bmonthly July 2021

JULY 2021

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WHAT’S INSIDE

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Upfront

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Out & About: Photos from Around Town

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Profile: Crystal Sare

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On the Osage: Rocky Mountain High. . .

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Lifestyles: Get Organized Green Country Home Organizer Increases Happiness

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Funny You Should Ask: Croak-A-Cabana

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Meeting a Need: Empowering Families

Business: The Yard Guy Building Relationships Key to One Local Business

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Knowing Nowata: Road to a Dream Come True

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Community: The Spirit of Progress Heart of the Social Scene, Yesterday & Today

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Feature: Downtown Cover Contest

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Feature Sponsor Story: Changing of the Guard

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Business Spotlight: Coney Island

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Looking Back: Feels Like Home A Look at the Story of The Journey Home

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Once Upon a Time: Ray Price A Kiss On the Cheek at the Community Center

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Kids’ Calendar

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A Fresh Perspective: Stolen Babies & Shallow Advice

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Chick-fil-A Events Calendar

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Legendary Figures: Frank Lloyd Wright

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A Good Word: . . .To Forgive is Divine

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Helping Hands: Back In the Game!

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Fashion: Form Follows Fun Designer Follows Function, with Fun Thrown In

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Arts & Entertainment: BCCA Opening its 83rd Season

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Now You Know: Nuts & Bolts of Lustron Living

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Love Story: two words

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From the Heart: Memories are Beautiful We Choose to Hold On to What Matters Most to Us

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Profiles of the Past: Ernie McAnaw

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Let Freedom Ring: Civil Rights Act of 1964 JULY 2021

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UPFRONT

upfront Welcome to July friends. We are heading into the second half of the year and can't wait to see what comes next. The first part of the year was busy for us and sometimes out of control with all we did, but to be honest, we don't expect anything less with our crazy lives!

Do you follow us on our Facebook page Bartlesville Monthly Magazine? If not, you should, because we have so much to see every month. Last year we had a contest on our Facebook page for the July cover and it was a HIT! Our subject matter was the Price Tower, and you guys came out with some incredible pictures like you do for our “Baby New Year” contest in January and our “Best of Pets'' in April. The number of people who viewed those two contests on Facebook alone has been over a million for the last four years.

For this July contest, we chose Downtown Bartlesville as the subject. We had some incredible pictures entered, which showed the amazing talent in our beautiful city. We had over 7,000 votes this year, and the pictures were seen by over 40,000 people in all 50 states. We also had votes from Germany, India, and Japan. We love that we are touching people worldwide through our social media. We can only have one People’s Choice winner, and this year's winner was Andrew Nichols — with more than 480 votes. Andrew also won last year's People's Choice, but last July he was also the Judges’ Choice winner and on the cover of the magazine because it's the best picture of the Price Tower the judges had ever seen.

This year we gave our eight judges an almost impossible situation. We gave them the top 10 pictures, which were all cover-worthy. They had to narrow those 10 down to three and vote on those three for the cover of this issue. Oh my! How beautiful this cover is!

ing people through bmonthly magazine.

We’ve met people from the King of Uganda, country music stars, Hollywood stars, governors, Native American chiefs, and senators and congressman. What we’ve enjoyed the most is meeting the people right here in Bartlesville and the surrounding area. Whether we’ve met them because we’ve done stories on them or met them at events, they have become some of our best friends. Those people and those stories are the ones who make Bartlesville such an incredible place to live, work, and play!

On July 23rd, Christy and I will celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary. I wrote a story in this issue titled “Two Words.”

Throughout the last four years, I have written many stories about my addiction, our love, our loss, and our life. I wanted you to know about us and how we got to where we are. I never want our readers to ask “who are these people with the magazine.” It is never easy to put yourself out there for people to talk about or judge, but I do it to help others. I do it so that you will know that we are just like you. We struggle, we suffer, we fail. One thing I can honestly say is that working with Christy everyday for the last four years has taught me patience, understanding, wisdom, and to have fun.

We have the best time putting this magazine together each month for our thousands and thousands of readers. The best part is we are a team, just like we are in our marriage. This woman believed in me when there was nothing to believe in, and she loved me unconditionally through the fire. She is my best friend and the love of my life. Thank you, Christy, for never quitting when quitting would have been so much easier. Happy Anniversary baby! I love you, Keith. God Bless.

Bartlesville Monthly Magazine is published by

ENGEL PUBLISHING

Offices located in Downtown Bartlesville in the historic Price Tower 510 Dewey Ave, Suite 400, Bartlesville, OK 74003 P.O. Box 603, Bartlesville, OK 74005

www.bartlesvillemonthly.com facebook.com/bartlesvillemonthly Publisher

Brian Engel brian@bartlesvillemonthly.com Art Direction

Copper Cup Images design@coppercupimages.com Director of Sales & Marketing

Keith McPhail keith@bartlesvillemonthly.com Community Liaison

Christy McPhail christy@bartlesvillemonthly.com Project Manager

Andrea Whitchurch andrea@bartlesvillemonthly.com Administration

Shelley Greene Stewart Delivery and Distribution

Julie Drake Calendar/Social Media

calendar@bartlesvillemonthly.com Contributing Writers Debbie Neece, Kay Little, Jay Webster, Tim Hudson, Lori Kroh, Brent Taylor, Kelly Bland, Rita Thurman Barnes , Keith McPhail, Jay Hastings, Sarah Leslie Gagan, Maria Gus, Carroll Craun, Lori Just, Spence & Kristin Wilson, Caleb Gordon, Adele & David Register Contributing Photographers Becky Burch, Andrea Bastings, Chance Franks, Nowata County Historical Society Museum, Bartlesville Area History Museum, Cecil Stoughton, Kumar Krishnan Kids Calendar

Jessica Smith

Christy and I are so excited to announce this year's winner for the cover photo for our July issue is Kumar Krishnan!

Congratulations Kumar, for being on the prestigious cover of bmonthly magazine, which is sacred to me. This picture really shows all of downtown and the beauty of our great city. You see the picture as he took it. Thank you to all who entered the contest and showed off this city in an incredible display of vision and creativity.

Wait to see what we're doing next year!

Over the last four years, Christy and I have been blessed to have met many amaz-

Volume XII Issue VII

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or otherwise, without prior permission of Bartlesville Monthly, Inc.

ABOUT THE COVER This beautiful photograph

by Kumar Krishnan captured the essence of downtown Bartlesville and won our cover contest.

Creative Concept by Keith and Christy McPhail

bmonthly managing editors Keith & Christy McPhail.

Design by Copper Cup Images

JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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Operation Summer Stop by for a free drink and treat Honey’s Flowers • 918-333-8181

Green Country Pet Cremation Service offers private pet cremation with timely return of ashes in your choice of a decorative wooden urn with an engraved nameplate. If no return of ashes is requested, the ashes will be gently scattered on a beautiful pastoral/garden property.

We are located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and gratefully serve pet owners from a wide area surrounding Bartlesville, Dewey, and Northeast Oklahoma.

For our fee schedule, please feel free to call us at any time.

918-766-3812 GCPetCremation@aol.com

Like us on

JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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PROFILE

Crystal Sare Building History in Bartlesville

by Sarah Leslie Gagan The scent of her father’s sawmill has never left her. The mingling of walnut, cedar, oak, and pine. The rich textures of different wood grains, each with their own delicate pattern, held the mystique that these would someday be buildings. Fabrics for her homesewn clothes were bought nearby at stores known for their indigenous designs, lavish with color and pattern. These early experiences of materials molded her love of design that honors the past while becoming the heartbeat of today. When you ask Crystal Sare about her iconic designs in the Bartlesville landscape, she openly states, “Good design comes from an amalgam of influence, not individual inspiration,” and she was influenced by Bartlesville, most of all.

Crystal, a third generation Bartian, has a true talent for decorative arts, driven by historic preservation, and expresses her gift by creating a more beautiful life for her community and all those around her.

Born in Memorial Hospital, Crystal grew up in a downtown Bartlesville neighborhood.

During her early years, she mowed lawns in historic Bartlesville and maintained landscaping for her customers. She was able to participate in the architectural and gardening beauty of The Frank Phillips Home, The Paul Endicott Home, The WW Keeler home, The Nellie Johnstone home, and many others.

She enjoyed getting to know the personalities and habits of their inhabitants — learning their tastes in food and decor. She observed the "finer" life as an extension of service as a manual laborer, and had the pleasure of experiencing first-hand the personalities of Bartlesville's history.

Following in the footsteps of her older brother and father, her late afternoons were spent on the Phillips 66 campus, selling newspapers on the street to the ocean of 8

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engineers and executives that flooded the downtown Bartlesville streets at that time.

The Bartlesville Central Business District was a second home of sorts for Crystal, as she loved the varied styles of architecture and design characteristics of a town made beautiful by oil money. As she traveled in and out of buildings, she drank up the graining patterns in polished book-matched marble panels, the shapes of brass balusters, and details of light fixtures. Silently, she admired the fine clothing of those who inhabited the buildings, along with their cologne, perfume, and the sound of leather-soled shoes.

She studied as she worked. She was being influenced.

Following high school, Crystal left home for The University of Oklahoma, studying as a music performance major and sitting first chair in their orchestra at 17. Bartlesville had given her a rich experience of classical music, in addition to profound influence on her designing mind. Eventually, she wound up at Oklahoma State University as a fashion and interiors student with a passion for historic clothing, history of interiors, and art history. She attended graduate school at OSU, studying curriculum theory, with focus toward the intersection of aesthetics and epistemology — where beauty meets knowledge.

Following years away from Bartlesville, when her father began experiencing health issues, Crystal returned to her hometown at his request to help with her parents’ business. Acorn Storage began in 1977, owned by Clyde and Pat Sare. As a child in

PROFILE elementary school, Crystal recalls working on projects with her father to get the mini-storage business going. She even helped clear the land of the old Belle Meade Drive-in movie theater west of town for their first storage complex, literally tearing down the frame of the original screen and digging the speaker box poles out of the ground.

Crystal’s assistance in those early years of the family business has come full circle, as she manages Acorn Storage today. She designed the Nowata Road Acorn Storage complex and supervised its construction alongside her father, before his death in 2015. In addition to managing her family’s businesses, which consists of 350,000 square feet of varied commercial property within Bartlesville, Crystal is planning expansion and new ventures.

Upon her return to Bartlesville, Crystal became active in the community. She was elected to the state Executive Board of her political party, was on the OK Mozart Events Committee, was President of the Historical Society, served on the Downtown Bartlesville Implementation Committee for the Charrette-based Master Plan, and Chaired the Washington County Affordable Housing Taskforce for HUD. Currently, she sits on the Bartlesville Symphony Board.

Crystal has had the pleasure of creating historic interiors, including The Dewey Hotel Museum, The Jake Bartles Home, and The Tucker Mansion, while living in a town founder’s home, just blocks from Bartlesville's Central Business District. At the same time, she has been involved in Crystal Sare with her son, Dexter Jaekel. green building, including the first LEED platinum structure in Oklahoma, a Vision 2020 green rehab in Tulsa, and the rebuilding of Greensberg, Kansas.

She has one son, Dexter Jaekel, who resides in Bartlesville with his wife, Schawna, and their four children.

Crystal Sare with Mike May and her father, Clyde Sare.

In August of 2009, the downtown May Brother’s building burned. The community grieved the loss of one of its foremost historic structures and its future was uncertain. Architects and engineers said it could not be saved and it was scheduled for demolition. But Crystal possessed the courage to hope and dream of what the building could be. It was a very arduous process to save the structure, but demolition was stopped by the Sare Family the day before it was to go forward.

The Johnstone-Sare Building, as it is now known, stands today because of the determination and hard work exerted by Crystal throughout the rebuilding process. Her tenacity has taken the building from a burned-out shell to a historically glamourous venue that is a central anchor to downtown.

Regarding the rebuilding, Crystal recalls, “It was a dangerous jobsite and there was not full knowledge of how we were going to be able to save it, so getting through the initial portion of that, which I did very much with my father, was probably one of the most difficult things I have ever done, as well as one I am very proud of. I look back at pictures taken just after the fire and think about when I first went into that building, and I can’t believe that I thought we could do it. I know more now than I did then. I learned a tremendous amount. It was a harder job than I could ever have imagined.”

Crystal admits that while difficult, the restoration process was rewarding. She was driven by the vision she held to preserve history for future generations to enjoy. She said, “By having an event space, there are hundreds and hundreds of people in Bartlesville now that have had their weddings, anniversary parties, funeral dinners, reunions, and birthdays in a place that was historically meaningful to them. They will always remember the JohnstoneSare building as it has now become a part of their family’s story and set of memories.”

Crystal continues to leave her brand upon our town, through her great love of architecture, design, and ability to create a beautiful environment where people can create memories. She is a gem in the rich tapestry of our community as she protects and revives history for all to enjoy. Rumor has it there is a historic school she may soon be rehabbing for re-use….

Crystal Sare with her mother, Pat Sare.

JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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We’ve All Been There Take Control of the Chaos

We can skillfully organize any space in your home. Whether it’s completely revamping your closet or simply organizing the junk drawer in your kitchen. We do it all!

• Closets • Play Rooms • Garages

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LIFESTYLES

Get Organized Green Country Home Organizer Increases Happiness

by Lori Just "An organized space reduces stress and increases happiness."

That's Laura Sabine's mantra, and the guiding principle behind her company, Green Country Home Organizer.

“Disorganization creates unwanted stress and anxiety,” she said. “By staying organized, people will save time looking for things and will have more time to enjoy their lives. We are all capable of getting organized. However, it’s easy to create mental blocks that can make any person feel overwhelmed making the task easy to put off. I’m here to help.”

Sabine officially opened her business in May 2021 after organizing her own home and offering complimentary services to friends, which grew into a paid venture.

While working at an accounting firm, she realized that she had the skills essential to being organized and detail-oriented. She then got her certification through the IAP (International Association of Professions Career College) and is an active member of NAPO (National Association of Productivity & Organizing – Professionals). She specializes in organizing cluttered living spaces and work environments.

“Getting organized looks different for each person,” she said. “It all depends on your personality type, the way you were raised, and even your environmental circumstances. People love their new spaces. My clients are confident and capable of maintaining their new spaces after implementing a system that fits their personality, lifestyle, and needs.”

On the appointment day, with a goal already set, the transformation of the space starts to take place. Items get placed into categories (e.g. keep, donate, relocate, or trash) and the modifications start to take shape. After the process is done, the client is provided with tips to feel confident and capable of maintaining their new space(s).

“We strive to provide thoughtful expertise in every step of making your organizational dreams come true, ensuring that your space is both functional and beautiful,” she said. “Most importantly, we will leave you feeling confident and capable of maintaining your newly-renewed space.”

With more employees working from home, it’s even more relevant to have a space that offers focus and productivity by avoiding unnecessary distractions from clutter. The mind then has space to think, explore, be creative, and grow.

