From The Pages Of The Ponca City News, Monday, December
16, 1996
LOCAL
Fire Department Liability Toughest Issue for City
Nearly News
Kay Electric Open House Wednesday
Jan. 3 Deadline for Chamber's Outstanding Citizen Nomination
DEATHS
Dawn Renee Hisey
Lena Willie Ozella Conner
Services Pending
Charles E. Grimley
Clyfton H. Corp
NEWS BRIEFS
LIFESTYLES
Finley 4-H Members Demonstrate Projects
SPORTS
Mavs Fall To Cloud, 95-88
NOC Ladies Close With 84-40 Victory
Varsity Sports Schedule
Lady Cougars Win Trophy
OSU Matmen Pop Spartans
By LAURA TREADWAY
News Staff Writer
The Ponca City Board of Commissioners meet this morning to determine what will happen now that the proposed bond issue failed.
"Citizens have remarked that they are more worried about income and taxes than preservation," commented Commissioner Dick Stone.
"The most critical problem, is what to do with the fire department," stated Mayor Marilyn Andrews.
Fire Chief Larry Mullikin also expressed concern about response times if fire units are relocated to sub-stations. Commissioners discussed providing a temporary fire station, but nothing concrete developed. The board is still waiting to hear from the Department of Labor. Martin worries about the city's exposure to liability.
City Manager Gary Martin expressed limitations for relocating city offices related to the fiber optics cabling which networks the city offices. Martin plans to research rental options, indicating plenty of spaces are available for lease.
Further, Martin indicated that the city could decide not to renew the school system's lease of Angela Hall at the Marland Estate and look at the facility to house city offices, excluding the billing department. The board felt that Angela Hall would be relatively inexpensive to bring into compliance with the American with Disabilities Act.
Additionally, the board discussed performing a random survey to help determine why the city received all the "no" votes as well as to find out what the people are trying to say. Martin also recommended holding a Public Hearing for citizen comments before actually vacating the City Hall complex.
Likewise, Martin noted the bathrooms at the front entrance of the police station must be brought into compliance.
Commissioners agreed that steps need to be taken to begin reducing expenditures. Martin mentioned the possibility of a hiring freeze for city positions, however no action was taken.
Furthermore, Commissioner Dick Bird requested the city review activities that it currently provides for free and consider charging a fair fee to generate funds.
Also, the city intends to provide the public details of where Economic Development spent its funds, according to the city manager. The information is currently being compiled, he confirmed.
Lots of folks from out of town were seen around Ponca City today as six bus loads of visitors from Oklahoma City arrived to spend the day here touring. The Festival of Angels was selected for the mystery visit last year by the television show Discover Oklahoma. Missy Morland, coordinator of the Ponca City Tourism Authority has been working with the group for a year making "secret" arrangements for this trip. A total of 244 persons made the trip and Discover Oklahoma, with host Jim Buratti, filmed throughout the day.
While Truman Smith held an open umbrella over his head on Friday the 13th as he autographed his book "Wrong Stuff," an interested observer was Majir Kornblit. When Smith was bombing Germany during World War II, Kornblit was forced labor making Messerschmitt Fighters.
Paul Prather, Marland Mansion curator emeritus, tells that Sunday evening on Channel 38 on TNN the Outdoor program was showing fishing and hunting on the Circle M Plantation near Mecan, Miss. This plantation was a hunting retreat that E.W. Marland owned during his heyday.
The plantation has been sold by Ray Gore to an official of Auto Zone and has had a lot of restoration work on the hunting lodge and the storehouse. The plantation has become an exclusive hunting and fishing lodge and patrons pay as much as $500 spend a day there. The plantation was featured in The News in 1994.
In Sunday's News, Lone Star Airlines was referred to in a story about local weather observation automation by an incorrect name. Synonyms can be confusing to computer spellcheckers as well as human copy readers. The airline is not "Loan" Star Airlines.
BLACKWELL - Kay Electric Cooperative will be hosting the grand opening of the new headquarters facility, along with a holiday open house on Wednesday, from 9 a.m., to 3 p.m., at 300 West Doolin in Blackwell.
