Huntsville Item;   May 4, 2004

By Kurt Allen/Assistant Managing Editor

When the New Waverly Public Library Association annual meeting kicks off Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at the site of the new library building, it will mark a historic occasion.

That's because it will mean the end of an era as the leader of the group, the only president the association has ever had, steps down in favor of a new boss after 17 years on the job.

Ron Kolb, who was elected as president of the association in 1987, announced a few months ago that he is leaving his position, opening the way for nominations and a new leader to be elected.

But those long associated with the ongoing library building construction shouldn't worry too much. Despite stepping down, Kolb isn't going anywhere and he still plans to continue work on the structure.

And despite the uncertainty of who will lead the association, the new library is slowly taking shape.

"I made it clear I'm stepping down," Kolb said last week while working on the walls and air conditioning system at the library. "It's time. We just need to have a change of the guard.

"I intend to be active, to be a participant, but I'll no longer be instrumental in policy," he added. "My main goal now will be this building."

In a way, it's a relief for Kolb to step down from the post. Sharing the dual role of president and main worker at the construction site has been a strain, especially since the building process has been such a time-consuming effort for the retiree. Kolb is laboring at the site, alone or with a volunteer helper or two, more days than not.

"I don't feel bad because I know this will go on. I'm going to be here. This (building) is part of my life," he said, gesturing at the structure's interior with a sweeping motion. "This is part of my fiber. I'm not going to walk away and say 'good luck.'"

Kolb's departure leaves a question about who might take over the association and continue the fund-raising, operational and management aspects of the library.

In all, there are eight board positions available, and only six of them were filled at last year's meeting. Of those board members, four officers are chosen. Currently serving under Kolb is vice president Hal Kooken, secretary Earline Middleton and treasurer Mary Wojcik.

Although he didn't mention names, Kolb said he's looking for forward-thinking, level-headed people to take over, not only as president but also as board members.

"I've been talking with really sharp people in New Waverly," he said. "I see where we could have a board of nine people if all of them are nominated, elected and accepted.

"The more people sharing a load, the easier it is," said Kolb, who added he's optimistic and excited about the future. "I'm really looking forward to this."

What he's also looking forward to is the work to come at the library, construction which really will make the facility look like it's coming together.

With the exterior of the building essentially finished, interior work has started. The frames for all the walls have been erected, and the initial wall wiring will start soon. Phone and power cables, water lines, computer cords and more must be run through the frames before the walls themselves can actually be completed.

Also in the works is the installation of the air conditioning system. Thanks to assistance from a major AC manufacturing company and a significant monetary donation from a Walker County resident, the library has gotten a big boost.

It's just two parts of several phases going on right now.

"A local electronics (company) is offering some assistance," Kolb said. "And we'll have a second floor."

Thanks to all the donations and help, the building is about 52 percent of the cost portion. That means the library is worth twice as much as what has actually been spent on its construction.

If there's bad weather Saturday, the meeting will likely be moved to the New Waverly City Hall. The public is invited to the meeting, and people don't have to be New Waverly residents to attend.
 

Huntsville Item;   April 12, 2003

By Brian Lacy/Managing Editor

The city of New Waverly lost an icon and Walker County lost one of its most prominent figures when John Pasket died at his home Thursday night. He was 57.

A memorial, testimonial, prayer vigil and rosary will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. at New Waverly Junior High School. Funeral mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in New Waverly.

For the past 25 years, Pasket has served as justice of the peace for Precinct 4, which covers the southern part of Walker County, including his hometown of New Waverly. According to his many friends, you didn't have to make a trip to Pasket's courtroom to know who he was.

"He was such a dynamic guy who helped so many people," said state District Judge Ken Keeling, who knew Pasket for more than 30 years. "He reached every corner of the community and was a great and good force. That's a great loss for the whole county."

Lloyd Roark, who started as justice of the peace for Precinct 3 the same year Pasket was elected in Precinct 4, was at a loss for words.

"John was one of my best friends," he said. "I know he's going to be missed by a lot of people."

Fellow judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys said the defining characteristic of Pasket's personality that made him a good judge, and a better friend, was his kindness.

"John was one of the most decent people I ever met," Walker County District Attorney David Weeks said. "He was a real special person. There's not a person in this office that didn't care about Judge Pasket. He was always so nice and such a gentleman, thinking about others. He was a good judge, a tremendous asset to this community and a dear friend."

Defense attorney Hal Ridley echoed the sentiments of many of Pasket's colleagues, saying he was fair and just in the courtroom.

