2020 GUIDE Muskogee & Annual Progress Forecast

2020

Guide Muskogee

& Annual Progress Forecast

More than

Mayor I N S I D E t h is edi t i o n

 Voters to make decision on strong-mayor measure  Get to know your area school districts  Discover a local park to be active, have fun or enjoy a family picnic

SPRING 2020

at stake

MUSKOGEE

muskogeephoenix.com

Guide Muskogee

& Annual Progress Forecast

Publisher

Ed Choate Editor

Elizabeth Ridenour L ay o u t a n d D e s i g n

Josh Cagle

Contributing Writers

What’s new in Muskogee CITY

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Pressure on voters Upcoming election could have lasting impact on Muskogee.

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Infrastructure delays

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Advertising Director

Business

Advertising Sales Executives

Kristina Hight Angela Jackson Therese Lewis Krysta Aich

Business Matters is a publication of the

MUSKOGEE

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Wet conditions, flooding halt progress on $45M overhaul.

Kenton C. Brooks Chesley Oxendine D.E. Smoot Cathy Spaulding Marci Diaz Apple

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22

Connors adds to health programs

Airport business soars Muskogee-Davis Regional Airport revenue, projects on rise.

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Port of Muskogee Projects and activity make progress despite setbacks.

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Record tourism City breaks records with event attendance, lodging revenue.

NSU Muskogee campus offers new programs

COVID-19 shakes up way owners approach business.

Local campus of NSU continues to grow offering new opportunities.

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Hilldale expands

Fledging Oklahoma industry takes root in Muskogee.

Superintendent says school district 'catching up' with growth.

E d u c ati o n

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Muskogee improvements

muskogeephoenix.com

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Downtown contact

Dispensaries bloom

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College's programs aim to help meet area's health care needs.

Fort Gibson schools shake up leadership Three new principals took helm at Fort Gibson schools.

214 Wall Street Muskogee, OK 74401 Phone: (918) 684-2828 Email: news@muskogeephoenix.com

Muskogee Public Schools work on improving district.

Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner without permission is prohibited.

ICTC celebrates 50 years

Bacone looks back at heritage moving forward

Campus displays new inspirational slogans.

School aims to become federally recognized tribal college.

Address advertising inquiries to (918) 684-2894.

On the Cover

Muskogee City Councilor Marlon Coleman, left, and Wayne Divelbiss are competing to serve as mayor.

Photos by D.E. Smoot

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GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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Getting to know your city Government

S e r v ic e s

39 Muskogee City Council

44 Lake Area United Way service organizations

40 Muskogee County Commissioners 41 Public Safety

H e a lth & Wellness

41 State Elected Officials

45 Fitness Activities

48 Health Care Facilities

Q u a l ity o f Li f e 50 Parks ever-growing 54 Muskogee City Parks

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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City

Course of Muskogee hangs in balance Strong-mayor government would have long-lasting impact

By D.E. Smoot

Muskogee Phoenix

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uskogee voters have a couple decisions to make in June, one of which could alter the city’s course for decades.

In addition to choosing their next mayor, who will serve at least one two-year stint, they are being asked to repeal the city charter and adopt a statutory strong-mayor form of government. The latter is an idea that appealed to enough registered voters the measure was placed on the June 30 ballot by initiative petition.

Strong-mayor governments began to fall out of favor during the Progressive Era, a roughly 40-year period that began during the 1880s. Historians attribute the urban reform movement that gave rise to city manager plans as a way to address voters’ desire to end systemic corruption linked to backroom deals struck by political bosses and promote greater efficiency in the delivery of municipal services.

While state law provides for a council-manager form of government, Muskogee voters opted to become a home rule city and in 1971 ratified the city charter that provides for a council-manager municipal structure. City Attorney Roy Tucker said governing

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pursuant to a charter gives city councilors and the mayor the power to exercise authority over matters of purely local concerns, such as zoning, purchasing and competitive bidding.

That authority, he said, would be stripped from them if voters repeal the city charter. The statutory strong-mayor system limits a municipality’s exercise of power to those “expressly granted” by the Legislature “or necessarily implied from a statute.”

Comparing and contrasting the two forms of governments, Tucker said the appointments of police and fire chiefs would fall to the mayor rather than the city manager with a strong-mayor system. A switch in the form of government also would require employee promotions be based solely on merit and fitness without regard to union contracts and personnel policies, and non-uniform employees would lose for-cause termination requirements.

“The existing union contracts would not simply go away,” Tucker said in a brief overview of prospective changes that would accompany the proposed change in the city’s form of government. “They would still be in effect until the end of the fiscal year, but the mayor

Marlon Coleman

City Wayne Divelbiss

would be in charge of negotiations from that point forward and the council would be asked to approve once negotiated.”

The idea of changing Muskogee’s form of government has come up at least three times since 2000, when mayoral candidate Jay Stephens floated the idea during his failed bid against former Mayor Hershel McBride. City councilors batted down the idea in 2008 during a charter review, but former Mayor John Tyler Hammons revived it the following year after failing to marshal public support for the idea.

Hammons retreated from his quest to change Muskogee’s form of government after Charter Review Committee members showed little interest in backing the idea of having a mayor who served as “the chief elected officer of the city.” The mayor, pursuant to the charter, has no administrative duties, but presides over meetings and is recognized as head of government for ceremonial purposes.

Tracy E. Cole, who sponsored the initiative petition, said he supports a strong-mayor form of government because he believes it will “bring more power back to the people ..., give everybody a seat at the table.” The former city employee who was edged out of the mayoral race during the general election said he believes “a lot of misconceptions and a lot of misinterpretations” exist because people don’t understand how the strong-mayor system works.

A strong-mayor form of government provides for a mayor and city council that act as separate entities, with the council selecting a presiding officer and setting its own agenda. A strong mayor typically oversees day-to-day operations, has authority to appoint department directors, proposes an annual budget, and possesses the power of veto, which councilors may override.

The authors of “Managing Urban America” chronicle in their book the work of Progressive Era reformers who confronted problems that flowed from a consolidation of political power. Features of municipal reform that emerged by the 1920s and ‘30s, the authors state, included “rational decision making” and “increased efficiency in providing services.”

Those urban reform movements, accepted widely now, produced the council-manager system, by which

the city council appoints a qualified manager to oversee the city’s day-to-day operations. Elected officials are charged with making policy decisions while the city manager oversees staffing decisions, carries out routine administrative duties, and proposes an annual budget, which must be approved by the council.

Victor K. Tervala, an author and expert in the structure of municipal and county governments, notes in one article that “when municipal reform involving structure and organization is being considered, it stems from the belief that a different form of government can lead to more efficient and effective service.”

“It may be that government has grown in complexity, and structural change appears necessary,” Tervala writes in his article, “Forms of Municipal Government in Maryland.” “The rough and tumble of politics often is a prime mover for such change as well.”

Ward IV Councilor Marlon Coleman tends to side with the latter assessment. Coleman, who is competing in runoff election with Wayne Divelbiss, said during what has been described by some as “the nastiest election” in Muskogee’s history, the push for a new form of government is a “divisive move.”

“What I really want people to understand is that there are people in Muskogee who really believe they can only survive if the rest of the city is in chaos,” Coleman said. “This is an opportunity to distract us from the progress we’re trying to make and cause more internal division within the city.”

Divelbiss has said he hasn’t given the idea a whole lot of thought but believes there could be “good and bad in both” forms of government.

“I think the strong mayor would be held a little more accountable than our current form of government,” Divelbiss said. “I think the system we have had for years, just like anything, has some holes in it.”

Tervala notes all forms of municipal government have strengths and weaknesses. The “efficiency and effectiveness of any government organization,” he said, “may ultimately have more to do with the quality of the people serving in office rather than its structural components,” but ultimately the best form of government “is the one best designed to meet the needs of your municipal corporation.”

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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City

Pipe lies alongside Centennial Trail, one area where crews are preparing to install a new water line, part of a multimillion-dollar infrastructure improvement plan that includes upgrades to the city’s aging infrastructure and improved water quality. (D.E. Smoot/Muskogee Phoenix)

Flooding, weather sets back projects Aging infrastructure overhaul delayed by wet conditions

By D.E. Smoot

Muskogee Phoenix

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ajor flooding set back progress toward the completion of a $45 million overhaul of an aging infrastructure. The city of Muskogee relies on that infrastructure for the distribution of safe drinking water before collecting and treating municipal wastewater.

A bigger setback for a number of public works projects has been a period of uncharacteristically wet weather that persisted through what historically have

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been drier winter months.

“It hasn’t quit raining, so there is a lot of working in the mud on our construction projects,” Public Works Director Greg Riley said. “Construction is still going on, it is just taking a lot longer than it would take if it hadn’t rained so much.”

Progress continues as the city whittles down a $45 million backlog of “long-deferred maintenance” of the city’s water, stormwater and sewer infrastructure.

Riley said the water line projects were undertaken after Cowan Group Engineering completed a hydraulic water model based upon the findings of a systemwide assessment that began in May 2016. The projects address the age of water in some parts of the distribution system and water line leaks.

Projects addressing the city’s wastewater collection and treatment system were mandated by a consent order issued in 2008 by the Oklahoma Department

of Environmental Quality. The consent order was issued after thousands of gallon of raw sewage spilled into a tributary of Coody Creek.

Riley said the addition of a mixing and aeration system for the city’s water storage tanks has been installed and will be operational once electricity is available. That final component is expected to be finished at any time.

Tank mixing and aeration, along with the installation of a 30-inch water line, is

City

Pipe lies alongside Centennial Trail, one area where crews are preparing to install a new water line, part of a multimillion-dollar infrastructure improvement plan that includes upgrades to the city’s aging infrastructure and improved water quality. (D.E. Smoot/Muskogee Phoenix)

expected to improve the quality of drinking water. That will be accomplished by boosting the turnover rate of treated water in the storage tank and reducing the age of water in distribution lines, which should reduce the chance that contaminants will form from disinfectant byproducts.

Contaminants such as trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids form when disinfectants such as chlorine are used to treat surface water in public drinking water systems. The contaminants by volume increase with the age of the water when it remains static in storage tanks and distribution lines.

Stephen Morton, water plant superintendent, said water age tends to be the city’s “biggest problem right now” — reports show that is true across the state.

But surface water, which includes the stormwater that flows across agricultural, industrial and urban areas before it gathers in reservoirs, must be disinfected before it can be consumed.

“If we don’t disinfect the water you are definitely going to get sick,” Morton said after notices were sent to residents about the presence of those disinfectant byproducts. “If you do disinfect the water there’s a slight chance you might get sick — I will take a maybe any day.”

Riley said installation of the 30-inch water line is expected to be completed by the end of this year or the first few weeks of 2021 if weather permits. Crews will begin replacing “all of the old lines” served by the 24-inch line before focusing on areas where leaks have been a problem.

“We will start the priority line replacement project later this year, where we will be replacing lines that have required the most repairs,” Riley said.

