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WHAT’S INSIDE

what’s inside...

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46 49 53

Upfront

Profile: Clent Stewart Coach Teaching Skills & Community Service

68 73

49 51

Introductions: Meet Justyn Shaw Looking Back: Washington County Black Schools Remembering the Area’s Early Black Schools

A Good Word: Start Before You’re Ready All You Do is Take it One Step at a Time

From the Heart: For Better - Forever Learning How to Love Each Other

Overcoming Tragedy: Brickyard’s Yuletide Fire Bartlesville Rallied After Terrible Fire of 1976

In Memory: Our Story Rick Johnson’s ‘Special’ Life with Wife Lisa

Tribute: Joe Slack Former BPD Officer Left Behind a Legacy of Trust

Tribute: Ed Gordon Bartlesville’s Longtime Public Servant

Feature: Oklahoma Black Towns More Than 20 All-Black Towns Were Settled in OK

Feature Sponsor Story: What a Win! Looking Back at Col-Hi’s State Championship Upset

Arts & Entertainment: Broadway’s Favorite!

Kids’ Calendar

Chick-fil-A Events Calendar

Tribute: Jim Bohnsak “Mr. Bartlesville” Invested His Life in the Community

A Fresh Perspective: Fresh Meandering Scars

On the Osage: A Niche and a Nudge Osage County Makes the Cut in 1883

Unmissable Events: Shamrock the Ville Popular Downtown Fundraiser Vital to CC-MMO

A Few Observations: About Love and Death in February

Let Freedom Ring: Tuskgee Airmen Heroes’ Legacy Remembered

37 42

Out & About: Photos from Around Town

Now You Know: “Blues is My Business” Leonard Baker - Bartlesville’s Godfather of Soul

FEBRUARY 2022 4

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UPFRONT

upfront Happy Valentine’s friends, and welcome to February. Over the last four years Christy and I have focused on “Black History” in the February issue. The impact of Black Americans, both past and present, is being made here in Bartlesville and Oklahoma. If you remember last year, we went 40 miles south to cover the 100th anniversary of the “Tulsa Massacre.” On a side note, it was an award-winning article and now is up for a National award, too. It was the best feature I have put together and describes the horrific events that happened that day. We do these stories because it was never taught to us in school, and, dang it, I want to know. This year, we again had our award-winning writer Natasha Mitchell write about the “Black Towns of Oklahoma,” and she hit it out of the park! This is another subject that was not taught to us in schools, so we spread our wings to cover this fascinating story of how African Americans came here before we were even a state. These towns were established — some reaching over 4000 residents — and had everything from schools, lawyers, grocery stores, gin mills, and industry. They stood up and fought back. They started their own communities because they were not welcome in white towns and cities unless they were a servant or, in some cases, still a slave.

verbiage of this poster and how proud they were of their town and in their own words the “Largest and Wealthest Negro City in the World.” Many of you know that this is a basketball city, and the tradition of winning programs is seen in all the banners hanging in the rafters of the high school gym. So we wanted to check in on the boys and girls basketball programs in this issue. We have two of our basketball coaches showcased. First we profile Clent Stewart, the high school boys basketball coach, and see where he has taken this program. He has brought it back to its glory days of winning. We also talk to Justyn Shaw about taking over the high school girls basketball program which was left in shambles. He has already turned that ship around 180 degrees. He has more wins now than all of last year. I end this upfront with just a few words dedicated to the love of my life, and truly she is one of the reasons you are reading these words today. For all I have been blessed with in this life, there was a time that I was so lost and crawling in the dark, but you were the one who was always there no matter how dark and no matter how much pain you went through. You never gave up on me. When all seemed lost, you stood against everyone and were not willing to let me go. You believed in me when no one else did. You fought for my life, our marriage, and our new family.

I spent many days and nights looking at pictures for the feature story and the cover. There were very few photos to When I look back 17 years ago at how choose from and I have to give a big desperate, sick, and scared I was and thanks to the Oklahoma Historical Society everything that I, that we, have dreamed and Debbie Neece with the Bartlesville of, was slipping away, you stood and Area History Museum for getting these fought for me ... for us. Thank you, Christy, photos. The cover, as you know, is imporfor loving me when there were times I was tant to me. I saw this not worth loving. Thank original poster that the you for seeing me for town of Boley made to the man, the father, and send across the region to the husband you knew get African Americans to was always there and come live, work, and play you never stopped ... and they did! This is believing in me. Happy the actual poster and Valentine’s Christy, and really all we did was add I will always be simply the title and put the picyours! ture of Boley where before there was a drawGod bless, Keith. bmonthly managing editors ing of Boley. I love the Keith & Christy McPhail.

Volume XIII Issue II Bartlesville Monthly Magazine is published by

ENGEL PUBLISHING

Offices located in Downtown Bartlesville in the historic Price Tower 510 Dewey Ave, Suite 400, Bartlesville, OK 74003 P.O. Box 603, Bartlesville, OK 74005

www.bartlesvillemonthly.com facebook.com/bartlesvillemonthly Publisher

Brian Engel brian@bartlesvillemonthly.com Art Direction

Copper Cup Images design@coppercupimages.com Director of Sales & Marketing

Keith McPhail keith@bartlesvillemonthly.com Community Liaison

Christy McPhail christy@bartlesvillemonthly.com Project Manager

Andrea Whitchurch andrea@bartlesvillemonthly.com Administration

Shelley Greene Stewart Delivery and Distribution

Julie Drake Calendar/Social Media

calendar@bartlesvillemonthly.com Contributing Writers Debbie Neece, Kay Little, Jay Webster, Lori Kroh, Kelly Bland, Jay Hastings, Sarah Leslie Gagan, Maria Gus, Scott Townsend, Brent Taylor, Mike Wilt, Lori Esser, Natasha Mitchell, Tim Hudson, Rick Johnson, Keith McPhail Contributing Photographers Bartlesville Area History Museum, Andy Dossett, Oklahoma Historical Society, Bo Wilson, Debbie Neece, Natasha Mitchell, Craig's Photography, Shot.bysky Kids Calendar

Jessica Smith

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or otherwise, without prior permission of Bartlesville Monthly, Inc. Publisher & Editor of Bartlesville Monthly Magazine reserves the right to reject any content or advertisement in this publication.

ABOUT THE COVER Looking at Oklahoma’s All-Black Towns. Creative Concept by Keith and Christy McPhail Design by Copper Cup Images

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PROFILE

Clent Stewert Coach Teaching Skills & Community Service by Sarah Leslie Gagan Character is modeled through mentorship as we learn from those who lead us. A mentor has ability to see the hidden potential within us and bring it to life, allowing us to live the life we were created for. Clent Stewart skillfully combines his talent, leadership, and mentoring finesse as coach of the Bartlesville varsity boys basketball team, and impacts every young life he touches. Coach Stewart is currently in the midst of his eighth season with the varsity team. His first encounter with Bartlesville basketball was in the early 2000s as an opponent on the opposite team. As a student at Tulsa Union High School, Clent played against Bartlesville each season, never dreaming he would one day return to coach the team. Sports were a central part of Clent’s life growing up. His early elementary years were spent in Norman, Oklahoma, before moving to Tulsa in the fifth grade. He played football until a broken kneecap ended that career in the 8th grade. Clent’s focus then turned to basketball. While playing on the Tulsa Union team, Clent helped the Redskins win the 6A state championship in 2004. He earned State Tournament MVP honors his senior year. He went on to receive a scholarship to play at Kansas State University. While at Kansas State, Clent received his degree in Management Information Systems and met his wife, Stephanie. The couple became engaged during Clent’s senior year, when Clent proposed to Stephanie in front of 13,000 people at the Senior Night basketball game. The couple was married a year later. The Stewarts moved to Bartlesville in 2008, when Clent accepted a position with ConocoPhillips. In 2012, ConocoPhillips announced formation of a downstream spinoff company, Phillips 66, where Clent is still employed today as an IT Business Analyst. Stephanie is currently the Varsity Pom Coach at Bartlesville High School. The couple has three children, Aaliyah, age 9; Mya, age 7; and Zavier, age 3. Family time is important to the Stewarts, as well car8

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rying on the tradition of sports. Aaliyah currently plays basketball, and Zavier, who loves all sports, has completed his first T-Ball season. All three children participate in dance, following their mother’s passion for the arts. When Clent began his career at ConocoPhillips, he knew he still wanted very much to remain close to basketball. He worked with Coach Tim Bart as a volunteer coach for several years, then participated in the Bartlesville Bruins Association, which provided opportunity to travel and mentor boys teams during the summer. In 2012, he worked with the girls team making the same athletic trips. He did this for two years. In 2014, Coach Bart stepped down and asked Clent to take over, and he has remained the head coach ever since. Because Phillips 66 is very passionate about the Bartlesville community, they remain flexibly-supportive of Coach Stewart as he maintains his two career paths.

PROFILE

Clent reflects on the many coaches who mentored him during his basketball career, and notes how they had a profound positive influence on his life. This foundation has inspired him to give back to others and become a role model and mentor to the young people he works with. He cherishes the opportunity to impact young lives and help shape who they are meant to be. That drive is a big part of who he is and influences how he lives his life. Clent and Stephanie love the Bartlesville community and consider it an ideal place to raise their family. They are grateful for the support they receive from the school system administration and staff. They enjoy the simple life and the generosity of the people of Bartlesville, and are proud to call our community “home.” Clent is driven by the love of the game, but he also loves the opportunity to influence the team on a personal level. He encourages them the always ask themselves “What is your why? What gets you up in the morning and gives you reason to push forward?” He promotes having a vision, not just for game strategy, but for life. Clent lost his mother, his closest friend, to breast cancer when he was a senior in college. At the core of what he does is the drive to make her proud, knowing she is looking down on him and cheering him on in his career and his life. When reviewing his life, Clent considers his greatest accomplishment simply being a dad. Because basket-

ball is his passion, coaching doesn’t even feel like to work to him, and he involves his kids in his coaching life, setting the example for them to follow their dreams and passions. Clent has served as a board member of various local community organizations such as United Way, American Red Cross, and others. He leads his team to give back to their community through service. He has led them through various volunteer activities at the Westside Community Center, as well as participating in the annual Pack the Backpacks event. He hopes to instill in the team the drive to always give back to the community that supports them. As far as future goals, Coach Stewart recognizes that he leads a very talented group of boys this year and they have a good chance to make it to a state championship. He is diligently leading the team toward that goal, and excitedly anticipates what the future many bring. Our community is blessed to have Coach Stewart as a primary influencer of our young people, as he sets a good foundation leading them forward in their lives. His energy and expertise are invaluable to our school system, but perhaps it’s his heart that is most priceless, as he makes an imprint on every young life he touches. Thank you, Coach, for your dedication and for the care and concern you show our community through giving back. We are truly better because you are here. FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

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TRIBUTE

Ed Gordon Remembering Bartlesville’s Longtime Public Servant by Debbie Neece, Bartlesville Area History Museum Edgar Gordon’s dad was a chemical engineer at the Alamo Chemical Company until Phillips Petroleum Company bought the company and moved him to Bartlesville. Ed’s mother worked for I.T.I.O. and Cities Service. After their marriage, the family moved between Texas and Bartlesville. Ed was born in Bay City, Texas where he attended elementary school but later graduated College High School in 1966. Ed’s early jobs included selling newspapers, part-time at the Crystal Ice Plant and summers at the Kiddie Park, where his girlfriend was employed as the cotton candy girl. He said, “She was sweet to kiss.” He attended NEO and OSU before moving back to Bartlesville in 1970 to marry his childhood sweetheart, Janie Sue Lawrence, after her 1969 College High graduation. Ed said, “I’ve won two things in my life, the Vietnam draft and jury duty five times.” His third win was marrying Janie, his wife of 49 years. “She was a serendipitous instrument that brought him to become the City Manager of Bartlesville, along with a few other “partners in crime.” Janie’s employment in the credit card department of Phillips Petroleum Company required training in Kansas City before the department moved to Bartlesville. In the meantime, Ed worked various jobs and became a licensed electrician, establishing Gordon’s Electrical Company before giving his life to ministry in 1971. That calling took them to Casper, Wyoming for home mission work in 1977, where they started several churches and Ed served as town manager of Wright, WY. In 1985, they moved back to Bartlesville to care for aging parents. Ed worked as an electrician and manager of Locke Supply before applying to the City of Bartlesville as a Wastewater Supervisor (1991-2000)

Ed with his wife of 49 years, Janie.

and later he was the Public Works Director (2000-2006). When City Manager Steve Brown left the City in December 2005, the City hired a “headhunter” to find a new City Manager. In the meantime, the City Council appointed Ed as interim City Manager, while he continued his Public Works duties. Ed and Janie found their church home at Trinity Baptist Church and one Sunday, Janie’s cousin Earl Sears visited Ed’s service. He stood before the congregation and asked how many believed Ed would make a superior City Manager. The Church erupted in favor. In spite of encouragement from Julie Daniels, Eddie Mason, Earl Sears and a host of others, Ed felt uncertain so he didn’t submit the application. Janie Gordon was Lisa Beeman’s administrative assistant and the pair updated Ed’s resume for him. Still he did not submit the application. Lisa prodded but Ed was hesitant. Finally, with the application displayed on Ed’s computer screen, Lisa hit send and the plan of his peers was orchestrated. The City Council called an unusual noon meeting on April 1, 2006…April Fool’s Day…where the Council unanimously hired Ed as City Manager. And the rest has been history. His service to Bartlesville was definitely not an April Fool’s joke. Every decision has been made with moral integrity and purposefully driven for the betterment of Bartlesville, while humbly crediting staff. Being a community servant takes heart, soul and selfless dedication. The City of Bartlesville is a better place because Ed Gordon devoted a 27-year career as our City Manager and just as he was handpicked to serve, Ed has groomed Mike Bailey, current City Manager, to carry his legacy while Mike builds his own.