"We lost a fine judge and someone who represented New Waverly with the utmost class. I have the utmost respect for this guy," Ridley said. "He was very personable. He cared about the people. He did his dead-level best to do the right thing.

"He used independent judgment. When it was appropriate to be law enforcement-oriented, he was that. When it was appropriate to go the other way, he did that. He was very even keel for his job. He exercised his discretion both ways and in a fair and impartial way."

Pasket's biggest impact on Walker County came outside the courtroom, where he was a tireless volunteer and supporter of community projects.

He invested his time in New Waverly's school children. Along with a bus route he drove every day -- morning and afternoon -- for more than 10 years, just last week he hosted a spaghetti dinner to help raise funds for a group of high school students trying to go to Florida for a national competition.

"He was a real friend to all our students, teachers and community," New Waverly ISD superintendent James Youngblood said. "Anytime we had any problems that needed legal help, he helped us with it. He helped our students, he helped us with attendance.

"When one of our students got in trouble, he helped work out ways to make things right, whether that be community service or whatever. He also helped parents who had trouble with their kids and had no other avenue than him."

Pasket also played a major role in the ongoing construction of the new public library in New Waverly.

"If something needed to be done, you could ask him," said Ron Kolb, president of the New Waverly Library Association. "He had the knack of getting people from distant places sometimes to help out and offer their services. He had a way of doing that. He just had so many contacts. When it came time for the (library barbecue) cookoff, he was the one who put together the many nice raffles.

"He's irreplaceable for the things he did for us and the community."

Several of Pasket's other volunteer efforts included working with the Walker County Historical Commission and organizing the annual barbecue dinner to honor emergency services personnel.

"He was constantly working in the community to help folks -- for the church, the school, the library, the police officers, the firemen, the county -- just going the last mile in everything he did," Keeling said. "He was probably the most popular man in this whole county."

Item assistant managing editor Kurt Allen contributed to this story

Huntsville Item;   February 11, 2003

By Kurt Allen/Assistant Managing Editor

Tuesday proved to be a pretty good day for both the New Waverly Library and a class of Willis High School carpentry students. That's because the library got some much-needed construction work and the students gained on-the-job experience.

The New Waverly Library building, which has been under construction for more than two years, has been an all-volunteer project, with small bursts of work being completed here and there, when people have the time or money or equipment.

Leading the way on the project, and often working alone or with one other helper, is Ron Kolb, president of the New Waverly Library board.

Lately, though, there's been more interest in the construction project and a large group of volunteers chipped in to help Tuesday. It's the second organized group of helpers to assist on the project.

Fourteen members of Willis High School's carpentry certification class arrived Tuesday morning and quickly went to work, putting insulation in place and covering it with sheet metal. In the span of a couple of hours, two walls of the structure -- which had been previously open to the elements with the exception of a few windows and the roof -- were relatively enclosed.

"I wanted (the students) to get a sense of accomplishment," said Kolb, who worked Monday to get materials and equipment ready.

For teacher Dan Underwood, the project was a chance to help his students gain experience while helping with a project he believes will be beneficial for the community.

"The (current) library is in City Hall. It started out with one room," said Underwood, who also is New Waverly's mayor.

After two offices were emptied for other reasons, the library took over those spaces. With the city offices and the library in the same building, conditions are a bit crowded, he said.

"They're at a point where they're going to have to stand still or move forward," Underwood said of the library. "City Hall is packed at all times."

But it was Underwood's constant trips between New Waverly and Willis on Highway 75 that gave him the idea to help his students and the library at the same time.

"I drive back and forth here 192 days a year," he said. "The people weren't coming out to help with the construction. I thought it would be a good venture for Willis High School to come out here and support the project."

The help of the Willis students could come back to benefit them, in the end. Underwood said the library will be available for use by people in all of Walker County, as well as Montgomery County and surrounding areas.

"If you need a library, New Waverly is open. You can come," Underwood said.

With the way cleared by Willis High School principal Ben Cooper, Underwood was able to bring his students to the site for a rare day of on-the-job work.

"This is good for the trades class," he said. "We teach a certification (for) carpentry class. It's like an apprenticeship."

Students study and test in different modules and eventually move up to level II. As they fine-tune their skills, they can move up to level III.

"It's a building process," Underwood said with a grin.

All but one student in Tuesday's group are at level II, and he said the success of the outing may warrant bringing a group of level I students.

"This is the first group to be involved in a construction project," Underwood said. "It's a good group of kids. They're all mature."

