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Above: Winning Team: Diamond H/Plus C Cattle
Top Hand: Rodey Wilson of Willson Cattle
Top Horse: Jayten McCright – Slash W
2. Bonds
3. Wilson
4. Sarco Creek/Lemond
5. EC Cattle/Mule Creek (Above Photo by Elizabeth Scott; Photo to right by Elizabeth Scott)
Jefferson County Jr. Livestock Show will be Wednesday, February 28 – Saturday, March 3, 2018. On Thursday, March 1, Sheep and Goats will weigh in at 10 a.m.; the Sheep Show will begin at 5 p.m. followed by the Goat Show. Hogs will weigh in 8 a.m. Friday, March 2 with the Hog Show beginning at 3 p.m. The Cattle will weigh in Saturday March 3 at 9 a.m. and begin showing at 10 a.m. The Premium banquet will be 6 p.m. Saturday, March 3.
Come support 4-H and FFA Exhibitors. Concession will be open Thursday and Friday.
Jefferson County OSU Extension office for additional information
Bright Nights at the Science Museum, February 16-17, 2018
Registration Due: February 1, 2018
Price: $45 per participant
$25 per Chaperone
Theme: Star Wars
State 4-H Ambassador Applications
2018 State 4-H Ambassador applications are available and can be found on the 4-H Ambassador website. Applications must be postmarked by March 15th.
2018 Special Clovers Camp
Blast Off to Better Health, Special Clovers Camp will be held March 24 and 25th. The camp is open to 4-H members (8-17 years of age) with special needs. Campers will enjoy a full 4-H camp experience, complete with team-building exercises, outdoor activities, crafts and more!
4-H members (14-18 years of age) can also serve as a Clover Buddy to mentor campers. Clover Buddies will also receive via conference call training prior to the camp.
Registration materials will be available February 1. Cost of the camp will be $15. The camp is supported through the Walmart Healthy Living grant.
Jefferson County OHCE met Tuesday, January 16 in the Waurika Sr. Citizens Center. The business meeting including planning of the Pie Sale which will be Thursday, March 1 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Jr. Livestock Show. After the business meeting, Tara Brown, Extension Educator, FCS/4-H Youth Development presented a short lesson on Finance 101- Budgeting. Tara is available to teach the Check and Balance curriculum which includes other financial topics. Call 580-228-2332.
Our February meeting will be Tuesday, February 20 at 12 noon at the Waurika Sr. Citizens Center. Brenda Gandy-Jones, Extension Educator, FCS/4-H Youth Development, CED for Stephens County will present the lesson on “Caregiving 101”. Our March meeting will be Tuesday and Wednesday (March 20 and 21) 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. each day; Pamela Varner, Extension Educator, FCS/4-H Youth Development, CED for Cotton County will lead us making “Crazy Quilt Jacket”. Contact Tara Brown for additional information.
Co-Parenting for Resilience: Divorce or separation is not an easy or favorable decision, especially when minor children are in the home. A class for divorcing or separating parents with minor children living in the home, is available monthly or as scheduled. Our next class is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, February 14, 2018. Pre-registration is required. Call Jefferson County OSU Extension Office at 580-228-2332 for registration information. This class is mandatory by law in Oklahoma and is also valuable for Grandparents and other relatives of minor children going through a divorce or separation.
How can you protect yourself from getting the flu?
1. Avoid close contact. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. …
2. Stay home when you are sick. …
3. Cover your mouth and nose. …
4. Clean your hands. …
5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. …
6. Practice other good health habits.
Last week we took a peek at the sport of paddling and kayaks with an emphasis on kayak fishing. It’s a sport that has really exploded over the last few years. That’s easy to understand when you look at the relatively low investment it takes to get into the sport. It’s also a great and relaxing way to enjoy being outdoors, with the benefits of exercise and catching a few fish!
There is nothing like casting a line from a kayak, while watching the sun sink in the west. Also paddling slowly around a tranquil bay, in the predawn light, in search of that of that big bass!
