What’s Happening in LGA Free Local Newsletter

Sponsored by the Locust Grove Arts Alliance

No. 17: December 2015

Holiday Home Tour next Saturday

Town founder O.W. Killiam gets a facelift!

TICKETS NOW ON SALE...Tickets for the Second AnnualHoliday Day Home Tour spon-sored by the Locust Grove ArtsAlliance are available from anymember of the group or fromany of the homes on the tourSaturday, Dec. 12 from 11 a.m.until 4 p.m.

FESTIVE SNOWMAN. . . Greenery, red bulbs and a lightedsnowman welcome in the holidays at the foot of the stairs in thehome of Doyle and Debbie Cole, one of the homes on the tour.

Three homes, a museumand a writer’s cottage willall be featured in theLGAA’s Second AnnualHoliday Home Tour Satur-day, Dec. 12 from 11 a.m.until 4 p.m.

Featured this year will be

the homes of Shane and An-gela Holman, 96 CoveyLane; Doyle and DebbieCole, 6261 S. 444; and Jeffand Jennifer Downing, 6663E. 570.

Also on the tour are thenew home of the Rural

Oklahoma Museum of Po-etry, 6603 S. 438; and thewriter’s cottage of Betty L.Perkins, 6620 S. 4382 Road.

ROMP is in the processof moving from its formerlocation on the back of thefamily property to the frontalong 438 Road. Perkinshas turned the museum intoa wonderland of trees for thehome tour, with the museumscheduled to open again inthe spring. The new build-ing is currently getting abright coat of yellow paintwith green trimmings.

Tickets for the tour are$10 each or $25 for a fam-ily rate of three members.

Christmas Parade Dec. 5New Christmas decorations have gone up downtown

in preparation for the parade to be held at 2 p.m., Satur-day, Dec. 5. New lights, banners, plants, and paintedwindows have prepared visitors for the holiday season.

The decorated window contest, sponsored by theLGAA, shows winter scenes painted by local high schoolstudents and family groups. Pictures of several of thewindows can be found in today’s issue of What’s Hap-pening. The winner of the window contest will be an-nounced after voting by visitors before and after the pa-rade. A cash award of $50 will go to the winner.

To raise money for the new lights and decorations, theChamber had five Indian taco dinners, and had dona-tions of $1,000 from the Town Council, $200 from DonnaKoelsch Davison, and an anonymous donation of $50.

Page 2 What’s Happening in LG December 2015

LGAA meets Dec. 9 at VFWMembers of the Locust Grove Arts Alliance will

meet at 5:47 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 9, at the VFWHall when they will make final plans for the hometour and discuss budget plans for the coming year.

The Second Annual Holiday Home Tour is plannedfor Dec. 12.This is an annual fundraiser for the LGAAso that it may continue to carry out art-related eventsin the community. Tickets are available from anymember of the group or at any of the homes on theday of the tour.

The LGAA is actively seeking new members as itgoes into its third year of helping to bring attentionto the arts, and activities which support the arts. Forthe first time, the group has decided to attach a feeof $20 to each membership application to help sup-port the programs which the alliance is planning.

Anyone who is interested in getting involved withthe group is invited to attend the one-hour meetings.

The First United Methodist Church will host itsannual Festival of Trees at the church Dec. 4-5.

Decorated trees, wreaths, nativities, and otherChristmas decor will be available in a silent auctionwhich will end on Monday, Dec. 7. at noon. Itemsmay also be entered for display only.

Individuals and groups are invited to enter theirdecorated trees in the festival which will support thelocal food pantry and the United Methodist Women’smission programs.

Lunch, including homemade desserts, will beserved at a nominal fee on both Friday and Saturday.

Festival of Trees Dec. 4-5

EDITOR’S NOTE: While this newsletter is producedby the LGAA and will contain our organization’s news, wealso want to publish information about any activities in Lo-cust Grove that our community might be interested in.

