From The Pages Of The Ponca City News, Wednesday,
November 12, 1997
LOCAL
Occupancy Rate Indicates State Meets Nursing Care Responsibility
Second Friday Forum on No. 1 Fire Station Vote
Ultrasound Lab Recently Added To BRH Service
Love Station KLVV Expands Further South
'Plaza Suite' Opens Friday
Emergency Sirens To Sound Thursday
More Than 100 Cats, Dogs Euthanized Each Month
Crime Stoppers
Christmas With a Cop Program Beginning
PTC Board Approves Feb. 10 For Electing Zone 1 Member
State Leader Backs IOOF Cemetery Sale
Light Snow Dusts Area, Blankets Parts of State
Newport Ready To Pull Plug On Truth-in-Sentencing Bill
Today in MidWeek
Kay Democrats Will Get Update Thursday Night
Supper, Prayer Service Planned
Letters
Tallgrass Prairie Preserve A Nice Step Backwards
YMCA to Salute Seniors With Health Fair Thursday
Hospice: A More Sensitive Option
Ambucs Complete Round
Meditation Lecture Planned
Postal Service Now Enjoying Modern Pace But Technology Changed the Rules
Area Calendar
DEATHS
Lawrence M. Bryant
Obituaries
John S. Morris
Services Pending
Stella Woodruff
Walter K. Mounce
Funerals
Cecil K. Jordan
NEWS BRIEFS
LIFESTYLES
DAR Members and Guests To Hear Oklahoma Program
SPORTS
City Turns Down Cowboys
Sports Notes
Trout Areas Viewed on TV
Hunters Help Feed Hungry
Gun Hunters Eye Record
Hunters Seeing More Quail Now
Early Deer Harvest Up
Stands Need To Be Safe For Success
Sutton Finds Something to Like
By Marjorie Decker
News Staff Writer
The occupancy rate of long-term nursing facilities in Oklahoma is at a five-year low, indicating that residential care/assisted living homes are starting to meet their responsibilities. At least, that's the conclusion many are drawing from these statistics, and the Committee on Continuum of Care and Assisted Living of the State Department of Health is looking into the future of assisted living and long-term care in Oklahoma.
Glenda Brown, administrator at Golden Villa Adult Day Care in Ponca City, has been named to the Committee and is working on regulations for the future of assisted living in Oklahoma. Dr. John Carmichael of Woodward submitted Brown's name for the Committee composed of 27 members - nursing home/assisted living and adult day care administrators and several from the general public, Brown said.
The committee, Brown reports, will advise the State Board of Health on creating licensing for so-called assisted living homes and a license for "continuum of care."
That's a license that will allow a nursing home to operate other kinds of services for senior citizens, such as adult day care or assisted living under the same roof and with the same licenses as the nursing home. Brown said the committee is suggesting operation as a continuum of care facility, but with separate building for each, plus separate staff.
Reports show one reason for the slow down in nursing home occupancy is alternative forms of care such as home health and day care facilities. More people are choosing alternatives to nursing homes.
With the occupancy rate of long-term nursing homes in Oklahoma at a five-year low, it is evident that residential care/assisted living homes/day care facilities are beginning to meet their responsibilities to Oklahoma's elderly - keeping people out of nursing homes when they do not yet require intense around-the-clock care, and can maintain some independence and yet receive the assistance needed, Brown indicated.
Brown said the Committee on Continuum of Care and Assisted Living met Nov. 4 and 5 in Guthrie, and prepared a presentation of their situation to the Legislature, hoping to draw clear lines in legislating rules for the elderly.
Decisions to be made, Brown pointed out, are (1) how to define what kind of patient will be appropriate in each level of care; (2) who will make that determination, the home or the resident; (3) what kind of criteria will be used, the resident's medical condition, their disabilities or the type of living conditions that the resident wants to live under.
It is the concern of the committee, Brown said, that they do not want any regulation to force an individual into a situation beyond his or her actual needs. The committee is seeking to draw some clear lines in defining needs and providing proper care for those needs. Two main concerns were brought to the surface during the committee meeting - how and where to place dementia and mentally ill patients.
Brown said the committee plans to meet again for a couple of days in the near future, and their report will be sent to the Legislative Review Committee. Gubernatorial approval is the last step in the process, she indicated.
Reports from the Oklahoma State Board of Health show that nearly 30,000 people, or almost 1 percent of the state's total population, live in nursing facilities and residential care homes in Oklahoma.
Brown invites comments from Ponca Citians concerned about the solutions to growing older in the community. She may be reached at Golden Villa Day Care Center during working hours.
The public is encouraged to attend the 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Second Friday Forum to hear about the upcoming sales tax vote on the renovation of Fire Station No. 1.
The forum, sponsored by the Legislative Review Committee of the Ponca City Area Chamber of Commerce, will be at the Pioneer Technology Center on Friday. After the presentation there will be a question and answer period.
Complimentary coffee and doughnuts will be served.
BLACKWELL - A full service full time Ultrasound Lab has recently been added to the list of medical imaging services available to patients at Blackwell Regional Hospital. This service replaces a shared service used in the past. The hospital also provides general x-ray, and Computerized Tomography (CT Scans).
Greg Martin, Administrator of BRH, commented "The addition of this vital service is another way we can fulfill our mission of providing quality care to our patients." This lab will operate normal working hours Monday through Friday and will be available for emergencies 24 hours a day. A registered ultrasound technician, Heather Jones, has been hired to perform the necessary tests.
The added ultrasound equipment goes along with other recent additions to the services offered. Dr. David Dunnington, a board certified family practice physician, and Dr. Manuel Hensley, board certified in Obstetrics Gynecology, have been added to the full time active medical staff. Dr. Jim Marvel, board certified in Orthopedics, visits the BRH Specialty Clinic weekly and has done several small bone/joint procedures at the hospital.
Full time in-house emergency department coverage has also been added for patient benefit, it was noted.
Christian radio station KLVV has received a construction permit from the FCC to proceed with their plans to broadcast in Guthrie, it was announced today by Station Manager Doyle Brewer.
The signal will rebroadcast KLVV's station in Ponca City heard on 88.7 FM. KLVV is an adult-contemporary Christian formatted radio station that also features programs such as Focus on the Family with Dr. James Dobson and Money Matters with Larry Burkett. The Love Station will celebrate its fifth anniversary of broadcasting Dec. 21.
Brewer sees the addition of a new translator station as an exciting opportunity. He says, "This is just the first step in our expansion plans which include a translator downtown Oklahoma City and the introduction of a new 100,000 watt station that would then give us two formats to reach out with. One format would be our current adult contemporary music played on the new station, and the other would be inspirational music with some teaching programs on our current station."
KLVV currently has translators in Stillwater (10.7 FM) and Enid (98.3 FM). The new translator in Guthrie will broadcast on (97.3 FM) and should be on the air within a new months.
Tickets are now on sale at Ponca Playhouse for the Neil Simon hit comedy, "Plaza Suite," which opens Friday at the Poncan Theatre.
Guest director for the comedy is Kenn Wessel, executive director for the Poncan Theatre and longtime theatrical professional. Thorn Apple Valley and Cable One are corporate sponsors for the show.
Neil Simon has kept audiences laughing for more than 40 years and "Plaza Suite" is one of his best-loved comedies. In "Plaza Suite," each of the three acts tells a separate story, but all takes place in Suite 719 in New York's Plaza Hotel.
In "Visitor from Mamaroneck" a middle aged couple Karen (Wendy Bersche) and Sam (Cleve Powell) Nash, are 'celebrating' their 24th wedding anniversary in the same suite where they spent their honeymoon. It was Karen's idea and a disastrous one at that. The evening gets worse when Sam's 'personal' secretary (Toma Burgess) arrives. The Plaza staff includes a waiter (Dave Guinn) and the bellhop (Joe Burns).
