Images Muskogee, OK: 2009

2009 | imagesmuskogee.com | video vignettes TM

of muskogee, oklahoma

Resounding Success Local venues overflow with live music options

Giving as an art form Business leaders prioritize philanthropy

Age of Enlightenment Young leaders abound, including our mayor sponsored by the Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce

Muskogee Oklahoma Muskogee’s cost of living is the sixth lowest in the state.

Muskogee is the regional retail hub.

Muskogee is home to the youngest mayor in United States history.

Chamber President and CEO was named Executive of the Year by the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce Executives.

Visitor information is available 24-hours a day in seven locations around Muskogee.

Muskogee was voted “Best Host City” by the Hemmings Challenge Vintage Car Rally.

One of the state’s largest manufacturing cities.

Muskogee is the home of a castle, a submarine, the Azalea Festival and the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.

Home of the Port of Muskogee.

VISITOR & BUSINESS INFORMATION

Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism

Muskogee Chamber of Commerce & Tourism 310 W. Broadway • P.O. Box 797 Muskogee, OK 74402 (918) 682-2401 • Toll-free: (866) 381-6543 www.muskogeechamber.org

Proud to be Okie

Livin’ Right and Bei CITY INFORMATION City of Muskogee 229 W. Okmulgee • P.O. Box 1927 Muskogee, OK 74402 (918) 682-6602 www.cityofmuskogee.com

Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism www.muskogeechamber.org

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Muskogee Development 216 W. Okmulgee Ave. Muskogee, OK 74401 (918) 683-2816 www.muskogeedevelopment.org

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WEB SITE EXTRA

MOVING PICTURES VIDEO 1 INSIDE LOOK Join us on a virtual tour of Muskogee through the lenses of our award-winning photographers at imagesmuskogee.com.

VIDEO 2 OKLAHOMA MUSIC HALL OF FAME Enjoy this tour of the new Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and Museum and a live performance by artist Colton Swon at imagesmuskogee.com.

VIDEO 3 GRIFFIN FOOD CO. Learn about one of Muskogee’s sweetest successes, the longtime family business Griffin Food Co., at imagesmuskogee.com.

PLUS SEARCH OUR ARCHIVES Browse past content by section or search for specific articles by subject.

INSTANT LINKS Read the entire magazine online using our ActiveMagazine™ technology and link instantly to community businesses and services.

EVEN MORE Read full-length versions of the magazine’s articles; find related stories; or read new content exclusive to the Web. Look for the See More Online reference in this issue.

DISTINCT REGIONS, DIVERSE FLORA Oklahoma‚ the only state that has more than ten eco regions‚ has always had a diverse natural environment.

We are a land of magnificent forests‚ mountains‚ lakes and rivers. Find out more at imagesmuskogee.com.

SENIOR EDITOR LISA BATTLES COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS ASSOCIATE EDITOR JESSY YANCEY ONLINE CONTENT MANAGER MATT BIGELOW STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DANNY BONVISSUTO, PAMELA COYLE, KIMBERLY DALY, REBECCA DENTON, SHARON H. FITZGERALD, DAN MARKHAM, JOE MORRIS, JESSICA MOZO, KATHRYN ROYSTER DATABASE PROJECT MANAGER YANCEY TURTURICE DATA MANAGER RANETTA SMITH REGIONAL SALES MANAGER CHARLES FITZGIBBON INTEGRATED MEDIA MANAGER COLIN WRIGHT SALES SUPPORT MANAGER SARA SARTIN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER BRIAN M CCORD STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS JEFF ADKINS, TODD BENNETT, ANTONY BOSHIER, IAN CURCIO, J. KYLE KEENER PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT ANNE WHITLOW CREATIVE DIRECTOR KEITH HARRIS WEB DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR BRIAN SMITH PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NATASHA LORENS ASST. PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRISTINA CARDEN PRE-PRESS COORDINATOR HAZEL RISNER PRODUCTION PROJECT MANAGERS MELISSA BRACEWELL, KATIE MIDDENDORF, JILL WYATT SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LAURA GALLAGHER, KRIS SEXTON, CANDICE SWEET, VIKKI WILLIAMS GRAPHIC DESIGN ERICA HINES, ALISON HUNTER, JESSICA MANNER, JANINE MARYLAND, AMY NELSON, MARCUS SNYDER WEB PROJECT MANAGERS ANDY HARTLEY, YAMEL RUIZ WEB DESIGN RYAN DUNLAP, CARL SCHULZ COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN TWILA ALLEN AD TRAFFIC MARCIA BANASIK, SARAH MILLER, PATRICIA MOISAN, RAVEN PETTY

CHAIRMAN GREG THURMAN PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BOB SCHWARTZMAN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RAY LANGEN SR. V.P./CLIENT DEVELOPMENT JEFF HEEFNER SR. V.P./SALES CARLA H. THURMAN SR. V.P./OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER V.P./SALES HERB HARPER V.P./SALES TODD POTTER V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER V.P./TRAVEL PUBLISHING SYBIL STEWART V.P./EDITORIAL DIRECTOR TEREE CARUTHERS MANAGING EDITORS/BUSINESS MAURICE FLIESS, BILL McMEEKIN MANAGING EDITOR/COMMUNITY KIM MADLOM MANAGING EDITOR/CUSTOM KIM NEWSOM MANAGING EDITOR/TRAVEL SUSAN CHAPPELL PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY, RICHIE FITZPATRICK, DIANA GUZMAN, MARIA McFARLAND, LISA OWENS RECRUITING/TRAINING DIRECTOR SUZY WALDRIP COMMUNITY PROMOTION DIRECTOR CINDY COMPERRY DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH IT SYSTEMS DIRECTOR MATT LOCKE IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE CUSTOM/TRAVEL SALES SUPPORT RACHAEL GOLDSBERRY SALES/MARKETING COORDINATOR RACHEL MATHEIS SALES COORDINATOR JENNIFER ALEXANDER EXECUTIVE SECRETARY/SALES SUPPORT KRISTY DUNCAN OFFICE MANAGER SHELLY GRISSOM RECEPTIONIST LINDA BISHOP

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FROM AMISH FOOD TO BARBECUE Muskogee offers an eclectic mix of dining options. Barbecue and Tex-Mex fare are popular in this region‚ but you’ll also find steakhouses‚ ethnic eateries and more. Get a taste of regional cuisine at imagesmuskogee.com.

A B O U T T H I S M AG A Z I N E Images of Muskogee is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is sponsored by the Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce. In print and online, Images gives readers a taste of what makes Muskogee tick – from business and education to sports, health care and the arts.

“Find the good – and praise it.”

– Alex Haley (1921-1992), Journal Communications co-founder

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Images of Muskogee is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce and its member businesses.

For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by e-mail at info@jnlcom.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce 310 West Broadway • Muskogee, OK 74401 Phone: (918) 682-2401 • Fax: (918) 682-2403 www.muskogeechamber.org VISIT IMAGES OF MUSKOGEE ONLINE AT IMAGESMUSKOGEE.COM ©Copyright 2008 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved.

No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

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OF MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA

20 CO NTE NT S F E AT U R E S 8 RESOUNDING SUCCESS From the theater productions to live performances on stages large and small, this place is all about music.

12 FROM SCRATCH Ribs, steamed okra, peach cobbler – the National Soul Food Cook-Off puts these, plus family values, on the front burner.

MUSKOGEE BUSINESS 30 Giving As An Art Form Business leaders here make giving back to the community a top priority.

34 Biz Briefs 37 Chamber Report 38 Economic Profile

D E PA R TM E NT S 4 Almanac: a colorful sampling

16 CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION Festivals here showcase everything from flowers and film to chili and chivalry.

20 AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT Young leaders can be found here from the city’s top political office and down.

45 TRIBAL TRIBUTE American Indian art collections make a massive cultural contribution here, conveying history in compelling ways.

ON THE COVER Photo by Ian Curcio Past and Present, Future Bound at Spaulding Park by artist Denise Rinkovsky

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of Muskogee culture

25 Portfolio: people, places and events that define Muskogee

40 Image Gallery 47 Education 49 Sports & Recreation 51 Health & Wellness 55 Community Profile: facts, stats and important numbers to know

This magazine is printed entirely or in part on recycled paper containing 10% post-consumer waste.

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE

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Almanac

Okie on the Moon Merle Haggard’s hit single Okie from Muskogee rocketed up the music charts in 1970. Two years later, it was rocketed into space.

Haggard and his band’s drummer, Roy Edward Burris, penned the song that remained atop the country music hits list for four weeks in 1970. It also was named the top single of the year by both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association.

Meanwhile, astronaut Charles Duke, the 10th person to walk on the moon, took a cassette of the song along with him aboard the 1972 Apollo 16 mission. Duke liked the song so much that he left the cassette on the surface of the moon while there.

Mmmm … Thin Mints Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies? Muskogee’s Mistletoe Troop first uttered those words in 1917, and to mark that event, the city is now home to a bronze statue of a cookie-selling scout. The sculpture honors Muskogee as the first place where the famed sugar cookie and other cookies were sold as a fundraising effort for the organization.

By the way, Muskogee Scouts have long belonged to the 14-county Magic Empire Council of the Girl Scouts of the USA, but that name was changed in 2008 to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma.

More Help for Vets Atten-hut. Muskogee is the only city its size to have a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office, and now it has expanded.