There is no “one-size-fits-all” formula for organization. Sabine is here to help real people find peace of mind with organization and improved functionality to reduce stress in their lives. Together, with Green Country Home Organizer, anyone can adopt strategies that work best for their space — bringing more clarity, focus, and efficiency to their daily lives.

Call Sabine at 918-397-0263 or check out Green Country Home Organizer on Facebook for more information.

It all starts with a free consultation, when Sabine will come to an individual’s home or work environment and perform a walkthrough of the spaces needing to be organized and talk about the goals for organizing their space. If necessary, she will talk with them about purchasing new storage containers or working with what the client has on hand. During the consultation, she will ask questions about lifestyle, take measurements, take photos, and encourage clients to be upfront about how they live for optimal organizational impact — there’s no judgment.

JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL

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OPEN: Mon - Fri: 8 am - 5:30 pm, Sat: 9 am - 4 pm

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BUSINESS

The Yard Guy Building Relationships Key to One Bartlesville Business

by Maria Gus While you’re reading this, Bartlesville’s newest lawn service is “probably in someone’s yard right now.” Tom and Becca Stargel had been thinking about leaving their home state of Washington for about four years when they decided to start researching Oklahoma. Becca had family in nearby Kansas, and the couple soon found what they were looking for just 20 miles south of the Oklahoma Kansas border.

Becca Stargel had spent many a summer visiting family in Kansas, and always enjoyed her time in the area. The Stargels were looking for a slower pace of life in a family-oriented community, and Bartlesville fit the bill. They were impressed with how much the town had to offer, and in October of 2020, Becca and her two younger children packed up and moved to Oklahoma while Tom finished out the season and arrived around Thanksgiving. After taking the winter to settle in, the Stargels brought their brand of friendly customer service to the NE Oklahoma lawn care scene.

“Starting the business in Bartlesville has been awesome,” said Tom, founder and “the yard guy.” Tom and Becca wanted to take it slow as they started up their Oklahoma office of The Yard Guy — they still have an operation in Washington state — and chose to get involved by volunteering through their church in the community. Connecting with bmonthly helped them find their audience, and the business began to grow quickly.

The Yard Guy is Tom Stargel’s third lawn care business, and he’s been doing this for over 22 years. After working for UPS for 10 years, he was ready to do something that didn’t require long hours and risk of injury. He was able to learn about the business from family, and by 1999 Tom was running his own crew.

“I love working for myself and that I call my own hours,” said Tom, “I enjoy going into a yard and making it look nice.” The Stargels have always homeschooled their children, so owning their own business gave them a freedom and flexibility that fit their lifestyle. “Having our own business means we can take vacation at the times we want, too,” said Becca.

For the Stargels, however, the key to their business is relationship building. With Tom in the yard and Becca on the books, they say their attention to detail and focus on service has worked well.

“We take the business seriously,” said Tom. “This is our livelihood.

When a new client calls we try to get there that day.”

In fact, the Stargels are so busy that sometimes they can’t catch the phone, but Tom soon discovered some people would hesitate to leave a message. That’s when their company tagline was born. “I started leaving an outgoing message that said ‘we’re probably in somebody’s yard right now’ so please leave a message.”

“When you really care and people know that, it brings an ease to the business and joy.” They plan to bring that same joy to the community as they volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club and their church.

Tom Stargel joined the Navy two weeks out of high school and was stationed at Pearl Harbor, served on the USS Stark, and spent time in India and the Philippines, among other locations.

He brings the same service and dedication to his work with The Yard Guy. It’s not all work and no play for the Stargels though. They love to spend time with their two younger children, ages nine and 10, camping and exploring.

Tom and Becca say The Yard Guy makes it super easy to set up yard service, especially if it’s something a customer’s never had before.

“We want to say thank you to the community,” said Tom. “They’ve been so welcoming and helpful, we want to give back and be supportive of others that are coming in.” As for moving to Oklahoma, Tom and Becca Stargel have gone “all in” and say it’s the best move that they could have made.

JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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of Exceptional Senior Living Green Country Village has helped seniors in Bartlesville enjoy private, maintenance-free residences with exceptional services and great hospitality for the last 30 years. Whether you or someone you love is considering independent living, assisted living or memory care, Green Country Village is the place to live, connect, grow.

Call (918) 335-2086 to schedule an appointment.

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Enjoy Bartlesville’s favorite magazine online at

bartlesvillemonthly.com

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bmonthly | JULY 2021

THANK YOU to all those who have and who continue to fight for our freedom!

501 E Fourth Street, Bartlesville, OK 74003 918.338.2255 • www.sutterfieldfinancial.com Investment advisory services are offered through Sutterfield Financial Group, Inc., a SEC Registered Investment Advisor.

JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNER

People’s Choice Winner

Andrew Nichols 16

bmonthly | JULY 2021

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL DOWNTOWN COVER CONTEST

Alex True

Andrew Nichols

Brigitte Jackson

Brigitte Jackson

Caleb Gordon

Chance Franks

Chance Franks

Chance Franks

Danette Bishop JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL DOWNTOWN COVER CONTEST

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Don Cox

Dylan Spears

Gianna Curless

Gianna Curless

Gianna Curless

Hannah Hough

Hannah Hough

Hannah Hough

Heather Murphree

bmonthly | JULY 2021

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL DOWNTOWN COVER CONTEST

Heather N Barkley

Heather N Barkley

Jan Ameringer Swanson

Jim Hess

John Williford

John Williford

Katarina Rau

Kathy Loyd

Kathy Loyd JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL DOWNTOWN COVER CONTEST

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Kathy Loyd

Kody Hough

Kody Hough

Kumar Krishnan

Kumar Krishnan

Kumar Krishnan

Lacie Waller

Lacie Waller

Laura Burpo

bmonthly | JULY 2021

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL DOWNTOWN COVER CONTEST

Laura Burpo

Nora Wegener

Nora Wegener

Nora Wegener

Stephen Katrenick

Susan Steward

Susan Steward

Susan Steward

Theresa Miller JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL DOWNTOWN COVER CONTEST

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Vicki Curless

Vicki Curless

Vicki Curless

Virginia Chew

Virginia Chew

Virginia Chew

Wade Sturges

Wade Sturges

Wade Sturges

bmonthly | JULY 2021

FEATURE SPONSOR STORY

Changing of the Guard

Washington County Sheriff George Washington Hughes Jr.

by Debbie Neece, Bartlesville Area History Museum Named for President George Washington when Oklahoma became a state in 1907, Washington County has employed twenty-two county sheriffs with John Jordan the first, serving from 1907-1914 and Scott Owen our current sheriff took office January 1, 2019. There are reportedly 3,084 sheriffs across the United States and although the position of Washington County Sheriff has traditionally been a male dominated profession, two women pursued the department and one succeeded.

Born in 1918, a short distance from Fish Creek School, southeast of Bartlesville, George Washington Hughes, Jr. attended local schools and graduated from Bartlesville High School. He worked at REDA Pump, as a steam fitter and a contractor until he was bitten by the law enforcement bug and became a dedicated servant for Washington County residents.

RAMONA & GEORGE HUGHES

In 1958, George ran for third district County Commissioner but was edged out by the incumbent. In 1960, Sheriff Jimmy Holt hired George to work in the sheriff’s office and four years later he became an undersheriff. Then, in 1974, he was elected to a four year term as Washington County Sheriff. He was a member of the National Sheriffs and Peace Officers of Oklahoma and the Bluestem Cattlemen’s Association. He was decorated with a 1975 plaque from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 989 for “unyielding adherence to the highest ideals of law enforcement” and the 1976 community relations award from the Oklahoma Reserve Law Officers Association. Then, June 28, 1976, “end of watch” came for George Washington Hughes, Jr. at just 58 years young.

According to Oklahoma state statutes, upon the death of a sheriff, deputy, or reserve deputy, the surviving spouse may request to retain the badge and firearm of the deceased spouse.

Ramona Horseman Hughes took her spousal request further.

George’s four-year term as the 16th Washington County Sheriff was cut short in his final six-months of service. At the encouragement of friends and family, Ramona threw her hat into the ring to complete her husband’s 1976 term. Although she had no formal law enforcement training, she had shadowed George for 16 years and she felt compelled to complete his service. The

George Washington Hughes Jr. with recovered stolen goods.

County Commissioners appointed her the 17th Sheriff of Washington County and she was sworn into office July 15th by District Judge Arthur Boose. She served as sheriff until the end of 1976, at which time, she stepped aside and Glen Codding became sheriff.

After serving in the Bartlesville Police Department for 24 years, Larry Eugene Silver was elected the 19th Washington County Sheriff beginning his service in 1985. However, on November 20, 1993 Sheriff Silver lost his courageous battle with cancer. Undersheriff Jack Johnson assumed Silver’s duties until the County Commissioners appointed a sheriff to complete Silver’s term. Silver’s widow, Shirley Silver, sought the position but, January 1994, the Washington County Commissioners appointed Police Lieutenant Patrick Ballard to serve and he did so 1994-2008.

For a bit of irony, George Washington Hughes, Sr. and George Washington, Jr. both lived in Washington County, namesake of President George Washington.

JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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LOOKING BACK SPONSOR

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bmonthly | JULY 2021

LOOKING BACK

Feels Like Home A Look at the Story of The Journey Home

by Kay Little, Little History Adventures Most people in the community have heard of The Journey Home, but did you know that it has a connection to one of our community’s founding fathers and to one of the most beloved teachers in the Bartlesville school district? Before I tell you of those connections, I want to share how TJH came to be.

Jodie Shorter always felt called to help people with end-of-life decisions and care.

But what do you do with patients who do not have care or family to care for them?

In 1987, Jane Phillips Hospital bought the local hospice and was able to pay the employees. In 1990, Jodie served as the first full-time hospice nurse and the hospital paid for all the services.

Jodie started Cornerstone Hospice and established a foundation with the goal of starting a hospice house. Regulations for hospice homes adopted in 2005 were so strict that it was difficult and not very viable. Doug Quinn started volunteering at Cornerstone, and with other friends helped Jodie to involve the community. They knew that for this home to work without charging the patients, they needed a lot of community help.

In 2010, Jodie started working in Palliative Care at the hospital. But, she never forgot her vision of a hospice house.

The owner of Cornerstone Hospice at this time owned a three-bedroom house

close to the hospital, so the committee leased and renovated it. In 2013, they set up a board and a 501(c)(3) distinction. The board took a leap of faith and hired an executive director. They had enough money for six months, and soon received enough donations and family support to continue. The local hospices helped decorate and furnish it.

By 2017, they knew they needed a larger facility. The family of Noel Kaiser approached them about their farmhouse, but it needed a lot of updates. Enter the Baptist Men who helped remodel, and TJH was able to move in to the house January 2018. By the end of the year, everything was paid off. The house has six bedrooms for patients, a nice living room, offices, conference room, and supply room.

Ola Wilhite, a developer of early Bartlesville, originally built the large farmhouse in 1913. After he died in 1944, his wife and daughter lived there until their deaths. In the mid 1980s, Noel Kaiser, a local teacher, bought the house on the

condition that the Wilhite daughter could live there until her death. Shortly after her death in 1985, the Kaisers renovated the house and moved in.

The house sits on several acres. A local family donated enough money to build a chapel, which should be finished later this summer. Once again, the Baptist Men are helping. The board modeled the house after the Clarehouse in Tulsa, the first community home for dying people in Oklahoma. TJH is the second hospice home in Oklahoma, and just the eighth in the nation. The name came from Jodie and the board, who wanted it to be from the heart. Part of the mission of TJH is “compassionate care and dignity at the end of life.” The best compliment they have received has been, “It feels like home.”

Jodie and Doug are quick to give God praise for being able to make the vision come to life. They also are quick to give praise to their director, Brennen, and all of the community. They are always looking for volunteers.

The first location of The Journey Home.

JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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JULY CALENDAR SPONSORED BY 3

Big Bang 5k/10k 8 AM; Downtown Dewey

9

6 PM; Tower Center at Unity Square Our second event will be “Hometown Heroes” featuring Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra and a Laser Light Show. Food trucks and vendor booths will be available.

4

10 Freedom Fest hosted

by Bartlesville Kiwanis

6

28

Night of Freedom 7 PM; Tower Center at Unity Square A night of live music, family activities, games, life changing stories, giveaways and more.

Come see the freedom people are finding through a Christcentered recovery program for adults, teens and children

Mad Science 10 AM; Tower Center at Unity Square Mad Science of Central Oklahoma will teach and entertain kids with a fun, engaging performance!

bmonthly | JULY 2021

Summer Movies Under the Stars 8:45 PM; Bartlesville Community Center Hosted by the Bartlesville Film Society, July’s summer moive will feature HUGO. Bartlesville Film Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing movie lovers together to explore important classic and contemporary films.

6 PM; Sooner Park Freedom Fest fireworks at 9:45pm. Prior to the fireworks there will be food vendors and a limited number of non-profit organizations hosting booths.

5

Sizzlin Summer Series: Hometown Heroes

13

13

Music on the Lawn

14

Jordan Belong Soccer Camp 6:30 PM; Robinwood For all ages. Cost is $80. Camp will run through July 15.

15

Magician Kevin Wade 10 AM; Tower Center at Unity Square Children's magic show featuring magician Kevin Wade, full of learning and entertainment!

Grigg’s Photography Detectives Camp 9 AM; Bartlesville History Museum Hosted by the Bartlesville Area History Museum and running through July 15, Griggs’s Photography Detectives Camp will give kids a firsthand look at why photographers are history heroes. Camp is open to children going into 3rd through 5th grades. There is no cost to attend, but enrollment is limited. Please call (918) 3384293 or (918) 338-4294 for more information or to enroll your child.

6:30 PM; Frank Phillips Home Travis Heck and band will be performing on the lawn at the Frank Phillips Home.

16

Hot Street Party 7 PM; Bartlesville Community Center HOT Street Party is back on July 16th! There will be food trucks, live music, a kids' space, games, drinks, and more. Don't miss the biggest street party in Bartlesville! Brought to you by Young Professionals of Bartlesville.

20

27

BPL Welcomes Police Dogs 10 AM; Tower Center at Unity Square Join the K9 officers and dogs of the Bartlesville Police Department for a demo and meet & greet!

Camp Woolaroc for Children ages 9-11 12 PM; Woolaroc The kids have so much fun that each day they go home sharing their stories with parents and grandparents. By the end of camp, we were getting a lot of requests for a Camp Woolaroc for adults! Camp runs through July 29. Contact Woolaroc for camp pricing 918-336-0307.

Camp Woolaroc for Children Ages 6-8

26

BHS Fundamentals Course 8 AM; Bartlesville High School A four-day course for incoming freshman students to prepare them to become successful high school students.

Mondays in July at 11 AM Every Monday at Tower Center at Unity Square food trucks will be parked in our parking lot every Monday until Labor day. Bring your picnic blanket & friends and enjoy delicious cuisine that varies from week - week.

Bartlesville Farmers Market

28 12 PM; Woolaroc The kids have so much fun that each day they go home sharing their stories with parents and grandparents. By the end of camp, we were getting a lot of requests for a Camp Woolaroc for adults! Camp runs through July 22. Contact Woolaroc for camp pricing 918-336-0307.