“But the big deal is addressing water age, knocking out the need for those notices, and then we will take care of those leaky areas after that.”

The water study was identified several years ago as a top priority and was funded by a temporary sales tax approved by voters in 2014 as part of a five-year capital improvements package. City councilors in 2017 approved a $45 million plan to address infrastructure maintenance

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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City

Construction workers prepare for the long-awaited widening and repaving of North 24th Street, the third of three major projects identified by citizens’ committee as a priority after voters approved a permanent sales tax to support city streets.

backlog that includes the water distribution system along with stormwater and sewer upgrades.

City Manager Mike Miller has touted city councilors’ approval of automatic rate hikes, the revenue from which was earmarked for infrastructure improvements. Projects included in the $45 million plan include repairs or replacement of infrastructure that is 100 years old or older.

Water infrastructure improvements include the relocation of the chlorine dioxide generator from Fort Gibson Dam to the water treatment plant,

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replacement of two 24-inch transmission lines that carry water from the treatment plant to town, the implementation of a water-loss control program and audit, water reservoir aeration, and replacement of smaller distribution lines that require frequent repairs.

Riley said the city plans to mitigate the potential of damage from future flooding near the Port of Muskogee by replacing three earthen berms built to protect the plant in 2019 with concrete berms.

That costs of the mitigation project, he said, will

be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“Keeping water service on during the flood was a huge accomplishment — we had people out there (at the plant) for nine straight days,” Riley said. “I don’t know if people realize how close we came to not being able to do that.”

Planned upgrades for the municipal wastewater collection and treatment system include the replacement of two sections of a 12-inch line in the Junction Street area, where a number of by-

City

passes have been reported. Also included are new lift stations and line replacements necessary for systemwide improvements.

Riley said the work on sewer collection lines outside the plant is about 60% complete. Work at the treatment facility being financed by OWRB loans — about 60% of the work being done there — and FEMA-reimbursed work related to flood recovery is about 30% complete.

“FEMA will give us up to what we spend on mitigation, so we are looking at some mitigation

projects that will have to be approved by FEMA,” Riley said. “But that would be a concrete berm that is about 3 1/2 feet higher than what is there now.”

In addition to water and sewer improvements, the $45 million infrastructure program includes stormwater control projects within the Civitan Drainage Basin. All those projects were financed by loans available through the Oklahoma Water Resources Board’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund for wastewater system improvement and the agency’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for

water system projects.

The city also embarked on a major street improvement project after voters approved a capital improvements package that will be bolstered by matching funds available through a City of Muskogee Foundation grant. That funding will increase the amount of money for work in each of the city’s four quadrants from $1 million to $6 million.

“All that money is not a cure for everything,” Riley said. “But it sure will help us get more done than we would have been able to do without it.”

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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City

Business takes off at local airport Muskogee-Davis Regional Airport sees increase in revenue, projects

By Chesley Oxendine

Muskogee Phoenix

A Tesla Model 3 was purchased for use by airport clientele. (Drew Saffell)

(Drew Saffell)

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uskogee-Davis Regional Airport saw more than 12,000 throughout 2019, according to a report from Manager Drew Saffell. Those figures cap off a year of increased revenues, social media presence, and airport improvements, Saffell said — improvements like the new fixed base operator parking lot.

“Our new FBO long-term parking project eliminated the gravel lot. That wasn’t very eye-appealing to visitors,

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and it also caused gravel to get tracked out onto the airfield, which was a safety issue,” Saffell said. “This project vastly improved the overall appearance of the airport.”

General statistics trended upward in comparison to 2018: the airport’s based aircraft inventory grew from 98 to 104, their social media following more than tripled from 1,000 to 3,050 followers, and their annual revenue increased by $19,464.

Muskogee-Davis also welcomed two businesses as permanent tenants, Skydive Cherokee and American Vending Solutions.

“Skydive Cherokee leased a hangar and began skydiving operations at Muskogee-Davis Regional in 2018,” according to an airport status report.

“Skydive Cherokee is the first skydiving company to operate at our airport since 1990...[they] offer solo skydiving instruction, lift tickets for qualified

skydivers, and tandem jumps nearly every weekend, whenever weather allows.”

There was also the Tesla Model 3 purchased for use by airport clientele, which Saffell called one of the year’s “biggest highlights.”

“In the past, we’ve been putting those folks in a wore out police car.

It smells bad, the AC may or not work, you have to tell them how to hold their tongue while working the

City

Commercial and military aircraft are welcomed at MuskogeeDavis Regional Airport.

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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City

Visitors look at an AD-5 Skyraider after arriving at Muskogee-Davis Regional Airport. It was one of the featured planes at the CAF Air Power History Tour.

ignition switch. When they get in that, it’s not a very good impression,” Saffell said. “We used airport revenue, not a single tax dollar, to purchase a brand new Tesla Model 3. We got it right at $40,000 as a premium, fully-loaded model.”

Having the car available has been a huge boon for first impressions, Saffell said.

“These business leaders who are flying in, who make decisions that directly impact our community, fly in on a charter flight at $7,000 an hour,

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to come to Muskogee for three hours for a meeting? That’s something that involves money, that’s very important,” Saffell said. “It’s great because when you put them behind the wheel of that, they’re smiling when they leave the airport. They’re not thinking of every bump in the road.

They’re in a great mood, because they’re in a Tesla Model 3 and they can’t believe that Muskogee’s airport put them in that.”

Perhaps the biggest project on the airport’s horizon is a much-needed

lighting project for which a preliminary study begins this year, Saffell said.

“The project will involve numerous electrical improvements. A new complete airfield electrical circuit with something like eight miles of underground cabling. The current cable is direct buried, so it’s old,” Saffell said. “The new system will be cable and conduit, so it will be conduit protected. It will be new lighting fixtures, upgraded to LED to save electricity, and also so we don’t have to change

light bulbs on an almost daily basis.

It’s also going to install new airfield guidance signs, a lighting control system and regulators, secondary wind-cone assembly, and civilian airport rotating beacon.”

The project will cost $1.4 million.

Muskogee-Davis is requesting a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration and Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission to cover 90% of the cost, while the rest will be funded using a fiscal year 2020 capital improvement fund, Saffell said.

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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Business

Port projects move forward Progress made despite setbacks

By D.E. Smoot

A heavy-equipment operator packs barges queued at the Port of Muskogee with scrap metal, which will be shipped to a recycling plant for reuse.

Muskogee Phoenix

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ear historic flooding and resulting damage shut down shipping along the inland navigation channel for much of the year in 2019 and put a damper on some manufacturing activity at the Port of Muskogee.

Port officials overcame adversity and made progress, completing some long-term objectives and moving others forward.

The acquisition of a 45-acre tract this past December completed what Port Director Scott Robinson described as the strategic acquisition of more than 600 acres that make up Griffin Industrial Park on the city’s south side. The $1.5 million endeavor took about 10 years to complete.

Robinson said while the port has “come really close in the past of landing a major prospect in this area,” the industrial park should be even more attractive now that there are more than 600 contiguous acres. Griffin Industrial Park, which is adjacent to Dal-Tile, also has rail access to the Port of Muskogee and its shipping infrastructure.

“It’s attractive to industrial prospects, so I think the chances are good that something good will happen down there — especially now that we’ve got that piece,” Robinson said when the acquisition was complete.

“It was a good strategy: We paid too much for some property, other property we acquired at less than what it was worth, but overall I think we’ve

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Activity on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System at the Port of Muskogee is rebounding from last year’s flood.

done a good job of paying what the properties were worth.”

Closer to the Port of Muskogee, work has begun as part of the first phase of a $11.58 million railroad modernization project. The project includes improvements to track geometry leading into the port and an expansion of the facility’s marshaling yard.

Access is limited to four-axle locomotives because the arc of the railroad tracks entering the port is too narrow to carry anything larger.

Six-axle locomotives have become the industry standard, and the smaller locomotives are being phased out of existence.

Railroad cars sit ready for pickup and delivery in the file photo at the Port of Muskogee, where an $11.58 million railroad modernization project is in its early stages.

Business Robinson, emphasizing the project’s necessity while seeking a portion of the funds needed to match a federal transportation grant that will fund it, said the time will come “when rail traffic won’t not come to the port because they can’t deliver the cars from the main line.” Having access to rail transportation, Robinson said in January, buoyed the port’s finances after flooding in 2019 all but shut down shipping on the inland navigation channel the second half of the year.

“I think shippers are going to be for quite a while more careful in allocating transportation costs across different modes of transportation,” Robinson said in February. “Fortunately, we have an excellent rail configuration, and by the time we are finished with the BUILD project we will have as good as it gets as far as rail transportation and rail configuration system.”

Industrial Development Director Marie Synar said the Port of Muskogee and Muskogee-Davis Regional Airport are “extremely valuable resources” as they relate to her recruitment, retention and expansion efforts. During a recent presentation, Synar said there “are some really nice projects” she and her team are working on, and she hopes to have some news in the not-too-distant future.

Businesses have been getting back on track after last year’s floods brought work to a halt.

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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Business Noel Haggard, Theresa Haggard, Ben Haggard and The Strangers perform for a roaring crowd at the 50th Anniversary Concert for Merle Haggard’s “Okie From Muskogee.”

Muskogee hosted record visitors Official says flood contributed to high lodging collections

By Chesley Oxendine

Muskogee Phoenix

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uskogee hosted more than 2.7 million visitors throughout 2019, said Justin O’Neal, director of Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism.

Even disastrous, near-record flooding of the Arkansas River in late May couldn’t stem external enthusiasm for

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the city and its attractions, O’Neal said.

“The Renaissance Fair and Haunted Halloween Festival both saw record numbers. Various events throughout the year have seen some higher numbers than usual — flood aside, it was still a great year for tourism in Muskogee,” O’Neal said. “We saw more

visitors in 2019 than ever before.”

Record numbers of visitors also meant record revenue through Muskogee’s lodging tax, O’Neal said.

“The total hotel tax collection for 2019 was $1,019,128.42,” O’Neal said.

“That is our record high year.”

A surge of displaced residents mak-

ing use of temporary lodgings, as well as out-of-town assistance from both volunteers and disaster recovery agencies contributed to the lodging tax revenue as well, O’Neal said.

“With the natural disaster, we did see an increase in overnight stays, whether that’s people who were dis-

Business A Jeep driver plows through the mud pit at Okie Jeep Jam at Hatbox Field.

Runners crossing a hay obstacle must watch out for the zombie during a Zombie Run, sponsored by the Castle of Muskogee. (Sarah Gile/Submitted)

placed, people who were here working on flood efforts, things like that,” O’Neal said. “One thing we tried to do for local residents was set up deals with the local hotels so those rooms were as cheap as possible, so we could help our community members that were displaced.”

High-profile events throughout the year also played a role in the record highs, O’Neal said.

