August 13, 2022 Issue, Page 1 of 8

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Serving Western Oklahoma Since 1901. Saturday, August 13, 2022 Weekend Edition Sugar Shack’s Cathy Shirey Gets Ready for a ‘Sweet Ending’ Many students began the new school year on Thursday. Pictured is Gavin who will be attending Ist Grade and Cora who will be in Pre-k. Photo submitted by Shelby Gallagher. See more photos on page 8. Cathy and Kennie Shirey; Sugar Shack Cookbook. Staff photos by Sheryl Ponce. By Sheryl Ponce nights, so [ helped open The Attic Door. While I was there, John- ell Phone nie Womack from Johnny's Cakes of Elk City, a longtime cake Since Cathy Shirey announced that she was going to retire on decorator, said she was retiring. She asked me if she could give Earbud October 1st, customers have been flocking to the store to grab a copy of her cookbook, trying to hold on to what they love. It out my phone number to some of her best people, so they could have someone to make cakes for them. She knew that I had been Policy All cell phones will be required to stay in lockers or seems that if the “crazy little shack located beyond the tracks making cakes out of my house for family and friends. Made my chromebook cases. They are not to be in pockets or known as the Sugar Shack” will no longer there, customers are in sister’s wedding cake and different few different ones in town ‘out during class. If they are seen by a teacher or a frenzy to hold on to Shirey’s famous recipes. that knew me. There’s never enough room in your home kitchen. staff member, they will be taken and given to the “We have had to order more books since I announced that I was I gave her my phone number and said sure. I said it so quickly, office. retiring. It has been crazy,” Shirey said. not thinking how busy I was going to get. I made a few cakes at She opened the bakery on Oct. 1st, 2001 and will be closing home without a commercial kitchen. I realized that I was going Wireless ear buds are NOT allowed on school exactly 21 years later. The decision to retire was hard, but simple. to get way too busy and it seems that food was going to be more grounds. Each student must have a set of wired ear buds for class work. Her husband, Kennie Shirey, a retired detective from the Elk City consumable than just crafts,” Shirey explained. Police Department, told her that he was going to travel. She could Elk City’s New Cell Phone ‘The idea of moving from crafts to cakes was born. She had been stay at the bakery and work or come with him to see the country. in the woodworking business for years, coming from a cabinet ‘That was the determining factor. She wants to travel with her making father and family. She was making wood crafts to sell. husband and spend more time with her family. “The wood crafts were really popular at the time. I'm from fam- “He has been with me every step of the way, from the day we ily of woodworking. My dad’s cabinet making business, Leo Ad- bought the building. He has been here cleaning, even making ams of Elk City made lots and lots of cabinets for people. My dad, Policy Limits Use candy during the holidays,” Shirey admitted. By Sheryl Ponce my brother (Steve Adams) and my brother-in-law (Joe Still) and ‘Ihe story of the bakery and how it started was one of destiny my husband worked there. I decided to look start looking for a and faith. Prior to opening the shop she was a crafter. She opened building for the cake business. I thought that food was more con- Joining Merritt Public Schools in limiting the use of cell- ‘The Attic Door with Lisa Miraglio, where she sold her crafts. phones, Elk City High School and Middle School published “I was into crafts for several years while he (Kennie) worked See Sugar page 2. their new cell phone policies on their Facebook pages alerting student and parent of the changes. he policies are specific in not allowing cell phones, air pods, and headphones of any kind Elk City Public School transportation in the classrooms. At the Middle School wireless ear buds will not be allowed on the school grounds but must have wired ear- buds for class work. bond goes to vote on August 23 “At Elk City Middle School, our focus in the classroom is stu- dent learning and student growth. If we are able to eliminate obstacles that prevents either of those then we must do that The bond will replace 20+-year-old buses for the success of our students,” ECMS principal Richard Mo- ran said about the policy. According to high school principal Jamie McClure, there By Shonda Little have been concerns voiced by parents, which spurred the dis- cussion about amending the current policy. The administration When voters go to the polls on August 23 in the state’s Sen- worked together to put together policies that are appropriate ate runoff elections, Elk City constituents will also decide on a school bond issue to address the school district’s aging buses. for each building and grade level. As Elk City students start back to school on August 11, many “The policy that was posted will be more for our middle will travel to school on buses that are more than twenty years school and high school. Our elementary is a little different. old. A lot of those kids don’t have phones, so they don’t have the Elk City Superintendent Mike Sparks says constant mainte- same issues. The one we sent out was more based on our two nance and repair on the buses has become a considerable ex- pense. buildings. But I know they have one as well,” McClure said. “This isn’t tire and oil that I am talking about. This is only the He also talked about the use of headphones. Because there repairs,” Sparks said. are safety issues that go along with the use of them, they de- + Replace Buses In Service For Just last year, the district spent approximately $30,000 main- cided to ask students not to have them at all. The use of smart » Reduce Service and Operatiol taining just two of the old buses. watches would still be allowed if they are only used to tell time, + Financially Responsi “Our staff has done a great job of somehow keeping those but not as a media device. They would still be banned during buses going long past their life expectancy,” Sparks said. “It is ‘CURRENT BUSES IN O1 amazing, honestly. But, because these buses are so old, the re- testing. ‘Model Year-Mileage ModelYear-Mileage Mod 109356 2000-96,761 2001 - 104519 2004- pairs are pretty constant and increasingly expensive. Financially, Prior to this policy, it was up to individual teachers to estab- 2000- 698,952 2001 -95,729 2005-111,660 123 they cost the district quite a bit. Replacing them will free up that lish policies for use in their classrooms. Although many teach- 2000-578,352 2004 202,182 2005 112,752 95,922 money. These buses have been well taken care of, but no bus is ers did not allow them, some allowed students to use them for ox ACY Ave Companion built to last forever. So, for our staff and students’ safety and fi- educational purposes in the class. Aull nancial well-being, we are asking the voters to support this bond issue.” “Now all our kids will have a Chromebook checked out to SEEDSEEEREER: analysis SRPSEEEGSEGE? Citing inflation, Sparks acknowledged that many households them from seventh grade to 12th grade, so there is really no e528 had strapped budgets. use for a student to be on their personal device. They can get “That is why we have kept this bond to a needs list and not a on a school Chromebook now and do the same thing that they FistTan te, Yl ffl tipe of,” Sparks advised. wish list. These are things that the district is in desperate need were using their personal devices for,” McClure explained. ¢ If passed, the bond will be an ad valorem. Sparks explained See Policy page 2. See Bond page 2. «AMAL Weather tomorrow 98/ Vol. 120, No. 64 75 cents, 8 pgs. Mail delivery 580.225.3000 View online elkcityoknews.com