Shawnee Outlook December 2015

Creating a Legacy |

Coolest Dog Ever

Mr. & Mrs.

DECEMBER 15 Vol. 12 Number 10

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CONTENTS

DECEMBER 2015

Publisher

26

FEATURES 9 Creating a Legacy 13 Choctaw Author Inspires SMS Students

Advertising Sales

Brad Carter

Managing Editor

Mindy Wood

Creative Direction

Layers Media, Inc.

Cover Photo

Layers Media, Inc.

Writers

Andrea Beck Jamie Bergsten Tim Farley Kristi Prince Tom Terry Mindy Wood

Distribution

The Shawnee Outlook is delivered FREE by direct mail to 25,000 homes and businesses. Distribution includes Shawnee, Tecumseh, McLoud, Meeker & Prague.

Comments or

Suggestions?

Write to: Shawnee Outlook PO Box 1365 Shawnee, OK 74802 Website: www.shawneeoutlook.com E-mail: info@layersmedia.com

21

Michael Keith

To Advertise Call Brad at 445-3033 or 808-0963.

DEPARTMENTS 6 KEEP THE CHANGE 6 NUTRITION 101

17 Mr. & Mrs. Claus 21 Coolest Dog Ever 25 Making Wishes Come True 26 A Terrific Downtown Tree-Lighting

10 BEST OF SHAWNEE Volume 12, Number 10 Shawnee Outlook is a publication of Layers Media, Inc. © 2015 Layers Media, Inc.

20 SONIC CONTEST 22 SHAWNEE HISTORY 29 GREEN THUMB 29 EVENTS

Articles and advertisements in Shawnee Outlook do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the magazine or Layers Media. Layers Media does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. The acceptance of advertising by Shawnee Outlook does not constitute endorsement of products, services, political candidates/parties or information. We do not knowingly present any product or service that is fraudulent or misleading in nature. Shawnee Outlook assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials.

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KEEP THE CHANGE

Gift Budgeting

NUTRITION 101

Black Eyed Pea Dip You got to get in your black eyed peas on New Year’s Eve. This is my favorite way to get them in. When I married my husband 6 ½ years ago, I received this recipe from his step-mom and now I am sharing it with you. I have seen a lot of recipes for dips similar to this, but this is by far my favorite. Enjoy bringing in 2016!

Welcome to the holiday season! Every year, I plan to keep things minimal, yet find my bank account has been blown apart by unexpected purchases, recipients that slipped my mind and “just right” gifts that are “just a little” too expensive. Although the word “budget” seems to take the fun out of giftgiving, creating one will keep your January more regret-free.

First of all, remember to use cash when possible to refrain from overspending. If shopping online, where cash isn’t an option, consider pulling out your debit card, rather than credit, or paying your credit card online immediately after making a purchase.

Make a list of recipients – do this in a notebook, on your computer, or use an app (search for “Christmas List” and you’ll find a plethora of options). Of course you’ll remember those in your home, but don’t forget friends who may plan to exchange gifts, out-of-town relatives you want to send gifts to, and any holiday party gift exchanges.

Then, look at your real, everyday budget (because you have one, right?) and see how much you can reasonably manage to spend this holiday season.

Do not run yourself into debt for the sake of a few gifts that may not even be remembered next year. When you have this figure, divide it among your recipients in a way that makes you feel comfortable. Don’t forget to include shipping costs, if necessary, in your budget plans.

When you have your budget set, then consider actual gift ideas for each recipient that would be reasonable to purchase for that amount. Keep your eyes on seasonal sales, in stores and online, to stretch that gift budget as far as possible. Most importantly, keep your eyes on the Reason for the Season.

His gift will always be the most important.

Angela Rowland is an OBU graduate and a stay-at-home mother of four. She enjoys finding new ways to stretch the paycheck and even posts some of her favorite tips and deals on her blog (steadfaststeward.blogspot.com)

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Ingredients: • 2 cans black-eyed peas, drained • 1 can black beans, drained • 3 jalapeños, seeded and chopped • ½ purple onion, chopped • 5 avocados, peeled and chopped • 3-4 medium tomatoes chopped • 1-16 oz fat free Italian dressing Directions: Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Eat alone as a salad or with baked chips. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Makes: 20 servings Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 132 Total Fat: 7g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 358mg Total Carbohydrates: 15.5g Fiber: 5.5g Protein: 4g Nutrition 101 Tip: Black-eyed peas are actually a bean and can be added to soups, stews, salads, or eaten as a healthy side dish.

Black-eyed peas are a great source of fiber. Fiber helps regulate your digestive system and helps keep cholesterol levels down. Potassium in the black-eyed peas helps keep your blood pressure levels down, which lowers your risk for heart disease. If watching your calorie and fat intake, you won’t have to worry about black-eyed peas. Protein and Iron are two additional benefits. Protein doesn’t have to always come from meat. Getting your protein from lean sources is a great way to support your muscles, skin, hair, and nails. Many women struggle with having enough iron. Getting adequate iron in your diet helps with fatigue and weakness.

