In BriefFifty Cents Kingfisher, Kingfisher County, Oklahoma USPS No. 295-420

14Pages

SundaySeptember 22, 2013

No. 44 of the125th Year

If you’re reading this news-paper before 4:30 p.m. Satur-day, you still have time to getto the third annual Wine &Chocolate Festival at the parkin Hennessey.

The event is scheduled from4:30-8 p.m. with a wine auc-tion at 7:30 p.m.

Admission is $10 for bothwine and chocolate and in-cludes a wine glass. Cost is $5for chocolate only and includes10 chocolate tastings, with pro-ceeds going to HennesseyUnited, the hosting civicgroup.

The park is at north end ofMain Street with admission onthe Main Street entrance. Park-ing is available on Main Streetand in nearby lots.

About 900 attended lastyear’s event, and the group isplanning on more this year.

Music will be provided byCamille Harp of Norman.

Chocolate festSaturday night

U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas votedin favor of the House Continu-ing Appropriations Resolutionfor FY 2014, which passed theHouse Friday with a vote of230-189.

“I am pleased we passedthis continuing resolution tomeet our obligation of fundingthe federal government for therest of this year,” Lucas said.

“It is important that weavoid a government shutdownand help create economic cer-tainty in our country.

“Now looking forward, thefederal government needs tofind common sense ways tocut spending and live withinour means, just like Americanfamilies do every day.

“Additionally, I am pleasedthe continuing resolution cre-ates a full and permanent de-lay of Obamacare.

“My constituents in theThird District and many oth-ers across the country havespoken loud and clear in op-position of this flawed law.

“This vote reassures Ameri-cans that the House remainscommitted to providing qual-ity health care reform that isnot rationed by the federal gov-ernment.

“It is my hope that this reso-lution will be passed in theSenate and sent to thepresident’s desk for his signa-ture. The American people aredepending on it.”

Lucas votesto defundObamaCare

CorrectionAn article in Wednesday’s

newspaper about Silver Spadewinners Keith and Pat Baldwinincorrectly stated that Dovernative Austin Kenyon devel-oped the Princess Lila varietyof crepe myrtle planted in theBaldwins’ garden.

Kenyon was employed byGreenleaf Nursery inTahlequah where the plant wasraised, but he had retired fromthe nursery by the time theBaldwins purchased the crepemyrtle, Mrs. Baldwin said.

Kingfisher County commis-sioners will consider a hazardmitigation grant program andsix requests for county roadcrossing permits art their meet-ing at 9:30 a.m. Monday.

County Clerk Teresa Woodhas also included a report ofSeptember tax collections onthe agenda, as follows: salestax,

$173,276.69 (county por-tion, $115,276; fire depart-ments $57,753.57 [$7,219.14 foreach of eight departments];cigaret and tobacco tax,$3,369.22; use tax, $7,714.68;gross production, $91,971.13.

County to mullhazard grant

It’s official...

If the date on the calendar and the cooler temps thisweekend weren’t enough of a clue, the bannersgoing up in downtown Kingfisher tell the story. Asof Sunday, fall has officially arrived. Here’s hopingsummer gets the message and doesn’t come sneakingback with a few more hot, muggy days. City workerShawn Kincheloe and a crew of workers posted theMain Street Banners. [TIMES-FREE PRESS Staff Photo]

State Insurance Com-missioner John D. DoakWednesday predictedObamaCare will causehealth insurance rates toincrease “significantly”for some consumers dur-ing a stop in Kingfisher.

Doak was on a tour ofnorthwestern counties,accompanied by fieldrepresentative RochelleCovington and GlennDisher, a member of hisoffice staff.

Doak predicted healthinsurance rates wouldrise 30 percent to as muchas 100 percent because ofthe federal AffordableCare Act (ACA orObamaCare).

“Our fears have beenconfirmed; this is moreproof that ObamaCarewill hurt Oklahoma fami-lies and businesses,” hesaid. “I continue to sup-port Attorney General Scott Pruitt’s lawsuit tooverturn this over-reaching and potentially di-sastrous federal law.”

As part of Oklahoma’s ongoing challenge,the state refused to expand Medicaid services, arequirement of the healthcare bill that wouldhave passed on a significant portion of the costto the states, but which was nullified by the U.S.

Supreme Court.The state also refused

to establish a health in-surance exchange, leav-ing it up to the federalgovernment to set up themarketplace requiredunder the law whichpromised to make lowcost health insuranceavailable from a varietyof providers.

After filings weremade by the insurersthat plan to offer prod-ucts in the marketplace,the Oklahoma InsuranceDepartment (OID) haslearned that health in-surance increases in in-dividual markets rangefrom 30 percent to morethan 100 percent.

These changes affectboth new policies effec-tive in 2014 and existingpolicies that are renewedin 2014 and amended to

conform to the law’s requirements.The actual rate for an individual will depend

on several factors, including age, geographicallocation and tobacco use, he pointed out.

Doak listed leading drivers of the increasedrates as:

• the morbidity factor or market risk of

John D. DoakOklahoma Insurance Commissioner

ObamaCare to deliver somehefty increases, Doak says

[See Insurance Page 13]

Rusty Sanders of Sanders FuneralService in Kingfisher has served asmidwife on four occasions and heldsome 5,000 funeral services in 50years in the funeral home business.