KEC's Manager Joe Harris, said he is delighted with the results of the recently renovated complex. "We moved into our new facility in June of this year; but just recently finished with the decorating of our offices and with the parking lot."
Harris added, "Our new complex has been referred to as 'the premiere electric co-op in Oklahoma.' We are very proud of our new facility."
KEC will provide tours of the recently renovated complex throughout the day, and refreshments will be served. Also on tap will be demonstrations of a Self-Starting Emergency Power Generator and Precise Power Corporation's Motor Generator Unit.
The public is invited.
The Outstanding Citizens group has set Jan. 3, 1997 as the deadline for nominations for this year's outstanding citizen.
The criteria is that the person must be a member of the Chamber and currently residing in the Ponca City area. The recipient should have achieved significant general recognition as an outstanding community leader, not limited to the year in which the award is made.
The person should be recognized as having made significant contributions to the community in more than one endeavor. The current chairman and staff of the Chamber, elected public officials including, City, County, State or Federal will not be considered for selection.
New Community Service Award
A new Community Service Award has been established and will be given at this year's Chamber banquet. The new award is designed to honor people who have made significant contributions to the community during the last few years.
This award is designed to acknowledge the hard work of individuals or those who have made distinguished accomplishments over a short period of time. This award may not be given every year but will be awarded based on the quality of nominations in any given year.
Nominations will be accepted by the Outstanding Citizens Committee. Forms for nominations for this award are also available at the Chamber with the deadline for application being Jan. 3, 1997.
Nominations for both the Outstanding Citizen and the Community Service Award should be mailed or delivered to the attention of Larry Buck, chairman in care of the Ponca City Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1109, Ponca City, OK 74602.
Nomination forms may be picked up at the Chamber office. For further
information call the Chamber at 765-4400.
DEATHS
Dawn Renee Hisey, Ponca City resident, died Saturday evening, Dec. 14, 1996 at a local nursing home. She was 48.
Funeral service will be Tuesday at 2 p.m., at the Community Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with the Rev. Wayne Majors, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow in the Resthaven Memorial Park Cemetery under direction of Trout Funeral Home.
Dawn Renee Hisey was born Dec. 20, 1947 in Abilene, Kan., the daughter of Edwin and Roberta (Nesselrode) Gartrell. She graduated from Lamont High School in 1965. While in high school she was very active in band. She attended Northwestern College in Alva, and graduated from Northern Oklahoma College with an Associates Degree in Humanities. She was a member of the drama department at NOC.
On Oct. 10, 1975 she was married to Howard L. Gray in Ponca City. He preceded her in death on June 9, 1986.
She worked as a respiratory therapist at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, a counselor for Alpha II, and the director of the Senior Citizens Center.
On June 12, 1993 she and Gene Hisey were married at the Community Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Ponca City.
She attended Community Christian Church.
Surviving are four daughters, Gina Hunter of Tulsa, Mary Ramsey of Kansas City, Kan., Edwina Bridgman of Ponca City, and Adriana Gray of Stillwater; a son, Arthur Hisey of Phoenix, Ariz.; her mother, Roberta Gartrell of Ponca City; a sister, Leslie Gartrell Trepfer and a brother, Forest Gartrell, both of Denver, Colo.
She was preceded in death by her husbands, Howard L. Gray on June 9, 1986 and Gene Hisey on November 27, 1996, also her father and grandparents, Carl and Bessie Nesselrode.
Casket bearers will be Jack Day, Howard Percy, Allan Ramsey, Bill Bridgman, Forest Gartrell, and John Sebring.
Memorial contributions may be made in Mrs. Hisey's name to Hospice of Ponca City, 1904 North Union, Suite 104, Ponca City, Okla 74601.
The family will be at the home, 120 Austin Road.
ARKANSAS CITY, KAN. - Lena Willie Ozella Conner, resident of Arkansas City, died Saturday, Dec. 14, 1996, at her home. She was 77.
The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17, 1996 at the Hawks Funeral Home in Arkansas City with the Rev. Henry Cox officiating. Burial will be in the Parker Cemetery in Arkansas City.
