LOCAL

Big Blue Gets Ride From Choctaws
Commissioners Cancel Meeting
Nearly News
‘Life is Precious’ Picture Contest Set
March on Big Blue
Support the Band
Disney Channel Stays
Kay County Square Dancers Set Lessons
County Assessor’s Schedule Announced
Social Security Expands Online Benefits Planner
DHS Honors Family Child Care Facility With 2-Star Rating

Big Blue Gets Ride From Choctaws

By KRISTI HAYES

News Education Editor

The Ponca City High School marching band members got a belated Christmas present.

The Choctaw Nation has pledged the use of its buses and drivers, which will save more than $20,000, to take the band to the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration parade in Washington, D.C.

Since last Friday, the 168-member band has been busy collecting donations to raise $84,000 for the trip. Several businesses and banks have also donated money.

“We think it’s important the kids get to participate,” Alan Lovesee, head of congressional relations for the Choctaw Nation said. “We feel it’s important Oklahoma be represented. Since we have the means to help, we should do so. We’d suggest all Oklahomans pitch in and help.”

Band director Mark Caspersen was thrilled with the announcement. “I thought it was cool. We’re really excited about it. It helps us with a chunk of money we don’t’ have to worry about,” he said.

He also said as of this morning, about $11,671 has come directly through his office. “It’s been fast and furious. We want to make sure everything is running as it should be.”

Band members continue to practice for the 2.2-mile march down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Caspersen, who began the application process in July, said the band will “go twice that distance every day” until the parade. “I don’t think they realize the hard work they’re about to step into,” he said.

Some members raised about $500 conducting a “telethon” Tuesday morning at KIXR radio.

Stations KPNC 100.9 and KLOR 99.3 will allow the band students air time on Saturday, Jan. 6. This will allow students to thank contributing businesses and individuals in a public forum.

The students will solicit contributions, write radio commercials and read them live on the air when they take over the radio stations.

KIXR 100.1 will also offer air time on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.

The biggest donation so far is $5,000 from Ponca City’s Smith International.

Funds have been set up at Pioneer Bank branches in Ponca City and Oklahoma City.

Commissioners Cancel Meeting

The Ponca City Board of Commissioners meeting slated for Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m. has been canceled.

The board’s next meeting will be a special work session scheduled at 7:30 a.m. on Friday. This meeting will be held in the Conoco hanger conference room at the Ponca City Regional Airport, 2501 North Waverly Street.

Nearly News

The Ponca City High School Class of 1943 has answered the challenge of the classes of 1942 and 1955 by donating $750 to the Big Blue Band for their trip to Washington, D.C.

‘Life is Precious’ Picture Contest Set

A “Life is Precious” picture contest is being sponsored by Birth Choice of Ponca City, KLVV 88.7, and The Master’s Touch, in commemoration of Sanctity of Human Life week Jan. 21-28. Photos should depict “positive family relationships, enduring between generations, or the simple innocence of youth,” said a spokesperson.

Any photo showing how “precious God’s gift of life is” will be eligible for the contest. Three winners will be selected with gift certificates to be awarded the winners. The first place photo will be posted on the radio station website, and all entries will be displayed at the store.

Deadline for entries is 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13. Pictures may be mailed to Birth Choice, Box 2683, Ponca City, OK 74601, or taken to The Master’s Touch on North Fourth street. Photos must be identified by name, address and phone number for return. Employees, volunteers and family members of Birth Choice and KLVV are not eligible to participate.

Letters

March on Big Blue

As a former member of the Po-Hi Big Blue Marching Band, I am both excited and encouraged by the news that Big Blue has been invited to march in the Inaugural parade in Washington, D. C. later this month. The Pride of Ponca commanded respect and admiration from other bands and spectators at every competition and event we ever attended. The second generation of my family to be a member of Big Blue, I had a tremendous sense of pride in what we accomplished, and in Ponca City. Fine Arts in our schools, including the band, are extremely important.

I implore the citizens of Ponca City to make a donation to the band to help send them to participate in this historic event. With only two weeks to raise the amount needed, time is of the essence. Think of it as not only a donation to the band, but to the community and the state. Big Blue, along with the color guard from Oklahoma City, will be representing the best of Oklahoma. I have many fond memories of marching in the band and I would like to see the current generation have the chance to create fantastic memories of their own.

I have made a contribution to help and would encourage other members of the class of 1994, and everyone else to follow suit. So, march on Big Blue, we’re with you.