In 2008, the office added a national call center to help answer questions that veterans might have. With the addition of the call center and its 110 workers, the Veterans Affairs Regional Office now has a workforce of 750 employees.

The call center was added primarily to assist veterans with any questions about their health benefits. It occupies a 24,000-square-foot space in a remodeled grocery store near East Side Boulevard and East Okmulgee Avenue.

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Way To Go, Sue Yet another incentive to join the Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce, if you haven’t done so already: The organization has the top chamber executive in the state at the helm, according to the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce Executives Association.

The group named the chamber’s president, Sue Harris, Executive of the Year for 2007.

Harris has been with the Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce since 2002. She received the Executive of the Year honor at the OCCE’s annual meeting in Oklahoma City.

Harris was recognized by the OCCE for building a stronger relationship between the chamber and the city of Muskogee, as well as growing the chamber membership and chamber staff.

Main Attraction In February 2008, Muskogee was one of two cities to be selected as Main Street communities by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

That means that Downtown Muskogee Inc. will receive assistance from the state organization for downtown economic development and historic preservation projects. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce points out that Muskogee was chosen because it is rich in historic homes, is a river port and has convenient access to highways.

Muskogee is also a shopping hub for smaller surrounding towns, and the city is easy to navigate.

Fast Facts Q Muskogee is nicknamed the “Indian Capital” because it served as the unofficial capital of the Indian Territory.

Q History buffs can enjoy a day at the Fort Gibson Historical Site, which is a registered National Historic Landmark.

Q Muskogee is home to Oklahoma School for the Blind, established in 1897 and brought into the state school system in 1907.

Q The Muskogee area has five lakes: Eufaula, Fort Gibson, Greenleaf, Robert S. Kerr and Tenkiller.

Q Oklahoma’s first female Congressperson was Mary Alice Robertson, who hailed from Muskogee and served from 1921 to 1923.

Q The Outlaw Motor Speedway is one of the largest dirt tracks in the state, with a three-eighth-mile track used for stock car racing.

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Almanac

City Races Bring New Faces The local election in May 2008 brought some new faces to Muskogee’s city government.

First of all, the new mayor of Muskogee is John Tyler Hammons, and the election also yielded two new councilmen. They are Jackie Luckey representing Ward IV, and Shawn Raper of Ward II. In addition, Greg Buckley assumed the post of city manager in February 2008.

Talking Trash Environmental consciousness is growing in Muskogee.

In 2008, the city’s recycling center expanded in order to accommodate more types of materials. The center can now recycle aluminum cans and metal, cardboard, copy paper, plastic bottles, newspapers, junk mail, paperboard, phone books and glass.

City officials hope to add food-grade oils to the list of recyclables in the near future.

The center is at the northwest corner of Main and Iola streets.

Muskogee | At A Glance POPULATION (2007 ESTIMATE) Muskogee: 40,015 Within a 30-minute drive: 230,000 LOCATION Muskogee is in northeastern Oklahoma, about 50 miles southeast of Tulsa and 30 miles west of the Oklahoma-Arkansas state line.

BEGINNINGS Muskogee traces its origins back to 1872 when the Missouri-Kansas & Texas Railroad became the first rail line to cross Indian Territory. The town was named for the Muscogee Creek tribe that long inhabited the area.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Greater Muscogee Area Chamber of Commerce 310 West Broadway P.O. Box 797 Muskogee, OK 74402-0797 Phone: (918) 682-2401 Fax: (918) 682-2403 www.muskogeechamber.org

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WATCH MORE ONLINE | Take a virtual tour of Muskogee at imagesmuskogee.com, 2 courtesy of our award-winning photographers.

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Resounding

Success CITY OVERFLOWS WITH LIVE MUSIC STORY BY PAMELA COYLE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN CURCIO

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uskogee is all about music.

Every musical the Muskogee Little Theatre produces sells out. Max’s Garage downtown books live shows three or four nights a week. The historic Roxy Theatre and the Muskogee Civic Center provide bigger venues.

The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame & Museum offers performances in its renovated Frisco Depot. The city sponsors a symphony concert in Honor

Heights Park every summer and launched Bluegrass on the Square in the summer of 2008.

Joel Everett, Muskogee’s special events coordinator, said Bluegrass on the Square started with a caveat that if folks liked it, the city would do more. A second show was scheduled two weeks after the first. It’s free, outside in front of the civic center, and billed as “the best of regional, bluegrass, ‘newgrass,’ gospel and traditional acoustic music.”

Springstreet, a local bluegrass band, approached the city with the idea.

“We may take it into the winter and take it inside,” Everett says. “We are really putting it on the street and seeing how people respond. The bands like that.”

The Roxy Theatre, a renovated postWorld War II movie palace, is now home to musicals, festivals and concerts.

Every third Saturday it offers a “Spotlight” show, with live music by up to a dozen or so performers. Tickets are usually $5;

A guitar once owned and autographed by Merle Haggard highlights a collection of memorabilia on display at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame & Museum. Left: The Roxy Theatre frequently serves as a venue for live music events.

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doors open at 6 p.m., the show starts at 7 p.m. and ends when it ends.

Musician Jim Blair relocated to Muskogee from Nashville about 10 years ago. He’s part owner of Max’s Garage and finds more opportunities to play now than he did in Nashville.

City Moon, his country band, has toured Germany. Blair will play mandolin with bluegrass one night, then guitar with some Prince and Bob Marley hits the next.

“It’s a great place to play music,” Blair says.

The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame & Museum already is a must-see – it’s got some cool new interactive elements, such as a touch screen that tells the stories and plays the songs of musicians who hail from the state. Residents and visitors alike can expect more live music there, too. The Frisco Depot concert space, which opened early in 2008, seats 430 people and the Hall of Fame is

planning a youth music camp for 2009, says executive director Beth Seim.

The “Almost Famous” tour, featuring “American Idol” contestants that included local Colton Swon, sold out.

“We easily could have sold 100 more tickets,” Seim says. “We were thrilled.”

The city sponsors Symphony in the Park every year, and this year more than 1,500 people packed Honor Heights Park for the Muskogee Community Band.

The event at times has brought in traveling symphonies, but the homegrown talent is likely to be a new tradition, Everett says.

“They filled it up,” he says of the community band.

Muskogee Little Theatre’s musicals get so filled up, the group often adds shows, especially during peak tourist times, president Coni Wetz says.

“I don’t know what it is about Muskogee, but the talent pool here is the envy of other community theaters around

the state,” she says.

The troupe does a big production number in April, such as Oklahoma in 2007 and Sondheim’s Into the Woods in 2008, and productions a little less known in August.

“We have some of the most incredibly talented musicians and singers in the state,” Wetz says.

Visitors unaware of Muskogee’s standing and history – it was a major jazz hub in the 1920s – wouldn’t stay that way for long. Bright, eight-foot-high guitars decorate the city, a public art project to mark Oklahoma’s centennial in 2007.

WATCH MORE ONLINE | Tour the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame & Museum at imagesmuskogee.com.

Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame & Museum houses the original prototype for the guitars placed around Muskogee.

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WATCH MORE ONLINE | Experience an exclusive live acoustic performance by Colton Swon at imagesmuskogee.com.

Music-Fed and Muskogee-Bred SWON BROTHERS ARE ON A ROLL

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Siblings and musicians Zach and Colton Swon

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hen Kelly and Tammy Swon took their Southern Gospel group on the road, it was a family endeavor, with young sons Colton and Zach also aboard the bus.

“We grew up singing with them,” Colton Swon says.

That early exposure served the Swons well.

The lads from Muskogee started performing as a duo when Zach was 12 and Colton was 9.

Today, the Swon Brothers are on a roll.

Colton, now 20, was a top 50 contestant for the 2008 season of American Idol. Zach, now 23, runs a busy recording studio in Muskogee. The Swons are working on a CD of their songs and preparing to relocate to Nashville soon. They appeared earlier in 2008 with the “Almost Famous” tour that featured other Idol contestants.

But the best tour gig was right here at home.

Not surprisingly, the show at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame & Museum sold out.

“It was the best show ever,” Colton says. “It was packed.”

Zach and Colton also work at the hall of fame, giving them access to visiting musicians – and giving visitors access to them.

Executive Director Beth Seim recently organized a little surprise for a group of high school freshmen girls on a leadership tour.

It was just after the “Almost Famous” tour wrapped. Seim told the young women to rush through the doors to the Frisco Depot, screaming like crazy fans.

The group got a private Swon Brothers concert.

“It was awesome,” Seim says. “That’s the kind of thing that occurs here.”

The Swons seem cool with it, too.

“When you are a musician, every day is a vacation,” Colton says.

– Pamela Coyle

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From

Scratch NATIONAL SOUL FOOD COOK-OFF PUTS FAMILY VALUES ON THE FRONT BURNER

READ MORE ONLINE | For selected soul food recipes, visit imagesmuskogee.com.

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ot roast. Turkey and dressing.

Ribs. Macaroni and cheese.

Steamed okra. Pound cake.

Peach cobbler. Hungry? That’s what Cassandra Gaines is counting on.

Muskogee’s multicultural coordinator – who is also the manager of the Roxy Theatre and Muskogee Civic Center – started the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Soul Food Cook-Off four years ago as a community event.

“Anything you do around Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is going to draw attention, but this event brings people back to family values,” Gaines says. “We’re such a fast-food society now, but at the cookoff, people come in and sit down and eat some good home-cooked meals.”

