upfront
Welcome to August, friends, and the start of school for a lot of parents. Some of you reading this might have a senior in high school this year or your baby going into first grade. We understand and know how each of those feel. We remember taking each one of our kids to the first grade and how we felt when we drove off. Our last child, Grace, will be going into her Junior year of college. This year Grace will be attending Park University in Kansas City. She will be continuing her dream of playing college basketball. She has worked really hard this summer to earn a starting position.
In this August issue, we have September 11th, 2001 as the feature story. We had to do this story now because we are celebrating Woolaroc’s 100th anniversary in September. I brought Mike Wilt out of retirement to write this feature story because I love how Mike writes and brings you right into the story. If you were in 1st grade or older during this horrific event, you will always remember where you were when you saw the planes crash into the World Trade Center buildings. When I look back at history, I really try to put myself there to get a perspective of that event. If you were not there, how can you imagine or talk about seeing these planes going over 600 mph into the buildings and killing hundreds in a second? Those people were just going to work on one sunny morning, then they were GONE! That morning I was sitting outside on my patio having a cup of coffee and watching the Today show. The horrific sight of seeing this 110-story building on fire and 10 minutes later watching the next plane slam into the South Tower was awful. We lost 2,977 souls on this day including 343 firefighters and 71 law enforcement. 184 people died at the Pentagon. 40 passengers and crew perished in a Pennsylvania field where we believe after the investigation that plane was meant to hit the US Capitol. The Capitol was saved after the plane when the words spoken by Todd Beamer before the plane crashed “Are you ready? Okay. Let’s Roll.”
From that day, all of our lives changed. Before 2001, flying or just traveling was so easy. Today it is not. We all were mesmerized by the 24/7 coverage and couldn’t stop praying for survivors and the United States. I always ask myself this question…what would you have done if you were on the 92nd floor, the fire was right at your back, your clothes started to catch fire, and the heat from the jet fuel was putting blisters all over your body? What choice would you make?
I’m writing this at 5:10pm on Wednesday, July 22nd. Tomorrow is a big day for us. We celebrate 21 years of marriage. On July 23rd, 2005 we continued our love story that started way back in the fall of 1985. Over the years I have written about our story from the darkest moments to stories that give people hope. Anything is possible when you have God making these moments of a fairytale into reality. I told someone the other day…did I think 21 years ago that Christy and I would have our lives devoted to the homeless, the unsheltered, the lost, the hungry, the thirsty, and the forgotten? No…but HE did! I love the story of Job in the Bible. Job had it all and everything was so good until the Devil went to God and said let me have Job (Keith). I want to break him where he will have no faith in you. God agreed, but said you can not take his life. Just as in the story the Devil came at us for the first 16 months of our marriage and did everything to destroy me and us. Many do not know how close I was to death and divorce. Christy believed in me just enough and never gave up praying for me. On July 24th 2005, just a day after our marriage, the scheme was on, and oh how close he was to taking everything away. I want to thank my beautiful wife, Christy, for never giving up on us. I have been clean from my addiction for over 19 years. I can never express or put into words how I feel when I see her today. It is exactly the same way I felt in 1985. Thank you, Christy, for loving me. When I was blind you helped me see! Happy Anniversary, Baby. I Love You, Simply yours, Keith
Volume XVII Issue VIII
Bartlesville Monthly Magazine is published by ENGEL PUBLISHING
Office located in the B the Light Mission 219 North Virginia Avenue, Bartlesville, Oklahoma 74003 www.bartlesvillemonthly.com facebook.com/bartlesvillemonthly
Publisher Brian Engel brian@bartlesvillemonthly.com
Graphics Engel Publishing matt@engelpublishing.com
Director of Sales & Marketing Keith McPhail keith@bartlesvillemonthly.com
Community Liaison Christy McPhail christy@bartlesvillemonthly.com
Project Manager Andrea Whitchurch andrea@bartlesvillemonthly.com
Administration Shelley Greene Stewart
Delivery and Distribution Dewayne Engel Calendar/Social Media calendar@bartlesvillemonthly.com
Contributing Writers
Debbie Neece, Kay Little, Kelly Hurd Jay Hastings, Keith McPhail, Jay Webster
Mike Wilt, Lori Just, Joe Todd, Greg Wheat Maria Gus, Brent Taylor, Mike Tupa
Contributing Photographers
Bartlesville Area History Museum
Bartlesville Photo Studio
Becky Burch, Debbie Neece, Andy Dossett
Calendars
Debbie Neece
ABOUT THE COVER
Remembering 9-11-2001 and how it impacted lives right here in Bartlesville.
Creative concept by Keith and Christy McPhail
Design by Engel Publishing
and Christy McPhail, bmonthly Managing Editors
Matt Hennesy New Coach Prepared to Guide BPS Football
by Lori Just
When Coach Matt Hennesy accepted the head football coaching position at Bartlesville High School just before Christmas, the move happened quickly.
Within days of finishing a playoff run at his previous school in Pawhuska, he interviewed with district leaders, accepted the job and reported to Bartlesville as students returned from winter break in January. While the timeline was fast, the decision itself was an easy one knowing that Bartlesville offered everything he and his family were looking for.
“My wife Tara was all in on the move,” Coach Hennesy said. “ When this job came available, we weren’t really looking to move. But we like Bartlesville. The kids were excited. My wife’s family’s all here. Her mom works in the school district here. My brother-in-law is the head basketball coach. Our kids already had cousins going to school here. It was a good move for our family.”
Family was only part of the equation. Professionally, he saw the ingredients necessary to build a successful football program.
“The way the administration approached the job and going to kind of let me do what I do here and let me hire a great staff,” he said, “that was a big piece.”
Although Bartlesville football has struggled in recent years, Coach Hennesy wasn’t discouraged by the challenge. In fact, rebuilding programs has become the defining theme of his career.
“This is my 34th year of coaching and pretty much my whole career has been taking over programs that aren’t very good and trying to turn them around,” he said. “That’s kind of what I’ve done.”
Most recently, he spent eight seasons at Pawhuska, where he inherited a struggling program and transformed it into a consistent playoff contender. Before that, his coaching journey took him across Oklahoma and beyond. He began as an assistant at Jenks before coaching in Dodge City, Kansas, then Dallas. He later served as head coach at Muskogee for 10 years, followed by stops at Locust Grove and then Pawhuska.
“That’s kind of the life of a coach,” he said. “You ride the wave of it. You’re not looking to leave, but you try to leave your mark.”
In Bartlesville, he believes he has found a place where he can do just that.
“There are five things I look for when I take a job,” Coach Hennesy explained. “Players. Great coaching staff. Administration and teachers. Parents. Then the community.”
He believes Bartlesville checks every box. He also praised the school district.
“The administration and teachers here are amazing,” he said. “One of the best school districts I’ve ever been a part of.”
Support from parents and the community also stood out immediately.
“The parents have been great and supportive,” he said. “The community’s a big piece when I look for a job. It’s supportive of its programs. It’s supportive of its youth. Even when Bartlesville football was not good, people were still coming to the games.”
Then, jokingly, he added, “We’re hoping we can keep them here past halftime this year.”
Coach Hennesy’s philosophy has been shaped by one of college football’s legendary program builders.
After playing high school football at Enid, where his team won a state championship during his junior year, he continued his playing career at Kansas State University under Hall of Fame coach Bill Snyder.
“When Coach Snyder came into Kansas State, we were one of the worst programs in the history of college football,” Coach Hennesy said.
Watching Snyder rebuild the Wildcats left a lasting impression.
“I think his biggest thing was how to build relationships with your coaches and with your players,” he said. “It’s not so much about X’s and O’s. It’s about building relationships.”
That philosophy extends beyond the locker room.
“My wife does a great job of building relationships with the other coaches’ wives and making them feel part of everything, so it becomes like a family around our program,” he added.
The second lesson Coach Hennesy carried with him from Coach Snyder was accountability.
“Holding everybody accountable and not being afraid to have hard conversations,” he said.
That standard, he said, begins with himself.
“I’m going to hold myself accountable, I’m going to hold my players accountable,” he said. “I joke that I’m going to hold the superintendent accountable too. Things they’ve said they’ll do, they’ll make happen. I’m going to hold them accountable.”
For Coach Hennesy, accountability isn’t about criticism. It’s about creating consistent expectations for everyone involved in the program.
“We’re setting a standard that we expect to be,” he said. “The word culture gets thrown around a little bit too much, but the culture definitely wasn’t here. I think it was all because nobody was held accountable.”
He believes every person connected to the program shares responsibility.
“It doesn’t matter if you are winning or losing, the best player on the team or the worst player on the team, the superintendent or the janitor,” he said while describing Snyder’s influence. “You were going to be held to a standard of excellence.”
When Bartlesville hired Coach Hennesy, he wasted no time getting to work. One of his first priorities was assembling his coaching staff. The group includes longtime assistants who have coached with him previously, along with respected local coaches.
“We’ve got guys that have played for me, guys that have coached for me and three guys that have been head coaches,” he shared. “We’ve got an amazing staff.”
The players responded immediately.
“When we got here, we had about 35 players,” Coach Hennesy said. “We immediately had 70 players working out at 6:30 in the morning. We’re up to about 85 now.”
The increase in participation is encouraging, but numbers alone aren’t his goal. He also wants to reconnect athletics across campus.
“There was not a very good connection between other sports here,” he said. “If you played baseball, you played baseball. If you played football, you played football. I believe high school athletes should have the opportunity to compete in multiple
sports. They ought to have fun and do all the sports they want to do.”
That philosophy helped inspire Summer Pride, a conditioning program that brings athletes from multiple sports together.
“We’ve got about 200 kids in Summer Pride,” he said. “Baseball kids, basketball kids, football kids, track kids, soccer kids. We’ve got a little bit of everything out there all working together.”
On the football field, players will notice significant changes this fall.
“I think everything’s new,” Coach Hennesy said.
While football fundamentals remain the same, nearly every aspect of the program has been rebuilt. The team’s new foundation is centered on their slogan: TEAM is Tempo, Effort, Attitude & Mental Toughness. Beyond that, there are new offensive and defensive systems, new coaches, new uniforms, a switch from Under Armour to Nike and, most importantly, new expectations.
“New standards and new level of accountability,” he said. “Pretty much everything’s new.”
Despite decades in coaching, Coach Hennesy’s enthusiasm for the profession remains as strong as ever.
“I don’t have any hobbies,” he said with a laugh. “Football and family.”
His path wasn’t always headed toward coaching. As a college student, he originally planned to become a lawyer before realizing his passion was elsewhere.
“I started off pre-law,” he said. “I realized I was doing it for the wrong reasons. Switching to coaching was the best decision I ever made.”
More than three decades later, he still feels the same excitement each morning.
“I could retire in four years,” he said. “But I’m not going to. I’ll retire the day I wake up and have to go to work. I’ve been doing it 34 years, and I haven’t been to work yet.”
That passion, paired with a proven history of rebuilding football programs through relationships, accountability and high standards, is exactly what Coach Hennesy hopes will shape the future of Bartlesville football.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” he said. “But the kids
Where Were You On 9-11
by Mike Wilt
New York City Prior to the Attack
Prologue
“Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature. And we responded with the best of America.” – President George W. Bush.
Americans of a certain age remember where they were and what they were doing on September 11, 2001. In a coordinated series of attacks, nineteen Islamic terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes. They flew two directly into the World Trade Center (WTC) towers in New York City. They slammed one into the Pentagon in Virginia just outside of Washington D.C. Hijackers of the fourth plane, whose target was thought to be the U.S. Capitol Building, were thwarted thanks to several brave passengers and crew members. The plane ended up crashing in rural Pennsylvania.
