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The Oklahoma Publisher
Official Publication of the Oklahoma Press Association
Vol. 86, No. 7
16 Pages • July 2015
www.OkPress.com
www.Facebook.com/okpress
INSIDE
Robby Trammell new OPA president
ELECTION POSTPONED:
A McClain County election
was postponed when it was
determined that the legal notice
requirement wasn’t met.
PAGE 4
BOARD MEETING: The
OPA/OPS Board of Directors
met at the Sheraton Hotel
in downtown Oklahoma City
during the OPA convention.
PAGE 11
SCHOLARSHIPS: Meet the
four students who received
Oklahoma Newspaper
Foundation scholarships for the
2015-16 year.
PAGE 13
DONATE TO ONF to receive
this Will Rogers print. Details at
OkPress.com/will-rogers.
Robby Trammell, news director for The
Oklahoman and its website, NewsOK.com,
was elected president of the Oklahoma
Press Association at the June 4 OPA Convention in Oklahoma City.
Trammell will serve a one-year term
beginning July 1.
Other officers elected to a one-year term
were Dayva Spitzer, co-publisher of the
Sayre Record & Beckham County Democrat, as vice president; Rod Serfoss, publisher of the Clinton Daily News, as treasurer, and Jeff Funk, publisher of the Enid
News & Eagle, as past president.
Newly elected to the OPA board of directors for a three-year term was Mark Millsap,
publisher of The Norman Transcript. Ray
Dyer, co-publisher of the El Reno Tribune,
was re-elected to serve a three-year term.
Other members of the board are Brian
Blansett, Tri-County Herald (Meeker); Ted
Streuli, The Journal Record; Mike Strain,
Tulsa World, and John Denny Montgomery, The Purcell Register.
Trammell has received numerous investigative awards during his 45-year career.
His work has won acclaim statewide, particularly from The Associated Press, the
Society of Professional Journalists and
the Oklahoma Press Association. He was
inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism
Hall of Fame in April.
“I’m excited to be part of a profession
that is committed to serving in the public
interest,” Trammell said. “Good journalism
is essential because we provide information and news that empower people in a
democracy. Oklahoma newspapers have a
long tradition of outstanding public service.
“We take seriously our watchdog role
of government, but also the importance
of building up our communities, state and
nation by providing important news, information, commentary and advertising so
our citizens may be well-informed. Fairness
and accuracy in reporting are essential
whether the story is reported in print,
broadcast, online or by social media. Technology is expanding our opportunities to
serve and inform.”
The new OPA president said citizens
should support local media through subscriptions and advertising because the private enterprise system is the best way to
finance and guarantee a free press.
Trammell joined The Oklahoman in
1987 and was chief of the Tulsa Bureau
until 1990 when he became a full-time
investigative reporter for the paper. He was
promoted to associate editor in 1996 and
directed the newspaper’s special projects
and investigations. He was named assistant
managing editor in 2002, and news director
in 2007.
Trammell, along with The Oklahoman’s
investigative reporting team, won a firstplace spot news reporting award for coverage of the federal indictments of Timothy
McVeigh and Terry Nichols in the Oklahoma City bombing case, and exposed
wrongdoing in the 1990 campaign of a
former Oklahoma governor. Their scoop
Continued on Page 3
Barb Walter to receive top NNA award
Barbara A.
‘Barb’ Walter
of Hennessey
will be honored during
the National
Newspaper
Association’s
2015 Annual
Convention &
Trade Show
in St. Charles,
Mo.,
where
she will be presented with the Emma C.
McKinney Award at the association’s business luncheon on Oct. 3, 2015.
Recognized as the highest and most
dignified tributes in community journalism, the Amos and McKinney Awards are
presented to a working or retired newspaperman and woman who have provided
distinguished service and leadership to the
community press and their community.
Walter has been managing editor of The
Clipper for 37 years, and was co-publisher
for 35 years with her husband, Bill Walter.
She was named to the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 2008; is a past
president and treasurer of the Oklahoma
Press Association; the only woman to serve
as president of the Oklahoma Newspaper
Foundation, and is a current foundation
member.
She has judged state and national newspaper contests, served on the NNA Awards
Committee, and supported NNA with the
newspaper’s membership and in postal matters.
Among her many honors are the ONF
Beachy Musselman Award; Kingfisher
County Bar Association Liberty Bell Award;
Hennessey United Association Service
Award; NNA, OPA and SPJ honors for column writing, newswriting and photography.
Walter has one son, Nick Walter of Hennessey; four step-children, Amy Carpenter
of Edmond; Tracy Anderson of Fort Worth;
Jill Jenkins of Edmond, and Courtney Walter of St. Louis; and eight grandchildren.
The McKinney Award was established
in 1966 to honor Emma C. McKinney, copublisher and editor of the Hillsboro (OR)
Argus for 58 years. She was dean of Oregon
newspapermen and women in 1954 and was
inducted into the Oregon Journalism Hall
of Fame in 1982.
Established in 1885, the National Newspaper Association is the voice of America’s
community newspapers and the largest
newspaper association in the country. The
nation’s community papers inform, educate
and entertain nearly 150 million readers
every week.
2
The Oklahoma Publisher // July 2015
Show us your OPA shirts
Keeping an eye out for news
The newly elected county sheriff
pushed his white Western hat back on
his head, reared back in his chair, and
propped his feet -- decked out in Cowboy
boots -- up on his desk.
“Boy, I’m going to keep an eye on
you,” he told the young reporter he had
just met without cracking a smile. “If we
have any trouble, I’m going to settle it
out back in the alley.”
I replied, “Well, sheriff, I’m going to
keep an eye on you. And, if we have any
trouble I’m going to settle it across eight
columns.”
I thought he was joking. He wasn’t.
Many stories and a lawsuit later, the
Seminole County sheriff was ousted
from office. Jurors found him guilty of
official misconduct, including allowing
inmates to run at large, using inmates as
farm laborers to herd the sheriff’s cattle,
and allowing alcohol into the county jail.
The Seminole Producer, where I
worked at the time in 1977, filed a civil
lawsuit against the sheriff to obtain public jail records and a district court order
restraining the sheriff and deputies from
threatening reporters. The Oklahoma
Press Association joined in the lawsuit.
Witnesses quoted the sheriff as saying it would be hard for a reporter to
“write with broken fingers or a broken
neck.”
“The political figures who attempt
to stifle the press aren’t damaging the
press nearly as much as they are damaging the citizens in whose behalf these
rights exist,” the late publisher Milt
Phillips stated in his ‘Cluttered Corner’
column. “In effect the NEWSpaper is
fighting its readers’ battles when it has
to spend its money to go to court to
protect its readers’ rights and its own
privilege of a free press.
“If one lowly officer in one county
can violate the constitutional and legal
privileges of the citizens by withholding
public information from the public, then
to that extent, freedom is abridged for
everyone.”
It was my first taste of “watchdog”
journalism. It wouldn’t be my last.
-RT-
I AM SO PROUD AND HONORED to
serve you this year as OPA president.
One of the highlights of my journalism
career has been the opportunity to serve
on the OPA board of directors several
years – to serve with such a dedicated
group of women and men who care so
much about their profession, communities and state.
Our industry has faced challenges
this past decade, but thanks to the hard
work, capable planning and sound analysis given these changing times by current and past presidents, board members, staff and membership, the OPA
continues on a sound operating basis.
Congratulations to Jeff Funk of the
Enid News & Eagle for completing an
outstanding year as president. Job well
done! Also, I want to thank past president Jeff Mayo of the Sequoyah County
Times, who has completed his term on
the board, for his service. Both gentlemen have provided outstanding leadership to OPA.
As your president I will depend heavily on the board this year and treasurer
Rod Serfoss of the Clinton Daily News.
Whatever I lack in ability compared to
the long list of capable presidents who
have served OPA, I will attempt to make
up for with hard work. I also look forward to working closely with Executive
Vice President Mark Thomas and his
talented staff.
I hope every member asked to serve
OPA this year will accept the opportunity. Please volunteer to serve on the committees that do such important work.
OPA is the only organization in the
entire world totally committed to helping YOUR newspaper prosper, totally
committed to watching out for YOUR
interests at the state Capitol, totally committed to YOUR success.
Working together OPA can grow,
prosper and become of greater and
greater benefit to ALL newspapers of
Oklahoma this year and in the years
ahead.
WE WANT TO SEE WHERE YOU’RE WEARING YOUR OPA SHIRTS! OPA Member
Services Director Lisa Sutliff and Creative Services Assistant Ashley Novachich show
off their OPA shirts outside the office in Oklahoma City. Speaking of shirts … we
have a few left! This is your opportunity to purchase a shirt that promotes Oklahoma
newspapers. To order, fill out the form on our website at www.okpress.com/tshirts. And
don’t forget to send in photos of you and your staff members wearing the shirts! Email
photos to [email protected].
OPA CALENDAR OF EVENTS
FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2015
INCREASE YOUR ROI ON SALES CALLS
Cost: $35, 1-2 pm
This webinar will focus on how to prepare for a sales presentation while not relying on a script
or winging it as well as discuss interviewing techniques, uncovering customer needs, creating
customized marketing campaigns, the 8 steps to a successful sales presentation and tips to
implement each step of the presentation process. To register, visit www.onlinemediacampus.com.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2015
HOW TO CRAFT AN ENGAGING LEAD
Cost: $35, 1-2 pm
This webinar covers everything from how to write a basic news story in inverted pyramid style to
the emotion-filled feature piece. This presentation includes an overview of several common and
effective styles of leads, as well as tips for how to keep leads concise and compelling. To register,
visit www.onlinemediacampus.com.