The midwifery occurred while hewas operating the ambulance ser-vice, formerly a service of funeralhomes across the state before achange in the law occurred about1969.

Sanders, who came to Kingfisherin 1967, told of his experiences as theprogram for the Kingfisher LionsClub Thursday.

He said he first got an inklingabout the business while serving inthe Navy after finishing high schoolbut put it out of his mind for awhile.

After completing his tour of duty,he started college.

Something again tugged at hisconsciousness and he investigatedthe program for morticians.

He was advised against it by pro-fessionals in the field because of thestress involved.

However, he decided to apply fora job with a funeral home atChickasha and was told to bring hisclothes with him because if the fu-neral home owner hired him, hewould go to work immediately.

That’s what happened.The funeral home operator told

him it would be a six-month proba-tionary job.

“That was fine with me becausethat would give me enough time toknow if I wanted to do it,” Sandersrecalled.

He has been in the profession for 50years effective Sept. 12 and says hewould do it all over again the sameway.

“I’ve never regretted it,” he said.He’s also never regretted moving

to Kingfisher, which he proclaims thebest place to live in the entire world.

Sanders said he joined the Navy to

see the world, an early desire.He said another desire was to coach

basketball.He said he had visions of a Divi-

sion 1 position, but after he arrived inKingfisher, the nun in charge of theschool at Sts. Peter and Paul CatholicChurch asked him to coach the boys’basketball team.

“I told her I didn’t have time butshe asked me to coach it until shecould find someone else,” he recalled.

Nineteen years later he finallycompleted his coaching career there.

Sanders was accompanied to themeeting by his assistant, Dick Dun-ham, a former funeral home owner.

Sanders said the most satisfyingpart of his job has been being able tohelp families through times of crisis.

“It’s toughest when it involveschildren,” he said.

Asked how he dealt with emo-tions when his services involvedfriends, Sanders confided that inthose times, he has to suppress hisemotions, which he said is unhealthy.

Sanders noted that funeral homeowners usually face health issues orbecome alcoholics when they stay inthe business for a long period of time.

Sanders underwent successfulquadruple heart bypass surgery ear-lier in the year and indicates he plansto continue in the business.

“I’m not an alcoholic,” he quipped.He said his cardiologist advised

him to slow down and avoid stress,which he is trying to do.

Sanders went to work originallyfor Sevier Funeral Home inChickasha, serving a two-year intern-ship there before going to mortuarycollege in Dallas.

He returned to Chickasha, work-ing there again until coming to King-fisher in 1967.

He worked here for other ownersuntil purchasing the business in 1976.

LIONS CLUB program presenter Rusty Sanders, left, and his assistantDick Dunham, right, visit with Lions Club member Debbie Fry. [TIMES-FREE PRESS Staff Photo]

Local funeral home director marks 50 years

[See Sanders Page 13]

Sprucing upMain StreetKingfisher Chamber of Commerceboard members and volunteersstarted work last week to give afacelift to Alvarez Music store inthe 300 Block of North Main Street.The project is the second annualcommunity cleanup effortfinanced through a KeepOklahoma Beautiful grant. Led byChamber board member LynPoinsett, the team of volunteersincluded John Gooden and ChaseFarrar and chamber boardmembers Larry Adams, Rick Black,Tim Abercrombie and ChescaMeeker and chamber managerJudy Whipple. The paintingproject is expected to be completedthis week with a bucket truck thatwill allow painters to reach the topof the roofline, but the chamberand the building’s owners, JuanaBarcenas and Jaime Alvarez, arepleased with the results so far. Atright, Farrar applies a coat to thesouth wall. [TIMES-FREE PRESS StaffPhoto]

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2 Sunday, September 22, 2013 Kingfisher (Okla.) Times & Free Press

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PASS STATE BOARDS – Three Chisholm Trail Technology Center practical nursingstudents passed the state board exam recently. The practical nursing program consists ofclassroom, laboratory and clinical experiences. Each graduate has met the standards setnot only by the program but along with the Oklahoma Board of Nursing. The PNprogram is under the direction of Deena Shepherd, RN, BSN, and Ann Finley, RN, BSN.Pictured are, from left, Tasha Clewell of Watonga, Ramona (Mona) Ramirez of King-fisher and Kayla Ragsdale of Okeene. [Photo Provided]

Alex Watkins of Okarche,an economics major, was oneof many welcomed when TheHonors College at OklahomaState University held an an-nual fall semester ice creamsocial for this year’s honorsstudents.

He is the son of Charlie andJoan Watkins of Okarche.

“Our annual ice cream so-cial allows us to recognizeHonors College award recipi-ents while providing an infor-mal setting that gives honorsstudents an opportunity to in-teract with some of their pro-fessors and top-level univer-sity administrators,” RobertSpurrier, director of the Hon-ors College said. Students alsohave the opportunity tomingle with their peers at thesocial, which helps build rela-tionships that will lastthroughout the their collegecareers and beyond, he added.