In a world where celebrity chefs are all the rage, the cook-off celebrates the unknown and unsung home cooks –

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Bernice Tharps often cooks up a winner with her smoked pork roast.

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grandmothers, mothers, uncles and cousins whose secret recipes didn’t come from a box mix.

“In my eyes, my mother was the best cook,” Gaines says. “She could throw down on some fried chicken, cornbread, candied yams and homemade mac and cheese. Everything was made from scratch.”

At the event, food isn’t the only throwback: Entrants decorate their booths “back in time,” according to Gaines, who’s seen women dressed in muumuus with cotton stockings and aprons as part of their presentation.

Janet Brown, a revenue manager for the City of Muskogee who has won numerous times for her black-eyed peas and butter cake, turns her booth into a café.

“It’s called the Boomer Blues Café, and I have red-and-white-checkered tablecloths on the tables, sunflowers and a clothesline hanging in the front

with aprons and dishtowels. I even serve my black-eyed peas in little cast-iron crocks.”

The event has been such a local success that Gaines has taken her show on the road, now under the name National Soul Food Cook-Off, and visits cities including Little Rock, Ark., and Jackson, Miss.

In Beaumont, Texas, she crossed paths with Elbert Mackey from Cedar Park, Texas, who saw the ad for the cookoff in the Austin American-Statesman.

Mackey has a keen interest in keeping the culinary traditions of his childhood alive and has spent the last few decades trying to replicate his Aunt Maggie’s recipe for tea cakes.

“The problem with tea cakes is that they’re a plain, simple dessert: five or six ingredients at the most,” Mackey says.

“I think how they were made, and the love that went into it, is a big part of what I loved so much about them.”

Mackey has entered his tea cakes in three National Soul Food Cook-Offs, including Tulsa and Oklahoma City, and is currently working on The Tea Cake Project, which has a Web site, www. teacakeproject.com, devoted to the submission of recipes and remembrances of tea cakes, which he plans to compile into a cookbook.

Gaines pays out up to $5,000 in cash and prizes for each event, and provides four scholarships for a culinary arts education for students in each town where the cook-offs are held. But for many, it’s not about the money – or the 200 people each entrant has to feed – it’s about community.

“I cook up to two days before. It’s a lot, but it’s worth it. It really is,” Brown says. “I’ve met a lot of interesting people and we have a lot of fun. Most people are very supportive and glad if you win, even if they don’t. I can’t wait to start again next year.”

Left: The National Soul Food Cook-0ff celebrates hearty, home-cooked foods like ribs, cornbread and beans.

Above Left: Cassandra Gaines is the mind behind the National Soul Food Cook-Off, as well as the manager of the Roxy Theatre and the Muskogee Civic Center. Above Right: Janet Brown serves black-eyed peas in cast-iron crocks.

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bration FESTIVALS SHOWCASE EVERYTHING FROM FLOWERS AND FILM TO CHILI AND CHIVALRY

Since April 1967, the Azalea Festival has been hailed as Muskogee’s premier event, entertaining more than 300,000 visitors each year.

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STORY BY JESSICA MOZO

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Garage and the Muskogee Civic Center.

In addition to film screenings, festival-goers can attend an opening night reception and an awards gala, where awards are presented for the best screenplay, best documentary, best feature, audience choice and more.

The impressive Castle of Muskogee is another site that plays host to large community events, such as the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival. Now in its 14th year, the event features more than 300 costumed characters, including jugglers, gypsies, knights, magicians, jousters, jesters, musicians and the royal court from medieval Europe. Food vendors, entertainment and more than 80 craft booths round out the fun.

“The Renaissance festival attracted more than 90,000 people in 2008, and it grows about 20 percent every year,” says Jeff Hiller, owner and steward of The Castle of Muskogee. “We draw from a huge area at our Renaissance festival.

We’ve had 47 states represented. People love it because its family oriented and there’s something for all ages. And because when we do something, we do it on a world-class basis.”

In October, residents and visitors alike can enjoy the Fall Harvest Festival at the Muskogee Farmers’ Market, then head over to the castle to witness its transformation into an ominous 60-acre Halloween theme park for the Haunted Castle Halloween Festival.

During the winter, the castle grounds are aglow for Christmas Kingdom, a drive-through experience featuring more than 1,000 holiday inflatables, carriage rides and thousands of Christmas lights.

The American Bus Association named Airblown World Inf latables at the Christmas Kingdom at the Castle one of their top 100 events to visit in 2009.

organize a downtown parade in the middle of the festival when the flowers are at their peak. The Exchange Club hosts a chili and barbecue cook-off the same day as the parade, and there’s a Flower Power Bike Ride and Flower Power 5K Run.” The 120-acre Honor Heights Park also sets the stage for the festive Garden of Lights during the winter holiday season. The one-mile drive-through experience runs from Thanksgiving to New Year’s night.

“It’s very popular and features animated lighted silhouettes,” Wilkerson says. “What makes it unique is that they aren’t traditional Christmas lights – there’s no Santa Claus. Instead, we try to recreate the natural beauty of the garden with lights. We light up the azalea plants, and the lighted figures are of things like kids flying kites and a dog chasing a bone.”

Film enthusiasts flock to Muskogee for the annual Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival in April. The film festival enters its 10th year in 2009 and runs for 11 days at various venues in downtown Muskogee, including the historic Roxy Theatre, the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Max’s

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CASTLE OF MUSKOGEE

here’s no question about it – Muskogee residents love to have fun. So it’s not surprising the city hosts a myriad of festivals and community events throughout the year, celebrating everything from flowers and film to chili and chivalry.

“Muskogee is unique in that we have many successful festivals our citizens are proud to host,” says Treasure McKenzie, tourism director for the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce.

“Festivals play a critical role in increasing tourism in Muskogee because they draw thousands of out-of-town visitors to the area each year. Not only do Muskogee festivals impact tourism, they also enrich the quality of life for our citizens and highlight our community’s diversity.”

One of Muskogee’s biggest annual events is the Azalea Festival at Honor Heights Park in April, which entertains more than 300,000 visitors.

“The Azalea Festival is a month-long event with all kinds of activities. The whole community puts on different activities because so many visitors come to town,” says Mark Wilkerson, director of the Muskogee Parks and Recreation Department. “Honor Heights Park is a showcase of springtime flowers, and we

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The Oklahoma Renaissance Festival draws thousands of people to The Castle of Muskogee.

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Enl ghtenment YOUNG LEADERS ABOUND FROM CITY’S TOP OFFICE DOWN

STORY BY JOE MORRIS PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN CURCIO

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n Muskogee, youth is hardly wasted on the young.

While many cities try in vain to engage their young professionals in civic matters, this is a place where you’ll find them literally from the top, down.

The mayor is only 20 years old, and organizations such as MYPros and Leadership Muskogee keep the young professionals in and around town front and center in community affairs.

As the face of Muskogee, Mayor John Tyler Hammons certainly shows the city’s younger side. After taking office in May 2008, the college sophomore says his governing style is about openness and honesty, but also about the optimism that he and other young people can bring to Muskogee.

“We’ve got to get people involved at a young age, because we’ll be leading the world one day,” Hammons says. “In Muskogee we have a highly skilled, highly motivated and driven younger generation, and they truly want to be involved.

Since my election I’ve spoken to several people under 25 who want to run for city council in the next election. They’re positioning themselves now, and that’s great for our community.

It really shows what a vibrant spirit we have here.”

That enthusiasm is captured by the Muskogee Young Professionals, or MYPros, an offshoot of the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce devoted to providing networking opportunities and other business activities for the area’s up-and-coming business class. Everything from lunches with Leadership Muskogee Class XIII funded the colorful tile pillar art around the Muskogee Civic Center, painted by artist Jeanne Rorex Bridges. Left: Muskogee Mayor John Tyler Hammons, 20, was elected in May 2008.

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hether you seek an evening escape or need a beautiful place to plant for a couple of months, the Graham-Carroll House awaits. Five unique guest rooms on three levels provide the space, serenity and essence of home that can only be found in one location.

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elected officials to a page on the MySpace social network is offered by MYPros, which is constantly looking to expand its membership and offerings, says Brianne Cormier, the organization’s current chair and a case worker in U.S. Rep. Dan Boren’s office.

“When we began two years ago we modeled ourselves on a smaller scale to what other towns have, and the main thing we all have in common is our desire to make Muskogee a better place,” Cormier says.

These days, MYPros is working on growing its membership and also on its various leadership-training activities. So far, the latter has included an informal series of lunches and other gatherings, and the goal now is to tap into as many community resources as possible.

“We are getting more of our people involved in committees around town, because eventually we’re going to be taking care of these things,” Cormier says. “It pays to get involved as early as possible, and be familiar with various activities in town, because the earlier we can help make a positive impact, the more we’ll be able to bring even more young people into town.”

Leaders from throughout the state will converge here as

part of Leadership Oklahoma, which will make its first-ever stop in Muskogee in March 2009. The 22-year-old organization’s annual class has 10 meetings in 10 locations around the state, but had never made it to Muskogee, a situation that Rob Raasch, a Leadership Oklahoma graduate and the CEO of management and communications consulting firm Empower Change Inc., wanted to rectify.

“I graduated from [Leadership Oklahoma] last year, and was upset that we went to all these different communities but never came here,” Raasch says. “My wife is a graduate of Leadership Muskogee, and she suggested that we put together an application and bid for one of the weekends.”

