We need groups to volunteer their time cleaning up residential areas including limb and debris removal tree trimming, mowing, etc. Any equipment such as trailers, mowers, weed eaters, etc would be a tremendous help. We will supply work gloves, trash bags, bottled water and work vests.
Earth Day is a perfect chance to get out and put a little love into your town!
During this time residents will be able to dump limbs behind the street barn and tires in front of the street barn located in the 800 block of Meridian.
The Waurika Sorosis Club has sponsored a Tea for graduating seniors for more than 25 years. This year club members had to be creative in honoring the Class of 2020 Graduates. On May, 6, club members delivered each WHS graduating senior yard signs with 2020 Grad, the student’s favorite pizza, a rose, a gift from the club and balloons. Club members drove separate cars and were careful to socially distance as the deliveries were made.
Sitting here looking out the window on a cool, overcast and dreary Sunday after- noon. Johnny Cash singing about the ring fire and I’m thinking that I need to stop looking out the win- dow and get down to business. The poor woman is telling the world that she is falling to pieces and now she is crazy. Take a drink of scalding hot coffee and yelp like the proverbial scalded dog and now I start writing.
This morning at JW’s Travel Stop and Christian Science reading room here in Ryan, we were sitting around drinking coffee and talking about this and that when cheese became the center of conversation. Someone mentioned commod- ity cheese and then we talked about all the other stuff that they gave out each month. If you ever got commodities, then you know what I am talk- ing about, there was peanut butter, a canned meat product that to me was unidentifiable, powdered eggs and powdered milk, various beans and peas. the cheese, peanut butter, beans and peas were all good but I never developed a love for the milk and eggs of the powdered variety. The former County Com- missioner in the group told of having a refrig- erated trailer to send to pickup a load of gro- ceries and one time the cheese was so rank that they called in the health official and it was promptly condemned and was taken out to the old Ryan dump to be buried because it was so high smelling that no one could stand to be around the stuff.
Here is a good one, Jim Reeves singing “He’ll have to go”, had to stop and listen. That son of a gun could re- ally sing.
Congratulations go out to the Ryan High School Cowgirls bas- ketball team for their runner up finish in the Wilson Eagle Classic tournament and also to Samantha Good for being named to the all- tournament team. Well done ladies.
The Ryan Ag Boosters had their first annual jack pot show this last weekend. By all accounts it was a huge success. Young people from all over Oklahoma and north Texas came to Jefferson County with their pigs, lambs, goats and cattle. David Sorrell judged the goats and sheep Friday night and Blaine Red took over with the pigs and cattle on Saturday. The Ryan Ag Booster Jack Pot Show may well be- come a new tradition.
Ran into an old friend at lunch Sunday. He informed me that he reads the paper every week and he enjoys seeing me in the paper because #1, it’s not in the sheriffs report and #2, he said that he likes a little BS as much as the next man. Shout out to Kenneth Blevins. On the subject of people reading my column, last Saturday
I had to answer ques- tions about something that I had written with regards to her grand- daughter. I explained to her that what was said was a joke, turns out she doesn’t think that I am funny.
Less than a week remains for registered voters in Jefferson County to apply for absentee ballots to be mailed to them for the November 6 General Election, County Election Board Secretary Tammy Richardson said today.
Applications for absentee ballots must be received by the County Election Board no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, October 31, to be processed in time for the election.
Absentee voters may apply in person at the County Election Board office or may send their applications by mail, fax, or e-mail. An online version of the form may be filled out and submitted electronically at www.elections.ok.gov.Any registered voter eligible to vote in the election may vote by absentee ballot without stating a reason, Richardson said, however, absentee voters can activate certain special conditions in the following circumstances:
• Registered voters who are physically incapacitated and voters who care for physically incapacitated persons who cannot be left unattended may apply for absentee ballots only by mail, fax, e-mail, online or via an agent who is at least 16 years of age and who is not employed by or related within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity to any person whose name appears on the ballot.
• Registered voters who are confined to nursing homes in the county may apply by mail, by fax, by e-mail, online or via an agent who is at least 16 years of age and who is not employed by or related within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity to any person whose name appears on the ballot.
• Military personnel, residents of Jefferson County living overseas, and the spouses and dependents of each group may apply only by mail, by fax, or by e-mail.For more information and instructions, military and overseas voters may visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program website: www.fvap.gov/oklahoma.