Please contact Betty Perkins at bperk@sstelco.com or918-479-5617 (leave a message if no answer), if you havenews on LG events, places, or people for inclusion in futureissues. For advertising, call Roxann Perkins Yates at 918-530-5321 or email at roxannperkins@gmail.com. As LGAAis a nonprofit organization, advertising must support thepublication of this newsletter. Your support is greatly appre-ciated.

About What’s Happening in LG

TELLABRATION!. . . About 35 visitors attended a celebration ofTellabration! at the Rural Oklahoma Museum of Poetry Nov. 21.The group enjoyed s’mores, hot chocolate, a campfire, and sto-ries told by those who attended.

CAMP OF DREAMS. . . Elizabeth Montomery, left, is shown withtwo of the three students from Locust Grove who attended theCamp of Dreams Workshop. Shown areJulia O’Rear and BeauKilpatrick. Kyla Stillion was unavailable for the picture.

3 attend arts workshopThe Locust Grove Arts Alliance sponsored three lo-

cal students to the Elizabeth Montgomery Creative ArtsWorkshop Nov. 18, at City Hall in Pryor. Attending wereJulia O’Rear, Beau Kilpatrick and Kyla Stillion.

Montgomery, a recording artist/writer from Vinita, hasperformed in more than 3,000 venues in the United Statesand overseas. Her teaching experience includes vocalinstructor at Belmont and David Lipscomb Universities,Nashville.

December 2015 What’s Happening in LG Page 3

COWAN INSURANCE AGENCY

Justin Cowan -- Agent

410 E. Main Locust Grove, OK

Auto - Home - Farm - Boat -Life - Bonds - Mobile Homes - Commercial

* Computer Repair* Custom Builds* Computer Training* Website Design* Parts & Accessories* Cell Phone Repair

918-479-7990 112 E. Main Street Locust Grove, OK 74352on the corner of Broadway & Main

First Vapor Shop in Mayes County

* American E-Juice* Vaping Mods* Vaping Accessories

NEW BUSINESSES. . . Richard and Jackie Berka stand infront of their new business at 112 E. Main Street in LocustGrove. Brat’s Computers offers a variety of computer ser-vices as well as opportunities for training in website designand other computer techniques. The other half of the store,T&L’s Vapor, is the second vapor shop in town, but is ad-vertised as the first in the county. Owner Tyler Weaver of-fers vaping accessories, American E-Juice, and vapingmods.

Members of the LocustGrove Arts Alliance cel-ebrated the acquisition ofits nonprofit status with re-freshments at the group’sregular meeting Nov. 11.

“I’m excited about re-ceiving our 501 (c) (3),”said Jennifer Henson,president. The group wasable to file for nonprofitstatus with help of a $500grant provided by the Lo-cust Grove CentennialCommittee.

The announcement of

LGAA CELEBRATES. . . Members of the Locust Grove ArtsAlliance celebrate their new nonprofit status. From left areMarea Breedlove, Ray Grass, Kelly Palmer, Shaun Perkins,Jennifer Downing, Jennifer Henson (holding cake), DebbieCole, Angela Holman, Georgia Rainbolt, Shelley Horton,Stuart Horton, Roxann Yates and Jerry Yates.(Picture courtesy Betty Perkins)

LGAA gets nonprofitanother grant will help pro-vide audio visual equip-ment for LGAA’sChildren’s Theater Pro-gram, led by April Stone.The grant from the North-east Oklahoma ElectricCooperative Foundation,Inc. bought microphones,video camcorder, ahandycam, lights and otherequipment. Ford AudioVideo of Tulsa was the lowbidder on the equipment at$5918.96.

.In other business:·Artist Ray Grass an-

nounced the completion ofthe refreshing of the historyof Locust Grove mural atthe corner of Broadwayand Main streets.

·The group voted to sendfour local students to thevocal and dance camp inPryor on Nov. 18.

·Pam Quantie has cre-ated LGAA’s entry in theFestival of Trees.

