May 28, 2022 Issue, Page 1 of 24

Page Text

a Serving Western Oklahoma H20 Bait, Tackle and More Ready for Fishing Season Gina Meador Retires After Forty-Six Years Now open, H20 Bait, Tackle and More is located at 11! S. Pioneer, just behind United.; Shawn and Alesha Waters at Paul Jones Drug own and operate the new H20 Bait, Tackle and More store, along with Galleria Furniture and Appliances. Courtesy photo. By Sheryl Ponce When Gina Meador was in the eighth grade she decided Keystone or wherever, but they’re buying the product from us she wanted to be a pharmacist. She studied hard to make the first and then going there. The people here want to keep it local. grades to get into pharmacy school. When she achieved the And if it is their gig, they get down there (to the lake or tourna- feat she was able to begin an externship with Bryan Potter and ment) and they don’t know what options they have when they get Warren Meador on May 24th, 1976. After 46 years, her career there. A lot of places don’t have the selection that we do. Nobody at the very place she began came to a close. “Thave loved this career pathway. I've been honored to care within 400 miles have what we have, unless you go to Bass Pro. By Sheryl Ponce You're not going to find what you want the most,” Waters added. for so many families in this area. Most families are now in their fourth generation coming to Paul Jones Drug. There are Customers will find that they can purchase live bait, every- a couple of extended families that are very near and dear to Fishermen and women now have a place that provides just thing from small shiners to medium and large shiners. They also about anything they would need to catch just about anything at my heart. They know who they are. I truly miss the matriarchs. have black perch, goldfish, and recently picked up river minnows. and patriarchs of those families that have passed on. We have H20 Bait, Tackle and More. The store is located at 119 S. Pioneer Whatever customers want, Waters said they will get. formed strong relationships with most of our patients. It will in Elk City and owned by Shawn and Alesha Waters. They carry “A lot of the old school gentleman here in town have been re- be hard to not get to visit with them as often. I do, however, a variety of bait and brands of tackle, as well as boating needs. questing them (river minnows). They say that they're more lively, plan to continue filling in as needed, I'll still be able to keep in “We have some clothing. We also have bathing suits, and all and they’re better for western Oklahoma catcher properties,” Wa- touch with everyone occasionally,” Meador said. of your life jackets. That includes all the way down to toddlers, ters said. As she spoke about what she will miss the most, Meador be- infants and adults. There are tow ropes for boats and big pull- He has been able to get bait delivered, rather than traveling to came sentimental. She loves what she does and loves to work. behind tubes. I carry things you can add to your boats. I have Claremore to pick them up. Getting the bait in a timely manner is It has not been an easy decision, but as she found a calendar another shipment of boat parts coming, too,” Waters said. that she had recorded the exact day she began, she knew it was key to having fresh live bait for the fisherman. He continued to explain that although there are not large bod- “T've probably got a 1200 gallon tank in the back that I can keep time. ies of water around Elk City, there are a lot of small fishing holes, up with all of that stuff. Pll tell you another cool thing we got go- She said that the hardest part of her job has been dealing and that some people purchase their bait locally and take it to the ing again today. We did last year as well, but at the Hobart Nurs- with insurance. It has changed so much since the days she be- Jake or destination. He said that sometimes fishermen may not ing Home last Father's Day, we did a fishing deal for the men. We gan her career. “The insurancehas just gotten so difficult. Whenever I start- know what is available at the lake, so knowing they have the bait got tanks and a swamp cooler so the fishermen could catch the ed back in ’76 we had Oklahoma DHS, which was Medicaid and equipment they want is important to their fishing success. and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Everybody else paid cash. Every- “Some people may go to Grand Lake to these tournaments at See H20 page 2. thing was cash, your prescriptions were $1.79, $2.59, $5, or $6. That’s a 30 day supply of whatever it was,” Meador added. She has always spent more time at the drug store than at Patrolman Doby Transitions from Dispatcher to Patrol home. Most were ten-hour days, six days a week. Meador raised all three of her children, Ashley, Lauren, and Evan at the store. Her employees were very patient, playing “mom” to been happy he made the move. Although he has not found our service. For the most part, them. “T was a dispatcher in Ore- a downside to being on pa- people are respectful. Even the “They (her staff) entertained