For more information on absentee voting, contact the County Election Board at 220 N. Main Street, Room #203, Waurika, OK.The telephone number is (580) 228-3150.The County Election Board’s fax number is (580) 228-2775.
For additional election-related information, visit: www.elections.ok.gov.
This is an exciting time at WHS, with Blue and Gold orders and Homecoming floats the FFA kids have been extremely busy. October 22nd the W.A.E.B. will be hosting a hamburger feed at Sorosis Park, tickets are $8.00 for 12 and up, $5.00 for 5-11 year olds, 4 and under free. There will be performances from Hunter Wesberry, Bailey Wesberry, Delaini Wesberry, Chloe Adkins, and Mallory Adkins. There will be a Halloween costume contest, ice cream freeze off contest, bounce house, face painting and a roping demonstration. Raffle tickets will be available for a One Man- One Day, Management Buck Hunt donated by Stuart Ranch Outfitters. Tickets will be $10 each or $20 for three. There will also be a Pierce Cooler given away at the Festival. ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE BENEFIT OF WAURIKA YOUTH AG PROGRAMS, 4-H & FFA.
SULPHUR, Okla. – With school out and summer in full swing, the Chickasaw Cultural Center offers an array of fun activities and events for all ages.
Lecture Series: Pollinators Have Much to Teach Us
The Chickasaw Cultural Center will host the Chickasaw Nation Lecture Series: “Pollinators Have Much to Teach Us.” The lecture will be streamed live via the Chickasaw Nation Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheChickasawNation.
Thalia Miller, director of horticulture for Chickasaw Nation Culture and Humanities will present at 1 p.m.Thursday, June 21.
Children’s Festival
The annual Children’s Festival provides fun for the whole family Saturday, June 23.
Children and family will have access to make and take crafts, face painting, food and hydration, a bean bag toss game and Living Village activities.
Children will receive free gifts while supplies last.
The Chipota (Children’s) Film Festival will take place Saturday, June 23. The festival showcases family-oriented cinema.
“Toy Story” will be shown at 10:30 a.m. followed by “Charlotte’s Web” at noon. “Pinocchio” will play at 1:30 p.m. followed by “Stuart Little” at 3 p.m.
The lecture and Children’s Festival, along with the Chipota Film Festival, is open to the public at no charge.
The musical drama “The Greatest Showman” will be shown at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23, in the Anoliꞌ Theater. Prices for the showing are $3 for children age 12 and under, $4 for adults or $6 for a movie deal that includes ticket, popcorn and drink.
TISHOMINGO, Okla. – Historically accurate craftsmanship of Native American weapons has made Chickasaw citizen Eric Smith recognized among Hollywood movie-makers.
In December, he will add another accomplishment to his resumé – published author.
“The Warriors tools: Plains Indian bows, arrows and quivers” will hit bookstores and retail businesses Dec. 4. It is published by Roadrunner Press.
“I am very excited about it. Roadrunner Press is out of Oklahoma City and has published many Native American-themed books,” Smith said. “It is written from a Native American perspective. So many books concerning (Native American) history are written by Europeans and they had a completely different perspective from that of Native people,” he added.
Smith most recently found nationwide acclaim for crafting Native weaponry for the Oscar-winning movie “The Revenant.” The 2016 motion picture was nominated for a dozen Oscars, taking home three; Best Actor, Best Cinematography and Best Director.
He is still crafting weapons for movies but is unable to say much about his endeavors until studios and movie executives are ready to make announcements.
For Children
The book is written at a high school level and Smith’s greatest desire is to make it available to students. Children are the keys to preserving Native culture, in Smith’s opinion.
“The things that we do, our cultural ways, they must continue. The key to that is reaching children. We must inspire our youth or we are in trouble,” Smith intoned, adding “with everything I do, I try to inspire our younger generations to take up some of these techniques.”
“As a youth, when I was learning to make Native weapons, people were telling me ‘this is irrelevant’ and ‘there is no use for these things in the modern world.’ Well, I am a walking testament that isn’t true. Here are these ancient methods so needed and highly sought after today,” Smith said. “That just shows the relevance of our people and our culture.”
He has been crafting Native weapons since age nine. That is when he made his first bow. “No, it wasn’t a very good one,” Smith recalls with a sly grin, “but I was so proud because it actually worked.” By the time Smith entered his teens, his craft was honed to such a high degree he was asked to make bows for friends and for hunters.
