September 13, 2019 Issue, Page 4 of 10

Page Text

Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Friday, September 13, 2019 Opinion Page ACR TAGCER SChedule “ElkCituNews Gam: SLAm TRUMP FoR DESTROYIN THE G CUM? Te Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 \o Am: FUY To US. IN PRIVATE Jer JOfo PERFORM) IN ELECTICNCI Ty — Attention, readers: SUCKING STADIUM BESORE CO,000 MEBKT-EATING, SUV-DRWING FANS. Local Kmart to close i ee eee QAI AN CKEvS MME! comics.com EMAIL: [email protected] Everything looks different KMart store. Photo by The Citizen Times, Glynda Lomax is a Chris- Eventually, she decided she hair for weeks at a time. The Asheville. N.C. tian author and podcaster would be happier in the niece, single and existing on who resides in the Ozark nursing home where many a tiny disability check her- Don Munsch, Editor Mountains of Northern Ar- of her friends already were. self, began driving the half Basil Weatherly drops by our office twice a week to pick kansas with her two very Maybe there she could finda hour drive each way every up the latest copy of the paper. bossy dogs. She wrote her way to be a blessing to oth- other day in her old car and On Tuesday, Weatherly, known for all kinds of commu- (first About Life..column in ers. Maybe if she were there, sitting for two hours with her nity activities in Elk City, stopped in as normal, and we 2003 for a newspaper in she wouldn’t feel so afraid. aunt. She patiently sat and talked about the town and businesses that have come and Dallas. She is planning her Maybe there she could re- fed her, many times having gone here. next book. member how to do the sim- to remind her to swallow her Kmart was one of those businesses. ple things again. food. She painted her nails The Clinton Kmart store will close in mid-December, the “Tf you haven't any char- Her days were spent qui- and trimmed her toe nails. Clinton Daily News reported in its Aug. 31 edition. The ity in your heart, you have etly talking with friends and She bathed her, shampooed paper reported the Clinton Kmart was the last one still op- the worst kind of heart trou- enjoying activities the first her hair, and helped change erating in Oklahoma, and that the company has no stores ble.” ~ Bob Hope year, then as the disease her into fresh clothes on to take care of my aunt the still operating in the neighboring states of Arkansas, Kan- progressed, family members each visit. last two years. I have so It started without warning, began to come. She would Though often the aunt stared into space with a many happy memories of sas and Colorado. Just one Kmart operates in Texas, and that store is in McAllen. at first she would forget little see the looks on their faces things. Small, inconsequen- but not understand why they blank look in her eyes, one her beautiful smile and how Elk City had a Kmart at one time, Weatherly told me. It thankful she was for the least was located in the place where Atwood’s now stands. As tial matters no one even no- were so concerned. She felt day as the niece was comb- our conversation went along, he described some other busi- ticed. She was widowed and fine and there were all those ing her hair, she looked up, little thing. She was such a alone for the first time in her friendly people there to take her eyes filled with realiza- blessing to everyone around nesses that used to be here, including two bowling alleys that operated at some point, one of which used to be where life in her 70s, her husband care of her now. tion and she said, “I sure do her. I felt so privileged to get The Way Church is now, south of downtown. having passed away several A niece who lived nearby appreciate you coming out to be there for her. It was an Back to Kmart. I recall going to Kmart as a young boy, years before. They had al- noticed that others had slow- here like this, you’re the honor to be able to do even as it stood across from a General Motors plant in my home- ways been a happy couple, ly stopped visiting. Busy only one that comes regu- the smallest service for such town. The store had a cafeteria at one point in the past. smiling and holding hands with ill family members at larly and takes care of me. I an amazing woman.” Its next door neighbor, in the same shopping strip, was a wherever they went. He home, they simply could not don’t know what I would do Only an exceptionally Kroger grocery store back in the day. was pastor of a small church make the time. She noticed without you.” kind person would sacrifice People of a certain age can recall Kmart’s Blue Light and she was the quiet, faith- that the nursing home left Her niece’s eyes filled not only time but person- Special and how the store employee who would announce ful wife in the background. food trays but no one cared with tears at the remem- al possessions to show so “attention, Kmart shoppers,” before announcing the store When diabetes struck him, that her aunt could no longer brance of all the times her much compassion to another promotion. A rotating blue light would capture shoppers’ he did OK for a while, but feed herself. There was nev- aunt had shown kindness to who could not care for her- attention. slowly went downhill until er a sheet on her bed when her, sent her get well wishes self. Many times in our lives Years later, the Kmart store in my hometown closed and it finally took him from their she visited her there. Her or flowers, given her advice we will have the choice to its location became a country-western club called Cow- earthly life. aunt had spent her entire life or encouragement, and she give time and service to boys. One could drive by there on a Friday or Saturday She moved from the par- taking care of others, had replied, “It’s a privilege to someone who is elderly, night and see endless rows of vehicles, many of them pick- sonage into a small apart- been more than helpful to all take care of you. Look at all ill or disabled. In our busy ups. You might say that location went from Blue Lights to ment in town. She had fam- of their relatives, and shown the times you’ve been there lives, time can seem more Bud Lights. ily in the area and a number every person she met kind- for me and countless other valuable than money itself. I shopped on occasion at a Kmart store when I lived in of good friends and was able ness at every opportunity. people.” to stay busy. Then slowly She had been a shining ex- The niece continued the But money can’t buy memo- Killeen, Texas, a few years ago. I dropped in at the Clinton ries. As my Aunt Ruth says, location several weeks