LOCAL

Area Legislators Vote Party-Line on HB 1734
In 999, It Took a Heap of Livin To Make a Hut a Home
Bluesman of Year Brings Boogaloo Blues Band Here
City Calendar
Chautauqua Features Diverse, Fascinating Workshops in June
Hwang To Attend OAI at OU
Arthritis Hotline June 5-6
Billings Plans Annual Memorial Day Event
Special Talent for 20th Season Of Horsefeathers, Applesauce
Singles Network Plans Activities
Mid-Hi Leo Club ‘Cuts Tie’ During Noon Lions Event
Book Review ‘Oklahoma Trivia’ Gives Answers
Advisory Board Nominations On City Commission Agenda
School for the Blind Scheduling Summer Session for Students
Relay for Life Provides Effort During Battle Against Cancer
Street Sales Tax Funds Approved For Connection
Course June 1 on Self-Breast Examinations
Youth Theater Workshops Set In OKC June 2-5
Jamaicans Take Pioneer Technology Center Tour
Peachtree Landing Logo Contest Winners Named
Met Opera Award Goes To P.C. Grad
Maxine Prather Honored at State Event
Phillips University Settles for Offer From Enid, NOC
Nearly News
Tennis Ball Hail Noted In Osage
Kay County Italian Faces Deportation

Area Legislators Vote Party-Line on HB 1734

By RALPH SEWELL

News Capitol Bureau

OKLAHOMA CITY — Democrats and Republicans still are quarreling about what HB 1734 — a bill Gov. Frank Keating has promised to veto.

Democrats contend the bill will let drivers keep more of the money they spend on car excise taxes and annual license fees. And Ponca-area Sen. Paul Muegge, D-Tonkawa, and J. Berry Harrison, D-Fairfax, voted with the Senate majority which passed the bill 43-2 last week.

But House Republicans — including Jim Newport of Ponca City, Jim Reese of Nardin, and Larry Ferguson of Cleveland — voted no when the House passed it 58-42 a week ago. Rep. Joe Sweeden, D-Pawhuska, voted yes.

House Republicans call it a tax increase but most Senate Republicans voted for the bill.

House Republicans, who had promised Keating they would sustain a veto, held a press conference last week to explain why it’s a tax increase. They cited tax commission figures indicating a net increase of about $1 million on automobiles’ car excise-tag revenue.

There’s little question the bill would lower excise taxes on a new car because the way it’s now figured on the sticker price. The bill would base it on the amount you actually pay after a trade-in.

The bill also would price license tags at a flat $90 for the first five years, a flat $50 for cars 5 to 10 years old and a flat $20 for older ones.

College Fees To Increase

If you have a child in college or about to go, brace yourself. Tuition rates will go up $8 an hour at the big universities and $7 an hour at other colleges this fall. that’s in a bill yet to be finalized.

Here’s how Muegge, Harrison, Newport, Reese, Ferguson and Sweeden, voted on other bills:

—SB 1, amended in conference to give tax relief to persons owning cars wrecked by May tornadoes, passed the Senate 43-1 and the House 100-0. It would give credit on both the excise tax and tax cost on a replacement car. Ponca-area legislators voted for it.

—SB 84 would allow flashing red or blue lights on an emergency vehicle. The conference version passed the Senate 37-5 and the House 99-0. Ponca-area legislators voted yes.

—SB 102, in final draft, passed the Senate 30-15 and the House 99-1. It would make eligible for college or Vo-Tech scholarships students with at least a 2.5 grade average whose parents are in a low-income category. Muegge, Harrison, Newport, Reese, Ferguson and Sweeden voted in favor.

—SB 290, as finally drafted, would increase driver license fees by $4, with the new money to go into a trauma care fund in the Department of Health. The money would go compensate hospitals for unpaid emergency care. It passed the Senate 32-8. Muegge and Harrison voted yes.

—SB 376, passed by the Senate 37-7, sets guidelines for privatization of state services. It provides employees of the affected unit be allowed to bid on the service. Muegge and Harrison voted yes.

—SB 391, to extend through 2002, a $1 a ton income tax credit utilities may claim if they use Oklahoma coal, passed the Senate 41-0 and the House 100-0. Ponca-area legislators voted yes.

—SB 442 failed 19-20 in the Senate. It would have authorized contracts with recent former state employees, a practice now forbidden by law. Muegge voted for; Harrison missed the vote.

—SB 463 failed on 23-19 Senate vote. It would shorten from 48 to 24 hours the time a vehicle may be left alongside a highway without being removed by police. Muegge and Harrison voted yes.

—SB 493, also rejected 5 to 34, proposed expanding the number of day care homes for children under state supervision. Muegge and Harrison voted yes.

—SB 532, to crate a tribal council advisory board to the Department of Transportation, passed the Senate 44-0 and the House 91-3. Reese voted no; other Ponca-area legislators voted yes.

—HB 1846 was amended to let state employees share leave with persons injured in the May tornadoes, then passed 98-0 by the House. Ponca-area representatives voted yes.

—SB 588, passed 41-0 by senators and 97-0 by the House, would forbid persons having contracts with schools to let an employee registered as a sex offender come on the school premises. Ponca-area legislators voted yes.

—SB 600, to divorce the State Boxing Commission from the State Labor Department, passed the Senate 31-11 and the House 74-19. Muegge, Harrison, Newport, Ferguson and Sweden voted yes; Reese no.

—HB 1045, which passed the Senate 38-2 and the House 88-8, would make some city fire chiefs eligible to participate in the state’s firefighter pension system. Harrison, Ferguson and Sweeden voted yes; Muegge and Reese no.

—HB 1174, approved 61-36 in final form by the House and the Senate, 37-4. It gives guidelines for school boards when they dismiss an administrator. It cites reasons for dismissals and says notification must be March 15 or sooner. Muegge, Harrison, Ferguson and Sweeden voted yes; Newport and Reese no.

—SB 715 passed the Senate 46-0 and the House 98-0 in final form. It would require teacher preparation courses how to recognize substance abuse problems in their students, and also include classroom safety and discipline techniques. Ponca-area legislators voted yes.

—HB 1409, clarifying the definition of a farm truck entitled to a $30 annual license fee, passed the House 96-0 and the Senate 38-8. Legislators from the Ponca City area voted yes.

—HB 1102 passed the House 74-23 and the Senate 38-6. It would require manufactured homes to be licensed and post bonds of $10,000 with the used Motor Vehicle and Used Parts Commission. It also would impose a $750 annual fee on out-of-state makers of manufactured homes who sell to state dealers. Muegge, Newport, Reese and Sweeden voted yes; Harrison and Ferguson missed the vote.

—HB 1176, which passed the House 100-0 and the Senate 45-1 in final form, would require school boards to notify the public before transferring funds raised for school activities into other accounts. Ponca-area representatives voted in favor, except Ferguson, who missed the vote.

—HB 1715 won final 100-0 House and 35-8 Senate approval. It would forbid telemarketers’ use of equipment that blocks identification of where the call originates. Ponca-area representatives voted in favor.

—HB 1381, approved by the House 69-29 in conference form, addes to the “Do-not-resuscitate act.” It lists kin, in order of priority who may decide when patients are not able to act themselves. Ferguson and Sweeden voted yes; Newport and Reese no.

—HB 1088 passed the House 97-1 and the Senate 40-3 in final form. It provides that a person convicted of felony drunk driving and getting a suspended sentence be required to pay to have an interlock device installed on his car for at least six months that would require the person to pass a breathalizer test before the car could be operated. Ponca-area legislators voted yes.

—HB 1180, to cut a couple’s cost for a marriage license from $25 to $5 if they have first completed a premarital counseling course. It passed the Senate 41-0 and the House 93-0. Ponca-area legislators voted yes.

—HB 1286, to make attentive driving a traffic offense, failed to pass the House again in a latest version. The vote was 38 in favor to 58 against. Sweeden voted yes; Newport, Reese and Ferguson no.

—HB 1430, which passed the House 95-2 and the Senate 39-0, would make prosecutors ask judges to make defendants convicted to pay the cost of their prosecution. Ponca-area legislators voted yes.

—SB 234 passed the Senate 33-10 in final form. It would forbid cities to set up speed traps on state highways and gives the public safety commissioner responsibility to decide if the traffic enforcement violates the law. Muegge and Harrison voted in favor.

In 999, It Took a Heap of Livin To Make a Hut a Home

By KENNIS WESSEL, Ph.D.

Editor’s Note: The Ponca City Millennium Committee has stimulated a series of articles on the subject of “Life in the Year 999.” The articles are researched and written by Dr. Kennis Wessel, Executive Director of the Poncan Theatre. They will appear monthly during the year 1999, anticipating the Second Millennium. This article is the fifth of the series.

In the year 999, Adricus arrives home at dusk. He has spent the day at labor in the field, and the field is only a few hundred yards from his home in the village. Adricus’s home is a hut. It’s not much different from huts that belong to 90 percent of the population of Europe. It’s about twenty feet long. His entire home is about the length of the den in an average American home today. It is about 10 feet wide, slightly narrower than the average bedroom today. And in that hut Adricus and his wife bear their children, raise their families, eat their daily bread, and feel the privilege of having a home.

Across Europe in 999 there are very few stone buildings. The great period of medieval cathedral building has not yet begun. In England there are only a very few stone churches, all giving testimony to the lasting intentions of Anglo-Saxon Christians. To be sure, across Europe stone buildings remain from the Roman Empire. But many are empty, and the architectural knowledge that enabled Rome to build magnificent structures is now lost. Even the wisdom to carve stone from quarries is gone. In fact, ancient Roman buildings are scavenged for their stone. In 999, it’s easier to steal stone from empty buildings than to quarry new stone.

Home Construction in a Peasant Village

Like most Europeans in 999, Adricus and Waldrada, his wife, live in a village. They are among some two hundred people, all of whom live in virtually identical huts. There may be forty to sixty huts in his village. When Adricus enters his hut he steps down, because the floor is dug out of the earth. The floor is lower than the outside soil by about six or eight inches. Because the floor is lower, the walls are also lower, and they hold out cold air more effectively than if they rested on the top soil. The floor is hard-packed dirt.

The hut was built by Adricus, Waldrada, and their family. The home is semi-permanent. Since there is no stone in the construction, the hut will wear out over a generation — about twenty years. When it does, Adricus will build a similar hut a few feet away. The old hut will either be torn down or used for some other purpose.

The walls of the Adricus’s hut are a combination of materials called “wattle and daub.” This means of construction has been known for thousands of years and it will be prominent well into the seventeenth century. The walls have a clever, simple structure. They are supported by stakes about 5 feet tall. These are imbedded in the soil all around the dug-out floor, and they’re about three feet apart. Between the vertical stakes, Adricus has woven horizontal bands of willow or similar lightweight wood. These horizontal supports are called “wattle.” Then he has packed the posts and the wattle with mud, called “daub.” Daub dries hard. It forms the surface of the wall. To strengthen the daub before he packs it in the wattle, Adricus will mix the mud with the chaff of his harvest and, believe it or not, with manure.

There are no locks on a peasant’s door. Locks are hardly needed. The walls are tight enough to give protection from the elements, but not much else. In 999, housebreaking is accomplished literally. If someone wants to enter, it doesn’t require much muscle to push through the walls.

In some parts of Europe, huts are made of boards. But peasants have a great deal of difficulty cutting wood into flat boards. Only a few sawmills exist in Europe, and unless you have a sawmill, boards are nearly impossible to make. When the carving is done by hand, flat boards create more waste. Adricus sticks to wattle and daub.

In about ten years from 999, Leif Eriksson will come to Newfoundland and establish a colony we now call “L’Anse aux Meadows.” Homes there will have a long hallway entrance to keep the cold as far from the living quarters as possible. They will have mud walls, and the roof will be planted with living grasses.

The roof of Adricus’s hut is thatch supported on wooden cross beams. Thatch is a thick, stalky plant like rushes or heavy grains. Bound together and layered, the stalks make a reasonably water-proof protection. It’s not entirely draft-free, but it beats living in the open. The roof is pitched to a central peak where the wooden beams come together. This improves water runoff. Every year, Adricus must replace the roof with fresh thatch.

Adricus and Waldrada at Home

In the middle of the hut, Waldrada cooks over an open fire. There is no fireplace, no chimney, and no way to control the smoke. The firewood is laid in a slightly recessed area in the sod floor, and the fire is built directly on the sod. The structure holding the roof is solid enough to support a cauldron for cooking. This cauldron hangs directly over the open fire, probably on iron rods. Many a cat singes its fur, sneaking too close to the open fire. And many a thatch roof catches a speck of burning ember, lofted up in the smoke. A fire is closely guarded in such a flammable home.

