May 12, 2021 Issue, Page 1 of 12

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Wednesday, May 12, 2021 Weekday Edition Beckham County Sheriff’s Office is investigating of a Elk City Junior High teacher ’s R e -Sta t the A Let r ts wins state award the 2019-20 fiscal year. $17.2 million figure is with in Erick five months ago and that the child’s information was put into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons at R were not released by our office - regarding a NAMUS entry r ed C a pet T he a e “““w The district could not find Join us for a All Ages Are Welcome! At left, Keyes is pictured with her award. Right, Keyes “Re-Stat the Arts” is with her husband and her principal Richard Moran. auditions for the show will Fundraiser Variety Show the fiscal year ended. He Courtesy photos. Department of Human Services officials be held may 17are working & 18 at 6 p.m.with Saturday, June 5 at 7 p.m. Message us on facebook for more details to fill out an application. Her fellow Hunt, teachers and Elk City Public payroll/insurance to the current fiscal year, but Schools Superintendent Rick Garrison wrote recommendation let- Red Carpet Theaterwith 48 years, 42240 N. Jefferson, of Elk City ters. continues, and a final “Then I guess it was when we got into the finalists’ stage that they came out to film me with my classes,” Keyes remembered. “It was surprising, but it is always nice to be recognized for your hard work Re-Start the Arts at RCCT in the classroom.” Her school principal, Richard Moran, also joined her at the cer- Auditions for the variety show to emony. “I can’t say enough about Mr. Moran,” Keyes gushed. “The first be held May 17 & 18 Later on Tuesday on the sheriff’s office FB page, Manning thing that every teacher needs is a supportive administration, and said Thesheriff’s Board ofofficials Directors had offound the Reddocuments that confirmed Carpet Community we definitely have that in Elk City. I feel like I can go to Mr. Moran Theatre has voted to re-open the theatre with a “Re-Start the with any of my concerns, and he is solution-based.” Keyes has long roots in Elk City. Sheflawless, graduated and thatElk from doesn’t City High Arts” Variety Show that will feature area talent. The show will School in 1999 before entering Southwestern Oklahoma State Uni- open on June 5th with auditions being held 6 p.m. on May By Shonda Little versity for an education degree. Although she admits in her youth 17th and 18th at the theatre located at 422 N. Jefferson in Elk she hadn’t always intended to take this route, she knew that she City. All ages, from all communities are welcome to audition. Decked out in fine evening attire and surrounded by her teach- would find her way back to the classroom when she started her col- Director, Ashley Arganbright, Clinton, encourages all to be ing peers and family, Elk City Junior High teacher Jennifer Keyes legiate education. prepared satisfiedwith thatthetheaudition piece that circumstances will bewhich through performed he cameat the to was awarded the Junior High Merit Award on April 30. ton – 1978, Her high school sweetheart, 1982 Jared, is and1997 also a 1984 – and one graduate state of Elk show, unless other requests are made. The prestigious acknowledgment was doled out at the Petroleum City High School. The couple began their teaching career in Elk City “We’re thrilled to be able to offer an opportunity to per- Club within BankFirst in Oklahoma City by the Professional Okla- at the same time. form without having to commit to a full-scale production, she been a coach for 48 years – a head football homa Educators Foundation. “I finished college in three andfora half years.–Jared hadan taught oneresaid. “I have been involved with them for about ten years,” Keyes re- coach 40 years and has overall before at Butler and then came to Elk City at the same time I did There will be free admission, but donations will be taken at counted. cord of 307-147 and a playoff record of 44- in my first year. Now we are both in the junior high together. Our the“Our door. The theatre has Keyes, the longtime ECJH English and Language Arts Pre-Ap rooms are right next to each24. other. He played football He can at of be kind Oklahoma State. a loud guy, so I strength is going tobeen darkdramati increase due to the pandemic and expenses have continued. To bring back productions, there is teacher, was blindsided by the accolade. After all, she does the day can hear him teaching his class,” she said. cally,” he said. “The [players’] confidence in in, day out work not for praises, but what she both gets and gives need to reclaim funds that have been expended over the past Her husband also coaches junior high and high school cross coun- year. There have been two grants awarded from the Oklahoma to her students. try, high school basketball, and junior high baseball. “Some days are harder than others, but even on the worst days Arts Council that helped support cleaning the building as well “We are very involved and invested in all things Elk City Schools that I have had as a teacher, there is always good. And, the good as providing funds to pay regular ongoing bills, but beginning and anything to help the town,” Keyes said. “We stay busy almost days far outnumber the bad days. There is going to be a give and seven days a week with these activities, but it doesn’t feel like work a new season of shows brings extra costs. take with any job. I don’t know anyone who never has a bad mo- to either of us. I don’t know what else I would do and loving some- “This is the perfect opportunity to become involved in your during an interview in the athletic office at Officials in Beckham County have cut nearly $1 million ment at work. Teaching gets a bad rap sometimes, and you do hear thing like that makes it not work.” local community theatre, or maybe come back if you’ve been from their estimated budget this year, with the final horror stories, but it is the most fulfilling thing that I can imagine In addition to teaching the ELA Pre-Ap classes, Keyes began serv- on a break,” said Connie Ferrero, who will be assisting Argan- approval of the 2019-20 fiscal year budget coming in the doing. It might not be for everyone, but when you have the bless- ing as the school librarian this year. She splits her time with the two bright with the show. ing of getting to experience this, you can understand why it’s the duties and serves as the student council sponsor and the academic Questions about the production or interest in becoming a only thing some of us can imagine ever doing. These kids have their team coach. sponsor of “Re-Start the Arts” at RCCT should be emailed