Andrea Beck, a Registered Dietitian, received her Master’s in Nutrition and Dietetics from UCO in Edmond. She offers her nutrition consulting services and strongHER workouts through Anytime Fitness and teaches nutrition at St. Gregory’s University. Andrea is an active member of Junior Service League. Visit www. strongherfitness.net for more information.

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Creating a Legacy It’s not easy starting a family and it’s even harder when a family is clawing their way out of poverty, trauma, and abuse. According to Oklahoma Policy Institute, 64 percent of families with school age children qualify for free or reduced lunches.

Pottawatomie County parents are in crisis but Legacy Parenting Center offers hope through mentoring and resources to parent successfully.

The non-profit organization will offer education classes to parents who can earn resources for their children from conception to four years of age.

Executive Director, Georgiana Sullivan, and Director of Education, Kylie Teape, plan to open the center next month at Mission Shawnee. In their years of working with at-risk children and families, they noticed that too often parents were raising children without the skills necessary to parent successfully.

Sullivan has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and worked at a pregnancy crisis center in Ada for three years before moving to Shawnee. Teape has a bachelor’s degree in human services counseling and both have been active in ministry for more than a decade.

The Avedis Foundation provided them with a $47,800 grant in November. Resources include educational curriculum and supplies like cribs, high chairs, car seats, diapers, wipes, formula, and other baby and toddler items.

Donations are appreciated. “We will gladly accept gently used high chairs, cribs, swings, clothing from birth to 4T, and new diapers and wipes,” said Teape. “We can only accept new car seats because of recalls. Smart Start Oklahoma will provide car seats and instruction on how to put in

by: Mindy Wood

a car seat.”

Parents will sign up and fill out a questionnaire informing volunteers about their child and their family’s needs. A mentor will then guide the parents through the “Earn While You Learn” DVD curriculum that is age appropriate for the child. A mentor will answer questions and expound on the material.

The Earn While You Learn (EWYL) is used nationwide in pregnancy and parenting centers and teaches parents how to support the emotional and physical well-being of their children. EWYL is designed to “break the cycles of poor parenting, neglect, and abuse.”

“Legacy Bucks” will be issued based on classes or activities parents complete and used toward purchasing items in the center’s boutique-style store. “We want it to be a good experience,” said Sullivan. “If they have to sort through a bunch of stuff or it’s junky, they’re not going to come in.”

Parents can earn credits for participating in other community programs relative to parenting like birthing and breastfeeding classes or childhood reading programs at the public library.

Parents will learn how to purchase and prepare nutritious meals on a budget from the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma who will deliver food.

Sullivan and Teape want to provide more than education and resources, they also want to become a community for parents who need relational support. They hope to partner with counselors to offer family therapy and marriage counseling.

They also want to see parents supporting parents.

“We’d like to be their community and help parents be involved and support their community,” said Sullivan.

Kylie Teape and Georgiana Sullivan

The center will likely get referrals from other agencies like DHS, health care providers, schools, and churches who encounter at-risk families. They hope to see children returned to parents who have been removed from the home. “We want to be a partner with DHS, to teach parents how to be parent so when they do come home, they’re still successful at being a parent, and their child is successful at being a child. Hopefully they won’t have to worry about being in that place again,” said Teape.

Legacy Parenting Center is governed by a board, representing the faith and health community: Pastor Trey Teape of Frontline Church, Dr. Canaan Crane of OBU’s Bison Family Therapy Institute, Julianne Clark an ARNP at St. Anthony Physicians Shawnee, Kylie Teape, and Georgiana Sullivan.

Until salaries can be funded, the center will open in January two days a week. For more information, contact Georgiana Sullivan at 580-399-5855 or Kylie Teape at 405-808-6842.

Financial donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 3574, Shawnee, OK 74802

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It’s been almost six years since Play It Again Sports store owners opened their doors in Shawnee. Since then, parents and sports enthusiasts have come to depend on them as a one-stop shop for affordable gear and apparel.

From helmets and bats to football equipment and team uniforms, PIAS can outfit customers in 15 sports from head to toe. Golf, baseball, basketball, football, soccer, tennis, volleyball, and fitness equipment are just a few goods available. They sell both used and new condition, and used is often less than half the cost of retail.

“We can outfit a kid for less than half of what they would pay for buying it new in all major sports,” said Bill Quigley, co-owner. “Used equipment is important in these economic times which are pretty difficult.”

Quigley said even on high end items, they’re offering very reasonable prices. “We have slightly used high end golf clubs that we sell for 50 percent less than retail and in some cases even less than that. We have refurbished fitness equipment, treadmills and ellipticals which are mechanically like new for half the cost of retail with factory warranty on parts and labor.”

PIAS also offers price match on new products. “We’ll beat any 1 fdp. laniFstore dA eraon CorPnew items,” said co-owner Shaun Quigley. Bill said there are misconceptions about large chain sporting goods stores. “A lot of people think if you go to a big-box store you can always buy it cheaper, but that’s not the case.”

