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From the pages of The Ponca City News, Sunday, March 21, 1999 LOCAL DEATHS NEWS BRIEFS LIFESTYLES LOCALSmart Summer Camp Planned At Union School Smart Summer Camp Planned At Union SchoolPonca City Public Schools will be offering a new elementary summer school program this year called Smart Camp. Smart stands for Summer, Math, the Arts, Reading and Technology and is designed to meet the needs of students ages kindergarten through fifth grade. Smart Summer Camp will be held at Union Elementary, located at 2617 North Union, and will run from June 7 through July 2. This day long, four-week program will focus on math, the arts, reading and technology. Students will enjoy thematic units of study, learn to use technology, enrich their basic skills, sing, create art projects, share books, and play organized games. Brochures containing enrollment applications have been distributed to all elementary students. Enrollment dates for the camp are scheduled for March 22 through 26 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Administration Center located at 111 West Grand. There will be a $50 deposit required at enrollment. Tuition for the camp is based on a sliding scale with scholarships available to those who qualify. Breakfast and lunch will be provided to the students attending the camp with breakfast being served at 7:45 a.m. For additional information contact Jean Hastings, Union Principal, at 767-8035. 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. Today Cherokee Wheelmen Freewheel Training Ride, 15 miles, 2 p.m., Pioneer Woman Statue. Monday Ponca City Board of Commissioners, Ponca City Utility Authority, and Ponca City Development Authority, 5:30 p.m., Commissioner’s Room, Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue. Tuesday Kaw Lake Association, noon, Golden Corral, Ponca City. Wednesday Planning Commission Work Session, 7:45 a.m., Planning and Engineering Conference Room, Suite 305, 400 East Central Avenue. Cards, 1 p.m., Ponca City Senior Center, 319 West Grand Avenue. Thursday “Supermarket Shopping 101: 7-8:30 p.m., St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Conference Room B. Alzheimer’s Support Group, 7 p.m., St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Conference Room A. March 25, 26, 27, 28 Ponca City Easter Pageant presented by First Baptist Church, “Miracle of Love,” 7 p.m., Hutchins Memorial Auditorium, tickets free but necessary, available at First Baptist Church office, the Master’s Touch, KLVV in Ponca City, Guy Lyall Insurance, Tonkawa and Eastman National Bank, Newkirk. Friday Crafts and Cards, 1 p.m., Ponca City Senior Center, 319 West Grand Avenue. Alzheimer’s Support Group, 7 p.m., Conference Room A, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. Saturday Church Women United Spring Fling Craft Show, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Unity Gym to benefit Child Development Center, a United Way Agency. Booth spaces available, contact Suzanne Devinney 762-9669 or Mary Bates 718-0019. Michael Wallis autographing “The Real Wild West: The 101 Ranch and The Creation of the American West,” 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Historic 101 Ranch Site, south of Ponca City on Oklahoma 156, hosted by 101 Ranch Old Timers Association, activities include Indian dancing, Chuck Wagon barbecue, Cowboy singing and Buckboard rides. Then at 7 p.m., Wine and Cheese reception, Chapel Hall on Marland Estate, activities include displays of memorabilia and Cowboy songs by Les Gilliam. Organizational Meeting for Future Museum of Railroad History, 2-4 p.m., Programming Room of Ponca City Library. Pickup up date for Heartland Food Share Program. March 28 Cherokee Wheelmen Freewheel Training Ride, 20 miles, leader Moni Neville, 2 p.m., Pioneer Woman Statue. March 31 Ponca City Main Street Authority Inc. Board, 1 p.m., Main Street Office, 117 North Third Street. Bingo, 1 p.m., Ponca City Senior Center, 319 West Grand Avenue. April 1 Kay-9 Dog Training Club, 7 p.m., Ponca City Library, public welcome, more information 762-9053 or 762-7360. April 2, 3, 4 Outdoor Easter Pageant “It’s Time,” presented by Faith Tabernacle, Four Square and First Assembly of God Churches, 7 p.m., First Assembly of God parking lot, 1308 East Bradley Avenue. April 3 Northern Oklahoma’s Spring Home and Garden Expo, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Hutchins Auditorium, sponsored by The Ponca City News and WBBZ. Fifth Annual Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by Century 21 Group One Realtors, 10 a.m., War Memorial Park, south of Hutchins Memorial, for children eight years old and younger. April 5 Church Women United Board Meeting to discuss plans for 50-year anniversary celebration, 9:30 a.m., St. John Baptist Church, 1009 South Eleventh Street. Ponca City Board of Commission Work Session, 2 p.m., Commissioner’s Room, Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue. Pioneer Christian Crusaders Motorcycle Association, 6 p.m., Conestoga at I-35, U.S. 60 west of Tonkawa, more information 765-3164. April 6 AARP, 12:30 p.m., Wheatheart Nutrition Center. Planning Commission, 7 p.m., Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue. April 7 Energy Advisory Board, 7:30 a.m., Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue. Ponca City Council of Garden Clubs, Mollie Bivin presenting “The Bivin Garden,” 9:30 a.m., Cann Center. April 8 Ponca City Housing Authority, 10 a.m., Broadway Plaza, 201 East Broadway. Agrarian Club, 6 p.m., Southwest meeting room, Western Sizzlin’. April 8, 9 and 10 KLVV’s annual Sharathon Fund Raiser on 88.7 FM, call 767-1400 to volunteer or pledge. April 9 Historic Preservation Panel, noon, Planning and Engineering Conference Room, Suite 305, 400 East Central Avenue. April 10 United Ostomy Association, Stillwater-Ponca City, Okla., Chapter, Health Fair, 7 a.m.-1 p.m., Stillwater Community Center gymnasium, 8th Avenue and Duck Street, Stillwater. Cherokee Wheelmen Freewheel Training Ride, 25 miles, leaders Randy and Linda Coffin, 8 a.m., Pioneer Woman Statue. Rummage Sale, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Asbury United Methodist Church, 700 West Liberty, proceeds to Missions. April 12 Kay County Retired Educators Association, Program “Special Health Care — Patients’ Rights,” by Karen Navarro, 11:30 a.m., First Methodist Church, 6th and Coolidge, Blackwell. Ponca City Board of Commissioners, Ponca City Utility Authority, and Ponca City Development Authority, 5:30 p.m., Commissioner’s Room, Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue. April 13 Economic Development Advisory Board, 7:30 a.m., Chamber of Commerce. Ponca City Library Board, 11:30 a.m., Library Board Room, 515 East Grand Avenue. McCord Volunteer Fire Department, 7 p.m., McCord School Library. Rural Water District No. 1 Regular Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Enterprise School on Lake Road. April 14 Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission, 11:30 a.m., Cultural Center Sunroom, 1000 East Grand Avenue. Rural Water, Sewer and Solid Waste Management District No. 3 Board Meeting, 7 p.m., Braden Community Center. April 15 Park and Recreation Advisory Board, 5:30 p.m., Municipal Court Room, Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue. April 16 Historic Preservation Panel Work Session, noon, Planning and Engineering Conference Room, Suite 305, 400 East Central Avenue. Traffic Commission, 1:15 p.m., Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue. Friendship Feast Fund Raising Spaghetti Dinner, 4:30-7 p.m., First Christian Church fellowship hall, $6 adults, $3 children. April 17 Cherokee Wheelmen Freewheel Training Ride, 30 miles, 8 a.m., Pioneer Woman Statue. April 19 Ponca City Board of Commission Work Session, 2 p.m., Commissioner’s Room, Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue. Multiple Sclerosis Support Group, 6:30 p.m., Albright United Methodist Church, 128 South Palm. United Ostomy Association, Stillwater-Ponca City Chapter, 7 p.m., Board Room, Stillwater Medical Center. April 20 Standing Bear Educational Committee, 11 a.m., Pioneer Bank Drive-in, interested citizens encouraged to attend. Kaw Lake Association, noon, Golden Corral, 2300 North Fourteenth Street. Marland Estate Commission, 4:30 p.m., Marland Estate Conference Center. Osage Cove Volunteer Fire Department, 7 p.m., Fire Station, corner U.S. 60 and Keeler Road, new volunteers always welcome. April 21 Ponca City Tourism Authority, 2 p.m., Cultural Center Sunroom, 1000 East Grand Avenue. April 22 Alzheimer’s Support Group, 7 p.m., Conference Room A, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. April 23 Seventh Annual Taste and Tasteless, Poncan Theatre. April 24 Cherokee Wheelmen Freewheel Training Ride, 35 miles, 8 a.m., Pioneer Woman Statue. April 26 Ponca City Board of Commissioners, Ponca City Utility Authority, and Ponca City Development Authority, 5:30 p.m., Commissioner’s Room, Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue. April 28 Planning Commission Work Session, 7:45 a.m., Planning and Engineering Conference Room, Suite 305, 400 East Central Avenue. Ponca City Main Street Authority Inc. Board, 1 p.m., Main Street Office, 117 North Third Street. April 30-May 1-2 11th Annual Ponca City Iris Festival April 30 1999 Iris Festival Postal Cancellation, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., U.S. Post Office, Fourth Street and East Grand Avenue. Retired Senior Volunteer Program Iris Post Card Sale, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., U.S. Post Office, Fourth Street and East Grand Avenue. Ponca City Humane Society “A Fetchin’ Affair” Dinner, Dance and Mutt Strutt, 6:30 p.m., Moose Lodge, Tickets 580-767-8877. May 1 Ninth Annual Victorian Chocolate Festival, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Grand Central Station, Fifth Street and East Central Avenue, sponsored by pro-teens, lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m., chocolate and craft booths, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sixth Annual “Rhythm & Blooms” Amateur Talent Contest, 11 a.m., Center Stage, sponsored by Commercial Federal Bank and Ponca City Main Street Authority. Plants for Pleasure Sale & Free Tours of Cann Memorial Garden and Home, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., sponsored by Ponca City Garden Council, Cann Memorial Garden, Fourteenth Street and East Grand Avenue. “Lil’ Bloomers” Children Events, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Grand Avenue, sponsored by Ponca City Main Street Authority. H.G.H. Antique Car Museum, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 110 North Union Street. Demonstrations of Native American Art and Crafts and Guided Tours, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Standing Bear Park, U.S. 60 and U.S. 177, sponsored by Ponca City Native American Foundation. “Trail of Tails” Dog Walk and Dachshund Race, 10 a.m., Seventh Street and East Grand Avenue, sponsored by Ponca City Humane Society. Children’s Hands-on Flower Planting Session, 10 a.m., Fifth Street and East Grand Avenue, sponsored by Ponca City Library. United Way Bed Race, Fifth Street and East Grand Avenue, 10 a.m., more information 580-765-2476. Iris Garden Tours, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Chalk Art Contest, Ages 1 to 100 invited, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Fifth Street and East Grand Avenue, sponsored by the Ponca City Library. Matzene Art Collection Tour, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Ponca City Library, Fifth Street and East Grand Avenue, sponsored by Ponca City Library. Fifth Annual Community Iris Show, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Fourth Street Clubhouse, 1500 South Fourth Street, sponsored by Southside Neighbors. Pioneer Porcelain Artists, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., Fourth Street Clubhouse, 1500 South Fourth Street. Retired Senior Volunteer Program Iris Post Card Sale, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., RSVP Office, 110 North Fourth Street. Retired Senior Volunteer Program Petals & Lace and Sidewalk Plant Sale, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., RSVP Office, 110 North Fourth Street. Eleventh Annual Iris Show, 1-4:30 p.m., Commercial Federal Bank lower level, sponsored by Northern Oklahoma Iris Society. Sky Shivers and the Sounds of the Southwest, 7:30 p.m., Poncan Theatre, sponsored by the Poncan Theatre Co., tickets available at the theatre. May 2 Fifth Annual Community Irish Show, 1-4 p.m., Fourth Street Clubhouse, 1500 South Fourth Street, sponsored by Southside Neighbors. H.G.H. Antique Car Museum, 1-5 p.m., 110 North Union Street. Iris Garden Tours, 1-4 p.m., Inquire at Community Irish Show. May 1 Cherokee Wheelmen Freewheel Training Ride, 40 miles, 8 a.m., Pioneer Woman Statue. May 8 Cherokee Wheelmen Freewheel Training Ride, 45 miles, 8 a.m., leaders, Kevin Neustador and Patti Kanawisher, Osage Cove, joint ride and picnic. May 14-15 World Impact Tour featuring Team Extreme (Friday) and GX Jam (Saturday), two shows, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., Hutchins Auditorium, Fifth Street and Overbrook Avenue, sponsored by area churches and KLVV 88.7 FM. May 15 Cherokee Wheelmen Freewheel Training Ride, 50 miles, 8 a.m., Pioneer Woman Statue. Conservation Tree Seedlings For Sale April 1NEWKIRK — Area residents can help protect the environment and replace natural resources by taking advantage of the annual tree seedling sale here. The sale will be conducted from 8 a.m. to noon Thursday, April 1, at the Newkirk NRCS/Kay County Conservation District office, 115 South Maple Avenue, in Newkirk. Seedlings are to be used for rural conservation plantings for benefits such as windbreaks, erosion, water quality, mine reclamation, livestock protection, reforestation, wildlife habitat, natural environmental areas, landfills and living snow fences. The minimum order is 200 seedlings in bundles of 50 and are priced at 29 cents or less per tree, depending on species and quantities ordered. For information contact the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Forestry Services at 1-800-517-3673 or service forester Dan Stidham at 580-237-4810. The tree sale is conducted in cooperation with Kay County Conservation District and the NRCS in Newkirk, along with OG&E Electric Services and the OSU Cooperative Extension Service. Area Legislators Beam During CeremonyBy RALPH SEWELL News Capitol Bureau OKLAHOMA CITY — The last empty spot for a mural in the