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2 - May 2008 - Oklahoma Edge Magazine
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May 2008 - Oklahoma Edge Magazine - 3
Photo by Blake Courtney
Publisher’s Desk
Finally we present our
May 2008 issue. We’re still
retooling things on the website, so bear with us.
We’ve had many requests
for more puzzles. We have
placed famous and not so
famous quotes in several
gaps throughout this issue.
See if you can figure out
who said it. The solution is
on page 30.
Our photography contest is coming along nicely.
One thing to note, however,
many entrants need to send
larger files. Read the guide-
lines on page 7 if you’d like
to take part.
We had the opportunity
to take in a movie at the
Phoenix Theatre in Antlers
and had such a great time.
Please note that the rant on
page 28 describes a bad experience at another cinema.
Thanks to everyone for
sharing your announcements. Our website will
soon be ready to catch all
the overflow that we can’t
print in our 32 pages. Some
of the extras you’ll soon
find on the website are
movie reviews, discussion
groups, free classifieds,
and more. Remember
McCurtainCountyView.
com? Soon we’ll even have
daily podcasts for you audio
and video types. We have
podcasts that we get every
day to take with us, why
shouldn’t we produce one as
well?
We are looking forward to
seeing you online.
Oklahoma Edge Magazine is made possible by financial
support from the sponsors shown in our pages, and subscribers like you. Thank you.
Quote # 1: “We are all addicts of fossil fuels in a state of denial, about to face cold turkey.”
Quote # 2: “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”
Contents
Oklahoma Edge
May 2008 | VOL. 2, NO. 3
Website
Email
Publishers/Editors
Ad Sales
Ad Sales/Design/Layout
Contributors
Subscriber Services
OklahomaEdge.com
[email protected]
Jeff and SuZan Cole
SuZan Cole 580.212.0006
Jeff Cole 580.212.7224
Elizabeth Grace
Mary Katherine Hodge
Michael Johnson
Janet F. Reeder
Matt Mungle
Victoria Luthye
Gloria McAfee
Kenny Sivard
Trisha Gedon
Norm Pence
Scott Pace
Change of address? Email us at
[email protected]
©2008, All rights reserved. Oklahoma Edge (ISSN 1937-7541) is a monthly magazine produced and distributed by Oklahoma Edge Magazine, Inc., a privately held company based in Idabel, Oklahoma (not affiliated with
any other publishing company) and is produced and printed in Oklahoma. Material appearing in Oklahoma Edge
cannot be photocopied, reprinted, or reused in any form without the written consent of the publisher. Home delivery subscriptions are $30 per year. Visit OklahomaEdge.com to subscribe; or send name, address, and payment to
Oklahoma Edge subscriptions, PO Box 911, Idabel, OK 74745. All Oklahoma Edge original advertisements are
available for use in other publications with written approval (terms apply). We reserve the right to refuse advertisements for any products or services for any reason at sole discretion of publisher.
Oklahoma Edge Magazine, Inc. welcomes unsolicited manuscripts, fiction, nonfiction, photos, articles and
letters for publication, but will not be held responsible for unsolicited submissions of these. By submitting such
items, you are granting permission to publish. Printing and/or placement of any submissions is at the sole discretion of the publisher. Some items not appearing in the magazine may be published on the OklahomaEdge.com or
McCurtainCountyView.com websites. Submissions for calendar items must be received two months prior to issue
month and are published as a FREE service to the community.
Free copies are distributed for the enjoyment of our readers. For legal purposes, these Free copies are valued
at $3.95 per copy (the same amount at which our retail copies sell). Persons mutilating or destroying Oklahoma
Edge Magazine, Inc. property will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
On the Cover:
Franklin Lugenbeel
of Raytown, Missouri
photographed this beautiful 1957 Pontiac. Every
May, Kiamichi Street
Rods holds it’s annual
Beavers Bend Rod Run.
The event attracts car
enthusiasts from near and
far and is a good time
for anyone to come and
enjoy the scenic beauty
of Beavers Bend.
Inside This Issue:
s
Departments:
Home & Garden
Rare books find new home
Heritage and History
Bokhoma
WWI War Bond Office
Choctaw County Historical
Tours
Choctaw Law, Part III
Health & Wellness
Pets can suffer storm anxiety
12
8
18
19
26
13
Financial
Future Dreams take financial
planning
24
Soul Food
Salt of the Earth
Mother’s Day (Luthye)
Mother’s Day (Grace)
Now I Remember (Pace)
Throwing My Loop (Johnson)
6
20
21
22
23
Profiles
Crystal Robinson
Ann Carter - The Pie Lady
14
16
Rants & Raves
28
Classified Ads Section
29
Calendar & Entertainment
29
Movies and Books
30
Oklahoma Edge Magazine
Inform
Encourage
Inspire
Soul Food
Salt of the Earth
by
Mary Kathryn
Hodge
We’ve all heard
the adage that one
has to be tough
to get old, and
I have come to
know that is very true. About two
years ago, I joined the group sponsored by Idabel United Methodist
Church that provides a ministry
to Oak Grove Nursing Home, and
every week I appreciate that toughness more and more.
The nursing home is a little
world all its own, bound by schedules and routines that are broken
only by doctor appointments,
hospital stays, occasional outings
for those who are fit enough, and
by visitors.
Sadly, the nursing home is also
a place where many feel uncomfortable and avoid visiting. We
hear criticism of families who
move a relative to such a place and
visit infrequently or, in some cases,
not at all. Frankly, I’ve learned not
to be too critical of those people. It
is sad that they miss an opportunity
to show their love and receive love
from a person who has more than
likely been very close to them, but
circumstances and feelings are to
be considered and respected and
forgiven. This is not saying that
there are not families who visit
every day. Many visit at every
opportunity and provide outings
and diversions any time they can.
. My neighbor, Katherine Gray
unselfishly put her life on hold
and left her mother only twice in
the two months she was a nursing
home resident.
Fortunately, except for my
stepfather who was in an assisted
living facility, I’ve not had that
task of moving someone from his
or her home to an unfamiliar place,
with unfamiliar people, sounds,
and routines. My brother took the
Visitation
move as his responsibility and
made it as easy as possible for all
of us. Of course, we can look back
now and see where some things
could have been done differently,
but when the time comes, one
does what one has to do. My stepfather was a gentle, sweet, uncomplaining man, and that too made it
easier. He accepted the inevitable
with grace and dignity. Of course,
it was a sad occasion, but with his
God-given loving- kindness he
helped us make the best of it.
Our Aunt Helen was another
case altogether. My cousin Marsha
had to move Aunt Helen, age 90, at
Aunt Helen’s request, into the nursing home. Marsha gathered up favorite pictures and furniture pieces
and Aunt Helen’s beloved recliner
chair. She bought her a new bedspread, curtains, rugs, and throw
pillows to finish off the decorating.
It was a spacious private room,
and the atmosphere was warm and
inviting. Marsha thought her job
was finished. She went back home
and went on a cruise.
When she returned, less than
two weeks later, Aunt Helen had
already checked herself out and got
another cousin to bring his truck
and move her things back to her
house. She decided she “didn’t
like one thing about that place.”
She lived in her own home until
she died two years later.
I know everyone’s story cannot be like ours. There are many
who aren’t able to make their own
choices, and they never stop asking to be taken home. Not only is
this painful for the resident, it is
extremely painful for family and
friends, and my heart goes out to
them. For them, it may be easier
to stay away, because there is really nothing they can do except
refuse. Another reason for not
visiting is that it is so hard to see
someone who once took care of
you now helpless and frail, and
even worse, not knowing who you
are. Families and caretakers of
Alzheimer patients suffer terribly
because of this, and my heart goes
out to them.
It does make a difference if the
resident has something to anticipate. That is why I think it is so
important for church groups, clubs,
classes, singing groups, organizations, and individuals to take on the
task of visiting these people. There
are many, many in this area who
do. I’ve come to realize that we
as volunteer visitors are serving the
family as well. God uses us to take
some of the pressure off those who
for what ever reason cannot visit
their loved one as much as they
would like.
Our group is very small. Donna
Dodson, our pastor, Ellen Pearson, who has been visiting weekly
at Oak Grove for over 30 years,
Becky Black, who plays the piano,
Kathy McCown, whose lovely
voice leads us, and Bernice Williams and I. One of our group,
Charlie McGuire, died a year ago
in February. Charlie, 93, always
began our sessions. Arriving early,
he distributed the song books,
played the piano, and genuinely
cheered all of us every Wednesday.
Actually, Charlie was a resident of
another facility for the elderly, but
as long as he could, he drove out to
help us and usually brought someone with him. He always called
out the page number and the song
title before each song. He played
the piano enthusiastically, and if
he didn’t hit the right note every
time, it didn’t bother him or us.
Becky plays everything for us now,
and we are more sedate than when
Charlie was with us. We miss him
very much and try to sing one or
two of his spirited old favorites
every Wednesday.
Each week we experience the
toughness of “our people.” They
are mostly old. Some are ill.
Some are confused. Some are
in pain. Many have failing eyesight. All, if they are able, always
say, “Thank you.” For the most
part, we get to know only bits and
pieces of their lives: their favorite
hymns that they like to watch the
birds feed from their windows, that
they are the youngest brother or the
only son, the year their husband or
wife died, that jigsaw puzzles and
television are favorite pastimes.
Sometimes we are given surprises.
One of the residents will say, “I
want to sing for you,” and it may
be an old spiritual from times past,
or it may be an original. Either
way, it’s a rare and special moment.
We take a church bulletin from
the previous Sunday and a few
pieces of individually wrapped
candy for each resident. We have
a list of those who are diabetic, and
we take sugar-free for them. We
go to every room and talk to each
resident and invite them to our
service if they are able to be out
of bed. Our service is simple. We
sing hymns and have a brief devotional. In all, we are there less than
two hours. Oak Grove cooperates
with us in every way possible. We
are blessed by this mission. We are
blessed by these people.
The following poem is by British poet Thom Gunn. It is taken
from the McDougall-Littell English Literature text book. The man
in the poem whose “eyes watch
what he is not living, but lives
what he can,” is typical of them.
They are the salt of the earth.
Taylor Street
The small porch of imitation
marble is never sunny, but
outside the front door he
sits on his kitchen chair facing
the street. In the bent yellowish
face, from under the brim
of a floppy brown hat,
his small eyes watch what
he is not living. But he
lives what he can:
watches without a smile, with
a certain strain, the warmth
of his big crumpled
body anxiously cupped
by himself in himself, as
he leans over the cold railing, unmoving but carefully getting
a little strength from the sight of the
passers by. He has it
all planned: he will live
here morning by morning.
