June 4, 2019 Issue, Page 1 of 8

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Your News Eve Subscribe Online to The Elk City Ne Visit www.elkcityoknews.com Tuesday, June 4, 2019 Lieutenant Govenor Pinnell visits Elk City Rotary Club By Don Munsch Editor hb " Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell spent a few minutes talk- Leann Eslin of Perryton, Texas, formerly of Elk City, ing with The Elk City News wipes down her car, a1972 Plymouth Scamp, at the before he spoke at the Elk Car Show Saturday morning on Broadway Avenue in City Rotary Club meeting Elk City. Staff photo by Don Munsch. Thursday. Pinnell oversees ‘small business/entrepre- neurship inside the state’s Route 66 Festival Department of Commerce and Tourism. He was named Secretary of Tour- ism and Branding by Gov. Kevin Stitt. “T sit on his cabinet in that role,” Pinnell said. “I know that Elk City is passionate about tourism and has an active tourism industry here.” Pinnell said he would visit with a business own- ers during his Elk City visit. He said he got legis- Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell makes a point about the state budget during a visit lation passed this session ‘to the Elk City Rotary Club on Thursday. Pinnell also met with business owners on a Route 66 Centennial during his stop here. Staff photo by Don Munsch. Commission. “T think it’s really impor- By Don Munsch some of the easiest sales tax 66, for goodness sakes? We tant that we have a Centen- Ailene Wyant of Elk City, right, tosses a beanbag for Editor dollars one can claim, he have more drivable miles on nial Commission set up in her team, Weet, during the cornhole tournament added. that road than other state in Oklahoma,” he said. “We ‘Saturday at the Route 66 Festival in Elk City. Standing Atop 10 standing in the Route 66 is one place to the country.” have more drivable miles next to her is opponent Vonna Allen of Elk City, who nation. start for tourism dollars. If the state plays to its of Route 66 than other ‘was on Go OU, which won this game 21-3. Wyant’s That is what Lt. Gov. Matt “Outside of our Native strength, then ithas to state. So we really want to ‘teammate was Ty Cloud of Elk City while Allen’s Pinnell wants for Oklahoma American history, Route 66 emphasize Route 66, he said. take advantage ofthe cen- teammate was Blaine Reston of Hobart. Staff photo when it comes to tourism is our greatest tourism [as- The state does not have to tennial that’s coming.” by Don Munsch. and other areas, forming the set],” he said. have a large budget for tour- Although the state's cen- thrust ofa message he gave People from other coun- ism to turn Oklahoma into tennial is still seven years EE to the Elk City Rotary Club tries have shown fanatical a $1 billion tourism state, away, state leaders still during a visit last week. though. want to start planning now. At the state level, Okla- interest in Route 66, Pinnell said, and Baby Boomers “We generate right now Pinnell created the inau- Garcia held on bond homa is not doing what it $650 million in state and lo- gural Route 66 Convention should be for tourism, he control most of disposable in- come in the country and will cal tax revenue off tourism,” for the state, meeting in the was arrested on charges first Tuesday in December, = of assault and battery, at- said. The state can boast travel and should be targeted he said. “That’s not half — <—— tempted forcible sodomy, and it will be held at the of its heritage and history, and tourists, whether they for tourism dollars. bad for a state that doesn’t believe in advertising their Oklahoma History Center kidnapping and obstructing “And they want what? in Oklahoma City. an officer, according to a are Americans or foreign- ‘They want an authentic state. Just think if we actu- probable cause affidavit. ers, can find an “authentic American experience,” he ally had a real effective mar “J am trying to get some- He remained in Beckham American” experience here, said. “Well, then why are we County Jail Monday morn- he said. Tourism dollars are not doubling down on Route See Pinnell page 2. See Speaking page 2. 5 ing on a $75,000 bond. Just after 8 am. on May 25, Elk City officers were dispatched to a domestic eacher feels called to job H ‘s—- Garcia Editor f6iisics dispute on the south side of stated. An Elk City officer approached Garcia, who it, anyways. They vote on at the time - before transfer- An Elk City man was acted in an aggressive and you, and you're like, wow, ring to Southwestern Okla- arrested on several charges _ uncooperative manner, thanks, guys. I feel like I homa State University where including kidnapping-by _and tried to restrain him, work with a bunch of profes- _ she received her degree in Elk City police on May 25 including putting hand re- sional people who love their elementary education. after they receivedacall _ straints on him. The officer jobs and they give every- “When I was first going to about a domestic dispute. thing they have into intothe college, Iwas going to be a Gustavo Garcia, 32, See Garcia page 2. job. Ie’ kind of an honor, special ed teacher,” she Said. | uss guess.” “Then I decided that I would She talked about what rather be in a classroom set- inspired her to teach. ting with kids all day.” “Thad a teacher up here In teaching at her home at Canute,” Merz said. “Her school, she thinks she has. a name was Mary Langston. lot at stake. She loved her job.” “This is my community, Atthe time, Merz’sclass _this is my school; I want was doing acareer unit and —_to make it a better school, Merz initially wanted to be a. make the community a better psychologist, but she opted to _ place,” she said. bea teacher instead. Teaching has changed She has taught sixth grade much in 31 years, she said, in Canute for 31 years.She —_ explaining she is teaching teaches all subjects in sixth lessons in math that she grade, but next school year, _learned in ninth and 10th sixth grade will split and she grades. On the management will teach math, science and __ side, teachers have to ensure Lana Merz, a sixth-grade teacher at Canute, was the geography. they listen well to parents Elementary School and Overall District Teacher of the She said she has been and children when an issue Year this year. She has been teaching in Canutefor31 “very fortunate” inher job. _ arises. years. Staff photo by Don Munsch. She remembers teaching “Every kid has to have a religion classes with kinder- voice,” she said. “You have = NS = By Don Munsch room, she received Elemen- garten-age children ather _tollistentoeachside andthen | — Bali tary Teacher ofthe Year and church, and she discovered _try to do what's best for that Construction has started on the Highway 6 bridge Overall Teacher ofthe Year through that experience that kid.” over Interstate 40. Eastbound and westbound I-40 LanaMerzwantedtobea forthe District honors. Rich. SiXthgrade was where sheis Building relationships with | Will bedetoured to the on- and off-amps at SH-6 at a ard Reanels was the high needed to be andthat “God —_ students founded on respect Elk City until 8 a.m. Saturday for bridge construction, Echool teaciier when ae was put me in the right place.” _going for both teacher and according to the Oklahoma Department of in the sixth grade. school Teacher of the Year Born in Elk City, she grew __ student is important, she Transportation. Highway 6 is narrowed to one lane All these years later, she “S's kind ofhumblingin yp in Canute and graduated said. inboth directions. Motorists can expect delays and now teaches sixth grade at away,” she said. “I’m not a from CHS in 1982. She went ‘Merz would still go into congestion in this area, ODOT said, so they should Canute Elementary School. better teacher than anybody __to St. Gregory's College in use caution within the work zone. For her work in the class- else up here -I don’t feellike Shawnee -ajunior college See Merz page 2. Staff photo by Don Munsch. il Il Mtl HUAI Weather ie [A 8 Vol. 117,No.45 Home delivery View online ‘ sores aot » tomorrow . 75 cents, 8 pgs. 580.225.3000 elkcityoknews.com