legislative floors of Oklahoma’s State Capitol was filled last week. Northern Oklahoma College’s Roustabouts sang just as lights came on to show the new mural, “We Belong to the Land.” Sen. Paul Muegge, D-Tonkawa, and Rep. Jim Reese, R-Nardin, beamed along with the crowd that filled the fourth floor rotunda. Muegge chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee; Reese is a member of the House committee. And, of course, each represents Tonkawa and its college. Four representatives — joined by former colleague James Hager, D-Pawhuska — harmonized western ballads for the crowd. Hager, who quit the House to run an under-financed race for governor, also strummed his guitar. Later, Hager was formally given a citation by House colleagues. Privately, Hager said his main problem in last year’s Democrat primary was lack of enough money to get across his message. Others believe he ran second in the primary also because he didn’t badmouth his opponent. She had no such qualms and won the nomination. Former Gov. George Nigh, a Democrat, was master of ceremonies. Present Republican Gov. Frank Keating also spoke, allowing Oklahoma was grand. The Roustabouts sang a medley of Oklahoma! tunes as the mural reflecting state agriculture interests was lighted. It shows cows, a cowboy on horseback, a farm wife, wheat, a tractor pulling a cultivator — and even a hog peeking in the rear. The next day — St. Patrick’s Day — also was declared by resolution to be Oklahoma Ag Day. Muegge was the Senate author. It was a bittersweet week for Reese. Over the weekend, he and his wife took their children to Colorado to ski. Mrs. Reese fell and broke a leg. Back at the Capitol, Reese found himself on a committee charged with finding a bipartisan solution to Oklahoma’s problems on education. Muegge — who isn’t on the joint committee — thinks he knows the answer. There just isn’t enough money to go around, he says. Reese and Rep. Jim Newport, R-Ponca City, believe Democrats are willing to discuss the state’s problems with Republicans more this year. Reese says Keating’s 5 to 3 re-election margin last November convinced Democrats the governor is more popular than they thought. And Republicans gained four seats in the House. They number 40 now. That makes it easier to sustain vetoes, and also less likely the governor will veto as often. Statehouse peace could be helped by another factor: Big jobs at stake in the next elections are federal — not at the statehouse. Here’s how the education issue looks now: Keating’s 4 by 4 plan — 4 years each of English, math, science and social studies — for high school students squeezed by the Senate, 26 to 22. Muegge and Harrison voted no. SB 697 now is in the House. House Democrats had their own ideas and sidetracked GOP amendments to HB 1759, by House Speaker Loyd Benson, D-Frederick. It would offer college scholarships to high school students who excel. Republicans complained it also would encourage charter schools at the expense of existing enterprise schools. GOP amendments to HB 1759 were rejected on party line votes. The bill then passed, 94-5. Newport and Reps. Larry Ferguson, R-Cleveland and Joe Sweeden, D-Pawhuska, voted yes. Reese voted no. The legislature now is at a halfway point. Committees of each house now are reviewing bills sent them by the other. Floor votes are skimpy right now. Here’s how Muegge, Harrison, Newport, Reese, Ferguson and Sweeden voted on various bills handled before the March 11 deadline. *SB 454, which passed 40-7, would allow a judge to order castration by chemical means of a man found guilty of rape or sodomy. A second offender could be surgically castrated. Muegge and Harrison voted yes. *SB 797, which passed 26-22, would allow parents to choose the school a child may attend, subject to room being available in the receiving district. The law now requires approval of both the receiving and sending district. Title is off the bill. Foes saw it as a device to let one district raid another for students who are entitled to federal subsidies. Muegge and Harrison voted no. *SB 805 passed the Senate 28-17. It would put all state trial judges on a retention ballot, rather than in competitive, non-partisan elections, as now is the practice. Only appeals court judges now are on such a ballot. Muegge voted yes; Harrison no. *SB 314, which first failed 20-26, passed 25-15 on a second try. It would allow voters of a county to authorize a 1-cent county tax on gasoline and diesel fuel. The title is off the bill. Muegge and Harrison voted yes. Muegge said as he sees it, the bill gives local voters control. *HB 1174 passed 73-25. It would require school boards to cite reasons when an administrator is dismissed. It also sets up an appeals process. Sweeden and Ferguson voted yes; Newport and Reese no. *HB 1211, which failed 36-63, would have increased fines and jail terms for crimes against persons because of their color, religion, ancestry or national origin. It failed even though homosexuality was removed before the vote. Opponents argued hate crime laws should apply to all victims, not just some that the bill listed. Sweeden voted yes; Newport, Reese and Ferguson no. *HB 1292, to name a county compensation task force, failed 41-57. It was returned to committee for possible consideration next year. Newport, Reese, Ferguson and Sweeden voted yes. *HB 1388, which failed 25-76, sought to elect sheriffs in non-partisan elections in the two biggest counties. Reese voted for; Newport, Ferguson and Sweeden against. *HB 1441, which passed unanimously, would release responsibility for support of a child if genetic testing shows a man not to be the father. *HB 1728 failed 45-51. It would make the prison term for arson which threatens human life from 3 to 5 years as a minimum and from 7 to 10 years as a maximum. Newport, Reese and Ferguson voted yes; Sweeden no. *SB 46 passed the Senate 37-11. It would extend the open meetings law to cover any entity that benefits directly or indirectly from proceeds of public bond issues or other public debt. Muegge and Harrison voted yes. *SB 74 died by a Senate vote of 18-30. The lack of an extending bill will make it possible for banks to add branches at will after July 1. Muegge and Harrison voted for the bill. *SB 746, to require approval of the state before a non-profit hospital is acquired by another party. It was sent to the House on a 29-19 Senate vote. Muegge and Harrison voted yes. *HB 1318 passed the House 99-1. The author said it’s aimed at giving an insured person — rather than insurers — more control over who treats him or her. The State Insurance Commissioner would settle disputes. Newport, Reese, Ferguson and Sweeden voted yes. *SB 2 passed 33-13. It would make company health insurance policies cover some mental illness. An amendment mandates coverage for substance abuse. Firms with 50 or less employees would be exempt. Muegge and Harrison voted yes. *SB 19, which passed 37-8, would ban use of telephone answering devices in state offices during office hours. Muegge and Harrison voted yes. *SB 199 passed 41-4. It would raise the price of many hunting licenses but the title is off the bill, which probably means more debate. Harrison and Muegge voted in favor. *SB 312 failed 17-27, then was reconsidered and passed, 25-20. It would let counties levy a sales tax on sand, coal, limestone and shale if the voters of the county approved. Muegge and Harrison voted yes. *SB 374 failed 19-29, indicating that present state restrictions on branch banking likely will expire July 1. Muegge and Harrison voted yes. *SB 480, which passed 45-0, would exempt some research done at public universities from the open records act, but revenue obtained from such research would not be confidential. Muegge and Harrison voted yes. *SB 747, which passed 25-19, would require students to pass proficiency tests before advancing to another grade. It would end “social promotions” and some senators doubted that was being done — a view supported by Sandy Garrett, state superintendent of public education. Muegge and Harrison voted against. Group One Sets Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, April 3The Century 21 Group One Realtors fifth annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 3, at War Memorial Park (south of Hutchins Memorial) for children eight years of age and younger. There will be four age groups: 2 and under, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, and 7 and 8. Every child who participates will have the opportunity to meet and have their picture taken with the Easter bunny. There will be over 3,000 candy-filled eggs as well as prizes in each age group and several special surprises. Century 21 Group One Realtors encourage the youngsters to please come and enjoy the fun with Group One and the Easter bunny at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 3, at War Memorial Park. Jazz Band To PerformThe Howard Hanger Jazz Fantasy will be performing on Friday, March 26, at 7:30 pm at the Poncan Theater. Howard Hanger is a master entertainer and musician. His unique ability to relate his music to all people, from small children to senior citizens, is unparalleled. His Jazz Fantasy has toured all over the world. Howard has produced 12 albums, including 4 children’s albums. All of the albums have won national awards and are distributed and enjoyed throughout the United States. An audience at a Howard Hanger Jazz Fantasy performance will hear a wide variety of jazz styles from blues to traditional standards to contemporary, and always they will be enlivened and delighted by Howard’s special gift of “people magic.” The appearance is free to the public and is sponsored by the Ponca City Arts and Humanities Council, Conoco and the Oklahoma Arts Commission. OBI Blood Drive Set at Frontier School FridayRED ROCK — The Frontier High School is hosting a community blood drive with the Northwest Oklahoma Blood Institute on Friday. New and regular donors are invited to give their Gift of Life by donating blood from 9 a.m. to noon at Frontier High School in Red Rock. Now is the time to make a difference in someone’s life. One blood donation can help as many as three patients. It only takes an hour to help save a life. With four million Americans depending on blood transfusions each year, your blood donation truly makes a difference! For more information, or to schedule an appointment to donate, call Carla Campbell at (580) 723-4360. All donors will receive free checks on blood pressure, temperature, iron, and cholesterol levels, with cholesterol results sent by mail following the donation. KATT radio T-shirts will be given to all donors in appreciation of their donation. The Oklahoma Blood Institute is a region not-for-profit blood center responsible for supplying the blood to more than 70 hospitals within the state including the Perry, Ponca City, Enid and all Oklahoma City hospitals. Summer School Pre-Enrollment Forms AvailablePre-enrollment for summer school at Ponca City Senior High is currently taking place. Pre-enrollment forms can be picked up in the counselor’s office or the main office at the Mid-High School located at Sixth and Grand, or in the Howell Building at the Senior High School. Class dates, times, fees, and other information will be given on the pre-enrollment forms. Driver Education classes will be held at the Senior High School also. Pre-enrollment is very important for regular summer school classes and mandatory for driver education classes. Eighteen students must be enrolled in a class (that does not include driver education) for the class to be offered during the summer months. Classes with low pre-enrollment may be dropped before enrollment. It may be helpful for students to consult a school counselor before enrolling in summer school. For more information regarding summer school for secondary students call 767-9500, ext. 142, or Peg Jordan, Summer School Administrator, at 767-9513. 101 Ranch Buffs Make Plans To Welcome Author of BookBy KATHY ZEHR News Staff Writer The 101 Ranch Old Timers, collectors, and history buffs are currently honoring, celebrating and making plans to welcome the author of a long awaited book about the 101 Ranch, “The Real Wild West; The 101 Ranch and the Creation of the American West” Author Michael Wallis, renowned for his books about the rich heritage of Oklahoma and her people is known to many in Ponca City from his frequent visits here to autograph copies of his best-sellers “Route 66,” “Mankiller, A Chief and Her People,” “Pretty Boy Floyd,” and several others. Wallis, who lives in Tulsa, has also been a regular visitor in the area for the last 10 years as he gathered data and interviewed former 101 Ranch cowboys, the Miller Brothers’ relatives and friends, and 101 history collectors. Last week, several Ponca City residents were present in Oklahoma City, to honor Wallis as he was awarded the 1999 Areal Gibbon Lifetime Achievement Award by the Oklahoma Center for the Book. The prestigious honor and recognition was made at the 10th Annual Oklahoma Book Awards Ceremony at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame on March 13. Wallis’ books about Oklahoma and her people have also been nominated for the National Book Award and on three occasions for the Pulitzer Prize. He has won other top state and national awards and honors including the 1994 Lynn Riggs Award from Rogers State University and he was the first inductee into the Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Professional Writers Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame this year. Present from Ponca City to congratulate Wallis were Lu and Jack Keathly, who were consultants on the 101 Ranch book. The Keathly’s also presented an exhibit of early day 101 Ranch memorabilia including numerous items once owned by “Buckskin Bessie” Herberg. Herberg, alias Bess Carter or “Montana Bess” and in later years was married to Marshall Blackwell, was a former Bliss Community businesswoman and performer with the 101 Ranch Wild West Show. Also present from Ponca City was Jean and Jerry Brace with Brace Books and More and former resident and City Manager Leon Nelson. Wallis shared some readings with the group from the 1999 Design Illustration Award winning book “Oklahoma Crossroads.” Wallis also wrote the copy for that book in conjunction with the works of photographer David Fitzgerald. Wallis will be in Ponca City on March 27 to visit the 101 Ranch site from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., where he will read passages and sign copies of the, 635 page, “The Real Wild West,” The 101 Ranch and the Creation