Kayak fishing can be as simple as you wish. I carry a couple of rods, an assortment of swim baits and spinners, a net, bottle of water and of course a paddle! The other end of the spectrum might include depthfinders, some form of pedal system, gear boxes with rod holders for an additional 5 or 6 rods-the choice is yours. Two things I never go without are sunscreen and some form of insect repellent.
In the past, if you really wanted to get into kayaking, you had to find books to help learn the sport. The great thing about technology is now you simply need to pull up YouTube. Every facet of the sport is available and you might also pick up some great ideas!
I know a lot of folks, much like myself, who don’t have a pasture full of tanks, well-stocked with fish or a $20,000 boat to cruise the fishy waters of Waurika Lake. Well, don’t despair! If you didn’t realize it, you have access to one of the true jewels of this area! And you don’t need anyone’s permission. All you need is a valid Oklahoma fishing license and adhere to the rules that are posted as you enter the area.
Being only 4 miles northwest of downtown Waurika makes this a wonderful fishing and recreation area. The reservoir I’m talking about is Lake Jap Beaver. It was constructed by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation in 1953 and first opened to fishing in 1955. When first opened, the lake was known as Waurika Lake. After the construction of the 10,000 acre Waurika Lake, the original lake was named Lake Jap Beaver after longtime Jefferson County Game Warden, Jap Beaver, who was also very popular.
Lake Jap Beaver is a beautiful small lake; it encompasses 65 acres with an average depth of 10 ft and a maximum depth of 30 ft. There are roads providing access to both sides of the lake including the dam. A boat ramp is located on the west side and also a small fishing dock. It’s a great place to enjoy a sunrise and watch for birds and wildlife. My wife Jana and I often will sit out on the shore in the late evening and watch for beaver and deer.
It’s a great place to cast while walking the shoreline or just take the lawn chairs and watch your cork “bob.” The most common species are bass, channel cat, crappie and sunfish. I’ve caught white bass on occasion but these were probably added by some well meaning fishermen!
Hunting is allowed in the surrounding area using a shotgun for small game and game birds and archery equipment during archery deer season. During high school, Jim Hagg and I would duck hunt there on a regular basis.
Back in the 60s and 70s my Uncle George Brown and his fishing buddy Babe Cephus spent many hours fishing for bass and crappie in their float tubes, with great success.
If you have a kayak or canoe it’s a great place to launch them and spend time fishing the entire lake. Also, just take the kids out and paddle around the area! If you don’t have one it’s a good time to visit Academy. The lake is safe in the respect that, with its smaller size, wind is not as much of an issue as on its big brother, Waurika Lake!
If you haven’t spent time at Lake Jap Beaver in a while, give it a try! It’s been around for over 60 years and is still as beautiful as ever. In the last few years, the Conservation Department has put up new signs posting the regulations for the area. When using the area please adhere to the regulations and above all “take your trash with you.” As with any public use area it’s up to the users to help keep it clean!
This is just another reason to be proud of our part of Oklahoma! I remember, while in high school, hearing rumors that kids used to frequent the area on weekend evenings to watch the “submarine races,” but I never knew for sure!
Get out and enjoy our great Oklahoma outdoors!
Wow, what a difference a week makes. Last week we were coming out of a bitter cold stretch with no meaningful rainfall since last fall.
Mother Nature gave us a cold front early last week and the resulting rainfall and ice followed it. All of Jefferson County has received a much needed 4 to 5 inches of rain! Temperatures are forecasted this week to be in the 60s and 70s and sunshine. You can drive out to your wheat field, roll down the windows, and sit and listen to the wheat grow! That was a drought buster, at least for a while.
This week we are going to continue our look at things produced in the US that have changed or improved our outdoor experience.
The Marlin Model 336 is certainly in that class. Because there’s one in just about every big-woods deer camp, this classic lever action is the only one still made here it’s the original company. Marlin was purchased by Remington a few years ago, and they continue to produce the same quality rifle. Introduced in 1948 the 336 in 30-30 or 35 Remington has accounted for untold numbers of whitetail over the years.