The deadliest act of terrorism killed 2,996 people, most of whom were civilians. Thousands more were injured. Millions more ached and mourned.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of what will forever be known as 9/11. Gut-wrenching facts, gruesome pictures, and ghastly videos are as close as a computer or the local library. And next month, throughout the country, there will be an abundance of retrospectives, tributes, and ceremonies. Many will provide opportunities to learn about and remember what that day was like for the nation.
But what was that day like for Bartlesville?
The Day Of – Jane Phillips Medical Center
“Turn your TV on!”
They ran down the hallway.
Several employees from the hospital’s Information Technology department darted from their offices on the west side of the Patient Tower’s tenth floor. Ironically, the only cable televisions were located on the east side, which housed JPMC’s foundation, marketing, and public relations departments.
“Turn your TV on!” an I.T. staffer implored.
The somewhat perturbed co-worker obliged. One of the three Tulsa stations popped onto the screen since monitoring severe weather was the main reason for having televisions in that particular department. The group sat and stood motionless as enormous, dark clouds of smoke billowed from the WTC’s North Tower. They intently listened to a news anchor who knew little more than they did.
Then, it happened.
At 9:03 a.m., the gathering watched on live TV as a Boeing 767 plunged into the South Tower.
An audible gasp. Hands raised to lips. Eyelids closed. Heads bowed.
Then…silence.
Similar scenarios occurred throughout the other floors and departments of the hospital. Former CEO David Stire was chief financial officer back then.
“One of the main reasons people work in health care is to help
others. Many consider it a calling from God. On that particular day, there was a heavy sense of helplessness.”
While they possessed the knowledge and skills to help others, the disheartened doctors, nurses, and clinical staffers could only watch from some 1,300 miles away.
The Day Of – Bartlesville High School
“It just can’t keep getting worse.”
Retired Bartlesville Public Schools Superintendent Chuck McCauley had been an assistant principal for a matter of weeks. Long before the age of iPhones, pagers began buzzing.
“Something happened,” his assistant told him.
McCauley and others quickly learned the awful details and rolled television sets into the hallways so students could check the latest news between classes.
In charge of attendance and discipline, McCauley desperately tried to separate fact from fiction as a flood of students began checking out of school. At the same time, he was burdened with a feeling of unease.
“My wife, Jennifer, was teaching in Pawhuska, and my fouryear-old son, Mason, was in daycare. It was difficult not being in the same town.”
But he remained committed to his students.
“Being in a leadership position, I just wanted to remain visible and available. And make sure counseling was provided to anyone who needed it.”
Retired BPS administrator Granger Meador was teaching physics on that day. He was tutoring a student during his planning period when someone asked if he heard a plane had hit a World Trade Center building.
“I just assumed it was an accident.”
Events quickly confirmed the agonizing reality – it was no accident.
“My approach was to not discuss it during my class. I knew the students would be exposed to the news in other classes and during lunch.”
There was another factor impacting Meador’s approach. He was in high school when President Ronald Reagan was shot.
“It was very traumatic for all of us kids.”
A BHS senior, Jordan (Fraser) Ihrig was already having a difficult day. A classmate’s older sister had just passed away due to health issues. Around 9:30 a.m., her mom pulled her out of class to let her know what was going on.
“But I stayed in school. The teachers were in just as much shock as we were.”
She watched news updates scroll across the bottom of the TV screen. It was apparent what had occurred was intentional.
“It just can’t keep getting worse,” she thought to herself.
Already looking ahead to college, Jordan was considering Columbia University and New York University, both of which were
located minutes from the WTC.
“Could I be there in twelve months?” she wondered.
Jordan reflected on another tragedy that occurred when she was a fifth grader at Hoover Elementary – the Oklahoma City bombing.
Brice King was also starting his senior year. Now a Wells Fargo commercial banker and father of six-year-old twin girls, King said it was an eerie day.
“My second hour class was orchestra, and we just sat in silence the entire time listening to the radio. We were all in shock. It was very somber all day.”
Years later as an adult, King met an Oklahoma banker who was supposed to be in one of the WTC towers, but he was late getting to the train station.
The Day of – Central Middle School
“The kids were rattled.”
It was a gorgeous morning as Earl Sears, the energetic principal of Central Middle School, performed his daily ritual of greeting students as they arrived on campus. A passing eighth grader asked Mr. Sears if he heard about a plane hitting a New York City building.
“That’s odd,” Sears mumbled to himself.
He continued welcoming his students. When the bell rang, he walked toward the building still chewing on what that student had asked.
“That’s just odd,” he thought again.
Sears headed directly to the library and turned on a TV. Like many others, he saw the second plane as it happened.
“We are under attack!”
Never one to loiter in his office on any day, Sears meticulously visited every classroom multiple times.
Between classes, the hallways were filled with some 800 students.
“But it was very quiet, very subdued.”
It didn’t take long for parents – mainly moms – to start checking their children out of school.
“Some just wanted to be with their kids while others went to church to pray.”
As for the usual bureaucratic procedure for parents picking up children, “We just did away with all of that. It was a different day.”
School office phones constantly rang as parents who could not leave work called to check on their children.
As he continued to walk all three stories, Sears knew he had to do something more.
“I’m tellin’ ya, the kids were rattled.”
Just before lunch, Sears called for an assembly to be held in the auditorium for the students who were still there.
“I told them that I wasn’t supposed to do this, but I was going to pray. I said if anyone felt uncomfortable, they didn’t have to stay. Nobody left.”
The Day of – Wilson Elementary School
“What is the world going to be like for him?”
Kane Elementary School Principal Tammie Krause was a second grade teacher at Wilson Elementary 25 years ago. She was leading a small group of students at the classroom’s reading table when a kindergarten teacher burst in to ask if she had heard the news.
She had not.
“It was a blessing that technology wasn’t as advanced as it is today,” Krause said. “Otherwise, it would have been extremely chaotic.”
While the teachers were aware of the day’s awful events, the young students – who had not been checked out by their parents – continued with their learning.
“We kept everything normal. We just kept going.”
Still, Krause could not help but think of her son who was in kindergarten at Wilson.
“What is the world going to be like for him?” she wondered.
Krause also had an aunt and uncle who once worked at the Pentagon.
“They could’ve still been there.”
Absenteeism was unusually high the rest of the week. And the mood was solemn.
“But nobody felt unsafe at school. In fact, school was our safe place.”
The Day Of – Phillips Petroleum Company
“We have got to get a hold of ALL our people.”
After the North Tower was hit, several Phillips Petroleum Company employees gathered around a TV in the sixth floor conference room of the Information Center Building. In his eighth year as manager of worldwide corporate security, Tom Holland was in his office answering calls on his landline telephone and scribbling notes. He then strolled into the conference room just as the second plane hit the South Tower. He asked if that was a replay. He was told it was not.
“We are at war,” the former FBI agent declared. “That was not a malfunction.”
Like any other day, Phillips had hundreds of employees traveling nationally and internationally. And that included the CEO, senior executives, and board members who were in Washington D.C. The executive vice president Holland reported to, Bill Z. Parker, remained behind in Bartlesville. Parker gave his full support to whatever Holland thought needed to be done.
Holland immediately got on the intercom system and announced to all local employees that the country was under attack. Further, all travel plans were to be postponed. He then addressed his team.
“We have got to get a hold of ALL our people.”
He and his team quickly reached out to the company’s travel unit to identify employees who were going overseas. Those who were already overseas were told to get a hotel room for a week even if they didn’t need it.
Despite technological limitations of the day, Holland and his
team were successful.
“We got a hold of everyone.”
They were also in constant contact with the company’s top official in Washington D.C. Nationwide, air traffic had been totally shut down, and that included corporate jets. A brand new Holiday Inn Express about 25 miles outside of D.C. was available for the entire Phillips contingent, but the decision was made to ride it out. Some five days later, the Phillips corporate jet safely landed in Bartlesville.
The Day of – A Ramona Man
“We’re getting out of here!”
Three days after 9/11 people learned what a Washington County man had experienced on 9/11…in New York City. The September 14 edition of the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported a 24-year-old Ramona native had escaped death from the South Tower. Kent Shaub worked for a securities firm on the 29th floor. He heard a loud explosion, which he thought was thunder. But when he looked out his window, he saw debris –including concrete and metal – flying through the air. A voice came over the intercom to report the other building had been hit, so everyone could go back to work. However, Shaub remembered the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
“We’re getting out of here!” he told his co-workers. They ran down the stairwell, which was not crowded at all, and exited the building. The former Caney Valley High School baseball standout got a block or so away and began counting heads. His roommate was not among them. He looked up just as the second plane hit the tower he had just left.
He and the others turned and began running for their lives. According to his father, Steve, Kent worried about being struck by a chunk of concrete. Still, he managed to lead others to safety, including a woman and her baby.
After reaching a safe distance from “Ground Zero,” Kent called his mom and dad in Ramona.
He was alive.
The Day Of – Bartlesville People in New York City
“Something’s going on, and it’s not good.”
Also in NYC were six travelling locals. Dan Keleher Jr. and his wife, Janie, were attending a billboard industry convention along with Dan’s parents and another couple.
On the evening of September 10, the party of six thoroughly enjoyed dinner at the fashionable Russian Tea Room in Manhattan.
The next morning in their room at the Times Square Marriott Hotel, Dan was watching television while Janie was just getting started for the day. Live footage of the smoking North Tower had Dan’s full attention. He recalled being there three weeks earlier. While on a ferry boat tour around Ellis Island, he wondered why small aircraft were allowed to fly so close to the WTC towers. Seeing the images on TV, Dan just assumed a Piper Cub accidentally hit the building.
Then a jetliner hit the South Tower.
“Janie! Get out of the shower…NOW! Something’s going on, and it’s not good!”
After coming to grips with what was occurring, the Kelehers
called St. John Catholic School to let the staff and their children know that they were safe. They walked to nearby St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It was full but silent amidst prayers. They wondered what to do next. There was no visible way out. And, oddly, they thought about their second option for dinner the night before.
“We considered going to the restaurant that was on the 107th floor of the North Tower,” Dan said.
When nighttime fell, Times Square was desolate. No cars. No people. Just one open but empty McDonald’s.
On September 12, the Bartlesville sextet took a commuter train to meet one of Dan’s friends who had secured a 1995 Dodge Caravan. The friend had a friend who worked as a Hollywood stagehand.
“You would not believe the job he did strapping the luggage of six people onto the roof of that car,” Dan remarked. “Made it all the way home.”
The Day Of – Bartlesville People in Washington D.C.
“Give me the largest car you got.”
Five local professionals were in the nation’s capital as part of the State Chamber of Oklahoma’s annual fly-in. The group included Arvest Bank CEO Donny Story, Bartlesville Development Corporation CEO Jim Fram and his wife, Kelli, and Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce CEO Pam Dunlap and her husband, State Senator Jim Dunlap.
Story and Kelli Fram were touring the White House. Jim Fram was amongst a crowd on Capitol Hill listening to a speech by U.S. Senator Don Nickles. Jim Dunlap was attending a meeting
conducted by a group of conservative state legislators and private sector representatives. He was preparing to become the group’s chairman. However, the meeting abruptly ended after the North Tower was hit. Sen. Dunlap briskly walked back to the J.W. Marriott Hotel. Upon reaching their room, Jim found that Pam was distressed after watching The Today Show. He tried to reassure her that everything was going to be just fine.
“Jim, you don’t understand. Another plane just hit the second tower!”
“Something’s up. We need to get out of here!”
The senator’s intimate knowledge of D.C. was invaluable as he headed straight for a nearby car rental agency. He was the fourth person in line.
“Give me the largest car you got.”
By the time he was handed the keys to a Ford Expedition, there were a hundred people in line.
Story and the Frams made it back to the hotel to rejoin the Dunlaps. Within two hours, they were headed out of D.C.
“There were thousands of people on the sidewalks after being evacuated from buildings, but it was absolutely silent,” Pam recalled. “As we drove, we saw armored tanks around the White House.”
