April 16, 2022 Issue, Page 1 of 14

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Since 1901 Weekend Edition Lackey Presents a Final Plan to Commissioners during Study Session Passing the HiSet Test Fullfills Goals sed / By Sheryl Ponce City Hall was full with Elk City citizens and members of the Elk City Golf and Country Club.; Pictured is Robert With the addition of HiSet Testing for achieving a High Lackey talking to the commissioners and the audience School Equivalency(HSE) diploma at Western Technology Cen- about the Country Club Association’s proposal. Staff photos ter in the Adult Eduction program at Burns Flat, 18-year-old by Sheryl Ponce. Libertee Desordi was able to attend classes and test all in the same location. She earned her HSE this month by passing a series of five test, similar to the old GED test. By Sheryl Ponce Desordi moved with her mother, Carrie Desordi, from Mors- ville, New York, to Sentinel in 2019, to start a new life ina place ‘The Elk City Commissioners’ Study Session took place Tuesday with a lower cost of living. But she had dropped out of school evening at City Hall and was called to order by Mayor Nick Ar- before leaving New York, entering a homeschool program. cher, The agenda was short, but full of information from vari- spent on private property and how state purchasing must be con- “| originally dropped out of school in the ninth grade, and ducted in the future. I started doing homeschooling. Then I finished homeschool- ous people. It concluded with a presentation by Robert Lackey, representing the Elk City Golf & Country Club Association, to a Meacham explained the final proposal that was in question. He ing, but they never ended up sending me a certificate,” she ex- talked about the agreements that could have been in place so plained. crowded room of local citizens and association members. She worked the BOCES homeschool program out of New the association would be able to conduct business as they have In this final presentation, Lackey laid out a plan that was similar York, finishing her coursework, but upon completion, the com- done in the past. Those agreements included different areas of to the one that had been on the April agenda, but later removed. pany would not return her calls or send her credentials. the club house that could be leased, such as a restaurant area, the Financial advisor Russ Meacham gave a history of the plans that “It's like a program that does a bunch of different classes. pro-shop, or the land outside of the club house that was part of had been discussed in previous negotiations, as well as an expla- And it helps out different types of kids. I didn’t have to pay for the 6.9 acres. This was the agreement that could have been ap- nation of the last that spurred the need for the study session. it, but when you finish they never called you back. They never First on the agenda was Tom Mike Johnson who gave a history proved at the last commission meeting. He was knowledgeable called me back, and never returned any of my messages. That is of the country club prior to 2017. He spoke of how the land was about how other municipalities conducted business in public golf when Idecided to go to adult ed,” Desordi continued. purchased by the City of Elk City, along with how the association courses. She entered the Western Technology Regional Adult Learn- purchased the 6.9 acres where they built the club house that was ‘The last item on the agenda was the association's presentation ing Center on the Burns Flat campus in August of 2020 and destroyed in the 2017 tornado. He was followed by Commission- by Lackey. The plan he presented included giving the city the 6.9 took her HSE test a little over a year later. acres, as well as $1.25 million and an additional $500,000 that “So the teacher (Darrel Greene) that 1 worked with really er Cory Spieker who talked about the city and golf course involve- ment since the tornado. was being raised by a newly formed Elk City Golf and Country helped me. For the first couple of months, he helped me with City Attorney, Steve Holloway, addressed the legalities of the re- Club Foundation. He said that the association wants to know learning and understanding all of the programs that I had to what the city is financially willing to put into the project. go through, and all the tests I had to take. He especially helped lationship between the association and the city. This included the audit that took place where specific issues were addressed and “What we are here to tell you is what we are going to do for the me the last couple of months before I started taking the tests,” she said. since rectified. He spoke about the issue of public money being See Study Session page 2. See Goals page 2. National Telecommunications Week Elk City Dispatchers wi Jasmine Powell Jayne Harris Jessica Hopingardner Leslie Denley Valerie Huebert Wendi Grinder Emergency dispatchers take information from the public about ers, their dispatchers have a high moral character and integrity, Jessica Hopingardner - has been a dispatcher with ECPD for compassion, good judgment, high degree emotional self control, two years, but has a total of almost 12 years of dispatching. crimes, threats, fires, acts of terrorism, medical emergencies, and other emergencies to coordinate and connect with emergency re- empathy and sensitivity, intelligence, good communication skills Jayne Harris - has been a dispatcher with ECPD since January sponse personnel. and self-confidence. of this year, but has a total of three years dispatching. ‘The Elk City Police Department dispatchers answer 911 calls, Jasmine Powell - has been a dispatcher with ECPD for two Valerie Huebert - has been a dispatcher with ECPD for 15 years. but they are also dispatching the police and fire departments. years with a total of almost 13 years of dispatching Wendi Grinder - has been a dispatcher with ECPF for seven According to the ECPD’s Facebook post thanking the dispatch- Lesie Denley - has been a dispatcher with ECPD for 11 years. years Vol. 120, No. 31 aT Te Weather tomorrow 77/43 75 cents, 14 pgs. 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