Green Country Living — Winter Edition 2024

Winter Edition 2024

Home market full of beautiful homes within Muskogee area Take advantage of luxurious lakeside and river views Modern elegance meets country club living Some listings showcase DIY excellence, uniqueness

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We can talk through your financial goals and find the option that works best for you.

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1010 N Main Muskogee, OK 74401 918-683-3801

116 N 3rd St Muskogee, OK 74401 918-681-4285

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Winter Edition 2024

Park a beautiful car in that beautiful home!

Visit Tommy’s Express at 203 Shawnee in Muskogee, where you always leave clean, shiny and dry!

GET YOUR FIRST MONTH FREE! Green Country Living

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DEDICATED TO WOMEN’S HEALTH.

With an experienced staff of physicians and a certified nurse midwife (CNM), Warren Clinic provides comprehensive care for women at any stage of their lives. Medical services include annual wellness exams, prenatal care, labor and delivery, pre- and post-menopausal care, gynecological surgery, breast health services and more.

Labor and delivery services are provided at Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee, which offers the resources and expertise you and your baby need, including childbirth education, private birthing rooms and a board-certified lactation consultant.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call the Warren Clinic OB/GYN office near you.

Jonathan Baldwin, M.D.

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Winter Edition 2024

Edwin Henslee, M.D.

Sarah Poplin, APRN-CNM

WARREN CLINIC OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY WARREN CLINIC MUSKOGEE 3504 West Okmulgee Street Muskogee, Oklahoma

Jonathan Baldwin, M.D. Edwin Henslee, M.D. 918-686-5399 WARREN CLINIC FORT GIBSON 108 Lone Oak Circle Fort Gibson, Oklahoma

Jonathan Baldwin, M.D. Sarah Poplin, APRN-CNM 918-478-6005

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WINTER EDITION 2024 ISSUE 73

PUBLISHER/EDITOR Ed Choate

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Angela Jackson LAYOUT & DESIGN Joshua Cagle

WRITERS Cathy Spaulding, Wendy Burton,

Kalli Jones, Shawn Raper

PHOTOGRAPHERS Mandy Corbell, Cathy Spaulding

ADVERTISING SALES Kris Hight, Angela Jackson,

Therese Lewis

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Green Country Living is published by the Muskogee Phoenix. Contents of the magazine are by the Muskogee Phoenix. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior consent of the Muskogee Phoenix. Green Country Living, P.O. Box 1968, Muskogee OK 74402. email publisher@muskogeephoenix.com - Editorial: (918) 684-2929 Advertising and distribution: (918) 684-2804

ON THE COVER

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Four-bedroom home boasts curved walls, round windows, two-story library bedroom.

Property, enhanced by 40 years of DIY expertise, hits market with unique features.

Large property overlooking Arkansas River offers endless possibilities.

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Retreat offers ultimate lakeside living with split master plan, outdoor entertainment.

Firepit of a featured listing offers place to relax, keep warm and entertain guests.

Photo by Mandy Corbell

Home on 16.29 acres beckons with southern charm.

Renovated country club home offers modern kitchen, spacious living area.

Green Country Living

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ABOUT THIS EDITION

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Winter Edition 2024

Homes offer shelter from financial storms

A

re home prices in bubble territory? There are people on television saying that it is. I have heard doomsayers predicting unbelievable reductions in value for homes because of some bubble. The story usually goes something like home prices have increased X amount in the last 2 years and that means it’s a bubble.

That could be true. Or that could be true in some localities or even true for a whole state. But what is happening with home prices in a coastal state somewhere doesn’t directly influence real estate prices here in Oklahoma.

The country has been through some extraordinary events since 2020.

We saw COVID shut down the whole economy. Demand for homes went off the chart almost immediately.

It seems like there was a lot of pent-up demand for housing that was suddenly released when people started spending

day and night in their existing home.

And in response to COVID, the Federal Reserve began pushing already low interest rates down even further.

In December 2020 the 30-year mortgage hit a record low of 2.68%. That sudden demand did push home prices up, in some cases quite a bit. That sounds like that bubble that you heard about on TV. But something else happened at about the same time. Beginning in March of 2022, the consumer price index began registering big gains with inflation numbers the US has not seen since the early 1980s.

Locally, we saw the cost of new construction increase significantly with shortages of materials driving material prices up significantly more than average inflation numbers. So is it possible that energy prices, material prices, labor prices and land prices are all going to fall to pre-pandemic levels and push home prices back to 2019 levels?

I suppose a severe recession/

depression could do that. But is that the most likely scenario? I don’t think so.

This is an election year in the US. I expect the Federal Reserve to be pretty dovish this year. They will talk tough on inflation but they are really just hoping that it doesn’t get too high. My guess is that inflation will not fall back to the 2% target, but will continue to bounce along in the 3%-5% range for the next year at least.

Does that sound like falling prices for energy, building materials, labor prices and land? If inflation is our house-guest that just won’t leave, a hedge against it is tangible assets. A home is frequently the consumer’s largest asset class and unlike a stock or bond, you can live in it.

Your home shelters you from the wind and the rain but it also shelters you from the financial storm of inflation.

Shawn Raper is a REALTOR and broker for ERA, C.S. Raper & Son.

Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING

FEATURES » ADDRESS: 3416 Harris Ave. » ASKING PRICE: $438,500. » SQUARE FOOTAGE: 4,517 » LOT SIZE: 1 acre. » BEDROOMS: Four. » BATHROOMS: Three. » FLOORS: Carpeting, tile, hardwood. » SCHOOL DISTRICT: Musk-

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Winter Edition 2024

ogee. » OTHER FEATURES: Marble fireplace, whirlpool tub, large, in-ground pool, stainless steel appliances, two car garage, second garage and workshop. » INFORMATION: Patsy Clinkenbeard (918) 869-7504, Century 21/First Choice Realty.