The rented Ford SUV was the last vehicle to enter one of the tunnels before they were closed. A short time later, the Bartlesville bunch was on the west side of the Potomac River.
“We could see smoke from the Pentagon,” Pam said. “Due to
the traffic, members of the military had abandoned their personal vehicles and were jogging to base.”
They did not know what was happening when they left, and, sadly, news reporters on the car radio did not know much more.
“We thought we might be at war,” Sen. Dunlap said. “So, we frequently stopped for gas, food, water, and other supplies.”
The group spent the night in Tennessee. They arrived in Bartlesville on September 12. The next day, the Dunlaps celebrated their son’s third birthday.
The Day of – The City of Bartlesville
Local gas stations were flooded with cars, but nobody drove anywhere.
“Business slowed noticeably,” said Jim Curd, owner of Dink’s BBQ and Sterling’s Grille. “People stayed close to home, but they eventually returned.”
Washington Park Mall closed at 12:30 p.m. It reopened at 10 a.m. the following day with a moment of silence.
The county courthouse remained open for business, but all district court cases were postponed. City Hall also remained opened while many local businesses closed or did not open at all.
Remarkably, the events of the day did not deter people from going to the polls. All three city bond proposals easily passed in a special election.
“I am very pleased that voters – approximately 4,200 of them – turned out on a day when we are all suffering from a national tragedy,” said Mayor Ted Lockin.
Area high school softball games were cancelled.
Challenged by Oklahoma Wesleyan University President Dr. Paul Mills not to give in to fear, the women’s volleyball team traveled to Muskogee for a pair of matches.
“We all here at OWU are praying for our nation,” said Athletic Director Jere Johnson.
The local Red Cross issued a plea for blood donations.
Bartlesville radio combined news of local events while tapping into special network feeds reporting the shock and dismay of unfolding events.
The Day Of – Bartlesville Fire Department
“Nobody said anything.”
Bill Hollander was in his fifteenth year as a Bartlesville fireman. Walking to get some coffee after spending the night at the Central Fire Station, he found his colleagues silent and glued to the TV.
“I said, ‘Good morning.’ Nobody said anything.”
Hollander quickly realized why everyone was so quiet. Even though he was off the next 48 hours, he did not want to go home.
“I was afraid I might miss something.”
He and the others shared a range of emotions.
“We were stunned, in disbelief. And then we were frustrated and angry. Like, how dare you!”
There has always been a kinship amongst fire fighters regardless of city, state, or country. That kinship went a little deeper that day.
“When the first tower collapsed, we knew many of our brothers had died. And we were proud to see first responders going into the second tower knowing what had happened to the first one. They knew they wouldn’t make it out, but they went anyway.”
The Following Days
“The unity and goodwill dissipated in 60-90 days.”
In the immediate aftermath, BPS continued classes while being sensitive to students’ questions and emotional needs. Local businesses and civic clubs collected money for rescue and relief efforts. Phillips Petroleum donated $3 million to the cause. County and city officials gathered for prayer near the courthouse flag pole. Area residents stepped outside their homes and gathered on street corners at 7p.m. on Friday to light candles as a show of strength and unity against terrorism. High school football games were postponed to Saturday.
On Sunday, local churches were full.
“We prayed over our nation,” said recently retired First Wesleyan Church Pastor Joe Colaw. “We prayed for protection, for revival.”
Where is God in times of suffering? Several weeks before 9/11, Grace Community Church Senior Pastor Dr. Rod MacIlvaine prepared a sermon on that topic for 9/16.
“My opening was quite different, but the body of the message fit perfectly.”
Serendipity?
“For me…not for Him.”
For a time, there was an increase in spiritual concerns.
“But it didn’t last very long,” Colaw said.
American pride and patriotism swept through the country in the following weeks and months. But it did not continue.
“All of the unity and goodwill dissipated in 60-90 days,” MacIlvaine remembered.
Epilogue
“Never Forget.”
That phrase quickly became linked to September 11, 2001. And it remains linked to this day. However, much has changed, even in the five years since the 20th anniversary.
Incredibly, candidates in New York state (and elsewhere) have won elections despite openly proclaiming that America “deserved” 9/11. Others within our borders are fighting to “eradicate” Western civilization because of “capitalism, racism, white supremacy and Islamophobia.” In some pockets of the country, local governments and home ownership associations prohibited displays of the American flag leading up to the Fourth of July. After ceremonies commemorating our country’s 250th anniversary, some journalists described flyovers as “nervewracking.” Others complained D.C. briefly experienced the worst air quality of any major city because of a 40-minute fireworks display.
Never Forget?
We shall see.
Comforting Tears
. . . On Our 25th Remembrance of 9/11
September 11, 2001…a day that not only shook America to its core, but took the breath of the world…a day that left a gaping hole in the heart of New York City and people across the world…a day that shattered the confidence of America and placed her on high alert…a day of unconceivable pain and evil from which America shall never heal, but remember until eternity. The day that melted two-hours into one heart stopping moment.
Recognized as one of the deadliest acts of terrorism in world history, the tragedy at the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers claimed 2,753 lives; the Pentagon, 184 lives; Flight 93, 40 lives; and yet, the total continues to rise daily as we lose many more to toxic dust illnesses and broken hearts.
The words “we shall not forget” are merely words without the full backing of tangible memorials that are constant comforting reminders, supported by memorial ceremonies on anniversaries. At the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, their registry has documented over 1,200 memorials from across the world, planted by people who wept with us and who stand beside us.
Among these memorials is a touching tribute sculpted by Zurab Tsereteli and gifted to the United States on September 11, 2006 by the Russian people. The Teardrop Memorial, dedicated “To the Struggle Against World Terrorism,” is located at the former Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne, NJ. This massive 100-foot-tall bronze-clad monument has a jagged split down its middle, filled with a 40-foot-tall, highly polished nickel teardrop. Because the monument is tribute to the fallen at both the 1993 and 9/11 World Trade
by Debbie Neece
Center bombing attacks, granite plates surround the base of the structure, displaying the names of those lost during both events.
Less than 8 miles north, at Liberty State Park, NJ, directly across the Hudson River from the obliterated World Trade Center site, stands the Empty Sky Memorial dedicated to the 746 New Jersey lives lost during the three 9/11 attacks. The strategically placed 210-foot-long and 30-foot-tall, stainless steel, twin walls are separated by a 12-foot-wide bluestone walking path. Dedicated on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, the walls hold the names of each N.J. victim and the memorial is reflective of Bruce Springsteen’s “Empty Sky” song lyrics…I woke up this morning to an empty sky.
It was the dedication of an army that created the Eleven Tears Memorial Crystal, located on the ground floor lobby of the American Express Tower in tribute of the eleven American Express employees forever lost on 9/11. An eleven-sided, carefully crafted, 600-pound quartz crystal is suspended over an elevensided granite reflecting pool with employee names etched into the granite and family memories scribed into the pool floor. Symbolic drops of water randomly fall from the ceiling, mimicking tears, creating solemn ripples in the pool.
This 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding is also the 25th anniversary of a tearful 9/11 remembrance. As we share the strength, unity and hope of America, remember the words of Simon & Garfunkel, “When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all. Like a bridge over troubled water.” America Strong!
Empty Sky Memorial, Liberty State Park, NJ, Wikimedia Commons
I Am an American
by Mike Jerry Tupa
Editor’s Note: My partner and co-founder of the Bartlesville Area Sports Report, Mike Tupa, penned this column in January before passing away in April. While we previously shared his column detailing his health battles, I have intentionally held this specific piece until after the Fourth of July. I wanted Mike’s reflections on country and liberty to be read without the noise and rush of the holiday itself. In honor of his legacy and patriotism, it is presented here exactly as he wrote it.
I am an American.
— Becky Burch
I have seen the panorama of this great nation from coast to coast and across the ocean.
I have waded into the Atlantic Ocean off a gray coast in South Carolina, I have jumped into a rolling blue wave spawned by the Pacific Ocean near a beach in Southern California.
I have run through an Hawaiian sunrise on Oahu; I have stood on the edge of a plunging mine pit — hundreds of feet deep and several football fields wide — in the beautiful rugged mountains and high desert of Northern Nevada.
I have surveyed the Oroville Dam in North Central California and marveled at man’s architectural miracles;
I have been close enough to the power of a spectacular Oklahoma thunder-ripping storm — that seemed to convulse the ground — to almost be able to touch an electrifying spider web of night-gashing lightning bolts.
I have stood on the sidelines of colossal stadiums, including Candlestick Park, Jack Murphy Stadium, the Oakland Coliseum and others, just a few feet from the action while I took photos at my own risk.
I am an American.
I have seen overwhelming tears of happiness in my mom’s eyes after a couple of bikers in her apartment complex taped American flags on their choppers for the Fourth of July.
I have stood still at attention — with no one else around — in the complete darkness on a seawall around the Marine Corps base in Iwakuni, Japan, to honor the playing of “Retreat” or “The
Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
I have interviewed Marines sitting on the March Air Force Base tarmac as they waited to board giant jets to fly to Iraq to rescue the nation of Kuwait and to fight tyranny; I have stood on the same tarmac when they returned several months later as triumphal warriors. I have seen them hug their wives and children and absorb the adulation of others there to greet them.
I have driven 1,200 miles nonstop through Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, the desert plains and hills of Wyoming and into Utah.
I am an American.
I have sat in Mr. Yorgason’s eighth-grade history class while he taught us about the valiant soldiers of the Revolution; I have felt inspiration during Mr. Gadd’s A.P. History class.
I am an American.
On a geographical basis, God has guided me on a journey that has included being a resident of 10-months-or-longer in eight states, ranging from Beaufort, S.C. to Oroville, Calif., to Kanehoe, Hawaii — and places in between.
I have a mail address in at least 18 different U.S. cities — not counting two years for missionary service in Italy and more than seven months on a Marine Corps deployment to Iwakuni, Japan.
But America is more than just a lot of places or history or patriotic observations. It is more than a symbol.
It is a vibrant reality of the ethereal element known as liberty. The liberty to create a destiny, to make our dreams come true without government oversight. It is our legacy to worship God — the fount of all true blessings — in our own way.
I appreciate a couple of related quotes from T.V. shows:
— “You figure a man can begin about sundown and make a new life for hisself.” (“Gunsmoke” 1974)
— “You can’t set your watch by a dream. They operate on schedules all on their own.” (“Perfect Strangers” 1986)
That’s what Americans do. That’s what liberty is all about.
Unlike socialism, communism, feudalism or absolutism, in which are squashed the creative yearnings to be different or better, work choices or education choices and almost every bit
Mike Tupa and his mother.
of individualism is forbidden — kind of like a cow herd — a state of liberty allows people to extend their talents, their desires, their hard work into ultimate self-fulfillment.
People set their own timetables.
I didn’t get my first full-time newspaper job until I was 31 going on 32. Prior to that, I fulfilled religious service for two years in Italy, attended college for four-plus years, joined the Marine Corps when I was 25, and worked for virtually minimum wage for two years until a newspaper in Nevada took a chance on me.
It wasn’t an ideal plan — it wasn’t even a plan.
I am an American.
It took a while — and a lot of persistence and determination — for me to figure it out.
The point is, America gave me the freedom to work out my fate and to make my dream come true.
America has given you all the freedom to choose for yourselves.
I know from my experience and observations of others that there are often challenges that seem overwhelming, roadblocks, hardships and unfairness that we have to overcome.
During my search for a newspaper job, I had to drive 600 miles one way to interview for a job and 600 miles back — at my expense. And, I didn’t get it.
But my legacy of liberty allowed me to keep knocking on other doors until someone finally answered.
I am an American.
The “open” sign is always out the door of opportunity. There are so many well-known examples.
— A troubled young lad named Babe Ruth rising to be a baseball superstar and beloved icon for millions.
