July 2, 2022 Issue, Page 1 of 20

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1 « l SS a y Serving 4 | | ¥4 Western Oklahoma ae, Lt 74 | Since 1901 Weekend Edition Legend F consicton rea @ FreworaPermited By Sheryl Ponce ‘The areas are similar to last year’s map, with additional viewing area where the new activity center is located. The parking lot ‘The City of Elk City announced that the annual Fourth of July there is designated as viewing area only for anyone wanting to fireworks display will take place from 6 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. only Scomeral watch the City’s fireworks. Archer wins Republican ‘on July 4th. The City’s display will start at dark or approximately 10 p.m. ‘The yellow areas shown on the map are for viewing the display ‘The map that marks the different areas where fireworks are al- only and in the green areas the City is allowing fireworks between lowed, and where they are not, was posted on the City’s Facebook the 6 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. hours. They also urge the public to Page, as well as the Elk City Police Departments’ Facebook page. clean up after themselves and the firework area. Nomination District 55 By Sheryl Ponce Methodist Women and Their Daughters Learn Unofficial election results were reported by the Oklahoma State Election Board. Elk City’s Mayor Nick Archer beat Jeff Sawatzky and Tad Boone by 53.84 percent. Archer brought about the Need for Foster Homes in 2295 votes, while Sawatzky had 1619 and Boone 349. The Democratic primary election for this office was cancelled. Pe In the primary vote, winners will be declared if they come by 50 percent, plus one of the votes, otherwise there will be a run-off between the top two opponents. In other Republican primary election results, Kevin Stitt won 69.06 percent of the votes and will be facing of against Democrat Joy Hofmeister who took the primary with 60.74 percent of the votes against Connie Johnson. ‘he state trea- See Election page 2. WOHS Board Greets New Curator By Sheryl Ponce ‘The regular monthly meeting of the Western Oklahoma Historical Society met at the Western Technology Center in Elk City, Monday morning at 11 a.m. President Doug Haught opened the meeting with an invocation, followed by the intro- duction of the new museum curator, Charles Wren. Group of guests at the Methodist church luncheon wait for the Wren addressed the board by saying how excited he is to be speakers to start.; Department of Human Services Supervisor Denise in Elk City, and invited them to ask questions or to visit him at Gerhold and Beckham County Associate District Judge Michelle Kirby the museum anytime, Roper. Staff photo by Sheryl Ponce. “Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out to me. I’m open to any and all ideas or concerns that you might have. So please, By Sheryl Ponce ation (foster home),” she added. please, please don’t be a stranger,” Wren said. Roper described a seminar she attended. They gave her an ex- He said that he has been looking over the new general store ‘The women of Elk City’s First United Methodist Church and ample of how it must feel for a child to be taken from his or her project, and he is working on how to properly label all of the their daughters were invited to a luncheon to learn about the items that will be going into the store. Wren will be working on home and parents. She said that if she had to put the top three how and where to place identifying labels on them. need for local foster homes last Saturday. After eating a buffet things that are important to her, and then one by one decide Haught called for the approval of the minutes from the last of salads and desserts, they heard from Associate District Judge which one of those she could live without ... what would they be? meeting, and then continued to the treasurer's report. Beverly Michelle Kirby Roper and Department of Human Services Super- She then compared that to a child who is removed from the only Jordan passed out financials to each board member and went visor Denise Gerhold. The two talked about the current need for parent or parents he or she may know, the only home he or she over the cash on hand and the expenditures. She also talked foster care homes in Beckham County, as well as the entire state. may know, or removed from all of their siblings. about the building fund and that the new general store expen- “We have found that there is a group of people that are really As an adult, Roper said that there would be more understand- ditures were almost completed. Her report was approved. focused on doing everything possible to ensure that you don’t ing at what may happen if one of the most important things is Special committee reports were next on the agenda, and have to take the children into custody. That it has been even bet- Haught began with the flea market report from Kenneth Hart. removed from them. A child is not capable of understanding the ‘The event is three months away. Hart said that he and Ron Na- ter the past few years, because they have started to spend more time and more efforts to find the solution even before passing removal of the three things that could be the most important gle have already marked the new spaces and sent out notices them on to the court's intervention,” Roper said to the group. things in their lives. to vendors who have already pre-paid for their spots. He hopes She said there have been changes in the way things are being “They (children going into foster care) have to cross out their that the rising cost of fuel will not deter the attendance this parents to go to foster care. They may have to cross off their year. He hopes that the construction of the new aquatic center done. Before they were taking the children into the foster care will not interfere with the new vendor spaces, but that they are brother or sister literally to foster care sometimes, because sib- system and then asking questions. Now they are trying to figure lings always don’t get to stay together. They may be going to a dif- prepared to deal with any changes that may need to be made. out different solutions before they remove a child from his or her Haught asked about the Hall of Fame committee report, and ferent school. They have to cross off every Sunday visits. So, think home. none were made concerning the event. He went on to the mem- “We are trying to make sure that parents always understand about the grave changes that comes into a child’s life. Why would bership report given by Jordan in the absence of chairman Cin- that the goal is in trying to ensure that we find every possible that be right? At that first initial encounter, they have no idea solution before moving the child into a completely separate situ- See Foster page 2. See WOHS page 2. Vol. 120, No. 53 aT Te Weather tomorrow /73 75 cents, 8 pgs. Mail delivery 580.225.3000 View online elkcityoknews.com