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Oklahoma Black Towns More Than 20 All Black Towns Were Settled in Oklahoma by Natasha Mitchell

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SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

“In the spring of 1879, thousands of colored people, unable

dom, where the rights of citizens are respected, and honest toil

longer to endure the intolerable hardships, injustice, and suffer-

rewarded by honest compensation. The newspapers were filled

ing inflicted upon them by a class of Democrats in the South,

with accounts of their destitution, and the very air was burdened

had, in utter despair, fled panic-stricken from their homes and

with the cry of distress from a class of American citizens flying

sought protection among strangers in a strange land. Homeless,

from persecutions which they could no longer endure.”

penniless, and in rags, these poor people were thronging the wharves of Saint Louis, crowding the steamers on the Mississippi River, and in pitiable destitution throwing themselves upon the charity of Kansas. Thousands more were congregating

— Report and Testimony of the Select Committee of the United States Senate to Investigate the Cause of the Removal of the Negroes from the Southern States to the Northern States, 46th Cong., 2nd sess., 1880, S. Rep. 693 (3 parts), p.x.

along the banks of the Mississippi River, hailing the passing steamers, and imploring them for a passage to the land of free-

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SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

The landscape of the “How exquisitely human was the wish for permanent happiness, and Harrison. McCabe, who United States was how thin human imagination became trying to achieve it.” came to Oklahoma in changing. While legisla― Toni Morrison, Paradise the 1889 Land Run, had tion abolished the white dreams and aspirations American enslavement of Black people in the mid-19th century, to transform Oklahoma into an all-black State. According to the the scars from this lengthy period of forced labor had not healed. Oklahoma Historical Society, McCabe’s premise was to get away from the associations that cluster about African Americans in the According to Britannica, because segregation was pervasive Southern states. not just in the South but throughout the country before the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, black travelers not only faced “We wish to remove from the disgraceful surroundings that so the inconvenience and humiliation of the denial of services from degrade my people, and in the new territory of Oklahoma show white business owners, but also had to be ever-mindful of the the people of the United States and of the world that we are not threat of racist violence — including lynching. The landscape was only loyal citizens, but we are capable of advancement,” McCabe dotted with “sundown towns,” where the presence of people of said in records collected by the Oklahoma History Center. color was banned after nightfall. This is how such a grim landAlthough his dreams never materialized, McCabe and others did scape sparked the emergence of black towns and settlements. succeed in establishing all-black towns. “The black-town idea reached its peak in the 50 years after the Civil War,” author Norman L. Crockett writes in his book The Black Towns. “The dearth of extant records prohibits an exact enumeration of them, but at least 60 black communities were settled between 1865 and 1915. With more than 20, Oklahoma led all other states.”

E.P.McCABE 16

Advertisements to buy land in Kansas and Oklahoma were viewed by weary settlers as the promise land, attracting black pioneers such as E.P. McCabe, a lawyer, farmer, and Republican activist, who vigorously promoted black settlement and assumed role as a spokesperson for black people in Washington, D.C., with President Benjamin

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According to Victor Lukerson, of Smithsonian magazine, “the first black people to settle in the area were enslaved by Native

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

American tribes in the Deep South, and they made the journey in the 1830s as hunters, nurses, and cooks during the brutal forced exodus known as the Trail of Tears. In Indian Territory (much of today’s eastern Oklahoma), slavery as practiced by the Creek, Choctaw, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Seminole tribes sometimes resembled the vicious plantation systems of the South. During the Civil War, the Five Tribes sided with the Confederacy, but after the war most of the tribes, bound by new treaties with the federal government, granted formerly-enslaved people citizenship, autonomy, and a level of respect unheard of in the post-Reconstruction South. In the Creek and Seminole tribes, black tribal members farmed alongside Native Americans on communallyowned land, served as justices in tribal governments, and acted as interpreters for tribal leaders in negotiations with the growing American empire.” As nontribal individuals and families landed in the area, Kansas and Oklahoma historical collections revealed that many fought disease, hunger, snakes, and prairie fires before enjoying, over time, “abundant game, wild horse, and soil so fertile that a minimum of labor yielded bountiful harvests.” According to the National Archives records, “This unexpected wave of migration from

the South generated considerable public attention and concern throughout the nation.” Many white southerners charged that northern agitators were luring away their black labor for political purposes, while northern politicians countered that the oppression of black southerners by their white neighbors was the cause. Despite conflicts, the discovery of rare video footage of black Oklahomans during this time revealed not only the wealth they possessed, but the success of black entrepreneurs such as Clark and Lennie Holderness, who settled and started a business in Tulsa’s Greenwood District. If it weren’t for the start of Oklahoma black towns, the stories of Muscogee (Creek) Freedman James Barnett, A. R. Brooks, George W. McLaurin, J. A. Roper, Lemuel Jackson, John Grayson, and others would have steered in a different direction. “By 1905, black folks owned more than 1.5 million acres of land,” said Bruce Fisher, retired Oklahoma Historical Society curator, in the PBS documentary Struggle and Hope. “They owned more land in Oklahoma than black folks all over the United States combined.”

The establishment of Oklahoma black towns So, where are these Oklahoma black towns? An online interactive presFEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

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entation by the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office offers wonderful background information on each one. Although 13 Oklahoma black towns (Redbird, Tullahassee, Taft, Summit, Rentiesville, Boley, Langston, Lima, Clearview, Grayson, Vernon, Tatums, and Brooksville) remain today, their residents fight fiercely, not only to preserve the history, but to retain their civic governments as modern times threaten to evaporate essential funding needed to do so. Here are a few brief historical snapshots on the following towns, provided by the Oklahoma Historical Society. Tullahassee: Tullahassee is the oldest of the surviving Allblack towns of Indian Territory. Located in Wagoner County five

THE TULLAHASSEE MISSION 18

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miles northwest of Muskogee, the community started in 1850 when the Creek Nation opened a school along the ruts of the Texas Road. The population of Creek Freedmen increased near the school, while the population of the Creek Nation declined. The council transferred the Indigenous students to another school and gave Tullahassee to the Freedmen on October 24, 1881. The town was incorporated in 1902 and platted in 1907. A post office was established in 1899, and the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railway line ran through the town. Community growth was aided by the Tullahassee Town Site Company, which solicited residents throughout the South. In 1916, the African Methodist Episcopal Church established Flipper Davis College, the only private institution for African Americans in the state, at Tullahassee. The college, which occupied the old Tullahassee Mission, closed after the end of the 1935 session. The A. J. Mason Building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NR 85001743). Carter G. Woodson School is listed in the Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory as a resource related to African American history. Tullahassee's population held steady at 200 residents from 1920. Today, the 2010 census found 106 people living there.

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE BOLEY HIGH SCHOOL

Boley: Located halfway between Paden and Castle in Okfuskee County, Boley is the largest and most well-known of the Oklahoma all-black towns. The town, established on land allotted to Creek Freedman James Barnett's daughter, Abigail, was named after J. B. Boley, a railroad official of the Fort Smith and Western Railway. Founded in 1903 and incorporated in 1905, Boley and the African Americans living in the area prospered for years. By 1911, Boley boasted more than 4,000 citizens and businesses, including two banks and three cotton gins. Booker T. Washington, founder of the National Negro Business League and the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, visited the town in 1905 and proclaimed it “the most enterprising and in many ways the most interesting of the Negro towns in the United States.” The town supported two colleges: Creek-Seminole College and Methodist Episcopal College. Boley also had its own electrical generating plant, water system, and ice plant. Like most rural towns, due to economic challenge and post-World War II, its population declined. However, the town has experienced growth with its population increasing

to 1,184 in 2010. Today, Boley still hosts the nation's oldest African American community-based rodeo every Memorial Day weekend. Its downtown business district is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service. Langston: The town of Langston in Logan County is located on State Highway 33, 10 miles northeast of Guthrie. The name honors John Mercer Langston, an African American educator and U.S. representative from Virginia. Although E. P. McCabe has been credited for founding the town, Charles Robbins, a white man, owned the land and filed a town survey and plat in 1891. The two men opened the town on April 22, 1890. McCabe initiated the Langston City Herald in October 1890, using it to promote African American migration to Oklahoma and the newborn Langston community. In 1897, through the influence of McCabe, the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature established the Colored Agricultural and Normal University (later Langston University) at Langston. Many prominent Oklahomans have made Langston their home or were affiliated with the university, including Melvin Tolson, Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, Clara Luper, E. Melvin Porter, Frederick Moon, Marques Haynes, Zelia Breaux, Isaac W. Young, Inman Page, and Zella Black Patterson. Simon Alexander Haley, the father of acclaimed author Alex Haley, taught at the college. Langston University Cottage Row Historic District (NR 98001593) and the Morris House (NR 94001082) have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2000, there were 1,670 residents, and the 2010 census found 1,724 living there.

FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE LANGSTON BOYS DORMITORY

Clearview: Clearview (Okfuskee County) was founded in 1903 by J. A. Roper, Lemuel Jackson, and John Grayson, the three men forming the Lincoln Townsite Company to attract settlers. Originally named Lincoln with the original post office, the name changed to Abelincoln in 1904 and rescinded a month later. Clearview was home of the Lincoln Tribune that would later become the Clearview Patriarch. John Grayson became the first postmaster. By 1904, the town was home to a two-story hotel and a print shop as well as a brick school building and two churches. By 1911, J.E. Thompson moved to Clearview after Roper and Jackson departed. The 1907 population of 618 declined to only 48 in the 2010 US Census. Although small in population, Clearview still hosts its annual rodeo. Clearview is the home of the Oklahoma African American Educators Hall of Fame (OAAEHOF). Oklahoma black towns that no longer exist include Bailey, Boggy Bend, Bookertee, Chase, Cimarron, Clarksville, Douglas (Garfield County), Douglas (Oklahoma County), Emanuel, Ferguson, Foreman, Gibson Station, Homer, Huttonville, Iconium, Keywest, Lee, Lewisville, Liberty, Mabelle, Macedonia, Melvin, Oberlin, Pleasant Valley, Rentie, Sanders, Udora, Wiley, Wybark, Yahola, and Zion.

Preserving history for future generations

PROFESSOR JOHN MERCER 20

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According to William Bittle and Gilbert Geis, authors of “Racial Self-Fulfillment and the

Rise of an All-Negro Community in Oklahoma,” most all black communities had received little historical attention from regional and national scholars. “The curious lack of comment on such communities is difficult to understand in view of the fact that there are, at the present time, at least 50 towns in the United States which are inhabited and governed exclusively by Negroes,” the authors said. Over time, thanks to the attention generated by notable authors such as the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, Tulsa attorney Hannibal Johnson and area filmmakers, efforts to collect and preserve the history of the remaining 13 Oklahoma black towns continue. In addition, Derrick Smith Jr., and Oscar and ShIronbutterfly Ray are among several black Oklahomans who are not only descendants of family members who lived in Oklahoma black towns, but who work tirelessly to keep the history of those towns alive through the film industry, state tourism, city government, and education. For example, Derrick, who lives in Tatums, started a riding tour in 2019 during which motorcyclists and non-riders can participate in a one-day 13 black Towns Tour. According to the website (www.13blacktownstour.com), the mission of the tour is “to bring bikers together from across the nation to revitalize the historically black towns of Oklahoma while promoting the history and legacy of black towns nationwide.” According to an MSN story, Nebraska motorcyclist Eric Miksch says that “stopping at each town and reading the markers allowed me to pause and reflect and really take a moment and think about the origins and history of these towns.”

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

In Muskogee, LEGACYKEEPERSRUS is the organization founded by ShIronbutterfly Ray in 1991 and has expanded its original intent of oral storytelling to documenting life stories of more than 150 official Legend, LegacyKeeper, and Pacesetter inductees since 2017. The website, www.legacykeepersrus.org now hosts the archives of Muskogee's John Cooper's Hall of Fame and Amanda Fuhr-Watts Community Recognition Calendars. In 2017, the organization began an awards bruncheon to make formal presentations and to include honoring outstanding LegacyKeepers in the historically Oklahoma All-black Towns and to applaud their efforts to preserve their legacies. Projects have included cemetery restoration and cleanup, school building repurposing and restoration, special holiday events and tours.

homa located in Rentiesville. This ongoing tourist destination became the focal point of Kari Barber’s documentary on Oklahoma’s black Towns, Struggle & Hope, and a permanent listing in Oklahoma’s Rhythm and Routes travel guide.” ShIronbutterfly said the Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival (which she and her husband founded in 2000) not only premiered Struggle & Hope in Muskogee's historic Roxy Theater, but also was instrumental in helping to garner worldwide attention to Oklahoma black towns.

