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From the pages of The Ponca City News, Sunday, March 19, 2000 LOCAL DEATHS NEWS BRIEFS LIFESTYLES SPORTS LOCALPTC Slates Special Meeting Monday Night PTC Slates Special Meeting Monday NightBy KRISTI HAYES News Education Editor Pioneer Technology Center Board of Education will try to navigate its murky waters by hiring Gail Puckett as a personnel consultant. The decision will be discussed at a special meeting Monday at 5 p.m. at the vo-tech. The vo-tech has been plagued the past months with controversy concerning administrative personnel and issues. If approved, Puckett would try to bridge the gap between administrators and staff. Also on the agenda will be the introduction of Derrin K. Hiatt, special counsel for the possibility of a due process hearing. Further problems arose at Tuesday night’s regular monthly board meeting. President Larry Buck said the board voted to table the issue of renewing the contract of assistant superintendent Dr. Janet Cox. Cox asserted the board voted not to renew her contract, then voted 3-2 to take no action. Gary Bracken, board attorney, advised Cox of her right to a due process hearing. Buck said the official stand of the board is that they took no action on her contract. Cox would not make public comment. “My lawyer, Lana Tyree of Oklahoma City, will advise me what to do next,” she said. Tyree is a well-known activist in the state for women’s rights. Buck said a due process hearing was the only fair thing to do. “After lengthy discussion with our attorney, it is my opinion that the due process hearing is the only fair way that the facts on both sides of the issue can be clearly presented to the board. Not until this process is completed and the facts presented can the board make its decision.” Two months has passed since an anonymous group of employees at PTC drafted a letter of no confidence concerning Cox and superintendent Dr. Sally Downey. The existence of the letter was first reported by The Ponca City News on Jan. 11, 2000. The board reaffirmed its faith in Downey in mid-January by offering her a three-year contract extension. Cox’s contract was on the agenda in February and board members took no action on the matter. It also did not offer Downey a salary increase. Worker Comp Bill Still Alive Keating SaysBy LOUISE ABERCROMBIE News staff writer “The good thing is that it is still alive.” That was the assessment of Gov. Frank Keating concerning Senate Bill 1606 during a Thursday visit to Ponca City. Keating told The Ponca City News that the bill deals with replacing the Workers’ Compensation Court with an administrative process. Sen. Paul Muegge, D-Tonkawa, was one of three senators voting against the measure. The others casting “no” votes were Sen. Gene Stipe, D-McAlester, and Sen. Bernest Cain, D-Oklahoma City. Keating explained the bill now moves to a joint conference committee for final work. He said it calls for “a change in the Workers Compensation system moving from a very expensive judicial system to an administrative system that is faster and fairer, would move the middle men — the doctors and lawyers out.” The governor added, “The bad news [about the bill] is that it is alive by virtue of Gene Stipe and people, who have no intention ever of having that kind of system. It is now in conference and when it comes out of conference it will be considerably different, but it must come out of conference. “Hopefully the small business community of Ponca City and Kay County will say to their legislators ‘Please bring something out that is real reform.’ “And I think the administrative system is real reform. But right now, it is under the control of the chairman of the judiciary committee who does not like the bill at all. So, I’m not very optimistic,” Keating said. Traveling with Keating was Fred S. Morgan, House Republican Leader, of Oklahoma City. Morgan is the author of the house bill. Keating and Morgan were here for a fund raiser for Ponca City State Representative Jim Newport. Morgan said the number of Republicans (40) in the state legislature is at its second highest level since 1929. 18 Year Old Dies In 2 Car Accident Outside NewkirkNEWKIRK — An 18-year-old Newkirk resident was killed in a two-vehicle accident Friday afternoon 6.5 miles north of Newkirk on U.S. 77. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported that Chad Lewman, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene with head injuries. Lewman was the driver of a 1983 Chevrolet that OHP reported had turned left from a private drive in front of another vehicle. It was struck on the driver’s side, partially ejecting Lewman through the driver side window. An 18-year-old passenger, Charlie Bowman, also of Newkirk, was taken by ambulance to the Arkansas City hospital where he was treated for injuries and released, according to the patrol. The driver of the other vehicle, a 1994 Jeep, was 45-year-old Lyle Watson of Arkansas City. He was taken to the Arkansas City hospital, but was treated and released. Passengers in the Watson vehicle included Ashley Watson, 21; Dinneen Teryn, 1; and Lisa Watson, 19. All are from Arkansas City. They were taken to Arkansas City hospital for treatment of injuries. The 19-year-old was admitted in good condition with internal trunk injuries. The others were treated and released. Platters and The Marvelettes Coming to the PoncanSmooth vocals and zippy choreography abound when The Platters and The Marvelettes come to the Poncan Theatre on April Fool’s Day. Two of the most memorable groups of their era, The Platters and The Marvelettes helped Americans fall in love with sweet, romantic tunes and lyrics that still touch us today. The two groups come to the Poncan Theatre as part of the Poncan’s Subscription Membership Series. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 1, 2000. The Platters were formed in 1953. They became a ground-breaking group that helped establish the reputation and success of Mercury Records, easily one of the giants of the pop recording industry of the time. Some of the great Platters tunes are Only You, You’ve Got The Magic Touch, The Great Pretender, Harbor Lights, My Prayer, and many others. In just a few years, they accumulated 16 Gold Albums and over 40 top hits to their credit. The Marvelettes were one of the great “girl acts” of their era. When they were picked up by Motown Records, they hit number one with Please Mr. Postman. Their success caused Motown to change its style from bluesy soul to smoothly orchestrated vocals. Almost immediately, Motown transcended the barriers of race with The Temptations, The Supremes, and others. The Marvelettes remained at the top with eight top ten hits in a short time. They include such songs as Beachwood 4-5789, Don’t Mess With Bill, Too Many Fish in the Sea, and others. “There are still some seats to the concert,” says Kenn Wessel, director of the Poncan. “But folks in Ponca City have really given great support to our subscription membership,” he says. “Our members have almost filled the theatre. When we have a single performance event, such as this one, we don’t have many seats left for non-members.” The corporate sponsor for The Platters and The Marvelettes is Conoco. “We’re very grateful to Conoco,” says Wessel. “They’ve been there to help us time after time, and it’s a real blessing to Ponca City. Since we are a not-for-profit theatre, we need such great businesses as Conoco to help us keep ticket prices down for such great artists as The Platters.” For tickets, patrons should call The Poncan Theatre office at 104 East Grand. The phone is 580-765-0943. The Poncan accepts MasterCard and Visa. Second Half Tax Due by April 1NEWKIRK — Second-half taxes are coming due. According to Kay County Treasurer Pat Schieber, statements were mailed out in February for this year’s second-half taxes that are due for payment. Schieber said to avoid being delinquent, the second half of the tax must be paid before April 1st. A postmark of March 31st will be accepted. For taxpayers who have not paid the first half of their taxes, those delinquent statements were also mailed out and need to be paid as soon as possible. Schieber said anyone with questions should feel free to contact her or a member of her staff at 580-362-2523. NOC Plans Summer Math and Science Academy for High School StudentsTONKAWA — Area students entering Grades 10 through 12 next fall can now sign up for a free Summer Academy in Math and Science sponsored by Northern Oklahoma College and funded by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. The Summer Academy is designed to enhance students’ knowledge of math and science by introducing them to new and exciting fields and concepts through hands-on learning experience. The Academy, for commuters only, will be held Monday-Friday June 12 through 30 on the campus of Northern Oklahoma College Tonkawa and will include a variety of job shadowing experiences provided by area industries plus an “educational venture” to Frontier City. Academy leaders will include Northern science and mathematics instructors Dr. Virgil Ackerson, project director; Brian Box, co-project director; and Rex Ackerson, Luanna Box and Larry Grantz. Enrollment is limited, so students are encouraged to sign up early. Students can obtain information about the academy from Ackerson at (580) 628-6482 or by e-mail at vackerso@nocaxp.north-ok.edu. The Summer Academy provides students a view of how math and science is applied in the real world by interacting with professors, professionals, scientists and mathematicians. Participants will experience new ideas, exciting career opportunities and more. The knowledge they obtain can be applied when they return to school in the fall and even when they pursue a professional career later. According to State Regents Chairman Bill W. Burgess Jr., students who participate in Summer Academies will find themselves immersed in several exciting areas. Fields of study at the Northern Summer Academy will include chemistry, physics, computer technology, engineering, design and mathematics. “By attending academies on a college campus, students are not only learning about real-world professions, but also learning more about college life and what it takes to attend college,” Burgess said. Northern Oklahoma College and participating sponsors are committed to the active recruitment of females and minorities. All activities will be designed to allow the active participation by all academy participants. Special Session For PCUAThe Ponca City Utility Authority will meet in special session Monday at 1:30 p.m. in the Public Safety Center to consider a telecommunication agreement, and a resolution amending the PCUA budget. The business for the PCUA concerns a $30,000 telecommunication agreement with Fred Williamson and Associates of Tulsa to provide a study and business plan for the development of a point of presence in Ponca City. There will also be time for citizens comments at the session on other activities not included on the agenda. The PCUA will then adjourn, and begin a meeting at 2 p.m. as members of the Ponca City Board of Commissioners, in a work session at the Public Safety Center. On that agenda will be a discussion of requests from Jay Anthony Properties Inc. for development of property north of Wal-Mart including a four-lane street and an eight-inch water line. Also on the commission work session agenda will be a request from Evans and Associates to develop land adjacent to the Lew Wentz Golf Course including a golf course project involving holes No. 11 and No. 12, a water distribution system improvement project and a sewer system improvement project. The commission also has on the work session agenda, a presentation from Fire Chief Gary Denny on implementation of a proposed paramedic business plan. The commissioners are also expected to go into an executive session to discuss employment activities. There is time allotted on the agenda for a city manager’s report and communications from the mayor and commissioners. Letters to the EditorPresident Should Be Honest with NumbersRecently the President has thrown out some statistics about firearm related deaths of children which have been repeated by others and in this paper. The number of 5,000 firearm related deaths of children seems high and a look at the statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), part of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), show this is a deceptive number, that is if you think of children as someone too young to drive a car. According to NCHS, there were 649 firearm related deaths of children aged 0 to 14 in 1997, far lower than the often repeated Clinton claim of 5,000. If you include with the children, juveniles and young adults aged 15 to 19, there were 4,205 firearm related deaths in 1997, many of these I suspect were related to illegal use of firearms including street and gang crime. There were 142 tragic accidental firearm deaths of children aged 0 to 14. Any death is tragic, especially a child, but the President was not trying to be honest when he used that number; he just wanted to further the case for gun control. You will not hear them talk of the 70,000 to 2 million (estimates vary) cases each year where crimes were prevented by the use of a firearm. The method has worked for years — create a crisis and then expand the government and take a few more liberties away from the law abiding. The vast majority of those deaths were due to illegal firearm use, illegal under existing laws. Few of those deaths were caused by legal gun owners, yet they are the people who would be penalized by the gun grabbers. Would it be right to pass a national law limiting the maximum speed to 35 mph; we could save many lives and the speed limit is not even mentioned in the constitution. Yearly there are several hundred thousand accidental poisonings of children aged 0 to 6, some of them die, should we ban all household cleaning materials that have caused some of these poisonings and prosecute the grieving parents. I often hear the platitude, no cost is too great to save one life or prevent one tragedy. It sounds good to some but, if we think about it, we know it isn’t true or rational. The rational truth can keep us free, but unlimited government power can enslave us. —Dave White Census Important to All AmericansThis country will soon be engaged in the largest peacetime effort in the history of the United States — Census Day — April 1, 2000. More than 275 million people and 118 million housing units across the United States need to be counted. In Oklahoma, more than three million people and one million households will be surveyed. The Census will have a major impact upon the lives and prosperity of all Oklahoma residents as we enter the 21 Century. Census totals are used to determine how many seats our state will have in the House of Representatives. The fact is Oklahoma will most likely lose a representative, lowering our number of Congressmen from six to five. The census numbers are also used to draw state legislative boundaries. Accurate and complete information helps Oklahomans get their fair share of federal dollars. Every year, over $185 billion in federal funds is distributed to state, local and tribal governments for many programs including education, health care for the elderly, housing and community development, highway construction, and emergency services. Businesses use the numbers to decide where to locate new factories, retail outlets, restaurants, hotels, and other enterprises which create jobs and improve our quality of life. Local governments use census data for planning new roads, bridges, water and sewage plants, locating police and fire stations, and developing social service programs. About a week before April 1, most households will receive a questionnaire by mail. Census takers will deliver forms to the remaining households. The Census forms will be easy to read and simple to fill out. The Census 2000 questionnaire which most people get will ask about only seven subjects: name, sex, age, relationship, Hispanic origin, race, and whether the home is owned or rented. Nationwide, five of six housing units will receive this short form. It will be the shortest short form in 180 years. Information provided by all individuals is confidential. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share your answers with others, including welfare agencies, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Internal Revenue Service, courts, police and the military. Oklahomans need to stand up and be counted; not just for today, but for generations to come. Please help us spread the word to our fellow Oklahomans about the importance of the April 1 census. Encourage everyone to fill out their forms and mail them back to the Census Bureau. We must be fully counted! — Jim Reese State Representative Diabetes Support Group Will Meet On Tuesday NightKay County Diabetes Support Group will meet on Tuesday, March 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Grand Avenue Church of Christ, 1300 West Grand in Ponca City. A video will be shown on Fast Food Choices, and those attending are asked to bring items to share such as recipes, new articles or other items of interest. For more information call 763-0868 or 762-4479. The Kay County Diabetes Support Group meets on the third Tuesday of each month from September to May and all interested persons are invited to attend the meetings. Homelessness Topic Tuesday At Area SessionHomelessness is not just a big city problem. Individuals and families can and do become homeless in Oklahoma’s small towns and rural areas. Anyone interested in working to improve the situation is invited to a public informational meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Conoco Clubhouse, 1500 South Fourth Street. The purpose of this meeting is to share information and obtain input for the development of a continuum of care plan for a multi-county area including Kay, Osage, Noble, Pawnee and Creek Counties. The plan is necessary to apply for federal funds to fill gaps in the locally developed system to assist homeless persons to move to self-sufficiency and permanent housing. The community planning process should include participation from nonprofit organizations, banks, neighborhood groups, housing developers, businesses, foundations, service providers, homeless or formerly homeless persons, and government agencies. Public officials and community leaders are urged to attend. Ponca Gourd Dance Society RevivedWHITE EAGLE — The first gourd dance to be sponsored by the recently revived Ponca Gourd Dance Society has been announced for Saturday, March 25, at the Ponca Tribal Cultural Center. This dance society is a reactivation and continuation of what originally started in the late 1950’s and 1960’s. In those early days, a certain few members of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma traveled to Lawton, Okla. These men were inducted into the Oklahoma Tiah-Piah Society by Nelson Big Bow, a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, thereby giving sanction to the Ponca Tribe to perform the Gourd Dance. At the March 25th inaugural gourd dance, Big Bow, now 82 years of age, will be in attendance as an honored guest. Leonard Cozad, Jr., also a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, will conduct ceremonies renewing the sanction of this previously given right and privilege. A special ceremonial song will be performed during the afternoon opening ceremony and a song composed by Cozad will be presented to the Ponca Gourd Dance Society during the evening activities. The membership of the Ponca Gourd Dance Society is open to all members of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma of all ages who participate in the Gourd Dance, including other Native American and non-Indian gourd dancers associated with the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma. Inaugural membership presently consists of more than two dozen Ponca tribal citizens. The Ponca Gourd Dance Society has extended a welcome and invitation to all other Gourd Dance organizations, community members and all visitors to come and enjoy and be a part of the special and historic event. A special all-guest head staff has been selected by the society so Ponca tribal members may fully enjoy the memorable day. Head staff includes Head Singer Leonard Cozad, Jr. (Kiowa), Head Gourd Dancer Hank Childs (Otoe), Head Woman Dancer Roberta Gardipe (Pawnee), Arena Director James White (Cherokee), Master of Ceremonies Marvin Alexander (Seminole); Co-Host Gourd Dance Organization is the Oklahoma Indian Nation Powwow Club. Doors will open at 11 a.m. Saturday with the special opening ceremony starting promptly at 1 p.m. with the gourd dance immediately following. An evening supper, prepared by Head Cook Marlene Hall (Otoe) and helpers will be served at 5:30 p.m. All in attendance are requested to bring their own table service and chairs, Evening activities will resume at 7 p.m. This is an all Gourd dance event. The Ponca Tribal Cultural Center is located 5-1/2 miles south of Ponca City, just west of Highway 177 in the Ponca tribal community of White Eagle. Proper Storage of Household Chemicals Medications SoughtAccording to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, a child is poisoned every 30 seconds in the United States and sixty percent of all poisonings occur to children under the age of six. During Poison Prevention Week, which is March 19-25, the pharmacy staff at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center would like to raise awareness of the dangers of unintentional poisonings and the importance of proper storage of household chemicals and medications. The theme for this year’s observation is “Children Act Fast .. So Do Poisons!” This means that parents must always be watchful when household chemicals or drugs are being used. Many incidents happen when adults are using a product, but are distracted for a few moments. Children act fast, and adults must make sure that household chemicals and medicines are stored away from children at all times. “I would encourage anyone who routinely has children age five and under in their home to do a home hazard check, have a bottle of ipecac on hand for each child and post the Oklahoma Poison Control Center phone number in an easily accessible place. The number is 1-800-764-7661,” said Rick McCumber, SJRMC pharmacy director. “St. Joseph Regional Medical has Home Check List and First Aid for Poisoning pamphlets available in our pharmacy, as well as labels with the poison center phone number.” McCumber suggested checking the expiration date if you already have ipecac in your home. He said if it is out of date, you should purchase a new bottle from your pharmacist to make sure it will work effectively. Millions of people are unintentionally poisoned every year. The following is a list of steps to take if poisoning occurs: 1. Remain calm! 2. Call the Poison Control Center or your doctor. Have the following information ready: —child’s condition. —name of the product and ingredients. —how much of the product was taken. —time poisoning occurred. —your name and phone number. —age of the poisoned child. —weight of the poisoned child. 3. The Poison Control Center or doctor will tell you what to do next. 4. Be sure you know how to give first aid if a poisoning occurs. If medication has been swallowed, do not give anything by mouth until you are advised to do so. If chemicals or household products have been swallowed, follow the first aid instructions on the label then call for professional advice. Use syrup of ipecac only on professional advice. Free Lutheran Bible School Concert Choir Will Perform HereThe Concert Choir of the Association of Free Lutheran Bible School will be in Ponca City for a concert on Monday, April 3, sponsored by the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. This 37-member musical group, directed by Jerry Nelson, is from Minneapolis, Minn. They have traveled to sing from the East to the West Coasts, have presented their musical programs in Norway three times, and are scheduled for concerts in Eastern Europe next year. The school is a two-year Bible college, sponsored by the Association of Free Lutherans. Good Shepherd Lutheran is seeking housing for these young singers during their Ponca City stay. If you can help, please call Karen Ley at 762-7120. The public is invited to hear these young singers in concert at 7:30 p.m. on April 3. The location of the concert will be announced at a later date. Casey Cantwell To Present Organ Recital Here March 26The Ponca City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists will sponsor an organ recital to be given by Casey Cantwell at First Christian Church on Sunday, March 26 at 4 p.m. Casey is presently the full-time Senior Organist at Boston Avenue Church (United Methodist) in Tulsa. In this congregation of over 8,000 members, Cantwell is in charge of the 125 voice Chancel Choir that is seen on ABC television each Sunday morning throughout our region of the country and the Chapel Choir which sings for the 8:30 a.m. service each Sunday. He also produces a recital series on the church’s 105 rank Moller pipe organ. Casey was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1960. He began piano at the age of five and organ when he was in the sixth grade. He earned the Bachelor of Music Degree in Organ Performance from Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport. He has held the position of Organist, Youth Choir and Handbell Choir director at numerous churches. He maintains an active concert schedule having played in many states in our country, and in 1996 he traveled to Italy where he played in Florence, Assisi, and Rome, including the Sunday High Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. In 1999 he accompanied a local choir to Austria and Germany where he played in many churches. The AGO chapter is excited to offer this recital to the public free of charge. The members of the chapter encourage all who enjoy music of the highest caliber to attend this recital. Rarely does an opportunity to hear such an internationally known musician come to Ponca City, it was pointed out, and it is hoped that many of the Ponca City community will give Mr. Cantwell a warm welcome on March 26 at 4 p.m. City CalendarItems for the City Calendar should be brought in or telephoned (765-3311) to Bob Patterson, at the Ponca City News, by Thursday noon. Anytime FOLOBS (Friends of Library Ongoing Book Sale), anytime the Ponca City Library is open, North of Multimedia Room (downstairs). Alcoholics Anonymous, Alano Group, Ponca City’s first established AA Group, meets at Noon and 8 p.m., seven days a week. All noon meetings open, all 8 p.m. meetings closed except Fridays, 603 South First Street. Monday Ponca City Utility Authority Special Session, 1:30 p.m., Public Safety Center Commissioners Room, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue. Ponca City Board of Commissioners Work Session, 2 p.m., Public Safety Center Commissioners Room, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue. United Ostomy Association, Stillwater-Ponca City Chapter, 7 p.m., Jane Johnson, RN, CETN — ET Nurse from Enid, will present program, Conference Room B, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Ponca City. Tuesday Library Preschool Programs Art Lesson, for ages 4-7 at 10 and 11:30 a.m., Ponca City Library. Marland Estate Commission, 4:30 p.m., Program Room, Ponca City Library, 515 East Grand Avenue. Osage Cove Volunteer Fire Department, 7 p.m., Fire Station, corner U.S. 60E and Keeler Road, new volunteers always welcome. DAV, 7 p.m., 401 South Lincoln Street. Wednesday Library Preschool Programs Art Lesson, for toddlers ages 2-3 at 10 and 10:30 a.m., Ponca City Library. St. Patrick’s Day themed luncheon and card party, noon-3:30 p.m. ., sponsored by St. Francis Guild of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, in the church parish hall, tickets $5 each, purchased by calling Deanna Nicholas, 762-5496; Joan Slovacek, 762-5953; or Beverly Smith, 762-2695; community welcome, luncheon tables available for non-card playing attendees. Thursday Oklahoma Department of Transportation Regional Meeting Open House, Trade-Show Type Exhibit, 4-6:30 p.m., Fourth Street Clubhouse, 1500 South Fourth Street, Ponca City. Alzheimer’s Support Group, 7 p.m., Conference Room A (in cafeteria), St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. American Legion Huff-Minor Post 14, 7:30 p.m., Post Home, 407 West South Avenue, Ponca City. Saturday Church Women United Spring Fling Arts and Crafts Show, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Unity Gym, benefit for Child Development Center, a United Way Agency, booth spaces available, more information 762-9669 or 718-0019. Arbor Day, 10 a.m., Pioneer Park, Fifth Street and Highland Avenue. March 27 Ponca City Board of Commissioners, 5:30 p.m., Public Safety Center, Commissioners’ Room, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue, Ponca City Utility Authority and Ponca City Development Authority follow. March 28 Library Preschool Programs Out Like a Lamb, ages 4-7 at 10 and 11:30 a.m., Ponca City Library. Kim Doner, award winning children’s author/illustrator, autographing, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Brace Books and More, 2205 North Fourteenth Street. March 29 Library Preschool Programs Out Like a Lamb, for toddlers ages 2-3 at 10 and 10:30 a.m., Ponca City Library. Lou Dean autographing Angels in Disguise and Osage County Kids, 6 to 8 p.m., Brace Books and More, 2205 North Fourteenth Street. March 31 Howard Hanger Jazz Fantasy, 7:30 p.m. at the Poncan Theatre, sponsored by the Ponca City Arts & Humanities Council. Free admission, no tickets necessary. April 1 American Legion pancake and sausage feed (all the pancakes you can eat), from 6:30 to 10 a.m., Post Home, 407 West South Avenue, Ponca City. Adults $3.50. Children under 12: $2. Children under 6: free. Proceeds will go to children and youth activities. WBBZ Spring Expo, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Hutchins Memorial Auditorium, free admission. The Platters with The Marvelettes, 7:30 p.m., the Poncan Theatre, 104 East Grand Avenue, for tickets, call the Poncan Monday through Friday between 1 and 5 p.m. 580-765-0943. April 6 Tree Sale by the Kay County Conservation District Office, 115 S. Maple, Newkirk, 8 a.m. to noon, seedlings available, minimum order 200 in bundles of 50, variety of species available, forestry officials available for advice. Ponca City Noon Lions present the Plummer Family Country Music Show, 7:30 p.m. at Hutchins Memorial Auditorium, North Fifth and Overbrook. For tickets call 580-765-5676. April 8-15 Solid Waste’s Annual Spring Clean-Up. April 10-11 Safe Boating Skills Class, sponsored by Off-the-Job Safety Committee taught by Oklahoma Lake Patrol Division, free, seating limited, RSVP Paul Waffle 580-767-6309 or Wes Barton 580-767-4300 during the day, 6 to 9 p.m. each evening, South Fourth Street Clubhouse. April 12 Rural Water, Sewer and Solid Waste Management District No. 3 Board Meeting, 7 p.m., District Pump House, Perch Lane, Sandy Park Estates. April 13, 14, 15, 16 Annual Easter Pageant presented by First Baptist Church, “No Name Under Heaven ... Jesus!” 