The fire serves triple duty. It’s necessary year round to cook the food. It’s also essential for warmth in the winter. And it provides light. The smoke from the fire fills the hut before it slips through the loosely packed thatch roof into the sky. When the fire is lit, the whole house has the scent of burning wood and cooking. Although a peasant family has few opportunities to eat meat, one of the best ways to preserve meat is to hang it from the rafters a few feet above the head. Actually, the hut is a natural smoke house, and meat is preserved by the daily activities of cooking and warming the hut.

The smoke would pass out of windows, if there were windows. And Adricus’s hut may have had two or three openings high on the walls. If there were windows, they probably weren’t covered. The word “window” comes from the Latin and Italian words for “wind,” and such openings were used for ventilation (another word from “wind”).

But windows were not much used for illumination in 999. Coverings for windows were not transparent. A very few churches had a small glass window with colored glass. Clear glass had not yet been invented, and it was difficult to make large, flat pieces of glass such as windows require. So a window would be covered, if at all, with stretched animal skin or parchment. The fire is a principal source of light, summer and winter.

Waldrada labors to keep the floor dry and comfortable. The hard sod floor of the hut is covered with straw, usually mixed with herbs. Herbs help drive bugs away. The furniture of the hut is very simple. There are no chairs, and in fact there are very few chairs anywhere in Europe. The family has a couple of backless benches. Waldrada probably has a table, but there’s so little space that the table will be taken down between meals. The table top is made of wood, and Adricus simply lays it on a pair of sawhorses.

There is no bed. The entire family sleeps on the ground with blankets. If they’re lucky, they might have hay or straw in bags, and that might serve as a kind of mattress. A few people have beds, but none are peasants.

Collective Living in 999

Adricus, Waldrada, and their entire family live in the one room of their hut. In this room they all feed, sleep, and do the things that families do today. When their eldest son takes a wife, they will live in the same room also. A daughter would move away, but a son likely moves in. When the young bear children, both families will likely stay in the same small hut together.

Some of Adricus’s friends have livestock. To protect them from wandering off, and to guard them from thieves, it’s common to keep them in the family hut. When a family has livestock, the hut is slightly longer, perhaps ten to fifteen feet longer. The animals are barely separated from the rest of the living quarters by ropes, or perhaps the larger animals are just hobbled. There are usually no interior walls in a peasant hut. Daily, someone has to sweep out livestock droppings from the living area. The oxen and hogs are part of the livelihood of the family, and it’s worth a sleepless night of snorting and rooting to keep the animals safe.

There are no bathrooms. To take a bath, Adricus will haul out a big barrel, probably half a dozen times per year, from spring through the fall. But never in winter. The entire family will take turns bathing, and when they’re all finished, the water will be dumped. Sanitation and hygiene are poorly understood. Family members all relieve themselves outside the hut within a few feet of the door. There is no “outhouse” or any privacy structure. The “comfort area” is simply the open yard by the hut, or possibly the bank of a nearby creek. In 999, people don’t understand why they catch diseases. The Romans understood sanitation better than the people of 999, but Roman knowledge is lost in 999.

A few hundred yards away, the lord of the manor lives in a larger building. The manor house is possibly made of stone, but it’s probably just a larger version of Adricus’s hut. Either way, it likely offers little more privacy than a peasant hut. If there’s a separate room inside the manor house, it’s for storage of grain and ale, not for privacy. The lord and lady of the manor live closely with their servants and staff. All twenty or thirty of the closest members of the household sleep in the same room together. When someone gets up in the middle of the night, they all know it. When a couple decides to couple, it’s hardly a secret.

The conditions of living reflect the problems of survival in 999. A millennium ago, people were more interdependent than Americans are today. In fact, Americans enjoy a new style of living. Before the twentieth century, very few families had the kind of separation from other families that we know today. Very few families segregated their generations in the way we do. The stories of immigrants in the last century are stories of many family members living together in the same house. Five or six or seven pubescent children might share a bed. Ten to fifteen people might share two or three small rooms. Families were much more interactive than today. And our newfound isolation, built on the foundation of the single-family dwelling, is a radical departure from the living experience of 999.

Public Buildings in 999

In 999, very few new buildings are large. When they are, they are inevitably given to the glory of God. In 999, the most magnificent structures in Europe are Muslim mosques. Cordova, Spain is a wonderful city. Pavements near the great mosque of Cordova are covered with rich carpets. There are over a thousand columns supporting the roof of the mosque, and gold inlay is set against lapis lazuli. Marble and dynamic mosaics are thrilling to behold. Semiprecious stones are everywhere. Hundreds of brass lanterns illuminate the interior, because few windows are available in any building. The huge candelabra in the center has almost 1,500 separate cups of burning lamp oil. Nothing in Christianity can match it.

In 999, the most glamorous city in the world is, indeed, Christian, but it is not in Europe. Byzantium had been conquered by Constantine and then renamed Constantinople. In 999, it’s population exceeds a million people. It is the center of commerce, a nexus of trade routes from the Viking north to the Hindu east and the Ethiopian south. More languages can be heard on the streets of Byzantium than in any other city on earth. But the exception proves the rule, and in 999 the rule of life is not urban.

In 999, the largest new buildings erected in Christian Europe are churches and cathedrals. But construction on many has ground to a halt. In parts of the Christian world, the year 999 meant that the Apocalypse might be at hand. But with just a few months left, why work on a project that would take twenty years to finish?

Symbolic Architecture

At the first Millennium, churches and cathedrals have just begun to change their physical shape. In the centuries before 999, there were two major shapes in Christian architecture. One was essentially circular. The other borrowed from the Roman basilica, which was simply a long public building. In the Christian west, the basilica comes to be preferred because it made a more convenient auditorium. And in the last few years before 999, some church architects began to build a second part on to the long basilica. They sometimes add a shorter hall near one end of the basilica, crossing the long auditorium at a right angle. If you are looking at the floor plan of the building from a bird’s-eye-view, it appears to be in the shape of the cross.

In the Middle Ages, symbolism is an extremely potent force. Since science is underdeveloped, many people rely on symbols to explain the world. A comet is a symbol. For some it’s a symbol of prosperity, for others a symbol of disaster. A plague is a symbol of the wrath of God or the presence of the Devil. Christian architecture is a symbol also. The use of a cross in the design of church floor plans is revolutionary, and it’s perfect. In 999, sculptors are just developing the crucifix as a symbol, and it is no accident that church floor plans adopt the new, potent symbol.

In fact, architects even point the churches in a symbolic right direction. Since Armageddon is at hand, and since the cross is used in the design of floor plans, the cross should be pointed to the east. The “top” of the floorplan, the “head” of the cross, is usually aimed at the direction of the rising sun. That is the direction Christ would likely be seen first, when He returned to judge the quick and the dead. When the Millennium comes, what better place to be than inside the cross? Literally. So the congregation would enter from the west end and face the east during the service. The bishop or abbot would preach from the east end, in the place of God.

In the next two centuries, an amazing inventiveness lights the fires of architecture. One old problem at the first Millennium is that churches had roofs of wood or thatch. Even if walls were made of stone, they couldn’t support the weight of a stone roof. It would force the walls out away from the center, causing the structure to collapse. But in the next century someone invents a system of support called “the flying buttress.” With a set of buttresses supporting the walls from outside the building, the walls don’t need to carry the weight of the roof. Now the sky is the limit for architects. The walls will be higher. They will be thinner. They will, for the first time in history, hold large windows.

With that simple invention, the magnificent cathedrals that we now associate with the Middle Ages are possible. After 1100, Notre Dame, Chartres, Canterbury, and many other great churches spring up around Europe. Cathedrals walls go up and up, closer to heaven. The walls soar up to 100 feet, and then more. The spires lift their points three hundred feet toward God, then four hundred feet, and then five hundred feet. The new development of brilliant stained glass makes the churches the most magnificent artworks the world had ever seen. But in 999, there were few glass windows, few stone roofs, and not many stone buildings.

In 999, peasant huts dot the villages of Europe, each hut giving fragile protection to the growing family, each hut a reminder that the forces of nature lurk a few inches away. And each peasant family gives daily thanks for the bounties of life at home.

In following articles, we will look at daily life in the year 999. There will be one article per month. They will touch on such subjects as Family Structure, Clothing, Religion, Labor, Arts and Entertainment, and others. Next month, we will look at Language in 999.

Copyright 1999 by Kennis Wessel

Bluesman of Year Brings Boogaloo Blues Band Here

Louisiana bluesman Larry Garner has seen it all. He’s part of the greatest tradition in blues, the tradition that includes the swamp, and gumbo, and gospel, and zydeco. In fact, he made his “professional” debut as a guitarist with a gospel quartet. Then, at age sixteen, he was initiated into “Devil Music,” the blues. He never looked back. Now he’s called “Bluesman of the Year” by the BBC. Now he’s called “The Best Blues Songwriter” by the Living Blues. Now he’s coming to the Poncan Theatre for a concert at 7:30 pm on Saturday.

When Garner and the Boogaloo Blues Band come to Ponca City, they will sing mostly the great music of Garner, called “Mr. Blues” by one major publication. Garner grew up listening to blues. At age 10 and 11, he used to lay awake on Friday and Saturday nights. He would listen to the blues coming across the bayoo from a bar over yonder.

Garner’s uncle played some guitar. When he wanted to give a guitar to the eager youngster, Garner’s mom told him “If you ever buy that boy a guitar, teach him how to play it.” Spoken like a mother who wanted the music in her house to be music, not caterwauling. She got what she wanted. In fact, by age twelve, Garner was playing for religious services every Sunday. “Every Sunday morning at 8 o’clock, live groups would go on the radio,” Garner remembers. He played every Sunday for about six years.

Then he started to branch out. In the middle sixties, he’d make “six bucks a night playing rhythm and blues and then four or five bucks playing gospel.” That was “pretty good money for a kid who was 16 years old.”

But at one point, his cousin said, “You don’t know nothing about no blues. You ain’t never had no blues. Let me tell you the blues.” Garner was all ears. “When the preacher man steal your woman, that’s the blues.” Garner did have some experiences to write about. He started to open up to the soul in his own life, and his music took off.

Some of Garner’s favorite songs are upbeat, masking the soul underneath. “Do Your Personal Thing” “lopes along with a jaunty ska-style beat,” according to Blues Revue. And “Strangers Blues” is a “stately R&B ballad.” But the lyrics tell about a barroom interaction between the song’s narrator and a downtrodden woman. Garner is regarded for his gift of finding inventive subjects that are part of the contemporary scene. He says, “when a song is on you, if it’s touchin’ you, you know it’s going to touch somebody else.” He says that “white folks” have the blues, too.

And there’s an exciting, visceral side to the music, too. “Out in the Country” is full of humor, as are many of Garner’s songs. His lyrics are witty and clever. They’re almost as good as his great guitar playing. Blues Revue writes that “with a talented and sympathetic group of backup musicians,” Garner gives “an extremely musical and imminently listenable blues” performance.

For tickets to the Poncan Theatre concert, patrons may stop into any of the main banks in Ponca City. Or tickets are available at the Poncan Theatre office at 104 East Grand. The office is open Monday through Friday from 1-5 p.m. The number is 580-765-0943. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door, plus tax.

City Calendar

Items for the City Calendar should be brought in or telephoned (765-3311) to Bob Patterson, at the Ponca City News, by Thursday noon.

Anytime

FOLOBS (Friends of Library Ongoing Book Sale), anytime the Ponca City Library is open, North of Multimedia Room (downstairs).

Alcoholics Anonymous, Alano Group, Ponca City’s first established AA Group, meets at Noon and 8 p.m., seven days a week. All noon meetings open, all 8 p.m. meetings closed except Fridays, 603 South First Street.

Monday

Ponca City Board of Commissioners, Ponca City Utility Authority, Ponca City Development Authority, 5:30 p.m., Commissioner’s Room, Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue.

Tuesday

Death of a Mate program sponsored by Hospice of Ponca City, call 762-9102 to register.

Kawfest Meeting, 10 a.m., Ponca City Chamber of Commerce.

Wednesday

Planning Commission Work Session, 7:45 a.m., Planning and Engineering Conference Room, Suite 305, 400 East Central Avenue.

Special Music Group from Arkansas City, The Twilighters, with covered dish luncheon, 12:40 p.m., Senior Citizens Center, 319 West Grand Avenue.

Ponca City Main Street Authority Inc. Board, 1 p.m., Main Street Office, 117 North Third Street.

Animal Control Commission, 5 p.m., Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue.

Thursday

Cancer Support Group, call 762-9102 to register, sponsored by Kay County Health Department and Hospice of Ponca City.

Reflexology Practitioner Bob Hart, explaining health benefits of practice of Reflexology, 6:15-7:30 p.m., Brace Books and More, North Fourteenth Street.

Hospice of Ponca City Memorial Service, 7 p.m., call 762-9102 for details.

Alzheimer’s Support Group, 7 p.m., Conference Room A, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center.

Alliance for Youth Taskforce Race Relations Committee, 7 p.m., Board of Education Building, 111 West Grand Avenue.

Friday

End of the month Bingo, 1 p.m., Senior Citizens Center, 319 West Grand Avenue.

