June 20, 2026 Issue, Page 1 of 10

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SATU INSIDE The Elk City News d Weekend er father Luke Carpent d Carpenter and his Weekend Edition Block Party Kicks Off Route 66 Festival By Sheryl Ponce Route 66 Centennial Celebration Brings Route 66 Centennial celebration began Friday eve- ning, June 12th, from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., in Ackley Park with the Block Party. The vendors were set up, and Record Number of Cars people began milling around to grab a bite to eat while settling back to enjoy Tyler Wilhelm and his band who open the festival with his well-known sounds of West- ern Oklahoma. By Sheryl Ponce While Wilhelm took the portable stage, the open car cruise started at 7:30 p.m., at the Route 66 Museum as Close to 200 vintage and classic cars, along with spectators snapped photos of the vintage and classic trucks and motorcycles gathered in Ackley Park last cars. The car cruise was open for all to join in the trek Saturday, June 13th, for Elk City’s Route 66 Centenni- around town. al Celebration. The weekend was full of activities that Additionally, the activities in the park were free for commemorated the historic “Mother Road,” called the evening. While many were wandering through the Route 66. park, others were on the hunt for food, drinks, and The Elk City Chamber of Commerce worked all year unique items to purchase. The sound of the music filled to get ready for these 100 years of the route that treks the park, and soon crowds began to take their lawn from Chicago to California. The weekend started with chairs and blankets to enjoy Wilhelm and headliner the Friday evening Block Party and continued bright Frankie Ballard’s music. and early Saturday morning. There were food vendors Ballard came to Elk City for the celebration. The and other vendors for the community to check out all songwriter and guitarist released two albums for Re- day Saturday. prise Records and Warner Bros. Records. He charted The winners of the car show were announced Satur- eight singles on the Hot Country Song Charts. He was day afternoon, while the closed car cruise was ready to originally from Battle Creek, Michigan. His latest song roll by 6 p.m., that night. This was the first time that the is called “Nitty Gritty Grind.” streets were closed for the cruisers, and the communi- As the evening came to a close, the Elk City commu- ty could participate by watching the unique and costly nity, along with other visitors, showed the musicians vehicles run from Main Street around the corner to the their gratitude for an enjoyable night under the stars Napa parking lot. The parking lots were full of people in the park. This special night was the first night of the watching the cars drive by all evening. weekend that brought out families, friends, and car en- It was a memorable day, full of people, cars, and ven- thusiasts. It was one that Elk City Chamber of Com- dors. This festival will be hard to beat, but hopefully merce worked hard to create memories for the Route they will return again next year. 66 Centennial celebration. RCCT Summer Camp’s ‘Alice in Wonderland, Jr.’ Announces Cast By Sheryl Ponce ice encounters iconic characters that Carter is Cheshire Cat 2; Sayler Self is dle Dee, Ivy Orgain will be Twweedle include the ever-tardy White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat 3; Sam Skinner will be Dum; Ella Morgan is Rose; Piper Edi- Get ready as the Red Carpet Com- the grinning Cheshire Cat, a cool Cat- Ace of Spades; Decklan Smith is play- ger is going to be Lily; Scarlett Smith munity Theatre’s Children’s Camp pre- erpillar, the wacky Mad Hatter, and the ing Three of Diamonds; Doura Do- is playing Petunia; Raynie McEveney pares to present, “Alice in Wonderland, hot-tempered Queen of Hearts. by-Senz will be White Rabbit; Krisina is Daisy; Lacy Hancock is playing Vi- Jr.” The show will open Friday, June The directors, counselors, and crew Porter is Two of Clubs; Autumn Bintz is olet; Maxine Freeman is the Caterpil- 19th, at 7:30 p.m., and run through the announced the cast which includes the Four of Hearts; Case Nailey is going lar; Blake Wood is in the role of Mad weekend, Sat., June 20th, 7:30 p.m., and Channing Hill as Alice; Miriam Mon- to be Doorknob; Nash Hill is playing Hatter; William Stanley is March Sunday, June 21st, 2 p.m. tes plays Mathilda; Olivia Schneberger the King of Hearts; Genny Doby-Senz Hare, and the Ensemble is the entire The show is about the young Alice and Berkley Slife play Dormice; Cross- is playing Small Alice; Kaydean is the cast. who finds herself in a strange world lyn Mattox is Friend 1; Jaylee Wolcott Queen of Hearts; and Blaire Slife will Make reservations and/or purchase where everything seems upside down. is Friend 2; Abbegail Kyle, Everleigh be playing Tall Alice. tickets to this show, go to rcct.org. She must find her way home, along Mammedaty, Everly Beck and Ne- Other cast members include Kyla It should be a show that entertains with finding herself along the way. As vaeh Bennett are party guests; Ira Do- Deruiter and Ellen Ferguson will be friends, family, and theatre lovers ev- she travels through Wonderland, Al- by-Senz is playing Cheshire Cat 1; Rose the Dodo Birds; Cora Yager is Twee- erywhere. Community Looks Out for Flags at Route 66 Museum Complex By Sheryl Ponce Ellen Morehart took photos at the National Route 66 Museum Complex on April 14th, just after a wind storm that was strong enough to take down the Ameri- Baseball and Softball can Flag that stood over the museum near the Route 66 sign. As she described her sentiment about seeing the flag down, it broke her heart. Bring Commerce to Town Morehart followed up on the issue, and on April By Sheryl Ponce 17th, members of the Elk City Fire Department and the staff of the museum, were out getting the new rig- The Elk City Rotary Club held their regular weekly ging to get the American Flag back in its rightful place meeting last Thursday in the Meals on Wheels dining prior to commemorating Flag Day. Morehart wanted room, at noon. They welcomed Rob Bruner, supervi- the community to understand the importance of the sor over the five-plex softball and baseball fields, to talk flag and how the community came out to fix the patri- about the season and how the fields bring people from otic problem. all over Oklahoma and Texas to play ball. Flag Day is a holiday celebrated on June 14, in the He began by explaining that he has been working at United States. It commemorates the adoption of the As one drives by the museum, the flags that stand tall the ball fields for several years, but the City Manager, flag of the United States that took place on June 14, across from the museum entrance, travelers will know Tom Ivester, asked him to take over and manage the 1777, by resolution of the Second Continental Con- that patriotism is alive and well in Western Oklahoma fields that included taking care of the fields and tourna- gress. While the day may have come and gone, the and Elk City. Give thanks to those in the community ments that come to town. reason for the occasion remains an important part of who care enough to make sure the flags are displayed “Shanna (Bruner’s wife) and I have run that conces- America’s history. This is especially true on this 250th as they should be, while celebrating this great nation anniversary of the United States. and town. 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