Food Truck Monday

Central Middle School Registration 9 AM; Central Middle School Registration will be held at 9 a.m. on July 28 and 29.

Madison 5th Grade Transition Camp 8 AM; Madison Middle School The transition camp runs through July 29.

Saturdays in July at 8 AM at Frank Phillips Park located at the Keeler & Frank Phillips intersection Bartlesville Farmers Market offers a variety of fresh produce, baked goods, homemade items and more.The market has a wide variety of fresh produce, grassfed beef, pasture raised pork, fresh eggs, baked goods, raw honey and homemade goods. Enjoy music and shopping! There is something for everyone at the farmers market!

Weekly Virtual Storytime 10:30 AM Every Wednesday on Bartlesville Public Library's Facebook page.

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JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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bmonthly | JULY 2021

JULY EVENTS CALENDAR

Know of an upcoming event you would like to see on our calendar? Visit us at www.bartlesvillemonthly.com to submit a free listing!

Thu, Jul 1

9 PM

9 PM

Angelo’s Tavern Karaoke

Live Music with Let it Ride

Angelo’s Tavern 130 S Cherokee Ave.

Cherokee Casino Ramona 31501 US-75, Ramona

A fun-filled evening of karaoke is held every Thursday.

Sun, Jul 4 10 AM

Fri, Jul 2 8 AM

12 PM 8:30 AM

Bartlesville Artisan Market

Finding Frank Scavenger Hunt

Washington Park Mall 2350 SE Washington Blvd., Ste. 218

Bartlesville Area History Museum 401 S Johnstone Ave. The Bartlesville Area History Museum is ready to help you and your family fight summer break boredom. Through the month of June, bring your kids to the BAHM to participate in the Finding Frank Scavenger Hunt. Search high and search low in our special exhibit "Bartlesville's History, Griggs's Legacy" about prolific Bartlesville photographer Frank Griggs to find pictures and information. Answer the questions and be declared a history hero!

All children who participate will receive a special surprise. The scavenger hunt will begin June 1st and run through the end of the month. Bartlesville Area History Museum is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Call 918.338.4294 or email history@cityofbartlesville.org for more information.

2 PM

BPL Welcomes Sutton Aviation Center Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave. See and learn about amazing birds with the experts from Sutton Avian Center!

There are two dates to choose from, July 1 and July 7. Space is limited and tickets are required to attend. Pick up your free tickets from the BPL's Youth Services Desk!

Indoor market where you can shop locally, stay warm, get fresh baked goods, homemade products, and more. The market is held every Friday & Saturday, 12-4 p.m.

Bartlesville Farmers Market Frank Phillips Park Keeler & Frank Phillips

Woolaroc is Open Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Rd.

Bartlesville Farmers Market, held every Saturday, offers a variety of fresh produce, baked goods, homemade items and more.

10 AM

Animal Barn & 1840s Mountain Man Camp Open

Sat, Jul 3

Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Rd. The Woolaroc Animal Barn & Mountain Man Camp are open during normal preserve hours, Wednesday - Sunday.

11 AM

7:30 AM

7th Annual Big Bang 5K & 10K Dewey Middle School Bulldogger Rd, Dewey Hosted by the Dewey FFA, the 1-mile fun run starts at 8 a.m. The 5K and 10K races start at 7:30 a.m. Costumes welcome, dress up to celebrate Independence Day. We are here to enjoy and have fun! Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 runners in each age group male and female.

Included with registration will be a grab bag of goodies, race shirt, timing chip and race bib. All runners will be eligible for the numerous door prizes that have been donated by local businesses.

OBI Blood Drive

6 PM

Washington Park Mall 2350 SE Washington Blvd.

Freedom Fest hosted by Bartlesville Kiwanis

The blood drive runs through 4 p.m. and will be held on the vacant space on the east end of the mall. For more information or to make an appointment, visit www.obi.org or call 877-340-8777.

Sooner Park Madison & Tuxedo

12 PM

Bartlesville Artisan Market Washington Park Mall 2350 SE Washington Blvd., Ste. 218 The indoor market with fresh baked goods, coffee, home decor, clothing, soaps, live succulents, unique homemade products, local art, and more is open until 4 p.m. on Friday & Saturday.

Fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m. Prior to the fireworks there will be food vendors and a limited number of non-profit organizations hosting booths. Entertainment plans are still being worked out with possibly something at the bandshell. The Kiwanis have requested a flyover and are hopeful that the request will be approved. Sooner Park is located on Madison between Tuxedo and Frank Phillips.

4THOF JULY SALE

Eastland Center • 918-335-2940 JULY 2021 | bmonthly

31

EVENTS CALENDAR Mon, Jul 5

Fri, Jul 9

10 AM

10 AM

Teen Poetry Club

BPL Presents Magician Kevin Wade

6:30 PM

TBA

Celebrate Recovery

Hillcrest Players Tour

Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave.

Grace Community Church 1500 King Dr.

Hillcrest Country Club 1901 Price Rd.

Tower Center at Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd.

See July 8 event for information.

A children's magic show full of learning and entertainment!

Looking for a safe place to find healing in your life? Your not alone! Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered, 12-step program for anyone with any hurt, habit, and hang-up of any kind! Join us every Monday night at 6:30 p.m.

6:30 PM 5 PM

80th W.A. Stoops Family Reunion Osage Hills State Park 2131 Osage Hills Park Rd., Pawhuska 6 PM

Tue, Jul 6

Sizzlin’ Summer Series: Hometown Heroes Tower Center at Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd.

We will be paying tribute to our local law enforcement and healthcare workers. We have partnered with the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra as they present a pop concert accompanied with a laser light show.

Sat, Jul 10

Fri, Jul 16

Music on the Grounds Frank Phillips Home 1107 SE Cherokee Ave.

9 AM

Enjoy live music on the lawn of the Frank Phillips Home, presented by BancFirst!

Next to North will be our featured band, performing Contemporary Christian and popular secular music.

Cavalcade Rodeo Performance Osage County Fairgrounds 320 Skyline Dr., Pawhuska

7 PM

Hometown History Book Club City Center Pavilion Corner of Hensley & Cheroke.

Chronicle Three of Killers of the Flower Moon

Wed, Jul 14

5:30 PM 10 AM

BPL Presents Mad Science Tower Center at Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd.

Mad Science of Central Oklahoma will teach and entertain kids with a fun, engaging performance!

Thu, Jul 8

Cavalcade Warm-Up

7 PM

Osage County Fairgrounds 320 Skyline Dr., Pawhuska

HOT Street Party

Teen Poetry Club Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave. Led by Morris McCorvey, these workshops will culminate in an Open Mic night on July 27th.

5 PM

Alive at 25 Tri-County Tech 6101 Nowata Rd. Alive at 25 is a highly-effective four-hour course that serves as an excellent complement to standard driver education programs and is also ideal for young drivers who incur traffic violations.

The HOTTEST block party in town, with food trucks, vendors, music, & of course, a FREE kids zone!

Live music with Zack Baker Platinum Cigar Company 314 S Johnstone

Sat, Jul 17

Mon, Jul 12

8:30 AM

10:30 AM

9 AM

Church Safety Seminar

Live Music at Food Truck Monday

Cavalcade Rodeo Performance

Tower Center at Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd.

Osage County Fairgrounds 320 Skyline Dr., Pawhuska

Grace Community Church 1500 SE Kings Dr.

Tue, Jul 13

The day’s schedule also includes the 7 p.m. rodeo performance and a dance under the stars at 10:30 p.m.

9 AM

10 AM

Tower Center at Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd.

8:30 PM

Cavalcade Rodeo Performance

7 PM

Osage County Fairgrounds 320 Skyline Dr., Pawhuska

Concerts in the Park

The opening day’s schedule also includes the Queen’s Interview at 2:30 p.m., the Queen’s BBQ & Auction, and the Cavalcade Street Dance in downtown Pawhuska at 8:30 p.m.

9 AM

Griggs’ Photography Detectives Camp Bartlesville Area History Museum 401 S Johnstone Ave. Attendees will learn about photography from a real photographer, discover downtown Bartlesville through the lens of a camera, and learn how photography keeps history alive. The camp is open to children going into 3rd through 5th grades. Call 918-338-4294.

Tower Center at Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd.

Learn how to protect your flock when gathered at a house of worship. Seminar addresses active shooter and sex crimes prevention. Police officers also encouraged to attend. Continuing Education Credit is given to Oklahoma Police Officers. Cost is $30.

10 AM

Bring a chair, blanket, cooler & snacks and sit back & enjoy the live music show.

Event includes an optional open mic & karaoke!

Thu, Jul 15

Cavalcade Parade Downtown Pawhuska The day’s schedule also includes the 7 p.m. rodeo performance dedicated to service members in the U.S. military and a dance under the stars.

9 AM

8 PM

Cavalcade Rodeo Performance

Live music with Biscuits & Gravy

Osage County Fairgrounds 320 Skyline Dr., Pawhuska

Platinum Cigar Company 314 S Johnstone Ave.

The day’s schedule also includes the 11:30 a.m. Kiddo Day, the 7 p.m. rodeo performance dedicated to the hard-working cowboys of past and present, and a dance under the stars.

A WORLD’S BEST BANK HAS THE

WORLD’S BEST CUSTOMERS Thank you, Bartlesville, for helping Arvest earn this distinction.

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bmonthly | JULY 2021

EVENTS CALENDAR Mon, Jul 19

Thu, Jul 22

10 AM

7 PM

8 AM

Teen Poetry Club

Matilda presented by Children’s Musical Theatre

RSU Bartlesville Scholarship Fundraising Breakfast

Bartlesville Community Center 300 SE Adams Blvd.

Bartlesville Community Center 300 SE Adams Blvd.

The show is originated from the Roald Dahl children's book about an extraordinary girl who dares to take a stand and change her own destiny. The title role of Matilda and her classmates will be played by younger cast members. Older cast members will play the adults.

Enjoy breakfast and learn more about RSU Scholarships. Sponsorships are available. Proceeds provide scholarships for RSU Bartlesville students. For additional information, please contact at Tonni Harrald 918-343-7767 or tharrald@rsu.edu, Steve Valencia at 918-343-7780 or svalencia@rsu.edu, or Ronda Riden-Wilson at 918-338-8008 or rriden@rsu.edu.

Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave. See July 8 event for information.

10:30 AM

Live Music at Food Truck Monday Tower Center at Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd.

6 PM

Vacation Bible School East Cross United Methodist Church 820 S Madison Blvd.

Sun, Jul 25

2 PM

Matilda presented by Children’s Musical Theatre

Fri, Jul 23

Bartlesville Community Center 300 SE Adams Blvd.

7 PM

Camp is for K-5 grades and runs through July 22, from 6-8:15 p.m. each night.

See July 22 event for information.

Matilda presented by Children’s Musical Theatre

Tue, Jul 27

Tue, Jul 20

Bartlesville Community Center 300 SE Adams Blvd.

Thu, Jul 29

Fri, Jul 30

See July 22 event for information.

Sat, Jul 24 2 PM

Matilda presented by Children’s Musical Theatre Bartlesville Community Center 300 SE Adams Blvd.

6:30 PM

See July 22 event for information.

6:30 PM

Footprints in the Dew: The Last 10 Tapes Documentary and Q & A

10 AM Tower Center at Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd.

Join the K9 officers and dogs of the Bartlesville Police Department for a demo and meet & greet!

12 PM

Camp Woolaroc for Children 6-8 Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Rd. The kids have so much fun that each day they go home sharing their stories with parents and grandparents. By the end of camp, we were getting a lot of requests for a Camp Woolaroc for adults! The camp runs through Thursday, July 22.

BPL’s Summer Reading Pool Party

Camp Woolaroc for Children 9-11

Frontier Pool 312 S Virginia Ae.

Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Rd.

Constantine Theater 110 W Main St., Pawhuska

BPL Welcomes Police Dogs

10 AM

The film is based on the extensive interviews Dale R. Lewis conducted for his bestselling book. Lewis’ book is about the life of Damon “Chub” Anderson and his role in the unsolved murder of prominent Oklahoma rancher E.C. Mullendore III. On Sept. 26, 1970, Mullendore was killed in his home on the vast Cross Bell Ranch in Osage County. Although Anderson was in the house with him at the time, he was never charged with the murder. In the following years, both the murder and Anderson’s own life took on a mythic quality. Footprints in the Dew tells the story of what really happened on the night of the murder, as well as the events of Anderson’s life before and after. Anderson collaborated on the project until his death in 2010. Tickets are $5 per person.

Following the film, Dale Lewis and a surprise guest who was involved with the incident will give a presentation and answer questions.

The kids have so much fun that each day they go home sharing their stories with parents and grandparents. The camp runs through Thursday, July 29.

All kids, teens, and adults who participated in the Bartlesville Public Library’s summer reading challenge are invited to the grand finale pool party!

8 PM

7 PM

Live music with Cory Lee

Teen Poetry Club Open Mic Night

Platinum Cigar Company 314 S Johnstone Ave.

Tower Center at Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd.

Participants of Morris McCorvey's Teen Poetry Club will read/perform their work.

Wed, Jul 28 6:30 AM

Faith in Business Series with Quinn Schipper Crossing 2nd 215 E 2nd St. Quinn Schipper is a follower of Jesus from childhood, an ordained minister, and a facilitator of inner healing. He and Becky wed in 1979, and did church planting and development in New Zealand for 10 years.

8 PM

Live Music with Smith Brothers Platinum Cigar Company 314 S Johnstone Ave.

Thank you, Bartlesville for a great 37th Season!

Save the Date! Oktoberfest 2021 • Saturday, October 2

WWW.OKMMUSIC.ORG JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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AFFORDABLE

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HAVE QUESTIONS? Reach out today to our Outreach & Enrollment Specialist at 918.331.3269 or Randall.Jones@ TriCountyTech.edu

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TRICOUNT Y TECH . EDU | 6101 NOWATA ROAD, BARTLESVILLE, OK | 918 . 3 31. 3 3 3 3 There will be no discrimination in the technology center because of race, color, sex, pregnancy, gender, gender expression or identity, national origin, religion, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, age, or genetic information in its programs, services, activities and employment. The following individual is designated to handle inquiries regarding the technology center’s non-discrimination policies, including Title IX: Tara Stevens, Director of HR & Compliance Officer | 6101 Nowata Road, Bartlesville, OK 74006 | 918-331-3248 | Tara.Stevens@TriCountyTech.edu. According to the State of Oklahoma Sex Offenders Registration Act, registered sex offenders must self-disclose their status before admissions. View our privacy policy: TriCountyTech.edu/Privacy-Policy. View our full non-discrimination policy: Bit.ly/NonDiscrimination-Policy. Title IX Training provided by: OSSBA Workshop Resources: Bit.ly/TitleIX-Policy.

A GOOD WORD

. . . To Forgive is Divine Let Go of Anger and You Will be Transformed

by Caleb Gordon

We've all heard the saying “... To forgive is divine,” but the thing I think we forget most of the time is that we are to imitate that divine action. (Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. Ephesians 5:1).