Continued on page 11
Shoot it!
Quote # 3: “The problem with the designated driver program, it’s not a desirable job, but if you ever get sucked into doing it, have fun with it. At the end of the night, drop them
off at the wrong house.”
2008 Photography Contest
We are looking for great Oklahoma photographs to feature in the pages of Oklahoma Edge
magazine. Amateurs and professionals, adults and young persons can participate. Entries
should show off the beauty of Oklahoma and it’s people. Categories include Landscapes,
People, Events, and Animals. All entries must: be digital .jpg files only (scan prints if you still
use film), your own work (no part belonging to someone else), include photographer’s name,
age, address and phone, be 5 inches x 5 inches @ 300 dpi (1500 x 1500 pixels) or larger, be
copyright released (professionals), and must be previously unpublished. Submission of photo
implies unrestricted consent to publish without compensation. Cover-photo hopefuls will
be 2600 x 3600 pixels or larger. Contest winners will be published in our September issue.
Entry deadline is June 30th.
First Place Prizes
Adults (18+) Overall
Senior Youth (14-17) Overall
Youth (13 & under) Overall
$100 First Place
$100 First Place
$100 First Place
PLUS: If we use your photo on our cover (winner or not), we’ll pay you $50
Send contest entries to
[email protected]
(one photo per email please)
Heritage & History
Bokhoma: A Southeast Oklahoma Ghost Town
by Kenny Sivard
The name Bokhoma is associated with various meanings to those
living in this area. First of all, the
words mean red river in the Choctaw
language. Secondly, Bokhoma was
previously a county of the Choctaw
Nation. It’s capitol was located at
Kulli Tuklo in southeast McCurtain
County. But perhaps the most familiar
connection made to Bokhoma is it’s
location which is “right beside Moon
and kinda near Tom.” In this article, I
will shed some light on the history of
this very interesting, fiery Oklahoma
ghost town.
The one time town, now community, Bokhoma was started as a
Choctaw settlement back in the 1830s,
but did not get its real start until 1902
when the Frisco Railroad Company
completed laying their tracks through
this area. This little settlement then
became a stop for the railroad to pick
up lumber harvested from the area’s
virgin timber forests; it became an official Frisco Railroad town. This is the
same way that Idabel was established
and also how nearby Haworth grew
from a trading post to its pre-depression heyday.
The first report of a business in
Bokhoma was a store ran by John
Henry Kirby at Coleman Crossing in
1903. He later moved his store in 1904
to the community of Janis and then to
Haworth in 1905. In 1904, Bokhoma
had its own newspaper, the Editor
Signal. In that year, the publication
reported subjects ranging from naming
those that had colds to people not having shoes. In the November 4, 1904
issue, the editor spoke out about the
poor condition of the roads in the new
railroad town.
The year 1904 proved to be a big
one for Bokhoma as the Frisco Railroad built a very nice company store
and market. Along with this construction came the Bokhoma post office,
which served the town until 1936.
Lewis Moore was the first postmaster.
Also that year, the Hodges & Hunt Co.
Downtown Bokhoma circa 1905.
erected 18 company houses in order to
attact new settlers.
It wasn’t until 1909 that Bokhoma
School District built its own school
house. The four room, two-story
building began as a subscription style
school but later opened as a public
school. Nineth and tenth grade classes
were held from 1921 to 1924. Sadly,
the school closed when it, as many
other schools did in the 1930s, consolidated with the Haworth school
system.
The small booming towns reaped
big business with its many sawmills.
Sam Scratch owned the first sawmill
in Bokhoma. The Frisco Railroad
Company also owned a mill which
was purchased from the Lockwook
Mill Co. in 1906. By July 1911, its
foreman J.R. Benson stated that the
lumber company was logging out
630,000 board feet per day. This was
an astonishing amount especially
when one considers that the logs were
cut by saw and axe and then hauled
to the train station by oxen, mule and
horse.
Bokhoma must have been an impressive little town during its prime.
Most of the establishments were
located on one side of the train track
where the town held a train depot,
opera house and a doctor’s office
where a Dr. Lightfoot and Dr. Tilden
Pollard practiced their medicine on the
townsfolk. Also, the Frisco Railroad’s
company store, a market, post office,
drug store, tailor and barber shop.
The city’s main street also boasted a
two-story hotel, Masonic Hall and a
boarding house. A boardwalk ran from
the train depot to the opera house as
the entertainment source provided
amusement for those traveling near
and far. A 1916 edition of the Foreman
Sun (of Foreman, Arkansas) reported
that “the Bokhoma Opera House will
be visited by a company of first class
singers and orchestras” and also that
“the Weedman and Paleman Comedy
Co. will be presenting a high class
colored comedy (whatever that meant)
entitled, “The Prince of Togoland”.
The Foreman Sun also reported in the
same issue that a passenger train was
scheduled to depart Foreman for Bokhoma for those interested in seeing the
presentation. There were 50 only train
seats available and the paper advised
the public to “act fast”.
Segregation also left its mark on
Bokhoma. On the opposite side of the
train track stood a single two-story
hotel for the town’s African-American
inhabitants. Most black citizens of the
town worked in the saw mills or out in
the forests falling and hauling logs.
The town also had its share of
danger as did most place of that time.
In 1916, the Haworth Herald reported
that a two-year old toddler fell down
a well that contained 15 feet of water.
The child was saved but the paper did
not elaborate on how the it was rescued nor who the child was. In 1919,
A.O. Whala, the town’s barber and
tailor was shot by a young man with a
rifle. The victim was then transported
to the train station to await transportation to Idabel for treatment. Sadly,
he died before the train arrived. It is
not found whether or not the killer
was ever apprehended nor his motive
Heritage & History
Verna Wilkerson (left) served as
postmistress.
Baptism in the Bokhoma Pond c. 1920
(All photos associated with this article courtesy of McCurtain
County Historical Society.)
Bokhoma School c. 1911
Heritage & History
for the shooting. Disease was also
a looming threat as the January 22,
1916 edition of the Haworth Herald
reported the brief closure of the Bokhoma School due to an outbreak of
diptheria.
In a more colorful chapter of
Bokhoma’s history, a promotional
company purchased the right from the
Frisco Company to rename the town.
The company intended to bring more
people and businesses to town, which,
unfortunately, was already beginning
to decline. Bokhoma was renamed
Webster City in 1922 in honor of a
man named C. J. Webster. Plans were
comprised of 13 city blocks long and
seven blocks wide and McDonell
Park complete with a nice public lake
which to company envisioned as the
city’s centerpiece. The plans did not
fly, however, aside from the contruction of the lake. In 1925, the McCurtain County commissioners voted to
abandon the Webster City plat and its
Bokhoma railroad tie yard c. 1941 (All photos associated with this article courtesy of McCurtain County Historical Society.)
name. The city was once again named
Bokhoma.
Soon after, with the decline of business, the virgin timber all harvested
and the schools consolidation, the
small yet vibrant town began its eventual demise as many other communities did during the depression. Many
of the large two-story buildings that
graced the streets were town down and
their lumber used elsewhere. Some
were burned while some just sadly
stood there until time and weather had
taken their toll.
Today, very little remains of Bok-
homa. A single mill (owned by the
Tunnel family) stands near the Moon
Community. There are a few houses
in the town’s vicinity but the only
real evidence to the passersby is the
Masonic Lodge (which has been relocated) on Hwy. 3 on the Moon Curve.
Many of the remaining residents of
the Bokhoma area are proud of where
they live and their community’s
unique history. A good topic for an
argument or debate is often whether
you are from Bokhoma or Moon.
Salt of the Earth
Author’s note: Since I began
writing this, there have been both
joyous and sad events concerning
the subjects of this column. On
April 19, my dear friend Ellen
was awarded the Ernest R. “Jack”
Tucker Award for Community
Service. This award for exemplary
volunteerism
was established in 2000 by the
Herron Foundation in honor of its
first recipient Jack Tucker. Mr.
Tucker was on hand at the foundation’s annual dinner at Museum
of the Red River to help Henry
Moy and Linda Baker Bell present
the award to Ellen. It was a very
special evening for a very special
person.
Continued from page 6
On the other hand, when we
arrived at Oak Grove Nursing
Home Wednesday morning, we
were greeted with the news that the
facility which opened at its present
location in 1948, in the home of
Freda Jones, is closing.
One of the first things I heard
about when I moved here in 1970
was what a wonderful person Freda
was and how good she was to her
residents. Particularly, I remember being told that when she first
opened, she would put the residents who were able in her car and
bring them to downtown Idabel on
Saturday afternoon to shop, watch
the street activity, or just sit in the
car and visit.
Visiting with Freda’s daughter
Laura Nell Brinkley, I learned that
in 1948, her mother had recently
been widowed and left with four
children. She said her mother
always told them, “I knew I could
sit and starve to death, or I could
go to work.” She began taking
people into her home. In 1955, she
built the central wing and kitchen
and provided a home for 15 people.
This was the first nursing home facility in Idabel. “We had gardens
and cows. We butchered our own
meat. We picked poke salad. She
thought they ought to eat what had
always eaten, “Laura Nell told me.
“She would go to Arkansas and
buy peaches, then we all, residents
included, would peel peaches for
cobblers.”
When Freda sold Oak Grove in
the 1980’s, it left only one indepen-
Soul Food
dently owned nursing home, Hill’s,
which opened in 1968. Its founder,
Gladys Hill, now 90 and living
down the street, still oversees its
management through the help of
her daughter Joy.
Both Freda and Gladys began
caring for the elderly in another
era, an era before federal guidelines and state regulations. Their
philosophies were the same. Love
and care for your people. These
women were business pioneers in
Idabel, but both have brought “salt
and light” to many, many people.
In upcoming issues, there will be
more stories about both of them.
Quote # 4. “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”
Quote # 5: “Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.”
Quote # 6: “People who get nostalgic about childhood were obviously never children.”
Close to Home
Rare books from Herron collection find appropriate new home
By Janet F. Reeder
Most Habitat ReStore shoppers
in Stillwater are looking for recycled household goods or building
materials, not rare books.
But recently, Eric Stafne, a fruit
and nut crops Oklahoma Cooperative Extension specialist, heard
about two old horticulture books in
the display case at the store.
“This series of books is one of
the seminal contributions to the
horticultural sciences,” he said.
Stafne, an Oklahoma State
University department of horticulture and landscape architecture
assistant professor, who was surprised to find the two books from
a reference series on fruit by U. P.
Hedrick, said the volumes are rare
and usually only found in reference libraries. They were reports
published annually by the State of
New York Department of Agriculture.