Seeking something unique Floridian style home hits market in Muskogee.

E

xpect something different at this Floridian style home in the Country Club area.

“It’s not a cookie-cutter type house,” said Patsy Clinkenbeard, listing agent with Century 21 First Choice Realty. “It’s got some unique aspects about it. I showed it to a guy once and he was just amazed at

A kidney-shaped pool comes equipped with its own diving board at this Floridian style house on Harris Avenue.

the different items you don’t see in houses in Muskogee.

I loved the uniqueness of it, the unique items, whether they are built-ins or put in later. I like houses that are different.”

Built in 1980, the four-bedroom house features curved walls, round windows, builtin display cases and a bedroom that can transform into a two-story library.

By Cathy Spaulding • Photos submitted by Patsy Clinkenbeard

Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING

The front porch offers a broad welcome, complete with a fire pit. Windows surround the front door and eyebrow dormers peek from the roof.

Beyond a circle drive and winding sidewalk, the home’s front porch offers a welcome that’s both airy and intimate.

To one side, chairs surround a fire pit.

Round brick columns hold up a shady eave. Large windows surround the red front door.

“It’s kind of inviting when you walk up to the front door,” Clinkenbeard said.

“I love the big columns in front.”

A couple of eyebrow dormers peek from the roof, which also features a cupola.

Inside, the entry hall greets visitors with towering curved walls and glass block windows. A modern chandelier with ball lights hangs in the middle, lending a two-story impression to the singlestory house. A built-in display case by the dining room can display fine china or family trophies.

The great room is just as spacious, though a rust colored wall and a black marble hearth and fireplace add warmth.

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Winter Edition 2024

There is plenty of room to lounge around outside.

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Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING A rusty bronze colored wall, plus a black marble fireplace, makes the spacious living area seem warm and cozy.

“I think it’s cozy, homey,” Clinkenbeard said.”It’s a great place for entertaining because you’ve got the dining room across from the great room.”

The dining room features a rising-sun shaped picture window and wood floors. A mirror covers an entire wall.

“You can have large parties there and entertain there,” she said. “And it’s just real elegant.”

The country kitchen features custom built pine cabinets, several with glass doors. White ceramic countertops and a white tile floor add even more lightness.

the cook is in “theWhile kitchen cooking, you can have people sitting in the sitting area or breakfast table visiting.

”

— Patsy Clinkenbeard Stainless steel appliances include a gas range and a sideby-side refrigerator.

The island features the sink, dishwasher and space where people can cozy up and nosh.

Open space along two sides of the island offers ample opportunities for entertaining or quiet conversation. The current homeowner has an informal dining space by the glass backyard door and a cozy sitting area by the dining room entrance.

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Winter Edition 2024

ABOVE: The living area features built in cabinets and shelves.

LEFT: The sunroom, which opens to the backyard pool, features a den and an informal dining space.

ABOVE: A country kitchen features windows on the cabinets and stainless steel appliances.

LEFT: The space surrounding the kitchen provides enough room for a sitting area, as well as a variety of dining options.

Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The entry hall gives the impression of a two-story house.

One bedroom can double as a library or office with this two-story setup.

The sunroom stretches along the back of the house to become a popular family spot.

The master bedroom features a tray ceiling and a ceiling fan.

The laundry room offers ample space for hanging and folding clothes.

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Winter Edition 2024

WE DO.

Weddings • Receptions • Parties “While the cook is in the kitchen cooking, you can have people sitting in the sitting area or breakfast table visiting,” Clinkenbeard said. “I think this is neat because I love a house where you can have people in the kitchen, but it’s not them isolated.”

Cabinets and tile counters fill the spacious laundry room, which features a stainless steel sink.

“Plenty of room for folding,” Clinkenbeard said.

The master bedroom features a tray ceiling with ceiling fan.

Clinkenbeard said tray ceilings “add a little bit of character to the room.”

If I had this house, “that’s where I would

•

Cityofmu uskogee.com 918-6 684-6303

live because it looks out on the pool.

”

— Patsy Clinkenbeard

A bay window has enough space to surround a loveseat, or a book-reading nook.

The master bath has a whirlpool bath, his and her sinks on separate black marble counters and a glass shower with a rain shower head.

A sunroom stretches along the back of the house. It’s Clinkenbeard’s favorite spot.

“If I had this house, that’s where I would live because it looks out on the pool,” she said.

“It’s got the sink and cabinets, a little cooler for drinks, It’s got a little living area. I love a cozy, comfy place. That is where my family would spend most of the time.”

The other three bedrooms have unique features.

Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING

LEFT: The master bathroom surrounds a glass enclosed shower.

BELOW: The master bathroom features his and her sinks along two walls lined with mirrors.

One has two floors of builtin bookshelves, a bookstore ladder gets people to a second floor “balcony.”

“Everybody has loved that,” Clinkenbeard said. “It’s kind of a library on top with the ladder that goes back and forth.”

Picture frame paneling accents the room.

Another bedroom has corner windows with a padded built-in bench underneath.

“They’re all good sized bedrooms,” Clinkenbeard said.

A kidney shaped in-ground swimming pool, surrounded by red concrete are a colorful rug on the back yard’s green grass.

The pool is deep enough for a diving board.