“Jeep Jam saw over just around 200 jeeps, with people coming from all over Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas. For a firstyear event, there was nothing but great feedback, and that’s a great example of an event that help us hit that 1,000,000 mark,” O’Neal said. “Another large event was the Okie from Muskogee 50th anniversary celebration. That saw about 4,000 people come from 13 different states, a lot of them multiple days. There was a group from Bakersfield, California, that came here for a full week, just to kind of learn the area and visit the places that Merle (Haggard) talked about.”

The Chamber hopes to keep that momentum going into 2020, O’Neal said.

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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Business

Thriving in contactless world Downtown establishments adapt to COVID-19 challenges

By Chesley Oxendine

Muskogee Phoenix

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ew businesses have continued pouring into downtown Muskogee as the area develops, helping to build an identity around the selection of restaurants, bars, and shops nestled there.

Even facing the spread of COVID-19, some of the restaurants have taken steps to adapt to a contactless world and keep the sector thriving.

American Pie Wood Fired Pizza, for example, has moved to offering delivery services within five miles of the shop after closing their dining room. Hattie’s House and Vintage Market has encouraged visitors to shop online at the store’s website (https://www.hattieshousevintagemarket. com.) Club Lunch installed a drive-thru window in the alley to keep business flowing.

Businesses taking steps like that deserve to be kept open and supported as much as possible, said Muskogee resident Ryan Lewis.

“These guys worked hard to bring business to this area,” Lewis said. “If we’ve got a chance to give them some support, I think we should take it.”

It would be disastrous for the downtown area for places like American Pie or

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This illustration shows the possible layout of the Depot Green Space toward the bottom with the proposed extension of Centennial Trail running along the south side of the green space from its current trailhead at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame running east to Main Street. Running through the middle of the illustration is Elgin Street with the Three Rivers Museum on the north side of the street.

Business

Muskogee Brewing Company brewer Josh Ellis checks one of the tanks ahead of a brew. The Brewing Company makes its variety of beers in-house.

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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Business Club Lunch to close, said City Councilor and Club Lunch owner Alex Reynolds.

“Downtown is a food desert, and there’s very little options for food. We’re really limited, so we’re going to try and stay open as long as we can,” Reynolds said. “These are crazy days for all of us.”

Lewis, who moved to Muskogee in October of last year, said he found downtown Muskogee to typically be the city’s liveliest sector. He frequents the restaurants and shops down there as often as he can, he said.

“There’s something really special here, something that’s really hard to find in this part of Oklahoma,” Lewis said. “I hope we can band together and get the small businesses that make downtown Muskogee so great through this low point.”

Lewis plans to order a pizza from American Pie when he gets the chance, he said, and hoped to order something from Broadway Market.

“I just hope we can adapt,” Lewis said.

“The community out here has been very welcoming and supportive, and I hope we can continue doing that for the folks that make our downtown so special.”

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(From left) City Manager Mike Miller, Senior Director of Public Affairs for Union Pacific Railroad’s Brandon Morris, Indian Capital Technology Center Nursing instructor Wren Stratton, Muskogee Little Theatre Executive Director Coni Wetz, Three Rivers Museum Board of Directors Vice Chairman Roger Bell, and Neighbors Building Neighborhoods Executive Director Kim Lynch review an artist’s rendering of a proposed green space in the Depot District. Morris presented the group with a $5,000 check from Union Pacific to help fund the project.

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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Business

New business sprouts up Dispensaries grow around Muskogee

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Business

By Chesley Oxendine

Muskogee Phoenix

S

tate Question 788 approved the use of medical marijuana in June 2018. In the time since, the industry has exploded in Oklahoma. Multiple dispensaries have popped up across Muskogee to help people apply for Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority licenses, sell cannabis-related products, and educate people on cannabis’ medical properties.

“There’s just a lot it can help with,” said Drew Davis, a Muskogee resident who relies on medical marijuana for pain control. “Seven eighty-eight was a godsend not only for us who need the medication, but also for folks looking for an industry to break into.”

Davis injured his back in a work accident years ago, he said, and he prefers cannabis to opioids.

“You can get strung out on that stuff, the pain

medication and all that,” Davis said. “Marijuana’s not like that. You’re not messing with your chemistry the way you are when you take pain pills. It’s just been a huge blessing for me and people like me.”

Stories like Davis’ are part of what makes running a dispensary such a great venture, said Rebecka Cook, human resources manager for 420 Main Dispensary at 420 N. Main St. “Hearing the stories about its helping them is one of the fun things we experience here,” Cook said. “From a business standpoint, the customers are amazing. It’s fun to work with the customers.”

420 Main was one of the first dispensaries to open in Muskogee following the approval of SQ788.

Cook said working there was her first experience with cannabis.

“No one ever thought we would be in this business in Oklahoma,” Cook said. “It’s been fun.”

Cook doesn’t see the industry — which saw huge crowds of people coming in for help with OMMA licenses and learning about cannabis products — slowing down anytime soon.

“There’s more dispensaries, there’s new ones opening up every day,” Cook said. “It’s still a profitable business. The state is definitely benefiting greatly from the business. It’s still an important part of Oklahoma’s economy for sure.”

That’s good news for Davis, he said.

“I’ve felt better than I have in years, and it’s because I’m able to access a product that has helped me immensely,” Davis said. “I’m really grateful we’ve gotten to this point.”

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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Education M u s ko g e e P u b l ic S c h oo l s

MPS prepares for improvements

By Cathy Spaulding

Muskogee Phoenix

M

uskogee School Superinten- hall said. “As the new facilities begin dent Jarod Mendenhall says to be built, our community will want Muskogee Public Schools equity across the district.” must get better — regardless of the Mendenhall said he sees progress district’s image. in the classroom as well.

Spurred by passage of a $110 “Three schools in the district immillion bond issue, Muskogee Public proved their overall letter grade this Schools is working to improve school past year, which is a strong correlasites. tion to the hard work and dedication Mendenhall said the bond issue of our staff,” he said. “Even though held last October was the largest some of our schools did not see an inbond referendum in district history. creased letter grade, they experienced The first two growth in different bond issue projareas.” ects will be to The district is rebuild Tony Goetz working to improve Elementary School reading. This year, and rebuild Alice MPS implemented Robertson Junior Reading Recovery, High into a Fresha remedial program man Academy, for first-graders Mendenhall said. found to be behind “Both projby two years. ects are currently Mendenhall said he being designed and wants 100 percent developed with the of all students read— Jarod Mendenhall architects,” Mening on grade level denhall said. by third grade.

Competitive “We have 16 bids on Tony Goetz and AR Freshstudents that were two years behind man Academy will be taken through at the beginning of the year and April and awarded in May. Both now reading on grade-level as of the projects will begin construction this end of February,” Mendenhall said. summer and could be complete in “This six-month intervention has August 2021. no doubt made a difference for these Future projects include a new foot- children for the rest of their lives.” ball stadium and basketball gym to be Teachers and other staff members built west of Muskogee High School, work together, he said. massive renovations at MHS and “I feel like it takes our entire Sadler Arts Academy, and converting team to make magic happen,” the former Harris-Jobe Elementary Mendenhall said. “I want Muskogee into an Early Childhood Center.

Public Schools to be the place that “This will no doubt place the dreams come true for students – a district on a great path to facility place that engages and equips every enhancement, but there are still areas student, so they can pursue their that need to be addressed,” Menden- dreams.”

“Three schools in the district improved their overall letter grade this past year, which is a strong correlation to the hard work and dedication of our staff.”

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GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

Third-grade teacher Julie Aich cheers her students on as they lead a “March on Muskogee for Literacy” through the halls of New Tech at Cherokee Elementary. Reading is taking a top priority at Muskogee Public Schools.

Early Childhood Center teacher Angie Ragsdale fits a muck boot on Josiah Buchanan, left, while classmate Zane Lloyd watches. Muskogee Public Schools voters recently passed a $110 million bond issue, which includes a relocated Early Childhood Center.

Education By the Numbers FUND I N G S OU RCE S

E nrollment:

muskogee

Local:

Students:

Support Staff:

Certified Staff:

Administrators:

5,236 410

$10,440,854

279 43

County:

$1,035,000 State:

$28,272,770 Federal:

$6,249,667 Total projected:

$45,998,291 B U I L D I N G P R I N C I PA L S: Muskogee High School: Kim Fleak Rougher Alternative Academy: Heather Jones 7th & 8th Grade Academy @ Ben Franklin: Ryan Buell 6th Grade Academy @ Grant Foreman: Karen Watkins Creek Elementary: Andrea Sagely New Tech @ Cherokee Elementary: Reubin McIntosh Irving Elementary: Katy Thomson Pershing Elementary: Meleah Hoskins Sadler Arts Academy: Ronia Davison Tony Goetz Elementary: Sarah McWilliams Whittier Elementary: Lisa Rogers Early Childhood Center: Malinda Lindsey

District leadership

including cabinet, coordinators and directors

Superintendent: Jarod Mendenhall Assistant Superintendent: Kim Dyce Chief Financial Officer: John Little Chief Academic Officer: Shannon Turner Chief Administrative Officer: Lance Crawley Chief Operating and Technology Officer: Eric Wells Director of Communications and Marketing: Steve Braun Executive Administrative Assistant: Carla Cooper Director of Transportation: Brad Smythe Director of Security: Dan Hall

Director of Facilities: Odell Alexander Director of Accounting: David Chester Director of Child Nutrition: Kim Hall Director of Student Services: Ginger James Director of Special Education: Veronica Teague Director of Curriculum & Indian Education: Lisa Yahola Director of Athletics: Jason Parker Instructional Technology Coordinator: Justin Walker Fine Arts Coordinator: Jerry Huffer Community and Family Resources Coordinator: Lori Jefferson Special Education Compliance Coordinator: Amy Pool

Muskogee High School baritone horn players, from left, Mica Stafford, Douglas Workings, Quentin Cain and Denin Robinson practice for a recent concert. A $110 million bond issue, recently passed by voters in Muskogee Public Schools includes a new band room at MHS.

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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Education I ndian C apita l T e c h no l o g y C e nt e r

Slogans help ICTC celebrate 50 years

By Cathy Spaulding

Muskogee Phoenix

I

ndian Capital Technology Center medicine, and cosmetology. prepares to mark its 50th year with Graphic design teacher Cheryl a new look at its Muskogee campus. Miller said her high school and adult Inspirational slogans, such as students learn with the same equip“Careers start here” are printed boldly ment and software the graphic design on campus walls. The slogans reflect industry uses.

ICTC’s ongoing mission to prepare “They can go into graphic design, people for the workforce. web design,” she said. “There are a ton “We’re offering them the opportuof different pathways. They can work nity to receive training so that when for a publishing company. They are they graduate, they can go out and trained on large-format inkjet printers get a good-paying job,” said Muskogee and vinyl cutters.”

Campus Director Greg Phares.

Health careers certification students ICTC-Muskogee can even find some offers 19 programs summer jobs, said for adults and high instructor Franchelle school students.