— A poor little Italian immigrant named Frank Capra that developed into a movie maker that created the all-time classic “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
— An incredible athlete named Jackie Robinson who was raised by a single mother in an extremely large family and went on to break Major League Baseball’s racial barrier.
— A Kansas boy named Glenn Cunningham, with nearly useless legs as a result of a fire, developed himself into one of America’s greatest mile runners of all time.
— An actor named Ronald Reagan who transformed himself into a great political leader and became the oldest man to win a presidential election.
— A son of German immigrants named Lawrence Welk who came off a farm in North Dakota to eventually become one of the greatest entertainers in history and made — and continues to make — millions of people happy.
— A young actor named Sidney Poitier who worked exhaustively to overcome a thick Bahamian accent in order to speak English with a precise diction and to become the first male Black Academy Best Actor Award winner.
What’s more amazing is the countless numbers of celebrities or non-celebrities that have quietly and doggedly built lives of happiness and meaning because of the tools they found or forged in the workshop of liberty.
I can’t help but think of my partner in this website venture, Becky Burch. She had a dream to make her living as a professional photographer - specializing in sports.
She fought the odds, made the sacrifices and put in the hard work to do it and become one of the finest sports action photographers you’ll find anywhere.
And she’s still doing it.
As for my journey, I credit my Heavenly Father for guiding me and opening doors and helping me to succeed as reporter and writer, even if not the greatest at either. The other experiences he blessed me in are amazing to me — as the son of my parents and brother of my sister, as a very good distance runner for five years in my 20’s and 30’s (I ran a 5K in 16:50), as a missionary in Italy, as an honorably-discharged four-ear active duty Marine, as a college graduate, as a public speaker, as a member of the Bartlesville Athletic Hall of Fame, and so many other privileges and wonderful people, observations, protections and epiphanies.
I don’t know how much longer my final chapter will extend. My arms, wrists and hands are stiffening up, especially on the left side and I’m dealing with a variety of other life-affecting health issues, including mobility.
But whatever remains — and whatever follows — I thank God that I am an American and for the amazing tour He’s taken me on.
Thank you, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert R. Livingston and Roger Sherman of the Declaration of Independence committee.
Thank you Continental Congress for approving it and signing it.
Thank you George Washington and incredibly Revolutionary War soldiers for winning our freedom.
Thank you to the millions of soldiers who have died or endured crippling injuries — and those who came home with the honor of having served in the uniform — to preserve our liberty, peace and prosperity.
America has not been without its flaws. But it has never shed its ideals. It has never stopped trying to get better and to live up to the ideals stated in the Declaration: “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
AUGUST CALENDAR SPONSORED BY
Dewey HS Softball vs Bishop Kelley
10:00 a.m., Dewey HS
Copan First Day of School
Dewey Volleyball vs Summit
4:00 p.m. Dewey HS
Bruin Volleyball vs Sand Springs & Ponca City
12 p.m. BHS
Bruin Varsity Volleyball vs Ponca City
OKWU Eagles Volleyball vs MACU
2:30 p.m. OKWU
Dewey Schools First Day of School
Caney Valley Schools First Day of School
Bartlesville First Day of School
Copan Softball Tournament
All Day; August 14-16
OKWU Eagles Soccer vs Oklahoma Baptist University
11:00 a.m. OKWU
Dewey Volleyball vs The Academy
4 p.m. Dewey HS
17 18 21 24 25 28 27 26 29
Dewey HS Softball vs Claremore Seq.
5:00 p.m. Dewey HS
Dewey HS Softball vs Commerce
5:00 p.m. Dewey HS
Aug 18, 4:00 p.m. Copan Softball vs Welch
4:00 p.m. Copan HS
Bruin Varsity Volleyball vs Sapulpa (Home)
6:00 p.m. BHS
Dewey 4 -Way Football Scrimmage
5:00 p.m. Dewey HS
Dewey Volleyball vs BAHA
5:00 p.m. Dewey HS
Dewey HS Softball vs Lincoln Christian
5:00 p.m. Dewey HS
Copan Softball vs Oklahoma Union
4:30 p.m. Copan HS
Bruin Varsity Volleyball vs Owasso
6:00 p.m. BHS
OKWU Men’s Soccer vs Avila University
Time TBA. OKWU
Dewey Volleyball vs Noah
5:00 p.m. Dewey HS Dewey HS Softball Festival
All Day; August 27-28 Bruin Football vs Skiatook
7:00 p.m. BHS
Dewey Volleyball vs Sperry
4:00 p.m. Dewey HS
OKWU Men’s Soccer vs Avila University
8:00 p.m.. OKWU
AUGUST EVENTS:
On the Rock After School Program (Parents pickup by 6)
3rd-5th Grade Monday: Kane, Jane Phillips, Osage Hills, Ranch Heights 3rd-5th Grade Tuesday: Wayside, Wilson, Hoover, home school/private school drop off 9th-12th Grade Thursdays: Rock bus picks up at BHS after school, 6th-8th Grade Fridays: Rock bus picks up at Madison, Cen-
tral, Osage Hills after school
Carrie Days at the Little House on the Prairie
Aug 1-2, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Little House on the Prairie Museum, 2507 County Road 3000, Independence, KS
Kiddie Park Open
Aug 1-8, Tues-Sat 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Aug 14-29, Fri-Sat 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Sept 5-26, Sat only 10:00 a.m. –2:00 p.m.
Kiddie Park, 205 N. Cherokee Ave, Bartlesville
School Supply Drive Back to School BASH
Aug 2, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Meet at Sitel Parking Lot, cruise to Unity Square
Shrek the Musical, KIDSSession 4
Aug 3-8, 8:45 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Children’s Musical Theatre, 101 S. Wyandotte, Bartlesville
Bartlesville Public Library
Story Sprouts
Aug 3, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Ave, Room A
OSU Extension Camp Curiosity
Aug 4, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
OSU Extension Washington County 4-H Youth Development 205 E 12th Street, Dewey
Bartlesville Public Library Weekly Storytime
Every Wednesday & Thursday in August 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Ave, Room A
Wee-Cycle Fall/Winter Sale
Aug 6, 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m
Aug 7, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m
Aug 8, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Washington County Fairgrounds, 1109 N Delaware Street, Dewey
Mon-Fri 10am-5:30pm Sat 10am-4pm
Bartlesville Boys and Girls Club opens Aug 14, 2:30 –6:30 (918) 336-3636 * bbeard@bgcbville.org (Beth Beard) or Abra Hill ahill@bgcbville.org
Dewey Boys and Girls Club opens Aug 14, 2:30 – 6:30 BGC Dewey, 918-534-8209 Kristina Miller kmiller@bgcbville.org
Children’s Musical Theatre Fall Classes
Aug 18-27, Tuesday & Thursday 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Children’s Musical Theatre, 101 S. Wyandotte, Bartlesville
Sizzlin’ Summer Series Top Gun Movie
Children’s Activities
Aug 28, 8:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Unity Square, 300 SE Adams Blvd.
AUGUST EVENTS CALENDAR
Know
Carrie Days at the Little House on the Prairie
Aug 1-2, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Little House on the Prairie Museum 2507 County Road 3000, Independence, KS
Time Travelers Geeks & Antiques
Indoor Market & Farmer’s Market
Aug 1, 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Aug 2, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Washington Park Mall
School Supply Drive Back to School BASH
Aug 2, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Meet at Sitel Parking Lot and Unity Square
BPL Johnstone Irregulars Book Club
Aug 4, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Bartlesville Public Library
BPL Make It So Book Club
Aug 4, 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Bartlesville Public Library
Wee-Cycle Fall/Winter Sale
Aug 6, 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Aug 7, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Aug 8, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Washington County Fairgrounds
The Great Cookie Pairing
Aug 6, 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Cooper & Mill Brewing Company
OSU Alumni Chapter Monthly Meeting
Aug 6, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Scissortail Brewing Company, 623 E Don Tyler Ave., Dewey
BPL presents Sakura Storm Mango Club
Aug 6, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Bartlesville Public Library
Big Country Breakfast BenefitBartlesville Bruins Recreational Cheer
Aug 8, 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Bartlesville Elks Lodge #1060
Sweet and Savory Crew presents A Bread and Butter Brunch
Aug 8, 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
The Crafty Candle Shoppe
Visit Dewey Second Saturday
Aug 8, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Downtown Dewey Merchants
Washington Park Mall Indoor Farmer’s Market
Aug 8, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Washington Park Mall
Big Brothers Big Sisters, Emerald Gala
Aug 8, 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
The Center, Red Cross Blood Drive
Aug 10, 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Bartlesville Public Library
Bartlesville Public Library Craft Club
Aug 11, 2:00-4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.8:00 p.m.
Bartlesville Public Library
Dudes and T.A.C.O.S. at Cooper Mill
Aug 11, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Cooper and Mill Brewing Company
Grandparents Support Group
Aug 13, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
ElderCare, 1223 Swan Drive, Bartlesville
Washington Park Mall Indoor Farmer’s Market
Aug 15, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Washington Park Mall
Paths to Independence Grilled Cheese Competition
Aug 15, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Paths to Independence School (Will Rogers Building)
CPR Training at Elder Care
Aug 18, 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Elder Care, 1223 Swan Drive, Bartlesville
BPL Cinema Discussion Club
Aug 18, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Bartlesville Public Library
Fast, Fresh and Fabulous with Chef Hilary
Aug 20, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Bartlesville Public Library
BPL Gently Reads Book Club
Aug 20, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Bartlesville Public Library
BPL 3D Thursday
Aug 20, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Bartlesville Public Library
20th Annual Samaritan Sports Spectacular
Aug 22, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hilton Garden Inn
Boots Hollow Golf Club, 2 Man 6-6-6
Aug 22, 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Boots Hollow Golf Club
Washington Park Mall Indoor Farmer’s Market
Aug 22, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Washington Park Mall
GeekyGami’s Riftbound Summoner Skirmish
Aug 22, 12:30 p.m. - Open
Washington Park Mall
Agape Mission’s Empty Bowls
Aug 25, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. The Center
Bartlesville Public Library Open Craft Time
Aug 25, 2-4p.m. and 6p.m.-8p.m. Bartlesville Public Library, Bartlesville Art Association Workshop
Aug 27-28-29, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Bartlesville Art Association
BPL Celebrates Jane Austen
Aug 27, 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Bartlesville Public Library.
America’s Lighthouse
Built by the Friendship of Two Nations
by Debbie Neece
From across the large pond to our east, the French watched the turmoil in America as she struggled to gain her independence from the British during the American Revolution; and, they watched as Civil War wreaked havoc across our divided states.
At an 1865 dinner party, French historian and abolitionist Édouard de Laboulaye proposed gifting a monument to commemorate America’s soon to be celebrated 1876 Centennial of Independence and Freedom. This grand gesture required a team of forward thinkers and fundraising efforts on both shores.
The project was a collaborative effort: the French people funded and built the statue, while the American people funded and built the pedestal upon which the statue would stand tall, embracing all who arrived in America.
Long before the Statue of Liberty was a thought, French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi sketched a 90-foot tall, robe-clad female monument to be placed at the northern end of the Suez Canal’s Port Said in the Mediterranean Sea. The 1860 design was titled “Egypt Carrying the Light to Asia” which was tabled at the time as cost prohibitive. Now that this opportunity presented itself, Bartholdi brought his plans forward and pitched his pre-designed monument as “Liberty Enlightening the World,” which became the Statue of Liberty. In addition, famously known for Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Gustave Eiffel was hired to create the internal
iron skeleton upon which Bartholdi’s statue became copper clad. The French construction efforts began in 1875 and were completed in 1884 at a cost of $500-$650.000.