ago. she began to forget how to ample of virtue and compas- trips every other day, often do simple things she knew sion — wasn't taking care of “Those who want to make And soon the Clinton Kmart will be gone. Long live the selling personal items to pay Blue Light Special. she ought to remember. One her the least she could do in for gas so she could care time for someone will.” night she became so disori- return? for her aunt. One day after Those who don’t will And now a word about anonymous sources or comments. ented, so frightened, she As her condition deterio- two long years, the tiny frail make excuses instead. And Canute Public Schools held a school bond election this drove to her sister’s house rated, she became paralyzed. woman passed away quietly when that person they love and asked to stay the night She could no longer feed with her family at her side. is gone, they will have ex- week. The bond failed. On Tuesday, the day of the elec- there. Another time she lost herself and the home, short At Christmas, when the cuses instead of memories. tion, I dropped by a polling place — the Heritage Center in Canute — to chat with voters and get their input about the her car in the parking lot staffed as many are, would niece was asked what she bond. at a shopping center and a let her sit without turning was most thankful for in the “Kindness is the great- I talked with people in the parking lot, and I made sure I stranger took her to a fam- her little body, bathing her previous year, she replied, est wisdom.” ~ Author Un- had permission with an election official inside before doing ily member’s home for help. or even shampooing her “T am so thankful that I got known SO, So as to not violate any election laws. A couple of people requested anonymity. Usually, I like to use names, even in cases of controversial matters, but there can be exceptions. Constitution Day commemorates the In this case, I made an exception. Because this bond is a matter of broad community inter- est and because of all the circumstances involved, includ- Formation fo the U.S. Constitution ing about how the bond was regarded on both sides in the By Oklahoma Institute creation of the U.S. Census. Learning about the cre- ots — was set in motion by community, I quoted two people who asked to be anony- for Child Advocacy CEO Article 1, Section 2 of the ation of the Census also the Constitution. Equally mous. Joe Dorman United State Constitution provides a _ surprisingly important is what we can Maybe this is not a big deal in the grand schemeofthings, Although many people spells out that a census must clear-eyed view of Amer- learn about America’s most but a lot of old school editors would have balked at using are unaware of it, we have be taken “every subsequent ica’s fraught racial history praiseworthy values from their anonymous remarks. an important holiday next term of ten years, in such and the original sin of slav- the Constitution and the Times are changing, though, and more and more I am week. Constitution Day will manner as they shall by law ery. Under the direction amendments made to it. The seeing anonymous sources used in stories. Think how often fall on September 17 and direct.” of the Constitution, all free 19th amendment, which we hear about anonymous sources in government report- commemorates the forma- Most Kindergarten persons and indentured ser- granted women the right to ing, especially matters involving the White House — wheth- tion and signing of the U.S. through Twelfth Grade vants were to be counted in vote, and the 26th amend- er it’s the current administration or any previous adminis- Constitution by thirty-nine classes will celebrate Con- a census, along with three- tration. ment, protecting the voting of our country’s Founding stitution Day through activi- fifths of those who would rights of those over 18, are Sometimes, it’s perfectly understandable why sources or Fathers. On that day 232 ties, learning, parades and fall under the category of individuals want to remain anonymous, as their livelihood the culmination of success- years ago, the delegates to demonstrations of apprecia- slavery, while excluding or community standing might be stake or they don’t want the Constitutional Conven- tion for the United State of Native Americans not taxed ful civil rights efforts that to create friction of some sort. should make all of us proud. tion met for the last time to America and the blessings by the government. sign the document they had of freedom Our Founding 13th ingWhether Although the you are celebrat- Have something created. Fathers secured for us. We amendment abolished slav- the many good things in The Oklahoma Institute hope that many of these ery in 1865, the ugly legacy our nation’s past or ponder- for Child Advocacy (OICA) classes will use the materi- of slavery and the “three- ing the ways in which we to share? have failed to live up to our encourages all Oklahomans, als prepared by the US Cen- fifths” clause lingered on ideals, there is so much to especially our young stu- sus Bureau, located on their through segregation and dents, to observe this im- website (at census.gov/pro- other racist policies. It was be learned from understand- portant day in our nation’s grams-surveys/sis/resourc- not until the Civil Rights Act ing this founding document. Send your history. It is important for es/constitution-day.html), of 1957 (and one in 1960, Please contact your local Americans of all ages to un- to emphasize the impor- another in 1964 and the Vot- school and ensure that Con- stitution Day is given the editorial to derstand how this document has shaped our history. Most of us are famil- tance of an accurate count in 2020. Federal funding for everything from roads and ing Rights Act of 1965) that the U.S. could fairly say it attention it deserves. And was protecting the voting even if you are nota student, editor@ecdaily- iar with the three co-equal bridges to education is pro- rights of African Americans please review the materials branches of government cre- portionate to census results, or Native Americans. All of provided by the US Cen- ated by the Constitution and so Oklahoma literally has that deeply troubling aspectsus as they provide a great of our history - along with reminder of this important news.com the liberties within our Bill billions of dollars at-stake of Rights. Less well-known, when it comes to accurately everything from the Civil need to count those in our but still impactful, was the representing our population. War to the Tulsa Race Ri- state and nation.