the whole lives in front of them, and you get entrusted with being just a small part in guiding them to their future,” Keyes said. Their three sons, Kye, Krew and Kix, are all Elk City students. the2019-20 directors search atisbudget at their [email protected].. on to find The accident weeklycoordi an offensive Occurred meeting Monday. The fina just after 6 p.m. in a hay field 3 “Our oldest is in high school now, but I was his teacher twice a The theatre has been supported by the Elk City commu- When Keyes learned that she had been nominated for the award, day while he was in junior high. I did that for two years with him. It nityover to the as well as state by the first of surrounding October. communities for years, with each she was surprised. wasn’t strange at all. I like being around him, and I feel like all of my season Cain tried to bringing at repair something least three under The productions. his 1986 BoardFord F350 is cur- “I was nominated by another teacher, although I still don’t know students are my kids. Having him was an extension of that. His dad who. I was supposed to find out when I got the award but didn’t. rently considering what productions will be cost effective and also got to teach him, and we got to have lunch together. I felt lucky mostexcise boardfor enjoyable gives the final audiences. approval There are moreandactivities signs offand on it I’m honored to think that one of my peers thought enough of me to get that extra time with my Hisfamily,” startingshe datesaid. is the first Monday after events to come, and input or suggestions are encouraged by to do the nomination, much less making it through the process. It Hartman, CountyBeckham County Clerk. is still very humbling,” she added. Like most educators, she experienced challenges during the theBeckham board. Members of Sheriff’s Office, the board Carter include Fire, Sheryl Elk City Ponce, Fire, Kelsey our first phase of the CAPS County officials said See Keyes page 2. Zybach, Jim Mason, Ashley Arganbright, in April that changes in the budget After Keyes learned that she was nominated, she was first asked Connie Ferrero, Rob Stephens, Christy Russell, Stephanie Ellis, and Kat Tate. tion scheme for the Elk offense. On the de From the mountains to Mexico to medical marijuana: The county cut $998,696 from its budget, Hartman said Covid pandemic brings Elk City grad back to Oklahoma department or every official gives their estimate of what about a lot of different places. It made me open to being spontane- Grillthey’re needing in the Denver thatfor hethe year,”to happened Hartman own. She said. “The stepped awayexcise from ous,” she said. that work as her event planning business took off. After high school, Clark enrolledcould stay on the floor in Southwestern the Oklahoma The couple began looking to yet another adventure and found a State University and then moved to Texas to study cosmology and beachfront restaurant to buy in Belize. barbering. “Just as we were due to take ownership, the pandemic hit. The a.m. with Hot Hash and “I then moved back to Oklahoma and became licensed here. I be- Covid cases were getting high in America, and the government in came a service manager at the Clarion Inn, and that got me started Belize“We don’t know was talking aboutthose figures shutting theiryet,” borderssheinsaid. “We’re America. kind At that in the service industry on that side,” she said. time, they still seemed open to people coming in from other coun- In 2014, she decided to take a risk and move to Colorado to pur- tries, so my husband and I decided to move to Mexico to try to go sue one of her many life dreams — living in the mountains. She was yearway. in that before It wasand current just us andyear figures and our 3-year-old help the daughter county Remi. We employed in management with the corporate restaurant chain that moved down to Carmen del Playa. America is Belize’s biggest tour- owns Bonefish Grill and Carrabba’s Italian Grill. ists, so“But whenwe’ve they made 20country shut the percentdown cuts;tosome offices they shut Americans, After approximately five years, she once again made a pivot — it down for everyone. We had already rented our house in Denver, this time into event planning. so we were going to have to go somewhere regardless. Mexico was A fire that burned the Team Chip Tae Kwon “I started a wedding company, Epic Events,” Clark explained. “We get those cheaper, and wefinal likefigures from them, new experiences. Weit’s kind went of wait down and and had the Do building Tuesday afternoon in the 1400 do all kinds of event planning — corporate events, reunions, birth- times of our lives,” Clark recounted. a definite day parties, but we primarily do weddings. We candate doset for jobs small the like With Commissioners a toddler in tow, gave the their familyfinal had approval to adjust toforlife theboth figures in a food or banquet or coordinating the entire event. We will work with new country and life during a global pandemic. Children were not By Shonda Little fire chief for the Elk City Fire Department. No whatever needs you have, whether they first areweekend in November. big or small. We are still allowed in grocery stores. Like many places, schools were shut operating that in Denver. Because I am not there, I have one woman down, and tourism was slow. injuries Jaymee occurred. (Burnam) ClarkTwo people has always beenin the build The 2009 who is our main employee and another girl who helps her. We used a adventurous. there, at least one account in there,” Hartman said. “We went to the beach every day. We rented our first house through ElkingCityescaped unharmed. High School Theearly graduate knew main onpart that of thethe “travel bug lot of contractors. We haven’t done one in Oklahoma yet because we AirBNB, and then I found a place through Facebook Marketplace. OurHartman could not provide an exact figure. The public hadfire occurred in the hot water heater area. bitten her.” 75 are focused children rightThat this year. nowfigure on getting was upour grow from 40 house up and going, but last year. housing area had a neighborhood pool. We went there pretty “I started working in restaurants when I was 14 and knew that I $12,130. The insurance company also is investigating. we certainly could and are certainly open to it.” liked working around a lot of different kinds of people and learning See Clark page 2. Clark had met her husband while she was managing a Carrabba’s Weather Vol. Vol. 117,119, No.No. 54 38 Mail delivery Home delivery Viewonline View online tomorrow 68 / 51 99/70 75 cents, 12 pgs.pgs. 75 cents, 12 580.225.3000 580.225.3000 elkcityoknews.com elkcityoknews.com