“My interest grew as I discovered that one of the books was The
Grapes of New York. Many of the
varieties discussed in The Grapes
Eric Stafne, a fruit and nut crops Extension specialist and assistant professor, who
works with grape growers and vineyards across the state, examines his recent rare book
find in his office with Oklahoma State University’s department of horticulture and landscape architecture. (Photo by Todd Johnson)
of New York have an Oklahoma
tie, because they were either
discovered in Oklahoma or had
Oklahoma-originated species in
their parentage,” Stafne said.
“Even though this book was
published in 1908, it still contains
relevant information. This book
will give us great insight into the
Pets can suffer from storm anxiety
By Trisha Gedon
When the sky darkens, the lightning
strikes and the thunder begins to roll,
many Oklahomans get a little nervous
about the impending storm. However,
humans are not the only ones whose heart
rates elevate.
Fifi and Fido may also be feeling some
storm anxiety, said Dr. Carolynn MacAllister, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service veterinarian.
“It’s very common for dogs to be
scared of storms. They may whine, hide
and tremble because of their fear. For
some pets though, thunderstorm phobia
can be very severe where the panicked
pets display destructive behaviors such
as chewing furniture to breaking windows and screened doors,” MacAllister
said. “There are several aspects of the
storm that may cause the anxiety such
as the sound of the thunder, the flashes
of lightning, the sound of rain hitting the
pet’s home or the sound of wind blowing
in trees.”
Some pets will start to show signs of
anxiety prior to when the storm actually
hits. She said some veterinary behaviorists
believe the pet’s actions could be stimulated by the electrical charge in the air or
even by the drop in barometric pressure
that can occur before a storm.
There is research that indicates some
breeds of dogs such as collies, German
shepherds, beagles and basset hounds
may be more likely to suffer with storm
phobia. There also is a higher incidence
of storm phobia behavior in dogs adopted
from animal shelters and rescue operations.
“It’s possible that the rescue or shelter
animals are more likely to have had
frightening experiences in their lives and
these animals may not be as well socialized,” MacAllister said. “Therefore, these
grape growing past of Oklahoma
beyond what we currently know.
Both of the works, The Grapes
of New York and The Cherries of
New York, are part of a larger series that cover fruit crops,” Stafne
said.
“Although the name implies a
narrow focus for New York, many
animals are more likely to suffer with
anxiety related behavior issues such as
storm phobia.”
There are several things a pet owner
can do to help Fido or Fifi conquer their
fear of storms. MacAllister suggests consulting your pet’s veterinarian to determine which steps are best for the animal.
Desensitization is a behavior modification technique that can be used to gradually retrain the animal to not be afraid
of storms. This method exposes the pet
to stimuli similar to a storm such as an
audio recording of thunder and pet owners
reward the pet with treats and positive attention if they remain calm.
“Gradually increase the loudness or
strength of the stimuli as therapy progress,” she said. “However, only provide
reward if the pet exhibits peaceful behavior. This type of behavior modification
should be administered only under the
supervision of a veterinarian because if
of the varieties discussed were and
continue to be grown across the
country,” he said.
The books were originally part
of the private library of Leonard
G. Herron, the father of Leonard
G. Herron Jr. and were placed with
Habitat ReStore after being located
in the latter Herron’s home north of
the OSU campus prior to it being
torn down.
The Senior Herron, a graduate of
Oklahoma A & M College, moved
his family to Idabel where he was
the McCurtain County agricultural
agent and later operated a lumber
business. Leonard G. Herron Jr.
was a longtime Stillwater resident,
Oklahoma A & M graduate, World
War II veteran, charter member
of Stillwater’s National Association of Homebuilders and later
president of the Stillwater Board of
Realtors. He died in 2006.
“I am fortunate to have had the
opportunity to purchase these great
historical pieces of plant science
literature,” Stafne said.
the treatment isn’t given properly, it could
intensify the phobia.”
MacAllister said some veterinarians
may prescribe medications that can be
used to help relax and calm a pet during a
storm.
No matter what type of treatment is
given, it is vital to provide a safe place for
a storm phobic pet to seek refuge when a
storm does occur. In addition, make sure
the safe place is available in the event pet
owners are not home during a storm.
“Always try to provide a quiet, soothing environment for a storm phobic pet,”
MacAllister said. “Don’t give your pet
extra attention for being scared of a storm
because they might associate a reward
with scared behavior. Handle the pet in a
quiet, soothing way and provide a place
where it can feel secure.”
Ephemory Lane
On the left: Idabel Freshman Class Officers circa 1979 are Martha Bean, Billy
Mussett and Maria McBrayer. Below: Idabel High School yearbook staff circa 1983
includes Greg Rogers, Kara Orndorff, Charlie Leonard, Todd Gilbert, Terri Gahlinger, Cissy Crusoe, Wesley Nichols, Steve Mussett, Randall Anglin, Ruby Watson
and SuZan Brakebill.
Profiles
Daring Kids to Dream
By Jeff Cole
NAIA Hall of Fame and her Southeastern jersey (No. 40) was retired
in 1996.
The Crystal L. Robinson Foundation exists to inspire and ignite
students and young people to
pursue higher education, develop
exemplary character, and live the
profit status the CLRF will develop/utilize its base of support in
the cultural, sports, and academic
realms to demonstrate the potential
and opportunities for achievement
found in the citizens of the state of
Oklahoma.
Whether or not you’ve heard
of Crystal Robinson, chances are
you’ll be hearing more about her in
the near future. As one of the few
Crystal L. Robinson Foundation
to leave southeastern
P.O. Box 1282
Oklahoma and achieve
Durant, Oklahoma 74702
celebrity status, she
405.834.4811
is joining forces with
commercial entities to
Crystal’s website
establish a very worthy
shares the personal
non-profit foundation.
message:
From very modest be“My life began in
ginnings in Stringtown,
humble beginnings
Oklahoma, her basketin a rural Southeastball career is jeweled
ern Oklahoma town.
with achievements
Through the invalureaching to the WNBA.
able encouragement
Crystal Robinson
and support of my
was a 3-time NAIA
family, my friends
All-America performer
and my community,
who led coach SouthI began to engage
Crystal Robinson shares an experience from her childhood that made the difference for her.
eastern’s Lady Savthe opportunities that
ages to three trips to the
revealed themselves to me from
National Tournament in Jackson,
American Dream by equipping
various unforeseeable places. I
Tenn. Southeastern logged twothem to own their future through
had no idea what they really meant
consecutive runner-up finishes,
education and personal achieveat the time nor did I know where
losing each time by one point to
ment. The Crystal L. Robinson
they would take me. Two decades
Southern Nazarene.
Foundation will implement these
later I can see that my career was
She was twice named Most
endeavors into the opportunities
directly affected by the belief and
Valuable Player in the National
of the citizens of the United States investment of others. Some of the
Tournament and was selected Naby making the State of Oklahoma
results of that impact included
tional Player of the Year for 1995a model for helping every student
Kodak High School All American
96. Crystal twice led the NAIA in
achieve their maximum potenTeam three times and M VP one
scoring and led the Lady Savages
tial. By maximizing federal and
year, achieving the highest levels
to an overall 90-22 (80.4 %) record state programs currently in place,
of athletics in NAIA Division One
during her career.
students will be inspired by events, Women’s Basketball: 3 time NAIA
After Southeastern, Crystal
appearances, and incentives to
MVP National Finals, OIC MVP,
signed with the Colorado Xploengage their natural born gifts,
MVP USA Select Team, numerous
sion of the American Basketball
regardless of their socioeconomic
records in the American BasketLeague and was named Rookie of
status.
ball League including Rookie of
the Year. She later helped the New
The Non-Profit status of the
the Year, All Pro Team, ReboundYork Liberty to the four WNBA
CLRF provides for the generation
ing Record Holder, The WNBA:
Finals and has played extensively
and allocation of funds to support
6th overall draft pick, currently
in Europe. Crystal ended her pro
institutions, individuals, programs, hold the record for 2nd highest 3
career in 2007 with the Washington and campaigns focused on reachpoint percentage in history of the
Mystics and is now a member of
ing the numbers of students who
league.”
the Mystics’ coaching staff.
underperform academically and
Beginning with the State of
She has been named to the
socially. In addition to its non
Oklahoma the Crystal L. Robinson foundation is a friend to every
child who dares to dream.”
Robinson is passionate about
expanding the possibilities of children who might not otherwise have
a chance to go to college. She
even started a record company.
“The reason I started Eclectic Records,” Robinson said, “is
because people – kids especially
– pay attention to music. And you
know, famous people, or people
who are in the spotlight have a
voice, so through my music company I want to give my foundation
a voice. If my music company
does well, my foundation is going
to do even better. So I couple them
together.”
Formulating strategy and
organizing routes by which the
foundation could earn an audience
and do some fundraising, Crystal’s
cousin and business partner in the
foundation, Jeff Woodard, added,
“As we were strategizing, we came
to realize we could do some really big things in the near future
– things like bringing a WNBA
team to Oklahoma. We found an
enormous amount of support is out
there waiting for us. We’ve spoken
with governors and tribal chiefs
to learn whether we would have
their support and found we have a
group ready to say yes to whatever
we ask. The great thing is that we
were asking for something that
would couple commercial industries with WNBA and Oklahoma.”
When sharing her vision with
those outside Oklahoma, Crystal
finds she still has a few hurdles to
overcome. Immensely proud to be
an Oklahoman, she has to shake
apart some misconceptions.
“I’ve been all over the world
and even when I tell people from
the United States that I’m from
Oklahoma,” she related, “the thing
I get back from them is ‘I didn’t
even know black people were in
Oklahoma’. They think we still
ride wagons and we’re country
bumpkins. And they’re very serious! I tell people ‘You’ve never
been to my state! You come to my
state and [meet] the people there,
then you talk to me.’ Because this
is what I run into everywhere I go,
I want the people of Oklahoma to
step up and show people ‘This is
who we are’.”
With nearly all of their requirements fulfilled at the time of this
interview, the two are looking
forward to making the vision of the
CLRF a reality.
“Now that we have these supporters within the state of Oklahoma,” Woodard stated, “we are soon
to go out and tackle this country
with our greatest natural resource
– the people of Oklahoma.”