OCTOBER 1-3, 2015
129TH NNA ANNUAL CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW
St. Charles Convention Center, St. Charles, MO
NNA’s 129th Annual Convention and Trade Show will address pressing business objectives of
community newspaper owners, publishers and senior staff with educational sessions and peer
sharing activities. For more information, visit nnaweb.org/convention.
For more information on upcoming events, visit the OPA website at www.OkPress.com or contact
Member Services Director Lisa (Potts) Sutliff at (405) 499-0026, 1-888-815-2672 or email [email protected].
The Oklahoma Publisher // July 2015 3
Ed Kelley named director of Gaylord College
Ed Kelley has been named director of
experiential learning in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma.
In his new role, Kelley works with
faculty and staff to increase internship
opportunities for students.
Kelley said internships are important
because it allows students to make sure
that they’re following the correct career
path.
“I am a big believer in internships,”
he said.
On average, Kelley said, 80 Gaylord
students have internships during the
summer and about 50 in the fall and
spring semesters.
Gaylord Dean Joe Foote hopes that
Gaylord will increase the satisfaction
of both students and employers during
internships.
Kelley said he was excited to be part
of Gaylord again, and hopes to stay in
Oklahoma for a while.
“Coming here is coming home,” said
Kelley, who served as editor at The
Oklahoman for more than 36 years. “It
feels good to be here.”
ATTENTION
OPA BUSINESS MEMBERS
2015
PHOTO ID
PRESS CARDS
are
NOW AVAILABLE
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To download the form
visit
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Oklahoma
Publisher
ISSN 1526-811X
Official Publication of the
Oklahoma Press Association
PUBLISHER
Mark Thomas
[email protected]
EDITOR
Jennifer Gilliland
[email protected]
OPA OFFICERS
Ed Kelley, former editor of The Oklahoman, poses in the Unity Garden on the South Oval
of the OU Norman campus. Kelley was named Director of Experiential Learning at the
Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication in May 2015.
Photo by Noor Eemaan/The Oklahoma Daily (Reprinted with permission)
President Trammell Continued from Page 1
under the banner headline — “Governor
Secretly Indicted” — was heralded as
possibly the biggest political story in the
paper’s history. The governor pleaded
guilty in court.
Trammell personally earned backto-back Sweepstakes awards from the
AP in 1993 and 1994 for two exposés.
One concerned the gross overstaffing
of a state home for juveniles where
172 employees were caring for only 13
children. The other involved $40,000 in
education funds being illegally funneled
by a university president into a state prolottery campaign disguised as chamber
of commerce membership dues. The
president resigned.
Trammell’s journalism career began
in Seminole, Okla., where he worked for
many years as editor and reporter at The
The
Seminole Producer. He started work
there as a high school senior.
His investigation of Seminole County
Commissioners in the mid-1970s was
a forerunner of a statewide inquiry
launched a few years later by federal
prosecutors in what turned out to be
one of the biggest cases of public corruption in American history. The Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation honored
his reporting in 1976 presenting him the
Beachy Musselman Award.
Trammell, 62, earned an associate
degree at Seminole Junior College,
bachelor’s degree from Central State
University and master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from
the University of Oklahoma.
He frequently lectures to college
students and speaks before profession-
al and civic groups concerning First
Amendment and other press issues. He
also is an adjunct professor teaching
Media Ethics at the University of Central
Oklahoma.
Trammell also serves on the board of
the Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation
and the Associated Press/Oklahoma
News Executives, where he is a past
president. He was a founding member
of FOI Oklahoma Inc., which advocates
freedom of information and openness in
government.
Trammell and Linda, his wife of 41
years, have three grown sons and four
grandchildren. He is an ordained deacon
in the Episcopal Church and has served
on the Diocese of Oklahoma’s Council
on Missions.
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Robby Trammell, President
The Oklahoman
Dayva Spitzer, Vice President
Sayre Record &
Beckham County Democrat
Rod Serfoss, Treasurer
Clinton Daily News
Mark Thomas,
Executive Vice President,
Oklahoma City
OPA DIRECTORS
Jeff Funk, Past President
Enid News & Eagle
Brian Blansett, Tri-County Herald
Ted Streuli, The Journal Record
Ray Dyer, El Reno Tribune
Mike Strain, Tulsa World
John Denny Montgomery,
The Purcell Register
Mark Millsap,
The Norman Transcript
3601 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-5499
(405) 499-0020
Toll-Free in Oklahoma:
(888) 815-2672
www.OkPress.com
[email protected]
www.Facebook.com/OKPress
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4
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McClain County election postponed
after legal notice requirement not met
McClain County Commissioners postponed an election calling for a sales tax
election for a new courthouse and jail
after officials failed to provide adequate
public notice of the ballot measure.
State statute title 19 OS 383 states
that notice of the election be “published
at least four times in some newspaper
published in the county.”
McClain County Assistant District
Attorney Carol Dillingham said that the
notice was never published.
“This was absolutely an unintentional
oversight,” Dillingham said. “Finding
out before the election means there’s no
jeopardy to the electoral process.
“The commissioners believe in transparency and the sanctity of the election
process. They wouldn’t do anything to
jeopardize that.”
State Sen. Anthony Sykes of Newcastle brought the matter to light when he
contacted Oklahoma Press Association
Executive Vice President Mark Thomas.
Sykes told Thomas he had been
checking newspapers in the county and
had not found evidence of the legal
notice being published.
The proposal sought to create a fiveeighths-cent sales tax to pay for the construction of a new jail and courthouse
and also to make permanent the current
half-cent sales tax, which funds rural fire
departments and senior citizen centers
in the county as well as other county
obligations.
Oklahoma State Election Board
spokesman Bryan Dean said the proposal could be back on the ballot as soon
as October.
New sports editor at Owasso Reporter
Owasso Reporter recently named
Christian Favalora as sports editor.
Favalora joined the Owasso staff in
June. He is a 2015 graduate of Oilton
High School and a 2014 graduate of
Oklahoma State University.
Prior to accepting the position in
Owasso, Favalora worked at the Grove
Sun and Miami News-Record.
Show Me
The Future Of
Newspapers
129th Annual Convention
& Trade Show
Saint Charles
Convention Center
Saint Charles, Missouri
October 1-3, 2015
Yukon Review news editor retires
Longtime Yukon Review news editor Conrad Dudderar retired, effective
June 5.
Dudderar joined The Review in May
1991 a week before graduating from
Oklahoma City University with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications.
While at OCU, he was editor of
the OCU newspaper, The Campus,
and also worked at The Oklahoma
Gazette. He started at The Review as a
staff writer and associate editor before
becoming editor in spring 1994.
“I have enjoyed chronicling the
news events in Yukon over the years
and know the future is bright both for
this community and its newspaper,”
said Dudderar.
Dudderar said one reason for his
decision to retire is to be closer to his
family in New Jersey.
Erik Jackson, Yukon High School’s
award-winning journalism teacher and
yearbook adviser, has been named as
The Review’s interim news editor this
summer.
Donate
to ONF
Sandy Moore retires as legal proofreader for
Tulsa Business & Legal News after 30 years
Sandy Moore retired on July 3 after
30 years as a legal proofreader for the
Tulsa Business & Legal News.
Moore joined the Collinsville News in
1983 as a typesetter. When Bill R. Retherford, publisher of Neighbor Newspapers, purchased his competitor in 1985,
Moore applied for a position with the
new owners.
“Mr. Retherford told me the only job
that was available was as a proofreader
for the Legal News,” said Moore. “He
felt that it would be a job that I would
enjoy.”
As a legal proofreader, Moore looked
at every word, every comma and every
punctuation mark. Attorneys often said
they thought they had proofread every
document and were surprised any error
was found.
“It takes a cold, different set of eyes
to pick out any mistakes,” Moore said.
The work of a legal proofreader can
be demanding, she said. One day, more
than 100 legals were published.
“I couldn’t guess the number of legals
that I have read during the past 30
years,” Moore said.
A donation to the
Oklahoma Newspaper
Foundation will support
its efforts to improve the
state’s newspaper industry
DEATHS
and quality of journalism.
who
worked as a cub reporter and obituary
writer at the Tulsa World, died June 18,
2015. He was 71.
Frakes was born on Oct. 20, 1943, in
Duncan.
He earned a degree in journalism
from the University of Tulsa while working full time.
In addition to his work at the World,
Frakes worked in Tulsa University’s
communications department, writing
and editing much of their printed material. He briefly managed the sales department at Allied Printers, then was a writer
and editor of magazines and books for
the American Association of Petroleum
Geologists. He spent 10 years as a writer
and editor for the National Association of
Legal Assistants.
He is survived by his wife, Frances
‘Scotty’ Frakes; son Lee Frakes and wife
Suguna; daughter Jackie Reese and husband Randy; a brother, Ron Frakes; and
five grandchildren.
JOHNIE LOUISE CHERRY REED,
Eagle with her father, Clarence Cherry.
After his death, Johnie took over his
route.
Reed’s son, Alfred Jr., remembers distributing 2,700 papers per week. Selling
The Oklahoma Eagle was a family affair
that spanned five generations including
her four children, their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She is survived by her daughters
Alfreda Coleman and Sandra Littlejohn,
and sons Alfred Reed, Jr. and Clarence
Reed, all of Tulsa; 13 grandchildren;
34 great-grandchildren; 15 great-greatgrandchildren; and sisters Noca Lene
Sumbry of Tulsa, Delois George of Los
Angeles, Calif., and Lictitica Sherman of
Tulsa.
KENNETH LOWELL FRAKES,
who
distributed The Oklahoma Eagle, died
June 4, 2015. She was 87.