And every Labor Day since 2002, Oklahoma independent filmmakers ShIronbutterfly and her husband, Oscar Dean Ray, can be found filming blues musicians who perform on the main outdoor stage at the Dusk ‘til Dawn Blues Festival in Rentiesville, another surviving Oklahoma black town. “We used this opportunity to train budding filmmakers as interns with the techniques and strategies of filming events,” ShIronbutterfly said. “Lights, cameras, and close-up projection intertwined with live interviews of performers telling their life stories. After the creation of the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame Inductions in 2004, we expanded our commitment to also capture live interviews of inductees in the month of May, followed by their induction performances, thus creating an archive for the last juke-joint in Okla-

TULLAHASSEE MAYOR KEISHA CURRIN WITH SHIRONBUTTERFLY RAY FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

Kari Barber, who grew up in central Oklahoma and studied journalism at the University of Oklahoma, said she never heard about the history of Oklahoma black towns until her French mother-in-law attended a production of the musical “Oklahoma!” in her area.

after completing her studies, moved to Nevada with her family. Over six years, Kari and her husband traveled to Oklahoma and spent summers touring various black towns, not only to enjoy and learn about the culture, but with the help of local advisors, she started interviewing and filming the residents who lived there.

“The actress was African American, and in the program, there was a blurb about the history and how there was a push at the time of statehood to become an all-black state,” Kari said. “There were a couple sentences that talked about the black towns. I would love to talk to the director of that production to let them know how much that information impacted me. So, that got me to looking into it, and luckily the Oklahoma Historical Society had started to do research and there was information online to learn more.”

“I basically approached people in person, and many of them said, ‘so YOU were the person who was calling and emailing!’” she said. “And I responded, ‘Yes, I was serious. I really want to do this.’ And so that’s how I met most of the people that ended up in the series.”

During this time, Kari was studying for a Master of Fine Arts in Film degree at American University in Washington, D.C., and

Struggle & Hope has been airing on PBS’ “America ReFramed” for seven seasons, and the last episode will air next month. The series gives voice to the stories of the last remaining residents, while charting their fight to ensure their towns retain independence, character, and hope for a better future. Boley Municipal Judge Henrietta Hicks, Oklahoma Historical Society board member and Clearview resident Shirley Nero, historian Bruce Fisher and musician and Taft native Dr. Harold Aldridge were several individuals featured in the series. “The goal was to focus on the towns, but there were other things happening in people’s lives that was reserved for a longer documentary,” she said. “So, that is how this project evolved. From the beginning, I always wanted it to be on public television because I wanted to be as publicly available for viewing as possible.”

KARI BARBER 22

bmonthly | FEBRUARY 2022

Struggle & Hope was awarded development funding from ITVS, the leading documentary film funder and distributor for public media. Along with the feature-length documentary, Barber also produced a participatory website which won “Best in Competition” at the Broadcast Education Association in 2016 and was

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

named “Curator’s Choice” at the International Digital Media and Arts Association’s iDEAS Exhibition in 2015 and held live screening and discussion events in five of the remaining historically all-black towns. Kari revealed that another reason the history of the Oklahoma black towns drew her to do the Struggle & Hope series is because of the backlash she encountered from people grappling with the election of Barak Obama as the first black U.S. president. “This project started not too long after the election of Obama,” she said. “I think for a lot of white people like me it was sort of … they used that term “all hoods came off,” and people who were your teachers, people who were your role models started saying things, posting things, and sharing things that were very racist, and they had to change. It was a hard moment, and that’s when I realized the kind of racism that was always there, and I didn’t notice it. I didn’t see it before, and now I saw it, so my determina-

CURRENT-DAY TAFT CITY HALL

tion to do this was more of a pushback against what was out there. That was why this became personal to me. Surprised, but embarrassed to see that it was always there.” Kari said the experience of filming Struggle & Hope became important not only to show the contributions of black Oklahomans, but they have been there since the beginning and are a part of the transformation of their environment. “It’s important to break down the racist stereotypes and attitudes and show the kinds of things that we share in common, the aspirations, the goals and the things we love,” she said. “The dangerous truth is there isn’t one person that can save a town. There are all kinds of people, and we need them all to make this work. So, it is everyone’s responsibility.”

BOLEY RODEO FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

FEATURE SPONSOR STORY

What a Win! Looking Back at Col-Hi’s State Championship Upset by Mike Wilt Legendary Kentucky basketball coach Adolph Rupp is credited with saying, “That’s why we play the game to see who will win.” The year was 1965. Two years later, Bartlesville’s College High Wildcats were given no chance of winning against the undefeated Oklahoma City Douglass Trojans in the state basketball championship. But they played the game. Some 6,000 boisterous fans gathered inside the Tulsa Assembly Center on March 4, 1967. Everyone could easily see the matchup featured an all-black Douglass team against a Col-Hi team with three black players. Everyone could also easily see the Trojans had a distinct size advantage. Considered to be the best player in the state, center Amos Thomas stood 6’7” and averaged 30 points and 14 rebounds per game. Three of the other four starters were between 6’2” and 6’5”. The tallest starter for Col-Hi was Ernest Guery, a tremendous shooter who was just over 6’0”. The other four starters — David “Petey” Peterson, Pat “Boody” Sears, Ernie Jackson, and Scott Martin - were only 5’11”. Trojan fans actually laughed as the Wildcats were introduced. The Cats were led by Sid Burton who grew up in Bartlesville and graduated Col-Hi in 1949. Known simply as “Sid” to adults and students alike, Burton was a very popular teacher and an adored coach. The two teams battled back-and-forth in the first eight-minute period. There would be four lead changes before the first quarter ended with Douglass on top 18-15. In the second quarter, Sid pulled 6’3” senior Mike Louis off the bench. It appeared that Douglass didn’t expect such a move so early in the contest and didn’t really know how to react. “Louie” and his teammates took advantage of the situation. Led by Louie’s 12 points, Col-Hi held a 46-43 halftime edge. As the two teams emerged from their respective locker rooms, the Douglass players and fans were no longer laughing. In the third quarter, both teams continued to apply full-court pressure. However, both teams also began getting into foul trouble. Douglass took a one-point lead at 54-53, but Col-Hi battled back for their own one-point lead at 6059 as the quarter ended. While the Wildcats had lost only two games all season, nobody expected them to be leading 24

bmonthly | FEBRUARY 2022

The 1967 state champion Col-Hi team. Members are, front row from left: Assistant Coach Don Calvert, Pat “Boody” Sears, Mike Dershem, Ernest “Eagle” Jackson, Bob “Moose” Larson, Ernest “Moody” Guery, David “Pete” Petersn, Scott Martin, and Head Coach Sid Burton. Back row from left: James “Jim” Bailey, Jim Powell, Manager Don Wilber, Statistician Craig Martindale, Jack Brown, Mike Lewis, Steve Hale, Larry Houchin, and Manager Richard Edgar.

the tall, talented, and undefeated Trojans with eight minutes left to play. Col-Hi caught a big break early in the final frame as the All-American Amos Thomas fouled out. Nonetheless, the Trojans led 72-66 with 3:26 remaining, but they were getting tired. Engulfed in deafening crowd nose, the Wildcats went on a 6-0 run to tie the score. Douglass failed to convert two shot attempts and David “Petey” Peterson grabbed a rebound and quickly called a timeout with 13 seconds left. The Wildcats inbounded the ball, and the final seconds started ticking away. The ball ended up in the hands of Bob “Moose” Larson, a reserve player known for his defense. In fact, he had missed all four – four! – of the shots he had taken during the three-day tournament. Seeing his teammates well covered and out of options, Moose launched his fifth shot. Swish! Moose’s improbable bucket gave Col-Hi a 74-72 lead with three seconds left. Pandemonium reigned inside the arena. Douglass launched a desperation heave that hit the rim but failed to go in. The final buzzer sounded signaling the end of the game and Bartlesville’s first state championship. Crazed fans who had driven down Highway 75 South in bumper-to-bumper traffic streamed onto the court and smothered Moose and his teammates. Carl McCullough, who wrote a book about the 1966-67 team, called it one of greatest upsets in Oklahoma high school history. That’s why they played the game.

HIGH SCHOOL

PROGRAMS FREE CERTIFICATIONS Our programs are FREE to high school students, where they can earn one or more certifications that will have them career or college ready!

COLLEGE CREDIT Tri County Tech has partnered with Oklahom Wesleyan University to offer up to 40 credit hours toward a degree and 50% off tuition at OKWU!

HOW TO APPLY Our Outreach Specialist will visit schools in January & February to talk about our 16 programs and walk students through the application process which only takes about 15 minutes. If you are interested in learning more, reach out to Braden at Braden.Schovanec@TriCountyTech.edu or 918.331.3315.

VISIT TRICOUNTYTECH.EDU TO LEARN MORE! T R I C O U N T Y T E C H . E D U | 61 01 N O W ATA R O A D , B A R T L E S V I L L E , O K | 91 8 . 3 31. 3 3 3 3 There will be no discrimination in the technology center because of race, color, sex, pregnancy, gender, gender expression or identity, national origin, religion, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, age, or genetic information in its programs, services, activities and employment. The following individual is designated to handle inquiries regarding the technology center’s non-discrimination policies, including Title IX: Tara Stevens, Director of HR & Compliance Officer | 6101 Nowata Road, Bartlesville, OK 74006 | 918-331-3248 | Tara.Stevens@TriCountyTech.edu. According to the State of Oklahoma Sex Offenders Registration Act, registered sex offenders must self-disclose their status before admissions. View our privacy policy: TriCountyTech.edu/Privacy-Policy. View our full non-discrimination policy: Bit.ly/NonDiscrimination-Policy. Title IX Training provided by: OSSBA Workshop Resources: Bit.ly/TitleIX-Policy.

”AN ENTIRELY FRESH, FUNNY & GORGEOUS NEW PRODUCTION.

A REASON FOR CELEBRATION!” –NEW YORK MAGAZINE

STEIN MUSIC BY JERRY BOCK LYRICS BY SHELDON HARNICK ROBBINS ORIGINALLY PRODUCED ON THE NEW YORK STAGE BY HAROLD PRINCE DIRECTED BY BARTLETT SHER CHOREOGRAPHED BY HOFESH SHECHTER INSPIRED BY THE WORK OF JEROME ROBBINS

BASED ON SHOLEM ALEICHEM STORIES BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT OF ARNOLD PERL

BOOK BY JOSEPH

PHOTO BY JEREMY DANIEL. 2018.

ORIGINAL NEW YORK STAGE PRODUCTION DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY JEROME

presented by

Broadway in Bartlesville! Friday, March 4 | 7:30pm

Tickets available at bartlesvillecommunitycenter.com or 918-337-2787 bmonthly | FEBRUARY 2022

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Broadway’s Favorite! Fiddler on the Roof to Make a Stop in Bartlesville Tickets for the national tour of the Tony Award®-nominated Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof are currently on sale at the Bartlesville Community Center box office. The show, which is part of the current Broadway in Bartlesville! series, stops in Bartlesville on Friday, March 4th at 7:30 p.m. Fiddler on the Roof is the heartwarming story of fathers and daughters; husbands and wives; and life, love, and laughter. This classic musical is rich with Broadway hits, including “To Life (L’Chaim!),” “If I Were A Rich Man,” "Sunrise, Sunset,” "Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” and “Tradition.” The original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof, which opened in 1964, was the first musical in history to surpass 3,000 performances. The show won the 1965 Tony Award for Best Musical in addition to eight other Tony Awards that year. This acclaimed revival proudly introduces a new generation to the iconic musical adored across the globe. Fiddler on the Roof has musical supervision by Tony Award®-winner Ted Sperling, scenic design by Tony Award®-winner Michael Yeargan, costume design by Tony Award®-winner Catherine Zuber, lighting design by Tony Award®winner Donald Holder, sound design by Tony Award®-winner

Scott Lehrer and Alex Neumann, and hair and wig design by Tom Watson. Casting is by Jason Styres, CSA. Tickets for Fiddler on the Roof are available by phone at 918337-2787 and in person at the Center box office from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For 24/7 tickets sales, you can visit bartlesvillecommunitycenter.com. ~~~ Special thanks goes to The National Endowment for the Arts, the Oklahoma Arts Council, and the following local sponsors who have made the Broadway in Bartlesville! 2021-2022 series possible: Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Adams • American Heritage Bank • Arvest Wealth Management • Bartlesville Convention and Visitors Bureau • ConocoPhillips • Copper Cup Images • Mr. and Mrs. Paul Crawford • Diversified Systems Resources • Examiner-Enterprise • Green Country Village • Keleher Outdoor Advertising • KGGF-AM KGGF-FM KUSN KQQR • KRIG KYFM KWON KPGM • Nowata Road Liquor • Phillips 66 • Price Tower Arts Center • Robinett/King • Dr. and Mrs. Richard Rutledge • Dr. and Mrs. William D. Smith • Sparklight • Stumpff Funeral Home & Crematory • Truity Credit Union • United Linen

FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

FEBRUARY

CALENDAR SPONSORED BY 1

Bruin Wrestling vs Pawhuska

5PM; Bruin Fieldhouse

OKWU Basketball vs York 6PM; OKWU Gym (W) 8PM; OKWU Gym (M)

Bruin Basketball vs Owasso

12PM; Bartlesville Area History Museum Bring the kiddos to the Bartlesville Area History Museum to enjoy exploring the exhibit “End of the Line: The Short Life of Bartlesville's Interurban Railway” through a scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt is free and all children who participate will receive a sticker declaring them as a “History Hero.” The Museum is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 4:00.