In "Visitor from Hollywood" the "visitor" is successful movie producer Jesse Kiplinger (C.R. Rupert). He has invited up his small-town old flame Muriel Tate (Karen Rivers) for a drink. Muriel is married with three kids - Jesse is three times divorced. She is sweet and unspoiled - he is seductive and pushy.
In "Visitor from Forest Hills," Mimsey Hubley (Christy Gonterman) has locked herself in the bathroom two minutes before her wedding. Her frantic parents Roy (George Dickinson) and Norma (Diana Mills) try everything to get her to come out. Finally, groom Gordon (Dave Guinn) saves the day.
Producer for Plaza Suite is Dave Guinn. Michelle Roberts is stage manager, Iris Ballou is assistant stage manager and Iris Ballou and Dave Guinn serve as light technicians. Iris Ballou is in charge of light design, Afton Powell served as light board operator, Ivery Allen II is sound technician, Dave May designed the sound and Ivery Allen II is sound board operator.
Properties coordinators are Matt Cowley, Sheila Gregory, Iris Jorgensen and Michelle Roberts, costumes are by Cheryl Mauk, assisted by Vickie Hart, and the program photographer is Marsha Shields.
Set design is by Michelle Roberts, who is assisted in set dressing by Cheryl Mauk, Ruslyn Hermanson, and Diana Mills. Set construction workers were Michelle Roberts, Christina Rich-Splawn, Cynthia DeMarco, Rikk Rogers, Caroline Stolhand, Ivery Allen II, Joe Burns, George Dickinson, Rod Hand, Iris Ballou, Tom Cowley, Jose Cervantes, Don Jorgensen, Dave Guinn and Billy Bransford.
The move-in crew is comprised of Michelle Roberts, Pete Shields, Tom Cowley, George Dickinson, Cleve Powell, Billy Bransford, Iris Ballou, Page Ballou and Dave Guinn.
Production dates for "Plaza Suite" are Nov. 14, 15, 16, 21 and 22. The Ponca Playhouse box office is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and ticket purchases may be made on Friday and Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Poncan Theatre and also on matinee Sunday from 1 to 2 p.m.
All performances are at 8 p.m. except the Sunday matinee at 2 p.m.
The testing of the Ponca City emergency siren warning system will be held at noon, every Thursday, according to Tom Montgomery, emergency management operations officer.
The test is scheduled throughout the year.
Montgomery said that in case of inclement weather, the test will be postponed, and in this case or if additional tests are planned, the public will be notified by the Ponca City News and the radio stations.
The numbers are in and for pets with irresponsible owners and stray cats and dogs, they numbers are not only not good, they are frightening.
According to the Ponca City Animal Control Center more than 70 percent of the dogs handled by animal control in September were euthanized. The number is even worse for cats, almost all cats handled were euthanized.
In September, 126 dogs were taken in at the shelter, either being picked up by an animal control officer as strays or by owners dropping them off - "gifts" is they way those pets are referred to at the shelter. Of those, 87 were euthanized.
There were 69 cats handled in the same month and 66 of those were also euthanized.
The sad part is that those numbers are normal. According to Animal Control Officer Steve Miner the numbers do not change much from month to month.
Animal control officers attempt to find owners of pets. However, if an owner does not claim the pet within 72 hours or an animal does not have an identification tag, it is put up for adoption. If not adopted, the pet is eventually euthanized.
"Some people just don't come and get their pets and with over 1,400 dogs handled a year we just don't have the room to house all of them," Miner explains the necessity for euthanizing the animals.
Prospective pet owners are encouraged to visit the shelter to find a pet. The shelter is located at 2501 East Central Avenue and the hours are Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"We encourage all pet owners to be responsible," Police Chief Raymond Ham said. "The option of spaying and neutering is a way of controlling the pet population. Only pet owners can solve this problem."
Crime Stoppers is seeking information in the theft of a jet ski. The Montego Tiger Shark Jet Ski and trailer were stolen from a driveway on Oct. 31 from the 500 block of North Tenth Street.
The jet ski is white with both a yellow seat and handle bars. The trailer is white with red stripes.
Anyone with any information on this or any other crime is asked to call crime stoppers at 762-5100. You will remain anonymous and may qualify for a $1,000 reward.
Members of the Ponca City Fraternal Order of Police will begin their annual "Christmas With a Cop" program beginning Thursday. The project will run through Dec. 13.
Christmas With a Cop is a program designed to provide less fortunate children in the Ponca City area with food, clothing and toys during the Christmas holidays.
Citizens who would like to participate in the program and help make a child's Christmas special, may send donations to Christmas With a Cop, c/o Fraternal Order of Police, P.O. Box 1323, Ponca City, OK 74602-1323.
For more information about Christmas With a Cop, contact Earl Watkins at 765-3770.
By KRISTI HAYES
News Education Editor
On Feb. 10, 1998, residents of Ponca City will not only go to the polls to decide on Ponca City Board of Education positions and mill levies, but they will also vote for a Pioneer Technology Center board member in zone 1, currently held by Mary Rigdon.
The resolution to call for an annual school election was approved Tuesday night at Pioneer Technology Center's regular board meeting.
The filing period for PTC Board of Education members opens at 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 1, and will close at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3.
Vo-Tech Qualifications
To be eligible as a candidate of the board of education of a vocational-technical school district, a candidate must have the following qualifications:
- A candidate must have been a registered voter registered with the county election board at an address located within the geographical boundaries of the district for six months preceding the first day of the filing period;
- No person shall be eligible to be a candidate for or elected to be a member of the board of a vocational-technical school district unless the person has been awarded a high school diploma or certificate of high school equivalency;
- In school districts that are divided into election districts, a candidate must have been a registered voter with the county election board in Newkirk;
- A candidate may not be related to a school employee within the second degree by blood or marriage;
- A candidate cannot have been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or no contest to, a misdemeanor involving embezzlement or a felony and it presently be within 15 years of the completion of the sentence;
- If the candidate is filing for re-election after service of a full term as a board member, the candidate must have completed at least 15 hours of continuing education workshops approved for credit by the State Department of Vocational and Technical Education during that full term.
Budgets
Also approved was the estimated operating budget for fiscal year 1997-98 in the amount of $5,610,220.26.
Dr. Sally Downey, superintendent of PTC, said, "Our operating budget is not connected with our enrollment. I would like for people to know that PTC is not like public schools. We do not receive average daily membership money."
"Our enrollment is reaching near capacity. Some of our classes at PTC are completely full with a waiting list on some classes. I am very proud of the enrollment numbers we have shown so far."
The total income for October at PTC was $241,947.10 with $423,197.05 warrants issued. The total cash on hand is $863,927.75.
A 1997 bond fund interest payment for $7,187.50 will be made on Dec. 1, 1997.
In the sinking fund, $35,585 was spent on checks leaving $331.53 on hand.
Other Discussions
During the superintendent's report, Dr. Downey set the next regular board meeting for Dec. 8 at 4 p.m.
PTC received a new dropout grant for $100,000 from now until the end of June, and $150,000 for the two years after that, to work with the outlining schools. The grant will help identify young people that have dropped out to bring back to school.
After returning from executive session, the board approved the resignation of Glenda Council, executive/financial secretary. Council resigned from her position to take a job in Tonkawa.
Lisa Odom was also hired as the new child care giver.
The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m.
By MARK GALVIN
News Staff Writer
An officer of Ponca City's Odd Fellows lodge says the proposed sale of the IOOF Cemetery has received the full support of the fraternal organization's state leadership.
The local IOOF's cemetery board met Monday afternoon with the state lodge's grand master, Charles Jones of Shawnee, after opponents of the sale charged that it was unauthorized.
Citizens, trying to persuade the Kay County commissioners to reject the sale of the cemetery to an out-of-state corporation, argued Monday that the state IOOF's new grand master had not approved the proposed sale because an election had since replaced former grand master Vincent Wilson, who signed a dispensation last July for the sale.
Local lodge secretary John Miner said "to please everybody," the new grand master, Charles Jones of Shawnee, traveled to Ponca City and "wrote us out a new dispensation" Monday afternoon in a meeting with the lodge's cemetery board.