Reed was born on Feb. 7, 1928, in
Wolfe City, Texas. She moved to Tulsa
in 1943 and graduated from Booker T.
Washington High School in 1948. She
married Alfred W. Reed Sr. in 1951.
Reed began selling The Oklahoma
ONF’s programs include
training and education for
professional journalists,
scholarship and internship
programs for journalism
students, and Newspaper in
Education efforts.
ONF relies on donations
and memorial contributions
to fund these programs.
If you would like to make
a donation, please send a
In Memory of Our Friends & Colleagues
check to:
Jack Brannan
May 3, 2014
Brian Michael ‘Augie’ Frost
May 9, 2014
Donald ‘Don’ Boston
June 10, 2014
John Mark Glenn
May 7, 2014
Ray E. Gambill
June 8, 2014
Glenn Phillip Bradley
June 23, 2014
OKLAHOMA
NEWSPAPER
FOUNDATION
Nancy Lee (Chaney) Phillips
May 7, 2014
Sam Powell
June 8, 2014
Morris ‘Moe’ Glazer
June 23, 2014
3601 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
6
Coverage missed quote from constitution
Clark’s Critique
by Terry Clark
Journalism Professor,
University of Central Oklahoma,
[email protected]
You missed writing the perfect headline, in the recent coverage of the Oklahoma Supreme Court saying the Ten
Commandments monument should
come down.
I saw lots of coverage on this in both
daily and weekly papers. But, I wish I
could have written this headline:
“Thou Shalt Not…”
With a sub head of course. Clever,
right? Thank you OKC Tribune and writer
Jessica Kelsey.
All the coverage of this issue is good,
something most citizens are interested
in, with many varied opinions. But I do
think you owe the readers the direct
quote from the state constitution, which
expressly forbids such a religious item.
Editorialize about changing the Constitution, or disagree, but share the Constitution’s words: “No public money or property shall ever be appropriated, applied,
donated, or used, directly or indirectly,
for the use, benefit, or support of any
sect, church, denomination, or system
of religion, or for the use, benefit, or support of any priest, preacher, minister, or
other religious teacher or dignitary, or
sectarian institution as such.”
Well covered in the Tulsa Business
& Legal News with story by Barbara
Hoberock of the Tulsa World.
I had another religious experience
recently, thinking I was in newspaper
heaven when we visited England and
Scotland. Wake up in the morning and
go to breakfast in the hotel. There were
five or six newspapers waiting to be
read. I was salivating over a great English breakfast and the papers.
The papers were vibrant and alive,
with lots of news and lots of ads. It was a
pleasure to pick them up and read lots of
local and international news – the kind
we don’t get over here. Almost every
paper had news items that were relevant
to the U.S.
One mentioned an area in England
that had banned fracking after two small
earthquakes. The oil companies were
now trying to pay each town 100,000
pounds for every well drilled.
Another item reported that European
leaders were not adding resources in
case of a Russian invasion. Why? They’re
counting on a rapid American response.
I came home from this euphoria of
journalistic health, contrasted with the
usual doom and gloom about American
newspaper journalism. But after I started checking the numbers, I found that
most UK papers, over the past few years,
Featured newspapers this month: the TriCounty Herald, The Oklahoma Eagle, Tulsa
Business & Legal News, The OKC Tribune,
The Times (Pryor), Miami News-Record,
Bristow News, the flag of The Review in
Shidler and Marietta Monitor.
are also fighting circulation declines, in
both the tabloids and “quality” papers, as
they’re called there. The only one with a
small increase was The Times of London.
Yes, they’re online too, but the print
version is still king, er, or Queen. But I
did notice most of the papers were still
packed with ads. Also, the Brits are even
bigger sports fanatics than Americans,
based on what I saw in their papers.
Lessons from across the pond: Write
strong headlines. Write in plain language. Have strong opinion pages.
Fancy graphics aren’t that important.
News is. Cover the news as it affects
your readers. Cover both local, area,
national and international news – as
many local papers did on the Ten Commandments.
LOOKIN’EM OVER. Congratulations to
Brian Blansett on buying the Tri-County
Herald. That’s just good news. Dramatic
photos and writing by Jennifer Pitts.
Issues you should be covering.
• Aging -- Strong news-feature in the
Moore American by Michael Brestovansky, headlined “Going home,” about
assisted living for adults with intellectual disabilities. Sidney Van Wyk of the
Tahlequah Daily Press writes about long
term living for senior citizens. Owasso
Reporter intern John Dexter wrote a
solid story about a local vet on the honor
flights, headlined “In honor of….”
• Hunger in Oklahoma? Yep. Tinita
Tennant of The Altus Times writes about
schools offering free lunches for all
county youth.
• Racism -- Cydney Baron of The
Times in Pryor reports on the KKK
distributing fliers in town, headlined
“Uncloaked.” Check the front page of
The Oklahoma Eagle.
• Okies -- Roger Pugh at The Okarche
Chieftain tells the story of former publisher Larr y Bradford, “Okarche’s
newspaperman.” Tony Strickland of
The Blanchard News tells an interesting
story about a resident finding relics and
returning them to a Blanchard vet, “Giving back to a soldier.”
• Crime -- Community News reporter Rachel Van Horn in The Ada News
reports on cattle rustling increasing in
Oklahoma and Texas. Chris Edens of
the Oologah Lake Leader reports on
canines comforting child crime victims
when in court. In your area?
Nice clean new flag at the Bristow
News. Lots of creative Fourth of July
flags, including The Shidler Review.
Teachers retiring? Here’s how to tell
their story, by Lori Cooper in The Carnegie Herald about a retiring teacher. Her
lead – “They knew his voice. / They
knew his presence. / As the wind swept
across the tall, open grassy pasture on a
hot, dry June afternoon, momma cows
came running. / Sharing a special bond
with their owner, the herd will be seeing a lot more of Dennis Dyer. / After a
quarter of a century teaching in Carnegie Public Schools, Dyer has decided
to trade his desk and classroom for a
Continued on Page 7
Clark’s Critique Continued from Page 6
tractor cab and acres of Caddo County
farmland.”
Kyle Walker at The Bigheart Times
puts you there in a story about oilmen
and new BIA regulations, headlined “Oilmen: Feds are killing us.” His lead –
“Five miles west of Pawhuska, a blue
water tower rises incongruously from
the prairie. Beside it is a gate just wide
enough for a large pickup truck to pass,
its posts topped with the tri-cone drill bits
emblematic of the oil and gas industry. /
Mark Helmer exits his truck, opens the
gate and drives through on his way to
check on a number of oil wells drilled
on this lease. / The first well, along with
several others, was drilled the same year
that Helmer was born: 1956.”
Interesting note -- Both The Oklahoman and the Tulsa World had the same
headline on the Supreme Court decision
about marriage: “Landmark ruling.”
HEAD ’EM UP AWARDS: Best headline
of the month – “Bluebells – Nature’s
Viagra!” Just kidding, but I saw it in a
British paper last month – about the
blooming flowers provoking an annual moth explosion. Couldn’t help but
laugh, read a little, and think about head-
lines back here. The Brits excel at headlines, but Okies are pretty good, too.
First place, tie, the OKC Tribune:
THOU SHALT NOT
and Garvin County News Star, on a Cortney Hatton story about a seed spitting
championship in Pauls Valley:
WHO’S THE BIGGEST BLOW HARD?
Second place, tie, Cushing Citizen and
The Oklahoman. Cushing, on Jim Perry’s
story about a cut cable shutting off cell
phone coverage for a long time:
CELL HELL
and The Oklahoman, on Religion Editor
Carla Hinton’s story about a priest’s
monthly waffle and theology breakfast:
WAFFLES AND THE WORD
Third place, tie, El Reno Tribune and
McAlester News-Capital. El Reno, on a
story about debit cards being hacked at
a theater:
JURASSIC WORLD TAKES
BITE OUT OF LOCAL WALLETS
and McAlester on CNHI reporter Janelle
Stecklein’s story:
HUNTERS, TRAPPERS BRISTLE AT
PROPOSED RULES FOR WILD HOGS
Honorable mentions: Stroud American,
on Mike Brown’s story about a 5K run,
“Get Ready to Lace Them Up for Mid-
Summer Madness”; The Edmond Sun,
on James Coburn’s story about William
Shatner, “Shatner treks into Edmond”;
Kiowa County Democrat, “Gas Prices
Take A Holiday”; Sapulpa Daily Herald,
on Chris Hicks’ story about a police dog
named “Bear,” “Hard bite ends flight by
bear in the woods”; The Elk City Daily
News, on Larissa Copeland’s fireworks
story, “Snap, crackle”; The Kingfisher
Times & Free Press, on an elementary
school fund raiser using rubber duckies,
“More bang for your ducks”; The Miami
News-Record, on Melinda Stotts’ story on
a truck wreck, “Traffic stopped on I-44
by tomatoes and pop”; Marietta Monitor,
“Drenched with Damage”; Garvin County News Star, on Bonnie Seymour’s story
about a quilting contest, “County fair
adding a new stitch:”; The Purcell Register, on Jeanne Grimes’ fireworks story,
“Putting the stars to shame”; The Seminole Producer, on Ken Childers’ story,
“Seminole School Board Members on
the Hot Seat.”
THE OG&E PHOTO CONTEST
8
Cougar Rhett Moore hovers above ground as he makes a dive into home to avoid
being tagged on a steal. Moore scored for Oklahoma Union against Bartlesville’s junior
varsity, as the Cougars went on to win 11-8.
Photo by Mike Bryant, Nowata Star, April 8, 2015
Enid’s Tanner Fore delivers a pitch against Edmond North during
the opening day of the Gladys Winters Tournament at David Allen
Memorial Ballpark.