Woodard went on to illustrate
with an example of a successful
Oklahoman, John Massey, of First
United Bank. “In Oklahoma there
are 27 [branches] and there are 7
in Texas. He grew up on the poor
side of town in a home with a dirt
floor, and now he sits as chairman
Photo courtesy of Crystal L Robinson Foundation
Profiles
of the board of regents. Nothing
in Oklahoma education doesn’t go
past him. If we can ignite all of
the children of rural Oklahoma to
become whoever they really could
be, NOT based on how they dress
or how much money their parents
make or how old their shoes are
or what part of the classroom they
sit in, but what their true potential
is, just imagine what the economic
impact could be. What if we had
100 John Masseys?”
What if..we inspired 100 Jeff Woodards and Crystal Robinsons?
Profiles
Broken Bow’s newest resident: The Pie Lady
by Tawsha Davenport
To many nothing evokes memories better than a slice of homemade pie, whether it be fruit or
cream, just one bite of a tender
flaky crust, creamy filling, topped
by a tangy meringue can almost
magically transport one back to
their grandma’s kitchen, if only for
a moment.
And that is exactly what came
to my mind upon my recent visit
to the new eatery, The Pie Lady,
which is found tucked away on
First Street in the historic district
of Broken Bow.
From cream pies, fruit pies,
hummingbird cakes and cheesecakes, if it is something sweet you
are searching for, look no further.
The quaint eatery and bakery will
definitely offer something to spark
your taste buds.
Ann Carter, owner and bakery
chef, is the Pie Lady.
“I have been called that for
many years, there are not many
which even know my last name.
How I got started cooking was,
well I had to cook when I was at
home, because my dad and mama
farmed. So we had to learn how
to cook early and I was probably
the brave one of the whole bunch,
because I would always get into
stuff and pilfer and play in it,” said
Carter.
Her earliest memory of cooking
is at the age of nine.
“I will always remember the first
meal I ever cooked. My mama told
me to go to the house and cook
dinner. We were down in the field
hoeing corn. So I went to the house
my mother didn’t tell me what to
cook she just told me, ‘You go to
the house and cook dinner young
lady.’ By the time they were done
with their farm work I had cooked
a couple of potatoes and some
cornbread and it was really thin
and hard as a rock. Mama came in
and sat across the table and drank a
cup of coffee. When she was done,
she said, ‘You are going to cook
dinner tomorrow and you aren’t
going to make a mess you are going to do it right.’ So from that day
on I really started cooking.
For years she perfected her art of
cooking for just family and friends.
“For as long as I can remember I
have just been in the kitchen cook-
ing,” said Carter.
Carter has only been baking
professionally for three years, but
in that short period of time her
pies have been featured twice in
Southern Living Magazine while
she was employed at another local
restaurant.
“I always wanted a place where
I could bake cakes and pies for
people and this building came open
and I just took it,” said Carter.
Carter’s menu includes her main
cream pies, lemon, chocolate and
coconut.
“Those I keep on the menu all
the time. I can do just about any
pie anyone would request. I make
seasonal pies, such as pecan,
cherry and apple, pumpkin and
chess pies and things like that,”
said Carter.
For the Thanksgiving and
Christmas orders she prefers a two
to three day notice.
“The notice is because I like the
customer to be receiving a fresh
pie,” said Carter.
Carter also offers a wide variety
of cakes and cheesecakes.
“I basically make the chocolate,
hummingbird and German chocolate cakes. The hummingbird cake
sells more than any, it is kind of
tropical,” said Carter.
As for cheesecakes one can
choose from a variety of options
which includes strawberry cheesecake, the seasonal layered hazelnut
cheesecake, and toasted caramel
pecan among others.
Like her pies, she can bake almost any cake one would request.
“I bake birthday, wedding and
baby shower cakes, just about
everything. Cakes, I usually require two days or longer due to the
decoration,” said Carter.
You won’t just find cakes and
pies on Carter’s menu; she offers a
Profiles
breakfast and lunch menu as well.
“For breakfast we have breakfast burritos, large cinnamon rolls,
homemade biscuits and gravy,”
said Carter.
One surprising item included on
Carter’s breakfast menu is chocolate gravy, which definitely will
bring back a few memories to some
who are acquainted with southern
country cuisine.
“The chocolate gravy is something I had when I was growing
up as a child. I am real surprised at
some of the people that I went to
school with in Sherwood and Battiest they will come in and comment
on the chocolate gravy and say, ‘I
haven’t had that in years.’ Or some
of the locals or the many tourists
will say, ‘Chocolate gravy?’ And
we will give them a little sample of
it and they will usually order them
a bowl of it,” said Carter.
Everyday there is a lunch special, except for Saturday.
“It is usually a homemade soup.
But sometimes we will do a salad
or sandwich from our menu,” said
Carter.
Specialty coffees and teas are
also included on the menu.
What Carter really enjoys about
cooking pies is the simple oh’s and
ah’s of the meringue.
“Because the meringue is never
the same it is different every time. I
have some people who will wonder
how I get it so high. It is really not
a secret it is all in the mixing,” said
Carter.
If interested in a recipe Carter is
happy to share some of her secrets,
but she saves some of her recipes
for herself.
“The reason being, because there
is always some special occasion,
some special person who I want
to feel special and if I give them
something that everybody else has
then it doesn’t feel as special. So
I do keep at least one cake recipe
and some others to myself, some
which have been handed down.
One of my old recipes is one from
the old Hershey Chocolate can that
came out when I was a child,” said
Carter.
Carter is really excited about being able to open The Pie Lady.
“I really enjoy being here at my
new location. It really has an atmosphere of relaxation where people
can come and talk and enjoy
themselves and not feel rushed. We
stay busy, we have a lot of to go
orders, therefore if someone wants
to come in and talk and visit a little
while, they have the freedom to do
just that,” said Carter.
The Pie Lady is open Monday to
Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
To place an order call (580) 5847437.
“I really enjoy visiting with
people. I always try to say something encouraging to someone. I
know sometimes we all have bad
days. And if I can say something
to make them feel better or smile,
it just makes the world a better
place to be. I really enjoy being in
Broken Bow. Drop by and say hi,”
said Carter.
Quote # 7: “Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.”
Quote # 8: “Recommend to your children virtue; that alone can make them happy, not gold.”
Quote # 9: “Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”
Got something to say? Send letters to the editor, photos and other feedback to us via email: [email protected]. Share your story ideas or share your good news. We’d
love to hear from you.
Choctaw County Historical Society preserves WWI bond office
Story and photos
by Norm Pence,
Choctaw County Historical Society
On March 12, 2008 the Choctaw
County Historical Society moved
the 1817 vintage War Savings
Stamp Building from the Howard
Harrison home site to Frisco Depot
Museum.
The War Savings Stamp (WSS)
was a patriotic program used by
the United States Treasury to help
fund participation in World War I
and, later, was expanded for World
War II and finally became the US
Savings Bond program. In 1917,
a small (16’ by 16’) building was
erected in the middle of the intersection of Jackson and Broadway
Streets in Hugo and was used to
sell War Saving Stamps and Bonds.
The photos on this page show the
progress of the move: (from top)
The WSS Building leaving the
Howard Harrison home site, moving
along side the railroad tracks toward
its new site, and finally coming to
rest along side the Frisco Depot in
its new location.
Stamps were available in 25
cent and five dollar denominations
and booklets were furnished for
mounting these stamps. When the
booklets were filled up, they could
be redeemed in 1923 for the value
of the stamps plus accumulated
interest.
At some point after WW I, the
building was removed from Jackson & Broadway and relocated on
the north east corner of Jackson
and E Streets. After some time
18 - April
May 2008
2008--Oklahoma
OklahomaEdge
EdgeMagazine
Magazine
there, Howard Harrison procured
the building and moved it to his
front yard on North F Street where
it remained until March 12, 2008.
After the death of Mr. Harrison,
his son, Toby, donated the building
to the Choctaw County Historical
Society.
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OKLAHOMA EDGE’s next
contributor? Visit us online at
oklahomaedge.com to view our Writers’ and Photographers’ guidelines.
Choctaw County, Oklahoma: History’s Backyard
Story and photo
by Gloria McAfee
(He’s an expert on local historical sites in and around Hugo, and
in the retelling of amazing frontier
stories; in a booming voice and
fascinating embellishments told
wide eyed and with hand gesturing fanfare –meet Walter White
– Tour Guide. I’ve known Walter
for sometime, he was born and
raised here, a successful business
man and devoted family man, he
is a friend of the Choctaw County
Historical Society, Hugo Chamber
of Commerce, and probably every
other Hugo civic organization. In
fact, the tall, amiable gentleman
of renowned humor and teller of
tales makes friends where ever he
goes. By the time Walter White and
I concluded our interview for the
Oklahoma Edge Magazine, I made
it a point to sign up for the very
next Walter White/Choctaw County
Historical Tour available - directed by ‘himself’…”Mr. Hugo” ~
Walter White.. I am quite excited to
find out all about the treasures that
are right here, in my own backyard.)
Walter White described his
devotion to Hugo, in the southeast
of Oklahoma, his hometown, “I’ve
been civic minded from the time
I ran barefoot around here. I love
Hugo and all of my family lives
here. I devote a part of everyday
in some way to contribute to the
town. I do that whether anyone
says something to me about that
or not, that doesn’t matter to me. I
want to give something back to my
community.”
I asked Walter about his reputation as Hugo’s popular tour guide
for visitors from far and wide and
how it came about. “I didn’t invent
Walter White tells guests all about Mount Olivet cemetery’s “Showman’s
Rest” area along the route of the historical tour of Hugo.
the role, however, I am knowledgeable about Hugo’s history, and so
guiding visitors just came natural
for me. Originally Representative
Randall Irvin visited with me about
ideas the Chamber of Commerce
could implement to promote our
city,” he said.
“I had some precise ideas and
they have turned out more than
alright. We built twenty eight RV
slips, and will soon add twenty
more, right behind the Frisco Depot Museum. We are also proud of
the 3000 sq. foot building we built
on location for gatherings.”
“The RV Slip fee includes the
use of the facility which has central
heating and air and a full kitchen.
The RV drive-through slips themselves are top notch; they have 50
amps on poles, water, sewage, and
free wireless Internet available.”
“The building is where the two
day tours kick off. We start off with
what I call a ‘floor show’; we bring
in local talent and entertainment,
sometimes it may be our own Patsy
Cline or Elvis Presley. We have a
really good time with them,” Walter related.
“The tours are usually over a
Friday and Saturday for RV campers and for scheduled bus tours that
come in from Iowa, Kansas, Texas
and all over Oklahoma,” Walter
said with his familiar grin and animated gesturing of his hands.