Kevin Carmack

Tulsa

Support the Band

Congratulations to the Ponca City High School Marching Wildcats for being selected to march in the Inaugural Parade this month. It gives honor to their tradition of excellence that they were the natural choice to represent Oklahoma in this important event.

You may remember after the Veterans Day Parade in 1999, I stirred up a bit of controversy when I asked why the band did not participate in this event. I did not mean this as a criticism of the quality of the band, but some thought I did. I simply wanted it known that community support runs both directions. If you support us when we need you, we’ll support you when you need us.

The Po-Hi band was there for the Veterans Day Parade, 2000. Now in 2001, the band is asking for our support. The veterans of Ponca City should give it to them.

It seems like a lot of money that the band needs to raise to make this trip, but if you consider the total population of the Ponca City School District, it only amounts to about $3 per person. If all Ponca City citizens will contribute even a modest amount, it should be a very attainable goal.

Today, I stopped by the Pioneer Bank and made my contribution to help the band meet the expenses of this trip to Washington, D. C.

Veterans, and other members of the community, should do the same immediately.

Loyd M. Bishop

Disney Channel Stays

Cable ONE is pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with The Disney Company that will keep the Disney Channel as part of our programming lineup.

As our customers are well aware, we have been in negotiations with Disney over programming price increases sought for 2001 and beyond. The Disney Company provides us with ESPN, ESPN2 and the Disney Channel, and we were concerned the price increases sought for all three would thwart our efforts to keep cable rates as reasonable as possible for our customers.

Our talks were facing a Dec. 31 deadline, but with the successful resolution of our negotiations, our customers now will be able to continue enjoying the Disney programming that they’ve told us they want.

Our thanks to our customers for their patience, understanding and valuable feedback as we’ve worked to steer this situation to a win-win solution. We’re happy to ring in the New Year with the Disney Channel as part of our comprehensive children’s programming package of Nickelodeon, Fox Family, The Learning Channel, Discovery and the Children’s Television Workshop on PBS.

Danny Thompson

General Manager

Cable ONE

Kay County Square Dancers Set Lessons

Members of the Kay County Square Dancers are sponsoring dance lessons beginning Jan. 8, 7:30-9:30 p.m., inside the atrium at Ponca Plaza.

The first lesson is free and cost will then be $5 per couple per lesson or $2.50 per person per lesson. A special student price is being offered at a cost of $2 per person.

For more information contact Don Harman or Carolyn Sissons, 762-6590; Roy and Jo Neal, 762-5977; or Nate and Jayne Bradley, 762-8423.

County Assessor’s Schedule Announced

NEWKIRK — The Kay County Assessor’s scheduled has been announced. A homestead exemption is an exemption of $1,000 of the assessed valuation of the homestead property. For the year of 2000, the exemption saved $96.47 on our tax bill in school district 71 of Ponca City. A homestead may be granted to the homeowner who resides in the property on a permanent basis on Jan. 1 of the current year. The deed or other evidence of ownership must be executed on or before Jan. 1 and filed in the county clerk’s office on or before Feb. 1.

Application for homestead exemption should be made with the county assessor between Jan. 1 and March 15 for the current year. The law has changed and you may now file for homestead exemption year around, but applications received after March 15 will not apply until the following year. A taxpayer who has been granted a homestead and who continues to occupy the homestead shall not be required to re-apply unless the deed changes.

Any person who is head of the household with a homestead exemption may receive an additional $1,000 assessment exemption if the gross household income from all sources did not exceed 20,000 for the past calendar year. Application for the Additional Homestead exemption is made between Jan. 1 and March 15.

Copies of verification of income are attached as part of the application. Any person who is 65 or older, and who has previously qualified for additional homestead shall not be required to renew the application annually. However, any person who total household income exceeds $20,000 shall notify the county assessor, and the additional homestead exemption shall not be allowed for the year.

A limitation of assessed value may be applied for by persons whose total household income did not exceed $25,000 and is 65 years of age. This exemption freezes the assessed value of the homestead until it is sold or a change is made in improvements.

A farmer is required, by law, to render a list of farm equipment to the assessor as of Jan. 1 of each year. An agricultural sales tax permit may be applied for at that same time. All business owners are also required to list their personal property and inventory each year between Jan. 1 and March 15. The law requires an arbitrary assessment with penalty to those who do not file. You are required to notify the Assessor’s office if your business has closed or changed names.