Saturday

Cherokee Wheelmen Freewheel Training Ride, 60 miles, 8 a.m., Pioneer Woman Statue.

Celebration for Byron Tribble, 1 p.m., Camp McFadden, hamburgers and hot dogs served at 4 p.m., activities planned for all, friends are invited.

May 31

AMBUC Pool will open their gates for the summer swim season, more information 767-0432, Parks and Recreation Department.

June 1

Planning Commission, 7 p.m., Public Safety Center, 200 East Central Avenue.

June 2

Energy Advisory Board, 7:30 a.m., Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue.

Ponca City Council of Garden Clubs annual “Awards Coffee,” including presentation of Gardener of the Year, scholarships to three high school seniors and installation of new officers, 9:30 a.m., Cann Center.

June 3

Kay-9 Dog Training Club, 7 p.m., Ponca City Library, public welcome, more information 762-9053 or 762-7360.

June 4

Historic Preservation Panel, noon, Planning and Engineering Conference Room, Suite 305, 400 East Central Avenue.

June 5

Cherokee Wheelmen Freewheel Training Ride, 65 miles, 8 a.m., leaders Earl and Jody Ball, Lake Ponca Park, graduation ride and picnic.

Sixth Annual Ponca City Herb Festival, sponsored by Sage, Rosemary and Thyme Garden Clubs, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Cann Memorial Gardens, Fourteenth Street and East Grand Avenue.

“More Hours In My Day Seminar,” with Emilie Barnes Video, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., First Assembly of God, 1308 East Bradley, tickets $10 lunch included, phone 765-1363.

Classic Car Club Show, Lake Ponca, contact Mel Towell, 762-6078.

SAFE NIGHT USA for 11, 12, 13 year olds, 6:30-9:30 p.m., Grand Central Station, volunteers needed, call 765-2476 for additional information.

June 7

Ponca City Board of Commissioners Work Session, 2 p.m., Commissioner’s Room, Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue.

Pioneer Christian Motorcycle Association, 6 p.m., Conestoga at I-35 and U.S. 60, west of Tonkawa, more information 765-3164.

June 8

Economic Development Advisory Board, 7:30 a.m., Chamber of Commerce.

Kawfest Meeting, 10 a.m., Ponca City Chamber of Commerce.

Ponca City Library Board, 11:30 a.m., Ponca City Library Board Room, 515 East Grand Avenue.

AARP, 12:30 p.m., Wheatheart Nutrition Center.

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.

June 9

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, 7 p.m., Braden Community Center.

June 10

Ponca City Housing Authority, 10 a.m., Broadway Plaza, 201 East Broadway Avenue.

Agrarian Club, 6 p.m., Southwest meeting room, Western Sizzlin’.

June 12

Marland Estate Garage Sale, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Angela Hall, Marland Estate Grounds.

United Ostomy Association, Stillwater-Ponca City Chapter, Picnic Brunch in the Park, 10 a.m., Boomer Lake, Stillwater, one of the shelters on west side of the lake.

June 12-19

Freewheel ‘99, Broken Bow, Okla. to Baxter Springs, Kan.

June 14

Kay County Retired Educators Association, 9 a.m. breakfast, Northern Oklahoma College Cafeteria, 1220 E. Grand, Tonkawa, program installation of officers.

Ponca City Board of Commissioners, Ponca City Utility Authority, Ponca City Development Authority, 5:30 p.m., Commissioner’s Room, Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue.

June 15

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 East and Keeler Road, new volunteers always welcome.

June 15-19

Tulsa Chautauqua 199, local entertainment 7 p.m. and meet scholars at 8 p.m., Michael Hughes as Alexander Graham Bell, Paul Vickery as Henry Ford, Sally Roesch Wagner as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Ted Kachel as H.G. Wells, and Elizabeth Brown-Guillor as Madame C. J. Walker, Marland Mansion Grounds, sponsored by Ponca City Arts and Humanities Council, Conoco and funded in part by Oklahoma Humanities Council and National Endowment for the Humanities.

June 16

Ponca City Public School Foundation, noon, Ponca City Library.

Ponca City Tourism Authority, 2 p.m., Cultural Center Sunroom, 1000 East Grand Avenue.

June 17

Park and Recreation Advisory Board, 5:30 p.m., Municipal Court Room, Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue.

June 18

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.

June 21

Kawfest Meeting, 10 a.m., Ponca City Chamber of Commerce.

Ponca City Board of Commissioners 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 Street, call Beth Wright 765-6738 for additional information.

June 21-24

Ponca City Bank of Oklahoma Junior Tennis Open (formerly the Ponca City Open), more information 767-0432, Parks and Recreation Department.

June 23

Planning Commission Work Session, 7:45 a.m., Planning and Engineering Conference Room, Suite 305, 400 East Central Avenue.

June 24

Alzheimer’s Support Group, 7 p.m., Conference Room A, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center.

June 28

Ponca City Board of Commissioners, Ponca City Utility Authority, Ponca City Development Authority, 5:30 p.m., Commissioner’s Room, Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue.

June 30

Ponca City Main Street Authority Inc. Board Meeting, 1 p.m., Main Street Office, 117 North Third.

Chautauqua Features Diverse, Fascinating Workshops in June

The Tulsa Chautauqua is coming to Ponca City in June, and they’re bringing workshops to boot. The wonderful Chautauqua features impersonations of great Americans from the turn-of-the-century. Ponca Citians will get to talk to the likes of Henry Ford, Alexander Graham Bell, suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and the black woman who was America’s first millionaire, Madam C.J. Walker, and auto magnate Henry Ford. And these same impersonators will be on hand during the week to give workshops. The whole festive week begins on Tuesday, June 15, and goes through Saturday, June 19.

The first workshop, on Tuesday, will feature the question “Why the History Books Were Silent.” The impersonator of Elizabeth Cady Stanton will discuss the number of women who were active in politics but denied mention in the history books. Some women ran for president. Others defied the law to vote, when women were still denied the right to vote. Stanton is enacted by scholar Sally Roesch Wagner.

Henry Ford will be on hand in the enactment of scholar Paul Vickery. Vickery will discuss the impact of automobiles on American society. The car has affected our lives in dramatic ways, allowing Americans to be the most mobile culture in history. The car allows individual families to live in single family homes, miles from work and independent from others for transportation. The riveting story of America’s fascination with cars will be presented on Wednesday, June 16.

Madam C.J. Walker was America’s first millionaire. But more amazing than that, she was the first woman millionaire. Even more amazing, she was the first Black millionaire. On Thursday, June 17, scholar Elizabeth Brown-Guillory will discuss this fascinating woman and her connection to such major figures of the century as Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Dubois, James Weldon Johnson, and other significant Americans.

Two scholars will deal with the vision of the future that comes from two of the most amazing men in America at the turn-of-the-century, Alexander Graham Bell and H.G. Wells. Both had vital impressions of the coming twentieth century, and samples of their writing will be presented. This interactive workshop will give participants an opportunity to imagine the future across the new millennium.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton returns in a second workshop to speak to young people. On Saturday, June 19, scholar Sally Roesch Wagner offers ideas about a humane, respectful approach to raising children. Stanton’s ideas, generally accepted today, were revolutionary when she first presented them. This workshop is just for the young, but adults may attend if they promise to be very, very good.

Chautauqua workshops take place in the morning on each of the scheduled days. Other Chautauqua events take place each evening of the day. The Chautauqua is presented by the Ponca City Arts and Humanities Council, with special support from Conoco and the Oklahoma Humanities Council. For further information, patrons may call the Marland Mansion at 580-767-0420 or the Arts and Humanities Council at 580-718-2828.

Hwang To Attend OAI at OU

By KATHY ZEHR

News Staff Writer

Robert Hwang, Ponca City Po-Hi junior has been recently selected from more than 1,000 applications to study with 252 other talented Oklahoma students at the 1999 Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute. The students will attend and be in residence at the esteemed two-week fine arts program from June 12-27, located on the OU Campus in Norman.

“Students for the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute were selected because they are some of the most accomplished young people in their chosen art form, says Mary Gordon Taft, OAI vice president and director of programs.

The selected student’s experiences this summer will expand and cultivate their talents like no other. Whether or not they choose to become professional artists or decide to pursue other careers, they will have benefited from the lessons of discipline and self-expression learned at the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, she continued.

Hwang, and the other selected students will study six hours a day in their chosen art form with a professional artist. In addition to Hwang’s orchestra classes, other workshops include poetry, acting, choral music, ballet, modern dance, drawing, sculpture, photography and painting.

His instructors will include Murry Sidlin of Portland, Ore., who has conducted the Aspen Music Festival for 20 years, founded at the Oregon Symphony at Pacific University. and has served as principal conductor of the San Diego Symphony’s “Classical Hits Series” for seven years. Sidlin’s other accomplishments fill a page of credits.

During the second week, Hwang will study under John Dodson of Cookeville, Tenn., who directs the elite Bryan Symphony in Cookeville, and serves as Director of Orchestral Activities at Tennessee Technological University. He served as music director of Orchestra New York in the early 90s which included performances in Carnegie Hall, St. Peter’s Church and other recital halls. His other outstanding accomplishments in the orchestra world also fill pages of credits.

In the evening, Hwang will join other students and the public for interdisciplinary presentations such as “An Evening with the Artist,” a series of formal lecture/demonstrations, and “Conversation with the Artist,” a series of informal discussions between students and members of the faculty. All evening presentations and performances in Catlett Music Center on the OU Campus are free and open to the public.

Actual cost for a student to attend the OAI Summer Arts Institute is $1,800, of which $850 is donated privately by patrons of the OAI and $850 is appropriated through a partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of Education. College credit is also available for students who are spring graduates or who will become seniors in the fall. Ponca City area students also receive support from the Ponca City Arts and Humanities Council.

Hwang will be playing first in the Student Orchestra Concert, on Saturday, June 19, at 8 p.m. at Sharp Hall, in Catlett Music Center on the OU Campus. The public is invited to the free performance. He will also be in public concert on Wednesday, June 23 at 8 p.m. and again on Saturday June 26, in Catlett Music Center.

Other evening presentations open to the public, will include conversations with or presentations by acting/directing instructor Craig Belnap, painter Derek Boshier, sculptor John Ahern, master ballet teacher Galina Solovieva and modern dancer Clarence Brooks, sculptor Luis Jimenez, orchestra conductors John Dodson and Murry Sidlin, choral conductors Jing Ling Tam and Allan Ross, photographer Christopher James, and poet Judith Taylor.

Other student presentations include the student choral music and poetry performances at 4 p.m. on June 26; visual art students gallery opening at 4 p.m. June 25 and student acting and dance performances at 8 p.m. on June 25; and a student choral concert at 8 p.m. June 18.

Several faculty recitals by the accomplished artists include a faculty chamber recital at 8 p.m. June 15, another at 8 p.m. on June 22, and again at 7 p.m. on June 24; a faculty showcase performance will be presented at 8 p.m. on June 17, and a faculty Jazz jam at 9:30 p.m. on June 18.

For more information about activities, call 405-842-0890.

Arthritis Hotline June 5-6

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) will operate a toll-free hotline on arthritis on June 5 and 6, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The hotline is sponsored by APTA’s Section on Geriatrics and Section on Orthopaedics. The toll-free number is 1-888-385-2782.

Physical therapists will answer callers’ questions on treating and managing osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other forms of the disease.

“There are tips that physical therapists can offer to help people with arthritis to avoid fatigue and flare-ups and to make their homes more ‘arthritis friendly.’ This simple information can make a big difference in the quality of life for a person with arthritis,” said APTA President Jan K. Richardson, PT, PhD, OCS.

The hotline is offered as a public service to help educate consumers about ways to make living with arthritis easier and less painful. It is not recommended as a substitute for a visit to a physical therapist or other health care professional.

The American Physical Therapy Association sponsors several hotlines a year on health topics. Callers may receive free brochures on physical therapy topics such as arthritis, exercise for seniors, hip pain, osteoporosis, incontinence, knee injuries, back pain, neck pain, shoulder injuries, foot and ankle injuries, and general fitness.

The American Physical Therapy Association is a national professional organization representing more than 74,000 members. Its goal is to foster advancements in physical therapy practice, research, and education.

Billings Plans Annual Memorial Day Event

BILLINGS — The Billings Union Cemetery will be holding its annual Memorial Day services beginning at 11 a.m. May 31 at the new pavilion on the cemetery grounds.

The Billings Historical Society will be serving lunch in the school cafeteria following the services.

The Cemetery Association asks that all memorial decorations be picked up no later that Saturday, June 12. The cemetery association will not assume responsibility for lost and missing arrangements.

Special Talent for 20th Season Of Horsefeathers, Applesauce

Winfield, Kan. - It takes special talent to become part of the 20th anniversary Horsefeathers and Applesauce Summer Dinner Theatre company.