Miner said he was perturbed because the local Odd Fellows have been subjected lately to undue and inaccurate criticism because of local folks' reactions to the lodge's attempt to break free of its century-old job of maintaining the cemetery.
They have been accused of wanting to convert to personal use the $700,000 offered for the cemetery by the Canada-based Loewen Corporation, he said, as well as wanting to begin serving alcoholic beverages and gambling activities to raise money.
Miner said, in truth, the fraternal organization is "family-oriented and non-profit," with its use of funds strictly governed by lodge bylaws.
Alcohol and gambling also are forbidden, he said.
With the money from the cemetery sale invested, Miner said the Odd Fellow lodge members would "have to decide what new programs we need to get involved with.
"Maybe some scholarships," he said, "and I think some (members) would like to help the Opportunity Center."
He emphasized, "The Odd Fellows lodge is continuing beyond the sale of the cemetery."
Assistant district attorney Chuck Bloeser said matters such as the state IOOF's determination whether the proposed sale was authorized or not were distinct from any decision the county commissioners would make.
The commissioners, scheduled to resume their consideration next Monday morning, will decide if selling the cemetery to The Loewen Group will substantially alter the operation of the cemetery.
From Staff and AP Reports
North Central Oklahoma received a half-inch of snow early this morning while several inches of snow coated the ground this morning in northwestern Oklahoma, while eastern areas saw lighter flurries and sleet that did not accumulate into an icy hazard.
The temperature did not drop below freezing in Ponca City with the overnight low reaching 33 degrees.
The National Weather Service reported 4 inches of snow in Freedom, 3.1 inches in Guymon, 2.5 inches in Laverne and 1 inch in Enid as of 7 a.m.
''Right now it's really pretty pleasant outside,'' said Mike Jenkins, owner of the Eagle's Nest restaurant in Freedom. ''The wind's hardly blowing. Roads are clear.''
Despite the weather service's report, Jenkins said he did not think his town got more than 2 inches of snow.
Ron Robinson, agriculture extension agent in Garfield County, anticipated no stress for wheat crops in the Enid area.
''The moisture's always welcome,'' Robinson said. ''Until we get down close to zero (degrees), we don't have a lot of problems or slow up growth much.''
Most snow around Pawhuska melted when it hit the ground today. Precipitation in the region decreased through the morning.
''A dusting of snow on the grass'' occurred north of Bartlesville, said Malcolm Smith, a dispatcher in the Washington County sheriff's office. ''Other than that, it's just wetness.''
The season's first hard freeze brushed a glaze of frost across Oklahoma on Tuesday. Such chill in mid-November left the impression that winter might arrive before all trees have shed their fall foliage.
''I'm ready. We love snow,'' said Beckey Howe, who bundled up 3-year-old son Kyle for the Veterans Day Parade in downtown Tulsa. Kyle was plumped up by a T-shirt, turtleneck, sweater, earmuffs and two hats under his coat.
Red-cheeked members of high school bands and ROTC units marched without coats. Some spectators snuggled together to watch the parade pass by.
Editor's Note: This is the first of two articles from an interview with State Rep. Jim Newport of House District 37, which comprises the Ponca City area.
By Mark Galvin
News Staff Writer
State Rep. Jim Newport has emerged harshly critical of Oklahoma's new "Truth-in-Sentencing" law, and in doing so, is placing himself squarely against other top state officials who continue to promote it.
Newport said Tuesday he believes the new criminal-justice reform law that was abruptly passed by the Legislature last spring "is not the Truth-in-Sentencing that I believed in and campaigned for."
The Ponca City legislator, who was among the overwhelming number of assenting votes in the House's 96-1 approval of the bill in May, now says the lawmakers were misled and the law should be repealed.
He said he reached his conclusions while weighing information he and other representatives received from top leaders who support the bill, such as House Speaker Loyd Benson.
As critics lately identify big problems within the 600-page House Bill 1213, which created the Truth-in-Sentencing Act, House leaders are still distributing fact sheets intended to help the individual legislators continue promoting the new law.
Newport specifically referred to a memorandum he received last week from House Speaker Benson and an interim special committee supporting the act.
The memo supplied statistics hoping to refute such arguments that the new law is soft on crime and that it decriminalizes many offenses.
It also counterattacks what it calls "myths" that counties will get no new funding, that state criminal justice experts had no input into the new bill, and that dangerous felons are turned loose.
But Newport said the arguments in the memo don't hold up well compared to information presented by opposing organizations such as the state sheriffs association, or especially when the bill itself is read.
"There's an argument that some crimes are more lenient under the new system than they were in the old system," he said.
"For example, first-degree robbery is treated the same as a second offense of domestic abuse, and a fifth felony DUI the same as performing an unlawful marriage. Well, for me, I don't believe that performing an unlawful marriage necessarily contains the same gravity as a fifth DUI.
"When my family's on a highway, I'm very concerned as to why an individual has a fifth DUI out there. That's pretty serious."
Quoting a letter from the district attorneys council to the legislature dated Oct. 17, Newport said it's time the Legislature listened to the other law enforcement agencies in the state.
He pointed to a spot in the letter where the council wrote, "We have spent the last few months studying the Truth-in-Sentencing bill "
And then he replied, "It's interesting to me that (for) the prosecutors, professionals in the law enforcement arena, it's taken them months to dredge out fault lines in this bill.
"Yet it (the bill) was run through the House literally overnight and in the course of the next morning (last May).
"It speaks poorly of our system in Oklahoma City, in my opinion," he said.
Newport has decided the lawmakers who passed the bill were deliberately misinformed. "From the governor's office through the legislative conference committee conferees right on down the line, we were provided bill summaries on House Bill 1213 that basically told us what we wanted to hear: 'This is tough on criminals. They WILL serve 85 percent of their sentence.'
"In my opinion, what they neglected to tell us was some of those sentences will be different or perhaps less - or perhaps nonexistent compared to the way we used to do business.
"I think that's worth mentioning to us," he said.
He said cleanup of the new bill also has not proceeded as was expected when it was promoted prior to the vote.
"I voted for this bill with the understanding that there would be a trailer bill or several trailer bills along behind it to correct any problems or to work out any kinks.
"We did that in the first part of April in session. There was one trailer bill immediately, right with it, and that was it. We didn't see anything else," Newport said.
The bill's supporters in the Legislature have set up an interim special legislative committee to collect problems identified within the 600-page document, saying flaws in the new law will be identified and corrected during the next legislative session before it goes into effect July 1.
Newport however says the problems surfacing within the bill are too numerous and confusing to fix.
"Basically at this point, we feel misled - if not out-and-out lied to - by the legislative committee members, the conference committee who brought the bill to the House and Senate," he said.
Consequently he said he has trouble with the support information they send him.
"I'm hesitant to even take them at face value at this point, because of the misleading that has taken place so far.
"You know, you'll believe someone once. But after that, you ought to be more hesitant if it didn't work out."
He believes it will be impractical to try "to hammer out what might be a 'workable solution' - which by the way is coming from the same people who sold us this in the first place.
"I'm inclined to just repeal it and start over with something that is easily understandable by the legislature and the public that is truly tough on crime."
Newport says Oklahoma should have "quick, sure, and lasting punishment to those who choose to break the law."
He said it's now difficult to "defend the position of the same conference committee people who brought this bill in the first place.
"I'm very hesitant to trust them to correct whatever problems they may perceive, when in fact we may have some other real problems.
He said, "These (committee) people are going to say, 'Look, there are some good things in the bill,' and perhaps there are."
"I can point out a couple of easy things, but nonetheless, it bears to light, can you really correct everything in this whole monstrous bill?
"I don't know if you've seen it, but it's 600 pages - somebody said it weighs about four pounds. I carried the thing around as a prop.
"Can we really correct all of that, and will we really feel comfortable when we go to bed at night that we've ironed out all those wrinkles?
"At this point, I'm taking the prudent standpoint and saying, let's just repeal it," he said, but he added that such a decision is not easy.