T he house features an attached two-car garage. A detached two-car garage has space for a workshop.

A variety of trees, including pines, tower over the house.

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Winter Edition 2024

Cheers to 10 Years Thank you Muskogee County for your support over the 10 years.

P|C Patsy Clinkenbeard Century 21 First Choice Realty

e is Real Estantess my busi

Office: 918-478-3051 Cell: 918-869-7504 patsy.clinkenbeard@yahoo.com

If your pets p could choose, they’d choose us!

918-351-3478 701 N. York | Muskogee

Presents

21s t A n n u a l

Beer, Wine & Chocolate Festiva l

Tasting Experience Formerly Flying Fez Wine Festival

Featured Wineries/Breweries Okie Ozark, On The Lamb, Wakefield Winery, Pecan Creek Winery, Summer Side/Coal Creek Winery, Blind Luck Winery, Back Road Winery, Arribin Hills Winery, Bierkraft Brewers, Muskogee Brewing Co.

Saturday February 24th 11am till 5pm.

30.00 admission ( Includes Wine, Beer, Chocolate, Anti Pasta Plates & Light Hors-d’oeuvres) Proceeds benefit Bedouin Shrine Temple.

201 S. 6th Street, Muskogee Oklahoma Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING

FEATURES » ADDRESS: 3006 Bacon Road, Muskogee. » ASKING PRICE: $379,000. » SQUARE FOOTAGE: 3,239. » BEDROOMS: Master suite downstairs, three bedrooms upstairs. » BATHROOMS: Two full and one-half baths. » HEATING AND COOLING: Central heat and air. » APPLIANCES: KitchenAid

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Winter Edition 2024

stainless-steel built-In oven/ microwave combo, radiant cooktop, dishwasher, disposal, French door refrigerator. » FLOORS: Carpet, laminate, tile. » LOT SIZE: 0.263 acres. » SCHOOL DISTRICT: Creek Elementary, Muskogee Public School. » INFORMATION: Betty Blackwell, Remax, (918) 441-3375.

NEXT STEPS

Smallwoods have been buying, remodeling and selling homes for 40 years. Now it’s time to sell their home.

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ary and Janice Smallwood are ready to enjoy their retirement to the fullest — relocating to the southeastern part of the state to be near family and put their feet up for a while after a lifetime of successful careers even while running a remodeling/rental business.

One a retired school administrator, the other a

Couple hired professions to remodel 3006 Bacon Road home with modern look to be enjoyed by the next family.

retired physician’s assistant, the couple moved to Muskogee in 1990 and to this spacious home in the desirable Country Club neighborhood in 2000.

“After years of buying, remodeling, and selling houses, this is the home we settled on to raise our family in,” Janice said. “Muskogee was a great place to raise kids; it was a great community for us.”

By Wendy Burton • Photos submitted by Betty Blackwell

Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Home boasts impressive 3,139 square footage on 0.263 acres.

A large, detached, brick storage building provides addition storage in the privacyfenced back yard.

Three large, sectional patio doors and windows look over the back garden.

In addition to their busy careers, they maintained their business buying, remodeling, and selling homes for 40 years.

They did a lot of the work themselves, including peeling off old wallpaper, pulling up worn-out carpet, knocking down and building walls, and decorating.

Despite their decades of experience remodeling homes for other families, the Smallwoods decided to turn it all over to other experts to update this home before

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Winter Edition 2024

listing it for sale.

“Now that we have retired, we enlisted the help of a professional to design this for a modern look for the next family,” Janice said.

Indeed, the work put into this 3,239-square-foot family home is impressive.

Located at 3006 Bacon Road, the home has a master suite downstairs, three bedrooms upstairs with a landing roomy

enough for furniture and two dormer windows featuring storage window seats — perfect for reading nooks.

The couple hired an expert designer in Amity Edwards, owner/CEO of 918 Interiors of Tulsa. “She is incredibly talented, and so easy to work with,” Janice said. “She came in with this design, and really I’m hard to please with these things, but I couldn’t say a negative word about it.”

VOTED BEST REAL ESTATE OFFICE

March 2nd – March 30th

Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING

TOP AND BOTTOM: The living room features a high ceiling and floor-to-ceiling brick gas fireplace, and three floor-to-ceiling windows with a beautiful view of the back garden.

RIGHT: The living room and front door is visible from this corridor.

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Winter Edition 2024

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The breakfast nook features a Malagrida chandelier ceiling fan — the blades retract.

One of the bedrooms can be transformed into a home office space.

Upstairs space features a new carpet and enough room for furniture.

They also hired Craig Wilson of Exterior Solutions to put on a new roof, guttering, and windows. Timberline HDZ® shingles in charcoal were used for the roof, highend thermal-pane windows (Transcend® series) with bronze frames, and dark bronze guttering.

The living room features a high ceiling and floor-to-ceiling brick gas fireplace, and three floor-to-ceiling windows with a beautiful view of the back garden.

“I went with dark frames but no grids,

and I love it,” Janice said. “It’s so strange to look out the windows not framed in grids after so many years. We replaced all the windows in the house except one — a port window in one bathroom because I really like it.”

That bathroom is the unique half bath downstairs that also has built-in cabinetry, built-in seating, and a high-tank, pull-chain toilet that visitors often comment on, Janice said.

There were no structural changes made

to the house, but plenty of other major upgrades.

In the kitchen, which has an amazing number of cabinets for ample storage, quartz countertops and all new, high-end appliances were installed. A kitchen island featuring a KitchenAid Downdraft® radiant cooktop centers the room. A built-in microwave/oven combo, built-in bar handle dishwasher, and French door, bottom-mount refrigerator are all new KitchenAid appliances, too.

Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING

LEFT AND ABOVE: Kitchen features a large number of cabinets for ample storage, quartz countertops and all new, high-end appliances were installed.

ABOVE AND RIGHT: Flooring, lighting, and paint have been replaced throughout the house.

The backsplash was updated with Bernalillo tile, one of Janice’s favorite upgrades. “Even the tile layer was impressed with the backsplash choice.”

Flooring, lighting, and paint have also been replaced throughout the house.

Downstairs floors were updated with Coretec ProPlus luxury vinyl flooring.

The breakfast nook features a Malagrida chandelier ceiling fan — the blades retract.

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Winter Edition 2024

The master bath had a major renovation, including replacing a small shower with a larger, frameless glass stall, Calacatta Gold floor tile, and a polished, glass accent tile.

Instead of putting a drop-tub in, the designer put in a MAAX free-standing soaking tub. “It’s a really unique tub, and the flooring is gorgeous,” Janice said. All of the faucets in the bathrooms downstairs are the Delta Cassidy model.

The master suite is large, with the attached ensuite and a cedar-lined walkin closet with built-in shelving. “It’s an L-shaped room, which at one point was an area for a desk,” Janice said. “This house was built by Mike Riley, one of the top builders in the 80s, for his own family, and he’d built that as an office space.” Three large, sectional patio doors and windows look over the back garden.

Trust a Local Expert

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Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING

LEFT AND ABOVE: The master bath had a major renovation, including replacing a small shower with a larger, frameless glass stall, Calacatta Gold floor tile, and a polished, glass accent tile.

ABOVE AND RIGHT: The unique half bath downstairs has built-in cabinetry, built-in seating.

Storage is ample throughout the home, with plenty of built-in cabinets, seating, and shelving, a wet bar in the living room, and a floored storage area above the garage. The large utility room features built-in cabinetry, and there’s under-stairway storage.

In addition, there is a large, detached, brick storage building in the privacy-fenced back yard.

Realtor Betty Blackwell, the listing agent for the Smallwood’s home, said it’s well-maintained, beautifully updated, and in a great location.

“This lovely home is nestled in a quiet neighborhood on a cul-de-sac in the Country Club area,” Blackwell said. “Its numerous amenities and location make it a perfect home for a growing family or a retired couple.”

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Winter Edition 2024

The master suite is large, with the attached ensuite and a cedar-lined walk-in closet with built-in shelving.

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Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING

Rustic GETAWAY House can become anything new owners would want.

A

rustic escape on 133 acres overlooking the Arkansas River can be anything you want it to be — a hunting lodge, a weekend getaway, even its own wildlife refuge.

“It can f it a family’s need,” said Brigette Bearden with ER A C.S. Raper & Son. “If

somebody wanted to live out there full time and they wanted that much land, that would work.”

There’s plenty of acreage to build another house and use the cabin as a vacation rental, Bearden said.

“There are so many options,” she said. “Anything you can imagine. It’s undisturbed. It’s good land to run cattle.”

By Cathy Spaulding • Photos submitted by Brigette Bearden

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Winter Edition 2024

A former hunter’s cabin has grown into a rustic family getaway, complete with stonework and wood siding.

FEATURES » ADDRESS: 6301 E. 53rd St., Muskogee. » ASKING PRICE: $999,900. » SQUARE FOOTAGE: 1,600. » ACREAGE: 133 acres. » BEDROOMS: Four. » BATHROOMS: Three full. » FLOORS: Two. » HEATING/AIR CONDITION-

ING: Central air and heat, electric. » OTHER FEATURES: Wood burning stove in corner fireplace, tile and vinyl plank covered porch, separate building. » INFORMATION: Brigette Bearden, ERA, (918) 913-2033.

Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING

CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: A stone fireplace features a wood-burning stove that can be used for heating beverages.

The sloping ceiling features wood beams.

The main room extends across the house, offering living and dining space, plus a kitchen,

The dense woods already offer home to all sorts of wildlife, especially deer.

“The Saturday before the January freeze came, we were on the site, and there were three deer that came in front of us,” Bearden said. “It was like it was staged.”

The site originally had an old hunting cabin, and subsequent owners took it down to the studs and built a two-story, four-bedroom house, she said.

“Once you turn off and go into the original property, you’re out there alone,

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Winter Edition 2024

“

It’s idyllic just because you can have a fire going, visiting with family. What if you had been out there snowing? That would be just stunning.

— Bridgette Bearden

”

nobody around you,” Bearden said. “It is really stunning. It butts up to the Corps of Engineers land on the Arkansas River.”

Stonework and wood make up the home exterior. A front porch canopy is supported by wood beams.

The open living area, dining area and kitchen stretch across the front. A wood beam ceiling slants toward the second floor. The center wall is two floors of shiplap.

Some of the original wood was used throughout the house, including a pallet wall upstairs.

A stone hearth in the corner features a wood-burning stove.

The rustic country kitchen features a farmhouse sink and black granite counters.

ABOVE: The front porch offers a cozy space to watch birds and wildlife.

RIGHT: People can gaze into acres upon acres of woods, filled with deer and other animals.

Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING

ABOVE: An upstairs bedroom features wood from the old hunter’s cabin that once stood on the property.

RIGHT: A corner upstairs bedroom has big windows for sunshine and panoramic views.

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Winter Edition 2024

LEFT: Vinyl plank floors throughout the house are easy to clean.

