November 11, 2023 Issue, Page 1 of 16

Page Text

aturday, November 11, 2023 Weekend Edition ECPD Assistant Chief the olk ety chamber prosonts John Cook Talks Numbers “in the park sPINK. FRIDA! 11.17.2023 Lake Carpenter, Jake Morgan, Jackson Ivester, and Em- ily Lowrance SHOP SMALL FIRST sa + By Sheryl Ponce DOWNTOWN ELK CITY ‘The Elk City Rotary Club’s program was Elk City Police De- partments Assistant Chief John Cook. He was introduced by OS president, Lake Carpenter, and talked about his pathway into the department as well as the current crime statistics. Elk City’s Time to Cook has been with the ECPD for the past 12 years and started in law enforcement 26 years ago. He is married and has two children and lives in Granite. He graduated from Southeast- Shop to Win and ern Oklahoma State University, where his first job was danger- ous species recovery. He worked in wildlife management, which made him cross trained as a game warden and law enforcement in Missouri. Then he moved back to his ranch in Granite. Other Events One area that Cook is especially passionate about is the Child Advocacy Center. They just finished their golf tourna- ECPD Assistant Chief John Cook. By Sheryl Ponce ment, where they raised funds for specialty training and sup- porting the center. He explained that the center is somewhere He pulled numbers and shared those with the Rotarians. He told ‘The time has come to buy locally and win the chance of a child can tell their story one time, which reduces the trauma a his lieutenants to begin thinking outside of the box in relation to Chamber Bucks. Each year the Elk City Chamber and par- child faces with any type of abuse. local crime. ticipating merchants provide the community with the annual “We have immersive training in pediatric sexual assaults. He said, “Let’s not dwell on making as many traffic tickets as We do our own physicals on the children where their mental we can. People sometimes have to get stopped. Sometimes we Hometown Christmas Drawing. This year it will take place on health comes in. We have DHS child protection services, and all got to pinch a little bit. But I would rather see the people who ‘Thursday, Dec. 14th at 8 p.m. at Main Street Coffee and Café, these groups come together to try to take care of a child with us, are stealing or breaking into businesses and shops, get arrested. along with other activities that will be held downtown Elk City. So, we can prevent further traumatic experiences to the child. Td rather see those people go to jail. Those are worth a whole lot Make plans to shop at the following stores to grab tickets ‘That's near and dear to my heart, and I'm so proud of the job we more than a traffic ticket.” for the drawing that is worth $1000 of gifts: 580 Threads, do there,” Cook explained. When he compared crime from Nov. ‘22 to Nov. ‘23, they Barber-Dyson Ford-Lincoln, Bella Vita, Brown Ales, 7 Rari- Cook continued to focus on the police department and the ties, Buffalo Creek Boutique, Carrol’s Shoe Corner, Circle A support they get from the city commission and city manager. See Rotary page 3. Western Wear, Currell's Do It Center, Damron Jewelers, Davis Printing Co., DJ’s Rentals and Sales, Drs. Bintz and Elis, Drag- onfly Interiors & Design, Elk City News, Elk City Pick-A-Part, Commissioners Vote to Elk City Pools & Spas, Fat Cat Designs, Galleria Furniture Out- let, Grandview Pharmacy, Hylton’s Flowers & Gifts, KECO/ KOOL 94, Keith’s Butcher Shop, Kilhoffer Flooring Center, Restore Carousel Horses LaDonna’s Wine & Spirits, Lipscomb Auto Group, Little Gray & Co., L&R Tire & Truck Service, Main Street Coffee & Café, By Sheryl Ponce ing the Zoning classification of a tract of land changing the zone from R-3 to C-3, which was heard in the public hearing. No action Merrifield Office Supply, Mostly Mail, Mountain Man’s Axe Mayor Cory Spieker opened a public hearing Monday, Nov. was taken because it was an introduction to the ordinance. Throwing & Grub, Oak Creek Floral & Gifts, Page Jewelers, 6th, at 7 p.m. in City Hall, just prior to the regular commission ‘The next item on the agenda was the approval of the final Plat Paul Jones Drug, Pizza Hut, Play on Main, R&K Superette, meeting, concerning proposal of closing streets as described on of “Elk City Foam Wash.” This is located next to Burger King in Roger's Meat Market, Sailer & Sage, The Attic Door, The Candy the agenda. According to City Manager, Tom Ivester, the road is Elk City. The commissioners then approved adding Administra- a section of Peace Street between 5th and 7th Streets, close to tion fees of $25 for asbestos testing to be included in the proper- Shack, The Depot Trading Co., The Everett Blake Society, The where the former Fairview School was located and a local day ty owner's billing, City Inspector Jackie Addington spoke on the Mix Boutique, The Natural Way Dispensary, The Tool Box, The care. They are proposing vacating the road behind the daycare in issue, saying that they presently are not charging anything for Vogue Boutique, The Zoo 101.7, and Windy Nissan. an effort to expand. the service. He said it takes time and materials to send a speci- ‘Throughout the rest of Nov. the activities are plentiful. The City Attorney, Ryan Meacham, stated AT&T has utilities in men off to be tested. Ivester noted that they are not making the Bull’s play at the Arrowhead Center on Nov 11th and 12th, the area, therefore, the most that can be done with the closing is fee as much as it actually costs the city for the service. The com- that it would not be reopened asa street or an alley because there missioners approved the fee. and the Southwest Rustic Craft Show will be held at the Con- are existing utilities there. ‘The commissioners approved a bid received from Sandy Creek vention Center. On the 17th, 18th, and 19th, the Red Carpet Another public hearing was heard concerning 400 W. Broad- Millworks, Inc., for carousel horse restoration, including removal Community Theatre will be showing “34th on Miracle Street.” way. This is where the fire station will be going. The hearing was and reinstallation with total repaint within the original color ‘Then on Nov. 17th, Pink Friday will kick off the holiday shop- to rezone the area from R-3, Multi-Family Residential District scheme in the amount of $32,400. Ivester said they will begin to C-3, General Commercial District. Tom Johnson was present the project after Christmas in the Park and begin with six horses, ping season. On the 18th the OK National Jr. Heifer Show will to speak on behalf of the zoning commission, saying that it was then three at a time afterward to complete the project. City Trea- be going on at the Convention Center, and the Bulls will once rezoned for multifamily residential district in the past, but it is surer Jennifer Rainey informed the commissioners that there again be head-to-head at the Arrowhead Center. Nov, 24th not going to be used for that anymore. Meacham spoke up to say is a carousel maintenance fund that will be able to pay for the through the 26th the Untitled Pop-up Theatre will be showing that the location of the present fire station is zoned C-3, and it renovations. This is left over funds from the original fundraiser would be better to join the three within the same zone. for the purchase of the carousel in 2000. The fund has around “Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Claus” at the Museum Opera Spieker closed the public hearing to open the commission $100,000 in it. House. Nov. 24th through Dec. 31st head over to Ackley Park meeting. He gave the invocation, while Rocky Andresen led the ‘The bid for a Wheeled Coach Type 1 Ambulance Remount to see the plethora of lights at Christmas in the Park. Nov. flag salute. In the first order of business the commissioners ap- from Banner Fire Equipment in the amount of $244,983, a 25th will be the annual Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting, proved the minutes from the Oct. 18th meeting, and then there along with the Small Business Saturday shopping. was an introduction of Ordinance No 1260: An Ordinance chang- See Commission page 2. 8 | 04879 IN 9 Weather tomorrow @ 74/48 Vol. 120, No. 90 75 cents, 16 pgs. Mail delivery 580.225.3000 View online elkcityoknews.com