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During their years in the community, they’ve built relationships with coaches and sports leagues from tee-ball to high school football. “I grew up shopping at PIAS,” said Shaun, “and I loved the leagues, the community. The relationships we’ve made are really great and watching these kids grow up has been pretty cool.”

They’ve grown so close to the customers they consider them friends. They even take calls from customers after hours, well into the night for a special request. No need is too trivial. “They’ll call us up at night and tell us what they need. We’ll meet them at the store the next morning before it opens. We go the extra mile because they’re our neighbors and our friends. Customer service is important,” said Bill.

The Quigleys are proud to be locally owned and offer that advantage to their customers. “We’re an old school, locally owned sporting goods store. We stand behind our products. You’re always dealing with an owner, not an employee,” said Bill.

PIAS stays current on the latest trends in sporting goods and fitness equipment. They will soon schedule their third annual Bat Night, a chance for the public to try out the latest baseball and softball bats.

“Manufacturer reps let people test their products and actually give pretty good discounts for that night. We will hold that at the Shawnee High School’s indoor batting facility,” said Shaun.

Specials for fitness equipment will top the list of sales for Christmas as New Year’s resolutions are around the corner. Stop by their location at 4409 N Kickapoo to shop their inventory. Because PIAS purchases used equipment, you can also check their “Top Ten List” to see if you have items the store seeks to buy.

For updates regarding sales and events, follow them on Facebook “Play It Again Sports Shawnee.”

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Choctaw Author Inspires SMS Students by: Mindy Wood

Shawnee Middle School students welcomed award-winning author, Tim Tingle, of the Choctaw Nation, for a time of storytelling and book discussion.

Tingle used the past and present to interest the young audience in history and its relevance in society today.

He also met with the school’s book club which gathers once a month at the end of the school day. His book, How I Became a Ghost, interested members of the Shawnee Middle School book club. It’s the story of Isaac, a young Choctaw boy who does not survive the Trail of Tears. Tingle wrote the book in the voice of the ghost-boy, Isaac.

“I really love the book,” said Emery Carter, 7th grader. “I wondered a lot about the book, but when I heard Tim was coming, I was happy that I had a chance to talk to him in person about his book. He told us the events in the story actually happened. I was so shocked about the whole thing that I had to ask him lots of questions.”

Kadyn Drummond, 7th grader said, “I got to meet a real author. I love to read, so it was a good experience.”

Tingle said he wants his audience to see beyond the stereotypes portrayed of Native American people and culture. He said most people, including kids, still think of Native Americans in feathers and warpaint, not as a modern people among nations of diverse cultures and customs.

“I want kids to understand that Indians are modern people. An accurate study of Native American people begins in the present,” said Tingle. He added that often those who examine these diverse cultures in the past fail to research > www.shawneeoutlook.com

13

continued from pg. 13

and understand today’s Native American nations.

He educated students about the Choctaw culture and encouraged them to be interested in their state’s history. Students were interested to hear him explain how the railroad, Route 66, and oil changed the lives of generations of people not only in Oklahoma, but across the U.S. “If you dig into Oklahoma history, you have to dig deep. When you come upon the stones, you never know what you’ll upturn and find under the stones,” said Tingle.

The Shawnee Middle School Book Club started four years ago when Mary Sims, the teen services librarian at Shawnee Public Library and Cherity Pennington, the school’s library media specialist, wanted to encourage the love of reading.

Sims and Pennington facilitate a time of discussion, but students are eager to ask questions and offer their thoughts on the book of the month.

“Students who have been in the book club for a while usually discuss the books on their own with very little guidance from the adults,” said Pennington.

Sims makes sure there are enough copies of a title, a tough task considering the club started with 10 students but swelled to 60 last year. They decided to meet at different times to keep the meetings smaller to ensure that students had

time to talk about the book. Having a lunch hour book club helped students who had after school activities.

What are these kids reading? Tingle’s How I Became a Ghost, in addition to the ever popular Hunger Games series, Maze Runner, Diary of Wimpy Kid, Scorch Trials, and Goosebumps are a few in demand. Students often request titles that will be released as movies, but their interests are as diverse as adults.

“Middle school students are like everyone else: they have their own preference on what they like to read, so we keep a variety of fiction genres and nonfiction titles in the library. Many of them like to read graphic novels. Students also enjoy realistic fiction about struggles faced by young people,” said Pennington.

They do more than just read. Students also volunteer for at least one service project during the school year. Last year, students donated books to a local shelter. They host a murder mystery in April in which students play the roles. They’ve helped with the library’s summer reading program at the Science Museum of Oklahoma. They also assist with the Read Across America Day at Shawnee Early Childhood Center.

Club members encourage other students to read. “Reading is important because it can help

open your mind to new ideas. It can take you to places you’ve never even imagined,” said Xavier Allee, 6th grader.