Talents like this one listed on a resume:

“Able to do a cartwheel in twelve petticoats and a corset.”

Or the talents of another applicant for the company who wrote a haiku in honor of his audition:

I auditioned, yes.

I got a new pair of shoes.

For this month of fun.

Or there’s the applicant who listed, in addition to studying violin, private voice, and dance, the skills of “able to use power tools, can cry on command.”

It was the task of Allyson Moon, managing director of the Southwestern College’s summer dinner theatre, to arrange all of these talents and put together a cohesive group for this summer’s four-show schedule. The curtain will go up on a benefit performance of I Do, I Do June 4, and the regular season will begin June 5. Other shows this season will be The King and I, Charley’s Aunt, and 1776.

When all the applications had been screened and sifted, when the final monologue had been delivered, and the last note of the audition song died away, Moon was pleased with the results.

“This is a stable, ensemble company,” Moon says. “Until we add some alums for the performance of 1776, this is the company you are going to see throughout the season. Our audiences will see the same faces throughout the summer, and get to know these people really, really well.”

Some of the faces will be familiar-Shannon McCarthy, who first stepped on the Horsefeathers stage as a WSU student, now teaches dance and will be choreographing shows as well as acting; Ansley Valentine, who began the season with H&A last year and now is in a master of fine arts program in Indiana, will be back to direct and act; Rick Tyler, theatre professor at McPherson College and a member of the 1996 company, will be back to design sets and costumes.

But some of the talent seen on-stage and behind the scenes will be in Winfield for the first time. Moon is excited by the depth and talent in this group.

“Jeff and Elizabeth Dary are one example,” she says. “They’ve worked at community theatres, and at other theatres, and they first came here as patrons of the show. They saw a theatre full of life with everyone having so much fun, they were turned on by the environment, and by the spirit of the company, as well as by the quality of the performances.”

The Darys auditioned for the company, and will be part of the anniversary season.

Christine Scott (the cartwheeling corset-wearer) has been a historical re-enactor for more than a decade, and won the talent award and Newcomer of the Year award at the 1996 Miss Kansas pageant.

Other company members bring depth of experience far beyond their years.

Kristi TenClay, for example, graduated from Northwestern College in Iowa just days ago, but is a master electrician who also has done lighting design, costume and properties design, and worked in publicity as well as acting.

In fact, Allyson says, it’s hard to single out individual company members who might be stars in the upcoming season.

“We’re calling this a season of unions and reunions, and that’s appropriate for both the cast and the selection of plays," she says.

Each of the plays was chosen with the ‘union and reunion’ theme in mind. I Do, I Do will bring popular H&A performers Mike and Cindy Marion back onstage to depict the union of marriage with public non-dinner performances June 5-6 and June 10-12.

The King and I will symbolize the union of cultures and friendships June 17-20 and June 23-27.

Charley’s Aunt brings out the union of first love, and will be presented July 1 and 2 and July 8-11.

The season will close with a repeat performance of one of H&A’s most popular selections, 1776, bringing back alumni cast members from its original presentation in 1976.

So, according to Allyson Moon, a company that is unusually stable and united should be appropriate for this anniversary season. Even if one of them is turning cartwheels.

A partial list of the Horsefeathers and Applesauce 1999 company includes:

Roger Moon, Allyson Moon, Geoffrey Moon, Julie Voelker, Rob Fry, and Jeremy Blanchard, Winfield; Donna Clevenger, Mustang, Okla.; Rick Dildine, Wynne, Ark.; Elizabeth Dary and Jeff Dary, Medicine Lodge; Christine Scott, Topeka; Megan McNeill, Evergreen, Colo.; Shannon McCarthy, Susan Philbrick, Brooke Collins, and Sally Wasson, Wichita; Jake Walker, Kansas City, Mo.; Eric Courtwright, Augusta; Genevieve Hurst, Decatur, Ill.; Ansley Valentine, Bloomington, Ind.; Rachel Prochaska, Ada; Barbara Wiedmann, Oskaloosa, Iowa; Kristi TenClay, Green Bay, Wis.; Cheryl Williams, Ames, Iowa; Robbie Jones, Garden City; Laura Wilhelm, Lakeville, Minn.; Ryan Trupp, Lincoln, Neb.; Soshi Kawabe, Japan; Brianna Borger, St. Louis, Mo.; Michael Nicholas, Columbia, Mo.; Genevieve Hurst, Valparaiso, Ind.; Rick Tyler, McPherson; and Shintaro Yamazaki, Arkansas City.

Musicians will include Angie Hampton, Leslie Rich, Kathy Baker, Cynthia Compton, and John Scherling.

For more information on shows, ticket prices, or reservations, contact the H&A box office at (316) 221-7720.

Singles Network Plans Activities

The activity schedule for Singles Network this coming week has been announced. The group is for single people (divorced, widowed, or never married) that gathers for fellowship and mutual support.

A birthday dinner at Las Fajitas is set for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, to start the week’s activities. On Friday a VCR party is planned for 7 p.m. at Lenora’s home. Call 767-1417 to make a reservation — bring snacks to share.

A Mexican salad dinner is planned for 5 p.m. on Monday, May 31 at Mary’s. Call her at 762-6588 to find out what to bring.

Mid-Hi Leo Club ‘Cuts Tie’ During Noon Lions Event

When the Ponca City Noon Lions Club met Wednesday, May 12, the meeting was conducted by the Po-Hi Leo Club with Kasey Koster presiding. Koster, along with Britney Parker, secretary, and Claire Sonnichsen, treasurer, introduced members Stacy Hobbs, Mary Metzer, Mindy Worley, and Amanda Cobb. Jason Smith assisted with Tail Twister duties.

Officer Brad Fultz of the Ponca City Police Department and Cynthia Linthicum of AmeriCorp were guests. They thanked the Po-Hi Leo Club members for tutoring and helping with the Girl Scouts. They also presented certificates of appreciation to the Mid Hi Leo Club members for their help with Christmas gifts for the West Side Project.

Lion Ted Matson presented the Lion/Leo scholarship to Kasey Koster based on outstanding academics, community service and leadership.

The Mid Hi Leo Club presented a skit on the top 10 reasons to be a Lion. Members participating in the skit included Robin Maril, Molly Smith, Emily Kent, Jessica McCully, Jennifer Matlock, Morgan Mongold, Anna Stalcup, Latoya Smith, Laura Murry, Tim Kana, Jared McCully, Eric Peeples, and Mikel Montgomery. Lion Dick Balfantz was questioned by Leo member Jennifer Matlock about general knowledge of the Lions Club, their mission statement and history. He knew all the answers, but, when questioned about the Leo Club, he had very little knowledge. As shown in the picture above, Matlock cut off Balfantz’ tie when he failed to answer the Leo questions.

The Leo Clubs are service organizations sponsored by The Ponca City Noon Lions Club. Advisors for the Mid Hi Leo Club are Susan Ladner and Lilly Strickland. Jack Mason and Russ Parker are the advisors for the Po-Hi Leo Club. Membership is open to young men and women who are interested in community service and in developing leadership abilities. Next school year the Mid Hi Leo Club will include only 8th grade students. The Po-Hi Leo Club will include 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade students.

Book Review ‘Oklahoma Trivia’ Gives Answers

Ernie Couch, who with his wife, Jill, owns Consultix, a support firm for the publishing industry with specialities in advertising and graphic design, has compiled another trivia book — “Oklahoma Trivia” — the who, what, when, where, and how book of the great state of Oklahoma.

Do you know where the National Four String Banjo Hall of Fame is located? Where did William Wrigley manufacture his first stick of chewing gum? Where did the Rev. John Mitchell organize the first Boy Scout troop in the United States? The answers to these questions and many more like them can be found in “Oklahoma Trivia” (Rutledge Hill Press, $6.95 paperback) by Ernie Couch. It is the most comprehensive collection of historical facts and figures and little-known actualities about the Sooner state.

You may think you know all there is to know about Oklahoma, or you’re an expert in certain areas, “Oklahoma Trivia” covers everything from geography, history, art and literature, sports and leisure, science and nature, and entertainment. For example, most Americans know that Oklahoma is home to Indian Tribes such as the Cherokee, Choctaws, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminoles. However, you’d have to be a huge trivia buff or an Oklahoma native to know that Weatherford is the site of the World Championship Hog Calling Contest.

When you think of Oklahoma, you immediately think of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical “Oklahoma!,” the oil industry, the dust bowl, the OK Corral, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Ben Johnson, James Garner, and Chuck Norris. Couch has included many of the well-known facts about the Sooner state as well as some obscure tidbits.

You’ll find answers to fairly obvious questions such as: What 1970 song with an Oklahoma theme was a smash country hit for Merle Haggard? What is the Oklahoma state song? What 1981 Miss America from Elk City hosted the TV show “Home Matters”?

You’ll also find answers to more difficult questions such as: Where is the National Lighter Museum? Since 1911, what military facility has been the home of the U.S. Army Field Artillery Center and School? Garth Brooks’ mother, Colleen, starred on what 1950s national country music TV show?

The answers to the easier three questions are “Okie from Muskogee”, “Oklahoma”, and Susan Powell. The answers to the last three questions are Guthrie, Fort Sill, and the Ozark Mountain Jubilee.

“Oklahoma Trivia” is for the trivia fanatic who thinks they know everything about Oklahoma, and it is also for those who want to know more about the Sooner state. With “Oklahoma Trivia” in hand, you won’t get stomped when someone asks you what western swing artist was known for his “Tulsa Stampede” — Johnnie Lee Wills, of course.

If this one sounds like a winner to you — ask around at the local bookstores — someone will be able to get it for you, or you may contact Rutledge Hill Press at 211 Seventh Avenue North in Nashville, Tenn. 37219, or visit the website at 222.rutledgehillpress.com.

Advisory Board Nominations On City Commission Agenda

By LAURA CORFF

News Staff Writer

Appointments to city advisory boards will be considered during the Ponca City Board of Commissioners meeting Monday, in the Commissioners Room of the Public Safety Center, 200 East Oklahoma Avenue, at 5:30 p.m. Mayor Tom Leonard submitted the nominations.

In other new business, Larry Bittman will present details about the Ponca City Police Foundation Trust. Trustees of the foundation have completed bylaws and obtained their federal tax exemption status.

Additionally, the board will look at removing all ordinances from the city code that deal with the Ponca City Main Street Authority. Kevin Murphy, city attorney, drafted the ordinance.

Another ordinance change under consideration deals with reserving Sections 13-125 through 13-150 for future legislation and creating a new Article VI to Chapter 13, adopting Safety Code for Electric Transmission Lines. The board will also be asked to vote on an emergency clause related to the ordinance.

In addition, execution of a construction contract for the realignment and signalization of Ash Street and Hartford Avenue will be reviewed by the board. The project was awarded to Evans and Associates on May 10, in the amount of $1,065,761.01.

Randy Lauritsen, city engineer, and Jim Sindelar, director of Park and Recreation, submitted a request to contract with LandPlan Consultants, Inc. for trail planning and design services. The agreement meets the requirements of Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

Consent Agenda

The following items are listed under the Consent Agenda as they are considered noncontroversial and routine by the board. The first item is a request by the Ponca City Tourism Authority to grant $1,000 to the Classic Cars of Ponca City. The grant would help promote and advertise the “Cruisin' Grand” event to be held June 5.

Also, the Ponca City Fire Department will ask for approval to accept a bid of $20,685.60 from Jack Bowker Ford to purchase an administrative vehicle for the department. Commissioners will also review and consider paying $1,035,337.57 in city claims acquired from May 6, through May 19.

Ponca City Utility Authority

The board will reconvene as the Ponca City Utility Authority to receive an update of the Phase II Improvements to Waste water Treatment Plant. FHC, Inc. will make the power point presentation. The second and final phase of the improvements is currently scheduled to be completed by August.

On the consent agenda, the board will give consideration for the submission of the monthly operating statement to the Oklahoma Water Resource Board. In addition, the board will review purchasing right-of-way for the Turkey Creek-L.A. Cann Drive sewer replacement project. If approved, the purchase would not exceed $1,000. The board will also consider paying bills totaling $1,649,747.82.

After adjourning, the commission will enter into regular session of the Ponca City Development Authority to take care of various housekeeping items. Afterwards, the board will enter executive session to discuss negotiations with the local firefighter and police officer unions. If necessary, the commissioners will return to regular session to take action.

School for the Blind Scheduling Summer Session for Students

The Oklahoma School for the Blind, (OSB), in Muskogee is scheduling a summer session for students with visual disabilities who attend other schools during the year. The program is designed to help students acquire new skills while reinforcing abilities they already possess. There is no cost for the program.

The session, which begins June 7 and runs to July 2, includes recreational activities and housing at the school’s main campus in Muskogee. Parents must fill out an application to enroll. For enrollment information call the school at (918)682-6641.