Assessor’s Schedule

Feb. 6, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Tonkawa and surrounding area, high school.

Feb. 7, 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Nardin and surrounding area, Clyde Co-op

Feb. 13, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Blackwell and surrounding area, high school.

Feb. 14, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Braman and surrounding area, City building.

Feb. 20, 9 a.m.- 11 a.m., Kaw City and surrounding area, City building.

Feb. 28 and March 1, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Ponca City and surrounding area, Library.

Social Security Expands Online Benefits Planner

By Richard Black

District Manager

Social Security Administration

Social Security has expanded its online Benefits Planner that allows workers to compute customized estimates of Social Security benefits online. The planner, found at www.ssa.gov, now includes important information on disability and survivors benefits.

The online planner that Social Security launched in April is evolving from strictly a retirement planner into a benefits planner containing a retirement planner, disability planner and survivors planner.

Each planner contains valuable information about each type of benefit and factors that can affect them. The planner’s online calculators, that previously provided only estimates of retirement benefits, have been enhanced to add estimates for disability and survivors benefits.

In addition, Social Security has expanded the Retirement Planner to include a link to the American Savings Education Council’s (ASEC) Estimate Worksheet. The link to the worksheet enables individuals to combine their estimate of future Social Security benefits with estimates of income pensions and savings to determine if they are saving enough for a comfortable retirement. Linking Social Security’s Benefits Planner with ASEC’s Ballpark Estimate Worksheet provides one-stop retirement planning.

An Earnings Limit Calculator has also been added to the Retirement Planner. The Earnings Limit Calculator lets workers compute the effect of earnings on their Social Security retirement benefit.

American workers need easily accessible planning tools to help them with financial decisions. The Social Security Administration is making every effort to put these tools within easy reach of workers, in their mailboxes and on their computers. I would encourage every worker to take advantage of these tools.

DHS Honors Family Child Care Facility With 2-Star Rating

A local family child care run by Judy Bales has earned a two star status, a program implemented by the Department of Human Services (DHS). The program recognizes child care programs that meet quality criteria that exceed state licensing requirements.

Ms. Bales’ child care is located at 2983 McCord Road and is licensed to care for a maximum of seven children. Implemented in 1998 the DHS “Reaching for the Stars” program was designed to improve the quality of child care.

Two star facilities meet additional criteria in areas that include training, the learning environment, parent involvement and program evaluation.

DEATHS

Almeda Shaw Ivans
Marion L. Irons
Twila Mae Bell
Mary A. Lechtenberg Bellinghausen
Ruth M. McAllister
Darlene V. Hilton
Imogene L. Mann

Almeda Shaw Ivans

STILLWATER — Almeda Shaw Ivans, former resident of Ponca City, died Jan. 1, 2001, at Grace Living Center in Stillwater. She was 83.

The funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5, in the First Christian Church in Ponca City with the Rev. Kent Dorsey officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Colonial Chapel Funeral Home of Stillwater.

Almeda Shaw Ivans was born Jan. 9, 1917, in Meno, Okla., the daughter of Leonard A. Maphet and Millie M. Decker. She was reared in Enid, graduating from Enid High School in 1934. After graduation, she attended Oklahoma A&M where she was a member of the women’s tennis team. She receive her bachelor’s degree in 1939 in education/physical education and pursued further education until 1941. She continued playing tennis well into her 60s and remained an avid OSU sport fan.

She married Gilbert “Speck” Shaw in Enid on Nov. 13, 1937. She spent the next 30 years in Ponca City as a school teacher. In the late 1940s and early 50s, she taught physical education and girls basketball at St. Mary’s Catholic School. She retired in 1980. She was a member of the First Christian Church, the Ponca City Art Association and a charter member of the Lilac Club. She was also a member of the Oklahoma Teachers Association and, later, the Kay County Retired Teachers Association. She was the activities coordinator for parks and recreation and represented Ponca City at the National Youth Drug Prevention Seminar for educators.

After the death of Gilbert Shaw in 1973, she married Chet Ivans in Ponca City in 1976; he died in 1988.

Survivors include a daughter, Judy Ringwall; two brothers, John Maphet of Marietta, Ga., and Ronald Maphet of Arlington, Texas; three sisters, Ethel Jorgenson of Ponca City, Olive Trayler of Enid and Wanda Davenport of Concordia, Kan.; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews

She was preceded in death by both husbands; her parents; one son, Mike Shaw; one brother, Gerald Maphet; and one grandchild.