The event recognizes allhonors students who havecompleted the requirementsfor an honors award in theprevious summer or springsemester, which includes thecompletion of 21 honors credithours in four curricular areasand two special honors semi-nar classes with a cumulativegrand point average of 3.5.

Most of students com-pleted their general honorsaward, but other awardshanded out to students in-clude specific college or de-partmental honors awardsand Honors College degrees.The departmental or collegeawards require the comple-tion of 12 upper-division hon-ors credit hours and a seniorhonors thesis or creative com-ponent with a cumulative 3.5

grade point average. The de-grees, the highest academicdistinction available to under-graduates, requires a mini-mum of 39 honors credit hourswith a cumulative grade pointaverage of 3.5 at graduation.

This fall the Honors Col-lege has a record number of“active participant” HonorsCollege students with 1,299students. The students arefrom 151 Oklahoma cities andtowns, 33 other states, and 10other nations.

OSU holds ice cream socialfor honors college students

Alex Watkins andBurns Hargis

The Kingfisher Commu-nity Collaborative hostedTraci Cook, executive direc-tor of NAMI Oklahoma (Na-tional Alliance on Mental Ill-ness) for the September meet-ing.

NAMI was founded in 1985by family members of peoplewith serious mental illness asa grassroots, volunteer orga-nization. Mental illnesses aremedical conditions that dis-rupt a person’s thinking, feel-ing, mood, ability to relate toothers and daily functioning.Just as diabetes is a disorderof the pancreas, mental ill-nesses are disorders of thebrain that often result in a di-minished capacity for coping

with the ordinary demands oflife.

NAMI supports education,research, advocacy and otherefforts to reduce stigma anddiscrimination against peopleliving with a mental illnessand their families.

For more information con-tact about a support group,contact Traci Cook@traci@namioklahoma.org.or contact a Kingfisher Com-munity Collaborative mem-ber.

The Kingfisher Commu-nity Collaborative meets thesecond Monday of each monthat the Nazarene Church inKingfisher.

Kingfisher CommunityCollaborative holds meeting

GUEST SPEAKER at the Kingfisher Community Col-laborative September meeting was Traci Cook, right. Pic-tured with her is Lisa Copeland, Sooner Success King-fisher County coordinator. [Photo Provided]

Kingfisher County 4-HClub members participated inSeptemberfest at thegovernor’s mansion earlierthis month.

The 17th annual event fea-tured arts and crafts, sportsactivities, inflatables, carriagerides, steer roping, live ani-mals and performances.Friends of the Mansion Inc., anonprofit organization work-ing to restore and preservethe governor’s mansion,started Septemberfest in 1997and an estimated 20,000 to25,000 people from around thestate attend the family-friendly event each year.

Oklahoma 4-H had many

booths set up throughout theday so that people could in-teract with members and learnwhat 4-H has to offer.

The Kingfisher Countygroup taught attendees howto make homemade bath saltsduring their morning shift. Inless than two hours theyhelped over 150 children andadults make the easy project,so they could take it home toenjoy. Once they were doneteaching their project theytoured the governor’s man-sion and learned the historybehind it.

Anyone interested in 4-Hmay contact Megan Meyer atthe OSU Extension office.

Kingfisher County 4-Hmembers attend Septemberfest

KINGFISHER COUNTY 4-H members attendedSeptemberfest in Oklahoma City recently. Pictured infront of the governor’s mansion are Sara Bomhoff ofOkarche; Elizabeth Perdue and Journee Humphries, bothof Kingfisher; Grace Krittenbrink of Okarche; Drew Bakerof Cashion, and James Perdue and Molly McCully, both ofKingfisher. [Photo Provided]

ATTEND SEPTEMBERFEST – Kingfisher County 4-Hmembers showed Septemberfest attendees how to makehomemadebath salts. [Photo Provided]

By Caitlyn MintonFFA reporter

Kingfisher FFA and 4-Hmembers competed in the live-stock evaluation contest at thestate fair recently.

Two teams from Kingfisherparticipated in the Junior FFAdivision. The first place teamconsisted of Molly McCully,Taylor Chapman, EmilyMurray and Grant Eaton, withsecond high individualMurray, and fourth high indi-vidual McCully.

The third place team of thisdivision included BraydenFoley, Micah Mueggenborg,Sydnee Gerken and ColtenSmith. Brayden Foley received10th high individual.

In the senior FFA division,the team of Lane Holt, GatlinSquires, Jason Murray andMaegan Yost placed third.

In the 4-H division, King-fisher 4-H team one consist-ing of Madelyn Gerken, JentrySquires, Elizabeth Perdue andPeyton Burns placed fourth.Team two of Joseph Himes,Austin Neal, Chase Foley andZaine Varnell placed seventh.Individual placings includeMadelyn Gerken, sixth highindividual, Austin Neal, sev-enth, and Justin Himes, ninth.

Kingfisher FFA and4-H teams competeat livestock contest

Lomega schedule toldLomega schools’ officials

have announced the schedulefor the week of Sept. 23 asfollows:

Monday – Tulsa State Fairbegins.

Tuesday – Fourth hour,seventh grade Choosing theBest Path; junior high vs.Cimarron, (T), 4:30 p.m.; NWDistrict Colt conference atEnid.

Wednesday – After ShockBible study, elementary, 6:30p.m.; Explore test.