We have to mention the Colt 1911 pistol, used for years by our military. It remains to be one of the most popular, shootable pistols out there. The 107-year-old design is the “American fighting pistol”, having proved itself from the trenches to the jungles to the deserts. Nothing points like it. And it rides pretty well on your hip while you’re checking trail cameras, too.
The 1911 pistol is produced by many manufacturers today and has been customized more than any handgun in history.
Shifting gears, let’s take a look at a couple of items that were designed to make our time afield more bearable and comfortable.
Beginning with our feet! In 1936, four years after Charles Danner opened the Danner Shoe Mfg. Co. in Chippewa Falls, Wis., he took note of the caulked logging boots that foresters were wearing in the Pacific Northwest, and thought, “Now those are some dang tough boots!”Rugged people, he realized, needed rugged footwear and were willing to pay a premium for it. So he moved the operation to Portland, OR where the company has been making hard-wearing boots for loggers, ranchers, trappers, and hunters for more than 70 years.
In the mid 1990s, Danner introduced a 10-inch, all-leather, waterproof hunting boot with all the toughness of their previous offering.
The true icon of outdoor wear would have to the Woolrich Shirt! First produced in 1830 by the
“ Woolrich Made in America Buffalo Wool Shirt Company”, yep, that was the name! Located in Woolrich, PA, they have continued to produce the same quality shirts for nearly 200 years.
I remember back in the 1950s when my granddad, Lee Fentress, would come down to quail hunt, he would always wear his red Woolrich shirt with his pipe stuck in the pocket! When you took a break he always had a great outdoor tale to share. Those were the days.
In 1964, Buck Knives released the Model 110. It was a folder, and there was nothing new about folders; the Roman legions had marched with them. But this was different. It was big. It was heavy. It was clunky. But it had a brass frame and Macassar ebony handle scales, and it was gorgeous. It was also extremely strong. The 110 had a new type of locking mechanism that allowed you to do things that had heretofore been the province of fixed-blade knives.
The 3 3/4 inch stainless-steel blade could be easily sharpened, and rust wasn’t a problem. All you had to do was put a drop of oil on the hinge pin every so often and you were set for life. The 110 was too big to carry in a pocket, and so Buck sold it with a leather belt sheath.
You saw 110s on the belts of just about everyone who worked with their hands. I don’t know how many people I’ve hunted with who, when it’s time to start field dressing, reached for a 110. The new version is sleeker, but still does everything. Since 1964, Buck has sold 15 million Model 110s. Think of that; 15 million!
This last offering I would bet if you’re my age you have owned several! No matter where you live, you probably have a red-and-white Dardevle spoon in your tackle box. So recognizable is this piece of metal that it’s become the go-to model when a lure needs portraying on anything from a fishing-themed birthday card to a Santa Claus ornament. I clearly remember my grandfather giving me my first Dardevle, and though I’ll admit I didn’t use it often, every time I looked at it, I imagined myself battling giant bass. Of course, while I was dreaming, thousands of anglers were (and still are) using the classic Dardevle to fool everything from huge muskies to heavy lake trout and trophy walleyes.
Red-and-white will always be the iconic color scheme, but Eppinger actually produces more than 100 different patterns in an enormous variety of sizes, all of which are made in Michigan as they have been since 1912.
Hope you enjoyed remembering these items and get out this week and watch the wheat grow!
Renie wanted a gorgeous new flower garden. So she spent some time picking the brain of a college educated agriculturalist. A man who had spent years as a high school teacher in that field. Plus, for the last ten years after retirement, he and his wife had a “hobby” – working their own small truck farm. He had qualifications galore for knowing when, what, where, and how to plant just about anything.
So now she was ready. She knew exactly what plants she wanted to have in her flower garden, and where, And how to care for them. The expert had briefed her on the best environment for her plants. Fertilizing, watering, and amounts of sunshine were included in the tutorial.
So far, so good.
