When children touch your heart, they leave their handprints forever. This is the saying on the banner that Town Talk hung several years ago in Pete’s Pocket Park on Main Street. We have finally added the children’s handprint tiles. If your child missed out on making a handprint, we will be doing more in the future. Thank you to Pete and Kathy Sawatzky for allowing us to use this space.
The competition has officially been launched. Stroud City Hall’s neon sign has been installed but it is not complete. It is your turn to leave your mark on history. You could be chosen to showcase your creativity along Route 66 and be a permanent part of Stroud’s Neon Signs Project by submitting artwork to be displayed on the back of the sign. For more information and an entry form go to https://fivetoolmanagement.com/strouddesign- competion. Upcoming community activities include Stroud Community Clothing Ministry 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Route 66 West, Thursday August 21st, Route 66 Metal Detecting Club 7:00 p.m. at City Hall, Thursday August 21st, High School Tigers Football Scrimmage 6:00 p.m. at Jack Poskey Field, Friday August 22nd, Route 8 Boat Races at Stroud Lake, Saturday and Sunday August 23rd and August 24th, JV Tiger Football Scrimmage 6:00 p.m. at Jack Poskey Field, Monday August 25th and Stroud Food Pantry 9:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Tuesday August 26th.
Thank you to everyone who donated money to help build a pavilion at Stroud Cemetery for graveside services. Town Talk raised $4500 for the concrete base and has turned those funds over to the City of Stroud to begin the project. Additional monies raised will go for a bulletin board at the cemetery to house a map of the cemetery and a list of grave locations. Also, Town Talk painted the flowerpots at the cemetery entrances and placed artificial ferns in them. Ferns were donated by Pat Poskey, Aleta Smalley, Lavina Hinman, Nellie Faye Cooper, Vivian Henshaw, Jean Pearman and Jo Braden. If you happen to see one of these ladies, please thank them for their contribution.
Thank you, also, Danny Scavone for putting up our awnings at Putt-Putt. We were late in getting them up due to all the rain and finding a volunteer to help us. Danny has only been a resident of Stroud for about six months and is a local horse trainer. If you need help with your horses, be sure and look Danny up. We appreciate him jumping in and volunteering to help us. Also, thanks again to Debbie Garrett and Vicki Keim for donating the awnings.
Town Talk has added songs for the Bugle Boy to play throughout the day. The new schedule is 8:00 a.m. Reveille, 10:00 a.m. Assembly, 12:00 p.m. Church Call, 2:00 p.m. Call to the Colors, 4:00 p.m. Retreat and 6:00 p.m. Taps. We hope this gives our community and its visitors more opportunities to enjoy our bugle boy.
Congratulations to all the Stroud kiddos who participated in the Cross Country Track Meet in Stroud this past Saturday. The meet was for elementary through high school ages. I have never seen so many kids out on a Saturday morning. Even though the event kicked off at 8:30 a.m. it was already hot, and they were sweating by the end of the run. Thank you to Ryan Cockrum of State Farm Insurance for providing watermelon for the kids. Their next meet will be this Saturday in Prague.
CJ Pickering is one of the friends I have made since organizing Town Talk. He recently told my mom his dad was an electrician for Mobil Oil Company, and he went to school in six different towns before moving to Stroud in 1953. He stated their family was immediately adopted by their neighbors, teachers, students and everyone they met in Stroud. He went on to say Stroud is such a wonderful place and he was so grateful to have lived there and graduated from Stroud High School in 1958. CJ currently lives in Austin, Texas but has not forgotten his hometown. He and his sister Martha, who also attended Stroud High School, donated to our cemetery project in memory of their brother, Bill Pickering, Stroud High School graduate of 1960. I always say that we might not have a Carrie Underwood, a Troy Aikman or a Garth Brooks but we have plenty of wonderful alums who have left Stroud and gone on to become productive and successful citizens. When Town Talk has a project, our alums are always good about donating. That is a testament to the kind of community that Stroud was then and still is today.
Town Talk is hosting a Free Tasting Party of Crockpot Meals on Wednesday, July 26th at Fourth and James. The event will take place from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and is come and go. You will be able to sample several different meals as well as four dips. They will be available for purchase as well a numerous other choices. Fourth and James will also be open for normal business so stop by, enjoy a coffee and check out Town Talk’s fundraiser.
August celebrated his birthday on August 14th and turned ten years old or as he likes to say, “double digits.” His mom bought helium balloons in Stroud and commented on how reasonably priced they were. He also enjoyed local donuts which spelled out his name. Just goes to show once again, most of your needs can be met right here in Stroud, OK. That’s why it’s great to remember to check with our many local merchants before making a trip out of town. Have a great week and thanks, as always, for shopping local…………….first!