Thursday – SWAT at noon;cross country at Timberlake.

Friday– ACT registration;Raider Roundup; FFA to helpwith the Cimarron RetrieverClub, 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday,Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday – Fifth and sixthgrade Union City basketballfestival.

Dover schedule toldDover school officials have

announced the schedule forthe week of Sept. 23 as fol-lows:

Monday – High schoolbaseball vs. Hydro-Eakly, (T),4:30 p.m.; high school softballvs. Ripley, (T), 4 p.m.

Tuesday – Parent-teacherconferences, 4-7 p.m., Tues-day and Wednesday; FFA NWDistrict Colt conference inEnid.

Thursday – High schoolsoftball district tournament atCovington, noon, Thursdayand Friday; baseball districttournament at Oilton, 2 p.m.

Friday – No school.Saturday – High school and

junior high cross country atOSU, 9 a.m.

Healthy EatingOne of the surprise listings

in foods to avoid because ofhigh carbohydrates is water-melons.

Normally fruits have beenconsidered a part of a healthydiet. But not watermelons, andmost fruit juices-a surprise.

Lemon, lime and grapefruitjuice are recommended.

–No excuse is as good as a

satisfactory performance.

EmmanuelLutheran Church

4th AnnualConcert onthe LawnOct. 6 • 4-8 p.m.

Bring a Lawn ChairFREE FOODActivities

for the KidsMusical Entertainment

Featuring:• The Stage Hands• Jenny Smith• Virgil Bonham &

Harrison Themer• The Trio: Orval Peters,

Oscar Thiems & JimGerber

• Larry Stevens Family• Joe Whisenant & Friends

IF WEATHER IS BAD,WILL BE INSIDE.

When you feel like quitting,think about why you started!

during our

Leadership Refreshing Service7 PM - SEPT. 23, 24 & 25

at Kingfisher Heritage School AuditoriumTHE SPEAKER:JAMES CRAWFORD

If you are in church leadership, or feel called into theministry, you are welcome to attend 3 nights of

LIVE PRAISE & WORSHIP

These nights are sponsoredby Pastor Bill Terrell,

Church on the Hill in OkeeneContact info...405-368-1567

JAMES, FROM BREAKTHROUGH EVANGELISM, HASBEEN IN MINISTRY FOR OVER 25 YEARS. BREAK-THROUGH EVANGELISM HAS REACHED OVER 7 MIL-LION PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

Kingfisher (Okla.) Times & Free Press Sunday, September 22, 2013 3

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Whitney Wray Walta ofKingfisher and Kevin ThomasHufnagel of Okarche wereunited in marriage at 7 p.m.Saturday, June 29, 2013, at theHoly Trinity Catholic Churchin Okarche. Father Billy Lewisofficiated the ceremony.

Parents of the bride areChris and Jackie Walta ofKingfisher. Parents of thebridegroom are Mike and AnnHufnagel of Okarche.

Organist was DianeGrellner of Okarche. Violinistwas Rae Grellner of Piedmontand soloist was Mary NellBrueggen of Okarche.

Candle lighter was BenAnnuschat of Okarche, cousinof the bride.

The bride, given in mar-riage by her father, wore anivory lace princess silhouettegown featuring a light goldsatin underlay with a re-em-broidered lace overlay whichwas accented with crystalbeading and sequins. Thegown was adorned with asweetheart neckline and back,featuring a corset back with achapel length train. She worea birdcage veil adorned withivory flowers, ivory feathersand jewels.

She carried a hand-gath-ered bouquet of ivory andcoral garden roses, coral stockand miniature coral roses tiedwith ivory ribbon. The bou-quet was accented with a ro-sary that belonged to her lategrandmother, Roberta Walta,and a locket which was givento her late grandmother, RuthAnnuschat, on her weddingday as a gift form the bride’sgrandfather, Arthur Annus-chat.

Maid of honor wasMcKenzie Walta of King-fisher, sister of the bride, andmatron of honor was TeneilleRother of Kingfisher. Brides-maid was Erin White ofArdmore. Junior bridesmaidwas Hayley Coffey ofOkarche, cousin of the bride-groom.

Best men were JustinHufnagel and Brian Hufnagel,both of Okarche and bothersof the bridegroom. Grooms-man was Daniel Crossley ofOkarche, cousin of the bride-groom.

Ushers were Creston

Rother, Matthew Walta,cousin of the bride, and TylerMiller, all of Kingfisher; BrockPittman of Seiling, and BrianSpomer of Edmond.

Ring bearer was GeorgeBaustert of Piedmont, cousinof the bridegroom. Flower girlwas Bella Hufnagel ofOkarche, niece of the bride-groom.

Program attendants wereMacy Shook and Bailey Shook,both of Choctaw and cousinsof the bridegroom.

Special guest was ArthurAnnuschat of Okarche, grand-father of the bride.

A reception was held at theKingfisher County Fair-grounds Exhibit Building.

Reception assistants wereMarissa McAlexander, MaceyMcAlexander, Rachel Walta,Aubrey Raupe and MeganAnnuschat, cousins of thebride.

A catered rehearsal dinnerwas held at Holy Trinity Par-ish Hall in Okarche.