Lady Liberty’s transatlantic voyage from France to New York took 27-days. The 151’ tall structure was disassembled into 350 pieces and placed in 214 crates. The French naval ship arrived in New York Harbor on June 17, 1885 to find America’s 154’ tall Bedloe Island pedestal incomplete. Once America completed the pedestal, the Statue of Liberty was assembled in place.
On October 28, 1886, President Grover Cleveland formally dedicated the Statue of Liberty, declaring the structure a “gift of friendship from France.” Congress renamed Bedloe Island as Liberty Island in 1956.
A true artist of any medium has to hold true to their life’s passion. When Frank Lloyd Wright drafted his “cantilevered pinwheel” skyscraper in the late 1920s, he proposed three such structures built around the St. Mark’s Church in New York City. The Great Depression put a hold on the progress. He tabled the project at the time, only to find an interested party in H.C. Price, who brought the 19-story Tree That Escaped the Crowded Forest to Bartlesville (1952-1956). The structure became recognized as the Price Tower, home of the H.C. Price Pipeline Company.
Wright selected copper as an exterior for the material’s artistic oxidizing properties; however, his “tree” needed
green leaves so he chemically treated the Price Tower’s copper to hasten the oxidation. In 1885, Lady Liberty arrived in America with a shiny, reddish brown copper finish and the effects of harsh weather and salty New York Harbor seawater began the oxidative transformation that we’ve witnessed as a green tented patina. For the Statue of Liberty, this slow process was mostly complete by 1920; a thirty-plus year natural aging process.
Lady Liberty weighs approximately 225-tons, of which 31tons of hammered “two-penny thick” copper was applied to a 125-ton steel framework. Her right hand holds a 24K gold torch lighting the path to freedom; her seven-pointed crown represents the seven seas and continents of the world in universal peace; her Roman-style sandals equate to a women’s size 879; at her feet rests a broken chain and shackle symbolizing freedom from tyranny and oppression; and, in her left hand rests a tablet inscribed with JULY IV, MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776), the date the U.S. Declaration of Independence from Great Britian was signed.
The statue has been registered as a U.S. National Monument (1924); placed in the care of the National Parks Service (1933); placed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places (1971) and the New York Register (1980); and placed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (2017). On October 31, 1984, the Statue of Liberty was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as “one of the most
universal symbols of political freedom and democracy in the world” in high support of “ideals such as liberty, peace, human rights, abolition of slavery, democracy, and opportunity.” In addition, her likeness has graced the face of U.S. postage stamps.
Contributing to the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal fundraising efforts, in 1883, Emma Lazarus penned “The New Colossus,” a sonnet to encourage donations…a verse that portrayed the Statue of Liberty as a universal beacon of hope and a welcoming home for immigrants: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
America’s door greeter has “left the light on” for 140 years. She represents the grandest symbol of freedom “from sea to shining sea.” She has welcomed those in search of new hope in the land of opportunity. She has also been the welcoming beacon for many of our service men and women who have continued the fight for freedom on our shores and those of other countries.
A gift from one nation to another; built by the vision of artists and engineers; and paid for by the pennies of ordinary people. Lady Liberty is more than just a statue; she is a testament to the power of a shared idea and a timeless symbol of hope for all who seek freedom. Thank you for joining me on this history sharing journey back in time. America Strong, 250!
Did You Know?
During the peak of immigration (1820-1920), there were many doors into America although more than 70% of those seeking asylum came through New York at Castle Garden (1855-1890) or Ellis Island (1892-1954) with over 20 million passengers arriving in America. Both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are open for visitation, just a short ferry ride from either Battery Park in Manhattan (New York City) or Liberty State Park in Jersey City (New Jersey).
Now You Know *
Kicking Off Fall Sports
Samaritan’s Sports Spectacular Returns
by Maria Gus
As Bartlesville gears up for another school year and football season, one of the community’s favorite annual fundraisers is ready to kick off once again.
The Samaritan Sports Spectacular has become much more than an evening celebrating athletics. It is the largest annual fundraiser for Samaritan Counseling & Growth Center, helping ensure individuals and families throughout the community have access to quality mental health services when they need them most.
This year’s event will feature Bartlesville High School’s new head football coach, Matt Hennesy, as keynote speaker. Guests can also enjoy dinner by Dink’s BBQ, live and silent auctions, a raffle, dessert dash, cash bar and an evening of fun with friends, all while supporting an important cause.
“The Samaritan Sports Spectacular is a kickoff to fall and winter sports in our community,” said Kristin Curd. “It’s become one of the most popular fundraisers in Bartlesville. We encourage everyone to wear their favorite team apparel and come enjoy an evening of fun, laughter and camaraderie.”
Behind the festivities is a mission that impacts countless lives. Proceeds from sponsorships, ticket sales, auctions, raffles and donations help Samaritan Counseling & Growth Center provide affordable counseling services, including financial assistance for those who otherwise could not afford care.
“This fundraiser allows us to help subsidize counseling costs for people who may not be able to afford services,” Curd said. “We never want to turn anyone away who needs counseling, and this event helps make that possible.”
The selection of Coach Hennesy reflects both the excitement surrounding a new era of Bruin football and the growing conversation about mental wellness.
Known for building strong programs and positive team culture, Hennesy emphasizes leadership, character and helping young athletes overcome challenges on and off the field.
“I hope people leave excited about the upcoming football season,” Curd said. “But even more importantly, I hope they recognize how mental health affects everyone, including
student athletes, parents and families. We want to continue removing the stigma surrounding therapy and encourage our community to support one another.”
That message is at the heart of Samaritan Counseling’s work. Insurance limitations and financial hardships often prevent people from seeking help when they need it most. Funds raised during the Sports Spectacular help bridge that gap, allowing Samaritan to provide counseling services to individuals, couples, children and families regardless of their financial circumstances.
“We’re a stronger community when the people within our community are healthy,” Curd said. “Every donation, auction bid and ticket purchased helps us better serve our neighbors.”
For those who have never attended before, the event also offers an opportunity to learn more about Samaritan Counseling & Growth Center and the services it provides in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.
“It’s one of the few casual fundraisers in town,” Curd said. “You can spend time with friends, enjoy great food and support a cause that truly makes a difference in Bartlesville.”
That combination of fun and purpose has helped make the Sports Spectacular one of the city’s fastest-selling fundraising events.
“This event sells out every year,” Curd said. “If you’re thinking about getting a ticket, buy one now before they’re gone.”
Whether you’re a sports fan, excited to hear Coach Hennesy share his vision for Bruin football or simply want to support accessible mental health care, the Samaritan Sports Spectacular offers a meaningful way to invest in the well-being of the community.
Because at the end of the evening, the biggest victory won’t be found on a scoreboard. It will be measured by the lives changed through the counseling, hope and healing made possible by the generosity of Bartlesville.
Jesper Franklin Gosney
... And the Avant Graduate’s Air Corps Service
by Joe Todd
Born 2 January 1924 in Avant, Oklahoma, Jesper Gosney graduated from Avant High School in 1942 and helped his father in a garage in Avant until he was drafted in June of 1943. He was assigned to the Air Corps and sent to Shepherd Field, Texas for Basic Training. Then, after Basic, he was sent to Lowery Field in Denver, Colorado for Gunnery School. He trained with different types of turrets on the B-17 at Lowery Field but there were no airplanes. From Lowery Field, he was sent to Fort Myers, Florida, on the train, which took 5 days. At Fort Myers, he learned to strip the 50-caliber machine gun and put it back together within 30 seconds…while blindfolded. From Fort Myers, he was sent to Barksdale Field at Shreveport, Louisiana, where he was assigned to the crew of a B-26 and took his first flight. The B-26 had a crew of six with him serving as the Tail Gunner and the Armorer.
In June of 1944, the crew was sent to Newport News, Virginia, where they boarded a Troop Transport and landed in Naples, Italy. In Naples, his crew was assigned to the 319th Bomb Group based in Sardinia and their first mission was to the Po Valley, in northern Italy. Taking off on his first mission, he wondered if he would get back. Most of the missions he flew were to northern Italy. He completed 30 missions and on the 31st mission, 10 December 1944, they were flying to bomb a bridge in the Po Valley and a Messerschmitt attacked them. The B-26 was going down and he just had time to get his parachute on and fall out of the plane, because the airplane was upside down. As he was floating down, the Messerschmitt lined up on him and waved, so he waved back and the German pilot peeled off. He landed in the Alps and saw the bombardier and the radioman from his plane. As they walked along, they came upon a bridge where a German soldier took them prisoner.
The next day, they were put on trucks headed for the train station; then, taken to Frankfurt for interrogation. The German who interrogated them was from New Jersey and had gone back to Germany to visit his parents when he was drafted.
He had nothing good to say about the German Army. The Germans already knew their names, service number, unit and what airplane they had been flying. From Frankfurt, he was taken to Stalag Luft 1, located at Barth on the Baltic Sea. They stayed in a barracks and all of the guards treated them very well except one. They were given playing cards and a cribbage board, which they played every day.
One late April morning, they woke up and all the guards were gone. Very soon the Russians came into the camp, opened the gates, and told the Americans they were free. They offered to take the Americans back to Russia and the men who took that option wound up in Siberia. Gosney stayed in the camp, eating Red Cross parcels, until the Americans came in and took him to Camp Lucky Strike at Le Havre, France. From there, he was put on a ship that landed at Newport News, the same place the left. He was sent to San Antonio, Texas, then to Shepherd Field, and discharged 2 November 1945. His wish came true… he returned to Oklahoma.
Mr. Gosney married Beatrice Elizabeth Sains December 1947 in Sperry and they made their home in Avant where they raised their two sons, Steven and Randy. Jesper was a machinist for Petro lite in Barnsdall and retired after 30 years of service. He passed away in 2013 and Bea followed him in 2017.
Jesper was posthumously awarded the Prisoner of War Medal; and in 2025, Jesper and Bea Gosney, both Avant graduates, were inducted into the Avant School Hall of Fame by the Avant School & Community Foundation.
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Celebrating 30 Years of History! Tallgrass Doll Club
by Kay Little, Little History Adventures
Last December I wrote about the dollhouse at Green Country Village. During my research I talked to two members of the local Tallgrass Doll Club, the group that restored the dollhouse. I was intrigued with their history. I met with Susan Allen, Linda Rous and Sharon Campbell recently to find out more of the history of the doll club.
In 1996, Alayne Thurman, Suzanne Eder, Janice Eyth, Sharon Campbell, Cheryl Landsdown and Becky Wallace started a doll club in Bartlesville. One of them had been involved in one in another state. They met for six months and after getting at least fifteen people, they joined the UFDC (United Federation of Doll Clubs). The Tallgrass Doll Club officially started May 13, 1996, with twenty charter and two junior members.
The group is made up of women who enjoy collecting dolls and sharing about them. The first meeting after becoming a UDFC club involved the members identifying their dolls and cataloging them. They initially met in members’ homes, then at the Branding Iron in Dewey and now at the Bartlesville Library. The club meets on the second Saturday of each month. Each meeting has a theme. Everyone has a club doll, and they dress them for the theme.
While these ladies all enjoy learning and sharing about their dolls, they also enjoy giving back to the community. They made and gave away dolls to victims of the Barnsdall tornado, Joplin Hospital, St. Francis Heart Hospital for kids, and at one time
worked with the Mutual Girls Club’s reading program. After the girls read so many books, they would receive a doll.
The club members educate about, play with, display, share, donate and repair dolls. They all get along well and there are many close friendships. I witnessed this when I interviewed them.
How many of us see an old doll in an antique store like one we had as a child and it brings back memories? How many of us still have some of those dolls? Dolls are a good way to share history to all ages. My baby doll from my childhood sits in my highchair in the dining room and always sparks a conversation about ‘the good ol’ days’.