Burkhalter.

Many classes are She said the career-specific. classes are at capacity For example, with 22 students in Phares said that in the morning and 22 precision machining, in the afternoon. “our students learn More students are on to be CNC (coma waiting list. puterized numerical “It gives them control) mill and training before they lathe operators.” finish high school,” — Greg Phares David Acuff, who Burkhalter said. teaches the class, said “They get certified industries seek CNCnurse aide in longtrained students. term care and also home health aide.”

“You can do things quicker on it ICTC-Muskogee also helps Muskthan you can on a manual,” he said. ogee’s workforce, Phares said.

“It’s evolving, just like everything else “Hopefully, when our students leave is. I start teaching them G-code, I start here, they’re coming out with a basic teaching them trigonometry, I start skill set that employers will find very teaching them how to set work offsets.” attractive,” he said. “We also try to ICTC-Muskogee also offers structeach soft skills, employability skills tural welding and pipe welding. such as teamwork and that type of “Those guys, when they get out of stuff.” here, they’ve got their state welding Burkhalter said students also card when they graduate,” Phares said. learn autonomy and responsibility in Other programs include heating, health-oriented classes. ventilation and air conditioning, draft“It teaches them to be responsible ing, computerized drafting, graphic for others, other than themselves,” she design, electrical house wiring, sports said.

“Hopefully, when our students leave here, they’re coming out with a basic skill set that employers will find very attractive.”

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GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

Indian Capital Technology Center precision metal teacher David Acuff shows details of an alien figurine crafted by one of the tool cutters. (Cathy Spaulding)

Jadan Dornan, left, of Hilldale, and Brandon Garcia of Porum work on a vinyl printing graphic art project at Indian Capital Technology Center-Muskogee. (Cathy Spaulding)

Education By the Numbers Muskogee C ampus Total Students:

599

Number of High School Students:

502

Number of Adult Students:

97

Male:

342 Female:

257

E TH N I C I T Y: White:

AD U LT TUITION, FEES

Locations Muskogee Campus: 2403 N. 41st St. East, Muskogee; (918) 687-6383 Sallisaw Campus: 401 E. Houser Industrial Blvd., Sallisaw; (918) 775-9119 Stilwell Campus: Rt. 6 Box 3320 (Oklahoma 59 and Maryetta Road), Stilwell; (918) 696-3111 Tahlequah Campus: 240 CareerTech Way (Vo-Tech Road), Tahlequah, (918) 456-2594 Adult Health Careers Campus: 2403 N. 41st St. East, Muskogee; (918) 348-7998

50.58% African American:

Top courses at the Muskogee C ampus

Hispanic:

Health Careers Certification Information Technology Drafting & Design

7.68% 6.51% Other:

2.23%

FACULT Y S IZE Full-time certified: Approximately 185 full-time employees districtwide.

Adjunct or other: This can vary by year, but approximately 250 adjuncts work for ICTC each year.

Native American:

33%

In-District Student: • Per hour rate of $2 for each Career Major hour • Per hour rate of $2.25 for FullTime Adult Health Career Majors hour (Books and fees NOT Included) • Per hour rate of $3.50 for Heavy Equipment (Books Provided) Faculty Size: 185

An Indian Capital Technology Center slogan stretches along an inside wall at the ICTC Muskogee campus.

(Cathy Spaulding)

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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Education C onnors S tat e C o l l e g e

Connors ramping up health programs

By Cathy Spaulding

Muskogee Phoenix

C

onnors State College everything put into place.” strives to meet the area’s Ramming said he expects Conever-increasing health care nors’ health care programs to keep needs, said President Ron Ramgrowing. ming.

“The occupational therapy and “Our nursing program could physical therapy assistant program continue to grow, and we still we partner with ICTC on seem to would not be able to keep up be doing well,” he said. with the demand for nurses in the Ramming said most of the area,” Ramming said.

Connors degree programs help He said nursing “quite handily” students transfer to larger univerremains Connors’ largest program, sities. especially pre-nursing. Connors Connors’ agriculture program had 186 students in the nursing attracts students from all over the program at the start of the semes- country, he said. ter.

“We’ve got students from Ar“The reason izona, to Florithat’s significant da, California, is, through all the Virginia in school budget cuts, we right now for one were forced to reof those agriculduce the number ture programs,” of applications Ramming said. we accepted,” “We’re constantly he said. “We’re looking for other working to get to programs that where we were would serve needs before the budget of people here in problems ocMuskogee.” curred.”

Ramming said — Ron Ramming Connors has Connors is workextended its ing to improve nursing program programs in cominto Tahlequah. puter information Ramming said Connors worked systems and pre-engineering, both with Northeastern Health Sysconsidered high-demand areas. tems, Cherokee Nation and Connors also has an outreach Northeastern State University. to 250 students at Jess Dunn and The first semester of classes was Eddie Warrior correctional centers held at Indian Capital Technology in Taft.

Center’s Tahlequah campus.

“We send faculty out there to “We have high hopes for that teach face to face,” Ramming said. program,” he said. “And obviously “We’re authorized to deliver our there is a need, with the health general education, associate of arts care expansion of the Cherokee and associate of science in busiNation in Cherokee County. ness administration degrees.”

They have reported there is an He said it’s one of the most additional 800 health care jobs in meaningful programs he’s been Cherokee County once they get involved with at Connors.

“The reason that’s significant is, through all the budget cuts, we were forced to reduce the number of applications we accepted.”

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Connors State College Clinical Nursing Instructor Sheri Todd, second from left, explains technical procedures to students, from left, Ryan Winkler, Kristin Long and Otto Osburn. (Cathy Spaulding)

Education By the Numbers Student I nformation: Number of Students: 2,743 Male: 905 Female: 1,838

E TH N I C I T Y: White:

1,527

A simulation lab at Connors State College is set to be videotaped. The lab offers nursing and therapy assistant students lifelike health scenarios in their classes. (Cathy Spaulding)

Native American:

922

African American:

265

Students come from

Other:

In-State:

9

2,651 Out of State:

88

International:

4 TUITION AND MANDATORY FEES, per hour Resident:

$151

The most popular majors 1. General Studies 2. Pre-Nursing 3. Business Administration 4. Agriculture 5. Nursing

FACULTY INFORMATION Number of tenured or tenure/ track instructors: N/A Number of non-tenured or non-tenure/track instructors: 47 Male: 16 Female: 31 Adjunct faculty: 23 active / 54 in pool Number, percentage of faculty with doctorate degrees: 5

BUDGE TS FY 2019 Total Budget:

$25.9 million

FY 2020 Total Budget:

$25.9 million

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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Education N o rt h e a s t e r n S tat e U n i v e r s i t y

NSU Muskogee adds programs

By Kenton Brooks

Muskogee Phoenix

A

nticipation continues to grow at the Northeastern State University’s Muskogee campus with the expected addition of the master’s program for physician assistants.

Dr. Kimberly Williams continues to make sure Northeastern State University Muskogee stays healthy with programs they offer to students.

The campus will add speech pathology as well as undergraduate and graduate programs in nursing. NSU Muskogee will also have an online program for nursing as well as a master’s degree.

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“We’re moving most of the health science programs to the Muskogee campus,” said Williams, dean of the campus since July 15. “We just felt like we were serving a need in our area.

With the location of the campus in proximity to sites in the area, this gives more opportunities for our students than being housed in Tahlequah.”

The school has in place a master’s program in occupational therapy as well as bachelor’s and master’s in nursing and are pursuing accreditation for a master’s in physician assistant studies.

A forklift holds rolls of water-sealing sheets while workers apply the sheets on the roof at Northeastern State University’s Muskogee Campus. NSU recently redid the entire roof at the campus.

Not all of the changes at NSU Muskogee are inside the buildings. A new roof is scheduled to be put on the Synar Building this summer, which Williams estimates to cost $250,000.

“The new roof should be done by early summer,” Williams said.

A roof on the administration building was completed in February.

Williams replaced Dr. Tim McElroy

after McElroy retired on July 1. She said she’s enjoying her job.

“It’s something different every day,” she said. “It’s a great place to work with a great staff and faculty on all three campuses. I really like the people I work with. They’re hard-working people, good people who very much care about their community and the people we’re serving.”

Education By the Numbers Student I nformation: Number of Students:

731 Male:

117

TUITION/Per credit Hour

Faculty & S taff Faculty and staff work between campuses and at any given time. NSU has about 25 that are working at the Muskogee campus.

116

(The number above includes Asian as well as students who selected two or more races.)

Students come from

White:

416

Native American:

128

(The number above represents the students who selected only American Indian or Alaska Native from the race categories. See note below.)

African American:

36

Hispanic:

35

Other or unknown:

Undergraduate Non-resident tuition:

$510.50*

Graduate Resident tuition: Graduate Non-resident tuition:

Number of majors Undergraduate majors based in Muskogee (3) Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (online only) Organizational Leadership Speech Language Pathology, Bachelor of Science Graduate majors based in Muskogee (4) Nursing, Master of Science Nursing. (online only) Occupational Health, Master of Science.

Public Health, Master of Public Health.

Speech Language Pathology, Master of Science.

E TH N I C I T Y:

$230.50*

$283.40*

Female:

614

Undergraduate Resident tuition:

In-State:

677

$588.90*

Undergraduate Non-resident nursing tuition:

$231.50*

Graduate resident nursing tuition:

$285.40*

Graduate non-resident nursing tuition:

$286.40*

Graduate Resident Occupational Therapy tuition:

$337.15*

Graduate Non-resident Occupational Therapy tuition:

$642.40*

*Tuition and mandatory fees Source: https://offices.nsuok.edu/ admissions/Admission/Tuition-Fees

Northeastern State University Muskogee Campus 2400 W. Shawnee Bypass

Out of State:

(918) 683-0040

49

International:

www.nsuok.edu/ muskogee

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31

Education Hi l l da l e P u b l ic S c h oo l s

Hilldale sees growth of schools, students

By Kenton Brooks

Muskogee Phoenix

E

rik Puckett calls it “catching up” as Hilldale Public Schools continues to grow.

Puckett, the superintendent of schools, detailed a new emphasis on STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math courses.

“Robotics falls into that category, and we’ve had that for a couple of years,” he said. “We’re going to dive into STEAM heavier next year. We’re going to have teachers to do some project-based learning. We want to do everything we can to provide for the kids who go off to college or into the

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work force with a skill.”

Puckett said additional enrollment makes the addition of subjects possible. He said Hilldale has 140 more students than last year as of Oct. 1.

“That gives us quite a big opportunity to add some programs and things for the staff,” he said. “We’ve added classrooms and staff with our ($15 million) bond.”

The bond was approved by voters in October 2017. Some of the things built using money from the bond include a fifth-grade classroom and

Hilldale Elementary students stream out of the school’s new entrance.

The school also recently added a gym and new classrooms. gymnasium at the elementary school.

