Mainland Extra from Galveston, Texas • Page 7

Sunday Morning, February 10,1985, MAINLAND EXTRA, Page 7 Aussie returning from Christmas vacation visits sister By MARY ELLEN DOYLE SeotenitaMMKT By MARY ELLEN DOYLE TEXAS CITY Texas City had a very important and charming visitor this week from her sister city, Whyalla South Australia. The lovely visitor, Pauline Witty, was on her way back to Washington, D.C., and her post at the World Bank after a Christmas leave to her hometown. The officials in Whyalla asked her to stop off and the officials in Texas City were delighted to receive a matter of fact, they even asked her back to participate in TC's 75th Anniversary in mid- September 1986. Pauline, who still bears a marked Australian accent after 18 years in D.C., toured the many fascinating sights that Texas City has to offer with our city's in-house histo- Meriworth Mabry, and Janet Bazemore, chairman of the TC-Whyalla sister city program. She really enjoyed seeing the city the screw pumps, the dike and the industry really made an impression on her.

Texas City is particularly blessed with the loyalties of Meriworth who can not only tour all day with the sister city guest, but entertain that same evening at a Tex-Mex buffet for 30. It was delightful. Janet Bazemore was taking good care of Pauline. Janet was instrumental in getting a clever packet together for sister city Whyalla that included such items as the popular "I Luv TC" buttons, a book on "How to Talk Texan," bluebonnet seeds, and a recipe for chili along with the ingredients. Texas City shares many similar characteristics with her sister city.

Whyalla is a coastal industrial town of approximately 32,000. Pauline calls Whyalla a country town. Susie and Steve Moncla had an entertaining dinner time with Pauline. Susie is sesquicentennial chairman for Texas City and would be delighted to have Pauline participate in our activities in '86. Pauline says she will ride a kangaroo in the parade that will be a joint celebration of the state's 150th and the city's 75th anniversaries.

Margie Hamilton, who has long been involved with the Texas City Heritage Association, is cooking up a low-fare trip to Australia in September. She is realiy excited about the prospect and you better believe it is a good deal. The round-trip air fare from San Francisco is a tad less than $1,000. After seeing Pauline's opals of course, you know that Australia provides most of the world's opals Margie is convinced she wants to dig for opals while there. Sunshine and John Quinn kept everyone laughing with their tales about their bridge partnerships or, rather, sparing parternships.

Evidently, it wasn't too long ago tha Sunshine "spilled" a glass of iced tea on John after his repeated referrals to her mistaken plays a tournament in Houston. Karen Spurlock reported that she is learning to needlepoint so she can help with the needlepointed kneeler pillows for St. George's Episcopal Church. Karen also said that St. George's, along the First Christian Church, will be involved in a pilot program for keeping elementary school children after school.

That sounds like a super program for both children and parents. uii tjuini exilei ilia rcpcSlcQ takes in the sights, sounds and ambiance of mainland By NICKY DE LANGE in Whvalla. Mrs wmv cv, By NICKY DE LANGE TEXAS CITY Traveling from Australia to Washington, D.C., by way of Texas City is not the most direct route. But for Australian Pauline Witty, it was the only way to fly. Mrs.

Witty, an employee of the World Bank in Washington, deliberately arranged the detour through Texas City on her return flight from South Australia. While vacationing in her hometown of Whyalla, she learned that packages had arrived in the South Australian city from its' sister city in Texas. When a regional television news program featured an interview with Alan Castle, the twin cities' project coordinator in Whyalla, Mrs. Witty set out for the local tourist information office to find out all about Texas City. Tha Gulf Coast industrial city, she learned, was paired with Whyalla as part of the 1986 Texas-Australia sister cities program.

Since that year marks the sesquicentennials of both Texas and South Australia, the two states, thousands of miles apart geographically, will share in the year-long celebration. One such activity involves the sister cities program. Mrs. Witty arrived last Tuesday for a brief stopover enroute to D.C., she was enthusiastically welcomed as Texas City's first official visitor from Whyalla. She was the guest of honor at a welcoming reception held at Moore Memorial Library.

At the reception, hosted by the Texas City Sesquicentennial Committee, the outgoing Australian found herself surrounded by dozens of Texas Ci- tians eager to become acquainted with the visitor from Whyalla. And it was that Texas hospitality that made the biggest impression on Pauline Witty. Asked what aspect of her visit had been the most outstanding, Mrs. Witty replied without hesitating, "I would have to say it was the friendliness of the She added that Texas City reminded her in many ways of her own hometown. In Whyalla, she said, "I can walk down the main street and know most of the people." That's no small boast when you consider that Mrs.

Witty has resided principally in Washington for the past 18 years, returning home once every two years for an extended visit with family and friends. On hand to greet Mrs. Witty at the reception were members of the Sesquicentennial Com' mittee and representatives of 'the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Club, the Rotary, AARP, ABWA Shoal Point Chapter, Garden Club, Heights Elementary (for the sister school pro- Delta Kappa Gamma, and the Pen Friends and the Guest Home committees. Mrs. Witty was presented with an official Sesquicentennial flag pin and an "I Love Texas City" button.