With that bid accepted, Raasch says now’s the chance for Muskogee to strut its stuff on a statewide stage.

“Health care and transportation will be the issues focused on during the Muskogee weekend, and so we’ll be showcasing the [Jack C. Montgomery] VA Medical Center, the Three Rivers Health Center, our hospitals and clinics, and then our highways, the rail system and Davis Air Field. We’ve got a good story to tell on health care and transportation, and this is a great opportunity to do that in front of state officials.”

MYPros members, from left, Melissa McLaughlin, Doris Gruntmeir, Daniel Miller, Sharon Harper and Brianne Cormier represent the youthful energy that is gaining momentum in Muskogee’s civic and community circles.

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“You can’t find these things just anywhere” w w w.m u s ko g e e p a r ks.c o m

Portfolio

Rolling on the River NEW RIVER CENTER AT THREE FORKS HARBOR SHOWCASES AREA’S KEY LIQUID ASSET

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M U S KO G E E

River Center at Three Forks Harbor

IAN CURCIO

ities historically have developed alongside rivers, and Muskogee, located at the convergence of the Arkansas, Verdigris and Grand rivers, is no exception. Now, residents and visitors alike will have the chance to learn more about the importance of the region’s waterways with the opening of the new River Center at Three Forks Harbor.

The center houses the offices of the Port Authority, and also prominently features space for public use. There is a natural amphitheater, a catering kitchen, meeting rooms, a plaza, a lounge area, showers and laundry facilities for boaters, a marina and a gallery for exhibits and artwork.

“Lots of industry has located in Muskogee because of port development, but it hasn’t been open to the public to enjoy before now,” says Scott Robinson, director of the Muskogee City-County Port Authority. “There has not been much recreational activity on the river and that’s always been a vision of local waterway pioneers. This will fulfill a promise to bring recreational benefits in Oklahoma on the river itself.”

Robinson says there is a tremendous demand in the public to understand specifically how the port and the waterway connect them to the world.

“It focuses on one of the more important assets we have – the river,” he says. “This provides an opportunity to the local and regional citizenry to learn about the role the waterway plays in commerce and regional development.”

Centrally located just three miles from downtown, the center will sponsor events such as concerts, fishing rodeos, field trips and more.

“It’s a place for parents to bring their children and teachers to bring their students,” Robinson says. “It’s theirs to enjoy. It’s an open invitation to not just the boating public, but for everybody, whether they’re fishing or boating or just sitting on a park bench.”

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Portfolio

Taking Time To Write a New Verse T

oo many people wait until their golden years to do what they really want to do in life. Not Jim Paul Blair.

After giving up his day gig as CFO of Muskogee Regional Medical Center, the 47-year-old now is pursuing his musical interests full time.

“When they sold the hospital, I took the opportunity to do more of the things I really wanted to do, which was playing music,” Blair says.

It’s no surprise that Blair has music running in his veins. His mother was

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singer Ramona Reed, also known as Martha White of Grand Ole Opry fame.

She played with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys and consequently, Blair says, “I grew up hearing and playing a lot of Western swing.”

These days, Blair can play just about any instrument and any style of music.

He plays banjo, guitar, mandolin and lap steel. He’s part of a country band called City Moon, a rock-n-roll band called the Neverly Brothers and a bluegrass band called the Neverly Hillbillies.

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He often performs and records with various other friends.

“Almost every weekend I’m playing at a casino or a bluegrass festival.

I’m playing all I want to be playing.

Muskogee is a great place to live – the music right now is booming in Oklahoma,” Blair says.

Part of that burgeoning scene is Max’s Garage Bar & Grill, which Blair opened along with three partners in June 2006. Located downtown in the former Goodyear Tire store, Max’s has quickly become a hub for live music.

“We’ve had live music three or four nights a week since we opened,” Blair says. “It’s been great. It gets kinda crazy down there.”

Music isn’t the only priority in Blair’s life, though. He is still heavily involved in the community, serving on the boards of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame & Museum, the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival, the Muskogee Little Theatre and with the hospital authority.

He also married his wife, Tracy, in February 2008.

WATCH MORE ONLINE | Take a quick tour of Max’s Garage at imagesmuskogee.com.

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Jim Blair plays his “homage-tohotrod-cars” banjo at Max’s Garage.

M U S KO G E E

Rentiesville’s Down Home Blues Club, home of the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame, is among several sites included in the Black Towns Tour.

PHOTOS BY IAN CURCIO

Small Towns Tell Mighty Stories

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ot many people know that the region around Muskogee played a vital role in African-American history and today has the largest concentration of historically black towns in the U.S. Cassandra Gaines, manager of the Muskogee Civic Center, is out to change that with the Black Towns Tour.

Gaines developed the idea about a decade ago after going on a heritage tour in another state.

“I paid $75 to go on that tour, and there was nothing there,” Gaines says.

“I realized Oklahoma still has something tangible, something that’s still in existence.”

Small, historically black towns in the area include Langston, Boley, Clearview, Rentiesville, Taft, Red Bird and Arcadia. They may be tiny – Rentiesville’s population is 66 – but they have big stories to tell.

During the Land Run of 1889, Oklahoma specifically advertised these towns to attract blacks wishing to leave the post-Civil War South, and the state soon had about 50 communities.

Rentiesville was the home of noted historian Dr. John Hope Franklin, and Taft had the first black female mayor in the nation. Visitors on the tour might see a Civil War reenactment at the Honey Springs Battlefield, visit Langston University, hop into a juke joint, tour the Boley Historical Museum or step into an old Baptist church where “they still hand you a fan when you walk through the door,” Gaines says. “Each town tries to outdo one another.”

The tours have attracted visitors such as Rosa Parks, who Gaines says went on a tour in 1996.

“She loved it,” Gaines says.

Parks was not the only one. The tours have become so popular that they have been featured in publications like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

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Portfolio

The Legend of the Batfish Lives On

E

ighty men. A 300-foot long, 27-footwide submarine. Two months at sea. As hard as it is to imagine, that was home to the sailors who lived and worked on the USS Batfish during its many missions in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. One of only 16 WWII submarines still in existence in the U.S., the USS Batfish is a major attraction at Muskogee’s War Memorial Park.

Known as The Champion SubmarineKilling Submarine of WWII, it ran

seven patrols during that war, mostly in the South Pacific. On one mission alone, it sank three Japanese submarines in a 76-hour period, a record that still stands today. It was part of the invasion of Iwo Jima. It was there at the liberation of the Philippines. It earned nine Battle Stars, one Navy Cross, four Silver Stars, ten Bronze Stars and one Presidential Unit Citation.

And of course the fact that it’s a submarine located in the middle of landlocked Oklahoma also accounts for

Since 1953

D. I. Wilkinson, MD, FAAP Michael Stratton, DO, FAAP Cindy Durr, DO, FAAP David Whatley, MD Jennifer Pimentel, ARNP

part of the fascination with the Batfish.

“This is a national treasure. Most submarines are on a coast, but this is centrally located and accessible,” says Rick Dennis, manager for the Muskogee War Memorial Park.

After retiring as a training vessel based at the Port of New Orleans, six barges brought the Batfish up the Mississippi and Arkansas rivers in 1972 to its new home in Oklahoma.

“The local chapter of submarine veterans wanted a memorial here in Oklahoma to honor World War II veterans,” Dennis says. “But the Batfish has become a memorial to not only WWII vets, but to the vets of the other wars she served in.”

Today, visitors to the Batfish – about 10,000 a year and growing – can experience the submarine “just as if she just pulled into harbor after a mission and the crew just got off the boat,” Dennis says.

Former Batfish sailors meet at the park each May for a reunion.

“It’s like a family reunion,“ Dennis says. “Imagine 80 men thrown out to sea on a little tiny boat in a combat situation.

They’ve built a special relationship.”

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STAFF PHOTO

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USS Batfish, The Champion Submarine-Killing Submarine of World War II, is a major draw to Muskogee’s War Memorial Park.

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IAN CURCIO

M U S KO G E E

“I’ve gone to work for Congressman Dan Boren as district director of the field and case worker’s staff,” Robinson says. “I love it. It’s nearly as good as being in the state senate.”

Another very visible example of Robinson’s desire to help his community actually stands on his front lawn. When the Muskogee Area Arts Council implemented a fundraiser called the Muskogee Rhythms Guitar Project, Robinson not only signed up for one of the eight-foot painted guitars, he commissioned a local artist to create a large metal musician to “play” the guitar. Both are proudly displayed on his front lawn, and the guitar is painted with – what else? – a bulldog and an American flag.

“It’s an attention-getter,” he says with a chuckle. “It’s on one of the main east-west streets in town. I just thought if we were going to do it, why not go all out?”

But what else would anyone expect from the man who has spent his life focused on giving back to his community?

“I’m 74 years old,” he says, “but I have an unusual amount of energy. I just love everything I do, which helps.”

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on’t let the nickname fool you. This Bulldog is a real softie.

Former Sen. Ben “Bulldog” Robinson gets downright nostalgic while talking about his 16 years of service in the Oklahoma Legislature.

“I know it sounds phony,” he says in a deep baritone that sounds completely incapable of uttering even a bit of phoniness, “but I loved taking care of people. I get teary-eyed thinking about it.

“People would contact us, both personally and professionally, and they had no way to go,” Robinson explains.

