20 years ago…
December 1, 2005
SEVEN CHS STUDENTS SELECTED FOR NORTH TEXAS HONOR BAND
Collinsville High School recently placed seven Collinsville students on the North Texas Honor Band.
Monique Carney received 1st Chair French Horn, Symphonic Band; Lora Gilmer received 2nd Chair Alto Saxophone, Symphonic Band; Adam Theall received 1st Chair Trumpet, Concert Band; Robert Halley received 1st Chair Trombone, Concert Band; Josh Smith received 7th Chair Trombone, Concert Band; Jessica Anderson received 10th Chair Trombone, Concert Band and Matt McAden received 6th Chair Tuba, Concert Band.
Also representing Collinsville at the audition were Courtney Harville and Ashley Snow, clarinet; Michael Morrill and Ethan Teel, trumpet; Spencer Whitney, trombone; Brad Guerrero, horn and Patrick Cox, snare.
The North Texas Honor Band is a select group of high school band musicians from the class 2A and A schools in North Texas. Some of the other local participating schools included Aubrey, Prosper, Celina, Tom Bean, S&S and Muenster. The North Texas Honor Bands will perform in concert Jan, 29 at Princeton High School Auditorium.
POSTMAN HONORED FOR DOING MORE THAN DELIVERING MAIL
Everyone who receives mail in the City of Whitesboro probably knows John Walker.
After all, he has been delivering mail to their homes for 12 years now. But what people probably don’t know is that isn’t where the job ends for Walker.
In June of this year, Walker went to work and it started out just like any other day. But that day would be drastically different.
As the day progressed, Walker neared the home of local political activist Mark Washburn, who is wheelchair bound.
Just minutes earlier, Washburn’s 11-year-old niece noticed as they were eating lunch that he seemed to be choking. When she asked her uncle if she wanted him to call 9-1-1, Washburn waved her off, thinking all would be well. A short time later, Walker was approaching the home and the niece hailed him and asked that he help.
Walker put the mail aside and went inside the home, delivering the Heimlich maneuver to Washburn and possibly playing a role in saving his life after successfully clearing the obstruction.
Since then, the two have enjoyed perhaps a little closer relationship and Washburn has developed a keener appreciation for his local postal carrier.
Last week, U.S. Congressman Ralph Hall also recognized Walker for his efforts and awarded him the Congressional Civic Award in honor of his lifesaving action.
30 years ago…
December 7, 1995
MAN WALKS AWAY FROM TRUCK-TRAIN COLLISION
A Whitesboro man walked away from a Thursday morning truck-train collision without a scratch.
Rosendo Chavez, 18, was enroute to visit a family member when the brakes on his 1973 Ford truck apparently failed, causing the vehicle to strike a northbound Union Pacific train on Highway 377 just north of Collinsville.
A report by DPS Trooper Byron Green noted that Chavez’s truck just missed rolling in front of the 50 mph train, actually hitting the engine portion of machinery.
The front end of the truck was badly damaged at impact, scattering wreckage across the tracks. The vehicle was eventually thrown into a gully near the tracks. The Union Pacific train took about a quarter of a mile to stop after hitting the truck. The train was unhooked to allow entry of a crane to pull the wreckage.
MINISTERIAL ALLIANCE SETS ANNUAL FOOD, TOY DRIVE
The spirit of sharing has allowed the Whitesboro Ministerial Alliance to continue the tradition of its 27-year-old annual food drive.
Contributions of non-perishable food items have already started, with drop-points designated as Whitesboro’s First Baptist Church, the First Assembly of God, The First Presbyterian Church, First United Methodist Church, North Avenue Baptist Church, St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church and Church of the Nazarene.
Canned food drives, both at Whitesboro Elementary School and Whitesboro Middle School, are allowing concerned youth to contribute to the drive. Both groups have asked that youngsters bring items to respective campuses from Nov. 11 to Dec. 15.
Donna Amos, counselor at the middle school, said Kids Against Drigs collected several hundred cans of food for the needy last year.
Membership from the Whitesboro Area Chamber of Commerce will make a substantial money donation to the cause, too, with funds collected next week at the quarterly luncheon.
Assembly of gift boxes, implemented by both young and old volunteers, will get underway at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 18 at the Rector Community Center.
40 years ago…
December 5, 1985
NEW YORK STUDENT’S LETTER SPARKS SADLER HISTORY STUDY
A New York student has sparked enthusiasm and presented a challenge at S&S High School where English students of teacher John Needham’s 11th grade class are diligently delving into the history of Sadler.
Sharing the same name as the community of Sadler, David L. Sadler of Clockville, NY, recently wrote to Sadler Principal Lynn Burton requesting information and history concerning th Sadler community.
Since then, 13 students have found themselves deep into research concerning their community.
The students have assigned themselves to various projects and will compile a booklet on the history of Sadler, including its past and present. The booklet will then be mailed to Sadler, whose age and grade at this point are undetermined.
60 years ago…
December 11, 1965
THOMAS APPOINTED TO LODGE OFFICE
Foy Thomas, former minister of the First Methodist Church of Whitesboro who now is retired, has been named District Deputy Grand Master of Masons for Masonic district nine, which includes 11 Masonic Lodges in Collin County.
Thomas, who lives at 128 Redbud Trail, McKinney, is a Past Master of Hopkinsville Lodge 51 in McKinney and is active in other Masonic organizations. He is also a member of the Fraternal Relations committee of the Grand Lodge of Texas.
Thomas attends the North Texas annual conference of the Methodist Church and belongs to the McKinney Rotary Club.
The appointment was made by the newly-elected Grand Master of Masons in Texas, H. W. Fullingim of Odessa, as the 130th Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Texas was concluded in Waco December 2.