Lena Conner was born Aug. 6, 1919 in Clorhide, N.M., the daughter of Wesley Gaston and Sarah Elizabeth Gordon Hobbs. She attended schools in Hot Springs, N.M.
She and Eugene Harris Conner were married May 20, 1937 in Hot Springs, and moved to Arkansas City in 1948. He died on Jan. 13, 1992.
Mrs. Conner had worked for Rodeo Meats in the Peal and Pack Department from 1952 until retiring in 1979. She was a member of the IXL Baptist Church.
Survivors include her son, Wesley Conner of Newkirk; three daughters, Viola Richardson of Ponca City, Ozella Vince of Geuda Springs, Kan., and Naomi Pappan of Arkansas City; seven grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, a grandson and granddaughter.
A memorial has been established with the American Diabetes Association, and contributions may be left at the funeral home.
Friends may call at the funeral home this evening until 9 p.m. and Tuesday from 9 a.m. until noon.
Charles E. Grimley
Charles E. Grimley, longtime Ponca City resident, died Sunday, Dec. 15, 1996 at the Shawn Manor Nursing Home. He was 87.
Survivors will include his wife, Opal, of the home.
Funeral arrangements are pending with Grace Memorial Chapel, and will be announced later.
Clyfton H. Corp
TONKAWA - Clyfton H. Corp, former resident of Tonkawa, died Sunday, Dec. 15, 1996 in South Haven, Kan. He was 81.
Funeral arrangements are pending with McCafferty-Bolick Funeral Home
in Tonkawa, and will be announced later.
NEWS BRIEFS
Title IX Meeting - The Title IX Indian Education Parent Committee will be meeting Thursday at the Administrative Building from 6-7:30 p.m. All interested parents are invited to attend. Business will include planning of the 1996-97 Title IX community-wide meeting. For further information call 762-686.
Quarterback Club Meeting - The final Quarterback Club meeting of the year will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the football locker room at Sullins Stadium.
Takedown Club Meeting - The Ponca City Wrestling Takedown Club will meet tonight at 7 p.m. in Po-Hi Coach Young's Woodshop Room on Seventh Street.
Name Correction - Aaron Williamson was incorrectly identified in Friday's picture of moving day at the Pioneer Woman Museum. He is one of the FFA members from the Ag Ed classes at PCHS helping to move items from the museum. His name was misspelled on information received by the News.
Rural Water Meeting - McCord Rural Water District 3 will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the north building of McCord School.
Departs on Deployment - Marine Lance Cpl. Rocky E. Jones, son of Debco L. and Rocky E. Jones Sr. of Route 7, Ponca City, has departed on a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), embarked aboard the ships of the USS Nassau Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG), one of more than 2,000 Marines and sailors. Marine Lance Cpl. Jones is a 1995 graduate of Ponca City High School.
Vandalism - The Ponca City Police Department received notice of a mini storage unit being vandalized in the 1300 block of East Prospect Avenue at 7:32 a.m. Saturday. An officer took a report.
Warrants Issued - Ponca City police officers arrested a 31-year-old woman, a 32-year-old man, a 27-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman, a 31-year-old woman a 45-year-old man and a 53-year-old man Saturday morning on city warrants.
In Custody - A 39-year-old man was arrested by a Ponca City police officer at North Union Street and Gary Avenue at 1:32 p.m. Saturday on a city warrant, driving under suspension and no insurance verification.
Accident - A Ponca City police officer took a report of an accident in the 1100 block of East Prospect Avenue at 2:36 p.m. Saturday.
Shoplifter - A 17-year-old boy was taken into custody by a Ponca City police officer at Wal-Mart, 1101 East Prospect Avenue, at 6:34 p.m. Saturday for shoplifting.
Warrant Served - A Ponca City police officer arrested a 20-year-old man at West Albany Avenue and North Union Street at 6:34 p.m. Saturday on a city warrant for failure to pay.