Indoor facilities for baseball and softball have also been completed as well as lockers for soccer, golf and cheerleading.

Hilldale also expects to add Advanced Placement courses, Puckett said.

“We’ll always focus on reading and math, but we’ll have an em-

phasis on science and other skills as well,” he said.

Puckett sees the growth continuing, he said.

“There’s been a lot of energy, effort and thought into the growing of our last schools over the last 30 or 40 years,” he said. “A lot of people are proud of what is now and what it will be in the next 20-30 years.”

Education By the Numbers

F unding sources

(Amount from each fund)

DISTRIC T LEAD ERSHIP School I nformation: Enrollment:

1,926

Certified staff (excluding administration):

133

Number of support workers:

74

Number of administrators:

10

Superintendent: Erik Puckett Assistant Superintendents: Dr. Deborah Tennison, Chad Kirkhart

Local:

$1,807,329.12 County:

$35,386.36 State:

$10,146,280.34 Federal:

$1,029,274.54

B uilding Principals Elementary: Patti Bilyard; Assistants, Donna Lorenz, Christina Hamm.

Middle School: Darren Riddle Middle School; Assistant, Amber Horn.

High School: Josh Nixon; Assistant, Josh Grandstaff.

Total projected:

$13,018,270.54 500 E. Smith Ferry Road (918) 683-0273 http://www.hilldale. k12.ok.us/ Hilldale High School video production teacher Phil McWilliams hooks a monitor onto a new video camera he bought with a Hilldale Education Foundation grant.

Hilldale Elementary art teacher Jamie Triplett helps student Ella Brunson, left, with an art lesson while classmate Landon Robinson watches.

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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Education F ort Gibson P u b l ic S c h oo l s

New principals lead FG schools

By Kenton Brooks

Muskogee Phoenix

C

hanges started from the top down as three new principals took the helm at Fort Gibson schools this

principal last year, while Willis was a high school counselor and Sifers was a teacher.

Changes continue outside the school. year.

Work continues as part of $5.75 “It’s been a tremendous year as they million construction bond issue approved hit the ground running,” Superintendent by voters in 2018. The bond issue went Gary Farmer said. “All of them are from toward districtwide technology upgrades, the district, and they’ve given a new a classroom/barn addition to the ag buildperspective to the district.” ing, a relocated bus barn and remodeling the administration building.

New principals took over their jobs The next project is a new roof for the this year. Ben Pemberton is the new principal at the high school, Carrie Willis main cafeteria, Farmer said.

“We’re working on projects in closing at the middle school, and Andrea Sifers our bond issue,” he said. “The roof is at the intermediate elementary. a $330,000 project. Work will begin Pemberton was the middle school

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GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

Fort Gibson High School English teacher Sheri Goodwin stresses student success in her class. She is this year’s Fort Gibson Teacher of the Year.

June 1, and we anticipate a 25-work day project. It will take all of June and into mid-July.”

Projects for the transportation bond of $925,000 have been completed, Farmer said. They include new route buses and

activity buses.

Planning is already in the works for the next bond cycle, he added.

“Our bond cycle is every five years, but we evaluate our needs every year,” he said. “We’re always moving forward.”

Education By the Numbers Information: Enrollment:

1,771

Certified teachers/staff:

145

Support workers:

114

Administrators: 1.5 central office, four site principals, and two site assistant principals

Early Learning Center pre-kindergarten teacher Jodie Jones reads to her pupils in a new classroom. Six pre-kindergarten classes moved from Fort Gibson’s north education building to ELC over the summer.

Funding sources Local and Intermediate:

Main Administrators/ Directors

State:

Child Nutrition Director: Kathy Reich Special Education Director: Patty Pereira Principals High School: Gary Sparks, principal High School Assistant/Athletic Director: Chuck London Middle School: Ben Pemberton Middle School Assistant: Carrie Willis Intermediate Elementary Principal: Sherry Rybolt Early Learning Center Principal: Shelly Holderby

$4,915,770 $6,795,145 Federal:

$1,010,000 General Activity Fund:

$245,000 Total projected:

$12,965,915 Central office: 500 S. Ross Ave. (918) 478-2474 http://www.ftgibson. k12.ok.us/

Fort Gibson Middle School Students, from left, Lauren Compton and Jonathan Gifford, watch STEM teacher Chris Staton demonstrate an electronic board.

D istrict Leadership Superintendent: Scott Farmer Assistant Superintendent, part time: Tom Stiles GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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Education

Bacone College Art Director Gerald Cournoyer prepares artwork to hang that was donated by Native American artists for a raffle auction at the recent gala and fundraiser held at the Oklahoma History Center.

B A C O N E C O LLEGE

Bacone leans into its heritage

By Chesley Oxendine

Muskogee Phoenix

B

acone College stood on the precwith federal dollars, which will help keep ipice of closing its doors in 2018 the school’s reconstruction stable, Clark amid financial crisis. In 2020, said said.

President Dr. Ferlin Clark, the school has “This movement of becoming a public turned toward a new direction in a bid tribal college allows tribes ownership in to become a federally recognized tribal the education of our students while buildcollege. ing our capacity to gain stable funding “Numerous tribes have supported Ba- from the federal government in fulfillcone College for 140 years,” Clark said. ment of its trust responsibility to educate “Moving forward, our goal is to formalize American Indian students,” he said. an official consortium of Oklahoma tribes Dr. Nicole Been, vice president of and others who have a vision to create strategic initiatives and special projects, something new for Oklahoma — a tribal said the move was “exciting.” college open to all American Indian “I’m very passionate about Native students led by many Oklahoma tribes education as I believe it serves as a who consider investing in the higher edu- vehicle for change leading to the overall cation of their people to be of the utmost betterment of our people, and for my importance.” alma mater to play a part in that is imperTo that end, the ative as this has been our school has forged mission from the instipartnerships with five tution’s establishment in Oklahoma tribes: Kiowa 1880,” Been said.

Tribe, Osage Nation, The school has Otoe-Missouria Tribe, worked diligently to Cheyenne and Arapaho recover from plummetTribes, and the United ing student numbers said Keetoowah Band of Kaila Harjo, vice presiCherokee Indians. The dent of student affairs. move has marked a shift “It was hard to recruit in Bacone’s approach, students, one reason Clark said, placing a being that many people — Ferlin Clark greater focus on the didn’t even know Baschool’s Native Americone was still open after can heritage. we had already been “Acknowledging the history of Native out recruiting. Our recruitment team American people and tribes, including spent most of the fall semester just telling their tribal sovereignty, led us to meet people we are still open, telling them with tribes on their land, rather than ex- what we are doing to move forward, and pecting them to come to us, demonstrat- how we plan to help keep this institution ing that we respect and understand their alive,” Harjo said. “So, when we were unique history, challenges, and situations. faced with the opportunity to transition As a tribal member, I want our tribes and to become a tribal college, we took that communities to know that we are indeed head on. When I came onboard, our naa Native American college,” Clark said. tive student population was 29 percent at Seeking out federal recognition of Bacone College. As of today, our native their status as a tribal college also comes student population is nearing 70 percent.

“As a tribal member, I want our tribes and communities to know that we are indeed a Native American college.”

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GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

Tribal Liaison and Cultural Interpreter Aaron Adson, center, sings at a recent honoring dinner for Muscogee (Creek) Nation leadership with Bacone College students Jeffrey Lightfoot, left, and Wesley Littlecook.

We are here to practice what we preach, and we have promised to do better and be better.”

Clark said some changes had to be made to adjust to the school’s new paradigm — including the revival of a previously canceled art program.

“We have dropped some athletics programs and kept others, but our degree programs remain relatively unchanged with the exception of one — our art program has been reinstated,” Clark said.

“The Bacone School of Indian Art is an integral part of our college, as it should be, and moving forward we hope to restore it to the glory it had under Native American artists such as Woody Crumbo, Dick West, Ruthe Blalock Jones, and Acee Blue Eagle. Our Art Director Gerald Cournoyer is a renowned Oglala Lakota artist, and he is a tremendous asset to our program and its goals.”

Long-standard programs such as the school’s criminal justice degree and radiology track have continued apace, Been said.

“Our radiology program is once again being taught on our campus here in Muskogee, and our criminal justice program continues to see graduates go on to law degrees and careers in law enforcement,” Been said. “We offer three degrees entirely online: associates and bachelors of arts in Christian ministry with an American Indian emphasis, Associates and Bachelors of Science in early childhood development, and Associates and Bachelors of Science in business administration with a tribal leadership emphasis.”

As Bacone approaches the end of its second year following its near-closure, Harjo said the school continues to pivot toward its new goal.

“Bacone College is here and open for operation all while anticipating our second commencement since that announcement of closure,” Harjo said.

“This is fantastic news, not only for our institution, but for our students who have dedicated so many hours to their academics.”

Education By the Numbers Student I nformation: Number of Students: Fall 2019:

Spring 2020:

Male:

Male:

Female:

Female:

271 131 140

244 123 121

E TH N I C I T Y: Fall 2019: White:

Spring 2020: White:

Native American:

Native American:

African American:

African American:

Hispanic:

Hispanic:

Other or unknown:

Other or unknown:

46

178 26 7

32

26

152 23 8

35

TUI T I O N A N D MAN DATO RY FE E S Resident: Full time tuition:

$6,000/Per semester General fee:

$1,350/Per semester

Bacone College President Dr. Ferlin Clark speaks during his first commencement as Bacone College president in May 2019.

Students come from Fall 2019: In-State:

Spring 2020: In-State:

Out of State:

Out of State:

International:

International:

198 66 7

172 64 8

most popular majors Business Administration, Exercise Science, Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies, Sport Management, American Indian Studies, Criminal Justice.

2299 Old Bacone Road (918) 683-4581 www.bacone.net

Total number of majors: 20 majors (degree programs)

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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Government Get to know your leaders...

Muskogee City Council Janey Cagle-Boydston

Councilor Vann at ivann@muskogeeonline.org.

Janey Boydston was born and raised in Muskogee. She went through the Muskogee School system and graduated from Muskogee Central High School with the class of 1951. She worked 22 years for attorneys Chester Norman, Chal Wheeler and Judge Mayor Mike Norman. Janey owned and operated Cagle’s Flowers and Gifts before turning the business over to her daughter, Becky Hearon. Since that time, Janey has been a volunteer worker at the flower shop.

Cagle served on the Muskogee City Council from 2000 to 2008. Upon the resignation of David Jones as Ward I councilor in January 2015, she was asked to fill the remainder of his term. She then won election later in 2015 until 2018. She is an active member of St. Paul United Methodist Church, Muskogee Rotary Club, A More Beautiful Muskogee and is interested in all things involved in the growth of Muskogee and the betterment of the quality of life of its citizens.

Evelyn Hibbs

Ivory Vann Ivory Vann was born in Muskogee in 1957.