"I'm not one given to a knee-jerk reaction, to just throw up your hands and say, 'Repeal it.'
"But I believe that these professionals in the law-enforcement arena have done their homework and they understand some of these grave concerns, and I share them.
"So I'm hesitant to revisit this thing and try to hammer out problems that were never fully disclosed in the first place. That makes me very, very cautious.
"From that standpoint, I would be amongst those - and I believe there will be many - who will say let's just repeal this thing and start over," he said.
"We may have bit into a bad apple, so to speak. But we don't have to keep it. We can spit it out."
ENJOYING THE YMCA pool are (front to rear) J.D. Stewart, Lucille Fleming, Lowell Brown, Pat Brown and Betty Engle. The YMCA's third-annual senior health fair begins Thursday morning in an effort to salute some of the organization's most dedicated members. See Page 3-C of today's MidWeek for more details about the YMCA celebration.
Dr. Barbara Ware will be the guest speaker at the regular meeting of the Kay County Democrats at 7 p.m. Thursday at the OCAW Hall, 1202 West Ponca Avenue.
The public is invited and encouraged to attend the meeting to hear Dr. Ware's update on reform efforts and party politics in education.
Ware, who is noted for her encouragement of the silent majority to be vocal supporters of education on all levels is currently serving on the Oklahoma Commission for Teachers.
Ware is a former Ponca City educator and administrator.
The group will have a refreshment break before the business meeting.
For more information call Kay County Democratic Chairman Andrea Morris at 765-6260.
The parents of Lonnie Others are hosting supper and prayer service at the Ponca Tribal Baptist Church in White Eagle for their 12-year-old son, Lonnie Others.
Friends and relatives are invited to come, eat and pray with the family. Lonnie will be undergoing treatment at Oklahoma City Children's Hospital on Nov. 17 to remove a tumor.
Lonnie is a student at the Ponca City Middle School.
For more information, you may call his mother at 762-3443 or 762-8369.
Keep Park Open
I need to make a public plea to the Ponca City Tourism Committee. I see, once again, that Lake Ponca Park is one of the stops on this year's Festival of Angels tour. I voiced my concern about this last year, but I see it fell on deaf ears. PLEASE don't use this site anymore.
Obviously, there is no one on the committee who has young children. This is the only park in Ponca City that has a restroom open during the winter. As anyone who has lived here more than one year knows, it can get up into the 70s for a number of days, or weeks, during winter. What better way to make cabin fever disappear than a good romp at the park.
For those of us in St. Mary's & Newcomer's Moms and Tots and the numerous other families with young children, Lake Ponca Park is the place to go - until now.
To have this wonderful park unavailable to us for such a long period of time is unfair, to say the least. The park will now be closed until sometime in January (last year the reopening was delayed until February). Where are we suppose to go? (pun intended) The Fifth street park has a restroom, but according to the Parks and Rec. Dept., they will be closing that one soon for the winter because the plumbing will freeze.
The News story in Sunday's edition touted Lake Ponca Park as being a "Kid's Delight." Wrong! A kid's delight is to use the park for which it was built.
If I have to bring my own porta-potty to the park with me all winter, please refund my tax dollars that were allotted to the parks.
Theresa Bush
Vote Yes Tuesday
We have the opportunity on Tuesday, Nov. 18, to move forward as a community. A positive vote for the half-cent sales tax will renovate and expand fire station No. 1 at the Fifth and Grand location. This new building will replace and renovate an area of the city hall complex that has served this city well since 1923. It will be paid for with a two-year sales tax that cannot be extended unless we as citizen agree to do so. This plan allows for the building to be built as the funds are received. This means that the building will be completed and paid for by November of 1999. In using a sales tax to finance this project we also receive considerable financial help from people that live outside of the city limits to pay for these needed improvements.
A YES vote on Tuesday is a positive step, it is a lot more than just a fire station. It is the beginning of a plan to restore our historic city hall complex, the centerpiece of downtown. This complex has played an integral part in our community since 1917. The renovation and expansion of Fire station No. 1 will be our cornerstone for the 21st Century. This cornerstone will be laid on top of the solid foundation so richly given to us by our forefathers. This rich legacy needs to be preserved. Ponca City needs our support, our firemen need our support. I encourage you to vote YES on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
I would also like to invite you to a victory celebration being hosted by the Landmark Conservancy Tuesday evening. Come enjoy refreshments as we wait for the vote tally. The celebration will begin at 7 p.m. in the Deli-Icious Dinner located at 319 East Grand.
Larry E. Buck
Chairman
Committee to Renovate
Fire Station No. 1
Enjoys Quilts
I was very happy to read about the recent grant the Pioneer Woman Museum is receiving for the quilt exhibit. I have long enjoyed the many quilts my grandmother and great aunt have done for me over the years. Truly it is a rare art. Even happier to read that the quilt they have chosen as the focal point is the quilt pattern, "The Road to Oklahoma". My grandmother, Ethel Holroyd of Sedan, Kansas, has quilted such a pattern and the quilt belongs to my youngest son, Tayler Coon. Thought you'd like to know.
Vicki Graves
PAWHUSKA - The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve north of here is like a giant outdoor science laboratory, a very serious effort to redevelop a functioning ecosystem that preserves and maintains the native elements of biodiversity.
(That's the scientist's perspective. To others, it might just be a gorgeous spot to escape to for recreation.)
To achieve the ecological dream, the Nature Conservancy of Oklahoma, a privately endowed organization, bought the old Chapman-Barnard Ranch, which once covered more than 1,000 acres of Osage County.
The preserve itself covers 37,000 acres and since 1993 has been home for bison to roam freely.
The original 300 head of bison were donated by Ken-Ada Ranches of Bartlesville, and the herd is named the "Christina Adams Bison Herd" with a sign posted at the south end of the preserve in honor of the owners' daughter.
Preserve director Harvey Payne said the herd eventually will number 2,200 bison, ranging on 32,000 acres. Currently the herd ranges on about 9,000 acres and the west end of the preserve has signs posted for a "Bison Loop."
To monitor the health of the animals, workers built a seven-foot-high corral from donated oil field pipe and it now consists of several elaborate gates as a system to route the hundreds of bison through once a year.
The Conservancy has also restored the historic 1920 ranch bunkhouse at what is now the preserve headquarters.
The corral is not far from the preserve headquarters. Even closer to the headquarters is a self-guided nature trail.
The 32,000 acre preserve is already a paradise for bird-watchers, hikers and picnickers, but hunting, fishing and camping are prohibited.
The preserve schedules activities for nature-lovers, such as a day-long butterfly census in the summers, and sometimes calls on volunteers to help with upkeep of the preserve. In 1996, volunteers painted the metal corral.
Visitors can drive from and return to Pawhuska in about two hours at a leisurely pace. The complete drive is about 35 miles. The roads are gravel, so a leisurely pace is the right answer.
The preserve phone number in Pawhuska is 918-287-4803.
The Ponca City YMCA will present the third-annual Senior Health Fair on Thursday at the YMCA gymnasium at West Seventh and Grand.
The event has grown over the years with increases in attendance, informational booths from the community, and overwhelming support by local businesses in providing a free lunch to all who attend or door prizes to be awarded throughout the day, according to Susan Henning, health fair coordinator.
Henning said, "We use this opportunity to acquaint active older adults with the YMCA facility and what it has to offer."
All exercise classes are free of charge until Friday, and the YMCA has also waived 50 percent of the usual $50 joining fee during this week.
"If you have been thinking of becoming a YMCA member and taking advantage of the wide variety of exercise classes and equipment available, this would be a great week to become a YMCA member," encourages Henning.
A YMCA membership entitles the member to participate in unlimited group exercise classes, use the new Crossline equipment, and take advantage of other discounts for YMCA members.
The Senior Health Fair will cap off the week with day-long activities planned, all free of charge. Informational booths including medical service businesses, financial services, skin care, and retirement communities will be set up from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
Nurses from St. Joseph Regional Medical Center will be giving flu shots, free for Medicare Part participants or $10 for all others.