Memorial contributions may be made in her name to Payne County Foster Children, c/o Sherry Harding, Home National Bank, 324 South Duck, Stillwater, Okla. 74074.

Marion L. Irons

Marion L. Irons, former longtime Ponca City resident, died Sunday, Dec. 31, 2000, at the Terrace Gardens Retirement Center in Wichita, Kan. He was 83.

The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4, 2001, at the chapel of Trout Funeral Home with the Rev. Dr. Michael Kear, pastor of Friendship Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park Cemetery.

Marion L. Irons was born in Osage County on Nov. 2, 1917, the son of Samuel and Mary (Ray) Irons. He was raised in Osage and Kay counties. He married Maxine Montgomery at an early age. She preceded him in death on Oct. 3, 1985. Marion worked for Conoco for over 35 years and retired in February 1985 as a supervisor. He married Lovona Harvey on June 18, 1994, in Enid. Marion enjoyed fishing, hunting and trapshooting. He also attended Eastern Heights Christian Church for a time.

He is survived by his wife of Ponca City; two daughters, Karen Watkins of Bonham, Texas, and Tammy Talbot of Wichita, Kan.; two sons, Fred Irons of Fort Gibson and Monty Irons of Plano, Texas; nine grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

In addition to his first wife, he was preceded in death by his parents, one sister, one brother, and a daughter, Barbara Peterson.

Memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders, 70 East Lake Street, Chicago, Ill. 60601.

Twila Mae Bell

BLACKWELL — Twila Mae Bell, resident of Blackwell, died Monday, Jan. 1, 2001, at the Blackwell Regional Hospital. She was 58.

The funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 4, at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Blackwell with the Rev. Joe Burger officiating. There will be a prayer service held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the church. Burial will be in the Blackwell Cemetery under the direction of Roberts and Son Funeral home.

Twila Mae Bell was born Dec. 26, 1942, in Blackwell, the daughter of Louis and Helen (Hein) Buellesfeld. She grew up in Blackwell, graduating from Blackwell High School in 1960. She married Jim Parr on Sept. 30, 1961, in Blackwell, and they settled in Blackwell. She was a homemaker and was employed part-time at Blackwell Printing and Stationery. She later married Larry Bell on Feb. 6, 1996, in Arkansas City, Kan., and they settled in Blackwell. She began employment at Southwest Cupid, working there for four years. She was a member of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and the Helping Hour Club.

Survivors include her husband of the home; two daughters, Michelle Glass and Ranae Martinez-Perez, both of Blackwell; three sons, Danny Parr, Joby Parr and Curtis Parr ll of Blackwell; her mother; two sisters, Thelma Huster of Newkirk and Jane Terrell of Blackwell, two brothers, Clifford Buellesfeld and Rick Buellesfeld, both of Blackwell; and 13 grandchildren.

Casket bearers will be Glenn Terrell, Larry Bell Jr., Wade Huster, Jeff Vincent, Justin Huster and Robert Buellesfeld.

Memorial contributions may be made in her name to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Third and Bridge, Blackwell, Okla. 74631.

Obituaries

Mary A. Lechtenberg Bellinghausen

TONKAWA — Mary A. (Lechtenberg) Bellinghausen, resident of Tonkawa, died Sunday, Dec. 31, 2000, at Willow Haven Nursing Center in Tonkawa. She was 94.

The funeral Mass will be celebrated 10:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 5, 2001, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Tonkawa with the Rev. Joseph Burger officiating. A private family committal will be held at a later date. A rosary service will be held 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4, at the Trout Funeral Home chapel. Arrangements are with Trout Funeral Home.

Mary was born July 24, 1906, in Quincy, Ill., the daughter of Joseph C. Lechtenberg and Anna B. (Moening) Lechtenberg. She came to Oklahoma in 1909, and, as a young girl, she moved from Pawnee to Ponca City in a covered wagon, where she lived on a farm on Ranch Drive. She started school at St. Mary’s in 1914 and graduated from high school in Oklahoma City. While in school, she started a 35-year career with Southwestern Bell as a telephone operator, working in Oklahoma City, Ponca City, Kansas City, Mo., and Independence, Kan. She moved to Tonkawa in 1972 and married Oscar Bellinghausen that same year. She retired from Southwestern Bell in 1955.

She was a member of the Southwestern Bell Pioneer Club and was a part of the woman’s group at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Tonkawa. She excelled in sewing, quilting and upholstering.