7 p.m. nightly, Hutchins Memorial Auditorium, tickets free but necessary and available at First Baptist Church office, Pioneer Bank and Trust, the Master’s Touch, and KLVV in Ponca City, Guy Lyall Insurance in Tonkawa and Eastman National Bank in Newkirk. April 14 Spring Salad Luncheon, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, East Hartford Avenue and North Pecan Road, adults $5, children $2, cookie bouquet centerpieces for sale. Friendship Feast Fund Raising Spaghetti Dinner, 4:30 to 7 p.m., Fellowship Hall of First Christian Church, $6 for adults and $3 for children, meal consists of spaghetti, sauce, home-baked bread, salad, home-baked cookies and lime sherbet. Loaves of Kay Motz bread available. April 15 Lake Ponca Clean-Up. April 17 United Ostomy Association, Stillwater-Ponca City Chapter, 7 p.m., business and election meeting, Stillwater Medical Center Board Room. April 18 Kaw Lake Association 2000 Board Meeting, noon, Golden Corral. April 19 Ponca City Public School Foundation, noon, Ponca City Library. Ponca City Tourism Authority, 2 p.m., Cultural Center Sunroom, 1000 East Grand Avenue. Tomie dePaola, internationally famous children’s author/illustrator, autographing 5-7 p.m., Brace Books and More, 2205 North Fourteenth Street. May 5-6-7 Iris Festival (Many Activities) May 6 Victorian Chocolate Festival, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Grand Central Station, lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., French pastries, chocolate and specialty food booths. May 17 Ponca City Public School Foundation, noon, Ponca City Library. June 3 Seventh Annual Ponca City Herb Festival, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Cann Memorial Gardens, Fourteenth Street at East Grand Avenue, fresh herbs, demonstrations, samples and seminars, herbal crafts and products, food, live entertainment and lots of thymely advice. Gary Lewis and The Playboys with Mitch Ryder, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m., the Poncan Theatre, 104 East Grand Avenue, for tickets call the Poncan Monday through Friday between 1 and 5 p.m. 580-765-0943. Ponca Playhouse Pair To Perform At Broken ArrowPonca Playhouse members, Ruslyn Hermanson and Shawna Rolland, will perform in a scene from Grace and Glorie by Tom Ziegler at the Oklahoma Community Theatre Association’s biennial statewide conference. The conference will be held in Broken Arrow March 23 through 26. Dr. Tom Cowley will direct Hermanson and Rolland in this one of six special workshops. Other theater groups featured in the conference scene studies will be representing Heller Theatre (Tulsa), Jewel Box Theatre (Oklahoma City), Tulsa Indian actor’s Workshop, McAlester Community Theatre, and Watonga Community Theatre. Additional workshops at the conference will include set and prop construction, lighting, character make-up, dialects, improvisation, stage combat, directing, characterization, and grant-writing. For additional information, contact Kay Armstrong, OCTA director, at (405) 236-0788. Noon Lions Bringing Plummer Family BackThe Ponca City Noon Lions Club is bringing back the Plummer Family for an evening of entertainment for the community 7:30 Thursday, April 6, at the Hutchins Memorial Auditorium. Tickets for the event are $8 in advance and available at Pioneer Bank and Trust; at the door, tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Funds from the evening stay in the Ponca City community helping supply eyeglasses for those in need. Approximately 45 needy local children and some adults were assisted with critical eye care and glasses last year. The club also purchased four Magna-Cams for use by persons with Macular-degeneration. This past year, the Ponca City Noon Lions have contributed approximately $9,000 for the services and for the purchase of the equipment. The Plummer Family Country Music Show was one of the first and best theaters in Branson, Mo. Darrell and Rosie Plummer, owners/operators/performers, opened their theater in May of 1973 and continued for 18 years. After four years of retirement from the music business, the Plummer Family show went back on the road in 1995. Rosie and Darrell have been acknowledged in many ways for their talent as country music performers. Rosie was presented with the first Show Biz Award in 1984 at the Ozark Music Awards, and both Rosie and Darrell have been inducted into the Ozark Hall of Fame. The experience of the two combined with the talent of the new members lend to a delightful show. Darrell Plummer takes to the stage as the masters of ceremonies. His talent ranges from picking the guitar to singing a good country or gospel song to duets with Rosie. Rosie Plummer plays her accordion and sings country and western songs, showing her love of music with her smile and talent. The show would not be complete without a good comedian. Tim Cagle, better known as Cousin Zeke, a veteran of the Plummer Family Country Music show, adds humor along with some fancy lead guitar picking and singing. Members of the Plummer Family band include Gary Horn, who plays bass guitar, sings some oldies and duets and harmonizes. Mitch Herod can be found behind the drums keeping a steady beat with each tune. No song is complete without the sounds of the steel guitar, and that is what Dave Mitchell plays and picks. Three ladies complete the group. Lynn Rose Terry, Karen Horn and Linda Cagle sing, harmonize and dance. The goal of the Plummer Family is to share friendliness, positive personalities and talent with each and every member of the audience through the magic of their music. The Noon Lions Club invites patrons to join them in an evening of fun and music while helping fill the critical eye care needs of Ponca City. Two Area Legislators Split on Porn IssueBy RALPH SEWELL News’ State Capitol Bureau OKLAHOMA CITY — It may seem odd to some that Ponca City Rep. Jim Newport would vote against an anti-pornography bill authored by Rep. Jim Reese, R-Nardin, who represents a neighboring district. Newport was the only House vote cast against Reese’s HB 2307 when it passed 94-1. The bill would let anyone who helps enforce laws against internet pornography share in proceeds from the sale of seized computer equipment. Reps. Larry Ferguson, R-Cleveland, and Joe Sweeden, D-Pawhuska, voted for Reese’s bill. But Newport says he’s opposed to government seizing property after a crime is committed. People should be punished, he says. But he doesn’t think government should steal anyone’s property. Senators spent three hours last week debating Worker Compensation reform than wound up passing SB 1606 by a vote of 45-3. Sen. Paul Muegge, D-Tonkawa, joined Sen. Sen. Gene Stipe, D-McAlester, Oklahoma’s noted litigator, in voting no. The other “no” vote was cast by Sen. Bernest Cain, D-Oklahoma City. Sen. J. Berry Harrison voted for the bill, which would change Oklahoma’s Worker Compensation system from adversarial to administrative. The reform is pushed primarily by business groups. They contend present practices make insurance so costly that new industry is discouraged. Despite the lopsided vote, this is not a final version. The bill has no title, so it’s defective. Chances are a final bill will be written by Senate-House conferees. Muegge and Reese both passed bills that would let Cherokee County form a trust and issue bonds to build a prison which it would like to lease to the Corrections Department. Senators gave Muegge more trouble with his bill than the House did Reese. The senator’s SB 1407 passed the Senate 30-16. One potent no vote was cast by Sen. Cal Hobson, vice-chair of the Senate Appropriations committee. He also is regarded as the most knowledgeable senator about prisons. Harrison voted for Muegge’s bill. Reese’s prison bill — HB 2510, passed the House 99-0, with other Ponca-area representatives also voting for it. The Cherokee trust would issue bonds to be retired by rents paid by the state. Cherokee see it as an opportunity to create local jobs. Last Thursday was the final day for one house to send their own approved bills to the other. Now, the Senate and House will work on the other’s bills. Each has until April 20 to do this. Then it’s time for compromising. Many of the bills had titles removed before being sent to the opposite house. Such indicates a bill is a long way from becoming state law. Here’s how Muegge, Harrison, Newport, Reese, Ferguson and Sweeden cast their votes on other bills: —HB 1963 would make it the responsibility of an automobile passenger, as well as a driver, to remain at the scene of an accident, and if an injury is involved, render help. It passed the House 93-0. Newport, Reese, Ferguson and Sweeden voted yes. —SB 3 was approved by the Senate 43-3 with the title off. It would give tax breaks to companies that build tourist attractions that draw at least 25 percent of its patrons from outside Oklahoma. Muegge and Harrison voted yes. —SB 1205, which passed the Senate 30-14, relates to metropolitan area planning commissions. It provides commissioners may withhold approval of projects if such would lead to congestion, drainage, fire or other hazards. Muegge and Harrison voted yes. —SB 1544, passed the Senate 27-17 after first being rejected. It would allow administrators and teachers to contract with more than one school district. Muegge and Harrison voted no. —SB 810, which passed the Senate 43-1, would suspend the state sales tax for a week in August on clothing priced at less than $100. It’s one of several similar bills still alive. Muegge and Harrison voted yes. —HB 2622 passed the House 98-1. It lists requirements for a high school diploma starting with the 2003-4 school year. The bill says needed will be four units of English, including grammar and composition; three units of mathematics, including Algebra I; three units of science, which must include Biology I, and may include agricultural science, three units of Social Studies, including United States and Oklahoma history; one unit of technology which may include computers; and two units of Arts. It also offers college and vo-tech options. Title of the bill was removed. Ponca-area representatives voted yes. —HB 1717 passed the House 67-31. It would give the Wildlife Commission 5 percent of the taxes the state collects on sales of hunting and fishing items. Sweeden voted yes; Newport, Reese and Ferguson no. —HB 2300 passed the House 78-19. It would raise travel allowances for county officers — sheriffs from $350 to $500; county assessors from $250 to $400, and the clerks, court clerks and treasurers from $130 to $300. Newport, Reese, Ferguson and Sweeden voted yes. —HB 2586, passed unanimously, asks college regents to help students with disabilities by getting publishers to provide materials in a digital electronic format. —HB 2527 would require kindergartners to be tested on languages to reveal those who may fail. It passed 51-39. Ponca-area representatives voted yes. —HB 2541, with title off, passed 94-5. It changes the law passed in 1997 deregulating the electric utility industry. Reese, Ferguson and Sweeden voted yes; Newport no. —HB 2125 would create a new state unit charged with preventing or treating addictive disorders. It indicates funding will be needed, but doesn’t say how it will be provided. The House passed it 56-43 without a title. Sweeden voted yes; Newport, Reese and Ferguson no. —HB 2404 would instruct the Department of Public Safety that when it cancels a commercial driving license it may replace it with a license to drive a personal car. The bill also says a conviction for speeding not more than 10 miles an hour should not appear on the traffic records. It passed 99-2. Ponca-area representatives voted yes. —HB 1170, passed by the House 92-8, would divert 2.7 percent of the state’s horse race revenue to OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Ponca-area representatives voted yes. —SB 1140, which passed the Senate 54-11, sets new rules for expelling or suspending a student from public school. Muegge and Harrison voted yes. The title’s off the bill. —HB 1896 passed the House 65-24. It would let the Board of Health to set higher fees for out-of-state bedding renovators than domestic ones. Ponca area representatives voted yes. —HJR 1045 would ask voters to approve added revenue to pay teachers. Some think it may be a way to raise taxes without a vote of the people. It passed the House 98-0. Ponca-area representatives voted yes. —HB 2100, passed by the House 87-15, would make driver license files — now confidential — available on request. Newport