of the American West, now available at Brace Books and More. He will also be present at the Marland Estate Chapel from 7 to 9 p.m. to read and sign his books at the 101 Collectors Show. Several Miller family members and veteran Wild West performers, various state and national dignitaries and visitors from across the country are scheduled to be present at the 101 Ranch and at the Collectors exhibit. Family Act Tops Ponca Rock Bill on SaturdayIt’s a night for the rest of us to see what might have happened if we’d have stuck with our music lessons. Five local bands, comprised mostly of Ponca City High School students, will be showcased Saturday night at The Poncan Theatre in a four-hour music event called Ponca Rock Live, which begins at 7 p.m. Perhaps the most well known of the five bands is the one called Overdrive, a rock and alternative music group already familiar to Po-Hi students after its debut during last fall’s annual Panic production at Howell Auditorium. Overdrive actually is a quartet, consisting of local music teacher Mark Strange — who sat out of the all-student Panic show — plus his two sons Jeff and Ryan, and one of his guitar students, Timmy Dancey. All four band members sing, with Ryan Strange on drums, Jeff Strange on bass, Tim Dancey on guitar and Mark Strange on guitar and keyboards. Along with Overdrive, four more bands of emerging local talent also auditioned and secured spots in the show: One group calls themselves Zester and the Pelicans, a classic rock band made up of Jared Heidlage on bass and providing vocals, Cory Villines on drums, Harrison Freeman on guitar and doing vocals, and Adam Stroud on guitar and doing vocals. Another band is an all-sophomore rock and alternative trio known as The Vibe, consisting of Nick Ley on drums, Mark Parsons on bass and Stephen Michael on lead guitar. All three members provide vocals. The fourth band is called 7th Gear (previously known as The Delinquents), which is a punk-style band made up of lead vocalist Tarina Morris, guitarist Andy Killingsworth, bassist Nick Burton and drummer Dustin Topper. The fifth group is a metal band known as Spin Cycle, consisting of Colin Fleishacker on vocals and guitar, Shaun Epperson on vocals and bass, and Dustin Topper on drums. (Topper does double duty for two bands in the Ponca Rock Live show.) With each band planning to perform several songs on-stage, Mark Strange said Ponca Rock Live rehearsals have already been an excellent learning experience for some of the musicians because they’re playing complete songs from start to finish. Each band will play at least five songs. Strange said after months of planning, the show will finally give the band members an opportunity to work together and have fun. Tickets for Ponca Rock Live will be on sale all this week and are $5 each. They can be purchased from The Music Suite, from KIXR Radio or from any of the band members. For information call 765-7055 or 762-3451. Hurry, because hundreds of tickets to the show have already been sold. School MenusElementary Breakfast Monday — Biscuits and gravy or cereal or honey bun, assorted juices and milk. Tuesday — Cereal or honey bun, assorted juices and milk. Wednesday — French toast or cereal or honey bun, assorted juices and milk. Thursday — Cereal or honey bun, assorted juices and milk. Friday — Cereal or honey bun, assorted juices and milk. Elementary Lunch Monday — Dino nuggets with hot roll or corn dog, mashed potatoes and gravy, mixed fruit, saltine crackers, dill spears, Oreo cookies or assorted cold sandwiches, chef salad, diet plate, juice and milk. Tuesday — Crispy tacos with lettuce and cheese or bread sticks with marinara sauce, fresh fruit, applesauce, Mexican rice, Mexican beans, saltine crackers, dill spears or assorted cold sandwiches, chef salad, diet plate, juice and milk. Wednesday — Barbecue rib dipper with hot roll, Taco Bell chilito, au gratin potatoes, baked beans, fresh fruit, saltine crackers, dill spears, sour apple slime or assorted cold sandwiches, salads or diet plate, juice and milk. Thursday — Chicken strips with hot roll or cheese dog, mashed potatoes and gravy, Jello, rosey pears, fresh fruit, saltine crackers, dill spears or assorted cold sandwiches, salads or diet plate, juice and milk. Friday — Meat and cheese nachos or cheese pizza, refried beans, peaches, saltine crackers, dill spears, cookies or assorted cold sandwiches, salads or diet plate, juice and milk. Middle School Breakfast Monday — Cinnamon raisin biscuit or cereal, assorted juices and milk. Tuesday — Biscuits and gravy or cereal, assorted juices and milk. Wednesday — Bacon and cheese biscuit or cereal, assorted juices and milk. Thursday — Egg and sausage biscuit or cereal, assorted juices and milk. Friday — Biscuits and gravy or cereal, assorted juices and milk. Mid-High Breakfast Monday — Egg and bacon biscuit or french toast stix with bacon or cereal, orange juice and milk. Tuesday — Ham, egg and cheese biscuit or cinnamon raisin biscuit or cereal, orange juice and milk. Wednesday — Biscuits and gravy or muffins or cereal, orange juice and milk. Thursday — Sausage and egg biscuit or cinnamon toast or cereal, orange juice and milk. Friday — Biscuits and gravy or breakfast burrito with tots or cereal, orange juice and milk. Middle School Lunch Available on Monday through Friday at the Middle School is Domino’s Pizza. Monday — Chicken nuggets with hot roll, mashed potatoes and gravy, peas, fruit, saltine crackers, dill spears, pudding or assorted cold sandwiches, salads, diet plate or potato bar, juice and milk. Tuesday — Crispy tacos, shredded lettuce and cheese, salsa, jalapeno, saltine crackers, dill spears, pudding or assorted cold sandwiches, salads, diet plate or potato bar, juice and milk. Wednesday — Barbecue rib dipper with hot roll, au gratin potatoes, baked beans, fresh fruit, saltine crackers, dill spears, sour apple slime or assorted cold sandwiches, salads, diet plate, potato/soup bar, juice and milk. Thursday — Chicken strips with hot roll, whipped potatoes and gravy, green beans, fresh fruit, saltine crackers, dill spears or assorted cold sandwiches, salads, diet plate or potato bar, juice and milk. Friday — Meat and cheese nachos, salsa, jalapenos, onions, Mexican beans and rice, fruit, saltine crackers, dill spears, cookies or assorted cold sandwiches, salads, diet plate or pasta bar, juice and milk. Mid-High Lunch Available at the Mid-High Monday through Friday are Domino’s and Subway. Monday — Chicken nuggets with hot roll, mashed potatoes and gravy, mixed fruit, salad, saltine crackers, dill spears or assorted cold sandwiches, salads, diet plate or pasta bar, juice and milk. Tuesday — Teriyaki chicken breast with hot roll, oriental vegetables, steamed rice, fruit, salad, saltine crackers, dill spears or assorted cold sandwiches, salads, diet plate or potato bar, juice and milk. Wednesday — Roast beef with hot roll, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh fruit, salad, saltine cracker, dill spears or assorted cold sandwiches, salads, diet plate or pasta and soup bar, juice and milk. Thursday — Chicken strips with hot roll, whipped potatoes and gravy, fresh fruit, lettuce and tomato salad, saltine crackers, dill spears or assorted cold sandwiches, salads, diet plate or potato bar, juice and milk. Friday — Stuffed cheese pizza, Italian blend vegetables, peaches, salad, corn, saltine crackers, dill spears or assorted cold sandwiches, salads, diet plate or pasta bar, juice and milk. High School Lunch Available every day at Campus Mart, the Training Table Deli offers a pasta bar, baked potato bar, lean items and fresh fruit. The Ala Carte Wildcat line offers Pizza Inn and Subway. Training Table Monday- Friday — Pasta bar, potato bar, deli sandwiches and salads, seasonal fruit. All-American Line Monday — Ham and cheese croissant, french fries, lettuce, tomato and onion, strawberry parfait, seasonal fruit, juice and milk. Tuesday — Turkey with hot roll, whipped potatoes and gravy, glazed carrots, turkey dressing, cranberry sauce, seasonal fruit, juice and milk. Wednesday — Pizza pocket, corn, Jello, lettuce salad, seasonal fruit, juice and milk. Thursday — Chili dog with cheese, french fries, corn chips, seasonal fruit, juice and milk. Friday — Macaroni and cheese with hot roll, green beans, glazed carrots, seasonal fruits, juice and milk. McCord Elementary Breakfast Monday — Donuts, juice and milk. Tuesday — Pancake and sausage, juice and milk. Wednesday — Cereal, toast, juice and milk. Thursday — Scrambled eggs, toast, juice and milk. Friday — Oatmeal, toast, juice and milk. Lunch Monday — Spicy chicken, macaroni and cheese, carrots, pineapple chunks, hot roll and milk. Tuesday — Spaghetti with french bread, corn, applesauce and milk. Wednesday — Ham and cheese sandwich, fries, dill spear, frozen fruit bar and milk. Thursday — Hot dog, carrot stick, dill spear, orange wedge, cookie and milk. Friday — Fish, hashbrown, tarter sauce, corn bread, green beans, mixed fruit and milk. Pioneer Technology Center Tuesday — Chicken fried steak, greek grilled chicken or fettucini alfredo, salad bar, soup, assorted vegetables, breads and desserts. Wednesday — Beef Diane, fiesta chicken or teriyaki pork, salad bar, soup, assorted vegetables, breads and desserts. Thursday — Smoked brisket, sweet and sour pork or chicken fajitas, salad bar, soup, assorted vegetables, breads and desserts. The cafeteria is open to the public from 11:15 a.m. to noon. School CalendarPo-Hi March 22 Junior varsity boys and girls tennis at Po-Hi at 1 p.m. Junior varsity boys golf at Pawnee at 2:30 p.m. Varsity baseball at Claremore, 5 p.m. Ponca City Chamber Orchestra, room F-104, 7 p.m. March 23 Junior varsity and varsity girls tennis at Po-Hi at 3 p.m. Junior varsity and varsity boys tennis at Stillwater, 3 p.m. Cheerleading tryout clinic, RFH, 4 p.m. Junior varsity and varsity baseball against Guthrie at 4:30 p.m. Varsity boys and girls soccer against Bartlesville, 6 p.m. Soccer “third half” at Commons Addition at 10 a.m. March 24 Boys golf, Fairfax, 10 a.m. Cheerleading tryout clinic continues at 4 p.m. March 25 Breakfast of Champions Chamber of Commerce in the Commons at 7:30 a.m. BLT meeting, Assembly Center, 3:30 p.m. Cheerleading clinic continues. Junior varsity baseball in Guthrie. March 26 Boys golf at Ada at 8 a.m. Varsity girls tennis at Ada at 8 p.m. Junior varsity boys golf, Alva, 9 a.m. Junior varsity and varsity boys and girls soccer at Enid, 4 p.m. Cheerleading tryouts continue at RFH. Varsity baseball, Edmond North, 4:15 p.m. Artist in Residency performance, Howell Auditorium, 7 p.m. Junior varsity baseball in Guthrie. Po-Hi Steppers National Competition in Denton, Texas. March 27 Varsity boys tennis in Ada at 8 a.m. Special Olympics at Sullins Stadium at 8 a.m. Varsity baseball, Owasso, 1 p.m. Junior varsity baseball continues in Guthrie tournament. Po-Hi Steppers National Competition continues. Trail-Blazer Judge To Address OHSPONCA CITY — Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange, who blazed her own trails to become the first African-American federal judge in a six-state area, will bring her experiences to the April 22-24 Oklahoma Historical Society Annual Meeting at the Marland Estate Conference Center in Ponca City. Judge Miles-LaGrange, who also served as the first African-American woman elected to the Oklahoma Senate, will address the Annual Meeting Luncheon at 12:15 p.m. on April 23 at the conference center. With her background, she provides a personal symbol of the 1999 Annual Meeting theme: “Pioneer Women: Blazing a Path to the Future,” said Executive Director Blake Wade of the Historical Society. The address by Miles-LaGrange will be one of the highlights of the three-day annual meeting, which also will feature inductions into the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame during the Annual Awards Banquet on April 23 at the Hutchins Memorial Auditorium in Ponca City. The Annual Meeting also will include bus tours, a social gathering and dinner at the Pioneer Woman Museum and 24 presentations on Oklahoma history. “We derived the theme for the meeting from the Pioneer Woman Museum, which was reopened last September with expanded space and new exhibits on the contributions of pioneering women,” said Barbara Thompson, who chairs the Annual Meeting Committee of the OHS Board of Directors. Miles-LaGrange, a U.S. district judge for the Western District of Oklahoma, is the first African-American judge in the Tenth Circuit, which includes Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. She is a graduate of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and the Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. She served in the Oklahoma Senate from 1986-1993. She chaired the Oklahoma Senate Judiciary committee, the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus and the Law and Justice Committee of the National Conference of State Legislators. In addition, she has taught graduate business students at Tianjin University of Finance and Economics in China and has lectured at Tsinghua University School of Law in Beijing. In 1991, she was a member of an American Council of Young Political Leaders delegation that met with new leaders of the Soviet Union. In 1992, she attended the International Summit of Women in Ireland as an American representative. Miles-LaGrange also has served as an assistant district attorney in Oklahoma County, a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Woodrow Seals in Houston. She served as a congressional aide for Carl Albert, then Speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives. In addition, she serves on the board of the Kirkpatrick Science and Air Museum at the Omniplex; the Oklahoma Heritage Association and the Oklahoma Arts Institute. She is the mother of a 16-year old daughter and is active in St. John Missionary Baptist Church, where she is a life-long member. The Marland Estate Conference Center is located at 901 Monument Road in Ponca City. It adjoins the Marland Mansion, a 55-room showplace built by former Oklahoma Gov. and U.S. Rep. E.W. Marland in 1928. It was designed by John Duncan Forsythe and is preserved as a National Historic Landmark. The Felician Sisters owned the property for years and built what are now the conference center and chapel. In 1975, Ponca City citizens approved a two-year one-cent sales tax to purchase and preserve the Marland Estate. Conoco Inc., a successor to Marland Oil Co., contributed half the purchase price. The Marland Estate Commission is restoring the mansion and other buildings. Registration for the