Following the breakfast Floor
Show on Saturday, Walter White
said he leads guests in a stroll
through the historic Frisco Depot
Museum and the Harvey House
Restaurant. The first eye-catching
museum feature is a large, fancy
red, four spoke-wheeled steamdriven popcorn popper which was
in the movie, “Around the world in
80 Days”.
No one gets lost on the tour; it is
easy to spot Walter White’s ballcapped head above the crowd and
to follow the sound of the Hugoite’s voice as he shares amazing
facts and titillating trivia.
The Frisco Depot Museum is
abundant with antique memorabilia of clothing, a Dentist and a
Doctor’s Office, railroad fixtures
and a moonshine still. Hugo was
founded in 1901; it was birthed by
Continued on page 20
Soul Food
Reflections: My first year of motherhood
by
Victoria Luthye
It’s been 389
days since I became
a Mom. April 11th
was the first anniversary of the day Jaxon arrived to
this world. My sister and I reminisced
that morning about the overwhelming
spiritual shift we felt when we became
mothers for the first time. I remember
it clearly, of course. Hers happened
nine years ago but she remembers just
as vividly. I like the thought idea that
some feelings we never lose.
There were times this year when I
wasn’t sure I was doing anything right
but I look back on it with a sense of
accomplishment. I dedicate a lot of
time to learning everything I can to
help raise my son the best way I’m
able. I have a whole new appreciation
for the phrase “ignorance is bliss”. My
newly found knowledge of everything
from chemicals to corn keeps my head
spinning. My eager hunger (no pun
intended) for information regarding
what we eat has made every food decision painstakingly critical. My family
has implemented a world of changes
to improve what goes into our bodies
and to do our part for the environment,
but my desire to do more grows.
This otherwise uneventful year has
absolutely been one of, if not THE
best year of my life. Being a mom is
by far the greatest adventure I have
ever undertaken and this complete
love I have for Jaxon proves it exists.
I believe I’m blessed to have such
a wonderful example of what a good
mom should be. My mother once
volunteered to fulfill the super-human task of hemming about a hundred
band pants in about a week. They
ended up being too thick for her sewing machine, so she did them all by
hand. The same creature, so humble,
I doubt has a clue how extraordinary
her children and grandchildren know
she is. I think my sisters and I would
agree she is the beautiful thread that
perfectly stitches us into the tightly
bound family we are.
And I wonder would she even
guess?
I do not know if even our best
efforts can show the appreciation deserved by the good moms, grandmas
and mother figures. There’s no reason
to wait until Mother’s Day, but if you
need an occasion, there is not better
time to let them know what they mean
to you. Saying the words (or writing
them!) last much longer than flowers.
Mom, thank you til my last breath!
I love you!
Tori
Choctaw County, Oklahoma: History’s Backyard
Continued from page 19
the Frisco Railroad lines heading
out into the new frontier.
The Frisco Depot Museum
includes an impressive World
War military showcase room and
original, old west art. Other attractions include posters and photos on
display of two local living legends;
Bill Grant, a Bluegrass Music
Icon whose music shows traveled
around the world, and Turk Robinson, PRCA Cowboy, the early
Marlboro Man whose likeness appeared on billboard ads once seen
around the world.
Who doesn’t enjoy the circus
and elephants? Ambling along
behind Walter White, the next stop
is a visit to the circus grounds to
tour the giant facility of the Endangered Ark; to view and feed some
of the elephant herd of over thirty,
including baby “Val”. The location
is one of only three in the U.S. that
are breeding grounds and a sanctu-
ary for the endangered elephant
species. Hugo is fondly referred to
as “Circus City” because of several
circuses that make the Hugo their
winter headquarters.
What is as surely included on
historical site tours is a cemetery,
in this case, it is Showman’s Rest
Circus Cemetery along a paved
drive through a forest of whispering pine trees in Mt. Olivet. The
headstones, large and small are
remarkable, bearing workmanship
and script of circus legends.
Mt. Olivet is also the final resting place of three Pro Rodeo world
championship cowboys; the young
bull rider Lane Frost (movie Eight
Seconds); Freckles Brown ( Red
Steagall’s western tune about the
bucking bull, Tornado); and renown rodeo cowboy, Todd Whatley, the Rodeo Arena in Hugo bears
his name.
Another unique stone is a replica
of a shoe. The marker belongs to
Wm. Edmond Ansley of the Buster
Brown shoe era. At 4’2”, Ansley
worked in entertainment and advertisement dressed up in a Little Lord
Fauntleroy costume to portray the
five-year-old comic strip character.
Midgets were hired by the Brown
Shoe Co. to play Buster across the
States. They were each accompanied by a dog named, ‘Tige’. The
advertising performances were
popular from 1904 until 1930.
Ansley travel as Buster Brown for
27 years. He passed away from a
heart attack in 1972. His obituary
appeared in The New York Times.
Last but not least, is a visit to the
remnants of the historical Ft. Towson. Here, Walter hands the tour
over to his friend, John Davis, the
expert on the 1824 Fort on the edge
of the early frontier. Among the
sights to behold there is the firing
of the Civil War cannon which was
featured in the movie “Shenandoah”. Onward to visit “Historic Doaksville”: regarded today as a ghost
town, it was frequented by legendary Alamo notables Jim Bowie,
Sam Houston, Stephen Austin, and
Davy Crockett in the early 1800’s
and was the site of many historic
events.
Walter White’s tour is just a
sampling of ‘history alive’, across
Southeast Oklahoma; but two days
of roaming through the founding
and building of this portion of the
frontier concludes this tour, and
every step taken very well worth it.
You may make your reservations to
tour the early frontier in the Oklahoma Indian Nation with Walter
White by calling the Hugo Chamber of Commerce at 580-326-7511
or Frisco Depot at 580-326-6630.
Ya’ll come see us, Ya’ hear.
A cold, rain-soaked, muddy day fishing with the kids = Great childhood memories.
Whine and Roses
Mother’s Day
by Elizabeth Grace
When I close
my eyes, they
are running in the sunshine of our
backyard, laughing, cheeks ruddy
and ponytails bouncing in rhythm
with their steps. They stop only
momentarily to catch their wind,
leaning slightly forward with hands
resting on their knees. The older
one whispers something into her
sister’s ear, then they both get a
case of the giggles and start gathering up fistfuls of the dandelions
that their Dad tries in vain to eradicate from the lawn.
Before long they are sitting
cross-legged on the deck weaving
long flower stems into chains that
they will insist on wearing until
all of the yellow petals have shriveled and turned brown. They are
seven and eight, and they are the
most beautiful girls that I have ever
seen.
That was, in Mom-Time, twelve
minutes ago.
In reality, they are grown women
with bellies expanding daily with
the promise of new lives. This Sun-
day they will each experience their
initial glimpse of Mother’s Day
from a first-person prospective.
They are already behaving like
mothers -- planning, worrying, and
praying. They are filled with joy
and wonder, waiting impatiently
for this new chapter of their lives
to begin.
They’ve each, along with their
husbands, watched with heartfelt
gratitude as images of their healthy
babies squirm across the screens
at their ultrasound appointments.
They’ve chosen names and selected nursery decor. They are doing
all that they can to ready themselves, and by late summer both
will have new babies at home. Plan
as they may, however, there are
some things that they just cannot
anticipate.
•They have no way of truly
knowing at this point, for example, just how much of their
hearts they will give away the
moment that they first see their
newborns. Love at first sight
does exist, even if nowhere other
than in the delivery room.
•They will discover that they are
stronger and weaker than they
could have ever imagined.
Soul Food
•They will learn that in motherhood, there is no such thing as
too tired, and they will find that
they can continue in states of
exhaustion that seem unthinkable today.
•They will know, with all of
their hearts, that theirs are more
brilliant and beautiful than any
children that have come before.
•They will lose their smooth, flat
bellies but gain the ability to
know when their child is hurting, even if miles separate them.
•They will no longer keep their
distance from contagious people;
they will, in fact, hold them
close and rock them through the
night.
•They will, many times in the
upcoming years, fight the urge to
do battle with a neighbor’s child
who makes theirs cry.
•They will no longer put their
own well-being before that of
everyone else.
•They will find that their favorite
mud-packs are applied in the
backyard, not at the salon, and
that they suddenly prefer bouquets of dandelions to roses.
•They will ingest the inedible
with a smile when they are presented with a breakfast tray on
their birthdays.
•They will be surprised to find
that they care deeply about the
outcome of elementary school
athletic, cheerleading, and theater auditions.
•They will save countless pieces
of construction paper covered in
glue and glitter, and will treasure at least one piece of plastic
jewelry as though it were from
Tiffany’s.
•They will find it completely
reasonable to spend more for a
child’s just-gotta-have-it Christmas gift than they spent on their
first car.
•They will learn more from their
children than they will teach
them, and they will be grateful
for every lesson.
•They will laugh and they will
cry, often in the same day.
•They will take a strong stance on
crime, the environment, and war.
•And they will know with certainty, if they have ever doubted,
that God exists.
Happy Mother’s Day, girls. I
love you both in a way that you
will soon fully understand.
Quote # 10: “One glance at a book and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for 1,000 years. To read is to voyage through time.”
Soul Food
Now I Remember…
The Phoenix Theatre
by
Scott
Pace
we went inside. Those of you
accustomed to attending the large
multiplex theater might be a little
disappointed with our tiny movie
lobby. You won’t find obnoxious
video games, high priced popcorn
or multi stalled restrooms. No,
inside you’ll find a tiny snack
counter with hot buttered popcorn
(my personal favorite), normal
human size candy bars and an occasional line patiently waiting for
the restroom. Mrs. Brady greeted
me at the counter. Two Dr. Peppers, a large popcorn (with extra
butter) and my wife’s Milk Duds
all for five bucks. Now find that in
your overrated multiplex!
I don’t remember what was playing, something funny, I think. What
I do remember is sharing the popcorn and laughing together. I think
that’s why we went on the date in
the first place. Mrs. Brady did come
in at one time to remind a young
girl that her cell phone “probably
worked better out in the lobby”. We
all appreciated her timely observation. With that, the girl politely got
up and made her way to the lobby.
When the movie was over a
strange thing happened. As we
stepped outside my wife observed
that it was like we had stepped back
in time. I asked her what she meant.
A couple of weeks ago my wife
and I found ourselves at home all
alone. This event might not sound
so monumental to some, however
with six children, the event seems
very rare at our house. So, as
we found ourselves enjoying the
seclusion and control of the TV
changer, my wife suggested we
go on a date. It seemed staying at
home with me gleefully flipping
the from channel to channel didn’t
seem to impress her. The fact that
we could have so many TV stations and there still be nothing on
continues to amaze me.