Following a wedding tripto Punta Cana, DominicanRepublic, the couple estab-lished a home in Yukon.

(Cons. Pd.)

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Hufnagel

Hufnagel, Walta wedding vows spoken Kingfisher schedule toldKingfisher Public Schools’

officials have announced theschedule for the week of Sept.23 as follows:

Monday – High school soft-ball vs. Crescent, (T), 4:30 p.m.;seventh and eighth grade foot-ball vs. Hennessey, (T), 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday – High school FFANorthwest Colt Conference;high school softball vs. Heri-tage Hall, (T), 4:30 p.m.

Thursday – High school soft-ball district tournament, Thurs-day and Friday; high school FFATulsa State Fair, Thursdaythrough Sunday; seventh andeighth grade football vs.Bethany, (T), 6 p.m.

Friday – Popcorn day; JacketRoundup, 7:55-8:30 a.m.; Heri-tage Jacket Roundup, 2:15 p.m.;high school football vs. Heri-tage Hall, (T), 7:30 p.m.

Saturday – High schoolCOCDA auditions, vocal atEdmond Memorial HighSchool; high school cross coun-try at OSU; high school bandHennessey Marching contest;middle school COCDA audi-tions at Edmond MemorialHigh School.

100 years agoThe new post office build-

ing was occupied and openedto the public on Friday of lastweek. It is a substantial, wellbuilt, well furnished and wellappointed building. It will bevery convenient both for thepublic and the office force.

Ray Lindsey who has beenin Montana for the past threemonths, arrived home lastweek to visit his father, JimLindsey, west of town.

Dr. and Mrs. Bradley ofHennessey, spent Tuesday atthe home of Mrs. Bradley’sparents, Mr. and Mrs. JimSmith.

75 years agoA group of paintings by

Mrs. Jessie Hopkins of King-fisher, depicting Oklahomahistory, was displayed in awindow at Newman’s Depart-ment Store in Enid prior toand during the celebrationheld there last week in com-memoration of the anniver-sary of the opening of theCherokee Strip.

One of the pictures de-picted a scene in Oklahomabefore the territory wasopened to settlement. It was apeaceful scene of Indian te-pees pitched on the green bankof a stream.

Largest of the picturesshowed the “run” in progress.Mrs. Hopkins did not see therun, but drew her picture torepresent actual incidents

which her late husband hadtold her concerning the his-toric race, in which he partici-pated.

50 years agoKenneth Lee Clason com-

pleted a course in linotypeoperation at Oklahoma StateUniversity Tech, Okmulgee,on Tuesday.

Clason was employed bythe Claremore Progress, andwent to work as a linotypeoperator there on Fridaymorning.

A son of Kenneth Clasonsof Kingfisher, Kenneth was a1962 graduate of KingfisherHigh School.

Parker Hightower of King-fisher is a member of the EnidConsumers Co-op softballteam which crushed a Hintonteam, 15-0, in a five-inninggame played there on Satur-day night, to win the state soft-ball championship and earn aberth in the International Soft-ball Congress World Tourna-ment.

25 years agoDeanna Stitt, 1988 Sweet-

heart of the Dover FFA Chap-ter, will compete with morethan 200 other chapter sweet-hearts for the privilege of be-ing named State FFA Sweet-heart at the State Fair of Okla-homa.

DOVER LONGHORNS of the Week for Sept. 6 include:front row, from left, Carlos Flores, Ava Ohm, MarcoRenteria and Gabriel Soto; and, back row, Maria JoseAboite, Andrea Suarez, Siehra Mendoza and GabbyCervantes. [Photo Provided]

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4 Sunday, September 22, 2013 Kingfisher (Okla.) Times & Free Press

VIEWfrom behind the

plow(A column of opinion by Gary Reid, Publisher Emeritus)

The Kingfisher Times & Free Press(USPS No. 295-420)

Published Every Sunday and Wednesdayby Kingfisher Newspapers, Inc. at

323 N. Main, Kingfisher, OK 73750Periodicals Postage Paid at Kingfisher,

OK 73750POSTMASTER: Send address changes

to:Kingfisher Times and Free Press, P.O.

Box 209, Kingfisher, OK 73750

All I know is what Iread in the papers.

–Will Rogers

BUSINESS HOURS: Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.General Information, Subscriptions, Circulation Phone: 375-3220

Barry ReidPublisher, AdvertisingChristine ReidNews EditorRobin JohnstonAdvertising Director

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kfrnews@pldi.net

Brenda Slater .................................... Office ManagerDebbie Benson ......................................... NewswriterJeremy A. Ingle ..................... Staffwriter-ProductionRandi Rother ....................... Proofreader-newswriterBrandy Kuehl ......................... Subscriptions-LegalsMichael Swisher ................................... Sports EditorCindy Gruntmeir ..................................... Staff Writer

Member

Gary Reid, Publisher Emeritus

Living our lives‘under God’

By Dr. Gary WeltonThe American Humanist

Association has renewed theefforts of some atheists to re-move the words “under God”from our Pledge of Allegiance.The organization argued re-cently in the MassachusettsSupreme Court that the inclu-sion of these words is a viola-tion of atheists’ religious lib-erty and equality.

