May 7, 2022 Issue, Page 1 of 10

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News y Serving Western Oklahoma Since 1901 Weekend Edition Mother’s Love and Example Transcends Generations and Danny are currently living. “It was hard to find a home at the time they (Danielle and Cade) got married, and I was looking for a home for my mother (Virgina Daila) to have her own bedroom and a bathroom in her own little area. I was moving her in with us. So D.J. and Amy were building a new home and needed to sell this one, so we bought this, and they (Danielle and Cade) bought ours. We all swapped,” DeLeon explained. When the swap happened, Crow bought her original family home, the one she grew up in. DeLeon moved in her mother to take care of until she had to be moved into a nursing home, from 2008 until 2015. The Crow’s were in the family home as newlyweds. “[ think I was three when I originally moved into that house. Cade and I got married there, we had two kids there, and then we sold it. The market was really good, and I did live here my whole life, literally, my whole life. I was ready for something different. Our Pictured is City Manager Tom Ivester and a portion of house sold as soon as we put it on the market. So we didn’t have a broken waterline, showing the need for the waterline any place to live,” Crow said. replacement projects. Staff photo by Sheryl Ponce. It surprised them how fast it sold. When they began looking for a place to live, DeLeon had empty rooms since her mother was no longer there. So she and Danny opened up their home to their daughter and her family. “Tt was just me by myself because my husband was working. He works in the oil field, so he was working a lot. I was here by myself. I enjoyed the the peacefulness and everything. But then COVID hit, and he ended up unemployed from with the energy crisis. So he did not have work to do, and he didn’t go to work for two years. During that time, they (Danielle and her family) moved in. I went from being by myself to a houseful,” DeLeon continued the story. Pictured are three generations Lollie DeLeon, Danielle It has been said that there is only room for one person in the Crow and her daughter Mia Crow. Staff photo by Sheryl Ponce. kitchen, and this duo set down house rules in the beginning. De- Leon would be the cook, but everyone else cleaning up. By Sheryl Ponce “They didn’t ask me to, I just said I would be cooking because I felt like my grandkids needed a home cooked meal. They worked, It was one year ago, Mother’s Day, that Danielle Crow and her I didn’t work. So I started cooking. In the beginning we made a menu but not anymore,” DeLeon said. husband Cade and two children six-year-old Dax and three-year- She continued to talk about the reasoning behind the move. old Mila, moved in with her mother and father, Lollie and Danny While the kids could have found something to live in, everything DeLeon. It seemed to be an effortless transition that was met they found needed to be fixed. She wanted them to be able to with little resistance from mother or daughter, but it could only build their own home instead of putting money into something have happened with mutual respect and love. they would have to renovate. What they did not count on was the ‘Their story began with what they called the “house swap.” It was cost of lumber and supplies. during a time when houses were hard to find and DeLeon’s son, “Little did we know that when they said we could move in, that DJ. DeLeon and his wife, Amy and their children 12-year-old Pre- sley and two-year old Vivien were living in the home where Lollie See Mother’s Love page 2. Pictured is a portion of a waterline that was taken from a broken line. It is representative of why the City Com- missioners are focusing on the waterline replacement Elk ks Homemaker's Club Celebrate OHCE Week projects. There is buildup that prohibits the flow of wa- ter. The City is looking at the number of water breaks in determining which part of the town needs to be re- placed the most. Staff photo by Sheryl Ponce. Commissioners Hear Good News about Waterline Project By Sheryl Ponce In the regular meeting of the Elk City Commissioners Mon- day, May 2nd at 7 p.m. in City Hall, the commissioners heard positive news from Rick Smith of Municipal Finance Service, Inc., out of Edmond about a loan that the commissioners ap- proved in February for the water replacement project. The loan ‘was was approved for $1.7 million with a forgiveness grant of 25 percent, $425,000, and an additional forgiveness grant for $100,000 with repayment within three years. “We did not need to get the loan, we could have paid for it. However, the opportunity came up that if we got the loan, they would then forgive a portion of it, but we did not know how much that would be. We found out that they are going to forgive $550,000 of the 1.7 million loan, So we asked them, Pictured are members of the Elk City Homemakers Club who brought pies to the Homestead Assisted Living Center what's the shortest term we can have, because they want to Tuesday afternoon. From the left are Anita Carpenter, Maudean Rodgers, Joyce Mikles, Nancy Hylton, Lois Hubbard, do 15 or 20 years. They said three years, so I said, ‘let’s do it” Barbara Thompson, Kristy Spalding, Jennifer Sutherland, and Virginia Reid. Not pictured are Juanita Adams and Cas- We paid off the water plant loan, and that revenue was about sandra Ausher. Courtesy photo. $680,000 per year. At the commission meeting we proposed and the Commission approved that money was to repurpose a By Sheryl Ponce education. One member travels to schools throughout western water main replacement program. ‘That money is now dedicat- Oklahoma to read to preschoolers, COVID permitting. ed solely to replacing water lines,” City Manager Tom Ivester ‘The week of May 1st through the 7th is Oklahoma Home and The goals of the OHCE include membership, leadership de- explained the loan. Community Education (OHCE) Week and the Elk City Home- velopment, strengthening families in their communities, and ‘The commissioners voted to approve Item No 1 on the makers’ Club celebrated the occasion by taking pies to Home- identifying issues facing local communities through the County agenda pertaining to the loan, Resolution 2022-3: A Resolu- tion of the City of Elk City, Oklahoma (the “City”) approved stead Assisted Living Center. Kristy Spalding, the County Exten- Extension Office. The clubs promote good nutrition, exercise, the action taken by the Elk City Public Works Authority (the sion Director for Washita County and the Family and Consumer emotional well-being, anti-bullying, military support, financial “Authority”) authorizing issuance, sale and delivery of the Au- Sciences/4-H Educator joined the group as they shared their pies well-being, literacy and leadership development. It is the basis thority’s Series 2022 Drinking Water SRF Promissory Note to with the residents. for educational programing, making efforts to help families solve Oklahoma Water Resources Board, ratifying and confirming a As the first week of May approaches each year, the ladies look local problems. The state organization has about 3200 members, lease, whereby the city leased its water, sanitary sewer, and for ways to celebrate the occasion. This year they chose to host an and the Elk City chapter has about 12 members. garbage systems to the authority and containing other provi- sions related thereto. They temporarily adjourned the afternoon of fellowship with the residents of the assisted living ‘The officers of the EC Homemakers Club are Virginia Reid, who home. They are always looking for ways to become involved with See Commissioner page 2. the community, whether through their pies or another form of See Homemaker page 2. Vol. 120, No. 37 aT Te Weather tomorrow 8 / 66 75 cents, 10 pgs. Mail delivery 580.225.3000 View online elkcityoknews.com