FALLING FAR FROM THE TREE
Not to trivialize last week’s school bomb threat hoax, but I do hate it when big events happen on Thursdays in the weekly newspaper business. Of course, we kept our readers informed on our website and social media throughout the day and I went to take photos immediately after being informed because that’s what we do no matter what day it is. But it’s not the same as being front page news, which it isn’t anymore.
It’s kind of funny to me that it was a case of mistaken identity with Rockdale County, Georgia. At my last job in Houston, Georgia was one of my territories and I had to do a lot of googling to find dermatologists to try to sell melanoma tests to.
But I’m also from Rockdale, Texas, so my poor computer was always very confused. I would, on occasion, look up phone numbers for things in our Rockdale when I needed them, and I always got results from Rockdale County, Georgia. For instance, searching “the City of Rockdale phone number” where I often had to call Paula Phillips for one thing or another. And others too. Miller Starnes back in those days, different restaurants, ordering flowers, whatever.
In order to keep this story newsworthy a week later I contacted several parents of high school students, my own sister-in-law, Noelia, being one of them. I was worried about my nephew, Augie. Not having kids I can’t imagine what the parents were going through.
Cari Whitbey Veit was one of the parents I contacted. Her daughter Kaylee is a 10th grader, and she was at a tennis tournament that morning, so Cari said she was glad she didn’t have to deal with the pick-up debacle but also said, “The school, in my opinion, was very communicative which is always appreciated. I feel like I knew what was happening, where the kids were and what was being done. I know there were some issues with picking up kids but that’s going to happen with something like that. While the lines were long they did seem organized.”
Beth Vega-Ruelas also has a daughter in high school and a baby in the NICU unit at a hospital. Her daughter was in school that day. “I was overcome with anxiety and fear, and I felt like my hands were tied being out of town with the newborn. I was on the phone with my mom, the school, anyone I could think of to get some answers. To make matters worse I had taken my daughter’s phone, so I had no way of getting hold of her, so I felt so much guilt on top of the fear. It was just awful!”
My sister-in-law said, “I was scared even though the school said they were all safe. The chance of violence in public schools is never zero and that thought makes me feel helpless and unable to protect my Augie. When the Uvalde massacre happened, I cried hard. I told Augie how frustrated and angry I was for not being able to protect him properly, while also imagining the unfortunate parents who lost their loved ones in such a horrific way.”
Some things we should all be thankful for had this been an actual emergency are our school administrators and employees, our wonderful Rockdale Police Department whom I pulled over for on their way to the school before I knew what was going on, our Milam County Sheriff’s Department and our Rockdale Volunteer Fire Department. They all handled their jobs efficiently making sure all those kids were safe. A special Rockdale shout out to all of you.
One funny thing happened that day when I went to take photos. The Rockdale VFD was called to secure the perimeter of the high school. When I walked up in my hoodie, I spoke to a young member of the VFD whom I didn’t know and told him who I was and what I was doing. He told me I couldn’t go any further than where I was standing, and I assured him I wouldn’t. But I must have looked suspicious because I noticed him taking photos of me and my car as I was leaving. Only doing his job I’m sure.
I can just imagine the scene at the firehouse if they had been looking for suspects and my photo popped up. “Oh good grief! That’s just Kyle!’
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