“Being able to navigate the system for them and help them know where to go was one of the biggest pleasures I’ve ever known in my life. I told my mother years ago that I thought we were here on this planet to help other people. I’ve been lucky to have the resources and connections to help people weave their way through problems.”

Due to term limit restrictions, Robinson was ineligible to run for reelection after his term ended in 2004.

“I did not retire. I got fired when they passed term limits,” Robinson says with his characteristic good humor.

But Robinson is still serving his community in many ways.

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Former Sen. Ben “Bulldog” Robinson still serves his community in many ways.

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IAN CURCIO

Business

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Profits With

Purpose BUSINESS LEADERS PRIORITIZE GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

STORY BY KATHRYN ROYSTER

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or Muskogee’s business leaders, commerce isn’t just about cash – it’s about community, too.

“Our local businesses are always very generous. They give back in so many ways,” says Marie Seabolt, director of marketing and research for Muskogee Development.

One philanthropist is the late Robert Yaffe, who created a $1 million endowment for Muskogee’s Spaulding Park.

The park is located near Yaffe’s childhood home and his metal-recycling business,

Yaffe Companies.

“For a community and park this size, a million-dollar gift was unprecedented,” says Mark Wilkerson, Muskogee’s director of parks and recreation.

Muskogee has put that gift to good use for a variety of projects – tennis court renovations, new playgrounds and a new walking trail, to name a few.

Going forward, the city plans to improve the park’s pool and add amenities for senior citizens.

The centerpiece of the improved

Spaulding Park is a nine-foot bronze commissioned by Yaffe’s wife Donna.

Titled Past and Present, Future Bound, the statue was created by Tulsa artist Denise Rinkovsky and installed in spring 2008.

“Mr. Yaffe’s past in this park and this neighborhood gave a gift in the present day that will continue into the future,” Wilkerson says. “It’s a perfect tribute to him and what he did.”

Nor is Yaffe the only philanthropist with Muskogee roots. Founded in 1908,

Georgia-Pacific is a key corporate community partner, contributing to many causes and organizations that enhance the quality of life in Muskogee. The company donated $50,000 to the new Muskogee Swim and Fitness Center.

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Save Money. Smell the Flowers.

Looking for ways to save money on gas and help the environment? The EPA wants to share some smart driving tips that could give you more miles per gallon of gas and reduce air pollution. Tips like making sure your tires are properly inflated and replacing your air filter regularly. And where possible, accelerate and brake slowly. Be aware of your speed ... did you know that for every 5 miles you go over 65 mph, you’re spending about 20 cents more per gallon of gas? If you’re shopping for a new car, choose the cleanest, most efficient vehicle that meets your needs. If we each adopt just one of these tips, we’d get more miles for our money and it would be a little easier to smell the flowers. For more tips and to compare cleaner, more efficient vehicles, visit

www.epa.gov/greenvehicles.

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Business

Generous Gems OTHER CHARITABLE STANDOUTS INCLUDE:

GILL LUTON GEORGIA-PACIFIC SPOKESMAN

the city’s Griffin Food Company is Oklahoma’s oldest food manufacturer and a charter member of the Made in Oklahoma Coalition, or MIO. “MIO is an excellent program,” says Griffin Holdings President John Griffin.

“Not only does it inform the public about MIO companies, but the MIO companies also donate back to the state food banks.”

Since 2003, Griffin Foods has donated more than 500 cases of food to MIO’s annual food drive for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. The company also routinely donates to other non-profit food banks and local pancake-breakfast fundraisers.

In John Griffin’s opinion, his company is just returning a favor.

“The community serves us by providing employees and utilities,” he says, “so we give back to the community, just as my grandfather did when he started the business.”

Philanthropy is also a long-standing tradition for Georgia-Pacific, whose Muskogee mill makes recycled-paper products.

“It’s always been our company’s philosophy that we need to play a major M U S KO G E E

role in giving back to the community through contributions as well as employee involvement,” says Gill Luton, the mill’s manager of public affairs.

Accordingly, the mill holds an annual fundraising drive to benefit Lake Area United Way. The 2007 campaign raised $137,000, making Georgia-Pacific the chapter’s largest contributor for the year.

Georgia-Pacific also donated $50,000 to the new Muskogee Swim and Fitness Center and gives $5,000 in annual scholarships to nearby Northeastern State University.

“We feel like it’s our responsibility to see that Muskogee will be a place where employees can really be proud of the community,” Luton says.

And that, according to Seabolt, is exactly what Muskogee’s corporate benefactors have accomplished.

“Their giving back to the community gives us great quality of life,” she says.

WATCH MORE ONLINE | Learn about one of Muskogee’s sweet successes, Griffin Food Co., at imagesmuskogee.com.

THE WHITLOCK WISHOUSE, a popular bed-and-breakfast, was donated to Women In Safe Home by Jerry Whitlock.

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DAL-TILE CORP. donated construction materials to the Muskogee Swim and Fitness Center and the Muskogee Civic Center and also participates regularly as a donor to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

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PHOTOS BY IAN CURCIO

“We feel like it’s our responsibility to see that Muskogee will be a place where employees can really be proud of the community,”

Barry Love of LOVE BOTTLING CO. made a substantial contribution to the conversion of Hatbox Field into the popular family destination, LoveHatbox Sports Complex.

(800) 244-3648 ext. 323 www.lvbeverages.com

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IAN CURCIO

Business | Biz Briefs

Customers enjoy the Italian ambiance of Johnny V’s Ristorante and Pizzeria, which relocated downtown in 2007.

MUSKOGEE GOES MEDITERRANEAN The Vafeas family has brought a little bit of the Mediterranean to the downtown Muskogee dining scene.

In 2007, the family relocated its successful Johnny V’s Ristorante & Pizzeria to a new two-story location at 325 N. Main St. The move only completed the inevitable.

“We always had the idea to be downtown, it just didn’t work out [when we opened the restaurant in 2006],” says Kerry Vafeas, who runs the restaurant with her husband, Steve. “The new location is superb, and the ambience is truly Italian.”

And so is the food. The couple uses a number of long-held family recipes and a commitment to fresh ingredients to deliver a bevy of pizza, pasta and other menu items.

The relocation has also been a boon for business, as Johnny V’s has maintained its core customer base while its centralized location has attracted new patrons.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Fridays; 2 p.m.

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to 10:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays.

TRULY BEST-LAID PLANS Dal-Tile is laying the groundwork for an even greater presence in Muskogee.

The largest ceramic tile manufacturer in the U.S. already had significant operations in the community, but it will complete a $13.3 million expansion project in October that will ramp up the local facility in several ways.

The expansion will add 180,000 square feet of warehouse space at a cost of $9.8 million. The company is transferring warehousing and distribution operations from other locations around the country to its Oklahoma facility.

“We added a regional distribution center in Muskogee because all porcelain floor tile for the U.S. is made at this point,” says Drew Martin, human resources manager for Dal-Tile’s Muskogee operation. “It was cost effective to direct ship from this location versus build it, truck it and store it at another location.”

An additional $3.5 million is being invested in the installation of two new technologies that will lead to the production of more high-value materials

at the local facility.

Dal-Tile currently employs 575 and has a production capacity of 150 million square feet of tile in Muskogee.

CONVOY OF NEW IDEAS Susan Trickey and Gary Alexander are not just the names behind Tri Alexander Transportation, but the brains behind an innovative approach to trucking. The pair launched their company in 2007 with an eye toward implementing conclusions they drew through years of combined industry experience.

Trickey and Alexander opened their operation with eight new trucks, the better to entice drivers to the operation.

They implemented a safety campaign that trains drivers to “drive their trucks as if their families are in cars around the trucks,” and they constantly involve their drivers in the decision-making process.

The formula is working. They have grown to 22 trucks, have almost no driver turnover and have been honored as the Outstanding Business Startup of 2007 by the Muskogee Development’s Established Business Committee. In addition, the company tied for first place M U S KO G E E

among Oklahoma trucking companies in a safety competition.

Trickey and Alexander envision more growth, but only to a point.

“We’d like to get to about 50 trucks.

When you get past that you lose your ability to personally communicate with your drivers,” Alexander says.

SPENDING GREEN TO BE GREEN The 25 physicians behind the $52 million Muskogee Community Hospital hope to deliver health care in a different way with its new facility. And that includes the design of the facility itself.

The hospital, which will open in the first quarter of 2009, will be one of the first in the United States to be certified as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design by the U.S. Green Building Council. Though the option to build in an environmentally friendly way is often costlier, hospital officials believe it’s in the best interests of the entire community to spend a little green to be green.

“We want to take care of patients, take care of the community and take care of the world,” says Mark Roberts, president of Muskogee Community Hospital. “We’re thinking more longterm than short-term.”

The long-term thinking includes planning to expand beyond the initial 92,000 square feet, which will include 45 patient rooms, four operating rooms and three procedural rooms, plus an on-site administrative and training center.

THEY’VE GOT YOUR BACK(UP) Mark Jackson and Dek Prentice deliver peace of mind for some of the most influential people within a 60-mile radius of Muskogee.

In 2004, the two founded PCRx, a technology consulting firm that provides remote backup and networking services for several hundred clients in and around their home office on Tull Avenue.

In a computer-driven business world, information technology professionals are often the most called upon to provide solutions – and in some cases, save the day.

