Friday, November 16, 2001

Where presidents play
Crawford is a one-light town in the heart of “Bush Country”
By Kristina Iodice
Copy Desk Chief

It’s easy to see when President George W. Bush is staying at his ranch 10 miles outside of Crawford — when the barely-paved streets are lined with satellite vans and roving reporters roll into town.

Ken Brown, a patrolman for the Crawford police, said traffic, crowd control and security in Crawford is a nightmare when the President is at the ranch, and more of a nightmare Thursday because Russian President Vladimir Putin in attendance at Bush’s ranch.

In a town of about 700 residents, most of the police force is volunteer. There is only one full-time and one part-time officer, and everyone works when the president is in town, he said.

“But after Monday it will go back to normal — back to a quiet sleepy little town — and most of the volunteers will be able to go home,” he said.

David Dunai/SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Local Crawford businesses get in the act to welcome President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Don Harris, Crawford High School principal, said the biggest change he could see for Crawford, is when the president is in town the main intersection is harder to get through.

Coffee Station is the only restaurant in the small town, which is also a gas station and convenience store.

Stacey Driver, store manager, said she has met a lot of interesting people since Bush became president.

“The Secret Service guys come in all the time, even when he is not at the ranch,” she said.

When the president and First Lady Laura Bush stopped at the Coffee Station for a meal during their vacation in August, they let all the guests remain and let others still come in, Driver said. She even remembers what they ordered: cheeseburgers with onions and fried jalapenos.

The main difference with another powerful president in city limits was a big increase in the number of people coming in, she said. Not only was she seeing the “regulars,” but the Russian Secret Service agents were also coming in, not to mention a larger number of reporters.

Nancy Baird, Coffee Station owner, said the only time Crawford seems affected by its proximity to the Bush’s 1,600-acre ranch is when the president holds an event in town.

Brown said Crawford will never be the same, property values are increasing and soon business will start moving in.

It’s not everyday students in a small Texas town get to hear from two world leaders, but it is one of the perks when the president has a ranch only 10 miles outside of the town.

Harris said the students, teachers, community members and other guests were sharing a historical moment and something that the students could tell their children and grandchildren about someday.

He said that very little math or science had been taught during the week before the Bush and Putin visited the campus, but students learned a lot in other ways.
“A foreign exchange student from Russia visited the classes and helped to make the event less abstract,” he said.

Harris said never guessed how much work and planning went into a major event, but the opportunity to share in an event like this cannot be measured.

Since Bush was coming to the school with the Russian president, security was very tight.

Brianna Shelton, also an eighth-grader, said Secret Service officers had been working at the school for most of the week, and on Thursday there were a number of police dogs. Thursday morning, students went through metal detectors and put their backpacks all in one room.

Shelton said she was a little worried that the school would be targeted since Bush and Putin were going to be speaking but it was important to her that the two presidents were talking to the students about their ideas and allowing the students to ask questions, she said.

Although more serious topics were discussed, the two presidents exchanged jokes, about student questions (too-hard) and weather.

Bush said he had invited Putin for another visit to the ranch in August — for a true taste of Crawford and Texas heat. Putin responded with an invitation to visit Siberia in the winter.

Bush said he wanted to introduce Putin to the residents of Crawford because the town represents “hard-working Texans, people who have great values, faith and family.”

“And even though we changed addresses, our hearts are right here in our home state,” Bush said.

Kristina Iodice
k.k.iodice@student.tcu.edu