Annual Meeting will begin at noon on April 22 with a $12 fee for Historical Society members and $15 for non-members. Other fees will include $12 for the luncheon on April 23; $15 for the Awards banquet at 7 p.m. on April 24, and $10 and $3 for historical tours. Historical report sessions are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. on April 23 to noon on April 25. For more information, contact Mary Ann Blochowiak at (405) 522-5243 or Georgiana Rymer at (405) 522-5203. ‘World Premiere’ Set For Winfield ConcertArkansas city — The words “world premiere” seem to suit the Winfield Regional Symphony these days, and its performance on Friday, April 23, will be no exception. “Scout Remembers To Kill A Mockingbird” will be the premiere performance of Elmer Bernstein’s original film score music to the 1962 Academy Award-winning film which starred Gregory Peck, Brock Peters and Robert Duvall, to name a few. Admission will be $5. The original film will be shown at 7:30 p.m. April 13 in the Brown Center of the Cowley County Community College in Arkansas City. Admission will be $2. The film, based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book by Harper Lee, centered around depression-era life in a small southern town as seen through the eyes of a young girl. Mary Badham, who was nominated for best supporting actress for her role as “Scout” will present narration during the performance, bringing back her memories of making the movie, her relationships with the other actors, and what the film has meant in her life. Badham will present a free Arts a la Carte presentation at 12:20 p.m. at CCCC where she will talk about her life and work, literacy and arts in the schools. At 2 p.m. she will lead an acting clinic in CCCC’s Little Theatre. A preconcert question and answer session will be held with Badham and Gary Gackstatter, conductor of the Winfield Regional Symphony, discussing the making of “To Kill a Mockingbird” and the role of music in the film. Bernstein’s score, which was also nominated for an Academy Award, was recently released on CD with the Royal Scottish Orchestra, but has not been performed in its entirety live. Bernstein has also received numerous awards in his lengthy career as one of the world’s top film composers for his scores to such diverse films as “The Great Escape,” “The Ten Commandments,” “The Magnificent Seven,” “Animal House” and “Ghost Busters.” The Winfield Regional Symphony, conducted by Gackstatter, has seen its share of world-premiere performances with names such as the Paul Winter Consort, Three Dog Night, Kansas, John McCutcheon and Tom Chapin. This unique combination of film score with narration is the first of its kind for this movie. The performance will open with a short documentary film about the making of “To Kill A Mockingbird” in which the actors and Elmer Bernstein, as well as the director and producer, share their insights. “This is very incredible stuff,” said Gackstatter. “Bernstein’s music is some of the most powerful I’ve ever heard, and Mary’s narrative with it will be an experience for the entire audience.” For additional information, or to make reservations, call (316) 441-5252. Tabled Items on City Commission AgendaBy PATTI PFEIFFER News Staff Writer It will be a mixture of both old and new business on the agenda for Monday evening’s city commission meeting. Postponed from the last meeting, is the matter of a rate increase at the Lew Wentz Golf Course. The “nominal” increase is being requested due to inflationary costs and in order to keep the course self-sufficient says Public Works Director Ken Parr. “This increase addresses more what is needed at the course to keep it an on-going business concern,” Parr told the commission during last week’s work session. “It is important to remember that last year was the first year the course was self-sufficient and it is important that we stay that way.” Under the proposed rates, the 9-hole cart rental would increase $.50 to $9.50 and 18-hole cart rental rates would increase $1 to $17. The $12 week day and $13 weekend green fees would also increase $1. However, fees for juniors would increase only $.50 while the senior citizen rates would remain the same. Both private cart rentals and yearly fees would also increase. If approved, the green fees at Lew Wentz golf course would remain at or below that of surrounding courses, Parr pointed out. A recent golf course rate survey showed that with the proposed rate increase, Wentz green fees would be the same charged at Sand Springs and $1 more than Stillwater. However, it was reported that both of those courses are expecting a rate increase this year. The proposed $13 local green fee would be less than the $15 charged in Bartlesville, Quail Ridge in Winfield and Spunky Creek in Tulsa. Although approved by a 2-1 vote, the proposed increase failed during the last city commission meeting because it required a majority vote of the 5-member commission and two members were absent. The Ponca City Annual Police Report, tabled from the last commission meeting due to the “missing” commissioners will also be presented this Monday evening. As part of the consent agenda, a $28,164 change order for remodeling project of the No. 1 fire station will be considered. Among the items included in the change order is an $18,106 increase in the cost of the windows. City commissioners will also consider the purchase of a $93,000, 37-foot hydraulic bucket truck that will be used by the electric utility light/underground department which will replace an older model. A rezoning request, submitted by Terry Evans which involves property located at the southeast corner of North Pleasantview to Hubbard Road, is also on the agenda. The request seeks to change the current zone from R-1 single family residential district to C-2B general commercial district. City commissioners will vote on a Cooperation Agreement between the City and the Ponca Tribal Housing Authority. According to City Attorney Kevin Murphy, the agreement is the same agreement the City has with the Kaw and Tonkawa Tribes and is required whenever a housing authority operates within the city. On the agenda as new business — which was also tabled from the last meeting — is the dedication of an easement to Kay County for the construction of a new road near the city landfill. As the Ponca City Utility Authority, commissioners will be considering a $44,000 amendment to the Wastewater Treatment Plant. NOYS Receives GrantGrants were awarded in two Oklahoma communities to pilot community-based outreach and education regarding health insurance to uninsured, low income children. Northern Oklahoma Youth Services has been chosen by the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth (OCCY) to implement one of these pilot projects. The project will target an estimated 1,856 children of low income families who are eligible but not participating in Medicaid in Kay County. Oklahoma’s Medicaid-managed care program is called SoonerCare. The state- and federally funded health care program for low-income individuals living in Oklahoma’s rural areas is SoonerCare Choice. Kay County is among those counties served by the SoonerCare Choice program. The State of Oklahoma has been engaged in a statewide effort to increase awareness of the newly available health care services for children and pregnant women whose incomes are at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty Level. OCCY has identified a significant need to develop a community outreach initiative to ensure that children from low-income families receive adequate health care. It is through this initiative that NOYS has been selected. The NOYS mission is to help the community take responsibility for the health and well-being of all our children regardless of their family’s income. Specific goals and objectives have been developed to address the following problems in Kay County: (1) Sizeable numbers of eligible low-income families are not enrolled in a health care plan. (2) Many families don’t know they are eligible for assistance or fear the application process. (3) Language, cultural, and transportation barriers are discouraging eligible families from making application. (4) Many families don’t understand the services available and fail to give their children the full advantage of immunizations and preventive services, such as Early & Periodic Screening, Diagnosis & Treatment (EPSDT). (5) Enrollees often lose their preferred doctor, and services are interrupted because they fail to recertify within the deadline. Obtaining timely immunizations is one of the simplest and most widely accepted ways to safeguard children’s health. NOYS outreach service will educate and encourage parents to complete the immunization series for their children. SoonerCare Choice offers Early & Periodic Screening, Diagnosis & Treatment (EPSDT). This service pays for complete checkups, hearing and eye tests, lab tests, medicines, dental care, shots, dieting and food education, referrals to specialists, and medical reports for school, day care, camps, jobs, and sports. Prenatal care can reduce premature births and low birth weight, both of which impact the morbidity of mortality of affected children. After joining SoonerCare, pregnant women can continue their prenatal care with the physician they are currently using. Northern Oklahoma Youth Services Center and Shelter was established in 1972 as a nonprofit charitable agency serving youth and their families. Current service area includes Kay, Noble, and Pawnee counties as well as the western edge of Osage and eastern portion of Grant county. NOYS offers a variety of programs in three basic service areas: prevention services, family enrichment services, and crisis intervention services. It is staffed by a team of professionals and is governed by a board of directors composed of local citizens. The main office and shelter are located at 415 West Grand Avenue in Ponca City. There are also outreach offices located in Blackwell, Perry, and Pawnee. Services are provided to youth and their families at no cost to the client. NOYS is a community effort and depends on the local community for support. For more information about the SoonerCare program, contact Outreach Coordinator, Tammy Childers, at 580-762-8341. Kay Baptist Association Event SetAn Evangelism Conference, sponsored by Kay Baptist Association, is scheduled for Monday evening, March 22 at the Chapel of First Baptist Church, Ponca City. Featured speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Tom D. Elliff, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Del City. Dr. Elliff is the immediate past two-term President of the Southern Baptist Convention. The SBC is the largest evangelical denomination in America with over 40,000 churches. Other speakers will include the Rev. Shane Spannagel, evangelism specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and the Rev. Hance Dilbeck, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Ponca City. Leading the music will be the Rev. Randy Swift, Minister of Music at First Baptist Church, Woodward. A Gospel Quartet, the Kingdom Seekers, from First Baptist Church, Harrah, will provide a prelude concert beginning at 6:45 p.m. and special music throughout the evening. “The purpose of the Conference,” states Dr. Chester Ward, Director of Missions for Kay Baptist Association, “is to inform, challenge and inspire Christians to be obedient in carrying out the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20.” The public is cordially invited to attend the Conference which begins at 7 p.m. Entrance to the First Baptist Church Chapel is located on East Oklahoma Avenue between South Fifth and South Sixth Streets. Husband-Wife Team Enjoy Medical Mission to MexicoThe mountainous region of southwest Mexico has many small villages populated by residents in need of medical care. For many of them, the only chance they have of being treated is when a doctor visits on a medic al mission. Last October, Bruce Mackey, MD, and his wife Eileen, a physician assistant, were part of such a mission and treated patients in several of those villages. The mission was sponsored by the Legionnaires of Christ. The Mackeys, who are both members of the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center medical staff, began their seven-day mission Oct. 31, 1998. Once they landed in Mexico, the couple and their group headed for Cotija, where they were based. A pediatrician, three orthopedists, a dentist and other support personnel were with the Mackeys. “People were fairly poor and there was extremely high unemployment,” Dr. Mackey said about the people of the region. “The thing that really struck me was even though the people were very poor as far as their worldly possessions, they still were spiritually very rich. Many of them were very devout in their faith. I felt we learned from that.” There were days the group went into the outlying areas and set up shop, sometimes in resident’s homes. Dr. Mackey and Eileen saw patients wherever they could set up a clinic, while the dentist used the front porch for dental procedures. One experience Dr. Mackey recalled from the trip was a house call he made to see a young boy who was wheelchair-bound and fairly debilitated. Following Dr. Mackey’s examination of the boy, who was also in need of dental work, the doctor took him to where the dentist was seeing patients. “He was just so happy to have someone paying attention to him and to be able to get out of the house and the yard,” Dr. Mackey said. “We took him in his wheelchair down the dirt ruts to where the dentist was pulling teeth.” Dr. Mackey believes people in the United States often take health care for granted, but in Mexico the people are very appreciative of any help they receive. “In general, they were extremely grateful for any help we could give them,” he said. When they left Mexico, the Mackeys had mixed emotions about the work they had done there. They felt frustration and thought they would leave and everything would continue as it had before. From that point-of-view, the effort seemed futile. “On the other hand, we don’t know how just helping somebody one time can affect a change for a lifetime,’ Dr. Mackey said. The trip to Mexico has changed the Mackeys personally and professionally, according to Dr. Mackey. “It gave us a different outlook on life in general, but also in our practice,” he said. “We really feel strongly about the spiritual needs of patients that go along with their medical needs.” Dr. Mackey said this won’t be the last mission trip he and his wife will take. “Eileen and