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In the director’s notes at Tuesday night’s choral, conductor Naicee Sutter wrote about the composer Benjamin Britten. He penned two of the pieces on a voyage to England aboard a Swedish freighter. How does one create music in their mind? The musical scale has always been a foreign language to me. Music is rooted in the earliest traditions of storytelling and communication. Sometimes called the “universal language,” it began as chants by early civilization and transposed into today’s chart-top...
Four-year-old Barry was rambunctious and energetic. He was gifted by God with a charming smile, electric blue eyes and golden hair. From the moment those mesmerizing blue eyes opened, to when they reluctantly closed in sleep after he had raced headlong thru his day, Barry had to be on the move. He loved to run, climb, throw, jump and crash. In many ways, he was a normal, high energy, little boy in blue shorts, t-shirt and tennis shoes. That is except for his tendency to be a forty-one-pound...
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday. Time will tell, but I wonder what the future of agriculture will look like? Will agriculture continue to get more consolidated and larger? Will that trend correct itself and will farms get smaller? Well, if I was going to bet money, I would say that we will stay with the trend of the big continuing to get bigger and the smaller farms and ranches becoming more like hobby farms. Homesteading continues to become a realistic goal for a lot of people realizing that for the sake of their sanity and...
During the fall season every year, I find myself – like many other people – stuck in front of the television watching football games. One thing I have noticed this football season is that coaches are asking their field-goal kickers to try longer field goals than used to be the case. Back in the day, the longest field goal in the history of the National Football League (NFL) had been one of 63 yards made by Tom Dempsey in 1970 when he was playing for the New Orleans Saints. Dempsey was also fam...
I am not really in favor of total uniformity, but in this case, I will make an exception. One of the scariest things that can happen to this old guy is to really need to pee, rush into the men's room, and the door goes shut before I can find the light switch! Did you ever notice the switch is never in the same spot in bathrooms? It’s decision time. Search the walls for the switch and get wet knee, or head in the general direction of the urinal in the dark. It's a toss-up. What I propose is a...
As scammers develop new ways to steal money and identities, banks and credit card companies are working on newer, more sophisticated software to detect those scams. I really appreciate all the time and money they put into protecting people’s assets. I really do! But sometimes those safeguards can be very frustrating. For example, what’s wrong with someone attempting to make an online payment on a telephone company bill? Sure it was larger than normal, past due by two or three months, and it was...
Would you attend a Vegan Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is a uniquely American celebration. Like the 4th of July, it is commemorated worldwide by expatriates and many others. Its origin is rooted in the story of the harvest celebration in 1621 at Plymouth Colony where English Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people shared a feast. The meal is said to have symbolized cooperation and gratitude after the Pilgrims’ success at harvest, thanks to the tutoring by the Native Americans. Their knowledge of p...
Little Jimmy was one of those eight-year-boys who seem to be able to find a mud puddle in the Sahara Desert. And within seconds have his body covered with it. Sandy hair falling over mischievous bright eyes, he was an intelligent, energetic kid who had a boundless love of life. Jimmy wasn’t exactly a deliberately disobedient child, but his exuberant love of adventure seemed to cause him to have a lot of difficulty staying within his dad’s boundaries. Repeated warnings, lectures, and fla...
I know this may seem like a strange thing to say, but Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful. I say this because for many of us the true meaning of the holiday has in so many ways become clouded in just being another holiday. I think it is sometimes we just need to be reminded what the holiday was originally intended to be. It is so easy for us to get bogged down in the day-to-day worries of life and all its baggage that we lose sight of all the things we have to be thankful for. Without trying...
I was honored and humbled to take the oath of office for my final term in the Oklahoma Senate. On Nov. 13, the Senate held a swearing-in ceremony for new and returning senators to recite the oath of office and begin their four-year terms. I was touched that so many of my family members made the trip to the state Capitol to watch me get sworn in for the last time. I also want to thank everyone who has supported me during my decade of public service. This wouldn’t have happened without your encouragement and assistance. I’m grateful to rep...
It is the time of year to count your blessings. I try and do that every year – well, actually more often than that, but you get my drift. Sometimes I get caught in a rut recounting my blessings. I mean I count my family and friends as a blessing, but sometimes almost as an afterthought. I count our farm and our community as a blessing, but do I always remember that on a daily basis? It sounds horrible, but sometimes I think of my church almost as an afterthought as well, which means that my relationship with God has undoubtedly taken a b...
As Pennsylvania state treasurer, Budd Dwyer was nearing the end of a press conference on Jan. 22, 1987, he produced a pistol he had hidden inside a large manila envelope. Dwyer then backed up against the wall behind him as stunned reporters watched, put the gun into his mouth and shot himself to death. Many Pennsylvania officials later speculated that, in addition to avoiding going to prison, Dwyer was looking out for the future of his family – even if he acted irrationally. When removed from o... Full story
Even though I am writing this before Thanksgiving, I would use a line from the movie “Pretty Woman” – “If I forgot to tell everybody, I had a wonderful time, thank you.” Now it is officially time to get the Christmas spirit going, even though it was started long before Halloween. I am going to try to decorate the yard, if time allows, so watch for the glow. The truth finally came out in a trash can beauty conversation. Someone asked if the trash rates would rise yearly, and the city council g...