What way we are to imitate God? I'm glad you asked.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 We should keep short accounts. We should be willing to forgive much because we've been forgiven of much. Sadly, that is not the norm in our culture. Many people hold grudges and don’t forgive.

So what happens when we don't forgive others?

When we don't forgive we lose sleep.

Sleep is something that God has given us as a gift! In fact, Jesus has given us the mandate to rest (Matthew 11:28-30). When we live in a state of bitterness our rest is blocked.

When we don't forgive, our health goes downhill. According to the MAYO CLINIC these are some of the things that happen when we don't extend forgiveness and live a bitter lifestyle.

• Bring anger and bitterness into every relationship and new experience • Become so wrapped up in the wrong that you can't enjoy the present • Become depressed or anxious • Feel that your life lacks meaning or purpose, or that you're at odds with your spiritual beliefs • Lose valuable and enriching connectedness with others But on the other hand, those who do live in a state of forgiveness will enjoy the following benefits: • Healthier relationships • Greater spiritual and psychological well-being • Less anxiety, stress and hostility

• Lower blood pressure • Fewer symptoms of depression • Stronger immune system • Improved heart health • Higher self-esteem Living a lifestyle of forgiveness is so much more beneficial to your personal health.

When we don't forgive we damage the body of Christ. One of the most damaging things that happens inside the walls of the church are men and women who claim to love and follow Jesus acting as if they never knew him. The Bible says in John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” It stands to reason that God wants you and I to live in such a way that we love each other and make forgiving one another one of our top priorities! Why? So we can model Jesus to a dark world that is lost and dying. As a result, light shines and lives are changed!

There is a promise from the Lord about this thing called forgiveness. If we won't extend forgiveness to people, Jesus won't extend forgiveness to us. (Matthew 6:15 - “... but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”)

I firmly believe that if the church would live in such a way that we kept short accounts in the area of our relationships, marriages, and church lives, we'd have less turmoil in our world and more blessing!

Stop holding grudges! Honestly, it's insane! Holding a grudge is like punching yourself in the face and expecting the guy you're mad at to be hurt! It never works! You are the one that gets hurt!

Let go of your anger and bitterness and I can promise you will be transformed by it. Lay all of that mess at the foot of Christ’s cross and you’ll never be the same.

JULY 2021 | bmonthly

35

918.333.8225 1501 SE Bison Rd, Bartlesville bisontrails-ok.com Now Leasing: 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom apartments 36

bmonthly | JULY 2021

Making life work is our life’s work.

• Skilled nursing

• Medical social work

• Personal care, hygiene

• Physical therapy

• Transportation

• Companionship

• Occupational therapy

• Home-health management

• Assistance with errands

• Speech therapy

Free consultations, call 918.333.8500

FASHION

Form Follows Fun Interior Designer Follows Function, with Fun Thrown In

by Lori Kroh They say form follows function in the world of design, but here in Bartlesville, we have form following fun with our very own Cortney McClure. She comes to us by way of Wann, Oklahoma — a stone’s throw away — and after college and working at Phillips 66, she learned her passion for design was more than a whim. She grew up loving color, helping others, and with a love for combining the old with the new. She and her husband built their dream home, a traditional new farmhouse, and that is when she knew in her heart that this was her calling.

“It takes a lot of prayer to take a leap into a new venture and not really know if it will all work out,” said Courtney.

She got her start with Wayne Callahan as a builder liaison and learned very quickly that although form does follow function, it is best learned in the field. She has learned the intricacies of construction, and how that combines with design to give the client a beautiful and workable space. Cortney believes that “one has to walk the homes and learn from the builders and actually see how it all comes together to learn the flow of a well-designed home.”

Color is one thing, yet pulling all the ideas and coordinating a cohesive look takes a certain eye, and also instinctive knowledge that Cortney learned these past few years. Whether the project is 500 square feet or a million-dollar mansion, one aspect she adheres to is timeless design. With so many trends and images out there today, most people can get overwhelmed — so Cortney does the work for her clients. Since she is a project-based designer, that not only saves them time, it saves a lot of feelings of being overwhelmed. She believes that her clients instinctively know what they like, they just need someone to pull it all together.

She provides renderings so they can get a great perspective on what the room or rooms will look like, which gives them confidence to move forward.

Her enthusiastic personality and upbeat attitude are essential when it comes to a project, because sometimes the construction of a dream can be a bit stressful. She wants to provide her clients the best experience and alleviate the harder components. Her office in the old courthouse building has great light from the windows and immense architecture, which inspires the idea that details do matter.

Although she offers different packages depending on the needs of the client, one can be assured that her standard is the same. The standard of excellence. As a working mother with a husband, two children, and farm animals to manage, Cortney has a firm idea on project management. She understands how the business of life — whether work or home — creates this need for sanctuary. Cortney McClure would love the chance to create that for you.

JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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cocktails coffee food fun

a downtown nexus

215 E. 2nd Street www.crossing2nd.com

BARBARA HOPPER

WIC supports 53% of all infants born in the U.S. Someone you know may be eligible.

Real Estate Since 1978 918-335-7202 call or text

ABR, CRS, GRI, Licensed Broker

Pregnant and Postpartum Women, Infants and Children up to age 5 who receive SoonerCare automatically qualify. Participants DO NOT have to be Native American to receive benefits! Spread the word! Call 1-800-460-1006 for more information.

Clinic locations in Pawhuska, Skiatook, Hominy, Bartlesville, Tulsa, Fairfax, McCord and Ponca City! WIC MOBILE COMING SOON!!

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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bmonthly | JULY 2021

NOW YOU KNOW SPONSOR

New Bank, Familiar Faces

NOW YOU KNOW

Nuts & Bolts of Lustron Living

by Debbie Neece, Bartlesville Area History Museum

During WWII, communities contributed to the war effort by supporting scrap drives which furnished metal to build battleships, guns, planes, etc. to fight the war. When the war ended, necessity became the mother of invention. Reportedly 59% of military veterans returning from WWII found a housing shortage and in an effort to stimulate home construction, President Truman implemented the Veterans Emergency Housing Program. It was doubtful government housing projections would be met through traditional construction so alternate options were considered, including steel prefabricated homes. Prefabrication was not a new concept as during the early 1900s, Gordon-Van Tine, Montgomery Ward and Sears all sold prefabricated wood construction homes.

Carl Strandlund was a Swedish immigrant and self-taught engineer with an eye for possibilities. He was quite the inventor with over 150 patents to his credit and he was honored as a civilian war hero for his innovative contributions during WWII. His answer to the housing crisis was to secure federal loans and convert an Ohio Curtiss-Wright wartime aircraft factory into the Lustron Corporation home manufacturing plant.

Strandlund had worked for the Chicago Vitreous Enamel Company, which manufactured enamel coated steel panels for the construction of Standard Oil gas stations and White Castle hamburger restaurants. But, building and shipping complete homes took ingenuity. In 1946, Strandlund built his Lustron Esquire prototype 40

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home in Hinsdale, IL from which the Westchester, Newport and Meadowbrook models evolved.

Lustron homes came in four exterior color choices: surf blue, maize yellow, desert tan and dove gray, trimmed in eggshell white with dark gray roof tiles. Interior color options were light gray, blue, light yellow and later pink. And each home had a plaque in the utility room displaying the Lustron’s serial number and model number. The two-bedroom, 990 square foot, Esquire prototype had a blue and yellow exterior and featured a 6x12 foot recessed entry porch. This home was the basis for the Westchester model, Lustron’s most popular design. The Westchester was available in two-bedrooms at 1,085 square feet with a recessed porch or a larger footprinted three-bedrooms at 1,209 square feet with no recessed porch but an attached porch canopy. In 1949, the Westchester came in Standard or an upgraded Deluxe model which featured built-in bookshelves, bedroom vanity storage, eleven closets, oil or Gasomatic panel heating, bay window, floor tile and spacesaving pocket doors.

In the mid-1940s, the Electric Household Utilities Corporation began selling their Thor Automagic Washing Machine, a top-loading semi-automatic combination dishwasher and clothes washer. The Thor had a Vitreous Enamel washtub capable of handling 8 pounds of laundry and an interchangeable galvanized dishwasher tub with a built-in rack for washing dishes. For Lustron home owners, the addition of a Thor washing machine was a luxury and came stan-

NOW YOU KNOW dard with the Westchester Deluxe model. However, some home owners could not get past the idea of washing clothes and dishes in the same machine and declined the upgrade.

The less expensive and smaller Newport model was also available in two-bedroom (713 square feet) and three-bedroom (961 square feet) options but without the porch or frills. And the Meadowbrook was essentially the same no-frills home, just slightly larger; two-bedrooms at 775 square feet and three-bedrooms at 1,023 square feet.

The company began producing one-story ranch-style porcelain-enamel coated steel homes on September 4, 1948 using an assembly line with approximately eight miles of conveyor system, automatic welders, eleven airplane wing sized enameling furnaces and giant metal presses large enough to stamp out a bathtub in one strike.

Highly advertised as extremely durable and low maintenance, the Lustron home exterior could be cleaned with a garden hose.

In addition, Lustron homes were rot-proof, fire-proof, rodentproof and never needed painting. Even the enameled roof tiles were virtually indestructible and never needed replacement. And, the all metal interior walls created the perfect space for hours of magnetic game fun.

Some of us hold childhood memories of playing with erector sets and marveling at our created structures. Assembling these metal jigsaw puzzles correlated to the effort of assembling a Lustron home. Throughout the country, a network of salesmen/builders submitted orders and prepared a concrete pad in anticipation of the Lustron delivery truck arrival. The roughly 13-ton home consisted of 3,300 nuts, bolts, porcelain panels and a 207 page instruction manual requiring about 360 man hours to assemble the home piece-by-piece.

Hitting the wallet at about $10,500, there were an estimated 2,680 Lustron homes constructed across the United States with about half still in service. In Oklahoma, there are nine documented Lustron homes; Stillwater (2), Cushing (2), Tulsa (1), Nowata (1) and Bartlesville(3). Bartlesville’s Lustron homes are all Westchester Standard two-bedroom models. Standing in the shadows of the Memorial Bridge just off Adams Blvd., the Lustron home located at 519 SE Comanche was originally purchased by Postal Carrier Harvey Romine. In the Jane Phillips addition, 1554 and 1574 SW Rogers were purchased by Phillips Petroleum Com-

519 SE COMANCHE AVE.

1574 SW ROGERS AVE. pany Engineers H. Rex Hunter and Ernest Harper (respectively).

In 2009, 1554 SW Rogers became registered as a National Historical Place by the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).

In 1949, Lustron offered home-matching detached garages, breezeway to link the home and garage, patios, carports, and screen porches. However, the company found it increasingly difficult to maintain the level of supply to meet demand. Faced with rising production costs and labor issues, the Lustron Corporation was in financial trouble. Since inception, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC), the government financing agency, had loaned the Lustron Corporation $37 million to support the failing operation. Finally, the RFC forced the company into receivership and bankruptcy. Production ended June 6, 1950 and Lustron assets were eventually offered at public auction. By 1952, the factory that had once made Lustron homes was making jet airplanes to support the Korean War conflict.

P.S. If this story inspires you to see Bartlesville’s Lustron homes, please be respectful of the residents. And thank you to the Facebook Lustron Community for your help.

Did You Know?

In order to be recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, Lustron homes must maintain much of their original integrity. There are three Oklahoma Lustron homes on the National Registry. All are of the Westchester model …

Cushing (1), Stillwater (1) and Bartlesville (1).

Now You Know*

1554 SW ROGERS AVE. JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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FROM THE HEART

Memories are Beautiful We Choose to Hold On to What Matters the Most to Us

by Lori Kroh What is old is new again is an expression of truth.

I took my daughter shopping and she begged me to get her the latest craze ... a shirt with a lightning bolt on it. She told me it’s the newest thing and how she wanted her bangs cut and they would be called curtain bangs.

I laughed out loud and said, “Honey, I wore a lightning bolt on the back pocket of my jeans and my hair was cut with bangs and we called it feathered.” I had copied Farrah Fawcett, and my thoughts turned to my childhood and all that stood out to me.

I remember going to Shane’s Games and couldn’t decide which jeans to wear ... my Calvins, the ones with a lightning bolt on the back pocket, or the ones that had a roller skate on the back with a real lace-up shoestring I had to tie. I knew I needed just a five dollar bill and my yellow comb to feather my hair and I was good for most of the day. I was an expert on Galaga and Ms. Pacman and although it was dark in there, I knew my friends could see how good my hair looked — and that’s all that mattered.

I wonder why some things matter to us then and even now.

My daughter showed me a picture of how she wants her room to be and I laughed out loud again. It was a room of natural color wicker, hanging plants, posters, and a furry rug. It was exactly the huge wicker chair that everyone had posed in for senior pictures.

It had this huge, rounded back and you wanted to lean back and relax. Yet wicker can be unforgiving on a knit sweater. Every single one of my friends had that as a background choice for their pictures and most likely a snagged sweater. I remember when my friends got all wicker bedrooms and it was a huge dilemma whether I wanted white-painted wicker or natural. I couldn’t decide. I ended up with some hand-me-down antiques that I still have to this day. I saw wicker in garage sales over the years and they couldn’t give it away — I wondered why nobody loved their

wicker anymore. I wonder why some things we choose to let go and some things we hold on to forever.

Now, the latest craze is her Polaroid camera. It’s the thing to do ... go to the pool and take pictures and print on the spot. They go through three boxes of film and she thinks it’s the most incredible invention. I laugh out loud again. My Dad had a Polaroid and I remember all the pictures he took and how they faded to a yellow hue. And yet as I look at them — I am there. The day they were taken and what occurred ... I am there and see everything as it once was and know inside how I felt.

I wonder why some things we choose to remember and some things we allow to fade.

I heard her the other day listening to Dolly Parton sing. She asked me if I knew who Dolly was and if I knew what vintage meant ... again I am laughing. I took her over to a closet and showed her my record player I received as a present. I also got boxes of my Dad’s old albums and told her to go through and see what she could find. Sure enough, we had vintage Dolly albums in mint condition. I told her to look inside to see all the words ... I can’t believe I remembered that about those albums. I watched her sit cross-legged and sing along, and she was in a blissful state. She began to say the words that I already knew. I wonder why some songs you can hear for the first time in years and know every single word, and yet can’t remember what you needed at the store.

This took me back ... what is old is new again, because we hold on to what matters. I know why they bring it all back around now and I am no longer laughing. I am crying. Because memories are beautiful and I want her to have even more than I had growing up here.

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3434 Kentucky Place • 918-333-9545 • www.bartlesvillehealthandrehab.com 44

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OUT & ABOUT

ANNUAL CHAMBER GALA

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OUT & ABOUT

OSAGE INDIAN RACES

LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL

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OUT & ABOUT

LEGACY HALL OF FAME

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srussell@mcgrawrealtors.com

918-213-5943

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ON THE OSAGE

Rocky Mountain High . . . . . . In Osage County

by Kelly Bland “Almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River. Life is old there, older than the trees. Younger than the mountains, growin’ like a breeze. Country roads take me home to the place I belong.” No, that’s not it… How about, “Rocky Mountain High, in Colorado. Rocky Mountain High, in Colorado.” Yes! That’s the one I’m looking for! I knew it was a John Denver song that captured the feeling I had when I first met Neil and Teresa Fisher, our newest attraction owners in Osage County.