5PM; Bruin Fieldhouse (JVB) 6:30PM; Bruin Fieldhouse (G) 8PM; Bruin Fieldhouse (B)

Bruin Wrestling vs Barnsdall 6PM; Bruin Fieldhouse

Bruin Basketball vs Jenks District Virtual Learning Day

5PM; Bruin Fieldhouse (JVB) 6:30PM; Bruin Fieldhouse (G) 8PM; Bruin Fieldhouse (B)

OKWU Basketball vs Ottaway

All Day; District-wide

OKWU Basketball vs Ottaway 2PM; OKWU Gym (W) 4PM; OKWU Gym (M)

3PM; OKWU Gym (W) 5PM; OKWU Gym (M)

President’s Day No School All Day; District-wide

bmonthly | FEBRUARY 2022

BAHM Interurban Scavenger Hunt

Central Classic 5k & Fun Run 8:30AM; Central Middle School

Feb 10-12 Wee-Cycle Consignment Sell 9AM; Washington County Fairgrounds Saturday is half-price day!

Black Business Entrepreneurs Marva Brown-Thomas: Black Link Magazine blacklinkmag.com 918-914-3164 Frank Brown: A+ Barber Shop 416 SE Washington Blvd 918-875-6465 Mike Washington: Washington Welding 416 SE Washington Blvd & 1340 S Virginia Ave 918-335-2111 Tramon Grayson: Grayson's Donut Hole 809 S. Madison Blvd 918-331-9995 Brandon Thompson: Pure Image Barber & Beauty 3803 Nowata Rd 918-333-7873

Patrick Jones: Persistent Mobile Auto Detail 918-336-3022 Deborah R. Thomas: Deb’s LAMPS AND SCENTS 510 S Keeler Ave Debdina5@gmail.com 918-766-4248 Michelle Beavers: Lady Michelle ThisNThat Facebook page: LadyMichelleThisNThat Tyler C. Glenn: Red Dirt Rubs www.etsy.com/shop/reddirtus a/#reviews | 918-350-6963 Lee Young: Elite Barber & Shave Company LLC 918-807-0612

Read us online!

LET YOUR BUSINESS A PART OF THE

MOST READ

MAGAZINE IN BARTLESVILLE. Call Christy or Keith McPhail today for advertising opportunities.

918-214-4968 keith@bartlesvillemonthly.com www.bartlesvillemonthly.com

FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

bmonthly | FEBRUARY 2022

FEBRUARY EVENTS CALENDAR

Know of an upcoming event you would like to see on our calendar? Visit us at www.bartlesvillemonthly.com to submit a free listing!

Tue, Feb 1

6 PM

Candle-Making Class - Containers

10 AM

TThe Crafty Candle Shoppe Wax Factory 803 S Osage Ave

Artisan at Large Exhibit in Memory of Tom Roane Price Tower Arts Center 510 S Dewey Ave. The exhibit will be on display during normal PTAC hours through February 6.

6 PM

Dance N Define w/ Tarah Tower Center at Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd.

TIMES VARY

Free Citizenship Class Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave.

12 PM

Interurban Scavenger Hunt Bartlesville Area History Museum 401 S Johnstone Ave.

Citizenship classes are held on Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m., and Thursdays at 11 a.m. on the second floor of the Bartlesville Public Library in the Literacy Services office. Classes are free and open to the public. Please contact the Bartlesville Literacy Services office at 918338-4179 for more information.

The book club meets in the Literary Services Office on the 2nd floor of the library on the first Tuesday of every month.

Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave. The Best You Workout Challenge w/ Ashley Burson will give you the opportunity to improve your overall health with a calendar of mini-challenges to complete with support. This class is free and open to the public. This class will be held each Thursday of the month in Meeting Room A at the Bartlesville Public Library. Please bring a mat and water bottle and join us as we work out and discuss strategies for success!

Fri, Feb 4

6:45 PM

ELL Conversation Class Casa Hispana 822 S Johnstone Ave. These classes are held every Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. These classes are FREE and open to the public. Please contact the Bartlesville Literacy Services office at 918338-4179 for more information.

6 PM

Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave.

5:15 PM

Best You Workout Challenge w/ Ashley

Wed, Feb 2

Weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. through February, bring the kiddos to the Bartlesville Area History Museum to enjoy exploring the exhibit “End of the Line: The Short Life of Bartlesville's Interurban Railway” through a scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt is free and all children who participate will receive a sticker declaring them as a “History Hero.”

Johnstone Irregulars Free Book Club

Dance N Define w/ Tarah is held outside on the Stage at Unity Square on Wednesdays at 6 pm. It is free and open to the public. This fitness program incorporates a mixture of dance, core work, and lightweight/full body toning.

Thu, Feb 3

1 PM

7 PM

Tai Chi w/ Bee

Xtreme Hip Hop w/ Tarah

Tower Center at Unity Square 300 SE Adams Blvd.

Tai Chi w/ Bee is held outside at Unity Square if temperature is 50° or above. If temperature is below 50°, Tai Chi is held inside BPL in Meeting Room A. Class is held on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. Tai Chi will help improve your balance and wellness.

Class is held outside on the stage every Wednesday at 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public. This class is a step up from the traditional cardio step class. Please bring a full-size 43” wide step.

12 PM

Bartlesville Artisan Market Washington Park Mall 2350 SE Washington Blvd., Ste. 218 The artisan market is an indoor market with fresh baked goods, coffee, home decor, clothing, soaps, live succulents, Unique homemade products, local art and more! Shop locally! The market is open from 12-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Featuring Award-Winning

Chef Nook M - F 7am-4pm | S 8am-12pm 821 S. Johnstone Ave. Suite 100, Bartlesville, OK 74003

918.876.0022 Check us out on

and FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

EVENTS CALENDAR Sat, Feb 5

Mon, Feb 7

Thu, Feb 10

5:30 PM

Bartlesville Community Center 300 SE Adams Blvd.

Free Spanish Classes Bartlesville Public Library 600 S Johnstone Ave. Free Spanish Class every Monday evening at 5:30 p.m. in Meeting Room B on the first floor of the Bartlesville Public Library. This class is free and open to the public. Please contact the Bartlesville Literacy Services office at 918-338-4179 if you have any questions. 9 AM

Tue, Feb 8

Wee-Cycle Spring/Summer Sale Washington County Fairgrounds 1109 N Delaware St., Dewey

6 PM

St. John Catholic School Annual Gala

Sat, Feb 12 Beginner Stained Glass Workshop: Valentine Heart Suncatchers

Tue, Feb 15 7:30 PM

David Shannon Bartlesville Community Center 300 SE Adams Blvd.

Learn the steps to make your own custom stained glass piece! You will be taught to score and break glass, use a grinder to fit pieces together, apply and burnish copper foil to the glass (Tiffany method) then solder, patina, clean and polish, all in one class. A limited amount of charms will be available. We can always add the ring, and you can add the charm later if have something different in mind.

6:30 PM

Man Up City Church 4222 Rice creek Rd.

Dewey Hotel Museum 801 N Delaware St., Dewey Spend an evening at the Dewey Hotel. They will go over some of the hotel’s unique histories and take a lantern guided small group tour. You will go into some of the rooms, usually blocked off access to guests. Each journey will be unique, as you can never predict what our fellow specters will do during the tour, or what you might hear or see. Tours are held every Saturday.

David’s musical career began in amateur dramatics in Ireland performing a wide variety of roles in regional theatres. He will be accompanied by a pianist and a guitarist for this event. Tickets range from $20-35 and are available at bartlesvillecommunitycenter.com. 8 AM

Wed, Feb 9

8 PM

Mon, Feb 14

5:30 PM

The Crafty Candle Shoppe Wax Factory 803 S Osage Ave.

History and Haunts at the Dewey Hotel Museum

Presented by Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra. The plays of Shakespeare have inspired more great music over the centuries than just about any other non-musical source. Whether songs from the plays themselves, or music written to accompany the plays, or simply symphonic works describing the stories, there is no lack of romance-filled music that was inspired by The Bard of Avon. Tickets range from $14-44 and are available at bartlesvillecommunitycenter.com.

Wee-Cycle offers thousands of high quality, gently used items for Newborns to Big Kids and maternity clothing/items, all under one roof! No more running around to garage sales! It's like a HUGE multifamily garage, but WAY better! Shop hundreds of families under ONE roof! The sale runs through Saturday, February 12, and begins at 9 a.m. each morning.

St. John Catholic School 816 S Keeler Ave. Please join us to celebrate the Roaring 20s. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for guests to enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and blackjack, followed by dancing and a chance to try your luck at exciting raffle items. This event is a special time for celebrating and honoring St. John Catholic School students, families, faculty patrons and community members by Empowering Minds and Enriching the Spirit!

7:30 PM

Shakespeare in Love

You’ll get some time with the guys plus free food! Also, there will be a shuttle running from the Pawhuska campus to Bartlesville before and after the event. Fellas, you do not want to miss this event. Join us for a fun night with great food and a message geared just for the guys. Email info@citychurchok.com to save your spot.

Thu, Feb 17

Annual NFLCC Tackle Show

10 AM & 6 PM

Hilton Garden Inn 205 SW Frank Phillips Blvd.

Steel Grace, Ladies Only Shooting Group

The National Fishing Lure Collectors Club will have tables set up at the Hilton Garden Inn from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. A wide variety of fishing tackle and angling history is represented in the collections of NFLCC members. Some members specialize in specific tackle companies; others collect tackle from their own state or region.

Guns of Glory 427 S Osage Ave., Dewey We are so excited to announce that our ladies only Shooting Group, Steel Grace has officially kicked off! We have opportunities for all skills levels! No experience is required to attend, so come and check us out! Each month on the 3rd Thursday, ladies have two choices to attend, either 10AM-Noon or 6PM-8PM. A variety of training opportunities will be available for both beginners and advanced! Steel Grace meetings/shoots will consist of one hour of class time and one hour of range time. To reserve your space you MUST send an email to kara@gogok2a.com with “STEEL GRACE” in the subject line.

“Friendly dealers, great showroom and vehicles, very accommodating. Really appreciate being called by name.” — Matt from Wichita, KS

Hwy 75 in Bartlesville • (918)333-8010 • gopatriotauto.com

bmonthly | FEBRUARY 2022

EVENTS CALENDAR 11 AM

Parkinson Support Group Elder Care 1223 Swan Dr. 6 PM

Third Thursday at the BAHM: Date Night on the Interurban Bartlesville Area History Museum 401 S Johnstone Ave. Join the Bartlesville Area History Museum for a very special date night with an Interurban Twist. Please purchase tickets for dinner. More details coming soon.

Sat, Feb 19

Thu, Feb 24

9 AM

10 AM

S.A.F.E. Breakfast

NRA Range & Chief Range Safety Officer Training Course

Adams Boulevard Church of Christ 3700 SE Adams Blvd. Formerly known as Daughter's of Lot, S.A.F.E. Breakfast is a fundraiser for Samaritan Counseling & Growth Center. 9:30 AM

Personal Protection in the Home Student Course Guns of Glory 427 S Osage Ave., Dewey Teaches the basic knowledge, skills, and attitude essential to the safe and efficient use of a handgun for protection of self and family, and to provide information on the law-abiding individual’s right to selfdefense.

Guns of Glory 427 S Osage Ave., Dewey Become a NRA Certified RSO or if you already are a Range Safety Officer, you can take Chief Range Safety Officer! You must register on the NRA website for Chief Range Safety Officer or Range Safety Officer (search for zip code 74029). http://www.nrainstructors.org.

Sat, Feb 26 6:30 PM

Martha’s Task Mardi Gras 2022 Father Lynch Hall 8th Street & Keeler Ave. Let the good times roll at Mardi Gras 2022 benefitting Martha's Task with a Cajun dinner, dancing, drinks and auction from 6:30-10:30 p.m. on February 26.

Mon, Feb 21

7:30 PM

Liverpool Legends

6:30 PM

Bartlesville Community Center 300 SE Adams Blvd.