The Oklahoma School for the Blind provides residential, pre-school and early intervention education for students who are blind or have visual disabilities. The school is also designated as a statewide resource center for the needs of visually impaired children and youth who do not attend OSB. The school is a division of the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS).

Relay for Life Provides Effort During Battle Against Cancer

A long-time supporter of the Kay County division of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, David Mills is this year’s Honorary Chairperson. Mills provides leadership and encouragement and is the head cheerleader for all the participants of this huge local event.

Kay County walkers and runners will go around the clock in the battle against cancer during the American Cancer Society’s 5th Annual Relay for Life. This “Celebration of Life” brings the numerous groups and individuals concerned about cancer together in a unified effort to fight back.

Teams of enthusiastic citizens from all walks of life will gather at the Ambucs Motocross track on West Prospect for a 12-hour relay against cancer from 7 p.m. top 7 a.m. June 4.

Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society’s version of an athletic relay, but with a new twist. Relay for Life is a family-oriented event where participants not only enjoy the camaraderie of a team, but also raise funds to support the activities of the American Cancer Society. Participants camp out around the track and, when they are not taking their turn walking or running on the track, take part in many fun activities.

Teams from companies, churches, organizations and schools collect donations and can win individual and team prizes for their efforts.

“Relay for Life is as much an awareness raiser about the progress against cancer as it is a fund raiser,” said Brad Parker. “Many of the participants will be people who have been cured of cancer themselves. Their involvement is proof of the progress that has been made not only in cancer cure rates but in the quality of life following cancer treatment.”

Last year, the event raised over $40,000 in Kay County, and the committee hopes to increase that amount this year.

“The funds raised will enable us to continue our investment in the fight against cancer through educational programs, research and services to patients,” said Parker. “Due to the generosity of corporate sponsors like Gold Sponsors — Home National Bank, Conoco Inc., Pioneer Bank & Trust, St. Joseph Medical Center, St. Joseph Cancer Center and Boettcher, Ryan and Martin; Silver Sponsors — NationsBank, Cable One, Parker Pest Control, Smith International, First Christian Church and Sykes; and Bronze Sponsors — KPNC Radio, Oklahoma Natural Gas and Jack Bowker Ford, the money raised by participants will go directly to the American Cancer Society’s lifesaving programs.”

Information about how to form a team or become involved in the Relay for Life is available from Parker at 762-6614 or Jeri Casey at 765-9913.

Street Sales Tax Funds Approved For Connection

Members of the Ponca City Traffic Commission approved the use of street sales tax funds for the Sykes/Thorn Apple Valley connection, during their meeting Friday. The Traffic Commission previously authorized an expenditure of $100,000 for the project. The total estimated cost is $350,000.

The city made application to two state agencies for partial funding, according to Mike Lane, traffic engineering manager. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce awarded a $100,000 grant for the connection project. Although an application was also made to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation for an industrial access grant in the amount of $165,000, ODOT will not be able to fund the project in this fiscal year.

In order to release the ODOC grant, the city must submit documentation that matching funds are in place. Therefore, staff had requested an increase in the sales tax allocation for the connection in the amount of $165,000, for a total commitment of $265,000. The additional money will be used only if the ODOT funding does not materialize, confirmed Ken Parr, director of Public Works.

Course June 1 on Self-Breast Examinations

St. Joseph Regional Medical Center and the American Cancer Society will co-sponsor a course next month designed to teach nurses and other health care professionals techniques to better educate patients about self-breast examinations.

Carolyn McCoy of the American Cancer Society’s Breast Cancer Network will conduct the course, which will be held Tuesday, June 1 from 5 to 8 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, South Sixth Street and East Central Avenue. Sandwiches will be provided.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women, striking one woman in nine by age 85, according to the American Cancer Society. Early detection and treatment of breast cancer is extremely important.

“Many women today have become complacent about breast self-examination, because they believe since no one in their family has had breast cancer, they are not at risk,” said Karen Shiflet, RN, MSN, who is the Coordinator of the Congregational Nurse Ministry program. “The truth is that 75 percent of the women who get breast cancer do not have a family history of it. Regular breast self-examination is one of the best ways to find a cancerous tumor when it is small and easier to treat, before the cancer has a chance to spread.”

“Circle of Life” teaching materials, which are tailored to Native American women, and special teaching materials for African American women, will be available.

Youth Theater Workshops Set In OKC June 2-5

Ponca City area youth, ages 6-12, interested in training for the theater, have an opportunity to attend the The Oklahoma Community Theatre Association statewide youth conference and workshop in Oklahoma City, June 2-5.

Titled “A Tale of Two Faces” the workshops will include training in characterization, improvisations, mime, auditioning skills, ensemble work and movement. Other workshops being considered depending on interest include stage combat, mask casting and tours of performance facilities.

Openings for the conference are limited and registrations must be made in advance. Preregistration is $35 per student. Adult sponsors will not pay the workshop fee, but must pay for any dinner events they may want to attend.

Included in the registration fee will be an audience-involvement mystery/comedy dinner, a dress rehearsal performance of Jewel Box Theatre’s “West Side Story,” and a Saturday night dinner with performances of scenes developed during the conference.

The official hotel for the conference is the Holiday Inn Express on Lincoln Boulevard, immediately south of Interstate 1-44 in Oklahoma City.

For more information or to get registration forms, interested parents may call Ponca Playhouse President, Brian Harpster at 765-8435, the Ponca Playhouse office at 765-5360 or the OCTA office at (405) 236-0788.

Jamaicans Take Pioneer Technology Center Tour

By LAURA CORFF

News Staff Writer

A delegation of educators from Jamaica visited Ponca City on their first trip to Oklahoma. Three high school principals and the director of Rationalization were in town Thursday to tour Pioneer Technology Center and visit with administrators about programs available to high school students through the vo-tech system.

“The exposure to the technology centers has been very informative and will be useful for the program we will be embarking on,” said Carole Powell, director of Rationalization in Jamaica.

The islanders like the idea of sharing resources and getting good results on behalf of the students as well as the positive impact it will have on economic development.

Powell stated the vision was developed after Arch Alexander visited the island in the late 1980’s. Alexander, a pioneer of Oklahoma vo-techs, consulted with the minister of education.

The current vo-tech system on the island does not include programs for high school students. Each high school has it’s own classes, while in Oklahoma, students have more options as programs are coordinated through the vo-tech system.

On a personal note, Powell said she had expected more rodeos to be going on. The group also commented about the wide open space in Oklahoma that they, as islanders, weren’t used to. Additionally, the director noted that she had seen the movie “Oklahoma!” several times. The group planned to finish their tour in Bartlesville, where they anticipated seeing their very first buffalo.

Peachtree Landing Logo Contest Winners Named

Peachtree Landing Logo Contest winners were recently selected by members of the Peachtree Landing Board of Directors. The winning logo by Caileigh Cook will be used for brochures, t-shirts and other promotional items to represent the local homeless shelter. Caileigh is a fourth grade student at Garfield School.

Students from fourth through 12th grade were invited to create logos for the contest beginning in April. Prizes included U.S. Savings Bonds from local banks for top winners and other prizes donated by local merchants. Overall winner received a $100 bond and top winners in each grade category each received a $50 bond.

Second place winners in each grade category received a prize from K-Mart, third place winners each received a gift certificate from Brace Books and More. All contest participants received a coupon from McDonald’s Restaurant.

Winners in the fourth grade category were Lauren Hadley, St. Mary’s School, in first place; Gina Staton, Garfield School, placed second and Shawnte’ Blaig, Garfield School, placed third.

Winners in the fifth grade competition, all from Garfield School, were Tremaine Watson in first place, Eugene Pappan in second place and Gena VanCuren placed third.

Winners in the eighth-ninth grade competition were Misti Spears from Mid-High in first place, Drew Deathe from St. Mary’s School in second place and Ricky Sauceda from St. Mary’s School in third place.

Met Opera Award Goes To P.C. Grad

Rachel Tucker recently received one of the highest accolades given young artists by the Metropolitan Opera in 1999.  Tucker, a 1990 graduate of Ponca City High, advanced to the finals in the Met’s international search for new talent.  After a rigorous audition process, Tucker became one of only 25 national finalists.  The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions are among the most prestigious competitions for operatic performers in the world.  Tucker returns to Ponca City to perform in concert at the Poncan Theatre on Friday, June 11.

Tucker, the daughter of Tom and Katy Tucker in Ponca City, pursued a performance career after graduating from Po-Hi.  She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Music degree. She then earned a Master of Music in Performance from the acclaimed School of Music at the University of North Texas in Denton.

In 1998, Tucker was able to study in Florence, Italy, on a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship.  After returning to the States in January, she competed in the district Metropolitan Auditions in Little Rock, Ark., which she won.  She then advanced to the Regional Met Competition in Memphis, Tenn., where she took first place. She recalls that, “I knew that I wouldn’t win, so I decided to go out and enjoy myself. I was completely taken by surprise with the results.”

The success at regional competition advanced Tucker to the national level.  The Metropolitan Opera flew her to New York to compete with other singers from the United States, Canada, and Australia.  Each contestant was given daily coachings by the official Met staff, attended dinners in their honor, and received complimentary tickets to the Met productions.

On Easter Sunday afternoon, the dressing rooms of the Metropolitan Opera were filled with 25 singers hopeful that this would be the first in a long line of Metropolitan Opera appearances. After every contestant had sung his or her 2 arias, they all waited anxiously for the results. Although she was not one of the five Grand Winners, Tucker won a cash prize and the experience of a lifetime. She says, “I was so encouraged by the entire process and the wonderful people that I met. It is the most exhilarating contest that I have ever lost.”

The audition at the Met led to another wonderful opportunity. Tucker has been invited to participate in a summer vocal program in Chianti, Italy. The Metropolitan Opera will be a partial sponsor in her upcoming opportunity in Italy.

In Ponca City, Tucker participated in the Po-Hi Chorale and Orchestra.

At the University of North Texas, she sang several roles with the University Opera Theatre.  She also performed as a chorister with the Dallas Opera. 

In recital at the Poncan Theatre, Tucker will perform a selection of classical songs and arias, and also popular songs.  She will include works by Mozart, Puccini, Faure, and Cole Porter.  Admission is free, but donations to support her education will be appreciated.  The concert begins at 7:30 pm on Friday, June 11 in the Poncan Theatre.

Maxine Prather Honored at State Event

Retired Kay County educator, Maxine Prather was honored at the 47th annual convention of the Oklahoma Retired Educator Association meeting in Edmond on May 18.

In addition, Dr. Edwin Vineyard, president emeritus of Northern Oklahoma College, Tonkawa, recognized and commended the Kay County Retired Teachers Organization for its large membership of 281 members.

During the credits, Kay County Retired Educators president Virginia Mair said, “We recognize and honor Mrs. Prather, who has done so much to promote the Kay County unit to newly retired teachers, and to welcome them to the organization. She also sends out letters to invite them to the first meeting in the Kay County area.”

Mrs. Prather began teaching in Kay County in Blackwell in 1945. She taught there until 1960, when she and husband Paul moved to Ponca City. She accepted a position at Garfield Elementary School, where she taught 22 years. Mrs. Prather also helped write the library curriculum for the Ponca City schools and was chosen twice by her peers as “Teacher of the Year” at Garfield. She retired in 1982 after a teaching career of 40 years.

Eight officers and members attending the state meeting from the Kay County organization were 1998-99 president Virginia Mair; secretary Elaine Fulton; treasurer Mildred Speer from Newkirk; Robert Steiken of Tonkawa; Maxine Prather, and Dr. and Mrs. Edward Vineyard, all of Ponca City; and Mable Kokendoffer of Newkirk.

Other highlights of the meeting included honors to Dr. Charles Weber for 11 years of dedicated service to OREA; and a reading of “The Ragged Old Flag” by D.P. Melton.

Theo Crawley, current president of the Oklahoma Retired Educators Association recognized and introduced special guests and Ron Bogle, vice-president of external affairs at the University of Central Oklahoma welcomed the 63 retired educators from across Oklahoma.

Entertainment for the annual convention held in the UCO Student Union included “The Witty World of Will Rogers!” presented by Gene McFall.

Phillips University Settles for Offer From Enid, NOC

ENID (AP) — Phillips University officials had hoped to fetch as much as $15 million for their closed campus, but instead settled for an offer of more than $6 million from the city of Enid and Northern Oklahoma College.

Judge Richard L. Bohanon on Friday accepted a revised bid of $6,112,500 by the city and the Tonkawa junior college to buy the 109-acre campus.

‘‘We are very happy to go forward with Northern Oklahoma College,’’ Mayor Doug Frantz said. ‘‘We’re really thinking this is going to be a wonderful thing for Enid.’’

Phillips University, which sought bankruptcy protection last year, was expecting a higher bid from an unidentified group.

Bohanon delayed acting on the sale last month when told of a possible last-minute offer. He gave potential bidders until 7 p.m. Friday to submit a higher bid accompanied by at least $200,000 in earnest money.