them and drove them to their gon, so right after we got here, trol, he does find the training people that we have to have activities. Ashley's first friends were the coffee drinkers, Joyce I started at dispatch. About schedule challenging. During criminal contact with are re- Brown and JoAnn Henderson. She didn’t want to go to Kin- dergarten because “her friends” would miss her,” she noted. three or four months ago, I ap- Phase One he was on days for spectful. That has been kind of Meador’s hectic lifestyle, balancing work and children, led plied and decided to make the awhile, and now he is working a big surprise to me,” he added. her to a dramatic ending one evening. move to patrol,” he said. nights. He expects to be moved Doby was even surprised at “{ locked the store and got almost home and was taking in- Moving into Phase Two, the back to days in the future. how the people who were in ventory of where all the kids were. I realized with panic that patrolmen are learning more “I know that in a few weeks the jail treated him, as a jailer. Td left Evan asleep upstairs. He was about four years old. I about being on the radio, but Till be back probably on days, “When I first started work- raced back downtown to find him crying at the back door,” she since Doby was in dispatch his and that's hard to adjust. [have ing in dispatch, I was also a explained. Meador has been able to maintain the store and her family radio presence has been easy. a bunch of kids, so trying to jailer. The first time I booked a with the help of some very dear friends and employees. Kris He is also doing more self-ini- work that around family time person, which is not a very nice Waters has been a person of significance who helped her in Zander Doby tiated things, such as report can be a challenge. Once we're experience, but they were also every way. writing and traffic stops. Being out of training, we will have very friendly about it for the “Kris Waters has been my friend, my right hand girl, my By Sheryl Ponce on the patrol side of the job has our schedules that are set for most part,” Doby said. keeper of children, and Mrs. Everything, I couldn't have worked as long without her at my side. She kept everything been different for him. most of the year,” he said. He said he has been having a going, and she made mylife more organized. She was there Patrolman Zander Doby “It's nice to see how things Once he has completed the good experience at every shift. from sun up to sun down. My thanks to all of our many em- moved from a town just out- resolve. In dispatch, we hear training phases, he will attend Doby likes to help people, ployees through the years,” she added. side of Salem, Oregon, to Elk about things that are going CLEET with some of the other which is why he became in- Some ofthe highlights from the drug store include all of the City about one year ago. He on, and we know things are patrolmen. Doby understands volved as a dispatcher. Being after school kids. She has enjoyed seeing how far they have joined Elk City Police Depart- happening out in the world. what to expect throughout the able to be involved in helping gone in their own careers. They are like family to her. Meador has had many special employees. She appreciates each and ev- ment as a dispatcher/jailer, But we don’t necessarily know process because he has already people in the field has been eryone of them, including her next door neighbor, barber, Cole and when a officer position the outcome. We have to wait been in law enforcement, but something he likes to do. Ivey. came open, he applied and is for the guys to come back and he has been surprised at how “I get to be hands on getting “Through the years, he (Ivey) always made sure all the girls now in Phase Two of his train- tell us what happened. So now welcoming the people of Elk involved. I like that we can get and myself were able to leave the parking lot during ice and ing. when we get a call, I hear the City have been. involved as an officer. We don’t snow storms. He charged more than one or two dead batter- Doby wanted to get away information that dispatch has “One of the biggest surprises have to wait for people to ask ies. He helped thaw many windows, and he opened several received. Then I get to go see Thave found is that people here us for help.We see stuff and we bottles we couldn't open, a true gentleman,” she said. from the big cities, so he Meador remembers the summers at the drug store being bought some land and headed it in person and compare it. really are pro-cop. They're very can get involved. We can self a great time, with fresh vegetables being brought into them. south to Oklahoma. He con- So it’s been a lot more fun. It’s friendly. Even though we ar- initiate contact if we see an ob- fessed that it was a process to a lot more exciting,” Doby ex- rest people, they apologize for See Meador page 2. decide on Elk City, but he has plained. their behavior and thank us for See Doby page 2. Vol. 120, No. 43 aT Te Weather tomorrow 94/67 75 cents, 24 pgs. Mail delivery 580.225.3000 View online elkcityoknews.com