The morning came when they both began the process of digging holes and planting. (Well, in the interest of full disclosure – Renie mostly directing, Andy digging and planting.)
Renie, sweetly: “Honey, these have to be right here, ‘cause they need morning sun, but they can’t take the scorching heat of the afternoon. And don’t forget to sprinkle the fertilizer in the bottom of the hole each time!”
Andy, cheerfully: “Okay, sweetie, you were the one who talked to the expert, so whatever ya say!”
This process went on for quite a while, her directing with him patiently digging, fertilizing and planting. But as the hours went by, and the day’s heat increased, so did the conversation.
Renie, exasperated: “Andy, I thought I specifically said this plant had to be placed in full sun! Look at it! Here it is only 1:00 P.M., and it’s already in the shade!”
Andy, muttering: “I can specifically tell you where I’d like to place that plant, and it would be in full shade!”
But finally, all was done, and it looked great. Every one of those babies were in the perfect location, fertilizer in the holes under them, watered well, and lookin’ good! Weeks went by, and they flourished, with deep green leaves and beautiful blooms beginning to show.
Then it began.
A wilted leaf here, a drooping bloom there, Then those pretty blooms started hitting the ground, and those wilting leaves began yellowing. And finally, everything was acting as if autumn had hit a couple of months early, the garden looking like the end of October.
What in the world? Yep, you’ve probably guessed it by now. Too much of a good thing…fertilizer.
Folks, anything can be carried to excess and cause the exact opposite of its intended outcome. Dessert gives a great touch to meals, but too much leads to bad endings. Working extra hours is admirable, except when you take on so much that the kids begin to ask Mom what Dad looks like. Building up your credit score is a great idea – but without monitoring your spending, it’s gonna backfire on you.
Plan, execute, and enjoy. Important stuff. But correct dosing is pretty important too.
We are into May and my goodness, is the fishing heating up! I am getting reports from many sources of “the bite” really picking up, especially when the wind is not blowing 50 mph!
More on that later, but this week our favorite roadrunner “Roadie” is back in the neighborhood-love watching this guy. I know I’ve talked a little about roadrunners in the past but I thought I would give a little more in-depth information!
The legendary roadrunner bird is famous for its distinctive appearance, its ability to eat rattlesnakes and its preference for scooting across the American deserts, as popularized in Warner Bros. cartoons.
The roadrunner is a large, black-and-white, mottled ground bird with a distinctive head crest. It has strong feet, a long, white-tipped tail and an oversized bill.
It ranges in length from 20 to 24 inches from the tip of its tail to the end of its beak. It is a member of the Cuckoo family, characterized by feet with 2 forward toes and 2 behind.
When the roadrunner senses danger or is traveling downhill, it flies, revealing short, rounded wings with a white crescent. But it cannot keep its large body airborne for more than a few seconds, and so prefers walking or running (up to 17 miles per hour) usually with a clownish gait.
The roadrunner makes a series of 6 to 8, low, dovelike coos dropping in pitch, as well as a clattering sound by rolling their mandibles together.
They are easily identified by their long graduated tail which is held upright and their long stout legs.
The roadrunner inhabits open, flat or rolling terrain with scattered cover of dry brush, chaparral or other desert scrub.
The roadrunner feeds almost exclusively on other animals, including insects, scorpions, lizards, snakes, rodents and other birds. Up to 10 % of its winter diet may consist of plant material due to the scarcity of desert animals at that time of the year.
Because of its lightening quickness, the roadrunner is one of the few animals that preys upon rattlesnakes. Using its wings like a matador’s cape, it snaps up a coiled rattlesnake by the tail, cracks it like a whip and repeatedly slams its head against the ground till dead.
It then swallows its prey whole, but is often unable to swallow the entire length at one time. This does not stop the roadrunner from its normal routine. It will continue to meander about with the snake dangling from its mouth, consuming another inch or two as the snake slowly digests. This is why I love seeing them in our neighborhood!
Switching gears, this time of year is great for catfishing because many of them, including the big blue cats seek out warmer shallower water for spawning.