In “A Farewell to Arms,”Ernest Hemingway claimedthat, “All thinking men areatheists.” Yet his characters,when faced with threats andstruggles, often turned toprayer. To whom do atheistspray, given that they do notbelieve they are “under God?”Why do atheists pray? Is therenot an inherent inconsistencybetween prayer and atheism?

Theistic behavior amongthose who claim to be atheistsis common in literature. In hisnovel “The Cardinal of theKremlin,” Tom Clancypenned, “God knows, was hisunconscious reply. So strangethat after a few days of wareven the most adamant athe-ist invoked the name of God.”

In “The Weight of Water,”Anita Shreve marked, “Irhythmically recited theLord’s Prayer over and over,even though I am not a reli-gious woman. I found thewords soothing.”

“You see: I don’t believeand I call on Him in whom Idon’t believe. It’s a form ofmadness,” wrote Henry Rothin “Requiem for Harlem.”

Scott Turow, in his novel“Presumed Innocent,” in-scribed, “And now, dear God,I think, dear God in whom Ido not believe, I pray to you tostop this.”

In “Bread and Wine,”Ignazio Silone wrote, “I didn’tbelieve in God anymore, but Ibegan to want God to existwith all my being. I had needof Him to escape the fear ofchaos.”

It is a common literary ap-proach that those who claimto be atheists easily becomeinconsistent atheists whenfaced with threats, strugglesand existential chaos. It doesnot surprise Christians thatatheists struggle to be consis-tent in their own form of faith,the faith that God does notexist.

We need the presence ofGod in our lives and in ourcultures. In fact, faith in Goddepends not on work, but inGod’s working in us. In“Snow,” Orhan Pamuk wrote,“People can’t ever really beatheists, because even if wewanted it, God would neverabandon us here.”

Alas, we as Christians arealso often inconsistent in ourfaith. During times of struggle,we depend upon God and ourchurch. During times ofplenty, however, we fre-quently forget our faith.

In “Last Days of PtolemyGrey,” Walter Mosley penned,“Do you believe in him? Ifthings goin’ good, not toomuch. But when I’m in troubleI can pray with the best of‘em.”

Professor Iain Duguid, inhis recent commentary,“Esther and Ruth,” made thispoint, “Yet all too often welive as practical atheists, as ifthe future of our lives de-pended entirely on our abilityto extract the right responsefrom the empire through ourpersonal subtlety and skill.Often it is only when the situ-ation is absolutely desperatethat we will be found cryingout to God.”

Substantiating our sinfulhuman condition, we as Chris-tians are also inconsistent inour faith. Living out our Chris-tian faith in a consistent fash-ion is difficult for us, just as itis for the atheist. There is oftendisconnect between our theis-tic statements and our behav-ior.

This was expressed in “Lostin America” by Isaac Singerwhen he wrote, “I could liveneither with God nor withouthim.”

Sometimes we consciouslyrebel against our faith and turnour backs to our previous dec-larations of faith. Fortunately,this sort of rebellion is oftentemporary, as EdwardRutherfurd in “The Rebels ofIreland” wrote, “Even whenpeople did turn away fromthe Church, it only took somesmall crisis in their lives, oftenas not, to bring them back.”

God’s existence does notdepend on our faith. God’sexistence does not depend onour recognition that we are

The Sports Illustrated exposé on Oklahoma State University’sfootball team has been thoroughly discredited now.

It’s hard to believe there won’t be any repercussions fromthe series that was mostly concocted out of whole cloth.

The Sports Illustrated stories relied on comments made by ex-players, most of whom were cut from the team for disciplinaryreasons.

The poor kids they quoted probably didn’t understandanything going on around them, anyway.

The fact that the SI spurious piece was proven fallaciousdidn’t prevent Oklahoman columnist Berry Tramel from pilingon, making a bunch of ignorant and damaging commentsabout the OSU players as a whole.

From the time we began watching college sports, The Okla-homan has had an anti-OSU bias.

In earlier days, the paper tried to put on a facade of fairness.Would Berry be surprised to know that his column said

more about him than it did the OSU program?Berry’s foolish remarks were crude and unnecessary and

destroyed any hint of evenhandedness in the coverage by theOklahoma City paper of OSU programs..

Neither the Sports Illustrated hit piece nor Berry’s piling onhad an adverse effect on the Cowboys. They went out Saturdayand shellacked Lamar University as if it were just a weekendpractice, which is more fact than fiction.

Oklahoma State’s home crowd for the game set a new recordattendance, however, obviously brought out in a show ofsupport for the Cowboys.

Sports Illustrated’s opinion may be appreciated in somecircles, but not in Cowboy Land.

They got a big ol’ “What do they know? Obviously nothing”reaction in the heartland.

SI probably hoped to get a hike in its circulation with itsmuckraking effort.

What it got instead was a heaping helping of reader disgust– possibly even from those who might have been inclined tobelieve the garbage.

We don’t plan to pick up a copy again – even in a doctor’swaiting room.

Now that we think of it, that’s about the only place we haveever seen a copy of the magazine.

Lomega wheat growers greatCongratulations to all the Lomega youth who won high

honors in the recent state 4-H and FFA Wheat Improvementcontests.