In our hometown of Antlers,
Oklahoma (population 2,500) we
have one movie theater. Please
don’t misunderstand me. We
don’t have one multiplex with
nine different screens. We still
have one movie theater with one
movie screen. Some may read
this and feel sorry for our situation, wondering ‘how on earth
do you survive with such limited
Hollywood viewing opportunities?’. To me personally, it makes
the movie selections process
a whole lot easier, you simply
choose to go or not go. Simple,
see?
As we bought our tickets at the
small ticket booth, the owner, Mr.
Brady, asked how the kids were
doing and inquired about their
absence. I explained that we were Pictured here are Pat and Dave Brady at the snack counter of the Phoenix Theatre. Pat
on a date for the evening. He
said they chose to call it the Phoenix because it has risen from the ashes of destructive
fires on two separate occasions.
thanked us for the purchase and
With a prompt nod, she encouraged
me to look around. My grandmother always said “Antlers rolls up the
streets at 6 p.m.”. This evening was
no different. Our one traffic light
was changing from red to green, the
drugstore and jewelry store’s large
picture windows lit up the quiet
downtown sidewalk. The last of
the evening diners were leaving the
pizza joint. Thirty or so cars lined
up the dimly-lit city street. Antlers
indeed had rolled up her streets. A
peaceful and comforting feeling of
the past seemed to pass over me.
The thought that my “old time”
memories, like that of my parents
and grandparents, would be there
for my kids and grandkids settled
in my brain. The thought made me
pause to appreciate small town life.
Please don’t get me wrong, I
don’t think there is anything wrong
with surround sound, vibrating seats
or cup holders for that matter. But
sometimes I feel we lose track of
why we go to the movies to begin
with. Sure, a momentary escape
from reality, but also to be with the
people we love and want to spend
time with. You can keep your overpriced multiplex and I’ll keep my
tiny one screen Phoenix Theater in
downtown Antlers, Oklahoma.
--P.S. Before the kids returned
home I grabbed the remote one
more time…one hundred and fifty
TV stations and still nothing on!
Pace celebrates hometown values
and small-town life from his country
roots. He and his wife Stacie live on
a small farm in rural Oklahoma.
Want to become
OKLAHOMA EDGE’s next
contributor? Visit us online at
oklahomaedge.com to view our Writers’
and Photographers’ guidelines.
Throwing My Loop...
Ain’t That
a Shame?
by Michael
Johnson
That’s what Fats said long ago. “Ain’t
that a shame? That’s what he said. And
it is. How we try so sometimes, and still
things become difficult, life seems so hard
and then gets even harder, and our efforts
just don’t pay off. Ain’t that a shame?
I saw him when I entered the little
joint. A young cowboy seated all by his
lonesome at the end of the bar – probably
no more than thirty. My first thought was,
“Atlas ain’t got nothing on this boy.” Like
that mythological figure of old, he too,
had the weight of the entire world on his
shoulders. Both of which were slumped,
and made him look drawn up in a small
ball, him with his head in his hands. “That
fellow is carrying a load,” I thought to
myself. “How you doin’?” I asked him.
“How do I look like I’m doing?” he
said without looking at me.
Since I couldn’t think of anything to
say – “Not too good,” didn’t seem like
the right response – so I just sat there.
He took a couple of sips from his beer,
and then he said, “I sold my soul to the
devil, man. If you can get it out of hock,
I’ll give you half-interest in it.” Still he
hadn’t looked in my direction.
“Well, I guess I could listen,” I said.
“Maybe that would help.”
“Nobody can help me, man.” And
there was silence for a time.
“I drive fifty miles a day each way,” he
said in a low voice. Then it came pouring
out.
“I drive a hundred miles a day. I fight
the beast four hours of my life every
day. Up at five, two hours of frustrating,
life-crushing dead air time. Then I sit in a
cubicle for eight more, all the while looking forward to two more hours of fightin’
semi’s all the way home.” He paused. “
‘Course I have to you know. I do it all
for them. They’re my whole life. They’re
everything to me.”
“And who might “they” be?” I asked
him.
“The reasons, man,” he said in a loud
voice. “The reasons I do it all - my wife
and my son. I do it all for them.” And
then, finally turning to me with a good
deal of anger in his voice, he said, “Ain’t
that what a man’s supposed to do?”
I knew he meant duty. I knew he meant
responsibility. I said, “Well, I guess it is,
but it seems like it’s making you sick.”
Wrong thing to say.
He shot up from the stool, kicking
the big seat back, and snapped, “You got
some ideas, hot shot? You gonna’ tell me
a better way, mister?”
“No,” I said. “I didn’t mean that.”
“I gotta’ pay the bills, man!” he
growled. “I gotta’ get some money together right now. My son, he’ll be going
to college someday. My old man never
helped me. I ain’t doing that to my kid.
More than anything in the world, I will
be a good husband, and a good father. So
what if it eats my gut out? Man’s gotta’
do what a man’s gotta’ do, right partner?”
he smiled at me with no humor whatsoever, and then began to make his way to
the door, with a bit of a shaky weave here
and there.
“Hey, you okay?” I asked him.
“Yeah, man,” he said in that same low
voice. “I’m just great.” And he was gone.
I sat there for the longest time thinking
about him. ‘Cause long ago…I was him.
Like him, I spent so many of my days
trapped in a cold, impersonal prison
– spelled “corporate America” - and not
a single one of the “guards” ever cared
whether I lived or died. And just like the
young cowboy…it made me sick. Not for
one moment did I consider every stone
and every brick of that lifeless cell I lived
in was created by my own hands. I put
every stone in place, locked the door from
the inside, and hid the key in a place I
would never think to look…inside me.
At first glance, we might feel sympathetic to this young fellow’s plight. It may
seem that he – through no fault of his own
– is trapped by duty and obligation to his
family. But a bit of investigation reveals a
deeper story. First, it’s very unlikely that
his wife – who loves him – really wants
him to be miserable and drink himself to
death at an early age.
Secondly, while it sounds very noble
that he’s doing all this for his son’s “college education,” turns out his son is three
years old! Even if he does work all his
adult life to help his son, what if the son
turns out to be an irresponsible doper?
Or perhaps the kid may be so brilliant, he
won’t need any financial assistance to attend college because his brains will afford
him a free ride on scholarship?
What should he do? Leave his loved
ones? Of course not. But the real truth
is…he’s not as powerless as he thinks!
He could go talk to someone. Men hate to
Soul Food
do that of course. Men think that’s a sign
of weakness. Maybe it is, but isn’t living
your life in misery even weaker? He
could go talk to someone who might tell
him, “It ain’t them. It’s you!” That would
really make him mad, now wouldn’t it?
They say the truth will set you free. They
rarely mention that at first… it will also
make you really mad.
I asked on old preacher once, “Why
are they doing this to me?”
“They are not,” he said. “You are!”
Really made me mad.
Bronc really made me mad once. For
some time, I had been telling him about
Shine’s problems. At last he turned and
looked me right in the running lights,
and said, “It’s not the horse. It’s you! It’s
never the horse. It’s always us!” Really
made me mad.
Problem was…Bronc and the old
preacher were right.
I sensed the young man was angry
with me because I couldn’t tell him the
“answer.” No one can tell us that. But
there are some things taught to me by
others much farther down the path that do
help…
First step is to define what you want!
You can’t hit a target you can’t see. Write
down what you would do for free. Risk
some time in your life trying to figure out
what you want, then how to get someone
to pay you for doing that. Impossible?
People do it every day. Some people step
off into the void with only a prayer to
cross the chasm – and they make it to the
other side.
Secondly, work on people skills!
That’s the big secret. ‘Nuff said.
Learn what failure is! By far, the best
teacher we can have. Don’t be afraid of it.
Open your arms and embrace it.
Have faith! This guy is not nearly as
stupid as he thinks he is. He’s young and
bright, and the real truth is he can do
any number of things. But he ain’t never
gonna’ do them sittin’ in that cubicle.
It’s like my man, “Fats” said…
“Ain’t that a shame You’re the one to blame.”
-- Fats Domino
Ed. Note – Michael Johnson’s Healing
Shine – A Spiritual Assignment was named
“Best Audio Book” of the 2007 Hollywood
Book Festival, and “First Runner-Up” at the
2007 New York Book Festival. Read more of
the author’s seven-year spiritual journey with
the great – but severely troubled - roping horse
called Shine at michaeljohnsonbooks.com
Your Money
Future dreams take financial planning
By Bob Terry, ChFC, CLU, LUTCF
State Farm® agent
I have never met a mom who
wasn’t working – or any other
woman for that matter. More than
ever before women are handling
their own or their family’s finances. It’s not about what you have;
it’s what you do with it to secure
your future.
We all have unique needs and
resources, but everyone wants
to protect what they’ve worked
so hard to acquire. It’s all about
taking what you have, making the
most of it, and building a solid
financial future that is uniquely
yours.
A woman has different financial
needs than a man. Everyone must
face the good news that women
live longer and the potentially bad
news that they will spend more
years in retirement than the last
generation. Why is that bad news?
More years in retirement could
mean potentially outliving your
nest egg.
Women, having
greater life expectancies than men,
must place a greater emphasis on
planning for retirement and long
term care to ensure they have
saved enough to last through their
golden years. That’s why State
Farm® has a special website just
for women called the State Farm
Red Portfolio (sfredportfolio.com).
It’s all about you, your finances,
and your dreams for the future,
and how to make the most of what
you have.
Whether you want to buy a new
home, fund a child’s education,
protect your business interests, or
save for a comfortable retirement,
sfredportfolio.com is a great place
to start.
But it’s just a start. You should
work with a trusted professional
who can be your long-term resource for help with your financial
goals. Schedule a meeting to explore your goals and begin building a road map for your financial
future.
It’s never too late or too early to
start securing your financial future.
The sooner you develop a plan that
fits your situation, the more likely
you are to achieve your goals and
be able to do the things you really
want to do when you retire. So
why wait? The clock is ticking
and it is time to set your goals and
achieve them! Remember, it’s not
what you HAVE; it’s what you DO
with it that can make all the difference.
Bob can be reached by calling
580-286-5627 or at 902 NE Lincoln Rd, Idabel, OK. 74745.
Quote # 11: “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”
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Silon Lewis: One Man’s Journey to Fate
by
Kenny Sivard
One of the bloodiest chapters
in this area’s history was due to
a civil war that took place in the
Choctaw Nation during the 1890’s.
The Jones-Locke War, as it was
called, was a string of violence that
broke out between the Nationalist
and Progressive political parties
of the Choctaw Nation. Though
the violence was mostly contained
to an area that spread from Antlers to near McAlester, it’s effects
were felt not only throughout the
Choctaw Nation, but all of Indian
Territory.