“We both have backgrounds in IT; Dek [the company’s vice president] was M U S KO G E E

the IT director for the schools and I had experience in IT from my time in the Air Force and Navy,” says Jackson, now president of PCRx. “We both recognized that locally, no one was fully addressing the IT needs of the business sector here, and that led us to start the company.”

PCRx is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and a Microsoft Certified Small Business Specialist. The company’s 11 employees each have more than 10 years of experience in computer and networking installation, repair and maintenance support and a minimum of six years of experience in working with all versions of Microsoft Windows

and Office software products.

Today, PCRx has a broad range of clients, from accountants and attorneys to manufacturing facilities and nonprofits, Jackson says.

Thanks to the very technology in which they specialize, the partners can work with clients who are located virtually anywhere, affording them the luxury of stationing their business here, right where they prefer to be.

“Muskogee is where our families are, and it is a great place to live,” Jackson says. “There are a lot of opportunities for small businesses here.”

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Business | Chamber Report

IAN CURCIO

Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce staff includes, from left, Katey Sherrick, Alisha Tanksley, Tracy Lontz, Sue Harris, Joan Eanes and Treasure McKenzie.

Please Insert Your Shopping Dollars Here ONE OF MANY CHAMBER INITIATIVES ENCOURAGES LOYALTY TO LOCAL RETAILERS

W

hile most cash registers technically don’t “ring” anymore, the Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce works hard to ensure that area retailers continue to ring up sales.

“Shopping locally in Muskogee is important because it is helping your friends and neighbors in their business endeavors. Why would you spend dollars out of town with a stranger when you can spend them right here with people who work and live in your community?” asks Sue Harris, chamber president and chief executive officer. “Then, those sales-tax dollars come right back to you, improving your roads and your city operations. You spend the money here, and you reap the benefit again when you live here. It makes perfect sense to shop locally.”

That message is central to the chamber’s ongoing retail campaign, supported by a contract with the city, to encourage local shopping and to recruit retailers to the Muskogee market.

“Location is everything in the retail business and we know that, and we have the location for them,” Harris says.

M U S KO G E E

In fact, with the help of a consultant, the chamber prepared a retail potential analysis and distributed the results in a colorful report to national retailers across the country.

“It helps us to tell the story of who we are in Muskogee to someone sitting at a desk in Los Angeles or New York and deciding where to place national retail,” Harris explains. “It celebrates the fact that Muskogee draws from the entire trade area. We reach nearly to Tulsa and east into Arkansas; we’re blessed with highway access; and more than 222,000 people – and that number surprises people – live within a 30-minute drive of Muskogee, Oklahoma.”

The chamber is the impetus behind numerous retail promotions throughout the year, including the annual Magic Holiday Giveaway, when one lucky shopper wins $10,000 in December.

Other promotions include the Fall Festival of Fantastic Savings, back-toschool promotions and another cash giveaway during the city’s annual Azalea Festival in April. Yet another initiative that encourages local shopping is the chamber’s Member 2 Member program.

Participating merchants offer discounts or free items to chamber members who present their personalized Member 2 Member card.

Several committees keep these and other chamber activities humming along. The members of the Ambassadors Committee, for example, are the first to greet new members, attend ribboncuttings and recruit new chamber members. Ambassadors are on hand at Business After Hours events, Business and Marketing Breakfasts [known as BAM!] and new member orientations.

Other chamber initiatives include tourism promotion, downtown revitalization, Muskogee Young Professionals, the annual Women’s Leadership Conference and governmental relations.

“Our program of work is pretty intense for a chamber our size. We are a little over 800 members now, and we have a network of close to 1,600 individuals who hear from us on a regular basis and participate. It’s these volunteers who help us accomplish all the programs that we’re involved in,” Harris says.

– Sharon H. Fitzgerald I M AG E S M U S KO G E E . C O M

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Business | Economic Profile

MUSKOGEE BUSINESS CLIMATE Muskogee is the third-largest manufacturing community in Oklahoma. Items manufactured here include machinery, rubber items, food products and consumer goods. The city also is an important transportation, trade and industrial center in the Arkansas River Valley.

INDUSTRIAL PARKS/ AVAILABLE ACREAGE 2006 ESTIMATED ACCRA COST OF LIVING

100 U.S. Average

90.4 Comprehensive

Standard deduction of 15% (maximum of $42,000)

Davis Field 550 acres East Point Business Park 56 acres

Groceries

99.2 Health Care

72.5 Housing

97.7

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Port of Muskogee 110 acres

imagesmuskogee.com

TAXES

More facts, stats and community information, including relocation tools and links to resources.

Sales Tax 8.65% (as of January 2008) Property Tax 93.34 mills 11% County Assessment Ex: $77,000 (property value) x .11 x 0.09334 = $790.58

81.1

Ad Valorem tax exemptions may be given to select industries in the state of Oklahoma for a set period of time.

Transportation

State Income Tax

107.2

Based on net income from property owned and business done in Oklahoma

Miscellaneous Goods & Services

Utilities

Rates range from 1% to 7%

John T. Griffin 47.7 acres

Southside, 248 acres

100.9

Personal exemption $1,000 / $2,000 jointly

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DISTANCE TO MAJOR CITIES

730 miles Atlanta

195 miles Branson, Mo.

690 miles Chicago

219 miles Dallas

TRANSPORTATION Airports Davis-Field Airport (918) 683-0699 Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (83 miles away in Fayetteville, Ark.) (479) 205-1000 Tulsa International (47 miles away in Tulsa, Okla.)

(918) 838-5000 River Port of Muskogee (918) 682-7886

Rail Service Burlington Northern Santa Fe Union Pacific

EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS Industries Providing Employment Education/health/ social services 23% Manufacturing/Production 18.20% Retail trade 13%

714 miles Denver

459 miles Houston

256 miles Kansas City, Kan.

230 miles Little Rock, Ark.

350 miles Memphis, Tenn.

137 miles Oklahoma City

Get the facts: imagesmuskogee.com

THE PORT OF MUSKOGEE Port Services Waterfront terminal operators provide a complete line of intermodal services, including: Harbor towboat for switching and fleeting barges. Twenty mooring dolphins available along more than a mile of channel frontage.

Overhead and mobile crane for transferring shipments directly between barge, rail and truck or into the port’s 94,000-square-foot dockside warehouse.

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Image Gallery

STAFF PHOTO

Historical mural in downtown Muskogee

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IAN CURCIO

St. Paul United Methodist Church

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Image Gallery

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN CURCIO

Guitarist sculpture at the home of former Oklahoma State Sen. Ben “Bulldog” Robinson

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Clean Comfortable Quiet

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Complimentary Breakfast On-site Laundry Facility

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Free body shop estimates for repair of all makes and models.

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Arts & Culture

Arts Pay Tribal Tribute WORKS DOCUMENT AMERICAN INDIAN HISTORY IN COMPELLING WAYS

W

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WATCH MORE ONLINE | Learn more about the Five Civilized Tribes Museum at imagesmuskogee.com.

IAN CURCIO

ith rich, bold colors and striking detail, the works of American Indian artists tell their tribal history in a way no book or documentary ever could. The creative arts – paintings, drawings, sculpture, basketry and pottery – are an important part of the American Indian heritage, and a massive cultural contribution to the city of Muskogee.

A bit of background: According to Mary Robinson, executive director of the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole tribes lived in the Southeast in the 1830s, and were forcibly removed through the Indian Removal Act to the western side of the Mississippi River. After the Civil War and the Reconstruction period, their lands were diminished to less than half. Then, when their attempts to form an all-Indian state [Sequoia] were defeated by the government, they agreed to join the Oklahoma territory.

“Many items from the Sequoyah constitution were adapted into the Oklahoma constitution,” Robinson says. “And each of the five tribes is represented as points in the star of the Oklahoma state seal.”

Today, American Indian culture is alive and well in Muskogee, and its history is preserved and celebrated in various forms at the Ataloa Lodge at Bacone College, which represents the works of all Indian tribes, and Five Civilized Tribes Museum, which concentrates specifically on the five from the Southeast.

“They were storytellers,” Robinson says. “They were hunters, gatherers and farmers who lived close to nature, and you can see this influence in their art.”

Some tell the story of everyday life, some focus on the Indian stomp dance and other traditions within families and some relate historical events, like master artist Joan Hill’s Treaty series, which details her ancestors’ removal to Indian territory.

“A lot of them do significant research before they commit to their paintings,” Robinson says. “They want to be as historically correct as possible.”

Five Civilized Tribes Museum is home to the female-focused works of Dana Tiger, daughter of the late accomplished American Indian artist Jerome Tiger, who died at 26.

“I think the major influence Jerome had on American Indian art was the depth he gave to paintings,” Robinson says. “It gave permission for other artists to move beyond flat-line drawings.”

Contributions from other artists who have passed include Acee Blue Eagle [1907-1959], who enjoyed international fame, printmaker Woody Crumbo [1912-1989], and present-day craftsmen Bill Glass, a ceramicist, and his son, Denos, who works with silver and metals to create his sculptures.

In addition to its permanent collection, the museum has four major art shows a year, including Arts Under the Oaks, an arts market and festival, a student art show and an exhibition of the master artists.

“There’s always something new to see at the museum,” Robinson says.

– Danny Bonvissuto

Uprooted by Willard Stone is among significant works at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum.