Because Kolb had things ready for them -- sheeting already cut, insulation already at the site -- the students were able to get right to work.

"The kids came in here and figured out what needed to be done and went to it," Underwood said. "Because of that we've already surpassed our goal for today (at 10:30 a.m.)."

And things also went smoothly because there were no reports of accidents early on.

"We teach a lot of safety," he said. "The kids can see (construction work) live. You can see maybe they have been paying attention."

For Kolb, it was an entire week's worth of work in just a couple of hours.

"It was the suggestion of Mr. Underwood," he said. "He wanted his kids to get some experience. And they've accomplished maybe five times what we could have done. That means a lot."

As Underwood continued to help supervise and build, he said the value of the project is easy to see.

"These kids may be able to take advantage of what this library has to offer and may be able to use the computer system," he said. "It's a win-win situation."

Huntsville Item;   June 16, 2002

By Luke Moore/Staff Writer

The Children's Summer Reading Program will begin this Thursday at the New Waverly Public Library from 2p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The free program is for children ages 5-12 and will take place every Thursday until the end of July.

Officer Bryant Wells, who is a member of the Texas Rangers, will be the guest for this Thursday's program. Wells will be speaking with children about the Texas Ranger program and sharing some of his experiences with them, according to Becky Kolb, director of the program.

The program, which is part of Read Across Texas, will have a different Texas theme each week ranging from ghost stories to Texas critters.

"It should be a lot of fun for the kids because they'll be learning about Texas and covering new areas that perhaps they haven't read about In addition to reading and singing, crafts will also be part of the program. Parents are welcome to attend with their children and Kolb said volunteer help is always needed if anyone wants to help with the program.

For more information or to volunteer for the Children's Summer Reading Program, people can contact Becky Kolb at (936) 344-2084 or the New Waverly Public Library at (936) 344-2198.

Yard sale for library

Donations are now being accepted for a yard sale that will take place at the New Waverly Public Library on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The yard sale is being sponsored by Friends of the Library and all proceeds from the sale will go to the New Waverly Public Library building fund, which is being used to finance the new library currently under construction.

Donation items can be dropped off at the New Waverly Public Library, which is located inside city hall, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this week. Donations can also be brought to the library the morning of the sale, according to Sharon Hulsizer, who is in charge of the event.

Whether if it's kitchen items or miscellaneous household items, Hulsizer said anything will be accepted as long as it is in working condition.

"We're grateful for whatever we can get," she said. "We're pretty much open for anything."

This will be the first year that Hulsizer, who moved to New Waverly from Illinois with her husband last year, is in charge of the event. She said she and her husband got involved with the library because of how it benefits the community.

"We're the new kids on the block, but we believe in community support and they (Friends of the Library) are working for the betterment of the community and to give the children of the community a solid foundation in reading."

Hulsizer said it was still to be determined whether the yard sale will be held inside or outside.

The Friends of the Library is a nonprofit organization that holds various events throughout the year to raise money for construction of the new library.

Ron Kolb, president of the library board of directors, said the next step is for contractors to put a roof on the building, which may happen in a couple of weeks. Kolb said a majority of the library construction to this point has been done by volunteers.

"The community has really gotten behind the new library and done a lot to help," he said. "We are grateful for all the support they have given us."

Huntsville Item;   September 18, 2001

By Byron Hays/Staff Writer

A record number of teams are signed up for this year's New Waverly Public Library BBQ and Chili Cook-Off fund-raiser.

New Waverly library board president Ron Kolb said 44 teams will be vying for fame and fortune Sept. 28 -29, on the grounds of the new library building on Highway 75 just south of FM 150 and Highway 75 intersection in downtown New Waverly.

This year, the Walker County Go Texan organization will be joining the activity in New Waverly instead of conducting a separate cook-off at the county fairgrounds, as in the past.

The winner in the Go Texan cook-off category will represent the county in the statewide Go Texan cook-off at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo coming up in February 2002.

Activities will begin Friday at 9 a.m. when barbecue teams will begin moving in and setting up shop at the new library site. Last year's record entry of 33 teams is being eclipsed, Kolb said, as some 44 teams are already entered this year.

He said he has plotted a location map providing for 47 teams, in case more entries are received.

"If we get more than that, we'll still find a place for them," Kolb said.

The primary objective of the event, he said, is to raise additional funds to continue the construction work on a new public library. Currently the library is in the New Waverly City Hall.

Since ground breaking ceremonies were held in early June of last year, ground work, rough-in plumbing and a foundation slab has been completed for the 8,715 square foot building. Kolb is hoping that at least some skeletal steel frame work might be up in time for the cook-off crowd.