and Sweeden voted yes; Reese and Ferguson no. —HB 1947, which passed the House 94-4, would establish a center for telemedicine in the state health department. Ponca-area representatives voted yes. —HB 2306, by Reese, passed 95-3. It would forbid counties or cities to prohibit the growing of trees on private property. Ponca-area representatives voted yes. —HB 2658, passed by the House 80-16, would require funeral directors send copies of death certificates to the county election board. Newport, Reese and Ferguson voted yes; Sweeden no. —HB 2158 passed the House 92-4. It tells the tax commission to develop special automobile license plates to recognize Indian tribes. The bill was amended by Reese to tell commissioners to make special plates identifying the hearing impaired. Newport, Reese and Ferguson voted yes; Sweeden no. —HB 2513 passed the House 86-8. It proposes a Youth Smoking Prevention Advisory Commission. An amendment by Newport would require stores to display tobacco products no lower than 48 inches — above the eyes of many children. He thus salvaged a bill that failed to make it out of committee. Newport, Reese, Ferguson and Sweeden voted yes. —SB 1469 would create within the health department a unit to research and treat cardiovascular and heart disease patients. Muegge and Harrison voted yes. —SB 1021 would give colleges right to ban persons from campuses who interfere with the purpose of the college. Senators passed it 36-10. Muegge and Harrison voted yes. —SB 885 failed in the Senate 20-25. It would require school buses to be equipped with new flashing white or amber lights to be used when visibility is reduced in daytime. Muegge and Harrison voted for the bill. DEATHSGeorge Washington Jr. George Washington Jr.CLAYTON — George Washington Jr., former resident of Ponca City, died March 15, 2000, at his home in Talihina. He was 71. A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, March 20, at the Fort Gibson National Cemetery with the Rev. Gerald Pringle officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Clayton Funeral Home of Clayton. George Washington Jr. was born Oct. 26, 1928, in Chickasha, the son of George and Edna Washington. He served in the U.S. Army Airborne from 1952 to 1960, serving in the Korean War. He was awarded several medals, including the Korean Service Medal with two bronze service stars. After his service ended, he was employed as a barber for many years at Wash’s Barber Shop in Ponca City. Survivors include two sisters, Laurice Springer of Milwaukee, Wis., and Katherine McCoy of Oklahoma City; one brother, Nathaniel Washington of Suitland, Md.; and several children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Erna Lou MorganErna Lou Morgan, longtime Ponca City resident, died Thursday, March 16, 2000, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. She was 69. The funeral will be held 10 a.m. Monday, March 20, 2000, at Grace Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Joe Muniz, pastor of the New Life Pentecostal Holiness Church, officiating. Burial will follow at the Springside Cemetery near Arkansas City, Kan. Erna was born Feb. 12, 1931, in Wichita, Kan., the daughter of Earnest Isreal and Cora Etta (Cutshall) Isreal. She received her education in the Wichita and Ponca City schools. On May 20, 1947, she married Earnest T. Morgan in Winfield, Kan. She worked as a cook and various other jobs. She enjoyed reading, fishing and traveling with her husband while he worked as a truck driver. She is survived by two sons, Clifford Morgan and Ronnie Morgan both of Ponca City; one daughter, Candy Lee Morgan of Yale; one sister, Rosie Dixon of Ponca City; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and one brother, Clayton Isreal. Casket bearers will be Chris Spears, Jessie Brown, Earl Brown, Joe Brown, Buddy Nash, and J.R. Harris. The family will be at 802 South Eleventh. Chad Allen LewmanNEWKIRK — Chad Allen Lewman, resident of Kaw City, died Friday night, March 17, 2000, as a result of a traffic accident north of Newkirk. He was 18. The funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 21, in the Newkirk Christ’s Church with the Rev. J. Craig Ortwein officiating. Burial will follow in the Washunga Cemetery in Newkirk under the direction of Miller-Stahl Funeral Service. Chad Allen Lewman was born Nov. 9, 1981, in Ponca City, the son of David Allen and Connie Jo (Preston) Lewman. He grew up and received his education in Newkirk. After leaving school, he was employed by R&R Kahle Inc. in farming and ranching. In February of this year, he moved to Texas and was employed by the Sherman Cattle Feeders Industry in Sherman, Texas. He was a member of Christ’s Church and the National Rodeo Association. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, bull riding in rodeos, shooting pool, country music and singing karaoke. Survivors include his father of Newkirk; his mother of Kaw City; several aunts and uncles, and numerous cousins. Casket bearers will be Justin Case, Brandon Weant, Shane Oldfield, Cory Collyar, Randy Lewman and Perry Majors. Memorial contributions may be made in his memory to Rodeo For Christ, c/o Eastman National Bank, Box 468, Newkirk, Okla. 74647-0468. ObituariesArthur M. HadleyArthur M. Hadley, longtime Ponca City resident, died Friday, March 17, 2000, at his home. He was 74. The funeral will be held Monday, March 20, 2000, at 10 a.m. at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Dr. J.D. Ward, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Trout Funeral Home. Mr. Hadley was born June 13, 1925, in Payne County, east of Stillwater. He was the son of Oren C. and Myrtle (Gambill) Hadley. He grew up in that area and attended schools at West Point in Payne County, near Glencoe. On Aug. 22, 1944, he married Maxine Stover in Guthrie. They made their first home in Stillwater where he was employed at the Payne County Creamery. In April 1951, they moved to Ponca City where he worked as a retail route salesman for A&M Creamery and later for Dairyland Creamery. In May 1955, he began a career as an insurance salesman. He worked for two years with Home State Life and then became a general agent with Atlas Life Insurance Company, retiring in 1993. In May 1982, he opened Hadley Autos, which he enjoyed operating with his three sons. He remained active in the automotive sales business until a few months before his death. Mr. Hadley was a member of the First United Methodist Church. He also held memberships in the Kay County Life Underwriter’s Association and the Red Bud Chapter of Kansas Old Time Pickers, Fiddlers and Singers. He enjoyed dancing, playing the fiddle and spending time with his dancing friends. He also liked watching football and rodeos. Mr. Hadley is survived by his wife, Maxine Hadley of the home; and three sons, Lynn Hadley, Larry Hadley and his wife, Shelley, and Darren Hadley and his wife, Lynda, all of Ponca City. Also surviving are two brothers, Gale and Bob Hadley, both of Stillwater; and four sisters, Edith Anderson, Violet Hadley, and Connie Sharpton, all of Stillwater, and Joyce McHenry of Colorado Springs, Colo. Additionally, he has three grandsons, Kris Hadley and his wife, Michelle, of Broken Arrow, and Justin Hadley and Mitchell Hadley, both of Ponca City; one granddaughter, Miss Mandy Nicole Hadley of Ponca City; and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, two brothers, Jimmy and Dale Hadley, a sister, Joy Delano, and a daughter-in-law, Amy Vian Hadley, preceded him in death. Casket bearers will be Donnie Romine, Don Hammett, Jim Oliver, Charles Steichen, Bob Sylvester and Roy Arnold. Honorary bearers will be Polly Heidlage, Claudia Barnes, Trudy Fowler-Smith, Joanne Kaplan, Tina Thompson, Lori Lewis, Ann Lyford, Joyce Rosson, Dee Lemert, Al Pruitt, Ken Wilson, Don Wright, Laddie Gaylord, Lawrence Hillhouse, Jimmy Ham, Albert Smith, Gene Bishop, Pete Coli, Tony Coli, Rick Steichen, Noah Avery, Virgil Sneed, Jack Gerboth, Jeremy Sparks, Orville Thompson, Cliff Miller, Charley Wiggs, Kent Randall and Bill Krisle. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to Hospice of Ponca City, 1904 North Union, Suite 103, Ponca City, Okla. 74601 or to First United Methodist Church, 200 South Sixth, Ponca City, Okla. 74601. paid obituary Charles C. Yeakley Jr.Charles C. Yeakley Jr. peacefully went to be with his Lord on March 17, 2000, at the age of 78. Services will be held in the chapel of the First Baptist Church of Ponca City at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 21, with the Rev. Hance Dilbeck, pastor, officiating. Burial will be immediately following at Resthaven Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Trout Funeral Home. Born in Ponca City on Oct. 3, 1921, the first son of Charles C. and Laura Armacost Yeakley. He served as a U.S. Naval aviator and flight instructor during World War II. On Dec. 27, 1943, he married Margaret Ann Slaughter. In 1948, he graduated from the University of Oklahoma and was employed by Conoco, working in various capacities in Oklahoma City, London, England and Ponca City before retiring as a production analyst in 1986. While in Oklahoma City, he was active in the choir and the youth athletic programs at Nichols Hills Baptist Church. Recently he was involved with the Kay County Anthropological Society. He enjoyed gardening, fine music, sports of all kinds, as well as the stock market. He cherished his family and adored the time spent with his children and grandchildren. Highlights of his life include: touring Europe, safari in Kenya, trip to Japan, sailing the Mediterranean, and the celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary with the entire family on a Caribbean cruise. He is survived by his wife, Margaret Ann of the home; four sons, Jim and his wife, Junko, of The Woodlands, Texas, David and his wife, Ginger, of San Antonio, Texas, Tom and his wife, Mary, of Hurst, Texas, and Brad and his wife, Ann, of Bethany. Also surviving are eight grandchildren, Jeff, Jenifer and her friend, Brandon, Bryan, Lindsay, Melissa, Sarah, Laura and Shannon; and a great-granddaughter, Morgan. Additional survivors include two brothers, Murray Yeakley and his wife of The Woodlands, Texas, and Robert Yeakley and his wife of Arthur City, Texas; a brother-in-law, Jack Slaughter and his wife of Baltimore, Md., an aunt, Lucille Lee of Tulsa; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister, Edna Mae, and his parents. Charles was an inspiration and blessing to all those whose lives he touched, and will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved him. Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church, 218 South Sixth, Ponca City, Okla. 74601 or to the charity of your choice. paid obituary Services PendingJohn A. SmithJohn A. Smith, resident of Ponca City, died Friday evening, March 17, 2000, at his home. He was 90. Survivors include his wife Deloris of the home. Arrangements are pending with Grace Memorial Chapel. FuneralsLillie M. DyeMonday- Funeral at 10:30 a.m. at the Rindt-Erdman Funeral Home in Arkansas City, Kan.. Burial will follow in the Riverview Cemetery in Arkansas City. NEWS BRIEFSLost Classmate — Members of the Yreka, Calif., graduating class of 1960 are holding a reunion this summer and are looking for classmates. One member of the class, Jean Payne King, was married in Ponca City in 1961. If anyone has a current address for her please respond to Daralyn Reed, 504 Hillcrest, Yreka, CA 96067 (e-mail daralynr@jps.net) or Susan Tebbe, 3706 Hartstrand Gulch Rd., Etna, CA 96027 (e-mail stebbe@sisqtel.net). Windshield Chips repaired professionally. Guaranteed and insurance approved. Ponca Glass, 300 W. Highland and Pine. 762-6522. adv. Genealogy Workshop — A genealogy workshop for beginners and intermediate researchers will be held 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 8, in the Fourth Street Clubhouse. Registration is from 8 to 9 a.m.; preregistration is required. The workshop will be conducted by Kathy Stokes Hudson. Send payment to Pioneer Genealogical Society, c/o Sandy Graves, 2200 West Central, Ponca City, Okla. 74601. Cost is $25 for the workshop and an additional $5.75 for a bar-b-que brisket sandwich lunch if desired. Sandi Gore Evans 2000 line has arrived! Come see it 1st! Carla’s Hallmark, Downtown. adv. American Legion Bingo - The American Legion Monday afternoon bingo time has been changed to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday bingo remains the same time as usual. Doors open to the public at 5 p.m., on Tuesday. Public welcome. Senior Soccer meeting Sunday March 19th, 1:00 at 213 N. 2nd. adv. Subjects Held — An officer of the Ponca City Police Department reported from the intersection of Redbird and North Union Street at 2:09 a.m. Saturday that a 41-year-old man was being held for public intoxication and a woman was being held for DUI. Spring Break Program — The Ponca City Library Spring Break Program for children will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, March 20, for school-aged children. Featured are the films Bugs and Sunken Treasure. Arthritis Water Exercises — Arthritis water exercise classes, sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation, will be held at the Conoco pool on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:30 to 11:20 a.m. Classes will be $6 per month. For additional information, call June at 762-0035. Ostomy Meeting — The March meeting of the United Ostomy Association will be 7 p.m. Monday in the Conference Room B on the ground floor of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. Jane Johnson, ET nurse from Enid will speak. Jueschke Carpet Cleaners. For professional carpet cleaning, call the professionals. Jueschke Carpet Cleaners. 765-3421. adv. Boating Skills Safety Class — The Off-the-Job Safety Committee is sponsoring a free two evening (6-hour) Safe Boating Skills class April 10-11, Fourth Street Clubhouse, Ponca City, 6-9 p.m. each evening. The class will be taught by the Oklahoma Lake Patrol Division and is intended for all watercraft users. Students will be eligible for an insurance discount and will receive a certificate upon completion of the course. The class is free. Seating is limited and on a first come basis, so please RSVP by calling Paul Waffle 580-767-6309 or Wes Barton 580-767-4300 during the day. Closing Sale. 75% off clothing at Hearts in The Mercantile. Tuesday - Saturday, last days. adv. Vandalism — A man from the 2500 block of Eagle Road reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 8:14 a.m. Friday that someone had shot the window on the passenger side of his vehicle. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Gas Theft — A clerk at Triple T, 201 West Hartford Avenue, reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 12:22 p.m. Friday that a subject in a grey vehicle left without paying for gas. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Just Arrived year 2000 Frankoma Political mugs. Brown’s Antiques 1204 N. 3rd. adv. Dog Stolen — A woman from the 200 block of North Birch Street reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 1:10 p.m. Friday that someone had stolen a dog from her on Saturday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Replacement Windows, vinyl, aluminum or wood. We sell and install. Ponca Glass, 300 West Highland and Pine, 762-6522. adv. Hit and Run — A man from the 2900 block of North Union Street reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 2:58 p.m. Friday that a hit and run accident had occurred. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Information was logged that a citation for failure to remain at the scene of a property damage accident was written. Fantasy Cut blue topaz pendents. The Jewelry Connection, 211 East Grand. adv. Vehicle Burglary — A woman from the 600 block of North Osage Street reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 3:20 p.m. Friday that someone had tried to break into her vehicle Thursday night. An officer was assigned and a destruction of private property report was taken. 25 % Off cake candles. Today only. Carla’s Hallmark, 4th & Grand, Downtown. adv. Subject Held — An officer of the Ponca City Police Department reported from the 300 block of West Hartford Avenue at 12:06 a.m. Saturday that a man was being held on a city warrant. Accident — A vehicle accident at the intersection of North Birch Street and West Summit Avenue was reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 3:27 p.m. Friday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Affairs To Remember, wedding rentals and gifts has moved to 212 North Third. adv. Accident — A two-vehicle, non-injury accident at the intersection of North Ash Street and West Highland Avenue was reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 3:43 p.m. Friday. Two officers were assigned and a report was taken. Information was logged that a vehicle was towed from the scene. Gas Theft — A clerk at Triple T, 201 West Hartford Avenue reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 4:46 p.m. Friday that someone had left without paying for $19.38 worth of gas. An officer was assigned and information was logged. Kids Review now accepting spring/summer childrens consignments. adv. Vehicle Recovered — The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported at 5:07 p.m. Friday that at the second bridge one-half mile west of North Waverly Street on Hubbard Road that a vehicle had been abandoned under the bridge. A tow truck recovered the vehicle and the water rescue team checked the area but was unable to find any bodies at the location. Stormescape Shelters, perfect for garage, under vehicle, installation. $1,695. 765-2633. adv. Accident — A two-vehicle accident in the parking lot of a business in the 200 block of South Fourteenth Street was reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 5:20 p.m. Friday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Jewelry Boxes. Just arrived, great for anniversary, graduation or birthday. The Jewelry Connection, 211 East Grand. adv. Stolen Bicycle Located — A man from the 300 block of North Seventh Street reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 5:52 p.m. Friday that a stolen bicycle had been located in some weeds. An officer was assigned and the bicycle was brought to the police department. 25 Cents a gallon drinking water. Pure Water Wagon 1717 N. 5th. adv. Accident — A vehicle accident at a parking lot in the 2500 block of Industrial Boulevard was reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 7:48 p.m. Friday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Subjects Held — An officer of the Ponca City Police Department reported from the 900 block of South Twelfth Street at 11:24 p.m. Friday that a 22-year-old man was being held for carrying a concealed weapon, a 23-year-old man was being held for DUI, transporting an open container and driving left of center, and a 24-year-old man was being held for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and public intoxication. Look Younger in one hour. Hair stylist JoAnn Watkins is working on Fridays. Call for appointment. 765-5055. adv. Subject Held — An officer of the Ponca City Police Department reported from the 1100 block of East Prospect Avenue at 11:06 p.m. Friday that a subject was being held on a city warrant. Free Pregnancy test. Birth Choice cares. Confidential. Hours: Tuesday, 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, 1-3 p.m. and Thursday, 6-8 p.m. 700 West Broadway. 765-9689. adv. Burglary — A driver for a cab company reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 11:45 p.m. Friday that a passenger had broken a window of a residence in the 500 block of North Peachtree. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Subject Held — An officer of the Ponca City Police Department reported from the 400 block of South Palm Street at 12:58 a.m. Saturday that a 40-year-old man was being held for DUI, having no insurance, improper tag display, and under revocation. Have Pet? Can travel! In-home pet sitting service. We love them when you have to leave them! 762-4205. adv. Burglary — The Ponca City Police Department received a call at 1:16 a.m. Saturday from the 900 block of East South Avenue that someone was attempting to break into The Mission. Two officers were assigned and took three subjects in custody, who were issued citations and released on a promise to appear. Court Allen Construction. Brick, flagstone, concrete, walkway’s, patios and planters. Call 765-2720. adv. Disturbance — An officer of the Ponca City Police Department requested assistance at 1:37 a.m. Saturday to the intersection of West Central Avenue and South Pine Street. Another officer responded and a vehicle was towed from the scene. A 43-year-old man was held for DUI and failure to stop for a stop light, a 41-year-old woman was held for public intoxication and a 50-year-old woman was held for public intoxication. Knife Wound — An employee at the emergency room of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 3:01 a.m. Saturday that a man was being treated for having a knife embedded in his right abdomen. Information was logged that the incident occurred in Osage County. Hit and Run — A man reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 3:44 a.m. Saturday that his vehicle had been hit while parked at his residence. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. LIFESTYLESWedding Plans Announced Wedding Plans AnnouncedAn April 22 wedding at the Cann Memorial Gardens is planned by Beth LeAnn Caldwell and Michael Chad Petrie. The couple is extending an open invitation to friends and family to attend the 12:30 p.m. ceremony. Parents of the bride-elect are Gary and Jeanene Caldwell and Gary and Susan Wilson, all of Ponca City. Petrie is the son of Michael and Deborah Petrie of Midland, Texas, and Mike and Brenda Ellis of Ponca City. Miss Caldwell is a 1997 graduate of Ponca City High School and is employed as an emergency department technician at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. The prospective bridegroom, a 1989 Po-Hi graduate, served with the United States Navy for four years. He is employed in the Carbon Fiber department at Conoco. Looking With Lou By Louise AbercrombieBeing Taken for Granted… Do you realize how many things we take for granted that aren’t necessarily so? For instance, I take for granted that when I sit down on the toilet stool that my feet will touch the floor. Not always so. I’m thinking of calling my attorney and filing a civil liberties suit because the facilities in public buildings aren’t styled to my size. Short folks have rights too. We take for granted that when we open the refrigerator door the light will come on. How do we know that it doesn’t stay on all the time? What laboratory rat tests this out for the appliance folks? When we turn the sink spigot on, we expect the water to flow. Tell me why a faucet can drip continuously, making a night of sleep impossible, but when called upon to perform in the morning it spits water and blows air trying to scare you out of your wits? Some of us take ice for granted. For example, a member of the younger generation kept leaving the lid off of the ice bucket. When chastised for this, he answered, “But Gram Ma there will always be ice.” Answer: “This is true, but someone has to see that there is water for the ice.” It’s a sad state of affairs, by the way, when bottled water costs more than bottled oil. When we pick up the telephone, we anticipate a dial tone. When the phone rings, we expect to hear the voice of a person on the other end. But when telemarketers call, they seem to ring several phones at once. So, if you’re too slow, there is no one there. That’s not all bad — if it was a salesman or a local solicitor for some good cause on the line. Another thing we take for granted is air. It is a real gut-wrenching feeling to go outside to your prize set of wheels and find it has a flat tire. Course, the old fashion hand-held tire pumps are now collector’s items. The newer cars only offer those hard rubber doughnut dummy tires as a spare. Solution is to carry canned air in the trunk. A wrong assumption we take for granted is that if we eat a chocolate bar and no one sees us — the calories won’t count. One thing you can take for granted is that your bathroom scales will be at least five pounds lighter than the doctor’s office scale. Trying to get out of doctor’s office patient rooms is like playing a television guessing game since all the doors look alike and the medical folk take for granted you can get out even though they led you in. One has to decide what is behind door No. 2 or No. 3. Exit foot prints outlined on the carpet could be helpful or, better yet, an escape route kiosk stationed in the hall would work. When you are listening to basketball or football games on the radio, you take for granted that at some point the announcers are going to give the score. Frequently, the microphone jocks forget that their job is to inform the audience on what is happening and go off on ego trips of their own. Lahann Explains Hospice Needs To Lions ClubAt the weekly Ponca City Noon Lions Club meeting held March 15, Melody Lahann, administrative director of Hospice of Ponca City, was the featured speaker. According to Lahann, the main focus of Hospice is giving quality of life to individuals who have been diagnosed as having a life expectancy of six months or less. The clients may not be involved in curative treatment programs. “Hospice focuses on pain control because without it, there can be no quality of life,” said Lahann. With advances in medications over the past few years, 95 percent of all pain can be successfully controlled. Hospice cannot prescribe medication so the patient’s personal physician must do that, said the speaker. When a patient is admitted to hospice care, nurses will meet with the patient and their families to give them education about the patients’ care and how to manage the illness. Hospice employs six nurses, a social worker, counselor, chaplain, office personnel and has many volunteers. The local hospice owns most of the needed durable hard goods, such as hospital beds and wheel chairs. There is an on-going need for volunteers to help move this equipment. Another area of Hospice care which relies heavily on volunteers is the “Raindrops” program for parents who have experienced the death of a baby. Local women meet and sew a packet which includes a burial gown, blanket, keepsake pictures frames, bracelets, and other small items which allow grieving parents to have something to remember their babies, said Lahann. Hospice started locally in 1982. Last year, Hospice of Ponca City served approximately 150 patients. Many referrals come from local doctors, along with family and friends of the patient. There is no charge to families for patient care. Medicare provides 75 percent of the funding with the remainder coming from local fundraisers such as the Chili Cook-off, the Hospice Memorial Golf Tournament, and from family memorials and contributions. Thrift Store Recently, a new thrift store, My Favorite Things, opened in the former Graham Photo location. Proceeds from this store are split between Peachtree Landing and Hospice of Ponca City. Lahan concluded her presentation by asking for continued support in volunteer hours for the programs of Hospice. Lions Hubert Watts and Dave Burrows served as greeters. Gerald Nield gave the invocation, and Art Jones led the singing. Ted Matson introduced Lana Jones as a prospective member. Eyeglasses Bill Thomas made a presentation of eyeglasses collected from Dr. Dorman and Dr. Carter’s office. Dr. Bill Stuever announced that a donation of $500 was allocated by the Lions board of directors for the purchase of reading glasses to be taken on The Grand Avenue Church of Christ’s annual mission trip to Mexico. According to Dr. Stuever, over 30,000 pairs of used eyeglasses have been collected from the community. There are boxes placed throughout businesses in the community, in addition to many churches, for used eyeglass collection. Club Cookbook Susan Ladner announced that the Rookie Committee will begin collecting recipes to compile a Lions Club Cookbook as a fundraiser for Rookie Committee projects. President Bill Thomason shared a thank-you letter from a recipient of one of the four Magna-Cam units which has been placed by the Lions to help low-vision individuals maintain their independence. Dr. Stuever announced that all plans were in place for the free Mobile Health Screening Unit which will be in the Wal-Mart parking lot on April 1-2 The Ponca City Noon Lions Club meets every Wednesday at noon at the American Legion on South Avenue. The members are businessmen and women in the community who have a desire to help and serve others. Their motto is “we serve.” The worldwide focus of Lions International is prevention of blindness and providing eyeglasses and other vision aids for needy individuals. Channel 6 Weatherman Jim Giles Gives Kiwanis ProgramJim Giles, chief meteorologist for KOTV in Tulsa, presented the program for Kiwanis Club meeting this week. Giles proclaimed that he and his wife, Hannah, are Oklahomans by choice. Hannah Giles was also a welcomed guest. Shaun Searle