The Next Level
Making weapons came naturally to Smith, but a curiosity nagged his soul. Not only did he wish to make quality weapons, but he also wanted them to be historically and culturally pure.
For guidance, he turned to Native elders and made frequent road trips to consult with them.
“Elders always have a story to tell. If you sit down with an elder, listen and let them talk to you, it is amazing the information they will share. Everywhere I went, whether it was Pine Ridge (South Dakota Oglala Lakota) or Tuba City in the Navajo Nation, I listened and learned.”
With the visits came an epiphany – all ancient cultures worldwide used archery.
No culture, however, excelled at it like Native Americans.
In the book, Smith devotes two chapters to weapons made from the horns/antlers and sinew of animals. “Native Americans made some of the most complex bows in the history of the world,” Native American “horn bows” are among them.
“Mountain sheep horns, elk antlers, caribou antlers, and sinew were all used. I’ve replicated many of those bows. For me, it was a lot of trial and error and a lot of mistakes. For our people to figure out this complicated technology, it is almost unbelievable,” Smith explained. “It shows great skill, great ingenuity, and dedication to work with material available to them in their natural environment. So, I share that knowledge in the book for people who want to try to do it.”
Winning the Battle
Smith is an expert in Native American weaponry. He has successfully replicated all kinds of weapons from many different tribes, including his own tribe. However, his specialty is weapons of Plains Indians at around the time they acquired horses. Most historians put the date at around 1680, following the Pueblo Revolt.
He was recently a trifecta winner at the Southeastern Art Show and Market (SEASAM) sponsored by the Chickasaw Nation during its Annual Meeting and Festival celebration. Smith entered two categories and placed three times – first place in cultural clothing; second place in weaponry and third place in cultural clothing.
Sometime in the near future, he will move from his Lawton home to Pauls Valley. He has spent a year restoring a home once owned by a family member who is now deceased.
Sharing his knowledge, research, philosophy, and skills appeal to Smith because the book “will be around forever.”
Eric Smith greets visitors from his booth at the Southeastern Art Show and Market during the 2018 Chickasaw Nation Annual Meeting and Festival.
“It took about four months to write the book,” he said. “I did some research to make sure all the facts were correct, but primarily I wrote about what I have learned from elders and by doing it. I had friends read the manuscript and they said ‘it makes me want to build a bow,’” he said. “And, I consider that a great compliment.”
“The Warriors tools: Plains Indian bows, arrows, and quivers” will be available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other major bookstores. Amazon will make the book available for Kindle download.
It was the first time graduates were limited on the number of guests they could invite. It was the last night the class of 2020 would gather officially as a class.
It was the first time the graduates had to be spaced six feet apart. It was the last time they would congregate in front of Mr. Simmons and Mr. Lunn.
It was the first time diplomas were not handed out by the administration. It was the last time many of them will ever hear their names announced over the PA system at the Waurika Football Field.
It was the first time a graduation had been held so late in the year because of a world-wide pandemic. It was the last time the class of 2020 will be honored as a group.
With all the firsts and lasts, it will possibly the most memorable graduation in Waurika’s history.
Editor’s Note: A complete story and pictures of the Waurika and Ryan graduations will be in the July 2 Special Graduation Edition.
The second annual Powder Puff football band fundraiser was held last Thursday, November 5th at the Cy Sloan Memorial Stadium. The participants were divided into two teams; the Pink Team was made up of Freshman and Juniors girls, and the Blue Team was made up of Sophomore and Senior girls. Eagle football players Cache Dunn, Kevin Garcia, Treyton Torrez, and Isaac Camarillo.
Submitted Photo
The Pink team won 36-0. Coach Treyton Torrez had no trouble expressing his excitement over their win, saying, “Well, I knew we were going to beat them, and the team played hard. They did their jobs great. The whole team played awesome and with the help of the great coach Treyton Torrez, we got a big win.” Garcia, who coached for the Blue Team, said, “The game didn’t go as planned. I hoped we would have scored at least once, but I know they’ll get them next year.”
Submitted Photo
Mackinze Taylor, a sophomore player on the Blue Team, said, “Well I had a blast. Whether my team won or not, I had so much fun playing with the girls. Never thought I’d have a better team. I love all of them and I’m going to miss my seniors next year.” Freshman player Faith Hill agreed, saying “I think it’s safe to say both teams enjoyed themselves.”