He said the library project is moving ahead on a "pay-as-you go" basis, and the building fund will get a significant injection of money from the proceeds of the cook-off. In the past that figure has ranged from $8,000 to $10,000.

As part of the Go Texan activities, a Little Mister and Little Miss Go Texan for Walker County pageant will be held for ages 4 through 7.

The judging will be in two categories, ages 4 - 5 and 6 - 7.

Kathy Thorp is in charge of the pageant activity, and can be reached at (936) 293-1745 for entry information.

According to Bill Toney, local Go Texan chairman, a number of game events, a photography contest, and quilt judging are also a part of the organization's activity program.

Toney said a hay hauling and team penning competition will be held later this fall at the rodeo grounds.

For more information about the New Waverly cook-off, or to enter the competition, contact Kolb at (936) 344-2084.

Cook-off entry fees are $55, plus $10 for each additional meat and a fajita meat and beans combo. Chili cookers entry fee is $15.

Huntsville Item;   November 25, 2000

By Byron Hays/The Huntsville Item

The third annual New Waverly Friends of the Library Association's Parade of Homes fund-raiser will take place Dec. 2, with proceeds from the home tour going toward the construction of the new library, to be located on Highway 75 south of town, said association spokesman Ron Kolb.

The tour will include five homes, from the Shepard Hill Bed and Breakfast to architectural styles from ranch, to gothic and contemporary. Tour time is 3 p.m. until 7 p.m.

Tickets are $8 and will be available at the current New Waverly library located in the city hall building beginning on Thursday. Maps also will be available.

The construction depends heavily on donated labor, said Kolb, so the actual construction has to be flexible. Dirt work is supposed to begin and be completed by the first part of December, followed by plumbing and concrete slab work.

The steel framework for the structure should start up sometime later in the month, or early January, "Depending on the weather," Kolb said.

Huntsville Item;   October 8, 2000

By Byron Hays/The Huntsville Item

A record team turnout and a record financial response made organizers of this year's New Waverly Public Library cook-off fund-raiser very happy campers, according to Ron Kolb, library board president.

Bubba McCrorey's Back Hoe Cookers from Willis came away with the Grand Champion Beef Cook-off prize from a field of 34 entries.

The team also obtained the largest amount of library fund donations from visitors to its cooking location. This garnered the team the Big Brother Award in addition to the Grand Champion Beef recognition.

According to Kolb, the total proceeds for this year's event were approximately $14,000, up from last year's $9,900.

The primary objective for the event is to raise funds for constructing a new public library for the New Waverly area. The current library occupies a modest space in the New Waverly City Hall.

Ground-breaking ceremonies were held in early June and Kolb now expects actual building foundation work will begin in late October or November. Soil testing was completed recently, said Kolb, and that will allow actual foundation work for the 8,715-square foot building to go ahead, followed by erection of the steel framework by volunteer labor.

Top dog in the chili cooking contest was Gary Clark's team from New Waverly First Baptist Church. Second place chili went to Doug Stepanski's Cow Poke Cookers of New Waverly, and third place went to Dale McDonald's D&L Cookers of Willis.

Each chili category entry was required to donate a gallon of its product to the event. The best of the lot was auctioned off after the judging and brought additional revenue to the library construction fund.

Publication of the winners list was delayed several days due to some problems matching team names with team captain and hometown information. Kolb provided the following list of winners for the remaining cook-off competition categories:

Beef: runner up -- Sho Nuff Good Cookers, Charles McNair, Deer Park; third place -- River Rats, Dean Smith, New Waverly.

Chicken: first place -- Ustakould Kookers, Larry Slott, New Waverly; second place -- Cow Poke Cookers, Doug Stepanski, New Waverly; third -- D&L Cookers, Dale McDonald, Willis.

Ribs: first place -- Back Hoe Cookers; second place -- Fun Bunch Cookers, Jim Hay, New Waverly; third place -- First Baptist Church, New Waverly.

Fajita: first place -- High on the Hog Cookers, Mim Walker, New Waverly; second place -- Trust Me Baby, Pete Falco, Willis; third place -- Ustakould Cookers.

Beans: first place -- Smokin' & Stokin', Tim Martin, Huntsville; second place -- Last Minute Cooker, Jack Maddox, New Waverly; third place -- Laid Back Cookers, Patrick Novark, New Waverly.

Winner of the Showmanship Award was Dean Blackwill's Blackwill Family Cookers of New Waverly.