Speaking at the Citizens Choice Awards Gala in Alva Monday night, Glen Calvert of Priefert Complex Designs said he was optimistic about the future for the Alva Arena project. That optimism is based on what he termed the culture of this area, a history of farmers and ranchers settling on the land and sticking it out despite what the weather throws at them. Northwest Oklahoma has a culture of survivors of World War I and World War II, and of the dust bowl days who persist despite setbacks.

During The Run of 1893 that brought settlers to this area of Oklahoma, Thomas Riley Martin crossed the bord...