The club celebrated thirty years with a big party on June 13. The comments to me were “Everyone who came was thrilled; the vendors and guests alike, who came from several states.” The club members dressed as Native Americans and set up a display of dolls to go with the theme. Linda Rous was the speaker and received many positive comments. Many people who attended had such a good time and want to know when the club will have another meeting like this one. The members talked about having a doll show next year, which excited the guests. Doll people like to be with other doll people.
The celebration included an auction for centerpieces, games, raffles and votes for the best dressed doll in Native attire. As Linda told me, “We left happy, tired and with a feeling similar to the letdown after Christmas.”
The Day Everything Changed
by Greg Wheat
On the morning of September 11, 2001, parents kissed their children goodbye before school. Husbands and wives left for work with a quick, “See you tonight.” Flights departed on schedule, and families made plans for the evening.
No one knew they were waking up to the day that would change everything.
Like millions of Americans, I remember exactly where I was. Back then, you could walk directly to each gate, and that’s where I was—visiting with family before they boarded their plane to go back home. That was long before security lines stretched through the airport, before belts came off and pockets were emptied, and before wondering whether laptops stayed in your bag or had to come out. It seemed like just another ordinary morning.
Then word began to spread that a plane had struck the World Trade Center. At first, many believed it had been a terrible accident. Minutes later, a second plane struck the South Tower. Another hit the Pentagon. A fourth crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after courageous passengers fought back. In a matter of minutes, an ordinary Tuesday became a day that changed our nation forever.
Nearly 3,000 lives were lost that day. We remember the mothers and fathers who never came home, the children who grew up without a parent, the passengers and crews aboard all four flights, and the firefighters, police officers, emergency responders, and ordinary citizens who ran toward danger when everyone else was trying to escape.
No one who woke up that morning thought they had run out of tomorrows. Most of us don’t either.
How many times have we treated today as though it’s just another ordinary day? We hurry through our routines, answer emails, mow the yard, and make plans for tomorrow, assuming tomorrow will always come.
But what if today became the day all of that changed?
Not because of tragedy.
Because of you.
The truth is, we never know which ordinary day will become an extraordinary memory.
Years from now, your children and grandchildren won’t remember the email you answered or the errand that couldn’t wait. They’ll remember that, for a little while, nothing else in
the world mattered more than they did. They will remember the afternoon you pushed them on the swing just a little longer, threw a baseball until the sun disappeared, sat on the living room floor and built one more Lego tower, shared an ice cream cone on a warm summer evening, laughed and splashed together in the swimming pool, or lit brightly colored smoke balls so they could run through the clouds of brilliant color as though it were the most amazing thing they had ever seen. They will remember that you made time for them.
Somewhere in the years ahead, your husband or wife may not remember every gift you gave them, but they’ll never forget the thousands of unexpected hugs, the kiss goodbye before work, or hearing “I love you” one more time before you rushed out the door.
Have you ever wondered why the same person’s name keeps coming to your mind? Perhaps they need encouragement more than you’ll ever know. Don’t wait until next week to make the call. You may simply interrupt their afternoon—or you may change their life.
What if today is the day you tell someone you’re sorry? The day you pray with someone who is hurting, encourage the coworker who quietly carries a burden, hold the door for a stranger, or simply say thank you. The smallest moments often become life’s greatest memories.
That’s the strange thing about ordinary days—we never know which one is quietly becoming history.
History remembers September 11 as the day everything changed for a nation.
But years from now, someone may remember the day you chose them over your schedule, your phone, or your plans. The world may never write about that day. There won’t be documentaries or history books.
But to one person, it may forever be remembered as the day everything changed.
So as you go about your ordinary day today, ask yourself one simple question:
What could I do today that might cause someone to one day look back and say, “That was the day everything changed for me?”
Maybe ... that day is today.
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Looking Through the Dust
by Kelly Hurd
Dust covered the vertical windows in the original double wooden doors of the old 1900s era downtown limestone rock building.
The display windows on the front of the building were dirty and sun-faded pale blue curtains were drawn closed behind them blocking views of the interior.
She hadn’t been back there in almost a decade, so she took the time to pull up in front and get out for just a moment to press her nose against the glass in the doors and peer into the place that was once dear to her heart.
There on the left-door window, to her surprise, were the words of what had been back in the day, and her old phone number was still there under those words, as well.
Inside, the floors were dirty and the walls stood stark and bare. At the very back of the long room sat a chest freezer with the lid propped open. Other than that, the room was empty.
It seemed like it was yesterday when this dwindling little Texas town was brimming with hope and possibilities. The community had unity and the purpose was the common good. Service was the heartbeat behind the giving that was poured forth in abundance from behind those wooden doors and hospitality permeated the atmosphere where everyone knew they were welcome here on this little downtown spot of neutral ground set aside for ministry with authenticity.
Like a tumbleweed rolling through a ghost town, a chill swept down her spine at the realization that maybe her life here had made more of a difference than she realized. Maybe moments in time when we step into our calling are more Divine than we could ever have imagined…
She realized the preciousness of what had been as she turned to walk away, wondering why those left behind hadn’t carried on what had been started.
This is my story. This is my song.
Once upon a time I just felt deep inside me that I was supposed to have that building and do something with it for the community –but I didn’t know what.
I didn’t have the money to buy it, but I called the owner anyway. I told her the truth of what I felt, and one non-profit formation later, she donated the building. This was a blind step of faith. I didn’t even know if I could afford to pay the utilities long term, but I knew it was the Lord who put it on my heart, so I went to cleaning it up and painting the walls inside it immediately after the donation –
many times late at night, as it was the only time I had to work on it.
It wasn’t long and my phone rang with a request to have a wedding reception down there –and that was just the beginning. This once early 1900s drug store became the MPEC for a small rural community - hosting everyone and everything from Texas’ First Lady to Miss Texas.
No fee was ever charged for the use of the building – it was by donations only. From the poorest to the richest, community came – and event after event – relationships were fostered across denomination and occupation lines.
And then one day the Lord put it on my heart to have a Sunday School class down there for those who most likely would never walk into a church. I didn’t know if anyone would come – but they did – and lives were changed – not by me, but by the Lord. It was His idea in the first place. I just opened the doors, prepped by heart, and made the coffee. He did the rest.
This past week, I walked into a funeral in that same town. When it was over, a very dear friend who, once upon a time was a Meth addict and the local Meth dealer, came up and hugged my neck with tears in her eyes. We had gotten together with the Lord down there in that building one afternoon in March many years ago, and she walked out through those doors delivered and forever changed. I just showed up – but standing there looking through those dusty door windows and the barren empty room, I realized how powerful just showing up really was.
Never doubt your impact or your imprint on where God has you planted. No one can do what you can do when you do what you do from your heart. There are no identical twins in heart expression –and that’s a revelation I got just this past week.
I thought anyone could do it – and really thought they would when I left for Oklahoma – but there are some things that God has uniquely fashioned and timed for “such a time as this” that are meant for only you.
So – dare to be authentic, dare to step into what is beyond your capabilities, and open the doors to what God is calling you to do in your community – because if you will just show up, greater things are yet to come than those you’ve seen behind! It’s not about how deep your pockets are. It’s not about your family pedigree. It’s about your ability to dream, your tenacity to believe, and your bravery to take a step in faith and see what God will do – if you do.
Thanks for reading along. Keep Calling to the Good y’all!
by Jay Webster
I think of us as friends because we meet here each month. So I’m going to let you in on some of the inner workings of my world as a writer. It involves sign language. It is, maybe not surprisingly, my own personal sign language. But I think once I demonstrate it, you’ll see it’s universal and easy to adopt.
Several times a week, I leave my office to work at a coffee shop. (The Ville is rich with great coffee shops.) I love the change of scenery. I also, in theory, love seeing other faces and the spontaneous conversations that happen as a result of “being out.”
It’s a delicate balance, though, isn’t it? On the one hand, there’s the energy of hearing about your latest theory on aliens, how your kids in Arizona are doing, and how you haven’t been the same since we lost our downtown Pizza Hut. On the other
hand, there’s work.
I mediate this conflict by wearing headphones and listening to white noise while I work. Headphones allow me to be selective about which conversational distractions to accept. And this is where sign language comes in. The signs are necessary because many people misinterpret seeing someone face down with a laptop, muttering to themselves and typing feverishly, as an open invitation to a thirty-minute conversation.
So my sign language works like this:
I’m working at the coffee shop, as I might be right now, and someone walks in. Maybe they’re a long-talker or someone with a time-sensitivity disorder, or maybe I’m just making progress on my project. In those cases, I look up, smile, and even wave, but I leave the headphones in. That says, “I see you. I acknowledge
your presence with this smile and wave, but I’m signaling that I’m not in a place to talk right now, which is why I’m leaving these headphones in. It’s a modified “Do Not Disturb” sign.
The second scenario involves taking a single headphone out. It says, “Hi. I am busy, but you’re important to me, and I can take a brief pause in my writing for a quick exchange. Emphasis on Quick.”
And third, is taking both headphones out and bringing the laptop lid to a three-quarter-closed position. This says, whether I wanted it or not, full-attention talking is about to happen for as long as I am in the coffee shop.
This third sequence of events happened to my wife a couple of weeks ago. Despite the signals, she found herself fully engulfed in a conversation not of her own choosing. She knows Eddie well, so having a conversation with him wasn’t a surprise or unwelcome. It was the conversation itself that felt like falling down the rabbit hole.
Eddie had apparently been thinking about something, and now it had him “all riled up,” as my father used to say. Someone on a podcast had strung together some broken facts, glued them together with fear, and now we were all under the threat of Sharia law. In fact, extremist Muslims would likely completely take over the country in less than 10 years. (As she recounted the conversation, for which I took out both headphones, I kept imagining a highly excitable character actor from the 50s running straight toward the camera and yelling hysterically, “The Muslims are coming! The Muslims are coming!”)
As I gave Ann-Janette my complete and undivided attention, with my laptop fully closed, it occurred to me that we had been down this road before. How many times has someone given voice to panic for the purpose of turning other people into enemies? When that happens, red flags should go up, and we should ask, “What are they trying to gain and why?”
Throughout human history, we’ve been called on to fear other people groups as a means to an end. Hitler couldn’t drop a speech on Friday and expect to start killing six million Jews on Monday. He first had to build a narrative of deceit and lies, casting them as the enemy of the German people, the root of all their trials. Once he had vilified and dehumanized them, the process of extermination began to seem rather necessary.
Here in America, fear tactics cast Native Americans as savages, so we could void treaties and take what we wanted. By the mid-1800s, the KKK was recruiting on fear and lies, preying on ignorance and painting African Americans as the threat. In the 1950s, the Red Scare had a communist under every bed. (“The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!”) Then we were under attack by the hippies. By the 90s, it was our neighbors to the south. (“The Mexicans are coming! The Mexicans are coming! And they’ve got tamales and festive music and good family values. Our Union will never survive.”) This one was especially difficult because we were saying out loud, “Don’t come into our country,” while corporate America was actively recruiting those workers, saying, “Please come work in this country.” And then we all acted surprised - “Oh my goodness, how did all these Mexican workers get here?” We were like a woman on a diet who is suddenly outraged - “Oh
my goodness, how did all these Little Debbies and ice cream that I bought get in my house?” (“The calories are coming! The calories are coming!”)
Then it was the homosexuals we were supposed to hate. (“The gays are coming! The gays are coming. And they’re making us laugh and dance and think. Our Union will never survive!)
In between all that history, we were also called to fear the Catholics, the Italians (who were taking all the jobs), and the Irish (who were taking all the jobs), not to mention the Jets and the Sharks (who were apparently taking all our GAP clothes). Time and again, we are called to fear and ultimately hate not only outsiders and existential threats but also other Americans. Citizens of this one nation under God, where everyone is supposedly created equal.
When we hear messages of fear and slander, red flags should go up. Alarms should go off in our heads. “Hey! Someone is sowing fear for the purpose of division and segregation for their own purposes.”