I both plan to do a medical mission once a year,” he said. Railroad Lovers Planning MuseumAn organizational meeting for a future museum of railroad history is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 27, in the programming room at the Ponca City Library. Committee spokesman John Mallory of Ponca City said the meeting is primarily to plan for a museum “to preserve railroad history in North Central Oklahoma and South Central Kansas.” The group also will present railroad video programs during the meeting and will discuss the latest developments in the potential return of Amtrak service to Oklahoma. Mallory said the committee also is seeking non-profit status so donors can receive tax deductions for their railroad memorabilia. Anyone interested in railroads or railroad history is welcome to attend. For further information contact Carrie or Mark Friesenhahn at 580-765-8826. Non-Wintery February Gave Way To MarchBy MAX STOKESBERRY News Staff Writer When February put up some spring-like weather numbers there was the thought that — just maybe — winter was making an early exit. Rain for the month measured 1.85 inches, according to Universal Weather Station at Municipal Airport, but there was no snow. And the coldest temperature during the month was only 28 degrees. Certainly not a very wintery performance for February. March, however, came on the scene, nipping early buds in trees and flower beds, and trying to uphold winter’s good name in the three weeks remaining in the “cold” season. The result was some of the prettiest fluffy white snow you ever saw — 9.5 inches of it — on the weekend of March 12-13. But a bright sun quickly melted the snow and temperatures fell to only 26 degrees. The strongest March winds to date were clocked at 49 miles an hour from the northwest on the 2nd. So okay, we have had our winter, and today officially ushers in spring. But don’t store away your long-handled underwear just yet. Snow has been known to show up in April. February’s 1.85 inches of water were .4-inch above normal, and March had recorded 3.72 inches as of Friday, already becoming the sixth month in a row to exceed normal expectations. March’s high temperature to date is 77 degrees, chalked up on the first day of the month. This is two degrees below February’s hottest, 79 on the 26th. Temperatures climbed into the 70s on four other days last month. Over the years since 1954 February has had top readings of 87 in 1962 and 1981. There were also three other years that registered in the 80s. But the top mark was 92 degrees only three years ago, in 1996. During that 45-year span temperatures fell below zero in eight different Februaries, the coldest being minus-8 degrees in 1975 and 1980. Soil, Water Conservation Scholarships AvailableThe All-Oklahoma chapter of the soil and water conservation Society (SWCS) is accepting applications from college sophomores or juniors for the SWCS Scholarships in Conservation Program. The purpose of this scholarship program is to encourage qualified students to increase their interests in natural resource conservation and pursue a career in this area of study. A maximum of three $500 scholarships will be awarded to qualified applicants. Applicants must be a current resident of Oklahoma and must have completed three semesters at an accredited Oklahoma college. Applicants must be enrolled or intending to enroll in an agriculture or natural resource conservation-related program of study and have a cumulative 3.0 grade point average or better in their major field. Past recipients have been enrolled in such courses of study as agronomy, journalism, soil science, agriculture education and wildlife management. Applications must reach the SWCS Chapter headquarters by May 1, 1999. Recipients of the award will be announced in June. Applications may be obtained from any Oklahoma college financial office, Natural Resources Conservation Service field office, the Kay County Conservation District office or by contacting Shawn Fleming, SWCS scholarship chairman at (405) 273-3428, Clark Williams, SWCS scholarship co-chairman at (405) 466-3469 or Shelly Oliphant, president of Oklahoma SWCS at (580) 327-3136. Medford Native Among Six Inaugural Members of State Military Hall of FameOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Gen. Dennis Reimer, the U.S. Army chief of staff, and three Medal of Honor winners were inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame on Saturday along with two others cited for service to their country. ‘‘I think the message is all about the three gentlemen up here, their personal courage, the values they represent for America,’’ Reimer said of the Medal of Honor winners. ‘‘These three gentlemen are part of the generation Tom Brokaw described as the best generation America has ever produced. They saved the world.’’ Reimer, a Medford native, was among six men who became inaugural inductees into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame on Saturday. The ceremony was held as part of the Oklahoma Reserve Officers Association annual convention. Also inducted were Medal of Honor winners, retired Lt. Col. Ernest Childers of Coweta, John Crews of Oklahoma City and Jack Montgomery of Muskogee. Retired Rear Admiral John Kirkpatrick also was inducted. Gen. Clarence Tinker, namesake of Tinker Air Force Base, was inducted posthumously. Crews, who was decorated for storming a German machine-gun emplacement on April 8, 1945, and capturing 27 prisoners, said at a news conference that at first he didn’t realize the meaning of the medal he had won. ‘‘I honestly didn’t know what the Medal of Honor was until I got out of the service,’’ he said. ‘‘I knew I was written up for the award, but I didn’t know what it would mean.’’ Childers earned the light blue ribbon with white stars for bravery under fire during a fight at the Italian village of Oliveto on Sept. 22, 1943. Montgomery won the medal in Italy on Feb. 22, 1944, when he personally accounted for 11 enemy casualties and more than 30 prisoners. Reimer said at the news conference that according to the Army’s method of measuring its force, the current Army is better qualified than the troops that fought in the Gulf War. ‘‘The issue is really how do we retain or how do we recruit enough of them,’’ he said. To continue to attract enough qualified recruits, Reimer said, the Army must emphasize the need for military service, provide enough incentives to make it attractive and use talented recruiters. A decade-long cutback in defense spending recently caused problems with the readiness of some units to deploy, Reimer said. He said more money is scheduled to be allocated to defense over the next few years, and those funds must be spent with an eye toward balancing immediate readiness needs and development of equipment. ‘‘I think that’s the desire of the American public,’’ he said. ‘‘Don’t put soldiers in harm’s way without giving them the equipment and weapons systems that they need to get the job done.’’ Conoco Reveals Restructuring ProgramBy PATTI PFEIFFER News Staff Writer Rumors, speculation and worry have run rampant in Ponca City since Conoco’s January announcement regarding the impending layoff of 900 employees world-wide. Now, two months after the oil company made its decision public, the local impact is also being made public. According to General Manager of Mid-Continent Business Unit Richard Severance, reality is not as bad as some rumors would have it. “Several rumors have been so outrageous that have not even warranted a response,” Severance says. “There will be a limited impact and a modest number of layoffs in Ponca City.” At this point however, the exact figure is unknown. “The current restructuring is part of an ongoing effort. Individual functions and departments within the company have been looking at their own organizational structure and so there has not been a coordinated, comprehensive focus across the company. So it has been difficult to keep track of everything that is going on. “We have talked numbers in the upstream (exploration/production) of perhaps fifty or less in Ponca City. In downstream we are not even clear what those numbers will be but it will be very, very modest.” While that may be bad news for certain Conoco employees, it may be a welcome relief to those who desire to retire. “People are given the opportunity to raise their hands and receive the severance package. That would be our prime desire to accommodate as many of those as possible and to then deal with the restructuring by then bringing people into those positions that may be considered surplus in their current functions.” “We will not be able to accommodate all of those wanting to retire. It has always been our position that if someone has a critical skill which cannot be replaced or would cause us to hire from outside, then those will not be available for severance.” Whether termed “downsizing” or “restructuring” the current decrease in oil prices is taking its toll on the industry. “The oil industry is not a growth industry anymore and so we have to remain very competitive. This is just part of our on-going business,” Severance says. “We are following a continuous improvement model and are looking to improve every day, everything we do across the company. As technology changes and as we make improvement, we are going to be tweaking our organization continually.” However, Severance says Conoco’s present course of action is all in the normal course of business. “I think that is a process that is going to be on-going and one that is no different from other companies. It really ought to apply to any entity whether a business — a city or community. They should all be looking how to increase productivity in order not to have a tax increase every single year and strive to find ways to make themselves more efficient and effective. “In order to remain viable all organizations should make sure not to get caught in the trap that ‘we have always done it this way so we will continue to do it that way.’” As to the future.... “There is no way to predict what is going to happen in the future in this industry or any individual company out there, but as managers we will continually improve our business, operations and productivity.” Nearly NewsAttention, all Community Concert membership drive volunteers! The Concert drive meeting to be held today from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church is for ALL workers, not just for captains as stated in a story in Friday’s News. Leslie Rardin will give instructions to ALL volunteers for the membership drive. DEATHSE. Carl Corbin E. Carl CorbinGLENCOE — E. Carl Corbin, former Ponca City area resident died Wednesday, March 17, 1999, at Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City. He was 64. The funeral will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 22, at Sunnybrook Christian Church in Glencoe with the Rev. Paul Weece officiating. Burial will be in the Glencoe IOOF Cemetery under the direction of Strode Funeral Home, Stillwater. E. Carl Corbin was born Feb. 24, 1935, in Neosho, Mo., to Noble and Thelma (Schultz) Corbin. He graduated from Marland High School in 1954. After graduation he was employed at Boeing Aircraft in Wichita, Kan. He was married to Sharon Weir in Ponca City on Dec. 22, 1956. Corbin was drafted into the U.S. Army in May 1957 and served in New Ulm, Germany. After his discharge in 1959 he returned to employment with Boeing Aircraft until 1960. He was then employed by Oklahoma Natural Gas as an area superintendent in Ponca City and that company transferred him to Stillwater in 1986. After his retirement on Jan. 1, 1992, he and his wife enjoyed traveling through the Midwest. He enjoyed playing golf and spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. Corbin was a member of the Sunnybrook Christian Church in Glencoe and Country Road Good Sams. Survivors include two sons, Randy Corbin and Ricky Corbin, both of Glencoe; five brothers, Bill of Ogden, Utah, Marvin and Noble, both of Ponca City, Walter of Wichita, Kan., Bobby of Marland; and four sisters, Tooter Thompson of Oklahoma City, Josephine Gibson of Arp, Texas, Carol Vanhoy of Edmond and Darlene Duvall of Ponca City; and five grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents. Memorial contributions may be made in Mr. Corbin’s name to Glencoe Little League or Glencoe 4-H and FFA Booster Club, c/o Strode Funeral Home, P.O. Box 487, Stillwater, OK 74076. Maxine Vera PlummerTONKAWA — Maxine Vera Plummer, longtime Tonkawa resident, died Friday, March 19, 1999, at her home. She was 74. The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, March 22, at the Tonkawa First Baptist Church with the Rev. Richard Thomasson officiating. Burial will be at the Tonkawa IOOF Cemetery under the direction of McCafferty-Bolick Funeral Home. Maxine Vera (Colwell) Plummer was born, near Tonkawa on Oct. 4, 1924, to John and Lillian (Slaughter) Colwell She graduated from Tonkawa High School in 1942. On June 6, 1943, she was married to A. Clifford Plummer at the Tonkawa First Baptist Church. Mrs. Plummer was a member of the Womens Missionary Union, the Overtones Quilting Club which met every Thursday, and was a past-president of the Delphi Club. She enjoyed quilting, sewing and traveling. She is survived by her husband, Clifford, of the home; one son, John of Denver, Colo.; one brother, Bob Colwell of Tonkawa; three grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter. She was preceded in death by her parents. Casket bearers will be Larry Case, Daniel Ingram, Eugene Frazier, Jay Kindsvater, Bill Selvey and Mike Owen. Memorial contributions may be made in Mrs. Plummer’s name to the Baptist Boys Ranch Town, c/o First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 426, 212 North Main Street, Tonkawa, OK 74653. Walter D. PadgettBLACKWELL — Walter D. “Bud” Padgett, lifelong Blackwell area resident, died Saturday morning, March 20, 1999, at Hillcrest Manor Nursing Home in Blackwell. He was 80. The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Prairie Chapel Methodist Church with the Rev. Don Martin officiating. Burial will be in the Blackwell Cemetery under the direction of Roberts and Son Funeral Home. Walter D. “Bud” Padgett was born June 12, 1918, in Nardin to Walter Roscoe and Myrtle M. (Williamson) Padgett. He grew up and attended schools in the Nardin-Deer Creek area, and graduated from Blackwell High School in 1936. He married Thelma Louise Kohler on Sept. 6, 1938, in Pawhuska and the couple made their first home in Braman. In 1940, they moved east of Blackwell to the Prairie Chapel