Arrested - A 26-year-old man was arrested by a Ponca City police officer at Fairway Lane and L.A. Cann Drive at 6:34 p.m. Saturday on possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Stolen - A resident in the 3000 block of Kingston Road notified the Ponca City Police Department at 7:13 p.m. Saturday that the pet pig had been stolen. An officer took a report.
Dog Bite - A Ponca City police officer took a report of a 4-year-old boy bitten by a dog in the 500 block of North Ninth Street at 7:28 p.m. Saturday. The boy was treated at the emergency room of St. Joseph Regional Medical.
Beer For Minors - A clerk at the Triple T, West Hartford Avenue and North Union Street, advised the Ponca City Police Department at 8:25 p.m. Saturday that a subject bought beer and gave it to minors. An officer took a report. The clerk remarked that the youths sat down the beer and left when confronted.
Subject Held - A Ponca City police officer arrested a 20-year-old man at Second Street and East Hartford Avenue at 11:46 p.m. Saturday for no seat belt, no insurance, an unsafe lane change and a city warrant.
Disturbance - A 33-year-old man was arrested by a Ponca City police officer from the 800 block of South Fourteenth Street at 12:07 a.m. Sunday for two Kay County warrants for failure to pay. The officer responded to a call from the business regarding a disturbance.
Grand Larceny - A Ponca City police officer arrested a 38-year-old man at Wal-Mart, 1101 East Prospect Avenue, at 12:20 p.m. Sunday for shoplifting.
Subject Held - An officer of the Ponca City Police Department took into custody at 3:44 p.m. Sunday, a 32-year-old man on a city warrant for failure to pay.
Subject Held - A Ponca City Police Department officer reported
at 11:54 p.m. Sunday that a 25-year-old man was being held for transporting
an open container, not wearing a seat belt, having no driver's license,
failure to stop at a stop sign, and giving false information to an officer.
LIFESTYLES
The Finley 4-H Club held its December 9 meeting at the Finley School building. A Christmas demonstration was presented by various members, followed by a gift exchange and refreshments. The next meeting of the group will be January 13.
Those participating in the holiday program were Page Ballou, embossed
book markers; Jay Bellinghausen, No-Bake cookies; Kami Main, Hershey Kiss
Tree Ornaments; Sarah Scott, Gumball Tree Ornaments; Mike and Pam Hill,
swirl paint Christmas ball ornaments.
SPORTS
TONKAWA -The Northern Oklahoma College Mavericks lost their final home game of the semester Saturday evening to the Thunderbirds of Cloud County (Kans.) Community College, 95-88.
The T-birds controlled the opening tipoff and scored a quick bucket in front of the sparse home crowd. In the first five minutes the Mavericks scored only six points, all from the charity line, to trail 13-6. Bryan Stevens, sophomore guard from Alva, hit the first bucket from the field from three-point land which was immediately countered with a Thunderbird trey.
At 13:50 the Mavericks made a run at the Thunderbirds. Steven Lookout, freshman from Hominy, got a layup, came back 20 seconds later with a field goal and sophomore Mark Passley followed with another layup tying the score at 18. After a T-bird bucket, Passley went to the line for two knotting the score again at 20. For the night, Passley was 17-for-18 from the free throw line.
The Mavs went cold again as the Thunderbirds scored 10 while Passley put in three from the line for the Mavs.
With less than six minutes in the half, freshmen Kyle Dean, Medford, and Casey Roberts, Noble, scored a bucket each getting the Mavs closer at 32-27.
At 4:30 Stevens fired up the Mavs with a trey. He came back down on the next possession and bombed another three to give the Mavs their first lead, 33-32. Stevens ended up hitting five treys on the evening.
But the Mavs, playing their hot and cold game, only managed one from the line in the last three minutes while the T-birds pumped in eight to end the half up six, 40-34.
The Thunderbirds came out in the second half with two from the line followed with a trey to put the Mavericks down by 11. But the Mavs steadily fought back through the first 10 minutes, gradually closing the gap.
At 9:50, Blake Sonne sank a pair of threes, giving the Mavs the lead for the second time in the game, 65-64. The Mavs went up 72-67 and with seven minutes left in the game it looked like the Mavs were in control.
