September 27, 2023 Issue, Page 1 of 8

Page Text

Serving Western Oklahoma Wednesday, September 27) 2023 Laufer Celebrates Retirement of 50 Years in Education not at the same building or grade. She later went on to achieve U.S. Senator Mullin’s a master’s degree in education and a second master’s degree in counseling, earning her Licensed Professional Counseling certi- fication. Field Rep. Drops in on Rotary In 2004, Laufer became the counselor under Jimi O'Hara. Danny and Jodie Laufer. She spent the next 15 years as the counselor at Pioneer, North- east, and then the new Elementary School. In 2018, she worked in the Project AWARE program as the LPC. There she worked By Sheryl Ponce throughout the district, helping kids where she was needed. The grant is running its course and not eligible to be renewed, there- By Sheryl Ponce Jodie Laufer’s education career will be honored Tues., Oct. fore, Laufer has found it time to retire. 3rd, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Canyon Oilfield Conference “The best part of my career was when my kids, Steven, Chris, In a spontaneous visit to the Elk City Rotary meeting, Center, located at 11552 Hwy. 6 South, Elk City. Her family and and Bradley were in school, and I got to know their friends and Thomas Cohrs, Field Representative to Republican Senator, friends will be there to wish her well as she retires from her 50- watch them grow up. The other part to that was watching all my Markwayne Mullin, stopped long enough to talk about his job year career in the field, students and their parents feeling proud when they would per- and some current issues that Mullin faces. Laufer started her career in Butler, teaching music and lan- form. Overall, the best thing was seeing the kids growing up and Cohrs started with the senator Jan. 17th. Since that time, guage arts in 1973, after graduating from Southwestern Okla- seeing their successes,” Laufer said. She also admitted that the hardest part of her job was in the he has been traveling throughout the Southwest, getting to homa State University with a Batchelor’s degree in music. She know the area and the people. Formerly he worked with Elk majored in piano and minored in vocal music. She was in the top area of counseling. It was hard for Laufer to see difficulties that children of all ages had to face. As the counselor, she had to see City’s Kirby Smith at Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell’s of- five of her SWOSU class, and of those five, she was one of two the problems that were brought into her office by students, par- fice, where he worked throughout the state. who were Gotebo High School graduates “| transitioned over to politics, and I actually went into While she taught school, earning $6000 per year, her hus- ents,‘There and teachers. have been a number of people who influenced her over these towns. I have had conversations about what's going on band, Danny, continued to finish his degree and worked. Once he the years. She has worked for several different principals and and what they're needing. ‘The issues that they are facing can graduated, he began teaching at Merritt, and when Mary Kath- with a variety of counselors. Laufer has also been fortunate to ryn Warnke left Elk City Schools, Laufer took her position as a be so drastically different. I really enjoyed talking and being have worked with her sister, Cindy Buckmaster. music teacher. able to be a catalyst and getting to solutions on some of their She taught music in Elk City for the next 30 years, although See Retirement page 2. issues,” Cohrs said, Right now, he is traveling the Southwest meeting people. His goal is to be present, whether it is in Elk City or any oth- er place in the area. He wants to know what is happening, whether their team is going through the grant process or di- recting policy. “As an office (Mullin’s office) we can do inventory of all these great things that are happening in Oklahoma. In that ‘way, we have you guys in mind as we're making decisions or looking over whatever it may be,” he added. See Rotary page 2. Merritt Homecoming King and Queen Lake Carpenter, President. ODOT District Engineer Gives Rotarians Project Updates By Sheryl Ponce First, Aimquist thanked Oklahoma Transportation Commis- sioner David Dyson. Then he went on to mention other officials ‘The Elk City Rotarians welcomed Brent Aimquist, P.E., to their who have made it possible for the state to go from 49th in the na- regular noon meeting held Thurs., Sept. 21st, at the Elks Lodge. tion for the number of deficient bridges in 2006 to Sth in the na- President Lake Carpenter opened the meeting with an update on Merritt held their Homecoming Thursday evening tion for having the least amount of structural deficient bridges. the delivery of dictionaries to the area third graders, and then he prior to the football game. King and Queen Caleb Comp- introduced District Five Engineer, Aimquist, to speak. See More ODOT Page 2. ston and Peytyn Broadbent. Courtesy photo. | Weather /70 Vol. 120, No. 77 Mail delivery View online 8 IM 13151 9 tomorrow 75 cents, 8 pgs. 580.225.3000 elkcityoknews.com