On the afternoon of September
10, 1892, twenty-four National
Party members assembled and rode
out into Gains County of the old
Choctaw Nation with the intention
of wreaking havoc on the Progres-
sives. After it was all said and
done, four Progressive Party officials, whom were all members of
the cabinet of chief Wilson Jones,
were slain. They were Joe Hecklechubbii, Robinson Nelson, Elias
Colbert, and Frank Frazier.
The following day, U.S. Indian
Agent Dr. Leo Bennett persuaded
the Nationalists to turn over the
men guilty of the shootings for
trial. Seventeen men surrendered
themselves to Bennett’s “Indian
Police” in McAlester. They were
later turned over to Gaines County
officials for trial and were held for
over six months without trial.
On June 17, 1893, the men were
tried in front of Judge Holson of
the Moshulentubbee District Court
and nine of them were sentenced
to death. After protests from the
Nationalist Party that the trails
were unfair, a U.S. Agent to the
Indians named Mr. Faison pleaded
with Chief Jones to suspend the
men’s sentences. After much
consideration, Jones pardoned all
but one, Silon Lewis. Lewis had
Choctaw Law: Part III
admitted to pulling the trigger on
Hecklechubbii. The guilty man was
give seventeen months to make his
final preparations with the order to
return to Moshulentubbee Court
House to receive his punishment.
The first thing that Lewis did
when he returned home was take
his boss’s 17 year old daughter as
his bride. In an interview with Mrs.
Lewis conducted by John Woodward, she stated, “ We carried out a
normal married life. Silon managed
his property as usual, but we made
several trips to Hartshorne and
McAlester. There were discussions
of the trouble, but we never made
any plans after November.”
Mrs. Lewis also stated that, “ As
time grew nearer, friends pleaded
with Silon to flee the country, but
he always said he needed to go
back and face the music.” Even
though he may have expressed this
in public, he secretly believed that
his friends would never allow the
execution to actually happen. This
was a belief that he held to the very
end.
Three weeks before the execution
date, a Deputy Sheriff gave Lewis
the order to report to the High
Sheriff at Hartshorne. Silon then
went into his field and selected his
finest of over one hundred head of
horses in order to make the trip.
Mrs. Lewis stated in the Woodward
interview that this would be the
last time that she had a private conversation with her husband and he
assured her that his friends would
come to his rescue.
After one week of being jailed
in the Lymun Pusley home, Lewis
sent a rider to tell his wife to meet
him there. They were allowed
a week long visit with a guard
dispatched at the door at all times.
After the visit, 54 year old Silon
asked his young wife to return to
their home. He would be transferred to two more houses before
being jailed in the court house.
When the time for Lewis to be
put to death was but six days away,
his wife was asked to come to
deputy Frank Battles’s home near
Hartshorne, she was then to go to
Pictured on the front steps of the Moshulentubbee Court House is the jury that convicted Silon Lewis.
(photo courtesy of the University of Oklahoma Librairies Western History Collection.)
the District Court House near Red
Oak. Her parents and six year old
sister accompanied her on the trip.
When they arrived at Battles’s
home, they were not permitted to
speak to Silon. Twelve men escorted him in front of the Lewis’s
wagon all the way to the court
grounds. On the way, Silon was
allowed to stop at a store mid-way
between Hartshorne and Wilburton
to strike up his final will.
When they arrived at the Moshulentubbee Court Grounds, Mrs.
Lewis and her family camped
beside a nearby creek. Silon,
of course was jailed in the court
house itself, but was permitted to
eat his meals in his family’s camp
and take daily walks.
On November 5, 1894, five days
had passed and it was Silon Lewis’
last day to live. He and his somewhat newlywed bride entered a
crude building that had been added
on to the side of the court house to
pick out Lewis’ casket. Only three
pine boxes stood in the room to
choose from. Reality must have
started to sink in for Silon, for it
was at this time that he made his
final request to his wife, “ I don’t
want to be buried in one of these
things. Take me home and bury me
beside my two children.”
At ten a.m. Lewis was called to
the court house from his family’s
camp. Officials then read him the
decree of execution that was mandatory by law. Lewis then returned
to the camp. He paced up and
down the nearby road. His hopes
for freedom were quickly diminishing. He was ordered before the
gun at twelve noon which meant he
had less than two hours to live.
By this time, around three hundred people had gathered around
the court grounds to witness Lewis’
death. Rumors of a rescue were
circulating and tensions ran high. It
was at this time that Sheriff Tecumseh Moore refused to pull the
Silon Lewis’ did not pass away quickly nor quietly.
(photo courtesy of Oklahoma Historical Society)
trigger on Silon, whom had once
served as deputy under Moore.
The sherif believed the execution
was unjust. Undersheriff, Lymun
Pusley was then designated as the
executioner. Sheriff Moore, in an
act of sympathy, gave his men the
order that if a rescue did materialize, his men were to give up Lewis
without a fight.
Suddenly some 45 minutes before
Silon’s scheduled appointment
with death, a rider galloped into the
court grounds shouting the false
report that an armed group of men
were on their way to save Lewis.
Undersheriff Lymun Pusey then
ordered Lewis’ family to one side
of a hill. They then marched Silon
to the other side never giving him
and his wife a chance to say goodbye. Within the next ten minutes,
Lewis would go down in history as
the second to last person executed
by the Choctaw Nation. A title
that would often be confused as
the absolute last person, a title that
belongs to William Going.
The blanket was spread on a flat
piece of ground at the bottom of
the hill near the court house’s stack
of oven wood. Lewis dressed in
gray slacks
and a white cotton shirt, removed
his shoes and a mark was made
with a piece of charcoal on his
shirt. However, a cructial mistake
was made. The mark was made
on the wrong side. Lewis then
crossed his legs, a symbol that he
was ready. Lymun took aim and
squeezed the trigger of his Winchester rifle. Silon fell backwards
to the ground gasping for air.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the
hill, Mrs. Lewis had just heard the
sound that would signal her transformation to a young bride to an 18
year-old widow.
Silon Lewis had been shot in
the lung due to the incorrect shirt
marking. Strangely enough, it was
against the law for Pusley to shoot
him again. If he had done so, he
would have been tried for murder.
Lewis was trying to breathe, talk,
and was letting out loud screams.
Three men quickly grabbed Lewis
and held him down while another
stuffed a rag down his mouth to
muffle his screams (this was according to both Mrs. Lewis and Lymun Pusley and is contrary to the
belief that they smothered Lewis
with the rag).Within about a minute and a half, Lewis had drown in
his own blood.
Two men placed Silon’s body in
the rough pine box and loaded it
into his widow’s wagon. Silon’s
family then started the trip to
Hartshorne to purchase Lewis a
new casket. Before they made it
to their destination, night fell and
they made camp on a creek near
the road. Mrs. Lewis reported that
a large pack of wolves circled the
camp continuously throughout the
night. Her father built a large bonfire to keep them at bay and tried to
calm the horses.
Daylight saw the scattering of the
wolves and the family then departed to Hartshorne. While there, they
had Silon dressed in a new suit and
placed in a fine casket. Around five
hours later, Silon Lewis lay beside
his two children from a former
marriage.
Though the story of Silon Lewis
is one of heartbreak and circumstance, it is important that we not
get caught up in the romance of
his last days and that we remember
him for who he truly was. Silon
took another man’s life and in
that process, sinned against God
and his fellow man. To say that
he freely gave his life in order to
repay his debt to society would be
non-factual in that he expected a
rescue from his earthly punishment
even until the last minutes of his
life. Perhaps the best that can be
said about Silon’s personality is
that he was a human being and fell
short from perfection as we all do
and that when he sat at the end of
the barrel, realizing that a hope for
rescue was gone, he offered up no
resistance and showing remorse for
his actions, paid for his sin the old
Choctaw way, “an eye for an eye.”
and a tooth for a tooth”.
Rants & Raves: Get if off your chest
Proper Cinema Etiquette: Just Be Polite
by
Jeff Cole
A recent experience all but
completely ruined an all-too-rare
“night out” for this parent of three.
A trio of young people in their
upper teens just couldn’t put away
their phones, or shut their mouths,
which made me think maybe we
are failing to teach our teens how
to behave in a public movie show-
ing. This lack of manners is not
restricted to our youth. Across the
aisle were three forty-somethings
having an open discussion on every
decision made by the film’s primary character. So today I intend
to offer some constructive advice
to our uneducated neighbors both
young and old.
Some of us were raised in a time
when the aisles of the local movie
theater / cinema were patrolled
by polite, yet stern gentlemen
who were both willing and able to
remove the ill-mannered clods who
couldn’t bring themselves to allow
the rest of us to enjoy the picture.
I didn’t know him by name at the
time, but I remember George Coffman, “Mr. C”, ushered many a misbehaver out of the State Theater in
Idabel. He might give a warning to
a fresh face, but had no tolerance
for repeat offenders. But I’ll save
Mr. C’s story for another time.
Here are the rules or suggestions. Whether or not you think
you already know them, please
read on.
1.The rules are the same for
everyone. Adults, this means
you too.
2.Get your priorities straight.
Are you going to the movies to see the picture, or do
you need to go somewhere
you can talk? Talking during the show is disruptive to
the enjoyment of anyone near
enough to hear you (even a
little).
3.Don’t bring children to a
movie intended for adults. If
your ten-year-old isn’t enjoying the quiet, thought-provoking scenes in the historical
adventure on the screen, he’s
certainly not going to allow
anyone else to enjoy them.
4.Arrive early. You’ll have time
to patronize the concessions,
pick a good seat, use the
restroom, and even enjoy your
snacks without disturbing
anyone.
5.Choose your seat wisely. Pick
an aisle seat if you have a tiny
bladder. Otherwise, go to
the restroom right before the
feature and try to lay off the
sodas. 6.Turn off your cell
phone. Don’t set it on “vibrate” and shine your brilliant
screen all over the place to
decide whether you want to
exit and take the call. Turn
it off. This also means NO
TEXT MESSAGING. Bright
little screen = big distraction
for EVERYONE in EVERY
ROW behind you. TURN
THE PHONE OFF and enjoy
the show.
7.Eat your popcorn (or nachos)
early. Finish your munching
before the beginning titles
of the show if possible. One
never knows if the opening
scenes will be quiet or loud,
but saving the noisy munchies
for noisy scenes might keep
you waiting for a while.
8.Don’t kick, bump, or prop
your feet up on the seat in
front of you.
