape or fashion.
Just walk through and you'll be
amazed at the different kind of
pits."
In addition, the fire depart-
ment is selling tickets on an out-
door smoker pit to be given away
during the awards ceremony on
Saturday. Raffle tickets for the
pit, which was donated by West
True Value Hardware, can be
purchased at the cookoff grounds
beginning today (Thursday).
Proceeds from the cookoff are
to be used for the fire
department's building fund and
a pumper truck for the depart-
ment.
Trafton family files lawsuit in hit and run accident
The family of a West man
killed in a June 30 hit and run
accident last year filed a lawsuit
for at least $1 million in dam-
ages against two West residents
and a West bar on March 8 in
74th State District Court in
Waco.
Susan L. Matus, Chad Rizo
(owner of Wolfs Borland Wolfs
Bar were named as defendants
in the suit filed on behalf of three
of John Boyd Trafton's family
members. The 73-year-old
Trafton, known to many area
residents as Silver, was the vic-
tim ofthe hit and run accident as
he was headed home with his
bicycle that night. He was killed
at approximately 11:45 that
night when he and his bicycle
were struck from behind as he
was traveling east in the 600
block of West Oak Street near
Uptmore Motors.
Matus, age 44, plead guilty to
intoxication manslaughter in
January in the West man's death
and is currently serving a four-
year prison term.
The lawsuit claims that Matus
had been drinking with friends
all day as part of a high school
reunion and that when she and
her friends were at Wolfs Bar
that evening "it was obvious to
the employees and other custom-
ers that she was intoxicated.
Nevertheless, the defendant's
employee continued to allow Su-
san L. Matus to consume alco-
holic beverages."
Police arrested Matus at 1:44
a.m. that next day and reported
her blood alcohol level was 0.13.
A blood-alcohol level of at least
0.08 is considered legally intoxi-
cated.
Over 50 vendors preparing for Old West Trade Days
This weekend's Old West
Trade Days will have a building
full of vendors as the monthly
event wi II make its seventh show
this Saturday and Su nday at the
Lorch Building in downtown
West.
Carol Bajer, a West Trade
Days officer, reported Tuesday
that all 55 booth spaces in the
building had been leased and a
space outside the building had
also been rented.
"If vendors are willing to take
a smaller booth, we still have
room outside," Bajer said while
adding the cost of a booth rental
is $15.
Admission totradedays is free
and this month's booths are to
offer a variety of items. The items
include: various arts and crafts,
both antique and hand-made fur-
niture, quilts, clothes, jewelry,
purses, handbags, bed linens and
candles.
There will also be a food con-
cession area and an area for chil-
dren.
Bajer said that with the Bar-
becue Cookoff this Saturday in
West there will be plenty for
people to see and do. "We invite
everyone to attend the cookoff,
take some time to visit our trade
days show and then browse
through the businesses in town."
The Trade Days are open from
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturday and
from noon - 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Anyone still interestedin rent-
ing a booth space on the outside
of the building is asked to con-
tact the West Chamber of Com-
merce at 826-3188, Carol Bajer
715 1280 or Jimmy Bennett at
826-7344.
City council increases fines
in West pet ordinance
The West City Council ammended its pet ordinance on
March 6 by increasing the minimum fine for second and third
offenders.
The minimum fine for the second offense is $300 and $500
for the third offense. The maximum fine for second and third
offenses is $2,000.
West Hospital Authority looking
at health care district possibilities
Election and hospital's future to be discussed at town hall meetings
The future of the Hillcrest
Medical Center of West was
the topic of discussion at
Monday's West Hospital Au-
thority meeting and if the hos-
pital authority has its way,
West residents will be given
an opportunity to decide an
aspect of its financial status in
a possible upcoming election.
At Monday's meeting in the
West Volunteer Ambulance
Association building, the hos-
pital authority unveiled its
plans to seek legislation to
have an election which would
allow voters to decide on hav-
inga health care district. "The
board voted unanimously last
night to follow through and
submit a bill with the Texas
Legislature requesting an elec-
tion to be held for the creation
of a health care district," David
Pareya, hospital authority
board president, said Tuesday
morning.
Pareya said "We (board
members) are looking for ways
(for the hospital) to survive in
years to come." The West hos-
pital will be entering its final
year (starting May )ofa five-year
lease with Hil lcrest Baptist Medi-
cal System in Waco.
In meetings last month with
Hillcrestoffieials, it was revealed
that the revenues collected at
the West hospital are insufficient
to cover expenses. "We were ba-
sically told that they were hav-
ing financial troubles (with the
West facility)," Pareya said last
month.
Due to the uncertainty over
the West hospital facility, Pareya
explained that the hospital board
decided Monday to submit the
bill which is to be sponsored in
the legislature by State Rep. Jim
Dunnam and State Senator
David Sibley.
Once the bill is 'submitted to
Dunnam and Sibley (which
Pareya speculated will happen
this week), there is a 30 day
waiting period in which Pareya
said the hospital authority plans
to have one to two town hall
meetings to meet with the public
and discuss the possibility of an
election which would establish a
health care district financed
through the levying of property
taxes.
Pareya said the meetings will
be informational for both sides
as the hospital authority plans
to provide needed information to
the public concerning the health
care district which will follow
the same geographical bound-
aries as the West Independent
School District.
The hospital authority presi-
dent said preliminary plans are
to have straw votes of those at
the meeting to determine if the
voters want to even have such an
election. "We also are planning a
mail out and see what kind of
response we get. If the majority
of the people don’t want it then
we might just decide not to go
through with the actual filing
(for an election)."
"This will aljow the voters to
decide on the creation of a health
‘care district. It would subsidize
the funding of the hospital and
possibly bring back some ser-
vices and would facilitate future
services." He said it was too early
to tell how much the property
tax would be, however he said
this would determined by the
time of the town hall meet-
ings.
Though there has been a
cloud of uncertainty surround-
ing the West hospital since
meetings with Hillcrest
Health Systems last month,
Pareya said Hillcrest intends
to fulfill their lease agreement
and there are no current plans
to close the West facility. "The
board is assured by Hillcrest
that they are committed to
the community and the con-
tractual obligations they have
with the authority."
"We owe it to the commu-
nity to give them this option,"
he said while adding that un-
certainty over a continuing of
the lease agreement after May
2002 and the fact that since
the Texas Legislature will not
meet until 2003 after its cur-
rent session is over were rea-
sons for its plans for a health
Please turn to page seven for
more on hospital.
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Knapek, Larry. The West News (West, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 15, 2001, newspaper, March 15, 2001; West, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth715808/m1/1/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting West Public Library.