Photo by Billy Hefton, Enid News & Eagle, April 10, 2015
CLOSE TO GOING HOME? Murray State’s Clay Crews dives toward the plate and scores
as NOC Enid’s Dillon Harp reaches for the ball during the Aggies’ 8-5 win over the Jets
in the NJCAA Regional.
Photo by Bonnie Vculek, Enid News & Eagle, May 9, 2015
Volleys of honor - The Purcell Police Department honor guard
fires a salute at the conclusion of the Memorial Day ceremony at
Hillside Cemetery. From left are Det. Sgt. Scott Stephens, Officer
Gaetano Cipriano, Officer Zach Paulk and Lt. Kevin Austin.
Photo by Jeanne Grimes, The Purcell Register, May 28, 2015
APRIL 2015 DAILY WINNER:
MAY 2015 DAILY WINNER:
BILLY HEFTON
Enid News & Eagle
BONNIE VCULEK
Enid News & Eagle
APRIL 2015 WEEKLY WINNER: MAY 2015 WEEKLY WINNER:
MIKE BRYANT
Nowata Star
JEANNE GRIMES
The Purcell Register
The April and May 2015 contests were judged by members of the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame.
View all winning photos at www.OkPress.com/OGE-Photo-Contest
For more information about the photo contest, visit www.okpress.com
It’s time … for OG&E’ss new SmartHours Price Plans.
™
1-877-898-3834 OGE.COM
MIDNIGHT
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© 2012 OGE Energy Corp.
Marlow Review sold to Lewis County Press, LLC
The Marlow Review is under new
ownership following the purchase of the
newspaper by Lewis County Press, LLC,
in LaGrange, Mo.
Advertising Director Judy Keller will
serve as publisher of The Review. Other
staff members will retain their current
roles with Todd Brooks as editor; Shannon Foster doing layout and design, and
Donna Suson serving as office manager.
Lewis County Press owns 10 other
newspapers, mostly in Missouri. This
is the company’s first publication in
Oklahoma.
“We are happy to add Judy to our
team of community newspaper leaders,”
said Kevin Butner, Lewis County Press
chief operating officer. “Lewis County
Press takes on the hassles of newspaper
production – the technology, the billing,
the subscription management – and we
count on the local newspaper leaders to
deliver the special sauce of community
news and advertising.”
Keller said the Review staff is excited
to be a part of the Lewis County Press
team.
“This company is a strong believer
in the future of small town newspapers,
and the philosophy of the Lewis County
Press is to have a newspaper staff that is
heavily involved in the community.
“Our coverage of local happenings,
news, meetings and sports will remain
the same,” said Keller. “We will continue
to be ‘your’ newspaper.”
One future change is more of an
online presence with an updated website
along with more breaking news information through the newspaper’s Facebook
and Twitter accounts.
The ownership change follows eight
months of bank trust oversight following the deaths of Marlow Review owners
John and Tinker Hruby in October 2014.
“We will always remember the
Hrubys,” said Brooks. “We realize it is
time to move forward, and we are thankful for the opportunity Lewis County
Press is giving us. We think we have
a good thing going here, and we are
excited to continue it.”
Continuing the Legacy: The Marlow Review is now under new ownership having been
bought by Lewis County Press in Missouri. The current staff of Todd Brooks, Judy Keller,
Donna Suson and Shannon Foster will remain.
Hilliary Communications purchases Comanche County Chronicle
Hilliary Communications recently
purchased The Comanche County
Chronicle.
The Chronicle, along with its former
sister paper, The Marlow Review, were
being sold after the deaths of former
publishers John and Tinker Hruby.
“I’m very happy that we were able
to stay in local hands, with a company
owned by folks who live and work in
the area they will be serving,” said
Chronicle Editor Jeff Johncox.
“Throughout the process, the Hilliarys have been more than open to
suggestions and input from our office,
and they have repeatedly stressed their
interest in keeping John and Tinker’s
legacy at this newspaper and in Oklahoma journalism alive.”
Dustin Hilliary has been named publisher of The Chronicle.
“We’ve been providing cable service
in Sterling and Elgin since the early
1980s,” said Hilliary. “This brought us
another way to reach the people and
have advertising and media in the market. It helps us reach our consumers
and our customers all at once.”
The Chronicle will eventually expand
its coverage area to more of Medicine
Park, Cyril and Cement, said Hilliary.
In addition to Johncox, office manager AJ Ferguson is staying on at The
Chronicle.
NEW OWNERSHIP: Members of Hilliary Communications and The Comanche County
Chronicle pose together. Hilliary Communications recently purchased the weekly
newspaper. From left: Shawn Hilliary, Hayden Hilliary, Mike Hilliary, AJ Ferguson, Doug
Hilliary, Dacia Hilliary, Eddie Hilliary, Christian Hilliary, Jeff Johncox, Dustin Hilliary and
Dean Pennello.
Blansett takes ownership of Tri-County Herald
The News Leader Co. announced the
sale of the Tri-County Herald to veteran
Oklahoma newspaperman Brian Blansett, effective July 1.
“It has been a privilege to serve the
tri-county area,” said Lynn Thompson,
of the News Leader Co. “I would like
the citizens of the Meeker and McLoud
communities to know how much we
appreciate their support of the local
newspaper. Local newspapers are the
lifeblood of rural communities, and we
feel honored to have been a part of telling you their story.”
Blansett retired as publisher of The
Shawnee News-Star last November
after a 37-year career in journalism that
included tours of duty at five newspapers
and the Oklahoma Press Association. At
the moment, he is serving as the interim
publisher of the Guthrie News Leader
and the Blackwell Journal-Tribune.
“It turned out to be a pretty short
retirement,” Blansett said. “I love this
part of Oklahoma and I love newspapers, so this is the best of all worlds for
me.”
Blansett grew up south of Ada in
Fitzhugh and graduated from Latta High
School and East Central University. He
has won writing awards from the Associated Press, Oklahoma Press Association
and Society of Professional Journalists.
While city editor of the Waco, Texas,
Tribune-Herald, he edited a series about
the Branch Davidians that was runnerup for the Pulitzer Prize in investigative
reporting.
He has been active in community
affairs, serving as president and secretary of the Shawnee Economic Development Foundation; as treasurer and
as secretary of the Shawnee Chamber
of Commerce; as president of Youth &
Family Resources Center; and as a member of the Oklahoma Baptist University
Shawnee Advisory Board and the Shawnee Kiwanis Club. He also serves on the
Oklahoma Press Association board of
directors.
Blansett has three grown children:
Brice, Brittany and Brooke. His wife,
Dianna, died in 2014.
10
New owners at Yukon
BH Media weekly publications switch
to carrier delivery on Wednesday
Several newspapers in the Oklahoma
Weekly Newspapers group switched
their publication day to Wednesday on
July 1.
The move has several benefits for
readers and advertisers, said Jamey
Honeycutt, general manager of the
group that includes the Coweta American, Owasso Reporter, Sand Springs
Leader, Skiatook Journal, Tulsa Business & Legal News, and Wagoner Tribune.
All newspapers in the group, with the
exception of the Tulsa Business & Legal
News, which publishes daily, switched
to the Wednesday publication date.
Honeycutt said the move to Wednesday will better suit their subscribers’
reading habits and will benefit advertisers as well.
In addition to the date change, there
are other changes readers will notice,
he said.
Kathy and John Miller transfer ownership of The Yukon Review to John and Paula
Settle.
The Yukon Review is under new
ownership. John and Paula Settle of
Larned, Kan., acquired the twiceweekly newspaper from John and
Kathy Miller on June 30.
“We’re going to try to be the best
community newspaper possible,” said
John Settle. “Paula and I are very
thankful to John and Kathy Miller for
the opportunity to take the controls
of The Review and look forward to
becoming active in the community.”
The name of the new owners may
sound familiar. John’s father, Marshal
Settle, was the longtime publisher of
The Chickasha Star and a past president of the Oklahoma Press Association.
“My dad loved newspapers since
before I was born and wrote a weekly
column in the local paper long before
he and mom purchased The Star in
1975,” said John Settle. “Our parents
encouraged both my brother David
and me to become active in the family’s business. Fortunately, the community will also have the opportunity
to meet David since he has been helping us manage our papers in Kansas
since 2005.”
David was involved in the family
newspaper business and purchased
The Chickasha Star, Minco Minstrel
and Tuttle Times from his parents. He
operated them for several years before
selling the properties in 1998.
Since 1988, John Settle’s companies have published daily and weekly
newspapers in Kansas and Nebraska.
He now operates five publications in
central Kansas.
Settle, who has a Juris Doctorate
from the University of Oklahoma
School of Law, has been Pawnee County Attorney and County Counselor
in Larned since 1995. Before becoming Pawnee County Attorney, he had
private law practices in Kansas and
Oklahoma and served two stints as
an assistant district attorney in Oklahoma.
Paula Settle’s newspaper experience includes serving as associate
publisher and managing editor of the
Ellinwood (Kan.) Leader from 1994-97
and as an advertising sales manager
for the Tiller & Toiler in Larned from
1998-2012. She received a degree in
English and a minor in Journalism
from Southwestern Oklahoma State
University in Weatherford.
The Settles have three adult daughters and sons-in-law, and six grandchildren with another one due to arrive in
September.
The Millers published The Yukon
Review since spring 2008. They also
owned and operated a roofing and construction business for several decades,
and John was pastor of Christ’s Church
of Yukon for 14 years.
“The Settles are ‘newspaper people’;
that’s their wheelhouse,” said Miller.
“That bodes well for the future of The
Yukon Review – and for the staff.”
