September 12, 2020 Issue, Page 1 of 8

Page Text

— Announcement Travel advisory: The Oklahoma Department of Transportation said striping will be done on Highway 6, north and south and on the reconstructed bridge, in the overnight hours from Sept. 14-15. Work will begin at 10 p.m. Sept. 14 and end the next morning at 6 a.m. The highway will be closed in this area, and trayelers are advised to find a different route during this time. Weekend Edition Ivester takes over as permanent city manager By Don Munsch, Editor The Elk City City Com- mission yoted Tuesday at its meeting to begin negotiations to make interim City Manag- er Tom Ivester the permanent city manager. He became city manager on Wednesday. His annual sal- ary is $125,000, and he will be an at-will employee with Tom lIvester no contract. Ivester said Wednesday Cody DeMoss, above left, stands with he would have to give up his law practice when he be- Bennie Beutler of Beutler and Son comes the new city manager. He would not be able to do Rodeo Co. at the 2020 Elk City Rodeo. any new cases when he becomes city manger; he could DeMoss, of Heflin, La., won the saddle wrap up the current cases he has, though. bronc riding at the rodeo. “T’m excited,” Ivester said about the commission’s ac- Jule Hazen, bottom left, of Ashland, tion. “There’s a lot of opportunity, and I feel honored that Kan., is the 2020 Elk City Rodeo steer they would place their trust in me to do this.” wrestling champion. His hazer, Cody He said he would not be subject to state and city nepo- Devers, and their horses pose with tism requirements when he becomes city manager, as the him. Photos submitted by Ruth Nicolaus. regulations don’t apply to him because his wife already Top right, Sage Kimzey of Strong City, held a position in the city. In this case, his wife, DeAun, is Okla., rides the bull during the Elk already the librarian at Elk City Carnegie Library. City Rodeo of Champions. Photo by Jim Hodnett. “T couldn’t hire my wife, but since she’s already an em- ployee, it doesn’t apply,” he said. Any personnel dealings with her — compensation or dis- By Ruth Nicolaus, Special contributor O’Connell won the Elk City Rodeo last year (88.5 points) ciplinary issues, for instance — would have to be conduct- The third time’s just as charming as the first time for a and in 2017 (85 points). ed by the commission. Tom Ivester said he was not cer- world champion. A Texas woman won the barrel racing in Elk City. tain about her evaluations, but he thought the commission For the third time in four years, Tim O’Connell won the Shelley Morgan of Canton, Texas, turned in a time of would handle that aspect of her job and that that would be bareback riding at the Elk City Rodeo of Champions. 15.64 seconds, three-tenths of a second faster than the sec- his recommendation. The three-time PRCA world champion bareback rider ond place finisher, Sadie Wolaver of Weatherford, Okla. As far as what he wants to accomplish on the job, he scored 87 points on the Beutler and Son Rodeo horse Any- (15.98 seconds). See Ivester page 2. thing Goes for the win. She was aboard a sorrel mare named Kiss, whose regis- It was a ride the perfectionist from Zwingle, lowa, found reasons to critique. tered name is FamesKissandTell. The mare is “all woman,” Morgan said. “She’s definitely Superintendent “Tt wasn’t the ride I wanted to put on,” O’Connell said. “I a big old diva mare. She loves people, just loves people, and felt like I was in a dog fight tonight. I felt like he knocked always has. The more they pet her, the better she likes it.” discusses classes sharp ride I wanted. But it was a really good ride. I’m just headed to her second Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, after returning in Elk City me forward, out of position. It wasn’t the controlled, snappy, Morgan is ranked seventh in the world standings, and is super-critical of myself.” competing in the 2009 Wrangler NFR. She and husband Rex By Don Munsch, Editor O'Connell stands on the top of the PRCA world stand- gave the 5-year-old mare much of the month of August off. Elk City Public Schools Superintendent Rick Garrison ings, heading into the last few weeks of the PRCA season, The horse is young, “and I didn’t want to throw too much at reports the district has been “very blessed” in the last few which ends Sept. 30. He is about $26,000 ahead of the num- her,” Morgan said. weeks since it started classes for the 2020-21 school