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Mr. & Mrs. Claus Santa Claus and his doting wife, Mrs. Claus, already are making their rounds in Shawnee in preparation for Christmas and the many fun-filled events that occur before the joyous yuletide holiday.

Santa, otherwise known as Frank Megow, is a jolly ol’ man with a beautiful wife, aka Sandra, who keeps him stuffed, plump, and in good spirits. Without Mrs. Claus along for the usual sleigh ride, Santa says he’d find his winter job almost unbearable.

Married for 55 years, the Claus couple keeps kids happy with their candy canes and promises to bring gifts on Christmas morning.

“There are so many things she takes care of,” Megow said. “She handles the private parties and the business side of things and she makes sure I have the candy canes for the next child.

Without my wife, I don’t know if I could keep doing this.”

But they do – every year. There’s even been a few years when the couple questioned their sanity, especially when some of the smaller children find it difficult to control their bladder while sitting on Santa’s lap. “We still do it because of the kids,” he said. “We swear every year this is going to be our last year and then someone asks if we’re going to do it again and we say, ‘why not.’ Seeing the looks on the kids’ faces is great. You see disbelief.

They can’t believe it’s really him, that Santa is here.”

Several years ago, the Santa Claus gig became so big that Megow incorporated an elf into the show.

“We had a little person who played an elf,” he recalled.

Still, there are times when the children, smiling from ear to ear, offer puzzling questions and comments to jolly ol’ Saint

by: Tim Farley

Nick. “They do ask about Mrs. Claus and if it’s not snowing they want to know how we land the sleigh. My usual answer is we get an old Studebaker and make it work,” Megow said with a smile.

There’s also a few potential deal breakers that make Megow think twice about his Santa Claus role.

“At times, kids can be mean. They’ll pull on the beard to see if it’s real and it is glued on so it can hurt. Every year, I get peed on. Kids get so excited they can’t hold it. It happens every time and I’m never ready for it. I’ve probably had 20 pairs of Santa Claus pants over the years,” he said, with a twitch of the nose and a shake of his head.

Megow remembered one boy who was ready to take Santa to task and see if he could really bring him everything on his list. “He unfolded an ad and had everything circled and

>

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17

continued from pg. 17

numbered in priority order,” he said. “Then, there are those who ask for a brother or sister and I just smile. We also have several kids who bring me food for the reindeer.”

At the same, there are the heart-breaking requests from children who are fully aware Christmas won’t be a big deal this year. “There’s always someone wishing a family member will get better and then there’s kids who aren’t well off and only ask for one or two things because they know that’s all they’ll get,” Megow said.

“At the same time, the more affluent will have a long list of popular items. I just look at mom and dad shaking their heads yes or no.”

The Santa Claus gig has been a business almost since its inception 27 years ago. “We made enough the first 17 years that we were able to devote full time to a prison ministry the rest of the year,” Megow said. “We didn’t want for anything during that time.”

Their ministry took Megow and his wife into prisons at Lexington, Holdenville, Lawton, Muskogee, and halfway houses in Oklahoma City at least six to seven times a week.

However, the prison ministry stopped 10 years ago when the couple’s great granddaughter was born and they took her in to raise as their own child. “It (ministry) was a God deal or we

couldn’t have done it,” he said.

Now, Santa and Mrs. Claus do a combination of volunteer and private, paid engagements. This year, Santa will sit in the window at Neal’s Furniture Store and participate in the Shawnee Christmas Parade.

He’s also been to Shawnee schools and visited area hospitals where he belts out a few “Ho, ho, hos” and Mrs. Claus distributes candy canes to the young patients. “As long as we’re doing the right thing, God will take care of us,” Megow said.

During a typical private family party, the gifts are placed in a bag outside so Santa can bring them in when he arrives. “I come in with a big ho, ho, ho and the kids sit on my lap and we pass out presents. Then, I tell them the story of the candy cane and how it came about,” he said.

On occasions, Santa and Mrs. Claus make trips to churches and schools. On one specific trip to a poor Oklahoma City school, a young student with no shoes received a box. “I asked him what was in it. He said, ‘shoes.’ I asked why he didn’t put them on. He said, ‘oh no, they’re special.’ Those types of things break your heart.”

In most of those cases, the presents

are purchased by the teachers or given as donations by concerned residents, Megow said.

Santa and Mrs. Claus will be at Neal’s Home Furnishings on the 5, 12, and 19 of December from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

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Keeping Friends and Family Heart Healthy in Shawnee

Shawnee Clinic

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OHH interventional cardiologists serving the Shawnee clinic (from left): Naveed Ahmed, MD; Suresh Chandrasekaran, MD; Bryan Perry, MD; Parker Truong, DO; Soni Zacharius, MD; Ronald White, MD; Michael Schoeffler, MD; Aamir Hameed, MD; and Nabhan Al-Nabhan, MD. Not pictured: cardiothoracic surgeon John Randolph, MD.

www.shawneeoutlook.com

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Coolest Dog Ever If you’ve seen the “coolest dog ever” riding around town, you’re not likely to forget the sight of this roadworthy Boston Terrier.