The winnings speak volumes about the agricultural excel-lence of the area but even more about the support parents givetheir children.

Such parental backing provides lifelong benefits.It’s no wonder local youth consistently go on to high achieve-

ment later in life.

Unemployment explainedJan Lawrence sends along a copy of an item that explains the

nation’s unemployment figures as viewed by the comedy teamAbbott and Costello. It makes more sense than the governmentreports.

COSTELLO: I want to talk about the unemployment rate inAmerica .

ABBOTT: Good Subject. Terrible Times. It’s 7.8%.COSTELLO: That many people are out of work?ABBOTT: No, that’s 14.7%.COSTELLO: You just said 7.8%.ABBOTT: 7.8% Unemployed.COSTELLO: Right 7.8% out of work.ABBOTT: No, that’s 14.7%.COSTELLO: Okay, so it’s 14.7% unemployed.ABBOTT: No, that’s 7.8%.COSTELLO: WAIT A MINUTE. Is it 7.8% or 14.7%?ABBOTT: 7.8% are unemployed; 14.7% are out of work.COSTELLO: If you are out of work you are unemployed.ABBOTT: No, Congress said you can’t count the ”Out of

Work” as the unemployed. You have to look for work to beunemployed.

COSTELLO: BUT THEY ARE OUT OF WORK!!!ABBOTT: No, you miss his point.COSTELLO: What point?ABBOTT: Someone who doesn’t look for work can’t be

counted with those who look for work. It wouldn’t be fair.COSTELLO: To whom?ABBOTT: The unemployed.COSTELLO: But ALL of them are out of work.ABBOTT: No, the unemployed are actively looking for

work. Those who are out of work gave up looking and if yougive up, you are no longer in the ranks of the unemployed.

COSTELLO: So if you’re off the unemployment roles thatwould count as less unemployment?

ABBOTT: Unemployment would go down. Absolutely!COSTELLO: The unemployment just goes down because

you don’t look for work?ABBOTT: Absolutely it goes down. That’s how they get it to

7.8%. Otherwise it would be 14.7%. Our government doesn’twant you to read about 14.7% unemployment.

COSTELLO: That would be tough on those running for re-election.

ABBOTT: Absolutely.COSTELLO: Wait, I got a question for you. That means there

are two ways to bring down the unemployment number?

Sports Illustrated looking – is – stupid

[See View, Page 5]

By Byron YorkHuman Daily Events

Talk about bad timing. Lastmonth, environmental activ-ists launched a well-fundednew attack on Republican “cli-mate change deniers” in hopesof making global warming abig issue in 2014. But as thecampaign gets under way, anew report from the world’sleading climate scientistscould leave environmentalistson the defensive, and the “de-niers” more confident and as-sertive.

“HOLDING CLIMATECHANGE DENIERS AC-COUNTABLE” read the head-line of a League of Conserva-tion Voters press release an-nouncing a $2 million barrageof ads aimed at RepublicanSen. Ron Johnson, as well asGOP Reps. Mike Coffman,Dan Benishek and RodneyDavis. “We’re changing theterms of the climate changedebate,” said an LCV spokes-man. “It’s no longer accept-able to be a member of Con-gress and deny basic science.”

Organizing for Action, thepermanent arm of the Obamacampaign, joined in, stagingevents and running an ad –“CALL OUT THE CLIMATECHANGE DENIERS” – tar-geting House Speaker JohnBoehner and Sen. MarcoRubio,among others.

The goal is to place opposi-tion to the global warmingagenda – heavy environmen-tal regulation, a cap-and-tradeor carbon tax program, mas-sive “green energy” expendi-tures, huge internationalwealth transfers — outside therealm of polite discussion. Butthe discussion is about tochange.

On Sept. 27, the UnitedNations Intergovernmental

Panel on Climate Change willrelease its fifth report on glo-bal warming. Earlier IPCCassessments – the most recentwas in 2007 – were the foun-dation for reams of alarmistreporting. For example, aftera 2009 update, the Washing-ton Post ran a story headlined“New Analysis Brings DireForecast,” reporting that a pre-dicted 6.3-degree Fahrenheitincrease in world tempera-tures “is nearly double whatscientists and worldpolicymakers have identifiedas the upper limit of warmingthe world can afford in orderto avert catastrophic climatechange.”

That was then. Now, thenew IPCC document will “dialback the alarm,” in the wordsof a Wall Street Journal pre-view. According to the Jour-nal, the report will state that“the temperature rise we canexpect as a result of man-madeemissions of carbon dioxide islower than the IPCC thoughtin 2007.” The computer fore-casts used to produce thoseforecasts, it turns out, werewrong.

The effect could be enor-mous. If scientists now pre-dict that the earth will warmless, and less quickly, thanearlier thought – and also con-cede that the planet has notwarmed at all in the last de-cade or so – the position of theenvironmental activists, andgroups like Organizing forAction, will be significantlyweaker. They’ll have a hardertime arguing for drastic andimmediate action.

The downgrading of thewarming threat, writes theJournal, “points to the veryreal possibility that, over thenext several generations, theoverall effect of climate changewill be positive for human-

kind and the planet.” It will behard to argue for a doomsdayscenario on the basis of that.