introduced Jim Giles by providing some biographical information. The Giles operate a commercial cattle ranch outside Tulsa with Black Angus cattle and an assortment of other animals, including horses, burros, pigmy goats, and a peacock. They have two married daughters, and six grandchildren. Giles received degrees in physics, chemistry, biology, and math from Ball State University in Indiana. Newly commissioned as a regular Air Force officer upon graduation, Giles started his training as a meteorologist at the University of Texas. In the mid-1960s, Giles earned a master’s degree in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma. Teaching was Giles’ occupation for many years before considering a TV weather position. Jimmy C. Fidler was television’s first weatherman, and he just happened to be from “my hometown,” said Giles. He came to Tulsa in 1981 after TV/radio work in Austin and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Oklahoma’s drastic changes in weather were the drawing cards said a club spokesperson. “Weather is created in Oklahoma. It is born here,” stressed Giles. “Who wants to be a weatherman in California? It takes maybe 30 seconds to give the weather there. However, that very minor storm in California takes on a different personality when it mixes with the warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. Guess where it mixes? In Oklahoma,” explained Giles. Within one hour of that mixing, tornadoes may be produced. The rest of the country east of Oklahoma “watches our weather because the storm started here is the same storm or becomes an even stronger storm” when it gets to Little Rock. “Oklahoma’s weather is the unknown. We never know how the pieces are going to fit together,” continued Giles. Kay County has more tornadoes per capita than any other place in the world, he said. Jim Giles visited Ponca City at the invitation of the Emergency Management department and the Chamber of Commerce. Giles stressed that “now is the time for all of us to update our survival plans. If we don’t have a plan, develop one.” Giles also stressed that we “should not leave cover to go find an overpass. Only if a person is in the middle of nowhere should we go to a ditch, culvert, or up under an overpass.” Giles talked about “safe rooms,” indicating that he thought they were about the best solution for safety. In closing, Giles stated that “it is not just the wind but the energy of wind-blown debris that causes the destruction and endangers life.” Brianna Hermanson, daughter of Brian and Ruslyn Hermanson, was congratulated by German-born Hannah Giles on Brianna’s interest in and study of German at the high school. Brianna is also very involved in all aspects of music. She plans to attend OSU and major in graphic design. Andrew Kirby, son of Neo Kirby, and the late James P. Kirby, enjoys debate. He reached the state level in debate and enjoys developing communication skills. He plans to attend OSU in microbiology prior to medical school. Any men and women interested in community service are invited to visit Kiwanis meetings each Tuesday, noon to 1 p.m., at E.W.’s restaurant at the Marland Estate. Juli Thompson Is EngagedMr. and Mrs. J.R. “Butch” Thompson of Ponca City are announcing the approaching marriage of their daughter, Juli Rayan Thompson, and Mark Alan Skinner of Edmond, son of Nancy Skinner of Edmond, and Marvin Skinner of Emporia, Va. An open invitation is extended to friends and family to attend the May 13 wedding at 4:30 p.m. at Lew Wentz Camp. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Parrish Williams of Marland, Margaret Black, Grover and Florence Kelly of Ponca City, the late Eunice Williams, and the late Lucille Barron. Ms. Thompson received a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Northeastern State University, where she is presently enrolled in a criminal justice master’s program. Skinner is also a graduate of Northeastern with a degree in human resource psychology. He is enrolled in a human resource management master’s program. Skinner is currently employed by The Cherokee Nation. Brenda Kodesh Addresses Bliss Homemakers FCETen members gave their quarters for quarter drill and their pennies for friendship before the Bliss Homemakers FCE Meeting on March 15. Linda Short, president, called the meeting to order at the Marland Methodist-Christian Church fellowship hall. Brenda Kodesh, Frontier 4-H member, talked with the members about “What 4-H has done for me,” a requirement for the 4-H Key award. As a thank you for the group, she had baked sugar cookies shaped as the 4-H emblem. Guest speaker, Leona Tautfest Baum, RN, provider relations coordinator for Frontier HOSPICE, shared information, facts and handouts on providing “Excellence in Hospice Care;” The Hospice Promise, who we are, the hospice team, services, who is eligible for services, how to contact hospice and how the public can help hospice. Lesson material from Noble County OSU Extension services, was given to the members with information on surviving loss and disappointment. Soni Kodesh, vice president, led in saying the creed before roll call was answered by “how have you dealt with loss or disappointment.” The devotion “Hopi Prayer” was given by Leona Baum. The minutes were read by the secretary, Catherine Robinson. A seat belt survey was taken with 100 percent wearing their seatbelts, and all members present had read either to themselves or to someone else during the last month. A thank-you note was read from Randy, Becky and Keaton Simmons for the golden book. Arleta Pulliam, treasurer, gave the financial report. Soni Kodesh reported on the recycle card project for St. Jude’s Ranch, and the group agreed to bring cards to future meetings. The group was reminded of the NW District Meeting March 23 in Enid. The County Association project using green bottles was discussed, and members will have these ready for the next county meeting April 13. New babies in the community to receive Golden Books are Kermie Mae Shriver, daughter of Jenny and Jason Shriver, granddaughter of Linda and Chris Short; Cheryl and Barry Lane’s baby girl. Volunteers for the scholarship committee include Catherine Robinson, Maxine Tautfest, Linda Short and Burdettya Linn. Hostesses were Mae Cockrell and Bonnie Norman. Janell Harman received the hostess gift. The next meeting will be April 19 at the Marland Methodist Christian Church. Singles Network Slates EventsThe Singles Network, organized in 1982, has announced a calendar of events planned this month. Adults of any age who are divorced, widowed, or never married, are invited to participate and meet other singles. The activity schedule for March 19-25 will include dinner at 6 p.m. March 20 at Kentucky Fried Chicken. On March 21 coffee, cake and conversation will be 7-9 p.m. at Laurzell’s. Call 765-4227. A VCR party is planned for 7 p.m. March 23 at Lenora’s. Those attending are asked to bring snacks. On March 25 the group will leave at 9:30 a.m. and car pool to Guthrie to have lunch. Mellonee Ann Penner Bride Of Anthony Frank SpradlinHenderson Hills Baptist Church in Edmond was the setting for the recent wedding of Mellonee Ann Penner and Anthony Frank Spradlin. Their double-ring vows were officiated by the Rev. Jonathan Cook. Flower vases designed by the mother of the bride accented spiral candelabra used as decoration. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur E. Penner, 3721 Goldenrod, and parents of the bridegroom are Mr. and Mrs. Harry D. Spradlin Sr. of Moore. Grandparents are Edd Penner of Springfield, Mo., Rolla Sober, 3571 West North Avenue, the late Esther Penner, and the late Naomi Sober. The musical program included “The Perfect Fan,” “Canon in D,” “The Wedding Song,” “Now That I’ve Found You” and “That Kind of Love.” Angelia Wright of Norman, sister of the bride, and Tosha Spradlin of Moore, niece of the bridegroom, attended the guest book. Ringbearer was Rikki Spradlin of Moore, nephew of the bridegroom. Holly Penner of Edmond served her sister as Maid of Honor, and bridesmatron was Mrs. Patricia Jackson of Oklahoma City, and bridesmaid was Stephanie Webb of Edmond. Each attendant wore a floor length plum-colored satin dress. The empire-waisted bodice featured a scoop neckline and short sleeves. Each carried a smaller version of the bridal bouquet. Harry D. Spradlin Jr. of Moore was Best Man for his brother. Groomsmen were Ron McIntyre and Richard Davis, both of Norman. Escorted to the altar by her father, the bride wore a floor-length gown with a chapel-length train. The bodice was designed with a vee-neckline and scalloped short sleeves, and was embellished with embroidery and pearls. The hemlines of the skirt and train were adorned with pearls. Her waist-length veiling was secured by an embroidered headdress. She carried a silk bouquet of her own design, consisting of purple tiger lilies, dark blue roses, daisies and ivy with ribbon streamers. Following the tradition of something old, new, borrowed and blue, the bride wore an antique anniversary ring belonging to a great-grandmother, a gift from the bride’s grandmother. She also wore a pearl and diamond ring borrowed from her sister, and carried a sixpence in a blue ribbon pouch attached to her bouquet. Assisting with the reception at the church were Mrs. Tina Heddleston of Edmond, Mrs. Sandy Miller of Moore, Ms. Maura Leiva and Ms. Kim Mardis of Oklahoma City. Out-of-town guests included Scott Kreighbaum of Cleveland, Mrs. Marie Rogers and Jan Emo of Ponca City, and Edd Penner of Springfield, Mo. The newlywed couple resides at 16309 De Mar Drive in Edmond. The bride is an accounting manager with Fleming Foods, and the bridegroom is a remanufacturing technician for AutoCraft Industries in Oklahoma City. Sage Rosemary and Thyme Club Hears About Showing IrisesJerry Cathey recently presented a program entitled “Collecting and Transporting Irises to a Flower Show.” Cathey conceived of Ponca City sponsoring the Iris Festival back in 1985 and presented the idea to The Ponca City News in 1986. Community leaders, along with Main Street Project, thought it was a terrific idea and began working on The Iris Festival soon after, said a club spokesperson. The first Ponca City Iris Festival was held in 1989. It is officially sponsored by Main Street. When choosing an iris for a flower show, Cathey mentioned that “you need to look for the ideal iris, which has a candelabra appearance. There will be one main bloom at the top and two arms which are located one on each side of the main bloom. It is important when cutting the iris not to damage the leaves or the blooms of the flowers that are going to be entered. It is best to cut the iris as close to the ground as possible and a straight cut across the bottom is preferred by the judges. If you cut the iris stem at an angle, you can trim it straight across once you reach the flower show.” Force Bloom Cathey mentioned that often the weather does not cooperate for the Iris Festival, and many irises are not ready for showing and judging at the Iris Festival. Cathey said that “if it is cold and rainy, you can go ahead and pick flowers which aren’t quite ready by using a warm hair dryer and coaxing them to open up. Also, the placement of the unopened flowers in a very warm pail or bucket of water will also aid in opening up the tight buds.” To transport them to the show, Cathey mentioned that “you can roll newspapers and place in pail or bucket. Then, fill bucket with water and carefully place cut flowers in newspapers and place in vehicle.” He cautioned that a person needs to be especially careful not to damage the iris flowers while transporting them or while removing them from your vehicle. Cathey said that the following items would be helpful for the person who is serious about entering a flower show. They are a pair of clippers needed to trim uneven stems and a pair of scissors necessary for trimming damaged leaves. Cotton swabs are needed to remove insects, aphids, or dust from flowers or stems. One also needs to bring paper towels to polish stems and leaves and to remove fingerprints from the stem. Address labels are convenient to have because it will save the entrant from having to write their name and address several times. Circular insulation pipes, which are found in the hardware section of hardware stores or large retail outlets, are placed in the vase to help the irises remain straight. Be sure to bring your own pen and pencil for filling out entry forms and entry tags. These forms and tags are furnished by the sponsoring club or organization. These entry tags are placed on the iris before it is placed in the vase. No Fingerprints Cathey said, when handling the show iris preferably hold it near the base to minimize fingerprints on the stem. He said that some people spend hours getting their irises ready for the show, and others spend just a few minutes. Paying attention to little details often constitutes the reason one iris wins over another. Cathey pointed out some of the ways that an entry will lose points by the judges. They are: flower stalk not straight, flower stem not cut straight across, fingerprints on stem or flower, bugs on leaves or blooms, broken or torn petals, extra petals, iris not the standard height, pipe insulation in bottom of vase, and the stem has been spliced together. Cathey mentioned there are two distinct iris shows during the Iris Festival that a person can enter. The Community Show is held at 1500 South Fourth Street at the Conoco Clubhouse, and the entries are accepted on Friday only from 5 until 7 p.m. A person does not need to know the names of their irises, and everyone who enters receives a ribbon. Cathey is especially pleased that more and more youngsters are entering their irises in the Community Show. Over 60 entries by youths were judged in last year’s Community Show. The children, as well as the adults, will have volunteers to help them get their irises ready for the show and entry forms filled out correctly. The Community Show entries can be viewed from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday and from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday during the Iris Festival. Volunteers are always needed for the Community Show, and interested persons can contact Jerry Cathey at 762-2387 to volunteer. Cathey said serving as a clerk for a judge is an excellent way to learn how to prepare correctly one’s own entries for a future show. NOIS The other show is sponsored by the Northern Oklahoma Iris Society and is held in the basement of the Commercial Federal Building on Fifth and Oklahoma. In this show the participant needs to know the names