Several of the informational booths will be providing free blood pressure checks.
Speakers for the health fair begin at 11 a.m.
Dr. Donald Potter will speak on "Chiropractic Care," followed at 11:30 a.m. by Cecelia Schieber on "Nutrition and Food Labels."
Following lunch at noon, speakers will resume at 12:20 p.m. with YMCA Bart Miller on "What the YMCA Has to Offer," David Cummings on "Living Trusts and Wills" at 12:30 p.m., and Daniele Dill on "What the Arthritis Foundation Can Do for You" at 1 p.m.
The day will wrap up with more time to visit informational booths, and a chance to win a cake at the cake walk, or prizes with Wal-Mart/McDonald's Bingo. Door prizes will be given away throughout the day.
"The Senior Health Fair helps us reach out to active older adults in the Ponca City community and make them aware of how important staying active can be as we age," Henning said.
Many studies have shown that physically fit seniors can react to simple as well as complicated challenges as quickly as unfit individuals 30 years younger.
Seniors who exercise also appear less lonely and agitated, establish friendships, show improvements in cardivascular endurance, and may help halt bone loss due to osteoporosis.
Adults who exercise regularly also have improved balance and coordination which may prevent falls in which they can experience broken bones.
YMCA Exercise to Music
The YMCA's Exercise to Music Class is offered Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 8:30 a.m.
Certified instructor Mary Forbes proudly states that Exercise to Music is the longest running class established at the YMCA. The class is a high-low impact class designed for all ages and fitness levels.
Each session consists of a warmup, aerobic, muscular strength and endurance portion, and a relaxing cool down. Participants can enjoy their time working out to varied music from big band, show tunes, classic rock and roll, country, polkas, and classical.
Recently the members were asked the question, "What keeps you coming back?"
Their replies were: "I have exercised for years and enjoy very much the stepping and twisting with this class."
"Good exercise for little money and making wonderful friendships."
"Age takes its toll and exercise keeps the weight off."
"The people in this class are my friends and idols - I want to be just like them when I grow up!"
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Mae Musgrove is one of several Ponca City YMCA members who drive 30 miles from Shidler three times a week to exercise.
Mae enjoys working out with the Crossline equipment, a stationed weight machine and aerobic bench stepping circuit. She also participates in water exercise and walks in her neighborhood.
Mae says she enjoys exercising at the YMCA under the friendly and helpful guidance of Greg Armstrong, YMCA trainer.
After exercising at the YMCA for nearly a year, Mae has noticed her energy level has gone up and stays up all day. Her cholesterol and blood pressure have gone down, and she sleeps better at night.
Mae also keeps busy in her community by serving on the board of directors at the Shidler Senior Citizens Center, and she enjoys ceramics and other crafts, being with her grandchildren, and attending the First Baptist Church in Shidler.
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Long time regulars of the water exercise program at the YMCA are Mary Baker, 92, and Lucille Grant, 86, sisters from a family of ten. The two sisters started exercise at the YMCA over 10 years ago with land exercise classes, and have been participating in the YMCA Women's Water Exercise program six to eight years.
Mary says, "I couldn't ride a bike and walking was too hard on my joints, so I starting taking water exercise. I find it is easy on my body and a very relaxing way to get exercise. It keeps me going!"
The sisters' physicians heartily approve of their participation.
After seeing their beautiful yard filled with flowers, you know the sisters stay active gardening, feeding the birds, and keeping up with their "younger" sisters.
Lucille still manages to get in a round of golf too and enjoys cooking for her sister. Mary and Lucille recently visited their niece's 3rd Grade class and shared stories and momentos from the "olden days."
Last year during the Ponca City Air Show, Mary fulfilled a lifelong dream of riding in a hot air balloon during the balloon race from 1 4th Street to the airport.
Mary says, "The hardest thing was climbing in and out of the basket, but it was fun!"
She proudly sent photographs to her over 30 children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.
Recent court decisions and the activity of Michigan's Dr. Jack Kevorkian have placed the issue of physician-assisted suicide on the national agenda.
Hospice of Ponca City and the National Hospice Organization (NHO) urge the public during November, National Hospice month, to think through the matter thoroughly and to recognize hospice as part of the continuum of end-of-life care.
NHO is the nation's largest advocacy organization for terminally ill patients and their families.
Jay Mahoney, president of NHO, issued the following statement: "To date, court decisions and the resulting media coverage have reflected only the extremes of this debate.
Terminally ill patients are presented with two bleak choices: aggressive treatment to the bitter end, or asking a doctor to purposefully end their lives.
However, there is a middle ground in the form of hospice care.
While hard to summarize in a brief statement, hospice meets the needs of more than 400,000 patients and their families each year.
Although framed as an issue of "choice," the current debate on assisted suicide omits the most rational option for people faced with a terminal illness."
One such program providing this option is Hospice of Ponca City.
Patient Support
Like the 2,800 hospice programs across the country, Hospice of Ponca City offers a special kind of care designed to provide sensitivity and support for people in the final phase of a terminal illness.
Hospice care seeks to enable patients to carry on an alert, pain-free life and to manage their emotional and spiritual needs so their last days may be spent with dignity and quality at home or in a home-like setting.
Hospice services are available to persons who can no longer benefit from curative treatment.
Most people receive care at home where a team of trained professionals - nurses, social workers, aids, therapists and volunteers, all working under the direction of the patient's family physicians - provide medical care and support services not only to the patient, but to the entire family.
Their primary physician usually refers patients to hospice.
However, family members, friends, clergy or health professionals can also make referrals. Hospice of Ponca City has been serving the Ponca City area since 1982.
Last year Hospice of Ponca City provided care for 110 patients and their families.
To learn more about hospice or about how to become a hospice volunteer, contact Hospice at 762-9102.
The third round of the Oklahoma-Texas regional Moto-X races were held in Ponca City at the Jack Blevins Moto-X Park, with 400-plus entries from four states in attendance.
The Ambucs operate the Moto-X Track to raise money for several projects. Christmas Aid, The Toy Bowl, The Easter Egg Hunt, Scholarships for Therapists, and The Special Olympics are some of the projects the Ponca City Ambucs sponsor.
Spokesman Keith Quiram said the organization is "always looking for new members who are interested in helping our youth and those less fortunate than ourselves."
They can contact the Ponca City Ambucs at 765-4010.
A free introductory lecture on Transcendental Meditation will be offered from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Brace Books and More, in Ponca City.
The TM technique was reintroduced to the world 40 years ago by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
According to John Smircich with the Maharishi Institute, who will present the program, the TM technique is simple, natural, and an effortless procedure practiced for 15-20 minutes in the morning and evening. During the practice, the mind settles down to a state of unbounded pure awareness, a state of infinite energy, intelligence and happiness and the body gains a unique state of profound deep rest.
The technique is simple and easy to learn and requires no effort, concentration, or contemplation. It is effortless because it utilizes the natural tendency of the mind to move in the direction of greater happiness, says Smircich.
The TM technique is scientific, requiring neither specific beliefs nor adoption of a particular lifestyle. According to Smircich, more than five million people of all ages, educational backgrounds, cultures and religions in countries throughout the world practice the technique and enjoy its wide range of benefits.
"According to Smircich, more than 200 independent universities and research institutions in 30 countries have shown the TM program benefits all ares of one's life, mind, body and environment.
Although easy to learn, the technique requires personal instruction by a teacher who has been qualified by Maharishi, concluded Smircich.
When customers complain they get their "junk mail" on time but their personal mail is slower, postal workers have an explanation.
For modern mail processing, junk mail companies have already become addressing experts.
With fancy equipment that now reads and sorts thousands of pieces of mail in mere minutes, the rules of addressing have changed with the postal service.
And customers with the need for speed can take heed.
Working conditions changed abruptly this year at Ponca City's Post Office, where an unannounced survey crew ranked it as one of Oklahoma's Top Three offices for service, friendliness and cleanliness.