He attended Wheatley Elementary, Edison Elementary, Alice Robertson Junior High, Muskogee High School, then Oklahoma State University, where he received a degree in plumbing and pipefitting. In his career, Councilor he worked for Garrett Plumbing, Muskogee Regional Medical Center, and Fort Howard/Georgia-Pacific, and remains a city and state licensed plumber.

Vann has four children: daughters Jacqueline and Shabriel Vann, sons Ivory A. Vann and Michael Vann. Vann is a member of Rayfield Baptist Church where he serves on the Usher Board, sings with the Brothers in Christ Choir, and serves on the Pastor’s Aid Committee. Vann is a state delegate for the Democratic Party. He also is a member of Muskogee’s Rotary Club where he serves on the Board of Directors. He is president of the Robison Park Community Association. Reach Ward III

Evelyn Hibbs, 76, is a lifelong Muskogee resident. She is the executive director of Women in Safe Home (WISH).

She has a son, Jamie Hibbs, who is married to Angela.

Her hobbies include rescuing animals, music and volunteering.

Councilor Gibbs said job creation is a crucially important issue facing our community. To address the situation, she would like to see the partnership with Muskogee City-County Port Authority and the City of Muskogee expand to attract industrial development.

She has served as a member of the Muskogee County Election Board and as chair of the Muskogee Medical Center Authority. She started WISH Inc., nearly 34 years ago to help victims of domestic violence.

the calling to teach and serve the people of God, Coleman was selected to serve as an instructor at the historic Washington Baptist Seminary where he taught Homiletics and Systematic Theology. He is an adjunct professor with Connors State College.

Coleman assists the community by serving as a member of the Board of Directors for the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce. He also is a member of the Lake Area United Way Community Investment Board, committee member for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, board member for Neighbors Building Neighborhoods, steering committee member of Action in Muskogee (AIM), National Action Network, and chairman of Religious Affairs for the Muskogee NAACP. He is the National Youth director for the National Missionary Baptist Convention of America and gives leadership to several national and regional youth and civic organizations. Reach Ward IV Councilor Coleman at mcoleman@muskogeeonline.org.

Traci Lynn McGee

Ward IV City Councilor Traci McGee, 53, is from Muskogee. She Marlon J. Coleman graduated from Muskogee High School in The Rev. Marlon 1983.

Joseph Coleman is a She is an entreprenative of New Orleans, neur and is owner/agent Louisiana. He was unanof Act Now Insurance imously elected pastor of LLC. the Antioch Missionary Her hobbies include Baptist Church, now Councilor reading the Bible, menknown as Antioch, the toring and rummage sales.

Temple of Hope, in She has one daughter, Brandi Nash.

Muskogee, where he She said she believes the most important issue faithfully serves. He Councilor in Muskogee is transparency and accountability. completed a Bachelor of She said the leader should be accountable for Science Degree in Business Administration from making decisions that affect residents because the the University of Phoenix. Later, he went on to citizens have entrusted leaders to be responsible. study at the Andersonville Theological Seminary By being transparent it will allow residents to see where he obtained the Master of Theology Degree that city government business is done in an open and then the Doctorate of Theology Degree in way without secrets, so that people can trust city Pastoral Care. He also completed the Master of councilors.

Business Administration degree from the UniversiAs Ward IV City councilor, McGee said she ty of Phoenix. would show accountability to residents by keepProfessionally, Coleman has served in several ing them informed and explaining the process. management positions with federal government She said she plans to hold community meetings with the U.S. Department of Agriculture across to keep residents informed. She plans to create the country and with the Veterans Affairs as the a working relationship with residents and will physician recruiter at the Jack C. Montgomery VA create an email subscription for residents that Medical Center in Muskogee, where he retired will include a monthly newsletter updating the from federal service after serving 22 years. Enjoying residents on current city affairs.

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Government Muskogee City Council continued Stephanie Morgan No information available.

Councilor

Jaime Lynn Stout Stout attended school at both Hilldale and Oktaha school districts.

She has an associate’s degree from Connors State College as well as a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Northeastern State University. She is employed Councilor with ORS Nasco as an information technology support analyst.

She also is actively involved with her church, Immanuel Baptist. She has served in leadership

and volunteer roles in many community organizations serving with Relay for Life, Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement, Gospel Rescue Mission, Women in Safe Home, The Barracks and United Way Day of Caring. She is a councilor in Ward II.

and processing business on West Okmulgee Avenue.

He credited city officials for quickly adopting sensible zoning and business permitting ordinances. “Our property, our farmland, our real estate values for purchase and rent are some of the cheapest in the United States — we have a real opportunity here.”

Alex Reynolds

Derrick Reed

Ward II Councilor Alex Reynolds is owner and managing member at Lakota Restaurant Group, and he works at Max’s Garage, a property owned by the group in downtown Muskogee.

Reynolds was seated as a city councilor in November 2019 after his predeCouncilor cessor’s withdrawal from the 2020 election and drawing no other challengers.

Reynolds is an advocate for downtown Muskogee businesses and believes the city is well-positioned to capitalize on medical marijuana and the hemp industry. That could extend, he said, to recreational marijuana in the future if the politics of pot play out as he anticipates they will at the federal level.

“Merle Haggard made us famous as the city that didn’t, and now all of a sudden we did — that gives us some unique marketing opportunities,” Reynolds said in 2019 while seeking a variance for a growing

Reed won election in 2012 and took over the seat of Robert Perkins.

In addition to his backing from labor supporters, Reed credited Perkins for his win.

Reed said Perkins groomed him for the city council.

Reed, who oversees Councilor various programs at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, referenced the date of his victory with that of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s last public speech before he was slain by an assassin. In that speech is remembered the phrase, “I’ve been to the mountain top.”

It was April 3, 1968, when Dr. King gave his last public speech. On April 3, 2012, Reed stood in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center giving his victory speech. Reach Ward III Councilor Reed at dreed@muskogeeonline.org.

Get to know your leaders...

Muskogee County Commissioners Kenny Payne

guns and spending time with family.

County Commissioner, District 3

Stephen Wright

HOMETOWN: Muskogee.

FAMILY: Wife, Stephanie Payne; two children, Tori and Tate.

OCCUPATION: Regional sales, Springfield Grocer Co. EDUCATION: Northeastern State University, safety and education.

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Timothy Baptist Church.

HOBBIES: My children’s activities, classic cars and trucks, and golfing.

Ken Doke County Commissioner, District 1.

HOMETOWN: Muskogee.

FAMILY: Wife, Jodi; three children,

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County Commissioner, District 2.

Commissioner Kenny Payne

Commissioner Ken Doke

Kaje, Kensli Faith, and Jenlee Hope.

OCCUPATION: Vice president, business development director at Arvest Bank in Muskogee.

EDUCATION: University of Phoenix,

Commissioner Stephen Wright

bachelor’s degree in business administration.

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: New Hope Assembly of God. HOBBIES: Hunting, fishing, shooting

HOMETOWN: Porum.

FAMILY: Wife, Roberta; son Hayden.

OCCUPATION: County Commissioner District 2.

EDUCATION: 1975 graduate of Porum High School, Oklahoma Miners School 1986, C lab tech certification from Rogers State College 1992, B lab tech certification from Carl Albert State College 2002, wastewater lab certification Sapulpa Vocational Center 2005.

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Christian.

HOBBIES: Riding horses and playing golf, hunting and fishing.

Government G e t to k now y o u r l e ad e rs . . .

Public Safety City of M uskogee E mergency Management Director: Tyler Evans.

Phone: (918) 684-6295.

Fax: (918) 684-6316.

Address: P.O. Box 1927 Muskogee, Ok. 74402-1927 Muskogee County E mergency Management Director: Jeff Smith — (918) 682-2551.

Fax: (918) 684-1699.

Address: P.O. Box 2274, Muskogee, Ok. 74402.

E-mail: mcem@

readymuskogee.org.

Police Department Chief: Johnny Teehee — (918) 683-8000.

Fax: (918) 680-3197.

E-mail: MPD@ muskogeepd.org.

Tyler Evans

911 C all C enter 911 Coordinator: Tim Davidson — (918) 682-6911.

Address: 520 Court St. Fax: (918) 577-6934.

E-mail: darryl@mcc911.org.

Fire Department

Jeff Smith

Johnny Teehee

Chief: Derrell Jones — (918) 684-6252.

Fax: (918) 684-6253.

E-Mail: fire@ muskogeeonline.org.

F ire Department Stations 1. 515 Columbus St. 3. 2603 Border St.

Derrell Jones

Terri Mortensen

Tim Davidson

4. 100 S. Country Club Road 5. 1706 N. York St. 6. 513 E. Peak Blvd.

7. 200 North 40th St.

(918) 683-0130.

Address: 200 Callahan St., Muskogee, OK 74403.

Email: terrim@mcems.us.

M uskogee County Emergency Medical Service

O klahoma Highway Patrol

Address: 1806 N. York St., Executive Director: Terri Muskogee, Oklahoma 74403.

Mortensen, RN, EMT-P, BBA — Phone: (918) 683-3256.

G e t to k now y o u r l e ad e rs . . .

State Elected Officials Dewayne Pemberton

District 9 Oklahoma Senator (R-Muskogee)

HOMETOWN: Cabot, Arkansas.

FAMILY: Wife, Claire Pemberton; three sons, Matt, Ben, and Adam Pemberton; six grandchildren.

OCCUPATION: Retired educator.

EDUCATION: University of Central Arkansas, bachelor’s degree with a double major in social studies and health-physical education; University of Arkansas-Little Rock; Northeastern State University, master’s degree in education administration; Oklahoma State UniversityTulsa, principal and superintendent specialist certification.

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: St. Joseph Catholic Church.

HOBBIES: Hunting, fishing and playing with grandchildren.

CAPITOL ADDRESS: 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Rm. 427; Oklahoma City, OK 73105; (405) 521-5533; pemberton@ oksenate.gov Executive Assistant: Peggy White.

Senator Dewayne Pemberton

Representative Chris Sneed

Murray State College and Northeastern State University.

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Christian; Member Muskogee First Assembly.

HOBBIES: Hunting, watching college football and baseball, playing golf.

CAPITOL ADDRESS: 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd.; Room 300C; Oklahoma City, OK 73105; (405) 557-7310 Legislative Assistant: Hayden Ball* (405) 557-7310 *Session-Only

Avery Fri x District 13 Oklahoma Representative (R-Muskogee)

HOMETOWN: Muskogee.

FAMILY: Parents, Kem and Paige Frix.

Chris Sneed OCCUPATION: President, Oxford Productions Inc.; vice president, Frix Construction Co. District 14 Oklahoma Representative (R-Fort Gibson) EDUCATION: University of Oklahoma, bachelor’s degree HOMETOWN: Fort Gibson. in business administration, accounting.

FAMILY: Wife, Joie Sneed; three children: Summer Brock, RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: First Baptist Church of Cody Sloan and Keaton Sloan; one grandchild.

