Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 119, No. 75, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 20, 2001 Page: 1 of 42
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Wie County
American
flag
Thursday
Sept. 20,2001
inside
SOUTHWEST
;627 EftST VftMDEU
a PASOTX 79903-
UPS 437-340 Price: 50 cents
The Dominant News and Advertising Source in Polk County
ime 119 Number 75
Local ties to tragedy
By EMILY BANKS
Newt Editor
pearcd.
“My mind was not comprehend-
ing what I had just seen. Did that
just really happen? People Mere
standing by the thousands, just
looking down the street at what was
once a beautiful sight to see from
any place in Midtown Manhattan -
the twin towers. But no longer.
“The scene in Lower Manhattan
was much more chaotic and too
horrible to try and comprehend. I
made it to my office and my co-
workers were witnessing the col-
lapse on the news. It wasn’t until I
saw it on television that reality set
in [that] terrorism had hit the soil
of America.
“As I looked out the window
onto Times Square, I didn’t know
whether to be angry, hurt or sad.
All I could feel was helplessness.
Phone lines were jammed, but I
was able to get through to my fam-
ily to let them know I was all
right.
“We were urged to try and make
it home if we could. I had to wait it
out at a friend’s nearby apartment
until the subway system was back
and running, which was early in the
evening. When I made it back to
my apartment, I called those I could
reach through lines that were avail-
See THE ‘LUCKY ONES’ pg. 3A
LIVINGSTON - Several local
residents have relatives who were
living and working in New York
City and Washington, D.C. at the
time of the Sept. 11 terrorist at-
tacks. Fortunately, those krtown of
were not injured.
Following are accounts of two
such stories:
Aiabama-Coushatta Tribal
member in New York
Family and friends were con-
cerned for the safety of Aiabama-
Coushatta Tribal member R. Keith
Bullock, who lives in New York
City and works on 46th Street.
Bullock is the son of G. Wayne and
Genny Bullock of Tarkington and
the grandson of Ollie and Thelma
Flores Sr. of Livingston and Dorcas
and Foster Bullock Sr. of the Aia-
bama-Coushatta Indian Reservation.
Bullock contacted his parents at
approximately 10:45 a.m. the day
of the attacks regarding his safety.
He followed up later with an e-mail
to family and friends. Excerpts from
his e-mail follow:
“I’m okay. On a date that started
out like any other, its numbers
signaled the apparent emergency
that was going to happen. As the
nation watched, I, too, watched on
television the two jetliners engulf
the top halves of the World Trade
Center.
“The shock of the sight had not
set in yet. I left fot work and
jumped on the subway. I arrived
into mid-town around 10 a.m. and
the trains made a stop announcing a
delay of service, so I was stuck on
59th Street and had to walk down to
my office on 46th Street.
“As I walked down the street, I
knew that every conversation I
passed was abuzz about the World
Trade Center. Reports were still
sketchy about the origins' of the
planes and1 the casualties suffered.
“The scene on the street was peo-
ple huddled around small radios at
the comers. Televisions in the res-
taurants, bars and stores had people
crowding around them to learn more
information about the blast, the
sirens wailing constantly as the
emergency vehicles zoomed by,
some [people] in lines at the pay
phones, while others fried to get a
signal on their cell phones, and
people just crying and praying.
“I walked in amazement at what
was unfolding, but the worst sight
was yet to come. I was heading in
the south direction and I could see
the building (about three miles in
the distance) with the smoke just
billowing out of it. At the time, I
didn’t know that the first tower had
already fallen.
“Tfien, before my very eyes at
10:28 a.m., I saw the second tower
collapse. It was a sight that is im-
printed in my memory and part of
the new York skyline just disap-
Blood drive canceled
Dick Cooley, branch manager of
the Polk County Red Cross, that
the center is at capacity right now
and cannot take any more blood due
to lack of space.
Although Cooley contacted repre-
sentatives of Gulf Coast Regional
Blood Center, they, too, were un-
able to host a drive at this time.
LIVINGSTON - The commu-
nity-wide bjood drive scheduled for
Sept. 24 at Memorial Medical Cen-
ter Livingston to benefit victims of
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has
been canceled.