This holiday season will be the local facility's first time with its four computerized sorters, which arrange each carrier's route in delivery order every day at a combined rate of 160,000 pieces per hour.
Supervisor Terry Haynes said the holiday load will be a good challenge to the new system, if only because greeting card stationery hasn't caught up yet with the technology.
For seasonal reasons such as the increased mailing of dark-colored envelopes for greeting cards, more daily mail is going to need old-fashioned attention at holiday time, Haynes explained.
"Colored Christmas cards are hard (for the machines) to read," he said, "Mail that the sorting machines can't read gets kicked out and still has to be hand-worked."
The four machines read the addresses and spray a bar-code onto each envelope, whether an address is typed or hand-printed.
At the main processing plants in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, fancier machines can even read cursive handwriting as well as printing.
But on the send side, Haynes advises people who are most interested in speed of delivery to use block printing, light-colored envelopes and avoid including such items as pens, pencils, "or little Valentine hearts" with their correspondence in the envelope.
Of course, typing the address instead of hand-printing it is extra insurance.
The automated equipment in Ponca City already accomplishes 78 percent or more of the office's entire mail load in a day.
Haynes believes postal efficiency is important because "we affect everybody's life every day."
Acting Postmaster Robert Keene said automation is one way the postal service has emerged "from the Dark Ages in the last eight or 10 years."
He said, all things considered, it costs less to send a letter today than it cost eight years ago.
November 12
November 13
November 13-14-15
November 14-15
November 14
November 15
November 16
November 17
November 18
November 20
November 21
November 21-22
November 22
November 27
November 28
November 28-December 28
November 28-January 5
November 30
December 2
December 4
December 5
December 6
December 6-7
December 7
December 7-31
December 9
BLACKWELL - Lawrence M. Bryant, longtime Blackwell resident, died Monday evening, Nov. 10, 1997, at the Blackwell Regional Hospital. He was 72.
The funeral will be held graveside in Mt. Olive Cemetery in Nardin at 2 p.m. Thursday. His son, the Rev. Grover Clifton Bryant of Webb City, Mo., will officiate. Members of the Blackwell VFW, American Legion, and DAV posts will be conducting the American Flag presentation. Arrangements are under the direction of Hackler Funeral Home, Blackwell.
Lawrence M. Bryant was born March 19, 1925, on the family farm southwest of Deer Creek, the son of Hayden C. and Helen (Cook) Bryant. He grew up on the farm and received his education in Deer Creek.
Bryant entered the U.S. Army on Oct. 20, 1943, and was stationed in the South Pacific during World War II. He was a member of the 36th Military Police Company. Bryant was honorably discharged at the rank of Private 1st Class on Jan. 30, 1946. In 1946, he was married to Ethel Geiger and the couple lived in Missouri for a short time.
Bryant later returned to Blackwell, where he was married to Thelma Holland on Oct. 1, 1950. He was employed by Acme Foundry until 1955, when the family moved to Michigan. In 1962, they returned to Blackwell and Bryant continued employment with the foundry until 1976. During that time he created his own tool sales business, which he operated until 1987. He was a member of the Blackwell VFW Post.
Survivors include his wife, Thelma of the home; three sons, Grover Clifton of Webb City, Mo., and Gary Olen and Larry Marvin, both of Blackwell; three sisters, Gladys Harman of Ponca City, Eva Thompson of Nardin and Beverly Ann Frisch of Albuquerque, N.M.; one brother, Harvey of Kalamazoo, Mich.; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Darrell, Melvin, and an infant; and one infant sister.
RED ROCK - The Rev. John S. Morris, former Ponca City resident, passed away Monday, Nov. 10, 1997 in Taos, N.M. He was 61.
A prayer service will be held at the Otoe-Missouria Cultural Center at 7:30 p.m. today. His funeral will be held at noon, Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Otoe-Missouria Cultural Center with the Rev. Joe Muniz officiating. Burial will be in the Otoe-Missouria Cemetery in Red Rock under the direction of Poteet Funeral Home, Pawnee.
The Rev. John S. Morris was born in Stigler on April 10, 1936. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy. He was married to Claudette Mary Moore on June 12, 1956 in Enid, and the couple made their first home in Eagle Butte, S.D. They had traveled the United States and Canada as evangelists. The family moved to the Red Rock area in the early 1970s. The Rev. Morris had served the Lord for many years before going home.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Claudette Mary Moore Morris on April 23, 1996; and two sons, John S. Morris Jr., and David James Morris.
Survivors include two sons, Thomas John Morris of Red Rock and Michael Lynn Morris and his wife Jonelle of Taos, N.M.; two daughters, Susan M. Ahdokobo and her husband Dale of Gotebo, and Anna M. Helt and her husband John, of Red Rock; 10 grandchildren, Claudette Joyce Mcglaslin, David Morris Jr., Johnnie Morris, Michael Ahdokobo, Josh Helt, Janet Morris, Leana Cable, Antoinette Hadley, Elijah Helt and Rhemie Helt; six great-grandchildren, Brandee Warrior, C.J. Warrior, Jarred Cable, Alberta "Bert" Cable, Nancy Hadley and Andrew Hadley; one sister; four brothers; and a host of relatives and friends.
paid obituary
Stella Woodruff, longtime Ponca City resident, died early this morning, Nov. 12, 1997 at the Ponca City Nursing Home. She was 91. Survivors include a daughter, Sandy Wardlow of Ponca City. Arrangements are pending with Grace Memorial Chapel.
PECKHAM - Walter K. Mounce, longtime Peckham resident, died Tuesday, Nov. 11, 1997, at the Blackwell Regional Medical Center. He was 93. The funeral is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at the Peckham Christian Church. Memorials may be made in Mr. Mounce's name to the Peckham Christian Church, c/o Eastman National Bank, P.O. Box 468, Newkirk, OK 74647. Additional arrangements will be announced later by Miller-Stahl Funeral Service, Newkirk.
Thursday
Cecil K. Jordan - Funeral to be graveside at Memorial Park Cemetery
in Enid at 2 p.m. Arrangements are under the direction of Brown Funeral
Home, Perry.
NEWS BRIEFS
50-year-pin -Friends, family and area lodge brothers are invited to join members of Newkirk Masonic Lodge 88 Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at their Masonic Lodge for the presentation of a 50-year-pin to Don Andrews. This will be an open meeting and a reception at the lodge will follow the presentation. F. G. Williams is Worshipful Master.
Harpsichord Program Here - The public is invited to hear a free concert by John Paul, harpsichordist, at the First Presbyterian Church at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20. Paul, who plays a double-manual harpsichord, will present the music of Bach, Mozart, and more. The free program is presented by the Ponca City Arts and Humanities Council, Conoco, and the Oklahoma Arts Council.
Club to Meet - The Agrarian Club will meet Thursday, at 6 p.m. at the Western Sizzlin' for dinner and meeting.
Stolen Money - At 6:51 a.m. Tuesday a woman reported the theft of money from her purse. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.
Accident - Police received a report of a vehicle accident at South Fourteenth Street and East Ponca Avenue at 7:50 a.m. Tuesday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.
Arrest - A 24-year-old man was arrested at 11:38 a.m. Tuesday on a city warrant for failure to appear.
ATM Card Used - At 1:44 p.m. Tuesday police made a report on the unauthorized use of an ATM card after a woman in the 300 block of South Eleventh Street reported that someone had used her card.
Hit and Run - A man in the 400 block of South Elm Street reported to police at 1:48 p.m. Tuesday that someone had hit his vehicle. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.
Arrest - Police arrested a 35-year-old man at 2:11 p.m. Tuesday from the 1300 block of South Fourth Street for driving under suspension.
Accident - Police received a report of a non-injury accident on North Seventh Street near the high school at 3:08 p.m. Tuesday. An officer was assigned and a report was taken.
Stolen Gun - At 7:52 p.m. Tuesday a man on Hillcrest Drive reported
a gun stolen from his garage. An officer was assigned and a grand larceny
report was taken.