Muskogee.

OCCUPATION: Business owner, Chris Sneed Insurance.

HOBBIES: Watching Hilldale Hornets play football.

EDUCATION: Graduate of Hulbert High School; Attended CAPITOL ADDRESS: 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd.; Room 328B;

Representative Avery Frix

Representative Randy Randleman

Oklahoma City, OK 73105; (405) 557-7302 Legislative Assistant: Gina Kanelopoulos* (405) 557-7302 *Providing Interim Coverage

R andy R andleman District 15 Oklahoma Representative (R-Eufaula)

HOMETOWN: Eufaula.

FAMILY: Wife, Jennifer; Children: Brandon, Chad, Jordan, Zachary, Rhea; Grandchildren: Julianne, Tinley, Case.

OCCUPATION: Licensed psychologist.

EDUCATION: Associate’s degree from Northeastern Oklahoma A & M; Bachelor’s degree from University of Tulsa; Master’s degree from Northeastern State University; Ph.D from Oklahoma State University.

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Community Culture Church, Eufaula.

HOBBIES: Love to draw and travel; like to use my bulldozer, it’s relaxing; hunting, fishing.

CAPITOL ADDRESS: 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd.; Room 302; Oklahoma City, OK 73105; (405) 557-7375 Legislative Assistant: Elisabeth Schlebach* (405) 557-7375 *Providing Interim Coverage

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Services La k e A r e a Unit e d Way S e rvic e O r g ani z ations Boys & Girls Club of Tahlequah Provides youth development to Cherokee County youth by working to inspire, educate, and empower kindergarten-eighth graders to realize their full potential as productive and responsible citizens in a safe and fun environment. www.tahlequahbgca.org (918) 456-6888.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma Girl scouting equips young girls in making better life choices by developing leadership, confidence, and girls of courage through a variety of scouting programs. www.gseok.org (918) 6837738.

Muskogee County Council of Youth Services — MCCOYS Provides guidance and character building programs in two United Way funded areas; 1) supervised community experiences for youth and young adults working within the judicial system, and 2) in-school “Lifeskills” training for 6-8th graders at Braggs, Okay and Muskogee Public Schools. www.mccys. org (918) 682-2841.

United Methodist Children’s Home Provides a spectrum of transitional living assistance into early adulthood for at-risk high school and college-aged youth through an independent living program to better equip them in making their way into the adult world. (918) 456-6166.

Dolly Parton Imagination Library Provides age appropriate books to children ages 0-5 years of age each month to boost children during the early formative years and put them on a path towards a successful education. www.lakeareaunitedway.org (918) 6821364.

American Red Cross A volunteer led humanitarian organization. United Way support touches lives daily with relief to victims of disasters as well as emergency and prevention/preparedness training. www. oklahomaredcross.org (918) 682-1366.

Hope House of Cherokee 44

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Fuscvtv Yargee, second from left, puts on red women’s shoes as part of the Walk in Her Shoes event at the Muskogee Courthouse. Yargee and his friends, from left, Lance Workman, Kaden McDermott and Dalton Anderson are with Allaxis Boys Home in Muskogee. The home is affiliated with Muskogee County Council of Youth Services (MCCOYS), while the walk was an event put on by Women In Safe Home.

County Helping people help themselves by providing a supportive network of services and providers such as emergency food, shelter, and utility assistance to aid individuals and families in becoming self-sufficient. (918) 456-4673.

Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma Providing high-quality civil legal

Services services to lower income and elderly residents. www.legalaidok.org (918) 6835681.

CASA for Children in Muskogee — Court Appointed Special Advocates CASA recruits, screens, trains, and supports community volunteers to advocate in the best interests of children involved in juvenile cases of neglect and abuse in Muskogee, Wagoner and Sequoyah district courts. www.casaok. org (918) 686-8199.

CASA of Cherokee Country Advocating as a voice for children who enter the court system as a result of abuse and/or neglect by providing trained volunteers to speak independently for the best interests of the children. www.oklahomacasa.org (918) 456-8788.

Provides children and adults with motor deficit or developmental delays physical therapy to enhance mobility and interaction with friends and family. www.kbtoddcpcenter.org (918) 683-4621.

Kids’ Space – Muskogee County Child Advocacy Center Provides a child-friendly environment for the intervention, assessment, and investigation needed to assist with prosecution, treatment and prevention of physically and sexually abused children. Provides educational and child protective classes. www.kidsspacemuskogee.org (918) 682-4204.

Volunteers of America – RSVP (Retired Seniors Volunteer Program)

Creates opportunities for senior citizens to remain actively engaged in their communities through volunteer services in a variety of organizations Kelly B. Todd Cerebral Palsy ranging from hospitals to youth centers & Neuro-muscular Center by utilizing their time and talents in

Myriah Synar tapes an Easter banner to the door of one of the residents of The Springs on Friday.

Synar and fellow members of Junior Girl Scout Troop 7185 made and attached the banners as part of a community project for the Bronze Award, the highest honor a Junior Girl Scout can earn. Edwyna Synar, Myriah’s grandmother, is the troop leader.

service to others. www.voaok.org (918) 683-1578.

Women In Safe Home — WISH Provides shelter, counseling, and support services to victims of domestic vio-

lence, rape, and adult survivors of child sexual assault or harassment in order to achieve safety, survival, recovery, empowerment and rehabilitation to women and children coping with domestic violence. (918) 682-7879.

M USKOGEE Appraisals

Insurance

Insurance

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Health & Wellness W h e r e to find F itn e ss activiti e s in M u s ko g e e

T

here is no shortage of beautiful parks and complexes where people can find physical activity options in Muskogee. From gorgeous running and cycling trails to swimming pools, Muskogee has plenty to offer for those who want a solid workout or some places to play sports. The city is home to numerous public parks, golf courses, football fields and a water park.

That barely scratches the surface of what Muskogee has to offer for everyone, from athletes to casual joggers to those who just want to play a game of basketball or skate with their friends.

People who want to commit to an activity or sport can join an intramural softball team, a weightlifting program or a golf club. If you want to do something at your leisure, there are plenty of natural trails, tennis courts and places to practice soccer or baseball.

Trails There’s several good trails in town for runners or cyclists to choose from.

The most notable trail in the city is Centennial Trail, which is located in the southwest portion of Muskogee and has two sections. The first is the Love-Hatbox Sports Complex loop, a 3.1-mile paved trail that weaves through the wilderness surrounding Love-Hatbox Sports Complex. This trail is perfect if you’re training for or running a 5K. The second section, Centennial Trail South, goes from Love-Hatbox Sports Complex to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in the downtown area.

Honor Heights Park is home to three trails. The first is Stem Beach Trail, a 1.2-mile trail that loops around the park’s largest lake and includes a waterfront gazebo and fishing docks.

The second is the Henry Bresser Nature Trail, a quarter-mile nature trail that goes through the woods and includes sitting areas and picnic tables.

The third is the Audubon Trail, which is a half-mile long and popular among birdwatchers.

Running and cycling trails are also available at Spaulding Park, Civitan Park and Robison Park.

Baseball and Softball The main place in Musk-

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Working with weights and kettle balls are part of the workout provided during a boxing cardio circuit training at the City of Muskogee Swim and Fitness Center. ogee for fun on the diamond is Love-Hatbox Sports Complex, which is home to 10 baseball fields, eight softball fields and several batting cages. There are a multitude of options available at Love-Hatbox for those who want to join a baseball, softball or adult softball league. The fields are often kept open at other times for those who just want to play some baseball or softball with their friends without joining a team.

Grandview Park is a 29-acre complex that’s home to two softball fields and a play area that borders a creek.

For those who just want a place to practice, Robison Park has a baseball practice area.

Golf There are two places to go for a traditional round of golf. If you’re looking for a country club experi-

Several boxing stations make up part of the circuit for cardio boxing sessions led by fitness instructor Clint Thomas.

Health & Wellness ence, look no further than the Muskogee Golf Club. If you don’t want to make that commitment and are looking for a daily fees course, Cobblestone Golf Course is the place to be.

Perhaps, instead of traditional golf, you’re more interested in playing some disc golf. If that’s the case, Civitan Park has an 18-hole course that will be right up your alley.

Soccer and Football As is the case with baseball and softball, Love-Hatbox Sports Complex is the best place to play some soccer.

The massive complex has 13 soccer fields — as well as two American football fields — available for use. If you want to work on your soccer technique, play a game with some friends or join the Muskogee Soccer Club, Love-Hatbox is a good place to kick it.

Rooney Park and Robison Park also are home to soccer fields.

Aqua Zumba class at the Muskogee Swim and Fitness Center meets three times a week and doesn’t have an age limit.

brate a special occasion.

If you’re looking for more of an outdoor swimming experience, River Country Water Park is located on the edge of Love-Hatbox Sports Complex.

The park doesn’t reopen until May 25, but when that time comes, you can experience its water slides, beaches and lazy river. Lifeguard training also is offered at the park.

Spaulding Park is another place to check out if you’re looking for an outdoor public pool.

Basketball Just looking to shoot some hoops?

While there aren’t any indoor basketball courts available to the public in Muskogee, outdoor courts can be found at many local parks.

Tennis

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more scenic place to play tennis in Muskogee than Honor Heights Park, which Swimming is home to three tennis courts. If you’re Looking for a place to swim indoors looking for somewhere to play tennis and work on your technique, sign up that’s closer to downtown, however, for swimming classes or take a lifeguard Spaulding Park is the place to go. certification course? Look no further Skateboarding than the Swim and Fitness Center located downtown. You can also book If you’ve been gifted with the coorprivate and open pool parties to celedination and skill to ride a skateboard and you’re looking for a place to ride with friends or do some tricks, there are two options for you in Muskogee.

An outdoor skate park can be found at Love-Hatbox Sports Complex, while a smaller park can be found right on the edge of Robison Park.

Weight and Fitness Training

Muskogee’s George Barkes, 69, goes through his exercise routine during an Aqua Zumba class.

Want to pump some iron or join a fitness program? A visit to or a membership with the Swim and Fitness Center might just be for you. There’s a gym in the complex where you can run on a treadmill or strengthen yourself through weightlifting. The Center offers customized programs, personal fitness evaluations and one-on-one personal training.

More into group fitness? The Swim and Fitness Center has plenty of options on the table for you, including water aerobics, Zumba, Aqua Zumba, Zumba Step, yoga, tai chi, JointFlex, Boxing Cardio Circuit, Combo Step Aerobics, strength and cardio, pilates, Hip Hop Fitness, and Tabata.

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Health & Wellness H e a lt h C a r e Fa c i l i t i e s Saint Fr ancis Muskogee Address: 300 Rockefeller Drive.

Phone: (918) 682-5501.

Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee is made up of more than 140 providers and 320 beds. The community hospital serves a seven-county area and is one of Muskogee’s top employers.

In April 2017, Eastar Health System and affiliated clinics became part of Saint Francis Health System.