BELOW: Paneling adds a rustic look to bathroom cabinets.

A bathroom features his and hers sinks.

“It’s like the old school, you can put a teakettle on it and keep humidity in the air,” Bearden said. “It’s idyllic just because you can have a fire going, visiting with family. What if you had been out there snowing? That would be just stunning.”

A vinyl plank floor offers a durable, easy to clean surface that looks woodsy.

Inside floors are easy-to-clean woodpatterned vinyl planks.

“You can utilize that if you bring in muddy boots that need cleaning,” she

said. “If you had gone out fishing, you got wet and you’d be OK.” Bearden said there’s all sorts of space for entertaining.

White cabinets contrast with wood granite counters in the kitchen. The farmhouse sink and open shelves offer a rustic elegance. The kitchen also features stainless steel appliances. Rustic elegance with black granite countertops accent white cabinetry, farmhouse sink stainless steel appliances.

“The kitchen offers tons of storage,

along with plenty of space,” Bearden said. “You’ve got a whole wall for a pantry, a whole wall of storage.”

The kitchen also has space for a movable island, or maybe a breakfast table for two.

Broad white shiplap surrounds the master bedroom, which has large windows on two walls.

“I love the contrast with the shiplap on the walls with the darker floors,” she said.

“I love all the natural light that comes into that bedroom and it’s a spacious size.”

Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING

LEFT: Sliding barn house doors open onto a spacious closet in the master bathroom.

BELOW: Cubby spaces for towels, baskets and other items are lined handily beside a bathtub.

The master bath has a shower with subway tile and a large shower head.

Cubbies next to the shower can hold towels and baskets. There is a double vanity with black granite. Sliding barn doors open into a walk-in closet.

The master bedroom and guest bedroom are downstairs. There are two bedrooms and a third bathroom upstairs.

One upstairs bedroom features wood from the original hunting cabin along a wall.

Any window in the house offers spectacular views of the property or intimate views of the woods.

The property has a pond for fishing.

It also has a shop building.

“You can store your tractor down there, your side-by-side,” she said. “If you ran cattle out there, you could probably utilize that.”

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Winter Edition 2024

Brigette KNOWS homes!

Your Hometown Realtor

Brigette Bearden 918-913-2033 ERA C.S. Raper & Son Realtors

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Green Country Living

35

BEYOND THE LISTING

Two sides of a lakeside house near Longtown are like mirror images, each with a master suite and two-car garage.

FEATURES » ADDRESS: 257 Dixie Point, Eufaula. » ASKING PRICE: $975,000 » SQUARE FOOTAGE: 3,681 » LOT SIZE: 0.8 acres. » BEDROOMS: Five. » BATHROOMS: Four. » FLOORS: Stained Concrete. » HEATING/AIR CONDITION-

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ING: Central heat and air, heat pump, gas range, gas water heater. » OTHER FEATURES: Built-in oven, walk-in pantry, gas log fireplace. » INFORMATION: Natalie Tracy, Lakeside Real Estate, (918) 720-5773.

Double the Delight Lake Eufaula home offers versatile living with stunning views, outdoor entertainment.

A

roomy five-bedroom house by Lake Eufaula offers twice the fun for families.

The house is located along Dixie Pointe in the Longtown area, south of Oklahoma 9 on the east shore.

“To me, it just feels like a vacation,” said Natalie Tracy with Lakeside Real Estate. “That area is more

known for its Sandy beaches and more of the walkable waterfront. Walkable is what a lot of people look for, they want to walk out to the lake. In some parts of the lake, there is a cliff, but here it is very flat and sandy.

That’s a highly sought-after area.”

She said people also might appreciate that it’s only one story, “especially if you’re coming to the lake to retire.”

By Cathy Spaulding • Photos submitted by Natalie Tracy

Green Country Living

37

BEYOND THE LISTING

An easy-to-clean stained concrete floor is throughout the house.

A spacious front porch features a vaulted ceiling with wood beams.

Yet another appeal is the split master plan, which sets the kitchen, dining and living room area in the middle.

“You can go to the right and have a full master suite with a big room and you can go to the left and it’s the exact same thing,” she said. “That helps for maybe two families coming for a vacation home. They can think creatively.”

One side features a master suite with two bedrooms. The other features a master suite and one bedroom, plus a laundry/mud room. Each side also has its own two-car garage.

“Maybe it’s for parents who have grown children with kids,” Tracy said. “When they come visit, they have their own master bedroom too. Or a mother-in-law plan will work out well.”

The house was custom-built in 2023

by Oklahoma City-area builder Shawn Ferguson.

A vaulted wood ceiling, supported by thick beams, runs from the front porch, through the open living area, to the back porch.

Large windows and sliding glass doors at the back of the living area offer broad views of the lake.

“It just takes your breath away as soon as you walk in,” Tracy said.

Every room has easily-cleaned stained concrete floors.

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The house sits by a Lake Eufaula cove. Residents share the mini-marina with neighbors.

ABOVE: A vaulted wood ceiling goes from the front porch, through the living area, to the back porch.

BELOW: The stone fireplace has a built-in feature that burns gas logs.

Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A master bathroom features a corner bathtub with a window.

Walk-in closets in the master suites offer ample storage and dressing space.

A bedroom has a tray ceiling with a ceiling fan.

The walk-in shower has a rustic look and cubby for shampoo and soap.

“If you’re out at the lake you can walk right in,” Tracy said. “Put a mop on it and it cleans right up.”

A stone fireplace uses gas logs.

The kitchen has what may well be a secret cabinet. Double doors beside the three-stack ovens open onto a walk-in pantry.