Her name is Missy and she takes riding seriously, donning her “doggles” and her very own riding gear, pink leather of course. “I put her in pink because everyone thought she was a boy,” said owner, Johnny Sommers. “She loves to ride.

She’s real patient and she loves the attention.”

Sommers, who retired as the former owner of what is now Global Production Solutions, said he got the idea after he saw a biker travelling with his dog. “He had a big bike and had this little kennel on the back of it. He and his wife had come from Kentucky, California, and Arizona and they took their dog with them. I decided I could do that too,” said Sommers.

Back seats for pets for motorcycles are expensive, around $700, but Sommers built Missy’s seat for less than $30. Riding with Missy was a process. He knew about doggles, eyewear for

dogs who love to be in the wind or have vision problems, so he purchased a pair of those. He started Missy in a seat with a cargo net. He built a strap that attached to her collar from the seat.

“First I made sure she could ride. I didn’t think she’d jump out, but I was afraid she’d fall out. She got used to that (cover) so I took it off and the strap, the collar is loose so she can get out if she needs to. If I go to the store for 30 minutes, she’s patient. She stays where I leave her,” he said, “but she’s scared of storms.”

A couple of times when a thunderstorm loomed near, she got out of the seat and went looking for him. As long as there are no storms,

by: Mindy Wood

he said she’s never jumped or fallen out. Missy has been on long trips too, including a 1,000 mile round trip to Midland and Odessa, Texas a few years ago and to Dallas last summer.

Her favorite trip, however is to the doggie park in Shawnee by the Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center. “That’s her favorite thing to do,” he smiled. “But she gets jealous if I pet other dogs.”

Owners interested in outerwear for their dogs, in case they want to be as cool as Missy, can find similar attire for their pets online or in large pet stores. Riding gear runs from $12 to $35 for doggles, hats, jackets, and harnesses.

United in Service. United in Faith. United in Love.

Celebrate the four Sundays of Advent with us during our worship service at 10:45 am.

Adult Sunday School is at 9:30 am.

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We will have a Service for Wholeness, Sunday, November 29 at 5:00 pm.

Our Candlelight Christmas Eve Service is at 6:00 pm, December 24th.

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www.shawneeoutlook.com

21

The Notorious James Overstreet A decade before John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, Clyde Barrow, and Bonnie Parker, Shawnee spawned its own bank robber with the flash and flare of his more famous counterparts. James Overstreet had an array of more colorful nicknames by December 1924 including: “the Jelly Bean Bandit,” “the Prince of Bandits,” “the Swell Kid,” and “Dapper Jimmie.”

On December 10, 1924, four armed men entered the Shawnee Federal National Bank forcing everyone into the bank’s vault before making off with $18,000 in cash. The bandits were described as using “Robin Hood” tactics when they let a customer keep a bag of deposit checks that were not insured. A frantic manhunt followed. For a few days, another notorious gangster, “Blackie” Thompson and his gang were suspects. Headlines about the chase dominated the Shawnee Morning News and The Daily Oklahoman’s front pages for most of the month.

The first break in the case came when two young women, 18-year-old fireball Bobbie Livingston, and demure 17-year-old Helen Caldwell were captured in Oklahoma City for their part in kidnapping a gas station attendant and a motorcycle policeman a few days earlier in Shawnee.

The two girls were labeled the “Flapper Bandits.”

The Daily Oklahoman reported in the December 12, 1924 paper: “During their brief sojourn and confession at Oklahoma City police headquarters, the flapper bandits were at the two extremes of feminism.

The black-haired Bobbie ‘kidded’ the officers while in turn Helen of the short bob sobbed out feminine tears.” Bobbie Livingston boasted they were part of a gang from East St. Louis coming west to show how things were done. At first, there did not appear to be a connection, but soon after they were jailed in Shawnee as witnesses to the bank robbery.

The next day, the papers reported a dead man found near a Bristow cemetery was identified by Frank Buck, president of the Federal National Bank, as one of the robbers. It was not “Blackie” Thompson, as first thought, but an East St. Louis

22

www.shawneeoutlook.com

SHAWNEE HISTORY

by: Bob Perry, Pott. Co. Historical Society Member

gunman named Joe Marshall, who was married to the 17-year-old Helen.

The December 14, 1924 paper identified James Overstreet as one of the bank robbers. Overstreet, a local Shawnee boy, came from a good family, and attended church and school as a child. His criminal career began as a juvenile, however, when he was leader of a group known as the “dirty dozen” that was involved with scores of youthful escapades.

Overstreet was sentenced to the Granite Reformatory in March of 1923 for his part in six dynamite explosions during the Shawnee railroad strikes.

He had previously been in trouble for stealing cars and for a jewelry store robbery in Tupelo, Mississippi. Overstreet escaped from the Granite Reformatory on August 10, 1923, only a day before he was to be pardoned by the governor. Overstreet fled to Illinois where his gang committed a rash of bank robberies before returning to his hometown.