Survivors include two stepsons, Thomas A. Bellinghausen and his wife Rita of Denver, Colo.; Jerry O. Bellinghausen and his wife Sharon of Tacoma, Wash.; two stepdaughters, Ramona Bellinghausen of Tonkawa and Jo A. McCool and her husband Michael of London, Ohio; seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Joseph Kreckal; husband, Oscar Bellinghausen; her parents; and six brothers, Paul, Maurus, Urban, Roger, Andrew and Joseph Lechtenberg.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Building Fund, 320 W. North Avenue, Tonkawa, Okla. 74653.

paid obituary

Services Pending

Ruth M. McAllister

Ruth M. McAllister, resident of Ponca City, died Tuesday morning, Jan. 2, 2001, at her home. She was 72. Arrangements are pending with Grace Memorial Chapel.

Funerals

Thursday

Darlene V. Hilton

Darlene V. Hilton — Funeral at 2 p.m. at Grace Memorial Chapel with burial at the IOOF Cemetery.

Imogene L. Mann

Imogene L. Mann — Funeral at 2 p.m. in the First Church of the Nazarene in Blackwell. Burial will be in the Lamont Cemetery under the direction of Roberts Funeral Home.

NEWS BRIEFS

Square Dance — The Chikaskia Valley Square Dance will be Jan. 5 at the VFW Ballroom. Jacque Reid will be the caller for squares at 8 p.m. Club members will participate in giving dance lessons beginning at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 8 in the atrium at the Ponca Plaza. Contact 762-6590, 762-5877, 762-8423 for more information.

The Vintage Cottage and Jan’s Korner 1401 North Union now offers Klondike Gold necklaces and earrings. Monday through Saturday 10 to 5:30. adv.

Subject Held — An officer in the 2100 block of North Waverly Street reported a 21-year-old man was taken into custody on three city warrants for failure to appear and failure to pay at 10:59 a.m. Tuesday.

Bearly New. New and used maternity and children cloths. 20%, 30%, & 50% off. adv.

Accident — An accident at the intersection of West Broadway Avenue and North Pine Street was reported to Ponca City police at 11:22 a.m. Tuesday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.

Free Pregnancy test. Birth Choice cares. Confidential. Hours: Monday 1-3 p.m., Tuesday, 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, 1-3 p.m. and Thursday, 6-8 p.m. 700 West Broadway. 765-9689. adv.

Theft — A woman in the 1700 block of North Osage Street reported a stolen bicycle to Ponca City police at 11:51 a.m. Tuesday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.

Court Allen Construction. Brick, flagstone, concrete, walkway’s, patios and planters. Call 765-2720. adv.

Theft — A resident in the 600 block of West Otoe Avenue reported a stolen bicycle to Ponca City police at 1:28 p.m. Tuesday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.

Don Sawyer “The Chimney Sweep”. In business for 26 years, no mess. 762-8883. adv.

Accident — A non-injury accident at the intersection of First Street and Grand Avenue was reported to Ponca City police at 3:23 p.m. Tuesday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.

Fire Run — A residential fire 1.5 miles south on Hunt Road was reported to the Communications Center at 10:02 p.m. Tuesday. The Communications Center was advised of a rekindle at this residence at 3:56 a.m. Wednesday. In both cases McCord Volunteer Fire Department was advised.

Accident — A two-vehicle, non-injury accident in the 100 block of South Osage Street was reported to Ponca City police at 3:43 p.m. Tuesday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.

Learn To Square Dance starting January 8. Call 762-5977 for more information. adv.

Accident — A minor accident at the intersection of North Fifth Street and East Hartford Avenue was reported to Ponca City police at 4:51 p.m. Tuesday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.

After Christmas Sale! 40% off entire stock. Mel’s Clothing and Shoes, 2008 North 14th. adv.

Accident — A minor accident in the 1400 block of North Seventh Street was reported to Ponca City police at 5:05 p.m. Tuesday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.

Windshield Chips repaired professionally. Guaranteed and insurance approved. Ponca Glass, 300 W. Highland and Pine. 762-6522. adv.

Subject Held — An officer in the 300 block of South Elm Street reported a 38-year-old man was taken into custody on city warrants for failure to appear and failure to pay at 5:09 p.m. Tuesday.

Head Country, One half bar-b-que chicken with choice of vegetables, $4.25, Thursday, 11 am until gone. 1217 East Prospect. 767-8304. adv.

