If you haven’t been to the Stroud Lake in a while you should drive out and see all the improvements that have been made. One of the latest additions is a disc golf course named Eagle Valley. Disc golf is just what its name implies – golf that’s played with a disc that you throw instead of balls that you hit with clubs. City Manager Bob Pearman told me Stroud just held its first tournament on the course and had 82 entrants. That sounds like a great turnout to me. One contestant even traveled from Alaska to take part in the competition. He decided to kill two birds with one stone, so he visited family in Norman and entered the tournament. It looks like our City has added another great attraction for our community. After reading the course reviews on the Internet I understand this is a challenging course. I hear one of the City’s goals would be to place a less challenging course in Foster Park for the younger and less experienced disc golfers to play and develop their skills. Once we get the miniature golf course up and running, we will have disc, miniature and traditional 18-hole golf in Stroud. Sounds like a great place to visit or even make this community your permanent residence.
David Smith and Sheri Ripley who work for the Lincoln County Health Department held a “World Café” last week here in Stroud. It was a community conversation hosted by the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Healthy Living Program. There were some 16 community members present representing various organizations and businesses in Stroud. We discussed the pluses and the obstacles that makes or prevents us from being a healthy community. We were reminded of all the services we do have available in our small community – hospital, airport, ambulance service, fire department, farmer’s market, swimming pool, library, lake, disc golf course, parks, walking trails, soon to be mini golf and probably some other things I’m forgetting. We have a grocery store, too, and it was mentioned that several communities in our area/county don’t even have a local grocery store. Stroud has a lot to offer not only to its current residents but prospective residents, also. Speaking of local
Speaking of local residents, Gordon and Peggy Beck are two fairly new residents to our community moving here about four years ago from the Wellston/ Chandler area. They owned land and wanted to downsize so they began looking for houses. They found one they liked in the Foster Park housing addition. I met Gordon through his involvement in the American Legion organization and thus became friends with Peggy, also. Gordon called me last week and wanted to make a donation to Town Talk for our miniature golf course. He recently underwent back surgery and had several vertebrae fused. We all know that is a difficult surgery and a slow healing process. The Becks told me that their neighbors came out in full force to help with whatever needs they had during Gordon’s recovery. They mowed their yard, took food and checked on them to see what they could do to help. Gordon and Peggy were both so overwhelmed with the attention, kindness and neighborliness that was shown to them that they wanted to give back to the community by donating to a local project. I would say “Isn’t it great to live in a small town” but I don’t think this attitude is true in all small towns. It just shows once again what a special community Stroud is and how fortunate we are to get to call it home!
I serve a risen Savior and we observe Easter this Sunday to remind us of his resurrection. Visit our local merchants to get all your Easter needs as we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ with family and friends. Have a great week and remember to shop and dine local…………………….first!