The Millers plan to remain in Yukon
but will now have more time to travel,
visiting children and grandchildren
“from the east coast to the west coast.”
“The paper will no longer be delivered to subscribers by mail; it will be
delivered by carrier to their homes,”
Honeycutt said.
The move to carrier delivery enables
the newspaper to shift from the afternoon to an early morning edition for
most.
The Oklahoma Weekly Group is
contracting with Tulsa World carriers.
Those who subscribe to the World will
find their weekly newspaper delivered
inside that publication.
“It helps when there is only one product thrown in your driveway,” Honeycutt
said. “So if your Tulsa World looks much
fatter on Wednesday, it is because your
community newspaper is along for the
ride.”
The Oklahoma Weekly Newspapers
group and the Tulsa World are owned by
BH Media Group.
Rick Heaton joins Claremore as sports editor
Rick Heaton has joined the staff at the
Claremore Daily Progress in the role of
sports editor.
Originally from Kansas, Heaton
worked at the Owasso Reporter for 11
years where he served as sports editor.
“I started in Owasso in 2003,” Heaton
said. “I was up in Andover, Kan., and the
paper there was about to close up so I
put my resumé up on OKPress.com and
got a call the next day. Two days after
that, I got an interview and then we were
moving.”
Heaton originally planned to attend
drafting school after graduating from
high school, but instead went to work
part-time as a sports writer for a newspaper in Goodland, Kan., and was quickly
promoted to editor.
Heaton succeeds former sports editor Tim Ritter, who resigned to accept a
position as editor of The Canyon News
in Texas.
Wagoner Tribune welcomes new editor
Dave Spiva was recently named news
editor at the Wagoner Tribune.
Spiva replaces Travis Sloat, whose
last day was July 10.
Spiva, who is from Agra, Okla., is
a 2014 graduate of San Diego State
University with a Bachelor’s of Arts in
Journalism.
He spent the last year as the crime
and courts reporter for The Lincoln
County News in Chandler.
“I want to fill the pages of the Tribune
with Wagoner-specific content,” Spiva
said. “I love local news and want to have
as much of that as I can.”
New staff writers at Claremore Daily Progress
The Claremore Daily Progress
recently welcomed two additions to its
news team – Diana Dickinson and Kristy
Sturgill.
After months of doing freelance work,
Dickinson is now full time, taking on
special assignments for the daily edition
as well as special projects.
Dickinson earned her bachelor’s
degree in Education at the University
of Maryland overseas. After teaching in
Europe for six years, she decided to stay
home with her children after returning
stateside. She moved to Oklahoma in
the mid-’90s.
Before joining the Progress staff,
Dickinson worked for the Seminole
tribe. She began working for the Progress as a part-time correspondent in
2013 before being hired full time to take
over the county, court and crime beats.
Sturgill joined the staff as a full-time
writer on June 22. She is a recent graduate of Oral Roberts University, where
she graduated summa cum laude with
a degree in multimedia journalism, specializing in print media.
Before studying at ORU, she also
served on her high school newspaper in
Oologah.
OPA/S Board of Directors meet during annual convention
The Oklahoma Press Association
Board of Directors met June 4, 2015, at
the Sheraton Downtown Hotel in Oklahoma City, during the OPA Convention.
Officers attending were President
Jeff Funk, Enid News & Eagle; Vice
President Robby Trammell, The Oklahoman, and Treasurer Gloria Trotter, The
Countywide & Sun.
Directors attending were Past President Jeff Mayo, Sequoyah County
Times; Dayva Spitzer, Sayre Record &
Beckham County Democrat; Brian Blansett; Ted Streuli, The Journal Record;
Ray Dyer, El Reno Tribune; Mike Strain,
Tulsa World, and John Denny Montgomery, The Purcell Register.
Also attending were guests Rod
Serfoss, treasurer nominee, from the
Clinton Daily News, and Mark Millsap,
director nominee, from The Norman
Transcript. Staff at the board meeting
was Mark Thomas, executive vice president/secretary, and Lisa Sutliff, member services director.
After calling the meeting to order,
Funk asked the board to review minutes
of the April 9, 2015, meeting. The minutes were approved as presented.
The board acknowledged receipt of
the OPA and LSP financial statements
and investment reports for the period
ending April 30, 2015, and discussed
year-end projections for FY 2014-15.
Thomas said staff is recalculating 201516 membership dues using 2015 fullpage ad rates. Thomas also said training seminars may transfer back under
OPA’s management because ONF has
exhausted its unrestricted revenue.
Board members also reviewed the
current list of 47 sustaining members
and 10 associate members.
OPA committee activity was reviewed
at the meeting. In the Education Committee report, Blansett said about 300
people were registered to attend the
June 4-6 OPA Convention at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City.
Spitzer said the Government Relations Committee met in April. Thomas
said Gov. Mary Fallin was expected
to sign the dash cam bill, and that five
other bills in this session created new
legal notices. Board members reviewed
a list of legislative interim studies affecting newspaper interests that are expected this summer.
Dyer reviewed the Legal Services
Plan Committee’s proposed language
to provide reimbursement of legal fees
up to $2,500 paid to a defense attorney in the event of an arrest or formal
criminal charge against an employee of
a plan member for an item published
by the member newspaper. The board
approved the proposed amendment
effective with the next LSP term beginning Oct. 1.
Serfoss, chairman of the OPA Nominating Committee, reviewed the committee’s report. The slate of nominees
for the 2015-16 year to be presented during the annual business meeting were:
President – Robby Trammell, The Oklahoman; Vice President – Dayva Spitzer,
Oklahoma Watch adds four
members to board of directors
Oklahoma Watch has
added four members to its
board of directors.
Joining the board are
Gerald Adams, Ed Kelley, Vince LoVoi and Brett
Wesner.
Adams is a consultant at
Henry-Adams Cos. LLC. He
is the former chief of staff
to Gov. Brad Henry. Adams
also worked with three
Oklahoma attorneys general in communications and policy positions.
Kelley is the director of experiential
learning at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the
University of Oklahoma. He served as
senior contributing editor at the Deseret
News in Salt Lake City, editor of The
Washington Times in Washington, D.C.,
and as editor of The Oklahoman.
LoVoi is publisher of This Land Press
LLC, a new media company founded in
2011. He also served as managing part-
ner of Mimosa Tree Capital
Partners LLC.
Wesner is the founder
of Wesner Publications Co.,
which publishes 10 newspapers and two magazines
in Oklahoma and Texas.
Wesner previously served
as a press officer for OU
President David Boren’s
1984 U.S. Senate campaign
and, following the election,
as Boren’s press secretary.
Other Oklahoma Watch board members are journalism consultant Sue Hale
and co-presidents Jim East, George Kaiser Family Foundation consultant, and
Bob Rodd, president and CEO of Inasmuch Foundation and Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.
Oklahoma Watch is a nonprofit journalism organization that produces indepth and investigative content on public-policy issues.
Sayre Record & Beckham County Democrat; Treasurer – Rod Serfoss, Clinton
Daily News; Immediate Past President –
Jeff Funk, Enid News & Eagle; renewal
of three-year director term – Ray Dyer,
El Reno Tribune, and new director for
a three-year term – Mark Millsap, The
Norman Transcript.
The Nominating Committee also recommended to the OPA board appointments to the ONF Board of Trustees.
Recommendations for the 2015-16 year
are: Renewal of a three-year term for
Wayne Trotter, Countywide & Sun
(Tecumseh), and a new appointment
for Sheila Gay, Woodward News, for a
three-year term. The board reviewed
and accepted the recommended nominees to the ONF Board of Trustees as
presented.
In other business, Thomas updated
board members about the State Capitol
Publishing Museum in Guthrie. The
State of Oklahoma is selling the building; bids are due in November. Thomas
said whether the downstairs museum
will remain open depends on the new
developer’s plan.
Thomas also told the board about
a recently filed Oklahoma Supreme
Court Petition for relief from administrative directive, Case # 113798, filed in
Oklahoma by California-based Courthouse News Service against KellPro,
Inc., which operates the fee-based service ODCR.com (On Demand Court
Records). After discussing the request,
the board asked for Mike Minnis to
review the case and recommend whether OPA should file an amicus brief in
support of the lawsuit.
President Funk thanked outgoing
Past President Jeff Mayo and outgoing
Treasurer Gloria Trotter for their many
years of service to OPA and OPS and
their many contributions to the newspaper industry.
OPS BOARD MEETING
At the Oklahoma Press Service board
meeting, board members approved minutes of the April 9, 2015, meeting.
Board members also reviewed OPS
financial statements for the period ending April 30, 2015, and year-end projections for 2014-15. After discussion,
the board acknowledged receipt of the
statements.
The Did-Not-Run Advertising Report
for April and part of May 2015 was
reviewed. Staff reported there were 15
DNRs from 13 papers valued at $2,066.28.
The Perfecta Award was presented to
93 newspapers during the convention
for publishing all OPS ad insertions as
scheduled in 2014.
Following a management review session, Funk said the board was pleased
with the lobbying efforts made this year
on behalf of the association and its members. Funk said the board appreciated
the support for all of the staff’s effort to
help members with their problems, and
especially complimented Wilma Newby
for her continual help to many members.
Newspapers alive and well internationally
On a recent trip to Instanbul, Turkey, Rusty and Deana Ferguson, publishers of The
Cleveland American, were pleasantly surprised to see that country’s promotion of
newspapers prominently displayed in the airport’s waiting area and delivered on
carts during flights.
12
Summer internship recipients gain newspaper experience
An opportunity to gain real world
experience and prepare for a future
newspaper career has been given to 22
college students through the Oklahoma
Newspaper Foundation summer internship program.