Now, if I may, I’d like to take a moment just to talk to my Christian friends. The rest of you can simply drop down to where it says, And in conclusion…I’ll meet you there in a minute.
Is it just us? OK. Hey, I didn’t want to say this in front of the others, but this whole dynamic is especially problematic for us. The very directive of Christianity is to reveal God to people by loving others, including and especially those we perceive as enemies. That mission is difficult to accomplish when we start by fearing and hating those we are called to love and serve. We look very worldly at that point. What are the words of Jesus? “And they will know us by our hate and rhetoric. So go ye into all the world, every nation, teaching people to fear, mock, and loathe as I have done to you.” Maybe we should re-read that account.
So in conclusion…nice to have everyone back.
Look, you may not know it, but we’re only a few months away from another election. Enemies were born for such a time as this. When policies fail and approval ratings slip, when the stakes are high… well, brace yourselves. That’s when you’ll see commercials touting Christian values by men in khakis praying in churches while calling us to fear other Americans who would destroy our very democracy by simply sitting on the wrong side of the aisle. (“The “thems” are coming! The “thems” are coming!”)
Don’t fall for it. Sound the alarm. Demand that your candidate do better. If their policies aren’t strong enough to stand on their own (without crushing others to make themselves look taller), they aren’t worth it. That’s just someone small, standing behind the curtain, calling himself the Wizard of Oz.
I’m on my third refill here at the coffee shop, so it may be time to head back to the office. I just have to make sure there are no long-talkers between me and my car. But in the meantime, I enjoyed our conversation. You’re always worth taking my headphones off for.
There’s so much good to be done out there, friends. Let’s get on with doing it.
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State of the Schools
Reflections on a Decade as Superintendent
Chuck McCauley
When I walked into the superintendent’s office in the summer of 2016, Bartlesville Public Schools was facing some of the hardest conditions in recent memory. Oklahoma’s state funding crisis was reaching a breaking point. Teaching positions were at risk. A statewide teacher shortage was getting worse by the year.
One month after I took office, Bartlesville voters passed a bond issue by wide margins, including a significant tax increase. That vote saved teaching positions and gave us room to make the district more efficient. We outsourced some support functions and reduced administrative overhead to put more resources in the classroom where they belonged.
When the statewide teacher funding crisis peaked in 2018, Bartlesville worked together to build the pressure that pushed the legislature to respond and it resulted in the first statefunded teacher pay raise in nearly a decade.
The Bartlesville community consistently shows up for students and teachers.
In 2019, voters approved an $18 million bond at 81% yes, the highest passage rate in district history. That funding covered operational needs, technology, maintenance, safety, transportation, and the construction of agriculture classrooms and a new Custer Stadium press box.
In 2021, voters approved a $28 million bond at 76% yes. That bond funded additions to Richard Kane Elementary and Wilson Elementary, an Agriculture Center, new elementary gym floors, updated technology and curricula, new visitor bleachers, track renewal, and indoor practice facilities for baseball, softball, and golf.
In 2023, voters approved a $38 million bond at 79% yes. Those funds expanded Wayside and Ranch Heights elementary schools, renovated the JP GATE room, replaced middle and high school electronic whiteboards, and helped to meet districtwide needs in technology, textbooks, STEM, lab science, maintenance, transportation, and safety.
Throughout this period, we worked to build systems inside the district that
supported both students and staff. We launched a 1:1 student computing program and worked to maintain academic quality even as state funding fluctuated. During COVID-19, we got students back in person as soon as the state would allow, using Chromebooks and cellular hotspots to keep learning going through quarantines and high absenteeism.
I met one-on-one with teachers every year across the district. I wanted to hear directly from the people doing the work. Those conversations shaped a lot of what we did.
Bartlesville Public Schools is in a stronger place now than it was in 2016. I’m proud of what this community built over the past decade. I’m confident it will keep building.
100 Years of Woolaroc: Legacy
by Kevin Hoch, Woolaroc CEO
The name Woolaroc was inspired by the many woods, lakes, and rocks featured throughout the property. However, Woolaroc stands for so much more than that.
Its founder, Frank Freeman Phillips, was born on November 28, 1873, in a primitive log cabin located in Greeley County, Nebraska. He was the eldest son of ten children in the family of Lewis Franklin and Lucinda Josephine Faucett Phillips. His family had recently trekked westward from Iowa in pursuit of a better life. Little did they know that a grasshopper outbreak would prematurely derail these plans and have them headed back to Iowa to restart their lives once again.
As a boy growing up, Frank was inspired by novels written by Horatio Alger. These stories focused on impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to middle-class security and comfort through good works. While picking potatoes for ten cents a day in the fields of Iowa, Frank dreamed of a brighter future off the farm – one that involved leveraging his adventurous and enterprising spirit. At the ripe age of 14, Frank dropped out of school and started as a barber shop apprentice in the nearby town of Creston, Iowa.
He initially chose this profession due to his admiration for their sharp wardrobes. Frank quickly learned the ins and outs of the trade and purchased his first barber shop within a short time. Within a decade, he owned all the barber shops in town! He quickly caught the eye of local businessman and bank president, John Gibson, who was impressed by the ambitious young entrepreneur. John’s daughter, Jane Gibson, caught the eye of Frank – and they were married in 1897. John quickly enlisted Frank’s talents to help him expand his banking interests – which involved selling bonds. Frank was so adept at selling bonds that he once earned a $75,000 bonus (nearly $3 million equivalent today).
During a travel stop in 1903, Phillips encountered C. B. Larabee, an old friend from Iowa who told him about the oil boom taking place in Oklahoma. Frank was enamored and knew he had to see it for himself. After a couple trips and securing financing, Frank and his brother,
Lee Eldas, formed the Anchor Oil and Gas Company in 1904. After all, chasing black gold was far more exciting than selling bonds! After drilling three dry holes and with barely enough funds to drill a fourth – they went all in. The fourth well named the Anna Anderson Number One was a gusher and their fortunes were reversed overnight!
Over the next four-plus decades, Frank would become one of the leading producers in the oil and gas industry. The once small and lawless community of Bartlesville became a thriving city – anchored by Phillips Petroleum Company and the vast network of enterprises that formed to support their meteoric rise. His immediate network included Hollywood celebrities, fellow industrialists, Indian chiefs, foreign dignitaries, U.S. Presidents, and even outlaws.
He patriotically served as a strategic advisor during World War II to ensure an Allied victory. His ascension from potato picker in Iowa to esteemed leader on the local and national stage was far from smooth. In fact, it included a lot of ups and downs. Between union strikes, takeover attempts, and the Great Depression – Frank had more than his fair share of stress and adversity. However, he stayed the course and persevered. He faced his toughest battles head on and never forgot his humble roots.
Frank’s generosity in the community was well known – from silver dollars and free circuses for children to paying off church debts and medical procedures for neighbors in need. Woolaroc wasn’t created by a rich robber baron who liked to accumulate personal possessions. It was created by a generous community leader who wanted to preserve the history of the West – to benefit society in perpetuity.
Woolaroc represents an incredible American success story – how a working-class boy from rural Iowa could use his talents and heart to lead a company, community, and nation to a better future.
So, the next time you visit Woolaroc, remember – Frank created this one-of-a-kind property for you, your family, and friends to enjoy –and for your lives to be enriched by it. That, my friends, is a legacy worth celebrating.
Green Country Pet Cremation Service offers private pet cremation with timely return of ashes in your choice of a decorative wooden urn with an engraved nameplate. If no return of ashes is requested, the ashes will be gently scattered on a beautiful pastoral/garden property.
We are located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and gratefully serve pet owners from a wide area surrounding Bartlesville, Dewey, and Northeast Oklahoma.
For our fee schedule, please feel free to call us at any time.
918-766-3812
Painted Horse Bar & Grill, together with Wolf Creek Ranch owners, Mark and Kelly Spencer, are proud to offer our locally raised, guaranteed all natural Angus beef products.
Painted Horse Bar & Grill, together with Wolf Creek Ranch owners, Mark and Kelly Spencer, are proud to offer our locally raised, guaranteed all natural Angus beef products.
Dine In and Carry Out Available! New dine in hours!
Dine In and Carry Out Available! New dine in hours!
Restaurant: Mon - Sat 11a - 9p Bar: 11a - 10p
Restaurant: Mon - Sat 11a - 9p Bar: 11a - 10p
Featuring post-hospital skilled nursing and rehabilitation to help you heal, regain strength, and return home!
Newly remodeled semi-private and private rooms available, subject to availability.
Bartlesville Health & Rehab Community provides a comprehensive continuum of senior healthcare services, all under one roof. Locally owned, BHRC offers 24-hour skilled nursing care along with inhouse physical, speech, and occupatonal therapy. We also provide specialized care for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders within our newly remodeled, secure Memory Living Area. In addition, BHRC’s senior living apartments offer the independence of home while fostering comfort, connection, and the companionship of a supportive senior community. For more information or to schedule a tour, call (918) 333-9545. Medicare, Medicaid, private pay, and most insurance plans accepted (Determined by on level of care). 3434 Kentucky Place • 918-333-9545 • www.bartlesvillehealthandrehab.com
B the Light Update: 2 Things Can be True
One of the questions we hear most often is, “Are you a homeless shelter?”
The answer isn’t simply yes or no.
The truth is, two things can be true at the same time.
B The Light Mission is not a traditional walk-in emergency homeless shelter. Our primary mission is a structured, 15-month residential program designed for men and women who are ready to make lasting life changes. Our focus is not simply on providing a place to sleep—it is on helping people build a new way of living through accountability, work, life skills, healthy relationships, and individualized support.
At the same time, we believe our community should never wonder whether there is a place to turn when someone is in need.
Every weekday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., our doors are open to individuals who walk in from the street seeking help. Some need a hot shower. Others need clean clothing, hygiene items, a listening ear, help replacing identification, or guidance navigating available resources.
When someone needs food, we certainly help. However, one of our goals is not to duplicate services that already exist in Bartlesville. We are blessed to live in a community with organizations that faithfully provide meals and food assistance during the week. Rather than recreate what they already do so well, we strive to connect individuals with those resources while focusing our time and energy on the areas where we can make the greatest long-term impact. We believe collaboration serves people better than competition.
For those who are ready to pursue a different future, we invite them to complete an application for our residential program. Through interviews, assessments, and individualized planning, we determine together whether B The Light Mission is the right fit. Our desire is not simply to help someone survive today, but to help them build a foundation for tomorrow.
There is another way that two things can be true at the same time.
Although we are not a traditional emergency shelter, when dangerous weather threatens lives, we open our doors. During periods of extreme heat, severe cold, tornadoes, or other emergencies, we gladly serve as a cooling center or warming shelter because protecting human life comes before everything else. Those moments are temporary responses to immediate needs, while our residential program remains focused on lasting transformation.
None of this work happens in isolation.
For years, many people and organizations have faithfully served our neighbors in need. We are deeply grateful for the Lighthouse Outreach Center, Agape Mission, Mary Martha Outreach, City of Compassion, Concern, Salvation Army, sober living homes throughout our community, Mental Health care providers, Ascension St. John Jane Phillips, Washington County Emergency Management, local law enforcement, churches, volunteers, and countless others who have invested their time, resources, and hearts into caring for people. Each approaches the need from a different perspective, and each plays an important role.
We do not see ourselves as replacing anyone. We see ourselves as joining a community-wide effort.
No single organization can meet every need, and no one ministry has all the answers. But when each of us faithfully fulfills the mission we’ve been called to, while working together and supporting one another, people receive better care and greater opportunities for lasting success.
That has always been our heart.
Our hope is that Bartlesville will continue to be known as a community that cares for its own—not because one organization carries the load, but because many people, churches, nonprofits, businesses, healthcare providers, emergency responders, and volunteers are willing to stand together.
At B The Light Mission, we are honored to be one small part of that story.