Community. In 1941, Padgett began employment in the furnace department at Blackwell Zinc Co. Also a lifelong farmer, he continued his farming after the zinc plant closed in 1974. He was a member of the Prairie Chapel Methodist Church and the Farm Bureau. Survivors include his wife, Thelma Padgett of Blackwell; two daughters, Waldeana Walter of Albuquerque, N.M., and Dr. Karen Davis of New York, N.Y.; one son, Keith Padgett of Golden, Colo.; nine grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one son, Paul Padgett; three sisters, Pearl Kester, Cecil Janzen and Thelma Oldham; and one infant brother. Casket bearers will be Lee Cobb, Harlan Overman, DeWayne Muret, Roger Allen, Larry Sneath, and David Messenger. Memorial contributions may be made in Mr. Padgett’s name to the Prairie Chapel Methodist Church, c/o Roberts Funeral Home, 120 West Padon, Blackwell, OK 74631. ObituariesMildred S. PerryMildred S. Perry, longtime Ponca City resident, died Friday, March 19, 1999, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. She was 88. The funeral service will be held Monday, March 22, 1999, at 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church with the Rev. Hance Dilbeck, pastor, and the Rev. Larry Heslip, minister of education, officiating. A graveside service will be at 3:30 p.m. at Fairlawn Cemetery in Cushing. Arrangements are under the direction of Trout Funeral Home. Mrs. Perry was born Dec. 29, 1910, in Cushing to Elias Amos and Nora Mae Smith. She graduated from Fort Smith, Ark., high school. After graduation, she and her mother moved to Ponca City where she began a career with Conoco. On Nov. 12, 1938, she married Flavel D. Perry in Oklahoma City. He preceded her in death Nov. 26, 1980. Mrs. Perry retired in 1947 from Conoco as an executive secretary to become a full-time homemaker and PTA mom. She was a member of First Baptist Church where she served as director of the Women’s Missionary Union for several years, served on numerous committees in the church and taught 16-year-old girls Sunday school class. She also worked as a secretary at the Church for a short time. Mrs. Perry served on the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma Board of Directors. She was also an active member of the Ponca City Mother’s Club and a supporter and contributor to many community organizations. She enjoyed shopping. She loved fashion and modeled in numerous fashion shows. Mrs. Perry was an avid reader and an Oklahoma history buff. She is survived by her daughter, Millicent Gillogly and her husband David of Oklahoma City; and two granddaughters, Erin and Kacy Gillogly. In addition to her parents and husband; two brothers, Harold and Kenneth; and a sister, Helen Black preceded her in death. Memorial contributions may be made to the Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children, 3800 North May Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73112-6506. paid obituary Services PendingThelma L. NorrisThelma L. Norris, former Ponca City resident, died early Friday morning, March 19, 1999, at Willow Haven Nursing Home, Tonkawa. She was 84. Arrangements are pending with the Trout Funeral Home, Ponca City, and will be announced later. NEWS BRIEFSUSS Maddox Reunion — Veterans who have served aboard the USS Maddox Destroyer are invited to a reunion in Norfolk, Va. Sept. 8-12,1999. Contact Cliff Gillespie at 215 Wichita Ave., Apt. 605, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 or call 714-960-5283 or e-mail at CGILLES@mail.arco.com., for more information. Her Review. Now accepting women’s spring/summer consignments. adv. Camp Fannin Reunion — Veterans or Cadre who trained at Camp Fannin, Texas are invited to a reunion in Tyler, Texas, March 24-27. World War II Veterans and guests will meet at the Radisson Hotel, 2843 Loop, 323 NNW, Tyler, Texas 75702. Write for reservations or call 903-597-1301. For more information about activities write CFA President A. David Wendt, P.O. Box 132024, Tyler, TX 75713. Being Relocated, or in town for a short time? We have homes available by the month or longer. All homes are full furnished with appliances, furniture, linens, pots and pans. Inclusive of cable, local phone, and utilities. Please call 580-762-7980 or 580-718-0681. adv. Baseball/Softball Sign Ups — Sign up for baseball or softball for Ponca City Kid’s Inc. at Buy for Less on Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. Avoid the late sign up fees and register early. Season starts in April. Spring Carpet cleaning-most modern method. Trained personnel, reasonable prices, references. Floorcraft. 762-8381. adv. Window Broken — At 2:20 p.m. Friday it was reported that a window at the Middle School had been shot. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Reverse Osmosis water 25 cents per gallon. Pure Water Wagon. 1717 North 5th. adv. Ready for Adoption — Taz and Copper are ready for adoption from Ponca Animal Welfare Society. These little ladies are 10 weeks old, rott mis puppies and full of energy. Call 765-PAWS for more information. Court Allen Construction. Concrete and flagstone walkways, patios and yard curbing. Call 765-2720. adv. Bunny Pictures — Pictures of your children with a “bunny” will be taken at Wal-Mart from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Pictures are $5 each or two for $8. Proceeds will help Rho Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi raise funds for needy families. Shoe Shine by Leroy. 117 North 3rd. Barney’s. adv. Education Meeting — The Ponca City Friends of Education will meet at the Commons Area Conference Room at Po-Hi, March 30, 7:30 a.m. Spring Trades! Back on The Rack. adv. Afghans, Anyone? — Yes, we still have afghans and they do make excellent gifts for any occasion. The afghans are sold exclusively by the First United Methodist Women and are a fund-raiser for missions. They are available in four colors — burgundy, Hunter green, blue and navy. Call 762-1429 or 765-0157 to order for delivery or for information. Free Pregnancy test. Birth Choice cares. Confidential. Hours: Monday, 4-6 p.m., Tuesday, 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, 1-3 p.m. and Thursday, 6-8 p.m. 700 West Broadway. adv. Cheer Meeting — Senior high cheerleading tryout makeup parent information meeting, March 22, 5:30 p.m., Commons Addition at Po-Hi. This meeting is required if you missed the first meeting. Kids Review accepting spring/summer items. adv. Rock & Gem Club to Meet — The Ponca City Rough and Tumbled Rock and Gem Club will meet Tuesday, March 23 at 7 p.m. at Albright United Methodist Church. A video “Gemstones of America” will be shown. Visitors are welcome. Windshield Chips repaired professionally. Guaranteed and insurance approved. Ponca Glass, 762-6522, 762-7957. adv. Harassment — At 7:39 a.m. Friday police were informed of a person in the 400 block of South Ash Street being harassed. The Ponca City Softball Association will be holding an open meeting March 22, 1999 at 7:00 p.m. at Pioneer Vo-Tech Room C101. Team sign ups will be taken at this time and clean up days will also be discussed and season start dates! adv. Arrest — A 27-year-old woman was arrested at 11:21 a.m. Friday from South Fourth Street and East South Avenue on a Kay County warrant for failure to pay. Parkside Bicycle. Bike repair for all brands. 715 East Harford. 765-3230. adv. Break-In — At 3:57 p.m. Friday police were informed that a vehicle in the 800 block of East Broadway Avenue had been broken into. Trees, Plant now. New shipments of Chinese pistache, lace bark elm, oaks, maple and many more. Now open Sunday 1-5. Keathly Nursery, 2448 Bridge Avenue. 762-2922. adv. Vehicle Break-In — At 11:40 a.m. Friday a woman in the 800 block of East Broadway Avenue contacted police after she discovered someone had broken into her car. An officer was assigned and a report was taken. Great Fundraiser: Booths at Victorian chocolate and craft festival. Saturday, May 1st. Call 762-6700. adv. Window Shot — At 12:07 p.m. Saturday police were informed that a window in the 100 block of South First Street had been shot with a BB gun. Used Tommy lift for wide bed pickup. Miles Music. adv. Shoplifter — A police officer was called to the 200 block of East Grand Avenue for a report of a juvenile shoplifter at 12:41 p.m. Friday. Pauline's Every Monday night special. Fried chicken only - all white meat. All you can eat, $6.50. For reservations call 765-5460. adv. Accident — A three vehicle accident in the 200 block of South Pine Street was reported at 4:16 p.m. Friday. Gas Drive-Off — At 4:58 p.m. Friday a $5 gas drive-off was reported at the Triple T, 700 block of South Waverly Street. Bamm Bunnies. Super bowl legends, Young, Elway, Favre and Davis Bammers are here! Carla’s Hallmark, downtown. 765-3094. adv. Harassment — A resident in the 1000 block of Poplar Avenue reported harassment at 5:21 p.m. Friday. Downsizing Auction 1301 Bradley, Elks Lodge. Sunday, March 21, 1999. 1:00 p.m. adv. Stolen Bike — At 5:50 p.m. Friday a person in the 300 block of North Pine Street reported the theft of a bike. WWF Wrestlemania XV: The raging climax. Live, Sunday, March 28th at 7:00 p.m., $34.95. To order call Cable One at 762-6684. adv. Arrest — A 20-year-old man was arrested from South Palm Street and West South Avenue at 3:04 a.m. Saturday for driving under the influence and left of center. Burglary — A petit larceny police report was taken at 9:19 p.m. Friday in the 900 block of East Hazel Avenue after a home was burglarized. Juvenile Arrest — A 15-year-old boy was arrested from the 500 block of South Lincoln Street at 9:43 p.m. Friday for receiving stolen property. Like To sing? Come try your luck with us at the Blue Lite. Karoke starts at 8 p.m. Monday evening. Lots of fun! See you there! adv. Stabbing — At 2:41 a.m. Saturday one person was taken by an ambulance to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center for injuries sustained in a stabbing. Attempted Theft — At 1:59 a.m. Saturday a clerk at the Triple T, 425 South Fourteenth Street, reported an attempted theft of beer. An assault and battery report was taken due to the clerk being assaulted during the attempted theft. Robbery — At 11:03 p.m. Friday police were called to West Grand Avenue and Oak Street after a man was reportedly “jumped” and robbed of his wallet. An officer was assigned and a robbery report was taken. Batty Visitor — A resident in the 300 block of South Palm Street called police at 7:16 p.m. Friday reporting a bat in their residence. LIFESTYLESPattersons Observe 40 Years Pattersons Observe 40 YearsMr. and Mrs. Bob Patterson, 1924 North Osage Street, will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary Monday. The former Susanne Walker, rural Newkirk, and Bob Patterson of El Dorado, Kan., were married in the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church of Arkansas City March 22, 1959. The couple made their home in Arkansas City until June 1977, except for a two-year period while Mr. Patterson served in the U.S. Army at Fort Monroe, Va., in the Continental Army Command (CONARC) Band. He was sports editor of The Traveler in Arkansas City until June 1977. He took a similar position with the Abilene Reflector-Chronicle in Kansas. The Pattersons moved to Ponca City in 1989, where Mr. Patterson became a news reporter for The Ponca City News. He is now City Editor of The News. The couple has two children: a daughter, Pam Worcester, and a son, Jerry Patterson. Pam, and her husband, Barry, reside in Wakita and have four sons, Benjamin, Andrew, Adam and Jacob. The Rev. Mr. Worcester is minister of First Christian Church there. Jerry Patterson, and his wife, Lorri, live in Wichita, Kan., where he is music minister of the Riverlawn Christian Church. They have a daughter, Marleese, and a son, Silas. Arbor Day Events Begin March 22 In Ponca CityArbor Day is a nationally celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and tree care. The first Arbor Day was celebrated in the state of Nebraska in 1872, in response to a state proclamation urging settlers and homesteaders in that prairie state to plant trees that would provide shade, shelter, fruit, fuel, and beauty for residents of the largely treeless plains. On that first Arbor Day, more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska’s communities and on its farms. The Arbor Day idea was promoted by J. Sterling Morton, editor of the Nebraska City News, who later helped the idea spread to neighboring states and eventually to all of the United States and many other nations according to information from the National Arbor Day Foundation. Today, Arbor Day celebrations are held in communities all over America, with the date determined by the best tree planting times in each area. Celebrations are held as early as January and February in some southern states, and as late as May in more northern locations. National Arbor Day is observed on the last Friday in April. Ponca City’s Arbor Day celebrations are the week of March 22 with events planned that day by the Millennium committee and later in the week by the City of Ponca City. Senior Citizen Day at State CapitolThe annual Senior Day at the Capitol is Monday, March 29. Those participating can begin registering on the first floor of the capitol at 8 a.m. This year’s program will focus on nursing home care. This is a good day to go to the Capitol, contact your local legislators and tell them what you see in your nursing homes. The program begins at 9 a.m. in the west side of the fourth floor rotunda with Esther Houser, State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. Richard Ingham, Legal Services Advisor, will speak on “Advocacy Skills” beginning at 9:30 a.m. Elma L. Holder, Founder of the National Citizens Coalition for Nursing Home Reform, will speak at 10 a.m. There will be time for questions at 10:30 a.m. The General Session begins at 11 a.m. with Gov. Frank Keating, Speaker of the House Loyd L. Benson, and President Pro Tempore of the Senate Stratton Taylor present. Lunch will be on your own at noon. Tables for brown bagging are available on the first floor rotunda. Entertainment for the lunch will include Year of the Older Persons music and “tasting.” Participants may spend the afternoon visiting their representatives and senators. The Governor’s Blue Room, which contains Murrah Building bombing artifacts, will be open for visits. Visits to the State Historical Building or tours of the Capitol will be also be available throughout the day. Lets make an impact on our legislators by being at the Capitol on Senior Day, said Anna States with the NODA Area Agency on