My apologies for spelling my friend Janell Kinnamon’s name wrong in last week’s paper. I thought about telling you I put an “e” on the end of her name because my nickname for her is Ja-Nellie. I thought I heard once that honesty is the best policy so I’m coming clean. I caught my mistake but sent Brian the “unedited” version. I do not like to make mistakes in my writing, but I think the biggest faux pas to make is to misspell someone’s name.
Looks like we are gearing up for a busy Stroud summer with lots of fun activities. If you have a middle or high school student (entering grades 6-12) that is interested in attending STEAM Camp this summer, please have him/her take $5 to the science teacher and fill out the registration form. Camp will be June 19-22 from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Stroud High School.
Stroud Chamber of Commerce President Erin Bradley has announced the Chamber of Commerce will host its first Summer Movie Night in Foster Park on Saturday, June 3rd at 8:45 p.m. Bring your lawn chair and come on out to the park at 7:00 p.m. to have some food from one of the food trucks.
Also, there will be games to enjoy sponsored by Stroud Arts. The movie on the big screen will the “The Greatest Showman.” Come support this event and enjoy a great movie. Who doesn’t love Hugh Jackman? This has been a goal of Town Talk’s since we began and we are happy to see it taking place.
The Stroud Fire Department is proud to announce they have a new storm siren located at Stroud Lake thanks to an East Central Electric grant plus help from the City of Stroud with installation.
This siren will activate along with the sirens in the community. Thank you to everyone who worked to make this happen. Also, if you need a safe place to go when the sirens blow, shelters are located at our schools. Pets are not allowed in the shelters.
It’s time to start planning for the Firetruck Muster and Car Show on June 10th in Stroud from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Stroud Arts will have activities available for the kiddos. This event is put on by the Stroud Chamber of Commerce and Stroud Fire Department. Watch this column and Stroud’s Facebook page for more details.
Congratulations to our school’s Fine Arts department. The high school band received a superior rating, which is the highest rating that could be received at the Branson Music competition. The high school choir also received a superior rating on all solos, ensembles and full choir. These ratings earned them the Sweepstake’s Award. Great job, students and teachers!
Town Talk and the American Legion Auxiliary have scheduled Thursday, May 25th at 10:00 a.m. as the time we will put flags out at the cemetery. We have over 700 veterans buried in Stroud, and we will place a flag on each grave.
The community is invited to come out to the cemetery to help with this activity. Bring your children and help them learn about why we as a community come together to honor our veterans, especially on Memorial Day.
The Stroud Food Pantry/Stroud Masonic Lodge will be hosting a Hot Dog Fundraiser on Saturday, May 27th from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Main Street Pavilion.
They will also be holding a raffle with great prizes from our local merchants. Check with any Food Pantry volunteer to purchase your tickets for the raffle.
Town Talk, American Legion Auxiliary and American Legion invite you to join us on Memorial Day, May 29th at 10:00 a.m. at the Stroud Cemetery for our annual program to honor our veterans. Chairs for those needing to sit will be available as well as cold water to drink. American Legion Post #257 will provide a gun salute to honor the fallen. Join us as we come together as a community to pay our respects to those who fought so bravely for our country.
Activities for the week include Oklahoma Blood Institute blood drive from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Sac & Fox Casino Wednesday, May 17th, Stroud Community Clothing Ministry Thursday, May 18th 9:00 a.m.1:00 p.m., Route 66 Metal Detecting Club Thursday, May 18th 7:00 p.m. at City Hall, Stroud Food Pantry Tuesday May 23rd 9:00 a.m.- noon.
Town Talk volunteers are selling bricks in Ed. Smalley Centennial Park at the Veteran’s Memorial. We have many bricks that are already in place but have not yet been inscribed. The cost of a brick with inscription is $65. We need a minimum of twenty bricks to get that price and we currently have eight on order. If you are interested now is the time to place your order. You may contact any Town Talk volunteer or call me at 918-5279833. Anyone may order a brick – you do not have to be a veteran to have a brick in the Memorial.
When the veteran’s banners go up on Main Street, family members will be honoring four new veterans: James Walker, Gary Roberson, Delmer Summers and Richard James. We have also received a short biography of all veterans to go along with their pictures. In visiting with Sue Williams Goldston about her brother Don, I discovered a friend of his from the Air Force had written a book about some of their experiences while in Vietnam titled Ghost Warriors Long Range Patrol Airborne Rangers by Lt. Bob Stein.
Don is mentioned in the book along with his picture. Don was the son of former high school science teacher Howard Williams and his wife Vera, who worked in the library and had study hall. I purchased the book and donated it to the Stroud Library, so it is available for you to read.
Alumni Weekend is fast approaching, and it looks like it’s going to be a weekend full of activities. Check out the Stroud Alumni page on Facebook for all the details. The Class of 1973 is celebrating their 50th year reunion and Debbie Willis Austin is hot on the trail of those classmates trying to hide.
I guess they haven’t heard you can run but you can’t hide. Randy Owens, Debbie and I were all texting last week with our “super sleuth hats” on plotting and scheming to find those last few members of their class who have, we believe, gone underground until after this weekend is over. Let me just tell you, I’ve joined the Class of 1973’s posse and we are “comin’ fer ya!”
Congratulations to all our kindergarten students who graduated to first grade last Friday night. Their teachers did a great job with the program and their students knew their lines, songs, and how to behave on stage. Lincoln Smalley was just one of the many graduates I had my eye on. I knew many of them through baseball and Sunday School. Good luck to all of them as they enter first grade this fall.
A big thank you to Lyndon Patton of Patton’s Produce for having the weeds sprayed for us at the miniature golf course and to Mike Cooper for keeping our grass looking spiffy. We can’t thank these two men enough. It takes us all working together to make things happen in our community.
Graduation, alumni weekend, Memorial Day – so many purchases that need to be made. Check out our local merchants before you head out of town. You’ll be glad you did.
Have a great week and thank you for shopping local………… first.