WEST COMMA TEXAS
Two things happened in Texas over the past couple of weeks that made international news: the fertilizer explosion in the tiny town of West (in Central Texas), and the official dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Library here in Dallas.
Coming on the heels of the Boston Marathon bombing, the explosion at West continued a very surreal week. Until the explosion, West was a small town unknown even to many Texans who don’t make frequent drives between Dallas and Austin, along I-35. West is one of those beloved little Texas towns that always seems to perk people up when it’s mentioned. The one word that is inextricably linked to West is “kolache.” There are wonderful kolaches (pastries similar -- sort of -- to Danishes) sold at bakeries around West, a town with Czech roots so deep that it is not uncommon to see signs and notices around town in both English and Czech. The most famous purveyor of kolaches is the near legendary Czech Stop, a combination gas station, convenience store, and bakery. As the unofficial half-way point between Dallas and Austin, it’s traditional to pull of I-35 at West for a brief rest stop and a kolache or two.
The aftermath of the West explosion was broadcast live on local television (West is only about 90 minutes from Dallas), and watching the whole thing unfold was awful. It seems impossible to believe, but I’ve seen reports that the amount of fertilizer in the plant was a thousand times more than was used in the Oklahoma City bombing. As everyone has probably seen, the destruction is unbelievable. I don’t quite understand the death toll figures. It’s been at 14 for several days now. Initial estimates from a hospital spokesman were at least 60. For over a week, I’ve seen reports stating “at least 60 still unaccounted for.” Of those 14 “official” deaths, all but three were volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel. One man interviewed on live local coverage talked emotionally about pulling bodies from the nearby nursing home. The adjacent apartment building was devastated, the blast hitting at a time when families would have been at home eating dinner. If reports of 60 being “unaccounted” for are correct, those 60 are clearly deceased, and it’s been odd the whole time since this happened that officials are unwilling to release a clearer picture of just how many lives were lost.
Willie Nelson (who, by the way, turns 80 tomorrow) grew up in Abbott, the even smaller town next to West. He helped rebuild the courthouse in the county seat of Hillsboro when it was destroyed by a fire several years ago, and I have a feeling he’ll help rebuild West.
The other event that focused media attention on Texas was last week’s dedication of the Bush Presidential Library (or as a friend of mine calls it “The Bush Liberry”). All five surviving U.S. presidents and a lengthy list of world leaders and high-level diplomats were crammed onto the Southern Methodist University campus, politely saying nice things about the person who may well have been the worst president in history. Uh-huh. Unfortunately, my hometown is sullied (yes, "sullied"!) by the presence of his quarter-of-a-billion-dollar liberry/shrine.
Immediately following the dedication ceremony, President Obama traveled to West where he and Michelle attended a memorial service for the emergency personnel who were killed (I don’t know why, but I find the term “first responders” really irritating). The full thing was broadcast live locally. It was moving, but it was way, way, way too long -- over three hours. The president and first lady looked very tired … and depressed. I think that’s kind of the way the whole country feels after the last couple of weeks: tired and depressed.
A picture I took a couple of years ago of one of the many interesting old world-y storefronts in West.
My favorite: cream cheese kolache.
Coming on the heels of the Boston Marathon bombing, the explosion at West continued a very surreal week. Until the explosion, West was a small town unknown even to many Texans who don’t make frequent drives between Dallas and Austin, along I-35. West is one of those beloved little Texas towns that always seems to perk people up when it’s mentioned. The one word that is inextricably linked to West is “kolache.” There are wonderful kolaches (pastries similar -- sort of -- to Danishes) sold at bakeries around West, a town with Czech roots so deep that it is not uncommon to see signs and notices around town in both English and Czech. The most famous purveyor of kolaches is the near legendary Czech Stop, a combination gas station, convenience store, and bakery. As the unofficial half-way point between Dallas and Austin, it’s traditional to pull of I-35 at West for a brief rest stop and a kolache or two.
The aftermath of the West explosion was broadcast live on local television (West is only about 90 minutes from Dallas), and watching the whole thing unfold was awful. It seems impossible to believe, but I’ve seen reports that the amount of fertilizer in the plant was a thousand times more than was used in the Oklahoma City bombing. As everyone has probably seen, the destruction is unbelievable. I don’t quite understand the death toll figures. It’s been at 14 for several days now. Initial estimates from a hospital spokesman were at least 60. For over a week, I’ve seen reports stating “at least 60 still unaccounted for.” Of those 14 “official” deaths, all but three were volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel. One man interviewed on live local coverage talked emotionally about pulling bodies from the nearby nursing home. The adjacent apartment building was devastated, the blast hitting at a time when families would have been at home eating dinner. If reports of 60 being “unaccounted” for are correct, those 60 are clearly deceased, and it’s been odd the whole time since this happened that officials are unwilling to release a clearer picture of just how many lives were lost.
Willie Nelson (who, by the way, turns 80 tomorrow) grew up in Abbott, the even smaller town next to West. He helped rebuild the courthouse in the county seat of Hillsboro when it was destroyed by a fire several years ago, and I have a feeling he’ll help rebuild West.
The other event that focused media attention on Texas was last week’s dedication of the Bush Presidential Library (or as a friend of mine calls it “The Bush Liberry”). All five surviving U.S. presidents and a lengthy list of world leaders and high-level diplomats were crammed onto the Southern Methodist University campus, politely saying nice things about the person who may well have been the worst president in history. Uh-huh. Unfortunately, my hometown is sullied (yes, "sullied"!) by the presence of his quarter-of-a-billion-dollar liberry/shrine.
Immediately following the dedication ceremony, President Obama traveled to West where he and Michelle attended a memorial service for the emergency personnel who were killed (I don’t know why, but I find the term “first responders” really irritating). The full thing was broadcast live locally. It was moving, but it was way, way, way too long -- over three hours. The president and first lady looked very tired … and depressed. I think that’s kind of the way the whole country feels after the last couple of weeks: tired and depressed.
A picture I took a couple of years ago of one of the many interesting old world-y storefronts in West.
My favorite: cream cheese kolache.