Thirty-five OPA-member newspapers
applied for salary funding to hire an
intern this summer. A group of ONF
trustees selected 22 OPA member newspapers to receive the funding.
A grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation provides
funding for 18 internships while ONF
funds the other four. The selected host
newspapers had the option of choosing an intern from the 35 students who
applied to ONF.
The 2015 ONF summer internship
funding was awarded to the following
newspapers and students:
JORDAN BISHOP, a sports media
senior at Oklahoma State University,
will intern at The Edmond Sun. Bishop’s
hometown is Elmore City and he has
gained experience through his work as
a sports reporter for The O’Colly, OSU’s
student newspaper.
The Norman Transcript selected
MICHAEL BRESTOVANSKY as its summer
intern. Originally from Dryden, Michigan, Brestovansky is a student at the
University of Oklahoma where he is
majoring in journalism and public relations. He has been working for The
Oklahoma Daily since 2013 as a staff
reporter and most recently, assistant
news editor.
OSU student ZACHARY COLLUMS will
intern with the Miami News-Record. He
is currently a local business writer and
U.S. politics blogger for The O’Colly.
Collums is from Oklahoma City and will
begin his senior year this fall pursuing a
degree in sports media and multimedia
journalism.
Bristow News welcomed Bartlesville
native DAISY CREAGER to its staff. Creager will begin her sophomore year at
OU where she is pursuing a journalism
degree and a minor in Spanish. She also
works as a reporter for The Oklahoma
Daily.
JOHN DEXTER will intern at the Owasso Reporter this summer. Dexter is
majoring in sports media at OSU. He is
from Claremore and will start his sophomore year this fall. Dexter has experience as a sports reporter and track-andfield beat writer for The O’Colly.
DePauw University sophomore
MADISON DUDLEY will join her hometown
newspaper’s staff at The Lawton Constitution. Dudley is a communications and
political science major with a minor in
studio art. She is an assistant features
editor and news writer for her school
newspaper, The DePauw, in Greencastle, Indiana. Dudley has also participated
in Discover the World of Communica-
tion, a summer journalism program at
American University in Washington D.C.
EMILY FARRIS, a senior studying multimedia journalism at OSU, will intern
at the Tulsa World. Farris previously
interned as a copy editor and designer
for The Oklahoman. She has worked as
the digital editor, design editor and as
a reporter for The O’Colly and has also
interned with D Magazine in Dallas.
Claremore Daily Progress chose
DEKOTA GREGORY to work with them
this summer. Originally from Locust
Grove, Gregory will be a junior this fall
at OSU where he is majoring in sports
media. He has previously worked as a
sports correspondent for the The Times
in Pryor, has been a contributing writer
for SB Nation Cowboys Ride for Free
and is currently a sports reporter for
The O’Colly.
CONNER HUFNAGEL, an English senior
at OSU, will intern at the El Reno Tribune. Hufnagel has served as the vice
president of membership development
for his fraternity and worked as a contributing writer for its monthly publication, The Crescent.
The Journal Record invited OSU
junior KAELYNN KNOERNSCHILD to intern
this summer. Knoernschild is majoring
in multimedia journalism with a minor in
Spanish. She has worked as a news editor, crime reporter, business reporter,
staff reporter and photographer for The
O’Colly and previously interned as a
staff reporter for OKC Friday.
STEPHEN LAMAR joined the staff at
The Okeene Record for his internship.
Lamar will be a senior this fall at OSU
where he is majoring in multimedia
journalism with an emphasis on production and photography. Lamar has
worked as co-producer, producer, field
reporter, videographer and floor director for OState TV and has also interned
with the Canton Times.
The Ada News will add CARL LEWIS
to its staff this summer. Lewis is a legal
studies senior at East Central University. He served as editor-in-chief for his
school newspaper, The Journal, as well
as working for Oklahoma Intercollegiate
Legislature as a press Secretary.
OU senior ALISSA LINDSEY will work
at the Express-Star in Chickasha. She is
originally from Shawnee and has experience working as a freelance journalist
for the Oklahoma Gazette and as copy
chief for The Oklahoma Daily. She will
begin her senior year this fall majoring
in information studies and women and
gender studies.
KASSIE McCLUNG, a multimedia journalism senior at OSU, is interning at
The Oklahoman. She has served as
the digital editor, Title IX reporter and
feature writer for The O’Colly and has
also interned with South County Leader,
Trojan Life and Tulsa People Magazine.
Muskogee Phoenix hired HAYLEE
MOULDER as its intern for the summer.
She is a multimedia journalism senior
with an emphasis in crime and court
reporting at OSU. Her hometown is
Broken Arrow and she has worked as a
sports reporter for The O’Colly.
OSU sophomore STETSON PAYNE
from Pensacola, Fla., will intern at The
Times in Pryor this summer. He is
majoring in multimedia journalism and
has worked at The O’Colly.
JESSICA PHILLIPS, a sophomore at
Rose State College, was selected to
intern at the Midwest City Beacon.
Phillips, a photography and journalism
major, is editor-in-chief of 15th Street
News, the student newspaper at Rose
State, and has previously interned at the
Oklahoma City Museum of Art.
The Stillwater News Press has added
BAILEY POWELL as its intern. Powell is
entering her sophomore year at OSU
where she is majoring in sociology and
strategic communications and is a writer
at The O’Colly. She has interned with
The Journal Record Legislative Report
and done sports reporting for EastWord.
OU sophomore KELLI STACY will
intern at Hugo News. The Hugo native
graduated as valedictorian of her high
school class. She is involved in the OU
Scholar’s program and is also a member
of Rotaract.
OKC Friday selected OSU junior
CHANDLER VESSELS to intern this summer. Vessels, who is from Moore, is
majoring in sports media with a minor
in sports management and is currently a
sports reporter for The O’Colly.
KATI WALKER, a senior at the University of North Texas, took her summer
internship with the Ardmoreite. She
is majoring in news journalism with
a minor in political science and history. Originally from Levelland, Texas,
she has experience as a sports writer
for Levelland News-Press and has also
served as editorial assistant for Plainsman Press newspaper.
University of Tulsa senior KYLE
WALKER is working with The Bigheart
Times in Barnsdall. He majors in physics and philosophy, and is currently
editor-in-chief of the Collegian, Tulsa’s
student newspaper. He has previously
served as opinion editor, news editor
and managing editor of the paper.
2015
ONF INTERNSHIPS
JORDAN BISHOP
The Edmond Sun
MICHAEL BRESTOVANSKY
The Norman Transcript
ZACHARY COLLUMS
Miami News-Record
DAISY CREAGER
Bristow News
JOHN DEXTER
Owasso Reporter
MADISON DUDLEY
The Lawton Constitution
EMILY FARRIS
Tulsa World
DEKOTA GREGORY
Claremore Daily Progress
CONNER HUFNAGEL
El Reno Tribune
KAELYNN KNOERNSCHILD
The Journal Record
STEPHEN LAMAR
The Okeene Record
CARL LEWIS
The Ada News
ALISSA LINDSEY
The Express-Star (Chickasha)
KASSIE MCCLUNG
The Oklahoman
HAYLEE MOULDER
Muskogee Phoenix
STETSON PAYNE
The Times (Pryor)
JESSICA PHILLIPS
Midwest City Beacon
BAILEY POWELL
Stillwater News Press
KELLI STACY
Hugo News
CHANDLER VESSELS
OKC Friday
KATI WALKER
The Ardmoreite
KYLE WALKER
The Bigheart Times
Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation
awards scholarships to four students
Charelene Belew, Cameron University
Jessica Phillips, Rose State College
In March the Oklahoma Newspaper
Foundation selected three students to
receive the 2015-2016 ONF Scholarships
and one student to receive the Breeden
Scholarship.
The recipients of the ONF Scholarships will each receive $1,500 and the
recipient of the Bob & Marion Breeden
University of Oklahoma Scholarship
will receive $1,000. Scholarship winners
must be a junior or senior attending an
Oklahoma college and the winner of
the Breeden Scholarship must attend
the University of Oklahoma. Majoring
in journalism or an equivalent degree is
also required.
Charlene Belew, Jessica Phillips, and
Nathan Ruiz were selected to receive
the three ONF Scholarships and the
Breeden Scholarship was awarded to
Sarah Pitts.
Belew, who is entering her senior
year at Cameron University in Lawton,
is pursuing a journalism degree with a
minor in multimedia design. She is currently working as an education reporter
and page designer at The Duncan Banner. She previously worked as the managing editor, advertising representative,
sports editor and student life editor at
the Collegian student newspaper. Belew
has a passion for biology and hopes to
use this to obtain a career in science
reporting.
“I have had experience in UV-Photography,” she said. “Because of this and
my love and soon-to-be knowledge for
biology, I will begin working on science
reporting.”
Phillips just completed her sophomore year at Rose State College where
she was editor-in-chief of the 15th Street
News. She will begin her junior year
at the University of Central Oklahoma
this fall, majoring in photography and
journalism. Phillips’ future career goals
include reporting, taking photographs
and designing newspaper pages.
“I hope to have a professional career
in the newspaper journalism field,” she
said. “I will strive to achieve this by
completing my bachelor’s degree and
gaining experience in the field through
internships and working part time while
in college.”
Ruiz will be a junior at Oklahoma
State University majoring in sports management and sports media. He is currently a reporter and former copy desk
editor for the O’Colly, OSU’s student
newspaper. In the summer of 2014, Ruiz
worked as a sports intern for The Reno
Nathan Ruiz, Oklahoma State University
Gazette-Journal in Nevada. Being a beat
reporter for Major League Baseball
would be a dream come true for Ruiz
and is something he hopes to accomplish in his future career.