of the irises they are entering in the show. Entries are accepted Friday evening of the Iris Festival from 5-7 p.m. and Saturday morning from 8 to 10 a.m. The times for public viewing of the irises is from 1 until 4 p.m. on Saturday only. Cathey mentioned that irises will be for sale for a nominal amount during the Community Show at the Iris Festival and during Crazy Daze in July. He also wanted to encourage iris enthusiasts from out-of-town to consider entering their prized flowers in the Ponca City Community Show. After Cathey spoke, Maureen Danielson, president, called the meeting to order, and the members read the Gardeners Creed. Mrs. Margaret Price read the minutes, and Mrs. Susan McMonigle gave the treasurer,s report. Website Mrs. Helen Widner gave the report on the seventh annual Ponca City Herb Festival and reminded members to continue checking out the website on their computers. She reminded members that the website is www.onlineshops.com/herbfest. Almost 30 vendors have been accepted to participate in the Ponca City Herb Festival, which will be held on June 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cann Gardens. Various colors and designs were discussed for the SRT,s official Herb Festival club T-shirt. Eva Ballard reported on the Boy Scout volunteers for the Herb Festival. Widner also reported that it was announced at a recent Ponca City Council of Garden Clubs meeting that elderly or disabled persons who are not able to clean out their flower beds can contact council president Rosalie Majors, and a volunteer group will be assembled to assist these people with their gardening projects. The Plants for Pleasure Sale will be held at the Cann Garden patio from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 6. Members are encouraged to thin out their gardens and bring items to sale at this fund raiser held during Iris Festival. Woman of Year Mary Anne Potter was congratulated by club members for being chosen the SRT Woman of the Year. Mrs. Potter reported that the money raised from last year’s Herb Festival will be added to this year’s profits to purchase needed items for the Cann Gardens. Aline Heartsill and Marlene Roth served as hostesses for the March meeting. Danielson announced that the next meeting will be held on April 12 at 9:30 a.m., and the club will be celebrating its sixth birthday. Hostess will be JoAnn Monger. Guests are always welcome, and interested persons may contact Mrs. Danielson, 762-9866, for more information about the group. Red Rose Garden Club Program About ReserveMembers of the Red Rose Garden Club met March 13 at the home of Mrs. Allison Graham, 2112 Kyme. The dessert table was centered with a large arrangement of spring flowers. Mrs. Graham introduced the guest speaker, Mary Coley, a representative of The Nature Conservancy of Oklahoma, who spoke about the Tall Grass Prairie. The speaker said the reserve covers 38,600 acres in Osage County. She showed slides of bison, flowers and birds from the area. During the business session, Jannie Ross, president, led the group in the Gardener’s Creed and introduced Linda Stephens, a guest. Rosalie Majors called roll, which was answered with each member’s favorite wildflower. Announcement was made that Eleanor Coates was resigning as treasurer as she is moving out-of-town. Mrs. Graham gave the garden council report, and announcement was made that Suzanne Robinson and Kay Whitlock had received permission to start a children’s garden. Following the meeting, Jannie Ross demonstrated a new preservative for drying flowers. Book Review Highlights Laureate Phi GatheringWhen Laureate Phi chapter of Beta Sigma Phi sorority met recently in the home of Virginia Starks, Marge Parker reviewed the book The Chocolate Bar Sandwich written by Helga Rule. The book describes the experiences of a German civilian family during World War II. After the war ended, Helga married an American soldier and came to live in Oklahoma. Fran Smith, president, opened the business session by leading the opening ritual. Correspondence included cards from Dianne Doerste, division chairman, and Shanna Groves, Torch editor, acknowledging pictures of the “Hat Contest” held by the chapter; a letter from Barbara Champion saying that the chapter contribution to International Funds had been received. Pat Hill read the March City Council minutes which stated that this year resumes will be limited to three minutes and Eta Zeta chapter will hostess the April 3 meeting. By secret ballot, the chapter Woman of the Year was selected, and the name will be disclosed at the Founder’s Day Dinner April 27 at the Ponca City Country Club. Officers for the coming term were elected. They are president, Roberta Streeter; vice president, Lillian Williams; recording secretary, Velma Case; corresponding secretary, Erma Rusch; treasurer, Pat Hill; City Council representative, Elsie Rosenbaum; and City Council alternate, Alice Beman. Ms. Smith gave the traveling basket to Mrs. Starks who will pass it on to Ms. Alice Beman. Meire Harris won the hostess gift. The March 27 social will be a St. Patrick’s Potato Bake with Ms. Beman as hostess and Ms. Harris as co-hostess. Members are to bring their favorite toppings, and dress in green. Xi Gamma Sigma Signs Petition to Renew GrantXi Gamma Sigma chapter of Beta Sigma Phi sorority met March 14 at the Golden Corral Restaurant with 19 members present and one guest, Charla Vetter. The business meeting was conducted by Peggy Cookson, president, who also who led the members in the opening ritual, which was followed by roll call. LaRannah Bartlett read from The Book of Beta Sigma Phi. Members were reminded of the Founders Day Banquet to be held April 27. Members of the decorations committee will hold a planning meeting in April. Reservations for the dinner are to be made by March 28, at a cost of $12.25 per person. A petition was distributed for members to sign to request International renew its grant to support the A-T Foundation. Reports were made from various committees, including social, membership, publicity and service. Communications were received from International concerning the chapter contribution to the Endowment Fund. The next meeting will be March 28. Hostess for the meeting is Cindy Russell. Members are to meet at 7 p.m. at Just Yesterday on South Fourteenth, with the program to be given by Kay Whitlock. This will be the election of officers for 2000-2001 and voting for chapter Girl of the Year. Leora Simmons read “quotations about life as seen through the eyes of children, and also quotations to live by.” Wheatheart Nutrition MenuFor Wheatheart Nutrition Menu information call 767-1620. Volunteers are needed to deliver noon meals to the elderly homebound. Menus for this week are as follows: Monday, March 20: Spaghetti and meat sauce; buttered broccoli/cauliflower; cinnamon apples; garlic bread with margarine; chocolate chip cookie. Tuesday, March 21: oven fried chicken; mashed potatoes with cream gravy; buttered mixed vegetables; whole wheat roll with margarine; tinted pears. Wednesday, March 22: Goldwater beans; double orange gelatin; crackers with margarine; applesauce cake. Thursday, March 23: Hamburger patty; barbecue sauce; pickles; tomato juice; potato chips; baked beans; bun with margarine; ice cream; cookie. Friday, March 24: Ham loaf; candied sweet potatoes; buttered peas; whole wheat roll with margarine; tropical fruit mix. 90th Birthday Event To Honor Blanche LambertBlanche Didlake Lambert is being honored on the occasion of her 90th birthday with a “come and go” reception at the Ponca City Cultural Center, 1000 East Grand Avenue. An open invitation is extended to friends and family to attend the event 1-4 p.m. Saturday, March 25. It is requested that there be no gifts. Hosting the reception will be her children: Russ and Anne Didlake of Hoods Port, Wash.; Carole Didlake Johnson and her husband, Downing, of Ponca City; Ruth and Bob Ballard of Port Ludlow, Wash. and Apache Junction, Ariz.; nine grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and a great-great-granddaughter. Blanche was born in Atlanta, Mo., the daughter of James and Clara Hutchison, on March 29, 1910, moving to Oklahoma at age nine. Following high school graduation in 1928, she attended Northeastern College in Tahlequah. She married Delmar Didlake,and the couple taught in Okmulgee county until moving to Seattle, Wash., in 1943, where he was an engineer for Boeing, and she was employed as a bookkeeper. She still corresponds with former students. In 1966 the couple bought into Dollar Saver along with her brother, Paul Hutchison, and their son, Jim Didlake. Delmar, Jim and Paul are now deceased. Blanche married the Rev. Clark Lambert of Seattle,Wash., in 1970, residing in Seattle until moving to Ponca City in 1974. He died in 1974. Mrs. Lambert worked for Dollar Saver until retirement in July 1999, and says she “misses seeing everyone.” A member of Northeast Baptist Church, Blanche loves to travel, especially with her grandchildren. Cards may be sent to her at 17 Spring Village, Ponca City, OK 74604. TOPS Chapter Members MeetTOPS OK 308 Chapter met Monday evening with Ann McCool calling the meeting to order. Wanda Headrick gave the devotional “A Fresh Start.” Joan Hendrickson led the TOPS pledge, and Robert Oldham led the KOPS Kreed. Natalie McCoy called the roll, and Betty Flower gave the weight report. Loretta Riley was the best loser, and Ann Stuever won the Ha Ha pot. Forbidden food for the week is potato chips. Reports on the fun day/workshop in Enid were given by Elaine Hoober, Donna McCoy, Natalie McCoy, and Fern Black. Ann McCool announced that the next fun day/workshop would be June 3 in Ponca City. Elaine Hoober gave the program “Written Tests on Fun food Facts” and “St. Patrick’s Day traditions.” Door prizes were won by Robert Oldham, Edith Smith and Mary Dexter, a guest. Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a non-profit organization whose members desire to lose or maintain weight. Members are encouraged to develop individual exercise programs, and contests are used to encourage weight loss. For more information contact Betty Flower, 765-5448, or Delpha Clemens, 762-2844. Eta Delta Chapter Rituals ConductedPat Sipe hosted the March 13 meeting of Eta Delta chapter of Beta Sigma Phi sorority. Wanda Sheehan, president, conducted the informal meeting with 13 members present. Betty Wyatt, City Council representative, discussed chapter responsibilities for Founder's Day, which will be held April 27. Nancy Taylor and Sylvia Smith will host the couples’ social on March 31. Judy Branch distributed individual scrapbook pages for members to complete. Nancy Taylor will host the March 27 chapter meeting at which time officers for 2000-2001 will be elected. Carla McGregor received the Beta Bud Basket, and Nancy Taylor won the door prize. A Ritual of Jewels was conducted for Linda Sparks, and Exemplar Ritual was held for Pam Lanman and Linda Paulsen. Engagement Is AnnouncedMichelle D. Smith and Matt B. Bergwell are planning a Sept. 23 wedding in the First United Methodist Church in Tulsa. The bride-to-be is the daughter of Ginger Smith of Ponca City, and Jerry Smith of Mannford, a former resident of Ponca City. The future bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Byron Bergwall of Collinsville. Miss Smith is a graduate of Central High School in Cheyenne, Wyo., and has attended Oklahoma State University. She is employed with Flintco, Inc. Bergwall, a graduate of Owasso High School, attended the University of Oklahoma, and is an account manager with TekSystems. Blankets Given By Homemakers To PeachtreeThe Happy Hilltop Homemakers Club met at the Head Country Restaurant for the March luncheon and regular meeting. The meeting was called to order by Loma Smith, vice president. Vivian Scott was the hostess, and she gave the devotional “Take a Prayer Walk Around the Block” by Cheri Fuller. She also read a poem by Malcolm Forbes entitled “A Lady In a Faded Gingham Dress and Her Husband Dressed in a Homespun Suit.” Members answered roll call by telling where they would go in case of a tornado. The minutes were read by Irene Harden, secretary. Francis Van Hoesen gave the treasurer’s report. Mary Bryant won the hostess prize. Three blankets were made by Loma Smith and taken to Peachtree Landing by Vivian Scott and Fran Van Hoesen. Guest speaker was Laura Hines, executive director of the Golden Villa. She said the goal of the Golden Villa Center program was “to help adults by providing a safe place for them to be active and still maintain some independence while receiving quality care.” Members are asked to bring paper goods to the April meeting for donation to the Golden Villa Center. Nancy Challis will be the hostess for the April meeting. Mary Bryant received a gift from the group for perfect attendance in 1999. 