Out west of Pawhuska on Highway 60, the Old West Buffalo Co. has staked their claim and, we think, will soon hit pay dirt on their Oklahoma sod due to a one-of-a-kind experience offered on their homestead.

Coming to Osage Co. from Colorado, the Fishers are new to the territory. Due to extreme COVID restrictions last year in the Rocky Mountain state, Neil and Teresa began exploring other locations for their Buffalo Co. One day when driving through Pawhuska, it was as if their country roads had just led them “home” to the place they belong. We here in the Osage think it’s a perfect fit, as well.

Just four miles west of Pawhuska, keeping with the old-west theme, the Fishers have constructed an event venue that resembles a town from a black and white Ben Johnson/John Wayne western. Inside is a large, open great room with a loft. This huge open room is equipped with tech sure to suit any event planner’s vision. From a mounted projector with a drop-down big screen, to a sound system designed for quality — this old west venue is versatile and stylish, teched-up and equipped, but surrounded by western elegance with simplistic style that makes a statement.

Large, elaborate chandeliers cascade from the tall black ceilings

and pop off the vintage wood walls. A large rustic fireplace enhances the welcoming atmosphere in the room, almost upstaging the views invading from portals on the south wall, where pasture and bison dance together in the Oklahoma breeze.

Not only can you host your own event at the Old West Buffalo Co., history and adventure can be experienced on one of their “tours” through time and pasture. Telling the story behind the preservation of America’s bison, Neil and Teresa have written and produced an entertaining documentary involving men such as Theodore Roosevelt and Charles Goodnight. Visitors get to enjoy the show and tour their hall of fame before loading up for a good old fashioned hay wagon ride through the pasture, where the bison come right up to the wagon for interaction with their latest visitors! From the safety of an elevated wagon, folks can actually have an up-close experience with one of this country’s greatest animals.

In addition, the Fishers have a “General Store” in their old west town, where bison meat is available for purchase. The General Store has a farm-to-table feel, with country charm in abundance.

We’d love to invite you to come have your own Old West Buffalo Co. experience and see if you don’t get the same impression I did upon meeting the Fishers. They’re like a cool breath of some fresh Colorado mountain air, right here on the prairie of Osage County, Oklahoma. To book an event or an experience, connect with Old West Buffalo Co. on Facebook and on their website at OldWestBuffalo.com.

Y’all come see us in the Osage — where #TheSmilesAreAlwaysFree! 😊 JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK

by Jay Webster I do a lot of errands.

I go to the hardware store. The auto store. The grocery-topick-up-what-we-forgot-store. The clothing store. The one-of-a-hundred-discounts store. And of course, the drivethrough-food-store.

Apparently, if I’m not consuming stuff, I am preparing to consume stuff. I don’t think the other animals are like this.

Yesterday, I was just the get-a-way driver on a series of errands. That means I got to sit in the car while the rest of my party went in to procure whatever we urgently needed. The view from the car wasn’t particularly scenic. There was lots of aged

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concrete, some misguided dumpsters, clumps of determined weeds with no one to chop them down … all against a backdrop of faded plastic signs and faux stucco. It was ugly.

But in the midst of all that was an urban Nat Geo show of which I was apparently the only audience member. Birds and squirrels bantered about as if they were in a manicured park.

They hopped from place to place, surveying their prospects and going about their little Disney cartoon lives … whistling and dreaming up magic like they’d just discovered the scraps from one of the dispensary stores.

It’s obvious that those in the insect and animal world do not see things as most humans do. Like my nine year old — who can

FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK walk into a room and be utterly unaware of the squalor she herself has created — these creatures seem to have no discernment between a 7/11 parking lot and Central Park. They will roam both with equal intensity.

Think about it. Birds don’t predatory loan companies, they nest there. You never see a squirrel in a wife-beater tank top and jean shorts sweeping up gravel or picking weeds. They’re too busy living off the fat of the land — mainly leftover taquitos and mountain dew.

Dogs are the equivalent of your “Big Hello Friend.” That’s the friend who erupts when you walk into the room, standing arms wide open, embracing you as the brother they haven’t seen for 10 years, showering you with love and then … that’s it. They have no banter, no follow up, no real conversation to offer. Just the big protest gauche marquees for hello and the big good bye, but no relationship sandwich — It’s obvious that those in the insect and animal world do not nothing in between. see things as most humans do. Like my nine year old — who can walk into a room and be utterly unaware of the In recent years, it feels like squalor she herself has created — these creatures seem to we’ve tried to force animals into have no discernment between a 7/11 parking lot and Cenhuman personas. Or maybe tral Park. They will roam both with equal intensity. they’ve been more intellectually

Only humans feel compelled to change their surroundings.

We’ll spend hours taking vegetation growing happily in one place, like a nursery, and move it across town to plant it in another place, usually our homes. Given the opportunity, we’ll dig up an entire beautiful lawn, just so we can roll it up, transport it by truck, and lay it out like new sod carpeting over our own dead lawns.

We scrape and fill and paint. We spray and soap and clean.

We buy and carry and arrange.

The only thing an animal will move is itself. (I say that. The dung beetle does do some shoveling, but he’s in the service industry. So…) We built a fish pond in our backyard (the product of MANY errands). Water, it appears, is a big draw in the animal kingdom.

We have an episode of Real House Animals of Oklahoma playing back there. If we were together right now, I would play you this memo I recorded on my phone of what it sounds like at night. The pond is the reptilian equivalent of a night club. There are yard lights. There’s booming base (I guess the toads). Then the tree frogs show up. There’s this other group whose croak sounds like laughter. It’s loud and raucous (maybe some drinking’s involved) and then about a week later there are thousands of little tadpoles.

Meanwhile, all the amphibians have crawled off to their respective pads to sleep it off. And guess who gets left to take care of the baby frogs. That’s right — me. Personally, I find it irresponsible.

It’s as if they’ve never even attended a sex education course.

You have to give it to animals though, they don’t spend their lives building up facades, physical or otherwise. When you see a dog (or more precisely — when a dog sees you) you know exactly how they feel. They’re incapable of “playing it cool” or acting nonchalant. Immediately their tails wag, their feet get happy, and they express a total disregard for your personal space. There is no “let’s take it slow and see where this relationship goes” with a dog.

Nope. On impact, their bodies immediately blurt out, “I love you.

I love you and I don’t care who knows it. See, I’m dancing now to show the whole world that I love you. Look, smell my butt and let’s be together forever!”

developed than we thought all along. I ran into a friend recently who told me their lab was suffering from anxiety. The vet had actually prescribed a mood enhancer for the dog. Man, you think a dog is affectionate on a regular basis, just wait till they’re stoned.

I don’t know if trying to “elevate” the rest of the animal kingdom to human levels of emotion or intellect is a good idea. I mean, I get it. If you think of them as more human-like, we’re more likely to be concerned about protecting, taking care of them, and ensuring their well-being. That’s all good.

But in reality, our prescription and anxiety levels have never been higher. What’s so enticing about the human experience?

Maybe we should get back to the basics of animal instincts. You never see a frog hiding from the others because they feel “pudgy” today. Birds don’t feel compelled to announce “I’m sorry this place is such a mess” when they invite you into their nest. Dogs don’t segregate based on your breed or the color of your fur — it’s just not the natural order of things. They’re much more concerned about the tale your tail has to tell.

I don’t know how we even got on this subject. I was just trying to tell you about some errands I was running, but you’re just so easy to talk to. I guess I just got kinda carried away.

Maybe there are some “take-a-ways” from all this though.

Don’t play it cool. Wag your tail and let people know how you feel about them. Don’t judge by the color of someone’s fur. And stay away from the deep side of the pond when the bass is playing … or you might end up with a bunch of unwanted tadpoles.

I’ll look for you here next month, friends. Cheers.

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MEETING A NEED

Empowering Families Family Promise Creates Solutions With Community Support

by Lori Just In the United States today, one child out of six lives in poverty.

Families with children make up 35% of the people in this country who experience homelessness. Family Promise of Washington County empowers families with the support of the community to create solutions.

“Poverty is a complex problem and requires an integrated approach that reaches beyond immediate needs,” said Ashley Sikes, director. “We initiate coordinated efforts with local churches to help homeless families regain their housing, their independence, and their dignity.”

After a community assessment was completed, there was clear evidence this program needed to be started locally. Miss Jenkins put together a committee to establish the 501(c)(3) status, secure a place to operate, find funding, develop polices, and connect with local resources.

“We opened our doors in August 2015 at the Anchor House at 822 S. Johnstone, and served our first family a month later,” she said. “The local churches in our community alternate hosting the families once a quarter, providing meals and housing.”

Since opening, Family Promise has received 653 referrals and has served 39 families. That represents 57 adults and 83 children ranging in age from newborn to 16 years, for a total of 125 individuals. Family Promise has graduated 24 families.

Anchor House is where participant families take showers, do their laundry, and take advantage of those extra services before being transported to nighttime accommodations. All families are also connected to supportive community resources. Family Promise works with these families on a foundational level to provide case management and education on budgeting and goal setting.

Families are required to save at least 80 percent of their paychecks after securing employment.

“The length of stay for the families in the program is approximately three months,” she said. “When they have completed their goals and have saved a good amount of money, we consider them to be ready for graduation.”

Once a family graduates, they are moved into their own residence. Family Promise stays with a family for at least a year after they graduate, making sure their path for success continues and offering support when needed.

“We helped a mom who was coming out of an abusive relationship and found herself homeless because she was not allowed to take anything with her, including money, because of the husband,” Sikes said. “She reached out to us, and we brought her into our program. She felt so hopeless and lonely. I worked with

her, and we were able to accomplish a lot of goals she was working on. She started to feel like she was worthy and that she could accomplish things on her own. She got her LPN license while in the program and was able to get a job in a doctor's office. She had saved up over $3,000 dollars while in the program and was able to pay her first month's rent and deposit on her own place.

She is doing awesome and said Family Promise was what helped her make it through.”

This fall, Family Promise will host its fourth annual Tour de Bville fundraising event on Satrday, October 2. This is a family bike ride around downtown Bartlesville with various stops along the way. Participants will receive a card to be punched at each designated stop. At the end of the ride, completed cards may be turned in for a drawing. Children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult on the ride. Each participant will receive a T-shirt. Watch for more details coming soon.

Part of a national network, Washington County is one of over 200+ affiliates across the U.S. Working together, they provide temporary housing, meals, and services to more than 125,000 family members annually.

“We are always looking for volunteers and are still needing a couple more churches to be a part of our program,” said Sikes.

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EVERY SATURDAY May 1 - October 16 HOURS: 8AM-11:30AM

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KNOWING NOWATA

Road to a Dream Come True Nowata City County Library Changed Much Over the Years

by Carrol Craun The Nowata City County Library has been serving the citizens of Nowata County for many years. Getting to today and its current site for the library has proved to be a challenge since pioneer days prior to statehood. Early versions of the library were located in individual homes, and at one time on the top floor of what is now Regent Bank. Their purpose was actually to be a resting spot for ladies coming in to town to do shopping and needing a place to refresh themselves.

The Nowata City Charter Article 10, Section 81B, drawn up in 1920, authorized the creation of a public library and the establishment of a library board. The first librarian was Gladys Witt. The library was housed on the second floor of the old fire station and city hall building. Over time the library moved to different locations, as funding and space became a problem. In 1963, the Jaycees established what is now the Nowata City County Library, placing it in two rooms donated by the First National Bank. From there the library moved to the Missouri Pacific Depot. Funding continued to be a major problem, which was helped when Otis Munson, Nowata City Manager in 1965, announced that the city would provide $2,000 in support if the county would match it. By 1967, the library was no longer all volunteer when a contract drawn up between the city and county, and the Nowata City County Library was established. The library staff became paid employees.

Space continued to be a problem, and the library moved to the old Sinclair building, located at 701 East Modoc, close to Highway 169. This building was remodeled with funds from the Harmon Foundation. This location proved to be successful, but again space became a major problem. In 1981, the Pearl M. and Julia J. Harmon Foundation stepped in with an offer of funds to build a new facility.

Working with the city and county commissioners, the library board, and the school board, land from the old elementary school was secured and what is known today as the Claude C. Harmon Park, Claude C. Harmon Pool, Julia J. Harmon Library and the Harmon Community Center became a reality.

On April 8, 1984, the $2,000,000 complex was dedicated and opened to the public. The building was the first library in Oklahoma to use an innovative passive solar-powered heating system. The building faces south with a steeply sloped roof that allows for a twostory, 1,932 square-foot glass wall, in front of a 12-inch dark masonry wall called a 'trombe' wall. The wall serves as a collector and as storage

The Harmon Board of Trustees in 1984, with Lt. Governor Spencer Bernard, who was the keynote speaker for the dedication of the complex.

medium because of its 212,900-pound mass. On winter nights, an insulated curtain could be pulled over the wall to hold in heat.

During the winter months, vents inside could be opened near the floor and ceiling to allow for air flow. The hot air would rise to the top, the cool air would pass over the 'trombe' wall and be reheated. Solar design requires super insulation, so books were shelved on outside walls to use them as added insulation. It was expected that the system would contribute as much as 99 percent of the winter heating requirements, but a back-up system was installed. This was a wise decision, as the solar system equipment proved to be inadequate and changes needed to be made. While the system does not provide all the heat needed, it has proved to be an economic alternative to more traditional methods of temperature control. The first librarians in the new facility were head librarian Bernice Long and Donna McCray, Assistant.

The Complex, located at 224 S. Pine, has two meeting rooms, one with a small kitchen, the library, a gallery upstairs, and a courtyard. The Olympic-sized pool is located directly south of the library entrance and opened on May 31, 1983.

Having had the opportunity to use many libraries across the country for work and for pleasure, the Nowata City County Library is one of the finest I have encountered.

All services area available and the staff is fantastic.

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COMMUNITY

The Spirit of Progress Heart of the Social Scene, Yesterday & Today

by Sarah Leslie Gagan

It was Monday night, November 12th, 1923. Calvin Coolidge was the nation’s 30th president, and Frank Norton Buck was mayor of Bartlesville. The town extended east only as far as the Caney River, with a population of 14,417. Running on 13-centsa-gallon gasoline, Nashes, Studebakers, and Packards were making their way to 612 South Johnstone, along with pedestrian traffic from all directions. Some men undoubtedly dressed in a new $40 wool tweed Kuppenheimer suit from Zofness Brothers, escorting women who were perhaps wearing a $27 silk dress from Degen's, with the hem just above their ankles.