Page 4 What’s Happening in LG December 2015

Turner’s Laundry&

Stash & Dash Mini Storage105 N. Wyandotte -- West Edge of Locust Grove

918-479-5759 or 918-479-5296Lighted, Fenced & Video Surveillance

Owner: Movita Turner

Main Street

Open: 10-9

LOCUST GROVE

PACKAGE STORE

*Beer *Wine *Spirits

918-479-6495

“A Community Bank With Roots, Not Branches”

Established 1949

Online Banking: www.banklg.comVoice Banking: 1-877-479-5225

Phone: 918-479-5225FAX: 918-479-8787

Member FDIC

Business-to-be gets holiday window treatmentThe front windows of Kelly Palmer’s soon to be coffee shopwere decorated for the Locust Grove Arts Alliance’s Win-dow Decorating Contest. Kelly and both of her sisters,

Roxann Yates and Shaun Perkins, will attend a barristatraining session during December, and Palmer hopes to havethe shop ready to go by spring.

Quantie Auto Supply

Tractor, Truck & Auto PartsCustom Hydraulic HosesHigh Performance Parts

Harold Jr. & Georgeann Quantie - OwnersFamily Owned & Operated for over 40 Years

Phone (918) 479-8797Fax (918) 479-8796

Hwy 82 South, P.O. Box 428Locust Grove, OK 74352

December 2015 What’s Happening in LG Page 5

THE STOCKINGS ARE HUNG. . . Another decorated win-dow in the LGAA’s contest is that of Sisters Sweets wherebrightly colored stockings are hung amid a snowstorm. Visi-tors to the Christmas parade will be able to vote before andafter the parade for the window of their choice. The winnerof the best decorated window will receive $50.

Dec. 4-5First United Methodist Church

MERRY CHRISTMAS. . . The Bank of Locust Grove sportsone of the decorated windows. The sidewalk planters havealso been replanted for the winter with small cedar treeswith bits of glitter to acknowledge the season.

Window Decorating Contest

Hometown Shirt Shack111 E. Main

Locust Grove, OK 74352918-479-5331

Custom Vinyl, Tees & Embroidery

Merry Christmas!

Page 6 What’s Happening in LG December 2015

Sisters SweetsDonuts

Breakfast & Lunch

Open: 5 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

918-479-2677Rowland’sQuick Shop

“Your HometownConvenience Store”

Open: 4 a.m.-10 p.m.

Hot Dogs&

Nachos

In the last four years, 1,000 horses have been rescuedand placed in new homes because that is the “way” ofTerry and Carol Way from Quapaw.

“Our motto is ‘saving one life at a time, and we aren’tjust talking about horses,” Terry Way says in the wel-come at the 501(c) 3 non-profit rescue website:waysranchhorserescue.org.

Equine therapy and work with troubled youth are twomethods the Way Ranch family use to help people.

Another joy the family shares is a homemade train,built by relative Willard Dunn.

On Saturday the train will be set up at the HolmanCompany. Young and young at heart can ride the trainbefore and after the 2 p.m. Christmas parade. There willbe no cost for the rides, but donations are welcomed.

“Uncle Willard was an entrepreneur at heart and builtmany different items. He built the train for children stay-ing in an Arkansas cancer center,” Way said.

The first train engine consisted of a 1956 Wheel Horselawnmower.

“We started having a lot of problems with it so weupgraded to a 1971 Cub Cadet, “ Way said. “We ex-tended the frame to put more goodies under the hood.The engine is 7 foot long.”

Dunn enjoyed taking the train to the cancer center.“Uncle Willard did this for some time before he was

diagnosed with lymphoma. He began fighting a battlehe had become very familiar with in seeing the childrenhe gave rides to,” said Way.

After Dunn’s passing, Way brought the train to theranch.

“My wife was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2013,”

Way said. “Wow, this hit home. The train began to growand take on more colors. Carol is now cancer-free, andthe train cars are painted in colors to recognize each can-cer benefit that we have done.”

To the Ways and many others, the orange, blue, purple,and pink cars represent types of cancers.

“But for the children, it is just a lot of fun riding thecolorful train while we raise funds to help out cancerpatients and rescue horses,” Way said.