Subject Held — A Ponca City booking officer reported a 41-year-old man was transferred to the Ponca City jail from the Kay County Sheriff’s Department on a city warrant for failure to pay at 7:51 p.m. Tuesday.

Jim Bowen Construction­ Custom homes, room additions and remodeling. Call 762-3077. adv.

Accident — A minor two-vehicle accident in the 100 block of East Grand Avenue was reported to Ponca City police at 8:03 p.m. Tuesday. An officer was assigned, but no report was taken. Both parties had already exchanged information and one of the parties had left.

Thoroughness — The City of Ponca City celebrates being a “City of Character” and part of being a Character City is recognizing the importance of character qualities. This month’s quality is thoroughness. Thoroughness is the awareness that success is in the details, that giving proper attention to those details will yield the best results, and that a job is complete only after it is cleaned up and followed up.

LIFESTYLES

Spiced, Sweet Tea —Chai —Trendy, Cozy
Little News

Spiced, Sweet Tea —Chai —Trendy, Cozy

Chai is the hot drink these days. Created in India many centuries ago, this spiced, sweet tea is both trendy and cozy. Its warming and digestive properties make it the perfect, non-alcoholic drink according to Dana Jacobi for the American Institute for Cancer Research.

In India, food is valued for medicinal as well as nutritional benefits. Western science, in some cases, confirms these benefits. Tea, for example, contains polyphenols, plant substances that help reduce the risk of cancer. Ginger, a popular ingredient in Chai, has been proven to help settle the stomach.

Indians believe the spices in a cup of Chai, including cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and peppercorns, rouse the circulation as well as improve digestion. Indeed, a steaming mug of Chai is most welcome after you have been out skiing, biking, or hiking on a cold or damp day.

Whole spices are used for making Chai. They impart more flavor because they contain more of the volatile essential oils that give spices their strength and aroma.

Some of these spices, including cinnamon stick, a curled length of the inner bark of a tropical tree, and cloves, the immature bud of an evergreen tree, are probably familiar to you. Cardamom is a spice you may not have encountered before.

A pod of green cardamom - the kind you want - resembles a shelled and peeled pistachio nut. Crushing its papery shell between your fingers reveals three rows of small, dark seeds with a distinctive, dry and warm flavor. Cardamom is used widely in Indian curries and pilafs. You may also know its pleasant taste from mulled wine, Scandinavian pastries, and Swedish meatballs.

The milk and sweetening are as important as the spices in Chai. Since it is also naturally sweet, I find milky Chai needs less sweetening than a plain cup of tea.

Instead of eggnog, this year, ladle hot Chai into cups to share with guests. Its aroma will fill the house with the fragrance of celebration as it cheers your body and spirit.

Spiced Chai

4 cardamom pods

1 4-inch cinnamon stick

8 whole black peppercorns

4 cloves

1 vanilla bean

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled

4 teaspoon black tea or 4 teabags

2 cups 2 percent milk or plain soymilk

1/2 - 1 tablespoon honey

1/2 - 1 tablespoon sugar

Place cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and vanilla bean in a saucepan. Add 2 cups water. Using the finest holes on a grater, grate ginger over pot to catch all the ginger’s juices.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat and simmer gently 3 minutes. Cover pot and remove from heat. Steep spices for 10 minutes. Return pot to medium-high heat and bring back to a boil, uncovered.

Add tea and milk. When mixture is about to boil again, stir in honey and sugar. Strain Chai and pour into mugs to serve. Makes 4 servings, each containing 75 calories and 2 grams of fat.

Little News

Claire Lillian Rady

Announcing the birth of a daughter at 7:44 a.m. Dec. 15, 2000, are Paul and Beth Rady, 5000 East 80 Road. Born at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Claire Lillian Rady, weighed 9 pounds, 10 ounces, and measured 21 and 1/2 inches long. She has a sister, Megan,6; and two brothers, Adam, 4; and Jonah, 18-months-old.

Maternal grandparents are William and Joan Romstadt of Alpena, Mich., and paternal grandparents are Gordon and Marlene Rady of Acme, Mich.

Great-grandparents are Vera Saunders of Traverse City, Mich., Mildred Rady of Brooklyn, Mich., and Lillian Dreier of Toledo, Ohio.

Dereck Michael Jernigan

Gary and Michelle Jernigan, 2524 Oriole, announce the birth of a son at 3:19 p.m. Dec. 6, 2000, in St. Joseph Regional medical Center. Dereck Michael Jernigan weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces, and measured 20 inches long.

