The Fairfax Chief

Photo Above: Left to right CNN cameraman Jordon Guzzardo films, CNN Reporter Sara Sidner interviews Carol Conner Editor of The Fairfax Chief and CNN’s Anna-Maja Rappard adjusts the lighting. The CNN crew was in the Osage covering the story of the Osage Nation effectively vaccinating both Osages and others for the COVID virus.

Being a small-town newspaper editor just isn’t the job you might think it is. Locals and outsiders alike think it only means you know the owner of every stray dog or cat. But in over five years as editor of The Fairfax Chief, we’ve had several local stories turn into national stories. The corrupt practices of the owners of The Fairfax Community Hospital; the incredible story of our hospital employees working for four months without pay to save the place; and the subsequent bankruptcy made the front page of The Washington Post, as well as ABC News. The wind farm built around Highway 60 without permission from the Osage Nation or their trustee, the federal government, has generated national and international attention. Enel, the international company that mined Osage Nation’s minerals without permission, even appealed to the Supreme Court, to no avail. The story of the Osage murders in Fairfax in the 1920s has brought attention for years now. Once David Grann’s book, The Killers of the Flower Moon, was published in 2017, people have driven here from all over the country and calls came from many people in many places. Dozens and dozens of movie folks – led by Martin Scorsese – take over the town for hours – then move on. Within a week they will begin filming in various sites here. Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro have been just across the street from our office. We’ve been interviewed by several TV stations about the murders in the 1920s; about tornadoes that ripped the roofs off our most historic buildings, including the TallChief Theatre; and about the hospital situation.

But CNN hits like nothing else. Wanting to cover the story of Osage Nation and other tribes effectively getting vaccines to people, they reached out through the newspaper network – and Rusty Ferguson at The Cleveland American gave them our name. Sara Sidner and her crew – Anna-Maja Rappard and Jordan Guzzardo – came in to The Fairfax Chief office in a pouring rainstorm – camera gear at the ready. These incredible professionals quickly set up to film, drank one sip of coffee, then Sidner started in with an hour or more of questions that felt more like a conversation with a friend.

And then there you are a few short hours later – on national TV. Every idiosyncratic gesture, every hair out of place, every pandemic-inspired new pound and wrinkle – right there on national news for all of one sentence.

Sidner and her crew were among the nicest media people we’ve met, but in the midst of trying to get the newspaper done and trying not to say anything foolish, the experience all felt pretty unreal. But the good news about being a small-town editor is that reality is never far away. Once the crew packed up and was gone, a local dog, panicked by the rainstorm, ran up onto our front porch. So, we did our small-town editor job and made sure it found its way safely home!

OUR MISSION is to serve Ponca City & its citizens by promoting quality of life through the revitalization of downtown. Our Vision is to make downtown the ❤ of our community! Our Transformation Strategies are Arts & Entertainment and Community Connection.

Retail Business Owners Greater opportunity for growth and expansion Expanded customer base Improved image Quality of business life District marketing strategies Less financial risk Property Owners Stable or higher rents Increased occupancy rates Improved marketability of property Higher property values Assistance through Improvement Grants

Financial Institutions Expanded business customer base Expanded residential customer base Improved public image and goodwill Fulfillment of community reinvestment mandate This is a partial list… look for more next month!

Each month we will be featuring a long time Investor in Ponca City Main Street. It is through the support of these investors that we have been able to continue to improve the heart of our community, making it more vibrant each year. Our first Investor Spotlight is Richard Winterrowd, of Eastin Properties and Winterrowd Talley Architects. Richard began his involvement with PCMS as a member of our Design Committee several years ago, before serving multiple terms on the Board of Directors. During Richard’s years of service, he was personally recognized with the “Spirit of Main Street” award and our “Main Street Hero” award. The Spirit of Main Street award was created to recognize the achievements of those who go above and beyond by Ponca City Main Street’s standards. Our Main Street Hero award goes to one outstanding community leader who has displayed a commitment to downtown and our program. We are so grateful for Richard and his endless support and dedication to Ponca City Main Street. “I think it’s important to support the downtown and revitalization especially as architects and design professionals”, says Richard. To him, supporting Main Street is “just like wearing your seat belt.” He views the investment as one every business should make. Eastin Properties is a 60,000-sq.-ft. building located on a prime corner at 3rd Street & Grand Avenue. Eastin offers spectacular views of our downtown with build-to-suit office spaces that are available for rent. Richard and his wife Debbie began renovating the historic 1924 Masonic Building in 2013. Prior to their ownership, the property had suffered from deferred maintenance and dwindling occupancy. Richard and Debbie have put their time, talent & treasure into rehabilitating this historic gem. Since they purchased the property in 2013, they’ve grown the occupancy from 5 to 25 tenants in some of the most beautiful office spaces downtown! Winterrowd Talley Architects is owned by Richard Winterrowd and Salley Talley. Some of the projects in their portfolio include Ponca City High School’s Football Locker Room, Sullins Stadium Press Box, Weight Training Facilities at Robson Field House and the Ponca City Concert Hall. The project nearest and dearest to our hearts is their design of the Veterans’ Memorial Plaza in downtown Ponca City. Our sincere thanks go out to Richard and his team for their support of PCMS as Investors through both Eastin Properties & Winterrowd Talley Architects.

YOU CAN HELP If you believe our downtown is the ❤ of our community, we hope you’ll honor that belief by investing in our program in 2021. For more information on investing in Ponca City Main Street visit www.downtownponcacity.com & click on “Invest Now!” You can also call us at 580-763-8082 or visit our office in City Central at 400 E. Central, Suite 201G.