August 17, 2022 Issue, Page 1 of 8

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Serving Western Oklahoma Wednesday, August 17, 2022 Weekday Editi Beckham County Media Elk City Eyes Bus Needs honors Kerry Hookstra By Shonda Little On Sunday, the staff of the Beckham County Media learned of the sudden passing of our longtime sports and “Parson to Person” writer Kerry Hookstra. Over the next week, we will be speaking with the seemingly endless coaches and athletic direc- tors who Kerry faithfully worked with to cover the area sports and its student-athletes. If you have a memory or antidote that you would like to share, please contact me at (S80)821-2866. The Beckham County Record’s founding publisher Brad Spitzer shared the following late Sunday evening: “Kerry Hookstra was a valued member of The Beckham County Record family for over 20 years and our hearts are bro- ken over his death. His knowledge and love of all sports was unequaled by any sports writer in our area. His love for kids and a desire to see them all succeed was always a driving force Elk City Public Schoo!’s Transportation Director Tom Osborne. Staff photo by Sheryl Ponce. See Hookstra page 3. By Sheryl Ponce Hottest in Beckham “That's what I’ve been able to do, I trade buses and maybe limp one back home. Last year we had to have one towed to the shop, Director of Transportation Tom Osborne knows first-hand luckily it was still in town,” Osborne said. what Elk City Public Schools need in the way of busses. He has been repairing and rescuing them over the past few years. He said While he is attending to getting one back in service, kids are sitting on the bus waiting to go to an activity, to school, or home. County Survey Hits the district has some buses that are over 20 years old, while oth- “The last time I had to go swap one out was when I went to ers are pushing that mark. Blanchard. It was the high school basketball tournament. They “I must work on some of them more than others. But we are actually had two buses up there, during that game, and both of Social Media just to the point to where we have alot of miles on them, and alot them had problems. So I took one and was able to get the one of it’s just the years they have that things deteriorate,” Osborne By Sheryl Ponce situated enough to get it home. Then I swapped it out with the said. other activity bus and limped it home” he continued. Although he admitted that they have been fortunate to be ‘The ones he was talking about were activity busses, which Share, share, share. The Beckham County Record and the able to find the parts that they need to fix them, they often break Elk City News Hottest Business survey has been posted, and have over 500,000 and 600,000 miles on them. He said that the the links are being shared by local merchants and individuals. down on the road with kids on them. last time a route bus went down, they lost the engine in it. “Really, maybe within the last five or six years, it hasn't been It is time to find the link and let your opinions be known. The “Last year, we spent ... although there weren't just two of best of the best in the county will be counted and announced in that big of a problem. But in that time span, we've had more them last year, I have to say it was probably $20,000 in repairs, a special section of both newspapers. breakdowns. I mean, it seems like bad stuff goes down when the on two of them. ‘That is half of my budget for the year,” Osborne ‘This is more than a competition. It is the chance to let mer- kids are out on activities, and you have to go get it. I've had to speculated. chants know what you like. Your favorite places to dine, shop, 0,” he added. Each time one ofthe busses pulls out of the bus barn, he wants He has been able to trade buses, which are what he calls an buy, and go are on the line. Don’t let justa few decide what you to make sure it is in good working order. He worries about the like, but flood the survey with a record number of voters. easy fix. Sometimes they require more attention than just bring- ing them home. He always has tools on hand. See Buses page 2. Follow the link to vote! Voting will be live August 12-26. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/hottestbizinbeckham- county Route 66, Destination for Oak Creek Floral UK Honeymooners and Gifts Sponsors the Breakfast Club Gavin teaches engineering to what he called big kids, ages 11 to 18, and Genevieve is a medical researcher for pharmaceuti- cals. She works in the first steps to researching vaccines for all of the big pharmaceutical companies. By Sheryl Ponce “It's a really cool job. We work with Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Johnson and Johnson, all three of them,” she said. It has been months since the last Elk City Chamber of Com- ‘The Wales also have one son, Jacob, who was staying in Spain merce Breakfast Club met, but the membership mixer came to- with Gavin's father who retired there. The two are from a town. gether at the Elk’s Lodge Friday morning, It was sponsored by Brandy Coffman of Oak Creek Floral and Gifts. With room full on the border of Scotland and England but moved a few years of chamber members, Basil Weatherly emceed the event. First ago. Gavin was born in Scotland and even wore a traditional on the agenda was calling on Pastor of First Assembly of God Scottish kilt in the wedding, along with all the other men in the Church Kevin Akins to give the invocation. wedding party. Then Coffman welcomed the group and gave a rundown of ‘Their trip to travel Route 66 has been a dream of theirs. Gen- her business. She told the group how much she loves Elk City evieve’s father has been across the US a few times, which spurred and all that it offers. their interest in doing the same. “Lm not originally from here. I'm from Cornell, born and “My father and stepmom rave about it all the time. We were raised. I've been here about 15 years. We have a wonderful, won- like, ‘Well, we need to do that, too’ Obviously, it costs quite a lot derful chamber that really keeps all of us moving in all different directions, and it’s why I'm here speaking to you. This is a really of money to do, s0 it’s once in a lifetime thing. We thought, ‘If we good community that we try to serve every day,” she said. can't do it for our honeymoon, when can we do it! ” Genevieve Next, Weatherly called Elk City’s Athletic Director Brian said. Hunt to give an update on the district's happenings. He spoke She had been to Disney World once when she was about about the football program, introducing their new football 16-years-old and Gavin traveled to Washington D.C. when he coach Zac Maynard. Maynard had been the defensive coordi- G@epshiend Bod Gavin Wales. Courtesy photo. was five or six. This is the first time they have been able to really nator and then the head coaching job came open. Hunt called see the States. Elk City’s previous winning coach Woody Roof for his reference Coming all the way from Peterborough, England, Gavin and Gavin’s first impressions on the trip were about drink sizes on the young coach, who gave his overwhelming approval. With that introduction, Maynard came to the podium. Genevieve Wales are celebrating their honeymoon traveling and the main interstates. “We're happy to be here. Our family includes my wife and I, Route 66 from LA to Chicago. They stopped in Elk City to take “The ones (interstates) in the UK are awful, in that they're so and my two boys. We have loved it for the last year. I think that in the National Museum before heading to Yukon for the night. busy and restricted,” they both agreed. it is very important for our young men (referencing the football One could say that they are celebrating their one-year anni- Since they started their journey in L.A., they still have a lot team) to learn to give back to the community, and it helps us to versary because their actual marriage ceremony took place on to see. So far their biggest take away has been in the old towns, get more support from the community. We have roughly 75 kids July 28th of last year. Although the trip was already planned, they like they found in Albuquerque and the beaches they found in that were in the weight room this morning working out at six were unable to honeymoon due to flight restrictions in England. California. o'clock. The football program, as far asnumbers and attitudes, I “We were supposed to be here last year. You weren’t we were “The main takeaway we've had is that we want to come back couldn’t be more pleased. What a great place, and we are excited and revisit some of the places of our time there. We had like may- about the 2023 football team,” Maynard said, noting that the Yeah. We because we couldn't fly out with the UK to pretty much first football game would be in two weeks, Aug. 26, on the home anywhere. So we ended up going to Wales for a week last year,” See Honeymooners page 3. See Club page 2. Genevieve explained. Weather Vol. 120, No. 65 Mail delivery View online OE tomorrow 87 / 63 75 cents, 10 pgs. 580.225.3000 elkcityoknews.com