Overstreet was 20-years-old at the time of the Federal National Bank robbery.

The flamboyant Overstreet was apprehended in Fort Worth, Texas on December 16, 1924. Overstreet claimed to be the son of a Chicago millionaire. When he was arrested, The Daily Oklahoman reported Overstreet was, “Attired in golf togs and with an expensive bag of clubs over one shoulder, James P. Overstreet, alias Jess Ripley, alias James P. Simpson, alias ‘The Swell Kid’ and other monikers, was arrested by local detectives and a Burns operative in the fashionable Texas Hotel here Tuesday in connection with the robbery of the Federal National bank at Shawnee, Okla., last Wednesday.” Overstreet drew attention to himself by handing out lavish tips to the waitresses in the hotel.

Back in Shawnee, police learned Overstreet was the husband of the spunky Bobbie Livingston, who was jailed in his hometown. The next few days, local papers talked about the prison romance of “Dapper Jimmie” and his “Flapper Bandit” wife.

On Christmas Eve 1924, James Overstreet admitted to the crime of robbing the Federal National Bank. In exchange for his confession, he was given a 25 year prison sentence instead of the electric chair, Bobbie would be given a light sentence, and he would get to spend Christmas with his wife before going to the state penitentiary in McAlester.

The Shawnee Morn-

ing News reported the Christmas reunion this way: “In the women’s department of the city bastille, Bobbie is humming and singing and preparing to make Jimmy’s farewell party a happy one. The spirit of Christmas prevails in their dismal cell. There, Bobbie and Mrs. Joe Marshall, wife of the slain bandit whose body was found near Bristow, are decorating, stringing Christmas bells and other suggestions throughout their place of confinement. And it is there amid the tinsel and scarlet that Jimmy will possibly say goodbye forever to his pal, his sweetheart and wife.”

Overstreet was sent to prison on Saturday, December 27, 1924. The papers stated that “for a twenty-five minute robbery, ‘the Swell Kid’ would spend the next 25 years of his life.” Overstreet, however, had different ideas. He escaped from McAlester in 1931 to commit at least three more bank robberies before being caught again in Michigan. After another daring escape failed, he was sentenced to an additional 35 years.

In all, Overstreet was credited with 15 bank robberies and possibly three murders. His Christmas farewell to his teen wife, Bobbie, seems to be the last time he would see her or his hometown again.

To learn more about James Overstreet’s bank robbery, read “The Great Railroad Strike of 1922: A City in Crisis, Shawnee, Oklahoma,” available through the Pottawatomie County Historical Society.

www.shawneeoutlook.com

23

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9/22/15 1:38 PM

Making Wishes Come True by: Kristi Prince

Christmas is a season filled with wishes.

Children anticipate the date for months and carefully craft lists and letters to Santa in hopes of finding many brightly wrapped gifts under a sparkly tree in their cozy living room.

Their stockings are carefully hung and wait to be filled with tiny treats. It’s off to bed with a belly warmed by hot cocoa and after a restless night’s sleep, they will wake early on Christmas morning and anxiously await their turn to open packages. However, for the children in foster care in our community, Christmas may bring much different emotions.

While they certainly would love shiny gifts, their wishes include things that many of us take for granted…a family that loves unconditionally, a safe home, drug-free parents, clothes and shoes that fit. Their lists vary depending on each circumstance, but few hope to think that Christmas might bring the wishes on a traditional list. However, there are some ways that you can help to make the season bright for these kids. ”Snowflakes” is a program offered by The Department of Human Services that helps make Christmas special for local foster children. Each child is given the opportunity to make a Christmas wish list. Families, businesses, individuals, church organizations, or civic clubs can contact the Pottawatomie DHS office and ask for one or more lists which can usually be fulfilled for around $75 each.

DHS is also always in need of diapers of all sizes, baby wipes, formula, and certified car seats for infants and toddlers. Often, children have to be removed from a home in an emergency situation for their protection,consequently, they may have nothing with them. Gift cards to Walmart allow caseworkers to pick up a few of the essentials. Frequently, the children have not even eaten in quite some time and are hungry, so a DHS worker will take the children to get something to eat. This is usually done at their own expense. Five-dollar gift cards to fast food restaurants would be a great way to help the children and the workers.

“Citizens Caring for Children” has a

Christmas program, “Joy 4 Kids.” CCC is a resource center that provides clothing and personal hygiene items to children birth to 21 who are in OKDHS custody living within Pottawatomie and other surrounding counties. Four times a year foster families can come into the center and receive two new outfits, pajamas, shoes, 3 pairs of socks and underwear, a coat, 2 books, and a hygiene kit. On their first visit they will also receive a duffle bag.

Patti Jensen, a former Pott Co foster mom says, “Citizens was an amazing help for us as foster parents. Some of our children came to our home with nothing. One child literally had only the diaper he was wearing!

Citizens was a tremendous help for us financially.”