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1002 N. Main Muskogee, OK 74401 (918) 683-7881 Fax: (918) 683-7884 bdbcpa@swbell.net

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A C C O U N T A N T

Proudly Serving Eastern Oklahoma Since 1919

(918) 682-3434

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Education

Sharing Yields Solutions and Success CONSORTIUM POOLS LEADERS FROM EDUCATION AND BUSINESS COMMUNITY

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Working together to enhance local education while also creating that kind of employment pipeline is exactly what those napkin sketches were all about, notes Godwin.

“I don’t think people realize the economic impact that education has on the Muskogee community,” she says.

“Working to grow the workforce, to help the community, is something we take very seriously. We’re something of a wellkept secret, and we’re working to change that.”

– Joe Morris

IAN CURCIO

he idea was simple: Get educators from in and around Muskogee together once a month so they could brainstorm about a variety of topics that would help all of the area’s schools do a better job for students both during instruction and after graduation.

Anyone who has ever been in a room full of educators knows that it can be difficult to get them to agree on anything, so this deceptively simple concept – sketched out on a napkin – was bold. It led to the formation of the Muskogee Area Educational Consortium, and for more than a decade, the plan has worked.

“I’m surprised at how well it’s succeeded, and not surprised, all at the same time,” says Sue Godwin, institutional services coordinator at Indian Capital Technology Center and a cofounder of the MAEC. “Anytime you get educators together to start sharing, they can help each other. But what has been surprising has been the commitment from each of the institutions. Even though the leadership has changed at many of them, they have maintained their commitment to the consortium simply because they see the benefit to their institution and to their students.”

The consortium’s collegiate members include Northeastern State University, Bacone College and Connors State College, which celebrated its centennial in 2008. The organization also includes primary and secondary institutions within Haskell, Warner, Hilldale and Fort Gibson public schools, as well as the Oklahoma School for the Blind, area private schools and education friendly organizations such as the Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce and other workforce-related concerns.

“It’s one of the most unique organizations around, because it involves not only all the educational entities but also ties in the business community,” says Derald Glover, superintendent of Fort Gibson Schools and 2008-09 consortium president.

“Besides the communication and the networking, which is invaluable, being able to get a common plan for what strategies will benefit the education needs of the community is huge. And even though this has been around for a while now, I haven’t seen it replicated anywhere.”

The consortium’s deep bench of participants also means it can be an effective lobbying voice for education at the local and state levels. In addition, it stages events such as the annual Hooray for Teachers dinner and awards, which calls attention to educational accomplishments. These days, much of the organization’s effort is focused on connecting students to specific careers, which requires work from the earliest levels all the way through high school.

“We’re looking at those long-term career pathways opportunities, and we’re endorsing one called STEM, which is science, technical engineering and mathematics,” Glover says.

“We’re looking to promote projects and competitions in those areas and also expand into health care and other areas as time goes on.”

Derald Glover is Fort Gibson Schools superintendent and president of the Muskogee Area Educational Consortium.

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Now Showing in Our Video Gallery

Sit back and enjoy a preview of Muskogee amenities.

Explore its landscapes, cultural offerings, food and fun.

See its downtown, neighborhoods, parks and attractions.

Experience the history, hot spots and local happenings.

Muskogee is rated L for Livability.

imagesmuskogee.com

Sports & Recreation

IAN CURCIO

WATCH MORE ONLINE | Experience the energy of Love-Hatbox Sports Complex at imagesmuskogee.com.

Tournaments at Love-Hatbox Sports Complex draw approximately 600 teams from out of town each season.

Diamonds Are a Town’s Best Friend BASEBALL TOURNAMENTS, OTHER SPORTS-COMPLEX ATTRACTIONS BOOST TOURISM

T

he Love-Hatbox Sports Complex is probably best known for its water park, which draws about 70,000 people each year to its water slides, river rides and beaches. But this bustling, city-owned complex is also a major hub for sports tournaments – primarily baseball – and it hosts about 600 teams from out of town each season.

“We have a Little League Baseball tournament there every weekend from the beginning of March through July,” says Mark Wilkerson, director of the Muskogee Parks & Recreation Department.

And that translates into major tourism dollars for Muskogee.

Surveys estimate that each team spends about $1,500 per tournament, Wilkerson says, which means about $900,000 is spent in the community in one season – and that’s just for one sport.

Those direct-spending estimates don’t take into account the soccer games, softball games, football games and other

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events that also attract visitors.

“The money they’re spending is going toward gas and food and trips to Wal-Mart, and a portion of those teams will have hotel expenses as well,” Wilkerson says. “We’ve become a regional hub for recreation.”

The Love-Hatbox Sports Complex opened a decade ago on the grounds of a former 400-acre airfield. The venue includes 10 lighted baseball fields, eight lighted softball diamonds, two full-size football fields, a 30-acre soccer area called the Georgia-Pacific Soccer Complex and an outdoor skate park.

There’s also a 3.1-mile asphalt walking/biking exercise pathway that loops around the complex’s 120 acres, and a former airplane hangar houses three indoor batting cages.

A local model-airplane club hosts two annual events at the complex, and the events attract about 3,800 flying enthusiasts from around the country.

Those visitors contribute to Muskogee’s tourist income as well.

And of course the River Country Family Water Park is a huge draw, with about half of its visitors coming from outside Muskogee.

“We’ve estimated the number of visits a day in the peak summer season is over 3,300, including all daily users of the complex,” Wilkerson says.

“There’s also an estimated 200 parttime employees employed during that season, including life guards, umpires, concession workers and maintenance workers.”

The complex pays out about $500,000 in salaries to run the seasonal complex, and it brings in around $700,000 in revenues – a boon to the city’s economy.

“Prior to these facilities, the economic impact was not there,” Wilkerson says.

“It’s all an investment in the community, an investment in quality of life.”

– Rebecca Denton I M AG E S M U S KO G E E . C O M

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2205 Chandler Road Muskogee, OK 74403 (918) 683-2291

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Health & Wellness

Swim Center Makes a Splash MUSKOGEE’S NEW AQUATIC CENTER PROVIDES REFRESHING OUTLET FOR FITNESS

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he Muskogee Parks and Recreation Department is challenging Muskogee citizens to be more health conscious and active, and already more than 800 people are on board.

In February 2008, the parks and recreation department opened the new Muskogee Swim and Fitness Center in the former American Red Cross building on North Sixth Street. The remodeled facility includes a six-lane competitive-style swimming pool, an aerobic training room and a fitness center with cardiovascular and strength training equipment.

“We’ve created an all-inclusive fitness facility that is affordable and open seven days a week,” says Brooke Hall, facility manager for the Muskogee Swim and Fitness Center. “We purchased state-ofthe-art strength and cardio equipment, so that really draws the fitness crowd, and we have faithful swimmers here every weekday at 6 a.m. We offer everything anyone would need to stay active and healthy, and that’s our goal – to reach everyone.”

The swim and fitness center provides swim lessons for children and adults as well as classes in step aerobics, Pilates, yoga, belly dancing and more.

Though owned and operated by the parks and recreation department, it took a true community effort to get the swim and fitness center up and running.

“It’s been in the works for about eight years since the American Red Cross pool closed in 2001,” Hall says. “There was a group in the community that hated to see the pool empty, so they worked with parks and recreation to put this project together.”

Community members raised the first $250,000 for the center through individual and business donations, and the Russell Ruby Family Trust provided an additional $250,000. Continued financial support for the center comes from paid memberships, which are available for ages 16 and up and priced to meet the needs of each member.

“We knew the community really wanted this just by seeing their support through the fundraising,” Hall says.

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“We also really needed people to become members, and people were waiting at the front door when we opened. We signed up 100 members a week for the first five weeks, and we already have more than 800 members.”

In addition to programs and classes for adults, the center offers a popular teen fitness program for ages 11 to 15 and several kids’ programs. The American Red Cross also continues to operate out of the building with two offices and a shared conference room with the swim and fitness Center.

“The Red Cross still offers classes and events for the community, including blood drives, CPR classes and babysitting classes,” Hall says.

Hall loves working at the swim and fitness center because it allows her to help others reach their fitness goals.

“My first job was teaching swimming lessons in this building when I was 17, and here I am again 13 years later,” she says. “I have always enjoyed the water, and it’s wonderful that our community has this nice fitness facility.”

– Jessica Mozo

Residents are enjoying the amenities of the new Muskogee Swim and Fitness Center, which offers swimming lessons in the Georgia-Pacific Natatorium.

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It’s about honoring survivors and those who’ve lost the battle. It’s about raising funds for research, education, screening and treatment. The Komen Race for the ®

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When you talk to your child you build vocabulary, so everyday moments become learning moments. For more tips, visit bornlearning.org.

This space provided as a public service. ©2004, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

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Health & Wellness

Providing Quality Care Close to Home MUSKOGEE REGIONAL SERVES COMMUNITY WITH NEW CAPABILITIES

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In support of the interventional cardiology program, MRMC added an on-site Air Evac helicopter transport service that will benefit the entire region.

“Though complications are very rare – less than 1 percent – they do occur. Having Air Evac here on our campus gives us a rapid transport capability to the nearest hospital with open-heart

uskogee Regional Medical Center leaders are always looking for new ways to care for the community, and the newest programs and capabilities aim to do exactly that.

Among them was the introduction of an interventional cardiology program, which allows patients to have a wire mesh stent, either bare metal or drug-coated, inserted to relieve a blocked vessel.

“This procedure is available for coronary arteries, carotid arteries and peripheral arteries.