But after more than a de-cade of increasingly franticpredictions, the activists willnot fold their tents and gohome. “The climateers havebeen doing vigorous ’battlespace preparation’ ahead ofthe report,” says Steven Hay-ward, a conservative scholarwho writes frequently aboutthe politics and science of glo-bal warming. “They’re prim-ing the media to say ‘we’restill doomed,’ even though thecase for doom has been badlyeroded over the last couple ofyears.”

Given how deeply theIPCC is invested in the issue –it shared the Nobel Peace Prizewith Al Gore in 2007 – there’slittle doubt the report will giveenvironmental activists atleast something to work with.For example, it appears IPCCscientists will declare evenmore forcefully than beforethat they are absolutely cer-tain human activity is causingwarming. They will repeatprevious calls for actionagainst warming on a globalscale. There will still be direwarnings.

But the political debate willchange. There’s no way Con-gress will consider upendingthe American economy withfar-reaching tax or regulatoryschemes on the basis of flawedcomputer projections about aphenomenon that may or maynot require any action at all.The activists can produce asmany ads as they want. Theycan call opponents “deniers”all they like. It just won’t work.

We’re going to have tocome up with something alittle more conclusive thanFACTS to stop these people.Their agenda will go on.

Climateers’ ad barrage hits roadblock; world not warming

(See ‘Under God’ Page 5)

By Ted BuswellHow often do folks pause

to think about acquaintancesaccumulated in their lives? Af-ter all, isn’t it those relation-ships that are the core andheart of our very being? Andare those who continue tomake new acquaintancesalong the way fortunate in-deed? And what richer trea-sures can one possess than thewarm and caring relationshipsamong friends over time?What a shame it is that we areoften prevented from enjoy-ing and expanding the inter-actions among old and newacquaintances to strengthenand deepen the bonds offriendship that persist andgrow over time.

This humble writer hasfound needed moral and spiri-tual support in recent years atsuch inapt environs as a roundtable at a local coffee shop.And although such social ses-sions are most often temperedwith sarcastic humor andlaughable wit, the depth ofhonest caring for one anotherin the crowd is apparent. Thesincere caring and concern forone another is heartfelt andgrows with passing time. Ofcourse the environs and com-pany here cited is primarily oflocal elders thirsty for com-panionship and moral supportin sharing of problems com-mon in later years. But theappreciation of more youth-ful peers among us is obvi-ously deeply appreciated aswell.

Such gatherings closely re-semble the family gatheringsof relatives that were morecommon 70 or 80 years ago.We elders remember wellwhen grandparents anduncles and aunts and cousinswere not so far away and such

gatherings came about onvarious occasions of mutualinterest or concern. These dayseven immediate families arecommonly scattered widely.

As folks grow older, thereare usually physical and men-tal conditions that complicatetheir daily lives. Fortunatelythere are, and have ever been,men and women among usthat dedicate their lives tohelping those with such needs.One might wonder whatprompts some to take up theworks of service to others likewe see in doctors and nursesand others who dedicate theirlives to caring for the ill andailing. But such conditions arenot new. There have alwaysbeen some among the popu-lation who aspire to providesuch care and service. Perhapssuch dedication stems fromthe caring guidance they re-ceived in their youthful yearsfrom respected elders in theirlives. Who knows? As an oldscience teacher in a small coun-try school myself, I waspleased to learn of a studentof mine becoming a doctor. Ihope my influence might haveplayed some small part in hisdecisions.

Ironically, virtually everyperson on earth has some op-portunity to contribute someinfluence on the outcomes andwelfare of those with whomthey interact in any capacity.It might even happen becauseof some casual conversing in-teraction at a rural coffee shopor perhaps a local bar. There isopportunity for interpersonalinteraction in any environ-ment where people interactwith one another. And in factwe surely have some influ-ence and effect on otherswhere and when we interact,for better or for worse. Of

course such influence is mostdominant among family

members at home together.This is one area that has suf-fered somewhat in recentyears due to changes in familyand social structural deterio-ration. Nothing can replace thepresence of loving mothersand fathers in a home when itcomes to building of charac-ter and education of growingchildren. And such assets arebecoming far less commontoday than they were fiftyyears ago.

This revitalized interest inacquaintances, old and new,brings other thoughts to mind.Alexander Pope wrote in his“Essay on Man” in 1773:“Know then thyself, presumenot God to scan; The properstudy of mankind is man.”And in the sixth century B.C.Lao-tzu wrote: “He whoknows others is learned; Hewho knows himself is wise.”Perhaps it would be most de-sirable and productive for usto diagnose and evaluate our-selves as we look to and ob-serve our acquaintanceshipswith others, old and new.What and who we really areourselves will do much in thegrowth and establishment ofthe treasured friendships.

What a wonderful worldthis could be if we would eachof us make it our mission topass on to some others thegoodness which we have re-ceived from so many caringgivers our selves. And the costor labor in such acts wouldhardly even be noticed. Butfor all the goodness extendedto me in all of my life, repay-ment would keep me busy forat least a hundred years. Butat least perhaps I should getstarted on the task and go asfar as possible.

Should we repay some of the kindness we have received?