Maternal grandparents are Mark and Kathi Hittle of Ponca City. Paternal grandmother is Thelma Jernigan of Ponca City.

Great-grandparents are Bill and Jean Hittle and Irvin Hill, all of Enid.

SPORTS

Wildcats Season Mimmicks Winter time Classic
Junior Golfer Wins Austin Tournament
Blackwell Beats Tonkawa 41-40
Bald Eagles Again Becoming Common Signt in Nature
January Outdoor Calender

Wildcats Season Mimmicks Winter time Classic

BY DAVID DAVIS

News Sports Writer

So far, the Wildcats basketball season has been nothing to sing about as far as wins and losses. It hasn’t been a classic season, but in a sense, it has mimmicked the classic Sammy Cahn winter-time song, “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,

The Ponca City Wildcat basketball team was supposed to leave the evening after Christmas for a tournament in San Diego, Calif. The plan was for the team to win its three tournament games and begin 2001 with a record of six wins and six losses.

It was a special trip for a special team in Ron Arthur’s coaching career.

“All of the teams are special, but this group right is real special because they were my freshman group,” Arthur said. “Their freshman year in high school was my freshman year as head coach.”

But the fire is so delightful.

“We knew Christmas night we weren’t going to get out on the twenty-sixth,” he said.

The airports in Dallas, Oklahoma City and Wichita were backed up with flight delays.

“We tried getting out on the twenty-seventh, the day we were supposed to play,” Arthur said. “They moved our game back to seven-thirty, but we just couldn’t make it.”

And since we’ve no place to go,

The Wildcats could have flown from Wichita to Chicago as a team, but from that point on it would have been on an individual basis. “We just couldn’t do that,” he said.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

“It was one of those decisions that was difficult to make, but for the benefit of the team,” he said. “We had to make it.”

It doesn’t show signs of stopping.

Obviously, the team is disappointed because of all the fundraising efforts.

“But,” Arthur said. “It’s just one of those issues in life that you have to deal with. There’s nothing you can do about it. “We did everything possible to make the trip happen.”

And I’ve brought some corn for popping.

“We told them we would look into some alternative plans to treat them, so at maybe they’ll at least get something out of it,” he said.

The lights are turned way down low …

“But now we just have to get ready for our next game,” he said.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

And that is part of the problem. The Wildcats is a talented team and though it has a losing record, the team is playing well and is fun to watch. However, a cold wind has been blowing on the Wildcats for at least the last four games before the holiday break.

The team went to Kansas Dec. 7 and won the first game. Then, in spite of not shooting very well, the local boys lost the second game of the Blue Valley Tournament to the host team in double overtime. But Dec. 9, University of Kansas signee Jeff Hawking scored 41 points to force the ‘Cats into another overtime game, which the boys lost. On Dec. 12, the team lost 91-77, at home to Tulsa Union. The Wildcats shouldn’t have lost, but the team was obviously tired after going to Kansas and getting caught up in that whirl wind.

On Dec. 18, the Wildcats traveled to Broken Arrow for another game they should have won. But, who could have possibly known about sophomore Sam Bell. The kid came into the game off the bench and couldn’t miss.

“Hawkins has done that to several other teams,” Arthur said. “But it’s just something we didn’t expect to happen [in Broken Arrow]. The kid comes off the bench and plays his first minute of varsity right there.”

Bell has not been an impact player before and chances are, he won’t be an impact player the rest of the season.

“We try to give the benefit of the doubt to every player,” Arthur said. “He caught fire and we couldn’t stop him.”

In spite of it all, the Wildcats have not quit.

“They’re not supposed to,” Arthur said. “There are times when kids get down on themselves or on their teammates, but those are things that make you stronger.”

On that note, the Wildcats open 2001 at home against Bartlesville on Friday.

The team is off until the next Friday when Sapulpa comes to town when the Queen of Courts will be crowned. The time for the ceremony has not been announced.

Junior Golfer Wins Austin Tournament

Michaela Cavener finished with a 243 to win the Longhorn Junior Championship in Austin, Texas, Dec. 27 - 29.

The 15 year-old Ponca City youth shot rounds of 78, 82, 83 to finish seven strokes ahead of second place winner, Cathryn Uselton, of Weatherford, Texas.

Cavener competed in a field of 13 girls from 13-19 years-old that included girls from Texas and Illinois.