The open layout is made for entertaining a large group — or two families at once.

“I also like how those sliding doors open onto the outdoor kitchen,” Tracy said. “So

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in the summer, the kitchen and outdoor kitchen make it a full entertainment space.

On some of the nicer days, you can just slide them open.”

The kitchen has a farmhouse sink and stainless steel appliances. The cabinets, and even the stove’s wooden vent hood, have a rustic look.

The lighting also is rustic.

“All the light fixtures are great,” Tracy said. “A lot of them are handmade, too.”

Each master bedroom features a tray ceiling with a ceiling fan, as well as a door to the outside.

Sliding barn doors open onto the master bathrooms. Each master bath has a corner tub, his-and-her sinks and a walk-in shower.

The showers’ brown tile looks like wood paneling.

Spacious walk-in closets in each suite have miles of shelves, some deep enough for big blankets or dog beds.

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Green Country Living

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ABOVE: A country kitchen features an island, triple-decker ovens and microwave and stainless steel appliances.

RIGHT: Spacious master suites are on both sides of the house.

BELOW: Extra bedrooms have enough room for bunkbeds.

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TOP AND ABOVE: A walk-in pantry is hidden behind the ovens.

Windows and sliding doors offer a panoramic view of the lake.

The laundry room features cabinets and folding shelves. It is just off a mud room with built-in cabinets and bench. The mud room opens onto one of the garages.

The broad back porch expands the entertainment space.

Tracy said the outside kitchen features a flat top cooking grill, “so you can have pancakes, hamburgers, things like that.”

There also is a regular grill and a beverage cooler.

The long bar offers lots of space for bar stools.

“You can sit up there and watch TV outside,” Tracy said.

Or watch the wildlife, which includes turkeys and deer, she said.

The back yard slightly descends toward the lake. The rocky shore could be great for skimming stones.

“Fishing’s great there, too, just put your line in,” Tracy said. “I love it that it’s a good walking area.”

The homeowners get two boat slips in a marina they share with a neighbor.

Green Country Living

43

BEYOND THE LISTING

Southern charm Charming home offers space and privacy for family seeking seclusive lifestyle.

N

estled in the trees a charming family-style home invites you to discover the southern charms and comfort it offers here in Fort Gibson. The house was built in 1997 and sits on 16.29 acres, offering plenty of space and privacy for

those wanting to move into a more seclusive lifestyle.

“It was a wonderful home for us to raise our children in,” owner Mark Ford said. “Once our kids were grown, we knew we wouldn’t need so much space anymore. It was time for a new start somewhere else.”

By Kalli Jones • Photos by Mandy Corbell

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Fort Gibson home regulates temperature using geothermal heat and air system offering a low energy cost.

FEATURES » ADDRESS: 24445 North 7 mile Rd. Ft. Gibson. » ASKING PRICE: $689,000. » SQUARE FOOTAGE: 2,938. » PROPERTY SIZE: 16.29 acres. » BEDROOMS: 4. » BATHROOMS: 3. » HEATING AND COOLING: Geothermal heat and air system uses the temperature of the ground to make it extremely go green and low energy bill.

Great for the environment. » APPLIANCES: Basic appli-

ances and all stainless steel. » FLOORS: Brand new luxury vinyl tile throughout the entire house barely a year old. » SCHOOL DISTRICT: Fort Gibson. » OTHER FEATURES: Four season room, with cable, TVs mounted. All the decking is trex composite decking, never needs any paint or maintenance except for washing. » CONTACT: Angela Jackson.

(918) 869-7433.

Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING Two wooden swings hang from both ends of large front porch.

ABOVE, LEFT, BOTTOM: The back porch connects with a deck that wraps halfway along an aboveground pool. The space offers seating around the pool, and above on the upper deck near the living room windows.

The tree-lined driveway circles in the front of the house, where a large porch decorated with two wooden swings hangs from both ends.

To the right of the house sits a two-door automatic garage with an attached shop.

The interior opens with a large staircase with new renovated carpet and brand-new luxury vinyl tile, that is placed throughout the entire house. To the immediate left is a formal dining room with an open arched doorframe.

The formal dining room connects to the living room and kitchen.

Directly across sits a bedroom with French doors that has a perfect view of the front porch, making it a great office space. Continuing past the stairway into the hallway sits a full bathroom with a brand-new vanity.

The master bedroom follows to the right and opens to a large room with a full suite walkin closet and master bathroom. The newly renovated bathroom includes a double vanity with his and hers sinks, an imported claw foot tub, and a four-person shower with a ceilingmounted raindrop shower-head. A normal shower-head and handle are also included.

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Winter Edition 2024

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Green Country Living

47

BEYOND THE LISTING

ABOVE: Arched window provides offers ample natural light into the small dining room.

LEFT: Firepit and more seating arrangements apear outside the four-season room.

Living room features a renovated fireplace and a large wooden mantle above.

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LEFT: The formal dining room connects to the living room and kitchen.

BOTTOM LEFT: The open kitchen was remodeled with new farmhouse sinks, backsplash, and lighting.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Laundry room provides pantry space and large double-door refridgerator for extra storage space.

The large space is just one of the many great features of the room. “The room faces the west,” Ford said. “The windows made it perfect to see the beautiful sunsets every evening.”

The laundry room sits directly at the end of the hallway and can be seen from the front door. Plenty of pantry space and a large double-door refrigerator make for extra storage space inside the room. Above the washer and dryer

“

The windows made it perfect to see the beautiful sunsets every evening.