Enid and Northern Oklahoma College originally bid $5.3 million. Both shared in the $530,000 earnest money. They are seeking state and private loans to help finance the deal.

The closing date for the transaction is June 15.

Phillips officials would not consider selling the campus to the city and Northern Oklahoma College unless it came up with more money, Frantz said. The higher offer was made Tuesday, he said.

If a deal hadn’t been struck Friday, Bohanon could have turned the sale over to an independent trustee, which would have delayed the process for several more weeks.

Phillips, one of the oldest universities in Oklahoma, canceled classes in August, ending 92 years of operation.

Trustees received two other bids for its campus. Cross Ocean Investments, an international company, bid $8 million but put up no earnest money. The parent company of Hobby Lobby bid $5 million and submitted $75,000 in earnest money. Phillips officials were hoping to sell the campus for $15 million.

The school’s lawyer, Tim Kline, said the private university wanted to get as much money as it could to pay off its creditors. Nearly 100 employees, including faculty members, are owed at least three months of back pay.

‘‘The primary objective of the trustees has been to raise enough money to hopefully pay the creditors in full,’’ Kline said. ‘‘We’re hopeful that this present sale will do that.’’

Nearly News

Corky Gammon, street maintenance superintendent, informed Nearly News that Pioneer Road from Fourteenth Street to Spring Road will be closed Monday due to repairs on the rock wall.

————

A local resident came by to let NN know there were still honest folks around. A green folder containing important car papers was lost in the parking lot near the tag agency Wednesday. Someone found them and turned them into the agency and they were returned to the relieved owner who issues a big “thank you” to the kind person who found them.

Tennis Ball Hail Noted In Osage

By The Associated Press

Temperatures will remain warm with a chance of showers and thunderstorms throughout the weekend in Oklahoma.

A tornado warning was issued Saturday afternoon for central Osage County in northeastern Oklahoma. Storms that could have produced funnel clouds were spotted west of Wynona, the National Weather Service reported.

Severe storms also crossed Kay, Osage, Washington and Alfalfa counties. Hail the size of tennis balls was reported in northern Osage County.

Showers and thunderstorms are likely Sunday in northeastern sections, while there is a chance for rain in the southeast. It will be partly cloudy in western and central regions. Highs will be in the mid-70s to mid-80s.

There is a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in far southeastern Oklahoma through Sunday evening. Elsewhere, it will be mostly clear. Overnight lows will be in the 50s and 60s.

The extended forecast calls for mostly clear skies Monday and Tuesday. Highs will be in the mid-70s and 80s with lows in the 50s.

Kay County Italian Faces Deportation

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Italian immigrant who faces deportation after living in Oklahoma for years hopes a bill by U.S. Sen. Don Nickles will prevent his removal from happening.

On Friday, a federal judge ruled that immigration laws leave no recourse for Renato Rosetti, who was convicted on a drug charge 20 years ago.

District Judge Ralph Thompson said he believed Renato Rosetti shouldn’t be sent back to Italy, but said he also believes in enforcing the laws as they stand.

‘‘Despite the court’s belief ... that Mr. Rosetti should qualify for leniency under the unique facts in which he finds himself, the law the court is required to apply does not permit that fair and desirable result,’’ Thompson wrote.

Rosetti, who lives in Blackwell, has been married to an American woman for 15 years and has two American children.

When he was in his early 20s, Rosetti was arrested in Italy for possessing a 1/2-gram of heroin. He did not serve any jail time, and the 1982 conviction was later expunged.

His friends say he has straightened out is life. He and his wife, Lisa, have two sons, 8-year-old Christopher and 2-year-old Nicholas. He has been a wheat farmer in Blackwell for eight years.

Rosetti, 43, said Friday he had little hope about his prospects in court, but his cause has now been taken up by Nickles, R-Okla.

‘‘He (the judge) couldn’t rule in my favor, but at least there are comments in there that may help other people in situations like mine,’’ Rosetti said.

DEATHS

Edwin Eugene Myers
Paul F. Johnson
Leon Gravel
Minnie Longan Shoemaker
Carl J. Pemberton
Clyde Springer
Benjamin Earl Demaree
Cleo V. McGaha

Edwin Eugene Myers

BLACKWELL — Edwin Eugene Myers, former resident of Blackwell, died Thursday, May 20, 1999, in the Murray Manor Nursing Home in Broken Arrow. He was 33.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, May 24, 1999, at the Grace Baptist Church in Blackwell with the Rev. Orval Stanley officiating. Burial will be in the Blackwell Cemetery under the direction of Roberts and Son Funeral Home, Blackwell.

Edwin Eugene Myers was born Nov. 11, 1965, in Blackwell, the son of Charles T. and Sharon (Gildhouse) Myers. He lived in Wisconsin until the age of three when he returned to Blackwell to live with his grandparents. He attended Blackwell Public Schools before moving to Haworth in 1984 to live with his father and stepmother. He graduated from Haworth High School in 1984. He returned to Blackwell in 1989. He worked at various construction jobs and as a plumber before his illness in 1991 forced his retirement. He later moved to Broken Arrow to make his home. He was a member of the First Baptist Church.

He is survived by his mother of Longmont, Colo.; his stepmother, Loretta Myers of Blackwell; three sisters, Geona Lee Sharp and Carla Ellis of Blackwell, and Ruth Anne Hembree of Tonkawa; four brothers, J.R. Myers of Longmont, Colo., Tommy Lee Myers of Stillwater, Marcus Smithson of Blackwell, and Gene Welch of Tonkawa; and many aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and cousins. He was preceded in death by his father; one brother, Matthew Myers; and his grandparents.

Memorials may be made in his name to Grace Baptist Church, 900 South Nine Street, Blackwell, Okla. 74631.

Paul F. Johnson

TULSA — Paul F. Johnson, resident of Ponca City, died Friday, May 21, 1999, in the St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa. He was 74.

The funeral will be held noon Tuesday, May 25, 1999, in the Memorial Park Chapel in Tulsa with burial in the Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Moore’s Eastlawn Funeral Home of Tulsa.

Paul F. Johnson was born Oct. 24, 1924, in Mount Vernon, Ind., the son of Paul E. and Marjorie (Hyatt) Johnson. He grew up in Mount Vernon where he graduated high school in 1943. He served in World War II with the 12th Armored Division, Patton’s Mystery Division, and in the Korean Conflict. On May 29, 1949, he married Joyce Hewell in Tulsa.

Johnson received his degree in petroleum engineering in 1950 from Tulsa University where he played football and baseball. He was employed as a petroleum engineer with Marathon Oil in Tulsa for 32 1/2 years, retiring in 1980 as division production manager. They moved to Casper, Wyo., before moving back and residing in Ponca City.

He was a member of the Elks Lodge, Masons, and a lifetime member of 12th Armored Division Association and V.F.W. He enjoyed fishing and bird hunting.

He is survived by his wife of the home; three daughters, Cheryl Roy of British Columbia, Canada, Pamela Johnson of Los Angeles, Calif., and Gail Hartl of Ponca City; and five grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his name to the American Kidney Foundation, 7315 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, Md. 20814 or the charity of choice.

Leon Gravel

TONKAWA — Leon “Bus” Gravel, longtime Tonkawa resident, died early Friday, May 21, 1999, at the Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City. He was 78.

A graveside service will be held at 3:30 p.m. Monday, May 24, 1999, at the Tonkawa I.O.O.F. Cemetery with the Rev. Glen Hunt officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of McCafferty-Bolick Funeral Home.

Bus Gravel was born July 28, 1920, in Tonkawa, the son of Leonard and Hazel (Peoples) Gravel. He grew up on the family farm and received his education in the Marland schools. He graduated from Marland High School.

Gravel married Betty Jean Cook on July 14, 1939, in Three Sands. During World War II, he served in the medical corps of the U.S. Navy. He was engaged in farming in the Tonkawa area for many years and owned and operated Gravel Hardware in Tonkawa for 20 years.

In May of 1968 he was elected to the Tonkawa City Council and became mayor of Tonkawa in December of that year. He served as mayor until 1973.

Surviving him are his wife of the home; a son, Marc Gravel of Ponca City; a daughter, Karen Tapp of Edmond; two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents.

The family will be at the home, 301 South 11th, Tonkawa.

Minnie Longan Shoemaker

BLACKWELL — Minnie “Gladys” Longan Shoemaker, resident of Blackwell, died Thursday, May 20, 1999, at her home. She was 90.

The funeral will be 1 p.m. Monday, May 24, 1999, in the Roberts and Son Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Dan Kennedy, pastor of Wesleyan Church, officiating. Burial will follow in the Blackwell Cemetery.

Minnie “Gladys” Longan Shoemaker was born Aug. 11, 1908, in Coyle, the daughter of Elmer and Alberta (Tipton) Longan. She moved to Blackwell with her family as a young girl and attended Blackwell public schools.

She married Orville V. Shoemaker on March 12, 1925, in Wellington, Kan., and they settled in Blackwell. She was a homemaker, raising their 10 children. She remained in Blackwell after her husband died in 1977. She was a member of the Wesleyan Church.

She is survived by three daughters, Wava Trompler of Belleview, Wash., Judy Berry of Kirkland, Wash., and Becky Hall of Nardin; five sons, Homer Lee Shoemaker of Garber, Joe Max Shoemaker of Blackwell, Richard Shoemaker of Deluth, Ga., Larry Shoemaker of Pevely, Mo., and O.V. Shoemaker of Edmond; 22 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents, two daughters, Shirley Jane Shoemaker and Patsy Ann Klein; two brothers, Ray Longan and Adolf Longan; one sister, Hazel Carrier; one grandson and a great-great-granddaughter.

Casket bearers will be Bret Hall, Jody Hall, Chad Shoemaker, Kyle Shoemaker, Max DeWitt and Matt DeWitt.

Memorial contributions may be made in her name to Wesleyan Church, 112 South Seventh, Blackwell, Okla. 74631.

Carl J. Pemberton

BLACKWELL — Carl J. Pemberton, resident of Ponca City, died Wednesday, May 19, 1999, in Oklahoma City. He was 74.

A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 25, 1999, with the Rev. Rick Sims of Petersburgh, Texas, officiating. Burial will be in the Greenlawn Abbey Mausoleum in Blackwell Cemetery under the direction of Roberts Funeral Home. The Flag presentation will be conducted by V.F.W. and American Legion of Blackwell.

Carl J. Pemberton was born Jan. 25, 1925, in Plaines, Kan., the son of John Henry and Flossie (Hall) Pemberton. He moved to Tonkawa with his family when he was 10 years old and attended Tonkawa public schools. He entered the U.S. Navy in 1943, serving during World War II.

Following his discharge in 1945, he moved to Blackwell and began working for Conoco Refinery in Ponca City. He moved to Ponca City while working for Conoco, retiring after 38 years. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, both in Ponca City.

He is survived by three daughters, Carol Burk of Blackwell and Julie Mayo and Misti Elliot, both of Ponca City; a step-daughter, Roxanne Cornell, also Ponca City; three sons, Alvin Pemberton of Yukon and Vince Pemberton and Clay Pemberton, both of Ponca City; one sister, Nora Stephens of Cleveland, Texas; two brothers, Claude Pemberton of Blackwell and Roy Pemberton of Norman; 20 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters; and one daughter, Nancy Senseman.

Memorial contributions may be made in his name to the American Diabetes Association, c/o Roberts Funeral Home, 120 West Padon, Blackwell, Okla. 74631.

Services Pending

Clyde Springer

Clyde Springer, former longtime Ponca City resident, died Saturday, May 22, 1999, at Crosstimbers Nursing Home, Lewisville, Texas. He was 100. Arrangements are pending with Trout Funeral Home.

Benjamin Earl Demaree

Benjamin Earl Demaree, Ponca City resident, died Saturday morning, May 22, 1999, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Ponca City. He was 80. He is survived by his wife, Oletta, of the home. Services are pending with Trout Funeral Home.

Cleo V. McGaha

TONKAWA — Cleo V. McGaha. resident of Tonkawa, died Saturday morning, May 22, 1999, in Willow Haven Nursing Home in Tonkawa. He was 88. Survivors include his wife, Garnett, of the home. Arrangements are under the direction of McCafferty-Bolick.

NEWS BRIEFS

Crafts Booth — Ponca City Welfare Society has a booth at the Crafter’s Mall, located at 318 East Grand.

The Blue Lite Lounge 217 S. 2nd will be closed May 28th thru May 31st for repairs. Will reopen June 1st 10 a.m. Thank you. adv.

Adults Wanted — Anyone interested in joining an adult co-ed softball team for the summer, call Stephanie at 762-6139 or Ron at 762-2688.

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.

Post 38 Meeting — American Legion Post 38 will hold a special meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Julius A. Valdez building. All members are urged to attend and bring a new member. New officers will be elected for 1999-2000, and Memorial Day activities will be discussed. Refreshments will be provided.

