Focus on the Goal

“Jelly fish”

All of the dives were beautiful; we explored dive spots such as, WHITE HOLE, which is called that because of the round patch of white sand that you see first at 35ft of water. But then you swim to the wall where it drops off and down to the sand slope at 100ft and beyond.  It was this dive that the waves were making the boat rock up and down and I lost my motion sickness patch.  Needless to say I jumped into the water really quick so I wouldn’t get sick.  It was on this dive that I went to a depth of 74ft.

MELISSA’S REEF was another dive where there were walls, reefs and some canyons in the shallows.  I spotted a rockfish and a trumpet fish.  It was an amazing place to see all kinds of sea life. I dove to a depth of 50ft.

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BRENDA WEAVER PERFORMS IN “FAT PIG” AT SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY

Brenda Weaver has been busy with the production “Fat Pig” at Sonoma State University.  The two act play is about a young man meeting and falling in love with a plus size young woman and the peer pressure he receives from co-workers and an previous girl friend.  Brenda plays Jeannie the accountant in the  firm and previous girl friend. Tom the main character is played by Adam Burkholder, Helen the new girl friend is played by Lani Basich, and Carter the trouble making shallow co-worker is played by Keith Durling.The director was faculty member Tori Truss and the playwright is Neil LaBute.  The production runs April 3-11, at the Evert B. Person Theatre at Sonoma State University.  Brenda is the daughter of Jimmy and Terri Weaver and has performed in theatre productions every semester at SSU and even produced, acted and directed three one act plays last spring.  Brenda is a junior at SSU and is majoring in Drama Theatre.

President’s Award for Outstanding Sophomores – Summer James

Summer James, a University of Oklahoma sophomore from Boise City,

was honored with the President’s Award for Outstanding Sophomores at a recent campus awards ceremony. Presenting the plaque to her are OU President David L. Boren (left) and OU Board of Regents Chairman Max Weitzenhoffer.

Harmony Faith Hughes

Chub and Susie Tooley would like to announce the arrival of their newest granddaughter, Harmony Faith Hughes, born on Feb. 27. She is the daughter of Mahayla and Chet Hughes, of Mesa, Ariz. Great-grandparents are Wayne and Doe Tooley, and Sally Parker. There will be a come and go baby shower on Thursday, April 30 from 5 to 6 p.m. at the John and Carman Dadisman residence.

“A Dad’s Point-Of-View”

LESSONS OF A BIG BROTHER AND MENTOR

One of the clichés about volunteerism is the fact that you often get more than you give. In my case, it was in ways and means I least expected. I’ve just become a Big Brother, again, to a 7-year-old boy and a Mentor to a 22-year-old young man. As these relationships are new, I don’t yet know what lessons I will learn. But, I know well the lessons I learned the first time around.

I became a Big Brother, long before I was married or a parent. My life, at that time, was pretty heady. In my early 30’s, I had a successful showbiz career in which I was paid way too much for having so much fun, I lived in a lovely home in a chic part of town, had two cars, and no one to worry about other than myself.

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“A Trooper’s Perspective”

Is it OK to speed to pass???

A common statement people stopped for speeding make is “But I was passing” or that they just did “over the hill”. It seems I may have discussed this before but it came up a couple of times these past few days.

It is never “legal” to speed but many people do for many reasons. If you exceed the speed limit to pass you simply risk a citation. While officer discretion is always a possibility in minor cases running high speeds to pass a vehicle traveling at or near the speed limit implies you are simply speeding before and after the officer first sees you. While there may be times you may have needed to “step on it” such as when the vehicle you are passing speeds up, you see the end of your passing zone approaching fast or perhaps an oncoming vehicle seems to be approaching faster than you thought the bottom line is you were speeding and that is illegal.

More often than not the person is somewhat irate and confrontational to the officer who stops them even if the act of passing happened “over the hill”. We cannot see over a hill, around the curve etc. any more than any other human.

The best approach is always courtesy and respect toward the officer who stops you. Honesty and genuine politeness are the best hope an officer may accept your excuse in favor of a warning. Bellowing out the window before we have a chance to say anything to the driver is almost a guarantee he or she will get a citation. Passengers are not allowed to participate in the conversation and tend to always escalate the situation if the driver allows them to continue.

All officers excersise discretion and that is one of the tools we MUST have. Just DON”T expect or demand it if you hope for a break………

Trooper Duane Johnson #280

Oklahoma Highway Patrol

Focus on the Goal

“Swimming with the Dolphin”

Before we left the states, the instructor gave us a list of things we could do if we wanted to do something different.  Some choose to go to the Mayan temples, while others went down a river on an inner tube to look at the wild life around them.  But the one thing that I wanted to do more than anything was to swim with the dolphins.

Every time I would see a program were kids got the chance to swim with one, I would set there and wish really hard that is was me instead.  Now as an adult I would be able to have a chance to fulfill one of my dreams.

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Off The Cuff

by Shelley Fowler

by Shelley Fowler

My physical body is sitting at the computer table. My eyes are looking at a blank page on the monitor. Shiloh’s furry head is resting upon my left foot. And sitting on the table is a cup of green tea which is rapidly cooling with each sip. The wash machine just finished its rinse cycle and there are almost muted voices radiating from the television.

And yet, my mind has taken me far away from this table, this monitor, the tepid tea and Shiloh’s warmth upon my foot. The past has bumped against the present, and I can not only see but also feel with such clarity that which once meant so much to not only me, but my entire family – the sadness and then the joy of Easter. And my remembrance comes with the sensation of once again being that little chubby girl with long brown hair and eyes to match who embraced the story with such innocent faith, wonder and gladness. (Note: the gladness came only after we got Jesus off the cross and resurrected!)