Unfortunately the Mavs went cold again. The Thunderbirds scored 20 points while the Mavs scored just 8 points from the line. NOC finally found the bucket for a field goal with less than a minute and a half left in the game but now trailed 87-82.
The Mavericks put in three more from the line and added another trey with nine seconds on the clock, but it all came too late.
"We played a physical game," said Mick Weiberg, men's head coach. "Much better than we did up there. But we played for a while and then broke down. We're having trouble getting consistency on offense. Lookout played much better. He is coming along. Whitfield played better also. But we turned the ball over 13 times in the first half and 16 times for the game."
The next home game will be a men's game on Jan. 9. Both the men and women will play at home on Jan. 20, against NEO.
Cloud County 95, Northern 88 (men)
Cloud 40-55-95
NOC 34-54-88
Cloud - Cassian Aguet 27, Justin Robinson 17, Calvin Ruffin 17, Richard James 10, Jimmy Keller 10, Justyn Leon 10, Bo Smith 3, Chris Martens 1.
Northern - Mark Passley 25, Bryan Stevens 18, Blake Sonne 14, Steven Lookout 13, Kyle Dean 6, DeShawn Denson 6, Joe Patmon 2, Chauncey Webb 2, Casey Roberts 2.
LIBERAL, Kan. - Northern Oklahoma's Lady Mavericks closed out the first semester with a bang here Saturday in the Pizza Hut Classic, destroying Dodge City (Kan.) 84-40.
Northern led 38-21 at the half and then pulled away even further in the final 20 minutes of action.
"We didn't try to run up the score on them," said head coach Greg Krause. "We shifted out of our man midway through the second half to get more help defensively and that ended up creating more turnovers than our man. We didn't press the second half but we were able to help each other out better defensively."
Jill Kliewer led the Lady Mavs with 21 points, 19 coming in the second half when she hit all three of her treys. The inside tandem of Sherry Butts and Lynetta Geter also had huge games. Butts finished with 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds while Geter had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Others scoring for NOC were T.J. Humphries, 11; Michelle Brown, 8; Brandi McClellan, 6; Jennifer Whittet, 6; Annie Thornton, 4; Chanda Myers, 2; and Cathy Rogers, 2.
"We did a much better job on the boards but our offensive percentages were the key for us," said Krause.
Northern hit 36 of 84 field goal attempts (42.9 percent) and 8 of 11 free throws (72.7).
Dodge City, which started 6-0 Ponca City freshman Erin Cunningham in the post and got 5 points and 5 rebounds from her, managed to make just 12 of 60 field goal attempts (20 percent).
The Lady Mavericks, after a 1-6 start, closed out the semester by winning 5 of 6 games and stand 6-7 on the season. Krause said that streak should help his team after the break.
"We finished with some momentum and that's a positive," Krause said. "Of course we open back up with Westark and Connors (two highly ranked teams in the national poll) so it's right back into the fire in the second semester."
Other positives that Krause highlighted from the first semester were the players' intensity and emotion, the team's overall quickness and the overall play of the defense.
"Our defense has been pretty solid throughout," said Krause. "But we have to improve our offensive output and we have to be more of a threat from three-point range. Our free throw shooting is also a concern.
"But we proved in the first semester that we could play with the best teams in our region. They didn't out-quick us like they have in the past and that's a plus."
The Lady Mavs are now off until resuming practice Jan. 5. Their first second semester game is Jan. 11 at Westark.
Northern 84, Dodge City 40
Dodge City 21-19-40
NOC 38-46-84
Northern - Jill Kliewer 21, Sherry Butts 12, Lynetta Geter 12, T.J. Humphries 11, Michelle Brown 8, Brandi McClellan 6, Jennifer Whittet 6, Annie Thornton 4, Chanda Myers 2, Cathy Rogers 2.
This week's Ponca City High School Wildcat varsity sports schedule
Basketball
Friday
at Jenks, 6:15, 7:45
Wrestling
Friday
at Shawnee, 7
Ponca City's ninth grade girls rebounded from their only loss of the first semester to win the consolation trophy in the Sand Springs Tournament over the weekend.