Have Pet? Can travel! In-home pet sitting service. We love them when you have to leave them! 762-4205. adv.

Red Earth Festival — A press conference for the 1999 Red Earth Festival will be held at the fourth floor rotunda of the Oklahoma State Capitol 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. First Lady Kathy Keating will be among the participants in the preview of the festival to be held downtown Oklahoma City Myriad Convention Center June 11 through 13.

May Is better hearing month. Better hearing means better quality of life. Take advantage of special offers this month and have your hearing tested for free. Heartland Hearing Aid Center, 1302 N. 7th, 767-1961. adv.

Family Reunion — Descendants of C.L. and Will Miller will gather for a reunion Memorial Day, May 31, at Lake Ponca Park. A basket dinner is planned for 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at Shelterhouse 3. All are invited to attend.

2 Fedders window units like new 1 -24000 BTU $450, 1 -7500 BTU $125, Sat. & Sun. 8 - 12, 120 Whitworth. adv.

Rough and Tumbled — The Ponca City Rough and Tumbled Rock and Gem Club will meet Tuesday at Albright Methodist Church at 7 p.m. The program features Cecil Hamilton, who will demonstrate flint knapping. Visitors are welcome. For more information, call 765-0907.

Kids Glow Bowl, Fridays 1-4 p.m. Schools out! Party! Tuesday, May 25th 1-4 p.m. Ponca Bowl. 762-3333. adv.

Grass Fire — The Communications Center received a report from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol at 5:28 p.m. Friday that a grass fire was burning two miles west of Oklahoma 156 on U.S. 60 in the median. Ranch Drive Volunteer Fire Department was notified and handled the situation.

Yippee Yi Yo — Join the Read Stampede. Children ages two and older are invited to sign up for the Summer Reading Club at the Ponca City Library. For more information, contact Judy Johnson at 767-0345. Saddle up and join the fun.

Reverse Osmosis water 25 cents per gallon. Pure Water Wagon. 1717 North 5th. adv.

Degree Program Meetings — University Learning Center of Northern Oklahoma will host two meetings — one at 7 p.m. Monday with Cameron University for a MBA program and a bachelors in interdisciplinary studies, and one at 7 p.m. Tuesday with Langston University for masters in elementary education. All interested in degrees in higher education are urged to visit with the representative about their programs. Both meetings will be held in the Commons Area of Po-Hi, 927 North Fifth.

Modern Appliance Whirlpool washers, dryers, refrigerators and dishwashers. All on sale. 116 North Fourth, 765-9847. adv.

Vehicle Burglarized — A woman from the 1200 block of West Broadway Avenue reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 8:45 a.m. Friday that her vehicle had been broken into during the night. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.

5-Gallon spirea, reg. $22.50, sale $17.99. Keathly Nursery, 2448 Bridge Ave., 762-2922. adv.

Accident — An accident at the intersection of North Fourteenth Street and East Hartford Avenue was reported to the Ponca city Police Department at 10:05 a.m. Friday. Two officers were assigned and a report was taken.

Windshield Chips repaired professionally. Guaranteed and insurance approved. Ponca Glass, 762-6522, 762-7957. adv.

Toys Stolen — A man from the 2100 block of North Union Street reported to the Ponca city Police Department at 10:16 a.m. Friday that some toys had been stolen from an apartment. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.

Spring Special on truck windshields. 73-87 Chevy pickups $125. 88-up Chevy pickup $275. 80-89 Ford pickups $200. 90-up Ford pickups $220. All prices include tax and installation. We use factory OEM replacements exclu-

sively! Call today for your appointment. Johnson Glass, 515 S. 1st. 762-2012. adv.

Subject Held — An officer of the Ponca City Police Department reported from the 200 block of East Oklahoma Avenue at 10:22 a.m. Friday that a 19-year-old woman was being held on a city warrant for telephone harassment.

Vehicle Vandalized — A person from the 1000 block of Brentwood Drive reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 10:26 a.m. Friday that a vehicle had been egged. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.

Subject Held — An officer of the Ponca City Police Department reported at 10:48 a.m. Friday that a 19-year-old man was being held on a city warrant for failure to pay.

Furr’s Dining now open continuously 11-8 Sunday-Thursday,

11-8:30 Friday and Saturday. adv.

Forgery — A person from the 400 block of Marland Drive reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 10:49 a.m. Friday that a check had been forged. An officer handled the situation.

Spring Is here! Mrs. Brown’s Attic is ready with picture frames and garden gifts. 300 E. Grand. Downtown Ponca City. adv.

Accident — The Communications Center received a 911 call at 11:19 a.m. Friday that an accident had occurred in the 1200 block of East Hartford Avenue. Two officers of the Ponca City Police Department, an ambulance and a rescue unit from the Ponca City Fire Department responded. There were no injuries reported and a report was taken.

$24.99 - Dozen roses, balloon bouquets from $10. “Villa” Floral & Balloons at West End, 223 W. Grand. 765-8864. adv.

Item Missing — A person from the 3500 block of North Union Street reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 11:47 a.m. Friday that an item had been stolen overnight. An officer was assigned and a grand larceny report was taken.

One Group 4” geraniums, sale 99 cents each. Keathly Nursery, 2448 Bridge Ave., 762-2922. adv.

Subject Held — An officer of the Ponca City Police Department reported from the 400 block of South Pine Street at 2:13 p.m. Friday that a 31-year-old man was being held on a city warrant for trespassing.

Memorial Day flower, sprays, baskets, various styles. Come and see. 3008 E. Hartford. adv.

Item Stolen — A person from the 1700 block of Clarke Street reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 2:40 p.m. Friday that a necklace had been stolen while at a business. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.

Good Used Maytags, 315 E. Grand, Copeland Appliances. adv.

Subject Held — An officer of the Ponca City Police Department reported from the 2100 block of North Fourteenth Street at 3:04 p.m. Friday that a 44-year-old woman was being held on a city warrant for failure to pay.

Want A computer? Find out how you can earn a new DELL Computer with a little effort. Call 765-3404. adv.

Items Missing — A person from the 500 block of South Fourth Street reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 4:07 p.m. Friday that some items had been stolen from a vehicle. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.

Pauline's Every Monday night special. Fried chicken only - all white meat. All you can eat, $6.50. For reservations call 765-5460. adv.

Theft — A clerk at a business in the 800 block of West Grand Avenue reported to the Ponca City Police Department at 4:27 p.m. Friday that three juvenile males had left the business without paying for an item. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.

Court Allen Construction. Concrete and flagstone walkways, patios and yard curbing. Call 765-2720. adv.

Subject Held — An officer of the Ponca City Police Department reported from the intersection of West Cleveland Avenue and North Elm Street at 2:03 a.m. Saturday that a 36-year-old woman was being held for DUI.

Fire — The Communications Center received a 911 call at 4:47 p.m. Friday from the 800 block of West Grand Avenue that a gas line had broken and the stove was on fire. Units from the Ponca City Fire Department responded to handle the situation.

Modern Appliance RCA big screens, TV’s, VCR’s. All on sale. 116 North Fourth, 765-9847. adv.

Possible Sexual Abuse — The Communications Center received a report from the emergency room of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center at 5:04 p.m. Friday that a juvenile girl had been treated for possible sexual abuse. Two officers of the Ponca City Police Department were assigned and a report was taken that the Department of Human Services was contacted. The child was released to her mother.

Subject Held — An officer of the Ponca City Police Department reported from the 1400 block of West Highland Avenue at 7:35 p.m. Friday that a 34-year-old man was being held on an Osage County warrant for failure to pay.

Accident — A person reported to the Ponca City Police Department that a vehicle had hit a utility pole at the intersection of South Waverly Street and West Oklahoma Avenue and that the pole was standing but the street sign had been knocked down. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.

Subject Held — An officer of the Ponca City Police Department reported from the intersection of North Ash Street and West Hartford Avenue at 10:18 p.m. Friday that a 29-year-old woman was being held for driving under suspension, not using a child restraint, and having no trailer lights.

Citations Issued — The Communications Center received a report from the 400 block of South Fourteenth Street at 10:24 p.m. Friday that a subject was allowing two dogs to run loose. An officer was assigned and Animal Control responded. Citations were issued.

Subject Held — An officer of the Ponca City Police Department reported from the intersection of Kygar Road and Snake Road at 11:58 p.m. Friday that a 25-year-old man was being held for DUI and transporting an open container.

Woman Injured — The Communications Center received a 911 call from the Marland Mansion Conference Center at 12:19 a.m. Saturday that a woman had fallen into a hole in front of the mansion, and has a fractured ankle. An ambulance from the Ponca City Fire Department and two officers of the Ponca City Police Department responded. The subject was taken to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center for treatment and a report was taken.

Subject Held — The Communications Center received a call at 1:59 a.m. Saturday from the VFW, 3001 East Prospect Avenue, that assistance was needed with a subject. Three officers of the Ponca City Police Department responded and a 28-year-old man was held for public intoxication and carrying a concealed weapon.

Subject Held — An officer of the Ponca City Police Department reported from the intersection of West Highland Avenue and North Oak Street at 2:30 a.m. Saturday that a 32-year-old woman was being held for DUI, having no insurance verification and running a stop sign.

Subject Held — An officer of the Ponca City Police Department reported from the intersection of North Oak Street and West Overbrook Avenue at 3:24 a.m. Saturday that a 27-year-old man was being held for having no driver’s license and a city warrant for failure to pay.

Looking for Results? — If you need to get results for your needs, the News Briefs column of The Ponca City News may be the right answer. All you have to do is phone 765-3311 and inquire.

LIFESTYLES

Fashionable First Ladies at Museum
Glorious Garnets Come in Variety of Colors
Couple Plans June 5 Vows
Bits and Pieces
Democrat Women Meeting
Knitting for All Ages
Family and Faith Help the Elderly In Nursing Home
Tama Crockett To Marry
Amber Long Is Bride-To-Be
Wedding Plans Announced
Little News
Museums Celebrate Area’s Rich History
Lookin’ with Lou
Panhellenic Rush Information Given at Party
Xi Beta Tau Chapter Conducts Ritual
Christi Joyce Carlton Bride Of Joshua Paul Christensen
TOPS Chapter Members Meet
Engagement Is Announced
Couple To Mark 50 Years
Tina Sanders Is Bride-Elect
Lifestyles Deadlines Announced
Amber Wilcoxson Engaged
Couple Plans July Wedding
Collection Introduced
Gold Cup Winners Are Named
Recital Set for Miss Suzi’s Singing School
Several Participate in Piano Guild Auditions
Wheatheart Nutrition
Piano Workshop Concludes Year
Photo Change
Ponca City Happenings

Fashionable First Ladies at Museum

By LOUISE ABERCROMBIE

News Staff Writer

A style show is in progress at the Pioneer Woman Museum where the inaugural ball dresses of the First Ladies of Oklahoma are on display. The fashions cover the gambit from the colorful “squaw dress” of Willie Emerson Murray to the elegant royal blue formal of the present First Lady, Cathy Keating.

Styles of the 1907 to 1995 dress collection seems to reflect the women themselves, who served as the official hostess of Oklahoma for their gubernatorial husbands.

Both fashions of First Ladies Murray and Keating represents Oklahoma and its rich heritage. Cathy Keating’s 1993 royal blue floor-length dress is accented with a beaded and embroidered state seal of Oklahoma at the midriff. She wore this dress at the first inaugural of her husband, Frank, who is serving a second term as governor. The dress was designed by Mrs. Keating and made by Sherri Hill, Oklahoma pageant designer.

Willie Murray’s brilliant 1951 street-length “squaw dress” trimmed with various colored strands of rickrack seems to denote the Native American influence. Her husband, Johnston Murray, was governor from 1951 to 1955.

Mrs. Keating’s second inaugural ball gown was created by Greg Mills of New York. The bodice of the dress is purple silk velvet and the skirt is made of purple double-faced Italian satin with 14 yards of French tulle skirting in black and purple beneath the skirt. The train bears 45 small crystal stars representing the first 45 states and a single larger star representing Oklahoma the 46th state.

First Ladies Dress Book

Written by Louise Mathews, “The First Ladies of Oklahoma Dress Collection” book is a guide for the display, a project of The Fashion Group International of Oklahoma City, Inc.

This exhibit, which came to the Pioneer Woman Museum from the Omniplex, began in 1982. The First Ladies Dress exhibit will be shown in Ponca City until the new historical museum is finished in Oklahoma City. This could take several years, according to Ammie Goss, Pioneer Woman Museum attendant.

The stylish collection features the dresses and accessories for all First Ladies since statehood. Additionally, there is a dress from the territorial First Lady Delphina White Jenkins, whose husband was William Miller Jenkins, governor, 1901.

Of particular interest to Ponca Citians will be the beige lace replica dress of the town’s only First Lady of Oklahoma, Lydie Marland, second wife of Gov. E.W. Marland. He was governor from 1935 to 1939.