— Mark Ford

”

is additional cabinet space.

The open kitchen and smaller dining area are remodeled with new

farmhouse sinks, backsplash, and lighting. In the smaller dining area, a large arched window faces the back yard and offers more natural light into the open room.

Adjoined is the living room with a renovated fireplace and a large wooden mantle above. Similar to the dining area, the room is filled with windows from three different walls, allowing plenty of natural light inside.

Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING

RIGHT: The electric gate provides additional privacy and seclusion to the 16.29 acre property.

BOTTOM RIGHT AND LEFT: The newly renovated bathroom includes a double vanity with his and hers sinks, an imported claw foot tub.

Upstairs holds two more large bedrooms with with a bathroom connected to one. With such a large home Ford said, “Many people have asked what the cost of heating and cooling is like.”

Something special about this large home is the heating and cooling system that is used. The house uses a geothermal heat and air system. This system is designed to use the temperature of the ground to regulate the inside

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Winter Edition 2024

temperature. Not only does this make the house environmentally safe, but it keeps the bills lower than a normal system.

“To keep a house, cool in the summers in Oklahoma is pricey,” Mark said.

“With this system though, our bills have always stayed low.”

The back yard and acres attached are among some of the house’s best features. The back porch connects with a deck that wraps halfway along an

above-ground pool. The space is open and offers seating around the pool, and above on the upper deck near the living room windows. The view from any angle shows the tree-lined acres and large open spaces of grass.

There are other appliances and features apart from the two decks and pool that include a built-in cooking area with a granite counter space, electric smoker, and a spot for a refrigerator hookup.

ABOVE & BELOW: The home features four spacious bedrooms.

ABOVE: A four-person shower with a ceiling-mounted raindrop shower-head was added to the master bathroom during the renovation.

BELOW: The interior opens with a large staircase with new renovated carpet and brand-new luxury vinyl tile.

ABOVE: The master bedroom follows to the right and opens to a large room with a full suite walk-in closet and master bathroom.

Green Country Living

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BEYOND THE LISTING “If the weather isn’t suitable for being outdoors though, a four-season room sits next to the pool with cables and TV mounts to enjoy watching games or even a cup of coffee watching the sun rise,” Ford said. Outside of the fourseason room is a firepit and more seating arrangements.

Oklahoma weather can be brutal, and many decks will have to have repairs or maintenance every few years, but Forddidn’t want to have to worry about that problem. The deck now has a Trex

It gives you a bit of peace of “mind and the wooded areas surrounding add a lot too. ” — Mark Ford

composite decking that doesn’t need any paint or maintenance, apart from washing, for 20-plus years. You’ll never get a splinter again.

Accompanying the house are the 16.29

acres surrounding the property filled with trees and a manmade pond perfect for fishing or anyone who loves the outdoors.

The electric gate adds a bit more privacy to the house and seclusion.

“I think the house is perfectly secluded,” Ford said. “It gives you a bit of peace of mind and the wooded areas surrounding add a lot too.”

Ford said the house was a perfect house to raise his children in, but now it was time for a new start and a new family to take over to create their own memories.

918.348.9250 Proudly Serving Muskogee Buyers & Sellers for over 18 Years

F o r t G i b s o n S mWael ll c To mo we n

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Fort Gibson S m a l l To w n W e l c o m e

Green Country Living

53

R E NOVATE & RES TORE

OPPORTUNITY

knocks

David and Marcie Hewson started by flipping one house and it’s turned into a business — 24 houses and counting.

W

hat do you do when you have a successful pool business in the summer, too much time on your hands in the winter, and a father who was a well-known housebuilder?

For David and Marcie Hewson, the answer was

to start DaMar Development Inc., a house-flipping business.

The Hewsons first flip was a house they purchased in the Meadows in 2018.

Twenty-four houses later, they’ve just finished up an upscale home in Country Club that is fresh on the market.

By Wendy Burton • Photos submitted by David and Marcie Hewson

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Winter Edition 2024

Couple‘s experience flipping homes helped them transform home on 2908 Robin Lane.

FEATURES » ADDRESS: 2908 Robin Lane. » ASKING PRICE: $339,000. » SQUARE FOOTAGE: 2,300. » BEDROOMS: Four bedrooms. » BATHROOMS: Two full and onehalf baths. » HEATING AND COOLING: Central heat and air. » APPLIANCES: All new, electric,

stainless-steel, oven, stove, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher » FLOORS: Luxury vinyl, carpet. » LOT SIZE: 0.4 acres. » SCHOOL DISTRICT: Creek Elementary, Muskogee Public Schools. » INFORMATION: Marcie Hewson, (918) 685-2540.

Green Country Living

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R E NOVATE & RES TORE David and Marcie Hewson found they have a talent for flipping houses and turned it into a business.

TOP AND ABOVE: The Whesons updated the exterior by painting it all black, beefed up the porch with cedar and put in cedar shutters and all new windows.

The couple started their pool business, Clear Blue Pools, in 2012 and started flipping houses in 2018 because, Marcie said, “my dad built houses all my life, so it’s kind of in my blood. And David was bored one winter, so we decided to flip one — and we loved it.”

In fact, the first house the couple turned around was built by Marcie’s father, Mack Whitaker, she said. “Now we’ve done five of his houses. It was fun to do those houses he built in the 70s.”

“We did one house that when I

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Winter Edition 2024

removed the front door, it still had “special order Mack Whitaker” written inside the door frame,” David said. “So I took a picture and sent it to Marcie’s mother.”

