July 19, 2019 Issue, Page 1 of 12

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Western Oklahoma Weekday Edition Elk City had home run hero their stories. White said if he never did the players’ stories, then they would never be told and that would al- low death to take their tales. White said he thought of himself as some- one standing be- tween death and the stories being told. The City of Elk City drone flies in front of City Hall on Wednesday afternoon. The book features chapters on many The city uses the drone for a number of purposes. Staff photo by Don Munsch. minor leaguers, with one of the chap- ters covering the career of Joe Bau- man, who played semi-pro_ base- City to have seminar ball in Elk City from 1949-1951 at Red Rock Stadium at Ackley Park. he Mention the name Joe Bauman to covering drones LEGENDS, NEAR-GREATS, AND UNKNOWNS cx the MINORS many baseball fans today and one is lia- bleto hear “Joe Who?” as a response. But GAYLON H. WHITE Bauman held a professional baseball re- cord that lasted a near half century, and By Don Munsch, Editor ment with the City of Elk City, will discuss he became more famous late in life when The City of Elk City will have a free some of the new FAA changes to drone By Don Munsch, Editor major leaguers were chasing his record. seminar Tuesday on Federal Aviation Ad- operations. Attendees also will learn from Gaylon White pointed to one mo- Bauman, a left-handed first baseman who ministration rule changes for flying drones. Josh O’Brien, team leader of the UAS [Un- tivating factor for writing a book batted left, was born in Welch, Oklahoma. He hit 72 home runs in 1954 in Roswell, The seminar will be held at the Elk City named Aerial Systems] Cluster Initiative about minor league baseball stars. campus of Western Technology Center. of Oklahoma and Kansas about the UAS White, who lives in Kingsport, Tenn., was N.M., while playing for the Roswell Rock- ets, a low level minor league club. Bauman, The seminar is from 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., Tech Forum in Salina, Kansas, Aug. 21-22. inElk City last week to promote his new book, with the keynote luncheon speaker being Also at the event will be short briefings “Left on Base in the Bush Leagues: Legends, who played several years of ball at differ- ent levels and with different teams, never Kraettli Epperson, chief executive officer of from the Oklahoma Department of Com- Near Greats, and Unknowns in the Minors.” made it to the majors. A World War II vet- Vigilant Aerospace Systems in Oklahoma merce and the Oklahoma Center for the It’s a book that took decades to research and eran who served in the U.S. Navy, Bau- City. He has licensed and commercialized Advancement of Science and Technology. write, containing interviews with more than man died in 2005 in Roswell. He was 83. a NASA technology that helps drones “de- Mason said the City of Elk City pos- 200 players. White, who has written three The name of White’s chapter on Bauman tect and avoid” other drones and aircraft, ac- sesses a drone, which has been used by the other books, has promoted the book in towns is “The Man Who Wore the Texaco Star,” so cording to a news release form the city. Be- fire department to find spots in fires. The where players starred, such as Elk City. named because Bauman worked at Texaco fore the meeting, the Oklahoma Southwest drone also has been used for other purposes. “This one was the mother of them all,” he station on Route 66 in Elk City — at Washing- Regional Economic Development Alliance “The CVB [Convention and Visitors said, describing seeing this book come frui- ton and Third streets — and in Roswell, where will have a business meeting at 10:30 a.m. Bureau] has used it the most, to take pic- tion, duringaninterviewatTheElk City News. he set a pro baseball home run record that Before Epperson speaks, Jim Mason, di- tures of events and things that are going “This was the mother ship. To finish this and would last until Barry Bonds hit 73 in 2001. rector of economic and community develop- See Drone seminar page 2. now have the opportunity to talk about it...” Stranded in the minors White stops and shares a story about how Fans and others might ask that if Bau- he was going to London and was watching man had been such a prodigious ca- Trolley approved by Commission an Anthony Bourdain program in which Bourdain interviewed a poet who said death reer home run hitter - couldn’t he make it to the big leagues? 337 — why steals everything in people’s lives except See Baseball page 2. By Don Munsch, Editor as it went through its bud- would be to strategize with The Elk City City get for the motel/hotel the retail district and at Commission on Wednes- day approved money for tax this year, proposed the trolley for the Christ- Christmas time, the trolley could run from the Christ- Destination Moon hosted by Carnegie Library the purchase of a trolley mas in the Park attraction. mas in the Park to the down- that can be used for mul- Of the Christmas at- town retail district. The city tiple purposes, _includ- tractions proposed, the is a well-known holiday des- ing Christmas in the Park. trolley had more uses tination, and Lenius would By Don Munsch, Editor program. “It’s been a while since I’ve Commissioners ap- than just Christmas in like to continue to grow that The nation and the world will ob- seen them, but they do a lot of really neat proved $27,500 for a 2003 the Park, and that’s what and explore those options. serve Saturday as the 50th anniversary things. ... They talk about principles of Freightliner Molly XB Trol- made it the most desir- “Tt can also be used dur- of humans first setting foot on the moon. ley from Old Urban Trol- able for the tourism board. flight, astronaut training, space vacuums.” ing the rest of the year,” she On Tuesday, children can attend “Destina- ley Inc. of Sapulpa. The The trolley had 99,178 The library tries to make the space-ori- 28-passenger vehicle is 32 miles on the unit itself, but said, citing how the trolley tion: Moon” to learn more about space travel. ented programs both fun and educational. feet long, possesses heating the engine was replaced at can be used for shuttling The free program will be held at 11 a.m. at “I think this will be really great,” and air conditioning and a 82,000 miles, Lenius said. people around town who the Elk City Convention Center and is con- are here on business or for McNaught said. “I’m looking for- public address system and “What we’re going to ducted by Mad Science, a science education ward to seeing the [program].” is ADA-compliant. The use this for is, of course, people in town for events. company based in Oklahoma City. “Destina- On Mad Science’s website, the com- trolley is a budgeted item to have it as an added at- “So, it’s got a lot of tion: Moon” forms part ofthe Elk City Carn- possibilities,” he — said. egie Library’s “A Universe of Stories” sum- pany said it has franchises around through the motel/hotel tax. traction at our experience Julie Lenius, director at Christmas in the Park,” Mark Turner, who works mer programming that focuseson outer space. the world and brings science educa- of the Elk City Conven- Lenius said, adding the trol- in the city’s maintenance “They'll be doing all kinds of space/sci- tion to millions of children each year. tion and Visitors Bureau, ley will give people more department and fleet depart- ence experiments in front of the kids,” said “Our innovative programs help kids learn spoke to the commission. to do while they’re there. ment, said the trolley had Donna McNaught, youth librarian at Elk about science through our fun after-school She said the tourism board, She said an ultimate goal See Trolley page 3. City Carnegie Library, about Tuesday’s See Destination Moon page 3. Weather Vol. 117, No. 58 Mail delivery View online FS (U0 0 . tomorrow oe 95 / 75 cents, 12 pgs. 580.225.3000 elkcityoknews.com