In addition to their support of families throughout the year, this Christmas, CCC will again be providing hundreds of children in foster care in our community with items from their wish lists. Patti added, “We were so grateful for the help at Christmas. We were completely overwhelmed by the generosity of the family that provided so graciously so that Christmas would be special for our foster kids. We are not currently fostering, but we are looking forward to giving back to the agency that supported us.”

CCC can use your help throughout the year and especially at Christmas. Most of the children are between 6 and 12 years old. You can call and ask to help a child for Christmas through the “Joy 4 Kids” program. They also are in desperate need of new clothes, shoes, coats, and duffle bags. They need help stocking the resource center, working with children at events, organizing inventory, sorting, and stuffing mail.

At this magical time of year, the bustle of the season can become overwhelming.

The calendar has no room for all the plans.

People race to buy new clothes for holiday parties. Neighbors strive to outdo the proverbial “Joneses” with decorations. Friends and relatives shop to check off items that will seldom be used from a list that is way

Carrie Mick and Eli Prince show their Christmas Art. Carrie, 17 was adopted through Indian Child Welfare at age 11 and Eli, 18, was adopted from Russia at age 8. too long. Parents and grandparents kiss sweet little faces adorned with marshmallow mustaches and send them off to bed on Christmas Eve in new pajamas. But often in the rush of plans and events, the true spirit of Christmas is lost in the shuffle.

Let’s slow down and remember that the holiday wishes so often taken for granted are far from the reach of many vulnerable children in our community. During this season when hearts lean toward compassion, think about participating in “Snowflakes” or “Joy 4 Kids”. Be a part in making wishes a reality for foster children in Shawnee and the surrounding community.

Contact Kaeli at 405-395-1205 or Hayley at 405395-1203 to help with the Snowflake program. Contact Lauren Barnes for the CCC’s Joy 4 Kids at 405753-4099. www.shawneeoutlook.com

25

A Terrific Downtown Tree-Lighting Though New York City’s Rockefeller Center and Shawnee’s Celebration of Life Park are some 1,500 miles apart, they share at least one holiday commonality. Both have hosted festive tree-lighting ceremonies in recent weeks, to the joy of citizens in each locale. Thanks to our own Safe Events for Families organization, this once-annual tradition looks to become a regular attraction in Shawnee once again.

Held on Friday evening, November 20 in the park downtown at the corner of Main and Philadelphia streets, this was the first official tree-lighting ceremony held there in about a dozen years. The park, created by local citizen Ann Davis in honor of her daughter Dana who had passed away, opened in 1994. It was named with the idea that “Life is a celebration every day,” Davis said. Though the space comes to life with decorations for various occasions and has always been a popular spot for photo opportunities, the formality of a holiday ceremony had fallen by the wayside.

However, SEFF president Dell Kerbs and board member Ed Bolt, both downtown businessmen, took notice of a special tree in the park and noticed, quite by accident, that it was wired specifically to be a Christmas tree. With their find, the idea for a new celebration was formed.

The four Shawnee elementary school choirs (Sequoyah, Jefferson, Will Rogers, and Horace Mann) opened the evening, each performing their own pieces and then joining together in song. Mrs. Davis also took part, giving a short speech and assisting with the countdown to the lighting itself. “The park was full,” Bolt said, noting that the SEFF was pleased with the turnout of hundreds of guests and the events of the evening. “I think everyone had a good time,” he said.

Favorable weather also graced the area at that time, making for pleasant viewing conditions. The park now glimmers with holiday lights, including the centerpiece tree and a lighted gazebo. “The tree-lighting ceremony was a wonderful addition to the beginning of the holiday season in downtown Shawnee! The elementary school children brought wonder and delight to the event with their singing as well as their enthusiasm and their smiles,” said Beth Hatley, wife of the co-owner of The Arts at 317, also on Main Street. “When the countdown began, everyone in the park participated and clapped excitedly when the tree lit up. It was an amazing time, and I’m so glad I was there to experience it!”

The SEFF partners with many local individu26

www.shawneeoutlook.com

als and businesses to bring a variety of events to this area. Their board members include not only merchants but also stay-at-home moms like Tasha York, who assists with marketing and also helped prepare for the tree-lighting. The group’s local sponsors include Vyve Cable, Visit Shawnee Inc., Buford White Lumber, Jones Theaters, and the City of Shawnee, among others. The SEFF’s projects also include the annual Shawnee Christmas parade and October’s Boo on Bell festivities.

Plans are already underway to make next year’s tree-lighting ceremony even bigger and better, Bolt said. “You learn a lot from the first time you try something.” Thanks to Kerbs, Bolt, and the SEFF board, Shawnee will have yet another family event to be proud of and celebrate.

by: Mindy Wood by: Jamie Bergsten

www.shawneeoutlook.com

27

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December Gardening Tips

DECEMBER DECEMBER 8, 15, 22, 29

Get a jump start on shedding holiday pounds at the Shawnee Public Library. Yoga classes are hosted

by Yoga in the Park members and instructors. Participation is free and classes are from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

DECEMBER 10-12

I’m not sure about other gardeners, but every year, I go through a cycle that by the end of summer, I’m kind of tired of gardening. I’m ready for the slower winter months; but by mid-winter, when I start getting those seed catalogs in the mail, I’m chomping at the bit for spring to get here!