When I joined the Board of Regents for the Regional University System of Oklahoma (RUSO), I knew I would be serving a network of universities committed to academic excellence and public service. Through this experience, I realize the universities' commitment to health sciences and the vital role in strengthening Oklahoma's healthcare workforce. With my background in chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences, I am particularly interested in the healthcare opportunities offered by our regional...
I was sworn into my fifth term in the Oklahoma House of Representatives last week. This is always a great occasion for many reasons. First, it reminds me of the trust those in my House district have placed in me to serve their interests at the state level. Second, it gives me an opportunity to thank my family and those who have supported me in my legislative service. Joining me on the House floor during the oath of office ceremony on Nov. 20 were two of my granddaughters – Kaylynn Hoffman and I...
I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving and the chance to connect with some of my family for a meal. My daughter suggested a Tex-Mex menu this year. While I enjoy the traditional turkey dinner, you can’t go wrong with Tex-Mex in our family. Does your family have specific dishes that must be served for Thanksgiving? For my late husband, it was pecan pie although he’d settle for chocolate cream. Because it doesn’t show up much except for this time of year, I always wanted cranberry sauce. It could b...
The new Senate term started Nov. 20, and I am busily working on upcoming legislation, moving our office and preparing for what the new transition in leadership will bring. I also have a renewed focus on what issues are pertinent to our community. With that in mind, I have been attending events that directly or indirectly affect District 19. Gov. Stitt held a water conference and research symposium on Nov. 19th. I was asked to participate in a legislative panel to discuss water concerns within...
My generation sometimes describes someone old as “long in the tooth.” You can look at a horse’s teeth to tell how old they are. As they age, their teeth grow long. Healthy teeth and gums are essential for overall well-being and play a vital role in physical health and quality of life in horses and humans. Healthy gums are important, too, as they ensure a stable bite and protect the root and the cementum, the layer that protects the root. Receding gum lines are caused by a variety of issue...
Everybody knows finances are tight today. Now, one can only hope against hope that by the time this column hits your hands, the sentence I just wrote is a lie. That by some miracle the ever-escalating balloon of inflation in our country has run into a sharp knife and rapidly became a splattered has-been on the ground. I’m hoping all of us are crowding the stores, once again stocking our pantries and keeping our credit cards smoking. Yeah, I know, the eternal optimist. But let me leave that t...
I came across an article a week or so ago that I have been contemplating whether or not to share with you. I will be honest, when I first read it I became angry, because the author seemed arrogant and dismissing of so many people. I can’t say after thinking about it that all of the anger has subsided, but I did realize that much of the anger arose because it hit a very sensitive nerve. However, I have learned oftentimes it is the stuff that hits the nerve that is the most important for us to c...
Our community lost a cornerstone of the Christian faith recently when Cathy Arnall went to rest in the arms of Jesus. Her smile was infectious and her steadfast faith and belief in our Savior was legendary. She battled cancer for over six years with a grit and determination that was described as epic. The only thing that could have possibly been more epic than her fight against cancer was her tenacity for witnessing for the Lord. Deb and I got to know Steve and Cathy several years ago as our interests in growing and raising garden vegetables...
In January 1987, Pennsylvania state treasurer Budd Dwyer held a press conference at his office on the day before he was to be sentenced and removed from office. Two months earlier, a jury had convicted Dwyer of 11 felony counts stemming from a state contract that he had awarded to an accounting firm. Although he maintained his innocence, Dwyer had been found guilty of accepting a kickback from the owner of the business. Dwyer refused to tell his closest advisors what he was going to say at the...
Enjoy the day with family stories and great food. There are several places in Alva and surrounding towns for a free meal Thanksgiving Day. Check the Newsgram out for the places and times. Parents, don't be too proud to take your kids out for a good meal. If you know someone who is alone on Thanksgiving Day, call them, or get a car full and take them out for dinner. Afterwards, pick up drinks and take a drive around town or out through the country before taking them home. You will make everyone y...
In case you haven't seen the announcement by the City of Alva, trash service will be switched to Waste Connections beginning Monday, Dec. 2. The company is already making deliveries of poly carts to Alva residents, but trash should go into the Alva containers through the end of November. The announcement was made on the City of Alva app and on Facebook. By the way, you can download the free City of Alva app through your usual app store or go to alvaok.org to find the link for the download....
November 11 is the most sacred day for our country. It is a day to remember and honor those who have served and sacrificed for our American freedoms. I want to pause and send a heartfelt Thank You to all veterans in our community and those around our great nation and the world. Election Day was a testament that the Electoral College works as it was intended, to protect rural interests and rights with the election of the United States president. Even though former President Trump won the popular...