Mrs. Marland’s dress is an eggshell lace “Irene” by designer Adrian. The dress was given to the collection by Jane Junker.

Another area First Lady, Shirley Bellmon of Billings and wife of Henry Bellmon, has two dresses in the collection. Mrs. Bellmon's first dress, 1963, was a knee-length pale blue brocade with a matching coat that she designed and made herself.

The second dress was a full-length raspberry ball gown with a waist of tissue lame and a skirt of matching taffeta and a beaded bodice. She also designed her second inaugural wardrobe. Mrs. Bellmon’s shoes and hair clips for the 1987 ball were made with beading matching the gown. Bellmon served a term as governor, then a stint as U.S. Senator, and returned to serve a second term as governor.

Other First Lady dresses on display were worn by Lillian Gallup Haskell (Gov. Charles N. Haskell), Chickie LaFlore Cruce (Lee Cruce), Isabel Butler Robertson ( J.B.A, Robertson), Madeleine Orrick Walton (J.C. Walton), Lou Strang Trapp (Martin E. Trapp), Ethel L. Littleton Johnston (Henry S. Johnston), Amy Arnold Holloway (William J. Holloway), and Mary Alice Harrell Murray (William H. Murray).

Also Myrtle Ellenberger Phillips (Leon C. Phillips), Grayce Breene Kerr (Robert S. Kerr), Jessica Grimm Turner (Roy J. Turner), Emma Mae Purser Gary (Raymond Gary), Jeanette Bartleson Edmondson (J. Howard Edmondson), Anna Chilton Bartlett (Dewey F. Bartlett), Jo Evans Hall (David Hall), Janna Lou Little Boren (David L. Boren), Mollie Shi Boren (David L. Boren), Donna Faye Skinner Nigh (George Nigh), and Rhonda G. Smith Walters (David Walter).

To appreciate the First Ladies collection, one needs to visit the Pioneer Woman Museum. The gowns are featured on models of the first ladies and encased in plexiglass. Upon entering the gallery, one notices the colorful seal of Oklahoma on the floor.

Glorious Garnets Come in Variety of Colors

If the name “garnet” reminds you of the red or brown stone in your grandmother’s ring, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Garnet is actually the group name for a family of gemstones that come in every color except blue. They’re beautiful, durable, and most garnets are affordable.

Best of all, more jewelry designers and manufacturers have discovered the joys of garnet, so you can find garnet jewelry at most price levels. “For garnets, the brighter the color and the larger the gem, the more it costs,” says Lynn Ramsey, president of the Jewelry Information Center, a New York-based trade association. The majority of garnets come in sizes smaller than 10 carats, but a few family members grow much bigger.

The name “garnet” comes from the Roman word granatus, meaning “seed,” as the gems were thought to resemble pomegranate seeds.

The most common garnets are the red to red-brown varieties that people know best. Since ancient times, the red variety, called pyrope (from the Greek word for “fire”), often was confused with rubies and red spinels. Red garnets can show almost as much fire as rubies.

Until the 18th century, garnets often were worn by soldiers to heal wounds and stop blood flow, as red stones were thought to influence the blood. They also were said to promote true love, warn of danger by changing color, and protect the wearer’s home from fire and lightning.

Yellow, orange and brown garnets carry exotic names like almandite, topazolite, hessonite, spessartite, malaya and mandarinite. Yellow orange to brown almandites are most common, and light yellow topazolites are rarest, but new finds in Africa and Asia have made all yellow, gold and orange garnets more available.

Malaya garnets, whose name derives from a Bantu word meaning “deceiver,” can have the striking orangy-pink color of rare padparadscha sapphires or the gold of citrine. Garnets in all these colors were believed to stimulate energy, increase sexual vitality and promote compatibility in lovers.

If you prefer spring or summer greens, tsavorite garnets from Africa come in clear light greens to rich dark greens and are more affordable than fine emeralds. Yellow-green to midgreen demantoid garnets are mostly found in antique jewelry. “Demantoid garnet is not widely mined today, so it is hard to find, but the color is exquisite,” says

Owen Bordelon, of New Orleans, former president of the American Gem Trade Association.

A translucent green garnet, misnamed “Transvaal Jade,” looks like light to medium milky green jade with tiny black spots. Called hydrogrossular garnet, it often has been used as an affordable jade substitute. Mothers in medieval Europe used to hang this garnet above their baby’s cradle for good health and sweet dreams. Green gemstones also were said to bring prosperity, calm the nerves and protect wearers from emotional stress.

The pink to reddish-purple colors are in rhodolite garnets, the largest transparent species. Available in sizes as big as a grapefruit, rhodolites recently were found more widely in Africa. Deep purple-pink varieties are the most expensive. The lighter, sparkling bright pinks can resemble pink sapphires. They were believed to attract romance and cure broken hearts.

Though garnets are tough, like all gemstones, special care must be taken, as some varieties can chip, according to Ramsey. “For jewels worn often, like rings, look for settings that protect the gem with metal,” she says.

Also avoid steaming, abrupt temperature changes and acids, because they might damage gems. Ultrasound or warm water with mild detergent is recommended for cleaning.

As a January birthstone, Aquarius zodiac stone and the second wedding anniversary gem, garnet provides a versatile family of affordable gems that can be enjoyed year-round.(PX)

Couple Plans June 5 Vows

Mr. and Mrs. David L. Mahon, 4521 Stardust Trail, announce the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Stephanie Ann Mahon, to Craig William Sattre, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Sattre, 2005 Lemon Tree Lane.

The couple plans a June 5, 7 p.m. wedding at the Marland Mansion Estate. They extend an open invitation to family and friends to attend the event.

The bride-elect, a 1995 graduate of Ponca City High School, is attending the University of Oklahoma. Sattre graduated from Ponca City High School in 1994 and is a graduate of the Dallas Art Institute. He is employed as a graphic artist for Channel 5 in Oklahoma City.

Bits and Pieces

Fibromyalgia Group

Melissa Johnson with the Oklahoma Arthritis Foundation will be the guest speaker for the May 24 meeting of the Fibromyalgia Support group. The public is invited to attend at 7 p.m. at the parlor of the First Baptist Church. More information may be obtained by calling Raelene Brown, 765-5756; Mary Beth Guy, 765-9894; or Martha Long, 762-5572.

Garden Council

The Ponca City Council of Garden Clubs will meet for an “Awards Coffee” June 2, 9:30 a.m., at the Cann Garden. The program will be a presentation of the “Gardener of the Year,” installation of new officers, and the awarding of scholarships to three high school seniors.

Democrat Women Meeting

Kay County Democrat Women will meet Thursday, May 27, at 7 p.m. at the OCAW Hall, 1202 West Ponca. Lisa B. Otipoby, president, will conduct the meeting, and plans will be finalized for spring events and membership development.

The district and Oklahoma State Democrat conventions will be discussed. All Kay County Democrat women are encouraged to attend the meeting. Refreshments will be served.

Knitting for All Ages

A baby blanket knitted by grandma holds a lasting place in a child’s heart. Imagine how significant a blanket knitted by both grandparent and grandchild would be. “Kids Knitting” by Melanie Falick, teaches a child the classic craft of knitting. It’s a great activity for a grandparent and grandchild to share.

Family and Faith Help the Elderly In Nursing Home

Researchers find that family and faith help nursing home residents fight depression and low self-esteem.

“Residents reporting frequent church attendance both before entering the nursing home, and currently, also had higher self-esteem,” noted the researchers from Cornell Medical Center and Fordham University. These actively religious residents were less depressed and felt closer to their families.

“Religiously committed individuals tend to perceive family more warmly, report greater satisfaction with family life in general,” the researchers commented.

Yet the religious link also tied in with feeling healthier, since religious commitment can enhance coping with illness and reduce pain perception, noted the researchers. “Religious commitment has also been shown to help reduce psychological stress,” commented Dr. David Larson, President of the National Institute for Healthcare Research.

Social support from friends helped starve off depression, but sadly more than two thirds of residents in the study said they had no friends, possibly lost through death or by moving away.

Being able to choose their nursing home also seemed to help reduce depression among the elderly surveyed. But the length of the nursing home stay made a further difference. Residents who lived in the home longer than five years tended to feel the most depressed, perhaps since this group also reported the lowest support from family members.

“Perceived social support from family, public religious activity and length of stay in the home were related to self-esteem and to depression,” the researchers concluded.

Tama Crockett To Marry

July 17 is the date selected by Tama Crockett and Sam Hill for their 7 p.m. wedding ceremony at the First United Methodist Church in Bartlesville. Parents of the couple are Alan and Nancy Crockett of Ponca City and Calvin and Jerrie Hill of Bartlesville.

Miss Crockett teaches first grade at Jane Phillips elementary school in Bartlesville. The prospective bridegroom is assistant general manager for Hill Steel Corporation in Bartlesville.

Amber Long Is Bride-To-Be

An open invitation is extended to family and friends to attend the 7 p.m. June 12 wedding of Amber Dawn Long and Jamie Paul Epperson at the First Baptist Church. Parents of the couple are Mr. and Mrs. Terry L. Long, 2108 Juanito Avenue, and Mr. and Mrs. Bill Epperson, 1927 Turner Road.

The bride-elect is a May graduate of Oklahoma State University with a major in elementary education. The prospective bridegroom is also a May graduate of OSU with a major in secondary education.

Wedding Plans Announced

Pamela Sue Sipe and Travis Lane Pardee have chosen July 17 for their wedding at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ponca City. The bride-to-be is the daughter of Tom and Pat Sipe of Ponca City. Her grandparents include Catherine Jueschke and Dean Sipe of Tonkawa, and the late Virgil Jueschke and Marjorie Sipe. The future bridegroom is the son of Tom and Connie Pardee of Ponca City. He is the grandson of Jerry Lane, also of Ponca City, and the late Calvin C. Lane

Miss Sipe, a 1993 graduate of Ponca City High School, received her bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University and her master’s degree from Wichita State University. She will begin work for the Sedgwick County Area Special Education Cooperative as a speech-language pathologist in August.

Pardee, a 1995 graduate of Ponca City High School, is completing bachelor degrees in music performance and music education at Wichita State University.

Little News

Brodie Lane Perkins is the name selected by Wesley and Muffin Perkins of Virginia Beach, Va., for their son born at 5:29 p.m. May 8, 1999, at Jane Phillips hospital in Bartlesville. The baby weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and measured 20 inches long.

Maternal grandparents are D. Ray and Sandy Woods of Pawhuska and paternal grandparents are Al and Tammy Johnson of Ponca City. Great-grandparents are Jerry and Sharon Bryant of Chouteau, and great-great-grandparent is Ola Burwell of Prayor.

Joy Sharp is announcing the birth of her daughter, Brittany Elizabeth Sharp, at 9:03 p.m. May 10, 1999, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. Brittany weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces, and was 21 inches long.

Grandparents are Al and Pam Payne of Ponca City and Andy and Phyllis Sharp of Chandler. Great-grandparents are Ed and Joyce Davis of Shidler and Andy and Polly Sharp of Ponca City. Mary Shelton of Shidler is the great-great-grandmother.

Heath and Tara Cartwright, 2101 North Osage, announce the birth of a son at 7:56 a.m. May 2, 1999, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. The 9 pound, 8 ounce baby was 22 inches long and has been named Landon Bryce Cartwright. He has a brother, Lucas, age 2.

Maternal grandparents are Mike and Sherri Tapp, and paternal grandparents are Jack and Teresa Cartwright, all of Ponca City. Great-grandparents are Lew and Helen Bloxsom and Charlene Tapp, all of Ponca City, and Harold Ruff of Colorado. Great-great-grandmother is Viva Benson of Colorado.

Announcing the birth of a son are Ron and Michelle Cremers, 206 South Oak. Ronald Henry Cremers III was born at 8:07 p.m. April 21, 1999, at Stillwater Medical Center. He weighed 5 pounds, 11 ounces, and measured 18 3/4 inches long. “Trey” has two sisters, Jordan M. Gabrielle Cremers and Morgan K. Elizabeth Cremers.

Maternal grandparents are Ray and Kathi Brewer of Arlington, Texas, and Barry and Suzie Oliphant of Edgewood, N.M. Paternal grandparents are Ron and Linda Cremers and Kenny Lou Cremers, all of Ponca City. Great-grandparents are Jack and Patricia Oliphant of Houston, Texas, and Kathleen Bowman of Arlington, Texas.

Museums Celebrate Area’s Rich History

By LOUISE ABERCROMBIE

News Staff Writer

Ponca City is a mecca for museums, and today is the climax of a seven-day-long celebration designated as Oklahoma Museums Week by Gov. Frank Keating. The celebration of museums will continue here well into the millennium.

Cowboys, Indians and oil barons are all a part of Ponca City’s history and is preserved here for future generations by the local repositories.

Museums

Museums of local interest include the newly expanded and enhanced Pioneer Woman Museum, 701 Monument, which is state owned. City-owned museums include the Cultu