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Cash Abbott Robinson

Noah and Shelley Robinson of Norman, Oklahoma, are proud to announce the birth of their son, Cash Abbott.  He was born on February 22, 2009, weighing in at 9 lb 6 oz.  Grandparents are Dan and Melinda Robinson of Boise City, Oklahoma, and Peter and Sally Pearne of San Jose, California.  Great-grandparents include Granny-Great Jean Copeland of Boise City.

Ariana Roberts,

Ariana Roberts, the daughter of proud parents Silvester and Amy Gonzalez, attended a piano contest at OPSU this past Saturday, April 4, 2009. She has been taught by Erwin Elms and with his guidance received a score of 1+, the highest possible score, for her 2 pieces; “III” and “ Witches, Bats, and Howling Cats” both by Walter and Carol Noona.

Adults, Girl Scouts, Hand Rep. Lucas Tea Bags

At left, Rep. Frank Lucas, holds a tea bag handed to him by a Girl Scout, as he speaks to a large crowd at the PTCI Building in Boise City Monday afternoon. Below, nearly 40 people turned out to express their frustration in what is happening in the nation.

by C.F.David

On Monday afternoon, Rep. Frank Lucas found himself the proud owner of several tea bags; some brought by Girl Scouts.

“People handing you tea bags is very important. King George didn’t listen and that’s why we aren’t British,” Lucas grinned at the Scouts. “I have 690,000 constitutes in the Third District. If they are handing me tea bags, I’d better listen. If I don’t pay attention, I could wind up in one of these tea bags.” Lucas began with the economy and the various stimulus plans enacted by both the Bush and Obama administrations.

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Stargazers

Total Eclipses of the Sun in our Future

Of all astronomical phenomena, probably none are as captivating as total eclipses of the Sun, and with good reason. What could be more dramatic than having the Sun briefly disappear during a clear, cloudless day, or more alarming?

Until they figured out what was going on, our ancestors came up with many different explanations, and most didn’t view eclipses as good things. Some thought an animal was eating the Sun and had to be frightened off with noise. Others saw eclipses as portends of bad events to come.

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Cowan Snagged by 13-year-old Major Co. Misdemeanor Charge

By C.F. David

Gideon Cowan, CEO of Worldwide Energy, found his past coming back to haunt him on April 1. Cowan, 60, was arrested by Cimarron County Sheriff’s Officers on a misdemeanor warrant from Major County, Oklahoma, (Fairview).

He was transferred to Fairview, by a Major County Sheriff’s Officer on April 2, and bonded out that evening on a $1,000 bond. He will face arraignment on May 1 on charges of driving under suspension and obstruction of an officer.

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“A Dad’s Point-Of-View”

A HAMSTER AND SOME DEAD BIRDS

by Bruce Sallan

One of parenting’s biggest challenges is when to protect your kids from “Life” and when to let them learn the truth about it.  I experienced this twice, in the past couple of years, in interesting and similar ways…one when it “wasn’t time” and one when it was!

My younger son, when he was 7-years-old, wanted a hamster, after playing at a friend’s house that had several.  Their “Mommy” hamster had just given birth to several baby hamsters and they graciously gave a darling one to my son.  Since it was around his birthday, we went to the pet store and bought a nice hamster cage and all the trimmings.  I made him promise to clean the cage, once a week, and he agreed.

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Teens arrested in break-in.

Several male minors and one 18-year-old female were arrested last Wednesday evening after being caught by a property owner breaking into a home in rural Felt.

Candy Thrash, 18, was booked into jail on a charge of  tresspassing and possession of stolen property.

The males, all of whom had entered the building were charged with braking and entering.

I’m pretty sure Candy was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was the only one that hadn’t gone inside,”said Cimarron County Sheriff Keith Borth.

The youth had been caught and detained by the property owner.

The young men, two aged 14, two 15 and one 16 had comitted some vandalism, and were to be charged with breaking and entering and felony trespass.

Slinging a Smooth Stone

Sometimes, the Right Thing, Becomes the Wrong Thing, to Do

In Virginia recently, a teenage girl was given a two week suspension, (and was recommended for expulsion), for taking her birth control pill without permission.

Ladies and gentlemen, in an effort to protect our children, we have become, and we are making our future generations, into, a bunch of nosy wimps.

In our zealorty to make sure our children aren’t addicted, shot, stabbed, beaten or bullied, we have made an effort to take one of our God-given freedoms away. I’m speaking of Free Will….you remember that…that’s what got Adam and Eve kicked out of the Garden. For as long as I remember I was taught right from wrong, and doing wrong brought a price…if you committed a wrong something bad was going to happen, a whipping, you’d be grounded or imprisioned, or…in serious instances, you might pay with your life. It wasn’t ever as simple as Red Skelton’s Bad Little Boy, “If I do it I’ll get in trouble…I’ll do it anyway.” But almost.

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Slinging a Smooth Stone

The U.S. Still Should Look Out, Not Within, for Trouble

Just over 93 years ago, on March 9, 1916, there was a revolution in Mexico that spilled over the U.S. Border. At Columbus, N.M., some 60 miles east of El Paso, Texas, Poncho Villa, and more than 400 men crossed the border into the U.S., (they cut a border fence).

They then rode and walked to Columbus and attacked, looking for supplies, ammunition and weapons.

Before the raid was complete, 100 or more Villiaistas, and 10 civilians and eight U.S. Soldiers lay dead.

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Wind Commerce 2009: the Future is Now Scheduled for June in Norman

April 9, 2009 — To help Oklahoma companies, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and communities explore the many business and economic development opportunities involved with Oklahoma’s emerging wind industry, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce will hold Wind Commerce 2009: the Future is Now, June 23-24, at the Embassy Suites Norman Ok.

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