I know that not everyone is as passionate about gardening as I am, but I wonder if some people hesitate to plant a flower bed, or to have even a small vegetable garden, because they are afraid it will take too much time in their busy lives. Let me list a few reasons why “puttering” in even the smallest garden is good for your MIND and BODY. Being in the garden has a positive effect on your mood.

Research shows that plants and flowers improve our mood, concentration, and productivity, while minimizing stress. It helps us feel less anxious and more optimistic. I can walk through the flower section at a greenhouse and feel the stress just drain away.

Sometimes it’s fun to get dirty.

When your hands are in the dirt and your knees are in the grass, whether you are planting, weeding, or gathering your harvest, you have

the pleasure of knowing you’ve accomplished something good, while enjoying the great outdoors.

Gardening is a great way to get exercise.

Dig deep with that shovel. Use those muscles to chop weeds with a hoe. Be aware that your arms and legs are working hard, bending, lifting, and stretching. Breathe deeply, and as Barney Fife would say, “Suck in that gut!”

Gardening can instill feelings of pride, productivity, and creativity.

It’s amazing how 15-20 minutes of digging in the dirt, or picking fresh tomatoes or fresh flowers can perk you up. Part of the fun of gardening is just putting yourself out there and trying something creative. So what, if you’ve never seen anyone else plant an ornamental pepper plant in the middle of rose moss. If you think it sounds cool, go for it!

Being outdoors makes you slow down; it clears your mind and awakens your senses.

Be aware of the things around you. Listen to the birds sing, feel the breeze, notice the scents in the air, and be thankful for it. The practice of gratitude is a huge factor in determining if you experience a joyful life.

Who knew a garden could do all that?

The Shawnee Little Theatre presents “A Charlie Brown Christmas” each evening at 7:30 p.m.

DECEMBER 18

Downtown Block Party from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. is fun for the whole family with live music, artists, afterhours shopping, food, and much more.

DECEMBER 19

Tweens and teens at the Shawnee Public Library can make holiday crafts as gifts for friends and family from 2-4 p.m. Supplies will be provided. Registration is encouraged but not required. Call 405-275-6353 for more information.

DECEMBER 26

Kart Racers Swap Meet will be held at the Shawnee Expo Center.

The swap meet hosts vendors offering all things necessary for your go-kart and small engine vehicles.

Visit shawneeexpo.com for more information.

Article and Photo by Debi Renegar, Master Gardener with the Multi-County Master Gardener Association www.shawneeoutlook.com

29

Teaching History Through Art Horace Mann Elementary students are benefiting from a visual legacy Catherine Jordan created nearly 45 years ago with felt, burlap, and charms.

Jordan, who is deceased, made maps of the United States and the world with the individual charms depicting special characteristics of each state and country. The maps were created in 1971 for her grandchildren so they could use the visual aids in their lessons on geography.

Jordan’s daughter, Mary Jane Richards, recently donated the maps, which are now encased with Plexiglas, to the school’s library where all students can benefit and learn about the countries and states that are included in their daily lessons.

“What’s up there will not change in 20 years,” said Horace Mann Elementary Principal Susan Field. “You’ll always have peaches in Georgia and apples in Washington and the devil on the Equator.”

Students in all classes, first through fifth grades, use the maps for special lessons. The maps have been on display in the library for about four weeks. “It’s better than the flat maps. It’s not boring,” Field said.

For example, an oil derrick and Native American charms are used to depict Oklahoma while the oil derrick and cattle are used for Texas. Kansas is depicted with wheat, Alaska with gold, dice in Nevada, and tobacco for North Carolina.

Globally, a beer stein is used for Germany, a cross in Italy, a crown for England, a ballerina for the former Soviet Union, and another oil derrick for Saudi Arabia. Intricate bead work also was used to depict various countries and to highlight some of the charms. “It meant a lot to the family to know it was going to a place where children will enjoy it,” Field said.

Richards said she was happy the maps went to the school. “I didn’t want to throw them away,” she said. “It was something our family really enjoyed and it was something she (Jordan) really enjoyed making and she knew it was something I could use

Susan Field, Principal Horace Mann

in my teaching.”

Richards said her mother was wonderful at self-educating her grandchildren. “She used artwork as a learning tool,” Richards said of her mother, who worked as a home economics teacher and a later as a librarian. “It was important to have a visual aid to stimulate the brain.”

Jordan returned to college when she was 60 years-old and earned her master’s degree in library science.

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by: Tim Farley

Obviously, the maps can be used for a variety of lessons including the American Civil War, locations of key battles, state capitals, and products each state is known to manufacture.

The global map also depicts the various oceans, islands, and time zones.

“When they can understand where something is, students are more likely to better understand the lesson,” Richards said.

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