The middle car is a startling lime green color.“This car is in memory of Uncle Willard. He was al-

ways the life of the party and in the middle of every-thing,” said Way.

Each car is approximately five feet long. The trainhas a little red caboose and a wheelchair car directlybehind it.

“The train is 45 feet long, and we hope to add a totalof 26 cars—one for every color of cancer awareness,”Way said.

Ways offer free rides before, after parade

December 2015 What’s Happening in LG Page 7

K & D’s Vapor Store202 West MainLocust Grove(918) 479-7977

Come VAPE with us!We have all your vaping needs!

Kevin & DebieJackson

Danny’sQuickLube

612 E. MainLocust Grove

Phone:918-479-4601

Locust Grove Tag Agency114 E. Main St./PO Box 1213

Locust Grove, OK 74352

Williams AgencyBrenda Williams

(918) 479-1800(918) 479-1801 FAX lgtag@sstelco.com

golf cart actually ran over the best chicken we had. He saidshe committed suicide. “Ran right in front of me.”

Bossy, that was her name, and she knew it. She led theother chickens around, always first into everything. Bossyalso laid the biggest eggs. We were never sure which hen waslaying the double-yolked eggs, but after Bossy’s demise, thebig eggs stopped immediately.

These five fowls are like little puppies. They follow usaround everywhere we go, clucking and creating their ver-sion of conversation. They chase the golf carts, but luckilythey’re not as fast as Bossy was. While the guinea doesn’thave the horizontal speed the hens do, he certainly has thevertical advantage. I swear that bird can jump straight up inthe air 20 feet when startled, all with an ear-piercing squawk.

My husband and son have decided he is a male because ofthe sound he makes. Apparently they went on-line and lis-tened to the different sounds that male and female guineasmake. I decided he was a male when he didn’t contribute tothe egg production.

Anyway, that’s where my mind has been wandering in thepast few weeks. It feels good to get the clutter off my mind. Ihope I haven’t contributed to any loose items which might bewandering about in your own mind.

Mind Games Column. . .(Story Continued from Page 8)

NEW BUSINESS OPENS . . . Daniel Standingwater standsbeside a truck, ready for a lube job inside his new businessat 612 E. Main. This is the first business venture forStandingwater, an LGHS graduate. Danny’s Quick Lubehas been open for a month, and oil lube and tire rotationservices are available. Standingwater’s business phone is918-479-4601.

LGHS grad opens Quick Lube

Page 8 What’s Happening in LG December 2015

ON SALE!

MS 250

Chainsaw

$299.99

Thru Dec. 31

Gall stones, chicken eggs on my mindMy mind has been flitting

from one thing to another re-cently, never staying long onany one topic. You know thefeeling? I’m laying it on to around with gall stones and astay in the hospital, but oth-ers might disagree.

When I tell others that Istayed in the hospital ninedays, another three more inbed at home, and a full monthbefore I began to feel humanagain, they look at me withdoubt in their eyes. I swear I

(Continues on Page 7)

Mind Gamesby Betty L. Perkins

can see it.My sister-in-law told me

she had gall bladder surgeryone day, came home the next,and a day later was up mak-ing homemade noodles andpeach cobbler for the funeralof a family friend. She didn’tsay anything about me beinga baby, but I was mentallysaying it to myself.

My teacher daughtersjumped in and took care ofmy composition classes atRSU, and they insisted oncontinuing them even after Ifelt I could go back. I’ll beback in the classroom to givethe final the first week of De-cember, and I look forward toit, but I can’t say I haven’tenjoyed the time off either. Iloved the two classes I wasteaching this semester, so I’llbe glad to see them on finalsday.

And then there are thechickens. We have four leftfrom a dozen and one guinealeft from a half dozen. Dif-ferent critters made off withthem, and someone with a

FINE DINING. . . . My redchickens don’t have such afancy feed bowl, but I’m surethey would appreciate it.

BOSSY’S LAST EGG. . . Thedouble-yoked egg on the leftwas Bossy’s last gift to us be-fore her demise.