Everyone was excited to see the inside of the new Civic Center, built at a cost just over $320,000. Entering the doors,

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they crossed the red-tiled vestibule, looking inside the 80x100foot ballroom. At each end of the vestibule stood a marble staircase. Climbing the stairs, the crowd filed down a corridor and then through one of the auditorium doors. The auditorium was built in the bowl style, with circular rows seating 1,850 people, including a “floating balcony.”

At 8:30 p.m., trumpets sounded from the balcony and the 24-piece orchestra, conducted by Ed Oblinger, started to play from behind the velvet curtain. The curtain rose, and Mrs. Loren Campbell appeared on the huge 72x40-foot stage and delivered the first words of the Civic Center's dedication performance, “I am the Spirit of Progress...”

COMMUNITY

Performed before a full house, the pageant, Oklahoma, A Spirit of Progress, was the premiere event of many wonderful occasions to be held at the Bartlesville Civic Center. It was that first performance in 1923 that was perhaps the most memorable for the town. With its local cast of 500, the residents of Bartlesville had never seen anything like it before. The cast included community members such as Griff Graham, Irene Frank, Marie Foster, and Corine Gray. Howard Cannon and Bertha McCoy added their singing voices, as Judge Charlton portrayed John Ross alongside Jon Carpenter, portraying Joe Bartles. Everyone received their share of applause. Newspaper

reports in 1923 boasted the Bartlesville Civic Center as unrivaled in this area of the southwest.

The concept of the building first began with a dream to construct one central venue for the growing community, that could host area entertainment in style, as well as provide meeting space for various organizations.

On March 4, 1921, city commissioners authorized an election to issue bonds for $300,000 to construct the building. The election was held April 5th, 1921, and the community approved the proposal. In May of 1921, a committee of nine was appointed from several different civic organizations to meet and select an

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COMMUNITY

architect for the building. Barnett-Haynes and Barnett, of St. Louis Missouri, were selected to draw the plans.

For greater than five decades, the Civic Center served our community well, as it became the hub of civic and social activity.

Thousands of events were held during the Civic Center’s lifetime, all leaving lasting and fondly-recalled memories for those in attendance. Parties, dance recitals, scouting events, school choir, band and orchestra performances, science fairs, dog shows, high school dances, graduation commencements, concerts, plays, pageants, variety shows, speeches, exhibits, and Saturday night dances — the Civic Center was the heartbeat of our social scene.

One of the most cherished memories is of the huge Christmas parties hosted annually by Frank Phillips for all the local children. Santa Claus was always there, and Uncle Frank would hand out stockings full of fruit, candy, and nuts, and a silver dollar to each child.

Entertainment featuring live animals was welcome, family-oriented fun. The Civic Center was known to host a Biblical pageant featuring sheep, goats, and donkeys; a circus with an elephant; and even a magician who made a real horse disappear from the auditorium stage. Bartlesville-area children growing up with the Civic Center saw it as a magical place of their childhood.

Before the Adams Building (with its gymnasium) was built in the early '50s, many high school graduation commencements were held in the Civic Center auditorium. Phillips Petroleum held many dances in the ballroom, with Frank Phillips and later, Boots Adams, attending.

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Celebrated traveling shows performed in the Civic Center auditorium. Will Rogers appeared on the stage in his benefit show for drought relief in 1931 and told jokes about notable people in Bartlesville. The touring company of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Green Pastures also appeared at the Civic Center in the '30s.

Other notable individuals appeared at the venue, including Admiral Richard Byrd, Republican presidential candidate Thomas Dewey, actress Helen Hayes, and animal tamer Osa Johnson.

The vast array of performances wasn’t the only attribute that brought visitors to the Civic Center. Many builders and entrepreneurs came from far and wide to see the famous building they were hearing about. The Civic Center was the first to have a floating balcony west of the Mississippi, marble steps, 17 dressing rooms, foot lights on the stage and two stage curtains, and also a fire escape. Another unique feature was the huge cistern built underneath the building for water to be used in the kitchen and for the drinking fountains, since it was constructed before city water purification systems.

The Civic Center became a true community hall as it grew to house city offices, the public library, and offices of the Red Cross, Boy Scouts, Public Health, American Legion, and a number of other organizations. In 1927, the library moved into the north wing on the ground floor. In 1932, City Hall moved into the south wing. And in 1965, the History Room opened on the second floor of the library.

As the community continued to grow, it became evident that the Civic Center required renovating to keep up with the changing needs of the town. Studies to renovate the center were conducted in 1962, 1965, 1966 and 1972, but, the largest impact came from a study conducted in

COMMUNITY

1975 by a Civic Center advisory committee chaired by Sloan Childers. Concern regarding structural integrity of the 52-yearold building led the city to commission a Tulsa engineering firm to conduct tests. In March of 1976, the firm issued a fatal report.

Representatives declared the cantilever floating balcony was structurally inadequate and unsafe.

Following the study, Pittsburg Testing Laboratories of Dallas conducted additional stress tests. The results led city commissioners to close all city offices located underneath the balcony in August 1976. The Civic Center was left in abandon, leaving dozens of activities to be relocated and rescheduled. Because of the negative economic impact of the closure and the desire to continue providing quality entertainment to the local area, a special committee was appointed in October 1976 to plan a new community center.

As the committee shaped their vision for a new community venue, they desired to create a space that would become as integral to the area as the Civic Center had been. They envisioned a world class performing arts center rather than a simple concert

hall. The committee also wished to carry on the traditions of the Civic Center by providing a place for citizens and business to gather for social and public events.

The city desired to keep the new center near the heart of town, and the best location was determined to be just east of the Civic Center. At the time, the property was home to Garfield School, the first brick school in Bartlesville.

Garfield School faced East on Cherokee Avenue and was built in 1904. The school was last used in June 1974, when it was deemed no longer habitable. It was demolished in 1978 to make way for the current Bartlesville Community Center building. The light-colored stone from above the school's doorway, inscribed "19·Garfield School·04", can be seen at the northeast corner of Dewey Avenue and Adams Boulevard, commemorating the location of Bartlesville's first permanent school building.

With the location of the new Community Center falling in the shadow of the Frank Lloyd Wright Price Tower, the committee desired to continue the modern tradition created by Wright. The

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COMMUNITY Bartlesville Community Center was designed by Wright’s first student and protégé, William Wesley Peters, and a team from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation’s Taliesin Association Architects.

The resulting five-story, earth-toned center with its flowing curves is definitely a show-stopper. Wright called the style of architecture “organic,” allowing the structure to blend with its natural surroundings — in this case, the buff backdrop of the Osage Hills. The predominance of curves was for acoustic strength as much as for visual appeal.

Peters spent six months finding out firsthand what Bartians wanted. What Peters came up with, he said, was “a building built for Bartlesville, a ‘good time’ place, a place for the whole community to get together to work and play, a renewal of the old concept of the city square.” Understanding the need for a multi-purpose facility, he promised the center would be a home for everything from “grand opera to grade school.” The community has proved him right.

Flintco Inc., of Tulsa, was hired as general contractor for the Community Center project. Construction began in December, 1979 and was completed in January, 1982. The cost of the Bartlesville Community Center, including land, construction, furnishings, and equipment, was nearly $13

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million, and was completely paid for before opening day on January 12, 1982.

The creativity of the building’s exterior design flows throughout the interior as well. Graceful, winding ramps show off arched and mirrored vistas punctuated with icicle-style chandeliers.

There is continuity of form and shape throughout the entire building. Forms in glass run into the concrete, and triangles are repeated in the lighting and other details. There’s a strong element of repetition — nothing is done just once.

The Community Center is home to a gallery’s worth of original artwork, displayed throughout the center. This includes the world’s largest cloisonne mosaic, a spectacular 25-foot mural depicting the woodsy appeal of Green Country.

The state-of-the-art auditorium consists of a floating orchestra shell, stage trap door large enough for an elephant,

COMMUNITY computerized lighting, myriad dressing rooms, a professional rehearsal hall, costume shop, work shop, and a waiting room for performers. The backstage amenities easily rival those found in the most sophisticated metropolis.

The Community Center is not just for the fine arts, however.

It frequently plays host to chili suppers, weddings, trade shows, Scouting events, and more. It carries on the traditions of the Civic Center in its own style and way, keeping the spirit of progress alive.

After being vacated in 1976, the Civic Center sat in neglected solitude. Its once-grand marble staircases were buried beneath layers of dust and old library books. Chunks of plaster covered the floor and the ceiling had begun to sag and fall in places. A

damaged roof, open windows, and an unsecured fire escape door had allowed leaves and rain to blow into the building.

After 67 years of service to the community, the Bartlesville Civic Center was demolished in 1990 to make way for a beautiful, modern library. The Keeper of the National Registry designated the Civic Center as a National Historic Landmark a few months after area residents approved its destruction.

The spirit of progress remains alive and well in our town today.

We are so fortunate to be home to the Bartlesville Community Center, with all its diverse capabilities. And we hold dear the memories made by past generations within the walls of the Bartlesville Civic Center. Perhaps the spirit of progress grows from treasuring the memories of yesterday, while actively creating new memories today.

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Coney Island Popular Restaurant Open Again in Bartlesville

by Tim Hudson Bartlesville has a Coney Island again. They have been open for a couple of months now, and it seems Bartians are not just fans of Coney Island coneys — but big fans. For many years Tulsa was their only alternative, but that time is over, as Ellis Coney Island on Frank Phillips Blvd is open for business.

Leslie Hallaway, who owns Ellis Coney Island with her husband and fellow native Bartian, Dudley, said that there were two other Coney Islands in Bartlesville’s past.

“There was one downtown,” she said. “Behind where Hideaway Pizza is now. We have a picture of it on our wall.”

She said that she’s also been told there was another Coney Island at one time, but is not positive where it was located.

“There was another one that opened for a couple years somewhere downtown,” she said. “I found out recently it was owned by one of my friends that I used to work with. When she saw us open this Coney she asked ‘Did you know I had one downtown for a couple years?’ I had no idea.”

The pump was primed for fans of the delicious coneys, but making the restaurant a reality took some doing.

“My husband loves coneys, and he's been waiting to open one for the past 10 years,” she said, noting that he was ready for a career change.

“He decided it was time to open a Coney Island, it was now or never. It took a year of research. He went to almost every Coney Island in Tulsa,” she said. "He talked to a lot of the owners to research it.”

After the decision was made to open, a location had to be decided on — which came fairly quickly.

“We found one, but they backed out because of COVID, and they were afraid to open a restaurant,” she said. “We were checking on a couple other places and then this space came available.

The realtor called and said that (the former) Lot-A-Burger is selling. We just got lucky, and when it was put on the market we jumped right on it.”

Reaction to Ellis Coney Island was immediate as word spread all over town that fans would be able to get the familiar coneys and other favorite menu items again.

“When we first opened, the first two weeks we were packed nonstop. We would make 60 pounds of chili in the morning and run out it — was just wild,” she said. “We had to have a bunch of employees, a bunch of people helping, and it was just nonstop.

We would make more chili and still run out.”

The crowds are treated to the aforementioned menu that includes their own recipe for chili.

“We have the coneys, and we have Frito chili pies and bowls of chili. We now have loaded baked potatoes with chili and cheese and whatever you want on it,” she said. “We have mac and cheese for the kids, but the adults have also been buying those like crazy.

You can add a hot dog to the mac & cheese if you want. We also have chili mac, chips, and ice cream bars. We have all the Pepsi products, tea, and Gatorade, as well as cookies.”

The chili recipe alone took a bit to develop.

“It's me and my husband's recipe that took us two months to figure out. We thought it was perfect, so we make that every day,” she said, adding that the recipe does not include beans. “We don't have beans anywhere. There are no beans in our chili and it's homemade every morning.”

In addition to the amazing food, the Hallaways have deep roots in the area that include numerous other events and businesses that most Bartians would recognize.

“My husband and I were both born in Bartlesville, but when I was one my family moved to Texas. All my aunts, uncles, and relatives are still here,” she said, adding that the old Lehman’s Sporting Goods that used to be downtown was owned by her grandfather. “His grandfather is Emmett Hallaway, and there have been many articles written about him. He actually ran away with the Kelly Brothers’s Circus when he was 16.”

Leslie said that Dudly’s mother, Dorothy Hallaway, was the one that started Sunfest. "It used to be called Summerfest, and she was an artist,” she said.

Be sure to check out Ellis Coney Island at 3113 E Frank Phillips Blvd., or search for Ellis Coney Island on Facebook.

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JEFF HALL REAL ESTATE “My commitment to service is my commitment to you!”

35 Years of Real Estate Knowledge Jeff Hall, Broker/Associate (Licensed Broker in OK and NC)

515 SE Delaware Avenue, Bartlesville, OK 74003 918.440.9199 jhall@mcgrawrealtors.com

ONCE UPON A TIME

Ray Price A Kiss On the Cheek at the Community Center

by Rita Thurman Barnes or curtain calls. He simply shared from the heart such songs as City Lights, Crazy Arms, Heartaches By the Number, and I Won’t Mention It Again. I sat up high thoroughly appreciating the acoustics and hoped that Price wouldn’t miss a note or fudge on the high ones as many aging singers do. I needn’t have worried because Price was in fine voice and I doubt there was a disappointed member in the audience. His vocals were impressive to anyone hearing him for the first or the fiftieth time.

That long-ago day, Price still had a voice that could make the angels sing and Make the World Go Away for fans of his gentle brand of country music and he vowed he’d keep on touring as long as people still wanted to hear him. Ray Price truly was the last of a breed. They just don’t make ‘em like him anymore. Plus, I got to kiss him on the cheek.

What more could an old-fashioned gal wish for. I only wish I could have heard him in person at the beautiful Community Center, one more time, For the Good Times.

They don’t come along too often; performers the likes of Ray Price (January 12, 1926 – December 16, 2013). I was privileged to meet him when he performed at the Community Center some years ago. He was in a category by himself as the crowd began congregating early in anticipation of hearing the legend who wasn’t quite “country or pop.” He’s just really, really good. So good that he spent the entire evening singing his own hit songs and without needing to cover those of any other artists till his last curtain call when he sang one by his good friend of long ago, Mr. Hank Williams.

For a real treat, check out his 2007 CD, Last of the Breed, on which he outshines both Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard with whom he recorded the music.

When I spoke with Price via telephone he said to “come by a little early before the concert and we could visit a bit” and get a photo of the two of us. Upon arriving, we spied his entourage of touring buses parked behind the CC. We were told they’d just pulled in from Minnesota and Mr. Price was resting. I was standing on the “back porch” of the CC when another of his staff came out to tell me he would see me now. He finally approached me from his touring-bus and he was very polite and most accommodating of this longtime fan. I introduced myself and he, in turn, said, “I’m Ray Price.” I was instantly put at ease at the sound of his easygoing voice. His bus driver had shared that Price actually was the down-home, easy-going man he appeared to be on stage.

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An Officer and A Gentleman

2021-2022

The Simon & Garfunkel Story

Monday, November 29, 2021

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Season Subscriptions on sale July 1!

Photo

by Mar k Daw son

Fiddler on the Roof

Waitress Monday,

Photo by Jeremy Daniel

Friday, March 4, 2022

Madagascar the Musical Saturday, April 9, 2022

918-337-2787 bartlesvillecommunitycenter.com

US N N BO D O !

