October 11, 2023 Issue, Page 1 of 8

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Serving Western Oklahoma Since 1901 history. Reed graduated from El Reno High School and even played on an NBA Summer League with Portland the first year out of col- lege. He went on to play international ball all over the world in- cluding China, Spain, and Switzerland. By 2006, Reed purchased a building back in El Reno and started a basketball academy, and he was on his way developing and owning semi-pro basketball teams and worked with players. During those years, Coach D was living in Oklahoma City and married Elk City native Princess Martin. They moved their fam- ily to Elk City and put down roots. Coach D explained, “I saw this building being built (Arrow- head Center). I didn’t know what it was. So, I went down to City Hall and they say, ‘Oh, it’s going to be a basketball gym.’ I thought, ‘Oh, cool. I have to work there.’ I always said that there’s nothing for kids to do around here. You have the skating rink and places like that. But this was going to be a gym, with three basketball courts. I got to work there.” He went on to say that he would go to City Hall ten to 15 WOHS Open times. He took his resume two to three times and told them, Jonathan Reewanteed and Coach D, Dewante Martin. “You have to hire me.” “No one ever comes in to demand a job, right? They had to hire me. Well, they told me that Matt Bradshaw was the guy to Nominations for Western Oklahoma talk to. I knew his wife from the hospital whenI worked in main- tenance.” Coach D went on to tell his story. By Sheryl Ponce “One day I was in the middle of showing these kids how to ‘The story of how the Arrowhead Bulls came to Elk City began shoot when they said, ‘Some dude is looking for you’ He was like, with two teammates who played together in a pro circuit pro- gram tournament years ago. Dewante Martin, better known as ‘I want to know if you want to work at the Arrowhead.’ I'll never forget when I came through that door, there was nothing but Hall of Fame concrete when I walked in. The first thing I thought was, ‘I gotta Coach D, and Bulls owner/ manager Jonathan Reed found a con- nection on the basketball court that played off their strengths call Johnny (Reed).” By Sheryl Ponce Coach called his old teammate and said, “You have to see this and weaknesses. building” Reed described their beginning. Western Oklahoma Historical Society is accepting nomi- Although Reed did not come out to Elk City right away, Coach nations for the Hall of Fame. Contact Doug Haught for the “Back in the day they used to have these program tourna- D kept insisting that he make the trip to see the new facility. ments that all these pros would get together and play for money. Persistence got Reed to make his way to the Arrowhead Center. form that needs to be filled out and returned. We played in several and started winning. I lived in El Reno, and “Lknow him (Reed), and I was like, ‘You're going to love this ‘The award was established in 1972 to honor citizens from Coach D was living in Oklahoma City. Our mentor, my mentor, place, bro. Yeah, love it. I'm telling you, love it,” D said. Western Oklahoma for bringing attention to, preserving the connected us, At first it started as a competitive thing, He (the Reed came out and fell in love with it and saw the potential heritage of, or providing a more prosperous future for the mentor) was like, ‘You need somebody that’s good enough to for the Western Oklahoma Bulls. He believes that they will figure area. Each year the inductees are chosen and honored at a guard you, and good enough to play against you and push you’ out how to max the place out and make it the way it needs to banquet. Their names are added to a plaque that hangs in the ‘Then it turned into a, ‘Let’s get together and beat up on every- look for a professional environment. Old Town Museum. body else’ That is how it developed, and it has just been good “The biggest thing was that he believed, ‘We can do this. We ‘The nominee must be living and able to attend the WOHS since then,” can do this. He’s an idea guy,” D continued. From then on, they stayed in contact. The pair began training Hall of Fame Banquet. The person nominating must be a “I am a visionary and an engine that can push things. I see Coach D's nephew, who played on the Oklahoma Outlaws team. member of the WOHS and can still join as an individual for They even played on the team with his nephew, and the rest is See Persistence page 2. $20, a family for $35, Pioneer for $100, Business for $500, or Lifetime for $1000. Checks should be made payable to West- ern Oklahoma Historical Society and returned to P.O. Box Elk City’s Charles Wren Elected to OMA 542, Elk City, OK. ‘The form has been simplified from previous years by pro- viding the nominating person’s contact information first. Board of Directors ‘Then he or she must attach a summary of why the nominee should be inducted into the WOHS. This will include commu- By Sheryl Ponce See WOHS page 2. The Oklahoma Museum Association (OMA) recently elected Elk City’s Museum curator, Charles Wren to their board of direc- tors. His term will start Jan. 2024, and he will serve either a two- year or one year term. He was elected through a vetted formal nomination process at their conference held in Sept. There are up to 18 members who serve on the board. As a board member, Wren will be expected to attend the ELK CITY BINGO three meetings at various locations each year; attend the OMA Conference and take part in the activities of the conference; meet fundraising goals; and actively participate in at least one of 14 committees. Wren said he will be serving on the advocacy OCTOBER committee. “One of the things that really stood out to me was Advocacy Day. One of the things that OMA does is represent museums. Play Elk City ‘Their goal is to represent all the museums in Oklahoma and to look out for them. They make sure they have the resources they Bingo for Fun need, and also the political support they need. So they advocate Go to the Elk City Chamber of Commerce Facebook page through our state legislators. Their session begins in February, CHarles Wren to find the Elk City Bingo card. It is a way to see Elk City and February 15 is Oklahoma Museums Day at the Capitol to ad- and participate in the many activities around town. Here is vocate for museums,” Wren explained. ed, and abandoned property, but Wren believes this law would how to play: first, find the bingo card on the FaceBook page. He went on to say that he would personally like to advocate make the issue clear. ‘Then save the card on the phone. Next, post a picture partic- for an abandoned property law. Oklahoma is one of four states in ‘The City of Elk City has been a member of the OMA for many ipating in the activity. An example would be to attend a local the country that does not have an abandoned property law. years, and as the curator, Wren is now becoming involved in the high school football game or to have a margarita at Prairie “What that means is that outstanding loans (to the museum) association. The association began in 1952 when a group of mu- Fire. can legally become yours. If it meets certain criteria, like it’s been seum professionals and volunteers across Oklahoma came to- After snapping a photo doing one or more of the activ- abandoned for so many years, and you don’t have their contact ities, post it and tag the Elk City Chamber of Commerce, gether to support their museums. The official establishment of information, it becomes yours. It would have to meet require- mentioning the bingo card. Also, tag friends and family to the OMA is May 24, 1972. join the fun. It is the perfect time to see people around town, ments, but other states have that, and we don’t necessarily have that law,” Wren said. ‘The OMA receives support from 17 museum partners, 128 to shop locally, and play bingo. ‘The OMA has guidelines relating to unclaimed, undocument- See OMA Page 2. Ready, set, go... play October Bingo. | Weather 87/69 Vol. 120, No. 81 Mail delivery View online tomorrow 75 cents, 8 pgs. 580.225.3000 elkcityoknews.com 8 i 13151 9