“In order to achieve these goals, I will
begin by earning dual degrees in sports
media and sports management from
Oklahoma State University,” he said. “I
fully expect the skills I have learned at
OSU to benefit me as I begin my journalism career.”
The Breeden scholarship was awarded to Pitts, who attends the University
of Oklahoma and will be a senior this
fall. She is majoring in journalism with a
minor in international studies. Pitts has
gained experience through work as life
and arts reporter and travel blogger for
Sarah Pitts, University of Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Daily, a reporter for the
Odyssey, and is currently a contributing
writer for Red Dirt Report. After graduation, she hopes to continue working for
public news organizations and would
eventually like to help new online papers
get started in different communities.
“With my education I hope to be a
part of the new wave of journalists that
can redefine what journalism means
in our society,” she said. “We must be
innovative, literate with technology and
strive to deliver honest news in the
sense of being a force of democracy.”
More information on ONF’s scholarships and how to apply is available at
www.okpress.com/scholarships.
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14
Did you know Firefox is now an operating system?
Computer Notes
from the road
by Wilma (Melot) Newby
[email protected]
Move over Apple, Microsoft and others. Firefox just released its own OS for
phones and TVs.
It’s just beginning, but it boldly states
that it will add a billion – with a “B” –
people to the mobile Internet.
The Firefox OS is simple, clean and
easy to understand. It’s seems that it’s
being rolled out everywhere but the
U.S., but I’m sure it will be here soon.
The first Panasonic smart TVs powered by this OS are now available in
Europe. There’s now a real web browser
on the TV with all the Internet security
we’re used to in Firefox. So, is it a TV or
a computer? Actually, it’s a true integration of the two.
Firefox isn’t the first company to try
this, but so far the blending of the two
has been anything but useful. Google
tried this more than once. Amazon,
Apple and Android TV expanded the
use of TVs with the Internet, but having
a true browser like Firefox could really
change the midrange TV market.
Several newspapers I visit have a TV
on all day to keep up with live news. TV
apps that run on your computer are now
the norm. As lines blur between the
desktop and the TV, all these companies
are vying to be part of the complete
home/office automation game.
This is the future. Maybe one day
we’ll be able to run our homes from our
wrist.
DON’T FORGET YOUR UPDATES
If you’re not running updates on your
computer, your system is vulnerable.
Those update reminders that come from
Apple or Windows should be done in
a timely fashion. I don’t recommend
installing them on the first day they’re
released. Instead, wait about a week and
let others get all the bugs worked out.
Don’t forget to read about the update
before you apply it and don’t let updates
install without your permission to avoid
problems on deadline.
But we do need to keep up with
updates. Those antivirus patches help
keep trouble out before it gets in.
Mac OSX 10.10, 10.9 and 10.8 recently
released several patches to plug holes.
SPEED UP YOUR NETWORK
Is your network working as fast as it
could? Spending a little money to speed
it up could result in saving a lot of time.
It’s time to take a serious look at how
we’re doing things.
Most computers we sit in front of
these days have 1000 base gigabit Ethernet ports built in. Switches to run these
ports cost less than $100 for 24 ports
and will save your employees hours
over a month’s time in trying to read/
write to a server or shared drive. If you
haven’t looked at them lately, give it
some consideration. If everyone at your
office is running over Wifi, look at the
speeds they get vs. a hard wire setup.
Wire generally wins, unless the switch
is very old and the cable setup is a more
secure network.
WINDOWS 10 REVIEWS
There’s a little more news about Windows 10. Pre-release versions are being
rolled out to many developers and the
first hands-on reviews are hitting the
Internet.
Windows 10 won’t be released to
everyone at once. The plan is to release
downloads to a group of customers
every day so it won’t overwhelm their
servers.
You might have seen an icon appear
in the lower right hand tray via Windows Update if you’re on a version of
Windows that can be upgraded (7 or 8).
Before doing anything, make sure
your computer is up-to-date. Clicking
the icon launches a window that enables
you to reserve your place in the queue
to download the free upgrade. If the
computer is not updated in a year the
user will have to pay the full price of the
Windows 10 software. Microsoft hopes
this method will get a lot of people to
adopt the new system.
Microsoft released statements confirming the existence of an upgrade
package called the Windows 10 Pro
Pack that will allow you to move up from
the Windows 10 Home edition to Pro
edition. The Windows 10 Pro Pack will
cost $99. To check your version of Windows 8, right click on “This PC” in the
finder Window. If the word “Pro” is not
there, you do not have the Pro addition
of Windows.
Windows 10 Home will sell for $119
and Windows 10 Pro will sell for $199.
The Pro edition will have more security
features and will let you join a Microsoft
domain. Although many newspapers
don’t have a domain, the added security
might be worth a few extra dollars.
If your computer has Windows 8 Pro,
you get Windows 10 Pro free. The basic
version will do for most offices.
Those of you still on Windows XP,
Windows Vista or other systems not
capable of running Windows 10 will
have to pay for the full install of the new
operating system. This also applies to
users who are planning on building their
own systems.
If you can run Windows
10 you can either get it while
it’s in your queue or pay for it
later. If you don’t see the notification icon in the tray look
in the control panels under
Windows updates.
REMOVING APPLICATIONS
I’ve been asked how to uninstall an
application on Mac OSX 10.9 Maverick
or 10.10 Yosemite. There are many ways
to remove the app in the newer OSX but
it’s a good idea to know how it got there
in the first place.
If the app was downloaded from the
app store you can go to the launchpad
(it’s in your applications folder if it’s not
in the dock) and hold the mouse button
down on the app icon until it starts to
shake. Hit the X button to delete it from
the computer. It’s similar to the icons on
an iPhone.
If you installed the app from a DVD
or CD, put that disk back in the drive
and look for an uninstaller application.
Double click it and follow the instructions. CreativeSuite has an uninstaller
that works when you launch the install
program.
If you downloaded the app from the
Internet, look for it in your applications
folder and then put it in the trash.
LEGAL ADVICE
is just one of the benefits of being a member of the Oklahoma Press
Association’s Legal Services Plan. Remove the worry of needing
professional advice by enrolling today. For more information contact:
OKLAHOMA PRESS ASSOCIATION’S
LEGAL SERVICES PLAN
1-888-815-2672 or 405-499-0020
But before taking that step, try this
trick. Sometimes an uninstaller is inside
the application file. Try right clicking
on it and going to “Show Package Con-
tents.” Look in the contents folder and
see if there is an uninstaller.
After uninstalling the program, do a
search for the name of the program to
locate any files hidden in system support
locations, such as Library > Application Support or User (the one that
looks like a house) > Library > Application Support. On the new OSX versions
you need to hold down option and go to
the GO menu in the finder, then down
to Library.
Make sure you don’t trash the wrong
folder or some other program may not
work. Program creators often have uninstall info on their website.
Go slow when using third party applications to remove programs. Read several reviews and make sure to download
it from the manufacturers website or
through the App store to make sure
you’re not downloading viruses or malware.
Following is a list of uninstaller apps
that have been around for a while.
Mac Keeper
• MacKeeper – This app used to be
free but now it’s $5.95 a month for the
basic plan, if you sign up for two years.
It’s has a lightweight antivirus program
but its uninstaller application is good.
Personally, I find the program annoying
and it’s a little pricey but it works and
has lots of cool tools, if you like that kind
of thing. It has one of few file recovery
tools in the Mac world and has kept up
with the latest OSX versions.
• AppDelete – A light version is
available for $3.99 or get the full version for $7.99. It can be downloaded
from Apple’s App store as well as at
www.oldapps.com and at its creator’s
site at www.reggieashworth.com/buy.
AppDelete will remove not only applications but also widgets, preference panes,
plug-ins and screen savers along with
their associated files. If associated items
are left behind they take up space and
potentially cause issues.
• Uninstaller – This is a newer tool
from the App store for $3.99. It does just
this one thing well and has good ratings.
To download it from the web, go to www.
formacx.com/project/uninstaller. Uninstaller will help you locate the apps and
instruct you on correct deletion steps of
even system level apps.
OPA Computer Consultant Wilma Newby’s column is
brought to you by the Oklahoma Advertising Network
(OAN). For more information on the OAN program,
contact Oklahoma Press Service at (405) 499-0020.
SPECTACLE IS FLEETING
OKLAHOMA PRESS ASSOCIATION
Engage over the long term instead
That InterWeb
Thing
by Keith Burgin
[email protected]
In social media, we talk a lot about
the importance of “engagement” and
“interaction,” but don’t often talk about
how to accomplish it. It’s not as simple
as firing up your smartphone and giving
your thumbs a workout – or providing
sensationalism, hoping to go “viral.”
A strong relationship with your social
media community requires a connection and a connection requires comfort,
return on investment, and a certain level
of trust. None of this is gained haphazardly, any more than weekly coffee with
business associates.
It’s 7 a.m. Three of your compatriots
are seated ‘round a table at the local
muffin shop, dressed like the Brooks
Brothers and sipping their half-caff / soy
juice / imitation-mocha-flavored somethings from paper cups, when you walk
in wearing a beaver costume and swinging a guitar strap over your head and
carrying a small glass vase full of pencil
shavings.
Last week you were a duck.
Congratulations, you’ve succeeded in
creating a spectacle.
Indeed, other patrons may respond
by taking pictures and posting to their
networks, but you’ve failed to engage
your target audience.
In fact, chances are good you’ve alienated it.
Going viral is fine but it doesn’t last
and it doesn’t build a following except
amongst the “look, a shiny object”
crowd. And that’s not a real following,
is it?
Successful social media programs –
not just campaigns – are built over time.