Keith and Christy
You Aught 2 Be Here
Bartlesville’s New Home for Indoor Pickleball
by Brent Taylor
Pickleball has officially found a year-round home in Bartlesville.
Aught 2 Pickleball, located at 5404 NE Taylor Drive, is a new climate-controlled facility designed for players of every age and ability—from experienced competitors to those picking up a paddle for the first time. With six stateof-the-art indoor courts, professional instruction, leagues, tournaments, and social events, Aught 2 offers more than a place to play. It offers a place to belong.
The name Aught 2 carries a double meaning. Spoken aloud, it sounds like “ought to”—as in, You really ought to come play pickleball. It also echoes the score called before the opening serve of a doubles game: zero-zero-two, or “aught-aught-two.” Together, the two meanings capture both the language of the game and the invitation at the heart of the facility: You aught 2 be here.
Four local partners who shared a vision of creating a premier indoor pickleball destination for Bartlesville founded the facility. As participation in the sport grew from a small circle of enthusiasts into a vibrant local community, the need for dedicated indoor courts became increasingly clear.
Oklahoma weather does not always cooperate with outdoor recreation. Aught 2 was created to remove those obstacles by offering comfortable, climate-controlled courts throughout the year.
The facility is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Players can reserve a court for a game with friends, join an open-play group, sharpen their skills through professional instruction, or test themselves in organized competition.
For those who have never played, getting started is simple. Aught 2 offers free beginner clinics in a welcoming, lowpressure environment. Participants need only wear tennis shoes and comfortable athletic clothing. The facility provides paddles, balls, and instruction.
Coaches introduce the basic rules, scoring, court positioning, and fundamental strokes needed to begin enjoying the game. Pickleball is easy to learn, highly social, and adaptable to a wide
range of ages and fitness levels, which is part of the reason it has attracted such a devoted following.
Aught 2 also uses the CourtReserve platform to simplify scheduling. Members can download the free mobile app and reserve courts, register for open play, and sign up for clinics, leagues, and special events. Nonmembers can also make arrangements through the facility’s website, aught2pickleball.com, without downloading the app.
Technology is incorporated into the playing experience as well. The courts are equipped with Save My Play video recording, allowing players to capture memorable rallies, review their matches, and study their technique.
Beyond the courts, Aught 2 includes a comfortable lobby where players can visit before or after a match, a fully stocked pro shop for equipment and apparel, and refreshments for those who want to relax between games.
The facility is also available for corporate gatherings, private parties, and group outings. Pickleball offers an activity that is competitive without being intimidating, making it an inviting option for groups with varying levels of experience.
The larger goal of Aught 2 is to strengthen Bartlesville’s growing pickleball community while contributing to the city’s quality of life. Facilities of this size and quality remain uncommon in communities the size of Bartlesville. Providing recreational opportunities such as Aught 2 helps make the city an even more attractive place to live, work, raise a family, and build lasting friendships.
Pickleball may be played with paddles, a plastic ball, and a net, but its greatest appeal may be the people gathered around the court. Games lead to conversations. Competition develops into camaraderie. New players become regular partners, and regular partners become friends.
Whether you are looking for exercise, instruction, friendly competition, or simply a new way to connect with others, Bartlesville’s indoor home for pickleball is ready to welcome you.
You aught 2 be here!
Corduroy and Country Roads
by Brent Taylor
I once loved corduroy. Corduroy was more than fabric. It was an early form of communication. You could draw pictures on it or write a note to the friend sitting beside you simply by running a finger across the floating yarn.
Best of all, nothing you wrote was permanent. One brush of the hand reset the fibers and erased the evidence. One Sunday morning when I was a kid, a friend sitting beside me on the back row at church wrote a curse word across the thigh of his pants.
That was the moment I realized civilization, as I knew it, was unraveling.
Lately, it seems like the perfect metaphor for the artificial and easily altered world we inhabit. Corduroy is delible—capable of being erased. It is the opposite of indelible, the things meant to last.
Apparently, everything around us can be brushed away and rewritten. Facts change according to who is speaking. Promises are adjusted when they become inconvenient. Traditions disappear. Relationships are discarded.
There is nothing stable, we tell ourselves. Nothing permanent.
One recent Sunday morning, Aaron Kirkpatrick preached about honesty. His message was straightforward: “A life of unwavering honesty becomes a life of integrity.”
Integrity is one of those old-fashioned words that feels increasingly necessary. It comes from the idea of wholeness— something undivided and sound. Integrity is not corduroy. It cannot be brushed one way in the morning and another way in the afternoon.
Yet it can feel as though our entire world is being pulled toward an abyss where nothing is trustworthy. Then something unexpected happens.
I was watching a United States soccer match when the crowd began singing John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Thousands of voices joined together in a song written more than half a century ago.
At first glance, it is a song about West Virginia. But I do not think West Virginia is the reason people around the world continue to sing it. The song is really about home—not merely a location, but the places and people we trust and remember with joy.
It is about the things for which we quietly long: peace, honesty, integrity, tradition and love. Take me home, country
roads, to the place I belong.
Perhaps that longing is indelible.
Not long ago, during a Sunday morning church service, my granddaughter asked me to put her on my shoulders. “Asked” may be too generous. She issued a demand. I told her no and put her down. She immediately marched up the aisle, climbed onto the first step of the stage and sat facing the congregation.
I couldn’t hear her, but read her lips. “This is my seat.” .
I rolled my eyes. Then I remembered the corduroy pants and the erasable curse words from my youth. Every generation worries that the one following it will finally finish the job of destroying civilization. A few minutes later, I looked down and saw my granddaughter in the aisle again, exactly where she should not have been. She was kneeling with a Bible open in front of her, carefully turning the pages. Then she picked it up and held it toward me.
“Can you read this to me?”
In 1973, the writer E.B. White received a letter from a man who believed the world was collapsing around him. The man wanted to know how anyone could remain hopeful. White acknowledged the darkness. Humanity’s curiosity and ingenuity, he suggested, had gotten us into terrible trouble. But perhaps those same qualities might help us find our way out. People still carried seeds of goodness that could sprout when the conditions were right. He ended with advice that still feels useful:
“Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock.”
Tomorrow, after all, is another day.
The world may sometimes resemble a pair of corduroy pants. Words are written across it and then erased. Opinions reverse direction with the brush of a hand. What seemed permanent yesterday disappears today.
But not everything is erasable.
A child still asks someone to read to her.
A preacher still speaks about honesty.
A stadium filled with strangers still sings about going home. Somewhere beneath the noise and fear, the seeds of goodness are waiting for the right conditions. So wind the clock. Make the coffee. Open the book. And hang on to your hope.
Care when and where you need it
Appointments available — schedule today
Family medicine is primary care for each member of the family. When you or your child isn’t feeling well, getting care shouldn’t feel complicated. For minor illnesses and injuries that are not emergencies, your primary care doctor is a great place to start.
Our care team provides personalized care for minor illness or injury and ongoing needs, including:
• Vaccinations
• Screenings
• Care for new symptoms or chronic conditions
• Sick visits
• Yearly physicals
• Connections to specialists, other services and Ascension Rx or your preferred pharmacy
• Care for emotional health
Ascension Medical Group St. John — Primary Care 3400 SE Frank Phillips Blvd., Suite 501 Bartlesville, OK 74006
To schedule an appointment, call 918-331-2415 or scan the QR code.
Kimberly N. Davis, MD Family Medicine
Megan E. Giddens, PA-C Family Medicine
Judy A. Carpenter, APRN, CNP Family Medicine
Dori A. Raycob, APRN, CNP Family Medicine
Lyndee J. Taylor, APRN, CNP Family Medicine
Compassionate Care...
Meet Two Outstanding Providers at Ascension
Exceptional healthcare begins with providers who truly care about the people they serve. At Ascension Medical Group in Bartlesville, two dedicated advanced practice providers are making a meaningful difference in the lives of local families by combining experience, compassion, and a commitment to personalized care.
Megan
Giddens, PA-C – Family Medicine
For Megan Giddens, PA-C, family medicine is about much more than treating illnesses—it’s about building relationships that last a lifetime. A board-certified Physician Assistant, Megan was raised in Collinsville and understands the value of caring for the communities that helped shape who she is.
Known for her warm personality and attentive approach, Megan believes that trust is the foundation of quality healthcare. She takes time to listen to each patient, answer questions, and ensure every individual feels heard and respected. Her goal is to create a welcoming environment where patients are comfortable discussing their health concerns and actively participating in their care.
As a family medicine provider, Megan enjoys caring for patients of all ages. Whether she is performing routine wellness visits, helping manage chronic health conditions, or supporting families through life’s unexpected medical challenges, she considers it a privilege to serve her neighbors with compassionate, personalized care.
Outside the office, Megan enjoys baking, spending time outdoors with her dog, Grace, and making memories with family and friends. She is grateful for the opportunity to care for the people of Bartlesville and surrounding communities and looks forward to helping local families stay healthy for years to come.
Megan Giddens, PA-C sees patients at Ascension Medical Group MPC 501. To schedule an appointment, call 918-3312415.
Ana Marshall, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
With more than 20 years of healthcare experience, Ana Marshall brings an impressive depth of knowledge and a genuine passion for caring for children and their families.
Her career began as a Certified Nursing Assistant before advancing to Licensed Practical Nurse, Registered Nurse, and ultimately Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, a role she has served in for the past 12 years.
Throughout her career, Ana has cared for children in emergency medicine, neonatal intensive care, and hospital settings, treating both acute illnesses and complex chronic conditions. She has also shared her knowledge as an adjunct nursing faculty member, helping educate future generations of nurses.
This spring, Ana joined Ascension Medical Group, where she is excited to continue providing compassionate, evidence-based pediatric care to children throughout the community. She believes parents and caregivers are invaluable partners in every child’s healthcare journey and strives to build lasting relationships founded on trust, communication, and respect.
Ana is committed to creating a welcoming environment where families feel supported, informed, and confident in the care their children receive. Her goal is not only to treat illness but to promote healthy growth and development through every stage of childhood.
When she’s away from work, Ana enjoys spending time with her husband and son and embracing outdoor adventures together. Whether hiking, fishing, camping, or traveling, she treasures opportunities to create lasting memories. She also has a special love for horses and dogs, and few things help her relax more than a good book. Rooted in her faith in Jesus, Ana views caring for children as both a profession and a calling.
Ana Marshall sees pediatric patients at Ascension Medical Group Pediatrics. To schedule an appointment, call 918-331-2415.
Together, Megan Giddens and Ana Marshall represent the compassionate, patient-centered care that families have come to expect from Ascension Medical Group. Whether caring for adults through every stage of life or helping children grow into healthy futures, both providers are committed to serving Bartlesville with excellence, kindness, and a genuine heart for their community.
Lighthouse Outreach Center Celebration & Fundraiser
since 1992 making an
Featuring Christian Musician & Speaker
DALLAS HOLM
October 3, 2026 | 6:30pm
East Cross Church | 820 S Madison Blvd | Bartlesville
Tickets – $40 | Table of 8 – $350
Tickets available at the Lighthouse 1411 W Hensley Blvd, by phone at 918-336-9029, or online at www.bartlesvillelighthouse.org
CURRENT TOP SPONSORS:
PLATINUM:: A Fresh Start Boutique, Cherokee Nation, Chris & Deb Cook GOLD: Ascension
SILVER: Buchanan Family, Senator Julie & Charlie Daniels, Doenges Toyota, East Cross Church, Timmons Sheet Metal
BRONZE: BancFirst, Bluepeak Fiber Internet, Bryan, Little, Haley & Kent PC, Edward Jones – Dustin Hancock, First Wesleyan Church, Gateway Bank, Musselman Abstract Co., New Harmony Baptist Church, Revo Financial, Utility Management Co.
Sponsorships still available: 918-336-9029
OSAGE