The Big 4: Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok & YouTube Heart Matters, Inc. 3401 Price Rd. Presented by Protect Young Eyes. Technology can do so much good in the world. But if not used well, it can also do so much harm. Never before in human history have young people had the ability to so radically change the trajectory of each other’s lives so quickly. After 6 years, over 1,300 presentations, testifying in front of Congress, and countless conversations with parents, students, educators, and officers, our research digs into the most important apps telling you exactly how they work, if it's possible to control them, the risks, and benefits. The fast-paced talk will use stories, simple examples, and quick tips that will give your family immediate actions.

8:30 AM ALL DAY

Change in Trash Service Throughout Bartlesville There will be no City trash service, as City Services are closed for President’s Day. Customer who normally have their trash picked up on Mondays will have their trash picked up Wednesday, February 23.

Central Classic 5K & Fun Run Central Middle School 815 SE Delaware Ave. Funds raised from the races will support improvements to Central Middle School’s historical building and student services.

Liverpool Legends recorded and produced all The Beatles songs for the album “Fab Fan Memories” which was nominated for a Grammy Award. They have headlined at the prestigious Rose Bowl four times, performing for over 160,000 people, and have performed at the world-famous Carnegie Hall in New York City. Liverpool Legends were chosen over every other Beatles Tribute band in the world by top television and film producer Jerry Bruckheimer (CSI, Pirates of The Caribbean, National Treasure) to portray the band that changed the course of music and the world forever. 9 PM

Live music with Zodiac Cherokee Casino Ramona 31501 US 75

FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

bmonthly | FEBRUARY 2022

TRIBUTE

Jim Bohnsack “Mr. Bartlesville” Invested His Life in the Community by Maria Gus Mr. Bartlesville, the “Unstoppable” force, and a friend to the community, has moved on from this earthly realm and is no doubt spreading the good word about Bartlesville wherever he goes. Jim Bohnsack, age 61, passed away on Friday December 17, 2021 in Titusville, Florida. A celebration of life was held on Saturday, January 22, at the Bartlesville High School Fine Arts Center. Born and raised in Bartlesville, everyone who knew Jim knew he was a Bartlesville boy, a Col-High Wildcat, and proud of his roots. In fact, his first home was in downtown Bartlesville, in an apartment above the family business. After college, Bohnsack landed his first job at what was then First National (now Arvest) Bank. A lover of comedy, especially the “dad joke”, friends could find him dining at one of his favorite restaurants, like Dink’s or Lot-a-Burger, saying, “I was born in Bartlesville and I made it really far — across the street!” Bohnsack is survived by his lovely wife, Denise, and two sons, Bryan and Barry. Anyone who attended the Arvest Friday Financial Forum knew the Bohnsacks were aerospace enthusiasts, with Jim encouraging the start of the robotics program at Tri County Tech. Both Bryan and Barry have successful careers working on the Artemis project, a United States-led human spaceflight program. Bryan serves as a senior spacecraft technician and Barry is a program planner for the Orion Spacecraft. If the Friday Forum, as it is familiarly known, is the greatest show in Bartlesville, then Jim Bohnsack was it’s most beloved ringleader. The program started in the 80s, but when Jim took the reins, he raised the show to a whole new level, said Earl Sears, current Friday Forum host. “He truly was a community citizen that worked daily to improve and enhance the quality of life in Bartlesville,” said Sears. “Jim Bohnsack was an absolute champion for Bartlesville, Oklahoma.” Bohnsack wore many hats during his time in Bartlesville. He served the community through boards and civic organizations, including the Bartlesville Unstoppable campaign, the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce board, Daybreak Rotary, and the Bartlesville Community Foundation. He supported the community through his efforts with bond initiatives like Bartlesville Public Schools technology improvements and helping the Bartlesville Police Department relocate out of the flood plain. Jim Bohnsack worked tirelessly to serve his family, his customers, and his community. “Jim loved the bville community and its people with all his heart, and he did everything that he could to make it a better

place,” said Denise Bohnsack. “He was particularly supportive of the schools, the students, the teachers, the veterans, and the police officers. Jim always took a moment to say thank you for your service; your sacrifice is much appreciated. Jim loved his community, his friends in the forum, and Bible study.” There were more people who loved Jim Bohnsack than could be quoted in this publication, but some of those that knew him best said he loved bringing people together and he loved making people laugh. Kyle Hubbard, former Arvest Bank President in Bartlesville said, “Jim’s joy and enthusiasm for his community [and the role Arvest played] is what drove his passion for leading the financial forum and growing it to what it is today.” Kevin Potter added, “His humor is what brought people together. You always came away feeling good after talking to Jim. He lifted people up; he saw the best in people.” Former City Manager Ed Gordon passed away just 11 days after Bohnsack, and sent Denise a text message that summed up what many thought of Jim. “Our city is a much richer place because of his love for our community,” said Gordon. “He was an investment banker and a good one. But his greatest dividends, from my perspective, are the yields his work wrought in my life and the many lives he touched. Thank you for loaning him to us.” One of Jim’s favorite jokes to tell was about his credit card being stolen and getting a call from the bank to cancel the card. Jim would then tell the audience with a laugh that he didn’t want to cancel the card because “the thief is spending less than Denise!” Thank you, Jim Bohnsack, for the effort to grow your community. Special thanks also goes to his incredible sons and his angel, wife Denise. Her dedication and support helped give Jim the best experiences he could possibly have and supported him in his unstoppable love of Bartlesville. FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

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bmonthly | FEBRUARY 2022

ON THE OSAGE

A Niche and a Nudge Osage County Makes the Cut in “1883” by Kelly Bland Ora Brown’s phone rang. “Hey Ora, have you heard they’re casting stuntmen for 1883?” his buddy fired off. Now, you may remember Ora from last year’s Ultimate Cowboy Showdown, but he has also recently completed work on the sets of The Harder They Fall and Cabrini, and had in fact heard about 1883; but it was the nudge of a bud that got Ora to pick up the phone and call Jason Rodriguez, stunt coordinator for the show. “Oh my gosh, Ora!” was Rodriguez’s response, and a return phone call the next day had him cast in a part he never expected to play … stunt double to LaMonica Garrett’s character, Thomas — a Pinkerton detective, who along with Shea (Sam Elliot) leads pioneers on a trail from Texas to Oregon. Overnight, Ora Brown found himself playing stunt double to one of the leading characters in Paramount+’s starstudded show. In the wake of Yellowstone’s extreme popularity, 1883 is shaking the airwaves as time is turned backwards and roots of the powerful Dutton family are traced back to their Texas beginnings. While America sits glued to the tube, Osage County’s Ora Brown has been in make-up and out in the pasture with the cast and crew! Now, y’all remember, I’m from Texas — so I couldn’t wait to ask Ora where they had been filming. “From Texas to Montana,” he answered, and then let me in on some prime locations such as the 6666’s ranch in both Guthrie and Borger. He went on to talk of Montana’s beauty and the Texas countryside — but it was the storyline and team that impressed most him. “I felt proud to be involved in something I see as poetic and beautiful,” he confessed. “It was inspiring to be cast as the double for a character role of color which personified someone for others to look up to. The part of Thomas is an admirable character role and LaMonica Garrett played it in an amazing light,” he openly shared with me as we visited on the phone while Ora was wrapping up filming near Weatherford, Texas. He went on to say he believes Garrett just “upped the game” for people of color to be cast in admirable character roles. Don’t worry, of course I asked him about the stars — and yes, he met them all. Tim McGraw was easy to talk to and loved playing baseball during the day. Sam Elliot was just how he seems on the screen — plus when he asked Ora where he was from and Ora replied, “Pawhuska, Oklahoma,” Elliot responded, “Ben Johnson country!” Elliot knew right where Pawhuska was and even added, “That’s cow country, for sure.”

LaMonica Garrett and Ora Brown on the scene of 1883.

As we wound down our conversation, it was obvious. Ora had found his niche and was in his element. “This was my jam. I was made for this,” he told me. I couldn’t have agreed with him more. Ora Brown is where cowboy and class converge — and he just brought it to the screen in 1883. There are those whom it seems were born for another time, and Ora in my mind has always fit the hayday of the cowboy era. However, as we finished our conversation, he surprised me with his closing comments. “I have one more dream left that hasn’t been fulfilled,” he said. After my inquiring as to what that might be, Ora ended our conversation with, “I’ve been a soldier, a cowboy, a stunt actor, and next I’d like to be a superhero of the comic book style…” You know what? I bet he will. When you’re watching 1883 and romanticizing the frontier days of yesteryear, keep in mind that there’s still a place where the cowboy never rides away — and that’s Osage County, Oklahoma. Y’all come see us! VisitTheOsage.com

FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

bmonthly | FEBRUARY 2022

STUDENT? OR VICTIM?

In today’s world, predators look for any possible way to gain access to our precious children and youth. It’s critical that parents and guardians are aware of how children are being targeted, approached – and exploited.

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NOW YOU KNOW

“Blues is My Business” Leonard Baker - Bartlesville’s Godfather of Soul by Debbie Neece, Bartlesville Area History Museum

There are few people in northeastern Oklahoma who hear the name Lennie Baker without donning a smile or sharing a memory. That is because no matter who Lennie spoke to, there were no strangers. No matter who invited him to play, he never refused. And no matter the length between your visits with him, he never forgot.

Leonard E. “Lennie” Baker was Arkansas born and like many other well-known performers, his simple musical beginnings stemmed from his church roots. He grew up in the Lenapah area where his music teacher recognized his talent and gave him a piano to play. He graduated from Lenapah High School before joining the Air Force, where he started his first band. He began playing professionally at 18, recorded his first album at 22 and did not look backwards. After returning from the service, he joined the hometown soul band “Ronnie and the Miracles.” Melvin Russell was the manager/head of the group comprised of Ronnie Russell, Lennie Baker, David Dean “DDT” Thompson, Bobby Grayson and Charlotte Russell, who later became Lennie’s first wife.

bmonthly | FEBRUARY 2022

The guys practiced at Melvin’s home and played at Lenapah, Nowata, Coffeyville and Independence’s Neewollah. They were hired locally to play R&B, Rock and Roll, Country Western by request and “low down dirty blues” at the Shady Lane, Downtown Lounge on Dewey Ave., original Westside Community Center/Boys Club and the Y.M.C.A. where Melvin was employed from the 1960s though retirement in 1993. They rarely advertised; their followers found them through word of mouth or an occasional poster. Lennie played with the Miracles for 16 years.

“Lenny was bright, deep and soulful. You just felt like you were a part of something on a spiritual level when he was singing and playing the piano. He drew huge crowds and loved talking to people and hearing their stories. No matter what someone was going through he knew exactly what song would be the best medicine for their soul.” — Angela Jeffers

He and Charlotte Russell were married from 1970 until she passed away in 1997. In 2008, he married Robbie Ford-Beisley with a ceremony in Hawaii and when Lennie sang “When a Man Loves a Woman,” the endearing wink and sparkle in his eye was for his love, Robbie. He was a Casanova type of a fellow who dressed the part and walked a little taller than most…not taller in height but in personality and charisma. He was a song writer and played a variety of instruments commanding the attention of all ages. He brought people to their feet in dance and brought sunshine to Sunfest even on the rainy days.