The couple does most of the work themselves with the help of two employees. “If the walls need to be pulled out or rebuilt, plumbing, electrical, flooring,” David said. “We do all that ourselves, but not things like granite and roofing.”

Marcie said David is a “MacGyver,” and she does all the “picking and

directing,” but the couple also enjoys taking a Sunday afternoon to do each kitchen backsplash together.

In fact, the couple did just that with their latest house: a 2,300-square-foot, four bedroom on Robin Lane in the Country Club area.

“The backsplash is so unique, an accent color to complement some of the paint in the kitchen area — a beautiful subway tile, but placed vertically,” Marcie said. “It was David’s idea, and it looks great.”

In the living room, the couple redid an unusually shaped fireplace mantel (left) and used paint and flooring for a dramatic, new look.

Green Country Living

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R E NOVATE & RES TORE RIGHT: The kitchen was completely ripped out and replaced. After removing three layers of wallpaper and all the 80s-style cabinets and fixtures, it was turned into a beautiful space.

BELOW: The old kitchen was a much smaller area before the renovation.

The backsplash isn’t the home’s only update in the kitchen — it was completely ripped out and replaced. After removing three layers of wallpaper and all the 80s-style cabinets and fixtures, it was turned into a beautiful space.

“The kitchen was just this itty, bitty square,” Marcie said. “So I asked David if we could just tear it all out and put an island in. He asked me if I was crazy, then he took a minute and figured out how to do it.”

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The room went from yellow-painted cabinets and yellow, laminate countertops to a modern, cleanly designed room. It features a lovely barn door to the pantry painted in Perfect Storm by Valspar, matching accent tile and granite countertops.

They also installed new cabinetry, a kitchen island with sink, and black iron light fixtures, faucets, and cabinet pulls.

The entry into the living room was enlarged to make it all feel more spacious.

“We purchase all our cabinets from a company called Cabinets ASAP. We started working with them probably four year ago, and we love them,” Marcie said.

The cabinets are all soft-close and delivered assembled and painted, she said, so the couple only had to install them. The appliances are all new, electric, and stainless steel, and include a double-door refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher.

The couple installed new cabinetry, a kitchen island with sink, and black iron light fixtures, faucets, and cabinet pulls. The entry into the living room was enlarged to make it all feel more roomy.

Green Country Living

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R E NOVATE & RES TORE

ABOVE AND BELOW: The old master bathroom before it underwent a major renovation.

The fourth bedroom is just off the kitchen. “It does have a closet but could also be a den, a man cave or an office.

Anything you want,” David said. It also has a second entrance from there into a screened-in porch, perfect for entertaining, Marcie said.

“The porch is very big, and I added a nice ceiling fan light out there, so it’s basically an extra room they’ll be able to enjoy in the spring and the fall,” she said.

The house also has two-and-a-half bathrooms, a privacy-fenced back yard, and plenty of storage space. “To get an extra half bath is great,” Marcie said. “It’s the perfect-size house for any family.”

In the living room, the couple redid an unusually shaped fireplace mantel and used paint and flooring for a dramatic, new look.

“David rebuilt the mantel out of cedar and it’s very beefy now,” Marcie said.

“Then I painted the fireplace black on a Sunday afternoon.”

They painted the beams on the vaulted ceiling a rich, dark brown and carried that color over to some of the doors in the house, too. “We painted the doors that had

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ABOVE AND RIGHT: The renovated master bathroom now has a double vanity with modern vessel sings and a 5-foot shower.

ABOVE LEFT AND RIGHT: The old half bathroom (left) was given new life with a fresh coat of paint and the replacement of the cabinent and sink.

been painted a cream color, but left some that have beautiful wood. We cleaned and oiled those and left them.”

Pony walls by the front door and the back of the room were torn out, too. The result is a charming living space ready for any décor new homeowners can dream up.

The master bathroom had a major renovation, too. It started out with a tiny, three-foot shower that David could barely fit in to tear it out.

“We used part of the closet to make it a 5-foot shower and did a marble look in there,” Marcie said. The bathroom now boasts a double vanity with modern vessel sinks and a large, glass-door shower.

The house, located at 2908 Robin Lane, sits on a large lot: 0.4 acres. The exterior was yellow, but the Hewsons also gave it an update.

“We painted it all black, beefed up the porch with cedar and put in cedar shutters and all new windows,” Marcie said.

Though it’s all ready to become a home for a new family, Marcie and David are nowhere near being done — they’ve already purchased a house on 33rd Street and Broadway for their next project.

Green Country Living

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SCENE & BE SEEN

MUSKOGEE CHRISTMAS PARADE State champion Roughers, a gift-wrapped sousaphone and candy canes galore dazzled attendees Monday at the Muskogee Christmas Parade.

Photos by Cathy Spaulding

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FORT GIBSON PARADE The theme of the Fort Gibson Christmas Parade was the Nutcracker Suite traditional ballet by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

Photos by Cathy Spaulding

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SCENE & BE SEEN

NAACP CANDIDATE FORUM The Muskogee Branch of the NAACP holds the banquet to raise money for scholarships.

Photos by Cathy Spaulding

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2408 Old Shawnee Rd • 918-683-1221 64

Winter Edition 2024

POLAR PLUNGE Individuals waded or dove into the frigid waters of Three Forks Harbor.

Photos by Cathy Spaulding

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SCENE & BE SEEN

BASS REEVES MEMORIAL SERVICE Luther sculptor Joel Randall unveiled a sketch of the statue he is to make of Bass Reeves during the Reeves memorial service at Three Rivers Museum.

Photos by Cathy Spaulding

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