year. ber two bareback rider, Kaycee Feild, but that doesn’t matter Arookie won the bull riding in Elk City. During the September Elk City Schools board meeting to O’Connell. Colten Fritzlan of Rifle, Colo., rode the Beutler and Son Tuesday, Garrison said the district had a choice to make at “There’s no such thing as a safe lead,” he said. “I’ve had Rodeo Co. bull Smoke Stack for 88.5 points. the beginning of the school year — should educators wait un- that number one spot pretty much the whole year, and I don’t The bull “felt good out there,” he said. “He had a lot of til everything is ready with distance learning and other fac- plan on giving it up.” See Rodeo page 2. ets of education or should they get students back in school? “A lot of schools aren’t even in school yet,” Garrison said. Beutler and Son welcomes fifth generation “We made the decision that we felt like it was important for our kids to be in school.” By Shonda Little, Contributing writer son Jiggs. When Jiggs joined the family stock business, the It hasn’t been easy in various ways, he said, but he thinks The Elk City Museum Complex has now grown into a name would transition from Beutler Brothers to Beutler the district has been “given a real gift in the last three weeks sprawling tribute to the town’s history, showcasing every- and Son. In spite of economic booms and busts in the area, to get to know our kids again, for them to get to know us, to thing from original pioneer housing, monuments to early Elk the namesake rodeo event has not only continued to thrive, build some relationships. So regardless of whatever happens City businesses and a separate building that celebrates the but now adds the fifth generation of Beutlers working year- on this, we at least have a foundation there.” cultural impact of Route 66. round to turn out a world-class rodeo for the people they call There has been no interruption to campus learning. The However, the expansive two-story Victorian-era home friends and neighbors. Jiggs’ son Bennie would follow in his district released some COVID-19 data showing there had that is now the Old Town Museum was the original draw for dad’s footsteps. been 12 positive students with 11 recoveries. There has locals and travelers alike. Inside, stories of three brothers - “T do this full-time with my dad, Bennie Beutler. He has been one positive staffer, and that individual has recovered. Lynn, Jake and Elra Beutler - are predominately featured on done it his whole life and I guess I have, too,” laughed son There have been 77 total students quarantined, with 32 still the second floor. There, guests are submerged into the stories Rhett, who joined the family business in 2001. “My son Jake in quarantine. The district has 2,052 students and 263 staff of three brothers who brushed shoulders with the Hollywood is 13 and my daughter Taylor is 16. They have just grown up members. Not all of those numbers released by the school stars of their era, forged a famous rodeo stock contracting doing it, too. I wouldn’t know when I would say they started district were representative from when school started, Gar- business and founded the Elk City Rodeo of Champions in because they always just did it.” rison said. 1929. Much like any family agriculture business, Rhett’s kids “Tf this keeps going like this, we really feel like we can At the time, Oklahoma had only been a state for 22 years. don’t have any set job. manage through it,” Garrison said. Undeterred by the Great Depression and the accompanying “They have daily worked on sorting bucking horses and But he cautioned that if 20 teachers test positive or quar- antine, that would shut down brick and mortar instruction Dust Bowl, the Beutler Brothers likely didn’t realize they bucking bulls,” Rhett explained. “But at any given rodeo, “pretty quick.” were starting what would become nearly a century-long tra- they may be carrying flags or helping load and unload trail- “You can’t replace the teachers,” he said. dition for Elk City and surrounding counties and a Profes- ers. Jake is getting old enough now to do the chute work. He said the district has explored having teachers conduct sional Rodeo Cowboy event. They don’t always get to help, depending upon what their Of the three brothers, only Elra would have a child - his See Fifth page 8. See School page 2. Weather Vol. 118, No. 73 Mail delivery View online «LM C0 tomorrow - 84 / 75 cents, 8 pgs. 580.225.3000 elkcityoknews.com