NOW YOU KNOW honor his dear friend, Bo Wilson established the Lennie Baker Scholarship through the Bartlesville Community Foundation to help further the musical dreams of area seniors. The deadline to submit online applications for the Lennie Baker Scholarship is March 11th with awards announced at the applicant’s high school awards assembly at the end of the academic year. https://bartlesvillecf.org/lennie-baker-scholarship. To help continue this opportunity, donations may be made to the scholarship fund addressed to the Bartlesville Community Foundation, Lennie Baker Scholarship, 208 E. 4th Street, Bartlesville, OK 74003. As a bonus, Phillips 66 employees may have their contributions matched through their employer. Sunfest continues with new musical groups Music is the song of the soul and no man climbs the ladder taking the main stage echoing their music throughout Sooner alone. Lennie was quick to credit his fellow musicians whether Park and new up and coming bands and singers making their playing with the Gigsters who had opened for the Temptations mark on the entertainment scene of and Tanya Tucker, his Blue “Lennie started performing professionally in 1961 and Bartlesville…but there will never be Soul Band or playing solo established his legacy by encouraging younger musicians. another Lennie Baker. with keyboard and vocals. He was always willing to share the spotlight with the ~~~ musicians he mentored, many of whom are still performThere is a God-given ing today. The Lennie Baker Scholarship was created to talent in a man that can This article was written with the supcontinue his legacy and provide financial support and interpret musical style into port of Robbie Baker, Angela Jeffers encouragement to younger musicians who will be sharing his own creation with and Bo Wilson who also supplied his their talents with us.” — Bo Wilson heart and “soul.” A talent photo collection. Lennie shared with his dear friend Richard Johnson, who professionally opened for ZZ Top and other top performers. Lennie and Richard were not only performers, they were mentors and encouragers. Richard was a major supporter of Sunfest and opened musical opportunities for area performers at Bartlesville’s HOT Street Parties, OKMozart and Indian Summer for three decades. Lennie’s 1984 solo Sunfest performance prompted Richard to invite Lennie to play with the Gigsters which became a huge win-win for area entertainment. Robbie said, “No matter where we traveled, Lennie always looked for a piano to play. Once, at the Christ of the Ozarks, he asked if he could play in the small country church. The attendant gave permission and a crowd gathered as Lennie played and sang Amazing Grace and other hymns.” Lennie’s Blue Soul Band consisted of keyboard and vocalist Lennie Baker, drummer Doyle Speer, bassist Richard Johnson, guitarist Spencer Wilson and Steve Bell on the woodwinds. These gifted men made Bartlesville musical history. After Richard Johnson passed away May 3, 2017, area performers paid tribute to Richard at the Dewey Heritage Theater. And, Lennie emotionally sang Amazing Grace for his dear friend at his memorial service. In addition, Richard was honored at Sunfest and the Bartlesville City Council approved a resolution renaming the Sooner Park band shell in his honor, the Richard Johnson Sooner Park Band Shell. Six months later, friends, fans, family and the entire entertainment community were dealt a second heavy blow when on November 6, 2017, at the age of 75, Lennie Baker passed away. To

Did You Know? Lennie Baker produced two albums. On his 1998 “Wanted” recording, David Thompson and Richard Johnson played bass; David Ray, drums; Mark Lacey, Larry Boggs and Rick Gill, guitar; John Gallie and Lennie Baker, keyboard and organ; and Lennie Baker vocals. Dedicated to his loving wife, Robbie Baker. Now You Know* FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

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INTRODUCTIONS

Meet Justyn Shaw New Coach Takes Over BHS Varsity Girls Hoops Program by Lori Just After coaching for more than a decade, Justyn Shaw is in his first season as head coach of varsity girls basketball at Bartlesville High School. After the previous coach stepped down last summer, he saw the open position as an opportunity to make an impact. “The biggest thing about coaching is the relationship-building,” he said. “It’s the ability to make a positive change in a young individual’s life to be a better person and more successful in the real world.” As a Jenks native, Shaw never saw himself landing in Bartlesville, but is glad his journey led him here. Since the age of three, he started following in his older sibling’s footstaps. In fourth grade, he started getting into sports, playing in a co-ed basketball league as point guard. In high school, he played against Bartlesville but didn’t know much about the community. However, after completing a business degree at McPherson College, in Kansas, he accepted a position at ConocoPhillips in 2009 and moved to town. “I enjoy a smaller-town atmosphere,” he said. “There’s an authenticity and people actually care. People make the place. It doesn’t matter where you are, but who you are with. I didn’t think I would be here, but I’m really glad it turned out that way.” He has since reconnected with a colleague, Clent Stewart — the subject of our Profile story on pages 8 & 9 of this issue — and got plugged into the local athletic scene. He coached summer basketball for a few years, leading the eighth and ninth grade, before making the move to girls basketball. “Girls are very coachable despite each one of them being very different from the other,” he said. “I’m learning to change the cultural mindset. As a new coach, I know they are trying to understand me and my expectations and how I interact with them. I’ve enjoyed every part of it, even the late nights and longer practices.” He has laid roots and made Bartlesville home for his wife of two years, Holly [Trumble] and 11-month-old daughter, Rynara. He praises having an understanding wife and flexible employer, now Phillips 66, to have the ability to balance family, work, and coaching. “Phillip 66 is huge on community involvement,” he said. “And my wife is extremely understanding and supportive of what I do as a coach.” Shaw is one of two black head coaches for boys’ and girls’ varsity active in their tenure together for the Bruins — a first for BHS. He is very thankful for the opportunity in his role, as well as

coaching in a program where players are judged on ability not their appearance. “Sports is the closest thing we have to meritocracy,” he said. “Everything is based on how you perform. It isn’t about how tall you are, how much you weigh, your skin color, or the accent you may have. Your performance is what will be acknowledged in competition.” Shaw credits his parents for teaching him to not see color, but to be aware of it and how other people may handle themselves around them, and never let their behavior dictate how they care for someone. “You treat someone with the respect you want to be treated,” he said. “As I get older, I start to see that and understand it more. And I hope this reflects in my coaching. I know the girls want to win. I try to keep them encouraged and thinking positively. One day they will leave basketball and deal with real-world situations. It becomes a matter of perspective and how you handle adversity. Basketball is all they see right now, but I hope these lessons help them succeed in the real world.” FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

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LOOKING BACK

Washington County Black Schools Remembering the Area’s Black Schools in the Early 1900s by Kay Little, Little History Adventures In February 2021, we learned about the Bartlesville school for the local black children called Douglass School. It began in 1907 in an old Methodist Church building on the west side of town. The school eventually moved to 7th & Oak, and kept expanding. Before the school totally disbanded in 1971, they had built three buildings. The school provided a wonderful education for black students with many subjects being taught. They also had a great football team.

DUNBAR SCHOOL

This time we are going to talk about the Washington County schools for black children outside Bartlesville, and you will see that Douglass School was by far a more excellent school. Sometime before 1915, black children in the Dewey area attended Dunbar, a one-room school. In 1917, the school outgrew their building, so a new school was built for Dunbar. The students met in the new building for many years. By 1978, the old Dunbar school building was being used as the Dewey Westside Community Center, serving about 500 low- to middleincome blacks. Katheryn Brown served as the director and was upset because the building was in disrepair and assistance with repairs did not seem to be available from any source. Brown and her helpers wanted the building to be preserved because it was a landmark. They wanted it fixed so it DANIELS SCHOOL

was not dangerous. Former students would stop by to take a look and remember their days at Dunbar School. In the Southern part of Washington County, along Stick Creek, a part of District #17 was known as the Jim Crow area, for the black people there. The people in the area realized that the children needed a school, so the Cherokee Government sent Fanny Taylor to teach in 1907-1908, in an old church. In 1909-1910, Mr. J.H. Smiley taught the 20 children. The unsanitary conditions and leaky rook upset Smiley, so he decided to move the students to another church in the area. The neighborhood was so upset by this

that legal action was required and the court had to settle the argument. As a result, the county built a small building on Frank Daniels’ allotment, and it was named the Daniels School. The Daniels gave an acre of land for the school in 1910. Students met there for several years, with the school term sometimes lasting only seven months due to lack of funds. The entire northern portion of District #17 was annexed into the Oglesby School District in 1922. Cora Meeks taught black children there. In 1927, the regular schools integrated, so the Daniels School was closed. Further south, there were several black families in the old Shallowfield oil area. In 1911, a school was established for them and was named Martin School. It was also known as the North Separate School. Fred Rone, a fellow black man, was the first teacher. Several other teachers followed. By 1919, there were not enough students, so the entire district annexed into Ramona in 1921. How wonderful it is to learn from our history and realize how far Washington County schools have progressed in providing excellent and equal education to all of our students. FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

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CHRIST • SCRIPTURE • TRUTH • WISDOM

A GOOD WORD

Start Before You’re Ready All You Do is Take it One Step at a Time by Scott Townsend Strapped in, flight checks finished, and headed to the end of a runway, the newly-minted fighter pilot was about to make his first solo flight in the $2 billion F-16. As the freshman pilot rolled the Viper into takeoff position, he was aware of the enormous responsibility of taking off, executing basic maneuvers, and landing the 37,000-pound plane safely and within the parameters of the exercise. He looked at the dials and gauges, levers and buttons that were before him. He was only vaguely familiar with half of them, having studied the plane and how to fly it in the flight school he had attended just months before. With all systems go, he launched the F-16 down the runway, getting pushed back into his seat with more horsepower than all the race cars at an Indianapolis 500 race could generate leaving the starting line at the same time. Now an accomplished fighter pilot, my friend is also a PGA professional, an author of two books, speaker, builder of a new golf course with Jack Nicklaus, and founder of a non-profit organization to help educate kids whose parent has been killed or seriously injured during combat. I was talking with my friend and asked him how one person could accomplish so much. His answer was, “You’ve got to start before you are ready.” So, I want to riff on that for a minute. How many times have we wanted to do something or had an idea and visual-

ized the magnificent end result, only to be paralyzed by the enormity of the task and stopped in our tracks? In the book Atomic Habits, author James Clear talks about setting goals … something everyone talks about this time of year, empowered by New Year’s resolutions and the feeling of a fresh start with a new calendar. But we also hear that New Year’s resolutions don’t work. We hear about gyms being full in January and empty in February. So, why is it some people reach their goals while most others don’t? According to James Clear, the key is systems, not goals. Goals are great to have, but goals alone won’t get us to the end. Systems are the lubricant that helps move us forward to the goal. Here’s an example most everyone can identify with. Marathon runners don’t start training the day before the race. Serious marathon runners start months in advance, with a step-by-step approach in a day-by-day exercise regimen. First one mile. Then two, and so on. The systemized approach helps the runner avoid injury, builds confidence, and gives them the experience they need to finish the race. And don’t forget proper nutrition for energy, sleep for repairs to the body, and discipline to help overcome obstacles. With a good, well-thought-out system, there isn’t a lot we can’t accomplish, and chances are greater we will reach our goals. To build a system, start with the end in mind and then reverse engineer what processes and procedures need to be in place — each process building on the other, enabling the runner to ultimately cross the finish line. We all want to accomplish more and do great things. How do I apply this to my own life? I want the Lego Star Wars Millenium Falcon 75192 Expert Building Kit and Starship Model (7541 pieces) for $899.00. There’s the goal. Now I need to build my systems to make sure that happens in a reasonable amount of time. So, let’s say I want to make this happen by the end of the year … The $899 divided by 52 weeks comes out to $17.28 a week. Not bad. Now it seems doable. Start before you are ready. Take the next step. And don’t let perfectionism get in the way. Just start. FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

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FROM THE HEART

For Better - Forever Learning How To Love Each Other by Lori Kroh I will never forget Valentine’s day, the second year of marriage. I came home to a card on the table and the little box of Russel Stover’s with four chocolates. Inside the card was a note that said, “I love you so much! First, go to your closet and then go to your car, xoxo.” I was excited as I envisioned all sorts of wonder. I ran only to find my clothes ironed and the chair I used to drape them on cleared off. I saw all my sweaters folded and my shoes were all in a row. No fur coat laying across the chair. No red velvet box with a white puppy inside. No pearls with ballet tickets nestled among them. I stood inside a clean closet with no dust, only my disgust. I felt he was building up a surprise and perhaps everything I wanted was inside my car. One thousand dusty pink rose petals lining a path and a pale blue box resting on the dash. Or perhaps the suitcases all packed and off we would go to a spa retreat. I ran outside and opened the car door. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Well, the car was clean and vacuumed. The outside was all waxed and shiny. Yet, I didn’t see anything but red. I am not talking about his hair…I’m talking about my anger. He gave me a clean closet and a clean car for Valentine’s! I ran inside and threw myself on the bed and cried tears of heartache and sorrow. The thoughts of anguish and dismay harassing my heart. He doesn’t even know me. The marriage has lost its fire. He doesn’t understand me. He must hate me because why on earth would anyone give someone that as a gift? How cheap is he? I cried and he looked hurt. We didn’t go to dinner. I didn’t speak to him and went to bed. It was the worst Valentine’s I have ever had and yet, here I was married and in love. No one tells you what the for worse is with vows, they throw the rice and keep it a secret. I wanted for better - forever. Only when confiding to my friend, did she bring me her copy of The Five Love Languages by Gary Smalley. This book is one of my

highest recommendations for all to read. It was marriage-saving and lifegiving. I have used it ever since with my husband, my family and now my children. It helps you give love to others as they want to receive it rather than how you want to express it. We all have a way we want to feel loved and this book translates that to us. After reading and taking the tests, we laughed and could see how cleaning my closet would never speak of love to me as I want gifts and lots of them! Vacuuming my car was the worst thing he could do as my secondary language is words of affirmation and his poetic way of writing to me, “Go to your car. xoxo.” would never suffice. We would forever be at odds with expressing ourselves because we didn’t give love how the other one wanted it. Although Chapman's book, The 5 Love Languages, was originally written in 1992, it continues to help couples today, selling more than 20 million copies since it was first published. Before writing the book, Dr. Chapman spent years taking notes with couples he was counseling when he recognized a pattern. He saw that couples were misunderstanding one another and their needs. After going through his notes, he discovered that there are five “love languages” that people may respond to in relationships. Chapman's five love languages are: words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service and receiving gifts. The book goes in depth and I can promise the greatest gift to give yourself on Valentine’s Day is the gift of knowing exactly how you want to be loved by others. Once you know how to receive love best, your heart is free to give love best. Oh, and for the record…he made up for it. He is the best giver of gifts I have ever known. Twenty two Valentine’s later, he folds laundry by candlelight and I savor the chocolates. My heart is all a flutter and I see Cupid.

FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

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OVERCOMING TRAGEDY

Brickyard’s Yuletide Fire Bartlesville Rallied After Terrible Fire of 1976 by Debbie Neece, Bartlesville Area History Museum Christmas Eve is supposed to be the calm before the storm of gifts and family gatherings. But no one was prepared for the December 24, 1976 storm … fire storm that is. For residents of Bartlesville’s “Brickyard” area, to the west of the railroad tracks, the noon hour brought temperatures in the mid-50s and winds gusting from the SSW 35 to 50 mph. Residents were well versed in the “Smokey the Bear” fire protection campaign for high wind days; however, careless trash burning erupted into an all-out flash fire inferno and chaos ensued.

Bartlesville rallied support around the fire victims. Through the Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise, a “Christmas Eve Fire Fund” was established to aid rebuilding efforts. The Red Cross Disaster Center, at the retired Pennington Hills fire station, was flooded with gifts of food, personal and household goods. In addition, donations poured in from Phillips Petroleum Company, KTUL-TV in Tulsa, State of Oklahoma, City of Bartlesville, Elks Lodge, Pawhuska’s “Operation Helping Hand,” “Toys for Tots” and local merchants.

Prior to the fire, the giving hearts of Bartlesville residents and Reportedly, eight fire trucks and 60 Bartlesville firefighters batthe Salvation Army had secured Christmas gifts and dinners for tled the fire that consumed the five-block-long and three-block-wide some of Bartlesville’s less fortunate area. Bulldozers created firebreaks which were also part of the fire loss. “There is hope. The Lord was good to us – no and successfully protected the Phillips In replacement, Church elves human lives were lost. Even in our troubles, we Petroleum Company oil and gas storwrapped gifts for distribution and can be thankful.” — Rev. Rudolph Nash of age facility at 504 S. Rogers. Jane area residents brought cooked the destroyed Westside Church of Christ in God. Phillips Hospital was placed on alert, turkeys, homemade pies and all the although no one was seriously injured. Several firemen and resiChristmas dinner fixings. dents were treated and released for smoke inhalation and one There is no good time for tragedy to strike, however Christmas resident was hospitalized with a stress related heart issue. Eve could possibly be one of the worst. The outpouring of love and The landscape of Bartlesville was permanently scarred that aftersupport brought a new definition of community and Christmas spirit. noon. Ruble and ash covered fifteen residential blocks where earlier stood the Mid-City Paper Salvage, a BBQ/tavern, the Westside Church of Christ in God and homes (19 destroyed and 13 damaged). After two hours of fierce fighting, the firemen controlled the fire but continued to watch for “hot spots” throughout the afternoon. The fire displaced 100+ people who were embraced by the St. John’s Catholic Church, Virginia Avenue Baptist Church, Red Cross and area family, friends and Bartlesville residents with lodging, food and seasonal comfort. However, beyond the personal and property loss of over a million dollars, the memories of some lifelong residents were irreplaceable. Governor David Boren placed the National Guard on standby and Bartlesville was declared a federal disaster area, which opened the path for federal support including portable mobile homes for displaced residents.

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IN MEMORY

Our Story Rick Johnson Talks About His ‘Special’ Life With Wife Lisa by Rick Johnson

I was asked to write a story about “Our Story” and the journey that Lisa and I shared through her quest to overcome cancer. The year I penned this was February 2019, almost 18 months before her passing. We never published the story. It was as if God was telling us to just be still. I came across Keith McPhail at the gym while working out. After the “guy hug” and how are you doing, Keith just said, “I still have your story and want to publish it in Bartlesville Monthly.” I agreed. I wanted this preface to be a reflection of looking back on what was and now what is. It didn’t turn out like we had so hoped for ... but that does not mean that God’s will was not done. On the contrary. She is healed and in his presence. Trials and tribulations can swallow you up or you can draw on the strength of God to move forward. I choose the latter.

Sometimes special isn’t always recognized in the beginning. Many times it’s years before we acknowledge it. Often we lose it, never to be found again. I was lucky. I was able to find it again... Lisa and I grew up together from junior high through high school graduation. We were friends but didn’t necessarily “hang out” much. I was close to her brothers because of sports. I was very aware that this was a special family. Her parents were very well respected throughout the community, but most importantly they lived a life devoted to their family and God. I always felt close to this family. It wasn’t until our senior year that it happened, in a speech class. Lisa was in that class. And so was I. It was there that I recognized special for the first time. Lisa was strikingly beautiful. She wasn’t one that you had to do a double-take, you knew from the first glance. She was different. She liked being different. And I really liked her being different. She had my full attention. We dated the second semester of our senior year and all of the summer of ‘78. It was surreal. In my mind, it couldn’t have been any better. That was a summer of playing American Legion baseball and seeing Lisa every day. We rarely were apart. However, I knew the day was coming but I pushed it out of my mind. That day represented the end of summer. She would be going to New York City to begin a modeling career. Me? I was headed to Oklahoma State. I knew then that it was a matter of time. I couldn’t compete with NYC. We made it ‘til Christmas. We married in May of 1990. Life seemed to be as it should be, So we went our separate ways, lived our lives, and the past full and rewarding. When you raise kids, there are no guarantees. melted away. It had been years since We were blessed beyond measure with three daughters. All three we had talked to each other, much great kids, who made good decisions (as far as we know and want less seen each other. I never saw it to know), and have had great success in our society. Joya became coming. But by the grace of God, he an OB/GYN MD who now practices in Grand Rapids, Michigan. brought her back to me. Back to Caly is a publicist in Los Angeles for ABC/Disney television group. Oklahoma, 11 years later. I was lucky. Macy is running the Bank of Oklahoma ACT program for college It was at a Fourth of July event at a recruits in Tulsa. When your children sit in your lap as toddlers and friend’s house that I let myself dream as you’re rocking them to sleep, you wonder where they will end again. Lisa was there and once up some day. You ponder what careers are in store for them. You again, so was I. Our friend’s swear to dream for them. You hope. I remember doing this as their eyes this day that it wasn’t a set-up. It was, slowly closed to sleep. It was then I recognized special again. and I am forever grateful. That very same night I went with a good It was finally our time, just the two of us. Don’t get me wrong, buddy of mine to another Fourth of July party to watch fireworks. I we love our kids. We cannot express the joy we have from just had remarked on how much I liked that house and would love to spending time with our girls. It only took them until their midlive there. That house is the same house that Lisa and I raised our 20s to figure out that mom and dad are actually pretty cool. We kids and lived in for the past 26 have fun together, as it should years. It was meant to be. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, be. We love living life with our for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will kids. But it was now time for hold you up with my victorious right hand. Lisa and I to enjoy being 60

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IN MEMORY heard Lisa ask “why me?” I have never heard her say “poor me.” My wife is tough, but most importantly she has dedicated herself to showing others who our source of strength is from — Jesus Christ our Lord. Lisa is the one that brings treats every week to the nurses that take part in someone else’s battle with cancer. She is the one that has gift cards for the nurses that give her the best of care during long hospital stays. She is the one that smiles and makes others feel hope while receiving chemotherapy. She is still the one that can make me smile through all of this. She is still the one…. And so the fight goes on. We have been blessed by nonstop never-ending prayer for healing. We are grateful for the many God has put in our path to offer prayer, love, and hope. Some are family and friends, some we have never met before until now. We remain hopeful. For we always have hope with God. We share this story as a witness to His goodness and holiness. We share our story to honor our Lord. ~~~ When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. — Isaiah 43:2

together. Whether it is date nights, cooking at home together, being with friends, or traveling the world, we have a good time. We love the beach and we love the ocean. We love the pace of the big cities and the culinary cuisine to explore. We are enjoying life. We are enjoying each other. We were both raised in Christian homes. We both gave our lives to Jesus at a moderately young age. Lisa and I have always believed and trusted in our maker. Not to say that we haven’t made our share of poor choices and decisions in our lives, but we always knew where to go to ask for forgiveness. We know what we believe to be the truth. God is real. Life can be great and life can be hard. It can change in a single breath. It changed for us on June 5th, 2017. Lisa had noticed that a portion of her abdomen had become uncomfortable and rather hard. She had a routine yearly physical with her physician and told her about her concern. She was scheduled immediately for a cat scan the next day. You never can prepare for the worst. It comes unbridled with nothing to soften the blow. You feel the kick in the gut and it spreads throughout your body. Then you become numb and realize the circumstance. It’s cancer. Within a few minutes we had already made two huge decisions. One, God would be our rock and it would be our Lord that walks us through the fire. We knew through scripture that He would not leave us nor forsake us. We wanted God to be glorified. Secondly, we were in this together. We would be honest with each other and tell each other how we felt throughout the course. Hand-in-hand, we would follow His footsteps with faithfulness and trust. We would do this together. We have always been aware that life can happen to anybody at any time. We were never promised that we would be without trials and tribulations. We were never told that life would be devoid of hurt. It has been a long and painful journey. I have never FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

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TRIBUTE

Joe Slack Former BPD Officer Left Behind A Legacy of Trust & Love by Tim Hudson On January 7, the communities of Nowata and Bartlesville lost a great supporter, as former Law Enforcement Officer Daniel Joseph “Joe” Slack passed away following a heart attack. “He truly cared about people and they trusted him, and he always came through for them” said City of Bartlesville Chief Communications Officer and former Police Officer Kelli Williams. “The community has lost a great man, and we have lost a great friend.” Joe was born February 28, 1945, in Nowata, and graduated from Nowata High School before attending Connors State College. He worked at Phillips Petroleum for a time before becoming a Bartlesville Police Department Reserve Officer after years of being interested in law enforcement.

Joe with his and wife Becky’s chihuahua, Puddin’.

“He really liked his job” said former Washington County Sheriff Pat Ballard. “There are people who do their job and show up for work, and then there are people that love their job and are dedicated like Joe.”

Over the years, he became a good friend and he was always there,” he said. “Everybody needs a guy like Joe in their life. When you have a flat, or run out of gas, or need help with a horse, you know you could call him and if he was within reach at all he’d be there.

Ballard said that he was Joe’s Supervisor for many years. “I thought the world of Joe; you could definitely trust him. If you needed help all you had to do was call him” he said.

For over 20 years, Joe and his wife, Becky, rescued, adopted, and fostered Chihuahuas.

According to his obituary, in June 1979, Joe joined the BPD as a patrol officer and eventually retired on July 31, 2004. He was a Critical Incident Response Team member, BPD diver, law enforcement driver training instructor, and firearms instructor. In his retirement, Joe continued his firearms qualifications for area law enforcement and taught many people firearms safety and training.

“When people think of Joe as a police officer they’d never dream he had several Chihuahuas in his recliner in the evenings,” Becky said. “Joe was the love of my life. He was my rock. He taught me so much about being a police officer. He also taught me how to love the rural lifestyle. Working on the family farm was Joe’s favorite thing to do. I still can’t believe he is gone.”

According to Dr. David Caughell, Joe was very reliable as a friend. “I’ve known Joe a long time, I knew his dad when I was first looking for a place to practice and I met Joe through him.

Williams concurs, saying that Joe had amazing communication skills. “Joe had an amazing ability to connect with people in a way that was truly unique. I worked with him for many years, and I would marvel at the way he would roll up on a call and completely change things for the better just by getting out of his car,” she said. “Well, it seemed that way, but really it was because of all the years before that he had spent getting to know the people on his beat, listening to them, helping them, and believing in them.” According to Becky, Joe was thanked often by citizens, even those he arrested. “Those people would tell him that his action turned their lives around” she said. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Washington County SPCA, at 16620 OK-123 Dewey, OK 74029 or ARF in Bartlesville, at 399519 US-60 Bartlesville, OK 74006. FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

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A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

Fresh Meandering Scars by Brent Taylor with a strange angst, a numbness. I write this while Karen is in surgery in between texting updates to family and friends. The hospital phone next to me rings and it’s the operating room nurse telling me that all is well so far. Afterwards, the surgeon tells us that she has a beautiful anatomy and very little fat to impede their view as they work to remove the house within which all three of our children were formed. Because there is little fat, there are few lymph nodes to take out for testing. And now we wait.