LIFESTYLES
A variety of light vignettes regarding Oklahomans and their deeds will highlight the 6:30 p.m. dinner meeting for members and guests of the Ponca City Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, on Nov. 21.
The event will be held at E. W.'s at the Marland Mansion and cost is $12.85 per person. Members and spouses and guests must make reservations prior to Nov. 17 with Janice Browning, 762-5755. The dinner program is open to the public.
Speaker for the event is Danney Goble, Director of American Studies at Rogers University Tulsa campus. He is sponsored by a grant from the Oklahoma Foundation for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
A descendant of pioneers who settled in Indian territory and Oklahoma Territory before 1900, Goble holds a bachelor degree from the University of Central Oklahoma, a master's degree from the University of Oklahoma and a Doctorate from the University of Missouri.
Dr. Goble is the author or co-author of eight books. "The Life and Times of Speaker Carl Albert" was a 1991 nominee for a Pulitzer Prize and his textbook on state history, "The Story of Oklahoma" was named 1994 Book of the Year by the Oklahoma Historical Society. He is the recipient of the McCasland Prize for outstanding college teaching.
He has taken his living history recreations of figures as diverse as Clarence Darrow, General James Longstreet (CSA) and Sen. Huey Long to a number of communities. His "Centennial Moments" are broadcast daily over Tulsa's KRMG radio.
The DAR is among several groups celebrating statehood day on Nov. 16
and a flag ceremony has been scheduled by the Ponca City Chapter, DAR, for
1:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Ponca City Cultural Center.
SPORTS
TYLER, Texas (AP) - The Dallas Cowboys can scratch Tyler off their list of prospective new training camp sights.
Tyler Junior College officials said Tuesday they're not interested in playing host to the Cowboys, who have severed their relationship with St. Edwards University in Austin after eight years training there.
College trustees said they conducted an informal poll and could find almost no one in the East Texas city who supported bringing in the NFL team for preseason workouts.
Despite the unanimous board vote, Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce President Tom Mullins said he wasn't giving up and might try pitching the use of another local site - the campus of the now-defunct Ambassador College in Big Sandy.
''Before we call them and say, 'No, this area's totally not interested or not able to respond to your needs,' we need to exhaust all possibilities,'' Mullins told the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
TJC trustee Pat Thomas said the board decision was based in the belief that the school's primary mission is education.
''We need to make a policy that this is an educational institution and ... if anything doesn't enhance that, it's in the wrong place,'' Thomas said.
Officials also cited potential conflicts with student sports programs.
The Cowboys and St. Edwards decided to part ways after this year's training camp, which ended with players trashing one of the school's dormitories.
Hoop Action - NOC Mavericks Basketball Coaches Greg Krause and Mick Weiberg would like to invite basketball fans out to Tonkawa this Saturday. The 4-1 Lady Mavs will take on the Westark Lady Lions at 2 p.m., followed by the Mavericks, who are trying to keep their undefeated record alive, taking on the Westark Lions squad at 4 p.m.
In Playoffs - Former Ponca Citian Kelly Shook will be playing in the Texas state football playoffs Friday.
Shook, the son of Jim Shook, will be playing for the 8-2 MacArthur Cardinals of Irving when they take on Marcus, 9-1, Friday at 9 p.m. in Texas Stadium.
Kim Erickson, fisheries chief for the Wildlife Department, joins host Rich Fuller in discussing Trout Areas of Oklahoma on November 15 on OETA, at 6:30 p.m. on Outdoor Oklahoma.
Pheasant Hunting Opportunities in Northwest Oklahoma with Wade Free, northwest region game supervisor with the Wildlife Department, is the scheduled topic on Sunday morning at 8 on OETA's second presentation of the state's premier outdoor program.
Outdoor Oklahoma features such topics as fishing, hunting, and fisheries, game and nongame wildlife management.
With the problem of hunger receiving more attention, many people are asking what they can do to help. Oklahoma hunters can help provide nutritious meals for needy people throughout the state by participating in the Sportsmen Against Hunger program.
"Hunters who legally harvest a deer during this year's deer season and who want to donate the meat to feed the hungry, can deliver the deer to the nearest participating meat processing plant after they have checked the deer at a hunter check station," said Wade Free. northwest region game division supervisor for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "This is a cooperative project between the Oklahoma Station of Safali Club International, Feed the Children, and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation."
Free stated that Feed the Children will be distributing the ground venison to the needy through their network of qualified, charitable organizations across the state. The meat will be prepared and served at designated locations, providing healthy, high protein meals to the hungry.
Participation by meat processors and hunters is the key to the success and to helping feed Oklahoma's hungry. The list of cooperating processors includes:
Blackwell - Harvey's Grocery & Market 405-363-0343
Stillwater - Countrv Cut Meats 405-372-5742
Tonkawa - Tonkawa Meat Co. 405-628-4450
Each November, nearly 175,000 gun deer hunters head afield to harvest some venison for their families' tables. Deer populations are high, too high in some places, and hunter success appears to have been good during the recent primitive firearms season. All of this points to gun hunters establishing a new harvest record this year.
The gun deer season opens Nov. 22 and continues through Nov. 30. Hunters are allowed one antlered deer, and on specified days in designated areas, one antlerless deer. Most of the state will see twice as many antlerless hunting days as were available last year.
"With an estimated 175,000 gun hunters expected to go afield during the upcoming nine-day gun season, the previous harvest record of 65,886 could be history," said Mike Shaw, wildlife research supervisor for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "A preliminary survey of 30 check stations is already showing a statewide increase of more than 16 percent over last year's totals at this time, and hunters should begin to notice increased buck activity during the next few weeks as the onset of the rut approaches. That, combined with additional antlerless hunting opportunities over most of the state should translate to a new harvest record at the end of gun season."
Shaw said that each year, the Department surveys 30 deer check stations after the close of the primitive firearms season to gauge deer hunter success. This year's survey not only showed a dramatic increase over the 1996 survey, but it also exceeded the record 1995 tally by more than five percent.
Doe days during gun season have been expanded to double the amount of antlerless hunting over most of the state. Antlerless hunting days also will be split this year between the opening and closing of the season. For example, in the northwest, where hunters were allowed to harvest antlerless deer during the first three days of last year's gun season, they will be able to hunt does the first three days and the last three days of this year's gun season.
All of the expanded hunting opportunities are outlined in the 1997-98 Oklahoma Hunting Regulations, available at license dealers statewide. Anyone wanting to take advantage of the additional antlerless opportunities should remember that a valid antlerless deer gun permit is required in addition to a regular hunting license.
"If you are an annual license holder, you need an antlerless gun deer permit to take a doe, and an antlered gun deer permit to take a buck," Shaw said. "All hunters also are reminded that they must attach their name and hunting license number to the animal immediately upon harvesting it."
According to preliminary field reports, this year's quail season got off to a much better start than many of the seasons in the recent past. Although windy conditions somewhat hampered success, quail hunters throughout most of the state reported seeing more coveys, and the coveys generally were much larger than those found on past opening days.
"We're definitely hearing more positive feedback from bird hunters," reported Steve DeMaso, upland bird biologist with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "The wind probably hampered the ability of dogs to locate coveys, and it may have even made a few hunters miss birds when they flushed. On the whole though, people seem to be saying they found more birds and bigger coveys than the past few years.
"Our August and October quail surveys both showed an increase, and they're a fairly good indicator of relative population status and anticipated hunter success. We also believed the earlier opener would result in hunters seeing larger coveys, because our research shows that a significant percentage of each covey is lost to predators or inclement weather by the end of November. I think initial field reports seem to confirm that."
While the general trend is for hunters to have seen more birds across the state, specific regional reports were as follows:
Southwest - Rod Smith, southwest region game supervisor with the Wildlife Department, said the opener was a mixed bag, with most people who hunted the same places this year and last finding more birds this year. Dog work seemed difficult, though, and scenting conditions were not optimum. Whether hunters did well or not, most people were optimistic about the rest of the season.
