Town Talk

Town Talk is busier than ever working on community projects. We start work this week on minor makeovers for some of our downtown businesses.

The side of the building that was in my youth Parker’s Flower Shop is getting a fresh coat of paint and then will have an “art type” motif painted on it.

The concrete slab next to it will have permanent outside games painted on it such as hopscotch, checkers, etc.

Pete Sawatsky owns the building and suggested making this wall an art project for kiddos. He is letting Town Talk take the lead on this idea.

The building that was the former home of Horn Art Gallery will get a new faux front and Willa Dean Stinson’s building across the street is getting some updates as well. Be sure and watch these projects take shape.

Town Talk believes in working with and for our small businesses to make our Main Street something of which we can all be proud. We want to entice visitors as well as you locals to get out and shop small.

I met another visitor traveling Route 66 the other day while I was out working downtown.

His name was Sonny Atkins and he was traveling from the Seminole area by motorcycle with his Oklahoma Route 66 passport. He stopped in Stroud Drug to get his passport stamped and was traveling on to the Rock Café.

Mom and I ran in to him again outside Unique OK as he was cruising around town. We invited him in and treated him to a cup of ice cream.

The new passport from the Department of Tourism is getting people out on the Mother Road and bringing more visitors to our community.

I received a call from longtime Stroud resident Glenda Buchanan Funk the other day and she told me she had an idea for me. Glenda said she remembered seeing an old train engine east of Stroud a few miles but hadn’t spotted it lately. She told me the trees might have grown up around it, but thought I could go see if I could find it. Mom and I left to go search for it immediately after hanging up the phone. We were able to locate it and couldn’t help but squeal with excitement when we saw it. It turned out the train was located on the property of the late Paul and Juanita Hicks. Their daughter, Paul Hicks Ackerman now lives in the family home. I’ve known Paula since our school days and so I knocked on her door and told her that we needed that train on Main Street. Paula told me her dad had built the train and that there was a lot of history that went along with it. Town Talk was able to purchase the train engine and will be restoring it and moving it to Main Street. Many of you I have spoken to about it remembered, too, seeing it along side the road back in its heyday. It will soon be a piece of Stroud’s history that you can enjoy right in our own downtown. Thanks to Glenda Funk for alerting us to this treasure.

Town Talk decorated downtown with scarecrows, hay bales and pumpkins helping to get everyone in the Fall mood. Thanks again to all our downtown merchants who have decorated their store fronts. Main Street looks very festive.

We are still selling banners for our downtown lamp posts. If you would like to honor a veteran or serviceman, please contact me at 918-527-9833 to purchase one. We only have so many spots available so reserve yours today by placing your order. We have several we are working on and should have some additional banners up next week. The cost for one side of the banner is $125. All proceeds from the sale of these banners go towards the purchase of our Bugle Boy for Ed. Smalley Centennial Park.

I told you last week I was going to spotlight a Town Talk volunteer in this column weekly. This week I want to shine a light on volunteer Billy Lakey. Sadly, Billy passed away last week just two days shy of his 71st birthday. Billy volunteered to help us lay the new floor at the American Legion Building. At one time, he owned his own flooring business, so it was a blessing to have him help us. David Evans spearheaded the project and Billy helped him with other renovations at the Legion after the floor was laid. We couldn’t have done it without him. Billy moved to Stroud about 11 years ago from Texas to be closer to his sons and their families. He was a very active volunteer for the Stroud Food Pantry. Our community will deeply miss Billy’s pleasant attitude, happy countenance and his community spirit.

Be sure and plan on visiting our local merchants on October 30th for Trick or Treat Main Street. After you’ve finished come on over to Unique OK for Town Talk’s Grill and Chill fundraiser. We will have food for sale, games to play and music to be heard. Come join in the fun. It is an outside event so social distancing should not be an issue.

Shop local, eat local, spend local, enjoy local. It takes you to start the trend. Support the local businesses who support the area where you live, play and work.

Have a great week and as always, remember to shop and dine local…………first!