ADHOW S

Blue Man Group Wednesday, *Dates & shows subject to change.

June 22, 2022

Photo by Evan Zimmerman

May 9, 2022

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

Stolen Babies & Shallow Advice Moments that We Treasure as Parents

by Brent Taylor I was at a wedding recently, the family-friendly sort, with babies being shuffled from mom to uncle to grandma like curious sacks of potatoes. I love babies. Which leads me to steal a baby when I feel the need to cradle one and enjoy that top-of-the-head baby smell. I spied baby Jude and he held out his arms, so I grabbed him and we sashayed about the dance floor doing the baby locomotion.

And I realized in that moment why I steal babies. It is an attempt to recover something that time has erased. It was also during this wedding that I told my wife something I had shared with no one else. It was about a waning feeling I experienced as a young man while losing the Samson-like invincibility drawn from the well of copious hair and vanity. The feeling of power Springsteen sang about in Born to Run, “…girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors and the boys try to look so hard,” which is really difficult to pull off when my barber is cutting my hair and referring to the recession again and again before I realize he isn’t speaking of the economy.

I rarely try to look hard anymore. I’m more like a quirky Andy Griffith wearing Sanuks and singing Suwanee River on the front porch swing. And my ego is unaffected by insult, because there is none left to shatter when my wife says to me, “You are the hippest man I know, from the ankle down.” “Thank you,” I reply, before the subtlety of the insult becomes clear that my only redeeming sartorial trait is my choice of shoes.

Time has receded along with my hair and those feelings of being a dad. I am no longer invincible, and my children have found other wisdom beyond the realm of their doting dad. Not that I ever placed too much weight on advice to my children.

When my son left for college, I told him what Steve Martin’s father told him. “Always carry a trash bag in your car, it doesn’t take up much room and if it ever gets full, you can just throw it out.”

It was as if my teen geist masqueraded at times as a father, doling out wisdom like Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Vacation (Good talk Russ). Some of the most useless advice I’ve given to my children over the years, although stolen and shallow, often returns to me wearing the garments of profundity. When Jenna was seven years old, I took her aside before a soccer match and said, “There’s a force in the universe that makes things happen.

And all you have to do is get in touch with it, stop thinking, and be the ball.” Of course, that’s Ty Webb telling Danny Noonan how to excel at golf in Caddyshack, but Jenna didn’t know that. A ball is a ball and there does seem to be a cosmic force connecting the ball with the feet of the greatest soccer players. As Jenna grew older, I shortened the pregame admonition to, “Be the ball.”

So, back to baby stealing. As I was holding baby Jude at the wedding, my cousin told me that just for a moment, he caught

a glimpse of me holding my own child, twenty-plus years ago.

And I realized that I was still holding my children in these brief moments of thievery, because these moments are not constrained by time. They move freely in and out of our consciousness like the seraphim in Isaiah’s vision crying “Holy, Holy, Holy,” to one another. I remember those moments when Karen and I left the kids on date night and returned to find them snuggled up in pajamas and we raced to get to them first, knocking each other down to be the first one in the room upon our return. Stealing babies is about returning to those moments.

I see my grown children afresh, and understand that they have survived my dim and strange advice, as they discover for themselves the force in the universe that moves mountains. I struggle to describe what it means to be a dad. But, I find myself at a wedding holding baby Jude and I remember my own children, like it was yesterday. There goes my daughter walking onto the soccer field. “Be the ball,” but how can she possibly know what that means?

My daughter is a dietician now and lives near Atlanta, but she spent some time coaching college soccer. During her coaching tenure, she mailed to me a birthday package. I’m a typical dad who tells my children that I don’t want any gifts. But I love this gift, a T-shirt with the words I had spoken to Jenna before she laced up her cleats to play soccer.

We treasure these moments as parents, words that return to us unbidden, out of the mouths of dim-witted fathers and into the hearts of trusting children, wisdom returning home in simple brown paper packages like babies sashaying across the dance floor of time.

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LEGENDARY FIGURES

Frank Lloyd Wright A Look at the Classical Composer of Architecture

by Debbie Neece, Bartlesville Area History Museum In the world of architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright was a world renowned classical composer with an eccentric style all his own. Bartians know his work through the outstanding 19-story Price Tower, the original home of the H.C. Price Pipeline Company. The world recognizes the 532 realized buildings from the more than 1,114 designs in Wright’s portfolio.

Frank Lincoln Wright was born June 8, 1867 in Richland Center, Wisconsin; his father a preacher, his mother an educator.

Frank’s great-grandmother, Margaret Lloyd Jones’s lineage sprang from Wales and her maiden name became the middle name of most of her offspring. After Frank’s parents divorced, Frank changed his middle name to follow suit. Since that time, the name Lloyd became a family rite with at least twenty Wright descendants embracing the Lloyd middle name etched upon their birth certificates.

From birth Wright was destined. His mother decorated his nursery with English cathedrals and showered him with Froebel geometric educational toy sets which inspired the foundation of a powerhouse architect matched by none. He attended the University of Wisconsin; however, his engineering and drafting studies left him unfulfilled. With his realization that architecture had become a dull story, he proclaimed his work would restore the “Queen of Arts.” Thus, he did.

His work with Louis Sullivan became the influence that freed Wright’s imagination, vision and creativity.

Frank Lloyd Wright married three times, fathered four sons and three daughters, and adopted one daughter. He married Catherine Lee Tobin in 1889 and six children joined their family.

– Frank “Lloyd” Wright Jr. (18901978) married Helen Taggart-Pole and fathered four children: Eric, Mary, Devon and Carey. He worked with his father before becoming a well-known landscape 70

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architect and his son Eric Lloyd Wright also became an architect.

posthumously inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 2014.

– John Lloyd “Kenneth” Wright (1892-1972) was a butterfly who struggled to soar with his own wings. While he greatly admired his father’s work, establishing his own path proved difficult.

While assisting his father with several large-scale projects, the tragic fire at Taliesin in 1914 brought a lull in business and an opportunity for toy invention, namely Lincoln Logs, which were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1999. Beyond designing toys, textiles and furniture, Kenneth’s architectural career later soared. After his marriage to Hazel Lundin, Elizabeth Lloyd and John “Jack” Lloyd joined their family. Elizabeth married Gordon Ingraham, mothered 4 children and became an architect credited with designing 150 structures in Colorado Springs. She was

The creative “Jack the John,” as he is lovingly referred to by his widow, Jacqueline Jarchow-Wright, was an architect, designer, builder, idealist and inventor.

During childhood summers Jack worked at the Spring Green Wisconsin Taliesin farm, mingling and learning from the School of Architecture students. A chance meeting at Lake Michigan brought Jack and Jackie to marriage in 1949 and they lived happily until Jack’s death parted them in 1974. They are the parents of daughter Tracy Lloyd WrightMartin (Jacqueline’s caregiver) and Jordan Lloyd and Cameron Lloyd of Wright Brothers Designers and Builders, Colorado. Cameron also volunteered at Taliesin and served on the board of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. After the death of Jack the John, Jackie established her Art Glass Studio at Wildwood, Col-

LEGENDARY FIGURES orado, from which she retired in 2005, after 30 years of business.

– Catherine Dorothy Wright (18941979) married Kenneth Baxter. Their daughter Anne Baxter became an Oscar and Golden Globe winning actress for her part in “The Razor’s Edge” and was nominated for her work in “All About Eve.” – David Samuel Wright (1895-1997) owned a company that manufactured and distributed concrete blocks. In David’s Frank Lloyd Wright designed home, Philippine mahogany was used for ceilings, woodwork, cabinets and furniture; however, contrary to Wright’s original wooden design, David used curved concrete block for the home.

David died at 102 and his wife Gladys Wright at 104, surviving their only son, David Lloyd “Gib” Wright. The home faced years of uncertainty. Then, on August 17, 2020, the David Wright house was purchased with the goal of preservation by Benson Botsford LLC, a company which includes architectural apprentices and members of the board of the Taliesin School of Architecture.

– Frances Lloyd Wright (1898-1959) married Oscar Caroe and they had one child, Nora. Frances became an arts administrator.

– Robert “Llewellyn” Wright (1903-1986) married Elizabeth Kelher and they parented three children: Thomas, Mary and Elizabeth. Llewellyn became an attorney.

Frank Lloyd Wright married Olgivanna Lazovich in 1928. Their daughter, Iovanna Lloyd “Rosa” Wright was an artist and musician.

Olgivanna’s adopted daughter, Svetlana was a musician who married a Wright apprentice, William Wesley Peters. An automobile accident claimed Svetlana’s life and that of their son Daniel. Their second son, Brandoch Peters was raised by Frank and Olgivanna.

Although Frank Lloyd Wright built a home for each of his children, the legacy he bestowed upon his family has been shadowed only by his easily distinguishable “organic architecture” admired worldwide.

Annually since 1848, the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture has been

awarded by the Royal Institute of British Architects on behalf of the British monarch. As one of the most influential architects of the 19th and 20th centuries, in 1941, Frank Lloyd Wright received the Royal Gold Metal in recognition of his lifetime work.

The American Institute of Architects annually recognizes the standards of

excellence in architectural design and significance with the “Twenty-five Year Award.” Wright was awarded in 1973 for Taliesin West, in 1974 for the Johnson and Son Administration Building, in 1983 for the Price Tower and in 1986 for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. In addition, in 1991, Wright was awarded the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal as “the greatest American architect of all time” noting Wright’s 1935 Fallingwater as the best all-time work of American architecture.

For Wright, architecture was a language, a concept of the heart.

Eight of his works have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 26 Wright landmarks have been recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, including Bartlesville’s Price Tower and several U.S. Postage stamps are tribute to his work.

On the business side, Frank Lloyd Wright was extremely successful. His relationships with his clients were often more solid than with his adult children or his wives. However, his seven decade career of vision and design has cemented his name the “Classical Composer of Architecture” and the “Greatest American Architect of All Time!”

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6:00 pm, August 28 Hilton Garden Inn GUEST SPEAKER:

BARRY SWITZER AWARD-WINNING COACH

MORE INFORMATION AT WWW.SUPPORTSAMARITAN.ORG

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HELPING HANDS

Back In the Game!

After Missed Year, Samaritan Sports Spectacular is Back

by Lori Just It’s time to get back in the game at the 15th Annual Samaritan Sports Spectacular on Saturday, August 28th to kick off fall and winter sports in our community.

“This is a tailgate party to generate funds that support the work of the Samaritan Counseling & Growth Center to families in our community,” said Kristin Curd, event chair. “Last year, we had to make the tough call for health and safety reasons to cancel the live event due to the pandemic. We are thrilled to host this popular event again this year in person and raise funds for our community in a fun atmosphere.”

Samaritan Counseling & Growth Center provides faith-based counseling services for adults, teens, adolescents, and children. It does this with a focus on the integration of the mind, body, and spirit. Experienced, licensed therapists offer counseling for individual, couple, or family issues, specializing in various areas including depression, anxiety, grief, ADHD, abuse, and more.

Samaritan served about 950 individuals in 2020, with approximately 5,050 counseling hours. The Sports Spectacular is the largest annual fundraiser for the center. Fees for clients are based on client's income and ability to pay.

“Now, even more so than ever with everything that has happened in the last year, people within our community are needing counseling,” said Curd. “Funds raised from this event assist with subsidizing those costs, as well as overall operating costs of the center. We are

pleased to never turn people away that need assistance, and these funds help us continue to be there for those who need us.”

This year’s event will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn. Dress is casual and guests are encouraged to wear athletic gear from their favorite sports teams or team colors. Event kickoff is at 6 p.m. and includes dinner catered by Dink’s BBQ, a cash bar, and “candy bar” dessert table — all while grooving to CG Entertainment.

“We will have a large silent auction that will feature numerous quality items, including many items generously donated from businesses and individuals in our community, as well as a small live auction with some outstanding items,” added Curd.

Switzer led Oklahoma to three national championship titles, as well as 12 Big 8 Championships. His teams won eight out of 13 bowl games. Coach Switzer was named head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 1994, leading them to the 1996 Super Bowl Championship. He is one of only three coaches to have won championships in both the NCAA and the NFL. Individual seats are $50, or sponsorships start at $250. For more information, visit supportsamaritan.org.

The evening includes a special guest speaker, Barry Switzer. A native of Arkansas, Coach Switzer graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1960. He played Center and Linebacker for the Razorbacks and was captain of the 1959 team that claimed the Southwestern Conference and Gator Bowl titles. In 1966, Coach Switzer joined the University of Oklahoma staff as offensive line coach, and was named head coach of the Sooners in 1973. In his 16 years at OU, Barry compiled a 157-29-4 record. Coach JULY 2021 | bmonthly

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

BCCA Opening 83rd Season Concept for Community Concerts Started in 1920

by Adele & David Register Bartlesville Community Concert Association (BCCA) has been providing excellent family entertainment at reasonable prices in Bartlesville since 1935. It is the 83rd performance season because, although founded 86 years ago, concerts were suspended for two years during World War II and most recently for one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The national concept for community concerts started in Chicago in 1920 as the brainchild of two music managers, Dema Harshbarger and Ward French. At that time, there was a high demand for live performance, especially with the proliferation of radio, but Chautauqua tours and vaudeville were disappearing from the scene. Consequently, live performances by popular acts were often limited to major metropolitan venues.

In 1927, an idea sprang up to raise community funds first, then hire the artists under the umbrella of a non-profit organization.

This would reduce the financial risk to small communities — they would only book what they could afford. Audiences were willing to spend a modest sum in advance for a season of three or four concerts without knowing beforehand the artists that would be brought to their area. By 1928, the movement was organized in New York City as the Community Concert Association, with French as its president. In 1930, Columbia Artists Management committed to supporting community concerts and the idea spread, fostering cultural development on a nationwide scale.

Families were attracted to a whole season with varied offerings at a reasonable price. At the start of the depression there were 42 Community Concert Associations.

The Musical Research Society in Bartlesville considered the possibility of a local community concert activity and, in collaboration with the national Community Concerts organization of New York City, founded the Bartlesville Cooperative Concert Association in 1935.

Somehow the idea of the community concert survived the bleak days of the depression and the dust bowl. In 1950, there were over 1,008 Community Concert Associations, and more were being formed in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and even briefly in South Africa. Ultimately, Community Concerts became the largest, longest-lasting network of performing arts presenters that has ever existed.

Community Concerts survived the advent of television, changing lifestyles, competing performing arts presenters, the collapse of the national ‘formal’ organization of the Community Concert Association, and the internet! Its history in Bartlesville is incredible when you consider that the original civic center audiences could not attend concerts in the spacious heated and air-conditioned comfort of the present-day community center.

And equally remarkable are the multitude of volunteers who

The Bartlesville Civic Center, where community concert presentations originally took place in Bartlesville.

made these concerts happen and the hundreds of performing artists who visited Bartlesville. Acts such as Canadian Brass, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Victor Borge, String Fever, Circus Incognitos, Ransom Wilson, Chinese Acrobats, Cherish the Ladies, Stringfever, Street Corner Symphony, Byron Berline, Wanda Jackson, and Peter Nero are just a few on the list.