If you were to sum up love in a pithy cliche, what would it be? Love is a many splendored thing? (Perhaps if you are William Holden.) Love means never having to say you are sorry? (If this is true, I’ve never loved.) Love hurts? (If you like Nazareth and mullets and dysfunction.) Maybe cliches are for one night stands, but real love seems to endure. Karen and I have been married for thirty-seven years. The sheer passage of time together is something to be proud of. Is it love or simply endurance? When Karen and I met, we had a few things in common. Thirty-seven years later, we sing out loud with a song on the radio, starting mid-song on the same word without prompting. We were not always in sync. Karen says I was awkward, like these two boys talking as they gazed through a fence at some girls playing. After agreeing that they were pretty, one boy asked the other, “Whaddya wanna do?” The second boy replied, “Let’s throw rocks at ‘em!” This was generally my way of courtship through my teens. Slowly though, I came to express love through other means. For instance, I played basketball with my wife-to-be on the day we met. Since she was recovering from ACL knee surgery, I was able to beat her soundly. But, she got better and the games became more competitive. Our 37th year together has been a stormy one. Karen and I took turns driving each other to the hospital for pre-op and surgeries. Surgeries began long ago for her. She is strong and tough as nails. It was only a few days after we met that she showed me the scar that transects her knee vertically with a graceful wave. I thought it was hideous at first but now I love it. It’s kind of beautiful. Like a meandering lane in the Scottish Highlands. It is 4:30 am and we are driving to the hospital, again, and I tell her, in sickness and in health and she nods yes. My bride came with a scar so I thought I understood in sickness and in health. I did not. This surgery is different. Our surgeon is an oncologist. Before it was bones and ligaments. Now it’s lymph nodes and CT scans and robotics. We face this

The storms of love have taught us the deeper meaning beyond those cliches about love. And yet, Karen loves storms. We relax on the backyard deck and watch a towering wall cloud spin. We watch this like it is cinema, a lightning show, children seeing fireworks for the first time. We watch the cumulonimbus seemingly hovering over our pond, and yet it is fifty miles to our east. What is it about this vortex of unchained clouds and lightning and beautiful instability that reminds me so much of life? We talk of the reverent and the irreverent, all at once… and we realize in that moment of awe, that we are right where we want to be, together and still in love. Everyone expresses love in their own way. I am continually frustrated however, in my inability to express love verbally. Mostly, my attempts sound like my brother-in-law toasting his new bride at their wedding reception. “Debbie, I love you as much as my dog Toby.” But, there are those who express love in words that really are lovely and romantic: “If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.” Jane Austen, Emma “He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.” Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina But let me close with words by G. Keillor because it reminds me not only of a summer night with my love, but of so many other moments that I could never have anticipated 37 years ago: A summer night, and you, and paradise, So lovely and so full of grace, Above your head, the universe has hung its lights, And I reach out my hand to touch your face. I believe that all that is essential is unseen, And for this lifetime I believe in you. All of the lovers and the love they made: Nothing that was between them was a mistake. All that is done for love’s sake, Is not wasted and will never fade. O love that shines from every star, Love reflected in the silver moon: It is not here, but it’s not far. Not yet, but it will be here soon. Garrison Keillor FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

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UNMISSABLE EVENTS

Shamrock the Ville Popular Downtown Fundraiser Vital to CC-MMO by Lori Just Greens means go, and so will the runners and walkers at this year’s Shamrock the Ville on Saturday, March 5. This chip-timed 5K, certified by USATF, winds through historic downtown Bartlesville and benefits Catholic Charities Mary Martha Outreach (CCMMO), a non-profit that provides necessary items to those in need. “We are a little ‘extra’ when it comes to fun!” said Misty Wishall, CC-MMO director. “The costumes never disappoint. We love seeing the families gather, hearing the bagpipes play, and enjoying an all-around fun-filled event in downtown Bartlesville.” Awards are given to the top three racers according to their age and gender, including youth, overall male and female, and best costume. While technically a competition, runners are encouraged to have as much fun as they can and go at their own pace with costumes highly encouraged. Established over a

decade ago, this event has gained popularity for its entertaining nature. “Our 5K race is definitely a fun event, but what we like for people to realize is the purpose behind it,” said Wishall. “They are not only enjoying themselves, their family, and friends, but they are giving back. They are helping us continue with our mission. It’s a win-win!” Services at CC-MMO include a food pantry, clothing center, and crisis response. They also provide diapers and haircuts to anyone who needs them. This fundraiser is vital in providing sustainability to their mission and to this community. “This is our only big fundraiser every year,” said Wishall. “Your contribution goes a long way toward providing food, clothing, and household items for your neighbors in need. Wal-Mart Distribution Center also partners to donate food to give to local families and 60 other agencies in surrounding counties.” Avoid the line on race day by attending the pre-party and packet pick-up at the CC-MMO Warehouse (1845 W 4th) on Thursday, March 3rd. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, with the race starting at 9 a.m. For the non-runners, there are still ways to participate in the merriment. Walkers are encouraged to participate, as well. There is a one-mile fun run starting shortly after the race starts. You can cheer from the couch or opt to volunteer. “Our race committee, employees, and volunteers pour so much time and effort into this to make sure it’s a success, and that success is putting food on tables, clothing where it’s needed, and providing a little extra love to our crisis victims,” Wishall said. Race registration is now open on shamrocktheville.com. The race will be held as scheduled, rain or shine.

FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

A FEW OBSERVATIONS

by Jay Webster Normally in February I’d use this column to talk about love or the unreasonable demands of Valentine’s Day during hibernation season and Black History month. I’d say something funny, like it’s hard to feel sexy when your skin hasn’t seen daylight in three months and every pair of underwear you own looks like a thong because you’re still packing that Christmas weight on both cheeks. By the way, here’s some chocolates and soon-to-be-dead flowers. Love you.

(apparently even to dying). We used to hedge bets on when he would arrive at our house on any given visit. If you agreed on 8 a.m., you could count on him at 7 a.m. We joked that he likely got to Heaven before the gates were open on Christmas ... just to beat the holiday crowd.

African Bishop Desmond Tutu also died Christmas Day. I imagine the two of them filling out their paperwork and going through orientation at the same time. Dad would likely ask too many quesThat would be funny, but this year I’m going to do something tions about the schedule, the Heavenly Homeowners Association different. You see, very early Christ(HHA), and angel flight patterns; mas morning my Dad died of an and Tutu would laugh gleefully and But now I see so many with a sorta reckless abanunexpected heart attack. I say it say how much he “really likes this donment when it comes to what and how much was unexpected, but the truth is my guy.” And then my Dad would ask they eat. I know how hard it is, but I wonder how Dad was early to EVERYTHING David George (Nurse Susan Dunklemany of us are trading years for calories. 68

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A FEW OBSERVATIONS berger’s Dad) where he could get a diet Coke ... since he got there two days before my Dad did.

My Dad did a lot to make people miss him before he went to meet Bishop TuTu. He left his relationships better. He mended fences, gave graces, and his gentleness encouraged you to give him the same. He let his beliefs and faith influence his responses and choices, instead of just letting them be a ritual. The end result was he left with things in a good place.

I sat with my Mom and brothers as they went through the “Checklist” at the funeral home. Every line was punctuated with a dollar sign. Remember the term “dirt cheap”? That’s not accurate anymore, just ask the cemetery. Six feet of dirt can kill ya.

In the days and weeks that followed losing Dad, I was left with a number of observations about death. I thought maybe we could talk about a few of them. (Wow, that does sound fun in the bleak midwinter.)

My first observation is that for most of us when someone dies, you get about an hour. One hour (or less) to be shocked, dismayed, hurt, or whatever other flood of emotions might come; and then you have to get on with the “business of death”. There are people to call and notify, choices to make about organ donations and funeral homes, paperwork to sign, and parking to validate. That business is rudely pressing and mercifully distracting. As a result, your mourning tends to leak out over the subsequent days and weeks and months. All in all, that’s probably helpful. Second, losing a parent puts you in a very big club - like it or not. I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and sympathy following the news of my Dad’s passing. And rampant in those messages were those who joined the club before me, many of whose forced enrollment came with eerily similar details: suddenly on a holiday at an age way too young for all involved.

That led me to this observation — none of us know what this day will bring. So if you’ve got business to take care of, do it. Who needs to know that you love them, that you’ve forgiven them or want their forgiveness? Who needs to know that you care for them over politics or religion, over right vs wrong, over catsup vs mustard? Don’t assume they know. That’s cruel and cowardly. Make it clear. One of the highlights of the funeral weekend was the great family reunion that occurred. All eight of my Mom’s siblings and all three of my Dad’s sisters were there. It was wonderful to hug and kiss each one of them along with cousins and friends. Death prioritizes your life. Suddenly headlines and political parties and divides don’t matter. And in light of that, maybe we shouldn’t care about them like we do. You can’t take it with you — so maybe just leave it alone. It all feels so trivial in this moment. I guarantee none of it’s on Dad’s mind anymore.

My last observation, I think, is I observed that losing someone Death prioritizes your life. Suddenly headlines and that I can’t actually afford to die. I (like most experiences in life) is all political parties and divides don’t matter. And in mean literally. I sat with my Mom about the stories (new and old). light of that, maybe we shouldn’t care about them and brothers as they went through There’s the story of my Dad smiling like we do. You can’t take it with you — so maybe the “Checklist” at the funeral home. and winking at my Mom before he just leave it alone. Every line was punctuated with a was loaded into the ambulance … dollar sign. Remember the term “dirt cheap?” That’s not accurate where he later died on the way to the hospital. Then there were anymore, just ask the cemetery. Six feet of dirt can kill ya. all the stories from his three sons about growing up “under” Dad. I know this stuff can be a little heavy for February. Thanks for The stories were so thick and funny that it made it difficult to letting me leave it here. I like it that my Dad’s lasting legacy is that actually make the arrangements for Dad’s service while we sat in we should all take care of our business while we still can. Don’t the funeral home. (I’m sure the staff were as amused as we were.) wait. Don’t let things go unsaid. Since my Dad’s death, I’ve taken an increased interest in my I love you. There I said it. own health. I’ve lived an incredibly fortunate life when it comes to health. Until two years ago, I’d never even had a broken bone. OK. I’ll see you next month my friends. I’ve had no life-altering sickness (outside of a bout with high cholesterol, which has estranged me from red meat). But now I see so many with a sorta reckless abandonment when it comes to what and how much they eat. I know how hard it is, but I wonder how many of us are trading years for calories. So as much as your health is in your hands, do what you can. Drop the pounds, take the walk, and get the check-ups. Let the sugar, cigarettes, and carbs go. Over that last week in December leading up to the funeral, I thought how wonderful it is to live your life in such a way that people will miss you when you’re gone. Sure, when you die your friends and family are going to canonize you — they’ll talk about the good and not so much the bad. But I want to inspire my daughter (and be hard to replace for my wife … should I go first … which she’s certain I will. And that’s unsettling, like she’s making plans — sorta like when she introduces me as her “first husband” now at parties).

FEBRUARY 2022 | bmonthly

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LET FREEDOM RING

Tuskegee Airmen Heroes’ Legacy Remembered by Jay Hastings

During World War I, African-Americans were not allowed to serve as pilots in the U.S. military. Eugene Bullard, himself an African-American, consequently chose to serve in the French Air Service during the war because he was not allowed to serve in an American unit. Such racially-motivated rejections sparked more than two decades of advocacy by African-Americans who wanted to train and serve as military aviators. Eventually, civil rights advocates like Walter White of the NAACP, union leader A. Phillip Randolph, and Judge William H. Hastie lead an effort to change the military. Then, having passed through Congress as an appropriations bill, on April 3, 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved Public Law 18 designating funds for the training of African-American pilots and aviation supports. Due to the restrictive nature of selection policies, the situation did not seem promising for African-Americans since in 1940 the U.S. Census Bureau reported there were only 124 AfricanAmerican pilots in the nation. However, the exclusionary policies failed dramatically when the Air Corps received an abundance of applications from men who were qualified even under the restrictive requirements. As it turned out, many of the applicants had already participated in the Civilian Pilot Training Program held at Tuskegee University. War Department tradition and policy mandated the segregation of African-Americans into separate military units staffed by white officers. Suddenly, the new funding for aviation training created opportunities for pilot cadets in numbers that diminished the rosters of these older units. Under rising pressure, the War Department and the Army Air Corps constituted the first all-black flying unit and on March 22, 1941, the 99th Pursuit Squadron was activated - without pilots - at Chanute Field in Rantoul, Illinois.

Tuskegee Army Air Field which was similar to already-existing airfields reserved for training white pilots. The 99th Pursuit Squadron was finally considered ready for combat duty in April 1943. It shipped out of Tuskegee on April 2nd bound for North Africa and flew its first combat mission two months later on June 2, 1943. The first mission, code name Operation Corkscrew, was to attack the small volcanic island of Pantelleria in the Mediterranean Sea, to clear the sea lanes for the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943. Between 1941 and 1946, 992 pilots were trained at Tuskegee. Three hundred and fifty-five were deployed overseas, and 84 lost their lives. Of note, the Tuskegee “Airmen” included not only pilots, but radio and control tower operators, navigators, dispatchers, meteorologists, medical personnel, and more. Undoubtedly, the group included some of the best in the U.S. Army Air Forces due to a combination of pre-war experience and the personal drive of those accepted for training. Nevertheless, the Tuskegee Airmen continued to fight racism beyond the war. Their combat record did much to quiet those directly involved with the group, but other units continued to harass them. Efforts have since been given to right the wrongs directed toward the Tuskegee Airmen, those in-air and on-land heroes. On March 29, 2007, President George W. Bush presented the Congressional Gold Medal to approximately 300 surviving Tuskegee Airman or their widows. Moreover, the airfield in Alabama where the airmen trained is now the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site and is a part of the National Park Service, preserving their legacy and offering a unique learning experience for all who visit.

In June 1941, the 99th Pursuit Squadron was transferred to Tuskegee, Alabama, as the only Black flying unit in the country, but still did not yet have pilots. On July 19, 1941, 13 individuals made up the first class of aviation cadets and entered Preflight Training at the Tuskegee Institute. Eventually, they were moved to the nearby

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