9.If you cannot refrain from
talking during the trailers
(previews of upcoming films),
the shorts or cartoons, and
certainly during the feature,
PLEASE WHISPER.
10.Don’t fight over cup holders.
If you’re on an end seat and
only have a cup holder on one
side, you should try to convince your neighbor to allow
you to have it. Just be civil.
11.Be courteous when someone
is breaking the rules. Politely ask them to correct their
behavior, or you could choose
another seat. Give them at
least one chance to mend their
ways. If they fail to respect
the rules, then report them to
the usher, if you can find one.
12.Deposit your trash in a garbage receptacle on your way
out the door. Yes, I know the
theatrer pays someone to pick
it up but did you enjoy walking through a sea of muck to
get to your seat?
A public theater / cinema provides an opportunity to enjoy a
film with friends. We all laugh at
the funny parts and notice each
other wiping our tears in the sad
parts. It is a shrine in which, upon
entering we are not to be disturbed
from taking in all the sensations it
can afford us. The smell of buttery
popcorn and the syrupy-sweet taste
of movie house fountain drinks
serve as fuel for our 90-minute
journey to visit people and places
we’ve never seen before. At the
end of this journey we unstick
our shoes from the cine-muck and
leave this shrine with an experience common to every person in
attendance. We can relive moments in discussion, philosophize
around the water cooler, or send
our words of warning to all of our
cyber friends to save their money.
No matter how you slice it, a film
is a chance to share. Just be sure
not to share more than the rest of
us care to know. In a nutshell, be
polite.
Quote # 12: “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”
Calendar and Entertainment
May 10
(Durant) Main Street Bass Fishing
Tournament on Lake Texoma at
Alberta Creek
(Oklahoma City) Clean Air Challenge, Oklahoma City Zoo, Registration 7:30 am, www.oklung.org
May 16 - 18
(Hochatown) Beavers Bend Rod
Run. Main Show is on Saturday at
Beavers Bend State Park.
May 17
(Broken Bow) Cool Cars & Crazy
Cones, 6 to 9 p.m. in downtown
Broken Bow. Contact Broken
Bow Main Street at 580-584-2440.
May 31
(Durant) Magnolia Festival of
Oklahoma, Downtown Durant
580-924-1550
June 6,7
(Hugo) Homecoming & Fire Truck
Parade, contact 580-326-7511.
(Hugo) PRCA Rodeo & Western
Parade, contact 580-326-7112.
(Hugo) Mike Armes Memorial
Bass Tournament, contact 580317-9000.
June 7
(Idabel) Rocket Roller Rink’s End
of Season Old-School Blowout. 8
to 11 p.m. See Ad on p.XX
May 22 - 24
(Idabel) McCurtain County Memorial Day Weekend Rodeo, McCurtain Co Rodeo Grounds, Idabel,
OK. Advanced Tickets: Adults
$6.00 / Kids $3.00. (See www.
mccurtaincofreefair.com for Advanced Ticket Locations) Tickets
at the Gate: Adults $8.00 / Kids
$4.00 contact: 580-286-1927.
June 14,15
(Ft. Towson) Homecoming, contact 580-873-2628.
May 26
Memorial Day
June 28
(Boswell) Homecoming, contact
580-566-2211.
June 20-22
(Hochatown) Kiamichi Owa-Chito
Festival of the Forest at Beavers
Bend State Park. Visit BeaversBend.com/events.html for events
schedule.
Classified Advertisements
Classified Advertisements may be
purchased online at OklahomaEdge.com
or by sending ad text and payment via
postal mail to OEM Classifieds, PO Box
911, Idabel, OK 74745. Current subscribers get one free ad per month (up to
12 words) through 2008.
Merchandise For Sale
Fisher Price Smart Cycle with two game
cartridges including Diego’s Rescue
Adventure. $90 580-212-8548
Several Boats with motors starting at
$500 580-286-2793
Notices
Ads for the June 2008 issue must be
received by May 18th. All ads received
after May 18th will appear in the July
issue.
American Legion Bingo every Friday &
Saturday starting at 5:30 pm. - 501 NW
Veterans Drive, Idabel 580-286-7991
Classified Ad Rates:
Up to 12 words
13 to 30 words
31 to 50 words
Advertising Sales - Oklahoma Edge
51 to 100 words (font is smaller)
Add Bold (per word)
ALL CAPS (per word)
Add a photo
$10
$15
$20
$30
$.50
$.50
$10
Service Directory
Paternity Testing (DNA) - Confidential,
reasonable price, Alcohol/Drug testing
People Plus Inc. 580-286-6577
Don Shaw, Attorney - Real Estate,
Trusts, Wills and more. 101 NE 3rd,
Idabel, OK 580-286-7579
Kevin T Sain, Attorney
Brown & Sain Law Firm - 5 E Main,
Idabel, OK 580-208-2880
Lawn Care - Dependable & Thorough,
Idabel / Broken Bow area, Commercial
jobs welcome. 580-212-6734
Employment
magazine is seeking commissioned sales
professionals for McCurtain, Bryan and
LeFlore counties. No experience necessary. Must live in sales territory. Send
resume to [email protected]
Real Estate
Sell Your Home or other
properties here - Oklahoma Edge
magazine is now the most widely
read local publication in the southeast
Oklahoma region and is read by locals
and visitors alike. Your ad appears
in print and in our online classifieds
too! From DeQueen to Durant, Poteau to Sherman, and New Boston to
Atoka. Send your classified ads to us at
[email protected] and add a digital photo for just $10 more. Pay online
or via U.S. postal mail.
Movie Reviews
Smart People will watch something else
by Matt Mungle
Trivia Quotes: Who said it?
1. Kurt Vonnegut
2. Henry Ford
3. Jeff Foxworthy
4. Abraham Lincoln
5. Mark Twain
6. Bill Watterson (Calvin and
Hobbes)
7. Louis Pasteur
8. Ludwig van Beethoven
9. Isaac Asimov (Foundation)
10. Carl Sagan
11. e. e. cummings
12. Bill Cosby
For a film titled “Smart People” this
movie isn’t very intelligent. In fact it
borderlines on idiotic. I think it wanted
to be some sort of artsy, intellectual look
at family dysfunction from an academic
level. Instead it was a poorly written
rambling full of Swiss cheese characters,
horrible casting and plot lines that go
nowhere. The main calamity of Smart
People is Dennis Quaid. Seeing him try
and pull off the pompous Lit Professor
was almost laughable. He tried to be
Renaissance in his mannerisms but ended
up looking like a doofus. I like Quaid as
an actor but this was so out of his realm.
It was painful to watch. He certainly isn’t
smart.
Ellen Page plays his daughter. A 16
year old who is overly concerned about
her grades, politics and social structures.
She is trying to compensate for her mothers untimely death by holding the family
together. I think. None of the characters
in this film made any sense. It was like
they were all bi-polar and from one
scene to the next you would get someone
completely different. Without any sort
of reason or development as to why they
were doing what they were doing. That’s
not smart.
Sarah Jessica Parker is the most hard
to understand character in the whole film.
She starts out looking for sex in the city
and we never know what motivates her
or causes her to do what she does. So she
isn’t smart.
The only really smart character is
Thomas Hayden Church who plays
Quaid’s adopted brother. A freeloader
who goes from one job to the next and
has no sort of grounding in life. His character is the only one worth watching and
following in the whole film. But again,
you get these little bits of tones to why
he is doing what he is doing and it never
goes anywhere. All the characters just
skim over the surface.
Smart People is Rated R for Language, Brief Teen Drug and Alcohol
Use, and for some sexuality. It should be
rated R for ridiculous. I give this 1 out
of 5 dunce caps. The sad part is that this
Book Reviews
Choctaw Kisses, Bullets and Blood
Read any great books lately?
Boy, I sure have! Choctaw Kisses
Bullets and Blood by Vance H.
Trimble is a good read for any history buff or if you would simply
like to just find out more about
our area. It covers so much of
this area’s history from Shawnee
Town to McAlester and historic
persons from Robert Jones to Dr.
Leo Bennett.
The book itself is centered
around the lives of Victor M.
Locke and his son Choctaw Chief
Victor Locke Jr. with a great
insight to the big parts that they
played in Oklahoma history. The
book gives a great amount of
coverage to the Jones- Locke War,
a civil war within the Choctaw
Nation. There has been very little
ever wrote about the war and
how it effected not only this area,
but all of Indian Territory. It also
gives the story of how Antlers,
Oklahoma was established and
how it grew into one of the most
important towns in its area.
From a history stand point I can
honesty say that the book is very
accurate in my opinion and goes
deep into the situations in which
it is covering. Often Mr. Trimble
gives the reader insight into the
feelings and emotions of each
person and event instead of just
a name and a date to be memorized. When reading the book, you
actually begin to feel as if you
are watching a good movie and at
times, you feel like you are actually there. The best part is that it is
all true... true events, true people,
and true emotion.
The only flaws that I could note
were in his Choctaw language
translation. The author made small
simple mistakes in interpretation such as translating phrases
backwards. This is simple to do
movie was
filmed BEFORE Juno
yet people
will think that
this is the next
step in Ellen
Page’s career
instead of a
bad career
choice. If you
want to see a
film that does what this one wanted to do,
rent Wonder Boys with Michael Douglas
and Frances McDormand. It excels in all
the places this one does not.
Matt is a member of the North Texas
Film Critics Association (NTFCA) and
co-hosts a weekly radio feature, The
Mungles on Movies, with his wife Cindy.
For additional reviews, interview clips
and great DVD giveaways, visit the website www.mungleshow.com
Review copyright 2008 Mungleshow
Productions. Used by Permission.
A review by Kenny Sivard
because Choctaw is spoken backwards. For example, the author
translates Tushka Homma as red
warrior, which is true, but he says
that Tushka means red and that
Homma means warrior. When in
fact Tushka means warrior and
Homma means red. These are
very small mistakes when you
consider that when many books
are published about southeastern
Oklahoma history, which more
often than not, are filled with historical inaccuracies.
To me, with this book, Vance
Trimble has proven himself
worthy of being designated as a
southeast Oklahoma historian. It
is a good book, of course, for the
history buff, but also the romance,
western, and mystery reader.
I highly recommend Choctaw
Kisses, Bullets and Blood. You
won’t be disappointed.
Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival
29th Season
peare!
It’s Sassy ~ It’s Sizzling ~ It’s Shakes
Shows This Season:
The Jungle Book
Guys And Dolls
A Night With Natalie Weaver
Henry IV Part One & Two
The Complete History of America;
Abridged
Don’t Miss Out!
For Tickets Call the Box Office
(580) 745-2696
www.osfonline.com

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