For a good chunk of the year, catching blue catfish involves probing the deepest holes in a river system. Like many other species, however, they take note of rising water temperatures in spring. Blue cats will move toward warmer water and binge-eat in preparation for the spawning. There is no better time of the year to fish for them.
If in a boat instead of anchoring over deep water in spring, execute drift tactics that allow you to probe the bank and skinny water—anywhere from 2 to 10 feet. First, use your temperature gauge and electronics to identify shallow mudflats with the warmest water. Structure like downed trees, rock piles, and brush are hotspots. After you’ve chosen a spot you want to fish, try several different spots trying to locate them. The same can apply when fishing from the bank.
A slip-float rig is the best way to fish shallow water effectively. Tie a 4/0, or larger, circle hook on a stout leader and adjust the float according to depth. Fresh cut bait such as gizzard shad, herring, or menhaden will get the most bites. Pay particular attention to structure; the slip-float will allow your bait to remain free of snags. Try several locations before moving on! When you see it go down, reel tight, refrain from setting the hook, and get ready for battle.
Hopefully you find a reason to get out this time of year! One suggestion would be Downtown Now this weekend in our great hometown! Hope to see you there.
Daylight savings time arrived this past weekend, and it signals my official start to “get ready for fishing season!” With the temps in the 60s and 70s in the afternoons and with plenty of sunshine to warm the shallows, the big bass will start cruising the shallows of your favorite spot.
The crappie bite and bass spawn is just around the corner we should all be smiling. It’s early spring—that funky time of year when the bass bite isn’t dead but it isn’t exactly on fire either. During the prespawn and spawning periods, when the water is still chilly, success with big bass has a lot to do with patience, being methodical in your presentation, and giving the fish a meal they can’t pass up no matter how lethargic they’re feeling. The beauty of early-spring bass fishing is that while bites may be fewer, you’re a lot more likely to connect with true trophies in the form of egg-laden females looking for some solid protein before taking to spawning beds, or heavy girls protecting their beds. If you struggle at this time of year—or don’t fish at all because you don’t think the bite is on—these tricks will help catch some big bass long before your favorite summer bite kicks into high gear.
During winter, fish often hole up in deep water with a soft bottom, and that holds true for both lakes and ponds. In the early season, you’ll find these fish in those same winter haunts before the water is warm enough to prompt them to move shallow to spawn. These bass can be glued so tightly to the bottom that you won’t even mark them on your sounder, and it’s not uncommon for fish to have mud streaks on their bellies when you catch them.
They tend to be lazy, so presenting a bait that takes minimal effort for them to eat is key. It also doesn’t hurt to choose a lure that will kick up puffs of mud as it moves, like a sculpin or crayfish, to help draw attention.
Soft-plastic tubes shine in this scenario. Where you can get away with a long cast over a prime location, sometimes simply letting the tube slowly drag on the bottom works best.
Jerkbaits are one of my favorite early-season lures. When bass begin to transition from deep water to the shallows, these baits cover plenty of water, which is key because the bass are often cruising a large area. Jerkbaits prompt reaction strikes, which is why you’ll see many anglers working them as hard and fast as possible. It’s a great technique during warmer times of year, but in early spring, it pays to pause for a long time.
When my jerkbait first touches down, I’ll give it a few hard rips just to make it dive, but after that, I’ll let it sit for five to 10 seconds without doing a thing. A suspending jerkbait works best for this method, although a floating model that rises slowly can be just as effective. The initial movement often catches a fish’s attention, but this time of year, the bass may not swim over at 100 mph to crush the lure if you continue moving it. The long pause gives any fish attracted by the initial motion time to swim over for a look. Sometimes they’ll strike at the paused bait. Most of the time, however, I find that the hit comes during that first twitch right after the pause.
As the waters continue to warm, early mornings and late evenings are my favorite times to cast. I like to cast and retrieve a spinner bait over likely spawning areas. You might try slow retrieve of a slider type rig with a soft plastic trailer works great! While using short lifts and pauses through likely spawning areas. You watch your line carefully to detect any movement of a soft take.