Northwest - One of the state's most noted quail hunting areas, reports from the northwest indicate this year's season appears to be fair to good. Although winds in excess of 40 miles per hour and high temperatures hampered effective dog work, most hunters were pleased with the number of birds they saw during the weekend opener. Initial reports suggest this year will be better than last year.
Southeast - Traditionally not classic quail country, reports on how hunters are faring will take longer to surface, said Bill Dinkines, southeast region game supervisor for the Department. Dinkines said that he has personally seen more birds than in past years, and deer hunters say they've been seeing more birds than last year.
Northeast - Most hunters were concentrating on the last weekend of the primitive firearms deer season, but local observations seem to indicate a slight increase over the past few years, according to Bill Scherman, northeast region game supervisor.
Central - Most hunters seem to think this year's bird crop in central Oklahoma is better than last year, but windy, dry conditions hampered hunting over the opening weekend, said John Herd, central region game supervisor. He said hunters have commented that the average covey size seems to be smaller, but most feel that population levels seem to better than at this same time last year. Overall, he said, it's a little too early to tell, but it looks like an improvement over last year.
Few Deer/Quail Conflicts
Few conflicts were reported between deer and quail hunters over the opening weekend of quail season, and some cooperative hunting efforts even took place. One Department employee noted that at a deer camp in the Eufaula area, two muzzleloader hunters were seen trying to convince a quail hunter that he should hunt the next morning near their stands. The deer hunters had not been seeing deer and both hoped the quail hunter would move some animals through their area.
"I think deer hunters are catching on that quail hunters can be helpful in generating some deer movement," said Alan Peoples, assistant game chief for the Department. "I certainly expect more cases where deer hunters help quail hunters by letting them know where they've seen birds in exchange for quail hunters hunting brushy areas in the hopes of moving deer."
Wildlife Department personnel expect Oklahoma hunters will harvest a record number of deer this year, with a preliminary survey of 30 check stations already showing a statewide increase of more than 16 percent over last year's numbers for this time. The figures include both the archery and muzzleloader harvest to date.
Each year, the Department surveys 30 deer check stations after the close of the primitive firearms season to gauge deer hunter success. This year's survey not only showed a dramatic increase over the 1996 survey, but it also exceeded the 1995 total by more than five percent. Hunters harvested a record 65,886 deer in 1995.
"About 5,250 deer were registered this year at the 30 check stations we surveyed, that compares to around 4,500 checked in at the same time last year," said Mike Shaw, wildlife research supervisor for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "The overall buck harvest is up almost 16 percent while the number of does harvested increased 18 percent."
Much of the increase is apparently the result of a very successful primitive firearms season. Shaw said that statewide, the primitive firearms buck harvest was up almost 17 percent, while the muzzleloader doe harvest jumped almost 54 percent.
"The increase in the number of does taken during the primitive firearms season was not unexpected since blackpowder hunters had two days of antlerless hunting, compared to only one day last year," he said. "The number of does taken so far during archery season is down about 15 percent, but the archery buck harvest is up 11 percent over 1996."
While the magnitude of the overall increase varied in each of the six regions of the state that were surveyed, all areas reported more deer registered in 1997. The largest increases were reported from the northcentral (up 33 percent over last year) and southcentral regions (up 27 percent this year). The smallest increases were seen in the northeast (up almost 12 percent) and southeast (an increase of nine percent).
"With an estimated 175,000 gun hunters expected to go afield during the upcoming nine-day gun season, the previous harvest record of 65,886 could be history," Shaw said. "Hunters should begin to notice increased buck activity during the next few weeks as the onset of the rut approaches. That, combined with additional antlerless hunting opportunities over most of the state should translate to a new harvest record at the end of gun season."
Could 70,000 deer harvested in 1997 be a possibility?
"Only time will tell, but I certainly wouldn't say it's out of the question," he said.
When it comes to deer hunting, success and safety go hand in hand. Because most Oklahoma deer hunters use deer stands, it is important to remember some of the following tips.
- Be particularly careful climbing up into and down from tree stands. Watch for slippery steps, and be sure of your hand holds. Place your feet firmly on each step before climbing to the next.
- Once you get into the stand always attach your safety belt before hoisting your equipment up into the tree. Good safety belts cost about $10-20.
- If you use a portable stand, be sure it is securely attached. Double-check the stability of the stand before settling your entire body on the stand.
- Permanent tree stands should always be checked before deer season for soundness. Any missing or weak boards should be replaced with new pressure-treated lumber.
- Use a rope or haul line to raise and lower your bow or gun. This will leave your hands free to climb the tree. making the climb safer. Also. it the unthinkable should happen and you fall, you are much less likely to be seriously injured if you are not falling with a gun or bow in your hand.
- Never hoist or lower a loaded gun. The odds for an accidental misfire are greatest when the gun is being raised or lowered from the stand.
"By taking a few basic precautions, hunting from a tree stand can be as safe as hunting from a ground blind," said Colin Berg, northwest region information education specialist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
"I hope everyone will make this year's deer season a safe and successful one by following these tree stand safety tips." said Berg.
By FRED HILTON
News Sports Editor
STILLWATER - Oklahoma State basketball coach Eddie Sutton got his first look at his Cowboys under game conditions and actually liked some of what he saw.
In a ragged exhibition that the coach called "a rat game," the Cowboys held off the road weary California All-Stars, 97-83, in Gallagher-Iba Area Tuesday.
Sutton started off with his three-guard lineup and quickly found its strengths and weaknesses.
The coach had to like the Cowboys' shooting ability. While hitting 43 percent of its shots overall (19-of-42), the Cowboys were even hotter from the perimeter, banging down half of their three-pointers (11-of-21).
Sophomores Joe Adkins and Desmond Mason showed signs of fulfilling the promise they showed last year. Adkins had a career high 24 points, sinking 5-of-6 treys, in 19 minutes of play and Mason scored 17 points while bringing down 9 rebounds.
Brett Robish and Adrian Peterson were also in double figures with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
But the problem with having just two tall front-courtmen is rebounding. The Pokes had a 55-50 edge in rebounding over the relatively short All-Stars. Robish led the Cowboys with 14 caroms.
"I'm concerned about our board play," Sutton said. "We are going to have to get the guards down to defensive end to help out in rebounding."
With three guards handling the ball most of the time, Sutton was also pleased that the Pokes had just 14 turnovers, "which is pretty good for a first game.
"Joe (Adkins) is our most improved player from last year. He was not always comfortable shooting the ball last season.
"Tonight he was making better decisions with the ball. He had only two turnovers in the game.
"Desmond is playing like I envisioned he would last year. He was in double figures in scoring and (almost in) rebounding. We had told him in practice to attack the boards and he did tonight."
Sutton alternated Brett Robish, Alex Webber and Scott Robish under the basket and saw some room for improvement. Brett Robish did a good job on the boards but the coach felt he could improve his shooting.
"Brett will have to improve on that jump hook shot or moth-ball it," Sutton said.
Webber had seven points and two rebounds before fouling out and Scott Robish was scoreless with two rebounds in 10 minutes of play.
Adrian Peterson had 12 points from his guard position, but hit just 3-of-9 shots from the field (2-of-5 from three-point land).
"Adrian (who averaged 14 points a game last year) is not shooting as well as I would like," Sutton said. "He hasn't been shooting well in practice either. He'll have to go back and work on his shots."
The Cowboys trailed the All-Stars 9-3 in the early going before Chad Alexander, Peterson and Adkins slammed home three-pointers that gave OSU an 18-11 lead.
OSU led 42-31 at halftime and built the lead to 20 (57-37) before the All-Stars, who have played 11 games in 11 days, rallied to cut the margin to five (65-60) with 10 minutes left in the game.
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Cowboy Notes - In an unusual move, the Cowboys will open the season Saturday at home against Texas-Pan American before playing another exhibition game against Buducnost Tuesday.
"We weren't able to get the other exhibition game in before the season stared," Sutton said. "I don't like it, but we'll have to live with it."
Both games start at 7:05 p.m.