Shaking off a loss to Sand Springs Central in the first round of the tournament, the Lady Cougars topped Enid Waller 30-27 Friday and beat Sapulpa 29-25 Saturday.
In Friday's game, the Poncans grabbed an 11-8 halftime lead and were clinging to a 20-18 lead entering the final quarter.
Mea Alexander had 8 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals for the Lady Cougars while Claire Winterrowd had 8 points and 6 steals.
Brooke Hines had 5 points, Allison Stotts 4, Laura Sudbury 3 and Alana Smith 2 and 3 steals. Kristl Richards also had 3 steals for the ball-hawking Lady Cougars.
In the consolation championship game, Ponca City held an 11-10 lead at halftime before opening a 21-16 margin in the third quarter.
In that game, Alexander had 7 points, Smith 6, Sudbury 5, Winterrowd 4, Hines 4 and Stotts 3.
"This is the best game the girls have put together all year," coach Lela McCracken said of the win over Sapulpa. "They really hustled in the last two games."
The mid-high girls will lose point guard Emily Brown, who is moving out of town over the holidays.
The Lady Cougars, now 5-1, are off until after the holidays. They return Jan. 7 to play at Enid Waller.
STILLWATER - Oklahoma State's second-ranked wrestling team manhandled the third-ranked Michigan State Spartans, 39-0, here Saturday night before 2,086 fans in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Teague Moore, OSU's seventh-ranked 118 pounder, started the Cowboys off right with a 6-4 overtime victory over MSU's second-ranked David Morgan. Morgan had defeated Moore twice last year. Moore's takedown with 1:16 left in the sudden death period was good enough for the win.
At 177 pounds, OSU's 11th-ranked Mark Smith took down the Spartans' top ranked wrestler in the country with 1:36 left in the third period for a 3-2 win over Erich Harvey.
The third upset of the night was by OSU's Aaron Strobel at 190 pounds. The unranked Strobel faced Michigan State's third-ranked Brian Picklo. and 1:26 into the match took him down for a two point score. It was enough to win as the wrestlers exchanged escapes and Strobe won, 4-2.
Fired up by Teague Moore's upset win, the Cowboys won four straight major decisions - by Eric Guerrero (20-6) at 126, Steven Schmidt (15-6) at 134, Scott Reyna (20-8) at 142 and Jimmy Arias (14-6) at 14-6.
Newkirk's Mark Branch spent much of his 167-pound match trying to catch Spartan Ralph Conte, who was disqualified for stalling with :47 left in the match.
Oklahoma State finished out the shutout with a 2-1 win by Ben Lee over Marco Sanchez at heavyweight. The match went into the tie breaker period, with Lee winning the coin toss. With :19 seconds left in the period, Lee escaped with the win.
Oklahoma State will take two weeks off to prepare for the Reno College Duals, Jan. 2, In Reno, Nev. The Cowboys next home match will be the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Friday, Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m.
RESULTS
No. 2 Oklahoma State 39,
No. 3 Michigan State 0
118 - No. 7 Teague Moore (OSU) dec. No. 2 David Morgan, 6-4 sd
126 - No. 3 Eric Guerrero (OSU) m.d. Jason Nusbaum, 20-6
134 - No. 3 Steven Schmidt (OSU) m.d. Issac Miller, 15-6
142 - No. 3 Scott Reyna (OSU) m.d. Sam Hakim, 20-8
150 - Jimmy Arias (OSU) m.d. Adam Elderkin, 14-6
158 - No. 7 Hardell Moore (OSU) m.t. Greg DeGrand 21-6 (5) 6:54
167 - No. 1 Mark Branch (OSU) d.q. Ralph Conte, 6:13
177 - No. 11 Mark Smith (OSU) dec. No. 1 Erich Harvey 3-2
190 - Aaron Strobel (OSU) dec. No. 3 Brlan Plcklo, 4-2
Hwt - Ben Lee (OSU) dec. Marco Sanchez, 2-1 tb