There is nothing any more satisfying than to be on your favorite Oklahoma waters, watching the sun give us another glorious sunset, while you pause a moment to thank “Our Creator” just before you return that six pound bass back to it’s home!
Get out and enjoy your Oklahoma.
As you read this you will be enjoying the first day of summer for 2018. If you don’t believe me spend some time outside this weekend! Next week is the “4th Of July” and many of you will be spending time at Waurika Lake!
I can’t imagine anyone in our area not knowing about “Waurika Lake” and I hope you realize what a gem it is. The lake was conceived primarily as a means of flood control and a large water reservoir. Locals began working on the plan for a lake in the fifties and sixties to control flooding of downtown and the surrounding area. It took a lot of hard work from my uncle, George Brown, Fred Richardson and others in the business community to finally see its completion in the early 1980s.
It has become a premier fishing lake, offering many species of gamefish including largemouth bass, crappie, sunfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish, walleye, sand bass and certainly hybrid striped bass! Folks come from long distances to try their luck at some of the best hybrid striper fishing to be had anywhere. If you want something to test your tackle then these hybrid stripers will certainly fit the bill!
The fact that the lake area is right in our backyard makes it much more special. The scenic irregular shoreline and gently sloping land to the water’s edge is an open invitation for outdoor family fun and relaxation. There are six recreation areas located around the lake that include such facilities as boat launching ramps, campgrounds, sanitary facilities, picnic tables and shelters. Boating and skiing enthusiasts will be pleased with the large areas of open water and the scenic shoreline. There are four large embankments and a number of smaller coves that make boating on the lake a real pleasure.
Visitors to Waurika Lake will find the dam structure an impressive site. A road runs across the top of the dam and access roads are located at each end. The lake is set in rolling prairies interspersed with croplands and timbered areas. Protection and blending with the natural environment was a primary concern in the design and construction of Waurika Lake. Trees, shrubs, and other desirable vegetation were left in their natural state in order to maintain the environment whenever possible.
The Overlook and Wichita Ridge Pavilion are accessible to non-ambulatory persons and excellent places to view the scenery. The Kiowa II and Chisholm Trail day use areas, as well as several miles of paved roads and many primitive access points around the lake provide scenic areas and wildlife viewing from an automobile.
The lake offers many swimming opportunities for visitors. There are swim beaches located at the Kiowa Park I and Chisholm Trail camping areas that are open to campers and day users. Both of these areas have shower facilities. Boats are prohibited in these areas for the protection of the swimmers.
Walker Creek Trail is a 13-mile trail that can be used for hiking or horseback riding. The trailhead is located 5 1/2 miles north of the dam on Walker Creek. The trail winds along the creek over gently rolling hills and through wooded areas which are abundant with wildlife. Spring and summer offer excellent opportunities to view native wildflowers. The trail is marked with fluorescent orange posts and mileage is indicated by metal mile marker posts. Water is available for horses at many points along the trail. Water for human consumption must be carried in. The trail is closed to hiking and riding during deer gun season.
Beaver Creek Trails are a series of interlocking dirt hiking trails that are accessible by non-ambulatory persons, weather permitting. These trails can be entered from the Project Office as well as from Moneka North and South.
As awesome as the Lake experience is, it is greatly enhanced by the fact that it has a full service marina located just past the west end of the dam in Kiowa Park II.
Eddie and Nan Reese purchased Waurika Lake Marina on September of 2000 and have continued to operated it today. They’ve put in a lot of hard work and certainly not without some tragedies along the way! The severe drought of a few years ago left them sitting on dry land for some time until the heavy rains of May 2015 finally broke the spell, as the lake rose rapidly. Things seemed to be getting back to normal with a lot of hard work until February 29, 2016 when they suffered a devastating fire to the retail area of the marina. There literally was nothing left, including all the merchandise and they had to completely rebuild that portion of the marina! Again, with hard work and perseverance, they were fully open on May 24, 2016, in time for Memorial Day!