The tournament was part of the Jim McLean Future Collegians World Tour. The tournament was held at Barton Creek/Crenshaw Course. The tournament course was a par 71. The yardage was 5,278 feet.

Blackwell Beats Tonkawa 41-40

TONKAWA — The Tonkawa Lady Bucs lost a close one, literally, 41-40, to the Blackwell Lady Maroons Tuesday.

Blackwell opened the game with a first quarter lead of 11-8. Neither team mustered much offense in the second period. At the end of the half, the Lady Bucs were still behind by a 3-point difference, 16-13. Both offenses picked up in the third quarter, but again, their scores were almost even. At the end of three, the score was 26-22.

The home team made a terrific run in the fourth and outscored the visiting ladies 18-15. However, the outburst fell one point short and the Lady Maroons held on to the single digit win.

Outdoors

Bald Eagles Again Becoming Common Signt in Nature

With a wingspan longer than seven feet, the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a majestic and graceful bird of prey.

A common winter visitor to the Great Plains, bald eagle numbers Þrst declined in this region when market hunters destroyed the great buffalo herds — and so too disappeared the carcasses on which eagles fed — during the 1800s.

The bald eagle has a barrel-shaped body measuring 32 to 40-inches long. It’s hooked bill and legs are massive and yellow. Adult birds are dark brown to black. Their distinctive white head and tail plumage develops during their fourth or Þfth year.

Immature birds are dark brown with mottled white wings and are often confused with golden eagles.

Bald eagles feed primarily on Þsh, but they also eat rodents, other small mammals and carrion (dead and decaying þesh). When hunting, the great bird circles high in the sky, scanning the ground with its keen eyesight and swooping down suddenly to take its prey.

The bald eagle is an efÞcient hunter whose sharp talons rarely miss their target. Because of their appetite for Þsh, bald eagles are often found near water. Oklahoma’s large reservoirs and river systems are ideal eagle habitat, especially from mid-October through mid-March, when wintering eagles spread throughout the state.

Mainly a winter resident, bald eagles arrive in mid-October and stay through mid-March. The birds are primarily found in the eastern and central areas of the state during this time, although some pairs have established permanent nest sites in the state.

Bald eagles have a daredevil-like courtship, with 100-mph dives and plummeting somersaults. After pairing, both eagles build a colossal nest as high as 70 feet off the ground in the fork of a tree or side of a cliff. Constructed of sticks, branches, foliage, and lined with a deep layer of Þner material, the same nest is used and augmented year after year. As a result, it will often grow to enormous proportions. As early as October, the female lays a clutch of two eggs.

Both parents share in the duties of incubating and feeding the chicks. The young hatch after 35 days, and three months later, when they can þy and hunt on their own, the adults drive the þedglings from the nest.

With its Þerce and independent demeanor, the bald eagle was chosen as our national emblem in 1782.

Eagle populations have periodically þuctuated, with the most recent threat to the birds’ survival being pesticides such as DDT. The pesticide found its way into the food chain in the 1950s and ‘60s, accumulating in the Þsh and animals that form the basis of the eagle’s diet. The accumulation of the chemical in the eagles’ bodies resulted in their eggs being paper-thin, which resulted in broken egg shells and no eaglets being hatched.

Thanks to laws banning chemicals such as DDT, the bald eagle has made a dramatic recovery over the last 30 years. In fact, the comeback has been so spectacular that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently removed the stately bird from the endangered species list, putting an exclamation point on one of America’s most successful conservation stories. In 1999, at least 30 nesting pairs raised 21 young eagles in the state.

Evidence of this success is becoming more common each year, as more Oklahomans see this monarch patrolling the skies over our state’s reservoirs.

January Outdoor Calender

“IN SEARCH OF EAGLES” interpretive programs for the general public at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge will be held each weekend in January, 2001. The dates for the programs are: January, 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 and 28. Call Refuge Headquarters for more information at (580) 429-3222.

1 Pheasant season closes; Panhandle.

6 Hunter Education Course, Owasso Community Center, 301, S Cedar, 8a-7p. Owasso. Reg (918) 744-1039.

13, 27 Eagle watch tours, Crow’s Secret Nature Center, Lake Thunderbird State Park. Meet 9am at park auditorium, west of Little Axe Cafe. Educational talk followed by caravan search for birds. For info: (405) 321-4633.

31 Quail season closes.

31 Pheasant season closes; North and N.W.

31 Squirrel season closes.