90th BirthdayThe family of Christine Schiltz invites friends and family to attend her 90th birthday party 1:30-3:30 p.m. March 25. It is requested that there be no gifts. The event will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church parish hall, 707 East Ponca. Lifestyle Page Deadlines SetForms for engagement, anniversary, wedding and Little News announcements are available at the desk of the Lifestyles Editor at The Ponca City News. The deadline for stories and pictures for the Sunday edition is 5 p.m. Wednesday, but stories and pictures may be submitted earlier. Stories for the daily edition should be submitted one to two days prior to the date of publication. In order to keep stories current, The News prefers to have wedding stories submitted within two weeks of the event; however, we will use a photograph and story within three months after the event. If a wedding story is submitted more than one month after the event, the date will not be used, and the story may be abbreviated. Stories submitted prior to one month following the ceremony will usually receive preference in the Sunday edition. We cannot reproduce photographs from a newspaper or magazine. Prints or negatives only, please. Either color or black and white photos are acceptable. Soft focus pictures do not reproduce well in a newspaper. Almost any size photograph is acceptable since they will be computer-enlarged or reduced as needed. There is no charge for wedding, anniversary or engagement announcements, and pictures are returned free of charge. A return name and address should be printed on the back of the photographs. “Sticky” notes are preferred since ink may show through the picture if the writer presses too hard. The News cannot be responsible for the spelling of names if the information submitted is handwritten rather than typed. Forms are preferred; however, the Lifestyles Editor is available to write the story from facts you provide (Just provide her with the “who, what, when, where, etc.”). It is not necessary for you to write the actual story, but you may certainly do so if you desire; but, be aware that the story is subject to editing. Photographs are included with wedding anniversary information beginning at 25 years. Items may be mailed, e-mailed, faxed or brought in person to The News. Please be sure to include a name and telephone number in case more information is needed. Those who would like to mail information should include the post box number 191 for the Ponca City News, 74602-0191. Fax number is 580-765-7800. Telephone number for the Ponca City News is 580-765-3311. E-mail address is lifestyles@poncacitynews.com Further information about items to be published in The News may be obtained by contacting the Lifestyles Editor. If the article is intended for the Lifestyle pages, please write this on the material you submit by mail. As a service to readers of The News, forms may be found via e-mail. Address is http://www.poncacitynews.com/lifeforms Announcement of a birth requires a signature and telephone number by a parent or grandparent. If the parents of the baby are not married, a special form must be signed by the father of the child. These forms are available at the Lifestyles desk. Birth announcements will not be taken by phone. Billings Alumni Event SlatedThe Billings Alumni Association invited all graduates, teachers and employees of Billings High School to the 2000 Alumni banquet April 1 at 6 p.m. at the school cafeteria. Classes being honored are those of 1950 and 2000. Preceding the banquet will be the annual basketball games, 2-4 p.m. in the gym. If your class is having a special gathering contact a committee member to make reservations. Committee members are Vicki Goforth, Robert and Freda Matthiesen, James and Marie Holba, Ethel Enfield, Becky Hammock, Crysal Hammock and Michelle Holba. Costs for the event includes $8 for dinner, $10 for dinner and dance, $5 for the dance only. Reservations and preregistration may be sent to the Billings Alumni Association, Vicki Goforth, P.O. Box 112, Billings, OK 74630. The next committee meeting will be at 5 p.m. March 18 at the elementary school. The graduating class of 1950 will meet at 2 p.m. March 31 at the Cherokee Strip Motel in Perry. On April 1, members of the class of 1950 will be visiting 2 to 4 p.m. at the Billings High School library. The class of 1975 will have a reunion 2 to 4 p.m. April 1 at the home of David and Debbie Hayton preceding the dinner and dance. Ponca City HappeningsSunday Marland Estate Mansion, 901 Monument Road, open daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Guided tours Monday-Friday, 1:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1:30 and 3 p.m. Special tour information, 767-0420. Pioneer Woman Museum, open Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays and holidays. Ponca City Art Center, 819 East Central. Wednesday through Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Ponca City Cultural Center and Museum, 10th and Grand. Home of Ponca City Indian Museum, Bryant Baker Studio, 101 Ranch Museum and DAR Museum. Available for receptions, teas, bridge parties, etc. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 1-5 p.m. 767-0427. Ponca City Tourism Office, 10th and Grand. Information about all tourist attractions and events in Ponca City and the surrounding area. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. 763-8067. 11th Step AA meeting — open, 11 a.m.; AA Discussion meeting, 8 p.m. Harmony House, 212 South Third. AA Alano Group — 8 p.m., closed topic meeting: 603 South 1st. Monday Al-Anon meeting, 8-9 p.m. Monday, upstairs in the Harmony House, 212 South Third. Domestic Violence Group, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Mondays. Programs for women and children of family violence. Babysitter provided. For information call 76A-BUSE. Fibromyalgia Support Group meets on the fourth Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the parlor of the First Baptist Church. More information may be obtained by calling Betty Wilson, 762-3768; Mary Beth Guy, 765-9894; Martha Long, 762-5572. Multiple Sclerosis Support Group meets the third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Albright United Methodist Church, 128 South Palm. Call Beth Wright, 765-6738, for additional information. Ponca City Rotary Club, noon Monday, American Legion. Simple Steps AA — closed, noon; AA Step Study — closed, 8 p.m.; Harmony House, 212 South Third. AA Alano Group — Noon, discussion; 603 South 1st. TOPS OK 308 members weigh-in time is 6 to 6:45 p.m. with meetings starting at 6:45 p.m. on Mondays. For information call Betty Flower at 765-5448. Principles Before Personalities, Narcotics Anonymous, 8 p.m. Monday, Harmony House basement (use south entrance by parking lot). Pioneer Area Quilter’s Guild meets the first Monday of each month at Community Christian Church on West Grand. Business meeting begins at 12:30 p.m. There will not be a meeting in July. Tuesday The American Family Support Group will meet 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays at 1105 West Highland. The topic will be Child Welfare Services and child abuse. Kay County Wheatheart Sweet Adelines, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Performing Arts building (south entrance) Northern Oklahoma College, Tonkawa. All women welcome. For information call 765-6829, 363-1643 or 762-2885. Kiwanis Club, noon Tuesday, Marland Mansion Conference Center. New-Found Freedom Co-dependents Anonymous, 8 p.m., Tuesday, Harmony House (upstairs library). AA Discussion meeting at noon; AA Big Book Study — closed, 8 p.m. Harmony House, 212 South Third. AA Alano Group — Noon, Big Book; 8 p.m., closed, Step Studies with first Tuesday for Traditions; 603 South 1st. Freedom Group of AA; Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Woodlands Christian Church (Room 202), Fourteenth and Hartford. Smoke-free meeting and building. We study and practice tradition. Study Discussion of “As Bill Sees It” and other AA approved literature. For more information, call John at 762-3345 or Chuck at 718-9253. Parent Support Group, 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Northern Oklahoma Youth Services Center. Focus on parental concerns and frustrations, as well as ways to increase understanding and communications between parent and child. Support, education, coping techniques, and introduction to nonpunitive parenting styles. Preschool storytime for 4-, 5-and 6-year-olds, 10 and 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays at the Ponca City Library. Ponca Prairie Pleaters meet the first Tuesday evening of each month with the exception of the summer months. For more information call Nathalia, 762-3820. The Pioneer Water Garden Society meets the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Cann Garden. Those interested in water gardens are welcome to attend. For more information call Marsh, 765-8249, or Ray, 762-7806. Weight Watchers meeting, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. Weigh-in begins at 6 p.m. Fanchon Chapter 53, Order of the Eastern Star, meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Masonic Temple, 1200 West Grand. Free pregnancy test is kept confidential at Birth Choice, 700 West Broadway, Hours are 6-8 p.m. Tuesday; 1-3 p.m. Wednesday; 6-8 p.m. Thursday. Call 765-9689. Tuesday Book Review Book Club will meet at 1:30 p.m. March 21 with Marjorie Cortright, 2616 Turner road. The program will be a brief accounting by each member telling of an interesting happening in her life. Wednesday Deadline for Happenings and items for Sunday’s edition of Lifestyles is 5 p.m. Wednesday. For Happenings include name of club, time and day of meeting, place and hostess. Pioneer Toastmasters Club, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, R&D East Auditorium, Conoco Complex, 1000 South Pine. Guests welcome; public invited. For additional information, contact Bob Ennis, 767-5946. Ponca City Bahai Community Discussion Group, 7:15 p.m. Wednesday. For location call 765-5695 or 762-5529. Simple Steps AA meeting; Step Study — closed, noon. AA Discussion meeting, 8 p.m. Harmony House, 212 South Third. AA Alano Group — Noon, discussion; 603 South 1st. Al-Anon meeting, 8-9 p.m. Wednesday, upstairs in the Harmony House, 212 South Third. Storytime for 2 and 3-year-olds, Ponca City Library, 515 East Grand, 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Short stories, songs, use of flannel board. Lasts about 15 minutes. Ponca City Council of Garden Clubs meets at the Cann Center on the first Wednesday of each month at 9:30 a.m. Anyone interested in gardening, flowers, birds, butterflies, conservation, historic preservation, landscape design or environmental education, is welcome to attend. For more information call 762-3695, or 762-3555. Principles Before Personalities, Narcotics Anonymous, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Harmony House basement (use south entrance by parking lot). Noon Lions Club meets at noon each Wednesday at the American Legion. St. Patrick’s Day themed luncheon and card party is scheduled March 22, noon-3:30 p.m. Sponsored by St. Francis Guild of St. Mary’s Catholic church, the event will be held in the church parish hall. Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased by calling Deanna Nicholas, 762-5496; Joan Slovacek, 762-5953; or Beverly Smith, 762-2695. Members of the community are welcome to attend, and luncheon tables are available for those not wishing to play cards. Thursday AA Discussion meeting, noon; AA discussion meeting, 8 p.m., Harmony House, 212 South Third. AA Alano Group — Noon, open, discussion; 603 South 1st. Freedom Group of AA; closed Big Book Study at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Woodlands Christian Church (Room 202), Fourteenth and Hartford. Smoke-free meeting and building. We study and practice tradition. Open meeting the last Thursday of each month for birthdays. For more information, call John at 762-3345 or Chuck at 718-9253. Jaycees, 7 p.m., first and third Thursdays. Chamber of Commerce meeting room. Interested persons welcome to attend any meeting. Model Railroad Club, 7-10 p.m. Thursday, Stephenson Building, 113 North Third. For information call 762-8687 or 765-7996. Parent Support Group, 9:30-11 a.m. Thursday Northern Oklahoma Youth Services Center. Focus on parental concerns, frustrations, as well as ways to increase understanding and communications between parent and child. Support, education, copying techniques and introduction to non-punitive parenting styles. Ponca City Newcomers Club meets the third Thursday of each month at the Ponca City Country Club. For more information and to make reservations call Joyce Fox, 762-9578. Story hour for school-aged children Thursday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Ponca City Library. Principles Before Personalities, Narcotics Anonymous, 8 p.m. Thursday, Harmony House basement (use south entrance by parking lot). American Legion Post 14 meets at 7:30 p.m. the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at the Huff-Minor Post home, 407 West South Avenue. DAV meets the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at 401 South Lincoln. Friday Simple Steps AA — open, noon; AA speaker meeting — open, 8 p.m. Harmony House, 212 South Third. AA Alano Group — Noon, open, Step Study with the first Friday for traditions; 8 p.m., open, discussion, last Friday for birthdays; 603 South 1st. Pioneer Rotary Club, noon Friday, Golden Corral. Principles Before Personalities, Narcotics Anonymous, 8 p.m. Friday, Harmony House, 212 South Third, basement (use south entrance). Smoke-free building. For more information call 762-3345 or 765-9459. Saturday AA Discussion meeting at noon Saturday. AA Discussion meeting at 8 p.m., Harmony House, 212 South Third. AA Alano Group — Noon, open, discussion; 603 South First. New Found Freedom Co-dependents Anonymous, 8 p.m. Saturday, Harmony House (upstairs library). Smoke-free. Freedom group of AA; Closed meeting at noon at the Woodlands Christian Church, room 202 upstairs, Fourteenth and Hartford. Smoke-free building. Study and discuss AA approved literature. AA traditions are studied and practiced. For more information, call John at 762-3345 or Chuck at 718-9253. Order of the Amaranth meets the first and third Saturdays of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Masonic Temple. Overeaters Anonymous group meets 11-12 Saturday mornings at Woodlands Christian Church. The meetings are open to “anyone who desires to stop eating compulsively.” Fore more information call 762-2161. Spring Fling Craft Show, sponsored by Church Women United, will be 9 a.m.-4 p.m. March 25 at the Unity Gym. Admission is free. It will benefit Child Development Center, a United Way agency. Stonework Part of Unique City HistoryEditor’s Note: Information for this story has been gathered by Bret Carter using Sanborn Maps, Ponca City Property Tax records, obituary information, the DAR Last Run, city directories, and other sources. The Thomas Gammie house and garage located at 408 South Tenth, has been determined eligible by the Oklahoma State Historical Society for the National Register according to Bret Carter, chairman for the Ponca City Historical Preservation Panel. Architectural Significance The Thomas Gammie house was constructed in 1927. The site also has a cut-stone garage with an upper level apartment. The garage was probably added in 1930 and is unique in that it is set into a slight rise, making the back door of the apartment (at the alley) at grade and allowing for a porch. The lots on which the house and garage are built are also enclosed by a low rock wall on the south side and the back which serves as a retaining wall. The house, garage, and rock wall are constructed of a limestone that is silver-gray in color. It is cut and laid in an ashlar style. The stonework is of a quality and style only demonstrated in one other small private-use structure in Ponca City, other than the Marland Mansion. The other garage behind 703 South Fourth was located at the home of James Gammie, the father of Thomas Gammie. Architecturally, the Thomas Gammie house is a vernacular bungalow in style. However, the stonework and its quality are not vernacular at all. It is a high-style stonework, showing the work of an extremely talented craftsman. The house itself has several unusual features. In the front of the hom |