Next time you’re at the lake, stop in for a coke and a snack and say hi. Their hours of operation are- Closed Monday, Tuesday thru Thursday 7:30 to 2:00, Friday and Saturday 7:00 to 5:00, Sunday 7:00 to 2:00! The Crappie House is open seven days a week from 5:30am to 8:00pm.
They also have R.V. Hookups from $30 to $50 and three clean mobile home units for $80 to $100 a night! In addition they have 4 cabins for rent with kitchenette for $60 a night.
Kudos to Eddie and Nan Reese for their hard work and determination to continue to supply our lake with a much needed addition. Next time you are out fishing or just enjoying the lake, stop in and say hi, maybe pick up some minnows or tackle! Get out and enjoy your Lake Waurika!
There were two women’s ranch rodeos Saturday morning at Coyote Hills Arena. The rodeo was sanctioned with the Women’s Ranch Rodeo Association.
Winners of Rodeo Number 2
Above: Top Team of both rodeos:1st Push Hard Cattle (Nessa Smith, Billie Franks, Rebecca Wilson, Michelle Dyer)
2nd Espuela (JV Thomas, Ginny Jo Thomas, Kelsey Love Thomas, Heather Borg)
3rd McClemore Cattle (Presley Reid, Nakona Danley, Gracie Paul, Rasey Runyan)
Above:
Winners of rodeo #1
1st Calvary Cross in order from right to left to right Whitney Hall, Stephanie Spillers, Pam McCleskey, Brooke Wilson
2nd Push Hard Cattle (Nessa Smith, Billie Franks, Rebecca Wilson, Michelle Dyer)
3rd Espuela (JV Thomas, Ginny Jo Thomas, Kelsey Love Thomas, Heather Borg)
Above: Top Horse Gracie Paul received handmade headstall buckle donated by Dyer Horseshoeing (Submitted Photo)
Above:
Top Hand Kelsey Love Thomas
She received a handmade headstall buckle donated by Dyer Horseshoeing
(Submitted Photo)
Duncan Regional Hospital is fortunate to have many passionate people serving on its boards who are willing to share their time and talent. We are pleased to announce the addition of Brad Scott to the DRH Board of Directors.
A fifth-generation Jefferson County resident, Brad graduated from Waurika High School in 1990. He attended Oklahoma State University graduating with a degree in agricultural economics. He returned to Waurika where he owned the Farmers Insurance Agency for 19 years. Three years ago, he sold the business to devote his time to running his and his family’s ranching business.
It was through his grandfather’s legacy of serving in the Oklahoma legislature for 30 years (the longest-serving member) Brad learned the importance of service. He ran for state representative while at OSU. “I won 3 out of 4 counties and lost the overall election by 117 votes,” said Scott. “It was a great learning experience for me.”
His commitment to service continues through his role as City Manager for Waurika. He has held this position for two terms and will serve in the role as long as he is needed. “I love our community,” shared Scott. “Our town looks as good as it has in 20 years. Main Street looks phenomenal as does the new Veterans Park.”
Additional boards, he has served on include the Oklahoma AgCredit, Jefferson County Hospital Authority and First Christian Church of Waurika.
Brad has been married to Elizabeth for 22 years, and they have two sons, Lodge, a freshman at Oklahoma State University and Houston, who is in 8th grade.
While welcoming a new member, it is also time to say thank you to Scott Stone as he steps off the Board of Directors. Scott, a Duncan attorney, has served on the board since 2009. During this time Scott served on several board committees including Compliance, Governance, Institutional Development, and Professional Affairs. Additionally, he served as Board Secretary for two years and as Chair for two.
“It’s truly an honor to welcome Brad to the DRH Board of Directors. He brings a lot of different talents and a passion for Jefferson County to the board that we need in our growing organization. As well, we want to thank Scott Stone for all his work, direction, guidance and dedication to DRH over the past 9 years. It was an honor to have him on our board,” said Jay R. Johnson, President and CEO, Duncan Regional Hospital.