Along with Warren Clinic physician offices, Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee provide area residents with quality care and expanding services.

As part of Saint Francis Health System, patients in Muskogee and the surrounding communities have access to continuum of care and services offered by eastern Oklahoma’s largest health care network.

Jack C. Montgo mery VA Medic al Center Address: 1011 Honor Heights Drive.

Phone: (918) 577-3000.

The Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System consists of a Joint Commission accredited, complexity Level 2 medical center in Muskogee that serves veterans in 25 counties of eastern Oklahoma. The 89-bed facility offers primary and secondary levels of inpatient medical and surgical care, as well as an inpatient rehabilitation and inpatient behavioral health unit.

As part of the Rocky Mountain Network (VISN 19), EOVAHCS has ready access to seven sister facilities for referral, although it uses the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center for the majority of its tertiary services. EOVAHCS also operates three community-based outpatient clinics that provide primary and consultative care in medicine, surgery and

Cherokee Nation Three Rivers Clinic performs more than 2 million outpatient visits.

Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center offers primary and secondary levels of inpatient medical and surgical care, as well as an inpatient rehabilitation and inpatient behavioral health unit.

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Health & Wellness

Saint Francis Hospital is a community hospital that serves a seven-county area.

mental health in Tulsa, Hartshorne and Vinita. In addition, they operate a Behavioral Medicine Clinic in Muskogee that provides outpatient therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse, and a Behavioral Medicine Clinic in Tulsa that provides outpatient mental health therapy and substance abuse treatment.

Cherokee Nation T hree Rivers Clinic Address: 1001 S. 41st St. E. Phone: (918) 781-6500.

Cherokee Nation Health Services, a division of Cherokee Nation, is a medical facility that provides nursing,

nutritional, emergency medical, and behavioral and community health services. The center also offers treatment solutions for cancer and diabetes.

Cherokee Nation Health Services performs more than 2 million outpatient visits. It works with communities, families and individuals. The center additionally specializes in the areas of dentistry, radiology, optometry and tobacco cessation. Cherokee Nation Health Services provides the Healthy Nation Program. It also maintains a residential adolescent treatment center and offers disease prevention services. The center operates a WINGS Activity Club. Cherokee Nation Health Services also provides a cancer prevention program.

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Quality of Life

Growing the

Parks Improvements keep coming to Muskogee

By Cathy Spaulding

Muskogee Phoenix

A

relocated senior center, expansions at Hatbox Event Center and a downtown green help Muskogee Parks and Recreation reach beyond playgrounds and pretty azaleas.

Parks and Recreation Director Mark Wilkerson said the department has several projects going on.

A Hatbox Event Center expansion will be east of the large “Beechcraft� hangar and south of hangars used for show barns. The addition, which could be finished by late August, will be a 120foot by 120-foot building featuring a show arena, Wilkerson said.

The building will feature new restrooms, a concession stand, plus new heat and lighting.

There also will be improved parking and access, he said. The Beechcraft hangar will remain much the same, but with updates, such as roof work.

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Quality of Life An artist’s rendering shows plants and pavilions for Depot Green, under construction at Third and Elgin streets.

(Cathy Spaulding/Muskogee Phoenix)

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Quality of Life

A worker smooths plaster on an old fire station being converted into a new senior center, one of several Muskogee Parks and Recreation Department projects. (Cathy Spaulding/Muskogee Phoenix)

A trackhoe operator moves dirt at the corner of South Third and Elgin streets, where the city is building Depot Green.

(Cathy Spaulding/ Muskogee Phoenix)

“We want to preserve the heritage of that building,” Wilkerson said. “We’ll still be able to open those west doors like we do for those concerts.”

The plan before COVID-19 was to have the Exchange Club’s Chili & BBQ Cook-Off at Hatbox this spring, with a concert at the hangar.

The city is converting an old fire station on West Okmulgee Avenue to a senior center, Wilkerson said.

“It will be smaller, but it will be better useable

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space than the old Kiwanis Center,” he said.

“It’s going to have two large rooms, two smaller rooms. It will be more comfortable with new HVAC.” Wilkerson said he anticipates the new senior center to be open late spring or early summer.

Depot Green at Elgin and Third streets could be open midsummer, Wilkerson said.

“Mainly, it’s a small downtown green space for events,” he said. “There’s going to be a food truck court there, so when we have events the food

trucks can have places to park.”

The space will feature restrooms, a picnic pavilion, tables and benches. Centennial Trail will extend to Depot Green, Wilkerson said, and added the green “will serve as a trailhead for those trail users.”

The trail also will be extended northeast to Harris Road by the railroad tracks, he said. The project is funded by a grant from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

“It’s under construction right now,” he said.

Quality of Life An artist’s rendering shows an expansion to the Hatbox Hangars facilities, which will include space for a show arena. (Mark Wilkerson/Submitted)

“Probably some time this summer is when it will be done.”

The extension will go from the current north side of the trail, cross Shawnee Bypass at Chicago Street, follow the north access road along Shawnee Bypass to the railroad tracks, then follow the waterline easement beside the tracks north to Harris Road, Wilkerson said.

“The long-range plan is to go all the way out to the Arkansas River,” he said. “The grant money only allowed us to go to Harris Road,

which will connect us to the neighborhoods out there in Country Club, Harris Road and North York Street.”

Wilkerson said Civitan Park’s new splash pad could be open as soon as May 1, and its new restroom could be open before then.

Farther in the future, plans could include a new park at Peak Boulevard and Cherokee Street. Wilkerson said the city has applied for a grant to set up the park.

“We’re going to be applying for a second grant

in July,” he said. “The project depends on getting these grants.”

The park could include paved and primitive walking trails, a bike park and an “adventure” climbing apparatus.

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Quality of Life M u s ko g e e C it y Par k s Beckman Park North 16th Street and West Broadway

Located in the heart of Founders Place Historic District, this 3.7acre neighborhood park has a new playground, splash pad and picnic shelter.

Bill Pool Park Gawf and Foltz lanes

This 2.5-acre park in Phoenix Village has picnic tables, a playground, and a basketball court.

Civitan Park 3301 Gibson St.

Daniel Boone’s son, Nathan, originally surveyed this 43-acre hillside park across the street from the Oklahoma School for the Blind. The eastern boundary of the park is the boundary of the Cherokee and Creek Nations.

Amenities include a concrete trail that is .8 mile in length and is the meeting place for many regular park patrons. An 18-hole disc golf course is open to the public at no charge. There are picnic areas, playground, open play areas, and a historic shelter that is available by reservation.

Douglas-Maxey Park South Sixth Street and West Southside Boulevard

This 2-acre park was originally two separate parks. Now considered a single park, it has picnic areas, playground, open spaces, and a basketball court.

Hope Brown gets a push on the rings from her older sister Jaelynn Brown at Honor Heights Park. (Kenton Brooks/Muskogee Phoenix)

Honor Heights Park North Honor Heights Drive

Originally purchased by the City of Muskogee in 1909, Honor Heights Park has proven to be the “the crown Elliott Park jewel in Muskogee’s park system.”

The idyllic setting of this 132-acre Altamont Street and Tower Hill park makes it attractive to visitors Boulevard One of Muskogee’s older historic year-round. There are many picnic parks, Elliott Park is situated on Tower areas, two picnic shelters, a pavilHill, the site of Muskogee’s first water ion, gazebos, and public restrooms. tower. This beautiful treed and terYou also will find activities such as raced 29-acre setting has picnic areas, fishing in five lakes and ponds from playgrounds, lighted basketball courts, a the shore of the fully accessible shelter that is available for reservation. fishing docks, playground, open play areas, three tennis courts, and a sand During summer days the sprayground, volleyball court. A splash pad located an interactive water playground, is in operation. next to the playground area is in operation May-September. HonGulick Park or Heights is home to three trails: Henry Bresser Nature Trail, the South Seventh and Elgin streets Audubon Trail, which is a favorite This 1-acre neighborhood park has of local birders, and the half-mile shaded picnic areas, playground, and Stem Beach Trail which is a habit open play areas.

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GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

India Stout guides her 2-year-old son Holden Stout through fountains at the Elliott Park splash pad. (Cathy Spaulding/ Muskogee Phoenix)

Quality of Life of local runners and walkers. Also home to the Conard Rose Garden, the C. Clay Harrell Arboretum, Art Johnson Memorial Dogwood Collection, Elbert L. Little Jr. Native Tree Collection, azalea gardens, floral gardens, white garden, and at the top of Agency Hill, you will find the Rainbow Division Memorial Amphitheater. Honor Heights Park also is home to the city’s largest festivals: The Azalea Festival and The Garden of Lights.

Love-Hatbox Sports Complex/Hatbox Field 34th and Arline streets

This 60-acre site is formerly a historic airport that had seen the likes of such people as Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. Newly expanded and developed over the last several years, this complex is home to many leagues, tournaments, and individual users.

King Park

Gibson Street and East Side Boulevard

two fishing ponds.

This fenced park has a shaded picnic Robison Park area, playground and an open play area. Augusta and Gulick streets This park offers a playground and Langston Park sprayground with picnic areas, basketball courts, baseball/softball practice Euclid and Sandlow streets area, and soccer goals. Walking trails This 2-acre park north of Shawnee and outdoor fitness equipment are Bypass has shaded picnic areas, a playground, an open area, and a basketball available, as well. court.

Optimist Park South F and Independence streets

Rotary Park South 24th and Elgin streets

There is a shaded playground and picnic area in this 1.5-acre park.

There is also a ballfield and an open play area.

Originally donated by the Rotary Club, this 3.5-acre park is home to a newly renovated playground and splash pad, picnic areas, open play area, pavilion, and two basketball courts.

Palmer Park Honor Heights Drive and Denison Street

Spaulding Park East Okmulgee and East Side Boulevard

This setting is home to 19 acres of This 2-acre park is named after early many amenities and some of the first Park Superintendent George Palmer. publicly planted trees in the city. There You will find shaded and sunny picnic are picnic areas, a playground, open areas, a playground, open play area, and

play areas, fully accessible swimming facility, tennis courts, the asphalt multipurpose Spaulding Trail, a picnic shelter (reservations available), a gazebo surrounded by the water of the park’s lake, two basketball courts, a fishing dock, and public restrooms.

Located directly next to the Parks and Recreation Administration offices.

Parks and Recreation Department Facilities River Country Water Park, 3600 Arline St. Honor Heights Park Papilion.

Georgia-Pacific Butterfly House open Mother’s Day through Sept.

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Love-Hatbox Sports Complex, 3601 Arline St. Muskogee Swim and Fitness Center, 566 N. Sixth St. (918) 6846304.

Source: City of Muskogee

Warner Junior High students, from left, Katie Bebee, Shelby Yarbrough and Promise Diaz bounce with classmates in a Sway Fun playground set at Civitan Park. (Cathy Spaulding/Muskogee Phoenix)

GUIDE Muskogee | 2020

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