In 1993, Community Concerts restructured its relationship with Columbia Artists management to provide more artistic freedom. In 1999, Trawick Artists Management purchased the company and provided national leadership until its demise in 2002. The 2002-2003 season was the first for local concert associations to operate independently of any national organization.

Currently, BCCA books its acts with Allied Concert Services in the fall of each year for presentation in the following concert season. The concert association continues to operate independently.

The all-volunteer board selects the acts, oversees the annual membership campaign, pays the bills, schedules the concerts, conducts all public relations activities, coordinates the details between the community center staff and the musicians, and tries to make the process run smoothly. BCCA continues to present educational outreach programs to students in the area. These are provided at no cost through donations from supporters and matching grants from local corporations.

And for 2021-22, BCCA will present not five, but six, terrific shows at a very affordable cost to the Bartlesville-area community. Contact the Bartlesville Community Center box office at 918-337-2787 for early-bird pricing through the month of July.

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LOVE STORY

two words Unconditional Love Persevered Through the Decades

by Keith McPhail In the early afternoon of Saturday, July 23rd, 2005, Christy Louise Dutcher looked into my eyes, said two words, and took my hand in marriage. That day was the beginning of this incredible journey — a journey which started 20 years before this special day, when two young teenage kids fell hopelessly in love. We had an incredible bond that lasted over a year, and ended with my foolish mistakes ... but I believe God's vision was set in motion. In October of 1986, Christy and I went our separate ways, but we never forgot each other in our hearts — a thread of love held on for over 17 years. On this day, our wedding day, over 427 months, 1861 weeks, 13,024 days, 312,575 hours, 18,755,000 minutes, and 1,125,272,125 seconds later — we were finally together again!

Some say today that it is a miracle, that this love story is still being written. If you looked at us 14 years ago, you would absolutely be right. Only by God's Grace, Mercy, and His Army of Angels — who fought for my life and our marriage, which endured so much, even when it seemed impossible — did our love hold on! Christy was blindsided and bent, but did not break.

She cracked, but still held it together. She was torn to shreds, but held onto the pieces. I disappointed her and failed her time after time, yet she still believed in me ... in us. Honestly, when she was about to give up, she held on to her faith and the tiniest victories.

She believed in this man, her husband ... the image of this young boy she fell in love with all those years ago. She sacrificed and gave it all, and she risked everything for me, for us ... she went against family and friends and stood on her belief in God's Grace and me ... me!

Christy knew my heart and was not willing to give up on me.

She was not going to let it all go, even though she had every reason to! We were building a life together — our brand new marriage with a home filled with six kids and a newborn. The next 13 months would define what “Never Quit” means, and faith that never failed! It was life and death for me (literally). As I look back on that day when she spoke those two words, I'm having every memory from high school to this day streak through my spinning head. All my dreams were about to come true.

We were both 36 years old, and we were about to do something that was in the making for many, many years. In the church, 78

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there were less than 30 family and friends along with our new blended family of six kids. We felt like we were 16 again. Two words were spoken from the lips of the love of my life — the one I had always loved.

The words Christy said out loud changed the course of my life forever. Those words not only changed my life, they saved my life. They fundamentally changed the man, father, husband, and friend I am today.

Those two words gave hope when all seemed hopeless, strength when I was at my weakest, grace over my guilt, healing from the hurt, acceptance when I felt abandoned, light as we crawled through some of the darkest moments, and love when I hated myself and caused so much hurt, agony and disappointment. Those two words only have three simple letters, and Christy had the faith and belief behind them. She wouldn’t give up on her best friend, husband, and the father of our daughter, Grace. Christy never stopped fighting for me, even though there were days she just didn't like me. She believed that God was hearing her prayers, and that HE would heal me from the darkness of addiction.

Those two words she spoke were ... “I DO.” How can three letters make such an impact on someone's life? Is it because of the power of love? Or is it the one moment when God brought two hearts together after 36 years? Or was it His plan that led us back together to live a life of love, redemption, faith, and belief? I believe God knew our destiny and all this was set in motion way before 1985, when we first met. We are blessed, but we are not perfect. We are just like you. We fail each other everyday, but we do our best to give our best to each other every day, and we will always pray together. Our hope is that our story will continue for many years to come, even when we're gone. I pray our story will encourage and help the ones that see no hope and the ones holding on for a miracle.

Thank you, Christy, for never giving up on me and loving me right as I am ... and there were many days and months I was not much to love. You always believed in the best for me when all I could see was darkness! You are, and will always be, my first love, my last love, my best friend, my everything, and those two words changed my life forever ... I DO! Happy Anniversary, Christy! I love you, Keith

Building Bartlesville Since 1948 McAnaw Construction’s Companies professional staff has been catering to clients and their commercial construction needs since 1948 with many specialized projects ranging from churches, public schools, colleges, universitys, libraries, offices, industrial, health care, manufacturing/process plants, roads and utilities, banks and adult day care facilities.

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PROFILES OF THE PAST

Ernie McAnaw

Remembering One of Bartlesville’s Beloved Residents

by Mike Wilt A young man who was just starting his own home building business walked into a local bank one day in 1983. He was silently frustrated that a house he had constructed in the Colonial Estates addition had yet to sell after six long months of sitting empty.

While in the bank, he happened to meet a female realtor. While he had never met the nice lady, the young man was aware of the successful realtor’s solid reputation. He was also impressed by the way she carried herself and how warmly she greeted him. He then asked for her assistance with his unsold house. She sold it in 24 hours.

The young man was Roger Skelly who became a successful home builder for four decades. The realtor was Ernie McAnaw.

“That was mom,” said son, Mike. “She loved the real estate business.”

Ernestine “Ernie” Ann McAnaw was born in Bartlesville on August 10, 1928. She was the eldest of two daughters born to Earnest – who owned a local trucking company – and Lilian (Jacobs) Nye. In 1946, Ernie graduated College High (now BHS) and two years later married John Joseph McAnaw Jr. That same year, the husband-and-wife team formed McAnaw Construction Company. Ernie helped with the family business until she started having children – Anne (1952), John (1954), and Mike (1957).

“She was never one to say ‘Wait until your father gets home,’” laughed Mike.

Ernie used to keep wooden ping pong paddles in a number of drawers around the house for times when the children were misbehaving. One day, Mike decided to cut all of the paddles into pieces. “I eventually got into trouble, and mom went to a drawer for a paddle and saw that it had been cut up. She went to another drawer and another drawer. She eventually realized what was going on and just laughed out loud.”

It was also during this time that Ernie took up the game of golf.

chased her partner’s half of the business, it was renamed McAnaw and Company Realtors in 1997.

“She was extremely focused and built her business into the top real estate company,” said Donna Skelly who worked as one of Ernie’s realtors for 17 years.

“She was a very good businesswoman and developed a very good team of high-producing agents,” said Max Lutke who joined Ernie’s team in 1992. “And she was fiercely protective of her agents.”

And of the industry itself.

“She lived and breathed the game,” Mike said. “She was very good and played in a lot of tournaments.”

“She didn’t tolerate any unprofessionalism in that business,” Mike said. “No doubt about it, she was a tough businesswoman.

And she could tell you off in the politest manner.”

With all three of her children grown, Ernie began selling real estate in 1974. The granddaughter of a well-respected house mover had become a house seller. Six years later, she and Ron Wright founded McAnaw and Wright Realtors. After Ernie pur-

But Ernie also had a warm side. In fact, one of the reasons she was such a successful realtor is because she genuinely cared about her clients.

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PROFILES OF THE PAST “She had a real passion for real estate, and was committed to showing people houses they really wanted to be in and not just any ol’ thing,” said Mike. “I have people to this day who tell me how mom sold them their first house or sold their parents three houses. It’s amazing how often that happens.”

Ernie also had a real passion for the Bartlesville community, and along the way became a role model for women everywhere.

She was the first woman to be chairman of the board for the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce, the first woman to head the United Way Fund Drive, and the first woman to serve on the board of directors for WestStar Bank (Arvest today). In 1992, she was honored as Citizen of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce, and years later she was nominated for Oklahoma Woman of the Year.

Ernie established the McAnaw Family Foundation and donated land at 19th and Johnstone Avenue for a park in memory of her husband who passed away in 1988. She also established the very first Coats for Kids campaign. Tri County Tech, Service League, Hillcrest Country Club, Rotary International, and the American Red Cross all benefitted from Ernie’s active involvement. She even briefly served on the Bartlesville City Council representing Ward 2.

She was appointed to fill a vacancy in October 2001 and was elected without opposition in the spring of 2002. However, she resigned the post in October of that year citing conflicts with her duties on the council and her real estate obligations.

She was quoted in the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise as saying, “It is simply time for me to return to the private sector and find new ways to support the community I am proud to call home.”

However, there was another reason for her stepping aside — cancer.

Ernie was first diagnosed with cancer in 1973 followed by another diagnosis in 1988. Her third battle began in 2002. An active member of the American Cancer Society for years, Ernie counseled over 50 cancer patients while simultaneously battling the disease herself.

Stricken for the third time, Ernie knew she needed to sell the business that she had founded 22 years earlier. With a desire to

keep the company locally owned, she reached out to Donna Skelly and her husband, Roger, the same guy Ernie met in that bank lobby in 1983. In February of 2002, the Skellys became the new owners, but they decided to keep the old name. The McAnaw name remained on the familiar orange and brown signs until they sold the business in 2016. (Today, it’s known as McGraw Realtors.)

Four short months after resigning from the city council, Ernie McAnaw passed away at her home the morning of February 5, 2003. She was 74. A front page, above-the-fold headline and article in the local newspaper announced her passing.

Then-Mayor Ted Lockin was quoted as saying, “This is a terrible loss for the community. She was a great humanitarian, a dear friend to me and the community. I will always cherish our long-time friendship and the time we spent together on the council. Her service to the community was nothing short of outstanding.”

Pews were full for the funeral service held two days later on Friday, February 7 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Ernie was then laid to rest in the family plot at Memorial Park Cemetery.

Three years later, Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce officials renamed one of their annual awards. Every year, the Ernie McAnaw Award honors an “exceptional individual who personifies the highest level of professional excellence, devotes time and energy to serve our community, and promotes leadership opportunities for women.”

That was Ernie McAnaw. She loved Bartlesville.

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LET FREEDOM RING

Civil Rights Act of 1964 Close Congressional Battle Ended with Key Passage of Bill compiled by Jay Hastings In June of 1963, President John F. the rare use of a discharge petition. By Kennedy sought legislation "giving all the time of the 1963 winter recess, 50 sigAmericans the right to be served in facilnatures were still needed. ities which are open to the public — After the return of Congress from its hotels, restaurants, theaters, retail stores, winter recess, however, it was apparent and similar establishments"—as well as that public opinion in the North favored "greater protection for the right to vote." the bill and that the petition would On June 11, 1963, President Kennedy met acquire the necessary signatures. To with Republican leaders to discuss the avert the humiliation of a successful dislegislation before his television address charge petition, Chairman Smith relented Photo courtesy of Cecil Stoughton to the nation that evening. Two days later, LBJ signing the Civil Rights Act on July 2, 1964. and allowed the bill to pass through the Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen Rules Committee. and Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield both voiced support for the president's bill, except for When the bill came before the full Senate for debate on March provisions guaranteeing equal access to places of public accom30, 1964, the "Southern Bloc" of 18 southern democratic senators modations. This led to several Republican representatives drafting and lone republican John Tower of Texas, led by Richard Russell, a compromise bill to be considered. On June 19, the president sent launched a filibuster to prevent its passage. Russell proclaimed, his bill to Congress as it was originally written, saying legislative "We will resist to the bitter end any measure or any movement action was "imperative." President Kennedy’s bill went first to the which would tend to bring about social equality and intermingling House of Representatives, where it was referred to the Judiciary and amalgamation of the races in our [Southern] states.

Committee, chaired by Emanuel Celler, a Democrat from New York.

There was strong opposition to the bill, and after the filibuster After a series of hearings on the bill, Celler's committee strengthhad gone on for 54 days, Senators Mike Mansfield, Hubert ened the act, adding provisions to ban racial discrimination in Humphrey, Everett Dirksen, and Thomas Kuchel introduced a subemployment, providing greater protection to black voters, eliminatstitute bill that they hoped would overcome it by combining a ing segregation in all publicly-owned facilities (not just schools), sufficient number of republicans as well as core liberal democrats. and strengthening the anti-segregation clauses regarding public The compromise bill was weaker than the House version as to the facilities such as lunch counters. They also added authorization for government's power in regulating the conduct of private business, the Attorney General to file lawsuits to protect individuals against but not weak enough to make the House reconsider it. the deprivation of any rights secured by the Constitution or U.S. law.

In essence, this was the controversial "Title III" that had been Senator Robert Byrd ended his filibuster in opposition to the bill removed from the 1957 Act and 1960 Act. Civil rights organizations on the morning of June 10, 1964, after 14 hours and 13 minutes. Up pressed hard for this provision because it could be used to protect to then, the measure had occupied the Senate for 60 working days, peaceful protesters and black voters from police brutality and supincluding six Saturdays. The day before, Democratic Whip Hubert pression of free speech rights. President Kennedy called the Humphrey, the bill's manager, concluded that he had the 67 votes congressional leaders to the White House in late October of 1963 required at that time to end the debate and the filibuster. to line up the necessary votes in the House for passage. Howard W. Smith, a Democrat and staunch segregationist from Virginia, With six wavering senators providing a four-vote victory margin, indicated his intention to keep the bill bottled up indefinitely. Unforthe final tally stood at 71 to 29. Never before in its entire history had tunately, President Kennedy would be assassinated one month the Senate been able to muster enough votes to defeat a filibuster later in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. on a civil rights bill, and only once in the 37 years since 1927 had it Lyndon B. Johnson would become the 36th President of the United States following president Kennedy’s assassination, and he vowed to push the Civil Rights bill forward. In President Johnson’s first address to a joint session of Congress on November 27, 1963, he told the legislators, "No memorial oration or eulogy could more eloquently honor President Kennedy's memory than the earliest possible passage of the civil rights bill for which he fought so long."

Judiciary Committee Chairman Celler filed a petition to discharge the bill from the Rules Committee; it required the support of a majority of House members to move the bill to the floor. Initially, Celler had a difficult time acquiring the signatures necessary, with many representatives who supported the civil rights bill itself remaining cautious about violating normal House procedure with 82

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agreed to cloture for any measure.

The most dramatic moment during the cloture vote came when Senator Clair Engle was wheeled into the chamber. Suffering from terminal brain cancer, unable to speak, he pointed to his left eye, signifying his affirmative "Aye" vote when his name was called. He died seven weeks later.

On June 19, the compromise bill passed the Senate by a vote of 73–27, quickly passed through the conference committee, which adopted the Senate version of the bill, then was passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law by Johnson on July 2, 1964.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1964

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