Aging. “Encourage your legislators to hear from nursing home residents.” For more information call Anna States, Ombudsman Supervisor, NODA Area Agency on Aging, 237-2236 or 800-749-1149. Woman Maintains Seminole Patchwork TraditionBy SUZANNE MACKEY The Daily Ardmoreite HEALDTON, Okla. (AP) — The small workroom with garment racks, sewing machines and stacks of colorful cloth are each a far cry from the craft’s origins, but the spirit is the same. Strips of cloth painstakingly sewn into designs representing the bounty of nature. Alligator Eye, Beaver Teeth, Dragon Fly, Rose, Lightening and Sacred Fire are just a few of the Seminole patchwork patterns Cleo LeValley is helping to keep alive in the back of her small shop in Healdton. Mrs. LeValley first became acquainted with Seminole patchwork in 1988, after she retired. Her sister, who was a docent at the Seminole Nation Museum in Wewoka, got Mrs. LeValley involved in a museum workshop on the craft. She had virtually no experience sewing, but the hobby took root. It has become a full-time occupation. Mrs. LeValley, and Oklahoma native with a Cherokee background, sells her patchwork out of a shop she shares with her husband’s law practice. She has written a book on the subject, gives workshops and lectures and fills custom orders from around the world. “I like to make things out of almost nothing,” Mrs. LeValley said. “My first skirt was made from old kitchen curtains that I took down and washed and ripped up.” The thrifty attitude behind the red and yellow skirt is the heart of what Seminole patchwork is all about. The craft began in the 1800s with Seminole women in Florida. The United States government started shipping sewing machines to trading posts in the 1880s, according to Mrs. LeValley. At about this same time, the government was supplying cloth to the Seminoles, but the pieces they were being given were too small to fashion a whole garment. So the Seminole women began piecing together the colorful strips for clothing. “They just used what they had. That’s how it developed and that’s what they still do,” Mrs. LeValley said. “Seminole patchwork has always been a machine technique. The designs are ones they just make up and they’re all from nature.” Mrs. LeValley has done extensive research locally, in Florida and at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., and sticks strictly to sewing clan patterns. Many of her orders come from American Indians outside the state that are interested in Seminole clan designs. She sells her work as finished pieces of clothing and also as bands of patchwork yardage that can be topstitched to ready-made clothing. Her work averages $12.50 a yard and a finished skirt can cost as much as $200. Mrs. LeValley said her favorite pattern to work with is called Sacred Fire. It’s also one of her best sellers. “Actually, I like them all. I photograph everything I sell and I keep a notebook with who bought what,” Mrs. LeValley said. “I try not to sell any duplicate work in the same area.” The designs are not original, but her handiwork is and Mrs. LeValley said it is important to her to give her customers the best work possible. Piper Cub Comes Home Thanks To Jim Eck and FriendsBy LOUISE ABERCROMBIE News Staff Writer When Jim Eck of Ponca City learned of an old Piper Cub J-3 airplane that was in storage in Waurika, his ears perked up. And “with a little help from his friends,” the project of restoring a Cub was set in motion. The airplane restoration was “a sentimental journey” for Eck who began his flying hobby in a J-3 Cub about four decades ago when he was in high school. Jim overheard two collectors of old cars talking one day at a car show and heard one say to the other “and there is even an old yellow airplane in that barn.” The fact that there might be one of the rare collector planes available for restoring piqued Jim’s interest. The yellow airplane description was clue enough for Jim to inquire where this barn was located, and who owned it. He told the collectors he wasn’t interested in the cars, but definitely had an interest in the airplane. Eck’s inquiring mind would lead to a prize-winning airplane at the recent Oshkosh, Wis., world show, after three years of extensive restoration with a group of friends. Last summer, David Moore and Jim decided to fly the Cub to the air show at Oshkosh. The show regularly has over 10,000 airplanes on display and draws a crowd of 800,000. Jim said, “This is the international gathering of almost every kind of airplane made and a place to show off your airplane with high hopes of getting an honorable mention. “We flew for 18 hours to get there and back at the speed of 76 miles per hour. It was an enjoyable trip and a few days after we came home, I was notified that the Ponca City Cub had won first place.” Showing his appreciation, Eck said, “It was a great joy and honor to receive this award and, again many thanks to the men who helped me, and I want to share the award with them.” Helping Eck with the restoration were his friends, Merle Helt, Bert Blanton, Steve McQuire and David Moore. Eck said without their help it would have been an impossible job. Rescued From Prairie Dog Town Jim found out that the J-3 Cub was being stored near Waurika, where a 74-year-old person was planning to rebuild it “someday.” Jim took the initiative and asked if the plane was for sale. After a number of phone calls a deal was struck and Jim claimed his “prize.” For over a quarter of a century the Cub had rested in the open sided barn and the fabric covering was rotting and falling off the framework. Retrieving the plane wasn’t an easy task, as it was stored in a barn in the middle of a 100-acre pasture that, according to Jim, was “mostly a prairie dog town.” “As we were disassembling the plane to put it on a trailer to haul it home, we suffered six yellow jacket wasp stings, lost a wrench in a prairie dog hole, and removed a large pile of old prairie dog bones that rats had taken in for storage,” Jim said. After the plane was towed home to Ponca City, there was some discussion about where Jim’s wife, Peggy’s, car was going to stay while the plane was being restored in the garage. First steps of the restoration involved removing the remainder of the fabric, and enough mud dauber nests to fill up four five-gallon buckets. Jim jokingly called the farmer who sold him the plane, and asked if he wanted to buy back part of his farm. Even after all these stumbling blocks, the plane proved to be in good enough condition to restore. Jim noted that, with much patience from Peggy, and three and a half years of mess in the garage, the Piper Cub was renovated to flying condition. Fifty-one years after being built here in Ponca City the plane had been rebuilt here. Eck noted that more pilots learned to fly in the J-3 Cub than any other trainer built. The Piper Cub was built from 1937 to 1947 and was manufactured in only two places. Most of them were produced in Lockhaven, Penn., and in Ponca City from 1946 to 1947. Eck said the Cub is one of the most popular airplanes, and is, therefore, the most sought after of airplanes. As time goes by, the Cubs are getting harder and harder to find, and often is one of the collector items sometimes found stored away in a barn. It was Jim’s luck to find just that situation. Jim says about the prize winning Cub, “It is a piece of Ponca City history and a joy to fly.” Jennifer Jeffries EngagedNick and Carole Jeffries of Ponca City are announcing the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Jennifer Lee Jeffries, to Troy Lewis Sturtz, son of Frank and Charlotte Sturtz of Houston, Texas, formerly of Ponca City. The couple plans a May 22 wedding at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Grandparents of the couple are Jeanne C. Fanning, Bill and Jerri Jeffries, all of Ponca City, Harold and Bernita Aldrich of Blackwell, Fred and Geri Sturtz of Enid, and the late Leo J. Fanning. Miss Jeffries will receive a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Human Resources, from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah on May 8. She is presently working in the business department at NSU and is interning in Tulsa with Summit Consolidated Group. Sturtz graduated from Northeastern State University in May 1997 with a bachelor’s of science degree in Environmental Management. He is currently working on his master’s in the same field and working full-time at Trucks For You as Director of Risk Management. Both are graduates of Ponca City High School. Browns Observe 50 YearsBob and Mary Brown will celebrate their golden wedding anniversary with a reception March 27, 24 p.m., at the OCAW Union Hall, 1202 West Ponca Street. An open invitation to attend the casual celebration is extended to all friends and family. The couple requests “no gifts.” The event will be hosted by their children and grandchildren, Dennis and Ruthie Shurtz, and son Brook Shurtz, of Arkansas City, Kan.; Ronnie and Jackie Brown of Ponca City, and his sons Cory and Casey Brown, of Overland Park, Kan. Also hosting will be Robbie and Denise Brown, and daughters Danielle and Megan Brown, of Lafayette, La., formerly of Rio De Janiero, Brazil. Robert Joe (Bob) Brown and Mary Jeanne Sifferd were married March 12, 1949, by the Rev. D. Dudley Dorr in the parsonage of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, which at that time, was located on West Highland. Both were born and reared in Ponca City. Mrs. Brown was born on the homestead that her grandfather Sifferd claimed in the Cherokee Strip Run of 1893. A 1949 graduate of Ponca City High School, she is a retired homemaker. Mr. Brown, a welder by trade, worked in the ship yards in Vancouver, Wash. during the early years of World War II. He was working for Continental Oil Co. in Ponca City at the time he was drafted into the U. S. Army in 1945, serving in France and Germany. After the war he again was employed by Continental Oil Co. (Conoco Inc.) in Ponca City, retiring in 1985 after 42 years of service. Cathy Mallory Bride-ElectA June 5 wedding at Northeast Baptist Church is being planned by Cathy Marie Mallory and Jason Allen Burnett. The announcement of their engagement has been made by her parents, David and Jane Mallory of Ponca City. The prospective bridegroom is the son of Jerry and Cheryl Burnett of Kaw City. The bride-elect, a 1996 graduate of Ponca City High School, is currently attending the University of Central Oklahoma, working toward a bachelor’s degree in special education. She is employed at the Edmond Association for Retarded Citizens. Burnett, a 1995 Po-Hi graduate, is employed at Burnett Security. 1979 PCHS Class Seeks Classmates For July Reunion1Members of the 1979 graduating class of Ponca City High School are planning a reunion July 23-24. Information about the event may be obtained by calling one of the reunion committee members: Sharon Young, 765-3102; Kerry Pryse Mullenax, 762-0746; Vicki Holroyd Graves, 765-4736; Kelly Johnson, 762-7555; Sandy Box Freeman, 762-1951; Tammy Heagy Shorter, 765-2666; Linda Holroyd Beguin, 765-9438; Jackie Thornburgh Keathly, 765-2912; Jesse Payne, 767-1454. The committee would like information and current addresses for the following “missing classmates.” If a member is deceased the committee would appreciate notification by the family. Buck Abington, Tony Abington, Doug Simmons, Kenneth Brown, Steve Brown, Debbie Byrd Buchanan, Clay Castleberry, Kim Chubick, Jody Copeland, Brenda Freeland Mathis, Peggy Garrett, Paula Greene Rahlf, Lavonne Headman Steeprock, Darrel Helton, Robin Holder, Lisa Hutchison McGraw, Tim Johnson, Bill Jones, Jana Jones, Lori Mason Butler, Kevin Larimer, Sherry Hunt Bauswell, Lisa Helems Pruitt, Bruce Havens, Cathy Lauver, Shelley Smith, Roy Osborn, Monica Simmons Tucker, Bobby McCullough, Ana Lescarboura Sunderlin, Sherri Richardson, Carmen Redmond Huett, Canda Fronko Burpo, Paula Kemitz Cooper, Jacque Moore Nunley. Also Karin Kauppila, Bill Marland, Kim Milenski Saad, Kim Mitchner, Bill Morlan, Sandra Moulton, Steve Newell, Tom Phillips, Joe Morgan, Rachel Romero, Lisa Rowe, Loren Sphon, Richard Stone, Andrea Storer, Shannon Sweetwater, Connie Wilcher Breedlove, Richard Wilcher, Richard Womack, Edward Stephenson,Tina Tarrant Sroufe, Ken White, Casey Keith, Jeff McNeal, Becky Hartness Cranke, Devon Dale, Karen Carter, Barbara Bryant, Carol Heinen Simmons, Jeff Littlewalker, Linda Atterberry Hill, Patricia Parker, Freddie Wilson, Dale Johnson, Teri Harney Altman. Basic Genealogy Workshop Set For March 27Pioneer Genealogical Society is sponsoring a basic genealogy workshop from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. March 27 at the Conoco Fourth Street Clubhouse, 2500 South Fourth. The workshop fee of $15 includes a one-year membership in Pioneer Genealogical Society. Sandy Graves will be in charge of registration, 8-9 a.m.; the welcome, and forms and organization. Connie Ausland will be in charge of LDS Records, 9:30-10:15 a.m. Marlene Stewart will give information on Census Records and Soundex in a session from 10:30 a.m. until noon. Mahlon Erickson will discuss courthouse and other records from 1 until 2:30 p.m., and Darlene Platt will discuss searching for ancestors on the internet, beginning at 2:45 p.m. Registration cost after March 24 will be $20 and payments should be sent to Pioneer Genealogical Society, Delbert Fair, 2221 East Hartford Avenue, Ponca City, OK 74604. Cost for the lunch will be $5.25, and the menu will include barbecue beef sandwich, potato chips, baked beans, tea or lemonade. Friendship Feast Board Sponsors A Benefit DinnerBoard members of the Friendship Feast will be hosting a fund-raising spaghetti dinner April 16, 4:30-7 p.m., in the fellowship hall of First Christian Church. The cost of the meal is $6 for adults and $3 for children. Kaye Motz is the chef for the meal, which consists of his homemade spaghetti sauce and fresh home-baked bread, salad, home-baked cookies, and lime sherbet. Proceeds from the meal will be used to purchase food, disposable plates and utensils, and other needed items. The Friendship Feast is a non-profit organization consisting of volunteers from local churches and benevolent organizations in Ponca City. The mission of the Friendship Feast is to provide a good, wholesome meal to those in need in the community. Meals are served from Monday to Thursday in the fellowship hall of the First Christian Church at 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. Tickets for the fund-raiser can be purchased at the door on the evening of the meal, from a board member, or from your local church members. “Come enjoy a touch of Italy in the mid-continent and help support a Christian-based, ecumenical mission in Ponca City” said a spokesperson for the event. Wheatheart Nutrition MenuFor Wheatheart Nutrition Menu information call 767-1620. Menus for this week are as follows: Monday, March 22: Meatloaf with Creole sauce; seasoned green beans; mashed potatoes with gravy; whole wheat roll with margarine. Tuesday, March 23: Tamale pie; tossed salad with dressing; tomato juice; Mexican cornbread; sherbet. Wednesday, March 24: Ham salad; vegetable beef soup; cabbage slaw; crackers with margarine; apple crisp. Thursday, March 25: Chicken fried steak with gravy; mashed potatoes; buttered carrots; biscuit with margarine; pineapple upside down cake. Friday, March 26: Ham, macaroni and cheese; cinnamon apples; buttered broccoli; muffin with margarine; pudding with topping. Bits and PiecesFibromyalgia SupportSherry Kinkaid (ARNP) will be the guest speaker for the Fibromyalgia Support group at the March 22 meeting. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the parlor at First Baptist Church. Ms. Kinkaid is a nurse practitioner with Ponca Family Medicine. More information may be obtained by calling Raelene Brown, 765-5756; Mary Beth Guy, 765-9894; Martha Long, 762-5572. The public is invited to attend the meeting. International ClubThe International Club will meet at the home of Nadia Salama, organization president, at 7 p.m. March 24. Jan Prough will present the program about the Pioneer Woman Museum. Interested International residents or Americans should contact Aracelly Killblane, 762-3731, for information about membership. Garden ClubMembers of the Four O’Clock Garden Club will meet at 9:30 a.m. March 24 at the home of Mrs. Yvonne Holmes, 1011 North Fourteenth. Co-hostesses will be Charlotte Lembke and Norma Jensen. Sally Thomas will present the program “Feng Shui Your Home.” Superintendent of Parks Offers Tree TipsEditor’s Note: The following “tree tips” for Arbor Week are provided by Jim Eck, superintendent of Parks for the City of Ponca City. Why plant a tree? Planting a tree is something you do for the future and benefits all mankind presently, and for those who come after us. Green plants produce oxygen as a byproduct from taking in the carbon dioxide we exhale, and other impurities or pollutants in the air. They are the biggest green plants I know and are, therefore, the biggest air filter and producer of oxygen we breathe. Forests are disappearing at a rapid rate due to population growth, and every individual can help preserve the air we breathe by the planting of trees. I am sure some feel that there is no hope, and how can one or two trees make a difference? It can make a difference, and they can also enjoy the secondary benefits of a tree in that they provide shade for our homes and for recreation. Who wants to picnic on a bare grassy field, and why does everyone like to vacation in Colorado? Trees attract people because they are beautiful and provide a comforting feel. Sometime, go visit the Marland Mansion and observe in the photos on the walls how really bare Ponca City was when the Mansion was built. This was a bare prairie, and there were only trees in the creek and river bottoms. Marland had the foresight to have trees planted, and the people who worked for him planted trees, and the trees attracted more people, and look at how beautiful Ponca City has become because of that seemingly insignificant act of planting a tree. The purpose of Arbor Week is to encourage everyone to plant trees or help in the planting of trees. People ask me all the time “Why can’t I grow a Blue Spruce or a Redwood tree?” Actually, most plants grow in spite of us, not because of us. This is particularly true when the environment of the planting site is often abruptly different from the plant’s native habitat. Think upon the fact that every plant grows “naturally” somewhere. Where trees grow naturally is called a forest or woodlands. The forest or woodlands is “home” and in that “home” the tree is cooled by other surrounding trees and shrubs, the sunlight is filtered and not harsh, and the effects of the wind are reduced. The soil has not been disturbed by bulldozers, and the soil is covered with old leaves and litter to keep the roots cool, and retains the much needed moisture for growth. The same “home” environment must be met for the tree you want to grow. The farther a tree is removed from its “home” environment, the more difficult it will be to maintain, and, in most cases, it will not have the same growth habit and appearance as it did in its “home.” A magnolia tree in Georgia is a very beautiful tree, and you will not find one in Ponca City that looks as good as that one in Georgia, because of our lack of humidity and our high winds. The more you protect the Magnolia from the wind the better they grow. The Blue Spruce in Colorado is another beautiful tree we would like to have in our landscape in Ponca City, but it too is far removed from its “home.” It is limited here because of our heavy clay and alkaline soils, and altitude. Palm trees from Florida would also be nice to have in our landscape, but here we have temperatures that are too extreme. Every tree and plant has what is called a hardiness zone. This is the temperature conditions that the tree must have to grow properly, and in most plant catalogs this hardiness zone will be listed. This sometimes leads us to believe that if a tree we want to plant is listed in the same hardiness zone in another part of the United States it will grow here. Also it is believed that if a tree grows in hardiness zone 6 it will grow also in the warmer zones of 7, 8, 9 and 10. This is not true because there are the other factors such as soil conditions, wind, and moisture to consider. Theodore Roosevelt is quoted as saying “to exist as a nation, to prosper as a state, and to live as a people, we must have trees.” Piano Workshop Program Focus On ComposersThe Ponca City Federated Music Clubs Piano Workshop met at the home of Mary Sunshine Cogman to hear a program entitled “Notable American Composers.” After coffee and dessert, Lois Rence introduced Bobbie Motz, program leader, and her assistant, Frances Thompson. They presented a brief look into the lives and works of American composers. One composer of particular interest to the group was Roy Harris, born in Oklahoma’s Lincoln County. He grew up during the Depression and, at one time, made his living driving a truck. He then had the opportunity to study composition in Europe and the United States. His works have been published and performed. One of the members recalled Mr. Harris being at the Tri State Music Festival in the 1940s to conduct the Festival Band. Several remembered hearing a recital in Ponca City played by his wife, Johana, a concert pianist. Members who played examples of music written by some of the composers mentioned were Bobbie Motz, Mary Sunshine Cogman, Frances Thompson, Alice Crowder, Elma Robson, and Kathy Wimberley. The April meeting will be at the home of Kay Anthony on April 20. Reception To Honor CoupleHarry and Louise Furber, 1600 East Tonkawa Avenue, Tonkawa, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception March 28, 2-4 p.m., at 605 Meadow Lane in Tonkawa. An open invitation to attend the casual celebration is extended to friends and family, and the couple requests no gifts. Hosts will be their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Harry Furber and the former Louise Myers were married March 26, 1949 in Ponca City. Mr. Furber worked at Smith International for 40 years before retiring in 1990, and Mrs. Furber worked for Conoco for 25 years, retiring in 1985. Their children are John and Kathi Martin of Ponca City, and Bill and Debbie Johnson of Tonkawa. Grandchildren are Michelle, and husband Richard Carruth, and Chad Martin of Ponca City, Kari Johnson of Tonkawa, and Shane Johnson of Dallas, Texas. The couple’s great-granddaughters are Jordan and Kori Carruth of Ponca City, and Tayler Martin of Tyler, Texas. Lookin’ With LouBy LOUISE ABERCROMBIE News Staff Reporter Contrary to popular belief, the driver of the vehicle doesn’t have the main responsibility. All they have to do is to watch out for traffic, obey speeding zones, and avoid collisions. On the other hand, the person in the passenger seat has a much heavier schedule. He, or she, must keep the driver on the right route by checking the map and counting exits — being a travel agent is just part of the job. Now, if there is a third party, say in the back seat, the duties are stiffer. The right-hand front seat person indeed becomes “the PASSenger.” That’s a bit like being “the MESSenger.” This passenger gets requests to turn the heat up, thus becoming the climate control engineer. Passing the car phone to the rider makes the passenger a communications expert. When requested to hand the false fingernails and glue, kept in the glove compartment, the passenger becomes a beauty consultant. When the request comes to turn the Alan Jackson CD up, the title becomes entertainment producer. Next is the request from the driver to hand over her purse, thus one becomes the financial wizard figuring out the toll road fare. Meanwhile, the back seat person requests an aspirin from the front seat armrest storage — the duties become medical technician. Now if the trip is longer — say a mini vacation — the passenger becomes the concession stand operator, dispensing snacks and drinks. Naturally, with food there comes trash, so the passenger becomes the sanitation department. Also, the equipment becomes more sophisticated as the trip goes longer. Binoculars for that chance sighting of a buffalo herd, camera to prove the sighting, and that all important compass, to keep the trip on track. One of the comforts of sitting in the right hand seat is that seldom does the passenger get a ticket for speeding. Little NewsDavid and Mendy Fraley announce the birth of a daughter, Alana Lee, at 7:42 a.m. Jan. 26, 1999 at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. She weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces, and measured 20 1/2 inches long. The baby has a sister, Sabrina. Grandparents are Gary and Norma Fraley, Russell and Amy Hollingsworth, John and Janet McFarland, all of Ponca City. Great-grandparents are Kenneth and Gennine Fraley of Langley, Lee and Vonda Hollingsworth of Ponca City, Bert and Deloris Bennett of Prague. TOPS Chapter Members MeetTOPS OK 308 Chapter met Monday evening with Donna McCoy calling the meeting to order. She also gave the devotional titled “Strength in Friendship.” The TOPS Pledge was led by Joanne Radabaugh and the KOPS Kreed by Betty Flower. Natalie McCoy called the roll and Betty Flower gave the weight report. Best Loser was Vera Wilkey and Delpha Clemens won the “Ha Ha” pot. Contest winners were Daphine Robertson, Delpha Clemens, Betty Flower and Vera Wilkey. Forbidden food is soda pop. A new food is chosen each week. 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. Weigh-in time is 6-6:45 p.m. Monday. For more information contact Betty Flower, 765-5448. Quilt Program Highlights LunchEvelyn and Dave Day of Midwest City presented a program about quilts for the March luncheon meeting of the Presbyterian Women at First Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Day, a teacher, collects antique quilts. The program was highlighted by a rocking chair, camel back trunk and family pictures. Day began the program with a description of Mrs. Day’s grandmother, Inez Mae Down, who instilled in her daughter and seven granddaughters a “love of quilting, sewing and the Bible.” Mrs. Day, dressed like her grandmother, narrated family history as she pulled quilts from the trunk, one dating back to 1863. Florence Riesen gave the blessing, and Joel Trout read a poem coinciding with the theme of “One Great Hour of Sharing.” The luncheon was prepared by the women in the Elizabeth Reynolds Circle. Garden Council Contributes To BeautificationThe Ponca City Council of Garden Clubs met March 3 at the Cultural Center due to the street closing in front of the Cann Center. Aline Heartsill, president, called the meeting to order and the Gardener’s Creed was read in unison. Introduced as guests were Margaret West and Susan Henning. Mrs. Heartsill introduced Larry Buck, who presented the program titled “Those Cute Little Trees.” Growing Bonsai is his hobby, and he brought five of his trees to demonstrate the different kinds and methods for growing them. Steve Sprehe, horticulturist at Conoco, spoke to the group concerning a project to enhance the entrances to Ponca City. The first phase of the west entrance at Waverly and Highway 60. The project originated from the infrastructure Committee of the Ponca City Chamber of Commerce. The project plans were awarded a highway beautification grant for $5,170. Oklahoma Natural Gas company has donated trenching work, and other donations have been made by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Conoco. Sprinkling systems and lines are needed and donation of labor and help with installation has been donated by David Van Buskirk, local irrigation contractor. The City of Ponca City will be responsible for maintenance. Mavis Robison read the minutes and gave the treasurer’s report. Members were reminded that April 1 is the date state dues will be paid at the state office. Members voted to contribute $1000 for the west entrance project. A sum of $500 has been set aside by the council for purchasing flower pots for the Cann Center. New council officers are Rosalie Majors, president, Red Rose club; Cheryl Smith, vice president, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme; Norma Jean Nulik, secretary, Iris; Mavis Robison, treasurer, Red Rose; Johanna Mead, historian, SRT; Aline Heartsill, parliamentarian, SRT. Mollie Bivin will discuss the “Bivin garden” at the next meeting. Announcement was made that the district convention would be held in Midwest City on April; 17 and the state convention April 29-May 1 in Norman. YMCA Schedules Pool Reopening on Super SaturdayThe Grand Reopening of the YMCA Community Pool will be combined with an Open House of the YMCA facilities, March 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a special “Super Saturday” celebration planned. “We would like to invite the people of Ponca City to tour our refurbished pool facilities and celebrate with us the great asset we have in our indoor pool facility that provides year-round opportunities in fitness and recreation for people of all ages,” encourages Susan Henning, water exercise coordinator. “We& |