This is the first time these procedures have been offered in Muskogee,” says Chris Whybrew, chief operating officer at Muskogee Regional Medical Center. “Having the interventional cardiology program at MRMC means patients and families in the Muskogee region no longer have to travel to Tulsa to have these procedures performed.

They can stay in their hometown and be taken care of by our highly trained and qualified physicians and staff.”

surgery,” Whybrew says. “They are available for transporting other patients from MRMC to Tulsa when necessary, and more importantly they are here to assist Muskogee County EMS. Muskogee County EMS was instrumental in gaining approval for Air Evac to provide services to the Muskogee community.”

– Jessica Mozo

When illness or injury happens unexpectedly, take comfort in knowing we are available to help you.

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STAFF PHOTO

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Muskogee Regional Medical Center completed a major expansion and renovation in 2007.

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Walk-in Service Available Same Day or Next Day Appointments Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

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Visit Our Advertisers Armstrong Bank www.armstrongbank.com Arrowhead Mall www.arrowheadmallmuskogee.com Bella Cambiare Medical Spa www.bellacambiare.com Bethany D. Bowline CPA Inc. PC Cardiology Clinic of Muskogee www.ccommedical.com Casey Fishburn Children’s Clinic of Muskogee Creek Nation Casino www.muscogee-casino.com Dal-Tile www.daltile.com

FURNITURE | APPLIANCES | ELECTRONICS

Donna Elliott – Century 21 www.realtor.com Eastern Workforce Investment Board www.easternwib.com Gaddy Drug Georgia Pacific Corporation www.gapac.com Graham-Carroll House www.bbonline.com/ok/grahamcarroll

Muskogee | Broken Arrow | McAlester

Indian Capital Technology Center www.ictctech.com Interstate Properties www.interstateproperties.com

Taking Business to New Heights

James Hodge Ford Lincoln Mercury Inc. www.jameshodgefordlm.com Love Bottling Company www.lvbeverages.com Muskogee Chamber of Commerce www.muskogeechamber.org Muskogee County Council of Youth Services www.mccys.org Muskogee Parks & Recreation www.muskogeeparks.com Muskogee Public Schools

Specializing in Investment Properties, Office Buildings, Land Development and Hotel/Motels

Muskogee Regional Medical Center www.muskogeehealth.com Northeastern State University www.nsuok.edu Oklahoma Gas & Electric www.oge.com Prudential Fuller Realty www.fulleragency.com Saint Francis Home Hospice www.saintfrancis.com

Kamlesh Aggarwal, Broker/Owner Sooner Realty Properties, LLC (918) 260-5286 E-mail: kamlesh912@gmail.com

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Sooner Realty Properties LLC www.soonerrealtyproperties.com Three Rivers Inn www.3riversinn.com Tumble In www.tumble-in.com

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Community Profile

MUSKOGEE SNAPSHOT Surrounded by rivers, lakes, gardens and woodlands, Muskogee offers residents and visitors a host of reasons to get outside and play. Or, venture indoors to one of many arts centers, museums and historical sites.

HOUSING COSTS

CLIMATE

62 F Annual average temperature

Gas

Average cost of a single, three-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot home $80,000

Oklahoma Natural Gas

Average rent for a three-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot home $650/month

(800) 464-7928

(800) 482-4513 Phone AT&T

Water/Sewer City of Muskogee 682-6602

38 F

UTILITIES

January average temperature

Cable Suddenlink (800) 364-7511 or 687-7511

79 F July average temperature

Electric OG&E (800) 272-9741

47 inches Annual rainfall

East Central Electric Co-Op 756-0833

7.6 inches

HOSPITALS Muskogee Regional Medical Center (336 beds) 682-5501 Jack C. Montgomery Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center (88 beds), 683-3261

Annual snowfall

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66 percent Average relative humidity

imagesmuskogee.com m

610 feet

More facts, stats and community information, including relocation tools and links to resources.

Elevation

Get the facts: imagesmuskogee.com

questions answers 8 0 0 . A C S . 2 3 4 5 / c a n c e r. o r g

Š2002 American Cancer Society, Inc.

The area code for Muskogee is 91 8 .

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Community Profile EDUCATION Public Schools Muskogee Public Schools 684-3700, mpsi20.org Benjamin Franklin Science Academy (K-8), 684-3870 Cherokee Elementary (K-6) 684-3890 Creek Elementary (K-6) 684-3880

Hilldale Lower & Upper Elementary School (K-5) 683-0273

Muskogee 7th and 8th Grade Center (7-8), 684-3775

Hilldale Middle School (6-8) 683-0273

Pershing Model School of Technology (K-6) 684-3830

Hilldale High School (9-12) 683-0273

Sadler Arts Academy (K-8) 684-3820

Muskogee Alternative Program (7-12), 684-3705

Tony Goetz Elementary (K-6) 684-3810

Grant Foreman Elementary (K-6), 684-3860

Muskogee Early Childhood Center (Pre-K) 684-3770

Harris Jobe Elementary (K-6) 684-3850

Muskogee High School (9-12) 684-3750

Washington Irving Elementary School of Tomorrow (K-6) 684-3840 Whittier Elementary (K-6) 684-3800 Higher Education Bacone College (888) 682-5514 Connors State College – Downtown campus 687-6747 Three Rivers Port campus 684-0413 Indian Capital Technology Center, 687-6383 (800) 375-8324 Northeastern State University 456-5511, (800) 722-9614

HOUSING STATISTICS

$51,665 Average family household income

$32,363 Median household income

$18,156 Per capita income

19,832 Occupied units

67.2% Owner occupied

32.78% Renter occupied

$68,809 2006 Median Value

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Ad Index 3 6 A R M S T RO N G BA N K 6 A R ROW H E A D M A L L 50 BELL A CAMBIARE M E D I C A L S PA

2 9 GA D DY D R U G 3 8 G EO RG I A PAC I FI C CO R P O R ATI O N 2 2 G R A H A M - C A R RO L L H O U S E

4 6 B E T H A N Y D. B OW LI N E C PA I N C . P C

4 6 I N D I A N C A P ITA L T EC H N O LO GY C E N T E R

5 3 C A R D I O LO GY C LI N I C O F M U S KO G E E

3 5 I N T E R S TAT E P R O P E RT I E S

5 0 C A S E Y FI S H B U R N 2 8 C H I L D R E N ’ S C LI N I C O F M U S KO G E E 32 C R EEK N ATI O N C A S I N O 39 DA L-TI LE 3 6 D O N N A ELLI OT T – C E N T U RY 2 1 3 8 E A S T E R N WO R K FO RC E I N V E S T M E N T B OA R D

4 4 JA M E S H O D G E FO R D LI N CO L N M E RC U RY I N C .

4 6 LOV E B OT T LI N G CO M PA N Y C 2 M U S KO G E E C H A M B E R O F CO M M E RC E C 3 M U S KO G EE CO U NT Y CO U N C I L O F YO U T H S E RV I C E S 24 M U S KO G E E PA R K S & R EC R E ATI O N 5 6 M U S KO G E E P U B LI C S C H O O L S

Ad Index (cont’d) C 4 M U S KO G E E R EG I O N A L MEDICAL CENTER 1 N O RT H E A S T E R N S TAT E U N I V E R S IT Y 27 O K L A H O M A GA S & E L EC T R I C 2 6 P R U D E N TI A L F U L L E R R E A LT Y 5 0 SA I N T FR A N C I S H O M E H OS P I C E 5 4 S O O N E R R E A LT Y P RO P E RTI E S L LC 44 THREE RIVERS INN 54 TUMBLE IN

questions answers

©2002 American Cancer Society, Inc.

8 0 0 . A C S . 2 3 4 5 / c a n c e r. o r g

MCCOYS

Muskogee County Council of Youth Services MUSKOGEE COUNTY COUNCIL OF YOUTH SERVICES, a nonprofit agency established in 1973, addresses societal problems that directly affect the lives and well being of the youth and families in the communities that we serve by providing counseling, prevention and treatment services as well as networking with local agencies in order to empower youth and families to develop adequate coping mechanisms to solve current or future problems through our various programs.

Our agency offers a full array of services to all ages including the following programs: Community at Risk Services, Community Intervention Center, Detention Center, Adult and Juvenile Drug Courts, First Offender Program, Muskogee Area Alternative Site, Outpatient Behavioral Health Services, Outreach Program, Shelter, Substance Abuse Services including outpatient treatment services and DUI assessments and DUI classes, Project Safe Place and the SNUG Program. Desired results of our agency include a greater public awareness of the problems faced by persons serviced in our community and to enhance the quality of life of the persons served by our agency.

Our agency is dedicated to providing individualized, quality services in the least restrictive settings.

A continuum of services are offered with an interdisciplinary approach to all persons served and aided regardless of sex, race, color, creed, sexual orientation, belief and/or national origin.

Referrals are accepted from schools, courts, DHS, OJA, DPS, parents, families, law enforcement and local agencies. Self-referrals are also accepted. Various funding sources include contracts with city and county entities, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Oklahoma Health Care Authority (Medicaid), Office of Juvenile Affairs and Department of Human Services. Services are not refused to persons based on the inability to pay.

The hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. excluding those programs that are operational 24 hours/day, and classes and treatment groups that are offered after hours for working persons and families. Any questions regarding services or referrals can be directed to (918) 682-2841 or our toll-free number (888) 404-2841.

www.mccys.org