The town of West Point has proven that it takes more than those at the top to build a true sense of community.
A group of West Point High School students going by the collective name of The Raging Bones — technically formed during the 2022-23 school year when they masqueraded, and performed, as the band Kiss during the school’s homecoming parade — hit its stride during the last year after fleshing out its setlist with a healthy mix of original songs and classic covers. Since then the group has received an overwhelming amount of community support and have performed in venues ranging from local festivals to stages in Nashville.
During 2023’s spring break, West Point councilmember Ashlee Phillips helped organize an outing for the town’s senior citizens which allowed them to enjoy the baseball fields located near West Point Town Hall. Youth League players and coaches were recruited and the concession stand was opened to provide the full ballpark experience which some residents were able to experience for the first time.
Virginia Breedlove said she had always been too busy working in her family’s fields to attend sporting events as a child. She said that day offered a welcomed new experience.
“I like it. It’s been a nice change of pace from playing checkers and bingo,” she said.
After learning that West Point Elementary was not able to offer any type of sensory equipment for her autistic son, Lauren Godbee decided to take matter into her own hands and organized the town’s first fun run to coincide with its annual Day in the Park event last April. Funds from the event have gone towards converting an unused classroom into a fully equipped sensory gym similar to those used at Theraplay.
Even with a community as active as West Point’s, the town council still plays a vital role in many of the improvements seen throughout the town. Without the council’s approval, West Point High School baseball coach Drew Bryson would not have been able to move forward with his proposal to construct a covering over the stadium’s bullpen area. Bryson had applied for a Community Development Grant through the school’s baseball booster club, but because funds came in the form of a reimbursement, the organization would not have been able to cover the upfront costs without the town’s help.