Representatives of Stewart Re-
gional Blood Center, which was
slated to host the drive, notified
Rally, service planned
LIVINGSTON - A “Proud to be an American” rally and candlelight
“There are three groups in which we want to pay tribute - the general
citTzeiffyTall emergency service providers and die military,” Thompson
said.
The rally will feature a community choir led by Joel Salazar, a
performance by the Livingston Area Community Band and performances by
the Livingston High School Band and the Corrigan-Camden High School
Band.
A tentative schedule is listed below:
•5:30 p.m. -- Community Choir will rehearse at stadium. Anyone
wanting to participate and sing with the choir may do so.
•6:15 p.m. - Community Band will rehearse at stadium.
•6:40 p.m. - Community Band and Choir will rehearse together.
•7 p.m. - Livingston High School Band and Corrigan-Camden High
•7:30 p.m. - The rally will officially begin with a grand entry featuring
local firefighters, law enforcement, EMS and rescuers, Salvation Army
volunteers and Polk County Red Cross volunteers.
Everyone attending is asked to bring their own candle for the candlelight
service, as well as a hand-held flag. Flag inserts provided in this issue may
be brought as well. Everyone is also asked to wear red, white and blue.
Although the stands at the stadium will be available for seating,
Thompson suggested people bring lawnchairs in the event of an overflow
crowd.
Handicapped parking will be available at the location of the old tennis
courts. Additional parking will also be available at Timber Creek
Elementary School and in the courthouse parking lot.
In the event of inclement weather, the rally will be held at the rodeo
arena at Barney Wiggins Memorial Park.
For questions regarding the community choir, contact Joel Salazar at
Central Baptist Church at 327-5614.
For questions regarding law enforcement, the volunteer fire departments,
and other emergency services groups, contact Precinct 2 Commissioner
Bobby Smith at 646-5929.
For general information, contact Thompson at 327-6813.
BNTBBPIDBB PHOTO VYGOIDONUIAMON
COMMUNITY JOINS IN SUPPORT OF NATION - Livingston Mayor Ben Royden Ogietree,
Aiabama-Coushatta Chief Clayton Sylestine, County Judge John Thompson, Goodrich Mayor
Pro-Tem Nila Gokey, Onalaska Mayor Jeanne Ann Byrd and Corrigan Mayor Pro-Tem Robert
“Dooley” Johnson (1-r) join in a show of support before the huge American flag which hangs
from the Polk County Courthouse. , v
USD's enrollment up to 4,165
LIVINGSTON - Enrollment in
the Livingston Independent School
District stands at 4,165 students,
about 150 more than last year. Su-
perintendent Janet Morris reported
at Monday’s regular monthly meet-
ing of the LISD Board of Trustees.
Current figures show there are
817 students enrolled at Pine Ridge
Elementary School, which houses
grades pre-kindergarten through
four; 720 students at Pine Ridge
Elementary, grades kindergarten
through four; 637 at the intermedi-
ate school, grades five and six; 998
Trustees approved application for
a state School Repair and Renova-
tion Grant in hopes of gaining fi-
nancing for roofing projects at the
high school and Timber Creek
Elementary and for renovation of
the intermediate school gymnasium
and dressing area. They had initially
hoped to include renovatton of the
old junior -high school auditorium
in the grant request, but deleted it
See PROM pg- 2A
at the junior high, grades seven,
eight and nine; and 993 at the high
school.
In light of the deadly terrorist tf-
tack on New York City and Wash-
ington, D.C., the board asked for an
informal update of subsequent ac-
tivities on the USD’s five cam-
puses. Those activities have in-
cluded a mum sale to raise money
for the American Red Cross; patri-
otic posters and signs; expressions
of thoughts in art, poems and es-
says; cards sent to people in New
York and letters to the president
Most campuses have had, or will
soon have, a Red, White and Blue
Day. Music classes have focused on
patriotic tunes. Freedom Week will
be oelebratod on all campuses next
Interim chief
appointed
Traffic stop,
not drugs
ONALASKA - Quentin Purvis
was appointed interim chief of po-
lice during n special cnled meeting
of the Onalaska City Council TUes-
In the lower grades, counselors
have been visiting classrooms to
help students undentand what has
in Livingston
in red, white and blue paint and pressing those hands to white paper, creating
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 119, No. 75, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 20, 2001, newspaper, September 20, 2001; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth791020/m1/1/: accessed May 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.