Sure, you’ve taken the steps to make
your work available on the common platforms, digital and print, whatever they
might be in your community, and you
present a consistent, professional image.
You are the local source for reliable
news and your product is worth readers’
time and attention. And those know you
make every effort to “get it right.”
The secret to engagement and interaction, beyond the previous, of course, is
making your reader’s interests a priority
when you post to your network. The
odd amusing item is great, but what
really drives engagement is material that
the reader cares about.
It’s up to you to know what that is.
When you sit down to coffee without
the duck suit and turn to your friend
Raymond, who is an auto dealer, and
say, “Morning Ray, did you hear about
the new city ordinance requiring the
cleanup of outdoor promotional materials,” you’ve engaged him.
There’s a good chance Ray is interested. The other people interested in
this story might be the local folks who
complained about signs, streamers and
balloons and debris that litter their yard
every weekend.
Here are a couple of example tweets
tailored for the reader:
“City clamps down on litter from outdoor retail sales events.” Link to story.
“New ordinance may mean more
work for retailers throwing outdoor
sales events.” Link to the same story.
When you respond to questions or
concerns from readers, try to speak
directly to that reader. That sounds
like common sense but you would be
shocked at how many people don’t get
that. Their social media responses
sound like someone with a bullhorn,
starting every sentence with, “Did
everybody get that?”.
Everyone else will read your response
and take it in just as the other two friends
in your coffee meeting might – as a conversation between two other people, but
one that they’re privy to. They’ll retain
the information and it will feel less like
broadcasting.
Sometimes spectacle happens and
you get a surge in hits, or views, or
friends, or… whatever. The important
thing is to handle it in such a fashion
that when the looky-loos are gone your
network is intact and thriving.
Engagement and interaction is not
arbitrarily injecting yourself into the conversation; it’s not redirecting the conversation; and it’s not being the center of
the conversation. It’s being a contributor. It’s enhancing the conversation.
And a critical part of it is establishing a
reputation as the guy to listen to.
Perry Daily Journal names McCown as assistant manager
Garrett McCown was recently named
assistant manager of the Perry Daily
Journal by Publisher Phillip Reid and
Managing Editor Gloria G. Brown.
McCown began working at The Perry
Daily Journal in 2012 as an inserter and
pressman’s assistant before becoming
the head pressman at the newspaper
at the Weatherford Daily News. He
then began working in the newsroom
in Weatherford. He transferred to The
Perry Daily Journal on June 1, 2013.
“I see how important the newspaper
is to this community,” McCown said. “I
am excited to be able to help promote
and share the success of the people of
Perry and Noble County. I know the
newspaper is the most extensive history
book for any area.”
McCown and his wife Jinna, who are
expecting their first child this month,
purchased and restored a historic home
in Fairmont.
A 2008 graduate of Tipton High
School, McCown attended Southwestern
Oklahoma State University in Weatherford and Southeastern Oklahoma State
College in Durant.
As assistant manager at the Perry
Daily Journal, McCown will oversee
areas of sports, composition, human
resources and social networking, which
includes the newspaper’s Facebook and
web pages.
McCown said he is excited about the
future of the local newspaper and has a
passion for its continued success.
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STAFF DIRECTORY
ADMINISTRATION
MARK THOMAS
Executive Vice President
JEANNIE FREEMAN
Accounting Manager
SCOTT WILKERSON
Front Office/Building Mgr.
MEMBER SERVICES
LISA (POTTS) SUTLIFF
Member Services Director
ADVERTISING
LANDON COBB
Sales Director
CINDY SHEA
Advertising Director
BRENDA POER
Advertising Assistant
CREATIVE SERVICES
JENNIFER GILLILAND
Creative Services Director
ASHLEY NOVACHICH
Editorial/Creative Assistant
COMPUTER ADVICE
WILMA (MELOT) NEWBY
Computer Consultant
POSTAL ADVICE
STEVE BOOHER
Postal/Public Notice Consultant
DIGITAL CLIPPING
KEITH BURGIN
Clipping Director
KYLE GRANT
Digital Clipping Dept.
[email protected]
JENNIFER BEATLEY-CATES
MALLORY HOGAN
GENERAL INQUIRIES
(405) 499-0020
Fax: (405) 499-0048
Toll-free in OK: 1-888-815-2672
16
OKLAHOMA NATURAL GAS CONTEST WINNERS
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE APRIL & MAY 2015 WINNERS
April Column: JIM
POWELL, Yukon Review
April Editorial: WAYNE TROTTER, The Countywide & Sun
May Column: JEFF MULLIN, Enid News & Eagle
May Editorial: JOHN WYLIE II, Oologah Lake Leader
MAY 2015 COLUMN WINNER
JEFF MULLIN, Enid News & Eagle
What would you tell your younger self?
If you could, what would you say to your younger self?
The professional networking site Linkedin.com recently asked their
users just that, in regards to both work and life.
Among their responses were: Being qualified is good, but it doesn’t
entitle you to success; none of us are as clever as all of us; and, body
language speaks volumes.
All perfectly valid points, but off the mark, to my way of thinking.
So without further ado, I would like to present a much, much younger
me. Hey kid, nice plaid pants and platform shoes.
“Make it snappy old man, I’ve got work to do.”
Ah, the impatience of youth. You’ll live to regret that.
“How so?”
The more you hurry through life, the faster it goes.
Work, family, social obligations, all are important, to be sure, but
you’ve got to take some time to enjoy your life.
Before you know it, you are going to be my age.
“What, 107? So I should stop and smell the roses, right? Give me a
break. Save your clichés. I’m too busy trying to make a living. Can we
make this quick, I’ve got to go get a haircut.”
Yeah, about that hair. Enjoy that, too. It won’t last.
“Now you’re just trying to scare me.”
No, if I was trying to scare you, I would have told you about the fact
that someday you won’t sleep through the night without having to get up
and pee; you won’t be able to get up out of bed without something hurting,
somewhere; you will groan every time you get out of a chair and you will
walk into rooms without being able to remember why you walked in there,
more often than you will care to admit.
“Nah, that’s not going to happen to me. I take care of myself.”
Oh, is that what you call taking care of yourself, a Diet Coke and a
Twinkie? Anyway, be nice to people, particularly older people. Don’t treat
us like we are somehow less than human because we are no longer
young. We are just like you, only our “Best by ...” date has long since
passed.
“Come on, give me some practical advice. I can almost hear my arteries hardening, or are those yours?”
Very funny. You want advice? OK, here it is. If you are presented with
a choice between working and spending time with your family and friends,
always choose the latter.
Your career is important, to be sure, but not near as important as your
personal life.
Never let the former get in the way of the latter.
“That’s easy for you to say. You’re retired, living it up on the golf
course or at the senior citizen’s center playing canasta or some such.”
Yeah, I wish. Actually I don’t. The older you get the more you tend to
appreciate everything, even your job. The day will come when the phone
won’t ring, the texts and emails won’t come, and nobody will need you
anymore.
“Texts and emails?”
Never mind, you’ll find out soon enough.
“So tell me what I can expect as I get older, great wise sage.”
Spare me the sarcasm. OK, here goes. Life will occasionally tee you
up and drive you into the deep rough. How you cope with life’s setbacks
not only will define your character but will determine your future happiness. Oh, don’t get me wrong, there will be plenty of good times, but for
the most part you won’t appreciate them at the time. You will, in fact, take
them for granted, just like you do your hair and your ability to bend over
and tie your shoes without your body snap, crackle and popping like a
bowl of Rice Krispies.
“That’s because I am so young, right?”
I was going to say young and stupid, but we can simply leave it at
young. Your marriage will become deeper and richer through the years,
that’s one thing to look forward to, though as you age your daily conversations will evolve from whispering sweet nothings in each other’s ear to
loudly reminding one another to take your daily medications.
“You kill me, old man.”
I’d like to, but that would be suicide. But now that you brought up the
subject, death will become, not exactly a friend, but a companion of sorts
as you age. You will lose loved ones, you will lose friends. You will spend
way too much time at funerals. And you will increasingly carry with you
the knowledge that the reaper is dogging your footsteps, as well, just
waiting for the appointed time.
“‘Hey, pops, you are depressing me. Tell me something good, Old
One, give me some hope.”
Oh, you young sap, just look around you. Life’s a great ride, as long
as you love and are loved. The rest of it is just window dressing.
“So am I going to be rich and successful, sexy and sophisticated and
happy beyond my wildest dreams?”
Rich? No. Successful?
Moderately. Happy? I direct you to my previous admonition about loving and being loved. So, yeah, you’re going to be happy. And as for sexy
and sophisticated, just look at me, what do you think?
“I think I’m going to be sick.”
Enter and Win
a $100 Check
from Oklahoma
Natural Gas!
The April and May Oklahoma Natural
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were judged by a member of the
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or editorial to Oklahoma Natural Gas
Contest, c/o OPA, 3601 N. Lincoln Blvd.,
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-5499.
2. Include the author’s name, name of
publication, date of publication and
category entered (column or editorial).
3. Only ONE editorial and/or ONE column
per writer per month will be accepted.
4. All entries for the previous month must
be at the OPA office by the 15th of the
current month.
5. Winning entries will be reproduced on
the OPA website at www.OkPress.com.
Entries must have been previously
published. Contest open to
all OPA member newspapers.
Although Oklahoma Natural Gas Company
selects representative contest winners’
work for use in this monthly ad, the views
expressed in winning columns and editorials
are those of the writers and don’t necessarily
reflect the Company’s opinions.
Thank you for continued
support of “Share The Warmth”
Read the Winning Columns & Editorials on the OPA website:
www.OkPress.com (Under Contests)

To the July Publisher, click here

Transcription

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