The latter gift, she said, was definitely her particular favorite and she wore it proudly during the reception. She didn't arrive empty- handed. Mrs. Witty brought along an armload of brochures and pamphlets about Whyalla and South Australia, as well as several brightly colored cloth calendars featuring koala bears, kangaroos and other symbols of "Down Under" country. During her short stay in the mainland area, Mrs.

Witty took a tour of Texas City's points of interest conducted by Janet Bazemore, chairman o'f the Sister Cities program and Meriworth Mabry, committee member and local history expert. Mrs. Witty also had the chance to try Texas barbecue at a long-established, family- style restaurant in Texas City and sampled home-cooked Tex-Mex cuisine at a dinner held in her honor. The Whyalla native said she enjoyed her visit so much that she definitely planned on returning during 1986 to take part in some of the Sesquicentennial activities. The Australian brochures and calendars brought by Mrs.

Witty are on display at Moore Memorial Library, along with other items sent earlier by the Whyalla sister cities committee. Whyalla guest home program begins Staff photo by Jim Golding Library exhibit Posing with the Sister City exhibit at Moore Memorial Library are, from left, Dwight Spurlock, Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce president, Pauline Witty, Janet Bazemore and Susie Moncla, head librarian and Texas City Sesquicentennial chairman. TEXAS CITY A "Guest program is being started in conjunction with the Texas Sister City Program. In August 1984, Texas City adopted the sister city of Whyalla, South Australia. This was in conjunction with the joint Sesquicentennials (150th birthdays) of Texas and South Australia.

The aim of the sister city program is to promote cultural, technological and people exchanges during 1986. Currently sister school programs, pen pals, and package exchanges are on going. During the two states' Sesquicentennials, program officials hope to have tourists traveling between the twinned cities. Anyone who can furnish a room in their home for visiting Australians should contact Janet Bazemore at 948-3111 ext. 193.

Through the guest home program, visiting Whyalla citizens can experience the warmth of Texas family life and can get good advice about the best places to visit. Possibly, a guest home pro- ranged by the state ject will be started in Whyalla for visiting Texas Citians. If anyone is interested in traveling to Whyalla in 1986, please Janet Bazemore. She will provide information on special rates ar- Also, if anyone is an armchair traveler and would like to visit Whyalla via newspaper, Moore Memorial Public Library has several from Whyalla. TV 51 C5 eiitme'sTDrnfFeb.

14 Fruit Bowl 5 REG. 42.50 Footed salad or centerpiece bowl of hand-cut ijl lead crystal. As versatile in its uses as it is Vf beautiful. 814" diameter. 414" high Quan- nr tit.es Umited.

FREE GIFT WRAP CARRELL'S 6th Street North Downtown Texas City Ph. 948-0930 LET THE MONEY YOU WORK FOR, WORK FOR YOU! Staff Photo by Jim Gojding Welcoming committee Texas City Sesquicentennial Committee members, chamber of commerce officials and other dignitaries pose with Mrs. Witty. Sons of Hermann workshop held Saturday HOUSTON A. special pre- campaign workshop for 57 key officers from 11 Hermann Sons lodges in this area was held Saturday in the Sons of Hermann Hall at 120 Yale St.

here, Grand President Louis B. Engelke of San Antonio announced. Preparing for the member statewide fraternal benefit society's traditional March membership drive were 23 lodge membership representatives, 10 financial secretaries, and 24 presidents, vice presidents, corresponding secretaries and treasurers. They represented lodges in eight cities and towns in the Southeast Texas area. The workshop, one of six such symposiums scheduled in different parts of Texas during February, began with lunch at 12:30 p.m., followed by sessions that brought the lodge officers up to date on broad perspectives of lodge leadership and growth.

William E. Lee of Taylor, Grand Lodge district supervisor, was chairman of the workshop. Participating with him were Marvin- Wessels of Lyons and Leonard Roeske of Brenham, both members of the Grand Lodge Laws Committee; and San Anto- nians Benjamin C. Boyd, grand trustee; Dan Barth, district supervisor; and Alex Fraser and Herman Glosserman, both members of the Grand Lodge Laws Committee. Boyd made closing remarks.

Help stop the hurting REPORT CHILD ABUSE to 948-3481 Citizens State Bank of Dickinson. Tax benefits today, retirement income for tomorrow, and security always (separate FDIC insurance up to All wage earners under 70Vz years of age can have their money work for them at a guaranteed compounded monthly. Minding your own business sure has its advantages, tax advantages! Reduce your 1984 income taxes by opening an IRA before April 15th. Tne Best Since 1906 itizens State Bank 2401 Termini at Pine Drive Dickinson. Tx 77539 (7131337-3565 4r.